The Rambling Runner

The Road to the Trials series is back with Sara Vaughn! Sara will be running the Chicago Marathon where she finished 7th with a marathon PR of 2:26 last year. The Chicago elite field is absolutely LOADED and it's sure to be one heck of a race. We also talk about her recent coaching change, the differences in this marathon cycle, her reaction to the new women's marathon world record, and her thoughts about the amazing accomplishments of Faith Kipyegon and Sifan Hassan over the summer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on the podcast we are joined by two legends: Megan Roche, M.D. and Jacob Puzey. In this episode we discuss what marathoners can learn from ultra runners and what closely held beliefs in the marathon road running community aren’t necessarily gospel in the ultra world. Here are some topics we discuss: Running on pavement versus various types of trail Lengths of long runs and/or weekend doubles  Embracing fun and exciting challenges Effort focused versus time/pace focused Nutrition on the run Megan Roche, M.D.: Megan was the 2016 USATF Trail Runner of the Year at the ultra and sub-ultra distances. She is a five-time national champion, a North American Mountain Running Champion, and a six-time member of Team USA. She graduated from Duke University with a degree in Neuroscience and received her M.D. from Stanford Medical School. Megan and her husband, David Roche, created the Some Work All Play Adventure Team where they coach some of the best athletes in the world and dedicated amateur runners. Jacob

After Nell Rojas finished the Boston Marathon her running life has been a whirlwind. In this episode, she bring her trademark honesty and dives into all of it: Getting back to top fitness after Boston, investing in her health by working with nutritionist and upping her carb intake, and the onset of a stress fracture in her foot that altered her plans and left her with plenty of uncertainty. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we dive into the incredible journey of Ryan Gehman, a 30-year-old post-collegiate runner and the 103rd finisher at the 2023 Boston Marathon, with an impressive time of 2:27 (an 11 minute PR). Ryan describes in detail how running helps him navigate life on the autistic spectrum and is propelling him pursue his dream of qualifying for the Olympic Trials in the marathon. Beyond personal achievement, Ryan uses running to navigate life and inspire hope for other neurodiverse individuals. Join us as we rewind the clock to Ryan's formative years, from being nonverbal to thriving with the support of his parents. We also explore the impact of Peter Bromka's written pieces on Ryan's Boston Marathon preparation, leading to his extraordinary PR. Mental Endurance Training Course The mental aspect of training is more important than every other aspect of training combined. Your mind is the greatest performance enhancer, or performance restrictor, depending on how you utilize it. We tend to spend a lot of time focusin

Dani Moreno continues her Road to the Trials mini-series as she prepares for the biggest 50k in the world - OCC during UTMB weekend. Last year Dani finished third at this iconic race to cap off a fantastic summer. In this episode we talk about where her fitness is compared to last year, the historic field of women who will be at the starting line (including an amazing group of American women), and a short race course breakdown. Finally, Dani shares some thoughts about who she is excited to watch during UTMB and some of the storylines that surround this runners. Sponsors: Thank you to Lagoon for sponsoring this episode and for their truly amazing pillows! Take their two minute quiz and learn which pillow is perfect for you and the way you sleep at https://lagoonsleep.com/rambling and save 15% by using code RAMBLING at checkout. Vacation Races is a running and travel company that helps people explore and enjoy the most scenic places on earth. They host half marathons, ultramarathons and trail running festival

Jacquie Mannhard didn't just win the 2023 Leadville 100, she put on a historic performance that very few saw coming. Jacquie, the quintessential dedicated amateur runner, won this iconic race by two hours and did so with the kind of joy that we can all aspire to. Jacquie's journey to the start line was filled with many challenges over the past 20 years. In fact, over the last two years she encountered back-to-back stress fractures in her femur! With the help of her coach, David Roche, she devised a lower mileage plan to keep her healthy without sacrificing the kind of training (typically 45-55 miles per week) that would allow her to dream big. It's a difficult needle to thread but she did it beautifully. And now, she's the champ! In this episode we talk about that journey, training on lower mileage for ultra races, energy availability, and shooting your shot when the opportunity arises. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The World Championships are almost here and Nico Montañez is ready. In his fifth appearance in the Road to the Trials series, Nico provides a full download on all things World Champs. First we talk about the selection process and his reason for accepting the offer after turning it down in 2019. Nico provides some context to how decisions like this can get tricky when weighed against the possibility of potentially larger paydays at other marathons. Then we go into full training and racing talk highlighted by a full breakdown of the "marathon concentration workouts" that were featured in the fantastic new video on Citius Mag YouTube channel that followed him on one of those strong efforts. This three workout progression provides him with the physical and mental stamina for race-day and his description of them was illuminating. Nico then shares his full mid-run nutrition program and why it has changed over time. Lastly, we talk about logistics for the World Championships. As always, Nico's openness and thoughtf

My good friends Tina Muir and Zoë Rom are back on the podcast to help all of us improve our running performance for the longterm, improve our personal communities, and our planet. This week their new book Becoming a Sustainable Runner is launching and it is EXCELLENT. This approachable book contains training tips and takeaways for beginner runners and elites alike, teaching them how to approach their own practice in a more sustainable way. It also serves as a useful guide to help runners take meaningful and effective action on climate justice. Weaving together personal stories, research, and expert input, Tina and Zoë illustrate how every runner can better support their own endurance journey, and how they can extend those lessons into meaningful environmental action. Becoming a Sustainable Runner makes a compelling case not just for the “how” of environmental stewardship, but the “why,” so that every athlete can connect their love of running to the landscapes that nourish that love. You can order their new bo

Today on the show we have an intellectual powerhouse - Dr. Kevin Stone. The episode is on the shorter side for this podcast but it is jam packed with high level expertise that you won't want to miss. Dr. Stone of The Stone Clinic is a leading orthopedic surgeons, Ted Talk Speaker, founder of the Stone Research Foundation, and author of Play Forever: How to Recover from Injury and Thrive. He’s been featured in The New York Times, Triathlete Magazine, Wall Street Journal, Well + Good and many others. Dr. Stone regularly works with weekend warriors to elite endurance athletes showing patients how injuries can lead to a lifetime of high-performance fitness and athleticism.  Dr. Stone is an expert in a wide range of topics and is particularly passionate about the advancements of regenerative medicine, Biologic Intelligence, and is one of the world’s leading experts in meniscus transplantation. Dr. Stone also discusses fascinating patient case studies that prove you can thrive after injury. In particular, the one p

In this episode I sit down with Dr. Tommy Martin. Tommy, who first appeared on the show in episode 235, is a doctor of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, a husband to a fellow endurance athlete and doctor, and a father to Oliver, who has rare condition called Lamb Shaffer Syndrome. I invited Tommy back on the show to talk about how he balances and organizes he crazy life, going after big endurance goals on a busy schedule, how his power lifting goals work alongside his running/triathlon goals, foundations for a worthwhile life, and fatherhood. You can follow Tommy at www.instagram.com/dr.tommymartin. Sponsors: Thank you to Lagoon for sponsoring this episode and for their truly amazing pillows! In addition, come join the 8x8x8 Challenge! We are inviting you to run 8 miles each day and be in bed 8 hours each night, for 8 consecutive days. The challenge will begin on 8/8 and run through the morning of 8/16. Everyone that finishes and documents their journey will get prizes from Lagoon and you can save 10% on pur

Erica Weitz is on her third Olympic Trials Qualifying cycle - a remarkable goal/achievement for a dedicated amateur runner. Her first attempt in 2016 fell short by the slimmest of margins. She was able to reach her dream goal in 2019 in a remarkable performance after a year of injuries. Now, she is working her tail off in order to try and go under 2:37. She's doing all of this with her trademark high-energy style. I've wanted to get Erica on the podcast for a long time and the wait was certainly worth it. Erica also discusses the Orlando OTQ course and noon start time from the perspective of an Orlando resident. You can learn more about Erica at www.instagram.com/exclusiveerica. Sponsors: Thank you to Lagoon for sponsoring this episode and for their truly amazing pillows! In addition, come join the 8x8x8 Challenge! We are inviting you to run 8 miles each day and be in bed 8 hours each night, for 8 consecutive days. The challenge will begin on 8/8 and run through the morning of 8/16. Everyone that finishes an

Wow! Six years since the start of the Rambling Runner Podcast. Thank you to everyone for listening to the show - it means more than I can express. In this episode, I do an Ask Me Anything to a bunch of questions that were submitted on Instagram. The questions focused on the motivations behind the show, how it started, what's changed in the industry, lessons learned, and so much more! Sponsor: This episode is sponsored by UCAN nutrition which is powered to deliver steady, long lasting energy without the spike and crash. Add in UCAN Hydrate to get those electrolytes that you need to stay hydrated. Finally, you've got to try the award winning Edge energy gels - they are my go-to on the run. You will get 20% of all of your orders at ucan.co with code RAMBLING. _ _ _ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Carmen Graves returns to Road to the Trials to detail her exciting summer. Carmen locked down a new sponsor (Oiselle), made a emotionanal decision to enter a meet and hurt her foot in the process, limited her training, and ran a PR in the 3000m steeplechase at USA's. An eventful three months, that's for sure! You can follow Carmen at www.instagram.com/carmenpelar and read her writing on her website https://carmenpelar.com/. Sponsors: Thank you to Lagoon for sponsoring this episode and for their truly amazing pillows! In addition, come join the 8x8x8 Challenge! We are inviting you to run 8 miles each day and be in bed 8 hours each night, for 8 consecutive days. The challenge will begin on 8/8 and run through the morning of 8/16. Everyone that finishes and documents their journey will get prizes from Lagoon and you can save 10% on purchases just by registering at https://lagoonsleep.com/pages/8x8x8-challenge. Vacation Races is a running and travel company that helps people explore and enjoy the most scenic pla

Dr. Jess Mena, doctor of physical therapy, coach at Lift, Run, Perform, and longtime podcast favorite, is back! In this episode, Jess and I talk about the "Good Enough" zone. First we discuss what it is, how it's different for each person, and how it can change over time. Then the podcast is broken into two parts: When to embrace "good enough" and when to strive for more. Follow Jess at www.instagram.com/tempo_with_jess. Sponsor: This episode is sponsored by UCAN nutrition which is powered to deliver steady, long lasting energy without the spike and crash. Add in UCAN Hydrate to get those electrolytes that you need to stay hydrated. Finally, you've got to try the award winning Edge energy gels - they are my go-to on the run. You will get 20% of all of your orders at ucan.co with code RAMBLING. _ _ _ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ramiro "DJ Curly" Guillen is back for his latest installment in the Road to the Trials series. Last month Ramiro and his amazing wife Melissa welcomed a baby girl into the world! We dive into the specifics of how that went for him and Melissa before diving into training talk. The birth of their daughter led to Curly cancelling his Grandma's Marathon experience and altering his summer training and racing plans. As he continues to build and gain fitness, Ramiro is showing signs that he is close to top form in a recent four mile time trial - a fantastic feet for a masters runner. Sponsors: Thank you to Lagoon for sponsoring this episode and for their truly amazing pillows! In addition, come join the 8x8x8 Challenge! We are inviting you to run 8 miles each day and be in bed 8 hours each night, for 8 consecutive days. The challenge will begin on 8/8 and run through the morning of 8/16. Everyone that finishes and documents their journey will get prizes from Lagoon and you can save 10% on purchases just by register

Jon Levitt is back on the show and it couldn't have come at a better time. Over the last year Jon experienced significant lows in his high running life. He battled back from them by stepping away from hard core training and it made all the difference. Now, Jon is revitalized, back training at a high level, and about to embark on a wild summer of racing and pacing that fits him perfectly. In this episode Jon details all of it with his trademark candor and thoughtfulness. You can listen to Jon's podcast, For the Long Run, here: https://forthelong.run. Sponsor: This episode is sponsored by UCAN nutrition which is powered to deliver steady, long lasting energy without the spike and crash. Add in UCAN Hydrate to get those electrolytes that you need to stay hydrated. Finally, you've got to try the award winning Edge energy gels - they are my go-to on the run. You will get 20% of all of your orders at ucan.co with code RAMBLING. Get 6 free Edge energy gels at https://ucan.co/rambling. _ _ _ Learn more about your ad

Dani Moreno is back on the show to continue the Road to the Trials series. Last time we spoke with Dani she was fresh off her Boston Marathon experience. In the subsequent months her life has changed in many ways. She got married, left her job, pulled out of a major race, crewed a teammate at Western States, and is now preparing to run OCC (one of the two most competitive 50k's in the world). You can listen to Dani's podcast, The Sub Hub, detailing the sub-ultra trail space here. Sponsors: Thank you to Lagoon for sponsoring this episode and for their truly amazing pillows! In addition, come join the 8x8x8 Challenge! We are inviting you to run 8 miles each day and be in bed 8 hours each night, for 8 consecutive days. The challenge will begin on 8/8 and run through the morning of 8/16. Everyone that finishes and documents their journey will get prizes from Lagoon and you can save 10% on purchases just by registering at https://lagoonsleep.com/pages/8x8x8-challenge. Vacation Races is a running and travel compan

On the podcast today we have Dr. Justin Ross, a clinical psychologist who works with athletes and teams to help them optimize their performance. He is also a dedicated amateur athlete, having qualified for the Boston Marathon six times. Dr. Ross has also competed in two Ironman 70.3 distance races and the Leadville 100-mile mountain bike race. Our discussion today focuses on getting over a tough performance in your A race (especially a marathon when you have to wait a long time to race again), making the most of a workout that isn't meeting your expectations, and his thoughts on the Big Hairy Audacious Goal (good vs bad, best way to approach/design them). You can learn more about Justin at www.drjustinross.com. Sponsor: This episode is sponsored by UCAN nutrition which is powered to deliver steady, long lasting energy without the spike and crash. Add in UCAN Hydrate to get those electrolytes that you need to stay hydrated. Finally, you've got to try the award winning Edge energy gels - they are my go-to on t

Hi folks, big announcement - as of today I am merging the Road to the Trials podcast feed with Rambling Runner. After polling the audience, and seeing that 98% of you wanted all the shows on one feed, this was a complete no-brainer. In today's episode we catch-up with Jereny Rivera. Jereny has been focusing on shorter races and building her base before a big marathon block that will start in a month, or so. Jereny discusses that process and also breaks down how she is able to focus on effort-based pacing while living in Florida. Many her of runs are done in temperatures about 90 degrees so her advice on this topic is helpful for all of as we progress through the summer months. Also, Jereny discusses something that's quite personal that could help many runners. Last year she stopped getting her period. Jereny immediately took action to rectify her health and she shares the steps she took. This is a topic that needs more mainstream discussion and I'm grateful to Jereny for brining it up and talking about her ex

Today's episode is a group chat with Tommie Runz, Peter Bromka, and Marcus Brown that was originally published on Relay. In this conversation we talked all about Keira D'Amato setting a new American record in the half marathon and how that record has evolved over time. We also did some training talk by discussing the ways in which we've approached training in the heat and humidity (good god the humidity/dew point is high!!!). Peter's method was easily the funniest! You can explore Relay and get a 7 day free trial at www.patreon.com/relay. Sponsor: This episode is sponsored by UCAN nutrition which is powered to deliver steady, long lasting energy without the spike and crash. Add in UCAN Hydrate to get those electrolytes that you need to stay hydrated. Finally, you've got to try the award winning Edge energy gels - they are my go-to on the run. You will get 20% of all of your orders at ucan.co with code RAMBLING. Get 6 free Edge energy gels at https://ucan.co/rambling. _ _ _ Learn more about your ad choices. V