The Rambling Runner Podcast

Victoria Polk is speed personified. This dedicated amateur runner has reached a new stratosphere over the past year and I couldn't wait to get her on the show to hear all about it!

Victoria was a strong high school runner and had dreams of running in college. Her plans changed after her freshman year when running didn't go as planned and she decided to leave school to get married. After giving birth to her third of four children she decided to give running another change and boy did she take off!

You can follow Victoria at www.instagram.com/run_victoria_run.

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Marathon recovery is a topic that faces every marathoner but it can be a tricky situation. Many factors can influence how a runner's recovery may go. In this episode, Tanya Lerch and I talk through our wildly different California International Marathon training, races, and recoveries. Tanya smashed the race to the tune of running 3:05 and a PR. As fast as she is, she's an even better person who bring tons of insight and humor to the show.

If you want to learn more about Tanya we cover her complete running background in episode 262.

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The amazing Deirdre Keane is on the show! Deirdre is a pediatric ICU nurse practitioner at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. She has run 35 marathons and 1 ultra-marathon (soon to be 2!). Deirdre loves to race but also uses running to support philanthropic causes. For example, during the peak of the pandemic in NYC, she ran 1000 miles in three months to raise money for food insecurity related to COVID. She ended up fundraising over $11,000. The money went to grocery store gift cards and grocery deliveries to underserved and vulnerable families.

This year Deirdre is taking it up a notch. Maybe several notches. In October she will be doing the World Marathon Challenge. It is 7 marathons on the 7 continents in 7 consecutive days. She will be fundraising for Vibrant Emotional Health. Vibrant is a non-profit, centered in NYC, that offers individuals and families mental health resources, such as counseling and support groups. The organization also runs the National Suicide Hotline.

Deirdre was featured in Humans of New York last August for utilizing running as a means to combat depression, which led to articles in Runner's World and Women's Running. When not running or working, Deirdre is in school getting her MBA part-time at NYU Stern School of Business.

*Support Deirdre here: www.vibrant.org/supportdeirdrekeane.

*Follow Deirdre on Instagram: www.instagram.com/deirdremkeane.

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Dr. Jess Mena DPT is on the show and she brings it! Jess is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, marathoner, and a super fun person.

In this episode we talk about how she worked through her own injury prior to the 2021 Boston Marathon and bounced back to set a PR at the California International Marathon. Jess also gives us a preview of the upcoming Speed Project - a relay race from L.A. to Las Vegas. In addition we discuss training, the effects of increasing mileage, the limitations of a super busy schedule, and important lifts/exercises for all runners. We also take a deep dive into some common running injuries and how she works to help solve those issues.

Follow Jess at www.instagram.com/tempo_with_jess.

Sponsor:

Join me in running the 2022 Eugene Marathon! Eugene is also known as TrackTown USA and this marathon finishes at world famous Hayward Field. It is also the a top 20 Boston Marathon qualifier and one of the fastest races each spring. Visit www.eugenemarathon.com today!

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Although she spent her childhood with her nose in a book, ducking when any ball was thrown in her direction, Vanessa is now a 2-time Boston Marathon finisher, and has run over 100 road races. Currently an advising dean at Georgetown University, Vanessa earned her Ph.D. in medieval history from The Catholic University of America. Vanessa lives in Washington D.C. with her husband Patrick and their daughter, Lucy.

When she began graduate school, Vanessa did not imagine that running would help her earn a doctorate in medieval history. Yet, within a few months of lacing up her sneakers, Vanessa went from a non-runner to qualifying for the prestigious Boston Marathon. Vanessa enjoyed that running rewarded those who embraced hard work and sought to see similar results in school. But the struggles associated with a rigorous academic program caused Vanessa to wonder whether she would ever accomplish her lifelong goal of earning a Ph.D.

Her new book It's a Marathon, Not a Sprint: My Road to the Marathon and Ph.D. tells two intertwined stories of Vanessa’s rigorous intellectual and athletic journeys. Through episodes of running and researching, both the victories and setbacks, readers will discover how Vanessa found joy in the midst of a difficult quest. This relatable, inspiring, and candid memoir will be enjoyed by anyone who appreciates a good comeback story or is seeking themselves to take on a seemingly insurmountable challenge.

Order her book at: www.amazon.com/dp/B09JZRSDBS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_HJ0CGE83DEVMJ4VEJNNP

Follow Vanessa on Instagram and Twitter at @VRCinDC.

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