This week I had the privilege of sitting down with sub 3 hour marathoner and one of the founding fathers of OPR, Ralph Toussie. In this episode, you'll hear how Ralph had extreme leg speed from a very young age, but that it wasn’t until his wife gifted him a Garmin that he shifted from workaholic-lawyer, to the man on a mission to break the three hour barrier. Ralph and I discuss his origin story in the sport, speak about the importance of goal setting, mentorship and role models, dive into his eight year marathon journey, and talk about the details of the run-commute. Outside of running, Ralph is a family man and takes it to heart to be well rounded in his career and other hobbies (ask him about his latest endeavors on the piano).
Ralph is a well of running knowledge and is always glad to provide guidance, advice or mentorship. You can reach him on Instagram @ralphtoussie
Below are a few of the resources Ralph and I discuss:
1. ChiRunning: A Revolutionary Approach to Effortless, Injury-Free Running by Danny Dreyer
2. Enduring the 2018 Boston Marathon by Ralph Toussie https://www.oceanparkwayrunners.com/single-post/2018/04/26/enduring-the-2018-boston-marathon
3. Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen by Christopher McDougall
This is the Voices of Ocean Parkway podcast, where we take a deep dive into the running scene of OPR & NYC. Each episode is a laid-back and free-flowing conversation with a member of the local running community, exploring what motivates local runners to lace up. You can catch the latest episodes of the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Anchor, and many other podcast platforms. Be sure to subscribe and follow us on instagram @voicesofoceanparkway
Feedback and recommendations are always welcome!