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The Birth of Altra Shoes

By on November 6, 2015 in Gear, Guest Perspective, Interview

IMG_7027 (3)Champion runner Golden Harper uses his passion for helping injured runners, homemade ingenuity and thoughtful research to create a unique, beloved brand.

By Henry Howard

When you run before you can walk, you were born to be a runner.

When you win a world championship at age 8, your running future is bright.

When your parents own a running store where you start working at age 9, you learn quite a bit about sneakers, running form and injuries.

Put it all together, and you have Golden Harper, champion runner and founder of Altra Shoes. Continue Reading →

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Marathon Success Story with Ryan Deguzis —Running Across the Driest Desert in the World

By on October 21, 2015 in Interview, Podcasts, Success Story, Ultramarathon

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Ryan Deguzis is a classical violist and music instructor from Hartford, Connecticut. He just finished a seven day stage race (155 miles) through the Atacama Desert in Chile, a placed he describes as otherworldly.

Ryan first heard about this race from MTA podcast episode #109 our interview with Samantha Gash.

In our conversation with Ryan you will hear why he started running, how much time and energy went into training for this race, what his family thought about it, and the gritty details of sun, wind, blisters, and sleep deprivation. It’s epic!

See the photos . . . Continue Reading →

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Marathoner John Young is 4-foot-4 and Full of Heart

By on October 5, 2015 in Guest Perspective, Interview, Motivation

photo credit: John Young Twitter page

photo credit: John Young Twitter page

John Young — the first person with dwarfism to complete a half Ironman — doesn’t let his size keep him from his goals.

By Henry Howard

About nine years ago, John Young was not sleeping well so his wife encouraged him to undergo a sleep study. At the doctor’s office, he stepped on the scale and was shocked to see that he weighed 195 pounds.

That weight is incredibly unhealthy for someone who stands 4-foot-4-inches tall. Continue Reading →

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Interview with Bart Yasso – Chief Running Officer at Runner’s World Magazine

By on October 1, 2015 in Interview, Motivation, Podcasts

flat bart

flat bart

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Bart Yasso started running in 1976. He joined Runner’s World in 1987 (and still loves his job).

He’s friend to millions of runners around the world.

In fact, I tried to friend him on Facebook today and got notified that, “Bart has reached the friend limit. He can’t receive friend requests at the moment.” Facebook caps the number of friends at 5,000.

Bart was with us for episode #19 (five years ago) and we’ve since bumped into him at the Little Rock Marathon and Modesto Marathon.

His book, My Life on the Run, was the first running book I picked up after taking the plunge. Interesting side note to the book . . . Continue Reading →

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Interview with Dr. Jeff Brown (Part 2), The Runner’s Brain

By on September 9, 2015 in Beginner, Interview, Podcasts

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Here’s part 2 of our conversation with Dr. Jeff Brown the lead psychologist at the Boston Marathon and author of the new book The Runner’s Brain.

In this episode we ask brain questions sent in by Academy members. I know you’ll love it!

Topics covered include: how to mentally prepare for a race, overcoming the post-race blues, mental toughness, how the elites think, and dealing with start line nerves. Continue Reading →

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From 385 Pounds to Endurance Athlete

By on September 6, 2015 in Guest Perspective, Interview, Weight Loss

Robert_first raceRobert Wadhams has shed weight, embraced fitness and found motivation along the way from a personal trainer, online community and beat-up ribbon.

By Henry Howard

Robert Wadhams was a big man living in a small box.

Figuratively, of course. Wadhams spent his time eating unhealthy food and playing video games. His weight had ballooned up to nearly 400 pounds. “Without realizing it, my life began to revolve around food,” he says, rattling off a what-not-to-eat list of pizza, fried foods and more that were his dietary staples. “That was pretty much my downfall.”

Wadhams, however, made major changes to improve his health, get into running and eventually finish half marathons, a marathon and a triathlon. His story continues today as he recovers from two surgeries and has his eyes set on even more daunting challenges. Continue Reading →

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The Runner’s Brain – Interview with Harvard Psychologist Dr. Jeff Brown

By on August 31, 2015 in Interview, Motivation, Podcasts

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Jeff Brown is the lead psychologist for the Boston Marathon and a member of Runner’s World scientific advisory board.

He’s assistant clinical professor in the department of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and McClain Hospital.

His new book is called The Runner’s Brain – How to Think Smarter and Run Better, due out in October of this year. Continue Reading →

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Jordan McDougal’s Tips on Nutrition, Training

By on August 12, 2015 in Guest Perspective, Interview, Ultramarathon

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Jordan McDougal grew up in the Adirondack Mountains region of New York state. Before he was 10 years old, McDougal was running track and cross-country. He advanced to running on a scholarship at Liberty University. He has now advanced to ultra marathons, Spartan events and mountain racing.

“Growing up in the Adirondacks I played just about any sport available, and skied and raced snowshoes in the winter, which was really my introduction to mountain racing I guess,” he says.

McDougal, who is North Face sponsored athlete, has won several of the North Face Endurance Challenge events including one earlier this year in Washington, D.C. McDougal finished the 50-mile event in 6:44:55, beating the runner-up by nearly 45 minutes. Continue Reading →

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Marathon Success Story with Gregory Cheek -Maintaining Three Points of Contact

By on August 10, 2015 in Interview, Motivation, Podcasts, Success Story

Greg running the Munich Marathon in Germany

Greg running the Munich Marathon in Germany

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Greg Cheek is a combat veteran who served in the US Air Force and as an officer in the United States Army.  He’s a college communications professor, motivation speaker, and author of the book Three Points of Contact -12.5 Ways to Jumpstart Your Life and Weather Any Storm.

Greg trained with us for his first half and full marathon in 2011-2012. At that time he was celebrating one year of being cancer free.

His enthusiasm is contagious . . . Continue Reading →

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Gunhild Swanson’s amazing finish at Western States

By on July 30, 2015 in Guest Perspective, Interview, Ultramarathon

Sun Mountain 50 miler 5-16-15 3The 70-year-old woman’s record almost never came to be. Here’s how she beat the odds to get into the 100-mile race and then overcame a serious error to complete her historic run.

By Henry Howard

Gunhild Swanson’s dramatic finish at this year’s 100-mile Western States Endurance Run almost never happened.

The jubilation that erupted in the final stretch of the race — as Swanson closed in on the finish line, then crossed it 6 seconds before the 30-hour cutoff —almost never happened.

But the 70-year-old Swanson did cross the Western States finish in time, becoming the oldest woman to ever do so. Her remarkable run set off a boisterous celebration at the finish line and a video that went viral. Continue Reading →

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Olympic Trials Hopeful Balances Family, Training and More

By on July 23, 2015 in Elite Runner, Guest Perspective, Interview

riley_cookRiley Cook’s running journey started at the urging of his mother. Now, he and his spouse work hard to make it all work while never forgetting to enjoy the journey.

By Henry Howard

The parents of Riley Cook were both runners, each completing multiple marathons. In fact, his mother once ran a 2:59 marathon.

When Cook was 13, his mother saw some running talent in him and took him to his first race, a 5K. At that race, Riley finished in 20 minutes without any training.

“She saw in me some natural talent in my youth and encouraged me to run,” Cook said. “From that race day forward she was convinced I could earn a scholarship to run if I trained and ran in high school, and encouraged me to strive for that goal.” Continue Reading →

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