The Running for Real Podcast
by Tina Muir
A collective of conversations that inspire, motivate, and encourage runners who know deep down that the world we want to create already exists. We all play a role in bringing it to life. Join former professional runner and life-long athlete, Tina Muir in this unique running podcast. We do not talk to professional runners about their wins or the Olympics. We do not talk about what shoes to wear or what training is best. Instead, we relate every experience back to you, and love to think hard about the questions you would always love to ask. While we bring on well known guests like Malcolm Gladwell, Reshma Saujani, Ryan Holiday, Des Linden, Michael Gervais, and David Epstein, these are not the same old conversations. This feels more like overhearing two friends talking about the deep conversations that weigh on our hearts daily. Join us in discovering the power of running, why our sport has always been part of humanity, and how we can use it as a tool for realizing our truest self, uplif
Episodes
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Episode 2: Team Notification Center or Team No Notifications
Tina and Ryan start with the response to the first episode, then close the loop on Tina's backpack. They cover their New York City Marathon weekend, Ryan's 24-hour world record attempt, backyard ultras, and what it's like to negotiate sponsorships. They finish with their weekly icks, which turn…
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Episode 1: Strava's Reverse Psychology and Tina's Gross Backpack
Our ground rules: we will get off topic we argue and pick fights with each other we swear we are intentionally provocative (and have to work through disagreements to get to the next level of relationship) Navigating Raw Conversations with Friends In this first episode of our podcast, we share...
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Introducing: For Real, Though
Come join two friends being honest, funny and real about running. Our ground rules: we will get off topic we argue and pick fights with each other we swear we are intentionally provocative (and have to work through disagreements to get to the next level of relationship) See you Every Friday.
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Tina Muir: End of an Era - R4R 439
Tina has been a podcast host for a decade; first on Runners Connect's "Run to the Top," then since 2017 on her own award-winning show, "Running for Real." Inspiring interviews and deep friendships have come out of the experience, but now, she has decided, it's time to move on. She'll be focusing…
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Kelly Roberts: If You Lose Joy, We've Lost the Battle- R4R 438
Kelly Roberts has inspired other runners by sharing her running journey online since long before the word "influencer" entered the popular lexicon. In Tina's final interview before "Running for Real" goes on hiatus, she and Kelly reflect on their journeys as trailblazers in social media. While...
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Alex Hutchinson: Dream Big and Take Chances - R4R 437
For many writers, the logical followup to a successful book is a sequel. For Alex Hutchinson, it was his reluctance to go down that path that led to his new book, "The Explorer's Gene: Why We Seek Big Challenges, New Flavors, and the Blank Spots on the Map." In it, he examines the ways in which...
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Lauren Bash: A Deep Desire to Be Useful - R4R 436
Many people identify themselves as climate activists, but not many would call themselves climate optimists - especially not now. Lauren Bash, however, still finds reasons to be hopeful, and offers ways to combat the environmental crisis centered around the principles of climate action…
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Jeffrey McEachern: The Only Way Out Is Through - R4R 435
Ten years ago Jeffrey McEachern found himself at a point in his life where he knew things had to change. He found happiness and purpose through running, became a Peloton instructor, just earned his Six Star Medal at the Tokyo Marathon, and motivates others through his "Good Vibes Crew" community....
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Danny Peter Smith: One Day I'm Going to Do That - R4R 434
There's a time before a race when the crowd settles down and is quiet for a few minutes - during the singing of the national anthem. At last year's TCS New York City Marathon, that honor was given to Danny Peter Smith. For complete show notes and links, visit our website at...
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Steve Magness: Do Real Things in the Real World with Real People - R4R 433
As runners, we're always trying to go faster or further because those metrics demonstrate how successful we are. But in his new book, "Win the Inside Game: How to Move from Surviving to Thriving, and Free Yourself Up to Perform," Steve Magness argues that when we measure our worth by our...
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Olivia Baker: Have Fun - R4R 432
Olivia Baker is a serious runner - her achievements at the high school, collegiate, and professional levels attest to that. She never loses sight of the fact that there's much more to running than the results on paper though; there's sportsmanship, camaraderie, inspiration, and most of all, fun....
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Erin Ton: The Only One Climbing Mountains in Heels - R4R 431
Erin Ton holds 91 FKTs (Fastest Known Times), a feat surpassed by only one other woman. In 2023, she returned to the mountains where she first hiked with her family as a child, and summited 57 of Colorado's Fourteeners in 14 days, smashing the previous record. She stands out on the trails not…
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Erin Taylor: Rest Is a Power Stance - R4R 430
Erin Taylor has been teaching yoga for over twenty years, helping high-performing athletes to excel at their sport. She's taken what she's learned from training Olympians and Ironman champions and applied it to other areas of life, not only for elite performers, but for everyone. Her most recent...
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Tina Muir: Be Gentle with Yourself - R4R 429B
As you'll hear, as of recording, Tina is under the weather. So she's following the advice that she gives others and being gentle with herself. We'll be back with a full episode next week! For complete show notes and links, visit our website at runningforreal.com/episode429B. Thank you to...
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Tina Muir: Going Green In 2025 - R4R 429
Every year at this time, we're inundated with lists of Things To Do In The New Year. They can be intimidating, and make us feel as though if we don't accomplish them all, we've failed. This isn't one of those lists. Tina has put together ten tips that you can use to be kinder to the planet this...
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Tina Muir: Year End Reflections - R4R 428
As we come to the end of 2024, Tina is looking back on the year that was and looking forward to an exciting 2025! For complete show notes and links, visit our website at runningforreal.com/episode428. Thank you to Tracksmith, Lever, and Precision Fuel & Hydration for sponsoring this episode....
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Cheryl Toussaint: As Long as There's a Solution, You're Good - R4R 427
Cheryl Toussaint knows the importance of a mentor in young people's lives. She was just thirteen when she met running coach Fred Thompson, who insisted that his teenage athletes pursue excellence not only on the track, but in school. Under his tutelage, she earned a scholarship to New York...
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Nadia Ruiz: You Can Get Here, Too - R4R 426
Nadia Ruiz was only 14 when she ran her first marathon. Since then she's run 158 more (with 82 BQs), 136 half marathons, 13 half Ironmen, five full Ironmen, multiple ultras… Her parents are her inspiration to share her passion for health and education and to be a role model as a female, a Latina,...
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Mike Africa, Jr.: Happiness Is a Choice - R4R 425
Live Aid was THE event of 1985. The concert to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia, viewed by 40 percent of the world's population, was broadcast live from London and… not New York, not Los Angeles, but Philadelphia. A few months earlier, the city's police had bombed the home of a...
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Election Day - R4R 424
As we all know, Tuesday was Election Day in the United States. It's the foremost thing on many people's minds, including Tina's. Rather than a regular interview episode, she's sharing her feelings and thoughts about it. For complete show notes and links, visit our website at...
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Rob Simmelkjaer: The Transformative Power of Running - R4R 423
In a 1980s TV commercial, Sy Sperling declared, "I'm not only the Hair Club president; I'm also a client." That, Rob Simmelkjaer says, describes his role as CEO of New York Road Runners. He hosts NYRR's podcast, "Set the Pace," runs with their clubs, takes part in their races, and even…
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Courtney Phillips-Manning: GumboFit, The Runner's Club… and Beyond - R4R 422
When there is an opportunity for Courtney Phillips-Manning to share knowledge, especially knowledge that will benefit her community, she seizes - or creates - it. That led her to co-found Chicago's GumboFit run club, and to launch a podcast, "The Runner's Club," with Ian Gonzalez. For complete…
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Quinton Jacobs: It's Like a Buffet - R4R 421
There have been times in Quinton Jacobs' running life when he chased PRs and qualifying times. Those were physical seasons. He's also had mental health and adventure seasons, and seasons of running through other people's experiences. Sometimes, as in the Escape ultra relays he creates, the…
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Nicole Teeny: Racing Against Horses - R4R 420
Filmmaker and distance runner Nicole Teeny had an unusual item on her bucket list - to race against horses. But when she was diagnosed with epilepsy, she was told that the running part of her life was over. Instead of giving up on her dream, she used it as motivation to return to the sport she...
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David Roche: Shoot Your Shot - R4R 419
David Roche smashed the 19-year-old course record at the Leadville Trail 100 Run this year. It was the first time that he'd run 100 miles, and even more incredibly, only months after a very different kind of smash. In April, while riding his bike, he was hit by a car and thrown 100 feet through…
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Adam Popp: Embracing Challenges and Breaking Records - R4R 418
Adam Popp's life changed when he lost his right leg above the knee while working to disarm a roadside bomb in Afghanistan. He also lost his sense of purpose, until he started running. 19 months after taking his first step on a running blade, he became the first above-knee amputee to complete a...
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Kylee Van Horn & Zoë Rom: Your Diet Sucks - R4R 417
Nutrition is a serious topic, but that doesn't mean it can't be entertaining. On their podcast,"Your Diet Sucks," Kylee Van Horn and Zoë Rom, both endurance athletes, bring humor and curiosity to their examination of why we eat the way we do and how we can reevaluate our relationship to food,...
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Rahsaan "New York" Thomas: When the Law Changes, It Changes for Everyone - R4R 416
In the documentary "26.2 TO LIFE," Rahsaan "New York" Thomas inspired audiences as he trained to run a marathon behind the walls of San Quentin Prison. He wasn't only preparing for a race; he was working to become the best person that he could be, even though he knew that he might never go home.…
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Six Missing / TJ Dumser: You Can't Be Anywhere Else but on the Run - R4R 415
Recording as Six Missing, ambient artist TJ Dumser creates music that encourages mindfulness and positive lifestyle habits. He combined both practices through running, but a few years ago, he lost both his love of the run and the mental clarity that came with it. He explores that period of his…
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Stefanie Flippin: This Sport Is Not a Solo Sport - R4R 414
Stefanie Flippin is one of the fastest women in the world at the 100 mile distance, but she isn't exclusively a record-setting ultra runner. She's also a running coach, writer, co-host of the "Making Strides" podcast, and a board-certified foot and ankle surgeon, who gets as much or more...
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Jessie Zapo: Every Pace Has a Place - R4R 413
Jessie Zapo is passionate about creating a space for all runners, and especially about bringing women into the sport. Under her leadership, the adidas Runners community in the US has evolved to be over 60% female, with equal or more representation of women coaches. Girls Run NYC, the women's...
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Drew Petersen: Paying It Forward - R4R 412
When Drew Petersen ran the Leadville 100 in 2022, he had a mantra written on each hand: "Feel It All" and "Celebrate." The first one became the title of his new documentary. Feel It All chronicles Drew's journey from suicidal depression to finding purpose and strength by running the iconic...
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Aly Criscuolo: Don't Be Afraid to Dream Big - R4R 411
As Sustainability & Corporate Social Responsibility Director at New York Road Runners, Aly Criscuolo is able to channel her passion for environmentalism into positive action. She's clearly making an impact; NYRR's latest sustainability initiative, Team for Climate, sold out within two minutes of...
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Tina: Summer Update - R4R 410
Summer is the time for taking a break from work! Tina went to Colorado with her family, so instead of recording an interview for this week, she's sharing some updates on what's been going on and what's coming up in her personal life and at Running for Real. For complete show notes and links…
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Madeleine Orr: Climate Action as a Team Sport - R4R 409
July 21, 2024 was recorded as the hottest day ever globally. The record was broken the next day, a fact which will come as no surprise to runners. They experience the consequences of climate change daily as they log their miles, which is why Dr. Madeleine Orr has found them to be the ideal…
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Adrian Octavius Walker: Always Be a Student - R4R 408
In 1998, the groundbreaking artist Gordon Parks brought 177 rappers and hip hop artists, some of them rivals, together for his photograph, "A Great Day in Hip Hop." When it was included in an exhibit at the St. Louis Art Museum, Adrian Octavius Walker was chosen to continue Parks' story by...
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Robert Jackson: Put Your Goals Out There - R4R 407
Many people attempt to qualify for the Boston Marathon for years before they succeed, and many more never achieve that goal. Robert Jackson BQ'd with his first marathon, and this year he not only ran the iconic race for the third time, but was one of the panelists on a Black Unicorn live podcast…
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Izzy Seidel: It's Not All Roses and Daisies - R4R 406
If you've recognized your running self in a raccoon meme, you've seen the work of Izzy Seidel. She's the founder of the Sad Girl Track Club on Instagram and Strava, and a content creator for running brands, a skill she honed during her time in the corporate world. While that may seem like a dream...
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Maggie Mertens: Better Faster Farther - R4R 405
Hard as it may be for young women today to comprehend, this summer will mark only the 11th time that a women's marathon has been held at the Olympic Games. Had women been allowed to participate just two Olympics sooner, they would have had to do so without the benefit of a sports bra, which…
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Isaiah Stofferahn: Nobody Wants to Be a Quitter - R4R 404
Isaiah Stofferahn's 10 million+ followers know that he's up for almost any kind of challenge. Lately he's been focusing on running, whether that's racing a marathon in Crocs or taking on his DoorDash driver in a head-to-head competition. What they didn't know until recently was the story behind…
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Alex Hermanson: Nobody's Looking at You - R4R 403
When Alex Hermanson, a.k.a. "Herm Runs," started following other runners on social media, "I didn't really see anyone that I personally related with wholeheartedly," he recalls. "So I was like, 'I'm just going to go make that myself.'" That was in late 2022, and now the self-described "big dude…
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Tyler Swartz: It's Not That Serious - R4R 402
Tyler Swartz believes that running should be fun, and that it's more fun when you're part of a community. That's why he founded Endorphins Running, "to inspire and empower people to live happier and more fulfilled lives through movement and exercise." For complete show notes and links, visit our...
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Haglund's Deformity in Runners - R4R 401
After being diagnosed with Haglund's Deformity, Tina wrestled with how to treat the debilitating pain. After doing extensive research and exhausting the more conservative options, she decided to have surgery. Now she's sharing what she learned so that others with the same condition will have an...
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Dan Churchill: Get the Reps In - R4R 400
Chef Dan Churchill uses food as a way to inspire people to live the best life possible. He has a Masters in Exercise Science and was a strength and conditioning coach before switching his focus to nutrition. His recipe for success, whether he's training for an ultramarathon or developing an…
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Tina Update - R4R 399
Tina ran her first ultra, the Bryce Canyon 50 Miler, a year ago. She finished first female and third overall, and felt good afterwards, except for one thing - her heel. She learned that she had a Haglund's Deformity which impacted her Achilles tendon. After exhausting every other option, she had...
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Andrea Lytle Peet & Jen Cox: "Hope" Is a Pretty Badass Word - R4R 398
Andrea Lytle Peet went from completing a half Ironman to needing a cane to walk, less than six months later. She was ultimately diagnosed with ALS, at the age of 33. Doctors told her that she had two to five years to live, and that before she died, she would lose the ability to walk, talk, move,...
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Lorna Mann: The "Why" Will Connect You - R4R 397
Cheering on others as they pursue their goals means more to Lorna Mann than her own accomplishments. It's a mindset that she attributes to the encouragement of Charlie Dark and the Run Dem Crew. Now she mentors others, helping them to discover their full potential. For complete show notes and...
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Tiffany K. Martin: Not Just For Runners - R4R 396
Tiffany K. Martin believes that "health" is about much more than the traditional elements of healthcare. She recognized that the existing system doesn't adequately address the needs of many people, and so she founded Elevated Health and Community to provide resources for those who need them the...
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Roberto Mandje: Running Meets You Where You Are - R4R 395
Roberto Mandje believes in meeting people where they are, which is also where he believes running will meet you. His philosophy stems from his multi-cultural upbringing and his professional running career, when he competed in the 2004 Olympics, the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, and…
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Mikah Meyer: A Walk in the Park. ALL the Parks. - R4R 394
Mikah Meyer is the first person to experience all 419 U.S. National Park Service sites in a single journey. He also made a different kind of history along the way, becoming the first openly gay man featured in an outdoors recreation campaign, for REI. Now he advocates for greater inclusion of the...
About this show
A collective of conversations that inspire, motivate, and encourage runners who know deep down that the world we want to create already exists. We all play a role in bringing it to life. Join former professional runner and life-long athlete, Tina Muir in this unique running podcast. We do not talk to professional runners about their wins or the Olympics. We do not talk about what shoes to wear or what training is best. Instead, we relate every experience back to you, and love to think hard about the questions you would always love to ask. While we bring on well known guests like Malcolm Gladwell, Reshma Saujani, Ryan Holiday, Des Linden, Michael Gervais, and David Epstein, these are not the same old conversations. This feels more like overhearing two friends talking about the deep conversations that weigh on our hearts daily. Join us in discovering the power of running, why our sport has always been part of humanity, and how we can use it as a tool for realizing our truest self, uplif
Hosted by
Tina Muir