Finish Lines and Milestones

FEBRUARY CATCHING UP WITH COACH

NEW SERIES ALERT! The first Wednesday of every month this year I'm going to bring you a conversation between me and my running coach,⁠ Rachel Sinders,⁠ of ⁠Rachel Michelle Running.⁠

We'll talk about my training and running journey while celebrating other members of Team RMR. You don't have to work with Rachel to enjoy these conversations, but if you're looking for a running coach - look no further!

Thank you, Rachel, for supporting me and my podcast.

Shannon Spencer and I met when we were randomly paired to run a 5K together for Ainsley's Angels. In the short time we were together, I knew I needed to get to know her better.

During this episode, sponsored by Amazfit, we talked about:

• How her husband is a fire fighter 

• Meeting at the Hit the Bricks 5K in Zionsville through Ainsley’s Angels

• How she’s the running influencer in her CrossFit gym in Kokomo 

• Running the Marine Corps Marathon and the Air Force Marathon with Ainsley’s Angels 

• Celebrating milestone birthdays

• The 4x4x48 she organizes every year to raise money for Ainsley's Angels

• How she first got into running in fifth grade

• Running marathons in 13 different states with one of her best friends

• More about her family - she’s a mom and a grandma (Noni)

• How she became an average skydiver 

• Her breast cancer diagnosis in 2009 shortly after she was divorced and when she didn’t have healthcare 

• The “race that got away” in Spencer, Indiana (get it…Shannon Spencer)

• Running with her kids and grandkids

• How she met her husband, Josh

• The community she’s found in CrossFit 

• How she doesn’t like to repeat races she’s already done

• Our shared love of saunas

Sponsor Details:

• Amazfit - Use ALLYB for 10% off
• Galentine's Day Run Registration

Donate to Ainsley's Angels.

This is a SandyBoy Productions podcast.

Anthony Bruns is 46 years old and ran a 2:33:38 in the MARATHON at CIM (California International Marathon). And he was disappointed... you get the idea, he's fast. Thank you, TJ Dailey, for the introduction.

During this episode, sponsored by Noogs, we talk about:

• His “ultimate hypeman”, TJ Dailey, a friend he’s known since kindergarten (EP 68)

• Being part of a running family and competing in Junior Olympics 

• Experiencing burnout and losing his love of running

• Running his first marathon in Chicago during college and breaking three hours

• Dividing his running life into three parts - youth, college and then adult running

• A diving board accident that happened in his early 30s that nearly ended his running career - and required a full leg cast for six weeks

• Rekindling his childhood friendship with TJ Dailey after years of not seeing each other by pacing him for 20 miles during a 100 mile race

• Mindset - if you believe it you can do it 

• Using Strava to say super motivated during COVID by stealing segments 

• Breaking 2:40 by the age of 40

• Trying super shoes for the first time 

• The Great American 5,000, a virtual race from San Francisco to New York 

• Winning the Masters age group at CIM 

• Chasing Colorado soil records (fastest times run in the state of Colorado)

• How he keeps track of all of his race times

• What it’s like to line up as an elite Masters runner at Boston

• Experiences at other races like CIM and Disney 

• How he runs most of his marathons without taking water or gels 

• CIM 2025

Sponsor Details

• Noogs - Use code ALLYB15 for 15% off your order

Past Guests Mentioned

• TJ Dailey - EP68
• Mark Guyer - EP59
• Cameron Balser - EP75

Sean Conlon and I met years ago and a recent LinkedIn post he made brought us back together for this interview. In his post, he said he's been RUNNING A 5K EVERY DAY FOR 6.5+ YEARS! and that this year his goal is to run a 5K in 50 states in 50 days.

During this conversation, sponsored by Noogs and Athlete Bouquets, we talk about:

• How a LinkedIn post he made reconnected us 

• What it was like moving in the middle of high school 

• Learning to apply his drive and discipline to athletics which ultimately led him to be an entrepreneur

• Why he left the track team at IU 

• The fact that he’s only done two 5Ks ever and no other races 

• Why he started his 5K a day mission 

• How his mission nearly ended with a broken toe - but didn’t 

• His goal of running a 5K in 50 states in 50 days 

• Raising $10,000,000 and running across the USA at the end of his 10 year 5K streak

• Living in an RV for three years 

• The dog treat business he founded that is now found in Costco 

• How he met his wife, Christina

• Writing a book - he’s in the process of evaluating companies to help him do it

Sponsor Details:

- Noogs - Use code ALLYB15 for 15% off

- Athlete Bouquets - Use code PODCAST for 10% off

Connect with Sean:

- LinkedIn

- YouTube

- Instagram

- Email - [email protected]

Abby Lokits is the sister-in-law of Alyssa Lokits, a beloved advocate whose unwavering love for others, intellectual curiosity, and commitment to progress left a lasting impact. Tragically, her life was taken in a senseless act of violence while she was simply out for a run, a place where she felt safe and free. 

During this episode, sponsored by Amazfit, we talk about:

• Where she currently lives in beautiful Colorado and growing up in Missouri 

• What it really means to be a librarian

• Getting into running for her mental health after having her first kid young 

• Family adventures in Colorado with three kids - including a family 14er

• Meeting the Lokits family, Alyssa’s family 

• Losing Alyssa 

• Who Alyssa was - a runner, a PHD, a world traveler…someone who showed up for everyone

• Free to Move, the organization started in Alyssa’s honor

  
  

  DONATE TO FREE TO MOVE

JANUARY CATCHING UP WITH COACH

NEW SERIES ALERT! The first Wednesday of every month this year I'm going to bring you a conversation between me and my running coach, Rachel Sinders, of Rachel Michelle Running.

We'll talk about my training and running journey while celebrating other members of Team RMR. You don't have to work with Rachel to enjoy these conversations, but if you're looking for a running coach - look no further!

Thank you, Rachel, for supporting me and my podcast.

Hallie Patel and I met via Instagram. She's local to the Indianapolis area, where I'm from, so we got to sit down in-person for this interview.

During this episode, sponsored by Foot Levelers, we talk about:

• Our marathon medals you have to watch the video to see

• The New York City Marathon - Hallie’s first marathon ever in 2025

• Why she decided to run her first marathon

• Her first half marathon at the 500 Festival Indy Mini

• How getting cut from the high school volleyball team is what got her into running (and how she ended up meeting her husband, Suketu)

• Their videography business and quitting corporate America to follow their dreams

• Their podcast, Half Past Chai

• The biggest challenge she had to overcome in her multicultural marriage

• Goals heading into the LA Marathon in March

• Fueling and race day outfits 

  
  

  Sponsor Details:

  - Foot Levelers - Visit their website to find a provider near you

  
  

  Welcome The Mother Runners podcast to the SandyBoy Productions podcast network!

Michelle Pillepich and I were connected by Paige Foote (EP 129) and she was so much fun to talk to. This episode is a fun, easy listen to end the year.

During this episode, sponsored by Noogs and Foot Levelers, we talk about:

• How we got connected through Paige Foote of Noogs 

• Trying all of the sports as a kid and really loving field hockey (she’s from New Jersey)

• Getting into running to stay in shape for field hockey 

• Going to school in Virginia and what got her interested in dietetics 

• Being diagnosed with SIBO, small intestine bacterial overgrowth

• Her first half marathon that she didn’t know was a trail race

• Coaching with Girls on the Run

• Signing up to run the New York City Marathon in 2021 and 2023

• Her spectating strategy

• How she ended up in dietetics and having her own practice, Michelle Pillepich Nutrition

• The content side of what she does 

• Her advice specifically for runners

  
  

  Sponsor Details:

  - Noogs - Use code ALLYB15 for 15% off

  - Foot Levelers - Visit their website to find a provider near you

  
  

  This is a SandyBoy Productions podcast.

David Wilkerson and I were introduced by previous guest Whitney Bevins (EP 4) at the Indy Monumental expo. She brought him over to me and said, "You have to have David on your podcast." And so I did. And his story is incredible.

During this episode, sponsored by Previnex and Cure Hydration, we talk about:

• The small Indy running community and how he runs with Johanna Kitchell (episode 114) and Matt Ebersole of PBT (episode 89)

• How David and I were connected by Whitney Bevins (episode 4) at the Indy Monumental Expo 

• When David started running because his mom wouldn’t let him play football

• Getting into coaching at Warren Central while he had a job and young family 

• The time he trained for the Flying Pig but only made it to mile 10 of the race 

• How he discovered he had heart problems and getting a pacemaker at age 37

• The day all hell broke loose - February 10th, 2022

• Getting a new heart a week before his birthday 

• How he did a 5K less than six months after finishing cardiac rehab

• Getting connected to his donor’s family and meeting them for the first time

• Beating one of his heart doctors when he ran the Indy Mini after his transplant 

• Between him and his wife they have 8 kids 

• Our shared love of out-and-back courses or runs 

• The Transplant Games 

• Joining PBT Personal Best Training with Matt Ebersole

  
  

  Become an organ donor

  
  

  Sponsor Details:

  - Previnex - Use ALLY15 for 15% off your first order

  - Cure Hydration - Use ALLYB for 20% off your first order

Hillary Burgess and I finally got to meet in person at this year's CNO Financial Indianapolis Monumental Marathon in November. She's just as amazing in person.

During this episode, sponsored by Amazfit and Foot Levelers, we talk about:

• How she’d never been to Indiana on purpose except for this year’s Monumental Marathon 

• The Brooks Running Collective and how she came to be part of it 

• Her experience at the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon with BRC - first time doing a shakeout run, first time wearing glitter, first time with her name on her shirt, and a half marathon PR!

• Run/walking and how that strategy works for her    

• Running Every Woman’s Marathon in Arizona the week after Monumental 

• Her upbringing - growing up in Arizona, having her dad as her cross country coach

• How she ran her first ever marathon without knowing she had COVID 

• The four of six World Major Marathons she’s completed so far and how she’s committed to running all of them for charity 

• Following in her dad’s footsteps and becoming a running coach 

• Starting her podcast, Today in Running History

  
  

  Sponsor Details:

  - Amazfit - Use ALLYB for 10% off your order

  - Foot Levelers - Visit their website to find a provider near you

  
  

  This is a SandyBoy Productions podcast.