The Journey Running Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode of the Journey Running Podcast, host Stefan Schuster welcomes TJ Harms-Synkiew, an ultrarunner with a diverse background in trail running, seasonal work and trail maintenance to the show. Together they discuss the importance of trail work, TJ's transition to ultra running, and the mental challenges faced in endurance sports. TJ shares his journey from completing his first marathon to tackling 100-mile races, timed events and backyard ultras. In this conversation, TJ shares his experiences and insights on these unique event formats, the appeal of timed events plus loop courses and the unique mindset required to succeed in these events. TJ also discusses the strategies that have worked for him in backyard racing along with the importance of finding balance in ultrarunning to prevent burnout (spoiler alert: fun should be the primary goal!). We also discuss the necessity of discipline in training and TJ's personal journey of living life on his own terms as he navigates his running career.

Chapters
 00:24 Show Introduction
 02:57 TJ's Introduction, Seasonal Work and Its Impact on Life Choices
 08:45 Trail Work: The Importance and Challenges
 11:50 Experiences with Trail Work and Community Involvement
 14:40 The Role of Volunteers in Trail Maintenance
 17:43 Daily Life of a Trail Worker
 20:41 The Chavano Project and Trail Development
 23:49 Social Trails: Perspectives and Implications
 26:45 Transitioning to Ultra Running: A Personal Journey
 29:52 The Journey to Ultra Running
 35:16 Building Confidence Through Challenges
 38:47 The Loop Race Experience
 49:37 Mindset in Timed Events vs Fixed Distances
 53:12 Understanding Backyard Ultras
 58:20 Mastering Compartmentalization in Ultra Running
 59:18 Strategies for Backyard Ultra Racing
 01:04:42 Finding Balance in Ultra Running
 01:07:38 The Importance of Fun in Racing
 01:11:37 Building a Sustainable Running Routine
 01:17:31 Living Life on Your Own Terms
 01:20:54 Navigating Life's Journey Through Running
 01:23:48 Introduction to Trail and Ultra Running
 01:24:17 Coaching and Nutrition Insights

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Journey Running Links

Website: JourneyRunCoaching.com
Email: JourneyRunningLLC@gmail.com
Instagram: Journey_Running
Facebook: Journey_Running
Tiktok: JourneyRunning

Nourish Referral Link: https://www.usenourish.com/providers/stefan-schuster?referralSource=Nourish+dietitian&referralName=Stefan+Schuster&utm_source=Nourish_dietitian&utm_term=Stefan_Schuster

In this episode of the Journey Running Podcast, host Stefan Schuster welcomes trail medic and ultra runner Natasha Swartley. They discuss Natasha's journey from military service to trail running, her experiences as a medic, and the importance of optimism and resilience in both life and running. Natasha shares her insights on mental health, the impact of running on her well-being, and her nutrition journey with her dietitian. In this conversation, Natasha Swartley shares her insights on trail running safety, the mental state of runners, and the importance of making healthy decisions during races. She discusses the dynamics between medics and runners, emphasizing the need for open communication and understanding. Natasha also reflects on her journey as a trail medic and the entrepreneurial path she has taken to support runners through self-care and education.

Chapters
00:24 Introduction to Natasha Swartley
 03:20 Military Background and Its Influence
 06:23 The Journey to Becoming a Trail Medic
 12:18 Optimism and Personal Growth
 15:08 Trail Running Experience and Community
 24:12 Mental Health and Overcoming Challenges
 30:06 The Supportive Community of Ultra Running
 32:22 Experiencing the Tahoe 200
 37:48 Nutrition and Health Awareness
 42:50 Trail Safety and Foot Care
 46:27 Mental State and Decision Making in Races
 52:44 Breaking the Stigma: Medics and Runners
 54:08 Personal Experiences with Medics
 01:01:23 The Role of Medics in Trail Running
 01:03:41 Building a Business in Trail Medicine
 01:12:34 Life Lessons from Military Service

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Journey Running Links

Website: JourneyRunCoaching.com
Email: JourneyRunningLLC@gmail.com
Instagram: Journey_Running
Facebook: Journey_Running
Tiktok: JourneyRunning

Nourish Referral Link: https://www.usenourish.com/providers/stefan-schuster?referralSource=Nourish+dietitian&referralName=Stefan+Schuster&utm_source=Nourish_dietitian&utm_term=Stefan_Schuster

Hi everyone and welcome to episode 16 of the Journey Running Podcast. In this episode, I talk about planning for an upcoming race season. With 2025 approaching, this is a subject on many athletes' minds. Topics discussed in this episode include determining priorities, what races you want to run, budgeting for races and finding unique ways to run ultramarathons for cheap or discounted prices. I also discuss a process you can follow that may help you pick your races for the upcoming year. I hope this episode provides value for those of you tuning in.

As always, thanks for taking the time to listen!
Stefan

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Journey Running Links

Website: JourneyRunCoaching.com
Email: JourneyRunningLLC@gmail.com
Instagram: Journey_Running
Facebook: Journey_Running
Tiktok: JourneyRunning

Nourish Referral Link: https://www.usenourish.com/providers/stefan-schuster?referralSource=Nourish+dietitian&referralName=Stefan+Schuster&utm_source=Nourish_dietitian&utm_term=Stefan_Schuster

Hi everyone, in this episode of the Journey Running Podcast, I have on my good friend Lizzy Rouce. In this episode we discuss Lizzy's running career along with her first 100 miler, the Hood Hundred. Other events discussed include the Sangre de Cristo Ultras, Never Summer 100k, and hiking the Colorado 14'ers. 

As always, thank you for taking the time to listen!

Enjoy the episode!
-Stefan

Send us Fan Mail

Journey Running Links

Website: JourneyRunCoaching.com
Email: JourneyRunningLLC@gmail.com
Instagram: Journey_Running
Facebook: Journey_Running
Tiktok: JourneyRunning

Nourish Referral Link: https://www.usenourish.com/providers/stefan-schuster?referralSource=Nourish+dietitian&referralName=Stefan+Schuster&utm_source=Nourish_dietitian&utm_term=Stefan_Schuster

Hi everyone, and welcome to the Journey Running Podcast. This episode is about my journey to qualifying for the Boston Marathon. My hope is that my atypical route to qualifying (running marathons then leaving road racing for 6 years to focus on ultrarunning before returning to a road marathon) can help create a unique roadmap for those out there who are looking to BQ and who may be in a similar situation. Whether you have never run a marathon, are a regular marathoner or an ultrarunner, I think this episode contains great training advice and will have something for you. Ultimately, I cover my personal running experience that led to a BQ, what I focused on in training and how I ran the race itself. I hope that this helps your training and if you have any further questions, thoughts or are looking for a running coach, don't hesitate to reach out!

-Stefan

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Journey Running Links

Website: JourneyRunCoaching.com
Email: JourneyRunningLLC@gmail.com
Instagram: Journey_Running
Facebook: Journey_Running
Tiktok: JourneyRunning

Nourish Referral Link: https://www.usenourish.com/providers/stefan-schuster?referralSource=Nourish+dietitian&referralName=Stefan+Schuster&utm_source=Nourish_dietitian&utm_term=Stefan_Schuster

Hi everyone, in this episode of the Journey Running Podcast, we have on Kevin Kolloff. Kevin recently ran  the Leadville 100 Mile Endurance Run and in this episode, we dive into Kevin's training, preparation and race itself. One thing that makes this episode special is that Kevin is a Journey Running athlete and the first athlete I have coached for a race to be on this podcast. Overall, this was a great episode to record, as individuals training for the Leadville 100 will find an abundance of applicable training information in this episode. On that note, I think anyone training for their first 100 in particular will get a lot of value out of listening to this one. As always, thank you for taking the time to listen!

Enjoy the episode!
-Stefan

Send us Fan Mail

Journey Running Links

Website: JourneyRunCoaching.com
Email: JourneyRunningLLC@gmail.com
Instagram: Journey_Running
Facebook: Journey_Running
Tiktok: JourneyRunning

Nourish Referral Link: https://www.usenourish.com/providers/stefan-schuster?referralSource=Nourish+dietitian&referralName=Stefan+Schuster&utm_source=Nourish_dietitian&utm_term=Stefan_Schuster

Hi everyone and welcome to episode 12 of the Journey Running Podcast. In this episode, I have on our main guest, Patrick McClellan along with Joel Gartenberg, who acts as a co-host. Patrick is an ultrarunner with experience running the Leadville 100, Ouray 100, Moab 240 and more! Patrick is a world traveler, yoga instructor and van life connoisseur. In this episode, we talk about all of these subjects and more. Enjoy!

Send us Fan Mail

Journey Running Links

Website: JourneyRunCoaching.com
Email: JourneyRunningLLC@gmail.com
Instagram: Journey_Running
Facebook: Journey_Running
Tiktok: JourneyRunning

Nourish Referral Link: https://www.usenourish.com/providers/stefan-schuster?referralSource=Nourish+dietitian&referralName=Stefan+Schuster&utm_source=Nourish_dietitian&utm_term=Stefan_Schuster

Hi everyone and welcome to episode 11 of the Journey Running Podcast. In this episode, I have on my good friend and 2x Leadman Finisher, Brian Steiner. In this episode, Brian talks about his experiences running the Leadville Race Series events that compose what is known as the Leadman Series. Brian and I go in depth about his two Leadville 100 Mile Endurance Run Finishes and talk about our experiences pacing and crewing each other at various races throughout the last few years. This is a great episode for anyone considering competing in the Leadman series or who is running the Leadville 100 in particular. Enjoy!

Send us Fan Mail

Journey Running Links

Website: JourneyRunCoaching.com
Email: JourneyRunningLLC@gmail.com
Instagram: Journey_Running
Facebook: Journey_Running
Tiktok: JourneyRunning

Nourish Referral Link: https://www.usenourish.com/providers/stefan-schuster?referralSource=Nourish+dietitian&referralName=Stefan+Schuster&utm_source=Nourish_dietitian&utm_term=Stefan_Schuster

Hi everyone and welcome to episode 10 the Journey Running Podcast. In this episode, I have on Josh Iwai, who talks about discipline, honing a process-oriented mentality and his running streak of 1000+ days. Josh Iwai truly is a man who has fallen in love with the process of training and more importantly using running as his medium to become a better a better person through sport. Josh very much exemplifies the mission of Journey Running and I am glad we were able to create this episode together. Enjoy!

Send us Fan Mail

Journey Running Links

Website: JourneyRunCoaching.com
Email: JourneyRunningLLC@gmail.com
Instagram: Journey_Running
Facebook: Journey_Running
Tiktok: JourneyRunning

Nourish Referral Link: https://www.usenourish.com/providers/stefan-schuster?referralSource=Nourish+dietitian&referralName=Stefan+Schuster&utm_source=Nourish_dietitian&utm_term=Stefan_Schuster

Hi everyone and welcome to Episode 9 of the Journey Running Podcast. In this episode, I have on one of my friends, Amanda Klebba who walks us through her journey as an ultrarunner. In this episode, Amanda talks to us about her transition from marathon running to a trail running, a bunch of the races she’s run over the last 2-years and the importance of being open to new experiences. I hope you are able to learn something new from the tips Amanda has to offer and enjoy this episode!

Send us Fan Mail

Journey Running Links

Website: JourneyRunCoaching.com
Email: JourneyRunningLLC@gmail.com
Instagram: Journey_Running
Facebook: Journey_Running
Tiktok: JourneyRunning

Nourish Referral Link: https://www.usenourish.com/providers/stefan-schuster?referralSource=Nourish+dietitian&referralName=Stefan+Schuster&utm_source=Nourish_dietitian&utm_term=Stefan_Schuster