Strides Forward: Stories about Running, Told by Women: Recent Episodes
Cherie Louise Turner
We share stories about running, told by women runners from around the world. Many episodes feature one woman’s story, focused around a topic that is central to her journey or central to her experiences as a woman runner. Some topics we’ve covered: aging and longevity, community building, RED-s, pregnancy, and the mental game, and we have an entire series about “experiences at South Africa’s 90-km/56-mile Comrades Marathon.” We also feature an entire series about 9 women’s journeys to the 2021 Boston Marathon: Roads to Boston 2021. This series traced the running stories of all these women, from the beginning, to earning their Boston entry, all the way to the finish line. We believe in the power of story to uplift, inspire, motivate, educate. Host/creator Cherie Turner, a competitive athlete since age 5, former professional bicycle racer, and a passionate runner for over two decades, also brings her own experience, challenges, and discoveries to the show, with the intent of inspiring others to pursue their own exceptional running journey, whatever form that takes.
Ruby Wyles is an elite level runner and athlete who has worked through significant health challenges. She is currently pursuing the exciting new world of multisport, as a triathlete. From an early age, Wyles experienced serious challenges with disordered eating. While her health was stabilized, Wyles' fraught relationship with body image and food wasn't completely healed, especially when it came to the mental health facet of that process. Over time, Wyles, who is British, also found a passion for running. She developed into an elite level runner and earned an athlete scholarship to run in the US. Then, COVID hit. Wyles behaviors around disordered eating and body dysmorphia began to escalate, until, as she describes it, she was at rock bottom. Ultimately, Wyles sought help from sports dietician and nutrition coach Lindsey Cortes, founder/owner of Rise Up Nutrition, where Cortes and her team focus on helping women athletes with disordered eating habits recover and regain health and wellness. In this episode, we hear from Wyles, telling her story, as well as Cortes, who shares her thinking and strategies for helping athletes like Wyles get on a path to health. This is a unique look at what the healing process from body dysmorphia and disordered eating can look like, from both the first-person perspective, as well as from the perspective of someone experienced in coaching people through these fragile and difficult times. Keep Up with Ruby Wyles Instagram: www.instagram.com/rwyles_ Keep Up with Lindsey Cortes Rise Up Nutrition website: www.riseupnutritionrun.com Female Athlete Nutrition podcast: www.riseupnutritionrun.com/podcast Instagram: instagram.com/female.athlete.nutrition Mentioned in this episode Olympian Sonia Samuels with Movement Expert Jae Gruenke: Recovering Skillful, Pain-Free Running Keep up with The Planted Runner Instagram: @theplantedrunner Website: theplantedrunner.com Ways to Connect and Engage with Women's Running Stories Instagram: @womensrunningstories Twitter: @WomenRunStories Website: womensrunningstories.com Email host Cherie: clouiseturner@gmail.com Women's Running Stories is a member of the Evergreen network: https://evergreenpodcasts.com/
Women's Running Stories host and producer Cherie Turner tells the story of her return to the 56-mile Comrades Marathon in South Africa. This is Cherie's second running of this, the world's oldest and largest ultra distance race in the world. And this for running, she had the goal of running better, both physically and mentally: she wanted to finish in under 10 hours (in 2022, she ran it in 10:25) and with a more positive, less fearful mindset. She wanted to fully soak in the magic of this one-of-a-kind event. Cherie tells the story of what she did different to prepare for Comrades 2023 and how it all went down. The Comrades Marathon has been a great interest to Cherie for the past several years. This podcast started with stories of women's experiences at the race. But Cherie had never intended to participate in the event herself. That is, until she heard, over and over again from the women she interviewed, that to really understand Comrades, you must experience it for yourself. So, in 2022, she did just that. While her first Comrades experience was incredible, she knew there were improvements that she could make that would result in an even more outstanding race. That's exactly what this story is all about. Mentioned in This Episode Cherie Turner + Comrades Marathon, A Hear Her Sports Special Collaboration: https://womensrunningstories.com/cherie-turner-comrades-marathon-a-hear-her-sports-special-collaboration Jae Gruenke, The Balanced Runner: https://www.balancedrunner.com/ The Balanced Runner, breathing protocol: https://www.balancedrunner.com/how-to-breathe-when-you-run-part-1/ Verity Breen on Women's Running Stories: https://womensrunningstories.com/verity-breen-running-far-and-fast-a-life-long-love Comrades Marathon episodes on Women's Running Stories: https://womensrunningstories.com/podcast/women-comrades-marathon Coach Parry Comrades Down Run Description: https://blog.coachparry.com/comrades-marathon-route-down-run/ Customizable Pace Chart: https://www.irenerunner.co.za/comrades.html Keep up with Hear Her Sports Instagram: @hearhersports Twitter: @hearhersports Website: hearhersports.com Ways to Connect and Engage with Women's Running Stories Instagram: @womensrunningstories Twitter: @WomenRunStories Website: womensrunningstories.com Email host Cherie: clouiseturner@gmail.com Women's Running Stories is a member of the Evergreen network: https://evergreenpodcasts.com/
Jasmine Santiago is a runner and podcaster: she's the host of Brown Girl Running, where she shares her own running story and interviews other BIPOC runners about their experiences. Santiago is one of the few BIPOC women to host a running podcast. But getting to this point has been a journey, with very steep ups and downs. In this episode, Santiago shares it all: the breaking point of trauma fueled addiction, finding running as a way to heal and discover her authentic voice, discovering the beauty of a supportive running community, experiencing racist, threatening backlash for speaking out about being a BIPOC runner in a predominantly white running community, and finally finding a safe space and communities in the running world where she feels free to be herself, speak out, and provide a platform where others can do the same. As part of her running pursuit, Santiago has begun to delve deeper into and more fully embrace her Puerto Rican, Mexican, Indigenous culture and ancestry. She is also now an active member of Latinos Run Raleigh, in Raleigh, North Carolina. Keep Up With Jasmine Santiago Instagram: @jasminetherunnertracey Brown Girl Running Podcast Mentioned in This Episode Native Land App: for Android, for Apple Diverse We Run, Instagram: @DiverseWeRun Latinos Run: https://www.latinosrun.com/ Keep up with Hear Her Sports Instagram: @hearhersports Twitter: @hearhersports Website: hearhersports.com Ways to Connect and Engage with Women's Running Stories Instagram: @womensrunningstories Twitter: @WomenRunStories Website: womensrunningstories.com Email host Cherie: clouiseturner@gmail.com Women's Running Stories is a member of the Evergreen network: https://evergreenpodcasts.com/
Kassie Parker just finished one of the most successful NCAA DIII careers on record. On the indoor and outdoor track and in cross country, racing for Lorus College, she set records, helped her team reach its first national title, and won numerous national titles herself. Parker graduated in May 2023 and immediately moved into her pro career. She ran her first post-collegiate pro-elite race at the USATF 6km National Championships, earning a solid eighth place. Then, she set her sights on the Bix 7, this year the 7-mile USATF National Championships, which took place on July 29, 2023, in Davenport, Iowa. Kassie tells the story of her incredible collegiate career and then, how it all went down at the 7-mile champs. She also announces her next big move, becoming a member of the Hansons Brooks Professional Running Team. Keep up with The Planted Runner Instagram: @theplantedrunner Website: theplantedrunner.com Previous Women's Running Stories Race Report Episodes https://womensrunningstories.com/podcast/women-running-stories Ways to Connect and Engage with Women's Running Stories Instagram: @womensrunningstories Twitter: @WomenRunStories Website: womensrunningstories.com Email host Cherie: clouiseturner@gmail.com Women's Running Stories is a member of the Evergreen network: https://evergreenpodcasts.com/
Sgt. Ednah Kurgat tells how it all went down at the recent USATF 6km National Championships in Canton, OH, July 15. Krugat runs as a member of the US Army's WCAP (World Class Athlete Program) and has primarily focused on cross-country and distance track racing, with a particular focus on the 10,000-meter. In January 2023, she won the USATF Cross-Country National Championships; this earned Kurgat her first spot on an international team, representing the US at the Cross Country World Championships that took place in February in Australia. Kurgat is relatively new to road racing, having only started last year, but she's clearly learning quickly. Listen to hear how, despite a busy race calendar coming into the 6k Championships, Krugat ran a smart, decisive race. A special note of thanks here to race founder and director Tina Oprean Ryee, who is also the director of Cross-Country and Track and Field at Malone University. This is the only women's-only event on the Grand Prix Circuit (the men have a corresponding 8km race in Tennessee), and Krugat was mindful of how the energy felt different at this race and it felt empowering. The USATF 6km National Championships is a part of the championship series of races that happen throughout the year, beginning with the Cross-Country National Championships. Racers earn points based on finishing places that go toward the overall series placing. Kurgat is current in second place overall, behind Nell Rojas. You can catch up on earlier road races in the series through our Race Reports. Each report features one runner's perspective on how it all went down. Stay tuned for the next race in the series, happening this weekend, Saturday, July 29: the USATF 7-mile National Championships in Davenport, IA. Keep up with Ednah Kurgat Instagram: @ednah_kurgat Keep up with The Planted Runner Instagram: @theplantedrunner Website: theplantedrunner.com Ways to Connect and Engage with Women's Running Stories Instagram: @womensrunningstories Twitter: @WomenRunStories Website: womensrunningstories.com Email host Cherie: clouiseturner@gmail.com Women's Running Stories is a member of the Evergreen network: https://evergreenpodcasts.com/
Liz Derstine is a musician, runner, writer, and as of 2020, a long-distance hiker. On July 7, 2020, she embarked on the life-altering adventure of through-hiking the 2,193-mile Appalachian Trail, as quickly as possible. Now, having had several years to reflect on this epic journey, Derstine tells her whole AT story: from what inspired her to want to hike the entirety of this daunting trail, to how it all went down, through to the many ways her life has changed as a result of transporting herself on foot, through the wilderness, from Georgia to Maine. Since her record-setting AT hike, Derstine has continued to embark on incredible multiday hiking adventures. She now holds many Fastest Known Time (FKT) records, including among others the Long Trail FKT for a self-supported woman. Most recently, on July 1, 2023, she set the FKT for a self-supported woman on the Via Alpina in Switzerland, finishing in just under seven days. Derstine currently lives and Boston, and when she's away from the trail, she is studying classical piano at the Longy School of Music at Bard College.
Keep Up with Liz Derstine Instagram: @pinkfeathers Twitter: @pinkfeathers Website: MercuryOnTheRun.com Derstine's AT hike: MercuryOnTheRun.com/Appalachian-Trail Website: LizDerstine.com Music Credits Thank you to Liz Derstine for allowing us to use her original piano suite music, inspired by her AT adventure Clip of Gustav Holst's Mercury, was produced by Beta Music All additional music and sound was created by Cormac O'Regan for Women's Running Stories Keep up with Hear Her Sports Instagram: @hearhersports Twitter: @hearhersports Website: hearhersports.com Ways to Connect and Engage with Women's Running Stories Instagram: @womensrunningstories Twitter: @WomenRunStories Website: womensrunningstories.com Email host Cherie: clouiseturner@gmail.com Women's Running Stories is a member of the Evergreen network: https://evergreenpodcasts.com/
This is a special bonus episode swap with the excellent woman hosted, women's sports podcast Hear Her Sports. Every other Thursday, Hear Her Sports host Elizabeth Emery brings you long-form interviews with women athletes and women in the sports world. Elizabeth is an excellent interviewer and her conversations are always engaging and informative. I particularly love the way she brings listeners into world of the person she's talking to, bringing out the reasons they're so passionate about their pursuits as well as details about what it takes to do what they do so well. And I always find useful takeaways I can apply to my own athletic adventures and to life in general. The featured Hear Her Sports episode features Jenny Nguyen, founder of the Sports Bra. The episode as described by Hear Her Sports: Jenny Nguyen picked up a basketball right around the same time she put down her milk bottle. From an early age, people called her a tomboy. Instead of playing with dolls and wearing dresses, she climbed trees and rode bikes. But most of all, she loved to play basketball. That love shaped her whole identity and helped her to fit in all the way through high school. When she was 19 years old in her first year playing college ball at Clark College, Nguyen ruptured her ACL. She was devastated by the career-ending injury, but stumbled upon a newfound passion: cooking. She cooked all through college, first for her roommate, then for the whole floor and then for the entire dorm. She landed her first kitchen job at age 22 and fell in love with the craft all over again. After graduating from college, Nguyen enrolled at the Western Culinary Institute in downtown Portland. There she graduated from the expedited program while working full time at a couple of fine dining restaurants. When she was in the kitchen, Nguyen was in her element. The zone. The basketball court and the kitchen have been the only two places she has ever felt like she belonged. Later, she realized that both those places are very male-dominated and that she had struggled, endured and found success in her own way. She went on to work her way up in kitchens for another 15 years, with the last four years as an executive chef at Reed College for Bon Appétit Management Company. The Sports Bra The Sports Bra on IG, Facebook, Twitter Notre Dame vs Miss State, 2018 Womens National Championship (Full Game Highlights) Arike Ogunbowale Carman Ranch Vibrant Living Farm Girls Who Build Order Girls Who Build, (the book)
Keep up with Hear Her Sports Instagram: @hearhersports Twitter: @hearhersports Website: hearhersports.com
Keep up with The Planted Runner Instagram: @theplantedrunner Website: theplantedrunner.com
Ways to Connect and Engage with Women's Running Stories Instagram: @womensrunningstories Twitter: @WomenRunStories Website: womensrunningstories.com Email host Cherie: clouiseturner@gmail.com Women's Running Stories is a member of the Evergreen network: https://evergreenpodcasts.com/
Sika Henry is a professional triathlete, as well as a marathon and ultra runner. She is the first African American woman to earn her pro card in triathlon, which she did in 2021. And, in 2020, she ran a sub-3-hour marathon which added her name to The List, which accounts for all of the American-born Black women who have broken 3 hours in the marathon. There are currently 30 women on The List. Sika is relatively new to the world of ultra running, and once she'd gotten a taste of the sport, she wanted to choose a meaningful event to aim for. At the suggestion of her mentor, Dan Empfield, she chose to tackle the 90km/56-mile Comrades Marathon in South Africa. This is the story of Sika Henry's experience at this, the world's oldest and largest ultra-distance foot race. Though all didn't go to plan, Sika came away with memories for a lifetime. Keep Up With Sika Henry Instagram: @sikahenry Website: https://www.sikahenry.com/ Mentioned in this Episode Hear Her Sports: http://www.hearhersports.com/ Keeping Track: https://keeping-track.com/ NYT Article Mentioned by Sika Henry: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/04/sports/comrades-marathon-hoseah-tjale.html Episodes featuring women's experiences at the Comrades Marathon Episodes Featuring Women on The List Erica Stanley-Dottin: A Sub-3-Hour Marathon Goal, A Team Dream Soars Erika Kemp: Championships, Challenges, and a Marathon Debut Ways to Connect and Engage with Women's Running Stories Instagram: @womensrunningstories Twitter: @WomenRunStories Website: womensrunningstories.com Email host Cherie: clouiseturner@gmail.com Women's Running Stories is a member of the Evergreen network: https://evergreenpodcasts.com/
Christine Yu is a lifelong athlete and a runner, though it took time before she used either of those terms to identify herself. Yu is also a writer, and she focuses on the intersection of sports science and women athletes. These dual passions recently culminated in the much anticipated book Up to Speed: The Groundbreaking Science of Women Athletes. This is ultimately the focus of Yu's story for this episode: where her personal athletic and running journey and her professional writing pursuits meet. Her story is both uniquely personal and touches on experiences many women share: the joy of playing sports with friends and the grounding effect of running, as well as challenges with disordered eating, feelings of not belonging, and struggles with body acceptance. Yu's book stems from an interest in trying to better understand her own body and her realization about how little research exists that specifically focuses on the unique physiology of athletic women. While there is much to lament in this realm, Yu ultimately has hope for the future. So should we. Keep Up with Christine Yu Website: www.christinemyu.com Twitter: @cyu888 Instagram: @cyu888 Mentioned in this Episode Episodes featuring women's experiences at the Comrades Marathon Ways to Connect and Engage with Women's Running Stories Instagram: @womensrunningstories Twitter: @WomenRunStories Website: womensrunningstories.com Email host Cherie: clouiseturner@gmail.com Women's Running Stories is a member of the Evergreen network: https://evergreenpodcasts.com/
Well into her 30s, Tiffany Gayle Chenault didn't have any interest in running, even when she said yes to a friend who asked her to run a 5-mile event near her home in Boston, Massachusetts. But during that run, she felt something, a renewed sense of being alive that had gone quiet since the passing of her mother a few years earlier. That aliveness led to a whole new path for Chenault, whose professional life is as a professor of sociology at Salem State University. As Chenault began her running journey, she also developed a curiosity about the lack of diversity in the sport, especially the absence of other Black women runners. This led to Tiffany setting out on a running challenge and research project of completing a half-marathon in each one of the 50 states. Her approach and interest is both academic and personal: she's assessing the project through the dual lens of being a Black woman runner herself and also as a sociologist focused on the intersection of race, gender, and class. Tiffany has been chronicling her journey on her blog RunISee50. Once Chenault finishes her project in 2023, by completing a half-marathon in her 50th state, Hawaii, she'll turn her findings into a book. Tiffany has come to define her own space in the running community, and she's working to help other women do the same. She is the co-ambassador for the Boston chapter of Black Girls Run, and she a member of the Boston Running Collaborative, which the Boston Athletic Association created to strengthen its focus on increasing diversity and access to the running community in the Boston area. Tiffany also recently modeled for REI and was featured in their catalog. As part of that campaign, there was an accompanying article that featured her titled "What a Runner Looks Like." Ways to keep up with Tiffany Her blog: RunISee50.com Instagram: @runisee50 Ways to keep up with Women's Running Stories Our website: womensrunningstories.com Instagram: @womensrunningstories Twitter: @womenrunstories
If you aren't familiar with Hillary's racing career, it's likely because most of the racing she's done is in Europe where the style and the terrain of the racing suits her; it's what she really loves. Hillary is also the author of the book Out and Back where she chronicles in fine detail exactly what she's had to overcome and what's she's learned. Hillary will readily tell you that she's not the same as she was before her running journey began. She doesn't consider her story one of comebacks; it's one of growth. It's a story punctuated by a near-death fall and then other serious set-backs. Through it all, Hillary has honed the art of growth through adversity, and she's cultivated a lot of skills along the way. In this episode, Hillary brings us up to the present, which very significantly includes her running the 100-mile UTMB, which just took place at the end of August 2022. If you're not totally familiar with UTMB, it can refer to the collection of races that take place over the course of a week in late summer in the Alps, with all of the action based out of Chamonix, France, or it can refer to the UTMB race, which is the premier event of that week of races. The race is a full circumnavigation of Western Europe's highest peak, Mont Blanc. Suffice to say the UTMB festival of events is the largest, most competitive collection of ultra events in the world. When Hillary isn't racing up and down the tough technical terrain in Europe or elsewhere in the world, she's training and racing on the tough technical terrain near her home in Boulder, Colorado. She relayed her story from there just after returning from her time in Chamonix and the UTMB. This episode is sponsored by The Feed, the largest online marketplace for your sports nutrition, offering the brands you know and love, from Skratch Labs, Clif Bar, to Maurten, plus their athlete customized supplements called Feed Formulas. In addition to supporting Strides Forward, this sponsorship supports Hear Her Sports and Keeping Track: together we are a collective of women-hosted podcasts focused on women in sports. As part of this sponsorship, you can get $80 in credit at The Feed: just go to TheFeed.com/forward to claim your $80 in credit at The Feed. Keep up with Hillary Online Hillary's website: https://hillaryallen.com/ Hillary's book Out and Back Hillary's TedTalk Hillary on Instagram: @hillgoat_climbs Podcast co-hosted by Hillary, Corrine Malcolm and Keely Henninger: Trail Society
In this episode, Alison tells her running journey and touches on many of the topics that are featured in her book. Let this serve, then, as an inspiration to read her whole story in Running While Black, a book that will certainly become a best-seller and an important read for all runners, especially white runners. On Women’s Running Stories, we often feature running journeys that highlight how running is about more than the simple act of putting one foot in front of the other. Alison's story is exceptional in this regard. Her new book is the latest example of how Alison interweaves her running with her commitment to leave the world a better place than it was when she found it. Over the years, she has become a leader in the running world, with a clear, powerful voice. She has shown how running can be a vehicle to create change. She’s also working to create change within the running industry so that this sport can some day truly live up to the claim that it is open and welcoming to everyone. Alison not only does the work herself, but also inspires and encourages and helps make space for other people doing the work to move the sport of running toward being a space where everyone feels not only welcome, but that they belong. This episode is sponsored by The Feed, the largest online marketplace for your sports nutrition, offering the brands you know and love, from Skratch Labs, Clif Bar, to Maurten, plus their athlete customized supplements called Feed Formulas. In addition to supporting Strides Forward, this sponsorship supports Hear Her Sports and Keeping Track: together we are a collective of women-hosted podcasts focused on women in sports. As part of this sponsorship, you can get $80 in credit at The Feed: just go to TheFeed.com/forward to claim your $80 in credit at The Feed. Keep Up with Alison Online Alison’s website: http://alisonmdesir.com/ Alison on Instagram: @alisonmdesir Buy Running While Black: Links to Organizations Mentioned in this Episode Harlem Run: http://www.harlemrun.com/about Run 4 All Women: https://www.run4allwomen.com/ Meaning Through Movement: https://www.meaningthrumovement.com/ Running Industry Diversity Coalition: https://www.runningdiversity.com/ Take the Lead on Instagram: @woctakethelead
Gina discovered an interest in running early on and her talent for the sport was recognized by the high school running coach. The coach was onto something: Gina set a school record in the mile and set numerous cross-country course records. She went on to be a champion DIII runner in college. Post-college, Gina began working in the sports industry, eventually focusing on the outdoor run/hike space. She also discovered a love of trail running and racing, which ultimately led her to becoming a sponsored athlete. All along the way, Gina continued to take note of the preferential treatment male runners and racers received, in every facet of the trail running world. After numerous efforts to create change within the system, she decided to create to something herself. Trail Sisters was born. What started as a passion project at Gina's kitchen table quickly grew to a large community of women who share experiences and support to get out on the trails. Over the past six years, Trail Sisters has developed into a leading voice in the trail running and hiking industry, helping establish a space that values and includes women. Gina emphasizes that the power of the community is rooted in the collective efforts of all of the individuals who have been involved in Trail Sisters, in whatever capacity that is: "I feel like we're very powerful when we work together and we support each other," says Gina. This episode is sponsored by The Feed, the largest online marketplace for your sports nutrition, offering the brands you know and love, from Skratch Labs, Clif Bar, to Maurten, plus their athlete customized supplements called Feed Formulas. In addition to supporting Strides Forward, this sponsorship supports Hear Her Sports and Keeping Track: together we are a collective of women-hosted podcasts focused on women in sports. As part of this sponsorship, you can get $80 in credit at The Feed: just go to TheFeed.com/forward to claim your $80 in credit at The Feed.Ways to Keep Up with Trail Sisters OnlineThe Trail Sisters website: TrailSisters.netTrail Sisters on Instagram: trail_sistersWays to Keep Up With Strides Forward Online Website: StridesForwardPodcast.com Twitter: @stridesforward Instagram: @stridesforward
Cherie is a lifelong athlete whose first serious competitive love was racing bicycles on the road and track; in the early 90s she earned her way on to a professional domestic team. Her post cycling life has primarily focused on running and she's raced distances from the 400m on the track to 50 miles on the trails, all the way to her recent completion of the historic 56-mile hilly road race, the Comrades Marathon in South Africa.
These days Cherie is excited to explore the potential and the benefits of being an older athlete and what it means to improve as an athlete as the years go by. When Cherie isn't running or telling stories about other women running on Women's Running Stories, she's probably traveling or looking at animals.
Ways to follow Hear Her Sports
Hear Her Sports website: HearHerSports.com
Hear Her Sports on Twitter: @hearhersports
Hear Her Sports on Instagram: @hearhersports
Ways to follow Women's Running Stories
Women's Running Stories website: WomensRunningStories.com
Women's Running Stories on Twitter: @womenrunstories
Women's Running Stories on Instagram: @womensrunningstories
Mentioned in this episode
Women’s Running Stories podcast about Comrades
Comrades Marathon
Stacy Sims on Hear Her Sports
Coach Tony Gentilecore
Western States 100
The Balanced Runner, (Feldenkrais Method) Founder, Jae Gruenke
Tracksmith Boston Hares
RxBars
CETS (Cherie & Elizabeth Talk Sports)
Erica Stanley-Dottin is a lifelong competitor and athlete, but it wasn't until she was in her 30s that she discovered her love of distance running: marathons and half-marathons, specifically. She also discovered that she is fast at these distances. Today, she has big goals: Erica is going after a sub-3-hour marathon. This is the story of Erica's dedication and drive, and the people who helped her get to the next level.
Erica was a competitive track sprinter beginning in her teen years, all the way through college. She started out being coached by the legendary Fred Thompson, who founded the Colgate Women's Games: this is the longest running track series for women in the country; it's been happening for 47 years.
After college graduation, however, Erica decided to hang up her cleats, and running became about fitness and health. That is, until she started running with a friend who was training for the New York City Marathon. This eventually led Erica back to competitive running, but this time tackling long distances.
Her competitive spirit reignited by her distance running pursuit, Erica found her way to the competitive running team the Black Roses, a team with a particular focus on supporting women racers. Through working with her teammates and coach/team founder Knox Robinson, Erica's running progressed to the next level.
She has continued to hone her distance racing skills and reach ever faster PRs, on her quest to run the marathon in under 3 hours: at Boston 2022 she ran a 3:01. For Erica and several of her teammates, this milestone has significance for multiple reasons, including adding their names to The List. This is an account of all the American-born Black women who have run the marathon under 3 hours. To date, there are only 24 names on that list: two of them are Erica's teammates. And no doubt, she'll be there soon. Erica will be racing for this goal once again at the 2022 Berlin Marathon, September 25.
In addition to being a competitive marathon runner, Erica is the mom of two young boys; the New York City community manager for Tracksmith; and a social impact producer for the documentary Sisters on Track, which is streaming on Netflix.
This episode features a bonus anecdote from Erica after the credits: it's all about world's colliding in delightfully fortunate ways and how running is about so much more than the simple act of putting one foot in front of the other.
This episode is sponsored by The Feed, the largest online marketplace for your sports nutrition, offering the brands you know and love, from Skratch Labs, Clif Bar, to Maurten, plus their athlete customized supplements called Feed Formulas. In addition to supporting Strides Forward, this sponsorship supports Hear Her Sports and Keeping Track: together we are a collective of women-hosted podcasts focused on women in sports.
As part of this sponsorship, you can get $80 in credit at The Feed: just go to TheFeed.com/forward to claim your $80 in credit at The Feed.
Erica is on Instagram: @estanleydott
Black Roses is on Instagram: @blackrosesnyc
Sisters On Track documentary website: https://www.sistersontrack.com/
Tracksmith calendar of events
Tracksmith newsletter sign up
Ways to Keep Up With Strides Forward on Social Media
Twitter: @stridesforward
Instagram: @stridesforward
Growing up in South Africa, Pat Freeman had been a Comrades spectator since childhood, but it was something that only the men did. And that was true for a good part of her life: Comrades didn't open to women until 1974. But even after that, for Pat, running was a pursuit for men. Until one fateful day when a neighbor who was running by suggested they run together.
Pat discovered how running helped her through rough patches and gave her a sense of confidence and accomplishment. And over time, her runs and races continued to get longer until, one day, she was lining up for Comrades. Running became a foundation of wellness that she could rely on, as well as a source for adventures and building strong relationships. While she never set out to run Comrades over multiple decades, every year when it was time to start training for this spectacular event, she had a reason to do it again.
When Pat finishes Comrades this year, she'll be one of three women who have run Comrades the most in its long history. She is also a member of the Comrades Board of Directors.
The Comrades Marathon started in 1921 and has run every year since, other than during war time and during COVID. This year marks the much awaited return of this beloved event.
We here at Strides Forward have a deep love of Comrades: it's spectacular history, traditions, and cultural significance. It is truly a magical event. To learn more about Comrades and hear more women's experiences there, please enjoy our whole series dedicated to the event: http://stridesforwardpodcast.com/podcast/women-comrades-marathon
This episode is sponsored by The Feed, the largest online marketplace for your sports nutrition, offering the brands you know and love, from Skratch Labs, Clif Bar, to Maurten, plus their athlete customized supplements called Feed Formulas. In addition to supporting Strides Forward, this sponsorship supports Hear Her Sports and Keeping Track. Together we are the podcast network Keeping Her Forward, a collective of women-hosted podcasts focused on women in sports.
As part of this sponsorship, you can get $80 in credit at The Feed: just go to TheFeed.com/forward to claim your $80 in credit at The Feed.
Ways to Keep Up With Strides Forward on Social Media
Twitter: @stridesforward
Instagram: @stridesforward
Running legend Blanche Moila shares her story, which is a strong testament to the many ways running can be a vehicle for change. Blanche, who is now in her 60s, has been inspiring others through running since she started competing in the 1980s.
Blanche found her competitive running talents in her 20s and became one of South Africa’s best middle distance, cross-country, and marathon runners. Her accomplishments broke down racial barriers and, eventually, made her an inspiration throughout the country.
After her elite running career, Blanche began to regularly participate in the Comrades Marathon. As of 2019, she has completed the event 16 times, and in 2004, she was the face of Comrades.
Blanche, a psychiatric nurse, continues to be an inspiration to young girls and women and works to change negative beliefs about women and running. She does this by continuing to set an example with her own running, as well as public speaking, mentoring, and coaching. Also, Blanche runs Comrades for charity: in 2019, she ran for the Hillcrest AIDS Centre Trust.
You can learn more about the Hillcrest AIDS Centre Trust on their website.
I first learned about Blanche through Bob de la Motte’s book Runaway Comrade.
Additional audio for this episode comes the 2017 Comrades Marathon Promotional Video
Verity Breen has raced over a hundred marathons as well as 5ks, 10ks, half marathons and ultras, and she has had a lot of wins and top finishes throughout. She's won numerous state titles in her home country of Australia, and she's been the Australian national champion in the marathon and the 50km (roughly 31 miles) road race. She's represented her home country at both the 50km road world championships and the mountain running world championships. In her earlier days, when she was competing in triathlon in the Olympic distance races, she was a member of the Australian world championship team for 20 to 25 year-olds.
This is all to say, Verity understands how to prepare for and execute peak performances at an elite level. In her story, Verity shares how she developed her self-coaching and training skills, and how she's taking all that experience to the trails. She's developing her technical abilities and overcoming fears. Verity also runs watch-free, choosing instead to rely on her well honed ability to pace herself and listen to her body. Simply put, she loves to run and her enthusiasm is infectious.
This episode is sponsored by The Feed, the largest online marketplace for your sports nutrition, offering the brands you know and love, from Skratch Labs, Clif Bar, to Maurten, plus their athlete customized supplements called Feed Formulas. In addition to supporting Strides Forward, this sponsorship supports Hear Her Sports and Keeping Track. Together we are the podcast network Keeping Her Forward, a collective of women-hosted podcasts focused on women in sports. Use the code STRIDES15 for 15% off almost all Feed products.
Ways to Keep Up with Verity on Social Media
Verity is on Instagram: @verity_breen
Verity is on Facebook
Verity's website: VerityBreen.com
More episodes about 50-plus women runners continuing to crush it
Sarah Lavender-Smith: Competitive Running Longevity
Cathy Utzschneider: A Champion After 40, A Passion for Masters Racing
Sophie Speidel: A Menopause Journey as a Competitive Athlete
Barbara Hannah Grufferman: How Menopause and a (Literal) Sign Ignited a Passion for Running and Aging Well
We are honored that Camille Herron chose to tell her menstrual health story and the details of her Western States experience here first. We strongly support her adding her strong voice to the efforts to destigmatize discussions around periods and healthy eating.
In this story, in addition to unveiling what really happened at States, Camille talks about how she's understood as a young athlete that period health is a sign of overall wellness and is linked to proper nourishment. She has never, in her long career as a competitive long-distance runner, missed her period.
Camille also goes into detail about the role oral contraception has played in her health and wellness journey. Camille had used oral contraception for years, and it had worked well for her, until it didn't. Her decision to go off oral contraception improved her health and wellness, but ultimately led to getting her period at Western States. This all speaks to the complexities of our changing bodies and highlights the need to better understand and discuss strategies for working with those changes.
Loss of menstruation is all too common with women athletes, and that is especially true in the sport of running. It is, as Camille emphasizes, not normal and further is a sign of poor nourishment, which impacts performance, training, and it has short- and long-term health impacts.
Period loss is a key symptom of RED-s, a serious health condition caused by under-fueling. For more on that subject, please listen to our episodes that focus on experiences with RED-s:
Ann Ashworth: A RED-s Recovery to Running Healthy, Strong, and Fast
Charlotte Gibbs: A RED-s Journey to Rediscovering the Joy of Running
Megan Flanagan: A Young Runner's Journey through RED-s
To hear about Camille's epic Comrades win, please listen here:
Camille Herron + Comrades Marathon: Dream Race
Ways to Keep Up With Camille on Social Media
Camille is on Instagram: @runcamille
Camille is on Twitter: @runcamille
Mentioned in this episode:
Inside Tracker
The Flow App
Ways to Keep Up With Strides Forward on Social Media
Twitter: @stridesforward
Instagram: @stridesforward
Nicole Pinto has been a runner, from track racing to marathons, for years. We feature her backstory in our Road to Boston series. Nicole had been scheduled to run the Boston Marathon in 2020, but then . . . COVID. She also wanted to start a family. These two pursuits came together over the course of 2021: Nicole got her entry into the October 2021 Boston Marathon and she got pregnant. Her training and racing journey, then, took on a whole new approach.
This is the story of how it all went down: the research, the concerns, the precautions, the joys, the worries, and ultimately, the victory. Nicole talks about the support and the pushback; how being in the medical field helped her navigate the process; how her experience with and knowledge of the science of the body helped her make good choices and boost her confidence; and how advocating for yourself around health is really important. Nicole wanted to show through example how capable and strong women can be through pregnancy. We are honored to share this story.
Keep Up with Nicole on Instagram @runner_nic
Hear Nicole's whole running story in our Roads to Boston series
Want to hear additional stories about pregnancy and running. Check out these two episodes:
Sally Kipyego: Becoming a Mother Runner, Navigating Pregnancy toward a Bid for the Olympics
Beatie Deutsch: Pregnancy, Fast Marathons, Shattering Stereotypes
Ways to follow Strides Forward Online
Learn more about Strides Forward on our website
Learn about how you can submit a story for consideration on the next Strides Behind the Mic episode
Follow Strides Forward on Instagram and Twitter: @StridesForward
Keep up with the women from our listener stories via these outlets mentioned on the show:
Jenna: When the People Decide podcast and Democracy Works podcast
Tiffany: RunISee50.com
Sophie: What Next Mum podcast and blog
In this episode, we recommended the following stories, in honor of Juneteenth:
Running While Black: Finding Freedom in a Sport that Wasn't Built for Us by Alison Mariella Désir, available for preorder
Temple’s Tigerbelles by Dwight Lewis and Susan Thomas, illustrated by James Threalkill
Tigerbelle: The Wyomia Tyus Story by Elizabeth Terzakis and Wyomia Tyus
The Black Sportswoman website and newsletter by Bria Felicien
Olympic Pride, American Prejudice, the documentary (and book) by Deborah Riley Draper
A Spectacular Leap by Jennifer Lansbury
Also mentioned in this episode: Sister on Track documentary
Learn about ParkRun. For people in the US, here's the link to ParkRun USA.
Submit your story for consideration to be included on a future Strides Behind the Mic episode: we're excited to share stories from you, the listener. Each Strides Behind the Mic episode, we will share three listener stories. Please record yourself telling a 1-3 minute story related to the prompt "Share a memorable moment from a recent run" and email it to Strides Forward producer Cherie at clouiseturner@gmail.com. You can also use the form on our website
Be sure to include details about why this moment was so memorable. Please share where in the world you were running, and if you want to, please include your name.
Have questions about how to record yourself and email your recording, please feel free to email Cherie, clouiseturner@gmail.com.
Visit Strides Forward on our website
Catch up with us on Instagram and Twitter: at both, we're @StridesForward
Gael Henville has run over 100 races, and counting, from 5ks to marathons, including four times at the Boston Marathon. She is a private coach as well as the long-time head coach for the Road to Wellness 5k. Recognized for her community leadership and coaching skills, as well as her own experiences as a running, Gael was chosen by the Boston Athletic Association to lead its first pre-marathon shakeout run in 2021, and then again in 2022. Gael is a driving force in building bridges among the diverse running communities of the Boston area.
Keep Up with Gael on Instagram @witnessthefitness617
Learn more about the Road to Wellness 5k here, which takes place on September 10, 2022.
Thank you to the How Was Your Run Today podcast for allowing us to use audio from their August 26, 2021, episode: Episode 235: Road to Wellness 5k
The episode features great interviews with Thaddeus Miles and Gael. We encourage you to listen.
Thank you also to Suzanne Walmsley, Director of Youth and Community Engagement for the Boston Athletic Association, for being part of this episode.
Ways to follow Strides Forward Online
Ways to follow Strides Forward Online
Learn more about Strides Forward on our website
Learn about how you can submit a story for consideration on the next Strides Behind the Mic episode
Follow Strides Forward on Instagram and Twitter: @StridesForward
In this episode, we recommended the following books:
How She Did It: Stories, Advice and Secrets to Success from 50 Legendary Distance Runners by Molly Huddle and Sara Slattery
Running While Black: Finding Freedom in a Sport that Wasn't Built for Us by Alison Mariella Désir
Breakthrough Women’s Running: Dream Big and Run Smart, by Neely Spence Gracey and Cindy Kuzman
Next Level: Your Guide to Kicking Ass, Feeling Great, and Crushing Goals through Menopause and Beyond by Stacey Sims and Selene Yeager
We also mentioned Hear Her Sports, specifically the episode featuring Stacey Sims: http://www.hearhersports.com/#/ep123-dr-stacy-sims-author-of-roar/
And we mentioned Cherie & Elizabeth Talk Sports:
Submit your story for consideration to be included on a future Strides Behind the Mic episode: we're excited to share stories from you, the listener. Each Strides Behind the Mic episode, we will share three listener stories. Please record yourself telling a 1-3 minute story related to the prompt "Share a memorable moment from a recent run" and email it to Strides Forward producer Cherie at clouiseturner@gmail.com. You can also use the form on our website
Be sure to include details about why this moment was so memorable. Please share where in the world you were running, and if you want to, please include your name.
Have questions about how to record yourself and email your recording, please feel free to email Cherie, clouiseturner@gmail.com.
Visit Strides Forward on our website
Catch up with us on Instagram and Twitter: at both, we're @StridesForward
About the featured guests:
Marilyn Bevans is a pioneer in US women’s marathoning. In the 1970s, she became the first nationally competitive American-born Black woman marathon runner in the US, and she is the first American-born Black woman runner to break 3 hours at the distance. Among her many accomplishments, Bevans placed 2nd at the 1977 Boston Marathon. Bevans is featured in the soon to be released documentary Breaking Three Hours: Trailblazing African-American Women Marathoners
Maegan Krifchin is a professional distance runner and will be running in the elite field of the 2022 Boston Marathon. She's currently a member of the Atlanta Track Club elite team. Most recently, Krifchin placed 6th at the 2021 Chicago Marathon and top ten at both the 10km and 20km 2021 National Championships. Maegan has a long career as a runner; early racing experience includes being a high school All American in the 800 meter. This was Krifchin’s first Boston Marathon. You can keep up with Maegan on Instagram @mkrifchin
Ways to follow Run Farther & Faster Online
Learn more about Run Farther & Faster on their website
Follow Run Farther & Faster on Instagram and Facebook
Ways to follow Strides Forward Online
Learn more about Strides Forward on our website
Learn about how you can submit a story for consideration on the next Strides Behind the Mic episode
Follow Strides Forward on Instagram and Twitter: @StridesForward
This is a very special episode, honoring a momentous anniversary. April 18th, 2022, is the 50th anniversary of women finally, officially, being allowed to run the Boston Marathon. Many women's brave efforts contributed to this liberating change and undeniably one of the most influential is Bobby Gibb. Her bravery reverberates through to today.
We are honored to feature the story of a woman whose intense curiosity and strength has challenged gender barriers, not only in sport but also, as you'll hear, in just about every single facet of life that Bobby had an interest in exploring. Over the course of her almost 80 years, Bobbi has remained true to pursuing her potential, and it all began quite literally with her very first steps.
Learn more about Bobbi Gibb on her website.
Ways to follow Strides Forward Online
Learn more about Strides Forward on our website
Learn about how you can submit a story for consideration on the next Strides Behind the Mic episode
Follow Strides Forward on Instagram and Twitter: @StridesForward
Sarah has done races as "short" as a road marathon, numerous 50ks, 50-milers, and 100-milers, all the way through to several self-supported multiday races.
In addition to being a competitive runner, Sarah Lavender Smith is a journalist, author, and coach: she shares her experience and knowledge in many ways. Sarah's a columnist for Ultrarunning magazine and author of the book The Trail Runner's Companion: A Step-by-Step Guide to Trail Running and Racing, from 5Ks to Ultras. She currently writes a weekly newsletter, Colorado Mountain Running & Living, and you can also find many excellent posts on her previous blog, The Runner's Trip.
In addition to running and writing, Sarah is also an avid horsewoman.
Ways to Find Sarah on the Web:
Sarah's website: sarahlavendersmith.com
Sarah's blog The Runner's Trip
Sarah's newsletter, Colorado Mountain Running & Living
Sarah Check out Sarah's book, The Trail Runner's Companion: A Step-by-Step Guide to Trail Running and Racing, from 5Ks to Ultras
Sarah is on Instagram at @sarahrunning and on Twitter @sarahrunning
In this episode, we mentioned RunYoung50, which shares stories of women's running history and stories about older women runners. You can find RunYoung50 at https://runyoung50.co.uk/
We also mentioned the Milk Minute podcast, which provides evidenced-based research for breastfeeding parents. You can find the Milk Minute at https://www.milkminutepodcast.com/
Submit your story for consideration to be included on a future Strides Behind the Mic episode: we're excited to share stories from you, the listener. Each Strides Behind the Mic episode, we will share three listener stories. Please record yourself telling a 1-3 minute story related to the prompt "Share a memorable moment from a recent run" and email it to Strides Forward producer Cherie at clouiseturner@gmail.com. You can also use the form on our website
Be sure to include details about why this moment was so memorable. Please share where in the world you were running, and if you want to, please include your name.
Have questions about how to record yourself and email your recording, please feel free to email Cherie, clouiseturner@gmail.com.
Visit Strides Forward on our website
Catch up with us on Instagram and Twitter: at both, we're @StridesForward
Cathy has won multiple national championships on the track and earned a podium placing at the World Masters Games. She has written for National Masters News for many years and is the author of multiple books on running, including High Performance in Midlife and Beyond, which features stories of champion women masters racers. Cathy is also focused on growing her M.O.V.E. community of coaches and goal-focused individuals.
Cathy will be giving her TED Talk at Boston College in the Robsham Theater on March 19, 2022, at 4:30, about how setting short term goals can transform your life. People can attend the event live and in person, and the talk will be available afterward on YouTube: find it by searching for TEDx Boston College.
Find Cathy online on the M.O.V.E. website
Ways to follow Strides Forward Online
Learn more about Strides Forward on our website
Learn about how you can submit a story for consideration on the next Strides Behind the Mic episode
Follow Strides Forward on Instagram and Twitter: @StridesForward
Sonia Samuels discovered her love of running at an early age, and it led her to the biggest stages of sport. But after reaching the peak of competition, in her late 30s, she found herself nursing multiple injuries and feeling burnt out. Then, she was introduced to Jae Gruenke. In this episode we hear Sonia tell her running story, and we hear from both Sonia and Jae about the work they've done together to return Sonia to pain-free, fluid, and fast running.
Sonia and Jae share detailed insights from both sides of the form rehabilitation process. This highlights Jae's approach to helping athletes develop their running skill, and return to smooth, efficient running form, from the inside out. Her method leads runners to getting deeply in touch with their own bodies and discovering how to move with ease.
At 42, and having given birth to her first child October 2020, Sonia is running, and racing, strong.
Ways to follow Sonia Samuels Online
Learn more about Sonia Samuels on her website.
Follow Sonia on Instagram: @soniajsamuels
Ways to follow Jae Gruenke of The Balanced Runner Online
Learn more about Jae Gruenke and The Balanced Runner on the website.
Follow The Balanced Runner on YouTube.
We're excited to share stories from you, the listener. Each Strides Behind the Mic episode, we'll give you a prompt. Please record yourself telling a 1-3 minute story related to the prompt and email it to Strides Forward producer Cherie at clouiseturner@gmail.com. You can also use the form on our website: https://stridesforwardpodcast.com/podcast/strides-behind-the-mic
The prompt from this episode is: Share a memorable moment from a recent run.
Be sure to include details about why this moment was so memorable. Please share where in the world you were running, and if you want to, please include your name. We'll be sharing a selection of listener stories in our next Strides Behind the Mic episode.
Have questions about how to record yourself and email your recording, please feel free to email Cherie with questions.
Visit Strides Forward on our website: https://stridesforwardpodcast.com/
Catch up with us on Instagram and Twitter: at both, we're @StridesForward
This episode is part of our Roads to Boston 2021 series, where we followed the journeys of 9 women from around the world to the 125th Boston Marathon, which took places October 11, 2021.
The previous Boston Marathon took place April 2019. And finally, this legendary event was back, in person. For every participant who gets an entry to Boston, it's a victory all its own: you can't just sign up for Boston, you have to earn your way in. Get an inside look at what goes in to getting to the finish line of the 125th Boston Marathon. Whether Boston is in your future or your running interests take a different shape, join us to energize your own aspirations.
In episode 1, we met the 9 women of this series and learned about how they got started in this sport. In episode 2, we learned about Patty's and Amanda's journeys to running marathons, which is inextricably linked to the Boston Marathon; in that episode we also learned about the Boston Marathon course. In episode 3, we featured the marathoning stories of Rochelle, Marija, Zarah, and Jonna, and episode 4 explored why Yao, Nicole, and Cherie run marathons. Following those, we have episodes about how we all prepared for the Boston Marathon; then gave a look back to how we all earned our entries into the Boston Marathon; and our penultimate episode looked at our final preparation before the big day.
Join us on the journey, to energize your own running goals.
The runners featured
Rochelle Solomon, Randolph, MA, USA; hospital and healthcare compliance officer; Boston first-timer
Patty Hung, Orinda, CA, USA; retired high school math teacher turned pediatric nurse; 34 Bostons run
Yao (Yaowapa) Hoisungwarn, Bangkok, Thailand; singing teacher; Boston first-timer
Marija Desivojević, Belgrade, Serbia; mathematician; Boston first-timer
Nicole Spaulding Pinto, Los Angeles, CA, USA; cardiovascular perfusionist; Boston first-timer
Zarah Hofer, lives in Vancouver, BC, Canada; nutritionist; Boston first-timer
Amanda Watters, Ashland, MA, USA; editor, K-12 science curriculum development, 15 Bostons run
Jonna Maas, Spicer, MN, USA; medical doctor, Boston first-timer
Cherie Louise Turner, Somerville, MA, USA; podcaster, writer, editor; 1 Boston run
Ways to follow Strides Forward Online
Learn more about Strides Forward on our website
Follow Strides Forward on Instagram and Twitter: @StridesForward
Camille Herron fell in love with South Africa’s 90-kilometer Comrades Marathon as a child in Oklahoma, and it became her number one goal to win this epic race.
Camille is one of the world’s top ultra-distance racers with a particular talent for events on the road. She has won several world and national ultra-distance titles and has set world and national records. Camille also holds the Guinness Book of World Records title for fastest marathon in a superhero costume: she was dressed as Spiderwoman.
Also in this episode, you learn about the finish line traditions and the medals runners earn at Comrades, a language of accomplishments all its own. This episode is part of our first season, about experiences in and around the Comrades Marathon, a 90-km, or roughly 56-mile, road race that takes place each year in South Africa. It is the oldest and largest ultra-distance foot race in the world.
This episode’s recommended resource is the Keeping Track podcast. It’s cohosted by former and current professional runners Alysia Montaño, Roisin McGettigan, and Molly Huddle, and the trio discuss issues around women in sport with other notable female athletes or experts in the field. Their conversations are personal and powerful, and they get into tough issues that deserve more attention like racial and gender discrimination and inequality and drug use, that is, cheating. All of the episodes are really good listens, and in particular the interview with two-time Olympic medalist Dawn Harper Nelson is particularly memorable.
Camille Herron’s website: http://www.camilleherron.com
Camille on Twitter: @runcamille
Camille on Instagram: @runcamille
Ways to follow Strides Forward Online
Learn more about Strides Forward on our website
Follow Strides Forward on Instagram and Twitter: @StridesForward
Book mentioned in this episode: Lore of Running by Tim Noakes
Additional audio for this episode comes from SABC Sport 2017 live race coverage, and from an SABC post-race interview.
This episode is part of our Roads to Boston 2021 series, where we are following the journeys of 9 women from around the world to the 125th Boston Marathon, which takes places October 11, 2021.
The last Boston Marathon took place April 2019. And finally, this legendary event is back, in person. For every participant who gets an entry to Boston, it's a victory all its own: you can't just sign up for Boston, you have to earn your way in. Get an inside look at what goes in to getting to the finish line of the 125th Boston Marathon. Whether Boston is in your future or your running interests take a different shape, join us to energize your own aspirations.
In episode 1, we met the 9 women of this series and learned about how they got started in this sport. We're in the midst of discovering why we all started marathoning. In episode 2, we learned about Patty's and Amanda's journeys to running marathons, which is inextricably linked to the Boston Marathon; in that episode we also learned about the Boston course. In episode 3, we featured the marathoning stories of Rochelle, Marija, Zarah, and Jonna, and episode 4 explored why Yao, Nicole, and Cherie run marathons. Following those, we have episodes about how we all prepared for the Boston Marathon and then took a look back to how we all earned our entries into the Boston Marathon.
Join us on the journey, to energize your own running goals!
The runners featured
Rochelle Solomon, Randolph, MA, USA; hospital and healthcare compliance officer; Boston first-timer
Patty Hung, Orinda, CA, USA; retired high school math teacher turned pediatric nurse; 34 Bostons run
Yao (Yaowapa) Hoisungwarn, Bangkok, Thailand; singing teacher; Boston first-timer
Marija Desivojević, Belgrade, Serbia; mathematician; Boston first-timer
Nicole Spaulding Pinto, Los Angeles, CA, USA; cardiovascular perfusionist; Boston first-timer
Zarah Hofer, lives in Vancouver, BC, Canada; nutritionist; Boston first-timer
Amanda Watters, Ashland, MA, USA; editor, K-12 science curriculum development, 15 Bostons run
Jonna Maas, Spicer, MN, USA; medical doctor, Boston first-timer
Cherie Louise Turner, Somerville, MA, USA; podcaster, writer, editor; 1 Boston run
Ways to follow Strides Forward Online
Learn more about Strides Forward on our website
Follow Strides Forward on Instagram and Twitter: @StridesForward
Strides Forward is on Facebook: We welcome you to join our private Facebook group
This episode is part of our Roads to Boston 2021 series, where we are following the journeys of 9 women from around the world to the 125th Boston Marathon, which takes places October 11, 2021.
The last Boston Marathon took place April 2019. And finally, this legendary event is back, in person. For every participant who gets an entry to Boston, it's a victory all its own: you can't just sign up for Boston, you have to earn your way in. Get an inside look at what goes in to getting to the finish line of the 125th Boston Marathon. Whether Boston is in your future or your running interests take a different shape, join us to energize your own aspirations.
In episode 1, we met the 9 women of this series and learned about how they got started in this sport. We're in the midst of discovering why we all started marathoning. In episode 2, we learned about Patty's and Amanda's journeys to running marathons, which is inextricably linked to the Boston Marathon; in that episode we also learned about the Boston course. In episode 3, we featured the marathoning stories of Rochelle, Marija, Zarah, and Jonna, and episode 4 explored why Yao, Nicole, and Cherie run marathons. And, in our last episode checked in on what living the marathon life looks like for all nine runners.
Stay tuned for our next episode where we check in with the runners one final time before the race.
Join us on the journey, to energize your own running goals!
The runners featured
Rochelle Solomon, Randolph, MA, USA; hospital and healthcare compliance officer; Boston first-timer
Patty Hung, Orinda, CA, USA; retired high school math teacher turned pediatric nurse; 34 Bostons run
Yao (Yaowapa) Hoisungwarn, Bangkok, Thailand; singing teacher; Boston first-timer
Marija Desivojević, Belgrade, Serbia; mathematician; Boston first-timer
Nicole Spaulding Pinto, Los Angeles, CA, USA; cardiovascular perfusionist; Boston first-timer
Zarah Hofer, lives in Vancouver, BC, Canada; nutritionist; Boston first-timer
Amanda Watters, Ashland, MA, USA; editor, K-12 science curriculum development, 15 Bostons run
Jonna Maas, Spicer, MN, USA; medical doctor, Boston first-timer
Cherie Louise Turner, Somerville, MA, USA; podcaster, writer, editor; 1 Boston run
Ways to follow Strides Forward Online
Learn more about Strides Forward on our website
Follow Strides Forward on Instagram and Twitter: @StridesForward
Strides Forward is on Facebook: We welcome you to join our private Facebook group
This episode is part of our Roads to Boston 2021 series, where we are following the journeys of 9 women from around the world to the 125th Boston Marathon, which takes places October 11, 2021.
The last Boston Marathon took place April 2019. And finally, this legendary event is back, in person. For every participant who gets an entry to Boston, it's a victory all its own: you can't just sign up for Boston, you have to earn your way in. Get an inside look at what goes in to getting to the finish line of the 125th Boston Marathon. Whether Boston is in your future or your running interests take a different shape, join us to energize your own aspirations.
In episode 1, we met the 9 women of this series and learned about how they got started in this sport. We're in the midst of discovering why we all started marathoning. In episode 2, we learned about Patty's and Amanda's journeys to running marathons, which is inextricably linked to the Boston Marathon; in that episode we also learned about the Boston course. In the last episode, episode 3, we featured the marathoning stories of Rochelle, Marija, Zarah, and Jonna, and episode 4 explored why Yao, Nicole, and Cherie run marathons.
Stay tuned for our next episode where we check in on the runners in the midst of their Boston 2021 training to find out how living the marathon life is going for everyone.
Join us on the journey, to energize your own running goals.
Also in this episode, we give a shout out to our podcast pals Run Father & Faster with Lisa and Julie. Check them out, especially for Boston Marathon specific information, but also to inspire and inform your running goals, whatever they are. Learn more at RunFatherandFaster.com.
The runners featured
Rochelle Solomon, Randolph, MA, USA; hospital and healthcare compliance officer; Boston first-timer
Patty Hung, Orinda, CA, USA; retired high school math teacher turned pediatric nurse; 34 Bostons run
Yao (Yaowapa) Hoisungwarn, Bangkok, Thailand; singing teacher; Boston first-timer
Marija Desivojević, Belgrade, Serbia; mathematician; Boston first-timer
Nicole Spaulding Pinto, Los Angeles, CA, USA; cardiovascular perfusionist; Boston first-timer
Zarah Hofer, lives in Vancouver, BC, Canada; nutritionist; Boston first-timer
Amanda Watters, Ashland, MA, USA; editor, K-12 science curriculum development, 15 Bostons run
Jonna Maas, Spicer, MN, USA; medical doctor, Boston first-timer
Cherie Louise Turner, Somerville, MA, USA; podcaster, writer, editor; 1 Boston run
Ways to follow Strides Forward Online
Learn more about Strides Forward on our website
Follow Strides Forward on Instagram and Twitter: @StridesForward
Strides Forward is on Facebook: We welcome you to join our private Facebook group
This episode is part of our Roads to Boston 2021 series, where we are following the journeys of 9 women from around the world to the 125th Boston Marathon, which takes places October 11, 2021.
The last Boston Marathon took place April 2019. And finally, this legendary event is back, in person. For every participant who gets an entry to Boston, it's a victory all its own: you can't just sign up for Boston, you have to earn your way in. Get an inside look at what goes in to getting to the finish line of the 125th Boston Marathon. Whether Boston is in your future or your running interests take a different shape, join us to energize your own aspirations.
In episode 1, we met the 9 women of this series and learned about how they got started in this sport. We're in the midst of discovering why we all started marathoning. In episode 2, we learned about Patty's and Amanda's journeys to running marathons, which is inextricably linked to the Boston Marathon; in that episode we also learned about the Boston course. In the last episode, episode 3, we featured the marathoning stories of Rochelle, Marija, Zarah, and Jonna. And in in this episode, we discover why Yao, Nicole, and Cherie run marathons.
Stay tuned for our next episode where we check in on the runners in the midst of their Boston 2021 training to find out how living the marathon life is going for everyone.
Join us on the journey, to energize your own running goals!
The runners featured
Rochelle Solomon, Randolph, MA, USA; hospital and healthcare compliance officer; Boston first-timer
Patty Hung, Orinda, CA, USA; retired high school math teacher turned pediatric nurse; 34 Bostons run
Yao (Yaowapa) Hoisungwarn, Bangkok, Thailand; singing teacher; Boston first-timer
Marija Desivojević, Belgrade, Serbia; mathematician; Boston first-timer
Nicole Spaulding Pinto, Los Angeles, CA, USA; cardiovascular perfusionist; Boston first-timer
Zarah Hofer, lives in Vancouver, BC, Canada; nutritionist; Boston first-timer
Amanda Watters, Ashland, MA, USA; editor, K-12 science curriculum development, 15 Bostons run
Jonna Maas, Spicer, MN, USA; medical doctor, Boston first-timer
Cherie Louise Turner, Somerville, MA, USA; podcaster, writer, editor; 1 Boston run
Ways to follow Strides Forward Online
Learn more about Strides Forward on our website
Follow Strides Forward on Instagram and Twitter: @StridesForward
Strides Forward is on Facebook: We welcome you to join our private Facebook group
This episode is part of our Roads to Boston 2021 series, where we are following the journeys of 9 women from around the world to the 125th Boston Marathon, which takes places October 11, 2021.
The last Boston Marathon took place April 2019. And finally, this legendary event is back, in person. For every participant who gets an entry to Boston, it's a victory all its own: you can't just sign up for Boston, you have to earn your way in. Get an inside look at what goes in to getting to the finish line of the 125th Boston Marathon. Whether Boston is in your future or your running interests take a different shape, join us to energize your own aspirations.
In episode 1, we met the 9 women of this series and learned about how they got started in this sport. We're in the midst of discovering why we all started marathoning. In the last episode, we learned about Patty's and Amanda's journeys to running marathons, which is inextricably linked to the Boston Marathon; in that episode we also learned about the Boston course. This episode features the marathoning stories of Rochelle, Marija, Zarah, and Jonna. And in episode 4, we discover why Yao, Nicole, and Cherie run marathons.
Join us on the journey, to energize your own running goals!
The runners featured
Rochelle Solomon, Randolph, MA, USA; hospital and healthcare compliance officer; Boston first-timer
Patty Hung, Orinda, CA, USA; retired high school math teacher turned pediatric nurse; 34 Bostons run
Yao (Yaowapa) Hoisungwarn, Bangkok, Thailand; singing teacher; Boston first-timer
Marija Desivojević, Belgrade, Serbia; mathematician; Boston first-timer
Nicole Spaulding Pinto, Los Angeles, CA, USA; cardiovascular perfusionist; Boston first-timer
Zarah Hofer, lives in Vancouver, BC, Canada; nutritionist; Boston first-timer
Amanda Watters, Ashland, MA, USA; editor, K-12 science curriculum development, 15 Bostons run
Jonna Maas, Spicer, MN, USA; medical doctor, Boston first-timer
Cherie Louise Turner, Somerville, MA, USA; podcaster, writer, editor; 1 Boston run
Ways to follow Strides Forward Online
Learn more about Strides Forward on our website
Follow Strides Forward on Instagram and Twitter: @StridesForward
Strides Forward is on Facebook: We welcome you to join our private Facebook group
This episode is part of our Roads to Boston 2021 series, where we are following the journeys of 9 women from around the world to the 125th Boston Marathon, which takes places October 11, 2021.
The last Boston Marathon took place April 2019. And finally, this legendary event is back, in person. For every participant who gets an entry to Boston, it's a victory all its own: you can't just sign up for Boston, you have to earn your way in. Get an inside look at what goes in to getting to the finish line of the 125th Boston Marathon. Whether Boston is in your future or your running interests take a different shape, join us to energize your own aspirations.
In episode 1, we met the 9 women of this series and learned about how they got started in this sport. For this and the following two episodes, we're discovering why we all started marathoning. This episode features Amanda and Patty, and our next episode features the marathoning stories of Rochelle, Marija, Zarah, and Jonna. And in episode 4, we hear from Yao, Nicole, and Cherie.
Join us on the journey, to energize your own running goals!
The runners featured
Rochelle Solomon, Randolph, MA, USA; hospital and healthcare compliance officer; Boston first-timer
Patty Hung, Orinda, CA, USA; retired high school math teacher turned pediatric nurse; 34 Bostons run
Yao (Yaowapa) Hoisungwarn, Bangkok, Thailand; singing teacher; Boston first-timer
Marija Desivojević, Belgrade, Serbia; mathematician; Boston first-timer
Nicole Spaulding Pinto, Los Angeles, CA, USA; cardiovascular perfusionist; Boston first-timer
Zarah Hofer, lives in Vancouver, BC, Canada; nutritionist; Boston first-timer
Amanda Watters, Ashland, MA, USA; editor, K-12 science curriculum development, 15 Bostons run
Jonna Maas, Spicer, MN, USA; medical doctor, Boston first-timer
Cherie Louise Turner, Somerville, MA, USA; podcaster, writer, editor; 1 Boston run
Ways to follow Strides Forward Online
Learn more about Strides Forward on our website
Follow Strides Forward on Instagram and Twitter: @StridesForward
Strides Forward is on Facebook: We welcome you to join our private Facebook group
For this series, we're following the running stories of 9 women runners, from around the world, who are all preparing for the historic 125th Boston Marathon this fall.
The last Boston Marathon took place April 2019. And finally, this legendary event is back, in person. For every participant who gets an entry to Boston, it's a victory all its own: you can't just sign up for Boston, you have to earn your way in.
Get an inside look at what goes in to getting to the finish line of the 125th Boston Marathon. Whether Boston is in your future or your running interests take a different shape, join us to energize your own aspirations.
Ways to follow Strides Forward Online
Learn more about Strides Forward on our website
Follow Strides Forward on Instagram and Twitter: @StridesForward
Strides Forward is on Facebook: We welcome you to join our private Facebook group
The last Boston Marathon took place April 2019. And finally, this legendary event is back, in person. For every participant who gets an entry to Boston, it's a victory all its own: you can't just sign up for Boston, you have to earn your way in.
This year, getting an entry was harder than ever. Pandemic concerns saw the field limit cut by a third.
For this series, we follow the stories of 9 women who did get an entry, from how they got started running in the first place, through to earning their Boston entries, and how they are living the marathon life as they prepare for this legendary event.
Get an inside look at what goes in to getting to the start line of the 125th Boston Marathon. Whether Boston is in your future or your running interests take a different shape, join us to energize your own aspirations.
Megan started linking thinness with performance at a young age. Body commentary, prevalent ideals of what a winning distance runner should look, and the desire to be competitive led Megan down the path toward RED-s: she was amenorrhoeic (had stopped menstruating) by the time she was graduating high school. Her journey demonstrates the numerous challenges young women athletes face to get the health support and education they need to navigate away from the seriously harmful syndrome of RED-s.
This story follows Megan’s journey through her early days of discovering her love of being an athlete, to her frustrations and struggles with RED-s through her NCAA Division I career, and on to how she’s created and found strength in community and taken hold of her own health. Megan is the founder of Strong Runner Chicks, a community to support and uplift women runners.
Ways to follow Megan and Strides Forward Online
Follow Megan on Instagram: @meginspire
Follow Strong Runner Chicks on Instagram: @strongrunchicks
Learn about Strong Runner Chicks on their website
Learn more about Strides Forward on our website
Follow Strides Forward on Instagram and Twitter: @StridesForward
Strides Forward is on
& please join our private Facebook group
Since this episode ran in early 2020, Dagmara was named to the Tokyo Olympic Team, so you can learn about her here and then cheer for her at the Games.
From Hear Her Sports: Sabre fencer Dagmara Wozniak is a two time Olympian – London in 2012 and Rio in 2016, where she won a team bronze medal. After recent ankle surgery she is now actively training and competing to make the Tokyo2020 Olympic team. Dagmara is 2018 Pan Am Championship gold medalist and 2015 Pan Am Games Gold Medalist. She also speaks at schools about body positivity and determination.
In this episode she inspires with stories of rehab, Lindsey Vonn documentaries, winning well, strength training, whoop, and how sports is like art. She’s also just plain fun to talk to.
Dagmara’s website
Dagmara’s Instagram
Dagmara’s Facebook
WHOOP
Insight Timer app for sleep, meditation
Lindsey Vonn: The Final Season, documentary recommended by Dagmara
Lindsey Vonn: The Climb
Rising Strong by Brené Brown
Hear Her Sports website: http://www.hearhersports.com/
Find Hear Her Sports on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook
Beatie Deutsch had always been athletic. But after getting married and having four children in quick succession during her 20s, she realized she’d left that athletic part of herself behind to care for her growing family.
In 2015, Beatie decided to make a change and sign up for a marathon. Now, in 2021, Beatie Deutsch is a professional runner, a two-time Israeli National Marathon Champion, and the mother of five. She’s also an orthodox Jewish woman who runs in modest dress. Beatie has become an inspiration to thousands of people and is shattering stereotypes both in her home country and beyond.
Ways to follow Beatie and Strides Forward Online
Follow Beatie on Instagram: @marathonmother
Learn about Beatie on her website: beatiedeutsch.com
Follow Strides Forward on Instagram and Twitter: @StridesForward
Strides Forward is on Facebook & please join our Facebook group: we discuss women's long-distance running.
RED-s is the syndrome that used to be called the female athlete triad. It's very common among women long-distance runners, and it can be a tricky syndrome to diagnose: Ann's story gets into many of the reasons why. But knowledge is power, and I am so thankful to Ann for sharing her knowledge and experience.
Ways to follow Ann and Strides Forward Online
Follow Ann on Instagram: @ann.ashworth
Follow Ann on Twitter: @ultraashworth
Follow Strides Forward on Instagram and Twitter: @StridesForward
Strides Forward is on Facebook & please join our Facebook group: we discuss women's long-distance running.
Dawn Harper Nelson is an Olympic gold (2008) and silver (2012) medalist in the 100-meter hurdles. In this powerful and important interview, Dawn goes deep about her experiences as a Black woman athlete who also became the first American in her discipline to win a gold medal at one Olympics and then medal at the following Games.
Dawn will be making her bid for a third Olympic team at the Track and Field Olympic Trials coming up in June 2021. Another excellent women helping women tie in here is that Dawn was chosen as one of three elite athlete moms to receive support from the nonprofit &mother as she trains for the trials. &mother aims to help women thrive in their career and in motherhood, and it was founded by Keeping Track’s Alysia Montaño.
Links for This Episode
Keeping Track website: keeping-track.com
Follow Keeping Track on Instagram: @keeptrackmedia
Follow Dawn Harper Nelson on Instagram: @dharp100mh
Follow Dawn Harper Nelson on Twitter: @DHarp100mH
Dawn Harper Nelson Facebook Fanpage: facebook.com/dawnharpernelson
&mother website: andmother.org
Follow Strides Forward on Instagram and Twitter: @StridesForward
Strides Forward is on Facebook & now has a (private) Facebook group; please join us
Strides Forward website: stridesforwardpodcast.com
We have merch!
As Barbara Hannah Grufferman approached her 50th birthday, she was feeling, as she describes it, the “umpies”: lumpy, grumpy, and frumpy. Her health wasn’t great: she’d spent her adult life putting the needs of everyone else ahead of herself: work, family, community. And now those choices were catching up to her. And, she’d just gone through menopause, which had had it’s own challenging impact. The spark and grit she’d had before seemed to be fading into the past.
Maybe this is what getting older and seeing the other side of menopause was all about? she thought.
And then, a pointed comment by her then young daughter and a well-timed Wall Street Journal article changed everything. Barbara, who’d never been a runner, set down a path of marathon running, health and wellness, and discovering how to age the very best she could.
Since that day, 15 years ago, Barbara has completed over a dozen marathons and one ultra, and there’s more to come. She also shares her wisdom and lived experience of achieving wellness and health after 50 with a growing number of woman in her work as an advocate for aging well. Barbara has written two books, writes a newsletter, has spoken in public on many occasions, and so much more. In a word, Barbara is vibrant.
Ways to follow Barbara and Strides Forward, plus Coach Parry information
Barbara’s website: barbarahannahgrufferman.com
Subscribe to Barbara’s Menopause Cheat Sheet
Follow Barbara on Instagram: @barbarahannahgrufferman
Follow Barbara on Twitter: @BGrufferman
Follow Strides Forward on Instagram and Twitter: @StridesForward
Strides Forward is on Facebook & now has a (private) Facebook group; please join us
Our Website is stridesforwardpodcast.com
We have merch!
The Coach Parry Running Through Menopause Training Program
The Coach Parry webinar, where we first "met" Barbara
We recommend the podcast Hear Her Sports: hearhersports.com
Sally Kipyego was born in Kenya and started running at a young age. She discovered early on that she had talent and a will be seek the ultimate limits of her potential. She had early success as a junior, and when she came to the United States and ran as a member of the Texas Tech cross-country and track team, she dominated by winning total of 9 NCAA championships.
Sally turned pro after college, in 2010, and has been internationally competitive ever since. Among her many accomplishments, she placed 2nd in the 10,000 meter at the world championships in 2011 and 5th in 2015, and she won the silver medal at that distance in the 2012 London Olympics. During that time she was competing for her home country of Kenya, but in 2017, she became a US citizen. She currently calls Eugene, Oregon, home, and visits Kenya regularly.
In 2016, Sally decided the time had come to become a mom. This episode traces her experience going through pregnancy and the bumpy, uncertain journey returning to her job of elite running. And it all culminates at one epic race: the 2020 US Olympic Marathon Trials.
Through Sally's experiences, we learn about patience, listening to your body, and honoring the reality that every single pregnancy journey is different.
Follow Sally Kipyego on Instagram: @sallykipyego
Follow Strides Forward on Instagram and Twitter: @StridesForward
Our Website is stridesforwardpodcast.com
We welcome you to take a (~10-min) Listener Survey
We have merch!
Charlotte Gibbs shares her very personal journey about how her pursuit to become the best athlete she could be led her down the far too common and ultimately detrimental path to RED-s, a syndrome that happens when you don’t give the body enough of what it needs to keep up with the demands you’re putting on it. It’s a condition that happens over time and left unchecked, it will get progressively worse. The key to avoiding RED-s is to recognize early warning signs, and correct course.
Charlotte shares her full journey back to rediscovering joy and health through running, while acknowledging the reality that this is an ongoing process.
I am very thankful to Charlotte for sharing these personal details about her struggles with RED-s, overtraining, and restrictive eating. These topics can be tough to talk about, but these experiences happen more regularly than we recognize, and yes, awareness and knowledge are power. I thank you to Charlotte for being part of that empowerment.
This episode is part of our series of stories focused on running in a woman’s body, where we’re focused on the topics of menopause, RED-s, and pregnancy. Each episode in this series features one runner talking about her experiences around one of these topics.
You can also listen to our first series about experiences at South African's 90km Comrades Marathon, or enjoy our standalone episode featuring ultra superstar Courtney Dauwalter sharing her insights on problem-solving in ultras and strengthening her mental game.
Resources referenced in this episode:
We recommend the podcast Hear Her Sports: hearhersports.com
ROAR: How to Match Your Food and Fitness to Your Unique Female Physiology for Optimum Performance, Great Health, and a Strong, Lean Body for Life, by Dr. Stacy Sims and Selene Yeager
Selene Yeager
Dr. Stacy Sims
Ways to follow Charlotte and Strides Forward Online
Follow Charlotte on Instagram: @lottiee78
Follow Charlotte on Twitter: @charlottegooda7
Follow Strides Forward on Instagram and Twitter: @StridesForward
Our Website is stridesforwardpodcast.com
We welcome you to take a (~10-min) Listener Survey
We have merch!
Sophie Speidel is a lifelong athlete: being a competitor is motivating, rewarding, and fun. But there's a simple fact that comes with aging: our ultimate potentials in speed and strength begin to fade. In a sport like running, where we generally measure getting better as getting faster, how can we adjust to a body that's slowing down and still feel like we're improving?
Sophie's journey explores this very question as she takes us through her menopause experiences and how she continues to thrive and achieve as her body ages.
Mentioned in this episode
Sophie Speidel's writing on Trail Sisters: https://www.trailsisters.net/author/sophie-speidel/
Dr. Stacey Sims
Selene Yeager and the Hit Play Not Pause podcast
Barbara Hannah Grufferman's "Menopause Cheat Sheet"
Coach Parry's YouTube channel "The Female Athlete"
Coach Parry's "Running Through Menopause" training program
Sarah Lavender Smith's blog, "The Runner's Trip"
Ways to follow Sophie and Strides Forward Online
Follow Sophie on Instagram: @sophiespeidel
Follow Strides Forward on Instagram and Twitter: @StridesForward
Our Website is stridesforwardpodcast.com
We welcome you to take a (10-min) Listener Survey
We have merch!
Courtney Dauwalter is well known in the ultra running community, and news of her accomplishments has even extended into mainstream media. She started gaining wider recognition in 2017, when she won the Moab 240 Endurance Run outright: that's 240, as in miles. She’s also won internationally prestigious races like the Western States 100 Mile and UTMB, she’s held the 24-hour world record, and in 2020 she won the US title for the Big’s Backyard Ultra Challenge.
Courtney is undeniably one of the best ultra runners in the world. She’s also developed a deep interest in exploring the limits of human endurance. Through those pursuits, she’s learned a lot about the many obstacles runners face in ultra events and how to resolve them.
One area she's particularly interested in is the mental side of ultra-endurance running. Here, we get into it.
Follow Courtney on Instagram: @courtneydauwalter
Follow Strides Forward on Instagram and Twitter: @StridesForward
Our Website is stridesforwardpodcast.com
We welcome you to take a (10-min) listener survey: https://bit.ly/2Y3LXhc
Merch! (half of proceeds go to nonprofits): https://www.teepublic.com/stores/strides-forward
At Strides Forward, we're always interested to learn about how running is more than the act of putting one foot in front of the other. What do we take into our everyday lives that we learn from running? How does this sport, and our participation in it, impact us and those around us? This episode speaks to those sorts of inquiries.
We also announce the topic for our new season, beginning February 2021. And we announce that we have a special one-off episode featuring world-class ultra runner and all around outstanding human being Courtney Dauwalter coming out in January.
Please fill out our listener survey. You can get to it by clicking the link at the top of our homepage at stridesforwardpodcast.com. Or go directly to the listener survey.
Please follow us on Twitter: @stridesforward
Please follow up on Instagram: @stridesforward
Music and sound design by Cormac O'Regan
Design and website by April Mariner of Bonfire Collaborative
This bonus episode features clips from ultramarathon runners Camille Herron, Renata Vosloo, Cathy Hopkins, Devon Yanko, Karen Williams, and Shirley Mosiakgabo. Even though these runners are very different in so many ways, they all share a common experience: running makes them feel better.
Whether your looking for a little extra motivation to lace up for your run or just enjoy a little pick-me-up, this episode is sure to lend some inspiration.
Please fill out our listener survey (it takes less then 10 min.). Just click the link at the top of the Strides Forward homepage. Or go directly to the Listener Survey.
Please follow us on Twitter: @stridesforward
Please follow up on Instagram: @stridesforward
Music and sound design by Cormac O'Regan
Design and website by April Mariner of Bonfire Collaborative
Cheryl Winn has a decades-long and multifaceted relationship with the Comrades Marathon. In this episode, we touch on all of it. Cheryl was an elite runner in the late 1970s and early 1980s, winning many local events, and she became the Comrades champion in 1982.
During her running career through to today, Cheryl has also been involved with race production. She is now the Chairperson of Comrades. And she is the only chairperson to also be a former winner of the race.
Cheryl Winn is a trailblazer in both long-distance running and event leadership. This story of her enduring love of and accomplishments in the sport and this historic 90-km race perfectly caps off our season focusing on the mighty Comrades Marathon.
This episode is the last one in our first season, and the theme of this season is experiences in and around the Comrades Marathon, a 90-kilometre, or roughly 56-mile, road race that takes place each year in South Africa. It is the oldest and largest ultra-distance foot race in the world.
Please find us on Twitter and Instagram @StridesForward, and share the podcast with a friend. You can learn more and find complete transcripts at stridesforwardpodcast.com.
Karen Williams came to running later in life and it took some encouragement. But she discovered that she actually enjoyed running, and even more, she developed a curiosity to see just how far she could go. We follow her journey from those first strides to her amazing Comrades adventure.
Karen's Comrades journey introduces listeners to what it's like to be among the final official finishers of the race. Comrades has a hard cutoff of 12 hours; runners who finish even a second after are not considered official finishers of the race. And Karen cut that margin just about as close as you possibly can. The final moments of the race are emotional and intense, and Karen's journey will take you there.
This episode is part of our first season, and the theme of this season is experiences in and around the Comrades Marathon, which is a 90-kilometre, or roughly 56-mile, road race that takes place each year in South Africa. It is the oldest and largest ultra-distance foot race in the world.
Show Notes
You can find our complete list of Runner’s Resources on the Strides Forward website. This is a list of blogs, books, newsletters, magazines, and podcasts (mostly) about running that are by women, focus on women, or both.
We always welcome suggestions for the resources page as well as feedback and comments about the podcast. Please feel free to contact host Cherie Turner at clouiseturner@gmail.com.
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We follow Shirley Mosiakgabo's story from the early days of discovering a joy for making running a regular part of her life through to her experiences running her first Comrades Marathon. As of 2019, Shirley had completed Comrades a total of five times, and she is the Botswana Ambassador for the race.
Where many people consider races like Comrades to be "crazy," Shirley shows us that, with time, dedication, and desire, completing ultras can also be a next step in a long-distance running journey.
Early on, Shirley discovered the great satisfaction of completing a hard thing. When the opportunities arose to continuing stretching that hard thing out longer, her curiosity and drive, as well as support from friends and family, inspired her to see if she could go that extra distance. Shirley followed that curiosity to what's often referred to at the Ultimate Human Race, Comrades.
This episode is part of our first season, and the theme of this season is experiences in and around the Comrades Marathon, which is a 90-kilometre, or roughly 56-mile, road race that takes place each year in South Africa. It is the oldest and largest ultra-distance foot race in the world.
Show Notes Recommended Resources
The recommendation for this episode is RunGrl. This organization's tagline is Making Room for the Black Woman Distance Runner, with goals of promoting wellness, creating community, and providing running information and inspiration, as well as raising up and celebrating the voices and images of black women in distance running.
On the website, there are loads of articles in the categories of running, health and wellness, and lifestyles, written by a variety of Black female contributors from across the US. The platform also features an initiative called The Relay which provides expert tips, tools, and insights from certified coaches, experts, and elite runners, including Olympian Marielle Hall, NCAA Division I runner Peyton Thomas, and RunGrl co-founders and certified running coaches Jasmine Nesi and Ashlee Green, among others.
You can find RunGrl at rungrl.co.
You can find our complete list of Runner’s Resources on the Strides Forward website. This is a list of blogs, books, newsletters, magazines, and podcasts (mostly) about running that are by women, focus on women, or both.
We always welcome suggestions for the resources page as well as feedback and comments about the podcast. Please feel free to contact host Cherie Turner at clouiseturner@gmail.com.
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South African firefighter and now single mother of two Enie Manzini discovered her love and talent for running at a young age and began running seriously in 2007. Not long after, Enie had the first child. Committed to excelling in her sport, she worked in her training around motherhood, household duties, and a demanding career.
And then Enie came face to face with the biggest hurdle of all: her home life turned violent. For a decade she would endure increasingly severe domestic abuse from her husband.
Enie shares her very personal and ultimately triumphant story of how her passion for running and desire to be a positive role model to her children were instrumental in her decision to end a destructive marriage. Enie has gone on to become one of South Africa’s best ultra-marathon runners. She is also a member of Team Massmart, South Africa’s first all-women’s elite long-distance running team.
Enie’s journey demonstrates how a deep belief in yourself and commitment to standing your ground and following your dreams can give you strength even in the darkest of times.
This episode is part of our first season, and the theme of this season is experiences in and around the Comrades Marathon, which is a 90-kilometer, or roughly 56-mile, road race that takes place each year in South Africa. It is the oldest and largest ultra-distance foot race in the world.
Show Notes Recommended Resources
The recommendation for this episode is the blog Free to Run, which is part of the Free to Run organization. The organization works with females in conflict areas to involve them in outdoor activities, including running. To quote the website, their goal is to increase opportunities for women and girls to engage in public life, using sport as a tool of empowerment and education. The blog follows the work of Free to Run.
Learn more about Free to Run on their website: https://freetorun.org/
You can find our complete list of Runner’s Resources on the Strides Forward website. This is a list of blogs, books, newsletters, magazines, and podcasts (mostly) about running that are by women, focus on women, or both.
We always welcome suggestions for the resources page as well as feedback and comments about the podcast. Please feel free to contact host Cherie Turner at clouiseturner@gmail.com.
Follow Strides Forward on Instagram
Follow Strides Forward on Twitter
We love feedback! Please rate and review the show, or contact us directly with your thoughts.
South African Renata Vosloo has loved running since she was young, and she had talent to run fast. For many years, half-marathons were her thing. But the pressure to run Comrades was so great, she decided, “Just once.”
This story is about how Renata’s plan to run Comrades “just once” and crack the challenging 7:30 finishing time barrier has led to her becoming an elite runner for Team Massmart and knocking on the door of a top 10 finish.
Renata’s journey takes a close look at the many factors that contribute to a runner getting to the next level of performance. And it touches on what running brings to our lives, regardless of what our time and event performance goals are.
This episode is part of our first season, and the theme of this season is experiences in and around the Comrades Marathon, which is a 90-kilometer, or roughly 56-mile, road race that takes place each year in South Africa. It is the oldest and largest ultra-distance foot race in the world.
Show Notes Recommended Resources
This episode’s recommended resource is Trail Sisters. There’s a lot to this organization, and they say it best: their mission is to increase women’s participation and opportunity in trail running through inspiration, education, and empowerment.
The work they do makes trail running more accessible, welcoming, and enjoyable for women. You’ll find a lot of resources and information on their website, including articles, short films, ways to connect with local trail sisters, race reports, how to find a coach, and information about their grants and retreats, and more.
For more, visit the Trail Sisters website: trailsisters.net.
You can find our complete list of Runner’s Resources on the Strides Forward website. This is a list of blogs, books, newsletters, magazines, and podcasts (mostly) about running that are by women, focus on women, or both.
We always welcome suggestions for the resources page as well as feedback and comments about the podcast. Please feel free to contact host Cherie Turner at clouiseturner@gmail.com.
Follow Strides Forward on Instagram
Follow Strides Forward on Twitter
Ann Ashworth had a vision to make a difference and saw a lack of support for aspiring elite South African women long-distance runners. She made it her mission to create a team that brought more South African women into the elite ranks of marathon and ultra-racing, with a focus on Comrades.
The episode follows Ann’s journey to found the team and also discusses how the team structure follows a communal, “all for one, one for all” approach instead of the “winner take all” approach followed by other teams. You’ll hear about how the team has progressed in its first two years, as well as commentary from team members Enie Manzini and Renata Vosloo.
This episode is part of our first season, and the theme of this season is experiences in and around the Comrades Marathon, a 90-kilometer, or roughly 56-mile, road race that takes place each year in South Africa. It is the oldest and largest ultra-distance foot race in the world: Comrades turns 100 years old in 2021 and over 27,000 were registered for the 2020 event.
Show Notes Recommended Resources
Every episode we highlight one entry from our long list of recommended resources, which are resources focused (mostly) on running and are created by women, are about women, or both. And for this episode, the highlighted resource is Run the North, a weekly newsletter about Canadian running created by Erin Balser.
Erin provides up-to-date information about what’s going on in the sport in her country, as well as news that affects Canadian racers, notable news from elsewhere, historical information, and more. The newsletter is well researched, insightful, thoughtful, and offers a good mix of information I find informative, interesting, and oftentimes just straight up fun.
One recent story I really enjoyed was Erin’s look back at 1980 Canadian Boston Marathon winner Jacqueline Gareau, on April 20th, the day this year’s Boston had been scheduled for. And in her May 4th newsletter, Erin offered up 72 books about running to check out.
You can subscribe to Run the North through the website, runthenorth.substack.com.
Also mentioned in this episode is the Marathon Talk podcast and their interview with Comrades Marathon Chairperson Cheryl Winn, which you’ll find in Episode 543.
You can follow Team Massmart on Instagram at teammassmart; Twitter at @TeamMassmart; and on Facebook. You can also visit the Team Massmart website.
Every episode we highlight one entry from our long list of recommended resources, which are focused on women and running. And for this episode, the highlighted resource is Lessons In Badassery, a personal blog project written by sports and adventure journalist Katie Spyrka; she features interview-style posts of, well, badass female adventurers and athletes. In addition to sharing inspirational stories of exceptional athletes, this blog features a lot of really nice photography. There are so many incredible athletes here, from a wide range of sports; in the realm of ultra running, I really enjoyed the May 6 post featuring Maggie Guterl, and the April 15 post featuring Sarah Sawyer.
You can find Lessons in Badassery at lessonsinbadassery.com.
Ann Ashworth is on Instagram @ann.ashworth
You can learn more about Ann and Team Massmart on the website https://teamashworth.co.za/
Canadian Cathy Hopkins shares her journey of finding her joy in running by sharing it with others. While running can often appear to be completely solitary , the community that forms around the sport can transcend cultures and countries, age, ability, and social standing. No where is that more evident than at the Comrades Marathon, as Cathy’s experiences attest to. In addition to the many events Cathy has run in North America, she's finished Comrades 9 times! Learn why her next time there will mark an especially important milestone.
Also in this episode, learn about the various colors of bib numbers and what they mean; bib numbers and colors are tied to the many ways the race honors returning runners. Also learn about how runners can leave their own mark on the wall of honor. These are some of the many unique traditions of Comrades, which we discuss in this podcast.
This episode is part of our first season, and the theme of this season is experiences in and around the Comrades Marathon, which is a 90-kilometer, or roughly 56-mile, road race that takes place each year in South Africa. It is the oldest and largest ultra-distance foot race in the world.
Every episode we highlight one entry from our long list of recommended resources focused on women and running. This episode’s highlighted resource is the Running on Om podcast, hosted by Julia Hanlon. The podcast features conversations Julia has with women who have committed their lives to endurance sports and the outdoors. There’s also the Soul Sisters series, where Julia and her best friend, professional distance runner Abbey Cooper, discuss their own experiences and answer listener questions. All of the Running on Om episodes feature deep, real, inspirational, and empowering conversations that don’t shy away from life’s difficulties. I always discover great takeaways. An episode that stands out for me is Julia’s interview with Molly Seidel, which was done in January, before the 2020 Olympic Marathon Trials.
On this episode, we mention the Comrades Ambassador program. These are representatives outside of South Africa who help other runners in their country navigate all aspects of qualifying for and getting to the Comrades Marathon. You can find a full list of ambassadors with their contact information here. If you are a Canadian runner interested in running Comrades, you can email Cathy at cathy@comrades.com.
Running legend Blanche Moila shares her story, which is a strong testament to the many ways running can be a vehicle for change. Blanche, who is now in her 60s, has been inspiring others through running since she started competing in the 1980s.
Blanche found her competitive running talents in her 20s and became one of South Africa’s best middle distance, cross-country, and marathon runners. Her accomplishments broke down racial barriers and, eventually, made her an inspiration throughout the country.
After her elite running career, Blanche began to regularly participate in the Comrades Marathon. As of 2019, she has completed the event 16 times, and in 2004, she was the face of Comrades.
Blanche, a psychiatric nurse, continues to be an inspiration to young girls and women and works to change negative beliefs about women and running. She does this by continuing to set an example with her own running, as well as public speaking, mentoring, and coaching. Also, Blanche runs Comrades for charity: in 2019, she ran for the Hillcrest AIDS Centre Trust.
Up top in this episode, we give a supportive shout-out to the She Runs Trails podcast, hosted by Melody Dowlearn. This podcast was created to give voice to female mid-pack and back of the pack trail runners who are doing incredible things out on the trail every single day. Episodes cover a range of issues from nutrition and gear, to ultra running and mental health.
And, the recommended resource for this episode is Women’s Running magazine. This publication touches on all aspects of the running lifestyle, from racing and training to nutrition, gear, and inspiration, as well as covering some of the competitive side of the sport, the runners, events and news. And it includes writing by such award-winning journalists as Erin Strout, who received the 2019 excellence in running journalism award from the Road Runners Club of America.
You can learn more about the Hillcrest AIDS Centre Trust on their website.
I first learned about Blanche through Bob de la Motte’s book Runaway Comrade.
Additional audio for this episode comes the 2017 Comrades Marathon Promotional Video
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Camille’s journey includes finding ultra racing after years of being an elite marathon runner. Back to Comrades, in addition to winning it being her dream, this was also literally a dream her husband, Conor, had before Camille lined up for the race in 2017. Going into that event, however, Camille was coming off a painful knee injury suffered only ten weeks beforehand.
Camille is one of the world’s top ultra-distance racers with a particular talent for events on the road. She has won several world and national ultra-distance titles and has set world and national records. Camille also holds the Guinness Book of World Records title for fastest marathon in a superhero costume: she was dressed as Spiderwoman.
Also in this episode, you learn about the finish line traditions and the medals runners earn at Comrades, a language of accomplishments all its own. This episode is part of our first season, and the theme of this season is experiences in and around the Comrades Marathon, a 90-km, or roughly 56-mile, road race that takes place each year in South Africa. It is the oldest and largest ultra-distance foot race in the world.
This episode’s recommended resource is the Keeping Track podcast. It’s cohosted by former and current professional runners Alysia Montaño, Roisin McGettigan, and Molly Huddle, and the trio discuss issues around women in sport with other notable female athletes or experts in the field. Their conversations are personal and powerful, and they get into tough issues that deserve more attention like racial and gender discrimination and inequality and drug use, that is, cheating. All of the episodes are really good listens, and in particular the interview with two-time Olympic medalist Dawn Harper Nelson is particularly memorable.
Camille Herron’s website: http://www.camilleherron.com
Camille on Twitter: @runcamille
Camille on Instagram: @runcamille
Book mentioned in this episode: Lore of Running by Tim Noakes
Additional audio for this episode comes from SABC Sport 2017 live race coverage, and from an SABC post-race interview.
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When Anjali entered a half-marathon, with no training, in 2015, she had no idea about the running talents she’d discover. Shortly thereafter, she learned about the Comrades and decided she had to run; when she registered for Comrades, she’d never even run a marathon.
Since her 2017 Comrades experience, Anjali has gone on to become one of India’s top ultra runners. Most recently, in November 2019, Anjali competed for India in the Asia and Oceania 100km Championships in Jordan, where she was the 4th place woman and, with a finishing time of 9 hours 22 minutes, set an Indian national record for women at that distance.
This episode is part of our first season, and the theme of this season is experiences in and around the Comrades Marathon, which is a 90-kilometer, or roughly 56-mile, road race that takes place each year in South Africa. It is the oldest and largest ultra-distance foot race in the world. In addition to Anjali’s story, you’ll also learn about the beloved startline traditions at Comrades in this episode.
The recommended resource for this episode is the Fast Women newsletter, which comprehensively covers highlights of women’s competitive distance running, with a heavy US focus; and in this context, distance means longer track events, all the way through to the marathon, with a dose of some of the top news in ultra racing. This newsletter is thoughtful, smart, fair, and insightful, and is itself packed with resources. Every single week. There’s also a Fast Women Facebook group where you’ll find a great community of runners.
Book mentioned in this episode: Dare to Run by Amit Sheth
Additional audio for this episode comes from SABC Sport's 2017 live race coverage, as well as online video footage of the startline cock’s crow and Shosholoza.
Devon Yanko discusses why Comrades, the largest and oldest ultra-distance running race in the world, is so close to her heart, and why she has unfinished business there: even with three top-10 finishes, Devon says Comrades is her white whale.
Devon is an elite ultra distance and marathon runner. She excels on the trail and road, an uncommon achievement. Of her many accomplishments, Devon has qualified twice for the US Olympic trials marathon, and she has also won and set course records in trail and road ultra races up to 100 miles long.
You’ll also learn details about the Comrades course, and why it is so difficult. A few things to know about Comrades: it’s a 90-kilometer, or roughly 56-mile, road race that takes place each year in South Africa. Comrades turns 100 years old in 2021 and entries for the 2020 race are capped at 27,500 runners.
The recommended women and running resource this episode is Devon’s blog. I’ve found many takeaways in her honest, in-depth, and insightful writing. The best way I’ve found to describe what she shares is that it feels like she squeezes every last bit of learning that she can out of the challenges she experiences. She goes deep, and she’s very open. Devon Yanko’s blog: www.devonyanko.com/news
Devon on Instagram: @fastfoodie
In this introduction, host and producer Cherie Louise Turner shares what to expect in upcoming episodes, with featured clips from upcoming guests. The first season, which focuses on experiences in and around the Comrades Marathon in South Africa, features a wide range of runners from around the world. This biweekly show launches March 25.