Run Mountain Peaks

Summer is here and June has not disappointed. It's one of the best times of the year. Full blown trail season with lots of people getting on trail, races every weekend, and big miles in the mountians. Without giving anything away, this week I rank the best months of year for trail running & hiking in the Northeast mountains. Lincoln Woods is officially closed and lots of people squeezed in a Pemi Loop earlier this month. I talk about some of those efforts and other premier routes that may see some action this year. I also give an update on some of the June mountain races and talk about my recovery from the Hut Traverse.Give it a listen.YOUTUBEhttps://www.youtube.com/@runmountainpeaksTRAINING & NUTRITION INFOhttps://substack.com/@runmountainpeaksFREE ENDURANCE TRAINING GUIDEhttps://www.runmountainpeaks.com/run-coachingFOLLOWInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/runmountainpeaks/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61588592565447TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@runmountainpeaksThreads: https://www.threads.com/@runmountainpeaks?hl=enX: https://x.com/runmtnpeaks

This week I talked with Lexi Jackson who is fresh off her Wantastiquet-Monadnock-Sunappee ~100 mile unsupported FKT. This route combines the Wantastiquet-Monadnock trail with the Monadnock-Sunappee Greenway trail in a single push with 20,000 ft of climbing. An epic route and cool story, doing it all solo.We also discuss some of Lexi’s other FKT and race efforts including the White Mountains 100, Dirritissema, and so many more. She has been throwing down long distance (mostly unsupported) ultras for a long time and has lots of stories and tons of good ultra tips. Oh, and shes a grid finisher already working on grid #2 & #3.Give it a listen.YOUTUBEhttps://www.youtube.com/@runmountainpeaksTRAINING & NUTRITION INFOhttps://substack.com/@runmountainpeaksFREE ENDURANCE TRAINING GUIDEhttps://www.runmountainpeaks.com/run-coachingFOLLOWInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/runmountainpeaks/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61588592565447TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@runmountainpeaksThreads: https://www.threads.com/@runmountainpeaks?hl=enX: https://x.com/runmtnpeaks#TrailRunning #Mountains #WhiteMountainNationalForest

This week, I deep dive into the iconic Presidential Traverse. 18 miles and 8,500ft of gnarly White Mountains terrain. I discuss the required peaks: Madison, Adams, Jefferson, Clay, Washington, Monroe, Eisenhower and Pierce. Yes on Clay, but no on Franklin? And Jackson was a president, but not that Jackson. I talk about the Presi FKTs and the blazing paces over those rocks. At the end, I brought back some non running related rankings. This time doing my top 3 favorite TV shows of all time. And I finish with a correction on the Wapack 21.5 miler results (my bad) and a few other race recaps. Give it a listen.YOUTUBEhttps://www.youtube.com/@runmountainpeaksTRAINING & NUTRITION INFOhttps://substack.com/@runmountainpeaksFREE ENDURANCE TRAINING GUIDEhttps://www.runmountainpeaks.com/run-coachingFOLLOWInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/runmountainpeaks/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61588592565447TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@runmountainpeaksThreads: https://www.threads.com/@runmountainpeaks?hl=enX: https://x.com/runmtnpeaks#TrailRunning #Mountains #WhiteMountainNationalForest

This week we were joined by a true NH trail running power couple, Clark Plummer & Allie Leveille. Clark is a staple NH & White Mountains trail runner. He is a Grid Finisher and stacked over a million feet of vertical gain on foot three straight years in a row. One of the most enthusiastic people you will ever meet on the trail. I asked if he will ever lose the stoke and he immediately said H*ll no! Allie was a road runner who has taken to more trail and ultramarathon efforts the past couple years. She has 11 FKTs in the last year alone and the count is growing. Multiple ultra marathon wins already under her belt and is only getting better.We chat their background, some of their past efforts, their recent outings at White Lake Ultras, Clark proposing on Pierce, and more! Give it a listen.At the end, I recapped some recent races: Riverlands 100 final year, all the distances at White Lake Ultras, and a mini Big A 50k recap, and gave some Cocodona thoughts👀HOW TO FIND CLARK & ALLIE https://www.instagram.com/allierunsnh?igsh=MWFwdmJpN2U4b2tiZQ==https://www.instagram.com/clark_alan15?igsh=bzRqYnRqZHNncXJ2DISCOUNTS FROM ALLIEhttps://1stphorm.com/AllieRunsNHhttps://alnk.to/cHQUsGVYOUTUBEhttps://www.youtube.com/@runmountainpeaksTRAINING & NUTRITION INFOhttps://substack.com/@runmountainpeaksFREE ENDURANCE TRAINING GUIDEhttps://www.runmountainpeaks.com/run-coachingFOLLOWInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/runmountainpeaks/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61588592565447TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@runmountainpeaksThreads: https://www.threads.com/@runmountainpeaks?hl=enX: https://x.com/runmtnpeaks#TrailRunning #Mountains #WhiteMountainNationalForest

This week, I dive into how the podcast came to be, lessons learned through 6 months, and how I feel being a content creator. Two years ago, I had zero social media presence, no TV, no laptop & no wifi. Now I’m posting a weekly podcast and posting on multiple social media platforms almost daily. The transition was gnarly and I talk about all the growing pains and why doing a podcast is so much harder than I thought. I also got my first full fledged hate message and I break that down lolI talk about the spectrum of professional athletes/trail running and content creators. I think they are actually doing the same thing in a sense. And embracing the two together isn’t a bad thing at all for most people.Lastly, I discuss my thoughts on the Northeast trail scene and why this region can get overlooked by some people, brands and the media in general.Give it a listen.YOUTUBEhttps://www.youtube.com/@runmountainpeaksTRAINING & NUTRITION INFOhttps://substack.com/@runmountainpeaksFREE ENDURANCE TRAINING GUIDEhttps://www.runmountainpeaks.com/run-coachingFOLLOWInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/runmountainpeaks/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61588592565447TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@runmountainpeaksThreads: https://www.threads.com/@runmountainpeaks?hl=enX: https://x.com/runmtnpeaks#TrailRunning #Mountains #WhiteMountainNationalForest

This week’s episode is an unplanned deep dive into setbacks and the uncertainty of training & running goals. I was gearing up for an FKT attempt, but an untimely ankle roll on my bad ankle that just got good, changed my plans and gave me some flashbacks of my long recovery this fall/winter. Luckily, it wasn’t bad at all and should be fine in the near future. I still wanted to get an effort in so I decided to give an uphill only push to limit the impact on the ankle. I landed on a time trial up North Uncanoonuc and tied for the overall crown on a stacked leaderboard. I gave some thoughts and take aways on the effort. I also threw in some last minute thoughts on the latest season of Love on the Spectrum (with a couple more follow up points to come), plus race previews and recaps from the New England ultra scene.Give it a listen.YOUTUBEhttps://www.youtube.com/@runmountainpeaksTRAINING & NUTRITION INFOhttps://substack.com/@runmountainpeaksFREE ENDURANCE TRAINING GUIDEhttps://www.runmountainpeaks.com/run-coachingFOLLOWInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/runmountainpeaks/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61588592565447TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@runmountainpeaksThreads: https://www.threads.com/@runmountainpeaks?hl=enX: https://x.com/runmtnpeaks#TrailRunning #Mountains #WhiteMountainNationalForest

This week I sat down with Conor Brown. He is a hiker and trail runner that has accomplished some pretty mind blowing feats over the past few years. He was the finisher at the inaugural Mt. Ascutney Vertical Backyard Ultra, hiking over 200 miles and 108k ft of climbing in a single push over four days. He set records for most summits in 24 hours on his home mountains North Ucanoonuc and South Uncanoonuc (48 & 58 respectively). He thru hiked the Appalachian Trail. Had an impressive win at the well known Manchester to Monadnock ultramarathon and a blazing time at the Jigger Johnson 50 miler. He’s young, he’s tough and he’s fast. We talked about how he got started with all this madness and touched on most of his big efforts. Give it a listen.HOW TO FIND CONOR:INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/conorbrwn/STRAVA: https://strava.app.link/jwlLR9yWZHbYOUTUBEhttps://www.youtube.com/@runmountainpeaksTRAINING & NUTRITION INFOhttps://substack.com/@runmountainpeaksFREE ENDURANCE TRAINING GUIDEhttps://www.runmountainpeaks.com/run-coachingFOLLOWInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/runmountainpeaks/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61588592565447TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@runmountainpeaksThreads: https://www.threads.com/@runmountainpeaks?hl=enX: https://x.com/runmtnpeaks#TrailRunning #Mountains #WhiteMountainNationalForest

This week I'm diving into a recent time trial effort I did on my local peak. I ran the same 1 mile route (510ft of climbing) twice in the span of five days. The first effort was at a 7:37min/mi pace, but during the second effort, I was able to knock off almost 30 seconds and run a 7:08min/mi pace (4:50min/mi grade adjusted pace). Obviously, I didn’t gain a ton of fitness in those five days, so I talk through some of the “race” day execution that let me run faster and be mentally stronger in the red. Short, fast road efforts are not my strong suit, but I think there is a lot of value in getting out of your comfort zone. I plan on mixing more of these efforts in between my ultramarathons.Then, I talk about my injury history. I’ve dealt with so many different running injuries over the last handful of years. I discuss the two major injuries that have taken the most time to come back from: bone stress injuries in my shins & ankle pain that became problematic due to a 10 year old injury that left my ankle not quite fully functional. I finish up with a look at the race calendar, including results from the BURCS Satan’s Sidewalk virtual race from February and a preview of some events coming up in Rhode Island, Maine, and Massachusetts. Give it a listen.INSTAGRAMhttps://www.instagram.com/runmountainpeaks/YOUTUBEhttps://www.youtube.com/@runmountainpeaksTRAINING & NUTRITION INFOhttps://substack.com/@runmountainpeaksFREE ENDURANCE TRAINING GUIDEhttps://www.runmountainpeaks.com/run-coaching#TrailRunning #Mountains #WhiteMountainNationalForest

Lots of topics this week. I talk about some of my time spent living and getting outdoors in Maine. My annual trip to Moosehead Lake and how cool of a region it is up there. The view from under Mt. Kineo rock face being undefeated. I talked through and ranked each of the extreme activities I have done: white water rafting, parasailing, zip lining, sky diving. Some quick Hundred Mile Wilderness talk. Tracking my sleep and how I am trying to improve my sleep and recovery. I give out my top 3 favorite chips of all time. And end with some motivation.INSTAGRAMhttps://www.instagram.com/runmountainpeaks/YOUTUBEhttps://www.youtube.com/@runmountainpeaksFREE ENDURANCE TRAINING GUIDEhttps://www.runmountainpeaks.com/run-coaching#TrailRunning #Mountains #WhiteMountainNationalForest

This week I got to interview John Hirsch. John raced triathlons as a pro for over 20 years. He collected four Top 10 Pro Ironman finishes and competed at the notorious Kona Ironman World Championships. He had a ton of cool stories and great insights into triathlon and endurance training. Outside of triathlons he competed in trail races, grabbing three wins at the Spartan Ultra Beast Masters World Championships. Oh and he also still rips on trail, he was one of the only finishers at the @spartan Peak Snow Devil Snowshoe race from this January. A brutal winter race (snow shoes required) with cut offs that DNF most participants. He gave us the scoop into those races. Give it a listen.Before the interview, I gave my quick Last Skier Standing 2026 reaction. An epic throw down per usual. I ended the episode with some race results from the TARCtic Frozen Yeti 30 Hour and 15 Mile, BURCS Treadmill Marathon & Frozen Folly Virtual 50k and the new Mount Monadnock Heartbreaker race. I was actually on course for this race getting some Monadnock summits in for myself so got to see some crushers first hand. Threw in a trail report for White Arrow and White Dot as well (very good conditions).HOW TO FIND JOHN:INSTAGRAM: @thedeerrunnerFACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/john.hirsch.75STRONG LIKE BULL FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/stronglikebullcampsJOHN HIRSCH COACHING: https://www.stronglikebulltraining.com/coaching 0:00 Intro3:55 Last Skier Standing 2026 Reaction11:40 John Hirsch Interview1:47:23 TARCtic Frozen Yeti 30 Hour and 15 Mile Results1:49:15 BURCS Treadmill Marathon & Frozen Folly Virtual 50K Results1:52:55 Mount Monadnock Trail Report 2.14.261:54:05 Mount Monadnock Heartbreaker Race ResultsINSTAGRAMhttps://www.instagram.com/runmountainpeaks/YOUTUBEhttps://www.youtube.com/@runmountainpeaksFREE ENDURANCE TRAINING GUIDEhttps://www.runmountainpeaks.com/run-coaching#TrailRunning #Mountains #WhiteMountainNationalForest

This week I ranked the NH 48 4,000 footers from my least favorite to my top pick. There is only one hike I actually dislike. Lots of tough decisions had to be made. I will not second guess my decisions. Then did a preview for the upcoming Last Skier Standing race by White Mountain Ski Company that starts next weekend. That race usually goes for days and lots of heavy hitters on the entrants list. Previewed the TARCtic Frozen Yeti 30 Hour & 15 Mile races next week. Another frozen bonanza. Trailmixers Frozen Heart 900 CT also takes place next weekend. A free 15 hour self supported style ultra. All three of these races are in their seventh year which I thought was quite interesting. 7 years ago everyone had the same idea of starting these long distance, brutally cold ultra events? Hmm. Went through the Last NORIDC Skier standing results also by White Mountain Ski Company that took place this weekend. Smaller race, but looked like it was just as gnarly, especially with the sub 0 temps the past two days. Lastly, I did a trip report from my run on Pierce & Eisenhower. Awesome day. Stunner views. Decent trail conditions. 0:00 Intro6:40 Ground rules for 4k rankings9:00 Starting with my least favorite, 30 through 2023:21 20 through 1037:00 Start of the Top 1044:15 Number 345:45 Number 246:30 Number 149:30 Last Skier Standing Preview60:10 Tarctic Frozen Yeti Preview65:45 Frozen Heart 900 67:45 Last Nordic Skier Standing Results71:10 1/31 Pierce and Eisenhower Trip ReportINSTAGRAMhttps://www.instagram.com/runmountainpeaks/YOUTUBEhttps://www.youtube.com/@runmountainpeaksFREE ENDURANCE TRAINING GUIDEhttps://www.runmountainpeaks.com/run-coaching#TrailRunning #Mountains #WhiteMountainNationalForest

This week I sat down with my own mother who is quite the accomplished hiker. She is a Grid finisher, and has completed several hiking lists in New England including the 100 Highest, 67 4000 Footers, 52 With a View, Terrifying 25, and is in the middle of a Single Season Winter 48. We discussed all of these accomplishments and the trails and peaks associated with them. She gave some tips about things she has learned over the years and resources she still uses to plan her hikes today. We talked about a few under the radar hikes. And we went through her experience crewing me through a handful of my ultramarathon efforts over the years and some stories and lessons learned from those.I talked about my new microphone debacle and thinking my crappy laptop computer audio was the new professional mic for two straight hours and having a breakdown with Gemini trying to figure it out. No New England ultramarathon results from last weekend. 0:00 Intro3:50 New microphone debacle10:20 Andrea Wojciak Interview10:50 Hiking background and list accomplishments19:45 Future hiking goals27:30 Winter hiking talk34:10 Shout out Molly34:45 Most popular Grid Finish peaks38:00 Team North or Team South Hancock person?40:00 Biggest single day hikes47:30 Best NH 4k Hiking resources56:45 More winter hiking talk64:30 Crewing me in my first ultra68:00 Crewing me for Jigger Johnson 100 mile73:00 Crewing FKTs75:00 Lodge2dodge FKT Mishap81:30 Grid 2? And some hiking statsINSTAGRAMhttps://www.instagram.com/runmountainpeaks/YOUTUBEhttps://www.youtube.com/@runmountainpeaksRUN COACHINGhttps://www.runmountainpeaks.com/#TrailRunning #Mountains #WhiteMountains

Run Mountain Peaks Podcast – Episode 17This week I talk through my 2026 and long term running goals. Aim high, work hard and take the road less traveled. The man in the arena. Discuss not making Aravaipa's Northeast Racing Team. And then a Stranger Things update. Im only through Season 4, please dont spoil. (Is Season 5 ending good though?).00:00 Intro04:20 My long term runnning goals11:10 2026 running goals19:00 The man in the arena29:45 Aravaipa race team talk38:30 Brownville Deer Pantry38:50 Stranger Things talk51:35 OutroINSTAGRAMhttps://www.instagram.com/runmountainpeaks/YOUTUBEhttps://www.youtube.com/@runmountainpeaksRUN COACHINGhttps://www.runmountainpeaks.com/#TrailRunning #Mountains #WhiteMountainNationalForest