Run Farther & Faster — The Podcast with Coaches Lisa Levin and Julie Sapper

After Julie and a special guest discuss life outside of running, we welcomed longtime Run Farther & Faster runner, Suzanne Mishkin, who shares her decade-long journey from newly minted marathoner to Boston qualifier. Suzanne shares how she managed her disappointment after learning that she was not accepted into the 2025 race, how she stays motivated to train during cold Chicago winters, and how she approaches injury and setbacks.

This is Part 1 of a three-part series featuring runners who, like Suzanne, achieved a BQ without a Boston 2025 acceptance. In addition to being a runner. Suzanne is a mom of three active boys and a principal. We loved this conversation!

You can find us on Instagram and and Facebook. Looking for coaching? Email us at [email protected] to set up a coaching call. Thanks for listening!

Did you know that the most opportune time for injury is during the weeks after finishing a goal race? Join us for our drive home from the Marine Corps Marathon during which we discuss how to approach your running in between training cycles.

You can find us on Instagram and Facebook. Looking for coaching? Email us at [email protected] to set up a coaching call. Thanks for listening!

Races are more crowded than ever! After watching our runners race Chicago and Berlin this year, we saw some patterns that we want to pass along to those who have upcoming races this fall. We also discuss tips for successfully running a WMM or similarly crowded race.

You can find us on Instagram and Facebook. Looking for coaching? Email us at [email protected] to set up a coaching call. Thanks for listening!

After providing some last-minute Chicago Marathon tips, we welcomed Miss USA 2024, Alma Cooper, who is running Chicago 2024, her first marathon!

Alma shares how she juggles her busy schedule with training. She’s currently working on her masters degree at Stanford University, while also balancing her Miss USA duties with her mileage. One tip—she relies heavily on that hotel treadmill to get in her miles.

Alma also shares how her mom, a former collegiate track star, is her running inspiration, and how Alma firmly believes that we should never be the first to say no to ourselves when thinking about trying something new.

We loved this conversation and believe that Alma’s words provide the perfect motivation before lining up at the start line in Chicago or elsewhere this fall.

More about Alma:

Alma Oralia Minerva Cooper is a West Point graduate and is now studying for a Master of Science degree in statistics on the data science track. Prior to becoming Miss USA, Cooper planned to serve as a second lieutenant in the Military Intelligence Corps of the United States Army after completing her degree at Stanford. This will be Alma’s first marathon.

You can find us on Instagram and Facebook. Looking for coaching? Email us at [email protected] to set up a coaching call. Thanks for listening!

After discussing the Boston Marathon 6:51 cutoff and our ideas for Boston’s future, Lisa recaps her incredible marathon performance in New Hampshire. Lisa shares why she chose to run the Clarence DeMar Marathon in Keene, and why, out of the 50 plus marathons she’s run, this one was her absolute favorite!

You can find us on Instagram and Facebook. Looking for coaching? Email us at [email protected] to set up a coaching call. Thanks for listening!

After spending the last 22 months diligently rehabbing after ACL surgery, Julie attempted a marathon and spoiler alert—crossed the finish line in 3:45 and qualified for the Boston Marathon at the Last Chance to BQ.2 Marathon in Batavia/St. Charles, Illinois.

In this episode, Julie shares all the details about her race, including her training, fueling, race execution, and thought process.

We so enjoyed this conversation with each other and almost forgot we were recording this episode!

You can find us on Instagram and Facebook. Looking for coaching? Email us at [email protected] to set up a coaching call. Thanks for listening!

Episode 219:

When we saw Nate Kahaiali’i’s story on the CBS Evening News, we had to have him on our show to share his story. Nate is a middle school teacher in Lahaina, Hawaii, who was training for the 2023 Chicago Marathon when his home was destroyed by fire. Nate managed to grab his running shoes before fleeing his home and used those shoes to put one foot in front of the other to navigate a tremendous tragedy.

Nate has since run multiple marathons while raising money for Lahaina Strong, a charity that directly supports the hundreds of Lahaina residents trying to rebuild. Nate shares how he ran through tragedy and found his purpose, how he impacts his students, many of whom are also survivors, and what helps him continue to move forward when times are tough. Nate will be running the NYC Marathon this fall for Lahaina Strong. Here’s how you can support Nate and the people of Lahaina—https://tr.ee/PILKTp8hxA .

If you are running or spectating NYC and see Nate, be sure to say hello! He will be wearing this shirt (https://tr.ee/OuZN9KWwAc), which you can also purchase to support Lahaina.

You can follow Nate on Instagram . Thanks to Nate for joining us.

You can find us on Instagram and Facebook. Looking for coaching? Email us at [email protected] to set up a coaching call. Thanks for listening!

In this episode we welcome back Amy Goldsmith, RD, to discuss the Women’s Olympic Marathon, the impact of under fueling on injury, particularly among endurance athletes, and what we as amateur runners can learn from the 2024 Olympics.

Amy Goldsmith, RD, has worked with hundreds of athletes in her practice, Kindred Nutrition. Amy specializes in sports nutrition and eating disorders and hosts the podcast, Don't Be Foodish. Amy focuses on meeting all her clients where they currently are and focusing on education, re-framing the mind, and using food as fuel for your brain and body. She believes there is a strong connection between the gut and brain and focuses on both with all clients.

Follow Amy on Instagram or head to her website for information on working with Amy and her team. You can find us on Instagram and and Facebook. Looking for coaching? Email us at [email protected] to set up a coaching call. Thanks for listening!

After discussing the Olympic Marathon events, we welcomed one of our very special runners, Susan Spencer, who had been running for over 40 years and continues to improve upon her age-graded times. Susan shares how she is joyfully running marathons after an 18-year hiatus. Susan also shares her tips for staying motivated and avoiding the comparison trap. She also shares some fun tidbits about how the running scene has changed since her first Boston (as a bandit)! We loved this conversation!

You can find us on Instagram and and Facebook. Looking for coaching? Email us at [email protected] to set up a coaching call. Thanks for listening!


We are excited to be back after a July break filled with racing, travel, and summer training. Speaking of which, we discuss in this episode how to overcome common summer setbacks to set yourself up for a successful fall racing season.

We also discuss our favorite Olympic moments and what we can all learn from so many of our amazing Olympians.


You can find us on Instagram and Facebook. Looking for coaching? Email us at [email protected] to set up a coaching call. Thanks for listening!