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Author Archive | Angie Spencer

My Running Skirt Reviews

By on May 9, 2013 in Gear, Review

Angie_Garmin_MarathonDuring my 14th marathon I started to get annoyed with my running shorts. In the warm weather they kept riding up in the middle and I was focusing undue attention on yanking them into place. These Race Ready shorts have been my go-to shorts for races because of their unparalleled ability to hold fuel and accessories. However the time had come to try something new.

I know I’m way behind the running skirt bandwagon but I have been admiring how cute they are and have been influenced by women who say they’ll never go back to shorts. After my recent shorts angst I decided to test out some running skirts.

Late one night I sat at my computer reading reviews of dozens of running skirts. I knew the “perfect” skirt would have to be one to accommodate my large thighs and be on the longer side of the spectrum so that my confidence level didn’t take a total nose dive.

I ended up ordering four running skirts and evaluated them on fit, appearance, undershorts, storage (pockets), and price on a scale of 0-5 (zero being horrible and five being excellent). Continue Reading →

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Interview with ‘T-Rex Runner’ Danielle Hastings

By on April 15, 2013 in Health and Wellness, Interview, Podcasts

I shared a hotel room with Danielle (left) at the 2013 Go! St. Louis Marathon

I shared a hotel room with Danielle (left) at the 2013 Go! St. Louis Marathon

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In this podcast episode we talk with Danielle Hastings (T-Rex Runner) about her eleven year battle with an eating disorder.

I’ve followed Danielle’s blog for some time and was able to meet her at the recent Go! St. Louis Marathon. She has written an excellent series on Eating Disorders for her blog.

Reading these posts made me realize that this serious issue is often avoided or minimalized. I’ve had a few friends over the years who’ve struggled with an eating disorder and I know that there are many people out there with the same battle.

This episode will help educate you on this very important topic. Continue Reading →

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Race Recap: Go! St. Louis Marathon

By on April 15, 2013 in Race Recap

T-shirt and Medal from the 2013 Go! St. Louis Marathon


I had the privilege of running my 14th marathon recently. The Go! St. Louis Marathon is in its 13th year and bills itself as a “Family Fitness Weekend.”

Although I’ve already run a marathon in the fair state of Missouri I was already going to be in St. Louis that weekend for a coaching clinic.

You might say that this was an opportunistic marathon. That’s one of the benefits of staying in marathon shape—you can sign up for a race at the drop of a hat.

After spending two days sitting in class from 8-5 and cramming my head full of information I was ready to run 26.2 miles. I stayed at the lovely Drury Plaza Hotel and my room had an awesome view of the Arch. I shared my room with Danielle (T-Rex Runner) who we interviewed in episode 79 and her friend Amanda. When they got into town on Saturday (after running a marathon that morning in Indiana) we went to the race expo together to get our race packets. I was embarrassed to be unable to help with directions around St. Louis in the slightest. Continue Reading →

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Interview with World-Class Endurance Athlete Lisa Smith-Batchen

By on March 20, 2013 in Interview, Podcasts, Ultramarathon

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In addition to running over 100 marathons, Lisa Smith-Batchen has completed the Badwater Ultra Marathon 9 times (winning twice).

In 2010 she ran 50 miles in 50 states in 62 days raising money for orphan charities.

Her new challenge is completing the Badwater Quad (4 back to back Badwater crossings). To accomplish this feat she will run a total of 600 miles in the merciless summer heat of Death Valley, California.

Continue Reading →

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Race Recap: The Rock ‘n’ Roll New Orleans Marathon 2013

By on February 28, 2013 in Podcasts, Race Recap

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Last weekend we rocked the Rock ‘n’ Roll New Orleans Marathon. It was great to be in the “Big Easy” again and enjoy the sites, sounds, and food. We stayed at the beautiful Drury Hotel located downtown in the business district. All in all we had a wonderful mini-vacation/marathon experience.

Continue Reading →

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Three Year Anniversary of MTA Podcast! + Building Confidence as a Runner

By on February 22, 2013 in Podcasts

trev_and_angie_cartoon*Audio Content Available For Members Only. Click Here to Join NowT[/drocap]his podcast episode celebrates the 3rd anniversary of MTA.

I can definitely stay that time flies (or more appropriately that time can run away if you’re not careful).

It has been an amazing experience to interact with thousands of runners over the years and personally help people achieve their goals through the Academy.

We want to thank each one of our faithful listeners.

Building Confidence as a Runner
In this episode we answer personal questions that many listeners want to know and talk about building confidence.

It doesn’t matter where you’re at in your life right now. You can move forward and reach your goals. First, you must allow yourself to dream.

Next, you must take action and put in the hard work. You’ll finally see the rewards if you have confidence in yourself and don’t give up.

Marathon training is about so much more than running 26.2 miles. You’ll find that your self-esteem will grow by leap and bounds when you dedicate yourself to reaching that goal. Suddenly a whole world of possibilities opens up to you. That’s why we always say,

“You do have what it takes to run a marathon and change your life.”

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How to Become Superhuman: Interview with Fitness and Nutrition Expert Ben Greenfield

By on January 31, 2013 in Interview, Nutrition, Podcasts

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Ben Greenfield is a fitness and nutrition expert who competes at the Ironman and Half Ironman World Championships.

What does it mean to become superhuman?
Everyone is born with a certain number of genetic triggers. Your diet can unlock or keep locked those triggers that have the power to activate your genetic potential. Becoming superhuman means to become the strongest version of yourself possible.

Here are the questions we asked Ben:

  1. You have a live event coming up called Superhuman Coach, can you tell us what it means to become superhuman?
  2. Can you give us some examples of superhuman food?
  3. What do you think about eating for one’s blood type? Will it help with weight loss?
  4. Overtraining: how do we prevent it? And if we see we’re starting to over-train, what can we do without losing too much during marathon training?
  5. How do endurance athletes handle the GI distress issue?
  6. Why does cramping happen and how can we prevent it?
  7. What should I be looking for in a probiotic supplement in terms of specific bacterial strains and what sort of culture counts would be considered sufficient or adequate?

Also Mentioned in This Episode

Yaktrax pro for running in the snow!

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Interview with Elite Runner Camille Herron

By on January 18, 2013 in Elite Runner, Interview, Podcasts

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Camille Herron is an elite marathoner from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. She has taken first place at 7 marathons –most recently the Rt. 66 Marathon in Tulsa.

Her marathon PR is 2:37!

She made it to the US Olympic Marathon trials in 2008 and 2012.

She also holds the Guinness record for the fastest female runner wearing a superhero costume. Dressed from head to toe as spider woman she finished in 2:48:51.

We had the chance to talk with Camille via Skype and ask her what life is like as a professional runner.

Here is what we discovered Continue Reading →

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Maximizing Your Running Goals in 2013

By on January 2, 2013 in Motivation, Podcasts

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Get Fit in 2013In this episode we talk about setting and maximizing your running goals in 2013. And for this episode’s quick tip we recommend a running app with live tracking and voice feedback.

When I look back on 2012 I have to say that it was a good year. However, from the perspective of achieving my running goals it was a mixed bag.

I came close to qualifying for Boston two times. The first time I missed my goal by 1 min, 47 seconds. The second time I missed the goal by 41 seconds. It was exciting to come so close, yet disappointing to be so far away.

At the beginning of December we went through a hard time. I was 18 weeks pregnant and had a sudden miscarriage because the baby had a genetic disorder. I was hospitalized after losing a lot of blood and going into shock. Since then we have done our share of grieving the loss of our baby and I’ve also had some physical challenges to cope with. I was left very anemic which has affected my energy levels and strength. For the first week I would get fatigued walking across a room and was plagued with dizziness. I currently can only run a half mile without getting very short of breath and fatigued. I’m definitely not going into the New Year where I want to be physically.

I share this experience because I know that many of you are struggling physically and emotionally. We want to provide some realistic encouragement to you as you go into 2013.

So here are a few suggestions of ways to maximize your running and fitness goals in 2013. Continue Reading →

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Race Recap: Screaming Pumpkin Marathon

By on November 17, 2012 in Podcasts, Race Recap

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Trevor and I ran the Screaming Pumpkin Marathon in Peoria, Illinois, on Oct. 26th. This was certainly a race to remember.

The SPM is a prediction marathon and the goal is to finish as close to midnight as possible.

Your starting time depends on your projected finishing time. No GPS devices or watches are allowed on the course and cell phones are for emergency use only.

Here is my race recap . . . Continue Reading →

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Interview with Marshall Ulrich

By on October 31, 2012 in Interview, Podcasts, Ultramarathon

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Marshall Ulrich is a legendary endurance athlete. He has finished 124 ultra marathons, crossed Death Valley on foot 24 times, climbed to the summit of Everest, and taken on many other insane challenges.

At age 57 he ran across the United States -3,063 miles in 52 days. He is author of the book, Running on Empty – an ultramarathoner’s story of love, loss, and a record-setting run across America.

You can see him run across the USA in the video below Continue Reading →

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Strength Training for Runners [Part 2]

By on October 24, 2012 in Cross-Training


Strength training can stabilize your muscles, joints, and bones; decrease injuries; increase endurance; burn more calories; and give you more speed!

Here is a quick look at what muscles are used and what muscles are neglected in the running motion.

I want you to better understand which muscles to focus on during your cross-training sessions. Continue Reading →

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