Explore every episode of the podcast Strides: A Trail Running Podcast
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cale Williams | Pre Sky Island Trail Race Interview | 15 Sep 2025 | 00:09:04 | |
Heading into this year's Sky Island, third time is the charm for Cale Williams. Follow Cale on Instagram Follow Strides on Instagram and Subtstack Check out Strides on Apple Podcast and Spotify Love it or hate it? Got a topic idea? Please leave a review and email any feedback to stridestrailpod@gmail.com. | |||
| Roy Gallegos | Pre Sky Island Trail Race Interview | 08 Sep 2025 | 00:16:50 | |
In his first 50k, Roy Gallegos is not letting Sky Island's distance get to his head. Roy Gallegos' mindset is one rooted in a humble mentality; a devotee to the endurance experience. From 5:00 a.m. training runs to acclimating to the necessary elevation gains, Roy is prepared for the experience of a lifetime. At the end, one thing awaits: finishing as an ultramarathoner. What's next? Bigger and better things, he would say. Follow Roy on Instagram Follow Strides on Instagram and Subtstack Check out Strides on Apple Podcast and Spotify Love it or hate it? Got a topic idea? Please leave a review and email any feedback to stridestrailpod@gmail.com. | |||
| Joe Sierra | Pre Sky Island Trail Race Interview | 01 Sep 2025 | 00:12:52 | |
West Texas has come calling again for Joe Sierra, who is looking for the finish in his second trail race of the year at Sky Island. Joe Sierra is coming off a Big Bend Ultra 50-mile finish from earlier this year, though he is also battling a bad shin splint. Despite that, however, Joe describes how prioritizing recovery and cross-training on the bike has prepared him for the longevity of the Sky Island 50k. Low and slow is Joe's mindset, especially to tackle the elevation gains in the race. Follow Joe on Instagram Follow Strides on Instagram and Subtstack Check out Strides on Apple Podcast and Spotify Love it or hate it? Got a topic idea? Please leave a review and email any feedback to stridestrailpod@gmail.com. | |||
| Will Rocha | Pre Sky Island Trail Race Interview | 25 Aug 2025 | 00:09:07 | |
In his first trail race, Will Rocha is going to fuck around and find out in his home away from home. Follow Strides on Instagram and Subtstack Check out Strides on Apple Podcast and Spotify Love it or hate it? Got a topic idea? Please leave a review and email any feedback to stridestrailpod@gmail.com. | |||
| Madison Ortega | Pre Sky Island Trail Race Interview | 20 Aug 2025 | 00:09:06 | |
Running with her dad and husband by her side, Madison Ortega is ready for the magic of Sky Island and West Texas. Follow Strides on Instagram and Subtstack Check out Strides on Apple Podcast and Spotify Love it or hate it? Got a topic idea? Please leave a review and email any feedback to stridestrailpod@gmail.com. | |||
| A Lesson in Discipline and the Blessing of Movement with Javian Quinones | 19 Aug 2025 | 00:52:45 | |
The heart of the athlete shines with Javian Quinones, a faithful devotee to the endurance chase. Quinones, who is rehabbing and rebuilding from his third knee surgery, has chased endurance on two wheels and two feet. A seeker of the ultra distance, Quinones has big goals and bigger miles. We chat about what brought him into running and how that evolved to cycling, the importance of optimism when dealing with injury, and what it means to chase the miles. Follow Javian on Instagram Follow Strides on Instagram and Subtstack Check out Strides on Apple Podcast and Spotify Love it or hate it? Got a topic idea? Please leave a review and email any feedback to stridestrailpod@gmail.com. | |||
| Santiago Ortega | Pre Sky Island Trail Race Interview | 18 Aug 2025 | 00:12:23 | |
Santiago Ortega is eyeing the finish line on his first 50k and preparing to fill that experience with joy. Follow Santiago on Instagram Follow Strides on Instagram and Subtstack Check out Strides on Apple Podcast and Spotify Love it or hate it? Got a topic idea? Please leave a review and email any feedback to stridestrailpod@gmail.com. | |||
| Introduction: Interviewing nine runners from San Antonio tackling Sky Island | 17 Aug 2025 | 00:05:10 | |
Hey everybody! I’m happy to introduce this project: Strides’ pre-race coverage of the Sky Island trail race. The race, one of West Texas’ finest, is in its ninth year. Boasting views of Fort Davis, the McDonald Observatories, and the skies of Texas, the race is much-loved — and it's calling the name of some badass runners. For this coverage, I sat down with nine runners from San Antonio who are running the 25k and 50k races. While Borderlands’ Western States interviews inspired this, this was also a chance to live vicariously through the endurance chase. I would love to run this race at some point. I will run this race at some point. Each of the interviews followed the same formula, but each person also brought their own character into the mix. There are some familiar faces and some new ones in these episodes, and I have even gotten to share a few miles with several of them over the past few weeks. From now up to race day, you will hear from these runners:
Consider following them on Instagram. Stoked to see them finish, and eager to have them all back on to debrief. Follow Strides on Instagram and Subtstack Check out Strides on Apple Podcast and Spotify Love it or hate it? Got a topic idea? Please leave a review and email any feedback to stridestrailpod@gmail.com. | |||
| Running As A Lens to the Natural World with Shaun Jones | 28 Jul 2025 | 00:53:17 | |
There is an air of calm and creativity to Shaun Jones’ view on running, much of which is often evoked through the camera lens of his phone. Influenced by his interests in street photography, Jones sometimes dedicates runs to finding striking images, all while covering miles on the trails or parts of the San Antonio River Walk from the steps of his front door. In this conversation, we discuss how photography plays into Jones' running, building up his mileage for races, and running as exploration. Follow Shaun on Instagram Follow Strides on Instagram and Subtstack Check out Strides on Apple Podcast and Spotify Love it or hate it? Got a topic idea? Please leave a review and email any feedback to stridestrailpod@gmail.com. | |||
| The Runner's Church with Roy Gallegos | 22 Jul 2025 | 00:52:19 | |
Roy Gallegos is inspiring, both for his view on running and his commitment to bettering the craft. When not doubling the Babcock power lines on the weekend or battling hill repeats, Gallegos uplifts his small business and spends his life as a husband and a father. We cover running as a spiritual practice, how Gallegos discovered brands such as Satisfy and Alex Zono, and what his race plans look like for the rest of the year. Follow Roy on Instagram Follow Strides on Instagram and Subtstack Check out Strides on Apple Podcasts and Spotify Love it or hate it? Got a topic idea? Please leave a review and email any feedback to stridestrailpod@gmail.com. | |||
| Edgar Navarrete: A Balance of Movement, Experience, and Resilience | 01 Jul 2025 | 00:45:07 | |
Edgar Navarrete brings a special kind of humility and warmth to his story, one of resiliency and centered in the history of two places. In this episode, Edgar and I discuss how his immigration story has impacted his running journey, the importance of movement in that journey, and what coveted race he is eyeing for his 100K debut. Follow Edgar on Instagram Follow Strides on Instagram and Subtstack Check out Strides on Apple Podcast and Spotify Love it or hate it? Got a topic idea? Please leave a review and email any feedback to stridestrailpod@gmail.com. | |||
| Amy Hermes of In The Loop Run Crew: Inclusivity, Community, Celebrating a Sponsored 5K Race | 26 Jun 2025 | 00:34:37 | |
Howdy, everyone. Back from a brief hiatus, but ready to get back on track. Let’s hop in. This week, we had Amy Hermes of In The Loop Run Crew on to discuss her journey into running and how she started the group. We also touched on their recent flagship race: the Y’all Means All 5K Pride race. Registration for next year's Y'all Means All race is open Follow In The Loop Run Crew on Instagram Follow Strides on Instagram and Subtstack Check out Strides on Apple Podcast and Spotify Love it or hate it? Got a topic idea? Please leave a review and email any feedback to stridestrailpod@gmail.com. | |||
| Organizing and Executing Race Logistics with Kirsten Mengden | 10 Jun 2025 | 00:52:13 | |
Kirsten Mengden is busy in the best way. She and many others built, made way, and put on my most recent trail race, making it a memorable experience that I look forward to next year. In this episode, we discuss her history with running, getting involved with a local running store in San Antonio, and what's to come with an excellent course in the Texas Hill Country. Follow iRun on Instagram and check out their website Follow Strides on Instagram and Subtstack Check out Strides on Apple Podcast and Spotify Love it or hate it? Got a topic idea? Please leave a review and email any feedback to stridestrailpod@gmail.com. | |||
| Finding Balance in Movement and Meditation with Santiago Ortega | 03 Jun 2025 | 01:27:56 | |
In this episode, I sit down with Santiago Ortega, a San Antonio runner, run club coordinator, and small business owner. Ortega is doing some great stuff in these spaces, providing a refreshing take on running's art form in the process. I'm stoked this conversation is hitting your ears. We cover the gamut in this podcast. Follow his run club, Extra Credit, on Instagram Follow Strides on Instagram and Subtstack Check out Strides on Apple Podcast and Spotify Love it or hate it? Got a topic idea? Please leave a review and email any feedback to stridestrailpod@gmail.com. | |||
| The Comeback Tour: Garrett Philbrick’s ultra aspirations, and balancing running with family | 27 May 2025 | 00:55:03 | |
Garrett Philbrick is more than just a teacher, a dad, and a husband: He’s an ultrarunner on a mission, a comeback tour of his own. With nine ultras under his belt, Philbrick is building out his mileage and time to prepare for a packed calendar of races to close out the year. He sat down with me to discuss his running journey, landing his first sponsorship, and why he chooses to run to heavy metal music. Follow Garrett on Instagram, Strava, and check out his go-to running playlist. Follow the podcast on Instagram and Substack. Check out Strides on Apple Podcasts. Love it or hate it? Got a topic idea? Please leave a review and email any feedback to stridestrailpod@gmai.com. | |||
| Recap: Desperado 20k's technicalities and intricacies | 20 May 2025 | 00:21:32 | |
Howdy, and welcome back to Strides! In this episode, I break down my experience running the 20k event this past Saturday during the Desperado Gravel Run & Ruck in Boerne, Texas. This was an incredible event with some gorgeous Hill Country trails, and will surely be a yearly staple for me. Follow the podcast on Instagram and Substack! Love it or hate it? Got a topic idea? Please leave a review and email any feedback to stridestrailpod@gmai.com | |||
| It's race week: Desperado 20k is on the menu, and South Texas is serving up a scorcher | 15 May 2025 | 00:17:22 | |
It’s race week, friends! I’m running the 20K Desperado Run this weekend at the Desperado Resort outside Boerne, Texas. Boerne is about 30ish miles outside of San Antonio. The weather this weekend in the area is beginning to tip into scorching heat. The forecast is looking decent in the morning, with higher temperatures later in the day. I'm excited to hit some brand-new trails and immerse myself in the race world again. Will have an episode out after the race, breaking down how it went. Follow Strides on Instagram and Substack! Love it or hate it? Got a topic idea? Leave a review or feel free to email me and give your feedback: stridestrailpod@gmail.com | |||
| The introduction and my journey with trail running | 08 May 2025 | 00:21:53 | |
Howdy, my name is Mason, and welcome to Strides. This is the podcast and Substack amalgamation for me to explore a sport I am loving more and more: trail running. An opportunity to explore what I love, what I want to learn, and what seems daunting But more than that, this venture is a chance to blend some of my other passions—film, urban planning, and storytelling—with a budding interest in trail. I am by no means a professional but rather a devotee of the sport, ready to dive headfirst and not look back. This episode serves as an introduction and a bit about my journey with trail running. I probably missed a couple of things, but hey, we will surely cover going forward. Thanks for listening! Follow Strides on Instagram! | |||