Making Strides

We’re back! In this episode, we catch up on our summer activities and personal lives, including family trips abroad and ultra races. We also discuss our evolving perspectives on training, as well as the rapidly-changing running culture. Carolyn talks about a food-run-tour she led through Boston’s Chinatown, and the ancestral connection she discovered through that experience, and Stef shares about...

“I think the experience I had is what EVERY straight, white male has at EVERY race.”  Consider this convo as a part-two follow up to our most listened-to episode, "Allyship, Intention, and Impact" ( episode 12 ), as we parse out what exactly made the ‘We Out Here’ Trail Fest so incredibly special.  In a time when there’s constant pushback and criticism of what DEI actually means or looks...

“ We hope that this trail race shows that it is possible to welcome new people to the sport, that trail running doesn't have to be rooted in white culture, that we can show up as our authentic selves .” - Alison Desir This is a special episode that is near and dear to our hearts, as we got to not only record a live show with our friends, but also be a part of the inaugural trail festival, We O...

Fresh off the Boston Marathon weekend, we talk about EVERYTHING that happened from Thursday to Marathon Monday, including seeing Kara Goucher and Alysia Montaño, fawning over senior penguins, and getting to bring in the final finishers at the 26.True Marathon! We are also excited to share our FIRST SPONSOR, Pen & Paces ! A local, AAPI-woman-owned small business, Pen & Paces is all about su...

“We are teaching and showing the next generation that our democracy is important and that it is worth fighting for.” In this episode, we wrestle with how to continue carrying on in running and racing, while also staying informed and taking action amidst the uncertain and scary times. We are still asking,  “where do we go from here?” Carolyn shares about what it was like for her to bring her family...

“This is bigger than democrat or republican; we’re all connected. This is about taking care of each other and about the promises we’ve made to each other.” This was an emotionally heavy episode, though we spend the first half talking about our new hobbies (aka, our coping mechanisms). As policies and politics continue to impact our lives, we have been asking the questions, “where do we go from her...

“As someone who grew up in a time when girls were pitted against each other and seen as competition, I love that we’re in this era where, just being in each other’s corners is celebrated!” This is the GIVE HER FLOWERS episode! We talk about the women who inspire us, the women who have moved us to action, and the young women we are raising. In light of Women’s History Month (March) and in recogniti...

“We want to believe that, when seeing harm being done, we will rise to the level of our expectations, but the reality is, most of us will fall to the level of our training.” - Stefanie In this episode, Carolyn and Stef talk about Stef’s newest addition to the family (spoiler: she has four paws and gives lots of kisses!), Carolyn’s new fitness endeavors, and the intersection of race, politics, and...

Staying true to our commitment to record more episodes this year, we hop back on after the Lunar New Year to discuss a variety of topics, ranging from 2025 being Stef’s lucky year, to how Jesse Eisenberg’s directorial debut embodies the representation we didn’t know we needed! We also dive into the significance of identifying your Core Values and allowing those to guide decisions, what to say ‘yes...

Hello, 2025! In this episode, we catch up with each other after the holiday season, and we also discover how we are both in a similar season, in regards to our relationship with running social media. We talk about Seasonal Affective Disorder, meditation, laying on the ground at races, and toilet paper ornaments! We also spend time talking about the immediate impact that the new, presidential admin...

A little overdue, but it’s here: the recap (or…post mortem?!) of everything surrounding this year’s New York City Marathon weekend!  Stef and Carolyn breakdown the course experience ‘chunk by chunk’ and also celebrate the fact that it was Carolyn’s return to the marathon distance after six, long years away due to injury. Stef shares her BTS perspective as a professional athlete who traveled to thi...

Hello again, everyone! We’re back after a brief break for the summer, and, just like the quick turn into the Fall season, we get right back into racing! In this episode, we talk about some big wins — both on and off the race course: Stef has been on a solid, health-centered training trajectory, and she’s made some big wins in the ultra and trail space in the last month! Carolyn has also been worki...

A recent article on irunfar.com made quite a splash, when the [white] authors called for feedback on the new 'progressive' initiatives launched by the Pro Trail Runners Association, and BIPOC women answered by calling out the lack of intersectionality and diversity. In this episode, Stef and Carolyn address the harm that was caused while still acknowledging the good intent behind the initi...

Stef and I get more into our different experiences growing up as Asian Americans — like how I felt like I was constantly straddling two separate worlds and identities, while Stef moved about not acknowledging her Asian ancestry. We also share about the steps we’ve taken as adults to reclaim and celebrate our heritage, whether through cooking more cultural foods, amplifying Asian American runners,...

Buckle up! You're gonna wanna take notes, because in this convo, Stef and Carolyn talk with the indomitable Kayla Jeter and Charlie Dark! This episode was recorded live, from The View Boston, during the Boston Marathon weekend -- exactly one month following the completion of lululemon's Further ultramarathon project. We spoke about how we define ourselves and the importance of separating w...

Out in the desert of Palm Springs, CA, a team of ten women set out on a 6-day, ultramarathon, with the goal of breaking world records and going "Further" than any team of women had gone before: enter, the lululemon Further Project! When the dust settled, the ten women collectively ran approximately 3,000 miles and broke 12 world records! They also provided an unprecedented amount of phys...

How do you pull a seat up at the Table, when the Table has historically been an unsafe and unwelcome place for you? Join us in another episode of the #MakingStridesPod, where we dive into the convo on why it’s so critical for companies and organizations to not simply talk about the value of DEIB, but to have Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging “baked in” the entire organizational culture....

“Not everything that counts can be counted.” Carolyn and Stef are back! The first episode of the year includes a lot of reflections on 2023, both personally and professionally, as well as the plan and mindset for moving into 2024. As always, thanks for being here! If you enjoy our convos, please like, subscribe, and leave a positive review! Show Notes: 0:18 - intro and reconnecting after the holid...

Carolyn and Stef talk about bearing the impact and invisible load of microaggressions and discrimination, both in running and in life. Is it fair? How to we protect our peace while continuing to show up in the sport? We also discuss the importance of naming the problems we want to change. Show notes: 6:25 - how raising a teen daughter who is Asian American brings to light the invisible burdens tha...

“Even the decision to train for a race is a privilege itself.” Episode 5 of the #MakingStridesPod, ‘Barriers to Entry,’ drops today! In this episode, Stef and I get into how participating in a trail or ultra race event isn’t as simple as ‘just stepping outside’ (as some claim). There’s a reason why women only comprise 23% of the trail and ultra scene (and that number drops to 16% at distances over...

“Until the aftermath of 2020, I felt a sense of embarrassment, sharing some of the [racist] experiences that I’ve had, and I think it stems from the fact that I didn’t want my close friends — who are white — to feel uncomfortable, or like I was pointing fingers.” - @ stefanieannflippin In our fourth episode, ‘De-Centering White Comfort,’ Stef and I ( Carolyn ) reflect on the events surrounding the...

“When we don’t behave how we are expected to, based on stereotypes, it’s jarring for people!” - @ irunfortheglory “I definitely did not see many athletes that looked like me, so that’s been on the forefront of my mind now in my own professional running career.” - @ stefanieannflippin This was an incredibly meaningful and candid conversation between Mirna Valerio , Stefanie Flippin , and Carolyn Su...

“ Don’t sell yourself short; don’t let imposter syndrome cause you to shrink yourself and settle. A year from now, you want to be able to look back and know in your heart and in your gut that you felt good about the partnership — that you felt seen, understood and known .” - Carolyn This episode, we talk about WORKING WITH BRANDS: what has been the industry norm? What would it look like for compan...

Announcing, the Making Strides Podcast! We are so glad you're here! Stefanie and I ( Carolyn ) are both women who stumbled into the sport of running in our 20s, and neither of us would have ever imagined how running would one day lead to us creating a podcast for YOU, our beloved, running community! Stef is a coach and professional trail and ultrarunner based out of Colorado, where she also ru...