RaceMob - Running Together Podcast

#65 - What can we say about Vanessa, this entrepreneurial bad-ass and Bay Area legend is here to tell it how it is. Her incredible introduction into running is quite literally the stuff that movies are made out of: an overweight, overworked 13-year-old Vanessa decided to change her life and ended up losing over 60 pounds. 

And then just two years later, competing in and then winning a marathon. This was before most races even had a female entrance. The story highlights, the hard work and dedication that Vanessa just exudes, even though an Achilles injury derailed her running career, it didn't stop her from helping people as one of the most sought after personal trainers on the planet. 

Vanessa has a long client list. And so many success stories that she's actually in the middle of publishing a book. After taking years away from the sport, she's back to dominating these long-distance runs. And she has so many tips for athletes nuggets, for those people looking to lose weight and tidbits for those looking for some extra motivation. 

Heck, this driven entrepreneur even purchased a boxing gym during the middle of the pandemic. But she's the proudest of the charitable organization that she's founded that helps every single foster kid in Santa Clara.

#64 - Hey, RaceMob crew on today's episode, we have Wonder Woman, Nicole Shehadi Varnell.  

I met this mother of three a year ago at a Hammertime workout, and man, she just crushed me. Little did I know a year later she'd be hitting new PRS, participating in competitive triathlons, and placing in numerous races. 

She's also going for the 50 marathons in 50 states challenge, and you'll be able to hear about it in this episode. She thanks Coach "B" for the guidance over the year. But in truth, we know Nicole has a motor that just won't quit. 

But we're just so fortunate to really hear Nicole's heroine story. It's certainly an emotional one full of ups and downs, and we're just grateful to get to know her on a more personal level. 

#63 - In this episode, we wanted to circle back. It's been a little while since we've actually jumped on the podcast, talk to our audience, so much has happened since we started off the year.

Kevin's going to be a father in the next couple of months. Bertrand is rocking the community with Hammertime and our athletes are just flourishing right now.

#62 - John Burton is an ultramarathoning badass!  Not only is this ultra-fit speed demon from Michigan known to rock the speedo from time to time, but what really struck me is how humble and warm John really is.

Sure, he has so many race wins, podium finishes, and has absolutely crushed a number of different events.  But John also highlights the numerous times that races didn't go his way.

We often talk about the GRIT needed to achieve your best, to dust yourself off when you fall, and become a better version of yourself.  John has this in spades, and it's so evident throughought the conversation.  Maybe it was highlighted the most when we talked in detail about his participation in the Barkley Marathon - a race known for being the most grueling on the planet!

Where only the most elite are invited, and after hearing his story - you'll understand why.  Shortly after recording this episode - we found out that John suffered a fairly significant injury - so we want to wish him a speedy recovery.

We're also happy to announce that John will be a weekly RaceMob contributor!  John will be answering your running questions in a weekly column on our site.  So subscribe to our newsletter to ask questions and see John's answers.

#61 - Hey, there RaceMob crew! Before we get into this episode, we wanted to let you know that we're running a hydration challenge through the end of this month. You're going to be eligible to win a hammer nutrition prize pack. Thanks to our good friend, Brian, who's featured in this episode. 

As we talk about in this episode, the best thing that you can do to be hydrated on race date is to stay hydrated in your daily life. And for many of us that means drinking upwards of a hundred ounces a day. Now we don't want you to go from zero to a hundred right away. 

But that's where this challenge is extremely important. All we want you to do is drink 16 ounces of water. When you wake up and start being mindful of your hydration strategy throughout the day. Go to RaceMob.com/hydration for your daily chance to win this prize pack. 

Now into this episode where Brian really dives into his detailed race day, fueling and hydration strategy, Including what to do if you like the flavored water and what should you, if you don't like flavored water. 

We dive into his recovery protocol and a recent sodium study that he says is a total game changer.

Plus there's a supplement that he's extremely excited about. And after chatting with Brian, I went directly to hammer to go try it myself. Plus got some for my dog. 

What is the supplement? Well, you're just going to have to tune in, to find out!

#60 -  In this episode we're featuring Brian Frank, the founder and CEO of Hammer Nutrition. 

Hammer is one of the most trusted brands in endurance sports. And Brian is one of the most knowledgeable guests that we've ever had. If you've never heard of hammer nutrition. Well, that might be by design. 

Hammer focuses their marketing efforts on grassroots events, the very backbone that makes up our industry. They have a phone number where you can call them anytime and ask them questions and they focus on making quality products. 

This conversation was so good, it went on for two hours. So we decided to split it up into two episodes. 

In this episode, you're going to learn how an unorthodox childhood directly led to the start of hammer nutrition. 

We'll talk about:
- the early days of hammer and how Brian started the company at the age of 20 in his apartment in San Francisco;
- the supplement stack that he recommends everybody take, regardless of their activity level;
- why the fueling philosophy he lives by is less is best, and;
- what this means for athletes, especially those looking for maximum performance on race day.

#059 - We have a number of new episodes already recorded and ready for August and September.  But we wanted to revisit one of our favorite conversations as we approach our 60th episode.

How apt as well - as we're launching two incredible challenges in August.

1st - If you're looking to join a small community that's going to focus on achieving a goal together - then join our August Commitment Challenge.  You can get paired with new runners, those looking to lose weight, runners looking to run further, or those looking for a performance boost.  Each group will be led by an incredible coach - with weekly zoom calls - and the challenge is free this month as we're alpha testing it.  Join the challenge at https://racemob.com/challenge

2nd - We're going to be launch a fun hydration challenge towards the end of the month featuring Hammer Nutrition.  We'll have daily hydration tips on social media.  Simply drink 16 ounces of water as soon as you wake up, be mindful of your hydration, and interact with us for a daily chance to win a Hammer Nutrition prize pack.  Follow us on Instagram our handle is @racemob, and join our Facebook community.

As we watch peak performers compete at the Olympics, it reminded coach B and me about this amazing conversation we had in September of 2020 with Will Turner.  This world record setter was hospitalized during his first half-marathon due to poor hydration!  But he came back strong, and finished over 100 Iron Man distance triathlons over the course of 2 years.  On top of that, he's just a fantastic storyteller.  You're going to love this amazing conversation with the one and only will turner.

Will Turner - is a Legend! Will loves to set Big Hairy Audacious goals. When he turned 50, he completed his first IronMan. When he turned 60 - he completed 60… in One year!!! Smashing the previous record of 44 - he averaged an IronMan every 6 days.

He continued that journey and ended up completing 105 IronMan distance triathlons over the course of two years. And it was only slightly derailed when his partner and Uber Sherpa was diagnosed with kidney cancer - and they took a few months for surgery and recovery!

This is a long way from his first race - a half-marathon where he ended up in the hospital from dehydration.

So what’s an ultra endurance athlete of this caliber like? Humble, warm, welcoming, awe-inspiring… A motivational speaker who talks to at school assemblies expounding the virtues of “Live Your Bold”. And a National Park lover who promotes conservation of the environment. This was an amazing all-encompassing conversation, and I really hope that you enjoy it.

We have heard some incredible stories over the past year, but this one just might take the cake.  

There is a prestigious record that had stood for almost 40 years before Sandra came and completely crushed it.

In 1978 - Mavis Hutchinson set a new transcontinental record by running from Los Angeles to New York in a little over 69 days.  It stood for 39 years, that's when Sandra set out on a longer and more difficult route (from San Francisco to New York) and completed it in only 54 days.

So is Sandra a track star with a pedigree of elite athletisism?  No!  In fact this humble, incredibly gracious athlete is a single mother who describes herself as overweight - and needed to make a change in 2013/2014...

Yeah - that's right!  From starting a new workout routine in the treadmill of her local gym - to winning the Badwater Ultramarathon a few years later in 2017 - a race in 100+ degree heat, where one false step can literally melt the shoes off your feet.  And then setting an impossible world record.

You're going to love this incredibly inspiring conversation holder with an incredible woman.

#57 - One of my favorite parts of our podcast is being able to highlight incredible members of our community.  When I met Patrick last year, he was a newlywed - preparing for his first marathon.  A virtual event that he was able to complete thanks to the help of Coach B and Too Legit Fitness.

At the time, he was still learning about tapering, and what it meant to toe the line for 26.2 miles.  Little did I know the incredible fitness journey that he's been on, and how he's lost nearly 70 pounds since 2018 in his late 30s.

In this episode, you'll learn how Patrick rekindled a love for physical activity after a long sedentary period.  The advice for overweight runners that he wish he knew when he started.  Why a chance encounter on a race course changed his fitness journey.  And the benefits of having a running coach such as Coach B for hitting your goals.

#56 - Irina is a rockstar physical therapist and a valued member of the RaceMob and Too Legit communities.  Her nickname is Rocket - and she recently opened her own business - Rocket Physical Therapy.

On today's episode, we dive into Irina's start, and how she got into one of the most prestigious PT schools in the country.  We dive into the lessons she's learned from years of running, and over a decade of working with other runners.  She tells us the short daily routine that can help prevent injury, why dynamic warmups are so crucial, and the important post workout routine that speeds up recovery.

Plus - we dive into how this busy mother of two finds the time to train for Boston, and start a new practice in the midst of a pandemic.