This week's conversation with Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows is a follow-up to Episode 226, which was released back in August. In this one, we discuss how Jennifer spent her sabbatical over the summer and what she experienced visiting various run crews around the country (and even a couple internationally). She told me about what she hoped to get out of the trip, the feelings of culture, connection, and belonging she experienced along the way, how it all impacted her, what surprised her, and a lot more. This episode is brought to you by:— Tracksmith. If you buy anything on Tracksmith.com, and you’re doing so for the first time, use the code MarioNEW to save $15 on your order of $75 or more. If you’re already a Tracksmith customer, use the code MarioGIVE and you can get free shipping on your next order and 5% of your purchase will go to support the Friendly House in Worcester, Massachusetts, an organization that is near and dear to me.Click here for complete show notes and sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I recently sat down with my good friend and frequent podcast guest Simon Freeman, the co-founder, editor, and publisher of my favorite running magazine, Like The Wind, for the fourth and final installment (for this year, anyway) of our yet-to-be named quarterly conversation, which you can listen to wherever you get the morning shakeout podcast. An excerpt of this exchange can be found in Issue #38 of LtW, which comes out later this week. (You can buy a copy or subscribe here.) This time around, Simon proposed a philosophical discussion about seasonality and consistency and I was all about it. We talked about when to rest and when to build, running as a means to an end versus running as a lifestyle, the “flywheel effect,” and more.This episode is brought to you by:— Tracksmith. If you buy anything on Tracksmith.com, and you’re doing so for the first time, use the code MarioNEW to save $15 on your order of $75 or more. If you’re already a Tracksmith customer, use the code MarioGIVE and you can get free shipping on your next order and 5% of your purchase will go to support the Friendly House in Worcester, Massachusetts, an organization that is near and dear to me.Click here for complete show notes and sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, I sat down with my right-hand man Chris Douglas and answered questions about the Olympic Trials Marathon start-time controversy, things I’ve changed my mind on, the importance of the weekly long run, time versus distance-based training prescriptions, and a lot more.Thank you to everyone who submitted questions and apologies for all the ones I wasn’t able to answer in this episode. Got a question for the next Ask Mario Episode? Send it to me here.This episode is brought to you by:— Tracksmith. If you buy anything on Tracksmith.com, and you’re doing so for the first time, use the code MarioNEW to save $15 on your order of $75 or more. If you’re already a Tracksmith customer, use the code MarioGIVE and you can get free shipping on your next order and 5% of your purchase will go to support the Friendly House in Worcester, Massachusetts, an organization that is near and dear to me.Click here for complete show notes and sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's episode of the podcast with Megan Young, Performance Coach with the Seattle Sounders professional soccer club. Megan is a rockstar with 15 years of experience working in collegiate athletics, and men’s and women’s professional soccer. She’s the 2023 National Strength and Conditioning Association Professional Coach of the Year and a voracious learner with numerous degrees and certifications on her resume. This was the first time I’ve ever spoken to Megan and it felt like catching up with an old friend. Megan has an incredible story and mission. In addition to her coaching successes, she was a collegiate thrower at UNC-Wilmington, she’s survived acute myeloid leukemia, and, as she wrote to me in some of our initial correspondence, her purpose in life is “building community and impacting others through education of a high performance lifestyle.”We covered a lot of ground in this conversation, including where her insatiable appetite for learning comes from, the importance of establishing effective communication strategies with athletes and colleagues, and what she means by living a high-performance lifestyle. Megan told me who and what opened her eyes toward coaching as a career path, what that path has looked like for her over the past 15 years, and why she believes coaches need coaches. She also talked about the importance of care and connection in the role of a coach, understanding the difference between passion and purpose, her personal goal to impact 100 million lives through her work, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by:— Tracksmith. If you buy anything on Tracksmith.com, and you’re doing so for the first time, use the code MarioNEW to save $15 on your order of $75 or more. If you’re already a Tracksmith customer, use the code MarioGIVE and you can get free shipping on your next order and 5% of your purchase will go to support the Friendly House in Worcester, Massachusetts, an organization that is near and dear to me.Click here for complete show notes and sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's episode of the podcast is with Stuart McMillan, widely regarded as one of the best sprint coaches in the world. Stu has worked with both professional and amateur athletes in a variety of sports with a focus on power and speed development. He’s personally coached over 70 Olympians at nine Olympic Games, over 30 of whom have won Olympic medals. In addition to his hands-on work with athletes, Stu runs ALTIS, an organization that trains athletes and educates coaches to perform at the highest level.In this conversation, which easily would have gone another couple hours if we hadn’t run out of time, Stu and I cover a wide range of topics, from coffee and music to Stu’s former life as a DJ. We get into all things coaching, including how Stu got his start and how his approach has evolved over the past 30 years, creativity and how it influences his work, the role of the “philosopher-coach” and putting an emphasis on critical thinking and question asking, taking a systems approach to working with athletes and life in general, and so, so much more.This episode is brought to you by:— Tracksmith. If you buy anything on Tracksmith.com, and you’re doing so for the first time, use the code MarioNEW to save $15 on your order of $75 or more. If you’re already a Tracksmith customer, use the code MarioGIVE and you can get free shipping on your next order and 5% of your purchase will go to support the Friendly House in Worcester, Massachusetts, an organization that is near and dear to me.Click here for complete show notes and sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week I had an awesome conversation with Don Swartz, who coaches my wife’s Masters swimming program at North Bay Aquatics in Marin County, California, and is someone I respect, admire, and try to emulate in my own life. Don was inducted into the American Swimming Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2013, he coached several swimmers to Olympic, World Championship and Pan-American teams in the early-to-mid 1970s, not to mention a handful of world records (including Rick Demont in the 400m freestyle when he became the first person in history to break 4 minutes in the event), and he’s widely credited with revolutionizing modern-day swim training with the introduction and implementation of cycle training (i.e. alternating hard days with easy days) in the early 1970s. At 77 years old Don is still on the deck, coaching both youth and Masters athletes at North Bay, and he’s beloved by his athletes and fellow coaches alike. I recently sat down with Don for a couple hours at his kitchen table to talk about his coaching journey, how he approaches working with swimmers despite never being a competitive swimmer himself, founding the Creative Performance Institute in the 1970s and teaching the mental side of sport to coaches and athletes, how he stays sharp, what keeps him going, and a lot more. This episode of the podcast is the second installment of the Coach-to-Coach series and it’s an instant all-timer (it’s got some Frank Gagliano vibes to it), full of amazing stories, anecdotes, and practical applications for coaches, leaders, and community builders across a wide range of domains.This episode is brought to you by:— Tracksmith. If you buy anything on Tracksmith.com, and you’re doing so for the first time, use the code MarioNEW to save $15 on your order of $75 or more. If you’re already a Tracksmith customer, use the code MarioGIVE and you can get free shipping on your next order and 5% of your purchase will go to support the Friendly House in Worcester, Massachusetts, an organization that is near and dear to me.— Goodr. Goodr sunglasses are just the best! They don’t bounce, they don’t slip, they’re polarized to protect your eyes, and they come in a nice range of styles and fun colors. They’re also the most affordable performance shades on the planet with most pairs costing only $25 to $35 bucks a piece. If you want to support the morning shakeout and treat yourself to a pair of goodrs, head over to goodr.com/MARIO or enter the code MARIO15 at checkout to get free shipping on your order. Look good, run goodr!Click here for complete show notes and sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week I had a wonderful conversation with my good friend Brad Stulberg. Brad, who works as a writer and performance coach, is my first four-time guest and his episodes are some of the most listened to in the six-year history of the show. In this one, the first installment of a new series I’m calling Coach to Coach, Brad and I discuss the craft of coaching and highlight the parallels and through lines that exist between working with athletes and working with executives and entrepreneurs. We also dive into his new book, Master of Change, and talk about how to navigate change: personally, professionally, athletically, and societally. Brad explains the concept of what he calls “rugged flexibility,” he differentiates between responding and reacting to things that happen to us, and a lot more. Brad’s been on a lot of podcasts of late (and they’re all really great!) but I promise you this conversation is very different from the other ones you may have listened to already.This episode is brought to you by:— Tracksmith. If you buy anything on Tracksmith.com, and you’re doing so for the first time, use the code MarioNEW to save $15 on your order of $75 or more. If you’re already a Tracksmith customer, use the code MarioGIVE and you can get free shipping on your next order and 5% of your purchase will go to support the Friendly House in Worcester, Massachusetts, an organization that is near and dear to me.— Goodr. Goodr sunglasses are just the best! They don’t bounce, they don’t slip, they’re polarized to protect your eyes, and they come in a nice range of styles and fun colors. They’re also the most affordable performance shades on the planet with most pairs costing only $25 to $35 bucks a piece. If you want to support the morning shakeout and treat yourself to a pair of goodrs, head over to goodr.com/MARIO or enter the code MARIO15 at checkout to get free shipping on your order. Look good, run goodr!Click here for complete show notes, sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday, and/or join our growing community on Patreon, where you'll also gain access to exclusive content and other perks that pop up from time to time.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I recently sat down with my good friend and three-time podcast guest Simon Freeman, the co-founder, editor, and publisher of my favorite running magazine, Like The Wind, for the third installment of our unnamed quarterly conversation. An excerpt of this exchange can be found in Issue #36 of LtW, which comes out later this week. (You can buy a copy or subscribe here.) In this one, Simon and I talk all about defining yourself a runner, why many runners tend to identify themselves in a particular way, how identity influences the products you buy and the content you consume, the importance of diversifying your interests and pursuits in the sport, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by:— Tracksmith. If you buy anything on Tracksmith.com, and you’re doing so for the first time, use the code MarioNEW to save $15 on your order of $75 or more. If you’re already a Tracksmith customer, use the code MarioGIVE and you can get free shipping on your next order and 5% of your purchase will go to support the Friendly House in Worcester, Massachusetts, an organization that is near and dear to me.— Goodr. Goodr sunglasses are just the best! They don’t bounce, they don’t slip, they’re polarized to protect your eyes, and they come in a nice range of styles and fun colors. They’re also the most affordable performance shades on the planet with most pairs costing only $25 to $35 bucks a piece. If you want to support the morning shakeout and treat yourself to a pair of goodrs, head over to goodr.com/MARIO or enter the code MARIO15 at checkout to get free shipping on your order. Look good, run goodr!Click here for complete show notes, sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday, and/or join our growing community on Patreon, where you'll also gain access to exclusive content and other perks that pop up from time to time.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows is a runner and serves as Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis. I’ve always appreciated her perspective on running, the industry, and this beautiful and messy path we’re all navigating called life. This is actually the first of what will be a two-part conversation. In this one, we set the table: Get to know Jennifer a little bit, learn more about her paths to becoming a runner and a member of the clergy, and hear us talk about running, community, belonging and the various ways those things all intersect and interact with one another. It left me excited for part two, which we’ll record later this year and I’ll release in November sometime. In that one, we’ll talk specifically about the crews and clubs Jennifer visited with, who she met, what she experienced, and what she took away from it all.This episode is brought to you by:— Tracksmith. If you buy anything on Tracksmith.com, and you’re doing so for the first time, use the code MarioNEW to save $15 on your order of $75 or more. If you’re already a Tracksmith customer, use the code MarioGIVE and you can get free shipping on your next order and 5% of your purchase will go to support the Friendly House in Worcester, Massachusetts, an organization that is near and dear to me.— Goodr. Goodr sunglasses are just the best! They don’t bounce, they don’t slip, they’re polarized to protect your eyes, and they come in a nice range of styles and fun colors. They’re also the most affordable performance shades on the planet with most pairs costing only $25 to $35 bucks a piece. If you want to support the morning shakeout and treat yourself to a pair of goodrs, head over to goodr.com/MARIO or enter the code MARIO15 at checkout to get free shipping on your order. Look good, run goodr!Click here for complete show notes, sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday, and/or join our growing community on Patreon, where you'll also gain access to exclusive content and other perks that pop up from time to time.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, my right-hand man Chris Douglas serves me up some listener questions in an old-school Ask Mario Anything episode of the podcast. In this one, I answer inquiries about my favorite books, “lighthouses” in my life, breaking through in the marathon, returning to running after a stress fracture, and a lot more. This episode is brought to you by:— Tracksmith. Tracksmith's new Spring Collection is now available, featuring a colorful refresh of some of my favorite training staples. If you buy anything on Tracksmith.com, and you’re doing so for the first time, use the code MarioNEW to save $15 on your order of $75 or more. If you’re already a Tracksmith customer, use the code MarioGIVE and you can get free shipping on your next order and 5% of your purchase will go to support the Friendly House in Worcester, Massachusetts, an organization that is near and dear to me.— Goodr. Goodr sunglasses are just the best! They don’t bounce, they don’t slip, they’re polarized to protect your eyes, and they come in a nice range of styles and fun colors. They’re also the most affordable performance shades on the planet with most pairs costing only $25 to $35 bucks a piece. If you want to support the morning shakeout and treat yourself to a pair of goodrs, head over to goodr.com/MARIO or enter the code MARIO15 at checkout to get free shipping on your order. Look good, run goodr!Click here for complete show notes, sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday, and/or join our growing community on Patreon, where you'll also gain access to exclusive content and other perks that pop up from time to time.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I recently sat down with my good friend and three-time podcast guest Simon Freeman, the co-founder, editor, and publisher of my favorite running magazine, Like The Wind, for the second installment of our yet-to-be named quarterly conversation, which you can listen to wherever you get the morning shakeout podcast or at this handy link. An excerpt of this exchange can be found in Issue #36 of LtW, which comes out later this week. In this one, Simon and I talk all about coaching: our experiences with being coached and what we got out of them, the different forms that coaching takes, the impact a coach can have on an athlete, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by:— Tracksmith. Tracksmith's new Spring Collection is now available, featuring a colorful refresh of some of my favorite training staples. If you buy anything on Tracksmith.com, and you’re doing so for the first time, use the code MarioNEW to save $15 on your order of $75 or more. If you’re already a Tracksmith customer, use the code MarioGIVE and you can get free shipping on your next order and 5% of your purchase will go to support the Friendly House in Worcester, Massachusetts, an organization that is near and dear to me.Click here for complete show notes, sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday, and/or join our growing community on Patreon, where you'll also gain access to exclusive content and other perks that pop up from time to time.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My guest on the podcast this week is my friend Randy Ashley, one of the most incredible, unassuming, and relatively unheralded coaches I know. He’s worked with—and continues to work with—athletes of all ages and ability levels, from beginners to Olympic Trials qualifiers, and national champions. He spends most of his time these days as the head track and cross country coach at Christ School, a private boys institution in Asheville, North Carolina, where he’s had 8 kids win 24 state championships along with 4 state team titles in the eight years he’s been at the helm. Just a few weeks ago, one of his athletes, Rocky Hansen, became the 18th American high school boy—and first from North Carolina—to break the 4-minute mile. Beyond his charges’ amazing athletic achievements, Randy teaches them the skills they need to be successful in the rest of their lives as well. His kids aren’t just great racers, they’re top-notch human beings too. In this conversation, Randy and I talk a little about how he got into coaching before discussing all things related to working with high school athletes: keeping it fun, building and maintaining team culture, dealing with the pressures of social media, interacting with parents, generalization versus specialization, how he thinks about training, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by:— Tracksmith. Tracksmith's new Spring Collection is now available, featuring a colorful refresh of some of my favorite training staples. If you buy anything on Tracksmith.com, and you’re doing so for the first time, use the code MarioNEW to save $15 on your order of $75 or more. If you’re already a Tracksmith customer, use the code MarioGIVE and you can get free shipping on your next order and 5% of your purchase will go to support the Friendly House in Worcester, Massachusetts, an organization that is near and dear to me.— Goodr. Goodr sunglasses are just the best! They don’t bounce, they don’t slip, they’re polarized to protect your eyes, and they come in a nice range of styles and fun colors. They’re also the most affordable performance shades on the planet with most pairs costing only $25 to $35 bucks a piece. If you want to support the morning shakeout and treat yourself to a pair of goodrs, head over to goodr.com/MARIO or enter the code MARIO15 at checkout to get free shipping on your order. Look good, run goodr!Click here for complete show notes, sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday, and/or join our growing community on Patreon, where you'll also gain access to exclusive content and other perks that pop up from time to time.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode of the podcast is the fourth installment of a new 4-part series I’m calling Pillars of Performance. The main objective behind this series is to go deep with experts in the areas of training, strength and conditioning/injury prevention, sports psychology, and nutrition, i.e., the four pillars that support a foundation of sustainable performance no matter what event you’re training for or what level of runner you are.My guest for this one is Starla Garcia, an Olympic Trials marathoner, registered dietician, and body and cultural diversity advocate. After sharing her story of how she got into running and eventually became a dietician, Starla and I talk all things nutrition and fueling for runners: maintaining a healthy relationship with food, being comfortable in your own body, how and when to fuel in training and in racing, eating for performance and recovery, hydration and electrolyte replenishment, different considerations for women versus men, supplementation, and much more. This episode is brought to you by:— Tracksmith. Tracksmith's new Spring Collection is now available, featuring a colorful refresh of some of my favorite training staples. If you buy anything on Tracksmith.com, and you’re doing so for the first time, use the code MarioNEW to save $15 on your order of $75 or more. If you’re already a Tracksmith customer, use the code MarioGIVE and you can get free shipping on your next order and 5% of your purchase will go to support the Friendly House in Worcester, Massachusetts, an organization that is near and dear to me.— Goodr. Goodr sunglasses are just the best! They don’t bounce, they don’t slip, they’re polarized to protect your eyes, and they come in a nice range of styles and fun colors. They’re also the most affordable performance shades on the planet with most pairs costing only $25 to $35 bucks a piece. If you want to support the morning shakeout and treat yourself to a pair of goodrs, head over to goodr.com/MARIO or enter the code MARIO15 at checkout to get free shipping on your order. Look good, run goodr!Click here for complete show notes, sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday, and/or join our growing community on Patreon, where you'll also gain access to exclusive content and other perks that pop up from time to time.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode of the podcast is the third installment of a new 4-part series I’m calling Pillars of Performance. The main objective behind this series is to go deep with experts in the areas of training, strength and conditioning/injury prevention, sports psychology, and nutrition, i.e., the four pillars that support a foundation of sustainable performance no matter what event you’re training for or what level of runner you are.My guest for this one is Dr. Justin Ross, an avid endurance athlete and licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in health, wellness, and human performance psychology. In this conversation we bust some myths about sports psychology, unpack what it means to be a mentally tough athlete, discuss how to approach goal-setting and performance standards, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by:— Tracksmith. Tracksmith's new Spring Collection is now available, featuring a colorful refresh of some of my favorite training staples. I recently raced both an indoor mile and a road half marathon in the Allston Half Tights, which are my go-to for races and speed workouts. It's everything you could ever want in a half tight and then some! If you buy anything on Tracksmith.com, and you’re doing so for the first time, use the code MarioNEW to save $15 on your order of $75 or more. If you’re already a Tracksmith customer, use the code MarioGIVE and you can get free shipping on your next order and 5% of your purchase will go to support the Friendly House in Worcester, Massachusetts, an organization that is near and dear to me.— Goodr. Goodr sunglasses are just the best! They don’t bounce, they don’t slip, they’re polarized to protect your eyes, and they come in a nice range of styles and fun colors. They’re also the most affordable performance shades on the planet with most pairs costing only $25 to $35 bucks a piece. If you want to support the morning shakeout and treat yourself to a pair of goodrs, head over to goodr.com/MARIO or enter the code MARIO15 at checkout to get free shipping on your order. Look good, run goodr!Click here for complete show notes, sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday, and/or join our growing community on Patreon, where you'll also gain access to exclusive content and other perks that pop up from time to time.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode of the podcast is the second installment of a new 4-part series I’m calling Pillars of Performance. The main objective behind this series is to go deep with experts in the areas of training, strength and conditioning/injury prevention, sports psychology, and nutrition, i.e., the four pillars that support a foundation of sustainable performance no matter what event you’re training for or what level of runner you are.My guest for this one is Anh Bui, Doctor of Physical Therapy, 2:53 marathoner, running coach, and certified strength and conditioning specialist. In this conversation, we discuss what it means to run resiliently, how to understand the difference between injury pain and normal aches, why strength training is important for runners (and how to best fit it into the week), the importance of pre-run activation exercises, considerations for Masters athletes, and much more. This episode is brought to you by:— Tracksmith. Tracksmith's new Spring Collection is now available, featuring a colorful refresh of some of my favorite training staples. I recently raced both an indoor mile and a road half marathon in the Allston Half Tights, which are my go-to for races and speed workouts. It's everything you could ever want in a half tight and then some! If you buy anything on Tracksmith.com, and you’re doing so for the first time, use the code MarioNEW to save $15 on your order of $75 or more. If you’re already a Tracksmith customer, use the code MarioGIVE and you can get free shipping on your next order and 5% of your purchase will go to support the Friendly House in Worcester, Massachusetts, an organization that is near and dear to me.Click here for complete show notes, sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday, and/or join our growing community on Patreon, where you'll also gain access to exclusive content and other perks that pop up from time to time.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode of the podcast is the first installment of a new 4-part series I’m calling Pillars of Performance. The main objective behind this series is to go deep with experts in the areas of training, strength and conditioning/injury prevention, sports psychology, and nutrition, i.e., the four pillars that support a foundation of sustainable performance no matter what event you’re training for or what level of runner you are.My guest for this one is Mark Coogan, coach of Team New Balance Boston and co-author of the new book, Personal Best Running: Coach Coogan’s Strategies for the Mile to the Marathon. (You can learn more about Mark’s background as an athlete and coach on Episode 165 of the podcast.) In this conversation, Mark and I discuss his book, get into his training principles and the influences behind them, the importance of effort over exactitude, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by:— Tracksmith. Tracksmith's new Spring Collection is now available, featuring a colorful refresh of some of my favorite training staples. I recently raced both an indoor mile and a road half marathon in the Allston Half Tights, which are my go-to for races and speed workouts. It's everything you could ever want in a half tight and then some! If you buy anything on Tracksmith.com, and you’re doing so for the first time, use the code MarioNEW to save $15 on your order of $75 or more. If you’re already a Tracksmith customer, use the code MarioGIVE and you can get free shipping on your next order and 5% of your purchase will go to support the Friendly House in Worcester, Massachusetts, an organization that is near and dear to me.Click here for complete show notes, sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday, and/or join our growing community on Patreon, where you'll also gain access to exclusive content and other perks that pop up from time to time.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, I sat down with my good friend and two-time podcast guest Simon Freeman, the co-founder, editor, and publisher of my favorite running magazine, Like The Wind, which just celebrated its ninth birthday. For the past couple issues of LtW, Simon and I have had a conversation about a particular topic in running, which he recorded, transcribed, and published an excerpt of in the magazine. We did the same for Issue #34, which comes out on March 1, and decided to publish the entire audio conversation—which is what you’re about to listen to—as a podcast to complement the excerpt that ends up in the magazine.In this episode, Simon and I had a great exchange about emerging footwear, apparel, and media brands and trends in the running space. It’s very much two friends with a lot of industry experience just shooting the shit and speculating about what we’re seeing and we hope you enjoy being a fly on the wall for it. The plan is to do publish these candid conversations as a podcast to coincide with the release of the latest issue of Like The Wind, which happens on a quarterly basis throughout the year, so there will be 3 more of these over the next 10 months.This episode of the podcast is brought to you by:the morning shakeout's partner brands, all of which have missions I believe in and products that I trust and use myself on a regular basis. One of the best ways to support the newsletter and podcast is by patronizing the partners that help keep them going week in and week out. Check out some of the discount codes and special offers available exclusively to readers and listeners of the morning shakeout below.Click here for complete show notes, sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday, and/or join our growing community on Patreon. Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This final episode of 2022 is a compilation of highlights from 12 of the most impactful conversations I’ve had over the past 12 months. As I’ve written in years past, putting this annual episode together is equal parts exciting and impossible. It’s a treat to revisit all of these exchanges but it’s also a tough task to pick 12 that stood out. Each and every person that's been gracious enough to give me an hour or two of their time has taught me, inspired me, entertained me, moved me, or changed me in some way—and it’s my hope that they’ve done the same for you. This year's "best of" lineup, in order of release date, are: Bolota Asmerom, Luis Grijalva, Amy Leedham, Phil Shin, Nell Rojas, Tommy Rivs, Jinghuan Liu Tervalon, Tommie Runz, Peter Gilmore, Alison Mariella Désir, Chris Mosier, and Marielle Hall.This episode is brought to you by:— New Balance. TheFreshFoam X 1080 v12 is the shoe I run most of my miles in and it holds up week in and week out. The FuelCell Rebel v3 is my go-to go-fast shoe for workouts. And finally, the soon-to-be released FuelCell SC Elite v3 is my racer. Check 'em out at your favorite run specialty store or on newbalance.com.— Precision Fuel & Hydration. Check out this webinar on fueling and hydration for marathons and ultras or these articles about carbohydrate needs and how to train your gut to take in more fuel. The Fuel & Hydration Planner is a great tool to dial in your fueling and hydration needs. Use the code TMS22 when you check out at precisionfuelandhydration.com and save 15% off your first order.Click here for complete show notes. Music and editing for this episode by John Summerford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I’m excited to bring you the 11th and final installment of Common Ground for 2022, a monthly podcast co-hosted by me and Dinée Dorame of the Grounded Podcast. In this year-end episode, we talk about our running highlights of the year, podcast highlights of the year, music highlights of the year, and a lot more.Click here for complete show notes, sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday, and/or join our growing community on Patreon, where you'll also gain access to exclusive content like The Weekly Rundown, my Patreon-only podcast with Billy Yang, a live monthly Coaches' Corner discussion, and other perks that pop up from time to time.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Grounded Podcast theme music by Jacob Shije (Santa Clara Pueblo, NM) and used with permission. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week’s Re-Run is with Bria Wetsch, who just a few weeks ago finished fourth at the U.S. Marathon Championships at CIM in a new personal best of 2:28.35. We recorded this episode in April 2020, at the very beginning of the pandemic, not long after Bria had finished 27th at the U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon in Atlanta.I’m bringing back this conversation because of how honest and raw it was. In it, Bria told me about experiencing success at a young age and how she struggled to separate her identity and self-worth from her running results. She also recounts her experience recovering from double achilles surgery in 2017 and coming back to run a marathon PR 13 months later. She explained why she’s stuck with the sport despite various struggles over the past 20 years. Bria opened up about her fear of failure and battling perfectionism—but also how she learned to let go a few years ago and what that did for her relationship with running and competition, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by:— Tracksmith. The Turnover Tights are the perfect option for chilly morning runs this time of year. They feature a soft brushed back for a comfortable feel on the skin and a spacious rear pocket for storing cards, keys, nutrition, your phone, or whatever you want to stuff in there. During the month of December, visit tracksmith.com/mario and use code “Mario22” at checkout for free shipping on your order—also, 5% of your purchase will go to support the Friendly House in Worcester, Massachusetts, an organization that is ear and dear to me. — Precision Fuel & Hydration. Precision Fuel and Hydration makes the best fueling and hydration products for training and racing, and they also provide invaluable education for endurance athletes at all levels. We recently held a webinar on fueling and hydration for marathons and ultras, and they’ve also posted articles about carbohydrate needs and how to train your gut to take in more fuel, all of which I’ve linked to in the show notes for this episode. Also be sure to check out their Fuel & Hydration Planner, which is a great tool that you can use to dial in your fueling and hydration needs for training and racing with incredible precision. If you want to pick up some product for yourself, use the code TMS22 when you check out at precisionfuelandhydration.com and save 15% off your first order. Click here for complete show notes, sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday, and/or join our growing community on Patreon, where you'll also gain access to exclusive content and other perks that pop up from time to time.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s been a busy fall and I haven’t been recording many new episodes of the podcast these last couple of months, so I’m re-running a few of my favorite conversations from years past. This week’s is with Mike Smith, who is the director of cross-country and track and field at Northern Arizona University. We recorded this episode over 2-1/2 years ago in the early stages of the pandemic. Mike is arguably the top collegiate distance running coach in the country. His NAU men’s cross-country team has won the national title six of the past seven years. His women’s squad finished sixth this past fall, their highest placing since 2007. Mike has been named National Men's Coach of the Year five times, and is only the second coach to win this award three years in a row. I’ve been following Mike’s career since the mid-1990s when we were both running as high schoolers in small-town Central Massachusetts. This is a conversation about the path Mike’s followed to get where he is today, and who and what have influenced him along the way. It’s also a conversation about his approach to coaching, running, competition, and life that I personally took a lot away from and I know you will too. This episode is brought to you by:— Tracksmith. The Turnover Tights are the perfect option for chilly morning runs this time of year. They feature a soft brushed back for a comfortable feel on the skin and a spacious rear pocket for storing cards, keys, nutrition, your phone, or whatever you want to stuff in there. During the month of December, visit tracksmith.com/mario and use code “Mario22” at checkout for free shipping on your order—also, 5% of your purchase will go to support the Friendly House in Worcester, Massachusetts, an organization that is ear and dear to me. Click here for complete show notes, sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday, and/or join our growing community on Patreon, where you'll also gain access to exclusive content and other perks that pop up from time to time.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week I’m re-running a conversation I had over three years ago with Chelsea Sodaro, who recently won the Ironman World Championships in Kona. When this episode originally went live in April of 2019, Chelsea hadn’t done an Ironman yet and she wasn’t even a household name in triathlon at the time. Nor was she a mom, which is a big part of what made her most recent victory so special and impressive. In this conversation, we talked about how Chelsea got into running—for those of you who don’t know, before she was a champion triathlete, Chelsea was a world-class runner and a two-time national champion on the roads and track—why she transitioned into triathlon, and where she gets her competitive drive from. Chelsea told me how she’s dealt with injury throughout her career and the special relationship she has with Olympian Magdalena Boulet. We also discussed why she felt so alone and empty immediately after winning her first triathlon, the advice she’d give her younger self, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by:— Tracksmith. The Turnover Tights are the perfect option for chilly morning runs this time of year. They feature a soft brushed back for a comfortable feel on the skin and a spacious rear pocket for storing cards, keys, nutrition, your phone, or whatever you want to stuff in there. During the month of December, visit tracksmith.com/mario and use code “Mario22” at checkout for free shipping on your order—also, 5% of your purchase will go to support the Friendly House in Worcester, Massachusetts, an organization that is ear and dear to me. — Goodr. Goodr sunglasses are just the best! They don’t bounce, they won’t slip, and they’re polarized to protect your eyes. Best of all they’re super affordable with most pairs coming in at just 25-35 bucks a piece. if you’d like to support me and the podcast, go over to goodr.com/MARIO and use the code Mario15 to get free shipping on your entire order.Click here for complete show notes, sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday, and/or join our growing community on Patreon, where you'll also gain access to exclusive content and other perks that pop up from time to time.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I’m excited to bring you the 10th installment of Common Ground, a monthly podcast co-hosted by me and Dinée Dorame of the Grounded Podcast. In this episode, we talk about our respective experiences at the New York City Marathon, we geek out on some recent cross-country action, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by:— New Balance. The new FuelCell Rebel v3 from New Balance is everything I enjoyed about its predecessor but with a more supportive upper, a little more cushion underfoot, and a more durable outsole. What it doesn’t have is much more weight, checking in at under 8 ounces, making it a great go-fast shoe for tempo runs, track workouts, and interval sessions on the road. The FuelCell Rebel v3 is available in both men’s and women’s sizes on newbalance.com or at your favorite run specialty retail store.Click here for complete show notes, sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday, and/or join our growing community on Patreon, where you'll also gain access to exclusive content like The Weekly Rundown, my Patreon-only podcast with Billy Yang, a live monthly Coaches' Corner discussion, and other perks that pop up from time to time.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Grounded Podcast theme music by Jacob Shije (Santa Clara Pueblo, NM) and used with permission. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Heading into this holiday week we’re going to re-run one of my favorite episodes of the podcast from years past. This one is from January 2020 and it’s with Fernando Cabada, a former professional distance runner who is still competing at an elite level. In fact, Fernando is now one of the fastest Masters runners in the country, running 2:16:51 at Grandmas Marathon back in June to qualify for the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon. He’s also the Masters American record-holder for 50K, running 2:57:35 earlier this year.In this conversation, which we recorded in-person in his hometown of Fresno, California, Fernando told me about his rough upbringing in Fresno, where he suffered abuse at the hands of his father, to the close relationship he has with his mother and how that’s even strengthened in recent years. We talked about being embarrassed by who he was as a kid and how he’s worked to put that behind him later in life. He told me why finishing second in a school yard race as a 9-year-old was the best day of his life to that point. Fernando explains why he was feeling more depressed than ever in 2014 despite it being his best year of racing ever, and how he picked himself up afterward and found a way forward. We also discussed his relationship with running, the place it occupies in his life, and a heck of a lot more.This episode is brought to you by:— New Balance. The new FuelCell SC Elite v3 is going to be the shoe that I race the Boston Marathon in next April. It’s a next-level racing shoe with a carbon fiber plate and plenty of lightweight foam underfoot for a cushioned yet responsive ride. Right now there are select sizes remaining in an exclusive New York City Marathon colorway available on newbalance.com, so try and snatch them up before the holidays if you can, and they’ll be more widely available in early 2023. — Goodr. Goodr sunglasses are just the best! And this coming weekend, from Black Friday through Cyber Monday only, Goodr will be offering 20% off their entire product line, so if you’re in the market for some fresh shades that won’t bounce, don’t slip, and are polarized to protect your eyes, go to goodr.com and fill up your cart. Also, if you’d like to support me and the podcast, go over to goodr.com/MARIO and use the code Mario15 to get free shipping on your entire order.Click here for complete show notes, sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday, and/or join our growing community on Patreon, where you'll also gain access to exclusive content and other perks that pop up from time to time.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week I’m sharing the latest episode of the Weekly Rundown, which is usually a Patreon-only podcast that I co-host with my friend Billy Yang. We’ve been on a bit of a hiatus since May, but we’re back with special guest Brendan Leonard of Semi-Rad—who you can listen to on Episode 211 of my podcast if you haven’t already—and the three of us catch up on what we've been up to of late, we talk all things NYC Marathon, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by:— New Balance. The new FuelCell SC Elite v3 is going to be the shoe that I race the Boston Marathon in next April. It’s a next-level racing shoe with a carbon fiber plate and plenty of lightweight foam underfoot for a cushioned yet responsive ride. Right now there are select sizes remaining in an exclusive New York City Marathon colorway available on newbalance.com, so try and snatch them up before the holidays if you can, and they’ll be more widely available in early 2023. Click here for complete show notes, sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday, and/or join our growing community on Patreon, where you'll also gain access to exclusive content and other perks that pop up from time to time.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I’m excited to share the recording from my live show in New York City this past Saturday with reigning world 1500m champion Jake Wightman of Great Britain. This past summer Jake pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the year, taking down Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen to capture his first world title. Jake, who is 28 years old and a native of Scotland, is also a Commonwealth Games and European Championships medalist, as well as a three-time champion at the 5th Avenue Mile in New York.In this conversation, we talked about the world 1500m final and the tactics he used to take the win. Jake told me about what it was like to come off the high of that world title and still having to race in the Commonwealth Games and European Championships in the weeks that came after it. We discussed pressure as a privilege, what it’s like going into races now as a favorite rather than an underdog, and how he’s learned to appreciate his accomplishments over the years. Jake also talked about growing up as the son of two accomplished runners, being coached by his dad and the dynamics of their relationship, and a lot more. This episode is brought to you by:— New Balance. The new FuelCell SC Elite v3 is going to be the shoe that I race the Boston Marathon in next April. It’s a next-level racing shoe with a carbon fiber plate and plenty of lightweight foam underfoot for a cushioned yet responsive ride. Right now there are select sizes remaining in an exclusive New York City Marathon colorway available on newbalance.com, so try and snatch them up before the holidays if you can, and they’ll be more widely available in early 2023. — ARENA is a serious and super efficient strength training solution that’s designed to fit into your life, enabling you to conveniently train at home, at the track, or on the road. The ARENA unit is compact—its the size of a yoga mat and weighs 55lbs, which means you can store it anywhere—and you can use it to train on your own or follow workout programs like their strength for runners series, which is designed to make you stronger and faster for race day. To support the running community and promote the importance of strength training for runners, ARENA is offering $100 off the ARENA Platform until November 21, 2022. Go to arena.fit and use the discount code RUNSTRONG when you check out.Click here for complete show notes, sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday, and/or join our growing community on Patreon, where you'll also gain access to exclusive content and other perks that pop up from time to time.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I’m excited to bring you the 9th installment of Common Ground, a monthly podcast co-hosted by me and Dinée Dorame of the Grounded Podcast. In this episode, Dinée shares a couple personal updates, we geeked out and got excited about the upcoming New York City Marathon, which we’ll both be heading to later this week—we also shared some information about the respective events we’ll be involved in, so keep an ear open for those—we talked some music, of course, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by:— New Balance. The new FuelCell Rebel v3 from New Balance is everything I enjoyed about its predecessor but with a more supportive upper, a little more cushion underfoot, and a more durable outsole. What it doesn’t have is much more weight, checking in at under 8 ounces, making it a great go-fast shoe for tempo runs, track workouts, and interval sessions on the road. The FuelCell Rebel v3 is available in both men’s and women’s sizes on newbalance.com or at your favorite run specialty retail store.Click here for complete show notes, sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday, and/or join our growing community on Patreon, where you'll also gain access to exclusive content like The Weekly Rundown, my Patreon-only podcast with Billy Yang, a live monthly Coaches' Corner discussion, and other perks that pop up from time to time.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Grounded Podcast theme music by Jacob Shije (Santa Clara Pueblo, NM) and used with permission. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week I spoke with Olympian Marielle Hall, who represented the U.S. in the 10,000m at the Rio Games in 2016. She’s also a four-time world championship qualifier, finished 8th in the 10,000m at the 2019 world championships in Doha, and won a national 15K title on the roads in 2020. This episode came to be a few weeks after I was introduced to Marielle last month in Mammoth Lakes, California, where she’s been training at altitude in preparation for her half-marathon debut later this fall.  In this conversation, Marielle and I talked about how she’s using this training camp as an opportunity to re-center herself and set the tone for the year ahead. She told me about traps that she’s gotten stuck in over the years and how she’s trying to maintain focus and keep the main thing the main thing. We discussed how she’s feeling now versus a year ago when she left the Bowerman Track Club, and when she knew it was time to change her training environment. Marielle talked to me about moving up in distance over the years and the differences between racing on the track and on the road, how she sees herself now that she’s out of the hole of injury and uncertainty, and what she thinks she’s capable of when she’s healthy and firing on all cylinders. We also discussed the ways in which her relationship to running has evolved over the years, what she hopes it looks like moving forward, and so, so much more.This episode is brought to you by:— The Monterey Bay Half Marathon. The Monterey Bay Half Marathon is BACK! Registration is now open for this fast, scenic course along the beautiful Monterey Bay coastline. If you’re looking for a fall race with a high potential for a PR, this is your course! Sign up to #runthiscoast on November 13 at montereybayhalfmarathon.org. Use the code MARIO at checkout to save $10 on your registration for the half marathon or the Ocean View Challenge.— Goodr: If you want to support the podcast and treat yourself to a pair of goodr sunglasses, head over to goodr.com/MARIO or enter the code MARIO15 at checkout for free shipping on your order. Look good, run goodr!Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Episode cover photo of Marielle Hall by David Bracetty for the 4 Years Ago Project used with permission. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week’s episode is with Chris Mosier. Chris is a hall of fame triathlete, an All-American duathlete, a 6-time member of Team USA, and a two-time national champion and Olympic Trials qualifier in race walking. He’s also a Nike-sponsored athlete who, in 2015, became the first known transgender man to represent the U.S. in international competition. Beyond all of that, however, Chris is an incredible person who knows himself better than nearly anyone I’ve ever met and he’s an advocate, inspiration, mentor, and a role model to so many, myself included. In this wide-ranging conversation, Chris and I talked about his relationship to sport and how that’s evolved throughout his life. We discussed identity and how he shows up in the different communities that he belongs to, as well as why he doesn’t want to be seen in any one particular type of way. Chris told me about navigating the world now as a white male and how that perspective differs from what he experienced earlier in his life, how we can all be allies and advocates for equal rights in sports and society, and so, so much more. This episode is brought to you by:— New Balance. The new FuelCell Rebel v3 is everything I enjoyed about its predecessor but with a more supportive upper, a little more cushion underfoot, and a more durable outsole. What it doesn’t have is much more weight, checking in at under 8 oz, making it a great go-fast shoe for tempo runs, track workouts, and interval sessions on the road. The FuelCell Rebel v3 is available in both men’s and women’s sizes on newbalance.com or at your favorite run specialty retail store. — ARENA. If you don’t have time or want to go to the gym, ARENA is a serious and super efficient strength training solution. I’ve been using my ARENA unit for a few weeks now and I don’t have to think about it: I just find the workout I want to do on the app and it counts my reps, remembers my weight, and guides me through the workout. Try out an ARENA today by going to arena.fit and seeing if there is a unit you can demo near you or sign up for a virtual demo and see how much of a game changer this is! Click here for complete show notes, sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday, and/or join our growing community on Patreon, where you'll also gain access to exclusive content and other perks that pop up from time to time.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Episode cover photo of Chris Mosier by Jaime Kelter for the NY Times used with permission. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I’ve got a great episode for you this week with Alison Mariella Désir, who is making her second appearance on the podcast. If you missed our first chat, go back in the archives to Episode 168, where you can learn more about Alison, her background, how she got into running, and the work she’s done as a community builder and an activist. This conversation was a very topical one and centered around Alison’s new book, Running While Black, which is available for pre-order now and will be available for purchase everywhere on October 18. We talked about the book, how it came to be, and how it evolved during the process of writing it. Alison shared some of her experiences of being a Black woman in a very white space, she told me about the impact she hopes her book will have, we discussed what “reimagining the run” could look like for future generations, and so much more. This episode is brought to you by:— New Balance. The new FuelCell Rebel v3 from New Balance is everything I enjoyed about its predecessor but with a more supportive upper, a little more cushion underfoot, and a more durable outsole. What it doesn’t have is much more weight, checking in at under 8 ounces, making it a great go-fast shoe for tempo runs, track workouts, and interval sessions on the road. The FuelCell Rebel v3 is available in both men’s and women’s sizes on newbalance.com or at your favorite run specialty retail store. — The Monterey Bay Half Marathon. The Monterey Bay Half Marathon is BACK! Registration is now open for this fast, scenic course along the beautiful Monterey Bay coastline. If you’re looking for a fall race with a high potential for a PR, this is your course! Sign up to #runthiscoast on November 13 at montereybayhalfmarathon.org. Use the code MARIO at checkout to save $10 on your registration for the half marathon or the Ocean View Challenge.Click here for complete show notes, sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday, and/or join our growing community on Patreon, where you'll also gain access to exclusive content like The Weekly Rundown, my Patreon-only podcast with Billy Yang, a live monthly Coaches' Corner discussion, and other perks that pop up from time to time.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I am super excited about this episode of Common Ground, a monthly podcast co-hosted by me and Dinée Dorame of the Grounded Podcast. It’s one we’ve been talking about doing for a long time, and it’s one that many listeners have been asking for: we’ve put together a Common Ground playlist! That’s right,10 songs from me, 10 songs from Dinee, and you can access them all from playlists we've made for Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube. There is no running talk this week but we go through each of the songs we chose, why we chose them, and we had a lot of fun doing it.The Common Ground Playlist: Spotify | Apple Music | YouTubeThis episode is brought to you by:— New Balance. The Fresh Foam X More v4 from New Balance has quickly become a favorite of mine for recovery runs on the road. It’s packed with plenty of plush foam underfoot making it a perfect option for when I’m feeling a little beat up and want some extra protection between my foot and the road. It’s available on newbalance.com or at your favorite run specialty retail store.— ARENA. If you don’t have time or want to go to the gym, ARENA is a serious strength training solution. Their product, which is a stealthy-looking metal plyobox with a cable-based resistance system, replaces a whole kit of free weights and bands. I’ve been using my ARENA unit for a few weeks now and I don’t have to think about it: I just find the workout I want to do on the app and it counts my reps, remembers my weight, and guides me through the workout. Check out Arena and learn more on their website at arena.fit and at @go.arena on Instagram and TikTok.Click here for complete show notes, sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday, and/or join our growing community on Patreon, where you'll also gain access to exclusive content like The Weekly Rundown, my Patreon-only podcast with Billy Yang, a live monthly Coaches' Corner discussion, and other perks that pop up from time to time.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Grounded Podcast theme music by Jacob Shije (Santa Clara Pueblo, NM) and used with permission. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week I’m re-sharing a conversation that I had in 2018 with Deena Kastor, which we recorded at her kitchen table in Mammoth Lakes, California. I’m bringing this one back not only because I was in Mammoth Lakes this past weekend but because Deena just ran 2:45:12 at the Berlin Marathon—at the age of 49, no less!—to earn the Abbott World Marathon Majors Six Star Medal for completing all six Major marathons: Berlin, London, New York, Chicago, Boston, and Tokyo. I look back fondly at this chat from a few years ago, in which we covered a lot of topics, from the importance of surrounding yourself with a great team, both in running and in life, to using disappointment as a means to fuel the next big breakthrough. We also discussed how coach Joe Vigil influenced her and helped shape her life philosophy, how training for and racing cross-country “feeds her soul” and helps her become a better racer on the track and on the roads, and so much more. This episode is brought to you by:— New Balance. The new Fresh Foam X More v4 is a maximum cushion shoe with a responsive ride that I’m really enjoying for recovery runs right now. It’s super plush but also incredible light. It's available in both men’s and women’s sizes on newbalance.com or at your favorite run specialty retail store.— Goodr: If you want to support the podcast and treat yourself to a pair of goodr sunglasses, head over to goodr.com/MARIO or enter the code MARIO15 at checkout for free shipping on your order. Look good, run goodr!Click here for complete show notes, sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday, and/or join our growing community on Patreon, where you'll also gain access to exclusive content like The Weekly Rundown, my Patreon-only podcast with Billy Yang, a live monthly Coaches' Corner discussion, and other perks that pop up from time to time.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I’m traveling this week and don’t have a new episode of the podcast for you but I want to take this opportunity to re-run one of my favorite conversations that I’ve ever had for the show. It’s with Diljeet Taylor, who is the head women’s cross-country coach and the Associate Director of Track and Field and field at BYU, which is one of the top collegiate programs in the country. We recorded this episode nearly two years ago when we were in the thick of the pandemic and it’s a great one to revisit or maybe check out for the first time. In this conversation, which is really a masterclass is coaching and team building, Coach Taylor talked to me about the culture she’s helped build at BYU, why gratitude is so important to the strength of that culture, the importance of investing in people and not performances, and so, so much more. This episode is brought to you by:— New Balance. The new Fresh Foam X More v4 is a maximum cushion shoe with a responsive ride that I’m really enjoying for recovery runs right now. It’s super plush but also incredible light. It's available in both men’s and women’s sizes on newbalance.com or at your favorite run specialty retail store.— Goodr: If you want to support the podcast and treat yourself to a pair of goodr sunglasses, head over to goodr.com/MARIO or enter the code MARIO15 at checkout for 15% off your order. Look good, run goodr!Click here for complete show notes, sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday, and/or join our growing community on Patreon, where you'll also gain access to exclusive content like The Weekly Rundown, my Patreon-only podcast with Billy Yang, a live monthly Coaches' Corner discussion, and other perks that pop up from time to time.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week’s episode is with Ruben Sança. Ruben and I go back a ways: When I was a senior at Stonehill College we recruited him pretty hard to come run at our school. He ultimately ended up going to our rival, UMass Lowell, where he went on to have a great collegiate career as a 4x All-American and three-time New England champion. It turned out to be the right choice for him as Ruben now works at his alma mater as the Director of Student Life & Well-Being. After college, Ruben made some big jumps as an athlete. In 2011 he represented his home country of Cape Verde in the marathon at the World Championships in South Korea and the following year he competed in the 5000m at the Olympic Games in London. In fact, it was during those Olympics that I first spent some meaningful time with Ruben and got know him a little bit. Ruben has also finished in the top-25 of the Boston Marathon twice and still competes regularly on the New England road racing scene. In August, he and his five-year-old son Greyson broke the Guinness World Record for running a mile with a stroller, clocking a 4:32.2 at the High Street Mile in Newburyport, Massachusetts.Even though he’s five years younger than me, Ruben is someone I look up to for the example he sets through his actions. He works incredibly hard, makes time for the people and pursuits he cares most about, and he does it all with humility. In this conversation, we talked about his recent Guinness world record and how he shares running with his son. Ruben told me about growing up in Cape Verde, moving to the U.S. when he was 12 years old, and what it was like settling into the Dorchester and Roxbury neighborhoods of Boston. We discussed his experience running in high school and some of the challenges of being a distance runner in the inner city, why he chose to run at UMass Lowell and his relationship with coach Gary Gardner, and how he was thinking about his pursuit of competitive running after college. Ruben also explained to me how his relationship to running has evolved over the years and how he fits in training at a high level around family and a full-time job, establishing his nonprofit foundation that focuses on integrating sports and academics to make a sustainable impact in Cape Verde, and so much more. This episode is brought to you by:— New Balance. The new Fresh Foam X More v4 is a maximum cushion shoe with a responsive ride that I’m really enjoying for recovery runs right now. It’s super plush but also incredible light. It's available in both men’s and women’s sizes on newbalance.com or at your favorite run specialty retail store.Click here for complete show notes, sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday, and/or join our growing community on Patreon, where you'll also gain access to exclusive content like The Weekly Rundown, my Patreon-only podcast with Billy Yang, a live monthly Coaches' Corner discussion, and other perks that pop up from time to time.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I am super excited to share this episode with all of you. It’s with Brendan Leonard, an ultrarunner, writer, award-winning filmmaker, speaker, and creator of one of my favorite websites on the internet, Semi-Rad.com. On top of all that, he’s also a new dad, which we talked quite a bit about in this conversation.Brendan is someone whose work I’ve admired for quite a while now. He’s got an unmatched ability to tell stories, use humor, and share drawings that convey many of the things we all feel and experience as runners, and as human beings in general. In this conversation, we bounced all over the place, covering topics like ultrarunning, creativity, storytelling, self-employment, parenthood, where and how all these things overlap and intersect, and a lot more. This episode is brought to you by:— New Balance. The new Fresh Foam X More v4 is a maximum cushion shoe with a responsive ride that I’m really enjoying for recovery runs right now. It’s super plush but also incredible light. It's available in both men’s and women’s sizes on newbalance.com or at your favorite run specialty retail store.Click here for complete show notes, sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday, and/or join our growing community on Patreon, where you'll also gain access to exclusive content like The Weekly Rundown, my Patreon-only podcast with Billy Yang, a live monthly Coaches' Corner discussion, and other perks that pop up from time to time.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I’m excited to bring you the 7th installment of Common Ground, a monthly podcast co-hosted by me and Dinée Dorame of the Grounded Podcast. In this episode, we catch up on what we’ve both been up to of late personally, professionally, and athletically, we talk marathons, discuss music, and a whole lot more. This episode is brought to you by:— New Balance. The FuelCell SuperComp Trainer from New Balance is something else! This shoe is so fun to run in. It’s got 47 plush millimeters of foam underfoot and a super comfortable rocker profile that encourages efficient forward motion. It’s also got a carbon plate in there that helps smooth the transition from footstrike to toe-off. It's available on newbalance.com or at your favorite run specialty retail store.— Goodr: If you want to support the podcast and treat yourself to a pair of goodr sunglasses, head over to goodr.com/MARIO or enter the code MARIO15 at checkout for 15% off your order. Look good, run goodr!Click here for complete show notes, sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday, and/or join our growing community on Patreon, where you'll also gain access to exclusive content like The Weekly Rundown, my Patreon-only podcast with Billy Yang, a live monthly Coaches' Corner discussion, and other perks that pop up from time to time.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Grounded Podcast theme music by Jacob Shije (Santa Clara Pueblo, NM) and used with permission. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I am on a little bit of a hiatus from recording new episodes of the podcast so I’m taking this time as an opportunity to re-run some of my favorites from years past that some of you may want to revisit and others might be hearing for the first time. This week, I’m bringing back an incredible conversation I had a little over three years ago with Katie Arnold. Katie is mom, a heck of an ultrarunner, and a great writer, whose memoir, Running Home, really spoke to me on a number of levels. In it, we talked about “smile” and “flow” and why those words are important to her when she races, reverse goal-setting and how this strategy sets her up for success, and balancing competitive running with the rest of her life. We also discussed the importance of observation and paying attention, how death can wake us up to the powerful realization that everything is changing all the time, and how her book came to be and what she hopes readers take away from it.This episode is brought to you by:— Goodr: If you want to support the podcast and treat yourself to a pair of goodr sunglasses, head over to goodr.com/MARIO or enter the code MARIO15 at checkout for 15% off your order. Look good, run goodr!Click here for complete show notes, sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday, and/or join our growing community on Patreon, where you'll also gain access to exclusive content like The Weekly Rundown, my Patreon-only podcast with Billy Yang, a live monthly Coaches' Corner discussion, and other perks that pop up from time to time.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week’s re-run episode is an incredibly special one to me. It’s with my college cross country and track coach, Karen Boen, who is someone that’s had a profound and lasting impact on my life. Coach saw qualities and abilities in me 20 years ago that I didn’t know I had, and she helped me to not only become a better runner, but she taught me a lot about hard work, leadership, caring for other people, and what it means to be a good teammate and human being. A lot of how I think about training, and coaching, and life in general is due to her influence and I am incredibly grateful to have run for her during my time at Stonehill College.We recorded this episode in June of 2020 and it’s an awesome conversation that goes through Coach’s life growing up in the projects of South Boston, to how she got into track and field in college, to accidentally falling into collegiate coaching at the age of 40. She also told me how she took a small team that was on the brink of extinction and developed it into a nationally ranked program, what it’s like being a full-time female coach at the collegiate level while having a family and maintaining a social life, why she’s always focused on surrounding herself with fantastic people, the importance of setting boundaries, the biggest barriers facing female coaches today at the collegiate level and elsewhere, and so much more.This episode is brought to you by:— Tracksmith. Tracksmith is an independent running brand inspired by a deep love of the sport. Their Summer Collection is now available and features staples ready for your next adventure, including the Run Cannonball Run Shorts, the Off Roads Shorts, the Run Cannonball Run Tee, and more. By using code Mario22 at checkout, you can receive free shipping on your order and 5% of your purchase will go to support the Brave Like Gabe Foundation to fund rare cancer research.Click here for complete show notes, sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday, and/or join our growing community on Patreon, where you'll also gain access to exclusive content like The Weekly Rundown, my Patreon-only podcast with Billy Yang, a live monthly Coaches' Corner discussion, and other perks that pop up from time to time.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I do not have a new conversation to share with you this week but I am going to re-run a previous episode of the podcast with Lindsay Flanagan that was recorded in early 2020, just a few weeks before the Olympic Trials Marathon, where she ended up finishing 12th. Since that day in Atlanta, Lindsay has made some huge breakthroughs in the marathon and as a fan, it’s been super fun to watch. This past April she was 11th at the Paris Marathon in a personal best 2:26:54, and then, just a few months later in July, she won the Gold Coast Marathon in Australia, breaking the tape in a new course record, and another personal best, 2:24:43.It was fun to revisit this conversation and hear Lindsay’s thoughts on the marathon and what she’s learned from it over the years, dealing with injuries throughout her career and navigating periods of time when she couldn’t run, what she’s learned as a coach of age-group athletes, and a lot more. This episode is brought to you by:— Tracksmith. Tracksmith is an independent running brand inspired by a deep love of the sport. Their Summer Collection is now available and features staples ready for your next adventure, including the Run Cannonball Run Shorts, the Off Roads Shorts, the Run Cannonball Run Tee, and more. By using code Mario22 at checkout, you can receive free shipping on your order and 5% of your purchase will go to support the Brave Like Gabe Foundation to fund rare cancer research.Click here for complete show notes, sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday, and/or join our growing community on Patreon, where you'll also gain access to exclusive content like The Weekly Rundown, my Patreon-only podcast with Billy Yang, a live monthly Coaches' Corner discussion, and other perks that pop up from time to time.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week’s episode is a long one but it’s a pretty special conversation with one of my first post-collegiate running heroes, Peter Gilmore—who, incredibly and ironically enough, is now my teammate on the West Valley Track Club Masters racing team. In the early 2000s Peter was one of the top marathoners in the U.S. He finished 10th at the 2005 Boston Marathon and later that year represented the U.S. in the marathon at the world championships in Finland. The next year he finished 7th at Boston in a personal best 2:12:45. I didn’t know him at the time but I looked up to Peter from afar because he was everything I wanted to be in the sport: a scrappy underdog, a guy who wasn’t a star in college, he didn’t have a shoe contract, but he busted his butt and became really good. In this conversation, we talked about all of that but what I was really interested in was his path back to the competitive side of the sport a few years ago after an 8-year break from serious training and racing. We got into how and why he came back in 2018, as well as why he retired in 2010 in the first place, and that part of the conversation went in a direction I didn’t expect it to go. We also talked about what’s different for him now as a Masters athlete now versus when he was younger, what it was like spending six weeks training in Kenya right after college and what he learned from that experience, and a whole lot more. This episode is brought to you by:— Tracksmith. Tracksmith is an independent running brand inspired by a deep love of the sport. Their Summer Collection is now available and features staples ready for your next adventure, including the Run Cannonball Run Shorts, the Off Roads Shorts, the Run Cannonball Run Tee, and more. By using code Mario22 at checkout, you can receive free shipping on your order and 5% of your purchase will go to support the Brave Like Gabe Foundation to fund rare cancer research.Click here for complete show notes, sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday, and/or join our growing community on Patreon, where you'll also gain access to exclusive content like The Weekly Rundown, my Patreon-only podcast with Billy Yang, a live monthly Coaches' Corner discussion, and other perks that pop up from time to time.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the sixth installment of Common Ground, a monthly podcast co-hosted by me and Dinée Dorame of the Grounded Podcast, we shared our respective personal updates before geeking out on all things World Athletics Championships, which just wrapped up over the weekend. This episode is brought to you by:— New Balance. The FuelCell SuperComp Trainer from New Balance is something else! This shoe, which comes out in August, is so fun to run in. It’s got 47 plush millimeters of foam underfoot and a super comfortable rocker profile that encourages efficient forward motion. It’s also got a carbon plate in there that helps smooth the transition from footstrike to toe-off. It will soon be available on newbalance.com or at your favorite run specialty retail store.— Goodr: If you want to support the podcast and treat yourself to a pair of goodr sunglasses, head over to goodr.com/MARIO or enter the code MARIO15 at checkout for 15% off your order. Look good, run goodr!Click here for complete show notes, sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday, and/or join our growing community on Patreon, where you'll also gain access to exclusive content like The Weekly Rundown, my Patreon-only podcast with Billy Yang, a live monthly Coaches' Corner discussion, and other perks that pop up from time to time.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Grounded Podcast theme music by Jacob Shije (Santa Clara Pueblo, NM) and used with permission. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week’s guest, making his second appearance on the podcast, is Steve Magness. Check him out back on Episode 156 if you haven’t already as it’s a good primer for this conversation, one which centered around the subject of his new book: Do Hard Things: Why We Get Resilience Wrong and the Surprising Science of Real Toughness. Now I’ll say this: Steve has been on a lot of podcasts doing promotion for his book and I did not want to rehash many of the conversations he’s already had to date. I can tell you that this episode is very different and we covered a lot of new ground. Steve opened up about his struggles with OCD, which isn’t something he’s ever talked about publicly before. We talked about the idea of toughness, and “tough love,” and how his perceptions of both have changed over time. We also discussed different leadership styles, what works and what doesn’t, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by:— New Balance. If you’re looking for a workhorse to run most of your miles in, look no further than the FreshFoam X 1080 v12. This shoe has the perfect blend of cushioning and responsiveness, it’s lightweight, it transitions smoothly, it has the most streamlined fit to accommodate a wide variety of foot types, and it holds up to heavy mileage week in and week out. The FreshFoam X 1080v12 is available in both men’s and women’s sizes on newbalance.com or at your local run specialty retail store.  — Goodr: If you want to support the podcast and treat yourself to a pair of goodr sunglasses, head over to goodr.com/MARIO or enter the code MARIO15 at checkout for 15% off your order. Look good, run goodr!Click here for complete show notes, sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday, and/or join our growing community on Patreon, where you'll also gain access to exclusive content like The Weekly Rundown, my Patreon-only podcast with Billy Yang, a live monthly Coaches' Corner discussion, and other perks that pop up from time to time.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week’s conversation is with Diane Nukuri, a three-time Olympian for Burundi whose career I’ve been following for 22 years now. Diane is an incredible athlete—she’s competed in three Olympic Games in three different events—and she’s one of the most versatile road racers of the past decade. In this episode, we talked about her childhood in Burundi and how running came into her life. She told me how she’s used running as a vehicle for exploration and opportunity from the time she was a teenager and also what it was like to leave her home country for track meet when she was 16, knowing she wasn’t going to go back. Diane talked openly about adjusting to life in Canada and then the U.S., she me told some good stories about her partner, five-time U.S. Olympian Abdi Abdirahman, we discussed how having a good “off” switch has helped her have a long competitive running career, and a lot more. This episode is brought to you by:— New Balance. If you’re looking for a workhorse to run most of your miles in, look no further than the FreshFoam X 1080 v12. This shoe has the perfect blend of cushioning and responsiveness, it’s lightweight, it transitions smoothly, it has the most streamlined fit to accommodate a wide variety of foot types, and it holds up to heavy mileage week in and week out. The FreshFoam X 1080v12 is available in both men’s and women’s sizes on newbalance.com or at your local run specialty retail store.  Click here for complete show notes, sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday, and/or join our growing community on Patreon, where you'll also gain access to exclusive content like The Weekly Rundown, my Patreon-only podcast with Billy Yang, a live monthly Coaches' Corner discussion, and other perks that pop up from time to time.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week’s conversation is with Marquis Bowden, who you may remember from Episode 132 back in the fall of 2020. Since that time nearly two years ago Marquis and I have kept in close touch and make it a point to catch up with one another every couple of weeks. His life has undergone a lot of changes since we recorded that first podcast: he moved from the only place he’d ever known, Los Angeles, California, to the mountains of Boulder, Colorado. He’s embedded himself into the running and cycling communities there and put himself on a path to chase his professional, athletic, and personal dreams. In this episode, we talk about that transition and what it’s been like for him. We discuss trauma, hardship, reaching out for help, and prioritizing mental health. Marquis told me about trying to take his running to the next level, navigating injuries from both a physical and emotional standpoint, the importance of leaning into his community, especially during tough times, and a lot more. This episode is brought to you by:— New Balance. If you’re looking for a workhorse to run most of your miles in, look no further than the FreshFoam X 1080 v12. This shoe has the perfect blend of cushioning and responsiveness, it’s lightweight, it transitions smoothly, it has the most streamlined fit to accommodate a wide variety of foot types, and it holds up to heavy mileage week in and week out. The FreshFoam X 1080v12 is available in both men’s and women’s sizes on newbalance.com or at your local run specialty retail store.  Click here for complete show notes, sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday, and/or join our growing community on Patreon, where you'll also gain access to exclusive content like The Weekly Rundown, my Patreon-only podcast with Billy Yang, a live monthly Coaches' Corner discussion, and other perks that pop up from time to time.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the fifth installment of Common Ground, a monthly podcast co-hosted by me and Dinée Dorame of the Grounded Podcast, Dinée tells us all about her experience at the recent New York Mini 10K, we talk about which events we were most looking forward to at the USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, we discuss music, of course, and a lot more. This episode is brought to you by:— New Balance. If you’re looking for a workhorse to run most of your miles in, look no further than the FreshFoam X 1080 v12. This shoe has the perfect blend of cushioning and responsiveness, it’s lightweight, it transitions smoothly, it has the most streamlined fit to accommodate a wide variety of foot types, and it holds up to heavy mileage week in and week out. The FreshFoam X 1080v12 is available in both men’s and women’s sizes on newbalance.com or at your local run specialty retail store.  — Goodr: If you want to support the podcast and treat yourself to a pair of goodr sunglasses, head over to goodr.com/MARIO or enter the code MARIO15 at checkout for 15% off your order. Look good, run goodr!Click here for complete show notes, sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday, and/or join our growing community on Patreon, where you'll also gain access to exclusive content like The Weekly Rundown, my Patreon-only podcast with Billy Yang, a live monthly Coaches' Corner discussion, and other perks that pop up from time to time.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Grounded Podcast theme music by Jacob Shije (Santa Clara Pueblo, NM) and used with permission. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My guest this week is Sid Baptista. Sid’s a lot of things: he’s a husband and a father, a runner, a community builder and leader, and also an entrepreneur. He’s the founder of the PIONEERS Run Crew, which is based in Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood, and he’s also the creator of PYNRS performance streetwear brand, an apparel line with a focus on serving diverse people, with diverse body types from diverse communities.I’m super excited to share this week’s conversation with you as it’s one of my favorite ones I’ve had for the podcast to date. Sid and I covered a lot of ground: We talked about growing up as the sons of entrepreneurial minded immigrants in Massachusetts and how those experiences have shaped our career trajectories. He told me about his hometown of Dorchester, which is Boston’s biggest, most populous, and most diverse neighborhood, and how he’s seen it evolve over the past three decades. We got into running, Sid’s experience as a sprinter in high school, and how he found distance running as an adult. We also discussed culture and community, how Sid is trying to make running more inclusive and accessible through his work, what he sees happening industry wide that both excites and worries him, and a lot more. This episode is brought to you by:— Tracksmith is an independent running brand inspired by a deep love of the sport. Their Spring/Summer Collection is now available and features staples thoughtfully designed for training and racing hard in warm weather. If you buy anything on Tracksmith.com in the month of June, you can get free shipping on your next order, and support the Tracksmith Foundation, which helps give more people the opportunity to participate in Track & Field, by using the code Mario22 at checkout.— Goodr: If you want to support the podcast and treat yourself to a pair of goodr sunglasses, head over to goodr.com/MARIO or enter the code MARIO15 at checkout for 15% off your order. Look good, run goodr!Click here for complete show notes, sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday, and/or join our growing community on Patreon, where you'll also gain access to exclusive content like The Weekly Rundown, my Patreon-only podcast with Billy Yang, a live monthly Coaches' Corner discussion, and other perks that pop up from time to time.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My guest this week, making his second appearance on the podcast, is Simon Freeman. Simon is the co-founder, editor, and publisher of my favorite running magazine, Like The Wind, a beautiful, quarterly, coffee table-style publication for runners, by runners. (Check out the conversation Simon and I had for Episode 13 here and learn about his professional and athletic background, as well as the origins of Like The Wind, which he and his wife Julie launched back in 2014.)In this conversation, we mostly geeked out about all things publishing and media. Simon told me about how Like the Wind has evolved over the past four years, the exciting position the magazine is in right now, and where he and Julie hope to take it moving forward. We also talked about the current running media landscape and how it’s changed since our last conversation, the current state of Simon’s relationship with running (and the big goal he has on the horizon), and a lot more. Learn more about LtW, buy a back issue or two, or sign up for your own subscription here. Enter the code MARIO in the discount code box at checkout and you won’t get a discount but you will receive a free set of Like the Wind postcards featuring some cool illustrations. In the interest of transparency, I am not getting compensated in any way if you use the aforementioned code. It is simply a thank you from my friends at LtW for checking out their awesome magazine.This episode is brought to you by:— Tracksmith is an independent running brand inspired by a deep love of the sport. Their Spring/Summer Collection is now available and features staples thoughtfully designed for training and racing hard in warm weather. If you buy anything on Tracksmith.com in the month of June, you can get free shipping on your next order, and support the Tracksmith Foundation, which helps give more people the opportunity to participate in Track & Field, by using the code Mario22 at checkout.— Open is a digital mindfulness platform combining Breathwork, Meditation, and Movement. Let’s take a class together! Open is giving listeners of the morning shakeout 30 days free when you visit withopen.com/MARIO. Click here for complete show notes, sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday, and/or join our growing community on Patreon, where you'll also gain access to exclusive content like The Weekly Rundown, my Patreon-only podcast with Billy Yang, a live monthly Coaches' Corner discussion, and other perks that pop up from time to time.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My guest this week is Tommie Runz. I met Tommie back in April at the Racers Roundtable that I hosted and he participated in a few days before the Boston Marathon. After talking with him for just a little bit that day, I knew that I needed to sit down with him for the podcast. That brief encounter led to this nearly two-hour conversation and it’s a really special one. In this episode, Tommie talks to me about the period of time he lived in Massachusetts, his troubled relationship with alcohol, and the journey he’s traveled to sobriety. He told me about when and how running came into his life and the path he followed to qualifying for the Boston Marathon. We discussed identity and how that’s shifted for him over the course of his life, what it’s like being a Black runner in his hometown of Detroit, and so much more. This episode is brought to you by:— Tracksmith is an independent running brand inspired by a deep love of the sport. Their Spring/Summer Collection is now available and features staples thoughtfully designed for training and racing hard in warm weather. My personal favorites are the Session tee and Allston half tights. If you buy anything on Tracksmith.com in the month of June, you can get free shipping on your next order, and support the Tracksmith Foundation, which helps give more people the opportunity to participate in Track & Field, by using the code Mario22 at checkout.— Open is a digital mindfulness platform combining Breathwork, Meditation, and Movement. I do a 5-10 minute breathwork class most days to get away from my desk and clear my head. Let’s take a class together. Open is giving listeners of the morning shakeout 30 days free when you visit withopen.com/MARIO. Click here for complete show notes, sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday, and/or join our growing community on Patreon, where you'll also gain access to exclusive content like The Weekly Rundown, my Patreon-only podcast with Billy Yang, a live monthly Coaches' Corner discussion, and other perks that pop up from time to time.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the fourth installment of Common Ground, a monthly podcast co-hosted by me and Dinée Dorame of the Grounded Podcast, Dinée has a lot of exciting updates as they relate to her professional life and athletic pursuits, we talk a little bit about a few of the high school track athletes that are exciting us right now, we discuss National Running Day, which is coming up on June 1, and a lot more. This episode is brought to you by:— New Balance. If you’re looking for a workhorse to run most of your miles in, look no further than the FreshFoam X 1080 v12. This shoe has the perfect blend of cushioning and responsiveness, it’s lightweight, it transitions smoothly, it has the most streamlined fit to accommodate a wide variety of foot types, and it holds up to heavy mileage week in and week out. The FreshFoam X 1080v12 is available in both men’s and women’s sizes on newbalance.com or at your local run specialty retail store.  — Goodr: If you want to support the podcast and treat yourself to a pair of goodr sunglasses, head over to goodr.com/MARIO or enter the code MARIO15 at checkout for 15% off your order. Look good, run goodr!Click here for complete show notes, sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday, and/or join our growing community on Patreon, where you'll also gain access to exclusive content like The Weekly Rundown, my Patreon-only podcast with Billy Yang, a live monthly Coaches' Corner discussion, and other perks that pop up from time to time.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Grounded Podcast theme music by Jacob Shije (Santa Clara Pueblo, NM) and used with permission. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we’re kicking it back to Episode 64 with Frank Gagliano, one of the greatest track coaches of all-time, which was recorded three years ago at his home in Rye, New York. Gagliano, who is now 85 years old, has coached at every level of the sport over the past 60 years—high school, college, and professionally—and he’s had great success at all of them. He’s coached 15 Olympians, 140 All-Americans, multiple national champions, and a world championships medalist. More importantly than that, however, the lessons he’s taught his athletes extend far beyond the track. He has a love for the sport, his family, his athletes, and his country that is unmatched. This is a conversation about coaching and life that had a profound impact on me—and I know it will do the same for you. This episode is brought to you by:— Open is a digital mindfulness platform combining Breathwork, Meditation, and Movement. I do a 5-10 minute breathwork class most days to get away from my desk and clear my head. Let’s take a class together. Open is giving listeners of the morning shakeout 30 days free when you visit withopen.com/MARIO.— Goodr: If you want to support the podcast and treat yourself to a pair of goodr sunglasses, head over to goodr.com/MARIO or enter the code MARIO15 at checkout for 15% off your order. Look good, run goodr!Click here for complete show notes, sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday, and/or join our growing community on Patreon, where you'll also gain access to exclusive content like The Weekly Rundown, my Patreon-only podcast with Billy Yang, a live monthly Coaches' Corner discussion, and other perks that pop up from time to time.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I’ll be re-running a couple of my favorite episodes from years past in the feed this week and next and we’ll start by kicking it back to Episode 100 with Laura Schmitt, which was recorded in February of 2020 right before the world shut down. It’s one of my favorite conversations that I’ve ever had for the podcast and I’m excited to rerelease it. Laura was the longtime cross country and track coach at Redwood High School in Larkspur, California, where she was at the helm for 35 years and led some of the best teams and athletes in the state. She’s also a wife, a mom, and now a grandmother since we had this conversation over two years ago—not to mention an entrepreneur who founded a play-based preschool that’s still going strong today as well as the first treadmill studio on the West Coast. In short: she’s an incredible woman and someone I respect and admire immensely. In this conversation, we talked about running, community, coaching, family, parenting, and entrepreneurship—all things Laura knows a lot about and has had a lot of success in over the years.This episode is brought to you by:— New Balance. If you’re looking for a workhorse to run most of your miles in, look no further than the FreshFoam X 1080 v12. This shoe has the perfect blend of cushioning and responsiveness, it’s lightweight, it transitions smoothly, it has the most streamlined fit to accommodate a wide variety of foot types, and it holds up to heavy mileage week in and week out. The FreshFoam X 1080 v12 is available in both men’s and women’s sizes on newbalance.com or at your local run specialty retail store. Click here for complete show notes, sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday, and/or join our growing community on Patreon, where you'll also gain access to exclusive content like The Weekly Rundown, my Patreon-only podcast with Billy Yang, a live monthly Coaches' Corner discussion, and other perks that pop up from time to time.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jinghuan Liu Tervalon is a mother and a runner from Southern California. She started running 14 years ago to deal with heartache and to do something for herself before she eventually found a community that she connected with and started training in earnest for races. She’s also a writer whose work has been published in Runner’s World and Women’s Running. In fact, last year she won a creative grant through the Brooks RunFulness Project to create a multimedia book project that showcases runners from the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. She serves on the board of Bras for Girls, and is an advocate for creating social change through running. Jinghuan is someone I’ve corresponded with over email for a few years now and in this conversation I got to learn more about her journey as a runner, and her work as a writer and an advocate. We also talked about identity, the role and importance of community, using her voice to tell stories and generate awareness, and a lot more. This episode is brought to you by:— New Balance. If you’re looking for a workhorse to run most of your miles in, look no further than the FreshFoam X 1080 v12. This shoe has the perfect blend of cushioning and responsiveness, it’s lightweight, it transitions smoothly, it has the most streamlined fit to accommodate a wide variety of foot types, and it holds up to heavy mileage week in and week out. The FreshFoam X 1080 v12 is available in both men’s and women’s sizes on newbalance.com or at your local run specialty retail store. — The WineShine Half Marathon & 3.9-Miler. The inaugural event, which starts and finishes at the Silverado Resort & Spa in Napa, will be held on July 16, 2022. Not only will you run by some of Napa Valley’s most storied vineyards along the Silverado Trail, you’ll also get the chance to sample some of the area’s best varietals at the post-race festival. Registration is now open at wineshinehalfmarathon.org. Use the code MARIO when you check out and save $15 on your registration fee.Click here for complete show notes, sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday, and/or join our growing community on Patreon, where you'll also gain access to exclusive content like The Weekly Rundown, my Patreon-only podcast with Billy Yang, a live monthly Coaches' Corner discussion, and other perks that pop up from time to time.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I’m not even sure how to set up this episode with Tommy Rivers Puzey so I’ll just tell you that it’s a long, winding, and at times heavy conversation with someone I deeply respect and admire about life, death, cancer, identity, hope, potential, love, gratitude, and more that I feel privileged to have had in person and that I am honored to share here with all of you. We recorded this episode the day after this year’s Boston Marathon, which Tommy finished in 6:31:54. For those of you who don’t know, Tommy wears a lot of hats: he’s a husband and a father, a philosopher and physical therapist, and mentor and inspiration to so many, myself included. He’s also an incredible endurance athlete with a resume that’s too long to list here but, for context, in 2017 Tommy finished 16th at Boston in 2:18:20. Fast forward to the summer of 2020, and Tommy was fighting for his life in an Arizona hospital after being diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of lymphoma. He spent weeks in a medically induced coma, endured multiple surgeries and numerous treatments, and lost 75 pounds over the course of several months, but he survived. Not only that, he’s now in remission, regaining strength every day, and living a very full life, all of which we talk about in this episode. Note from Mario: Please check out the Team Rivs collection from Tommy's sponsor, Craft. All proceeds from this collection go to support Tommy, his wife Steph, and their two daughters. I bought a hat and a t-shirt a while ago, both of which I wear with pride. Click here for complete show notes, sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday, and/or join our growing community on Patreon, where you'll also gain access to exclusive content like The Weekly Rundown, my Patreon-only podcast with Billy Yang, a live monthly Coaches' Corner discussion, and other perks that pop up from time to time.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the third installment of Common Ground, a monthly podcast co-hosted by me and Dinee Dorame of the Grounded Podcast, we catch up on all things Boston Marathon, talk a little bit about the new Red Hot Chili Peppers album, look ahead to what’s exciting each of us in the month of May, and more.This episode is brought to you by:— New Balance. If you’re looking for a go-fast shoe for workouts and maybe even racing, look no further than the FuelCell Rebel v2. It’s lightweight, low to the ground and incredibly lively. It’s available in both men’s and women’s sizes on newbalance.com or at your local run specialty retail store.— Goodr: If you want to support the podcast and treat yourself to a pair of goodr sunglasses, head over to goodr.com/MARIO or enter the code MARIO15 at checkout for 15% off your order. Look good, run goodr!Click here for complete show notes, sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday, and/or join our growing community on Patreon, where you'll also gain access to exclusive content like The Weekly Rundown, my Patreon-only podcast with Billy Yang, a live monthly Coaches' Corner discussion, and other perks that pop up from time to time.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Grounded Podcast theme music by Jacob Shije (Santa Clara Pueblo, NM) and used with permission. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I’m excited to share the Racers’ Roundtable I hosted at Tracksmith’s Trackhouse this past Friday with guests Tommie Runz, Erica Stanley-Dottin, Mick Iacofano, Caroline Williams, Ken Rideout, Katie Kellner, and Colin Bennie. A mix of first-timers and veterans, elites and age-group competitors, locals and out of towners, we talked all things Boston Marathon: how the Boston mindset is different from other marathons, dealing with pre-race excitement, lessons learned from past Boston experiences, what they were most looking forward to on race day, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by:— Tracksmith. Tracksmith crafts performance running apparel, inspiring publications, and distinct experiences that allow runners to indulge in the sport’s rich culture. When you shop at tracksmith.com and use the code Mario22 when you check out, you’ll get free shipping on your order and 5% of your purchase will go to the Tracksmith Foundation, a nonprofit that aims to give more people the opportunity to participate in Track & Field. — Goodr: If you want to support the podcast and treat yourself to a pair of goodr sunglasses, head over to goodr.com/MARIO or enter the code MARIO15 at checkout for 15% off your order. Look good, run goodr!Click here for complete show notes, sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday, and/or join our growing community on Patreon, where you'll also gain access to exclusive content like The Weekly Rundown, my Patreon-only podcast with Billy Yang, a live monthly Coaches' Corner discussion, and other perks that pop up from time to time.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week I sit down with Chris Douglas, my right-hand man and sponsorship director for the morning shakeout, and he interviews me for the 200th episode of the podcast. In this conversation we take a trip down memory lane and discuss some notable episodes, we talk about how the show has evolved and grown over the past 4+ years, I explain how the pandemic has affected the past 100 episodes for better and for worse, and a lot more. This episode is brought to you by:— Tracksmith. Tracksmith crafts performance running apparel, inspiring publications, and distinct experiences that allow runners to indulge in the sport’s rich culture. When you shop at tracksmith.com and use the code Mario22 when you check out, you’ll get free shipping on your order and 5% of your purchase will go to the Tracksmith Foundation, a nonprofit that aims to give more people the opportunity to participate in Track & Field. — Precision Fuel & Hydration. I’ve been a devotee to Precision products for the past 4 years and my last few marathons wouldn’t have gone as well without them. Go to precisionfuelandhydration.com and take their free online Sweat Test or use the Carb Calculator to get a personalized hydration and nutrition strategy to test in training. As a listener of the show you can get 15% off your first order by using the code TMS22 when checking out.Click here for complete show notes, sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday, and/or join our growing community on Patreon, where you'll also gain access to exclusive content like The Weekly Rundown, my Patreon-only podcast with Billy Yang, a live monthly Coaches' Corner discussion, and other perks that pop up from time to time.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the podcast I had an awesome conversation with Ben Rosario, head coach of HOKA Northern Arizona Elite, and Matt Fitzgerald, co-founder of 80/20 Endurance and prolific author of endurance sports titles, about their new book, Run Like A Pro (Even If You’re Slow), which was recently published. This was more of a Coaches Corner discussion than my typical interview-style show and in it we discussed what amateur runners can learn from their professional counterparts while covering topics like training volume, recovery, nutrition, having a champion’s mindset, and a lot more. This episode is brought to you by:— Tracksmith. Tracksmith crafts performance running apparel, inspiring publications, and distinct experiences that allow runners to indulge in the sport’s rich culture. When you shop at tracksmith.com and use the code Mario22 when you check out, you’ll get free shipping on your order and 5% of your purchase will go to the Tracksmith Foundation, a nonprofit that aims to give more people the opportunity to participate in Track & Field. — Precision Fuel & Hydration. I’ve been a devotee to Precision products for the past 4 years and my last few marathons wouldn’t have gone as well without them. Go to precisionfuelandhydration.com and take their free online Sweat Test or use the Carb Calculator to get a personalized hydration and nutrition strategy to test in training. As a listener of the show you can get 15% off your first order by using the code TMS22 when checking out.— The WineShine Half Marathon & 3.9-Miler. The inaugural event, which starts and finishes at the Silverado Resort & Spa in Napa, will be held on July 16, 2022. Not only will you run by some of Napa Valley’s most storied vineyards along the Silverado Trail, you’ll also get the chance to sample some of the area’s best varietals at the post-race festival. Registration is now open at wineshinehalfmarathon.org. Use the code MARIO when you check out and save $15 on your registration fee.Click here for complete show notes, sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday, and/or join our growing community on Patreon, where you'll also gain access to exclusive content like The Weekly Rundown, my Patreon-only podcast with Billy Yang, a live monthly Coaches' Corner discussion, and other perks that pop up from time to time.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We are back with the second installment of our monthly cross-cast series that I’m co-hosting with Dinee Dorame of the Grounded Podcast, and in this episode we…well, we cover a lot of ground! We talk about music we’ve been enjoying, discuss some recent events that excited us, like the world indoor championships in Serbia, the NYC Half Marathon, as well as the the upcoming Boston Marathon. We talked about where we’re each at in our respective running journeys right now, brought up some recent developments in the running industry, and a lot more. This episode is brought to you by:— New Balance. If you’re looking for a go-fast shoe for workouts and maybe even racing, look no further than the FuelCell Rebel v2. It’s lightweight, low to the ground and incredibly lively. It’s available in both men’s and women’s sizes on newbalance.com or at your local run specialty retail store.— Goodr: If you want to support the podcast and treat yourself to a pair of goodr sunglasses, head over to goodr.com/MARIO or enter the code MARIO15 at checkout for 15% off your order. Look good, run goodr!— The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race. Member and lottery registration is GOING ON NOW. The race will take place on Monday, July 4. Atlanta Track Club members receive guaranteed and lowest price entry. Non-members must enter through the lotter. In-person registration is ONLY open until March 31. Virtual registration is open until May 31. You can register today at ajc.com/peachtree.Click here for complete show notes, sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday, and/or join our growing community on Patreon, where you'll also gain access to exclusive content like The Weekly Rundown, my Patreon-only podcast with Billy Yang, a live monthly Coaches' Corner discussion, and other perks that pop up from time to time.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Grounded Podcast theme music by Jacob Shije (Santa Clara Pueblo, NM) and used with permission. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I recently had a conversation with Nell Rojas, 6th-place finisher and top American at last fall’s Boston Marathon. She’s currently getting ready to line up for this year’s race on April 18. We covered a lot in this one. Nell filled me in on where she’s at in her Boston prep and how it’s differing from her approach last fall. We talk about the role running has played in her life and how that’s evolved over the years. We discussed identity and why “runner” isn’t even one of the first ways Nell introduces herself. She told me about her relationship to her dad and coach, the legendary Ric Rojas, we talked coaching and what she’s learned from the amateur athletes she’s worked with, and a lot more. This episode is brought to you by:— New Balance. If you’re looking for a go-fast shoe for workouts and maybe even racing, look no further than the FuelCell Rebel v2. It’s lightweight, low to the ground and incredibly lively. It’s available in both men’s and women’s sizes on newbalance.com or at your local run specialty retail store.— Precision Fuel & Hydration. I’ve been a devotee to Precision products for the past 4 years and my last few marathons wouldn’t have gone as well without them. Go to precisionfuelandhydration.com and take their free online Sweat Test or use the Carb Calculator to get a personalized hydration and nutrition strategy. Get 15% off your first order by using the code TMS22 when checking out.— The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race. Member and lottery registration is GOING ON NOW. The race will take place on Monday, July 4. Atlanta Track Club members receive guaranteed and lowest price entry. Non-members must enter through the lotter. In-person registration is ONLY open until March 31. Virtual registration is open until May 31. You can register today at ajc.com/peachtree.Click here for complete show notes, sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday, and/or join our growing community on Patreon, where you'll also gain access to exclusive content like The Weekly Rundown, my Patreon-only podcast with Billy Yang, a live monthly Coaches' Corner discussion, and other perks that pop up from time to time.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This conversation with Phil Shin is one of the most meaningful and impactful exchanges I’ve ever had for the podcast. Please listen to it—all 2 hours of it. Phil is 51 years old, he’s a husband a a father, he’s a Boston Marathon qualifier, and he is out-running cancer one mile at a time. He’s actually going to run this year’s race on April 18 with his liver donor and friend Mark Murphy, who will be running his first marathon. Phil’s story is incredible, his message is inspiring, and I feel so honored to have the opportunity to share this episode with you. This episode is brought to you by:— New Balance. The Fresh Foam 1080 v11 is an absolute workhorse and has been been my go-to trainer for some time now. When I want to go fast, the FuelCell Rebel v2 finds its way on my feet. Recovery days? Fresh Foam More v3 all the way. Race day? FuelCell RC Elite v2. Check 'em all out at your local run specialty store or on newbalance.com and consider adding a pair (or two!) to your rotation today.— Precision Fuel & Hydration. I’ve been a devotee to Precision products for the past 4 years and my last few marathons wouldn’t have gone as well without them. Go to precisionfuelandhydration.com and take their free online Sweat Test or use the Carb Calculator to get a personalized hydration and nutrition strategy to test in training. As a listener of the show you can get 15% off your first order by using the code TMS22 when checking out.— The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race. Member and lottery registration is GOING ON NOW. The race will take place on Monday, July 4. Atlanta Track Club members receive guaranteed and lowest price entry. Non-members must enter through the lottery and will be notified if selected on April 4. In-person registration is ONLY open until March 31. Virtual registration is open until May 31. You can register today at ajc.com/peachtree.Click here for complete show notes, sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning, and/or join our growing community on Patreon, where for as little as a buck a week, you'll also gain access to exclusive content like The Weekly Rundown, my Patreon-only podcast with Billy Yang, a live monthly Coaches' Corner discussion, the occasional “emergency pod,” and other perks that pop up from time to time.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I’ve been waiting to have this conversation with Russell Dinkins for a while now and it did not disappoint. Over the past couple of years this man has helped saved the men’s track and field programs at Brown University, Clemson, the University of Minnesota, and William and Mary. He’s now the executive director of the Tracksmith Foundation, where he will continue that work while also helping create more opportunities and inspire broader participation in track and field through various forms of advocacy and assistance. Russell is also an incredible athlete: he competed at Princeton, where he was a 400- and 800-meter runner and a five-time Ivy League individual champion, and he’s still getting after it and competing on the track into his 30s.In this conversation we talked about the path he’s followed in the sport, track and field as a vehicle for diversity and educational access, how his relationship to running has evolved over the years, what he hopes to achieve through his work moving forward, and a lot more. This episode is brought to you by:— New Balance. The Fresh Foam 1080 v11 is an absolute workhorse and has been been my go-to trainer for some time now. When I want to go fast, the FuelCell Rebel v2 finds its way on my feet. Recovery days? Fresh Foam More v3 all the way. Race day? FuelCell RC Elite v2. Check 'em all out at your local run specialty store or on newbalance.com and consider adding a pair (or two!) to your rotation today.— Precision Fuel & Hydration. I’ve been a devotee to Precision products for the past 4 years and my last few marathons wouldn’t have gone as well without them. Go to precisionfuelandhydration.com and take their free online Sweat Test or use the Carb Calculator to get a personalized hydration and nutrition strategy to test in training. As a listener of the show you can get 15% off your first order by using the code TMS22 when checking out.Click here for complete show notes, sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning, and/or join our growing community on Patreon, where for as little as a buck a week, you'll also gain access to exclusive content like The Weekly Rundown, my Patreon-only podcast with Billy Yang, a live monthly Coaches' Corner discussion, the occasional “emergency pod,” and other perks that pop up from time to time.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Photo of Russell Dinkins by Molly Seltzer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I’m super excited to share the first episode in what will be a monthly series I’m co-hosting with Dinée Dorame of the Grounded Podcast. I met Dinée a little over a year ago through the Tracksmith Fellowship Program and I’ve been serving as her mentor ever since. In that time we’ve become good friends, I’ve hosted her on my show, she’s had me on hers, and this new series feels like a natural evolution of what we’re both doing in our respective spaces. We’re calling it Common Ground and it will be a little bit of everything from two people who come from very different backgrounds and upbringings but share a mutual love of all things running (and podcasting, and music, and plenty of other stuff too). In these episodes we’ll catch up with one another about where we’re at in our respective podcasting and running journeys, we’ll discuss what’s exciting us in the sport, we’ll talk about issues in the community and industry, we’ll riff on music that we’ve been enjoying, take listener questions, and a lot more. Common Ground will be released monthly in both the morning shakeout and Grounded podcast feeds so there’s no need to subscribe to a separate show. Please let us know what you think by sending us a message via social media: @theAMshakeout or @groundedpod on both Instagram and Twitter. We hope you enjoy it!This episode is brought to you by:— New Balance. The Fresh Foam 1080 v11 is an absolute workhorse and has been been my go-to trainer for some time now. When I want to go fast, the FuelCell Rebel v2 finds its way on my feet. Recovery days? Fresh Foam More v3 all the way. Race day? FuelCell RC Elite v2. Check 'em all out at your local run specialty store or on newbalance.com and consider adding a pair (or two!) to your rotation today.— Goodr: If you want to support the podcast and treat yourself to a pair of goodr sunglasses, head over to goodr.com/MARIO or enter the code MARIO15 at checkout for 15% off your order. Look good, run goodr!Click here for complete show notes, sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning, and/or join our growing community on Patreon, where for as little as a buck a week, you'll also gain access to exclusive content and other perks that pop up from time to time.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Grounded Podcast theme music by Jacob Shije (Santa Clara Pueblo, NM) and used with permission. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hellah Sidibe is a former pro soccer player turned runner who strives to inspire and change lives through sharing his life experiences. Last year he became the first Black man to run across the United States, which he did in a quick 84 days, and he’s been running every day since May 15, 2017. His HellahGood YouTube channel has nearly 275 thousand subscribers, of which I am one of, and his energy and enthusiasm for running, life, and tackling big challenges is incredibly infectious. In this conversation, I got to know Hellah a bit better and hear more about his story. He told me about coming to the U.S. from Mali as a kid and what it was like settling into his new country. Hellah told me about playing soccer throughout his life and how running, until just a few years ago, was something that he viewed as a form of punishment. He explained how making the commitment nearly five years ago to run 10 minutes a day for 2 weeks snowballed into something bigger than he could ever imagined, he told me about giving himself permission to quit if he’s just not enjoying it anymore, and how he’s used YouTube and social media to inspire others through his example and bring awareness to initiatives that are bigger than himself. We also talked about his relationship to pressure and how that’s changed over the years, why it’s important to be intentional with your running, and a lot more. This episode is brought to you by:— Tracksmith. Tracksmith is a brand for committed runners like you and me. They aim to celebrate, support and contribute to running’s distinct culture in everything that they do, from offering considered and original products for training, racing, and recovery, to creating experiences that make running more rewarding, more connected, and more meaningful. When you shop at tracksmith.com/mario and/or if you use the code Mario22 when you check out, you’ll get free shipping on your order and 5% of your purchase will go to the Tracksmith Foundation, a nonprofit that aims to give more people the opportunity to participate in Track & Field. — the morning shakeout Patreon community: This is where shakeout superfans can support my work directly, interact, and also gain access to exclusive content like The Weekly Rundown, which I co-host with Billy Yang, a monthly "Coaches Corner" discussion, and other fun perks. You can join for as little as a buck a week at themorningshakeout.com/support.Click here for complete show notes, sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning, and/or join our growing community on Patreon, where for as little as a buck a week, you'll also gain access to exclusive content like The Weekly Rundown, my Patreon-only podcast with Billy Yang, a live monthly Coaches' Corner discussion, the occasional “emergency pod,” and other perks that pop up from time to time.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amy Leedham is my friend, she’s one of my athletes, she’s a wife and a mom, and a badass runner to boot. We recorded this conversation in-person a couple weeks ago and I’m excited to share it with you. Amy told me about her nickname, The Punisher, and how it came to be, we dig into different elements of her personality and how they manifest in various aspects of her life, and we discuss how her relationship to running has evolved over the years, in particular the past two. Amy also describes the challenges she faced in returning to running after giving birth to her daughter Aila, she shares her best advice for other mothers who might find themselves in a similar situation, she told me how she’s developed a renewed sense of gratitude for being able to run, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by:— Tracksmith. Tracksmith is a brand for committed runners like you and me. They aim to celebrate, support and contribute to running’s distinct culture in everything that they do, from offering considered and original products for training, racing, and recovery, to creating experiences that make running more rewarding, more connected, and more meaningful. When you shop at tracksmith.com/mario and/or if you use the code Mario22 when you check out, you’ll get free shipping on your order and 5% of your purchase will go to the Tracksmith Foundation, a nonprofit that aims to give more people the opportunity to participate in Track & Field. — the morning shakeout Patreon community: This is where shakeout superfans can support my work directly, interact, and also gain access to exclusive content like The Weekly Rundown, which I co-host with Billy Yang, a monthly "Coaches Corner" discussion, and other fun perks. You can join for as little as a buck a week at themorningshakeout.com/support.Click here for complete show notes, sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning, and/or join our growing community on Patreon, where for as little as a buck a week, you'll also gain access to exclusive content like The Weekly Rundown, my Patreon-only podcast with Billy Yang, a live monthly Coaches' Corner discussion, the occasional “emergency pod,” and other perks that pop up from time to time.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ted Metellus is my former Competitor Group colleague, current race director for the New York City Marathon, and just one of the best people in the entire running industry. Ted, who was born and raised in the Bronx, is the first Black race director of an Abbott World Marathon Majors event. He’s also an avid runner with 34 half marathons and two marathons to his credit. In this episode, we cover all sorts of ground. I learned when running first came into Ted’s life, how his relationship to it has evolved over the years, and what it’s meant to him over the past two years that we’ve been navigating a pandemic. Ted told me about the path he’s followed in event operations, logistics, and management, what it’s like being a Black man in an overwhelmingly white sport and industry, what he means when he says that “you can’t teach care,” and a lot more. This episode is brought to you by:— Tracksmith. Tracksmith is a brand for committed runners like you and me. They aim to celebrate, support and contribute to running’s distinct culture in everything that they do, from offering considered and original products for training, racing, and recovery, to creating experiences that make running more rewarding, more connected, and more meaningful. When you shop at tracksmith.com/mario and/or if you use the code Mario22 when you check out, you’ll get free shipping on your order and 5% of your purchase will go to the Tracksmith Foundation, a nonprofit that aims to give more people the opportunity to participate in Track & Field. — the morning shakeout Patreon community: This is where shakeout superfans can support my work directly, interact, and also gain access to exclusive content like The Weekly Rundown, which I co-host with Billy Yang, a monthly "Coaches Corner" discussion, and other fun perks. You can join for as little as a buck a week at themorningshakeout.com/support.Click here for complete show notes, sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning, and/or join our growing community on Patreon, where for as little as a buck a week, you'll also gain access to exclusive content like The Weekly Rundown, my Patreon-only podcast with Billy Yang, a live monthly Coaches' Corner discussion, the occasional “emergency pod,” and other perks that pop up from time to time.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the podcast I’m answering listener questions in the first and last Ask Mario Anything episode of 2022. (Fear not! You can still submit questions for me to answer on the podcast but this monthly installment of the show will be taking on a new format the rest of the year, which I go into more detail about at the beginning of this episode.) On the other side of the mic for this one, once again, is Chris Douglas, my right-hand man and sponsorship director for the morning shakeout.In this episode, I answered questions about some of the more challenging guests I’ve had on the podcast, strength training, drills, long runs, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by:— New Balance. The Fresh Foam 1080 v11 is an absolute workhorse and has been been my go-to trainer for some time now. When I want to go fast, the FuelCell Rebel v2 finds its way on my feet. Recovery days? Fresh Foam More v3 all the way. Race day? FuelCell RC Elite v2. Check 'em all out at your local run specialty store or on newbalance.com and consider adding a pair (or two!) to your rotation today.— Goodr: If you want to support the podcast and treat yourself to a pair of goodr sunglasses, head over to goodr.com/MARIO or enter the code MARIO15 at checkout for 15% off your order. Look good, run goodr!Click here for complete show notes, sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning, and/or join our growing community on Patreon, where for as little as a buck a week, you'll also gain access to exclusive content like The Weekly Rundown, my Patreon-only podcast with Billy Yang, a live monthly Coaches' Corner discussion, the occasional “emergency pod,” and other perks that pop up from time to time.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the first podcast Luis Grijalva has ever been on and he’s got a great story to tell. Luis is a 22-year-old Olympian for Guatemala and finished 12th in the 5000m final in Tokyo, running a personal best of 13:10.09. He now runs professionally for HOKA and recently graduated from Northern Arizona University, where he was a multiple time All-American. In this conversation, Luis tells his story of coming to the U.S. as a baby, growing up in Fairfield, California, and how getting into running at the age of 14 changed the course of his life. He told me about his experience qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics, navigating the challenges of traveling outside the country as a DACA beneficiary, and what it meant for him to represent not only his home country, but over half a million other Dreamers on the world’s biggest stage. We also discussed his relationship with coach Mike Smith, where he he draws his confidence from, and a lot more. This episode is brought to you by:— Recover Athletics. Recover Athletics has worked with the world's best sports physicians and Olympians like Meb Keflezighi to design an app that makes prehab fun and easy. In 90 seconds, the app will customize a program for your body and your training with different resistance exercises, plyometrics, and mobility work—100% evidence-based exercises that are easy to follow on your iPhone or iPad. It’s available only in the iOS app store by searching "Recover Athletics" or at this link.— the morning shakeout Patreon community: This is where shakeout superfans can support my work directly, interact, and also gain access to exclusive content like The Weekly Rundown, which I co-host with Billy Yang, a monthly "Coaches Corner" discussion, and other fun perks. You can join for as little as a buck a week at themorningshakeout.com/support.Click here for complete show notes, sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning, and/or join our growing community on Patreon, where for as little as a buck a week, you'll also gain access to exclusive content like The Weekly Rundown, my Patreon-only podcast with Billy Yang, a live monthly Coaches' Corner discussion, the occasional “emergency pod,” and other perks that pop up from time to time.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bolota Asmerom is an Eritrean-American who has called the United States home since the age of 10. The 43-year-old represented his home country of Eritrea in the 5000m at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. In 2004, he finished third in the 5000m at the U.S. Olympic Trials but couldn’t go to the Games because he didn’t have the Olympic A standard, and in 2008 he finished fourth in the 5000 at the Trials after some last lap contact. All these years later, running is still a huge part of Bolota’s life: he still trains and races locally in the Bay Area where lives, he coaches and advises a handful of athletes, and he’s also the co-founder and co-owner of Renegade Running, a specialty running shop and community hub in Oakland, California—which is actually where we recorded this episode. In this conversation, which is one of my favorites that I’ve ever had for the podcast, we talk about opening a retail space during the pandemic, creating an inclusive community, and making running and running apparel more appealing and accessible to minorities and people of color. Bolota shared his earliest memories of immigrating to the U.S., he told me how running came into his life and how his relationship to the sport and activity has evolved over the years, he took me through his ups and downs as an athlete and shared some of his thoughts on the state of the sport, and a lot more. This episode is brought to you by:— Tracksmith. Tracksmith crafts performance running apparel, inspiring publications, and distinct experiences that allow runners to indulge in the sport’s rich culture. Go to tracksmith.com/mario to check out some of my favorite apparel picks and use the code MARIO at checkout to get free shipping on your order while also helping support #LASAVESTRACK. — Recover Athletics. Recover Athletics has worked with the world's best sports physicians and Olympians like Meb Keflezighi to design an app that makes prehab fun and easy. In 90 seconds, the app will customize a program for your body and your training with different resistance exercises, plyometrics, and mobility work. No pills, no potions, no BS, just 100% evidence based exercises that are easy to follow on your iPhone or iPad. It’s available only in the iOS app store by searching "Recover Athletics" or at this link.Click here for complete show notes, sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning, and/or join our growing community on Patreon, where for as little as a buck a week, you'll also gain access to exclusive content like The Weekly Rundown, my Patreon-only podcast with Billy Yang, a live monthly Coaches' Corner discussion, the occasional “emergency pod,” and other perks that pop up from time to time.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kate Grace is a lot of things, not least of which is 2016 Olympian in the 800m and one of the top middle-distance runners in the U.S. for much of the past ten years. At the age of 33 she’s running faster than ever and isn’t showing signs of slowing down anytime soon. But there’s so much more to Kate than just her speed: I’ve always respected her for her individuality and outlook on the sport, I appreciate her attitude and longevity as an athlete, and I’m inspired by her confidence but also the fact that she doesn’t try to take herself too seriously. In this episode, we talk about all of those things and then some, including how she keeps her emotions in check, why she thinks American women have been running so fast in the middle distances the past few years, and a lot more. This episode is brought to you by:— Tracksmith. Tracksmith crafts performance running apparel, inspiring publications, and distinct experiences that allow runners to indulge in the sport’s rich culture. Go to tracksmith.com/mario to check out some of my favorite apparel picks and use the code MARIO at checkout to get free shipping on your order while also helping support #LASAVESTRACK. — Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Half Marathon, 10K & 5K: Join me at the Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Half Marathon, 10K & 5K on February 6, 2022. This is one of my favorite races and there’s something here for everyone. Register today at getfitkpsf.com/race and use the SHAKEOUT when you check out before January 31 to save 10 bucks on your registration fee.Click here for complete show notes, sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning, and/or join our growing community on Patreon, where for as little as a buck a week, you'll also gain access to exclusive content like The Weekly Rundown, my Patreon-only podcast with Billy Yang, a live monthly Coaches' Corner discussion, the occasional “emergency pod,” and other perks that pop up from time to time.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I recently got on the mic with my friend Dylan Bowman, who first appeared on the podcast back on Episode 14 in 2018, and we caught up with one another about all sorts of stuff. In this episode, we talk about where we’re at in our respective lives right now, what we both have going on athletically and professionally, where we see certain parts of the industry going in the next few years, and a lot more. For those of you who don’t know, Dylan is one of the top ultrarunners in the U.S., if not the world. Last year he finished second at the Hardrock 100 Endurance Run, running under the previous course record time, and he’s won or been on the podium at Transgrancanaria, TDS, Ultra-Trail Mt. Fuji, Tarawera, and other big races. He’s also the founder of FreeTrail, a training and media platform dedicated to the life changing sport of trail and ultrarunning, and he also hosts the FreeTrail podcast.This episode is brought to you by:— Tracksmith. Tracksmith crafts performance running apparel, inspiring publications, and distinct experiences that allow runners to indulge in the sport’s rich culture. Go to tracksmith.com/mario to check out some of my favorite apparel picks and use the code MARIO at checkout to get free shipping on your order while also helping support #LASAVESTRACK. — Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Half Marathon, 10K & 5K: Join me at the Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Half Marathon, 10K & 5K on February 6, 2022. This is one of my favorite races and there’s something here for everyone. Register today at getfitkpsf.com/race and use the SHAKEOUT when you check out before January 31 to save 10 bucks on your registration fee.Click here for complete show notes, sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning, and/or join our growing community on Patreon, where for as little as a buck a week, you'll also gain access to exclusive content like The Weekly Rundown, my Patreon-only podcast with Billy Yang, a live monthly Coaches' Corner discussion, the occasional “emergency pod,” and other perks that pop up from time to time.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The 50th episode of the year is a “best of” compilation of highlights from 12 of the most impactful conversations that I’ve had over the past 12 months. It’s an honor and privilege to be in conversation each week with athletes, coaches, advocates, and others who teach me something about running, coaching, or living a better life. In this episode you’ll hear from 13 people whose experiences, insight, and/or advice stood out to me: Alexi Pappas (0:03:25), Craig Curley (0:10:51), Dinée Dorame (0:19:31), Nathan Martin (0:27:21), Keith Kelly (0:32:30), Jorge Maravilla and Stephanie Howe (0:42:08), Mark Coogan (0:51:16), Christine Gould (0:59:31), Alison Mariella Désir (1:05:56), Jon Green (1:14:07), George Hirsch (1:22:53), Alex Varner (1:32:05). I hope these conversations help you see what’s possible for yourself through the lens of running.This episode is brought to you by:— Recover Athletics. Recover Athletics has worked with the world's best sports physicians and Olympians like Meb Keflezighi to design an app that makes prehab fun and easy. In 90 seconds, the app will customize a program for your body and your training with different resistance exercises, plyometrics, and mobility work—100% evidence-based exercises that are easy to follow on your iPhone or iPad. It’s available only in the iOS app store by searching "Recover Athletics" or at this link.— the morning shakeout Patreon community: This is where shakeout superfans can support my work directly, interact, and also gain access to exclusive content like The Weekly Rundown, which I co-host with Billy Yang, a monthly "Coaches Corner" discussion, and other fun perks. You can join for as little as a buck a week at themorningshakeout.com/support.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’re taking the next couple weeks off to recharge so we’re re-running one of my favorite episodes from the early days of the podcast, a conversation I had in May of 2018 with Aliphine Tuliamuk. It was episode 15, I am fairly certain it was Aliphine’s first podcast, and at the time not many people knew her story despite the fact that she was nine-time national champion! Since then she’s added another national championship to her resume—the 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials title—and now she’s a household name in American distance running. This is a great episode to revisit if you listened to it a few years ago and certainly one to check out if you didn’t. You’ll learn all about Aliphine’s upbringing in Kenya, how she got into running, what it was like coming to the United States and assimilating to a new country and culture, how she deals with pressure, and a lot more. (You might also want to listen in to episode 102 with Aliphine, which we recorded shortly after she won the Olympic Trials in Atlanta.)This episode is brought to you by:— Tracksmith. Tracksmith crafts performance running apparel, inspiring publications, and distinct experiences that allow runners to indulge in the sport’s rich culture. Go to tracksmith.com/mario to check out some of my favorite apparel picks and use the code MARIO at checkout to get free shipping on your order while also helping support #LASAVESTRACK. — Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Half Marathon, 10K & 5K: Join me at the Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Half Marathon, 10K & 5K on February 6, 2022. This is one of my favorite races and there’s something here for everyone. Register today at getfitkpsf.com/race and use the SHAKEOUT when you check out before January 31 to save 10 bucks on your registration fee.Click here for complete show notes, sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning, and/or join our growing community on Patreon, where for as little as a buck a week, you'll also gain access to exclusive content like The Weekly Rundown, my Patreon-only podcast with Billy Yang, a live monthly Coaches' Corner discussion, the occasional “emergency pod,” and other perks that pop up from time to time.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“I think that that’s one of the most important or significant traits that you can have—as a runner, an athlete, a human, a colleague, a dad, a husband—is to be dependable if nothing else. I know I can depend on myself. When I wake up on a race day and I’m like, ‘Man, I really don’t wanna do this, the weather stinks, I don’t feel like I’ve done enough,’ there’s like two voices in my head: that Alpha and Beta, and the Beta’s like, ‘Go back to bed dude, this is crazy. No one gives a crap about this. You’re the only one that cares.’ And then the Alpha’s like, ‘Oh, hell no. We made a commitment to ourselves to show up and show out and deliver the goods and win or die trying and lay it all on the line.’ And it works. Some days you think, ‘Today’s not my day for a race.’ Like I said, the Beta starts telling the Alpha, ‘It’s not our day, we’re not ready,’ and the Alpha’s just like, ‘Dude, we’re going through the routine, we’re warming up, we’re getting on the start line, and we’re going for it.’” Ken Rideout is the most requested return guest in the history of the podcast. He first appeared on the show almost exactly two years ago on Episode 91 and before you listen to this conversation I recommend going back to check that one out if you haven’t already to get Ken’s backstory, which will help set the foundation for this second go-around. So who is this guy? In a lot of ways, Ken is a real average dude—he’s a husband and dad to four kids, he works full-time and then some, and like the rest of us he loves to run—but at the age of 50, he’s running faster than ever before and his approach to life is anything but average. This past year Ken won the Myrtle Beach Marathon in 2:30, he finished second in the 50-54 age group at the Abbott World Marathon Majors championship in London, running 2:29, a few weeks after that he won the Masters division at New York, running 2:33, and then he finished off his racing season with a 1:10 personal best in the half marathon in Nashville. I’ve had the pleasure of coaching Ken for a little over two years now and not only is he one of the most driven athletes I’ve ever coached, he’s just one of the best, biggest-hearted people I’ve ever met. We covered a lot in this conversation—and in it, Ken shares some personal details about his life that he hasn’t talked about publicly elsewhere before—but the main theme to come out of it has to do with the stories we tell ourselves, the inner dialogue many of us have every time we lace up our shoes, step on the starting line, or sometimes when we’re just trying get out of bed in the morning. Ken and I also talk about responsibility versus pressure, the importance of being dependable to yourself and others, cultivating confidence in everything you do, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by:— Tracksmith. Tracksmith crafts performance running apparel, inspiring publications, and distinct experiences that allow runners to indulge in the sport’s rich culture. Go to https://tracksmith.com/mario to check out some of my favorite apparel picks and use the code MARIO at checkout to get free shipping on your order while also helping support #LASAVESTRACK. — Goodr: If you want to support the podcast and treat yourself to a pair of goodr sunglasses, head over to https://goodr.com/MARIO or enter the code MARIO at checkout for 15% off your order. Look good, run goodr!Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-186-with-ken-rideout/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: https://themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“To me, what grit is is not despairing and not giving up just because things are really hard or because things are going really, really poorly. The courage to be like, ‘Man, things have fallen apart, this is awful, but I’m going to figure it out, I’m going to keep going.’ To me, hope is one of the most courageous things there is, to continue on, to keep going, to try again after one has failed. There’s almost an element of irrationality in it. I think what runners do—and I forget which runner said this but I’ve always loved the quote—‘it doesn’t always get worse.’ So it’s really bad, you’re on mile 30 or whatever it is of the race, and it feels like your body is about to fall apart and you can’t go on, part of what your mind does is extrapolate out, ‘if it’s bad now, it will obviously get worse from here,’ and that’s actually not the case. You push forward and often it gets better.” Ryan Holiday is a runner and #1 New York Times bestselling author whose books have sold more than 4 million copies worldwide. I’ve long been a fan of Ryan’s writing, most of which centers around Stoic philosophy, and his work has personally had a huge impact on me and how I live my life. His latest book, Courage Is Calling, was one of my favorite reads of 2021 and served as the basis for the conversation we had for this episode of the podcast. What is courage? Is it a choice? Can we make it a habit? What’s the difference between being scared and being afraid? How does fear of what other people think of us influence behavior and decision making? These are just a few of the questions I explored with Ryan in this episode and the takeaways are widely applicable for us not only as runners, but as people just making our way through the world. I took a lot away from this conversation and I know that you will too.This episode is brought to you by:— Tracksmith. Tracksmith crafts performance running apparel, inspiring publications, and distinct experiences that allow runners to indulge in the sport’s rich culture. Go to https://tracksmith.com/mario to check out some of my favorite apparel picks and use the code MARIO at checkout to get free shipping on your order while also helping support #LASAVESTRACK. — Goodr: If you want to support the podcast and treat yourself to a pair of goodr sunglasses, head over to https://goodr.com/MARIO or enter the code MARIO at checkout for 15% off your order. Look good, run goodr!Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-185-with-ryan-holiday/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: https://themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“I’m not a high mileage advocate. I’m not a low mileage advocate. I’m a right mileage advocate. Find the right mileage that works for you—the most miles that you can run without compromising your performance in workouts or races, without compromising your recovery, without compromising your life outside of running, your relationship with your family and friends, work, etc. Find out what that is for you. It’s going to be a little bit different for everyone. There's a huge misnomer out there that, ‘Oh, if I want to be good at the marathon I've got to run over 50 miles a week. Or over 70 miles a week. Or over 100 miles a week,’ whatever it is. Everyone’s got a different idea in their head what they need to be doing; find out what that peak is for you and try to run as many weeks as possible at that volume in the 12-16 weeks leading up to a marathon—not every week, you should cycle, build in rest weeks, that sort of thing—but find that highest sustainable volume for you.”This week on the podcast I’m answering listener questions in the final Ask Mario Anything episode of 2021. (You can check out the first three here, here, and here.) On the other side of the mic for this one, per usual, is Chris Douglas, my good friend and sponsorship director for the morning shakeout. Some exciting news before we get into this one: These AMA-style episodes will become a more regular thing in 2022! We’ll be producing them on a monthly basis in the new year in addition to the usual interview-style show. This week, we talked about my New England roots, getting over mental blocks in marathon training, transitioning to trail racing, coaching trail and ultrarunners, creating multiple race plans, and more.  Thank you to everyone who submitted questions and apologies for all the ones I wasn’t able to answer in this episode.This episode is brought to you by:— New Balance. The Fresh Foam 1080 v11 is an absolute workhorse and it’s been my go-to trainer for most of my non-workout runs in 2021. It’s got great cushioning underfoot that’s protective but not too soft, providing a responsive ride that I really enjoy and appreciate. Check it out at newbalance.com and consider adding a pair to your rotation today.— Recover Athletics. Recover Athletics has worked with the world's best sports physicians and Olympians like Meb Keflezighi to design an app that makes prehab fun and easy. In 90 seconds, the app will customize a program for your body and your training with different resistance exercises, plyometrics, and mobility work. No pills, no potions, no BS, just 100% evidence based exercises that are easy to follow on your iPhone or iPad. It’s available only in the iOS app store by searching "Recover Athletics" or at this link: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/recover-athletics-run-healthy/id1488347465 Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-184-ask-mario-anything/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: https://themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“It’s hard to look back and see what resulted despite your best efforts. You know, sh*t doesn’t go the way you want it to all the time. You can’t do anything about that. OK, you can feel down—that’s natural—but if you can look back and say, ‘I did my best,’ you shouldn’t have any regrets around that. If you have strong regrets around it, it probably means you weren’t doing your best. There are screw-ups, that happens—that’s being human and living—but if you can forgive yourself for those and overall [say] I put my best for forward, what else can you ask for? What else can you do? That’s all you can do.” It’s both a privilege and a pleasure to share this week’s episode with you. It’s with my friend and sometimes training partner, Alex Varner, and we recently sat down at his kitchen table to continue a conversation that started a few months ago on some runs together about moving on from the sport of running, or at least reevaluating our relationship with it. Alex has been running competitively since high school and has done some pretty amazing things in the sport: he’s won a national title in the 50K, he’s been top 10 at Western States, he’s won and broke the course record at Lake Sonoma, he’s put up the fastest time at the Dipsea Race a record 9 times, he’s run a 2:21 marathon, and he’s also won the Krispy Kreme Challenge in Raleigh, NC. After 20+ years of being a competitive athlete, Alex’s relationship to the sport is in an interesting place and we spent this entire episode talking about identity, motivation, letting go, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by:— New Balance. The Fresh Foam 1080 v11 is an absolute workhorse and it’s been my go-to trainer for most of my non-workout runs in 2021. It’s got great cushioning underfoot that’s protective but not too soft, providing a responsive ride that I really enjoy and appreciate. Check it out at newbalance.com and consider adding a pair to your rotation today.— Recover Athletics. Recover Athletics has worked with the world's best sports physicians and Olympians like Meb Keflezighi to design an app that makes prehab fun and easy. In 90 seconds, the app will customize a program for your body and your training with different resistance exercises, plyometrics, and mobility work. No pills, no potions, no BS, just 100% evidence based exercises that are easy to follow on your iPhone or iPad. It’s available only in the iOS app store by searching "Recover Athletics" or at this link: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/recover-athletics-run-healthy/id1488347465 Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-183-with-alex-varner/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: https://themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“It’s possible to have a dysfunctional, unhealthy relationship to anything, right? So I would invite people to look at their own relationship to whatever it is they’re doing, whether it’s running or anything, and say, ‘How is this serving me? Or not serving me? Am I doing this to the exclusion of my responsibilities to my family, friends, loved ones, community? Or, in fact, is this practice of running actually foundational in helping me do that?’ My sense is that overall for the majority of runners and athletes it’s the second scenario which is true: that running actually tends to cultivate connection and gratitude and love and the ability to be of service to others. If it stops being that then maybe you want to look at that but I think it’s usually the case that it’s a positive force in people’s lives.” This week’s episode is with J.M. Thompson. He’s an ultrarunner, a clinical psychologist, and author of the new book, Running Is A Kind of Dreaming, a powerful, mind-bending memoir about how running saved him from a life of depression, drug addiction, and suicide attempts. This conversation was fascinating and one of my favorites that I’ve had for the podcast to date. In it, we discuss J.M.’s book, how it’s structured, and how it came to be, but also what it’s been like for him, as a mental health professional, to open about his own issues so publicly. We talked about ultrarunning, his evolving relationship to it, and the types of personalities the sport tends to attract. Jason told me about what he called the “waking dream state” that he experiences in long races, the process of reorganizing our past experiences with trauma so that we can move forward, the importance of learning to ask for help, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by:— Tracksmith. Tracksmith crafts performance running apparel, inspiring publications, and distinct experiences that allow runners to indulge in the sport’s rich culture. Go to tracksmith.com/mario to check out some of my favorite apparel picks and use the code MARIO at checkout to get free shipping on your order while also helping support #LASAVESTRACK. — Recover Athletics. Recover Athletics has worked with the world's best sports physicians and Olympians like Meb Keflezighi to design an app that makes prehab fun and easy. In 90 seconds, the app will customize a program for your body and your training with different resistance exercises, plyometrics, and mobility work. No pills, no potions, no BS, just 100% evidence based exercises that are easy to follow on your iPhone or iPad. It’s available only in the iOS app store by searching "Recover Athletics" or at this link: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/recover-athletics-run-healthy/id1488347465 Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-182-with-j-m-thompson/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: https://themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit. When I was a little girl I was selling lollipops at school. I had this relative who had these big lollipops, the 8-inch ones that were really colorful but not healthy to eat, but I would go to school—as long as they let me—selling lollipops until they said no. But I’ve always liked to be a groundbreaker and the thing about me is I don’t operate out of a mode of fear. I just don’t operate out of fear. I never have. And you have to have that to be an entrepreneur—you can’t have a lot of fear. Success is going to be hard to come by.” This week’s episode is with Jenny Maxwell. She’s the founder and CEO of JAMBAR, an energy bar for promoting community and eating healthy organic nutrition. This isn’t Jenny’s first foray into the energy bar market: she and her late husband Brian practically created it in the mid-1980s when they launched Powerbar, which they worked on together for 15 years until it was acquired by Nestle in 2000. Jenny is also a runner, a drummer, a nutritionist, and a mom of 6 kids—in full disclosure, I coach one of them, her son Chris, who is a heck of a marathoner in his own right. In this conversation, we talk about launching JAMBAR after 20 years away from the energy bar industry, how the space has evolved and grown over the past two decades, and what she’s doing to make her new company and product different from the rest. Jenny and I also discuss playing the long game and taking a patient, sustainable approach to both business and life, aligning yourself with the right people, the similarities in how athletes and musicians approach their respective crafts, and a lot more. As a thank you for listening to this episode, Jenny would like to extend a 10% discount on JAMBAR products to morning shakeout listeners. Simply place an order at Jambar.com and use the code JAMBARFUEL at checkout. And just to be fully transparent, I am not getting paid by JAMBAR, I am not an affiliate of the company, and I get nothing out of you using this discount code. It’s a gift from Jenny and an invitation to try out her latest culinary creation.This episode is brought to you by:— Tracksmith. Tracksmith crafts performance running apparel, inspiring publications, and distinct experiences that allow runners to indulge in the sport’s rich culture. Tracksmith is offering new customers $15 off your first purchase of $75+. Just use code MARIO15 when you check out at tracksmith.com/mario.— Goodr: If you want to support the podcast and treat yourself to a pair of goodr sunglasses, head over to goodr.com/MARIO or enter the code MARIO at checkout for 15% off your order. Look good, run goodr!Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-181-with-jenny-maxwell/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: https://themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“The thing that I’ve realized I like about competitiveness is that, yes, it’s fun to beat other people in a soccer game and that’s one measure, but the real thing that’s rewarding is continuously getting better at something, or continuously working at something and putting in this work and seeing what the outputs are and continuing to try to do better. And even now I think I’m hopefully not at a permanent stage where I’m going backwards—but recovering from an injury—and I’m not running any of the same speeds that I have run in the past, but I’m working at it and I find it really rewarding to be better than I was last week.” This week’s conversation is a little different from the ones I usually have for the show. It’s with Leidy Klotz, a professor at the University of Virginia who studies how we transform things from how they are to how we want them to be. He’s the author of the book Subtract: The Untapped Science of Less, which is the spark that set off this conversation, and he’s also a runner himself.In this episode, we talked about Leidy’s relationship to running and the place it holds in his life before getting into a discussion about subtraction and why it often gets neglected in favor of addition in so many aspects of our lives, including running. We talked about subtraction as it relates to coaching, writing training programs, and even running shoes, how to overcome our instinct to add to things all the time, looking at life through an editor’s lens, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by:— Tracksmith. Tracksmith crafts performance running apparel, inspiring publications, and distinct experiences that allow runners to indulge in the sport’s rich culture. Tracksmith is offering new customers $15 off your first purchase of $75+. Just use code MARIO15 when you check out at tracksmith.com/mario.— Goodr: If you want to support the podcast and treat yourself to a pair of goodr sunglasses, head over to goodr.com/MARIO or enter the code MARIO at checkout for 15% off your order. Look good, run goodr!Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-180-with-leidy-klotz/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: https://themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“If there’s stressful stuff, and who doesn’t have that, the run eases it. It absolutely does. We hear this, of course, from lots of people, and more and more people are figuring out what’s going on in terms of brain chemistry—it eases anxiety and stress, I’m talking about serious stress with people, clinical anxiety—but I feel that. And so years and years ago I kind of assumed a mantra, if you will, and that is you come home from work and haven’t run, and it is, ‘When in doubt, do it.’ And it’s served me well, and it still doesn’t mean I haven’t missed some days, but if I’m kind of on the fence, I’m a little tired, I don’t feel up to it, a lot on my mind—get out the door, get in some miles, and I always find that I’m better off for it.” The 50th running of the New York City Marathon is just a couple weekends away and who better to talk to about it than George Hirsch, chairman of the New York Road Runners, and someone who has been involved with the event to one degree or another since its beginnings. This conversation was a real treat for me. We spent half of it talking about the New York City Marathon, its history, its stories, its allure, and more. We also discussed how all of those things went into a new book called The New York City Marathon: 50 Years Running, which is a coffee table keepsake that I’m really enjoying right now. I also got George to tell me more about himself, his legendary career in publishing, which included a stint at Runner’s World during its heyday, how he got his start in running back in the 1960s, what keeps him running six days a week at the age of 87, how his relationship to it has evolved over the decades, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by:— Runderwear. Runderwear's mission is to eliminate the discomfort caused by ill-fitting underwear and to create seamless performance running underwear, base wear, bras and socks that are supremely comfortable, moisture wicking and chafe-free. Take a look at Runderwear.com and use the code TMS20 at checkout for 20% off your purchase. — Precision Hydration. I’ve been a devotee to PH products for the past 4 years and my last few marathons wouldn’t have gone as well without them. Go to precisionhydration.com and take their free online Sweat Test or use the Carb Calculator to get a personalized hydration and nutrition strategy to test in training. As a listener of the show you can get 15% off your first order by using the code TMS15 when checking out.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-179-with-george-hirsch/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: https://themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“My goals and expectations when I joined the team was committing to the Olympic Trials…but we were all changed through the pandemic. Who I am as a 24-year-old joining a professional team versus me as a 27-year-old kind of living through this high-end running thing, one of my number one goals is I don’t want to just be stuck on the domestic mile circuit. If I’m going to do this, I want to do it right. And I was pretty bummed that my body tipped the other end of the scale and couldn’t quite figure it out…I think if I committed to keep going and training in the environment that I was in, it kind of would have been the same cycle, so I was like, ‘You know what, this might not be the most prudent move, but I’m going to end this and start a new chapter,’ so that’s kind of what I’ve been doing this summer, is figuring out what that chapter looks like.” My conversation this week is with Dana Giordano. She’s a top middle distance runner on the track who competed in the 5000m at this summer’s Olympic Trials. She also hosts the popular podcast More than Running with Dana, where she sits down and talks with some of the most inspirational and insightful women in running from athletes and coaches to insiders and advocates. In this episode, we talked about where she’s at right now and rediscovering the love for running after feeling distraught following the Olympic Trials. She told me about living in Singapore as a kid and developing a love for travel. We spoke about the professional side of the sport and the challenges of making it as a top-level athlete today. We also discussed her podcast, connecting with people, sharing untold stories, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by:— New Balance. The Fresh Foam 1080 v11 is an absolute workhorse and it’s been my go-to trainer for most of my non-workout runs in 2021. It’s got great cushioning underfoot that’s protective but not too soft, providing a responsive ride that I really enjoy and appreciate. Check it out at newbalance.com and consider adding a pair to your rotation today.— Precision Hydration. I’ve been a devotee to PH products for the past 4 years and my last few marathons wouldn’t have gone as well without them. Go to precisionhydration.com and take their free online Sweat Test or use the Carb Calculator to get a personalized hydration and nutrition strategy to test in training. As a listener of the show you can get 15% off your first order by using the code TMS15 when checking out.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-178-with-dana-giordano/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: https://themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Talent is an interesting question. What is it really? It means, can you avoid injuries? It means, can you back off? When you get crushed, will you come back? I didn’t like that part. I think it’s a lot of different things. It’s not maybe a physical thing, but it’s a mental thing. When you see a lot of these athletes—a lot of you are here because you have that wherewithal. And maybe you got beat up, because we all get beat up in this sport—it’s part of it, it’s like a rite of passage. It’s just part of it. But it’s OK, it’s good.”This week on the podcast I’m excited to share a wide-ranging conversation I had this past Saturday with the legendary Bill Rodgers at Tracksmith’s Trackhouse in Boston. Bill is a hero of mine and I’ve long wanted to have him on the show and Boston Marathon weekend turned out to be the perfect opportunity for it. In this conversation, we talk all things Boston, of course, but also get Bill’s thoughts on his career, talent, training, how his own relationship with running has evolved over the course of his lifetime, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by:— Tracksmith. Tracksmith crafts performance running apparel, inspiring publications, and distinct experiences that allow runners to indulge in the sport’s rich culture. Tracksmith is offering new customers $15 off your first purchase of $75+. Just use code MARIO15 when you check out at tracksmith.com/mario.— Goodr: If you want to support the podcast and treat yourself to a pair of goodr sunglasses, head over to goodr.com/MARIO or enter the code MARIO at checkout for 15% off your order. Look good, run goodr!Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-177-with-bill-rodgers/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: https://themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“I mean, the work’s done at this point. I can’t gain any appreciable fitness between now and race day. I could screw up a lot if I’m not careful and that’s the biggest thing I’m trying to keep an eye on at this point, is when I have those moments where doubt sets in—because it happens to all of us, even if we’re really well prepared—where you’re like, ‘Should I do another mile or two?’ or ‘Should I do another rep?’ and that’s where you have to have the confidence to say, ‘No, it’s not going to make a difference.’ The difference is in the last 10-12 weeks, it’s not in 10 or 12 more miles, or 10 or 12 more minutes, or 1 or 2 more reps. You just gotta trust it at this point. And, I think having that attitude helps me carry the right amount of confidence into race day.” This week on the podcast I’m answering listener questions in the third Ask Mario Anything episode of 2021. (You can check out the first two here and here.) On the other side of the mic for this one—once again—is sponsorship director, Chris Douglas. We talked about my training for this year's Boston Marathon, how to know whether or not you’ve got too much left in the tank at the end of a race, training while on vacation, warming up for workouts, diversity and inclusivity in my work, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by:— New Balance. The new FuelCell RC Elite v2 is the best long-distance road racing shoe I've ever worn and I'll be using it for my upcoming marathon. They’ve got more FuelCell cushioning in the midsole than the previous model, which softens the blow underfoot, but they’re still plenty responsive enough so that you can get into a good rhythm and rip some fast miles. The upper is incredibly lightweight, comfortable, and supportive. Check it out at newbalance.com and consider adding a pair to your rotation today.— Goodr: If you want to support the podcast and treat yourself to a pair of goodr sunglasses, head over to goodr.com/MARIO or enter the code MARIO at checkout for 15% off your order. Look good, run goodr!Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-176-ask-mario-anything/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: https://themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“If all that mattered to me was [to run] the best time possible in two weeks then yes, I’d probably go into the other field and just run with some people who I know are right around my fitness level, but luckily I’ve had fun at Boston a couple times and I realize that’s not all there is. It’s not only about squeaking out every second, it’s about having an awesome experience and I’m pretty pumped to compete. I think in the best way possible, when I think about that last stretch by BU and how horrible it is and how painful it can be to try to muster…you’ve got like two miles to go and you’re like, ‘I just wanna be done.’ My dream would be that there’s someone ahead of me and they’re another Masters runner that has a number on their back and I’m like, ‘I gotta catch that guy,’ because that’s what also makes it super fun.” Peter Bromka, who first appeared on Episode 92 of the podcast back in 2019, comes back on the show to geek out on all things Boston Marathon with me. Both of us will be competing in this year’s race on Monday, October 11, and Peter will be in the elite field as one of the top-ranked Masters runners, which is super cool. A 2:19 marathoner who just missed qualifying for the 2020 Olympic Trials, Peter is also well known for his writing about running, and one of his more recent pieces, called “The Bubble of a Dream,” will be included in The Year’s Best Sports Writing 2021, which is due out next month. Peter’s also got a great newsletter called The Positive Split, which you can subscribe to at PeterBromka.com. We spent the entirety of this episode talking about Boston, how we’re feeling in the final couple weeks of training leading up to the race, what we’re most looking forward to—and anxious about—at this year’s event, the return of major marathons in general, Boston being held in the fall for the first time, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by:— Runderwear. Runderwear's mission is to eliminate the discomfort caused by ill-fitting underwear and to create seamless performance running underwear, base wear, bras and socks that are supremely comfortable, moisture wicking and chafe-free. Take a look at Runderwear.com and use the code TMS20 at checkout for 20% off your purchase. — Precision Hydration. I’ve been a devotee to PH products for the past 4 years and my last few marathons wouldn’t have gone as well without them. Go to precisionhydration.com and take their free online Sweat Test or use the Carb Calculator to get a personalized hydration and nutrition strategy to test in training. As a listener of the show you can get 15% off your first order by using the code TMS15 when checking out.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-175-with-peter-bromka/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: https://themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“It’s really inspiring to see someone push themselves and challenge themselves…Bringing out the achievements of people who are fighting the odds, and really putting into context today’s race, even for a pro, because even a pro is overcoming something tremendous each race they do—it’s never rosy. And understanding that hardship, I think, will give people context into the meaning of a particular race for a particular runner, whether they’re an amateur or the world’s best.” Sanjay Rawal is a New York City-based runner and filmmaker. At the time of this conversation in 2018 he had just released a film called 3100: Run and Become, which takes an intimate look at one of the most unique foot races on the planet, The Sri Chinmoy 3100-Mile Self-Transcendence Race. That race—which is the longest certified road race in the world—is actually going on right now in Queens, New York. Participants are attempting to complete 3100 miles in 52 days (or less) around the same half-mile block of concrete in the city. In this re-run episode, we talked about the 3100 film, of course, but also about the idea of running as a spiritual practice throughout history, the connection between competition and spirituality, running as a cultural connector, and a lot more. Whether you’re a competitive athlete or recreational runner, a miler or an ultramarathoner, this conversation will change the way you look at running and the role it plays in your life.This episode is brought to you by:— New Balance. The Fresh Foam 1080 v11 is an absolute workhorse and it’s been my go-to trainer for most of my non-workout runs in 2021. It’s got great cushioning underfoot that’s protective but not too soft, providing a responsive ride that I really enjoy and appreciate. Check it out at newbalance.com and consider adding a pair to your rotation today.— Precision Hydration. I’ve been a devotee to PH products for the past 4 years and my last few marathons wouldn’t have gone as well without them. Go to precisionhydration.com and take their free online Sweat Test or use the Carb Calculator to get a personalized hydration and nutrition strategy to test in training. As a listener of the show you can get 15% off your first order by using the code TMS15 when checking out.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-re-run-with-sanjay-rawal/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“My goal with coaching people is to teach them and have them understand why we’re doing what we’re doing so if I ever stop coaching them, or for whatever reason we part ways, that they are basically able to coach themselves the same way I was coaching them previously. My job is to eliminate my own job, I guess.” Jon Green is the 26-year-old coach of Olympic marathon bronze medalist Molly Seidel. He is also the head coach of Atalanta NYC, a New York City-based nonprofit that employs and supports professional female runners that are training to achieve their goals while also serving as core mentors for its youth mentoring program. As an athlete, Jon was an All-American at Georgetown University and ran professionally for a brief period of time before turning his attention to coaching. In this conversation, we go deep into Jon’s background as an athlete, we talk about our shared Central Massachusetts roots, and then turn our attention to coaching, where we discuss working with Molly Seidel, of course, but also who has influenced his philosophy, how he views his role as a coach, where he has the most room to grow, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by:— New Balance. The Fresh Foam 1080 v11 is an absolute workhorse and it’s been my go-to trainer for most of my non-workout runs in 2021. It’s got great cushioning underfoot that’s protective but not too soft, providing a responsive ride that I really enjoy and appreciate. Check it out at newbalance.com and consider adding a pair to your rotation today.— Goodr: If you want to support the podcast and treat yourself to a pair of goodr sunglasses, head over to goodr.com/MARIO or enter the code MARIO at checkout for 15% off your order. Look good, run goodr!Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-174-with-jon-green/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“So in the classical tradition they often ask the question of what role athletics can play in the good life. And typically the way it is described is that it has a role in character development in sort of helping us to be more well-ordered such that we can flourish longterm. But they also express a concern that if you are having an outsized focus on athletics that it can be bad, both physically for your constitution, but also for your character. There are ways of participating in sport that don’t form you in the right way and so I’ve wondered about my relationship with running in terms of the sort of life that I want to have, in terms of the sort of life that’s suited to what it means to be a human and flourish, and I just don’t think sports has been an unqualified good in my own formation. I mean, there are certain qualities that are reinforced that are not…I mean, envy is the big example that I give, or a kind of intemperance, having an outsized affection for sport that crowds out other features of my life or doesn’t make me a good member of my community. So, in asking the question of what flourishing is, what a good life would be constituted of, I’ve started to inspect the role that running has on my life and I don’t know how well—at least in the dosage that I do it in in ultrarunning—I don’t know if it really supports that kind of life.” I’ve been wanting to have this conversation with Sabrina Little for a while now and I’ll just say this: It was awesome. Sabrina is an amazing human being. She’s a wife a new mom, she’s a full-time professor of Philosophy and the Humanities at Morehead State University in Kentucky, she writes my favorite column for iRunFar called The Examined Run, and she’s also a heck of runner in her own right: Sabrina has won 5 U.S. titles, she’s represented the U.S. five times at international championships, she was the silver medalist at the 2013 world 24-hour championships, helping the U.S. win a team gold at that event, she previously held American records for 24 hours and 200K, and she finished 12th at the 2018 Trail World Championships in Spain to help the U.S. team take a bronze medal. In this conversation, we talked about how running came into her life, running her first 100 miler as a freshman in college as a grand gesture to her mom, who was in remission from ovarian cancer at the time, and how she eventually got into competitive ultrarunning and representing the U.S. at an international level. We also talked a bit of philosophy, why that field of study piqued her interest in college, how and where philosophy and running intersect for Sabrina, including how she “re-ordered her loves” after becoming a mom a little over a year ago, how she thinks about competition, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by:— New Balance. The new FuelCell Rebel v2 is my new favorite running shoe. It’s super super light, it’s incredibly responsive, and offers good protection underfoot. I think it’s the perfect workout shoe and I’ll be using it all the time. Check it out today at newbalance.com and consider adding a pair to your rotation today.— Goodr: If you want to support the podcast and treat yourself to a pair of goodr sunglasses, head over to goodr.com/MARIO or enter the code MARIO at checkout for 15% off your order. Look good, run goodr!Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-173-with-sabrina-little/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“So much of groundedness is about building a life that you want to live in right now and those things are often in opposition to striving, because when you’re striving, when you’re really going toward something, it’s very easy to forget about watering the roots, tending to the base, whatever it is. But when you accomplish or you fail to do that thing, if you haven’t been taking care of all this other stuff, then there’s still nothing there and you still fill empty. So you could also argue it’s just about really focusing on what is there right now, what’s in front of you, and it’s not to say you become a zen monk that’s totally content. I would argue that it’s still great to strive but the texture of the striving changes, so instead of striving from a pace of compulsion—‘I need to win this and if I don’t I’m a failure’ or ‘I need to hit the best-seller list and if I don’t something’s wrong’—it’s much more that this is a great goal but it’s a great goal because all the steps I’m gonna have to take to reach it are going to really fulfill me and give my life happiness, joy, and growth.” Brad Stulberg is a an author, speaker, and executive coach who researches, writes, and coaches on human performance, sustainable success, and well-being. His work has appeared in Outside magazine, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Wired, and other publications. He’s the best-selling author of Peak Performance and the Passion Paradox, both of which he co-wrote with Steve Magness, and he’s got a new book coming out on September 7 called The Practice of Groundedness, which explores the foundation of peak performance, true wellbeing, and sustainable success. This conversation centers around Brad’s new book and we dive into topics that I think are relevant to many of us: the pursuit of high achievement that seems pervasive in our society today, the fallacy of “arriving” in life and how that gets the best of so many of us, what Brad calls heroic individualism or an ongoing game of one-upmanship against ourselves and others, the differences between real vulnerability and performative vulnerability, and a lot more.Pre-order Brad's new book here before September 7, 2021 to get exclusive bonuses: https://www.bradstulberg.com/tpogpreorderThis episode is brought to you by:— Runderwear. Runderwear’s mission is to eliminate the discomfort caused by ill-fitting underwear and to create seamless performance running underwear, base wear, bras and socks that are supremely comfortable, moisture wicking and chafe-free. Take a look at Runderwear.com and use the code TMS20 at checkout for 20% off now through September 15. — Precision Hydration. I’ve been a devotee to PH products for the past 4 years and my last few marathons wouldn’t have gone as well without them. Go to precisionhydration.com and take their free online Sweat Test to get a personalized hydration strategy to test in training. As a listener of the show you can get 15% off your first order of electrolytes that match how you sweat by using the code TMS15 when checking out.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-172-with-brad-stulberg/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“I think for me it ties back to seeing myself as more than just a runner but [as] a complete person in mind, body, soul. I’ve just found that when all the parts of who I am are aligned and enjoying everything then really the results, they’re going to come and you’re more patient for them—you’re not dependent on them to have this joy and this fun time being out there putting in the work. In my opinion, that become way more important than the fact that you’re going to go and hit these certain paces and you’re going to put in this certain amount of training to equal this sort of result. So there was definitely a transition there for me, where it’s like, ‘Hey, if I have found complete joy in this whole process, then the results will come.’ Some day they’re going to come, some day I’m going to have that breakthrough, but at least I’m already now enjoying where I’m at today.” I’ve been taking a brief break from recording new episodes of the podcast these past two weeks but don’t worry, starting next week we will have a fresh episode coming out every Monday through the end of the year, so be sure to stay tuned for those. That said, we’re trying something new this week and for the first time, I’m re-publishing an episode from the early days of the podcast: this one is a conversation with mi tocayo, Mario Mendoza, who I sat down with almost exactly three years ago on Episode 29. It’s one of my favorite episodes, and also one of the most under-appreciated ones, which is why I’m re-sharing it. Mario is a five-time national champion on the trails, a four-time USATF trail runner of the year, he’s won races all over the globe, finished top-10 twice at world championships, set world records on the treadmill, and accomplished all kinds of things on the competitive side of the sport. Beyond that, however, he’s one of the most genuine people I’ve ever met, we really connected over this conversation, and have kept in close touch ever since. Full disclosure: I started coaching Mario a few months ago but this episode was recorded years before we had a coach-athlete relationship.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-re-run-with-mario-mendozaSign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“The hardest step in anything is to start—that’s the hardest step. The second hardest thing is to stay with it. That sounds really obvious but I think keeping those two things in mind—you can’t stay with it until you start, so 1. Just get started, and then 2. When you stay with it, you’ll have days when you want to quit, and you’re like, ‘Is this worth it?’ whether it’s podcasting, whether it’s continuing on with the run, whether it’s being in a relationship. Staying with it is hard but that’s the second hardest part and you’ve got to keep working through that and I think having people who can help you with that, whether it’s in a mentorship role, whether it’s a training partner, or a partner, find those people, because I think it’s a lot easier to get through things—whatever it is—when you’ve got support from others.”Trying something a little different this week: I’m sharing a special crossover episode of the Grounded Podcast with Dinée Dorame featuring me as her guest. Dinée asked me questions no one has ever asked me in an interview before. We talked about my obsession with basketball, the early days of my journalism and coaching careers, diversity and inclusion in the running industry, and a lot more. I really enjoyed this conversation and I hope that you will too. You may remember Dinée from back on Episode 145 of the morning shakeout podcast, which came out earlier this year right before she launched her show, and I recommend checking that one out or revisiting it if you haven’t already. Dinée and I got connected late last year through the Tracksmith fellowship program, I’ve been mentoring her over the past 8 months or so on her own podcast journey, and she’s become like a younger sister to me—I think I’ve learned more from her than she has from me and she’s someone I respect and admire so much.Dinée’s podcast helps fill a huge gap in the running podcast space: Every week she explores the intersection between running, culture, land and community through long-form conversations with runners of all backgrounds and levels. You can find it in all the usual places you listen to podcasts if you search for the Grounded Podcast with Dinée Dorame, and you can also follow the show on Instagram and Twitter @groundedpod. She’s had some awesome guests thus far, including Meb Keflezighi, Jordan Marie Daniel, Ric and Nell Rojas, and my personal favorite: Billy Mills. Dinee’s voice is important. I am so proud of the work she’s doing and the impact it’s making in the running industry.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/crossover-episode-mario-fraioli-on-the-grounded-podcast-with-dinee-dorameSign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“A lot of athletes—especially when things are going really well—the last thing they want to do is take a break, even if their goal race is in the rearview. Trust me on this: You want to take your breaks as seriously as your training. It’s much better to take a planned break and be a little grumpy about it at the beginning than be forced to take a break sometime down the road because you’re injured, burned out, sick, overtrained, whatever it may be. I see this all the time, not only with athletes that I work with but people who reach out to me with questions, and people I train with—when things are going good, you want to keep them going, but we’re human beings. It doesn’t matter how experienced you are, how good you are, we all need breaks. You need breaks to absorb training, you need breaks to shut things down mentally as much as physically, especially if you’re someone who’s doing hard workouts and long runs and always building toward the next goal. That takes a lot of mental and emotional energy—you can’t be on all the time, you’ve got to shut it off.”This week on the podcast I’m answering listener questions in the second Ask Mario Anything episode of 2021. (You can check out the first one here.) On the other side of the mic for this one—once again—is sponsorship director, Chris Douglas. We got some good questions about about me running Boston in the fall, the importance of taking breaks in training, the controversy around Timothy Olson’s recent FKT on the PCT, channeling my own passion for running into a creative pursuit, what information you should include in your running log, and a lot more. This episode is brought to you by:— New Balance. The new FuelCell Rebel v2 is my new favorite running shoe. It’s super super light, it’s incredibly responsive, and offers good protection underfoot. I think it’s the perfect workout shoe and I’ll be using it all the time. Check it out today at newbalance.com and consider adding a pair to your rotation today.— Goodr: If you want to support the podcast and treat yourself to a pair of goodr sunglasses, head over to goodr.com/MARIO or enter the code MARIO at checkout for 15% off your order. Look good, run goodr!Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-171--ask-mario-anything/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“I think it’s because we’re always measuring ourselves—everything we do is measured. You go out for an easy run, you see your pace, you compare it to how fast you ran yesterday. You go to a race, you finish 10th, or you’re a minute off your PB—or you PB by a minute and you’re ecstatic. You’re always comparing yourself to who you were yesterday and who you want to be in the future. And then while you’re comparing yourself to you, you’re also comparing yourself to other people who are doing the same things that you do. You see so and so run amazing and say, ‘Oh, that’s great,’ but [then] you ask yourself, ‘Why am I not running amazing?’ You’re just always asking yourself these questions and I think measuring yourself in that way really leads you to…yeah, it’s not to prescribe too much self worth to the numbers. And just being like, ‘OK, if I could just run 2:10 in the marathon I’ll be happier,” and it doesn’t feel that way because then you run 2:10 and you were fifth and somebody else ran 2:09 or whatever, so it’s hard—it’s just the nature of our sport is that we’re always measuring ourselves against each other and ourselves, and if you’re not in a good place with that you can kind of go down a rabbit hole.” Noah Droddy is one of my favorite people in the sport and it was a treat to have him back on the podcast. Our last conversation was almost exactly 3 years ago on Episode 23 so be sure to give that one a listen if you haven’t already. Noah is a blue-collar as they come and that’s part of what I love about him. The Division 3 alum from Depauw University in Indiana ran 2:09:09 at The Marathon Project last December, making him the ninth-fastest American marathoner of all-time. He lives and trains in Boulder, Colorado with the Roots Running Project, which, as we talked about in this episode, has done more with less than any other elite level training group in the U.S. In addition to being a great athlete, Noah is also a big fan of the sport! We recorded this episode just a few days ago on Friday and spent the first few minutes of the show talking about the first day of action at the Olympic Games in Tokyo. From there, Noah told me why he’s at an interesting point of his professional running career right now, what it was like to lose sponsorship after having a breakthrough race last fall, how he’s thinking about the place competitive running holds in his life right now and moving forward, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by:— New Balance. The new FuelCell Rebel v2 is my new favorite running shoe. It’s super super light, it’s incredibly responsive, and offers good protection underfoot. I think it’s the perfect workout shoe and I’ll be using it all the time. Check it out today at newbalance.com and consider adding a pair to your rotation today.— Goodr: If you want to support the podcast and treat yourself to a pair of goodr sunglasses, head over to goodr.com/MARIO or enter the code MARIO at checkout for 15% off your order. Look good, run goodr!Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-170-with-noah-droddy/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“If you get me talking about things that happened in college or I think about races in college I can just spiral in my own head and get frustrated and kind of disappointed with myself in the way things turned out. It’s definitely in the back of my mind. I would like to prove to myself that I do belong, whether it be at the NCAA level or the professional level, I just believe inherently that I am talented enough to do it. I just have to be patient and let it kind of come to me rather than go searching for it…I think Peachtree, although it’s just one result and doesn’t mean all that much in the grand scheme of the running world, it has meant a lot for me and validating what I’ve been doing for the last year and half, two years.” This is Fred Huxham’s first podcast and I am super excited to introduce him to you. Fred, who is 25 years old, just placed second at the Peachtree Road Race on July 4 in 28:45. That race was the 10K national championships and he finished just two seconds behind Sam Chelanga and a few places ahead of Galen Rupp, Jake Riley, and Abdi Abdirahman, the three men who will represent the United States at the Olympic Marathon in Tokyo. In this conversation, we talked about Peachtree, how it went down, and what that performance means to Fred at this point of his career. He told me how he ended up in New Hampshire, training with Ben True and Dan Curts, and what the next few months look like for him from a competitive standpoint. We talked about his high school career at Redwood in California and his relationship with coaches Laura and Jake Schmitt—both of whom I’ve had on this podcast, so check out those episodes if you haven’t already. Fred described the process of overcoming periods of frustration and disappointment during his collegiate career, explained why he’s got a chip on his shoulder, how he uses that to his advantage, and a lot more.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-169-with-fred-huxham/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“What the marathon experience—that first marathon experience—did for me, was it gave me a perspective shift on life, which, wow, that sounds really lofty hearing myself say it back, but truly, everything was like so muddied and I couldn’t pull myself out. I had gone to really good schools and done all of the things I was supposed to do but I couldn’t pull myself out of feeling terrible and feeling like I was a failure and there was no blueprint of, ‘What am I supposed to do with my life?’ But the marathon gave me this very concrete training plan—like in 16 weeks, if you do this, you will get this—and never in my life outside of school had something been so prescriptive and easy. I mean, [it was] really difficult because you have to do that work but if even a stranger can promise me that if I do this work and I get that, then like f*ck yeah, I’m gonna do this. So I stuck to that training plan like it was my bible and what I saw was that it wasn’t magic but these physical challenges that I was doing really were very much tied to my mental ability to push through it and to stay in places of discomfort…You’re in a place of discomfort but you're moving through it—you don't get stuck in the place of discomfort, so that was a really powerful lesson for me.” I’ve been waiting a while to have this conversation with Alison Mariella Désir and it did not disappoint. Alison wears many hats: she’s a mom, athlete, and coach. She works as the Director of Sports Advocacy and an Athlete Advisor for Oiselle, she’s a co-chair of the Running Industry Diversity Coalition, co-founder of Harlem run, a community organizer, and a lot more. In this episode, Alison told me about her relationship with running, the ways in which it’s evolved over the years, and how she views her place in the sport today. We discussed how feeling out of place as a runner led her to create communities where people feel like they belong, we talked about the lack of diversity in the running industry and the work she’s doing to help change that, as well we her upcoming book, The Unbearable Whiteness of Running, due out in 2022. We also talked about identity and extroversion, competitiveness and community building, and a lot more.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-168-with-alison-mariella-desir/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“One day we had a bad basketball practice. The coach was pissed off at us. He literally made us run the cross-country course as punishment. I was the worst player on the JV basketball team but I came back first when we had to run 3 miles in cross country and I just said, ‘Hey, maybe I should switch sports instead of fighting to be bad.’ And so I switched to running and running seemed to be a place where an obsessive personality and an infinite amount of work payed some benefits—and it did for me. I don't think it's quite as important now as I did 50 years ago but there's no replacement for hard work, is there?” Amby Burfoot is a legend in running and someone I’ve looked up to and admired since I first got my start in the sport over 20 years ago. A native of Connecticut, Amby won the 1968 Boston Marathon when he was a senior at Wesleyan University. After his competitive running career ended, he worked at Runner’s World, where he spent 25 years as an editor before retiring in 2012. Amby is still running strong—and writing about running regularly—as he nears the age of 75 and I just have so much respect for everything he’s done and is still doing in the sport.There’s a lot that we covered in this conversation. We talked about Amby’s competitive running career, how he got started, and what it was like to win the Boston Marathon while he was still in college. He told me about his obsessive personality and the different forms it’s taken over the course of his life. We discussed what he’s up to now, his longevity as a runner and writer, and continuing to pursue your passions as you age. Amby told me about his time at Runner’s World, he shared his thoughts on the evolution of the running media landscape over the past 2-3 decades, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by:— Tracksmith. Tracksmith crafts performance running apparel, inspiring publications, and distinct experiences that allow runners to indulge in the sport’s rich culture. Tracksmith is offering new customers $15 off your first purchase of $75+. Just use code MARIO15 when you check out at tracksmith.com/mario.— Goodr: If you want to support the podcast and treat yourself to a pair of goodr sunglasses, head over to goodr.com/MARIO or enter the code MARIO at checkout for 15% off your order. Look good, run goodr!Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-167-with-amby-burfoot/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“When I was out there, baking along the lake where it was really hot, all I was really trying to do was just keep moving forward, and whatever that entailed. So I was just looking ahead to the next aid station—like, what can I do to keep moving forward? It really became that simple, which, for as busy as my brain can be sometimes with thinking, is surprising because I really didn’t think much beyond that because I just knew how hot it was, and how else was I going to get to the finish line? I just have to move forward…It’s not always—I think we forget this as competitive athletes that all have goals—but it’s not always about the result too, it’s just sometimes how you do the thing and get across the line. We always learn infinitely more from the struggles than we do from our successes.” We are back with a new episode of the podcast after a brief hiatus and my guest this week is a really special one: it’s my favorite person in the entire world, my best friend and biggest supporter, my wife, Christine Gould.Christine has been one of my most requested guests since I started the show 3-1/2 years ago and you’ll finally get to hear from her this week. Christine recently completed Ironman Coeur d’Alene in Idaho (it was her first swing at that distance in 14 years), and this was a good opportunity to debrief with her about that experience—why she signed up for the event, how it went, and what she learned from it—as well as to learn more about her and how she operates, us as a couple and how we operate, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by:— Tracksmith. Tracksmith crafts performance running apparel, inspiring publications, and distinct experiences that allow runners to indulge in the sport’s rich culture. Tracksmith is offering new customers $15 off your first purchase of $75+. Just use code MARIO15 when you check out at tracksmith.com/mario.— Goodr: If you want to support the podcast and treat yourself to a pair of goodr sunglasses, head over to goodr.com/MARIO or enter the code MARIO at checkout for 15% off your order. Look good, run goodr!Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-166-with-christine-gould/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“It's not just one workout that's going to make you have a good race. That's pretty simple. I've more come to the conclusion that I'd rather do 20 B+ workouts over 10 weeks instead of having four A+ workouts and then just go into a race. I think if I can get the consistency of this B+ type workout—when I do those, I feel like we're not stressing the body so hard that we're going to get injured—I feel like we're improving, getting physically better as a runner, but we're not getting as many little injuries or dinged up, or just soreness. And I feel like when we do that and then go to a race and try to do an A+ [effort] in the race, it just seems to be working a lot better for me. So I just think being really consistent over a long period of time, you know, you don't have to have any of these super duper workouts to prove who you are.”Mark Coogan is the coach of New Balance Boston Elite. His squad will be competing at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon, beginning on June 18. As an athlete, Mark represented the United States at the 1996 Olympics in the marathon, he’s competed on multiple world championship teams, and he’s also the first sub-4 minute miler from my home state of Massachusetts. During his professional career, Mark was ranked top-10 in the U.S. from the mile to the marathon, which is not something that too many athletes can claim. I absolutely loved this conversation and I think many of you will too. We mostly talked coaching, how Mark got his start in it, and how he’s grown the most over the years. He told me about managing his squad’s nerves and expectations heading into Trials, how they’ve recalibrated during the pandemic, and the lessons they’ve learned over the past year. He also described the family culture that his team tries to maintain, coaching his daughter Katrina for the first time, and how he approaches working with a group that’s focusing on a wide range of events. Mark also told some great stories, like running the race of his life at the 1995 U.S. Championships against Bob Kennedy, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by:— New Balance. The new FuelCell Rebel v2 is my new favorite running shoe. It’s super super light, it’s incredibly responsive, and offers good protection underfoot. I think it’s the perfect workout shoe and I’ll be using it all the time. Check it out today at newbalance.com and consider adding a pair to your rotation today.— Goodr: If you want to support the podcast and treat yourself to a pair of goodr sunglasses, head over to goodr.com/MARIO or enter the code MARIO at checkout for 15% off your order. Look good, run goodr!Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-165-with-mark-coogan/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“When I was doing triathlon I would get a workout and I’m like, ‘Oh, I can’t do that. That’s too hard. No way.’ Now Tom tells me this workout and I’m like, ‘You’re crazy, but let’s go for it. Let’s try it.’ Because I don’t care. I don’t care if I fail. So I think that’s a huge thing for people. It’s like as soon as you step away from that fear of failing you open yourself up to so many things—and for so long that just held me back. Because really, and it’s so cliche, but anything is possible. And it’s been a big lesson I’ve learned throughout this short little running journey I’ve done and I’m gonna carry that through the trials. Do I think I’m gonna make the Olympics? No. But do I think I can run the Olympic standard? Yeah, I do. And I’m not gonna tell myself I can’t, you know? So that’s gonna be cool and exciting and I’m gonna carry that to Eugene.” Lauren Hurley is a friend of mine and it’s been super fun to watch her improvement in running from afar the past few months. She recently qualified for the Olympic Trials at the Portland Track Festival, running 32:17 for 10,000m, finishing fifth in her first ever race on the track at any distance. Lauren might be new to racing on the track but she is not a novice athlete. She raced triathlon professionally for 10 years, winning 11 Ironman 70.3 events and numerous other races. She retired from triathlon in 2019 after accepting a 6-month suspension from USADA for testing positive for THC—a banned substance that was in the CBD cream she was using to treat an ankle injury at the time. In this conversation, we talked about Lauren’s suspension and why, in retrospect, it ended up being best thing that ever could have happened to her. Lauren told me about feeling burned out from her professional triathlon career and why she never thought she’d do another interval, much less compete, again. We discussed motherhood—she and her husband Matt have a 10-month old son named Wilder—and how that’s reshaped her perspective on what’s important in life. Lauren talked about growing up a swimmer, suffering from disordered eating in high school, and how finding running and triathlon in college helped her manage anxiety and get healthy. We also talked about competitiveness, entrepreneurship, how 10 years of high-level triathlon training has contributed to her current success in running, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by:— New Balance. The new FuelCell Rebel v2 is my new favorite running shoe. It’s super super light, it’s incredibly responsive, and offers good protection underfoot. I think it’s the perfect workout shoe and I’ll be using it all the time. Check it out today at newbalance.com and consider adding a pair to your rotation today.— Goodr: If you want to support the podcast and treat yourself to a pair of goodr sunglasses, head over to goodr.com/MARIO or enter the code MARIO at checkout for 15% off your order. Look good, run goodr!Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-164-with-lauren-hurley/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Running has been a big factor in my life. Running made me start my own business, I met my wife because of running—that’s how I ended up here. So running has always been a big factor in my life. I think that’s why I still enjoy running at my age versus just being done with it. I know so many guys who were really fast and they’re like, ‘I’m done, I don’t wanna run anymore. Why are you still running?’ [It’s because] I still love it—it has become part of me.” I first met Thomas Reiss at the Leadville 100 back in 2017 when he was crewing and pacing for our mutual friend, Brett Rivers, who I was coaching at the time. I knew Thomas as a veteran ultrarunner who had experienced some success in the sport but also that he was a badass designer whose logo and branding work I was familiar with and admired. I’ve been wanting to have a long conversation with him ever since and this one did not disappoint. Thomas, who is 53 years old, is a husband and dad to two teenage boys who is still getting after it on the road, track, and trails from the mile to ultramarathon distances. Like me, he loves it all. In 2018, he broke the American record for 50-54 year olds in the 50K on the track, running 3:39:26. Just last December he broke 5 minutes for the mile and he’s got his eye on some age-group records and national titles. Basically, I want to be Thomas when I grow up. Originally from Germany, running first came into Thomas’ life when he was a young kid. He ran his first marathon at the age of 22 and his involvement in the sport has only snowballed from there. In this conversation, we talked about growing up in Germany and playing in punk bands during his teen years, and how that experience reminds him of some of the growth we’re seeing in ultrarunning today. He told me about starting a running magazine back in Germany, how his relationship with running has evolved over the years, and what keeps him motivated and excited as he approaches his mid-50s. We also talked about competitiveness, creativity, why brands in running should do a better job of highlighting Masters runners, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by:— BOA. BOA wants you to get dialed in, locked in, and connected to the trail in the new BOA-powered La Sportiva Cyklon. Available in men’s and women’s, every aspect of the shoe is engineered to deliver revolutionary fit and performance on the trail, and was designed and tested in BOA’s state of the art Performance Fit Lab to improve running efficiency and reduce landing impact. BOA is exclusively offering four morning shakeout listeners the opportunity to win a free pair of the Cyklon. To enter, head over to boafit.com/Mario.— Picky Bars. Picky’s products are made with real ingredients that I can pronounce and recognize—and there’s a peace of mind that comes with not second-guessing what I’m putting into my body. If you want to try some Picky products for yourself while supporting the podcast, go to pickybars.com/MARIO and enter the code MARIO at checkout to save 20% off your purchase of 25 bucks or more. You can also join the Picky Club at that link, which is a subscription service, and save 20% off your first box with the code MARIO. Super easy, amazing offer, take advantage of while you can at pickybars.com/MARIO.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-163-with-thomas-reiss/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“People know me as Abdi the distance runner, the funny guy, just outgoing, and that's all good, but they don't know the reason I came to the U.S.—how did I end up here, what was my choice, that struggle behind me getting here, at the end of the day, your parents, your family, what they've been through to get here. And that's the difficult part of the book, because that just brings back some memories because of the civil war in Somalia. It’s not like one day I woke up and said, ‘Hey, I'm going to go to America.’ It wasn't that easy. It was one day you woke up and you don't know what the future holds for you, you don't know where you're going to get your next meal, what happened, because it was a civil war. At the end of the day I'm thankful for everything that I've been through, and it's made me the person who I am today, but it wasn't the easiest though.” Abdi Abdirahman is one of my favorite people in the sport and I am super excited to share this episode with you. The 44-year-old is a five-time Olympian and he’ll represent the United States in the marathon at this summer’s Games in Japan. Abdi also has a new book coming out soon. It’s called Abdi's World: The Black Cactus on Life, Running, and Fun and it’s due out in July.In this conversation, we talked about making his fifth Olympic team and how he’s feeling three months out from the Olympic Marathon. He told me about growing up in Somalia, coming to the United States when he was 7 years old, and how that experience shaped his perspective and outlook on life. We talked about his longevity in the sport, his relationship with running and what it means to him beyond just competition and his career, and why he’s gone to Ethiopia to train in recent years. Abdi also discussed his upcoming book, giving back to his community and establishing a charitable foundation built around hope, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by:— BOA. BOA wants you to get dialed in, locked in, and connected to the trail in the new BOA-powered La Sportiva Cyklon. Available in men’s and women’s, every aspect of the shoe is engineered to deliver revolutionary fit and performance on the trail, and was designed and tested in BOA’s state of the art Performance Fit Lab to improve running efficiency and reduce landing impact. BOA is exclusively offering four morning shakeout listeners the opportunity to win a free pair of the Cyklon. To enter, head over to boafit.com/Mario.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-162-with-abdi-abdirahman/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“What we're doing, it's for the culture. It's not ultimately about trying to get money. We want to push the track and field culture forward. We want it to be more entertaining, we want it to be more fun. We're doing this for the athletes. And with both of us being athletes before, we understand those struggles and, I don't know, I'm really big on believing that track and field is a stage, it's an amazing sport, but the culture needs to be continually developed and advanced so we can showcase that—and that's the mission, it's something that's not about getting subscriptions or anything. We're really genuine and just want to push the culture forward and make track more of a mainstream sport.” Aaron and Joshua Potts are the guys behind The Running Report, a media outlet produced “for culture and by the culture.” They also co-host the 2 Black Runners podcast, where each week they recap the most recent running news, host insightful interviews with athletes from across all disciplines of track and field, and offer up their perspective on the running world as two black runners in the sport. They first came across my radar a few months ago when they interviewed one of my earliest running heroes, Michael Johnson, and I’ve been following their work ever since.In this conversation, we got into their recent broadcast work at The KC Qualifier put on by Trials of Miles Racing and Citius Mag. They told me how The Running Report and 2 Black Runners came to be, what they saw missing from the way the sport was being broadcast and covered, and what changes they’d still like to see as it relates to how track and field is packaged and presented. We also talked about the importance of culture and what they mean when they use that word, how they see The Running Report and 2 Black Runners evolving in the future, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by:— BOA. BOA wants you to get dialed in, locked in, and connected to the trail in the new BOA-powered La Sportiva Cyklon. Available in men’s and women’s, every aspect of the shoe is engineered to deliver revolutionary fit and performance on the trail, and was designed and tested in BOA’s state of the art Performance Fit Lab to improve running efficiency and reduce landing impact. BOA is exclusively offering four morning shakeout listeners the opportunity to win a free pair of the Cyklon. To enter, head over to boafit.com/Mario.— Picky Bars. Picky’s products are made with real ingredients that I can pronounce and recognize—and there’s a peace of mind that comes with not second-guessing what I’m putting into my body. If you want to try some Picky products for yourself while supporting the podcast, go to pickybars.com/MARIO and enter the code MARIO at checkout to save 20% off your purchase of 25 bucks or more. You can also join the Picky Club at that link, which is a subscription service, and save 20% off your first box with the code MARIO. Super easy, amazing offer, take advantage of while you can at pickybars.com/MARIO.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-161-with-aaron-and-joshua-potts/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“All of this adversity that we've been dealing with, you know, adversity is nothing new to me. I'm officially claiming that I'm the dean of Adversity University. As an immigrant, as a brown-skinned man, as someone—who, Spanish is my first language—having to always assimilate, having to always adapt, having always to comfort others with the comfort of who you are, those are just daily adversity situations and circumstances that I've existed with, so adversity is nothing new. And I've dealt with so many other adversities, from emotional to life, just like everybody else. We all have our stuff and it's how you face and deal with those things that build up your character, you know? It's no different than, ‘Sure, maybe I've placed well in a certain race,’ and honestly I hate to say this but I can care less how well I do or not, but that moment we described earlier where it took me 3-1/2 hours to walk 7 miles while I watched Stephanie win Western States—that to me was very character-building and a really, really important part of who and what I am today and how I can utilize that as a skillset and a toolset to face life.”Stephanie Howe and Jorge Maravilla are quite the power couple and it was a treat to sit down with the two of them recently at their home here in Marin County, where we all live. A little on their respective running backgrounds: Stephanie is the 2014 Western States Endurance Run champion, she’s finished in the top 10 at UTMB, and won numerous other races at various distances over the course of her career. Jorge is two-time national champion on the trails at the 100 mile and 100K distances, he won the Masters national cross country title in 2018, and he’s also got a 2:21 marathon personal best to his credit. In this conversation, we talked a little about running, but mostly about how their relationship came to be, navigating new beginnings, their different backgrounds growing up, and becoming parents together recently—and all of this was intertwined around themes of respect, trust, community, exploration, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by:— Tracksmith: Tracksmith is a Boston-based running apparel brand, born from a desire to celebrate both the history and the evolving culture of the sport. They recently released their Spring Collection full of stylish gear perfected for the pursuit of personal excellence. Designed for running hard and logging miles as the season shifts, this collection is designed with endurance in mind. Right now, Tracksmith is offering new customers $15 off your first purchase of $75 bucks or more. Just use code MARIO15 when you check out at tracksmith.com.— Goodr: Goodr sunglasses don’t bounce, they don’t slip, they’re polarized to protect your eyes, and they come in a nice range of styles and fun colors. They’re the most affordable performance shades on the planet with most pairs costing only $25 to $35 bucks a piece. If you want to support the podcast and treat yourself to a pair of goodrs, head over to goodr.com/MARIO or enter the code MARIO at checkout for 15% off your order. Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-160-with-stephanie-howe-and-jorge-maravilla/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Over the last years, the main thing to me when I get into a race, I think what kind of changed my trajectory at least in the road stuff, was that I don’t want to look at times anymore—that was the big thing in the roads: I don’t want to look at times, I just want to compete. People would ask, ‘What are you shooting for?’ I’m like, ‘I just want to compete.’ And that’s kind of been my answer for everyone in most races that I’ve done over the last many years. There’s been a couple times I’ve gone out to a race that the competition, you could tell, wasn’t going to be too stout and you go out for time or a course record on that by yourself, but when there’s big competition, it’s just strictly about competing to me.”Anthony Costales recently won the Canyons 100K in Northern California in 9 hours, 11 minutes, and 40 seconds, defeating a stout field, which earned him a Golden Ticket to this year’s Western States Endurance Run. He’s only a few years into the trail and ultra game and is really starting to make a splash in the sport. A graduate of Chico State, Anthony has a 2:13 marathon personal best on the roads, he won the U.S. Trail Marathon Championship in 2018, and also represented the U.S. that year at the World Long Distance Mountain Championships in Poland, where he finished 10th overall. Anthony’s a native of Fairfield, California, he now lives and teaches middle school P.E. in Salt Lake City, Utah, and he’s a relatively new dad.In this conversation, we talked about Anthony’s most recent win, of course, but also his progression in the sport, how he’s shifted his training in recent years, and the physiological and psychological differences of racing on the trails versus competing on the roads. Anthony told me why he calls himself a silent competitor, we discussed why shorter distance trail races don’t get nearly the respect and attention of ultra-distance events, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by:— Tracksmith: Tracksmith is a Boston-based running apparel brand, born from a desire to celebrate both the history and the evolving culture of the sport. They recently released their Spring Collection full of stylish gear perfected for the pursuit of personal excellence. Designed for running hard and logging miles as the season shifts, this collection is designed with endurance in mind. Right now, Tracksmith is offering new customers $15 off your first purchase of $75 bucks or more. Just use code MARIO15 when you check out at tracksmith.com.— Goodr: Goodr sunglasses don’t bounce, they don’t slip, they’re polarized to protect your eyes, and they come in a nice range of styles and fun colors. They’re the most affordable performance shades on the planet with most pairs costing only $25 to $35 bucks a piece. If you want to support the podcast and treat yourself to a pair of goodrs, head over to goodr.com/MARIO or enter the code MARIO at checkout for 15% off your order. Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-159-with-anthony-costales/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“I don’t shy away from the hard stuff anymore. I know I enjoy hard things from a training perspective, [and] like super-challenging races, but that also goes emotionally—I can’t expect to be a better person unless I can work through those things as well, so I’m happy to talk about hard subjects.” Hillary Allen is a professional athlete, coach, teacher, and author of the new book, Out and Back: A Runner’s Story of Survival Against All Odds. She’s a returning guest to the show—be sure to check out her first appearance back on Episode 49 if you haven’t already—and she’s just one of my favorite people to talk to in general. In this conversation, we talked about her book, which was recently released. She told me about how it came to be, what she’s learned from revisiting it recently while she’s been recovering from foot surgery, and how writing became a cathartic exercise for her in recent years. We also talked about her stubborn and independent streaks, why asking for help is challenging for her, the importance of cultivating and leaning into your community, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by:— Picky Bars. Picky’s products are made with real ingredients that I can pronounce and recognize—and there's a peace of mind that comes with not second-guessing what I'm putting into my body. The bars are a go-to for me before a run, and even when I’m just out running errands, particularly the “Ah, Fudge Nuts” flavor, and I can't get enough of the PB&J All Day granola in my yogurt. If you want to try some Picky products for yourself while supporting the podcast, go to pickybars.com/MARIO and enter the code MARIO at checkout to save 20% off your purchase of 25 bucks or more. You can also join the Picky Club at that link, which is a subscription service, and save 20% off your first box with the code MARIO. Super easy, amazing offer, take advantage of while you can at pickybars.com/MARIO.— Atlanta Track Club. Member and lottery registration for the AJC Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta, Georgia is going on right now. The race will be held in-person and virtually this year on July 3rd and 4th. Strict COVID-19 safety precautions will be in place for the in-person version with limited spots available—Atlanta Track Club members get guaranteed entry and race day preference. If you’re not a member you can join today and then sign up to get a guaranteed spot at Peachtree! Non-members will be placed into a lottery and race day preference will be accommodated as spots remain. Registration is going on now until May 1 and you can put your name in today at ajc.com/peachtree.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-158-with-hillary-allen/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“When I talk to the athletes that I coach, the number one thing that I'm trying to pay attention to throughout the course of our relationship is seeing and understanding how this pursuit of running fits into their life and everything else that they've got going on from family to work to hobbies—and yes, you can have other hobbies besides running—and also, how those things are affecting their pursuit of running because if you have a very demanding job, or you have a very active family, or you have a lot of other hobbies, that is not only going to cut into your training time—and I don't say that in a bad way—but it's another variable that you have to account for that can affect how you're feeling on a given day, how well your workout goes, or if you're mentally fresh to race or not. So I think it's important to understand that mix from both sides.”This week on the podcast I’m answering listener questions in the first Ask Mario Anything episode of 2021. On the other side of the mic for this one is sponsorship director, Chris Douglas, who you’ll get to learn a little more about at the beginning of the show. We got some good ones about this summer’s Olympics, returning to running postpartum, balancing running and training with the rest of your life, how the podcast and newsletter get made, and more.Thank you to everyone who submitted questions and apologies for all the ones I wasn’t able to answer in this episode.This episode is brought to you by:— Tracksmith: Tracksmith is a Boston-based running apparel brand, born from a desire to celebrate both the history and the evolving culture of the sport. They recently released their Spring Collection full of stylish gear perfected for the pursuit of personal excellence. Designed for running hard and logging miles as the season shifts, this collection is designed with endurance in mind. Right now, Tracksmith is offering new customers $15 off your first purchase of $75 bucks or more. Just use code MARIO15 when you check out at tracksmith.com.— Atlanta Track Club. Member and lottery registration for the AJC Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta, Georgia is going on right now. The race will be held in-person and virtually this year on July 3rd and 4th. Strict COVID-19 safety precautions will be in place for the in-person version with limited spots available—Atlanta Track Club members get guaranteed entry and race day preference. If you’re not a member you can join today and then sign up to get a guaranteed spot at Peachtree! Non-members will be placed into a lottery and race day preference will be accommodated as spots remain. Registration is going on now until May 1 and you can put your name in today at ajc.com/peachtree.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-157-ask-mario-anything/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Most of my life was spent chasing times, mainly because I ran really fast in high school—a 4:01 as you mentioned—and when you un 4:01, you know, it’s always in your head that, ‘Oh man, there’s a second and change that I can get out of my body to get in that elusive, venerated sub-4 club,’ so you think and you obsess over times and I certainly did to an unhealthy degree in my college and a little bit in my post-college life as well. So I think coming to terms with, and realizing and recognizing that that doesn’t really matter anymore, was something that was incredibly freeing for myself.”Steve Magness wears many hats in the worlds of running and performance. He’s been the head cross-country coach and assistant track coach at the University of Houston since 2012 and he’s also worked with numerous professional athletes at the Olympic and world championship level. He’s the coauthor of Peak Performance and The Passion Paradox, both of which he wrote with former podcast guest Brad Stulberg, and he’s also the author of The Science of Running. Steve also co-hosts two podcasts, On Coaching, which dives deep into the art and science of training and coaching for runners, and The Growth Equation, a weekly no-bullshit discussion on well-being and performance. As an athlete in the early 2000s, Steve was one of the top scholastic runners in the country, running 4:01 in the mile—which, at the time, was the 6th fastest high school mile in U.S. history. This was an awesome conversation and I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I did taking part in it. Steve told me about how he spends and splits his time amongst his various interests and pursuits, what his relationship with running looks like these days, and how he’s channeled his competitive instincts throughout his life. We discussed how the past year has challenged him as a coach, the lack of checks and balances in the sport of track and field, and why he believes the sport has a long way to go before it can be considered truly “professional.” We also talked about what spurred his interest in coaching, how his time at The Oregon Project affected his outlook and trajectory as a coach, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by:— Tracksmith: Tracksmith is a Boston-based running apparel brand, born from a desire to celebrate both the history and the evolving culture of the sport. They recently released their Spring Collection full of stylish gear perfected for the pursuit of personal excellence. Designed for running hard and logging miles as the season shifts, this collection is designed with endurance in mind. Right now, Tracksmith is offering new customers $15 off your first purchase of $75 bucks or more. Just use code MARIO15 when you check out at tracksmith.com.— Goodr: Goodr sunglasses are don’t bounce, they don’t slip, they’re polarized to protect your eyes, and they come in a nice range of styles and fun colors. They’re the most affordable performance shades on the planet with most pairs costing only $25 to $35 bucks a piece. If you want to support the podcast and treat yourself to a pair of goodrs, head over to goodr.com/MARIO or enter the code MARIO at checkout for 15% off your order. Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-156-with-steve-magness/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Every single day for the last 15 years of my life I had a goal and I was able to tangibly work towards it day in and day out and all of my decisions were guided by the idea that I wanted to achieve this goal. There’s not many other things that are happening in the world or in my life where that exists. I have goals in relationships, I know I’ll have goals in my new work life, and longterm bucket list things I want to cross off but not necessarily things that every single day I’m seeing that input and output to the amount of effort that I’m giving towards it. I think that’s just really unique to track and field and running—I don’t think that even basketball players have that same experience.” Kyle Merber, like last week’s guest, Andrew Bumbalough, is a recently retired professional athlete. He spent his professional career training and racing with the New Jersey New York Track Club and Coach Frank Gagliano, where he put up personal bests of 3:34 in the 1500 and 3:52 in the mile. In this conversation, we really didn’t spend any time talking about Kyle’s races, or highs and lows in the sport, or how he got his start in running; instead, we dug into what it’s been like moving on from running in a professional capacity and he opened up and gave his honest reflections of what he experienced as an athlete. We talked about the coverage of the sport, whether or not we need to bring new fans into, how he plans to stay involved now that he’s no longer competing at an elite level, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by:— Tracksmith: Tracksmith is a Boston-based running apparel brand, born from a desire to celebrate both the history and the evolving culture of the sport. They recently released their Spring Collection full of stylish gear perfected for the pursuit of personal excellence. Designed for running hard and logging miles as the season shifts, this collection is designed with endurance in mind. Right now, Tracksmith is offering new customers $15 off your first purchase of $75 bucks or more. Just use code MARIO15 when you check out at tracksmith.com.— Goodr: Goodr sunglasses are don’t bounce, they don’t slip, they’re polarized to protect your eyes, and they come in a nice range of styles and fun colors. They’re the most affordable performance shades on the planet with most pairs costing only $25 to $35 bucks a piece. If you want to support the podcast and treat yourself to a pair of goodrs, head over to goodr.com/MARIO or enter the code MARIO at checkout for FREE shipping on your first order. Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-155-with-kyle-merber/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“You just run so much when you’re training for the marathon that if you don’t truly love it, you won’t really enjoy it. I think for most of my career prior to that I was so focused on performance and valuing the competition and what it gave me from that standpoint but I think as I transitioned to the marathon I really became interested in this idea of running for running’s sake. And as I started to do that I started to notice other people. You go to a marathon, whether it be Boston or Chicago or wherever, you’re immersed in a sea of runners—you’re starting on the line with forty or fifty thousand other people and everyone has a different story of why they’re there and how they got there.”Andrew Bumbalough is a recently retired professional athlete who spent the entirety of his career training and racing with the Bowerman Track Club, where he put up personal bests ranging from 3:37 for 1500m to 2:10 for the marathon. Amongst his numerous accomplishments, he finished 5th at the 2018 Boston Marathon, represented the U.S. in the 5000m at the 2011 world championships on the track, and won a national 5K title on the roads in 2013. We had a wide-ranging conversation that I really enjoyed and I think you will too. We talked about Bumbi’s last race—the Olympic Trials Marathon, where he dropped out at 16 miles—and when he knew it was time to retire from the sport. He told me about his 10-year relationship with coach Jerry Schumacher and what makes him such a successful coach, what his relationship with running has looked like since he retired, and how his body has responded to the reduced training load. We discussed getting into coaching and how he approaches working with a wide range of athletes, the work he’s done in footwear product innovation and how technology advances have changed what’s possible in both training and racing, what he makes of some of the eye-popping times we’ve seen on the track and roads over the past year, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by:— Goodr: Goodr sunglasses are don’t bounce, they don’t slip, they’re polarized to protect your eyes, and they come in a nice range of styles and fun colors. They’re the most affordable performance shades on the planet with most pairs costing only $25 to $35 bucks a piece. If you want to support the podcast and treat yourself to a pair of goodrs, head over to goodr.com/MARIO or enter the code MARIO at checkout for FREE shipping on your first order. Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-154-with-andrew-bumbalough/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“I’m hoping that my position with Bowerman and what I’m doing is just the beginning of a whole bunch of other women getting into coaching—and especially at this level. I think there’s some great coaches at the collegiate level and high school level and they’ve been doing an amazing job, but I think to take it to this level as well, at the professional level, I feel like there’s very minimal women out there and I’d love to just hopefully be a resource and a mentor to some future women that want to get into coaching. That being said, I don’t have personal coaching goals, I just hope that it’s something even bigger than that—it’s actually a catalyst for a whole bunch of women to be in positions of power and mentoring and leadership and guiding.” Shalane Flanagan hardly needs an introduction, so I’ll keep this short: she is one of the greatest American distance runners of all-time—a 4-time Olympian, an Olympic silver medalist in the 10,000m, world cross country bronze medalist, and the 2017 New York City Marathon champion. Over the course of her professional running career, Shalane won 16 national titles and held or still holds several American records.These days, she’s a mom to her son Jack, a coach with the Bowerman Track Club, and The New York Times best-selling author of Run Fast. Eat Slow. This was Shalane’s second time joining me on the podcast—be sure to check her first appearance back in Episode 7 if you haven’t already—and we had a great time catching up about coaching, parenting, book writing, and what her own running looks like these days. We also talked about her relationship to anxiety, how she channels her competitiveness now that she’s no longer a professional athlete, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by:— Girls on the Run has been inspiring girls to know and activate their limitless potential and boldly pursue their dreams. On Thursday, March 25 at 7 PM EST you are invited to join an exciting 25th Birthday virtual event celebrating the inherent power and courage of girls. Join me and RSVP today at gotr.gives/TMS. The event is free to attend, but donations can be made and special add-on packages are available for purchase such as a copy of Hoda’s newest book and a pair of GOODR sunglasses customized for Girls on the Run.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-153-with-shalane-flanagan/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“I think I’m somebody where I grew up in a family of many people, a large family—and then also I grew up Morman, and so I grew up around many families that were very large and also my mom did daycare at our home—and so I’ve always just been around a lot of people and I’ve always had to be somebody that has found my voice among many people while also being friends with everybody. And it’s funny, when I was growing up I always had friends all over the place. I never realized until recently that that continues to be true. I feel like I’m a connector where I love just meeting new people and finding out about new people and then connecting different people with likeminded people, so I definitely think that’s probably the core of my being.” Darcy Budworth is the co-founder and race director of Take The Bridge, which is an underground and unsanctioned series of races that was born in New York City in 2015 and has since spread to numerous other cities around the world. I raced my first Take the Bridge this past February in San Francisco and I loved everything about it. As I wrote in my newsletter a few weeks ago, the race was low-key and community focused, the distance was unconventional—we happened to run 4.2 miles over the Golden Gate Bridge—and even the turns we took were up to us as long as we hit the required checkpoint along the way. There were no mile markers, no clocks, and at the end of the night, you were battling it out for place, not trying to run a pre-determined pace. There was level of purity to it that I really appreciated and, quite honestly, didn’t even know I missed. It reminded me a lot of cross-country but with a fast and the furious, every runner for him or herself urban street vibe to it.In this conversation, Darcy and I talked a lot about Take the Bridge and all aspects of unsanctioned racing in general, but we also got into her background, how she got into running, her relationship to the sport, as well as some discussion about stress, anxiety, injuries, and more.This episode is brought to you by:— Atlanta Track Club. Member and lottery registration for the AJC Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta, Georgia is going on right now. The race will be held in-person and virtually this year on July 3rd and 4th. Strict COVID-19 safety precautions will be in place for the in-person version with limited spots available—Atlanta Track Club members get guaranteed entry and race day preference. If you’re not a member you can join today and then sign up to get a guaranteed spot at Peachtree! Non-members will be placed into a lottery and race day preference will be accommodated as spots remain. Registration is going on now until May 1 and you can put your name in today at ajc.com/peachtree.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-152-with-darcy-budworth/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“I would work around the clock, weekends, because I was passionate, and that's one thing I say to anyone that's passionate about what they do: make sure you do things that are sustainable, because no matter how passionate you are, no matter how much you love your job, if you're doing it 24/7, seven days a week, and you don't give yourself a break just because you love it, it's still work and it will eventually catch up to you. And I did have those moments when I was a one-man operation—I loved it, and that's why I was so quick to hire somebody else on my team, just to make sure we build the infrastructure to sustain ourselves for many years ahead.”Hawi Keflezighi is one of the top agents in all of endurance sports, and one of the nicest guys that I’ve ever known. He is the founder and president of Hawi Management and his agency represents some of the top athletes in track and field, road racing, trail running, and triathlon. His most notable client is his brother Meb, who he has been representing since 2005, and his roster also includes Aliphine Tuliamuk, Alexi Pappas, Katie Zafares, and Joe Gray, amongst others.We covered a pretty wide range of topics in this conversation, from the book he’s been helping his dad out with to the role that storytelling has played throughout his life. We talked about coming to the U.S. from Eritrea via Italy and some of his earliest memories as a young kid, to how he ended up at UCLA, and the path he followed to becoming a sports agent.Finally, we got into the weeds of the business, marketing, and sponsorship side of professional running and discussed how contracts have evolved over the past 15 years, what the job responsibilities are for an athlete today, how he sees things evolving in the future, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by:— New Balance: I was recently able to get my hands on a pair of the new Fresh Foam 1080v11 and I was shocked to love them even more than I did last year’s v10 model. New Balance claims the 1080 offers the ultimate ride, and I’d have to agree. It’s the best fitting shoe I own and the Fresh Foam X cushioning feels super comfortable underneath my feet. It’s lightweight and flexible, but also responsive and durable—basically the perfect trainer to log most of your miles in, which is what I do. I wear it on most of my non-workout days and for long runs too. Check out the Fresh Foam 1080v11 on newbalance.com and consider adding a pair to your rotation.— Girls on the Run has been inspiring girls to know and activate their limitless potential and boldly pursue their dreams. On Thursday, March 25 at 7 PM EST—just a few weeks from now—you are invited to join an exciting 25th Birthday virtual event celebrating the inherent power and courage of girls. Join me and RSVP today at gotr.gives/TMS. The event is free to attend, but donations can be made and special add-on packages are available for purchase such as a copy of Hoda’s newest book and a pair of GOODR sunglasses customized for Girls on the Run.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-151-with-hawi-keflezighi/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“I think I just learned over time that I have to be able to trust my own instincts and portray whatever I’m saying to an athlete with complete confidence and with complete backing of the head coach because you never want to diverge. And I know sometimes young coaches, they’re so excited to coach, they want to do everything they can that is within themselves to start coaching but you have to remember [that] you have to back your head coach because you’re backing the culture and you’re backing what they’ve created and I think it’s really important to be a really good sidekick ven though you’ve got bigger goals than that. You’ve got to kind of fall in line with that culture and really cultivate it and have confidence in doing that, and over time then you get to come up with your own pillars or your own culture, but it takes years and years and years to do that, I think.” Jenna Wrieden is the assistant coach at HOKA Northern Arizona Elite, where she’s been on staff since January. Prior to moving to Flagstaff to work alongside Ben Rosario and crew, she coached in the collegiate ranks since 2006, most recently as an assistant at Louisville, where over the course of 4-1/2 years she worked with several All-Americans. As an athlete, Jenna ran at Arizona State, where she was teammates with Des Linden and Amy Cragg, and—fun fact—in 2014 she set a world record for the fastest half marathon ever run on a treadmill. I always enjoy talking to fellow coaches and this conversation was no exception. We talked about Jenna’s new role, how it came to be, and what the transition has been like so far from the collegiate to the professional ranks. Jenna also told me about how she got her start in the sport and what spurred her pursue coaching after college, how her own relationship with running has evolved over the years, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by:— New Balance: I was recently able to get my hands on a pair of the new Fresh Foam 1080v11 and I was shocked to love them even more than I did last year’s v10 model. New Balance claims the 1080 offers the ultimate ride, and I’d have to agree. It’s the best fitting shoe I own and the Fresh Foam X cushioning feels super comfortable underneath my feet. It’s lightweight and flexible, but also responsive and durable—basically the perfect trainer to log most of your miles in, which is what I do. I wear it on most of my non-workout days and for long runs too. Check out the Fresh Foam 1080v11 on newbalance.com and consider adding a pair to your rotation.— Girls on the Run has been inspiring girls to know and activate their limitless potential and boldly pursue their dreams. On Thursday, March 25 at 7 PM EST—just a few weeks from now—you are invited to join an exciting 25th Birthday virtual event celebrating the inherent power and courage of girls. Join me and RSVP today at gotr.gives/TMS. The event is free to attend, but donations can be made and special add-on packages are available for purchase such as a copy of Hoda’s newest book and a pair of GOODR sunglasses customized for Girls on the Run.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-150-with-jenna-wrieden/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“I don’t know where the desire to win comes from other than the desire to just feel like I’ve done my best and to know that when it’s all said and done that I can’t really have any regrets…The ability to go hard and to hurt yourself, yeah, I think some athletes have it better than others—and I would put myself, maybe I could at times, go fairly deep—and I don’t know really where that comes from. I think it’s one of those things where it was more of a desire just to know I’ve done my best, and if my best wasn’t good enough, which in many times it wasn’t, that’s OK, because then I could walk away and be like, ‘Well, that’s as good as I am.’ And I think knowing that can give any athlete a little sense of peace or a sense of calm.” Keith Kelly and I go back 20 years to when we were both competing on the New England collegiate racing scene. He was an NCAA Division I national Cross Country champion at Providence College and I…well, I participated in some of the same events that he did from much further back in the field. We struck up a friendship a few years later when we both started working in the running industry and our paths have been criss-crossing ever since. In addition to his individual NCAA title, Keith was a 5x All American at Providence, he finished 24th in the senior men’s race at the 2001 World Cross Country championships, and he won the Irish national cross country title in 2009. When his competitive running career got cut short due to injury, he got into cycling and rose through the ranks to race as a Cat 1 within a year of putting himself in the saddle. Now 43 years old, Keith works as a Global Run Marketing manager at New Balance. In this episode, Keith talked to me about athletic career, his extensive injury history, and when he knew running was something his body could no longer tolerate. We discussed his interest in cycling, how he channeled his fitness and competitiveness into his new sport, and what he misses most about running. We also talked about how the pandemic has affected the running industry, how super shoes are changing the sport, and a lot more. This episode is brought to you by:— Goodr: Goodr sunglasses are don’t bounce, they don’t slip, they’re polarized to protect your eyes, and they come in a nice range of styles and fun colors. They’re the most affordable performance shades on the planet with most pairs costing only $25 to $35 bucks a piece. If you want to support the podcast and treat yourself to a pair of goodrs, head over to goodr.com/MARIO or enter the code MARIO at checkout for FREE shipping on your first order. — Girls on the Run has been inspiring girls to know and activate their limitless potential and boldly pursue their dreams. On Thursday, March 25 at 7 PM EST—just a few weeks from now—you are invited to join an exciting 25th Birthday virtual event celebrating the inherent power and courage of girls. Join me and RSVP today at gotr.gives/TMS. The event is free to attend, but donations can be made and special add-on packages are available for purchase such as a copy of Hoda’s newest book and a pair of GOODR sunglasses customized for Girls on the Run.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-149-with-keith-kelly/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“There were definitely a number of times where I found myself just trying to analyze every single aspect of what I was doing different from the year before, or what I wasn't doing different from the year before, and why there were any of these discrepancies in how I was running and I think that was the only stretch of time where I let myself get to that point because I realized that it definitely was an unfortunate sort of spiral to find yourself in because the more you think about, ‘Oh man, what am I doing wrong?’ or ‘What do I need to be doing better? Maybe that's why I'm not running so fast.’ There's no shortage and no way to stop yourself from finding more and more things that you can fix—or convince yourself need fixing—even when maybe all it's coming down to is you're spending way too much time in your own head and not just letting the training do what it's supposed to do and go along for the ride because sometimes it's really all you need to do.” Colin Bennie is the sub-2:10 American marathoner that no one seems to be talking much about, which is one of the reasons I’m super excited to share this episode with all of you. He also happens to be a fellow Central Massachusetts native and we had some fun geeking out about the unique area where we both grew up.Colin, who is 25 years old, finished third at The Marathon Project in Arizona last December, running 2:09:38 in just his second marathon. He made his marathon debut at last year’s Olympic Trials, finishing an impressive ninth in 2:12:14. Colin is a member of the Reebok Boston Track Club, which is based in Charlottesville, Virginia, and he’s coached by Chris Fox, who guided him throughout his All-American collegiate career at Syracuse University. In this conversation, Colin told me about his childhood, looking up to his two older brothers, and playing a bunch of different sports before settling on hockey and running in high school. We talked about his collegiate years at Syracuse, his relationship with Coach Fox, and how he and his teammates help make one another better athletes and people. We also discussed the importance of being a team player, what the transition to professional running was like for him, moving up to the marathon, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by:— New Balance: I was recently able to get my hands on a pair of the new Fresh Foam 1080v11 and I was shocked to love them even more than I did last year’s v10 model. New Balance claims the 1080 offers the ultimate ride, and I’d have to agree. It’s the best fitting shoe I own and the Fresh Foam X cushioning feels super comfortable underneath my feet. It’s lightweight and flexible, but also responsive and durable—basically the perfect trainer to log most of your miles in, which is what I do. I wear it on most of my non-workout days and for long runs too. Check out the Fresh Foam 1080v11 on newbalance.com and consider adding a pair to your rotation.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-148-with-colin-bennie/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Running, for me, is an act of a rebellion. There’s subtext in which if there’s a BIPOC person on the starting line and you see a picture of them in a sea of people, I feel like you’re really giving a narrative that goes against the grain in terms of what society is expecting of you or how society views you. So running, for me, is my personal act of rebellion. It is something that goes against the grain as to what you do as a first generation Indian-American. From our background, there is a huge emphasis on education in the sense of becoming a doctor, becoming an engineer—and doing something that I feel like juxtaposes that in a sense of what people expect out of you is rebellion to me.”Rajpaul Pannu recently finished second at the Hoka One One Project Carbon X 2 100K in 6:28:31—it was his debut at the distance and the third fastest time ever run by an American. The 29-year-old is also a 2:17 marathoner and math teacher who is currently splitting his time between Denver, Colorado and the Bay Area. I loved this conversation and I think you will too. Raj has an enthusiasm about him that’s contagious and an introspectiveness that I really admire. We talked about his most recent race, of course, and what he was feeling before, during, and after it. He told me about re-examining his relationship with running after last year’s Olympic Trials Marathon and how he’s used the pandemic to rethink his goals, priorities, and identity as a runner. Raj also recalled the first run he ever went on, he described how a family history of heart disease and his dad’s early passing factored into taking those first strides, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by:— New Balance: I was recently able to get my hands on a pair of the new Fresh Foam 1080v11 and I was shocked to love them even more than I did last year’s v10 model. New Balance claims the 1080 offers the ultimate ride, and I’d have to agree. It’s the best fitting shoe I own and the Fresh Foam X cushioning feels super comfortable underneath my feet. It’s lightweight and flexible, but also responsive and durable—basically the perfect trainer to log most of your miles in, which is what I do. I wear it on most of my non-workout days and for long runs too. Check out the Fresh Foam 1080v11 on newbalance.com and consider adding a pair to your rotation.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-147-with-rajpaul-pannu/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“I like pushing myself and that's one thing about running, too: You can argue, there's not a crazy amount of technical stuff—like when you get into some of those track events like hurdles and stuff, it’s crazy technical—but, you know, it’s that idea that it's your will versus what your body's kind of telling you, right? Or, in some cases, like you're fighting against somebody else. So just being able to get into a race and say, ‘You know what, it's time to go,’ and just test your body is what I gravitate towards—and don't get me wrong, sometimes I do that and I'm like, ‘Why in the world did I do that? I am in so much pain,’ but a lot of the time it's just awesome that I have the opportunity to do that. I'm not necessarily a person who's going to back down from somebody. Sometimes I'll be cautious, like, ‘OK, this is not the right time to be making these moves.’ But, you know, when it comes down to the last little bit of the race, if I have something in me, I'm going to push hard and I'm going to try and dig as deep as I can to finish.”Nathan Martin ran 2:11:05 at The Marathon Project back in December to finish ninth overall. It was a personal best by over three minutes and also the fastest marathon ever run by a Black man born in the United States. Nathan broke Herm Atkins’ mark of 2:11:52, which had stood since 1979.I really enjoyed this conversation and getting to learn more about Nathan. We discussed the newfound media attention he’s received since The Marathon Project, signing with an agent, and how he’s been adjusting to all of that. We also talked about what his accomplishment means to him and when he realized it was a bigger deal than he originally thought. He also told me about growing up with six sisters, losing both of his parents to cancer and how their passings shaped his life, why it’s important for him to serve as a role model and give back to his community, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by:— New Balance: I was recently able to get my hands on a pair of the new Fresh Foam 1080v11 and I was shocked to love them even more than I did last year’s v10 model. New Balance claims the 1080 offers the ultimate ride, and I’d have to agree. It’s the best fitting shoe I own and the Fresh Foam X cushioning feels super comfortable underneath my feet. It’s lightweight and flexible, but also responsive and durable—basically the perfect trainer to log most of your miles in, which is what I do. I wear it on most of my non-workout days and for long runs too. Check out the Fresh Foam 1080v11 on newbalance.com and consider adding a pair to your rotation.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-146-with-nathan-martin/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“I really try to reflect on why I love running in the first place and really—I’m not trying to be cheesy and fluffy about it—I really love the actual, physical action of running and I think that if you really love that, you will find a way to keep going because that’s ultimately what’s worth it. And I think if you are a slower-paced runner, that’s fine. I’ve learned to own my pace and recognize that I deserve to have goals and even if that goal is knocking just a few seconds off of your mile pace or something like that, and you’re comparing yourself to others on Strava, just keeping in mind that it’s your story and it’s all about you in that moment, and I think, in that sense, that is where I try to center myself and remember that I’m really blessed to be able to do this and I’m really grateful that yes, my feet have a lot of issues, but they also carry me every day across the land. So, I keep those things in mind and remember that there is a brighter future ahead and that I do have the capability to improve.” Dinée Dorame is a runner and podcast host from Albuquerque, New Mexico. I’ve been mentoring her for past few months as she’s been preparing to launch her show, The Grounded Podcast with Dinée Dorame, which debuts this week wherever you listen to audio content. Dinee’s podcast is really unique and it’s going to fill a big hole in the running podcast space as she explores the intersection of running, culture, land and community through long-form conversations with runners of all backgrounds and ability levels. Her voice is a needed one and I’m excited to amplify it a bit in this week’s episode. Dinée, who is a citizen of the Navajo nation, grew up in a running-crazy family. Her dad ran at the University of Colorado and is a successful high school coach in New Mexico. Her mom is a lifelong runner as well, and running has been a huge part of Dinée’s life for as long as she can remember. In this conversation, we spoke about the idea for her podcast and when and how she decided to make it a reality. Dinée also told me about what it was like growing up in a running household, how her own relationship to the sport has evolved over the years, and how running helps her connect to the land. We also talked about opening up more connection points for runners within the sport, diversifying the voices we hear from, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by:— New Balance: I was recently able to get my hands on a pair of the new Fresh Foam 1080v11 and I was shocked to love them even more than I did last year’s v10 model. New Balance claims the 1080 offers the ultimate ride, and I’d have to agree. It’s the best fitting shoe I own and the Fresh Foam X cushioning feels super comfortable underneath my feet. It’s lightweight and flexible, but also responsive and durable—basically the perfect trainer to log most of your miles in, which is what I do. I wear it on most of my non-workout days and for long runs too. Check out the Fresh Foam 1080v11 on newbalance.com later this week and consider adding a pair to your rotation.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-145-with-dinee-dorame/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“I’m responsible for my life and what I want to do in this world. And whatever silly thing that I am good at, I’m going to pursue it and not look back. I believe I could be super fast and I don't want to waste those gifts. And that was kind of my moment of, ‘I'm gonna do this running thing.’ Because in the beginning it was really easy to be like, ‘I quit running, I don’t need to run competitively, I don't need to do any of that.’ But when that happened to me, that event, it changed me in the sense that there's lot of people who have different gifts and they don’t use [them]. And I wanted to make sure that I used my gifts because I think if we all use our gifts we could do something really special, not for ourselves, but for our family, and, if we’re really good, we can do something for our community, wherever we live.”This week's episode is one of my favorite conversations that I’ve ever had for the podcast and I am super excited to share it with all of you. Craig Curley was one of most up and coming distance runners in the U.S., from about 2010-2016, clocking a 63-minute half marathon, 2:15 marathon, and some top-10 finishes at national championship races. He hasn’t raced a lot in recent years but two weekends ago he finished third at the Bandera 100K, his first time competing at that distance.Craig, who is 32 years old, is one of the most, humble, hard working, and down to earth people that I’ve ever spoken to and it really comes out in this episode. We caught up a few days before Bandera and hit on a lot of different topics, from the connection Craig feels to the trails and mountains, to his life growing up on a Navajo reservation in Arizona, and how he balances living in the modern world without getting too far away from his Navajo roots. We also discussed his relationship to running and how it’s evolved over the years, not wasting his gifts and talents, serving as a role model for other Native Americans, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by:— Tracksmith: As we start 2021, Tracksmith continues their tradition of encouraging No Days Off — their annual call for patience, persistence and participation in running. Tracksmith is shipping a free NDO Poster with every order to encourage commitment to consistency, while supplies lasts, so get your order in today at Tracksmith.com. Additionally, they are offering new customers $15 off your first purchase of $75+ when you use the code Mario15 at checkout.— Goodr: Goodr sunglasses are just the best! They don’t slip, they’re polarized to protect your eyes, and they come in a nice range of styles and fun colors. They’re the most affordable performance shades on the planet with most pairs costing only $25 to $35 bucks a piece. If you want to support the podcast and treat yourself to a pair of goodrs, head over to goodr.com/MARIO or enter the code MARIO at checkout to save 13% off your purchase. Look good, run goodr!Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-144-with-craig-curley/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“I think at Furman I ended up doing a lot on my own, just thinking, ‘Oh, I have to do all this stuff to be good.’ So I ended up overdoing a lot of things that I ultimately was kind of wearing myself out trying to get all this stuff done—just in my head to have an edge on everybody. But I think a big factor now is just that I’m letting myself recover and rest and I go into every race feeling super good and super fresh because I have taken the time to focus on letting my body relax and only stressing it out when it needs to be stressed. I think that’s been a big factor...I found that giving myself actual ample time to recover and rest has been the biggest change for me. I think it's a big factor to the success I'm having now.”Frank Lara is a professional runner for the Roots Running Project out of Boulder, Colorado. He also works part-time for Strava as a community management representative. Most recently, Frank paced 20 miles of The Marathon Project at sub-2:09 pace, just a couple weeks after running a massive personal best of 27:44 in the 10,000m. In 2020, he was named the U.S. 15K champion a few months after the winner of the race was sanctioned by USADA for a doping violation.I enjoyed this conversation, which we recorded back in December, just a couple days before Frank’s pacing assignment at the Marathon Project. We talked about transitioning from collegiate to professional running, his biggest learnings as a pro, and developing the confidence to compete at the highest level of the sport. He also told me about learning how to rest, chasing his curiosities, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by:— Tracksmith: As we start 2021, Tracksmith continues their tradition of encouraging No Days Off — their annual call for patience, persistence and participation in running. Tracksmith is shipping a free NDO Poster with every order to encourage commitment to consistency, while supplies lasts, so get your order in today at Tracksmith.com. Additionally, they are offering new customers $15 off your first purchase of $75+ when you use the code Mario15 at checkout.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-143-with-frank-lara/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“If we don’t know what the most important thing to do in a day is, or in a moment, then we will become more like leaves, blowing with every breeze. And so I think there have been times in my life where if I wasn’t clear with myself on my own priorities or my goals then I was behaving more like a leaf and being blown around—and I don’t think we want to be like rocks, where we’re not affected by anything, but I think I’ve grown and try to be more like a tree where there’s some roots but you can still feel the breeze. I say this thing—that tomorrow starts tonight—and I really mean it when I say I just prepare as best I can for the next day or the next thing I’m doing so that I give myself the best chance at attacking what my north star is first.”Alexi Pappas is a professional athlete who holds the Greek national record in the 10,000-meters and competed for Greece at the 2016 Olympic Games. She’s also an award-winning writer and filmmaker whose work has appeared in The New York Times, Runner’s World, The Atlantic, Outside magazine, and other publications. Her first book, Bravey: Chasing Dreams, Befriending Pain, and Other Big Ideas comes out on January 12. In this conversation, we talked about her new book, how it came to be, and the process of writing it. We also discussed the power of imagination, personal responsibility, approaching our mental health the same way we do our physical health, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by:— Tracksmith: As we start 2021, Tracksmith continues their tradition of encouraging No Days Off — their annual call for patience, persistence and participation in running. Tracksmith is shipping a free NDO Poster with every order to encourage commitment to consistency, while supplies lasts, so get your order in today at Tracksmith.com. Additionally, they are offering new customers $15 off your first purchase of $75+ when you use the code Mario15 at checkout.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-142-with-alexi-pappas/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week’s episode of the podcast—the last one for 2020—is a “best of” compilation of highlights from 12 of the most impactful conversations I’ve had over the past 12 months. To provide a little context: I put out 47 episodes of the podcast in 2020—totaling almost 100 hours of conversation—and picking out soundbites from only a dozen of them to highlight here was really freaking hard. I literally have notebooks full of stuff that I’ve learned from every single guest and I simply cannot express enough gratitude for all that they’ve shared with me and, in turn, all of you.In this episode you’ll hear from six women and six men whose stories, experiences, wisdom, and insight really stood out to me. They are, in order of episode release date: Fernando Cabada, Laura Schmitt, Nate Jenkins, Mike Smith, Mary Cain, Karen Boen, Faith E. Briggs, Mike Rouse, Brenda Martinez, Kilian Jornet, Diljeet Taylor, and Knox Robinson. These weren’t necessarily the most downloaded episodes but I promise you each of these guests will move you in some way by either teaching you something new, providing an important insight, or getting you to reflect upon and perhaps even re-examine some aspect of your own life.If you’re a devoted fan of the podcast, it’s my hope that this second annual “best of” episode serves as a bit of a refresher or maybe a reminder to revisit an old episode or two. For those of you who are newer listeners to the show, welcome. Use this episode as a nudge to check out some of the conversations you may have missed while also letting it serve as a primer for what’s to come in 2021.Whether you tune in to every episode of the podcast or only listen every once in a while, I just want to say: thank you. I’m tremendously grateful for your interest and support. I’m a little over three years into this podcast journey and the impact it’s had on my life and many of you who listen regularly is immeasurable. I’m so glad to have all of you along for the ride and sharing in these experiences with me.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-141-best-of-2020/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“It’s not just like you can have a bad race because you get too nervous. No. The very essence of, in the middle of a race, you’re asking yourself, ‘Can I maintain this pace? Can I speed up? Can I slow down?’ And that decision, which you’re asking yourself with every stride essentially, is not answered by, ‘I can’t speed up because some physical parameter is maxed out,’ because it’s not—it’s clearly not, you can keep going. Instead, it’s maxed out by your brain’s assessment of how hard you’re going and whether that is something that is sustainable and will get you to the finish line. And so fundamentally, you make that switch that, ‘Oh no, at every point, unless I collapse on the ground, at every point through a race, it’s been my mind that’s deciding whether I can keep going or whether I can speed up or not.’” Alex Hutchinson is the author of the New York Times best-seller Endure, which is one of my favorite books of the past few years, he’s a contributing editor at Outside magazine, where he writes the Sweat Science column, and his byline has also appeared in numerous other publications. We recently had a great conversation about writing, running, and the path he’s followed in both of those disciplines. We also talked about the concept of endurance, which he wrote an entire book about, the limits on our potential, the future of connected fitness, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by:— Tracksmith: Tracksmith is an independent running brand built on a deep love for the sport. They craft products, tell stories, and create experiences that aim to celebrate, support and add to running’s distinct culture. This holiday season, Tracksmith is acknowledging that Running is a Gift and that this year, the miles meant more. They want to say ’thank you, running’, for being the simple act that has kept us sane in a turbulent year and they’re offering new customers $15 off your first purchase of $75 or more through the end of the month. To learn more, check out tracksmith.com and use code Mario15 at checkout.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-140-with-alex-hutchinson/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“I started to wonder decades later if running for me was the first time that I had ever had facts ascribed to my name. And I wonder if being lied about and called racial epithets from a young age and to know from age 4 or 5 that I’m living in a society that speaks of you in a way that you know is not accurate and you know is not who yourself to be. And so for an entire lifetime of people lying to you and lying about you, saying you did something that you didn’t do, saying that you were someplace that you weren’t, somebody saying or assuming you would do something or had done something that had never even entered your mind. I think running, and getting times, for the first time, for me, as a teenager, was the first time that I ever had experience with facts, you know what I mean? You can’t lie about your time. You can’t lie about your race. It’s there in the newspaper, in the results section, and I think that that experience was so intoxicating to me, that like, you could call me whatever you want, and you could say all these racist stereotypes about black people you want, but you can’t never say that Knox Robinson didn’t run 9:41 on a Tuesday night.”Knox Robinson is a returning guest to the show. He first appeared back on Episode 12, which was recorded Boston Marathon weekend in 2018.In addition to being a friend of mine, Knox is a writer, coach, and athlete who is now based in Los Angeles. Prior to that he spent years in New York City, where he co-founded the Black Roses NYC running crew. Knox ran collegiately at Wake Forest before stepping away from the sport for the better part of a decade to work in the music industry. We recorded this conversation back in late July but I’ve held onto for a couple of reasons: 1. Knox was a guest on a lot of other podcasts this past summer and I didn’t want this one to get lost in the shuffle; and 2. This was at times, quite frankly, an uncomfortable exchange as we discussed difficult topics like running while black, race in America, the role of the media in all of that, and more. But I’m sharing it here today in its entirety because it had a profound impact on me and I hope it will do the same for you. We got into Knox’s roots and his background as a runner and a storyteller, his writing practice and what it looks like, and the idea of running as a sort of leveling agent. We also discussed his recent move to LA and what he hopes to achieve there, setting up a high altitude retreat in the mountains of Mexico, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by:— Tracksmith: Tracksmith is an independent running brand built on a deep love for the sport. They craft products, tell stories, and create experiences that aim to celebrate, support and add to running’s distinct culture. This holiday season, Tracksmith is acknowledging that Running is a Gift and that this year, the miles meant more. They want to say ’thank you, running’, for being the simple act that has kept us sane in a turbulent year and they’re offering new customers $15 off your first purchase of $75 or more through the end of the month. To learn more, check out tracksmith.com and use code Mario15 at checkout.— Goodr: Goodr sunglasses are just the best! They’re the most affordable performance shades on the planet with most pairs costing only $25 to $35 bucks a piece. If you want to support the podcast and treat yourself to a pair of goodrs, head over to goodr.com/MARIO or enter the code MARIO at checkout for FREE shipping on your first order. Look good, run goodr!Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-139-with-knox-robinson/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“If you’re going to be a good coach, you have to believe you’re really good, right? You have to balance humility with confidence. You have to believe you’re really good. And I hope this doesn’t sound arrogant, but I believe I’m really good. And so, even then I did, even when I was uncertain, so I also did have this false sense of like, ‘Well, they’ve got to hear from me. I’ve got the answers. They’ve got to hear from me.’ None of that matters if you’re not building a connection with each of them every day. I think a lot of it was when I was young, man, [it was] ‘I’m going to put my stamp on this, this is what we’re going to do.’ I wish I could go back and have actually enjoyed it more.” Chris Miltenberg is one of the top collegiate cross-country and track coaches in the United States. He’s currently the director of cross country and track and field at the University of North Carolina, where he took over last year after holding the same position at Stanford from 2012 until mid-2019. Prior to that, he was the head women’s cross country coach and associate head coach for track and field at Georgetown from 2007-2012. He got his start in coaching at Columbia, where he worked as an assistant from 2004-07. Milt’s resume is incredibly impressive. His women’s cross country team at Georgetown won the national title in 2011, his teams have earned 10 podium finishes in NCAA Championship competition, not to mention numerous conference and regional titles over the past 16 years. He’s had dozens of student-athletes earn All-America honors, many have gone on to run professionally, his teams have been recognized for their success in the classroom, and Coach Milt has racked up more coach of the year awards than I can count.We recently had a conversation about coaching, the path he’s followed, challenges he’s faced, and who he’s learned from along the way. We talked about why he left Stanford for Carolina, how he and his teams have been navigating the pandemic, and why he ultimately believes the events of this past year have helped him, his staff, and his team focus on what’s really important. Milt also told me how paranoia and insecurity fuel his work ethic, why that’s gotten him into trouble sometimes and what he does to keep himself in check, how he keeps himself sharp as a coach, and a lot more. This is a long one folks but it’s a must-listen for any coach, leader, manager, parent, or athlete.This episode is brought to you by:— Tracksmith: Tracksmith is an independent running brand built on a deep love for the sport. They craft products, tell stories, and create experiences that aim to celebrate, support and add to running’s distinct culture. This holiday season, Tracksmith is acknowledging that Running is a Gift and that this year, the miles meant more. They want to say ’thank you, running’, for being the simple act that has kept us sane in a turbulent year and they’re offering new customers $15 off your first purchase of $75 or more through the end of the month. To learn more, check out tracksmith.com and use code Mario15 at checkout.— Goodr: Goodr sunglasses are just the best! I’ve been wearing them for the past few years and they don’t bounce, they don’t slip, they’re polarized to protect your eyes, and they come in a nice range of styles and fun colors. They’re the most affordable performance shades on the planet with most pairs costing only $25 to $35 bucks a piece. If you want to support the podcast and treat yourself to a pair of goodrs, head over to goodr.com/MARIO or enter the code MARIO at checkout for FREE shipping on your first order. Look good, run goodr!Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-138-with-chris-miltenberg/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“I think you should ditch worrying about your heart rate and just go by feel. Easy is a feeling, it is not a number. Sometimes you need parameters if you are prone to running too hard on your easy days but you should be able to ask yourself, ‘Does this feel easy?’ and if the answer is no, you need to back it off a few notches. And even if the answer is yes, there’s no harm in backing it off a notch because an easy run, the purpose of it, is to yes, maybe get in aerobic work but it’s mostly to recover from the quality work that you’re doing and to be able to absorb it. And on a truly easy day, you really can’t go easy enough. I’ll tell my athletes sometimes, ‘I want you a step above walking.’ And that’s going to be different for everyone, or everyone’s perception of that is going to be a little bit different, but the point is, it needs to feel easy, it can’t just be your watch telling you that here’s the number that you’re supposed to be at and it’s easy because you’re at that number because we’re not programmable robots, we’re human beings. And you need to be able to check in with yourself and be honest with yourself and ask yourself, ‘Is this truly easy?’ and if it’s not, have the discipline and the confidence to back off so that you’re not overdoing it.”This week on the podcast I’m answering listener questions in the final Ask Mario Anything episode of 2020. We got some good ones about diversity in the sport, running with my dog Tahoe, easy run paces and weekly mileage, shoes, setting goals, and more. On the other side of the mic for this one is John Summerford, who I spend a few minutes catching up with before we dive into reader questions. (Side note: Check out the first installment of John’s new documentary series, “Leaving LA,” on Instagram @baresrecords, which pairs well alongside an update he shared with me in the preamble to this podcast.)This episode is brought to you by:— Gatorade Endurance: I’ve been using Gatorade’s Endurance Formula before and during some of my workouts recently to ensure that I’m adequately energized and hydrated, and, so far, so good. I LOVE the Watermelon flavor and it’s also available in Lemon-Lime, Orange, and Cherry. Check out and try some of Gatorade Endurance’s different options for yourself this off-season. Use the code "Shakeout20" and get 20% off your purchase at gatoradeendurance.com.— InsideTracker: InsideTracker is the ultra-personalized nutrition platform that analyzes your blood and DNA biomarkers along with your lifestyle habits to help you optimize your body and reach your goals. As we head into the holiday season, take advantage of InsideTracker’s BEST DEAL of the year and take control of your health and wellness by using the code GIFTFROMMORNSHAKEOUT at insidetracker.com to save $200 on the Ultimate Plan, their most comprehensive package.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-137-ask-mario-anything/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“What I love about running, and what I love even more about running than I ever loved about dancing, is how human it is. It’s a fundamental human gait: We crawl, we walk, we run, technically, apparently, skipping is also another gait, and so when you get better at it, for myself, I just felt more human. At that point in my life already, I had been through so many movement methods in trying to get myself together as a dancer: so much yoga, Klein technique, Gyrotonics, Alexander, Trager, everything that was out there I had done, practically, that I could find, and that was a lot. It all had effects, gave me different sensations. There’s a certain way that I feel after I do yoga, but after I run, I realize I feel more human, as in a member of my species—it’s really pronounced, really profound—and I really love working with that more than anything else.” Jae Gruenke is a highly sought-after expert on running form and technique. She’s also a Feldenkrais Practitioner, founder of The Balanced Runner, and has helped countless runners from beginners to Olympians improve their form and performance since 2003. I’ve been following Jae’s work for a little while now and recently found out that she doesn’t live far from me, so we sat down at a local park and had a conversation that I think you’ll really enjoy and take a lot away from. We talked about what it is that Jae does exactly and how she uses the Feldenkrais Method of Movement Education to help runners with their technique. She told me how she got into running after years as a professional dancer and how solving her own problems led her to working with others who were navigating similar issues. We discussed what mainstream publications miss when it comes to running technique, common places where runners go wrong, and what she considers to be the six elements of good form. We also got into cadence, the influence of footwear, the analyses she does on the elite fields in major races, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by:— Gatorade Endurance: I’ve been using Gatorade’s Endurance Formula before and during some of my workouts recently to ensure that I’m adequately energized and hydrated, and, so far, so good. I LOVE the Watermelon flavor and it’s also available in Lemon-Lime, Orange, and Cherry. Check out and try some of Gatorade Endurance’s different options for yourself this off-season. Use the code "Shakeout20" and get 20% off your purchase at gatoradeendurance.com.— InsideTracker: InsideTracker is the ultra-personalized nutrition platform that analyzes your blood and DNA biomarkers along with your lifestyle habits to help you optimize your body and reach your goals. As we head into the holiday season, take advantage of InsideTracker’s BEST DEAL of the year and take control of your health and wellness by using the code GIFTFROMMORNSHAKEOUT at insidetracker.com to save $200 on the Ultimate Plan, their most comprehensive package.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-136-with-jae-gruenke/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“There’s things we take for granted, as athletes, as coaches, and have those things taken away from you, you really just realize how much they mean to you and I think every opportunity we get to show up to work, every opportunity we get to showcase our talents, it should be done with gratitude, it should be done through gratitude. Gratitude should be the entry point to all that we do and all that we accomplish in life and I think as long as we keep that as our center focus, your perspective in sport and in life—you know, sport right now but definitely life in the future—it just changes.” Diljeet Taylor is the Associate Director of Cross Country and Track and Field at BYU, where she’s coached since 2016. In 2019, her women’s cross-country team finished second at the NCAA championships—only six points behind Arkansas—and it was the first time the Cougars had been on the podium since 2003. Prior to BYU, Diljeet coached both the men’s and women’s cross country and track programs at her alma mater, Division 2 Cal State Stanislaus, for nine years. I absolutely loved this conversation and I think you will too. We talked about how Diljeet and her team have navigated the pandemic on both an individual and collective level. She told me about her emphasis on gratitude and why it’s such a big part of the culture she’s created at BYU, her mission of empowering women, and the importance of investing in people and not performances. Diljeet and I discussed how she got into coaching, the influence coach Frank Gagliano had on her decision to pursue it as a career, and how she makes it work as mom of two kids and full-time Division 1 coach. We also talked about the self-check she does every day, the effect of social media on athletes this day and age, balancing confidence and humility, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by:— Gatorade Endurance: I’ve been using Gatorade’s Endurance Formula before and during some of my workouts recently to ensure that I’m adequately energized and hydrated, and, so far, so good. I LOVE the Watermelon flavor and it’s also available in Lemon-Lime, Orange, and Cherry. Check out and try some of Gatorade Endurance’s different options for yourself this off-season. Use the code "Shakeout20" and get 20% off your purchase at gatoradeendurance.com.— Inside Tracker: InsideTracker is the ultra-personalized nutrition platform that analyzes your blood and DNA biomarkers along with your lifestyle habits to help you optimize your body and reach your goals. As we head into the holiday season, take advantage of InsideTracker’s BEST DEAL of the year and take control of your health and wellness by using the code GIFTFROMMORNSHAKEOUT at insidetracker.com to save $200 on the Ultimate Plan, their most comprehensive package.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-135-with-diljeet-taylor/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“If the book tells you anything it’s just that there’s this long history from go of this kind of behavior, whether it’s sexist behavior or outright mistreatment of women I guess is probably the biggest one that comes to mind. It has been happening for a long time and when I first started reporting in 2017 or even in 2016 looking into Nike and on another assignment around the Nike ecosystem, I heard these stories that…I just couldn’t, when I first started reporting I couldn’t believe the stories I was hearing. They just seemed like, this must be made up, this is too ridiculous.”Matt Hart is a freelance journalist whose writing covers a wide swath of topics from sports science to adventure and exploration to performance-enhancing drugs, nutrition, evolution and more. His work has appeared in The Atlantic, The New York Times, National Geographic, Adventure, Outside, Men’s Journal, and other publications.Matt has a new book out and we spent the entirety of this conversation talking about it. It’s called Win at All Costs: Inside Nike Running and It’s Culture of Deception and man oh man, it is a hell of a read. The book, which is out now, takes a deep dive into the story of the Nike Oregon Project and the infrastructure that supported it, tying together themes of deception, systemic cheating, abuses of power, gender discrimination, medical malpractice, greed, and more. I received an early copy of the book and even though I knew a lot of the story, I couldn’t put it down and knocked it out in a weekend. In this episode, I ask Matt about the origins of the book, the myriad of complex characters involved, his difficulties in reporting it, why he thinks Nike is sticking by coach Alberto Salazar and paying for his legal defense, and what needs to happen at Nike for the corporate culture to change. We also discuss whether or not we can believe what we’re seeing in sport, if there’s anything more to this particular story, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by Goodr. Goodr sunglasses don’t bounce, they don’t slip, they’re polarized to protect your eyes, and they come in a nice range of styles and fun colors. Most pairs cost only $25 to $35 bucks a piece. If you want to support the podcast and treat yourself to a pair of goodrs, head over to goodr.com/MARIO or enter the code MARIO at checkout for FREE shipping on your first order. Look good, run goodr!Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-134-with-matt-hart/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“By nature, diversity is uncomfortable, at least initially, right? Until we can embrace and accept the discomfort of having someone with a different opinion, a different life experience, and different idea, or way of doing things. That part is not trendy or glamorous. We like to think that diverse community—the idea of it is a lot easier to swallow. I think there’s a lot of introspection that needs to be done and we don’t all know how to do that, nor do we have the language, but we need to be willing to listen and learn and not everybody’s ready for that, I don’t think.” Carolyn Su is the creator of the @DiverseWeRun Instagram account, which she launched as a place to highlight runners from different backgrounds and share their stories with a wider audience. I first became aware of Carolyn a few months ago when she was featured in a Runner’s World article along with 10 other BIPOC runners speaking out about their experiences with racism and perceptions of diversity within the running community.In this episode, Carolyn, who is Taiwanese-American, told me about how she found running while she was struggling with an eating disorder in college, why she still has a hard time calling herself a runner sometimes, and how running ultimately became a source stability in her life. We also discussed why she started @DiverseWeRun, what it’s going to take to tackle the issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, and representation in running so that we can create a more equitable and accessible sport for everyone, and a lot more.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-133-with-carolyn-su/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Where’s that work ethic come from? “For sure my grandmother, and I think growing up without a mom and a dad. You know, nothing was ever handed [to me], we had to work for everything. Also just seeing that’s what’s needed to survive in this world is the art of working hard. I don’t expect anything—I just want to work hard. I just take pride with having the magic in things, you know. I just want things to always go well. I know things will not always go well but I think my grandmother and growing up definitely with that chip on my shoulder and just having to work hard.”Marquis Bowden is a 31-year-old runner based in Los Angeles and he first came on my radar several weeks ago when I saw him featured in a film from Tracksmith called Race Day is (still) Sacred. I then started hearing him pop up in my podcast feed, which then sent me down the rabbit hole and landed me on articles about him in both Tempo Journal and Runner’s World, and I just knew we had to have a conversation. A former college basketball player who says that running found him a few years ago, Marquis has big goals in the sport. He ran a two-minute personal best of 2:39 last month for his virtual Boston Marathon, and while he has a long way to go on paper to achieve his goal of qualifying for the Olympic Trials, Marquis has the tools, the drive, and the guidance to take him to some pretty incredible places. His humble, hard-working nature, and the pride he has for his family and community, is also admirable and all of that really comes out in this conversation. We talked about his journey in the sport, how his training has evolved, and all that, but we got deeper into his story: about growing up in the inner city of Compton and Carson, California, and being raised by his grandmother because his parents were out of the picture. Marquis told me about reuniting with his dad just a few years ago and how that missing puzzle piece fit back into his life. We also talked his lack of self-belief as a kid and how he grew his confidence, his work ethic and having a chip on his shoulder, patience and playing the long game, as well as the importance of living each day with gratitude and love. We also discussed what it means to be a black male in running today, how we can increase diversity, equity, and inclusion in the sport, and a lot more.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-132-with-marquis-bowden/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“What we do on the daily basis to have success in our sport sets you up so well for what you’re going to be doing in the real world. But just the pursuit of success in our sport does so much for success in the real world, I feel like. If you can train as hard we do for a 10K, say, and then go out there and just squeeze every bit of yourself out of yourself for 25 laps and mentally stay engaged that whole way and talk yourself through all the tough points of the race, I mean, you can do anything. Like, I have yard projects that are just daunting sometimes and I’m like, ‘Yeah, I’ve got this, you know?’ and it’s all because of my running background. So I feel like, you know, just what we do as runners goes a long way.”Gary Towne is one of the most underrated and under-appreciated collegiate coaches in the United States.Gary has coached cross-country and track at Chico State since 1996 and his Wildcats have been one of the top NCAA Division II programs in the country for over 20 years. Last fall, his men’s team finished third at the national cross-country meet while the women’s squad placed seventh—it was the 23rd top-10 team finish for the men, and 18th top-10 placing for the women. In his nearly three decades at Chico State, Gary’s teams have won dozens of conference titles, he’s coached over 100 All-Americans, and guided three individual national champions. He’s also won numerous coach of the year awards himself, but what he’s most proud of, however, is his teams’ academic success and the fact that nearly 100 percent of his student-athletes have graduated from college. We covered some really good ground in this conversation and I think you’re going to take a lot away from it. Gary told me how he’s kept his athletes excited and motivated in recent months after this year’s cross-country season was cancelled due to the pandemic. He also described the toll it’s taken on him as a coach. Gary shared his thoughts on collegiate track programs getting cut around the country and what can be done to prevent more of them from getting axed moving forward. We also talked about creating support systems within his teams as well as developing and maintaining a strong culture. He also told me how his training philosophy has evolved over the years, whether or not he coaches the men and women differently, what success means for him as a coach, and a lot more.This episode of the podcast is brought to you by New Balance. If I were going away for a couple months and could only take two pair with me, here’s what I’d throw in my bag: The Fresh Foam 1080v10, which is what I’d wear for about 70-80% of my miles, and the Fresh Foam Beacon v3 for faster workouts and uptempo long runs. Learn more about both models at newbalance.com or at the links in the show notes. Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-131-with-gary-towne/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Yeah, I’ve had moments of like, ‘Wow, this is really happening.’ And so that’s pretty cool because I think it’s really important to enjoy those moments. I feel like people are always looking to the next thing and the next goal and that’s a huge part of the sport but I also think it’s really important to sit back and be like, ‘Wow, this is happening right now.’ I think just taking it one step at a time and just enjoying where you are is really important.” Elle Purrier runs professionally for New Balance Boston. The 25-year-old represented the United States at the 2019 world championships in Doha, where she finished 11th in the 5000m with a personal best of 14:58.17. Indoors this past winter, she broke the American record in the mile at the Millrose Games, running 4:16.85 in one of the most exciting races I’ve watched in quite some time. We covered some good ground in this conversation. Elle told me how she’s gone about her business during the pandemic and after the Olympics were postponed; we talked about how her training has evolved in her first few years as a professional, why underemphasizing mileage in HS and college has helped her stay healthy and perform at a high level as a professional, and the workouts that let her know when she’s ready to rip on race day. We also discussed what it was like growing up on a dairy farm in Vermont, the parallels between farming and running, racing some of her childhood idols as a pro, and a lot more.This episode of the podcast is brought to you by New Balance. The new FuelCell TC Elite combines FuelCell foam and a full-length carbon fiber plate to put a little pep in your step while the Dynaride outsole provides good traction in a variety of conditions. Check them out at newbalance.com or at the links in the show notes. Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-130-with-elle-purrier/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“I think that’s probably what my mother said about being self-destructive: that I go until it breaks. I probably could start to find this balance much before but I’m just pushing it, pushing it, pushing it until it’s too late and then, like, ‘OK, or I die, or I need to change.’ And it goes up to that point. I hope that all these chapters are closed and that now the balance is here.”Kilian Jornet is one of the greatest endurance athletes of all-time. The 32-year-old Catalonian has won major ultramarathons like Western States, UTMB, Hardrock and others, he’s captured multiple world titles in ski mountaineering, and he holds fastest known times up and down Matterhorn, Mont Blanc, Denali, Everest, and other mountains.In this conversation we talked about how he’s changed his training focus during the pandemic and the biggest lessons he’s learned from taking a new approach, his relationship with competition and how it’s changed over the years, and how he thinks about risk now versus when he was a younger athlete. We also dissected his propensity toward self-destruction and pushing the boundaries of pain and suffering, experimentation and fear of failure, becoming a climate advocate who is working to protect the environment and mountains he loves so dearly through his new foundation, and a LOT more.This episode of the podcast is brought to you by New Balance. The Fresh Foam 1080v10 has been a go-to for me since January of this year and I continue to be impressed with its comfort, versatility, and durability. If you’re looking for a workhorse to add to your own stable of shoes this fall, check out the 1080v10 at newbalance.com.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-129-with-kilian-jornet/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"You gotta go do it. Lean into the unknown. We have this term, especially when I work with football players, called contact adaptation. There’s a reason they had training camp prior to the season—it’s not just so they could squeeze in extra games, it’s so they can get used to hitting one another and what have you and that actually can decrease the risk of injury. Well, none of these coaches now have contact adaptation. They don’t expose themselves to anything, which leads to a higher likelihood of breakdown. The dose makes the poison. You’re all leaders in different contexts but you’re not leading if you don’t actually lead anybody and nobody can find you. You don’t have to coach world beaters, you don’t have to coach all day every day for 60 years—that kind of experience can be just as toxic as no experience at all—but you do have to lead somebody, you do have to create something. The core lesson there is you have to do. You can’t just ideate and be like ‘Yeah, man, I’m a leader.’ That doesn’t work.” Brett Bartholomew is one of the top strength and conditioning coaches in the world. He’s worked with a diverse range of athletes across 23 sports, at all levels ranging from youth to Olympians. He’s the author of the best-selling book Conscious Coaching: The Art and Science of Building Buy-In, which, as a disclaimer, I helped edit. Through his company, Art of Coaching, he also works with members of the United States Special Forces, Fortune 500 companies, non-profit organizations, and universities to help develop more effective leaders and improve interactions and communication.This is mostly a conversation about coaching—not the technical aspects of strength and conditioning for runners, though we do touch on that a little at the end—but more about the interpersonal side of the craft: the importance of relationships, building buy-in, developing trust, and communicating well. Brett also told me his story about being hospitalized for disordered eating at the age of 15 and how that experience led him down the path of wanting to learn how to communicate with people more effectively and ultimately become a coach. We also talked about putting pressure on yourself, navigating chaos, managing different personalities and emotions, learning to be adaptable, and a lot more.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-128-with-brett-bartholomew/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“It got to the point where I was looking in the metaphorical mirror and saying to myself, ‘Alright, what am I going to do here? You’re sacrificing your job effectiveness by doing as much as you can with this podcast as often as you can and by not making a decision, you’re making a decision.’ And ultimately it came down to the fact that I just believed that I could turn this into a profession. I didn’t exactly know how to do it or when it would happen but I just started to believe. And ultimately that belief kind of ruled the day for me.” Matt Chittim is the man behind the incredibly popular Rambling Runner podcast, which is a show about dedicated amateur runners who are working hard at the sport but also balancing running with the rest of their lives. On the other end of the spectrum, he also hosted Season 1 of The Road to the Olympic Trials podcast, which followed the training, racing, and experiences of some of America’s best runners as they prepared for the Olympic Trials Marathon this past February in Atlanta. Matt is a natural conversationalist as you’ll pick up upon in this episode and I highly recommend checking out both of his podcasts. In this episode, we of course talked podcasting, how he got into it, what the tipping point was that lead to his show’s explosion in popularity, and how his prior careers as a coach and fundraiser have informed his approach to the craft. We also talked about Matt’s journey in the sport, reigniting his own running fire in his mid-20s, and his current Mastering 40 pursuit of trying to break a 40-minute 10K at the age of 40. We also discussed competitiveness, imposter syndrome, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by New Balance. The Fresh Foam 860v11 and the new FuelCell Prizm are stability shoes, meaning they provide a little more support underfoot for those who need it. The Fresh Foam 860v11—women's model here, men's model here—is a solid everyday trainer that’s well-cushioned, supportive, and reliable for handling a majority of your miles. The lighter weight FuelCell Prism—available for both women and men—complements it well with just the right amount of stability to keep you supported for faster workouts and races. Check 'em both out today at newbalance.com or at the link in the show notes.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-127-with-matt-chittim/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“I think over the years I started to realize it’s more than just running. There is more to life than just running. Obviously it’s a big part of what I do but I’m starting to realize that we need to make sure our happiness intact. I try to make that a part of my life. I try to stick to my schedule, I try waking up early, I try going to bed early, just trying to be positive. I try not to feel entitled and hopefully I’m this positive light for these kids. I just want to be a good role model more than anything. And I don’t want to ever complain or anything like that.” Brenda Martinez is one of the best middle-distance runners in the world. She’s a got a silver medal in the 800m from the 2013 world championships, she was on the 2016 U.S. Olympic team in the 1500m, she’s won a national title, and has stood atop the podium at numerous other events. The 33-year-old is a native of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., and she ran at UC Riverside where she was a national runner-up in the 1500m and a three-time All-American. She now lives and trains in Big Bear, California, only an hour from where she grew up. We covered a lot in this conversation and I think you’ll take a ton away from it. Brenda told me about her relationship with the legendary Joe Vigil, who’s coached her since 2011, and the impact he’s had not only on her competitive running career but her life as a whole. We discussed her running camp, which kicks off its 8th year this week as a virtual experience for high school girls and boys. Along those lines, she told me why it’s important for her to give back to others and serve as a role model for young kids. We talked about not allowing yourself to get distracted or affected by the actions of other people and keeping focused on what it is you’re trying to accomplish. Brenda told me her 2013 world championships medal upgrade and the importance of fighting for clean sport. I asked her about her experience at the 2016 Olympic Trials, where she made the team in dramatic fashion in the 1500m after getting tripped up in the 800m final a few days before. We also talked about her competitiveness, creativity, learning to be self-reliant, and a lot more.This episode of the podcast is brought to you by New Balance. The new FuelCell TC Elite launches this week on NewBalance.com. The combination of FuelCell foam and a full-length carbon fiber plate puts a little pep in your step and the Dynaride outsole provides good traction in a variety of conditions. Check them out at newbalance.com or at the links in the show notes. Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-126-with-brenda-martinez/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Running isn’t always comfortable. It’s not always like some sort of nirvana that you’re jumping out of bed and clicking your heels to do. But having those kind of whys really kind of reframed me rather than having one why of, ‘it must be about the medal, it must be about the time.’ You have different whys…you need a pocket full of whys basically depending on the day to achieve your goals, really.” Marcus Brown, known as @themarathonmarcus on Instagram, is a six-star World Marathon Majors finisher from London. He hosts the A Runner’s Life Podcast, and he’s one of the co-founders of Black Trail Runners, a UK-based community and campaigning group that seeks to increase the inclusion, participation and representation of Black people in trail running. We covered a lot of ground in this episode. Marcus told me about his journey into running, how his relationship with it has evolved over the years, and why he views the marathon as a metaphor for life. We also discussed his relationship to anxiety, learning to be happy within yourself, and why it’s important to have a pocket full of whys. He also told me about growing up black in the UK and why he had chip on his shoulder as a kid, launching Black Trail Runners and the fight for intentional inclusion in the sport, and the importance of opening up access to running and creating positive change in our local communities. We also geeked out about podcasting, talked about Marcus’ relationship with Instagram, where he has a sizable following, and much more.This episode of the podcast is brought to you by New Balance. The Fresh Foam 1080v10 has been a go-to for me since January of this year and I continue to be impressed with its comfort, versatility, and durability. If you’re looking for a workhorse to add to your own stable of shoes this fall, check out the 1080v10 at newbalance.com.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-125-with-marcus-brown/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“I’ve said this many, many times. I’m 67 years old. I got busted when I was 33, got out of prison when I was 34. I spent the first 33 years of my life, Mario, everything was about Mike Rouse. Everything I did. What kind of great car can I have? How much money can I have in the bank? How big a house can I get? How can I have the prettiest girlfriend? How can I have the most success? The best title? How can I have all the things that society depicts as successful? Going to prison put me on a whole ’nuther plane and level. And I realized that the rest of my life I wanted to spend giving back because doing that is so much easier than trying to be somebody that you’re really not. So [for] 33 years, basically the first half of my life, was all about me. And since I was released from prison on February the 27th of 1987, everything’s been about everybody else. Now I can’t say that about every decision I’ve made and every action I’ve done, but for the most part, my life now is spent trying to give back to other people.” Mike Rouse is close friend of mine—I’ve known him for 10 years and helped him edit and publish his first book, Zero to 60—and he’s got an incredible story that I’m excited for him to share with all of you. I don’t even know where to begin when describing this man: Mike, who is 67 years old, started running in the mid-80s while he was in prison, where he served 14 months of a five-year sentence for possessing cocaine with an intent to sell. That experience behind bars changed his life for the better and led him down a path of running and giving back to the communities and causes that mean so much to him. As a runner, Mike has done more crazy stuff than anyone I’ve ever known, which is saying a lot. Over the past 33 years he’s been involved in the sport, Mike has run over 130,000 lifetime miles. He’s completed 261 marathons, 34 50K races, 79 races that were over 50 miles but less than 100, 40 100-milers and/or 24-hour runs, 12 Ironmans, and 6 ultramans, where he’s a 3x age-group world champion. One of the coolest things about Mike is that he regularly uses his running as a vehicle to bring awareness to and raise money for causes and organizations he believes in, like the Blazeman Foundation for ALS, the Boot Campaign, Navy SEAL Foundation, and others.This is a long conversation—the longest one I’ve ever recorded for the podcast to date—but I promise you that you’ll want to listen to it until the very end. It’s full of incredible stories and numerous examples of inspiration. Mike told me about overcoming cocaine addiction and discovering distance-running while he was behind bars, getting into the specialty running industry—an industry he still works in—not long after he got out of prison, why he’s comfortable being alone with his own thoughts and has never listened to music while on a run, the link between substance addiction and ultrarunning, his keys to staying healthy and motivated at the age of 67, what he means when he says to “be somebody” and “give people roses while they’re living,” and a lot more.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-124-with-mike-rouse/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“It’s kind of like what you pay attention to grows. What you’re the most aware of—if you’re focused on an area where you’re not measuring up and you’re beating yourself up about that instead of seeing yourself a certain way—Ryan puts it well, where he’s like, ‘The first step in becoming a mentally tough runner is to believe you’re a mentally tough runner.’ It kind of becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy if you think, ‘I’m not tough.’ But the opposite is [that] you start by believing that, then the more you lean into that, and believe in that, it grows.”Sara Hall is one of the best and most versatile distance runners in the United States. She’s won numerous national titles from the mile to the marathon and and she’s the sixth-fastest American female marathoner of all time after her 2:22:16, fifth-place finish at Berlin last fall. Sara is the wife of previous podcast guest, two-time Olympian, and American half-marathon record holder Ryan Hall, and the mom of four adopted Ethiopian girls: Hana, Mia, Jasmine, and Lilly. This conversation covered a lot of ground and I think you’ll really take a lot away from it. Sara told me about growing up in Santa Rosa, California, and getting into running as a 13-year-old, she opened up about dropping out of the Olympic Trials Marathon earlier this year and what it’s been like bouncing back from that disappointment, and how she’s thinking about training and racing right now in the midst of a global pandemic.We also talked about the biggest lessons the marathon has taught her over the years, her tendency to be hard on herself after bad races and workouts, and what she means when she calls herself a “high maintenance sleeper.” We also discussed how her relationship with her husband Ryan has evolved since he retired from the sport four years ago, how she’s talking to her daughters about the racial injustice issues we’re facing in the U.S., the role faith plays in her life, and a lot more.This episode of the podcast is brought to you by WHOOP, a fitness wearable that helps you sleep better, recover faster, and train smarter. Learn more at WHOOP.com and enter “Mario” at checkout to save 15% on a membership.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-123-with-sara-hall/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“It was sort of like this coolness of everyone telling you [that] you can be awesome and you’re not aware of it yet, but you’re starting to believe it, you’re starting to follow in the steps of this path you think you’re destined to be on. And that—over and over—any movie with that theme, like goosebumps, I’m hooked. I remember watching an anime, Dragon Ball Z, growing up and I’m just like, ‘Man this guy just keeps getting stronger every time he trains. Holy moly, he’s doing things he never thought he could do.’ And honestly, once I discovered track after football I was like, ‘This is what I’ve been watching all those movies my entire life for.’ I think there’s something hidden deep inside of me that’s kind of special and it’s just a matter of time before it comes out. And I just loved that, and now I would say that’s transitioned to photography and directing. I feel there’s something special that I have to offer that is started and rooted in running and track and I’m really, really excited to see where I can take that skill, or habit, or blessing that I’ve been given and seeing what’s next for me.” My guest this week is one of my favorite photographers and storytellers in the sport of running, David Bracetty. David lives outside of Philadelphia and he’s done editorial work for publications like Runner’s World, Like The Wind, and Meter magazine. He’s also shot commercially for New Balance, Puma, adidas, Brooks, and other brands. What I love about David is his unique style and penchant for finding and telling the story that no one else seems to be paying attention to. David hustles hard—I’ve witnessed it myself firsthand—and it shows in the quality of his work. There is a lot to this conversation. David’s got an interesting backstory and it was trip to dive into it with him In this episode. He told me about how his Puerto Rican upbringing influenced his worth ethic and creativity. We talked about how he got into running, the rocky road he followed with the sport through college, and learning not to let his self-worth get tied up into being a runner. David told me about his odd hobbies and interests as a kid, saving up to buy his first camera in high school, and why he’s always been someone who’s quick to say yes to things and then will figure it out on the backend. Finally, we discussed the biggest ways he’s evolved as a photographer and a creative, what his relationship with running looks like now, and also his latest project. It’s called the 4 Years Ago Project, and it’s an audiovisual experience featuring athletes who competed in the 2016 U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials talking about what they felt that day, what’s happened since, and where they are now.The 4 Years Ago Project: http://4yearsago.com/This episode of the podcast is brought to you by WHOOP, a fitness wearable that helps you sleep better, recover faster, and train smarter. Learn more at WHOOP.com and enter “Mario” at checkout to save 15% on a membership.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-122-with-david-bracetty/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Running to me represents freedom and I don’t want to just confine myself to running to numbers, like trying to run to specific mileage on a given day or just running to specific paces every day. There’s a freedom to it and a fluidity that I think is really, really important…Not every workout has to build toward something or target a specific energy system, especially right now where there are no races to build toward. For me, and what I’m trying to preach to my athletes, it’s like, look, you almost gotta think of running right now as more of an outlet than ever. Like sometimes you just need to remind yourself what made this pursuit fun in the first place.”This week on the podcast you get to hear from me in the second Ask Mario Anything episode of 2020. I answered a number of listener questions about coaching, training, nutrition, making adjustments, my past struggles with disordered eating, and more. On the other side of the mic for this one is John Summerford, longtime producer of the morning shakeout podcast, and we kick this one off mid-conversation talking about the importance of consistency and “getting your reps in,” regardless of the pursuit.This episode of the podcast is brought to you by Tracksmith, which makes classically stylish, cutting-edge apparel for real-world athletes. Visit tracksmith.com/mario and use code Mario15 at checkout to save $15 on your first purchase of $75 or more. It’s also sponsored by WHOOP, a fitness wearable that helps you sleep better, recover faster, and train smarter. Learn more at WHOOP.com and enter “Mario” at checkout to save 15% on a membership.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-121-ask-mario-anything-4/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Who do we get to see? And therefore, who do we get to believe in? Not only to understand people better, but I think to understand for younger kids especially how they get to travel through the world and what their potential could be. It’s a lot harder to imagine yourself being something if you’ve never seen anyone that looks like you doing it. And we internalize these images of who gets to be a surfer and who doesn’t, or who gets to be a marathoner and who doesn’t, or who gets to be, you know, a politician, and who doesn’t. So yeah, that’s what I mean when I say representation.”Faith E. Briggs is a runner, documentary filmmaker, and advocate currently based in Portland, Oregon, and her work focuses on diversity and representation in the media and outdoors. Her latest film, This Land, is a story about land access told through a journey of inclusion and empowerment, where she and a few other runners ran 150 miles through three U.S. National Monuments and assess what is at stake if previously protected lands are reduced and if the public is largely unaware about it.I had been looking forward to this conversation for a while and it did not disappoint. We talked about the mix of excitement and trepidation Faith is feeling midway through 2020, working through some of the confusion she’s been experiencing, and why representation in the media is more important now than ever before. She also told me about the the appeal of mountains, trails, and ultras to someone who ran the 400m in college, redefining "conservationist," her love of words, language, and storytelling, and a lot more.This episode of the podcast is brought to you by Tracksmith, which makes classically stylish, cutting-edge apparel for real-world athletes. Visit tracksmith.com/mario and use code Mario15 at checkout to save $15 on your first purchase of $75 or more. It’s also sponsored by WHOOP, a fitness wearable that helps you sleep better, recover faster, and train smarter. Learn more at WHOOP.com and enter “Mario” at checkout to save 15% on a membership.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-120-with-faith-e-briggs/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“So many of my relationships with anything or anyone in life that I care about the most is a relationship of high highs and low lows. There’s something deeply human about a relationship with anything that can offer you the greatest joy in your life and also the greatest sorrow or greatest pain. Running grounds me toward that more viscerally perhaps than anything else. It’s a reason why I keep doing it. It more than anything serves as a sort of…I don’t want to say a metaphor for life because it is life, but as a way for me to understand life. So to deny it that is to deny it it’s ultimate complexity and I have to acknowledge that they’re are going be days that running makes me feel more joyful than anything and there are going to be reasons that have to do with running that are the reasons that make me feel maybe ashamed or maybe scared or maybe deeply sad—and that’s hard, but it’s real.” Devin Kelly is a runner, writer, and a poet based in New York City. His work has appeared in The Guardian, LitHub, Catapult, Longreads, and in other publications. I first became aware of Devin in late 2019 when I read his essay, "Running Dysmorphic," which explored his relationship with competitive running, exactness, and giving himself permission to be exactly who he was. It really resonated with me and my own experiences as a competitive runner who has dealt with body image issues in the past. More recently, my college cross-country and track coach, Karen Boen—who you can listen to and learn more about in Episode 115, by the way—sent me an essay entitled, “What I Want to Know of Kindness.” The author: Devin Kelly. That piece, which also hit me on a deep level, isn’t really about running, at least explicitly, but it put on display the depth and strength of the relationships that develop when you share a lot of miles with someone over a long period of time—you know, the kind of bonds that just don’t break. Anyway, I knew I needed to talk to this guy and here we are today with a conversation about running, writing, exploration, masculinity, wrestling with shame, self-worth, hope, and a lot more.This episode of the podcast is brought to you by Tracksmith, which makes classically stylish, cutting-edge apparel for real-world athletes. Visit tracksmith.com/mario and use code Mario15 at checkout to save $15 on your first purchase of $75 or more. It’s also sponsored by WHOOP, a fitness wearable that helps you sleep better, recover faster, and train smarter. Learn more at WHOOP.com and enter “Mario” at checkout to save 15% on a membership.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-119-with-devin-kelly/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“One of the main things too is people just kind of sticking out like a sore thumb. It’s so unbalanced that I think people of color sometimes feel uncomfortable going into this sport that is just predominantly white. I’ve never really let it be any sort of limiting factor for me and I know there a lot of people of color that still feel that trail runners and runners in general that these are my tribe of people, it’s so welcoming. I don’t feel racism in our sport. That doesn’t mean it’s not lacking racial and ethnic diversity but I think the more that we start to see that diversity, the more people will say, ‘Oh, they’re doing it, I can do that too.' It’s the same thing with recovery, it’s when people start seeing other people do it, “Oh if they did it, then I can do it.” And so that’s kind of why I wanted to be more open about my recovery but also I wanted to be more open about this topic too, is to inspire people—like no, you’re welcome here.”This week, I had a great conversation with ultrarunner Yassine Diboun. Yassine is a super accomplished athlete. He’s finished in the top-10 at Western States, has represented the U.S. internationally at world championships, and he’s been super competitive across a wide range of distances. He’s also one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet.Yassine’s got an incredible story about how he changed his life and I’m excited for him to share it here with you in this episode. We also talk about the relationship between confidence and consistency, his longevity as an athlete, and how to keep the fire burning. Yassine also told me about experiencing racism throughout his life, the systemic barriers that prevent people from participating in the sport of ultrarunning and what needs to change, creating more opportunities for kids of color to get outside and experience nature, and a lot more.This episode of the podcast is brought to you by Tracksmith, which makes classically stylish, cutting-edge apparel for real-world athletes. Visit tracksmith.com/mario and use code Mario15 at checkout to save $15 on your first purchase of $75 or more. It’s also sponsored by WHOOP, a fitness wearable that helps you sleep better, recover faster, and train smarter. Learn more at WHOOP.com and enter “Mario” at checkout to save 15% on a membership.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-118-with-yassine-diboun/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“I definitely don’t have any regrets in pursuing sport to the level that I did because I think one of the wonderful things about sport is that it’s a very simply definable thing and mostly it’s a quite healthy thing for a young person to go all-in on. I fully went all-in on sport—at one point, I lived, breathed, I must have bored people around me as a lot of us as athletes probably have done with my obsessive level of interest in it. When you go all-in on something, you gain so much learning from that, the kind of learning that you don’t get when you do anything half-assed. If you just go at it fully, full commitment, you learn and you get so much back.”Andy Blow is a friend of mine from the UK. He’s a sports scientist with a degree in Sports and Exercise Science from the University of Bath and he specializes in sweat, dehydration and cramping. A former elite-level triathlete, Andy won an XTERRA age-group world title and he also has multiple top-10 finishes at Ironman and 70.3 races to his name. He’s worked as a sports scientist and advisor in the world of motorsports, but it was overcoming his own struggles with cramping and hydration as an athlete that led to him specializing in electrolyte replenishment and founding the company Precision Hydration.In this conversation, we talked how dropping out of a cross-country race as a kid had a profound impact on him and helped shape his approach to sport and life, letting his identity get tied up in sport and how he learned to separate the two, why it’s hard for him to be objective and analytical sometimes even though he’s a scientist, where athletes are missing the mark with hydration and how solving his own problems as an athlete led to the founding of his company, battling burnout in his career and strategies for catching yourself before falling into a deep hole, and a lot more.This episode of the podcast is brought to you by Tracksmith, which makes classically stylish, cutting-edge apparel for real-world athletes. Visit tracksmith.com/mario and use code Mario15 at checkout to save $15 on your first purchase of $75 or more. It’s also sponsored by WHOOP, a fitness wearable that helps you sleep better, recover faster, and train smarter. Learn more at WHOOP.com and enter “Mario” at checkout to save 15% on a membership.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-117-with-andy-blow/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“While it’s terrible that it took murder for many runners to wake up to the social injustices that we face in America, I’m excited that it ignited a group of people who know what it means to keep momentum going—because that’s what this movement needs, this movement needs momentum, and every single runner knows what that means when I say that. So, I’m excited to see a group of individuals that has grown over the last few months take action to make change, to influence their networks, to diversify our sport, and to not stop until they can put their hands down and say, 'Wooof, OK, I think I did something today.' And then do it again tomorrow. Because that’s what we do too, so that excites me.” Kamilah Journét is a native of Southern California and began running track in junior high school. She told her coach that she wanted to be a 100m runner, eventually found her way into cross country and, well, let’s just say she discovered her happy place to be somewhere in between. Kamilah, who has a personal best of 4:51 in mile, ran collegiately at UC San Diego, she coached high school for a little bit, and has worked in marketing in both the running and outdoor industries. In this episode, Kamilah told me about her introduction to the sport and how her relationship with it has evolved over the years, how her competitiveness manifested itself when she got into running, and how majoring in communications in college has shaped the way she looks at the world and approaches her work. We also talked about what it means to be black in America, what it’s like being a black woman working in the running and outdoor industries, and along those lines, what brands in those spaces can do better when it comes to diversity, equity and inclusion. Kamilah and I also talk about inclusiveness in running, how we, as runners, can address tough issues like diversity and racism in our communities, and a lot more.This episode of the podcast is brought to you by Tracksmith, which makes classically stylish, cutting-edge apparel for real-world athletes. Visit tracksmith.com/mario and use code Mario15 at checkout to save $15 on your first purchase of $75 or more. It’s also sponsored by WHOOP, a fitness wearable that helps you sleep better, recover faster, and train smarter. Learn more at WHOOP.com and enter “Mario” at checkout to save 15% on a membership.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-116-with-kamilah-journet/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“We really bought in—and I really bought in. Like, I really believed that we could be good, I really, truly believed that, and I got them to believe it. In fact, when we hosted our first NE-10 Championship, we had this snow squall come across the field. It was freezing, it was like blowing sidewards, and I bring the women into the sports complex, and I said, ‘Everybody, be quiet.’ I said, ‘Just listen to all the people who are complaining about the weather.’ And they were all listening. I said, ‘You’re going to march out that door and you’re gonna beat every one of those women that has been complaining about the weather because this is our campus.’ And we just like pounded our chests and we walked out there and we won. But I just remember loving it, and believing in it, and I just wanted people to believe in me. And to see it grow like that, it’s like raising a child. It was just so gratifying.”This week’s episode of the podcast is a really special one. I got to have a long conversation with someone who has had a profound impact on my life and has played a major role in shaping the person I am today, my college cross-country and track coach, Karen Boen. Coach has been at Stonehill College in North Easton, Massachusetts since 1997, when, at the age of 40, she took a part-time role to coach a women’s team that was about to be cut as a varsity sport. Twenty-three years later, under her guidance, the Stonehill women’s cross-country team has been to 19-straight NCAA Division II Championships. She took over the men’s cross country program in 2002 when I was a junior—we weren’t very good, but a year later we qualified for the national championship for the first time in school history, and the squad has gone back every year since. Coach was also the director of both the men’s and women’s track and field programs until this past year, stepping down from her role as head coach but remaining on staff to continue working with the distance runners. In her time at Stonehill, Coach has developed over 70 All-Americans, her teams have won 38 conference titles, and she’s been named conference and regional coach of the year more times than I can count. Last December, she was one of six coaches inducted into the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Hall of Fame. In this conversation, Coach talks about growing up in the projects of South Boston with a single-mom and two brothers; being told that she had “perfectionist syndrome” as a kid, and how that’s influenced her approach to life; getting the opportunity to escape Southie and attend college, where the only advice that was given to her was “don’t f* this up.” She recalled how she got into track in college, and eventually distance running in grad school. She talks about accidentally falling into coaching at the age of 40, taking a small team that was on the brink of extinction and developing it into a nationally ranked program, being a full-time female coach at the collegiate level while having a family and maintaining a social life, why she’s always focused on surrounding herself with fantastic people, the importance of setting boundaries, the biggest barriers facing female coaches today, and so, so much more.This episode of the podcast is brought to you by Tracksmith, which makes classically stylish, cutting-edge apparel for real-world athletes. Visit tracksmith.com/mario and use code Mario15 at checkout to save $15 on your first purchase of $75 or more. It’s also sponsored by WHOOP, a fitness wearable that helps you sleep better, recover faster, and train smarter. Learn more at WHOOP.com and enter “Mario” at checkout to save 15% on a membership.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-115-with-karen-boen/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“I have a lot of goals in running and I have a lot of dreams in running but I feel like I love to run—period, end of sentence. And if that is kind of all I’m ever going to say about my running career from here on out, I’d maybe be a little bit disappointed, but at the end of the day, I want to run when I’m 80. I want to run with my family, I want to run with my friends, I want to run with my dog, and those miles that I can put in going forward, I hope they lead to really cool things on the track, but if they lead to really cool things through, you know, other opportunities that come forward in the future, that would be just as cool. So maybe looking ahead, I’m not trying to write my future out maybe like I used to, I’m just trying to go a little bit more with the flow and see where the run takes me.”Mary Cain is the youngest American athlete ever to represent the United States at the World Championships, which she did in 2013 as a 17-year-old high school phenom, finishing 10th in the 1500m final. Earlier that year, she broke numerous high school and junior records from 800m through the 5000. She turned professional in the fall of 2013, joining the Nike Oregon Project under coach Alberto Salazar in Portland, Oregon. Then, last November, Mary came forward in The New York Times with a powerful op-ed sharing her story of the emotional and physical abuse she suffered while a member of the Oregon Project, which she left in 2016. The piece exploded online and revealed details about how Mary had suffered from disordered eating while a member of Salazar’s team, missed her period for three years, broke five bones, and suffered from thoughts of suicide. Following that story, several other former Oregon Project athletes backed her claims of similar mistreatment going back at least 10 years. In this conversation, which got emotional at times, we got into the details of her new employment arrangement, talked about the importance of not being outcome-oriented, the energizing effect of being actively involved in her NYC running community, and how she picked herself back up after leaving Oregon and returning to New York. We also talked about Mary the person vs. Mary the runner and when that flipped for her, what she experienced during her time in Oregon, and being self-critical and feeling helpless when she was told she needed to lose weight to run faster. She also told me when she realized the environment at the Oregon Project was a problem and why it took her so long to realize it and leave, if her training partners and teammates at the time showed any concern for her while she was suffering, how she’s thinking about her running goals in the next few years, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by: Tracksmith: Tracksmith is a Boston-based running brand led by a group of life long runners who are dedicated to building superlative quality, classically stylish, and cutting-edge running apparel for real-world athletes. To learn more, visit tracksmith.com/mario and use code Mario15 at checkout to save 15% on your first purchase.WHOOP: WHOOP is fitness wearable for your wrist that provides personalized insights on the performance of your sleep, how recovered your body is, and how much stress you put on your body throughout the day from your workouts and the normal stressors of life. Go to WHOOP.com and enter “Mario” at checkout to save 15%.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-114-with-mary-cain/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“I did not enjoy the recognition. I would literally hide from newspaper reporters after races. But I was competitive and I wanted to win and I wanted to set course records and I always wanted to be the best at everything I did, so I think that was what really drove me was: I was the best, in our school, and then I wanted to be the best in the state, and then looked at being the best in the nation potentially. Even back then I loved the process, I always loved to run fast. I’ve never been someone who has been good at taking easy days and I can trace that all the way back to 7th grade—I just liked to go hard.” Kate Landau is a 43-year-old mom and physician’s assistant who most recently finished 14th at the U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon in 2:34:07. Last year, she ran a personal best of 2:31:56 to finish 13th at the Boston Marathon—and the morning we recorded this episode she ran a 2:34 marathon completely on her own. A five-time All-American at Georgetown who competed in the 1996 Olympic Trials in the 10,000, Kate returned to running in 2013 after a long time away from the sport and found her racing legs again a few years later. This woman is incredibly talented but Kate has an amazing story that extends far beyond her racing accomplishments. In this conversation, we talked about how she got her start in the sport, developing an eating disorder early in high school, something that she battled—along with injuries—well into her adult years. She told me about her desire to be the best and go hard at everything she did from the time she was a young girl. Kate opened up about when she finally allowed herself to feel self-worth outside of running, why she’s enjoying the sport now more than ever in her 40s, what she tells young girls who might be on a similar path to the one she took, as well as how she guides parents and coaches of kids who are struggling with disordered eating and aren’t sure where to turn. She also talks about balancing being a mom with a high-stress job and training at a high level, the importance of setting a good example for her daughter and why that’s a driving force in her life, what it means to know that sharing her story helps others deal with their own struggles, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by: UCAN. I’ve been using UCAN’s Performance Energy drink mix before my long runs, big workouts and races for the past four years, and it’s a crucial part of my nutrition plan, providing steady energy that’s easy on my gut. Go to ucan.co/shakeout — that’s ucan.co/shakeout — to learn more about UCAN’s one of a kind energy and use code  SHAKEOUT25 to save 25% off your first order. If you’re already a UCAN fan, you can save 15% with code SHAKEOUT.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-113-with-kate-landau/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“It’s harder to stay as focused and motivated when I haven’t been running up to the standards that I’ve always set so high for myself. I haven’t necessarily been running as fast as I was hoping or winning as many races, so it’s been harder to be there 100% focused all of the time. You find yourself drifting and you’ve got to recalibrate all of the time. If anything, this situation has sort of given me a whole new vigor and excitement. It’s been the jolt of energy that’s needed and especially with the news just coming out it’s almost added accountability to prove that this system can work fine. So yeah, I think actually it’s only going to help because it’s given me that much-needed change of scenery to mix things up and not just be the same cycle I’ve been on the last 15 years.” Nick Willis won a bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Games and was later upgraded to silver after Rashid Ramzi tested positive for using performance-enhancing drugs. He also took bronze in Rio in 2016, charging down the home straight to put himself on the podium in the final meters. In addition to his two Olympic medals, the 37-year-old New Zealander has five 5th Avenue Mile titles to his name and personal bests of 3:49.83 for the mile and 3:29.66 at 1500 meters. He’s also run a sub-4 minute mile 18 years in a row, tying him with countryman John Walker for the longest streak in history—one he hopes to break in 2021. We covered a lot in this conversation, from Nick’s new job as Athlete Experience Manager at Tracksmith to how he’s thinking about the next few years from both a professional and a competitive standpoint. We talked sponsorship at the highest level of the sport and what he thinks can be down differently. Nick told me about learning not to get caught up in comparing himself to what other athletes are doing, how his training has evolved as he’s gotten older, and what his dual-coaching arrangement looks like with his college coach Ron Warhurst and his wife Sierra. We also got into his thoughts on doping, he gave me a blow-by-blow description of the 2016 Olympic final, and we even talked a little basketball to open this one up.This episode is brought to you by: UCAN. I’ve been using UCAN’s Performance Energy drink mix before my long runs, big workouts and races for the past four years, and it’s a crucial part of my nutrition plan, providing steady energy that’s easy on my gut. Go to ucan.co/shakeout — that’s ucan.co/shakeout — to learn more about UCAN’s one of a kind energy and use code  SHAKEOUT25 to save 25% off your first order. If you’re already a UCAN fan, you can save 15% with code SHAKEOUT.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-112-with-nick-willis/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“I’m in a position where I cannot be afraid. What I do for a living, my life, my career, I have to get out there and be among the people. And if I’m not comfortable doing that, I can’t expect my runners to be comfortable doing that. But I think it’s going to be a job that every single one of us needs to take on head first and we have to figure out ‘Does this race saying they’re going to have gloves, hand sanitizer, masks, temperature gauges, all these things, does that make me feel safe?’ And if not, anyone who is listening, you have got to speak up and tell us what is going to make you feel safe. Because as a person who is in charge of branding at the New York City Marathon finish line, it’s a really special thing. It is the world’s largest marathon, it’s 51,000 people, and it is a sight. It is a feeling, I get goosebumps talking about. And if that has to go away because we’re afraid of people, that’s going to be a sad day. You know, it just is.” Michelle La Sala is the founder and president of Blistering Pace Race Management, where she puts on races in and around the Bay Area and also serves in various capacities at bigger races around the country. A 15-year running industry veteran, she’s worked for the LA Marathon, New York Road Runners, and Sacramento Running Association, where she was the race director for the California International Marathon in 2013 and 2014. Michelle has been running since the third grade, she competed collegiately at the University of Portland, and has completed 32 marathons with a 2:59 personal best. We covered a lot of ground in this conversation, from how Michelle got her start in the sport, dealing with disordered eating and injuries as a collegiate athlete, and what sparked her competitive resurgence after college. She told me how Bart Yasso and a bizarre chance led to her getting a job at the LA Marathon, kicking off her career in the running industry. We talked about putting on events, why she does it, and the worst day she’s ever had as a race director. And lastly, we discussed her experience putting on a large event the first weekend of March earlier this year just as COVID-19 concerns were starting to escalate, what things look like for her right now with no races and an uncertain future ahead of us, her thoughts on how events might look different moving forward, and what she wants to tell runners who have had their races cancelled or postponed due to the pandemic.This episode is brought to you by: UCAN. I’ve been using UCAN’s Performance Energy drink mix before my long runs, big workouts and races for the past four years, and it’s a crucial part of my nutrition plan, providing steady energy that’s easy on my gut. Go to ucan.co/shakeout — that’s ucan.co/shakeout — to learn more about UCAN’s one of a kind energy and use code  SHAKEOUT25 to save 25% off your first order. If you’re already a UCAN fan, you can save 15% with code SHAKEOUT.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-111-with-michelle-la-sala/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Just having a group of people who accepted me unconditionally, who I knew had also been through hard times, who would be there for me, getting connected through a community group every week and making church a priority and just having these things outside of running just were so, so, so vital in giving me an identity and giving me a community and helping me feel like I was part of something bigger than myself. So yeah, it definitely definitely played a huge role in helping me feel less alone—through injury and then through other hard things.” Erin Finn is the real deal: She was a 10x All-American at the University of Michigan and a 4x runner-up at the NCAA Championships. She holds four school records for the Wolverines and has personal bests of 15:23 for 5000m and 31:51 for 10,000m. But those numbers don’t even begin to tell her story. Now in her mid-20s, Erin is a first-year medical student at the University of Michigan. She’s still running, putting in 80 miles a week around her studies and other commitments, and she has her eye on moving up to the marathon in the next couple years. We recently had a great conversation talking about her relationship to the sport and how it’s evolved since she first got started as a young kid. Erin told me why she’s inspired by people who go about running differently—and along those lines, why she chose med school over pursuing a professional running career. We talked about her tendency toward perfectionism and how it can be both a blessing and a curse, getting caught in a cycle of overtraining and under-eating toward the end of her collegiate career and how she pulled herself out of it, where her competitive streak comes from and why she actively has to try and suppress it, the importance of family, faith, and community in her life, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by: UCAN. I’ve been using UCAN’s Performance Energy drink mix before my long runs, big workouts and races for the past four years, and it’s a crucial part of my nutrition plan, providing steady energy that’s easy on my gut. Go to ucan.co/shakeout — that’s ucan.co/shakeout — to learn more about UCAN’s one of a kind energy and use code  SHAKEOUT25 to save 25% off your first order. If you’re already a UCAN fan, you can save 15% with code SHAKEOUT.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-110-with-erin-finn/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“When I look at an athlete, the way I see an athlete, how they see themselves, how they feel about themselves, where they are in their lives, that’s going to show up on the track way more than the training, right? The training is only going to be in line with the athlete when those other places are in check. You can maybe fake it and get by for a little while but ultimately those things are going to reveal themselves more than the workouts, and the mile(age), whatever, any of that stuff. So, how people are feeling is, to me, the first part that you have to tackle as an athlete, then you can nerd out on workouts. But to get that order wrong, I think, you’re going to be dumbfounded at the lack of results.” Mike Smith is the director of cross-country and track and field at Northern Arizona University, where his men’s cross team country team won three-straight national titles from 2016 through 2018, and last fall, they finished runner-up to BYU; his women’s squad qualified for nationals last fall for the first time since 2008, finishing 14th. Prior to his time at NAU, Mike coached at Georgetown, and in his coaching career he’s guided numerous athletes to all-conference honors, All-American awards, and national titles. He also coaches a handful of pros and still leads the Team Run Flagstaff group workouts on Tuesday nights in town. I’ve been following Mike’s career since the mid-1990s when we were both running as high schoolers in small-town Central Massachusetts. This is a conversation about the path Mike’s followed to get where he is today, and who and what have influenced him along the way. It’s also a conversation about his approach to coaching, running, competition, and life that I personally took a lot away from and I know you will too.This episode is brought to you by: SOAR Running: SOAR is giving all listeners the chance to win a spring kit bundle, comprised of your choice of any top, bottom and accessory from SOAR’s range of products. All you have to do is head over to soarrunning.com/themorningshakeout and enter. That’s it. The winner will be selected at random and entries close at midnight on Sunday, May 3. Also, SOAR is offering FREE global shipping to morning shakeout listeners throughout April. When you check out at soarrunning.com, enter the code SHAKEOUT in the promotion box and they won’t charge you for shipping, no matter where you live in the world.The Feed: The Feed is a one-stop-shop for athletes and their online store offers a selection of over 200 different sport nutrition products, supplements and recovery devices. Whether you are looking to stock up on healthy snacks or improve your training or recovery, visit thefeed.com/morningshakeout to save 12% off your next order.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-109-with-mike-smith/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“I honestly was hobbling in and with each mile that went by I’m like, ‘I’m still in the top-10. That’s Uta Pippig who’s cheering on the side of the road over there. I just passed a hobbled Abdi Abdirahman—he’s a 2:08 marathoner. And that guy up in front of me is Meb Keflezighi.' I remember catching Meb with 800 meters to go and Meb went right back by me, and I had a moment of ‘Oh, the dream was too much.’ And then I said, ‘No, you’re gonna hobble back by him because this is the home stretch of the Olympic Trials and he’s the reigning Olympic silver medalist and that’s the sort of thing you pray for when you’re a kid—to go back and forth with the Olympic silver medalist in the home stretch of the Olympic Trials, what more could you want?' So I think that was a big part of it, is just that perspective.”This week’s episode is a special one for me. I sat down and had a long conversation with my college rival, Nate Jenkins, one of the toughest competitors I’ve ever known and someone I raced against regularly in the early 2000s when I was at Stonehill College and he was running for UMass Lowell.Nate was not a big star in college—he was never an All-American or anything like that—but after school he went on to do some pretty amazing things in the sport, like finishing an incredible 7th place at the U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon in the fall of 2007, running a personal best of 2:14:56 in that race, and then representing the U.S. in the marathon at the World Championships in 2009.I loved this conversation and I hope you will too. In it, Nate recounts a few epic stories, including the NCAA regional cross-country championship in 2003, where he beat me by two seconds in one of the most exciting races either of us has ever run. He told me how he knew he wanted competitive running to be a lifelong pursuit all the way back when he was in junior high. Nate explained why he’s a tough athlete to coach and a tough human being to be around in general. He talked about self-experimenting with training after college and what led to his big breakthroughs. We got into Nate’s personality and how it changes when he steps to the starting line on race day. Nate also recounts his experience at the Olympic Trials back in the fall of 2007 where he finished 7th “limping as hard as I could” the last 4 miles. Along that line, Nate talks about runners dystonia, the injury that ended his professional career; we also got into what his relationship with running, training, and competition looks like right now; Nate even turned the tables on me and asked a couple questions he’s been holding onto for a while, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by: SOAR Running: SOAR is giving all listeners the chance to win a spring kit bundle, comprised of your choice of any top, bottom and accessory from SOAR’s range of products. All you have to do is head over to soarrunning.com/themorningshakeout and enter. That’s it. The winner will be selected at random and entries close at midnight on Sunday, May 3. Also, SOAR is offering FREE global shipping to morning shakeout listeners throughout April. When you check out at soarrunning.com, enter the code SHAKEOUT in the promotion box and they won’t charge you for shipping, no matter where you live in the world.The Feed: The Feed is a one-stop-shop for athletes and their online store offers a selection of over 200 different sport nutrition products, supplements and recovery devices. Whether you are looking to stock up on healthy snacks or improve your training or recovery, visit thefeed.com/morningshakeout to save 12% off your next order.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/episode-108-nate-jenkins/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Patience is such a tough thing to have in life, the world, in running, but it is such an important thing to have. I mean, it’s just that stacking on stacking on stacking of mileage and now in this venture, for me, it’s words. Not to say that I really love going back and looking at some of my early stories—and I think I did a good job at them—but now I’m excited about what’s coming next and some of the ways I’m going to tell these kinds of stories, even the ones I don’t know about yet.” Liam Boylan-Pett is the founder of Lope Magazine, an online publication that releases one longform feature story each month from the track, road, or trail. Liam has a Masters degree in journalism from Georgetown and his work has appeared in Bleacher Report, SB Nation, NBCOlympics.com, Runner's World, and other publications. Liam is also a hell of a runner: he ran collegiately at both Columbia and Georgetown, and then ran professionally for a few years, posting personal bests of 1:46.66 for 800m, 3:37.05 for 1500m, and 3:57.75 for the mile. In this episode, we talked about when the idea for Lope Magazine first sparked and what’s behind the unique name, the importance of patience in writing and running, his thoughts on the current state of the running media, what athletes can do to better tell their stories, reach more fans, and create interest in the sport, why his relationship with running now is healthier than it was when he was competing at a high level, and a lot more. This was a great conversation. Liam is someone I’ve admired as both an athlete and a writer for a long time and it was super fun to spend an hour talking to him for the podcast. I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I enjoyed taking part of it.This episode is brought to you by: SOAR Running: SOAR is giving all listeners the chance to win a spring kit bundle, comprised of your choice of any top, bottom and accessory from SOAR’s range of products. All you have to do is head over to soarrunning.com/themorningshakeout and enter the prize draw. That’s it. The winner will be selected at random and entries close at midnight on Sunday, May 3. Also, SOAR is offering FREE global shipping to morning shakeout listeners throughout April. When you check out at soarrunning.com, enter the code SHAKEOUT in the promote box and they won’t charge you for shipping, no matter where you live in the world.The Feed: The Feed is a one-stop-shop for athletes to fuel their training, stay healthy and recover quicker. Their online store offers a selection of over 200 different sport nutrition products, supplements and recovery devices. Whether you are looking to stock up on healthy snacks or improve your training or recovery, visit thefeed.com/morningshakeout to save 12% off your next order with The Feed.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/episode-107-liam-boylan-pett/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Every time I line up I don’t get as anxious anymore, I don’t feel like I’m gonna barf. It’s just, ’See what you can do. You have two healthy legs. You get to do this.’ Like, the sky is the limit. And if you don’t reach what you think you might be able to do, that’s OK too. Because I’m having fun. I’m more in the moment now, not thinking about the end goal of ‘Oh, I might not do as well’ or ‘I might suck.’ That’s fine.”Bria Wetsch finished 27th at the recent U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon in Atlanta, running 2:37:58, less than a minute off of her personal best. The 31-year-old lives and trains in Boulder, Colorado, where she also works as an accountant. Bria ran collegiately at the University of Oregon and prior to that, she was a national 2-mile champion, top-10 Footlocker finisher, and five-time state champion as a high schooler in her native Minnesota. We covered A LOT in this conversation and I really appreciate how vulnerable and brave Bria was in sharing her story with me. She told me about getting her start in the sport at the age of 11, being hospitalized for an eating disorder not long after that, resulting injuries, and how she was able to get through that period in her life. We discussed experiencing success at a young age and how she struggled to separate her identity and self-worth from her running results. Bria recounts her experience recovering from double achilles surgery in 2017 and coming back to run a marathon PR 13 months later. She explained why she’s stuck with the sport despite various struggles over the past 20 years. Bria opened up about her fear of failure and battling perfectionism—but also how she learned to let go a few years ago and what that did for her relationship with running and competition, and much more.This episode is brought to you by: Tracksmith: Tracksmith is a Boston-based running brand led by a group of life long runners who are dedicated to building superlative quality, classically stylish, and cutting-edge running apparel for real-world athletes. If you're looking for inspiration to stay motivated and get out the door these days, be sure to check out their Journal at journal.tracksmith.com and follow them on Instagram (@TracksmithRunning), where they've been sharing and creating content from around the running world. To learn more, visit tracksmith.com/mario and use code Mario15 at checkout to save 15% on your first purchase.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-106-with-bria-wetsch/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Both disciplines attract that type of person, who can chase down specific goals, who is competitive, not necessarily with other people, but with themselves. I think that’s a big thing you see in dance and it’s a big thing you see in running—yeah, you’re competing for the top spot, you’re competing for the spot in the company, you’re competing for the lead role on Broadway, if you’re in high school, you’re literally at dance competitions that you want to win. In running, yeah, if you’re at the front of the pack, it’s the same: you’re competing to break the tape. But I think inherently what I see a lot of in both is this idea of wanting to be your best self in your discipline, and seeing what that brings out in you as a person.” Ali Feller is the host of the super popular Ali on The Run Show podcast, where every week she talks to inspiring people who lead interesting lives on the run and beyond. I’m a longtime listener of her show, she has a great range of guests from top pros to average age-groupers and all sorts of other folks who are doing unique things in and around running. Plus, Ali is an incredible interviewer who just really knows how to keep a conversation flowing.But in this episode, she’s my guest and we hit on a lot of different topics, from dealing with imposter syndrome and learning how to push it to the side, to attending the Olympic Trials Marathon in Atlanta and what she took away from that experience, why she’s way more passionate about other people’s running than her own (and when that flipped for her), starting her podcast and how it’s evolved over the course of 200+ episodes, battling Crohn’s disease since the age of 7 and how that’s impacted her running and her life, the strategies she uses to manage stress and anxiety, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by: UCAN: Learn more about UCAN's one-of-a-kind energy at generationucan.com/shakeout and save 25% on your first order with code SHAKEOUT25—that’s SHAKEOUT 2-5. If you’re already a UCAN fan, save 15% with code SHAKEOUT.AJC Peachtree Road Race: July 4 is on a Saturday, which means you can’t miss the AJC Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta, Georgia! More information is available at ajc.com/peachtree.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-105-with-ali-feller/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“For me, I actually like being in the corner with my back up against the wall because it forces me to figure a way out. And I’m not feeling that just yet, or at least to a degree where I feel like I’m in trouble, but if I do, I’m going to figure a way out out of it. I don’t know what that is right now but you get creative with it.”We are back with the first Ask Mario Anything episode of 2020, featuring yours truly taking a wide range of reader and listener questions from John Summerford, producer of the morning shakeout podcast, who will tell you more about who he is, how we got connected, what he is working on, and how his relationship with running has evolved in the first part of the show. After that, I respond to a number of questions about how to adjust goals and training when your race gets cancelled or postponed, the Olympic Trials Marathon, my shoe rotation, coaching resources I recommend, how my wife and I met, and a lot more.Thank you to everyone who submitted questions and apologies for all the ones I wasn't able to answer in this episode. Got a question for the next Ask Mario Episode? Send it my way by dropping me a line on Twitter.This episode is brought to you by: UCAN: Learn more about UCAN's one-of-a-kind energy at generationucan.com/shakeout and save 25% on your first order with code SHAKEOUT25—that’s SHAKEOUT 2-5. If you’re already a UCAN fan, save 15% with code SHAKEOUT.AJC Peachtree Road Race: July 4 is on a Saturday, which means you can’t miss the AJC Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta, Georgia! It’s the largest 10K in the world and the largest road race in the country. Lottery registration is open until March 30 so mark your calendars today. With 60,000 runners and walkers, 200,000 spectators, costumes, music, and the coveted finisher shirt, this is one-bucket list race you can’t miss. More information is available at ajc.com/peachtree.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-104-ask-mario-anything-3Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“I’m obsessed with everything I pick. Whatever it is, I don’t really question it. Most of the time, my obsessions, I don’t know what’s happening when they start. I just tug on a thread a little bit and then just full on yank on it and connect it to a bus and drive it out of town...The idea of exploring and learning and my mind just exploded at university. Exposed to psychology for the first time, like Psych 101 just changed everything. It was like, ‘Wait, this is how we work?’ I know more about myself now than I ever did and I think that was the productive push to this idea of pulling on a thread that was good, and it was really sports photography that was that first passion that turned into something, rather than just a passive interest. I mean, when I was a teenager in high school I started building the internet and playing with HTML and CSS and thought it was neat that you could make stuff move on a screen, and I had my own little website for cars that I was building. So yeah, I guess I’ve always been obsessed. I totally forgot. I’ve always been this obsessive, 100 percent.” Jody Bailey is one of the top photographers in the running game today and I’ve been a big fan of his work for the past couple years. He calls himself a “visual ethnographer of running” and his photos and stories have appeared in media outlets such as Tempo Journal, InnerVoice, and Like the Wind magazine, in campaigns for brands like Brooks, ASICS, Saucony and others, and in various other places. We recorded this conversation the morning after the recent U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon, which, in addition to being an awesome event on its own, served as Jody’s unofficial 4-year anniversary of his introduction to running and photographing the sport. We talked the spark that ignited his interest in running and desire to document its culture, how he got his start in sports photography, being self-taught as a photographer, web designer, and computer programmer, how curiosity and competitiveness fit into different areas of his life, the importance of community, the current landscape of running photography, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by: New Balance: Use the promo code SHAKEOUT when you check out at newbalance.com to save 20% off your purchase of $100 or more. *Some restrictions do apply but this code should cover you for most products on their website.AJC Peachtree Road Race: July 4 is on a Saturday, which means you can’t miss the AJC Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta, Georgia! It’s the largest 10K in the world and the largest road race in the country. Lottery registration closes on March 31 so enter today! With 60,000 runners and walkers, 200,000 spectators, costumes, music, and the coveted finisher shirt, this is one-bucket list race you can’t miss. More information is available at ajc.com/peachtree.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-103-with-jody-bailey/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“The day that Kobe Bryant passed away, something snapped in me. I realized how short life can be—and I never met him, and I didn’t even know him much, but the things that people were writing about him, there was just something that made me snap out of it. I realized that I hadn’t seen my family for over 3 years. Why had I not seen them? I had not seen them because I was making excuses that I was working very hard to make the Olympic team, but I don’t think I had my mind and heart in it. In that moment, I realized that I was wasting time and making excuses and not really taking advantage of the opportunity that I had, and in that moment, I decided that I was going to fully commit to making the team. So that was seriously the day that I recommitted myself to making the team and believing that I was going to make it.” Aliphine Tuliamuk recently won the U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon in Atlanta to qualify for her first Olympic team. She ran away from Molly Seidel in the last two miles of the race to break the tape in 2:27:23 and fulfill her American dream. The 30-year-old is a native of Kenya and became a U.S. citizen in 2016. She lives in Flagstaff, Arizona and trains with HOKA Northern Arizona Elite under coach Ben Rosario. Aliphine is a graduate of Wichita State University, where she was 14-time All-American and earned a degree in public health. She’s a now a ten-time national champion as well as a two-time guest on this podcast, initially appearing back on Episode 15, which you should go listen to if you missed it the first time around. This conversation was mostly focused on the Olympic Trials, how the battle actually played out versus how Aliphine thought it would go, and what life has been like for her in the days since winning the race. We talked about Aliphine’s Olympic dream and developing a renewed sense of appreciation for the opportunities she’s been presented in life. Aliphine told me about the impact that Kobe Bryant’s death had on her mindset heading into the Olympic Trials, why she was uncharacteristically nervous in the days before the race, what the final stretch of the race was like for her when she realized she was going to make the team, how she will use her elevated platform to inspire more people moving forward, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by: New Balance: Use the promo code SHAKEOUT when you check out at newbalance.com to save 20% off your purchase of $100 or more. *Some restrictions do apply but this code should cover you for most products on their website.AJC Peachtree Road Race: July 4 is on a Saturday, which means you can’t miss the AJC Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta, Georgia! It’s the largest 10K in the world and the largest road race in the country. Lottery registration opens on March 15 so mark your calendars today. With 60,000 runners and walkers, 200,000 spectators, costumes, music, and the coveted finisher shirt, this is one-bucket list race you can’t miss. More information is available at ajc.com/peachtree.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-102-with-aliphine-tuliamuk/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“I see coaching as an art form—and it’s the science [that] gives you the tools that you need—but just like we found out that you tie two strings together and you pluck it, it reverberates and it makes a noise, it doesn’t mean you can play Little Wing on the guitar. So we know what physiology looks like, what blood flow looks like, what muscle function looks like, but taking that and putting it into a program for a human being, to me, is an art form and that is an infinite pursuit.” Michael Olzinski is a good friend, coaching colleague, and occasional training partner of mine. He’s one of the most interesting people I know as well as one of the smartest guys I’ve ever met. He’s got a Masters degree in exercise physiology and primarily coaches triathletes as a member of the staff at Purple Patch Fitness. He’s also the co-founder and head coach of the Nth Degree Athletic Club, one of the most popular and fastest-growing run crews in San Francisco. Mike played hockey and lacrosse through college but took an interest in endurance sports while in grad school and has never looked back. He started running road races before transitioning to triathlon for a while and, in recent years, he’s actually put on the spikes and competed in middle-distance races on the track. In this conversation, we talked about where Mike’s interest in athletics started and how it’s grown over the years, why he’s gotten into racing middle distances on the track in his mid-30s, the influence his coaches have had on his life and how he landed in his current profession, the differences between a cheerleader and a coach, working through rough patches in running and in life, starting his own run crew and sharing his love for the sport with others, and a ton more.This episode is brought to you by: New Balance: Use the promo code SHAKEOUT when you check out at newbalance.com to save 20% off your purchase of $100 or more. *Some restrictions do apply but this code should cover you for most products on their website.AJC Peachtree Road Race: July 4 is on a Saturday, which means you can’t miss the AJC Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta, Georgia! It’s the largest 10K in the world and the largest road race in the country. Lottery registration opens on March 15 so mark your calendars today. With 60,000 runners and walkers, 200,000 spectators, costumes, music, and the coveted finisher shirt, this is one-bucket list race you can’t miss. More information is available at ajc.com/peachtree.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-101-with-michael-olzinski/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Coaching, I would argue, is the least about the workouts. In fact, if you’re a coach, you should have phenomenal workouts. You should have a progression that takes a child, an adult, anyone—in four years, of course they’re going to get better, you just have to write it out properly. It’s written in every book, you can pick up any book, anyone can be a 'give workout' person. What isn’t easy, unless it is, is knowing how to connect with a person, to get the most out of them, so they can feel good about themselves...You have to be very careful about how you connect with people. We as coaches have power, for sure, the people we are coaching can be vulnerable so you have to make sure you’re not taking advantage of that or crossing the line. That’s your job, it’s not the athlete’s job. As close as the athlete comes to you, you have to know where it needs to stop, where the line is, and a mature coach knows how to do that.” Laura Schmitt retired from coaching the cross country and track teams at Redwood High School in Larkspur, California, last summer after 35 years at the helm of both the boys and girls programs. In her three-and-a-half decades at the school, she guided numerous league champions, state champions, and even national champions, all while building a team environment centered around inclusivity and developing a love of running. Her love and enthusiasm for running is equal parts infectious and inspiring. Laura is a mom of three children, and coached all three of her kids while they were in high school. She’s also an entrepreneur: In 1990, she founded Marin Enrichment, a play-based preschool that’s still going strong today and led by her daughter Caitlin. In 2016, she and her son Jake—who was my guest back on Episode 48 of the podcast—opened the Thoroughbred Treadmill Studio, which was the first treadmill studio on the West Coast, and they’re set to open their second location next month in San Francisco.In this conversation, we talked about running, community, coaching, family, parenting, and entrepreneurship—all things Laura knows a lot about and has had a lot of success in over the years—and a whole lot more.This episode is brought to you by: New Balance: Use the promo code SHAKEOUT when you check out at newbalance.com to save 20% off your purchase of $100 or more. *Some restrictions do apply but this code should cover you for most products on their website.XOSKIN: XOSKIN is the only seamless athletic apparel brand in the United States and solves the problems most endurance athletes deal with, like chafing, blisters, hot spots, and odor. Check ‘em out today at XOskin.us and use the code “Mario” when you check out to save 20% on any order.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-100-with-laura-schmitt/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“I think I’ve just learned that whether you’re running a 5-hour marathon, a 4-hour marathon, a 2-hour marathon, we all go through the same struggles in training—whether it’s mental, whether it’s physical—and [my athletes] are always telling me, ‘Oh my gosh, we look up to you because you’re running 2 whatever hours,’ and I’m like, ‘No, I’m looking up to you because your training runs for your long runs, you’re out there for 3, 4 hours. That is amazing. You’re balancing your family, your job, your running—that’s what’s truly amazing. My running, that’s all I do all day is I go run. But you have all these other things you balance.’ So I think they just show me that with determination, it’s cheesy, but you can do anything because they’re balancing real lives and still running great, which has been really fun.”Lindsay Flanagan is a professional distance runner sponsored by ASICS and she’s gearing up for the U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon on February 29. Last fall, she finished seventh at the Chicago Marathon in a personal best of 2:28:08 and most recently, at the Houston Half Marathon, she ran 1:09:37—a 2-1/2 minute improvement on her previous personal best—and is heading into Atlanta with some awesome momentum. We recently had a great conversation about how she’s feeling heading into the Trials, why she’s over the shoe discussion, and how she’s learned to keep her composure in high-pressure situations. We talked about what Lindsay’s learned from racing nine marathons over the past five years, dealing with injuries and the dangers of keeping too fit while she couldn’t run, and the changes she’s made in recent years to keep herself healthy and strong. We also talked about what she’s taken away from working with age-group athletes as a coach with Run Doyen, who her heroes in the sport are, the popularity of her last name, and a whole lot more.This episode is brought to you by: New Balance: Use the promo code SHAKEOUT when you check out at newbalance.com to save 20% off your purchase of $100 or more. *Some restrictions do apply but this code should cover you for most products on their website.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-99-with-lindsay-flanagan/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“As long as I can come across the finish line—whatever chosen distance, and I’ve raced them all—knowing that I couldn’t possibly have run one iota faster, that to me, that’s satisfying. I like being in that position, I like being under the pressure, I like finding myself in a state of uncomfortability. I like being in that space and I like really engaging in the self-talk, so for me, that’s my drug...Your potential is not comfortable. I dig exploring that. I’m my own little guinea pig.”Mike Fanelli has worn a lot of different hats in the sport of track and field over the past 50 years: he’s a solid athlete with a 2:25 marathon personal best and over 110,000 lifetime miles on his legs, he’s a great coach, having guided 14 U.S. Olympic Trials qualifiers, one national champion, and three times he’s served as head coach of a U.S. national team. He’s worked in marketing at major shoe companies, he’s represented athletes as an agent, he’s served as an elite athlete coordinator for different races, and he’s even been a color commentator for a number of events. But most impressive—to me, at least—is that Mike is one of the biggest track nerds and historians the sport has ever known. He calls himself a “cultural storyteller of the sport” and every day on his Facebook page he posts a snippet of track and field related history or trivia that he dug up—analog style from the massive archive in his garage—that will blow your mind.This was conversation about the sport the two of us both love so much, how “juvenile delinquency” got Mike to start running as a young kid, competition as a means of exploring your potential, the importance of putting yourself in uncomfortable situations, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by: New Balance: Check out the new Fresh Foam 1080 v10, one of the workhorses in my current stable of running shoes. Its bootie upper and ultra heel design help it fit like a glove and the new Fresh Foam X midsole provides the right blend of cushioning and responsiveness to make my daily miles and long runs comfortable and enjoyable. This shoe provides plenty of protection without feeling bulky or compromising on flexibility and performance. Learn more about it at newbalance.com or at the link in this episode's complete show notes and add a pair to your own stable today.Final Surge: Final Surge's coaching tools have made planning and delivering training to the athletes I coach easy and seamless—communication is completely streamlined into one easy-to-navigate portal and it's made my workflow far more efficient and effective. Go to finalsurge.com/morningshakeout to purchase a training plan written by yours truly, to find more information about coaching packages, or to check out a 14-day coaching trial. Coaches: Use the code MORNINGSHAKEOUT when you check out to save 10% on your first purchase of a coaching account.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-98-with-mike-fanelli/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Obviously I’d love to be a world-class runner—like I’d love it, that’d be awesome—but I know there’s so much more in my life and so many more things I can do and my life isn’t just running. Obviously I knew I missed running, I will try to admit that, but I really did feel content. But I still had this feeling and I’m like, 'Well, it’s over now. It’s officially over. I’m done.' I’m running like 40 miles a week, just kind of having fun, I’m not competing. But it never really went away and then I don’t really know, I really just fell into the marathon."CJ Albertson is one of the most intriguing athletes heading into the Olympic Trials Marathon at the end of February. The 26-year-old ran a personal best of 2:13:40 at CIM last December to finish a close second behind Kenyan Elisha Barno. Last April, he  ran 2:17:59 to break the indoor marathon world record and he’s broken 2:20 in each of the five marathons he’s competed in, most of them lower key efforts near where he lives in Clovis, California.I first learned about CJ from a reader of the morning shakeout newsletter, who told me to check out some of the runs he was putting up on Strava, like multiple solo 30-ish mile training runs averaging 5:15 to 5:20 per mile. I started following CJ in his buildup to CIM last December and was impressed by his penchant for hard work and ability to seemingly recover very quickly between big efforts.In this conversation, we talked about his unorthodox training methods and how, as a collegiate coach at Clovis Community College, he’s careful not to let his own training influence that of his athletes; he told me about his independent streak and tendency to push things to the extreme; we got into the race that sparked his return to competitive running after an up-and-down collegiate career at Arizona State; we discussed self-experimentation and some of his crazy things he’s tried to help him recover faster; he also told me about his wife, Chelsey, a fellow Olympic Trials Marathon qualifier and how she’s his secret weapon on race day, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by: Final Surge: Final Surge's coaching tools have made planning and delivering training to the athletes I coach easy and seamless—communication is completely streamlined into one easy-to-navigate portal and it's made my workflow far more efficient and effective. Go to finalsurge.com/morningshakeout to purchase a training plan written by yours truly, to find more information about coaching packages, or to check out a 14-day coaching trial. Coaches: Use the code MORNINGSHAKEOUT when you check out to save 10% on your first purchase of a coaching account.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-97-with-cj-albertson/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“It’s difficult for runners to communicate, ‘Why do you do this?’… ‘Do you want to be skinny?’ ‘Do you want to be healthy?’ It’s like, well, that’s nice but ultimately it was challenging myself, working hard toward a goal, being able to do something I couldn’t do before. I really liked that. I was telling somebody the other day [that] I’m still chasing that high school [runner]. I still chase high school cross country. I still love that moment where running, it comes down to a tunnel and it’s just me versus me and that dialogue in my head to try to get the most out of myself. I still love that—that’s why I keep running today.”Greg McMillan is one of the most recognizable running coaches in the game today. He’s the founder and head coach of McMillan Running, one of the world’s first and most respected online coaching companies. Greg started sending workouts to his athletes by way of fax machine way back when, which tells you how long he’s been in the business. He has a Masters degree in Exercise Physiology and has worked with thousands of runners from beginners to Olympians and every ability level in between. Greg has coached 12 National Champions, thousands of Boston Qualifiers, and has had a number of athletes compete at global championships over the years. The creator of the popular McMillan Running Calculator, He has written numerous articles for different publications, he was the managing editor of Peak Running Performance for three years, and is also the author of “You, Only Faster” — with a new book due out this spring. Aside from his coaching accolades, Greg is also an accomplished runner in his own right: He was a state champion in high school and in 2009 he won the USATF Masters Trail Marathon National Championship. This was a conversation about coaching, Greg’s influences over the years, the path he took to get where he is today, creating the McMillan Calculator, the importance of exposing yourself to different training philosophies, what it’s like working with a wide range of athletes, including his own professional group that was based in Flagstaff from 2007-2013, and much more.This episode is brought to you by: XOSKIN: XOSKIN is the only seamless athletic apparel brand in the United States and solves the problems most endurance athletes deal with, like chafing, blisters, hot spots, and odor. XOSkin stands behind every product they make with a 30-day money back guarantee. Check ‘em out today at XOskin.us and use the code “Mario” when you check out to save 20% on any order.Final Surge: Final Surge's coaching tools have made planning and delivering training to the athletes I coach easy and seamless—communication is completely streamlined into one easy-to-navigate portal and it's made my workflow far more efficient and effective. Go to finalsurge.com/morningshakeout to purchase a training plan written by yours truly, to find more information about coaching packages, or to check out a 14-day coaching trial. Coaches: Use the code MORNINGSHAKEOUT when you check out to save 10% on your first purchase of a coaching account.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-96-with-greg-mcmillan/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Running is something that I was always good at, something that I would do no matter what, it was always my little escape in some way. Whatever was happening at home, running would just make me feel a little better when I got to go out. It was just my escape and I needed it—I need it to this day. It’s the only time that I feel that nothing negative could touch me.”Fernando Cabada is a former professional distance runner who is still competing at an elite level. In 2006, he ran the seventh fastest American debut marathon of all-time, clocking 2:12:27 at Fukuoka in Japan. In the buildup to that race, before he even signed his first professional contract, Fernando broke the American record in the 25K, running 1:14:21, an average of 4:47 per mile, capturing his first national championship. He won two more national titles in his career at the 2008 U.S. Marathon Championship and 2011 U.S. 25K championship. He has personal bests of 1:02 for the half marathon and 2:11:36 for the marathon, which is pretty damn impressive no matter how you slice it.The results don’t even begin to tell half of Fernando’s story, however, and we get into the rest of it in this conversation: from his his rough upbringing in Fresno, California, where he suffered abuse at the hands of his father, to the close relationship he has with his mother and how that’s even strengthened in recent years. We talked about being embarrassed by who he was as a kid and how he’s worked to put that behind him later in life. He told me why finishing second in a school yard race as a 9-year-old was the best day of his life to that point. Fernando explains why he was feeling more depressed than ever in 2014 despite it being his best year of racing ever, and how he picked himself up afterward and found a way forward. We also his relationship with running now and the place it occupies in his life, and a heck of a lot more.This was a long, raw, honest, and, at times, emotional conversation. We got into some heavy topics and vivid details about some events in Fernando’s life, just to give you a heads up ahead of time. I’m grateful to Fernando for taking the time to sit down with me and trusting me with his story.This episode is brought to you by: XOSKIN: XOSKIN is the only seamless athletic apparel brand in the United States and solves the problems most endurance athletes deal with, like chafing, blisters, hot spots, and odor. XOSkin stands behind every product they make with a 30-day money back guarantee. Check ‘em out today at XOskin.us and use the code “Mario” when you check out to save 20% on any order.Final Surge: Final Surge's coaching tools have made planning and delivering training to the athletes I coach easy and seamless—communication is completely streamlined into one easy-to-navigate portal and it's made my workflow far more efficient and effective. Go to finalsurge.com/morningshakeout to purchase a training plan written by yours truly, to find more information about coaching packages, or to check out a 14-day coaching trial. Coaches: Use the code MORNINGSHAKEOUT when you check out to save 10% on your first purchase of a coaching account.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-95-with-fernando-cabada/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“I think it’s a release—it’s easier when you’re able to go all-in. If you have that second thing, that second chance, you have to constantly be deciding whether or not you’re gonna do it today, you’re gonna do it then—it’s way easier to be like, ‘This is happening now. I’m going all in and I’m going to either die or crush it today. And that for me is the key to success in so many things. The things I haven’t done well in is when I wasn’t able to go all in and I sort of second-guessed what I was doing, how long I was going to be doing it, the long-term implications. It’s all about being in it for the long haul and being all in.”Greg Billington made the 2016 U.S. Olympic team in triathlon and finished 37th at the Games in Rio. He retired from the sport a year later and took a full-time job working for Visa in San Francisco. While on a rotation in Dubai, he joined a local running club and ran the Pyramids Marathon in Egypt, winning it in 2:32. He then won last year’s San Francisco Marathon in 2:25:24, then ran 2:22 and change at New York, and finished the year with an incredible 2:16:42 performance at CIM, finishing 8th overall, and easily qualifying for this year’s U.S. Olympic Trials in the marathon. How good is this guy? At CIM, he was in 52nd place at 30K and picked up 44 spots over the last 8 miles to put himself in the money. Just incredible. Greg and I had a great conversation that I’m excited to share with all of you this week on the podcast. We talked running, triathlon, going all-in on a pursuit, the physical and mental side of coming back from injury, what it means to go “full Billington,” and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by: XOSKIN: XOSKIN is the only seamless athletic apparel brand in the United States and solves the problems most endurance athletes deal with, like chafing, blisters, hot spots, and odor. XOSkin stands behind every product they make with a 30-day money back guarantee. Check ‘em out today at XOskin.us and use the code “Mario” when you check out to save 20% on any order.Final Surge: Final Surge's coaching tools have made planning and delivering training to the athletes I coach easy and seamless—communication is completely streamlined into one easy-to-navigate portal and it's made my workflow far more efficient and effective. Go to finalsurge.com/morningshakeout to purchase a training plan written by yours truly, to find more information about coaching packages, or to check out a 14-day coaching trial. Coaches: Use the code MORNINGSHAKEOUT when you check out to save 10% on your first purchase of a coaching account.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-94-with-greg-billington/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week’s episode of the podcast is a “greatest hits” compilation of sorts to round out 2019. I’ve gone through and culled clips from nine of the most impactful exchanges I’ve had over the past year with some of the top athletes, coaches, and personalities in the sport of running. Why only nine? One, putting constraints in place forces me to think more critically about the choices I’m making and two, three rows of three photos looked best in the cover art for the show.I feel really fortunate that I get to have these deep and layered conversations each week—many of them have a profound effect on me and teach me something about running, coaching, or living a better life—that I then get to turn around and share with all of you on the podcast. In this episode you’ll hear from Colleen Quigley, Frank Gagliano, Terrence Mahon, Hillary Allen, Brad Stulberg, Stephanie Bruce, Steve Jones, Sally McRae, and Ken Rideout. These guests in particular stood out to me amongst the dozens that I sat down with in 2019. They all bring something different to the mic and I am confident that you’ll glean a valuable bit or insight or inspiration from each of them that will improve your life in some way. If you’re a devout fan of the podcast, let this episode serve as a bit of a refresher course or maybe a reminder to revisit an old episode or two. For those of you who are newer listeners to the show, welcome. Use this episode as a nudge to check out some of the episodes you may have missed while also letting it serve as a primer for what’s to come in 2020.Whether you’ve listened to one episode of the podcast or all of them, thank you. I’m so glad to have you along for the ride and sharing in these experiences with me.This episode brought to you by Tracksmith. Tracksmith is a Boston-based running brand, led by a group of runners who are dedicated to building classically stylish, cutting edge running apparel that celebrates the amateur spirit and inspires the personal pursuit of excellence. Have big goals for the new year? Tracksmith has just launched their 2020 No Days Off Calendar, which will ship for free with every order during the month January. Grab yours by shopping at Tracksmith.com and follow them on Instagram @TracksmithRunning.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-93-best-of-2019/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“I am camped out in that third category of the emotions of the experience. I get a lot of messages from other dads who have jobs and have kids and have families—I sense in their writing to me that they’re almost saying, ‘Thank you for giving me permission to care about something that is totally superfluous but matters to me and that fuels my passion for the rest of life.' Because I just get the sense that when they lay it out—they have jobs, they have kids, they have a lot of constraints and responsibilities—but maybe they were searching for something to keep them fired up and just keep them happy about the day and they read my writing and they’re like, ‘Wait, this guy is not talking about splits, and he’s not talking about workouts too much, but he seems to be saying that it’s OK to really really really care about something that doesn’t matter.’ But it matters because life is just a journey.” I really enjoyed this week's conversation with my friend Peter Bromka.Bromka, who I’ve known since our college days competing against one another in New England, just ran 2:19:02 at CIM a couple weeks back to miss the Olympic Trials qualifying mark by an agonizing two seconds.We talked about that race in this conversation, amongst a whole host of other pertinent topics, and I think you’ll find this one to be equal parts inspiring, insightful, and emotional. Bromka is a 38-year-old dad and husband who lives in Portland, Oregon, he works full-time, and he has come a long way in the past 5 years to get where he is today.This episode is brought to you by Tracksmith. Looking for a (very) last minute gift for the runner in your life? Why not give a Tracksmith gift card? They’ve got digital ones available for purchase at Tracksmith.com. Just click on “accessories” in the menu bar and it’s the first item that comes up on the page. Follow them on Instagram @tracksmithrunning and do your shopping at tracksmith.com.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-92-with-peter-bromka/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Many times I’ve woken up and thought, ‘Oh, what can I do to get out of this? Can I fake an injury?’ And then I realize it’s just me. The only person I’m faking is me. The only person I’m lying to is me if I do if I do that. And the same thing with not finishing a race: I’m the only person that I have to answer to. One of the things that Teddy Atlas talks about on our podcast is being a game quitter. It’s much more painful and much more difficult to quit than it is to stick it out and give your best—cause you have to live with that quit and that failure for a fucking long time, and the pain of suffering through— especially a race where someone’s not trying to like, literally kill you—you can do this. And I get up and I find myself going through the motions and it’s almost like I’m on autopilot because in my heart I’m like, ‘No I don’t want to do this, I don’t want to put myself out there. I don’t want to be exposed.’ That fear of failing is incredibly powerful for me. But like I said, the pain of not giving your all lasts with me forever and as I said earlier, I’m the only one that cares and I know that, but I care, I care if I fail and I care if I didn’t give 100 percent, and I don’t know, it’s like a mental exercise for me.”I’ve got a great guest for you this week and I think it’s one of the best conversations I’ve had in the two years that I’ve been doing this podcast: I sat down with my friend and athlete Ken Rideout the night before this year’s Cal International Marathon, where, the next day, he ran 2:28:25 to place second overall in the Masters race, and win the 45-49 age group. It was a 5-minute lifetime PR for Ken, who is a 48-year-old dad of four kids, he works full-time in finance, travels a ton, co-hosts the popular boxing podcast called The Fight with Teddy Atlas, and gets out to train hard first thing every morning because he says it helps keep him stable.Ken is one of the most raw, driven, and passionate people I know, and it really comes across throughout this conversation—all the way down to some of the language used, so consider yourself warned. Like me, he’s a native of Massachusetts who landed himself in California a few years ago. He had a rough childhood growing up in Somerville, spent his college years working as a prison guard, he boxed and played football and hockey before finding endurance sports later in life, and has generally just followed a super interesting path to land himself where he is today.This episode is brought to you by Tracksmith. Tracksmith is a Boston-based running brand, led by a group of runners who are dedicated to building classically stylish, cutting edge running apparel for real world athletes. Whether you’re training through the depths of winter, or you need a special race day outfit to help power a PR, Tracksmith has you covered. I personally own a ton of Tracksmith gear and train and race in it all the time, including last month at the New York City Marathon. Still looking for a gift for the runner in your life? Or maybe you just want to treat yourself? Check out their gift guide, personally selected by their staff members and friends, where I shared my own selection, the Harrier Long Sleeve. You can consider other ideas at tracksmith.com/gifts and follow them on Instagram @tracksmithrunning.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-91-with-ken-rideout/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"The first thing I tell athletes who are injured is: Let’s focus on what you can do, not what you can’t. You can’t run, and oftentimes when we’re injured that’s the thing that we focus on, 'God, I can’t run. This is awful. It sucks.' And yes, it absolutely does but you can do something in most cases. Ninety-nine percent of people who are injured can do something, so if you can do any of those things that I just described, go and do those and that’s going to give you a sense of purpose, it’s going to help you feel like you’re working toward something, and it’s going to help you either maintain or continue to develop your fitness. If you can’t, maybe it’s a good opportunity to get in the gym and work on becoming a stronger athlete. If the reason you got injured is because there’s weakness somewhere that you hadn’t addressed, then this is your chance to go and address that. And when you are able to get back to running, you are going to have a more solid foundation than you did before you got injured and hopefully won’t get injured again. So the bottom line is focus on what you can do, not what you can’t do.”Back by popular demand: Ask Mario Anything, featuring yours truly taking a wide range of reader and listener questions from Jeff Stern, editorial assistant for the morning shakeout. In this episode, I catch up with Jeff about what he's been up to of late, then I respond to your inquiries about my coaching influences, when to eat before a marathon, cross-training through injury, the best running performances of the year, writing a book, what's exciting me in running right now, and a lot more. Thank you to everyone who submitted questions for this episode and apologies for all the ones I wasn't able to answer this time around. Got a question for the next Ask Mario Episode? Send it my way by dropping me a line on Twitter @mariofraioli.This episode is brought to you by Tracksmith. Tracksmith is a Boston-based running brand, led by a group of runners who are dedicated to building classically stylish, cutting edge running apparel for real world athletes. Whether you’re training through the depths of winter, or you need a special race day outfit to help power a PR, Tracksmith has you covered. I personally own a ton of Tracksmith gear and train and race in it all the time, including last month at the New York City Marathon. This holiday season, if you’re trying to find the perfect gift to give a runner, consider gifting a Tracksmith Hare A.C. Membership. Hare A.C. is Tracksmith’s global community of runners—I’m a founding member—and if grants you exclusive access to products, benefits and events. Of note, if you run a PR as a member you’re eligible for a $100 PR Bonus. Visit tracksmith.com/hare-ac to learn more and follow them on and follow them on Instagram @tracksmithrunning.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/episode-90-ask-mario-anything-2/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“I think, for me, it’s just if I can help people along the way, that’s great. There isn’t any big thing that I hope to accomplish or be remembered for. A good friend of mine pointed out, ‘When you help someone, you don’t know the ripple effect of that.’ So, if I can help someone, and that helps them do something else that affects a large amount of people, I think I would be happy with that. I think it’s just having good intentions and helping whoever needs my help along the way.” It was a real pleasure to sit down with three-time Olympian Jen Rhines for this week’s episode of the podcast. Jen is one of the most versatile and accomplished distance runners we’ve ever had in the United States. She made three-straight Olympic teams from 2000 through 2008 and competed in a different event at each one of them: the 10,000m in Sydney, the marathon in Athens, and the 5,000m in Beijing. Over the course of her 20+ year competitive career Jen qualified for 11 world championship teams and she won 5 national titles. Today, the 45-year-old lives in San Diego with her husband—and past podcast guest—Terrence Mahon, and together they founded the Mission Athletics Club in 2018, one of the top post-collegiate training groups in the country.This episode is brought to you by Tracksmith. Tracksmith is a Boston-based running brand, led by a group of runners who are dedicated to building classically stylish, cutting edge running apparel for real world athletes. Whether you’re training through the depths of winter, or you need a special race day outfit to help power a PR, Tracksmith has you covered. I personally own a ton of Tracksmith gear and train and race in it all the time, including earlier this month at the New York City Marathon. This holiday season they’re offering free shipping on all orders over $150 and new customers can receive a Van Cortlandt Singlet for free with their first order over that value. Visit Tracksmith.com/Mario to learn more and follow them on and follow them on Instagram @tracksmithrunning.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-89-with-jen-rhines/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“So, the cool thing is a lot of my friends in Boulder were trail runners, so they’re like, ‘Hey, maybe you should just try trail running. You don’t even have to be fast at it—you could just try it.’ And I was like, ‘I guess I could but if I’m going to do it, I want to do it well.’ And they’re like, ‘Yeah, yeah, you’ll see, it’s going to be different.’ I mean, the first trail run I ever went on I was like, ‘This is really awesome. You get to be in nature. This is awesome. I love this.’ And then I did start thinking, ‘OK, so how do I get better at this?’ I think that’s just kind of part of my personality, I guess.”I enjoyed talking to Coree Woltering for this week’s episode of the podcast. Coree is professional trail and ultrarunner for The North Face. He’s based in his hometown of Ottawa, Illinois and loves to race at a variety of different distances and disciplines. The 29-year-old has run 5 hours and 30 minutes for 50 miles and he’s eyeing a Golden Ticket in the spring of 2020 with the hopes of getting back to the Western States Endurance Run next summer. We covered a lot of ground in this exchange, from how Coree went from being a fast 400 and 800m runner in HS and college to qualifying for the half Ironman world championships as an amateur triathlete, and eventually transitioning to becoming a competitive trail and ultrarunner; what it’s like being a gay black man in ultrarunning and endurance sports and how he’s advocating for more diversity, why ultra-distance races in the midwest don’t get the credit they deserve, how he got into coaching and who has influenced his philosophy along the way, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by Tracksmith. Tracksmith is a Boston-based running brand, led by a group of runners who are dedicated to building classically stylish, cutting edge running apparel for real world athletes. Whether you’re training through the depths of winter, or you need a special race day outfit to help power a PR, Tracksmith has you covered. I personally own a ton of Tracksmith gear and train and race in it all the time, including earlier this month at the New York City Marathon. This Black Friday, November 29, through Cyber Monday, that’s December 2, you can reap the rewards at Tracksmith.com — spend $125 and you’ll receive 10% off your next order, spend $250 to receive 20%, and spend $500 to get 30% off. Learn more at Tracksmith.com/Holiday and follow them on Instagram @TracksmithRunning and shop at Tracksmith.com.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-88-with-coree-woltering/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"One thing that has been really amazing about reporting on this industry is that I actually am really inspired by it and get really motivated by it and I’m just so motivated by all the amazing women that are balancing running with jobs and also families. I think every single woman that’s qualifying for the Olympic Marathon Trials right now, and all the women behind them too—sometimes it just comes down to talent, it’s not about work, and I totally respect that—what the women are doing right now specifically is amazing and I think I’ve kind of been like, ‘If they can do this, I can too.’ It’s very tiring and I can always stop. I think that’s important to remember and that’s what I tell myself when I start to get really tired, ‘I don’t have to do this, remember why I’m doing it, it’s because I want to.’ And I think that’s enough to keep me going."I had a great conversation with Lindsay Crouse, who is a producer, editor, and writer at The New York Times—and a pretty damn fast marathoner in her own right—for this week’s episode of the podcast. If you’ve been paying any attention to running news the past couple years, or just big headlines in general, you are definitely familiar with Lindsay’s work. Some of her most popular pieces include The Shalane Effect, which she wrote about Shalane Flanagan and the elevating effect she’s had on other women; she broke the piece about how Nike does not guarantee female athletes a salary during their pregnancies or immediately after giving birth; she produced the piece in which Allyson Felix told her story around Nike and pregnancy; and, most recently, she was responsible for the Mary Cain op-ed speaking out about the abuse she suffered under her former coach, Alberto Salazar.We recorded this episode a couple weeks ago before the New York City Marathon, so the Mary Cain piece hadn’t dropped yet, but we got into plenty of other good stuff, including Lindsay’s own trajectory as both a writer and runner, the biggest takeaways from her reporting that she has applied to her own training, how her experience as a competitive athlete informs her perspective as a journalist, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by PATH Projects. PATH makes running shorts with 3 or 4 zip pockets so you can carry your phone, keys, gels, ID—whatever you need!—without things bouncing around when you run. These shorts are great for both road running and trail running, from 5K to 240 miles and beyond. The Primeflex material is lightweight, quick dry, and breathable. They’re super comfortable and allow you to move freely. PATH Projects also offers base liners, shirts and headwear. All the gear is only available at PATHprojects.com and ships to customers around the world. Right now PATH is giving away three $75 gift cards to morning shakeout listeners—that’s you—and can enter for a chance to win one of them at PATHprojects.com/mario.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-87-with-lindsay-crouse/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Tapping into the side of you that has that internal drive is super important because discipline’s a really hard thing, right? Cadence and consistency to me matters, and when I know I’m off loop is when I don’t have that consistency or cadence. If you take any successful business, any successful athlete, the reality is what makes them most successful is some sort of cadence and consistency."Excited to share a conversation I recently had with my good friend Bryan Hill for this week’s episode of the podcast.Bryan is the co-owner and CEO of Rehab United Sports Medicine and Physical Therapy, which has offices in both San Diego and Seattle. A physical therapist by trade, Bryan was a collegiate All-American in soccer and played professionally for 5 years before opening Rehab United with his brother Sean in 2003. He took up running and triathlon after his soccer career ended and he also coaches a small roster of athletes in those two sports.In this conversation, we dug into Bryan’s story, how he got into physical therapy and developed his treatment philosophy, the importance of cadence and consistency in anything you do, why community matters so much to him, what runners can do to get strong and stay healthy, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by the 37th annual Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Half Marathon, 10K & 5K. Run through San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, and along the Pacific Ocean on these fast and scenic courses. This event is presented by Pamakid Runners and supports local San Francisco Bay Area community organizations and nonprofits with donations of more than $75,000 per year. Mark your calendars—race day is February 2, 2020. Register today at getfitkpsf.com, and use code SHAKEOUT5 to save $5 on registration if you register before November 30, 2019.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-86-with-bryan-hill/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“I had a breakthrough race in Boston and training for New York has been every bit as good as the training leading into Boston and even better in some aspects, so what I’d really like to do is, I think it would be successful if I validated that performance in Boston…and say, ‘yes, this is where I am and I belong.’ You know, I ran 20 miles with the leaders in Boston and that was the first time running with the international leaders in a marathon that long and so I want to validate that Boston performance.” —Jared WardI’m excited to share a special episode of the podcast that was recorded live two days before the 2019 TCS New York City Marathon with Kenyan Mary Ngugi, who went on to finish 10th in the women’s race, and Jared Ward, who was the top American male finisher in sixth place.Ngugi, who ran a personal best 2:27:36, won silver at the half marathon world championships in 2014, captured bronze at the 2016 championships, and owns the fastest half marathon ever run on American soil, 1:06:29 at Houston in 2016. She is also the mother of an 8-year-old daughter and one of the most outgoing Kenyan athletes on social media.Ward, whose 2:10:45 clocking was the second-fastest marathon he's ever run, was sixth at New York for the second straight year. Earlier this year he ran a personal best 2:09:25 at the Boston Marathon to finish eighth and was sixth at the 2016 Olympic marathon in Rio. He is a father of four children and will be a top contender for the U.S. Olympic marathon team in February.This episode is brought to you by the New York Road Runners RUNCENTER. The RUNCENTER is home to an inclusive running community based in New York City, comprised of people with all different fitness levels and running paces. It brings together people from all walks of life in an engaging and supportive environment committed to personal growth. I got to check it out before the show and it is an awesome space to take advantage of if you’re a runner in New York or a runner passing through New York. The RunCenter offers a variety of group runs, fitness classes, education panels, entertainment events, and more, all to help further the NYRR’s mission to help and inspire people through running. Check it out today at nyrr.org/runcenter.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/episode-85-mary-ngugi-and-jared-ward/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“If you go into the race knowing it’s going to hurt and you’re OK with it, you’re stronger than most of the people out there—and I just latched onto that: this idea that if I knew it was going to hurt and I was ready for it and I could revel in it and embrace it and be like ‘OK, lets do this’ type of deal with the pain or with the discomfort, that made racing so much easier, and that makes a lot of things in life so much easier.” I had an awesome conversation with Corrine Malcolm for this week’s episode of the podcast. Malcolm is a San Francisco-based trail and ultra runner for adidas TERREX and she’s also been coaching athletes for CTS since 2016. A self-confessed science nerd with a degree in Health and Human Performance, the 29-year-old Malcolm was a collegiate cross-country skier and then raced on the U.S. national biathlon team before finding her way into trail and ultrarunning in her early 20s. She’s finished in the top-10 at the last two Western States Endurance Runs, including a tenth-place finish at this year’s race. Malcolm was also fifth at last year’s TDS in Chamonix, France and has shown some pretty damn good range in ultra-distance races over the past few years.We covered a lot of good ground in this one: what she’s planning on doing the rest of the year since her fall goal race was cancelled, why she’s not planning to go back to Western States next year even though she has a guaranteed entry, developing a healthier relationship with exercise and overtraining and how that’s informed her perspective as a coach, embracing the suck and how she got good at it, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by the 37th annual Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Half Marathon, 10K & 5K. Run through San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, and along the Pacific Ocean on these fast and scenic courses. This event is presented by Pamakid Runners and supports local San Francisco Bay Area community organizations and nonprofits with donations of more than $75,000 per year. Mark your calendars—race day is February 2, 2020. Register today at getfitkpsf.com, and use code SHAKEOUT5 to save $5 on registration if you register before November 30, 2019.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-84-with-corrine-malcolm/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Their phrase they have at the Bird-In-Hand Half Marathon is, ‘The joy of running in community,’ and it’s on all their t-shirts, it's on all their signs: the joy of running in community. And that’s why I struggle with this idea of competition because these guys are very hardcore runners: they’re fast, they’re strong, they do Ragnars, they do sub-3 hour marathons, but always as a gang, as a team, like a cross-country team. So those things began to sort of connect for me: I’m running with these Amish dudes, they all run together. I’m running with these donkeys, they’re all having fun. I would finish runs with the donkeys and my wife and my friend Zeke feeling way better than other runs because we were going slower, we were communicating, your consciousness is off yourself, it’s on somebody else, so for me, I just started to feel and see the effects of running as a group.” Great episode of the podcast for you this week: I had the chance to sit down with New York Times best-selling author Christopher McDougall while he was on tour for his new book, Running with Sherman, which is a heartwarming story about training a rescue donkey to run one of the most challenging races in America.McDougall also wrote the wildly popular Born To Run, and in this conversation we talked about both of those books, as well as running, writing, storytelling, community, competition, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by the 37th annual Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Half Marathon, 10K & 5K. Run through San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, and along the Pacific Ocean on these fast and scenic courses. This event is presented by Pamakid Runners and supports local San Francisco Bay Area community organizations and nonprofits with donations of more than $75,000 per year. Mark your calendars—race day is February 2, 2020. Register today at getfitkpsf.com, and use code SHAKEOUT5 to save $5 on registration if you register before November 30, 2019.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-83-with-christopher-mcdougall/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Anybody that’s in this industry, especially somebody that was in my former position, you sit around all the time and complain about what’s wrong with track and field. I’m one of the biggest talkers when it comes to that, I always complain about what’s wrong. And I feel like I have a chance to potentially work towards one piece of the solution, which is an events series in the U.S., after USAs, not only where athletes can make money, but we’re doing things differently, and it’s more entertainment. We’re going to do our best. It’s exciting—very exciting.”Excited to share a conversation I recorded in late September with Jesse Williams, who was the head of sports marketing at Brooks for 13 years, where he oversaw the marketing and business side of the such initiatives as Hansons-Brooks Distance Project, the Brooks Beasts, the Brooks PR Invitational, and other athlete programs. Williams left Brooks in 2017 and took a year off from work to figure out his next move, and at the end of last year he launched Sound Running, a company which offers training programs, coaching, and events for runners of ALL ability levels. He’s particularly excited about next summer’s Sound Running Tour, a series of track meets in southern California designed to create competitive domestic racing opportunities for athletes seeking Olympic tune-ups and personal bests, all while helping push the sport forward—which is something that it desperately needs right now.Williams has had interesting career trajectory: from studying exercise physiology and English as undergrad, to becoming a kindergarten teacher as a 22-year-old, going back to grad school for a degree in biomechanics, to then working his way up the chain at Brooks to become head of sports marketing. We got into all that and a lot more over the course of this 90-minute conversation, including quite a bit of discussion about the marketing side of the sport, what excites him and what worries him about it right now, how brands can better use their athletes, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by UCAN. UCAN powders and bars with SuperStarch give you slow-release carbs and long-lasting energy without the big crash. I’ve used the SuperStarch drink powder to fuel my last few marathons, and the new Hydrate product, which I’ve been taking on my longer training runs, is a clean, natural electrolyte replacement with no sugar, zero calories and 5 added electrolytes to replace the nutrients lost in sweat. Visit generationucan.com and use the code “SHAKEOUT25” at checkout to save 25% on your first order. Already a UCAN customer? Enter the code “SHAKEOUT”—no number at the end of that one—at checkout to save 15% on subsequent orders.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-82-with-jesse-williams/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"That’s how my whole career, my whole running career went—it was always trying to beat the guy in front of me, always trying to catch the guy in front of me. And that helped me—not just the training, it wasn’t just the training, it was that attitude going into races. And like I said, when I started winning races, I didn’t want to win them by one second—I wanted to win them by 90 seconds or 2 minutes. It was always about beating the opposition, annihilation I used to call it."This week’s episode is a really special one. I got to have a conversation with my favorite runner of all-time, former marathon world-record holder, Steve Jones. Jonesy, who is now 64 years old, broke the world-record in the first marathon he ever finished at Chicago in 1984, running 2:08:05. He won the race again a year later in 2:07:13—splitting an incredible 61:42 at halfway—just missing the world-record by one second.What I have always loved and admired about Jonesy is his no-nonsense approach to training and racing. He describes it as “running simplified” and it’s a philosophy that’s had a profound effect on me as both as athlete and coach over the years. The guy was probably the fiercest competitor of all-time: he didn’t chase records, he just wanted to run as hard as he possibly could to beat as many people as he possibly could. He once said, “If I’m still standing at the end of the race, hit me with a board and knock me down because that means I didn’t run hard enough.” In short: the guy was a total badass.I absolutely loved this conversation and I think you will too: We talked through his two Chicago victories, his New York win in 1988, and what made those triumphs so special. We got into his training philosophy, where it came from, and who influenced him over the years. We discussed how the sport has changed in the last few decades and where he sees it heading in the future. We talked about why he continued to hold down a day job as a mechanic in the Royal Air Force after breaking the world record in 1984. We also got into his current role as a coach, how his relationship with his athletes has evolved over the years, why club running is important to the overall health of the sport, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by Tracksmith. Parts of this interview are featured in the fall issue of Meter magazine, Tracksmith’s quarterly journal of all things running and running culture. Meter is available at Tracksmith.com and the latest issue will be free at their New York pop up, which takes place at Rowing Blazers in Soho during Marathon weekend from Friday November 1st until Monday the 4th. They’ll have their limited-edition NYC Collection available, alongside a full itinerary of events, including a Friday evening shakeout and panel discussion with yours truly, and a lot more. Hopefully I’ll see you there—you can find all the details at Tracksmith.com.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-81-with-steve-jones/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“There was definitely a time in my life where I had to tell myself, ‘It’s OK to be broken.’ That’s OK. The goal in life isn’t to be perfect—nobody’s perfect. There’s no one in history that we can point to that’s lived a perfect life. So, the reality is—and you said this so wonderfully when I was at UTMB and I was like, ‘I know this,’ when I was so disappointed in my performance, I was so down—and you said, ‘It isn’t about how you finish, it’s about how you respond to this journey and how you continue on.’ And I’m like, ‘I know this, I know this,’ and that is just a great reminder for everything in life because life, when it comes down to it, it’s the journey that’s the most fulfilling part.”This week I sat down with one of my most requested guests: Sally McRae. The 40-year-old mom of two is a professional ultrarunner living in Southern California and—in the interest of full disclosure—I’ve been her coach for a little over two years now.Earlier this year she won her first race on the Ultra Trail World Tour, the Mozart 100, and more recently she finished 23rd at the UTMB, her highest ever finish at that event, in what was one of the grittiest races I’ve ever had the pleasure to witness firsthand.This is a long episode folks, coming in right at about 90 minutes, and it does not disappoint. So much to take away from this one about relationships, communication, competitiveness, learning to give yourself grace, recognizing our victories, remembering what’s important in life, and so much more.This episode is brought to you by Aftershokz. AfterShokz is the award-winning headphone brand, best known for its open-ear listening experience. Powered by patented, best-in-class bone conduction technology, Aftershokz headphones sit outside your ear so you can listen to your music and hear your surroundings. To learn more and save $50 on AfterShokz Endurance Bundles, visit tms.aftershokz.com and use the code TMS when you check out.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-80-with-sally-mcrae/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“That's the most dangerous place to be—is to think you know it all. I always just try to go into problems being curious. I’m always just like, ‘I wonder if I can solve this. I wonder if we can figure this out.’ And really, it’s not me, it’s not about me. It’s me and the athlete, or me and the athlete and the coach…and it just becomes this problem-solving thing, and a curiosity, and we’re communicating, ‘Hey, how do you feel with this? Do you understand? Yes. Is that what you sense too?’ You’re working with the person to get the outcome. You’re just the facilitator. The ego has to go away.” I recently sat down with my friend Jonathan Pierce, who I met in 2007 when we both competed at the national club cross country championships in West Chester, Ohio. He placed third overall that day to help ZAP Fitness win the team title and let’s just say that I finished way, way back in the field. The 36-year-old Pierce had a great running career—he competed collegiately at Stanford where he was an All-American steeplechaser, and then ran professionally for ZAP Fitness and later the Mammoth Track Club—and represented the United States at the World Cross Country Championships in 2008.And for as good of an athlete as he was, Pierce is an even better manual therapist. Since 2012, he’s worked with some of the top athletes in the world, including national champions, world and Olympic medalists, world-record holders, and elite CrossFit competitors. A few years ago he opened Kinetik Performance, a multidisciplinary sports rehab and performance center in San Diego, where he and his staff treat everyone from Olympians to everyday athletes who just want to stay injury-free. We covered a lot of ground in this conversation, from Pierce’s running career and his trajectory as an athlete, to his influences and what he’s learned from them along the way, to his current career path and the steps that led him down it. We talked about competitiveness, how it spills over into different areas of his life, and knowing when to turn it down. We discuss the importance of mentorship in his life and the advice he’d give his younger self. He also provides some actionable takeaways for any athlete who wants to stay healthy, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by Aftershokz. AfterShokz is the award-winning headphone brand, best known for its open-ear listening experience. Powered by patented, best-in-class bone conduction technology, Aftershokz headphones sit outside your ear so you can listen to your music and hear your surroundings. To learn more and save $50 on AfterShokz Endurance Bundles, visit tms.aftershokz.com and use the code TMS when you check out.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-79-with-jonathan-pierce/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Why did it take me so long in order to decide that I needed to pull the plug on running? What was it that made me cling to the idea of running a little bit banged up for so long? [Figuring out the answers to those questions] is really cool. I’m getting deeper into figuring all that stuff out so that when I come back, I’ll have hopefully a really sturdy foundation to build on but then I’ll also have that knowledge to help me get a little bit further.” Excited to share a conversation I recently had with Jeanne Mack, an Olympic Trials qualifier in the marathon who moved to San Francisco from New York just a few months ago. Mack works as a copy writer at Strava, where she also hosts the Athletes Unflitered podcast. She ran 2:39:04 in her second marathon last fall at Chicago and she’s currently working through an injury so she can be at the top of her game for the Olympic Trials in February of 2020. This was a fun, wide-ranging conversation: we dug into Jeanne’s relationship with running and how it’s evolved over the years; what it’s been like for taking time off from running to work through injury and how some of the conversations she’s had as a podcast host have helped her in that regard; the differences between the running scene in New York versus here on the west coast, the lessons she learned—and how her training changed—from her first marathon to the second one; the professional path she’s traveled to land where she is today; her thoughts on the current state of running media, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by Aftershokz. AfterShokz is the award-winning headphone brand, best known for its open-ear listening experience. Powered by patented, best-in-class bone conduction technology, Aftershokz headphones sit outside your ear so you can listen to your music and hear your surroundings. To learn more and save $50 on AfterShokz Endurance Bundles, visit tms.aftershokz.com and use the code TMS when you check out.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-78-with-jeanne-mack/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“One of the really cool things about trail and ultrarunning in particular is people go so far into the unknown and I think that, as an element of humanity, doing something where there’s a legitimate chance that you’re going to utterly fail and get taken off by a helicopter—right, that’s going to happen tomorrow, people are going to get flown out by helicopters—the fact that there’s a sport that people can participate in that has these neat elements to it, I think it’s good for everybody. It’s obviously good for me because I’m in the sport, I’m in it professionally and I earn a living doing it, but I just think it’s good for society to have those things that can really test you, so I just hope that the sport continues to maintain its edge, attract new people, be viable, and be fun to come out and do these types of events.” Really enjoyed sitting down with a coaching colleague of mine, Jason Koop, for this week’s episode of the podcast. Koop is one of the most highly respected and successful coaches in ultrarunning. He’s the head ultrarunning coach for Carmichael Training Systems, a company he’s been working for since 2001. Koop ran collegiately at Texas A&M and he’s coached athletes of all ages and ability levels over the course of his career, including some notable ones such as Western States champion Kaci Lickteig, Dylan Bowman, Dakota Jones, Stephanie Howe, and others. We caught up a couple weeks ago in Chamonix, France, where we were both supporting athletes during the UTMB festival of races, and a few days before he was about to set off for the Tor des Géants, a 330K trail race through Italy’s Aosta Valley. (Ed. note: Koop finished 27th overall in 97 hours and 6 minutes.)We got into a lot of coaching nerdery in this one, including the path Koop has traveled to get where he is today, the importance of education, experience, and observation as it pertains to coaching, how his mentors and colleagues have made him a better coach, balancing volume and intensity in training, how he responds to criticisms of his employer and why he doesn’t just start his own coaching company, the growth of the competitive side of ultrarunning in recent years, and much more.This episode is brought to you by Aftershokz. AfterShokz is the award-winning headphone brand, best known for its open-ear listening experience. Powered by patented, best-in-class bone conduction technology, Aftershokz headphones sit outside your ear so you can listen to your music and hear your surroundings. To learn more and save $50 on AfterShokz Endurance Bundles, visit tms.aftershokz.com and use the code TMS when you check out.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-77-with-jason-koop/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“I actually don’t feel that added pressure. If anything, to me, it’s just about continuing to live authentically, and part of that living authentically is that there’s going to be ups and downs—it’s not a linear progression at all and just giving myself grace with that is really important—and sharing those ups and downs. There are so many people that talk about eating disorders after they’ve conquered them or when they used to struggle but are over that now—and you see it a lot in the running world and I’m really, really appreciative who talk about it, but they also talk about it as a thing of the past, that it’s no longer an issue—but I think more of the reality is that there are many, many people out there for who it is still an issue day to day. And I think if I waited to a point where I was totally over it and in a really solid recovered place, honestly, I probably would never talk about it.” — Amelia BooneI’ve got a unique episode to share this week with two past guests of the show: Amelia Boone, world champion obstacle-course racer and badass ultrarunner, and Brad Stulberg, author of the books Peak Performance and The Passion Paradox, sat down with me for a roundtable discussion of sorts about mental health, eating disorders, OCD, recovery, running and racing, the desire to be relevant, social media and its influence on us, sharing our stories, and a lot more.This is an important conversation and there’s a lot to think about and take away from it, especially if you—or someone you love—have dealt with mental illness in the past or are currently struggling. Many thanks to both Amelia and Brad for being so open, honest, and flat-out raw with me in talking about these difficult and personal topics.If you are struggling with mental illness and need help, there are a number of resources at your disposal. If you're having thoughts of harming yourself, you can talk to someone right now at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255. For more information about eating disorders and how to get help, check out the National Institute of Mental Health website (https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/eating-disorders/index.shtml), the National Eating Disorders Association website (https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org), or call the NEDA hotline at (800) 931-2237. To learn more about various forms of OCD and how to get help, check out Intrusive Thoughts (https://www.intrusivethoughts.org/), an online resource that humanizes the symptoms of OCD, celebrates the bravery of the community and helps sufferers get the treatment they deserveThis episode is brought to you by Aftershokz. AfterShokz is the award-winning headphone brand, best known for its open-ear listening experience. Powered by patented, best-in-class bone conduction technology, Aftershokz headphones sit outside your ear so you can listen to your music and hear your surroundings. To learn more and save $50 on AfterShokz Endurance Bundles, visit tms.aftershokz.com and use the code TMS when you check out.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-76-with-amelia-boone-and-brad-stulberg/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Sometimes we all want to get as far away from running as possible, right? And I say that in a lighthearted way but I think that anyone who has been involved in running in any way knows what that means. We love running to an obsession, and that’s great, but we also need a deep breath, a break, something else that is not just running. I find myself as a lot of things, and running is a big part of that, but that’s not the only thing I am.”Super excited to share a recent conversation I had with Brian Metzler for this week’s episode of the podcast. I’ve known Brian a long time—back in 2009-2010 we co-wrote the On The Run column for Triathlete magazine—and he was my boss at Competitor magazine and Competitor.com (now PodiumRunner.com) from 2012-2016. Before his stint as editor-in-chief of Competitor, Brian worked as a senior editor at Running Times, he was also the founding editor of Trail Runner magazine, and he’s written for almost every running and outdoor publication imaginable at one point or another over the years. He’s authored or co-authored a few books in recent years and has a new one coming out soon called Kicksology: The Hype, Science, Culture, and Cool of Running Shoes.I loved this conversation and I think you will too. We talked running, media, and running shoes—along with where and how all those things intersect—and how Brian has made a career out of writing about the sport and the industry over the past 25 years. We discussed trends that have come and gone in media and with running shoes—two areas Brian knows more than most people about—and we also got into his new book, which, if you’re a shoe geek like me, or are just curious about how running shoes and the industry have evolved over the last several decades, you will definitely want to pre-order ahead of its release next month.This episode is brought to you by the Kaiser Permanente Napa Valley Marathon and Half Marathon, which takes place on March 1, 2020. Run, sip, and savor, as Napa Valley offers the ideal destination for a race-cation. Run down the Silverado Trail on scenic, net downhill courses, then celebrate your achievement at one of over 500 valley wineries, excellent restaurants, local breweries, or even on a hot air balloon. Sign up at napavalleymarathon.org and use code SHAKEOUT10 to save $10 on your registration before September 9, 2019.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-75-with-brian-metzler/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"It takes a long time to write books, it takes a long time to run a marathon, it takes even longer to train for a marathon, but if you don't take any shortcuts, and you push yourself, and you do the things that you're afraid of, if you get comfortable with being uncomfortable, then that's where the magic can happen."Excited to welcome Matt Futterman, the deputy sports editor of The New York Times and author of the new book, Running To The Edge: A Band of Misfits and the Guru Who Unlocked the Secrets of Speed, to the podcast this week.Futterman is an avid runner himself—he’s run 23 marathons and has qualified for Boston—and we had a great conversation about his new book, which is largely about coach Bob Larsen and his quest to discover the training secrets that would lead American runners back to prominence on the world stage. We also talked about how he got into running and developed an interest in it, why track and running have fallen out of fervor with mainstream media and what he’s doing at The New York Times to help bring more attention to the sport, the appeal of the marathon and what it’s taught him about himself and life in general, the importance of being process-oriented and appreciating the journey, whether it’s running, work, of life, and so much more.This episode is brought to you by the Kaiser Permanente Napa Valley Marathon and Half Marathon, which takes place on March 1, 2020. Run, sip, and savor, as Napa Valley offers the ideal destination for a race-cation. Run down the Silverado Trail on scenic, net downhill courses, then celebrate your achievement at one of over 500 valley wineries, excellent restaurants, local breweries, or even on a hot air balloon. Sign up at napavalleymarathon.org and use code SHAKEOUT10 to save $10 on your registration before September 9, 2019.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-74-with-matt-futterman/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"My relationship with running and myself was not in a good place—I was in a pretty low place. I didn't have a lot of great relationships in my life, I placed all this importance on running that soured my relationship with it. So that was definitely the lowest moment but it also gave me the most perspective and it's informed my perspective now—as an athlete, I've been able to stay healthy for the past 10+ years, I have a much better relationship with eating, food, my body image. But I've been able to use that experience in my coaching and in my writing to help other people who are dealing with similar things. So that lowest low, while I wouldn't wish it upon anyone, has also given me a perspective that I wouldn't have gotten otherwise."Trying something new on the podcast this week: Ask Me Anything! (OK, this is hardly a novel idea, but it’s a new format for me to explore.) In this episode, I'm on the receiving end of the mic with my assistant editor, Jeffrey Stern—who you will learn a little more about in the intro—and answered a wide range of reader and listener questions, including: Are there things you miss and/or don't miss about working for a national publication versus carving out your space in the sport? How do you know when running is a good thing for you versus consuming too much of your time or attention? Do you foresee some form of mountain/ultra/trail running becoming an Olympic sport within the next 50 years? What have been some of the most insightful or significant takeaways from interviewing the running community? What's the best way for a road marathoner to incorporate trail running into his or her schedule? How did you get into running, what have been some highs and lows along the way, and what’s next for you? What is the difference between a threshold, tempo, and critical velocity run and how do I incorporate these into my training?And many more! Thank you to everyone who submitted questions and apologies for all the ones I wasn't able to answer in this episode. What did you think of this format? Drop me a line on Twitter (@mariofraioli) and share your thoughts: good, bad, or indifferent, I welcome them all!Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-73-ask-mario-anything/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Running is the most simplistic and puristic sport you can do. You put one foot in front of the other, you run as hard as you can for as long as you can, and whoever crosses the finish line first wins. But to see people now not have that joy—and I ask a lot of athletes, 'Why did you start running?' and a lot of them started running because they wanted to run with their dad or they wanted to make the school team, they speak with all this joy—and it saddens me that at this point a lot of them don't have joy. They've got tunnel vision, and they're gonna make it, and they'll sacrifice everything, and they come to training and you can just see that there's this tension in them and they just can't let it go. They've already analyzed, overanalyzed, and psychoanalyzed just the training workout and I'm like, 'Just let it go!' You'll have good runs and you'll have bad ones—if you have a bad one, catch up with some friends and go out and have a beer and just let it go. So, trying to get them to realize that training is a cumulative effect and it takes weeks, and months, and years, and if you've already got this attitude starting out in your career, you're not gonna last. So trying to get them centered as to why they do it, what they want to get out of it, but more importantly enjoying it."This week’s guest is one of my favorite people in the sport of running: Lee Troop. Troopy, as he’s known by his friends, is a retired three-time Olympian in the marathon for Australia with a personal best of 2:09:49 for the distance. He’s lived in Boulder, Colorado for the last 10 years, where he coaches a handful of athletes and puts on local running events around Boulder County.I caught up with Troop a little over a month ago and we had a great, wide-ranging conversation. We talked about his competitive career, from joining his dad on runs when he was 11 years old, to running at South Plains College in Levelland, Texas, and how his brief time there prepared him for a career as an international athlete. We talked about retiring from the sport in his early 40s and why Masters racing just doesn’t interest him. Along those lines, we got into the struggles that athletes face after retirement and what he would recommend based on his own experiences. We talked about coaching, and why he stepped back from it last year after one of his athletes, Jonathan Grey, committed suicide—and also how that experience affected him and changed his perspective moving forward.Troopy has a real passion for people, and that’s something we also got into here, along with a discussion of mental well-being and relationships, why it’s important to work on those two things throughout your life, and so much more.Complete show notes: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-72-with-lee-troop/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"When I finally got to come back to running, my number one goal was no longer [to] run as fast as I can—my number one goal was, 'I don't want to have to give this up long-term again.' And so that was motivation to have proper nutrition and to realize if I have to be five to ten pounds heavier than what I thought my goal weight was, if that's keeps me healthy, then it's worth it."I’m excited to welcome my third returning guest back to the show this week: Sarah Sellers. Sellers, who finished second at the 2018 Boston Marathon, will race this year's Chicago Marathon on October 13. We recorded this podcast in front of a live audience back back in early July at the Sports Basement in San Francisco. Sellers and I spoke for about 35 minutes before we opened it up to audience Q&A.I really enjoyed this one—we touched a on a lot of topics we didn’t cover the first time around back in Episode 28—including her decision to run Chicago this fall and what she’s changing about her approach going into the race; we also talked about avoiding “the comparison trap” and having the confidence in herself to make adjustments to her training when necessary; we got into the steps she’s taken to stay healthy and keep her body strong, her renewed focus on nutrition and being at a healthy weight versus her fastest weight, how she’s learning to prioritize longterm health over short term success, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by UCAN. UCAN powders and bars with SuperStarch give you slow-release carbs and long-lasting energy without the big crash. I’ve used the SuperStarch drink powder to fuel my last few marathons, and the new Hydrate product, which I’ve been taking on my longer training runs, is a clean, natural electrolyte replacement with no sugar, zero calories and 5 added electrolytes to replace the nutrients lost in sweat. Visit generationucan.com and use the code “SHAKEOUT25” at checkout to save 25% on your first order. Already a UCAN customer? Enter the code “SHAKEOUT”—no number at the end of that one—at checkout to save 15% on subsequent orders.Complete show notes: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-71-with-sarah-sellers/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"The way I approach running, it's totally a joyous pursuit for me—which doesn't mean that every day is happy, but I do it because I love it and I feel good when I run, and the racing is just a fraction of it. I had run all summer training on the happiness principle, where if I'm training happy and not stressed and I'm enjoying it, then I'm training strong and I'll be healthy. And so that was just a reminder to let it come from within and to tap into that deep pleasure I take in running that really has nothing to do with competition."Excited to welcome Katie Arnold to the podcast this week! The 47-year-old Arnold is one heck of an ultrarunner—she won the Leadville Trail 100 last year in 19 hours, 53 minutes and 40 seconds, which, incredibly, was her debut at the distance—and earlier this year she was second at the Ultra Race of Champions 100K. She’s won numerous other races throughout her career, and is hoping is to run the CCC—a 101K race that goes from Courmayeur, Italy to Chamonix, France—as part of the weeklong UTMB festival of races in late August.Arnold is also an incredible writer: She’s a contributing editor and former managing editor at Outside magazine, where she worked on staff for 12 years, and currently writes the Raising Rippers column about bringing up adventurous kids—of which she has two of her own—for that publication. Arnold has also written for the The New York Times, Men’s Journal, ESPN the Magazine, and numerous other publications. She recently wrote her first book, Running Home, a memoir about her relationship with her father, grief and resilience, adventure and obsession, and the power of running to change your life. We covered a wide range of topics in this conversation: "smile" and "flow," what those words mean to her, and why they're important when she races; reverse goal-setting and how this strategy sets her up for success; balancing competitive running with the rest of her life; her “real life training plan” and how that helps prepare her for races; the importance of observation and paying attention to what's going on around her in life; how death can wake us up to the powerful realization that everything is changing all the time; her new book, how it came to be, and what she hopes readers take away from it; and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by the VCU Health Richmond Marathon. The event, which also includes half marathon and 8K options, takes place in Richmond, Virginia, on November 16th, 2019. Whatever distance you run, Richmond provides phenomenal course support, great fall scenery, awesome finisher swag, and supportive spectators. I know from my experience running there last year that when you run Richmond, you get it all. The marathon is a mostly flat, fast course, top-25 Boston qualifier, and it ends with a beautiful, downhill riverfront finish. Runner’s World called it “America’s Friendliest Marathon” and they certainly live up to this distinction. Start planning your race experience today and save $10 on your registration fee—it applies to the marathon, half marathon, and 8K—by using the discount code “morningshakeout” when you check out at RichmondMarathon.com.Complete show notes: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-70-with-katie-arnold/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“As long as I’m true to myself then hopefully that benefits other people and ideally it’s a symbiotic relationship and it’s something I want to keep doing—and again, I’ve got to find ways to tweak it, it’s all about tweaking that and finding things that keep me fueled to push boundaries that are still left there for me to explore and then other times just be content. It’s a funky balance, for sure. It’s hard to not have that drive, have that competitive spirit, but at the same time it’s still there once in a while—and appreciating it and fueling it a little bit—but overwhelmingly there’s not going to be as much drive, and that’s OK.”This week’s guest is Scott Jurek and he hardly needs an introduction, especially if you’re a fan of trail and ultrarunning, so I’m going to keep it as short as I possibly can: Jurek has won pretty much every major ultra race there is to win, including the Spartathalon, the Hardrock 100, the Badwater 135, and the Western States Endurance Run a record seven straight times. He also set the speed record on the Appalachian Trail in 2015, completing it in a little over 46 days, and in 2010 he set a U.S. record for the 24-hour run, covering 165.7 miles. Both of those records have since been broken but Jurek’s overall running resume is one that isn’t likely to be matched anytime soon.Jurek’s also a best-selling author—he’s written two books, Eat and Run and North, which chronicled his 2015 AT adventure—and he’s also a husband to his wife Jenny and a father of two young children, Raven and Evergreen. We recorded this conversation a couple weeks back alongside a trail in in Boulder, Colorado, where he lives, and we covered all kinds of good stuff, from being back at Western States last month after 10 years away from the event, to how the sport of ultrarunning has evolved over the past several years, to using running as a way to give back to other people and organizations he cares about, making the sport accessible to more people and knocking down the barriers to entry, overtraining and the importance of rest, how long it took him to physically and emotionally recover from his Appalachian Trail FKT, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by the VCU Health Richmond Marathon. The event, which also includes half marathon and 8K options, takes place in Richmond, Virginia, on November 16th, 2019. Whatever distance you run, Richmond provides phenomenal course support, great fall scenery, awesome finisher swag, and supportive spectators. I know from my experience running there last year that when you run Richmond, you get it all. The marathon is a mostly flat, fast course, top-25 Boston qualifier, and it ends with a beautiful, downhill riverfront finish. Runner’s World called it “America’s Friendliest Marathon” and they certainly live up to this distinction. Start planning your race experience today and save $10 on your registration fee—it applies to the marathon, half marathon, and 8K—by using the discount code “morningshakeout” when you check out at RichmondMarathon.com.Complete show notes: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-69-with-scott-jurek/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"I don't care if somebody wants to criticize my 5K time from July 4—I mean, I got an opportunity to go and race and I went out a little too hard, I made a few mistakes, I learned a bunch from it. It was awesome. That's the point of it, that's the point of racing. So I think that's a really critical component: nowadays people race less because there's too much pressure on those results instead of focusing on the process."I was in Boulder, Colorado last week and had a chance to sit down with Tyler McCandless, a 2:12 marathoner whose career I’ve been following closely for the past 10 years. McCandless is not only one of the most underrated road racers in the U.S., he’s also one of the nicest guys in running, and you’ll see why in this episode.We covered all kinds of ground in this conversation—which we recorded just a few days before the birth of McCandless' son, Levi—from why he trains without a GPS watch to learning how to race aggressively and with confidence, balancing his full-time job as a Machine Learning Scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research with being a professional long-distance runner, his relationship with his coach, former marathon world-record holder Steve Jones, and how that’s evolved over the past 6-1/2 years, the importance of having interests outside of running and not losing sight of the purity of the sport, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by the VCU Health Richmond Marathon. The event, which also includes half marathon and 8K options, takes place in Richmond, Virginia, on November 16th, 2019. Whatever distance you run, Richmond provides phenomenal course support, great fall scenery, awesome finisher swag, and supportive spectators. I know from my experience running there last year that when you run Richmond, you get it all. The marathon is a mostly flat, fast course, top-25 Boston qualifier, and it ends with a beautiful, downhill riverfront finish. Runner’s World called it “America’s Friendliest Marathon” and they certainly live up to this distinction. Start planning your race experience today and save $10 on your registration fee—it applies to the marathon, half marathon, and 8K—by using the discount code “morningshakeout” when you check out at RichmondMarathon.com.Complete show notes: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-68-with-tyler-mccandless/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I’m excited to share a little something different with you this week: a recent episode of The Weekly Rundown, a Patreon-exclusive podcast I’ve been recording the last few weeks with my friend and collaborator, Billy Yang of Billy Yang Films and the Billy Yang Podcast.In this teaser episode, which we recorded last week on July 2, Billy and I talk about the Western States Endurance Run, The Prefontaine Classic, and Billy’s recent trip to Austria for the Infinite Trails relay race. It’s not Billy interviewing me or me interviewing Billy—it’s just two friends talking casually and unscripted about what’s been going on in our lives, the sport, and the industry over the previous week.Right now, this show is only available to our respective supporters on Patreon, so if you’re into it and want more, you can support my work directly at themorningshakeout.com/support. If you like this informal format, or even if you don’t—or if you like it and think it needs to be longer than 30-ish minutes—let me know by dashing me a note on Twitter at @mariofraioli.Eventually we may make this show available to everyone but for now it’s only available to our respective Patreon supporters. We’ll be back to our regularly scheduled interview-style show next week but in the meantime, please enjoy this sample of The Weekly Rundown.This episode is brought to you by the VCU Health Richmond Marathon. The event, which also includes half marathon and 8K options, takes place in Richmond, Virginia, on November 16th, 2019. Whatever distance you run, Richmond provides phenomenal course support, great fall scenery, awesome finisher swag, and supportive spectators. I know from my experience running there last year that when you run Richmond, you get it all. The marathon is a mostly flat, fast course, top-25 Boston qualifier, and it ends with a beautiful, downhill riverfront finish. Runner’s World called it “America’s Friendliest Marathon” and they certainly live up to this distinction. Start planning your race experience today and save $10 on your registration fee—it applies to the marathon, half marathon, and 8K—by using the discount code “morningshakeout” when you check out at RichmondMarathon.com.Complete show notes: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-the-weekly-rundown-a-teaser/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"When I was younger I really struggled with separating myself from sport. I really believed that how I performed is what defined me and I started to perform way better once I was able to separate myself from sport and realize that sport does not define me. And that's something that's just been huge for me."Really enjoyed talking to Gwen Jorgensen for this week's episode of the podcast. The 33-year-old Jorgensen is the reigning Olympic champion in triathlon, who, in late 2017, announced she was retiring from multi-sport racing to turn her attention to running full-time. Her goal: Olympic gold in the marathon. In early 2018, Jorgensen signed with Nike and joined the Bowerman Track Club to train alongside 2017 New York City Marathon champion Shalane Flanagan and reigning Olympic Trials marathon champion Amy Cragg under the watchful eye of coach Jerry Schumacher.We covered a lot of ground in this conversation, including Jorgensen's recent surgery to repair a Haglund's deformity in her right heel and how she's dealt with it from both a training and psychological standpoint, the importance of separating yourself from sport and having balance in your life, last fall's Chicago Marathon and why she didn’t feel that it was a fair representation of what she’s capable of in that event, reflections on her first full season of training as a runner, learning from Amy Cragg and Shalane Flanagan, what it's been like going from being at the top of one sport to an underdog in a different one, how she's learned to get comfortable sharing her story (and struggles) with a large audience, why the Olympic gold medal in the marathon is still her goal, and a lot more.Complete show notes: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-67-with-gwen-jorgensen/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Any time I step on a line it's this huge moment of gratitude—this is another opportunity to challenge myself, to push myself, to have the privilege to run with these women. So I think when I can frame it that way, and have that sort of perspective, it just adds so much more fun and joy and excitement rather than any anxiety or outcome or stress that is often easy to get caught up in results.”Super excited to welcome Rachel Schneider to the podcast this week. On May 16, Schneider ran 15:06.71 for 5000m to win the USATF Distance Classic. It was a nine-second personal best and, at the time, the fastest 5000m run in the world this year. That mark has since been eclipsed but she is one of the top female 5000m runners in the U.S. right now and one of only two American woman to have achieved the 2020 Olympic standard so far in that event.This was a fun conversation and amazingly, it’s the first time Schneider has ever been on a podcast. We got into her progression as an athlete, from a soccer player-turned-runner in high school to multi-time all-American at Georgetown and now an Under Armour-sponsored professional training in Flagstaff, Arizona. We talked about her current setup in Flagstaff and the incredible community she has around her in the mountains. We talked training and how that’s evolved over the past few years, the importance of gratitude and balance in her life, who she looks up to, how she’s dealt with challenging situations, and a lot more.Complete show notes: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-66-with-rachel-schneider/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“I was hooked by the appeal that you could work hard and you saw those results. I think coming from team sports, where you could work hard and still not be successful because there was so many different aspects that had to click and go right for that team to be successful, whereas I noticed from a really early stage that if I did the work, I was going to be successful.”I really enjoyed sitting down with my first Aussie guest, Brady Threlfall, for this week's episode of the podcast. Threlfall’s a 2:19 marathoner, a coach with Run 2 PB, and host of the popular Inside Running podcast. In this conversation, which we recorded a few months ago, we got into his introduction to the sport and progression as an athlete, coaching and working with different types of runners, Australia’s rich running history, what running culture looks like in his country, how the Inside Running podcast came to be, what’s exciting him in running right now, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by Path Projects. PATH PROJECTS is a U.S.-based running apparel company that designs and manufactures technically advanced running shorts, base liners, shirts and headwear with a minimal design aesthetic, high quality materials, timeless style and unmatched price. PATH’s designs are minimalist without any big logos or bright colors—they’re just clothes that fit well, look good, and are super comfortable in a variety of situations. PATH uses a consumer direct model—their apparel is only available at pathprojects.com—which eliminates the retail mark-up and offers you phenomenal products at a great price. PATH is hosting a contest between now and June 12, 2019, where they’ll be giving away 10 of their hats. It’s totally free and you can enter the contest now at pathprojects.com/mario.Complete show notes: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-65-with-brady-threlfall/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“No, I'm not surprised [that I'm still coaching] because there's two things: My heart and my mind is in it big time. And as long as those two continue to be in it—and my health, thank the good Lord at the age of 82 is very good—I love it, and I'm not ready to pack it in at all. Actually, I have a lot of fire in my belly.”It was an honor and a privilege to sit down with Frank Gagliano, the 82-year-old coach of the Hoka NJ-NY Track Club, for a conversation about coaching and life that had a profound impact on me—and I know it will do the same for you. This one got emotional a couple times but Coach Gags opened up to me in a way he hasn’t elsewhere before and his story—and message—is really powerful. The man has coached at every level of the sport over the past 58 years—high school, college, and professionally—and he’s had great success at all of them. He’s coached 15 Olympians, 140 All-Americans, multiple national champions, and a world championships medalist. More importantly than that, however, the lessons he’s taught his athletes extend far beyond the track. He has a love for the sport, his family, his athletes, and his country that is unmatched and it really comes across in this conversation.Whether you're a coach, athlete, or just a fan of the sport, you'll want to listen to this episode all the way to the end. There's a lot to take away from it, be inspired by, and apply to your own life. Complete show notes: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-64-with-frank-gagliano/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“The great thing about running is: it’s all you. If your team does better in soccer, it might be you, it might be your team. You could actually get worse and your team could get better, but if you are getting faster at running, it’s you, so the improvement feels pretty intensely emotional, and that drew me in.” I’m excited to share a special live recording of the podcast that I did with Nicholas Thompson, the editor-in-chief of Wired magazine, in front of a live audience last month in Boston. In this conversation, we spoke exclusively about aging and the marathon, which is a topic he’s written about for Wired. Last fall, Thompson—who is 43 years old—ran not one, but two 2:38 marathons at Chicago and New York, only 4 weeks apart, both faster than his previous personal best of 2:43. We recorded this episode at Tracksmith’s Trackhouse the day before this year’s Boston Marathon, where he finished in 2:34:27, a new personal best, running a nice negative split (which, if you’ve run Boston, you know is not easy to do). This episode is only about 35 minutes long but Thompson has agreed to come back on another time so we can dig deeper into the role running plays in his life, talk about his journalism career, learn about his love of music, and much more.This episode is brought to you by Tracksmith. Tracksmith is an independent running brand based in Boston. They’re a group of dedicated runners focused on building technical yet understated running apparel that celebrates the amateur spirit and inspires the personal pursuit of excellence.
 
Tracksmith’s products reflect their New England roots: These are classic, understated and high quality essentials for runners who are working towards their next PR. To learn more, visit tracksmith.com/mario. Follow them on Instagram @tracksmithrunning and shop at tracksmith.com.Complete show notes: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-63-with-nicholas-thompson/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“I went to the lead, even over Heartbreak, with a purpose and with the goal of dropping people and injecting pace—and I think that’s maybe what surprised me the most, is that I was able to be an actual factor and be something that impacted the way the race played out, which is a new feeling for me in the marathon, particularly in World Marathon Majors. In New York, I was as far back as probably 20th pretty early in the race and was kind of doing my own thing, so that was the biggest surprise—being up front—and the way we got to the 2:09:09 here in Boston.” Stoked to welcome the morning shakeout’s first-ever guest, Scott Fauble of Hoka Northern Arizona Elite, back to the show to talk about his recent seventh-place finish at the Boston Marathon, where he ran a big personal best of 2:09:09. We covered a lot of good stuff in this conversation: all things Boston, of course, but also training and recovery, what the next several months are going to look like heading into the 2020 Olympic Trials Marathon, his greatest strengths as a marathoner (and where he has the most room to grow), how he keeps himself centered and grounded, where his extraordinary ability to push himself in races comes from, what’s exciting him in running right now, and a heck of a lot more.This episode is brought to you by UCAN. Getting the most out of your training starts with the right nutrition and UCAN Performance Energy powders—which is what I use before big workouts and long races—give you steady, long-lasting energy with no spikes and no crashes. It’s also used by Olympians like Meb Keflezighi, Dathan Ritzenhein, and Alexi Pappas, so you know it’s the real deal. UCAN has a great offer for morning shakeout listeners right now: Try out the performance energy sample pack, which includes three (3) Performance Energy Packets and two (2) Performance Energy + Protein Packets, for only 10 bucks! Check out the offer at generationucan.com/discount/UCANSHAKEOUT—that's UCANSHAKEOUT— and use the code “UCANSHAKEOUT” when you check out to receive free shipping. Or, you can save 15% on any UCAN item you buy on generationucan.com with the code ‘SHAKEOUT” at checkout.Complete show notes: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-62-with-scott-fauble/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Homelessness is a label, it is not who they are. It is a point in time, it is something they are struggling through, it is not something that should be used to put a label on them and define them as a human—and that's what we try to change on those morning runs. When you're running with one of our members, who may be suffering from homelessness at that point in time, it's just a human to human conversation."I had a great conversation for this week’s episode of the podcast with Katy Sherratt, the CEO of Back on My Feet, an organization that uses running and community support to help combat homelessness and provide essential employment opportunities and housing resources for people who need it.We talked about Back on my Feet’s origins, how the organization has grown since it launched in 2007, and where it’s heading in the coming years. We discussed running as a universal language, the evolving role that running has had in Sherratt’s life, how she first got involved with BoMF, and what she’s learned during her tenure. Sherratt also explains how the program works, shares some member success stories, knocks down some of the biggest misconceptions people have about homelessness, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by UCAN. Getting the most out of your training starts with the right nutrition and UCAN Performance Energy powders—which is what I use before big workouts and long races—give you steady, long-lasting energy with no spikes and no crashes. It’s also used by Olympians like Meb Keflezighi, Dathan Ritzenhein, and Alexi Pappas, so you know it’s the real deal. UCAN has a great offer for morning shakeout listeners right now: Try out the performance energy sample pack, which includes three (3) Performance Energy Packets and two (2) Performance Energy + Protein Packets, for only 10 bucks! Check out the offer at generationucan.com/discount/UCANSHAKEOUT—that's UCANSHAKEOUT— and use the code “UCANSHAKEOUT” when you check out to receive free shipping. Or, you can save 15% on any UCAN item you buy on generationucan.com with the code ‘SHAKEOUT” at checkout.Complete show notes: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-61-with-katy-sherratt/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Watching from an athlete perspective, where all of a sudden he gets it, or she gets it, and you see that just click, and then it's game time, I think that's the biggest thing I get from an athlete. All these things you see as a coach, like 'this athlete should be able to do this, or should be able hit these times, or do this performance,' but it's all nothing because it's just you and me talking here and we know the science of it, and the method, but the athlete is the one who has to believe in it and believe in themselves. It doesn't matter how much you tell them how great they are, or whatever, until they get it. And watching that process happen, and how it happens differently with each athlete, is probably the most exciting part of coaching.” Really enjoyed sitting down with Terrence Mahon for this week's episode of the podcast. Mahon, one of the best middle and long distance running coaches in the world, is currently the director and coach of the Mission Athletics Club in San Diego, which he co-founded last year with his wife, three-time Olympian Jen Rhines. Mahon was previously the coach of the BAA High Performance team in Boston, he was the distance coach for U.K. Athletics before that, and he was also the coach of Team Running USA/the Mammoth Track Club from 2004 to 2013, where he guided Deena Kastor to an American record of 2:19:36 in the marathon, Ryan Hall to his 59:43 AR in the half marathon, and developed eight Olympians during his tenure.This was one of my favorite conversations. We talked about Mahon’s career as both an athlete and a coach. I learned more about Mission Athletics Club and what his objectives are with his new group. We discussed the trajectory of his coaching career, from his humble beginnings working with age-group runners at a running shop in Pennsylvania to becoming one of the most highly sought after coaches in the world. He also told me about his coaching influences and mentors, including the legendary Joe Vigil, Dan Pfaff, and others.We got into the weeds of Mahon's coaching philosophy and there are a ton of great takeaways: like the importance of really getting to know your athletes, being brutally honest with them, and being adaptable when it comes to setting goals. We talked about what he sees as his main responsibilities as a coach, how he keeps sharp and stays excited about the craft, what he learns from the athletes he works with, the idea of "coaching mastery" and what that means to him, and a heck of a lot more.This episode is brought to you by Tracksmith. Tracksmith is an independent running brand based in Boston. They’re a group of dedicated runners focused on building technical yet understated running apparel that celebrates the amateur spirit and inspires the personal pursuit of excellence.
 
Tracksmith’s products reflect their New England roots: These are classic, understated and high quality essentials for runners who are working towards their next PR. To learn more, visit tracksmith.com/mario. Right now they’re running a special offer for new customers: spend $150 and earn their signature navy Van Cortlandt singlet for free. Follow them on Instagram @tracksmithrunning and shop at tracksmith.com.Complete show notes: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-60-with-terrence-mahon/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"A lot of us endurance athletes are obsessive and one of the things that makes us good is that we're able to focus on the very small details of our craft and spend a lot of time concentrating on improving those things. On the flip side, it's pretty easy to get too bogged down in the weeds and we can have a hard time stepping back and really seeing the big picture of progression, which is something that happens over a long period of time—not something that we can expect to happen in a matter of weeks or months or even like a year or two, and I think that's something that I've got into a little bit of trouble with in the past."I had a great time talking to Chelsea Sodaro for this week's episode of the podcast. Many of you may remember Sodaro by her maiden name, Chelsea Reilly, who national titles in the road 10K and indoor 3000m in 2012 and 2013, respectively. The 29-year-old Sodaro was one of the top distance runners in the U.S. not that long ago, with personal bests on the track ranging from 4:08 in the 1500m to 15:10 in the 5K. She’s turned her attention to triathlon in the last few years and is quickly rising through the pro ranks, having won her first ITU World Cup race last June and finishing 2018 atop the podium at Ironman 70.3 Indian Wells-La Quinta in December.We covered a lot in this conversation: how Chelsea got into running, where she gets her competitive drive from, how she’s dealt with injury throughout her career, the special relationship she has with Olympian Magdalena Boulet, transitioning to triathlon less than three years ago, why she felt so alone and empty immediately after winning her first triathlon last year, the advice she’d give her younger self, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by Tracksmith. Tracksmith is an independent running brand based in Boston. They’re a group of dedicated runners focused on building technical yet understated running apparel that celebrates the amateur spirit and inspires the personal pursuit of excellence.
 
Tracksmith’s products reflect their New England roots: These are classic, understated and high quality essentials for runners who are working towards their next PR. To learn more, visit tracksmith.com/mario. Right now they’re running a special offer for new customers: spend $150 and earn their signature navy Van Cortlandt singlet for free. Follow them on Instagram @tracksmithrunning and shop at tracksmith.com.Complete show notes: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-59-with-chelsea-sodaro/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"They were doing 10-mile long runs by that time and I dropped them. And they were like, 'Oh, this kid is tough!' I was coming and going on rolling hills and my coach was like, 'Hmm, you ran the last mile in 4:55.' I didn't even know what that meant—4:55 a mile? I just ran. I used to clock [time] in kilometers, so I thought it was a kilometer, and I was like, 'That's slow.' But it was miles. A few months later I came back and ran my first indoor [race] and they were like, 'You can run!' and I was like, 'OK.' That's the moment I fell in love with the sport and I ended up quitting the soccer thing and just focused on running."Excited to share a recent conversation I had with Edward Cheserek on this week's episode of the podcast. King Ches, as he’s known throughout the running world, recently tied the IAAF world record for the road 5K at Carlsbad 5000, breaking the tape in 13 minutes and 29 seconds. I was fortunate enough to sit down with the 25-year-old Kenyan for half an hour a couple days before the race to learn a little more about his life, his upbringing in Kenya, moving to the U.S. as a high schooler 10 years ago, his record-setting collegiate career at the University of Oregon where he won 17 NCAA titles, what it would mean for him to gain his U.S. citizenship and represent this country in an international championship, where his competitiveness comes from, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by Tracksmith. Tracksmith is an independent running brand based in Boston. They’re a group of dedicated runners focused on building technical yet understated running apparel that celebrates the amateur spirit and inspires the personal pursuit of excellence.
 
Tracksmith’s products reflect their New England roots: These are classic, understated and high quality essentials for runners who are working towards their next PR. To learn more, visit tracksmith.com/mario. Right now they’re running a special offer for new customers: spend $150 and earn their signature navy Van Cortlandt singlet for free. Follow them on Instagram @tracksmithrunning and shop at tracksmith.com.Complete show notes: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-58-with-edward-cheserek/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"I always found myself working very hard to try and be the best at those little things but also enjoy what I was doing. This was evident at a very early age—I wanted to be competitive at something but I wanted to enjoy it while I was doing it. I don't think I gain most of my enjoyment from the competitive side of it and from the racing or the competing. It was more from the just being present there and enjoying seeing other people enjoy what we're doing and enjoying it with them."Excited to share a recent conversation I had with a guy many of you outside the Bay Area running scene may not have heard of yet: His name is Paddy O’Leary, he’s an Irish lad living in San Francisco, and he’s a North Face-sponsored trail and ultra runner who has risen through the ranks of the sport in just a few short years. He’s also got a fast set of wheels, having run a big personal best of 2:20 and change in the marathon last fall at CIM, a race he ran on somewhat of a whim after The North Face Endurance Challenge Championships got cancelled due to the California Wildfires.O'Leary’s a friend and sometimes training partner of mine and he’s got an incredible story—not to mention a beautiful Irish brogue—that I’m excited to share with you in this episode. Before he got into running about five years ago, O'Leary played on the Irish national lacrosse team from 2007-2014, captaining the squad to its first European Lacrosse Championship final in 2012. He's also been a cancer biologist at UCSF since 2013, was the co-leader of the November Project in San Francisco from 2014-2018, and has a love of traveling, community, sport, and, of course a good Guinness.On Saturday, April 13, O'Leary will attempt the Wicklow Round in his native Ireland, a self-supported long-distance run which involves summiting 26 peaks with over 20,000 feet of climbing over 70 miles with no GPS—just a compass, a map, and his own questionable senses.This is a long one but it was an enjoyable exchange that covers a wide range of topics, from O'Leary's upbringing in County Wexford, Ireland, why he came to the U.S. to do his postdoctoral research, how he got into trail and ultrarunning, what he'd like to do in running over the next couple years, and much, much more. I really think you’ll take a lot away from it, so settle in and enjoy my discussion with Paddy O’Leary.This episode is brought to you by Tracksmith. Tracksmith is an independent running brand based in Boston. They’re a group of dedicated runners focused on building technical yet understated running apparel that celebrates the amateur spirit and inspires the personal pursuit of excellence.
 
Tracksmith’s products reflect their New England roots: These are classic, understated and high quality essentials for runners who are working towards their next PR. To learn more, visit tracksmith.com/mario. Right now they’re running a special offer for new customers: spend $150 and earn their signature navy Van Cortlandt singlet for free. Follow them on Instagram @tracksmithrunning and shop at tracksmith.com.Complete show notes: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-57-with-paddy-oleary/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"A lot of the folks I interact with now, whether it's a newly post-collegiate athlete who's still got goals that they want to achieve, or a middle-aged athlete who has a general fitness goal they want to achieve, or they'd like go for that Boston qualifier, whatever it is, most of these goals are achievable if you stick with it and keep building the tower—I call it 'the Jenga tower.' My outlook on coaching, generally, is: Let's build the tower and we'll eventually get there. Sometimes you do have artificial timelines, but if you can avoid them that's better, and just concentrate on building on what you have done and not worrying about what you aren't. So I try to think inductively about coaching and I think that's partly due to some of these experiences—let's assume we're going to get there. It's just a question of 'how' and not 'if.'"Really enjoyed sitting down with Dena Evans for this week’s episode of the podcast. Evans is currently the coordinator and coach of the Peninsula Distance Club, a competitive post-collegiate team based in Palo Alto, California that she founded in 2007. Evans also coached at Stanford from 1999-2005, and in 2003 was named the NCAA Women’s Cross Country Coach of the year after leading the Cardinal to the national title. A few of her athletes during those years are some names you might recognize, like Lauren Fleshman, Sara Hall, Alicia Vargo, Malindi Elmore, and others. She’s also been on the coaching staff for Team USA at multiple world championships. In addition to her coaching accolades, Evans was a standout athlete at Stanford from 1992-96, where she was a three-time All American in track and also star player on the soccer team.We covered a lot of different topics in this conversation, from getting into multiple sports at a young age to her thoughts on specialization, her career at Stanford and how she juggled being a two-sport athlete, her relationship with coach Vin Lananna and how he influenced her as both an athlete and a coach, how she got into coaching and what she’s learned working with different levels of athletes over the past 20 years, what’s exciting her—and what she would change—about the sport of running right now, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by Tracksmith. Tracksmith is an independent running brand based in Boston. They’re a group of dedicated runners focused on building technical yet understated running apparel that celebrates the amateur spirit and inspires the personal pursuit of excellence.
 
Tracksmith’s products reflect their New England roots: These are classic, understated and high quality essentials for runners who are working towards their next PR. To learn more, visit tracksmith.com/mario. Right now they’re running a special offer for new customers: spend $150 and earn their signature navy Van Cortlandt singlet for free. Follow them on Instagram @tracksmithrunning and shop at tracksmith.com.Complete show notes: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-56-with-dena-evans/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"I think what made me me was taking big risks and training really hard. And I think that's what allowed me to have such high highs but it's also why I had so many low lows as well. I think if I would have taken the edge off my training I probably would have just been a lot more steady in my results and not so up and down and all over the map. But also, in my mind, I don't know if I would have gotten to the same place—and for me, I would rather risk everything and see what's going to happen than play it safe and just get to mediocre for me.” It was a treat to speak with Ryan Hall for this week's episode of the podcast. Hall, who retired from professional running in 2016, is still the fastest American male marathoner (2:04:58) and half marathoner (59:43) of all-time. He made two Olympic teams and finished in the top-5 at numerous World Marathon Majors, including a third-place finish in Boston in 2008.We packed a lot into this 45-minute conversation, including his reflections on retirement and when he realized he couldn’t push himself to the level he wanted to in running. We talked about battling extreme fatigue toward the end of his career and what he might do differently in retrospect, especially as a high school athlete who trained hard from a young age. There was some talk about nature vs. nature as it relates to athletic success, body image issues amongst male runners—including his own struggles—and where his own independent and competitive streaks come from. Finally, we got into his attraction to Ethiopia and what led to he and his wife Sara adopting four daughters from that country, his upcoming new book, Run The Mile You’re In, what that phrase means to him exactly, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by Rise.Run.Retreat. Rise.Run.Retreat is a four-day women’s running retreat that takes place from May 16-19, 2019 in Woodstock, Vermont. It was founded on the idea that, when women come together through running they inspire and strengthen one another. Limited to just 16 women, the small-scale setting makes for a unique and impactful experience. Your registration includes all lodging, wholesome meals provided by the local farmer’s market and an amazing swag bag. For more information head to riserunretreat.com and use the code TMSPOD—that’s all CAPS—and save $100 bucks off your registration fee.Complete show notes: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-55-with-ryan-hall/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"The bottom line is that a lot of people look at running and they want to try it but are intimidated by it—and I think the more encouraging and welcoming we are, starting from the top of the sport, the better it is. And so that's exciting for me to watch and to cover and I hope [elites] continue to be encouraging and welcoming."I had a great time sitting down with Erin Strout for this week's episode of the podcast. Just a few weeks ago, Strout was named the digital editor at WomensRunning.com and for my money, she's one of the top journalists covering the sport of running today. In addition to her work at Women's Running, Strout has also written for Outside, Runner’s World, Running Times, and numerous other publications.We covered quite a bit of ground in this conversation, including Strout's introduction to running, when she began to think of herself as a runner, and the evolution of her career as a journalist. We also discussed the current state of the sport, the collective rise of American women in recent years, and what can be done to bridge the gap between elite athletes and middle and back of the packers. Finally, we got into the issue of gender equity in coaching, how she deals with feedback and criticism of her work, why she wishes freelance writers would stop pitching her personal essays, and a whole lot more, including some fun anecdotes about Meb Keflezighi and Shalane Flanagan.This episode is brought to you by Rise.Run.Retreat. Rise.Run.Retreat is a four-day women’s running retreat that takes place from May 16-19, 2019 in Woodstock, Vermont. It was founded on the idea that, when women come together through running they inspire and strengthen one another. Limited to just 16 women, the small-scale setting makes for a unique and impactful experience. Your registration includes all lodging, wholesome meals provided by the local farmer’s market and an amazing swag bag. For more information head to riserunretreat.com and use the code TMSPOD—that’s all CAPS—and save $100 bucks off your registration fee.Complete show notes: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-54-with-erin-strout/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Looking inside at the stuff that is scary and that you don't want to face, that's really hard, uncomfortable work. So in order to get to the other side, to truly feel compassionate for yourself and show yourself love, you have to come to terms with the ugly stuff. And that ugly stuff can be, 'I'm insecure,' that ugly stuff can be that, 'The only reason that I race is because I'm scared to die and this gives me something else to focus on,' it can be that 'I feel validated and my self-worth is from this,' like all kinds of stuff comes up and that's normal. We're humans, that's the thing. It doesn't mean that you're broken. And the more you can acknowledge that, be aware of it and be kind to it, the better chance you have of getting to the other side where suddenly you're just racing out of love."Excited to share my recent conversation with good friend and colleague, Brad Stulberg, on this week's episode of the podcast. Stulberg coaches executives, entrepreneurs, and athletes on their most pressing challenges and writes about health and the science of human performance as a columnist for Outside magazine. His work has also appeared in the New York Times, Wired, New York Magazine, Sports Illustrated, Runner’s World and many other outlets.The best-selling co-author author of Peak Performance, a book which explores the science and practice of world-class performance, Stulberg and his co-author Steve Magness are about to release their second book, The Passion Paradox, a guide to going all in, finding success, and discovering the benefits of an unbalanced life, which comes out on March 19. In this episode, Stulberg and I discuss performance, passion, addiction, health, well-being, purpose, burnout, the importance of practicing self-awareness and self-compassion, and a number of related topics that are pertinent to your athletic, personal, and professional pursuits alike. We also got into Stulberg's own path as a hard-charging consultant turned writer and coach, recovering Type-A triathlete, his own struggles with burnout and mental illness, and much, much, more.This episode is brought to you by Rise.Run.Retreat. Rise.Run.Retreat is a four-day women’s running retreat that takes place from May 16-19, 2019 in Woodstock, Vermont. It was founded on the idea that, when women come together through running they inspire and strengthen one another. Limited to just 16 women, the small-scale setting makes for a unique and impactful experience. Your registration includes all lodging, wholesome meals provided by the local farmer’s market and an amazing swag bag. For more information head to riserunretreat.com and use the code TMSPOD—that’s all CAPS—and save $100 bucks off your registration fee.Complete show notes: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-53-with-brad-stulberg/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Things are going to be uncomfortable in life. You're going to have uncomfortable runs, uncomfortable races, uncomfortable conversations with family and friends, or standing up to your boss if you feel like you deserve a raise. All things like that, I think are just giving you a little more courage and a little more pep in your step to really stand up for what you believe in and push through those hard days and know that you're going to see light at the end of the tunnel.” Thrilled to welcome Stephanie Bruce of Hoka Northern Arizona Elite to the show this week. The 35-year-old mom of two young boys is a 2:29 marathoner, co-founder of Picky Bars, online running coach, and oh yeah, reigning national 10K champion on the roads.In this episode, we discussed what she’s focused on from a training and racing standpoint right now, why she thinks it’s important to get out of your comfort zone when it comes to racing, and the changes coach Ben Rosario has made to her training in the past several years that have contributed to her recent success. We also talked about the marathon and her biggest limiters in that event, what it will take to make the 2020 Olympic marathon team in Atlanta, who she looks up to in the sport, where she gets her grittiness from, how to cultivate it in your own life, and a whole lot more.This episode is brought to you by Rise.Run.Retreat. Rise.Run.Retreat is a four-day women’s running retreat that takes place from May 16-19, 2019 in Woodstock, Vermont. It was founded on the idea that, when women come together through running they inspire and strengthen one another. Limited to just 16 women, the small-scale setting makes for a unique and impactful experience. Your registration includes all lodging, wholesome meals provided by the local farmer’s market and an amazing swag bag. For more information head to riserunretreat.com and use the code TMSPOD—that’s all CAPS—and save $100 bucks off your registration fee. Complete show notes: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-52-with-stephanie-bruce/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Everybody runs. It's the original. You go to an elementary school at lunch time and everybody is running. It's intrinsic to us. And we lose that, whether we don't make the track team, whatever it ends up being, we lose that and I think that's a shame. And I think as a community and as an industry and everything we need to get back to this idea of 'run a block and a half, and then run five blocks, and then run 10 blocks.' And just that alone is amazing.” — Jeremy Bresnen of Ciele AthleticsI’m excited to share a roundtable discussion I hosted last November at The Loop Running Supply in Austin, Texas, with Scott Gravatt, who is the run specialty sales director at Nike, Jeremy Bresnan, the co-founder of Ciele Athletics, and Pam Hess, who is the co-founder, along with her husband Ryan, of The Loop.We covered quite a bit of ground in this discussion, which centered around running culture, what that is exactly, how it’s evolved over the years, and where it’s heading. There was talk about the running industry, the rise of smaller brands like Ciele, the influence of bigger ones like Nike, and how they can all co-exist in an increasingly crowded space; we got into the sport of running, the activity of running, and the lifestyle of running, how those things are all very different and also where they intersect. Finally, we dove into the importance of running specialty shops to local culture and community, the importance of storytelling, the role of athletes, and a whole lot more.This episode is brought to you by Jaybird. Like many of you, I’m an avid podcast listener, and having a good pair of headphones is super important to me. And my go-to for a while now has been the Jaybird RUN true wireless headphones. They’re super comfortable, they stay in my ears, they hold a charge for a long time, and, most importantly, they pump out incredible sound. Jaybird has just released an update to their true wireless line called RUN XT, which are now fully waterproof and sweat proof, so they hold up to your hardest workouts and most extreme weather conditions. They are freaking awesome. Right now, morning shakeout listeners—that’s YOU —can receive 20% off of a pair of the just released RUN XT true wireless headphones AND free shipping through the end of March 2019. Go to jaybirdsport.com and use the code SHAKEOUT—that’s all one word, all capital letters—when you check out to take advantage of this awesome offer. [Offer can only be applied once per customer.]Complete show notes: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-51-with-scott-gravatt-jeremy-bresnen-and-pam-hess/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"I hope people can find joy in what they're doing, I hope people find things that are exciting, I hope people can look at me and say, 'If that dude with a job and a family and 1.5 cars and all the same things that I'm dealing with can get out and do something, maybe I can do something too and maybe I can set a big goal and maybe I can find something that excites me and motivates me and I'm passionate about that I want to chase.' And then I hope they go out and they do it.”Stoked to welcome another awesome guest on to the podcast this week: Michael Wardian. Wardian is the exception to almost every racing rule and for his latest trick he just broke the Guinness World Record for running ten marathons in ten consecutive days, covering 262 miles in 29 hours, 12 minutes, and 46 seconds, or an average of 2:55:17 per marathon. He ran the first seven of those 10 marathons on seven different continents as part of the World Marathon Challenge and completed the last three around a certified 5K loop near his home in Arlington, Virginia in 2:50 flat, 2:48:43, and 2:44:33. Oh, and on the 11th day, he raced a 5K with his vizsla Rosie in 17:01. Perhaps more impressively, he did all of that off about 20 total hours of sleep, which is something I pressed him on in this conversation.If you know of Wardian's way of doing things, you know this is just how he rolls. The 44-year-old races around 50 times a year on average and he’s not afraid to line up at a mile on the track or ultramarathon on the trails, sometimes doing both on the same weekend. He’s also set a number of wacky world records —like the  fastest 50K ever run on a treadmill, fastest marathon ever run wearing various costumes, fastest marathon ever run on an indoor track, and even pushing a baby stroller— and he regularly tackles challenging ultra endeavors such as Badwater 135, Marathon des Sables, and the Hurt 100 to name a few. He’s also qualified for three Olympic Trials marathons, won a number of national titles and placed on the podium at world championship events.Wardian's a great guy with crazy goals, unmatched ambition, and a big, selfless heart. We talked about his most recent feat, what lies ahead, how he recovers between big efforts despite being a notoriously bad sleeper, how he fits it all in around a family and job, the importance of giving back and helping others, the power of positivity, what he hopes the average person can take away from his approach to life and running, and much, much more.This episode is brought to you by Jaybird. Like many of you, I’m an avid podcast listener, and having a good pair of headphones is super important to me. And my go-to for a while now has been the Jaybird RUN true wireless headphones. They’re super comfortable, they stay in my ears, they hold a charge for a long time, and, most importantly, they pump out incredible sound. Jaybird has just released an update to their true wireless line called RUN XT, which are now fully waterproof and sweat proof, so they hold up to your hardest workouts and most extreme weather conditions. They are freaking awesome. Right now, morning shakeout listeners—that’s YOU —can receive 20% off of a pair of the just released RUN XT true wireless headphones AND free shipping through the end of March 2019. Go to jaybirdsport.com and use the code SHAKEOUT—that’s all one word, all capital letters—when you check out to take advantage of this awesome offer. [Offer can only be applied once per customer.]Complete show notes: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-50-with-michael-wardian/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“There were days when I was just so exhausted and I didn't even want to get up out of bed because I didn't even see the point. There was so much time that I spent wishing that the accident would have killed me because it felt like it was easier than to have to face the pain and face the challenges of everyday life. But then I'd receive a message and some voice of encouragement, sometimes from a dear friend, sometimes from a complete stranger, and it just built this community that I felt that I had near and far and it again let me discover the strength that I had within me, whether or not it was still there. Trail running, I felt, I could experience it in a new way but talking with complete strangers or my friends supporting me, it also allowed me to dig deep and find that within me.” It was a real treat to sit down with Hillary Allen for this week's episode of the podcast. Every week on this show I try to glean as much insight and inspiration as possible from some of the top athletes, coaches, and personalities in the sport of running and this week’s guest has those two things in SPADES—and it really comes out in this conversation.The 30-year-old Allen, a North Face-sponsored trail and ultra runner from Colorado, has made her biggest mark in sky running, which takes place in super gnarly, technical, high alpine environments. She was the U.S. Sky Running Ultra Champion in 2015, and has course records and podium finishes at races all over the world. The crazy thing is: she’s only been in the sport for a few years and rapidly ascended the ranks—quite literally—in a very short amount of time.But there’s so much more to this special human. Allen has a Masters degree in neuroscience, she’s got a thing for bugs and grew up wanting to be an entomologist, she was a collegiate tennis player, she coaches other runners, and is just one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet. Allen also has an incredible story about survival—she fell 150 feet off the side of a mountain while racing in Norway a couple years ago—which we covered from a few different angles in this conversation, amongst a slew of other interesting topics, including using running and races as a way to explore places she's never gone, the issue of burnout in ultrarunning, how she got her nickname, "Hillygoat," the craziest wildlife encounters she's had on the trails, running a 2:50 self-supported marathon to see if she could go faster than she did in her first, her love of science and the outdoors and how that's impacted her life, and much more.Postscript: Allen broke her ankle in late January, just a couple weeks after we recorded this conversation, an injury that required yet another surgery. “Things happen for a reason—if you chose to let them,” she wrote on her blog. “I’m reminded to take a deep breath, feel what I’m feeling and believe. BELIEVE. That this too, will create, reignite and provide an opportunity for growth.”This episode is brought to you by Strava’s new podcast, Athletes Unfiltered. Are you looking for a little extra motivation on your next run or bike ride? Athletes Unfiltered is a new podcast of inspiring stories from the Strava community, told by the runners and cyclists who lived them. And along the way, they’ll tackle some of the big, scary questions every athlete has to find answers to: Why am I doing this? Am I getting too old? Will I ever run again? The answers these athletes give might just help you find some of your own. Give the Athletes Unfiltered podcast a listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you consume audio content.Complete show notes: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-49-with-hillary-allen/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“The idea of doing what you love doesn't happen by accident. Like if I went to drama everyday, sure I'd have fun but it would have been misdirected. And I was fortunate enough to have what I loved and learn it but really cultivate it and really be around other people that loved it. And that's probably the theme that will come out of this conversation, whether it's a peer of mine that I'm still friends with because we raced against each other in high school or Mike Fanelli, who was running around the track with me at age 50, or my parents—it doesn't matter the demographic, we shared that. And I want for our high school kids to have that. They're coming to practice with two coaches that love it so much, they're surrounded by teammates that really love what they're doing, and it's the culture that we have, it's the community we're trying to create.”Incredibly excited to welcome Jake Schmitt to the podcast this week. The 31-year-old is a three-time Olympic Trials qualifier in the marathon with a personal best of 2:15:09. He most recently ran 2:18:03 at CIM and has his sights set on competing well at the Trials in Atlanta a little over a year from now.Schmitt was a state champion cross-country runner in high school and an All-American in track at the University of Washington. Aside from being an accomplished athlete, he has coached at his alma mater, Redwood High School, for the past nine years alongside his mom, Laura—who is also his coach—and they’ve developed one of the top distance programs in California. This mom and son duo also cofounded the Thoroughbred Treadmill Studio just north of San Francisco, which is the first of its kind on the west coast.We talked about all of those things in this conversation and then some, including Schmitt's tight-knit family, where he gets his competitiveness from, how his parents taught him to love running without forcing it upon him, why he loves monotony, the importance of restraint in bringing along high school athletes in their training, developing a healthy team culture, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by Strava’s new podcast, Athletes Unfiltered. Are you looking for a little extra motivation on your next run or bike ride? Athletes Unfiltered is a new podcast of inspiring stories from the Strava community, told by the runners and cyclists who lived them. You’ll hear from a runner who loses his sight and discovers a new community. A drummer who passes up the after party so he can get up early to ride bikes with his fans and connect in a way he never could from on-stage. A mountain biker who watched the trails he loved burst into flames and then created an app to help rally his community around rebuilding them. And along the way, they’ll tackle some of the big, scary questions every athlete has to find answers to: Why am I doing this? Am I getting too old? Will I ever run again? The answers these athletes give might just help you find some of your own. Give the Athletes Unfiltered podcast a listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you consume audio content.Complete show notes: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-48-with-jake-schmitt/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“I just kind of started to give myself a little bit more credit for what I've done and stopped having that need to incessantly prove myself. Because nobody else is thinking of me that way, nobody else is quantifying other people that way, it's just yourself. And so I made the choice to stop doing that to myself because the priority for me is health—because I can't do the running if I'm unhealthy, and it's as simple as that. The racing doesn't matter; if I'm going to race terribly because I'm ill, then why am I bothering anyways?” I really enjoyed sitting down with Devon Yanko for this week's episode of the podcast. We caught up a little week before the recent Houston Marathon, where she ran 2:39:34—less than a minute off of her personal best—to qualify for the 2020 Olympic Trials in Atlanta.Yanko is a super accomplished athlete who has run almost 100 races of marathon distance and beyond. She's also won two ultra-distance national titles on the roads, represented the U.S. at multiple world championships, been on the podium at Western States, won the Leadville 100, held the Grand Canyon Rim 2 Rim 2 Rim FKT, qualified for two Olympic Trials marathons, and has finished in the top-5 at Comrades. In short: she is a badass across a range of distances and on a variety of terrain.This was a loaded conversation and I think you'll take a lot away from it. We talked about how Yanko got into running after growing up as a basketball player, how the sport of trail and ultra running has evolved since she first got into about 13 years ago, getting over a tough year in 2018 that was full of health issues and injuries, the importance of community, her proudest accomplishment as an athlete, sharing her story of teenage sexual abuse and how that’s impacted her life over the past 20+ years, what can be done to bring more women into trail and ultra running, opening a bakery with her husband Nathan, and much, much more.This episode is brought to you by Strava’s new podcast, Athletes Unfiltered. Are you looking for a little extra motivation on your next run or bike ride? Athletes Unfiltered is a new podcast of inspiring stories from the Strava community, told by the runners and cyclists who lived them. You’ll hear from a runner who loses his sight and discovers a new community. A drummer who passes up the after party so he can get up early to ride bikes with his fans and connect in a way he never could from on-stage. A mountain biker who watched the trails he loved burst into flames and then created an app to help rally his community around rebuilding them. And along the way, they’ll tackle some of the big, scary questions every athlete has to find answers to: Why am I doing this? Am I getting too old? Will I ever run again? The answers these athletes give might just help you find some of your own. Give the Athletes Unfiltered podcast a listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you consume audio content.Complete show notes: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-47-with-devon-yanko/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"You know, growing other avenues of my life has been really positive, and having an overall balance in my life, and not just having this laser focus on running. Because before, my running and my happiness were tied so close together that it was almost a dangerous thing. If I wasn't running well, the rest of my life was not going well either and it was nice to be able to separate that and separate different parts of life and get enjoyment and fulfillment out of hanging out with friends, and not being stressed about not running, and stuff like that. So yeah, it was a shift in mindset that was very important—it had to happen."I had a blast sitting down with Rob Watson for this week's episode of the podcast. Watson is a recently retired professional runner from Canada who won two national steeplechase titles and represented his country numerous times in international competition. He also has a 2:13:29 marathon personal best, finished 11th at Boston in 2013, and broke the 2:20 mark ten times in his career.The 35-year-old Watson, who stepped away from the professional side of the sport after failing to qualify for the Olympic Games at the 2016 London Marathon, where he ran 2:18:45, is a coach with Mile2Marathon in Vancouver, where he's lived since 2012. He won the BMO Vancouver Marathon last year—the first marathon victory of his career—and his resolutions for 2019 include "learning how to trail run and not fall on head. 2. Learn how to do ultra running shit. 3. After 1 & 2 are complete start crushing trail and ultra races."We had a great conversation and covered a wide range of topics, including being mentally done with the grind of training and racing at the professional level; coaching with Mile2Marathon and how that's fueled his own excitement for running, given him new perspective, and revived his desire to get back into training and racing; learning how to recognize, enjoy, and celebrate his accomplishments rather than always dwelling on what he could have done better; how the business of professional running has changed over the past 10-12 years; the disconnect that exists between the participatory side of running and the competitive side of the sport, and what can be done to close that gap; how he worked through insecurity and confidence issues and learned to trust himself and his training; his new year’s resolutions and why he's excited to explore trail and ultrarunning; and much, much more.This episode is brought to you by Strava. Strava is hands down THE best app for runners, cyclists, and triathletes. It's a great way to keep yourself accountable, stick to your New Year’s resolutions, keep track of and analyze your own training, and is also a great way to stay connected with and be motivated by other athletes who are getting after it every day. Strava is free to use whenever you want to log a run or a workout, but there are also a number of extra special Summit features that cost just a few dollars a month that allow you to set goals and stay motivated, better analyze your workouts, dig deeper into the data, share your location during activities, and explore new places with confidence, and more. For a limited time, Strava is offering listeners of the morning shakeout—that’s YOU—a chance to try those Summit features for FREE. Go to strava.com/summit and enter the code "shakeout" (all lowercase) at checkout to see what Summit is all about and try it out for yourself.Complete show notes: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-46-with-rob-watson/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Like I want to make people happy, and do the right thing, and be successful. And I think a lot of people end up getting sucked into that and then have to be like, 'Wait, why am I doing this?' 'Do I want to be here?' 'Why did I make these choices?' and you have to rethink it and figure out what actually makes you happy and what you actually want to do. Luckily, just being competitive and wanting to get better and better and better at running has turned out pretty good for me because, when I sit back, I do love what I'm doing. But it is something you have to be careful of—like, 'Why am I so obsessed at being so good at that? Or not failing? Maybe it's OK. And I think that's something I'll probably be working with the rest of my life."Stoked to welcome Olympian Colleen Quigley to the podcast this week! The 26-year-old is a member of the Bowerman Track Club and has established herself as one of the top middle-distance runners in the world, specializing in the steeplechase. She competed in that event at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, where she finished eighth, and has represented the United States multiple times in international competition.A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Quigley had a stellar 2018 campaign, winning the Wannamaker Mile at the Millrose Games, qualifying for the world indoor championships in the 1500m, putting up personal bests in the 1000m, 1500m, and steeplechase, winning two race races in Europe, and finishing second to Jenny Simpson in the Fifth Ave. Mile to close out the year.The nomadic Quigley and I caught up a few weeks ago in San Francisco before she took off for altitude camp and we covered a wide range of topics, including her morning routine, how she's dealt with injuries throughout her career, what it was like to be coached by her dad in high school and the importance of keeping the sport fun during those formative years, making the decision to postpone a modeling career in order to run collegiately at Florida State, deciding to join the Bowerman Track Club after college, the influence Shalane Flanagan has had on her professional career and how her relationship with coach Jerry Schumacher has evolved over the last few years, fear of rejection and how's she's dealt with it throughout her life, her competitiveness and where she gets it comes from, the origins of #fastbraidfriday, what she's excited about in 2019, and a whole lot more.This episode is brought to you by Strava. Strava is hands down THE best app for runners, cyclists, and triathletes. It's a great way to keep yourself accountable, stick to your New Year’s resolutions, keep track of and analyze your own training, and is also a great way to stay connected with and be motivated by other athletes who are getting after it every day. Strava is free to use whenever you want to log a run or a workout, but there are also a number of extra special Summit features that cost just a few dollars a month that allow you to set goals and stay motivated, better analyze your workouts, dig deeper into the data, share your location during activities, and explore new places with confidence, and more. For a limited time, Strava is offering listeners of the morning shakeout—that’s YOU—a chance to try those Summit features for FREE. Go to strava.com/summit and enter the code "shakeout" (all lowercase) at checkout to see what Summit is all about and try it out for yourself.Complete show notes: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-45-with-colleen-quigley/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"That's the great thing about competition or even just running in general—it's all about yourself. And maybe even greater than that, your running community is behind you and they want you to do well or set PRs. But as long as you're happy or you're doing things that are of value to you, I think people really rally behind that and I think that's what's so cool and unique about the running community. I just focused on myself [at CIM] and was trying to run a big PR for the day and the stars aligned and gave me an extra cherry on the top there to win a national championship, so it was all the merrier."Really excited to welcome reigning U.S. marathon champion Brogan Austin to the podcast this week. For those of you who don’t know, the 27-year-old Austin won CIM in early December, running in 2:12:39 to claim his first national title, set a massive personal best, and make his case as a contender for the 2020 Olympic marathon team.We had a great conversation a couple weeks ago and I’m stoked to share it with you. I got to learn a lot more about who Brogan is, where he came from, how he trains, what it’s like to train and race at a high level while holding down a full-time job, why he loves breakfast cereal, what life has looked like for him since winning a national championship, and a whole lot more.This episode is brought to you by Strava. Strava is hands down THE best app for runners, cyclists, and triathletes. It's a great way to keep yourself accountable, stick to your New Year’s resolutions, keep track of and analyze your own training, and is also a great way to stay connected with and be motivated by other athletes who are getting after it every day. Strava is free to use whenever you want to log a run or a workout, but there are also a number of extra special Summit features that cost just a few dollars a month that allow you to set goals and stay motivated, better analyze your workouts, dig deeper into the data, share your location during activities, and explore new places with confidence, and more. For a limited time, Strava is offering listeners of the morning shakeout—that’s YOU—a chance to try those Summit features for FREE. Go to strava.com/summit and enter the code "shakeout" (all lowercase) at checkout to see what Summit is all about and try it out for yourself.Complete show notes: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-44-with-brogan-austin/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"I think sometimes someone tells you their story, and you're listening to it and that's a value; other times you need to tell people about it in advocacy; and other times you need to do something about it to help create change. I kind of see Girls Gotta Run as an extension of that, really working to bring those stories, bring the experiences of the girls to an elevated level where more people can understand that, see that, and support them in making change."It was a real treat to talk to Kayla Nolan, the executive director of Girls Gotta Run, for this week’s episode of the podcast. Girls Gotta Run is the only non-profit organization in Ethiopia using the national sport of running to create safe spaces, end child marriage and expand access to secondary school for vulnerable girls.Nolan and Girls Gotta Run are doing some amazing things for women in Ethiopia using running as vehicle to drive positive change. We covered a lot in this conversation—from how Nolan first became connected to Ethiopia, to how she became involved with Girls Gotta Run, how the organization and her role within it has evolved over the last several years, the unique challenges women face in Ethiopia, how GGR is helping create opportunities for women through running, the rich running culture in Ethiopia, the importance of advocacy, and much, much, more—and I am super excited to share it with all of you.This episode is brought to you by Maurten, the sports fuel used by many of the world’s top marathoners, including Eliud Kipchoge, Mo Farah, Mary Keitany, and Des Linden, to name a few. Maurten has set up a special contest for listeners of the morning shakeout where you can win heaps of free product. Here’s what you have to do: Go to maurten.com/AMshakeout and register with your email address. At the end of Maurten’s 4-week sponsorship of this podcast they are going to draw 10 winners at random. Each winner will get a full box of 160 drink mix, a full box of 320 drink mix, and a full box of GEL 100s. That entire package is valued at over $130! Enter for your chance to win at maurten.com/AMshakeout.Complete show notes: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-43-with-kayla-nolan/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“The number one thing is really taking ownership of what you do with your body and understanding that our ideas on strength and exercising, it's not the multivitamin. I can't eat like crap and take my daily pill and think I'm good. Strength doesn't work that way [either]. It's not like I can run like garbage, never stretch, ignore all these signals that my body is giving me all the time, but do this one exercise, and think everything is going to be OK. It needs to be flipped around.”It was super fun to sit down with my friend Nate Helming, co-founder of The Run Experience, an online community that helps runners train to become stronger, faster, and more well-rounded athletes. He is also my personal strength training coach and has helped me become a healthier, more resilient runner over the past few years.Nate and I caught up recently after a run and talked about his evolution as an athlete and a coach, how his own injury frustrations led him to think differently about his approach to strength training, and how all of those things intersected to land him where he is today. This was a great conversation and there’s a lot to take away from it, especially if you’ve been dealing with injury frustrations of your own.This episode is brought to you by Maurten, the sports fuel used by many of the world’s top marathoners, including Eliud Kipchoge, Mo Farah, Mary Keitany, and Des Linden, to name a few. Maurten has set up a special contest for listeners of the morning shakeout where you can win heaps of free product. Here’s what you have to do: Go to maurten.com/AMshakeout and register with your email address. At the end of Maurten’s 4-week sponsorship of this podcast they are going to draw 10 winners at random. Each winner will get a full box of 160 drink mix, a full box of 320 drink mix, and a full box of GEL 100s. That entire package is valued at over $130! Enter for your chance to win at maurten.com/AMshakeout.Complete show notes: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-42-with-nate-helming/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"As far as balance goes, and how do you make it all work, some people call BS and say balance is not attainable, and I think there are moments in life where it feels like it's not, but I think if you can really hone yourself in on the things that are important to you at different parts of your life, it can be.” It was super fun to sit down recently with Lindsey Hein, host of the popular I’ll Have Another podcast, for a wide-ranging exchange that got into the weeds of podcasting (of course), including the origins of her show, how it’s evolved over the past 150+ episodes, what makes for a good conversation, and more.But that's not all! We talked about Hein's introduction to the sport back in high school and how her relationship with running has changed over the years. We also discussed the difficult decision to have a double mastectomy after she found out she was positive for the BRCA2 gene mutation—a story that caught the attention of Women’s Running magazine and landed her on on the cover back in 2014—and why she doesn't really talk about it all that often.Hein is also a mom of four young boys and shares what she's learned about running during and after pregnancy. She also explains how she and her husband Glen, who is also a competitive runner, have raised their kids in a two-runner household and make it all work. Along those lines, we got into the myth of balance and how it sways depending on what’s going on in your life.And there’s a ton more. We covered a lot of ground in this conversation, from personal to professional and all sorts of stuff in between, and I think you'll take a lot away from it.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford at BaresRecords.comThis episode is brought to you by Maurten, the sports fuel used by many of the world’s top marathoners, including Eliud Kipchoge, Mo Farah, Mary Keitany, and this week’s guest, Des Linden, to name a few. Maurten has set up a special contest for listeners of the morning shakeout where you can win heaps of free product. Here’s what you have to do: Go to maurten.com/AMshakeout and register with your email address. At the end of Maurten’s 4-week sponsorship of this podcast they are going to draw 10 winners at random. Each winner will get a full box of 160 drink mix, a full box of 320 drink mix, and a full box of GEL 100s. That entire package is valued at over $130! Enter for your chance to win at maurten.com/AMshakeout.Complete show notes: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-41-with-lindsey-hein/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"I talk about why I had success in Boston—it’s a 26.2-mile race that this year felt like 30, right? You add in the wind, and the conditions, and it suddenly feels longer, which is part of why I have this advantage in my mind. And so why not test that theory out in the actual distance? I think I can finish a marathon feeling like I can probably go another 10 miles, I just couldn’t go a lick faster, so let’s see how far we can extend that. I think those are all intriguing to me."I'm super excited to welcome my first returning guest back to the show: 2018 Boston Marathon champion Des Linden. Linden and I last spoke on Episode 3 in late January, a couple months before she won the race that changed her life. A lot has transpired since she broke the tape on Boylston Street in mid-April, including the launch of Linden & True Coffee, a coaching change, more media appearances than she can remember, and a sixth-place finish at the New York City Marathon a little over a month ago.Linden and I caught up recently at The Running Event in Austin, Texas and talked about all of those things in great detail and then some, including where her scrappiness and competitiveness come from, why her win in Boston was so validating, the importance of having confidence, trust, and faith in yourself on race day, the advantages of training in a group versus training alone, how her training has changed since leaving the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project, what the rest of her competitive marathon career looks like and why ultra-distance races appeal to her, what's exciting her in running right now, why it's important to tell your story, and a lot more.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford at BaresRecords.comThis episode is brought to you by Maurten, the sports fuel used by many of the world’s top marathoners, including Eliud Kipchoge, Mo Farah, Mary Keitany, and this week’s guest, Des Linden, to name a few. Maurten has set up a special contest for listeners of the morning shakeout where you can win heaps of free product. Here’s what you have to do: Go to maurten.com/AMshakeout and register with your email address. At the end of Maurten’s 4-week sponsorship of this podcast they are going to draw 10 winners at random. Each winner will get a full box of 160 drink mix, a full box of 320 drink mix, and a full box of GEL 100s. That entire package is valued at over $130! Enter for your chance to win at maurten.com/AMshakeout.Complete show notes: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-40-with-des-linden/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"I think my purpose is to share peoples' stories, share my story, share any stories that will impact peoples' lives. And I love the idea of the content that I create living beyond me, I do. I try not to get too wrapped up in legacy and all that crap but when I do allow myself to take a step back and look at the work that I'm creating, to have it impact people, beyond just the small circle of runners, to actually create runners—people who have told me that they started running, not necessarily 100 milers, but marathons, 5Ks, because they've seen a film of mine—man, you can't put a price on that."I really enjoyed sitting down with my friend Billy Yang for this week's episode of the podcast. Billy has been one of my most requested guests since I started the show a year ago and I was finally able to pin him down for an hour last week at The Running Event in Austin, Texas. (Spoiler alert: An hour wasn’t nearly enough time to cover all the things I wanted to cover, so I’m going to have to have Billy back for a round 2 at some point. And with any luck, it won’t take another year for that to happen.)For those of you who don’t know, Billy is one of the preeminent filmmakers—and now podcasters—in the trail and ultra running space. If you’re not familiar with his work, I recommend checking some of it out for yourself at billyyangfilms.com or The Billy Yang Podcast wherever you like to listen to audio content. It's inspired me on many different levels and I can guarantee you that it will move in some way.Billy and I touched on a number of different topics in this conversation, including how we got our respective starts in the storytelling business and why we do what we do, when he picked up his first video camera and realized it was something he wanted to play around with and eventually pursue, and how losing his dad spurred a lifestyle change that led to him quit smoking and take up running. We also talked about struggling with low self-esteem throughout his life and how he’s worked through those times, self-consciousness and dealing with outside opinions, embracing the journey and living the life that’s authentic to him, what he sees as his personal purpose, and so much more.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford at BaresRecords.comComplete show notes: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-39-with-billy-yang/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“I'm just excited about being a part of the sport—my love for running and the community continues to evolve. My boy, 4 years old, did the turkey trot yesterday and he loves to race. We go to the track at Point Loma Nazarene and [we're] raising that next generation of runners. There's a lot of up-and-coming athletes that I think are going to do some pretty incredible things and so again, I think it's on us, as the promoters of the sport, the media, journalists, the shoe companies, the industry people to all take a look in the mirror over the holidays here in 2018 and really decide, 'What do we want 2019 to look like and what do we want 2020 to look like?' We get to write our own history and change the game how we want it to be changed, so I think that cooperation and collaboration and storytelling is really what gets me excited about the future of running.” It was a lot of fun to sit down with my former colleague, Dan Cruz, for a freewheeling conversation that gets into the weeds of what's happening right now in different areas of the running world.Cruz is the former vice president of communications and public relations for the Competitor Group, where he worked from 2008 through the end of 2017. During that time, he focused a lot of his energy and attention on the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series, attending hundreds of events around the world, directing all external communications as well as social media strategy, and sharing stories from the front of the field and the back of the pack alike.We jumped all over the place over the course of this hour-long chat, talking about Cruz' career and how he got into the running industry despite having no prior experience in it—or even real interest in the sport—and the ways in which his passion for the sport grew and evolved over the course of 10 years, professionally as well as personally; the power of storytelling and why it's important for growing the sport's fanbase; the ever-changing landscape of the running media and where he sees it going; running culture, what that term means to him, and why it's important; why he thinks the sport needs more trash talking and rivalries to help make it more interesting to follow; and much, much more.This episode is brought to you by Path Projects. This new U.S.-based running apparel company designs and manufactures technically advanced running shorts, base liners, shirts and headwear. Enter for a chance to win 1 of 10 PATH Projects hats at http://pathprojects.com/TMS. Get a bonus entry by following @pathprojects on Instagram.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford at BaresRecords.comComplete show notes: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-38-with-dan-cruz/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Running is such a passion for me and such a source of joy. It's really my way of experiencing life but also a way of exploring the world, and so I really look at it from that lens and I'm always interested in new ways of exploring either the planet or my own capabilities or bringing other people along with me who maybe haven't done something as long or as vert-y, or whatever, and that kind of is what drew me to trail running in the first place."Really enjoyed sitting down with Ladia Albertson-Junkans for the podcast this week. The 32-year-old is one of trail and ultrarunning's rising stars, along with being one of the sport's most versatile athletes. Albertson-Junkans, a two-time cross-country All-American at the University of Minnesota, has accomplished a lot in the past few years, and here are some of the highlights, in no particular order: She made her ultrarunning debut in 2017 at the competitive Chuckanut 50K in Bellingham, Washington, winning in 4:17:44, and then represented the United States at the IAU World Trail Running Championships that summer, where she finished 13th overall. She followed that up earlier this year with a win at the Way Too Cool 50K in California in 3:44:01, the fourth-fastest time in race history, and top-five finishes at both the Broken Arrow Skyrace and Speedgoat 50K this past summer. She's also very good at running uphill, finishing fourth at the 2016 U.S. Mountain Running Championships, which qualified her for that summer's world championships, where she finished 15th and helped the U.S. to a bronze medal in the team race. Oh yeah, Albertson-Junkans also qualified for the 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon this past May with a 2:41:52 clocking at the Silo District Marathon in Waco, Texas, which she ran to support her best friend and college teammate, Gabe Grunewald.We covered a lot of different topics over the course of our recent conversation, including the cancellation of the North Face Endurance Challenge Championships, where Albertson-Junkans was set to make her 50-mile debut; her sense of adventure and how she's able to meld it with her competitive interests; getting into ultrarunning and what she's learned during her short time in the sport; versatility as an athlete and why that's important to her; coaching herself and how she builds flexibility into her training schedule; the power of community and its role in the furtherment and longterm health of the sport; the importance of having a team behind her throughout her competitive running career; what's inspiring her to try and qualify for next year's Western States Endurance Run; and much, much more.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford at BaresRecords.comComplete show notes: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-37-with-ladia-albertson-junkans/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"If some of the people at the very front would start with these groups in the very back and see people's journeys, they would be changed—and they would realize, not only are these people working so hard at it but they [will] actually physically see what they go through to get to where they are. You know, I have people come up to me at races and say, 'I know you won't believe this, but I used to weigh 500 pounds.' And you're looking at somebody that weighs like 180 pounds and they've lost 320 pounds, and they say, 'Yeah, I couldn't even walk out to my car without stopping and sitting down. I'd get out to the curb and had to sit down because I was out of breath.' And now they're going to run a marathon. How does this transformation happen? Something gets to 'em...there's something out there. When we connect those people, that's when our sport is really going to take off."It's an honor to welcome Bart Yasso to the podcast this week. Known as "The Mayor of Running," the 62-year-old Yasso retired from Runner's World at the end of 2017 after 30 years with the publication. Yasso, who served as Chief Running Officer for the last 10 years of his career, attended thousands of races around the world, serving as an ambassador for the sport at all levels and celebrating the achievements of top finishers and average runners alike. And while he hasn't exactly stopped doing those things since entering retirement, he's scaled his event travel back significantly to spend more time at home and on the golf course.Yasso and I caught up recently and talked about all sorts of stuff, from how he got his start in running to how he landed his dream job at Runner's World in the late 1980s, and how his role there evolved over the course of three decades. We got into his retirement and how he's spending his time now that he's not traveling to an event every weekend of the year. There was some discussion about the state of the sport, the various ways that it's grown and changed over the last several decades, and how we can do a better job connecting the front of the field with the back of the pack. We talked about running media, the various directions it's gone over the years, and where he sees it heading moving forward. Yasso also shared his thoughts on how runners of all levels can inspire one another, his ongoing struggles with Lyme disease, Yasso 800s (of course!), and a lot more.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford at BaresRecords.comComplete show notes: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-26-with-bart-yasso/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Not to sound cheesy, but anything is possible. I think that when you set your mind to something, and make a plan on how to get there, then you just chip away at what the next step of the plan is and you keep working up to the next step on the staircase basically—and it’s amazing how far you can go.”Really enjoyed sitting down with two-time U.S. Olympian Kim Conley this past weekend after she finished fourth at the NYRR Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K, a race which doubled as the U.S. 5K road championships for 2018.The 32-year-old Conley, who has been battling a series of injuries since early 2017, is finally healthy again and setting her sights on returning to the track in 2019. Based in Sacramento, where she lives and trains with her husband and coach, Drew Wartenburg, Conley ran collegiately at nearby U.C. Davis, where she graduated in 2009 with modest personal bests of 16:17 for 5000m and 4:22 in the 1500. Despite not being fast enough to land a sponsorship deal after college, Conley knew that she still had some unfinished business in the sport, so she decided to stick with it. It’s a decision that has certainly paid off: Conley has made the last two Olympic teams in the 5000m, captured national titles in the 10,000m and half marathon, and improved her personal bests to 15:08 and 4:07, respectively.We covered a wide range of topics in this conversation, including: what Conley has taken away from her most recent injury experience; her marathon debut in 2016 and what she learned from that race (and why she’s going to stay focused on the track through 2020); the state—and strength—of American women’s distance running right now; her own progression in the sport, from good but not great high school and college runner to two-time Olympian and national champion; her new upcoming biography, Underdog, which comes out next spring; the shutting down of NorCal Distance, her current training situation in Sacramento, and what’s it like to be coached by her husband, Drew Wartenburg; what other runners can take away from her story; and much, much more.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford at BaresRecords.comComplete show notes: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-35-with-kim-conley/ ‎Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"It's really inspiring to see someone push themselves and challenge themselves...Bringing out the achievements of people who are fighting the odds, and really putting into context today's race, even for a pro, because even a pro is overcoming something tremendous each race they do—it's never rosy. And understanding that hardship, I think, will give people context into the meaning of a particular race for a particular runner, whether they're an amateur or the world's best."It's a treat to have filmmaker Sanjay Rawal on the podcast this week to talk about his new documentary, "3100: Run and Become," which takes an intimate look at one of the most unique foot races on the planet, The Sir Chinmoy 3100-Mile Self-Transcendence Race. What is the 3100? In short, it's the longest certified road race in the world, and runners attempt to complete 3100 miles in 52 days (or less) around the same city block in Queens, New York. That's just shy of 60 miles per day, for two months straight, around the same 0.55-mile stretch of concrete, in the middle of summertime. The 43-year-old Rawal, who lives in New York City but grew up as a competitive runner in California's East Bay, studied under Sri Chinmoy after graduating from UC Berkeley. Chinmoy, who passed away in 2007, was an Indian spiritual teacher who believed running provided an opportunity for people to challenge themselves and their pre-conceived limitations, a state he referred to as “self-transcendence.” Rawal, who has not yet attempted the 3100, has been working on the film since 2015. In it, he explores the theme of running as a spiritual practice throughout history, weaving three other cultural narratives around the story of the 2016 edition of the 3100. Rawal visits Arizona's Navajo Nation, spends time with the Mt. Hiei "running monks" of Japan, and also goes into the bush with the persistence hunters of the Kalahari, showing how running is one of mankind's most primal activities as well as one of our greatest cultural connectors.  We covered a wide range of topics in the course of this conversation, including Rawal's film, how it came to be, and how it's changed him as both a person and a runner; the 3100-Mile Self-Transcendence Race, its origins, and its unique appeal; the role that running plays in the different cultures featured in the film; the connection between competition and spirituality; what can be done to make coverage of running events more appealing; the idea that running is something more than a competitive pursuit or form of exercise, but it can serve as a teacher, a form of prayer, and a celebration of life; running culture and what that means exactly; and much, much more.This exchange was very different from many of the others I've had to this point—there was no talk about training, nutrition, recovery, or the state of the sport—but it was also one of the most enlightening that I've had in quite some time. Whether you're a competitive athlete or recreational runner, a miler or an ultramarathoner, this conversation will change the way you look at running and the role it plays in your life.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford at BaresRecords.comComplete show notes: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-34-with-sanjay-rawal/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"You have to look at it like a business. What do you want the culture of your team to be? Focus on that and make sure that the people you're working with are bought into what you're doing. Because I'm telling you right now, you could raise Bill Bowerman from the dead and he could write your schedule, but if you don't have the people that you're working with believing in you, and believing in each other, and believing in what they're doing, it's not going to work."It was a blast to sit down with Ben Rosario, the founder and head coach of HOKA Northern Arizona Elite, for this week's episode of the podcast.The 38-year-old Rosario, who started the team in 2014, has had a long and varied career in the running industry. As an athlete, he ran for the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project, qualified for two U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, and finished second at the U.S. Marathon Championships in 2005. He moved back to his hometown of St. Louis that earlier that year, where he first worked as the special events director for that city's marathon, and then went on to co-found Big River Running Company. After selling his share of the business in early 2012 and moving to Flagstaff shortly thereafter, Rosario worked as the marketing director for McMillan Running and also did some work as an elite athlete coordinator and race director back in his hometown of St. Louis. Through it all, Rosario has coached other runners at all levels, leading him to his current role with HOKA NAZ Elite, "a professional sports team whose mission is to recruit, develop and produce distance runners to compete at the very highest level of international athletics."We covered a lot of bases over the course of this conversation: Rosario's career path, and the route he took to get where he is today; how he got into coaching and the influence different coaches have had on his own development as an athlete, coach, and person; what race weekend looks like for him when he's got athletes competing; the origins of NAZ Elite and how he sees the group evolving in the coming years; how he measures his team's impact beyond race results; what NAZ Elite is doing to make themselves relatable to average runners; the benefits of group training for all levels of runners; the importance of rest and recovery after a marathon and what that looks like for his athletes; how he furthers his own education as a coach and his advice for young coaches; what's exciting him about the sport right now, and a lot more.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford at BaresRecords.comComplete show notes: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-33-with-ben-rosario/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“I could remember standing at the start line the next year and [seeing] how impactful what I do—that solidified it for me—how impactful a job I have to see the world come here and run this race. And when the howitzer went off, I couldn’t pull myself away and I was really overwhelmed at the time. It was a testament to all the work we do to put this on and just standing there and seeing the people run past the start line…it was just overwhelming, but it was something I’ll always, always remember.”Really enjoyed sitting down with Peter Ciaccia, president of events at the New York Road Runners and race director for the New York City Marathon, for the podcast this week!Ciaccia, 65, will be retiring next month after 18 years with the organization. He took over race director duties for the world’s largest and most popular marathon in 2015 and oversees the production of every NYRR event throughout the year. Ciaccia, who is “committed to growing and sustaining a vibrant, inclusive running community,” has helped grow NYRR's total number of finishers by over 40 percent.We covered a lot of ground in this conversation, including: what he’ll miss most about his job, and the mark he hopes to leave on the organization—and the sport—when he steps down after this year’s New York City Marathon; how he plans to spend his time in retirement and the origins of his impeccable fashion sense; his upbringing in the Bronx and how that shaped his passion for health and fitness; why he first got involved with the NYRR in 2001 and how his role there has evolved over the years; his time working in the music industry and how that experience has influenced the way he thinks about and puts on running events.I asked Ciaccia about the importance of professional athletes to races and what he’s done to help bridge the gap between the front of the pack and the back of the field; anti-doping and NYRR’s Run Clean initiative, which he spearheaded in 2015, and why that’s so important for the sport; the NYRR Youth Wheelchair Training Program, which he helped launch in 2016, and the opportunities it’s created for disabled kids; and whole lot more.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford at BaresRecords.comComplete show notes here: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-32-with-peter-ciaccia/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"I grew up with faith and I do think that my life has a purpose—and maybe it's not what I thought it was going to be, but I think that it does help me at some junctures with this disease. This isn't how I would have chosen my life to turn out at all but maybe this is my way of fulfilling my life's purpose and trying to raise awareness for these rare diseases that really do actually need it. I would never have raised my hand to do this, but someone has to."I’m super excited to have one of running’s most impressive power couples joining me on the podcast this week: Gabe and Justin Grunewald.Gabe is one of the top middle-distance runners in the United States. She has run 4:01 for 1500m and was fourth at the Olympic Trials in that event in 2012. In 2014, she won a national title in the 3000m and has been competing at the top of the sport for close to 10 years now. But beyond all that, she’s got an incredible story, one that involves a near decade-long battle with adenoid cystic carcinoma, a rare, incurable form of cancer that’s returned four times since she was first diagnosed in 2009. She’s had multiple surgeries, chemotherapy and immunotherapy treatments, and just has generally been on a crazy rollercoaster ride with the disease since the age of 22.Justin, her husband, is a super solid runner in his own right. He’s qualified for the Olympic Trials in the marathon and is now a budding ultrarunner, who I’ve been fortunate to coach since last fall. By day, or night rather, he’s a doctor, working long shifts in the hospital, and has a very intimate understanding of the seriousness of his wife's condition.It was a real treat to sit down with these two recently to talk about all kinds of stuff, from how they met as student-athletes at the University of Minnesota to Justin’s foray into trail and ultrarunning and what Gabe thinks about it; we got into Gabe’s health situation, what she’s been through over the past two years, how her relationship with running has evolved in that time, and the competitive goals she still has for herself; we talked about her role as a cancer advocate, starting the Brave Like Gabe Foundation, and coaching celebrity Chip Gaines for his first marathon, to what it’s like for Justin, as an MD, to be so close to the situation on both a personal and professional level. We talked about the power of positivity and living life to the fullest, what Gabe and Justin hope people take away from her story, and so, so much more.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford at BaresRecords.comComplete show notes here: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-31-with-gabe-and-justin-grunewald/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"I'm not trying to build some empire where I need to be liked by as many people as possible. I just want to be myself and be myself publicly—until I don't anymore, then I'll just shut down all my social media accounts."Stoked to welcome Lauren Fleshman to the podcast this week! Fleshman, who turns 37 on Wednesday, is a retired professional athlete who still maintains sponsorships with Oiselle and a number of other brands. She's won two national titles, has represented the United States in numerous international competitions, and, in 2011, placed seventh in the 5,000m at the world championships in South Korea. These days, Fleshman wears a lot of hats: mom to two young children, wife to professional triathlete Jesse Thomas, co-founder of Picky Bars along with Thomas and professional marathoner Stephanie Bruce, coach of Little Wing, a small group of elite female runners based in Bend, Oregon, practicing writer, and one of running's most outspoken advocates on a variety of topics and issues.We talked about a lot of different things over the course of this 60-ish minute conversation: coaching, how the various coaches she worked with throughout her own athletic career have influenced her current perspective and philosophy, and what can be done to create more opportunities for coaches, especially females; Picky Bars, and how she and husband Jesse Thomas don’t let the business consume every moment of their lives; her recent recommitment to leaving the sport better than she found it and using her platform to spur meaningful change even though she's no longer competing; her current relationship with running and what she misses most about being a professional athlete; what's changed in the sport since she turned pro in 2003 and whether or not she's worried about the sport's future; the advice she'd give 21-year-old Lauren upon graduating college; writing, when it came into her life, and what her process looks like; and much, much more.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford at BaresRecords.comComplete show notes here: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-30-with-lauren-fleshman/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"To me that's faith. To me that's faith in running. So I think runners understand faith because a lot of times we don't really see something and it might even take years, but then it's like 'Whoa! Where did that come from?' But it was actually because you stuck with it—something in you believed."Really excited to have Mario Mendoza join me on the podcast this week! Mendoza, a 32-year-old from Bend, Oregon, is a five-time national trail running champion, three-time USATF Trail Runner of the Year, and has represented the United States six times in international competition. He's placed in the top-10 at the last two IAU Trail World Championships, finishing sixth in 2018 and ninth in 2017. We recorded this episode the day before his last race—a third-place finish at the Under Armour Mountain Running Series 50K at Mt. Bachelor this past Saturday—and two days before the birth of his son, Jair Giovanni Mendoza.We covered a lot of ground over the course of this hour-long episode: the message he'll give his newborn son upon entering the world, what it was like growing up in a Mexican family on an avocado ranch in Cambria, California and how that experience has shaped his perspective on life and running, his work as a pastor and what faith means to him, how he got into running and the various ways his career has progressed and evolved over the years, why he's constantly reminding himself not to get caught up in outcomes when it comes to racing, why representing the United States at global championships is so important to him, and a whole lot more.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford at BaresRecords.comComplete show notes here: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-29-with-mario-mendoza/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"My goal isn't to garner more media attention or to shock the world or to even top Boston. My goal is to keep the love of the sport, to stay healthy, and to continue chipping away at times because ultimately I think [that] kind of like Des Linden has shown the world, if you are able to stay healthy and train consistently for a long period of time, that's where you get really good."Stoked to have Sarah Sellers on the podcast this week! The 27-year-old Sellers, who works as a nurse anesthetist in Arizona, was the surprise second-place finisher at April's Boston Marathon, running a personal-best of 2:44:04 in cold, windy, wet conditions. Sellers, who took home $75,000 for her efforts, didn't realize she was the runner-up until after she crossed the finish line.In this conversation, we talked a bit about what's changed for her since Boston while looking ahead to her next big race, the New York City Marathon on November 4.  We also discussed whether or not she's felt an added layer of pressure after her breakthrough performance at Boston, how she's learned to move on from bad races, where her mental toughness comes from, injuries and the changes she's made to her training and lifestyle in order to stay healthy, defining herself as more than just a "runner," balancing training at a high level with working a demanding hospital job, the importance of the support system she surrounds herself with, and a lot more.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford at BaresRecords.comComplete show notes here: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-28-with-sarah-sellers/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"When you have things that are out of your control, that are weighing on you and really causing you angst on a daily basis, your running is not going to be what you want it to be. It can be a great escape, it can be a place you go to find calmness and peace in your heart and your mind, but you're not going to perform at all what you're capable of performing."Thrilled to welcome Kara Goucher to the podcast this week! Goucher, who recently turned 40, hardly needs any introduction: She's a two-time U.S. Olympian, world championships silver medalist in the 10,000m, sub-2:25 marathoner, and has finished on the podium at both the New York City and Boston marathons. Beyond her competitive accomplishments, Goucher serves as a role model to runners worldwide, particularly women and young women, who are inspired by her example.We talked about a number of different topics over the course of 40 minutes, including how she's dealt with racing anxiety throughout her career, the impetus behind her new book, Strong, what life's been like for her since speaking up as a whistleblower in the Nike Oregon Project investigation three years ago, how she navigated the disappointment of finishing fourth at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon, what's keeping her competitive fire fueled at the age of 40, the effect training with other world-class women like Shalane Flanagan, Jenny Simpson, and Emma Coburn has had on her career, the appeal of ultrarunning, what's exciting her about the sport right now, and a lot more.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Isaac at BaresRecords.comComplete show notes here: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-27-with-kara-goucher/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"And then at that same point, I was running and I found out that running was just the best vehicle and the best way and medium to know a place—and eventually, also [to] get to know yourself."Really enjoyed sitting down with Mauricio Díaz this week for a conversation that had nothing to do with training, racing, or current issues that exist within the sport. Instead, we talked about running as it relates to adventure and exploration while serving as a cultural common denominator around the world.Díaz is the VP of marketing for Aire Libre, a company out of Mexico City he accidentally co-founded with a couple of his friends that creates immersive weeklong running experiences that are partly athletic, but mostly cultural, extremely educational, and undoubtedly transformative.In this episode, we talked about the importance of culture and storytelling, and how those two elements are at the center of everything Aire Libre does, from the content they create to the experiences they cultivate. Díaz describes the group's initial adventure—56 miles through the Sonoran Desert in northwestern Mexico—along with some of the other culturally focused and socially conscious follow-ups he's led, such as running along the Arizona-Mexico border to explore the land of the Tohono O’odham nation, and many other stories that I think will pique your interest and may even get you to view running through a slightly different lens.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Isaac at BaresRecords.comComplete show notes here: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-26-with-mauricio-diaz/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"I think that if you maintain good relationships with people, if you act in a way that is helpful to others, that is kind, that is giving, and you just hold yourself to a high standard, then opportunities will appear before you—and [when they do], just say yes."Super excited to welcome YiOu Wang to the podcast this week! YiOu is the reigning U.S. 50K trail champion, two-time winner of the Lake Sonoma 50, and an Olympic Trials Marathon qualifier with a personal best of 2:38:46, in addition to being an Under Armour and Camlebak-sponsored athlete. Full disclosure: I coach YiOu—we've been working together for the past 2-1/2 years—and this episode marks the first time I've interviewed one of my own athletes for the podcast.We covered a lot of ground in this 90-minute conversation, including YiOu's recent year-long trip around the world—she and her husband were working as teachers—where she visited (and ran in!) numerous countries, experienced many different cultures, and stuck to a training schedule despite being in a new place every few days. We also talked about immigrating to the U.S. as a young child, "almost failing P.E. because I couldn't run the mile," what inspired her to take up running in college, chopping nearly an hour off of her marathon personal best over the course of seven years, transitioning to (and training for) trail and ultra running, where her competitiveness comes from, and much, much more.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Isaac at BaresRecords.comComplete show notes here: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-25-with-yiou-wang/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"My first run ever, I remember just having the feeling of so much joy. I said, "Wow, how come I've never experienced this before in the pool? This is so cool." And it was more about just the fact that I had this feeling of being competitive that never really clicked in swimming." And the rest, as they say, is history. It's a huge honor to have Magdalena Boulet as my guest on the podcast this week. Magda is one of the most incredible athletes—and human beings—that I've ever had the fortune of getting to know. The 44-year-old Boulet, who grew up in Poland and moved to Germany before immigrating to the United States as a teenager, made the 2008 U.S. Olympic team in the marathon (and owns a personal best of 2:26:22 for the distance), has qualified for numerous national teams, and, over the last five years, has established herself as a top international ultramarathon runner, winning the prestigious Western States Endurance Run in 2015 and, most recently, the grueling Marathon des Sables, a six-day, 250-ish kilometer stage race through the Sahara Desert.Boulet, who works at GU Energy Labs in Berkeley, California as the VP of Innovation, Research, and Development, has called the Bay Area home for over two decades. She's married to former elite miler, Richie Boulet, and the couple has a young son, Owen.We covered a lot of ground in the course of this hour-long conversation and I felt like we barely scratched the surface of Magda's story, what she's accomplished at various distances and disciplines throughout her competitive career, and how she's able to juggle competing at an elite level with being a wife, mom, and executive, amognst other things, so we'll just have to schedule a Round 2 for another time.But, there's plenty we did talk about, including:— Her beginnings at GU Energy Labs in 1998 and how that relationship has evolved over the years as an athlete and employee.— Growing up as a swimmer in Poland, moving to Germany for a brief period of time, and eventually immigrating to Long Beach, California, where she was exposed to running in her late teens.— Getting herself noticed as a junior college runner by tripling at the state meet and how that eventually led to her to Cal and coach Tony Sandoval.— Transitioning to Cal and falling in love with Berkeley, California and the surrounding area. "I was sold within an hour," she told me.— Her relationship with her husband, Richie, how he inspired her to continue running competitively after college, and why he's been a voice of reason for her through the years.— Coach Jack Daniels, whom she worked with for many years after college, and the influence he had on her overall development as an athlete.— The disappointment of not making the Olympic team in 2004, the decision to have child a few months later, and what fueled her motivation leading up to the 2008 Trials.— How a nasty plantar fasciitis injury in October of 2007 had her contemplating retirement a little over six months out from the 2008 Olympic Trials.— The blow-by-blow of 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon in Boston, where she led a majority of the race and eventually finished second to Deena Kastor to make the Olympic team.— When (and why) she developed an itch for ultrarunning—and the steps she took to scratch it.— The unpredictability of racing an ultra versus the relative predictability of racing a marathon.— What still excites her from a competitive standpoint, and what's exciting her about running in general right now.— And much more.This episode of the morning shakeout podcast was edited by John Isaac at BaresRecords.com.Complete show notes here: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-24-with-magdalena-boulet/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"I have faith in myself that on my best day if someone is not having their best day, I might be able to get 'em. And that's enough to allow me to show up to a start line with some confidence and rest assured that I'm going to give my best and put my best effort out there. And if that puts me in last place, so be it, but I definitely show up feeling and knowing that on my best day I can compete with these guys."Stoked to welcome Noah Droddy to the podcast this week! The 27-year-old resident of Boulder, Colo., is among running's rising stars and one of the sport's most interesting, likable, and relatable personalities. Since finishing last in the 10,000m final at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials, where he received a swell of media attention for his unique looks and everyman persona, Droddy has established himself as a solid competitor on the roads, finishing second at the 2016 U.S. 10-mile championships, breaking 62 minutes at last year's New York City Marathon, and debuting in 2:16:26 at last fall's Chicago Marathon. Earlier this year, he "put some demons to rest" on the track, running a personal best of 28:07 for 10,000m at Stanford's Payton Jordan Invitational.In this conversation—a follow-up of sorts to an interview we did 15 months ago—Droddy and I talked about a wide range of topics, including:— What he learned from his first marathon last fall and how he’ll apply those lessons to his next marathon buildup.— The importance of taking breaks from training throughout the year and why that’s not a hard thing for him to do. “I don’t cool down [after my last race of the season],” he told me. “I go home, I shower, and it’s over. The last step of the race is the last step that I’m really thinking about.”— What a typical week of training looks like for him right now.— How things have changed for him in the last year since signing a contract with Saucony.— The importance of staying involved in his local running community and connecting with other runners.— Training with the Roots Running Project and how that’s been a major contributor to his development as an athlete in the past few years.— His relationship with his coach Richey Hansen and how it's evolved—along with his training—since he moved to Boulder in 2015.— Being naive about the marathon and why that excites him at this point of his career.— How he keeps himself in check when he’s racing against a bunch of guys with personal bests faster than his own.— Hiking the John Muir Trail for six weeks after college and what was so transformative about that experience.— The importance of balancing out his running with other interests and what he does to occupy his time when he’s not training and racing.— Life after competitive running and what he’s doing to set himself up for the future.— Working closely with his sponsors and giving the brands that support him a return on their investment. “We just need to redefine our roles and just think about ourselves as more than just athletes,” Droddy says. “And really the whole sport would benefit from that.”— His signature facial hair and the method behind his mustachioed madness. “I try to pull it out for important occasions,” he explained to me.— The coverage of running in the media, why it’s suffering, and what can be done to make it more exciting and appealing to fans. — What’s exciting him in the sport of running right now.— A lot more.This episode of the morning shakeout podcast was edited by John Isaac at BaresRecords.com.Complete show notes here: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-23-with-noah-droddy/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"I really believe that running is such a great way to challenge us and to add that difficulty to our life in a very controlled way so that we can deal with challenge and adversity. And I love that. I love getting to the crux of a workout. I go out hard in races and workouts because I want to suffer early on so I can find ways to get through it. And to me it’s always been a game—just this playful pursuit of seeing how badly I can hurt and then what tools I can learn to get through it…When I can handle these challenges in running continuously, then when something shows up in life, I feel like it’s a breeze to get through it." Honored to welcome Deena Kastor to the podcast this week. The 45-year-old, who lives in Mammoth Lakes, California with her husband (and coach) Andrew and daughter Piper, is an Olympic bronze medalist in the marathon, multi-time national champion at various distances, and holds numerous American records, including the still-standing women’s marathon mark of 2:19:36. She also holds multiple Masters world and American records from 5K to the marathon.Kastor, who published her first book, Let Your Mind Run, in April, recently sat down with me to discuss a wide range of topics, including:— Living and training in Mammoth Lakes, California, a place she’s called home since 2000.— The launch of the Mammoth Track Club 18 years ago and how it’s evolved since then.— What keeps her going and brings her excitement at the age of 45.— Writing her memoir, Let Your Mind Run, and what that experience was like.— The importance of surrounding yourself with a great team, both in running and in life.— Training under coach Joe Vigil after graduating from Arkansas in 1996 and how he helped shape her life philosophy: “If you have it, share it.”— Using disappointment as a means to fuel the next big breakthrough.— How training for and racing cross-country “feeds her soul” and helps her become a better racer on the track and on the roads.— Transitioning to the marathon as a means to get stronger for the 10K. “I wouldn’t even call myself a marathoner [at the time],” she admitted to me. “I was a 10K racer using the marathon to strengthen myself for the track.”— The buildup to the 2004 Olympic Games and what it felt like to bring home an Olympic medal.— Breaking 2:20 in the marathon to set a still-standing American record in 2006 and who she thinks might be able to break it. “I don’t believe the record is mine to own,” she told me.— Dropping out of the Boston Marathon in April due to hypothermia and where she was when she learned that Des Linden had won the race.— What’s exciting her in running right now.— And a whole lot more.This was a fun conversation and gives a good glimpse into how one of America's greatest distance runners thinks about and approaches her craft. Listen in, learn, and be inspired by one of the most accomplished athletes of our generation. This episode of the morning shakeout podcast was edited by John Isaac at BaresRecords.com.Complete show notes here: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-22-with-deena-kastor/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"And I thought, "My god, I'll never get to that level." And if someone at that level can't make a go of it in the sport, and you want to make a go of it in the sport, you're going to have to do a lot more than win races, or just race. You're going to have to figure out other revenue streams to make a go of it, especially if you want to commit your life to this, which I really did."It was a treat to have Dean Karnazes join me on the podcast this week. The 55-year-old Bay Area resident remains one of the most recognizable figures in ultrarunning—if not all of running in general—for his accomplishments on and off the race course, which include multiple sub-24 hour Western States finishes, 10 Badwater finishes (including a win in 2004), 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days, cross-country runs, a 350-mile run on no sleep, and countless more.Karnazes' achievements have inspired many, and angered some, but the breadth of Karnazes' impact on the sport, and peoples' lives, is inarguable. He's authored four books, including the international best-seller Ultramarathon Man, which helped bring widespread notoriety to the sport of ultrarunning and led Time magazine to name him one of 100 most influential people in the world. Karnazes, who has sponsorship endorsements with The North Face and other brands, has also done a lot of work for charity, including Karno Kids, which has helped provide financial support for organizations and programs focused on improving health and wellness for children.We covered a wide range of topics in this episode, including:— His recent experience at the Western States Endurance Run, where he finished in just over 27 hours.— How Western States as an event has evolved since he last ran the race 10 years ago.— The current competitive landscape of ultrarunning and how it's impacting the sport.— His role in the sport of ultrarunning and how its evolved over the past couple decades.— His 22-year relationship with The North Face and helping launch The Endurance Challenge Series 11 years ago.— Advice he'd give other athletes looking to make a living in the sport.— The biggest lessons he's learned as an athlete and how he's applied them to other areas of his life. "I take a 360-degree approach in everything I do," Karnazes told me. "Training, strength-training, diet, of course, sleep, of course, interpersonal relationships—all of these things make you the best animal you can be—so I've really focused on all of those things as I've gotten older."— His approach to training and how it's changed over the years.— The benefits of hiring a coach for his 50 marathons in 50 states and 50 days endeavor in 2006.— Tips for running strong after the age of 50.— What brings him the most fulfillment—and what keeps him going after two-plus decades in the sport.— How he thinks about pain and why he considers it the definition of fun.— What can be done to knock down some of the barriers of entry into ultrarunning.— The importance of his family's support over the years and the advice he'd give to other ultrarunners whose families might not understand their commitment and passion for the sport.— A whole lot more.This episode of the morning shakeout podcast was edited by John Isaac at BaresRecords.com.Complete show notes here: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-21-with-dean-karnazes/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"I’ve never been a person to think that just because someone has a better PR than me that they’re going to beat me. I think that it’s important to have belief in yourself and your capabilities. You have to believe that you’re going to do something great before it actually happens."Thrilled to have Kellyn Taylor join me on the podcast this week. The 31-year-old mom, who trains in Flagstaff, Ariz., as a member of coach Ben Rosario’s HOKA Northern Arizona Elite squad, ran a 2:24 at Grandma’s Marathon on June 16. It was a four-minute personal best, two-minute course record, and the seventh-fastest marathon ever run by an American woman.Taylor’s breakthrough came just 61 days after being forced to drop out of April’s Boston Marathon with hypothermia, an experience she described as a disappointment and a blown opportunity. The Wichita State alum, who finished sixth in the marathon and fourth in the 10,000m at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials, was eighth at last fall’s New York City Marathon (2:29:56). She’s run personal bests in both the mile—4:33.4 indoors at Boston University in January—and marathon this year, and describes herself as a “jack of all trades.”Competitive running isn’t Taylor’s only pursuit, however; last fall, she successfully completed her coursework and training to be a firefighter, a topic we got into over the course of our conversation. “It’s something that I can just see myself just doing and being happy with for the duration of my working life,” she explained to me. “For me, one of my biggest goals in life is to never have a job that I don’t love. I’m 31 years old, almost 32, and so far, so good. If I can have that carry on for the next 30-35 years, I think that would be a special thing.”We covered quite a bit of ground in this episode, including:— Her breakthrough performance at Grandma’s Marathon.— What her husband said to her after she broke the tape.— How much time she takes off after a marathon.— Where she now sees herself on the map of U.S. women’s marathoning.— How she was feeling heading into the Boston Marathon (where she eventually dropped out due to hypothermia).— Her thoughts on why many of the elite women struggled so much at Boston this year.— When (and why) she decided to run Grandma’s Marathon.— What her training looked like in the two months between Boston and Grandma’s.— Where her self-confidence comes from and how she uses it to her advantage.— Reflections on the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon, where she finished sixth, and what she would do differently if she were in that situation again.— How she’s a different runner now versus when she joined NAZ Elite 4-1/2 years ago.— The importance of a longterm coach-athlete relationship and training in a group environment.— The appeal of firefighting and how she’s been able to juggle that with her training as an elite-level athlete. “I think that I can do it all, don’t get me wrong,” she told me.— Her aversion to foam rolling and strength-training. “I have like five foam rollers,” she admitted to me. “I don’t use them. I don’t know why I keep buying them, but I have them.”— The lessons she wants her daughter to take away from her athletic pursuits.— A whole lot more.I really enjoyed this conversation with Kellyn and letting her share some of the secrets behind her recent success. If you’re looking for some insight on setting yourself up for a breakthrough or learning how to bounce back from a bad race, this episode is for you.This episode of the morning shakeout podcast was edited by John Isaac at BaresRecords.com.Complete show notes here: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-20-with-kellyn-taylor/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"I see it more as the type of runner, athlete, or individual who is looking for that experience and something that might change you a little bit. And that doesn't necessarily mean it can't be super competitive as well. For me, what racing the Sun Chasers in Death Valley taught me is that those experiences can be happening at the same time—it could be the rawest form of competition but at the same time be this moment of self-discovery. And so all of them being bundled up into that same thing just labeled 'experience' and I think that's the type of athlete, runner, or individual that is going to seek those things out—and I think there's definitely an interest there."Really excited to welcome Jason Ayr to the podcast this week. Ayr, who works as the controller at Tracksmith, finished 22nd at this year's Boston Marathon, running 2:29:53. The 30-year-old Ayr also captained Tracksmith's team to a second-place finish at The Speed Project 4.0—a 340-mile unsanctioned relay race running from Los Angeles to Las Vegas that's primary source of information, promotion, and documentation is through Instagram—a couple weeks prior, running dozens of hard miles in just under 36 hours.We covered all things TSP in this episode, including:— When he first became aware of The Speed Project and when Tracksmith decided to enter a team.— Whether or not he had hesitations about taking part in TSP 4.0. "If I had known how difficult it was going to be, there's no way I would have done it two weeks before a goal race," he admitted to me.— The 40 teams that made up The Speed Project: Who were they? And where did they come from?— The vibe amongst all the teams before, during, and after the event.— The logistics of navigating 340 miles through the desert with no real rules to follow.— How his team's race strategy evolved throughout the event.— The group dynamic after two days together under the hot sun, in close quarters, and on little sleep.— Preparing for TSP 4.0 while also training for the 2018 Boston Marathon.— The close battle that developed with a French team called the Sun Chasers.— When he cracked in the final hours and his teammates wouldn't allow him to run any more miles.— How the experience changed him.— Where underground, exhibition-style events like TSP fit into the overall running landscape in the coming years.— A whole bunch more.This conversation with Jason was a fun one and satisfied some of my curiosities about The Speed Project, which is the type of event I think we’re going to see a lot more of popping up in the coming years—events that go against the grain of the traditional running race, challenge established norms, and generate a fresh excitement that is equal parts competitive and experiential.This episode of the morning shakeout podcast was edited by John Isaac at BaresRecords.com.Complete show notes here: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-19-with-jason-ayr/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"What is a runner? To define it today, that's a question we have to ask. There are a lot of people out there who say, 'I'm not a runner' but they probably run 3 or 4 days a week, they might run 25 miles a week, but they also might do other things. The day of that loneliness of the long-distance runner, the guy in short shorts out there pounding the miles and training for a marathon—while we saw that popularity of the standard distances and that traditional kind of runner grow, it's plateaued, and even receding—if you look at races, they're struggling to hit the numbers that they want and need. But then you have all these events, there are all sorts of non-traditional things...there are these events that are happening, and they're challenging, and they're every bit running."Excited to welcome Runner's World "Runner-in-Chief" Jeff Dengate to the podcast. Dengate, who is on his third tour of duty at RW after recently wrapping up a second stint at Men's Journal, took over for Betty Wong-Ortiz in March and has been charged with leading the brand under its new owner, Hearst.Dengate, who got his start in media as a senior editor for NBA.com before leaving to be the web editor at Runner's World in 2007, is best known for his coverage of shoes and gear at both RW and Men's Journal (where he worked from 2014-2016, and again from August of last year until this past March).A runner for the past three decades—he ran his first 5K race while training for karate as a kid—Dengate has a current penchant for off-road races and low-key events. "It's a place for me, personally, where I like to spend my race entry fees," he told me.In this conversation, we talk about his new role at Runner's World, what brought him back to the brand for the third time, how its content focus has evolved in the short time he's had the reigns, and a lot more, including:— His favorite running shoe of all-time and what makes a good running shoe.— Runner's World's new look and feel—both in print and online—and the early feedback he's received on the changes it's undergone.— Why print magazines are still important in today's digitally-focused media landscape. "The commitment to a magazine is definitely here," Dengate told me.— The staffing changes that have taken place at RW in recent months and the importance of having consistent contributors producing content for the brand.— Which media brands outside the running space influence and inspire him.— How Mountain, Ultra, and Trail running fit into RW's coverage plans.— His thoughts on the importance of competitive running in the overall landscape of the sport.— The biggest challenge he faces as Runner-in-Chief and what success for Runner's World looks like in his eyes.— What's exciting him in running right now.— How he got into writing and media and his advice for anyone who wants to break into the industry.I really enjoyed this conversation with Jeff and it was great to hear firsthand what's going on at the sport's largest and most recognizable endemic media brand. If you've bought one of the last two issues of the magazine, or visited runnersworld.com in recent months, I think you'll be interested in what he has to say.This episode of the morning shakeout podcast was edited by John Isaac at BaresRecords.com.Complete show notes here: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-18-with-jeff-dengate/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"[Putting pressure on myself] is one thing that I found that I did a lot of and I think most runners tend to feel this huge expectation of having to perform. Whereas now, having a daughter, I can say to myself: "You know what? At the end of the day, if I don't run well today, she's not going to care whatsoever. If I run a world record, she doesn't really care; to her, me crossing the finish line is the same whether I run 2:20 in a marathon or 3:50." So I think it's just kind of keeping that reminder that I run because I enjoy it, not because I need to do it to get the reward, or the satisfaction of people complimenting me."It's a pleasure to welcome Tina Muir to the podcast. Muir, a 2:36 marathoner who represented Great Britain at the world half-marathon championships in 2016, gained notoriety last year after announcing that she was going to put her running career on hold after a 9-year battle with amenorrhea. Her story was picked up by Runner's World, ESPNW, and even People magazine, and sparked a conversation—and heightened awareness—around the condition, especially amongst female athletes. In the time since her story broke, Muir has launched a business, Running For Real, and given birth to a baby girl named Bailey. The 29-year-old is eyeing a return to competitive running in the near future.In this episode, we cover a lot of ground, including:— Getting back into running after giving birth to her daughter in January and what she's struggled with since becoming a new mom.— Her decision to "break up" with running last year and the attention it received in the media.— Why she "felt a bit lost" as it related to her running goals after representing Great Britain at the 2016 Half Marathon World Championships.— Reflections on her 9-year battle with amenorrhea and why it's long been a taboo topic amongst female athletes.— Her advice for women who find themselves in a similar situation.— How she felt about her identity—and body image—after she made the decision to stop running.— What she'll do differently as she gets back into training—and her competitive goals for the future.— Dealing with pressure—both external and self-induced—as an athlete and how she's learned to develop a better perspective in that regard.— The decision to start sharing her training on Strava when she got back into running earlier this year.— The disconnect that exists between elite runners and many middle and back-of-the-packers, and what can be done to close the gap.— How her own Running For Real podcast has evolved over the past few years and what she looks for in a potential guest.— A whole lot more.This was a great conversation that touched on a wide range of topics from personal to professional and then some. I appreciate Tina's openness in sharing her experiences with others and I think you'll enjoy the honest insights she provides on her various triumphs, struggles, and the sport of running in general.This episode of the morning shakeout podcast was edited by John Isaac at BaresRecords.com.Complete show notes here: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-17-with-tina-muir/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"I don't wanna just be someone who qualified for the Olympic Trials once and made a semifinal or whatever. I want to be someone who's name is in contention for teams. And that's my goal these last three years and I'm going to be doing everything I can to get there. But I want to be known as someone who basically made running cool again."Stoked to welcome sub-4:00 miler Brandon Hudgins to the podcast! Not only is Brandon fast—he's also an Olympic Trials qualifier in the 1,500m—but he's got one of the most inspiring, and untold, stories in professional running today, and I'm excited to share it with all of you.While competing collegiately at Winthrop in 2008, Hudgins was diagnosed with Vasculitis, specifically granulomatosis with polyangiitis, a rare autoimmune disease that attacks blood vessels in various organs throughout the body, causing debilitating inflammation that requires treatment with chemotherapy and high doses of corticosteroids. Currently in remission—he's had three serious relapses in the past 10 years, the last one in 2016—the now 31-year-old Hudgins, who still receives immunotherapy treatments every six months, is rebuilding momentum with the next Olympic Trials fast approaching two years from now. "I don't know how long my legs are going to last or what my health situation is going to be so I don't want to say I'm making Plan Bs because I hate making Plan Bs," Hudgins told me. "That's just not the type of person I am and it drives people in my family, and my girlfriend, absolutely bonkers—but [I've been] setting things up outside of running, and for my future, getting involved with the [Vasculitis] foundation more and all of that so if this running thing doesn't work out I'm not completely left naked standing in the street with a pair of running shorts on with no real skills."In this episode we dive into Hudgins' story and how he got into running, learn what vasculitis is and how he’s adapted to living with it, speculate on what he thinks he could have run if he weren't dealing with the disease, talk about how he's worked through periods of anxiety and depression related to his illness, discuss who is exciting him in running today (hint: she was a previous guest on this podcast) and what's upsetting him about the sport, and much, much more.This episode of the morning shakeout podcast was edited by John Isaac at BaresRecords.com.Complete show notes here: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-16-with-brandon-hudgins/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“When I’m dealing with pressure from racing and stuff, I just tell myself, 'This is an opportunity of a lifetime.' When I was growing up, or I started running, I never thought that I would be the person that I am today. I never thought that I would be living in America, that I would be an independent woman doing my own thing. I have an opportunity that not a lot of people have—like not even my role models when I was in Kenya, they don’t have the opportunities that I have here. And so when I have that pressure, I just tell myself that I am in a better place and I don’t want to complain because this is not going to last forever and so I try to just enjoy the process.” All she does is win, win, win, no matter what. Super excited to welcome nine-time U.S. national champion Aliphine Tuliamuk to the podcast. Tuliamuk went wire-to-wire to win the U.S. half-marathon championship in Pittsburgh on May 6 and followed that up less than a week later with her third-straight U.S. 25K title in Grand Rapids on May 12. The 29-year-old Tuliamuk, a native of Kenya who became a U.S. citizen in 2016, lives in Flagstaff, Arizona and trains with coach Ben Rosario’s HOKA Northern Arizona Elite squad. She’s a graduate of Wichita State University, where she was 14-time All-American and earned a degree in public health.“Without running, I would never have these opportunities,” Tuliamuk told me. “I have met some really, really incredible people in my life. And things have changed for me through running. It’s just amazing and running has changed so much for me. I think I get that drive from there. The things I’m able to do for my family—to be able to help my siblings pay their tuition—and if I wasn’t running, if I wasn’t here in America, I wouldn’t be able to do that. So I get that drive just because I am in a position where I can do things, and if I stop being self-motivated, then I’m not going to be able to do anything. And I feel like I still have so much in me. And people see me and they’re like, “Wow, you’re so accomplished.” But when I think about it, I just feel like I haven’t done much. I feel like I haven’t hit the jackpot that I need to. And so I still have to have self-drive in order to get to that point.”In this episode, we dive into Tuliamuk’s story and what it was like to grow up in a small village in Kenya with 31 siblings. We also discuss her origins in running, her earliest recollections of racing and competition, and what led her to attend college in the U.S. Finally, we talk about what it was like assimilating to life in a new country, the differences she sees between Kenyan runners and American runners, why she’s excited to train alongside Stephanie Bruce and Kellyn Taylor in the lead-up to the 2020 Olympic Trials Marathon, how she deals with pressure in competitive situations, the importance of national championship races to her as a new U.S. citizen, where she hopes to invest her time and energy when her running career is over, and much, much more.This episode of the morning shakeout podcast was edited by John Isaac at BaresRecords.com.Complete show notes here: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-15-with-aliphine-tuliamuk/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“For a lot of these races, at least for me, the key limiting factor to success is oftentimes how excited I am to bury myself. And I’ve just found that when I emphasize the rest, and lean on my experience, that I can get as fit as I’m gonna get in six, eight weeks of training and there’s really no need for me to continue to bang my head against the wall for 12 or 16 weeks, even for the most important races. And I think that’s something a lot of people have to learn for themselves and I’m really happy that I have, because yeah, it is very easy to jump at all these cool opportunities that we have in the sport now.” Pumped to welcome professional ultrarunner Dylan Bowman to the podcast. I caught up with the “perpetuator of stoke” just a few days after his most recent victory at the Ultra-Trail Mt. Fuji. The 32-year-old Bowman, who passed leader Pau Capell of Spain with a little over 3 miles to go in the 105-mile race, takes us through his win and explains why it was the best race he’s ever run. Bowman, who also won the Tarawera 100K in New Zealand earlier this year, talks about his season so far, what he’s still got left on his 2018 schedule, and how he’s been able to compete at a high level—and continue improving—for the past nine years. “As somebody who is a veteran of the sport, it is incredibly important to emphasize longevity, at least for me,” Bowman explained. "I’m the type of athlete who would love to be in the sport, competing, until I’m 40 or potentially beyond. I started in ultrarunning when I was 23 years old, and luckily I wasn’t a runner prior to that, so I still feel like I have a lot of tread left on my tires because I didn’t run a ton as a kid or into my teenage and college years. But again, I always have really enjoyed resting, and I think it’s just so important." In this episode we also discuss how he approaches a close contest at the end of an ultra-distance race, his recent FKT (Fastest Known Time) for Northern California’s 55-mile Lost Coast Trail, the consistency of his training volume—and the importance of rest and recovery after big races—the past few years, and how his relationship with coach Jason Koop has evolved since they began working together in 2013. We also talk about why he’d like to eventually get back to the Western States Endurance Run (where he finished third in 2014 but DNF’d in 2015), how the sport of ultrarunning has grown and evolved in recent years, the impact living and training in Marin County, California has had on his career, why he doesn’t think doping is rampant in ultrarunning, and a whole lot more.This episode of the morning shakeout podcast was edited by John Isaac at BaresRecords.com.Complete show notes here: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-14-dylan-bowman/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"I think a degree of paranoia is a good thing—again, whether it's running or business, it keeps you on your toes. Julie and I literally couldn't work out why this magazine that we were imagining didn't exist. Because we didn't think that we could possibly have come up with something that no one else had thought of, so we just assumed that the reason it didn't exist is that people had sort of tried it and figured out that it would never work, and we were going to find out ourselves that it wasn't going to work. The reality is that there's been quite a few moments when we thought 'this is utter madness'...but the last 4 to 5 issues we've hit a sort of form and it feels like it's gaining momentum so the hard work is starting to pay off."Thrilled to welcome Simon Freeman to the podcast this week. He is the co-founder and editor of Like the Wind, a quarterly UK-based running magazine that ships to 32 countries worldwide. LTW, which just published its 15th issue, explores why we run—not how we run—through modern design, stunning photography and illustrations, and diverse storytelling that celebrates the spirit of running: road, trail, track, or wherever interesting things are happening in the sport.Freeman, who launched Like the Wind in 2014 along with his wife Julie, also runs the Freestak, a digital marketing and communications agency that helps brands in running, cycling, triathlon and outdoors connect with their target audiences.In this episode we dive into the origins of the magazine and why he and Julie decided to launch a print publication in the digital age. We also discuss how it gets decided what stories and artwork end up in the magazine, how LTW continues to sustain itself for the foreseeable future, and the current state of the running media landscape in general. Finally, we talk about how the marketing skills he uses at Freestak have influenced the magazine's growth, what's exciting him in running right now, and much, much more.This episode of the morning shakeout podcast was edited by John Isaac at BaresRecords.com.Complete show notes here: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-13-simon-freeman/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Super excited to welcome New York City-based runner, writer, and coach Knox Robinson, along with Tracksmith co-founder and CEO, Matt Taylor, to the podcast. This episode was recorded a few days before the 2018 Boston Marathon at Tracksmith’s Trackhouse. We covered a wide range of topics in these two separate conversations, which I’m releasing as one episode, centered around the idea of running culture—what it is, how it’s evolving, and what the future of running looks like from a competitive and a cultural standpoint.Robinson and I also talked about what he does as the leader of Black Roses NYC running collective, what he learned on a recent trip to Ethiopia and Kenya, where he spent time training with Mo Farah, Abdi Abdirahman, Eliud Kipchoge, and others, how he’s been able to run personal bests in his early 40s despite already having over 20 marathons under his belt, and a lot more.“So there’s this guy named Wild West who can keep up with Kipchoge,” Robinson told me. “That’s all he knows. So they go out on this 40K run and leave the cars going. Kirui steps off at a certain point, Geoffrey [Kamworor], who was training for his world half victory, he stops at 30K, and Wild West just keeps up with Kipchoge for 40K. This is the route Kipchoge ran a month before Monza and when we were in Kenya, with Wild West, a minute faster than he ran a year ago getting ready for Monza.”Taylor and I discussed the impetus behind launching Tracksmith, how the brand continues to support the sport of running and its culture as both continue to evolve, what’s going on in the running space right now that’s exciting him personally, where he sees things going in the next several years, and a other related topics.“I think a lot of people like Knox and myself and you are likeminded in the sense that the sport has been damaging itself for a very long time,” Taylor told me. “And I think that’s why some of these things are starting to pop up, and I think a lot of the attraction to them is coming from that. And Speed Project, what was really unique about it, and yes, I’m a traditionalist and I grew up in this sport and in its most traditional forms, but what was really unique about it is that at its heart it was a race from Point A to Point B. Our team battled with a team from France for 80 miles through the desert. We were trading off the lead probably 40 times in those 80 miles. And so yes, it wasn’t a normal track meet or road race but it was a race and I think that competitive spirit is something that is the glue that binds the sport we all relate to and I think that’s the thing that, you know, that doesn’t go away: people either want to be competitive or they don’t.”We had some audio issues and background noise in this episode that John Isaac, my audio engineer, cleaned up as best he could. Given that, I’m releasing full text transcripts of both conversations, linked below.This episode of the morning shakeout podcast was edited by John Isaac at BaresRecords.com.Complete show notes here: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-12-knox-robinson-matt-taylor/Full text transcript of Knox Robinson interview: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/interview-knox-robinson-black-roses-nyc/Full text transcript of Matt Taylor interview: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/interview-matt-taylor-tracksmith/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"I'm a normal person. I think I'm an example that, even though I'm not an elite athlete at all, that you can still love this sport, and be just as dedicated, and just as much of a running nerd as an elite athlete. It might sound silly to some, and it might sound offensive to some that are elites, but when I think of someone like Molly Huddle or Shalane Flanagan, I don't think that they are any more in love with the sport of running that I am—they just come at it from a very different angle than I do. And I don't think one is necessarily better than the other. I think that the sport of running needs all types of people."Super excited to welcome Dorothy Beal to the podcast this week. Dorothy is not an elite athlete but she's a runner who is making an impact—and a living—through the sport by sharing her stories with tens of thousands of runners via social media and the internet, by partnering with various brands in the space, and speaking at events around the country. The 35-time marathoner and mom of three has over 115,000 combined followers on Instagram, including almost 65K on her personal account (which is more than many of the sport's top athletes, save a handful), and has appeared on two magazine covers in recent years. In 2009 she launched the blog, Mile-Posts, which she started as a way to keep in touch with friends after she stopped working as a tech rep and product line manager in the running industry, and eventually gained a widespread following that led to recognition by a number of different media outlets as a "must-read" in the health and fitness space.Through her writing and the content she posts to her various social channels, Beal shares the challenges and triumphs she experiences as a runner, as a mom, and as a woman. In 2016 she created #irunthisbody and #ihavearunnersbody, two virtual movements that celebrate positive body image and encourage inclusiveness amongst runners of all shapes and sizes. "Any person that runs has a runner's body," Beal explained to me. "I want everyone to feel welcome in the running community. And I think the world would be a better, happier place if everybody ran and so I think the first step in my eyes is to encourage people to embrace who they are and to not fall into the same traps that I fell into of thinking that you're worth as a runner is defined by either your times and how much you weigh."In this episode, Beal and I discuss why she got into running, how her blog came to be and eventually evolved into a business, why elites are an important part of the running community, and what's exciting her about the competitive side of the sport today. We also talk about the impact of her work and why she thinks it's resonated with so many runners, the goals that she still has for herself—including qualifying for the Boston Marathon again—why she was hesitant to join Strava but how it's ultimately helped inspire her own training, her advice for professional runners who are trying to increase their presence on social media, and so much more."I do not have some sort of god-given talent when it comes to running," Beal admitted to me. "I don't have more motivation than anybody else. I am an average person who decided to use the sport of running to change my life in a positive way. And anyone can do that. A lot of people have the opportunity to change their life through running and it's just whether they take advantage of that opportunity or not."This episode of the morning shakeout podcast was edited by John Isaac at BaresRecords.com.Complete show notes here: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-11-dorothy-beal/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Nothing changes. We do learn from our mistakes but as a person, hopefully, my teammates from high school or college would still say the same thing [about me]. And that’s my goal. The demands on my time change, and we evolve, and have learning experiences, but the person I am hopefully hasn’t changed."It's an honor and a pleasure to welcome Meb Keflezighi to the podcast. The recently retired 42-year-old is the only runner in history to capture an Olympic medal and win both the Boston and New York City marathons. He joined me last week from his home in San Diego to talk about his career, the various triumphs and disappointments he experienced along the way, and just how hard it was for him to keep going after making his fourth Olympic team in 2016 at the age of 40."I was burned out, not physically but mentally. I was done," Keflezighi admitted to me. "Those three marathons, to this day—and maybe New York was a little closer to satisfaction—but the three of them did not go the way I planned them, the way I trained. And I worked very, very hard for all three of them."We also discuss his role models in life—and why he takes the responsibility of that role so seriously himself—to his relationship with longtime coach and mentor Bob Larsen, the support of his family, sponsors, and fans throughout the years, as well as how he'll continue to make a living for himself, inspire others, and promote the sport of distance running even though he hung up his racing flats after finishing 11th at last fall's New York City Marathon.In the course of this conversation we cover training, racing, and injuries, including how he considered retiring after suffering a pelvic stress fracture at the 2008 Olympic Trials Marathon, what he learned from that experience about listening to his body—"One day off, or two days off, or a week off could have changed my life," he told me, "maybe become an Olympian again, or maybe another medal, but I didn’t listen to my body,"—and how he was able to bounce back to post some of the top performances of his career from his mid-30s into the early 40s.Keflezighi also provides advice for older runners who want to continue competing at a high level, makes a case for why younger runners should wait until they're older to race marathons, and explains why he's so meticulous and deliberate in everything that he does, whether it's preparing for a race, fulfilling a sponsor obligation, or giving a speech.“People think you just run and run and run," he explains. "I wish it was just that simple. … I think you’ve got to do the small things that make a big difference and sometimes you question those, but you just have to go out there and get the best out of yourself every day and that’s what I did.”Finally, we talk about the upcoming Boston Marathon, which he'll be running as an honorary member of the MR8 Foundation, who and what is exciting him about the sport of running today—"The women’s Trials is going to be crazy in 2020!”—the legacy he hopes to leave on the sport, and much, much more.“I just want to be a positive example, a doer, someone who does things versus talking about it and never accomplishing anything," explains Meb. "I hope to be a complete person. I try to live by my name: Maintain Excellent Balance, and I hope to do that for the rest of my life. I try to do that every day of my life and not just when the camera’s on."This episode of the morning shakeout podcast was edited by John Isaac at BaresRecords.com.Complete show notes here: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-10-meb-keflezighi/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"When I was 31, that was when I was in rehab. I had a career in the dark belly of alcoholism and at 31 I got sober in a treatment center in Oregon for 100 days, so I think if I had to characterize myself at 31, I was very confused. I was really unsure about who I was and what I wanted to do with myself. I was a pretty broken individual at that point of my life. And up to that point I thought I had been making good decisions but essentially my best thinking had me in this mental institution, for a lack of a better phrase. So I don't think that I had very much clarity on myself or what made me function and what led me to that dark place. The last 20 years have been about trying to answer that question for myself and also trying to learn from tools that were first introduced me during that experience and build on them and compound them to progressively continue to grow, not just emotionally, but mentally, physically, intellectually, and spiritually."Incredibly honored to welcome Rich Roll to the podcast. The 51-year-old is a husband, father, and champion ultra-endurance athlete, in addition to being a best-selling author, sought-after speaker, and host of a top-ranked podcast. But life hasn't always been so grand. At 31 years old, Rich found himself committed to a treatment center in Oregon, battling an alcohol addiction that had consumed his life.After achieving sobriety in his early 30s, Rich's addictive personality led him down a path of workaholism and 80-hour weeks as a lawyer, an unhealthy lifestyle fueled by fast food that ultimately proved to be unsustainable. It all came to a head when one night when, while walking up the stairs, he became out of breath and feared something was seriously wrong with his health. The next day he embarked on a weeklong juice cleanse that led him to adopt a plant-based lifestyle, a way of living he still practices and advocates for today through writing, speaking and the podcast that bares his name. Not long after radically changing his diet, Rich—a former collegiate swimmer at Stanford—started running and swimming again. He eventually found his way into ultra-endurance sports, where he established himself as a top competitor, finishing the Epic 5—five Iron-distance triathlons in less than a week—in 2010 and placing as a top finisher at the Ultraman World Championships in Hawaii multiple times. In this episode, we talk through the various chapters of Rich's story, digging into his journey to becoming a plant-powered ultra endurance athlete and wellness advocate, and understanding why he is so open and honest about sharing his experiences. We discuss his best-selling memoir Finding Ultra, which has been recently updated and will soon be available at booksellers everywhere, as well as The Plantpower Way and The Plantpower Way: Italia, two books chock full of plant-based recipes and lifestyle guidance that he tag-teamed on with his wife, Julie Piatt. Finally, we also dig into his relationship with racing and how it's evolved through the years, discuss the effect his writing, speaking, and podcasting has had on other people, learn more about the three things he tries to practice on a daily basis, and much, much more. "All of this is an act of service," Rich told me during our conversation. "It's my profession and I need to make a living and all that kind of stuff, but ultimately what really drives me and what's behind all of this is trying to be of service both in the world of recovery and outside the world of recovery with respect to the world at large." This episode of the morning shakeout podcast was edited by John Isaac at BaresRecords.com.Complete show notes here: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-9-rich-roll/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Running is all relative, you know? Everyone has their own goals and is trying to accomplish their own thing, whether it’s to break 4 in the mile, or to qualify for Boston, or just to simply finish their first marathon. Those runners gave me more support than I’ve ever gotten in my life. Having 30 people show up to a random hill workout on a Wednesday night and ask me about my training and what I’m training for and what I’m doing, and having that many random people interested, definitely got me motivated to train hard. And then hearing about their successes, and having people come to me and say that they PR’d in the 5K by two minutes or something like that, or that they were training for their first marathon, really inspired me to kind of take it to the next level.”Super excited to welcome Lou Serafini to the podcast. Two weekends ago, Serafini became the 514th American to break 4 minutes in the mile, running 3:59.33 at the Boston University Last Chance meet. The self-described blue-collar runner works full-time as the community manager at Boston-based Tracksmith and has established himself as one of the most recognizable figures on the local scene. The 26-year-old Serafini isn’t just known for his wheels, however; he has an infectious enthusiasm for the sport and has demonstrated an uncanny knack for connecting with runners of all levels. In this episode we discuss his most recent breakthrough and why he decided to get back on the track this past winter after pursuing the marathon for a few years post collegiately. We also get into the reasons why his relationship with running soured toward the end of his college career, what helped rekindle it, and how adopting a more relaxed approach toward training and racing has helped take his performances to the next level. “I think it’s really frustrating for a lot of people when they feel like they’re doing all that they can and they’re not seeing the times come down,” Serafini told me. “As runners, we’ve all been there, where you hit that plateau, and it’s frustrating, and you don’t know why. And for me, this indoor season, it’s been about kind of taking a step back from all of that and just having a really relaxed attitude toward everything, and just having fun with it.”We also talk about experimenting with high-mileage training, being coached by Randy Thomas after coaching himself to a marathon personal best of 2:17, the competitive running scene in Boston, which Serafini and friends half-jokingly call “The New Flagstaff,” how he got into running, dropping out of the 2016 Olympic Trials Marathon, the importance of connecting with and being more relatable to the average runner, and much, much more.This episode of the morning shakeout podcast was edited by John Isaac at BaresRecords.com.Complete show notes: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-8-lou-serafini/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: https://www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“It’s addicting to have a great performance. You always want another one. That’s why I considered stopping after New York because it was like, ‘How can I top this?’ And then only thing that can top this or be on the same level, is winning in Boston because of what the people and the city mean to me. There’s just as much fire but I definitely feel at peace, which is actually a good thing. I feel very calm and calculated with my approach and I feel very confident that I know how to get the most out of myself now.”Absolutely thrilled to welcome four-time Olympian and reigning New York City Marathon champion Shalane Flanagan to the podcast. She joined me last week from her altitude training base in Woodland Park, Colorado and we covered a wide range of subjects, from her preparation for April’s Boston Marathon, which has included training with Olympic triathlon gold medalist turned aspiring marathoner Gwen Jorgensen (“This woman is a beast,” Flanagan said of Jorgensen. “She is all-in and wants to be really great.”), to how coach Jerry Schumacher has modified recent marathon buildups for herself and teammate Amy Cragg, what’s different for her going into Boston this time around after winning last fall in New York, as well as why—and how—she convinced her coach to bring more women into the Bowerman Track Club training group a few years ago. “It feels good to look around in our training environment and be like, ‘Man, there’s a lot of badass women here,’” the 36-year-old Flanagan told me. “We’ve got just so much talent and hard work. I take so much confidence [from them] and I get the swagger when they perform well. It makes me feel so good. There are times they perform well and it feels way better than anything I’ve personally achieved. No matter what, whoever’s competing, I get this sense of fulfillment, and it keeps me motivated to keep going.”Flanagan and I also talked in depth about her New York City win, including what she was thinking and experiencing during the final few miles of the race, why breaking the tape in Central Park was so validating for her, as well as the different ways in which the historic victory has changed her life. “I wasn’t going to earn the title of New York City Marathon champion ten years later,” Flanagan recounted. “I was going to earn it and own it in that moment and it could never be taken away. I just felt so validated that I kept pursuing the dream because it seemed really dark and dismal at times. And I think that was a huge component of my celebration that I finally freaking did it.”We got into how she’s approaching the remainder of her career, what’s helped her to stay relatively injury free and allowed her to perform at a high level for so long, the importance of relating to other runners, and how she navigates those moments when it’s hard to muster the motivation to get out the door and train. “I think it’s important to show that not every day is a picnic,” she admitted, “but of course I went for a run and I got it done and at various moments I was just chanting “Boston!” to myself because that’s the only reason while I’m out there doing it, because I want to have a chance on April 16. And so, it’s worth it, but for sure, there’s days where you’re just like, ‘Why am I doing this?’”Finally, we discussed how running gave her confidence as a young girl and fueled her competitiveness, what’s exciting her right now in the world of professional running, and why getting injured before Boston last year was a blessing in disguise. This episode of the morning shakeout podcast was edited by John Isaac at BaresRecords.com.Complete show notes: http://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-7-shalane-flanagan/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“I’m happy with what I did on the track, what I did at shorter distances. I’m good with that. I’m good with who I am, with where I’ve been, all of those things, mistakes I’ve made along the way—I’m OK with that. In the marathon though, I just know that my back is against the wall and I feel like I still have something to prove to myself still. These last two marathons aren’t going to define what I’ve done—the rest of my career, I’m happy with that, I can put that in my back pocket—but I want to make that fourth Olympic team.”Three-time Olympian and former American 5,000m American record holder Dathan Ritzenhein comes on the podcast to discuss a wide range of topics, including the upcoming Boston Marathon, training with the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project, the changes he’s made to his training in order to stay healthy at 35 years of age, and why he’s still competing despite dozens of injuries over the years, including 15 stress fractures, three surgeries, a ruptured plantar fascia, and myriad other issues. “I’ve been doing this twice a day since I was 13 or 14, and so not that it’s all I know, but it’s what I know,” he told me. “I have plans post-running but I still genuinely enjoy training and I think that’s one thing a lot of people get sick of—they get sick of training. They like the lifestyle, they like running, they like going to races, and I love all those things too, but I like the challenge and I like the way I feel when I train. It’s just a passion—if you don’t have it, it won’t matter and when it’s gone, I’ll probably know pretty quick. But I still have it, I still have goals, and when you have goals and you enjoy what you’re doing, it’s not a job. It’s not hard.”Also in this conversation, Ritzenhein and I discuss the arc of his career, including training hard from a young age and how that may have contributed to his many injuries over the years, what he would change as a young athlete knowing what he knows now, the deepest he’s ever dug in a race, and the importance of having a solid support system when he’s training hard. “The ability is there and I know it,” Ritzenhein says. “A lot of the time I feel as good as ever…and I’m not going to be making the same mistakes I made in 2016 and think that I can do it on my own. I have to have this team to help me get there. And that’s part of the reason [I signed with Hansons-Brooks] and why I’m so focused on [Boston] right now.Finally, we also cover the memorable summer of 2009 when he finished sixth at world championships in the 10,000m, broke the American record in the 5,000m, and ran 60-flat to finish third in the world half-marathon championships, the complexities of training for and racing the marathon, what he’s learned coaching other athletes, and a heck of a lot more. This episode of the morning shakeout podcast was edited by John Isaac at BaresRecords.com.Complete show notes here: http://www.themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-6-dathan-ritzenhein/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"I'm a gamer. And anyone who trained with me in my 12-year [professional] career would laugh when I say that I'm really bad in workouts. Because they used to say, 'I would kick your ass every single Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, but I can't beat you in a race.' And it's true. I was really lazy in workouts but when it came time to race, especially if something mattered, I just could take it to that next level. Some sports psychologists would argue that that was my secret weapon—that I only dug deep maybe four or five times a season. I could give you a 90-percent effort, maybe even a 95-percent effort, but I really only dug deep the few times that it actually mattered, and that saved me both mentally and physically, and allowed me to have a much longer career."Two-time Olympian, six-time national champion, and 2013 world championships 800m silver medalist Nick Symmonds comes on the podcast for a candid conversation covering a wide range of topics. We discuss his retirement from track and field, his recent foray into marathon training and racing, and the similarities and differences that exist between the two pursuits. We also talk about entrepreneurship, the origin and mission of his company, Run Gum, reflect on his progression from decent college runner to world-class athlete, and dive into how he has dealt with pressure and overcoming nerves throughout his career."The one commonality was that on both the 800m start line and on the marathon start line, the thought is, 'this is gonna hurt really bad.' And they do, in different ways, but they both really really hurt and there's no way around that," explains Symmonds. "But there's another aspect on the 800m start line that was, 'this matters.' That was extremely important for my career, my family. There's sometimes potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars on the line. It matters—it's really important that you have a good showing. In the marathon, I was just doing it for myself. I wasn't doing it for sponsors or for money or for anybody else. I wanted to go prove to myself that I could run 26.2 miles. So it was a lot less pressure and pressure equals nerves in those kinds of situations. It was just fun."Also in this episode, Symmonds and I get into the sponsorship and marketing side of the sport, we attempt to unpack the antiquated ways of governing bodies, and talk about who—and what—is exciting him in running these days. Additionally, we look back at his relationship with coaches Frank Gagliano, Mark Rowland, and Danny Mackey, what he learned from each of them, how he'd like to be remembered as both an athlete and a person, and much, much more.This episode of the morning shakeout podcast was edited by John Isaac at BaresRecords.com.Complete show notes here: http://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-5-nick-symmonds/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered directly to your inbox every Tuesday morning: http://themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“You are so much more than just your race results. When I think about people that I know in the obstacle racing world, in the ultra world, I don’t remember where they finished in races. It doesn’t really matter to me. It’s being involved and engaged in the community [that matters most].”From late 2011 through the early part of 2016, there was virtually no stopping Amelia Boone. She tore up the obstacle-racing scene, winning the Spartan Race World Championship in 2013 and the World’s Toughest Mudder, a.k.a. “the most extreme, insane, imposing, pulse-pounding, heart-stopping 24-hour obstacle course challenge on the planet,” three times—one of those triumphs just eight weeks after knee surgery. In 2015, she started experimenting on obstacle-free trails, finishing third in her first ultramarathon at the Georgia Death Race. The following year, she finished second at the Sean O’Brien 100K, qualifying for the Western States 100. If an event involved some combination of dirt and prolonged suffering, Boone seemed to excel at it.But her streak of podium finishes soon snapped. Literally. Not long after punching her Golden Ticket to Western States, Boone suffered a stress fracture of her femur, forcing her to forfeit her place on the start line in Squaw. But that was far from the end of it. A few months later, Boone was injured again, this time with a stress fracture in her sacrum. After starting the year on such a high note, Boone felt like she was in a hole with no clear way out. “The process of acceptance was really hard and that feeling of kind of losing your identity,” the 34-year-old Boone recently told me. “And I think anyone who’s been sidelined with anything for a really long time, you start to really feel that. And I remember just being really angry at first. When I saw people running down the road, I wanted to throw things at them because I was so jealous.”In this episode of the morning shakeout podcast, Boone and I cover a wide range of topics, ranging from how she got her start in obstacle racing and ultrarunning, to how she’s dealt with injuries and setback, both physically and psychologically, and how she juggles her day job working full-time as an attorney for Apple with training and racing at a high level. We also talk about her affinity for Pop Tarts and professional wrestling (“If I could go back and do it all over again, I would have been a professional wrestler,” she says half-jokingly), the value of strength training and rest days for ultrarunners, and the challenges of being a sponsored endurance athlete. 
Oh yeah, and we discuss her return to ultramarathon racing at this weekend’s Sean O’Brien 100K, where she’ll be a part of a deep women’s field—and much, much more.“What I’ve kind of realized beyond all this is yes, I signed up for Sean O’Brien to hopefully get a Golden Ticket to go back to Western States but as I get closer, the more and more I realize that if that happens, great; but you know what, the day to day, and the training, and everything that I’ve put into it, I’m just happy to be out there and racing,” says Boone. “So for me, this entire training block, and coming back to Sean O’Brien, is having trust and faith again in my body and just the ability to be out there and do that, because at points I was just throwing my hands up in the air and being like, ‘Maybe I’m just not meant for this, you know?’”This episode of the morning shakeout podcast was edited by John Isaac at BaresRecords.com.Complete show notes here: http://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-4-amelia-boone/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered directly to your inbox every Tuesday morning: themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“I’m comfortable saying I’m a marathoner and everything feeds into the next marathon and making sure that’s great. So if that means being a little out of shape for some summer racing or some off-season racing, that’s OK. I think you kind of check your ego when it comes to that stuff and know that it’s playing into the bigger picture.”Two-time Olympian Des Linden comes on the podcast and discusses a wide range of topics including her pre-run coffee habits, how she pulled herself out of a slump last fall, what it’s like to live with a triathlete, how she’s approaching this year’s Boston Marathon, and the importance of being open and honest about her journey as an athlete.“For me personally, it’s sharing the entire experience. I didn’t have to tell people that I was in a slump this fall or unmotivated or just didn’t want to get out the door. But I think it’s valuable and I think everyone goes through that—the person who’s finishing last and the pros too—it’s pretty universal and I think there’s a lot of experiences like that,” Linden told me. “There’s those days where you don’t want to go out and run and there’s those days where you just feel great and you share the entire experience and I think it will connect with more people. I think it’s just talking about all of it because it is just a very universal sport—good days, bad days, injuries, the whole thing—and so the more you can share with people, the more they’ll realize beyond the pace, everything is pretty similar. It’s right foot, left foot, right foot, left foot, repeat, and that’s all the way across the board, so there’s gotta be some things we can connect on. It’s just finding the ones that resonate.”Also in this episode, the 34-year-old native of Chula Vista, Calif., talks about training under Keith and Kevin Hanson as a member of the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project for the past 12 years, the state of competitive running in the U.S., the distant appeal of ultrarunning, how she views her job as a professional athlete, what she’d like to accomplish before she’s done competing, the toughest athlete she’s ever raced against, and so much more. This episode of the morning shakeout podcast was edited by John Isaac at BaresRecords.com.Complete show notes here: http://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-3-des-linden/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered directly to your inbox every Tuesday morning: http://themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“I just tried to be the best I could be in the situation I was in—and as that expanded and grew, and as the competition expanded and grew, so did my goals.”Newly minted U.S. marathon champion Tim Ritchie comes on the podcast to discuss growing up in Worcester, Massachusetts, how he went from being an average high school runner to winning a national title as a professional, the importance of developing athleticism as a runner, and what he’s learned from coaching both collegiate and age-group athletes in recent years. In this episode, the 30-year-old resident of New Haven, Connecticut also explains why he stinks at social media, the changes he made to his training and nutrition that helped him finish the final 10K of CIM stronger than his previous two marathons, what he’s been up to since his big win, and much, much more. We covered a lot of ground in this conversation and I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I did taking part in it.This episode of the morning shakeout podcast was edited by John Isaac at BaresRecords.com.Complete show notes here: http://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-2-tim-ritchie/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered directly to your inbox every Tuesday morning: http://themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“That understanding—that you have to create your own value—is something that was weird to me at first, because I thought that I had value, but I didn’t. I was a 28:40 [10K] guy out of college, and had been All-American a few times, but there’s like 40 guys who do that every single year, so why would anyone take an extra interest in me? So that would be my advice to anyone who is trying to be a professional runner: really sit down and really think about where your niche is, and look at people who have created their own niches...because there are only so many spots on an Olympic team or a world team or a podium, you know?”Burrito connoisseur and 2:12 marathoner Scott Fauble comes on the podcast to discuss the movement he's trying to create around his favorite food (1:20), the business of being a professional runner (9:00), the launch of a new project he's calling "Off Course,” (25:45), training for, racing, and recovering from his first marathon (39:35), and so much more.This episode of the morning shakeout podcast was edited by John Isaac at BaresRecords.com.Complete show notes here: http://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-1-scott-fauble/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered directly to your inbox every Tuesday morning: http://themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.