EP193 - Stop Chasing the Strava Time: Josh Sprague on Adventure, Fueling & Going Long

What happens when you stop chasing finish lines and start chasing experiences?

In this episode of Run the Riot, I sit down with Josh Sprague, founder of Orange Mud, for a conversation about ultrarunning, adventure racing, hydration, fueling, gear, strength, and why our relationship with endurance sports can change over time.

Josh started Orange Mud after getting frustrated with the hydration options available to endurance athletes. His philosophy was simple: innovation from frustration. If he couldn't find the gear he wanted to use, he'd build it himself.

That same willingness to experiment has followed Josh through hundreds of endurance events, including ultramarathons, adventure races, triathlons, mountain bike races, gravel events, and multi-day adventures.

We get into some practical stuff every ultrarunner can use. Josh shares why he developed a habit of drinking every 15 minutes, how he measures exactly how much fluid he's getting from a hydration bladder, why he tests different flavors of the same nutrition product, and why he'll intentionally train with warm fluids before a hot race.

We also talk about training your gut for ultra racing. Josh has learned the hard way that race day isn't the time to suddenly start eating everything that looks good at an aid station. If you plan to eat quesadillas, pizza, pickles, or other real food during your ultramarathon, you'd better find out during training how your stomach handles it.

Of course, Josh also tells one of my favorite fueling stories I've heard in a while: carrying a Meat Lovers pizza around during an adventure race and eventually using it to fuel a charge up and over a mountain.

But my favorite part of our conversation may be what happens when we move beyond training and racing.

After years of chasing bigger distances and checking races off his list, Josh has found himself wanting something different.

He wants to experience the adventure.

We talk about the pressure of Strava, skipping time with friends because the training plan says you need to do intervals, stopping to look for arrowheads, and learning that not every run needs to produce an impressive number.

Josh even tells the story of running right beside the Queen Mary during a race without ever noticing the enormous ship.