Real Friends

This month I chat with two women well known and well respected in the St. Louis running community – Sadie Smith and Laura Filla.  Sadie is a master’s class athlete with a long list of awards and accomplishments.  Laura is also a respected runner and owner of her own fitness company – Filla Endurance.  Both women are full-time moms and full-time wives.  How do they do it?  Listen to this month’s ep...

This month we chat with both a friend and runny buddy of mine – John Kertz.  Many people recognize John as the high-energy, high-octane person who kicks off early morning runs during the spring and fall for Big River Training Team.   But John is also a devoted husband, dad, and coach of high school runners.  If you are interested in more of John’s story, including his dream to one day potentially...

What would you do if you had the opportunity to pursue a new career later in life?  You had spent all your life in one field or profession, but your heart yearned for something different.  Would you follow your heart?  Follow your passion?  Even if it meant going back to school?   Today in part 2 of a 2-part series, I resume my conversation with Ian Breckenridge as he shares how he left a good pay...

If you live long enough, you are bound to experience challenges in life.  Some major, some minor; some self-inflicted while others totally out of your control. Truth is, we all experience challenges in life. Today, I share a conversation with a friend of mine, Ian Breckenridge.  Like each of us, Ian has experienced his own unique set of challenges in life – both financial, relational, and spiritua...

We pick back up with Jake’s story as he shares how he ultimately proposed to his then girlfriend, now wife, Maddie.  And then shares the bittersweet story of the joy associated with planning a wedding while at the same time he and Maddie mourned the tragic and unexpected loss of a loved one – Maddie’s mom.  Finally, Jake shares his current state in life and both the joys and challenges of being a...

The transition from living at home full time to living on your own for the first time can be a challenging experience.  Do you remember?  Especially when that experience includes going away for college, the collegiate party environment, and your first serious dating relationship.  What happens when you combine all these elements and a young college student is also given the opportunity to test or...

The Holiday Hustle - Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s.  It’s a time of the year that can be both joyful and stressful.   How do different age groups deal with these challenges?  This month we chat with a group of teens, 20-sometings, and others in an effort to explore how different age groups navigate both the joys and the challenges of the holiday season. Thank you for listening.  This is...

As this year’s training season winds down, I thought it would be fun to chat with Big River Training Team’s (BRTT) 12:00 minute pace group.  On a beautiful, brisk Sunday morning, after completing our run through Route 66 Park, eight of us gathered around a picnic bench in Lion’s Park to share stories and insights about running.  Listen to members from the 12:00 minute pace group as they laugh and...

This month we chat with another one of Big River Training Team’s (BRTT) pace groups – the 12:30 minute pace group.  If you hear a little wind noise in the background it’s because we recorded our podcast on a beautiful, but windy Sunday morning in beautiful Tower Grove Park. One of the things I like most about recording podcasts with different pace groups is that it allows me to relive some of thei...

Hi, my name is Rob and I’m the host of Real Friends.  You know, it’s fun to share some of the real-life stories of my real friends, but every once and a while it’s equally as fun to do something silly or something light hearted.  Like posting pictures of a favorite meal or posting pictures of your kids or even your favorite pet.  In similar fashion, you are invited to attend our 2022 fantasy footb...

Last month we chatted with three of my favorite high school senior guys.  This month we chat with three of my favorite high school senior girls; Chloe, Ellie, and Maddie.  We discuss many of the same topics I discussed with the guys last month including high school, college, dating, the future; their faith journey – we even discuss a few extra topics.  If you still ponder how the next generation t...

Today, I have a conversation with three of my favorite high school seniors; Cade, Jackson, and Cooper.  Young men that I’ve had the honor and privilege of getting to know much better over the past year.  We discuss high school, college, dating, the future; we even discuss their faith and how it intersects with real life.  Have you ever wondered how the next generation thinks?  Or if they are equip...

This month we continue last month’s “running theme” and chat with one of my favorite pace groups at Big River Training Team (BRTT) – the 8:30 pace group.  I’ve had the honor and privilege of training with the 8:30 pace group since 2015.  Not only has it made me a better, wiser runner, but I’ve also developed friendships with a variety of healthy, positive, inspiring people who both encourage and m...

This week we switch things up a bit and chat with one of the fastest pace groups at Big River Training Team (BRTT); that is, the 8-minute pace group.  How would you spend the perfect spring morning?  This morning I got to spend it by running a loop in one of our favorite parks, Forest Park, with the 8-minute pace group.  Then spending an hour or so afterwards chatting with them about both the chal...

Do you remember your wedding day?  After all the planning and hard work, what do you remember the most?  Or do you remember anything at all from your “Big Day”?  Today, our two couples – Zach and Amanda and Jake and Maddie – conclude their stories and share insights, lessons learned and offer advice for future couples planning a wedding.  I think you will love their humble, honest insights. Thank...

Do you remember your wedding day?  Better yet, do you remember all the details leading up to your “Big Day”?  Including details like “how you met, the proposal, the wedding planning and the actual wedding itself”?   Today, I share an enjoyable conversation with two great couples – Zach and Amanda and Jake and Maddie – as they share their stories, their insights, and their lessons learned on the ul...

Today I have the honor and privilege of chatting with 4 of my favorite dads – Ryan, Kyle, Garet and Caleb.  Not only are these guys full time dads, they are also full time husbands, and have full time careers.   Similar to the conversation I had with some of my favorite moms last year, I ask these dads how they strike a balance between kids, work, marriage, friends, God, and still find time for th...

Surrender.  What do you think of when you hear the word surrender?  Are they positive connotations?  Negative ones?  Or maybe a mix of both?  And what does it look like to be a young woman trying to surrender your life to God on a daily basis?  Is that even possible in today’s highly secular world?  Join me and my special friend, Sarah Moss, as we discuss not only that topic but what it looks like...

Surrender.  What do you think of when you hear the word "surrender"?  Are they positive connotations?  Negative ones?  Or maybe a mix of both?  And what does it look like to be a young woman trying to surrender your life to God on a daily basis?  Is that even possible in today’s highly secular world?  Join me and my special friend, Sarah Moss, as we discuss not only that topic but what it looks li...

Do you remember your first serious relationship?  Whether it was a high school sweetheart, a college sweetheart, or something totally different, most of us remember our first serious relationship.  Especially when those relationships don’t work out and someone’s heart gets broken.  Today in part 2 of a 2-part series, I resume my conversation with Lucas Garza as he shares how he’s bounced back from...

Do you remember your first serious relationship?  Whether it was a high school sweetheart, a college sweetheart, or something totally different, most of us remember our first serious relationship.  Especially when those relationships don’t work out and someone’s heart gets broken.  Today in part 1 of a 2-part series, I share a conversation with a friend of mine, Lucas Garza.  Lucas is in his mid-t...

What does Christmas mean to you?  And what is your favorite Christmas story or Christmas memory?  Do you have one?  Maybe it’s a childhood memory or something more recent.  Maybe it involves a special gift you either gave or received from someone.  Maybe it involves a dinner, or worship service, or merely enjoying Christmas decorations with family or friends.  Or maybe, just maybe, it involves a s...

This week we switch things up a bit and talk about one of my favorite passions – running!  And we discuss it with one of my favorite running groups – Big River Training Team’s (BRTT) 9 minute pace group.  Are all runners created equal?  Obviously not.  And if you have never run before, how do you know whether running is the right sport/hobby/passion for you?  Listen to members of the BRTT 9:00 min...

What’s the key to a successful marriage?  Some say it starts first with a commitment that “divorce is never an option” followed by a commitment to constantly strive to make your marriage better – regardless the struggles or challenges.  And, yes, even the best marriages face struggles and challenges.  We conclude my conversation with John by discussing his marriage, family and his passion for Men’...

Growing up, John felt he lived a normal childhood – the type of childhood any average kid might experience.  It wasn’t until John got married in his twenties that he began to recognize a certain level of dysfunction and brokenness that had crept into his lifestyle since he was a kid.  They type of brokenness that quietly plagues more than 50% of men, including Evangelical Christian men. Today in p...