Getting After It

165 - Mason Wright’s Run Across Utah & Lessons in Suffering

• Brett Rossell • Season 5 • Episode 165

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Mason Wright is not your average ultrarunner. He’s a gym owner, a former 285-pound lineman, and the man behind Worn Legs, a poetic tribute to what it means to suffer on purpose.

In this episode, Mason sits down to unpack the story behind his legendary run across Utah — 421 brutal miles in 9 days — from injuries and windstorms to moments of spiritual clarity with nothing but a headlamp and a horizon.

We cover:

  •  How Mason went from zero to ultras after tearing his posterior tib
  •  Why doctors told him he’d never run again — and why he ran anyway
  •  What it takes to build something meaningful (a gym, a run, a life)
  •  •The mental war of endurance and the beauty found in worn-out shoes

Mason’s story will inspire you to keep going when everything in your body tells you to stop. Whether you're chasing your first 5K or planning your own epic, this is a masterclass in suffering well.

And as always,
Keep Getting After It.

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I hope today’s episode sparked something within you to pursue your dreams and unlock your true potential. If you found value in it, consider sharing it with someone who might need that same push.

Getting After It is for those who. want to silence their self-doubt. Refuse to be owned by comfort. Understand their limits are man-made and breakable. We live in a time of constant comparison. Social media drowns us in highlight reels and overnight success stories. But what most people don’t see is the grit behind it all. The reps. The quiet mornings. The sacrifices. The failures.

You are just getting started. Keep Getting After It. 

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Speaker 2:

Thanks for for jumping on. It's it's nice to finally see you again. Last time I saw you, we were both in the pain cave, but I think you a little bit more than I was. Um but yeah, that's something that was just surprising to me. Um I I saw you running that and I was like, I gotta look this guy up afterwards. And I think I saw Mad Moods commented on one of your posts, and I followed them and you know the rest is history. But um yeah, Mason, thanks for jumping on. I'm excited to chat with you today. If you don't don't mind, maybe just introducing yourself a little bit and then we'll kind of go into the conversation.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, of course. Uh my name's Mason Wright. Uh thank you for having me on, by the way. Um, everybody calls me the buff runner. Uh just it's a great name.

Speaker 2:

Great name.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, you know what? I love it. I love it. Um, it was a nickname that was given to me by a buddy. I used to teach at uh it was like a cycling studio, but it was classes that took place on treadmill, uh like on assault treadmills. Uh it was really cool. Um, and so everybody started calling me buff runner. Uh it's just kind of how it went. Uh it works. And then I changed my Instagram name and the rest is history. It ended up becoming a whole thing. But uh, I wasn't always a runner. Uh, I used to weigh 285 pounds. I was a big defensive lineman and got into Spartan races because of my wife's family and raced as a pro for a bit. COVID hit and started ultra running and then really started ultra running when running across Utah this year.

Speaker 2:

So yeah, that's insane, man. We'll we'll talk about that. But um, so it hasn't been too long of a journey then, like from the ultra marathon experience at least.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, no, I um I've been running, I started running in 2018, 2017?

Speaker 4:

Okay.

Speaker 3:

2018. Yeah. Yeah. No, okay. I don't know. No, it was 2017. I got married in 2018. There we go, we got it. I got married in 2020, so it was 2017. Um, so I started running in 2017, um, and then started ultra running in 2020. Uh, but honestly, like can't even say I've really been ultra running since 2020 because uh 2021, I had a massive injury and didn't run an ultra for until again until 2024. Um dang. What happened during that time? Yeah, I tore my posterior tip, um which is yeah, they call the runner's Achilles because of just like whether it's positioned uh in the leg and how it functions and all that stuff. But yeah, I tore that running my first official ultra. I'd run a few, you know, like I ran the Grand Canyon and I ran King's Peak, which is the tallest peak in Utah, and a couple of different things like that. And so uh but my first official ultra was a 90k that turned into a hundred K because I got lost. And uh at mile 20, I tore my posterior tip and ran 40 miles on a tour and then uh finished. I got I went from being top 10, uh from likely placing top 10 to getting second to last place and finishing with 30 seconds left before the cutoff.

Speaker 2:

That is that's brutal, dude. But holy cow, that was like okay, so for me, like I've I've been ultra running for two years now, um, like doing races. The the highest distance I've gone is 50k, but um April next year I'm doing Sedona. Uh I think it's called the View, uh, but they're they're hosting it, it's 50 miles. Um, but I can't like the those distances are hard for me to fathom sometimes because like they it really is just so much time on your feet. And when you're at mile 20 and you feel that tear, like did you know immediately there was an issue? And then how did you just push through that?

Speaker 3:

Yeah, it my leg just started hurting really, really bad. And it wasn't like a pop because it didn't tear completely. Um, it was a grade two sprain or strain, whatever the thing is. So it was like that instead of like that. Um, and so there wasn't like a pop, it just like my leg started burning. It was like on fire, and I just like kept running. And in my mind, I didn't know, dude, I didn't know shit. The first time I uh for my dude, when I so when I my first ultra marathon was running the Grand Canyon, um I essentially ran rim to rim, uh, but I had to do a modified route because it was in March, so it was the same, so it was about it was about 29 miles. Um and I ran South Rim and then part of the way up the north rim and then back. And I went into the Grand Canyon with a packet of saltines and a cliff bar.

Speaker 2:

No way, so very little fuel.

Speaker 3:

Oh, dude, I didn't know what I was doing, I had no idea what I was doing. Uh King's Peak, I finally had a better idea of what I was doing. You know, I you know, it was 33 miles. Uh I brought some good, I brought some gels, but I brought like one gel per hour. Yeah, like I brought, I literally brought nine gels with me. Like it, you know, I did not bring what I actually needed. And then this race, I didn't understand what a crew was, I didn't understand what pacing was. I didn't understand any of this, or like people pacing me and stuff. So we have all that. I didn't do drop bags, I just shoved everything in my pack and ran. Um and so it just like it completely blew up in my face. Um, on top of the fact that I got injured, you know. Yeah, like that's insane. Yeah, that's its own thing with getting that injured. But yeah, I uh so I had no idea what I was doing. Uh I start going, and in my mind, I'm like, well, I signed up for this. Why the hell would I stop? Why would I quit? It doesn't make any sense, you know? Yeah. Like I didn't even understand the concept of a DNF. And I thought about quitting, you know, like I got to, I told I did tell myself because I did understand how bad my leg was. Yeah, understand as much as I could at that point. And at mile, I told myself, if I don't get athletic tape by mile 40, I have to stop because this is just bad. Mile 48 station, I do and no aid stations had athletic tape. Um, mile 48 station, they had it, and I I knew how to tape an ankle just from years of that kind of stuff. And so I taped my ankle up and and kept running. Just kept going, man. That's that's insane. So it was more of like uh ignorance is bliss kind of thing. Like I had no idea, so I just kept going. I didn't know any. I didn't know what a deal sometimes I mean I didn't know any of that.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I think I think with ultra running, you kind of have to lean on that a little bit. Like the the fact that ignorance is bliss. Like I I know what the pain feels like for a 30-mile race, but I don't know what it feels like for a 50. And I'm just like, yeah, you know what, I'll just sign up and just go into it, you know, the same strategy, but run a little bit longer before.

Speaker 3:

Um I always think of the Donald Trump thing of like, I have no strategy. There is no strategy.

Speaker 2:

There is no strategy, none here. Yeah, yeah. I mean, a lot of the time it's like, yeah, your strategy will get thrown out the window, like you'll have issues come up, um, like tearing your posterior uh runner's Achilles, whatever, whatever it's called.

Speaker 3:

Posterior, posterior tibialis.

Speaker 2:

Tibialis, there we go. Um, but yeah, I mean, sometimes you gotta improvise. That's that's one thing I love about ultra racing, is a lot of the times you just gotta figure out how you're gonna get through it. Um, DNFing, of course, is like some people need to do it for health reasons. Um, I think most of the time it's like it can be avoided. So yes, like unless you have a severe injury like me.

Speaker 3:

Um you should DNF. Like, don't like it's not worth jeopardizing never being able to run again. I got told by three doctors I'd never run again after that race. Um really? Oh yeah. It was bad. It was it was terrible. Um yeah, so they told me I'd never run again. And if I did, I'd be like an old man.

Speaker 2:

That's insane. What was recovery like? Like, did they put you under the knife? Did you get surgery?

Speaker 3:

No, so the reason they call it the runner's Achilles is because in order to get the surgery, they have to cut your Achilles tendon. And so it they have to make it worse, and so they don't really do surgery on it unless you completely tear it. They won't do surgery because it's not uh even though the like even though a minor tear should get surgery, uh it's just it's so they do more harm than good doing the surgery. Even in complete tears, they sometimes won't do the surgery.

Speaker 2:

That's insane. So was it just lots of PT and like stressed ice?

Speaker 3:

I didn't run I went on one run uh for my birthday. I ran three miles on my birthday. There you go. Uh and it was like a 15-minute mile. Um, but it was my only run in like yeah, it was several months. Several months.

Speaker 2:

That's crazy. What was uh what was going through your head at that point? Because you know, I know a lot of runners, myself included, um fear injuries, like worry about it, think it's gonna take you out, and you know, then like the doctors were telling you, which isn't very uh reassuring, like, hey, you're never gonna be able to run again. Like what was going through your head at that point?

Speaker 3:

Um honestly, I I just I was just like, all right, we'll work through it, figure it out. Like, tell me I can't run, okay. Like, you know, like I'm gonna run. Uh yeah. And so yeah, it's I I've always kind of had that mindset of like, all right, well, don't tell me I can't do something because I'm gonna go do it. Um and so that's just kind of the mindset that I took into it, if that makes sense. Um where doctors were telling me this. I'm like, okay, no, I'm just gonna I'll figure it out. Like, yeah, you don't know, you don't know what I'm capable of, like you don't know who I am, you don't know what I've done. And so yeah, I just took that mindset, did my PT, and got back to it. And then coming back, you know, I I went to my bread and butter. You know, I didn't just jump right back into ultras. I went to my back to my bread and butter of Spartans, won a couple of Spartan races to get my mojo back, and yeah, and then just yeah, kept going.

Speaker 2:

Okay. Yeah. I mean, that's I think a lot of the times like you have to just learn what, like, like you're saying exactly, like understand your body, understand what hurts, understand like if you can push it, then you should like try and get out of that. Um, but yeah, I mean, I was told the same thing by doctors. I uh back in 2021, I was 135 pounds. Um they had a they found like a tumor in my pituitary gland and all these things. So my hormones were shot, like all these things. Um and this actually got me into running, but I signed up for a half marathon and I was telling my doctors this, and they're like, you will probably have a heart attack because you're so underweight, like it's not recommended, do not do it. And so I didn't. Um, but then like the race still sent me my medal and all these things, and I was like, mom, you can't give that to me unless I actually do 13.1 miles. And um, I eventually did it, started getting healthy again. I'm on like hormone therapy stuff, but um, it was that moment where I was like, screw you, man. I'm gonna do this. Like, I don't care what you say. Um, but it was only because like I knew my body and knew that I was like starting to feel better. So I think you just have to when those things come up, be like, okay, is that actually the the result? Like, or is there something else I could do to push myself along a little bit more? Um, so I I love that mindset. Like just go after it. Who cares? That's that's what this podcast is called, you know, getting after it's it's getting uncomfortable, trying to you know push past your limits and all those things. But um just went on a tangent, my bad. But um No, it's a good tangent. Yeah, lots of them, lots of them happen in this podcast. But um I mean, what keeps you running? Like, do you just have a love for the sport? Is there you know, your your wife's family?

Speaker 3:

Okay, no, it well, it's funny because no one like my wife doesn't really run anymore. Kind of my fault. Um, actually fully my fault. I was an ass when we first started running. Uh I just got so into it. And like, I'm an athlete. I've been an athlete my whole life. So when I got into running, I got good at it quick, and so it frustrated her. Um, and then like I had we would did all of our training runs together, and she was faster than me for most of it, and then eventually I got to a point where I was faster than her. And in my mind, like we'd always done these runs together, and so I was just like, What the fuck are you doing? Like, come on, like it was just and I was such an ass. I was such an ass. Um, and then she stopped running, so I take full accountability for that.

Speaker 2:

Um I will it's a it's a dangerous slack. I will cut myself some dangerous slack.

Speaker 3:

I will cut myself some slack that I was just a dumb, you know, 19-year-old, 20-year-old. Um but still my totally my fault. Um her family kind of runs, not really. Um, we've like, you know, they did they've done a like a couple of Spartan races. I just like dove. I don't I don't know what it was. I just dove all in, but uh, I do I do love running. I think I love the I love the competition at first, and now it's more of like how far can I go? Yeah. It's it's less of like, oh, it's you know, it was a fun race, let's sign up. And more of like, okay, how far can we push?

unknown:

Right.

Speaker 3:

Like signing up with this fifty, I signed up for that 50 miles three weeks in advance, or it was like three and a half weeks or whatever. Um, that's insane. I didn't train for it, you know. And so I was like, I can run 50 miles, you know. Like, I know it's not hard, but I can run 50 miles. Like, I mean, hell, I did it running across Utah how many days in a row, you know? And that's insane. So, like, I'm like, I can totally go run 50 miles. Um, it's just a matter of like how dig, how dark, how far do I have to dig to get there? Yeah, and and that's that's just that honestly is kind of why I run at this point. It's like, how far can I go?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, let's like let's do what I'm capable of. Right. There's um, you know who Cameron Haynes is? I assume you probably do.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, he lives freaking up the road from my gym, basically. Really? Man, yeah, that's insane. Oh, not Cameron, sorry, truitt does. Cameron lives.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Um, but yeah, Cameron Haynes, he has this quote where like someone asked him that same exact question, like, why are you running? He's like, honestly, I'm just trying to find my breaking point. And it's a pretty admirable thing to do because you're going through pain that entire time. Yeah. Um and I think it's yeah, something that's just like the human body is capable of so much. And I don't think we give ourselves credit to what we're able to do a lot of the times, and that can result in not reaching our potential. And it's just like running teaches me those exact things. It's like every time I reach something that I I think is my limit, I could push it just a little bit further. Um, and that's like the lesson that running's taught me pretty much everything that's bled into all aspects of my life. But um I do want to talk about Utah because that sounds insane. Like I um I saw you guys have a documentary about it.

Speaker 3:

Oh, yeah. But yeah, documentary on YouTube. Uh search Run Across Utah, I'll be the one that pops out. Uh okay. Well, it's called Warren Linux, is what the actual documentary is called. Um but yeah, Run Across Utah.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, tell me about that. How'd you guys get this idea? Um, what was it for? And all of that.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, so I uh, you know, this was I I just started my clinicals out in Missouri. Um had I started them yet? It was actually right before I'd started them. It was like November. I started in January of 2024. Um I'm a dietitian.

Speaker 2:

Oh, nice, okay.

Speaker 3:

I'm a dietitian. Um, and so but it was like yeah, no, around November, right as we'd like moved to Missouri, and I felt kind of lost. I have lived in California, um, but that's close to Utah. California is a familiar place just because that's where you travel living in Utah, you know. Yeah. And so living there wasn't too crazy. Uh Linda lived in Utah my whole life, and now I'm in the Midwest, the most dangerous city in America, um, St. Louis, Missouri. And I don't want to be here. I don't like school. I just it was a means to an end, you know. And so I think I was like trying to find purpose. And you know, I had I'd seen Hella Sidibe. Uh I always forget that's how you say his last name. But do you know how Hella Good? Yeah, I know Hella Good. Yeah, so Hella Good, uh William Googe, uh, a couple of Robbie Ballinger, these guys who would run across America. And they I did it's all it's always been inspiring to to me to like, oh, that would be so cool to do. And then William Googe did his run, and I was like, I want to run across America. But I'm like, this isn't something I can just like do, you know? Yeah. So I go to my wife and I'm like, hey, what do you want to do before we have kids? And because I I like I want to hear what she wants to do first. And yeah, uh, you know, she gives me her things and I go, okay, I want to run across America. And she's like, only if I get to live in Miami. And I was like, sounds good, I'll run to Miami.

unknown:

Yeah.

Speaker 3:

So I plan this whole route from Seattle to Miami, and I'd be the first person to ever run that route. And it was it was a whole thing. And I in the process of my Kotta do stuff to prep for this. So I start coming up with uh I start coming up with like all these events, doing an ultra murf. Um yeah, doing an ultra murf, running for 24 hours around a track, uh, running across the state of Utah, uh, running around Lake Tahoe, like all of these like different things, like just coming up with ideas, knowing that all of them can't happen, you know, there's yeah, I know that all of them can't happen, but I also I'm still like having to come up with things and figure it out. And it's it's so funny because you know, well, before that, like I the whole point of this was just raise money. I I told myself if I was ever gonna run across America, I'd have a reason for it. And I can't because it's such a selfish endeavor. And so I'm like, I'm not going to do this without a bigger purpose. Yeah. And so I was like, if that bigger purpose ever comes to me, then awesome, I'll do, I'll plan this. But if not, I'm not, I'm, I'm not going to. Uh and then I just came to me of like, I'm gonna run for single parents. You know, it's it it fits the backstory. You know, my mom was a single mom, raised us, gave us the life that we have, even though she didn't really have anything. And yeah, and so I'm like, let me like I can't give back to my mom, so let me give back to everyone else. And so uh I was like, I'm gonna run. I found this organization called the Single Parent Project. Little do I know they're based in Utah. I had no idea. I just found this organization and was like, hey, I want to run for you. And so yeah, so I planned this like whole run across America. And, you know, I do I plan my 24-hour run to kick off Project 3434, is what I called it, because 3,434 miles is the route. And so I'm like, I plan this 24-hour run. So in the middle of grad school, I fly back to Utah, do my 24-hour run around a track to like kick off the whole thing and raise money and all that stuff, and uh got my ass kicked in that. I got super sick and it sucked, only got seven miles in the 24 hours. Um that's real, man.

Speaker 2:

I can't even imagine that.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, it was it was rough. Um, and then I graduate from school and I just said I want to run across Utah. I feel I was like, I feel like this is the next step. And so I just started planning it. And I I again it just started, you know, again, this is all in you know conjunction with the single parent project, with all of this stuff. And so I just start planning this run. I called Jeffrey, he's a buddy of mine. Um we, you know, we met at we met here in Utah before you moved to Denver. And um, like, hey, I'm doing this thing, you want to be my crew chief? Um, my a good buddy of mine's a videographer, the one that filmed the whole documentary and did all the social media. I'm like, hey, I need a crew, and I'm like, I need a videographer. So these guys end up being my crew, and I go through the whole six-month process of creating a route and doing all of this stuff. It took me six months of like working, trying to find sponsors, planning the route, working almost 40 hours a week for six months, plus my training. That doesn't include my training. My training was like 20 to 30 hours a week, it was brutal. Um, and then also work on top of all that. Um, and so yeah, I do that, and uh and then there, I run across Utah.

Speaker 2:

There we go. So that is sweet. How long? Um couple questions. Like when you were planning the run across America, how long did you think that was gonna take?

Speaker 3:

Um to plan or to do the run? To actually do the run. Um, I think I set six oh yeah, it was 69 days because I was gonna start on my one of my best friend's birthdays, and my birthday's 69 days away from his. So I'd start on his birthday, and he lit he just moved from Seattle, but he lived in Seattle at the time. Uh yeah, but I would go Seattle to Miami Beach uh 69 days. It was like 45 miles a day, is what it equaled. Um that's insane.

Speaker 2:

But yeah, that was sorry, sorry, going back to to Utah. Um, so yeah, what was what was that? Like, where'd you guys start when you went on the run?

Speaker 3:

Yeah, so I started just north of Logan, Utah, right at the Idaho border. Uh there's a little town called Tremont that's just north of there. Um, and then ran south. And yeah, uh ran on the west side of Utah Lake. Um, because you can't run on the interstate in Utah, it's a felony. Um and I think most states it is. But uh I think so. But yeah, so like we had to take these like weird back roads and um yeah, ran from there, and then I ran just outside of St. George, Utah at the Arizona border, 421 miles. That's crazy, man.

Speaker 2:

And how long did that take you to complete?

Speaker 3:

Nine days and 17 hours. My record just got beat. Um my record just got beat what on Saturday. Saturday, someone beat my record by eight hours.

Speaker 2:

Jeez. Yeah. That's that's mean. Why would they do that?

Speaker 3:

You know what?

Speaker 2:

I helped him though. Oh, you know, that's fair then.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, I helped him. I gave him my route, I gave him all my stuff, and uh, I helped him navigate along the way. Like there were a couple points where they almost got lost, and their crew called me, and I was like, Yeah, no, you go this way. Like, don't go that way. Uh, the route I know says this, but you need to do this. And so I helped. It's it's funny, I probably cut about eight to ten hours off of their run. That's crazy.

Speaker 2:

Uh there you go.

Speaker 3:

But yeah, it was uh I was really happy to be a part of Adam's run, and uh we've we've become really good friends from it. I got a run about 20 miles with him when he was doing it. Oh, that's cool. Um, I wish I could have my wife was traveling during his run, so I like couldn't really make it work to do more. Um but yeah, no, it was it was cool to watch, it was cool to watch someone else do it. Yeah, you know, like I have this crazy experience, but it's so niche. Like, who the hell's done, you know, like people have done big runs, and you can talk to people about the big runs, but like who's running across Utah? Yeah, you know, and like there have been there's there have been a handful of people who have done it, but it's been like over, you know, 15 years. Yeah. Um and they just they have such different experiences than I did. I talked to two of the guys and uh like before I started my run, and just such different experiences. And so Adam and I shared such a similar experience with the social media side of things, and uh he ran my exact route. The exact same route. I just handed him my route and said, run this. Um and it's funny, like we found the same things and saw the same things and felt similar things and stayed at the same campsites, like you know, like we uh had it was so cool just to like re run it essentially through the mind of someone else. It was really, really cool to be a part of his run because it just made mine so much more special.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, it's it's gotta be something that's like it's such a like you said, it's a niche experience. Like, not very many people are gonna be able to know what that's like, but having someone who's done something very similar to you, it's like you get it, you understand. Yeah. Um, but what was your experience like? Oh, yeah. Sorry, go ahead.

Speaker 3:

Just a random side note with Adam, and I'll I'll answer that question. Um speaking of niche, so we are the only two humans to have ever had this conversation. When I was running, I found a shooting target on the side of the road that was and it was a Lego man. Like the shape of it was a Lego man. It was like yet big, weighed like 12 pounds. It was massive, just a big sheet of metal that was in the shape of a Lego man. Um eyes cut out, like it looked like a Lego man. And uh, I found it and I ran with it for a minute because I wanted to keep it. I was like, oh, it's just so cool. Yeah, it was so heavy, and I'm like, screw this, drop it on the side of the road. Adam, he's I let him use my Starlink so we had internet on the run. Adam's dropping off the Starlink. Uh, this is literally a day and a half after he finished. Uh, he's dropping off the Starlink, and we're just like we talked for like two hours that night. Uh, he's like came into my house and we were talking, and he's like, Yeah, dude, I found this like Lego man. And I'm like, dude, the the shooting target thing with like the handle on the head. He was like, Yes. I'm like, dude, this is great. Like, but it was so funny because it's like we're literally the only two people to have run across Utah to have found this thing in the exact same spot. And I picked it and I ran.

Speaker 2:

No one can say that.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, that's crazy. He kept it. He kept it. Oh, really? He took it, he picked it up. Yeah, because he was like right next to his RV. So it's just so funny, like such a niche. Again, just back to that like niche. That's so funny. That's awesome. Getting to share these random things. Um, yeah. What was your question again, though? Sorry.

Speaker 2:

No, that's that's great. I mean, um, just asking about like what your overall experience was like, like things that it taught you or anything.

Speaker 3:

Oh man. Um, well, this is something that Adam and I you know talked about. Is uh like we had we had obviously we ran the same run, had similar experiences, but where they were also vastly different. Um, you know, like I was really suffering for most of that run. Adam paced himself better than I did. I came out the gate swinging and I paid for it later. And I told him, I was like, pace yourself, dude. That first two days, those first two days are brutal. They will suck the soul out of you before you even start, really. Jeez. Um, and so he paced himself much better than I did. Um, I did two 50 mile plus days back to back on the first two days, and so it just took it out of me. Took it out of me. Massive days with 10,000 feet of climbing, like it's just crazy stuff. That's brutal. And so it was like 6,000 feet, but still a lot of people.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I mean, that's a lot, yeah.

Speaker 3:

Yeah. Um, and so yeah, so I I was in a lot of pain. I had a really severe Achilles injury that I had to power through. Uh, we thought my leg broke on day six. Uh so mine was very painful, um, pretty miserable in a good way, which I know sounds weird. Uh ultra runners understand. Uh, but uh yeah, it's this weird yeah, mine was just so intense and painful. And I think also something that made mine a little bit more difficult is I had a crew of two. Uh, so it was just like Jeffrey, and then Taylor was filming. So, you know, it's it was this like you know, small crew, uh, small van. And so we had a very different experience, but the same experience where Adam had a big crew, you know, lots of resources. He paced himself better than I did. Um, so he didn't experience like that same amount of pain. Um, I also had some gnarly weather, um, not precipitation weather. Um, it was wind. I had three days of uh so one day was like 20 to 30 mile per hour winds, the next day was 40, and then the next day was like 40 to 60. Um and we actually had to hunker down and I had to run through the night that night, and it was still like 40 mile per hour, all headwinds, by the way. All headwinds. Yeah, that's insane. Even like running up a canyon at 2 a.m. I had almost 40 mile per hour headwinds. Um it sucked, it was hell. Um yeah, that's brutal. No, I had I would love to run it back with I would with I'd love to run it back with the weather that Adam had. Uh that would be it would be glorious. Um, but that's what time of year did you do it? I did it in A in April. Okay. He somehow had better weather than me in November. I don't understand how. Uh that's make any sense whatsoever. But uh yeah, no, and I mean that's part of it. Like I could go run it again, I could go run it in June and it rain every day.

unknown:

Right.

Speaker 3:

You know, it just it's that's just how old, especially multi day events. You don't get a you don't get a choice in that. And so uh that's It's not discrediting what Adam did at all. It's still hard as shit.

Speaker 2:

Oh, yeah. Yeah. I mean, that's insane. Anything like that concept itself, you tell someone I'm running across a state, they'd look at you like you're crazy. They'd be like, What the hell did you just say? You're running across a state. So yeah, I mean, all that aside, like it's still a challenge that not many people can complete. Like that's that's difficult as can be.

Speaker 3:

It it was crazy. Um, I think like the best way to explain that run is it really hurt and it was really hard, but was also so special. Like getting to run across like my home state and see it in such a unique light and a unique setting. Uh it's something that most people most people's an understatement. Like people don't get to experience this.

Speaker 4:

Yeah.

Speaker 3:

Yeah like not very many people have run across their home state. Yeah.

Speaker 2:

Not so I I can probably I don't know. Yeah, there's probably I don't know, a hundred maybe that have done it in the history. I don't I have no idea.

Speaker 3:

But yeah, I don't know either. But yeah, so it's just a it's just a really cool experience.

Speaker 2:

Yeah. What did um what did it teach you about yourself during that time? Because obviously it was hard, incredibly difficult, like everything was going against you with the weather and stuff.

Speaker 3:

Um yeah, I learned that you can push way further than you think. Way further than you think. Like I, you know, again, day six, we thought my leg was broken. I couldn't put any weight on my leg at all. I I was jumping on one foot, I could not put weight on my leg. Um literally, they drove me 20 feet from the shower to the van. Like our van, so you have the bathroom, van, bathroom doors. Dang. And that like van building bathroom doors, and they picked me up and drove me back. It's in the documentary, it's hilarious. Um but I was in so much pain, and you know, it was just like I wanted to quit, and I have to give huge kudos. A buddy of mine, uh, two friends of mine. Um, Nate, his name's Nate Williams. He uh is an unknown man in the ultra world. He has beat Goggins, he has beat McKnight, dude has podium at all all the 200-mile races. Dude's a beast. He's a beast. He just he doesn't have social media, so no one knows who he is. He shows up, beats these guys, and leaves. It's it's crazy. It's absolutely crazy. He fuels on freaking Coke and Fritos. I don't understand it.

Speaker 2:

But that's insane. Really? That's his diet when he runs.

Speaker 3:

Pretty much, pretty much, yeah. Um, but he, big inspiration of mine, obviously. He's a really, really good friend of mine, big inspiration. And him and his girlfriend, who's also a big ultra runner, um, came out and ran like a day and a half with me, roughly. Um, and that night, he I was, dude, I was gonna quit. I was in so much pain. I cannot explain to you the amount of pain I was in. I've never experienced that kind of pain. It was 10 times worse than tearing my posterior tip.

Speaker 2:

Oh, probably your entire legs, yeah. Like it feels you feel it.

Speaker 3:

It shot all the way up like into my hip and like back. Dude, it was a mess. Um and so I'm I'm I'm like thinking about quitting. Jeffrey has fully planned for me to quit. Tanner is filming all of my, I had like obligations for brands that I had to meet. And so Tanner is like handing me stuff like here, do this, do this, like you need to film this. So I'm like in the van in a ton of pain filming like brand stuff because I have to meet these obligations and do this stuff. And so, like, we have I I hadn't like my my mind was telling me to quit, but it was like that, like behind the scenes, like, dude, why? Or what is the reason for this? Like, yeah, you are in unexplainable amounts of pain. Why stop? It wasn't like like, oh, I'm tired, I want to quit. Like, it was a genuine, like my mind telling me, like, bro, we are screaming at you for a reason. Yeah, like stop.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, things are wrong, you're running in the red.

Speaker 3:

Yes, Jeffrey and Tanner fully preparing to leave. Jeffrey, like, starts working on like accommodations and all the different things, and yeah, um, Jeffrey's also fighting his own demons. Freaking, he got food poisoning that night. And so he's freaking just unload unleashing hell in the bathroom. Yeah. Um, and so it was a rough night. It was a rough night. Yeah, it sounds like it. Yeah, so but I just Nate tells me, he's like, Don't make a decision in the dark. And I was like, all right, sounds good. We'll just do this again tomorrow. Yeah, wait. Yeah, and in the morning it was still dark, so I can't make a decision then. So I'm like, you know what? One day, one day, I can go one day. I don't even if it's 10 miles, I can go one day. So I was like, we're gonna get this one more day and we're gonna see how this goes. And so I wake up and I start moving in insane amounts of pain. And it just the day just kept going and kept going. And that day was windy as hell, super windy that day. And I just kept pushing and kept trucking, and Nate and Ana left about halfway through that day. And again, just I just kept moving one step at a time. Like it's that was the whole mantra of the whole day. Like, I can take one more step. Can I take one more step? Can I take one more step? And I just continue to go and go and go, but I I also set a goal for myself. It was like, if I'm gonna do this day, we gotta hit 40 miles. Gotta hit 40 miles. Um, you know, and I had the I had the goal of like, I just need to finish the day, but it was also like I can hit I can do this, I can hit 40 miles. Yeah, so we had a lot of 5k left, and I I wanted to do it in my time allotment, and um, I had 28 minutes left in the day of when Jeffrey and Tanner cut me off, like every day cut me off. Um I think it was 13 hours that day. Because yeah, they gave me an extra hour of sleep, so it was 13 hours that day. And um, but I like at this point, I'm like, no, I gotta I have to hit 40 miles, so I don't give a shit. Let's go. Yeah. So I picked up my poles and I just started running as fast as I could and ran that final 5k in 23 minutes. No way. And then after that, dude, just crushed the rest of the run. Um and I I don't I don't even know if that answered the initial question, but like that was absolutely what what you just like what you just heard was the experience of pain and continuing to push and continuing to put everything out there, and I it just yeah, it I told myself that I had to leave everything out there because you don't know what's gonna happen. I got hit by a goddamn car on day th on day four. Like, did you really? Yeah, and so you don't know what's gonna happen. Yeah, you don't know if you're gonna get hit by a car, you don't know if your leg's gonna break, you don't know what's gonna happen. And so I promised myself that every single day I would leave my soul on that road because in the event that I couldn't continue, I had to know that I gave absolutely everything. And so that night it was the same thing. It was, I have more in the tank. Let's go.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, and I ran. That's amazing. It's freaking inspiring, man. I feel like I need to go run right now. Yeah, like that is awesome.

Speaker 3:

I that I don't know if anything will ever top that moment because that morning, Jeffrey and Tanner had to leave me because we didn't prep for the day because they thought I was done. Yeah, and so that morning they they had to leave me for like an hour or something. They had to go into town, they had to get gas, they had to get water. Our water tank broke, so we had to like have just like 15 gallons of water on the ground at all times in the van. Um, because I was going through like four to seven gallons a day. Um so we just had always had to have a ton of water, and so they had to go, and so I had this just unbelievable experience that morning where I just got to see the sunrise. There's nothing, no one I loved it because it was for me and only me. There's no cameras. That whole thing, I had a camera in my face, you know, right, which is great. I'm so happy I have this whole thing captured, but I'm happy I have this one moment that's just mine, no one else, no one else in the entire world got to experience what I experienced. It's like it is my experience, and it was so special. And then to end the day with a fast 5k, especially considering um, and the amount of pain that I was in, like we all just sat there in silence.

Speaker 2:

Like, just like there's no way that just happened.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, we just sat there in silence, and Tanner was like chasing me with his camera, trying to like keep up, and like you hear in the video, you just hear him like in the background of a camera. And because that's all and Jeffrey's just standing there, and we're all just like standing there, why like just like what just happened? That is so cool. It was such that that was the run. Yeah, that is the best way to sum up that run.

Speaker 2:

I mean, that's exactly what you said. Um, you know, it just you learn how to push your body way further than you ever expect to. Yeah, and I hope to be able to do something like that in the future. Like, I would love to be able to, you know, raise some awareness about you know cancer. My father-in-law passed from that, and that's a big thing that we do in our family. Yeah, um, but you know, it's just like also the small moments, like what you said, you got that sunrise just to yourself. And um I think that's why I love running so much because you do get little experiences like that, you know, when you're in the mountains by yourself or you know, on a trail in the desert, like it doesn't matter where you are. You just have these little moments where you're like, you know what, this is this is for me. Like the lessons I'm learning, the place I am, like it is this is meant for me. Um and I I just love that. But so after that day, how many more did you have to go until you were finished?

Speaker 3:

Um technically three. Um it was like a little less than three. Um yeah, yeah, because that was out towards like Milford, Utah. Um yeah, and then the next day was when we had to run through the night. Was that next day? Um, because we had like 40 mile per hour. It was actually 60 that day. Um, it was dangerous, it was very dangerous. Um, I was getting like sprayed with fertilizer from like farm fields and like dude was so bad. Um literally was like rocking in the wind, so we just had to stop. Um and so mile 20 that day, which was actually the mile 300 mark. Um, we stopped, took some naps, and then kept on running uh through the through the night. We ran until about 1-2 a.m. that night. Um and yeah, it was uh it was brutal. I fully lost it that I totally crashed out that night. Uh dude, it was 40 mile per hour headwinds in the middle of the night running up this can't. It was a it was with the steepest climb of the whole run. Yeah, and I'm just like fighting for my damn life going up this freaking hill and just climbing this mountain pass. And we got to you know, we hit mile 40, and I was just like, I threw my poles on the ground, I did my push-ups. It's in the documentary. I like freaked out. Uh I was so pissed. And Tanner, my videographer, Jeffrey knows. Jeffrey's Jeffrey's an ultra guy, he knows. Tanner has no experience, he's never even he's never experienced an ultra marathon. So this was his first exposure to ultra running, and so he's like freaked out. Uh, because I I mean I I'm a big guy, so like I'm not I'm not not the scariest dude, you know. Like it's yeah, no, dude, you're a big guy.

Speaker 2:

When I saw you running, I was like, this guy's running an uh ultra, that's an impressive. Like, yeah, it's hard. But anyway, sorry.

Speaker 3:

But yeah, so like I'm freaking out, like yeah, fully. I'm not gonna say these things on on here, so you can go watch a documentary if you want to see it. Um, but yeah, and so Tanner's like, oh, like, what is happening? Jeffrey's just like going with the flow, picking out my poles, like you know, like he's he's like, I know what's going on. Yeah, he knew what was going on, and um, but then the next day, um, my legs were pretty heavy and I mentally struggled on day nine. Um, just it's the day before the last day, that climb took it out of me, running into all these winds. Um, so day nine was like day nine was honestly like the blurriest day. It was just kind of like weird terrain, weird location, um, and just like weird feelings. And then day 10. Day 10 was uh day seven's the most special, without a doubt. But day 10 was epic. It was epic. 56 miles, the final day. Ran for almost 18 hours that day. Um 17 hours and some change. And uh yeah, 56 miles, and it it was intense. Uh, we got lost. Um, it added a handful of miles to the day. The day was only supposed to be about 50. So uh yeah, I got this is what I this is what I helped Adam navigate through was like, nope, don't go this way, you go this way, run down this road, hop this fence, and you'll be there. Um I ended up having to run on I-15. I had no other choice. Um really super scary. Um about three and a half miles on I-15. It was legal. Um, and so because there was no other option, I could legally run on I-15. Um, so if I'd gotten pulled over, they might have drove me, which would have been a huge bummer. Um, yeah, that would have sucked. But I thankfully a cop did pass me, didn't stop. So um, yeah, I was able then I was able to get off I-15 and continue on my way. Um but yeah, that was just so like that push, man. When I had like 10 miles left, um, I was sitting in the van at like about mile 46. I had my feet, I'd sit there with my feet propped up on the thing and elevated and all that. And it's just me and Jeffrey. Tanner had to leave because this run took me longer than it was supposed to, and so Tanner had to go back to work. He tried to get it off, and his boss wouldn't let him, and it was a whole thing. So it's just me and Jeffrey just soloing it together that day. And we're both just sitting there and we're just like, dude, this is almost over. Yeah, this is crazy. And it's funny because Adam had almost this exact same experience in this exact same spot on the run. It was at the top of uh River Road, um uh in St. George, Utah. So really everyone knows the road. If you've driven in St. George, it goes down and kind of wraps around uh top of River Road, and it's about 10 miles from the border, uh mostly residential. And uh yeah, we were just like, dude, like we're here. It's crazy. Like, this is this is wild. We got 10 miles left, and uh and then finish the day. And that is crazy. I ended up dropping the final mile. Um, it was pitch black because there's no lights for the last two miles because it goes out into the absolute middle of nowhere. It's BFE. And two miles left, and we're making our way to the top of the hill, and then it was all downhill. The red, the final mile was all downhill, and it was like a you know, a slight grid. It wasn't like crazy, you know, it's just like a slight grade, but you could like you could almost see it from the top of this hill about a mile away. It was pitch black, so you could like kind of see the lights of the cars of like the people that were the finish line. And um, I wrote a poem that a buddy of mine helped compose into a song, uh, and he sang it. And I I'm the background singer, but I'm not a singer. Um that's cool. But uh, but yeah, so I listened to that um because it it's a very mean, like it's a very I wrote it while I was in school of just like how what running does for me. And um I turn it into like a little shanty. Um, it's based off of I was inspired by you ever played, do you play video games?

Speaker 2:

Uh yes, a lot.

Speaker 3:

Or I used to a lot, but I love I love video games. So you know Betheticism, like Skyrim, Oblivion, that kind of stuff. More familiar than you probably know. Yes, I love those games. Skyrim is my favorite game of all time. I've put thousands of hours into that game, anyways.

Speaker 2:

Oh, yeah. I've been every class, all that stuff, anyways.

Speaker 3:

Oh yeah, yeah, hell yeah. So Starfield, then you know Starfield. So of course, so in Starfield, when you're flying around, um, you come across a guy whose ship's broken down and you can give him parts. And uh, but when you get into the solar system, you listen to him sing the shanty, they call it the Starfield shanty, and um it's about him lost out in space. And I love that they did it because like that's what these like it's essentially like these are the original explorers, just like people out in the ocean. You had all the sea shanties because that's how you told your that's how they told their stories, and so it was cool to like they added this to the game, but I took that shanty and I wrote it into running of everything is based around running, and so I listened to this before I ran that final mile and I dropped my poles in the van. Uh, and I was like, let's fucking send it. Uh, I ran a five, I ran a 550 mile, the final mile. Um no way, dude. Yeah, Jeffrey almost didn't make it to the finish line. Like he was so used to having like 15 minutes between like 15 and 20 minutes that he was sitting there, and then someone calls him and it's like, dude, he's coming down the hill. So Jeffrey, I'm like here, and just so like the finish line, you know, the finish line's here, and Jeffrey like did this as I was crossing the finish line, like hurries and like in motion, like parks the van, grabs this camera, and gets out of the car. That's okay. And like got the footage of me crossing it like the last second. Um, it was dude, it was so cool to finish in that fashion. And like everyone told me, like, dude, just like split it into two days, it's okay. And I'm like, no, I didn't do this for the final day to be easy. Like, right, I don't give a shit if I have to run until 6 a.m. We're going until this is done.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, then you just send it and do a 550 mile. That's insane.

Speaker 3:

And it just comes down to you can go so much further than you think. Yeah. 420 miles deep into this run. I ran a 550 mile. That's insane, man. Because my mind, I was like, I don't have to do this again tomorrow.

Speaker 2:

Yeah.

Speaker 3:

So what am I holding back for?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, it's like I this is it. Go all out. Yeah. Um, I'm curious if you can share just a couple lines from the the shanty. I'd love to to hear that. Yeah.

Speaker 3:

Um I kind of have a song memorized, but when you ask me on the spot.

Speaker 2:

Hey, that's okay. That's how I work too. I live in my Apple notes. Yeah. It's on Spotify. Oh, really? Okay. What's it called?

Speaker 3:

Worn legs. There we go. Worn legs. Yeah, all right. Um yeah, so Oh, like lyrics aren't on here. Well, good thing I have it in my notes. Yeah, so um, yeah, I wrote this like a little poem. Where is it? Um Yeah, there's a lot that goes into this song. Um where is it? We'll find it, don't worry. No, I'm not worried. But there's there is a lot that goes into this. It's yeah. Um it's very emotional, it's very and it's very much for like myself. Um yeah, it's very much it's very much for myself. And but I also feel like a lot of people relate to it. Um where's the whole thing?

Speaker 2:

Um I mean, while you're pulling that up, I I do the same thing. Like I I will I write a lot. Typically I try and write every day. Um, but whenever I write about running, it's like I'm not trying to write that to inspire other people to go do things. Like I don't share my journal with others, and it's mainly just for me to be like, what do I think about running? Like what's important to me about it. And um, yeah, anyways, did you uh yeah?

Speaker 3:

You know, I almost wonder how I wonder because I'm using this mic. You could probably put it on there.

Speaker:

You tell me how this sounds I feel the old black top beneath my feet as I trudge on all day till I'm done in meat. My shoes are in racks, tattered, torn up and bare, but I trust my heart not to scare for flare.

Speaker 2:

That is awesome.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, so it my buddy is an amazing singer. Um, I don't know what that random song was that started playing next, but um but he's an amazing singer, he's been making music for a long time. Um, and it's funny because I came to him to like make it into like almost a shanty. Yeah, and we were singing it like almost shanty, like, you know, much more like upbeat. And I was like, this isn't this isn't what this is, and all of a sudden it just turned into that. And uh it was really cool, but like it's it's all about like you know, for myself, like in 2023 I had a big cardiac event, and my like I I we didn't know like it happened from running, and we didn't know if I'd be able to run anymore. And so it was like this whole thing that happened in 2023, and it was a really big deal. So like there's a line in it that's like I trust my heart not to skip or flare. And you know, like that's a big thing for me of like, yeah, you know, like I'm like I'm trusting my body, I'm trusting that it will continue to bring me forward. Um, and then you know, please keep me on running as far as my worn legs can go. And it's like the you know, this, you know, there's a lot of pain that a lot of us are experiencing with running, not just physical, but mental. And you know, there's the saying that you know, you're either running for from something or towards something. And it's that line is kind of behind that of like, just keep me on running as far as my worn legs can go. I don't care how tired my legs are, I just want to keep running. Yeah, I don't want to stop. I want to chase that thing, that feeling. I want to escape that that thought, that feeling. Uh, and so it's like, please just like keep me running. I don't want to stop. Just like let me keep running. Um, it's uh my shoes are in rags, all tattered and uh torn, torn up, tattered, whatever the line is. Um, you know, and uh again, my weary feet aching still carry me. You know, we all have experienced that. We've all experienced that pain and that that suffering that we feel physically, and you your feet hurt and your legs ache, and you just keep going. Uh they keep carrying you forward. Um, and I and then again this line goes kind of into the same thing of like, as far as my worn legs can go, the final line of the second verse is uh I'll keep my stride till I feel no pain. And you'll never not. And so it's that say it's that same thing of like, I'm just gonna keep going. I'm why I'm not gonna stop. Um and that's like this, this, this, this song mean this song has very deep meanings, um, especially for myself. And I think something that I love about this is that you can interpret it in your own way. Like, that's my interpretation of it. But your interpretation might be something different, and that's why I think this is so cool. And this wasn't my intent. My intent wasn't to ever turn it into anything, but then with the documentary, I was like, I need to make something out of this. Yeah, I have to share this with the world somehow. And so we sat down and we made this.

Speaker 2:

I think it's it's it's beautiful, man. And it it really does like sum up what running is. And I think, you know, it's a lot of the times many of the runners are like, yeah, I hope I can keep going. Um, so I think it's probably something that we all could use during uh an ultra run or anything difficult, you know, is listen back to the shanty. But um, you know, I I I really love that kind of stuff just because it's one, it's very personal, but two, it also it shows that there are deeper meanings. And um I don't know. I I think I commented on one of your posts just saying how running's a great metaphor for life. And you know, that was that today?

Speaker 3:

That might have been today.

Speaker 2:

Today or yesterday, yeah. Either another one. Um, but that song is like a great example of that because you said it, like it could take a different meaning. It can be about running, but it can also be about life. Like people who are going through hard times, like I just don't let my heart give out, you know? And yeah, I think it's um something that I've I've learned from money that you can apply to really everything, and that's why I do it, is to like teach myself that I can do more. And seems like you know, you're in the same boat, and um I just think it's really really inspirational what you're doing, like everything from the Utah run to you know, not training very much for the 50 miler, but still going to be a little bit more than a little bit.

Speaker 3:

It was so much more than that. Not training. Like I was building this gym, I was building all the equipment, dude. I came into that run so sore. I was exhausted.

Speaker 4:

Imagine, yeah, I was exhausted.

Speaker 3:

I mean, imagine imagine doing seven extremely heavy 12-hour workouts, yeah, and then running insane and then running and and then running 50 miles. That's what that was.

Speaker 2:

But no, and I was sick.

Speaker 3:

Dude, I woke up so sick. I could not breathe at all. I could not breathe out of my nose. I was coughing. I was dude, I was an awful, I it was awful, I was so sick. It was my Jordan flu game. That's why I made the joke that this was my Jordan flu game because I was so goddamn sick. Um and the only thing I wasn't doing was puking. I had a fever, I had everything. Um and and I I crushed it. You know, 12 hours. Yeah, that's awesome.

Speaker 2:

It's amazing. I do remember I had a I had a memory of you when we got to that aid station um where they were cooking quesadillas and all those things. And I think we were both filling up our waters or something, but you were like, I'm gonna come back around the second loop and get some of those fries. And I was like, I respect them, man. There we go. Yep. Yep. Nope.

Speaker 3:

I I came back around and got those fries. They were cold at that point, but they were amazing.

Speaker 2:

Anything tastes good when you're doing that stuff. So yeah. Um, but yeah, I think honestly, it's it's amazing. And and yeah, talk a little bit about your gym. Um, that's awesome. When you I mean you launched it last week, right?

Speaker 3:

Yeah, we we just opened. Uh we're still like preliminarily not open because we last second needed to get a permit for our fire system. Uh just didn't realize we needed it. It was just a mistake. Um, so we're like half open, half not. Um There's like certain services we can't offer. So we're in this like weird limbo. It'll get figured out. It'll sort it out. I'm not too worried about it. We already have 20 plus members, so we signed up a few more today. So I can't remember exactly where we're at. So I that's awesome. We're already doing great, already making money. Um, it's an amazing space. Um, I'm sitting in my office right now, which isn't fully decorated, but like I've got this wall all set up. Um, this wall has nothing right now. But uh you'll get there. Yeah, we'll get there. Um, I'm gonna do some cool stuff with that wall. Um, I still need to finish. Like, I got my big ass calendar. There you go. The the big ass calendar. Jesse, Jesse Isler. Yep, I've got my big ass calendar that I'm gonna hang up right here. Um, I obviously have my license, not all these aren't all the license plates. So a lot of people, I've had people ask me because I actually auctioned this off for charity. Um and it it sold for 500 bucks for charity, and then the guy who bought it gave it to me. Oh, that's pretty cool. So it's really cool. I gotta have it. He's actually one, he's actually one of the owners of the gym as well. Um, nice. And yeah, he bought it and then he gave it to me to hang up in here. So that's so cool.

Speaker 2:

What yeah, what is the story behind the license plates? I don't even think I asked you that.

Speaker 3:

Dude, I found so day one, I found 13 license plates, and so it became a thing. Like it became a bit. Um, like the whole run. It became like literally, I would write these journals. I'd used Instagram as my journal every night. That was just like it allowed us to have a post. Yeah. Um, yeah, it was like a third post for the day. It was a carousel, so you guys could see all the photos. And but then I also was I I acted like it wasn't an Instagram post. I acted like I was writing in my journal so that you guys could genuinely see and feel what I was seeing and feeling. Um and so, but in that journal entry at the beginning, I would put how many miles I ran and how many license plates I found, and then I would go into the journal entry. And it became like a bit like I would say, you know, we posted three times a day, every day for the whole run. Uh, and I think like four or five, no, I think it was six of the posts were about the freaking license plates. Uh because it became just how like I found a I found a baker's dozen on day one. Like that's crazy. Yeah, not even looking that hard. Not even looking that hard. So uh ended up becoming a thing. And so what I did, this isn't all of them. I still have some others at home that just didn't make it into this. Um but what I did is I turned it into the shape of Utah. I don't know if you'll post a video of this, but um it's into the shape of Utah. Yeah, that's some trade, yeah. Um, okay. Well then I'm gonna carry my computer over there. Um wait, no, I can carry the camera over there, which is even better. Let's go. Um, that is sick. So, yeah. Okay, there we go. That is so cool. So, yeah, so this is the mural right here. Uh, I know it's trying to fall on my face right now. Um, but this is it right here. It's not quite all of them, but you can see. Oh, no. Sorry, my camera is a little bit different view than there. Um, but yeah, you can see it's got some of the like motorcycle license plates. That one right there, the rusty one, is from the 1960s. Uh, I had to do a bunch of research to figure out like what it was.

Speaker 2:

Um, dude, I thought that was a piece of cardboard for a second.

Speaker 3:

No, no, this is a rusty uh license plate. That is cool, man. That is way cool. Yeah, rusty license plate. Dang. Um, but yeah, so it's uh set back up. Um but yeah, no, it's uh it's really cool, and it's in the shape of Utah. Um, actually, on the ground, I'm I'm gonna hang them up on my wall. I have my poles, um, which these are the poles from the run. Um, this one's broken. This is the broken pole, the one that broke on day uh or day nine, whatever day it was. But yeah, the pole snapped. Um, you can see on the shelf right there, those are my shoes that I ran in. Um there's uh railroad spike that's from uh I had someone like kind of authenticate it, uh, but this railroad spike is from uh they think it's from the Union Pacific Railroad from the 1800s. Yep. Holy cow, man. I found that. Um there's this is like one of the headbands that I wore, and then just some like random sign that's back there that I found as well. Um I have a bunch of this stuff hanging up in here just because it's obviously you know a huge accomplishment.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, uh what a great, what a great way to remember it too, just with all the little things that you find along the journey. Like that's what makes it that's what's awesome.

Speaker 3:

Oh no, so cool. But yes, that's the story behind the license plates, and I did you a little show and tell there as well. Um But yeah, the the license plates just kind of became a bit, and so I had to auction them off and make it into an art piece, and uh that's cool. That's so cool.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, man, I think everything that you're doing is pretty awesome. Like you're literally getting after it, you're living it, and um super inspiring talking to you today. Like, I I love that shanty. I'll probably add it to my running list, even though you know it's it's yours, but it I'd get pumped up to say that thing.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, it resonates to people. It's and it's yeah, it's like is it the most well-produced song in the world? No, but that doesn't matter. It's it's the story behind it. Yeah, right. It's called Warn Legs, it's on Spotify. Um and the artist that like the producing artist is Tanner the Hylian. Um because he's the one that uh he's uh he's the one that's singing, so we put it on his profile. Um Tanner the Hylian on Spotify. It's also the name of my documentary on YouTube. You can also just search Run Across Utah and it'll come up. Um right on.

Speaker 2:

And what's your um like time to plug it? What's what's your handle? All that stuff.

Speaker 3:

Buff Runner.

Speaker 2:

Buff Runner.

Speaker 3:

Okay, across the board, Buff Runner.

Speaker 2:

And if people wanted to come check out your gym.

Speaker 3:

It's in Bountiful, Utah. It's called Gain Your Movement. Um, yeah, it's a Bountiful, Utah. So if you live in Utah and you live up here, come check it out. Uh there you go. And you can come work out for free and check it out.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, you'll be in good hands. But yeah, seriously, man, I I really appreciate your time coming on tonight and just sharing your experience. Thanks for having me. It's been one of my favorite podcasts. Just listen to you, share your story. And I mean, you were like running is hard, and having you tell the story about going for almost 10 days in Utah, like that is that's what it's all about, though. It's like learning that you can push your limits. And I just you're setting a great example, so I appreciate it, man.

Speaker 3:

Hey, thank you. Hey, you know the saying like double it and give it to the next person.

Speaker 2:

Yeah.

unknown:

Yeah.

Speaker 3:

Well, the next challenge is double it and give it to myself.

Speaker 2:

So Hey, there you go. Hey, I'll run some miles with you if that's the case.

Speaker 3:

We got a thousand miles loading right now. I'm not going to tell.