The MidPacker Pod is part of the Freetrail network of Podcasts. You can now support the MidPacker Pod on Patreon. Make sure you leave us a rating and review wherever you get your pods. Want to leave Troy some feedback, recommend a guest, or make a suggestion? LINK HERE In this episode, Troy Meadows talks with his longtime friend Christopher Thomas, an experienced ultra runner who was pivotal in helping Troy early on with his journey to running Ultras. Chris shares his journey and recent success in trail and ultra running. He discusses his early experiences and how he got into the sport. Christopher highlights the importance of proper nutrition and how it has been a game-changer for him. He also shares his race highlights and achievements, including his recent races at Silver State 50-Miler and Tahoe Rim Trail 100. This part of the conversation concludes with his experience at UTMB 100k Porte Viarte Mexico.  Christopher shares his role in crewing and pacing for international runners at Western States. He also talks about his experience as the course director for the Canyons 100K race. Christopher shares his upcoming races and goals, including his plan to run the Lake Sonoma 100K.  Finally, he discusses the balancing act of managing work, family, and training. In this conversation, Christopher Thomas discusses his work and lifestyle as a custom home builder and ultra trail runner. Christopher also shares how he balances work and family, including taking care of his elderly mother and aunt. Christopher concludes with advice for trail runners and shares his contact information for those who want to connect with him. Chris’s Links IG - @Burroslocos Chris’s Nutrition Coach Vic Johnson  IG - @mountain.sports.nutritionist Chris’s Running Coach Riccardo Tortini Team Run Run Things we talked about on the pod Scratch Lab Portables Book⁠ Montara 50K - Pacifica Ca UTMB Black Canyon 100k Lake Sonoma 50 Silver State 50 TRT 100 UTMB 100k Porte Viarte Mexico Bandera 100k Canyons 100 miler L'échappée Belle Bob Crowley  Lucy’s Dad Documentary Silver State Striders Run in Rabbit Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 03:03 Getting into Trail and Ultra Running 06:34 First 50K 09:01 Running with the Red Antler Running Crew 19:27 Importance of Proper Nutrition 35:27 Silver State 50-Miler and Tahoe Rim Trail 100 42:38 UTMB Mexico 46:35 Family Support and Involvement 53:11 Volunteering at Western States 55:02 Course Director at Canyons 100K 01:04:18 Upcoming Races and Goals 01:08:23 The New Canyons 100K Course 01:18:01 Running Lake Sonoma 100K 01:20:37 Balancing Work, Family, and Training 01:30:36 The Ultra Trail Running Community 01:31:32 Advice for Trail Runners 01:36:12 Acknowledgment to Rabbit If you are enjoying the content, please consider supporting our sponsors using the links below. Sponsor Links:  Run Trail Life - This is a brand I am super passionate about because I am the Founder and Chief everything officer for RTL. Run Trail Life Brings you casual apparel that lets you show off your love of trail running and ultrarunning while giving back to ensure that everyone has access to the beauty of nature for generations to come. With each item purchased, we donate $1 to runners for public lands. Use code: midpackerpod to double the donation from your purchase.  Visit RunTrailLife.com to check out our line of Hats and Organic cotton T's. Freetrail - Bring Trail Culture with you everywhere you go and join an amazing community of extraordinary trail runners. Freetrail Pro membership is just $96 a year, giving you access to the Freetrail Slack community, training plans, weekly office hours, and so much more. I absolutely love this community and have personally used the training plans to get ready for my ultra efforts. Visit Freetrail.com to sign up today. MidPacker Pod Links: Instagram | Patreon Troy Meadows Links: Instagram | Twitter | Website | Strav