Martha Runs the World Podcast

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#344 - Some runners will tell you stretching isn't important. They'll say never stretch before a run. Well, stretching can be confusing. Sometimes, Dynamic Stretching, or Dynamic movements gets confused with Static Stretching, which should never be done before you run. Dynamic Stretching, or Movements should be done before your run. This week, I help differentiate between the two and discuss why each set of ...

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#343 - After running for a while, we learn so much about ourselves and when we're capable of doing. Perhaps we learn we're stronger than we ever thought we were, or that the many hours we spend alone on the trails are the best hours of our lives. But no matter how long we've been runners there are certain truths that we learn. Some of them we learn quickly and some we learn over time. This week, I revie...

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#342 - This week, I talk about Czech runner Emil Zatopek who many consider the greatest runner of all time. Although there are others who could also be considered this, He could definitely worthy of the title. His story is fascinating and inspirational and well worth discovering. Zatopek's intense workout routines helped create the training that today's professionals runners use. But he had an energy that wo...

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#341 - One of the ways European Ultraraces are so different from American ones is that you'll see many more races use trekking poles in Europe. They know that these skinny sticks can help them in their races. This week, it's all about trekking poles and why you might want to use them! I help you differentiate between the types, how to see if they fit and most importantly, how to use. Trekking poles might be ...

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#340 - Over our years as runners, we go through A LOT of gear. Some, we find, is no longer useful to us, or we find a better product and we put the old item aside. This week, I talk about various things I no longer use in running. How does it compare with your list, if you decide to list the items you no longer use? Is it completely different or do we have similarities? I also end the episode on a positive note and ta...

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#339 - So, you're on your run and all of a sudden, you come across a flight of stairs, either going up a trail or a hillside in the city. Do you groan to yourself before you tackle them? Do you turn around and run some place else? Or do you look forward to them with wild abandon? This week, I help you love stairs, well, OK, LIKE stairs, because they really can help to make you a better runner. So, next time you c...

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#338 - This week, I have a secret I want to share with you. Maybe what I tell you in this week's episode has never been shared with you before, so let me be the first! This just may change your running! If you've been struggling or if you get stressed out due to races, perhaps this episode can help. The pressure of racing is on us runners all the time, but there is another way! That's what it's all...

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#337 - The meteoric rise of ultraraces has created a few growing pains. Some of these are to be expected. With more and more road runners turning to trail races, it's no surprise that ultraraces are getting crowded. With crowds come problems. Some of the problems can be avoided with proper planning, but maybe not all of them. I talk about the positives an negatives in the rise of popularity of ultras this week. Y...

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#336 - Yes, I DNF'd my Cool Moon 50 race last week, but my trip to Auburn and Lake Tahoe was so much more than a failed race attempt. I tell you all about it this week. I tell you why the Cool Moon races rock and why you should try them, if you want a real challenge in your running life and how important this trip was in my life. You don't want to miss it! 

All links are on the show website. 

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#335 - This week, I share my 20th year of sobriety with you and what it means to me. 20 years, wow! Sometimes, I can't believe it's been that long. I'm so happy in sobriety, life is so much better when I'm not fighting with myself to escape from reality. I also talk about what I think of runners who say they're "addicted" to running. I don't mind saying that I'm not too hap...

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#334 - Robyn Godfrey found her joy in running in her 40s. She tells her running story to me this week and how she decided to finish all six Major Marathons (and now there are seven). Her story is inspirational and her love of running will have you putting on your shoes, heading out the door for your own run! She also has a new book out this month and she shares why she wrote it and why we all should read it! 

All Robyn...

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#333 - One of my goals is to give you listeners a glimpse at some of the best trails there are, just waiting to be hiked or run. The John Muir Trail is a mid-length trail, named after the great environmental pioneer of the same name. I give you many reasons why you might want to take a day or two or more to get to know this magnificent area and see what makes it so amazing. 

And don't miss the three reviews I have...

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#332 - There are long races, Cocodona 350, Vol State 500k, and then there's the Sri Chinmoy Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race. This race is like no other. It is as much a personal journey into self discovery as it is a foot race. But it is still a race and if you decide this is the race for you, it will push you farther than you have ever been before. And if you complete it, you may find yourself returning year a...

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#331 - This past weekend, I had the pleasure of running one of the distances of the 2025 Napa Wilderness Race. It was a great and difficult race! I had planned to run the half marathon distance, but dropped down to the 10k and I'm good with my decision. I talk about my long weekend in this episode and why this race should be on your radar for 2026! 

I also have an apology to make. In this episode, I mistakenly sai...

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#330 - You may have seen those terrific videos of Kenyan runners warming up with the various active exercises before they run. Those are plyometric exercises. This week, I talk about them; what they are and how they can help your running. And, as an added incentive: they're FUN! With only a few added minutes per session, you can reap the benefits of all that plyo can offer! 

All the links are on the show website, ...

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#329 - Remember the phrase "Go Big or Go Home?" Yeah, I got tired of it too. Unfortunately, I still hear it and see runners suggesting that they're not doing enough. Well, first of all, who are they to judge another runner and second, anyone who says that to another runner usually is trying to sell something, be it a book, personal training, running coach services or something else. With all we do, find...

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#328 - I've done previous episodes about how to stay safe, but what if things go very badly for you on your trail run? This is a guide to help prevent many of the very traumatic things from happening. Of course, we can't prevent everything from going south, but we can help ourselves by not making us easy targets for future accidents. This is not to scare you, but to help you prepare and think before you go o...

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#327 - David Amerland's dedication to fitness is evident as soon as we began talking. He switched careers midstream to follow what he loved rather than what he had studied for, chemical engineering. Through this, he wrote the book Built to Last: How to Get Stronger, Heathier and Happier at Every Stage of Life. He and his wife also founded the website Darebee.com I talk to him about all of this and how it can help...

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#326 - One of the greatest races in the world takes place in South Africa. The Comrades Marathon can take place north to south or south to north, depending on the year. It is over 50 miles on hot pavement with a tough time limit. In my attempt to talk about all the great world running races, this week is focus on the Comrades. If you're fast and you dream of traveling to Africa, this may be your race!