Chill Track Friday

The TCS New York City Marathon is nine days away. To celebrate the beginning of race week, Chill Track Friday sat down with Michael Capiraso, President and C.E.O. of New York Road Runners, to discuss all things marathon, and all things Michael. Whether you are running the marathon this year, cheering, have run the race before, or aspire to be among the field in the future, this episode will energize you for the greatest marathon in the world, taking place next Sunday, November 3rd.

Sid Howard ran his first marathon in 1978 at the age of 39. He ran eight more marathons until finally deciding to forego the distance in order to focus on racing the mile. This decision allowed his talent to truly shine. Over a long career, Sid continued to surpass his own performances. Sid has earned over fifty National masters titles, six U.S. records, five world records, eight world championship medals, and in 2005 he was inducted into the USATF Masters Hall of Fame. Sid holds American indoor records for M65-69 of 2:19.4 for the 800m, 5:23.05 for the mile, and 4:45.36 for 1500m.

Behind these accolades is a grateful man who loves life and who loves to share his enthusiasm for running with those around him. Sid is a mentor, coach, inspiration, and ambassador of the sport. He is a beautiful story-teller with a well of wisdom and experience. More than winning any particular race or record, Sid’s story is about the power of persistence, determination, and hard work. It is a story about the twisting turns of life and how the skills gained in athletic training can bleed into other areas of life. Sid embodies joyful living and joyful running. This episode is a privilege to share, thank you, Sid.

Megan Foster is smart, talented, funny, and no-nonsense. She is an artist and a runner and in both endeavors embodies the ideals of hard work, perseverance, and committing to long-term goals. Megan patiently does the work required to pursue her passions, all the while trusting the process and remaining focused. Megan is a master printmaker and teaches at the Rhode Island School of Design. She is also a national class runner. Megan is an Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier, she has won New York Road Runners’ Runner of the Year award four times, and she will be among the elite field at the TCS New York City Marathon on November 3, 2019. This is a lovely conversation about patience, taking risks, and maintaining perspective in the pursuit of athletic goals.

Matthew Futterman is a captivating storyteller. He’s also a pretty fast runner who has finished 23 marathons. Combine these two talents and you get a man who’s passionate about running and always looking for a good story to tell.

Enter Coach Bob Larsen and the Southern California runners whom he molded into national long-distance running champions. After learning about Larsen and his Jamul Toads team, Matthew knew he had found a good story. As he transformed it into a book, however, he began to realize that what he had at his fingertips was really the story of the rise, fall, and renaissance of American distance running.

"Running to the Edge: A Band of Misfits and the Guru who Unlocked the Secrets of Speed" is an inspiring account of Larsen’s immeasurable influence on modern distance running, the training techniques he crafted, and his role in guiding Olympic medalists such as Meb Keflezighi and Deena Kastor.

This is a delightful conversation with Matthew about his new book, his own running journey, why we run in the first place, and the painstaking and similar processes of writing and marathon training. Part “history of running,” part memoir, this episode is entertaining and enlightening, and it will forever change how we view the beloved tempo run.

Matthew Futterman is Deputy Sports Editor of The New York Times. He has previously worked for The Wall Street Journal, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and the Star-Ledger of New Jersey, where his team won the Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News in 2005.

Chill Track Friday is about the journey. It is about our personal stories, shared passions, and commitment to goals. Most importantly, Chill Track Friday is about sharing our stories with others. We all have our own journey, but throughout our life we will share our journey with many different people. Sometimes the shared journey lasts a short time, while other times it lasts for many years, perhaps decades, or even a lifetime. This is the magic of the journey: we continue to learn and grow, thereby enriching our life. Chill Track Friday sprung from the crossing of two journeys but what existed before that intersection? Meet Ali Brohi, Chill Track Friday co-everything. Ali is an extraordinary person with an extraordinary story. This episode is a special treat for our audience so they may get to know Ali further. This episode is also a beautiful reminder of the blessings of friendship, the winding path of life, and how our journey brings us exactly where we need to be. We dedicate this episode to the Chill Track Friday community, to running buddies, creative partners, and good friends we meet along the way.

Christine Burke ran her first marathon alongside her parents when she was a sophomore in college. Running has been a through line in her life ever since. Christine has completed 26 marathons and one Ironman triathlon. Christine has an innate drive to challenge herself in all realms of life. She is a mother, businesswoman, Ironman, and the Burke family running coach. She is a role model and inspiration. Through her work as Senior Vice President of Runner Products and Services at New York Road Runners, Christine is a global leader in the running community. Christine’s story is about the power of committing to goals, the importance of accountability, and how working towards an intimidating goal facilitates learning and growth. This is a delightful episode that will inspire listeners to say “yes” to any challenge that, perhaps, may seem a little too scary today.

Very few people can keep up with Roberta Groner. This past April, she ran 2:29:06 at the NN Marathon Rotterdam, and in September, she’ll be one of three women on the United States marathon team at the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Doha. Roberta will also be among the elite field at the TCS New York City Marathon on November 3, 2019, and in February of 2020, she’ll toe the line at the Olympic Marathon Trials in Atlanta, GA.

Adrian Brune is passionate about “The Story.” She has been searching for it from a very young age so it is no surprise that Adrian is a journalist. Adrian is also an athlete. Perhaps, then, it was inevitable that her talents would converge. Adrian is curious, inquisitive, courageous, and resilient, and she exhibits all of these qualities in both her career and in her athletic pursuits. After a tentative dip into long-distance running, Adrian eventually dove headfirst into marathoning, ultimately deciding to make running marathons around the world THE story. This is a unique and sensitive account of Adrian’s experience, the lessons she learned while visiting other countries, and the observable gifts that running offers people across the world.

For a more detailed account of her destination marathoning, see her article for Foreign Affairs, titled "Racing to Rebuild the Middle East" here: https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/middle-east/2017-02-25/racing-rebuild-middle-east

We can start our day over again at any moment. Similarly, we can work towards changing the direction of our life at any moment. For some, change requires only little tweaks. For others though, a complete tearing down and rebuilding is required to save one's life. Fortunately, in 2015 Jon Tascher got the message loud and clear: something had to change, and now! At the outset of his new beginning, Jon hired a personal trainer and so began his incremental journey from 30-second segments of running, to running 50-kilometer races. Jon’s story exemplifies the power of humility, determination, patience, and focus in reorienting one’s path in life. It is no coincidence that these are the requisite qualities to be an ultra-marathoner. Jon’s story is one of hope, second chances, resiliency, self-acceptance, re-invention, and the power of human connection. This is an incredibly beautiful and intimate look into Jon’s life, and the joy and peace he finds in running, and in his running community. We are so grateful to be able to share this episode with you.

NB: We had some issues with the audio equipment so please be patient. We worked very hard to offer you the highest audio quality possible.

John Honerkamp, Founder and President of Run Kamp, LLC is a rare blend of running talent, creativity, entrepreneurial vision, drive, and resources. The result is that John regularly helps hundreds of thousands of people incorporate running into their daily lives. Recognizing needs within the running community, John draws from his experience, and his ability to see where he can contribute, to collaboratively build systems, programs, and communities. John is a doer. He is innovative, supportive, positive, and oh so funny! The running community is bigger and more inclusive and fun with Honerkamp at the helm.

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