RunChats with @RonRunsNYC

I'm stoked to share Ginny Cataldi’s inspiring story! Art School teacher and bad ass mom by day, crushing TRI’s and making age-group podiums at World Championship races on weekends. Ginny took us out on the course and shared so many powerful stories and the moments that have truly shaped her. And one thing powerfully resonates—gratitude! We GET to do this!

We talk coming back to racing after bike crashes, riding in a bikini due to road rash, racing World Champs days after her stitches were removed. In other words, doing whatever it takes to get in the arena and compete for podiums and AG World Championships.

We talk about her Kona IM lava field experiences, an amazing story of Pele offerings, metaphysical events, and a stranger she met on the course at her weakest moment. (Or did she?)

So much grit and grind...and how it all magically came together at IronMan Maryland for a 2nd place finish and a 9:42! A day where Ginny collapsed shortly after crossing the line and truly left it all out there.

Ginny has the fire and passion to be the best, even when it comes to injuries (inside episode joke), and I have no doubt her story will INSPIRE many, including her children! Ginny has such a deep passion for the sport and is all about gratitude and community. I'm honored she shared her story.

I'm inspired by her 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 Ginny:

Instagram: @ginnylovestri24

Facebook: https://facebook.com/ginny.cataldi

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

It was an honor and a blast to chat with and learn more about nationally recognized sports medicine physician, best selling author of Running Strong, and founder of IronStrength Community Fitness Program, Dr. Jordan Metzl. The positive energy and stoke level is high and I appreciate Jordan bringing the fire.

Jordan’s NYC-based practice has served over 20K patients, with a focus on keeping them moving and preventing injuries. Jordan himself has completed 35 marathons and 14 Ironman tri’s, so he definitely practices what he preaches.

Some of the things we discussed include:

-Jordan's Midwest roots

-A family legacy of medical care and taking care of people and community

-The intersection of his sports medicine practice and his athletic journey

-Staying active through injury

-Patient care: diagnosis, treatment, prevention

-Running mechanics, shoes, and running on hard/soft surfaces

-Marathon vs Ironman

-Fueling and nutrition

-The IronStrength community

Jordan brings such positive energy and shares so many valuable insights; no wonder he’s a frequent contributor on GMA, the Today Show, CBS Early Show, and CNN American Morning.

I'm inspired by Jordan's 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 Dr. Metzl:

Instagram: @drjordanmetzl

Website: https://drjordanmetzl.com

The IronStrength Community Fitness Program: https://drjordanmetzl.com/ironstrength

Dr. Jordan Metzl's Running Strong: https://amzn.to/3t30BmO

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 have my 1st KIWI guest on the pod, the Flying Fi, Fiona Hayvice! Fiona has a wonderful accent and I love the energy, passion, and enthusiasm she has for life. She’s been killing it at both the National and International level and it was a treat to take a deep dive on all things Ultra.

Some of the things we discussed include:

-Growing up on a farm, her love for exploring, adventure travel, and seeing the world on two feet

-Where her fire, drive, and competitiveness come from

-Running with her son, Spike, in the buggy—which built a bond and made her stronger

-How Mom is with her on every step of her runs

-How her mom’s organizational skills helped her become a good problem solver when races go sideways

-Patience, drawing on previous experience to succeed

-Mindset, mantras—"make Mom proud"

-Fueling, nutrition, and race planning

“Ultra is a very mental sport. The mind is the most powerful of the tools that we’ve got. Be confident in its power and use it. Sometimes we have to trick the mind”

This is one of many great insights Fiona shared. She’s inspiring  and empowering adults on their running journeys and is active with the Go Run Girls Coaching Team and finds it deeply fulfilling.

I'm inspired by her 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 Fiona:

Instagram: @fionahayvice

Go Run Girls Instagram: @gorungirls

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 so excited to share this inspiring convo with badass mom and Maternal Mental Health Warrior, Kristen Garzone. After battling postpartum depression following the birth of her daughter Ellie, Kristen got involved in 2018 with the local chapter of Every Mother Counts and started Run To Believe and the KNT Foundation to honor her friend Kristin Nicole Thorsen, who lost her battle with PPD, to raise awareness and money for moms experiencing hardship through the prenatal and postpartum period.

Kristen was a 4-sport athlete growing up and played D3 soccer and LAX despite never playing before college! Though she took great pride in being an athlete and an integral part of her teams, she had struggled with anxiety and depression since her teenage years. In her words:

"I don't feel as if I was born with natural skill or talent; never the most gifted athlete and living with mental illness (that I hid and was ashamed of) made me feel as if I was an outsider—never capable of any good—but I've always prided myself on the simple fact that no one ever worked as hard as I did."

Kristen was feeling empowered having competed her 1st 50-Miler with a friend in November at the JFK 50 Mile. Her running is a great outlet for stress and anxiety and she’s using it both personally and within her community to help others and raise money.

I'm inspired by her 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 Kristen:

Instagram: @mellank

Twitter: @mellank

Kristen’s Oiselle Article on Post Partum Depression: https://www.oiselle.com/blogs/oiselle-blog/fierce-flyer-kristen-on-postpartum-depression

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 Heather Lee’s inspiring story! Heather’s an intrepid explorer, who is deeply passionate about travel and trail/mountain running. She grew up in the beautiful mountains of Alberta, Canada and has lived in 8 different countries between North America, Europe, and the Middle East, and has filled many passports visiting 55 countries.

Her IG feed captures her passion for running, adventure, and photography and brings you along on her experiences learning about the architecture, culture, and people she’s encountered along the way.

Heather was part of a 4 woman team, The Desert Roses, that set out to RUN the ENTIRE perimeter of Qatar—500K on trail in 5 days! Like any lengthy stage race, they encountered numerous obstacles—huge temperature shifts, injuries, and unforeseen circumstances—and had to work together as team to problem-solve on the fly. Their collective goal was to inspire young girls and women in Qatar to participate in sports, get active, and introduce them to Ultra running. THIS is getting involved in your community and making an impact. Bravo, Heather!

Some of the topics we covered include:

-Her work experience in Qatar—getting her doctorate, being a psychologist, psycho-educational assessments, working with kids and adolescents with learning disabilities

-Sports from her youth—basketball, volleyball, and badminton

-Finding running

-Falling in love with trail/mountain running and connecting with the awesome beauty and power of nature

-The vibe of Ultra—everyone supporting one another and aid-station FUN

-Her time in Sri Lanka—travel adventure and a special connection

-Strategies for staying positive in COVID times

-Desert Roses 2021—running the perimeter of Qatar (500K on trail in 5 days)

If that hasn’t piqued your interest, I'm hoping these words from Heather (after completing her 1st Ultra (50K)) will:

"I loved it. I just loved being out there all day, the feeling of pushing yourself to that extreme and I remember the feeling I had after that 1st Ultramarathon—if I can do that, I can do anything. I don’t think I’ve ever had that feeling as much as I did at that point. And from there I was kinda hooked."

If you enjoy the conversation, 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 Heather:

Instagram: @heatherruns_trails

The Desert Roses: @thedesertroses2021

Interview on Qatar Living: https://bit.ly/3ecyZqK

Article in Qatar's Daily Newspaper: https://bit.ly/30h97lv

Heather's Blog: https://www.heatherrunstrails.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

Good times catching up with Tim Hadzima and Lorna Campbell, the Global Marketing Leaders of the Abbott World Marathon Majors. It was a ton of fun to get to know them better, learn about their running histories and career paths taken in life. We took a deep dive on the topics below to better understand all things AbbottWMM.

-Roles, running histories, career journeys

-AbbottWMM overview

-Six-Star program

-Age Group World Rankings/World Championships

-Global Run Club/Virtual Racing/Global Marathon

-2021 Majors

-What's next for the AbbottWMM

-Free marathon training plans by Andrew Kastor

If you want to learn more about Global Run Club, Six-Star Program, Global Marathon, Wanda Age Group World Championships, or exciting new (free!) marathon training plans by Andrew Kastor, then you'll love this episode!

This is ALSO the first episode to air on my YouTube Channel, for those who’ve been asking: https://youtu.be/P1tuGvlt8nA

If you enjoy the conversation, 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 Tim, Lorna, & the Abbott World Marathon Majors:

Instagram: @wmmajors

Website: https://www.abbottwmmglobalrunclub.com

The 2021 AWMM Global Marathon: https://app.abbottwmmglobalrunclub.com/en/challenges/details/21-01-awmm-global-marathon-2021

Free Marathon Training Plans: https://app.abbottwmmglobalrunclub.com/en/blog/category/training-plans

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 bad ass mom, Dani Gogarty’s INSPIRING story!

Dani got started in 2010, running a few local 5Ks and 10Ks in Eisenhower Park in Long Island. From there, an invite by her now husband, Ray, lead to a local tri where she showed up on a mountain bike, with a helmet from Target, and a rented wetsuit.

At this point, Dani was a survival swimmer, terrified of open water swimming and was on a journey to overcome that fear. After a ton of hard work, good coaching, and an open water swim in a hurricane, Dani conquered her fear! She has gone on to make many age group podiums, qualify for national and world Ironman athlete honors, complete 3 full IMs (140.6 miles, with a PR of sub-13hrs) and 7 half IM’s (70.3 miles, with a PR of sub-6hrs).

What I found most INSPIRING is how, after overcoming her own fear, Dani now teaches special needs kids how to swim and works with adults at an adult learn-to-swim program. Along with her husband, Ray, Dani launched RaD FaM Fitness (radfamfitness.com) to help other multisport athletes get started in the sport and achieve their goals.

We both tackled the JFK 50 Mile Ultra, which is how we met. I'm so glad our paths crossed, because Dani brings such a positive vibe and energy to everything she tackles.

If you enjoy the conversation, 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 Dani:

Instagram: @danigogs

Website: http://radfamfitness.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

I'm so excited to share bad ass mom Michelle Baxter’s aka @therunnersplate inspiring story!

Michelle fell in love with running all the way back in the 1st grade and it's played an important role in her life ever since. Michelle is a mom of two young boys, Cullen (age 6) and Bjorn (age 15 months), and lives and trains in Anchorage, AK (so no more complaining about harsh-weather running, peeps). Just 9 months after having Cullen, she WON the RunFest Marathon in Anchorage!

Michelle started a blog, The Runner’s Plate, 10 years ago and it's help her forge connections all over the world. Those connections have helped keep her going, to start coaching athletes who follow her, and keep the fire stoked for her chasing down her sub-3 marathon dream.

Directly from Michelle: "Some may say my current marathon PR of 3:02 (6:57 pace) is close enough, but I can’t let go of this goal that keeps inspiring me every day to get out there and train. I know it takes the daily grind of workouts, two-a-days, strength sessions, etc. to get me to my goal, so I’ll keep working toward it until I’m satisfied."

If you enjoy the conversation, 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 Michelle:

Instagram: @therunnersplate

Website/Blog: http://www.therunnersplate.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

I am so stoked to share NYC Running Legend David Kilgore's story to kickoff 2021!

David has rock star run creds, having the unique experience of running for 3 elite schools; Colorado, Florida and Oklahoma State. He excels from 5k up to 100 miles and competed for the US Team at the 50K Trail and Ultra World Championships in Portugal.

What makes David so endearing is his easy going, surfer chill vibe. But don’t be fooled, he’s also been known to hurdle barriers on the FDR in OSR Races with no prize money on the line, and finish trail races bleeding all over the course—in other words, my kinda guy.

During the pandemic, David stepped up with two huge fundraising campaigns, running 100 miles for the 1st time in the Florida, raising over 20K for frontline workers and engaging his employer, On Running, in the campaign to provide shoes to nurses and doctors and help out the running stores he has a relationship with.

More recently, David ran 73 miles through all 5 boroughs to provide 2.5 million meals for the NYC Food Bank. He engaged with his followers on FB and IG Live and appeared on ESPN and CNN.

David’s joy for life is infectious and his ability to rally the run community for greater causes is truly EPIC! It’s not only the most FUN I’ve had on a RunChat, but so damn INSPIRING!!

If you enjoy the conversation, 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

Visit his On Running profile here

Check out his filmmaking partner, Brenden, here

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 am so stoked to share Shelby Moleskie’s INSPIRING story!

In her 1st marathon, she qualified for Boston. In her 1st Ultra—the JFK 50 Miler—Shelby ran 9:27 and placed 8th in her age group. Truly remarkable stuff!

Like so many badass moms, Shelby was spending all day, everyday giving everything to everybody else. She was looking for something to identify with as a mom—something that was just for her—and came back to running.

Some of the things we covered include:

-Growing up as an athlete (where she played soccer, tennis, basketball, was a competitive swimmer, and made the 6-Minute Mile Club in gym class)

-How she got back into running again because of a bar bet

-Training with a local running club and qualifying for the Boston Marathon in her 1st Marathon! (Led my Mike Spinnler, the JFK 50 Miler Race Director)

-Tackling weaknesses

-Taking on huge scary challenges

-Training through injuries

-Her previous longest run of 50K and facing her fears and doubts about whether she could make it 50 miles

-Her JFK Race day experience (fueling, race plan, execution, mantras, etc.)

For all the badass moms out there (and single fathers) that are doing it all and feeling overwhelmed — this one will resonate and hopefully INSPIRE you to get moving again!

If you enjoy the conversation, 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 Shelby:

Instagram: @smoleskie

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

© 2020 Ron Romano