Pam Smith | Badwater, Injuries, Social Media, Avocados, and more.

Pam Smith has run on multiple National teams, she’s won Western States Endurance Run, she’s run Spartathlon, dozens of marathons, and most recently, the “hardest footrace on earth”, Badwater 135 in Death Valley. Note: It’s been eight years, and I still haven’t figured audio engineering. Something went awry during the interview and limited my volume while simultaneously increasing the gain on the guest channel. What that means is that I had to greatly increase my audio while greatly limiting the ambient noise in the recording. In ultramarathon parlance, it’s like trying to run fast AND run slow at the same time. Luckily, Pam gave a great interview, so we can let the content speak for itsself.  Sorry for the poor quality. Decent weather runner? Sarah and I chatted with Pam about what surprised her about Badwater, why and how her skillset benefited her, and what advice she has for those looking to toe the line in the future. Sarah and I both admit to having a long-standing desire to run the storied race, and who knows, maybe one of us will cough up the dough one day. Weight work with Pam Smith. Episode Sponsor: Bigfoot 200. Interested in pushing your limits into the new dimension of ultramarathon distances? RD Candice Burt is credited with being one of the prime influencers in women’s trail running and has blazed a new trail by organizing iconic 200s around the country, including Bigfoot200. Click here for more info or check out the link below. “There’s only so much I’m willing to do for a free pair of shoes.” Also discussed in the Pam Smith Episode: -Hamstring injuries and what treatments Pam Smith, MD has tried out.-How to follow up on a successful year. Same training, or mix it up?-The state of the sport and how self-appointed self-help gurus are changing the landscape.-How athletes are responding to staying relevant in social media and what they’re willing to do for a sponsor.-And how much of this attempt to stand out causes problems when we’re talking about gender issues in our sport.-Pam cites a statistic that a large portion of ultramarathon runners have been in the sport for three years or less. When you look at the sport solely based on the last three years, you see a wildly different sport than someone who’s been at it for a decade or more. Pam Smith’s other hobby: Gardening. Pam Smith Episode Notes: Relavent posts by Pam Smith: Cost of Badwater | Pringles to the Rescue | On Sponsorships Here’s Sarah’s report from Ouray 100. Wanna run with Sarah Lavender Smith high up in the San Juans in Colorado? Camp info right this way…but you better hurry up! Follow Pam on Twitter