Off The Couch

Does running have the power to transform the prison system? According to the data, it might, and it definitely has the power to ignite personal transformation, as you will see in the remarkable new documentary, 26.2 TO LIFE.
Our guest today is Christine Yoo, the director and producer of 26.2 TO LIFE, which tells the story of incarcerated men at San Quentin State Prison who are members of the 1000 Mile Club, the prison’s long distance running club. They train all year for the San Quentin Marathon — a 105 lap, 26.2 mile race that takes place in the San Quentin yard.
The film was shot over the course of three years with unprecedented access to the prison, and for the reasons we discuss in this conversation, I urge everyone to see this film.
TOPICS & TIMES:
Background: Russian Spies & Korean Rom Coms (2:38)
The Cinematic Nature of Running (11:30)
Filming at San Quentin Prison (14:02)
Prison Life (23:38)
Prisons as Businesses (29:06)
Running & Prison Reform (32:34)
Other Prison Running Clubs (45:40)
Where To Watch (53:10)
Music of The Film (55:39)
RELATED LINKS:
sanquentinmarathon.com
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The Rocky Mountain Grand Slam: it involves summiting 122 peaks and 318,000 feet of elevation gain (the equivalent of summiting Everest 11 times from sea level). And Vuori & Athletic Brewing athlete, Jason Hardrath, recently set a new FKT by completing it in under 40 days. So I caught up with Jason to break down his most recent accomplishment, and to discuss the blurring of the lines between running, scrambling, and soloing.
TOPICS & TIMES:
Rocky Mountain Grand Slam (2:02)
Planning (7:03)
Calculating Risks (10:57)
Blending Disciplines (23:19)
Crux's of The RMGS (27:58)
RELATED LINKS:
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Off The Couch #110: What Makes Jason Hardrath Tick
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Happy Hour

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Recently at the Tahoe 200, Michele Graglia found himself in first place with an hour lead. Then he decided to stop running. So why did the former winner of the Moab 240 and Badwater 135 stop? And why, shortly thereafter, did he announce that he would be walking away from racing? Blister founder, Jonathan Ellsworth, explores these questions and more with Michele.
TOPICS & TIMES:
What happened at Tahoe? (6:04)
Pushing vs Pulling (13:24)
Authenticity & Joy (29:16)
Mindset Going Into Tahoe 200 (35:17)
Reaction from Sponsors (41:56)
What’s Next? (55:45)
Other Updates & Upheavals (59:59)
RELATED LINKS:
Become a BLISTER+ Member
Off the Couch #102: Michele on Success & Struggle
Off The Couch #87: Michele on Going ‘Ultra’ (Pt 1)
Off The Couch #88: Michele on Going ‘Ultra’ (Pt 2)
Michele Graglia’s book, Ultra
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The 50th running of the Western States 100 took place over the weekend and delivered on all of the excitement and drama we’ve come to expect from US ultrarunning’s biggest stage. Snowy conditions in the high country weren’t enough to stymy blistering times, including a new women’s course record that’s already being hailed as the greatest single run in our sport’s history. To recap the race, Matt Mitchell is joined by Matt Seidel, who also spent the day bouncing around the course from sunup to sundown. They talk about Matt Mitchell’s experience crewing and pacing Leah Yingling to a 9th-place finish; what it was like to be in the middle of the elite women’s field; trying to wrap their minds around Courtney Dauwalter’s performance; and a whole lot more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
The Matts Do Western States (2:09)
Pacing Leah Yingling to F9 (3:14)
Why This Race Rules (6:33)
Course Conditions (9:27)
Forest Hill, the Place to Be (13:05)
Tom Evans’ Race Tactics (20:36)
Anthony Costales, Hell Yea! (23:46)
Courtney Dauwalter’s Course Record (25:41)
How Coverage of the Race Has Evolved (30:53)
Matt’s Golden Ticket Ambitions (40:44)
How He Wound Up in a Banana Costume (46:48)
Highlights & Shoutouts (49:13)
RELATED LINKS:
Western States 2023 Live Stream
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First run in 1905, the Dipsea is the oldest trail race in the US. Its course takes runners from Mill Valley, CA to Stinson Beach, 7.4 miles separated by 700 stairs, shortcuts, thickets of poison oak, technical singletrack, and stretches of trail with nicknames like “Suicide,” “Cardiac,” and “Insult.” The race’s unique handicap format gives certain runners head starts based on age, gender, and prior performances, meaning that logging the fastest time on the course doesn’t always ensure a victory.
Unless you’re Paddy O’Leary this year. The North Face athlete took home both trophies at the 112th Dipsea a little over a week ago, so Matt Mitchell sat down with him to talk about the race’s storied history; some of the eccentricities that make it so singular; and the various films that have been inspired by it. We also breakdown the Broken Arrow Skryace, which wrapped up its weekend of races on Sunday, and a whole lot more.
TOPICS & TIMES:
Broken Arrow Recap (2:07)
Fun Storylines Coming Out of the Weekend (8:53)
Eleanor Scholz’s Lupine Shadow Lamp Trophies (11:53)
The Dipsea (14:14)
Shortcuts, Handicaps, & Film Recs (20:52)
Western States Pacing Duties (31:19)
RELATED LINKS:
Eleanor’s art
Mt. Marathon
From The Shadow Of A Mountain
Survival Run
Dipsea, The Greatest Race
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2024 Blister Summit Info
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