The Last 10 - Finn Melanson

World-class ultra runner and co-founder of the Vertical Tuesday Running Club, Frank the Tank Gielen steps off the trail and into the studio to chat with Doc. Settle in and buckle up as The Tank covers some serious ground with Doc, including ignoring the suck, just getting warmed up after 80 kilometers, Concrete Clark, Slammers, the Dropkick Murphys, Laz Lake mind farts, hallucinations, dirt naps, the Big Dog Backyard, Belgian math, the Barkley, the family jewels, and how just about everything is doable. Epic guest. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thru hiker and writer Katie "Double Dip" Jackson checks in with Doc before leaving for an epic thru hike of the Continental Divide Trail. Settle in and buckle up as Double Dip overshares and fills the awkward silences in a wide-ranging trail talk with Doc. During the discussion, Double Dip covers all the important info, like priority topics at the doctor's office, the danger of checking the boxes, Euchre and Canasta, pizza and ramen burgers, anxious dads, Barf Bag, down hoods, trail spice, torn meniscuses, lightning excitement, and how to get a concussion at 4 miles per hour. Epic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Outdoor adventurer Mark Sky takes a brief respite from his human-powered trip from British Columbia to Argentina to drop into the studio and speak with Doc. Settle in and buckle up as Mark shares stories from the trail and from his past, including adventure racing in Fiji, naked bungee jumping, traveling through cartel country, and biking through the California and Arizona deserts in 110-degree heat. With nine months of this current adventure under his belt, Mark still has plenty of excitement in front of him, including a 600-mile kayaking section and a summit of the highest peak in the Americas, Mt. Aconcagua. Epic guest, epic episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Triple Crowner and one half of the duo who completed the first successful SOBO winter thru hike of the PCT, Shawn "Pepper" Forry sits down to talk trail and the good old days with Doc. Settle in and buckle up as the two take a trip down memory lane, including references to mom's lasagna, PocketMail, paper maps, flip phones, and modems. They also spend quite a bit of time talking about hiking, too, including Chafe Fests, crime scenes, the sweet spot, glory miles, the joy of sleeping in unknown places, and packing your slippers. Pepper also shares his incredible winter SOBO hike of the PCT with Trauma, which was chock full of misery, sleet, postholing, and frostbite. Unforgettable. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tune in for a brand new style of bonus episode! Doc gives you a fascinating glimpse into the personality of some of your favorite guests by asking . . . The Last 10! This week's volunteer is the Godfather of Ultralight Backpacking, Glen Van Peski! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thru hikers and mental health advocates Maggie "Mariposa" Konopasek and Kyle "Important Bits" Ott take a brief break from their PCT planning and drop into the studio to talk trail with Doc. Settle in and buckle up as 'Posa and IB share their adventures, their mental health journey and their efforts to raise money for Bigger Than The Trail via their website (https://www.bttt.run/hiking-for-happiness). During the conversation, they cover a lot of ground, including discussions of leg pillows, night sweats, moose in camp, life-changing car accidents, the Ice Age Trail, the JMT, Whirly Bird, safety logs, disconjugate eye motion, wet bandits, shenanigans, toilet paper anxiety, and, of course, ramen bombs, whiskey, and cribbage. Epic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thru hiker and author Amanda "Not a Chance" Timeoni drops into the studio to talk trail and all things Hiker Trash with Doc. Settle in and buckle up as Chance shares a few stories from her four PCT hikes and her current locale in Death Valley, including her inspiration, lessons learned, sketchy hitches, working to hike, and how to get others to take a hint. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thru Hiker and author Christine Reed drops into the studio to discuss her new book, Blood Sweat Tears, a compilation of 26 stories from women+ authors. In this unique episode, Doc and Christine venture into a new genre: thru hiker art house. The two cover a lot of ground in this episode, including the writing process, putting yourself out there, fits and starts, mental stewing, deadlines, universal themes, and the powerful act of walking in someone else's shoes. Doc tries his had at dramatic reading and literary analysis, and Christine tries her best to set him straight. Epic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Triple Crowner, computer scientist, and Eagle Scout Elliott "River Dance" Chidre takes a brief break from hiking and vulnerability research to join Doc in studio to talk some trail. Settle in and buckle up as River Dance takes Doc through his Triple Crown Hikes, from those first rainy steps at Harper's Ferry to the final ones skirting the fires at the Canadian border. Along the way, we'll hear about Nalgenes, Sunny D, walking breakfasts, the REI thru hiking class, flip flops, Two Clicks, and full hitches. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jake "The Animal" Rastas calms down for a bit and joins Doc in the studio to talk about his incredible 12-month journey from being a non-runner to an ultra runner completing his first 100-miler. Settle in and buckle up as Jake covers a lot of ground in this wide-ranging interview, including his time on the gridiron in North Dakota as D1 football player, his oppositional disposition, getting ear-holed, being a pathological extrovert, the importance of signing up, imposter syndrome, lightning storms, sauna training, and what exactly happens when someone tells Jake he won't be able to do something. Epic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices