A world record in 225 hours. Stitches on a gym floor. A typhoon, a temple, and a white bucket that might save your race. I sat down with IUTA Hall of Famer, Shanda Hill, to unpack the mindset, methods, and meaning behind one of the most audacious ultra tri careers ever—and the moment she chose health over history.
Shanda breaks down the true shape of a DECA continuous: 10x Iron distance where the clock never stops and every decision is magnified. She shares the practical systems that carried her—soup-based fueling that works in cold pools, a hydration check using a white bowl to protect kidney function, and a sleep strategy tied to safety and weather rather than ego. We talk oxygen therapy, cold-water immersion, and why time management can beat raw speed across 38 km of swimming, 1,800 km of cycling, and 422 km of running.
The stories are wild and human: riding through a South African deluge, resetting in Brazil to chase a record, crashing in France and getting field-stitched by a fellow racer, and learning the hard way in Poland how one pedal choice can sabotage your stabilizers. Along the way, Shanda spotlights the ultra community—race directors who make impossible events happen, rivals who lift the bar, and athletes finishing doubles and decas with broken bones and unbroken resolve.
If you’re training for Ultraman, DECA, or your own endurance goal, you’ll leave with clear, actionable insights on fueling, electrolytes, recovery, and the mental game that keeps you moving loop after loop.
Contact Shanda at : https://www.shandahillultra.com/
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Show Contributors:
Host : Larry Ryan
Contributing Raconteur : Steve King
Announcer : Mary Jo Dionne
Production : 5Five Enterprises
Music : Run by 331
For show notes and past guests, please visit the Podcast Website: https://515theultrapodcast.buzzsprout.com
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Youtube : @515TheUltraPodcast
Email : 515Ultraman@gmail.com
