A course can look “runnable” and still scare you a little. That’s exactly why Beast of Big Creek is so intriguing, and why I brought back Mercedes Siegle-Gaither for a tight, honest pre-race chat. She’d just been on the route previewing and training, and her take is vivid: long stretches of shady forest on smooth trail, a relentless uphill grind, then a shift above treeline into steeper, rockier skyrunning terrain with wildflowers and big mountain energy on the Olympic Peninsula near Hoodsport.

We also get real about the not-so-glam side of endurance sports: coming back from injury. Mercedes talks through finishing an earlier 100-miler while likely dealing with a pulled hamstring, the months-long recovery, and the mental whiplash of seeing old running segments and choosing to let them go for now. Add altitude back into the picture and the body gets humbled fast, but the mindset stays steady: stay calm, keep stacking work, and trust the rebuild.

Gravel biking becomes the hero of the summer. We dig into why gravel cycling is such a smart cross-training tool for trail runners and ultrarunners, plus the practical fears that come with it, from cars to learning clipless pedals (including the classic slow-speed flop). We also touch on how fast Beast could be, what out-and-back passing might feel like on a narrow descent off Mount Ellinor, and what races she’s lining up next as fitness returns.

If you’re into trail running, skyrunning, race previews, injury recovery, altitude training, and the Pacific Northwest mountain scene, this one will light you up. Subscribe or follow, share it with a friend training for a comeback, and leave a rating and review so we can keep telling these athlete stories.

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