Hi.
I'm a dad. A college professor. A runner. A nobody trying to make sense of things.
I tell stories about topics most people keep to themselves—the unraveling, the shame, the failures, the invisible battles that don’t make it into highlight reels, the messy middle. The unfinished work of being, and the journey of becoming.
Some episodes are pulled straight from my journals. Others are adapted from pages I never thought I’d read out loud. All of it comes from within the storm, raw, reflective, and unfiltered, unpolished pain.
This podcast is for anyone trying to hold it together quietly, thinking no one’s listening. For anyone who feels alone out there, running their own long miles—mentally, emotionally, or literally.
Exploits of a Nobody is part of a new genre called Rough Draft Radio—voice-driven stories told from the middle, not the end. Before the lesson.
In 2020 when the Leadville 100 along with every other race was canceled due to COVID, I figured my season was over. Then an email arrived introducing a virtual challenge I couldn't ignore. Over the next ten weeks, I set out to gain 100,000 feet of elevation in one of the flattest places in America, Houston, Texas. It sounded impossible. It looked ridiculous. And maybe it was. Music in this episode Melancholy woth slight resolve guitar by AndreyPsyche -- https://freesound.org/s/751607/ -- Lice...
25 May 2026
Pedernales Falls 60k: The Night Wouldn’t Save Me
There’s one rule in ultra running: Do nothing new on race day. At the Pedernales Falls 60k, I convinced myself that rule didn’t apply to me. One handheld bottle. No vest. Texas heat. A night race that I thought would get easier once the sun went down. Instead, every small decision started stacking up. What began as a simple training run slowly turned into one of the worst physical experiences I’ve ever had on a trail. Throwing up. Severe cramps. Hallucination-like sensations. And the realizat...
23 Mar 2026
Plastic Plates and Race Buckles
Send us Fan Mail I used to think that when I quit drinking for running, everything would change. It would look like growth. I’d become a better, stronger person… taking control of my life. And it would feel like progress. One day I was looking at the finisher medals hanging on my wall, and I remembered another collection of finisher's medals I had chosen to forget. Three plastic, fake gold plates I had hidden in the garage after I quit drinking. I used to think they had nothing to do with eac...
19 Feb 2026
Big Bend 100k: Just Let It Happen
Send a text Signing up for the Big Bend 100K, I daydreamed about finishing faster, about racing. For years I battled the voices in my head, perfection, and the habit of settling for just finishing. This time something shifted. This isn’t a story of redemption. It’s a story about what happens when the pieces finally come together — and you let it happen. Music and sound effects used in this episode: Stoic guitar by AndreyPsyche -- https://freesound.org/s/751614/ -- License: Attribution N...
4 Dec 2025
Stagecoach 100: Just Keep Moving
Send us a text What if pain isn’t a warning to stop? What if it’s a doorway? A way of stripping away everything we don’t need, the doubt, the shame, the critic? Until all that’s left is the truth: I can keep going. Even when I think I can’t. Stagecoach 100 was a point-to-point ultra that stripped away everything except the truth I didn’t know I was looking for. It left me with questions I can’t shake: What happens when the pain gets louder than the critic? What’s left of us when ego is gone? ...
27 Sept 2025
Messy Middle Pt 2: No More Skin to Scar
Send us a text The messy middle isn’t just pain on the trail. It’s the storm we all try to shortcut. In this episode I dig into the temptation of hacks, pills, and perfection. From chasing sobriety with medication, to chasing races with training plans and calorie cuts, I kept looking for the magic pill that would silence the beast. But shortcuts don’t conquer it. They just make it hungrier. This isn’t a polished success story. It’s relapse, shame, perfectionism, weight obsession, and the ugly...
19 Jul 2025
The Noise I Needed
Send us a text What we listen to while we run says something. Music can be a painkiller, a punch in the gut, and a time machine all at once. Sometimes it’s noise, and worst of all, a crutch. This episode is made up of songs, stories, and one quiet truth: Music is powerful. How we choose to use it can make all the difference. Here's my Spotify playlist, 'Hold Fast and Run like You own it.' https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0vixdeIiXK7dcfv7FLkBEy?si=88e730acd51d430c The list is arranged w...
7 Jun 2025
The Messy middle
The host shares personal experiences navigating the challenging "messy middle" phase of life, exploring themes of pain, vulnerability, and the complexities of support during difficult times.
8 May 2025
This Too Shall Pass: UTMB Canyons 100K
Send us a text Every ultramarathon has a map. But there’s another one we never talk about, the emotional topography. In this episode, I take you mile by mile through the Canyons 100K: a race along the Western States trail that became less about climbing mountains and more about surviving the terrain inside my own head. What started as a hopeful return to long-distance running turned into a raw, unfiltered confrontation with the voices in my head. This isn’t a story about triumph. It’s about t...
14 Mar 2025
Bonus—The Deep Dive – Endurance: A Blessing and a Curse
Send us a text In this follow-up discussion, we go beyond the story and unpack the deeper lessons. Is quitting really failure, or is it sometimes the strongest choice? What are the warning signs we ignore—on the trail and in life? And what “race” are you still running, not because you love it, but because you don’t know how to stop? Join us as we explore endurance, self-identity, and the moments that force us to rethink everything. Follow me here: https://www.instagram.com/exploits_of_a_nobod...
12 Mar 2025
Endurance: A Blessing and a Curse
Send us a text We’re taught that endurance is everything—push harder, suffer through, never quit. But what if endurance isn’t always the answer? What if knowing when to stop is the real strength? In this episode, I reflect on a race I never expected to DNF, the ghost of my past self on the trail, and the fine line between resilience and self-destruction. Whether on the course, in careers, or in relationships, when does perseverance serve us—and when does it trap us? What race are you still ru...
9 Feb 2025
Running Beyond the Medal: 50K Without a Finish Line
Send us a text Six months after quitting a virtual 50-miler, I set out to run a 50K training run—no race, no medal, no finish line celebration. Just me, the trail, and the question: Can I show up and push myself when no one’s watching? What started as a test of physical endurance became something more—a shift in how I viewed running, purpose, and accountability. This is the story of how a failed race, a not-so-quiet 31 mile run redefined what truly matters. piano_05.wav by nerzalt_33 -- https...
5 Dec 2024
The Mountain Will Have It's Way
Leadville 100 ultra-runner shares the raw story of how she overcame addiction, identity struggles, and the impossible trail to find resilience and relentless progress.
22 Oct 2024
Self-Awareness And The Colorado Bend 60k
I wrote this entry July 19, 2021, revisiting it multiple times over the years, feeling it wasn’t clearly communicating what happened out there that night, and how I felt about it. Five years later, I finally feel I can articulate what happened. I’ve never had another experience like it. Running is my daily ritual, and the trail is my church—a place I control. When race day comes, I strive to leave all my worries at the start line, running with a clear, undistracted mind. But that night, ...
17 Sept 2024
The Run That Started It All
In 2009 my brother called and asked me if I wanted to run a half marathon with him. What started as an impulsive commitment to my brother quickly became a test of endurance, pain, and willpower. From the exhilarating start fueled by salty ocean air to the agonizing finish, I share the highs and lows of this unforgettable journey. Despite cramps, burning lungs, and a fleeting desire to quit, my brother's unwavering support pushed me to the finish line. Join me as I reflect on the adventure, ch...
26 Aug 2024
My First Bandera 100k, 2020
In 2019, recently sober, I signed up for my first 100k distance trail run. I had a history of running a few shorter trail distances and many years of road half marathons. I thought I knew what I was getting myself into until the wheels began to fall off later in the race.Through this audio blog I revisit my journal entries exploring running, sobriety, recovery, failure, success, and self-discovery as a slightly behind the middle of the pack runner.Please make sure to subscribe through your fa...
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
2 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 19 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
6
Social presence
91
YouTube
0
Engagement
32
Contact Exploits of A Nobody
Guest appearances
Does not typically book guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Host of Exploits of A Nobody?
Claim your podcast to manage its listing and keep your show details accurate.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
