About this episode

Rachel Entrekin discusses her transition to professional running and her significant improvement at Cocodona 250.

What does it look like to have 107 races and 104 trophies? For Rachel Entrekin, it looks like a duffel bag full of hardware under the bed and a life recently transformed by professional running contracts. In this episode of the Dirt & Vert Podcast, we sit down with Rachel to discuss her transition from a Doctor of Physical Therapy to a full-time professional athlete. Rachel takes us through her "prolific" racing schedule, her shift from road marathons to the mountain trails of Colorado, and the incredible 10-hour improvement she made at Cocodona 250 just by fixing her fueling strategy. She also shares one of the most harrowing (and hilarious) "rookie mistake" stories in ultra history involving a heat wave, a bad case of chafing, and a very poorly timed application of Icy Hot. Key Takeaways The Pro Pivot: How Rachel leveraged her success in 2025 to sign professional contracts and leave her 40-hour PT job. The Cocodona Breakthrough: A deep dive into how she shaved 10 hours off her time through better fueling and altitude training. The Multi-Day Mindset: Lessons from Matt Shepard on why you should sleep when you're tired rather than sticking to a rigid plan. Gear & Humility…

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