We talk with Andrea Kooiman (Coachk) about how a self-described everyday mom becomes a prolific ultrarunner while keeping the sport joyful, social, and grounded. The conversation moves from coaching kids to her first marathon to chasing Badwater and Barkley, with real talk on setbacks, nausea, and the mindset that keeps you moving forward.
• we kick off this episode with corrections and listener feedback on the last episode on the doping debacle
• Andrea’s running origin story and the run club social glue that makes connection easier
• coaching middle schoolers to their first marathon and building a long-running nonprofit program
• the marathon-to-ultra progression and how community makes big distances feel possible
• a “unicorn” Vermont 100 during a Grand Slam year and what clicks when everything aligns
• signing up for a first 100 with minimal lead time and learning cutoff rules mid-race
• chasing Badwater 135, stacking qualifiers and learning from DNFs through better problem solving
• Barkley Marathons training realities, navigation stress and why obsession is part of the entry cost
• knowing when to step back from a goal while still supporting the community around it

You can hit us up at running with problems on Instagram or podcast@runningwithproblems.run

Thanks for listening to Running With Problems. Follow us on Instagram @runningwithproblems. DM us there with questions in text or audio messages! Or email us at podcast@runningwithproblems.run.

Hosted by Jon Eisen (@mildly_athletic) and Miranda Williamson (@peaksandjustice). Edited by Jon Eisen. Theme music by Matt Beer.

An Instagram exchange regarding illegal substances turns into a full-blown running controversy. Jon & Miranda unpack the Cameron Hanes vs Sage Canaday doping debacle, including the exact exchange that set off the “runternet” and why the reaction raises interesting conversations about running culture, fairness, and rules.

We walk through who Hanes is as a bow hunter turned endurance influencer, how his “keep hammering” brand fits into ultrarunning, and why Sage Canaday’s clean-sport stance makes him quick to ask the uncomfortable question: would this performance pass a WADA/USADA test? From there, we dig into BPC-157, the peptide at the center of the argument. What is it claimed to do for injury recovery and healing? Why is it banned? And why do anti-doping rules treat recovery as a form of performance enhancement in endurance sports?

Then we zoom out to the real heart of it: competitive integrity. Does fairness only matter for the top three, or does it matter for every age group award and every person? We talk WADA vs USADA, inconsistent testing, the growing pressure to enforce rules as trail running gets bigger, and the strange role of whistleblowers in a sport that still wants to see itself as gritty and “above” bureaucracy. If you’ve ever wondered where supplements end and PEDs begin, or what “clean running” even means anymore, this conversation will challenge you.

If this hot take lands with you, share it with a running friend, subscribe, and leave a review. Where do you draw the line between health choices, banned substances, and fair competition?

References:

1. https://marathonhandbook.com/sage-canaday-reports-cam-hanes-to-usada-after-58-year-olds-239-eugene-marathon/
2. https://www.opss.org/article/bpc-157-prohibited-peptide-and-unapproved-drug-found-health-and-wellness-products
3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34324435/
4. https://www.usada.org/athlete-advisory/key-changes-2022-prohibited-list/
5. https://naturadermatology.com/is-bpc-157-legal/
6. https://www.wada-ama.org/en/news/wadas-2022-prohibited-list-now-force
7. https://brobible.com/sports/article/cameron-hanes-addresses-sage-canaday-cancel-him-peptides-after-cocodona-250-running/
8. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12446177/
9. https://cameronhanes.com/pages/sponsors
10. https://run.outsideonline.com/nutrition-and-health/general-health/cam-hanes-bcp-157-and-the-gray-zone-of-banned-substances-in-recreational-running/
    
    
    

Thanks for listening to Running With Problems. Follow us on Instagram @runningwithproblems. DM us there with questions in text or audio messages! Or email us at podcast@runningwithproblems.run.

Hosted by Jon Eisen (@mildly_athletic) and Miranda Williamson (@peaksandjustice). Edited by Jon Eisen. Theme music by Matt Beer.

Jon & Miranda sit down with John Kelly to talk about what Barkley Marathons success really teaches you about motivation, planning, and making peace with outcomes you cannot control. We also go deep on his Appalachian Trail record attempt for Hurricane Helene recovery, how his leg stopped functioning near the end, and how he rebuilt confidence as Western States draws near.
• his evolving role at Barkley from rookie to veteran
• fame inside a niche sport and why intrinsic motivation matters more than attention
• supported FKTs and how crew commitment becomes a powerful reason to keep moving
• Appalachian Trail fundraiser for Hurricane Helene recovery and the mindset tools he used day to day
• the final day of the AT and the forced end of the adventure when his foot would not respond and long-term health became the concern
• rehab reality after a failed attempt, from MRIs to nerve entrapment theories to targeted strength work
• Western States pacing strategy, chase-pack patience and high-carb fueling at higher intensity
• Tour de Géants as the race he loves that doesn't love him back
• redefining suffering as voluntary artificial adversity and why it builds resilience for real crises

Learn more about John's adventures: https://randomforestrunner.com/

Thanks for listening to Running With Problems. Follow us on Instagram @runningwithproblems. DM us there with questions in text or audio messages! Or email us at podcast@runningwithproblems.run.

Hosted by Jon Eisen (@mildly_athletic) and Miranda Williamson (@peaksandjustice). Edited by Jon Eisen. Theme music by Matt Beer.