THE RUNNING EFFECT PODCAST

Latest Episodes:

Duke Athlete & HS Sub 4-Miler Jackson Heidesch Opens Up On His Battles With Mental Health, Almost Quitting The Sport, And His Future Within Track & Field Apr 22, 2025

Show notes

The journey of Jackson Heidesch is one of unbridled honesty and crushing heartbreak.

From high school standout to oft-injured Duke student-athlete, Jackson Heidesch has been forced to deal with more than just physical maladies.

It's been 18 months of toil, rehab and bouts of depression for the Iowa native, who is now opening up about his mental health struggles. Jackson will be taking a designated pause from the NCAA to redshirt the entire indoor and outdoor season.

Although he's been through ringer in his short running career, he seems to be setting the stage for a resurgence on and off the track and grass.

Jackson's hardships since agreeing to run for Duke include a couple of grade 4 stress fractures; mono, and the aforementioned depression. With a combination of family support and talk therapy, in addition to physical therapy work–Jackson has come out the other side of this dark tunnel ready to get back to logging miles and competing with the best in the country.

Jackson was the 2022-23 Gatorade Boys Cross Country Player of the Year for Iowa, where he broke the 4 minute mile barrier to break the state record, running a 3:59.08 at the HOKA Festival of Miles. That year he also swept the 1600m and 3200m titles at the state meet, running a 4:07.28 and a 9:08.86, respectively.

In today's conversation, Jackson takes me through his past two years of ups and downs, how he became aware of his mental health, his plans going into the future, and so much more.

This one is deep, raw, emotional, take the time to be blessed by Jackson's vulnerability and share with someone you know.

Tap into the Jackson Heidesch Special.

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Inside The Mind Of A Record-Breaker: How Liam Murphy Has Become One Of The Greatest Runners In The NCAA EVER | Insights From His 1500m Collegiate Record & Chase For A National Title Apr 20, 2025

Show notes

Villanova's Liam Murphy is quickly etching his name into the record books.

Fresh off shattering the NCAA 1500m record with a blistering 3:33.02 at the Raleigh Relays, Liam joins the show today to discuss his recent run of success on the track.

Since December, Liam has set school records in the 3,000m (with a time of 7:35.47) and the 5,000m (with a time of 13:10.42) in addition to being a key cog on the school’s relay teams.

The Millstone, New Jersey, native’s records and achievements could fill a small tome–in addition to the 3,000 and 5,000m school records he also holds the Villanova indoor mile record (3:53.85) and was a member of the 4x1 mile relay team that ran a 15:51.91 at the 2024 Penn Relays, which today stands as the second-fastest outdoor mile relay time in the world.

At the NCAA Division 1 Indoor Championships in May, Liam came in fourth in the 3,000m and 11th in the 5,000m.

At Allentown High School, Liam was the Gatorade New Jersey Boys Cross Country Player of the Year and Boys Track & Field Player of the Year in 2019-20; in addition to winning the 3200m title at the Indoor Meet of Champions in 2019.

Liam’s trajectory to success was crystal clear even in high school, where he ran personal bests of 4:11 in the 1600m and 8:54 in the 3200m.

In today's conversation, Liam takes me through almost every single big performance over the past year and a half. Through this conversation you'll get a look into one of the best runners ever in the NCAA.

You won't want to miss this conversation.

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"If you think junk food is bad for you, let me tell you how BAD under-fueling is!" | Registered Dietitian Cortney Berling Shares Key Insights & Science On Nutrition For Runners Apr 18, 2025

Show notes

Registered Dietitian and running coach Cortney Berling joins the show to cut through the noise of diet culture and teach us how to fuel smart for long-term running success.

Cortney, also a Certified Diabetes Instructor, mother of three (ages 1, 3 and 5), and military spouse (her husband is activeduty Marine Corps) has a diverse background in sports and nutrition.

Originally from Medina, Ohio, she ran cross country and track at The University of Cincinnati. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition from Cincinnati, completed her Dietetic Internship at the Cleveland Clinic, and obtained her Master’s of Public Health from Liberty University.

Cortney’s mission is to educate runners on how to integrate smart, intuitive eating and sports nutrition into their regimen for optimal performance on the roads, trails and track. According to her site, she wants to help runners improve their performance while not obsessing over food, which is a real struggle for many of us.

As Cortney likes to say, “you don't have to be thin to win.” She herself is no slouch on the roads: she has PRs of 17:10 in the 5k, 1:19.19 in the half marathon, and 2:57 in the marathon.

In today's conversation, Cortney shares key insights on fueling and nutrition, the differences between fueling for both genders, a deep-dive into fueling during your period, why how much you eat is more important than what you eat, and tons more.

This episode is PACKED with valuable info. Don't miss it.

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How This United States Air Force Airman Placed 4th In The World At The World Championships: How Sam Gilman Defied The Odds & Made His Dreams A Reality Apr 16, 2025

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Personal challenges have not dimmed the force that is Sam Gilman.

A former Air Force Academy distance star, Sam came into the New Year with a blast, securing bronze at the USA Indoor Track & Field Championships in February with a time of 7:38.64 in the 3,000m.

Sam followed that up with a 7:34.69 on March 2 at Boston University, a new PR for the distance. Sam has additional PRs of 13:15.58 in the 5k, 3:35.40 in the 1500m, 3:52.81 in the mile, and 1:52.50 in the 800m.

Sam’s impressive start to the New Year earned him a spot on Team USA for the USATF Indoor Championships in China; he clocked a 7:47.19, and was 0.1 seconds shy of a podium finish, claiming fourth in the 3,000m.

Sam was a two-time All-American at Air Force; he finished 5th in the 2022 NCAA outdoor 5K championship and 6th in the 2021 NCAA XC Championship. He graduated in 2023, and is currently heading out to Utah to train with Grant Fisher and his well-respected coach, Mike Scannell.

Sam went to Hilton Head High School in South Carolina, where he accounted for two state titles in the 1600m, and one in the 800m and 3200m. He also set a South Carolina state record in the mile with a time of 4:06.50.

In today's conversation, Sam walks me through his time as a professional runner, his performance at World Indoors, getting accepted into WCAP, lessons from training with Grant Fisher, his ambitions for the future, and so much more.

Tap into the Sam Gilman Special.

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S H O W N O T E S

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Sports Scientist Reveals The Secrets Of Success In Distance Running... | Why Zone2 Training Is Overhyped, Threshold, Supershoes, & The Things You Can Do TODAY To Get Faster Apr 14, 2025

Show notes

Sports scientist, running coach, and all-around badass Jonah Rosner is here today—ready to drop knowledge and level up our understanding of running science.

Jonah is an applied sport scientist based out of Brooklyn, New York. He has spent the past 10 years working with athletes and teams from all major American Professional Team sports.

Most recently, Jonah was the applied sport science coordinator for the Houston Texans in the NFL. At 25 years old, he was one of the youngest sports scientists in NFL history.

Jonah specializes in using the latest sport science technology and testing to individualize running and strength programs for athletes. He recently partnered with Nike to run the Nike Running Performance Lab in New York City.

Jonah is a consistent presence on Instagram (he has 54.4 thousand followers), where he routinely drops reels and posts diving deep into all things running training. Your favorite runner's runner probably follows him–no joke.

You will be bookmarking this man's posts for years to come, we promise.

In addition, his newsletter is terrific and it's a place where he shares science-backed tips on how to optimize marathon performance.

Jonah is no slouch himself: he has a marathon PR of 2:57–which he ran at the Chicago Marathon. Check him out on Strava, where he routinely runs 80-90 mile weeks while also strength training a few days a week.

In today's conversation, we discuss Zone2 Training, Threshold, Supershoes, the benefits of strength training, Jonah's background in sports science, and so much more.

You will not want to miss this conversation. It is PACKED with wisdom.

Tap into the Jonah Rosner Special.

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S H O W N O T E S

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-My Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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How US Champion, Olympian, & HOKA Pro Nia Akins Faith Has Grounded And Propelled Her Through Her Toughest Trials, Both In Running & Life, & How YOU Can Learn From Them Apr 12, 2025

Show notes

US Indoor 800m Champion Nia Akins joins the show after kicking off the year in impressive fashion, claiming an indoor title and proving that she's back and better than ever.

Nia won the USATF 800m Indoor title with a time of 1:59.31 in New York in February. She then followed that up by advancing to the semifinals in the Indoor Championships in China in March. Despite a fall in the semis, she still finished strong in 2:04.38 and barely missed the finals.

Nia, a native of San Diego, California, ran for the University of Pennsylvania, where she had PRs of 55.38 in the 400m;2:00.71 in the 800m; and 2:43.92 in the 1,000m. During her time there she was a two-time 800m runner-up. She also won a silver medal at the 2019 NACAC U23 Championships.

Nia began her post-collegiate career in 2020 after running the second-fastest 800m time in NCAA history. Nia won the 800m US Olympic Trials in Oregon in 2024, where she ran a career PR of 1:57.36; she ended up reaching the semi-finalsin the 800m during the Paris Olympics.

Previously of the Brooks Beast Track Club, Nia is now representing HOKA. Nia has an artistic side as well, and enjoys recording music in her down time.

In today's conversation, Nia shares very raw and honest insights from her past year of running, training, and life. Shedetails how and why her faith is so pivotal and how it has grounded her through the ups and downs of life.

Don't miss this opportunity to hear this honest, powerful conversations with one of the best 800m runners in the world.

Tap into the Nia Akins Special.

If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! Iwould also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it.

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If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!

S H O W N O T E S

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-My Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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How I Ran A 3:33 Marathon Off Of Two Weeks Of Training Apr 10, 2025

Show notes

GOODY’S ("TRE2"): https://www.amazon.com/promotion/psp/AHBMMNWHO3WHJ

A deep-dive recap into my first-ever official marathon at the 2025 Knoxville Marathon.

Tune in to hear insights from the race, two weeks of preparation, the highs and lows of a marathon, what I have planned next, and so much more.

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S H O W N O T E S

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The Greatest To Ever Do It: How Jane Hedengren Ran National Records Of 15:13 In The 5k & 4:26 In The Mile In The SAME Weekend + Her Training, Mindset, & Future... Apr 09, 2025

Show notes

Buckle up, folks—Jane Hedengren, the high school record holder and Nike Cross Nationals champ, is back on the podcast!

After winning the NXN in dominant fashion with a course record time of 16:32 in Portland, Oregon, Jane has continued her dominance indoors with national records in the mile and 5,000m.

The Timpview High School star–and BYU commit–delivered her historic 5,000m performance at the Nike Indoor Nationals in March by demolishing the previous record with a jaw-dropping 15:13.26. This time marks a new U20 American record.

Not to be outdone, she came back three days later at the same meet and ran a blistering 4:26.14 mile–securing the national high school mile record in the process.

Woah, right?! Jane has PRs of 9:37.50 in the 3200, 4:17.83 in the 1500, and 2:07.85 in the 800, winning 2 state titles and1 national title, while also having a distinguished cross country career, becoming only the second high school girl to break 16:00 on a XC course.

In today's conversation, Jane walks me through her remarkable National Records of 15:13 in the 5k and 4:26 in the Mile, what went into these races, her mindset coming out of them, her plans for Arcadia, if she'll skip college and go pro, and so much more... you won't want to miss this deep dive!

Tap into the Jane Hedengren Special.

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S H O W N O T E S

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Flourishing Is On The Other Side Of Enjoyment: How UNC's Makayla Paige Rediscovered Her Love For The Sport & Won Her First NCAA Title & Set A 3-Second School Record In The Process! Apr 07, 2025

Show notes

Rising middle-distance sensation and newly-crowned NCAA Indoor Champion Makayla Paige joins the show today to discuss her incredible journey, the 2025 season, and what’s next on her horizon.

The senior University of North Carolina star won the 800m Indoor NCAA title in Virginia with a time of 2:00.39 in March, her new PR in the distance.

It’s been a memorable start to the New Year for Makayla, as she shattered UNC’s women’s 800m record by three seconds with a 2:00.57 at the BU John Thomas Terrier Classic in January.

Makayla has displayed uncanny range since her high school days, competing in events from the 200m all the way up to the 1,000m. This breadth and strength has helped propel her to the stage she’s on now.

The Tewksbury, Massachusetts native was named 2019 high school Gatorade Player of the Year for Girls Track & Field in Massachusetts. While focusing on sprints, middle distance and hurdles during her high school days, she ran PRs of 26.21 in the 200m, 56.01 in the 400m, 1:29.71 in the 600m and 2:06.27 in the 800m.

Makayla, who signed an NIL deal with On in the fall of 2024, has additional collegiate PRs of 52.70 in the 400m, 2:47.35 in the 1,000m and 4:38.51 in the mile.

In today's conversation, Makalya walks me through winning her first NCAA title, what it means to her, her ambitions for the future and the UNC program, why keeping the sport light and fun is so important and how she does that, and so much more!

This conversation was thoroughly enjoyable, and I hope you appreciate it as much as I did having it.

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S H O W N O T E S

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World Renowned Sports Physiologist Dr. Jim Taylor Shares Simple Tips & Tricks That Will Make You Faster TODAY | The Science Of How Smiling Transforms Your Runs, & Secrets Of Mental Performance... Apr 05, 2025

Show notes

GOODY’S: https://www.amazon.com/promotion/psp/AHBMMNWHO3WHJ

Performance, sport, and parenting expert Dr. Jim Taylor joins the show to share insights from his impressive career and his exciting new collaboration with Dominic.

Dr. Taylor, who holds his Ph.D. in Psychology, has been immersed in the world of performance and sport psychology for many years, in addition to child development, parenting, and personal growth.

His clientele includes professional, Olympic, collegiate and junior-elite athletes in skiing, cycling, triathlon, tennis, track and field, squash, fencing, swimming, football, golf, and many more. He is the author of 18 books (that have beentranslated into 10 languages) and can be seen at various speaking engagements throughout the world.

Dr. Taylor maintains a popular blog that has been read by more than 10 million people. Prior to his consulting and coaching he was a world-ranked alpine ski racer. He has run a sub 3-hour marathon, completed an Ironman, and is a two-time national and three-time world championship medal-winning age-group triathlete.

Dr. Taylor, who was instrumental in helping Dominic prepare for his latest marathon with only two weeks of training, founded the impressive Prime Performance System that he uses with clients, which focuses on the mental areas athletes can hone in on during training.

In today's conversation, Dr. Jim takes me through why the mental side of the sport matters, how smiling can completely transform your physical performance, simple mental tips and tricks that you can apply directly into your running/life TODAY, and so much more.

This conversation was absolutely excellent and you'd be a fool not to listen and gain free wisdom from one of the brightest minds in the Psychology world.

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S H O W N O T E S

-GOODY’S: https://www.amazon.com/promotion/psp/AHBMMNWHO3WHJ

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-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run

-THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ

-My Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz