Episode 135 with Trailblader Zachary Friedley: Blazing the trail & Redefining Trail Running for Adaptive Athletes

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In this episode we talk with professional trail runner Zachary Friedley about:

• His journey into trail running
• Nutrition wins and challenges faced by adaptive athletes 
• Redefining what it means to move freely on the trails through the Mendocino Movement Project and Born to Adapt Trail Races

Zachary Friedley is a professional trail runner whose life mission is to make trails more accessible to people with disabilities. As a sponsored athlete with On, Zachary is one of a handful above-knee “trailbladers” in the world racing on a professional level, a circumstance he aims to change through his advocacy and DEI work. In 2025, Zachary is collaborating closely with On, other major brands and race organizers to develop new adaptive athlete divisions and policies to welcome disabled runners to major trail racing events around the world. As an athlete, Zachary raced and finished several UTMB World Series races in New Zealand, France, Spain and Switzerland. In 2024 he raced and completed Sierre Zinal in Switzerland. 

Through his nonprofit, Mendocino Movement Project, Zachary hosts multiple trail races called Born to Adapt, which invites adaptive runners of all abilities to get out on the trails. Zachary trains in beautiful Northern California where he lives with his wife, Meagan, and their tiny dog, Cleo.

Please note that this podcast is created strictly for educational purposes and should never be used for medical diagnosis and treatment.

Connect w/ Zach: 

• IG: instagram.com/trailblader 
• Born to Adapt: instagram.com/borntoadapt

Mentioned:

• On: on.com
• NeverSecond: amzn.to/3EHWhVc
• Precision Hydration: amzn.to/4iIiFfd
• Maurten: amzn.to/44JPFQE
• Foam roller: amzn.to/3GJawtp
• Scraper Tool: amzn.to/4jAfabS
• Lacrosse Ball: amzn.to/3RBGPwT
• Keto Brick: ketobrick.com/
• Bulletproof MCT Oil: amzn.to/4iIj1Cz
• Studies surrounding fat adaptation:
  • pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32358802/
  • pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7891450/
  • pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/213263

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