the morning shakeout podcast

“It’s possible to have a dysfunctional, unhealthy relationship to anything, right? So I would invite people to look at their own relationship to whatever it is they’re doing, whether it’s running or anything, and say, ‘How is this serving me? Or not serving me? Am I doing this to the exclusion of my responsibilities to my family, friends, loved ones, community? Or, in fact, is this practice of running actually foundational in helping me do that?’ My sense is that overall for the majority of runners and athletes it’s the second scenario which is true: that running actually tends to cultivate connection and gratitude and love and the ability to be of service to others. If it stops being that then maybe you want to look at that but I think it’s usually the case that it’s a positive force in people’s lives.” This week’s episode is with J.M. Thompson. He’s an ultrarunner, a clinical psychologist, and author of the new book, Running Is A Kind of Dreaming, a powerful, mind-bending memoir about how running saved him from a life of depression, drug addiction, and suicide attempts. This conversation was fascinating and one of my favorites that I’ve had for the podcast to date. In it, we discuss J.M.’s book, how it’s structured, and how it came to be, but also what it’s been like for him, as a mental health professional, to open about his own issues so publicly. We talked about ultrarunning, his evolving relationship to it, and the types of personalities the sport tends to attract. Jason told me about what he called the “waking dream state” that he experiences in long races, the process of reorganizing our past experiences with trauma so that we can move forward, the importance of learning to ask for help, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by:— Tracksmith. Tracksmith crafts performance running apparel, inspiring publications, and distinct experiences that allow runners to indulge in the sport’s rich culture. Go to tracksmith.com/mario to check out some of my favorite apparel picks and use the code MARIO at checkout to get free shipping on your order while also helping support #LASAVESTRACK. — Recover Athletics. Recover Athletics has worked with the world's best sports physicians and Olympians like Meb Keflezighi to design an app that makes prehab fun and easy. In 90 seconds, the app will customize a program for your body and your training with different resistance exercises, plyometrics, and mobility work. No pills, no potions, no BS, just 100% evidence based exercises that are easy to follow on your iPhone or iPad. It’s available only in the iOS app store by searching "Recover Athletics" or at this link: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/recover-athletics-run-healthy/id1488347465 Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-182-with-j-m-thompson/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: https://themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit. When I was a little girl I was selling lollipops at school. I had this relative who had these big lollipops, the 8-inch ones that were really colorful but not healthy to eat, but I would go to school—as long as they let me—selling lollipops until they said no. But I’ve always liked to be a groundbreaker and the thing about me is I don’t operate out of a mode of fear. I just don’t operate out of fear. I never have. And you have to have that to be an entrepreneur—you can’t have a lot of fear. Success is going to be hard to come by.” This week’s episode is with Jenny Maxwell. She’s the founder and CEO of JAMBAR, an energy bar for promoting community and eating healthy organic nutrition. This isn’t Jenny’s first foray into the energy bar market: she and her late husband Brian practically created it in the mid-1980s when they launched Powerbar, which they worked on together for 15 years until it was acquired by Nestle in 2000. Jenny is also a runner, a drummer, a nutritionist, and a mom of 6 kids—in full disclosure, I coach one of them, her son Chris, who is a heck of a marathoner in his own right. In this conversation, we talk about launching JAMBAR after 20 years away from the energy bar industry, how the space has evolved and grown over the past two decades, and what she’s doing to make her new company and product different from the rest. Jenny and I also discuss playing the long game and taking a patient, sustainable approach to both business and life, aligning yourself with the right people, the similarities in how athletes and musicians approach their respective crafts, and a lot more. As a thank you for listening to this episode, Jenny would like to extend a 10% discount on JAMBAR products to morning shakeout listeners. Simply place an order at Jambar.com and use the code JAMBARFUEL at checkout. And just to be fully transparent, I am not getting paid by JAMBAR, I am not an affiliate of the company, and I get nothing out of you using this discount code. It’s a gift from Jenny and an invitation to try out her latest culinary creation.This episode is brought to you by:— Tracksmith. Tracksmith crafts performance running apparel, inspiring publications, and distinct experiences that allow runners to indulge in the sport’s rich culture. Tracksmith is offering new customers $15 off your first purchase of $75+. Just use code MARIO15 when you check out at tracksmith.com/mario.— Goodr: If you want to support the podcast and treat yourself to a pair of goodr sunglasses, head over to goodr.com/MARIO or enter the code MARIO at checkout for 15% off your order. Look good, run goodr!Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-181-with-jenny-maxwell/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: https://themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“The thing that I’ve realized I like about competitiveness is that, yes, it’s fun to beat other people in a soccer game and that’s one measure, but the real thing that’s rewarding is continuously getting better at something, or continuously working at something and putting in this work and seeing what the outputs are and continuing to try to do better. And even now I think I’m hopefully not at a permanent stage where I’m going backwards—but recovering from an injury—and I’m not running any of the same speeds that I have run in the past, but I’m working at it and I find it really rewarding to be better than I was last week.” This week’s conversation is a little different from the ones I usually have for the show. It’s with Leidy Klotz, a professor at the University of Virginia who studies how we transform things from how they are to how we want them to be. He’s the author of the book Subtract: The Untapped Science of Less, which is the spark that set off this conversation, and he’s also a runner himself.In this episode, we talked about Leidy’s relationship to running and the place it holds in his life before getting into a discussion about subtraction and why it often gets neglected in favor of addition in so many aspects of our lives, including running. We talked about subtraction as it relates to coaching, writing training programs, and even running shoes, how to overcome our instinct to add to things all the time, looking at life through an editor’s lens, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by:— Tracksmith. Tracksmith crafts performance running apparel, inspiring publications, and distinct experiences that allow runners to indulge in the sport’s rich culture. Tracksmith is offering new customers $15 off your first purchase of $75+. Just use code MARIO15 when you check out at tracksmith.com/mario.— Goodr: If you want to support the podcast and treat yourself to a pair of goodr sunglasses, head over to goodr.com/MARIO or enter the code MARIO at checkout for 15% off your order. Look good, run goodr!Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-180-with-leidy-klotz/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: https://themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“If there’s stressful stuff, and who doesn’t have that, the run eases it. It absolutely does. We hear this, of course, from lots of people, and more and more people are figuring out what’s going on in terms of brain chemistry—it eases anxiety and stress, I’m talking about serious stress with people, clinical anxiety—but I feel that. And so years and years ago I kind of assumed a mantra, if you will, and that is you come home from work and haven’t run, and it is, ‘When in doubt, do it.’ And it’s served me well, and it still doesn’t mean I haven’t missed some days, but if I’m kind of on the fence, I’m a little tired, I don’t feel up to it, a lot on my mind—get out the door, get in some miles, and I always find that I’m better off for it.” The 50th running of the New York City Marathon is just a couple weekends away and who better to talk to about it than George Hirsch, chairman of the New York Road Runners, and someone who has been involved with the event to one degree or another since its beginnings. This conversation was a real treat for me. We spent half of it talking about the New York City Marathon, its history, its stories, its allure, and more. We also discussed how all of those things went into a new book called The New York City Marathon: 50 Years Running, which is a coffee table keepsake that I’m really enjoying right now. I also got George to tell me more about himself, his legendary career in publishing, which included a stint at Runner’s World during its heyday, how he got his start in running back in the 1960s, what keeps him running six days a week at the age of 87, how his relationship to it has evolved over the decades, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by:— Runderwear. Runderwear's mission is to eliminate the discomfort caused by ill-fitting underwear and to create seamless performance running underwear, base wear, bras and socks that are supremely comfortable, moisture wicking and chafe-free. Take a look at Runderwear.com and use the code TMS20 at checkout for 20% off your purchase. — Precision Hydration. I’ve been a devotee to PH products for the past 4 years and my last few marathons wouldn’t have gone as well without them. Go to precisionhydration.com and take their free online Sweat Test or use the Carb Calculator to get a personalized hydration and nutrition strategy to test in training. As a listener of the show you can get 15% off your first order by using the code TMS15 when checking out.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-179-with-george-hirsch/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: https://themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“My goals and expectations when I joined the team was committing to the Olympic Trials…but we were all changed through the pandemic. Who I am as a 24-year-old joining a professional team versus me as a 27-year-old kind of living through this high-end running thing, one of my number one goals is I don’t want to just be stuck on the domestic mile circuit. If I’m going to do this, I want to do it right. And I was pretty bummed that my body tipped the other end of the scale and couldn’t quite figure it out…I think if I committed to keep going and training in the environment that I was in, it kind of would have been the same cycle, so I was like, ‘You know what, this might not be the most prudent move, but I’m going to end this and start a new chapter,’ so that’s kind of what I’ve been doing this summer, is figuring out what that chapter looks like.” My conversation this week is with Dana Giordano. She’s a top middle distance runner on the track who competed in the 5000m at this summer’s Olympic Trials. She also hosts the popular podcast More than Running with Dana, where she sits down and talks with some of the most inspirational and insightful women in running from athletes and coaches to insiders and advocates. In this episode, we talked about where she’s at right now and rediscovering the love for running after feeling distraught following the Olympic Trials. She told me about living in Singapore as a kid and developing a love for travel. We spoke about the professional side of the sport and the challenges of making it as a top-level athlete today. We also discussed her podcast, connecting with people, sharing untold stories, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by:— New Balance. The Fresh Foam 1080 v11 is an absolute workhorse and it’s been my go-to trainer for most of my non-workout runs in 2021. It’s got great cushioning underfoot that’s protective but not too soft, providing a responsive ride that I really enjoy and appreciate. Check it out at newbalance.com and consider adding a pair to your rotation today.— Precision Hydration. I’ve been a devotee to PH products for the past 4 years and my last few marathons wouldn’t have gone as well without them. Go to precisionhydration.com and take their free online Sweat Test or use the Carb Calculator to get a personalized hydration and nutrition strategy to test in training. As a listener of the show you can get 15% off your first order by using the code TMS15 when checking out.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-178-with-dana-giordano/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: https://themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Talent is an interesting question. What is it really? It means, can you avoid injuries? It means, can you back off? When you get crushed, will you come back? I didn’t like that part. I think it’s a lot of different things. It’s not maybe a physical thing, but it’s a mental thing. When you see a lot of these athletes—a lot of you are here because you have that wherewithal. And maybe you got beat up, because we all get beat up in this sport—it’s part of it, it’s like a rite of passage. It’s just part of it. But it’s OK, it’s good.”This week on the podcast I’m excited to share a wide-ranging conversation I had this past Saturday with the legendary Bill Rodgers at Tracksmith’s Trackhouse in Boston. Bill is a hero of mine and I’ve long wanted to have him on the show and Boston Marathon weekend turned out to be the perfect opportunity for it. In this conversation, we talk all things Boston, of course, but also get Bill’s thoughts on his career, talent, training, how his own relationship with running has evolved over the course of his lifetime, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by:— Tracksmith. Tracksmith crafts performance running apparel, inspiring publications, and distinct experiences that allow runners to indulge in the sport’s rich culture. Tracksmith is offering new customers $15 off your first purchase of $75+. Just use code MARIO15 when you check out at tracksmith.com/mario.— Goodr: If you want to support the podcast and treat yourself to a pair of goodr sunglasses, head over to goodr.com/MARIO or enter the code MARIO at checkout for 15% off your order. Look good, run goodr!Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-177-with-bill-rodgers/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: https://themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“I mean, the work’s done at this point. I can’t gain any appreciable fitness between now and race day. I could screw up a lot if I’m not careful and that’s the biggest thing I’m trying to keep an eye on at this point, is when I have those moments where doubt sets in—because it happens to all of us, even if we’re really well prepared—where you’re like, ‘Should I do another mile or two?’ or ‘Should I do another rep?’ and that’s where you have to have the confidence to say, ‘No, it’s not going to make a difference.’ The difference is in the last 10-12 weeks, it’s not in 10 or 12 more miles, or 10 or 12 more minutes, or 1 or 2 more reps. You just gotta trust it at this point. And, I think having that attitude helps me carry the right amount of confidence into race day.” This week on the podcast I’m answering listener questions in the third Ask Mario Anything episode of 2021. (You can check out the first two here and here.) On the other side of the mic for this one—once again—is sponsorship director, Chris Douglas. We talked about my training for this year's Boston Marathon, how to know whether or not you’ve got too much left in the tank at the end of a race, training while on vacation, warming up for workouts, diversity and inclusivity in my work, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by:— New Balance. The new FuelCell RC Elite v2 is the best long-distance road racing shoe I've ever worn and I'll be using it for my upcoming marathon. They’ve got more FuelCell cushioning in the midsole than the previous model, which softens the blow underfoot, but they’re still plenty responsive enough so that you can get into a good rhythm and rip some fast miles. The upper is incredibly lightweight, comfortable, and supportive. Check it out at newbalance.com and consider adding a pair to your rotation today.— Goodr: If you want to support the podcast and treat yourself to a pair of goodr sunglasses, head over to goodr.com/MARIO or enter the code MARIO at checkout for 15% off your order. Look good, run goodr!Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-176-ask-mario-anything/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: https://themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“If all that mattered to me was [to run] the best time possible in two weeks then yes, I’d probably go into the other field and just run with some people who I know are right around my fitness level, but luckily I’ve had fun at Boston a couple times and I realize that’s not all there is. It’s not only about squeaking out every second, it’s about having an awesome experience and I’m pretty pumped to compete. I think in the best way possible, when I think about that last stretch by BU and how horrible it is and how painful it can be to try to muster…you’ve got like two miles to go and you’re like, ‘I just wanna be done.’ My dream would be that there’s someone ahead of me and they’re another Masters runner that has a number on their back and I’m like, ‘I gotta catch that guy,’ because that’s what also makes it super fun.” Peter Bromka, who first appeared on Episode 92 of the podcast back in 2019, comes back on the show to geek out on all things Boston Marathon with me. Both of us will be competing in this year’s race on Monday, October 11, and Peter will be in the elite field as one of the top-ranked Masters runners, which is super cool. A 2:19 marathoner who just missed qualifying for the 2020 Olympic Trials, Peter is also well known for his writing about running, and one of his more recent pieces, called “The Bubble of a Dream,” will be included in The Year’s Best Sports Writing 2021, which is due out next month. Peter’s also got a great newsletter called The Positive Split, which you can subscribe to at PeterBromka.com. We spent the entirety of this episode talking about Boston, how we’re feeling in the final couple weeks of training leading up to the race, what we’re most looking forward to—and anxious about—at this year’s event, the return of major marathons in general, Boston being held in the fall for the first time, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by:— Runderwear. Runderwear's mission is to eliminate the discomfort caused by ill-fitting underwear and to create seamless performance running underwear, base wear, bras and socks that are supremely comfortable, moisture wicking and chafe-free. Take a look at Runderwear.com and use the code TMS20 at checkout for 20% off your purchase. — Precision Hydration. I’ve been a devotee to PH products for the past 4 years and my last few marathons wouldn’t have gone as well without them. Go to precisionhydration.com and take their free online Sweat Test or use the Carb Calculator to get a personalized hydration and nutrition strategy to test in training. As a listener of the show you can get 15% off your first order by using the code TMS15 when checking out.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-175-with-peter-bromka/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: https://themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“It’s really inspiring to see someone push themselves and challenge themselves…Bringing out the achievements of people who are fighting the odds, and really putting into context today’s race, even for a pro, because even a pro is overcoming something tremendous each race they do—it’s never rosy. And understanding that hardship, I think, will give people context into the meaning of a particular race for a particular runner, whether they’re an amateur or the world’s best.” Sanjay Rawal is a New York City-based runner and filmmaker. At the time of this conversation in 2018 he had just released a film called 3100: Run and Become, which takes an intimate look at one of the most unique foot races on the planet, The Sri Chinmoy 3100-Mile Self-Transcendence Race. That race—which is the longest certified road race in the world—is actually going on right now in Queens, New York. Participants are attempting to complete 3100 miles in 52 days (or less) around the same half-mile block of concrete in the city. In this re-run episode, we talked about the 3100 film, of course, but also about the idea of running as a spiritual practice throughout history, the connection between competition and spirituality, running as a cultural connector, and a lot more. Whether you’re a competitive athlete or recreational runner, a miler or an ultramarathoner, this conversation will change the way you look at running and the role it plays in your life.This episode is brought to you by:— New Balance. The Fresh Foam 1080 v11 is an absolute workhorse and it’s been my go-to trainer for most of my non-workout runs in 2021. It’s got great cushioning underfoot that’s protective but not too soft, providing a responsive ride that I really enjoy and appreciate. Check it out at newbalance.com and consider adding a pair to your rotation today.— Precision Hydration. I’ve been a devotee to PH products for the past 4 years and my last few marathons wouldn’t have gone as well without them. Go to precisionhydration.com and take their free online Sweat Test or use the Carb Calculator to get a personalized hydration and nutrition strategy to test in training. As a listener of the show you can get 15% off your first order by using the code TMS15 when checking out.Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-re-run-with-sanjay-rawal/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“My goal with coaching people is to teach them and have them understand why we’re doing what we’re doing so if I ever stop coaching them, or for whatever reason we part ways, that they are basically able to coach themselves the same way I was coaching them previously. My job is to eliminate my own job, I guess.” Jon Green is the 26-year-old coach of Olympic marathon bronze medalist Molly Seidel. He is also the head coach of Atalanta NYC, a New York City-based nonprofit that employs and supports professional female runners that are training to achieve their goals while also serving as core mentors for its youth mentoring program. As an athlete, Jon was an All-American at Georgetown University and ran professionally for a brief period of time before turning his attention to coaching. In this conversation, we go deep into Jon’s background as an athlete, we talk about our shared Central Massachusetts roots, and then turn our attention to coaching, where we discuss working with Molly Seidel, of course, but also who has influenced his philosophy, how he views his role as a coach, where he has the most room to grow, and a lot more.This episode is brought to you by:— New Balance. The Fresh Foam 1080 v11 is an absolute workhorse and it’s been my go-to trainer for most of my non-workout runs in 2021. It’s got great cushioning underfoot that’s protective but not too soft, providing a responsive ride that I really enjoy and appreciate. Check it out at newbalance.com and consider adding a pair to your rotation today.— Goodr: If you want to support the podcast and treat yourself to a pair of goodr sunglasses, head over to goodr.com/MARIO or enter the code MARIO at checkout for 15% off your order. Look good, run goodr!Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-174-with-jon-green/Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.