RunChats with @RonRunsNYC

At the age of 12 in junior high school, at her 1st track meet, Jill Kuhn was hit in the head with a shot put that crushed her skull. The first facility couldn’t treat her injury properly, so she was airlifted to a trauma center where they performed 2 surgeries on her brain to remove a blood clot. Though Jill had to wear a helmet for a year for protection, she convinced her parents and doctors to allow her to go back to school in just two weeks! I believe this is the moment where "Iron Will, Iron Jill" was born—strong, determined, and resilient!

After her 4th boy was born, Jill realized she needed something for herself and found JOY in running, discovering that movement was her therapy. Completing her 1st marathon in Houston was a milestone and Jill came to realize how much she loved competing. When her boys needed swimming lessons, she joined in and learned to swim at the age of 38 and her Ironman dream was born.

Since her 2nd pregnancy, Jill had been struggling with autoimmune ailments, but it took 7 long years to finally correctly diagnose her with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). During training for her 1st Ironman, Jill suffered an avulsion fracture of her ankle, bouts of UTI’s, and pneumonia—all from managing medications and a compromised immune system. Despite the odds being heavily stacked against her, Jill tapped into the tremendous support from her family and friends and her mindset/mantra: I can. I will.

Crossing that @ironmantri finish line taught Jill she was stronger than she could’ve ever imagined and is teaching her boys how to keep going and be resilient in life!

"As long as I am capable I will continue to do so. I do not take for granted that movement is a gift. And despite any challenges I may have, as painful as it can be, I CAN and so I WILL. And I will do so with gratitude."

Jill is an RA Warrior, Ironman, and Ultra runner who INSPIRES and I hope you all enjoy this conversation as much as we did!

If you enjoy the episode, it would mean the world to me if you would rate the podcast or write a review and share feedback wherever you get your podcast groove on.

Connect With Jill:

Instagram: @ironwillironjill

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ironwillironjill

Connect With Ron:

Personal Instagram: @ronrunsnyc

Podcast Instagram: @runchats_with_ronrunsnyc

Facebook: https://fb.me/runchats

Website: https://ronrunsnyc.com

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Produced by: David Margittai | In Post Media

Website: https://www.inpostmedia.com

Email: [email protected]

Social: @_margittai

© 2021 Ron Romano

Brandi Dawson was a talented high school and D1 college runner that never fully hit her stride because of injuries and putting to much pressure on herself. After raising four kids, her marathon running grandfather (Papa) suggested she sign up for a local 5K. Brandi knew she couldn't let her biggest running fan down, so she signed up and decided to jump in with zero expectations. She ran freely, with no goals or pressure, won the race, and felt energized to begin running again.

Having her grown children back home during the pandemic was a blessing. They played board games, reconnected, and Brandi’s training thrived. She started a 100-day running streak, patiently built her base, and got comfortable with running 70 miles per week. As her fitness kept building, she set a big goal to take on her 1st 50K at the Get Lucky 50/50 Event on 3/20/21. Brandi ran a STELLAR 3:55:31 (a 7:34 pace for 31.1 miles), WON the Women's Race, and ran the 4th fastest 50K in the US ever recorded as of that date!

Some topics we covered include: youth sports, high school and college running, mentors, role models, drive, mindset, and mantra’s.

Brandi was raised by a strong mom who has battled cancer and inspires her every day. She is also deeply moved by her sisters fight with stage 4 metastatic breast cancer and her niece, who shows strength and faith daily living with Asperger’s syndrome.

Brandi is a Special-Ed teacher by day and always encourages her students to practice, be consistent, and never give up. I see big things coming for her as she continues to get Faster as a Master. We are both qualified to run in the London Marathon Wanda Abbott World Age Group Championships and I’m stoked to see her lace 'em up against the very best!

I hope you all enjoy this conversation as much as we did!

If you enjoy the episode, it would mean the world to me if you would rate the podcast or write a review and share feedback wherever you get your podcast groove on.

Connect With Brandi:

Instagram: @bld301

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brandi.dawson.5

Connect With Ron:

Personal Instagram: @ronrunsnyc

Podcast Instagram: @runchats_with_ronrunsnyc

Facebook: https://fb.me/runchats

Website: https://ronrunsnyc.com

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Produced by: David Margittai | In Post Media

Website: https://www.inpostmedia.com

Email: [email protected]

Social: @_margittai

© 2021 Ron Romano

When your fire burns so bright and your only desire is to see how far you can push your limits, to find out just how good you can be... you'll drive 3000 miles across the country with no money, sleep on a floor with no bed and no furniture on the odd chance that you can catch on with Dark Sky Distance, make their team, and take a full swing to try and chase down your dream.

Against all odds, after not racing for 1061 days due to chronic achilles issues, Brandon Doughty lined up under the lights at Icahn Stadium at the Trails of Miles Racing meet and ROCKED an 8:29 Steeple PR, placing 3rd, and punching his ticket to the Olympic Trials in Eugene!

Some topics we covered include: injuries, self-belief, mindset, depression, alcohol, therapy, meditation, gratitude, coaching philosophy, love of the grind, and the quest to find out how could he can be.

"I just love to grind, I love to hurt to find out if I can do it. Like, with four laps to go in a steeple you’re like, 'there’s no way I’m gonna finish. I feel awful.' But if you stay in the moment, 'I can do this right now, I can do this for one more step, one more hurdle,' and time goes by and it’s just amazing the things you can figure out about yourself. I just love finding out where I can go, how much I can hurt, and where that next line is... I’m gonna put myself out there more the next race and just keep going and keep finding out."

For anyone that’s ever thought about giving up on your dream, please listen and share this powerful conversation, follow Brandon's journey, and maybe even hire him as coach. I hope you all enjoy this conversation as much as we did!

If you enjoy the episode, it would mean the world to me if you would rate the podcast or write a review and share feedback wherever you get your podcast groove on.

Connect With Brandon:

Instagram: @dodes_xc

Website: https://dodesxc.wordpress.com

Connect With Ron:

Personal Instagram: @ronrunsnyc

Podcast Instagram: @runchats_with_ronrunsnyc

Facebook: https://fb.me/runchats

Website: https://ronrunsnyc.com

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Produced by: David Margittai | In Post Media

Website: https://www.inpostmedia.com

Email: [email protected]

Social: @_margittai

© 2021 Ron Romano

Doc Halliday Golden is making a huge impact—as a motivational speaker, triathlete, and coach—and truly lives to inspire others! Shoutout to @shanimandisa from the NYC ON Running store for recommending her.

Doc and her 3 siblings were growing up comfortably in the Catskills Mountains, on 16 acres with an Olympic-sized pool and guest house, when her life turned on a dime. Her father was sent to prison for 15 years and they went from home to home, living many nights without heat or electricity, often eating peanut butter and jelly soup. Despite these incredibly challenging circumstances, her mom would remind her to have a good attitude and be grateful for what they had. No doubt these lessons learned and experiences forged Doc’s indomitable spirit and strong desire to help others.

We talked a lot about how life throws us curveballs and how that presents us with choices. Ironman Maryland 2019 threw some pretty nasty ones: a 2.4 mile swim in very choppy waters, getting stung repeatedly by jelly fish that made her question—was this what she did swim workouts all year and signed up for? On the bike, high winds had her break down 14 times in crying episodes, riding a rollercoaster of emotions, one minute thinking she was going to make her dream happen, and the next being certain she was going to miss the bike cutoff from the extra effort required.

Doc kept pushing and overcame it all to hear those magic words: Doc Golden is an Ironman!

Less than one tenth of 1% of the world population ever completes an Ironman. Less than 0.5% of those athletes are African American, and less than a quarter of those African American athletes are women.

That is truly select company and it changed everything.

Doc wanted to show others, if a regular girl like her could complete an Ironman, she could help them realize what they are truly capable of. She left a successful 14-year career in marketing to become a motivational speaker. She has shared her experiences with overcoming obstacles around the world at schools, churches, orphanages, and homeless shelters in Colombia, Mexico, Argentina, India, The Netherlands, Scotland, Finland, Australia, Israel, Burundi, and Kenya.

Doc is a force for good and I feel blessed that she came on and shared her powerful story!

I’m grateful for the positive vibe and lessons shared and hope you enjoy the episode.

If you enjoy the episode, it would mean the world to me if you would rate the podcast or write a review and share feedback wherever you get your podcast groove on.

Connect With Doc:

Instagram: @see_doc_run

Connect With Ron:

Personal Instagram: @ronrunsnyc

Podcast Instagram: @runchats_with_ronrunsnyc

Facebook: https://fb.me/runchats

Website: https://ronrunsnyc.com

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Produced by: David Margittai | In Post Media

Website: https://www.inpostmedia.com

Email: [email protected]

Social: @_margittai

© 2021 Ron Romano

TW: This episode contains content that may be triggering to some. We have a very open discussion around a number of sensitive topics, including drug/alcohol abuse, violence, eating disorders, self-harm, suicide, and sexual violence. These topics are discussed in the hopes that it can help those who may be struggling in similar ways, but I understand that not everyone may be able to safely listen.

By all accounts, Lindsey Clemens shouldn't be with us anymore—but I'm so grateful and appreciative that she is and that she was so willing to share so much of her story in the hopes that it could help others who might be in need.

I was transfixed listening to Lindsey walk through her story and could feel the pain and trauma she had experienced via multiple suicide attempts, stays in psych hospitals, jail, drug/alcohol abuse, violence/assault/sexual abuse. At her lowest moment, she felt she had turned her back on everything her parents had taught her, made every mistake under the sun, and that there was no way to comeback from this. That no man would ever love her and there was no way out.

In her 2nd rehab attempt, forced to detox from psych meds, drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes, she felt that God started working on her heart. After the two rehabs, she was lucky enough to be a part of an incredible Christian discipleship school for two years. Lindsey had to look at the pain and work on forgiving herself and others to finally begin moving forward. She met her husband there and feels it was all part of God’s beautiful plan for her life.

Lindsey is now happily married with two beautiful children, is an accomplished Ultra runner, and feels most connected to God while running on trails in nature. Her dream is to one day run the Western States 100 redemptively—an iconic Ultra that takes place in many of the areas where she could’ve died.

Lindsey has also been a Key Spouse, which is a "commander appointed role that serves as a resource to support the Air Force families," over the last several years and will continue at their new duty station in Georgia. She has been trained in suicide prevention and has been able to intervene and help some through emergency situations and hopes to go speak in colleges or high schools in the future.

I’m grateful for Lindsey sharing her powerful story to help others and hope you enjoy the episode.

If you enjoy the episode, it would mean the world to me if you would rate the podcast or write a review and share feedback wherever you get your podcast groove on.

Connect With Lindsey:

Instagram: @bamrclemens

Connect With Ron:

Personal Instagram: @ronrunsnyc

Podcast Instagram: @runchats_with_ronrunsnyc

Facebook: https://fb.me/runchats

Website: https://ronrunsnyc.com

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Produced by: David Margittai | In Post Media

Website: https://www.inpostmedia.com

Email: [email protected]

Social: @_margittai

© 2021 Ron Romano

Libby Bigelow, her husband Ryan, and pup Canyon are fond of outdoor adventures and enjoy taking road trips and camping overnight in their Subaru. Could this be the secret to her CRUSHING a 2:43 at Grandma’s Marathon and punching her OTQ ticket to Atlanta for the Women’s Marathon Trials?

Think driving 17 hours to ATL might tire you out before the biggest race of your life?

No chance.

Libby came in seeded 299th and placed 134th, rocking a 2:45 on a super tough course with crazy winds, in front of family and friends who traveled to cheer her on!

We discussed:

-Growing up fully immersed in musical theater, Science Olympiad, soccer, French Horn—just to name a few of her interests

-The impact her high school cross country coach, Kathy Hector, and college coach, Karen Lutzke, had on her development

-How she would bike with her dad on his runs and the spark was lit

-Running her first sub-3 with Ryan, together in Seattle, and how he encouraged her to go for an OTQ

-Calling her college coach, Karen Lutzke, from an airplane and received message back saying, "I hope you’re calling to map out an OTQ plan"

-A Family Affair—her Grandma’s Marathon experience

-ATLANTA—We deep-dive on the race and the rock star weekend experience

-Her training approach—fueling, mantras, and more

-Community, coaching cross country, and paying it forward

Libby warned me she liked to ramble, but her stories were so FUN, and packed with inspiration and lessons learned, so I had to allow her as much runway as possible. Queue this up for a long run, or two, because so much will resonate, inspire, and make you smile. I hope you all enjoy this convo as much as we did!

If you enjoy the episode, it would mean the world to me if you would rate the podcast or write a review and share feedback wherever you get your podcast groove on.

Connect With Libby:

Instagram: @libby_bigelow_

Connect With Ron:

Personal Instagram: @ronrunsnyc

Podcast Instagram: @runchats_with_ronrunsnyc

Facebook: https://fb.me/runchats

Website: https://ronrunsnyc.com

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Produced by: David Margittai | In Post Media

Website: https://www.inpostmedia.com

Email: [email protected]

Social: @_margittai

© 2021 Ron Romano

I'm stoked to share Diane Neubauer's inspirational story! Diane just ROCKED a 2:45 at the McKirdy Micro Marathon, destroying her previous PR of 3:07 by an astonishing 22 minutes—just 13 months after having her 2nd son, Noah.

Diane was living on a military base in Germany with her Air Force husband, Andrew, and their newborn baby, Luke, and was struggling with postpartum depression/anxiety. A chance invite to a 7-mile race from a mother-based running group (Stroller Warriors) changed everything! She nursed Luke before and after the race and it was the first time Diane felt she could breathe in so long! In her own words, "finding running again in motherhood has saved me."

We discussed:

-Growing up in a competitive, athletic, military family

-The influence her dad had on her (former marathon coach at West Point, ran Boston (with a PR of 2:51)

-High school/college running

-Key coaches/mentors—Erin Flynn, Joe Dare, James McKirdy

-Community—Girls On the Run, Stroller Warriors, helping other mother-runners, coaching high school cross-country, & giving back

-Race day mantras, fueling, goal-setting, chasing your dreams—OTQ

Connecting with James McKirdy via a referral from Coach Joe Dare brought them together. For the past 13 months, they’ve pushed hard, with a focus on remaining healthy as the #1 priority.

"Having a coach who believes in your dreams has been life changing. He was able to bike me in for the marathon and that is something I will cherish forever."

Working together for 23 miles with teammate Michael Perley helped them both achieve their goals and 1st place finish for Diane!

The power of community and the role running plays in helping us find the best version of ourselves truly resonates in this episode. Hope you all enjoy this convo as much as we did!

If you enjoy the episode, it would mean the world to me if you would rate the podcast or write a review and share feedback wherever you get your podcast groove on.

Connect With Diane:

Instagram: @diane_neubauer_

Connect With Ron:

Personal Instagram: @ronrunsnyc

Podcast Instagram: @runchats_with_ronrunsnyc

Facebook: https://fb.me/runchats

Website: https://ronrunsnyc.com

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Produced by: David Margittai | In Post Media

Website: https://www.inpostmedia.com

Email: [email protected]

Social: @_margittai

© 2021 Ron Romano

Catching up LIVE at ON Studios with NYC Legend, David Kilgore. Kilgore continues to RIP, take huge swings, and rally the run community to raise money for important causes. The mood was electric and we had people banging on the ON NYC HQ storefront windows in true NYC fashion.

We talk:

-OSR30 Race Breakdown (getting lost, staying ON BRAND) and the huge vibe that OSR Races bring

-GreenBelt FKT — Shore-2-Shore Race Breakdown. Partnering with Cooper from Trials of Miles Racing and Brenden Clarke, who captured the event

-Wings for Life World Run (@wflworldrun @wingsforlife) — a virtual global run sponsored by Red Bull to raise money for spinal chord research. Red Bull USA will have a car outfitted with DJ booth chasing Kilgore around NYC. David hopes to run 40 miles, starting from the iconic Tortoise and the Hare sculpture at Van Cortland Park, all thru NYC, hoping to raise much needed money for research. The event will be live-streamed on https://www.wingsforlifeworldrun.com

-His upcoming LA to Las Vegas Run—340 Miles—in May, with a goal to run it in just 3 days!

If you live in the NYC area and haven’t yet met David, please come to the Wed 6:30pm Social Run (many paces), which starts at the ON Running Store on Lafayette St where we recorded. Give this awesome human with a huge heart a follow on IG and Strava (links below to races we discussed and a bonus FKT around Manhattan!). I greatly appreciate David’s positive energy and hope you all enjoy this convo as much as we did!

OSR 30, 33M - https://www.strava.com/activities/5028734285

FKT at GreenBelt Shore-2-Shore, 31.51M - https://www.strava.com/activities/5114707928

Manhattan FKT, 30.05M - https://www.strava.com/activities/5136654852

If you enjoy the episode, it would mean the world to me if you would rate the podcast or write a review and share feedback wherever you get your podcast groove on.

Connect With David:

Instagram: @davidkilgore

ON Runnning: https://www.on-running.com/en-us/athletes/david-kilgore

Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/15953860

Connect With Ron:

Personal Instagram: @ronrunsnyc

Podcast Instagram: @runchats_with_ronrunsnyc

Facebook: https://fb.me/runchats

Website: https://ronrunsnyc.com

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Produced by: David Margittai | In Post Media

Website: https://www.inpostmedia.com

Email: [email protected]

Social: @_margittai

© 2021 Ron Romano

With the Boston Marathon registration opening last week, it was perfect timing to have Elizabeth Clor on RunChats. Elizabeth is the Author of "Boston Bound," chronicling her 7-year journey to overcome mental barriers to qualify for the Boston Marathon.

Some of the topics we discussed include:

-Eating disorders, anorexia, and her experiences with therapy

-Perfectionism

-The comparison trap

-Race times—worrying what others think

-Sports Psychology—process goals vs outcome goals

-Tackling race anxiety

-Breaking through and sharing it all via Boston Bound

For anyone that has ever wanted something so badly and short circuited their efforts, this pod is for you! SO many valuable takeaways. I hope you all enjoy the convo as much as we did!

If you enjoy the episode, it would mean the world to me if you would rate the podcast or write a review and share feedback wherever you get your podcast groove on.

Connect With Elizabeth:

Instagram: @elizabethclor

Website: https://www.elizabethclor.com

Boston Bound: https://amzn.to/3u7Bj7J

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BostonBoundBook

Connect With Ron:

Personal Instagram: @ronrunsnyc

Podcast Instagram: @runchats_with_ronrunsnyc

Facebook: https://fb.me/runchats

Website: https://ronrunsnyc.com

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Produced by: David Margittai | In Post Media

Website: https://www.inpostmedia.com

Email: [email protected]

Social: @_margittai

© 2021 Ron Romano

If you're a fan of the underdog, Laurie Paretti Dymond’s story is for you. Nothing ever came easy for her in life. As the second of six children, she was like a second mom to her family. Those poor, humble roots truly shaped her grit, grind, and love of community.

Powered by her huge heart and ability to endure and suffer, Laurie has set three American Age Group records as a Masters runner in her 50s. She has achieved truly remarkable things as a runner and has had an even bigger impact on those in need. Giving away prize money from local races, befriending local migrant workers, and donating supplies to them are just a few of the things that really stand out and make her such a treasured member of her Chambersburg community.

When Laurie moved from Catholic School to public in high school, she had a difficult time fitting in. She was self-conscious about her Wrangler jeans, Kmart sneakers, and lack of cool clothes to wear. And then, at her most vulnerable and awkward time, she had a chance encounter with Mr. Cook, who told her he needed her on the track team. Being seen and needed completely changed the course of Laurie’s life.

In her own words: “Yes, I’ve learned that I can keep going even when I’m at my lowest. And more importantly, I’ve learned that I’m not defined by a finish time on a clock. None of us are. We are defined by the light we give to others and those we help along the way. Having a great race here and there makes the journey a little more interesting. The failures, I think we need those to keep us humble and ambitious at the same time.”

I'm so thankful to Devan Zeger, Communications Director and Mike Spinnler, Race Director of the JFK 50 for sharing info on Laurie, which led me to invite her on the show.

I'm honored to share Laurie's amazing story and hope you all enjoy this convo as much as we did. If you do, it would mean the world to me if you would rate the podcast or write a review and share feedback wherever you get your podcast groove on.

Connect With Laurie:

Instagram: @lapdymond

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laurie.dymond

Connect With Ron:

Personal Instagram: @ronrunsnyc

Podcast Instagram: @runchats_with_ronrunsnyc

Facebook: https://fb.me/runchats

Website: https://ronrunsnyc.com

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Produced by: David Margittai | In Post Media

Website: https://www.inpostmedia.com

Email: [email protected]

Social: @_margittai

© 2021 Ron Romano