The Rambling Runner Podcast

"One of the nice things about being busy is it makes you focus on what's important to you and how you use your time." - Lorne Michaels. Who decides to pick-up running after giving birth to triplets? McCall Lee, that's who. That's not to say she wasn't an athlete before then. McCall earned a black belt by age 12 before doing a year of cross-country in high school (where she promptly ditched practic...

Have you ever worked for years to achieve a goal and found yourself wondering if it was ever going to happen? Well, Jen is proof that if you keep working hard, and team up with the right people, you can breakthrough. It took her several years to break the 1:40 barrier in the half marathon but she finally did it this month with blazing fast 1:37. In this episode, Jen talks about what she changed in...

In this episode, it was a privilege to speak with with Sara Turner. Sara steadily worked her way from a 4:40 marathoner to a Boston Marathon qualifier. There were plenty of hurdles along the way including injuries, raising a newborn, and a disappointing DNF. Her humble nature is matched by her fierce persistence and desire to improve. You can follow Sara at www.instagram.com/therunningwife. This e...

Fresh off is sixth place finish at the U.S. 15k Championships, in a scorching time of 44:11, Ryan Vail brings his professional wisdom to the Rambling Runner Podcast. In this episode, Ryan talks about how he has juggled his recent training with raising his newborn son, his upcoming plans for his first Boston Marathon, and some of the tips he gives to his running clients. You can follow Ryan's weekl...

We asked and you delivered! After our call-to-action for funny running stories the listeners provided many great ones. In this episode, co-hosted by Laura Pierce, we read these hilarious tales of running folly and added our two cents. Kudos to everyone brave enough to send these to us. We had a blast recording this episode and hope to do another one in the near future. Learn more about your ad cho...

By the age of 29, Brooke Adams achieved an almost unbelievable feet. She completed all six of the Abbott World Marathon Majors! Not only that, she did it with an average time of 2:59. This incredible runner did not come from a traditional running background. The daughter and sister dairy farmers, Brooke is now an assistant principal while pursuing her running dreams. In this episode she details he...

Heather Szuba is living the amateur running lifestyle to a “T.” She has whittled down her marathon time from 4:00 hours to 3:12 while working as an engineer and starting a coaching practice. At the age of 24 she came to the realization that she needed to become a healthier person. She started with the elliptical before introducing 10 minute running segments into her routine. Then one day at the gy...

All Ralph Peterson had to do was change everything. Severely overweight, struggling with addiction, and unhappy in almost every area of his life, Ralph knew he was capable of much more. His conversion into a dedicated marathoner is nothing short of remarkable. In this episode, Ralph details his running and dietary journey that was the foundation of his book “Adventures in Dietland: How to Win at t...

“One who gains strength by overcoming obstacles possesses the only strength which can overcome adversity,” - Albert Schweitzer. Jessica Hadley’s running origin story is one that should be familiar to many people. She was a young mom of two, working a full-time job, and just couldn’t take it anymore. She felt like her life was too crazy and she just needed something to calm the noise. So, she took...

"Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it." — Helen Keller. A common saying in the running community is "run to overcome." That is exactly what Elizabeth Jansen has done. From the shocking death of her older brother, to her struggles with binge eating disorder, Elizabeth has used running to help her overcome what ails her mind, body, and soul. Along the way...

In this episode, I am joined by the amazing Bethany Davis. Bethany is an accomplished marathoner, coach, mother of four, and former CrossFit athlete. We talk at length about her varied experiences running and lifting before and after child birth. Including this current rendition that has allowed her to bounce back quicker than ever. We also touch on overcoming mental obstacles in races and talking...

“Just when the caterpillar thought the world was ending, he turned into a butterfly.” – Proverb At first glance it looks like Mark Bottenhorn has it all. An ultra marathon winner, a former college soccer player, and a body that belongs on the cover of Men’s Health magazine. However, there is more to Mark than meets the eye. For a good part of his life he has been battling anxiety that has brought...

“There is a real magic in enthusiasm. It spells the difference between mediocrity and accomplishment.” - Norman Vincent Peale When I grow-up I want to be Rhandi Orme. Ultra marathon winner, OCR racer, 3:13 marathoner, Ironman finisher, and trail runner extraordinaire. Did I mention she is also a mother of four kids under the age of 12? Her athletic accomplishments are the result of good genes and...

Tyler Underwood is a beast! How else can you describe someone who went from a 4:12 marathon to a 2:18 - which is an Olympic Trials qualifier? His journey to that elite status included a lot of help from friends and family, but not a coach. We talk a lot about who he relies on, and who he doesn’t. Tyler also discusses the right mindset that he acquired about five years ago that helped to unleash hi...

“The average person puts only 25% of his energy and ability into his work. The world takes off its hat to those who put in more than 50% of their capacity, and stands on its head for those few and far between souls who devote 100%.” - Andrew Carnegie The best way to describe Lindsey Welter is to say that she is pure energy. She has transformed herself from a competitive dancer who hated running hi...

Toni DiRenzo is a former college soccer player turned dedicated amateur runner and coach. In this episode, we dive into her conversion to running and her current running successes and struggles. After running the Chicago Marathon last fall she has been dealing with plantar fasciitis. This is an issue that confronts many runners and we discuss it at length. We finish up the episode with a segment o...

“Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny.” - C.S. Lewis Melissa Becker (@motherrunnermel) is one of the toughest and most inspirational people I know. She dedicated herself to running five years ago and has set PR’s year after year. But, there is far more to Melissa than mere races times. She has, and continues to, overcome health issues that have affected her and her...

On December 3, 2017 Molly Friel did something that many would call impossible: she qualified for the Olympic Trrials in the marathon at age 50. At the California International Marathon she completed the race in a blistering time 2:43:57, averaging a 6:15/mi pace. Not only that, she almost even-split the course after a first-half time of 1:21:54. In this episode of the Rambling Runner Podcast, we t...

In this episode of The Rambling Runner Podcast, I speak with professional runner Kaitlin Gregg Goodman. Kaitlin set her 10K, half marathon, and marathon personal records in 2017. We dive into those experiences as well as how she bounced back from her disappointing performance at the USATF Outdoor Track Championships. Lastly, we also talk about Kaitlin’s rise to prominence as a runner. She did not...

“When you are enthusiastic about what you do, you feel this positive energy. It’s very simple.” - Paulo Coelho Tiffany James progressed from a 4:29 marathon in 2014 to a Boston Marathon qualifying time of 3:27 in 2017. Not bad for someone who used to skip-out on high school gym class. In this episode, Tiffany talks about her progression from occasional athlete, to runner, to running enthusiast and...

In 2017, Nick Symmonds chose to transform from one of running's most recognizable professionals (with two Olympic appearances and a silver medal at the World Championships in the 800m) to an amatuer attempting his first marathon. Not only that, but he did it in typical Nick Symmonds fashion - by being as transparent as possible every step of the way. In this episode of the Rambling Running Podcast...

“Stay true to yourself. An original is worth more than a copy.” - Suzy Kassem Patrick Cutter may be the most unique dedicated amateur runner I have interviewed on the show. Last week at the Chevron Houston Marathon he set a personal record by running to 2:35.23. However, if you ever see a picture of Patrick during that race you would never guess he was that level of runner. At 5’10” and 180 pounds...

“Strength and growth come only through continuous effort and struggle.” - Napoleon Hill   As the owner the Strength2Run and the Athlete Factory, Christina Wood lives the words of her business. However, as physically strong as she is, her mental and emotional strength is what allows her to do amazing things. In this episode, Christina talks about overcoming her father’s cancer diagnosis, and passin...

In 2013 Natalie Hopkins was hit by a car while riding her bike. This accident left her with numerous screws, and a couple of plates, in her leg as well as a significant brain injury. Yet, exactly one year later she was at the starting line of the Boston Marathon and ran it 12 seconds faster than she had two years earlier. In this episode, Natalie talks about that experience as well as her backgrou...

In this episode of the Rambling Runner Podcast I am privileged to be joined by the best endurance sport author of this generation - Matt Fitzgerald. Matt has written dozens of influential books including two of my favorites “How Bad Do You Want It“ and “Iron War.“ We dive into each of those books as well as his fascinating experience training full-time with the NAZ Elite running team before settin...