Running Is Cheaper Than Therapy

This is a very special episode. Tomorrow is my two-year podcast anniversary. It is also the day my mother transitioned from this world due to breast cancer. I wanted to do something positive and meaningful during the midst of COVID and I started this podcast. I thank you so much for listening, a special thank all of my past and future guests. Thanks for all the suggestions, the recommendations. I appreciate all the love. This week's guest I met shortly after I moved to Chicago. Thanks to Gabrielle Barber who I met in Berlin who told me about Men Run Deez Streets. They were the first group I ran after I moved to the city. Although they were lightning fast, and I am not they were welcoming all the same. Terrance Lyles is my guest this week.

Terrance L. Lyles AKA The Machine, AKA Optimus Prime, is a marathoner, triathlete, and the founder of Men Run Deez Street.. His father is Bernard Lyles, a previous guest on this show. Terrance has completed over 30 marathons, 50-mile ultra-marathon and more recently a half IornMan distance race, 70.3 triathlon.

With many years of accomplishments and a continued passion for running, Terrance became inspired to help bring more men of color into the sport. After witnessing many women of Black Girls Run taking on the sport, he became inspired to recruit men from social media to start his own club. Many urban and professional men that reached back to him, and Men Run Deez Streets (MRDS) was born in 2013. From there, he has helped train many men, and even women, to become long-distance runners and half marathon/marathon finishers. Terrance is a Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) Certified Adult Distance Running Coach. He is also an avid cyclist and swimmer

• Terrance in the midst of a life crisis started running as a coping mechanism.
• Terrance pays tribute to his dad, Bernard Lyles, who inspired him to run.
• Some memorable marathons, the good and the bad.
• Terrance talks about his 50-mile ultra-marathon.
• How Men Run Deez Streets (MRDS) came to be.
• Terrance's first triathlon .
• Terrance talks about some obstacles he's faced and what drives him.
• Terrance shares some final words of inspiration.

Terrance L. Lyles, "The Machine" AKA "OPTIMUS PRIME" was born and raised in the streets of Chicago. He attended Neal F. Simeon High School and later attended Southern Illinois University Carbondale where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering Technology. He returned to Chicago to pursue a career in engineering and has worked in state and city government for over 20 years. He is currently employed as a Senior Project Manager for the Chicago Transit Authority leading multi-million-dollar infrastructure projects.

Terrance began his running experience in 2006 after having many personal and financial issues. He believed that he needed something to keep his mind off of stress and needed a positive outlet. Knowing that his father, Bernard Lyles, was an avid runner, he consulted him and was advised to join the Maxfitness Marathon Training Program led by Coach Rudy Christian. Terrance trained for his first Chicago Marathon that year and completed it with a time of 4:07:28. This is when he developed the passion for running. Terrance went on to complete over 30 marathons in various cities that includes Detroit, Indianapolis, Miami, Little Rock, Atlanta, St. Louis, New Orleans, and overseas in Negril, Jamaica and Berlin, Germany. He has also completed a 50-mile Ultra-Marathon in Chicago, and most recently, an Ironman 70.3 triathlon.

With many years of accomplishments and a continued passion for running, Terrance became inspired to help bring more men of color into the sport. After witnessing many women of Black Girls Run taking on the sport, he became inspired to recruit men from social media to start his own club. With the many urban and professional men that reached back to him, Men Run Deez Streets (MRDS) was born in 2013. From there, he has helped train many men, and even women, to become long-distance runners and half marathon/marathon finishers. Terrance is a Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) Certified Adult Distance Running Coach. He is also an avid cyclist and swimmer.

Terrance believes in helping people become their best selves. He is passionate about volunteering in the community for charity events and he is an advocate for social justice. He is dedicated to bringing about change to the community and helping others become healthier by running.

He lives by and adheres to a famous quote: "Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world" – Harriet Tubman.

• Connect with Terrance on Facebook
• Connect with Terrance on Instagram
• Men Run Deez Streets on Facebook
• Send Terrance an email.
• MRDS got featured on Block Club Chicago

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Valerie Tyler is one of my former coaches. She taught me how to swim and how to overcome my fear of the deep end of the pool. A self-proclaimed tomboy, Valerie has been active all her life but she only got into running at the age of 50 on a dare.

Over the next 20 years, Valerie has run thirty-five marathons qualifying for the Boston Marathon four times. She also started competing in triathlons, also on a dare. After she learned how to swim, she started with sprint triathlons. She progressed to the Olympic distance, 70.3 distance and ultimately to the full ironman 140.6 distance. She even podiumed after placing second in her age group at IronMan Chattanooga.

Currently, Valerie focuses on coaching other athletes wanting to promote good health to the next generation. Her business partner is Coach Mo, who was a previous guest. She also helped start the Southside CARA (Chicago Area Runners Association).

Her favorite mantras are;

(1) Keep It Moving and stay active.

(2) If I can set an example for a healthy lifestyle, my work is done!

(3) Be bold and live life to the fullest in love, health, spirit, family, and friends!!!!

(4) You can choose to be healthy and fit…it's a choice!

Episode Highlights:

• Valerie grew up as tomboy, and always was active
• Her motivation to remain active and help others.
• Valerie becomes a marathoner on a dare.
• Some memorable marathons, the good and the bad.
• How Valeria becomes involved in CARA
• Valerie becomes a triathlon athlete, again, on a dare.
• Some memories and tips from her experience competing in triathlons.
• Valerie is challenging herself in an endurance swim- Big Shoulders.
• She talks about her coaching journey.
• Valerie shares some final words of inspiration.

Growing up as a tomboy competing with her older brother, Valerie was always active physically. She played baseball, climbed trees, participated in tag races, played monkey bars, participated in long jumps along with mud biking, and on and on. Then she transitioned to African dance, ballet, and jazz in between, tennis, roller skating, skiing, and aerobic classes. She has always been active, always competing, and always challenging herself.

Fast forward to many years later, she was dared to run a marathon at the age of 50. Valerie really found her groove….so for the next 20 years, she ran 35 marathons all over the world and more half marathons than she can count. During that period, she also was approached by Chicago Area Runners Association (CARA) to build a south side base leaving from LaRabida Hospital. So under pressure, Valerie founded that running group and built it up to sixty plus marathon members. During those 5 years of being the 'Site Coordinator' for CARA South Side, she qualified for the Boston Marathon 4 times, and led the 9:30 and 10-minute Pace Groups.

Valerie was dared to race in Triathlons at the age of 52. Over the years, she has participated in many sprints, Olympics, Half Ironman, and 1 Full Ironman. She learned to swim, earned her Life Savers Certification, and began coaching swim lessons with Chicago Blue Dolphins. Her first Ironman at the age of 67 was in Chattanooga, and she placed 2nd in her age group behind a woman that had done 9 and this was her 10th competition. What a proud moment to be on the Podium and invited to Kona! However, she was one and done. Ironman training was by far the most difficult, challenging, and mentally draining experience she had ever done. She was exhausted but exhilarated enough for a lifetime.

In the past few years, Valerie has retired from Corporate America and earned certifications in Yoga, Personal Training, Fitness Training, and Nutritional Training. (She primarily follows a vegetarian diet with an emphasis on protein). She founded her own company, VTFit, 7 years ago and now teaches strength training on Zoom 5X a week with a base of approximately 60 students, most of whom have been with her for more than 3 years. She has received numerous first and second-place age group awards and hundreds of medals from racing events of all types.

As she moves into her senior years, Valerie feels the desire to extend herself and her energies into motivating and training the next generation. She was blessed to have an amazing racing career, and she wants to see more 'people of color' pushing the envelope and representing the US in marathons and triathlons around the world. So, she continues to train – coaching swimming and track under the guidance of her stellar coach, Mo Wills, of Infinity Multisport. This game is about 'getting comfortable with being uncomfortable' – his favorite saying.

Her favorite mantras are;

(1) Keep It Moving and stay active.

(2) If I can set an example for a healthy lifestyle, my work is done!

(3) Be bold and live life to the fullest in love, health, spirit, family, and friends!!!!

(4) You can choose to be healthy and fit…it's a choice!

• Connect with Valerie on Facebook
• Connect with Valerie on Instagram

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Today the focus will not be on post-race recovery, but on post-surgery and post-injury recovery. I have received many questions regarding rehab and physical therapy related to my latest surgery and I will attempt to answer them in this episode as well as give an update on my own recovery journey.

I have had a plethora of injuries in my running and triathlon career as well as some from ski racing. I have had plantar fasciitis, meniscal tear, tendonitis, iliotibial friction band syndrome etc. I have had surgeries as a result of some of these injuries and the most recent one was in April 2022. It was a microfracture surgery to address a cartilage knee injury. I am still recovering from this injury.

I had another knee surgery in 2020 on my knee for a partial ACL tear, cartilage injury and a meniscus tear. I found that I still could not get back to running at full force as there was still some pain. I got a second opinion and the MRI showed a cartilage defect. I took the risk to have another surgery to address the defect in my cartilage in 2022. Surgery is always a risk and one should do a thorough risk benefit ratio before proceeding. I decided to take the risk because I love running for so many reasons. One is the high I get from it, another is the health benefits of running, and last but not least is the community of people.

After the surgery, I had to be on crutches for six weeks. I was lucky that the injury was on a part of my knee that is not load-bearing and so I could put some weight on my toes versus being non-weight bearing. I have learned that rehab is not a linear progression. Everyday is not necessarily better than the day before the goal is steady and progressive improvement.

Episode Highlights:

• Some of my past injuries.
• My most recent injury and surgery.
• Why I took the risk and had a second surgery on my knee.
• My journey of rehab and recovery.
• Some lessons from my journey.

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Shauna Anderson is a Mechanical engineer and mathematician who has taught for 25 years in the United States, Ethiopia and Taiwan. She is a a graduate of an HBCU, Howard University. She obtained a master's degree from Harvard University. Shauna considers herself a citizen of the world having visited forty-seven countries and with the full intention of seeing more.

Not only has Shauna completed all of the six major world marathons, but also, run a marathon on all seven continents. She has also completed a triathlon, actually with only four days of training.

She has run twenty full marathons, thirty-one half marathons, bungee jumped in New Zealand, and driven herself 10,000 miles across the United States among many other adventures.

Her motto in life is a quote by Eric Thomas: "When you die, die on "E"...leave no dream left behind...leave no opportunity behind! Accomplish everything you can."

• How Shauna started running .
• Shauna's first marathon - Boston Marathon.
• Some memorable marathons, the best and worst of her experience.
• The Antarctica marathon.
• Shauna experience bungee jumping
• Shauna shares her bucket list.
• Shauna shares some of her wisdom she has obtained over the years.

Shauna Anderson is a mathematics teacher of 25 years who has taught in the U.S., Ethiopia, and Thailand. She has completed the world marathon majors and a full marathon on all seven continents. She did her first ever triathlon with four days' notice just last year and spontaneously bungee jumped while in New Zealand, one of the 47 countries she has visited. She considers herself to be a citizen of the world. Her motto in life is a quote by Eric Thomas: "When you die, die on "E"...leave no dream left behind...leave no opportunity behind! Accomplish everything you can."

Shauna Anderson got featured on the Runner's Magazine.

Catch Shauna on Instagram.

Catch Shauna's blog.

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Liz Yerly has been my physical therapist since 2014. I initially saw her with plantar fasciitis but she has since seen me for a plethora of other injuries as well as post-surgery. She sees many endurance athletes and has a world-class facility. I enjoy working with her because she challenges me and keeps me from getting bored. She also uses a variety of methods to help me reach my goals.

Besides being a physical therapist, Liz also is a certified athletic trainer and massage therapist. She teaches her clients the best ways to avoid injuries. She sees many common orthopedic injuries, including overuse injuries, and post-surgery patients. Liz has a vast knowledge of biomechanics, which allows her to examine athletes' movement patterns and resolve dysfunction to help decrease injury and improve performance.

Liz developed the Chicago recovery room. In order to be seen there, clients don't need a prescription. The recovery room has compression boots, and ice baths, and they do a lot of education for athletes at all levels. She tries to work with clients who may not be able to afford therapy due to no insurance and those that may have issues with insurance. Her goal is to provide access to as many people as she can.

• What sparked Liz's Interest in physical therapy.
• Some of Liz's certifications
• Liz's experience with endurance athletes.
• Liz's tips to run injury-free..
• Why Liz started the Chicago Recovery Room
• Liz talks some more about The Chicago Recovery Room.

"I believe as physical therapists we have the unique ability to provide a missing piece in the healthcare spectrum. I want to be a resource for athletes and patients during all aspects of their care, whether for injury rehabilitation, preventative maintenance, or performance enhancements. We offer a skill set that should be utilized on a continuum that will ultimately result in overall improved function and continued wellness over time," Liz Yerly

Education

• Marquette University, Bachelor of Psychology
• Marquette University, Masters of Physical Therapy

• Certified Athletic Trainer
• Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist
• Full Body Certified in Active Release Technique
• Licensed Massage Therapist
• Certified Graston Technique
• Professional Interests

A licensed practitioner in physical therapy, athletic training, massage therapy and personal training, Liz offers a unique perspective on injury prevention, maintenance, and rehabilitation of her patients and athletes. Liz has experience treating everyone from the collegiate athlete to the weekend warrior. She also sees many common orthopaedic injuries, including post-surgical patients and overuse injuries common in endurance sports. She has a vast knowledge of biomechanics which allows her to examine patient/athlete movement patterns and resolve dysfunctions to help decrease injury and improve performance.

Liz provides individualized, hands-on patient care with a focus on soft tissue dysfunction. She completed her full body Active Release Certification in 2008; she is trained in administering intramuscular trigger point dry needling and also administers Graston Techniques which utilizes an instrument to detect and treat soft tissue fibrosis or chronic inflammation and restore range of motion.

She has volunteered at numerous triathlon and marathon races, including the Madison, WI Ironman. She is also part of the medical staff for the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) and Broadway in Chicago Performing Arts team.

Liz also developed the Chicago Recovery Room concept, which is an open-to-the-public athletic training room providing access to state-of-the-art recovery tools and services for athletes. The Chicago Recovery Room provides athletes of all levels with affordable access to cutting-edge technology and treatment options to help speed up recovery, prevent injuries, and continue to train like the pros.

• Active Release Techniques
• Graston Technique
• Trigger Point Dry Needling
• Athletic Taping,
• FMS
• Runner's Analysis

• Bike Fitting
• Pose Certified
• Licensed Massage Therapist
• Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist,
• Licensed Athletic Trainer

See Liz's profile at Impact Physical Therapy

Catch Liz's website

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Coach Maurice (Mo) Wills is the man who is responsible for getting to the start and finish line of all my major races minus my one DNF ( did not finish). Mo, taught me to swim and believed I could do more than I ever thought possible. I also told him he was the first coach that didn't fire me- long story.

Mo is a USA Triathlon, a level two coach, certified total immersion swim instructor, certified Chi running instructor, and master trainer for heart zones. He is a two-time Boston Marathon finisher, ultra-marathoner and 11-time full-distance Ironman finisher. He had more than 25 years of race experience and over 20 years of coaching experience at all levels and distances. He has coached hundreds of athletes in person and remotely to their finish lines.He always says "hate me now, love me race day".

He ran competitively in high school and college. He burned out and took a hiatus after college until his mother told him he was fat. He then started running again. It was from there his passion grew and grew. He went from running, cycling, to triathlon racing and coaching.

When winter comes, Coach Mo likes to play in the snow being an accomplished snowboarder and skier. He is a certified Tier 1 snowboard instructor. Besides being a coach, Maurice Wills is also an active CPA and holds a BS in accounting from North Carolina A&T State University.

Episode Highlights:

• Mo running history in high school along with other sports.
• After a long hiatus in college, Mo takes up running again after his mother calls him fat.
• His first triathlon race.
• Coach Mo gives us his take on triathlons.
• He gets hoodwinked into becoming a coach.
• How he connected with his present business partner
• Mo shares some words of wisdom

Guest Bio

Maurice (Mo) holds a BS in Accounting from North Carolina A&T State University, where he ran Track & Field and Cross-Country. He is a USA Triathlon Level II Coach, certified Total Immersion instructor, certified ChiRunning Instructor and Master Trainer for Heart Zones. Mo is a two-time Boston Marathon finisher, Ultra-marathoner and 11-time Ironman finisher on 5 of the 7 continents. He has completed 10+ marathons and numerous triathlons around the world. Mo has 25+ years of race experience and over 20 years of coaching experience at all levels and distances. He had coached hundreds of athletes (in person and remote) to their finish line goals from 5K to Ultramarathon, including 100+ ironman finishes.

Mo started coaching a competitive swim team in 2017 and is now a certified lifeguard instructor. He also likes to play in the snow. He is an avid snowboarder, skier, and snowmobile enthusiast. He is also a Level 1 certified snowboard instructor.

Mo is a CPA, so not only will he coach you through a successful triathlon season, but he can find you some good tax deductions on your next return.

Mo co-owner of Infinity Multisport with business partner Lara Mele.

Connect with Coach Mo on Facebook.

Connect with Coach Mo on Twitter

Catch the coach's website

Contact Coach Mo on email at [email protected] or [email protected]

Please subscribe and leave a review.

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Get a copy of the book Running Is Cheaper Than Therapy: A Journey Back to Wholeness. It is available in hardback, paperback, and newly released audio form.

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Many people who lead active lives, particularly athletes, are guilty of sacrificing sleep in pursuit of other responsibilities. It's not just athletes who fail to get enough sleep. Life is hectic and it's hard to get everything done within the right amount of time available in a day.

I personally have been sleep-deprived for years. From college balancing schooling with a social life, to medical school, residency, etc. Now with work, training six days a week, this passion project of hosting this podcast, and trying to have a social life.

However, in the last few weeks, I have been trying to achieve at least seven hours of sleep every day. It is very hard because as mentioned earlier, trying to balance everything. . I can feel the difference between when I get a full night's sleep versus when I am sleep deprevied.

Sleep is important, especially for an endurance athlete. Your body needs to recover from all the training and it can only do it while you sleep. Sleep is very important, not only for recovery but also warding off cravings, boosting the body's immunity and mood balance. Several scientific studies on different categories of athletes have shown definitive improvement in athletic performance with adequate sleep.

• Affirmation of the importance of sleep
• My own history of sleep deprivation
• Why sleep is important and what happens to your body when you deprive it of sleep.
• Some notable studies on athletes regarding performance and sleep
• Some tips on ensuring you get sufficient sleep

Please subscribe and leave a review. If you have questions, comments, or possible show topics, email [email protected].

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Get a copy of the book; Running Is Cheaper Than Therapy: A Journey Back to Wholeness. It is available in hardback, paperback, and newly released audio form

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McKenley Mason is an old friend of mine whom I met back in 2015 at the Football Hall of Fame Half Marathon.. He is a marathoner turned triathlete. He used to casually run up to the age of 50. At the age of 50 he decided to quit smoking and drinking and become a more serious runner having prayed on it. Hoping to outlive his parents who had both died in their early 50s, his casual runs became longer and longer and soon found himself running 3 hours straight. His goal at first was to run only one marathon a year but his running family pressured him into doing more.

His brother bought him a Walmart bike which was not properly assembled at the store. Mason took it to a local bike shop for repairs and met triathletes who got him to consider participating in triathlons. Although he swam at an early age he was only able to swim 8 feet when he returned to the pool. After looking around for a group of people to train with, decided to train himself using videos, his GoPro, and seeking the advice of various member of the Black Triathlete Association. In 2021, McKenley completed his first Ironman in 14 hours 52 minutes and has plans to do more.

Episode Highlights:

• How McKenley initially started running
• How McKenley quit smoking and drinking
• McKenley start as a long distance runner
• McKenley's first marathon
• Getting a bike and joining the world of triathlons.
• How McKenley advanced in swimming
• McKenley's future in triathlons
• A look into how McKenley plays to his strengths
• McKenley Mason shares some words of wisdom

Guest Bio

McKenley Mason is a Runner/Triathlete. Up until age 50, he would have called himself a casual jogger, only running one local 10K race a year.

Both of his parents died in their early 50s; they drank and smoked a lot, and so did he. It became a dream to outlive his parents and he prayed about it. During the year of his 48th birthday, he had a testimonial event occur in his life, and on the year of his 50th birthday, he was forced to stop drinking and smoking. At this point, his casual runs became longer and longer and after a year Mason found himself running up to 3 to 4 hours non-stop.

In 2010 at the age of 52, he ran his first marathon in Richmond Va. In the beginning, his goal was to run at least a marathon a year, but once he met other runners and joined several run groups that quickly changed. From 2010 to 2017 he was a marathoner but was given a Walmart bike by his brother and that changed his focus. The bike had many loose screws and parts, so he took it to the local bike shop, and it was there that he met some triathletes.

Running over these years has taken Mason to places that he thought he would never see and has met people who today are his Run Family. He has run marathons in 24 states, and 5 continents and completed 4 of the 6 major races of the world. He is surprised when he looks back and sees that he has completed 24 Marathons, 51 Half Marathons. 1 Ultra, 3 Ironman 70.3's and Ironman 140.6……all this after 50.

Running has been Mason's love, but becoming a Triathlete has been amazing. When it came to the world of multisport, he could run and cycle and obtain podiums at duathlons, but his swimming was sub-par. He learned to swim in college, but went 37 years without "swimming". He signed up for his first Tri at 59 years old and literally ran all parts of the pools if his feet touched the bottom. There were frustrations learning to swim, but he never gave up. He went to numerous swim and open water clinics and 95% of the time he was the only Black person there. He can't explain, but he never felt comfortable, so he taught himself using videos and advice from fellow triathletes from the Black Triathletes Association, BTA. March 2020, The Pandemic, our world changed and he was happy with his athletic resume. Mason still trained during the pandemic with no race in sight and found himself after a year trained up for the 140.6 distance. He entered Ironman Maryland (IMMD) as a 63-year-old Black man and in 2021 he finished with a time of 14:52:34.

In 2 months, Mason will be 64 and sometimes he feels like he started late in this game, but sometimes we are not ready for God's blessings until we have experienced some things. It took me 50 years to prepare for the great things going forward and he wants to thank God and all those he sent his way that is part of his testimony.

Connect with McKenley Mason on Facebook.

Connect on McKenley Mason on Instagram

Please subscribe and leave a review.

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Dr. Tiencia James is a physician, a wife, mom, marathoner, and a triathlete. This mother of three started running as a child to spend time with her father who was a runner. She eventually fell in love with the sport. She ran track in high school and in her early college days but left the college team to concentrate on her medical studies. She however kept running for her own pleasure.

After the birth of her first child, she decided to start racing. Her first marathon was Disney, she ran so well she qualified for the Boston Marathon. This was quite an impressive feat, as runners have to qualify for Boston and Disney is usually a slower race due to all the turns and characters along the race course. She kept running marathons but after her third child she decided to challenge herself and started her triathlon career.. Despite a busy career as a doctor, being a wife and mom of three Dr. Tiencia James not only races but she strives to be the best. She is passionate about the sport and has often neglected sleep to train as she ever wanted to take away from her family. Dr. Tiencia James is the first black woman to qualify for the Ironman World Championship on merit.

Following the death of her brother, she has decided to take a sabbatical from medicine to focus on family, training, and other career endeavors. She even hopes to start a business inspired by her passion for running and triathlons. She is currently training for the Ironman World Championships to be held in October.

Episode Highlights:

• Getting started as a runner to stay and spend time with her father.
• Running through high school and college.
• Dr. Tiencia James's experience at her first marathon.
• The new challenge of triathlons.
• Qualifying for Kona
• Balancing work, family and racing .
• Dr. Tiencia James shares some life lessons from triathlons

Guest Bio

Dr. Tiencia James is the youngest of four kids and spent her childhood in Georgia. Her father was an obsessive competitive age group runner growing up. In fact, she is pretty sure that his divorce from her mother stems from how this took him away from his family at times. Somewhere around the age of 8-10, she started running with him. It was never because she had any strong desire to run at first, however, she figured out that if she ran, she would get to spend more time with him. Instead of just seeing him every other weekend like her siblings, she would see him for morning runs or weekend road trips to races. Eventually, however, she began to really love running and got very good at it. By the time she was in high school she was placed in the top three-four girls in the state in cross country and track/field 1600m/3200m. James never considered herself to be a talented runner, but because of her work ethic, love for the sport and support of her dad, she was able to outperform kids with more natural abilities.

When she graduated from high school, she decided that she wanted to go to medical school so running took a back seat. It was no longer about her racing and competing, but it continued to be something that kept her grounded and helped her deal with the academic stress. She did compete as a walk-on at Stanford for two years before quitting the team to focus on her studies. She kept running most days really just for her sanity to decompress. She graduated from Stanford University and then went to Duke University to complete her medical doctorate while also getting a master's in public health from UNC. Eventually, she returned to Georgia and did her Emergency Medicine residency at Emory.

After getting married, being an emergency medicine physician, and having her first 2 children Dr. Tiencia James began to miss the competitive side of running. It was in 2010 that she got back into racing and decided to train seriously for a marathon. She did her first marathon at Disney in a time of 3:22 qualifying for the Boston Marathon. The following year, at age 33, she finished the Boston Marathon in 3:11. Over the next few years, she continued to race long distances. After having the third child, she was looking for a differentthe challenge, something new. Somehow, she decided that she wanted to try long-distance triathlons. She hired a coach and after completing The Great Floridian and then Ironman Chattanooga soon after was hooked.

Since then, James has qualified for many Ironman World Championship races in the 70.3 distance. She has been determined to use sports and athletics to get closer to her family and not allow it to push them apart. She often will find ways to involve all her kids in her training and for most races, they travel together as a family. It has been a great way to see the world together and to show her kids that life has no limits.

Life has gotten a bit crazy, especially over the past two years, being a wife, mom of three kids and an ER doctor in the middle of Covid while also trying to keep up her training. She reached a major personal goal this past year. After more than 6 years of trying, she finally qualified for the Ironman World Championships in the 140.6 distance at the age of 44. She has been told that she is the first black female to qualify based on finishing place in a qualifying race (as opposed to legacy or slots awarded for charity). When she started giving away her ER shifts so she could go for a bike ride, she knew that she had to find a way to follow her heart.After losing her 45year old brother unexpectedly this past December, she really had to rethink her priorities. We only have one life so why not take chances and go "all in" on your dreams? This May, she decided after 15 years, to step away from the ED so that she can train for Kona, spend more time with her family as well as starting two entrepreneurial businesses-one in real estate and the other in high-performance endurance athletic consulting where she hopes to combine her knowledge of sports physiology, nutrition, and medicine in order to figure how to make endurance athletes better. She is not sure what the result of this will be for her, but she is very excited about this next chapter of her life.

• Connect to her personally on Facebook.

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TJ Bryan is a career educator, an author and a runner who continues to run well into her seventies. TJ is a member of a small group of women over 70 who run in marathons. She is a rare African American woman competing at this distance. After TJ retired from a 30-year career in higher education, she became a runner. She was 64 years old at the time--hardly the point at which most people embrace a demanding sport. No one was more surprised than she was when she demonstrated ability as a runner at a wide range of distances. At 78, she has completed 53 races. Even more impressive are her ten marathons and qualifying for the Boston Marathon on eight of these marathons.

She is the author of two books, Saving Myself One Step at a Time: A Running Memoir and Black Girl in Red, White, and Blue America. She is currently working on a third one. Prior to retiring, TJ served as a professor, academic administrator, and university chancellor. She has a bachelor's, master's and a PhD in English, Language and Literature.

Episode Highlights:

• How TJ started running at 64.
• Dealing with injuries and how they tried to derail her running.
• TJ speaks about her most memorable races.
• What's on TJ's bucket list?
• What motivates TJ to run, and some of her fears.
• Some wise words from TJ.

Guest Bio

Born on August 21, 1945, T. J. Bryan is a member of a small group of women over 70 who run in marathons. She is a rare African American woman competing at this distance. After T. J. retired from a 30-year career in higher education, she became a runner. She was 64years old at the time--hardly the point at which most people embrace a demanding sport. No one was more surprised than she was when she demonstrated ability as a runner at a wide range of distances.

From 2009 to 2019, T. J. completed 53 races. Regularly, she won age-group awards irrespective of the distances—in 5Ks, 10Ks, 15Ks, half marathons, and marathons. Of her races, ten were marathons—eight of which she ran fast enough to qualify for the Boston Marathon. This marathon is one of the most prestigious 26.2-mile races in the world because competitors must qualify by running fast times in earlier marathons and must be accepted before they may register.

Initially, T. J. planned to run in the Boston Marathon only once. She changed her mind and registered five times. She ran the race three times. Injury prevented her from competing in the April 2013 and October 2021 versions of the race. T. J. has written about running in two books. In Saving Myself: A Running Memoir, she captures her running journey. The memoir is available through Amazon. Readers praise this book, citing its honesty and its inspirational qualities. In her five-star novel titled Black Girl in Red, White, and Blue America, T. J. devotes several chapters to her main character's late-life running experiences; these sections are based on her own adventures.

Before retiring and becoming a runner, T. J. served as a professor, academic administrator, and university chancellor. Her academic credentials include bachelor's, master's, and PhD degrees in English language and literature.

• Send TJ Bryan an email through [email protected] and at [email protected].
• Connect to TJ personally on Facebook.
• Connect with TJ the author on Facebook.
• Read about TJ Bryan on Wikipedia.
• Catch TJ Bryan on Instagram.
• Read her book Black Girl in Red, White, and Blue America.
• Read her other book Saving Myself One Step at a Time: A Running Memoir.

Please subscribe and leave a review.

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