#252: Kari Gibbons & Ryan Wanless -- Winter Ultras & Running the Iditarod Trail Invitational

Like a Bigfoot

This week we are chatting with ultrarunners Kari Gibbons and Ryan Wanless about their experience running the 2021 Iditarod Trail Invitational through the wilds of Alaska! Both Kari and Ryan are extraordinary athletes and adventurers who are experienced in the "Winter Ultras", races that take place in extremely cold parts of the United States in winter. In these races the runners must be have the knowledge to withstand potential dangers and have a solid mindset to grind out days and days of racing while pulling all of their gear in a sled. In other words, Kari and Ryan are complete badasses. Recently, both of them raced the Iditarod Trail Invitational in Alaska which is a major test and a culmination of years of racing Winter Ultras. Both finished the difficult race and Kari was the Woman's Foot Champion this year! In this episode we chat all about Winter Ultras and hear about their experience in Alaska. We also talk about the importance of getting more folks involved with this subcategory of ultrarunning, how the ITI in 2021 compared to last year's race, what it's like to get attacked by Ptarmigan, and what lessons they have learned from tackling a challenge as vast as running through the deep wilderness of Alaska! This is a really fun episode and I want to thank Ryan for cohosting and Kari for coming on and chatting with us! I had an absolute blast and am very intrigued by the thought of attempting a Winter Ultra. MORE FROM KARI GIBBONS, RYAN WANLESS AND THE IDITAROD: Kari's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kari_outside/ The Dirt Trail Running Podcast: https://ornerymuleracingthedirt.libsyn.com/the-dirt-on-kari-gibbons Ryan's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wanlessrm/ Iditarod Trail Invitational: https://www.iditarodtrailinvitational.com/ MORE LIKE A BIGFOOT: Subscribe and Review on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/like-a-bigfoot/id1160773293?mt=2 Soundcloud Archives: https://soundcloud.com/chris-ward-126531464 Stitcher Archives: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/like-a-bigfoot Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/likeabigfoot/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/likeabigfoot/