A few weeks ago I shared an interview with my wife Erin on her recent success with . That episode was the most downloaded release in No Meat Athlete Radio history, and the feedback and questions about the program have been pouring in. So to help answer those questions, and dive deeper into the philosophies behind the program, I asked Chef AJ herself to join me for an interview. During this episode you not only get to witness firsthand Chef AJ's fiery personality, but we discuss what it means to eat left of the red line, why eliminating oil isn't the extreme step most people think, and exactly how Erin lost all that baby weight.

Hanging on the wall in my office, so that I see it every time I start a workday, is a one-page essay by Seth Godin, titled "Pick Yourself."This simple phrase, to me, represents the enormous opportunity offered to each of us by our hyper-connected world. There are almost no "gatekeepers" anymore: if you want to be a leader, an artist, a change-maker, you don't need to wait around and hope you get picked.Instead, pick yourself. Start doing the thing you want to do and use the incredible tools -- blogs, podcasts, YouTube channels, social media -- now at your disposal to amplify and deliver your message to the people who need to hear it.This is exactly what Alex and Jeanette Ruiz have done as leaders of the successful NMA Miami group. At a time in their life when they were considering a move to another city for lack of plant-based culture in Miami, the opportunity to step up and lead their local movement came along.Their success in connecting with like minds made them hungry for more change, and they've taken their role as leaders in this movement a step further with a new podcast, called Planted in Miami, which was featured in iTunes' "New and Notable" section last week.In this episode of No Meat Athlete Radio, I talk with Alex and Jeanette about the success of NMA Miami and the steps they've taken to achieve early success with their podcast. This in hopes, of course, that it inspires you to find your voice in this movement, and to pick yourself.

"How have you been?""Good! Very busy."That common answer to what is most likely the most common question, makes me sad. As a society, we seem to idealize being busy. If we're busy, we must have a purpose. I've never been good at being busy, which is probably why I'm not cut out for the corporate world. I like to have time -- lots of time -- to do the things I like doing, not the stuff I feel like I have to do. That's what I talk about in today's podcast. How to build a lifestyle that creates both more time and energy to enjoy that time. Many traditional time management systems don't work for me, but the approach I take, and share in this episode, allows me have the time to do what I want. And yes, avoid feeling busy just to feel busy.

Have you ever thought to yourself that your running habit would finally stick if it were just a little easier? As a husband, business owner, and father of two with little time and plenty of obligations, I'll do anything I can to make running easier. That doesn't mean I cheat my way out of the difficult days (I believe that's impossible with running), but it does mean I take advantage of easy tricks that make a difference. It turns out Doug's the same way. In today's episode Doug and I pulled together our favorite hacks, genius ones if you ask me, in hopes that they'll remove a few obstacles from your running routine. Because if you were given the opportunity to make something inherently difficult a little simpler, why wouldn't you?

After this year's vegan cruise, my wife Erin set a goal. By the next cruise she would get back to her pre-baby weight and rock a bikini. Over the past few months Erin has not only lost 18 pounds, but reclaimed her passion for fitness in the process.

Here at No Meat Athlete, we aren't fans of following strict diet rules. We believe in a little flexibility when it comes to eating. But if there was an official No Meat Athlete diet, these 10 guidelines would be it. Guidelines for how to eat healthy on a daily basis, with enough wiggle room to make it sustainable for the long term. In today's episode, Doug and I discuss those healthy eating guidelines, and exactly why building in that flexibility is important.

What if I told you that by limiting yourself with a strong commitment, you're actually freeing yourself up to be more creative. You'd think I'm crazy, right? But it's true! Constraints on what you can do actually help artists, writers, and even runners. Which is why I recently posted a set of new commitments on the blog. A shiny new running commitment, and a somewhat scary commitment to you listeners. In today's episode, Doug and I talk about the power of commitment, and how to actually succeed once that commitment has been made. Which was all good for me to hear, because the last thing I want to do is fail in front of you guys.

Hold up...Doug WINS a 24 hour ultramarathon? Last weekend he not only kept his NMA Radio guarantee by reaching 100 miles under the cut-off, but did us one better by actually winning the race. In today's episode we hear a few battle stories from the race, what he learned, and how he managed the monotony of a loop course. And as summer approaches in the northern hemisphere, so does the heat. After the race discussion Doug and I dive into strategies and tips for training and racing on those hottest of summer days.

We answer 8 common questions from No Meat Athlete readers and listeners.

How we're training for two very different races.