Peter Merante ⁠and I first officially met in person at the 2025 Carmel Marathon Expo. Since then, I've run into him on the Monon Trail, at local races, and at ⁠Athletic Annex⁠, where he's worked for three-plus years.

During this episode, sponsored by ⁠Goodr⁠ and ⁠HUUG⁠, we talk about:

• Growing up in Cold Spring, New York — a Hudson Valley town of 3,500 people right across the Hudson River from West Point
• Being born in Japan and how his Japanese mother made every effort to acclimate to American life — and why he took Japanese in college as a way of honoring her
• How he discovered running about 20 years ago, dropped 40-plus pounds doing it, and eventually worked his way through Couch to 5K on an original iPod
• His one and only marathon — Monumental 2013, just under five hours
• ⁠Back on My Feet⁠ — a national nonprofit that uses movement to help people experiencing homelessness become independent and self-sufficient — and his years volunteering with the Indianapolis chapter at Wheeler Mission and Progress House
• The equalizing power of running side by side — and the heartbreak of losing members along the way
• Running the Selma to Montgomery route (~40 miles from the Edmund Pettus Bridge to the state capital in Alabama)
• Hood to Coast and a Colorado Ragnar — both fundraisers for Back on My Feet — including a 2 AM leg that had him briefly convinced a train was a UFO, and a van-decorating situation that required polishing compound and a coin-op car wash
• 31 half marathons, five relays, one full, and one eight-hour endurance race
• Three-plus years at ⁠Athletic Annex⁠ in Fishers and a deep dive into running shoe foam technology (ATPU, PEBA, dual-density, etc.)
• His dream of a "Parks and Rec"-style run specialty TV show
• June being Men's Mental Health Month — and his experience with individual therapy, couples therapy, and ADHD testing (including a surprise: he's Mensa eligible)
• Being an internal processor and what identifying that has meant for his relationships
• His mantra: Gritty, Not Pretty — and the song he wants removed from all race playlists
• His next finish line: the CNO Indianapolis Monumental Half Marathon, an entry he won in a social media contest

Previous Guests Mentioned

• ⁠⁠Maury Plambeck⁠⁠ - Episode 105
• ⁠⁠Jim Patton⁠⁠ - Episode 71
• ⁠⁠Timmy Howard⁠⁠ - Episode 54
• ⁠⁠Wes Doty⁠⁠ - Episode 79
• ⁠⁠Jason Noel⁠⁠ - Episode 62
• ⁠⁠Jennifer Conner⁠⁠ - Episode 57
• ⁠⁠Lindsey Hein⁠⁠ - Episode 100
• ⁠⁠Eileen Poore⁠⁠ - Episode 17

Sponsor Details

• ⁠Goodr⁠ - Use ALLYB for $10 off
• ⁠HUUG⁠ - Use ALLYB for 15% off

Other Links

• Follow me on Instagram ⁠@allytbrett_runs⁠
• ⁠Subscribe to Finish Lines & Milestones weekly newsletter⁠

This is a ⁠SandyBoy Productions⁠ podcast.