RunChats with @RonRunsNYC

Kelly Brown Willis is a paragon of positivity and is perseverance personified! Growing up in a family of nine no doubt forged her grit, toughness, hustle, and drive. As a mom of four with a big appetite for travel, running adventures, and community, these qualities serve her well.

Kelly traveled the world for 18 months on the cheap with her husband, Rich, before having children—soaking in the culture & experiences in Syria and Guatemala—and learned she could do hard things like climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro & Mt. Ranier (which took two tries because of the technical difficulty and extra challenges from having epilepsy).

Kelly spent a full year working on her strength and agility and came back a year later and got it done!

She struggled in her first year of law school, but pushed through with encouragement from her dad (who was also her mentor) to achieve her career dream of becoming Assistant District Attorney of Atlanta.

We discuss: the influence of growing up in a big family, her dad/mentor, traveling the world, climbing adventures, law school becoming an ADA, finding running & the marathon, the running community, AbbottWMM Majors, WAG Champs, chasing another sub-3, community service, and more.

Kelly loves all things Abbott World Marathon Majors and is one of just 45 to earn TWO Six-Star medals, one of 85 to run an Abbott Slam (all six in the same calendar year, 2018), and qualified and ran in the first AbbottWMM Wanda Age Group World Championships in London.

I had the honor of sharing the stage with Kelly on a panel at the London Marathon discussing our Abbott World Marathon Majors adventures and her positive energy really shined through and connected with the crowd!

What a journey from 4:15 marathoner to her current 2:57 PR! Kelly's dreaming of taking another big swing at sub-3 in Berlin and I'll be there running & rooting for her to get it DONE! Mad RESPECT for this badass mom of 4, running at this level and putting out so much positive energy into the running community!

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 Kelly:

Instagram: @kelly_brown_willis

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 welcome back episode 63 guest Michelle Baxter!

Michelle chased down an 8-Year Dream, running a 2:58:24 at CIM, completing her sub-3 quest! I'm so inspired by her perseverance, grit, and commitment to her goals. The fire burns bright in Michelle and she has continually tweaked her training to get faster and stronger while increasing her mileage to a peak of 100M in her CIM buildup.

We discuss: fueling tweaks, being patient, running her race/pace, on-course CIM support vs running in smaller races in AK, having her family there, strength training and how it helped her close a CRAZY fast the last 5M, perfect negative split execution (1:30:08 --> 1:28:16), the community at CIM, and the super positive support she has received from her blog/IG supporters.

"For 8 years, I've been trying to run a sub-3 hour marathon. 8 years filled with injuries, pregnancies, postpartum time, and a lot of hard work. Sure, I wondered if it was actually possible—especially after 4 failed attempts—but I was also willing to take the risk because I knew if it did happen, it would be that much sweeter and one of the highlights of my running career. And boy is it sweet!"

I'm so inspired by Michelle's breakthrough and am excited to see what's next!

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 Michelle:

Instagram: @therunnersplate

Website: https://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

Janey John is STRENGTH personified and a FORCE of nature. Janey stared down cancer twice—and nearly died on the table during double mastectomy surgery on her 59th birthday—but LIVED to tell the tale and share her INSPIRING story!

As a young girl, Janey dreamed of being crowned Miss America, but never imagined it happening in the cancer wing, rocking the crown with no hair on her head.

After reviving her (having to reattach the breast they had started to remove in order to do so), she awoke in pain with her head swollen and her entire body connected to a sea of wires and tubes, surrounded by her mom, sister, Angela, and her surgeon. Janey learned that the isosulfan blue dye they injected into her tumor bed to trace back to the lymph nodes had caused her to go into anaphylactic shock.

3 weeks later on 8/4/20, they went back in and successfully completed her surgery.

Despite the enormous physical and emotional toll, Janey laced up her sneakers on 9/11/20, just 38 days later, and RAN the virtual Boston Marathon on her treadmill due to raging fires in the Lake Tahoe area near her home, no doubt securing her lifetime badass warrior status!

Fast forward to January 2021 and Janey had been suffering from severe joint pain, high fevers, brain fog, and other ailments to the point she considered driving off a mountain and ending it all. Thankfully her dogs were with her in the car, preventing her from following through.

She walked in crying her eyes out, with no idea what her next step would be. When she logged on to Facebook that night, God was watching over her and she noticed a running friend discussing breast implant illness. As she read the symptoms, it was EVERYTHING she had! Janey had the implants removed and within 4 days, 80% of her ailments were gone!

Onto the 125th Boston, her sister Angela made her a promise in the ICU that she would qualify for her 1st Boston and run together. Though Janey had almost no training leading in, she wasn't going to miss out even if she had to walk most of it. Janey felt like she was floating and God was gently blowing her towards Boston. It was the most peaceful, happy, gratitude-filled 26.2 miles of her life made more special by sharing it with her sister. Boston was the final healing and culmination of scratching and clawing her way back to me!

Some of the topics we discuss include: radiation, chemo, hair loss, the cancer community, caregivers, losing friends to cancer, why it's tougher on family & friends, physical vs psychological trauma, gutting her home during treatments, legacy, the Goggins mindset, clawing her way to running the 125th Boston with her sister Angela, fighting through it all to find her way back.

Janey's story is one of remarkable resilience and I'm so grateful she chose to share her experience here to pay it forward and help others.

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 Janey:

Instagram: @theswansnestinc

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]

© 2021 Ron Romano

When Kristyn Smith sets her mind on a goal, watch out! Growing up in Texas, she sang in choir, enjoyed performing in musical theater, and dreamed of making it to Broadway. By the tender age of 18, she had moved to NYC, began working in the performing arts on Broadway, and made her dream come true.  Kristyn is driven, competitive, and enjoys setting big goals and getting after them!

Her path to running was unusual. Kristyn decided to form a group to raise awareness for health/healthy living in her workplace, which included doing charity races. They were all beginners, but she really enjoyed the community aspect. As her runs grew longer, she sought out company to share the miles and break up the boredom. She soon realized she could do her best problem solving on the run and was hooked.

We discuss:

-Her 1st marathon—running a 4:15 in Philly after totally winging her training

-Joining the Dashing Whippets and flourishing in a group environment

-Running a 3:33 in her 2nd marathon, earning her BQ

-Her quest to prove she belongs

-Hiring her Coach, mentor and friend Paul Carmona, who shaped and inspired her over the years

-Learning the value of prescribed training to develop her systems

-Running her 1st run after a pelvic stress fracture at Boston and finishing against all odds—a truly transformational experience

-Mistakes made & lessons learned

-Her coaching philosophy and how good it feels to help others achieve their goals

From not understanding the purpose of a track workout, tempo, or Fartlek run, to becoming a student of our sport, fully fluent in running terminology; to ending her fall marathon season with a 3:07 London Marathon, 3:08 Boston Marathon and 3:02 NYC Marathon over 35 days—Kristyn's running & coaching future looks bright!

I'm so excited to follow her inspiring journey and 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 Kristyn:

Instagram: @krisrs

Website: https://coachkrisrs.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 met Grace Plassche exiting the 50th NYC Marathon finish line, where she was beaming with that first-time marathon finisher glow and had just rocked an AMAZING 3:28 debut marathon!

Grace ran in honor of her Grandmother—who passed from Cancer in 2019—and had her initials on her sneakers and could feel her out there on the course when things got really hard. Running and fundraising for the American Cancer Society made things even more meaningful.

Grace comes from a super close-knit, supportive family and is grounded in gratitude. She's an aspiring doctor/surgeon and I'm excited to follow her amazing journey.

We discuss: 

-Youth activities: dance, soccer, basketball, lacrosse, travel LAX in middle school, being coached by her dad, bonding moments, finding a passion

-Receiving a scholarship to Brown University for D1 Lacrosse, invaluable learnings, team bonds, workload, time management, overcoming obstacles, leadership, finding her voice, becoming a team captain during her senior year

-Mentors: From Pro-Activity PT & Gym, Eric Eisenhart and Chris Gahagan; Kristen Prendergast, "one of my greatest role models as an amazing marathoner, doctor, and mom of three;" Dr. Ira Kirschenbaum, who "helped me realize the magnitude of my passion for medicine and set in motion the path I am on now"

-Being part of a strong team in both sports and medicine

-A full breakdown of her race and the incredible on course support she received from family & friends (who were EVERYWHERE)

-Her career path and community service

I'm so excited to share Grace's inspiring first-time marathoners journey and 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 Grace:

Instagram: @grace_plassche

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

Amanda Brooks is a boss and a true OG in the running community. She's also a tireless researcher of products and training methodologies, all focused on injury prevention and keeping her runners and followers healthy. Amanda and her team of 8 coaches have built a community platform to support middle-of-the-pack runners and help them find joy in running or walking at any pace.

Amanda's coaching mission:

I want us all to think beyond the clock. To love the run for what it gives us. To love our bodies for what they can achieve. To take the extra few moments to keep us running injury-free and happy. In fact, that's the major portion of the first 1/3 of my new book, Run To The Finish: The Everyday Runners Guide To Avoiding Injury, Ignoring The Clock, And Loving The Run (a great resource for ALL runners)

We discuss: her youth, team sports, the impact of good and bad coaches and how that shaped her approach and the coaches she hires, building a community, finding joy at any pace, overcoming a major health crisis and how it led to a focus on lower-heartrate training, her focus on health and injury prevention, InsideTracker—awareness of what's happening on the inside, helping others with her platform, and community service.

I've been a big fan of Amanda's impact in the running community, so it was a real treat to learn more of her inspiring story!

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 Amanda:

Instagram: @runtothefinish

Website: https://www.runtothefinish.com

Her Book: https://www.runtothefinish.com/book

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

Julieta Liebhoff has been under the brightest of lights and pressure to perform on Chopped on the Food Network and came out the champion! Working as a private chef & caterer for discerning—and sometimes demanding—A-List clients prepared her well. As a mom of three, she has to be a master juggler and running is what keeps her grounded and adds tremendous balance to her life. She recently lived out her dream, running a PR at the 125th Boston Marathon!

At the age of 7, growing up in Rosario, Argentina, she began spending a lot of time in the kitchen & garden with her mom, watching her make breads & pastas from scratch, helping her trim the basil leaves to make pesto. She developed her deep connection with food, learned lots of recipes, and honed her knife skills.

We discuss: playing sports as a kid, the value of team sports, traveling, experiencing other cultures, food, wine, coming to NYC, getting started at Balthazar, becoming a private Chef, her Chopped appearance, finding running & triathlons after becoming a mom, her experience of a lifetime at Boston, how her creativity sparks on runs, and community service, including volunteering at local races and donating her Chef services for NJ/NY charities.

I'm so INSPIRED by Julieta's journey and look forward to seeing what's next for her! As a fellow foodie and wine lover, I enjoyed this one immensely!

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 Julieta:

Instagram: @juliechefnyc

Website: https://www.juliechef.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

Melissa Malani PhD, has had an incredibly impressive running journey, progressing from a 5:12 marathoner to a 3:27 marathoner and 2X Boston Marathon finisher! It's been a circuitous route, filled with huge challenges that nearly ended where it started.

In college, while in a toxic, controlling relationship, her ex-husband pushed her to run and closely monitored what and how much she was eating. That kind of trauma leaves scars. It could've broken her will and permanently damaged her relationship with food and running, but thankfully it only served to make her stronger and more resilient.

After finishing her dissertation—feeling like she was permanently glued to a chair—Melissa felt the need to jump on the treadmill at 9:30 at night. Winded and struggling to breathe (she's asthmatic), she pushed through and began to reframe her relationship with running.

Melissa on running today:

"It truly brings out not only the best in me, but constantly makes me want to be better and do better in all aspects of life; it makes me want to do more, serve more, be more—I just can't imagine not being that way and having that drive."

We discuss: healing from a toxic relationship, healthy relationships with food & running, how these things and having a child with special needs shaped her drive, energy, spirit, and service for others, pushing through the tough and dark spots to get to the light, race experiences, coaching, mentors, fueling, mantras, goal-setting, community service, giving back, and more.

Melissa's story is so INSPIRING and I'm so excited to follow along on her big goals to get faster and have an even greater impact in her community as a speech-language pathologist.

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 Melissa:

Instagram: @isamarathoner

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

At 3PM Sunday, most running the 125th Boston Marathon were getting ready for a carb-loading dinner and sorting through their pre-race anxiety and rituals.

Stephen England, a type one diabetic, had far bigger aspirations in mind, and had just set out to run 100 miles to commemorate the development of insulin 100 years ago! (Hello, Quad Boston!)

Stephen is an accomplished distance runner, having completed the Western States 100, Tor des Géants, and the Cocodona 250, but what would make this infinitely more challenging; he would have to run 4xBoston unsupported—with no crew and no aid stations open except for during the 4th marathon.

We discuss: highs & lows, funny moments, unexpected meetups with cyclists riding the course through the night, run-ins with Boston's finest using a vending machine at 2am, a late night pizza and snacks delivery from friend Mike Saleh, who also ran Boston in morning, meeting another Quad runner, Henry Ward, on his 5th in a row, fueling at CVS and Dunkin Donuts, and sharing miles with two women (one 14-weeks postpartum) and NYC friend and Sherpa, Terrence, on the final leg of the hugely INSPIRING Quad Journey.

We closed the convo on 'what is you why?' It's powerful stuff. Stephen's why: To inspire and empower Type 1's that there are no limits.

What an accomplishment! Give Stephen a follow for more INSPO and look for him pacing the 3:30 group at the 50th NYC Marathon.

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 Stephen:

Instagram: @rundiabetes

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

Meet Dr. Stephanie Plummer—Dr. by day, pilot, skydiver, world traveler, big adventure junkie, and co-host of the Airline Pilot Guy Show, an aviation podcast. At the center of her crazy busy life is running. It keeps her grounded and chasing huge life goals.

Steph just completed 3 World Marathon Majors in just EIGHT days to earn her coveted Six-Star! Running London, Chicago, and Boston, she flew 11,168 miles (paging American Airlines... sponsor plug. What are we doing here??), ran 81.7 (including a quick 5K in Chicago just to keep things spicy), all while jumping through all the COVID test hoops.

Steph brings a big smile and the most positive, playful energy to life. We broke it all down Tuesday AM post-Boston

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 Steph:

Instagram: @drstephplum

Podcast: http://airlinepilotguy.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