RunChats with @RonRunsNYC

In 2010, Adam Lowe was not happy about how he looked or felt. Adam was an extremely active kid in high school, playing soccer, lacrosse, & basketball, and wanted to get back in shape—so he turned to running. His sister had run the Marine Corps Marathon, inspiring him to sign up and give it a try. Adam ran his first 10K in 48:07 so he could register for his first Marine Corps Marathon and ran a 3:58 in his debut. Immediately after, he swore—while lying on the ground, praying to die—that he would never run again.

Fast forward to 2021, running the JFK 50 Mile, Adam came off the AT (Appalachian Trail) in 64th place and proceeded to rock a 3:13 marathon split on the C&O Canal, and continued closing hard over the last 8.5 miles on the road to finish 21st overall and leading his CVAC Team to their 2nd consecutive 1st place finish! Adam finished in 6:38:19, a 17-minute PR at JFK (2020, 6:55:29) and it was his 2nd straight year being 21st overall.

What a journey! Adam went from feeling self-conscious about his weight, appearance, what to wear, and having no clue how to train or fuel his runs. Now he's deeply involved in the running community as a race director of the Fire On The Mountain 50K, and started a running club for 3rd-5th graders at his elementary school, encouraging them to join and get active.

Adam has big gratitude for Andy Mason writing an article about him in the Herald-Mail about a 70M run he did during Covid that led Mike Spinnler (the JFK50 Race Director) to ask him to run for his CVAC team. Mike believing in Adam was a big turning point. The unwavering support and partnership with his fiancée, Katie, crewing Adam for races, working together race directing, and raising their kids as a team has made all the difference.

I hope you all are moved by Adam's inspiring journey!

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 Adam:

Instagram: @adamlowe9940

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

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Social: @_margittai

© 2022 Ron Romano

Gamble + Grit + Sparkle = 2:36:43 OTQ! These are the founding principles of every race plan for Kim Horner, and she channeled them all brilliantly at Grandma's to make a 7-year dream come true!

As early as 5K into the race, Kim was struggling with the pace/effort and let her Mill City Running teammate, Doron Clark, know that there could be some dark moments ahead and this was going to be a test of will as well as fitness. Good thing she worked equally hard at her mental/mindset game to prepare for that moment and being on the OTQ edge all day.

Gamble - "Any big race is worth the gamble. I am toeing the line to put it all out there." Kim channeled the fierce self-belief of college coach, Yarrow Pasche, and current coach, Kyle Bennett, that she could hit the new, challenging 2:37 OTQ standard. Kim also tapped into how many family members, friends, and teammates like Gabi Rooker were betting on her and knew she had to bet on herself and go all-in for this race.

Grit - "Being tenacious is something I value and want to be part of my core identity. Someone who will grind and be excited about it and I look forward to how my body and mind will respond." Despite being on the edge all race—and behind pace at certain points—Kim continued to grind and believed she would make it!

Sparkle - Her college coach Yarrow sprinkled some glitter on the team's spikes as they toed the line at a national cross-country meet. She wears it on her face today to tap into race day magic.

They say a rising tide lifts all boats... and I'm hoping Kim and Gabi's amazing back-to-back OTQ journeys will INSPIRE many ladies to keep grinding and get after their OTQ dreams over the next 18 months! Big INSPO, gratitude, and so many great takeaways in this one!

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 Kim:

Instagram: @signed.rae

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

© 2022 Ron Romano

"If you bet on yourself, it's contagious, and others will bet on you and wanna bet on themselves. Whether it's running, family, work, or a different hobby it's contagious positivity."

-Gabi Rooker

Close your eyes and think back in time to remember your first two marathons. Most of us were out there to challenge ourselves and prove we could finish... Gabi Rooker ran 2:54:57 in her debut at Grandma's 2021 and then proceeded to slash another 20 MINUTES at Grandma's 2022—running 2:34:57—easily beating the challenging new 2:37 OTQ standard! I'm so excited to share her amazing story to INSPIRE more ladies to get after that new target.

Gabi was a competitive gymnast who started at the age of three! She loved the routines, the order, and the discipline required to continuously improve and won three Division III individual national titles and three team national titles, competing for the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. It's where her competitive fire was forged and her love for the grind has really helped her running flourish. Gabi only ran one year in high school and that was focused on sprints.

We discuss:

-️her college coach, Barbara Gibson, who was her most impactful mentor

-finding running, joining Mill City Running, chasing OTQ goal with teammate Kim Horner

-the husband-coach team dynamic

-️gratitude for running a 1/2 PR of 1:17 with Shalane Flanagan at the Eugene Marathon in May & learnings from the experience

-the initial frustration at the drop to 2:37 OTQ standard—and then turning that frustration into FUEL

-a dream day: running a 2:34:57 with a 1:18:12 first half & 1:16:45 second half for a BIG negative split and a new 1/2 PR

-️betting on yourself & inspiring others to the new OTQ standard

-community—volunteering at Tracksmith races, giving back

Gabi is focusing on speed this summer and will be racing and volunteering at the Tracksmith Twilight 5000 Series. I'm so stoked to follow her inspiring journey as she chases even faster times at CIM in December!

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 Gabi:

Instagram: @gabirooker

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

© 2022 Ron Romano

"I love my crew, I love this community, and I've never been more satisfied crossing a finish line than I was holding my daughter on Saturday night at Placer High. Love you all. God is good!"

-Adam Kimble

Adam is a high-energy, super positive professional ultrarunner, motivational speaker, and running coach, who is so easy to root for. His joy for running is infectious, whether on the course at Western States interacting with volunteers at aid stations, his beloved crew, or fellow runners. Adam has a big appetite for adventure and chasing down big goals with his MVP crew and the support of his brands, HOKA, BUFF, Rabbit, COROS, and Tahoe Mountain Realty.

Adam has run across the USA (60 days, 2500 miles), run the Fastest Known Time (FKT) on the 171-mile Tahoe Rim Trail—with 28K of climbing—in 37 hours, 12 minutes, and 15 seconds—beating the LEGEND Kilian Jornet's record—but he will be hard pressed to surpass the iconic moment of crossing the Western States Finish Line in 17:28:33 with his beautiful daughter Kaia in his arms. (MAJOR photo creds to Paul Nelson)

We discuss:

-the huge impact of the Western States live-stream by Billy Yang, Dylan Bowman, and Corrine Malcolm

-2018 vs 2022 Western States—learnings, on-course feels, the finish of a lifetime

-the power of team—how they push and pull him through his darkest and brightest moments

-gratitude for his amazing NASCAR-like crew, his brands, and the sport of Ultra

-TRT FKT—lessons learned & applied from his first failed attempt to smash the record and share it with the local community

-his run across the USA to break a record, falling well short, finishing the job, but learning & inspiring many more

-community—the Tahoe Rim Trail Association, crewing, pacing, coaching

I greatly appreciate Adam bringing the fire and I'm stoked to follow his upcoming adventures!

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 Adam:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adamkimble818/

Additional Links: https://zez.am/adamkimble818

Connect With Ron:

Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ronrunsnyc/

Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/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: https://www.instagram.com/_margittai/

© 2022 Ron Romano

"Breaking 3:00 wasn't just about one race. It was about the nine years of marathoning and overcoming injury, the thirteen years without running and racing, and the hope tucked away in 1999 when I was just a girl who thought 'someday.'" -Hidi Gaff

When Hidi hit the 26-mile mark at Grandma's, she saw the clock and had 1:26 left to break sub-3! This mom of six had to dig deep, channel every ounce of grit, and turn on the jets to get across the line in 2:59:52 and make her sub-3 dream come true!

Hidi has overcome many obstacles along the way.

Back surgery.

Knee surgery to remove a tumor.

A divorce from her 1st husband who was cheating on her—who left her with 4 kids in diapers and newly relocated to Fort Wayne, In.

She had no degree, job, money, vehicle, or even a driver's license.

Working with her therapist, Hidi wrote down a list of where she saw herself in 5 years, what she wanted for herself & children, mapped out every step needed to achieve those goals, and set out to do the work.

5 years later, she had achieved everything on it. And a big part of that was coming back to running, connecting with runners in her new community.

Finding her tribe.

Meeting her new husband and having two more children.

We discuss: key coaches/mentors: Highschool/college running; her favorite coach, Diane Philipp; favorite race moments; her progression; mantras; darkest moment; her Grandma’s breakthrough; becoming part of Three Rivers Racing Elite Team; community service; & so much more!

It was beautiful to hear the raw emotion in Hidi's voice describing her race! How it was slowly slipping away and how she had to channel the dark side and think about how she would feel if she missed by a few seconds or a minute. So INSPIRING!

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 Hidi:

Instagram: @hidigaff

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

© 2022 Ron Romano

Dakota Lindwurm played hockey every free moment she had as a kid and dreamed of becoming a professional goalie. When her mom worried she was getting a little too obsessed, she told her she needed to add another sport for balance. Lucky for us, Dakotah chose running because she brings huge passion & joy to our sport. Dakotah managed to rock the Macarena at mile 24 of Grandma's Marathon 2022 while defending her title and running 2:25:01—the 12th fastest women's American marathon time ever!

Dakotah was a walk-on at Northern State where she had to convince her coach, Kevin Bjerke, to take a chance on her before becoming a 2X D2 All-American. He became her biggest advocate, helped her to dream big, and convinced her she could make the Olympic Trials as a marathoner. Next, Dakotah connected with Minnesota Distance Elite Team and current coach, Chris Lundstrum, who is now working with her to chase down even bigger dreams.

We discuss: key coaches/mentors: Andy Forbort, Kevin Bjerke, Chris Lundstrum; the gift of self-belief; becoming a biology teacher vs pursuing her dream; betting on herself and convincing others to get on board; Hawi Management & her Puma deal; learnings from CIM; her first marathon finish; getting the A-standard OTQ at Grandma's; the Atlanta Olympic Trials experience; race day feels from a 2:25; mantras; what's next; community service; & so much more!

What makes Dakotah so easy to root for is that she loves to take big swings:

"When I toe the line, I dare greatly. I push the envelope every time and try to find the top end of my fitness. I give myself the best shot to have the best day—which means I have a lot of bad days, but all of those bad days are worth one of these great days."

Dakotah is a rockstar & I'm so grateful for the positive energy shared and the many great takeaways in this one!

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 Dakotah:

Instagram: @dakotahlindwurm

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

© 2022 Ron Romano

"It was the best experience of my running career. Running a 2:45 marathon over four hilly loops of Central Park and winning the More Marathon for Masters women. Every woman out there was cheering for me, inspired by me—and not because I was some hotshot runner—but because I was a mom from Arizona. That changed how I looked at running. What I do can matter in the life of other people. My purpose became to inspire other people in any way that I possibly could." -Susan Loken

Susan Loken began her remarkable running journey at age 35, after the birth of her 1st son, realizing she needed some "me" time and wanted to get active. Susan built up from her first 5K to completing her first marathon in 4:01 in San Francisco at age 36. Remarkably, just four short years later, Susan qualified for her first of THREE Olympic Trials marathons (2004/2008/2012) at age 40! Susan is also a 4X USA Masters Marathon Champion and has one of the most accomplished running resumes of anyone you'll ever meet!

I really enjoyed diving deep with Susan to find out how a kid who came in last in her swim meets and was always the last kid picked to be on a sports team could progress to this amazing level!

We discuss: her mom giving her the gift of self-belief; no excuses; finding her tribe in the running community & tapping into that power; Coach Brett Schumacher taking her under his wing; finding her purpose; where the fire comes from; her darkest hole; mantras; Run Now, Wine Later; community & giving back.

Susan is a Rabbit sponsored athlete who cares deeply for the running community and giving back through coaching Girls on the Run and Healthy Kids Running. I'm so excited to follow her next chapter as she shifts her focus to trail/ultra running!

I hope you all enjoy this conversation as much as I 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 Susan:

Instagram: @susan_loken

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

© 2022 Ron Romano

"In 2021, I had a really hard year of life and racing. Nothing seemed to go right, and I was desperate for answers. I feel like I trusted God, took a leap of faith and it's paid off big time." -Rory Linkletter

After strengthening his faith, following his heart, and betting on himself, it paid huge dividends for Rory Linkletter in 2022. Rory set the Canadian half-marathon record at Houston in January, scorching a 61:08. Rory also competed gamely and ran 62:19 in the NYC Half, placing 10th in a stacked field. These and many other great results led to him being named to World Champs Oregon 2022 Team for Athletics Canada for the marathon, where he will have the great honor of competing for his country.

On working with Ryan Hall: "Ryan has rewired my brain through his charisma, his wisdom, his faith. I couldn't have drawn up a better person to guide me through this transition in my career. In 7 months of working together, I couldn't have imagined someone working so quickly to change who I am as an athlete and as a person. Feels divine, super grateful it all worked out signing with Puma Running."

Topics covered include: his coach & mentor, Ed Eyestone; online coaching with the Bruces (Steph & Ben); favorite races; Boston learnings; defining moments; Houston and breaking the Canadian record; mindset; his NAZ Elite experience; taking a leap of faith; Ryan Hall; exploring edges and reaching new limits; his respectful rivalry with Ben Flanagan; the lone wolf mentality; signing with Puma; drive, spirit, and the underdog mentality; deepening his faith; therapy; community service

I'm stoked to continue following Rory's inspiring journey. This was such a fun chat with so many takeaways!

I hope you all enjoy this conversation as much as I 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 Rory:

Instagram: @rory_linkletter

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

© 2022 Ron Romano

Roberta Groner is a 2:29 marathoner, full-time nurse, and mother of three teenage boys. And if that wasn't already enough to juggle, she recently became the road coach of my club team, Central Park Track Club.

Roberta is a fiery competitor who runs with heart and pure grit. The tougher the conditions, the better she performs. On 9/27 in the 2019 IAAF World Championships in Doha, Qatar, where real-feel temps were 105, she finished 6th overall, and was TOP American! Only 34 days later, Roberta came back and scorched a 2:30:12 in the 2019 TCS New York City Marathon, where she was 13th overall, and 4th American.

The big themes:

-Staying curious—pushing her limits to find the fastest version of herself

-Being fearless—taking risks, accepting the chance to rep the USA at World's in Doha despite knowing she would also be running NYC 34 days later

-Community—giving back, sharing her journey to inspire her boys & others

-Bringing awareness to autism and Soles4Souls

-Tapping into the big energy from her running community

-Paying it forward—coaching

-Imposter syndrome, her favorite races, milestone moments, and personal growth along the journey.

On her decision to race World's and NYC 34 days apart:

"Being invited to a World's team and putting on your country's colors, who gets to do that? I wanted my boys to see that anything is possible if you work hard, be consistent, and don't give up. Sometimes we have to make a decision on something and I chose it without questioning it. Being fearless and taking a risk and having an opportunity and doing it. Sometimes you just have to say yes, and look what happened."

Roberta Groner may have set out on her running journey to inspire her boys, but has accumulated an army of fans and is so easy to root for!

I hope you all enjoy this conversation as much as I 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 Roberta:

Instagram: @bad_boys104

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

© 2022 Ron Romano

Maggie Rettelle has been on a quest to run a sub-3 marathon. Having qualified for IronMan Kona twice and run a 3:30 marathon off the bike, Maggie believed she had the strength and grit to get it done. Race experiences and her fire to achieve it shaped her to dive deeper into nutrition, fueling, sleep, mantras, and her mental game.

As athletes, we all hope for a perfect training cycle. We root for the best weather and optimal conditions to help us smash our goals. On Saturday 5/21 in Chattanooga, Maggie CRUSHED a sub-5 Half IronMan, running her fastest 1/2 (1:36) off the bike and WON her age group by an astonishing 12 minutes! 7 days later, on 5/28, she laced 'em up at the Bayshore Marathon where she ROCKED a 2:58:02, smashed down the sub-3 door, and made her dream come true.

Maggie is a board-certified health & wellness coach and USAT Level 1 certified triathlon coach at TS2 Coaching and is all about community and giving back. So much of our RunChat centers on gratitude. For anyone who has struggled with their nutrition, race day fueling plans, or mindset, there are SO many great takeaways.

I hope you all enjoy this conversation as much as I 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 Maggie:

Instagram: @coach_ironmag

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

© 2022 Ron Romano