Road to the Trials

Lou Serafini is officially ready to roll. After the TCS NYC Marathon he took a short break in November before embarking on a series of shorter races through the winter. It wasn't a typical build-up but Lou states clearly in this episode that he fully believes that he is ready to have the race of his life. In fact, he even called his shot. While we were recording he said he is ready to set a 5k PR,...

Our pre-Olympic Trials prep continues with Sarah Bishop. This episode is the full Sarah Bishop experience. We talk about her training after the China IRONMAN 70.3, how she increased her running after the triathlon season, her decision to run the Mesa Marathon (which she won with a 2:39 PR) last weekend before heading to New Zealand for another triathlon before she goes to Atlanta the week after. H...

With the Olympic Marathon Trials approaching quickly, we will reconnect with all of our entrants that we have followed since June. First up is Roberta Groner. We talk about her rest period in November, her struggle to find the fire to train hard in December, and how everything is coming together in January and February. She also discusses the Atlanta course in detail and provides us with a clear p...

Kate Landau comes to the show with one of the best marathon resumes in America. She finished top-15 at both Boston and the NYC marathons in 2019 and has improved year-after-year. She is also a masters runner and a single mother! In this episode, Kate talks about her plans for the Trials, why she will also be racing Boston this year,  how battling disored eating for 20 years (including 10 when...

What a year and a half it’s been for John Raneri. A PR in every distance from the mile to the marathon that he recently topped-off with one of the best half marathons in U.S. history. John arrived at the Aramco Houston Half Marathon with a plan to compete and break 62 minutes - and he did just that. The results of the race were incredible. 29 men overall, and 14 American men, dipped under 62 minut...

Neely Spence Gracey is back! Neely ran 2:44:03 at the Houston Marathon to qualify for her third Olympic Trials. This was her first race since she gave birth to her son Athens over a year ago. It’s been a long way back for Neely, who was one of the best runners in the U.S. from 2015-17. In this episode, Neely displays her typical candor in discussing the injuries and hurdles she overcame to get to...

On Saturday morning at the Houston Marathon expo I was an fortunate to record a live show with Jared Ward. He was his typical energetic and expansive self, making this conversation an immediate hit with everyone in attendance. Our topic was “Preparing for a Goal Race” and Jared discussed the physical, mental, and emotional sides of his prep. He was generous with his wide-ranging examples, and deep...

Jennifer Hughes is on a mission. A mission to OTQ. At the 2019 Houston Marathon her journey began as she ran a disappointing 2:51. Her quest them took her to the Chicago Marathon then the California International Marathon, where she ran a heart-breaking 2:45:28. Just 28 seconds off her goal! This 41 year old mother of four has one final chance, and it’s back where it all started, at the Houston Ma...

What a year 2019 was for Katrina Spratford. Katrina, who had specialized in cross-country after college, battled injuries throughout, and preceding, the build-up to her marathon debut at the California International Marathon. She fought through them all to make it to the starting line only to face a new set of challenges. Ultimately, she reached her goal of an OTQ with a hard-fought 2:44:16. 

Ann Mazur just capped a decade of non-traditional training by qualifying for the Olympic Trials at the California International Marathon with a time of 2:44:45. Ann had a successful college running career at Notre Dame where she teamed up with Molly Huddle. That is also when she started to dabble in yoga. Ann started to become a devoted yoga practitioner while in grad school at the University of V...

From collegiate runner, to non-runner, to the podium at the California International Marathon as a masters runner. Meriah Earle ran a 2:34:35 am to finish third at CIM and she is just getting started. She went into the race hoping to get an OTQ. It turns out, she was ready for much, much more. Meriah‘s resurgence isn’t nearly amazing in her own right, but shows what so many people are capable...

Last weekend C.J. Albertson finished in a close second place at the California International Marathon with a personal best 2:13:40 - a mere four seconds behind Elisha Barno. C.J. has had a remarkable year including setting the world record in the indoor marathon and a mammoth training sessions (including a 30 mile training run three weeks before CIM where he averaged 5:15 per mile) all at a relati...

I’ve recorded nearly 300 podcasts in my life and this episode with Peter Bromka was the most emotional and insightful one that I’ve ever done. Peter just ran 2:19:02 at the California International Marathon to nearly miss the Olympic Trials qualifying standard. That heartbreaking fact does not come close to telling the whole story. Peter is not only an excellent runner but also a fantastic writer...

Who doesn’t love a comeback story? Amazingly, Laura Thweatt has two of them. After four years at Colorado University that didn’t progress the way she hoped, Laura seriously considered stopping her running career. Luckily she did not. She quickly rose to the top of the sport with wonderful performances in cross country and on the roads. After a fabulous marathon debut and second performance, Laura...

Jared Ward once again proved himself worthy on the highest stage. At the TCS NYC Marathon, Jared Ward clocked a 2:10:45 on his way to a sixth place finish. This fantastic time on a challenging course showed, once again, showed that Jared will be a favorite to finish in the top three at the Olympic Trials in February. In this episode Jared details his training, how he executed on race day, plans fo...

It was great to catch-up with Kellyn Taylor after her recent performance at the TCS NYC Marathon. Kellyn finished finished just behind fellow U.S. elite marathoner Desiree Linden for seventh place , crossing the line in 2:26:52. This was the fifth fastest time by an American in NYC Marathon history. In this episode, we talk about her great race, how it didn’t quite match her pre-race expectations,...

At the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon Dr. Stefanie Flippin was ready to put it down and earn her Olympic Trials Qualifying time. Unfortunately, the weather didn’t cooperate and she was unable to reach this amazing goal. Stefanie was so effected by the cold weather and brutal winds that she could barely remember what transpired over the final six miles. Despite the conditions, she  achieved...

What’s better than seeing someone reach a goal they have spent years trying to accomplish? That’s exactly what Lou Serafini did at the TCS NYC Marathon. In his seventh marathon he battled cramps and a grueling 23rd mile to a stellar 2:16 finish. In this episode, Lou details his mental, physical, and emotional push to the finish. This episode is sponsored by InsideTracker. In an era where there are...

In this episode we welcome former professional runner, and a member of the New York City  and Chicago Marathon broadcast teams, Carrie Tollefson. She breaks down both major marathons and provides her early insight into some of the top contenders for the Olympic Trials. It’s always a blast speaking with Carrie whose expertise for the sport is matched only by her great relationships with so man...

It’s been a long road for John Raneri to realize his potential in the marathon. At the TCS NYC Marathon John did just that. 2:14:13, 15th Place overall, and 5th American. This huge performance was matched only by his excitement to finally get the marathon monkey off of his back. In this episode, we take a look at how his training evolved this year, busting through mid-race negative thoughts, and h...

She did it! With her stellar performance at the TCS NYC Marathon last Sunday, Roberta successfully completed the marathon double that many thought was too much, too soon. Five weeks before NYC she ran the marathon at the World Championships in Doha. After a quick recovery period she stepped to the line in New York and dropped a 2:30:12 to finish as the fourth American in the stacked field. In this...

This coming weekend is the CNO Financial Indianapolis Monumental Marathon and Dr. Stefanie Flippin Is ready to roll. She is on a mission to earn her Olympic Trials qualifying time of sub-2:45  In this episode she talks about how she is feeling in all areas heading into the race. We also hear from her coach, Heather McKirdy, who analyzes how far Stefanie has come over the past year and her exp...

TCS New York City Marathon week is upon us and it is sure to be an amazing race. In this episode we hear from Kellyn Taylor, Roberta Groner, Jared Ward, John Raneri, and Lou Serafini. Each of them discuss their current fitness level, injury status, mental and emotional frame of mind, mantras and motivations, and goals for the race. 

Five years ago Sarah Horbol was running 25 miles a week in preparation for her first marathon. Today she has won several marathons and half-marathons. In this episode we talk about this amazing progression and how she is preparing for the Olympic Trials. This episode is sponsored by InsideTracker. In an era where there are more diet plans than people getting personalized nutrition can make all the...

He did it! Parker Stinson has been open and honest about his goal of breaking 2:11 in the marathon for two years. Last weekend at the Chicago marathon he turned that vision into a reality. He was one of 10 American men to break 2:12 in a phenomenal group performance. In this episode, we talk about all that, how it feels to get the monkey off his back, finally pacing the full 26.2 the way he dreame...