Nick Triolo on Running For No Reason and Not Chasing The Top

📣 Listener Survey: We want your feedback to keep making podcasts you love! Take our quick listener survey. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FA...

Join hosts Zoë Rom and Brendan Leonard on The Trailhead as they talk with Nick Triolo, writer, ultrarunner, and author of The Way Around: A Field Guide to Going Nowhere. From running epic loop courses to stepping away from Strava and racing, Nick shares how rethinking our relationship with running can lead to more presence, creativity, and joy.

We explore why loops feel so satisfying, how running in circles can change the way you see the world, and why sometimes the best run has no destination at all. Plus, Zoë and Brendan share their favorite loops and debate whether running in circles is the ultimate running metaphor.

🏃‍♀️ Featured Race: Cowboy Yeti in Bastrop, Texas—20K loops, mild winter weather, and maybe even Brendan’s birthday bash.
https://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx...

👟 Sponsor: Thanks to Sidas for supporting this episode. Keep your feet happy on every loop with high-performance socks, insoles, and blister protection—UltraSignup listeners get 20% off at sidas.us.
https://www.sidas.us/

Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
01:00 Why loops feel good (and weirdly profound)
12:00 Nick’s book The Way Around and why he ditched racing for a year
28:00 Environmental storytelling + running
42:00 What we can learn from running without a goal
56:00 Favorite loops and life metaphors

If you love trail running, big ideas, and a little humor, hit subscribe and join us every week.