Stay ConnectedThe Clean Sport Collective is a community of powerful voices comprised of athletes, brands, events, clubs, fans and the public to support the pursuit of clean sport and athletics through the absence of performance enhancing drugs.
With this podcast, we will celebrate clean athletes, educate you on issues in the world of clean sport, and bring hope that we can all believe in the power of fair play across all sports.
Copyright: © Clean Sport Collective 2019
We are excited to kick off a new month with a new theme! March is National Women's History month so this month's guests will all be badass women who are athletes and/or advocates for clean sport. For this first episode of the month, we interview Nike-sponsored athlete from the Bowerman Track Club – Colleen Quigley.
We often get the critique that we are anti-Nike, but that couldn't be further from the truth. We are simply pro-clean sport, and we will condemn actions by Nike or any brand that are against our mission. At the same time, we will celebrate actions by Nike or any brand that further the cause. As just one example, Colleen Quigley and her teammates at the Bowerman Track Club should be celebrated, and we are excited to share this interview with you.
Colleen is an NCAA champion and Olympian in the steeplechase which means she makes her living on the track hurdling barriers and water pits for 7.5 laps at a time. Her story is an interesting one because she didn't move to the steeplechase until she went to college at Florida State University, but she took to it quickly and would ultimately fulfill her coach's prediction that she would win an NCAA Championship in the event.
Kara and Chris chat with Colleen about her early days in the sport, her collegiate years at FSU, and of course her transition to the pro ranks at the Bowerman Track Club, where she trains with the fastest group of women in the country. Colleen discusses her secrets to striving for excellence and what it's like to train with such an amazing group and now be coached by the great Shalane Flanagan.
Then, we dig into the tough topics including prominent doping violations within her event and within the Oregon Project at Nike itself. She discusses her own reaction to the Alberto Salazar suspension and Mary Cain revelations as well as the dynamics between the Bowerman team and the Oregon Project. Finally, we discuss the evolution of footwear including the impending application of Nike Vaporfly technology to the track and what should be done with shoe regulations.
What you see is what you get with Colleen, and we appreciate her courage and openness in our discussion. As someone who has signed the Clean Sport pledge, we believe in Colleen and will be cheering for her to make another Olympic team in Tokyo this summer!
Warning: if you listen to this episode, you might be inspired to run all-out hill repeats with an uncontrollable smile on your face. Sara's love and passion for running is THAT contagious! Sara is a 2:22 marathoner (#6 all-time), but like many of our interviewees in this series, her marathon time only tells a small part of the story. She is a multi-dimensional athlete and person, and Shanna and Kara explore it all in this discussion.
Sara talks about her running career including how it began exploring the woods as a kid alone in her home state of California. She discusses her time at Stanford and what she learned from the great coach Dena Evans. She gives details on how her relationship with Ryan Hall began and how it has evolved through his elite running career to the present day with him as her coach. She shares what led them to adopt 4 orphan girls from Ethiopia and what it's been like integrating them into their life here in the US. And of course, we get her perspective on shoes and clean sport and how she wishes we could all experience the purity of the sport she fell in love with in the woods as a kid.
Sara is one of the nicest people we know, but don't let that fool you. She is also a fierce competitor and will no doubt be making waves on the course in Atlanta. We can't wait to cheer her on as she tries to make her Olympic dream come true. Go Sara!
This episode concludes our series interviewing 9 of the top contenders for the Olympic Marathon Trials this weekend. It all started with Desiree Linden in episode #27 and continued with episodes #30-37 including Molly Huddle, Shadrack Biwott, Emily Sisson, Scott Fauble, Stephanie Bruce, Jared Ward, Kellyn Taylor, and this final one with Sara Hall. You have a few days left to binge-listen if you haven't already to get fully prepped for the big day on February 29th! We hope to see you at our shake-out run on Saturday at 8:30 am. For more details, check out our twitter or instagram feed @cleansportco.
Kellyn Taylor is a 2:24 marathoner and ranked #7 on the US all-time list, but her story is so much more interesting than a time on the clock. She's also training to be a firefighter, has a passion for fostering children, and is working to instill her trademark mental toughness in her own daughter. In this interview led by Kara and Shanna, we cover it all.
Kellyn tells us about her Wisconsin roots where she grew up doing gymnastics and playing soccer before running became her primary sport. She talks about her transition into pro running with MacMillan Elite before she made the shift to work with Ben Rosario at NAZ Elite.
She gives us the details behind her running highs and lows including two narrow misses for making the Olympic team in 2016 in both the marathon and 10K, her DNF at Boston in 2018 in nor'easter conditions, and her big PR in 2:24 at the Grandma's Marathon just 8 short weeks after the Boston disappointment. In addition, she shares personal stories about returning from pregnancy to run again and the roller-coaster ride it can be as a foster parent.
Finally, we discuss the clean sport culture within NAZ Elite and Kellyn's perspective on the great shoe debate, including why she believes that all carbon fiber plates should be banned. Like her teammates from this interview series Steph Bruce and Scott Fauble, Kellyn is an open book who isn't afraid to tell it like it is, and we appreciate her so much for that. We are excited to cheer her on from the sidelines in Atlanta next weekend!
As mentioned in the closing to the interview, you can meet the Clean Sport Collective podcast co-hosts in Atlanta on Saturday (Feb 29). We will be offering a 3-mile shake-out run with Kara, Shanna, and Chris at 8:30 am from the Olympic Rings in Centennial Olympic Park near the Trials finish line. Come for the run, meet the hosts, and get your CSC temporary tattoo to rep as you cheer for the Trials!
Jared Ward is an Olympian and 2:09 marathoner, but he might be more proud of his role as a father to 4, professor at BYU, virtual running coach, or ambassador to a Shark-Tank-featured company (MyoStorm). He is fast on the roads but "juggles" it all well off the race course as well.
In this interview, Kara and Chris dig in with Jared on his early running days and his patient progression from 21 minute 5K runner in early high school to finishing 6th at the Olympic Marathon in Rio. He talks about the object that inspired him to join his coach Ed Eyestone at BYU and the song that was stuck in his head for the entire Olympic Marathon Trials in 2016.
He discusses advice from his high school coach about goal setting, gives us all a lesson from his sister on what real balance looks like, and shares the insights he learned on Shark Tank that apply to his running career.
Plus, we talk about shoes and carbon plates, Alberto Salazar and Galen Rupp, and Jared's statistical chances at the upcoming Olympic Marathon Trials. Jared's positive outlook on running and life is contagious, and we thank him for the hope he brings to our sport!
In this episode, we stay with team NAZ Elite and interview Stephanie (Steph) Bruce. Not all superheroes wear capes and Steph Bruce is an example of that. You already know that she is fast (at both the marathon and 10K distances), but did you know that she's also a running coach, co-founder of Picky Bars, mom of two, and of course, advocate for women in sport and clean sport.
In this interview, Shanna and Chris interview Steph, and we cover a wide range of topics. She discusses her running journey including the gut-wrenching turning point that transformed her from disinterested high school runner into the person that would become a committed champion. She talks about the moments and people that would have pushed others to quit and why she refused to do so.
She talks about her first experience running against an athlete who would later be busted for doping and provides an interesting perspective on why the shoe debate matters and why it can be hard for others to understand that.
More than the stories and anecdotes, you learn that Steph's bright light comes from her raging fire of determination inside. She doesn't necessarily have a top seed in the Olympic Trials field by time, but you can guarantee that her hard work and fierce determination will make her a force to be reckoned with on February 29th in Atlanta. Go Steph go!
Scott Fauble was the top American at the Boston Marathon and the 2nd ranked marathoner in the US in 2019. His 2:09:09 in Boston makes him the 10th fastest US marathoner of all-time. He trains with team Northern Arizona Elite (NAZ Elite), sponsored by Hoka One One and coached by Ben Rosario.
While a state champion in high school, Scott's rise to the top of US marathoning has not be a smooth or predictable road at least for those watching from the outside. Scott talks about his progression in the sport including how he has always set big goals and high standards for himself and how his mindset makes him particularly well-suited to the 26.2 mile distance.
In this fascinating conversation, Chris and Kara learn about Scott's journey in the sport and then dig deep with Scott on all the major issues within distance running from Alberto Salazar to Mary Cain's experiences at the Oregon Project to sports governance and athlete representation and of course to the great shoe debate.
One surprising revelation from the discussion is that Scott is not currently in the drug testing pool in spite of wanting to be. That news came as a shock to us given Scott's success but is also a perfect example of continued challenges and opportunities in the fight for clean sport.
Thank you to Scott for joining us and for his willingness to discuss the tough topics so freely. We will be rooting hard for him and all of his NAZ Elite teammates in Atlanta on February 29th!
In this episode, Kara and Chris interview Emily Sisson as we continue our series in the build-up to the Olympic Marathon Trials in Atlanta on February 29th. Emily has had success at every level from high school state champion to 2-time NCAA champion and now 2-time US Champion on the roads in the 5K and 10K. Perhaps more impressive, however, was her first marathon last spring in London where she ran 2:23 to clock the fastest debut ever by an American on a record-eligible course.
In this interview, we talk about her start in sport playing soccer and how that led to her rapid rise as a runner. She talks about her progression through high school and college and how she made the decision to turn pro. She gives insight into what she has learned from training partner Molly Huddle through the years and what it was like running so fast and beating Molly in the same marathon in London. Emily is down to earth and straight forward on the "pressure" that comes with her new status as a fast marathoner and shares her training and mental approach for the upcoming Olympic Trials.
As we conclude, Emily gives her perspective on clean sport and the great shoe debate, particularly discussing the challenges and pitfalls of speaking out on these topics as an athlete.
Emily is still new to the marathon but sleep on her chances to make an Olympic team in Atlanta at your own peril. Go Emily!
Note: this interview was recorded before the new shoe regulations were released by World Athletics.
Shadrack Biwott is one of only three athletes in the men's field for the US Olympic Marathon Trials who has stood on a World Major Marathon podium. He finished 3rd at the Boston Marathon in 2018 in the extreme cold, windy, and rainy conditions that also accompanied Des Linden's victory on the same day. That finish along with his 4th place finish at Boston in 2017 and 5th place at NYC in 2016 give you only the surface reasons needed to suggest he could make an Olympic team on February 29th.
In this interview, Kara and Chris dig into so much more including Shadrack's move to the US in high school when he couldn't speak English to the struggles of his early pro days without a sponsor and his first marathon that almost had him swear off the distance.
Now, Shadrack trains with the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project and has achieved stability in the sport but admits he is still very much learning the marathon distance as he seeks to make his first Olympic team. We think you will find this interview relatable, endearing, and refreshing as Shadrack himself says that all he can do is "tell the truth." Thank you Shadrack for doing just that with us and for your commitment to clean sport.
Olympian Molly Huddle has won so many US titles on the track, road, and grass that even she has lost count. As one of the surest bets in US distance running, we *think* she is up to 28 times as a national champion. She is also the first athlete to wear a Clean Sport Collective temporary tattoo in competition when she debuted in the marathon at NYC in 2016.
Kara and Shanna lead this one discussing a broad range topics from her early childhood years in sport to her transition to running in high school with only one season of cross country to her 10K US record earned in a blistering fast but also suspicious race at the Rio Olympics.
Molly talks about how she moved past a season of injuries in and around her collegiate career to achieve such a high level of excellence as a pro while competing clean, as well as her perspective on what the sport needs to do in order to level the playing field, as shared in her recent op-ed in the Providence Journal.
Molly is both a champion in the sport and a champion for clean sport, and we are rooting for her to make another Olympic team this year!
With this interview, we kick off a podcast series interviewing the top contenders for the Olympic Marathon Trials in Atlanta on February 29th. Stay tuned for twice weekly episodes all month long with the next one coming on Wednesday, February 5th.
Note: This interview was conducted prior to the new shoe regulations announced by World Athletics on January 31st.
World Athletics (formerly the IAAF) released their updated regulations regarding footwear today. These regulations establish new rules governing the use of prototypes and impose immediate limits on sole thickness (i.e. stack height) and the use of carbon fiber plates. In summary, it appears that the Nike prototype AlphaFly is now banned, but the Nike 4% and Next% are still legal. The AlphaFly was the Nike prototype worn by Eliud Kipchoge to break the 2-hour barrier in the marathon. In addition, competitors to Nike now have until April 30th to release their versions of the Next% in order for their athletes to wear new shoes at the Olympic Games in Japan. Otherwise, new shoes must comply with the new structural limits and be commercially available to all for a period of 4 months before they can be used in competition. Ross Tucker from the Science of Sport joins Kara and Adam Goucher with Chris McClung moderating to provide our immediate reactions in this special episode. We discuss the practical implications of the new rules as well as where we believe they continue to fall short. Do these new rules resolve the great shoe debate or do they create more new questions than answers?
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