the morning shakeout podcast

“Running, for me, is an act of a rebellion. There’s subtext in which if there’s a BIPOC person on the starting line and you see a picture of them in a sea of people, I feel like you’re really giving a narrative that goes against the grain in terms of what society is expecting of you or how society views you. So running, for me, is my personal act of rebellion. It is something that goes against the grain as to what you do as a first generation Indian-American. From our background, there is a huge emphasis on education in the sense of becoming a doctor, becoming an engineer—and doing something that I feel like juxtaposes that in a sense of what people expect out of you is rebellion to me.” Rajpaul Pannu recently finished second at the Hoka One One Project Carbon X 2 100K in 6:28:31—it was his debut at the distance and the third fastest time ever run by an American. The 29-year-old is also a 2:17 marathoner and math teacher who is currently splitting his time between Denver, Colorado and the Bay Area. I loved this conversation and I think you will too. Raj has an enthusiasm about him that’s contagious and an introspectiveness that I really admire. We talked about his most recent race, of course, and what he was feeling before, during, and after it. He told me about re-examining his relationship with running after last year’s Olympic Trials Marathon and how he’s used the pandemic to rethink his goals, priorities, and identity as a runner. Raj also recalled the first run he ever went on, he described how a family history of heart disease and his dad’s early passing factored into taking those first strides, and a lot more. This episode is brought to you by: — New Balance: I was recently able to get my hands on a pair of the new Fresh Foam 1080v11 and I was shocked to love them even more than I did last year’s v10 model. New Balance claims the 1080 offers the ultimate ride, and I’d have to agree. It’s the best fitting shoe I own and the Fresh Foam X cushioning feels super comfortable underneath my feet. It’s lightweight and flexible, but also responsive and durable—basically the perfect trainer to log most of your miles in, which is what I do. I wear it on most of my non-workout days and for long runs too. Check out the Fresh Foam 1080v11 on newbalance.com and consider adding a pair to your rotation. Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-147-with-rajpaul-pannu/ Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/ Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout

“I like pushing myself and that's one thing about running, too: You can argue, there's not a crazy amount of technical stuff—like when you get into some of those track events like hurdles and stuff, it’s crazy technical—but, you know, it’s that idea that it's your will versus what your body's kind of telling you, right? Or, in some cases, like you're fighting against somebody else. So just being able to get into a race and say, ‘You know what, it's time to go,’ and just test your body is what I gravitate towards—and don't get me wrong, sometimes I do that and I'm like, ‘Why in the world did I do that? I am in so much pain,’ but a lot of the time it's just awesome that I have the opportunity to do that. I'm not necessarily a person who's going to back down from somebody. Sometimes I'll be cautious, like, ‘OK, this is not the right time to be making these moves.’ But, you know, when it comes down to the last little bit of the race, if I have something in me, I'm going to push hard and I'm going to try and dig as deep as I can to finish.” Nathan Martin ran 2:11:05 at The Marathon Project back in December to finish ninth overall. It was a personal best by over three minutes and also the fastest marathon ever run by a Black man born in the United States. Nathan broke Herm Atkins’ mark of 2:11:52, which had stood since 1979. I really enjoyed this conversation and getting to learn more about Nathan. We discussed the newfound media attention he’s received since The Marathon Project, signing with an agent, and how he’s been adjusting to all of that. We also talked about what his accomplishment means to him and when he realized it was a bigger deal than he originally thought. He also told me about growing up with six sisters, losing both of his parents to cancer and how their passings shaped his life, why it’s important for him to serve as a role model and give back to his community, and a lot more. This episode is brought to you by: — New Balance: I was recently able to get my hands on a pair of the new Fresh Foam 1080v11 and I was shocked to love them even more than I did last year’s v10 model. New Balance claims the 1080 offers the ultimate ride, and I’d have to agree. It’s the best fitting shoe I own and the Fresh Foam X cushioning feels super comfortable underneath my feet. It’s lightweight and flexible, but also responsive and durable—basically the perfect trainer to log most of your miles in, which is what I do. I wear it on most of my non-workout days and for long runs too. Check out the Fresh Foam 1080v11 on newbalance.com and consider adding a pair to your rotation. Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-146-with-nathan-martin/ Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/ Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout

“I really try to reflect on why I love running in the first place and really—I’m not trying to be cheesy and fluffy about it—I really love the actual, physical action of running and I think that if you really love that, you will find a way to keep going because that’s ultimately what’s worth it. And I think if you are a slower-paced runner, that’s fine. I’ve learned to own my pace and recognize that I deserve to have goals and even if that goal is knocking just a few seconds off of your mile pace or something like that, and you’re comparing yourself to others on Strava, just keeping in mind that it’s your story and it’s all about you in that moment, and I think, in that sense, that is where I try to center myself and remember that I’m really blessed to be able to do this and I’m really grateful that yes, my feet have a lot of issues, but they also carry me every day across the land. So, I keep those things in mind and remember that there is a brighter future ahead and that I do have the capability to improve.” Dinée Dorame is a runner and podcast host from Albuquerque, New Mexico. I’ve been mentoring her for past few months as she’s been preparing to launch her show, The Grounded Podcast with Dinée Dorame, which debuts this week wherever you listen to audio content. Dinee’s podcast is really unique and it’s going to fill a big hole in the running podcast space as she explores the intersection of running, culture, land and community through long-form conversations with runners of all backgrounds and ability levels. Her voice is a needed one and I’m excited to amplify it a bit in this week’s episode. Dinée, who is a citizen of the Navajo nation, grew up in a running-crazy family. Her dad ran at the University of Colorado and is a successful high school coach in New Mexico. Her mom is a lifelong runner as well, and running has been a huge part of Dinée’s life for as long as she can remember. In this conversation, we spoke about the idea for her podcast and when and how she decided to make it a reality. Dinée also told me about what it was like growing up in a running household, how her own relationship to the sport has evolved over the years, and how running helps her connect to the land. We also talked about opening up more connection points for runners within the sport, diversifying the voices we hear from, and a lot more. This episode is brought to you by: — New Balance: I was recently able to get my hands on a pair of the new Fresh Foam 1080v11 and I was shocked to love them even more than I did last year’s v10 model. New Balance claims the 1080 offers the ultimate ride, and I’d have to agree. It’s the best fitting shoe I own and the Fresh Foam X cushioning feels super comfortable underneath my feet. It’s lightweight and flexible, but also responsive and durable—basically the perfect trainer to log most of your miles in, which is what I do. I wear it on most of my non-workout days and for long runs too. Check out the Fresh Foam 1080v11 on newbalance.com later this week and consider adding a pair to your rotation. Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-145-with-dinee-dorame/ Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/ Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout

“I’m responsible for my life and what I want to do in this world. And whatever silly thing that I am good at, I’m going to pursue it and not look back. I believe I could be super fast and I don't want to waste those gifts. And that was kind of my moment of, ‘I'm gonna do this running thing.’ Because in the beginning it was really easy to be like, ‘I quit running, I don’t need to run competitively, I don't need to do any of that.’ But when that happened to me, that event, it changed me in the sense that there's lot of people who have different gifts and they don’t use [them]. And I wanted to make sure that I used my gifts because I think if we all use our gifts we could do something really special, not for ourselves, but for our family, and, if we’re really good, we can do something for our community, wherever we live.” This week's episode is one of my favorite conversations that I’ve ever had for the podcast and I am super excited to share it with all of you. Craig Curley was one of most up and coming distance runners in the U.S., from about 2010-2016, clocking a 63-minute half marathon, 2:15 marathon, and some top-10 finishes at national championship races. He hasn’t raced a lot in recent years but two weekends ago he finished third at the Bandera 100K, his first time competing at that distance. Craig, who is 32 years old, is one of the most, humble, hard working, and down to earth people that I’ve ever spoken to and it really comes out in this episode. We caught up a few days before Bandera and hit on a lot of different topics, from the connection Craig feels to the trails and mountains, to his life growing up on a Navajo reservation in Arizona, and how he balances living in the modern world without getting too far away from his Navajo roots. We also discussed his relationship to running and how it’s evolved over the years, not wasting his gifts and talents, serving as a role model for other Native Americans, and a lot more. This episode is brought to you by: — Tracksmith: As we start 2021, Tracksmith continues their tradition of encouraging No Days Off — their annual call for patience, persistence and participation in running. Tracksmith is shipping a free NDO Poster with every order to encourage commitment to consistency, while supplies lasts, so get your order in today at Tracksmith.com. Additionally, they are offering new customers $15 off your first purchase of $75+ when you use the code Mario15 at checkout. — Goodr: Goodr sunglasses are just the best! They don’t slip, they’re polarized to protect your eyes, and they come in a nice range of styles and fun colors. They’re the most affordable performance shades on the planet with most pairs costing only $25 to $35 bucks a piece. If you want to support the podcast and treat yourself to a pair of goodrs, head over to goodr.com/MARIO or enter the code MARIO at checkout to save 13% off your purchase. Look good, run goodr! Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-144-with-craig-curley/ Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/ Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout

“I think at Furman I ended up doing a lot on my own, just thinking, ‘Oh, I have to do all this stuff to be good.’ So I ended up overdoing a lot of things that I ultimately was kind of wearing myself out trying to get all this stuff done—just in my head to have an edge on everybody. But I think a big factor now is just that I’m letting myself recover and rest and I go into every race feeling super good and super fresh because I have taken the time to focus on letting my body relax and only stressing it out when it needs to be stressed. I think that’s been a big factor...I found that giving myself actual ample time to recover and rest has been the biggest change for me. I think it's a big factor to the success I'm having now.” Frank Lara is a professional runner for the Roots Running Project out of Boulder, Colorado. He also works part-time for Strava as a community management representative. Most recently, Frank paced 20 miles of The Marathon Project at sub-2:09 pace, just a couple weeks after running a massive personal best of 27:44 in the 10,000m. In 2020, he was named the U.S. 15K champion a few months after the winner of the race was sanctioned by USADA for a doping violation. I enjoyed this conversation, which we recorded back in December, just a couple days before Frank’s pacing assignment at the Marathon Project. We talked about transitioning from collegiate to professional running, his biggest learnings as a pro, and developing the confidence to compete at the highest level of the sport. He also told me about learning how to rest, chasing his curiosities, and a lot more. This episode is brought to you by: — Tracksmith: As we start 2021, Tracksmith continues their tradition of encouraging No Days Off — their annual call for patience, persistence and participation in running. Tracksmith is shipping a free NDO Poster with every order to encourage commitment to consistency, while supplies lasts, so get your order in today at Tracksmith.com. Additionally, they are offering new customers $15 off your first purchase of $75+ when you use the code Mario15 at checkout. Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-143-with-frank-lara/ Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/ Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout

“If we don’t know what the most important thing to do in a day is, or in a moment, then we will become more like leaves, blowing with every breeze. And so I think there have been times in my life where if I wasn’t clear with myself on my own priorities or my goals then I was behaving more like a leaf and being blown around—and I don’t think we want to be like rocks, where we’re not affected by anything, but I think I’ve grown and try to be more like a tree where there’s some roots but you can still feel the breeze. I say this thing—that tomorrow starts tonight—and I really mean it when I say I just prepare as best I can for the next day or the next thing I’m doing so that I give myself the best chance at attacking what my north star is first.” Alexi Pappas is a professional athlete who holds the Greek national record in the 10,000-meters and competed for Greece at the 2016 Olympic Games. She’s also an award-winning writer and filmmaker whose work has appeared in The New York Times, Runner’s World, The Atlantic, Outside magazine, and other publications. Her first book, Bravey: Chasing Dreams, Befriending Pain, and Other Big Ideas comes out on January 12. In this conversation, we talked about her new book, how it came to be, and the process of writing it. We also discussed the power of imagination, personal responsibility, approaching our mental health the same way we do our physical health, and a lot more. This episode is brought to you by: — Tracksmith: As we start 2021, Tracksmith continues their tradition of encouraging No Days Off — their annual call for patience, persistence and participation in running. Tracksmith is shipping a free NDO Poster with every order to encourage commitment to consistency, while supplies lasts, so get your order in today at Tracksmith.com. Additionally, they are offering new customers $15 off your first purchase of $75+ when you use the code Mario15 at checkout. Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-142-with-alexi-pappas/ Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/ Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout

This week’s episode of the podcast—the last one for 2020—is a “best of” compilation of highlights from 12 of the most impactful conversations I’ve had over the past 12 months. To provide a little context: I put out 47 episodes of the podcast in 2020—totaling almost 100 hours of conversation—and picking out soundbites from only a dozen of them to highlight here was really freaking hard. I literally have notebooks full of stuff that I’ve learned from every single guest and I simply cannot express enough gratitude for all that they’ve shared with me and, in turn, all of you. In this episode you’ll hear from six women and six men whose stories, experiences, wisdom, and insight really stood out to me. They are, in order of episode release date: Fernando Cabada, Laura Schmitt, Nate Jenkins, Mike Smith, Mary Cain, Karen Boen, Faith E. Briggs, Mike Rouse, Brenda Martinez, Kilian Jornet, Diljeet Taylor, and Knox Robinson. These weren’t necessarily the most downloaded episodes but I promise you each of these guests will move you in some way by either teaching you something new, providing an important insight, or getting you to reflect upon and perhaps even re-examine some aspect of your own life. If you’re a devoted fan of the podcast, it’s my hope that this second annual “best of” episode serves as a bit of a refresher or maybe a reminder to revisit an old episode or two. For those of you who are newer listeners to the show, welcome. Use this episode as a nudge to check out some of the conversations you may have missed while also letting it serve as a primer for what’s to come in 2021. Whether you tune in to every episode of the podcast or only listen every once in a while, I just want to say: thank you. I’m tremendously grateful for your interest and support. I’m a little over three years into this podcast journey and the impact it’s had on my life and many of you who listen regularly is immeasurable. I’m so glad to have all of you along for the ride and sharing in these experiences with me. Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-141-best-of-2020/ Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/ Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout

“It’s not just like you can have a bad race because you get too nervous. No. The very essence of, in the middle of a race, you’re asking yourself, ‘Can I maintain this pace? Can I speed up? Can I slow down?’ And that decision, which you’re asking yourself with every stride essentially, is not answered by, ‘I can’t speed up because some physical parameter is maxed out,’ because it’s not—it’s clearly not, you can keep going. Instead, it’s maxed out by your brain’s assessment of how hard you’re going and whether that is something that is sustainable and will get you to the finish line. And so fundamentally, you make that switch that, ‘Oh no, at every point, unless I collapse on the ground, at every point through a race, it’s been my mind that’s deciding whether I can keep going or whether I can speed up or not.’” Alex Hutchinson is the author of the New York Times best-seller Endure, which is one of my favorite books of the past few years, he’s a contributing editor at Outside magazine, where he writes the Sweat Science column, and his byline has also appeared in numerous other publications. We recently had a great conversation about writing, running, and the path he’s followed in both of those disciplines. We also talked about the concept of endurance, which he wrote an entire book about, the limits on our potential, the future of connected fitness, and a lot more. This episode is brought to you by: — Tracksmith: Tracksmith is an independent running brand built on a deep love for the sport. They craft products, tell stories, and create experiences that aim to celebrate, support and add to running’s distinct culture. This holiday season, Tracksmith is acknowledging that Running is a Gift and that this year, the miles meant more. They want to say ’thank you, running’, for being the simple act that has kept us sane in a turbulent year and they’re offering new customers $15 off your first purchase of $75 or more through the end of the month. To learn more, check out tracksmith.com and use code Mario15 at checkout. Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-140-with-alex-hutchinson/ Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/ Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout

“I started to wonder decades later if running for me was the first time that I had ever had facts ascribed to my name. And I wonder if being lied about and called racial epithets from a young age and to know from age 4 or 5 that I’m living in a society that speaks of you in a way that you know is not accurate and you know is not who yourself to be. And so for an entire lifetime of people lying to you and lying about you, saying you did something that you didn’t do, saying that you were someplace that you weren’t, somebody saying or assuming you would do something or had done something that had never even entered your mind. I think running, and getting times, for the first time, for me, as a teenager, was the first time that I ever had experience with facts, you know what I mean? You can’t lie about your time. You can’t lie about your race. It’s there in the newspaper, in the results section, and I think that that experience was so intoxicating to me, that like, you could call me whatever you want, and you could say all these racist stereotypes about black people you want, but you can’t never say that Knox Robinson didn’t run 9:41 on a Tuesday night.” Knox Robinson is a returning guest to the show. He first appeared back on Episode 12, which was recorded Boston Marathon weekend in 2018. In addition to being a friend of mine, Knox is a writer, coach, and athlete who is now based in Los Angeles. Prior to that he spent years in New York City, where he co-founded the Black Roses NYC running crew. Knox ran collegiately at Wake Forest before stepping away from the sport for the better part of a decade to work in the music industry. We recorded this conversation back in late July but I’ve held onto for a couple of reasons: 1. Knox was a guest on a lot of other podcasts this past summer and I didn’t want this one to get lost in the shuffle; and 2. This was at times, quite frankly, an uncomfortable exchange as we discussed difficult topics like running while black, race in America, the role of the media in all of that, and more. But I’m sharing it here today in its entirety because it had a profound impact on me and I hope it will do the same for you. We got into Knox’s roots and his background as a runner and a storyteller, his writing practice and what it looks like, and the idea of running as a sort of leveling agent. We also discussed his recent move to LA and what he hopes to achieve there, setting up a high altitude retreat in the mountains of Mexico, and a lot more. This episode is brought to you by: — Tracksmith: Tracksmith is an independent running brand built on a deep love for the sport. They craft products, tell stories, and create experiences that aim to celebrate, support and add to running’s distinct culture. This holiday season, Tracksmith is acknowledging that Running is a Gift and that this year, the miles meant more. They want to say ’thank you, running’, for being the simple act that has kept us sane in a turbulent year and they’re offering new customers $15 off your first purchase of $75 or more through the end of the month. To learn more, check out tracksmith.com and use code Mario15 at checkout. — Goodr: Goodr sunglasses are just the best! They’re the most affordable performance shades on the planet with most pairs costing only $25 to $35 bucks a piece. If you want to support the podcast and treat yourself to a pair of goodrs, head over to goodr.com/MARIO or enter the code MARIO at checkout for FREE shipping on your first order. Look good, run goodr! Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-139-with-knox-robinson/ Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/ Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout

“If you’re going to be a good coach, you have to believe you’re really good, right? You have to balance humility with confidence. You have to believe you’re really good. And I hope this doesn’t sound arrogant, but I believe I’m really good. And so, even then I did, even when I was uncertain, so I also did have this false sense of like, ‘Well, they’ve got to hear from me. I’ve got the answers. They’ve got to hear from me.’ None of that matters if you’re not building a connection with each of them every day. I think a lot of it was when I was young, man, [it was] ‘I’m going to put my stamp on this, this is what we’re going to do.’ I wish I could go back and have actually enjoyed it more.” Chris Miltenberg is one of the top collegiate cross-country and track coaches in the United States. He’s currently the director of cross country and track and field at the University of North Carolina, where he took over last year after holding the same position at Stanford from 2012 until mid-2019. Prior to that, he was the head women’s cross country coach and associate head coach for track and field at Georgetown from 2007-2012. He got his start in coaching at Columbia, where he worked as an assistant from 2004-07. Milt’s resume is incredibly impressive. His women’s cross country team at Georgetown won the national title in 2011, his teams have earned 10 podium finishes in NCAA Championship competition, not to mention numerous conference and regional titles over the past 16 years. He’s had dozens of student-athletes earn All-America honors, many have gone on to run professionally, his teams have been recognized for their success in the classroom, and Coach Milt has racked up more coach of the year awards than I can count. We recently had a conversation about coaching, the path he’s followed, challenges he’s faced, and who he’s learned from along the way. We talked about why he left Stanford for Carolina, how he and his teams have been navigating the pandemic, and why he ultimately believes the events of this past year have helped him, his staff, and his team focus on what’s really important. Milt also told me how paranoia and insecurity fuel his work ethic, why that’s gotten him into trouble sometimes and what he does to keep himself in check, how he keeps himself sharp as a coach, and a lot more. This is a long one folks but it’s a must-listen for any coach, leader, manager, parent, or athlete. This episode is brought to you by: — Tracksmith: Tracksmith is an independent running brand built on a deep love for the sport. They craft products, tell stories, and create experiences that aim to celebrate, support and add to running’s distinct culture. This holiday season, Tracksmith is acknowledging that Running is a Gift and that this year, the miles meant more. They want to say ’thank you, running’, for being the simple act that has kept us sane in a turbulent year and they’re offering new customers $15 off your first purchase of $75 or more through the end of the month. To learn more, check out tracksmith.com and use code Mario15 at checkout. — Goodr: Goodr sunglasses are just the best! I’ve been wearing them for the past few years and they don’t bounce, they don’t slip, they’re polarized to protect your eyes, and they come in a nice range of styles and fun colors. They’re the most affordable performance shades on the planet with most pairs costing only $25 to $35 bucks a piece. If you want to support the podcast and treat yourself to a pair of goodrs, head over to goodr.com/MARIO or enter the code MARIO at checkout for FREE shipping on your first order. Look good, run goodr! Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-138-with-chris-miltenberg/ Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/ Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout

“I think you should ditch worrying about your heart rate and just go by feel. Easy is a feeling, it is not a number. Sometimes you need parameters if you are prone to running too hard on your easy days but you should be able to ask yourself, ‘Does this feel easy?’ and if the answer is no, you need to back it off a few notches. And even if the answer is yes, there’s no harm in backing it off a notch because an easy run, the purpose of it, is to yes, maybe get in aerobic work but it’s mostly to recover from the quality work that you’re doing and to be able to absorb it. And on a truly easy day, you really can’t go easy enough. I’ll tell my athletes sometimes, ‘I want you a step above walking.’ And that’s going to be different for everyone, or everyone’s perception of that is going to be a little bit different, but the point is, it needs to feel easy, it can’t just be your watch telling you that here’s the number that you’re supposed to be at and it’s easy because you’re at that number because we’re not programmable robots, we’re human beings. And you need to be able to check in with yourself and be honest with yourself and ask yourself, ‘Is this truly easy?’ and if it’s not, have the discipline and the confidence to back off so that you’re not overdoing it.” This week on the podcast I’m answering listener questions in the final Ask Mario Anything episode of 2020. We got some good ones about diversity in the sport, running with my dog Tahoe, easy run paces and weekly mileage, shoes, setting goals, and more. On the other side of the mic for this one is John Summerford, who I spend a few minutes catching up with before we dive into reader questions. (Side note: Check out the first installment of John’s new documentary series, “Leaving LA,” on Instagram @baresrecords, which pairs well alongside an update he shared with me in the preamble to this podcast.) This episode is brought to you by: — Gatorade Endurance: I’ve been using Gatorade’s Endurance Formula before and during some of my workouts recently to ensure that I’m adequately energized and hydrated, and, so far, so good. I LOVE the Watermelon flavor and it’s also available in Lemon-Lime, Orange, and Cherry. Check out and try some of Gatorade Endurance’s different options for yourself this off-season. Use the code "Shakeout20" and get 20% off your purchase at gatoradeendurance.com. — InsideTracker: InsideTracker is the ultra-personalized nutrition platform that analyzes your blood and DNA biomarkers along with your lifestyle habits to help you optimize your body and reach your goals. As we head into the holiday season, take advantage of InsideTracker’s BEST DEAL of the year and take control of your health and wellness by using the code GIFTFROMMORNSHAKEOUT at insidetracker.com to save $200 on the Ultimate Plan, their most comprehensive package. Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-137-ask-mario-anything/ Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/ Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout

“What I love about running, and what I love even more about running than I ever loved about dancing, is how human it is. It’s a fundamental human gait: We crawl, we walk, we run, technically, apparently, skipping is also another gait, and so when you get better at it, for myself, I just felt more human. At that point in my life already, I had been through so many movement methods in trying to get myself together as a dancer: so much yoga, Klein technique, Gyrotonics, Alexander, Trager, everything that was out there I had done, practically, that I could find, and that was a lot. It all had effects, gave me different sensations. There’s a certain way that I feel after I do yoga, but after I run, I realize I feel more human, as in a member of my species—it’s really pronounced, really profound—and I really love working with that more than anything else.” Jae Gruenke is a highly sought-after expert on running form and technique. She’s also a Feldenkrais Practitioner, founder of The Balanced Runner, and has helped countless runners from beginners to Olympians improve their form and performance since 2003. I’ve been following Jae’s work for a little while now and recently found out that she doesn’t live far from me, so we sat down at a local park and had a conversation that I think you’ll really enjoy and take a lot away from. We talked about what it is that Jae does exactly and how she uses the Feldenkrais Method of Movement Education to help runners with their technique. She told me how she got into running after years as a professional dancer and how solving her own problems led her to working with others who were navigating similar issues. We discussed what mainstream publications miss when it comes to running technique, common places where runners go wrong, and what she considers to be the six elements of good form. We also got into cadence, the influence of footwear, the analyses she does on the elite fields in major races, and a lot more. This episode is brought to you by: — Gatorade Endurance: I’ve been using Gatorade’s Endurance Formula before and during some of my workouts recently to ensure that I’m adequately energized and hydrated, and, so far, so good. I LOVE the Watermelon flavor and it’s also available in Lemon-Lime, Orange, and Cherry. Check out and try some of Gatorade Endurance’s different options for yourself this off-season. Use the code "Shakeout20" and get 20% off your purchase at gatoradeendurance.com. — InsideTracker: InsideTracker is the ultra-personalized nutrition platform that analyzes your blood and DNA biomarkers along with your lifestyle habits to help you optimize your body and reach your goals. As we head into the holiday season, take advantage of InsideTracker’s BEST DEAL of the year and take control of your health and wellness by using the code GIFTFROMMORNSHAKEOUT at insidetracker.com to save $200 on the Ultimate Plan, their most comprehensive package. Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-136-with-jae-gruenke/ Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/ Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout

“There’s things we take for granted, as athletes, as coaches, and have those things taken away from you, you really just realize how much they mean to you and I think every opportunity we get to show up to work, every opportunity we get to showcase our talents, it should be done with gratitude, it should be done through gratitude. Gratitude should be the entry point to all that we do and all that we accomplish in life and I think as long as we keep that as our center focus, your perspective in sport and in life—you know, sport right now but definitely life in the future—it just changes.” Diljeet Taylor is the Associate Director of Cross Country and Track and Field at BYU, where she’s coached since 2016. In 2019, her women’s cross-country team finished second at the NCAA championships—only six points behind Arkansas—and it was the first time the Cougars had been on the podium since 2003. Prior to BYU, Diljeet coached both the men’s and women’s cross country and track programs at her alma mater, Division 2 Cal State Stanislaus, for nine years. I absolutely loved this conversation and I think you will too. We talked about how Diljeet and her team have navigated the pandemic on both an individual and collective level. She told me about her emphasis on gratitude and why it’s such a big part of the culture she’s created at BYU, her mission of empowering women, and the importance of investing in people and not performances. Diljeet and I discussed how she got into coaching, the influence coach Frank Gagliano had on her decision to pursue it as a career, and how she makes it work as mom of two kids and full-time Division 1 coach. We also talked about the self-check she does every day, the effect of social media on athletes this day and age, balancing confidence and humility, and a lot more. This episode is brought to you by: — Gatorade Endurance: I’ve been using Gatorade’s Endurance Formula before and during some of my workouts recently to ensure that I’m adequately energized and hydrated, and, so far, so good. I LOVE the Watermelon flavor and it’s also available in Lemon-Lime, Orange, and Cherry. Check out and try some of Gatorade Endurance’s different options for yourself this off-season. Use the code "Shakeout20" and get 20% off your purchase at gatoradeendurance.com. — Inside Tracker: InsideTracker is the ultra-personalized nutrition platform that analyzes your blood and DNA biomarkers along with your lifestyle habits to help you optimize your body and reach your goals. As we head into the holiday season, take advantage of InsideTracker’s BEST DEAL of the year and take control of your health and wellness by using the code GIFTFROMMORNSHAKEOUT at insidetracker.com to save $200 on the Ultimate Plan, their most comprehensive package. Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-135-with-diljeet-taylor/ Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/ Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout

“If the book tells you anything it’s just that there’s this long history from go of this kind of behavior, whether it’s sexist behavior or outright mistreatment of women I guess is probably the biggest one that comes to mind. It has been happening for a long time and when I first started reporting in 2017 or even in 2016 looking into Nike and on another assignment around the Nike ecosystem, I heard these stories that…I just couldn’t, when I first started reporting I couldn’t believe the stories I was hearing. They just seemed like, this must be made up, this is too ridiculous.” Matt Hart is a freelance journalist whose writing covers a wide swath of topics from sports science to adventure and exploration to performance-enhancing drugs, nutrition, evolution and more. His work has appeared in The Atlantic, The New York Times, National Geographic, Adventure, Outside, Men’s Journal, and other publications. Matt has a new book out and we spent the entirety of this conversation talking about it. It’s called Win at All Costs: Inside Nike Running and It’s Culture of Deception and man oh man, it is a hell of a read. The book, which is out now, takes a deep dive into the story of the Nike Oregon Project and the infrastructure that supported it, tying together themes of deception, systemic cheating, abuses of power, gender discrimination, medical malpractice, greed, and more. I received an early copy of the book and even though I knew a lot of the story, I couldn’t put it down and knocked it out in a weekend. In this episode, I ask Matt about the origins of the book, the myriad of complex characters involved, his difficulties in reporting it, why he thinks Nike is sticking by coach Alberto Salazar and paying for his legal defense, and what needs to happen at Nike for the corporate culture to change. We also discuss whether or not we can believe what we’re seeing in sport, if there’s anything more to this particular story, and a lot more. This episode is brought to you by Goodr. Goodr sunglasses don’t bounce, they don’t slip, they’re polarized to protect your eyes, and they come in a nice range of styles and fun colors. Most pairs cost only $25 to $35 bucks a piece. If you want to support the podcast and treat yourself to a pair of goodrs, head over to goodr.com/MARIO or enter the code MARIO at checkout for FREE shipping on your first order. Look good, run goodr! Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-134-with-matt-hart/ Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/ Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout

“By nature, diversity is uncomfortable, at least initially, right? Until we can embrace and accept the discomfort of having someone with a different opinion, a different life experience, and different idea, or way of doing things. That part is not trendy or glamorous. We like to think that diverse community—the idea of it is a lot easier to swallow. I think there’s a lot of introspection that needs to be done and we don’t all know how to do that, nor do we have the language, but we need to be willing to listen and learn and not everybody’s ready for that, I don’t think.” Carolyn Su is the creator of the @DiverseWeRun Instagram account, which she launched as a place to highlight runners from different backgrounds and share their stories with a wider audience. I first became aware of Carolyn a few months ago when she was featured in a Runner’s World article along with 10 other BIPOC runners speaking out about their experiences with racism and perceptions of diversity within the running community. In this episode, Carolyn, who is Taiwanese-American, told me about how she found running while she was struggling with an eating disorder in college, why she still has a hard time calling herself a runner sometimes, and how running ultimately became a source stability in her life. We also discussed why she started @DiverseWeRun, what it’s going to take to tackle the issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, and representation in running so that we can create a more equitable and accessible sport for everyone, and a lot more. Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-133-with-carolyn-su/ Sign up here to get the morning shakeout email newsletter delivered to your inbox every Tuesday morning: www.themorningshakeout.com/subscribe/ Support the morning shakeout on Patreon: www.patreon.com/themorningshakeout