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Champion Runner Shares Trail Knowledge, Advice

By on July 10, 2016 in Guest Perspective, Interview, Ultramarathon

Bryon Powell and Meghan Hicks running a trail in Moab, Utah. Credit Kirsten Kortebein

Bryon Powell and Meghan Hicks running a trail in Moab, Utah. Credit Kirsten
Kortebein


Meghan Hicks has been a runner since she was 14, focusing on road races early on. At the same time, Hicks credits her parents for taking her to “wild places” and her brother for playing with her endlessly in the woods when they were younger.

About 10 years ago, she combined her loves of running and the outdoors by exploring the sport of trail running. In 2013, she won the Marathon des Sables in Morocco, the world’s oldest and largest expedition trail-running race.

Now, as Hicks prepares to run the Hardrock 100 trail race, she and partner Bryon Powell have put their love of the outdoors, trail knowledge and passion for the sport into a 226-page book, “Where the Road Ends: A Guide to Trail Running.” Continue Reading →

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A Vow to Exercise, Lose Weight

By on June 27, 2016 in Guest Perspective, Interview, Weight Loss

Debbie's BQ finish

Debbie’s BQ finish

Newlyweds Bill and Debbie Gelber made a promise to help each other. Now, many races later they are lighter, speedier and healthier.

By Henry Howard

Bill and Debbie Gelber were happy and in love when they committed to each other at their wedding ceremony in 2007.

But when they flipped through their wedding photos, they were both surprised at how much weight they had gained. Debbie was approaching her 40th birthday and Bill would soon turn 50.

Thus began another commitment for the couple: helping each other on the path to good health, which eventually led to more than 100 races for her and plenty of others for him. Continue Reading →

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How Running Changes Your Brain –Interview with Dr. Wendy Suzuki

By on June 12, 2016 in Books, Health and Wellness, Interview, Podcasts

Wendy Suzuki*[Audio Content Available For Members Only. Click Here to Join Now]

Wendy Suzuki has a PhD in neural science and is a researcher at New York University. She’s author of the book Healthy Brain, Happy Life.

We talk with her about the effects of running on the human brain, hippocampus growth, brain plasticity, memory, reward centers, the power of affirmations, meditation and more. Continue Reading →

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A ‘non-runner’ now embraces PRs and PR

By on June 2, 2016 in Guest Perspective, Interview

MegFingert2Public relations professional mixes business with pleasure — promoting race events and setting new personal bests.

By Henry Howard

Unlike all the other athletes I have featured in this blog, I personally know Meg Fingert. In fact, we met before either of us were runners.

At the time, about six years ago, I was recruiting Purdue University students to assist with a new website and Fingert was a college student. Ironically, she was among the students in the first class I taught at Purdue a couple of years later.

Since then, we have both graduated onto bigger and better things, including marathons. But this is her story – the story of a self-proclaimed “non-runner” who is eyeing a 50-state goal. Continue Reading →

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Sneak Peak! Our interview with Shalane Flanagan

By on May 28, 2016 in Elite Runner, Interview, Nutrition

Screen Shot 2016-05-27 at 10.08.41 PMWe are totally stoked to speak with U.S. Olympic marathoner Shalane Flanagan and her friend Elyse Kopecky about their forthcoming cookbook Run Fast. Eat Slow.

The full interview will not be released until August, around the time Shalane is running the Olympic Marathon in Rio. Bt, here is a video excerpt of us asking Shalane and Elyse about pre-race meals. Continue Reading →

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For the Love of the Run, the Journey, the Community

By on May 22, 2016 in Guest Perspective, Interview, Success Story, Ultramarathon

Dan Savage

At the Finish of my First Ultra

Shortly after turning 40, Dan Savage looked in the mirror. Staring back was a stressed-out, 65-pound overweight guy.

Savage had been in and out of the hospital, getting treatment for Crohn’s Disease.

His diet and exercise habits were bad, to put it mildly.

“I thought a workout involved lifting a double cheeseburger versus a single. It was U-G-L-Y. It was at this point I had one of those life changing moments – you know where ‘your want to,’ wants to change? I just told myself, if I wanted to see my kids grow up and see any grandkids, I need to change, and change now.”

And so he did, joining the Marathon Training Academy, and becoming more active and improving his diet. Now when he looks in the mirror, he sees an ultra marathoner! Continue Reading →

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Interview with David Willey, Editor-in-Chief at Runner’s World

By on May 21, 2016 in Interview, Podcasts

RUNNING DAVID WILLEY*[Audio Content Available For Members Only. Click Here to Join Now]

David Willey has guided Runner’s World to its most successful years -with a HUGE readership both in print and online and 18 international editions.

They have recently jumped into the podcasting space with two new shows of their own, the Runner’s World Show and The Human Race.

In this interview we asked David about his running journey and what led to working at Runner’s World, a day in the life of an editor-in-chief, his impression of the running scene in China, and his quest to produce an NPR style podcast for runners. Continue Reading →

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Running a Marathon for Charity –Interview with Kari Gormley

By on April 21, 2016 in Interview, Podcasts

Kari Gormley at NYC Marathon (2) (1) (1)*[Audio Content Available For Members Only. Click Here to Join Now]

Kari Gormley is a fellow podcaster and long time listener to MTA.

Last year was she able to rase $8,000 for the charity Action for Healthy Kids while training for the Chicago and New York City Marathons.

Many runners choose to enter one of the big six marathons (Boston, New York, Chicago, London, Berlin, Tokyo) on a charity bib.

In this interview Kari gives fund raising tips for those running a marathon for charity. Get the $$$ without wearing down your friends and family. 🙂 Continue Reading →

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‘A Voyage of Self-Discovery’

By on April 20, 2016 in Guest Perspective, Interview, Ultramarathon

Jesse Ellis (1)Former smoker/couch potato has turned his life around, chasing ultras and motivating others. This fall, he plans to run the Ultra Race of Champions again.

By Henry Howard

Ken Michal had been a chain-smoking couch potato for most of his adult life. After he quit his 2.5-pack a day habit, he put on a lot of weight.

“When I quit, I ate whatever I wanted as long as I wasn’t smoking,” Michael says. “When it came time to drop the weight, I found running. It was really hard at first but I found that I had a gift for long and slow!”

Now Michal pours his contagious enthusiasm into running — competing in endurance events, coaching other athletes and motivating listeners on his Running Stupid podcast. Continue Reading →

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A Not-So-Fast Runner’s Ultimate Dream

By on April 12, 2016 in Guest Perspective, Interview, Trail Running, Ultramarathon

IMG_3803TJ Wilkinson ran both cross-country and track in junior high and high school. He readily admits that he was not very fast but enjoyed the sports for the camaraderie.

“I also didn’t try very hard, which is probably why I wasn’t fast,” he says. “When I say I ‘ran track,’ I really mean I was a high jumper, and I spent many practices laying on the high jump mat watching the girls run by. Needless to say, my running didn’t transition to college.”

Wilkinson never did improve his speed. His friends like to tease him about a local 5k he entered. “I was beaten by a guy wearing snorkel gear, including the flippers. Seriously.” Continue Reading →

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