More Than Running with Dana Giordano – Details, episodes & analysis

Why hello, my friends. I missed you! As it turns out moving across the country takes a moment and I've been cooking up something special for this fall for the podcast. Stay tuned1

In the meantime here is a special episode of More Than Running with Courtney Wayment. Courtney recently placed 3rd at the USA National Championships to secure her spot on the Steeplechase team. Courtney is just the best source of energy and light and I know her stories will brighten up your day like they did mine! Courtney takes on an International Field at the London Diamond League on July 23rd. Let's go!

This episode is sponsored by COROS, the company that supports World Record Holders to anyone who lives an active lifestyle. I love my COROS Apex 2 running watch and use the sleep tracking and the numerous activities to track my life on the go. Use code DANA for a free accessory at check out.

Angel Piccirillo graduated from Villanova University with a clear plan in mind: run fast, secure a contract, join a training group, represent national teams, and repeat the process. However, little did she expect that, despite being a 9-time All-American and graduating in 2017, she would find herself on her fourth training group in just six years, finally hitting her stride as a professional athlete in 2023 setting a personal best in the 1500 in 4:07 this past April.

In this episode of More Than Running, we delve into Angel's remarkable journey, beginning with her training in Philadelphia alongside Ajee Wilson and Raeyvn Rodgers. From there, she transitioned to the Oiselle Little Wing Group under the guidance of coach Lauren Fleshman, followed by a stint with the Oregon Track Club in Eugene, Oregon. Now, she finds herself in North Carolina, training with the Puma Elite Training group under the coaching of Alistair and Amy Cragg. This journey would have tested even the most resilient of athletes, requiring immense persistence and the challenge of maintaining a long-distance relationship with her husband, Australian Olympian Patrick Tiernan. Through it all, Angel's unwavering self-belief in her own potential has been a driving force.

More Than Running is supported by COROS! Use code DANA for a free accessory

The new COROS Update brings a redesigned app and significant upgrades to the entire COROS training solution with an all-new running fitness system, improved EvoLab, brand-new Explore page, location and map manager, and many more improvements. Whether you're training for a goal or exploring outdoors, the ultimate GPS watch just got even better.

More Than Running is edited by Mike Zurzolo.

Welcome back to more than running with Dana. I’m your host Dana Giordano and on this show I talk to the women in and around the running community who inspire me daily. I started this podcast when I was running professionally and I felt like the deeper stories of women were not being amplified. Stay for real conversations about confidence, mental health, body image, motivation and of course running.

This episode of More Than Running is supported by New Balance. This is a mini-series featuring New Balance’s Stolen Starts ambassadors and Team New balance athletes.

I have often felt like the ends of our running community have felt so separate and what better way to celebrate women in running by round table conversations with the women making change within their communities and reaching new heights on the professional track circuit.

On the community end of the spectrum are the women of The Stolen Starts a women’s running collective started in 2021. 10 ambassadors make up The Stolen Starts and include women from London, South Korea, Berlin, LA, Paris and more. Each woman in the collective was selected because they are each powerful advocates for specific causes in their respective communities. On this episode we meet Tammy Salazar-Andurand a NYC based running coach and founder of an all-female run crew that strives to amplify marginalized voices in the fitness and wellness community.

On the other end of the running spectrum and world we met Femke Bol, Dutch sprinting sensation in the 400/400mH. Olympic bronze, world championship silver , double European titles and a Diamond league title are a few of the accomplishments of the 22 year old sensation. Femke is as driven as she is down to earth and shared her gratitude in this episode for her training partners and mentors.

Over the next 45 minutes you will hear an incredible conversation about sport, motivation, community and more. It’s like going on a run with your favorite people. Tammy and Femke are both more than running and I hope you enjoy this series!

MTR is a CITIUS Mag podcast and is edited by Mike Zurolo. 

"It doesn't happen immediately for a lot of people. And I think just sticking it out and doing it. And then you also see a lot of women that leave the sport for a long time after college and they come back and they still crush it. And I think that everybody's timeline's a little bit different. And I think it's just if you come back to running or come to whatever you wanna do in life." - Maggie Montoya

On this episode of More Than Running, I welcome Maggie Montoya, a Boulder, Colorado-based athlete making waves on the road. Last year Maggie ran the Houston half marathon in a spicy 71:21 which qualified her for the World Half Marathon championships (sadly cancelled due to covid). Maggie's life changed in an instant on March 22, 20221 when she was working as a phramacy tech at King Soopers grocery store in Boulder when a shooter attacked. Maggie is now a fierce advocate for gun restrictions and has been open to sharing her story in the news about the tragedy she was apart of. Maggie also qualified for the 2021 Olympic Trials in the 10,000m but sadly had to miss the race due to injury.

Maggie overcame her challenging 2021 with a top 10 finish at the Chicago Marathon placing 8th in 2.28:07. She is also pursuing a masters in public health and signed her first professional contract with Salomon running this year! I hope you learn a little more about Maggie and I can't wait to watch her career rise even higher.

Support our sponsors:

Salomon was born in the French Alps in 1947 and has an incredible lineup of road and trail running footwear & hydration gear – perfect for any runner, on any terrain – no matter the challenge.  They are alchemists, creating magic with a “why not” spirit. From trail running to snowboarding, their goal is to make gear that transforms sports experiences. #TomorrowIsYours

Check out www.salomon.com  to try out Salomon's newest line of road and trail shoes

On this episode of More Than Running, I had a great conversation with Duke senior athlete Emily Cole. Emily competes in the steeplechase, and this year she placed 7th at the NCAA Championships and qualified for the USA Championship. Emily is most well known for her social media presence on TikTok and Instagram where she shares daily training, motivation, and her life as a student-athlete. She has been successful in the NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) space as well working with brands and monetizing her social media.

Our conversation is focused on Emily's launch of her book The Player's Plate this week! She will be the first student-athlete to monetize a book published while in university. The Player's Plate was designed to share real practical information for athletes who are aiming to fuel their bodies and minds. Emily was inspired to write the book after she struggled with her own nutrition in high school leading her to a coma due to over hyrdation and low sodium levels. 

Emily is a breath of fresh air and a very inspirational to athletes who are aiming to take ownership over their own nutrition. Enjoy!

▶ Follow Dana: Twitter | Instagram | Tiktok

▶ Follow Emily: Twitter  | Instagram  |  TikTok  - The Player's Plate

" I would love to win a overall World Title again.. To me, that's kind of the, the ultimate goal. So it takes stamina and planning over an entire season. I think it's, it's one of those reach goals where if everything lines up, we have a shot and making this happen." - Jessie Diggins

Three-time Olympian and three-time Olympic Medalist Gold (2018), Silver (2022), Bronze (2022) cross-country skier Jessie Diggins joins me on the More Than Running podcast. Jessie and I have crossed paths a few times, but this was my first opportunity to dig into the person who Jessie is outside of competition. Jessie uses running to strengthen her base for long seasons of competition in Europe. 

Jessie is a fierce advocate for eating disorder treatment after overcoming her own battles in her early career. She also is an advocate against climate change and travels annually to lobby for climate protective measures in Washington, D.C. Jessie's positive message, infectious personality and grit to win are so unique and I hope you all enjoy this episode sharing a little more about who she is outside of competition. 

Support our sponsors:

Salomon was born in the French Alps in 1947 and has an incredible lineup of road and trail running footwear & hydration gear – perfect for any runner, on any terrain – no matter the challenge.  They are alchemists, creating magic with a “why not” spirit. From trail running to snowboarding, their goal is to make gear that transforms sports experiences. #TomorrowIsYours

Check out www.salomon.com  to try out Salomon's newest line of road and trail shoes

Summertime is over, folks! And we are kicking off the 5th season of More Than Running with Dana. My life has changed significantly in the past year as I transitioned from professional track, moved across the country to SF, and worked several jobs. Over this past year, I've learned that joy is the truest source of success, and this season is focused on finding joy in passions, whether running or something off-piste on the trails or even other sports. Running connects us, and I am here to keep telling stories of women who inspire me daily. 

Kicking off season 5 is the one and only Courtney Dauwalter. When you google search ultra running it is likely that an image of Courtney comes up. In this conversation, I fully admit to my lack of knowledge in the trail world and try to learn the basics from the best. Courtney is a UTMB winner and is closing the gender gap in sport as she is closing the time barrier of her male counterparts in races. Learn about Courtney's dream to continues smashing adventure project and potentially host her own race weekend (looking at you Salomon!)

Trails are not my first love of running but I'm growing to love them more and more every day and Courtney's experience running an ultramarathon with her mom may have almost inspired me to sign up for an ultra (only if it is with them of course. I'm partnering with Salomon for the first few episodes of More Than Running this season to celebrate the Salomon Women's Trail Half marathon in my backyard in Marin. It is my first trail race and I'm fully expecting to get wooped. Salomon is changing the standard in women's racing and is providing on-site childcare and lactation stations which is just the best thing ever. I can't wait to report how this race goes!

Support our sponsors:

Salomon was born in the French Alps in 1947 and has an incredible lineup of road and trail running footwear & hydration gear – perfect for any runner, on any terrain – no matter the challenge.  They are alchemists, creating magic with a “why not” spirit. From trail running to snowboarding, their goal is to make gear that transforms sports experiences. #TomorrowIsYours

Check out www.salomon.com  to try out Salomon's newest line of road and trail shoes

“ In fact, maybe the only way to get to where you want is to detour from that path that you had in mind originally, or that, you know, is the traditional path of doing things and, and trusting that those people in your support network will actually...Be excited about it”

Vanessa Fraser joins the More Than Running Podcast to discuss some big changes in her life. We recorded this in my living room in San Francisco, which will play a big role in her career moving forward.

For those who may not be as familiar, Vanessa joined the Nike Bowerman Track Club after graduating from Stanford in 2018 as a seven-time All-American. As a member of the Bowerman Track Club, Fraser set personal bests of 4:09.74 for 1500m, 4:37.33 for the mile, 8:53.11 for 3,000m (indoors), 14:48.51 for 5000m (indoors) and 31:52.11 for 10,000 meters.

She has decided to relocate to San Francisco for a new job with a VC firm but will still run under contract with Nike and be coached by Shalane Flanagan, who is an assistant coach with the Bowerman Track Club and just joined the University of Oregon track & field and cross country program as an assistant coach under Jerry Schumacher.

We touch on her career, her interests and so much more in this conversation.

▶ Follow Dana: Twitter | Instagram | Tiktok

▶ Follow Vanessa: Instagram

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS

@HaywardMagic is the Instagram home for the true track & field diehards, dreamers and fans. They are sharing the magic of the sport and elevating the athletes that push it forward. Follow them on Instagram @HaywardMagic.

This episode is a long time coming. Fellow podcaster Ali Feller joins me on More Than Running podcast to catch up and share more about her "goals", dreams, and current life update. Ali is the host of the Ali on the Run Show which is now on its 550th episode! Ali is a beam of light in the running world and I loved picking her brain about how she thinks about her own training, her show, and her experience working behind the scenes at the World Championships.

I first time I  "met" Ali was a guest on her podcast and I have been a huge fan ever since. Ali proves to me my favorite quote "there is room for all of us at the finish line". I hope in this episode you learn something new about Ali and enjoy a conversation between two women who share a love of running and all the positive parts of the community. 

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS

@HaywardMagic is the Instagram home for the true track & field diehards, dreamers and fans. They are sharing the magic of the sport and elevating the athletes that push it forward. Follow them on Instagram @HaywardMagic.

"I'm getting emotional thinking about it. He picked her up and they stood there for six minutes hugging. It was so so sweet... Just to see those moments where it's a moment that nobody else got to witness...Her joy that I was able to be a part of making happen was super special." - Jessi Gabriel on the inside moments of Eugene 22

Wow, what a week it has been coming off the World Championships in Oregon. I spent a week in Eugene for the third time this year (Prefontaine Classic, USA Championships, and Worlds) working with the Citius Mag Team to amplify athlete stories. I am so proud of our team and believe we made a difference in highlighting the athletes on and off the track.

On this episode of More Than Running, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Jessi Gabriel to digest the magic that was the World Championships in Eugene. Jessi is the communications director for the local organizing committee of the Oregon 22 World Championships. Previously, Jessi worked at Tracktown USA and has lived in Eugene for seven years with professional runner partner Ben Blankenship. 

Get the complete inside scoop on what it takes to put on a World Championships in a small college town, what happens after the meet is over, and more! You might even find out who is Legend the Bigfoot the mascot of Eugene 22. Jessi gives a deep dive into the work that happens behind the scenes to bring the final product we see in the stands and on TV. The World Championships are our sport at its best but it doesn't happen without the work of so many individuals like Jessi Gabriel.

If you liked this episode please give me a review and subscribe! It helps keep telling amazing stories like Jessi's to the world that needs to deserve to hear them. 

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS

@HaywardMagic is the Instagram home for the true track & field diehards, dreamers and fans. They are sharing the magic of the sport and elevating the athletes that push it forward. Follow them on Instagram @HaywardMagic.