RunChats with @RonRunsNYC

I'm so grateful to Ben for jumping "On" from the Houston Half Marathon to share his exciting news of signing with On Running , where he'll be rocking his new kit in a stacked field and taking a swing at the Canadian National Record (61:28)! We discussed closing a great chapter with Reebok and Reebok Boston , his gratitude for them believing in him, and the support given. The close friendships buil...

Lisa DeNardo is a badass single mom to five amazing kids who has overcome some huge life obstacles. She loves to play in the mountains, enjoying ski/snowboard and hiking adventures with her kids. Lisa was in a 7-year marriage, filled with domestic violence and abuse, and it was life or death. Through the help of Victims of Prevention, they secretly moved, got legal help and counseling, and complet...

In 2006, Karin Reemts lost a dear friend to leukemia. She founded "Joggin for Jenn," and over the next 4 years raised $10000+ for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society by running half/full marathons. The key race was the 2006 Chicago Marathon. Karin trained for and ran that race for Jenn—and for all those that couldn't run. Karin had found her "why" and discovered running for a greater purpose!...

Anh Bui has been on a quest to break sub-3 and would dream about what it would feel like while pushing through her toughest workouts. When she arrived in Chicago—off what felt like the perfect buildup—the universe had other ideas and she had to walk off the course at mile 14 and take her 1st DNF. It was physically painful, humbling, and Anh felt like she had let herself, her coach, and her closest...

Kelly Brown Willis is a paragon of positivity and is perseverance personified! Growing up in a family of nine no doubt forged her grit, toughness, hustle, and drive. As a mom of four with a big appetite for travel, running adventures, and community, these qualities serve her well. Kelly traveled the world for 18 months on the cheap with her husband, Rich, before having children—soaking in the cult...

I am so stoked to welcome back episode 63 guest Michelle Baxter ! Michelle chased down an 8-Year Dream, running a 2:58:24 at CIM , completing her sub-3 quest! I'm so inspired by her perseverance, grit, and commitment to her goals. The fire burns bright in Michelle and she has continually tweaked her training to get faster and stronger while increasing her mileage to a peak of 100M in her CIM build...

Janey John is STRENGTH personified and a FORCE of nature. Janey stared down cancer twice—and nearly died on the table during double mastectomy surgery on her 59th birthday—but LIVED to tell the tale and share her INSPIRING story! As a young girl, Janey dreamed of being crowned Miss America, but never imagined it happening in the cancer wing, rocking the crown with no hair on her head. After revivi...

When Kristyn Smith sets her mind on a goal, watch out! Growing up in Texas, she sang in choir, enjoyed performing in musical theater, and dreamed of making it to Broadway. By the tender age of 18, she had moved to NYC, began working in the performing arts on Broadway, and made her dream come true.  Kristyn is driven, competitive, and enjoys setting big goals and getting after them! Her path t...

I met Grace Plassche exiting the 50th NYC Marathon finish line, where she was beaming with that first-time marathon finisher glow and had just rocked an AMAZING 3:28 debut marathon! Grace ran in honor of her Grandmother—who passed from Cancer in 2019—and had her initials on her sneakers and could feel her out there on the course when things got really hard. Running and fundraising for the American...

Amanda Brooks is a boss and a true OG in the running community. She's also a tireless researcher of products and training methodologies, all focused on injury prevention and keeping her runners and followers healthy. Amanda and her team of 8 coaches have built a community platform to support middle-of-the-pack runners and help them find joy in running or walking at any pace. Amanda's coaching miss...

Julieta Liebhoff has been under the brightest of lights and pressure to perform on Chopped on the Food Network and came out the champion! Working as a private chef & caterer for discerning—and sometimes demanding—A-List clients prepared her well. As a mom of three, she has to be a master juggler and running is what keeps her grounded and adds tremendous balance to her life. She recently lived...

Melissa Malani PhD , has had an incredibly impressive running journey, progressing from a 5:12 marathoner to a 3:27 marathoner and 2X Boston Marathon finisher! It's been a circuitous route, filled with huge challenges that nearly ended where it started. In college, while in a toxic, controlling relationship, her ex-husband pushed her to run and closely monitored what and how much she was eating. T...

At 3PM Sunday, most running the 125th Boston Marathon were getting ready for a carb-loading dinner and sorting through their pre-race anxiety and rituals. Stephen England , a type one diabetic, had far bigger aspirations in mind, and had just set out to run 100 miles to commemorate the development of insulin 100 years ago! (Hello, Quad Boston!) Stephen is an accomplished distance runner, having co...

Meet Dr. Stephanie Plummer —Dr. by day, pilot, skydiver, world traveler, big adventure junkie, and co-host of the Airline Pilot Guy Show , an aviation podcast. At the center of her crazy busy life is running. It keeps her grounded and chasing huge life goals. Steph just completed 3 World Marathon Majors in just EIGHT days to earn her coveted Six-Star! Running London , Chicago , and Boston , she fl...

Stevie Lyn Smith MS, RDN, CSSD, CDN is a 10X Ironman finisher, who loves dogs, endurance sports, and is always on the lookout for her next big adventure! When she's not crushing it on the course or the trails with her doggo, she's helping fuel her athletes' goals and mindset. Stevie has helped hundreds of athletes and active individuals fuel to improve their performance, energy levels, and recover...

By all accounts, Don Snellings is very lucky to still be with us. I'm grateful he is and that he chose to share his addiction/recovery & endurance sports journey in the hopes it could help inspire others! For 9 clean years, recovery via meetings and outreach to others has come first, followed by training, which has been his anchor and kept him grounded. He began walking/running on the treadmil...

Ben Flanagan grew up in a super close knit, highly competitive family environment, loving Mats Sundin, the Toronto Maple Leafs, and all things hockey. To this day, on 12/24, his family and community still gather for a Dads vs Kids hockey game. Body checks, punches, & bloody noses were all fair game. He was a hockey player trapped in a runners body! Ben burst on the national scene winning the 2...

Allison Cleaver is a pediatric nurse by day, momma to a 6-month-old baby girl, Molly, and an elite runner. It's certainly a lot to juggle. She's still figuring out the stroller miles, is working hard to rebuild her body, and is giving herself grace. She is fiery, feisty, & fast! At 32, Allison has already put together an amazing running resume; she's run the past 2 Olympic Trials marathons (2:...

Jen Bigham is an inspiring, bad ass mom of 4, who chased down her 8-year Olympic Trials qualifying quest by breaking the tape, scorching a 2:41 in the Eugene Marathon . Jen grew up watching her dad race 5K's and marathons, started running in middle school, and never looked back. She competed in high school and in college at Ohio State, where she battled injuries, but enjoyed working with Coach Spa...

Close your eyes and imagine what you dreamed of as a 12-year-old boy... hitting a walk-off World Series home run? Throwing a game-winning touchdown in the Super Bowl? Winning an Olympic Gold Medal? Mike Spinnler dreamed of winning the JFK 50 Mile Ultra . Inspired by his older brother, Bill, he ran his first JFK 50 at age 12! "Hey Dad, can you please sign this permission slip??" Finishing in 14:19,...

It's never too late to find your passion in life! Though Shana Miller grew up in Framingham, MA on the Boston Marathon course and works today near Heartbreak Hill, she never ran until the age of 40. Shana met some girlfriend's at the gym, got inspired, and signed up for a 1/2 marathon 3 months from then realizing she had no idea what she was doing. She used a Hal Higdon training plan, ran all the...

Karen Dunn walked off the court at basketball practice with her good friend and teammate in 7th grade, walked directly onto the track team, and never looked back. She loved her coach, the camaraderie and routines with teammates, and discovered she had a talent for running; winning races, setting XC course records, and earning a college scholarship. But it's as a Masters runner, at age 43, where Ka...

At Ironman Coeur D'Alene, on a brutal day with temps over 100 degrees that caused an attrition rate of 27%, Jennifer Vollmann battled the elements, dug deep, executed her race plan brilliantly, and made her Kona dream come true! Can you say GRIT?! And to do it in front of her cheering 6-year-old daughter, stepdaughter, and partner was truly amazing.  Jennifer felt she had lost a lot of w...

At the tender age of 31, Bonnie Caulfield has already completed an astonishing 10 Ironman triathlons! Bonnie is the 5th of 6 children, grew up in an ultra-competitive family, and was inspired to take on an Ironman after her mom signed up for one at age 55—even though she couldn't swim at the time. Talk about strong female role models! Bonnie puts the E in extrovert, her fire burns bright for all t...

At the age of 12 in junior high school, at her 1st track meet, Jill Kuhn was hit in the head with a shot put that crushed her skull. The first facility couldn’t treat her injury properly, so she was airlifted to a trauma center where they performed 2 surgeries on her brain to remove a blood clot. Though Jill had to wear a helmet for a year for protection, she convinced her parents and doctors to a...