Start Where You Are Running and Ultrarunning

In Part 2 of this series on strength training for ultrarunners, coach Erin Quinn breaks down five essential movement patterns — pull, push, hinge, squat, and carry — that every trail and ultra runner should incorporate into their routine. Building on the bodyweight foundations from Episode 36, Erin explains how adding weighted exercises just 2–3 times a week (in as little as 15–30 minutes) can significantly reduce overuse injuries, improve running economy, and keep you on the trails instead of the sidelines.

You'll learn practical examples of each movement pattern you can do at home with minimal equipment — dumbbells, kettlebells, bands, and stairs — along with g...

In the first episode of a three-part series on strength training, Erin Quinn gets back to basics — bodyweight exercises you can do anywhere, no gym or equipment required. If you've been meaning to add strength work to your running routine but keep putting it off, this episode is for you.

Erin covers why strength training is one of the best things you can do to stay durable and injury-resistant as an ultrarunner, how to start even if you've never lifted a weight, and why the bar to entry is lower than you think. She shares her own jo...

If you've ever felt the stigma of hiking during an ultramarathon, this episode is for you. Host and ultrarunning coach Erin Quinn breaks down why hiking isn't a cop-out — it's a critical skill every trail runner needs to master.

We cover:

This week on Start Where You Are Trail and Ultra Running, Erin breaks down the dramatic cancellation of the Moab 240 — where 70 runners, pacers, and volunteers were stranded at the Bridger Jack Aid Station atop a canyon rim as Hurricane Rachel unleashed flash floods, wind, and chaos across the course. She defends the race directors at Destination Trails, pushes back on the Monday-morning quarterbacks on Reddit, and makes the case for being a fan, not a critic.

Then, Erin pivots to a topic that's been hiding in plain sight for many endurance athletes: iron deficiency anemia. She shares he...

In this episode of Start Where You Are Trail and Ultrarunning, host and ultrarunning coach Erin Quinn delivers a detailed, mile-by-mile course preview of the Moab 240 — which she affectionately calls the Moab 253. Having completed the race twice, Erin walks listeners through every section of the course, from the early miles on Moab's residential streets to the brutal climbs of Shay Mountain, the hallucination-inducing stretch past mile 160, and the technical final descent of Porcupine Rim.

Along the way, she shares hard-won lessons on gear strategy, crew logistics, sleep management, and mental resilience. She covers what to expect at ea...

How do you run 26 miles through the Catskills when you haven't been on the trails in months, your iron levels are barely functional, and a nor'easter is bearing down on race morning? You take what the day gives you.

Ultrarunning Coach and podcast host, Erin Quinn, said she'd never do another race in the Catskills after Manitou's Revenge. A few days later, she signed up for the Cats Tail Trail Marathon anyway. In this episode, she recaps the full experience — 7,000 feet of climbing, four summit ascents, stone chimney scrambles, and a torrential downpour that turned the trails in...

When the People Who You Love Don't Get Your Ultrarunning

Training for an ultramarathon is a massive commitment — and not everyone in your life is going to get it. In this episode, Erin breaks down how to handle the three types of people you'll encounter when your ultrarunning dreams don't align with their worldview: anonymous critics on social media, coworkers and acquaintances who crack jokes at the watercooler, and — hardest of all — close family and friends whose lack of support can really sting.

From blocking trolls to neutralizing awkward office conversations to giving grace...

Episode 30: Readiness Is a Myth — The Four Principles of Start Where You Are

In this milestone 30th episode, Erin breaks down what "Start Where You Are" really means — both on the trail and off. She shares her four guiding principles: conquering the "starting scaries," building (and rebuilding) your running base, starting where you are beyond running, and escaping the comparison sabotage that holds us all back.

Along the way, Erin gets personal — from quitting smoking one minute at a time, to showing up terrified and underprepared for her first 50K in the Moab desert, to facing...

Iron Deficiency in Endurance Athletes — What You Need to Know

Somewhere along the ultramarathon journey, host Erin Quinn lost sight of one crucial metric: iron. In this episode, she dives deep into iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia among endurance athletes — especially female runners, up to 45% of whom may be affected.

Erin breaks down why iron matters (hint: it's tied directly to oxygen delivery and performance), how endurance training accelerates iron loss through hemolysis, sweat, and inflammation, and why menstruating and plant-based athletes face even greater risk. She also shares her own wake-up call...

In this episode, host Erin Quinn takes you inside her fourth finish of the legendary Survival of the Shawangunk's (SOS )— a grueling triathlon combining a 30-mile road bike, three lake swims, and nearly 20 miles of trail running through the mountains of New Paltz, NY. Erin shares an honest, in-the-moment race recap, including an unexpected battle with IT band and hip flexor pain from mile one, and the mental tools she used to keep moving forward anyway.

Beyond the race story, Erin breaks down why keeping a training log and writing a post-race report is one of the mo...

Taper time can feel like an emotional rollercoaster — exciting one minute, anxiety-inducing the next. In this episode, ultrarunning coach Erin Quinn breaks down five practical strategies to help you navigate the mental side of tapering before a big race: proof (looking back at your training log for confidence), positive self-talk (reframing fear and self-doubt), projects and people (using extra time and energy wisely), performance enhancers (understanding adrenaline, nerves, and those weird pre-race twinges), and practice gratitude (a mindset shift that works whether you're feeling great or terrified).

Drawing on her experience as a 15-time ultramarathon finisher and co...

It's back-to-school season, and coach Erin Quinn is here to help you channel that "clean slate" energy into your own goals. In this episode, Erin gets personal about how trail and ultrarunning became her lifeline through the hardest parts of parenting — from the anxiety of that first school bus to dropping her kids off at college. She shares how running gave her an outlet, a community, and a sense of identity beyond being a mom, and makes the case that investing in your own training is one of the best things you can model for your kids. Whether you're ai...

Episode 25: Doing Hard Things (and Doing Them Again)

Coming to you live from the beach on her birthday, ultrarunning coach Erin Quinn tackles a myth that trips up even the toughest endurance athletes: that once you've conquered a hard thing, it gets easier. It doesn't. Erin unpacks the physiology and psychology behind repeatedly choosing discomfort — from her own training for the Survival of the Shawangunks Triathlon to lessons from athletes who've run 100-plus miles and still show up nervous at the start line.

Along the way, she talks about why getting outside and moving in na...

Ever felt like you were flying on a run — only to check your watch and discover you were barely moving?

That's exactly what happened to host and ultrarunning coach Erin Quinn at mile 189 of the Bigfoot 200. She felt like she was running a 9-minute mile. She was running a 14. And that moment perfectly illustrates why RPE — Rate of Perceived Exertion — might be the most powerful training tool you're not fully using.

In this episode, Erin breaks down what RPE is, where it came from (shoutout to Swedish researcher Gunnar Borg and his 1960s effort scale), and wh...

The Perfect Ultramarathon Training Plan (Spoiler: There Isn't One)

Wouldn't it be nice if you could follow a flawless training plan from start to finish and arrive at the start line perfectly prepared? Coach Erin Quinn is here to tell you the truth: life happens — and that's okay.

In this episode, Erin breaks down the three things that will actually make your ultramarathon training as strong as it can be:

What if the most meaningful race of your life wasn't the biggest one — but the one closest to home?

In this episode, host Erin Quinn celebrates the 40th anniversary of the SOS — Survival of the Shawangunk's — a one-of-a-kind grassroots triathlon in New Paltz, New York that goes bike, run, swim, run, swim, run, swim, run through some of the most stunning terrain in the Northeast.

Erin shares the full story: the race's origins with founder Don Davis, her years of watching from the sidelines as a journalist and fan, her humbling first attempt at the Cape C...

Episode 21. Something's Gotta Give: The Truth About Balancing Life and Ultramarathon TrainingLet's get real: the idea that we can perfectly balance every area of our lives is a myth — and if you're drawn to ultramarathons, you're probably not a "moderation" person anyway.

In this episode, host and professional ultrarunning coach Erin Quinn gets honest about what it actually takes to train for an ultra while navigating the rest of your life. Drawing on her own journey — from a Division I ski team athlete, to a mom of three running on fumes, to a 15-time ultramarathon finisher in her...

Episode 20: DIY Ultra Training Camp

Ever wish you could afford a fancy training camp to prep for your next ultramarathon? Coach Erin Quinn breaks down exactly how to build your own — no expensive retreat required.

In this episode, Erin walks you through the architecture of a DIY ultra training camp: how to structure your three (or five) days, how much volume to target based on your race distance, and how to simulate race conditions as closely as possible. From fueling and hydration practice to headlamp logistics and pole management, Erin covers the tactical details that ca...

Zone 2 is everywhere right now — but what does it actually mean for your running? In this episode, coach and ultramarathon finisher Erin Quinn breaks down the zone 2 "revolution" and explains why it's really just a rebranding of the most fundamental principle in endurance training.

Erin covers the full five-zone model, why zone 2 looks completely different depending on your experience level, and how new runners, seasoned racers, and ultra runners each relate to it differently. She also dives into the science of lactate threshold, mitochondrial function, and fat burning — without the jargon overload.

Plus: a heat trai...

Episode 18: Manitou's Revenge Race Report

Erin Quinn, ultrarunning coach, USA swim coach, award-winning journalist, and now 15-time ultramarathon finisher, takes you inside one of the most demanding 50-mile races in the Northeast — Manitou's Revenge.

This 53-mile beast winds through the rugged Catskill Mountains of upstate New York, packing 15,000 feet of climbing into every mile. Erin breaks down the full race experience alongside her friends Shiloh and Jessie — from the gnarly trails and brutal climbs to the mud, the aid stations, the gear decisions, and the mental battles that only an ultra can produce.

**Episode 17 Beat the Heat: Ultrarunning Tools for Summer Training

Summer running is hard — and if your legs have felt like lead, your effort through the roof, and your water bottles empty way too soon, you're not imagining it. Host and professional ultrarunning coach Erin Quinn breaks down exactly what heat does to your body (spoiler: it's not personal, it's physiology) and why those brutal summer miles are actually making you a stronger runner come fall.

In this episode, Erin shares her go-to heat hacks from training through back-to-back 200-mile race seasons in the heat and hu...

Episode 16. Hit Override

Ever find yourself lying in bed, running through a mental Rolodex of reasons why today just isn't the right day for a run? Host Erin Quinn — ultra running coach, USA Swim coach, and 14-time ultramarathon finisher — gets real about the resistance we all feel, even when running is something we love.

In this episode, Erin breaks down what she calls the Override Principle: a set of practical, no-fluff tools to get you out the door when your mind is working against you. From training with accountability partners and prepping your gear the nigh...

Host Erin Quinn, a professional ultrarunning and USA Swim coach and 14-time ultramarathon finisher, unpacks the “aging athlete” conversation by reframing it as the adult or “forever” athlete and arguing that age is one limiting factor—not the factor—while attitude is often the biggest limiter. She shares her own journey through chronic injury, pregnancy and postpartum years, raising three kids, and slowly returning to trails, emphasizing not comparing yourself to a younger self or others and resisting shortcuts and performance-enhancing-drug hype aimed at middle-aged athletes. Quinn highlights advantages of age—trial and error, perspective, experience, knowledge, curiosity, and sometimes more...

Erin Quinn has finished 14 ultramarathons — including the Moab 240 and Cocodona 250 — but race number 15 is the one she doesn't like to talk about.

In this raw and deeply personal episode, Erin shares the full story of her DNF at the Tahoe 200: a 200-mile race around Lake Tahoe that she trained for despite recovering from a femoral stress fracture, battling severe altitude sickness starting at 7,600 feet, and running on little sleep after traveling across the country.

From the first steps on the ski slopes of Heavenly, Nevada to a tearful phone call from a cheap mote...

Episode 13: The Underrated Advantage — Working Your Weaknesses

What if the thing you avoid most in training is exactly what will make you a stronger runner?

In this episode of Start Where You Are: Running and Ultrarunning, host and professional ultrarunning coach Erin Quinn dives into one of the most overlooked aspects of endurance training: working your weaknesses. It's easy to default to what we're good at — but real growth happens outside the comfort zone.

Erin shares her personal struggles and breakthroughs with heat training, speed work, hiking integration, strength training, and cros...

**Spicy Takes on the Cocodona 250 | Bonus Episode

In this bonus episode, host Erin Quinn digs into the historic 2025 Cocodona 250 — a 250-mile ultramarathon from Black Canyon City to Flagstaff, Arizona — and she has a lot to say.

Rachel Entrekin won overall with a new course record of 56 hours and 9 minutes, becoming the three-time Coco Queen and making headlines on ESPN, CBS News, and the BBC. Erin breaks down the women's and men's fields, how her pre-race predictions held up (two out of three ain't bad), and the wild stories that unfolded across 250 miles of desert, mountains, and...

Episode 11: Embrace the Suck

Ever have one of those runs where nothing goes right — and it never gets better? Coach Erin Quinn is here to tell you those are the runs that matter most.

In this episode, Erin breaks down the bad run — what it actually is, why it's different from a hard workout, and why every ultrarunner needs to collect a few of them. From legs that feel like cement pillars to bargaining with yourself on mile three, Erin shares the good, the bad, and the ugly of running when your body just...

Episode 10: The 5 C's of Ultrarunning

What does it really take to become an ultrarunner? In this finale of the Beginning Ultrarunning series, host and professional ultrarunning coach Erin Quinn breaks down the five big dial movers she calls "The 5 C's" — Consistency, Comparison, Curiosity, Coaching, and Commitment.

Erin gets real about what ultrarunning actually looks like: the blisters, the chafing, the cow dung, and the moments your body screams at you to stop — and why it's still one of the most beautiful, raw, and rewarding experiences you can have. She shares her own journey from barely craw...

Podcast Host, Erin Quinn, also an ultrarunner and ultrarun coach takes you through her Cocodona 250 race experience in 2024 while also previewing the 2026 course for runners, pacers, crew members and everyone who is interested in learning more about his 250-mile foot race from Black Canyon City to Flagstaff Arizona.

This is a fun, unfiltered race preview and report that will get listeners edified and excited about the race.

To learn more about Erin's 1:1 online ultrarunning coaching go to www.erinmaryquinn.com

You can always reach out to her at [email protected] or follow...

In Episode 9 of Start Where You Are Running & Ultrarunning coach Ultra Run Coach Erin Quinn delivers a complete beginner's guide to trail running.

Topics include: how to find trails using apps like AllTrails, understanding trail types (rail trails, carriage roads, single track.) Managing pace expectations off-road, measuring progress on trails, gear (and why you probably don't need new shoes), and embracing the mindset shift from road to trail. Perfect for beginner runners, road runners, and anyone looking to explore the outdoors on foot.

Erin would welcome any comments that you have and if you would...

Episode 8: The Case for Running & Racing Local — a ~24-minute episode of Start Where You Are, hosted by Erin Quinn, an ultra running coach and 14-time ultra marathon finisher.

Erin makes a case for putting local races on your calendar for 4 specific reasons.

Dollars & Cents (Sense)) — Race fees stay in the community, supporting local race directors, trail maintenance, land conservation, and scholarships (he highlights the RunWild organization, Sassquad Running, and the Shawangunk Runners).

Exploring Your Own Backyard — Local races introduce you to trails you've never been on, and the more people who fall in love w...

Episode 9: The Case for Running & Racing Local — a ~24-minute episode of Start Where You Are, hosted by Erin Quinn, an ultra running coach and 14-time ultra marathon finisher.

Erin makes a case for putting local races on your calendar for 4 specific reasons.

Dollars & Cents (Sense)) — Race fees stay in the community, supporting local race directors, trail maintenance, land conservation, and scholarships (he highlights the RunWild organization, Sassquad Running, and the Shawangunk Runners).

Exploring Your Own Backyard — Local races introduce you to trails you've never been on, and the more people who fall i...

Episode 7: TheNon-Geek Gear Guide for Ultrarunning In this episode, Ultrarunning Coach and Journalist, Erin Quinn, breaks down the 10 key pieces of gear she recommends for ultrarunners who are attempting to tackle 50K distance up to a 100-miler. Erin delivers these recommendations from the perspective of a "non-gear geek" who prefers buying used and keeping things simple.

The 10 gear items she covers:

Erin goes into the terminology that is specific to the ultrarunning niche and gives listeners some funny insights into what these words or acronyms actually mean and how they can be applied to your training and your race.

Follow Erin on social media @erinquinnultraruncoach

Email her at [email protected]

To learn more and apply for her 1:1 online ultrarunning coaching services go to

www.erinmaryquinn.com

Just drop a comment, she would love to hear from you!

In this show Erin mentions the Podcast by Jay Friedman...

On this episode Erin dives into the pros and cons of utilizing the Strava app as both a fitness app and a social media platform. She also references some recent controversies the company has gotten embroiled in. Whether you Strava or not, Erin is, as always, supportive of people getting out and moving and hitting the trails and wanting them to Start Where They Are, but to Start!

If you'd like to reach Erin just send her an email at erinmaryquinn.com or go to her website at www.erinmaryquinn.com or DM her on Instagram @erinquinnultraruncoach <...

In this episode Erin discusses the intersection between running and art. She goes into simple ways in which runners can use art to enhance not only their runs, but their lives as well.

It's compelling, fun and inspirational. Erin discusses three mediums:

1. Photography

2. Writing

3. Drawing/Painting/Sketching

That any runner can introduce into their life. This is a passionate episode that is joyful and entertaining.

You can reach out to Erin on social media @erinquinnultraruncoach

You can learn more about her 1:1 Online Ultrarunning Coaching at...

In this episode, Erin breaks down mental skills training for runners and ultrarunners into 5 categories. She provides a simple, but effective exercise athletes can do to help improve their mental fortitude in each one of these categories including, identity, self-talk, writing, directing attention and gratitude. Don't miss this one. It will have you strengthening the biggest muscle in your body--- your brain!

In this episode, Erin goes over the START Methodology that she in her 1:1 online run coaching that can help prepare a runner for their first or next ultramarathon. The methodology includes 5 Pillars including:

1. Base Building

2. Speed

3. Hill Workouts

4. Back-to-Back Long Runs

5. Running Logs

Erin provides a sample workout for all 5 that listeners can put into practice immediately.

If you want to get in touch with Erin about her 1:1 Online Run Coaching go to www.erinmaryquinn.com or just email her at [email protected] with...

Ultrarunning Coach, Erin Quinn takes listeners through what exactly an ultramarathon is, where and how to choose and sign up for one and what they will need to get started.

To learn more about Erin Quinn's 1:1 Coaching go to www.erinmaryquinn.com

To read her published articles on the world of ultrarunning to to www.erinmaryquinn.com

To follow her on Instagram go to @erinquinnultraruncoach