The Running for Real Podcast

Have you ever considered using running as a way to tell people what you care about? If not, I'm sure you've seen people that have. Maybe a neighborhood boy or girl on the cross-country team has asked you to pledge a certain amount of money for each lap they run during a fund-raising event, or maybe you've seen a 5K go through your city with every participant wearing pink to raise breast cancer awa...

There is a lot of stress, fear, anxiety, overwhelm in our world right now. We have no idea what the future will look like, and that can be hard for us to function, especially when we are all told to stay inside our homes, which can make things even more intense. I knew there was only one expert I wanted to bring on the show to talk us through, help us understand what we can do right now to make th...

At what point did you consider yourself to be a runner? Odds are, you were a runner long before you felt comfortable saying it out loud. Maybe it wasn't until after your first 5K, your tenth 5K, or even your first marathon. Perhaps you still don't call yourself a runner, or when you do, you quickly follow it up with "but not a fast one." This is silly. Why do so many of us feel the need to qualify...

Special report episode on Coronavirus. I interviewed Dr Emily Stoneman, an Infectious Disease Specialist working at the University of Michigan, to ask her all the questions we have been wondering, and then addressed what to do as runners. Emily has been working 18 hour days, but gave us almost an hour of her time to help the running community feel at ease. In the second half of the episode, I addr...

Wouldn't it be nice if our motivation was consistent? If every day we woke up we knew exactly what we wanted to do, how to do, and the motivation to actually get it done? Truth be told, we probably experience pockets of this, and maybe some of you can string together months at a time of getting into "flow." Finding our motivations and processes is a process in itself, and it's a journey worth goin...

Life can be overwhelming and busy, however that doesn't mean you still can't find time for yourself.   Liza Howard, elite ultra-marathon runner, coach, employee at the National Outdoor Leadership School, and mother of two children knows in order to succeed in her sport and remain at the top of her running game she must find time to put in the miles.   Despite a busy homelife, Liza has managed to w...

Have you ever experienced an injury so severe you thought you would never come back from it?   Do you remember the thoughts that ran through your mind?   Or the disappointment you felt?   In 2017, Hillary Allen was ranked first in the Skyrunning World Series. This series consisted of high altitude endurance races spanning anywhere from 50k to 100k.   Hillary, sponsored by The North Face, was at th...

Runners are a different species.   Not only is running our sport but it is our passion, our mental break, our chance to distance ourselves from the world and the stressors of everyday life.   However, as a runner, I am sure you have suffered injuries and setbacks.   You are not alone.   According to Cindy Kuzma, journalist for Runner's World, and Carrie Jackson Cheadle, mental skills expert and na...

If you live in a developed country, you likely enjoy the benefits of being able to rely on government systems that protect you. You can walk outside and feel safe in your neighborhood, put money in your bank and have faith it will be safeguarded, or voice your opinion and not be punished. You probably also follow a set of rules without much thought for the same reason. You don't steal from others,...

We've all seen the picture of an iceberg that shows what we see above water is only a fraction of what is happening underneath. This depiction is the reality for many people or situations that we encounter every day. The story always has more to it than first meets the eye. This is no different for Alysia Montaño. Many know her as "the runner with a flower in her hair," or "the pregnant runner." B...

Do you want to be able to run for your entire life? Then the number one most important thing for you to consider today is the world we live in. Politics aside, we want to be able to keep running on this beautiful planet. If we continue to treat it the way we have been the last several decades, that won't happen. This is important to us as runners, and it makes sense. We are out there breathing in...

Nothing matters more to a runner than their feet. It's one of the few things that we feel comfortable with spending decent money on. We know that shoes are about the only thing you need to get into running, so over the years, getting the best shoes for our feet is what we have focused on. The right pair of shoes can make a big difference in how you feel about running. Can you imagine trying to run...

You watch them constantly for two weeks straight once every four years; strong, confident, and full of national pride. Olympians take the world stage for just these few moments, and then for most of them, it's back to a fairly normal life.   They have families and jobs just like you do, but they also dedicate an intense amount of time to perfecting their craft. So, what does a life of an Olympic a...

Do you believe that it is possible to be ultra-successful, dedicated to your craft, and still find time for joy every day? How much commitment, hard work, and suffering are necessary to be the best in the world at something? Is it possible to have big goals, spend time with family, and have a fulltime career? These are some of the toughest questions to answer. It is hard enough to find the will po...

It truly is the best time to be a runner. As a woman, an underprivileged child, an elite runner, a master's runner, a blind runner, or any other type of runner you can think of, your opportunities are massive and growing.   Today you have access to some of the best information on running, from internet forums to professional studies. You can run for a career or run for a hobby. You can track your...

Kara Goucher knew her life would change when she decided to report her coach to the FBI. Making a choice to do what you believe is right, no matter the personal consequences, is a worthy and stressful decision. This was in 2011, eight years before Alberto Salazar received a four-year coaching ban. Leading up to that decision, and the eight years that have followed, Kara has had many life-changing...

There are some names in the running world that become almost technical words within the sport, because they are so well known. Just like tempo run or PR, the names of both my guests today have had big impacts on our running world. Max King has been winning races for decades. In almost every distance, terrain, elevation you can think of. Max has truly stood out through the test of time, as one of t...

Everyone knows the stories of the pros. The professionals, the experts, the people who already have found their confidence, their strengths, but what about the other runners. The rest of the running population, who have been through some real struggles, but have never had the opportunity to share their stories, their experiences, their courage with the world. At Running For Real, we try to do exac...

Just when you thought you've heard every type of running story, another one surfaces. New and old categories of running seem to continue to appear, as if running itself is doing everything it can to reach all people. If today's story doesn't convince you that running is for everyone, (or for every creature for that matter) I'm not sure what will. As you've seen, the competitiveness surrounding run...

What is the hardest part about getting out on a run?   For some it may be finding the time, for others it may be the thought of the pain that is sure to follow, but for most, the hardest part of running is all in your head.   Having a disdain for running is not uncommon, however, this negative mentality towards running can be changed by using several techniques. Sanjay Rawal, amateur runner, cinem...

We are told running is a free sport, that there is no barrier to entry, and although that is true, there are sure a lot of runner gadgets and products runners need, or more realistically, want. If you need a few gift ideas for the runner in your life, I hope this gift guide comes in helpful. As a former elite, runner for 15 years, and mother runner, I like to think I have some experience here. A L...

It's very common for a runner to be questioned about why they choose to run. Willingly putting yourself through pain, doesn't quite make sense to most people. Not only that, runners run just to run. There is no ball to chase as part of a captivating sports' game, and there isn't a ferocious wild animal (hopefully) to outrun. Runners claim that they just like to run. Do you believe us? Comfort has...

How would you like to be able to eat whatever you want? Whenever you want. As much as you want. What if exercise felt like a celebration of your body rather than a punishment? These thoughts may sound idealistic or even unrealistic. How healthy can unmonitored eating and exercising really be? Diet and exercise are huge money-making markets in today's world, and they are successful for a variety of...

What if I told you that you could meditate at any time of day, doing any activity? Would you be more likely to try it? You may be thinking that meditation is only for those people that already have their life together, or for people without children, or less-demanding jobs. But that isn't true! Meditation is for everyone, and today you will find out how it can work for you. To learn more about med...

The second BONUS episode of the week is my LIVE panel hosted by Generation UCAN during NYC Marathon weekend. Listen to my conversation with Emily Abbate, Carrie Tollefson, Angie Spencer for a marathon focused chat. We share embarrassing stories, best moments, moments we considered quitting, fueling issues, and much more. If you are thinking about training for your first marathon, there is a lot in...