The Extra Mile - The Official Charity Miles Podcast

Today on the Extra Mile I'm thrilled to share an interview I did with someone who I've admired for a very long time, Founder and CEO of Oiselle, Sally Bergesen.  Oiselle is is a Seattle-based by women, for women athletic apparel company. They have some things for men, too, and I love my Oiselle t-shirt and hat. But more importantly, they are a brand, and Sally is an entrepreneur that I truly look up to. Oiselle's mission is three-fold: make a great product, improve the sport, and build the sisterhood. I really admire how they have built their community.  I was in beautiful Seattle, WA to visit family and thought I'd reach out to Sally to see if she might go on a run with me and along the way share some of her wisdom with us.  I'm so grateful that she was able and willing to chat with me as well as take us on one of the most spectacular runs I've ever been on, on the shores of Lake Washington. It was absolutely stunning!   #EveryMileMatters #RunLoveWins Get your Oiselle gear here. Follow Oiselle's blog here. F

On today's episode, I'm so excited to share my interview with my good friend Barefoot Jake Brown. Yes, he's gotten that name because he does not wear shoes.  He's done some truly unbelievable things. He was the first person to run across the United States, he ran from Mexico to Canada, and he has completed 200-mile races- ALL barefoot. He's also one of the first 100 members of Charity Miles. We conducted our interview on a walk through beautiful Central Park in New York City where you can almost hear the sunshine. (You can certainly hear the birds chirping!)  He's got great stories and has learned so much through his journey, so a big thank you to Barefoot Jake for sharing some of his time with us.  And, as always, we're sending some love to Aftershokz for their support. For more information on these amazing earphones visit charitymiles.org/aftershokz.  The Bare Sole Project #EveryMileMatters   

Today on the Extra Mile podcast I bring you the final interview in our three-part Boston series. Today I join the acclaimed Dr. Jordan Metzl on a run by the Charles River. Funny enough, Jordan lives in New York but it took us both going to Boston to finally get the interview that I've been wanting for a long time.  Jordan is a nationally recognized sports medicine physician, best selling author, and fitness instructor who practices at one of the top hospitals in the country, Hospital for Special Surgery. He is the founder of the Iron Strength Workout Series which teaches how to develop your strength in all areas and why that is important for athletes of every kind, and all people, really. This is also the first time I talk about poop with a guest on the show! You definitely don't want to miss why it comes up and why it is so important to all of us!  As always, a big shoutout to AfterShokz who make this podcast, and everything we do at Charity Miles possible. (And help me immensely in New York so that I can do

Today we have the second of three podcasts that I recorded when I was up in Boston last week for the Boston Marathon. In this episode, I walk with Tina Muir, a “former” elite runner who has one of the most popular running podcasts called Running for Real. Tina had taken some time off from running to start a family and the Boston Marathon was her first marathon back. And, get this, she still ran under 3! Tina’s honesty in this episode is really special, so a big thank you to her for taking some time to chat with us, share her story, and give some great tips for staying motivated during a run. And, as always, a big shoutout to Aftershokz who introduced us! Check out charitymiles.org/aftershokz for information on these awesome headphones. #EveryMileMatters tinamuir.com charitymiles.org  

Today's episode takes place in Boston, just three days before the Boston Marathon, with a LEGEND, Kathrine Switzer who, in 1967, became the first woman to run the Boston Marathon as an official registered participant.  Many of us know the iconic photo of the moment where the race director Jock Semple saw Kathrine running and tried to knock her off the course and steal her number. It is a picture that not only broke barriers but changed women's history, sport's history, and, frankly, the world. Kathrine has since run numerous marathons, was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame, is a speaker, author, television personality, and so much more. Her charity, 261 Fearless (261 being the number she wore in that 1967 race), is a movement that is helping to empower women all over the world through running.  You won't want to miss her amazing story.  Thank you, Kathrine, for spending some time with us! And a very grateful thank you to our sponsor Aftershokz for inviting me up to share this day with them. Plea

Bob is an Ironman legend, founder of Competitor Magazine and founder of the Challenged Athletes Foundation.  He's also an epic storyteller and I'm sure you'll love the stories he shares here.  I recorded this interview with Bob in 2017 at the Boston Marathon.  It somehow got erased so I'm re-releasing it again now because it's a classic.   #EveryMileMatters  challengedathletes.org charitymiles.org/optishokz

This week I wanted to share with you my recent experience as a volunteer builder with Habitat for Humanity in Atlanta, GA. Aside from having a wonderful time, I took this opportunity to chat with some of the incredible people involved with this amazing organization, starting with the amazing the soon-to-be "homeowner," Krushetta Holt. Krushetta's vision for her home goes beyond simply having a house. Sure, she has an idea of where her bed will be in the master bedroom. But what she really envisions is the future of her family, houseguests coming by for visits, and grandkids playing in the yard. I got goosebumps listening to her speak about her home, and I'm sure you will, too. Following my chat with Krushetta you'll hear from some of the people who, without their passions and incredibly hard work for Habitat, these builds would not be possible: Gwen Cook (Skilled Supervisor), Mary Lynn Staley (Habitat Vice Chair of the Board), and Allison Green (Director of Cause Marketing & Workplace Giving). Thank you f

Des Linden is the first American woman in 33 years to win the Boston Marathon. She’s also an awesome example of what can happen when you do things in service of others. We recorded this episode in Boston, MA., 24 days and 16hrs before the 2019 Boston Marathon. You’ll hear the hustle and bustle of Boylston Street as we make our way down that famous home stretch of the race. Des’ fascinating story goes back to 2011 where she came in second place (by only two seconds!) in a race she thought was hers. In this episode she takes us through feeling crushed in 2011, to taking fourth place in 2017, and finally her poetic win last year during a torrential downpour and horrible headwinds. Listen in as she talks lessons learned, why she keeps showing up, and how you never really know how deep your well is. A big thank you to Des for taking some time to walk with me and wishing her the best of luck at this year’s race. We’re all rooting for you, Des! #EveryMileMatters!

Today's interview is with Charlie Engle at the Spartan World Championships in Lake Tahoe, California. Charlie is one of the greatest endurance athletes of all time, perhaps best known for when he ran across the Sahara Desert. There's a great documentary on it on iTunes if you want to check it out. But he's also faced and overcome a lot of obstacles in his life, including alcoholism, drug addiction and, even after he beat that, some time in jail. These are REAL life obstacles. Not the types of obstacles we voluntarily seek out when we sign up for a Spartan race. And to hear how Charlie faced and overcame these obstacles can provide us all with insight for how we can face the obstacles in our own life... You'll also hear a sneak peak into Charlie's next adventure. I won't tell you what it is, but it's amazing. And he shows us how we can all go from the lowest point to the highest point in our lives. Big thanks to Charlie for sharing his story and insight with all of us!

Bubba Wallace definitely goes the Extra Mile... in about 18 seconds. He's one of the top NASCAR drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series, making his living at 200 mph! Bubba gets a lot of attention for being the only African American NASCAR Driver. But he'd rather be defined by his racing than his race. Last year, Bubba kicked off his rookie season by finishing in 2nd place at the Daytona 500-- one of the premier sporting events in the world. This weekend, Bubba is headed back to Daytona to see if he can finish just one spot better. Bubba drives the famous #43 car-- the King's car-- for Richard Petty who has 200 NASCAR wins, an untouchable NASCAR record.  Our partners at Aftershokz are sponsoring Bubba and #43 for the Daytona 500 this weekend. So, I had the great opportunity to meet Bubba before the qualifying rounds to record this interview. We recorded the interview at the Daytona International Speedway, walking through the garages and pit, out onto Pit Road and around the track. You'll hear the engines rev, the me

Terence Gerchberg is the Executive Director of the New York City Chapter of Back on My Feet, an incredible organization that combats homelessness and addiction through the power of running, community support and essential employment and housing resources. Plus, he's an amazing all-around person. I recorded this podcast with Terence on the Thursday before he was about to run his 16th consecutive New York City Marathon. Terence started running as part of his own recovery from a gambling addiction he developed while working on Wall Street. Over the years I've gotten to know Terence, I've always admired how warm and genuine he is.  I'm sure you'll all be able to hear that in this podcast. Big thanks to Terence for taking the time to share his story with all of us. #EveryMileMatters

Shadrack Biwott is not just one of the most elite marathoners in the world; he is also an incredible person. Shadrack was born and raised in Kenya. He ran barefoot for most of his life, until he received his first pair of running shoes as a gift from his older brothers. Since then, Shadrack immigrated to the US where he was one of the top collegiate runners at the University of Oregon.  He now races for Team USA and the esteemed Hansons-Brooks team, as one of the top marathoners in the world. He placed fifth in the NYC Marathon, fourth in the Boston Marathon and then third in the Boston Marathon. I asked Shadrack what he thinks about when he's in the final miles of a marathon-- when it really hurts and anything can happen. He said he thinks to "Run Happy" and to remember that he's running for something bigger than himself. In this spirit, Shadrack has also become a strong supporter of the Brooks Booster Club which has given out over $1 million in free gear to underfunded high school track and cross-country te

Meet Bill Bucklew, a longtime friend, Charity Miler extraordinaire and Team Fox All Star. Bill was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease in 2012.  But he has become another datapoint in my theory that Parkinson's Disease is a disease that makes you walk and run really, really far. Last November, the day after Thanksgiving, Bill stood in Tybee, Georgia with his hands in the Atlantic Ocean.  Just 67 days later, he stood in San Diego, California, with his hands in the Pacific Ocean. How did he get from Tybee to San Diego?  Naturally, he walked. When Bill first told me about what he was going to do, I have to admit, I wasn't quite sure he could pull it off.  I didn't doubt that he could cover the distance.  But it was how fast he wanted to do it. (He said he had to do it that fast because he couldn't take so much time off work- lol!) But indeed, he did it.  2,503 miles in 67 days.  If certified by Guiness, this will be the World Record for the fastest walk across the US. Shortly after he finished his walk, Bill wa

Subscribe on iTunes / Subscribe on Stitcher / Subscribe on Google Play   Meet Kelly Roberts, run influencer, blogger and founder of She Can And She Did, a platform dedicated to redefining what strength looks and feels like. Kelly rocks. And she's one of the most important voices in the running community. I first met her a few years ago, when we collaborated on a campaign for HOKA.  Back then, she had established herself as an influencer with her blog and podcast: Run, Selfie, Repeat, where she gave short weekly pep talks to all the runners who were taking their first step, setting scary goals, and enjoying the struggle. However, through that journey, Kelly learned a lot about herself, the running community, female empowerment and more.  Which is why she has grown her blog and podcast into a far more substantial platform. I really enjoyed this run with Kelly.  We ran from Manhattan, over the Brooklyn Bridge and into Brooklyn where she gave me a tour of her stomping grounds. I'm extra excited to release it too

Last week, I had the honor of attending the Spartan World Championships in Squaw Valley, California. I was invited out by Spartan founder, Joe De Sena to participate in their Spartan PodFest, where I interviewed a bunch of really cool people for our podcast. The highlight of my weekend was getting to interview Spartan founder, Joe De Sena together with master storyteller, Cal Fussman who, as a writer for Esquire Magazine, has interviewed and written feature stories on people like Nelson Mandela, Mikhail Gorbachev, Bruce Springsteen, Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson, Muhammad Ali and even Donald Trump. Cal is also a sought after and captivating public speaker. One story he is most known for ties together his interviews of Gorbachev and Muhammad Ali with the power of ice cream. It’s a powerful story. But it’s a point of contention for Joe, as you’ll get to hear in this interview when he and Cal get into an interesting debate. The conversation between them took on a life of its own, so I just kinda held my mic betwee

Subscribe on iTunes / Subscribe on Stitcher / Subscribe on Google Play Meet Brogan Graham, co-founder of the November Project, a free fitness movement that was born in Boston as a way to stay in shape during cold New England months.  It has since spread to 49 chapters, and thousands of people all over the world. Brogan is also a new father. (Like me.)  So, instead of focusing on the standard questions that Brogan usually gets on podcasts, I thought I'd ask him about the new adventures of being a dad, how that has changed his perspective, and what's next for him and the November Project. There are a few things that make this podcast unique… 1.  I met Brogan at 5AM at the base of Cowles Mountain outside of San Diego.  Cowles, as you can see below, climbs 1,591 feet, in about 1.5-2 miles.  To put some perspective on that, my favorite trail-run in upstate NY climbs about 1,000 feet in 4 miles.  So, this was steep! And we went up and down 4 times. (Not just Cowles, there were one or two other peaks in there.)  So

In this episode, I march with Noah Barnes, and his father Robert.  Noah is 11 years old.  He has Type 1 Diabetes.  And he is marching diagonally across the United States from the southern tip of Key West, Florida to the most northwest tip of Washington State.  No joke! This episode is in two parts: the first part was recorded in April when I marched with Noah outside of Nashville, Tennessee; the second part is from this week when I marched with him again as they approached Denver, Colorado. Noah has marched over 2,400 miles so far.  And he's got about another 1,500 to go.  You can follow Noah's progress live at NoahsMarch.com.  And if you're as inspired by him as I am, please drop him a note on his Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. I feel so tremendously honored to have marched a few miles with Noah and his family.  I hope that you'll all march some miles with them too.  #EveryMileMatters Subscribe on iTunes / Subscribe on Stitcher / Subscribe on Google Play The post March (Don’t Walk) with Noah Barnes an Elev

In this episode, I walk with Sarah Robb O'Hagan in the busy rush hour of New York City.  Sarah has been the President of both Gatorade and Equinox, and she is now the CEO of Flywheel Sports.  She is also the author of a book, Extreme You, which is all about finding your passion and going really deep on it.  Big thanks to Sarah for taking the time to walk with us.  #EveryMileMatters! Subscribe on iTunes / Subscribe on Stitcher / Subscribe on Google Play   The post Be Extreme with Sarah Robb O’Hagan, Author & CEO of Flywheel Sports appeared first on Charity Miles.