The Rambling Runner Podcast

Today on the Rambling Runner Podcast we are introducing a new kind of episode that will become part of our normal rotation: Sport Science Corner. These episodes will feature a prominent guest who will walk us through some of the significant research that can effect many amateur runners.

Our guest in this episode is Christine Yu. Christine is an award-winning journalist. She writes about sports, science, and health. She especially love telling stories about the intersection of sports science and women athletes and wrote a book about it. UP TO SPEED: The Groundbreaking Science of Women Athletes, will be published on May 16, 2023 (I've pre-ordered my copy and you should do the same!).

Christine's reported features, profiles, and essays have appeared in The Washington Post, Outside Magazine, Runner's World, Family Circle, SELF, Eating Well, VICE, and espnW, among others.

Here are the research papers we discuss in this episode:

You can learn more about Christine and order her book at https://linktr.ee/cyu888.

Sponsor:

This episode is sponsored by UCAN nutrition which is powered to deliver steady, long lasting energy without the spike and crash. Add in UCAN Hydrate to get those electrolytes that you need to stay hydrated. Finally, you've got to try the award winning Edge energy gels - they are my go-to on the run. You will get 20% of all of your orders at ucan.co with code RAMBLING.

_ _ _

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two months ago Mitch Ammons achieved the seemingly impossible. He qualified for the Olympic Trials Marathon at the California International Marathon with a time of 2:16:48. In this episode we dive into everything that went into that special day. You can hear more about Mitch's tumultuous and uplifting background in episode 456.

Here is what Mitch wrote about that special day. It encapsulates his journey perfectly:

"I don’t even know where to start with this one. Thanks all of y’all for the overwhelming support. After all, this is a sport that is about community and man don’t we have a great one.

Five years ago almost to the day I started this running journey. I was 2 years sober; heroin and meth, on my way to changing everything about myself. I can say with confidence that running was the biggest catalyst to self improvement. It gave me motivation and drive to always become better, it’s given me a community that I call family, my best friends, girlfriend, and continued sobriety have to be credited from running,

3 years ago I set an outrageous, almost unimaginable goal that I would qualify for the Olympic Marathon Team Trials in 2024. All I have to say about that is that WE F*%#ING DID IT!"

You can follow Mitch at www.instagram.com/mitchammons.

Sponsors:

Thank you to Lagoon for sponsoring this episode and for their truly amazing pillows! Take their two minute quiz and learn which pillow is perfect for you and the way you sleep at https://lagoonsleep.com/rambling and save 15% by using code RAMBLING at checkout.

---

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Carolyn Su is back for our monthly For the Love of The Run feature and we are doing a follow-up to our New Years Goals show. In this episode, we talk about where we are with our running, how that relates to our 2023 running goals (and how they've already shifted a bit), and take a deep dive into our family-related goals that are already paying dividends.

For the Love of the Run is presented by Tracksmith. Both Carolyn and I been wearing and loving Tracksmith for years and we couldn't think of a better brand to partner with on this endeavor. They have even have a new running shoe coming out soon called the Eliot Runner that we are very excited about! You can visit our link at www.Tracksmith.com/loveoftherun to see their new arrivals and use code LOVEOFTHERUN to receive free shipping. Also, 5% of proceeds from the use of the code will go to our charity partner the Asian Mental Health Collective - www.asianmhc.org.

Sponsor:

This episode is sponsored by UCAN nutrition which is powered to deliver steady, long lasting energy without the spike and crash. Add in UCAN Hydrate to get those electrolytes that you need to stay hydrated. Finally, you've got to try the award winning Edge energy gels - they are my go-to on the run. You will get 20% of all of your orders at ucan.co with code RAMBLING.

_ _ _

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode featuring Abiye Okuchaba is perfect for runners who are trying to navigate the beginning of their running journeys and those who are trying to recapture the magical feeling that running first put into their lives.

Abiye is a bright light in the Denver running community despite starting the his running journey a few years ago. In 2023 he improved his marathon time from 5:30 in May to 4:30 in December. A remarkable feet, to be sure. However, this improvement is even more noteworthy when you consider a troubling incident that happened to Abiye in October during his daily pre-dawn run. This incident, while tragic, brought Abiye and his running community even closer together with the help of his amazing coach, and recent Rambling Runner guest, Sara Manderscheid. In this episode Abiye talks about beginning his running journey after rupturing his patella, making running work even with a crazy schedule, and embracing the marathon even when he wasn't sure he'd finish.

Follow Abiye here: www.instagram.com/okrunit1

Sponsors:

Thank you to Lagoon for sponsoring this episode and for their truly amazing pillows! Take their two minute quiz and learn which pillow is perfect for you and the way you sleep at https://lagoonsleep.com/rambling and save 15% by using code RAMBLING at checkout.

---

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode we are re-airing one of the best conversations in Rambling Runner history, and for good reason.

Heather Knight Pech was once told that her peak was gone. It was in a class she was taking at Stanford 18 months ago. It sparked a deep conversation with her coach, James McKirdy, and her support team.

Dejected, she was reminded that there's simply no chart or metric that can measure the power of the human spirit.

This past weekend, just a few days before turning 61, Heather ran her second fastest half marathon. 1:27:51. A result that is a World's Best for her age group (60-64) and pending American and World Record (1:28:21).

This episode was recorded last spring two weeks after she set the Boston Marathon record in the women's 60-64 age group. A record previously owned by Joan Benoit Samuelson.

Below is what Heather's coach and friend James McKirdy wrote after she ran Boston in 2022. It is perfect I’ve inserted it below:

”If all we did was acknowledge the time on the clock... we'd be giving a standing ovation.

If all we did was acknowledge that a record was broken and that the impossible had been accomplished... we'd be celebrating for weeks and then life would move forward as it does. But the reality is that what Heather Knight Pech accomplished in the Boston Marathon is far more than her finish time of 3:03:47. It's far more than winning the division (60-64). And it's certainly far more than breaking the record held by Joan Benoit Samuelson.

It's been 3 years since since Heather last finished Boston - a race that lives in her soul. It's been a bit over 1.5 years of injury that left Heather wondering if the best was behind her. But the success Heather found on Monday isn't found in the result... it's the in-between time where the story is truly told. The injury. The heartbreak. The self doubt. The loneliness of not being able to do what she is so clearly meant to. But to know Heather is to know what it means to not give up. To know what it means to demand the very best. To know what it means to love with all that you are.

Heather fought her way through this hard time - but she wasn't alone. She found the best doctors for therapy. She found shoulders to lean on with her family and friends. She found inspiration from her athletes while self doubt crept in. She surrounded herself with believers leaving her no choice but to believe in herself.

When Heather stepped on the starting line she left all the self doubt behind her. She knew what she could do... she was patient... and she ran the race of her life!”

Follow Heather at https://instagram.com/_knighttraining

Sponsor:

This episode is sponsored by UCAN nutrition which is powered to deliver steady, long lasting energy without the spike and crash. Add in UCAN Hydrate to get those electrolytes that you need to stay hydrated. Finally, you've got to try the award winning Edge energy gels - they are my go-to on the run. You will get 20% of all of your orders at ucan.co with code RAMBLING and get a free sample pack of six Edge energy gels, you only have to pay the shipping, at www.ucan.co/rambling.

_ _ _

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The February episode of Coach's Corner LIVE on Relay is out and it may have been our best one yet. Many Relay subscribers sent in questions about the mental side of running/racing and they were fantastic. Over the course of an hour we answered the following questions:

Relay is a collaborative of elite runners and running content creators publishing high-end writing, podcasts, and video. These pieces provide insight, knowledge, and entertainment to dedicated runners. Relay has some of the most collaborative and creative work in the running industry that is sure to impact runners of all abilities. Visit Relay today: www.patreon.com/relay.

The Relay team consists of:

Sponsors:

Thank you to Lagoon for sponsoring this episode and for their truly amazing pillows! Take their two minute quiz and learn which pillow is perfect for you and the way you sleep at https://lagoonsleep.com/rambling and save 15% by using code RAMBLING at checkout.

Previnex is a supplement brand that I trust, use, and have greatly benefited from. They source the highest quality ingredients in the most clinically effective and beneficial forms. For years I have used Joint Health PLUS and it's made a big difference for my running. Visit www.previnex.com and use coupon code runner15 to save 15% on your first order.

---

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are starting off season three of Road to the Trials with one of the best and most versatile runners in the U.S. - Nell Rojas. In this episode we talk about her 2022 marathon performances and take a deep dive into the tumultuous last two months of her life that nearly ended her 2023 Boston Marathon before it began.

Nell is a professional marathon runner for Nike. She grew up in Boulder, CO with two older brothers and her dog Starblaze. She walked on to the Northern Arizona University cross country and track and field teams and got her B.S. in Exercise Science. After college she became a professional triathlete until she decided to move out of her mom's basement and focus on her coaching career. She discovered marathons when she finished 7th at the 2018 marathon national championships in a time of 2:31. She recently finished 5th at the 2021 Boston Marathon, 10th at the 2022 Boston Marathon, and 10th at the 2022 NYC Marathon. She is the 2021 10 mile national champion. 

Nell started coaching with her dad Ric Rojas when she graduated from high school and has been coaching ever since. She and the founder of RISE Boulder and is well known for her strength training for runners.  

PR's: 

The photo used in the podcast graphic was taken by Jesus Perez - www.instagram.com/weligsander.

Sponsor:

This episode is sponsored by UCAN nutrition which is powered to deliver steady, long lasting energy without the spike and crash. Add in UCAN Hydrate to get those electrolytes that you need to stay hydrated. Finally, you've got to try the award winning Edge energy gels - they are my go-to on the run. You will get 20% of all of your orders at ucan.co with code RAMBLING and get a free sample pack of six Edge energy gels, you only have to pay the shipping, at www.ucan.co/rambling.

_ _ _

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Road to the Trials has returned for season three and we are fired up! We will be bringing you a yearlong, behind the scenes, look at the training and racing of some of America's best runners as they prepare for the Olympic Marathon Trials on February 3, 2024. In this amazing season we will be following Nell Rojas, CJ Albertson, Sara Vaughn, Dani Moreno, Nico Montañez, Carmen Graves, Ramiro “Curly” Guillen, and Jereny Rivera.

In this episode we are joined by Stefanie Flippin and Peter Bromka. Stefanie is a professional ultra runner and doctor who co-owns her own practice. She was also featured in season one of Road to the Trials! Peter is one of the best running-focused writers in the country and has chronicled his own quest for an OTQ over the past five years. In this episode the three of us dive into the eight runners that we will follow this season while Stefanie and Peter share what they learned from their own journeys and their thoughts on the year ahead. 

Follow season three's runners:

Sponsors:

Thank you to Lagoon for sponsoring this episode and for their truly amazing pillows! Take their two minute quiz and learn which pillow is perfect for you and the way you sleep at https://lagoonsleep.com/rambling and save 15% by using code RAMBLING at checkout.

---

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Miguel Peralta is the kind of enthusiastic and galvanizing person that can bring runners of all abilities together. He is also super fast!

In this episode Miguel talk about how he originally pushed running away when his dad tried to get him to run as a teenager, embracing running in his 20's, how taking a "no days off" mentality fit his personality, the magic of 10 mile runs, and how he went from a 3:27 marathon all the way down to 2:47! Miguel also talks about bringing runners together to help his community through his work with the Guapo Boys.

You can follow Miguel at www.instagram.com/smalls26.2.

Sponsor:

This episode is sponsored by UCAN nutrition which is powered to deliver steady, long lasting energy without the spike and crash. Add in UCAN Hydrate to get those electrolytes that you need to stay hydrated. Finally, you've got to try the award winning Edge energy gels - they are my go-to on the run. You will get 20% of all of your orders at ucan.co with code RAMBLING and get a free sample pack of six Edge energy gels, you only have to pay the shipping, at www.ucan.co/rambling.

_ _ _

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Jess Mena, DPT is here for our monthly collaboration and this time we are talking about she went from an ultramarathon newbie to dropping two hours off her 50k time. Jess breaks down her race and improvement with her unique blend of insight, wit, and high-energy.

Here is a poem Jess wrote after her experience:

That sound of dirt under my feet

The smell of crisp mountain air

Mountain rugged dirt roads

That stimulates the senses aware.

My soul overwhelmingly full

My legs on agonizing fire

The spirit in complete peace

Nature, it endlessly inspires.

Leave the straight hard lines

Leave the concrete busy place

Barrel up and down mountains

Follow the winding road at whatever pace.

Follow it to the sea.

Follow it to a lake

Whatever you do

Enjoy the ride without mistake.

Thank the earth

Thank the sky.

That you have had the opportunity

To run on trails up this high.

Follow Jess at www.instagram.com/tempo_with_jess.

Sponsors:

Thank you to Lagoon for sponsoring this episode and for their truly amazing pillows! Take their two minute quiz and learn which pillow is perfect for you and the way you sleep at https://lagoonsleep.com/rambling and save 15% by using code RAMBLING at checkout.

Previnex is a supplement brand that I trust, use, and have greatly benefited from. They source the highest quality ingredients in the most clinically effective and beneficial forms. For years I have used the Nourify PLUS protein powder and Joint Health PLUS. Visit www.previnex.com and use coupon code runner15 to save 15% on your first order.

---

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices