<p>Stefanie Flippin is back on the show, and back with a vengeance. This amazing runner just rocked a 36:32 in the rain at the Birmingham Wine 10k. Her effort helped &nbsp;McKirdy Trained to a team title. This huge PR came in the midst of a huge Boston Marathon training block that has brought her running to new levels. We also discussed her years of training that set the stage for her recent success. If you want to learn more about Stefanie check out episode #101 and www.instagam.com/stefanieannflippin.</p> <p><br></p> <p><br></p>

<p>In this episode of the podcast I had the privilege of speaking with mental health professional, runner, and mother of quadruplets, Sherri Armitage. Sherri has personally dealt with eating disorders after developing one early in her teenage years. All told, she is able to speak on this important topic in a way that few can. This was one of the most impactful episodes we’ve done in the show’s history. You can follow Sherri at www.instagram.com/quadmom.running.</p> <p><br></p>

<p>I was honored to have 2:30 marathoner, OTQ hopeful, and Rabbit Elite team member Nick Klastava on the show. In spite of his blazing speed, Nick and I dove into topics on mindset, mental and emotional framing, and effort-focused training with an openness and relatability that can be appreciated by runners of all abilities. You can learn more about wonderful guy at www.instagram.com/nklastava.&nbsp;</p> <p><br></p>

<p>Connie Shieh’s childhood introduction to running wasn‘t what you’d expect for a 2:58 “hobby jogger” who balances running with being the mother of two and working a full-time job. Her parents, who came to the U.S, from Taiwan for graduate school, discouraged Connie from pursuing athletics. Sports were seen as such a luxury and her parent’s emphasis was on education to a profitable career path. She was told to, at most, do dance and that running would ruin her muscles, bones, and give her muscle tone that would make her look unattractive. Connie managed to find joy in running and continues to do so 15 years later. In this episode we also discuss her level-headed approach to training, the importance of community, and cultivating a joyful hobby while also pursuing goals. You can follow her at www.instagram.com/connosaurusrex.</p> <p><br></p>

<p>Last year Kimberlie McBride came on the show after the Fargo Marathon. She had an almost perfect build-up and was ready to roll. Then, it all came crumbling down in disappointment. The following five months were chock full of doctor’s visits and dreams deferred. Then, Kimberlie was finally able to get back at it and she sure made the most of it. She rocked a marathon best at the Phoenix Marathon in a fantastic comeback story. You can follow her at www.instagram.com/my.runstagram.life.</p> <p><br></p>

<p>In this episode we flip the script. I have a pre-race conversation with a runner I am coaching. Seth Baird is a gifted athlete with an effervescent personality. We discuss his race strategy heading into the Charlotte 10 miler with a focus on uphill racing, starting under control, and settling into threshold pace. At the end of the episode I give a race recap of what Seth was able to do. Follow Seth’s journey at www.instagram.com/mindfulrunz.</p> <p><br></p>

<p>Years ago Tyler Mayforth worked his way up from an average, at best, high school runner to a division one runner at Delaware. After a significant post-college hiatus, he re-ignited that drive for running success in his current mission to break 2:30 in the marathon, and beyond. You can follow his journey at www.instagram.com/tyler_runs_lifts.&nbsp;</p> <p><br></p>

<p>Christie Aschwanden is the lead science writer at FiveThirtyEight, a former health columnist for the <em>Washington Post</em>, and a dedicated endurance athlete. In this episode we discuss her fantastic new book Good to Go: What the Athlete in All of Us Can Learn from the Strange Science of Recovery which addresses nutrition-timing, inflammation, recovery drinks, placebo effect, sleep, and decades of fads.&nbsp;</p> <p><br></p>

<p>After years of marathoning, United States Air Force Marathon Team member Amy Natalini was struggling to break into the 3:10’s and questioning if she’d ever get faster. She ran eight marathons in 2018 and the last four were the highlight of her running career - with three of them going sub-3:00. I’m this episode we dive into the making of an incredible year. You can follow her at www.instagram.com/af_amy_runs.&nbsp;</p> <p><br></p>

<p>It was a privilege to have Alison Staples on the show this week. Alison has made herself a fixture in the Baltimore running scene as the co-leader of Riot Squad Running and as an ambassador for Run4AllWomen. Her relentless positivity can also be seen in her work with spinal cord patients who are re-learning how to use their limbs after catastrophic injury. You can learn more about this amazing woman at www.instagram.com/alioop_0_o_runs.</p> <p><br></p>

<p>Brendan Carpenter finally decided that he had had enough. At 350 lbs. he was no longer content with the life he was living. He decided to change and did just that. This amazing Canadian eventually started running and now has PR’s of 19:16 in the 5k, 39:55 in the 10k, and 1:29 in the half marathon. You can follow him at www.instagram.com/brecarperuns.</p> <p><br></p>

<p>15 months ago Julie Hartenbach ran a 3:07 marathon and was elated by her new PR and remarkable improvement. Little did she know, that was just the beginning. This past weekend she rebounded from a disappointing NYC marathon to run a scorching 2:48 at the Houston Marathon. In this episode we talk about that big &nbsp;improvement, the pressures she faced as a college runner that caused her to quit the sport, and the mental and physical approach she now takes to reach her potential. You can follow Julie at www.instagram.com/hbach22.</p> <p><br></p>

<p>2018 started with disappointment for Kenny Ademolu. He failed to PR in his A race, the London Marathon, the DNF’d six weeks later at the Stockholm Marathon. Then he got on a serious roll. Kenny proceeded to PR at every distance over the rest of the year - including a 2:55 at the Chicago Marathon. It was an amazing year for the IT specialist from the U.K. who started running in 2012 in an effort to lose weight from his 220 lb. frame. You can follow him at www.instagram.com/kenny_runz.</p> <p><br></p>

<p>Three weeks ago Paula Dubovoy was planning for a robust 2019. Then, in a freak accident, she fully ruptured her achilles tendon. Instead of waiting until her comeback is complete, Paula has agreed to document her journey in real-time as she faces months is PT, challenges, and potential hurdles. She is a fitness professional who runs the three fitness centers at the LinkedIn headquarter, a former college track athlete, and a fixture in her community athletic scene. You can follow her at www.instagram.com/eat_lift_bemarried.&nbsp;</p> <p><br></p>

<p>In 2018 Julie Rembold set personal bests at every distance, including a 3:01 in the marathon. Sounds like a dream, right? Not quite. A year earlier Julie, and her five young children, learned that her husband Dan had leukemia. Within days he was bed ridden for months. Thankfully, by the end of the year he was back to full strength. At that point Julie felt incredibly blessed and significantly out of shape. Then, within weeks of getting back to running she dropped an incredible 1:34 at the Dallas Half Marathon and took off from there. You can learn more about Julie at www.instagram.com/txrunningmomof5.</p>

<p>My conversation with Marcus Smith was so epic that we had to put it into two parts, and this is part two. If you haven’t done so already please listen to part one first. This episode focuses on his amazing recovery from a severe bike accident that left him close to death. After weeks in the hospital he had a remarkable 2018 that included 30 marathons in 30 days. You can follow him at <a href="http://www.instagram.com/mjd_smith">www.instagram.com/mjd_smith</a>.</p> <p><br></p>

<p>My conversation with Marcus Smith was so epic that we had to put it into two parts. A former pro rugby player, Marcus transitioned to extreme endurance events. But, along the way, he was hit by a truck into a brick wall while descending a mountain on his bike. His recovery was amazing, as is his story. You can follow him at www.instagram.com/mjd_smith.</p> <p><br></p>

<p>Lyndsey Richards is the personification of strength and resilience. After an undiagnosed stroke, Lyndsey developed epilepsy and was beset with seizures. Doctors initially told her she couldn’t be alone with her kids and that her running career was over. Lyndsey and her family found a way to make both of those predictions incorrect. Not only that, she ran two marathons in late 2018 to the shock of many.&nbsp;</p> <p><br></p>

<p>Kevin Hopp is someone who inspires me on a daily basis. He transitioned from swimmer as a young man, to non-athlete athlete in his 20's and early 30's, to ultra runner and 3:00 marathoner. In the final episode of 2018, we talk to this amazing and humble man who embodies everything this podcast is about. To top it off, Kevin decided in mid-December to go for 5,000 miles in 2018 by running 32 miles a day over the last week and a half of December. Simply incredible.&nbsp;</p> <p><br></p>

<p>The Coach’s Corner segment is back with my coach, and founder of McKirdy Trained, James McKirdy. We talk about the world‘s favorite topic this time of year - goal setting. We go over do’s/don’ts, the difference between a goal and vision, and the fallacy of “lost fitness.”</p> <p><br></p> <p>In the second part of the show I am joined by David Caren, the CEO and co-founder of Run Angel. We take a deep dive into runner safety, preventing attacks, and how he and his wife built Run Angel because they couldn’t find a proper safety product that worked seemlessly for running.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Elysha Omoomy has been on a marathon mission over the past two years. She has strived for her goal of a Boston Marathon qualifying time with remarkable passion. Her journey has been filled with missteps, but, ultimately, she made her dream a reality at the 2018 California International Marathon. Her tale features some of the same running-related heartbreak as frustration that so many of us experience.</p>

<p>I’m excited to welcome Sarah Bishop back to the show after her epic fall racing season. She raced nearly a dozen times over three months, including a some wins. She also has been coaching her husband Brian who just set a nine minute PR at CIM with a 2:47. Brian joins her on the show so they can talk about their epic year and how they balanced all that training while parenting four kids.&nbsp;</p>

<p>What an honor it is to welcome Tina Muir to the show. A professional runner turned podcaster, Tina has experienced so much in her running life and is willing to discuss all of it. From hiding in the bathroom during high school cross country tryouts, her approach to mental toughness and grit, achieving goals, and her struggles with amenorrhea.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In one of the most iconic race finishes that I can remember, Hayley Sutter crawled across the finish line to finish with a chip time of 2:45:00 at the California International Marathon - a potential Olympic Trials qualifying time. The strength, toughness, and composure she showed was awe inspiring and emotional to witness. In this episode, we dive into the race, the running background that prepared her for this achievement, and the “relentlessly positive” mindset that she has cultivated.&nbsp;</p>