The Zone 2 Podcast

🐐 This week, we are delighted to welcome Heartbreak Coach and community organizer Devin Miller  back  on the Podcast! This time around, we dove headfirst into a discussion about determination, grit, and going the extra mile. 🫥 How can you learn to grow from hard days and setbacks? 💡 How can you turn your ideas within your community into reality? 🩲 What kit should you be wearing to your next ru...

☀️On the off-chance you haven’t seen him running around Boston, you’ve definitely seen him on social media. This week, we had the pleasure of chatting with Alex “Herm” Hermanson, known on socials as @herm.runs , for a philosophical yet fun discussion about perspectives, motivation, goal-setting, and community. 🌆How do you tap into the communities around the activities you love? 🙂‍↕️How do you le...

🔋 This week, we are joined by Rafe Gangi — Social Strategist at WHOOP, Heartbreak pacer, retired collegiate 400m runner, and all-around chill guy. We covered everything from Rafe’s transition from the 400 to the marathon, to building social media strategy at Saucony and WHOOP, to Joey Chestnut’s outrageous performance at the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest. 📈 What makes a running brand ca...

💔 This week, we sat down with one of the faces behind Boston’s iconic Heartbreak Hill Running Company : Dan Fitzgerald . Dan’s role is finely structured around his passions for community, coaching, and of course, running. Join us in unpacking Dan’s journey at Heartbreak from humble beginnings in the South End all the way to new frontiers in LA and beyond.  In this episode, learn all about:  💥 Wh...

🚀 In this week’s special episode, Francis and Brian take a deep dive into one of the most revolutionary developments in modern running: supershoes💨. From record-shattering performances by Kelvin Kiptum and Tigst Assefa to the carbon-plated kicks showing up at your local 5K, we break down the science, the history, and the hype behind the shoes that are changing the sport.  In this episode, we get...

🏅 This week, we’re thrilled to introduce Mike Beeman , who you may know from his energetic and motivational TikTok videos featuring his mantra: “Slay the day, rep the steps!”—always followed by his signature dab. Known online as @Runboston48, Mike has an incredible 48 Boston Marathon finishes under his belt and is looking ahead to number 49. We spent some time talking with Mike to hear about his...

🌟 This week, we sat down with  Liv Barbier , 3x marathoner and runner for the  Tracksmith Hares , for an inspiring conversation about motivation, goal-setting, and self-belief. If you haven’t already signed up for a marathon, you will after hearing what Liv has to say. From her background as a competitive skier and mountain biker, Liv shares about her rapid transition from hobby runner to a compe...

⛰️ This week, we’re going long — really long. We’re joined by professional ultramarathoner Meg Morgan , who runs for La Sportiva and has taken on some of the gnarliest races out there — including the iconic Western States 100. In this episode, Meg walks us through her journey from hobby runner to pro, why she chose to go beyond the marathon, and what actually happens inside your head (and feet) du...

🍁This week, tap in for a special race debrief from this past weekend’s Vermont City Marathon. We’re joined by our friend and fellow marathon debutant Zach Shrull, who finished in an impressive 3:17:07, and managed a negative split. In this episode, Francis and Zach both take a good hard look at all their life decisions over the last 6 months: specifically, we unpack their first training cycles, r...

This week on The Zone 2 Podcast , Francis and Brian are joined by Seth Wolfman, the founder of the widely popular Brighton Bangers Running Club! Since its founding in 2012, the Bangers have grown into one of the most vibrant and welcoming running communities in Boston — with hundreds of runners showing up to weekly group runs. In this episode, Seth shares: 🏙️ The joys and challenges of building a...

Welcome back to The Zone 2 Podcast ! This week, Francis and Brian chopped it up with former URI varsity runner and freshly minted marathoner Aidan Kindopp. Aidan may be humble, but we’ll brag for him — coming from a 1500m PR of 3:54.83, Aidan BQed in his debut marathon with 2:45:53 at the 2025 Rhode Races Newport Marathon. And just to round things out, he’s currently pursuing his Ph. D. in chemica...

Welcome to The Zone 2 Podcast ! If you enjoy today’s episode, don’t forget to leave a review, comment, and share this episode with your friends & on social media! Episode 14 features Boston College Senior and varsity distance runner Peter Fox. To celebrate Star Wars day, the lads kicked things off with some light-hearted Star Wars banter before Peter takes us through his life as a collegiate r...

Welcome to Episode 13, featuring 2022 Boston Marathon finisher Savannah Gigandet! As with all our guests, we dive into Savannah’s background in running and her journey thus far - from her time as a competitive gymnast to taking on the Boston Marathon, and now balancing her passions both for running and strength training.  Savannah also speaks candidly about her experience with eating disorders rel...

Welcome to Episode 12, featuring a special race-day debrief with marathon debutant Rachel Ahlmark! Rachel comes from a background as a collegiate D3 short- and middle-distance runner, but after a few half marathons, she boldly (or foolishly?) decided to take on the full marathon.  This past Saturday, host Brian and Rachel crossed the finish line at the Rhode Races Newport Marathon, wrapping up a l...

Welcome to Episode 11 featuring Heartbreak Boston Coach and 15-time marathoner U.P. Nguyen! U.P.’s impressive running resume includes the 2022 Boston Marathon and the 2024 Chicago Marathon, and U.P. will be returning to the course to race Boston next Monday! In addition to her impressive running accomplishments, U.P. coaches as a part of the team at Heartbreak Hill Running Company.  In this episod...

If you went for a run but didn't log it on Strava... did it even happen? Double digits: a huge landmark for runners and podcasters alike. To celebrate episode 10, we're taking a deep dive into the activity-based social media app that's become the go-to for runners: Strava! From data insights and training tools to social features and the perks of a premium subscription, we break down what makes Str...

Welcome to Episode 9 featuring Nike Women's Running Ambassador Lily Toussaint! Lily has a resume including 4 half marathon finishes, a finish at the 2024 Myrtle Beach Marathon, a spartan race, and a host of others! In addition to her running accomplishments, Lily is currently studying to be a clinical dietician. With her background as an athlete and her professional focus on nutrition, Lily offers...

Welcome to Episode 8 featuring Southie's own Nora Johnson! Nora ran her first marathon in Newport in 2019, and has since ran Providence ('21), Chicago ('22), NYC ('23), and is currently preparing to run Boston next month in support of GoodSports! In addition to her accomplishments as a runner, Nora founded the hugely popular Castle Island Track Club located in Southie! On this week’s episode, we d...

Tommy Hinojosa's running story is one of grit, growth, and raw honesty. This week, we dive deep with Tommy, a former D1 track and cross country runner from the University of Texas, about his journey into running, the transition to collegiate athletics, and the role mental health plays in the lives of NCAA athletes. Get ready for an candid conversation that goes beyond the raw miles, exploring the...

Devin, Dev, Coach D… however you know him, Devin is a huge part of the running community here in Boston. Welcome to Episode 6 featuring Heartbreak Boston coach Devin Miller. With a background in Muay Thai, Devin discusses his transition into running and shares some insight into his process for identifying useful training knowledge. We discuss running origins, track races, middle distance running,...

Buckle up because this is a special one! This week, we're thrilled to welcome Russell Wells, a former D1 athlete, Heartbreak Running coach, and Nike EKIN! Join us as we explore Russell's incredible journey from competitive running to one of the 'coolest jobs' in the sneaker industry. Get ready to dive into the tech behind running shoes, expert tips on choosing the perfect fit, what it really means...

Welcome to episode 4 featuring marathoner Haley Medeiros! Haley ran the 2023 Newport Marathon and is currently training to run the 2025 Boston Marathon as a charity runner supporting the Brookline Center for Community Mental Health. Get ready to get inspired as we discuss everything from fundraising to training with Haley’s sights set on Marathon Monday. You can read more about Haley’s journey her...

Join us in this episode as we talk about running easy with Ted Trozinski! Ted ran the 2024 Buffalo Marathon with a time of 3:25:56 and is currently training to run the M&T Vermont City Marathon alongside Francis. Ted Joins us this week to talk about his journey to running, race training, and notably beating Francis in the 2024 Paddy's 5k in Cambridge.

For our second episode, we had the privilege to sit down and speak with our good friend and Nike Running ambassador Cate Schultz. Join us while we talk with Cate about her journey into running, her favorite Nike gear, as well as what it means to be a woman running in Boston.

We are Francis and Brian, friends living in Boston who met running through the @heartbreak.bos run club. Since getting into running within the last year, we have both done a handful of races, including Brian running the 2024 Cambridge Half (1:32.26) and Francis running the Salem Wicked Half (1:38.04). Now, we’re both in the middle of training for our first full marathons: Brian will be running the...