Jon and Miranda check in sharing stories from crewing the eerie Badwater Salton Sea 81-mile team race, then shift into the brutal pull of Alaska’s Iditarod Trail Invitational. Mitch Dulleck walks us through training, gear, food, and the moment he chooses safety over the finish during a stormy ITI 350 attempt.
• Why extreme events become a way to prove you belong
• What makes ITI different from most ultramarathons
• Training in Leadville for cold weather and pulling a sled
• The “do not sweat” rule and how it shapes pacing
• Hydration and water-freezing problems in subzero temps
• Food choices that still work when frozen
• Navigation decisions on an unmarked course using GPX
• Finger Lake wind, ground blizzards, and frostbite triage
• Rainy Pass risk and the mental weight of rescue stories
• Turning back as a deliberate safety decision and planning the return
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Hosted by Jon Eisen (@mildly_athletic) and Miranda Williamson (@peaksandjustice). Edited by Jon Eisen. Theme music by Matt Beer.
