Welcome to the More Than Running newsletter! Thank you to everyone who has subscribed and sent over ideas on how you want to see this newsletter evolve. I adore expanding on my thoughts on all things in the running world in this format and am happy to have a place to share beyond my classic extended Instagram captions IYKYK.
On March 20th, the final day of winter finally arrived. For most of you in the country, that means thinking about putting away that winter coat and dreaming about running in shorts. Others, like myself in California, are SO ready for the rain to be over. The word of the winter was “atmospheric river” here in CA, and wow, I don’t think I realized rain could be so powerful.
As spring rolls around, that also means many more live events and action in the running world. I am heading to Paris for a women’s running summit this week during the Paris Marathon weekend. I will be interviewing some exciting guests for the podcast and will be sharing the whole experience on IG and TikTok. THEN I’ll be shortly turning around and rejoining the CITIUS crew in Boston for the Boston Marathon. Phew! All for the love of running.
Last week on More Than Running, I finally had the chance to speak with Lauren Fleshman on the topic of her book Good For a Girl. If you haven’t had a chance to read Good For a Girl, I highly recommend you do before listening to the episode because we get right into it. After all, I only had about 40 minutes to connect with Lauren, which is very short for a podcast interview! I could talk to Lauren for hours on subjects ranging from college coaching to body image, running sponsorships, and more. Below is a little snippet of our conversation.
Dana: “What is the new pathway that you want to continue creating change for women in sport? These conversations are extremely important but can only go so far when speaking to the same people. What's next for you and how do we get more people interested in these type of conversations about women in sport?”
Lauren: “I have a couple ideas. One thing that I've been thinking a lot about is pursuing this coach certification program for, to coach female bodied people. Like a, like taking like a safe sport.
Like what we've done with Safe Sport and making sure like even if we can't make it mandatory, which I'd love to make it mandatory. You could make it a thing that people look for, like the gluten-free symbol or the non-GMO or something where once we've raised the consciousness of female athletes and their parents to go, Hey, is this Coach certifed?
Do they have that certification? Or are they completely gonna be clueless on these things?”
Check out the episode here to finish this incredible conversation.
What I’ve thought about on my runs this week - mamas getting it done!
Daylight savings has been brutal for us morning runners, but this past week, I arrived at Kezar Track and was the last person ready to roll for a 6:55 am workout. Several groups were working out, but the one that impressed me the most was the group of pregnant women crushing 200s in the dark and rain. Damn, women are impressive.
In the past few weeks, there have been many professional track athletes who have given birth, including Kate Grace, Abbey Cooper, Elle Purrier, and several more (congratulations to everyone!). So many women make huge life decisions to expand their families in the prime of their athletic careers. What may seem like a coincidental running baby boom likely involved intense decision-making and conversations around the best window of time to have a child near the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics. I, for one, am so grateful to live in a time where it is celebrated as a female athlete to have a child and return to running instead of being a career ender like it was in just the recent past.
As I get closer to 30, the big questions about the next stage of life are knocking at my door, and I’m so grateful to have strong mamas in the running world to look up to (although I still think running with a stroller looks like the hardest thing ever). I am planning on having some new running moms on More Than Running podcast soon to expand this topic further. Drop any topics you would love for us to dicuss in the comments!
Result of the week
The Olympic Marathon Trials are always an exciting event, filled with energy and determination from each athlete attempting to make the team. Personally, I've been working on building up my endurance for a half marathon, and after checking out the results from Project 13.1 by Trials of Miles this weekend, I'm feeling even more motivated to push myself to run a few extra miles.
For those who aren't familiar with Trials of Miles, Outside Magazine published a great profile in 2021 on Dave Alfano and Cooper Knowlton, the talented team behind this passion project. In just three years, Trials of Miles has created a tight-knit community through events like the annual January bracket Chase the Throne, track meets, and now, races for runners to chase the coveted OTQ like Project 13.1. The women's mark of 1:12:00 and the men's mark of 1:03:00 show just how challenging the new standards have become. While it may be difficult, I believe it's important that we keep raising the bar of excellence for what the Olympic Trials represent - a chance to proudly represent Team USA.
Congratulations to all the athletes who broke through the OTQ barrier this weekend and to everyone who participated and set personal bests. It's inspiring to see runners coming together and pushing themselves to reach new heights.
What I’m listening to - CITIUS MAG Podcast Network
This week on More Than Running, I wanted to shine a spotlight on my fellow podcasters on the CITIUS Mag network. Since retiring from professional track after the 2021 Olympic Trials, I've been warmly welcomed into the network, and I'm excited to contribute more this year.
CITIUS MAG Podcast - The CITIUS MAG Podcast, hosted by Chris Chavez, is a classic and reliable source for insightful interviews and breaking news in the running world. Fun fact - I was first introduced to Chris' podcast through my own appearance in 2018, when I was fundraising for the Falmouth Road Race and Boston Children's Hospital.
Out of The Blocks - Hosted by Katelyn Hutchinson and Jasmine Todd, is the go-to podcast for all things sprints and jumps. Each episode leaves me smiling and laughing, as Katelyn and Jasmine's charisma and wisdom shine through.
Run Your Mouth - Hosted by David Melly, is a long-standing podcast that asks the questions you've always wanted to know about runners. David's genuine love for running, vast knowledge, and appreciation for his guests make this show a must-listen.
Gear Review: Top 5 current favorite running shorts
I am in a significant Marie Kondo phase of life. If something doesn’t bring me joy, it has to go. This includes running clothes and shoes (although I’m not ready to tackle that project yet). This week, I took a long, stern look at my running shorts and decided that the best way to trim the collection was to rank them. Introducing my top 5 favorite running shorts - note, these are not my spandex favorites, as I have a whole other ranking of those!
Nike Aeroswift - Truly the most comfortable workout short. If you don’t love a high slit, this isn’t for you. I love the pleated back and how free I feel when I run in these. I was gifted an original pair and bought a second pair in a brighter color.
Brooks Chaser 3” short - The winner for the most comfortable pair of running shorts I own by far. The waistband is elastic and sits just right on my hips. There are a ton of great colors on sale right now as well on the Brooks site, usually $60 and now $35 - love that.
Free People Movement has two of my current favorites the Lo Way Home Short and the Shirr Enough Short. Both are flirty, fun, light, and come in fun colors, which for me, is essential to mix up the running basics. Both of these pairs are my most complimented shorts.
Lululemon Hotty Hot Short - Lulu has always been my go-to for quality, and the price matches the investment because these shorts do not wear out. I love my hotty hots, and after spending a little too much time on the Lulu site, there is a lot more that I would love to test out.
Tracksmith Van Cortland Short - This short is perfectly vintage in the most comfortable way. If I know I’m going for a look that reads more classic and less neon sporty, I’m always gravitating towards Tracksmith. The Van Cortland short is a mesh with a fun retro look I love.
If you liked the newsletter subscribe and forward to a friend! I have lots of exciting running action in the More Than Running universe and I’m ready to take you all along for the ride. Until next time - Dana