For Real, Though

Who is Alison Staples?

Alison is a physical therapy assistant, Crew leader at Riot Squad Running, run ambassador at Under Armor, and coach at Formula Running Center.

What was it like starting running age 30, did any part of you feel behind?

I had no idea about anything running. I ran in what we're getting to how I started running, but I had no idea about the right community.

I didn't know the distance around a track. All I knew was that I just ran down the street and came back and it was, like, the most exhilarating fill in the world. I had no knowledge of anything else. The first time, I had to go for a run. It was awful, but I kind of just stuck with it because it was hard. And I was like, "Oh, this is hard. I think I like it." I was more of an elliptical person up until I started running.

What made you decide to want to try running after being an "elliptical person"?

I really wanted to run someday, but I didn't understand how people liked it. I went to the gym three days a week. I had my elliptical routine, the 25 or 35 minutes. And then I just did, like some squats and stuff and that was it. I was good. I worked at the time. Well, I still do. I work for a pediatric hospital, I work with kids and adults with spinal cord injuries. And in 2008, we decided to put together a team, a charity team for the Baltimore running festival. One of our co-workers had gone up to Boston and just fallen in love with the Boston Marathon, especially the hand cycle division and thought it would be a good idea to bring that back to Baltimore, especially to our patients who are paralyzed and can't walk.

We put together a team for the Baltimore running festival, and I had a girlfriend, a Black woman who I really admired, there aren't a lot of Black therapists, so I looked up to her in that regards, and then she loved running, and I didn't see a lot of black women running at the time, so she was just like this magical unicorn, and I teased her about it all the time. But I secretly admired her tenacity when it came to like running how dedicated she was. When this charity team came around, she was like, "You know what? I think this would be good for you to do. You can meet so many people like this. Who knows? Maybe you'll meet your husband." That's how I met my husband. I'm, like, sign me up, so I was like, yeah, you know, whatever I'm doing 5k. And she told me I could not do a 5k. She wasn't paying the race fee for 5k. We had to do a half and I was like, I don't know what a half is, but it's not full so fine, and that that is how I got coerced into my first race

It is really important to have people in our lives who believe in us a little bit more than we believe in ourselves, those role models, how could someone find a mentor like that?

I think it's doing the things that you're most scared of, all the things that take you out of your comfort zone, and then you'll find someone who continuously pushes you out of your comfort zone and continuously sets the bar higher for you than you will ever set the ball for yourself. So, you know I was content on the elliptical, and she's like No, no, no, you have to do a half marathon now.

Granted that's a huge job, and no one has to do that job, but that goes for anyone. So maybe you're like a solo runner and you really want to run with the group But you're really intimidated by your pace or just groups in general. So, maybe you find a group with less people, but, yeah, just stepping out of your comfort zone and finding things to do that you are scared off. We generally put you around people who will push you out of your comfort zone and really tap into potential that you have for sure. I don't know about you, but I've found with the mask situation that I find it easier to do things like that right now. I don't, I don't know why, maybe it's like I feel protected by the mask or something.

But I've done quite a few things lately on my own where I'm taking in groups because I don't know, I feel like that sounds weird. Comforted by the mask like it allows me to be braver and just go out there on my own. I don't know. The crazy thing about this pandemic is that it strips us all of what we thought was important before. So, like, who cares about what? Choose the clothes you have on, or, you know, the fact that we're all struggling. Maybe the same, maybe in different ways. But who we are, in essence is all that is needed to show up. And I think that's been one of the greatest lessons of this pandemic.

How has your relationship changed since? Do you ever encourage her to do something she hasn't?

It's so funny because you know, the funny thing about this situation is that she had me sign up for this race. And then she left the job, maybe, like a few weeks later. So she left me to train by myself and I tease her about it all the time. Like since then, she's moved to a different state, but we still keep in touch. She still goes out on her run. She still motivates me, even if she doesn't know. So she'll post like, wow, she really got up and ran at four o'clock in the morning. Let me get up. She still motivates me and she just thinks that it's so funny how my running journey has evolved when she had to literally push me out the door.

And she's like, you know, this is not about me anymore. This is about you tapping into something that we didn't even know that you could have the potential to tap into, so I think it's both inspiring on both our parts just to watch each other grow in the space.

What would be your advice to someone listening, who has a friend in their life that they want to encourage to do something outside of the home?

Yeah, I think you should always know how to push the people around you. So I need my friends to curse me out all the time, and I'm fine with it because that's what's going through my mind. But I think you really have to find a circle and trust people, too, you have to welcome people into your space.

There's a certain amount of vulnerability that you have to have in order to let people, and you have to trust people with that space that you give them. So the first step is just to find someone that you really trust someone that you respect and someone that has your best intentions at heart.

What about the friend who wants to be encouraged?

One of the beautiful things about coaching is that you get to see people in their weakest moments. You get to pull people out of whatever headspace they are in, help them hang in there. You really get to tap into that person and figure out like, and so isn't very vocal about what it is that spot on her. But I can see like she's fighting really hard. So maybe I just saw her like she needs to relax. And it's really about observation and figuring out how you can best serve someone versus you putting yourself on somebody else.

What happened after that first race?

Well, before the race, I did nothing, right. I went and bought a brand new pair of shoes the day before that matched the shirt because, you know, if anything else, I was gonna look good in this picture. Well, the shoes were right out the box. And when I got to the race, I just looked around. I was like, Wow, this is You know, I thought running looked a certain way and I got there I was like, Wow, there are small people. There are big people. They're tall people, you know. There are White people. There are Black people, there are men, there are women. That's just kind of amazing that there are all these different types of people, and I thought our running was just for thin white females or white males. Even just being at the start line was just amazing.

And then having the support of my co-workers there is, well, it was just a really good feeling. So everything you know, I think I had trained up to eight miles when I say, trained, loosely trained, loosely trained up the eight miles I did seven. And then the pain set in. Well, one of the things I love was just like, you know, you always find those run angels on the course and they come and go in different ways. Maybe it's somebody at about 8.5 miles who's just telling you you could do it, keep going. And that to me, it was like the most exhilarating and refreshing And like most memorable part of the race, was just all these people just supporting you throughout the entire time that you're out there on the course.

Did you pay attention to see if others were struggling around you too?

I was looking around trying to see if anybody noticed that I was dying. Instead I saw other people who needed to be saved as well. I was always true. Yeah, but it was great. So I found myself also encouraging other people. So I'm like, Great, This is great. Like, you know, this is our first run together.

I ran the first few miles with the co-worker. So I'm like let's just zone out to the song and we'll make it up this hill. So I was surprised that as a new runner this is my first race, I found myself encouraging other people, and that gave me the motivation. Though I did receive encouragement and to keep going along in a race, that's really cool.

My finish line picture is of two of my co-workers. It was like the most ridiculous thing ever. I'm being held up by two of my co-workers helping me through the finish line. But it was so funny because like, this is like, my first race. It's amazing. I made it. Yeah, And then when I went out just, like, loosen up my legs a few days later, I'm like, wow, that's crazy. I really did it. I really I'm not gonna say ran because I didn't run out 13 miles but I'm like, well, I really participated in a half marathon, I did it and even though I was still in pain, I'm like, wow, you know, I could do anything so I think after that feeling came I loved that.

Were you hooked from there?

You know I was still at the point where I had to still let my friends drag me into things. So the same friend was like, hey, let's go do it another half in Philly. So it was still at the point where my friends were dragging me, I'm gonna say, dragged me, but more pushing me. And granted, it doesn't take a lot to convince me to do something.

When did you start pushing yourself?

I think after my first full marathon, I completely bonded with it, and I really wanted to figure out why, and I really wanted to get better at being a runner after my first marathon.

So I took a RRCA certification class just to get better for myself as a runner, not to coach anybody else, which it's funny how this kind of spiraled into what it is now. But it wasn't till after my first marathon and I thought like, this is really about me now in my journey and running and not about anybody having to drag me along.

Now it's not so much about the running. It's about the mental part and about the emotional aspect that comes with running. It's more about the life journey and the life lessons that running teaches you versus the physical aspect of running itself for sure.

What have you been doing to keep yourself and others motivated during this time?

Yeah. So for myself, I look at my outdoor runtime as my peaceful tranquility, like my me time just to get away from the phone, get away from the computer just like really zone out. And I think I've done a few virtual races, although I take them less seriously than I do training myself. I'm not a fan of virtual races, but I think they do serve that at that point for people right now. For me running right now, it's just about a release. It's about maintaining some form of normalcy. It's about just maintaining the fitness that I've had, and if I capitalize on, if I get faster, so be it.

Right now it's just about a release for me, and for the people I'm coaching. They really just love having accountability and consistency in just some sense of a normal life.

What has the pandemic taught you about running?

I love how it's gotten back to how simple it was before a training block. You know, you have this marathon, you have the 16 week training block day in, day out, it's unforgiving. It's time based. You have to hit these paces, and you know, you could certainly do that now. But for me, it's like I love going without a watch, leaving my watch at home. I love going on a run and not even worrying about what my paces are. I love going on a run and not even posting about it. I love waking up like okay, today I want to do eight miles tomorrow. 12. That's fine. This is what I feel like doing today. Maybe tomorrow It's like a track workout. So I love the flexibility of just, like, kind of going along with the flow and really just enjoying the simpleness of running that I think sometimes training takes away for sure.

You run with a metronome, why?

I used a metronome a lot in my clinic because a lot of my patients have gait deficit. So maybe one extremity is a little bit more effective than the other. And they just need timing as when to put that affected leg down. So for me my cadence has always been on the lower side, maybe like 164-166. And granted, I'm tall, but I'm not like, terribly tall. And it annoys me when I go out and run with my friends who take quicker steps, they always finish faster than me. It seems to be like less effort. So it's like, you know what? I really have to try to get in the habit of turning my feet over, and I can't do it on my own.

Like it just, it just never worked out for me. So a metronome, I use it a couple times a week, and it really helps me the run is just like it's just less effort. I really don't think about it. I've tried to listen to playlists of like 171-180. But then I get too caught up and singing and get too caught up in the words. Let me just put on some monotonous ping ping ping ping ping ping ping. So I know when I put my feet down and I'm sure the crazy run around the neighborhood with this loud pinging happening, but it's therapeutic, it's calming to me.

Why did you become a Physical therapist?

I was kind of floating around for about a year. I was bartending. And then I started volunteering at the hospital. Now I was volunteering in the kids department and then they had an opening in spinal cord injuries. And it was just amazing to me that no two injuries are the same. Everything is different, everybody presents differently and people who have spinal cord injuries, some of their injuries are traumatic, meaning like car accidents. Some of them have non traumatic meaning, maybe one day they just woke up feeling sick and then 12 hours later, they couldn't walk. These were people who needed a lot of help, not just physically but emotionally. And I think that that is something that really resonated with me and why I chose to stay in it.

How difficult has it been with all the emotions of the last year on top of working in a career like that?

Yeah, the first two weeks I worked there, I cried every single day. It's like, Oh my God, I can't believe this is awful. This five year old kid is now paralyzed because of this accident, or this person lost their whole family and all they have is movement below the neck. This is the saddest thing in the world. Then I had to look at it differently, like wow, this person had this thing happened and they still show up every day.

They are still hopeful for recovery in some type of way. And maybe, you know, maybe for them the highlight of their day is coming into therapy and seeing all these other people just being in this community and giving their all for maybe one or two hours. So, you know maybe the person isn't walking. Maybe the person is sitting up for 10 seconds or something that we take for granted. So much of my outlook on it really changed, and I think that is like the most incredible feeling I have when I leave work.

Do you think about your patients during your runs?

Absolutely. It's one of the reasons why I started running in the first place. I ask my patients to do these hard things with limited mobility, and my body works perfectly. There's no reason why I can't go out here and push myself if I ask my patients to do, you know, hard things. So I think about them on every run. I think about them when everything gets hard. I'm like, You know what I ask people to do hard things, and there's no reason why I can't do the same hard things. They motivate me way more than they'll ever know.

What have you noticed about people going through spinal cord injuries in their approach?

I think you know it just depends on where they are in the injury. There are some people who haven't fully accepted, I'm not going to say more, except who are still struggling with the injury itself and everything that comes with the injury. So it's not just the physical, it's the "I can't", I haven't stood up with my parents in, like a long time. I haven't taken a picture with someone or I'm not gonna be able to walk my daughter down the aisle. So a lot of the emotional component. I think just seeing the transformation, oh, wow like we did it and we're gonna walk, we're gonna work on strength training so that I can walk my daughter down the aisle, or this was amazing that I was able to last, you know, 20 seconds sitting up. Whereas last week I could only do 10. I think that just being in this environment of seeing other people really work hard, is good for, like, mental psyche.

What would you like to remind able bodied runners?

There's no bad run. You've never had a bad run. And I can tell you this: I don't know your pace, I don't know your heart rate, your cadence, but you have never had a bad run. All runs are good when your body works the way it's supposed to.

It's just a blessing to be able to get up and leave the house and just have your body work the way it's supposed to. So I really look at this running thing and just physical movement as a blessing in itself. You know, I've had patients just cry, you know, in front of me like, "Will I ever walk again?" And some of those moments are really hard hitting because it's like, wow, like, you know, you really just don't even know what people are going through. And you really just don't appreciate how complex and how amazing it is that the body works the way it does. So you've never had a bad run to whoever thinks that they had one or it's about to have one. You've never had a bad run.

Do you ever find it hard to not say anything when runners do take their bodies for granted?

When I first started working, I felt bad for having a horrible day because I'm like Alison, you're not allowed to have a bad day because you work with people who have it 10 times harder. But then someone had to remind me that my problems aren't insignificant just because someone else's problems are significant. So, you know I went on the trail, ran like last year, tripped and strained my upper hamstring, and then it's been like a complete annoyance ever since.

You know, sometimes I get frustrated but it's like one of those things where, you know, I was out doing something that I loved, and it just happened, and it's a gentle reminder to take it easy. I think sometimes we look at injuries like my body is failing me. Knowing your body is telling you that you are doing too much and you need to rest or you need to strengthen. Something is off. Your body is not failing you with the injury. Your body is trying to tell you to take it easy I think. I think just changing the perspective on how we look at things really helps adjusting to how we deal with things.

What advice do you have for runners stuck in an injury cycle?

Listen to your PT. Do you do the home exercise program they set you for! I have a friend now who is working her way back out from injury, and her PT has given her an amazing run-walk schedule. She's like, "Oh you know, I'm just gonna add a few minutes." No, don't. Because the plan works.

Runners have the most frustration when they're almost back to recovery. So maybe they're back to walking but they still have some foot drop, and that is the most frustrating part of the injury versus when they couldn't walk it all. I think in this great space I'm almost there, but I'm not there yet is the most frustrating thing. But you have to kind of remember that you're in this for the long haul, so don't rush the process.

We are so divided right now, how can we heal from that?

I think the country has always been divided. I think it's been something that has been hidden before and I think that this needed to happen in order for us to start healing.

We can't heal in any regards until the problem is right in front of our face. It took a pandemic. It took us having to be home with nothing to pay attention to outside of this, for the healing to start to happen. And I love the direction that it's going. Yes, it's awful and it's heartbreaking and it's triggering and there's a lot of division, but it kind of has to happen in order for us to keep progressing and to keep moving forward.

There are more people now who are speaking out and more people now who are devoting time and energy and efforts and money into eradicating racism and, you know, unifying people than there were before. But I think that this had to happen and I think we had to identify and just call it out for what it is versus trying to hide behind, you know, everything is fine. You know, this has been a problem. Before we can get to the healing, we need to speak about it.

How do you handle feeling like you are not doing enough to move the country forward, particularly with the racial reckoning of 2020?

This has been nothing new to us. It apparently was to a lot of other people. I think that there was this big shift of non Black and Brown people looking for things to do. I'm just gonna speak for myself as a Black person. I felt like I had to do something. Oh, I'm not doing enough. Maybe I need to educate or, you know, whatever. I need to do something. And for a long time, I had these feelings like I'm not doing enough and I had to have my girlfriends say to me. You just showing up is enough. So I think for me and for anyone else who is listening, who feels that maybe they're not done enough, I think you just showing up in the space as you are and being genuine about it is enough.

What does showing up mean to you?

Showing up for me means to keep trying to keep doing the things that I'm doing to keep being in the community. To keep having my run group run through the streets of Baltimore to keep showing up in spaces where I'm not normally seen just to keep being me unapologetic like that is what showing up is for me, it is not to change anything It's not to be anything different than I've been It's just to keep showing up.

What can listeners do to show up?

You have to do what feels right for you. So maybe protesting isn't your thing, don't go to a protest. Maybe your thing is a monetary donation where you can just donate and feel good about it and be anonymous about it. Maybe that is you. Maybe you wanna hold a book club? Maybe that's your thing. So you don't have to go outside of who you are in order to be a voice to someone around. You just find your people enough with your people. Just keep showing up, how you are, but don't have to be like this whole big bang.

I think sometimes we get really caught up in the big visual things that you could see and a lot of the work is behind the scenes. So, like a lot of the work done for protests is done behind the scenes. It's not just about the protests, it's about what are you going to do after the protest? And I think that, a lot of times we missed that point, you know? What are you doing behind the scenes? So just whatever it is that resonates to you, do that.

I have patients, I have Black patients and one thing that really grinds my gears is that, you know, sometimes therapists we like to call our patients lazy, as a way to motivate patients. And now, granted, it's not the best way to go about things, but it happens. But one thing that really makes me upset is when a White therapist calls a Black patient lazy, and I don't even think that it's intended, you know, to be anything more than a tool for motivation. But in my mind as a Black woman Black people have been called lazy for years. So please don't call this Black patient lazy because they are so it's just little things like that that I think that we all do you sometimes and aren't aware of.

How can we think about the bigger picture?

I'm speaking about a 17 year old kid here right? So the 17 year old kid who was a star football player got shot and is paralyzed. He's not lazy. He is depressed. So we have to stop looking at things for what they are and look at it for the bigger picture, right?

So whoever it is you thought this bias about, let's look at the bigger picture. Maybe they're probably not what you're thinking. That's probably something bigger systemically happening that you have to look at. And you have to educate yourself on and you have to be consciously aware of. So you have to look at the bigger picture of systemic issues around you versus what it is in front of your face.

I remember I went to one of my co-workers how she had like, a finger painting party and I couldn't get in she had the gate locks and, you know, eventually she came out and I made a joke with her, and I was like, I would have climbed your fence, but I'm pretty sure I would have gotten arrested for trespassing, and she didn't say anything about it until just recently. She was like, You know what else and that stuck with me for the past five years, I have to say that never would have occurred to me that I could be arrested for trespassing. And you looked that way when you were just trying to get in, I invited you to my place and the gate was locked if you like, I never would have looked at it like that.

So I think it's just being aware of how differently different cultures and different races view things and the experiences that we have gone through and being really empathetic to that.

One final, fun question: You have an unhealthy emotional attachment to your camelback, tell us about that.

I named my camelback and her name is Dora the Explorer. And I pack her with snacks and, you know, we go out and we have a good time. I never know what's gonna happen with Dora, but she is like my best run friend. When all else fails, I have Dora. So it's kind of ridiculous that I'll take her on, like, even like a full mile run. I put like a whole bladder full of water I put a whole bunch of snacks and it's just like it's kind of like my weighted blanket like it's just like a security. Like I'm fine. Whatever happens, I have my phone. I have my snacks. I have my water. All's right with the world.

Resources:

Alison on Instagram

Implicit Bias Test

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Listen to Running Realized with Tina Muir and Knox Robinson

The trailer is already out, the podcast comes out February 22nd. Subscribe below on your favorite podcast player.

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Thank you to Alison, I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the show.

How did Maria get here?

Tina shares that a few months ago, she realized she wanted to bring someone on board to help her grow and steer Running for Real in a new direction. After posting a job listing, she was blown away with responses. But Maria's caught her eye. She sent Tina a video answering the questions on the application. "Something in my gut just told me this is the right person," Tina said.

What does she do?

Maria's focus is on storytelling and communications with a little twist of marketing. It's about telling stories in ways that reach people's heads and their hearts. She helps us define Running for Real and our mission of using running as a vehicle for internal and external change.

Maria makes you think twice about the word, "Awareness" "I was as guilty as anyone else of throwing around "raising awareness, awareness awareness," says Tina. "Then Maria made me think twice about using that word." Why?

Maria says back in college she took a communications class and the professor strictly said never to use the word "awareness." We are all too familiar with organizations raising mealth awareness, environmental awareness, running awareness, etc. But just because you're aware of something, it doesn't mean anything unless you act on it. If we don't bring things into life then awareness doesn't get us anywhere. "To know and not to do, is not to know," Maria says. That is why she thinks we can all take a step further. Past awareness and into action. This is an excellent article for reference.

Maria's story

Maria was born in Bogota, Colombia and her family moved to the U.S when she was three years old. She grew up in Gainesville, Florida, went to college at the University of Florida, and moved to Austin, Texas in 2018.

While she doesnt fully identify with being fully Colombian or fully American, at an early age she learned to value hard work perseverance. It was ingrained at her from the beginning the importance of keeping in touch with her roots while taking advantage of living the land of opportunity.

Love of Water and Land

Her love of sports began in the water. Swimming was a big part of her life and she swam competitively through high school. When she was younger, the only running she did was running stadiums as conditioning for swimming and she saw any sort of running as a chore.

That changed when she moved to Austin which is where she started doing triathlon and getting involved with November Project and other running groups like East Side Beer Runners and Austin Runners Club's Morning Jo's group.

"I was overwhelmed by the people that are part of the running community here. here. It wasn't this elitist runner group that I had in my mind, but a rather welcoming group of diverse runners who reeled me in and caused me to fall in love with the sport," she says.

"Running is a common ground because we're all so different. It creates a safe space for us to have special conversations and form meaningful connections. Even for a long time, I didn't know what my friends did as day jobs because we just had so many other things to talk about!"

Prickly Pear

Prickly Pear is a mindset, a community that Maria and her sister Luisa started in 2018. They are sending out the message that you don't have to follow the mainstream ideas. That you can go out on your own and do something different. That you can be yourself. They spread this message through their Instagram and their monthly publication called The Commissary that spotlights stories of everyday people doing positive things and spark curiosity. They're bringing together people of different cultures and skills like artists, photographers, and small business owners so they can show up for one another and help each other live more meaningful lives. Tina describes it as more traditional media where it's enjoyable to sit and read intentionally rather than scroll through.

Maria's 3-2-1 Corner

Each week in Tina's newsletter, Maria shares three things to ponder about, two recipes, and one challenge.

What makes the new Running Realized podcast special?

Maria believes the word, "Realized," is what makes this new podcast with Knox and Tina so special. "Realized" acts more of an action verb because it's about turning conversations into actions that listeners and ourselves can take to be part of helping humanity thrive. It comes out on February 22nd.

Where are we headed?

Running for Real has undergone a revamp. There's a new website, logo, and even the podcast has a new cover. But at the core, the mission remains the same: having honest and real conversations.

Maria explains that hard conversations can be had with people who share different opinions if we are able to just find common ground. For us, the shared interest happens to be running. It's what allows us to connect with others who have different backgrounds and cultures than ourselves yet share similar struggles.

"I think ultimately what I think Running for Real is about is literally humanity in running. So how can we show up as 100% human in this sport and then have that transcend into other areas of our lives? Whether it's how we show up with our partners, our neighbors, and our parents; how we show up at work; how we show up with the planet, and caring for the earth. So how can we just bring more humanity into running? We already have it in ourselves, but how can we show up even better."

Who is Amber Moore?

Amber has so much heart. She cares for everyone she crosses paths with and cares deeply about them. She has been working alongside Tina for two years helping her keep Running of Real running (no pun intended) while Tina had Chloe during the summer of 2020 and works mostly in the background publishing podcasts and engaging with the community through social media.

"My favorite part is setting up the podcast because while it's a huge project, I love that it comes together as a beautiful product that helps a lot of people," she says.

Amber is also a mom of three little ones and lives in Utah. Amber actually grew up playing soccer but her love for running has evolved over the last few years. She is a fountain of knowledge of Running for Real podcasts, having listened to pretty much every single one. In this episode, Amber shares her top 5 (and a bonus) episodes of the show:

Amber's Five Favorite Episodes

1. Candice Huffine | Amber loves that Candice didn't care what people thought of her and instead took the world on like nothing else mattered. That she was brave in her fight to figure out a place for herself since she wasn't accepted as a traditional size model because she was too large but she was too small to be considered plus size.
2. Hillary Allen | "She's a fighter," says Amber. Falling and getting back up again and again. That's what makes her so inspirational.
3. Dean Karnazes | "I just really like that even though he's this big, huge ultra marathoner, he has time for the little people," Ambers says, "and I really enjoy that about this podcast whenever you have those types of people."
4. Rosalie Fish. | Amber shares, "me being in Utah, we have a lot of Native American reservations… but I hadn't realized I didn't realize that on actual Indian reservations how terrible it can be. And it really hurt me honestly. Everyone needs to be taken care of, but listening to Rosalie Fish and hearing all of the tragic things that she's heard about and gone through it made me really think about my own experience here in Utah. It made me really think about how my time is spent and who I should be helping."
5. Sanjay Rawal and Billy Yang

"When I started running, I just wanted to get out there and with my lovely double stroller because I had two little kids at the time and I just pushed them everywhere I went. But with Sanjay, he really says that it's just you and the pavement and I loved how he spoke about running in a way that when you run you could just leave everything else behind."

Billy Yang is Amber's bonus favorite. One she enjoyed learning about his struggles and how vulnerable and transparent he is with his runs.

Perhaps Amber's favorite thing about all Running for Real is that there is always a life lesson in each episode.

(YES!) - Amber ;)

RESOURCES

• Maria @iavargas
• Amber @bamoore313
• Article: Stop Raising Awareness Already
• Karamo Brown RRP
• Prickly Pear's The Commissary
• Prickly Pear Instagram

Thank you to my wonderful sponsor Momentous, Athletic Greens, and Running Realized for sponsoring this episode of the Running for Real Podcast.

Being a tough year with additional stresses on top of an already overwhelming situation means sleep can often be lost...but it is the one thing that we know would help us. Being a former insomniac, I know the frustration going to bed early, yet being unable to switch your brain off can bring. These Momentous Elite Sleep capsules are fantastic and contain Melatonin, Magtein® (Magnesium L-threonate), and Wild Jujube Seed Extract which together will help reduce nighttime anxiety, gently fall asleep and improve circadian rhythm to achieve higher quality sleep.

Go here and use code TINA for 20% off.

Athletic Greens is a simple and easy way to get 75 vitamins, minerals, and whole food source ingredients. Just to help my immune system be stronger and greater! It is so simple to make and it tastes good as well. I used this for my prenatal and I am still using it while breastfeeding.

Now you can get up to a YEAR supply of Vitamin D3 and K2 for free with your first purchase of Athletic Greens through my podcast. Visit here to learn more!

Launching my new podcast with my co-host Knox Robinson from my 200th episode on February 22nd. These episodes are going to go a bit deeper when it comes to the running world and the problems we are facing. I am very excited to have Tracksmith funding this project for us.

If you want to sign up to be the first to know more about this new podcast sign up here to get more information. There is also a trailer with this episode, so take a listen and I'm excited to know what your thoughts are.

Thanks for listening! I hope you enjoyed today's episode.

To share your thoughts:

Leave a note in the comment section below.

Join the Running for Real Facebook Group and share your thoughts on the episode (or future guests you would like to hear from)

Share this show on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.

To help out the show:

Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews will really help me climb up the iTunes rankings and I promise, I read every single one.

Not sure how to leave a review or subscribe, you can find out here.

Thank you to Amber and Maria, I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the show.

"Yeah, sport is a vehicle for social change outside of the quarter of the field. We've seen sports lead social movements, and I think sport is one of those things that everybody can relate to. It's one of those things that bind us together, regardless of our other differences." –Chris Mosier Who is Chris Mosier? This week's conversation is with Chris Mosier, the first transgender athlete to compete for Team USA, first transgender man to represent the United States in international competition, first transgender athlete to qualify for the Olympic Trials in any sport in a category different than their sex assigned at birth, and Chris is the person credited for the International Olympic Committee's policy change for transgender athletes. You don't know what you don't know. Chris says a lot of us have a fear of doing wrong because someone might get hurt by what we say, but it shouldn't prevent us from trying to do our best to step in and be an ally. There's an idea of intent vs impact where our intent might be good, but the impact might still be hurtful. However, it's just important for us to acknowledge the hurt we may have caused, and then vow to do better. Which pronouns should you use? Learning the terminology is a good first step. For example, misgendering is one of the most common things that happens in the trans community. Mis-gendering is when someone says "she" instead of "he" or, says "he" or "she" instead of"they" for somebody's pronounce that they use. Pronouns are how we refer to people when they're not around. She/her and he/him are the most common ones, and there are people who use they/them as their pronouns too. Most recently, they/them has been approved by the dictionary to say that even though it is plural, it can refer to one singular person. Chris explains pronouns are personal and we tend to make assumptions about people's pronouns when we meet them. In the past year, we've seen a big push for people to put their pronouns in the bio of the social media, in emails, or in the window of digital meetings so people know what to correctly address you as. He says this is not just for transgender or non-binary people. It's for everyone especially if cisgender people and allies do it because it opens space for everyone to be addressed how they want to be addressed. You can learn more terminology at transathlete.com You can't control other people's opinions, but you can always control how you respond. "I realized over time is that I am not responsible for anybody else's thoughts or opinions. What other people think of me is none of my business," Chris says, "but what I can control is how I respond." You are possible. In 2010 Chris didn't think transitioning was possible. He saw the high school and college kids documenting their transitions but didn't see any adults. Didn't see people in a mid-professional career. Didn't see any trans men playing sports with men. He just didn't know that it was possible. It took a long time for Chris to even learn about trans identity and to learn the word transgender in a meaningful way. For him to realize it's a possibility, then explore that with himself. He knows how women are treated in sport Chris knows how women are treated in sports because he was treated that way before transitioning. Women weren't given the same playing time. Women got the hand-me-down uniforms and second rate equipment. The men's team got celebrated while the women's team got a brief mention. He shares the mind-blowing statistic that women's sports only get 4% of media coverage on the whole of all sports. "I'm really grateful that I've had the experience of being raised and socialized as female, competing in sports as a woman and then transitioning to mail seeing how differently I'm treated, seeing all of the harms that are done to women in sports. I think it just gives me this really unique perspective about gender, about power, about masculinity and femininity, and about positioning in the world privilege and all of those things that can help me be a better advocate." Chris says we have to understand that athletes come in different sizes, shapes, body structures, types of abilities and athletes receive different support. How do you compete in sports as a trans-athlete? In 2020 Chris became the first openly transgender male athlete to compete in an Olympic trial. Even though he had to pull out because of an injury, he said his main goal had been getting to Olympic trials as a way to break the barrier and open the door for the next person who comes after him. What policies and protections exist? Chris explains that in terms of trans policies, rules around transgender affect access to housing, protections for young people in schools, and the military. There were a number of harms committed by this previous administration against the trans community including targeted efforts banning trans people from public life. It was a top-down presidential initiative going through the Department of Education, and even Homeland Security. But in terms of political and legislative actions, Chris says we have a long fight ahead of us. In the running world, when Chris first transitioned, he had to write to the New York Road Runners and ask how he could switch categories. He said nowadays many governing bodies have adopted new policies, and others wouldn't make the changes until the Olympic level made them. Chris keeps track of these policies on his website, transathlete.com In terms of public image and media, Chris says we're seeing positive representation and seeing a celebration of achievements. More people can look and see someone like themselves in the media represented in a positive way or telling their story in their own voice. What can we do? While big change lies in the hand of governments and companies, changing public opinion is a wonderful way to get the change to happen. It's what inspires people to stand up and speak out and say, "This is not what we want, we want equality. We want people to be treated fairly. We want people to be treated with dignity and respect. And this does not align with our values." How you can be an ally. "Don't be afraid to engage with trans people and ask questions, respectful questions. The biggest thing is probably thinking about why you need to know that information. And if it's not something you'd ask any other person in the room probably don't ask a trans person, but don't underestimate the impact that you can have in anyone else's life." If you have any social circle– friends, and co-workers, you can make an influence by being a good ally in those spaces that can have a profound impact down the road. Everybody has a role to play– whether it's in transphobia, homophobia, racial justice, sexism. Resources: Trans Athlete Website Chris Mosier Website Chris Mosier Instagram Amelia Gapin R4R Episode Thank you to my wonderful sponsor goodr, Momentous, and Generation UCAN for sponsoring this episode of the Running for Real Podcast.

I have been a fan of goodr for YEARS and I literally have their sunglasses all over my house. I recently had an episode with the Co-Founder Stephen Lease where he talks about the true and real story behind his company and I appreciate him being honest with me about it. The design behind these sunglasses really takes into consideration of look and comfort. They are 100% carbon neutral and a part of 1% for the planet and protect many great organizations who care for our planet deeply.

Go here to get 15% off of your order as well as free shipping on your first pair.

Being a tough year with additional stresses on top of an already overwhelming situation means sleep can often be lost...but it is the one thing that we know would help us. Being a former insomniac, I know the frustration going to bed early, yet being unable to switch your brain off can bring. These Momentous Elite Sleep capsules are fantastic and contain Melatonin, Magtein® (Magnesium L-threonate), and Wild Jujube Seed Extract which together will help reduce nighttime anxiety, gently fall asleep and improve circadian rhythm to achieve higher quality sleep.

Go here and use code TINA for 20% off.

Thank you Generation UCAN, I have been talking about them for years and my ONLY source for fueling while I am training and racing. And without fail I have had a product of UCAN every day, whether it is a peanut butter chocolate bar or their delicious cookies and cream protein powder. It gives you a steady energy without the sugar, so there are no sugar high or crashes!

Use code TINAUCAN for 20% off of your order. Go here to learn more.

Thanks for listening! I hope you enjoyed today's episode.

To share your thoughts:

Leave a note in the comment section below.

Join the Running for Real Facebook Group and share your thoughts on the episode (or future guests you would like to hear from)

Share this show on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.

To help out the show:

Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews will really help me climb up the iTunes rankings and I promise, I read every single one.

Not sure how to leave a review or subscribe, you can find out here.

Thank you to Chris, I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the show.

"I absolutely believe that I could do whatever I want to do. It's not gonna be easy. Maybe I'll fall on my face, maybe I'll fail ridiculously… but I wanna try." — Nat Mitchell 4 Things We Learn from Nat

1. Relationships

Relationships are beautiful, intricate parts of our lives. Whether it's marriage or friendships, relationships have profound impacts on us and overtime you peel back layers of people and get to know them better. You learn what makes them tick and what makes them happy. "Relationships are so important when you can dig deep within someone's heart and just really figure out who they are," Nat says. And it's not always perfect. It's messy and it can be disappointing, but the more you get to know people at their core, that relationship can be the thing that gets you through turbulent times.

2. Family

Nat's love of running and sport can be traced back to her family. She was just 7 years old when she started running with her parents. Her dad would even run 14 miles to work several times a week. From him, she learned persistence and discipline. Her mom was a model but made it her mission to shield Nat from society's norms about women and their bodies. She taught her to love who she was, no matter what.

3. Patience

Life, like running, has no quick fixes. Just like there's no quick way to get fit, there's no quick way for us to go back to pre-2020 normal. There's no quick way back into running after pregnancy. There's no quick way to achieve your goals. It all requires patience. Even back in Nat's pregnancy, patience was key. Early on, she developed preeclampsia, a complication affecting the kidneys and liver. She shares how it affected running during pregnancy and her ease back into it afterward. Nat recognizes the importance of listening to your body and her advice for women coming back into running from pregnancy or injury, that it's okay to take your time. Ease back into it.

4. Just Try

Nat just turned 48 years old and is still running far. "I know I'm not 21 years old and don't have the freedom someone who can solely focus on running… but I believe I could do whatever I want to do. It won't be easy, maybe I'll fall on my face. Maybe I'll fail ridiculously, but I just want to try." Suite Run Podcast Nat and her husband, Jerold recently launched their podcast called Suite Run. Runners know that every time they're in a new city, they want to find places to run that are safe and easily accessible. Places that allow you to explore the beauty of where you're traveling. With their new podcast, listeners can learn from other runners what their favorite hometown run routes, trails, coffee shops, and cafes are. Next time you're in a new city, you know which run routes to go on and places to check out. Resources: Nat's podcast: Suite Run Podcast Nat's website: Nat Runs Far Nat's Instagram Thank you to my wonderful sponsor Momentous, Tina's New Podcast, and Athletic Greens for sponsoring this episode of the Running for Real Podcast.

Being a tough year with additional stresses on top of an already overwhelming situation means sleep can often be lost...but it is the one thing that we know would help us. Being a former insomniac, I know the frustration going to bed early, yet being unable to switch your brain off can bring. These Momentous Elite Sleep capsules are fantastic and contain Melatonin, Magtein® (Magnesium L-threonate), and Wild Jujube Seed Extract which together will help reduce nighttime anxiety, gently fall asleep and improve circadian rhythm to achieve higher quality sleep.

Go here and use code TINA for 20% off.

Athletic Greens is a simple and easy way to get 75 vitamins, minerals, and whole food source ingredients. Just to help my immune system be stronger and greater! It is so simple to make and it tastes good as well. I used this for my prenatal and I am still using it while breastfeeding.

Now you can get up to a YEAR supply of Vitamin D3 and K2 for free with your first purchase of Athletic Greens through my podcast. Visit here to learn more!

Launching my new podcast with my co-host Knox Robinson from my 200th episode in February. These episodes are going to go a bit deeper when it comes to the running world and the problems we are facing. I am very excited to have Tracksmith funding this project for us. If you want to sign up to be the first to know more about this new podcast sign up here to get more information. Thanks for listening! I hope you enjoyed today's episode.

To share your thoughts:

Leave a note in the comment section below.

Join the Running for Real Facebook Group and share your thoughts on the episode (or future guests you would like to hear from)

Share this show on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.

To help out the show:

Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews will really help me climb up the iTunes rankings and I promise, I read every single one.

Not sure how to leave a review or subscribe, you can find out here.

Thank you to Nat, I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the show.

"Running is a very small part of me as a person. So I do think this entire past year has been a great exercise for athletes to embrace all parts of themselves. To realize that you have more to offer than just running. To feel free to speak your mind about it." — Amelia Boone Love, community, and a strong support network. I think the number one thing I've been seeking all these years is community. Eating disorders are very isolating. They're diseases that thrive in secrecy, she says. It wasn't until understanding that all those lies and secretiveness were impeding the things that I wanted in life: love, community, and a strong support network. Aligning Actions with Core Values The biggest thing in this past year for Amelia is making life decisions in accordance with the values that are important to her. Number one is community, which is the reason she uprooted herself and I moved to Colorado from California because that's where the majority of her friend group is. Her advice is listing your core values and the things that are motivating you and then trying to align your actions with that. Something that helped her navigate this was ACT therapy: acceptance and commitment therapy. We're not athletes in a vacuum Running is a very small part of Amelia. She shares that this past year has been a great exercise for athletes to embrace all parts of themselves. What makes you unique apart from running and sports. For her, she's involved with plenty of other things including being an attorney. Ask yourself– Do you realize that you have more to offer than just running on and like your field? Feel free to speak your mind about it, she says. "Yes, I still run most days, but it's probably third or fourth on my list of things." Looking ahead "I'm just trying to embrace it as another year of adventure on being okay with the unknown," Amelia says. The number one thing to focus on right now is just compassion. Compassion for yourself and compassion for others, because everyone is going through different battles right now. And that, to me, is the one thing that we need more of in this world is just total compassion for each other. Resources:

• Link back to episode 10
• Amelia's website
• Amelia's Instagram

Thank you to my wonderful sponsor Momentous, Goodr, and Tracksmith for sponsoring this episode of the Running for Real Podcast.

Here is a brand new sponsor, Momentous and I'm excited to start this relationship with them. This week I want to highlight Momentous collagen. Use Momentous Collagen Peptides daily for long-term joint health, resilience against injury, and faster return to running. The most popular ways to use are in a smoothie or with your morning coffee! It mixes in super easily and is totally unflavored. Most products claim to be "unflavored" but still carry a strong scent of their source, be it bovine-hide or marine collagen. Ew.

Go here and use code TINA for 20% off.

I have been a fan of goodr for YEARS and I literally have their sunglasses all over my house. I recently had an episode with the Co-Founder Stephen Lease where he talks about the true and real story behind his company and I appreciate him being honest with me about it. The design behind these sunglasses really take into consideration of look and comfort. They are 100% carbon neutral and a part of 1% for the planet and protect to many great organizations who care for our planet deeply. Go here to get 15% off of your order as well as free shipping on your first pair.

Tracksmith is a Boston based running clothing company that truly cares about the quality and care of their running clothes. Running can be a demanding lifestyle for our clothes, they definitely go through the wear and tear to where we may be purchasing new clothes constantly. Tracksmith designers truly work with the finest materials and think of you as a runner in mind with spots for your keys, phone, and fuel. You can also go here to check out my favorites!

You can get $15 off your purchase of $75 or more, click here and enter code TINA15.

Thanks for listening! I hope you enjoyed today's episode.

To share your thoughts:

Leave a note in the comment section below.

Join the Running for Real Facebook Group and share your thoughts on the episode (or future guests you would like to hear from)

Share this show on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.

To help out the show:

Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews will really help me climb up the iTunes rankings and I promise, I read every single one.

Not sure how to leave a review or subscribe, you can find out here.

Thank you to Amelia, I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the show.

*Explicit language warning in this episode "You don't have to solve all the world's problems in one go... You can't solve it all once, but just start doing any something better than nothing." –Stephen Lease Stephen Lease is the CEO and Co-founder of goodr, a company that makes sunglasses that are fun, functional, and affordable. Sunglasses for people who think running is fun. Stephen is an entrepreneur at heart and after five failed businesses, goodr became the one that soared. In this episode, Stephen and Tina reflect on his company's response to a controversial social media post and its evolution since. Stephen shares his own journey as a runner and what it means to merge his love of the sport with his knack for being an entrepreneur, and doing good for the planet. Pineapple Gate and Owning Mistakes Companies are people, and sometimes people make mistakes. Stephen recounts how a few years ago, goodr posted a photo on social media that received a lot of backlash. It was a result of not having the right checks and balances in place. Since then, goodr has been doing a lot of behind the scenes work to ensure this doesn't happen again, and to have much more empathy for the world. "It was not okay," Stephen said. "We didn't have the checks and balances that we do now, but we got to learn from it. We now review everything as a committee so that multiple eyeballs are on it. There's an approval process of names and copy so that this doesn't happen in the future." Fail while daring greatly We live in a world where it's easier to point fingers than it is to look inside. Stephen quotes Theodore Roosevelt's famous"A Man in the Arena" speech reflecting on how sometimes it's better to fail while daring greatly than not playing the game at all. Running Journey Stephen didn't start running until later in life. He ran his first marathon when he was 30 then got into ultras in 2017. "One of the funnest things about running," he says, "is there's just always somebody around the corner that is way faster than you. And I remember meeting people who are 100 mile runners and then saying outlaid to myself, 'there's no way I would ever do that.' And flash forward to being around enough people. Enough friends. Then all of a sudden, something that seemed unobtainable in a moment is like, this is obtainable. It's not gonna be easy, but I could prove to myself that I could do it." The Perfect Storm "I love entrepreneurship and starting companies and business culture. And I loved running. So talk about a perfect storm of things. It all enabled me to marry two sides of my life that I love." Stephen also admits to his privilege as a white heterosexual male in America. He says he grew up in a lower middle-class family, but his parents didn't push him to be anything he didn't want to be. He was problem-solving for himself early on and met his co-founders of goodr back in high school. goodr For the Planet goodr is part of 1% for the Planet, a nonprofit founded by Patagonia for businesses and individuals to commit to donating 1% of their top-line revenue to causes that benefit the Earth. Additionally, goodr has purpose projects where everyone spends 10% of their time on nonprofits or art-related projects. That's where the idea came for becoming a carbon-neutral company. To the team at goodr, it's important for them to offset their carbon footprint as a way to allow athletes– runners, cyclists, golfers– anyone who wears their sunglasses, to feel they too are protecting the outdoors. "You can't solve it all once, but just start doing any something's better than nothing. Progress, not perfection. That's the I think that's the biggest message with the environmental movement," Stephen says. Resources: 1% for the planet Go here to get 15% off at goodr The Science Behind Creatine Video Thank you to my wonderful sponsor Momentous, Tina podcast ad, Athletic Greens for sponsoring this episode of the Running for Real Podcast.

Here is a brand new sponsor, Momentous and I'm excited to start this relationship with them. This week I want to highlight Momentous collagen. Use Momentous Collagen Peptides daily for long-term joint health, resilience against injury, and faster return to running. The most popular ways to use are in a smoothie or with your morning coffee! It mixes in super easily and is totally unflavored. Most products claim to be "unflavored" but still carry a strong scent of their source, be it bovine-hide or marine collagen. Ew.

Go here and use code TINA for 20% off any product as Momentous.

Athletic Greens is a simple and easy way to get 75 vitamins, minerals, and whole food source ingredients. Just to help my immune system be stronger and greater! It is so simple to make and it tastes good as well. I used this for my prenatal and I am still using it while breastfeeding.

Now you can get up to a YEAR supply of Vitamin D3 and K2 for free with your first purchase of Athletic Greens through my podcast. Visit here to learn more!

Launching my new podcast with my co-host Knox Robinson from my 200th episode in February. These episodes are going to go a bit deeper when it comes to the running world and the problems we are facing. I am very excited to have Tracksmith funding this project for us. If you want to sign up to be the first to know more about this new podcast sign up here to get more information.

Thanks for listening! I hope you enjoyed today's episode.

To share your thoughts:

Leave a note in the comment section below.

Join the Running for Real Facebook Group and share your thoughts on the episode (or future guests you would like to hear from)

Share this show on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.

To help out the show:

Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews will really help me climb up the iTunes rankings and I promise, I read every single one.

Not sure how to leave a review or subscribe, you can find out here.

Thank you to Stephen, I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the show.

"The most important thing that I will ever do with my life is finding a way to convince people to believe in their own dreams and to find a way to understand that it's not about the how it's about the thing that drives you to live the life that makes you happiest." — Jon Rankin On your heart Growing up, Jon didn't know he had talent. But he knew he'd accomplish what his heart went after. This led him on a running journey through attending UCLA to then being an alternate in the Olympics. He reminds us that, "Your heart knows all the answers to all the questions that you have about what the heck you're supposed to be doing with your life." We are trained to ignore our intuition and gut because it's not always clear it's the right thing. But Jon says things always work themselves out and that it's about moving forward and doing what makes you happy. On Identity It's easy to get caught up in identifying yourself as a runner, Jon says. We often take up the identity of the sport we do versus the person who does that sport. Jon says this is similar to race. "As a black man, I don't think about being Black. I see myself as a man who happens to be Black. You know, I don't put the color before the person of the human being. I'm a human being." On Parenting Parenting isn't easy, but Jon says it's about time and love. Every mistake is a part of the journey because there's an unspoken understanding that allows those parent-child bonds to never be shaken. He says relationships get better with time and love. On Running Jon has never looked at the rosters to see who he would run against. He didn't want to know. because he felt he didn't need to know. Why? He shares that in running just like in life, you can't dictate how others are going to do, you can only focus on your own performance. Trust your own talent. On Being an Artist "I felt like in many ways, I do anything in life as an artist, I'm a creator. A performer," Jon says. Running is like a performance because you communicate through every step and every surge. You go through the moves, the failures. Running is a canvas you can paint with your efforts. Living with Kidney Disease When he was 26, Jon was going through a routine physical exam a few weeks before the Olympic trials when the doctors discovered he had kidney disease. He was at the top of his athletic career when suddenly gets told he as a progressive terminal illness which ended his professional running career. But Jon chose to see this ending as a new beginning. He made the choice to re-examine what was important in his life. Relationships, family, life's meaning. He questioned everything and suddenly running wasn't as important as it used to be. This led him on the path to starting a family, starting his own business, and still having a positive relationship with the sport. Go Be More In 2007 Jon came up with the idea to start his company called Go Be More based on the fairy tale of the ginger bread man. He saw this story of the little cookie who didn't want to just be born to be eaten. Jon says every human being is born into this world that wants to consume who they are before they have a chance to be who they were born to be. So Go Be More was born. Jon's a writer, a storyteller. He wanted to be like the Ginger Bread Man and inspire others to Go Be More. "We are the gingerbread man. We are born into this world that wants to tell us who we are based on our religion, our sex or sexual orientation, our class our ethnicity. You know what we're born and yet within us, you know, we know that we want to be something more than we're more than what the world says we are so that box that we're born into this identity. It's what the world has placed upon us and so we have to cast it away. We have to find a way to Go Be More. To run towards the thing that truly will help us to be who we were born to be." Jon may have not achieved all the running dreams he had, but he is certainly a happier person because he chased them. Resources: Jon's Website Go Be More's Instagram Jon's Instagram Thank you to my wonderful sponsor Momentous, Generation UCAN, and Tracksmith for sponsoring this episode of the Running for Real Podcast.

Here is a brand new sponsor, Momentous and I'm excited to start this relationship with them. This week I want to highlight Momentous collagen. Use Momentous Collagen Peptides daily for long-term joint health, resilience against injury, and faster return to running. The most popular ways to use are in a smoothie or with your morning coffee! It mixes in super easily and is totally unflavored. Most products claim to be "unflavored" but still carry a strong scent of their source, be it bovine-hide or marine collagen. Ew.

You can go here and use code TINA for 20% off any product as Momentous.

Tracksmith is a Boston based running clothing company that truly cares about the quality and care of their running clothes. Running can be a demanding lifestyle for our clothes, they definitely go through the wear and tear to where we may be purchasing new clothes constantly. Tracksmith designers truly work with the finest materials and think of you as a runner in mind with spots for your keys, phone, and fuel. You can also go here to check out my favorites!

You can get $15 off your purchase of $75 or more, click here and enter code TINA15.

Thank you Generation UCAN, I have been talking about them for years and my ONLY source for fueling while I am training and racing. And without fail I have had a product of UCAN every day, whether it is a peanut butter chocolate bar or their delicious cookies and cream protein powder. It gives you a steady energy without the sugar, so there are no sugar high or crashes!

Use code TINAUCAN for 20% off of your order.

Go here to learn more.

Thanks for listening! I hope you enjoyed today's episode.

To share your thoughts:

Leave a note in the comment section below.

Join the Running for Real Facebook Group and share your thoughts on the episode (or future guests you would like to hear from)

Share this show on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.

To help out the show:

Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews will really help me climb up the iTunes rankings and I promise, I read every single one.

Not sure how to leave a review or subscribe, you can find out here.

Thank you to Jon, I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the show.

This is Michael Gervais's third appearance on the Running for Real podcast and the conversation goes deep into unpacking courage, vulnerability, optimism, growth, and change. As a high-performance psychologist, Michael dedicates his life to helping humans flourish by living in the present moment more often. In this episode he reflects on the accelerated changes 2020 brought to humanity, and the ways we can incorporate those lessons learned in 2021 and our higher purpose lives. Michael is someone who spends his life guiding others through navigating the toughest feats and edges of limits– whether it's high-performance athletes or business executives. But what makes him special is his wisdom in high stakes environments transcends into our daily lives, our own crises, our own athletic goals, career goals, and personal purpose. The most dynamic people work from the inside out They dictate their experience in life, independent of their external circumstances. On the contrary, people who are struggling allow their outside experiences to dictate their inside experience. This is why right now is the time to invest in your inner life because your inner life will reflect how you show up in the outside world. First Principals In 2020 we began having hard conversations with the people around us about things that matter. As our social circles shrunk, our old friendships of "convenience" like people we ran with, went from superficial chats to real talks about illness, politics, and social justice. 2020 re-evaluated our relationship with relationships. Goals support an overarching purpose Michael encourages us to be purpose-driven, not goal-driven. It's about how we engage with life rather than what we want to accomplish in life. Goals are important because they should be structured as a ladder to your higher purpose. It's the intersection of when you're on the edge of your capacity and still able to have a little fun. Setting Intentions Instead of New Year's resolutions, Michael sets a clear intention he wants to explore for the year ahead. He shared that in 2020 his intention had been "play," and that it was challenged quite a bit throughout the year. But having an intention makes it easier to set smaller goals that support that higher purpose. Highlights

• "Crises are a natural accelerant to change."
• "Change is reflected by your personal philosophies."
• "Train for a growth mindset like you train reps in the gym. Train for mindfulness, calm, and confidence."

Resources

• Follow Michael: Finding Mastery | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook
• Compete to Create: Michael's Website: Compete to Create
• Michael on Rich Roll Podcast

Michael's Previous episodes on Running for Real

• Michael Gervais BONUS Episode: Handling Panic and Anxiety
• Michael Gervais: There Are No Shortcuts To Living An Insightful, High Performing Life

Thank you to my wonderful sponsor Momentous, Athletic Greens, and Teas with Meaning for sponsoring this episode of the Running for Real Podcast.

Momentous is having a great giveaway right now but it's not what you are thinking. They are choosing 5 people who will post a photo of themselves on Instagram on how they are doing self care. And those 5 people will win $1000 to be donated to a charity of your choice AND a 1 year supply of a Momentous product of your choice. All you need to do is tag @LiveMomentous and use #progressnotperfection and post the photo anytime before January 1, 2021. AND if you could tag me in there as well that would be great.

Also you can go here and use code TINA for 20% off any product as Momentous.

Athletic Greens is a simple and easy way to get 75 vitamins, minerals, and whole food source ingredients. Just to help my immune system be stronger and greater! It is so simple to make and it tastes good as well. I used this for my prenatal and I am still using it while breastfeeding.

Now you can get up to a YEAR supply of Vitamin D3 and K2 for free with your first purchase of Athletic Greens through my podcast. Visit here to learn more!

Teas With Meaning is committed to providing organic loose leaf tea blends and authentic tea experiences. Developed in the heart of Oakland by educator and tea connoisseur, Kamilah Mitchell, a brain tumor survivor and cancer warrior. Go here to support this wonderful business. Thanks for listening! I hope you enjoyed today's episode.

To share your thoughts:

Leave a note in the comment section below.

Join the Running for Real Facebook Group and share your thoughts on the episode (or future guests you would like to hear from)

Share this show on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.

To help out the show:

Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews will really help me climb up the iTunes rankings and I promise, I read every single one.

Not sure how to leave a review or subscribe, you can find out here.

Thank you to Michael, I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the show.

Hope Virgo embodies true Running for Real spirit. She demonstrates the courage of speaking the truth and being honest with oneself, especially through challenges. Hope has written two books sharing about recovery from eating disorders, mental health campaigner helping young people and employers, and is an advocate for people with eating disorders. In this episode, Hope shares with Tina her story of going through years of anorexia and her journey of recovery, with hopes to shed light on this issue that many people are battling alone. Hope shares that there are so much shame and guilt around anorexia or any eating disorder, that it's difficult for people to accept they have a problem and seek help. She was actually an outpatient at a hospital for 6 months before turning into an inpatient at the hospital and lived there for one year. Then came the daily journey of choosing recovery and choosing to move forward with it every day. Take Aways

1. Embrace how you're feeling on a day to day basis. Don't distract yourself from your emotions. It's braver to say you're having a hard time, rather than bottling it up.
2. Once you start showing vulnerability, it helps pave the way for others to feel more comfortable showing vulnerability.
3. Have a conversation with someone who's struggling and ask them what's going on and how you can support them.
4. In America, only 6% of people with eating disorders are actually underweight. While eating disorders are there, they might not be physically apparent but are very much there mentally.
5. Hope believes in the power of community to help people through their mental health and eating disorders rather than being institutionalized.
6. Be proactive. Have people who help you stay accountable, support networks, and a plan in place.
7. If you know of someone who's struggling, do other activities with them that are not related to food or going out to eat.

Highlights

• "Eating disorders are a mental health issue, not a physical illness." —Hope Virgo
• "People with eating disorders come in all shapes and sizes. They can be people of all different races and backgrounds. 25% of cases are actually male. —Hope Virgo
• "We all have good days and bad days and throughout life, we work our ways up and down that spectrum. It's about replacing those unhealthy coping mechanisms (whether through food or exercise), and replacing them with healthy things that work (like journaling or going for a walk)." —Hope Virgo

Resources: Hope's Website Hope's Instagram #Dumpthescales Campaign Hope's favourite places to go for Support:

1. The Hub of Hope (and not just because it has my name!) – it provides a quick way to pull up a list of services in your area. It also has a crisis text message scheme just in case you need someone to talk to
2. Student Space: Set up by Student Minds has a place for finding support, a place to reach out for support, and blogs to read
3. The Mix: One of the best sites I have come across! It offers online support, as well as a heap of information. It is mainly for under 25 year olds but there is a lot of great stuff on there!

Eating Disorder Help

1. BEAT: BEAT: Helpline: 0808 801 0677 Student line: 0808 801 0811 Youth line: 0808 801 0711 - BEAT provides online support and phone support
2. Anorexia Bulimia Care: another amazing safe place for you to go. And if you are over 18 they also offer a be-friending scheme
3. First Steps ED: A fantastic charity that focuses massively on early intervention, giving you a space to come and speak out up.
4. NEDA : (US Based) – this organization has some brilliant blogs as well as a crisis text messenger service and helpline

Support for Families / Carers

1. FEAST is for parents and carers of those struggling. But again a really valuable space to go for support and to read blogs
2. YoungMinds: Parent helpline 08088025544

University support

1. Student Minds: A huge hub of knowledge – have a look at their blogs and their support sections

Thank you to my wonderful sponsor Metpro and Momentous for sponsoring this episode of the Running for Real Podcast.

I am very pleased to have MetPro as a sponsor for the Running 4 Real podcast. As before they were a great sponsor but not everyone could afford their services, and now they have been working very hard on new technology that can be made for anyone. I'm excited to share MetPro's newest addition––The MetPro Platform, an app that allows you to experience the same science and tailored strategy that their experts use.

This isn't a food logging tool or workout app, the MetPro Platform allows you to start ​tracking​,analyzing​, and ​learning​ what your metabolism responds to best.

Sign up today​ and receive a ​14-day FREE trial!​ ​Click here​ to take advantage of this special offer!

Go here to get 14 days free on the app!

Momentous is having a great giveaway right now but it's not what you are thinking. They are choosing 5 people who will post a photo of themselves on Instagram on how they are doing self care. And those 5 people will win $1000 to be donated to a charity of your choice AND a 1 year supply of a Momentous product of your choice. All you need to do is tag @LiveMomentous and use #progressnotperfection and post the photo anytime before January 1, 2021. AND if you could tag me in there as well that would be great.

Also you can go here and use code TINA for 20% off any product as Momentous.

The founders, Pernell & Rod, created BLK & Bold with a desire to make purpose popular. They welcome the obligation to equip young people with tools to live their best lives and overcome familiar unfortunate circumstances by turning a daily ritual, enjoying a cup of coffee & tea, into a means of giving back. BLK & Bold pledges 5% of its profits to initiatives aligned to sustaining youth programming, enhancing workforce development, and eradicating youth homelessness.

Check them out here to learn more about this amazing company.

Thanks for listening! I hope you enjoyed today's episode.

To share your thoughts:

Leave a note in the comment section below.

Join the Running for Real Facebook Group and share your thoughts on the episode (or future guests you would like to hear from)

Share this show on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.

To help out the show:

Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews will really help me climb up the iTunes rankings and I promise, I read every single one.

Not sure how to leave a review or subscribe, you can find out here.

Thank you to Hope, I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the show.

Alya Alghamdi is a track and field athlete from Saudi Arabia. Growing up in a place where girls couldn't participate in sports, she never imagined she would be on the way to try and represent her country in the Olympics as a female runner. In this episode, Alya shares about fleeing her country and going into hiding in Europe because she didn't want to conform to the cultural traditions of arranged marriage. But it was during her time abroad where she became fascinated with sports like surfing, swimming, cycling, and running. It was through running that she found solace because it was the one thing she could do by herself. Alya's unique story is one of resilience, of persisting through hardship even though the future doesn't look promising. Having faced setbacks like not being able to return to her country for fear of her life, she dedicated herself to studying the law until she found a gap that let her prove she could opt to not have an arranged marriage. Or when she spent years training for the 2016 Olympics and was denied likely because she was older than the others. but while the younger athletes stopped training after their races, Alya kept going. She still keeps going. Alya's spirit is one that is determined to keep breaking barriers. Her story isn't over yet and she's still training and building herself up for the 2021 Olympics and record settings in the 60/100/200 meters. She is striving to have Saudi Arabia honor women equally as men in sports, and her dream is to carry the Saudi flag at the Olympic games. As a symbol that women athletes deserve it just as much. Lessons

1. Turn your phone off while in a workout. Aim for that feeling where nothing else matters except what you're immersing yourself into at that moment.
2. Whatever you give, you get back. Whether in sport, school, or education, whatever you sacrifice or invest in, will be returned to you. It can be relationships, family, hobbies. But you have to give up something in order to make room for what you want.
3. Allow yourself to be inspired by other's stories, but remember everyone's story is different and yours is unique too. So choose things that resonate with your own goals and life.

Highlight

• "Everyone is born with a gift. You just have to be fearless about it." —Alya

Resources

• Alya Instagram
• Connected to Goodness by David Meltzer
• Pages and Time aim to promote literacy within correctional facilities by donating new + used paperback books.

Thank you to my wonderful sponsor Metpro, Generation UCAN, and Alaffia for sponsoring this episode of the Running for Real Podcast.

I am very pleased to have MetPro as a sponsor for the Running 4 Real podcast. As before they were a great sponsor but not everyone could afford their services, and now they have been working very hard on new technology that can be made for anyone. I'm excited to share MetPro's newest addition––The MetPro Platform, an app that allows you to experience the same science and tailored strategy that their experts use.

This isn't a food logging tool or workout app, the MetPro Platform allows you to start ​tracking​,analyzing​, and ​learning​ what your metabolism responds to best.

Sign up today​ and receive a ​14-day FREE trial!​ ​Click here​ to take advantage of this special offer!

Go here to get 14 days free on the app!

Thank you Generation UCAN, I have been talking about them for years and my ONLY source for fueling while I am training and racing. And without fail I have had a product of UCAN every day, whether it is a bar or their delicious cookies and cream protein powder. It gives you a steady energy without the sugar, so there are no sugar high or crashes!

Use code TINAUCAN for 20% off of your order.

Go here to learn more.

This is a great and empowering website, which helps you to really look at the products you are purchasing for your family and friends. A social enterprise that has the goal of empowering empower African communities through the advancement of Fair Trade, education, sustainable living and gender equality. They have products for hair, face, body, babies and kids, lifestyle products, and a few supplements.

Go and check out their products and the good work here.

Thanks for listening! I hope you enjoyed today's episode.

To share your thoughts:

Leave a note in the comment section below.

Join the Running for Real Facebook Group and share your thoughts on the episode (or future guests you would like to hear from)

Share this show on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.

To help out the show:

Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews will really help me climb up the iTunes rankings and I promise, I read every single one.

Not sure how to leave a review or subscribe, you can find out here.

Thank you to Alya, I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the show.