February 27, 2024 • 44 mins
Amy and T.J. once again invite you in to this journey they are on together.
They open up and share their private thoughts on their lives, their relationship, and their most recent experiences.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome everyone to Amy and TJ. And yes, I'm starting
the podcast today. I'm probably not going to do a
great job of it because now I've built it up
where I'm not a good starter, but I'm going to
go for it anyway. All I have to say is
I'm very excited it's the last week of February. Maybe
that's not a good way to look at it, but
it's the shortest month of the year. But does it
(00:24):
always feel like the longest month of the year?
Speaker 2 (00:26):
To you?
Speaker 3 (00:27):
Great job starting, by the way, I felt we should
say that should thanks?
Speaker 1 (00:31):
I need affirmation and validation.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
I'm Amy, I hate February over to you, TJ.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
I mean I'm trying to sell hope and you know, positivity.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
Yeah yeah, with that picked me up. What was the
question again, you say I hate February?
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Two was well kind of, But what I was basically
saying was, does the shortest day of the month feel
like the longest the shortest month of the year, sorry,
feel like the longest month of the year.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
Uh No, because Black History Month never feels like a
long month to me. It always just flies bah, which
I guess was by design, wasn't it?
Speaker 1 (01:07):
Twenty eight days.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
Hey, we get twenty nine this year.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
Yeah, sleepier. Yeah, there's an extra person to celebrate in
Black History Month? And is that what they do?
Speaker 3 (01:17):
We get an extra day, leapier black people are leaving
with joy? Oh no, please, just another This has been
a weird month for a whole bunch of reasons. Right,
but in New York especially, it gets cold and everything
gets kind of miserable, and you just it's not just cold,
it's that cold it makes you not want to step
a foot outside.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
Right, sucks and the sun doesn't shine that much. But anyway,
onto something positive. This is something that we just were
talking about with Emma and Andrew here with us because
we all got excited about this. I feel like a
schoolgirl when I know that we get to have more
daylight this weekend we switch over. There's cloppying and smiles. Yay,
(02:00):
you don't get as excited about it, TJ.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
When does it happen again this weekend? Saturday weekend?
Speaker 1 (02:05):
Yeah? Yeah, you go to sleep on Saturday and you
spring forward, so you lose an hour of sleep, which
I'm fully willing to give back to get that extra
hour sun.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
Okay, so this week you're telling me I get an
extra day for Black History and more sunlight. Yes, this
is a money week, is it not?
Speaker 1 (02:27):
I just made February better, right, No, I'm kidding. So
a couple of updates. We I was. Yeah, last last
week we were proudly saying that we were on our
run streak. Hell us, the dbay inspired us to run
every day at least two miles. Wellout, a'll want. Last
week just got busy and then once we missed one day,
(02:51):
I was like, let's just stick to the hall Higden
regular scheduled run. We have like a running a training
program and you actually we print it out, we put
it up on the kitchen and we have run days
and he suggests or at least the plan suggests four
running days a week. So we did do the four
running day and that is what I had done before.
Do you feel any different not running every day?
Speaker 3 (03:13):
No, we were just so busy celebrating Black History that
we we missed a day of running. Oh yeah, I'm
a andy. This is a theme now. This is all
I'm about is a Black history. The extra day now
is all you're getting from me? So yes, I'm excited
about it all. What were we talking about?
Speaker 1 (03:34):
We were talking about missing we are. We we ended
our running Strike Street.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
That was a that was that was legit. There was
some you know, life got in the way. I'm sure
we could have run it eleven night or something like that.
So that was a way too. But it was a
weird day and you know, life was coming at us
for a whole host of reasons, and we used today
but we didn't. And as well, I would suggest nobody should.
(04:00):
Don't beat yourself up about it. If your dry January,
if you're a vegetarian and you had piece of meat,
what we got to give yourself a break, and it's okay,
And we gave ourselves a break, It's okay.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
Yeah. And so yeah, this week we've got I think
we So the New York City Half Marathon, which we're
also excited about, is March seventeenth, I believe. So what
about three weeks from now. So this week we have
a five miler, a three mile er, a five mile,
and then we have our nine mile run this weekend.
You ready for it?
Speaker 3 (04:28):
Well, I hope I can recover in time from all
the celebrating I'm doing for the extra day of Black
History months.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
Oh my goodness. Also celebrating that my youngest Annaly's made
it back safe and sound in one piece from Berlin.
So that was nice to welcome her back.
Speaker 3 (04:44):
She was not celebrating Black History Month well in Germany.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
In Germany, no, she was not. She was not, But
I think she was doing a lot of celebrating because
she came back very tired, but in one piece, and
that's all I ask at this point, and her passport
was in to.
Speaker 3 (04:59):
And she came back. I mean, thank goodness she's back
in time. Since we have an extra day to celebrate Black.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
History mark, what will she do with all of that
celebration ahead of her for the next few days nowhere?
Speaker 3 (05:11):
I'll get her out somewhere, all right.
Speaker 1 (05:12):
That's that's amazing. Also, you know I mentioned March March seventeenth.
Isn't that the day that March Madness starts? Uh no, oh, oh,
March nineteenth.
Speaker 3 (05:26):
There we go. So it's the same it's the same week, okay,
playing games essentially, yes, but yes, that week is a
big one.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
So I last year was my first March with you,
and we were in hiding seclusion at least, so I
got to really fully experience March Madness with you last year,
but this year, am I wrong? Like basketball is already
taking over our lives?
Speaker 3 (05:49):
Well, it happens when as soon as the college football
and the NFL season are over, the focus absolutely does
shift and now everybody's every game matters. Everybody's still trying
to get into the tournament. So yes, right now it
is intense, and they have all the airwork, so I
don't have to see time on Sunday or Saturday to
college football or NFL football. So it's a lot of
(06:10):
college basketball.
Speaker 1 (06:11):
So that's what was happening yesterday. I was on the
couch watching TJ watching basketball all day.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
Why are you gonna watch me? Watch it? Why don't
you watch it? Watch your TV?
Speaker 1 (06:22):
I mean I glanced, but I did get a little board,
and so I thought it'd be fun to put a
little experiment out. Actually, I got the idea from my
from my cousin Nick, to see, hey, what what what
do our listeners want to hear from us or what
questions might they have for us? So I kind of
put it out on Instagram just to see what I
would get, and it was it was. It was fun
(06:43):
and there was a lot of themes to it because
everyone wanted to know about running. It seemed like that
was like the number one thing people wanted to ask about.
But I was going to give credit to the first
person who responded on a DM to me and I
loved I love her handle her Instagram handle lima bean casserole,
because castle roles have been a theme with us too,
(07:03):
So I just think it was funny that the first person.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
Has been a theme for you. This is not a
thing for us.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
Okay, fine, it's my midwestern white eyes.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
I get it.
Speaker 3 (07:11):
But lima bean castle.
Speaker 1 (07:12):
Role, so it made me laugh. Lima bean cast role
wants to know our health, wellness and diet information.
Speaker 3 (07:22):
Well, a lot of lima beans.
Speaker 1 (07:24):
Have you ever had a lima bean?
Speaker 3 (07:26):
Yeah, that's why I know. I hate lima bean. It's
the only way I can know. And I've also had
a casserole. So she combined well she lima beans, squash,
liver casserole. Let's throw all with guacamole.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
Sour cream and guacamole on top.
Speaker 3 (07:39):
Throw all the things I hate into one.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
So in terms of TJ's diet, he's a texture person.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
Yeah, I don't. I don't have a thing with like
pudding and whipped cream.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
And yogurt and any of it.
Speaker 3 (07:51):
Guacamole and alvocotte. Hate avocado. I hate it. So yes,
I'm a texture.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
So he doesn't like anything creamy or whipped like whipped cream.
He freaks out. The funny thing is he yucks my
m He's like, ew, that's what you say when I
put those things on my meal?
Speaker 3 (08:08):
Makes me squirrel it, It makes me squirre. What's the
show Wipeout? We've been watching people watch wipe but we've
get caught up on all the old episodes. But they
started using foam and throwing like slime at people as
they go through the courses. And I have a more
difficult time watching the show because it sicks me out.
He will see that.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
You will fast forward or say I can't watch it
anymore if there's slime. You just have a real issue
with textures.
Speaker 3 (08:32):
I don't know what do you want for me?
Speaker 1 (08:33):
So wait, what do you eat? Because Lima, being castrole,
wants to.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
Know what sorts of training and whatnot, well.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
Just health, wellness and diet. Like a lot of people
asked us what we eat? How you know how how
we use food to incorporate just our running and all
of our fitness.
Speaker 3 (08:46):
I have always been a very good eater since college.
So I am pretty much just fish and veggies. That's it.
Pretty much. Don't have meat in my diet. I will
eat meat, like I said, I don't beat myself up
about it, but as far as my diet goes, my
meal is a Caesar salad with grilled chicken on a
(09:07):
grilled salmon on top, or maybe shrimp on top, or
it's a a Niewas salad with the tuna on it.
And that's it. That's I mean, you're around me all
the time, that's all I eat.
Speaker 1 (09:21):
You're annoyingly healthy with your with your food because I
don't make the same good choices that you do.
Speaker 3 (09:27):
You know a baddie. I mean you throw some fried
chicken on top of a salad type of I mean
that sounds crazy, but you have it. I don't think
you're a terrible eating with us. We just don't incorporate
a lot of sugar, a lot of bread. And there's
no pasta like, no pasta, no. And I don't like
a potato of any kind on eat French fries. I
just it's not my work. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:45):
I know everyone's looking at you like wow, who is
this person.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
But the thing is it is not a matter of
being disciplined, is a matter of having habits. And I
was in college and I played ball for a couple
of years in the program at the University of Arkansas,
and they had us on a particular diet. We're the
only carbs I got in life. They handed to me
from a refrigerator full of this liquid and say, here,
that was my car So I got into a habit
(10:09):
of eating a certain way. So I don't even cross
my mind to want a French fry or a baked
potato or let's go get pasta tonight. It just it's
it's a routine into habit now. So more so for me,
it's just of just how I am.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
Wow, Yeah, it's amazing to witness. I mean, he really doesn't.
I mean I am the opposite. I mean I don't
do the sugar thing. I was keto for about I
mean really strictly keto for about five years, even longer.
And I've let some carbs back in my life just
because of all of the training with running. It's hard
not to have some carbs. But we don't do bread,
we don't French fries are my Achilles heel. And yes,
(10:46):
chicken nuggets that I like to put into the air fryer,
so I feel like they're slightly healthier if I cook
them that way, and then I put them on spinach
and you know, healthy things, and so that's how I justify.
But yes, and I don't think we eat a lot.
I think that's another thing, like we don't eat a
lot and we don't have.
Speaker 3 (11:04):
A lot of meals. I don't know how. I think
it was more the work routine I got into with
are you getting up that earth? I just missed. I
mean we were so busy at times. Sometimes it could
be two in the afternoon and you go, wait a minute,
did I eat it? You honestly don't even feel hungry.
And I think intermittent fasting. I can't explain a lot
of the health benefits, but I kind of fell into
doing it, and I think it may be beneficial.
Speaker 1 (11:26):
Yeah, I haven't eaten anything today yet, have you?
Speaker 3 (11:28):
I have not?
Speaker 1 (11:29):
Yeah, So I mean that's that's usually how I roll
as well. All right, So thank you Lima being cast role.
That was fun. Christa wants to know if we are
still drinking beer after our morning runs now that it's
not dry January.
Speaker 3 (11:40):
I don't think you have a single time. And I
did once and I hated it. Yep, and here we
are where a month is almost out and it's just again.
You get into a routine, you get into different habits.
And I even forced myself. I didn't really want one,
I just let me try it out. I indeed I
haven't had another one.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
I just didn't taste did you, I saw you do.
Speaker 3 (11:59):
It just didn't taste good. Yeah, there you go with.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
The habits, right, we created a really good habit. So no, Krista,
we are not drinking beer after our morning runs anymore.
Pat wants to know how many times a week we
were running. I think we covered that. It's gotten less. Yes,
it was fun though I did enjoy doing it for
one month. I think I'm going to do that next
January as well.
Speaker 3 (12:19):
I think we're going to pick it right back up.
I think. Ye last week, which is a weird week
for a bunch of reasons, the kids are out of school,
one is traveling, and yeah, being was all over the place,
and yeah, I think, well I will get right back
on the streak. I would bet.
Speaker 1 (12:31):
I loved how I felt just doing the two much.
It felt like at least if everything else went to
hell that day, at least you accomplished something that was good.
That's how I looked at it, all right. Kristin wants
to know what's on our vision board for the year.
I don't know. Do you know, Emma? Do you know? Andrew?
Speaker 2 (12:48):
It's essentially visuals that you can plan ahead of a year,
ahead of a month, and they just kind of help
you focus on what you're trying to achieve.
Speaker 1 (12:59):
So do you actually cut out pictures and put them
up on a board or you.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
Can make it digital, or you can use words of inspiration,
but it kind of like zones your mind and on
what you're focusing.
Speaker 3 (13:09):
Have you done this? Do you have one?
Speaker 2 (13:10):
I use Pinterest as like a vision board like fashion.
Speaker 3 (13:14):
I don't know what's an example, what would you put
on a bit like I wouldn't even know for me.
What would you could.
Speaker 2 (13:19):
Put like running goals like a marathon destination?
Speaker 1 (13:23):
Okay, oh that's cool, all right. It's just another way
of saying, what are your goals for the year? Basically,
but you visualize it and maybe manifest it that way.
All right? So yeah, I mean, definitely a marathon is
online for sure, probably New York. We were talking. We're
throwing around Chicago yesterday as a possibility, and one of
these days I do want to do London, but I've
(13:44):
missed the book for this year because it's in April.
That's on my vision board, and I just think just better,
I just I want to. I just always trying to
be a better eater, a better person, a better mom,
like all those things. But I think the only one
I could put up there would be a marathon, for sure.
How about you?
Speaker 3 (14:05):
I yes, after just yesterday spending time with your cousins,
I think Chicago might go up on the board today
for me to pull off running those two marathons at
about a month apart, Chicago and New York. So that
might be on my board now. I think I didn't
realize it would have been. But I feel great when
(14:27):
we talked about George January. Just I've gotten into a
longer routine of cutting back on drinking that I probably
ever have in years previous, So that is actually great.
Sabine stays on my vision board. I'm actually trying to
get her into running. I'm leaving here today and picking
her up some new running shoes, some new balance, yeah,
(14:47):
and I got some relationship goals. I guess I would
put up on that board as well. Maybe both the
visual will be I don't know, a little chapel or something.
Speaker 1 (14:58):
Come on your co everybody got like really.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
Quiet call in my call you too.
Speaker 1 (15:06):
You know it's funny. Is Carmen Carmen not a question
for us? She just said she just wants us to
get married.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
Isn't the time of our commercer.
Speaker 1 (15:13):
B Yeah, and welcome back to the podcast. Uh So,
last week I got a text from my mom on Thursday,
I think, and she sent me a link to a
(15:33):
story that made my jaw drop And there was some
connections and that's why she sent it to me. To
the University of Georgia and running two things that I love.
I love my alma mater and I obviously we both
love to run. And this awful story about Laken Hope Riley,
who was murdered while she was running last week on
(15:55):
a a in an area that I know all too well.
At the University of Georgia. She attended UGA through the
spring of twenty twenty three, and then she was going
to nursing school at Augusta University College, which the campus
is there in Athens, but she still was participating in
Uga activities, so she was there on campus. And you know,
it's so hard for me to read the story because
(16:17):
she did everything right. You know, we talk about these
stories when you're a runner, and you're a woman, especially,
you get this pit in your stomach when you hear
about someone suffering any kind of harm when they're just
doing something to improve their life and improve their body,
feel the freedom of your own fitness, and it's just
so just heartrending to hear these types of stories. But
(16:38):
she did everything right. It was in the morning. She
was on a trail that was next to the intramural
fields there at Uga where lots of games and activities
are going on now. She was on a wooded path,
and you know those are always a little scary. I
think sometimes when I've done it, I think maybe this
is done. But you never think it's going to happen
to you. She told her friends where she was going.
(17:00):
She always wore her Apple Watch, where I had her
location on her phone. She had her friends who could
see her location. And then when she didn't come back
when she normally would have her friend immediately called police.
So you just look at everything that happened and you
just feel sick because she did everything right and still
the unthinkable happened. And you know, it's just a story
(17:23):
that shook me because it's always a reminder as a runner,
and as a female runner, what's out there potentially. But
then this story, as I was following along, just took
a turn. And these are the stories that are tough
because you've got a victim, you've got the victim's family,
(17:43):
you've got real pain and real tragedy. And then some
stories get politicized, and this is one of them. I
know you've been reading up on it as well, TJ.
Speaker 3 (17:52):
I mean, the look the politics of it are not
going to touch that, but it's there. There have been
a lot of names, is that some people even remember,
because maybe Molly Tippets might be the first one that
comes to mind out of Iowa. She was twenty eighteen, maybe,
But they are not that frequent, but when they happen,
(18:13):
they get a lot of attention, and they are always reminders,
and people argue that we're having the wrong conversation and
we're directing it to the wrong group of folks. Like
we're directing it to women what they're doing right and
what they're doing wrong. If you want to go outside
whenever you want to run, at any time a day
or night, you should be able to be safe in
doing it. And there's not enough talk and the direction
(18:36):
of the penalties for what a lot of times stalking
these women, preying on these women, but oftentimes there are
just crimes of opportunity. So ha, you do everything right
and everything still goes wrong. It is a tall It's
always should be a reminder. But that's a tough one.
In the debate over this conversation, we've continued.
Speaker 1 (18:59):
To yeh yeah, and the one of the conversations has
been yes, to put the onus on the woman is unfair.
But the reality is when you when you are a
woman and you are a runner, you do, but people
like you shouldn't dress a certain way, you should never
be alone, you shouldn't wear you know, headphones or air
pods or air buds, all of those things you know
can can increase your chances of staying safe. But this
(19:21):
is one of those things that really really shook me
and I I know, and I just wanted to to
say something to her family, just just how awful it
is and how much our hearts are with her and
everyone in that campus, because everyone described her as just
you know this she was going to be a nurse.
I mean, we know nurses are some of the greatest
people on the planet. They are you know, people who
(19:45):
are there to take care of each other and to
take care of one another, and so just for this
to happ into her is just really really really outrageous.
But for me, and I know you didn't want to
touch the politics, but I think what bothered me now
is you've got this real tragedy. And by the way, police,
you know, caught the man right away. There were cameras
to the University of George's credit, there are security cameras
all around campus, and so they were able to identify
(20:08):
and actually you know, see the person who committed this
crime and were able to arrest him almost immediately, very quickly.
The problem is the man who was arrested is an
undocumented migrant, and so now in a presidential year where
everyone's pointing the fingers and trying to get you know,
attention for their causes, this has now become a political firestorm.
(20:31):
And so we've seen these types of things happen where
you have a you know, a personal tragedy and it
becomes this political lightning rod. And so it's just been
tough to watch all the back and forth and the
finger pointing, and then there's the concern of backlash in
the Latino community. So I was just reading up on
this and just just wanted to express my frustration at
(20:53):
just how certain stories are politicized. And we see it
happen all the time, but in newsrooms there's always been
a question as to how to cover it, when to
cover it, and who to cover, Who's who's speaking the loudest,
and who has a good point to make. But it's
just been it's been a tough situation to read and
to hear. And the funeral is this week. I know
(21:15):
that there is a visual today too at the University
of Georgia campus. But just a reminder to everyone out
there about just checking in with friends and making sure
that you do everything you can to protect yourself when
you when you go out on a run. I do
think unfortunately the onus is on women. You know, I
have been out with you and I've wanted to you know,
(21:36):
we've gone on a run and I'm like, I can't run,
it's it's dark and I'm alone, and so we just
you know, it's one of those things where you have
to make certain choices as a runner, but it's this
is just a difficult, difficult story for everyone involved.
Speaker 3 (21:48):
So the honest is on, please mind you. There's no
anybody I care about that's going out on a run
on her own that I wouldn't say, make sure you're
not covering your ears, make sure you dress. Yes, I would,
I absolutely, And I think we all should take responsibility
for make sure we do all we can to protect ourselves.
(22:09):
I think the debate it's Adidas who's done some great
work on this. That survey they put out that ninety
two percent of women in their survey, ninety two percent
said that they actually do feel unsafe or have taken
measures to protect themselves. A forty percent said they actually
have been either verbally or physically harassed out in the run.
(22:31):
But the thing that got me was sixty two percent
of men acknowledged that, yes, this is a problem for women,
but then only eighteen percent of the men felt like
the onus was on the men to help in the costs.
They put it solely on the women to protect themselves.
And that was a striking number to hear how much
(22:52):
men feel we are removed from responsibility in helping and
making sure that women are safe out there when they're
running alone. But look up Ridiculous Run if you can.
Did you see that video from Adidas. It's called Ridiculous
Run and it's short, but it shows women running at
night and they're running, but there's two cars with their
(23:15):
headlights on behind them. There's a motorcycle on each side.
There's somebody riding the horse. They're showing that this is
how ridiculous it is for a woman to feel safe
while she's running. Wow, and it is ridiculous. But it's
just to your point. To that young lady on campus. Again,
it doesn't happen a lot, but Sydney Sutherland and Arkansas,
(23:36):
same thing happened to her. Eliza Fletcher, the teacher out
of Memphis in twenty twenty two. A lot of people
will remember this happens, but it's just the crimes of opportunity.
So I wouldn't let you. I mean, I do it stupidly,
and I've been criticized over the oh I say criticized,
but I could run it too in the morning.
Speaker 1 (23:53):
Three you do I run with you at three o'clock
when we're only with you at three o'clock in the morning.
Speaker 3 (23:57):
That's dumb as a guy. You shouldn't. I mean, I
got doesn't do like Holy hell. But you also know
something I always do. I run with one AirPod in.
I want to always be aware of what's around me
day or night, who I'm with. I always do that
tell I do on the subway here in New York.
And I think that what are the things they tell
women to do? That something? The hair? Are you supposed
(24:17):
to keep it up right?
Speaker 1 (24:19):
So you can't be if you have a ponytail, then
someone can pull and grab and that has happened before.
So yes, you're supposed to either have a hat on
and have your hair tucked in so they okay.
Speaker 3 (24:29):
But the clothing is supposed to be tight and not loose. Yep, right, yep,
same thing for exactly.
Speaker 1 (24:35):
It's crazy when you're getting dressed as a woman that
you have to think about those things. But the more
and more stories and unfortunately you know you say they
are rare, and they are, of course, but when they
do happen, it's it's so unnerving because these women aren't
doing anything wrong. I mean, I think that's the thing
that just I've never when I'm running, no matter what's
going on in my life, like I'll get emotional about it.
(24:57):
I feel free, I feel powerful. Even when I'm having
a bad run, I still feel my own strength, and
it's just for there's an emotional and physical connection to running,
and as a woman to be able sometimes to go
out and do it on your own feels so empowering.
Speaker 2 (25:12):
You know.
Speaker 1 (25:13):
I don't run alone that much because these types of
stories do scare me into not wanting to do that.
Picking the time of day I run, picking where I run.
Here in New York City, there's so many people around.
I don't really ever feel nervous. I would on the
West Side Highway, you know, before it turns light outside,
I would be nervous. And I have run there with
(25:33):
you and then with some girlfriends. But even with my
two girlfriends, I went running like at six am one
morning before maybe even five point thirty, and it was
I felt I felt nervous even with two girlfriends next
to me. So it is something that we always have
to think about. I'm curious because you said that you
I mean, I know you only run with one AirPod
(25:54):
because you want to be aware, which is so smart.
And I have done that a couple of times too.
But when I'm with you, I do feel safe, so
I don't feel as the onus is on me to
not do that. But have you ever felt unsafe when
you're running, you know what? Not?
Speaker 3 (26:07):
I think in other cities. I used to travel around
a lot for work and have to get up in
the morning and running at four or five, and there's
some places you don't want to get stuck in certain cities,
and I've done that, and I've felt unsafe and even
stupid for running. Here in the ark, I think, I
know you know the route so well, and I don't
do it as much anymore, but just know the routes
(26:29):
and so familiar that I don't usually feel unsafe, and
I can understand. I can be out sometimes and there's
just there might be a lone woman that I'm running
up behind, or she's coming towards me. I will go
out of my way to adjust myself in a certain
way to make sure she feels comfortable. I never run up,
(26:52):
but we might be running in the right lane I
will distance myself and I'm about to pass her to
make sure I don't sneak up on her or scare
her or who knows where that comes from, and why
if that's considered, if that's necessary. But I think about
that all the time when I am out there running
and there's no way. You told me you were getting
up at five am, and I'm going to go take
a run somewhere on the west anywhere in New York.
(27:13):
But I would say, okay, I see in a little bit,
no way.
Speaker 1 (27:16):
It's interesting because and I appreciate that my mom, and
I think she feels good now that I have you
as a running buddy, because I've been running since I
was in my twenties. But I did I did stupid
things when I was younger. And I say stupid just
that you put yourself in a category where something could happen.
Where I did run on wooded paths by myself. I
did it upstate. I did it in Washington, d C.
(27:37):
Along the Potomac, and I loved that feeling of being
in the woods and being alone and running. But then
you know, you start to hear these stories and it's
just it's it's too much of a gamble, too much
of a risk to put yourself in. But I will
say it's one. It was one of my favorite things
to do was to run in the woods like that.
But you know, you hear that, and it's you know,
we love our horror movies, and so you just start
to think, you know what, you know, the chances are slim,
(27:58):
but I'm definitely in increasing my chances of something happening
if I do this. So you just change your route
and change your path. But it's funny when you mentioned
traveling for work, I'd be alone, you know, and in
smaller cities. I remember the most afraid I ever was
was in Nebraska when I was I was running and
there was no one in sight, and all of a sudden,
(28:19):
someone's coming towards me. I'm on these train tracks and
you just think, what am I doing? This isn't worth it.
So it's just it's another reminder that unfortunately, as women,
we have to we have to put ourselves in a
different category in terms of preparation. I'm curious you always
run behind me. Is that strategic on your part?
Speaker 3 (28:37):
That's a mind game I'm playing, it really is. It's
because if you're running behind me. I will end up
running at my pace, and which is a pace that
might be a little.
Speaker 1 (28:50):
Quick for I will never see you again. You'll become
a distant dot.
Speaker 3 (28:54):
Yeah, because just like and I get it. Because when
I run, when I'm behind you, you running for five miles.
I could have collapsed five miles ago. You wouldn't know
it because you don't ever look back.
Speaker 1 (29:06):
I do look back. I do. I do. Sometimes you
don't look back.
Speaker 3 (29:10):
It's okay. And when I get that, when I have
at times led us in the runs, I don't look back.
Speaker 1 (29:17):
There have been times and we've gotten lost and separated
because you've gone ahead and I can't catch up.
Speaker 3 (29:22):
Yes, so that is the strategy. That's not a safety strategy.
That's why.
Speaker 1 (29:26):
The funny thing is everyone always because I ran first,
or I was the I was the long distance runner
before TJ, so everyone assumes that I'm the faster one
or that I'm the stronger one. That is hilarious. You.
I would love to see what your pr would be
if you didn't choose to stay back with me.
Speaker 3 (29:47):
We may never know, because I still I appreciate I would.
I would rather have a part in running than a
pr in running, So that's not that's a non issue,
and that's that's not gonna happen.
Speaker 1 (29:56):
That's very sweet.
Speaker 3 (29:57):
Oh but seriously, I could have done that plenty of time.
Could have I could have kept going in this last
New York City marathon while you were up chucking on
the side of the road.
Speaker 1 (30:05):
Well we can we can talk a little bit about
that after the break. How about that, right, It's a
good tease and welcome back everyone, And I wanted to
stay on the running thing because I just want to
(30:26):
just talk about what an amazing part of life it
can be. And no one should be deterred from any
headlines that are out there about violence against women running
and it's it's a reality, and it's it's a possibility,
but it shouldn't deter you from from what you love.
And this has been such an integral part of my
life and such a big part of who I am
(30:48):
and and honestly, like even my friends, like my friend
group has been has evolved because of running, and that's
a cool thing to be able to have a shared
experience like that. I know you and I definitely grew
closer closer because of running.
Speaker 3 (31:01):
M oh, there's no question about that, But yeah, you
were what's the right word pestering, annoyance.
Speaker 1 (31:11):
Pressure, I put a lot of pressure on it.
Speaker 3 (31:13):
That was a nicer word, That was a nicer way
to put it. But no, no, I was I was run.
You got me into being a runner, not just running
for exercise. I am a runner now because of you
and all those training runs. And look, everybody's going through
something in life. I was going through something in life.
You were going through something, and running got us both
both through a lot of them.
Speaker 1 (31:34):
Yeah. One of the questions that I got from the
aforementioned DM was how did you start running? And why
do you keep running? How did you? I don't even
know the answer to this. How did you or when
did you start running?
Speaker 3 (31:47):
Uh? It was just a matter of you, I mean,
being around you and seeing you every day. Like you
don't have to necessarily always say that. You don't have
to come up with the right words to motivate somebody.
Just lead by example and they will end up motivating themselves.
(32:08):
And I was around you enough to see what you
were doing and got curious about it, got curious about
how I could push myself. And then once you start,
you know, you go out for the first time today anybody,
and all right, I'm gonna run a mile. You time
yourself running a mile, and then time yourself again tomorrow,
(32:30):
and then do it the next day, and then do
it the next day. And what you're gonna find yourself
doing is man, I can do better, I can do faster.
And then what you're gonna find yourself doing next is man,
I could do two today, and then the next thing is, oh,
you know, I'm gonna go for three. And the next
thing you say, well, you know where there's a five
k happening locally, I'll enter. And that's how it got
going for me. It was just keeping up with it
(32:51):
and timing and challenging, and that's how I fell into it.
Speaker 1 (32:54):
But your first official race was a half marathon.
Speaker 3 (32:57):
Correct, Uh yeah, oh yeah.
Speaker 1 (33:00):
Yeah, that's pretty impressive.
Speaker 3 (33:01):
Yeah, right, new York City half of the Brook, the.
Speaker 1 (33:04):
New York City half. And then you know, people people
always ask me because I think I got into running
because my dad was a runner and I always saw
him running, and I thought it's free. I didn't have
a lot of money, I couldn't join a gym, and
so I thought, well, I'm gonna do what he does.
But what I think the biggest intimidation is getting started
(33:24):
and that first mile, like if you haven't like running
is not like riding a bicycle. Once you've done it,
you can just keep doing it. If you stop or
you don't stay in a pattern or a habit of it,
it sucks when you start back up again because your
body does not have muscle memory. It's like, what is
this crap that you are putting me through right now?
So my big thing was to just start with and
(33:45):
someone told me this and I loved it. To start
with a time, not a mile, so you don't feel like, oh,
I didn't get a mile in or I didn't get
two miles in. But to say I'm going to run
for ten minutes, I'll see how far I get. And
then the next day you just add a minute. And
if you kind of give yourself that grace of just
incrementally increasing the time that you're running, you'll find that
(34:06):
it gets easier. And it does get easier. That's why
I think maybe running every day for us not only
was it great because I felt like I accomplished something,
but you just are always feeling like you've got a
fitness level where you can take it to the next
level if you so choose.
Speaker 3 (34:19):
And you maybe think of something now. The timing is
how I before I started running with you, I would do.
There's a particular light post on the corner at the
end of Broadway, just past the Wall Street Bull downtown.
That's what I'm saying, as that's specific. I would start
at that, I literally touch that light post, take off
running and go past this little spot that's right up
(34:41):
behind Brookville Place. Mall touch that and come back.
Speaker 1 (34:45):
You touched it.
Speaker 3 (34:46):
I would always physically boom, come to the next one, boom,
touch and turn around and go. And I was timing
myself and doing that around fourteen minutes, and I kept
doing it and getting the time down, down, down, down down.
So to your point about the advice you got about running,
it didn't have to be about distance. It can be
about time. That's how I first started getting into it.
So if that trick will help anybody else run the
(35:07):
same route of any kind you want to, but time
yourself doing it, and you'll start to challenge yourself about
getting the time.
Speaker 1 (35:13):
Downe that's so cute. I didn't know that story. I
love that. The other thing that I think it's so
overwhelming is just look your body. Everything in your mind
tells you stop. This is awful. But I think the
biggest problem I did, I made, and I think most
people do, is that we run too fast, like you
think you're supposed to be in a race or running
(35:34):
you know, at full speed. If you slow it way down,
it's so much more enjoyable and then you can build
this speed. But if you're if you're uncomfortable, you should
slow down, like I think people think somehow it's it's
not good enough or you're not really running. We pass
people all the time who are you might say, barely running,
(35:55):
but you're in my mind, I'm looking at them and
I'm thinking, good for them. Way to go, oh, way
to get out there and do it anyway, even if
something hurts or you're not you know, speedy Gonzalez, as
long as you're just taking one step in front of
the other. And another thing is it's okay to walk,
Like how many times in races do we see people
walking They still completed the marathon they or the half
(36:17):
marathon or whatever race you're in. So like walk up
the hill, run down the hill, walk for two minutes,
run for one minute, but you're still out there getting
it done. I think a lot of people just feel like, well,
if I can't do it this well or I can't
feel good, then I'm not doing it at all, and
it gets discouraging. So I just want to encourage people.
It doesn't matter how far you go, even how long
(36:37):
you go, if you're walking and running at the same time,
it's about getting out there and improving yourself and then
little by little you'll be surprised at how your body responds.
I mean, I think that's a huge thing. Like I
never thought. I used to always say there's no way
I could ever run a marathon ever. And my dad
had run three, and he started in his fifties, by
(36:58):
the way, so it's never too late to say. I
want to say that much. He started running marathons in
his fifties. My first marathon, I think I was forty five.
So when I first did, I don't know if I've
told the story. My first half marathon, I wouldn't even
fully commit to. I said, I'll run half of the
half marathon, I'll do a relay with my friend, and
(37:19):
so doing that like just giving myself kind of signing
up for it and doing it anyway, and then realizing
I was stronger than I think. Isn't that something that
we're all always looking to do to realize that we're
stronger than we think? And I I just wanted to do it.
Like just seeing so many of the questions you all
sent were about running. It just got me thinking about
just encouraging folks to just get started and just putting
(37:41):
one foot in front of the other, and all these
little tricks that we play. I mean, whether it's I
listened to podcasts, listen to audio books. Music gets old
after a while, but just having a friend to talk to.
We had a talking run the other day.
Speaker 3 (37:52):
Uh one, not of eight hundred runs we've gone on.
Speaker 1 (37:56):
We talked, Yes, how did that run compare?
Speaker 3 (37:59):
I prefer because it makes the time go by. I
realize this with I think we've told this Matt James.
The first time I ever went for a run and
had a conversation, he introduced me, like guys going the
golf course in golf and have a business meeting, you
can do the same thing while you're running. And he
challenged me to well, he can challenge me. He said, hey, yeah,
we can catch up while we're running. Five miles, What
the what? And then I went out there and did it.
(38:21):
And that's when you realize, oh, hell, I am in
better shape than I thought. I am actually in a
good place. And to you, to your point, you were
just making the folks. You're always trying to push and
challenge yourself and see what you are capable of. And
that's the one thing about it I love. And now
you talk about habits. You you get into the habit
of running to the point where going two days without
(38:43):
a run now feels like just blasphemous.
Speaker 1 (38:46):
It feels awful, right, Yeah, I mean I and I
have to say too. We we talked about this, the
treadmill thing. That has been tough.
Speaker 3 (38:53):
But I have gotten to best God.
Speaker 1 (38:57):
Who likes the treadmill? No one likes the treadmill.
Speaker 3 (38:59):
I think people mentally stronger than I am. It's a mine.
It's totally a mind thing. Oh heays, like I can
do the mind. That's not it at all. Obviously, you
feel it'd be easier. You have a TV in front
of you, you have all this, you're inside, the climate
is controlled. You think it'd be an easier get me
off this thing. And that was that I didn't We
didn't break the streak that day, but that was one
day that we were supposed to do an eight miler
(39:20):
and I went downstairs on the treadmill. I got to
four and said, to hell with this, and later on
tried to get on the treadmill again to do the
last four, got to two and said that with this.
Speaker 1 (39:33):
I mean, I think it, but I think it's good
for people to know that even someone who's run two
marathons like yourself, can just say f this after two
miles and quit right. I mean, I've had so many
bad runs. I've had a lot of good runs, but
I have had so many bad runs. I have cried
and I'll just bring this back. So I've been struggling
(39:53):
with nausea while running, which you've unfortunately been witnessed to, and.
Speaker 3 (39:58):
The law right away from it run in front of
you or behind you. I'm getting it some way, but.
Speaker 1 (40:03):
I don't know if anyone else. I've been googling it.
I would appreciate anyone who has any advice for me.
But on the longer runs, I have been getting really,
really nauseated, and to the point where TJ has seen
me have to go off into the bushes. Or find
a tree, and it happened in the New York City marathon.
So lost I think at least maybe almost as much
(40:26):
as ten minutes on our finished time because I was sick.
Speaker 3 (40:30):
I'm going to edit that piece of this podcast out
and use it over and over because there's a part
where there where you said TJ has seen me go
behind the bushes or behind a tree. I just want
to use that audio clip or how I had to
pee in the future for yes, what you were saying,
I get it.
Speaker 1 (40:49):
But here's something I think I've discovered it. I can't
wait to try it out. I'm going to try it
out of the half marathon. I have realized I always
thought that I needed coffee in the morning because I'm
a big coffee drinker before the run to kind of
like jump start my metabolism get my body ready to
go for the run. But I've stopped drinking it before
(41:10):
a run, and so far I want to knock on wood.
I have seen an improvement and that kind of makes sense.
So I think the biggest challenge when you're doing these
long distance ones is figuring out how to fuel, what
to eat, and for me, how not to get sick.
Speaker 3 (41:24):
When I'm which benefits a lot of us.
Speaker 1 (41:27):
Yes, yes, and I do feel bad when my when
I'm yucking. You're young?
Speaker 3 (41:36):
How does that apply here?
Speaker 1 (41:38):
Well, you're enjoying your run and then I yuck it up.
By ah, there we go, by yak.
Speaker 3 (41:42):
Okay, it's fine, yucky young, by yaking.
Speaker 1 (41:46):
Okay, we haven't run today yet.
Speaker 3 (41:48):
Sorry, we'll get in. What if we don't? Not gonna
beat myself up a bout, but I'm gonna. I'm going
to try to, but I don't know if I can.
I'll be busy celebrating Black History Monk, which is wrapping
up here soon.
Speaker 2 (41:59):
And on that.
Speaker 1 (42:00):
Yeah, happy, No, we should just encourage everyone to enjoy
the rest of February, this lovely twenty nine day month
this year around, Yes.
Speaker 3 (42:08):
And love to I hate the handle, not a down note,
but your campus. They're just that whole community down there
in Athens we talk about and I love the thing here.
I'll want to say her full name every time, Lincoln
Hope Riley. I love her name. That got so much attention.
But the day before they're on the university campus, a
young man, Wyatt Banks freshmen died by suicides and was
(42:30):
found there in a dorm on campus. So back to
back days, to have something like that happen. We've been
on campuses that it really shakes the community to have
anything traumatic like that happened. To have it back to
back days, it's just kind of unthinkable. So it's unthinkable.
So your home campus there sort of your hearts go
out to.
Speaker 1 (42:47):
Them, sending love to everyone there in Athens and everyone
who loved both of those incredible students. And I know,
like I said, there's a vigil today for both of them,
honestly to be honored and by the people who loved
them and celebrated they lived. And and you know, the
only way these we've covered these types of tragedies, there's
there's no easy way. There's there's no you know, it's
(43:09):
hard to even say there's a silver lining because it's
it's so tragic. It's it's so awful to have two
young people gone by the age of twenty two. It's
it's really unthinkable for their families and friends. But seeing
everyone come together and honor how they lived and just
remembering to hug one another, to to love one another,
(43:31):
to be grateful for the time we do have here,
it's a game changer in just how you approach how
you live each day and the choices you make and
what you say to people and how you treat people.
So I just I hope that there's some hope out
there about how to live better and how to live differently.
But we just want to, yeah, send our love and
(43:53):
our support to the University of Georgia. Go dogs, and
thanks for listening Themation the patan thecation puts the bats
Welcome everyone to Amy and TJ. And yes, I'm starting
the podcast today. I'm probably not going to do a
great job of it because now I've built it up
where I'm not a good starter, but I'm going to
go for it anyway. All I have to say is
I'm very excited it's the last week of February. Maybe
that's not a good way to look at it, but
it's the shortest month of the year. But does it
(00:24):
always feel like the longest month of the year?
Speaker 2 (00:26):
To you?
Speaker 3 (00:27):
Great job starting, by the way, I felt we should
say that should thanks?
Speaker 1 (00:31):
I need affirmation and validation.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
I'm Amy, I hate February over to you, TJ.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
I mean I'm trying to sell hope and you know, positivity.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
Yeah yeah, with that picked me up. What was the
question again, you say I hate February?
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Two was well kind of, But what I was basically
saying was, does the shortest day of the month feel
like the longest the shortest month of the year, sorry,
feel like the longest month of the year.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
Uh No, because Black History Month never feels like a
long month to me. It always just flies bah, which
I guess was by design, wasn't it?
Speaker 1 (01:07):
Twenty eight days.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
Hey, we get twenty nine this year.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
Yeah, sleepier. Yeah, there's an extra person to celebrate in
Black History Month? And is that what they do?
Speaker 3 (01:17):
We get an extra day, leapier black people are leaving
with joy? Oh no, please, just another This has been
a weird month for a whole bunch of reasons. Right,
but in New York especially, it gets cold and everything
gets kind of miserable, and you just it's not just cold,
it's that cold it makes you not want to step
a foot outside.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
Right, sucks and the sun doesn't shine that much. But anyway,
onto something positive. This is something that we just were
talking about with Emma and Andrew here with us because
we all got excited about this. I feel like a
schoolgirl when I know that we get to have more
daylight this weekend we switch over. There's cloppying and smiles. Yay,
(02:00):
you don't get as excited about it, TJ.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
When does it happen again this weekend? Saturday weekend?
Speaker 1 (02:05):
Yeah? Yeah, you go to sleep on Saturday and you
spring forward, so you lose an hour of sleep, which
I'm fully willing to give back to get that extra
hour sun.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
Okay, so this week you're telling me I get an
extra day for Black History and more sunlight. Yes, this
is a money week, is it not?
Speaker 1 (02:27):
I just made February better, right, No, I'm kidding. So
a couple of updates. We I was. Yeah, last last
week we were proudly saying that we were on our
run streak. Hell us, the dbay inspired us to run
every day at least two miles. Wellout, a'll want. Last
week just got busy and then once we missed one day,
(02:51):
I was like, let's just stick to the hall Higden
regular scheduled run. We have like a running a training
program and you actually we print it out, we put
it up on the kitchen and we have run days
and he suggests or at least the plan suggests four
running days a week. So we did do the four
running day and that is what I had done before.
Do you feel any different not running every day?
Speaker 3 (03:13):
No, we were just so busy celebrating Black History that
we we missed a day of running. Oh yeah, I'm
a andy. This is a theme now. This is all
I'm about is a Black history. The extra day now
is all you're getting from me? So yes, I'm excited
about it all. What were we talking about?
Speaker 1 (03:34):
We were talking about missing we are. We we ended
our running Strike Street.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
That was a that was that was legit. There was
some you know, life got in the way. I'm sure
we could have run it eleven night or something like that.
So that was a way too. But it was a
weird day and you know, life was coming at us
for a whole host of reasons, and we used today
but we didn't. And as well, I would suggest nobody should.
(04:00):
Don't beat yourself up about it. If your dry January,
if you're a vegetarian and you had piece of meat,
what we got to give yourself a break, and it's okay,
And we gave ourselves a break, It's okay.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
Yeah. And so yeah, this week we've got I think
we So the New York City Half Marathon, which we're
also excited about, is March seventeenth, I believe. So what
about three weeks from now. So this week we have
a five miler, a three mile er, a five mile,
and then we have our nine mile run this weekend.
You ready for it?
Speaker 3 (04:28):
Well, I hope I can recover in time from all
the celebrating I'm doing for the extra day of Black
History months.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
Oh my goodness. Also celebrating that my youngest Annaly's made
it back safe and sound in one piece from Berlin.
So that was nice to welcome her back.
Speaker 3 (04:44):
She was not celebrating Black History Month well in Germany.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
In Germany, no, she was not. She was not, But
I think she was doing a lot of celebrating because
she came back very tired, but in one piece, and
that's all I ask at this point, and her passport
was in to.
Speaker 3 (04:59):
And she came back. I mean, thank goodness she's back
in time. Since we have an extra day to celebrate Black.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
History mark, what will she do with all of that
celebration ahead of her for the next few days nowhere?
Speaker 3 (05:11):
I'll get her out somewhere, all right.
Speaker 1 (05:12):
That's that's amazing. Also, you know I mentioned March March seventeenth.
Isn't that the day that March Madness starts? Uh no, oh, oh,
March nineteenth.
Speaker 3 (05:26):
There we go. So it's the same it's the same week, okay,
playing games essentially, yes, but yes, that week is a
big one.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
So I last year was my first March with you,
and we were in hiding seclusion at least, so I
got to really fully experience March Madness with you last year,
but this year, am I wrong? Like basketball is already
taking over our lives?
Speaker 3 (05:49):
Well, it happens when as soon as the college football
and the NFL season are over, the focus absolutely does
shift and now everybody's every game matters. Everybody's still trying
to get into the tournament. So yes, right now it
is intense, and they have all the airwork, so I
don't have to see time on Sunday or Saturday to
college football or NFL football. So it's a lot of
(06:10):
college basketball.
Speaker 1 (06:11):
So that's what was happening yesterday. I was on the
couch watching TJ watching basketball all day.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
Why are you gonna watch me? Watch it? Why don't
you watch it? Watch your TV?
Speaker 1 (06:22):
I mean I glanced, but I did get a little board,
and so I thought it'd be fun to put a
little experiment out. Actually, I got the idea from my
from my cousin Nick, to see, hey, what what what
do our listeners want to hear from us or what
questions might they have for us? So I kind of
put it out on Instagram just to see what I
would get, and it was it was. It was fun
(06:43):
and there was a lot of themes to it because
everyone wanted to know about running. It seemed like that
was like the number one thing people wanted to ask about.
But I was going to give credit to the first
person who responded on a DM to me and I
loved I love her handle her Instagram handle lima bean casserole,
because castle roles have been a theme with us too,
(07:03):
So I just think it was funny that the first person.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
Has been a theme for you. This is not a
thing for us.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
Okay, fine, it's my midwestern white eyes.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
I get it.
Speaker 3 (07:11):
But lima bean castle.
Speaker 1 (07:12):
Role, so it made me laugh. Lima bean cast role
wants to know our health, wellness and diet information.
Speaker 3 (07:22):
Well, a lot of lima beans.
Speaker 1 (07:24):
Have you ever had a lima bean?
Speaker 3 (07:26):
Yeah, that's why I know. I hate lima bean. It's
the only way I can know. And I've also had
a casserole. So she combined well she lima beans, squash,
liver casserole. Let's throw all with guacamole.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
Sour cream and guacamole on top.
Speaker 3 (07:39):
Throw all the things I hate into one.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
So in terms of TJ's diet, he's a texture person.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
Yeah, I don't. I don't have a thing with like
pudding and whipped cream.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
And yogurt and any of it.
Speaker 3 (07:51):
Guacamole and alvocotte. Hate avocado. I hate it. So yes,
I'm a texture.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
So he doesn't like anything creamy or whipped like whipped cream.
He freaks out. The funny thing is he yucks my
m He's like, ew, that's what you say when I
put those things on my meal?
Speaker 3 (08:08):
Makes me squirrel it, It makes me squirre. What's the
show Wipeout? We've been watching people watch wipe but we've
get caught up on all the old episodes. But they
started using foam and throwing like slime at people as
they go through the courses. And I have a more
difficult time watching the show because it sicks me out.
He will see that.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
You will fast forward or say I can't watch it
anymore if there's slime. You just have a real issue
with textures.
Speaker 3 (08:32):
I don't know what do you want for me?
Speaker 1 (08:33):
So wait, what do you eat? Because Lima, being castrole,
wants to.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
Know what sorts of training and whatnot, well.
Speaker 1 (08:38):
Just health, wellness and diet. Like a lot of people
asked us what we eat? How you know how how
we use food to incorporate just our running and all
of our fitness.
Speaker 3 (08:46):
I have always been a very good eater since college.
So I am pretty much just fish and veggies. That's it.
Pretty much. Don't have meat in my diet. I will
eat meat, like I said, I don't beat myself up
about it, but as far as my diet goes, my
meal is a Caesar salad with grilled chicken on a
(09:07):
grilled salmon on top, or maybe shrimp on top, or
it's a a Niewas salad with the tuna on it.
And that's it. That's I mean, you're around me all
the time, that's all I eat.
Speaker 1 (09:21):
You're annoyingly healthy with your with your food because I
don't make the same good choices that you do.
Speaker 3 (09:27):
You know a baddie. I mean you throw some fried
chicken on top of a salad type of I mean
that sounds crazy, but you have it. I don't think
you're a terrible eating with us. We just don't incorporate
a lot of sugar, a lot of bread. And there's
no pasta like, no pasta, no. And I don't like
a potato of any kind on eat French fries. I
just it's not my work. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:45):
I know everyone's looking at you like wow, who is
this person.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
But the thing is it is not a matter of
being disciplined, is a matter of having habits. And I
was in college and I played ball for a couple
of years in the program at the University of Arkansas,
and they had us on a particular diet. We're the
only carbs I got in life. They handed to me
from a refrigerator full of this liquid and say, here,
that was my car So I got into a habit
(10:09):
of eating a certain way. So I don't even cross
my mind to want a French fry or a baked
potato or let's go get pasta tonight. It just it's
it's a routine into habit now. So more so for me,
it's just of just how I am.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
Wow, Yeah, it's amazing to witness. I mean, he really doesn't.
I mean I am the opposite. I mean I don't
do the sugar thing. I was keto for about I
mean really strictly keto for about five years, even longer.
And I've let some carbs back in my life just
because of all of the training with running. It's hard
not to have some carbs. But we don't do bread,
we don't French fries are my Achilles heel. And yes,
(10:46):
chicken nuggets that I like to put into the air fryer,
so I feel like they're slightly healthier if I cook
them that way, and then I put them on spinach
and you know, healthy things, and so that's how I justify.
But yes, and I don't think we eat a lot.
I think that's another thing, like we don't eat a
lot and we don't have.
Speaker 3 (11:04):
A lot of meals. I don't know how. I think
it was more the work routine I got into with
are you getting up that earth? I just missed. I
mean we were so busy at times. Sometimes it could
be two in the afternoon and you go, wait a minute,
did I eat it? You honestly don't even feel hungry.
And I think intermittent fasting. I can't explain a lot
of the health benefits, but I kind of fell into
doing it, and I think it may be beneficial.
Speaker 1 (11:26):
Yeah, I haven't eaten anything today yet, have you?
Speaker 3 (11:28):
I have not?
Speaker 1 (11:29):
Yeah, So I mean that's that's usually how I roll
as well. All right, So thank you Lima being cast role.
That was fun. Christa wants to know if we are
still drinking beer after our morning runs now that it's
not dry January.
Speaker 3 (11:40):
I don't think you have a single time. And I
did once and I hated it. Yep, and here we
are where a month is almost out and it's just again.
You get into a routine, you get into different habits.
And I even forced myself. I didn't really want one,
I just let me try it out. I indeed I
haven't had another one.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
I just didn't taste did you, I saw you do.
Speaker 3 (11:59):
It just didn't taste good. Yeah, there you go with.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
The habits, right, we created a really good habit. So no, Krista,
we are not drinking beer after our morning runs anymore.
Pat wants to know how many times a week we
were running. I think we covered that. It's gotten less. Yes,
it was fun though I did enjoy doing it for
one month. I think I'm going to do that next
January as well.
Speaker 3 (12:19):
I think we're going to pick it right back up.
I think. Ye last week, which is a weird week
for a bunch of reasons, the kids are out of school,
one is traveling, and yeah, being was all over the place,
and yeah, I think, well I will get right back
on the streak. I would bet.
Speaker 1 (12:31):
I loved how I felt just doing the two much.
It felt like at least if everything else went to
hell that day, at least you accomplished something that was good.
That's how I looked at it, all right. Kristin wants
to know what's on our vision board for the year.
I don't know. Do you know, Emma? Do you know? Andrew?
Speaker 2 (12:48):
It's essentially visuals that you can plan ahead of a year,
ahead of a month, and they just kind of help
you focus on what you're trying to achieve.
Speaker 1 (12:59):
So do you actually cut out pictures and put them
up on a board or you.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
Can make it digital, or you can use words of inspiration,
but it kind of like zones your mind and on
what you're focusing.
Speaker 3 (13:09):
Have you done this? Do you have one?
Speaker 2 (13:10):
I use Pinterest as like a vision board like fashion.
Speaker 3 (13:14):
I don't know what's an example, what would you put
on a bit like I wouldn't even know for me.
What would you could.
Speaker 2 (13:19):
Put like running goals like a marathon destination?
Speaker 1 (13:23):
Okay, oh that's cool, all right. It's just another way
of saying, what are your goals for the year? Basically,
but you visualize it and maybe manifest it that way.
All right? So yeah, I mean, definitely a marathon is
online for sure, probably New York. We were talking. We're
throwing around Chicago yesterday as a possibility, and one of
these days I do want to do London, but I've
(13:44):
missed the book for this year because it's in April.
That's on my vision board, and I just think just better,
I just I want to. I just always trying to
be a better eater, a better person, a better mom,
like all those things. But I think the only one
I could put up there would be a marathon, for sure.
How about you?
Speaker 3 (14:05):
I yes, after just yesterday spending time with your cousins,
I think Chicago might go up on the board today
for me to pull off running those two marathons at
about a month apart, Chicago and New York. So that
might be on my board now. I think I didn't
realize it would have been. But I feel great when
(14:27):
we talked about George January. Just I've gotten into a
longer routine of cutting back on drinking that I probably
ever have in years previous, So that is actually great.
Sabine stays on my vision board. I'm actually trying to
get her into running. I'm leaving here today and picking
her up some new running shoes, some new balance, yeah,
(14:47):
and I got some relationship goals. I guess I would
put up on that board as well. Maybe both the
visual will be I don't know, a little chapel or something.
Speaker 1 (14:58):
Come on your co everybody got like really.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
Quiet call in my call you too.
Speaker 1 (15:06):
You know it's funny. Is Carmen Carmen not a question
for us? She just said she just wants us to
get married.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
Isn't the time of our commercer.
Speaker 1 (15:13):
B Yeah, and welcome back to the podcast. Uh So,
last week I got a text from my mom on Thursday,
I think, and she sent me a link to a
(15:33):
story that made my jaw drop And there was some
connections and that's why she sent it to me. To
the University of Georgia and running two things that I love.
I love my alma mater and I obviously we both
love to run. And this awful story about Laken Hope Riley,
who was murdered while she was running last week on
(15:55):
a a in an area that I know all too well.
At the University of Georgia. She attended UGA through the
spring of twenty twenty three, and then she was going
to nursing school at Augusta University College, which the campus
is there in Athens, but she still was participating in
Uga activities, so she was there on campus. And you know,
it's so hard for me to read the story because
(16:17):
she did everything right. You know, we talk about these
stories when you're a runner, and you're a woman, especially,
you get this pit in your stomach when you hear
about someone suffering any kind of harm when they're just
doing something to improve their life and improve their body,
feel the freedom of your own fitness, and it's just
so just heartrending to hear these types of stories. But
(16:38):
she did everything right. It was in the morning. She
was on a trail that was next to the intramural
fields there at Uga where lots of games and activities
are going on now. She was on a wooded path,
and you know those are always a little scary. I
think sometimes when I've done it, I think maybe this
is done. But you never think it's going to happen
to you. She told her friends where she was going.
(17:00):
She always wore her Apple Watch, where I had her
location on her phone. She had her friends who could
see her location. And then when she didn't come back
when she normally would have her friend immediately called police.
So you just look at everything that happened and you
just feel sick because she did everything right and still
the unthinkable happened. And you know, it's just a story
(17:23):
that shook me because it's always a reminder as a runner,
and as a female runner, what's out there potentially. But
then this story, as I was following along, just took
a turn. And these are the stories that are tough
because you've got a victim, you've got the victim's family,
(17:43):
you've got real pain and real tragedy. And then some
stories get politicized, and this is one of them. I
know you've been reading up on it as well, TJ.
Speaker 3 (17:52):
I mean, the look the politics of it are not
going to touch that, but it's there. There have been
a lot of names, is that some people even remember,
because maybe Molly Tippets might be the first one that
comes to mind out of Iowa. She was twenty eighteen, maybe,
But they are not that frequent, but when they happen,
(18:13):
they get a lot of attention, and they are always reminders,
and people argue that we're having the wrong conversation and
we're directing it to the wrong group of folks. Like
we're directing it to women what they're doing right and
what they're doing wrong. If you want to go outside
whenever you want to run, at any time a day
or night, you should be able to be safe in
doing it. And there's not enough talk and the direction
(18:36):
of the penalties for what a lot of times stalking
these women, preying on these women, but oftentimes there are
just crimes of opportunity. So ha, you do everything right
and everything still goes wrong. It is a tall It's
always should be a reminder. But that's a tough one.
In the debate over this conversation, we've continued.
Speaker 1 (18:59):
To yeh yeah, and the one of the conversations has
been yes, to put the onus on the woman is unfair.
But the reality is when you when you are a
woman and you are a runner, you do, but people
like you shouldn't dress a certain way, you should never
be alone, you shouldn't wear you know, headphones or air
pods or air buds, all of those things you know
can can increase your chances of staying safe. But this
(19:21):
is one of those things that really really shook me
and I I know, and I just wanted to to
say something to her family, just just how awful it
is and how much our hearts are with her and
everyone in that campus, because everyone described her as just
you know this she was going to be a nurse.
I mean, we know nurses are some of the greatest
people on the planet. They are you know, people who
(19:45):
are there to take care of each other and to
take care of one another, and so just for this
to happ into her is just really really really outrageous.
But for me, and I know you didn't want to
touch the politics, but I think what bothered me now
is you've got this real tragedy. And by the way, police,
you know, caught the man right away. There were cameras
to the University of George's credit, there are security cameras
all around campus, and so they were able to identify
(20:08):
and actually you know, see the person who committed this
crime and were able to arrest him almost immediately, very quickly.
The problem is the man who was arrested is an
undocumented migrant, and so now in a presidential year where
everyone's pointing the fingers and trying to get you know,
attention for their causes, this has now become a political firestorm.
(20:31):
And so we've seen these types of things happen where
you have a you know, a personal tragedy and it
becomes this political lightning rod. And so it's just been
tough to watch all the back and forth and the
finger pointing, and then there's the concern of backlash in
the Latino community. So I was just reading up on
this and just just wanted to express my frustration at
(20:53):
just how certain stories are politicized. And we see it
happen all the time, but in newsrooms there's always been
a question as to how to cover it, when to
cover it, and who to cover, Who's who's speaking the loudest,
and who has a good point to make. But it's
just been it's been a tough situation to read and
to hear. And the funeral is this week. I know
(21:15):
that there is a visual today too at the University
of Georgia campus. But just a reminder to everyone out
there about just checking in with friends and making sure
that you do everything you can to protect yourself when
you when you go out on a run. I do
think unfortunately the onus is on women. You know, I
have been out with you and I've wanted to you know,
(21:36):
we've gone on a run and I'm like, I can't run,
it's it's dark and I'm alone, and so we just
you know, it's one of those things where you have
to make certain choices as a runner, but it's this
is just a difficult, difficult story for everyone involved.
Speaker 3 (21:48):
So the honest is on, please mind you. There's no
anybody I care about that's going out on a run
on her own that I wouldn't say, make sure you're
not covering your ears, make sure you dress. Yes, I would,
I absolutely, And I think we all should take responsibility
for make sure we do all we can to protect ourselves.
(22:09):
I think the debate it's Adidas who's done some great
work on this. That survey they put out that ninety
two percent of women in their survey, ninety two percent
said that they actually do feel unsafe or have taken
measures to protect themselves. A forty percent said they actually
have been either verbally or physically harassed out in the run.
(22:31):
But the thing that got me was sixty two percent
of men acknowledged that, yes, this is a problem for women,
but then only eighteen percent of the men felt like
the onus was on the men to help in the costs.
They put it solely on the women to protect themselves.
And that was a striking number to hear how much
(22:52):
men feel we are removed from responsibility in helping and
making sure that women are safe out there when they're
running alone. But look up Ridiculous Run if you can.
Did you see that video from Adidas. It's called Ridiculous
Run and it's short, but it shows women running at
night and they're running, but there's two cars with their
(23:15):
headlights on behind them. There's a motorcycle on each side.
There's somebody riding the horse. They're showing that this is
how ridiculous it is for a woman to feel safe
while she's running. Wow, and it is ridiculous. But it's
just to your point. To that young lady on campus. Again,
it doesn't happen a lot, but Sydney Sutherland and Arkansas,
(23:36):
same thing happened to her. Eliza Fletcher, the teacher out
of Memphis in twenty twenty two. A lot of people
will remember this happens, but it's just the crimes of opportunity.
So I wouldn't let you. I mean, I do it stupidly,
and I've been criticized over the oh I say criticized,
but I could run it too in the morning.
Speaker 1 (23:53):
Three you do I run with you at three o'clock
when we're only with you at three o'clock in the morning.
Speaker 3 (23:57):
That's dumb as a guy. You shouldn't. I mean, I
got doesn't do like Holy hell. But you also know
something I always do. I run with one AirPod in.
I want to always be aware of what's around me
day or night, who I'm with. I always do that
tell I do on the subway here in New York.
And I think that what are the things they tell
women to do? That something? The hair? Are you supposed
(24:17):
to keep it up right?
Speaker 1 (24:19):
So you can't be if you have a ponytail, then
someone can pull and grab and that has happened before.
So yes, you're supposed to either have a hat on
and have your hair tucked in so they okay.
Speaker 3 (24:29):
But the clothing is supposed to be tight and not loose. Yep, right, yep,
same thing for exactly.
Speaker 1 (24:35):
It's crazy when you're getting dressed as a woman that
you have to think about those things. But the more
and more stories and unfortunately you know you say they
are rare, and they are, of course, but when they
do happen, it's it's so unnerving because these women aren't
doing anything wrong. I mean, I think that's the thing
that just I've never when I'm running, no matter what's
going on in my life, like I'll get emotional about it.
(24:57):
I feel free, I feel powerful. Even when I'm having
a bad run, I still feel my own strength, and
it's just for there's an emotional and physical connection to running,
and as a woman to be able sometimes to go
out and do it on your own feels so empowering.
Speaker 2 (25:12):
You know.
Speaker 1 (25:13):
I don't run alone that much because these types of
stories do scare me into not wanting to do that.
Picking the time of day I run, picking where I run.
Here in New York City, there's so many people around.
I don't really ever feel nervous. I would on the
West Side Highway, you know, before it turns light outside,
I would be nervous. And I have run there with
(25:33):
you and then with some girlfriends. But even with my
two girlfriends, I went running like at six am one
morning before maybe even five point thirty, and it was
I felt I felt nervous even with two girlfriends next
to me. So it is something that we always have
to think about. I'm curious because you said that you
I mean, I know you only run with one AirPod
(25:54):
because you want to be aware, which is so smart.
And I have done that a couple of times too.
But when I'm with you, I do feel safe, so
I don't feel as the onus is on me to
not do that. But have you ever felt unsafe when
you're running, you know what? Not?
Speaker 3 (26:07):
I think in other cities. I used to travel around
a lot for work and have to get up in
the morning and running at four or five, and there's
some places you don't want to get stuck in certain cities,
and I've done that, and I've felt unsafe and even
stupid for running. Here in the ark, I think, I
know you know the route so well, and I don't
do it as much anymore, but just know the routes
(26:29):
and so familiar that I don't usually feel unsafe, and
I can understand. I can be out sometimes and there's
just there might be a lone woman that I'm running
up behind, or she's coming towards me. I will go
out of my way to adjust myself in a certain
way to make sure she feels comfortable. I never run up,
(26:52):
but we might be running in the right lane I
will distance myself and I'm about to pass her to
make sure I don't sneak up on her or scare
her or who knows where that comes from, and why
if that's considered, if that's necessary. But I think about
that all the time when I am out there running
and there's no way. You told me you were getting
up at five am, and I'm going to go take
a run somewhere on the west anywhere in New York.
(27:13):
But I would say, okay, I see in a little bit,
no way.
Speaker 1 (27:16):
It's interesting because and I appreciate that my mom, and
I think she feels good now that I have you
as a running buddy, because I've been running since I
was in my twenties. But I did I did stupid
things when I was younger. And I say stupid just
that you put yourself in a category where something could happen.
Where I did run on wooded paths by myself. I
did it upstate. I did it in Washington, d C.
(27:37):
Along the Potomac, and I loved that feeling of being
in the woods and being alone and running. But then
you know, you start to hear these stories and it's
just it's it's too much of a gamble, too much
of a risk to put yourself in. But I will
say it's one. It was one of my favorite things
to do was to run in the woods like that.
But you know, you hear that, and it's you know,
we love our horror movies, and so you just start
to think, you know what, you know, the chances are slim,
(27:58):
but I'm definitely in increasing my chances of something happening
if I do this. So you just change your route
and change your path. But it's funny when you mentioned
traveling for work, I'd be alone, you know, and in
smaller cities. I remember the most afraid I ever was
was in Nebraska when I was I was running and
there was no one in sight, and all of a sudden,
(28:19):
someone's coming towards me. I'm on these train tracks and
you just think, what am I doing? This isn't worth it.
So it's just it's another reminder that unfortunately, as women,
we have to we have to put ourselves in a
different category in terms of preparation. I'm curious you always
run behind me. Is that strategic on your part?
Speaker 3 (28:37):
That's a mind game I'm playing, it really is. It's
because if you're running behind me. I will end up
running at my pace, and which is a pace that
might be a little.
Speaker 1 (28:50):
Quick for I will never see you again. You'll become
a distant dot.
Speaker 3 (28:54):
Yeah, because just like and I get it. Because when
I run, when I'm behind you, you running for five miles.
I could have collapsed five miles ago. You wouldn't know
it because you don't ever look back.
Speaker 1 (29:06):
I do look back. I do. I do. Sometimes you
don't look back.
Speaker 3 (29:10):
It's okay. And when I get that, when I have
at times led us in the runs, I don't look back.
Speaker 1 (29:17):
There have been times and we've gotten lost and separated
because you've gone ahead and I can't catch up.
Speaker 3 (29:22):
Yes, so that is the strategy. That's not a safety strategy.
That's why.
Speaker 1 (29:26):
The funny thing is everyone always because I ran first,
or I was the I was the long distance runner
before TJ, so everyone assumes that I'm the faster one
or that I'm the stronger one. That is hilarious. You.
I would love to see what your pr would be
if you didn't choose to stay back with me.
Speaker 3 (29:47):
We may never know, because I still I appreciate I would.
I would rather have a part in running than a
pr in running, So that's not that's a non issue,
and that's that's not gonna happen.
Speaker 1 (29:56):
That's very sweet.
Speaker 3 (29:57):
Oh but seriously, I could have done that plenty of time.
Could have I could have kept going in this last
New York City marathon while you were up chucking on
the side of the road.
Speaker 1 (30:05):
Well we can we can talk a little bit about
that after the break. How about that, right, It's a
good tease and welcome back everyone, And I wanted to
stay on the running thing because I just want to
(30:26):
just talk about what an amazing part of life it
can be. And no one should be deterred from any
headlines that are out there about violence against women running
and it's it's a reality, and it's it's a possibility,
but it shouldn't deter you from from what you love.
And this has been such an integral part of my
life and such a big part of who I am
(30:48):
and and honestly, like even my friends, like my friend
group has been has evolved because of running, and that's
a cool thing to be able to have a shared
experience like that. I know you and I definitely grew
closer closer because of running.
Speaker 3 (31:01):
M oh, there's no question about that, But yeah, you
were what's the right word pestering, annoyance.
Speaker 1 (31:11):
Pressure, I put a lot of pressure on it.
Speaker 3 (31:13):
That was a nicer word, That was a nicer way
to put it. But no, no, I was I was run.
You got me into being a runner, not just running
for exercise. I am a runner now because of you
and all those training runs. And look, everybody's going through
something in life. I was going through something in life.
You were going through something, and running got us both
both through a lot of them.
Speaker 1 (31:34):
Yeah. One of the questions that I got from the
aforementioned DM was how did you start running? And why
do you keep running? How did you? I don't even
know the answer to this. How did you or when
did you start running?
Speaker 3 (31:47):
Uh? It was just a matter of you, I mean,
being around you and seeing you every day. Like you
don't have to necessarily always say that. You don't have
to come up with the right words to motivate somebody.
Just lead by example and they will end up motivating themselves.
(32:08):
And I was around you enough to see what you
were doing and got curious about it, got curious about
how I could push myself. And then once you start,
you know, you go out for the first time today anybody,
and all right, I'm gonna run a mile. You time
yourself running a mile, and then time yourself again tomorrow,
(32:30):
and then do it the next day, and then do
it the next day. And what you're gonna find yourself
doing is man, I can do better, I can do faster.
And then what you're gonna find yourself doing next is man,
I could do two today, and then the next thing is, oh,
you know, I'm gonna go for three. And the next
thing you say, well, you know where there's a five
k happening locally, I'll enter. And that's how it got
going for me. It was just keeping up with it
(32:51):
and timing and challenging, and that's how I fell into it.
Speaker 1 (32:54):
But your first official race was a half marathon.
Speaker 3 (32:57):
Correct, Uh yeah, oh yeah.
Speaker 1 (33:00):
Yeah, that's pretty impressive.
Speaker 3 (33:01):
Yeah, right, new York City half of the Brook, the.
Speaker 1 (33:04):
New York City half. And then you know, people people
always ask me because I think I got into running
because my dad was a runner and I always saw
him running, and I thought it's free. I didn't have
a lot of money, I couldn't join a gym, and
so I thought, well, I'm gonna do what he does.
But what I think the biggest intimidation is getting started
(33:24):
and that first mile, like if you haven't like running
is not like riding a bicycle. Once you've done it,
you can just keep doing it. If you stop or
you don't stay in a pattern or a habit of it,
it sucks when you start back up again because your
body does not have muscle memory. It's like, what is
this crap that you are putting me through right now?
So my big thing was to just start with and
(33:45):
someone told me this and I loved it. To start
with a time, not a mile, so you don't feel like, oh,
I didn't get a mile in or I didn't get
two miles in. But to say I'm going to run
for ten minutes, I'll see how far I get. And
then the next day you just add a minute. And
if you kind of give yourself that grace of just
incrementally increasing the time that you're running, you'll find that
(34:06):
it gets easier. And it does get easier. That's why
I think maybe running every day for us not only
was it great because I felt like I accomplished something,
but you just are always feeling like you've got a
fitness level where you can take it to the next
level if you so choose.
Speaker 3 (34:19):
And you maybe think of something now. The timing is
how I before I started running with you, I would do.
There's a particular light post on the corner at the
end of Broadway, just past the Wall Street Bull downtown.
That's what I'm saying, as that's specific. I would start
at that, I literally touch that light post, take off
running and go past this little spot that's right up
(34:41):
behind Brookville Place. Mall touch that and come back.
Speaker 1 (34:45):
You touched it.
Speaker 3 (34:46):
I would always physically boom, come to the next one, boom,
touch and turn around and go. And I was timing
myself and doing that around fourteen minutes, and I kept
doing it and getting the time down, down, down, down down.
So to your point about the advice you got about running,
it didn't have to be about distance. It can be
about time. That's how I first started getting into it.
So if that trick will help anybody else run the
(35:07):
same route of any kind you want to, but time
yourself doing it, and you'll start to challenge yourself about
getting the time.
Speaker 1 (35:13):
Downe that's so cute. I didn't know that story. I
love that. The other thing that I think it's so
overwhelming is just look your body. Everything in your mind
tells you stop. This is awful. But I think the
biggest problem I did, I made, and I think most
people do, is that we run too fast, like you
think you're supposed to be in a race or running
(35:34):
you know, at full speed. If you slow it way down,
it's so much more enjoyable and then you can build
this speed. But if you're if you're uncomfortable, you should
slow down, like I think people think somehow it's it's
not good enough or you're not really running. We pass
people all the time who are you might say, barely running,
(35:55):
but you're in my mind, I'm looking at them and
I'm thinking, good for them. Way to go, oh, way
to get out there and do it anyway, even if
something hurts or you're not you know, speedy Gonzalez, as
long as you're just taking one step in front of
the other. And another thing is it's okay to walk,
Like how many times in races do we see people
walking They still completed the marathon they or the half
(36:17):
marathon or whatever race you're in. So like walk up
the hill, run down the hill, walk for two minutes,
run for one minute, but you're still out there getting
it done. I think a lot of people just feel like, well,
if I can't do it this well or I can't
feel good, then I'm not doing it at all, and
it gets discouraging. So I just want to encourage people.
It doesn't matter how far you go, even how long
(36:37):
you go, if you're walking and running at the same time,
it's about getting out there and improving yourself and then
little by little you'll be surprised at how your body responds.
I mean, I think that's a huge thing. Like I
never thought. I used to always say there's no way
I could ever run a marathon ever. And my dad
had run three, and he started in his fifties, by
(36:58):
the way, so it's never too late to say. I
want to say that much. He started running marathons in
his fifties. My first marathon, I think I was forty five.
So when I first did, I don't know if I've
told the story. My first half marathon, I wouldn't even
fully commit to. I said, I'll run half of the
half marathon, I'll do a relay with my friend, and
(37:19):
so doing that like just giving myself kind of signing
up for it and doing it anyway, and then realizing
I was stronger than I think. Isn't that something that
we're all always looking to do to realize that we're
stronger than we think? And I I just wanted to do it.
Like just seeing so many of the questions you all
sent were about running. It just got me thinking about
just encouraging folks to just get started and just putting
(37:41):
one foot in front of the other, and all these
little tricks that we play. I mean, whether it's I
listened to podcasts, listen to audio books. Music gets old
after a while, but just having a friend to talk to.
We had a talking run the other day.
Speaker 3 (37:52):
Uh one, not of eight hundred runs we've gone on.
Speaker 1 (37:56):
We talked, Yes, how did that run compare?
Speaker 3 (37:59):
I prefer because it makes the time go by. I
realize this with I think we've told this Matt James.
The first time I ever went for a run and
had a conversation, he introduced me, like guys going the
golf course in golf and have a business meeting, you
can do the same thing while you're running. And he
challenged me to well, he can challenge me. He said, hey, yeah,
we can catch up while we're running. Five miles, What
the what? And then I went out there and did it.
(38:21):
And that's when you realize, oh, hell, I am in
better shape than I thought. I am actually in a
good place. And to you, to your point, you were
just making the folks. You're always trying to push and
challenge yourself and see what you are capable of. And
that's the one thing about it I love. And now
you talk about habits. You you get into the habit
of running to the point where going two days without
(38:43):
a run now feels like just blasphemous.
Speaker 1 (38:46):
It feels awful, right, Yeah, I mean I and I
have to say too. We we talked about this, the
treadmill thing. That has been tough.
Speaker 3 (38:53):
But I have gotten to best God.
Speaker 1 (38:57):
Who likes the treadmill? No one likes the treadmill.
Speaker 3 (38:59):
I think people mentally stronger than I am. It's a mine.
It's totally a mind thing. Oh heays, like I can
do the mind. That's not it at all. Obviously, you
feel it'd be easier. You have a TV in front
of you, you have all this, you're inside, the climate
is controlled. You think it'd be an easier get me
off this thing. And that was that I didn't We
didn't break the streak that day, but that was one
day that we were supposed to do an eight miler
(39:20):
and I went downstairs on the treadmill. I got to
four and said, to hell with this, and later on
tried to get on the treadmill again to do the
last four, got to two and said that with this.
Speaker 1 (39:33):
I mean, I think it, but I think it's good
for people to know that even someone who's run two
marathons like yourself, can just say f this after two
miles and quit right. I mean, I've had so many
bad runs. I've had a lot of good runs, but
I have had so many bad runs. I have cried
and I'll just bring this back. So I've been struggling
(39:53):
with nausea while running, which you've unfortunately been witnessed to, and.
Speaker 3 (39:58):
The law right away from it run in front of
you or behind you. I'm getting it some way, but.
Speaker 1 (40:03):
I don't know if anyone else. I've been googling it.
I would appreciate anyone who has any advice for me.
But on the longer runs, I have been getting really,
really nauseated, and to the point where TJ has seen
me have to go off into the bushes. Or find
a tree, and it happened in the New York City marathon.
So lost I think at least maybe almost as much
(40:26):
as ten minutes on our finished time because I was sick.
Speaker 3 (40:30):
I'm going to edit that piece of this podcast out
and use it over and over because there's a part
where there where you said TJ has seen me go
behind the bushes or behind a tree. I just want
to use that audio clip or how I had to
pee in the future for yes, what you were saying,
I get it.
Speaker 1 (40:49):
But here's something I think I've discovered it. I can't
wait to try it out. I'm going to try it
out of the half marathon. I have realized I always
thought that I needed coffee in the morning because I'm
a big coffee drinker before the run to kind of
like jump start my metabolism get my body ready to
go for the run. But I've stopped drinking it before
(41:10):
a run, and so far I want to knock on wood.
I have seen an improvement and that kind of makes sense.
So I think the biggest challenge when you're doing these
long distance ones is figuring out how to fuel, what
to eat, and for me, how not to get sick.
Speaker 3 (41:24):
When I'm which benefits a lot of us.
Speaker 1 (41:27):
Yes, yes, and I do feel bad when my when
I'm yucking. You're young?
Speaker 3 (41:36):
How does that apply here?
Speaker 1 (41:38):
Well, you're enjoying your run and then I yuck it up.
By ah, there we go, by yak.
Speaker 3 (41:42):
Okay, it's fine, yucky young, by yaking.
Speaker 1 (41:46):
Okay, we haven't run today yet.
Speaker 3 (41:48):
Sorry, we'll get in. What if we don't? Not gonna
beat myself up a bout, but I'm gonna. I'm going
to try to, but I don't know if I can.
I'll be busy celebrating Black History Monk, which is wrapping
up here soon.
Speaker 2 (41:59):
And on that.
Speaker 1 (42:00):
Yeah, happy, No, we should just encourage everyone to enjoy
the rest of February, this lovely twenty nine day month
this year around, Yes.
Speaker 3 (42:08):
And love to I hate the handle, not a down note,
but your campus. They're just that whole community down there
in Athens we talk about and I love the thing here.
I'll want to say her full name every time, Lincoln
Hope Riley. I love her name. That got so much attention.
But the day before they're on the university campus, a
young man, Wyatt Banks freshmen died by suicides and was
(42:30):
found there in a dorm on campus. So back to
back days, to have something like that happen. We've been
on campuses that it really shakes the community to have
anything traumatic like that happened. To have it back to
back days, it's just kind of unthinkable. So it's unthinkable.
So your home campus there sort of your hearts go
out to.
Speaker 1 (42:47):
Them, sending love to everyone there in Athens and everyone
who loved both of those incredible students. And I know,
like I said, there's a vigil today for both of them,
honestly to be honored and by the people who loved
them and celebrated they lived. And and you know, the
only way these we've covered these types of tragedies, there's
there's no easy way. There's there's no you know, it's
(43:09):
hard to even say there's a silver lining because it's
it's so tragic. It's it's so awful to have two
young people gone by the age of twenty two. It's
it's really unthinkable for their families and friends. But seeing
everyone come together and honor how they lived and just
remembering to hug one another, to to love one another,
(43:31):
to be grateful for the time we do have here,
it's a game changer in just how you approach how
you live each day and the choices you make and
what you say to people and how you treat people.
So I just I hope that there's some hope out
there about how to live better and how to live differently.
But we just want to, yeah, send our love and
(43:53):
our support to the University of Georgia. Go dogs, and
thanks for listening Themation the patan thecation puts the bats
Popular Podcasts
1. Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
2. Stuff You Missed in History Class
Join Holly and Tracy as they bring you the greatest and strangest Stuff You Missed In History Class in this podcast by iHeartRadio.
3. Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations.