Run Farther & Faster — The Podcast with Coaches Lisa Levin and Julie Sapper

After discussing the Olympic Marathon events, we welcomed one of our very special runners, Susan Spencer, who had been running for over 40 years and continues to improve upon her age-graded times. Susan shares how she is joyfully running marathons after an 18-year hiatus. Susan also shares her tips for staying motivated and avoiding the comparison trap. She also shares some fun tidbits about how the running scene has changed since her first Boston (as a bandit)! We loved this conversation! You can find us on Instagram and and Facebook. Looking for coaching? Email us at julieandlisa@runfartherandfaster.com to set up a coaching call. Thanks for listening!


We are excited to be back after a July break filled with racing, travel, and summer training. Speaking of which, we discuss in this episode how to overcome common summer setbacks to set yourself up for a successful fall racing season. We also discuss our favorite Olympic moments and what we can all learn from so many of our amazing Olympians. 
You can find us on Instagram and Facebook. Looking for coaching? Email us at julieandlisa@runfartherandfaster.com to set up a coaching call. Thanks for listening!


So many marathoners hate the 5K distance—and for good reason—5Ks hurt! What if we told you, though, that 5Ks, especially during a marathon training cycle, can make you a better marathoner? In this episode, we share why, how and when to race a 5K during a marathon training cycle. Listen if you are ready to take your running to the next level. You can find us on Instagram and Facebook @runfartherandfaster. Looking for coaching? Email us at julieandlisa@runfartherandfaster.com to set up a coaching call. Thanks for listening!

We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Jay Spector, who shares why super shoes can sometimes lead to injury, along with form tips, and ways to avoid typical podiatric pitfalls. Dr. Spector has been practicing in the greater Atlanta area since 1994. He specializes in surgery and sports medicine. Dr. Spector was the Chairman of the PRESENT Sports Medicine Virtual Conference and the Immediate Past President of American Academy of Podiatric Sport Medicine (AAPSM). He is also a Fellow of the Faculty of Podiatric Medicine, Royal College of Physicians Surgeons of Glasgow. He holds a Certificate of Added Qualification (CAQ) in Podiatric Sports Medicine, from the American Board of Podiatric Medicine. Dr. Spector is the Global Advisor of Special Olympics Fit Feet. He is a frequent national and international lecturer. Dr Spector is a Marathon Runner and does Cross Fit training. He is an RRCA/USATF Certified Running Coach and is the Director of the Atlanta Running Institute. A native of New York City, Dr. Spector earned a BA in Economics from McGill University in Montreal, Canada. His medical degree came from The New York College of Podiatric Medicine. Also in this episode, we discuss a local University of Maryland study in which masters women athletes can participate. Contact zckearns@umd.edu if interested. Reach out to us at julieandlisa@runfartherandfaster.com. Share this episode with anyone who you think would find this information helpful. Connect with us! Instagram: @runfartherandfaster Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RunFartherFaster https://www.runfartherandfaster.com/

In this episode, we did a deep dive into what, when, why, and how to qualify for the Boston Marathon. Questions? Reach out to us at julieandlisa@runfartherandfaster.com. Share this episode with anyone who you think would find this information helpful. . Connect with us! Instagram: @runfartherandfaster Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RunFartherFaster https://www.runfartherandfaster.com/

We are thrilled to welcome our longtime friend, Dr. Brad Serwer, an interventional cardiologist, who shares how and why all runners must pay attention to their heart health. We discuss heart issues specific to runners, including prevention, signs of heart disease, effects of statins, and so much more. More about Dr. Serwer—Before entering private practice, Dr. Serwer spent 20 years serving in the U.S. Navy and retired in 2021. Dr. Serwer is now the Chief Medical Officer for VitalSolution, which provides cardiology services to underserved regions in 22 states. In addition to being a top cardiologist, Dr. Serwer is also a dedicated runner. Since 2004, he has run 16 marathons, including Boston 4 times, NYC, Philly, Steamtown, Baltimore, and many Marine Corps Marathons. Please share this episode. It’s an important one. Thanks to Dr. Serwer for joining us! Connect with us! Instagram: @runfartherandfaster Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RunFartherFaster https://www.runfartherandfaster.com/

After providing some key guidelines for successfully running in the heat, we welcomed registered dietitian, Amy Goldsmith, to share tips on hydrating and fueling in heat and humidity. Amy works with runners throughout the US through her practice Kindred Nutrition. Big thanks to Amy for joining ! Amy can be found on Instagram at @reelrd_amyg or on her website (kindrednutrition.com).

We loved speaking with author and sportswriter, Johanna Garton, whose most recent book, All in Stride: A Journey in Running, Courage and the Search for the American Dream,” was published on Tuesday, April 2. We met Johanna at the Boston Marathon and were thrilled to invite her to talk about her new book on our show. The book is about professional runner, Elvin Kibet, and her husband, Shadrack Kipchirchir and their journeys from a village in Kenya to collegiate athletes to world class American athletes, their love story, and their experiences as distance runners for the World Class Athlete Program (WCAP) for the U.S. Army. Fun fact—Shadrack paced Kipchoge to his sub 2 marathon in 2019. Through a series of interviews with Kibet, Kipchirchir, and their coaches, Garton weaves the story of the many obstacles, including racism, sexism, and disordered eating, that both athletes overcame to reach success their running careers, their challenging but happy childhoods in Kenya. Both decided, in spite of their challenges, that they wanted to serve in the U.S. Army because they were so grateful for the opportunities they were able to seize in the U.S. through running and wanted to serve their country. In her book, Garton also shares the story of WCAP athlete and 2020 U.S. Olympian Samantha Schultz. Schultz struggled with eating disorder recovery, which ultimately led to her retirement from competing in modern pentathlon. . Witnessing Schultz’s eating disorder struggles was a culture shock for Kibet, having never seen or heard of anyone experiencing this growing up in Kenya, and it influenced her decision to study public health and research how to better address such issues. Kibet and Kipchirchir are now parents to two-year old Mylo and recently competed in the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. Find Johanna at @johannagartonbooks. Connect with us: Instagram: @runfartherandfaster Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RunFartherFaster Website: https://www.runfartherandfaster.com/

Please enjoy our live show, which we co-hosted with Cherie Turner from Women’s Running Stories, at the 2024 Boston Marathon. This year's panel was titled Making a Statement: Breaking Barriers in Women's Running, and it featured outstanding runners Alisa Harvey, Kelly Bruno, and Briana Boehmer. Alisa Harvey is an elite-level competitor on the track and road who has qualified for the Olympic Trials at the 800m, 1500m, and marathon distances. Among her long list of accomplishments over decades of racing, she has competed as a member of Team USA at several World Championships, and won gold at the 1991 Pan-Am Games in the 1500. At 58, she continues to compete as a top masters athlete, setting numerous age group records. Alisa is a 2019 National Black Distance Running Hall of Fame inductee and was featured in the documentary Breaking Three Hours. Kelly Bruno is a world-record-setting sprinter, ultra distance trail runner, and marathoner, competing as part of the professional para-athlete division of this year's Boston Marathon. She was also a contestant on season 21 of Survivor. Having undergone a below-the-knee amputation at a young age, she competes with a prosthetic. Kelly is a life-long athlete, pushing the envelope of what’s possible for para-athletes. In addition to being an endurance athlete, Kelly is physician specializing in pain management at Yale University. Briana (Bri) Boehmer, an elite runner turned long-distance triathlete, returned to running and raced her first marathon at age 42 at the 2021 California International Marathon. She finished in 2:33:20, setting a masters course record, which launched her into the professional marathon world. Bri is on a mission to prove that age is not a barrier to pursuing big goals.  In addition to competing as an elite, Briana is a corporate executive and entrepreneur.  She is currently the COO of Goodie Bag, which provides marketplace solutions to reduce food waste. How to Keep Up with Kelly Bruno Instagram: @kellybrunomd How to Keep Up with Briana Boehmer Instagram: @briboehmer More About Alisa Harvey https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alisa_Harvey Learn more about the Breaking Three Hours documentary: http://mobile.breakingthreehours.com/ Ways to Connect with Run Farther and Faster Instagram: @runfartherandfaster Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RunFartherFaster Twitter: @RunFartherfast Website: https://www.runfartherandfaster.com/ Ways to Connect and Engage with Women's Running Stories Instagram: @womensrunningstories Twitter: @WomenRunStories Website: womensrunningstories.com Thanks to the BAA and Cherie Turner!!

This week we talked with journalist and author, Maggie Mertens, about her new book “Better, Faster, Farther: How Running Changed Everything We Know About Women,” which will be released in June. Maggie’s book shares the progress and myths around women’s running, some of which continue today. Maggie’s book and our discussion underlines have far we’ve come and how much more work needs to be done to elevate women’s running. Maggie’s book is now available for pre-order wherever you purchase your books.

This week, we chatted with the amazing Dawn Ebbetts, who won her age group at the 2024 Boston Marathon (her first Boston!). Dawn shares how she trains and runs competitively while avoiding injury. She also shares how her daughter, Brooklyn Track Club founder and Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier, Leigh Ann Sharek, helped her train and cross the finish line in 3:46:02. We loved meeting Dawn and hope that our listeners find her as joyful and inspiring as we did. Follow Dawn at https://www.instagram.com/poipl Like this podcast? Please leave a review on wherever you listen! Interested in coaching and/or following us on social media? Here are all of the links (https://linktr.ee/Runfartherandfaster) or you can email us at julieandlisa@runfartherandfaster.com. Thanks for listening!

In part 2 of our recap of Boston 2024–the hot year—we share our runners’ stories and some key takeaways. We are already counting down the days until next year. Like this podcast? Please leave a review on wherever you listen! Interested in coaching and/or following us on social media? Here are all of the links (https://linktr.ee/Runfartherandfaster) or you can email us at julieandlisa@runfartherandfaster.com. Thanks for listening!

After a whirlwind weekend of events, a live show, meeting and reuniting with our runners, and, oh yeah, running, we sat down and recapped our Boston 2024 experience. Each year is memorable, and this year was no exception. We hope that you enjoy this conversation as much as we did recording it! We mentioned the Team Hoyt Memorial Race—here’s the link to register. https://raceroster.com/events/2024/83108/the-team-hoyt-memorial We are already counting down the days until next year. Like this podcast? Please leave a review on wherever you listen! Interested in coaching and/or following us on social media? Here are all of the links (https://linktr.ee/Runfartherandfaster) or you can email us at julieandlisa@runfartherandfaster.com. Thanks for listening!

After recapping Cherry Blossom, we welcomed NBC10 Boston Meterologist Tevin Wooten, who provided the most detailed weather forecast for race day! Tevin is not only covering the forecast for the Boston Marathon. He is also running the Boston Marathon for the first time and raising funds for Boston Medical Center! Please consider helping him reach his fundraising goal: givengain.com/project/chaz-glick-raising-funds-for-boston-medical-center?fbclid=PAAaa3GqxTnBtmnK5zcB0Q26Ug45GebRJ6o50VPyNAvY9w7m2snOwRMwhaPao_aem_AclTrDRR7_W8_FGMGQNtS0LbBDwXBSRBAqMYJE3UrV4YWtSd8IJkq0ETrWJgLskgkb8. Thanks Tevin for joining us and thanks to you for listening.

We are so thrilled to welcome six-time Boston Marathoner and Six Star Finisher, Dr. Benita Stephens, who will be running her seventh Boston Marathon in just a few weeks. This year, Dr. Stephens is honored to be running the Boston Marathon with Team Bevans, a team in which members are selected annually to honor the accomplishments and legacy of Marilyn Bevans, the first U.S. born African American woman to run a sub-3-hour marathon and medal at the Boston Marathon. In addition to being an accomplished runner, Dr. Stephens is the founder of Ciao Bella Medical Center and Spa, a gynecology center in Newnan, Georgia, that specializes in women's health care from conception to menopause. Dr. Stephens is a Board-Certified Obstetrician/Gynecologist and a member of the North American Menopause Society. In this episode we talk all things Boston and women's health, along with tips for managing a busy career with training and much more. We learned so much from this conversation and appreciate Dr. Stephens's perspective and wisdom. Dr. Stephens can be found on Instagram @drciaobella. For those who will be in Boston over marathon weekend, please join us on Sunday, April 14th for our shakeout run at 9 and our B.A.A. sponsored panel, which we are honored to co-host with Cherie Turner, at the Expo Live Stage at 2. This year, we will be interviewing professional athletes, Kelly Bruno, Bri Boehmer, and Alisa Harvey. You can find us on Instagram and Facebook @runfartherandfaster. Looking for coaching? Email us at julieandlisa@runfartherandfaster.com to set up a coaching call. Thanks for listening!

On this coaching episode, we share some common and subtle mistakes to avoid while training for and racing the Boston Marathon (or any marathon, frankly). Listen to optimize your training and ensure a successful race experience. For those who will be in Boston over marathon weekend, please join us on Sunday, April 14th for our shakeout run at 9 and our B.A.A. sponsored panel, which we are honored to co-host with Cherie Turner, at the Expo at 2. You can find us on Instagram and Facebook @runfartherandfaster. Looking for coaching or a coaching call to fine tune your training? Email us at julieandlisa@runfartherandfaster.com to set up a call. Thanks for listening!

Last fall, Daytona State cross country runner and mom, Shannon Jones, earned her third All-American title…at age 37! In this episode, Shannon details her untraditional journey from couch to college athlete, including how becoming a mom transformed her from a sedentary smoker to the most decorated cross country runner in Daytona State history. Shannon bravely shared why she quit athletics after high school and how she crawled her way back to running nearly two decades later, resulting in countless medals and a college degree. Shannon’s story is a powerful reminder that the path to success is full of challenges, but those challenges do not define us. Huge thanks to Shannon for joining us. Shannon can be found on Instagram @shickeyjones. For those who will be in Boston over marathon weekend, please join us on Sunday, April 14th for our shakeout run at 9 and our B.A.A. sponsored panel, which we are honored to co-host with Cherie Turner, at the Expo at 2. This year, we will be interviewing professional athletes, Kelly Bruno, Bri Boehmer, and Ari Hendrix. You can find us on Instagram and Facebook @runfartherandfaster. Looking for coaching? Email us at julieandlisa@runfartherandfaster.com to set up a coaching call. Thanks for listening!

THANK YOU THANK YOU for listening and propelling us to 200 episodes! After sharing what we've learned from podcasting for the last five years, Julie provides an exciting update. We then introduced our amazing guest, Katie Hawkes, who serves as the Boston Athletic Association's Director of Brand & Experiential Marketing. Katie joined the BAA in 2018 and shares a hilarious story about Des's win that year. Katie also shares the many fun changes that will take place at the Boston Marathon this year, including a new Fan Fest, post-race party, and Expo format. Speaking of which, for those who will be in Boston over marathon weekend, please join us on Sunday, April 14th for our shakeout run at 9 and our panel, which we are honored to co-host with Cherie Turner, at the Expo at 2. This year, we will be interviewing professional athletes, Kelly Bruno, Bri Boehmer, and Ari Hendrix. You can find us on Instagram and Facebook @runfartherandfaster. Looking for coaching? Email us at julieandlisa@runfartherandfaster.com to set up a coaching call. Thanks for listening!

We so enjoyed talking with Lauren Proshan, the Chief of Race Operations and Production ("CROP") for the Boston Athletic Association, on all things Boston Marathon, including logistics, the expo, and a few exciting changes to race weekend. Lauren has served as the Director of Operations at the Boston Athletic Association since October 2018. She is literally the "Oz" behind the curtain on race day to ensure that the Boston Marathon runs smoothly. In addition to sharing many of the details behind the scenes at the Boston Marathon, Lauren, also a seasoned runner, shares her tips for a successful race weekend experience. Big thanks to Lauren for joining us and providing information to help runners prepare for Marathon weekend. You can find us on Instagram and Facebook @runfartherandfaster. Looking for coaching? Email us at julieandlisa@runfartherandfaster.com to set up a coaching call. Thanks for listening!

Gina Rouse, a 44 year-old mom of three in Knoxville, just ran her lifetime marathon PR at CIM 2023 in a time of 2:37:10! Gina's next race will be the 2024 Boston Marathon--her fifth--where she will be running once again in the professional field. Gina started running in middle school and became a Tennessee state high school champ. She then ran for the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga where she became a Southern Conference runner of the year. Gina's path was not without struggle. She overcame an eating disorder and multiple injuries on her path to greatness. After a ten-year hiatus after college, Gina returned to competitive running after becoming a mom and quickly set a goal to qualify for the Olympic Marathon Trials, which she achieved in 2020. When Gina is not running or parenting with her husband and coach, Matt, she is coaching and motivating others in her Knoxville community. We absolutely loved meeting Gina, who is such a force, and we have no doubt that she will crush Boston in April. Gina can be found on Instagram at @rouse.gina. We are so appreciative to Gina for joining us on the show. Can you do us a favor and leave us a review? This helps us grow! Thank you! Oh, and you can find us on Instagram and Facebook @runfartherandfaster. Looking for coaching? Email us at julieandlisa@runfartherandfaster.com to set up a coaching call. Thanks for listening!