Finish Lines and Milestones

By SandyBoy ProductionsHealth & Fitness Fitness

Finish Lines and Milestones episodes

August 11, 2023Episode 19: No Limits Andrew
Andrew Peterson and I didn't actually meet the first time I saw him. He blew past me at the Indy Mini in May and was cheering everyone on. When I shared a video of him on social media, everyone already knew Andrew and I knew I needed to too.
His dad Craig joins us in this episode because Andrew was born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. The three of us talk about:
How Andrew came into this world

What got him into running

Representing Indiana and the USA in the Special Olympics

Why he doesn't ever want to run the Boston Marathon again

How the running community can support runners like Andrew

Some of his favorite races

Coaching high school and Special Olympics athletes

His motivational speaking career
Here are links to more stories about Andrew:
Video of Andrew passing me at the Indy Mini

ESPN: Andrew Peterson was born to run

Respect Me, But Include Me Too w/ Andrew Peterson

Andrew Peterson to represent the U.S.

OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini Marathon running ambassador helping fellow Special Olympics athletes cross the finish line

Runner transforms into inspiring coach
58 min
August 04, 2023Episode 18: A Diamond for Every Mile
Leslie Gregory is the Founder of TwentySixDiamond, a jewelry line for the ultimate athlete. For the 0.01%. For you.

In this episode we talk about:
How she went from a small town in Michigan to the Big Apple

Her preferred place to run in NYC (no, not Central Park)

That she's always been and will always be a cheerleader

How she became a mom to premature twins and had postpartum "everything"

That it took 7-8 years of entering the NYC Marathon lottery to finally get in at age 40

How TwentySixDiamond was born

Sliding into Jeff Dengate's DMs (he's the Editor in Chief at Runner's World)

How to build a jewelry business

The New York City Marathon
A couple other links to things mentioned:
My live TV segment on WISHTV

The Runner's World Article about Leslie and TwentySixDiamond
1 hr
July 28, 2023Episode 17: Running Through Fire
Eileen Poore is one of the strongest women I've ever met. Sure, she's physically strong - a mother, a marathoner, an ultra-marathoner - but this episode tells a story of mental and spiritual endurance. During this episode we talk about:
Growing up in New Orleans and working for a famous restaurant

Her dad's addiction and mom's struggles

How she decided to go to Michigan State without visiting and despite her hatred of the cold

Her first marathon (she ran while pregnant and with a broken foot)

The Boston Marathon

Bankruptcy

Her first 50K that was also her first trail run (she finished 3rd female overall)

Her 2019 sexual assault (7/27/19) and how she made it to the start line of the 2019 Monumental Marathon

How running has helped her through it all
1 hr 40 min
July 21, 2023Episode 16: From The Jersey Shore to the Jersey City Marathon
Teddi Hayes is an Instagram and Peloton friend of mine. When she recently visited PSL (no, not that PSL 🎃☕️, Peloton Studios London) I told her I had to hear all about it. So, in this episode we talk about:
Peloton. How she got into it, what it means to her, how she used it to train for her first marathon, visiting both PSL and NYC studios for milestones, how amazing Jess Simms, Jess King and Susie Chan are in real life... (and how jealous I am of the fact that she knows this)

Growing up by the Jersey Shore

Running with asthma

Surviving eating disorders in high school

Why racing is hard for her and how numbers/metrics aren't always helpful

How she went from 5K to 10K to a half and then her first marathon in Jersey City
If you're on the leaderboard, you can find Teddi there too as #theadorablehayz.
1 hr 5 min
July 14, 2023Episode 15: I Can Go The Distance 🎵
Idalis Lopez Ramos is another guest I randomly met in an airport. We met in February of this year in the Orlando airport. So, maybe you can guess where this is going... 🏰 During this episode we talk about:
What it's like to be a runner in Puerto Rico

How Idalis trains almost entirely on her treadmill

How she went from Disney fanatic to RunDisney fanatic

COSTUMES 🦹🏻‍♀️

The culture of Disney races and the rundown of all of the RunDisney races

Her t-shirt business that was born during the pandemic

Training for the New York City Marathon this November

Creative fundraising ideas that have helped Idalis already hit her fundraising goals for all of the races she's registered for
Hope this conversation makes you want to come with me to run a Disney race with Idalis!
1 hr 15 min
July 07, 2023Episode 14: R.I.P. Other People's Expectations
Renae Saager is "a sassy redhead with an acquired sense of humor & a special flavor of frustration for slow walkers". She's also a runner, podcast host, entrepreneur, and new mom. If you don't listen to this episode, you'll miss out on us talking about:
Going viral on Instagram

How Renae overcame anorexia, bulimia, and alcoholism

Her huge career shift when she decided to give up nursing

Why she loves signing up for races last minute and refuses to have Peloton friends

How losing her mom was the wake up call she needed

Poop 💩🤣
Check out Renae's podcast, The Ballsy Broadcast, here.
1 hr 4 min
June 30, 2023Episode 13: We're the Lucky Ones
Chris Jones and I met through a mutual connection and grabbed coffee. Once I heard his story, I knew you had to hear it too. Without giving too much away, this episode includes:
Why Chris got turned down by the Army

How he ended up sitting on a bag of mulch and sobbing

The wake up call that *finally* got him into running

His first marathon experience 💛💙
Donate to Chris's Chicago fundraiser here.
1 hr 18 min
June 23, 2023Episode 12: Mount Everest and Mental Health
Aum Gandhi and I first met on a Zoom call with his business partner, Jason. After the call, we became Instagram friends and the rest is history. Once I saw pictures of his most recent race in Nepal, I knew it was time to have him on. During this conversation we talk about:
The Mount Everest Ultra Marathon (yes, it's a real thing)

How Aum got into running in the first place (only 5 years ago!)

Why he runs (for the kids). Donate to the Kids of Kathmandu

Run Tri Bike. What it is and how he got involved after quitting his corporate job

One of the best mantras ever

The crazy things he's up to next
59 min
June 16, 2023Episode 11: Fargo and Hawaii Five-0
Preston Frazier and I met going through security at the Fargo, North Dakota airport in May. After talking to him for a few minutes, I knew I had to have him on the podcast. During this episode we talk about:
How he started running 16 years ago and has now run SEVENTY-FIVE marathons 🤯

His first half marathon that he decided to run the night before the race

His favorite race memories

His crazy simple training schedule

Becoming a Six Star Finisher before there was all of the fanfare

The goals he has for the future and how they've changed over the years
Preston doesn't have Instagram or Facebook, but you can see the picture of him from his 50th marathon on Instagram here.
1 hr 3 min
June 09, 2023Episode 10: An Average Athlete
Mary Pittman and I met through one of my mentors, Kim Saxton. We clicked right away and continue to meet periodically to share our love of running and building our businesses. During this episode we talk about:
What it was like to grow up in a suburb of Manhattan

How we both went to Miami and spent time on opposite floors of the rec center

How she ended up in San Francisco because her cousin lived in Chile

Her love of San Francisco races

A few embarrassing stories related to running

Africa and how it's more similar to the US than you'd think

Her company, Average Athlete
You can find Average Athlete and Mary on Instagram at @teamaverageathlete or @maryjpittman.
1 hr 6 min

About Finish Lines and Milestones

From the publisher's feed

Every runner has a story. Finish Lines and Milestones is a podcast that celebrates the everyday runner. If you run, you’re a runner. Join host, Ally Brettnacher, every week as she shares these runner…