Run The Race

As we talk fitness and faith on a regular basis, make sure to subscribe to this podcast, to hear fascinating guests like professional runner and coach Esther Erb Atkins! On this episode, we talk about her "smiler" reputation, having in-person races amidst COVID-19, her 2:33 marathon finish and championships, injury prevention, performance anxiety, the race she's organized that I'm running this weekend, and more.

I start with a quick update on ultra ultra runner Brandon Lott (he was on episode #56) who has now finished his second ITI 350 miler, a race that took him 10+ days in snowy Alaska.

(6:07) Our chat with McKirdy Trained running coach Esther Atkins starts with why she's known as the "smiler" in the running world and why she holds her hands in the shape of a heart over her head at finish lines. It has something to do with pain, Carpe Diem, and being grateful for her competitors pushing her.

In the "Fast Four," (11:50) we learn about this pro runner's current jobs at work and home, facing an injury for while now while trying to make it back to the Olympic trials, being 18 weeks pregnant (and still running kinda fast), how being a cello player helped her as a runner, and getting a tattoo with her fiance-now-husband that means "From a place of love" plus how that's connected to her spiritual faith.

(18:58) As the COVID-19 pandemic continues impacting us, when could things be back to normal for races? Esther talks about it being a time of self-discovery and in-person races that are still happening, like the McKirdy micro marathon in Greenville SC that she's leading.

We dive into (25:05) how she got started in running, from gaining weight on study abroad trip...to being a legendary runner at Case Western Reserve University where she was a 6-time All-American and DIII champion...to her 2:46 marathon debut in Berlin...to turning pro and beating that time by more than 10 minutes to win the 2014 national title in the USA marathon championships...to competing multiple times in the Olympic trials. (34:21) How was she able to run 26.2 miles that fast?

There's also a big mental aspect to competing. (36:34) Esther has severe performance anxiety early in her running career, even hyperventilating at some national races. (40:20) Like many of us, she also listens to music or podcasts (like this one) when running solo.

(44:15) As a coach and someone that's been fighting an injury for more than a year, Esther gives us the top 3 things to help prevent and come back from injuries, including misconceptions about ice and heat and running slower.

Esther is also excited (51:52) and more prepared in her current pregnancy, after having 2 miscarriages. Looking forward to meeting her in person at my next marathon, my 14th state for a marathon! (57:35) We close the episode with "food for thought" about how smiling can impact your workout, a "parting gift" from The Bible about a happy heart, then a Prayer.

Thanks for listening! And please share it with your friends using #RunTheRacePodcast. Also, write a quick review about it. For more info, go to www.wtvm.com/podcast/.

This is a 2-for-1 episode, as we chat with the star of a new faith-based movie T.C. Stallings, a former pro football player who's now been in more than 20 films, plus Ty Manns, the writer/executive producer of that film "My Brother's Keeper" which hits select theaters Friday, March 19. Want inspiration when it comes to your fitness and/or faith? Subscribe to this podcast!

With this double feature, you also get some previews of "coming attractions": (1:15) some of the trailer of that new military story for the big screen and (2:16) a brief interview with next week's podcast guest, elite runner and coach Esther Atkins discussing an upcoming in-person marathon in SC that I'm running this month and still has spots open, how they're keeping the race COVID-safe.

(11:23) Then we get into an in-depth chat with Stallings and Mann, first about "My Brother's Keeper" which is based in part on the experience of Manns' father returning home from the Vietnam War. PTSD is one of the issues tackled in the movie. T.C. plays the main character, Sgt. 1st Class Travis Fox. He researched the role by listening to soldiers and hopes to do the role justice, putting the spotlight on struggles of faith in God and trust in others. Military vet Manns opens up about his dad getting out of control after returning from deployment, then his transformation into a pastor. This is the 3rd movie this pair has done together. T.C. calls it the most challenging role of the 22 films he's been in so far.

Thanks for listening! And please share it with your friends using #RunTheRacePodcast. Also, write a quick review about it. For more info, go to www.wtvm.com/podcast/.

This is one of the best interviews I've had the honor to do so far as the host of this podcast. It's a powerful story of tragedy and hope from a now jail chaplain, almost 70 years old, about his 3 decades of drug addiction, overcoming it by the power of God, and now helping other addicts and homeless like he was.

After a brief introduction and talking about logging more running miles than ever (but I'm not addicted to running), we start the chat (5:23) with Chaplain Neil Richardson. He describes what he went through overcoming 30 years of cocaine addiction when he lived in Miami. He tried to do it all by himself, kept using, then finally gave his life to Jesus. This son of an alcoholic mom went from being a "successful addict" with his own business and living an evil lifestyle that led to being divorced and homeless...to rebuilding his life and body, getting to be a father again to his 3 sons.

(11:06) Cocaine became his idol, more important than his family and job. A conversation with his one of his sons ripped his heart out and was a turning point for this addict. Chaplain Neil said it also helped to have his enabler wife kick him out, then for a pastor to walk him through the drug recovery process. (15:45) In the "Fast 4," we learn about this Chaplain of the Muscogee County Jail (Columbus GA) and executive director of SafeHouse Ministries who leaves home every day at 4:20am to walk 3 miles, lifting weights at lunch, as a private person who lives with fish. He gives us 3 things to do in life thanks to 1 Thessalonians 5.

Why did he leave Miami for Columbus, GA? (19:15) It has to do with him getting a flesh-eating disease, selling cars, and another jail to volunteer at. (22:59) Chaplain Neil breaks down his typical day behind bars, with many requests from inmates for spiritual help. How does his perspective as a former addict help him reach these inmates? He describes their "faith based dorms" in the jail too.

(26:57) We all know someone dealing with drug addiction. Whether that's you or a family member or friend, this chaplain gives us keys to success for recovery, including tough love rules, boundaries, and consequences (some good). Nobody wants to be an addict, but are they willing to do what it takes to quit?

On the other side now, (32:56) Neil Richardson is helping homeless through his SafeHouse Ministries, which he started so that people getting out of jail will have a better chance of staying out of jail. it includes shelter, a substance abuse program, and help getting a job. The goal is to give people hope.

(40:24) Fitness is important too. Chaplain Neil wakes up before 4am daily so he can have 3 hours to do his private time with the Lord, walk/exercise, pray, all to be spiritually and physically ready for the day. And now he's a healthy and sober father (about to be a grandfather), welcomed years ago back into the family. He talks about David in the Bible and hoe God accepts us "AS IS."

(46:05) After Chaplain Neil's closing prayer, (49:30) our final segments are "Food for Thought" about exercise helping with substance use disorders and a "Parting Gift" about getting out of our comfort zone.

Thanks for listening! Make sure to subscribe to this podcast. And please share it with your friends using #RunTheRacePodcast. Also, write a quick review about it. For more info, go to www.wtvm.com/podcast/.

Want to hear more stories to inspire and motivate you in your fitness and faith paths? Make sure to subscribe to this podcast. This week's guest is a blueberry farmer and ultrarunner in Washington state who is about to start a 350-mile race in Alaska, on the same path as the Iditarod! Wow.

After I share some thoughts on joy in the midst of suffering and why someone would run a 100 mile race, (6:34) we get into the conversation with Brandon Lott, a father of 4 and grandfather of 4 who has an impressive athletic resume: he's run at least 35 races of 100 miles, another 3 that were 200+ miles, and did the ITI 350 back in 2013, the same one he's doing February-March 2021 in snowy Alaska.

He wants to inspire others and raise awareness/money for a cause he cares about, Sleep In Heavenly Peace or SHP, which builds bunk beds for kids in need all over the nation. His goal is to complete the Iditarod Invitational 350 in 6 days, which would be 60 miles/day, carrying 40+ pounds of his own gear on a sled as he goes.

In the "Fast Four," (14:34) we learn about this farmer who runs most days and mentally prepares himself for the times he inevitably wants to quit during these long endurance races. (19:34) The story of how he started running 15 years ago involves a family weight loss challenge, with the winner getting a pot of $400. Brandon won...and the rest is history. Before that, he could barely make it to the end of his driveway, but started running more and more, eventually finishing last in a trail marathon.

Thanks for listening! Make sure to subscribe to this podcast. And please share it with your friends using #RunTheRacePodcast. Also, write a quick review about it. For more info, go to www.wtvm.com/podcast/.

COVID-19 almost killed him. My guest this week is an Army veteran and physical therapist who had a horrifying bout with coronavirus last summer. Tim Maggart describes how he found healing through his faith in God and his music, as a singer songwriter.

After a brief personal observation on how music impacts our fitness activity and hearing part of Maggart's new song "You Are Mine," (5:48) my chat with our guest starts with that song, crying out to God during the pandemic and just weeks before he came down with COVID. He talks about how the virus put him in the hospital, made it hard for him to breathe at home, sparked a heart attack and blood clots, all while he fought COVID for more than a month.

As for fitness, (12:45) Maggart went from only being able to walk 10 feet while/after fighting COVID, building up to walking 2 miles daily around his home. (14:35) He is now back to his side gig and passion of writing and performing songs in the Inspirational Country genre, much of his music inspired by fellow military veterans and to honor them - some who say there are no atheists in foxholes. Maggart also is focused on honoring God with his music and his life.

(19:55) My guest also gets real about depression, isolation he suffered and hid while battling the coronavirus. He has advice for anyone going through similar mental health issues or soldiers/vets with PTSD. (23:05) Maggart's day job is as a home health physical therapist who says he has the honor of treating some highly decorated war veterans who are homebound. (26:08) He talks about how he hopes his music too encourages these vets, knowing there's a greater reason he survived the deadly virus.

(32:02) We close the podcast chat with a live performance of one of his original songs "American Blueprint" and Maggart's closing prayer.

Thanks for listening! Make sure to subscribe to this podcast. And please share it with your friends using #RunTheRacePodcast. Also, write a quick review about it. For more info, go to www.wtvm.com/podcast/.

With Valentine's Day just around the corner, we hope you love this podcast and subscribe to it. Rate and review us on Apple or wherever. This week, we have a love story from a pair of runners, an Army vet-turned first responder and a pharmacist on a military installation, who got engaged as she finished a half marathon. One of them has also run a 100 miler, while the other is a half Ironman finisher.

We first give you some insight into a non-profit called Team RWB, which supports military veterans across the nation. (3:51) Our guests on this episode are a former and current captain for the Columbus GA Fort Benning chapter of this organization, Justin and Lyn Johnson. They discuss how Team RWB becomes your new family, especially for former soldiers who don't have the structured fitness schedule anymore, may become isolated or depressed, gain weight.

Thanks for listening! Make sure to subscribe to this podcast. And please share it with your friends using #RunTheRacePodcast. Also, write a quick review about it. For more info, go to www.wtvm.com/podcast/.

We just recently hit 10,000 plays overall for this podcast, so thank you for your support! This episode is focused on serving others and God, going the extra mile, taking on fitness goals or other big challenges for causes. My guest, you might say, is all that and a bag of chips, because he's on a bunch of Lay's potato chips bags because of kindness and love he shows to others.

(6:31) Luke Mickelson, recently named a CNN hero, is the founder and director of a non-profit called Sleep In Heavenly Peace, the name coming from the famous lyric in the Christmas song Silent Night. I met up with this Idaho man in downtown Columbus GA after 2 of his friends completed a 131 mile run in 3 days across Georgia, benefiting SHP. He talks about his organization partnering with the fitness community and anyone as they kick off MOVE4BEDS, raising awareness and donations through pushups or whatever to help kids in need.

We talked about (10:21) these runners' adventure of running 40+ miles per day, letting people along the way know about this problem of 2 million children that sleep on the floor across America. Luke left his successful sales job of 18 years to start this non-profit. He gets emotional in giving us the origin story behind Sleep in Heavenly Peace and how Christian faith plays a role in this organization that started through a church. He asks, what's the measure of success? Are we happiest when we are helping others? SHP is also focused on bringing communities together.

(15:21) There are now ways to use fitness to get involved with this cause, like dedicated runners Tyler and Brandon with their GA 131. (17:16) I also ask Luke about competing recently on American Ninja Warrior, with 6 weeks to prepare. With a new format, thanks to COVID, he was on a 3-person team that included "Cowboy Ninja" and champ Lance. Seeing his teammate and the ultra runners do what they do has inspired him to get in shape. Luke says fitness challenges strengthen our faith and mental attitude.

In The Bible, it says faith without works is dead. (20:42) He talks about putting that faith into action, churches and groups signing up for bunk bed build and delivery days, no experience needed, turning piles of wood into smiles for kids. Luke discusses how they find the people in need, through online applications, and through their 250 chapters in 45 states. And the cost is $200 per bed to sponsor a build day.

(28:53) MOVE4BEDS is just getting started. There will be pushup challenges and other donation efforts you can create. Next up to benefit SHP is a runner's Iditarod 350, running that many miles soon in Alaska. The non-profit's motto is "No kid sleeps on the floor in our town."

Thanks for listening! Make sure to subscribe to this podcast. And please share it with your friends using #RunTheRacePodcast. Also, write a quick review about it. For more info, go to www.wtvm.com/podcast/.

As America goes through major transitions, a military hero and his co-author are telling a story of family, faith, brotherhood, and sacrifice. Their book "Three Wise Men" just came out.

(5:50) Retired Marine Sgt. Beau Wise and Author Tom Sileo, a former WTVM co-worker, joined me via Zoom for a conversation about the book. It's about Beau losing his 2 brothers in battle, a Navy Seal and Army Green Beret, and how he got the designation of "sole survivor" - the only known American service person to be pulled from combat duty during the nearly 2-decade-long War in Afghanistan, drawing comparisons to "Saving Private Ryan."

Thanks for listening! Make sure to subscribe to this podcast. And please share it with your friends using #RunTheRacePodcast. Also, write a quick review about it. For more info, go to www.wtvm.com/podcast/.

"Sly Fox" played alongside Michael Jordan on one of the best teams ever. On this episode, I go 1-on-1 with Orangetheory Fitness Franchisee/Partner Abdul Fox to talk about lessons learned through basketball, motivation to get in the gym as we kick off this New Year, his coaching, and much more.

Hope you subscribe to the Run The Race podcast. I start this one with an interesting history of basketball, including some of my fondest memories of my favorite sport including meeting MJ.

(6:43) My conversation with Coach Abdul Fox starts with the former basketball star's connections to Michael Jordan, as he was invited to Chicago Bulls camp decades ago, and his locker as an NBA rookie was next to MJ, who even gave Fox all his #45 gear, when he went back to #23. (11:18) In the "Fast 4" rapid fire questions, we learn about his coaching, fitness routine, how he helps #addvalue, and being a kid at heart as he turns 50 years old.

As we are at the beginning of a New Year, (14:03) this former pro athlete has advice for you on goals for 2021, starting small, not procrastinating, having support - having fun with workouts and moving for 30 minutes, even if it's dancing.

(17:07) Fox started playing basketball at age 14 on the streets of Queens NY, playing at a boarding school, then in college and transferring to Rhode Island. His team got wins in the NIT and NCAA Tournaments, losing in March Madness to the eventual champs the UNC Tar Heels.

(22:35) The death of his father - suddenly at a park - was a big turning point, testing his faith, but also leading him to inner peace as he embraced the culture of Taiwan when he was balling there. In coping with the loss, Fox stopped chasing the NBA and focused on fitness to help prevent heart health issues like his dad's.

(27:35) As for his pro and short NBA career, he got invited to camp with the Chicago Bulls, the team that went 72-10. Fox eventually went to play basketball all over Europe, then took a year off, his bball career ending at age 31 - not wanting the sport to define him. (30:41) The coach also offers lessons learned about mental strength, which he says is more than music to pump you up.

He explains how fitness sessions with heart rate monitors work (32:37) at OrangeTheory Fitness, a company that he started with a decade ago when there were 2 studios, and now there's 1200+. How is it different than traditional big box gyms? It's a passion for Fox, who's been told his coaching has helped save lives. He also has recommendations for how often you should do a workout, plus cleaning protocols for gyms after we get through the COVID-19 pandemic,

(39:05) Basketball players and other athletes, ages 5-18, also get mentored by Fox through Redline Athletics. He talks about effectiveness of different coaching styles: being tough vs. guiding, directing, adjusting to this generation - along with what he learned from playing under NBA legendary Zen master coach Phil Jackson.

In our final segments of this 51st episode of Run The Race, (45:17) our "Parting Gift" inspiration is from Michael Jordan, also "Food for Thought" with news about basketball creator James Naismith being an evangelist and actor Adam Sandler's connections to the sport. We close in prayer.

Thanks for listening! Please share this with your friends using #RunTheRacePodcast. Also, write a quick review about it via Apple Podcasts. For more info and download any previous episodes, go to www.wtvm.com/podcast/.

2021 is finally here! Kick off the new year by making sure you subscribe to the Run The Race podcast for weekly inspiration related to fitness and/or faith. This 1st episode of the new year is our 50th, so it's a BEST OF, with some brief but great motivation from 22 of my previous guests. I start with response to protestors storming the US Capitol, as we pray for our nation, then we get into (5:10) the origins of this podcast.

(7:12) Military spouse and yoga instructor Charlotte Gallagher talks about her solo bicycle ride across America.

(8:54) 1st Lt. Haley Johnson is an Army nurse and bodybuilder who won the Titan Games reality TV contest.

(10:37) Retired Army tank commander Jimmy Mathews discusses his 1800 mile walk across the USA to help veterans.

(14:37) Famous GA filmmaker & actor Alex Kendrick draws parallels between faith and sports in his movies like "Overcomer."

(16:32) Legendary race director Lazarus Lake talks about the origins of The Barkley Marathons and the new Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee.

(18:39) Fellow podcast host and also running coach Denny Krahe aka DizRuns talks about preventing injuries and easy effort runs.

(22:32) In response to police shootings of African-Americans, former NFL player Bishop Michael Grant Jr. talks protests and faith.

(24:07) Urban author and Christian activist Baron Elias Klaif also opens up about racial unrest and what we can learn from Jesus.

(25:59) On the same topic, Pastor Jay Bailey talks about loving others where you live and mission work in areas beyond.

(29:08) I ran 5 marathons with Jimmy Davis, father of 5 who did some of those races to raise money for cancer, with personal connections.

(31:25) She's a SLAM boss, which stands for sweat like a mother. Rebecca Paull of Stroller Strong Moms gives us some motivation to get fit and alleviate stress.

(34:33) While he fights and treats for COVID-19, Dr. Grant Scarborough is focused on Jesus and medicine.

(36:27) My friend Andrew Chalmers opens up about heroin addiction that almost killed him and how God's love transformed his life, as he now leads Take The City ministry.

(39:08) During the coronavirus pandemic, Tre Rager did an almost 40 day water fast. How did the Lord help him through it?

(42:00) Bodybuilders Loren & Cathy Fuller help get you in shape and give you reasons to go to the gym, eat better.

(43:52) Another couple, run community leaders Reggie & Carolee Luther, have advice for those intimated by running and the right gear.

(45:28) We are looking for the keys to success for wellness goals in 2021. Married nutrition experts Dayton and Karen Preston break them down for us.

(49:05) The very 1st guest for the Run The Race podcast was 70-year-old cancer survivor Cecil Cheves, who talks about the multiple Ironman events he competed in.

(51:00) What's in a name? Hockey coach Jerome "Boom Boom" Bechard will tell you, plus why fighting is a big part of the sport.

(52:25) Karate sensei, former journalist, and atheist-turned-Christian Mark Mcgee tells us how Tai Chi helps with the pain.

(57:42) We close this episode with closing prayers by Pastor "Big Lee" McBride - who's led hundreds of men and football players to Christ - and runner, entrepreneur Patrice Riley.

Thanks for listening! Please share this with your friends using #RunTheRacePodcast. Also, write a quick review about it via Apple Podcasts. For more info and download any previous episodes, go to www.wtvm.com/podcast/.