Home
Categories
EXPLORE
True Crime
Comedy
Business
Society & Culture
Sports
Health & Fitness
Technology
About Us
Contact Us
Copyright
© 2024 PodJoint
Loading...
0:00 / 0:00
Podjoint Logo
US
Sign in

or

Don't have an account?
Sign up
Forgot password
https://is1-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Podcasts211/v4/d8/c4/12/d8c4124a-3712-10e8-4a5e-37cd6eeacab0/mza_10269499438714727569.jpg/600x600bb.jpg
HappyCast
Happy Endings Trail Productions
172 episodes
3 days ago
Stephanie takes us to New Jersey for her 22nd state on the journey to all 50 with the Wild Goose Trail Festival 100-miler. What could have been a solo grind turned into a full-on adventure of community, resilience, and unexpected friendships. With her original pacer getting injured, Stephanie found last-minute support in Andrew Bondarev, who drove in to help keep her on track through the long night. Along the way, she also met Fra Balbi, a non-binary runner taking on their first 100K, after c...
Show more...
Running
Sports
RSS
All content for HappyCast is the property of Happy Endings Trail Productions and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
Stephanie takes us to New Jersey for her 22nd state on the journey to all 50 with the Wild Goose Trail Festival 100-miler. What could have been a solo grind turned into a full-on adventure of community, resilience, and unexpected friendships. With her original pacer getting injured, Stephanie found last-minute support in Andrew Bondarev, who drove in to help keep her on track through the long night. Along the way, she also met Fra Balbi, a non-binary runner taking on their first 100K, after c...
Show more...
Running
Sports
Episodes (20/172)
HappyCast
Chasing Big Goals: Aimee Jacobs at the Leadville 100
In this week’s HappyCast, Andrew and Stephanie sit down with returning guest Aimee Jacobs fresh off her run at the Leadville 100, joined by her pacer and close friend, Mel (“DJ Melly Mel”). From San Antonio to the Colorado Rockies, Aimee recounts her buildup to one of the most prestigious 100-mile races in the country, the challenges of training at altitude, and the unforgettable experience of racing at elevation. Mel shares how their friendship grew from early morning base runs to supporting...
Show more...
6 days ago
1 hour 7 minutes

HappyCast
Grinding It Out: Rachel Millman’s Journey Through the Hardest Miles
In this episode of the HappyCast, Stephanie and Andrew sit down with ultrarunner Rachel Millman, whose race résumé spans mud-soaked DNFs, monster climbs, and fearless returns to the start line. Rachel takes us inside her recent finish at the Ouray 100, a beast of a race boasting over 40,000 feet of elevation gain, where she crossed the line just 23 minutes before the final cutoff. From navigating steep, loose terrain to staying upright during nighttime descents, she shares how grit—and a litt...
Show more...
2 weeks ago
1 hour 9 minutes

HappyCast
The North Dakota Nomad: Elliott Waldock’s Ultra Trail Journey
In this episode of HappyCast, Andrew and Stephanie are joined by Elliott Waldock — fresh off the Summit 200, one of the most rugged and high-altitude 200-mile races in the U.S. With Dylan notably MIA (possibly launching a Chipotle-based fight club), Andrew drinks wine and scrolls Elliott’s Instagram to dive deep into his running past, landing fortuitously on his very first 100-miler: Brazos Bend. What follows is a hilarious, nostalgic, and surprisingly heartfelt look at Elliott’s journey from...
Show more...
3 weeks ago
1 hour 33 minutes

HappyCast
Reaching New Highs and Overcoming Lows: Melissa Perez & High Lonesome 100
This week on HappyCast, we welcome Melissa Perez—trail runner, graduate student, community leader, and self-proclaimed lover of the f-word—for a raw and powerful conversation about what it means to run scared and come out the other side stronger. Hot off her recent finish at the notoriously tough High Lonesome 100, Melissa shares how altitude, hyponatremia, and mental fatigue collided in the Colorado mountains—and why this race stands out as one of the most transformative of her life. Joined ...
Show more...
1 month ago
1 hour 15 minutes

HappyCast
Raw Dogging the Vermont 100
In this heartfelt and deeply personal episode of HappyCast, Andrew and Stephanie sit down—just the two of them—for a rare one-on-one reflection. Fresh off completing her 21st 100-miler, Stephanie opens up about her emotional journey through the Vermont 100. From navigating recovery and divorce to running the race entirely without audio, she shares what made this one of the most transformative experiences she’s ever had on trail. Stephanie takes us mile by mile through Vermont’s historic cour...
Show more...
1 month ago
1 hour 7 minutes

HappyCast
Folklord: Where Running Meets Mythology
This week on the HappyCast, we change things up a bit and focus on the business side of running and the colorful apparel it brings by having Elliot Matson, creator and founder of Folklord, join us to tell us all about his up-and-coming business. Folklord and its mythological and storytelling approach to running apparel has been popping up all over the country, and it’s definitely something that’s hard to miss. We talk about Elliot’s colorful and unique approach to selling his products,...
Show more...
1 month ago
1 hour 13 minutes

HappyCast
The Copper Kings 100 Recap: Grit, Grace, and a Little Too Much Cheese
In this special fourth appearance, Wes Plate returns to HappyCast with a full breakdown of the inaugural Copper Kings 100—Montana’s newest hundred-mile race and his most ambitious project yet. With co-hosts Stephanie and Andrew, Wes opens up about what it took to bring this dream to life: from months of preparation and a jam-packed U-Haul to navigating stormy skies, deadfall-filled trails, and the high-stakes logistics of a remote mountain race. Spoiler: not even a lightning storm during the ...
Show more...
1 month ago
1 hour 46 minutes

HappyCast
Trail Therapy and Tantrums in the Rockies
In this hilariously unfiltered and surprisingly heartfelt episode, Stephanie recaps her post-Cruel Jewel adventure at the Great Divide 100 in Colorado with guests Ben Bridgeman and Liesl Standish. After a last-minute pivot to avoid altitude overload, Stephanie takes us through her thought process behind picking this particular race just three weeks after finishing one of the most brutal 100-milers in the Southeast. With loops at a “mild” 9,200–9,800 ft elevation and a deceptively runnable cou...
Show more...
2 months ago
1 hour 29 minutes

HappyCast
Ladies Sweep Achilles Hill with Alisa Hardy, Jaclyn Lovelady and Lisa Decker
In this special women-led episode of HappyCast, Stephanie teams up with guest co-host Ben Bridgeman to spotlight the incredible performances at this year’s Achilles Hill ultra event. The spotlight shines brightly on Jaclyn Lovelady, Alisa Hardy, and Lisa Decker—three powerhouse women who not only swept the competition but redefined what grit and community mean on the trail. From setting new course records to creating new divisions (hello, ruck champion!), the ladies brought fierce determinati...
Show more...
2 months ago
1 hour 20 minutes

HappyCast
Keepin’ It Cool at Coco with Katie O'Connor, Juliana Masci and Hans Troyer
This week on a jam-packed episode of the HappyCast, we sit down with Katie O’Connor and talk about her Cocodona 250 experience. We talk about her preparation, race execution, and most importantly, the post-race festivities. Spoiler alert: she could just be the most positive person out on the trail. So naturally, we decide to bring in some firepower and surprise her with her crew chief, Julie, joining to potentially dish out any dirt or fun tidbits about Katie’s race. With Julie joining...
Show more...
2 months ago
1 hour 36 minutes

HappyCast
The Mammoth is Coming with Hilary Ann, featuring Izzy Campos-Janovick & Kevin Goldberg
This week on the HappyCast, we are joined by THE Hilary Ann Yang as she talks about the newest 200+ mile race around, The Mammoth! 🦣 With its permits literally approved RIGHT before this recording, we talk about the hype, preparation, course, and increasing the participation of women in the 200 mile scene. Hilary will also be race directing this event, so we delve further into the process of taming the Mammoth 🦣 With a big guest comes big co-hosting responsibilities, so naturally, we kick A...
Show more...
2 months ago
57 minutes

HappyCast
Arizona Monster Aftermath & Analysis with Candice Burt
This week on the HappyCast, we keep the 200+ mile ball rolling as we are joined by one of the pioneers of this distance, Candice Burt. She joins us to talk about the recent inaugural Arizona Monster 300, and we dissect this behemoth of a race and everything it entails. Candice opens up and talks about the ups and downs, the positives and negatives, and everything else regarding the race. The logistics, the difficulties with holding a point-to-point race this long, and the challenges of...
Show more...
3 months ago
1 hour 20 minutes

HappyCast
I Beat the Boys: Cruel Jewel Edition with Drew Flowers and Mike Coutu
This week on HappyCast, the spotlight is on cohost Stephanie, who just completed one of the Southeast’s most brutal ultramarathons: the Cruel Jewel 100. Alongside fellow runners Drew Flowers and Mike Coutu, the trio takes us deep into the Georgia mountains and even deeper into the pain cave, reliving the highs, lows, and everything in between. With 105 punishing miles and over 33,000 feet of climbing, this race tested not only their legs but their sanity. Stephanie finished in an impressive 4...
Show more...
3 months ago
1 hour 22 minutes

HappyCast
Going Cuckoo for Cocoo with Rachel Entrekin: Cocodona 250 & more
On this episode of the HappyCast, we talk about a bunch of random stuff (and a little bit of Cocodona) with the Queen of Cocodona herself, Rachel Entrekin. After becoming the first back-to-back and only two time winner of Cocodona, we have a sit down with Rachel where she talks about her current recovery, her incredibly busy future, and her adjustment to becoming a rising start in the ultrarunning scene. We also talk about running as an unsponsored athlete and the process of becoming one, an...
Show more...
3 months ago
1 hour 32 minutes

HappyCast
The Active (Average) Joe with Libby Jones
In this deeply heartfelt and eye-opening episode of HappyCast, hosts Stephanie, Dylan and Andrew are joined by trail race director and community powerhouse Libby Jones, the force behind The Active Joe and the beloved Dinosaur Valley Endurance Run. From her accidental start in race directing to founding one of North Texas’s most inclusive and community-focused race organizations, Libby shares how a love for running, a knack for logistics, and a fierce sense of purpose shaped her journey. She r...
Show more...
3 months ago
1 hour 30 minutes

HappyCast
Beyond the Distance: Mental Health, Dogs, and the Long Run
In this unforgettable episode of the HappyCast, hosts Andrew, Dylan, and Stephanie welcome Canadian ultrarunner and mental health advocate Evan Birch, along with his trail-blazing running partner: his seven-year-old Vizsla, Nova. Together, Evan and Nova recently attempted the Orcas Island 100, marking what may be one of the first sanctioned 100-mile ultramarathon efforts by a human-canine team. Their story—captured in the upcoming documentary Supernova: The 100-Mile Dog—goes far beyond finish...
Show more...
3 months ago
1 hour 36 minutes

HappyCast
Arizona Monster 300: From Tucson to Patagonia
This week on the HappyCast, we have part two of Andrew’s Arizona Monster 300 course and race recap. After surviving the night on Mt. Lemmon, Andrew make’s his way through Tucson to pound some pavement before heading further south into the Sonoran desert. But don’t worry, plenty of issues arise as always, as Andrew’s fear-based running kicks into overdrive at times up until the finish. And after crawling to the finish line, Andrew discusses his overall experience with the race, and we do a br...
Show more...
4 months ago
2 hours 6 minutes

HappyCast
Arizona Monster 300: From Superior to Mt. Lemmon
We’re back! After a few weeks off, the crew returns, and they take on the Monster in the process. This is the first part of three episodes dedicated to the Arizona Monster 300. The first two parts are a very detailed course overview and recap with Andrew, and the third will be an interview with another runner who ran the race MUCH quicker. So we hope we have the back and front of the pack covered with this one! For part one, co-host Andrew talks all things Arizona Monster 300 - the new...
Show more...
4 months ago
1 hour 34 minutes

HappyCast
ReCast: 2023 Cocodona 250: From Sedona to Flagstaff
We’re back for week two of our Cocodona 250 rerun series, and things are heating up—figuratively and literally. With Andrew deep into the Arizona Monster 300, we’re throwing it back to the second half of his first Arizona epic. This is where the race gets real: after pushing through Jerome, Andrew faces crumbling shins, emotional lows, water crossings gone wrong, and the infamous climb up Mount Elden. In this episode, we follow him from Cottonwood to Sedona to Flagstaff, as the trail throws e...
Show more...
4 months ago
2 hours 17 minutes

HappyCast
ReCast: 2023 Cocodona 250: From the Bradshaws Down to Jerome
While Andrew is out running 300 miles across Arizona as part of the Arizona Monster 300, we’re giving the HappyCast mics a breather and bringing you a two-part rerun series featuring one of our favorite race recaps: Andrew’s Cocodona 250. Yep, before he faced the Monster, he faced this beast—and we’re revisiting it mile by mile. In Part 1, we follow Andrew through the brutal 37-mile opener, twisted ankles, blown-up quads, surprise water stops, and the kind of “fun” that makes you question all...
Show more...
4 months ago
1 hour 56 minutes

HappyCast
Stephanie takes us to New Jersey for her 22nd state on the journey to all 50 with the Wild Goose Trail Festival 100-miler. What could have been a solo grind turned into a full-on adventure of community, resilience, and unexpected friendships. With her original pacer getting injured, Stephanie found last-minute support in Andrew Bondarev, who drove in to help keep her on track through the long night. Along the way, she also met Fra Balbi, a non-binary runner taking on their first 100K, after c...