Best Donna Pazdera Podcasts (2025)

1
Life Goes On 21:20

18d ago21:20

21:20

I've been making concerted efforts to return to running and volunteering, but sometimes life gets in the way. That said, I am determined to do the inaugural half marathon in December at the San Antonio Marathon. I also take a little time to get political, if you will. Not sorry. I am honestly concerned about what is happening and if you never hear …

1
Extraordinary People: Tia Banks 46:57

1M ago46:57

46:57

Tia Banks is a former professional flag football and basketball player. Injuries caused her to switch gears. She took up hiking and in 2021, summited Mount Kilimanjaro in six days. She was sick with an unknown illness but persevered. She has translated that experience into a career as a resilience coach: helping people of all ages to reframe their …

1
Back to Square One, part ???? 20:59

2M ago20:59

20:59

It's been a frustrating six or so weeks. Weather and arthritis in my hip and lower back are creating havoc for my return to running. In the last week, I managed to hike 2 miles until my hip yelled at me to stop. Later last week, I returned to the ol' walk-run format. It's a start, but not what I envision. Hoping to get back at it gradually until I …

1
Found objects and other stories 21:12

3M ago21:12

21:12

A dozen years ago I happened upon a book in the middle of a dirt road surrounding a cotton field. It was a Bible. In Spanish. I still wonder why someone who had likely carried it with them across the US-Mexico border suddenly dropped it and left it behind. Were they being chased by border patrol or some law enforcement agency? I will never know for…

1
Three Events, Two Cancelations and One Great Experience 31:00

4M ago31:00

31:00

A longish story about why I did not volunteer on Sunday at the Bandera trail race, plus some history. Also, why I won't be running Big Bend this weekend. But the real story involves a terrific indoor rowing event at my favorite workout spot, overcoming mental obstacles and treating it like an ultra. Oh, and I threw in a couple of journalism referen…

1
Snowdrop Relay Experience 30:08

4M ago30:08

30:08

I was reacquainted with some old friends from the RGV and made new ones during the Snowdrop 55-hour relay last week. It was a great experience and I made new friends and supported a great cause. Photo: l-r: Janelle Uroff, Silvia Garza, me, Shanty Rodriguez, Vicki Allen, Norma Lozano

1
Spilling the Tea and Other Stories 17:22

4M ago17:22

17:22

Hey, it's New Year's Eve, and I am looking back a little on the year. This episode gives you a very brief peek at Snowdrop, but more importantly, a look at some creeps from this past year. The last of which I skillfully avoided at Snowdrop. He does not deserve my time or attention, but here I am, outlining his creepy behavior. For 2025, I only want…

1
Reminiscing, Recommitting and Resilience 30:29

5M ago30:29

30:29

As I ready to embark on the Snowdrop 55-hour relay event at the end of the month, I spent some time looking back at times when I needed to muster up my own resilience to help others reach their goals. It is a well I need to rely on for the coming year.

1
Some Inconvenient Truths 25:10

5M ago25:10

25:10

I ran my first race in almost six months. It went well, except for the men who decided not to alert me that they were passing me, or who scared the hell out of me when they passed, or who almost ran me over on the course. I am a 12-year veteran of trail races. I am accustomed to the "on your left," courtesy. Or "good job, runner!" Yesterday, I seld…

1
Some Political and Personal Stuff, But Some News! 24:01

6M ago24:01

24:01

Essentially what the headline says. You may not like the first half because of my personal views. But, I encourage you to stick around.

1
Reflecting on my Past and Looking Ahead 34:20

6M ago34:20

34:20

I'm baaaack! Running/strong hiking is my new thing, which demonstrates that I am improving after a long hiatus. Happy to be back.

1
Deepak Shukla: 100 Miles Isn't Enough 43:40

7M ago43:40

43:40

Deepak Shukla has been a runner since he was a teenager. The sport comes easily to him, although he has had his share of finishes and DNFs. The 38-year-old digital marketing manager did the Chicago Marathon, his first, in 4:40. From there, he crossed over to the dark side: ultras. Rather than completing a 50K or 50-mile race, he opted for a 100K. F…

1
Master's Edition: Mironda Meyer: Normalizing Menopause 58:43

7M ago58:43

58:43

It's something that every woman will experience, yet we're left feeling overwhelmed, demoralized and confused when this life change hits. It is especially challenging when you're an active woman and it feels like overnight you've got a swim ring around your middle and your pants don't fit. Mironda Meyer, a Concord, Vermont-based coach, is one of th…

1
Re-pod for a cause 1:13:00

7M ago1:13:00

1:13:00

I was fortunate to interview Kenneth Anderlitch in December 2022, shortly after he spent 19 days running 840 miles across Texas to raise almost $57,000 for Pay it Forward SA. This organization provides resources for those in recovery. On Sept. 20, Kenneth embarked on an even bigger challenge: to run from Washington, D.C. to San Antonio. He expects …

1
Discovering Romance Doing What You Love 31:50

8M ago31:50

31:50

I read ⁠an article⁠ about how running clubs in New York City are overrun (ha ha) with singles looking to meet others. The problem is, the subjects said, these clubs are almost as useless as dating apps. It got me thinking about my own experiences. First and foremost, the trail community is my tribe. I unwittingly found a group of like-minded people…

1
Perspective Pays. 24:47

8M ago24:47

24:47

t helps to keep things in perspective when you're beating yourself down. And other stories.

1
Recommitting, Part ? 18:31

8M ago18:31

18:31

I have been attempting to recommit to running/power hiking for about a year and a half. This time, I am getting serious. I miss spending hours on my feet on weekends. I've been committed to running/hiking a few times per week and at least once on the weekend. I think I just needed the mental break.

1
Master's Edition: Courtney Lumpkin Classen 55:35

9M ago55:35

55:35

Courtney Lumpkin Classen weighed 334 pounds in 2012. She had gastric bypass surgery and began walking, and then began to run...she has finished multiple marathons and her first 50K in March. She has her sights set on a 50-miler.

1
Using an Ultra Mindset and Other Stories 38:45

9M ago38:45

38:45

It's been a minute. I recap my trip to Florida. Despite my absolute love for where I used to live, I realized this week I can't go back. But, it will be a nice place to visit. Running on a beach is not what I remembered and it is dang hot. I've signed up for the Big Bend 20K in January, which will be an adventure. Just catching up. Photo: the view …

1
Still at It. 18:16

10M ago18:16

18:16

My return to running is not the stellar triumph I'd imagined, but it's there. And I don't suck as bad as before. Stories about the impending trip to Florida, smoke detector nonsense and the death of a bat. Not proud. But, I hope y'all can forgive me.

1
Annnnnd, I'm Back! 28:24

10M ago28:24

28:24

After six or so weeks, I am back at the podcasting thing. And the running thing, too. It's been a nice break but I'm glad to be back. I have pretty much restarted running from scratch. (Like, I'm in a 10K walk-run training group.) It's humbling but necessary. I've been dealing with some aggravations in the hip and lower back but am trying to ease m…

1
A Brief Hiatus and Big Plans 22:50

12M ago22:50

22:50

I've been doing this thing almost every week for close to five years. Admittedly, I've hit a wall: I'm not running, racing or volunteering like before, and it is getting to be a challenge to find weekly guests. So, I'm going to not force this for a couple of months, or until I have some more stories to tell. I do this as a labor of love, so it's no…

1
The Boston Marathon, Inside-Out with Coach Basilio Mendoza and Orlando "Hundo" Montalvo 1:16:59

1y ago1:16:59

1:16:59

This is such a fun chat with two of my RGV friends, Coach and Hundo. They drove 38 hours straight from Mission, Texas to Marlboro, Mass. on April 11. By the 13th, they were setting up 10-foot-long interlocking barricades that weighed up to 30 pounds apiece, alongside 70-something local women. The RGV duo were not volunteers. They were paid $350 per…

1
Master's Edition: Robert Gonzales. No Quitting, Always Aspiring. 1:24:44

1y ago1:24:44

1:24:44

Robert Gonzales ran his first 50K about a month ago. He is 74 years old. He had a mishap during that race that later required surgery, but he finished the race in 8:47, well ahead of others much younger. Gonzales tells me about his running journey, with credit to his coach, Christi Myers Faulk, and his daughter, Roxanne Lockhart. He is not ready to…

1
Getting Committed 14:13

1y ago14:13

14:13

I had Easter lunch with my friend, Jessica. Over the course of our conversation, we agreed to do the Wild Hare 50K in November. We also agreed to hold each other accountable in our respective training plans. Another form of commitment is that I am signing up to be the team captain for The Flying Chanclas relay team this year at Snowdrop. I'm lookin…

1
Remix: Trail Foes and Friends 24:49

1y ago24:49

24:49

I reached WAAAAAY into the archives and uprooted this old gem from the early days of this podcast. This is about the relationships you make while on the trails. It's fun, short and sweet. Enjoy!

1
Master's Edition: Lisa Tuckwood 55:30

1y ago55:30

55:30

I have talked to my fair share of gritty runners, but Lisa Tuckwood may be the grittiest. Maybe it's her background in the Army or maybe it's just how she is, but regardless, Lisa is one tough lady. She's always been athletic, but didn't start running races until 2015 -- three months after back surgery. Her record speaks for itself. No DNFs, but en…

1
Basics for Beginners 29:46

1y ago29:46

29:46

This week, I thought it might be helpful to offer advice and tips to those who are new to trail running. You generally won't see people holding signs and cheering for you in the woods, like you might on the road. I go over things like shoes, hydration, sports watches and more. I don't cover everything, but there are some useful tidbits if you want …

1
Satan's Driveway in Plain Sight 28:59

1y ago28:59

28:59

After years of running at Colorado Bend State Park at night, I finally got to see it during daylight hours. It's almost more gnarly because you can see stealth rocks that catch your toes, the narrow, terrifying rock ledges and tombstone-sized rocks. I also found new parts of the park where I'd never been. I learned that you should never ignore the …

1
Extraordinary People: Olga Laque and Rustie Johnson 1:09:53

1y ago1:09:53

1:09:53

Two of my San Antonio Off-Road-Running friends joined me this week to talk about completing their first 100K (62 miles). What sets this effort apart from others is that they tackled it under extraordinary conditions: extreme water, mud and roots. Huntsville State Park, on a good day, is challenging with its crazy tree roots cluttering the trails. T…

1
Extraordinary People: Steve Carter 1:09:56

1y ago1:09:56

1:09:56

Steve Carter is a Michigan-born, San Antonio-based retired Air Force veteran. He is also an accomplished cyclist and ultrarunner.We chronicle his running and cycling career, including him crewing for Kenneth Anderlitch, who spent 19 days in 2022, running across Texas.Steve has some big ultra goals coming up, along with a couple of cycling events.Oh…

1
Extraordinary People: Kate Motsko 1:12:31

1y ago1:12:31

1:12:31

Kate Motsko and I share a common conceit: we've both received the Spirit of Dan Keitz award, the highest honor bestowed by Tejas Trails. I won it in 2022 (and had no idea that it existed) and Kate got it this year. It is well-deserved. She has a storied career as an ultrarunner but also has sustained some epic injuries along the way. She's taken up…

1
Master's Edition: Timothy Sneed. Overcoming the RUSH 1:28:38

1+ y ago1:28:38

1:28:38

Timothy Sneed, admittedly, dealt with addiction to stimulants, off and on, for years. He is finally clean and is living away from bad influences in Kerrville, Texas. He is wicked fast on 50Ks and loves the trail scene. I cajoled him into doing the Cactus Rose 100K next year and offered to crew for him. I love that runners are so suggestible. (I sho…

1
Extraordinary People: Meg Eckert 1:10:38

1+ y ago1:10:38

1:10:38

Meg Eckert, a native of Spring, Texas, began her running career seven years ago. In that time, she has won a number of long-distance races. Over the New Year's weekend this year, she set the course record for female runners at the Snowdrop 55-hour event, running 100 miles in 16 hours and 6 minutes. She went on to complete 218.87 miles in hours - an…

1
Resolving, Rowing, Running 29:51

1+ y ago29:51

29:51

In this episode, I give a buncha shoutouts. (You might be mentioned) I give big kudos to my friend, Sara Dudzikowski, who finally got to bring home that 100-mile buckle for completing Snowdrop last week. I also shout out to Meg Eckert (who will be next week's guest), who set the 100-mile course record, course distance record (218.87 miles -- forgiv…

1
2023 roundup 27:25

1+ y ago27:25

27:25

This was a weird year: not much running, a lot of introspection, new gym challenges, new goals and dealing with the beast known as menopause. It's not kind, ladies. Also, re-ditched a person who was incredibly selfish and unkind in my life. I don't know why I let myself put up with this nonsense, but I saw through it and stopped it. Anyway, hoping …

1
The Buddy Chat: Angela Coppi Wojcik 39:47

1+ y ago39:47

39:47

I met Angela early on in the Wild Hare 10K at Bluff Creek Ranch. The reason I met her is because I heard this gutteral voice in the woods belonging to our mutual friend, David Salazar. She invited me to join her crew, doing an interval walk-run, which I appreciated. She is fairly new to the trail scene, but plans to do her first 50K next year!…

1
Master's Edition: Robbie De La Rosa. Runs for the Love of the Sport 1:16:01

1+ y ago1:16:01

1:16:01

Robbie has been a friend of mine for a few years. (He made a shirt that I gave to Orville Peck -- long backstory) And, he has proven that he is there for us all. He started out as a runner at a young age and later got into ultrarunning in his 40s. He and his significant other, Ann Ludewig, have gone on many adventures. For him, it's all about the l…

1
In Many Directions, But All Point Forward 26:23

1+ y ago26:23

26:23

I once had a colleague from Southeastern Kentucky who was a master storyteller. She's start in one direction, veer off into left field, go to center field, then right field and manage to tie it all up by the time she got to home plate. Weird analogy, but that's kind of where this episode goes. I talk about staying consistent in November, interval j…

1
The Race of Surprises 26:03

1+ y ago26:03

26:03

I ran my favorite race yesterday -- WildHare. I just did the 10K, but ran into a bunch of friends from the San Antonio Off-Road Runners. Later, I watched a longhorn give birth (see photo) and a marriage proposal. It was an uplifting day after a sort of dark one. Hip feels good, so there's that.

1
This one time at Band Camp 28:31

1+ y ago28:31

28:31

I was privileged to join the Band of Runners this past weekend in Leakey, Texas, for its annual Band Camp. It is a trail running event for veterans and their families. I was a pseudo-mentor, chronicling the event but participating in a group's activities: meal cleanup, prep, yoga, running form, running various courses/miles. I enjoyed it so much. I…

1
Aid Stationing, a Race, and Awards! 24:18

1+ y ago24:18

24:18

Today, I worked a couple of aid stations at the Hill Country Trivium in Marble Falls, Texas. I also got to hand out medals at the finish line. It was so fun to meet people, hear their stories and see them complete their first half, full or 50K. Yesterday, I ran/hiked an 8K (5.2) out at Government Canyon. It felt pretty good, although the arthritic …

1
Special Guest: Christine Foster 43:57

1+ y ago43:57

43:57

Christine Foster is only 29 but she's already tackled three 50Ks. The Cincinnati, Ohio native has always been active and figured doing ultras was a natural next step. She's eyeing 50-milers in the future. Oh, and she said it was a dream to be featured on a podcast. I was happy to oblige. :)

1
Special Master's Edition: Brad and Pamela Toelle. Jiking the Javelina Jundred (K) 1:04:44

1+ y ago1:04:44

1:04:44

It took me a minute to come up with a themed headline that played off of the Javelina Jundred, but here we are. Anyway, Brad and Pamela Toelle, of Kerrville, will tackle this race this coming weekend in Arizona. It will be Brad's first 100K. Pamela, who has finished the Rocky Raccoon 100M, will join her husband on a hike through some beautiful scen…

1
Volunteer Fun and...Body Image Issues 29:56

1+ y ago29:56

29:56

I had a great time volunteering on Saturday at the inaugural Great Springs Trail race in San Marcos. I was the person handing out medals. We got to witness the annualar solar eclipse and everyone finished! Good times. Switching gears....I had an annual physical the other day and it triggered my eating disorder issues, big time. I was deemed "overwe…

1
Forging Ahead, Slowly, Very Slowly 20:41

1+ y ago20:41

20:41

I'm still only running very little once a week, but am optimistic this will gradually increase now that the torrid heat has left for the season -- I hope. I look back on captaining an aid station after its anniversary popped up in my FB memories last week. Oh, and I managed to lock myself out of FB for two, long days after attempting to publish las…

1
The Cedar Choppers and Why I Am Not Cut Out for Trail-Building 21:55

1+ y ago21:55

21:55

I discovered over the weekend that while I can lop branches from cedar trees, doing so in almost 100-degree heat with little shade is not my thing. I learned a few things and enjoyed myself, but once I became overheated, I realized I'm better off serving up drinks and sandwiches and encouragement at aid stations. It's a good discovery to make and i…

1
The Mental Sherpa and Other Stories 23:55

1+ y ago23:55

23:55

It's coming up on the nine-year anniversary of my first 20-miler, with my friend, Orly (aka Hundo). I look back on that experience and talk about the importance of having another person to mentally help you get through something hard. I've mentally Sherpa'd a couple of friends through 100-milers (doing a 20-mile or 31-mile segment -- usually in the…

1
The Top 10 Trails in Texas -- Donna's Version 29:00

1+ y ago29:00

29:00

I didn't have a ton to talk about and then it hit me: why not share my Top 10 favorite places to run trails in Texas? This is highly subjective and limited to my experience. Hint: I'm not a huge fan of those gnarly, super-technical courses, so don't come at me. The majority of these places are venues patronized by Tejas Trails races. BUT, there are…

1
Special Master's Edition: Julie Haynes 54:01

1+ y ago54:01

54:01

Julie Haynes was having pain and sought help from her doctor. "Just don't run," was the advice. Haynes, like a lot of women, hear this sort of thing more often than we'd like. I've had a chiropractor mutter, "We'll see," when I mentioned that I wanted to run again. And, of course, there was a recent incident with an X-ray technician who pointedly a…

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