Citius Mag Podcast

MUST READ: https://www.si.com/edge/2018/04/02/gwen-jorgensen-triathlon-track-debut-marathon-goals-nike A quick bonus episode of The CITIUS MAG Podcast to get you through the rest of your week. Earlier this week, I released an extensive Q&A with Olympic triathlon champion Gwen Jorgensen. It's generated a bit of chatter online in a good way. If you're a fan of the sport, it's definitely something worth getting excited about: How a gold medalist in one sport translates into another with the lofty goal of winning gold again. In the interview, she addresses everything from joining the Bowerman Track Club, coming back after pregnancy, training with Shalane and responding to the critics that give her a zero percent chance of winning gold.  Lots that and more listen up but also read the full article on SI now. You can catch the latest episode of the podcast on iTunes so subscribe and leave a five-star review. We are also now on Stitcher and now Google Play! We will return to regularly scheduled programming

Patrick Dormer, but always known to me as Mr. Dormer, has been my coach for the past 10 years. He's the man that has served as a mentor for me within the sport and nurtured the passion that I eventually found after my mediocre sprinting days at Xavier High School in New York City. He has some ideas on growing the sport of track and field. I figured before we start the outdoor season, I'd like to introduce the CITIUS MAG community to Mr. Dormer as he'll probably become a recurring guest on the show to share his takes from time to time. He's not crazy. He's very smart and loves the sport. Hear him out.  On this show, we get a little bit of background on who is Mr. Dormer. How did he get into coaching and why he's stayed at my all-boys high school in Manhattan for the past 25 years? What's his coaching philosophy? What did he learn to make himself a better coach? How do you motivate high school athletes to run and get the best out of themselves? He gives us those details. Plus: Let's get drug cheats out of th

Ben True joins The CITIUS MAG Podcast with Chris Chavez to discuss his win at the 2018 United NYC Half. He takes us through how the race played out since I finished 33 minutes behind him and haven't been able to watch a replay yet. With his 62:39 winning time, Ben became the first American male open division winner in the event's history. He finished ahead of Dathan Ritzenhein and Chris Thompson on a chilly and windy morning in New York City. Ben immediately dismisses any marathon plans and talks but shares a quick story about how he's actually covered the marathon distance before and what his thoughts are toward the 26.2 mile distance.  Among the questions discussed: - Feelings about the race now that he's had time to process it. - The decision to race a half marathon - How and why he started working with Ray Treacy (also Molly Huddle's coach) - The Lone Wolf mentality and how he stays motived through solo workouts - What does he consider his best race ever? - Funniest interaction and story with a d

You've probably seen his handle somewhere in your Instagram feed if you follow enough professional runners but who is @NotAfraid2Fail? Meet Jason Suarez. He's one of the co-founders of CITIUS MAG and he takes some of the best photos in the sport. He's also quite the character. Jason and I first met at the 2013 U.S.A. Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Des Moines, Iowa. My high school track coach shot me a text to get to know him and I learned a little bit about his goals and aspirations as a photographer. I was 19 at the time also had my sights set on covering the sport closely and we shared that in common. What I didn't realize at the time was that Jason was working super hard to just get the opportunity. On this show, he shares a quick story about flirting his way to a discount on a hotel room, sleeping in his mother's car and finding his way into the sport. Jason discusses some of the influential people that he's met along the way to now shooting for some major brands and collaborating with compani

On Sunday, we learned that Sir Roger Bannister died peacefully in Oxford at the age of 88. Bannister made history on May 6, 1954 by becoming the first man to break four minutes for the mile. At the time, many deemed it an impossible feat. He went on to have a long medical career in neurology and was knighted in 1975. The British sports icon was also named the 1954 Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year – the first one in the magazine’s history. In 2011, senior writer David Epstein profiled Bannister for the “Where Are They Now” issue. After the story ran, Epstein and Bannister stayed in touch. We decided to give Epstein a call on Tuesday to get his thoughts on the passing of a legend and what it was like to befriend someone who inspired many on and off the track. A full transcription of the interview with Epstein can be found on CITIUSMAG.com

Over the weekend Lou Serafini became the 514th American to break four minutes for the mile when he ran 3:59.33 at the Boston University Last Chance Meet. He's one of the chillest dudes in track and a name to watch over the next few years on the U.S. distance running scene. He joined the show to discuss what it's like being a blue-collar runner balancing a full-time job at Tracksmith, coaching other athletes and yet still putting in the daily work to chase the dream of breaking four minutes for the mile. Lou has range as he's raced everything at a high level from 1,500 meters to the marathon. He qualified for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials and boasts a 2:17 personal best at the distance. For some time after college, Lou decided that he was done running for a bit. We discuss that break and how he decided to come back by being self-coached. What's that like? Lous' got some nice stories about coach Randy Thomas, his roommate David Melly and some of the athletes that he coaches. ------ This episode was b

Alex Hutchinson joins the show just weeks after the release of"ENDURE: Mind, Body and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance." It's his latest book exploring the impact of the mind and how it influences our peak performances. How do we break through those physical barriers using our mind and muscle? Alex does a great job of providing stories from his own background as a runner as well as extreme examples of incredible athletes and adventurers on how they were able to keep pushing when everything is telling them to stop. Alex had a regular training column for Runner's World for several years and has also been published in Popular Mechanics as well as the New York Times. In October, he joined OUTSIDE to continue publishing his Sweat Science column. His byline may be familiar especially last year since he covered the Nike Breaking2 Project very closely for Runner's World. We talk a little bit about that and some of his observations. On this episode, we discuss: - How the book came together over ne

2016 U.S. Olympian and Nike Bowerman Track Club steeplechaser Colleen Quigley joined the CITIUS MAG Track Club ahead of the U.S. Indoor Championships to discuss her road in the sport from being coached by her father at an all-girls high school in Missouri to becoming one of the strongest steeplechasers in the country. On this episode, we also discuss: - How she came upon the steeplechase as her specialty event - Walking us through some of the closest finishes at the U.S. Outdoor Championships and Olympic Trials - How strong is the 1-2-3 combo that includes her, Emma Coburn, and Courtney Frerichs? - What its like training with the rest of the Bowerman Track Club's talented squad of women - The role that Pascal Dobert has played in her development as a steeplechaser - Her funniest Jerry Schumacher story Plus more...  If you're a subscriber on Patreon.com/citiusmag, you have access to the following bonus and listener questions: - Colleen's days as a model - The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue?? - What's the

We're delving into new territory. We have our first guest from the sprints and hurdles! 2015 World Championship 400m hurdle silver medalist Shamier Little joins the CITIUS MAG Podcast to discuss how she got her start in the sport and being part of the fastest 400m hurdle race in history at last year's U.S. Outdoor Championships. Other topics include: - Choosing Texas A&M and the winning culture of the Aggies - Studying technique of other 400m hurdles + who has the best, worst form - Wikipedia says: "“None of her early youth competitions could be labeled exceptional.” - Bottling up emotions and expectations after bad races to perform the next year - Why her life and schedule as a professional athlete is unique - Plus more... You can catch the latest episode of the podcast on iTunes so subscribe and leave a five-star review. If you're a CITIUS MAG Patreon subscriber, you have access to the full episode including the listener questions as well as the famous final three. Not a subscriber yet? Support the s

2012 Olympic silver medalist Leo Manzano joins the CITIUS MAG Podcast to share his thoughts on some of the best moments of his long and successful career as one of America's top 1,500 meter runners. Manzano made every U.S. national team for the World Championships or Olympics from 2007 to 2015. He looks back at what were some of the best races and moments including putting us in his shoes for the 1,500 meter final in London. Manzano also opens up about he approaches a bad race and gets past the struggles in his career. In 2016, he battled pneumonia and it impacted him for a long time. When you have a career as long as his, there are plenty of highs and a few lows.  Other questions include: Could we ever see him race a 5,000m? How did he target and approach the American record after running 3:30 at age 30? Manzano's style has always been to creep up and maneuver his way to the win or podium on the last lap, does he have to change that due to his longevity? For more on the listener questions, read down be

It's hard to do an entire episode looking back at someone's career when it was a really long and successful one. Meb Keflezighi joins the show. He needs no further introduction but for those unfamiliar with the U.S. distance running legend, he's the only man to win a silver medal at the Olympics (2004), the New York City Marathon (2009) and Boston Marathon (2014) in his career. Oh! He also made four Olympic teams for the U.S. Chris and Meb look back at some of the highlights of his career and catch up on how life has been since he retired after the 2017 New York City Marathon – the 26th of his career and at 42 years old. Among the questions asked: - What's the one race from the 90s that he wishes was caught on video? - How often does he go back to watch his races? - One question asked per Olympics including 'How quickly did you have to think about doing push-ups when you slipped in Rio?' - After 2004, he was a silver medalist but how did he maintain that underdog mentality? + Listener questions You can

Alan Webb, the American record holder in the mile, joins the CITIUS MAG Podcast to take a trip down memory lane and catch up on what he's up to nowadays. Webb retired from track in 2014 and then made a run for the 2016 Olympics in the triathlon. The triathlon chapter did not pan out as planned and he now owns a truck repair business in Oregon. "For me, I started to kind of take on a different mentality," Webb says. "I started to enjoy watching others be in that moment. You kind of know when someone is building that momentum and seeing it...You just have a genuine appreciation of someone going through something you felt...It changed for me and that's when I started to know that it was time to step away." "It became hard to genuinely give it everything I had," Webb adds. "I couldn't dig down deep like I used to. That's when I was like 'You're not digging!' It was hard. It was honestly hard mentally to dig down deep. I wasn't what I would recommend to someone else. If I was coaching I wouldn't want them to do

We kick off 2018 on the CITIUS MAG Podcast by chatting at length with two-time Olympian and three-time NCAA champion Andrew Wheating. He announced his retirement from professional running on Thursday afternoon with a letter to professional running. We caught up on Friday morning for a long conversation looking back at his career and what comes next for him. We discuss Wheating's magical 2010 season, where he ran 3:30.90 at the Monaco Diamond League. (There's some good first-person recounting of that race.) The time now ranks as the fifth-fastest by an American of all-time. But we take a look at some of the runners that have run that fast and what happened afterward in their career. Running 3:30 is no joke but does it take a toll on the future? "I remember telling a friend of mine to respect what you've run because it may not happen again,"  Wheating says. "To take it for granted, you can really miss out on opportunity. Keep that open-minded spirit. 3:30 is not something to joke about and I kept thinking 'Eh

We decided to do a little crossover episode between the CITIUS MAG Podcast and The Price of A Mile With Woody Kincaid. He joined the show to discuss his first season as a professional runner with the Bowerman Track Club and coach Jerry Schumacher. Woody ran four indoor races before a stress fracture derailed his year but there were some great moments. He clocked a 13:12.22 a the Boston University Last Chance Meet in February and then finished second to Paul Chelimo at the 2017 U.S. Indoor National Championships. Before turning professional, Woody ran for the University of Portland so he shares some of his favorite memories as a Pilot and whether Rob Connor may have fudged up his story from NCAA Cross Country Nationals a little bit.  Woody joined the CITIUS MAG team when we started the site when he pitched doing a month podcast, where he interviews his fellow Bowerman teammates. It's a great show and if you're not subscribed to the Price of A Mile with Woody Kincaid, you're missing out.  Other questions fr

We finally deliver one of the most requested episodes. Kyle Merber joins the CITIUS MAG Podcast to take all your listener questions. Thanks a lot to all of the listeners who sent in questions. We did our best to get to as many of them but definitely ran out of time and will have to bring Merber back on the show at another point. Here are some of the questions discussed: - Who has the best kick in U.S. middle distance running right now? - Most intense Gags story from practice - Best race that he's witnessed in person or was part of? - Any plans to move up from the 1,500 meters to the 5,000 meters? - Is Merber considering dual Irish citizenship? - Most memorable David Torrence story? - Why does he wear a headband? - More talk about seltzer than you'd expect to hear on a podcast - What's the story behind his Twitter avatar? - Are we ever going to get a Real Maine 2? All that and more in the latest episode. You can catch the show on iTunes so subscribe and leave a five-star review. We are also now on Stitcher

Portland Pilots cross country coach Rob Conner joins the CITIUS MAG Podcast to discuss the surprising runner-up finish by his men's team at the 2017 NCAA Cross Country National Championships last weekend. Conner delves into the history of the Portland cross country program, recruiting in the same state as Oregon, breaking down his coaching philosophy and much more. We also delve into the controversy that followed when some of Portland's top guys did not race at the Western Conference Championship and let to an editorial on LetsRun.com. We'll have a separate post on the site with Rob's comments transcribed. Other questions include: Do you feel closer to a national championship now more than you did five or ten years ago? Who would be on the Mt. Rushmore of Portland Cross Country runners? What is his coolest piece of wrestling memorabilia?  You can catch the latest episode of the podcast on iTunes so subscribe and leave a five-star review. We are also now on Stitcher!

Isaac Wood, author of The Wood Report, joins the show to break down the individual and team races at the 2017 NCAA Cross Country National Championships. Isaac is also the director of track and field operations at BYU and with the Cougars being one of the best teams in the country, he's able to share some insight into their program and how they became a national championship contender.  On Thursday, Isaac released his final projections you can find the links below: Men's individual projections and All-Americans: http://citiusmag.com/ncaa-cross-country-championship-mens-projections-individuals/ Men's team projections: http://citiusmag.com/ncaa-cross-country-national-championship-mens-team-projections/ Women's individual projections: http://citiusmag.com/ncaa-cross-country-championship-womens-individual-projections/ Women's team projections: http://citiusmag.com/ncaa-cross-country-national-championship-womens-team-projections/ We take some listener questions from people on Twitter including: How would the

Get to know Jeanne Mack after she stunned us with her 24th overall (10th American woman) finish at the 2017 New York City Marathon. In addition to writing for CITIUS, Jeanne is an MFA student at NAU. She previously ran at Harvard. Jeanne shares a little insight into her running trajectory, what it's like to be coached by Stephen Kersh, a wild start to her race and what's next as an emerging sub-elite athlete. Jeanne actually just wrote her own reflection on her race, which you can find and read here: http://citiusmag.com/running-with-men/

Decided to share with you some of the audio from my interview with Shalane Flanagan from a story that I wrote earlier this month for Sports Illustrated. There were a couple of nuggets of information that didn't make the final edit of the story but I feel like it would be particularly interesting to our listeners.  The big story in the lead-up to New York was that Shalane revealed to me that this could be her final marathon. I'm not inclined to totally buy into that idea but we discuss her goals for New York City, what she hopes to accomplish in the remainder of her career, what still surprises her about Jerry Schumacher, training in Mammoth and more. Here's the link to the SI.com story –https://www.si.com/edge/2017/10/25/new-york-city-marathon-shalane-flanagan-career ---------- This episode was brought to you by Maurten. If you’re interested in marathon investigations then there’s a chance that you’re also a marathon or road runner. If so, you should fuel properly for those long distance races and we recom

Chris is joined by Kit Fox of Men's Journal (previously at Runner's World) to preview the 2017 TCS New York City Marathon before a live audience at the NYRR RUNCENTER feat. the New Balance Run Hub. We discuss the major players in the men's and women's race before also chatting a little bit about the celebrities running and then a little trivia for our guests. Thanks a lot to NYRR for giving us the time and space. Shout-out to the Citwits who came and then tagged along for a little shakeout run. Be sure to subscribe on iTunes and leave a 5-star review.