The Tales on the Towpath’s Podcast

How do you survive—and thrive during—eight races in just seven weeks? In this episode, Adam and Katie chat with Chris about his spring racing calendar. Chris just wrapped up a spring racing block that truly tested every gear in his engine. Chris lined up week after week to conquer an incredibly diverse array of challenges. We dive deep into the logistics, the physical toll, and the mental grit required to back up that many starting lines in such a short window. Whether you're looking to build bulletproof recovery or just want to know how to stomach four beers in a mile, Chris breaks it all down.

Every hour, on the hour, a whistle blows, a group of runners heads out to complete a 4.167-mile loop, and the clock resets. To the outside observer, a Backyard Ultra like the More Miles Last One Standing Challenge seems straightforward: you just keep going until you can't. But behind that simple loop lies a complex web of logistics, mental warfare, and physical demands. In this episode, Katie is pulling back the curtain on the backyard format by chatting with two people who experience it from entirely different perspectives: Adam shares his experience as the Race Director steering the ship, and Chris talks about getting back into the starting corral loop after loop. If you have ever been curious about the backyard format, wondered what it takes to organize a multi-day sufferfest, or wanted to know how to trick your brain into running "just one more yard," this dual-perspective masterclass is for you.

As the temperature climbs, does it feel like your normal easy pace suddenly requires an Olympic effort? You aren't imagining it—summer running is a completely different beast. In this episode, Adam, Chris and Katie are diving deep into the brutal reality of summer training. We break down the fascinating physiology of why your body fights you so hard in high temperatures, and more importantly, how you can fight back. Whether you are training for a fall marathon or just trying to survive your local 5K loop without melting, this episode is your ultimate summer survival guide. If you would like your own Ice Hat to keep cool this summer: 2 Lowe Ice Hat

This week, Adam, Chris, and Katie are joined by local legends Carissa and Jeff Schneider. In a throwback to February, we brought this competitive couple on to talk about how they manage running and family life on the farm and their relationship backstory is one you will not want to miss. If you've ever wondered what its like to go from "Couch Surfer" to 5K, you will want to listen to this episode. Carissa and Jeff also talk about their recent success at the Frederick Running Festival where Carissa won the women's 5K and hung on in the half marathon to become the "Queen of the Nut Jobs".

Woody Snoberger is one of West Virginia's most accomplished marathon runners and recently clocked a 2:37 at the Boston Marathon. Woody joins Adam, Chris, and Katie to talk about his Boston experience and how he balances family, work, life, and a lot of running. In 2018, Woody finished in the top 100 at the Boston Marathon that saw some of the worst conditions in race history; heavy freezing rain, temperatures in the high 30s and wind gusts up to 45 miles an hour. While hypothermia was taking out the field, Woody had one of his best races ever. Its a great story and you won't want to miss it.

The 2LoweRunCo Team had an amazing weekend of racing at the Cherry Blossom 10 miler and 5k, the Delaware Running Festival, the Buck Ridge Burn, and of course, the Gorge Waterfalls 100K. This episode highlights all the running success that was had and Chris gives his account of running for 15 hours over rocks and mountains along the Columbia River. Be sure to stick around to the end for a preview of Adam's upcoming 7th Boston Marathon. This episode was a lot of fun - we hope you enjoy it. For additional info: Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 mile and 5K Delaware Running Festival The Buck Ridge Burn Half Marathon Gorge Waterfalls 100K Boston Marathon tracking To Follow 2LoweRunCo on Instagram For more photos and videos from Chris's trip Aletrailrunner on Instagram

Chris and Adam preview the Gorge Waterfalls 100K - this will be Chris's first 100K and Western States qualifying race. The 100K course feature a variety of surfaces types, primarily rocky semi-technical singletrack mixed with more smooth dirt singletrack and offers a world-class scenic tour through the heart of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. There is 11,000ft of elevation gain over the 62 miles - you'll want to listen to hear why a towpath runner would want to take on a challenge like this.

Sports writer Andy Mason joins Adam and Chris to talk running, racing and about his new book, Hagerstown vs the World, which captures how this small town became a national powerhouse in distance running and the runners who made that happen. You can find the book at the Next Chapter Cafe & Book Shop or online.

Chris gets the race recap from Adam and Katie who share their race experience at the Wilmington marathon and half marathon and then, Taylor Rockwell, better known as Tayrock, joins Adam, Chris, and Katie to share how a simple mindset change has taken running from a punishment to a passion. Tayrock is building an amazing community in Austin, Texas and you won’t want to miss how she is challenging a new group of runners every month this year. You can also find Tayrock on Instagram at @taylor_rockwell and her challenges at @outrunuschallenges

Adam, Chris, and Special Guest Host Katie Lowe (yes she got a promotion) are joined by Adrienne and Bruce Wren to talk about their running journey, running as a family, and the entire family's big plans to tackle the Last One Standing Ultra in May. Despite some audio issues, we think you will really enjoy this conversation.

It's February and we are kicking off a 4 part series celebrating running couples where we will dive into how they manage their running, training, and racing relationship. In part 1, Adam and Chris are joined by Mike Martin and Megan Curry from Hagerstown. in 2025, Mike and Megan had a goal to run the entire length of the C&O Canal Towpath. You won't want to miss them sharing tales from this adventure. For more information on the Out Run Us challenges - Instagram @Outrunuschallenges

Billy Rudd from CloudSplitter Coffee Joins Adam and Chris to talk Hiking, Ultrarunning, and specialty coffee. Billy shares some great stories from his time peak bagging to finding watermelon seeds at Catoctin, and you won't want to miss hearing how Adam saved Billy's life on the canal one morning. You can also find Billy on Instagram at @brcloudsplitter and @cloudsplittercoffee For Video of Billy's climb up Katahdin and descent on the knife's edge: Hiking Mount Katahdin - 4K Cinematic Vlog

Adam and Chris are joined by the one and only Fogell McLoving. And, in a Tales on the Towpath exclusive, Fogell makes a big announcement you will not want to miss.