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Mega-marathoner and host Sally Hed Dahlquist breaks down one of the most important, and most misunderstood, parts of marathon success: how to fuel your body with sugar, electrolytes, and carbs so you don’t bonk, crash, or quit.

After running 174 marathons, Sally has tried every combo of gels, real foods, pouches, gummies, bars, and pre-race breakfasts imaginable. Today, she shares what actually works, why glucose is queen, and how to manage your energy without upsetting your stomach or sabotaging your finish.

Because life is sweet... and so is running, when you fuel it right.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

What to eat before the race
How to fuel your body without waking up at 3am. What Sally eats and how to avoid overstuffing so your stomach has room to keep absorbing fuel.

Why pure maple syrup is the ultimate running fuel
Thin, easy to swallow, natural sugars, surprisingly effective… and why the cheap stuff doesn’t cut it.

The “every 5 miles” fueling rule
How Sally times her glucose intake so she eats before she feels tired, dizzy, or depleted.

Exactly what Sally carries in her pockets
Her Ziploc “snack packs,” pickle strategy for cramps, caffeine timing, and more.

Sugar crashes, bonking & nausea
How to avoid the energy cliff, and what to do if you accidentally go over the edge.

Fueling at high altitude
Why dry air and elevation demand more water, more electrolytes, and more intentional fueling.

Honey vs. maple syrup vs. commercial gels
What actually matters, what doesn’t, and how to ignore marketing hype.

This tip is dedicated to:

Christine Anderson, whose family’s company, Anderson’s Maple Syrup, created Pure Fuel, the maple-syrup pouches Sally now uses for every race. Truly grade-A goodness, from a truly grade-A friend.

Inspired?

Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a running buddy especially the one who eats nothing, panics at mile 17, and then hangs out in the aid tent.

Support Sally’s mission to raise $1 million for medical research:

unstoppablestoriesthatmove.com

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In this powerful episode, tumor immunologist Dr. Mike Olin  and pediatric neuro-oncologist Dr. Chris Moertel share how a University of Minnesota discovery, centered on the immune-silencing molecule CD200, sparked a revolutionary clinical trial for one of the deadliest childhood brain cancers.

They reveal what it took to get the drug into children, the upcoming Phase 2 trial, and exactly why donor support is the only thing that moves this work forward.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The discovery that changed everything: Blocking CD200 so the immune system can finally recognize the tumor.
• From idea to children: Adult testing ➜ FDA approval ➜ pediatric Phase 1 trial now underway.
• The next critical step: A multi-site Phase 2 trial led by PI Dr. Anne Bendel, designed to prove efficacy and unlock fast-track access for kids.
• A smarter, more affordable approach: Focused ultrasound that replaces costly tumor-lysate vaccines and boosts survival in early models.
• Why funding is urgent: Drug manufacturing, MRI imaging, lab testing, regulatory oversight, and even travel and lodging for families—all dependent on donations.
• The broader impact: This discovery may also help patients with breast-to-brain metastases and other CD200-positive tumors.

Why your donation matters:

Every dollar directly accelerates:

• More kids enrolled in trials
• More drug manufactured and delivered
• More MRIs, labs, and safety testing completed
• More families able to travel for treatment
• Faster progress toward FDA fast-track approval

Every contribution moves a child closer to treatment. 

Support Sally’s mission to raise $1 million for medical research and help bring life-saving treatment to children who need it now.

Donate at unstoppablestoriesthatmove.com

Text me. I’d love to hear from you! Can you relate to anything we said? What do want to hear more about?

Text me. I’d love to hear from you! Can you relate to anything we said? What do want to hear more about?

Host Sally Hed Dahlquist is here to help you understand how to power your body through races with carboloading.

Whether you haven't quite mastered your perfect pre-race diet (looking at you, microwaved rice cups!) or you'd just like a biology nerd to explain how your body stores and uses fuel, this is the tip you've been waiting for.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Some of Sally's favorite foods to power up for race day
• Tips for making the best out of less-than-ideal options available at pre-race festivities
• What foods to avoid if you don't want to bonk at mile 20

Inspired?
Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with your favorite running buddy (especially the one who swears swears by pre-race pizza).

Support Sally’s mission to raise $1 million for medical research:
 unstoppablestoriesthatmove.com

Text me. I’d love to hear from you! Can you relate to anything we said? What do want to hear more about?

Horticulturist and author Joel Karsten joins Sally to share how “straw bale gardening” went from a DIY workaround on compacted soil to a worldwide method feeding families, inspiring school programs, and winning design festivals in France. We cover the science, the practical how-to, and the humanitarian impact of growing food where soil, space, or drainage make gardening tough.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• The origin story: The college grad with terrible soil.
• How it works: Why “conditioning” bales (nitrogen + water + time) kickstarts composting, warms roots, and becomes living soil.
• Straw vs. soil, for real: Fewer weeds, less bending, faster spring growth, better disease break, surprising water retention (and the #1 mistake: overwatering).
• Global ripple effects: Projects in Cambodia and the Philippines where bales on mounds and floating rafts help families grow fresh vegetables despite floods and droughts.
• Kids + curiosity: Worms, microbes, and school demo gardens that turn science class into lunch.
• Legacy threads: Sally’s mom’s first bale garden, Norman Borlaug’s influence, and the quiet innovation behind our produce aisles.
• What’s next: Joel’s family tree nursery (windbreaks, fast-growing hybrids) and continuing to teach the method worldwide.

Key takeaways:

• Advantages stack up: Early harvests (warm roots), fewer weeds, better drainage during rains, less disease carryover, and accessibility for seniors and people with disabilities.
• Don’t drown your bales: They hold moisture well. Water deeply but not constantly, let gravity and biology do their thing.
• End-of-life bonus: Spent bales become beautiful compost for containers, beds, or top-dressing.
• Food security matters: Simple, low-tech setups (bales on raised mounds or rafts) can bridge monsoons, droughts, and long distances from markets.

Resources mentioned:

• Straw Bale Gardens (book series) by Joel Karsten
• University of Minnesota horticulture legacy & Norman Borlaug inspiration

💜 If this episode helped you see gardening (and food security) in a new light:

• Follow the show and leave a rating/review—it really helps us grow.
• Share this episode with a friend who swears they “don’t have good soil.”
• Tag us with your first straw bale harvest pics—we’re cheering you on!

Text me. I’d love to hear from you! Can you relate to anything we said? What do want to hear more about?

Host Sally Hed Dahlquist is here to encourage you to put yourself out there by joining a club.

Whether it's a running club or a book club, surrounding yourself with likeminded people helps you to reach your goals and strive toward progress. While making friends (or even meeting your spouse!) along the way!

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• How Sally went from training for a marathon to tiring out tennis opponents
• Where Sally met her husband, and the swanky digs they celebrated their wedding in that was made possible by club insider perks 
• How running clubs could be your way in to a sold out race
• Traveling on the cheap with club rates

Inspired?
Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with your favorite running buddy (especially the one who swears every race is flat).

Support Sally’s mission to raise $1 million for medical research:
 unstoppablestoriesthatmove.com

Text me. I’d love to hear from you! Can you relate to anything we said? What do want to hear more about?

Christelle Douillet returns to the podcast to chat with host Sally Hed Dahlquist about coming to the states from France. Ascending the ranks from being "extra hands in the lab" to doing powerful research about the correlation between arsenic and diabetes because there's more to health than running shoes. 

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• How resilience can be strengthened just like any other muscle
• Christelle's exciting acceptance into a major race
• How science translates to the race course

Want to support Sally’s mission to raise $1M for medical research? Visit unstoppablestoriesthatmove.com

Text me. I’d love to hear from you! Can you relate to anything we said? What do want to hear more about?

After crisscrossing the globe to run on every continent (yes, even camping on ice in Antarctica), Levi Shank is closing in on a milestone: 200 marathons. With 191 races (and a handful of ultras) under his belt, Levi joins host Sally Hed Dahlquist to talk travel hacking, mental resilience, and why community can carry you farther than you think.

Flying standby, couchsurfing with strangers-turned-friends, asking an entire race expo for a ride (“closed mouth doesn’t get fed”), and celebrating Sally’s 50th state Levi proves there’s more than one way to the start line.

• How Levi mapped a practical (and affordable) path to 200 marathons and 7 continents
• The Antarctica story: sleeping in a tent on snow, racing fast to beat the chill, and… a penguin passing someone on course
• Why running is his anxiety toolkit and how the second half of every marathon is “mostly mental”
• The power of asking for help: ride shares from expos, couchsurfing wins, and saying yes to serendipity
• Levi’s PTO & budget system (spreadsheets! countdown timers!) to keep big goals realistic
• Identity & ownership: why he changed his name to Levi—and how it shaped his life
• Favorite carb-load rules and race-day fueling that actually work when you travel
• The joy of showing up for friends: helping celebrate Sally’s 50 States finish in West Virginia

• Countdown app (for race-day timers)
• RoadsideAmerica (quirky stops between packet pickup and the start)
• Couchsurfing (community travel on a budget)
• Moonlight on the Falls Marathon (WV) — Sally’s 50th state
• Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon (Louisville) — Levi’s target #200

Feeling inspired? What’s the boldest thing you’ve done to make a start line, or your smartest travel hack for race day? Tell us!

Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a friend who needs a nudge to chase their next big goal.

Support Sally’s mission to raise $1 million for medical research: unstoppablestoriesthatmove.com

Text me. I’d love to hear from you! Can you relate to anything we said? What do want to hear more about?

With over 300 marathons, 127 ultras, and 35 x 100-milers, Charlotte Corriher proves you don’t have to be the fastest to be Unstoppable... but you can absolutely be the festive-est. Known on Instagram as @marathoncostumechic, Charlotte races in themed costumes (head-to-toe, start-to-finish) and brings big joy to big miles. From a pirate-themed 300th marathon weekend in Wilmington, NC (complete with swords and a yacht-club celebration) to the glitteriest Dopey you ever did see, she shows how grit, community, and play carry you through the pain cave.

In this heartfelt episode, host Sally Hed Dahlquist chats with Charlotte about coastal running life in Wilmington, milestone magic, and the mindset that turns outrageous goals into finish-line realities.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Charlotte’s origin story → going from a non-runner to becoming the blister queen
• Costume philosophy → “If you can’t be fast, be festive,” born at Shamrock 2007
• Favorite builds & hacks → 3-tier Birthday Cake (PVC + porta-potty lessons), Alaska Salmon
• Wilmington milestone → why a pirate theme fit the Cape Fear coast and her hometown marathon’s 15th year
• Mega goals & numbers → 307 marathons, 127 ultras, 35 x 100-milers so far; the dream of 100 one-hundreds
• Ultras, the smart way → why 48-hour loop races work: strategic sleeping, heat management, and “night-moves” playlists
• Mind over miles → navigating the pain cave, chasing the buckle, stacking small wins when the distance feels impossible
• Work/life that fuels the miles → remote client management in employee benefits; “Seeing America 26.2 miles at a time”
• Tools & tips → Garmin badge buddies, Strava, hills/sprints + aqua aerobics for recovery
• Real life, real joy → Wilmington beach living and her one-eyed cat, Jack

Follow Charlotte: Instagram: @marathoncostumechic

Resources & shout-outs:0

• Wilmington Marathon (15th anniversary weekend)
• Roadside America app (oddities for race trips)
• Timed/loop ultras (why 48-hour formats help first-time 100-milers)

Whether you’re eyeing your first ultra or plotting costume glitter that’ll “get you through,” Charlotte’s story proves playfulness and persistence can happily coexist mile after mile.

💜 Support Sally’s mission to raise $1M for medical research: unstoppablestoriesthatmove.com

Feeling inspired? What’s the wildest costume you’ve raced in, or the one you want to try? Tell us!

Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a friend who needs a little sparkle with their miles.

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Host Sally Hed Dahlquist dives into one of the most underrated tools in marathon prep: the elevation profile.

From sneaky overpass bumps to high-desert dryness, Sally breaks down how to read course maps, plan for hills, and avoid signing up for the wrong race entirely (yes, that happens!). Whether you’re eyeing a net-downhill PR or bracing for altitude, this episode will help you show up prepared to run smarter.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• How to actually read an elevation map and interpret the scale
• Why “flat” courses are never really flat
• Altitude factors: hydration, sun exposure, and pacing at 6,000+ ft
• The truth about net-downhill races (and Boston’s new rules)
• A Baton Rouge law firm hilly sense of humor 

Packed with course stories from San Francisco to Montana, this Hotline tip reminds you that the right prep can turn daunting hills into just another part of the journey.

Inspired?
Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with your favorite running buddy (especially the one who swears every race is flat).

Support Sally’s mission to raise $1 million for medical research:
 unstoppablestoriesthatmove.com

Text me. I’d love to hear from you! Can you relate to anything we said? What do want to hear more about?

After winning Grandma’s Marathon, holding its course record for over 30 years, and becoming the first-ever winner of the London Marathon, Dick Beardsley is a true Minnesota running legend. But his story is so much more than medals and finish lines. From battling life-threatening accidents and addiction, to losing his son, Andy, a proud Iraqi war veteran, to suicide, Dick has faced challenges that would have stopped most people in their tracks. Instead, he’s chosen to keep moving forward with faith, gratitude, and unstoppable spirit.

Host Sally Hed Dahlquist chats with Dick about resilience, recovery, and what it really means to be “unstoppable.” From his fishing guide life in Bemidji to the race course battles of Boston and London, Dick shares stories full of heart, humor, and hard-earned wisdom.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Dick’s life as a fishing guide in northern Minnesota and why the outdoors is his happy place
• The story of his son Andy’s military service, struggles with PTSD, and tragic passing and how Dick honors him every day
• What it was like to tie for 1st place at the inaugural London Marathon in 1981
• His legendary duel with Alberto Salazar at the 1982 Boston Marathon
• Dick’s ongoing recovery from accidents, surgeries, and addiction, and how he’s stayed sober for over 30 years
• The perspective, gratitude, and joy that fuel his unstoppable approach to life

Whether you’re a back-of-the-pack runner or chasing PRs, Dick’s story is a reminder that the real victories come from perseverance, connection, and the courage to keep going.

💜 Resources & Links:

• Learn more about Dick’s story and his guiding at Lake Bemidji B&B
• Suicide prevention resource: suicidology.org
• Support Sally’s mission to raise $1 million for medical research: unstoppablestoriesthatmove.com
  
  

Feeling inspired? Have you ever faced a moment where you had to dig deeper than you thought possible? Share your story with us.

Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a runner, veteran, or friend who needs to hear that hope and healing are always possible.