The Just Athletics Podcast

Chris, Dave, and Travis breakdown an exciting NCAA D1 Indoor Track & Field Championships. Please enjoy the show!Please subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. And if you’re enjoying the pod, we’d love for you to rate the show! If you have any questions or suggestions, you can send those to [email protected]

We are excited to have another one of the country's top coaching minds on the pod this week with Chris Puppione of Sonoma Academy, where is the Head Cross Country and Track & Field coach, in Santa Rosa, CACoach Pup, as he is affectionately known, has had a decorated coaching career spanning over 30 years now across the California Cross Country and Track & Field scene with positions at UC Davis, Amador Valley High School, Miramonte High School, Cardinal Newman, and Healdsburg High School. Over the course of his coaching career, he has helped guide athletes to league, section, and state-level success and has been part of the development of multiple sub-4:00 milers and elite athletes, including Santa Rosa Olympian Kim Conley and UK World Championships Team member Tim Bayley. Chris stepped away from coaching for nearly a decade, but remained connected to the sport and continued to help and advise coaching colleagues during that time. He also founded the NorCal Distance Coaches Roundtable, a collaborative clinic that brings together high school coaches to share ideas, training philosophies, and practical strategies for building stronger programs. Much like the World Famous Just Athletics Summit in Dunes City, OR. Coach Pup hold a master's degree in Exercise Science and is known for being a deep thinker that has some incredible perspectives on our sport. This is a great conversation with someone we highly respect. Please enjoy the show!Please subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. And if you’re enjoying the pod, we’d love for you to rate the show! If you have any questions or suggestions, you can send those to [email protected]

We were convinced we’d already had the great Jeff Hess on the pod… turns out we hadn’t, which made this conversation even more exciting. We’re thrilled to welcome Coach Jeff Hess of South Eugene High School to the show.As an athlete, Jeff was a multiple-time state champion at South Eugene and a true phenom, setting the national high school record in the boys’ 3000m steeplechase with an 8:50 mark as a senior—a record that stood for decades. He went on to become an All-American at the University of Arizona.Jeff began his teaching and coaching career at Glendale High School in Southern Oregon, where he coached multiple state champions, including a young athlete named Tom Pappas, who would later become an NCAA champion and Olympic decathlete. In 1999, Jeff returned to his alma mater at South Eugene, where he coached numerous individual state champions and state championship teams.After several years away, Jeff returned to coaching at South Eugene this fall and made an immediate impact, already producing a state champion in cross country and helping reestablish the teams as true powerhouses.We wish we’d had more time with one of the best coaches in the country—but we’ll definitely have him back. Enjoy the show!Please subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Be sure to follow us on Twitter @just_athletics, and like us on Facebook and Instagram. And if you’re enjoying the pod, we’d love for you to rate the show!

Chris, Dave, and Travis discuss all the clinics they attended this winter, some takeaways, Dave's fantastic voyage around the Northeast including attending The Millrose Games and the races at that outstanding meet, and later in the show they do a Seinfeld episode draft - give it a listen and vote on the instagram page who won the show. If you want to send in any questions for our next show or send us any message, please reach us at [email protected] subscribe to the show on iTunes or Stitcher or Spotify or really where ever you get your podcasts to get future episodes and please follow us on Twitter @just_athletics and like us on the Facebook or our Instagram page. Plus we would love to have you rate the show! 

We decided to have return guest Dr. Ross Dexter back to discuss the impact carbon plated shoes may have beyond really fast performances. Do they cause injuries? Ross is our go to guru to discuss just about anything related to the physio world. Ross is now the Assistant Athletic Director for Health and Performance at Southern Oregon University. This is a great discussion with a true expert. If you want to send in any questions for our next show or send us any message, please reach us at [email protected] subscribe to the show on iTunes or Stitcher or Spotify or really where ever you get your podcasts to get future episodes and please follow us on Twitter @just_athletics and like us on the Facebook or our Instagram page. Plus we would love to have you rate the show! 

Alex Lyons competed at American University for Matt Centrowitz Sr. and Sean Graham, for two years before transferring to the University of Illinois to focus on academics. He coached at the high school level for ten years in the state of Illinois at Lyons Township HS and Downers Grove North HS. Alex moved to Utah in 2023 and started coaching at Olympus HS in Salt Lake City in January of 2024. During his stint in Illinois, Alex coached a girl who broke the state meet record in the mile. He has had 14 former athletes go on to compete at the NCAA Division One level.  Alex is a USATF Level 1 and 2 certified coach (in endurance) and a graduate of the Altis Mentorship Program. Recently Alex started Lyons Performance Consulting where he works with coaches at every level to improve their programs. Alex is also a licensed massage therapist. We asked good friend of the show, Jay Johnson, to share his thoughts on Alex and they are as follows: "I've coached for 25 year, at all levels of the sport, and I can say with confidence that Alex Lyons is one of the sharpest minds and clearest thinkers in distance running. Alex is one of the few coaches who truly understands both the science of coaching and the art of coaching. Perhaps the strongest endorsement I can offer is this: as a father of both a high school  and middle school athlete, I would trust Alex completely to guide my own children's training.If you're a parent with the opportunity to have Alex work with your son or daughter, you won't regret it. Alex's expertise and approach to coaching will set them up for success in high school and beyond.If you're a coach - at any level - looking to accelerate your professional development, spending time with Alex is invaluable. Whether you're trying to get your team on the podium or simply want to deepen your understanding of the sport, an hour or two on a call with Alex will do more for your coaching than attending a typical coaching clinic (and I say this as someone who puts on coaching clinics)."Alex truly is "so damn good" as Dave states on the show and this pod is a good representation of just how smart Alex is. We hope you enjoy the show! Also, if you want to send in any questions for our next show or send us any message, please reach us at [email protected] subscribe to the show on iTunes or Stitcher or Spotify or really where ever you get your podcasts to get future episodes and please follow us on Twitter @just_athletics and like us on the Facebook or our Instagram page. Plus we would love to have you rate the show! 

If you know of Dirk Lakeman’s running career you are probably in awe.If you don’t know about it, sit back and relax and listen to Dirk take you through his time at powerhouse South Eugene in the late 1970s under the guidance of legendary coach Harry Johnson, who after building the dynasty of all high school dynasties went on to coach a little professional group called Athletics West.DIrk was the best HS miler in the country in 1977. His 4:04.94 mile time set at the Pre Classic was an Oregon State record that held for 27 years until it was broken by another home grown Oregon Legend and Olympic medalist. His high school 4xMile team ran 17:05 and his DMR ran 10:07. Both of those records stood for 40 years. Dirk got it done before super shoes and altitude tents with pure grit, determination and good old-fashioned hard work. And he was coachable. He won state titles in cross country two times and on the track. His friendly, but fierce rivalry with the great Billy McChesney is one of the most iconic in Oregon HS history. It’s amazing to hear about it in Dirk's words (highlighted by their epic clash in the mile at the district meet their senior year).After HS Dirk went on to be an All-American at the University of Arizona, then on to a professional career that included National Championships in several distances and participation on World Cross teams. Dirk coached all four of his kids, no doubt highlighted by Caleb’s dramatic double victory at the Oregon State meet in 2022 in the 1500 and the 3000. Currently, Dirk is coaching cross and track at Clackamas Community College and his love for running has never been stronger. If you know Dirk, you love him like we do. If you don’t know Dirk, after this podcast you will know why we love him and you will probably love him too.This was a special one for the Just Athletics Podcast. Dirk is a legend, a great father and husband and a dear friend. We hope you enjoy this as much as we did.Also, if you want to send in any questions for our next show or send us any message, please reach us at [email protected] subscribe to the show on iTunes or Stitcher or Spotify or really where ever you get your podcasts to get future episodes and please follow us on Twitter @just_athletics and like us on the Facebook or our Instagram page.

No guest this episode. Chris, Dave, and Travis just talk. You must really like these fellas to listen to this episode. The guys talk about some random stuff, but mostly about training.  If you do enjoy the show, especially outside of this episode, please give us that five-star rating! Also, if you want to send in any questions for our next show or send us any message, please reach us at [email protected] subscribe to the show on iTunes or Stitcher or Spotify or really where ever you get your podcasts to get future episodes and please follow us on Twitter @just_athletics and like us on the Facebook or our Instagram page.

Fresh off of the Boulder Running Clinic, we are thrilled to have Jonathan Dalby, Co-Head Coach of Cross Country and Track & Field at Mountain Vista High School in Highlands Ranch, CO. Jonathan is regarded as one of the best high school coaches in the entire country. His girls team won Nike Cross Nationals this fall by an impressive 32 points. This was the first national title for Jonathan, but his Mountain Vista teams have consistently been making trips to NXN on both the boys and girls side with multiple top our finishes. Jonathan was just recently named the National Cross Country Co-Coach of the Year with his co-head coach Eric Selle by USTFCCCA for the 2024 season. Jonathan shares incredible insight into his program at Mountain Vista and the dream season for his girls team this last fall. We hope you all enjoy the pod with one of this brilliant coaching mind and an incredible person in Jonathan. Please subscribe to the show on iTunes or Stitcher or Spotify or really where ever you get your podcasts to get future episodes and please follow us on Twitter @just_athletics and like us on the Facebook or our Instagram page.

We are fortunate enough to finally have Jamey Harris on the pod to breakdown his epic win at the 1998 USA Track & Field Championships in the 1500m in New Orleans. You can find video of the race here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Us2CfrGmR_MJamey ran and graduated from Fresno State University in 1994 and went on to compete as a professional runner before taking his talents to the coaching ranks. Jamey is currently the Head Cross Country Coach at Cal Poly Humboldt, you can read more of Jamey's accomplishments as a coach here: https://humboldtathletics.com/staff-directory/jamey-harris/232It was fun breaking down Jamey's most glorious race....so far. We will have Jamey back for trivia or just to hang out, because if you're eve hung out at the Wild Duck in Eugene, OR, you know Jamey is always the life of the party.  Jamey also now has the distinction of being the first time we needed to label one of these episodes as explicit, how fitting. Enjoy the show!  Please subscribe to the show on iTunes or Stitcher or Spotify or really where ever you get your podcasts to get future episodes and please follow us on Twitter @just_athletics and like us on the Facebook or our Instagram page.

Chris, Dave, and Travis are fired up to breakdown a film no one has seen in "On The Edge" starring Bruce Dern from 1986. The best running movie ever made. If you want to see the film, you can find it here on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0stg_3P9fkM (note there is nudity in the movie). You'll probably want to watch the film before listening to the podcast, but still might be a fun listen without seeing it. If we didn't convince you and you want to see a trailer to see if this movie if worth your time, you can find the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHr4XtxViOY To learn more about the actor Bruce Dern's running background, you can read this article by Runner's World: https://www.runnersworld.com/runners-stories/a20852252/a-running-conversation-with-bruce-dern/We hope you enjoy the show, it was a lot of fun to record, any other film breakdown requests? Let us know on the social media.  Please subscribe to the show on iTunes or Stitcher or Spotify or really where ever you get your podcasts to get future episodes and please follow us on Twitter @just_athletics and like us on the Facebook or our Instagram page.

The Just Athletics podcast is like "Curb Your Enthusiasm", we go on long hiatuses, but then come back with bangers. Kicking off 2024 we have an incredible guest in Sean Brosnan. Chris, Dave, and Travis banter a little to start the show, so if you just want to listen to Sean, skip to the 17:15 mark in the show. Sean Brosnan has established himself as one of the best coaches in sport. He made his mark at Newbury Park High School, coaching arguably the greatest high school cross country team ever. His teams at Newbury Park quickly elevated after his arrival in 2016 and won four California State Cross Country titles (three for the boys and one for the girls). The boys team won NXN in 2019 and in 2022 (after he had moved to UCLA but his influence was still felt and Aaron Sahlman won the individual title) and the Running Lane Championship in 2021. The boys team was 6th at NXN in 2018. His athletes ran ridiculously fast times on the track during his stint at NP, such as the Sahlman brothers running 1:48, with Colin also running 3:56 in the mile, Nico Young 8:40 in the 3200m, Leo Young 3:39 in the 1500m, Lex Young 13:43 in the 5000m, three school records for Samantha McDonnell in the 800, 1600, and 3200, and the lists go on and on. Sean spent one year at UCLA and quickly had the distance group performing at a very high level. He coached eight All-Americans in the distance events in that one year, highlighted with the women's DMR team placing fourth at the 2023 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships. Sean is now a free agent and announces some big plans for his talents in 2024 on this episode. Thanks so much to Sean for jumping on to do the show on such short notice. We hope you all enjoy this time with a phenomenal coach. Subscribe to the show on iTunes or Stitcher or Spotify or really where ever you get your podcasts to get future episodes and please follow us on Twitter @just_athletics and like us on the Facebook or our Instagram page.

After a LONG hiatus, the boys are back and with a new format....scandals and animals, OK not that, but TRIVIA! It is a clash of the titans as Chris competes against Dave in a 10 round trivia question format where you listeners can play along in the comfort of your homes, on a drive, on on a run. Moderated by Travis Floeck, this will be a series that we come back to regularly. Please enjoy! Subscribe to the show on iTunes or Stitcher or Spotify or really where ever you get your podcasts to get future episodes and please follow us on Twitter @just_athletics and like us on the Facebook or our Instagram page.

We have one cool cat on the show today and one of the best middle distance runners in the United States and the World. Craig Engels is only 26 years old, but already has an impressive resume as a world-class middle distance runner. He is the 2019 USATF 1500m National Champion in a race where battled the reigning Olympic Gold Medalist, Matt Centrowitz, to the line winning by .04 seconds. He went on to make the IAAF World Championship final that year in the 1500m, where he finished 10th, just .20 seconds off his personal best of 3:34.04. Craig started off 2019 with another USATF title in the mile at the USATF Indoor Championships. Another major highlight of his professional career includes a 7th place finish at the World Indoor Championships in the 1500m in 2018. He also has a personal best of 1:44.68 in the 800m. Craig is coached by Pete Julian and runs for Nike. Mr. Engels attended Ole Miss for a majority of his collegiate career after transferring from North Carolina State University. At Ole Miss, he was a multiple-time NCAA All-American, the first SEC Champion in the 1500m from Ole Miss, and the school-record holder in the 1500m. His senior season he finished 7th at the NCAA Championships in the 1500m, but just a few weeks later at the 2016 Olympic Trials he burst onto the national scene placing 4th in the 800m and 5th in the 1500m, nearly making the Olympic team. He was born and raised in North Carolina and attended Ronald W. Reagan High School in Pfafftown. He set school records in the 800m, mile, and 3200m and also won the best hair award at his high school. Craig's reputation as being cooler than the other side of the pillow held up in this pod. We hope you all enjoy it as much as we did recording it. Thanks Craig! Subscribe to the show on iTunes or Stitcher or Spotify or really where ever you get your podcasts to get future episodes and please follow us on Twitter @just_athletics and like us on the Facebook or our Instagram page.

Oh boy, do we have a good episode for you this week on The Just Athletics podcast. Our guest, Don Kardong, has his fingerprints all over the American distance running scene the last 50 years. Don had a remarkable career at Stanford University, where he held school records in the 2 mile, 3 mile, and the 6 mile, graduating in 1971. Some of the big achievements of Don's running career after Stanford include finishing fourth place the 1976 Olympics in the marathon, just three seconds from the bronze medal, in a sensational 2:11:16, running 12:57.6 in the three-mile race behind these guys named Prefontaine and Shorter at Hayward Field in 1974, and winning both the 1976 Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta and the 1978 Honolulu Marathon in Hawaii. Don's impact goes far beyond his athletic achievements. He has been a prominent journalist in the sport of running since the early 1980s, he served as a contributing editor at Running magazine from 1980 to 1983, and a contributing editor (1983–1985) and senior writer (1985–1987) for The Runner magazine as well. Since 1987, he has been a contributing writer for Runner's World magazine also. He has also been one of the top road race directors in the country and served in a leadership role as the President of the Road Runners Club of America from 1996-2000. He founded one of the best road races in the country in 1977 when he started the Bloomsday Run in Spokane, WA, and has served as the race director at times and been heavily involved in that amazing event. This man also has a bridge named after him and an ice cream flavor. Who else can say that?We can't thank Don enough, this was an amazing episode, we hope you enjoy it as much as we did. Thanks Don! Subscribe to the show on iTunes or Stitcher or Spotify or really where ever you get your podcasts to get future episodes and please follow us on Twitter @just_athletics and like us on the Facebook or our Instagram page.

Who is on your Mt. Rushmore in terms of distance runners in the history of the United States? Chris, Dave, and Josh all give you their Mt. Rushmore on the men's side, the women's side, and overall in terms of American distance running. These guys bring it like Stephen A. Smith  on ESPN. Disagree with them? Get on the social media and let us know. We hope you enjoy another episode of The Just Athletics podcast. Subscribe to the show on iTunes or Stitcher or Spotify or really where ever you get your podcasts to get future episodes and please follow us on Twitter @just_athletics and like us on the Facebook or our Instagram page.

We are fortunate to have running royalty as this week's guest of The Just Athletics podcast. A true hero in Joan Benoit Samuelson. Joan, of course, is the 1984 Olympic Champion in the marathon, the first time the distance was ever contested for women at the Olympic Games. She was also a two-time winner of the Boston Marathon and a winner of the Chicago Marathon in 1985 in an American Record time of 2:21:21, which stood for 18 years. Certainly one of the greatest runners of all-time and an amazing talent, another remarkable aspect of Joan's runner career is her longevity and ability to continue to run fast. She has continued to run very fast into the 21st century, most notably running 2:49:08 at the 2008 Olympic Trials at the age of 50. Joan has also made it a big goal to give back in many ways to the sport. She founded the Beach to Beacon 10k road race in 1998, which has become one of the premier road races in the United States. She has authored two books, "Running Tide" and "Running for Women".  She continues to inspire generation after generation of runners, women and men alike. This is an amazing pod and Joan is certainly an amazing person on a lot of levels. Thanks so much Joan!!Subscribe to the show on iTunes or Stitcher or Spotify or really where ever you get your podcasts to get future episodes and please follow us on Twitter @just_athletics and like us on the Facebook or our Instagram page.

On a very special episode of The Just Athletics podcast we bring on Amy Flora to dive into her background as a five-time Oregon State Champion and state record-holder at the High School level for Myrtle Point in Coos County or legendary coach Pat Towne, her time at the University of Washington as a student-athlete, and her time as a middle school and high school coach. She also happens to be the better half or really the better 3/4 of host Chris Johnson, which means she's a saint in many ways. Amy is a successful and dynamic administrator, she currently is the Principal at Lincoln School of Early Learning in Coquille, OR. Amy has a unique background and a lot of wisdom to share. You'll recognize her voice quickly, as she is the voice of the JA podcast. Thank you Amy for your appearance and all you do to keep Chris Johnson's life together. Subscribe to the show on iTunes or Stitcher or Spotify or really where ever you get your podcasts to get future episodes and please follow us on Twitter @just_athletics and like us on the Facebook or our Instagram page.

The Men's 800m final at the 2008 Olympic Trials in Eugene, OR was nothing short of epic and we have an epic podcast to reflect on that amazing race for our millions of listeners. A race that people often cite as one of their favorite races of all-time. Christian Smith and Andrew Wheating join us to look back on the race, you know two of the guys who made the team and realized their dreams that day. Christian Smith is a native of Kansas decided to stay in state and attend Kansas State, where he was an NCAA Champion in the mile, four-time All-American, and NCAA record holder in the indoor 1000m. Christian ran professionally for the Oregon Track Club Elite team in Eugene directly after college, where he was part of the Oregon sweep in the race we discuss to become a 2008 Olympian in the 800m. He has a personal best of 1:44.86 in that event. He now lives back in Kansas where is a restaurant entrepreneur, including a couple Fat Shacks, and family man with three young children who keep him busy. Andrew Wheating's story we partially broke down in episode 53 with Jeff Johnson. An atmospheric breaking talent, Andy went from playing high school soccer to trying out cross country to a recruit joining the University of Oregon track & field team to earning a spot on an Olympic team in just over two years. An insane story. Besides making this Olympic team in 2008, Andy went on to become a multiple-time NCAA Champion and All-American for the Ducks. He again made the Olympic team in 2012, this time in the 1500m.  He has personal bests of 1:44.56 in the 800m and 3:30.90 in the 1500m. Andy is now playing a major role for the up and coming ON Running shoe company which is signing and supporting professional athletes across the U.S. and the world. We had an unbelievable time with Christian and Andy reflecting and breaking down this very big moment in both of their lives. Check out the race before and after the pod here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OeIY_M7YJxkThank you Christian and Andy! One of the most fun and entertaining episodes we have ever recorded. We hope you enjoy the show! Subscribe to the show on iTunes or Stitcher or Spotify or really where ever you get your podcast to get future episodes and please follow us on Twitter @just_athletics and like us on the Facebook or our Instagram page.

We are rocking 2021 so far with amazing guests. This week we bring on one of the best coaches in the country in Scott Christensen of Stillwater High School in Minnesota. Scott is a graduate of Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota, where he majored inBiology for for his undergrad and went on to study Physiology and earn his masters degree at the University of Nebraska. Scott wears many hats in the running world. As a coach at Stillwater HS in Minnesota his teams have won with 10 State team titles in track & field and cross country and have had many individual champs, including seven in the “almost a mile” race, the 1600m. His 1997 team was ranked number one in the Harrier's national rankings. He has had three of his athletes go on to become sub-four minute milers.  He is also very involved in coaches education as one of the foremost instructors for USATF, USTFCCCA, and the IAAF. Scott has also served at the international level as a coach for TEAM USA for the 2003 Junior World Cross Country Champions and for the 2008 Senior team at the World Cross Country Championships. To continue stacking on to the many achievements, he is also a published author having written numerous numerous articles , online training courses, and  two books. He is one of the most sought out clinicians in the sports of cross country and track & field. Scott as an athlete was the captain of both his high school and college teams and has a lifetime PR of 2:30:24 in the marathon. We will have to have Scott back, as we just barely scratched the knowledge that this amazing coach has. Thanks so much Scott! Subscribe to the show on iTunes or Stitcher or Spotify to get future episodes and please follow us on Twitter @just_athletics and like us on the Facebook or our Instagram page.

We have an all-timer for our millions of listeners. We bring on an incredibly influential and successful personality in our great sport. Jeff Johnson is famously known as Nike’s first employee and is a big player in the company’s rise to the giant brand it is today. He went to Los Altos HS in California … Continue reading Episode 53 – Jeff Johnson + Surprise Guest

We decided to kick off our 2021 campaign with something a little different. We bring on two guests who were involved in the 1998 dueling biopics about Steve Prefontaine to discuss and compare the two films. Jeff Atkinson joins us. Jeff both had a part, a speaking line no less, in the movie “Without Limits” … Continue reading Episode 52 – “Prefontaine”/”Without Limits” Movie Breakdown

After last week’s glitch in the Matrix, Chris and Dave return for one of the best shows ever with an incredible guest. Want to be inspired? Check out this episode with American Record Holder Courtney Frerichs. We delve into Courtney’s incredible rise from being a 2:24 800m runner in high school to one of the … Continue reading Episode 51 – Courtney Frerichs

We jump to another dimension with two mystery guests and dive into their backgrounds as athletes and coaches. We won’t ruin the surprise, so check out this long and fun episode. Subscribe to the show on iTunes or Stitcher or Spotify to get future episodes and please follow us on Twitter @just_athletics and like us … Continue reading Episode 50 – Multiverse Episode

This week’s episode of the Just Athletics podcast we bring on one of the best young High School coaches in the country and a coach who has a little bit of experience being part of a successful program at arguably the greatest high school program of all-time at York High School. Eric Dettman is the … Continue reading Episode 49 – Eric Dettman

We got a big episode here, both in length and impact. We bring it back to having an active coach on and someone who we heard speak a week ago and just had to get on the pod. Daniel Caulfield blew us away on the Portland Coaches Social and he repeated that again on this … Continue reading Episode 48 – Daniel Caulfield

The guest this week is an athlete known for his fierce competitiveness on the track, but the pod allows us to see another side of Mr. Ben Blankenship. Ben competes for the Oregon Track Club Elite team in Eugene, OR, where he is coached by Mark Rowland. He grew up in Minnesota and ran at … Continue reading Episode 47 – Ben Blankenship

We have another amazing guest this week, another athlete currently focusing on the longer stuff, this time the marathon. Kinsey Middleton, formerly Gomez, was born and raised in Coeur d’Alene, ID. She was a seven-time State Champion at Coeur d’Alene High School, coached by Cathy Compton. Actually missed Foot Locker Nationals by just one place … Continue reading Episode 46 – Kinsey Middleton

After a week off, we are back with an exciting guest who gives us some insight into the Ultra/Trail world and beyond. David Laney had humble beginnings in the sport of running at Central Catholic High School, where co-host of the show Dave Frank was his coach. David never made his high school’s varsity team … Continue reading Episode 45 – David Laney

We just keep rolling! This week we have one of the best coaches in the world in Pete Julian of Nike. Chris and Dave dive into Pete’s family history in the sport and his journey from growing up in Ashland in a track family to becoming a successful collegiate and professional athlete to becoming the … Continue reading Episode 44 – Pete Julian

He returns! Our former co-host and co-founder, Josh Rowe, returns to the show to chat with Chris and Dave about a wide range of topics, but mostly about Josh’s involvement with the National High School Track & Field Hall of Fame and his work with the Nationals Scholastic Athletics Foundation. Josh, who was high school … Continue reading Episode 43 – The Josh Rowe

If Bill Simmons is the pod father, then our guest for episode 42 should be referred to as the lord of the zoom call. We are thrilled to have Albert Caruana as our guest, who also happens to be an amazing high school coach and influential blogger and journalist in the sport. Albert, who is … Continue reading Episode 42 – Albert Caruana

We decided to follow an American Record Holder, Olympian, and one of the best athletes in the world with Thor Esbensen, who is renowned in his own right. Coach Thor Esbensen is the Head Cross Country and Co-Head Track & Field Coach at Wilson High School in Portland, OR, where he has was named to … Continue reading Episode 41 – Thor Esbensen

We have a special release podcast today, and it is HUGE. Chris and Dave sit down with multiple American Record Holder and one of the best athletes in the world, Shelby Houlihan of the Bowerman Track Club. We really considered just introducing Shelby as simply “here is Shelby Houlihan,” but in case you don’t know … Continue reading Episode 40 – Shelby Houlihan

Another weekly edition of the Just Athletics podcast coming at you and we have another amazing guest to learn from. We are thrilled to have Jason Retz, one of the best high school coaches in the country. Jason coaches at St. Joseph-Ogden High School in St. Joseph, Illinois, where he has been since 2013. He … Continue reading Episode 39 – Jason Retz

This Thursday edition of the Just Athletics podcast we welcome back a returning guest in Jay Johnson to discuss the release of his new book, “Consistency is Key:15 Ways to Unlock Your Potential as a High School Runner.” Jay is one of the most influential coaches in the country and his next book is already … Continue reading Episode 38 – Jay Johnson

This week’s episode of the Just Athletics podcast, we host The Beard, no not James Harden, this guy has real talent and plays defense. The Beard on coaching zoom calls across the country has been Jason “Ozzy” Oswalt. Jason is a phenomenal coach and has had an athlete on fire this spring despite the covid … Continue reading Episode 37 – Jason Oswalt

Today’s episode of the Just Athletics podcast is another fantastic session, this time we chat with one of the most knowledgeable people we know. Dr. Ross Dexter is primarily an athletic trainer, but if you read his bio below, you will get a sense of the extensive background Ross has. There is a little audio … Continue reading Episode 36 – Dr. Ross Dexter

Our guest today on the JA Podcast is arguably one of the most accomplished high school coaches in the entire country and is currently overseeing the most successful boys cross country program in the country at American Fork HS in Utah, where he has been the head coach since 1998. His boys cross country team … Continue reading Episode 35 – Timo Mostert

Special edition of the Just Athletics Podcast coming at you. We wanted to release this episode as soon as possible and out of the Thursday schedule we have set up due to the upcoming and highly anticipated Wildwood Running Clinic. We chat today with the two founders of the clinic, Marie Davis Markham and Robyn … Continue reading Episode 34 – Marie Davis Markham and Robyn McGillis

We’re back! We plan to have a season of podcasts that will be out each Thursday and take us into the fall. New host Dave Frank of Central Catholic HS in Portland, OR will join original host Chris Johnson as we talk to some of the best minds in our sport over the next several … Continue reading Episode 33 – Elizabeth Carey and Melody Fairchild

We are tying something a little different with this episode. We have a guest host in Travis Floeck, the head distance coach at the University of Idaho. Travis joins the program to interview fellow collegiate coaches to get their perspective on the sport. Travis’ first guest is Rhonda Riley, the Head Women’s Cross County and … Continue reading Episode 32 – Rhonda Riley

Chris and Josh kick off 2019 with guest Doug Binder, arguably the best high school track & field journalist in the country and editor-in-chief of Dyestat.com. Doug has been writing about the sport of track & field for 20+ years. He started his career at the Corvallis Gazette-Times in 1994 and worked for 10 years … Continue reading Episode 31 – Doug Binder

Our latest guest on The Just Athletics podcast is Erin Clark, who recently signed with Northern Arizona Elite and Hoka One One as she starts her professional running career after graduating the University of Colorado this spring. Erin attended South Eugene High School and was a Two-Time Oregon State Champion in high school and graduated … Continue reading Episode 30 – Erin Clark

The Just Athletics podcast is back and we brought in a guest host, Dave Frank, to help Chris interview a college teammate of Dave’s and 1988 Olympic finalist in the 1500m, Jeff Atkinson. Jeff was a tremendous athlete in the 1500m and mile in the 1980’s. He won the 1988 Olympic Trials 1500m and went … Continue reading Episode 29 – Jeff Atkinson

Since the start of the podcast we’ve wanted to have Melody Fairchild on and this episode does not disappoint. Chris and Josh talk to Melody about the roots of her running career, some of her big high school races, transitioning to college at the University of Oregon, and her the role running plays in her … Continue reading Episode 28 – Melody Fairchild

Josh and Chris discuss the recent announcement of Ashton Eaton and Brianne Theisen-Eaton retiring. They try to rationalize the motivation for two of the world’s greatest athletes leaving the sport now, in their prime and the finances involed. Chris and Josh discuss what Ashton still could do if he stayed and Chris pleads for him … Continue reading Episode 27 – Eatons Retire

We are answering the cries of millions and making an effort to record more episodes. Chris and Josh give excuses why they haven’t recorded a podcast in a while and debate Nike’s quest for the sub 2 hour marathon in 2017. We hope you enjoy the show! Subscribe to the show on iTunes or Stitcher … Continue reading Episode 26 – Sub 2 Hour Marathon Debate

The boys are back! Josh and Chris break down the Rio Olympics on the track. We hope you enjoy the show and expect more guests this fall as we get back to it. Subscribe to the show on iTunes or Stitcher to get future episodes and please follow us on Twitter @just_athletics and like us … Continue reading Episode 25 – Olympics Recap

We were fortunate to have one of the best coaches in the NCAA on the podcast on the morning of the first day of the Olympic Trials. Greg Metcalf is arguably coming off the best year of his coaching career, and that is saying a lot with what he has accomplished in his nearly 20 … Continue reading Episode 24 – Greg Metcalf