219. Western States 100 winner Cat Bradley on Career Pivots, Self-Belief, and Training Staples

Cat Bradley is an athlete that absolutely loves the sport. She's an ultra-endurance runner coached by Matt Fitzgerald who I had the pleasure of meeting this past August at the Endeavorun retreat in Boulder, CO.

Her resume is shocking, in the best of ways:

• Winner of the 2017 Western States 100 Miler
• Winner of the 2017 Canyons Endurance Run 100k
• Former Fastest Known Time record holder of the Grand Canyon Rim to Rim to Rim in 7:52 (first woman to break 8 hours)
• Winner of the 2016 Rio Del Lago 100 Miler
• Winner of the 2018 Moab Red Hot 50k
• Winner of the 2018 Quicksilver 100k
• Winner of the 2019 Castle Rock Trail Festival 50k
• Winner of the 2020 TransRockies Run stage race (team division)

I could go on, but I think you understand now that Cat Bradley is one of the best ultra runners in the United States.

Cat didn't start out as a distance runner. In fact, she was an 800m specialist at the University of California - Santa Barbara. At about a half-mile, the 800m distance might as well be a different sport than ultras!

Soon, Cat realized that she didn't love the track. She wanted some adventure and found herself taking time off from her college career to focus on through-hiking the Appalachian Trail.

That's where she fell in love with mountains, woods, and losing yourself in the visceral beauty of nature.

Within a few short years, Cat's passion for ultra distances bloomed and her competitive drive propelled her forward. Soon, she became one of the most dominant ultramarathon runners in the country.

In this conversation, we discuss:

• How she made the switch from 800m track athlete to Appalachian Trail through-hiker to ultra runner
• The training demands of a 120 mile, 6-day stage race vs. a 100-mile ultra
• How she mentally grappled with pivoting her running career almost 180 degrees
• What made her start to believe she could run professionally
• How she trains for the Grand Canyon R2R2R FKT

Whether you're about to run your first ultra or you're a seasoned veteran, you'll love this conversation with one of the sport's greats.

Links & Resources from the show:

• Follow Cat Bradley on Instagram or check out her website
• How to increase your endurance and run longer
• 5 tips on running your first ultra

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Thank you Elemental Labs!

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