The Rambling Runner Podcast

Today on the podcast we welcome Seattle runner Richard Dizon. Richard has a wonderful story to tell about the power of community, how representation can inspire action, and making the most of opportunities.

Richard began running on a whim later in his high school years. He entered a local 5k after one of his teachers told his class that she'd be running. After she blew his doors off, while pushing a stroller, Richard was entranced by the sport. Running had the added benefit of being inexpensive. His parents, who had emigrated from the Philippines, where not in a position to pay for some of the more expensive sports.

As Richard's passion for running grew, as did he parent's hesitancy toward him spending too much time on sport and not enough on academics. Richard shares some humorous anecdotes on this topic that he and he parents still giggle at today.

Finally, we talk about Richard's amazing running progression over the last few years. He ran his first marathon this year, the Boston Marathon, and he nailed it. He ran a nearly perfectly paced race finishing just over 3:30. Over the summer he PR'd at the mile, 5k, 10k, and recently at the half-marathon. Now, he has the Chicago Marathon on tap and he's ready to crush it!

Podcast graphic photo credit to David Jaewon Oh.

Sponsor:

Exakt Health is a sports physical therapy app for the most common running injuries. The app simplifies access to professional and customized physical therapy without long waiting times and costs. Exakt Health offers individualized plans, that automatically adapt to your feedback, for runners and is available for iOS and Android across Europe, the UK, and now also the U.S.. Over 15.000 runners have already healed their running injuries like Achilles tendinopathy, plantar fasciitis, or meniscus tears with Exakt Health. You can download the app for free here: https://exakthealth-us.app.link/rambling-runner?%243p=a_influencer

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

Carolyn Su is back for our monthly For the Love of The Run feature!

As usual, we had lots to talk about this month. First we dive into Carolyn's good news/bad news doctor's appointment regarding both her short running prowess and long term running health. Then Matt and Carolyn talk about the allure of attempting a goal race that you aren't quite prepared for versus backing off and planning for a different day. Finally, we take a deep dive into Zoë Rom's "My Body is Not a Brand" piece that was published last week on Relay.

Here is a link to Zoë's article: www.patreon.com/posts/71755612

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 incredible running attire that fits well and lasts for years, even in tough New England weather. 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.

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

In this episode of the Rambling Runner Podcast we discuss a topic we've never touched on before - the efficacy and potential of remote physical therapy. Runners of all ages and paces are familiar with the services that a physical therapist can provide. We are also familiar with the how frustrating it can be to book an appointment as many PT's already have a full calendar. For this topic there is nobody better to speak with than Maryke Louw.

Maryke is originally from South Africa but spent 10 years in the UK where she gained most of my experience in sports physiotherapy. She started a specialist telehealth sports injury practice in 2014 - at that point every single person Mayke told about it in the UK thought it was crazy, because they all believed "physios have to touch people." As Maryke says, "luckily I can be selectively hard of hearing," as she stuck with it, it has now turned it into a top notch specialist telehealth sports injury service for both general injuries (https://www.sports-injury-physio.com) and a specialist service for achilles injuries (https://www.treatmyachilles.com).

It's through the online clinic that Maryke first met one of the co-founders of Exakt Health - a physical therapy app for treating common running injuries. Philip had just completed his first ultramarathon and in the process ended up with a hamstring injury that he just could not get the right help for in Germany. He first had to wait for several weeks to see a doctor and then, even after seeing several doctors, could not get the correct diagnosis and effective treatment plan. That made him decide to book an online appointment with Maryke. After seeing how effectively you can diagnose and treat sports injuries online, he and Lucia, a colleague from N26 (German tech start-up they were working for at the time), decided to start Exakt Health and asked Maryke to join forces with them.

You can visit Exakt Health at https://exakthealth.com.

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

Fall marathon season is here and races are right around the corner. With that in mind, Stefanie Flippin is here to help discuss the ways in which runners inadvertently sabotage their marathon training in the final six week before their race.

Running a marathon is a challenge under the best circumstances. Conversely, It can be brutal when things don't go well. In this episode we share some of the things we've seen with our runners, runners we know, and our own experiences. Sometimes the best advice is what not to do and this is exactly what we provide in this episode.

Stefanie is a top ultra runner and a USATF 100 Mile Champion. She is also a running coach with Lift, Run, Perform.

This episode is also running on Relay - a Patreon bundle that features some of the best running content on the internet. Stefanie and I will be doing live Coach's Corner episodes, with subscriber interaction, monthly starting in October. Join us at Relay - www.patreon.com/relay.

More on Relay:

Relay is a collaborative of elite runners and running content creators publishing high-end writing, audio/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.

​​Relay will be publishing 20+ pieces of content per month including 3-4 live video sessions. These will include the Relay Book Club, Coach's Corner, and interviews with professional runners. The live sessions will also have substantial interaction. Subscribers can participate in the conversations, ask insightful questions, and connect with the Relay community.

The Relay team consists of:

In addition to great content, Relay also provides full financial transparency. For $9 a month subscribers get the most creative and collaborative running content on the internet. All of the Relay creators split our revenue evenly so you know exactly where your money is going.

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

Today is one of the most special days in my professional life. It is the day we launch a new media company that will be at the forefront of running media for years to come. Today we launch Relay!

Relay is a collaborative of elite runners and running content creators publishing high-end writing, audio/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.

​​Relay will be publishing 20+ pieces of content per month including 3-4 live video sessions. These will include the Relay Book Club, Coach's Corner, and interviews with professional runners. The live sessions will also have substantial interaction. Subscribers can participate in the conversations, ask insightful questions, and connect with the Relay community.

The Relay team consists of:

In addition to great content, Relay also provides full financial transparency. For $9 a month subscribers get the most creative and collaborative running content on the internet. All of the Relay creators split our revenue evenly so you know exactly where your money is going.

Visit Relay today: www.patreon.com/relay

Follow Relay on social:

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 taking a deep dive into the posterior tibial tendon, otherwise known as "post tib."

Injuries to the post tib are common and difficult to overcome. They seem to linger in the foot and medial side of the heal for longer than most believe it should. So what can we do? Jess breaks it down for us! Jess also takes a deep dive into her first ultramarathon - a challenging 50k trail race that tested her completely and left her thirsty for more.

Follow Jess at www.instagram.com/tempo_with_jess.

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

As the summer winds down we begin the most important phase of the fall marathon training cycle. With that in mind, we bring you another episode of our new mini-series, "Road to Chicago" with Tim McKone.

In this episode Tim and I talk about how well his recent speed sessions have have gone, making sure that we fit his long runs into his busy schedule (which is even more busy now with the NFL season about to kick-off), what marathon effort feels like in training and how to get there without staring at the watch, supershoes, and much more.

_ _ _

This year Tim is committed to returning to the Chicago Marathon after a tough 2021 performance. We will follow along with his journey to the fateful day when Tim returns to the Windy City with hopes of running to the level of his fitness and talent.

You can follow Tim at https://twitter.com/Tim_McKone.

If you're looking to enhance your performance you can find a great coach at www.mckirdytrained.com. I've been a proud member of their deep and talented coaching roster for years and couldn't recommend it strong enough.

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

Many times on this show we detail how people achieve some greatest moments in their running career. But running isn't always roses and rainbows. Sometimes it can bring us to our knees.

Rhandi Orme had been dreaming of the Leadville 100 for years. After her fifth son was born 2.5 years ago she decided it was time to make that dream a reality. As an experienced marathoner, trail and ultra runner, and coach, she knew exactly how to prepare for race day. Not only that, she attended two Leadville camps to tryout the course and helped crew her husband to a Leadville 100 finish. After two decades in the sport and a great training cycle she was ready and excited for action.

For 50 miles she was rocking and rolling on the legendarily brutal course. Then everything changed. In this episode Rhandi takes us through the anatomy of a DNF and the numerous lessons learned from a day that brought her to her knees, literally and metaphorically.

Rhandi is a NASM Certified Personal Trainer, certified run coach and sports nutrition specialist with 17 years of experience. A three time ultra marathon champion & Sub 24 hour 100 mile finisher. Multiple time Boston and New York Marathon Qualifier. An IRONMAN triathlete and multi length obstacle course racer.

PRs:   

You can find Rhandi living with her husband and five kids in the mountains of Northern Utah.

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

Amy Haas's ultimate goal is to run a half marathon in each state. Amy's goal grew out of a passion for running that developed after her first half marathon. She ran that race in 2013 and ran it both with purpose and with passion…

She ran that race for her cousin, Scotty, who had passed away from cancer at a young age. His sister, Melissa, and Amy ran together in support of children's cancer research. Her training for half marathon #1 was less than ideal. She had to push herself to get to “running shape” from “my life-long soccer-player-only physique.” But every time she felt like quitting, Amy brought herself back to the memories of her cousin.

Since the training and completion of her first race, Amy has turned to running as a way of life, as a way to be free, to find herself, a way to push herself as far as she can go, a way to count my blessings in a world where tomorrow isn’t guaranteed and today is a precious gift.

In the process of Amy improved from a 1:56 all the way down to a 1:22 half marathon!

You can follow Amy at:

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

My good friend Jon Levitt is back on the pod and we had an epic conversation. There are few people I know that are more introspective and open than Jon. In this episode we have a wide ranging conversation about how his competitive nature has evolved, how he learned to let go of traditional goals, how he has blasted past his previous understandings of fatigue, and what he has learned from interviewing and be-friending some of the top athletes in the sport.

You can learn more about Jon's excellent "For the Long Run" podcast at https://forthelong.run.

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