
the morning shakeout podcast
Host Mario Fraioli gleans insight and inspiration from top athletes, coaches, and personalities in the sport of running. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Latest episodes

Jun 10, 2025 • 1h 9min
Bonus Pod: Reflecting on 500 Issues of the morning shakeout Newsletter
This week on the podcast I sit down with my right-hand man Chris Douglas to discuss the history of the morning shakeout email newsletter, which just celebrated its 500th issue. It's been published every Tuesday since November 17, 2015.This episode is brought to you by: — Tracksmith, New Balance, Precision Fuel & Hydration, and Final Surge. All of these brands have missions I believe in and products that I trust and use myself on a regular basis. One of the best ways to support the morning shakeout is by patronizing the partners that help keep them going week in and week out. Check out this page some of the discount codes and special offers available exclusively to readers and listeners of the morning shakeout.Click here for complete show notes and sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 31, 2025 • 1h 14min
Episode 245 | Simon Freeman and Mario Fraioli on "Peak Running," Event Hype, and Fundamentals Over Fads
I recently sat down with my good friend and frequent podcast guest Simon Freeman, the co-founder and publisher of my favorite running magazine, Like The Wind, for our second quarterly conversation of 2025, which you can listen to wherever you get the morning shakeout podcast. An excerpt of this exchange can be found in Issue #45 of LtW, which comes out this week. (You can buy a copy or subscribe here.)In this episode we discuss the idea of "peak running," the seemingly ever-growing hype around events, fundamentals over fads in training, why chasing optimization is a fool's errand, and a lot more.Click here for complete show notes and sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 6, 2025 • 1h 13min
Episode 244: Ask Mario Anything
This week on the podcast I sit down with my right-hand man Chris Douglas and answer reader and listener questions about dream podcast guests, training ideas I have and haven’t changed my mind about, the impact of AI on coaching, best mindset practices for training and racing, and a lot more. There’s even a good rant from me on running while sick/injured that I hope folks will appreciate and take to heart.This episode is brought to you by: — Tracksmith, New Balance, Precision Fuel & Hydration, and Final Surge. All of these brands have missions I believe in and products that I trust and use myself on a regular basis. One of the best ways to support the morning shakeout is by patronizing the partners that help keep them going week in and week out. Check out this page some of the discount codes and special offers available exclusively to readers and listeners of the morning shakeout.Click here for complete show notes and sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 28, 2025 • 1h 41min
Episode 243 | Sebastian Junger on Running, Writing, and Not Negotiating With Yourself
Sebastian Junger, a New York Times bestselling author known for titles like "The Perfect Storm" and a passionate distance runner, shares his unique insights on the intersection of running and writing. He discusses how running shapes identity and parallels experiences in combat, emphasizing how fear and exhaustion dissolve ego. Junger reflects on his transformative journey from athlete to author, highlighting the emotional ties to both sports and stories. The conversation also touches on the communal aspect of running and the cultural significance within various communities.

Feb 28, 2025 • 1h 9min
Episode 242 | Simon Freeman and Mario Fraioli on The Importance of Making Time for Quiet, Creating Space, and Slowing Down
I recently sat down with my good friend and frequent podcast guest Simon Freeman, the co-founder, editor, and publisher of my favorite running magazine, Like The Wind, for our first quarterly conversation of 2025, which you can listen to wherever you get the morning shakeout podcast. An excerpt of this exchange can be found in Issue #44 of LtW, which comes out this week. (You can buy a copy or subscribe here.)In this episode we discuss the importance of making time for quiet, creating space for ourselves, and slowing down in both running and in life.This episode is brought to you by: — Tracksmith, New Balance, Precision Fuel & Hydration, and Final Surge. All of these brands have missions I believe in and products that I trust and use myself on a regular basis. One of the best ways to support the morning shakeout is by patronizing the partners that help keep them going week in and week out. Check out this page some of the discount codes and special offers available exclusively to readers and listeners of the morning shakeout.Click here for complete show notes and sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 27, 2025 • 1h 21min
Episode 241 | Ben Rosario on The Marathon Project, Entrepreneurship, and The Third Running Boom
Ben Rosario has worn a lot of hats in the sport and industry of running: professional athlete and two-time U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon qualifier, co-founder of the Big River Running Company, race director, elite athlete coordinator, marketing director, author, and, most recently, founder, head coach, and director of HOKA Northern Arizona Elite. In December of 2024 Ben stepped away from his involvement with NAZ Elite to focus on the next iteration of The Marathon Project, a race that he co-founded and put on for the first time in December of 2020.In this episode—Ben's third appearance on the podcast—he and I talk about the return of The Marathon Project, his career as an entrepreneur in the running industry, running's third "boom," and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by: — Tracksmith, New Balance, Precision Fuel & Hydration, and Final Surge. All of these brands have missions I believe in and products that I trust and use myself on a regular basis. One of the best ways to support the morning shakeout is by patronizing the partners that help keep them going week in and week out. Check out this page some of the discount codes and special offers available exclusively to readers and listeners of the morning shakeout.Click here for complete show notes and sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 1, 2024 • 1h 6min
Episode 240 | Simon Freeman and Mario Fraioli on the Different and Evolving Reasons Why We Run
I recently sat down with my good friend and frequent podcast guest Simon Freeman, the co-founder, editor, and publisher of my favorite running magazine, Like The Wind, for our final quarterly conversation of 2024, which you can listen to wherever you get the morning shakeout podcast. An excerpt of this exchange can be found in Issue #43 of LtW, which comes out this week. (You can buy a copy or subscribe here.)In this episode, we talk about the different reasons why people run—and how, and why, those reasons usually change or evolve over time. Check it out wherever you listen to podcasts.This episode is brought to you by: — Tracksmith, New Balance, Precision Fuel & Hydration, and Final Surge. All of these brands have missions I believe in and products that I trust and use myself on a regular basis. One of the best ways to support the morning shakeout is by patronizing the partners that help keep them going week in and week out. Check out this page some of the discount codes and special offers available exclusively to readers and listeners of the morning shakeout.Click here for complete show notes and sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 5, 2024 • 1h 25min
Episode 239 | Vincent Bouillard on UTMB, His Life in Sport, and What's Next
Vincent Bouillard was the surprise winner (to some, anyway!) of the 2024 Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc, the most prestigious ultramarathon trail race in the world. The 31-year-old Frenchman, who works in product engineering and innovation at HOKA, broke the tape in 19 hours, 54 minutes, and 23 seconds, the third-fastest time in the 21-year history of the 105-mile race.In this conversation, which was recorded in early October 2024, Bouillard told me what life's been like since his big victory and what may or may not change for him moving forward. We discussed his life as an athlete and how he's honed his focus from a young age. He told me about his relationship with his wife, Kamilah Journét (who appeared on this podcast in 2020), why he shifted his focus to ultras a few years ago, how he trained for UTMB, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by: — Tracksmith, New Balance, Precision Fuel & Hydration, and Final Surge. All of these brands have missions I believe in and products that I trust and use myself on a regular basis. One of the best ways to support the morning shakeout is by patronizing the partners that help keep them going week in and week out. Check out this page some of the discount codes and special offers available exclusively to readers and listeners of the morning shakeout.Click here for complete show notes and sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Podcast cover photo courtesy of Marzelle van der Merwe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 14, 2024 • 1h 9min
Episode 238 | Ask Mario Anything
This week on the podcast I sat down with my right-hand man Chris Douglas and answered reader and listener questions about the updated Boston Marathon qualifying standards, balancing gym sessions with running workouts, how to better manage long runs when you're an older athlete, what is exciting me most in running at the moment, advice for aspiring coaches, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by: — Tracksmith, New Balance, Precision Fuel & Hydration, and Final Surge. All of these brands have missions I believe in and products that I trust and use myself on a regular basis. One of the best ways to support the morning shakeout is by patronizing the partners that help keep them going week in and week out. Check out this page some of the discount codes and special offers available exclusively to readers and listeners of the morning shakeout.Click here for complete show notes and sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sep 2, 2024 • 1h 26min
Episode 237 | Simon Freeman and Mario Fraioli on Navigating Pressure
I recently sat down with my good friend and frequent podcast guest Simon Freeman, the co-founder, editor, and publisher of my favorite running magazine, Like The Wind, for our third quarterly conversation of 2024, which you can listen to wherever you get the morning shakeout podcast. An excerpt of this exchange can be found in Issue #42 of LtW, which comes out this week. (You can buy a copy or subscribe here.)In this episode, which was recorded in August while the men's 1500m final at the Paris Olympics was taking place—if nothing else, listen in for our live reactions during that race—we spoke about pressure: what it is, where it comes from, and how we navigate it in running, work, and other aspects of our life. It was an insightful one, and we hope you feel the same way, so tune in wherever you listen to podcasts.This episode is brought to you by: — Tracksmith, New Balance, Precision Fuel & Hydration, and Final Surge. All of these brands have missions I believe in and products that I trust and use myself on a regular basis. One of the best ways to support the morning shakeout is by patronizing the partners that help keep them going week in and week out. Check out this page some of the discount codes and special offers available exclusively to readers and listeners of the morning shakeout.Click here for complete show notes and sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday.Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.