Chill Track Friday

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.

PART I:

Luis Porto is a dynamic powerhouse. He is humble, dignified, courageous and a sportsman of the highest caliber. He is a tenacious and determined competitor who, through each race and every new goal, continues to build his competitive edge. An aspiring 200m sprinter at the age of 8, Luis eventually found his groove in the mile. Over the course of many years he has patiently tested the limits of his endurance, speed, and strength, finding ever more room to expand. Listen to Luis explain race strategy, what goes through his mind in the last throes of a track 5K, and how he runs with unwavering commitment to squeeze every last second out of himself. This is a story that will no doubt inspire hidden seconds in anyone who listens.

Dr. Barbara Mann is an inspiration. She is a dedicated mother of twin girls, a doctor at a renowned hospital in New York City, and an athlete at the top of her game: Barbara regularly age places in New York Road Runner races; she is a pace leader at large city races, all the while pursuing her own aggressive running goals. Barbara began running at a young age. She was subsequently dissuaded from her passion, only to naturally return to it as a solace from the stresses of life. Barbara’s story illustrates how we cannot be kept from what we love, the importance of believing in ourselves, and that often, a seeming detour can set us on a path of self-discovery that is free from the confines of expectations, and which ultimately leads us right back to our own start.

THE SCENE: The Bronx, 1970s

THE STORY: Two champion runners, one with the soul of a miler, the other with gold-medal Olympic marathon dreams. Ken Rolston and Ernie Rivas ran in the same circles but for many years their paths did not cross. Finally they met through a mutual friend who was also the captain of the Lehman College cross country team. Their mutual admiration and competitive natures ignited a friendly rivalry that pushed the other to greater achievements. This is the story of competitive racing during a bygone era. It is also the story of a lifelong friendship born from a mutual love of running and a drive to dream big!

Part II

THE SCENE: The Bronx, 1970s

THE STORY: Two champion runners, one with the soul of a miler, the other with gold-medal Olympic marathon dreams. Ken Rolston and Ernie Rivas ran in the same circles but for many years their paths did not cross. Finally they met through a mutual friend who was also the captain of the Lehman College cross country team. Their mutual admiration and competitive natures ignited a friendly rivalry that pushed the other to greater achievements. This is the story of competitive racing during a bygone era. It is also the story of a lifelong friendship born from a mutual love of running and a drive to dream big!

PART I:

This is a captivating story of two accomplished runners who have taken different training approaches to reach the pinnacle of their running careers. 

Athletes are naturally inclined to focus on performance goals. We balance training with recovery in pursuit of the best possible race performance, sometimes coming up against, or even crossing the fine line between peak fitness and over-training. Perhaps a more sustainable approach for long-term success lies in directing additional attention to injury prevention in the name of performance. After all, we cannot perform to our highest ability if we are injured. In this episode we speak with Cat Fitzgerald, PT, DPT, CSCS, Senior Physical Therapist and Running Consultant at Custom Performance in New York City about running, running-related injuries, physical therapy, injury prevention, and performance. Cat, along with the other therapists and the athletic trainer at Custom Performance, believes in achievement, and fostering others’ achievements. A therapeutic philosophy that all people have the opportunity to experience self-transformation through running informs the excellent care provided at Custom Performance. Patients arrive at Custom for various reasons and are welcomed by a team of professionals available to support them well beyond the lifespan of an injury. This is an informative and enlightening conversation about physical therapy and also the special approach taken at Custom Performance.  Cat is a skilled therapist, a delightful person, and a runner herself. Cat knows her stuff and she shares it with Chill Track Friday.

What is it like to coach the cross country / track and field program at an NCAA Division 1 college? How does a coach guide multiple high-level athletes, all with different training backgrounds, goals, and notions of what they would like to accomplish? Mitchell Thornton navigates this landscape with authority and pragmatism. Sifting through much experience, and employing the powers of observation and intellect, Mitchell is an insightful coach, mentor and role model for those he instructs. This is also a story of Mitchell’s journey and how helping others find their way is helping him home in on his own career trajectory. This is a practical episode filled with logical advice from someone who knows what works.

George Mendes is a determined and compassionate individual. He is a humble perfectionist who does what it takes to “get it done!” George is not swayed by challenges and, in fact, he rises to meet them with creativity and quick thinking. George is the Chef and owner of Aldea Restaurant in New York City. George puts his heart and his soul into his craft and it is abundantly clear; Aldea has been awarded a Michelin Star every year since 2011! This "all-in" approach is also evident in George’s running practice. In the four years since George started racing marathons, he has sliced over 40 minutes off of his finish time, achieving a personal best at the 2018 New York City Marathon of 3:37:26. It cannot go without saying that before this personal best, George achieved a 12-minute personal best of 3:43:42 at the 2018 Boston Marathon during historically cold, windy, and torrential weather. George also negative-split this race! George’s story is one of determination, perseverance, commitment and an innate calling to help others. George uses all of his skills in the kitchen, and those on the road, to give back to the world. This is a beautiful, deep-dive into George’s chef experience and how he applies the same outlook and skills to road-racing. "Bom appetite!"

GOOD LUCK to everyone racing the Boston Marathon on Monday. Listen and allow George to help you ascend Heartbreak Hill.

How does one craft the elements that will allow the greatest chance for success? In this episode Ben Delaney shares his experience answering the questions he asks himself as he continues to pursue his potential in running. For Ben, trusting the process, fixing what doesn’t work, perfecting a running “recipe,” and sharing his experience with others are the factors that have unlocked the door to a new and powerful performance level. Ben’s is an inspiring journey of working hard over many years to figure out how to get the most out of himself.  Ben is also a talented baker. Listen as he describes the similar approach he takes to a recipe in the kitchen as he does to a training plan. Ben is a creative thinker and runner. (And when he bakes we are all happy).

In this two-part episode we interview Stuart Calderwood about track racing and about coaching runners. Stuart has coached runners since his freshman year in high school. During his 11 years as a head cross-country coach in California, his Laguna Beach High School boys’ team won the 1989 State Championship and his Orange Coast College men’s team won the 1988 South Conference championship. In 2003 Stuart won the age 45-49 bronze medal at the World Masters Championship marathon. In 2009 he set the American age 50-54 track records at 25K and 30K. He is a 2:28:05 marathoner and a 1:10:07 half-marathoner.

PART II: In the second segment of our conversation, Stuart discusses typical training issues that a running coach may encounter and how he handles them. Through decades of experience, Stuart has developed a creative, collaborative, and highly individualistic coaching method. This episode is filled with valuable insight as well as some very entertaining stories about a few of his own impressive race experiences.