Episodes
-
Mika is a 47 year old real estate broker in Florida who has completed multiple Miami Marathons and Fort Lauderdale Marathons. Mika is in the middle of a half-marathon challenge where he wants to run a half marathon every single day! He currently is at 250 days in a row and you can follow his journey on Instagram @mikashevit.
During this episode we discuss what motivated Mika to start running at such a late age and how the benefits of running have permeated so many different parts of his life. We also cover his grueling training schedule, how he balances running with raising two kids, and what it's like to run in the Florida humidity.
Mika is an inspiration to anyone looking to start a new running challenge and instill healthier activities in their lifestyle overall. -
Taisuk "Tai" Kim is 33 and an Operations Manager at a fashion e-commerce start-up based in NYC. Tai's parents were among the first generation "amateur" runners in Korea. They (and their friends) founded one of the oldest amateur running clubs in the country in the early 2000s. When running was still seen as a strange niche hobby, his mom ran the New York City Marathon in 2000 and his father in 2002. So, growing up, Tai had the chance to see runners and marathon races.
Tai's family moved from Seoul to Boston in 2004. And of course, the first thing my father did was registering for Boston Marathon.
In 2015, after college and graduate school, Tai moved to NYC for jobs. At that time, for health and fitness, he ran about 4 miles, 4~5 times a week, and was putting in about 30 miles a week. Tai became friends with this one runner (Giordano) who was already into running several marathons. One day, he just suggested Tai run a marathon because he was already somewhat trained. Tai said "yeah why not?" And he made the spontaneous decision to run the Philadelphia Marathon.
Tai loves the Kipchoge quote "No human is limited," and he learned it too as he started to train for marathons. Tai never thought he would be capable of finishing a marathon, sub-3, BQ, or actually run the Boston Marathon.
Listen to the full episode to see how Tai achieved his goals.
-
Missing episodes?
-
Kaitlyn Burrows finished the New York City marathon on a broken foot! Talk about perseverance. In this episode, we cover how Kaitlyn was able to power through the pain and why she wanted to run New York City again. Kaitlyn describes the joys of running and why she loves the humanity surrounding marathon day. Especially around the New York City marathon.
Kaitlyn also details her experience with the New York Road Runners. She talks about her approach to training and the new Nike shoe strategy she used for this year's marathon to prevent another broken foot.
-
Running was a hobby when Amritpal started and has firmly become the most important aspect of his life. As a runner, he's always looking to improve. It is the backbone of Amritpal's running journey, harnessed with the belief and motivation that you really have no limits and you can be the best version of yourself. Running, truly brings that out! He covers anything from a 5k up to the marathon distances. Amritpal started off in the marathon at 4hr 42mins down to 2hr 51mins currently, in there he has been able to achieve a lot of his running dreams. Amritpal has run 20 marathons to date and achieved the Abbott World Marathon Majors Six Star.
Visit his website to learn more about his new coaching programs and follow his running journey on YouTube too!
-
Austin Prario was born with a serious heart condition and only has three chambers in his heart. Doctors told his parents seven weeks before his birth, and right around the Boston Marathon, that he would never be a varsity athlete or be able to run a marathon.
The doctors however didn't know Austin's determination or that his father Dave was a runner too. So Dave decided to run the marathon the next year to support Boston Children's Hospital and he carried Austin across the finish line in one of the most memorable Boston Marathon photos ever.
Yet, the running wouldn't stop there and Austin was determined to run the marathon himself. But you need to understand how Austin's heart functions to really appreciate his effort. On a good day it operates at 90 percent capacity but usually, his oxygen levels are in the 80s. Austin has a great analogy to a bike during this episode to really explain how much harder his heart needs to work to receive the same amount of oxygen as a regular heart.
Austin started training for the 2017 Boston Marathon to also raise money for the same doctors that saved his life at Boston Children's Hospital. He became the first person with three chambers in their heart to finish the Boston Marathon and would go on to do it once more in 2019 to help inspire all children with congenital heart disease.
Conveniently, Austin's dad was home during the interview and was able to share his parts of their story too.
-
Simone Hanlen loves to run but also loves to eat. She is an ultra-marathoner, a tennis coach, a fellow Peloton member, and a huge fan of New York’s amazing restaurant scene. You can follow Simone on Instagram @NYCMuncher to see some of the best eats around the city and get a glimpse into her running life too.
Simone has run a marathon in all 50 states and did a shorter version of the famous 3100 race around one city block in Queens, New York. She has great insight into a variety of scenic marathons and courses all over the country from her travels. Simone and I also share the goal of doing one marathon a year the rest of our lives!
We also cover how Simone has run 5 marathons while pregnant and even had to deal with contractions during one of her race.
Simone and I close out the interview by discussing eating issues and how people can approach eating food in a healthy way.
And just in case you were curious, Simone's favorite NYC bagel place is Zucker's with Ess-a-Bagel in a close second and Mama Too's is her go-to pizza place on the Upper West Side. We of course touch upon the Milano Market, my personal favorite sandwich shop and Simone gives a tip for which location to visit during the episode too.
-
Jeff Galloway is a world-class athlete and world-famous running coach. In part 3, we cover how Jeff has helped over 300,000 runners achieve their goals of running a marathon race and the science behind his legendary Run-Walk-Run method.
As a member of the 1972 Olympic team, Jeff competed against the world’s best athletes in Europe, Africa, and the former Soviet Union. He broke the U.S. 10-mile record (47:49) in 1973 and has a six-mile best of 27:21. Among his victories are the Peachtree Road Race, Honolulu Marathon, and Atlanta Marathon. He has also been a top-place finisher in many prominent U.S. races such as the Boston Marathon.
Jeff is also the Founder of the Jeff Galloway Training Programs. He's coached over 300,000 runners and walkers to-date. Jeff is also the author of North America’s bestselling running books: Galloway’s Book on Running, Galloway Training Programs, The Run-Walk-Run Method, and other inspiring books.
-
Jeff Galloway is a world-class athlete and world-famous running coach. In part 2, we cover how Jeff qualified for the 1972 Munich Olympics and what it was liked to be coached by the legendary Bill Bowerman. We also share a funny story about Steve Prefontaine and what it was like to be in the Olympic village during the terrorist attack against the Israeli team.
As a member of the 1972 Olympic team, Jeff competed against the world’s best athletes in Europe, Africa, and the former Soviet Union. He broke the U.S. 10-mile record (47:49) in 1973 and has a six-mile best of 27:21. Among his victories are the Peachtree Road Race, Honolulu Marathon, and Atlanta Marathon. He has also been a top-place finisher in many prominent U.S. races such as the Boston Marathon.
Jeff is also the Founder of the Jeff Galloway Training Programs. He's coached over 300,000 runners and walkers to-date. Jeff is also the author of North America’s bestselling running books: Galloway’s Book on Running, Galloway Training Programs, The Run-Walk-Run Method, and other inspiring books.
-
Jeff Galloway is a world-class athlete and world-famous running coach. As a member of the 1972 Olympic team, Jeff competed against the world’s best athletes in Europe, Africa, and the former Soviet Union. He broke the U.S. 10-mile record (47:49) in 1973 and has a six-mile best of 27:21. Among his victories are the Peachtree Road Race, Honolulu Marathon, and Atlanta Marathon. He has also been a top-place finisher in many prominent U.S. races such as the Boston Marathon.
Jeff is also the Founder of the Jeff Galloway Training Programs. He's coached over 200,000 runners and walkers to-date. Jeff is also the author of North America’s bestselling running books: Galloway’s Book on Running, Galloway Training Programs, The Run-Walk-Run Method, and other inspiring books.
-
Michael Selman has been running since 1982 and has built a special relationship with his father around running marathons. Michael has run over 30 marathons with his first one taking place in 1983 and the last one occurring last year before the COVID-19 shutdown completing the Ultimate Peach.
Michael can claim to have run at least one marathon in five different decades!
-
Roxanne Baggot has a similar story to mine as she lost her mother to cancer. Roxanne also follows the Galloway Method of walking and running to complete marathons. In 2017, Roxanne had two cardiac arrests from third-degree heart block and was luckily brought back to life. Only 5% of people survive this condition. She was a bit weary of running again but decided to do so and focus on the 2019 Donna Marathon which fell on the ten-year anniversary of her own breast cancer diagnosis. Doctors gave Roxanne five years to live but she fought and prevailed to complete the 2019 Donna Marathon in Jacksonville, Florida. Roxanne details her brave story of battling cancer and how it motivated her to run multiple marathon races.
But Roxanne didn't stop there! She ran two more marathons at the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington D.C. The race also has special meaning to Roxanne as her youngest son was severely wounded in Afghanistan along with fellow church members who lost 7 people in war. In addition, Roxanne's daughter is a Marine and she ran for both of her children and all of those serving our great nation. Thank you for your service and please visit my favorite organization, Team Rubicon, to help support our veterans.
-
Matt talks about running the New York City marathon as a guy who grew up in the city. It wasn't a matter of if he would run the New York City marathon but a matter of when. We also discuss what inspired him to run the Atlanta marathon. Matt also discusses his transition from running to Crossfit and additional training activities. He dives deep into how marathon running changed his mental approach to both fitness and life in general.
-
Jonathan Flores is the host of the podcast Run with Purpose and Executive Director of Hangry, a registered 501(c)(3) charity that exists for two reasons. First, we build programs and events to help support those dealing with the issue of hunger. From hosting fundraising events to community meals, we want to be the hands and feet on the ground tackling the issue head-on. According to the USDA’s latest report on Food Insecurity (link) 35.2 million people live in food-insecure households in 2019. This is unacceptable and we can all do our part. We will partner with organizations on the ground already making a difference and come alongside them for a greater impact
This fits into our second purpose. We provide education and resources to the general public to make them aware of the issue of hunger right in your community. Hunger is not just an issue that the homeless deal with. Hunger is not an issue for those living in the inner-city. The reality for many families is that they do not have access to proper nutrition and for some, they are just one paycheck away from not being able to put food on the table. This is unacceptable and we need to do something about it. From sharing information on our website and social media accounts to providing ideas for things you can do daily to make an impact, we will equip you with the tools necessary to help fight the issue of hunger.
Jonathan is also trying to run a marathon in all 50 states and tracks his progress on his blog.
-
Paige Tatulli speaks about how her meeting with Gabriele “Gabe” Grunewald as she sought treatment for her third battle with an incurable cancer inspired Paige to run the Philadelphia Marathon. She describes how she used to run under 3 miles and then decided it was time to take her running to the next level.
Paige had an extremely creative idea to dedicate each song on her running playlist to a different person and solicited submissions ahead of race day. Throughout the race Paige was able to connect to her friends and family through music.
-
Gia Alvarez a fourteen-time marathoner started training other runners to prepare for marathons and realized that running is what she “wanted to do!” Running was no loner a past time; it organically became her lifetime career. Gia, like many other women struggled with fertility issues. She found that running marathons got her through major life changes and more importantly struggles. Running helped her through her fertility journey by reminding her not to doubt her strength.
When you are in the middle of something incredibly hard, we often doubt our abilities. Running helped her believe that her body has the ability to do really difficult things like setting training goals and accomplishing them.
Gia has run 14 marathons, countless 1⁄2 marathons (she lost countJ), 2x Boston Marathon qualifier (fastest time 3:32), 1:40 fastest 1⁄2 marathon and is currently training for a spring 1⁄2 marathon; and to run the New York City marathon in the fall of 2021.
Alvarez opened her first treadmill studio, Juma Fit in the fall of 2018 in Tenafly, New Jersey (Bergen County). Juma Fit is an interval based, group based treadmill workout/community space studio for walkers, joggers and runners. It is the only treadmill studio geared towards all different types of people and their different workout needs. Each person walks, jogs or runs on state-of-the-art Woodway treadmills.
Gia is passionate about making Juma a studio that allows each person to be the best version of themselves, regardless of their fitness journey.
-
Episode 13 is now live featuring Kirsten Godleski's amazing story of running 58 marathons across all 50 states. She's run everything from the New York City Marathon to smaller races like the Lake Mead Marathon in Nevada. Kirsten details what it's like to run smaller races with under 100 people! Kirsten's passion for running has even taken her to a new job at a local running store!
-
Ray Zaragoza hails from San Gabriel, California and is 44 years old. Ray was a banker for about 10 years, got laid off due to the Covid-19 pandemic and decided to pursue his passion as a full time fitness coach. Ray has done 54 marathons including the Lake Tahoe Triple which comprises of 3 marathons over the course of a single weekend! Ray's running has brought him all over the world including the Area 51 race in Nevada, the famous UFO themed event.
-
In 1996 Tawni Gomes weighed 295 pounds and was working for a Fortune 500 company climbing the corporate ladder, working her way up to the top. But, she was severely depressed, on antidepressants, and wasn't working out. But, then she was inspired by the Oprah Show. One day she was watching it and they were launching Bob Greene's book, Make the Connection. (Bob Greene is Oprah's trainer). So she bought the book and a treadmill. She was living in a tiny apartment in San Francisco at the time and barely fit. But, she would come home from work and watch Oprah. And at first she would walk on the treadmill during the first commercial of the show and get tired and sit down. Then she'd walk the second commercial, and so on. After a while she could walk during the whole show! Then she started walking outside but got hit by a car. That was December of 1996, and she was in a wheelchair. Tawni spent the next six months in rehab and physical therapy. When she was able to walk again I set the goal of doing a 5K. Tawni signed up for one that was part of the San Francisco Marathon. It finished at Kezar Stadium, where the 49ers used to play. It was a powerful moment. Tawni didn't know how long a marathon was and actually thought she had done the marathon! That's how little she knew about running. So, then Tawni thought that if I did 3 miles with a little training, I should be able to do 26 miles! Too bad you can't walk a marathon, Tawni said to herself And right then, a lady passed by with a flier saying, "Learn how to walk or run a marathon. The flier was for Team in Training. So Tawni, signed up, and in December of 1997 she walked her first marathon in Honolulu! Since then, Tawni has run over 100 marathons!
-
Jack Fultz won the 1976 Boston Marathon, the hottest on record, with a time of 2:20:19. The temperature was over 100 degrees before the noon start time. The race is known as the "The Run for the Hoses" as spectators all across the Boston suburbs took out their garden hoses to spray down the runners. Jack speaks about his first marathon race in Washington D.C. and how he went from the Navy to become an elite marathon runner.
Fultz qualified for three consecutive United States Olympic Trials marathons in 1972, 1976, and 1980. Because President Jimmy Carter called for a boycott of the 1980 Moscow Games, Fultz did not run in the 1980 Olympic Trials. In 1996, Fultz was inducted into the Georgetown University Hall of Fame and on that occasion was invited to the White House to run with then-President Bill Clinton. Also in 1996, Fultz was inducted into the DC Road Runners Hall of Fame.
Jack now helps coach the Dana Farber Institute Boston Marathon team and fundraises for this amazing organization.
-
Cheri details how she recovered from a stroke at age 50 and started training for her first marathon after this scary life incident. She decided to start in her hometown of Fargo, North Dakota with a childhood friend. Since that first one, Cheri has run over 100 marathons all across the world. Cheri currently runs the Ventura County Jeff Galloway running group and resides in Camarillo, California.
- Show more
