CITIUS MAG Podcast with Chris Chavez

We finally deliver one of the most requested episodes. Kyle Merber joins the CITIUS MAG Podcast to take all your listener questions. Thanks a lot to all of the listeners who sent in questions. We did our best to get to as many of them but definitely ran out of time and will have to bring Merber back on the show at another point. Here are some of the questions discussed: - Who has the best kick in U.S. middle distance running right now? - Most intense Gags story from practice - Best race that he's witnessed in person or was part of? - Any plans to move up from the 1,500 meters to the 5,000 meters? - Is Merber considering dual Irish citizenship? - Most memorable David Torrence story? - Why does he wear a headband? - More talk about seltzer than you'd expect to hear on a podcast - What's the story behind his Twitter avatar? - Are we ever going to get a Real Maine 2? All that and more in the latest episode. You can catch the show on iTunes so subscribe and leave a five-star review. We are also now on Stitcher and Google Play!

Portland Pilots cross country coach Rob Conner joins the CITIUS MAG Podcast to discuss the surprising runner-up finish by his men's team at the 2017 NCAA Cross Country National Championships last weekend. Conner delves into the history of the Portland cross country program, recruiting in the same state as Oregon, breaking down his coaching philosophy and much more. We also delve into the controversy that followed when some of Portland's top guys did not race at the Western Conference Championship and let to an editorial on LetsRun.com. We'll have a separate post on the site with Rob's comments transcribed. Other questions include: Do you feel closer to a national championship now more than you did five or ten years ago? Who would be on the Mt. Rushmore of Portland Cross Country runners? What is his coolest piece of wrestling memorabilia?  You can catch the latest episode of the podcast on iTunes so subscribe and leave a five-star review. We are also now on Stitcher!

Isaac Wood, author of The Wood Report, joins the show to break down the individual and team races at the 2017 NCAA Cross Country National Championships. Isaac is also the director of track and field operations at BYU and with the Cougars being one of the best teams in the country, he's able to share some insight into their program and how they became a national championship contender.  On Thursday, Isaac released his final projections you can find the links below: Men's individual projections and All-Americans: http://citiusmag.com/ncaa-cross-country-championship-mens-projections-individuals/ Men's team projections: http://citiusmag.com/ncaa-cross-country-national-championship-mens-team-projections/ Women's individual projections: http://citiusmag.com/ncaa-cross-country-championship-womens-individual-projections/ Women's team projections: http://citiusmag.com/ncaa-cross-country-national-championship-womens-team-projections/ We take some listener questions from people on Twitter including: How would the races be different if they were both 8K as opposed to 10K for the men and 6K for the women, who could be the biggest disappointments and much more. If you have any more questions for Isaac before the championship, he can try to answer them on Twitter by reaching him: @Wood_Report. You can catch the latest episode of the podcast on iTunes so subscribe and leave a five-star review. We are also now on Stitcher!

Get to know Jeanne Mack after she stunned us with her 24th overall (10th American woman) finish at the 2017 New York City Marathon. In addition to writing for CITIUS, Jeanne is an MFA student at NAU. She previously ran at Harvard. Jeanne shares a little insight into her running trajectory, what it's like to be coached by Stephen Kersh, a wild start to her race and what's next as an emerging sub-elite athlete. Jeanne actually just wrote her own reflection on her race, which you can find and read here: http://citiusmag.com/running-with-men/

Decided to share with you some of the audio from my interview with Shalane Flanagan from a story that I wrote earlier this month for Sports Illustrated. There were a couple of nuggets of information that didn't make the final edit of the story but I feel like it would be particularly interesting to our listeners.  The big story in the lead-up to New York was that Shalane revealed to me that this could be her final marathon. I'm not inclined to totally buy into that idea but we discuss her goals for New York City, what she hopes to accomplish in the remainder of her career, what still surprises her about Jerry Schumacher, training in Mammoth and more. Here's the link to the SI.com story –https://www.si.com/edge/2017/10/25/new-york-city-marathon-shalane-flanagan-career ---------- This episode was brought to you by Maurten. If you’re interested in marathon investigations then there’s a chance that you’re also a marathon or road runner. If so, you should fuel properly for those long distance races and we recommend Maurten. It’s the world’s most carbohydrate-rich sports drink and it’s being used by the top marathoners in the world. Eliud Kipchoge used it during the Breaking2 attempt and the Berlin Marathon. Kenenisa Bekele has been using it since winning the 2016 Berlin Marathon. Mo Farah even used it prior to his gold medal runs at the world championships. It worked for me at the Berlin Marathon and it could work for you. They have two drinks with 40 or 80 grams of carbohydrates and they’re now available in the U.S. Check them out today at Maurten.com CITIUS MAG PODCAST LISTENERS GET 20% OFF THEIR NEXT ORDER: Use promo code CMP20 at checkout.

Chris is joined by Kit Fox of Men's Journal (previously at Runner's World) to preview the 2017 TCS New York City Marathon before a live audience at the NYRR RUNCENTER feat. the New Balance Run Hub. We discuss the major players in the men's and women's race before also chatting a little bit about the celebrities running and then a little trivia for our guests. Thanks a lot to NYRR for giving us the time and space. Shout-out to the Citwits who came and then tagged along for a little shakeout run. Be sure to subscribe on iTunes and leave a 5-star review.

Four-time U.S. Olympian Abdi Abdirahman joins the CITIUS MAG Podcast ahead of Sunday's TCS New York City Marathon. He is this year's top returning American after his third place finish in last year's race, which resurrected his career after a string of injuries. He's 40 years old so he shares his thoughts on how much longer he may be able to go, Meb's retirement party and what is was like missing a fifth Olympic team. Abdirahman also touches on some fun topics like his plans to develop runners in Somalia, the nutrition and hydration strategy of East African runners, what's his greatest race, the Pittsburgh Steelers, Blue Jeans Mile (people forget that he use to make his own jeans) and a heated debate on what LeBron James can run for the mile.  This episode was brought to you by Maurten. If you’re interested in marathon investigations then there’s a chance that you’re also a marathon or road runner. If so, you should fuel properly for those long distance races and we recommend Maurten. It’s the world’s most carbohydrate-rich sports drink and it’s being used by the top marathoners in the world. Eliud Kipchoge used it during the Breaking2 attempt and the Berlin Marathon. Kenenisa Bekele has been using it since winning the 2016 Berlin Marathon. Mo Farah even used it prior to his gold medal runs at the world championships. It worked for me at the Berlin Marathon and it could work for you. They have two drinks with 40 or 80 grams of carbohydrates and they’re now available in the U.S. Check them out today at Maurten.com CITIUS MAG PODCAST LISTENERS GET 20% OFF THEIR NEXT ORDER: Use promo code CMP20 at checkout.

I've been excited to do this episode for a while and it's probably one of the most interesting ones that we've done. Derek Murphy of MarathonInvestigation.com joins the CITIUS MAG Podcast to discuss how he got started cracking down on cheats, why he does it, how he does it and much more. Murphy tells us his process for investigating some of the red flags that come up in race results, what does it feel like to catch cheaters, his most high profile catch as well as if there is any backlash to revealing his findings. Murphy appreciates the sport much like all of us and we ask him what he likes to do for fun and how much of a runner he is.  Fun topics include: Investigating Matthew Centrowitz from the Chicago Marathon and how he would've approached the Rosie Ruiz or Kathrine Switzer situations. This episode was brought to you by Maurten. If you're interested in marathon investigations then there's a chance that you're also a marathon or road runner. If so, you should fuel properly for those long distance races and we recommend Maurten. It's the world's most carbohydrate-rich sports drink and it's being used by the top marathoners in the world. Eliud Kipchoge used it during the Breaking2 attempt and the Berlin Marathon. Kenenisa Bekele has been using it since winning the 2016 Berlin Marathon. Mo Farah even used it prior to his gold medal runs at the world championships. It worked for me at the Berlin Marathon and it could work for you. They have two drinks with 40 or 80 grams of carbohydrates and they're now available in the U.S. Check them out today at Maurten.com You can catch the latest episode of the podcast on iTunes so subscribe and leave a five-star review. We are also now on Stitcher! Details for the CITIUS MAG Podcast NYC Live Marathon Preview Show Date: Friday, November 3rd @ 5:00PM Where: NYRR RUNCENTER, 320 W. 57th St. NY, NY 10019

There aren't too many marathoners out there who are training at a high level for the 2020 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials and still chasing the dream of breaking four minutes for the mile. Meet Scott Smith of Northern Arizona Elite. The 2:14 marathoner joins the podcast ahead of his race at the Frankfurt Marathon. He has not raced a marathon since the 2016 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in February 2016, where he finished 14th overall. He discusses how he felt about that performance and moved forward from it. Smith seems to love tough and warm marathons with two 26.2 races in Los Angeles and a steamy world championships in Beijing in 2015. He expresses his optimism for cool and fast conditions in his next race. Fun topics include his brother's pursuit of a 3:30 marathon without running more than five miles at a time, Thank You Meb, California high school track, Game of Thrones/TV binging and more. He's thought long and hard about the 25 shots from halfcourt/25 years in prison question and his answer is great. This episode was brought to you by ROLL Recovery. The company was founded in Boulder, Colorado with one major goal: To design and build revolutionary products to help people recover faster and improve the quality of their life. They have thoughtfully designed products to keep you moving. Be happy. Be healthy. Check them out today at rollrecovery.com

2:12 marathoner Aaron Braun joins the show less than a week after running 2:13 at the Chicago Marathon and placing 12th overall. He was the third American across the finish line. Nearly a year ago, Braun almost quit the sport but he explains how he had a change heart and decided to stick with it and give the marathon another try. Braun led the Chicago Marathon for most of the first half so he explains what was going through his head with Kenyans on his heels. We also talk about his days as a runner at Adams State and how he compares it to the Kenya of the United States. Fun questions include his favorite Meb moment, balancing fatherhood with training and his Mt. Rushmore of Adams State runners. This week’s episode was brought to you by ROLL Recovery. The company was founded in Boulder, Colorado with one major goal: To design and build revolutionary products to help people recover faster and improve the quality of their life. They have thoughtfully designed products to keep you moving. Be happy. Be healthy. Check them out today. The photos and artwork for this episode were provided by Sarah Cotton, who is working on a documentary on NAZ Elite. Follow @oneeightythreepointfour on Instagram for updates on the film. You can catch the latest episode of the podcast on iTunes so subscribe and leave a five-star review.

We mix things up on the latest episode of the CITIUS MAG Podcast by talking movies. Sarah Cotton, the former Georgetown distance runner turned filmmaker, joins the show to discuss her new film One Eighty Three Point Four. The film has been following the Northern Arizona Elite group in Flagstaff throughout their training for the fall marathon season. We discuss the state of running films, the process of making a film like this, her plans for other running projects going forward and much more. It's a behind-the-scenes look at one of the best running films that you'll see this year. Sarah has also started getting into trail running and recently won the Mt. Hood 50K. She gives a little insight into her balance into running and film making as well as shares a few recovery tips.  Fun topics in the podcast include casting the NAZ Elite training group with real life actors (Scott Fauble is a young Ron Howard) as well as what was left on the editing floor for the first episode. Follow @oneeightythreepointfour on Instagram for updates on the film. You can watch the first episode of 183.4 here: citiusmag.com/episode-1-one-eighty-three-point-four/ This week’s episode was brought to you by ROLL Recovery. The company was founded in Boulder, Colorado with one major goal: To design and build revolutionary products to help people recover faster and improve the quality of their life. They have thoughtfully designed products to keep you moving. Be happy. Be healthy. Check them out today at RollRecovery.com

Jordan Hasay raised a lot of eyebrows with her 2:20:57 for third place during Sunday's Chicago Marathon to become the second-fastest American woman of all time over 26.2. I spoke with Jordan Hasay at length on Thursday morning for a story on Sports Illustrated, which I highly recommend that you check out. We titled it "Jordan Hasay Is On Her Way To Becoming America’s Next Great Marathoner" and she proved us right! No SI curse there.  I decided to take the audio file of the interview and share it with you listeners because of how special that performance was. The story has pretty much all the best parts of the interview but there were a few tidbits and cool quotes that I didn't know where to fit into the post so it was left on the editing floor. There's a little bit on how she was recruited to join the Nike Oregon Project, how she deals with the pressure of expectations, how running is still fun for her after being a phenom for so many years + much more. I won't do this very often since I usually like to keep quotes that I didn't use in a notebook for future projects. Decided to make an exception here, so enjoy!

Stephen Kersh guest hosts this mini episode of the CITIUS MAG Podcast to chat with Noah Droddy about his upcoming run at the Chicago Marathon on Sunday. Back in March, Stephen wrote a Q&A with Droddy about his successful run at the New York City Half and what it meant for his future. Fast forward about seven months and here we are. He's now a sponsored runner. He's healthy and ready to throw down a good one in the Windy City.

In a special episode of the CITIUS MAG Podcast, we turn the keys over to Scott Olberding. Ahead of Chris Derrick's debut marathon this weekend in Chicago, Scott sat down with the debutant to discuss his big race. Chris and Scott discuss Jerry's Secret Training Plan, CD's advice to run your best marathon, and whether he has *really* thought about how far 26.2 miles is to run. You'll also learn who his biggest role model is in the running community and who he has beat in a race that he is most proud of.

NAZ Elite distance runner and former Texas All-American Craig Lutz joined the show and discussed a wide variety of topics. Craig will be racing this weekend's Cow Harbor 10K but we decided to take it upon ourselves to congratulate him on his victory ahead of time. We discuss what it's like being one of the few people in his training group that's not gearing up for a fall marathon and knowing when the body is ready to move up to the 26.2 mile distance.  Craig will be focusing on the Rock 'N' Roll San Jose Marathon and so he shares his training for the race as well as how he approaches a 13-mile race mentally because it's not easy. Fun topics include the backstory behind LutzGrind, watching the hit Broadway show Hamilton, the Chicago Cubs. LetsRun comments and much more. He's got a very controversial answer about the best BBQ. This week’s episode was brought to you by ROLL Recovery. The company was founded in Boulder, Colorado with one major goal: To design and build revolutionary products to help people recover faster and improve the quality of their life. They have thoughtfully designed products to keep you moving. Be happy. Be healthy. Check them out today. The photos and artwork for this episode were provided by Sarah Cotton, who is working on a documentary on NAZ Elite. Follow @oneeightythreepointfour on Instagram for updates on the film. Here is a synopsis of Lutz’s recovery tips but listen to the episode for his in-depth answers: 1. Sleep. Wind it down in the evening and go to bed at an appropriate hour. What's happening after 10 p.m. on a normal night? Get sleep instead! If it's a sports headline. Figure it out in the morning.  2. Eat regularly with a couple main meals. Keep the metabolism moving. I'm big on smoothies.  3. Know your body and make sure to take care of the little intricacies. Don't be lazy with stretching or knowing when to limber up.  You can catch the latest episode of the podcast on iTunes so subscribe and leave a five-star review.