Through Their Stride

Five months ago, a police officer in California decided to lace up a pair of running shoes. Today, that man is a triathlete and cofounder of a triathlon endurance club in California. When Trent Herzog began his hybrid athlete journey, he didn't know how far it would take him. But after finishing in the top 10 in his first-ever 10-mile race, he knew he was on to something. He fell in love with...

In this episode of Through Their Stride, I sit down with Tennessee-based marathoner Laura Pett to talk about her journey from collegiate cross country to chasing a sub-3-hour marathon. Laura made her marathon debut in 2017 at the Atlanta Marathon, tackling a tough course and running 3:40. Since then, she's steadily improved — qualifying for the Boston Marathon multiple times and lowering her...

In this episode of Through Their Stride, I sat down with Adriana Ducharme ( @runningthelife_ on Instagram ) to unpack a journey that many runners experience but few talk about openly. Adri shares how a toxic college coaching environment led to burnout and a loss of identity within the sport – and how stepping away from that structure helped rediscover what running could be. Through joining a club...

It started as a way to become a better version of himself after gaining more weight than he felt comfortable with. Now, he's a 3:28 marathoner pursuing a Boston Qualifier in the near future. As a kid, pursuing fast times in marathons, half marathons (he's a sub 1;28 guy), and 5Ks (he's also an 18:46 guy) wasn't something he ever thought he'd do. But once he started back in...

In this episode, I sit down with marathon coach and "Busy Runner" Justin Cannon to unpack how he went from a 4:34 debut marathon to a 3:06 in his very next race and then to a PR of 2:39. That kind of leap didn't just change his PR; it changed his entire mindset, making him want to "get greedy" with his goals and see how far he could really go. We dig into what shifted his...

As life piles on, it can be easy to escape into bad habits. But sometimes, all it takes is seeing your own child muscle up the courage to do hard things for you to start chasing your dreams again. For Jim LeRoux, that's exactly what happened. Jim was a well-respected competitive runner in high school, but college studies, family building, and the grind of everyday life led him to become a tad...

In this episode, I'm joined by Heather Rosemand, also known as @heatherrunstexas on Instagram, for an honest conversation about healing, growth, and what it looks like to rebuild your life one step at a time. Heather shares how she got out of an unhealthy relationship, changed her relationship with alcohol, and found something life-giving through running. We talk about the role running has pl...

Andie Cozzarelli's journey back to the Olympic Trials marathon standard is one of the most powerful stories I've heard. After debuting in the marathon at the 2016 Olympic Trials and not finishing, Andie spent years fighting to get back. The road was anything but smooth, filled with setbacks, hard lessons, and moments that tested her patience and belief. But in 2026, she broke through in...

In this episode of Through Their Stride, I sit down with Arizona-based runner Aly Kozar ( @runswithheart on Instagram ) to talk about what it means to keep showing up when life doesn't go according to plan. Aly shares the ups and downs of her marathon journey, how she's learned to get back up after hard seasons in running and in life, and the deeper personal road of walking through infer...

In this episode of Through Their Stride, I sit down with Robert Jackson for a conversation about running, grief, and what it means to keep moving forward after loss. Robert shares how running became a place to process sorrow after losing family members, and how the sport has helped carry him through some of the hardest seasons in life. We also talk about his marathon journey, Boston, the people wh...

What does it mean to run for something bigger than yourself? In this episode, I sit down with Carlie Bixler, a marathoner and key part of the Run Uplifted community in Georgetown who's taking her running all the way to the Copenhagen Marathon as a charity runner for #StacheStrong, raising money for brain cancer research. Carlie shares how her perspective on running has been shaped by the peop...

When taking on something bigger than yourself, Six Star World Marathon Majors finisher Dorina Carrillo has two pieces of advice. Make sure it's something you're passionate about and do it with all your heart. Dorina first got into running in 2012 as a way to do something hard while her mom was battling breast cancer. After her mom's passing, she stepped away from the sport. But in 2...

As an adult, you get the privilege of choosing a running coach rather than having one assigned to you. And one of the best coaches to choose from is Jeff Cunningham. In this episode, Jeff Cunningham, founder of Cunningham Running and Bat City Track Club, as well as host of The Consistently Good Podcast, discusses what it's like preparing 15 runners for the Boston Marathon, the philosophy that...

Gabby Hentemann joins Through Their Stride to talk about her incredible debut marathon at the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon where she qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials alongside her friend Alyssa McElheney. In this conversation, Gabby shares how she stays grounded with her "it's not that serious" philosophy, opens up about overcoming an eating disorder during her college care...

In this deeply personal episode of Through Their Stride, my wife turns the mic on me to ask about my running journey, the grief I've experienced after losing my mom, and the lessons running has taught me about life, resilience, and moving forward. We talk honestly about the highs and lows, what grief has changed in me, and what's next from here. If you've ever found strength in runn...

In this episode of Through Their Stride, I sit down with three-time Austin Marathon champion Joey Whelan. A Buffalo, NY native and former Syracuse runner, Joey stepped away from the sport after college due to injuries, only to rediscover his love for running while working hard labor for a rock milling company in the Texas Hill Country. He made his marathon debut at the Buffalo Marathon, finished s...

McKay Nelson had never trained for a race in his life. His athletic background was in high school baseball and football — not exactly the resume of a marathoner. But armed with an unshakeable belief that the human body and mind are capable of more than we give them credit for, he set out to prove just that. 90 days. 26.2 miles. Under 3 hours. In this episode, McKay takes us through the full journe...

If you're looking for a fun and beautiful destination race this spring, there's no place like running through the historic streets of Fredericksburg. Hosted by Create Healthy, the 32nd Wildflower Run will take place in downtown Fredericksburg at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, April 25. Races include a 5K and 10K run, as well as an untimed 5K walk. There will also be a kids' fun run before the...

After years of suffering Achilles flare ups in track and cross country, high schooler Alberto Quintero Ayala was tired of feeling like he wasn't in control of his running journey. So, in 2025, he decided to commit fully recovering and shifted his focus to one hard thing: getting back in shape to run his first marathon at just 18. Alberto documented his entire journey to the Austin Marathon on...

A running influencer, a storyteller of running history, and oftentimes a comedian of the sport, Hillary Burgess has made a name for herself in the sport of running. And it all started with a bit of curiosity. When Hillary started her Instagram channel, @running_up_that_hillary, she didn't even consider it could turn into a popular running page. But she kept posting content that was funny, tru...

After being diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disorder in 2021, made a choice. Instead of becoming a victim to her problems, she decided to get up and live her life to the fullest by taking on a new, scary sport: running. Since then, she's run multiple half marathons — including the Galveston Half Marathon five times, several marathons, and has become an ambassador of the Houston Marathon. Her...

Carlos Sanchez began running marathons way back in 2008. At that time, he thought running one shouldn't be humanly possible. Little did he know he'd be towing the start line of the Boston Marathon with his own granddaughter one day. Mia Sanchez, the aforementioned granddaughter, has been running competitively for a while now, most recently at St. Edward's University in Austin. It ha...

A marathon build doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful. And that is the story of Rafael Aguilar's journey to the Houston Marathon this past January. He nearly got deported. He was broken up with by his girlfriend a week before race day. And through all of that adversity, he still pulled out a PR of 2:45:52 at the Houston Marathon in January. Adversity isn't something Rafa is ne...

Brandy Hoffman had signed up for the Houston Marathon before. And every time, she found a reason not to start. This year, she finally said yes, and toed the line as a first-time marathoner. Brandy is a wellness coach with DLDNation, known for helping women do hard things and chase big goals. But this time, the work was personal. When the miles got heavy, she leaned on something unexpected: the voi...

What if you didn’t start running until later in life — and still ran a 3:35 marathon? Well, this runner did just that. In Episode 3 of the Strides Through H-Town series on Through Their Stride, I’m joined by Krystle Hodge, Houston Marathon Ambassador and three-time Houston Marathon finisher. Krystle ran a huge PR of 3:35:29, all without a background in competitive sports. We talk about: Starting r...