Podcast Summary: Stronger with Don Saladino

Episode: From Beginner to Ultra Runner | Fleur Summers’ Inspiring Running Story
Date: September 23, 2025
Host: Don Saladino
Guest: Fleur Summers – Ultra Runner, Running Coach, and Community Member

Overview

In this compelling episode, Don Saladino welcomes ultra runner and coach Fleur Summers to delve deep into her journey from self-described non-athlete to a 100-mile ultra marathon runner and influential figure in Don’s challenger community. The conversation traces Fleur’s roots, battles with weight and self-worth, and her evolution through setbacks, perseverance, and the transformative power of community. The discussion uncovers what “strength” truly means—far beyond physical feats—and how proving yourself “right” with the backing of a supportive group shapes both habit and mindset.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Fleur’s Beginnings: From Non-Athlete to Runner

• Fleur’s early struggles with weight and sports:

  • Grew up as an overweight kid; her mother was 300–350 pounds.
  • Not athletic, always last in school races, would find excuses to avoid running.
  • Quote: “I would always say I left my bat in the car and just miss the entire running warm up.” (06:20, Fleur)

• Turning point (2012):

  • Spontaneously decided to try running—ran 4K on day one, 5K the next.
  • Found surprising joy and peace in running Auckland’s historic Lydia coaching trails.

2. Mental and Physical Transformation

• Community Influence and Belief:

  • Joined Don’s group during a dark period: lost job, mother was terminally ill, felt lost.
  • Drawn to the group for its non-serious tone and support.
  • Key moment: Fleur says the support made her reframe how she saw herself, “I started reframing how I saw myself … when you come into a sport like ultrarunning, you’ve got to be able to back yourself as well. And that’s what was always missing for me.” (02:15, 22:21, Fleur)

• From last place to ultra marathons:

  • Ran her first ultramarathon after two years of running; has since lost 100 lbs.
  • Has run races as long as 100 miles in a single stretch, embracing the “boring” and grinding nature of endurance running.
  • Quote: “I have a high boredom tolerance. Good run training is boring. You just have to put the miles on your legs.” (08:49, Fleur)

3. Building Mental Resilience

• The challenge of monotony and night runs:
  • Fleur thrives in environments and routines others resist due to mental toughness.
  • Discusses night running safety as a woman, including a near-scary encounter where a car slowed and stopped unexpectedly.
  • Insights on problem-solving and using running as therapy or meditation:
    • “If you’ve got a problem and it’s still a problem after a long run, you know it’s real.” (11:03, Fleur)
    • Podcasts help her combat loneliness on nighttime runs.

4. Joining Don’s Challenge Group: The Power of Support

• Origin story:

  • Found Don via Instagram, appreciated his sense of humor. Joined group at her lowest point to focus on health.
  • The group was pivotal: “I couldn't have done it without you,” she tells Don. Don counters that she was always capable—she just needed the support. (20:28, Fleur & Don)

• Proving people right (not wrong):

  • Don’s coaching reframes internal narratives:
    • “We don’t believe in ‘prove them wrong’, we believe in ‘prove them right’. There’s always someone in your life… maybe there’s someone that believes in you—prove them right.” (02:48, 22:51, Don)

5. Embracing the Process: Training, Failure, and Adaptation

• Transformation highlights:

  • Weight loss of 100 pounds while running up to 50k/30 miles per week, even before optimizing training or nutrition.

  • Extreme improvement in both physical endurance and mental fortitude.

  • Learning to handle setbacks: After a DNF (Did Not Finish) and finishing last, she almost quit, but the group and Don’s feedback reframed these as learning experiences.

  • Notable Quote:
    "Your transformation physically is almost as amazing as your transformation mentally." (16:25, Don)

• Importance of strength training:

  • Initially told by coaches NOT to strength train (“it’ll slow you down”), she saw performance improvements, reduced injury, and much faster recovery when adding resistance work.
  • Emphasizes muscle endurance and “body armor” for ultra runners.
  • Encourages runners she coaches to add 2–3 strength sessions per week.

6. Nutrition for Ultra Running and Body Composition

• Caloric needs and fueling:

  • Highlights how under-fueling (1,800 kcal/day) undermined performance.
  • Currently eats over 3,000 kcal/day at her leanest, with adaptive eating depending on training cycles and race weeks.
  • Quote: "It’s ironic that at your leanest, you were eating the most calories.” (25:02, Don)

• Fuelling strategies:

  • Tailors nutrition for races and heavy training—balances clean eating with strategic indulgence (e.g. pizza, creamy pastas before race day).
  • Trial and error helped, as everyone responds differently; what works for one can be disastrous for another.

• Debunking food myths:

  • Points out Michael Phelps analogy: elite athletes can’t get by on “clean eating” alone due to calorie volume.

7. Mindset for Endurance—Overcoming Hurdles

• Coping with pain/mental lows:

  • Ultra races are a series of “problem solving” exercises. It always gets tough, but rarely always worse.
  • “You have to decide: are you hurt, or are you hurting? If it’s just hurting, toughen up and get through it." (34:25, Fleur)
  • Quote: “If you go in expecting it to feel good the entire time, you’re going to crash and burn.” (56:00, Fleur)

• Community’s role in reframing mindset:

  • Moved from being motivated by “proving people wrong” to being fuelled by support—“proving them right”.
  • Don compares her mental toughness to his top celebrity clients and world-class athletes.

8. Notable Running Feats and “Backyard Ultra”

• Backyard Ultra explained (30:10):
  • 4.1 mile loop every hour on the hour, until only one runner remains.
  • Recent world record: 119 hours (500mi). Fleur and Don discuss the mental and physical freakishness of record-holders.
  • Memorable Moment: Fleur recounts creating a “Karaoke Train of Awesomeness” at 70k into Tarawera (singing the Always Sunny in Philadelphia musical and taking song requests while running through the night). (58:08, Fleur)

9. Race Calendar and Coaching

• Upcoming Events:
  • Next up: Tekapo Ultra 50k in NZ, Kepler Challenge (her ninth!), Tarawera 100-miler (aiming for a sub-25 hour), aiming for UTMB in France (100mi, 30,000ft of gain).
  • Coaching business growing; now the official coach for Kepler Challenge.

10. Listener Q&A Highlights

• Mental Hurdles in Ultras (53:24):
  • Acknowledge the pain, remember past hard moments, use support (even something like, “Do you think Don trained someone who can’t run this hill?”).
• Role of music and podcasts:
  • Music by day (old school/80s rock), podcasts by night for company. Maintains a 14-hour playlist for ultramarathons.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Every great athlete, I feel like almost has a little bit of a screw loose.” (07:32, Don Saladino)
• “If you’ve got a problem and it’s still a problem after a long run, you know it’s real.” (11:03, Fleur Summers)
• “We don’t believe in ‘prove them wrong’, we believe in ‘prove them right’.” (02:48 & 22:51, Don Saladino)
• “You run 100 miles like it’s a normal person running out three.” (03:41, Don Saladino)
• “Your transformation physically is almost as amazing as your transformation mentally.” (16:25, Don Saladino)
• “Are you hurt or hurting? If you’re just hurting, toughen up and get it and get through it.” (34:25, Fleur Summers)
• “It never always gets worse.” (27:44, Fleur Summers)
• “I couldn’t have done it without you.” (20:28, Fleur Summers)
• “When you come into a sport like ultrarunning, you’ve got to be able to back yourself as well. And that’s what was always missing for me.” (02:15, 22:21, Fleur Summers)
• Karaoke Train of Awesomeness: Singing the Always Sunny in Philadelphia musical through the night with fellow ultra runners to stay motivated and connected. (58:08, Fleur Summers)

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Topic or Quote | |:-------------------:|:-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:15 | Fleur reframes her self-image with the ultra running community. | | 06:20 | Childhood avoidance of running and sports. | | 11:03 | “If you’ve got a problem and it’s still a problem after a long run, you know it’s real.” | | 14:01 | Finding Don’s content and joining the challenge group. | | 16:25 | “Your transformation physically is almost as amazing as your transformation mentally.” | | 20:28 | Fleur/Don on why support is essential for change (“I couldn’t have done it without you.”) | | 22:51 | “Prove them right” vs. “prove them wrong” mindset shift. | | 25:02 | Discussing calorie intake and body composition at peak fitness. | | 34:25 | “Are you hurt or hurting? … If you’re just hurting, toughen up …” | | 53:24 | Listener Q&A: Overcoming mental barriers during ultra marathons. | | 58:08 | Karaoke Train of Awesomeness at 70k into a 100-mile race—singing Always Sunny musical. |

Tone and Style

• Language/Tone: Warm, candid, humorous; direct and supportive, focused on real stories and practical advice.
• Atmosphere: Conversational, motivating, and at times, vulnerable—grounded in lived experience.

Conclusion and Takeaways

This episode is a blueprint for personal reinvention—showing how radical transformation (physical and mental) can begin at your lowest moments. Fleur’s journey from self-doubt and “back of the pack” to ultra finishing lines is a powerful case for finding (and leaning into) communities that believe in you. Listeners will leave with a deeper understanding of the discipline, mindset, and joy that can come from pushing past monotony, reframing self-identity, and being surrounded by positive reinforcement.

Key lesson: True strength is about consistency, community, and learning to back yourself—even when the odds (and negative voices) say otherwise.