The Rambling Runner

It is great to get professional triathlete, OTQ marathoner, and accomplished coach Sarah Bishop back on the show for Coach's Corner. Sarah and I talk about the importance of racing, practicing that skill set, how to approach the starting line and pacing plan with control and excitement, and an open discussion about the long layoff from races that most people have had and how it could affect them in their fall racing. Sarah joined the McKirdy Trained staff in 2018 and has been helping runners and mothers like herself reach their running goals ever since. As a wife and mother of four young children, she understands how overwhelming life can be, and the importance of making time for yourself. Channeling this stress into daily running and training goals not only made her a better mother, wife, and coach, but also led to her to accomplishing things she never thought possible. If you're looking to reach your potential with a high-level running coach, visit McKirdy Trained - www.mckirdytrained.com. Sponsors: SAYSKY

Natalie Mitchell is proving that even long-term dedicated amateur runners can get faster, even into their 50's. She's a shining example of what's possible. In fact, she just finished 27th in her age group at the Boston Marathon despite not hitting her goals on the day. That sentence is flat out bonkers, and amazingly inspiring. In this episode Natalie gives us the full breakdown of how she made this her running reality and how she has helped cultivate a love of running in teenagers in her community. You can learn more about Natalie at www.instagram.com/natrunsfar. 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. We are also spo

Over the last fifty years, women have made extraordinary advances in athletics. More women than ever are playing sports and staying active longer. Whether they’re elite athletes looking for an edge or enthusiastic amateurs, women deserve a culture of sports that helps them thrive: training programs and equipment designed to work with their bodies, as well as guidelines for nutrition and injury prevention that are based in science and tailored to their lived experience. Yet too often the guidance women receive is based on research that fails to consider their experiences or their bodies. So much of what we take as gospel about exercise and sports science is based solely on studies of men. The good news is, this is finally changing. Researchers are creating more inclusive studies to close the gender data gap. They’re examining the ways women can boost athletic performance, reduce injury, and stay healthy.  Sports and health journalist Christine Yu disentangles myth and gender bias from real science, making the

My friend Cody Jett is on the podcast today. Cody played college baseball and was averse to running in his younger days. When 2020 hit he decided to take up running on the treadmill during quarantine. From there he dove all in! In fact, he progressed non-runner, to occasional runner, to ultra runner. In addition, he's now started a YouTube channel and podcast to explore his passion for running and all the running shoes and gear that go along with it. You can learn more about Cody at www.instagram.com/ur_avg_jett. We have a new segment called "5 Running Questions presented by Running Warehouse." Here are links to the shoes Cody mentioned: HOKA Mach 5 Atreyu Base Trail HOKA Rocket X 2  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

Ryan Hurley is today's guest and he has a great story to tell. Ryan was a collegiate swimmer at the University of Virginia - an extremely competitive program and one of the most challenging universities in the world. Today he is marathoner, trail and ultra runner, and has founded his own company, Lagoon, after working at NBC sports. In this episode we take a deep dive (pun intended) into Ryan's history as a swimmer, the wild hours that sports demands of young athletes, how that built his aerobic capacity, and how he was able to transition from the pool to triathlon and then to endurance running. You can learn more about Ryan's Company, Lagoon, at https://lagoonsleep.com/rambling (and save 15%). Sponsors: SAYSKY was established in Copenhagen by Lars Pedersen, whom as a former pro windsurfer decided to take the relaxed and fun attitude of that sport into the running world. This attitude, together with its focus on high performance and quality together with a clean, Scandinavian, and streetwear-inspired prints,

(*unfortunately an unexpected fluke in the recording software caused Robbe’s audio to be less than our standard quality. Please excuse this flaw - Robbe’s worth it!!) We are back with a Shoe Talk episode and in this conversation we are joined by one of the best - Robbe Reddinger. You probably already know Robbe from his extensive work at Believe in the Run where he is often reviewing shoes on their YouTube channel, contributing to www.believeintherun.com, and writing their weekly newsletter. In this episode we take a deep dive into one of Robbe's favorite shoe genres, "performance daily trainers." These are the super lightweight running shoes that have a ton of versatility without having a max stack height. Shoes like the Saucony Endorphin Speed, adidas Takumi Sen, New Balance Rebel, and many more. We have a new segment called "5 Questions presented by Running Warehouse." Here are links to the shoes Robbe mentioned: Skechers Go Run Ride 11 On Cloudsurfer HOKA Rocket X 2  Sponsor: This episode is sponsor

Maurice "The Marathon Panda" Lowman is back on the show which means the positive vibes were flowing! The master of mindset and positivity agreed to sit down and talk about a couple of topics are aren't inherently positive - working through plateau's and handling race day disappointment. There are two topics that every runner faces and I couldn't think of a better person to learn from, and get inspired by when talking these out, than Mo. This is a man who has battled addiction and come out the other side to put together over 2,700 consecutive running days, hundreds of races, and dozens of marathons/ultramarathons. You can follow Maurice's journey of miles and positive vibes at www.instagram.com/marathonpandamaurice. We have a new segment called "5 Questions presented by Running Warehouse." Here are links to the shoes Mo mentioned: HOKA Clifton 9 Nike Zoom Fly 5 Nike Vaporfly NEXT% 3 ASICS Metaspeed Sky + Sponsors: SAYSKY was established in Copenhagen by Lars Pedersen, whom as a former pro windsurfer dec

Leah Yingling is an ultrarunner based out of Salt Lake City, Utah. Leah started racing ultras in 2015 and most recently was ranked #9 in the UltraRunning Magazine Ultrarunner of the Year rankings. In 2022, she finished 6th (and top American) at the Western States Endurance Run, 2nd at the Canyons 100k, and competed for Team USA at the Trail World Championships in the 80k. With that amazing resume it would be reasonable to assume that Leah has been steeped in elite running since she was a teenager. While reasonable, that assumption would be wildly incorrect. In fact, Leah still holds down an amazingly complex job at the intersection of healthcare and tech that requires her to run at night and fit her training around a hectic and shifting schedule. In this conversation Leah breaks down her start in running and how she has reached the top of the sport despite not devoting herself entirely too it. In addition, Leah also discusses being sexually assaulted on a trail run at age 19 and how she overcame that horrific

Today on the pod we have a fun and interesting topic to explore with my friend and PT, Duane Scotti: Running injuries that you can run through! Dr. Duane Scotti, DPT, PhD, OCS is a running physical therapist, run coach, host of the Healthy Runner podcast, and founder of Spark Healthy Runner and has been a leader in the rehab and running community for 20+ years. He is truly living his passion educating the running community that they don’t need to stop running to get over a running injury. Through his signature 1:1 coaching program, weekly videos, and podcast episodes, he empowers runners to get stronger, run faster, and enjoy lifelong injury free running. Through strength and run specific training you can build your body to have a strong mind, strong body, and just keep running! Learn more about how Duane became a healthy runner here! We have a new segment called "5 Questions presented by Running Warehouse." Here are links to a few of the shoes Duane mentioned: HOKA Mach 5 ASICS Cumulus 25 Saucony Endorphi

Ten years ago, Martinus Evans got some stern advice from his doctor: “Lose weight or die.” First defensive, but then defiant, Evans vowed that day to run a marathon, though his doctor thought he was crazy. Since then, Evans has run eight marathons and hundreds of other distances in his 300-something pound body, created his own devoted running community, and has been featured on the cover of Runner’s World. His book, The Slow AF Run Club, is a blueprint for those who may not fit the image of a “traditional” runner—that is, someone who is larger in size, less athletic, out of shape, or dealing with any kind of health issue that slows them down—to feel empowered to lace up their shoes and embrace the body they have right now. As Evans says, the incredible benefits of running—better sleep, strong muscles and bones, better cardiovascular and mental health, and a sense of community—can and should be available to all of us. This practical handbook contains specialized advice to make getting started less intimidating

Two days ago Lululemon altered the face of women's running by announcing their Further initiative and ten new Global Ambassadors that include some of the best and most interesting women in the running community. One of those amazing women is my good friend, and friend of the pod, Stefanie Flippin. In this episode we breakdown everything about this partnership, how it came about, what it means for the running community, and she illuminates what contracts and compensation actually look like for U.S. pro runners. Here is what Stefanie wrote about the partnership on Instagram: "Six months ago I took a call with Lululemon. The conversation led with “we want to support you as a human and all of your career paths and endeavors that make you you.” It’s not an exaggeration when I say that this is a dream partnership. I’m so incredibly grateful to be working with the very best in the industry to accomplish everything that makes my heart sing: pushing for equity and change in athletics, ultrarunning, and sport science.

In this episode of "Coaching Bites" we take a deep dive how best to approach pre-race preparations and early race strategy. From the warm-up, drills, strides, starting line strategy, and early race pacing. We have a new segment called "5 Questions presented by Running Warehouse." Here are links to a few of the shoes Matt mentioned: ASICS Superblast Saucony Endorphin Pro 3 Saucony Endorphin Elite Mizuno Wave Rebellion Pro 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

Races are upon us and there is no better way to prepare for the mental rigors that come with pushing our ourselves to the limit than to learn from Roisin “Ro” McGettigan-Dumas (LMHC)! Ro is a sports psychology coach, licensed mental health counselor and Olympian from Wicklow, Ireland (now based in Providence, RI). She competed at Providence College and then professionally with the "RunProvidence" group under the tutelage of Ray Treacy. Ro is an Olympic finalist ('08) and is the Irish record holder in the steeplechase as well as a European Medallist in the 1500m. Her two passions are track & field and psychology and, since retiring from professional running, she is focusing on helping athletes achieve their goals in sport and life. Ro knows first hand the powerful effect of mental preparation for performance, overcoming disappointments, and life beyond sport. She’s the co-author of the Believe Training Journal series (Velopress), is piloting a goal-setting workshop for athletes to use in schools called "Dare t

Jason Fitzgerald is back on the pod! Jason is a good friend and we had a blast chopping it up about several running topics that have been at the top of our minds recently (with plenty of diversions as we went along). 1. How your nutrtion/fueling has changed over time (I've finally come to the realization that I have a gluten sensitivity and it's changed a lot). 2. Grayson Murphy: An outlier who is simply one of the best of all time or a model for a potential paradigm shift in training/racing theory? 3. Can pushing the pace on technical/challenging trail runs improve fitness for runners who plan to race primarily on the roads? We have a new segment called "5 Questions presented by Running Warehouse." Here are links to a few of the shoes Jason mentioned: ASICS Noosa Tri 14 ASICS Magic Speed 2 Brooks Catamount HOKA Zinal You can visit Jason's website at https://strengthrunning.com and buy his Performance Training Journal on Amazon. Sponsor: This episode is sponsored by UCAN nutrition which is powered to

10 years ago, at the age of 30, Hebah Hefzy realized she needed to make a change. Hebah graduated from high school at 16 years old and medical school at 22. Her drive and talent were elite . Her academics and career were a priority for Hebah but her physical fitness had taken a backseat. She was alarmed when she felt out of shape climbing a flight of stairs. As a doctor, Hefzy talked to patients about the importance of exercise but she was failing to walk-the-walk. Hefzy couldn’t run a mile, but decided running was something she could fit into her schedule. At the time she was married with three children and working as a vascular neurologist in Detroit, Michigan. During her lunch breaks she would change in a Starbucks bathroom, run for 10 minutes, then go bac to work. It wasn't ideal but it was a start. In the following 10 years Hebah attacked her running goals with energy and optimism, even when some of the people closest to her insisted that she stop. Now Hebah is a six time Boston Marathon qualifier, has r

Allie Caminiti has been running for over 20 years, both competitively and recreationally. She is a sub-3 hour marathoner and her first marathon was the TCS NYC Marathon in 2014 where she unexpectedly qualified for Boston. She has completed 12 marathons ranging from large city races to small town courses with small fields and few spectators. She has run five of the six World Marathon Majors, including NYC, Boston, Chicago, Tokyo, and Berlin. In this episode Allie provides us valuable information on how overcome the mental challenges we face as runners while still striving for goals and to be our best running selves. It's a difficult needle to thread but Allie provides the tools to do just that. Recent Races:  Winner (1st female, 4th overall) San Francisco Ultra Marathon 2022 in a time of 6:47, breaking the -course record by 1 hour 45 minutes.  Winner (Overall winner) One Day in San Francisco 2022 6 hour Race running 43.1 miles in 6 hours.  Top 5 at Mountains to Beach Half Marathon 2022 with a time of 1:23

Morgan Boland is one of my favorite amateur runners to follow on Instagram. She started running just as the pandemic hit in 2020 with little to no athletic experience. She also had two young children at home to take care of while her husband had a wild work schedule. Not only did Morgan use running to help her feel like herself again and get some much needed alone time, she fell in love with the sport. As you'll see, even though Morgan is fairly new to the running game, she is an inspiration to runners of all levels. In this episode Morgan talks about that journey, the early morning treadmill miles that have been her staple, and we even do a serious Pop Tarts deep dive. We have a new segment called "5 Questions presented by Running Warehouse." Here are links to a few of the shoes Morgan mentioned: Brooks Ghost 15 Brooks Launch 9 You can follow Morgan www.instagram.com/milesthroughmotherhood. Sponsors: Vacation Races is a running and travel company that helps people explore and enjoy the most scenic place

Alexandria Williams is a marathoner who recently achieved a goal that many have attempted - she became an Abbott 6 Star Finisher. That means she has completed the New York, Chicago, Boston, London, Berlin, and Tokyo marathons! Alex is a run influencer, speaker, FitHair expert, and author. In this episode Alex takes us through her amazing running journey that started with this incredible goal. There were plenty of hurdles along the way but Alex was undeterred. This is an episode filled with hope and positive vibes for anyone looking to achieve an audacious goal. We also started a new segment "5 Questions presented by Running Warehouse." Here are links to a few of the shoes Alex mentioned: New Balance Fresh Foam X 860 v13 New Balance Fresh Foam X More v4 adidas adizero Prime X Strung You can follow Alex at www.instagram.com/alexandriawill. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on the podcast Ellie Windham shares her experiences supporting newer runner, what it's like to help establish a community within a local area, and building up to an ultra marathon (even if you live in a city). Ellie has done a remarkable job of connecting to runners in the New York City area who are new to the sport or who run in the 10-12 minute per mile zone. So many of us, in fact half of the national running community, train at those paces. Yet we are often left out of some of the dialogue within the sport. In this episode we dive into these topics and learn more about Ellie and her wonderful work. You can follow Ellie at www.instagram.com/elliewindham. 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 en

At last week's Boston Marathon, Nell Rojas went up against some of the world's best after a less-than-ideal build and did her thing. Nell ran a 2:24:51, a personal best, which was good for 14th overall and 3rd American. Two weeks before Boston, Nell finished 3rd at Cherry Blossom 10 Miler (USATF Championship). In this episode we detail the training that led to these performances as well as the race tactics and details that defined them. Nell displays her trademark candor and good humor in describing all of it! In the second half of the episode we hear from CJ Albertson. CJ ran a gutsy race that proved to far more impactful that his 12th place overall finish (4th American). We dive into all of it while talking at length about his well-crafted IG post detailing his experience: "2:10:33- 12th place at the Boston Marathon On paper, a mediocre result. With analysis, a poor result- with a 62:20 1st half split, then fading hard for a 68:13 2nd half. But this race was special. For awhile now, it’s been difficult to e