Grayson Murphy is the 2019 World Mountain Running Champion, 6th place finisher in the Olympic Trials for the Steeplechase, and a 5X collegiate All American.   She's also an environmentalist, mental health advocate and entrepreneur who makes journals for training and life. I met Grayson two years ago at a running trade show and she gave me one of her journals, which I used last year. So, I was very happy to be reconnected to Grayson by our partners at Nuun. I know that most of you don't need an introduction to Nuun. They make electrolyte solutions without sugar.  I've used Nuun in my training for years, and am still using them now as I train for the NYC Marathon. I also know that many of the people in our community love Nuun as well-- because I see so many of you posting about it on our social media channels.   So huge thanks to Nuun for sponsoring us, and for reconnecting me with Grayson! #EveryMileMatters!

Grayson Murphy - On Mountains and Mental Health

Welcome to The Extra Mile, the official Charity Miles podcast where each week we interview people who are going the extra mile for health and to make an impact.  Each interview is conducted outdoors on a walk or run with our guest.  And we invite you to turn on your Charity Miles and come along for the walk or run with us.

Fitness & Nutrition

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Health & Fitness

It’s also a great privilege for me to share today’s interview with Kara Goucher.  Kara is a two-time Olympian, World Championship medalist, and one of the most accomplished and admired long-distance runners of our time.  Beyond her competitive achievements, Kara is also a passionate advocate for clean sport and gender equity, an inspiring speaker, author, podcaster and NBC broadcaster for track and field.  She’s someone who continues to inspire runners of all levels. As we’ll talk about in this interview, two years ago, Kara began slipping while she was running.  And after seeing multiple doctors, she was diagnosed with Runner’s Dystonia, a neurological disorder with some similarities to Parkinson’s.  Many of you may remember the interview I did with my friend, and fellow Team Foxer, Justine Galloway, who also has Runner’s Dystonia.  So this is something we’ll also talk about in this episode. Kara also as a unique and hard-won perspective on the power of brands to affect social change, and the power that we have as people– individually and collectively– to move and work with them to do so.   Most recently, Kara has partnered with Brooks Running, a brand that holds a very special place in our hearts here at Charity Miles.  Whenever we ask you what brands you want us to partner with, Brooks is always the #1 response. Which is why we are so thrilled to also be partnering with Brooks this year. For over a century, Brooks has been propelled by a never-ending curiosity with how humans move. It drives their every decision and every innovation. Because they believe movement is the key to feeling more alive. And we’re all moving towards something. It could be the top of a mountain, a first-ever 5K, or peace of mind after a stressful day.  It could be a cure for Parkinson’s, a cleaner planet, fair play. So… let’s run there. With gear and experiences specifically designed to take you to that place. Whether it’s a headspace, a feeling, or a finish line. Let’s run there. Head to BrooksRunning.com to learn more.  

Kara Goucher - Use Your Voice

Sami Inkinen is the Co-Founder and CEO of Virta Health, which is reversing type two diabetes through nutrition, lifestyle change, and a new standard of medical care. Prior to Virta, Sami was the Co-Founder and COO of Trulia, which many of you probably used to find a house or apartment. Sami took Trulia public and then sold it to Zillow. Sami is also an Ironman Age Group Champion and all-around world-class endurance athlete. To raise awareness about the dangers of sugar and its connection to diabetes, Sami and his wife rowed from California to Hawaii—2,750 miles, completely unsupported.  I've been personally lucky to know Sami for over ten years now.  I was introduced to Sami through the Global Good Fund, a fellowship program for social entrepreneurs.  Sami became my mentor through GGF, and has always been generous with his time and insight whenever I need it through the years. I've wanted to record this interview for a long time. Big thanks to Sami for sharing so much with us. #EveryMileMatters!

Sami Inkinen - Reversing Type 2 Diabetes

Today's interview is with Jenny Lawson, the president and CEO of Keep America Beautiful, a leading national nonprofit that inspires and educates people to take action every day to improve and beautify their community environment. Established in 1953, Keep America Beautiful provides the expertise, programs, and resources to help people end littering, improve recycling, beautify America's public spaces, and restore and support resilient communities.   Before joining Keep America Beautiful, Jenny was the Chief Civic Innovation Officer at Points of Light where she led forward thinking initiatives, partnerships, and campaigns to advance the mission of Points of Light around the world. She designed, led, and championed programs and research to aid companies in achieving their social change goals through the actions of their employees, including the Corporate Service, Council of Leading Brands, the Civic 50, Ranking of Community Minded Companies, and a newly developed digital community, the Community for Employee Civic Engagement.  So needless to say, I think Jenny has a lot of expertise on how nonprofits can work with companies and communities to advance social change, which is a topic that I know all of us are interested in, particularly those of us who are part of the Charity Miles Employee Empowerment Program.  One of those companies is AT&T; which is supporting Keep America Beautiful now through our Employee Empowerment Program, and connected us with Jenny for this interview.   I met Jenny in a park up in Connecticut, and we recorded this as a live walking webinar with our members and AT&T;'s employees.  It was a bit rainy, but that didn't seem to faze Jenny one bit. Huge thanks to Jenny for all of her insight, and to AT&T; for their partnership in bringing this to life. #EveryMileMatters!

Jenny Lawson - President & CEO of Keep America Beautiful

On March 8th, I ran the Jerusalem Marathon. As you surely know, Israel is in the middle of a war that started on October 7th.  I, like everyone, have a mix of different feelings about this. But I didn't go to Jerusalem to make a statement about my own feelings. I went to listen and try and share what others in Israel are feeling right now. I think a marathon is a great way to experience the true essence of a place. The New York City Marathon feels like New York City.  The Moab Canyonlands marathon feels like the Moab Canyonlands... And the Jerusalem Marathon feels like Israel.   If you listen to this, I hope you feel it too. #EveryMileMatters    

Jerusalem Marathon

Maria Baltazzi is an Emmy Award winning television producer, traveler, marathon walker who raises money for cancer charities, author and longtime Charity Miler with over 8500 Charity Miles!   Maria recently wrote a book called "Take a Shot at Happiness" which invites and coaches us to explore happiness in our own lives. While Maria discovered that her own "happiness essentials" include faith, self-love and physical health, she encourages people to explore and understand their own personal meanings of happiness. She also draws from her experience as a producer on shows like Survivor to help us all think like storytellers to script, perform in and capture our own reality shows of happiness. Thank you to Maria for sharing so much with us. Thanks also to our sponsors at Factor 75. Eating better is easy with Factor’s delicious, ready-to-eat meals. Every fresh, never-frozen meal is chef-crafted, dietitian-approved, and ready to go in just 2-minutes.  You’ll have over 35 different options to choose from every week, including Calorie Smart, Protein Plus, and Keto. Also, there are more than 60 add-ons to help you stay fueled up and feeling good all day long.  I've been enjoying Factor for two months now, as I get back in shape. I've lost 15 pounds since starting Factor, and I've taken nearly 90 seconds off my mile pace for my long runs. My favorite things about Factor are:   The variety of meals, all of which have been delicious. The convenience.  They're really ready in less than two minutes which makes the healthy choice the easy choice when it comes to mealtime during a busy/hectic schedule.  You all know that we work hard to develop partnerships with brands that we believe in, brands that share our values, and brands that can help us all live healthier and make an impact. That's why we're truly grateful for our partnership with Factor and I hope you'll check them out. Head to Factor75.com and use code MILES to get 50% off your first box while subscription is active.    --- Here are some noteworthy timestamps for the interview.... 02:59 Maria's Journey with Charity Miles 04:08 Maria's Role on Survivor and Connection to Ethan Zohn 06:19 Maria's Transition from Producer to Author 06:46 Understanding Happiness through Survivor 08:27 Maria's Personal Journey to Happiness 09:19 The Role of Storytelling in Happiness 10:06 The Power of Photography in Capturing Happiness 17:06 The Impact of Storytelling on Personal Behavior 25:40 The Foundational Three Elements of Happiness 29:07 Exploring the Concept of Happiness 30:00 Making a Choice for Happiness 31:04 The Role of Education in Happiness 31:47 Personalizing Your Happiness Essentials 33:09 The Importance of Exploration in Happiness 35:13 The Role of Faith in Happiness 37:21 The Problem with Prescriptive Self-Help Books 38:18 Understanding Happiness as a Choice 45:53 Practical Steps to Cultivate Happiness 51:48 The Connection Between Happiness and Resilience 

Grayson Murphy - On Mountains and Mental Health

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