Run to the Top Podcast | The Ultimate Guide to Running

Katy Sherratt is the CEO of Back On My Feet, a non-profit organization that helps homeless and those down on their luck get – you guessed it! – back on their feet.  But they do it with running!  Members of Back On My Feet meet three times a week for morning runs on top of interview training, health and wellness education, and other services that help them find jobs and get their lives running again.  As CEO, Katy brings her philanthropic eye and economics experience to an already thriving business.  We discuss the ways she’s increased donations, increased programmatic impact, and improved the ways the company measures the success of its members.  There are waiting lists of people waiting to participate in Back On My feet, and Katy shares the way we can all help out.  Here are some of the topics we’ll discuss today: Everything Katy’s accomplished with Back On My Feet How health and success work together to create social wellness The ways running builds self-esteem and empowers individuals How individuals and the corporate world work together for social wellness What we can all do to be more socially aware How we can donate our time and money to Back On My Feet  Questions Katy is asked: 3:34 When did Katy move over to the United States? 4:30 Why is running so special? 5:33 Do you run in the mornings? 7:02 What has Katy accomplished with Back On My Feet? 9:00 What is Back On My Feet and how does it work? 11:28 Everyone with Back On My Feet gets a free pair of running shoes 12:08 What’s it like being a Back On My Feet alumni? 13:13 How did you convince your sponsors to get involved? 15:05 How many members join marathons? 16:10 Which cities participate in Back On My Feet? 17:06 How can we get in touch with Back On My Feet? 18:10 How big can Back On My Feet get? 19:24 How do the sponsors help members find jobs and get back on their feet? 21:20 Does Back On My Feet offer interview training for members? 22:32 How do donations work with Back On My Feet? 24:45 What attracted Katy to Back On My Feet? 25:53 What attracts Katy to social wellness? 26:40 What social differences do you see between the UK and the USA? 28:22 Are things moving in the right direction? 29:35 How many different ways can corporations work with Back On My Feet? 31:11 Why is running so empowering? 33:43 What moment brought it home for Katy? 36:29 How Katy’s mom inspires her 38:07 How is the running community like a family? 39:20 How does recruitment work? 41:15 Why do you start running so early in the morning? 43:27 The story that impacted Katy the most 46:28 What happens at the beginning and the end of each run? 49:18 The Final Kick Round! Quotes by Katy: “I run a mile a minute in how I act in daily life, and for me when I go running it’s a moment of clarity.” “Back On My Feet starts with running.” “Companies and corporations want to work with non-profits in a unique way. They want a variety of ways.” “The reason we use running is because anyone can do it. We are born to run.”   Links: Back On My Feet To get involved: info@backonmyfeet.org How to get your business involved: partners@backonmyfeet.org November Project Born to Run Chris McDougall Cytomax Clif Bar We really hope you’ve enjoyed this episode of Run to the Top. The best way you can show your support of the show is to share this podcast with your family and friends and share it on your Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media channel you use. If more people who know about the podcast and download the episodes, it means I can reach out to and get through to the top running influencers, to bring them on and share their advice, which hopefully makes the show even more enjoyable for you!

Today’s episode is going to completely change the way you look at running form. I’m sure we’re all guilty of saying we have “bad form” while running. I know my own peroneal arthritis effects my form and the way I think about it, and that’s why I brought the Gait Guys on the podcast. It’s time to get a new perspective! Durability is what Dr. Shawn Allen and Dr. Ivo Waerlop are all about. Your running form isn’t really what matters. It’s how durable and economical that form is and what it’s doing to and for your body. Injuries, surgery, and simple ignorance are all responsible for our running forms, regardless of whether they’re good or bad, but it’s easier than you think to re-train your body to overcome discomfort and pain. You may not even need to change your running form at all. Rather, we are going to discuss permanent moving patterns and how to make up for what your patterns might be lacking in order for you to have the [...]

Will you help me give a wedding present today? My guest didn’t start out as a runner, in fact, she did not start running until one year ago. Chiara was a springboard diver who was inspired to run by the most powerful force of all: love! As new runners, we all know how magical that first run can be, but today’s episode is truly for the romantic runner. Chiara shares one of the most romantic relationship stories I have ever heard about how her fiancé Francesco inspired her to become a better runner and a better woman. She’s discovered a whole new world of health and fitness that would not have been possible if she and Francesco had never met, and she shares with us how a new perspective on running can inspire change in your whole life. Here are some of the topics we’ll discuss today: How running compares to other niche sports How feelings for a significant other can inspire your perspectives on health and exercise Tr [...]

If you’ve ever run a marathon, you know how hectic race day can be.  You’re out of your element, you’re in a new area, and everything about your routine is falling apart. This is where Chris Heuisler comes in!  I brought Chris on the podcast today to talk about what he does as the RunWestin Concierge.  As concierge, he’s on-call to every single marathoner running the Rock ‘n Roll marathon. 

Today my guest is one of the best distance runners in the country.  Molly Huddle finished 6th in the 10k at the 2016 Rio Olympics and is about to try her legs out on her first marathon in New York.  Molly is already a superstar – and has been since college – but that doesn’t stop her from learning new things.  She’s going to s [...]

I’ve been wanting to talk to our guest today for a long time!  He’s got a lot of experience, a lot of opinions, and he’s not afraid to share them.  Nick Symmonds is an elite runner who’s won Olympic medals and competed in his fair share of world track and field championships.  He’s seen a lot of things in his time running professionally, and he’s on the podcast today to share a few of these experiences.  [...]

Everyone has a body image issues, and overcoming them is a huge challenge.  My guest today is no stranger to that.  Ethan is from Los Angeles, so he knows better than anyone how detrimental body image issues can be to our confidence and our health.  That’s part of what inspired him to create The Ginger Runner, a website and vlog dedicated not only to running but how to overcome all the hardest and ugliest parts of runn [...]

If you think it’s impossible to run 50+ miles day for weeks on end, our guest today is here to prove you wrong! After overcoming a 16 year battle with heroin addiction, Perry Newburn is lucky to be alive.  He realizes what running brings to our lives, and wanted to give back to the running community in the same way that he had been given a second chance. Perry became the king of long-distance running and he’s run numerous marathons, ultra races, and challenges like running around the outside of both islands of New Zealand and running for 72 hours straight wit [...]

If you have some burning questions about your running diet, tune in now and listen to this interview with legendary nutritionist Nancy Clark.  She’s a registered dietician with years of experience in the field of Sports Nutrition. She knows how important it is to develop a personalized nutrition plan based on your dietary needs and unique training plan, and we talk about how you can still treat yourself with dessert without blowing your calorie intake for the day.  The trick is knowing how many calories you burn per hour and what foods you like to eat that help [...]

  Have you run a Warrior Dash?  The Warrior Dash is a part of this fantastic trend of obstacle races, a running race that combines all sorts of physical feats to spice up your run. They will show you that no matter what you look like or how fast you are, you CAN succeed and accomplish things you never thought you could. These obstacles mean a diverse group of people can tackle one goal together at a fun, challenging event that gets you out of your comfort zone.