Running Is Cheaper Than Therapy

I am a perfectionist. I try to be perfect in everything I do. No one is perfect, it is impossible. It causes me undue stress, and I do way too much. Oftentimes, I feel like I am not good enough. I don't show myself enough grace.

When Covid hit in 2020, I found myself having to shift. Just like most of us. Work was not the same. The world was not the same. All my races were cancelled. We had no organized bike rides, no group swim classes. My community was no more. My finances took a hit, I lost one of my favourite uncles to COVID. I found myself isolated at home. At first, I had contact with a positive person on a ski trip so I had to be quarantined and could not go back to the hospital. I ended up getting COVID following that same ski trip. Living isolated away from friends, family, and my normal activities took a toll on me. Then I had to have surgery had to recover and try to get back to skiing, racing, travelling, life.

The last two years have been challenging. I've been tested. Listen in to learn how I'm working on being kinder to myself in life, my athletic endeavours and in my personal life.

Episode Highlights:

• The pandemic and having to shift
• My experience at The National Brotherhood of Skiers summit in 2020
• The need to keep going without taking a break
• Getting stuck on what should have been instead of what is
• How to extend grace and kindness to yourself

Resources Mentioned:

The National Brotherhood of Skiers

Episode 58: Failures and How We Can Learn and Grow From Them

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Andrew Williams was very active in sports as a child. As he grew older he was more focused on academics. After he got married, and with the birth of his first child he gained weight. It was at that time that he started focusing on running to lose weight . His inspiration to complete a Full Distance Ironman race was born after watching Dick and Rick Hoyt (Team Hoyt) on ESPN.

Andrew refers to himself as an unconventional triathlete. He will not miss a family event for training nor is he attached to any training programs.

He believes racing is about showing his family that you can set goals and achieve them. All it takes is discipline and dedication.

Listen and learn about how Andrew stays disciplined in this sport and how he became comfortable with being uncomfortable.

Episode Highlights:

• All the sports Andrew enjoyed playing as a child
• Building his physical endurance by running
• How he progressed to longer races
• Completing his first Ironman 70.3 race in Augusta
• What new triathletes can learn on discipline and commitment
• Staying committed to his family and to the sport

Guest Bio:

Andrew was born and raised in Racine, WI. Throughout his childhood, he was very active in sports with a primary focus on Basketball. After freshman year he decided to concentrate on academics. During college and early in marriage fitness was not his primary focus either. He got up to 250 lbs during his wife's pregnancy in 2002 and decided to join a gym at that time. His inspiration to complete a Full Distance Ironman race was struck after watching Triathletes Dick and Rick Hoyt (Team Hoyt) on ESPN.

After moving to Atlanta, his friend Reggie mentioned that he did some short distance triathlon races and he just completed IM Augusta 70.3 and suggested that it was a great race for newer triathletes.

After completing Augusta, he felt ready to take on his bucket list item and signed up for Ironman Chattanooga in 2016. Fast forward to 2022, Andrew has completed 7 Full Distance Ironman Races and multiple 70.3.

It is a lifestyle for him. He shares this journey with his wife and kids. They come to most of his races and are very proud and excited to see him race. He is an unconventional triathlete who's never had a coach and any training plan.

His family always comes first. Andrew has mastered the discipline of being able to stay out on a Friday night, drink and enjoy life and get up Saturday morning at 5:00 am for a 6-hour bike ride.

He coaches little league baseball, volunteers at his kids' school and manages a Global Team and travels for work. This is what "Anything is Possible'' means for Andrew.

Connect with Andrew

Connect with Andrew on Instagram

Connect with Andrew Facebook

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Eric Carson has been living an active lifestyle since the 90s that most of us would be happy to emulate.

He started cycling just to get to campus and back. A friend of his asked him to do a 25-mile bike ride. He thought it was a long way back then. Today, riding and cycling is part of his lifestyle.

Carson says his greatest joy out of cycling is camaraderie. He enjoys having a great time outdoors with his tribe.

Episode Highlights:

• How Eric got into cycling
• How he moved from solo rides to cycling with groups
• Getting his motorcycle in 2001
• How a sports group changes as members change with time
• Struggling to stay active when Covid hit in 2020
• Cycling again for the pleasure of meeting friends and having a great time
• How to get into cycling and find your cycling tribe

Guest Bio:

Eric was borned and raised in Stamford Ct. He has one brother. Played all three major sports in high school (football, baseball, & basketball)

He received my BS in Electrical Engineering from Northeastern University. While there, he had my first introduction to casual biking. He commuted back and forth to campus and work. He did one 25 mile ride at a request of a friend. and thought that was crazy.

He started taking it a little more seriously in the early 90s and did a few multiple sclerosis rides from Richmond to Williamsburg (160 miles over 2 days). That stretch in the 90s culminated in doing one of the Aids Bike Rides in 1997.....a 4 day 365 mile ride from Raleigh NC to Washington DC. He found it very fulfilling.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought him back to cycling, and it became a good addiction and a lifestyle.

Connect with Eric

Connect with Eric on Instagram

ConnectWith Eric on Facebook

Resources Mentioned

City Bikes in DC Area

DMV Adventure Crew

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What merely started as a desire to get active after two ACL surgeries and subsequent weight gain, turned into attaining goals beyond Yolanda's wildest dreams. What started as a few steps around the block led the Florida native to one of her many adventures.

The greatest lesson for her has been building up mental toughness. There was a time when she didn't believe that she could do this, but each race pushed her limits. She believes that anything is possible and we can do hard things. To date, she has completed 17 marathons and 33 half marathons, along 3 half Ironman triathlon races, 2021 USAT National Championship-Olympic Distance Triathlon and an IronMan Triathlon. You will learn that anything is possible in this episode

Episode Highlights:

• How she started a 3-mile route around the neighborhood
• Running her first 10k and feeling motivated
• Racing in her first marathon in Disney
• Her greatest running adventure, the White Continent Marathon
• Taking swimming classes for her first triathlon
• Her bucket list to race in all 7 continents

Guest Bio:

Yolanda Holloway Stevens began her journey into endurance sports in 2012. What merely started as a desire to get active after two ACL surgeries and subsequent weight gain, turned into attaining goals beyond her wildest dreams.

In April 2012, Yolanda completed her goal of finishing a 5k race. The feeling of accomplishment sparked a fire that led her to register for her first half marathon in December later that year. Since 2012, she has completed 17 marathons and 33 half marathons. Her greatest marathon adventure occurred in January of 2020, where she traveled to Antarctica to run 26.2 miles on the White Continent.

In 2016, Yolanda set out to conquer a new challenge…triathlon! There was just one problem. She didn't know how to swim. She registered for her first race, then set out to find a coach to teach her how to swim. Yolanda finished her first sprint triathlon in 2017, and has since completed in 3 half Ironman races, 2021 USAT National Championship-Olympic Distance, and crossed the finish line of her first full Ironman race in Cozumel, Mexico in November 2021.

Yolanda is a mother of two, and works as a Senior Director of Human Resources for a multimedia publishing company, and is a 4th year brand ambassador for Betty Designs.

Connect with Yolanda

Connect with Yolanda on Instagram

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We all in this life have goals, aspirations, things we're trying to improve on, whether it be relationships, whether it be professionally, whether it be an athletic endeavor, we all have goals.

We all are in a process of learning, evolving, trying to be a better version each and every day. In this process of this journey, called life, we all will fail at something.

Though I hate to fail, I learned the most from my failures. I learn the most when I'm down, I learn in the process of failing how to succeed. I learn to be humble.

In order to succeed, we all need help, we all learn from those who come before us. We need to learn from those who paved the way. It is in this process that we grow.

This episode is an appreciation of how failures shape us.

Episode Highlights:

• My journey into medical school
• Tough seasons in medical school and failing tests
• Getting into Orthopedics
• Surviving the loss of my parents
• Seeking professional help for my depression
• Lessons you need as you get into endurance sports
• My biggest lesson as a recovering perfectionist

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

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Annette Melecio, an Ironman Triathlete, shares her journey of finding triathlons and how it saved her life. Annette is my very close friend and one of my favorite triathlon people. Annette has been on active military duty for over fifteen years and is currently serving as, a Military Police Officer in the army. She has four years of service left before she retires.

Annette has always been a runner. She always liked to run and wanted a challenge so she progressed to running half marathons. She even made her unit run a half marathons while on deployment. Following a really bad deployment where many people were lost, she was not in good headspace. She suffered from survivor's guilt and went through a rough patch mentally. Anette even contemplating taking her life. It was then that she discovered triathlons. She liked the structure, and loved the group of people. Annette felt it was similar to the military with a lot of camaraderie. Everyone motivated and pushed each other and encouraged each other. It was the first time that she ever felt welcomed and accepted in the civilian world. Annette loves triathlons and is so dedicated. She has qualified for the Legacy Program for the Ironman World Championship at Kona by competing in 12 Full Ironman Championships, and one extra one just for fun. She has also competed in one half-Ironman 70.3 race, two 55k ultra-marathons and a 50k ultra-marathon with hopes of competing in a 100k ultra-marathon.

Episode Highlights:

• Annette started running in high school.
• Annette joined the army and continues to run
• Annette started her endurance sports career to help cope with her depression.
• Annette memorable races
• Endurance sports and mental health.
• The importance of finding the right coach
• How Annette committed to Kona Legacy Program.
• Annette tells us how she does it all, being a mother, career, triathlons
• Dealing with injury.
• Annette life lessons and words of wisdom

Guest Bio

Annette Melecio is active duty Army as a Military Police Officer. She has been on active duty for over 15 years and has 4 years left to retire. She has always been a runner and being in the Army running and rucking has always been something she is used to. She has completed 13 full Ironman triathlons, 1 Ironman 70.3 triathlon, two 55k ultra marathons, and one 50k ultra marathon. She completed IronMan #12 in September for a chance to apply for a legacy spot for Kona Ironman World championship. Her goal is to complete a 50 Miler maybe next year and a 100 Miler once she has competed in Kona IronMan World Championship.

Connect with Annette

· Connect with Annette on Facebook.

· Connect with Annette on Instagram.

Did you enjoy today's episode?

Please subscribe and leave a review.

If you have questions, comments, or possible show topics, email

[email protected]

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of the links below

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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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Listen to your body because your body is always talking to you. The day Dawn paid attention to stubborn chest pain is the day she saved her life. That's why she is still here today.

80% of heart disease can be prevented.

Eating right and exercising often is not enough. Dawn advocates for a regular check-up. As an athlete, she was a most unlikely candidate for heart disease. By knowing and understanding her body, she was determined to know the root cause of her chest pain.

Listen to learn more about her running experience, surviving her heart condition, advocating for your body and how to find the right doctor.

Episode Highlights:

• Her running experience since middle school
• Her favorite race
• How she got into coaching and race management
• Her health scare in 2019
• Why her persistence saved her life
• Knowing your body and advocating for your body

Guest Bio:

Dawn Angelique Roberts is an energetic detail-oriented team player and an award-winning communication professional with over 25 years of experience in journalism, media relations, sports marketing and event management.

Roberts is the owner of Elite Access Running, a full-service race management and wellness company that specializes in event management, public relations, social media and wellness for athletes, organizations, and premier races.

As a USATF certified coach Roberts provides one-on-one and group coaching for runners, pace team coordination for races and her company Elite Access Travel organizes destination races for athletes and organizations.

A native of Philadelphia, Roberts is passionate about running and traveling, and enjoys encouraging and teaching youth and adults the values of healthy living and active lifestyles.

Connect with Dawn

Learn more about Dawn's work on her site

Connect with Dawn on Instagram

Did you enjoy today's episode?

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 👉🏾 here. It is available in hardback, paperback, and newly released audio form

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What does it take to be a great coach? What do you need to find a coach? As Tammy Whyte explains, it takes more than just feeding an existing need. Compatibility is different to everyone and the longer you stay in the game, the easier it becomes to identify your ideal client.

After working in education for 12 years, Tammy chose to follow her passion for coaching and fitness and started her own coaching business, TW Training and Wellness. Her business is different from others in that she focuses on running smarter. She focuses on injury prevention, strength training, and building a welcoming community for all runners. While she loves coaching runners of all levels, she has found a particular fondness for coaching runners who consider themselves middle to back of the packers.

Episode Highlights:

• Why she stopped teaching to follow her passion for coaching
• What drives her to coach each day
• Coach-client compatibility
• Business lessons from running a coaching business
• Being a first-generation college student
• Accepting help as an independent woman

Guest Bio:

After working in the education field for 12 years, Tammy chose to follow her passion for coaching and fitness in 2017 and start her own run coaching business, TW Training and Wellness. She puts a strong focus on running smarter, injury prevention, strength training, and building a welcoming community for runners. While she loves coaching runners of all levels, she has a particular fondness for coaching runners who consider themselves mid-to-back of the pack runners. In addition to the run coaching and strength training services she provides through TW Training and Wellness, she's also a Group Fitness Instructor at Equinox in Chicago. Personally, she has a goal of running a half or full marathon in all 50 states, with 27 completed thus far. Tammy is originally from Grand Rapids, Michigan, attended University of Michigan for college and had stops in NC and DC before making her way back to the midwest in 2020.

Connect with Tammy

Learn more about Tammy's work on her site

Connect with Tammy on Instagram

Connect with Tammy on LinkedIn

Did you enjoy today's episode?

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

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You can concentrate on being perfect so much until it takes the joy out of the process. Life is hard. We all have struggles, but if you stress out about being perfect all the time, you never have joy because nothing you do will ever be good enough. Growing up, my mother was the epitome of excellence in everything that she did. I did not realize the pressure that I had put upon myself to be perfect, until I was diagnosed with peptic ulcers in 8th Grade. I had been seriously stressing myself.

Listen in to learn the things that I've had to unlearn as a child, medical student, physician, athlete, triathlete … each phase of my life!

If you run, you're a runner. One of the favorite mantras shared by this week's guest.

India Cook started running to lose weight in 2008 and running has become so much to her since she started her journey. Since her beginning she has identified and addressed gaps in visibility and representation for women of color.

She coaches independently and also coaches with a non-profit organization, Active Resolute Connected (ARC) . Through content creation, she inspires and empowers runners on her YouTube channel and her podcast.

We discuss how she started running, her growth and various opportunities that have been presented to her. This episode with India will motivate you whatever your running goals are for the new year.

Episode Highlights:

• How India started running
• Her background as a cheerleader
• Her favorite marathon
• How she got into coaching
• What running has taught her
• The focus behind her YouTube channel and podcast
• What's on her running bucket list

Guest Bio

Meet Coach India

Hello! I am India Cook, an avid Atlanta based runner, YouTube vlogger, podcast host, and RRCA certified run coach. I have a love for running and racing, but I also have a passion for encouraging and guiding runners and those who aspire to become runners. I coach independently and I am also a run coach with a non-profit organization A.R.C., Active Resolute Connected. This organization empowers women through running and helps to break mental and physical barriers. A.R.C. aligns with my belief that if you run, you are a runner.

My running journey started in 2008 on the quest to lose weight and also engage in a healthy social activity. Since 2008 I have completed distances from 5K to marathons. Throughout my running journey, I observed that there were limited running resources created by women of color to help individuals get into running or resources for those already engaged in the sport. Therefore, I developed a vlog "Miles From India" on YouTube. The vlog's purpose is to educate, inspire, and motivate runners. Viewers can find tips and how-to videos that aid in helping runners navigate running effectively. Within the running community I also find it important to ensure diverse running experiences and stories are highlighted. In 2018, I became a podcast host of, The Run Duo Podcast, with my co-host, Tommy Mitchell. On our bi-weekly podcast we talk about all things running as we educate and entertain our listeners and also interview casual to elite runners.

With a focus on helping ladies run confidently in any phase of their run journey, my background in mental health not only allows me to have a positive and healthy relationship with running, but it also enables me to help athletes build a similar relationship as well. I find it essential to make the sport of running less intimidating and relatable for all levels. I will continue to use my training, experience and voice to guide others in the community of running through coaching. I take the approach that everyone's journey is unique, and we should celebrate every step, stride and mile. I believe that running not only boosts physical health, but it also rejuvenates your mind and fuels confidence.

Connect with India

Follow India on Instagram

Watch the Miles from India on YouTube

Listen to The Run Duo podcast here

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

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Instagram @ouilifeouilove

Facebook @ouilifeouilove33

Twitter @ouilifeouilove

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