Mindful Marathon Podcast

As runners, we spend a lot of time thinking about hydration, fueling, and training plans, but how often do we think about protecting our skin? In this Summer Replay episode of the Mindful Marathon Podcast, I'm joined by board-certified dermatologist, dermatologic surgeon, and fellow runner, Dr. Stephanie Campbell. Together, we discuss simple, practical strategies to help runners protect their skin...

Have you ever felt like you're living on a treadmill? There's always another race to train for, project to finish, patient to see, and responsibility waiting for your attention. For many high achievers, the finish line keeps moving. In this Mindfulness Moments episode, I invite you to slow down and step off that treadmill, if only for a few minutes. Inspired by my recent conversation with performa...

What if peak performance isn't about pushing harder? In this episode, I sit down with performance coach, educator, and author Michael Allison to explore how our nervous system shapes performance, resilience, recovery, and even our enjoyment of running. Michael is the creator of The Play Zone and has trained hundreds of coaches, therapists, and leaders worldwide in applying Polyvagal Theory to perf...

Feeling Adrift After Marathon Training? You're Not Alone. Have you ever crossed the finish line of a marathon, half marathon, or other big goal race and then found yourself wondering, Now what? In this episode, Dr. Michelle Quirk explores the surprisingly common feeling of being "adrift" after a training cycle ends. Inspired by a message from one of her athletes after the London Marathon, this con...

GLP-1 medications seem to be everywhere right now. From conversations in the physicians' lounge to social media feeds, these medications have become a major part of the discussion around weight, health, and wellness, but what do runners need to know about training while taking a GLP-1? In this episode, I sit down with registered dietitian Ann Kent to discuss how GLP-1 medications work, who may ben...

Summer running can challenge your body and your mind. For many runners, especially high-achieving athletes and women physicians, summer running can bring frustration when paces slow or workouts feel harder than expected.  In this replay episode, I’m revisiting one of the most practical and important conversations from the Mindful Marathon archives about how to train safely, confidently, and compas...

Welcome to another installment of Mindfulness Moments on the Mindful Marathon Podcast. In this episode, we’re exploring something many runners and high-achieving women know well which is the inner critic. That voice that tells us we should be doing more, we’re falling behind, we’re not doing enough, or that rest must be earned. For many women physicians and professionals, self-criticism and hyperv...

In this deeply personal and vulnerable conversation, I sit down with my friend Dr. Jillian Rigert, to discuss her lived experience with anorexia nervosa, recovery, trauma, and running. Jillian shares the story behind her many career pivots, from military oral surgery to oral medicine, cancer care, coaching, and now training to become a marriage and family therapist with a focus on trauma. Together...

On this week’s episode of the Mindful Marathon Podcast, I’m recapping my weekend at runDisney’s Springtime Surprise Weekend 2026. In this episode, I share my best takeaways from the weekend including why an adults-only run-cation with running friends can feel so restorative, why we chose to skip the parks entirely this trip, how I approached race strategy differently for the 10k vs the 10-Miler, t...

In this episode, I sit down with fellow run coach Gerald Collins, founder of Run Rev Coaching and host of Stronger Than the Struggle, a podcast which explores the intersection of running, grief, and mental health. Gerald shares his deeply personal story of losing his mother and how that loss led him to running as a path back to purpose, connection, and healing. Together, we talk about how grief sh...

How should our relationship with exercise evolve as we move through different stages of life? In this episode, I’m joined by physician, leadership coach, and consultant Dr. Tracy Asamoah to talk about how our fitness goals often shift as we age, especially for high-achieving professionals and women physicians. Dr. Asamoah shares her personal journey with exercise, from early motivations around app...

Residency is one of the busiest and most demanding seasons in a physician’s career. Long hours, unpredictable schedules, and emotional intensity can make it feel nearly impossible to maintain healthy habits, let alone train for a marathon. In this episode of the Mindful Marathon Podcast, I’m joined by pediatric resident Dr. Lily Stafford, who decided to take on the challenge of training for the Ph...

Many runners focus on the miles in their training plan but overlook the nutrition that supports those miles. In this episode of the Mindful Marathon Podcast, I’m joined by registered dietitian nutritionist May Tran, founder of All Year Nutrition. We talk about one of the most common challenges busy professionals face which is inconsistent fueling. When work schedules are unpredictable and life is...

Many physicians bring the same traits that help them succeed in medicine into their running: discipline, commitment, and a strong sense of responsibility. Give a physician runner a training plan, and they will often follow it almost perfectly. But sometimes those strengths can become a trap. In this episode, I explore the physician perfectionism trap in running and how the drive for consistency an...

Can busy physicians really train for a race? Between long clinic days, night shifts, weekends on call, and family responsibilities, many women physicians feel like running, or any consistent exercise, is nearly impossible to maintain. In this episode, I share my personal story of physician burnout and how running became a powerful tool for restoring balance, resilience, and space outside of medici...

Welcome to another Mindfulness Moment. These episodes feature a short practice you can return to whenever you want to feel more steady, prepared, and connected. In this episode, we’re focusing on race day visualization, a powerful tool to help you mentally and emotionally prepare for your next race. Race day often brings a mix of excitement, anticipation, and nerves. Visualization allows you to wa...

Hormones are often talked about online in ways that can feel confusing or overwhelming for runners. In this episode of the Mindful Marathon Podcast, I’m joined by endocrinologist Dr. Chhaya Makhija to bring clarity to the conversation. Dr. Makhija blends traditional endocrinology with lifestyle medicine, nutrition, movement, and mindfulness to help people take control of their hormonal health and...

If you're running the Half Marathon or Challenge during runDisney's Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend this fall, there’s an important deadline approaching: Proof of Time submissions are due June 1st. In this episode, I walk through what Proof of Time (POT) is, why it matters for your race experience, and how to make sure you're prepared well before the deadline. The idea for this episode came...

Many of us come to running or to life in general with a drive to prove ourselves. Whether it’s chasing a personal best, keeping up with training plans, or juggling a high-demand career, the pressure can sometimes outweigh the joy. In this episode, Dr. Sonal Kamalia shares her journey of burnout, self-discovery, and what it really means to run your own race, both on the pavement and in life. We dis...

Last year, I had the privilege of interviewing Qwazir James, as part of our Podcasthon episode featuring Students Run Philly Style. At the time, he was already thoughtful, driven, and deeply committed to running. This year, he came back on the podcast with something even more powerful: his story. Qwazir shares, with remarkable honesty, his experience navigating a difficult season in his life, seek...

Many runners focus on mileage, but what about durability? In this episode of the Mindful Marathon Podcast, I’m joined by Dr. Esra Shermadou, board-certified family and obesity medicine physician and founder of Sakinah Health. She helps active adults build resilient, long-lasting bodies through evidence-based strength training, and she makes a compelling case for why runners should lift heavy. We d...

AI-powered running apps and training plans are everywhere right now. With just a few clicks, you can enter your race goal, availability, and recent paces, and instantly get a training plan. It’s fast, inexpensive, and tempting. But in this solo episode, Coach Michelle shares why writing a training plan is actually the easiest part of her job, and why AI, no matter how advanced, can’t replace the h...

Do You Really Need a 20-Mile Long Run to Train for a Marathon? For decades, marathon training advice has centered around one idea: you must run 20 miles before race day. But is that actually true?  In this episode of the Mindful Marathon Podcast, we take a closer look at where the 20-mile long run came from, who it was designed for, and how to determine if you need to be running a 20-miler in trai...

Welcome to Mindfulness Moments. This will be a recurring series  on the Mindful Marathon Podcast where Coach Michelle shares simple mindfulness practices you can return to whenever you desire. In this episode, you’ll be guided through two gentle practices designed to help you reconnect with your body and settle your nervous system, whether you’re on an easy run, out for a walk, or winding down bef...

What if running didn’t come with a scorecard? In this episode of the Mindful Marathon Podcast, physician and run coach Michelle Quirk explores running by time instead of distance and why this approach can be especially helpful for women physicians and busy professional women who are used to tracking, measuring, and grading themselves. Running by time can reduce comparison, support beginners, and h...