

For The Long Run: Exploring the Why Behind Running
Jonathan Levitt
Exploring the why behind what keeps runners running long, strong, and motivated. Running is a sport that has the power to unite us all and we are here to share conversations about how running has shaped the lives of people within our community, as well as how running has created community in itself.
From pro runners and Olympians to ultramarathoners running their first big race to business owners who use running to improve their entrepreneurial journey, we believe in creating community and expanding the running world for all.
Hosted by running enthusiast, Jonathan Levitt.
From pro runners and Olympians to ultramarathoners running their first big race to business owners who use running to improve their entrepreneurial journey, we believe in creating community and expanding the running world for all.
Hosted by running enthusiast, Jonathan Levitt.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 2, 2020 • 1h 3min
111. Dr. Emily Kraus: Running and Researching
Emily Kraus is a runner, cyclist and sports medicine physician at Stanford.
In this episode we talked about:
-her start as a runner
-her job as a sports med physician
-how it overlaps
-OTQ dreaming
-her interest in women’s health
-our run with Allie Kieffer
-research she’s been a part of and collaborations with Megan Roche, Tracy Hoeg and other researchers
-Western States 100 bone health project
-stress reactions and stress fractures
-bloodwork for athletes
-low energy availability and RED-s
-within day deficits
-next steps to take if someone’s experiencing LEA (low energy availability)
-what she’s proud of
-and much more!
Follow along with her adventures at instagram.com/emilykrausmd and her research at instagram.com/emilykrausmd_sportscience
This episode is sponsored by Janji. As a local to Boston running apparel company, I’ve enjoyed seeing Janji grow over the years and their gear has only gotten better as time has gone on.
I have a few pairs of both the AFO split and AFO middle shorts, and highly recommend them. Their singlets are super cool too. You can take 15% off all month with the code FTLR15.
I hope you love them as much as I do!

Sep 29, 2020 • 56min
110. KK Fischer: “Non Laurus Luctatio: Not the prize, but the struggle.”
Katherine “KK” Fischer is a lover of life, lover of humans and really wants to squeeze the juice out of every day and make the most of it.
In this episode we talked about:
-“squeezing the juice out of life”
-running REALLY long and why she does it
-how her Why has evolved over the years
-what got her into running
-ultra endurance events as a microcosm of life
-testing her limits
-“Not the prize, but the struggle”
-A 100 mile run she did around her block
-her race on the moon
-growth mindset vs fixed mindset
-her views on growth
-and so much more!
Follow along with KK’s adventures at https://www.instagram.com/kkfischer/
Thanks to @runjanji for sponsoring this episode. Their community called the Janji Collective was designed to provide an easy way for us as runners to help contribute to clean water projects worldwide.
For the $50 membership fee, they’ll put $50 towards supporting these clean water project and you’ll get a sweet singlet (just select the $75 option and use code FTLR) as well as a discount for life and early access to new gear!

Sep 25, 2020 • 54min
109. Aisha Praught Leer: Remember to have fun!
Aisha Praught Leer is a mid distance runner and Olympian representing Team Boss as well as Jamaica, living in Boulder, Colorado.
In this episode, we talked about:
-“Success isn’t finite”
-the team model in running
-Team Boss
-what running means to her
-balance
-the importance of fun
-balancing competition and friendship
-what success means to her
-her Olympic experience
-margaritas
-what she’s most proud of
-intrinsic/extrinsic motivation
-the fundraiser that Team Boss did in June
-and more!
Follow along with Aisha’s adventures at instagram.com/aishapraughtleer and https://twitter.com/aishapraught
Thanks to @runjanji for sponsoring this episode. Their community called the Janji Collective was designed to provide an easy way for us as runners to help contribute to clean water projects worldwide.
For the $50 membership fee, they’ll put $50 towards supporting these clean water project and you’ll get a sweet singlet (just select the $75 option and use code FTLR) as well as a discount for life and early access to new gear!

Sep 22, 2020 • 50min
108. Mel Lawrence: Proud of sharing experiences
Mel Lawrence is today’s guest on the podcast. Mel is a professional runner for Oiselle and Little Wing in Bend, Oregon.
In this episode, we talked about:
-her first run
-her use of social media
-what she’s proud of
-balance
-growth as a professional athlete
-failure
-working at PickyBars
-being sponsored by Oiselle and coached by Lauren Fleshman
-feminism
-gratitude
-her legacy
-and much more!
Follow along with Mel’s adventures at instagram.com/mellawrence29 and twitter.com/mellawrence29
Thanks to @runjanji for sponsoring this episode. Their community called the Janji Collective was designed to provide an easy way for us as runners to help contribute to clean water projects worldwide.
For the $50 membership fee, they’ll put $50 towards supporting these clean water project and you’ll get a sweet singlet (just select the $75 option and use code FTLR) as well as a discount for life and early access to new gear!

Sep 18, 2020 • 58min
107. Nick de la Rosa: Battling Mental Health
Nickademus De La Rosa is a trail runner and coach living in Sedona, Arizona.
In this podcast, we dove deep into mental health, therapy and also talked about suicide.
We also talked about:
-having heart surgery in 2018
-borderline personality disorder and how it impacts him
-shame and self-loathing
-chasing the hardest events and why
-his relationship with running
-understanding that relationships and ultrarunning were what he defined worth by
-gratitude
-what “you are enough” means to Nick
-why he got out of bed today
-destigmatizing therapy
-his motivation for talking about therapy and mental health
-running as a part of therapy but not the only form of therapy
-his role models and how they’ve changed
-and much more
Follow along with Nick’s journey at https://www.instagram.com/ultrademus
Thanks to Janji for sponsoring this episode. As a runner you know the importance of hydration, but you might not know that almost 800 million people lack access to drinking water. By working together, we can create viable solutions and collectively, we can have a greater impact.
The Janji Collective is one way to do that. It's a membership that earns you tons of perks like discounts on gear and first access to new collections. It's also a community of adventurous runners around the world. 100% of the membership fee goes towards supporting clean water programs
I’m a member and enjoy knowing that it is a small step that each of us can take that when pooled together, can have quite an impact.
If you use the code FTLR, you can join the Janji collective for $50. You’ll receive a free singlet as well as a special members only discount for life. Every dollar from that will go towards supporting clean water programs.

Sep 15, 2020 • 1h 9min
106. Dana Bogan: keep showing up
Dana Bogan is a runner, fitness instructor and social worker in Boston, MA.
Dana’s a friend I’ve known for over five years and it has been a pleasure to watch her grow over that time.
In this episode, we talked about:
-why she started running
-being from an interracial couple
-going from short distance to long distance
-the pressure she feels related to running and racing
-“what does running mean to you?”
-her relationship with community
-life as a social worker
-mental health and the stigmas around it
-depression and related thoughts
-some of her amazing messages on instagram
-her initial apprehension for doing the podcast
-her racing goals (they’re a bit different yet AWESOME)
-some of her role models and biggest supporters
-success
-and so much more
Follow along with Dana’s adventures at instagram.com/strength.soul.sarcasm
Thanks to Janji for sponsoring this episode. As a runner you know the importance of hydration, but you might not know that almost 800 million people lack access to drinking water. By working together, we can create viable solutions and collectively, we can have a greater impact.
The Janji Collective is one way to do that. It's a membership that earns you tons of perks like discounts on gear and first access to new collections. It's also a community of adventurous runners around the world. 100% of the membership fee goes towards supporting clean water programs
I’m a member and enjoy knowing that it is a small step that each of us can take that when pooled together, can have quite an impact.
If you use the code FTLR, you can join the Janji collective for $50. You’ll receive a free singlet as well as a special members only discount for life. Every dollar from that will go towards supporting clean water programs.

Sep 11, 2020 • 53min
105. Ben Rosario: "Let the body drive the ship"
Ben Rosario, the first guest of the podcast returns for his second episode to talk about the recent four year contract that Northern Arizona Elite signed with HOKA ONE ONE, of which he is the coach for.
In this episode, we talked about:
-why Ben thinks that the group training model is the best model for both athletes and sponsors
-how it is a good deal for the industry overall
-health insurance for pro athletes
-recruiting and growth plans for NAZ Elite
-“let the body drive the ship”
-adding additional resources to NAZ Elite and what that looks like
-social media for athletes and how it’s a nearly necessary piece of the puzzle
-Tommy Rivers Puzey and what he means to the team and Flagstaff in general
-what he’s learned about himself in 2020
-how NAZ Elite has approached 2020
-balance as an athlete and coach
-focusing on finding a sense of normalcy
-and much more!
Thanks to Janji for sponsoring this episode. As a runner you know the importance of hydration, but you might not know that almost 800 million people lack access to drinking water. By working together, we can create viable solutions and collectively, we can have a greater impact.
The Janji Collective is one way to do that. It's a membership that earns you tons of perks like discounts on gear and first access to new collections. It's also a community of adventurous runners around the world. 100% of the membership fee goes towards supporting clean water programs
I’m a member and enjoy knowing that it is a small step that each of us can take that when pooled together, can have quite an impact.
If you use the code FTLR, you can join the Janji collective for $50. You’ll receive a free singlet as well as a special members only discount for life. Every dollar from that will go towards supporting clean water programs.

Sep 8, 2020 • 42min
104. Erika Kemp: Proud of what she helped create
Erika Kemp is a pro runner who was born in Japan, born in South Jersey, now living and training in Boston, MA for the BAA High Performance Team.
In this episode we talked about:
-coffee, as she’s a formally trained barista
-her entry into running
-the recruiting process onto the BAA High Performance Team
-what it felt like to have someone believe in her and her future skills
-the Boston running community
-training in 2020
-shifting goalposts with the Olympic Track Trials
-racing the mile and 5k
-failure
-where she sees herself in 10+ years
-what she’s most proud of
-some reflections on consistent answers from other pros
-her psychology background
-and much more!
Follow along with Erika’s training and adventures at instagram.com/imtinyrik and twitter.com/imtinyrik
Thanks to Janji for sponsoring this episode. As a runner you know the importance of hydration, but you might not know that almost 800 million people lack access to drinking water. By working together, we can create viable solutions and collectively, we can have a greater impact.
The Janji Collective is one way to do that. It's a membership that earns you tons of perks like discounts on gear and first access to new collections. It's also a community of adventurous runners around the world. 100% of the membership fee goes towards supporting clean water programs
I’m a member and enjoy knowing that it is a small step that each of us can take that when pooled together, can have quite an impact.
If you use the code FTLR, you can join the Janji collective for $50. You’ll receive a free singlet as well as a special members only discount for life. Every dollar from that will go towards supporting clean water programs.

Sep 4, 2020 • 47min
103. Mike Burnstein: Inspired by the places we run and the people we meet
This episode is with Mike Burnstein, one of the co-founders of Janji. Mike lives and runs in Cambridge, MA.
In this episode, we talked about:
-joining the cross country team to try and make the basketball team
-running in college and the team aspect that he loved
-the D3 championships and how it led to the initial idea of creating Janji
-starting a business as a college student
-how Ben Rosario’s guidance played a factor
-taking a huge risk and where it led
-coming away from The Running Event with 30 buyers for a product that didn’t fully exist yet
-travel and community focus
-a look into startup life
-growth as a business
-how the running apparel industry works
-how 2020 has impacted how they operate
-biggest lessons learned
-balance
-and much more!
Follow along with Mike and Janji at instagram.com/runjanji!
Thanks to Janji for sponsoring this episode. As a runner you know the importance of hydration, but you might not know that almost 800 million people lack access to drinking water. By working together, we can create viable solutions and collectively, we can have a greater impact.
The Janji Collective is one way to do that. It's a membership that earns you tons of perks like discounts on gear and first access to new collections. It's also a community of adventurous runners around the world. 100% of the membership fee goes towards supporting clean water programs
I’m a member and enjoy knowing that it is a small step that each of us can take that when pooled together, can have quite an impact.
If you use the code FTLR, you can join the Janji collective for $50. You’ll receive a free singlet as well as a special members only discount for life. Every dollar from that will go towards supporting clean water programs.

Aug 31, 2020 • 37min
102. Klodian Mitri: Paying it forward when it comes to opportunities for family
Klodian Mitri is a triathlete turned trail runner now living in Utah, born and raised in Albania who came to the US in the late 90’s.
In this episode we talked about:
-being a parent in the time of COVID
-traveling
-living in Utah
-going from being a triathlete to more of a dedicated runner
-going from his first sprint tri on three days notice to Ironman Kona
-the best “borrowing a wetsuit story” ever
-his marathon goals
-his community
-his yearly bagel consumption
-what he’s scared of
Follow along with Klodian’s adventures and quest to meet Ryan Gosling at instagram.com/klodiangosling
This podcast is sponsored by RAD Boulder. RAD stands for Real Athlete Diets, and is a Boulder based small business that supports a ton of amazing runners in the trail community. I’ve used their meal prep services for events in Colorado and the food is absolutely incredible.
They now offer a box available anywhere in the US that has some of their favorites, including a seed mix, an amazing vinaigrette, and if you’re still looking for a sour dough starter, you’ll find one in there too.
They’re also donating 10% of all sales from this box to National Black Food Justice Alliance, which is focused on building and organizing for food sovereignty, land and justice.
Head to RADBoulder.com to learn more!