140 | San Diego, CA with Meriah Earle: Sunshine Dreams, Hard Work and Never Stop Believing

Aaron and Joshua Potts represent brotherly love and passion for running. Their podcast 2 Black Runners delivers running news, interviews and share their insights on the running world with swag and enthusiasm for the sport.In this conversation we hear about the 2024 LA Marathon from both a runner's and supporter's POV. We cover a bunch of running topics as well as their "best of" on travel in Eastvale, CA and Santa Barbara, CA.You'll definitely want to hug a sibling after this conversation.Get all of their recommendations in the show notes Here.

It is our honor and pleasure to welcome Dot McMahan to the Suite Run Podcast! Dot is a professional runner with the Hansons-Brooks Team, a five time Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier and we love this stat: Dot was the oldest Olympic Qualifier in the marathon trials this past February in Orlando. A phenomenal achievement at 47 years old and at any age. Dot qualified for the Trials last year at Grandma's Marathon in a time of 2:35:20.In this conversation, Dot shares an intimate insider's look into her long lasting running career, her teen daughter that is following in her footsteps, her collegiate coaching career and what she has lined up this summer and beyond. Later, Dot shares the hidden gems of Rochester Hills, MI and we are here for it! Take us on your run this week and be inspired by Dot McMahan.Click HERE for the show notes.

We are stoked to welcome James McKirdy to the Suite Run Podcast! Late in 2015, equipped with knowledge, passion and a lot of experience in the sport of distance running, James planted the seeds of his own coaching business. The dream officially launched in January 2016 and he and his team of coaches has grown McKirdy Trained into one of the most recognizable coaching services in the industry. In this conversation we start from the beginning of James's story and you will leave the episode inspired to ignite the fire of your own pursuits. What would you do if you had $1500 left in your bank account and a dream?Click HERE for the show notes.This episode is sponsored by:HydrapakHydrapak has been designing and producing performance hydration systems for over 20 years, and their mission is to help athletes reach their peak performance. By offering better ways to hydrate, HydraPak has pioneered new product categories and become a trusted partner for athletes and brand partners worldwide. Use the code NATRUNSFAR10 to save 10%! Where to find James McKirdy:McKirdy Trained WebsiteMcKirdy Trained on InstagramWhere to find Natalie and Jerold:Natalie's InstagramSuite Run InstagramNatalie's TwitterSuite Run TwitterNatalie's FacebookSuite Run WebsiteSuite Run Facebook

It is such a pleasure to welcome Anthony Clary to the Suite Run Podcast! In 2017, Anthony and his wife Tara founded "We Off The Couch" a run group that supports, energizes and encourages people to run. In their hometown of Richmond, VA they are making their mark on the running community and nationally this duo is garnering well deserved recognition for their community building run club. In this conversation, we talk with Anthony about his entry into running: how he began, what keeps him going, his goals and why "We Off The Couch" is so important. Later, Anthony brings it with the best places to RUN, dine out, race, places of interest and more in Richmond. Let's do this.Click HERE for the show notes.This episode is sponsored by:HydrapakHydrapak has been designing and producing performance hydration systems for over 20 years, and their mission is to help athletes reach their peak performance. By offering better ways to hydrate, HydraPak has pioneered new product categories and become a trusted partner for athletes and brand partners worldwide. Use the code NATRUNSFAR10 to save 10%! Where to find Anthony Clary:We Off The Couch WebsiteWe off The Couch - InstagramAnthony on InstagramWhere to find Natalie and Jerold:Natalie's InstagramSuite Run InstagramNatalie's TwitterSuite Run TwitterNatalie's FacebookSuite Run WebsiteSuite Run Facebook

Katelyn (Kate) Gunderson is a mechanical and aerospace engineer currently attending the National Test Pilot School in Mojave, CA through a flight test engineering fellowship. Kate also has a passion for increasing female participation in engineering and authors a blog aimed at empowering women to confidently thrive in STEM fields. In this conversation, we dig deep into Kate's fascinating career, how she balances marathon training and what is next on the agenda for her running and career goals. Later on, Kate shares some really cool recommendations on where to run and and lot more around the Mojave Desert.Click HERE for the show notes.This episode is sponsored by:HydrapakHydrapak has been designing and producing performance hydration systems for over 20 years, and their mission is to help athletes reach their peak performance. By offering better ways to hydrate, HydraPak has pioneered new product categories and become a trusted partner for athletes and brand partners worldwide. Use the code NATRUNSFAR10 to save 10%! Where to find Kate Gunderson:Kate on InstagramKate's WebsiteWhere to find Natalie and Jerold:Natalie's InstagramSuite Run InstagramNatalie's TwitterSuite Run TwitterNatalie's FacebookSuite Run WebsiteSuite Run Facebook

We are so happy to welcome Bradley Moon to the Suite Run Podcast! Bradley is a highly experienced sprinting coach (he has certifications in sprint specialization and strength and conditioning from the USTFCCA) with over 10 years of dedicated experience in the field. Bradley is a successful sprint coach, who has guided athletes to become state champions in Georgia and he led Unity Christian School to a State Championship in 2021. Bradley was also a Collegiate National Champion in the 4x100 relay with an impressive time of 39.75 seconds! Additionally, Bradley coaches for Sprint Free Training, a new division of the Run Free Training family.In this conversation, we talk about Bradley's running career as well specific steps on how distance runners can become faster runners by implementing sprinting techniques into their running. Later in the chat, Bradley shares the best of Rome, GA - so many good things!We are excited to bring this conversation to you - enjoy!Click HERE for the show notes.This episode is sponsored by:HydrapakHydrapak has been designing and producing performance hydration systems for over 20 years, and their mission is to help athletes reach their peak performance. By offering better ways to hydrate, HydraPak has pioneered new product categories and become a trusted partner for athletes and brand partners worldwide. Use the code NATRUNSFAR10 to save 10%! Where to find Bradley Moon:Bradley on InstagramSprint Free TrainingWhere to find Natalie and Jerold:Natalie's InstagramSuite Run InstagramNatalie's TwitterSuite Run TwitterNatalie's FacebookSuite Run WebsiteSuite Run Facebook

Twenty four year old Sara Lopez has run three marathons so far in her career. One of those marathons (the Eugene Marathon), she WON in April of 2023 and less than a year later, just two months ago, Sara ran in the US Olympic Marathon Trials. With an elite bib entry at the Boston Marathon coming up in just two weeks, Sara shares her story of resilience, inner joy and never giving up on yourself.Click HERE for the show notes.Photo credit: Amy RobertsThis episode is sponsored by:HydrapakHydrapak has been designing and producing performance hydration systems for over 20 years, and their mission is to help athletes reach their peak performance. By offering better ways to hydrate, HydraPak has pioneered new product categories and become a trusted partner for athletes and brand partners worldwide. Use the code NATRUNSFAR10 to save 10%! Where to find Sara:Sara Lopez on InstagramWhere to find Natalie and Jerold:Natalie's InstagramSuite Run InstagramNatalie's TwitterSuite Run TwitterNatalie's FacebookSuite Run WebsiteSuite Run Facebook

On February 3rd, 2:09 marathoner Elkanah Kibet rounded the corner with just a couple of minutes left on the course of the US Olympic Marathon Trials and a spectator shouted out: "You're going to Paris!!" He couldn't believe it, he had done it - Elkanah was going to become an Olympian. In the next moment, Elkanah was passed by another competitor (Lenny Korir) and just like that, the race was over. He was left in fourth place in an instant, an Olympic dream delayed. Elkanah wasn't tired at all - he made a micro mistake by slowing down and that was that.It takes a special person not to visibly be heartbroken at the loss of an Olympic Dream - especially at 40 years old. In this conversation, Elkanah shares that he will be back at the 2028 Trials to achieve his dream and the joy in his heart is palpable. We talk about kids, training, racing, and his tips to grab a sub three marathon! Of course we talk all about where he lives and trains in Colorado Springs - beautiful places to run, where he likes to dine out, races and more.Enjoy our conversation!Click HERE for the show notes.This episode is sponsored by:InsideTrackerInsideTracker is a personalized health and wellness platform like no other.What’s their secret? First, InsideTracker uses its patented algorithm to analyze your body’s data and offer you a clearer picture than you’ve ever had before of what’s going on inside you. Then, InsideTracker provides you with a concrete, science-backed, trackable action plan for reaching your performance goals and being your healthy best.  InsideTracker is offering 25% off its store for our listeners and let us recommend the Essentials Package for just $189! It's perfect for runners to elevate their training. Just visit insidetracker dot com slash SUITE RUN.HydraPakHydraPak been designing and producing flexible performance hydration systems since 2001. Their mission is to relentlessly create better hydration solutions for performance-driven people.Use the code NATRUNSFAR10 to save 10%Where to find Elkanah Kibet:Elkanah on InstagramWhere to find Natalie and Jerold:Natalie's InstagramSuite Run InstagramNatalie's TwitterSuite Run TwitterNatalie's FacebookSuite Run WebsiteSuite Run Facebook

We are so happy to welcome Joah Spearman to the Suite Run Podcast! Joah is a passionate (and fast!) runner as well as an author and businessman. Joah is the founder and CEO of Localeur, a leading travel startup that shares local recommendations in over 200 cities around the world. Localeur has partnered with large companies such as Nike, Match.com, Lyfy, JetBlue and more. Joah is one the few African American technology founders to have raised more than $5 million for his business. Joah has become a sought-after speaker on a range of podcasts and for stories in major publications such as Barron's, Financial Times, Forbes, Inc. Magazine and NPR.In this conversation, we talk about Joah's business expertise in addition to his running and the goals he is aiming for. Then we talk all things Austin, y'all! Joah lived in Austin for over 20 years (he just moved to Sacramento) and he shares a lot of valuable info about Austin: running, dining out, hotels, races and more - we're ready to pack our bags!Click HERE for the show notesThis episode is sponsored by:InsideTrackerInsideTracker is a personalized health and wellness platform like no other.What’s their secret? First, InsideTracker uses its patented algorithm to analyze your body’s data and offer you a clearer picture than you’ve ever had before of what’s going on inside you. Then, InsideTracker provides you with a concrete, science-backed, trackable action plan for reaching your performance goals and being your healthy best.  InsideTracker is offering 25% off its store for our listeners and let us recommend the Essentials Package for just $189! It's perfect for runners to elevate their training. Just visit insidetracker dot com slash SUITE RUN.Where to find Joah Spearman:Joah on LinkedinJoah on XJoah on InstagramJoah Spearman websiteWhere to find Natalie and Jerold:Natalie's InstagramSuite Run InstagramNatalie's TwitterSuite Run TwitterNatalie's FacebookSuite Run WebsiteSuite Run Facebook

We are so happy to welcome Meriah Earle to the Suite Run Podcast! Meriah ran a very fast 2:39:46 at the 2024 US Olympic Marathon Trials on February 3rd and at 45 years old, she inspires us all to continue to believe in our dreams. This is Meriah's second consecutive appearance at the Marathon Trials and in this conversation she shares the specific details about the special race day showcasing the best marathoners in the country. Meriah also details her training and her coaching philosophy for herself and her athletes. Later in the conversation, Meriah drops her favorites of San Diego - where she loves to run, race, dine out and a lot more.Meriah is the Assistant Coach of Cross Country and Track at UC San Diego, a private coach for Lift Run Perform and a member of the San Diego Track Club. She has PRs of 16:28 in the 5k, 34:04 in the 10k, 1:13 in the half marathon and 2:34 in marathon!Click HERE for the show notesThis episode is sponsored by:InsideTrackerInsideTracker is a personalized health and wellness platform like no other.What’s their secret? First, InsideTracker uses its patented algorithm to analyze your body’s data and offer you a clearer picture than you’ve ever had before of what’s going on inside you. Then, InsideTracker provides you with a concrete, science-backed, trackable action plan for reaching your performance goals and being your healthy best.  InsideTracker is offering 25% off its store for our listeners and let us recommend the Essentials Package for just $189! It's perfect for runners to elevate their training. Just visit insidetracker dot com slash SUITE RUN.Where to find Meriah Earle:Meriah on InstagramWhere to find Natalie and Jerold:Natalie's InstagramSuite Run InstagramNatalie's TwitterSuite Run TwitterNatalie's FacebookSuite Run WebsiteSuite Run Facebook