The Rambling Runner Podcast

Felicia Chen's ability to combine a holistic view of competition and sport with desire to achieve at a high level is nearly unparalleled. For that, and for so many other reasons, I was elated to have Felicia on the show.  In this episode, Felicia talks about running not one but two virtual Boston Marathons on each side of 3:00, giving up running for nearly a decade and coming back stronger than ev...

Marquis Bowden is making some serious moves. The former college basketball player bounced around west coast colleges looking for the right fit. It never came. Little did he know that the journey would lead him to the perfect place to begin his running career. In 2017, Marquis began running and he was hooked. Not only did he pick up the sport quickly but the sense of community in his L.A. group run...

Today's episode with Alexis McCoy is the first in a series of episodes with folks who competed in the Boston Marathon Virtual Race.  Alexis has the Boston Marathon in her bones. She has been in love with the race, and everything it stands for, for years. While she has now run 17 marathons, Boston holds a special place in her heart. This former small-school college runner gave up the sport at the a...

When I first had the idea for Mastering 40 I knew that one of the major steps I would need to take was a detailed blood analysis. A mirror, scale, and workout data can provide insight but it doesn’t tell the whole story. I needed to know my exact starting point then track my biomarkers throughout the year. I reached out to InsideTracker, the leader in this space, and they agreed to help me out. St...

September is upon on and it is a whole new world within the Mastering 40 series. School for my kiddos and wife are starting and our schedules are completely influx. This is the case for so many runners out there. Getting used to a new schedule that will work well for us and our families can certainly be a struggle. In this episode I dive deep with Adrienne Langelier, my sport psychologist, and Sta...

Zoë Rom is the writer, producer, and creater of one of the best podcasts of any genre - the DNF Podcast by Trail Runner Magazine. Not only that, she is a badass athlete who set two FKT's (fastest known time) this summer. DNF is a show that combines the very best story telling in the running community with the production quality of a show on NPR. It focuses on the many faces of failure and how it c...

Have you had a chance to talk to a real life super hero? Up until last week, I hadn't. Then I had the honor to speak with Margi Johnson.  Margi is a doctor in the Philly/NJ/NYC area and one heck of a runner. She has visions of trying to OTQ for 2020. Training was going well and she was the fittest she had ever been. This master's running was kicking butt and taking names. Then in late fall things...

Overcoming the hurdles in our lives are usually the paradigm shifting moments that set our lives on their ultimate path. Nobody knows this better than Emily Abbate - host of the Hurdle podcast, run coach, and prodigious writer, and all around media machine. About 10 years ago, Emily made the decision that she was no longer happy living with how her body made her feel. At that moment her life chang...

It was a pleasure to finally have a chance to speak runner, RD, and author Charlie Watson. I say "finally" because I've wanted to have her on the show for a long time. I've long enjoyed following Charlie's many running accomplishments, she is a 6-Star Abbott World Major Marathon finisher, and culinary creations. After setting aside my nerves, I approached Charlie about coming on the show and was d...

The Mastering 40 is now well on it's way. Things are going well but there is still PLENTY of work to be do. In this episode we consult with our three specialists. With the help of a professional coach - James McKirdy, sports registered dietitian - Starla Garcia, and a sports psychologist - Adrienne Langelier, I am determined to have the best athletic year of my life. One that will end, hopefully,...

It was a blast to have Tanya Lerch on the show. This incredibly smart and energetic runner, teacher, mother, and founder of a pediatric non-profit brought the goods in this episode.   We touched on so many things, not the least of which was her transition from a 4:38 to 3:08 marathon. We also talk about an amazing project that her and her students are engaged in that provides prosthetics to childr...

Sarah Bishop is back on the show and she is bringing the heat. There is a good reason why she is not only our most frequent guest but also our most requested guest. In this episode we talk about how Sarah, a serial racer, adjusted to race cancellations, how full-time triathlon training has effected her schedule (10 hours of training per week before is now up to 20), how she helps her athletes work...

Marc Quiñones is one of the best chefs in America. He has appeared on Chopped and Cutthroat Kitchen, been named 2017 New Mexico Chef of The Year and 2018 Best Chef in the City, and been featured in Forbes and many other publications. He is also one heck of a runner. Just like in his cooking career, Marc built himself from the ground up as a runner. He did so in an unconventional way and with unden...

In 2018, Anne Maher set a new PR in the 5k with a time of 20:44. She was psyched and for good reason. She had started running in her mid-twenties and had given birth to two kids in the previous handful of years. Little did she know that she was about to embark on a running journey that would make 20:44 look like a relaxing jog in the park. Earlier this year, a scant two years later, she set a new...

Ali Feller, host of the Ali on the Run Show, and I try to bring some fun and levity to these extraordinary times. We dive into what we are loving right now, looking forward to, our current running conditions, and a series of questions from our listeners. We had a wonderful time discussing all of these things, and we answered a handful of fun and thoughtful questions from our awesome listeners. Spo...

Welcome to Mastering 40.  I just completed the worst athletic year of my life. One beset by injuries and a 25 lb. weight gain. Finally, I decided enough was enough.  With the help of a professional coach - James McKirdy, sports registered dietitian - Starla Garcia, and sports psychologist - Adrienne Langelier, I am determined to have the best athletic year of my life. One that will end, hopefully,...

In this special bonus episode I am honored to be joined by Jacob Puzey, older brother of Tommy "Rivs" Puzey, and Ben Rosario, head coach of the HOKA Naz Elite. We discuss the amazing fundraising work that is being done on behalf of Tommy and his family and the new Run With Rivs initiative. Jacob also shares some insight into the wonderful dualities that make Rivs a master competitor, dear friend,...

Olivia Baker is one of the best 400 and 800 meter runners in the country and will be battling tooth and nail for a spot on the 2021 Olympic Team. It was an honor to have her on the show to discuss her training pre-COVID and how it has looked over the past few months, balancing elite track with her desire to be a neurosurgeon, pushing through performance limits, her thoughts on Stanford, her alma m...

In this special episode of the Rambling Runner Podcast we are airing an important panel discussion created by three friends of the podcast. Hosts Carolyn Su, Natalie Mitchell and Shawanna White moderated a panel of extraordinary runners/people to discuss safety in running as a BIPOC. The panelists for this discussion are: Tammy Shakur, Connie Shieh, Ezra Williams, Da'Rel Patterson and Din`ee Doram...

Brandy Talamoni is a powerhouse and a fountain of positivity all in one. She is one of my favorite amateur runners to follow and it was awesome to have her on the show. Brandy is a USMC vet, USMC spouse, mother of two little one, marathoner, ultra/trail runner, weightlifter, yoga lover, and all-around fascinating person. In this episode we talk about all of these areas of her life, and much more....

In this two-part episode we re-connect with two of our most popular guests: Melissa Malani and Sarah Canney.  Melissa first shared her amazing journey with her trademark energy and enthusiasm on Rambling Runner episode 57. In this conversation we discuss some of her recent successes, hurdles, setting new PR's at shorter distances, and breaking the 6:00 mark in the mile despite hoping to merely bre...

At age 37, Jay Hewitt was diagnosed with a brain tumor.  A pastor at Friends Church in southern California, husband, and father to a little girl, this was a trying moment for Jay and everyone who knew him. He underwent brain surgery while remaining fully awake. Then, to everyone’s amazement and by the grace of God, he walked away from the surgery 100% healed with absolutely no degenerative effects...

How many of us would love to turn our personal and professional passions into a successful business? Caitlin Landesberg, found of Sufferfest Beer Co., did just that! What started out as a simple project inspired by innocent curiosity, quickly developed into much, much more. In this wide ranging conversation, Caitlin details how she built a community around Sufferfest, the elements within the two-w...

Are you a runner? Have you ever been injured? If you answered "yes" to the first question then you almost certainly answered "yes" to the second. Heather McKirdy is the co-owner of one of, if not the, biggest coaching services in the country. She coaches dozens of athletes of all abilities. She has lopped nearly an hour off her marathon time. And she has battled injuries like nobody's business ove...

Ruby Wyles is one of the most mentally, emotionally, and physically tough people I've ever met. She has battled through more in her life than most people two or three times her age. This was the first time that I've had a college runner on the show. Having Ruby tell her remarkable was an absolute honor. Ruby has battled anorexia, depression, and anxiety from the age of 11. She was at an inpatient...