The Rambling Runner Podcast

It's back - Rambling Runner Funny Stories Part II. We received dozens of submissions and I want to thank everyone who sent in a story. We made a couple changes this time around. Laura Pierce and I are joined by our friend Tasha DeVita. Also, half of the stories featured are audio clips in which the stories are told by the people who lived them. Enjoy! You can learn more about Laura at https://www....

"Failure happens all the time. It happens every day in practice. What makes you better is how you react to it." - Mia Hamm For Kindal Alysse, 2016 was a dream. She set personal bests at nearly every distanced she raced in running and triathlon. 2017, however, was exactly the opposite. In this episode, Kindal details how she was able to reach her goals and then, when she was rocked by disappointmen...

This episode is a recording of a call with my coach James McKirdy in which we go over my recent performance at the Gaspee Days 5k and James's coaching philosophy. We also plan out the next few months of my training and how to get ready for races of varying lengths. Throughout the episode James brings his trademark energy, enthusiasm, and humor. This episode is one of the many types of exclusive co...

Elyse Garza trained for months in the run-up to the Mountains 2 Beach Marathon. She PR'd at a few races during that time and was ready to go on race day. Then she dropped a huge PR and beat her goal of a 3:20 marathon. How did she feel a few days after that major accomplishment? Crappy. In this episode, Elyse dives into the mental side of running that she has concurrently struggled with and improv...

“When a man moves away from nature his heart becomes hard.” – Lakota. Verna Volker has the kind of passion and grit that can only lead to achievement. 10 years ago she was a non-runner. Today she is a five time marathoner and ultrarunner. Her recent 50k was held on a water logged mud path but that didn't stop Verna in her first ultra. Not only did she finish, she was first in her age group. Verna...

This episode is a collaboration with my friend Kimberly Chanelle Clark where we explore our experiences in self-experimentation. Kim is constantly looking for various ways to improve her performance it was great to hear what has worked for her. The topics we discuss are sugar, sleep, caffeine, supplements, alternative races, etc. Kim also talks about how she prepared for the San Diego Rock n' Roll...

“Nothing will work unless you do.” — Maya Angelou. What did Laura Anderson do in her first postpartum marathon? She won it, that's what! This amazing woman has progressed from a college track All-American who hated anything longer than 800m, to a 3:47 marathoner, to winning the 2018 Buffalo Marathon in a time of 2:57. Her progression is extraordinary. Once you realize that she also works two jobs...

In our first three person interview I speak with accomplished runners, and creators of the Run Strong Project, Amy Haenick and Sara Plumstead. These two amazing women have a long history of running success while overcoming challenging situations in their personal lives. Their dedication to a sport they love, and each other, is deeply inspiring. You can follow Amy at https://www.instagram.com/amyru...

"The size of your success is measured by the strength of your desire; the size of your dream; and how you handle disappointment along the way." - Robert Kiyosaki Kimberlie McBride was living the dream. A year into her re-dedication to running she was nailing her workouts and improving at a rapid rate. With her sights set on the Fargo Marathon, she even set a half marathon PR in the middle of a tra...

The foundation of the Rambling Runner Podcast is balancing running with the life's necessities. This is exactly what Jessica Rinehart has done so well. With a full-time job and a thriving online coaching business and blog, Jessica was able to put in months of high mileage training. This work culminated in a personal best of 3:07 at the Eugene Marathon. In this episode Jessica talks about how she g...

"When I started running after college I ran away from all things. Expectations, healthy relationships (people, myself, food), mother's brain cancer and death, and infertility. When I picked-up running two years ago it was to run towards something." - Amanda Ghent. In this episode, Amanda Ghent goes deep into why running is such a big part of her life. Not only that, she provides color and context...

In this episode, Nicole Wade uses her expertise as a holistic health and wellness coach to give me a mini-counseling session as I try to kick my sugar addiction. We also discuss our shared experiences with self-sabotage, her start in running, how she transformed into a 3:35 marathoner, and her 2018 Boston Marathon experience. You can learn more about at Nicole at www.heartandsolerunning.com and fo...

"It is never too late to be what you might have been." - George Eliot. Jonathan Greenwald is a 3:11 marathoner who qualified for the Boston Marathon in his forties. Those two facts alone are remarkable. Throw in the fact that he started running at age 40 and it becomes even more amazing. In this episode, Jonathan discusses why he started running late in life, the role of running groups in his rapi...

"We must meet the challenge rather than wish it were not before us." - William J. Brennan, Jr., Former Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. In matter of 2:49:50 Becky Snelson went from successful amateur runner to the talk of the running community. Her 14th place finish at the 2018 Boston Marathon, in a personal best time, set off a bit of a controversy. Becky didn't initially receive priz...

"The good side of mental fortitude gets lauded in the press, but we don't talk about the other side enough without making it sound like weakness." - Marcus Brown. In this episode of the Rambling Runner podcast I am joined by world marathon major six star finisher Marcus Brown. Marcus completed the series at the 2018 Boston Marathon where he also, ahem, set a new PR. Shortly thereafter, improbably,...

"A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events, and outcomes. It is a catalyst and it sparks extraordinary results." - Wade Boggs. It is great to have Maurice Lowman back on the show. If you want to hear Maurice's full and amazing back story check out episode 12. In this episode, Maurice and I discuss he recent Boston Marathon experience, how to keep a positive attitude...

"If you want something done, ask a busy person to do it. The more things you do, the more you can do." - Lucille Ball. A doctor of speech pathology, nutrition coach, mother of three, and marathoner - Melissa Malani is one busy woman. Despite that, or maybe because of it, she is able to cram an awful lot into one day. In this episode we discuss how and why she does it, her preparation for, and perf...

"Life's challenges are not supposed to paralyze you; they're supposed to help you discover who you are." - Bernice Johnson Reagon In 2001, Jacky Hunt-Broersma had the lower part of her left leg amputated after a sarcoma tumor was found above her left foot. From that point on she used her strong will and determination to live the life she chose and not one she was forced into. 15 years later she st...

In our first Boston Marathon review episode we hear from James McKirdy from McKirdy Trained. We talk about the race, how he and his fellow coaches prepared their athletes for the race, and how runners can be prepared for conditions they have have never experienced in training. After our Boston conversation we dive the history behind McKirdy trained and why, how, and when it was started. James and...

"The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members." - Coretta Scott King Carlos Del Pino was born in the outskirts of Tampico, Tamaulipas, México. As a growing boy, his passion turned to running. Once in the United States he began making friends in the local running scene. Carlos's community building was just getting started. To this day, Carlos...

“Turn your setbacks into comebacks.” - Anonymous Over the course of her running career Jessica Tondre cameback from many physical setbacks that have also challenged her mentally and emotionally. From serious leg injuries to a kidney disease, unfortunately there has been no shortage of comeback opportunities for Jess. Despite those issues, she continues to exhibit a contagious positive attitude. We...

"If laughter cannot solve your problems, it will definitely dissolve your problems; so that you can think clearly what to do about them." – Dr. Madan Kataria In this episode, I was joined by my co-host for the Funny Stories Part I episode Laura Pierce. Laura will be running the Boston Marathon next week after putting together an amazing training cycle. As good as that cycle was, it was the result...

At this time last year Rachel Davis ran her dream race at the 2017 Boston Marathon. She exceeded her goal by seven minutes and ran a six minute and negative split despite in unusually high temperatures. In this episode of the podcast, Rachel and I talk about her 2017 race, the injuries and over-training that followed, and how she made the transition from 800m runner to marathoner. We also take a d...

Sometimes you need to fight through discomfort to achieve your goals. Then, other times, you need to change course and find a new challenge. Audrey Springer has taken both roads and found success at the end of each. In this episode we talk about her college running experience that included her scholarship being revoked before she finished with successful senior year. We also discuss her recent hal...

Jeff Haden is a LinkedIn Influencer, ghostwriter, speaker, and Inc. magazine contributing editor. In 2017, his online articles for Inc. attracted more than 20 million readers. Not only that, he is also a dedicated amateur athlete. In his book, "The Motivation Myth: How High Achievers Really Set Themselves Up to Win," Jeff states that motivation is not the catalyst of achievement but, rather, the r...