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 choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
Mar 19, 2018•1 hr 7 min
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 her emergence from good high school runner to one of the only women to ever complete all six majors be...
Mar 15, 2018•52 min
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 gym she was inspired by the goal of running for an hour. From there, her running journey took off. We ...
Mar 12, 2018•52 min
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 the Game of Dieting from a Former Fat Guy.” We take a deep dive into some of the many tips he has for...
Mar 08, 2018•58 min
“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 up running. Three years later she is an accomplished runner in spite of her hectic schedule. In this...
Mar 05, 2018•50 min
"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 she has grown to love the sport for its own sake and not only for it therapeutic effects. In this ca...
Mar 01, 2018•45 min
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 big goals into existence - including her own goal of sub-3 hour marathon. You can follow Bethany at...
Feb 22, 2018•51 min
“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 him to his knees. In this episode, Mark talks about his struggles in an open and honest way that ill...
Feb 19, 2018•53 min
“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 a super-human enthusiasm for life. Learn how she has accomplished so much while balancing her athlet...
Feb 15, 2018•1 hr 14 min
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 his potential. As successful as he has been, the future is even brighter for this dedicated amateur ru...
Feb 12, 2018•1 hr 17 min
“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 high school cross country into an amazing endurance athlete. In less than 10 years since she started r...
Feb 08, 2018•58 min
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 of Coach’s Corner. Toni and I really hit it off in this episode and I hope you enjoy what you hear. L...
Feb 05, 2018•1 hr 3 min
“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 young daughter. Her story is one that has gained an incredible following, and it is easy to see why ...
Feb 01, 2018•1 hr 15 min
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 talk about how she approached this race, executed it to perfection, and her injury plagued build-up t...
Jan 29, 2018•48 min
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 have the traditional accomplishments that many of her contemporaries did, like high school champions...
Jan 27, 2018•31 min
“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 professional running marketer. She also details how she bounced back from barely missing her goal o...
Jan 25, 2018•1 hr 4 min
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, we talk about Nick's recent announcement that he will be running the Eugene Marathon, his previous...
Jan 22, 2018•46 min
“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 he looks more like a star football player than a sub-elite marathoner. In this episode, we break do...
Jan 18, 2018•56 min
“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 passing, in her early 20’s. She turned to running in the midst of that pain and sorrow and has never looked ...
Jan 15, 2018•52 min
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 background as a Division I swimmer at Syracuse and how she overcame depression through running after her swi...
Jan 04, 2018•1 hr 10 min
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 setting a PR, and finishing top-5 in his age group, at the Chicago Marathon. You can read his blog detaili...
Jan 01, 2018•48 min
“Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which [s]he has overcome.” - Booker T. Washington I can’t think of a better quote that encapsulates Liz Ferro’s rise and her impact on others. After going through the foster care system as a toddler Liz was sexually assaulted as an 8 year old. The trauma she experienced led her to create the non-profit Girls With Sole. This wonderful organization, which has been chronicled by USA Today and the...
Dec 26, 2017•40 min
“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity,” according to Roman philosopher Seneca. If you want to know the meaning of bad luck ask Scott Littleton (www.instagram.com/chaoticscott). Scott took up running three years ago and quickly progressed to a borderline Boston Marathon qualifier, despite the fact that he made every rookie mistake in his first six months. With enviable persistence, and some high-quality coaching, he made rapid improvements. During his marathon build-up this fal...
Dec 19, 2017•1 hr 8 min
“If your goals don’t scare you, they aren’t big enough!“ Those words are the foundation on which Amanda Cruise (www.instagram.com/run2pr) has built her running career. After giving birth to her twin boys a little over five years ago, Amanda started her running journey with a 35:00 5K. Since then, her amazing progression enabled her to run an Olympic trials qualifying time of 2:44 at the California international Marathon. This inspiring and motivating episode with Amanda illustrates that if you w...
Dec 14, 2017•56 min
I’ve never met anyone with as many captivating running stories as Lori Mitchener (www.instagram.com/flatlori). Her stories range from the incredible to the irreverent to the tragic. In this episode, Lori details a running career that you will not believe – and she is just getting started. From being badly injured in her early 20’s, running a marathon with multiple lower-leg and foot fractures, running to the hospital to give birth, and being at the finish line during the Boston Marathon bombing ...
Dec 11, 2017•47 min
Have you ever run across a country? Esther Park has, and she's about to do it again! (www.instagram.com/estherp1e) After losing her mom to cancer when she was in her early 20s, Esther turned to running. Since then she has become an ultramarathoner and devoted her running life to improving the lives of others (in addition to being a mom and a doctor). I hope you enjoy this inspirational episode. If you do, please consider supporting Esther by visiting her donation page here: https://www.crowdrise...
Dec 08, 2017•38 min
In this episode, I am joined by marathoner Alissa Coffman (www.instagram.com/alissamwc). Alissa set a 15 minute PR by running 3:04 at the California International Marathon on December 3! She accomplished this amazing feat after running the New York City Marathon five weeks earlier - setting another personal best in the process. 2017 wasn't always as kind to Alissa. After a great marathon build-up she endured a femoral stress fracture that left her hobbled for the Boston Marathon and forced her i...
Dec 05, 2017•43 min
Kim Chanelle Clark Underwood (www. Instagram.com/trackclubbabe) has had remarkable ups-and-downs in her 15 year running career - including a 10 year hiatus. In this episode, we talk about her PR breaking build-up to the California International Marathon, her early struggles with maintaining running consistency, and all of the things she continues to learn, and share, about her running. Some of these include falling into the "comparison trap," overcoming celiac disease, and what she learned from ...
Nov 28, 2017•43 min
We all marvel at the amateur runners who compete with some of the best in the sport. How do these runners who start competing in their twenties reach that level so quickly? In this episode, Maria Betancourth (www.instagram.com/negativesplitspositivevibes) talks about how she did just that. She also gives a detailed description of her training leading up to the California International Marathon on December 3, including her 1:23 half marathon PR that she set in October without a taper, where she w...
Nov 16, 2017•42 min
It is easy to get swept up in the exploits of Shalane Flanagan, Ben True, and other elite runners, but the triumphs and struggles of everyday runners can be just as inspirational. In thiIt is easy to get swept up in the exploits of Shalane Flanagan, Ben True, and other elite runners, but the triumphs and struggles of everyday runners can be just as inspirational. In this episode of the Rambling Runner Podcast, Kristen D'Almeida (www.instagram.com/kdalmeida) talks about her journey from trying to...
Nov 13, 2017•38 min
