The Rambling Runner Podcast

Kiese Laymon, a southern writer born and raised in Jackson, Mississippi, is one of the best writers in the country and someone I got to know during my time as Vassar College.

Recently there have been towns across America banning books by some of the country's greatest writers. Books by Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, Kiese, and others have been removed from libraries and banned from schools. I'm re-airing this episode because his voice is powerful, inspiring, critical, authentic and vital for free-thinking people everywhere.

Kiese Laymon is the author of Heavy: An American Memoir, the novel Long Division  and a collection of essays, How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America. Heavy, winner of the Andrew Carnegie Medal, the LA Times Isherwood Prize for Autobiographical Prose and Audible’s Audiobook of the Year, was named one of the Best Books of 2018 by the The Undefeated, New York Times, Publishers Weekly, NPR, Broadly, Library Journal , The Washington Post , Southern Living , Entertainment Weekly, San Francisco Chronicle and The New York Times Critics.

Laymon is the recipient of the 2019 Austen Riggs Erikson Prize for Excellence in Mental Health Media. Laymon has written essays, stories and reviews for numerous publications including Esquire, McSweeneys, New York Times, ESPN the Magazine, NPR, The Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, Vanity Fair, The Best American Series, Ebony, Paris Review, Guernica and more.

Photo credit in the episode graphic to Tim Ivy.

Follow Matt:

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

Marc Quiñones is one of the best chefs in America. He has appeared on Hell's Kitchen, Chopped, and Cutthroat Kitchen, been named 2017 New Mexico Chef of The Year and three time Best Chef in Albuquerque, and been featured in Forbes and many other publications. He is also one heck of a runner.

Just like in his cooking career, Marc built himself from the ground up as a runner. He did so in an unconventional way and with undeniable grit and determination. Prepare to be inspired by this amazing man who has overcome many hurdles but has proven bigger and stronger than all of them.

You can follow Marc's running at https://www.instagram.com/chefmqtherunner/ and his culinary career at https://www.instagram.com/chefmq/. 

Follow Matt:

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

We are back with another solo episode focused on reaching new levels in training. This episode dovetails with a recent drastic uptick in miles in my own training as I prepare for the Eugene Marathon. It's very exciting for me and there a lots of information to be gained by breaking it down.

Here are some of the points that are covered:

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!

Follow Matt:



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

So many of us have wanted to invest in a top of the line race shoe but aren't sure to start. With so many of these shoes only available online, we need to go to the experts for assistance on what shoes can work for us. And, which shoes to avoid.

In this episode I'm joined by Tommie Runz and Aaron Barnett who break down their top five carbon plated races shoes. They also include a bonus "hell-no" to a pair they'd rather do without.

Follow Tommie at - www.instagram.com/tommie_runz.

Follow Aaron at - www.instagram.com/aaronxworldwide.

Watch their PR Project at - www.youtube.com/channel/UCnRBeYuF4rtcnqjPGSnI2og.

Follow Matt:

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

Cate Barrett is a star. Enormously talented, tough, and brilliant. It was an honor to speak with Cate about her post-college running life (she was a six time all-conference at Baylor University) during which she had a some amazing highs, like qualifying for the 2020 Olympic Marathon Trials, and several challenges. Cate was able to carve out a niche in the running world as an elite yet not quite professional runner. It's a tricky situation that required her to navigate many of the same obstacles most everyday runners face.

Finally, we talk about Cate's running and health journey after giving birth to her daughter roughly a year ago. Often times we hear about the women who bounce back from pregnancy on the quicker end of the spectrum. We have chronicled those stories on this podcast many times. But, the truth is, that isn't the reality for many women. Cate shares her experiences, excitement, and struggles as she continues to be a beacon for runners everywhere.

You can follow Cate at www.instagram.com/beingcate.

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!

Follow Matt:

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