More Than Running with Dana Giordano

"It doesn't happen immediately for a lot of people. And I think just sticking it out and doing it. And then you also see a lot of women that leave the sport for a long time after college and they come back and they still crush it. And I think that everybody's timeline's a little bit different. And I think it's just if you come back to running or come to whatever you wanna do in life." - Maggie Montoya

On this episode of More Than Running, I welcome Maggie Montoya, a Boulder, Colorado-based athlete making waves on the road. Last year Maggie ran the Houston half marathon in a spicy 71:21 which qualified her for the World Half Marathon championships (sadly cancelled due to covid). Maggie's life changed in an instant on March 22, 20221 when she was working as a phramacy tech at King Soopers grocery store in Boulder when a shooter attacked. Maggie is now a fierce advocate for gun restrictions and has been open to sharing her story in the news about the tragedy she was apart of. Maggie also qualified for the 2021 Olympic Trials in the 10,000m but sadly had to miss the race due to injury.

Maggie overcame her challenging 2021 with a top 10 finish at the Chicago Marathon placing 8th in 2.28:07. She is also pursuing a masters in public health and signed her first professional contract with Salomon running this year! I hope you learn a little more about Maggie and I can't wait to watch her career rise even higher.

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Salomon was born in the French Alps in 1947 and has an incredible lineup of road and trail running footwear & hydration gear – perfect for any runner, on any terrain – no matter the challenge.  They are alchemists, creating magic with a “why not” spirit. From trail running to snowboarding, their goal is to make gear that transforms sports experiences. #TomorrowIsYours

On this episode of More Than Running, I had a great conversation with Duke senior athlete Emily Cole. Emily competes in the steeplechase, and this year she placed 7th at the NCAA Championships and qualified for the USA Championship. Emily is most well known for her social media presence on TikTok and Instagram where she shares daily training, motivation, and her life as a student-athlete. She has been successful in the NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) space as well working with brands and monetizing her social media.

Our conversation is focused on Emily's launch of her book The Player's Plate this week! She will be the first student-athlete to monetize a book published while in university. The Player's Plate was designed to share real practical information for athletes who are aiming to fuel their bodies and minds. Emily was inspired to write the book after she struggled with her own nutrition in high school leading her to a coma due to over hyrdation and low sodium levels. 

Emily is a breath of fresh air and a very inspirational to athletes who are aiming to take ownership over their own nutrition. Enjoy!

" I would love to win a overall World Title again.. To me, that's kind of the, the ultimate goal. So it takes stamina and planning over an entire season. I think it's, it's one of those reach goals where if everything lines up, we have a shot and making this happen." - Jessie Diggins

Three-time Olympian and three-time Olympic Medalist Gold (2018), Silver (2022), Bronze (2022) cross-country skier Jessie Diggins joins me on the More Than Running podcast. Jessie and I have crossed paths a few times, but this was my first opportunity to dig into the person who Jessie is outside of competition. Jessie uses running to strengthen her base for long seasons of competition in Europe. 

Jessie is a fierce advocate for eating disorder treatment after overcoming her own battles in her early career. She also is an advocate against climate change and travels annually to lobby for climate protective measures in Washington, D.C. Jessie's positive message, infectious personality and grit to win are so unique and I hope you all enjoy this episode sharing a little more about who she is outside of competition. 

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Salomon was born in the French Alps in 1947 and has an incredible lineup of road and trail running footwear & hydration gear – perfect for any runner, on any terrain – no matter the challenge.  They are alchemists, creating magic with a “why not” spirit. From trail running to snowboarding, their goal is to make gear that transforms sports experiences. #TomorrowIsYours

Summertime is over, folks! And we are kicking off the 5th season of More Than Running with Dana. My life has changed significantly in the past year as I transitioned from professional track, moved across the country to SF, and worked several jobs. Over this past year, I've learned that joy is the truest source of success, and this season is focused on finding joy in passions, whether running or something off-piste on the trails or even other sports. Running connects us, and I am here to keep telling stories of women who inspire me daily. 

Kicking off season 5 is the one and only Courtney Dauwalter. When you google search ultra running it is likely that an image of Courtney comes up. In this conversation, I fully admit to my lack of knowledge in the trail world and try to learn the basics from the best. Courtney is a UTMB winner and is closing the gender gap in sport as she is closing the time barrier of her male counterparts in races. Learn about Courtney's dream to continues smashing adventure project and potentially host her own race weekend (looking at you Salomon!)

Trails are not my first love of running but I'm growing to love them more and more every day and Courtney's experience running an ultramarathon with her mom may have almost inspired me to sign up for an ultra (only if it is with them of course. I'm partnering with Salomon for the first few episodes of More Than Running this season to celebrate the Salomon Women's Trail Half marathon in my backyard in Marin. It is my first trail race and I'm fully expecting to get wooped. Salomon is changing the standard in women's racing and is providing on-site childcare and lactation stations which is just the best thing ever. I can't wait to report how this race goes!

Support our sponsors:

Salomon was born in the French Alps in 1947 and has an incredible lineup of road and trail running footwear & hydration gear – perfect for any runner, on any terrain – no matter the challenge.  They are alchemists, creating magic with a “why not” spirit. From trail running to snowboarding, their goal is to make gear that transforms sports experiences. #TomorrowIsYours

“ In fact, maybe the only way to get to where you want is to detour from that path that you had in mind originally, or that, you know, is the traditional path of doing things and, and trusting that those people in your support network will actually...Be excited about it”

Vanessa Fraser joins the More Than Running Podcast to discuss some big changes in her life. We recorded this in my living room in San Francisco, which will play a big role in her career moving forward.

For those who may not be as familiar, Vanessa joined the Nike Bowerman Track Club after graduating from Stanford in 2018 as a seven-time All-American. As a member of the Bowerman Track Club, Fraser set personal bests of 4:09.74 for 1500m, 4:37.33 for the mile, 8:53.11 for 3,000m (indoors), 14:48.51 for 5000m (indoors) and 31:52.11 for 10,000 meters.

She has decided to relocate to San Francisco for a new job with a VC firm but will still run under contract with Nike and be coached by Shalane Flanagan, who is an assistant coach with the Bowerman Track Club and just joined the University of Oregon track & field and cross country program as an assistant coach under Jerry Schumacher.

We touch on her career, her interests and so much more in this conversation.

"Yes, running is amazing. It's freedom, it's hard work, it's amazing. It's one of the best sports I think in the entire world, but there is so much to that when you learn who you are. When you learn who you are you can capitalize on the beauty of the sport... Learn who you are, love who you are and it will make the sport of running ten times more amazing."

Chloe Abbott is a 400m professional sprinter for On Running, BUT she is much more than running. Chloe is a multi-hyphenate (my new favorite word as you will find in this episode) athlete, musician, and actor. I met Chloe at the USA Track Championships, walking into the meet, and I was blown away when she sang the National Anthem. 

In this episode of More Than Running, we talk about Chloe's collegiate experience at Purdue and the University of Kentucky, her first post-collegiate year, and her many, many passions off the track. Chloe lives and trains in LA with Allyson Felix and a star-studded training group.

Chloe is the epitome of More Than Running, and we are here for every step of her new journey as a professional in many areas!

On this special bonus episode of More Than Running, I chat with 5x World Championship qualifier Molly Huddle about everything she is excited about for Eugene 22. We primarily cover women's distance events with a heavy bias toward the hometown, our team, Team USA! Molly competed in the World Championships in 2011 Daegu 5k, 2013 Moscow 5k, 2015 Beijing 10k, 2017 London 10k, and 2019 Doha 10k.

You may know the Atlanta Track Club best from the 2020 Olympic Marathon Trials BUT the team has been developing a dominance in the middle distance events under the coaching guidance of Amy and Andrew Begley. I had the opportunity to sit down in the Adidas house at the USA championship in this mini-episode to learn more about what magic is being developed down in Atlanta with Allie Wilson, Olivia Baker, and Yolanda Ngarambe.

Allie Wilson was a recent guest on More Than Running and I know Olivia Baker from way back when in NJ! Both Allie and Olivia competed in the 800m at USAs. Allie placed 4th in 1:58.35 and Olivia placed 5th in 1:58.63. Yolanda Ngarambe competes for Sweden and was acting as "coach" for the weekend to support her teammates.

Enjoy this short fun conversation (in-between rounds at USAs) where we get a sense of the ATL culture and some rapid-fire fun questions.

On this episode of More Than Running I spoke with my friend Emily Pritt. Emily and I share a lot of common ground within the running world as women who have held a lot hats within this space. Emily’s current titles include Athlete Services Manager at Flynn Sports Agency and Chief Operating Officer at Bowerman Track Club. She is a certified agent and travels to support Flynn Sports athletes at meets and other major events. In her role at Bowerman, Emily has grown the community youth program, launched a youth camp and creates/executes concepts to support athletes at all levels in the Bowerman organization.

Additionally, Emily is a graduate of North Carolina State University and ran in the 2017 World Cross Country Championship in Kampala, Uganda. Emily was recommended by Colleen Quigley a previous More Than Running guest. I hope you enjoy this episode all about women within the running world carving out space to lift each other up.

"More Than Running" needs more than distance runners it needs sprinters! This week’s guest is Kendall Ellis. You may remember Kendall from her viral 4x4 finish for USC back in 2018 where she walked down Georgia in the last 80 meters to win the NCAA title. Since 2019, Kendall has been a pro athlete for New Balance and ran at the Tokyo Olympics where she earned a bronze medal in the mixed relay. 

I recently met Kendall at the Track at New Balance when she saved the day and flew across the country on a red-eye to run the 400m leg for the distance medley relay team that clocked a world's best in the event. 

In this episode, we discuss Kendall’s heartbreaking 4th place at the Olympic Trials in the individual 400m and how she has reframed her mindset leading into this year running with happiness and gratitude. We also talk about Kendall’s love of reading, music and why she considers herself an introvert. Kendall is running this upcoming weekend at the USATF NYC Grand Prix her last stop before the US Championships! 

"I don't know what that was. It was this narrow tunnel vision. I saw it slip away there for a second. It was this decision in my entire body that was like, 'No. I am going to take this spot.' It felt like something had taken over me."

This week Natosha Rogers of the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project joins More Than Running to break down her third place finish at the USATF USA 10,000m Championship this past weekend at the Prefontaine Classic. Natosha outkicked Emily Infled narrowly 31:29.80 to 31:30.04 to qualify for the World Athletics Championship in Eugene, Oregon, which will be held in July.

Natosha’s running story dates back to 2012 when she placed second at the U.S. Olympic Trials in the 10,000m but was unable to be on the team due not having the qualifying standard. For a decade, Natosha has worked her way back – including taking time away from the sport – to make peace with Hayward Field and the 10,000 meters. Learn more about Natosha’s mindset, redemption arc and her passions off the track.

Welcome, Allie Wilson to More Than Running! Allie is a member of the Atlanta Track Club and a graduate of Monmouth University. This season Allie has been on a tear in the 800m recently running the World Championship Standard 1:58.18 at the Track Meet on May 12th. Allie gave everything she had a went a bit *viral* falling and winning over the finish line! Allie's positivity and team-oriented nature is infectious and this episode had me smiling the whole time. Allie's attitude toward running and recovering after multiple injuries is one we could all take some notes from. 

"Our sport is so much biggest than the physical thing that we doing. There are so many incredible people you meet through this sport. Something I think about what we are doing and I think 'yeah do we have to be competitive with each other? Are we all trying to win? Are we all trying to make XYZ, yes but I think sometimes aren't we doing it together?' It feels like we are doing it together. It is so incredible to have the people around you pushing themselves to their limits simultaneously. Anyone who does this sport knows it's so much more than running!"

"I would tell them to stop having insignificant people have a significant impact on your life. I feel like that's what I would tell Nikki from a year ago. It's hard. I still tell myself that every day and it's a practice. I don't think there will ever be a time where a homophobic or transphobic comment doesn't hurt. It's practicing that over time. It's like 'Who is this person? They're so insignificant.' At the end of the day, that comment says more about them. Half the time, I just want to be like, 'Are you OK? It's 7 a.m.'"

Nikki has been on my mind to bring onto the podcast for a long time. We're close friends and now felt like the right time to have them on. Nikki made some big life changes by packing their things and moving to Flagstaff, Arizona with their girlfriend Emma Gee and their pet dog Scout. They are now being coached by Mike Smith and training alongside Elly Henes and Olympian Rachel Smith. We talk a lot about how Nikki views these changes in their life, goals for the upcoming 2022 season and their activist work within the LGBTQIA community to advocate for transgender kids. 

This week's guest is Dani Aragon. She is a U.S. 800m and 1500m specialist who was a star at Notre Dame, a U.S. Olympic Trials finalist, an amazing human and so much more. At the beginning of the episode, you'll get a cameo from her current roommate and former Irish teammate Molly Seidel + coach Jon Green. In this episode, you'll hear a bit about what it's like being a pro runner at a training camp. She trains under coach John Trautmann and Tommy Nohilly with Empire Elite. 

The reason why I wanted to bring Dani on the podcast is that her post-collegiate career has been one with trials and tribulations. She had her stint with injuries but persevered through it all due to her self-belief. Hopefully, this can resonate with other athletes as a lesson in developing your confidence in the midst of intense training. 

"I created another page where I was doing fashion reviews and rating outfits from red carpet events and fashion shows. That's completely not up my alley at all. I've grown up an athlete. All my friends are athletes. I had nothing to do with fashion. I just found it fun and the videos were doing incredibly well so I thought, 'I'll just roll with it.' I got into WNBA pre-game fits and that's kind of where it all started. People were like, 'Oh my gosh. Please do more of these.' I had no clue the outfits were so good but also that the WNBA was in-season. I did another one with the NWSL and the same comments were being put on my video. I took a second and realized I have grown up an athlete in three different sports, my friend group is all athletes but outside of that, there's nothing related to women's sports. We need voices for women's sports. Tiktok is the perfect platform because anybody can see your videos...I didn't expect it to be what it is now. But I'm incredibly grateful."

This week's guest is Logan Hackett also known as SportsWithLogs. If you follow this podcast, you know I love TikTok and probably annoy you by talking about it. But truly, what Logan is creating on TikTok by promoting women's sports embodies More Than Running. She is elevating stories about women in an interesting way. I've never been attuned to another place where I could have digestible pieces of content for women's sports. I get so excited when I see one of her new videos. We talk about Logan's history, what excites her about the work she's doing and her work as an advocate.

Dana Giordano and Jasmine Todd discuss the different ways track and field athletes use social media, balancing it with their personal lives and the importance of representation across all events for female athletes. On social media, World Athletics' Michelle Sammet (a previous guest on the show) noted just how small of a fraction female athletes get in sports media but the numbers behind the sports media positions held by women are just as staggering. 

We're taking a small step out of the running realm and into the basketball space for a bit – although our guest did run in college. Hannah O'Flynn is an incredible content creator, video producer, social media manager, saxophone player, women's sports advocate so much more. She was also my freshman trip leader at Dartmouth so we've known each other for a long time. Our careers have paralleled as she's now at ESPN W creating content that's women's sports-focused. Her career is so interesting. Learn more about Hannah, how she balances her content creation personally with her profession, going viral and how she uses running to blow off steam. I've really been enjoying these conversations with guests who are running adjacent and I think Hannah has a great story. We can all learn something from how she wears so many different hats and is a really diverse-minded individual.

Samantha Hanson is paving her own path in the sport of Track and Field. As the daughter of Kevin Hanson, one of the head coaches of the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project, Sam was essentially born and raised in track & field. After a collegiate career of her own at Michigan State and Oakland, Sam is now working with Hawi management as a certified track agent. In this episode, we discuss what it was like growing up in a track family, the challenges of being a female agent in a male-dominated space, and her goals for the future. 

Listen to a young voice with big dreams in the sport and learn about what it takes to be an agent. Samantha was born into our sport. She saw her first cross country meet at 9 days old; her first of six Olympic Trials as a two-year-old. She has been to three Olympics, five World Championships & more than 40 World Marathon Majors. It makes me incredibly happy that these experiences were so positive that she wants to use her MBA in our sport.

"Honestly, it was a dream come true. I can't tell you how much younger Anna would be freaking out right now like, 'Woah! You're a professional athlete!' Once it really hit me, I thought this is amazing. Not only that but with a brand that I absolutely love."

This week's guest is Anna Camp-Bennett. She just graduated from BYU and recently signed a professional contract with Adidas. She won the NCAA title in the women's 1,500 meters in June 2021. She also won an NCAA cross country team title in 2020. In this episode, she shares her interesting backstory of how she came from a small town in Utah to the highest levels of success in the sport. She brings a great perspective on discovering the sport while you're in it, ways to stay happy and healthy + what she's looking forward to in the future. I hope you all enjoy learning about a very talented, young athlete getting ready to step out onto the pro stage for the first time in the women's Wanamaker Mile at the upcoming Millrose Games (Jan. 29).

"My immediate feeling afterward was a little bit of disappointment in myself. Now I think back on it and realize I created this goal at the trials. I was an underdog making it to the Olympics in the first place and I created this goal for myself after I qualified for the Olympic team. To think about how far I've come, it's hard to think about that right after the here and now. You think about it later down the road. I'm trying to remind myself now about all the things I overcame in order to make it to that point...It's good to reflect on all the things people have overcome in their lives because it puts your life into perspective. For me, it helps me get through the day-to-day and helps me be so grateful for all the opportunities I have now and what I want to achieve in the future."

New Balance Boston star and 2021 Olympian Heather MacLean rejoins the show to discuss how she's handled the post-Olympics comedown and the attention that came with it. She ran her personal best of 4:02.09 when she took third in the U.S. Olympic Trials, competed at the Monaco Diamond League and then reached the semifinals of the women's 1,500m at the Tokyo Olympics. Now, she's in Flagstaff preparing for another indoor season with her sights set on the women's Wanamaker Mile at the Millrose Games.

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"I never thought I would inspire anybody in life. I quit everything. I was never an inspiring person. To see me now, by just sharing my story of going from really sad to really glad and that being able to inspire somebody is a dream come true. I love making videos. I love sharing my story. I love oversharing, as my husband would say. The fact that it can help people is like, 'Are you kidding this is amazing?!" It is just more motivation to keep going, keep making videos and keep running because there are so many benefits that it's brought to me. Seeing the change that it brings other people is addicting and it never gets old."

We welcome back Erin Azar – also known as Mrs. Space Cadet. She’s a rapidly-growing social media star with 720,000 TikTok followers and 70,000 Instagram followers. She describes herself as an "expert struggle runner and struggle lifer making running more approachable for beginners." I first learned of her in Dec. 2020 when she was a guest on this podcast in Dec. 2020. She is one of the people who really picked up the sport during the pandemic and chronicled her journey on Tiktok to millions of viewers. The sport is growing right now and there are thousands of people like Erin. In this episode, we recap her experience in this running journey including running the NYC Marathon and also how we can get someone like her to connect with track and field since there’s typically that disconnect. This is a fun conversation and I hope you all enjoy it as we wrap up the year and start an epic 2022.

“I think the biggest thing is that I still love it. I’ve told myself after every season when you get tired toward the end and you don’t tend to love it as much, it’s OK if you want to walk away if the fire doesn’t come back. I’ll take a break and I’ll step away from the sport and I’ll always miss it pretty terribly like a few days later. I know it’s still there. I know I have more to give. The pure love for the sport is what keeps me coming back. If I set big goals and know what it takes to get there, then that keeps me on task and accountable.”

Sara Vaughn is traditionally known as a middle distance athlete who ran in the 2017 World Championships in the 1500m. Sara most recently won the California International Marathon in a huge jump in distance. 

Sara is coached by her husband Brett and typically runs high mileage and balances her training, family life and her full-time job as a realtor. If you listened to last week’s episode you now know she is Kiera D’Amato’s new rival and I can’t wait to see these mother runners duke it out over the marathon distance one day. 

At 35 years old and after her fourth baby she decided it was time to jump up in distance to the big 26.2 to keep her motivated after a disappointing U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials. Sara recently won the California International Marathon in 2:26:53, which is the fifth-fastest debut by an American woman in history and she is only getting started.

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"Coming out of college, I tried running for a little bit and got injured. Then I gave up on myself. I let go of that dream and I forgave myself for not hitting those dreams. Then, I gave myself permission to try again and to dream of that again. To be able to come here – I’m just getting so emotional – what a ride. I’m just so happy and proud of myself that I allowed myself to give it another shot to see what I can do. To finally win this 25-year-old-plus goal of mine is just really emotional for me to think about.”

This week's guest is Keira D'Amato, who says running professionally is her "side hustle." One of America's fastest realtors, D'Amato just won her first national title at the U.S. Half Marathon Championships in 1:07:55. Learn why this title was so special to Keira, why it's made her emotional this week and her plans for the future. 

In this episode, Keira announces her next upcoming race. Hint...Hint...It's a marathon, but you'll have to stay tuned to find out which one. She also shares her goals for the track season, what her family means to her and much more. Keira really is kind of the essence of "More Than Running" so I was so happy to have this conversation.

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If you enjoy this podcast, women's sports or marketing, then Liz Dolan has maybe had some sort of impact on your life. She has worked as the Chief Marketing Office at NIKE, The Oprah Winfrey Network, National Geographic and Fox Sports International. She is currently on the Board of Directors for the World Athletics Championships Oregon22. She also serves as the co-host and co-creator of Satellite Sisters, which is a long-time show that she does with her sisters and is now published by Wondery/Amazon Music. In this episode, you'll hear about her professional experience while also getting her thoughts on how she's working to push the sport of track and field forward at this crucial time. She is an inspiration to me and someone I'd like to emulate in my lifetime.

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This week's guest is Colleen Quigley for the first-ever "More Than Running" podcast live show at WHOOP's pop-up in New York City. We talked a lot about all of the recent changes in her life, which I related to a lot because I've made big changes and moved within the past year. We have a lot in common. She's so fun, honest and open talking about her injuries, the decision not to compete at the Olympic Trials, dealing with the disappointment, moving forward, getting healthy and setting lofty goals for 2022. I hope you all enjoy this conversation since it was super fun being in front of a live audience and I hope to do it again soon.

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"I feel like if we could parallel in sports with Paralympics and marathons and wheelchair racing, we can also help parallel disabilities in communities. A lot of our idols come from sports figures. We can really give back to our own communities and make sure people with disabilities have that chance to get an education and hold a job. A lot of athletes who compete in the Paralympics go home and try to get a job and they can't. That's not only a U.S. issue. It's a global issue. That's the important part. I feel like if we can make that change in sport, we can make that change in the community. It's an important responsibility, especially if you're a current athlete, to give back to the sport. Previous athletes, who were once my competitors but then retired, they did the same thing. They pushed the sport along the way."

I had the opportunity to record with Tatyana McFadden the day before she won her 24th major marathon at the Chicago Marathon. She got on a plane and headed to compete at the Boston Marathon, where she made the podium with a runner-up finish. In our pre-race conversation, we talked about all things Paralympics, her role as a producer and star in the Netflix documentary "Rising Phoenix" and her advocacy work to change the way people think about disability, diversity and human potential.

"For as much as our pandemic has been focused on inaction and staying at home, I think with the changes that we're trying to make, we're actually trying to do things about them now that we're back out in the community and going."

This week's guest is Amy Horst. Amy is the head men’s and women’s cross country coach at Loyola and the head women’s track coach. We speak about Amy’s previous career as an engineer working on CT machines and what made her decide to switch to coaching. The real reason Amy and I connected originally was regarding her work as a member of the NCAA sport committee for track and cross country. Amy and her committee are the behind-the-scenes energy that makes NCAA championships work. 

Amy also has been working to grow female announcing voices at the NCAA level. I loved this episode since there as great takeaways about following your passion, acknowledging your work even when it feels like nothing has been accomplished (hello pandemic!) and how to keep pushing for equality in the spaces you work in.

"Having those people around that I can talk to in different phases of my emotions has helped balance keeping me inspired and excited about progression."

Raevyn Rogers put together one of the best seasons, which was capped by a 1:56.81 personal best that put her at No. 4 on the U.S. all-time list and earned her a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics. Dana Giordano had the chance to catch up with Raevyn in Chicago on what life has been like since etching her name in the history books. Raevyn discusses what it was like making a coaching change heading into 2020, how she’s refined her speed over the years and the importance of surrounding yourself with greatness and those who want it for you.

"People who are winning medals are motivated by the people who are making the final. The people who are making the final are motivated by people who are making a threat to make the team. And if you can just continue to provide deeper resources, you're going to elevate the performance of everybody. So in my head, it makes so much sense. The wider spectrum of people that you're able to help in terms of delivering sport psychology services, You reduce stigma, you kind of help mental health. It just has this huge trickle-down effect."

This week’s guest is Lennie Waite. After competing at Rice University, Lennie had a successful professional track career for Great Britain and competed in the 2016 Rio Olympics and 2017 world championships. Now Lennie’s second career is as a Ph.D. certified mental performance consultant working with the world’s top performers to “train your mind to get the most out of your body.” In our conversation, we discuss mental strategies for athletes who are struggling with a mental barrier, Lennie’s journey from athlete to Sports Psychologist, and her passion for the sport.

"Taking it back to 2017, that's when the trials and tribulations started. I found out about some blood clots in my lungs in Jan. 2017 and it seemed like ever since then it was one thing after another. That same year, I found out I came back from those blood clots way too quickly and my body just shut down. In the summer of 2017, I had mono. 2017 was when I fractured my metatarsal for the first time. 2018 was when I fractured it again and ended up getting surgery. 2019 was just me just trying to come back from the foot surgery and that's when I made the decision to join OTC and really get some help with that foot injury. When COVID hit, I was like, 'Oh my gosh! I'm finally healthy!' and then in Nov. 2020 when I fractured it for the third time that's when I was like, 'I don't know if I can do this again.' Having a dream of being in that Olympic Trials final and giving myself a shot at making the team was what kept me going."

We catch up with Oregon Track Club's Chanelle Price on her season that included being injured in February to placing fifth in the women's 800 meter final at the U.S. Olympic Trials + what comes next for her. Loved this interview because it was reflective of the true journey Chanelle has been on as an athlete and person since she first qualified for the Olympic Trials as a high schooler to today. Hope you enjoy and learn something from her about the power of perseverance and grit it takes to go through the ups and downs of a professional career.

To wrap up Season 2 of More Than Running, Dana Giordano sits down with producer Chris Chavez to breakdown the biggest lessons from speaking to this season's guests. 

We featured: Michelle Sammet, Porscha Dobson, Bobbi Gibb, Katherine Burgess, Mrs. Space Cadet, Emma Abrahamson, Erika Kemp, Alexi Pappas, Erin Kinney, Nini Meyer, Emily Infeld, Taylor Tracey, Grayson Murphy and Courtney Wayment.

Dana provides an injury update after a foot issue sidelined her for much of the indoor season, plans for her upcoming training camp and racing before the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials kick off in Eugene, Oregon on June 18. 

SPONSOR: Do you want to run further and faster and recover quicker and easier? Do you want to feel healthier than you've ever felt before? You need to make a change and that's what InsideTracker is all about. Founded by leading scientists in aging, genetics and biometric data from MIT, Tufts and Harvard, InsideTracker is a personalized health and wellness platform like no other. They used a patented algorithm to analyze your body's data to paint a clear picture of what's going on inside you. They then give you a concrete, science-backed trackable action plan for reaching your performance goals and feeling your best.

Courtney Wayment is a fifth-year senior at BYU and recently notched victories at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in the DMR (won in the second-fastest time in NCAA history) and 3,000m (9:01.47). 

She has a bubbly, sparkling personality and she speaks very highly of her team. There has been a lot in the media recently about unhealthy programs, challenges within the NCAA system and so I wanted to shed some light on a team that is having great success under a female coach, Coach Diljeet Taylor.

This podcast episode was really special to me because I think sometimes we are so used to sharing stories about negative things in the media and I really wanted to highlight what it means to come together as a sisterhood to rise up and focus on any given day. 

Courtney is about to start her outdoor NCAA season. She’s definitely on fire right now so she’s one to watch. She is the first active collegiate star we have had on the podcast so give her a follow.

SPONSOR: Do you want to run further and faster and recover quicker and easier? Do you want to feel healthier than you've ever felt before? You need to make a change and that's what InsideTracker is all about. Founded by leading scientists in aging, genetics and biometric data from MIT, Tufts and Harvard, InsideTracker is a personalized health and wellness platform like no other. They used a patented algorithm to analyze your body's data to paint a clear picture of what's going on inside you. They then give you a concrete, science-backed trackable action plan for reaching your performance goals and feeling your best.

Grayson is a multi-talented athlete with success on the trails and track. She got started in soccer and currently does cross-country skiing on the side. After transitioning from being a collegiate soccer player at Santa Clara, she got more into running and found All-American success at Utah. The steeplechase was her event and she owns a 9:48.57 personal best in it. She signed a professional contract with NAZ Elite but then made a change and signed a contract with Saucony to explore the trail running scene. She lives and trains in Bozeman, Montana. 

In this episode, we talk about how she manages her time while mostly training alone. She shares her interests outside of running and she sees those pairing with her running career in the future. 

She just ran a 15:44.61 personal best for 5,000 meters at the Trials of Miles Texas Qualifier after not having access to a track in the brutal Montana winter.

SPONSOR: Do you want to run further and faster and recover quicker and easier? Do you want to feel healthier than you've ever felt before? You need to make a change and that's what InsideTracker is all about. Founded by leading scientists in aging, genetics and biometric data from MIT, Tufts and Harvard, InsideTracker is a personalized health and wellness platform like no other. They used a patented algorithm to analyze your body's data to paint a clear picture of what's going on inside you. They then give you a concrete, science-backed trackable action plan for reaching your performance goals and feeling your best.

Taylor Treacy is a former UNC volleyball athlete. After graduating, Taylor played volleyball professionally overseas where she developed several mental health struggles. Inspired by her own journey and wanting to help others she founded the Virago Project. "Virago" means female warrior and its mission is to provide empowerment tools for female athletes. I hope these resources are helpful to you or someone you love. I’ve been focusing on mental health this season of MTR because we all have unseen struggles.

SPONSOR: Do you want to run further and faster and recover quicker and easier? Do you want to feel healthier than you've ever felt before? You need to make a change and that's what InsideTracker is all about. Founded by leading scientists in aging, genetics and biometric data from MIT, Tufts and Harvard, InsideTracker is a personalized health and wellness platform like no other. They used a patented algorithm to analyze your body's data to paint a clear picture of what's going on inside you. They then give you a concrete, science-backed trackable action plan for reaching your performance goals and feeling your best.