<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>

<p>Crystal Harriss was running the race of her life, a stunning 25:40 PR, and was mere seconds from achieving a long held dream or crushing disappointment. She dug deep and crossed the line at the California International Marathon at 2:44:59 - securing a spot at the Olympic Trials by one second in one of the most dramatic finishes you will ever see. In this episode we discuss not only this amazing race but the dozen stress fractures/reactions that almost forced her to quit the sport two years ago at age 38.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The second live show from the California International Marathon is here and I couldn’t be more excited. The expo was packed for this panel discussion with Heather Schulz, Jill Deering, Kim Clark Underwood, and Patrick Cutter. All of them are experienced marathoners with different stories to tell and advice to share. Each of them have alreday been on the show so you can learn more by listening to their solo episodes.&nbsp;</p>

<p>This interview with the amazing Sarah Crouch was done at the California International Marathon expo on the Friday night before the race. Sarah dives into her experience returning from having a tumor removed from her quad before finishing as the first American woman at the Chicago Marathon. We also talk about breaking limits, limiting running technology, striving for a personal best even if it’s been a while since you’ve reached that level.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Sara Hendershot, a 2012 Olympic rower for the U.S.A., breaks down the steps she took to reach the highest level of her profession. In doing so she discusses mental strength, anaerobic vs aerobic training, and preparing for the 2018 NYC Marathon. We also talk about supplements, how we were both hesitant to use them, and how they can be most effective.&nbsp;</p>

<p>West Point graduate, Harvard grad school, mother of two, and boss athlete - Erin Williams does it all. In this episode we talk about her journey, prioritization, mental toughness, and how she has accomplished so much in so little time (including setting a PR on roughly 20 miles a week!).&nbsp;</p>

<p>In this episode I am joined by Theresa Breslin to talk about her recent PR’s after taking a seven week break this summer, why she stepped away, the role weight training has played in her build-up, and her hopes for the future. After that conversation there is a Coach’s Corner segment with James McKirdy in which we go over my recent health issues, talk about how I can improve my mindset, trading sleep for running, and the next six weeks on my schedule.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“It took me five marathons to qualify for Boston, and when I did it was a time that wasn’t even fast enough for me to run it.” In this episode, Lindsey McSwain talks about how she improved from a runner who tried and failed to qualify for the Boston Marathon to running a scorching fast 3:06 marathon. Not only that, Lindsey brings her trademark humor and love if all things fun. You can learn more about Lindsey at <a href="https://https://www.instagram.com/running.mcswain/">www.instagram.com/running.mcswain</a>.&nbsp;</p>

<p>How badass is Karen Howe? Well, she just beat fellow masters runner Meb Keflezighi in the New York City Marathon by 12 seconds in a time of 3:10:22. In doing so she finished 210th out of 22,112 women and 25th in her age group. Karen is a working mother of two and getting better as a runner every year. In this episode we talk about that performance, her decade of marathoning, along with how and why she took her running to the next level over the last year and a half. We also talk about how running has taught her patience, how to cope with failure, and balance versus achievement. You can learn more about <a href="https://www.instagram.com/howeaboutarun">www.instagram.com/howeaboutarun</a>.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It is my pleasure to welcome the amazing Melissa Becker back to the show. This past weekend Mel dropped a 12 minute PR by running a 3:07. Not only that, her second half was only 10 seconds slower than her half marathon PR. This accomplishment came after working through serious health issues at a few points in 2018 and before. If you want to learn more about Mel you can listen to episode #31 and follow her www.instagram.com/motherrunnermel.&nbsp;</p>

<p>For most people, their first marathon is a learning experience. For Rachel Schilkowsky it was a payday. She won the Hartford Marathon in a scorching 2:41 in her amazing debut. In this episode we dive into her All-American steeplechase background, training while holding a full-time engineering job, her pre-race body image hardship, and her open and candid approach to social media. You can follow her at www.instagram.com/rachelandherlaces.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Who doesn’t love a comeback story? In 2018 Rhandi Orme created a great one. In this episode, we dive into how she was able to bounce back from some physical challenges that forced her into her first DNF and had her searching for answers. Not only did she bounce back, she achieved new levels of fitness. In October she recaptured her trademark energy and set a new half-marathon PR in a scorching 1:23:50. You can follow Rhandi at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/run_rhandi_run">www.instagram.com/run_rhandi_run</a>.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“If your determination is fixed, I do not counsel you to despair. Few things are impossible to diligence and skill. Great works are performed not by strength, but perseverance.” - Samuel Johnson. How badass is Crystal Seaver? She recently climbed up Stratton Mointain 17 times in less than 24 hours, the equivalent of climbing of Mount Everest, and it’s not even the hardest thing she has ever done. In this episode, we talk about this amazing challenge, how lifting has influenced her running, and why she challenges herself so completely. You can learn more about Crystal at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/crystalseaver">www.instagram.com/crystalseaver</a>.</p>

<p>All you need to know about Thomas Paquette is that he is just starting to scratch the surface of his immense potential. A strong, if unspectacular, Division III runner, Thomas has improved year-after-year since he graduated from Keene State. Over the last three years he has improved his marathon time from 3:07 to 2:36 and there is plenty more where that came from. In this episode, we talk about the mental shift that he made five years ago, how his training has changed, what it was like to run next to some of the elite women at the Chicago Marathon, and his hopes for running in the next Olympic Games for Paraguay. You can learn more about Thomas at <a href="//www.instagram.com/thomaspaquette">www.instagram.com/thomaspaquette</a>.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Erin Strout is one of the best journalists in the running world and can be found writing for Runner’s World and Outside. In this episode, we discuss the state of elite women’s and men’s running in the U.S., it’s impact on younger runners, and how social media is changing the relationship between professionals and their fans. We also take a deep dive into her article detailing the state of female coaches in the NCAA and professional running. Here is a link to this important article: <a href="https://www.outsideonline.com/2342711/why-we-need-more-female-coaches">https://www.outsideonline.com/2342711/why-we-need-more-female-coaches</a>.</p>

Brian Reynolds is the marathon world record holder for bilateral below knee amputees and owns a personal record of 3:03:22. Despite those remarkable achievements already, Brian is not resting on his laurels. He is driven to break the three hour marathon barrier and was on the cusp of doing just that at the 2018 Chicago Marathon before disaster struck at mile 22. Learn all about that experience and what drives this incredible athlete in this episode of the podcast.

“You’re done. You’re done with running.” When Hollie Hughes learned of her Addisons diagnosis she was confronted with these words. A couple years later this incredibly strong, and strong-willed, person ran a 3:08 at the Wineglass Marathon. Not only that, she did so while pushing her son Jonah. Jonah’s Journey began on September 2, 2010, when he was delivered prematurely at 29 weeks following a placental abruption. As a result, Jonah suffered a stroke and subsequent oxygen deprivation ultimately leading to multiple CNS malformations. Due to these malformations, Jonah has spastic quadriplegia cerebral palsy, medically refractory epilepsy, and cognitive visual impairment, CSWS/ESES. He also has a contagious positive attitude and an intense passion to run. This amazing episode is one of a kind and Hollie is one of the most incredible people to appear on the podcast. This episode is brought to you by Megaton Coffee. Megaton makes great tasting coffee with twice the caffeine. It’s what fuels the Rambling Runner Podcast. Learn more at www.megatoncoffee.com.