Megan Roche is a professional runner for HOKA ONE ONE and the 2016 USA Track & Field Trail Runner of the Year at the ultra and sub-ultra distances.

A five-time national champion, she’s also the North American Mountain Running Champion and a six-time member of Team USA.

Her new book The Happy Runner: Love the Process, Get Faster, Run Longer was written with her husband David Roche (also an elite runner who contributed to our Little Black Book of Recovery & Prevention) and presents a unique and compelling view of how to excel as a distance runner.

In it, she discusses a wide range of fascinating topics for runners:

• The difference between hard and fast – and when to prioritize each
• How to define “the process”
• Why kindness can help you become a better runner

And of course, Megan and David cover the training side of things with a focus on how to get the most out of your body.

In this podcast conversation, Megan and I talk about:

• Can positivity make you a more robust runner?
• Does running make people more optimistic?
• Why is running “meaningless?”
• How her medical degree has impacted her training
• A lot more…