The Rambling Runner Podcast

This conversation with James McKirdy and Peter Bromka explores the top three/top two conundrum in the men's Olympic Trials marathon. The discussion delves into the rules and regulations set by World Athletics, the governing body for the sport, and the impact on American athletes. The concept of unlocking spots for the Olympics is explained, along with the role of rankings and time standards. The c...

Today on show we feature someone who has a story that we've never touched on before. At the age of 40, and after years of minor to medium hip and back pain, Carrie Bradshaw was diagnosed with bilateral hip dysplasia. That meant that this 3:09 marathoner and mother of two young kids would need two hip replacement surgeries. Wow! This was an incredible gut punch to a dedicated amateur athlete who cr...

The Olympic Marathon Trials are right around the corner and Nico Montañez is ready for action! Nico details his experience at the 2023 World Championships Marathon in Budapest last August and the wide array of things he took from that experience (travel, prep time, etc.) that are helping him prepare for the trials. He also talks about how his training has changed this cycle, how he is approaching...

The Olympic Marathon Trials are two weeks away and we are officially getting into Trials-mode here on the show! Our first Trials preview is with Sara Vaughn. Sara details her 2:23 finish at Chicago, her quick turnaround back into training, getting knocked down by the flu over Christmas, and her thoughts on race-day. Sara also details her daughter Kiki's commitment to perennial power Northern Arizo...

Pain is universal. Athletes in pursuit of performance are not strangers to pain—in fact they embrace it. But nothing derails training faster than nagging athletic pain and injury, which all too often land athletes in an endless cycle of physical therapy or leave them sidelined from sport altogether, awaiting surgery. "Pain & Performance" is a tour de force that explores compelling advances in pain...

In this special episode of the Rambling Runner Podcast we focus on the power of partnership. Running can feel like a solo endeavor for many of us but it can be so much more. This show is a wonderful example that we can lift each other up when the people we run with and care about are facing difficult situations. Hiruni Wijayaratne and Bethany Sachtleben are both incredibly talented runners but the...

In this episode, Matt Chittim and Peter Bromka interview Tim Rossi, who paced the women's OTQ group at the California International Marathon (CIM). They discuss Tim's experience as a pacer and the significance of being part of runners' OTQ journeys. We also talk about managing personal goals while pacing CIM and the challenges of the course. The conversation highlights the growing running communit...

Adam Wood, a former college steeplechaser turned marathoner, discusses his transition to post-college running, narrowly missing an Olympic Trials Qualifying time, and the influence of his BYU program and teammates. Adam highlights the importance of the social aspect in running and the supportive running community in Utah. He shares his experiences at Grandma's Marathon, McKirdy Micro Marathon, and...

Trail running legend Rachel Drake joins Matt Chittim and Peter Bromka for an in-person race recap after the California International Marathon. Rachel, who has seven European trail race victories to her name, ran a perfectly executed race to finish 5th and earn her second consecutive OTQ. Last cycle she ran a 2:40 at Grandma's before finishing 59th in a time to 2:41 in the Atlanta Trials. Chapters...

Tammy Hsieh shares her experience of qualifying for the Olympic Trials at the California International Marathon. She recounts the intense moments leading up to the finish line and the uncertainty that followed after she crossed the finish line with a gun time 2:37:03... but a chip time of 2:37:00. Tammy also discusses her running background and how she got into the sport. Her journey is a testamen...

Let the post-California International Marathon fun begin!!! We had another historic weekend at CIM and I'm excited to bring you a boat load of episode over the next two weeks. In this episode we have two pre-race live shows. The first was an interview that I did with Peter Bromka of CJ Albertson. CJ went on to win CIM in his third attempt by taking the lead with just two miles to go. In this conve...

Allie Caminiti is back on the podcast with some important information for runners of all abilities who are having trouble reaching their potential. In this episode, she provides valuable information what is "micro-quitting," how to recognize if it affecting us, why we can all be susceptible to this form of self-sabotage, and how we can stop ourselves from falling to a pattern of micro-quitting. Al...

A year and a half ago Paul Johnson accepted an invitation to run the Marine Corps Marathon. Since making that fateful decision Paul has run UTMB, Canyons 100, PR'd the marathon in 2:46, and done much more. It's been a whirlwind that few people could have pulled-off and there is much more to come. In this episode we learn all about Paul's amazing journey and his preparation for a world record attem...

In the second of a two episode partnership with the California International Marathon, we are diving into all-things raceday. In this episode, Tamara Torlakson does a deep dive into the granular details of the race course, the pre-race day logistics, great spots for pre and post-race grub, and all things Sacramento. Tamara is the President of SRA the Sacramento Running Association, the organizatio...

In today's episode I speak with a longtime friend who morphed into the one of the most consistent and best masters runners I know. Mike Carroll and I played at rival high schools yet bonded over off-season hoops. 20 years later he decided to dip his toe into endurance running. Then, the week of his father's passing, he made a promise to his Dad that he'd run the Boston Marathon in his honor. Since...

In this far-ranging conversation, WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) TV host Megan Connolly Morant talks about it all. We made sure to discuss her recent 3:02 NYC Marathon a few months removed from being a living kidney donor, and the domino effort of that donation. We also talked about: Growing up with big running dreams Balancing elite college running with new goals/priorities Her shifting rela...

In the first of a two episode partnership with the California International Marathon, we are exploring the famous CIM Olympic Trials qualifying pace groups. In 2019 Katrina Spratford-Sterling and Henry Sterling made their marathon debuts at CIM with the dream of qualifying for the 2020 Olympic Trials. Their 2019 experiences were very different but they both reached their goals. In this episode, Ka...

Gabi Rooker has made one of the most unique athletic transformations at the top of the American women's marathoning field - All-American college gymnast to elite marathoner. Gabi eased into running post-college while she tried a handful of other sports. Her talent and hard work soon elevated her to high-level local runner in Minnesota. Her potential started to become apparent with a 2:56 debut mar...

Jereny Rivera is back on Road to the Trials and she has an important story to share. At the beginning of this year Jereny was experiencing significant physical symptoms that were impacting her training and her life. Extreme fatigue, hair loss, brittle finger nails, and loss of motivation were among them. These physical symptoms soon began weighing on her mental and emotional wellbeing. After month...

In another evergreen coaching episode we talk about how best to race a marathon in the heat. We recorded this episode because this the Marine Corps Marathon will be held this weekend in less than desirable conditions and we want everyone to be at their best on race day! In this episode we cover pacing adjustments, cooling strategies, and nutrition recommendations. Sponsor: Janji - Save 15% on the...

Polly Moody is one badass runner. The full-time teacher and mother of two suffered a massive knee injury two years tearing her ACL and meniscus. The surgery to repair both left her wondering how she'd rebound from a serious surgery as a masters runner. Little did she know that she'd return better than ever! Polly just ran a huge PR of 2:46 at the Chicago Marathon, placing 9th in the 40-44 age grou...

Last weekend I had the immense privilege of watching nearly 40 athletes earn an OTQ marathon time at the McKirdy Micro Marathon. One of those athletes was Alex Burks. In one of the most insightful and powerful conversations we've ever had on this this, Alex describes the last four years in which he persevered through challenges, worked is butt off, fell short many times, and eventually earned his...

It was a honor (and a blast!) to have Danni McNeilly on the show! She became the 31st U.S. born African-American women to break 3:00 in the marathon at Chicago two weeks ago. It was a result ten years in the making and one that put her in the history books. She also became the fourth women in the Black Roses running club to make The List - an incredible achievement for a single club. Here is a wha...

When Bridget Chamberlin ran her first two marathons in her early 20's she was confident that there were two types of runners: The fast runners (which included her college running friends) and slower runners (like her). She was happy and content with that segmentation and loved running for what it was and how it made her feel. However, over the next decade her ability and preconceived notions of wh...

Mike Obara is a tough and fast masters runner who has run over 20 marathons in the last seven years and a number of ultramarathons. He also has type 1 diabetes. Mike was diagnosed when he was a college soccer player who suddenly lost 25 without explanation. Since then Mike has learned to manage his disease, become an endurance runner around the age of 40, learn how to manage the tricky fueling pro...