The Rambling Runner Podcast

Latest Episodes:

#372 - Dylan Bowman: From Lacrosse to the Mountaintop Sep 27, 2021

Show notes

Dylan Bowman is a professional runner competing in trail and ultra races around the world. Dylan has also established himself a key member in the sport's media landscape. He has co-hosted the live coverage of the iconic Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc and the Western States Endurance Run and created the amazingly popular Pyllars Podcast.

It wasn't until after graduating from college, where he played division one lacrosse that running really entered Dylan's life.

After graduating college, Bowman ran a marathon in 2009 with only a couple of weeks' preparation. Then he decided to take on something more challenging: the 2010 edition of the famous Leadville 100. Bowman gave himself a year to prepare and with no running background he stunned the field, and himself, with a third place finish.

"It's been a non-traditional journey to get to where I am now, but I think that's good, because I don't have years and years of accumulated wear and tear," Bowman says. "I'm still incredibly motivated and excited by running."

Over the last decade, Dylan has established himself as a consistent contender on the international ultrarunning circuit, earning many wins and podium performances at the sport's most prestigious races.

Dylan also founded the Pyllars app to provide athletes with the resources to improve both their physical and emotional fitness through a variety of tools, videos, and a wonderful community.

Learn more at www.pyllars.com.

Sponsor:

The VCU Health Richmond Marathon returns to downtown Richmond, Virginia, on Saturday, November 13th. Whether you take part in the marathon, CarMax Richmond Half Marathon, or Allianz Partners 8k, Richmond provides phenomenal course support, great fall scenery, and awesome finisher swag.

The marathon is a top 25 Boston Qualifier, and the course is mostly flat with some rolling hills, which is great for first-timers. And, best of all, there’s a downhill finish right on the riverfront. The VCU Health Richmond Marathon organizers know the running community is resilient and that your desire to cross a finish line remains strong.

Be a part of America's Friendliest Marathon and visit www.RichmondMarathon.org to register now. Use code RAMBLINGRUNNER to save $10 on your entry.

Follow Matt:

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#371 - Coach's Corner with James McKirdy: Tapering for a Marathon Sep 24, 2021

Show notes

Hello marathoners! Now is your time and it's very exciting. The marathon majors are around the corner and loads of other marathons are also upon us. So let's talk tapering.

In this episode coach James McKirdy gives us all the information we need. We discuss:

Purpose of a taper
Tapers for experienced marathoners
Tapers for first-timers who peaked at ~40mi/w
Folks who had a hiccup in training during the normal peak weeks
What NOT to do
And much more...

James McKirdy is the founder and Head Coach at McKirdy Trained, the largest online coaching service in the country. McKirdy Trained also has a elite team that competes against and with some of the best runners in the world. You can learn more at www.mckirdytrained.com.

Follow Matt:

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Twitter - @rambling_runner
YouTube - www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ83E0U8M4V7klqZB8BF3wA
Rambling Runner Podcast Community Corner private Facebook group - www.facebook.com/groups/125544686229661

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#370 - Josh Alderfer: Positive Leadership Sep 20, 2021

Show notes

Josh Alderfer is a Marine Corps Veteran with over 15 years of leadership experience, with a focus on positivity, and the founder of Mastermind Performance.

Positive coaching is a scientifically based, intentional approach to coaching that empowers young athletes to prepare and perform at their best, both on and off the playing field. Positive coaching empowers young athletes to achieve success while emphasizing the development of both moral and performance character.

As Josh says on his website, "[i]t’s often said that sports builds character in young athletes. However, sport itself is only one half of the equation. Sport provides an excellent environment for character development, but it requires an intentional, deliberate, principle based approach to coaching. Without this, sports has an equal ability to undermine and destroy the character of young athletes."

When he’s not chasing his 7 year old son through the forest or dancing with his 3 year old twin daughters, you can find him mentoring athletes and coaches or squeezing in training for his next ultramarathon. Josh holds a Masters of Education in Counseling Psychology with an emphasis on positive coaching and athletic leadership from the University of Missouri, and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Colorado, Boulder.

Learn more about MasterMind Performace: https://www.mastermindperformance.com.

Sponsors:

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Follow Matt:

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#369 - "Fail" Forward Friday: Allie Wilson and Sabrina Little Sep 17, 2021

Show notes

We have a new bi-weekly segment on the podcast - "Fail" Forward Friday.

Yes, you read that correctly - the "Fail" in quotes. For so many of us there have been times in our lives when we thought we had failed, or worse, that we were failures. Those moments can leave of questioning everything that came before and whether or not we should continue down our chosen path. Then, if we persist we may realize that with time those setbacks can be a gift. Rather than holding us down those "failures" prove to be a catalyst for growth. Not merely to a level which we have already reached, but one that exceeds everything that came before.

In our first episode of "Fail" Forward Friday we hear from two absolute badasses - Allie Wilson and Sabrina Little. Allie is one of the best middle distance runners in the country. Sabrina is one of the best trail and ultra runners in the country. But, for both of them, it wasn't always that way.

If you have a story that would be a good fit for one of these episodes please email ramblingrunnerpodcast@gmail.com.

Follow Matt:

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Twitter - @rambling_runner

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ83E0U8M4V7klqZB8BF3wA

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#368 - Alexis McCoy: Marathon Milestone Mini-Series Part I Sep 13, 2021

Show notes

Big news: We are launching our first mini-series! The Marathon Milestone mini-series featuring Alexis McCoy.

Alexis McCoy is a dedicated amateur runner who is taking a big leap this fall. She is running the Boston, New York, and California International Marathons. Not only that, we will be following her every step of the way.

In this episode, Alexis sets the stage for her audacious fall by talking about her rise in mileage, introducing doubles into her schedule, lifting heavy, and working with podcast favorite Sarah Bishop to make the most of this awesome adventure.

Tune-in to Alexis's first appearance on the show by downloading episode #269.

Sponsors:

Follow Matt:

Instagram - @rambling_runner

Twitter - @rambling_runner

Rambling Runner Podcast Community Corner private Facebook group - www.facebook.com/groups/125544686229661

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#367 - Lisa Braden, RD: Fueling Marathon Racing & Training Sep 10, 2021

Show notes

Marathon season is a about to begin. That means for runners all over the world it's also fueling season!

In this episode Lisa Braden, RD is here to give us all the information we need fuel or long run training and marathons so we can perform at our best and enhance our fitness/potential.

Lisa is a Registered Dietitian and runner dedicated to helping people improve their lives and athletic performance through the foods they eat. By early morning, she is training for races, and by day she is balancing several roles as a mother, functional health RD, and running specialist.

Her passion grew from combining her two biggest passions - running and food - in order to help others reach their goals. From a modest start helping friends eat well to train well, the need has grown, and LB the RD was born.

She earned an undergraduate degree in Mathematics from the University of Oklahoma and went on to earn a Master of Science in Nutrition. Lisa has been a Registered Dietitian for over 10 years.

Lisa has been running for over 20 years and has no plans to stop any time soon. In the last four years, she has elevated her training and gone from casual runner to winning races and top age group placements. She is running stronger than she was as a teenager, and eating the right foods is a huge part of that.

Learn more about everything Lisa is doing at www.lbtherd.com and follow along with her running journey on Instagram www.instagram.com/lb_the_rd as she chases new goals and discusses the importance of nutrition.

Sponsor:

Be a part of America's Friendliest Marathon and visit www.RichmondMarathon.org to register now. And be sure to beat the July 1 price increase to save money while you’re at it. Come discover the River City and cross the finish line this November!

Follow Matt:

Instagram - @rambling_runner

Twitter - @rambling_runner

Rambling Runner Podcast Community Corner private Facebook group - www.facebook.com/groups/125544686229661

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#366 - Mike "Kofuzi" Ko: A Year of Adventures Sep 06, 2021

Show notes

Mike "Kofuzi" Ko entered 2021 with a simple and fantastic idea: go after all of the races and adventures on his bucket list. As 2020 taught all of us, deferring our intentions to an undetermined future can leave us wanting. Instead, Mike completed his first trail ultramarathon, steeplechase, Falmouth Road Race, and triathlon. He will also be running the Chicago and California International Marathons.

In this episode we dive into all of these experiences and, of course, running shoes. The Kofuzi YouTube channel is one of the best in the running community featuring shoe review, daily livestreams, run motivation, and much more.

Watch the Kofuzi YouTube channel here: www.youtube.com/kofuzi.

Sponsor:

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#365 - Ro McGettigan-Dumas: The Mental Rigors of Pushing to the Limit Sep 03, 2021

Show notes

Races are upon us and there is no better way to prepare for the mental rigors that come with pushing our ourselves to the limit than to learn from Roisin “Ro” McGettigan-Dumas (LMHC)!

Ro is a sports psychology coach, licensed mental health counselor and Olympian from Wicklow, Ireland (now based in Providence, RI). She competed at Providence College and then professionally with the "RunProvidence" group under the tutelage of Ray Treacy. Ro is an Olympic finalist ('08) and is the Irish record holder in the steeplechase as well as a European Medallist in the 1500m.

Her two passions are track+field and psychology and, since retiring from professional running, she is focusing on helping athletes achieve their goals in sport and life. Ro knows first hand the powerful effect of mental preparation for performance, overcoming disappointments, and life beyond sport. She’s the co-author of the Believe Training Journal series (Velopress), is piloting a goal-setting workshop for athletes to use in schools called "Dare to Believe," and co-hosts the popular Keeping Track, A Women in Sport Podcast with Alysia Montano, and Molly Huddle.

Sponsors:

This episode is brought to you by Four Sigmatic, a wellness company that mixes mushrooms and adaptogens with coffee, cacao, latte, protein powder. They have a special offer for the Rambling Runner audience. Receive 10% off your Four Sigmatic order. Just go to www.foursigmatic.com/RAMBLINGRUNNER or enter code RAMBLINGRUNNER at checkout.

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#364 - Matt Chittim with Jason Fitzgerald Aug 30, 2021

Show notes

In today's episode we are putting out a conversation that I had with Jason Fitzgerald for episode 204 of his very popular Strength Running Podcast. Jason's show is one of the most popular running podcasts in the world. He also consistently puts out great information on becoming a better runner on YouTube, his website, and his newsletter.

Strength Running: https://strengthrunning.com.
Strength Running podcast: https://strengthrunning.com/podcast.

Here are the show-notes he wrote-up for that episode:

Can we “life hack” our way in running? Shortcut the workouts, skip the warm-ups, and ignore the rest of the training? No! Like it or not, running well requires effort outside of the actual runs.

The dynamic warm-ups and post-run workouts, referred to as the sandwich method, are key to your running longevity. So is strength training, recovery, and sleep. And those are just the physical aspects.

Running is really a lot more than just the run. If you want to continue progressing in the sport, you can’t hack your way into it

There are no shortcuts. Just smart training and the curiosity to keep going.

On today’s podcast, we have a guest who lives and breathes running. Yet he, too, has made mistakes in his training. He’s here today to talk about the lessons he has learned and share stories of running that will ignite the passion in all of us.

In this podcast, we talk about his recent injury, what lead to it, and the lessons that Matt learned through this experience. He offers words of wisdom that serve as a valuable reminder to all of us:

We also talk about how we’re all special but not unique in our needs. Our bodies all require proper care to perform at their best. Though the implementation of training and recovery technique is specific to each runner.

I enjoy hearing Matt reflecting on all this for himself while offering insights to our community.

Our topics of conversation also cover:

The start and evolution of a running career
What leads to a running injury and how to recover from it
Importance of the proper training process
The difference between knowing the right things and doing them

Sponsors:

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#363 - Brian Schroy: Snowboarder to Sub-Elite Runner Aug 27, 2021

Show notes

Brian Schroy is on the show and what a fascinating guy! When Brian was a snowboarder growing up and even went to a ski/snowboarding focused high school. He’s now a member of the Boulder Underground and has run a 2:30:14 marathon. He ran his first marathon in 3:18 just four years ago and improved remarkably fast from there. Since then he’s had a bevy of amazing experiences including pacing the mile that pitted Chris Chavez against Malcolm Gladwell. He is now working his way towards his goal of an OTQ for 2024.

Follow Brian on Instagram atwww.instagram.com/schroy.

You can hear Brian's episode with Chris Chavez on the Citius Mag podcast here: https://citiusmag.com/podcast/citius-mag-podcast-brian-schroy.

Follow Matt:

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Rambling Runner Podcast Community Corner private Facebook group - www.facebook.com/groups/125544686229661

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