The Rambling Runner

It's Boston Marathon weekend and what better way to celebrate than to listen to one of Boston's greatest champions - Des Linden. Des joins the show to breakdown her iconic victory at the 2018 Boston Marathon. She analyzes the race mile by rain soaked mile with the wit and candor we all appreciate from this running legend. She touches on every aspect of the race including her recovery from her disappointing 2017 Boston Marathon, the epic porta potty episode with Shalane Flanagan, and her conversion from helping others to charging into the lead.  Follow Matt: Instagram - @rambling_runner Twitter - @rambling_runner YouTube - www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ83E0U8M4V7klqZB8BF3wA Rambling Runner Podcast Community Corner private Facebook group - www.facebook.com/groups/125544686229661 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Jess Mena DPT is back on the show by popular demand! And rightfully so. This PT expert and bundle of excitement will be making regular appearances on the show from here on out. In this episode we talk about her recently completed Speed Project - a relay race from L.A. to Las Vegas that seems like pure fun, drama, and insanity. In addition we also a topic that affects runners from all over - side stitches! Follow Jess at www.instagram.com/tempo_with_jess. Follow Matt: Instagram - @rambling_runner Twitter - @rambling_runner YouTube - www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ83E0U8M4V7klqZB8BF3wA Rambling Runner Podcast Community Corner private Facebook group - www.facebook.com/groups/125544686229661 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jackie Kirchner is a registered dietitian with years of experience and she is on the show to drop some serious knowledge. In this episode we discuss: Carbo loading Marathon taper nutrition Electrolyte/salt intake pre/during the run Food choices in the 5-45 minutes before a marathon We also play a new game called "Real or Fake" where I pitch outlandish supplement names and Jackie tries to guess if they are real. Jackie is a registered dietitian who works with enthusiastic, dedicated distance runners who want to fuel their bodies better so they can improve endurance and fitness, increase energy, recover faster, and run better than ever.  As both a successful distance runner herself (having run dozens of road races and qualifying for the Boston marathon four times!) and an expert in sports nutrition (with over eight years experience as a dietitian), Jackie is taking all her knowledge and experience on all things nutrition science and endurance athletics to bring you the tools you need to feel, fuel, and pe

Samantha Roecker is a registered nurse and one of the best marathoners in the country. Her personal best is 2:29:59 which she set at the Marathon Project, she was on the 2018 CIM podium with Emma Bates and Stephanie Bruce, and she represented the United States at the 2019 Pan American Games in Peru where she finished fifth in 2:32. She is the rare elite athlete who works a full-time job in the same way as most dedicated amateur runners - despite being good enough to go all-in on pro running if she chose to go that route. Samantha will be running the 2022 Boston Marathon with a new goal in mind. She is raising money for the American Nurses Foundation’s programs supporting the mental health and wellness. Samantha has seen the effects that front-line healthcare work can have on caring and dedicated workforce. It is heart breaking. Her fundraising efforts include an audacious goal - to beat the Guinness Book of World Records time for running a marathon in Moxie Scrubs nursing scrubs. In this episode we dive into

The 2022 Boston Marathon is around the corner and we are here to help you have the best race possible. James McKirdy, Founder and Head Coach of McKirdy Trained, is back on the show to share is considerable expertise. In this episode, James and I cover nearly detail in how to run Boston up to your capabilities, fitness, and talent. We discuss the days leading up to the race, weather, packing for the athlete's village, the course, race strategy, fueling, and maximizing the finish line feeling. Follow Matt: Instagram - @rambling_runner Twitter - @rambling_runner YouTube - www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ83E0U8M4V7klqZB8BF3wA Rambling Runner Podcast Community Corner private Facebook group - www.facebook.com/groups/125544686229661 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Finally! Bodyweight strength training that focuses on power (with no gym or experience required)! Jason Fitzgerald from Strength Running here on the show to talk about his new offering Bodyweight Power. As Jason loves to say: Stronger Runners are Faster Runners. Strength train explosively and you’ll soon be able to run explosively. Other than delaying fatigue or preventing injuries, the other big benefit to strength training is that you’ll be able to sprint faster at the end of a race. Several powerful factors make strength workouts a great tool for speed: You’ll recruit more muscle fibers, increasing your capacity for speed Higher muscle tension means your legs will return more energy - making you run faster with the same level of effort Better economy and coordination gives you a smoother, more powerful stride If you’ve ever struggled to finish strong at the end of a race – to find that “higher gear” to power through the finish – then the strength workouts in this program will give you the power to sma

Sam Noyce is on the show with a wonderful story to tell! Sam grew up on a Navajo Reservation in New Mexico and was immediately introduced into a running culture that has stayed with her to this day. Running has been part prayer, part athletic endeavor, since start started at age 10. Her father laid the groundwork for her practice in a touching way that Sam details on the show. Ever since she ran her first marathon at age 20, Sam has had an eye on Boston. Then, a mere either weeks before the start of 2022 Boston Marathon her dream was realized - she was selected to represent Native Women Running at her dream race. Here is how Sam wrote about that honor when on her Instagram page when she found out: "Proud to announce that I am going to be running in the Boston Marathon this year. 26.2 here I come. I am overwhelmed with gratitude. I received the best news ever and cried. My First thought was damn my dad would be so proud of me. I love running because of him, I am reminded of him because of how much I love runn

Ben Rosario, the head coach of the prestigious NAZ Elite and one of the best coach's in the country, is back on the show! In this episode we discuss his new book Run Like a Pro (Even if You're Slow) that he co-wrote with Matt Fitzgerald. They take a deep dive into mileage, running skill, running intensities, racing, recovery, nutrition, and mindset. Ben and Matt first started working together six years ago when Matt spend three months with NAZ Elite as Ben coached him to a huge PR at the Chicago Marathon. Now they expand on their work together to bring cutting-edge advice on how to achieve your personal best, for everyone from casual runners to ultramarathoners. New research has bolstered the case that the 80/20 method, that Matt Fitzgerald written about extensively in the past, is in fact that most effective way to train for distance running and other endurance sports. Run Like a Pro (Even If You’re Slow) shows readers how to take the best practices in elite running and adopt them within the limits of their

In a few short years Emma Zimmerman has made a name for herself in the world of running media and has done so on her terms. I couldn't wait to have Emma on the show to learn more about her rapid rise. Emma is a Brooklyn-based writer and journalist who explores topics of women in endurance sports, sport and social change, and environmental justice. Her journalism has appeared in Outside, Runner’s World, Trail Runner, Women’s Running, and Taproot Magazine. She is also the founder and host of the Social Sport podcast, on endurance athletes committed to social change, and the affiliated Social Sport newsletter. Her literary nonfiction has appeared in Away Journal, Canyon Voices Literary Magazine, and PRISM Magazine, among other publications. Her essay, “Translation” won the 2021 Grand Prize for the Prism International Creative Nonfiction Contest. Follow Emma on Instagram at www.instagram.com/emma_zimmerman and find all over running content at www.emmamzimmerman.com. Follow Matt: Instagram - @rambling_runner T

We've all done it. We've stalked the weather app on our phones as race day nears hoping that the terrible weather will somehow disappear. We hope and pray that we will have the race weather that we envisioned when we pressed submit on our race registration. Sometimes our prayers are answered the weather is on our side. Other times crazy weather is there to great us at the starting line no matter what interventions we have tried. What then? In this episode we take a deep dive into preparing for, and executing, in that exact situation. I was fortunate to go through that scenario this weekend at the Crazy Clam 13.1 as Rhode Island was hit with windchills in the low single digits and consistent wind speeds of 20-40 mph. Some things went well, some went poorly, and I'm here to share all of it with you so you can be as prepared as possible for your next race. Follow Matt: Instagram - @rambling_runner Twitter - @rambling_runner YouTube - www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ83E0U8M4V7klqZB8BF3wA Rambling Runner Podcas

Coach's corner is back and we feature two stud coaches and athletes: Dr. Stefanie Flippin and Adam Merry. Stefanie is a professional runner for HOKA, specializing in ultrarunning. Stefanie was the 2021 USATF 100 Mile National Champion. Her 100 mile PR of 14:04, set at Tunnel Hill in 2021, is 5th all-time for an American woman. She is the 2020 and 2021 Tunnel Hill 100 female champion, and has raced dozens of ultras from 50k to 100 mile distances. She has come a long way since her first marathon in 4:16. She is a coach for Lift, Run, Perform and co-owner of a foot and ankle medical practice in Colorado. Adam Merry has quickly become one of the strongest ultra and trail runners in the country over the last few years. Just last week he finished 7th at the Way Too Cool 50k that featured a stacked field. Adam takes a time-centered approach to training with a strong emphasis on speed, boundless positivity and food, and planning for the long-term. In this episode our expert coaches address the following topics and mo

Jereny Rivera is back and she is absolutely crushing it! Jereny was first on the show for episode 276 back in October, 2020. At that time she had just set a 5k PR of 19:07 and had dreams of going for a sub-3:00 marathon. Heady stuff for someone who five years earlier had never run before and didn't grow up with an athletic background. Now Jereny is once again at a whole new level and she is continuing to shoot even higher. In this episode, Jereny details how and why she keep pushing herself to new levels, her paradigm-shifting training shift that have worked well for her, and all the little things that have added up to a remarkable 18 months since our last conversation. Follow Matt: Instagram - @rambling_runner Twitter - @rambling_runner YouTube - www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ83E0U8M4V7klqZB8BF3wA Rambling Runner Podcast Community Corner private Facebook group - www.facebook.com/groups/125544686229661 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode Matt takes a deep dive into achieving aerobic breakthroughs, visiting the gray zone and the good that can come from easy+ pace, and introducing doubles into training. Follow Matt: Instagram - @rambling_runner Twitter - @rambling_runner YouTube - www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ83E0U8M4V7klqZB8BF3wA Rambling Runner Podcast Community Corner private Facebook group - www.facebook.com/groups/125544686229661 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nicole Rauch is a certified personal trainer who's business took off over the last two years as she showed folks everywhere how to do challenging workouts in their own homes. A concept that became more relevant than ever. Her engaging videos, along with her positive and infectious attitude, propelled her following to 15x growth as Nicole helped folks alter their workout routines to fit the changing times. Then, in 2021, Nicole decided that she she was going to run her first marathon and what an amazing decision that turned out to be! Nicole trained with Rogue Running in Austin, TX and put together one of the most challenging workout plans I've ever seen for a first time marathoner. And it worked. Nicole ran a 3:31 at the 2022 Houston Marathon and in this episode she details the amazing journey and the valuable lessons she learned from the journey. You can follow Nicole's running account at: www.instagram.com/nicolemruns. You can follow her main account at: www.instagram.com/nicolemrauch. Nicole's website is w

Victoria Polk is speed personified. This dedicated amateur runner has reached a new stratosphere over the past year and I couldn't wait to get her on the show to hear all about it! Victoria was a strong high school runner and had dreams of running in college. Her plans changed after her freshman year when running didn't go as planned and she decided to leave school to get married. After giving birth to her third of four children she decided to give running another change and boy did she take off! You can follow Victoria at www.instagram.com/run_victoria_run. Follow Matt: Instagram - @rambling_runner Twitter - @rambling_runner YouTube - www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ83E0U8M4V7klqZB8BF3wA Rambling Runner Podcast Community Corner private Facebook group - www.facebook.com/groups/125544686229661 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Marathon recovery is a topic that faces every marathoner but it can be a tricky situation. Many factors can influence how a runner's recovery may go. In this episode, Tanya Lerch and I talk through our wildly different California International Marathon training, races, and recoveries. Tanya smashed the race to the tune of running 3:05 and a PR. As fast as she is, she's an even better person who bring tons of insight and humor to the show. If you want to learn more about Tanya we cover her complete running background in episode 262. Follow Matt: Instagram - @rambling_runner Twitter - @rambling_runner YouTube - www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ83E0U8M4V7klqZB8BF3wA Rambling Runner Podcast Community Corner private Facebook group - www.facebook.com/groups/125544686229661 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The amazing Deirdre Keane is on the show! Deirdre is a pediatric ICU nurse practitioner at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. She has run 35 marathons and 1 ultra-marathon (soon to be 2!). Deirdre loves to race but also uses running to support philanthropic causes. For example, during the peak of the pandemic in NYC, she ran 1000 miles in three months to raise money for food insecurity related to COVID. She ended up fundraising over $11,000. The money went to grocery store gift cards and grocery deliveries to underserved and vulnerable families. This year Deirdre is taking it up a notch. Maybe several notches. In October she will be doing the World Marathon Challenge. It is 7 marathons on the 7 continents in 7 consecutive days. She will be fundraising for Vibrant Emotional Health. Vibrant is a non-profit, centered in NYC, that offers individuals and families mental health resources, such as counseling and support groups. The organization also runs the National Suicide Hotline. Deirdre was featured in Hum

Dr. Jess Mena DPT is on the show and she brings it! Jess is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, marathoner, and a super fun person. In this episode we talk about how she worked through her own injury prior to the 2021 Boston Marathon and bounced back to set a PR at the California International Marathon. Jess also gives us a preview of the upcoming Speed Project - a relay race from L.A. to Las Vegas. In addition we discuss training, the effects of increasing mileage, the limitations of a super busy schedule, and important lifts/exercises for all runners. We also take a deep dive into some common running injuries and how she works to help solve those issues. Follow Jess at www.instagram.com/tempo_with_jess. Sponsor: Join me in running the 2022 Eugene Marathon! Eugene is also known as TrackTown USA and this marathon finishes at world famous Hayward Field. It is also the a top 20 Boston Marathon qualifier and one of the fastest races each spring. Visit www.eugenemarathon.com today! Follow Matt: Instagram - @rambling

Although she spent her childhood with her nose in a book, ducking when any ball was thrown in her direction, Vanessa is now a 2-time Boston Marathon finisher, and has run over 100 road races. Currently an advising dean at Georgetown University, Vanessa earned her Ph.D. in medieval history from The Catholic University of America. Vanessa lives in Washington D.C. with her husband Patrick and their daughter, Lucy. When she began graduate school, Vanessa did not imagine that running would help her earn a doctorate in medieval history. Yet, within a few months of lacing up her sneakers, Vanessa went from a non-runner to qualifying for the prestigious Boston Marathon. Vanessa enjoyed that running rewarded those who embraced hard work and sought to see similar results in school. But the struggles associated with a rigorous academic program caused Vanessa to wonder whether she would ever accomplish her lifelong goal of earning a Ph.D. Her new book It's a Marathon, Not a Sprint: My Road to the Marathon and Ph.D. tells

Kiese Laymon, a southern writer born and raised in Jackson, Mississippi, is one of the best writers in the country and someone I got to know during my time as Vassar College. Recently there have been towns across America banning books by some of the country's greatest writers. Books by Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, Kiese, and others have been removed from libraries and banned from schools. I'm re-airing this episode because his voice is powerful, inspiring, critical, authentic and vital for free-thinking people everywhere. Kiese Laymon is the author of Heavy: An American Memoir, the novel Long Division  and a collection of essays, How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America. Heavy, winner of the Andrew Carnegie Medal, the LA Times Isherwood Prize for Autobiographical Prose and Audible’s Audiobook of the Year, was named one of the Best Books of 2018 by the The Undefeated, New York Times, Publishers Weekly, NPR, Broadly, Library Journal , The Washington Post , Southern Living , Entertainment Weekly, San Fr