Marz van der Merwe: A commitment to adventure

Join us this week as we chat to a local favorite, a tremendous talent & a well rounded athlete. So stoked to have @marz_merwe on the podcast this week 🎙️

We’ll be talking about everything from her sports journey to her professional development. 🤙🏼

🎥 Chapter Markers:

00:00 - Welcome to 2025: Season 2 continues

02:36 - Goal orientation: Finding trail running

04:37 - Early days: Racing & early mistakes

08:05 - The Coaster: Race directing & the Canada adventure

16:37 - International Events: Navigating UTMB & Western States

23:38 - Working with the GOAT: Jim Walmsley & sports media

31:03 - Western States: Backpack sprints & race highlights

39:32 - The comeback: Injuries & mindset

45:35 - The race calendar : Wildstrubel & racing emotions

52:55 - Outro: What’s next for Marz in 2025

🌄 Whether you’re a seasoned ultrarunner or simply love incredible stories of human endurance, this episode is packed with inspiration, practical advice, and captivating adventures. Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more episodes featuring extraordinary guests like Mars van der Merwe. 🙌

🔗 Links & Resources:

Trail Culture Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trailcultureza/

Trail Culture Coaching: https://www.trailculture.co.za/

From the Ghosts Above : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8G0fNkk4g0A

Sherpa : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMWtu8Gb_HU

Marz van der Merwe website: https://www.marzellephotography.com/

Back like we never left 👋🏼

For those who are new here, once a month Trail Culture releases a more scientific episode, recorded with @dewaal.simon from the legendary @rootedindirt 🤙🏼 Simon is a runner, a coach & a scientist. We talk about various hot topics in the trail running space & unpack the relevant research surrounding them. We also have some not so relevant banter & we’re so grateful that you all tune in.

This weeks episode brings us an update on Simons PhD. We talk about some of his most recent findings, the progress of his publication journey, the vision for the 2025 trail science episodes AND we manage to find time to rip each others Stravas stats. 😆🎙️

Article: Physiological Indicators of Trail Running Performance

Simon Pocock: The art of story telling and human connection

Join us this week as we chat to a local talent & friend of the trail community, Simon Pocock. A wizard with the camera, this guy has a gift for storytelling and connecting with people. We explore that as well as his entry in the sports media space & some of his creative experiences over the years.

🎥 Chapter Markers:

00:00 - Welcome to 2025: Season 2 continues

01:34 - Raised outdoors: Falling in love with sport

05:49 - Entry to film: Finding filmmaking

13:15 - Team Terrex: The event space and the teams season

21:47 - International Events: Sport media in different cultures

26:24 - Event media: Where it all began

38:16 - The future of the sport: Simons take on the growth of sport media and what’s next

45:30 - Personal projects: Skill development and working on passion projects

51:23 - Human connection: Empathy in the work place

56:42 - Running goals: Balancing work and training

1:09:00 - Outro

🌄 Whether you’re a seasoned ultrarunner or simply love incredible stories of human connection and creativity, this episode is packed with inspiration, practical advice, and captivating storiess. Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more episodes featuring extraordinary guests like Simon Pocock. 🙌

🔗 Links & Resources:

- Trail Culture Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trailcultureza/

- Trail Culture Coaching: https://www.trailculture.co.za/

- Simon Pocock Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/si_pocock/

- The Creative Act: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/717356/the-creative-act-by-rick-rubin/

Join us on this epic episode of Chill Culture as we kick off 2025 with a legendary guest: Ryan Sandes! 🏃‍♂️🌍 A trailblazer in ultrarunning, Ryan has conquered terrains across the globe, from the icy stretches of Antarctica to the dunes of the Gobi Desert. This conversation dives into his inspiring journey, his love for adventure, and his relentless pursuit of pushing boundaries. 💪✨

What you’ll gain from this episode:

🔥 Motivation to conquer your own goals, whether you're a runner or not.

🌟 Insights into the mental and physical preparation behind ultramarathons and multi-day challenges. 📖

Behind-the-scenes stories from Ryan’s latest book Run Risk Reward—including brushes with danger and profound personal reflections.

💡 Tips on balancing high-performance sports with giving back to the community.

🏞️ Inspiration to explore the great outdoors and embrace new challenges in life.

🎥 Chapter Markers:

00:00 - Welcome to 2025 Season 2 kicks off with Ryan Sandes

02:00 - Lockdown Memories: Running 100 miles indoors

06:00 - Hometown Trails: Why Cape Town remains special

11:30 - The Early Years: From rugby dreams to trail running

18:40 - 100-Mile Races: Ryan’s journey to Leadville and Western States

28:00 - Mental Toughness: Strategies for overcoming the "pain cave"

36:00 - Visualizing Success: How Ryan prepares for ultramarathons

44:00 - Cocodona 250: Goals for 2025

52:00 - Danger and Adventure: Stories from the Himalayas and Skeleton Coast

1:05:00 - Giving Back: 13 Peaks Challenge and community impact

1:10:00 - Words of Encouragement: Advice for chasing your dreams

1:16:00 - Outro: What’s next for Ryan in 2025

🌄 Whether you’re a seasoned ultrarunner or simply love incredible stories of human endurance, this episode is packed with inspiration, practical advice, and captivating adventures. Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more episodes featuring extraordinary guests like Ryan Sandes. 🙌

🔗 Links & Resources:

- Trail Culture Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trailcultureza/

- Trail Culture Coaching: https://www.trailculture.co.za/

- Ryan Sandes Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryansandes/

- Ryan Sandes website: https://ryansandes.com/

- Carbon Endurance Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carbon_endurance/

- Carbon Endurance: https://www.carbonendurance.co

🔔 Subscribe for more inspiring trail stories, running tips, and epic adventures!

Todays episode is going to round off an incredible year of trail running and outdoor adventure.

This week I'm stoked to welcome a legend in the trail running community. A familair voice, a friendly face and honestly one of the greatest humans around, it's a joy to welcome Sean Robson to the podcast today.

An experienced journalist, a runner, TT group leader, an epic MC, a Dad and a friend. This episode we'll be doing our best to share some highlights from the trail space in 2024 & to speculate on what's to come for next year.

Keep up to date with all things Trail Culture: https://www.trailculture.co.za/ Check us out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trailcultureza/

// SHARE AND RATE THE PODCAST!

iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/trail-culture/id1709631577

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4eLM3gAMxZBOjUHAaGcBeu

This week, we’re trying something new with our first round table episode. This week the Flatrock Endurance team joins us to talk about the well-balanced approach. We talk about all things coaching, the process they follow at flatrock, what each coach brings to the table, how they overcome challenges and more.

From Annecy to the UK to Cape Town, we’ve got Tonis race experience and passion for nutrition, Brendans background in S&C and Erins gift of understanding athletes - all of these things make for a great episode and discussion.

Keep up to date with all things Trail Culture: https://www.trailculture.co.za/ Check us out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trailcultureza/

// TOPICS COVERED

(0:00) Welcome!

(05:06) The strengths of each coach

(08:30) The coaching structure

(12:14) The great April Fools joke

(17:54) Trail culture in the UK (23:00) Athlete health

(24:56) The learning curve for new athletes (27:10) Toni on hard truths & managing expectations

(29:20) Brendan: building the athlete's house

(30:45) Erin: When to compromise and trust the plan

(33:10) Toni on moving to the ultra distances

(37:40) Erin: different distances and and their value

(39:40) Brendan: The cost of running Ultras

(41:10) Mistakes and learnings from the coaching journey

(50:48) Capacity and finding the balance in a program

(52:58) The future of trail running

(1:03:02) Dreams in the pipeline

// SHARE AND RATE THE PODCAST!

iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/trail-culture/id1709631577

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4eLM3gAMxZBOjUHAaGcBeu

For our nerdy fans out there, the Trail Science episodes are back! 💥🎙️

Up first is: Fit but Unhealthy? Are we prioritising performance over health & wellness? In this episode we unpack these ideas & talk about some of the early signs of LEA & RED-S. 🍎

I’m excited to continue the scientific journey alongside Simon de Waal from Rooted in Dirt. In this season we’ll continue to dive into the more academic side of trail running, unpacking the latest research and trying to make sense of this amazing sport through a scientific lens.

// TOPICS COVERED

(0:00) Welcome!

(07:06) Snow in the Karkloof

(09:15) Lessons in chafe on the trails

(13:42) Trail research & participation

(16:55) Female participation and health challenges

(25:32) LEA & RED-s: What coaches should know?

(30:18) The female athlete triad

(37:41) Signs & symptoms of RED-s

(42:15) Hormonal imbalances & early detection

(47:16) Reducing the risk of RED-s

(53:11) Injuries & illness related to RED-s

(56:10) The good conversation

Keep up to date with all things Trail Culture: https://www.trailculture.co.za/ Check us out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trailcultureza/

// SHARE AND RATE THE PODCAST!

iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/trail-culture/id1709631577

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4eLM3gAMxZBOjUHAaGcBeu

Naomi Brand is back on SA soil after spending the summer training and racing in Europe. An Ultra runner, vet, conservationist and an artist, she is a legend in the SA trail community. Naomi can be found on the startline of the most hectic ultras, to adventuring around New Zealand in her mobile home or painting during the short breaks she has after training and work.

Naomi has some amazing insights to share on the ups and downs of ultra running. How to come back from disappointment and to keep the dream alive. She talks about the importance of a support structure, processing emotions & taking time to reflect on race experiences. Next up for her is the UTCT 100 miler, we’re backing her all the way.

Stoked to welcome Naomi to the podcast today.

Keep up to date with all things Trail Culture: https://www.trailculture.co.za/

Check us out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trailcultureza/

// TOPICS COVERED

(0:00) Welcome!

(05:54) Her first miler & suffering

(08:56) UTCT & running on love

(16:23) The move to New Zealand & opportunities

(18:57) Trail Culture in New Zealand (20:38) Adventure as a lifestyle

(23:28) Van life & zero waste living (29:15) Glaciers, route & networks

(33:24) UTMB, risk & disappointment

(41:55) Figuring out race nutrition & planning

(1:00:10) Reading & inspiration

// RESOURCES MENTIONED

- Atomic Habits

https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits

// SHARE AND RATE THE PODCAST!

iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/trail-culture/id1709631577

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4eLM3gAMxZBOjUHAaGcBeu