THE RUNNING EFFECT PODCAST

THE KING OF IOWA RETURNS TO THE PODCAST.

On June 1, 2023, at the Hoka Festival of Miles, Jackson Heidesch became the 20th-ever prep boy to break four minutes in the mile. Jackson ran 3:59.08 to become the 10th fastest boy in history at the distance. A feat that was thought to be "physically impossible" less than a century ago, Jackson went and did the impossible, yet this wasn't unimaginable to those who know Jackson and have seen his years of hard work and dedication leading up to this accomplishment.

I had the privilege of spending most of the day with Jackson leading into his race. From hanging out at breakfast to going to the world-famous Arch, I saw Jackson prepare and get ready to attack history. Because of that, today's conversation is more special than most of mine due to being able to go through a plethora of topics surrounding the race and preparing for it.

In today's conversation, you will hear all about the race, how Jackson prepared for it, what he's looking to do next, and hilarious stories from the day leading into the race that are one of a kind.

I hope you all take some time to listen to this inspirational and, at times, hilarious discussion with my friend and the King of Iowa, Jackson Heidesch.

You can listen wherever you find your podcasts by searching, "The Running Effect Podcast." If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. 

The podcast graphic was done by the talented: Xavier Gallo.

S H O W   N O T E S

-GET YOUR SAMPLE PACK OF 2Before: 2before.com 

-My Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Episode 10 of The Call Room With Connor Burns & Simeon Birnbaum! The season finale. In this episode, Connor and Simeon recap their respective experiences and performances at the 2023 Hoka Festival of Miles Meet. We also discuss some fun subjects and close out this series in memorable fashion. 

ABOUT THE CALL ROOM: Introducing The Call Room With Connor Burns & Simeon Birnbaum. 

The Running Effect will document their season in-depth this outdoor track season. Each week, Connor and Simeon will pull back the curtain and show you how they train physically and mentally and handle failure, adversity, and the ups and downs that ensue this season. 

Connor Burns ran 3:58.83 in the mile last June, becoming the first high schooler from Missouri to break the four-minute barrier. He is also a reigning national champion in the 3200m and became the fifth-ever high schooler to break four minutes in the mile indoors by running 3:59.11. Most recently, Connor became a national champion indoors in the 2-mile by running 8:43.24. Connor has committed to run for The University of Oregon this fall. 

Simeon Birnbaum is the first sixteen-year-old in America to break four minutes in the mile. He did this by running a 3:59.51 while winning a national title in that same race. Simeon also holds a personal best of 1:50.12 in the 800m. Simeon holds the South Dakota state records in the 3200m, 1600m, and 800m. Simeon has committed to run for The University of Oregon this fall. 

This season Connor and Simeon are chasing history; we are here to document it in a historic and unprecedented fashion. Over the coming months, Connor and Simeon will dive deep into their outdoor campaign leading into big invitationals, state championships, national record attempts, and national meets. We will go into their training, racing, mindset, and answer your questions along the way!

You can listen wherever you find your podcasts by searching, "The Running Effect Podcast." If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. If you really enjoy the podcast, consider sharing it on social media to spread the word!

The podcast graphic was done by the talented: Xavier Gallo.

S H O W   N O T E S

-FESTIVAL OF MILES: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://festival-of-miles.runnerspace.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

-My Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

-Connor's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/connor_burnsy/?hl=en

-Simeon's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simeonbirnbaum/?hl=en

Episode 4 of The Road To Hayward is with the one and only Alexander Chukwukelu!

Alex is the #1 high school hurdler in the 110m hurdles so far this year. He is committed to run for the University of Kentucky next year. Alex has set historic marks in his events, running personal bests of 12.98 (110mH), 10.86 (100m), and 21.45 (200m). He recently won his first state title in his home state of Texas and has also won a National Title at Nike Indoor Nationals in the 60mH.

I loved this conversation with Alex. He is full of energy and vibrance, which made this conversation extra-impactful. Like, he has the most fun energy out of anyone I've ever talked to on the podcast; it's contagious.

Through hearing about Alex's hard work, dedication, and resilience, and the stories around these traits, I'm confident you'll walk away more motivated to become a better athlete and version of yourself.

You can all watch Alex chase after a national title at Nike Outdoor Nationals this year. Listen to today's podcast to hear how he's preparing for history, both mentally and physically.

You can listen wherever you find your podcasts by searching, "The Running Effect Podcast." If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. 

The podcast graphic was done by the talented: Xavier Gallo.

S H O W   N O T E S

-Nike Outdoor Nationals Info: ⁠https://nikeoutdoornationals.runnerspace.com/

-My Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Today on "The Road To Hayward" is the U20 400mh World Champion Akala Garrett.

Akala is a fifteen-time individual state champion (yes, you read that right). She won the 100m hurdles and the 400m hurdles at the 2022 USATF U20 Outdoor Championships running 10.91 for the 100m hurdles and 57.47 for the 400m hurdles. She then went on to become the U20 World Champion a few weeks later. She won gold medals at the 2022 World Junior Championships in the 400 meters hurdles and the 4 × 400m relay.

At her state meet this year, she set new meet records in the 100-hurdles (13.52), 200-meter dash (24.25) and was part of the 1,600-meter relay team, which also set a new meet record (3:57.16). Garrett also ran 40.26 in the 300-hurdles, a new meet record and the fastest time in the nation this year.

Akala will return to the action at the 2023 Nike Outdoor National Meet, where she will defend her title in the 400m & 100m hurdles after winning both in dominant fashion last year.

In this conversation, Akala shares her story, journey to get to where she is today, having her mom as her coach, what her faith means to her, winning the U20 world championship in the 400mH, winning Nike Indoor Nationals, her ambitions for Nike Outdoor Nationals, and much more. If you're looking for an inspiring conversation with the top U20 hurdler in the world who is full of energy and wisdom, you'll love today's conversation.

You can listen wherever you find your podcasts by searching, "The Running Effect Podcast." If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. 

The podcast graphic was done by the talented: Xavier Gallo.

S H O W   N O T E S

-Nike Outdoor Nationals Info: ⁠⁠https://nikeoutdoornationals.runnerspace.com/⁠

-My Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Today on the podcast is the man, the myth, the legend, Evan Jager.

For those who aren't familiar with Evan, he is undoubtedly the greatest American at the 3000m Steeplechase ever. Evan won a Silver Medal in the steeplechase at the 2016 Olympics in Rio, won Bronze at the 2017 World Championships in London; he has the American Record in the 3,000m Steeplechase with a time of 8:00.45, and get this, he holds the top 9 spots on the U.S. Top 10 All-Time 3000m Steeple list.

In high school, he won everything there was to win in Illinois high school competition, claiming titles in XC, 1600m, and 3200m, as well as anchoring the State Record 4x800m. He then went to the University of Wisconsin for one year before deciding to move to Portland to go all-in on his running career, moving with Coach Jerry Schumacher and being one of the original members of the now Bowerman Track Club.

In today's conversation, Evan goes through his upbringing in the sport from winning a Mustang by breaking five minutes in the mile to setting state records along the way. He then discusses his professional career and all the different elements, the highs, and the lows, that have shaped who he is today. We also touch on his past year of being a dad, the craziest BTC workouts he's witnessed, and wether or not he thinks he has the best hair in Track & Field.

I loved this conversation and was thrilled to have made it happen. I hope you all enjoy it as much as we did having it.

You can listen wherever you find your podcasts by searching, "The Running Effect Podcast." If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. 

The podcast graphic was done by the talented: Xavier Gallo.

S H O W   N O T E S

-GET YOUR SAMPLE PACK OF 2Before: 2before.com 

-My Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Today's conversation will challenge you. It will stretch you to think on deep topics that ultimately impact the quality and impact of your pursuit within sport and life. While it may be deeper and more philosophical than most of my podcasts, you'll walk away from this conversation thinking about how you view success specifically as it pertains to running completely different.

My close friend and mentor Alex Ostberg is always full of deep insights that contain invaluable wisdom. So it's always a treat whenever I can convince him to come on the podcast.

For those unfamiliar with Alex, he is an eight-time NCAA All-American. He competed at Stanford University for four years before transferring to the University of North Carolina to get his master's degree. Alex holds PRs of 3:58 in the Mile, 7:49 in the 3k, 13:18 in the 5k, and 28:49 in the 10k. He also has a Bachelor's Degree in human biology, a minor in psychology, and a master's in public health.

Alex is an incredibly perspicacious and ebullient speaker who has a wealth of knowledge, experience, and depth. In this conversation, Alex shares his wisdom on why most champions are broken, how to improve your luck, the "stepping-up" fallacy, why "How you do one thing is how you do everything" is a myth, how success is largely the failures you avoid, and much more. I always walk away from my conversations with Alex enlightened and a better version of myself. I'm so confident you'll say the same after listening.

You can listen wherever you find your podcasts by searching, "The Running Effect Podcast." If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. 

The podcast graphic was done by the talented: Xavier Gallo.

S H O W   N O T E S

-GET YOUR SAMPLE PACK OF 2Before: 2before.com 

-My Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

-Alex's Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/aostberg97/?hl=en

Episode 9 of The Call Room With Connor Burns & Simeon Birnbaum! In this episode, Connor and Simeon recap their state championship races, where they racked up even more state titles to their name. We also discussed the Hoka Festival of Miles meet that will be happening this Thursday, June 1, where they will be going after Alan Webb's National Record in the Mile. We also discuss Connor's 5k record being broken by Lex Young, and many fun and light subjects along the way! I hope you all enjoy this episode as much as we did having it (: consider sharing this episode with a friend and tell them to tune into the Festival of Miles race this Thursday to watch history unfold.

ABOUT THE CALL ROOM: Introducing The Call Room With Connor Burns & Simeon Birnbaum. 

The Running Effect will document their season in-depth this outdoor track season. Each week, Connor and Simeon will pull back the curtain and show you how they train physically and mentally and handle failure, adversity, and the ups and downs that ensue this season. 

Connor Burns ran 3:58.83 in the mile last June, becoming the first high schooler from Missouri to break the four-minute barrier. He is also a reigning national champion in the 3200m and became the fifth-ever high schooler to break four minutes in the mile indoors by running 3:59.11. Most recently, Connor became a national champion indoors in the 2-mile by running 8:43.24. Connor has committed to run for The University of Oregon this fall. 

Simeon Birnbaum is the first sixteen-year-old in America to break four minutes in the mile. He did this by running a 3:59.51 while winning a national title in that same race. Simeon also holds a personal best of 1:50.12 in the 800m. Simeon holds the South Dakota state records in the 3200m, 1600m, and 800m. Simeon has committed to run for The University of Oregon this fall. 

This season Connor and Simeon are chasing history; we are here to document it in a historic and unprecedented fashion. Over the coming months, Connor and Simeon will dive deep into their outdoor campaign leading into big invitationals, state championships, national record attempts, and national meets. We will go into their training, racing, mindset, and answer your questions along the way!

You can listen wherever you find your podcasts by searching, "The Running Effect Podcast." If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. If you really enjoy the podcast, consider sharing it on social media to spread the word!

The podcast graphic was done by the talented: Xavier Gallo.

S H O W   N O T E S

-FESTIVAL OF MILES: ⁠⁠https://festival-of-miles.runnerspace.com/⁠⁠

-My Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

-Connor's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/connor_burnsy/?hl=en

-Simeon's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simeonbirnbaum/?hl=en

Today on "The Road To Hayward" are Lex and Leo Young and their teammate and friend Brayden Seymour.

For those unfamiliar with these three, Lex and Leo Young are the fastest high school twins in the world. Over the past four years of high school, they have broken national records, won championships, and forever cemented their legacy as some of the greatest high school runners ever. Their teammate Brayden Seymour has witnessed their greatness unfold and, through training with them, has become a national-class runner, claiming some All-American titles and making a name for himself in this sport. Lex and Leo are committed to run for Stanford University next year, and Brayden is committed to run for Furman University.

Lex and Leo have been on the podcast many times, so we thought it would be fun to change things up a bit and include Brayden, who is a stud himself and has a unique inside look at the success of Lex and Leo. In today's episode, we chronicle their friendship, recent training and racing, beef within the sport, how they're preparing for Nike Outdoor Nationals, and many hilarious topics that left us four laughing.

If you want to hear an inspiring, unique, and fun discussion with three of the top high school runners, this conversation is for you.

+ Lex speaks extensively about his preparation leading into a 5k HS National Record attempt which he ended up successfully doing, running 13:34.96. It is very cool to listen back and hear him call his shot and deliver on it.

You can listen wherever you find your podcasts by searching, "The Running Effect Podcast." If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. 

The podcast graphic was done by the talented: Xavier Gallo.

S H O W   N O T E S

-Nike Outdoor Nationals Info: ⁠⁠https://nikeoutdoornationals.runnerspace.com/⁠

-My Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Today on the podcast, I have the privilege of speaking with artist and accomplished runner Zach Litoff!

Zach is the man behind the cover art for The Running Effect and has worked with clients such as Nike and New Balance. He started Litoff Studio's where he carries his passion for the intersection of art and running, leading the charge in this arena. When he's not cooking up some incredible piece of art, you can find Zach cruising at a nice clip running 75-mile weeks in the Bay Area.

Zach ran for Santa Clara University, where he was the first-ever athlete from that school to make the NCAA Track & Field Outdoor Championships. From a kid who didn't break 16 minutes in the 5k in high school, Zach's journey has been unorthodox and special. He uses his story, passion for the sport, and incredible art to inspire others.

I loved this conversation and all the different topics discussed. We go through Zach's careers in art and running and all the fun things he's up to! If you want a fun, light-hearted, and inspiring conversation, this podcast is for you!

You can listen wherever you find your podcasts by searching, "The Running Effect Podcast." If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. 

The podcast graphic was done by the talented: Xavier Gallo.

S H O W   N O T E S

-GET YOUR SAMPLE PACK OF 2Before: 2before.com 

-My Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

-Zach's Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/litoffstudios/

Today on the podcast series "The Road To Hayward" is Irene Riggs and Sophia Kennedy, friends and future teammates at Stanford University this fall!

Irene Riggs and the word "history" belong in the same sentence. Over the past year, Irene has made history in her home state of West Virginia and on the National Stage. Irene became the first athlete from West Virginia ever to win a national cross country title, and she did so in remarkable fashion, overcoming cold, windy conditions at NXN to produce the No. 2 all-time mark of 16:40.9 at Glendoveer Golf Course in Oregon. She also ran the second-fastest high school girls' 5K cross country race in history with her 16:02.1 effort at the Nike Southeast Regional. Irene also made her first U.S. National Team by winning the 2023 USATF U20 XC title. This track season, Irene ran 9:45.97 in the 3200m at the Spire Scholastic Showcase Meet, became the Nike Indoor National Champion in the Mile, winning in 4:38.23, and won the Arcadia Invitational 3200m in a meet record time of 9:52.66.

Irene is also a fantastic selfless individual off the grass and track. She is the Vice President of the student body at her school, a student council representative at Morgantown, and has spent hours doing community service. Through these accomplishments, Irene became the 2022-2023 Gatordate National Girls Cross-Country Player of The Year.

Sophia Kennedy has slowly cemented herself as one of the greatest runners in Indiana state history. Last fall, Sophia placed seventh at the Nike Cross Nationals, a week after taking second at the Champs Sports Midwest Region Championships. Sophia is a two-time qualifier for the Eastbay National Cross Country Championships, placing seventh in 2021. Sophia, the daughter of U.S. distance great Bob Kennedy, was fifth in the two-mile at the 2021 Brooks PR Invitational and eighth in 2022. Running for Park Tudor School in Indianapolis, Sophia was second in the 3,200 at the 2022 Indiana state track finals and third in the state in cross country this fall. This indoor season, Sophia placed fourth in the Mile at Nike Indoor Nationals, running 4:45.60. She also ran an outdoor mile in 4:49 and a 3200 in 10:07, where she split 5:08 and 4:59.

Others may know Sophia's dad, Bob Kennedy, a two-time Olympian who set American Records and won four NCAA titles while at Indiana University.

In today's episode, we go through how they met each other, the decision to go to Stanford, exclusive insights and stories from NXN and NIN, how their outdoor season is going, how they're preparing for Nike Outdoor Nationals, and top things off with some listener questions!

You can listen wherever you find your podcasts by searching, "The Running Effect Podcast." If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. 

The podcast graphic was done by the talented: Xavier Gallo.

S H O W   N O T E S

-Nike Outdoor Nationals Info: https://nikeoutdoornationals.runnerspace.com/

-My Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠