Most Replayed Episode: Michelino Sunseri, Grand Teton FKT Holder

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He just set a Grand Teton FKT, but what grabbed me most wasn’t the time on the clock. It was the way Michelino “Mike” Sanseri thinks about mountains, suffering, joy, and what it actually takes to become dangerous on a start line without losing yourself along the way.

We talk about how a single run on the Teton Crest Trail and a moment on Hurricane Pass pushed him to leave Tahoe and move to Teton Valley, why trails always felt like home, and why college running on roads and flat paths broke his body year after year. Mike gets real about quitting, the “lost years,” and the surprisingly human way motivation can come back when you finally reconnect with what makes movement feel alive.

From there we trace the messy climb into elite mountain running: early comeback races, learning ultrarunning through painful mistakes, and the competitive edge that helped lead to major results like Speedgoat and Broken Arrow. We also get into The North Face partnership and team culture, ski mountaineering goals (including skiing the Grand Teton), and what it’s like to train where grizzlies, wildfire smoke, and real consequences live right outside the door.

We close with mindset and training lessons you can steal today, including Mike’s “box of matches” metaphor for managing intensity, plus a fun detour into aliens, pyramids, and the simulation question. If you’re into trail running, mountain running, FKTs, ultrarunning training, and big mountain adventure, this one hits. Subscribe, share it with a mountain friend, and leave a quick review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify so more people find the show.

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