chats with Running Influencers, Researchers, Olympians, Experts & Everyday Runners

My guest today participated in over 40 Iron Man competitions, which is admirable on its own. 

But when you hear about what he’s been doing for the health and wellness for the runners he has met, you are really going to be impressed. 

David Minkoff got his start as a doctor in emergency medicine, but after mercury poisoning threatened his wife, he rearranged his priorities. 

We all know how running can start to rearrange our lives, and David takes it to the next level. 

With over 20 years experience learning about health, wellness, and the human body – as well as running and training on his own – David has developed an almost fool-proof wellness company called Body Health. 

That’s right! 

It’s the same Body Health that creates my favorite supplement, Perfect Amino! We talk today about Perfect Amino and the ways you can rearrange your priorities in order to better benefit your health and wellness. 

Here are some of the topics we’ll discuss today:

• How to balance work, family, and training for Iron Mans
• The benefits of natural medicine for runners
• There are no “quick fixes” when it comes to your health
• The top 4 things you need to lead a healthier lifestyle
• The science behind amino acids and Body Health’s Perfect Amino

Questions David is asked:

3:52 What’s David’s background?

5:45 What was David’s first triathlon like?

6:23 What happened when his wife got really sick with mercury poisoning?

10:05 How does the human body react to mercury and lead?

13:05 What was it like for David to set up his own health clinic?

14:20 What is Perfect Amino?

15:34 Are you close to an Iron Man record of sorts?

16:32 Which was David’s toughest Iron Man?

19:10 Why does David love Iron Man so much?

20:44 How would you encourage all of us runners to do an Iron Man?

22:22 How can we make the time for an Iron Man?

24:08 What is the biggest lesson David learned from running?

25:50 Why is healing neglected? 

30:31 What are some of the questions David asks his patients?

34:10 Why do you recommend the Paleo diet?

36:45 What does David recommend for struggling first-timers?

41:11 What can we do to improve our wellness?

44:17 What is it like working with elite athletes?

46:45 Resources we can use to find homeopathic doctors

51:35 David breaks down what makes Perfect Amino so perfect

53:40 David’s alphabetic analogy for proteins and how they’re used

58:30 What’s the deal with spirulina?

59:39 What happens to your body after a hard workout?

1:03:55 When should you take Perfect Amino?

1:06:50 The Final Kick Round!

Quotes by David:

“I was experimenting…I wasn’t charging anything for anybody, I was just trying to learn.”

“I don’t do well when it’s cold.”

“On a personal level, if I can be a good example…you have to stay with it, you have to keep your fitness, you have to take care of yourself.”

“You may not do the best you can do, but you can finish it. And you can have a lot of fun.”

“My goal is a happy patient.”

“Eggs are the best protein. Whole eggs, and you need to eat the yolk.”

Links:

Last weeks episode with The Gait Guys

Nancy Clark podcast episode

Perfect Amino (use coupon code TINA10 for 10% off)

Lifeworks

American College for the Advancement of Medicine

The Greatest by Muhammed Ali

In Fitness In Health by Philip Maffetone

Ben Greenfield

For many runners our ‘peak’ race seems like a lifetime ago and thanks to the temperature dropping, our motivation is at a definite low. I thought it would be a great time to bring on a motivational speaker - but he’s not just any motivational speaker. Dick Beardsley is best known for the close finish at the Boston Marathon with Alberto Salazar in 1982, which was considered the greatest marathon finish of all time.

He was inducted into the 2010 National Distance Running Hall of Fame, he’s now an international best selling author, motivational speaker, was the subject of a feature film and is often the keynote address at many events.

Today Dick’s going to share his story with us, including the story of the 1982 marathon. He’s also going to tell us about his addiction to painkillers and the journey he took, as well as how you can learn to appreciate every single run and it’s affect on your perspective.

“I started running almost by accident...I thought if i could earn myself a letter jacket, maybe the girls would come to me...” - Dick -  That’s what led him to cross country running where something magical happened.

Highlights from today’s episode include:

• Dick’s history as a runner
• The 86th Boston Marathon
• The effects of the race on his future races
• Dick’s greatest race
• Retirement
• Dick’s struggles with narcotics
• Recovery

“Pain is temporary, glory is forever.” - Tina

Shortly after Dick retired from running, he had a bad farming accident that nearly killed him. As a result of that incident and a later automobile accident, he was introduced to narcotics for pain and became addicted. For a short time, his life was not his own, he was taking illegal medication, forging prescriptions and at the worst point was taking 80-90 pills a day. At his very bottom, he got caught - he took responsibility for his actions, got into a treatment plan, and today is celebrating 19 years of sobriety.

Dick’s advice? “When you wake in the morning - do it with a smile on your face, enthusiasm in your voice, joy in your heart and faith in your soul.”

Dick has overcome some serious obstacles and has a unique and uplifting view on life. His take? For the runners out there, it can get a little tedious out there - just realize how fortunate you are. Enjoy every run. Knowing that you’re out there doing something good for yourself, it’s got to put a smile on your face.

“If you’re really willing to put in the work and time, who knows where it’s going to take you.” - Dick

We tend to put ourselves into buckets, but we can’t always define ourselves in this bucket or that. You might be surprised to learn that today’s guest actually uses yoga to improve her running performance. Today we’re going to talk with Cara Gilman about the benefits of yoga on our running.

In this episode we’ll discuss:

• How yoga can make a difference on your performance, and almost immediately.
• Which classes are best for runners
• How to incorporate yoga for restorative benefits
• Setting intentions
• How just 10-15 minutes a few days per week could be just what your body needs to get to the next level

We talk about Cara’s journey and how she found both yoga and running and where the journey has taken her.

Cara Gilman is a yoga teacher, coach and marathon runner. She was the ‘2013 Best of Competitor’ Yoga Instructor, she’s been featured in Boston Magazine, she’s a Lululemon and Newtown Running Ambassador and an Essentia Water Hydration Specialist.

Today we’re talking to the inventor of the phrase “power nap.” You’re going to learn so much in this interview, and it’s going to change the way you look at sleep forever. It turns out that counting sheep isn’t as effective as we thought, so we get the low down from an expert.

Are you ready for one of the most impressive bios you’ve ever heard? Our guest today is Dr. James Maas. He’s an internationally recognized authority in sleep and performance, he conducts research on both, as well as in leadership and critical thinking. He was also a professor at Cornell University for 48 years, and won multiple awards while doing so.

He’s one of the world’s most sought after corporate, medical and professional athletic team speakers, and frequently appears on national television shows such as: the Today Show, NBC Nightly News, CNN and Oprah. He’s produced 9 national award-winning TV specials, and wrote a New York Times best-selling book called “Sleep for Success.”

Today’s topics include:

●      How to determine if you’re getting enough sleep using a five question survey

●      Just how damaging sleep deprivation can be

●      The four golden rules of sleep

●      Dr. Maas’ top picks for in home sleep trackers

●      How and why he developed an interest in athletes and runners

●      The best strategies to shut your mind off, so you can finally get the rest you need

Dr. Maas had some awesome stories about runners he’s worked with, discusses the importance of good pillows, as well as that of stretching. He also has a couple of other pretty cool sleep products he highly recommends. We’ve got some shocking discoveries in store for you today. So buckle up, sit tight and enjoy.

“Sleep deprivation permanently fries the neurons in charge of thought processes.” – Dr. James Maas

Today’s emphasis is the importance of following a training program that takes your gender and age into account. Our guest has been coaching women runners for quite some time, and today we find out why. 

We discuss the noticeable difference in motivation between men and women, and our guest get the best advice I’ve ever heard about how to practice visualization.

Today we’re joined by Bennett Cohen, President of the International Association of Women Runners. He’s a running coach to women over 40 and has helped women into their 70s run personal bests. 

He’s been an avid runner for 37 years and a coach for 14 years. Even though the focus is on women over 40, for any males or women under 40, don’t worry because you’ll get some great advice out of this episode, too.

Today’s topics include:

·    How women over 40 can still run their personal best and how to do it

·    How to dramatically reduce your risk of injury

·    Why quality over quantity is crucial

·    How Bennett overcame feeling like he was losing his runner’s identity

·    Why women over 40 need more rest

·    The importance of strength training in relation to running

We finish off by talking about three key strategies that can easily be implemented in your training, how to decrease injury risk in older women, and Bennett’s top strategies to staying mentally motivated during a race.

Today, we’ll be learning about the True Form Runner. You may or may not have heard of it, but it’s quickly becoming an international fitness phenomenon, and with good reason.

As runners, we all focus on having the best posture and form possible, so as to stay injury free and get the best results from our workouts. That’s where True Form comes in. Jeff Vernon, one of the developers of True Form Runner, will be joining us today to discuss the in’s and out’s, how it’s used and what you can gain by using it.

Here are some other topics we discuss: 

·       Jeff's journey to develop The True Form

·       The difference between True Form Runner and a motorized treadmill

·       How True Form Runner works

·       Why True Form Runner is different from others of it’s kind

·       How to find a True Form Runner near you

Due to injuries, Jeff couldn’t run on motorized treadmills. Not only that, but he had so much pain and swelling in his ankle that he couldn’t do much else, either. Jeff was always very athletic, so being sedentary was challenging for him, at best. Then came along True Form.

True Form Runner was an amazing learning experience for Jeff, and he’s psyched to share it with the rest of the world. Essentially, True Form forces you to have excellent posture and form while running, which results in a much more comfortable and efficient workout.

The True Form reveals all your mistakes, so there’s no turning back. You can finally know, once and for all, where the source of your weakness is, so you can then work on that specific area and gain the skills you need to be fit and efficient. Some other things we talk about include:

·       How True Form has affected the CrossFit community

·       Dr. Mark’s basic “1-2-3 Run” principle

·       The science behind good form

·       How to have an open mind during your fitness journey

·       Why True Form Runner has the potential to revolutionize your fitness level

To wrap it up, Jeff tells about the different kinds of treadmills True Form has to offer, how they were developed and why. Being one of the main contributors, this was a really unique opportunity to hear his behind-the-scenes stories about how True Form Runner came to life. 

How many of you think injuries are normal part of running?

Well, we’re here to tell you it’s not.

Not only is it entirely possible to run injury free, but it’s possible for everyone. Today we’ll be discussing how to do it by following, his “insurance policy” for injury free running which he outlines in his bestselling book: “You Can Run Pain Free”.

Our guest today is Brad Beer, creator of Pogophysio and a physical therapist that has had over 25,000 consultations and worked with gold medal Olympians and world champions. He went from being a junior competitive triathlon to being a world-renowned physiotherapist.

During that time though, he never stopped training, and eventually ended up getting injured. He gives us the low down on exactly how he handled 6 months off and got out of his depression. We dive into explaining the emotional aspect of not being able to run, and how it can be worse than the physical injury itself.

These are the five steps to Brad’s “insurance policy”:

1. Identifying your body type and understanding your running body: even if your genetic pool seems against you, anyone can be a runner. Sometimes the tendency is to denounce any responsibility by saying you’re not built to run, but anyone can enjoy injury-free running.
2. Running with good technique: everything from runner’s most common mistakes down to arm form, and how to correct bad form in every area.
3. Appropriate footwear: your footwear can either be making or breaking your run. This step included some really great advice on what footwear to wear, when and why.
4. The importance of hip stability: hip stability is a huge deal, and it can totally change the way your run and stride. This one is also a major cause of running injuries.
5. The power of rest: rest is probably the most important part of our training, and yet we so often neglect it. Our guest tells us a story about what happened when he recently did just that.

Cadence also makes a huge difference in a person’s running. We talk about why it’s so important, the truth surrounding overpronation, and the reason why your hips could be causing your injuries. He also tells us a cool story about how he basically saved someone’s life through his physiological practice.

Be sure to check out Brad’s book on Amazon, and enter HERE to be one of five listeners anywhere in the world to win a free copy (he also is paying for shipping!) of the book.

Today we’re talking mostly about foot injuries in runners, how to prevent them, and why they happen in the first place. We also go into orthotics, Dr. Nick’s top shoe recommendations, and so much more.

Our guest started out running as a hobby, and has been a runner most of his life.

Dr. Nick Campitelli is a podiatrist based in Akron, Ohio who specializes in foot and ankle surgery.

Although his practice revolved around general podiatry and was more surgical based, it’s quickly been attracting attention from runners all over the country, with whom he deals with injuries, issues, form and training.

Here are some of today’s topics:

• How to avoid some of the most common foot injuries
• When to use custom orthotics and when to stay away
• Why flip flops and Converse aren’t as bad as you think
• The most common runner’s injuries and what to do about them
• When to use custom orthotics and when to stay away
• Why your foot shape is irrelevant to your footwear

Many times when shoe shopping, people think that trusting the salesperson is the way to go. What they don’t know, is that they’re potentially making a huge mistake. Only a knowledgeable professional should be advising them on such an important subject; that’s exactly why we brought in our guest today.

We spoke in depth about footwear, covering everything from foot type, to shoe type, to being barefoot. Dr. Nick really emphasizes the importance of wearing the right shoes for you, and with good reason, considering all the hazardous things that can happen if you don’t.

Not only is it important to focus this advice on running shoes, but your casual shoes are just as important. He talks about his top picks for running gear, what he categorizes as a minimalist shoe, and why inserts and orthotics could potentially be worsening your condition.

Lastly we get the low-down on running a negative split, black toenails and bunions, and the doc’s best advice for runners.

Dr. Nick is so smart and knowledgeable, but he really just loves to help other runners like himself succeed. Between being a runner and a doctor, he really understands the logic behind why we do what we do, so make sure to listen closely, because he really knows his stuff.

As runners, we strive to do our best and we know how important nutrition is to running our best. Yet, we often hear about how many runners don’t get enough vitamins and minerals in their diet.

In today’s episode, you’ll learn more about nutritional deficiencies, the science behind them, and how to correct them once and for all. If you’ve ever wondered whether you need to take iron, calcium or any other supplement, you’ve come to the right place. We’ll also talk about various studies done on bone density, bone loss and nutrition, and their surprising findings, diet recommendations for sports performance, and much more.

Our guest today is Pam Hinton. Pam is an associate professor and director of graduate studies, along with being in the Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology at the University of Missouri, which is where she completed most of her studies that we’ll be discussing.

Pam has done quite a bit of research over the years, and had some incredible insight to share. She’ll be discussing her opinions and professional advice on several different matters, including:

• When to start taking supplements and just how much to consume
• The workout you could be doing to prevent osteoporosis, strengthen your bones and reverse bone loss at any age
• How to get the nutrients you need without gaining weight
• Why spacing your supplements is so important
• The science between weight training and increasing bone density

Pam has recently covered an amazing study about iron and endurance athletes, the potential negative consequences, and how it can affect your health and endurance. Surprisingly, even if you’re only mildly iron deficient, it still negatively affects your performance. So what can you do? Listen and see for yourself! We include:

• What numbers to look out for when checking for iron deficiency
• How to avoid iron toxicity
• The best foods to eat to increase your iron uptake
• Why endurance athletes are at increased risk for iron deficiency
• What signs to watch out for in iron deficiency

Besides iron, there are other vitamins and minerals that are crucial to your bodies well-functioning. Pam shares her top supplement recommendations for endurance athletes, and the best sources of minerals and vitamins you may not be getting enough of.

Marathon Season is here and this is Chicago Marathon week (did you read our Chicago marathon race guide?).  One of the runners who will take part in it is my guest on this episode and he shares his incredible story of bravery and overcoming the odds to lead a life that inspires others. It is the most emotional interview I've done and I am certain you will be as inspired by Fernando Cabada as I am.

Fernando explains that he grew up in the Fresno, California area as the son of first and second generation immigrants.  His father was in and out of prison throughout Fernando’s childhood.  He explains how he was often scared, nervous, degraded and neglected in his youth.  In the third grade, Fernando discovered running, and while it would be years before he would achieve the success he wanted, running gave him something he never had before. Fernando said, “when I ran it made me feel like some like somebody.”  He adds, “Running was something I was good at and I held on for dear life.”  Running made, and continues to make, Fernando feel like Superman. After achieving success in high school, Fernando went on to his collegiate career and then to additional achievements, including running  2:12:27 at the Fukuoka Marathon, the seventh-fastest debut by an American and setting the American record of 1:14:21, at 25k at the National Championships in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Episode Highlights:

• How inspiring others gives Fernando the most motivation
• The emotional story of a race where Fernando knew that winning would make a huge difference for his family
• The importance of meeting your own expectations and racing for yourself
• Dealing with the self doubt that can sabotage your times
• What coaching means to him
• Using a ladder approach to build up to longer events
• The one main thing that has kept Fernando injury-free
• Fernando’s preparation for the upcoming Olympic trials

Fernando believe that runners need to be grateful that we are able to participate in events because there are a lot of people who would like to but can’t because of their circumstances in life.  Fernando will keep reaching for the top and believes becoming an Olympian would be the perfect ending to his story.

How Inspiring Others Could Be the Motivation You Need to Succeed- Fernando Cabada

In today’s episode, we’ll be debunking a few fitness myths and learning some important tips with certified personal trainer and running coach, Meghan Kennihan. Meghan has loved sports for as long as she can remember, including: being on every sports team in her school and running several marathons and triathlons, but hitting several bumps along the way.

These are some of the topics we covered:

• Meghan’s transition from running to power lifting
• Differences between running and strength training and how to pull them both off
• How to mix-up your workouts for a better fitness experience
• Meghan’s nutritional tips and tricks
• How to feel confident and self-empowered
• How working out affects daily life

Meghan goes on to explain the challenges she faced in fitness, due to her “ADHD personality” and wide array of skills, which ended up in her trying every sport under the sun. Not only did she push herself too hard in a few, but she learned some useful information along the way that she was more than happy to pass on to us.

This includes breaking down some important subjects like:

• Why women can’t get bulky from strength training
• The truth behind the women that are
• What to do if you think you have orthorexia
• The importance of rest and correct form while exercising
• What your diet should really look like
• How to resist putting too much pressure on yourself

Meghan’s to-the-point and unbiased attitude make for a great listen if you’re interested in running, strength training, or really in any area of fitness at all. For more information about Meghan, check out her website: http://www.trainwithmeghan.com/

Could Lifting Be What You Need to Run Faster?-Meghan Kennihan

My guest today is Janae Jacobs who writes a daily blog, Hungry Runner Girl. Not only does Janae give advice and share her journey of running, but her blog also serves as a community for runners to encourage and support one another. Hungry Runner Girl has grown in popularity and now receives a million views a month. Janae ran her first marathon in 2010 and fell in love with running and racing. Today we’ll talk about how runners can support each other, how to motivate yourself to get through workouts, and why it’s important to think long-term when you think about running.

Janae blogs twice a day on Hungry Runner Girl and said she loves the support she gets from her readers. She said her readers also support and inspire each other. Janae is currently training for the St. George Marathon as she attempts to close in on a sub three hour time. As the mom of a 3 year old daughter, Janae talks about how she fits training into her busy schedule.

Hungry Runner Girl Janae gives her thoughts on:

• Why taking it one mile at a time is a lesson in life as well as running a marathon
• How to train and run when you may not be surrounded by a community of runners
• Treadmill training for marathon running
• Why it’s important to think long-term in regard to running
• The similarities between new runners and those who have been at it awhile

Janae believes consistency is the key for new runners. Once she has tackled that sub 3 hour mark, half marathons are next on her agenda. Janae’s enthusiasm for being a mom, a runner and a blogger is contagious and inspiring. Janae was recommended to me as a guest and if you have somebody you’d like to recommend please let me know by emailing me at tina@runnersconnect.com.

Hungry Runner Girl on Consistency as a Runner and Why a Community is so Valuable to Your Performance

Today I am excited to welcome Max Prokopy to the show. Max has his masters degree in exercise physiology and a member of the UVA Speed Clinic. At the Speed Clinic they help people runners and walkers optimize their gait to remain injury free and increase their performance. Max and his team have helped both elite level runners to age groupers, and from age 10 to 80 come through their 2.5 hour evaluation process.

When you arrive at the clinic you will run a little, watch a lot of video, and perform a battery of examinations to gauge your current abilities. After this thorough examination you’ll have not only a grasp on where you can improve, but precise instruction on how to improve that form in your daily running.

This includes a 3-D representation of your running from the sensors placed on your body during the testing, along with another dozen pages of charts, graphs, and detailed instruction on what your “homework” is after you leave the clinic.

The beauty of the Speed Clinic is that it’s not just for the injury prone runners, but for runners at any level who want to improve their performance. The key to getting the most out of your visit, regardless of where you are in your running, is to have an open mind to the information you’ll learn there, and how long it will take to implement.

One of the most common questions that Max gets is whether orthotics are a good thing for runners. This is a tough topic and one that is tough to nail down with a concrete answer. As running is a dynamic activity and the fitting of it is static, monitoring of an orthotic must be done over time, and incremental changes should be made over this time. This can be a process that takes up to a couple of months and is a process you should go through with the fitter of your orthotic.

Other topics we discuss are:

• What the UVA Speed Clinic is all about and what you can expect in a visit there
• Why running form is so important for performance and injury prevention
• The benefits and drawbacks of Orthotics
• When Motion Control shoes are necessary and when runners should go Minimal
• DNS - Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization

Max says that the most common gait faults in his examinations include things that can be adjusted in your daily life. Tight ankles, tight hip flexors, and weak buttocks are often the result of these environmental factors impacting your running form in the end.

If you’re not able to make it to UVA, you can do a quick self assessment yourself (one straight on and one from the side), be sure to look at:

• Your posture - Is it vertical or are there a lot of curves and kinks?
• Footstrike - is it straight below you or out in front?
• Midstance - are your arms hanging out, are you balanced at this point in your gait?

Our guest today is a nutritionist and authority on using proper nutritional habits to get your body race day ready. Her name is Pip Taylor, a professional dietitian, sports dietitian, and triathlete. She has been competing internationally for 15 years. She has won the ICU World Cup and many Ironman Triathlons. She has also represented her home country of Australia numerous times on the international stage.

Today we will discuss the following:

• How fear can ruin a diet change.
• What factors affect our response to food.
• Why changing nutrition doesn’t have to be overwhelming.

Pip grew up in a health focused family, her mother was a doctor and her career as an athlete lead to a self discovery for her body/diet balance. She spent years listening to her body and made changes accordingly. To Pip there are several aspects to food, such as traditions, childhood favorites, and cultural norms.

Pip’s book Athlete’s Fix is a program for finding the best foods for personal improvement. It teaches readers how to identify the universal good foods and tracking what is bad for them. That could be gluten or lactose, but it is different for everyone. Food intolerance is very different than a food allergy. Food intolerance is a minor discomfort, whereas an allergy can be life threatening.

Athlete’s Fix is ideal for anyone who is looking to improve their nutrition. There is no “strange” food, just a new way to prepare it. So many people shy away from diet change because of the fear of people’s opinions or expectations. Pip reminds the listener that there is always an option on most menus. Be comfortable with your food choices and plan ahead. 

Pip believes that people can’t overcome intolerances. That is why it is best to identify the food intolerance and just avoid them. The book can also help readers identify any GI issues or hormonal factors. So many people get caught up in the idea of “I can’t” verses “I choose not to.” Once the attitude changes, then making these food changes becomes easier.

Other topics we discuss are:

• Why refined carbs are not the best fuel for a runner
  
• Why is grass feed meat sources better for us?
• Why protein becomes more important with age?

I try to listen to your requests for podcast guests. One request that comes up often is to interview other coaches who are interested in sharing their coaching philosophies. Another is to hear from elite athletes to find out what life is like for them. In this interview we will be doing both. So expect to hear about what the life of an elite athlete is and how our guest coach prepares his group of elites for their races.

Dennis Barker has been the coach of Team USA Minnesota since its inception in 2001. Team USA Minnesota is a team of professional runners based in St. Paul, Minnesota. Coach Barker oversees the training of both male and female athletes for short and long distance running up through marathons, whether they are on the road, indoor or outdoor track or cross-country. His athletes have won 23 US championships and he has coached individuals who have qualified in 29 National Teams. Aside from this, he has trained 72 top 3 finishers for the sport last year.

We will be discussing some interesting views involving a coach’s perspective that includes:

• What the life of an athlete is like for someone who belongs in Team Minnesota.
• Why he prefers that an athlete get some kind of a job or hobby outside of the sport.
• Emphasis on the importance of individualizing the training plan, to see each runner’s strengths, is going to be tackled.
• The reason why he thinks Minnesota is the best place to train for the sport.

Overall, Coach Barker will help us to understand what it takes to be an elite runner. How having an alternative focus aside from excelling in the sport does not make you less of an athlete. In the course of this interview he will show us the ‘why’ it should be considered. This is really interesting to learn what life is like during and after training for a team of elite runners.

His specialty on the how-to’s so you can train to be an excellent athlete is as extensive as the number of trained champions under his belt. This also gives him the authority to talk about today’s topic with sincerity. And for those listeners with career aspirations to be a champion runner, I hope you’ve gleaned something valuable from this episode.

Inside the Mind of Coach to Olympians Dennis Barker

Today’s guest is someone who brings fun to the sport but isn’t looking into breaking a world record. Liz Miele is a seasoned marathon runner, a stand-up comedian at Comedy Central including “Live at Gotham”, she’s been on “Late Night with Conan o’Brien” and Access TV. She’s been featured in many press publications like the NY Times, Time at New York and the New Yorker, winner of the 2008 Gilda’s Club contest and a finalist at the 2008 March Comedy Madness.

In this episode we’ll discuss:

• How running helps de-clutter your thoughts
• The importance of persistent running
• How to use rejection to get over challenges in our lives
• How to plan in the future without beating yourself up!
• The parallels between running and stand-up comedy
• And most of all why two-pack is her word of the year

Liz and I just had a blast in this episode and I hope you would too. In here she shares her running journey. How she started out as a gymnast but got tired of being yelled at. How she tried other sports before discovering her love for marathons in college. She also shares how the yearly Marine Corps Marathon became the coolest way to bond with her entire family and the funny moments in while before the finish line. 

We also discussed:

• The pains and the struggles experienced during marathons
• Her current diet, working towards eating healthy
• The joy and struggles of her job as stand-up comedienne
• How she came up with the idea for the “I am a runner” video
• The friendship and marathon tours with Chris McDougall

She also talks about not giving up on the sport even if you are not good at it right away because really, it’s a good way to stay fit. And overall she shares that she does not mind that she’s neither the fastest nor the slowest, she just wants to fit in her pants! Enjoying yourself while getting fit is important too.

When Running and Comedy Collide- Liz Miele

For today’s show, I have no guest because I am getting married in a few days! So I decided to share my story for anyone who is interested in learning more about me. I was interviewed on Marathon Training Academy a few months ago by Angie and Trevor, and you can listen to that episode here.

For those of you who weren’t aware, I am originally from England, and moved to the States in 2007 to pursue my running career. I finished off a great collegiate career by finishing 3rd in the 10k at the 2012 Great Britain Olympic Trials.

In this episode we bounce around a lot to cover the details of me, my running, and what makes me tick.

• How Tina developed an interest in running
• Why she loves living in America
• What makes someone an elite runner
• What it’s like to run in England
• Why it’s good to be selective with choosing how many marathons you will do
• Tina’s love for cooking and nutrition
• How busy people can find the time to cook
• Why strength training and exercise is important
• Her great experience being evaluated at the University of Virginia speed clinic for runners
• Tina’s inspirations, such as Paula Radcliffe, Kara Goucher and her previous coaches
• Some of Tina’s past injuries and health issues
• Her future running goals and races that she would like to do

Today on the show I am excited to welcome Michele Gonzalez of the blog NYC Running Mama. First and foremost, Michele is an amazing person who puts her kids first, but also makes the time to run. She is a mother of two, Ironman finisher, ultra, and marathon runner. To top that, she has also completed 3 tours in Iraq as a military intelligence officer, later became a captain. Michele writes for Women’s Running magazine.

• First marathon was 3:54

In this episode, we discuss:

• How to juggle young kids, yet still take your running seriously
• Why we need to be more flexible with our plans, and adjust as life happens
• The importance of running by effort rather than pace
• How the women’s running community is continuing to move in the right direction

Michele’s loves running because it helps give her something to focus on and have for herself. Last year she ran New York City Marathon in 3:23 and qualified for Boston Marathon. Her time on deployment in Iraq gave her some valuable lessons about how to prioritize, how to start small and make incremental changes, and not to get disheartened when you have setbacks in your training. She says the most important thing is to make the time, but also be flexible when life gets in the way. This is how you can succeed in the long term as a runner with a busy schedule.

Michele and I also touch on a few things specific to women’s running. Specifically, we discuss

• Women’s running community
• Pushing for the respect of women based what they can do, not just what they look like
• Kris Lawrence - another great running mom who is Michele’s role model
• Running through pregnancy