E75: Mark Dowdle; running extreme distances in extreme weather

In this episode, I sit down with Mark Dowdle; an ultrarunner whose journey through extreme endurance, self-discovery, and unconventional racing will challenge everything you think you know about grit and resilience.

Mark has pushed his body and mind into places most of us only imagine: from Calendar Club challenges where he ran every day as many miles as the date on the calendar to deep, multi-day backyard ultras that test the limits of sleep, strategy, and sheer will.

🏃‍♂️ What We Covered

-How Mark discovered his love for ultra distance running and what continues to drive him beyond traditional racing.

-The Calendar Club 365 challenge, where he matched daily mileage to the calendar date: an epic test of consistency and heart.

-Backyard ultras & last-person-standing races — the brutal mental game, fueling strategies, sleep decisions, and living in the loop with little more than resolve between laps.

-Lessons in mental toughness: Mark opens up about the inner work that endurance running demands, from self-doubt to self-trust.

-Training philosophies and how consistent effort, even on the hard days, compounds into extraordinary outcomes.

-Follow Mark on Instagram to keep up with his runs, insights, and adventures: https://www.instagram.com/mark.dowdle/