The Rambling Runner

Ruby Wyles is one of the most mentally, emotionally, and physically tough people I've ever met. She has battled through more in her life than most people two or three times her age. This was the first time that I've had a college runner on the show. Having Ruby tell her remarkable was an absolute honor. Ruby has battled anorexia, depression, and anxiety from the age of 11. She was at an inpatient hospital for a very rough two year period in her teens. Then, to her surprise, she became one of the best young runners in Britain. Ruby talks through every aspect of this harrowing tine. The fact that Ruby emerged to receive a chance to run at a Division I in the United States is simply remarkable. We also talked about how COVID-19 turned her freshman year at Southern Methodist University upside down. From eliminating her spring track season and leaving her in a country far from home. Sponsors: Previnex is a supplement brand that I trust, use, and have greatly benefited from. They source the highest quality in

In this episode we have two coaching calls that were recorded last week with two fantastic people who are working through challenges that are relatable to so many runners: Seth Baird and Allyson Hodge. Seth was a guest on the show in Episode 202 when we discussed his transition from college baseball player, to body builder, to first time marathoner. In this conversation we talk about dealing with nagging injuries that forced his training from running to bike-only. This is an issue that effects so many runners every year. Not only did Seth handle that issue with aplomb, he set a 5k PR just six weeks back into his running schedule. Welcome to the sub-19:00 club! Allyson is an amazing women with an awesome super power - she can run forever without getting injured. Her and Seth have had the opposite experience over the past several months. We talk about that during our call, her foray into trail running during this spring and summer, and setup a race plan for her first 5k in a long time. If you're looking to g

Hiruni Wijayaratne is the kind of elite runner that amateur runners can related to in so many ways. She has battled against several difficulties throughout her career and continues to come back for more. Those challenges include years worth of injuries, running in the face of unrealized expectations, balancing her training with a demanding full-time job, and more. Last year Hiruni was blindsided when the Olympic Standard for the women's marathon was lowered to 2:29:30. A feeling people who who have spent years trying to qualify for the Boston Marathon can relate to. In 2016 she missed representing Sri Lanka at the Olympics by mere seconds. After that disappointment she lowered her marathon time to the mid-2:30's and thought she was well on her way to the Games. Unfortunately, Hiruni was mistaken. Now she is battling to either get under 2:29:30 or get top-10 at a Gold Race (whenever they start up again) to qualify to head to Japan in 2021. Heady stuff for the 10 time Sri Lankan record holder, University of Ken

Today I welcomed the one-and-only Jamison Michael to the show. Jami is one of the best, and most entertaining, running shoe reviewers on YouTube. His channel has over 60,000 subscribers and countless running shoe videos. In this episode we dive into the some current shoes, his favorites in different categories, what shoes are about to be released, and some of his all-time faves. If you love running shoes then you will love this  episode.  You can watch Jami at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWPzT9H7dH5i7FaI9-BuUmA. Sponsors: Previnex is a supplement brand that I trust, use, and have greatly benefited from. They source the highest quality ingredients in the most clinically effective and beneficial forms. Previnex manufactures to the highest standards possible, testing every ingredient, every step of production and every finished product. Visit www.previnex.com and use coupon code Runner15 to save 15% on your first order. Follow Matt: Instagram - @rambling_runner Twitter - @rambling_runner Get excl

When I grow up I want to be Bart Yasso. It is an honor to welcome Bart to the podcast. He has been a hero of mine for a long time and this is a conversation I will never forget. The epitome of the dedicated amateur runner, Bart retired from Runner’s World at the end of 2017 after 30 years with the magazine. He served as Chief Running Officer for the last 10 years of his career - a title he richly deserved as helped spread and chronicle people's love of running wherever he went.  In this conversation we talk about how running has evolved in recent years, it's effect on runners of all levels, the evolution/revolution of women competing in the marathon after the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984, and so much more.  Sponsors: Previnex is a supplement brand that I trust, use, and have greatly benefited from. They source the highest quality ingredients in the most clinically effective and beneficial forms. Previnex manufactures to the highest standards possible, testing every ingredient, every step of production a

I was so excited to chat with two of my favorite podcast hosts for this episode, India Cook and Tommy Mitchell. The Run Duo Podcast is a biweekly show in which India and Tommy talk all things distance running with some shenanigans thrown in. The Run Duo interviews interesting and topical guest from across the distance running spectrum and do so with the an exciting and energetic style. They were even recently featured in Runner's World for their extraordinary work. You can listen to their show on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.  Sponsors: Previnex is a supplement brand that I trust, use, and have greatly benefited from. They source the highest quality ingredients in the most clinically effective and beneficial forms. Previnex manufactures to the highest standards possible, testing every ingredient, every step of production and every finished product. Visit www.previnex.com and use coupon code Runner15 to save 15% on your first order. Follow Matt: Instagram - @rambling_runner Twitter - @rambling_runner

For John Raneri, 2019, including the first few weeks of January, was a banner year. A PR in every distance from the mile to the marathon that culminated with one of the best half marathons in U.S. history. John arrived at the Aramco Houston Half Marathon with a plan to compete and break 62 minutes - and he did just that. John clocked a 1:01:51 to finish as the 11th American. Not only that, his performance as good for 34th all-time. After that performance John decided to pass on the Olympic Marathon Trials and put all of his eggs in the Boston Marathon basket. Then COVID-19 turned those plans to dust. John quickly pivoted and setup a string of solo and competitive time trials. The last of which was as ambitious as they come - a treadmill half-marathon world record attempt.  In this episode John details his wild spring and the steps he took to run 1:03:09 on a treadmill to set the world record by just under a minute. Sponsors: Previnex is a supplement brand that I trust, use, and have greatly benefited fr

It is an honor to have the embodiment of the dedicated amateur runner of the show, Ankita Gaur. Ankita started her running journey with modest goals and grew into a leader in her city, country, and across the globe. She has helped grow the running community in Bangaluru, India with the backing of Adidas. In this episode we talk about how she has counseled other female runners who have to fight against cultural norms, how she has responded in those same situations, running/weight/body image, how she is working through the COVID-19 isolation, and much more. Sponsors: Previnex is a supplement brand that I trust, use, and have greatly benefited from. They source the highest quality ingredients in the most clinically effective and beneficial forms. Previnex manufactures to the highest standards possible, testing every ingredient, every step of production and every finished product. Visit www.previnex.com and use coupon code Runner15 to save 15% on your first order. Did you know 1 in 59 children have a diagnos

Jordan Mann is one of the best middle distance runners in the country with a top five USATF Championship finish in the steeplechase and a 3:39 1500m to his name. He is also one of American running's most unique and eclectic voices. In this episode, we begin with Jordan's heart felt opinions on Brown University's decision to cut men's varsity cross country, track, and field. As a Brown alum, and someone who is still plugged into the University through his work at Hillel and his connection to those teams, Jordan is doing all he can to bring awareness of this situation. In the second half of the episode, Jordan details his rise from lightly recruited high school athlete, and college walk-on, to the upper echelon of the sport. He also takes a deep to dive into his wide ranging interests and his legendary post-race interviews. Finally, Jordan discusses his work with students of color and Jewish students through role at the Brown and Rhode Island School of Design Hillel.  If you are interested in learning more ab

It’s with great excitement that I announce the newest podcast in the Rambling Runner Podcast Network - the Business & Sports Discourse podcast. This episode of the Rambling Runner Podcast features the first two episodes of the new show. The new show will be hosted by me, Matt Chittim, and my good friend Jason Macaluso. This short-form podcast will provide insight into the current events, topics, and announcements that are at the intersection of business and sports. We will be publishing new episodes on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings. Each show will about 20 minutes. Just long enough to dive into a specific topic but short enough for you to squeeze it into your daily routine. Part I - In the inaugural episode of the Business & Sports Discourse, we discuss the recent changes at Strava. Strava is extremely familiar to almost all runners, cyclists, and endurance athletes. They have been a mainstay in the endurance community for years and are at the forefront of fitness apps and GPS tracking. While they

What time do you get up? Who does your hair and makeup? And, how do you look that awake? Those are the three questions KCRA Morning News anchor/reporter Deirdre Fitzpatrick gets from her Sacramento viewers. “2:15am. I do it myself which explains a lot. And, coffee by the pot.” Deirdre is a four-time Emmy award winner in writing, anchoring and reporting and has a bachelor's degree in Journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia. She's traveled the world as a member of the Hearst Television Olympic Team. She’s covered the last nine Olympics -- 2000 Sydney, 2002 Salt Lake City, 2004 Athens, 2006 Torino, 2008 Beijing, 2010 Vancouver, 2012 London, 2014 Sochi and 2016 Rio de Janeiro.  Deirdre, joined KCRA on New Year's Eve of 1997. She started as a weekend morning anchor and turned the weekday morning anchor job down three times as she couldn't imagine, "getting up that early five days a week vs. just two." Now, ironically, she can't imagine staying awake to read out loud at 11 p.m. after anchoring in t

Welcome to the May edition of Ramblings on the Run with Ali & Matt. Every month, Ali Feller — host of the Ali on the Run Show — and I come together to talk about running industry news, our own running, and things we’re loving right now. This time around we were joined by special guest David Roche. David is an elite trail runner and the co-founder of the coaching service Some Work All Play. He and his wife, Dr. Megan Roche, work with runners of all abilities including some of the best trail and ultra runners in the world. More importantly for this episode, he is hysterical! The three of us tried something new in this episode. Inspired by the creative sporting events happening on TV and social media, we decided to create our own. We founded the inaugural Ramblings on the Run Relay. This fictional events is simple: we each drafted a male and female from a certain walk of life for four specific races. Those combinations are as follows: Mile - Pro Athlete 5k - Musician 13.1 - Fictional Character 26.2 - Actor/

Matt Fitzgerald has been running (and writing about running) for most of his adult life. Like many passionate amateur runners, he never felt he  quite fulfilled his potential. In his mid-forties, Matt convinced Ben Rosario, head coach of Northern Arizona Elite, to let him train with a roster of national champions and Olympic hopefuls in the running mecca of Flagstaff, Arizona. These runners included Scott Fauble, Kellyn Taylor, Stephanie and Ben Bruce, Matt Llano, Tim Ritchie, and several others. Matt's mission: Run the race of his life at the Chicago Marathon by preparing exactly like a professional runner.  Matt’s gripping account of his “fake pro runner” experience allows us to partake in his dream of fulfilling his potential. Matt also details this process through the eyes of the pro's who live that life year round, year after year. Running the Dream pulls us into the rarefied world of professional running in a way we can all relate to, regardless of speed, and to take away pieces of one man’s amazing jo

Like many women, Jen Labesky spent most of her life allowing everyone else's opinions of what she "should" be doing, pursuing, or thinking, to chart her course. The result? She ended up feeling completely lost and empty inside. Jen knew she was capable of so much more, but was so caught up trying to be everything to everyone that she didn't have the time to devote, or even the slightest clue how to figure out what she wanted for herself. In the last few years, life has thrown challenges at Jen one after another and her heart has been broken to pieces. In the past, she would have sat paralyzed with pain. This time around she saw the glimmer of something beautiful in the pain. Something life-changing and crystal clear. Something that made her stand up and say no more 'should's.'" By stripping away the BS and focusing on what matters to her, she has more energy and power to move fearlessly toward her dreams. Living from a BS-free place of love has given Jen purpose and a simple barometer for every decision she

Dr. Tommy Martin is one heck of an athlete. He is a 3:00 hour marathoner, sub-13:00:00 IRONMAN triathlete, owns the body of a body builder, and is a former college football player. He has achieved that level of success while going through the steps to become a doctor with a focus in pediatrics. In this episode Tommy talks about his humble roots, his eternal optimism, his faith, the steps he took to go from football to endurance sports, and the motivation that propelled him along that path. Sponsors: Previnex is a supplement brand that I trust, use, and have greatly benefited from. They source the highest quality ingredients in the most clinically effective and beneficial forms. Previnex manufactures to the highest standards possible, testing every ingredient, every step of production and every finished product. Visit www.previnex.com and use coupon code Runner15 to save 15% on your first order. Follow Matt: Instagram - @rambling_runner Twitter - @rambling_runner Rambling Runner Run Club on Strava N

Kiese Laymon, a southern writer born and raised in Jackson, Mississippi, is one of the best writers in the country. He 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 Francisco Chronicle and The New York Times Critics. Laymon is the recipient of the 2019 Austen Riggs Erikson Prize for Excellence in Mental Health Media. Laymon has written essays, stories and reviews for numerous publications including Esquire, McSweeneys, New York Times, ESPN the Magazine, NPR, The Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, Vanity Fair, The Best American Series, Ebony, Paris Review, Guernica and more. Photo cr

In the final installment of the Rambling Runner Virtual Race Series episodes we dive into the marathon with Nate Stewart, Callie Vinson, and James McKirdy. Nate beat a decade long PR in the marathon last month in a solo marathon effort with a blazing fast 2:45. He talks about trying to set a new PR in a virtual marathon that is so new to so many of us. Callie is an ultra-marathoner with years of experience going long distances on her own. She imparts plenty of knowledge on the best ways to do just that. James McKirdy, founder of McKirdy Trained, provides years of marathon coaching experience that can help runners of all abilities. From a 2:14 marathoner to 6:14.  Sponsors: Thanks to sponsor SynchroKnit Powered by Wigwam for making this race free to you all. Make sure you support and head over to http://www.synchroknit.com to find a new pair for your next run. Enter in code VIRTUAL25 to receive 25% off and follow them @synchroknitpoweredbywigwam. Over the past 4+ years McKirdy Trained has developed into a

Try to find a better amateur running story better than Ana Johnson's. I dare you. Ana was born in a small town in Mexico where she picked up running at a young age. She was heavily influenced by athletic parents and took to the sport immediately. Ana ran her first half-marathon at just nine years of age. After high school, Ana made her way to the New York Metro area and has never left. She attended NYU and is now working as an RN at Sloan Kettering in the oncology department. Ana is also an Olympic Trials Qualifier in the marathon. In this episode, she dives into all of this as well as training with 20 other OTQ'ers in NYC throughout the winter, working, training, and parenting through COVID-19, and who she views as her mentors. Sponsors: Previnex is a supplement brand that I trust, use, and have greatly benefited from. They source the highest quality ingredients in the most clinically effective and beneficial forms. Previnex manufactures to the highest standards possible, testing every ingredient, every

We are back with another episode focused on food and performance nutrition. Lori Russell RD CSSD provides her expertise on all things nutrition. Not only is she fully credentialed, she is also informed by her background as a marathoner and professional cyclist. In the second part of the show we are joined by Danielle Ryan Broida. Danielle is an expert in the power of mushrooms and the various ways they can used to improve health and wellness.  Sponsors: Previnex is a supplement brand that I trust, use, and have greatly benefited from. They source the highest quality ingredients in the most clinically effective and beneficial forms. Previnex manufactures to the highest standards possible, testing every ingredient, every step of production and every finished product. Visit www.previnex.com and use coupon code Runner15 to save 15% on your first order. This episode is brought to you by Four Sigmatic, a wellness company that mixes mushrooms and adaptogens with coffee, cacao, latte, protein powder. They have a

In the third episode of Re-Run, Des Linden joins the show to breakdown her iconic victory at the 2018 Boston Marathon. Des 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 the disappointing 2017 Boston Marathon, the epic porta potty episode with Shalane Flanagan, and her conversion from helping others to charging into the lead.  Sponsors: Previnex is a supplement brand that I trust, use, and have greatly benefited from. They source the highest quality ingredients in the most clinically effective and beneficial forms. Previnex manufactures to the highest standards possible, testing every ingredient, every step of production and every finished product. Visit www.previnex.com and use coupon code Runner15 to save 15% on your first order. VDOT O2 is a coaching platform for runners of all levels. Coaches are using VDOT O2 to more effectively individualize their athlete's training pinpointing