Real Friends

This month after a trail run at the beautiful Don Robinson State Park, I enjoy a conversation with Erika Garner.  Erika is both a guide and one of the leads for Big River’s “Unpaved” offering.  Erika has been an active runner for most of her life but really loves trail running and its unique opportunities to explore nature.  But her appreciation for trail running and “life in general” significantl...

This month I have a really fun conversation at Central Park Chesterfield with both a friend and fellow runner – Roger Lintner.  I met Roger several years ago when we were both part of our beloved 8:30 pace group and we have been friends ever since - as is the case with many of the members from that original 8:30 pace group.  Not only is Roger a good runner, and a coach at a local middle school for...

This month I have the pleasure of chatting with both a friend and a running teammate – Pete Eppler.  Not only is Pete a runner, but he is also a physical education teacher in the Rockwood School District where many years ago he actually taught a student very familiar to most of us in the St. Louis running community – Matt Helbig.  The question is, did Pete recognize Matt’s athletic capabilities ba...

This month I have the pleasure of chatting with two of the pacers from Big River Training Team’s 12-minute pace group - Michelle and Maggie. Both of them have been runners for a while and share some of the same highs and lows experienced by many runners, but they also have unique experiences and unique views on different aspects of the running world – as do most runners.  If you’d like for find ou...

This month I have the opportunity to chat with not only two runners from the St. Louis area but they are also Co-Pace Coordinators for Big River Training Team, Don Albert and Michael Dorris.  Both of them have been runners for a while, but they are new to their role as Co-Pace Coordinators.  What’s it like behind the scene coordinating a running schedule for Big River’s training team?  And what ar...

This year you are invited to attend our 2025 fantasy football draft.  It’s our 17th year of playing fantasy football together and the draft is one of my favorite things to attend each year.  It’s an evening of meaningless sports conversation between multiple fantasy football coaches but it’s still a good time with friends and it allows you to “peak behind the fantasy football curtain”.  Whether yo...

This month I have the honor and pleasure of chatting with two twenty-something athletes; well, one of them is twenty-something and the other one has actually turned the big “3-0”.  But that is close enough to twenty-something for me. These girls actually competed against each other at the Bellville Marathon before becoming friends and now compete with each other and train with their local Bellvill...

This month I have a fun conversation with two members from Mark Spewak’s Training Team – Shannon and Jason.  Both took up running early in life, then took an extended break from the running scene, only to take up running once again on a more serious and intentional basis during their current season of life.  Whether you are bouncing back from pregnancy or dealing with the challenges imposed during...

This month I have the honor and pleasure of speaking with two athletes from Big River Training Team’s Walker Group – Jenine and Shelly.  One of the things that I love about Big River and its training team offerings is they really do try to offer a pace group to match most skill sets.  Whether you are an elite runner looking to train at a “sub 8” pace or you’re a beginner looking to start out as a...

This month I have the special opportunity to chat with not only two well know runners in the St Louis running community but also two very special friends of mine, Michelle Dillon and Stephanie Hussman.  I met both of them close to ten years ago when I started training with Big River Training Team and we’ve been running and we’ve been part of a close-knit group of friends ever since then.  They bot...

This month I get to chat with a special friend of mine, Bob Alexander.  I met Bob the first year I started running with Big River Training Teams and even got to be part of his support team on an ultra-run.  Bob eventually moved to Florida several years ago to accept a new job opportunity.  If you are interested in what the running scene looks like in Florida, or what it looks like to transition th...

This month I get the opportunity to chat with an old friend and running buddy of mine, Terry Raterman, and his running friend, David Johnston.  David is an accomplished runner whose specialty is “ultra” distances.  While a lot of runners focus on 5k, 10k, and marathon distances, David focuses ultra distances like “551 miles in 6 days”.  If you are interested in what makes runners tick and what mak...

Every once and a while, I get an opportunity to chat with couples, like Chester and Diahann, who train at the same sport or activity.  Normally, I interview individuals to learn how running or walking impacts them individually, but how does a shared activity or passion like running or walking impact them as a couple, and what sort of ripple effect does it have on friends and family members?  If an...

For 2025, I thought we would kick things off by chatting with several of Big River Training Team’s “Unpaved” pacers – Adam and Brandon.   What is “Unpaved” you ask?  Unpaved is a series of running adventures offered through Big River Training Team which focuses on “trail running” and many of the popular, scenic trails in the St. Louis area.   If you are new to trail running or would just like to l...

This year you are invited to attend our 2024 fantasy football draft.  It’s our 16th year of playing fantasy football together and the draft is one of my favorite things to attend each year.  It’s an evening of meaningless sports conversation between multiple fantasy football coaches but it’s still a good time with friends and it allows you to “peak behind the fantasy football curtain”.      Whethe...

This episode we get to chat with the dynamic duo of Cassie and Kasay – both pacers for BRTT 8:30 pace group.  I’ve developed some really special friendships through running and its fun to witness when the same thing happens with other people.  That’s part of the fun of this month’s episode.  Not only are Cassie and Kasay both excellent runners and an important part of our local running community,...

One of the things that I love about hosting a podcast is getting the opportunity to know a little bit about some of our runners.  While the questions are similar, no two podcasts are the same because no two runners exactly the same.  Today's podcast with Gabe, Kali, and Tabitha is a perfect example. It’s a great mix of humor, running streaks, and thoughtful reflection and a great example of how ru...

This month I chat with a special friend of mine – Edna Rodriguez.  Amidst the background of chirping birds and the constant song of the Cicada (yes, 2024 is the year of the Cicada), Edna and I have a delightful conversation at Shaw Park in Clayton, Missouri.  The youngest of six children, Edna initially came to America to chaperone younger high school students but eventually came to America perman...

This month we chat with several friends of mine – Alison and Andy Bourey.  Many people recognize Alison and Andy as the colorful, warm and friendly couple who run with the Run-Walk group at Big River Training Team.   But Alison and Andy are more than runners.  They are also married and have many passions and interest outside of running.  If you are a fan of wisdom and insight and would like to hea...

In part two of this two-part series podcast, we revisit the topic of dating then pivot and discuss some of the other topics that high school students often face including faith, friendships and family.   I can’t think of a better way to enter the holiday season than sharing a podcast that celebrates these three essentials to not only a meaningful holiday season, but to a meaningful life.  I hope y...

Back in August, I had the honor and pleasure of sitting down with six of my favorite high school students and chatting with them about their high school years.  Most of them were seniors and would soon be headed off to college or transitioning into their next season in life.  It’s an exciting season of life filled with both challenges and rewards.  In part one of this two-part series podcast, we d...

Have you ever viewed running as a punishment?  If so, why would you choose to run later life?  And what happens if you run several hours or dozens of miles each week with the same people?  Those are just some of the questions and topics we cover in this month's episode of “Real Friends” as three friends - Leah, Sidi, and Gretchen - share their experiences and their insights regarding what they lov...

This year you are invited to attend our 2023 fantasy football draft.  It’s our 15th anniversary of playing together and the draft is one of the highlights each year.  It’s silly, meaningless sports conversation but it’s still a good time between friends and allows you to “peak behind the curtain” and see how friends draft their fantasy football teams.    I hope you enjoy it.   Thank you for listen...

This month I have a really fun conversation with several of the athletes from Big River Training Team’s 11:00 minute pace group - Kim, Kara, and Shannon. If you like honest conversation, great insights and lots of laughter, you're going to enjoy this month's episode of Real Friends.    Not only do these girls share a natural chemistry with each other, but they also share honest conversation regard...

This month we continue chatting with friends of mine from our local running community.  This month’s guest is Mike Flynn.  Many people know Mike as the Program Director at Big River Running Company or you may have potentially bought a pair of shoes from Mike at his store in University City.  Like many runners, Mike started his running career in high school.  But due to setbacks and surgeries durin...