PODCAST · sports
The Pain Cave
by Jason Friedman
The Pain Cave is a free-flowing conversation with a wide variety of guests from the worlds of running and exercise science. We talk about physiology, sports science, politics, music, beer, and occasionally running.
Episodes
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Episode 119 - Ultrarunner of the Year with Brian Toy
Stuff your stockings with an extra-long year end episode of the pod! We bring back our hallowed tradition of arguing over whether or not Barkleys is important. And a bunch of other stuff. It’s the Ultrarunner of the Year ballot!! Buy our book! Beer for this episode: Goose Island Bourbon Country...
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Episode 118 - Rebuilding the Yetis with Jason Green
We welcome back returning champion of the pod Jason Green, the founder and head honcho of the Yeti Trail Runners (not a cult!) to talk about the rebuilding efforts in Appalachia in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. A relatively tame version of the Jason Green Drinking Game was performed. Buy our...
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Episode 117 - This Month in Ultrarunning with Phil Vondra (and special guests!)
Two huge races captured the attention of ultra fans over the past few weeks. In one, a growing multinational entity poised to dominate world ultrarunning hosted one of its flagship events, complete with round-the-clock media coverage and elite athletes redefining what was previously thought...
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Episode 116 - WTF, Camille?! with Phil Vondra
What is the story that forced us to dust off the mics, fire up the sound board, and emerge from a 16-month podcasting hiatus? Is it Katie Schide’s epic summer? Dave Roche’s insane Leadville CR? Damian Hall’s effort to combat greenwashing at the top levels of the sport? Multiple world records at…
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Episode 114 - "The Race That Changed Running" with Doug Mayer
There was a reading assignment for this show…naturally, Phil couldn’t be bothered to do any actual work, so I had the great pleasure of speaking with Doug Mayer about his new book, The Race That Changed Running: The Inside Story of UTMB, out TODAY! An American expat living full-time in Chamonix,...
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Episode 113 - Twenty Questions with Rich Lockwood
Rich Lockwood has been a mainstay on the PNW trail-running scene for several years, but he grabbed the national spotlight in 2022 with a string of world-class performances, capped by a win at the uber-competitive Run Rabbit Run 100 and a podium spot an the Doi Inthanon 100K (by UTMB, blah blah...
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Episode 112 - Twenty Questions with Chad Lasater
Many of you may not know about Chad Lasater, but you should. He’s the current champion of the Grand Slam of Ultrarunning (having finished the GS in both 2021 and 2022) and after a breakthrough performance at Desert Solstice (his first real 24-hour race) he is currently in position for a spot on…
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Episode 111 - Ultrarunners of the Year with Jason Mintz
Happy New Year! Sneaking in our traditional year-end pod under the wire, my favorite episode every year, debating the Ultrarunners of the Year with recurring guest Jason Mintz, who battled through COVID and came to PLAY! Tons of consensus this year but also some pretty good debate. Phil and I…
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Episode 110 - Twenty Questions with Riley Brady
It took us way too long to have Beastcoast star Riley Brady on the pod. For some reason we waited until they’re getting ready to move to Boulder (like everyone else!) to invite them on. Fresh off a Golden Ticket-winning performance at the Javelina Jundred, Riley joined the show to talk about...
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Episode 109 - Twenty Questions with Pete Mortimer
It’s always a little scary to double the amount of Brits on the show, but it couldn’t have been easier with Pete Mortimer, one of the most accomplished and prolific athletes in our sport today. We talked about some of Pete’s most recent exploits at HURT, Run Rabbit, and Barkley, before tackling...
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Episode 108 - Twenty Questions with Sabrina Little
Despite being only 36, Sabrina Little has been running ultras for over fifteen years. She won the famed Old Dominion 100 mile at only 23 years old; by the time she was 26, she held American records for 24 hours and 200K, and led the US women to a team gold medal with her runner-up finish at the...
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Episode 107 - This Month (Summer?) in Ultrarunning with Phil Vondra
Oh, dear listener, did we have a podcast for you. Recorded in beautiful Dolby surround sound, it was full of ultra musings, information, insights, wit, beer, witbeer, and other hilarity. We talked about UTMB, Leadville, various other goings on. Yes, it had been a while since we podded, but no...
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Episode 106 - Western States Recap with Phil Vondra
The Legend returns to the Pain Cave to recap Western States with “Heat Training,” breaking down the juiciest storylines and biggest takeaways from this past weekend in Auburn. Then, we review our men’s and women’s picks and see who was the best prognosticator this year. Finally, we get Phil’s...
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Episode 105 - Twenty Questions with Brittany Peterson
One more episode to drop into the pre-Western States hype maelstrom: we sit down with former podium finisher Brittany Peterson, one of the world’s best trail runners and one the pre-race favorites this weekend at the Big Dance, for our world-famous 20 Questions. Links: Brittany’s website Brittany...
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Episode 104 - Western States Preview with Cat Bradley and Phil Vondra
It’s that time of year again: Western States! The world’s best are gathering in Olympic Valley for the biggest race on the domestic ultrarunning calendar, and we’re breaking down our top picks for the Big Dance with former WS100 champ Cat Bradley and her broken hand. We recorded this last week...
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Episode 103 - This Month (?) in Ultrarunning with Phil Vondra
OK, so it’s been a teeny bit longer than a month….what can I say, it’s hard to pin the Legend down these days! And then when you do, his audio quality is shit….but I digress. We let way too much time pass between episodes, so this is less of a “deep dive” and more of a quick recap of a ridiculous...
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Episode 102 - Twenty Questions with David Roche
Whoa, it’s been awhile! Life gets in the way of podcasting sometimes. So psyched to be back with Phil in the Cave for an awesome conversation with our coach, SWAP cofounder, podcaster, author, and world-class trail runner David Roche. In his second appearance on the show, we talk with David about...
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Episode 101 - Twenty Questions with Dani Moreno
West Coast trail goddess Dani Moreno gives us the lowdown on her breakthrough 2021 season before answering twenty stupid questions about cheese, ABBA, Tim Allen, and much more. Links: Dani’s website Beers for this episode: Ober Creek Sundial, Ommegang Neon Rainbows, Kyla Ginger Tangerine Kombucha...
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Episode 100 - Ultrarunner of the Year with Jason Mintz
Wow! One hundred episodes! I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate the centennial than with one of my perennial favorite episodes, debating the mens’ and womens’ Ultrarunners of the Year. I was once again thrilled to be included on the voting panel for this award. And as usual, I brought in...
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Episode 99 - Live WS100/HR100 Lottery Pod-tacular (Part 2)
TOO. MUCH. WHISKEY. Links: Previous episodes we referred to on this show: Jason Green Tom Kaplan Joe Uhan Maggie Guterl AJW Beers for this episode: Industrial Arts Tools of the Trade, Sloop Juice Bomb, Yard Owl Rye Saison, High West Double Rye Whiskey Intro music: "Fine Line" by the Bloodletters...
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Episode 98 - Live WS100/HR100 Lottery Pod-tacular with Laura Kline and Jason Mintz (Part 1)
Phil and I sit down with repeat guests and GFOPs Laura Kline and Jason Mintz to drink our sorrows away as we livecast the lotteries for the Western States 100 and Hardrock 100. Spoiler alert: Phil and I don’t get in. But a bunch of people who we know did, so that was kind of fun. This one goes…
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Episode 97 - Twenty Questions with Jason Green
One of the most fun episodes we’ve ever done. Jason Green, the founder of the Yeti Trail Cult and the RD of the Yeti 100, sits down in the 20 Questions hot seat to discuss Appalachia, skateboarding, ghosts, and Tyler Perry. Also: FIREBALL! Links: Yeti Trail Cult Beers for this episode: Industrial...
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Episode 96 - This Month in Ultrarunning with Phil Vondra
Fall is in the air…leaves are falling, pumpkin spice is showing up in beer for some reason, and we are back for another episode of TMIU. We start with the epic performances at Big’s Backyard Ultra, where the great Harvey Lewis crushed the world record for the format, and discuss whether…
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Episode 95 - Twenty Questions with Matt Flaherty
It’s been a few years since Matt Flaherty was dominating the roads and trails at the 50 mile and 100K distances, but he came back in a big way this summer when he crashed the Anton vs. Ian show at Leadville with an out-of-nowhere second place finish in his 100-mile debut. In the lates installment...
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Episode 94 - Twenty Questions with Cat Bradley
Did you forget about Cat Bradley? The former WS100 champ and podium finisher at Leadville may have been out of the spotlight during the pandemic, but she is on the brink of returning to the pinnacle of the sport in a big way. We talked to Cat about her recovery from the surgery that kept her from...
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Episode 93 - Twenty Questions with Zack Beavin
It’s time you got to know Zack Beavin, an East Coast speedster who in the last couple of years has been shown to be a rising star in the ultrarunning world. An impressive 5:03 in his debut 50-miler at Tunnel Hill last year may have been overshadowed by another young phenom’s debut 100 mile...
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Episode 92 - This Month in Ultrarunning Megapod (with Paul Kentor!)
What happens when you don’t do a recap pod for the two busiest months on the ultrarunning calendar? You need a MEGAPOD to catch up on everything you’ve missed. First, Paul Kentor (aka SteelTownRunner) drops by to bring his unparalleled fund of knowledge to bear on Sania Sorokin’s astounding…
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Episode 91 - Vol State Extravaganza with Bob Hearn and Beverley Anderson-Abbs
We’re heading back into the Tennessee heat for a recap of an epic year at the Last Annual Vol State 500K. We weren’t sure anything could top Francesca Muccini’s incredible CR performance from last year, until 2020 runner-up and former Pain Cave guest Bob Hearn came back to Tennessee and…
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Episode 90 - WS100 Recap/TMIU with Phil Vondra
Summer is heating up (or as Phil would say, “hotting up”) and we’re here to cool you down with a fire hose blast of ultrarunning news, including recaps from Western States and Manitou’s Revenge. We tackle all the big storylines coming out of Auburn, including our biggest surprises, guttiest...
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Episode 89 - Western States Preview with Phil Vondra
One last episode before the Big Dance in Auburn! No beer for this morning pod, but The Legend is back as always to discuss the fallout from record attempts at Six Days in the Dome, plus our thoughts on the folks to watch this weekend at Western States. Intro music: "Fine Line" by the Bloodletters...
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Episode 88 - Saving the Boundary Waters, Talking WS100, and Twenty Questions with Clare Gallagher and Kyle Pietari
Just over a week out from Western States, it was a real honor to have returning top-10 runners on both the mens’ and womens’ side in the Pain Cave to talk about the Big Dance. Clare Gallagher is the defending champion at the nation’s premier ultramarathon, and Kyle Pietari has four times placed…
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Episode 87 - Twenty Questions with Max King
The pride of the Cornell Big Red machine and perhaps the most versatile runner on the MUT scene in the past 15 years, Max King is one of my running heroes and now one of my all-time favorite guests. Know how many people have won both the World Mountain Running Championship and the World 100K...
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Episode 86 - UTMB Fallout, WS100 Preview, and Twenty Questions with Andy Jones-Wilkins
A true legend of the sport joined us in The Pain Cave this week. The great Andy Jones-Wilkins dropped by to offer his perspective on the state of the sport following the big announcement of the new partnership between UTMB and the Ironman Group. We also talked briefly about our excitement for the...
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Episode 85 - Twenty Questions with Beth Pascall
For the first time ever on the pod, two Brits are on the mic as we welcome in the amazing Beth Pascall. A top 10 finisher at both Western States and UTMB, Beth has to be considered one of the favorites for the big dance next month following her dominant win at the Canyons 100K. We talk about her...
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Episode 84 - This Month in Ultrarunning with Phil Vondra
Racing is back! And so are we, IN PERSON to drink some beer and throw out some lukewarm takes about the latest happenings around the ultra world. We dive deep on the big announcement on UTMB and Ironman, dissect results from Canyons and Jackpot, and discuss 100-mile world records on both the…
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Episode 83 - Twenty Questions with Hillary Allen
Another awesome guest joins the pod as we welcome in neuroscientist, Skyrunning champion, author, and North Face athlete Hillary Allen into the Pain Cave for the latest episode of Twenty Questions. We talk about Hillary’s new book, Out and Back, which chronicles her recovery from a near-fatal...
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Episode 82 - Emergency Des Linden Pod with Phil Vondra and Paul Kentor
It’s our second-ever EMERGENCY POD, and we finally wore down Paul Kentor (a.k.a SteelTownRunner) to come on the show and share his unparalleled fund of ultrarunning knowledge with us. We discuss Des’ amazing (if not unexpected) performance, the history of the road 50K as a competitive event (on…
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Episode 81 - This Month in Ultrarunning with Phil Vondra
It’s been a LONG time since our last TMIU episode, so here goes! Phil is back in the Pain Cave to discuss all things ultrarunning, including his return to racing at GDR, results from the first two GT races of the year, the Barkley Marathons, and the Ohio Backyard ultra. (We touched on the Carbon…
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Episode 80 - Twenty Questions with Cole Crosby
We’re back on the 20 Questions beat with #beastcoast stud and US National Snowshoe team member Cole Crosby. We talk to Cole about his recent run across the entire length of New Jersey, plus ducks, horses, motivation, pizza, and much more. Links: Cole’s business, Cresting the Summit Cole on IG…
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Episode 79 - The Shoe Draft with Bryon Powell and Ian Golden
We’ve drafted ultrarunning fantasy teams, we’ve drafted the elements of the perfect aid station, and now we’re drafting the perfect shoe closet. Bryon Powell of iRunFar and Ian Golden of the Trails Collective join Phil and I for a brief state-of-the-sport discussion before we select our favorite...
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Episode 78 - Twenty Questions with Kaytlyn Gerbin
The defending champ at Transgrancanaria and the newly minted holder of the Wonderland Trail FKT, Kaytlyn Gerbin faces her toughest test: the 20 Questions hot seat. We talk about her favorite races, snowboarding, watermelons, weird costumes, and much more. Links: Instagram: @kaytlyn_g Facebook:...
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Episode 77 - Getting to Know Taggart VanEtten
We start the new year off right with a visit to the Pain Cave from Taggart VanEtten. Who is that, you ask? He’s the triathlete-turned-marathoner who shocked the ultrarunning world with an outstanding 12:19 win at the Tunnel Hill 100 in his ultramarathon debut. Taggart tells us about how his tri...
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Episode 76 - Year in Review with Dylan Bowman
Time to bid goodbye to the possibly the strangest year in ultrarunning history. Phil and I do a quick recap of recent results before we welcome back the great Dylan Bowman to look back at the yar that was and to make our picks for Ultrarunner of the Year, Performance of the Year, FKT of the Year,...
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Episode 75 - Twenty Questions with Patrick Reagan
The pride of the #Beastcoast, Patrick Reagan, joins us in the Pain Cave for another edition of 20 questions. We talk about his favorite race, why he like racing in hot weather, playing guitar, racing 100s, why watermelon is awesome, and much more. Links: Follow Patrick on Instagram Patrick’s...
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Episode 74 - Twenty Questions with Sabrina Stanley
Phil gets to fanboy out as we welcome in defending Hardrock champ Sabrina Stanley to the Pain Cave to sit on the 20 Questions hot seat. We cover Sabrina’s exploits on Nolan’s 14 this summer, her favorite race and toughest race (hint: they’re the same race), which one of us won the Ultrarunning...
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Episode 73 - South West Coast Path FKT with Kristian Morgan
British ultrarunner Kristian Morgan had to forego a second attempt on the Appalachian Trail this summer due to the travel restrictions in place because of the pandemic. Instead, he stuck close to home and took on the longest trail in the UK, the 630-mile South West Coast Path, taking aim at the...
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Episode 72 - Confronting Failure with Zoë Rom
Trail running beast Zoë Rom is the Associate Editor of Trail Runner magazine and the host of the DNF Podcast—a show about “failure in life and running…about unfinished business, and the unglamorous work of picking yourself up, dusting yourself off, and moving on.” Zoë joins us to talk about…
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Episode 71 - Truckin' with Jake Jackson
In the past two years, SoCal native Jake Jackson has progressed from a solid competitor on the southwestern trail-running scene to a top-10 finish at the 24-hour World Championships. Jake joins us on the show to talk about his meteoric rise to becoming one of the top US runners ever at 24 hours,...
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Episode 70 - Rockin' Out with Tony Fletcher
Are you ready to rock? Author, music journalist ,and trail runner Tony Fletcher makes his face-melting debut in the Pain Cave. We talk about how he cut his teeth in the British punk scene of the late 1970s, becoming a de facto professional journalist at fourteen, the Who vs. the Stones, trail...
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Episode 69 - This Month in Ultrarunning with Phil Vondra
Nice! The Legend is back for a “This Pandemic in Ultrarunning” update, as we check in on some of the recent trail and ultra races starting to every so slowly come back on line. We cover results from the Bear 100, IMTUF, Yeti, and Stumpjump and discuss our own returns to racing at Cat’s Tail and 3...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
The Pain Cave is a free-flowing conversation with a wide variety of guests from the worlds of running and exercise science. We talk about physiology, sports science, politics, music, beer, and occasionally running.
HOSTED BY
Jason Friedman
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Pain Cave have?
The Pain Cave currently has 100 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Pain Cave about?
The Pain Cave is a free-flowing conversation with a wide variety of guests from the worlds of running and exercise science. We talk about physiology, sports science, politics, music, beer, and occasionally running.
How often does The Pain Cave release new episodes?
The Pain Cave has 100 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to The Pain Cave?
You can listen to The Pain Cave on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Pain Cave?
The Pain Cave is created and hosted by Jason Friedman.
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