The Rambling Runner Podcast

By Matt ChittimSports Running

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Typical duration
48 min
per episode

Based on Podcast App listening data

The Rambling Runner Podcast episodes

May 03, 2021 #330 - Mastering 40, Ep. 13
In our last Mastering 40 episode (ep. 12) my conversation with my running coach and sports psychologist were overwhelmingly positive. It appeared as though I had finally gotten my left knee healthy and was running again. All that changed a few days after that episode was published. The knee pain returned just as suddenly as it mysteriously arrived in the first place.
In this episode Adrienne Langelier and I have a full therapy session on dealing with my worst inner dialogue and where I go from here mentally and emotionally.
Mastering 40:
I had just completed the worst athletic year of my life. One beset by injuries and a 25 lb. weight gain. Finally, I decided enough was enough.
With the help of a professional coach - James McKirdy and sport psychologist - Adrienne Langelier, I am determined to have the best athletic year of my life. One that will end, hopefully, with a sub-40:00 10k. This is a huge stretch goal and I am determined to get it done. Over the course of this year I will also be turning 40 years old and become a masters runner. Hence the “Mastering 40.”
We will be documenting the journey with a podcast every three weeks. The podcasts, like this one, will include calls with the experts I will be leaning on, and learning from, throughout the process.
Hopefully you enjoy and learn from my year of reclaiming my fitness and pursuing an entirely new level of performance while trying to maximize my schedule as a dedicated amateur runner.
Thank you to the Mastering 40 partners:
- Supplements/Protein: Previnex - code: RUNNER15 for 15% off
- Health Analysis: InsideTracker - Go to www.insidetracker/ramblingrunner to save 25% on their Ultimate Package by using code GIFTFROMRAMBLINGRUN
- Attire: Tracksmith - code RAMBLINGRUNNER for 15% off first purchase over $75
Follow Matt:
Instagram - @rambling_runner
Twitter - @rambling_runner
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49 min
April 30, 2021 #329 - Stefanie Flippin, 100 Mile Road Nat’l Champ, and "Runnning Between the Lines" with Ashley Mateo
Stefanie Flippin is back and, my goodness, what a return. I'll simply quote her Strava page as it says it all:
Going home with the US 100 Mile National Title! 14:35:21: 1st woman, 3rd OA, 40 minute CR, 6th fastest all-time 100 mile for an American woman and the race of a lifetime. This was an hour and twenty minute PR for me, with 20 minute 50 mile and 100k PRs along the way. The field was the deepest pro field I've ever had the honor of lining up with. I got the absolute best out of myself by putting myself in the arena and that was the goal all along. The win was icing on the cake. So grateful!! Thank you for all the cheers!! The day was truly electrifying and I had the time of my life.
It's an honor to get to know Stefanie over the last few years and this is a conversation I will never forget. You can follow Stefanie at www.instagram.com/stefanieannflippin.
In our Friday "Running Between the Lines" segment we are joined by Ashley Mateo. She wrote a great piece for Women's Running entitled, "All Runners Should Walk More—Here’s Why, and How to Include It In Your Training."
www.womensrunning.com/training/cross-training/benefits-of-walking-more-runners/
Sponsors:
Do you want to run further and faster -- and recover quicker and easier? Do you want to feel healthier than you’ve ever felt before? Then give InsideTracker a try. First, InsideTracker uses its patented algorithm to analyze your body’s data and offer you a clearer picture than you’ve ever had before of what’s going on inside you. Then, they provide a concrete, science-backed, trackable action plan for reaching your performance goals and being your healthy best. InsideTracker is offering my listeners 25% off at www.insidetracker.com/ramblingrunner with code RAMBLINGRUNNER.
Follow Matt:
Instagram - @rambling_runner
Twitter - @rambling_runner
Rambling Runner Podcast Community Corner private Facebook group: www.facebook.com/groups/125544686229661
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1 hr 16 min
April 26, 2021 #328 - John Verhagen: 300lb. Teen to Marathon Winner
Yes, you read that title correctly. As a teenager John Verhagen was a 300lb high school football player with an eye on playing in college. After getting recruited to several small schools in the Upper-Midwest, John was forced to give up his dream. His health was in jeopardy due to his weight and diet. Football was gone - as was the soda, pop, and many of John's staple foods. And, that's when running entered the picture. John's first marathon turned into a bit of a ordeal. He crossed the line in 5:50 and shortly thereafter made an audacious decision - "I will qualify for Boston." In order to do that John would have to cross the line in nearly half the time of his first effort. As you'll hear in this one-of-a-kind episode, that is exactly what he proceeded to do. And much, much more. Last weekend John won the McKirdy Trained Micro Marathon on Connecticut with a blazing fast 2:49:30. This eight minute PR came after a mammoth 300 mile March and a secret injury that even John's coach, Patrick Cutter, was kept in the dark about. Sponsors: Do you want to run further and faster -- and recover quicker and easier? Do you want to feel healthier than you’ve ever felt before? Then give InsideTracker a try. First, InsideTracker uses its patented algorithm to analyze your body’s data and offer you a clearer picture than you’ve ever had before of what’s going on inside you. Then, they provide a concrete, science-backed, trackable action plan for reaching your performance goals and being your healthy best. InsideTracker is offering my listeners 25% off at www.insidetracker.com/ramblingrunner with code RAMBLINGRUNNER. Follow Matt: Instagram - @rambling_runner Twitter - @rambling_runner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
54 min
April 23, 2021 #327 - Cheryl Miller and "Running Between the Lines" with Matt Fitzgerald
Cheryl Miller is one the most interesting people we've had on the show with an absolutely fascinating story. Cheryl grew up in a challenging situation with almost all of her family members dying when she was young for a variety of reasons. After relocating to Long Island to live with her grandparents she started to excel at running just when her life needed to be put on the right track. After several New York state titles she decided to run at Georgetown. She quickly moved on from running while there and decided to focus elsewhere. She graduated, entered law school, and has had a remarkably successful professional career. She is now back to running and doing so with abandon and with unique goals and challenges in mind.
In our regular Friday "Running Between the Lines" segment we are joined by Matt Fitzgerald. Last week he wrote a piece entitled, "Ethiopian Runners Train Differently. Or Do They?" for Podium Runner. It is a synthesis and brief analysis of Michael Crawley's book "Out of Thin Air" in which Crawley details the training of some of Ethiopia's finest runners while he was imbedded with one of their elite teams
www.podiumrunner.com/training/ethiopian-runners-train-differently-or-do-they
Sponsors:
Do you want to run further and faster -- and recover quicker and easier? Do you want to feel healthier than you’ve ever felt before? Then give InsideTracker a try. First, InsideTracker uses its patented algorithm to analyze your body’s data and offer you a clearer picture than you’ve ever had before of what’s going on inside you. Then, they provide a concrete, science-backed, trackable action plan for reaching your performance goals and being your healthy best. InsideTracker is offering my listeners 25% off at www.insidetracker.com/ramblingrunner with code RAMBLINGRUNNER.
Follow Matt:
Instagram - @rambling_runner
Twitter - @rambling_runner
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
1 hr 32 min
April 19, 2021 #326 - Jessica Dorsey: 2:53 Marathon to Obstacle Course Racer
Jessica Dorsey in back on the show and my goodness, she is a force of nature. When she was first on the pod, episode 181, her toughness, endurance, raw athleticism, and grit made her a listener favorite. She brought all of that, and more, to this episode mixed in with an equal amount of humility and pragmatism.
Jessica is a 2:53 marathoner who worked through some significant injuries and life changes over the past year. She rebounded and attacked a new challenge - obstacle course racing (OCR). As you'll hear. she attacked her new hobby with a fierce determination that quickly led to top five finishes in her new sport. Her quick rise is even more incredible when you consider that she is a mother of two little one while she and her husband work as entrepreneurs in their respective fields.
You can follow Jessica at www.instagram.com/mamainthefastlane.
Sponsors:
Do you want to run further and faster -- and recover quicker and easier? Do you want to feel healthier than you’ve ever felt before? Then give InsideTracker a try. First, InsideTracker uses its patented algorithm to analyze your body’s data and offer you a clearer picture than you’ve ever had before of what’s going on inside you. Then, they provide a concrete, science-backed, trackable action plan for reaching your performance goals and being your healthy best. InsideTracker is offering my listeners 25% off at www.insidetracker.com/ramblingrunner with code RAMBLINGRUNNER.
Follow Matt:
Instagram - @rambling_runner
Twitter - @rambling_runner
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
1 hr
April 16, 2021 #325 - Peter Bromka Witnesses History and "Running Between the Lines" with Emilia Benton
As nearly everyone in the running world knows by now, we saw history in the making this week. Des Linden broke the world record and Nicholas Thompson set the 45-49 American record in the 50k. In addition, Adriana Nelson and Chirine Njeim raced the marathon along the semi-secret Oregon ground that has seen many top runners in the COVID era. Peter Bromka was invited to be a part of history less than 24 hours before the starting gun went off and made the most of the invite. In this episode, Peter gives us the full download what it was like to be witness history and how it felt to go from blissfully unaware to marathon pacer in less than a week.
In our regular Friday "Running Between the Lines" segment we are joined by Emilia Benton. Emilia published "Here’s Why You, As a Runner, Should Sign Up to Be a Living Organ Donor" for Runner's World online and it was a fascinating read. Emilia discusses how this story came about, how it evolved into a running story, and about how so many preconceived notions regarding organ donation just aren't so.
www.runnersworld.com/health-injuries/a36063923/why-runners-should-sign-up-for-living-organ-donation/
Sponsors:
Do you want to run further and faster -- and recover quicker and easier? Do you want to feel healthier than you’ve ever felt before? Then give InsideTracker a try. First, InsideTracker uses its patented algorithm to analyze your body’s data and offer you a clearer picture than you’ve ever had before of what’s going on inside you. Then, they provide a concrete, science-backed, trackable action plan for reaching your performance goals and being your healthy best. InsideTracker is offering my listeners 25% off at www.insidetracker.com/ramblingrunner with code RAMBLINGRUNNER.
Follow Matt:
Instagram - @rambling_runner
Twitter - @rambling_runner
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
1 hr 14 min
April 12, 2021 #324 - Melissa Malani: Anatomy of a COVID-era Marathon PR
Melissa is back on the show and it is a delight hear about what she has been able to do over the past year. Like so many of us, her professional and personal life was thrown upside down. Melissa is a woman of many talents, and just as many jobs, and having to re-work them into the new paradigm was a significant challenge. Even with all of that on her plate she still managed to keep running. At first her miles were for mental and emotional preservation. Then they slowly returned to marathon building workouts. After months of slowly building she decided to enter the McKirdy Micro Marathon in South Carolina. What happened next was a shock that she could not have predicted a year earlier.
You can follow Melissa at www.instagram.com/isamarathoner.
Sponsors:
OS1st, a three-generation, family-owned company in North Carolina, creates the best running socks and compression bracing products specifically for people with an active lifestyle. OS1st uses Compression Zone Technology with high quality materials to ease pain and help prevent runner’s knee, plantar fasciitis, shin splints and more. Used by ultra-runners (Catra Corbett, Sabrina Stanley) and new runners alike. Shop at your local independently owned running or at www.OS1st.com where you can use code RAMBLING for 15% off your first purchase.
Do you want to run further and faster -- and recover quicker and easier? Do you want to feel healthier than you’ve ever felt before? Then give InsideTracker a try. First, InsideTracker uses its patented algorithm to analyze your body’s data and offer you a clearer picture than you’ve ever had before of what’s going on inside you. Then, they provide a concrete, science-backed, trackable action plan for reaching your performance goals and being your healthy best. InsideTracker is offering my listeners 25% off at www.insidetracker.com/ramblingrunner with code RAMBLINGRUNNER.
Follow Matt:
Instagram - @rambling_runner
Twitter - @rambling_runner
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
59 min
April 09, 2021 #323 - Alex Elizabeth and "Running Between the Lines" with Becky Wade Firth
In the first part of this episode we from Alex Elizabeth about her story of finding identity and healing from trauma, through running. Alex penned an extraordinarily powerful essay for Runner's World and hearing her speak about these topics made her writing even more powerful. Alex is a dedicated and successful ultra trail runner. She is also a shoe reviewer for Believe in the Run so, of course, we had to end our conversation with some shoe talk.
After Years of Trauma, Running Is My Home. Here's What I'm Doing to Make It Safer - www.runnersworld.com/runners-stories/a35867367/how-i-make-running-safer
In our new and regular Friday "Running Between the Lines" segment we talk with elite runner and writer Becky Wade Firth about her recent article in Runner,s World about how folks are approaching their return to racing in 2021.
Thinking About Racing Again? Here’s How to Approach Your Big Comeback - www.runnersworld.com/training/a36015738/how-to-return-to-racing-covid-19/
Sponsors:
OS1st, a three-generation, family-owned company in North Carolina, creates the best running socks and compression bracing products specifically for people with an active lifestyle. OS1st uses Compression Zone Technology with high quality materials to ease pain and help prevent runner’s knee, plantar fasciitis, shin splints and more. Used by ultra-runners (Catra Corbett, Sabrina Stanley) and new runners alike. Shop at your local independently owned running or at www.OS1st.com where you can use code RAMBLING for 15% off your first purchase.
Do you want to run further and faster -- and recover quicker and easier? Do you want to feel healthier than you’ve ever felt before? Then give InsideTracker a try. First, InsideTracker uses its patented algorithm to analyze your body’s data and offer you a clearer picture than you’ve ever had before of what’s going on inside you. Then, they provide a concrete, science-backed, trackable action plan for reaching your performance goals and being your healthy best. InsideTracker is offering my listeners 25% off at www.insidetracker.com/ramblingrunner with code RAMBLINGRUNNER.
Follow Matt:
Instagram - @rambling_runner
Twitter - @rambling_runner
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
1 hr 16 min
April 05, 2021 #322 - Theresa Hailey
Theresa Hailey, a runner for Oiselle, is well known for her positivity and strength as a runner and person. In the lead-up to the 2016 Olympic Marathon Trials she fell just one second short of qualifying. Then, after a successful build-up to Boston in 2019, her race that didn't live-up to her training nor fitness. A feeling so many of us have experienced. In preparation for the 2020 Olympic Trials she prepared her body with strength training like never before. Her Marathon Olympic Trials race took her to a new level. She was ranked 375th heading into the race, PR'd by 1:26 and finished 77th in 2:42:49, smiling, pumping her arms, and making heart symbols every time she ran through cowbell corner. This is a remarkable achievement on a rugged course in challenging conditions.
In addition to being a running badass, Theresa is one in the professional world as well. She is a Tooling Engineer - Lead, for Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
In this episode we discuss all of this and plenty more.
You can follow Theresa at www.instagram.com/runninggingerly.
Sponsors:
OS1st, a three-generation, family-owned company in North Carolina, creates the best running socks and compression bracing products specifically for people with an active lifestyle. OS1st uses Compression Zone Technology with high quality materials to ease pain and help prevent runner’s knee, plantar fasciitis, shin splints and more. Used by ultra-runners (Catra Corbett, Sabrina Stanley) and new runners alike. Shop at your local independently owned running or at www.OS1st.com where you can use code RAMBLING for 15% off your first purchase.
Do you want to run further and faster -- and recover quicker and easier? Do you want to feel healthier than you’ve ever felt before? Then give InsideTracker a try. First, InsideTracker uses its patented algorithm to analyze your body’s data and offer you a clearer picture than you’ve ever had before of what’s going on inside you. Then, they provide a concrete, science-backed, trackable action plan for reaching your performance goals and being your healthy best. InsideTracker is offering my listeners 25% off at www.insidetracker.com/ramblingrunner with code RAMBLINGRUNNER.
Follow Matt:
Instagram - @rambling_runner
Twitter - @rambling_runner
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
1 hr 2 min
April 02, 2021 #321 - Gabby Wennerstrom and David Roche
In this two-part episode we have a feature story with official badass Gabby Wennerstrom and we catch-up with writer/runner/coach David Roche to learn more about a recent article he wrote for Trail Runner Mag.
Gabby Wennerstrom has steadily worked her way down from a 5:40 marathon all the way down to a 3:23. A remarkable feet that required nearly a decade of work and a boat-load of optimism. Gabby was committed to her goal of getting a BQ and, as she proved, it was simply a matter of when and not if.
In the second part of the episode David Roche breaks down his recent piece, "Why Downtime May Lead To Breakthroughs: Fitness can seem to follow unpredictable patterns, with some of the biggest breakthroughs coming after layoffs. Why?" - https://trailrunnermag.com/training/why-downtime-may-lead-to-breakthroughs.html
Sponsors:
This episode is brought to you by Four Sigmatic, a wellness company that mixes mushrooms and adaptogens with coffee, cacao, latte, protein powder. They have a special offer for the Rambling Runner audience. Receive 10% off your Four Sigmatic order. Just go to www.foursigmatic.com/RAMBLINGRUNNER or enter code RAMBLINGRUNNER at checkout.
OS1st, a three-generation, family-owned company in North Carolina, creates the best running socks and compression bracing products specifically for people with an active lifestyle. OS1st uses Compression Zone Technology with high quality materials to ease pain and help prevent runner’s knee, plantar fasciitis, shin splints and more. Used by ultra-runners (Catra Corbett, Sabrina Stanley) and new runners alike. Shop at your local independently owned running or at www.OS1st.com where you can use code RAMBLING for 15% off your first purchase.
Do you want to run further and faster -- and recover quicker and easier? Do you want to feel healthier than you’ve ever felt before? Then give InsideTracker a try. First, InsideTracker uses its patented algorithm to analyze your body’s data and offer you a clearer picture than you’ve ever had before of what’s going on inside you. Then, they provide a concrete, science-backed, trackable action plan for reaching your performance goals and being your healthy best. InsideTracker is offering my listeners 25% off at www.insidetracker.com/ramblingrunner with code RAMBLINGRUNNER.
Follow Matt:
Instagram - @rambling_runner
Twitter - @rambling_runner
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
1 hr 30 min