The Running for Real Podcast

It's been nearly five years since Mario Fraioli was on Running for Real! At the time he was an athlete, a running coach, a journalist, and was putting out his popular weekly the morning shakeout newsletter, but he had yet to launch his podcast of the same name.

He's now put out over 200 episodes and has been reflecting on "how fortunate I am to be able to have these conversations and to share them with other people." Not only have his guests all made an impression on him, but, he says, "my head spins every week when I hear how one of the conversations that I've had has impacted someone else. That has been just one of the, I'll call it happy accidents of my life, I guess, to be able to have that opportunity to do that and to impact people in that way."

One of his most impactful conversations aired earlier this month. Tommy Rivers Puzey is someone whom Mario wanted to have on the show since the morning shakeout began. He figured that they would be able to get together eventually, that it was "nothing that's pressing." Then in the summer of 2020, Tommy became gravely ill with a rare and aggressive form of lymphoma. He was placed in a medically-induced coma, endured multiple surgeries and treatments, and lost nearly half of his body weight. He's now in remission, regaining his strength, and living life to the fullest. This spring he completed the Boston Marathon in an incredible, inspiring display of heart and will. Mario was privileged to speak with him the next day. You can listen to their conversation here.

Tommy's journey is a shining example of two things that Mario would like to remind everyone listening, to "be here now" and to "find something to be grateful for." Don't stress over something that happened last week, something that is coming up, or things you can't control. You may find, as Mario has, that "when I can be present, I can also have a lot of gratitude for who I am with, what it is that I'm able to do, and I can also just zoom out and be like, 'it's not all that bad.'"

The morning shakeout website is the most central place to go for everything that Mario is doing, and you can also follow him on Instagram.

To hear his original Running for Real episode from June 2017, you can go here.

Thank you to UCAN for sponsoring RUNNING REUNION!

UCAN uses a one-of-a-kind carbohydrate to provide a steady release of glucose over several hours that's easy on your stomach and doesn't cause a sugar crash. It comes in powders, bars, and gels, and they actually taste good! Their gel, UCAN Edge, was voted by Runner's World as one of the best foods to eat during a run. Tina has been a fan of UCAN for years and uses it exclusively for fueling when she's training and racing.

Go here and use code TINAUCAN for 20% off your order!

Thanks for listening!

We know there are so many podcasts you could listen to, and we are honored you have chosen Running Reunion. If you appreciate the work that we do, here are a few things you can do to support us:

• Take a screenshot of the episode, and share it with your friends, family, and community on social media, especially if you feel that the topic will resonate with them. Be sure to tag us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram
  • If you are struggling through something a guest mentions, chances are others are too, and you will help them feel less alone.
• Leave an honest review on iTunes or your favorite podcast player.
  • Your ratings and reviews will really help us grow and reach new people.

Not sure how to leave a review or subscribe? You can find out here.

"Thank you" to Mario. We look forward to hearing your thoughts on the show.

If you're a runner, Steve Magness's upcoming book, Do Hard Things: Why We Get Resilience Wrong and the Surprising Science of Real Toughness, will resonate with you. Actually, if you're a human being, it will resonate with you. Society leads us to believe that toughness is an inherent quality that we either possess or lack, but his research shows that it is, in fact, something that we can develop. As Steve says, "You have the capacity, but like anything, you have to train that capacity."

This episode covers topics that runners often wonder about. Steve talks about them in such a clear, comprehensive way that you'll not only have your questions answered, but feel inspired to develop your own resilience in running and in life.

For complete show notes and links, visit our website at runningforreal.com/episode299.

Thank you to InsideTracker, UCAN, and Allbirds for sponsoring this episode.

Have you not been feeling yourself lately? Gone down a lot of avenues but haven't really found clear solutions? That is where InsideTracker can come in for you. I have trusted this company for years to show me where I may be lacking and if I need a few tweaks here and there. I count on InsideTracker to help me decipher the science behind it all.

Go here to get 25% off site wide.

UCAN uses a one-of-a-kind carbohydrate to provide a steady release of glucose over several hours that's easy on your stomach and doesn't cause a sugar crash. It comes in powders, bars, and gels, and they actually taste good! Their gel, UCAN Edge, was voted by Runner's World as one of the best foods to eat during a run. Tina has been a fan of UCAN for years and uses it exclusively for fueling when she's training and racing.

Go here and use code TINAUCAN for 20% off your order!

Allbirds is all about doing things better, like collaborating with Adidas to create a performance running shoe, the FOOTPRINT.FUTURECRAFT, with only 2.94kg CO2 per pair. Their products are made from natural and recycled materials, and best of all, they know who they are. They are confident in what they do, and are changing the entire running industry before our eyes.

You can see their entire collection on their website.

Thanks for listening!

We know there are so many podcasts you could listen to, and we are honored you have chosen Running For Real. If you appreciate the work that we do, here are a few things you can do to support us:

• Take a screenshot of the episode, and share it with your friends, family, and community on social media, especially if you feel that the topic will resonate with them. Be sure to tag us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram
  • If you are struggling through something a guest mentions, chances are others are too, and you will help them feel less alone.
• Leave an honest review on iTunes or your favorite podcast player.
  • Your ratings and reviews will really help us grow and reach new people.

Not sure how to leave a review or subscribe? You can find out here.

"Thank you" to Steve. We look forward to hearing your thoughts on the show.

Psychologist Guy Winch's passion is "getting people to prioritize their emotional health and give them tools to do that with and concepts to understand it with." He was already a TED Talk speaker and the acclaimed author of Emotional First Aid and How to Fix a Broken Heart when he was a guest on the podcast, but so much has happened since then!

He became TED's first columnist with his science-based advice column, Dear Guy. In 2020, he launched the Dear Therapists podcast with his co-host Lori Gottlieb, where they provide insights and actionable advice in real-life sessions.

His career highlight so far, though, occurred just last year. He had the honor of being invited to 10 Downing Street to speak to the UK government and give them his recommendations for emotional and mental health policies to institute across the UK. He has a great story about arriving at the Prime Minister's residence!

Guy has already reached millions of people through his books, talks, and podcasts, but, he says, to "start the ball rolling in some small way over something that can really be good for the entire nation and just to have that privilege and to be given that opportunity is not something I would have ever dreamt would happen."

In a few weeks, he'll be addressing a branch of the US government on the same topic. In the meantime, he reminds everyone that "there are two aspects to your well being; there's physical health and there's your emotional and psychological health. I separate emotional health from mental health because mental health is kind of, once you have a diagnosis of something, once something is very wrong. Emotional health is all the stuff that precedes that, is just your general well being, and there's so much we can do for our emotional health on a daily basis."

You can get links to all of Guy's books and talks on his website and follow him on Instagram.

To hear his original episode from December 2018, you can go here.

Thank you to UCAN for sponsoring RUNNING REUNION!

UCAN uses a one-of-a-kind carbohydrate to provide a steady release of glucose over several hours that's easy on your stomach and doesn't cause a sugar crash. It comes in powders, bars, and gels, and they actually taste good! Their gel, UCAN Edge, was voted by Runner's World as one of the best foods to eat during a run. Tina has been a fan of UCAN for years and uses it exclusively for fueling when she's training and racing.

Go here and use code TINAUCAN for 20% off your order!

Thanks for listening!

We know there are so many podcasts you could listen to, and we are honored you have chosen Running Reunion. If you appreciate the work that we do, here are a few things you can do to support us:

• Take a screenshot of the episode, and share it with your friends, family, and community on social media, especially if you feel that the topic will resonate with them. Be sure to tag us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram
  • If you are struggling through something a guest mentions, chances are others are too, and you will help them feel less alone.
• Leave an honest review on iTunes or your favorite podcast player.
  • Your ratings and reviews will really help us grow and reach new people.

Not sure how to leave a review or subscribe? You can find out here.

"Thank you" to Guy. We look forward to hearing your thoughts on the show.

A special Central Park in New York Together Run this week. Beginning as always with our nature check in, body scan, mental health check in, and senses check in before going on to a conversation as Tina shares why this trip happened and what it means. If you have been needing to try domething a little different, or have been feeling a bit off lately, give this Together Run a try, it may remind you why you connect to running in the first place

Come join us for Together Run 52

Tina mentioned

Come join the Together22 meetup on Tuesday, May 10th at 8pm EST. Sign up for the newsletter here and join us here.

Check out episode five of Running Reunion with Courtney Dauwalter

No sponsors today, trying to keep this authentic and like really running with a friend. If you want to support Tina and the Running For Real team:

Through a monthly donation on Patreon. To sign up, click here.

You can share on social media and let others know about what you are loving in these together runs.

You can leave a review on iTunes.

Thanks for listening!

We know there are so many podcasts you could be listening to, but we are honored you have chosen Running For Real. If you appreciate the work that we do, here are a few things you can do to support us:

• Take a screenshot of the episode, and share it with your friends, family, and community on social media, especially if you feel that topic will relate to them. Be sure to tag us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram
• Leave an honest review on iTunes or your favorite podcast player
  • Your ratings and reviews will really help us grow and reach new people

Not sure how to leave a review or subscribe, you can find out here.

Thank you for joining, we look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Genevieve Gregson's 32nd birthday should have been something to celebrate. The three-time Olympic and two-time World Championship finalist was competing in the 300m steeplechase at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the event for which she held the Australian record. But coming off the final water jump, she fell when her right Achilles tendon snapped and she was unable to finish the race. She and Tina talk about her journey to that point and her plans for the future, including the most exciting one - the birth of her first child, due in just a few weeks.

For complete show notes and links, visit our website at runningforreal.com/episode298.

Thank you to InsideTracker, Allbirds, and Athletic Greens for sponsoring this episode.

Have you not been feeling yourself lately? Gone down a lot of avenues but haven't really found clear solutions? That is where InsideTracker can come in for you. I have trusted this company for years to show me where I may be lacking and if I need a few tweaks here and there. I count on InsideTracker to help me decipher the science behind it all.

Go here to get 25% off site wide.

Allbirds is all about doing things better, like collaborating with Adidas to create a performance running shoe, the FOOTPRINT.FUTURECRAFT, with only 2.94kg CO2 per pair. Their products are made from natural and recycled materials, and best of all, they know who they are. They are confident in what they do, and are changing the entire running industry before our eyes.

You can see their entire collection on their website, and since the FOOTPRINT.FUTURECRAFT is still in limited supply, you can subscribe to our weekly newsletter and we'll let you know when they become more widely available.

AG1 is a simple and easy way to get 75 vitamins, minerals, and whole food source ingredients to help strengthen your immune system. It's simple to make and it tastes good!

Go here to get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D and five FREE travel packs with your subscription.

Thanks for listening!

We know there are so many podcasts you could listen to, and we are honored you have chosen Running For Real. If you appreciate the work that we do, here are a few things you can do to support us:

• Take a screenshot of the episode, and share it with your friends, family, and community on social media, especially if you feel that the topic will resonate with them. Be sure to tag us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram
  • If you are struggling through something a guest mentions, chances are others are too, and you will help them feel less alone.
• Leave an honest review on iTunes or your favorite podcast player.
  • Your ratings and reviews will really help us grow and reach new people.

Not sure how to leave a review or subscribe? You can find out here.

"Thank you" to Genevieve. We look forward to hearing your thoughts on the show.

Courtney Dauwalter's "passions lie in exploring with my feet and seeing what's possible when our brains and bodies are working together, and in hanging out with the people that I love." Her brain and body work together in amazing ways.

Since she was on Running for Real, her accomplishments have included winning the 2018 Western States Endurance Run (100 miles); finishing second overall and setting the women's course record at Big's Backyard Ultra; placing second overall in the Tahoe 200, beating the previous women's course record by over 18 hours; being named Ultra Runner of the Year by Ultrarunning Magazine; winning the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc in 2019 and again in 2021, establishing a new course record; and receiving the George Mallory Award for pushing the boundaries of human achievement.

Courtney's achievements are exceptional, but her philosophy can apply to everyone. "If it sounds scary and hard," she says, "I think that's the thing that's worth trying, because why not? I mean, if you fall a little bit short of it because you set your bar too high, then you've still done something amazing. Like for me, for sure, running keeps reiterating that the thing I think is too scary and hard, I can get to that eventually, if I keep on working at it."

The best place to follow Courtney is on Instagram.

To hear her original episode from June 2018, you can go here.

Thank you to UCAN for sponsoring RUNNING REUNION!

UCAN uses a one-of-a-kind carbohydrate to provide a steady release of glucose over several hours that's easy on your stomach and doesn't cause a sugar crash. It comes in powders, bars, and gels, and they actually taste good! Their gel, UCAN Edge, was voted by Runner's World as one of the best foods to eat during a run. Tina has been a fan of UCAN for years and uses it exclusively for fueling when she's training and racing.

Go here and use code TINAUCAN for 20% off your order!

Thanks for listening!

We know there are so many podcasts you could listen to, and we are honored you have chosen Running Reunion. If you appreciate the work that we do, here are a few things you can do to support us:

• Take a screenshot of the episode, and share it with your friends, family, and community on social media, especially if you feel that the topic will resonate with them. Be sure to tag us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram
  • If you are struggling through something a guest mentions, chances are others are too, and you will help them feel less alone.
• Leave an honest review on iTunes or your favorite podcast player.
  • Your ratings and reviews will really help us grow and reach new people.

Not sure how to leave a review or subscribe? You can find out here.

"Thank you" to Courtney. We look forward to hearing your thoughts on the show.

We begin this Together Run as always with a body scan, mental health check in, and senses check in. The medtiative aspect of the run helps bring our body back to the present and feel gratitude for this moment. After the check ins, Tina opens up in a vulnerable and raw way about struggling to reconnect to her life back home after a life changing trip to Maui. She shares stories of her time in Maui and brings listeners into those moments.

Come join us for Together Run 51

Tina mentioned

Come join the Together22 meetup next Tuesday, May 10th at 8pm EST. Sign up for the newsletter here and join us here.

Register for the Tracksmith shakeout run with Tina and Tommie Runz

Come join the Boston watch along

Check out episode four of Running Reunion with Sanjay Rawal

No sponsors today, trying to keep this authentic and like really running with a friend. If you want to support Tina and the Running For Real team:

Through a monthly donation on Patreon. To sign up, click here.

You can share on social media and let others know about what you are loving in these together runs.

You can leave a review on iTunes.

Thanks for listening!

We know there are so many podcasts you could be listening to, but we are honored you have chosen Running For Real. If you appreciate the work that we do, here are a few things you can do to support us:

• Take a screenshot of the episode, and share it with your friends, family, and community on social media, especially if you feel that topic will relate to them. Be sure to tag us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram
• Leave an honest review on iTunes or your favorite podcast player
  • Your ratings and reviews will really help us grow and reach new people

Not sure how to leave a review or subscribe, you can find out here.

Thank you for joining, we look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Leandrew Belnavis describes himself as "not your typical runner. I am a larger, big-frame black man. I embrace being a larger body and an even larger personality." That personality is ideal for his roles as the Community Manager (or as he describes it, "the camp counselor") at Tracksmith and as the founder and co-captain of Boston's Unnamed Run Crew.

Just as he created Unnamed Run Crew to bring more people who look and sound like him into the running space, he hopes "to create the diversity that I want to see in Boston within Tracksmith."

For complete show notes and links, visit our website at runningforreal.com/episode297, where you can also get our Run and Reflect notes!

Thank you to Tracksmith, InsideTracker, and Athletic Greens for sponsoring this episode.

Tracksmith is a Boston-based company that truly cares about the quality of their running clothes. Running can be demanding on our clothes; they definitely go through wear and tear to where we may be purchasing new clothes constantly. Tracksmith designers work with the finest materials and keep you in mind as a runner, with spots for your keys, phone, and fuel. You can go here to check out my favorites!

Go here and use the code TINA15. You'll get free shipping and Tracksmith will donate 5% of your purchase to Runners for Public Lands!

Have you not been feeling yourself lately? Gone down a lot of avenues but haven't really found clear solutions? That is where InsideTracker can come in for you. I have trusted this company for years to show me where I may be lacking and if I need a few tweaks here and there. I count on InsideTracker to help me decipher the science behind it all.

Go here to get 25% off site wide.

AG1 is a simple and easy way to get 75 vitamins, minerals, and whole food source ingredients to help strengthen your immune system. It's simple to make and it tastes good!

Go here to get a FREE year's supply of Vitamin D and five FREE travel packs with your subscription.

Thanks for listening!

We know there are so many podcasts you could listen to, and we are honored you have chosen Running For Real. If you appreciate the work that we do, here are a few things you can do to support us:

• Take a screenshot of the episode, and share it with your friends, family, and community on social media, especially if you feel that the topic will resonate with them. Be sure to tag us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram
  • If you are struggling through something a guest mentions, chances are others are too, and you will help them feel less alone.
• Leave an honest review on iTunes or your favorite podcast player.
  • Your ratings and reviews will really help us grow and reach new people.

Not sure how to leave a review or subscribe? You can find out here.

"Thank you" to Leandrew. We look forward to hearing your thoughts on the show.

Have you ever wondered what a podcast guest has been up to since you heard them interviewed? We have, and so Running Reunion was born.

Tina last interviewed filmmaker Sanjay Rawal in 2019, after the release of 3100: Run and Become, a documentary about the world's longest running race, the Sri Chinmoy Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race. You can learn more about the race in Running for Real episode 277 with Harita Davies, who has completed it three times.

Since then, he's released Gather, about Native American food systems, looked at through the eyes of an Apache chef from Arizona. It's also, Sanjay says, about "resilience. People who value their relationship with the land, whose people have had histories with particular pieces of land or areas of the world, in their words, 'since time immemorial,' and what it means to be a steward, rather than a consumer."

Living through Covid for the past couple of years has reminded Sanjay of something he was told by a Hopi elder, that "the point of running and life is to find the joy in the exertion." Sanjay volunteers at a little natural foods store in Jamaica, Queens, and has found "a little pocket of joy" by being of service to others during the pandemic.

He also runs every day, and would "like to remind people that we've got the biggest blessing in the world to be able to go outdoors, regardless of our capacity, to take a few moments on our own. To take a deep breath, to connect to the sky, to connect to the earth, and feel not only what that means to us, but to really every other human being that's out there on earth today."

You can find Sanjay at Guru Health Foods, or on Instagram.

To hear his original episode from December 2019, you can go here.

Thank you to UCAN for sponsoring RUNNING REUNION!

UCAN uses a one-of-a-kind carbohydrate to provide a steady release of glucose over several hours that's easy on your stomach and doesn't cause a sugar crash. It comes in powders, bars, and gels, and they actually taste good! Their gel, UCAN Edge, was voted by Runner's World as one of the best foods to eat during a run. Tina has been a fan of UCAN for years and uses it exclusively for fueling when she's training and racing.

Go here and use code TINAUCAN for 20% off your order!

Thanks for listening!

We know there are so many podcasts you could listen to, and we are honored you have chosen Running Reunion. If you appreciate the work that we do, here are a few things you can do to support us:

• Take a screenshot of the episode, and share it with your friends, family, and community on social media, especially if you feel that the topic will resonate with them. Be sure to tag us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram
  • If you are struggling through something a guest mentions, chances are others are too, and you will help them feel less alone.
• Leave an honest review on iTunes or your favorite podcast player.
  • Your ratings and reviews will really help us grow and reach new people.

Not sure how to leave a review or subscribe? You can find out here.

"Thank you" to Sanjay. We look forward to hearing your thoughts on the show.

For the celebration of the 50th Together Run, join Tina for a run along the ocean in Lahaina on the island of Maui. Beginning with lots of sounds of nature, then moving through our usual body, mind connection points of a body scan and senses check in. Tina then goes on to share about what has been a life changing week, including a spiritual moment on Earth Day. Tina finishes up the run along the beach, discussing the fact that we never feel like enough. This Together Run is a wholesome way to connect with our body and our mind while we reflect on Earth Day. Come join us for Together Run 50

No sponsors today, trying to keep this authentic and like really running with a friend. If you want to support Tina and the Running For Real team:

Through a monthly donation on Patreon. To sign up, click here.

You can share on social media and let others know about what you are loving in these together runs.

You can leave a review on iTunes.

Thanks for listening!

We know there are so many podcasts you could be listening to, but we are honored you have chosen Running For Real. If you appreciate the work that we do, here are a few things you can do to support us:

• Take a screenshot of the episode, and share it with your friends, family, and community on social media, especially if you feel that topic will relate to them. Be sure to tag us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram
• Leave an honest review on iTunes or your favorite podcast player
  • Your ratings and reviews will really help us grow and reach new people

Not sure how to leave a review or subscribe, you can find out here.

Thank you for joining, we look forward to hearing your thoughts.