What happens when you stop chasing finish lines and start chasing experiences? In this episode of Run the Riot, I sit down with Josh Sprague, founder of Orange Mud, for a conversation about ultrarunning, adventure racing, hydration, fueling, gear, strength, and why our relationship with endurance sports can change over time. Josh started Orange Mud after getting frustrated with the hydration options available to endurance athletes. His philosophy was simple: innovation from frustration. If he couldn't find the gear he wanted to use, he'd build it himself. That same willingness to experiment has followed Josh through hundreds of endurance events, including ultramarathons, adventure races, triathlons, mountain bike races, gravel events, and multi-day adventures. We get into some practical stuff every ultrarunner can use. Josh shares why he developed a habit of drinking every 15 minutes, how he measures exactly how much fluid he's getting from a hydration bladder, why he tests different flavors of the same nutrition product, and why he'll intentionally train with warm fluids before a hot race. We also talk about training your gut for ultra racing. Josh has learned the hard way that race day isn't the time to suddenly start eating everything that looks good at an aid station. If you plan to eat quesadillas, pizza, pickles, or other real food during your ultramarathon, you'd better find out during training how your stomach handles it. Of course, Josh also tells one of my favorite fueling stories I've heard in a while: carrying a Meat Lovers pizza around during an adventure race and eventually using it to fuel a charge up and over a mountain. But my favorite part of our conversation may be what happens when we move beyond training and racing. After years of chasing bigger distances and checking races off his list, Josh has found himself wanting something different. He wants to experience the adventure. We talk about the pressure of Strava, skipping time with friends because the training plan says you need to do intervals, stopping to look for arrowheads, and learning that not every run needs to produce an impressive number. Josh even tells the story of running right beside the Queen Mary during a race without ever noticing the enormous ship. There's probably a lesson in there for all of us. Don't get so focused on the finish line that you miss where you are. We also talk about Josh's simple challenge of completing at least 500 push-ups every week. What started as a small goal has now lasted more than a year, and Josh believes the added strength has made a noticeable difference in his running, cycling, paddling, and overall health. And somewhere along the way, we manage to talk about copperheads, Taco Bell, gas-station food, pickles, a 100-mile bike ride that was supposed to be 30 miles, and an incredible experience Josh had with his late golden retriever, Lady, during a 720-mile bike race. It's a fun conversation with a guy who understands that sometimes the best adventures are the ones that don't go according to plan. In This Episode How Josh started Orange Mud Innovation from frustration Adventure racing and ultrarunning Drinking every 15 minutes during endurance events Measuring your hydration rate Sodium and electrolytes for long races Training your gut for race-day nutrition Liquid calories versus real food Pizza as adventure-race fuel Why pickles can be so good during an ultra Josh's favorite trail race His incredible experience with Lady during a 720-mile bike race Competing versus experiencing The Strava trap Staying adventurous as we get older Josh's 500-pushup-per-week streak Why ultrarunners need strength training Connect with Josh Orange Mud:https://www.orangemud.com/ Run the Riot Coaching Have a big ultrarunning goal but aren't sure how to put all the pieces together? I coach runners preparing for their first or furthest ultramarathon with individualized training, accountability, race strategy, and guidance along the way. Learn more:http://www.theriot.run/coaching Thanks to Mount to Coast for supporting the Run the Riot Podcast. I've been training in the R1 road shoe and T1 trail shoe and have been impressed with their comfort and durability over the miles. Use code RIOT10 to save 10% on your order. If you enjoyed the conversation, follow the podcast and share this episode with another runner who needs to hear it. #runtheriot #ultrarunning #ultrarunner #trailrunning #trailrunner
