This week on Cultra, we sit down with Jillian Ellefson and Cherie Bilbie to talk about the unofficial women's movement that took shape around the Connecticut Ultra Traverse 112 (CUT112). What started with a simple Facebook post quickly grew into a community of 26 women and 16 supporters, all committed to helping each other tackle one of the toughest adventures on the Beast Coast.

Anna G takes the lead as Jillian and Cherie share how they approached training with precision and purpose, spending six months breaking the route into manageable 12-20 mile segments until they had covered—and in many cases repeated—the entire course. Their strategy wasn't just about fitness; it was about learning every rock, climb, and road crossing that CUT112 could throw at them. Now they are looking to replicate their success and get more women lined up for next year's event.

The conversation also explores the emotional side of ultrarunning. Jillian opens up about balancing race preparation while supporting her daughter through a hospitalization for an eating disorder, and how the encouragement and companionship of Cherie helped her continue pursuing what once seemed impossible.

Along the way, the crew dives into:

-Building confidence by training on specific sections of the course.

-Why places like Tariffville deserve your respect before race day.

-The mental game of taking on a 112-mile journey with no hard time cutoffs.

-The power of community and women supporting women in trail running.

-Why sometimes the best training plan is simply showing up for each other.

It's an inspiring conversation about resilience, friendship, and proving that impossible goals become achievable when shared with the right people.

So grab your favorite trail snack, adjust your training bra (or don't), and join us for another gloriously impulsive episode from the belly of the Beast Coast.

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Outro music by Nick Byram

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#CUT112 #TrailRunning #Ultrarunning #Cultra #BeastCoast #WomenWhoRun #NewEnglandTrail #NoSleepTillGuilford

AFB, Anna-G, Josh and Phred welcome back ultrarunner, hospice nurse, and Vermont mountain crusher Lila Gaudrault back to the Cultra Trail Running Podcast to break down her experience at the legendary Cocodona 250.

Lila takes us deep into the Arizona suffering machine, explaining how she showed up to a 250-mile race with a surprisingly loose game plan, then spent the better part of the first half battling nausea, dehydration, and the reality that 250 miles is a very long way to travel on foot. We talk about sleep deprivation, hallucination-adjacent trail weirdness, crew and pacer support, and the problem-solving mindset required when you're three days into a race and still have mountains to climb.

The conversation explores how Cocodona differs from 100-milers, why the atmosphere at 200+ mile races feels more collaborative than competitive, and what Lila learned about managing fatigue, recovery, and the physical toll of multi-day events. We also dive into the science of gender differences in ultrarunning, pacing strategies, and the unique culture that develops when everyone is equally exhausted.

Along the way, we discuss

* Cocodona 250 race recap

* Sleep strategy and managing fatigue

* Nausea, dehydration, and race-day troubleshooting

* Crew and pacer support in 200+ mile races

* Hallucinations and sleep deprivation

* Gender dynamics in ultrarunning

* Vermont 100 and Backyard Ultras

* Balancing hospice nursing and elite ultrarunning

* Future race plans and FKTs

* The upcoming CUT112 fundraiser for Connecticut Forest & Parks

A four-day journey through the Arizona desert, countless lessons learned, and proof that sometimes the best race plan is figuring it out one aid station at a time.

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Cocodona 250

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Outro music by Nick Byram

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More Information on the #CUT112

357: Take 2 Trail at The Spring Fling 10 Hour

What if we could leave less of a trace, and save some $ at the same time? Jess Parker is the Ultra cool founder of Take 2 Trail, and she has found a way for us all to easily buy and sell used gear. This lowers the cost of entry for trail runners, and helps keep landfills and our closets from getting cluttered with the shoes, packs, and doo-dads that seemed like a good idea at the time.

Jess was so much fun to talk to, and we get a chance to hear about her running, and journey in life. And we get a good chance to discuss The Spring Fling 10 hour Race.

Take2Trail

@Take2Trail Instagram

Take2Trail Facebook

CTTrailmixers

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Outro music by Nick Byram

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AFB, Anna, and Phred sit down with bestselling author Martin Dugard to talk about his new book The Long Run: Steve Prefontaine, Frank Shorter, Joan Benoit, Greta Waitz, and the Decade That Made the Marathon Cool.

The conversation explores the 1970s running boom, the influence of legends like Steve Prefontaine, Frank Shorter, Joan Benoit Samuelson, and Grete Waitz, and how modern marathon science, shoes, and fueling strategies have transformed the sport—along with a few detours into ultrarunning, trail racing, and the future of endurance events. We also hit on Greece, the Royal Family, and the 1972 Olympics. If you are a runner, this book ties together all of the sport's best stories.

What was it like to work with Bill O'Reilly?

Of course this being Cultra, the conversation eventually wanders into trail running and ultras. Are there too many races? Are 200-milers stealing runners from traditional 100s? And how hard is it to actually staff and direct one of these things?

This is a great book, and this episode ain't too bad either.

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Outro music by Nick Byram

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More Information on the #CUT112

Cultra OG Stacey Clark joins AFB for a road trip to Boston to meet up with Episode 280's Jim Kean and The Boston Bulldogs! We record live from the sidelines at mile 22 of The Boston Marathon. But this is not a simple Rah-Rah sideline hot take. We hear how lives are being changed thru combining the principles of a recovery program and running based on the principles of self-leadersip, transparency, and giving back.

Boston Bulldogs

Boston Marathon

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Outro music by Nick Byram

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This episode was recorded live at the Traprock 50K in Bloomfield Connecticut home of Penwood State Forest. This race is the first in the 12 race blue blaze series where runners will compete for the overall series prize. This is indirect support of Connecticut Forest & Parks Association, the group that is responsible for protecting and maintaining the over 825 miles of blue blaze trails in the state of Connecticut. If you're not from Connecticut, perhaps you have your own trail stewards and hopefully you were able to support them. Because, after all, SUPPORT is good. During this episode, we get to speak to the gentleman who coordinates all of these races in the Blue Blaze Series, Paul Ladd. We also speak to RD Director, Karen Prado, and the top finishers in the 17 K as well including two fast dudes from Brooklyn, Calvin Cameron, and Greg Cartelli, The Beast Coast's own Kristin Loiko who is good Friends with VT100 RD Amy Ruesecki. As well as Kara Goucher, whoops, I mean Kara Mcknight.

Then we get a talking to the fast cats of the 50k, Matt Pacheco, Ben Niebla and running legend Brian Rusiecki. Speaking of legends, Kehr Davis is back along with young gun 19 year old Maddie Kaplan.

So many Cultra Personalities at this event, and it was great to work the aid station and hang out with this great community. Kudos to The CT Trail Mixers for carrying the great tradition of this rust busting spring race. Speaking of KUDOs, Hundo Joe was also there, as it is typical for him to volunteer, and hang out. After a Patreon roll call we have prepared a very special song in tribute to Hundo Joe's uncanny ability to give and keep track of KUDOS. So please be sure to listen for this at the end of the episode.

Traprock results

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Outro music by Nick Byram

Hundo Joe by Suno

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AFB, Anna, and Phred welcome back ultrarunner, musician, and all-around adventurer Liz Derstine. Liz last appeared on Episode 112 talking about her Appalachian Trail FKT, and this time the conversation is about her PCT FKT attempt and her new film Ridgeline. We drift into the strange and wonderful overlap between running, hiking, and music.

The group talks about balancing creative life with endurance pursuits, from touring with bands to chasing big miles on trails like the Pacific Crest Trail. Liz shares stories from her PCT hike, including desert night hiking, hauling liters of water between sources, and the occasional terrifying snow crossing. Along the way the Cultra crew discusses FKTs, gear organization systems, and the ultrarunning community's habit of generously sharing knowledge with newcomers.

There's also a brief memorial for the dearly departed Cultra Karaoke Hotline (thanks, Google), and a discussion of Liz's current composing projects and newsletter Pink Feathers, where she writes about the intersection of music and endurance adventure.

Watch Liz's film Ridgeline

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Closing music by Suno

Outro music by Nick Byram

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Anna, Fred, Josh, and AFB sit down with Amy Rusiecki, the longtime race director of the legendary Vermont 100 Endurance Run. Amy shares the behind-the-scenes realities of directing one of the oldest 100-mile races in the country and how she ended up becoming one of the most respected organizers in the sport. If you love a great story, you've stumbled into a whole pasture of them, like opening the gate and finding the World's Largest Cow waiting for you.

Amy talks about her early days in endurance sports, how she transitioned from competitive XC skier and ultrarunner to race director, and the complicated logistics of managing hundreds of runners, horses, volunteers, and aid stations across rural Vermont. The group dives into the balancing act of preserving the history and culture of the Vermont 100 while adapting to the modern ultrarunning world. So many great stories!

The conversation also covers the volunteer ecosystem that keeps ultras alive, the unique runner-horse dynamic at VT100, how races survive in an era of permits and land management challenges, and why community is still the heart of the sport.

Amy shares how The Vermont 100 Endurance Run has long supported Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports, a nonprofit that provides year-round sports and recreation opportunities for people with disabilities. Proceeds from the race help fund adaptive programs like skiing, cycling, paddling, and trail running throughout Vermont.

Of course, it wouldn't be Cultra without some tangents along the way, gear talk, race directing war stories, and the usual Northeast trail running chaos.

Amy also reflects on what makes the Vermont 100 special, what runners often don't see behind the curtain, and why the race continues to matter to so many people in the ultrarunning community.

If you've ever run, volunteered at, or dreamed about the Vermont 100, this episode pulls back the curtain on one of the most iconic races in the sport, and the origin story of Cultra

Learn more about how to support Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sport

Vermont 100

Beast Coast Trail Running

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Intro music by Nick Byram

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Sign up for a race at Live Loud Running and feel better

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More Information on the #CUT112