May 03, 2022

Mina Wageh Ebrahem & the Cocodona 250

1 hour 50 minutes

In S2Ep2 of the PRP, Adam is enlightened by Egyptian native turned NYC enthusiast, seasoned ultra marathoner and physical therapist Mina Wageh Ebrahem who has been preparing for the Cocodona 250 on May 2nd, 2022. Having just ran Boston only a couple weeks ago, Mina opens up about an injury he sustained last fall and explains how his approach to preparation over the past few months has been different than normal. Mina gets vulnerable and opens up about the struggles he experienced living in NYC during the pandemic; as someone who was working in nursing homes, he credits his tailored history as a distance runner as the primary source fueling his desire to stay and continue to help those in need. The PRP listenership then learns why and how Mina's unique upbringing and personal story has given birth to the holistic way he approaches training and wellness in general. His mantra? Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy. If you're not doing this, then stop it!

For the first time in PRP history, no guest host joins the show, which provides ample time for Mina to apprise the audience with his masterclass strategies for scheduling out his calendar year of races. Before COVID, Mina was putting in 15-20 solid race performances a year, a statistic that is equal parts amazing and insane. Mina shares some brilliant stories about how running has become a massive part of his social life as he artfully gabbers about some of his experiences hitting the NYC streets with his running club Orchard Street Runners. Mina then opens up about his relationship with Strava (an app that he was hesitant to start using for years) and discusses why, for him, it is primarily a community platform that extends far beyond the boundaries of running. Strava has given Mina the ability to connect with individuals in an innovative and unique way and he is forever grateful to those responsible for bringing this platform to life.

Mina & Adam get into the race-strategy weeds as Mina tells the tale of his recent top 10 finish at the Bigfoot 200 in August '21. How does he do it?! His approach is a combination of compartmentalizing aid stations and running chapter by chapter along with following these few simple rules: Eat, Drink, Dance and Go! In true-to-Mina form, he then emphasizes the importance of engaging with other runners in the field. In his not-so-humble opinion, if you're not enjoying yourself and building new relationships along the way, you're missing the mark.

What is Mina's secret nutritional ingredient that he never races without? What is Mina's hot take on race prep and why is being over prepared for your race a bad thing? Does Mina hate morning runs?! What is so unique about Mina's first marathon story?! Is Mina's "A goal" for every single race the same, and if so, what is it?! Who were the two beautiful women speaking Arabic that Mina met in the middle of the night in the Moab desert? Ummm, is Mina booking Airbnb's at aid stations during his races based on his course progress? Wait, wait, wait... does Mina not lean on the support of a crew for these epics outings on the trail?!? All of this and SO MUCH MORE in this fulfilling and enlightening 1-on-1 edition of the PRP.

Recorded April 27th @ 10:00PM EST

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