Episodes

In this episode of Through Their Stride, I sat down with Adriana Ducharme ( @runningthelife_ on Instagram ) to unpack a journey that many runners experience but few talk about openly. Adri shares how a toxic college coaching environment led to burnout and a loss of identity within the sport – and how stepping away from that structure helped rediscover what running could be. Through joining a club cross country team at the University of Georgia, she rebuilt her relationship with competition, comm...

It started as a way to become a better version of himself after gaining more weight than he felt comfortable with. Now, he's a 3:28 marathoner pursuing a Boston Qualifier in the near future. As a kid, pursuing fast times in marathons, half marathons (he's a sub 1;28 guy), and 5Ks (he's also an 18:46 guy) wasn't something he ever thought he'd do. But once he started back in 2020 just for health, he soon became quite the fan of the sport. Now, not only is he pushing himself to do hard things, he's...

In this episode, I sit down with marathon coach and "Busy Runner" Justin Cannon to unpack how he went from a 4:34 debut marathon to a 3:06 in his very next race and then to a PR of 2:39. That kind of leap didn't just change his PR; it changed his entire mindset, making him want to "get greedy" with his goals and see how far he could really go. We dig into what shifted his entire mindset between each marathon, how he balances big dreams with real-life responsibilities, and why that transforma...

As life piles on, it can be easy to escape into bad habits. But sometimes, all it takes is seeing your own child muscle up the courage to do hard things for you to start chasing your dreams again. For Jim LeRoux, that's exactly what happened. Jim was a well-respected competitive runner in high school, but college studies, family building, and the grind of everyday life led him to become a tad overweight, out of shape, and with unhealthy blood pressure numbers. He had a hard time finding the moti...

In this episode, I'm joined by Heather Rosemand, also known as @heatherrunstexas on Instagram, for an honest conversation about healing, growth, and what it looks like to rebuild your life one step at a time. Heather shares how she got out of an unhealthy relationship, changed her relationship with alcohol, and found something life-giving through running. We talk about the role running has played in her healing, how it helped create a stronger version of herself, and how it's connected her t...

Andie Cozzarelli's journey back to the Olympic Trials marathon standard is one of the most powerful stories I've heard. After debuting in the marathon at the 2016 Olympic Trials and not finishing, Andie spent years fighting to get back. The road was anything but smooth, filled with setbacks, hard lessons, and moments that tested her patience and belief. But in 2026, she broke through in a big way, winning the Glass City Marathon in 2:36:59 and earning the OTQ standard. We talk about what it...

In this episode of Through Their Stride, I sit down with Arizona-based runner Aly Kozar ( @runswithheart on Instagram ) to talk about what it means to keep showing up when life doesn't go according to plan. Aly shares the ups and downs of her marathon journey, how she's learned to get back up after hard seasons in running and in life, and the deeper personal road of walking through infertility and PCOS. Our conversation centers on resilience, perspective, and the growth mindset that has helped h...

In this episode of Through Their Stride, I sit down with Robert Jackson for a conversation about running, grief, and what it means to keep moving forward after loss. Robert shares how running became a place to process sorrow after losing family members, and how the sport has helped carry him through some of the hardest seasons in life. We also talk about his marathon journey, Boston, the people who have helped shape him as a runner, and the role his support system has played along the way. This ...

What does it mean to run for something bigger than yourself? In this episode, I sit down with Carlie Bixler, a marathoner and key part of the Run Uplifted community in Georgetown who's taking her running all the way to the Copenhagen Marathon as a charity runner for #StacheStrong, raising money for brain cancer research. Carlie shares how her perspective on running has been shaped by the people in her life, from family members affected by cancer to her mother's ongoing recovery from a brain...

When taking on something bigger than yourself, Six Star World Marathon Majors finisher Dorina Carrillo has two pieces of advice. Make sure it's something you're passionate about and do it with all your heart. Dorina first got into running in 2012 as a way to do something hard while her mom was battling breast cancer. After her mom's passing, she stepped away from the sport. But in 2016, a friend helped her find her way back. What started as a personal challenge turned into something much bigger....

As an adult, you get the privilege of choosing a running coach rather than having one assigned to you. And one of the best coaches to choose from is Jeff Cunningham. In this episode, Jeff Cunningham, founder of Cunningham Running and Bat City Track Club, as well as host of The Consistently Good Podcast, discusses what it's like preparing 15 runners for the Boston Marathon, the philosophy that guides his coaching, and why he values staying grounded and living in reality when it comes to the proce...

Gabby Hentemann joins Through Their Stride to talk about her incredible debut marathon at the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon where she qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials alongside her friend Alyssa McElheney. In this conversation, Gabby shares how she stays grounded with her "it's not that serious" philosophy, opens up about overcoming an eating disorder during her college career, and reflects on finding joy in both running and life.

In this deeply personal episode of Through Their Stride, my wife turns the mic on me to ask about my running journey, the grief I've experienced after losing my mom, and the lessons running has taught me about life, resilience, and moving forward. We talk honestly about the highs and lows, what grief has changed in me, and what's next from here. If you've ever found strength in running, or needed a reminder that life isn't linear, this episode is for you. LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, COMMENT, or SHARE with...

In this episode of Through Their Stride, I sit down with three-time Austin Marathon champion Joey Whelan. A Buffalo, NY native and former Syracuse runner, Joey stepped away from the sport after college due to injuries, only to rediscover his love for running while working hard labor for a rock milling company in the Texas Hill Country. He made his marathon debut at the Buffalo Marathon, finished second, and never looked back. Since then, Joey has made two Olympic Trials appearances, won multiple...

McKay Nelson had never trained for a race in his life. His athletic background was in high school baseball and football — not exactly the resume of a marathoner. But armed with an unshakeable belief that the human body and mind are capable of more than we give them credit for, he set out to prove just that. 90 days. 26.2 miles. Under 3 hours. In this episode, McKay takes us through the full journey — the training, the doubt, the moments he wanted to quit, and what it actually felt like to toe th...

If you're looking for a fun and beautiful destination race this spring, there's no place like running through the historic streets of Fredericksburg. Hosted by Create Healthy, the 32nd Wildflower Run will take place in downtown Fredericksburg at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, April 25. Races include a 5K and 10K run, as well as an untimed 5K walk. There will also be a kids' fun run before the main event! Do you have an interesting story from running this event in the past? We'd love to hear it! Send u...

After years of suffering Achilles flare ups in track and cross country, high schooler Alberto Quintero Ayala was tired of feeling like he wasn't in control of his running journey. So, in 2025, he decided to commit fully recovering and shifted his focus to one hard thing: getting back in shape to run his first marathon at just 18. Alberto documented his entire journey to the Austin Marathon on his YouTube Channel, Road To Marathons, where he showed the highs, lows, and tips he learned along the w...

A running influencer, a storyteller of running history, and oftentimes a comedian of the sport, Hillary Burgess has made a name for herself in the sport of running. And it all started with a bit of curiosity. When Hillary started her Instagram channel, @running_up_that_hillary, she didn't even consider it could turn into a popular running page. But she kept posting content that was funny, true and authentic. No games. Nothing fake. That authenticity has attracted a ton of running fans. Similarly...

After being diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disorder in 2021, made a choice. Instead of becoming a victim to her problems, she decided to get up and live her life to the fullest by taking on a new, scary sport: running. Since then, she's run multiple half marathons — including the Galveston Half Marathon five times, several marathons, and has become an ambassador of the Houston Marathon. Her main mission with running is to show people that even when it gets hard and it feels like you're alone, ...

Carlos Sanchez began running marathons way back in 2008. At that time, he thought running one shouldn't be humanly possible. Little did he know he'd be towing the start line of the Boston Marathon with his own granddaughter one day. Mia Sanchez, the aforementioned granddaughter, has been running competitively for a while now, most recently at St. Edward's University in Austin. It had always been a dream to run a marathon with her grandfather, and in 2025, they did just that. On Carlos's 38th...

A marathon build doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful. And that is the story of Rafael Aguilar's journey to the Houston Marathon this past January. He nearly got deported. He was broken up with by his girlfriend a week before race day. And through all of that adversity, he still pulled out a PR of 2:45:52 at the Houston Marathon in January. Adversity isn't something Rafa is new too, though. In high school, he found himself thrusted into the starting goalie position on his soccer team....

Brandy Hoffman had signed up for the Houston Marathon before. And every time, she found a reason not to start. This year, she finally said yes, and toed the line as a first-time marathoner. Brandy is a wellness coach with DLDNation, known for helping women do hard things and chase big goals. But this time, the work was personal. When the miles got heavy, she leaned on something unexpected: the voices of her family, sent through an app called Rally, reminding her why she started. And at the finis...

What if you didn’t start running until later in life — and still ran a 3:35 marathon? Well, this runner did just that. In Episode 3 of the Strides Through H-Town series on Through Their Stride, I’m joined by Krystle Hodge, Houston Marathon Ambassador and three-time Houston Marathon finisher. Krystle ran a huge PR of 3:35:29, all without a background in competitive sports. We talk about: Starting running later in life and pushing past the mental hurdles Battling imposter syndrome as a runner Why ...

From when she was a little girl, Adriana Rodriguez was told she'd never amount to much. Boy, were those doubters proven wrong. On January 11, Adriana took on the Houston Marathon as her first-ever marathon... and shattered her Boston Qualifying-time with a finish of 3:03:21. Incredible, sure. But that's not the only success she's had in life. At the age of 16, she was chosen to run cross country and track for St. Edward's University. She was only 17 in her first season, and she's thriving w...