Fresh off the Boston Marathon weekend, we talk about EVERYTHING that happened from Thursday to Marathon Monday, including seeing Kara Goucher and Alysia Montaño, fawning over senior penguins, and getting to bring in the final finishers at the 26.True Marathon!

We are also excited to share our FIRST SPONSOR, Pen & Paces! A local, AAPI-woman-owned small business, Pen & Paces is all about supporting every runner in their own, unique running journey.  Check out the bestselling, Custom Bib Kit, which Stef and I wore at the 2024 New York City Marathon! 

We saw hundreds of runners sporting them out on the course at both the Boston Marathon and the 26.True Marathon this year! The bib kits make it super easy for loved ones and spectators to call out your name and cheer for you!

Grab your Pen & Paces Custom Bib Kit for any of your upcoming Spring races, and get 20% off when you use code MAKINGSTRIDES at checkout!

We hope you enjoy our Boston Marathon weekend recap, and, as always, we are so grateful that all of you are here! #Keepshowingup and keep making strides in being the change we wish to see!

Special thanks to our Audio Engineer, ⁠⁠Mark Kalagayan⁠⁠, from the non-profit, ⁠⁠SPARC Worldwide⁠⁠.

The Making Strides Podcast is about building representation and about changing the ways we expect ourselves and others to show up in the running world. If you enjoy this convo please share about us with your friends! And of course, we appreciate your subscribing and leaving a rating and review.

#MakingStridesPod

#letsFlippindothis

#diversewerun

Show Notes:

01:00 - how Carolyn has been since marathon weekend

03:40 - how Stef has been

05:50 - Stef’s upcoming Spring race plans

09:25 - significance of how the marathon weekend overlapped with the 250th anniversary of the start of the Revolutionary War

10:35 - Boston Marathon Wreath Ceremony!

20:00 - Boston Marathon Expo!

24:50 - Stef getting to see the burial site of her 12th-great-ancestor, who was one of the original settlers of the United States

42:00 - BAA 5K and the 26.True Marathon

58:10 - lululemon Shakeout Run

1:02:40 - why we visited the New England Aquarium

1:07:50 - Carolyn’s morbid pre-marathon tradition

1:15:50 - Marathon Monday!

1:33:30 - our first SPONSOR announcement!

Links:

Pen & Paces code MAKINGSTRIDES for 20% off

Find Stef ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠

Find Carolyn ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠

“We are teaching and showing the next generation that our democracy is important and that it is worth fighting for.”

In this episode, we wrestle with how to continue carrying on in running and racing, while also staying informed and taking action amidst the uncertain and scary times. We are still asking,  “where do we go from here?”

Carolyn shares about what it was like for her to bring her family to a local protest-rally and how it gave her hope. She and Stef also talk about how change will require all of us to take on risk.

As we prepped for the whirlwind of the Boston Marathon weekend, we did so in recognition of how it is truly a privilege to get to run and to race with the freedoms we have. 

We are so grateful for your presence here in this sport! Remember that you are not alone, and thanks for being here. #Keepshowingup and keep making strides in being the change we wish to see.

Special thanks to our Audio Engineer, ⁠⁠Mark Kalagayan⁠⁠, from the non-profit, ⁠⁠SPARC Worldwide⁠⁠.

The Making Strides Podcast is about building representation and about changing the ways we expect ourselves and others to show up in the running world. If you enjoy this convo, please share about us with your friends! Of course, we always appreciate you subscribing and leaving a positive rating and review.

#MakingStridesPod

#letsFlippindothis

#diversewerun

Show Notes:

01:05 - plans for the Boston Marathon weekend!

02:40 - this year’s plans with the 26.True Marathon

07:00 - Carolyn’s current perspective and routine in running and exercise

08:30 - Stef’s recent trip to Arizona with GU Energy Labs and what she gained from her time with the people there

24:40 - the ‘Hand’s Off’ Rally in Boston, and Carolyn’s experience bringing her family to participate

45:30 - “We all have to risk something, in order to make meaningful change.”

46:30 - where are we finding hope

Additional Links:

support the Denver Gay Men's Chorus

“This is bigger than democrat or republican; we’re all connected. This is about taking care of each other and about the promises we’ve made to each other.”

This was an emotionally heavy episode, though we spend the first half talking about our new hobbies (aka, our coping mechanisms). As policies and politics continue to impact our lives, we have been asking the questions, “where do we go from here? How do we move forward?”

If you’re also feeling the weight of current events in our nation right now, we hope you know you are not alone. We hope that you are taking actions to take care of yourself, as well as to care for your community. As Stef says in this episode, “we agreed to take care of each other and to have and preserve freedoms here," and for as long as it takes, we will keep doing so, however we can.

We are grateful for you all! #Keepshowingup and keep making strides in being the change we wish to see.

Special thanks to our Audio Engineer, ⁠⁠Mark Kalagayan⁠⁠, from the non-profit, ⁠⁠SPARC Worldwide⁠⁠.

The Making Strides Podcast is about building representation and about changing the ways we expect ourselves and others to show up in the running world. If you enjoy this convo, please share about us with your friends! Of course, we always your subscribing and leaving a positive rating and review.

#MakingStridesPod

#letsFlippindothis

#diversewerun

Show Notes:

01:15 - Carolyn’s new hobby

14:20 - Stef’s current relationship with running

33:50 - the current state of the nation and its impact on our mental health and wellness

49:20 - Stef’s reflections on the Bernie & AOC rally in Denver

Find Stef ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠

Find Carolyn ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠

“As someone who grew up in a time when girls were pitted against each other and seen as competition, I love that we’re in this era where, just being in each other’s corners is celebrated!”

This is the GIVE HER FLOWERS episode! We talk about the women who inspire us, the women who have moved us to action, and the young women we are raising. In light of Women’s History Month (March) and in recognition of International Women’s Day (March 8th), we want to specifically thank every female here for all the ways you show up in your spheres of influence, everyday. We know that you do so while juggling the needs of those who depend on you and while navigating the various biases and stereotypes that others places upon you; and yet you continue to show up, day after day, with strength, courage, grace, and wisdom.

We see you, and we celebrate you!

As always, we are so grateful that all of you are here in this space, in the sport, and in this world! #Keepshowingup and keep making strides in being the change we wish to see!

Special thanks to our Audio Engineer, ⁠⁠Mark Kalagayan⁠⁠, from the non-profit, ⁠⁠SPARC Worldwide⁠⁠.

The Making Strides Podcast is about building representation and about changing the ways we expect ourselves and others to show up in the running world. If you enjoy this convo please share about us with your friends! And of course, we would appreciate you subscribing and leaving a rating and review.

#MakingStridesPod

#letsFlippindothis

#diversewerun

Show Notes:

00:45 - Happy International Women’s Day! What does Women’s History Month mean to you?

02:50 - flowers for everyone

06:15 - Joy and Jo Banner, sisters who are reclaiming American history through the Descendants Project

13:40 - the legacy of Connie Chung, who broke barriers for women and Asian Americans in journalism and news broadcasting 

17:20 - the advocacy and representation led by NCAA runner, Ali Upshaw, of Northern Arizona University

27:35 - the realities of safety that we still deal with in running

42:15 - looking to build up the next generation of young women

Links:

The Descendants Project (IG)

Connie: A Memoir, by Connie Chung

Ali Upshaw (IG)

Raising Worry-Free Girls, by Sissy Goff

Liz Rock (IG), co-founder of the TrailBlazHers

Ashley Mitchell (IG), founder of The Courage Campaign

Find Stef ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠

Find Carolyn ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠

“We want to believe that, when seeing harm being done, we will rise to the level of our expectations, but the reality is, most of us will fall to the level of our training.” - Stefanie

In this episode, Carolyn and Stef talk about Stef’s newest addition to the family (spoiler: she has four paws and gives lots of kisses!), Carolyn’s new fitness endeavors, and the intersection of race, politics, and running. 

“As women who are also People of Color, there is no way we can separate politics from running or from life. All of our lives are affected by policy.” - Carolyn

It’s a conversation you don’t want to miss!

We are so grateful you’re here in this space, in the sport, and in this world! #Keepshowingup and keep making strides in being the change we wish to see!

Special thanks to our Audio Engineer, ⁠⁠Mark Kalagayan⁠⁠, from the non-profit, ⁠⁠SPARC Worldwide⁠⁠.

The Making Strides Podcast is about building representation and about changing the ways we expect ourselves and others to show up in the running world. We hope you enjoy this convo (take us with you on your next run!), and if you do, please subscribe and leave a rating and review!

#MakingStridesPod

#letsFlippindothis

#diversewerun

Show Notes:

00:15 - Stef’s new family addition!

11:00 - Carolyn’s foray into OrangeTheory Fitness!

21:45 - thoughts on the current running boom

28:10 - the audiobook, James, by Percival Everett

31:15 - connection to Ra’Shaude Kenney, the co-founder of the Space City Elite Running Team, and his experience as a Black runner

33:00 - the stigma of running

39:30 - the book, Defy: the Power of No in a World That Demands Yes, by Sunita Sat

47:30 - the consequences and cost of defiance that Carolyn experienced, speaking up with Tracksmith Running

55:20 - Stef’s example of struggling with defiance, while practicing medicine

Links:

James, by Percival Everett (also available here)

Audiobook version (which Carolyn highly recommends!)

Ra’Shaude Kenney’s story on the 26.2 Foundation

Defy: The Power of No in a World That Demands Yes, by Sunita Sah (also available here)

Find Stef ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠

Find Carolyn ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠

Staying true to our commitment to record more episodes this year, we hop back on after the Lunar New Year to discuss a variety of topics, ranging from 2025 being Stef’s lucky year, to how Jesse Eisenberg’s directorial debut embodies the representation we didn’t know we needed!

We also dive into the significance of identifying your Core Values and allowing those to guide decisions, what to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to, instead of operating either out of the fear of missing out or the fear of losing relevance and impact. 

As always, the Making Strides Podcast is about building representation and about changing the ways we expect ourselves and others to show up in the running world. We hope you enjoy this convo (take us with you on your next run!), and if you do, please subscribe and leave a rating and review!

We are so grateful you’re here — in this space, in the sport, and in this world! #keepshowingup, keep taking up space, and keep on being the change we wish to see.

Special thanks to our Audio Engineer, ⁠⁠Mark Kalagayan⁠⁠, from the non-profit, ⁠⁠SPARC Worldwide⁠⁠.

#MakingStridesPod

#letsFlippindothis

#diversewerun

Show Notes:

1:00 - Is the name “Lunar New Year” actually accurate?!

7:01 - The Year of the Snake and The Year of Stef!

13:10 - Time management and multi-tasking

20:10 - How meditation practice is going

23:15 - Identifying core values 

43:05 - “A Real Pain” movie

55:45 - What’s ahead

56:40 - Coaching athletes for WSER for GU and Rising Hearts, building representation and giving access to overlooked communities

1:02:35 - Upcoming travels

Links:

Free trial to Op-e-n Meditation App

Live Your Values Card Deck

Armchair Expert Podcast with Jesse Eisenberg

Western State athletes being sponsored by GU Energy Labs and Rising Hearts:

Miki Sawada

Faith Akioyamen

Scott Flatlip

Find Stef ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠

Find Carolyn ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠

Hello, 2025! In this episode, we catch up with each other after the holiday season, and we also discover how we are both in a similar season, in regards to our relationship with running social media. We talk about Seasonal Affective Disorder, meditation, laying on the ground at races, and toilet paper ornaments!

We also spend time talking about the immediate impact that the new, presidential administration has already made on people in the running community and in our personal lives.

This conversation is about everything, everywhere, all in 90-ish minutes! We hope you find it relatable and encouraging. As always, we are so grateful you’re here: in this space, in the sport, and in this world! #keepshowingup, keep running, and keep on being the change you wish to see.

Special thanks to our Audio Engineer, ⁠⁠Mark Kalagayan⁠⁠, from the non-profit, ⁠⁠SPARC Worldwide⁠⁠.

Show Notes:

00:25 - welcome to the new year!

01:30 - Stef gets back into the practice of meditation

09:50 - the drive towards constant productivity and how that translates into how we run and train

21:10 - Carolyn's break from all the social media running hype

22:50 - going back to the WHY's of running

30:00 - Seasonal Affective Disorder, and how it's shown up

39:10 - what running looks like for Stef right now

49:15 - the realities that many in the running community face now, following the newly signed Executive Orders

57:15 - it's okay to change your mind after getting new information; it's okay to say, "I used to think one way, and I was wrong."

1:10:00 - we're all impacted by policy, and trying to keep running insulated from politics is a privilege

1:12:50 - looking ahead

Links:

Op-e-n Meditation App

Help those affected by the Eaton Fire

Donate to Community Resources in Altadena

Support Displaced Black Families in Altadena & Pasadena

Find Stef ⁠⁠here⁠⁠

Find Carolyn ⁠⁠here⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠here⁠⁠

#MakingStridesPod

#letsFlippindothis

#diversewerun

A little overdue, but it’s here: the recap (or…post mortem?!) of everything surrounding this year’s New York City Marathon weekend! 

Stef and Carolyn breakdown the course experience ‘chunk by chunk’ and also celebrate the fact that it was Carolyn’s return to the marathon distance after six, long years away due to injury. Stef shares her BTS perspective as a professional athlete who traveled to this world major marathon not to race, but rather, to support a friend, and how this kind of participation is often an overlooked aspect of the sport.

Of course, there’s also a discussion about the infamous, e-bike-induced controversy surrounding Matt Choi, which points to the bigger discussion about run-fluencers, content creators, and co-existence (does harmony exist?!). 

There are lots of surprises, star-encounters, and personal “IMHO” reflections. We hope you enjoy our conversation as much as we did! 

Special thanks to our Audio Engineer, ⁠⁠Mark Kalagayan⁠⁠, from the non-profit, ⁠⁠SPARC Worldwide⁠⁠.

As always, we are so grateful you’re here — in this space, in the sport, and in this world! #keepshowingup, keep running, and keep on being the change we wish to see.

#MakingStridesPod

#letsFlippindothis

#diversewerun

Find Stef ⁠⁠here⁠⁠

Find Carolyn ⁠⁠here⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠here⁠⁠

Hello again, everyone! We’re back after a brief break for the summer, and, just like the quick turn into the Fall season, we get right back into racing!

In this episode, we talk about some big wins — both on and off the race course: Stef has been on a solid, health-centered training trajectory, and she’s made some big wins in the ultra and trail space in the last month! Carolyn has also been working hard in her comeback-to-marathoning journey, and she talks about how her own life lessons have helped her encourage her son, who has entered the world of cross country and track.

Both Stef and Carolyn will be running the NYC Marathon at the beginning of November, and they talk about plans for race weekend and beyond.

Show Notes

0:05 - welcome welcome! Catching up after summer break

3:10 - Stef’s BIG WIN at the Above the Clouds 50K, and she talks about why the race and this past year’s training were so significant

8:45 - Stef talks about developing confidence and practicing assertiveness 

18:20 - hunting men and strategy on the race course

22:30 - Stef’s thoughts on safety when racing in rural areas, especially as an Asian American woman

38:55 - discussion on the impact of comparison, and Carolyn talks about navigating the Comparison Trap for herself while simultaneously also helping to coach her son through it

46:20 - diving into the NYC Marathon! Carolyn shares why this training block has been so significant for her

1:01:00 - Carolyn shares about the mental training and work she’s done with sports psychologist, Emily Saul, and how it has changed the way she views the future

Make sure to follow the ⁠Rising Hearts⁠ team and cheer on athlete Kali Ko Reis and Rising Hearts founder, ⁠Jordan Whetstone⁠, at the NYC Marathon!

Special thanks to our Audio Engineer, ⁠⁠Mark Kalagayan⁠⁠, from the non-profit, ⁠⁠SPARC Worldwide⁠⁠.

As always, we are so grateful you’re here — in this space, in the sport, and in this world! #keepshowingup, keep running, and keep on being the change we wish to see.

#MakingStridesPod

#letsFlippindothis

#diversewerun

Find Stef ⁠⁠here⁠⁠

Find Carolyn ⁠⁠here⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠here⁠⁠

A recent article on irunfar.com made quite a splash, when the [white] authors called for feedback on the new 'progressive' initiatives launched by the Pro Trail Runners Association, and BIPOC women answered by calling out the lack of intersectionality and diversity.

In this episode, Stef and Carolyn address the harm that was caused while still acknowledging the good intent behind the initiatives, and they discuss the bigger picture of why feminism and inclusivity must be addressed with an openness to accountability.

Show Notes

1:25 - diving into Western States 100 (WSER) and the [lack of] diversity, inclusivity, and accessibility

4:00 - "you can be a good human and still make mistakes"

5:10 - overview of WSER, including pre-race events

7:30 - context for on-going concerns with spotlight ultra events such as WSER/UTMB and the driving force behind initiatives for change

9:50 - "what we don't need is continued divisiveness; we need to hold accountability and a path forward in how to educate and work together."

11:20 - "let's not make the mistake of making the discomfort of addressing a problem, the actual problem."

12:25 - article on irunfar and what was problematic about it

15:50 - inclusion is not implied; it needs to be explicitly addressed

17:40 - DM from BIPOC ultra trail runner who was at WSER

23:55 - the imperative to speak up and why it matters

24:50 - the cost of the White Gaze

29:10 - not acknowledging an aspect (like race) of a person is erasure

37:20 - what would it be like to be able to purely focus on performance goals without having to also hold the weight of inequities, invisibility, and representation?

43:00 - burnout

54:35 - real change happens when you enter into relationships

58:50 - true inclusion requires safety

1:03:00 - looking ahead

Additional Links:

GU Energy Labs and their work with Rising Hearts and athlete Alexandria Staten

Filmmaker and Rising Hearts founder, Jordan Whetstone

Filmmaker and Podcaster, Faith E. Briggs, who intentionally centers work by BIPOC individuals across the globe

Find Stef ⁠here⁠

Find Carolyn ⁠here⁠ and ⁠here⁠