Everyday Athlete Podcast Network

Showing Up Changes Everything

Some episodes don’t just entertain, they recalibrate how you think about training, life, and what’s still possible. Episode 42 of Beyond The Finish Line is one of those conversations.

Hosted by Joe Hardin, this episode features Jerrod Hardy, a lifelong learner, former MMA athlete, retired police officer, and now an endurance athlete training for his first 100-mile ultramarathon. What makes this episode special isn’t the résumé but the reminder that showing up matters more than being perfect.

Together, Joe and Jerrod dig into the endurance mindset: how self-imposed limits hold athletes back, why committing before doubt creeps in can change everything, and how presence is a skill worth training. They talk ultrarunning, reinvention, intentional listening, and what happens when you stop waiting to feel “ready.”

This episode is for everyday endurance athletes who are training for their next race, thinking about signing up for something big, or questioning whether it’s too late to start again. It’s honest, motivating, and deeply human.

If you’re looking for endurance motivation, mindset insights, and a reminder that your story is still unfolding, this episode delivers.

No podiums required. Just show up.

🎧 Tune in, lean in and get ready to show up.

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Running Fast, Living Fully

What happens when running stops being about finish times and starts being about perspective, joy, and the people who carry us through hard miles?

In this episode of Fireside Chat on the Run Tri Mag Podcast, host Jason Bahamundi sits down with everyday athlete Natalie Lutz for a conversation that goes far beyond race results. Yes, Natalie is a 2:54 marathoner and multiple-time Boston qualifier but that’s just the headline, not the story.

This episode dives into running burnout, mindset, and what it really means to become a better version of ourselves through endurance sports. Natalie shares why she walked away from competitive running for 15 years, how patience and consistency helped her finally break three hours at the Chicago Marathon, and why running should be something you do, not something you are.

You’ll also hear about the emotional side of training. The stories of honoring loved ones, staying grounded, and finding motivation that isn’t measured by pace charts or data. Along the way, there’s talk of injury prevention, recovery habits, dessert-fueled joy, and why having fun still matters when goals get serious.

If you’re an endurance athlete looking for inspiration, balance, and permission to keep perspective while training and racing then hit play and enjoy.

🎧 Tune in. Have Fun. Follow Your Own Path.

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Welcome back to What’s In Your Earbuds?, the podcast where endurance training meets music, laughter, and conversations that absolutely do not stay on track and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

In this Animals Edition, Joe Hardin and I dive into songs that feature animals in the title, lyrics, or artist name, and what starts as a simple playlist idea quickly turns into a full-blown musical safari. From iconic classics like Eye of the Tiger to unexpected community deep cuts, this episode proves that animal-themed songs might be the most underrated training fuel out there.

We talk about why playlists matter, how lyrics can change your mood mid-run, and why the weirdest songs often carry us through the hardest miles. Along the way, our live community shows up with chaotic brilliance, turning the conversation into a shared experience that’s equal parts fun and motivating.

What’s In Your Earbuds? is about more than music. It’s about connection, joy, and remembering that training should still make you smile. No podiums required. Just miles, music, and a little chaos.

🎧 Press play, then tell us: what animal song are you training to right now?

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What happens when endurance sports stop being about pace splits and start being about the work no one sees?

In this episode of Enduring Minds, Jason Bahamundi and Evan Birch sit down with Hal Jankowski for an honest conversation about mental health, fear, and what it really means to become who you’re meant to be.

Hal didn’t start running until age 41. Before endurance sports entered his life, anxiety did and it was intense enough to feel like a heart attack. What followed wasn’t a highlight-reel comeback, but a deeply human journey through therapy resistance, perfectionism, and learning to redefine “good enough.”

This episode explores the messy middle. You know, the space between realizing you need help and actually changing. We talk about why therapy isn’t “woo” when you understand you’re in control, how professional perfectionism bleeds into running and relationships, and why fear is information, not identity.

The conversation expands beyond running into risk, consumerism, comparison, and betting on yourself later in life, when the stakes feel higher. Hal doesn’t just reflect he also commits, putting a stake in the ground for growth and accountability.

This is Enduring Minds:
Not podiums.
Not personal records.
But the internal work that endurance athletes everywhere are quietly doing.

If you’re navigating anxiety, change, or the courage to start—this conversation is for you.

🎧 Tune in, reflect, and keep moving forward...one honest mile at a time.

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Welcome to What’s In Your Earbuds?, the podcast where endurance athletes talk music, laugh mid-conversation, and accidentally build community along the way.

In this episode, Joe Hardin and I dive into a theme that feels tailor-made for long runs and hungry brains: songs that include food. Whether it’s in the song title, the artist’s name, or a lyric that makes you crave pancakes at mile eight, we’re unpacking how music, snacks, and endurance training collide in the most relatable way possible.

This isn’t a polished, overproduced music podcast and it’s not trying to be. There’s no script, no edits, and no pretending we know everything. What you’ll hear is real conversation: laughter, side-quests into syrup preferences, ice cream debates, and the kind of chaos that feels like cooling down after a long run with friends.

Music plays a huge role in endurance sports as it gets us through tough workouts, long miles, and low-motivation days. But so does connection. That’s what makes this show different.

If you’re an endurance athlete who loves music, enjoys laughing while training, and wants to feel part of something genuine, you’re in the right place.

Press play. Drop a song suggestion.
No podiums required. 🎧🏃‍♂️

Tune in And Add Your Favorite Songs That Involve Food In The Comments

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Some podcast episodes hype performance. This one reminds you why you run.

In this episode of Beyond The Finish Line, host Joe Hardin sits down with trail and ultrarunner Ashley Haynes for a conversation that speaks directly to everyday endurance athletes chasing meaning and not just medals.

Ashley’s running story didn’t start with big goals or long distances. She began as a high-school sprinter looking for an extracurricular and a place to belong. Years later, she’s lining up for 100-kilometer trail races, maintaining a multi-year daily run streak, and embracing the unpredictability of trail running with humor and humility.

This episode explores the shift from road racing to trail running, the mental freedom that comes from letting go of PRs, and how endurance sports can be rooted in joy rather than pressure. Ashley shares why she’s drawn to long distances, how community has shaped her journey, and why consistency matters more than perfection.

If you’re an endurance athlete looking for motivation, perspective, or permission to define success on your own terms, this conversation delivers.

o podiums required—just honesty, courage, and community.

🎧 Tune in, lean in and define your own finish line.

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Running Without Medals or Masks

When a conversation isn’t about PRs, podiums, or perfectly curated race days, you can feel it before the mic ever turns on. This episode of Fireside Chat is one of those moments. Host Jason Bahamundi sits down with Vittorio Aconi, a runner who doesn’t define himself by finish times but by showing up.

Vittorio’s story starts far from a start line. It begins in hospital rooms, with uncertainty, fear, and the life-altering diagnosis of his son with cerebral palsy.

In this honest, human conversation, Vittorio shares how running became a coping tool before it ever became a cause. One run led to one post. One post led to one donated dollar. And eventually, that momentum grew into Strides for Gianluca, a nonprofit rooted in consistency, community, and compassion.

This episode explores running as perspective, not performance. It’s about grief and gratitude sharing the same mile. About parenting, exhaustion, imperfect form, food debates, and finding joy without pretending life is tidy.

If you’re an everyday athlete trying to become a better version of yourself while keeping things fun and meaningful, this conversation is for you.

🎧 Tune in. Have Fun. Follow Your Own Path.

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Endurance isn’t just about how far we go. It’s about what we carry, what we face, and how we heal along the way.

In this episode of Enduring Minds, I’m joined by my co-host Evan Birch for a deeply honest conversation with ultra-runner and community leader Derek Sprau. We move beyond race results and training plans to explore the mental and emotional side of endurance sports where growth often begins in discomfort.

Derek shares why ultra running became more than a sport for him. It offered space for reflection, a supportive trail running community, and a way to process grief after losing a close friend in his twenties. We talk openly about survivor’s guilt, sobriety, mental health, therapy, and why asking for help is a sign of strength not weakness.

This conversation highlights how endurance athletes can use running as a tool for self-awareness, gratitude, and healing. All of this can happen while also reminding us that we don’t have to do the hard work alone. Community, vulnerability, and presence are just as important as miles logged.

If you’re an everyday athlete navigating loss, burnout, or a challenging chapter in life, this episode will resonate. Enduring Minds is where endurance mindset meets real life—and where showing up honestly matters more than showing up fast.

🎧 Tune in, reflect, and keep moving forward...one honest mile at a time.

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Songs that ask questions. Miles that demand answers. And one conversation that goes delightfully off the rails.

In this episode of What’s In Your Earbuds?, hosts Jason Bahamundi and Joe Hardin dive into one of their most joyfully specific music rabbit holes yet: songs with questions in the title or lyrics. You know the ones. These are the tracks that don’t just play while you’re running, they interrogate you mid-stride. (Isn’t She Lovely? Who Are You? Who Let the Dogs Out? We have thoughts.)

Joining the chaos is Julianna Coughlin, host of the Runnah Podcast, bringing theater-kid energy, deep musical roots, and a running playlist stacked with 20+ hours of certified bangers. Together, the trio explores why weird, nostalgic, and question-filled songs somehow become the perfect fuel for endurance training especially when logic leaves the building at mile 17.

Expect laughter, side quests into misheard lyrics, holiday nostalgia, ultramarathon truths, and strong opinions about what actually makes a great running song. The Everyday Athlete community also jumps in live, adding to a playlist that’s now over 55 hours long and proudly unhinged.

If you’re an endurance athlete who loves music, laughs, and conversations that make training feel lighter—this one’s for you. 🎧Tune in And Add Your Favorite Songs That Are Asking Questions In The Comments

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What if the finish line isn’t a banner, a medal, or a time on your watch but a moment where you finally bet on yourself?

In Episode 40 of Beyond The Finish Line, host Joe Hardin steps out from behind the mic and into his own story for the first time. This solo episode is an honest, vulnerable look at sobriety, mental health, running, and the quiet resilience that defines the everyday endurance athlete.

Joe reflects on reaching the 40-episode milestone, the rarity of podcast longevity, and the role community has played in building something meaningful within the Run Tri Bike network.

From there, he shares the turning point of December 1, 2019. This is when addiction and mental health struggles forced him to redefine survival, success, and progress.

Running didn’t start as a performance goal. It started as movement. A quarter mile. A turkey trot. A way back to health, family, and self-trust. Over time, it became a tool for healing and a reminder that growth doesn’t have to be loud to be powerful.

This episode is a love letter to inclusive running, everyday athletes, and choosing your own definition of success. Whether you’re returning from injury, navigating recovery, or training for your next event, this conversation will remind you that your finish line is yours to define.

No podiums required—just honesty, courage, and community.

🎧 Tune in, lean in and define your own finish line.

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