The Run, Shattered Podcast

In this episode, Sierra connects with Dr. Marisa Romeo about her experience using mental skills at Ultra Trail Du Mont Blanc (UTMB) and how she helps others train their mental skills.

Marisa dives into her optimal racing zone using focus tactics, imagery, and enjoying all aspects of the training process.

Marisa is a coach, athlete, educator, partner, daughter, and foodie. As a Certified Mental Performance Consultant with a doctorate in Sport and Performance Psychology, her passion is helping athletes and performers develop mental skills that support both high performance and personal growth. She grew up competing in sports and eventually found her way to ultramarathons, where she now compete at an elite level up to 100 miles.

HUGE thank you to Marisa for taking time to share her experience and the mental skills that work for her so we can all shatter our next race!

CONNECT WITH US:

If you'd like to share your own experience using mental skills during a recent marathon or ultra, please reach out to Sierra on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or through ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠email: [email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Connect with Sierra on IG ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@ShatteredRunner⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Connect with Marisa on her website: https://www.marisaromeo.com

Connect with Marisa on IG ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@DrMarisaRomeo

In this episode, Stephanie Engblom shares her running journey and all the mental skills she used to shatter her very first marathon - Twin Cities Marathon in 2025.

Steph and Sierra talk about finding inspiration within the community, learning that pain can be productive, and the importance of reflecting on training and race day.

Steph is a mom of two and a two-time marathoner. She found running during a major weight-loss journey and it became the thing that helped her rebuild trust with her body and her mind. She’s passionate about making running feel accessible for everyday people, especially those starting from zero or coming back after years of feeling like they don’t belong in the running world. Her story is equal parts transformation and reality: slow miles, big feelings, consistency over perfection, and proof that you can change your life one run at a time.

Thank you so much to Steph for taking time to share her experience and the mental skills that work for her so we can all shatter our next race!

CONNECT WITH US:

If you'd like to share your own experience using mental skills during a recent marathon or ultra, please reach out to Sierra on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or through ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠email: [email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Connect with Sierra on IG ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@ShatteredRunner⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Connect with Stephanie on IG ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@Steph.Engblom⁠⁠

Connect with Stephanie on TikTok ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@Steph.Engblom

In today's episode, Jamal Olatunde shares his go-to training and racing mental skills he used at for the Marine Corps Marathon in 2025.

Jamal talks about learning from failures, the importance of having a flexible mindset throughout training, and embracing race day energy. All of which he used to shatter his race.

Jamal grew up playing football, baseball and running shorter distances in track, and I couldn't fathom running anything over 800m. In college, he walked on to the West Point football team but didn't have much of a career there. After graduating, running strength training, and recreational sports became part of staying fit. It took him about eight years before I ran my first race - the Austin Half Marathon in 2019, and from there, he averaged about one race a year before making the leap into a full marathon - the Atlantic City Marathon in 2022.

BIG thank you to Jamal for taking time to share his experience and the mental skills that work for him so we can all shatter our next race!

CONNECT WITH US:

If you'd like to share your own experience using mental skills during a recent marathon or ultra, please reach out to Sierra on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or through ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠email: [email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Connect with Sierra on IG ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@ShatteredRunner⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Connect with Jamal on IG ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@RunningStateUniversity⁠⁠

Listen to Jamal's podcast The Retired Athlete Mentality Podcast

In this episode, Sarah Bursten shares her experience training and racing at the Zion 100-Mile Challenge in 2025.

Sarah talks about "stacking bricks" through training, her favorite mantras, and the unexpected challenge and the friends she made during race weekend that helped her shatter her goal.

Sarah is an endurance runner, a business owner, and a mom of two littles. Her running journey became profoundly meaningful after a cancer diagnosis in 2021. Facing that challenge led her to running her first marathon, earn the Six Star Medal, and conquer a 100-mile ultramarathon. Her story is a testament to how mindset work can turn a "crazy dream" into an undeniable reality, even while balancing family and business life.

Major thank you to Sarah for sharing her experience and her go-to mental skills so we can all shatter our next race!

CONNECT WITH US:

If you'd like to share your own experience using mental skills during a recent marathon or ultra, please reach out to Sierra on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or through ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠email: [email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Connect with Sierra on IG ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@ShatteredRunner⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Connect with Sarah on IG ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@Making_Marathons

In this episode, you'll hear Vicky Hurd talk about her journey into running and the mental skills she used to shatter her first marathon experience at Every Woman's Marathon!

Vicky highlights the importance of practicing a positive mindset throughout training, the self-talk that worked for her, and how she leaned on her family, run club, and the Fuel Goods team along the way.

Vicky was so inspired by all of the women training for their fall marathons and running Every Woman’s Marathon last year that she decided to start her own running journey after having her second baby. A marathon seemed like a pipe dream that she'd complete in maybe 2 or more years, but once she started running, she couldn’t stop! She's now run a full marathon, 3 half marathons, and numerous 5k and 10k races in the last year.

Massive thank you to Vicky for sharing her experience and what worked for her so we can all shatter our next race!

CONNECT WITH US:

If you'd like to share your own experience using mental skills during a recent marathon or ultra, please reach out to Sierra on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or through ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠email: [email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Connect with Sierra on IG ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@ShatteredRunner⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Connect with Vicky on IG ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@MarathonMama_V

Connect with Vicky on TikTok ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@MarathonMama_V

In this episode, Kristi Confortin shares her training and racing experience at the Lake Martin 100 Miler in 2023 and the mental skills she used to shatter her first 100 miler!

Kristi highlights how she reframed unproductive thoughts, ran with curiosity, and the major impact of her Trail Sisters community that pushed her to go for big goals and adventures with confidence.

Kristi is an avid trail runner, rescue dog mom, and chocolate milk connoisseur who finds her greatest joy exploring the winding paths of the Catskills Mountains. As the leader of Trail Sisters Catskills, she fosters community, confidence, and empowerment among local runners—encouraging everyone to embrace the adventure that begins just beyond the trailhead.

Thank you to Kristi for taking time out to share her experience and always bringing a positive light so we can all shatter our next race!

CONNECT WITH US:

If you'd like to share your own experience using mental skills during a recent marathon or ultra, please reach out to Sierra on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or through ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠email: [email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Connect with Sierra on IG ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@ShatteredRunner⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Connect with Kristi on IG ⁠⁠⁠⁠@KristiAlexiis⁠

Find your Trail Sisters Community

Learn more about the Lake Martin 100

In this episode, Lynn Morris (my mom!) discusses her journey to becoming a runner AND marathoner in just one year, crossing the finish line at Every Woman's Marathon just a couple weeks ago.

Lynn trusted her training, found confidence in herself, leaned on her support, and proved that she can do anything!

Lynn is a wife and mother of 3, plus 2 dogs and a cat, adventurer, explorer, artist, childhood abuse survivor, published children's book author, Tae Kwon Do Black Belt, and breast cancer survivor. Instead of things happening to her that she must endure, she chose her own challenge by running her first marathon at 63 years old. 

So proud of my mom for using her mental skills to shatter her race!

CONNECT WITH US:

If you'd like to share your own experience using mental skills during a recent marathon or ultra, please reach out to Sierra on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or through ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠email: [email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Connect with Sierra on IG ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@ShatteredRunner⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

In this episode, Helen-Hanson (HH) Smith shares her training and racing experience at the 2024 Chicago Marathon and the mental skills she used to shatter her very first 26.2!

You'll hear HH talk about running for herself through sobriety and recovery and the ways she learned to trust her training that led her to an incredible race day experience.

HH is a runner from Lower Alabama who has been pounding the pavement for over a decade. What began as a simple way to move her body grew into a powerful practice of resilience, discipline, and joy. Alongside her miles, HH shares her journey of sobriety and recovery, offering encouragement and hope to her online community.

Thank you to HH for taking time out of her busy schedule to share her experience so we can all shatter our next race!

*Please note this was recorded before HH ran the NYC Marathon.

CONNECT WITH US:

If you'd like to share your own experience using mental skills during a recent marathon or ultra, please reach out to Sierra on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or through ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠email: [email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠

Connect with Sierra on IG ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@ShatteredRunner⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Connect with Helen-Hanson on IG ⁠⁠⁠@HelenHansonSmith⁠

In this episode, Mik Van De Veer shares her experience training for and running the REVEL White Mountains Marathon earlier this year and the mental skills she used to confront unproductive thoughts to shatter her race.

You'll hear Mik talk about her experience with burnout leading up to this race and how she used mindfulness and acceptance techniques to work with her mind rather than fight against it.

Mik is a marathoner, ultra marathoner, run coach and sorta-cyclist who is very familiar with the heartbreak that comes with chasing big goals and the hard inner work we need to do in our minds & hearts to overcome. Developing & using the mental skills to trust herself is something that she practices in her own training and helps her athletes embrace as a core part of their running journey. 

Massive shout-out to Mik for taking time to share her experience so we can all shatter our next goals!

CONNECT WITH US:

If you'd like to share your own experience using mental skills during a recent marathon or ultra, please reach out to Sierra on ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ or through ⁠⁠⁠email: [email protected]⁠⁠

Connect with Sierra on IG ⁠⁠⁠@ShatteredRunner⁠⁠⁠

Connect with Mik on IG ⁠@MikNotMilkk and through Running Explained Run Coaching

In this episode, Cody Taylor shares his wild running adventures and the mental skills he used to complete not one but two (so far) Fastest Known Time (FKT) efforts on the Bruce Trail and the International Appalachian Trail.

You'll hear how Cody prepared for these weeks-long efforts and how he maintained his confidence and composure to set both Fastest Known Times unsupported, especially when things didn't go to plan.

Cody Taylor is a former touring musician turned ultra runner who has gone all-in on every path he’s taken. After going from not being able to run 5K to setting fastest known times on two of Canada’s most iconic trails—the 900 km Bruce Trail and the 650 km International Appalachian Trail in Quebec, he’s built a story of resilience, grit, and relentless pursuit of big goals.

HUGE shout-out to Cody for reaching out and taking the time to share his experience so we can shatter our next goals!

CONNECT WITH US:

If you'd like to share your own experience using mental skills during a recent marathon or ultra, please reach out to Sierra on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ or through ⁠⁠⁠⁠email: [email protected]⁠⁠⁠

Connect with Sierra on IG ⁠⁠⁠⁠@ShatteredRunner⁠⁠⁠⁠

Connect with Cody on IG ⁠⁠@CodyTaylorPerformance and @LiveTheNewNormal, on TikTok @CodyTaylorPerformance, on YouTube @CodyTaylorPerformance, and his website Findyournewnormal.ca