The Rambling Runner Podcast

In this episode we have two coaching calls that were recorded last week with two fantastic people who are working through challenges that are relatable to so many runners: Seth Baird and Allyson Hodge. Seth was a guest on the show in Episode 202 when we discussed his transition from college baseball player, to body builder, to first time marathoner. In this conversation we talk about dealing with...

Hiruni Wijayaratne is the kind of elite runner that amateur runners can related to in so many ways. She has battled against several difficulties throughout her career and continues to come back for more. Those challenges include years worth of injuries, running in the face of unrealized expectations, balancing her training with a demanding full-time job, and more. Last year Hiruni was blindsided w...

Today I welcomed the one-and-only Jamison Michael to the show. Jami is one of the best, and most entertaining, running shoe reviewers on YouTube. His channel has over 60,000 subscribers and countless running shoe videos. In this episode we dive into the some current shoes, his favorites in different categories, what shoes are about to be released, and some of his all-time faves. If you love runnin...

When I grow up I want to be Bart Yasso. It is an honor to welcome Bart to the podcast. He has been a hero of mine for a long time and this is a conversation I will never forget. The epitome of the dedicated amateur runner, Bart retired from Runner’s World at the end of 2017 after 30 years with the magazine. He served as Chief Running Officer for the last 10 years of his career - a title he richly...

I was so excited to chat with two of my favorite podcast hosts for this episode, India Cook and Tommy Mitchell. The Run Duo Podcast is a biweekly show in which India and Tommy talk all things distance running with some shenanigans thrown in. The Run Duo interviews interesting and topical guest from across the distance running spectrum and do so with the an exciting and energetic style. They were e...

For John Raneri, 2019, including the first few weeks of January, was a banner year. A PR in every distance from the mile to the marathon that culminated 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. John clocked a 1:01:51 to finish as the 11th American. Not only that, his per...

It is an honor to have the embodiment of the dedicated amateur runner of the show, Ankita Gaur. Ankita started her running journey with modest goals and grew into a leader in her city, country, and across the globe. She has helped grow the running community in Bangaluru, India with the backing of Adidas. In this episode we talk about how she has counseled other female runners who have to fight aga...

Jordan Mann is one of the best middle distance runners in the country with a top five USATF Championship finish in the steeplechase and a 3:39 1500m to his name. He is also one of American running's most unique and eclectic voices. In this episode, we begin with Jordan's heart felt opinions on Brown University's decision to cut men's varsity cross country, track, and field. As a Brown alum, and so...

It’s with great excitement that I announce the newest podcast in the Rambling Runner Podcast Network - the Business & Sports Discourse podcast. This episode of the Rambling Runner Podcast features the first two episodes of the new show. The new show will be hosted by me, Matt Chittim, and my good friend Jason Macaluso. This short-form podcast will provide insight into the current events, topics, a...

What time do you get up? Who does your hair and makeup? And, how do you look that awake? Those are the three questions KCRA Morning News anchor/reporter Deirdre Fitzpatrick gets from her Sacramento viewers. “2:15am. I do it myself which explains a lot. And, coffee by the pot.” Deirdre is a four-time Emmy award winner in writing, anchoring and reporting and has a bachelor's degree in Journalism fro...

Welcome to the May edition of Ramblings on the Run with Ali & Matt. Every month, Ali Feller — host of the Ali on the Run Show — and I come together to talk about running industry news, our own running, and things we’re loving right now. This time around we were joined by special guest David Roche. David is an elite trail runner and the co-founder of the coaching service Some Work All Play. He and...

Matt Fitzgerald has been running (and writing about running) for most of his adult life. Like many passionate amateur runners, he never felt he  quite fulfilled his potential. In his mid-forties, Matt convinced Ben Rosario, head coach of Northern Arizona Elite, to let him train with a roster of national champions and Olympic hopefuls in the running mecca of Flagstaff, Arizona. These runners includ...

Like many women, Jen Labesky spent most of her life allowing everyone else's opinions of what she "should" be doing, pursuing, or thinking, to chart her course. The result? She ended up feeling completely lost and empty inside. Jen knew she was capable of so much more, but was so caught up trying to be everything to everyone that she didn't have the time to devote, or even the slightest clue how t...

Dr. Tommy Martin is one heck of an athlete. He is a 3:00 hour marathoner, sub-13:00:00 IRONMAN triathlete, owns the body of a body builder, and is a former college football player. He has achieved that level of success while going through the steps to become a doctor with a focus in pediatrics. In this episode Tommy talks about his humble roots, his eternal optimism, his faith, the steps he took t...

Kiese Laymon, a southern writer born and raised in Jackson, Mississippi, is one of the best writers in the country. He is the author of Heavy: An American Memoir, the novel Long Division  and a collection of essays,  How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America. Heavy, winner of the Andrew Carnegie Medal, the LA Times Isherwood Prize for Autobiographical Prose and Audible’s Audiobook of the Y...

In the final installment of the Rambling Runner Virtual Race Series episodes we dive into the marathon with Nate Stewart, Callie Vinson, and James McKirdy. Nate beat a decade long PR in the marathon last month in a solo marathon effort with a blazing fast 2:45. He talks about trying to set a new PR in a virtual marathon that is so new to so many of us. Callie is an ultra-marathoner with years of e...

Try to find a better amateur running story better than Ana Johnson's. I dare you. Ana was born in a small town in Mexico where she picked up running at a young age. She was heavily influenced by athletic parents and took to the sport immediately. Ana ran her first half-marathon at just nine years of age. After high school, Ana made her way to the New York Metro area and has never left. She attende...

We are back with another episode focused on food and performance nutrition. Lori Russell RD CSSD provides her expertise on all things nutrition. Not only is she fully credentialed, she is also informed by her background as a marathoner and professional cyclist. In the second part of the show we are joined by Danielle Ryan Broida. Danielle is an expert in the power of mushrooms and the various ways...

In the third episode of Re-Run, Des Linden joins the show to breakdown her iconic victory at the 2018 Boston Marathon. Des analyzes the race mile by rain soaked mile with the wit and candor we all appreciate from this running legend. She touches on every aspect of the race including her recovery the disappointing 2017 Boston Marathon, the epic porta potty episode with Shalane Flanagan, and her con...

Stephanie Bruce is one of the most accomplished U.S. distance runners and at the forefront of a new era in professional sports. In this episode, Stephanie takes a deep dive into how and why she embraced taking a leading role in the media side of her profession. This is the new reality of being a successful pro runner. Stephanie, and her HOKA NAZ Elite team, do it better than most. We also talk abo...

With two young children and a military spouse, Brigid Gutierrez does not have a lot of time on her hands for running. That hasn't stopped her one bit. In 2019, Brigid rebounded from the birth of her daughter to have a banner year. In January her goal was to break 3:20 in the marathon. Brigid blew that time out of the water. She rocked the challenging TCS New York City Marathon course in a time of...

In this three segment episode we are joined by some amazing individuals. Megan Landmeier describes what it was like to run the virtual 5k and 10k on her balcony in Bogota, Colombia. Elite masters runner, and McKirdy Trained running coach, Heather Pech shares her insights into how we can all run our best half-marathon next weekend and anytime in the future. Finally, Carrie Tollefson provides her tr...

Sara Ibbetson is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, a dedicated sub-elite runner, and the creator of the 2:45:01 series. This project highlights the women who came close to the reaching the Olympic Marathon Trials qualifying time but came up just short.  Not only are Sara's curation skills on point, she is also a member of this high level group of runners. In this episode we dive into her running...

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 more, as we embrace our current circumstances with a "glass half full" approach. Spon...

Rebecca Mehra is a professional middle distance runner who recently burst into the country's consciousness. This viral tweet, detailing how she helped an elderly couple buy groceries, took the internet and traditional media by storm. Long before Rebecca was honored for her empathy she made herself known in the running community. She is third all-time in the 1500m at Stanford and finished third at...