No Gimmicks Just Sweat

Meet Kristen Hetzel. Kristen is a Team USA duathlete and has been representing the United States in competition since 2012. She is a 2x Silver medalist, 9x All-American, and 9x World Championship qualifier. Her two duathlon events for the U.S. team are the Powerman distance which is a 6.2-mile run, 93-mile bike, and 18-mile run; and the Olympic distance which is a 6.2-mile run, a 25-mile bike, and...

In this episode, I talk with Matt Gavin. Matt is an avid runner based in Massachusetts. While most of his time spent running is on the roads, he also loves logging miles on local trails. In addition to being an endurance athlete, Matt is a certified personal trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) and passionate about strength training, particularly with kettlebells. Outside...

On this episode, meet Stacy Schutte. Stacy is a 200 Hr Registered Yoga Teacher, certified through My Vinyasa Practice and Yoga Alliance. She loves to help people incorporate the physical and mental benefits of yoga into their busy lifestyles. You can find Stacy on Instagram at @stacylynn.fitness and her website is http://encompassjoyyoga.com Disclaimer: If you take any advice or opinions from this...

On this episode, we meet Tom Rizzotte. Tom, a police officer, husband and father based out of New Jersey, is a triathlete who enjoys exercising, staying healthy and fit. After being introduced to triathlon in 2016, Tom was immediately hooked. He loves challenging himself to see how far he can push himself. Self-coached, Tom enjoys figuring this sport out on his own. He has completed various sprint...

On this episode, I welcome back Season 1 Episode 2 guest Cassy Campanella along with her husband Jared to share their experience running in the Javelina Jundred, the ultimate social 100-mile trail run. The Javelina sends runners out on a mostly flat and fast multiple-loop course through the desert terrain of McDowell Mountain Regional Park near Fountain Hills, Arizona. Hear their story of how they...

We started Season 2 talking with Monica Huson (episode 13) and we close out the season with a follow up on her experience running three marathons in six weeks. And not just any three marathons. Monica ran the BMW Berlin Marathon, Boston Marathon and TCS New York City Marathon, three of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, back-to-back over a six week period. Running and finishing one marathon is a fe...

On this episode, we welcome back Kara Ollick from Season 2 Episode 17 as she gives us a recap of her experience running in the 2021 New York City Marathon. You can follow Kara on Instagram @youareworththerun and her website is https://youareworththerun.com/ Disclaimer: If you take any advice or opinions from this podcast, you do so at your own risk. You can listen to the No Gimmicks Just Sweat Pod...

On this episode, we welcome back Sophie Lambert from Season 1 Episode 9 as she gives us a recap of her experience running in the 2021 Boston Marathon. You can find her on Instagram at @runner_sophie Disclaimer: If you take any advice or opinions from this podcast, you do so at your own risk. You can listen to the No Gimmicks Just Sweat Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Google Podcast or wherever...

In this episode we talk with retired U.S. Army Sgt. First Class Michael D. Smith. Sgt. Smith is the first above-the-elbow amputee to receive a fit-for-duty status as an active duty Soldier, and an elite U.S. paralympic triathlete training to compete at the Olympics. Smith hasn’t let tragedy prevent him from chasing his dreams and loves the opportunity to inspire, motivate and encourage others to t...

On this episode, meet Amy DenHerder. Amy is a wife, stay-at-home mother of 2 kiddos and a Border Collie, a runner and duathlete. She lives in Holland, Michigan and has a passion in inspiring others through movement! Amy has been running for years and racing for nearly a decade. She is a proud FlyGirl with Team Stellafly and an active Angel with My Team Triumph. Empowering others in movement is som...

This week we talked with Marnie Kunz. Not only is Marnie a Brooklyn-based runner, dog lover, and writer, she is also a RRCA- and USATF-certified running coach and the creator of Runstreet®️ Art Runs and blog. Marnie created Runstreet®️ to inspire a wide range of runners through informative articles, videos, photography, and art. Seeing a lack of diversity in mainstream running media outlets, Marni...

In this week’s episode, we talk with Cheryl Miller. Cheryl’s love for running began as a 7th grader in New York state, where she participated in Cross Country and Track and Field. Some of her past accomplishments include holding the New York State record for the Intersectional Relay and the Women’s 1500 Meter State Championship title. This past year she traveled non-stop over 7 months to 28 differ...

Meet Lani Woods. Lani is a single mother of 2 and avid obstacle course racer (OCR) and cycling newbie from Compton CA. She originally started trail running as a way to cope with bipolar depression and PTSD. This ultimately led her to OCR and her love of overcoming obstacles. Lani even overcame a traumatic knee injury to come back as an American Ninja Warrior contestant on Season 13. In addition to...

In this episode, we talk with Jess Weatherby, Jess is a proud homeschool mom in Waco, TX, who is an Obstacle Course Racer (OCR) and was a Season 2 contestant on Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s hit show The Titan Games. Considered one of the fittest moms in America, her fitness journey began after she was told that she would need a full hip replacement before she turned 45 because she had labral tears...

In this episode, we talk with Lisa Becharas. Lisa is a 4th year professional triathlete living in Boulder, CO. She left her job as a collegiate Track and Field/Cross Country coach to build her dream of competing at the highest level in the sport. While racing professionally she also works full time for Sur PhytoPerformance. You can follow Lisa on Instagram @lisabecharas Disclaimer: If you take any...

Today we meet cyclist and duathlete Danielle Ford. Danielle is from Hunt Valley, Maryland and growing up near the Blue Ridge Mountains, she was encouraged to support meaningful outdoor activities and foster connections between people and the environment through participation and service. She frequently uses her adventures on the bicycle to foster leadership principles she incorporates throughout h...

In this episode, we talk with Kara Ollick. Kara is a runner and RRCA certified running coach who has two passions in life: teaching and running. She is an avid runner who has run in 10 marathons and 60+ half marathons on top of numerous 10ks and 5ks. Kara’s passion for running ignited in April 2013 as a way to get in shape. She was racing 5ks almost every weekend and it just snowballed from there....

On this episode, meet Alexandra Weissner. Alexandra is an athlete, running coach, podcaster, and co-founder of bRUNch Running. Growing up in New Jersey, Alexandra played a variety of sports from ballet, swimming, soccer and basketball. While watching the 1998 Winter Olympics, she fell in love with the sport of alpine skiing. Having learned to ski at age 5, she already loved being on the mountain b...

In this episode, I talk with triathlete Doug Billet. Doug hails from York, PA and is a 2003 graduate from Marywood University, where he was a first ballot Hall of Fame basketball inductee in 2013. Much of his childhood and early adult years were focused on competitive basketball and fast twitch training. After several years off from any workout regiment, Doug began endurance training for half and...

Meet Reggie Waller. Reggie is a USA Triathlon Level 1 Certified Coach, RRCA Endurance Running Coach and USA Track and Field Level 1 Coach who coaches triathletes and runners to reach their full potential. He started as a middle distance runner in high school, competing at the regional and state level in his junior and senior years. In 2008, he fell back in love with running after running a number...

In this episode, we talk with Monica Huson. Monica is a wife and mother, who works in the intellectual property field. Monica has been running since 1994 with the exception of about 6-7 years to deal with infertility and eventually expanding her family. She was lucky enough to be welcomed into the Masters Age-Group category last year and has nothing but good things to say about competing as a runn...

As I close out Season 1 of the show, I want to take the time to thank everyone who has made No Gimmicks Just Sweat a success. Well, at least a success in my eyes. So what is No Gimmicks Just Sweat? It’s my personal mantra that I have used during my fitness journey over the years. No Gimmicks Just Sweat is a state of mind and a reminder that anything you value is worth putting in the work, staying...

In this episode, I talk to Sharifa Knowles. Sharifa has been an active member of the Atlanta running community for several years and has enjoyed participating in several road races. She is a certified nutrition coach, personal trainer and recently launched her wellness company (Sharifa Knowles Wellness) with the mission of helping women support their goals and long term health. You can find her on...

Meet Danny Tolliver. Danny is an IT Operation Manager for the City of Chattanooga, TN. He is also a photographer and has been married for 36 years. At 55 yrs of age, Danny is also an amateur bodybuilder whose first competition was back in 2008 in Knoxville and that's what really got him started in keeping fit and staying healthy. He did his first half marathon in 2015, after which he purchased his...

Meet Sophie Lambert. Sophie is a 43 year old mom of two living in a small town in Virginia (Staunton in the Shenandoah Valley). She ran competitively growing up, but played other sports after high school. Sophie fell in love with the marathon in her late 20s, but then took a ten-year break. She returned to training as a masters runner and has been inspired by how competitive the age group truly is...