April 4, 2025

Episode 134 - The Road to Western States with Mike Dimond

Episode 134 - The Road to Western States with Mike Dimond

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In this episode of The Mile 99 Interview, we sit down with Mike Dimond, a hometown ultrarunner from Auburn, CA, who just punched his ticket to the 2025 Western States 100โ€”not in the main lottery, but through the exclusive M45 Automotive Auburn residents raffle!

A Sacramento Metro firefighter, father, and long-time runner, Mike shares how living in the shadow of the Western States finish line shaped his dream, and how his name being drawn at the post-lottery raffle changed everything.

๐Ÿ”ฅ In This Episode:

  • ๐Ÿ  Auburn Roots โ€“ Mikeโ€™s journey from where he grew up to making a home in the Endurance Capital of the World.
  • ๐Ÿš’ Balancing the Firehouse & the Finish Line โ€“ Insights into life as a Sac Metro firefighter and the delicate balance of career, family, and ultrarunning.
  • ๐Ÿƒโ€โ™‚๏ธ Running Journey โ€“ From school sports to long miles on the trail, and how he first discovered the magic of Western States.
  • ๐ŸŽŸ๏ธ The Lucky Draw โ€“ How the M45 Automotive local raffle gave him an unexpected shot at 100 miles in 2025.
  • ๐Ÿ‹๏ธโ€โ™‚๏ธ Training Talk โ€“ Whoโ€™s helping him prep? What does his training look like? And how do work shifts factor in?
  • ๐Ÿง  Mental Grit โ€“ How Mike deals with setbacks and tough races, and the mindset heโ€™s building for the big day.
  • ๐Ÿฅพ The Support Squad โ€“ Crew, pacers, and the power of local running groups and training partners in the Auburn area.

This episode is a testament to perseverance, community, and what can happen when preparation meets a little bit of lottery luck!

๐Ÿ”— Resources & Mentions:

๐ŸŽง Whether youโ€™re a Western States hopeful or just love a great story from the trail, this one will leave you fired up!
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