Running In Circles

Today I’m joined by Christian Jackson!

Christian runs for Virginia Tech where his primary event is the 800.

This year at the ACC championships he clocked a 1:44.83, getting the win and breaking the meet record.

He went on to win the East regional 800 which qualified him for nationals. Last week he traveled to Hayward field to compete against the nations best and placed 7th.

After ACC’s I sat down with Christian to discuss his season and this is that conversation.

Tune in to hear the thoughts of one of the nations best before nationals.

Christian is just getting started with making his mark on the sport.

On this episode we discuss Christian’s journey to becoming one of the best in the NCAA, how he adapted to more intense training once getting into college and more.

My instagram- https://www.instagram.com/runningincircles.podcast?igsh=MWtwN2Fma2V5NHI3MA==

Christian’s instagram- https://www.instagram.com/chrissjaxx?igsh=cGFiMjNzbHB3ODNp

Today the Wake Forest sophomore sensation, Rocky Hansen returns to the podcast!

Rocky was an incredibly accomplished runner in high school and wasted no time before he started mixing it up with the big dawgs in the NCAA. This past indoor season he helped his DMR team qualify for nationals by splitting a 3:50 1600 as the anchor leg. Then at nationals he ran the 5k where he placed 3rd and ran a personal best of 13:12.

His success continued on into this outdoor season where so far he placed 6th in the ACC 1500m final and won the East regional 5k which qualified him for nationals. Later this week he will look to get his first NCAA title in Eugene, Oregon.

This conversation is a very fun and insightful one as it revolves a lot around how Rocky and his teammates at Wake have been able to see so much success right out of high school and his thoughts before nationals. 

If you enjoy the episode please share it with a friend who might find it interesting and leave a comment!

My instagram- https://www.instagram.com/runningincircles.podcast?igsh=MWtwN2Fma2V5NHI3MA==

Rocky’s instagram- https://www.instagram.com/rocky_hansen_?igsh=b2N6dG5wc2d3dnR1

Today I’m joined by Matti Erickson!

Matti runs for The University of Oregon and just put on a masterclass in tactics to win the 800m national championship at NCAA indoors with a time of 1:46.4.

He also won the Big Ten title in the 800, helping build his momentum going into nationals.

Before the conference championships Matti wasn’t even qualified for nationals but he stayed focused and was able to squeeze in with the 15th spot.

In this episode we discuss how he stayed composed in races and didn’t lose confidence when he wasn’t qualified for nationals and much more.

The story of Matti Erickson is a special one. 

My instagram- https://www.instagram.com/runningincircles.podcast?igsh=MWtwN2Fma2V5NHI3MA==

Matti’s instagram- https://www.instagram.com/mattiericksonn?igsh=NTV2NXFjMjBzcnkw

Today I’m joined by Grant and Aidan Matthai! They attendUW-Lacrosse where they run D3 cross country and track and they have played a pivotal role in establishing one of the most dominant programs in D3 history.

This past fall Grant and Aidan finished 1st and 2nd on their team, respectively, to help bring home the cross country national team title! This was an especially meaningful title because the year before they lost the team battle by just one point.

Most recently they competed at indoor nationals where Grant won the national championship in the 5k and Aidan placed 4th. Then they opened up their outdoor season with a fast 5k where Grant ran 13:56 and Aidan ran 14:06.

Grant and Aidan also have a YouTube channel where they document their lives and running journey which we touch on in this episode. When you listen to Grant and Aidan talk you can clearly see how dedicated they are to the craft and how much they love the sport. 

If you enjoy the episode please consider sharing it with a friend who you think might like it!

The Sinclaire Johnson interview is here.

Sinclaire just placed 2nd at the U.S. indoor championships in the 1500 and earned her spot on the world indoor team. She’ll compete later this year at world indoors!

Last year Sinclaire ran 3:56 in the 1500 and cemented herself in history as one of the greatest U.S. 1500m athletes ever but fell just short of the Olympic team, placing fourth at the trials. Her season wasn’t without adversity as she faced injury shortly before the trials started but still have it her all.

In this episode we go over the emotional roller coaster of placing 4th at the trials, her expectations for world indoors and much more.

Sinclaire was a part of Bowerman track club when she first when pro, the ran for Union Athletics club but recently announced she’s now being coached by her soon to be husband Craig Nowak. We go over how this transition has been so far and what the key to a smooth transition is.

If you enjoy the episode please consider sharing it with a friend or you think might also enjoy it! It goes a long way in helping the podcast grow.

Sinclaire’s instagram- https://www.instagram.com/sinclairejohnson?igsh=cXQ3b2lmZWI0Mmh4

My instagram- https://www.instagram.com/runningincircles.podcast?igsh=MWtwN2Fma2V5NHI3MA==

Today I’m joined by 400m hurdle Paris Olympian Trevor Bassitt!

Trevor has made 3 global teams in a row, and in 2022 he won the bronze medal at the world championships.

Before becoming a pro he attended Ashland University where he ran D2 track and field where he was able to develop a lot as a person and an athlete.

Despite putting up a lot of consistent results Trevor is an unsponsored athlete.

In today’s podcast he takes me through the journey of what it’s like to be unsponsored and have the underdog mentality, his 400m season opener where he ran 45.6 and more.

Trevor also shares about his faith and how God has played a role in his running journey.

This is one for the books!

My instagram- https://www.instagram.com/runningincircles.podcast?igsh=MWtwN2Fma2V5NHI3MA==

Trevor’s instagram- https://www.instagram.com/trevorbassitt30?igsh=MTRrbTRndjVmeXptbw==

Today I’m joined by Bullis senior Colin Abrams!

Last year Colin was the runner up in the 800 at New balance indoor nationals and set the junior class national record with a time of 1:49.71.

Just a few weeks ago he anchored his teams sprint medley relay with a 1:51 to help them secure the U.S. high school national record! But most recently he went up in distance and ran a 4:17 mile at the milrose games.

Colin is commited to run for Stanford next fall and is making the most of the final year of his high school running career.

In this episode we dive into what it’s like being a part of so many historic relays, how Colin and his teammates make each other better in practice, his commitment to Stanford and more.

Sit back, relax and enjoy!

My instagram-https://www.instagram.com/runningincircles.podcast?igsh=MWtwN2Fma2V5NHI3MA==

Colin’s instagram-https://www.instagram.com/colin.ab?igsh=MWw3NmM5Z3Z0cXp6Ng==

Today I’m joined by Virginia Tech’s George Couttie!

George spent a year running D2 for Charleston before he transferred to Virginia Tech last fall where he’s coached by Ben Thomas who also coaches Olympic champion Cole Hocker and many other prestigious athletes.

This past cross country season he led his team to nationals with a win at regionals and went on to place 14th individually at nationals and helped his team place 26th.

But he didn’t stop there because after that he ran at the European U20 cross country nationals after NCAA’s where he placed 2nd to earn a silver medal.

But the crazy thing is that 2 years ago at D2 nationals he placed 46th.

As you’ll hear throughout the episodes George attributes many years of consistent work to his success this season.

If you enjoy the episode please take a couple seconds to leave a five star review and share it with a friend who you think might like it!

My instagram- https://www.instagram.com/runningincircles.podcast?igsh=MWtwN2Fma2V5NHI3MA==

George’s instagram- https://www.instagram.com/couttiegeorge?igsh=em85Nm1hem1oZzJt

Today I’m joined by the most underrated All American in the NCAA, Dylan Schubert!

Throughout the past couple years Dylan has dominated his conference while running for Furman University by setting countless records and winning titles in a lot of different events. But he’s also made his mark on the national stage.

Over the years at cross country nationals he placed 11th in 2022, 24th in 2023 and most recently 3rd in 2024. He also saw a lot of success on the track last year where he won the East regional 5k and went on to compete at nationals. Not to mention just a couple months ago he set a personal best of 13:17 in the 5k.

Throughout this conversation we dive into some mistakes Dylan has made and how he’s been able to consistently improve and get to the top of the NCAA.

This cross country season wasn’t easy and it included having to do some significant time cross training on the bike but he grinded it out and showed up when it mattered most.

Dylan is also a coach for Blue Collar Endurance Training so we dive into that and what lessons he has learned from coaching his own athletes.

If you enjoy this episode please share it with a friend who you think might like it and take a couple seconds to leave a five star review because it goes a long way in helping the podcast grow!

My instagram- https://www.instagram.com/runningincircles.podcast?igsh=MWtwN2Fma2V5NHI3MA==

Dylan’s Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/schuby43?igsh=MThoYW5ldHV3OHl6aw==

Blue Collar Endurance Training Website- bluecollaret.com 

Today I’m joined again by Nathan Green for episode 2 of our series The Life Of an NCAA Champion!

Nathan just ran 3:50 in the mile for his first race of the year and got the win over a stacked field. That time of 3:50 now puts him at #4 all time on the NCAA all conditions mile list.

In today’s conversation we go into what it takes to win fast races, hear about the start of Nathan and his former teammate Kieran’s piano playing journey and much more.

Listen all the way to the end to hear one of the funniest stories I’ve ever heard on the podcast!

What is the Life Of an NCAA Champion series about:

Whenever someone wins a national title you might find yourself wondering what the X factor was. Was it the team culture? Was it the workouts? The high mileage? Are they just talented? This series will help shed some light on answers to these questions and will help you get to know one of the coolest guys on the college running scene.

This is a series featuring Washington’s Middle distance star Nathan Green who won the outdoor 1500 national championship in 2023. It will follow his 2025 indoor season as he goes after another NCAA title. Every other week we will release another episode that will go over insights into his life and the ups and downs of his training. Nathan holds school records in the 3k (7:40), 800m (1:46), 1000m (2:18), and the 1500 (3:32). Not to mention he placed 5th in the 1500 at the U.S. Olympic trials last year.

Someone from Washington University has won the 1500 outdoors/mile indoors 5 times in a row and one of those people was Nathan Green in 2023. This series is an inside look at the best middle distance program in the country that has never been seen before.

Please join me as I document what might be one of the greatest seasons in college running history. All I ask is that you please share this episode with a friend so more people can gain value from Nathan’s experience or have a little laugh from some funny stories that are told and please take a few seconds to leave a five star review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts because it really helps the podcast grow.

My instagram- https://www.instagram.com/runningincircles.podcast?igsh=MWtwN2Fma2V5NHI3MA==

Nathan’s instagram- https://www.instagram.com/nathanrgreen?igsh=MWM2eHJndTFzazhlag==