the morning shakeout podcast

Where’s that work ethic come from? “For sure my grandmother, and I think growing up without a mom and a dad. You know, nothing was ever handed [to me], we had to work for everything. Also just seeing that’s what’s needed to survive in this world is the art of working hard. I don’t expect anything—I just want to work hard. I just take pride with having the magic in things, you know. I just want things to always go well. I know things will not always go well but I think my grandmother and growing up definitely with that chip on my shoulder and just having to work hard.” Marquis Bowden is a 31-year-old runner based in Los Angeles and he first came on my radar several weeks ago when I saw him featured in a film from Tracksmith called Race Day is (still) Sacred. I then started hearing him pop up in my podcast feed, which then sent me down the rabbit hole and landed me on articles about him in both Tempo Journal and Runner’s World, and I just knew we had to have a conversation. A former college basketball player who says that running found him a few years ago, Marquis has big goals in the sport. He ran a two-minute personal best of 2:39 last month for his virtual Boston Marathon, and while he has a long way to go on paper to achieve his goal of qualifying for the Olympic Trials, Marquis has the tools, the drive, and the guidance to take him to some pretty incredible places. His humble, hard-working nature, and the pride he has for his family and community, is also admirable and all of that really comes out in this conversation. We talked about his journey in the sport, how his training has evolved, and all that, but we got deeper into his story: about growing up in the inner city of Compton and Carson, California, and being raised by his grandmother because his parents were out of the picture. Marquis told me about reuniting with his dad just a few years ago and how that missing puzzle piece fit back into his life. We also talked his lack of self-belief as a kid and how he grew his confidence, his work ethic and having a chip on his shoulder, patience and playing the long game, as well as the importance of living each day with gratitude and love. We also discussed what it means to be a black male in running today, how we can increase diversity, equity, and inclusion in the sport, and a lot more. Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-132-with-marquis-bowden/ 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 we do on the daily basis to have success in our sport sets you up so well for what you’re going to be doing in the real world. But just the pursuit of success in our sport does so much for success in the real world, I feel like. If you can train as hard we do for a 10K, say, and then go out there and just squeeze every bit of yourself out of yourself for 25 laps and mentally stay engaged that whole way and talk yourself through all the tough points of the race, I mean, you can do anything. Like, I have yard projects that are just daunting sometimes and I’m like, ‘Yeah, I’ve got this, you know?’ and it’s all because of my running background. So I feel like, you know, just what we do as runners goes a long way.” Gary Towne is one of the most underrated and under-appreciated collegiate coaches in the United States. Gary has coached cross-country and track at Chico State since 1996 and his Wildcats have been one of the top NCAA Division II programs in the country for over 20 years. Last fall, his men’s team finished third at the national cross-country meet while the women’s squad placed seventh—it was the 23rd top-10 team finish for the men, and 18th top-10 placing for the women. In his nearly three decades at Chico State, Gary’s teams have won dozens of conference titles, he’s coached over 100 All-Americans, and guided three individual national champions. He’s also won numerous coach of the year awards himself, but what he’s most proud of, however, is his teams’ academic success and the fact that nearly 100 percent of his student-athletes have graduated from college. We covered some really good ground in this conversation and I think you’re going to take a lot away from it. Gary told me how he’s kept his athletes excited and motivated in recent months after this year’s cross-country season was cancelled due to the pandemic. He also described the toll it’s taken on him as a coach. Gary shared his thoughts on collegiate track programs getting cut around the country and what can be done to prevent more of them from getting axed moving forward. We also talked about creating support systems within his teams as well as developing and maintaining a strong culture. He also told me how his training philosophy has evolved over the years, whether or not he coaches the men and women differently, what success means for him as a coach, and a lot more. This episode of the podcast is brought to you by New Balance. If I were going away for a couple months and could only take two pair with me, here’s what I’d throw in my bag: The Fresh Foam 1080v10, which is what I’d wear for about 70-80% of my miles, and the Fresh Foam Beacon v3 for faster workouts and uptempo long runs. Learn more about both models at newbalance.com or at the links in the show notes. Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-131-with-gary-towne/ 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

“Yeah, I’ve had moments of like, ‘Wow, this is really happening.’ And so that’s pretty cool because I think it’s really important to enjoy those moments. I feel like people are always looking to the next thing and the next goal and that’s a huge part of the sport but I also think it’s really important to sit back and be like, ‘Wow, this is happening right now.’ I think just taking it one step at a time and just enjoying where you are is really important.” Elle Purrier runs professionally for New Balance Boston. The 25-year-old represented the United States at the 2019 world championships in Doha, where she finished 11th in the 5000m with a personal best of 14:58.17. Indoors this past winter, she broke the American record in the mile at the Millrose Games, running 4:16.85 in one of the most exciting races I’ve watched in quite some time. We covered some good ground in this conversation. Elle told me how she’s gone about her business during the pandemic and after the Olympics were postponed; we talked about how her training has evolved in her first few years as a professional, why underemphasizing mileage in HS and college has helped her stay healthy and perform at a high level as a professional, and the workouts that let her know when she’s ready to rip on race day. We also discussed what it was like growing up on a dairy farm in Vermont, the parallels between farming and running, racing some of her childhood idols as a pro, and a lot more. This episode of the podcast is brought to you by New Balance. The new FuelCell TC Elite combines FuelCell foam and a full-length carbon fiber plate to put a little pep in your step while the Dynaride outsole provides good traction in a variety of conditions. Check them out at newbalance.com or at the links in the show notes. Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-130-with-elle-purrier/ 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 that’s probably what my mother said about being self-destructive: that I go until it breaks. I probably could start to find this balance much before but I’m just pushing it, pushing it, pushing it until it’s too late and then, like, ‘OK, or I die, or I need to change.’ And it goes up to that point. I hope that all these chapters are closed and that now the balance is here.” Kilian Jornet is one of the greatest endurance athletes of all-time. The 32-year-old Catalonian has won major ultramarathons like Western States, UTMB, Hardrock and others, he’s captured multiple world titles in ski mountaineering, and he holds fastest known times up and down Matterhorn, Mont Blanc, Denali, Everest, and other mountains. In this conversation we talked about how he’s changed his training focus during the pandemic and the biggest lessons he’s learned from taking a new approach, his relationship with competition and how it’s changed over the years, and how he thinks about risk now versus when he was a younger athlete. We also dissected his propensity toward self-destruction and pushing the boundaries of pain and suffering, experimentation and fear of failure, becoming a climate advocate who is working to protect the environment and mountains he loves so dearly through his new foundation, and a LOT more. This episode of the podcast is brought to you by New Balance. The Fresh Foam 1080v10 has been a go-to for me since January of this year and I continue to be impressed with its comfort, versatility, and durability. If you’re looking for a workhorse to add to your own stable of shoes this fall, check out the 1080v10 at newbalance.com. Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-129-with-kilian-jornet/ 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

"You gotta go do it. Lean into the unknown. We have this term, especially when I work with football players, called contact adaptation. There’s a reason they had training camp prior to the season—it’s not just so they could squeeze in extra games, it’s so they can get used to hitting one another and what have you and that actually can decrease the risk of injury. Well, none of these coaches now have contact adaptation. They don’t expose themselves to anything, which leads to a higher likelihood of breakdown. The dose makes the poison. You’re all leaders in different contexts but you’re not leading if you don’t actually lead anybody and nobody can find you. You don’t have to coach world beaters, you don’t have to coach all day every day for 60 years—that kind of experience can be just as toxic as no experience at all—but you do have to lead somebody, you do have to create something. The core lesson there is you have to do. You can’t just ideate and be like ‘Yeah, man, I’m a leader.’ That doesn’t work.” Brett Bartholomew is one of the top strength and conditioning coaches in the world. He’s worked with a diverse range of athletes across 23 sports, at all levels ranging from youth to Olympians. He’s the author of the best-selling book Conscious Coaching: The Art and Science of Building Buy-In, which, as a disclaimer, I helped edit. Through his company, Art of Coaching, he also works with members of the United States Special Forces, Fortune 500 companies, non-profit organizations, and universities to help develop more effective leaders and improve interactions and communication. This is mostly a conversation about coaching—not the technical aspects of strength and conditioning for runners, though we do touch on that a little at the end—but more about the interpersonal side of the craft: the importance of relationships, building buy-in, developing trust, and communicating well. Brett also told me his story about being hospitalized for disordered eating at the age of 15 and how that experience led him down the path of wanting to learn how to communicate with people more effectively and ultimately become a coach. We also talked about putting pressure on yourself, navigating chaos, managing different personalities and emotions, learning to be adaptable, and a lot more. Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-128-with-brett-bartholomew/ 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 got to the point where I was looking in the metaphorical mirror and saying to myself, ‘Alright, what am I going to do here? You’re sacrificing your job effectiveness by doing as much as you can with this podcast as often as you can and by not making a decision, you’re making a decision.’ And ultimately it came down to the fact that I just believed that I could turn this into a profession. I didn’t exactly know how to do it or when it would happen but I just started to believe. And ultimately that belief kind of ruled the day for me.” Matt Chittim is the man behind the incredibly popular Rambling Runner podcast, which is a show about dedicated amateur runners who are working hard at the sport but also balancing running with the rest of their lives. On the other end of the spectrum, he also hosted Season 1 of The Road to the Olympic Trials podcast, which followed the training, racing, and experiences of some of America’s best runners as they prepared for the Olympic Trials Marathon this past February in Atlanta. Matt is a natural conversationalist as you’ll pick up upon in this episode and I highly recommend checking out both of his podcasts. In this episode, we of course talked podcasting, how he got into it, what the tipping point was that lead to his show’s explosion in popularity, and how his prior careers as a coach and fundraiser have informed his approach to the craft. We also talked about Matt’s journey in the sport, reigniting his own running fire in his mid-20s, and his current Mastering 40 pursuit of trying to break a 40-minute 10K at the age of 40. We also discussed competitiveness, imposter syndrome, and a lot more. This episode is brought to you by New Balance. The Fresh Foam 860v11 and the new FuelCell Prizm are stability shoes, meaning they provide a little more support underfoot for those who need it. The Fresh Foam 860v11—women's model here, men's model here—is a solid everyday trainer that’s well-cushioned, supportive, and reliable for handling a majority of your miles. The lighter weight FuelCell Prism—available for both women and men—complements it well with just the right amount of stability to keep you supported for faster workouts and races. Check 'em both out today at newbalance.com or at the link in the show notes. Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-127-with-matt-chittim/ 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 over the years I started to realize it’s more than just running. There is more to life than just running. Obviously it’s a big part of what I do but I’m starting to realize that we need to make sure our happiness intact. I try to make that a part of my life. I try to stick to my schedule, I try waking up early, I try going to bed early, just trying to be positive. I try not to feel entitled and hopefully I’m this positive light for these kids. I just want to be a good role model more than anything. And I don’t want to ever complain or anything like that.” Brenda Martinez is one of the best middle-distance runners in the world. She’s a got a silver medal in the 800m from the 2013 world championships, she was on the 2016 U.S. Olympic team in the 1500m, she’s won a national title, and has stood atop the podium at numerous other events. The 33-year-old is a native of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., and she ran at UC Riverside where she was a national runner-up in the 1500m and a three-time All-American. She now lives and trains in Big Bear, California, only an hour from where she grew up. We covered a lot in this conversation and I think you’ll take a ton away from it. Brenda told me about her relationship with the legendary Joe Vigil, who’s coached her since 2011, and the impact he’s had not only on her competitive running career but her life as a whole. We discussed her running camp, which kicks off its 8th year this week as a virtual experience for high school girls and boys. Along those lines, she told me why it’s important for her to give back to others and serve as a role model for young kids. We talked about not allowing yourself to get distracted or affected by the actions of other people and keeping focused on what it is you’re trying to accomplish. Brenda told me her 2013 world championships medal upgrade and the importance of fighting for clean sport. I asked her about her experience at the 2016 Olympic Trials, where she made the team in dramatic fashion in the 1500m after getting tripped up in the 800m final a few days before. We also talked about her competitiveness, creativity, learning to be self-reliant, and a lot more. This episode of the podcast is brought to you by New Balance. The new FuelCell TC Elite launches this week on NewBalance.com. The combination of FuelCell foam and a full-length carbon fiber plate puts a little pep in your step and the Dynaride outsole provides good traction in a variety of conditions. Check them out at newbalance.com or at the links in the show notes. Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-126-with-brenda-martinez/ 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

“Running isn’t always comfortable. It’s not always like some sort of nirvana that you’re jumping out of bed and clicking your heels to do. But having those kind of whys really kind of reframed me rather than having one why of, ‘it must be about the medal, it must be about the time.’ You have different whys…you need a pocket full of whys basically depending on the day to achieve your goals, really.” Marcus Brown, known as @themarathonmarcus on Instagram, is a six-star World Marathon Majors finisher from London. He hosts the A Runner’s Life Podcast, and he’s one of the co-founders of Black Trail Runners, a UK-based community and campaigning group that seeks to increase the inclusion, participation and representation of Black people in trail running. We covered a lot of ground in this episode. Marcus told me about his journey into running, how his relationship with it has evolved over the years, and why he views the marathon as a metaphor for life. We also discussed his relationship to anxiety, learning to be happy within yourself, and why it’s important to have a pocket full of whys. He also told me about growing up black in the UK and why he had chip on his shoulder as a kid, launching Black Trail Runners and the fight for intentional inclusion in the sport, and the importance of opening up access to running and creating positive change in our local communities. We also geeked out about podcasting, talked about Marcus’ relationship with Instagram, where he has a sizable following, and much more. This episode of the podcast is brought to you by New Balance. The Fresh Foam 1080v10 has been a go-to for me since January of this year and I continue to be impressed with its comfort, versatility, and durability. If you’re looking for a workhorse to add to your own stable of shoes this fall, check out the 1080v10 at newbalance.com. Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-125-with-marcus-brown/ 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’ve said this many, many times. I’m 67 years old. I got busted when I was 33, got out of prison when I was 34. I spent the first 33 years of my life, Mario, everything was about Mike Rouse. Everything I did. What kind of great car can I have? How much money can I have in the bank? How big a house can I get? How can I have the prettiest girlfriend? How can I have the most success? The best title? How can I have all the things that society depicts as successful? Going to prison put me on a whole ’nuther plane and level. And I realized that the rest of my life I wanted to spend giving back because doing that is so much easier than trying to be somebody that you’re really not. So [for] 33 years, basically the first half of my life, was all about me. And since I was released from prison on February the 27th of 1987, everything’s been about everybody else. Now I can’t say that about every decision I’ve made and every action I’ve done, but for the most part, my life now is spent trying to give back to other people.” Mike Rouse is close friend of mine—I’ve known him for 10 years and helped him edit and publish his first book, Zero to 60—and he’s got an incredible story that I’m excited for him to share with all of you. I don’t even know where to begin when describing this man: Mike, who is 67 years old, started running in the mid-80s while he was in prison, where he served 14 months of a five-year sentence for possessing cocaine with an intent to sell. That experience behind bars changed his life for the better and led him down a path of running and giving back to the communities and causes that mean so much to him. As a runner, Mike has done more crazy stuff than anyone I’ve ever known, which is saying a lot. Over the past 33 years he’s been involved in the sport, Mike has run over 130,000 lifetime miles. He’s completed 261 marathons, 34 50K races, 79 races that were over 50 miles but less than 100, 40 100-milers and/or 24-hour runs, 12 Ironmans, and 6 ultramans, where he’s a 3x age-group world champion. One of the coolest things about Mike is that he regularly uses his running as a vehicle to bring awareness to and raise money for causes and organizations he believes in, like the Blazeman Foundation for ALS, the Boot Campaign, Navy SEAL Foundation, and others. This is a long conversation—the longest one I’ve ever recorded for the podcast to date—but I promise you that you’ll want to listen to it until the very end. It’s full of incredible stories and numerous examples of inspiration. Mike told me about overcoming cocaine addiction and discovering distance-running while he was behind bars, getting into the specialty running industry—an industry he still works in—not long after he got out of prison, why he’s comfortable being alone with his own thoughts and has never listened to music while on a run, the link between substance addiction and ultrarunning, his keys to staying healthy and motivated at the age of 67, what he means when he says to “be somebody” and “give people roses while they’re living,” and a lot more. Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-124-with-mike-rouse/ 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 kind of like what you pay attention to grows. What you’re the most aware of—if you’re focused on an area where you’re not measuring up and you’re beating yourself up about that instead of seeing yourself a certain way—Ryan puts it well, where he’s like, ‘The first step in becoming a mentally tough runner is to believe you’re a mentally tough runner.’ It kind of becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy if you think, ‘I’m not tough.’ But the opposite is [that] you start by believing that, then the more you lean into that, and believe in that, it grows.” Sara Hall is one of the best and most versatile distance runners in the United States. She’s won numerous national titles from the mile to the marathon and and she’s the sixth-fastest American female marathoner of all time after her 2:22:16, fifth-place finish at Berlin last fall. Sara is the wife of previous podcast guest, two-time Olympian, and American half-marathon record holder Ryan Hall, and the mom of four adopted Ethiopian girls: Hana, Mia, Jasmine, and Lilly. This conversation covered a lot of ground and I think you’ll really take a lot away from it. Sara told me about growing up in Santa Rosa, California, and getting into running as a 13-year-old, she opened up about dropping out of the Olympic Trials Marathon earlier this year and what it’s been like bouncing back from that disappointment, and how she’s thinking about training and racing right now in the midst of a global pandemic. We also talked about the biggest lessons the marathon has taught her over the years, her tendency to be hard on herself after bad races and workouts, and what she means when she calls herself a “high maintenance sleeper.” We also discussed how her relationship with her husband Ryan has evolved since he retired from the sport four years ago, how she’s talking to her daughters about the racial injustice issues we’re facing in the U.S., the role faith plays in her life, and a lot more. This episode of the podcast is brought to you by WHOOP, a fitness wearable that helps you sleep better, recover faster, and train smarter. Learn more at WHOOP.com and enter “Mario” at checkout to save 15% on a membership. Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-123-with-sara-hall/ 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 was sort of like this coolness of everyone telling you [that] you can be awesome and you’re not aware of it yet, but you’re starting to believe it, you’re starting to follow in the steps of this path you think you’re destined to be on. And that—over and over—any movie with that theme, like goosebumps, I’m hooked. I remember watching an anime, Dragon Ball Z, growing up and I’m just like, ‘Man this guy just keeps getting stronger every time he trains. Holy moly, he’s doing things he never thought he could do.’ And honestly, once I discovered track after football I was like, ‘This is what I’ve been watching all those movies my entire life for.’ I think there’s something hidden deep inside of me that’s kind of special and it’s just a matter of time before it comes out. And I just loved that, and now I would say that’s transitioned to photography and directing. I feel there’s something special that I have to offer that is started and rooted in running and track and I’m really, really excited to see where I can take that skill, or habit, or blessing that I’ve been given and seeing what’s next for me.” My guest this week is one of my favorite photographers and storytellers in the sport of running, David Bracetty. David lives outside of Philadelphia and he’s done editorial work for publications like Runner’s World, Like The Wind, and Meter magazine. He’s also shot commercially for New Balance, Puma, adidas, Brooks, and other brands. What I love about David is his unique style and penchant for finding and telling the story that no one else seems to be paying attention to. David hustles hard—I’ve witnessed it myself firsthand—and it shows in the quality of his work. There is a lot to this conversation. David’s got an interesting backstory and it was trip to dive into it with him In this episode. He told me about how his Puerto Rican upbringing influenced his worth ethic and creativity. We talked about how he got into running, the rocky road he followed with the sport through college, and learning not to let his self-worth get tied up into being a runner. David told me about his odd hobbies and interests as a kid, saving up to buy his first camera in high school, and why he’s always been someone who’s quick to say yes to things and then will figure it out on the backend. Finally, we discussed the biggest ways he’s evolved as a photographer and a creative, what his relationship with running looks like now, and also his latest project. It’s called the 4 Years Ago Project, and it’s an audiovisual experience featuring athletes who competed in the 2016 U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials talking about what they felt that day, what’s happened since, and where they are now. The 4 Years Ago Project: http://4yearsago.com/ This episode of the podcast is brought to you by WHOOP, a fitness wearable that helps you sleep better, recover faster, and train smarter. Learn more at WHOOP.com and enter “Mario” at checkout to save 15% on a membership. Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-122-with-david-bracetty/ 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

“Running to me represents freedom and I don’t want to just confine myself to running to numbers, like trying to run to specific mileage on a given day or just running to specific paces every day. There’s a freedom to it and a fluidity that I think is really, really important…Not every workout has to build toward something or target a specific energy system, especially right now where there are no races to build toward. For me, and what I’m trying to preach to my athletes, it’s like, look, you almost gotta think of running right now as more of an outlet than ever. Like sometimes you just need to remind yourself what made this pursuit fun in the first place.” This week on the podcast you get to hear from me in the second Ask Mario Anything episode of 2020. I answered a number of listener questions about coaching, training, nutrition, making adjustments, my past struggles with disordered eating, and more. On the other side of the mic for this one is John Summerford, longtime producer of the morning shakeout podcast, and we kick this one off mid-conversation talking about the importance of consistency and “getting your reps in,” regardless of the pursuit. This episode of the podcast is brought to you by Tracksmith, which makes classically stylish, cutting-edge apparel for real-world athletes. Visit tracksmith.com/mario and use code Mario15 at checkout to save $15 on your first purchase of $75 or more. It’s also sponsored by WHOOP, a fitness wearable that helps you sleep better, recover faster, and train smarter. Learn more at WHOOP.com and enter “Mario” at checkout to save 15% on a membership. Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-121-ask-mario-anything-4/ 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

“Who do we get to see? And therefore, who do we get to believe in? Not only to understand people better, but I think to understand for younger kids especially how they get to travel through the world and what their potential could be. It’s a lot harder to imagine yourself being something if you’ve never seen anyone that looks like you doing it. And we internalize these images of who gets to be a surfer and who doesn’t, or who gets to be a marathoner and who doesn’t, or who gets to be, you know, a politician, and who doesn’t. So yeah, that’s what I mean when I say representation.” Faith E. Briggs is a runner, documentary filmmaker, and advocate currently based in Portland, Oregon, and her work focuses on diversity and representation in the media and outdoors. Her latest film, This Land, is a story about land access told through a journey of inclusion and empowerment, where she and a few other runners ran 150 miles through three U.S. National Monuments and assess what is at stake if previously protected lands are reduced and if the public is largely unaware about it. I had been looking forward to this conversation for a while and it did not disappoint. We talked about the mix of excitement and trepidation Faith is feeling midway through 2020, working through some of the confusion she’s been experiencing, and why representation in the media is more important now than ever before. She also told me about the the appeal of mountains, trails, and ultras to someone who ran the 400m in college, redefining "conservationist," her love of words, language, and storytelling, and a lot more. This episode of the podcast is brought to you by Tracksmith, which makes classically stylish, cutting-edge apparel for real-world athletes. Visit tracksmith.com/mario and use code Mario15 at checkout to save $15 on your first purchase of $75 or more. It’s also sponsored by WHOOP, a fitness wearable that helps you sleep better, recover faster, and train smarter. Learn more at WHOOP.com and enter “Mario” at checkout to save 15% on a membership. Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-120-with-faith-e-briggs/ 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

“So many of my relationships with anything or anyone in life that I care about the most is a relationship of high highs and low lows. There’s something deeply human about a relationship with anything that can offer you the greatest joy in your life and also the greatest sorrow or greatest pain. Running grounds me toward that more viscerally perhaps than anything else. It’s a reason why I keep doing it. It more than anything serves as a sort of…I don’t want to say a metaphor for life because it is life, but as a way for me to understand life. So to deny it that is to deny it it’s ultimate complexity and I have to acknowledge that they’re are going be days that running makes me feel more joyful than anything and there are going to be reasons that have to do with running that are the reasons that make me feel maybe ashamed or maybe scared or maybe deeply sad—and that’s hard, but it’s real.” Devin Kelly is a runner, writer, and a poet based in New York City. His work has appeared in The Guardian, LitHub, Catapult, Longreads, and in other publications. I first became aware of Devin in late 2019 when I read his essay, "Running Dysmorphic," which explored his relationship with competitive running, exactness, and giving himself permission to be exactly who he was. It really resonated with me and my own experiences as a competitive runner who has dealt with body image issues in the past. More recently, my college cross-country and track coach, Karen Boen—who you can listen to and learn more about in Episode 115, by the way—sent me an essay entitled, “What I Want to Know of Kindness.” The author: Devin Kelly. That piece, which also hit me on a deep level, isn’t really about running, at least explicitly, but it put on display the depth and strength of the relationships that develop when you share a lot of miles with someone over a long period of time—you know, the kind of bonds that just don’t break. Anyway, I knew I needed to talk to this guy and here we are today with a conversation about running, writing, exploration, masculinity, wrestling with shame, self-worth, hope, and a lot more. This episode of the podcast is brought to you by Tracksmith, which makes classically stylish, cutting-edge apparel for real-world athletes. Visit tracksmith.com/mario and use code Mario15 at checkout to save $15 on your first purchase of $75 or more. It’s also sponsored by WHOOP, a fitness wearable that helps you sleep better, recover faster, and train smarter. Learn more at WHOOP.com and enter “Mario” at checkout to save 15% on a membership. Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-119-with-devin-kelly/ 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

“One of the main things too is people just kind of sticking out like a sore thumb. It’s so unbalanced that I think people of color sometimes feel uncomfortable going into this sport that is just predominantly white. I’ve never really let it be any sort of limiting factor for me and I know there a lot of people of color that still feel that trail runners and runners in general that these are my tribe of people, it’s so welcoming. I don’t feel racism in our sport. That doesn’t mean it’s not lacking racial and ethnic diversity but I think the more that we start to see that diversity, the more people will say, ‘Oh, they’re doing it, I can do that too.' It’s the same thing with recovery, it’s when people start seeing other people do it, “Oh if they did it, then I can do it.” And so that’s kind of why I wanted to be more open about my recovery but also I wanted to be more open about this topic too, is to inspire people—like no, you’re welcome here.” This week, I had a great conversation with ultrarunner Yassine Diboun. Yassine is a super accomplished athlete. He’s finished in the top-10 at Western States, has represented the U.S. internationally at world championships, and he’s been super competitive across a wide range of distances. He’s also one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet. Yassine’s got an incredible story about how he changed his life and I’m excited for him to share it here with you in this episode. We also talk about the relationship between confidence and consistency, his longevity as an athlete, and how to keep the fire burning. Yassine also told me about experiencing racism throughout his life, the systemic barriers that prevent people from participating in the sport of ultrarunning and what needs to change, creating more opportunities for kids of color to get outside and experience nature, and a lot more. This episode of the podcast is brought to you by Tracksmith, which makes classically stylish, cutting-edge apparel for real-world athletes. Visit tracksmith.com/mario and use code Mario15 at checkout to save $15 on your first purchase of $75 or more. It’s also sponsored by WHOOP, a fitness wearable that helps you sleep better, recover faster, and train smarter. Learn more at WHOOP.com and enter “Mario” at checkout to save 15% on a membership. Complete show notes: https://themorningshakeout.com/podcast-episode-118-with-yassine-diboun/ 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