Strong Runner Chick Radio – Megan Flanagan

SRC Radio by Strong Runner Chicks

Latest Episodes:

Episode 163: Jinghuan Liu Tervalon on Diversity and Representation, Asian Women Running, and Making an Impact Mar 26, 2021

Show notes

Jinghuan Liu Tervalon is a mother runner based in the Altadena and Pasadena area of Los Angeles. She has been running for over 13 years and training with a group Fortius Altius Citius Training (FACT) for the past 5 years. She is a mother of two kids, in a mix-raced family, an insights and strategy professional with the Coca-Cola Company, and a Get-Out-The-Vote activist. She's at her happy place running with her friends from the Pasadena Pacers, on the track or trails. She also serves as a local leader for Oiselle Volee, and on the advisory board of Running Diversity Industry Coalition.

As a recovering tiger mom, Jinghuan enjoys seeing the younger generation picking up running as a passion. Her son Sammy has been running with Students Run LA. Her husband, writer Jervey Tervalon, is an avid walker who enjoys taking long walks with their dog.

In her spare time, Jinghuan is also a writer and speaker. In 2021, she's trying to lead the community with open conversations about race, equality and running space. Her purpose in life is to create space where everyone feels safe and confident to pursue their own potentials. She hopes to continue to leverage running as a tool for social justice and positive changes.

Topics we discuss include:

-How she got started in running, and the role that competition played in her initial involvement in running

-The role she sees diversity, equity, and inclusion play in the running community -- and how this has been shaped over the past year

-The experience she faced with a neighbor while on the run, and how this is the reality for so many people on a daily basis

-Her inspiration to speak out recently on Oiselle with her article "Stand By You."

-The potential book and project she is be writing...

-Asian and Asian-American women she admires, and is seeing to help lead the charge in the women's running community

-Advice she would give to her younger self

-What being a Strong Runner Chick means to her

Connect with Jinghuan:

Instagram: @sandychannel

Links: linktr.ee/sandychannel

Episode 162: Amani Jabbar on Writing, Breaking Down Barriers, and Leaving an Impact Mar 22, 2021

Show notes

Amani-Nzinga Jabbar is a professor of English, author, runner, health coach, wife, and mother of 3. She started her running journey by walking when she was pregnant with her youngest child. At the time, she was undergoing the stress of detaching herself from an emotionally abusive marriage. The walking provided mental and physical benefits that were beyond what she expected. Since that time, she has run several 5k's, half marathons, and most recently made her marathon dreams come true.

Amani’s latest book, I Bear Witness, tells the story of a young woman who emerges stronger after facing challenges in her life.

You can find her on Instagram: @fithijabi

Questions we ask Amani include:

How did you get started in running and/or athletics?
College as you write, was the first time you "went into the world." How was this transition and what were some factors (joining clubs, etc.) that helped you?
In addition to running, you are also a writer, author, and professor with a BA and MA in English Literature. What inspired you to pursue a career in writing, and also in teaching?
You wrote a book titled, "I Bear Witness," depicting the reality of a perfectly planned life. Can you share more about the journey that led to writing this book, and what some main lessons are you hope readers garner?
In addition to your book, you wrote a powerful blog highlighting women's stories of Black women's struggles and successes titled "I am African and I can." What are some ways you see barriers being broken down by Black women, both in the sport of running and beyond?
You recently ran your first marathon - congrats on this, and your several half marathons along the way! Tell us more about this experience and what it meant to you. Do you plan to do more of these and/or have anything upcoming this year?
Aside from running and career, what is currently giving you life or helping you thrive? Are there any writing pieces and/or training programs you're working on and would like to share?
Looking back, what advice would you give to your younger self?
What does being a Strong Runner Chick mean to you?
How can listeners connect with you?

Connect with Amani:

Recent blog post: https://www.malanational.org/amanijabbar/

You can purchase a copy of Amani's book (free on Kindle unlimited!) at the following link:

https://www.amazon.com/I-Bear-Witness-Part-1-ebook/dp/B087TBYBB4

Episode 161: Shelbi Thurau, RD on Intuitive Eating and Strength for Runners Mar 15, 2021

Show notes

In this episode, we interview Shelbi Thurau, an R.D. and Founder/Owner at Race Ya to the Kitchen. We dive into intuitive eating for athletes, common fueling mistakes and how to avoid them, and also the importance of strength training for runners. Be sure to visit Shelbi's website at and follow her on Instagram @raceyatothekitchen!

Shelbi Thurau is a registered dietitian and RRCA running coach with over a decade of experience in the health and fitness industry. Through her business Race ya to the Kitchen, she works to inspire runners to find the driving force behind their desire to pursue endurance through customized training, nutrition and constant support. With 19 marathons and 18 half marathons behind her, running has transformed the most difficult parts of her life into a meaningful way to move forward and it's that passion she always brings to the individuals she coaches.

Episode 160: Mayra Lopez on Trail Running, ED Recovery, and Finding Support Mar 05, 2021

Show notes

Mayra Lopez Garcia is 33 years old, Mexican-American and was born in raise in South Los Angeles. She lives in Palmdale, CA, where her current occupation is a housing stabilizer with the homeless population (families/individuals).

Her running journey started in High School. She did not know anything about the sport of running until I joined the Cross-Country Team. Running was fun & enjoyed the transition of it all. When she started to see her body change, running became an obsession and eventually an eating disorder, anorexia.

While Mayra is thankful that she was able to get out of her eating disorder, it still hunts her here and there today. She writes, "I catch myself comparing myself to others, but I have to remind myself & I want others to know that any person who runs has a “runner’s body” no matter the weight, build, age, ability or health status. It took me some time, but I am thankful for my body per it has endured tough workouts, ran many races (5k, 10k, half-marathons, marathons, 50k’s and currently training for my first 50 miler). I continue to run today with my F.A.C.T Team my current coach, Armand, is amazing, he is not only our coach but our therapist & he gives us such great advice when we are being tough on ourselves. Overall, I am thankful for RUNNING, per it’s brought me so many good people in my life, people that I now consider family and meeting my now fiancé (he proposed when he finished Angeles Crest 100 Miler in 2016). Thank you all for listening to my story."

A few topics we discuss include:

-How she got started with running, and more specifically, trail running

-The role that community plays in her running journey

-Aspects that have helped her when it comes to comparison and body image challenges

-Advice Mayra would tell her younger self

-What being a Strong Runner Chick means to Mayra

Follow Mayra @Born2Run87 on Instagram.

Episode 159: Heather Hart on Ultra Running Training, Coaching, and Racing Feb 22, 2021

Show notes

Bio: Heather Hart is an exercise physiologist, full time running coach, mom of two, and ultra runner who believes that ordinary people can achieve extraordinary feats. Together with her husband, Heather co-founded Hart Strength and Endurance Coaching, an in person and virtual coaching service specializing in helping people balance training with family, work, and "real life". Over the last 15 years, Heather has participated in a gamut of endurance sports, from road running, to triathlon, to obstacle course racing, and even adventure racing. But her heart and soul is running on the trails. When she's not training for ultras, you can find Heather as a regular in the weight room at the gym, or writing educational posts and sharing personal stories on her blog Relentless Forward Commotion.

Questions and topics for Heather:

How did you get your start in running?

Training for first 100-miler, 50k, 50miler/100k… main differences? How much time commitment and training is involved?

How did you get your start in running? How about in trails and ultras?

For someone training for their first ultra and/or trail race... advice on how to start? Mileage/time to aim for with various distances -- 25k, 50k, 50-miler/100k, 100-mile?

Do you consider HR, PE, and/or any other factors with your athletes? What role do these play in our training?

What role does "vert" or climbing hills play in training for an athlete? Any tips for someone who lives in a flat area but is training for a hilly/mountain race?

How can we balance life/responsibilities with our huge goals and training commitments? Any tips on fitting training in?

Advice you would give to your younger (or pre-trail/ultra) self?

What does being a Strong Runner Chick mean to you?

Any final shout-outs?

Shoutout to today's show sponsor, Naak Bar!

Naak Bars are delicious, perfect pre/intra/post run fuel, and come in many flavors. Each bar contains electrolytes and 7 grams of protein, plus non-GMO, all-natural ingredients. They also have protein powders and other product available on their website.

Use code "STRONGRUNNERCHICKS" for 15% off your order at www.naakbar.com!

Episode 158: Nicole Mericle, Professional Spartan Athlete Talks Women in Obstacle Course Racing (OCR) Feb 18, 2021

Show notes

Nicole is a 5-time obstacle racing world champion and the reigning Spartan Race World Champion. Nicole’s competitive background began as a Division 1 Cross Country and Track & Field athlete at Rice University where she held two school records and qualified for the 2008 Olympic Trials in the 3,000m steeplechase. She raced post collegiately with Hudson Elite in Boulder, Colorado, and over time transitioned to trail running and garnered her passion for rock climbing. Her diverse athletic strengths led her to test her skills at her first obstacle course race in 2016. Nicole was immediately successful, and in 2017 she won the USA OCR Championship in both the 3k and 15k, finished as the first American in the Spartan Championship Series, and won the 3k OCR World Championship and Tougher Mudder World Championship. In 2017, she repeated as the 3k OCR World Champion and in 2019 solidified her rise to the top of the sport winning both the Spartan Race World and Trifecta Championships.

In today's episode, we dive into all things obstacle course racing, including getting more women into the sport, our top training tips, our journeys into OCR/Spartan, and the creation of her upcoming OCR Women's Development Team!

Follow Nicole on IG: @nickeldm

Apply to join Nicole's brand new Women's OCR Development Team! https://forms.gle/TPE9MiqCGSUoxAfF9

Shoutout to today's NEW sponsor, Naak Bar!

Naak Bars are delicious, perfect pre/intra/post run fuel, and come in many flavors. They also have protein powders and other products.

Use code "STRONGRUNNERCHICKS" for 15% off your order at www.naakbar.com!

InsideTracker - Join our Giveaway!

If you're seeing this prior to February 25th, we're doing an Ultimate Test Giveaway (and R.D. consultation) with InsideTracker!

Enter here: https://www.dojomojo.com/promo-lookup/6b2fbf73-e2ad-4147-804c-2766ec78d7ca.

Episode 157: Lindsley Kump of Womxn Who Move on Finding a Sense of Belonging, Breaking Down Barriers, and Believing in Yourself Feb 15, 2021

Show notes

*Please note before listening: There is potentially triggering content where Lindsley shares more about her eating disorder between minutes 25-27, or about halfway through this episode. Feel free to skip over if you would like.

Lindsley Kump is a mama, wife, fur baby mom, oral surgeon's assistant, and runner. Originally from Hawaii, Colorado has been home to her for 18 years now. Running has been a key part of my life for almost 6 years and over the last year, she has been transitioning primarily into trail running. She recently started Womxn_Who_Move, an all-inclusive community dedicated to empowering, encouraging, and inspiring womxn through movement.

Topics we discuss with Lindsley include:

How she got started with running and more specifically, trails
What brought her from Hawaii to Colorado, and what this transition was like
What inspired her to create Womxn Who Move
How she see inclusion and representation playing a role in the trail running space
Body image and its role in running/fitness
Your work in healthcare and the passion you have for it, particularly during COVID-19
Lessons this past year has taught you, and any major growth moments or stories
Advice you would give to your younger self?
What does being a Strong Runner Chick mean to you?

Connect with Lindsley:

IG: @lindsley_kump

IG: @Womxn_Who_Move

You can also hear Lindsley speak during our "Beyond the Trail" panel at our upcoming Trail Running Women Summit, February 27th-28th! Join us at https://www.chaski.run/running-women-virtual.

*Shoutout to today's NEW episode sponsor, Naak Bar!*

Designed for endurance athletes, Naak bars come in 4+ delicious flavors and contain a ratio 4/1 (carbs/protein) for long lasting energy, 7g. of complete and sustainable protein, 180mg of electrolyte to avoid cramping, non GMO and all natural ingredients. They taste like brownies and make for a tasty treat on the trails! Use code "STRONGRUNNERCHICKS" for 15% off your order at https://naakbar.com!

Episode 156: Megan Roche on Finding Your Why, Female Athlete Considerations, and So Much More! Feb 08, 2021

Show notes

Megan is a five-time national trail running champion, a North American Mountain Running Champion, and a six-time member of Team USA. She graduated from Duke University with a degree in Neuroscience and received her MD from Stanford Medical School. At Stanford, she is currently doing a PhD in epidemiology, focusing on RED-S and sports injury. Megan is also a coach for the Some Work, All Play running team.

We bring Megan Roche on this episode to chat all about female athlete considerations, energy deficiency/availability, psychological and physiological aspects of training, and much more.

Questions and topics we dive into with Megan include:

Her collegiate athletic and running background, intro into the trails, coaching, etc.
What led her into pursuing her MD and studies in epidemiology
Running as a female- understanding our menstrual cycle, hormones, and any other things to note, with our training
Within-day-energy deficiency -- article by you and David; research study findings (study referenced here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29205517/)
Writing The Happy Runner: “love the process, get faster, and run farther”... what are some keys to doing all three of these? Other major takeaways and cliff notes?
Mileage of runs (weekly and in a long run) to build up to one's first ultra
How to break through periods where you seem to plateau
How neuromuscular fatigue and recovery play a role in our training (the basics, as I know this is a complex topic :)
What are some best practices when starting to coach athletes as a running coach?
What does being a Strong Runner Chick mean to you?

Connect with Megan:

@meg_runs_happy (IG)

The Happy Runner (Megan's book, co-authored with David Roche)

SWAP: Some Work, All Play (website, coaching, and podcast with Megan & David Roche!)

Shoutout to FEM Protein Powder for sponsoring this episode! Use code "STRONGRUNNERCHICKS" for 15% off your order!

In addition, join us for our first-ever VIRTUAL Trail Running Women Summit on February 27th-28th with CHASKI Endurance!

Episode 155: Allie Kieffer Updates on Racing, Training, Coaching, Goal-Setting, and More! Feb 01, 2021

Show notes

Questions we ask Allie include:

-Since we last chatted (back in 2018!), what has changed and any notable updates from this past year, in particular?

-How has COVID impacted your training/racing/team?

-Changing coaches and teams, and what Allie has learned along the way

-Body image, and the role she has played in speaking out about this -- what have you seen change in this space, if at all, in the past few years?

-Where is there still room for us to change as a running community?

-Olympic Marathon Trials experience and the road leading up to it

-Getting into coaching and what that has been like

-Allie's work with Elite Feats and more about the organization

-What is next for Allie and where she hopes to take things

Second half on IG Live!

Tune into our second half of this episode over on Instagram @strongrunchicks, where you'll hear us dive into listener Q&A, including Allie's training and goal-setting process! You can connect with Allie at @kiefferallie or https://www.allieland.com/.

Special Shoutout to FEM Protein Powder for sponsoring this episode. Save 15% on your order with code "STRONGRUNNERCHICKS."

In addition, join us for an upcoming Trail Running Women Summit with CHASKI Endurance over at https://www.chaski.run/running-women-virtual. Save 30% off with code "antisana"!

Episode 154, Minisode with Megan: Intuitive Training Metrics & Questions to Consider Jan 25, 2021

Show notes

Have you heard of intuitive training? In this minisode, Megan provides an overview of what intuitive training is, her own journey with it, and how you can start to incorporate intuitive movement into your training.

Did you like this minisode? Let us know! We'd love to cover more topics like these.

Email strongrunnerchicks@gmail.com or tag us @strongrunchicks with your feedback, questions, and guest suggestions!

Show Sponsor:

Special Shout-out to FEM Protein Powder for their ongoing support & vegan, plant-based protein powder!

Use code "STRONGRUNNERCHICKS" for 15% off your order.

Upcoming events:

Alexi Pappas on SRC IG Live - Tuesday, 1/26 at 4:30 PST, 7:30 EST.

Trail Running Women Virtual Summit - TBA this week, dates set for February 27th-28th... stay tuned for more details!

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