Running New Mexico Podcast

Episode 107 - Dawn Meyer & Rebekah Weems Talking the Gunther Run

I'm excited to be able to return to the podcast this week with two amazing ladies to talk about an upcoming event at Sandia High School on April 30th.

Dawn Meyer and Rebekah Weems join me to talk a little about their start in running and then to give us some insight about the upcoming Gunther Run to Remember.

If you never knew Sandia's former baseball coach who passed away from cancer in 2017, you get an opportunity to hear from one of his good friends, Dawn Meyer, about what kind of person he was and why we are putting together this event to honor his memory. All donations go toward the Gunther scholarship, which is given to two graduating seniors and all donations over $15 get a shirt.

I'm happy to be a part of this and I encourage anyone looking to get out and move, to come on by. The run takes place through Sandia's campus and though it doesn't offer the fastest course, it offers you an opportunity to be a part of the community. There will be vendors and activities at the finish, so come and join us.

I couldn't be more proud to be able to bring attention to this event and be able to highlight it as I come back from my hiatus. I'm looking forward to bringing more stories from people in and from our great state and I hope you're excited too.

While we highlight great things going on in the state, let's keep in mind those that are in terrible situations with the fires forcing evacuations and devastating land and property throughout the state. Stay safe, stay helpful, and keep running, New Mexico.

Episode 106 - Margaret Gordon; Recent Arrowhead 135 finisher, Mt. Taylor 50k Race Director

This week I had the pleasure to speak with Margaret Gordon. She's a race director for the Mt. Taylor 50k, working with her husband Ken (a previous guest), and recently finished the Arrowhead 135. It's a winter ultra marathon taking place in Minnesota along a snowmobile trail.

We talk about her start in running and a little bit of her triathlon days. She's had a lot of experiences and we cover just a bit. She talked about her fueling and being lucky enough for her stomach to handle anything at this point, which makes getting the right nutrition for these longer efforts easier.

We do really delve into her experience in this race and what it was like to be out on a trail in the cold and snow. She talks about getting confidence with a training session in Chama a fews weeks out from the race. It was fantastic to hear about her preparations for the race, but also her ability to adapt when things got unpredictable. Listening to her talk about getting to ride her sled down some hills was fantastic as well.

The race website says they limit the number of entrants to maximize solitude on the trail. Margaret talks to this solitude and the joy of accomplishing something like this. It was truly great to hear from her and everything that went into this race.

Track season is here! Meets were held this last weekend and the wind and cold blew in. It's fun to watch kids chase times and compete against each other. It's also tough watching athletes hurting when things don't go their way. It's a universal feeling. I encourage you to take the time to support a school this season and cheer on some kids. Take time for yourself, enjoy the weather, and keep running, New Mexico.

Episode 105 - Mbarak Hussein; Marathoner, USATF Road Record Holder, Coach, and Friend

This week I had the pleasure to speak with Mbarak Hussein. He is a marathoner, he's held multiple USATF road records, he's been a coach, and he's been a mentor and a friend of mine for the past 7 years.

If you know Mbarak, then you know that an hour talking with him is much too short. He is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to running. In this episode we talk about his upbringing and his start in running. We talk about his college career a bit and when he moved into marathoning.

His brother was a big influence on him and Mbarak talks about him a lot in this episode and it was fun to hear that side of his life. He talks about settling in Albuquerque and his time in Texas and Arizona. It was interesting to hear how he talked about training in Kenya at the time he was preparing to come to America. 

There's a lot here, and yet we barely scratch the surface of his amazing story. I hope you enjoy listening to Mbarak and that he inspires you on your runs this week.

Thank you for bearing with me as I try and get episodes out on somewhat of a normal schedule in spite of house renovations going on. I hope everyone is as excited about track season as I am. Whether it's seeing pros like former UNM athlete Josh Kerr smash British records (best free link I can find), catching up with current UNM athletes and NM collegiate athletes looking for births to indoor championships, or if you are getting ready to support local kids at track meets, I hope you take advantage of the amazing atmosphere we have here and show local talent that we are behind them. Enjoy the sun, enjoy the process, and keep running, New Mexico

Episode 104 - Solo Episode; 2 Years, Houston Recap, and the Future

This week, I give you a little update on me and my running, talk about my race at the Houston Half Marathon in January, and ask about your opinion of the show.

We are doing some remodeling in our house, so finding a quiet place to record has been difficult, but I sat down and gathered some thoughts in an echo-y room. I want to thank you all for being with me for the last two years, whether you're new, or started listening from the beginning. It's been a fun ride and I don't imagine dropping it any time soon.

Houston was an amazing experience. I couldn't have done it without my wife, Carrie, who I wouldn't be able to do the running, coaching, and this whole podcast without. Shoutout to Taos Bakes for fueling my weekly mornings, and Organ Mountain Outfitters for their awesome performance wear, including the performance tank, thanks to Teresa for customizing, which was my tank of choice for the race.

Lastly, what are you liking about the show? Is there anything you'd like to see going forward? I've considered a newsletter, YouTube, and possible TikTok components. But what are you interested in? Send me a message and let me know.

Thanks again for the last two years. I'm hoping for many more. So enjoy the weather, enjoy your family, and keep running, New Mexico.

Episode 103 - Kenny Henry; Head Cross Country and Boys Track Coach at Cleveland High School

This week I had the pleasure to talk with Kenny Henry, the head Cross County and Boys Track Coach at Cleveland High School in Rio Rancho. Kenny comes from a running and coaching background and has established himself as one of the top New Mexican coaches with multiple Cross Country and Track Championships.

We talk about his own running and where he stands now. We also talk about the previous cross country and track seasons, as well as the recent third place finish for his boys and girls in cross country and what we can look forward to in this upcoming track season.

It was great to hear his insight about his runners, how differently he looked at the boys' and girls' teams heading into cross country and how it turned out for both of them. His love of the sport and for his athletes is something I really enjoyed hearing.

We talked about recruiting kids into distance running; it's not as easy as it looks. And how the most important person on the team isn't always the top runners.

I really enjoyed this conversation with a fellow coach and I hope you do too. It was great to touch base with Coach Henry as we enter the track season. It's such a fun time for kids and we get to see so many different disciplines. If you can make it out to meets to support our young athletes, I would highly recommend it.

I hope you enjoyed some of the warm weather and that your training is going well. Stay safe, stay hydrated, and keep running, New Mexico.

Episode 102 - Andrea McArdle & Sean Abeyta; Talking Coach and Runner Dynamics

This week I had the pleasure to bring back Andrea McArdle and Sean Abeyta. Two previous guests that have been working together as a coach and athlete. It was fun to talk about the dynamic, how they decided to work together, and the build up to the Houston Marathon and prior.

In the past year, Andrea has started Running with Confidence, with the idea to help runners become more confident in their abilities. She has worked with some local high school teams, including Rio Rancho and Sandia High. She has also been coaching with the Duke's Track Club Youth Team. 

Part of her work also includes training adult runners. This is where Sean comes in. They were able to work together to create a great working relationship to complete a successful Houston Marathon for Sean. 

They are both great people who are doing good things for the running community. It was a lot of fun hearing them talk about their dynamic, while also listening to it. They really do work well together. I hope you enjoy their conversation with me.

It finally snowed in Albuquerque and across most of the state this last week. It was a great time to get a few quiet and cold miles in. I hope you had the opportunity to take advantage of the hush that follows freshly fallen snow. It's a great time to forget about goals and times and just enjoy the art of putting one foot in front of the other. As we continue the thaw I hope that you dress warm, stay safe, and keep running, New Mexico.

Episode 101 - Amber Zimmerman; 2024 USA Olympic Marathon Trials Qualifier

This week I had the pleasure to speak with Amber Zimmerman. She is a UNM grad and recent qualifier for the 2024 USA Olympic Marathon Trials. She earned that honor with a 2:36:26 at the Houston Marathon.

Amber recently has moved to Philadelphia, but talks about her love for New Mexico and Albuquerque and her hope to make it back out here. We talk about her journey to Albuquerque to run for UNM and her journey into triathlons and trail running.

It was fun to hear Amber talk about these other adventures in her running career that have kept it fresh for her. I love her honesty about not wanting to go through the pain of the marathon again, but training partners and friends keep pulling her back. 

She is self coached and has learned what works for her, but running slow when she needs to is a great take away. I hope you enjoy our conversation and follow Amber as she does awesome things.

Track season is really upon us. I spent Saturday afternoon watching the Millrose Games. Such amazing performances and accomplishments. It was great to see a couple of former Lobos competing at that level, but it's equally as amazing to watch local races and high school track meets. Everyone is out there doing their best to accomplish goals. It's a great time. So good luck with your goals, stay safe, and keep running, New Mexico.

Episode100 - Dinée Dorame; Host of the Grounded Podcast

This week I had the pleasure to bring back Dinée Dorame from the Grounded Pod. She last appeared one year ago on episode 48, which you can listen to here. She was recently named to Women's Running 2022 Power Women of the Year and The Kick named in their Women to Watch in 2022 newsletter.

If you haven't checked out the Grounded Pod, it's something that I highly recommend. Dinée does an amazing job asking great questions and really connecting with her guests. It's natural, fun, and I'm really honored to have someone like her doing amazing work in this space out of New Mexico.

We talk about that work, what it means to be receiving these accolades, and talking to some of her heroes. I also ask her about taking time off to recharge and be refreshed, which I admire about her. We also talk about what it was like being able to share her parents' stories on this platform.

It was a great conversation and she shared some news that I'm excited about. I hope that you enjoy this conversation as much as I did.

It's amazing that this marks episode 100 for me. I cannot express what this means. I want to thank all of my guests for going on this journey with me and for all my listeners for sticking with it. I love doing it, but it helps to know that others are enjoying it as well. All I can say is to go after your own goals, take a chance, and keep running, New Mexico.

Episode 99 - Marc Quiñones; Executive Chef at Más Tapas y Vino, Marathoner, Runner

This week I had the pleasure to talk to Marc Quiñones, Executive Chef at Más Tapas y Vino, Marathoner, Runner. He is also a prolific runner competing in multiple marathons, half marathons, 5ks, and more in the short time he's taken up running.

If you have never had the pleasure to meet Marc, you'll quickly notice his energy and enthusiasm. He talks about his journey in running, being on Hell's Kitchen, and the ups and downs that have come along the way. There is a lot in this episode and it was a lot of fun to really get to sit and talk with Marc.

He really believes in putting in the work and that if he can accomplish his goals, anyone can. He is willing to put himself out there through all the good and bad and is happy to be real with you. It's a great way to go through life and I hope you enjoy his story.

In the New Year, I hope you can take away something from Marc. Maybe it's his energy, maybe his openness, or perhaps it's just the willingness to fail. So get out there, be fearless, be safe, chase those goals, and keep running, New Mexico.

 

Episode 98 - Ryan Bolton; Bolton Endurance, 2000 Olympian, Coach

This week I had the pleasure to speak with Ryan Bolton of Bolton Endurance. He was a fantastic runner at Wyoming and competed at the 2000 Sydney Olympics in the Triathlon. He is the coach of Caroline Rotich, as well as other pros in the triathlon world. 

We touch on some of his inspirations, including coaches and athletes, and how he got into running and triathlons. It was fun to hear him talk about his experiences and the energy with which he still talks about it. We get into a bit of his time at the 2000 Olympics, as well as this year's Tokyo Olympics, where he was there as a part of the US Olympic committee.

We get into how he started coaching, building his coaching staff, and how he talks to his athletes. We touch briefly on periodization and will hopefully come back to this subject in a future episode. 

What struck me with Ryan is that even though he is highly motivated, some of his life path was following what felt right at the time. His degree and path to coaching are good examples of this. 

It was fun to hear some of Ryan's story and just have a great conversation about running and athletics. We touch on the 10k battle at the Sydney Olympics, Seb Coe, Bob Kennedy, super shoes, and so much more.

I hope you enjoy our conversation and take us out with you on a run. It's a new year and it's easy to think about things on a grand scale; new year, new me. But change is easier when you are committed to the little things and consistency. Commit to getting out 4 days a week, or x amount of minutes. Find a group that has similar goals, whether you can meet in person or just text about it. It's things we all know, but following through can be hard. So, get out there, be consistent, be safe, and keep running, New Mexico.