Today on show we feature someone who has a story that we've never touched on before. At the age of 40, and after years of minor to medium hip and back pain, Carrie Bradshaw was diagnosed with bilateral hip dysplasia. That meant that this 3:09 marathoner and mother of two young kids would need two hip replacement surgeries. Wow! This was an incredible gut punch to a dedicated amateur athlete who craved activity of all kinds. In this episode, Carrie details her athletic journey before and after...

The Olympic Marathon Trials are right around the corner and Nico Montañez is ready for action! Nico details his experience at the 2023 World Championships Marathon in Budapest last August and the wide array of things he took from that experience (travel, prep time, etc.) that are helping him prepare for the trials. He also talks about how his training has changed this cycle, how he is approaching the race from a strategic perspective, the time he thinks he needs to get on the podium, and much...

The Olympic Marathon Trials are two weeks away and we are officially getting into Trials-mode here on the show! Our first Trials preview is with Sara Vaughn. Sara details her 2:23 finish at Chicago, her quick turnaround back into training, getting knocked down by the flu over Christmas, and her thoughts on race-day. Sara also details her daughter Kiki's commitment to perennial power Northern Arizona University. Sponsors ASICS - Check out my favorite footwear brand, and the NEW Novablast 4,...

Pain is universal. Athletes in pursuit of performance are not strangers to pain—in fact they embrace it. But nothing derails training faster than nagging athletic pain and injury, which all too often land athletes in an endless cycle of physical therapy or leave them sidelined from sport altogether, awaiting surgery. "Pain & Performance" is a tour de force that explores compelling advances in pain science to reveal the shocking lack of evidence to support modern medicine’s approach to...

In this special episode of the Rambling Runner Podcast we focus on the power of partnership. Running can feel like a solo endeavor for many of us but it can be so much more. This show is a wonderful example that we can lift each other up when the people we run with and care about are facing difficult situations. Hiruni Wijayaratne and Bethany Sachtleben are both incredibly talented runners but their journey together is even more compelling than their solo progressions. We dive into all of it...

In this episode, Matt Chittim and Peter Bromka interview Tim Rossi, who paced the women's OTQ group at the California International Marathon (CIM). They discuss Tim's experience as a pacer and the significance of being part of runners' OTQ journeys. We also talk about managing personal goals while pacing CIM and the challenges of the course. The conversation highlights the growing running community and the connection between runners chasing the OTQ standard. They discuss pacing strategies,...

Adam Wood, a former college steeplechaser turned marathoner, discusses his transition to post-college running, narrowly missing an Olympic Trials Qualifying time, and the influence of his BYU program and teammates. Adam highlights the importance of the social aspect in running and the supportive running community in Utah. He shares his experiences at Grandma's Marathon, McKirdy Micro Marathon, and the California International Marathon discussing the challenges of racing less frequently and...

Trail running legend Rachel Drake joins Matt Chittim and Peter Bromka for an in-person race recap after the California International Marathon. Rachel, who has seven European trail race victories to her name, ran a perfectly executed race to finish 5th and earn her second consecutive OTQ. Last cycle she ran a 2:40 at Grandma's before finishing 59th in a time to 2:41 in the Atlanta Trials. Chapters 1:17 - Race Strategy 2:15 - Training and Time Goals 3:41 - Transition from Trail to Road...

Tammy Hsieh shares her experience of qualifying for the Olympic Trials at the California International Marathon. She recounts the intense moments leading up to the finish line and the uncertainty that followed after she crossed the finish line with a gun time 2:37:03... but a chip time of 2:37:00. Tammy also discusses her running background and how she got into the sport. Her journey is a testament to the latent running talent that are within so many and how to explore that ability to achieve...

Let the post-California International Marathon fun begin!!! We had another historic weekend at CIM and I'm excited to bring you a boat load of episode over the next two weeks. In this episode we have two pre-race live shows. The first was an interview that I did with Peter Bromka of CJ Albertson. CJ went on to win CIM in his third attempt by taking the lead with just two miles to go. In this conversation, CJ talk abouts his training leading into the race, his race selection this fall/winter,...

Allie Caminiti is back on the podcast with some important information for runners of all abilities who are having trouble reaching their potential. In this episode, she provides valuable information what is "micro-quitting," how to recognize if it affecting us, why we can all be susceptible to this form of self-sabotage, and how we can stop ourselves from falling to a pattern of micro-quitting. Allie has been running for over 20 years, both competitively and recreationally. She is a sub-3...

A year and a half ago Paul Johnson accepted an invitation to run the Marine Corps Marathon. Since making that fateful decision Paul has run UTMB, Canyons 100, PR'd the marathon in 2:46, and done much more. It's been a whirlwind that few people could have pulled-off and there is much more to come. In this episode we learn all about Paul's amazing journey and his preparation for a world record attempt of running from Los Angeles to New York beginning in March 2024. Paul also talk about his...

In the second of a two episode partnership with the California International Marathon, we are diving into all-things raceday. In this episode, Tamara Torlakson does a deep dive into the granular details of the race course, the pre-race day logistics, great spots for pre and post-race grub, and all things Sacramento. Tamara is the President of SRA the Sacramento Running Association, the organization that puts on CIM. She’s been on the board since 2015, run 12 marathons, six of them being CIM,...

In today's episode I speak with a longtime friend who morphed into the one of the most consistent and best masters runners I know. Mike Carroll and I played at rival high schools yet bonded over off-season hoops. 20 years later he decided to dip his toe into endurance running. Then, the week of his father's passing, he made a promise to his Dad that he'd run the Boston Marathon in his honor. Since that day Mike has been on a mission. That mission culminated in a 3:18 marathon, and a BQ, at...

In this far-ranging conversation, WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) TV host Megan Connolly Morant talks about it all. We made sure to discuss her recent 3:02 NYC Marathon a few months removed from being a living kidney donor, and the domino effort of that donation. We also talked about: Growing up with big running dreams Balancing elite college running with new goals/priorities Her shifting relationship with running post-college Connecting within local running communities Going after...

In the first of a two episode partnership with the California International Marathon, we are exploring the famous CIM Olympic Trials qualifying pace groups. In 2019 Katrina Spratford-Sterling and Henry Sterling made their marathon debuts at CIM with the dream of qualifying for the 2020 Olympic Trials. Their 2019 experiences were very different but they both reached their goals. In this episode, Katrina and Henry do a deep dive into every logistical and running related decision of the weekend...

Gabi Rooker has made one of the most unique athletic transformations at the top of the American women's marathoning field - All-American college gymnast to elite marathoner. Gabi eased into running post-college while she tried a handful of other sports. Her talent and hard work soon elevated her to high-level local runner in Minnesota. Her potential started to become apparent with a 2:56 debut marathon at Grandma's in 2021! But, she was still 32 minutes away from her amazing PR of 2:24 at the...

Jereny Rivera is back on Road to the Trials and she has an important story to share. At the beginning of this year Jereny was experiencing significant physical symptoms that were impacting her training and her life. Extreme fatigue, hair loss, brittle finger nails, and loss of motivation were among them. These physical symptoms soon began weighing on her mental and emotional wellbeing. After months of searching for an answer she finally found one - low ferritin. In this episode, Jereny...

In another evergreen coaching episode we talk about how best to race a marathon in the heat. We recorded this episode because this the Marine Corps Marathon will be held this weekend in less than desirable conditions and we want everyone to be at their best on race day! In this episode we cover pacing adjustments, cooling strategies, and nutrition recommendations. Sponsor: Janji - Save 15% on the best running apparel, that includes a five year guarantee, with code “rambling” at...

Polly Moody is one badass runner. The full-time teacher and mother of two suffered a massive knee injury two years tearing her ACL and meniscus. The surgery to repair both left her wondering how she'd rebound from a serious surgery as a masters runner. Little did she know that she'd return better than ever! Polly just ran a huge PR of 2:46 at the Chicago Marathon, placing 9th in the 40-44 age group in one of the most competitive marathons in the world. You can follow Polly at...

Last weekend I had the immense privilege of watching nearly 40 athletes earn an OTQ marathon time at the McKirdy Micro Marathon. One of those athletes was Alex Burks. In one of the most insightful and powerful conversations we've ever had on this this, Alex describes the last four years in which he persevered through challenges, worked is butt off, fell short many times, and eventually earned his lofty goal of qualifying for the Olympic Trials. Below is the text from an Instagram post that...

It was a honor (and a blast!) to have Danni McNeilly on the show! She became the 31st U.S. born African-American women to break 3:00 in the marathon at Chicago two weeks ago. It was a result ten years in the making and one that put her in the history books. She also became the fourth women in the Black Roses running club to make The List - an incredible achievement for a single club. Here is a what that day meant to Danni in her own words (via her Instagram): "I’ve been struggling to find...

When Bridget Chamberlin ran her first two marathons in her early 20's she was confident that there were two types of runners: The fast runners (which included her college running friends) and slower runners (like her). She was happy and content with that segmentation and loved running for what it was and how it made her feel. However, over the next decade her ability and preconceived notions of what was possible started to change. Her marathon times, her race of choice, started to get faster...

Mike Obara is a tough and fast masters runner who has run over 20 marathons in the last seven years and a number of ultramarathons. He also has type 1 diabetes. Mike was diagnosed when he was a college soccer player who suddenly lost 25 without explanation. Since then Mike has learned to manage his disease, become an endurance runner around the age of 40, learn how to manage the tricky fueling process, and power his way to some extraordinary results. The first 15 minutes of the episode Mike...

In this coaching minisode I dive into the factors necessary to run your best marathon, the "dream day" fallacy, and what is the biggest hurdle to racing up to your fitness and potential on race day. Sponsor: Janji - Save 15% on the best running apparel, that includes a five year guarantee, with code “rambling” at www.janji.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices