Join us as we discuss the life and adventures of Epic Bill Bradley, an incredible story of perseverance and pushing ones limits. Epic Bill has done some of the hardest adventures on this planet, including a triple Ironman, quad Badwater, and so much more. We only scratch the surface of Bill's stories. Hope you enjoy!

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Start with a slow jog through Boulder—flat miles, farm-stand honey, and training chatter—then pivot into a full-on masterclass in grit with Epic Bill Bradley. Bill built a $10M video business, went bankrupt, lost his identity, woke up at 3 a.m. with poison oak, and ran a 50 miler to feel human again. That decision launches a story that fuses ultrarunning, cold-water swimming, and entrepreneurship into one relentless throughline: choose hard things on purpose.

We go deep on Badwater’s furnace—real heat management, tarmac radiation, crew strategy, and the dangers of overhydration. Then we flip to Arrowhead’s brutal cold: negative thirty-five nights, frozen hands in “California gloves,” empty checkpoints in the dark, and the stubborn pride of showing up again and again. Bill’s attempts stack into a philosophy: if it can’t kill you, it’ll bore me. Under the bravado lives a practical ethic—boredom breeds depression, challenge restores meaning.

Bill draws sharp parallels between building companies and running ultras: uncertain timelines, lonely stretches, and the discipline to keep moving when the finish line disappears. His English Channel quests read like a survival manual—boat pilots, tide windows, seasickness, and the harsh moment a “four miles to go” sign becomes “seven” after a storm pushes him off the point. We unpack gear evolution, blister triage, trench foot swelling, and how twenty minutes of motion can make pain manageable. The Grand Canyon septuple crossing, done only because someone else did six, underscores a simple loop: set the goal, stretch it, learn, repeat.

What’s next for Bill? A six-minute mile after 25 years, an eye on 200 milers, a Santa Barbara Channel swim, and another shot at the English Channel with smarter tactics. It’s raw, funny, and deeply useful—whether you’re chasing a PR, a start-up milestone, or the courage to take a dream off the shelf. If you’re ready to rethink your limits, press play, then share the hardest thing you’re willing to attempt this year. And if the conversation moves you, subscribe, leave a review, and pass it to a friend who needs a push.

Thanks for listening to Running With Problems. Follow us on Instagram @runningwithproblems. DM us there with questions in text or audio messages! Or email us at podcast@runningwithproblems.run.

Hosted by Jon Eisen (@mildly_athletic) and Miranda Williamson (@peaksandjustice). Edited by Jon Eisen. Theme music by Matt Beer.

Join our discussion with Pete Kostelnick, Trans-continental record holder, multiple Badwater finisher, Team USA representative at the IAU 24-hour world championships, and so much more. We dive into what it takes to run these multi-day and multi-week efforts, his recent car accident recovery, and fun stories from out on the trail (or road). Enjoy!

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What if your body could learn to run 50 miles a day and get stronger after week two? We kick off with our Boulder Skyline project updates, then sit down with transcontinental record holder Pete Kostelnik to explore the craft of going very far, very long. From the hot, dry logic of Badwater to the humid grind that slowly cooks you, Pete breaks down heat strategy, pacing, and why some environments quietly win the war.

Pete’s story arcs from a beer-fueled 40-miler to a 100 in the Ozarks, a chance encounter with Marshall Ulrich’s book, and ultimately the decision to run coast to coast. He explains how the first 7–14 days of a transcon feel like a revolt before the body adapts, recovery speeds up, and durability rises. We dive into the Alaska-to-Florida traverse: choosing a stroller that can be serviced on the road, swapping tires mid-run, scrounging calories in remote towns, and staying alive on narrow shoulders while phones glow behind windshields. The surprise isn’t the danger—it’s how kind people are when you meet them face to face.

We also talk about why Badwater keeps calling: the crew every ten minutes, the transformation from individual race to true team effort, and the austere beauty of Death Valley to the Sierra. Then everything turns: a high-speed crash shatters Pete’s pelvis. He rebuilds with patience, PT, and a new respect for load, hikes most of Cocodona, and returns to Leadville to close the loop—with a sub-25 buckle. Now it’s on to the World 24-Hour Championships, where miles stack into team medals and 160-plus becomes the target. The theme running through every segment is practical resilience: start by getting out the door, let consistency carry you, and solve small problems before they become big ones.

If this resonated, tap follow, share it with a friend who needs a nudge to start, and leave a quick review so more runners can find the show.

Thanks for listening to Running With Problems. Follow us on Instagram @runningwithproblems. DM us there with questions in text or audio messages! Or email us at podcast@runningwithproblems.run.

Hosted by Jon Eisen (@mildly_athletic) and Miranda Williamson (@peaksandjustice). Edited by Jon Eisen. Theme music by Matt Beer.

Jon Eisen guest-hosts the Midpacker podcast with full-time host Troy Meadows discussing Troy's first DNF at the Dark Divide 100. Cross-posted on the Midpacker Podcast feed. Check out Troy's Midpacker Podcast wherever you get your podcasts!

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Three volcanoes on the horizon. Volcanic ash underfoot. Twenty-six miles of wilderness with almost no help. We teamed up with Troy Meadows of the Mid-Packer Pod for a raw, unfiltered look at the Dark Divide 100—one finish in 39:20 and one DNF at mile 52, both packed with hard-won lessons you can actually use.

We start with the pre-race curveballs: a late briefing, self check-in, and a course built on dirt bike trails that trade tidy switchbacks for deep ruts and loose rock. The opening ridgeline delivers a dream panorama—St. Helens, Adams, and Rainier sliding in and out of haze—and a reminder to keep ego out of the first climb. Then the course bares its teeth. The wilderness segment stretches for 26 miles between full aid, heat rises, humidity clamps down, and the trickle you hoped to filter isn’t enough. A fragile stomach becomes a full spiral: rationed sips, dry heaves, dirt naps, and the slowest ten miles of the day. At Snagtooth, we talk triage—cold spring water, walking tamales, naps, and time math—and the moment you decide if you’re still committed to a 48-hour cutoff.

On the flip side, we break down the steady path to a buckle: conservative pacing, one short sleep that flips a switch, relentless forward progress through day-two sun, and a near-disaster when skipping the final aid station almost torpedoes the finish. Expect practical strategy, not platitudes: alternate textures and flavors for nutrition, carry extra sodium, take caffeine when you wake, soak layers at every real water source, and script decision points before you’re exhausted. We also get personal about pressure, relationships, and why the conversation you have at home can shape the one you have with yourself at mile 80.

If you love real talk about ultra strategy, heat management, and the mental game of back-half survival, this one’s for you. Listen, share with a mid-pack friend who needs it, and tell us: where’s your crux, and what’s your plan B? Subscribe, leave a review, and drop your biggest Dark Divide takeaway—we’ll feature our favorites next week.

Thanks for listening to Running With Problems. Follow us on Instagram @runningwithproblems. DM us there with questions in text or audio messages! Or email us at podcast@runningwithproblems.run.

Hosted by Jon Eisen (@mildly_athletic) and Miranda Williamson (@peaksandjustice). Edited by Jon Eisen. Theme music by Matt Beer.