In this episode of Pain Cave to Power, Melissa and Brandy take on one of the most urgent safety conversations in the trail and ultra community: the hidden risks that live online.

From invasive DMs to obsessive monitoring, fake accounts, stalking behaviors, and cult followings around charismatic leaders, we explore how digital harassment often becomes real-world danger with real-world effects, especially for women and vulnerable runners.

Together, we examine how much information athletes unintentionally share, how predators exploit digital spaces and vulnerable populations, and why online boundaries are as essential to safety.

This episode is a candid, necessary deep dive into the places the trail community rarely talks about, because safety isn’t just about headlamps and bear spray. It’s about the spaces we occupy online, and the people who may be watching.

Listen now, share widely, and help us make the running world safer on every trail, including the digital ones.

Formerly known as Running Through Life’s Hurdles, the podcast returns for its second season with a new name and deeper purpose — Pain Cave to Power.

In this reimagined season, hosts Melissa Londry — therapist, ultrarunner, and race director — and Brandy Krisher — ultrarunner, massage therapist, coach, and advocate — invite you into the heart of Pain Cave to Power: a space where endurance meets emotion and where we explore both the pain we choose and the pain we never asked for.

Together, Melissa and Brandy unpack the meaning behind “the pain cave”, that raw, transformative space runners know all too well, and how it mirrors life’s hardest moments: trauma, grief, heartbreak, betrayal, and healing.

This conversation sets the tone for what’s ahead... honest, unfiltered discussions about how running can be both refuge and reckoning. Because sometimes the trails we run reflect the emotional terrain we’re still learning to navigate.

In this episode:

• The story behind Pain Cave to Power
• A discussion of the newly published ATRA article: “Running Toward Safety: How Trail Running Is Confronting Harassment and Building Trauma-Informed Communities”
• Why endurance and healing share the same language
• What listeners can expect in future episodes from personal stories to community conversations on trauma, safety, and transformation

Subscribe, share, and step into the cave, because this is where strength begins.

In this insightful episode, we sit down with Rachel Gross, founder of Rachel Gross Nutrition, to discuss her inspiring journey and expert advice on nutrition, wellness, and running. Rachel shares her personal experiences that led her to start her business, highlighting the need she identified in her community for healthier lifestyles amidst constant stressors.

Rachel talks about the wide range of services she offers, including one-on-one nutrition coaching, fitness programming, meal prepping, and accountability groups. She explains how she customizes her approach to meet the unique needs of each client and addresses common misconceptions about meal prepping.

As a seasoned nutrition expert, Rachel provides invaluable tips for athletes looking to optimize their diet for performance and recovery. She explains her philosophy of viewing food as fuel and how she helps clients adopt this mindset for sustained energy and satisfaction.

Throughout the episode, Rachel shares success stories from her clients and discusses her ongoing efforts to stay connected with her community and adapt to their evolving needs. She also gives a glimpse into her future plans for Rachel Gross Nutrition and how she envisions her business growing.

Listeners will walk away with practical tips for starting their own wellness journey, incorporating healthy eating habits into busy schedules, and avoiding common pitfalls. Rachel's passion for her work and dedication to helping others shine through, making this episode a must-listen for anyone interested in nutrition and running.

Tune in to learn from Rachel Gross and discover how you can fuel your body for a healthier, more active lifestyle.

You can find Rachel on her website (www.rachelgrossnutrition.com) Facebook and Instagram @milesacrossthemitten.