Let Me Run is no stranger here on the Running Around Charlotte Podcast! Their mission to give young boys the tools they need to navigate the world and their emotions in a healthy and constructive way is one that we here on the podcast believe wholeheartedly.

Today we are joined by a friend of ours from the organization, Jesse Smith. If that name sounds familiar you may have seen him running, volunteering, serving as an elder in the church, or during 2018 and 2019 as a member of the Charlotte Marathon Ambassadors. Jesse was recently named the Let Me Run Regional Director for the Greater Charlotte Area and he is here today to tell us a little about that, what Let Me Run has coming up this year and more.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 17:02 — 15.6MB)

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Nothing compares to a day enjoying the natural beauty of the Carolinas at the US National Whitewater Center. Whether you are a biker, runner, climber, hiker, kayaker, tuber, ice skater, SUPer, etc, the Whitewater Center is your place for adventures year round! Days at the Whitewater center are some of the best that you can spend with your friends and family.

Today we are joined by Jesse Hyde from the Whitewater Center. Jesse is here to talk all things Whitewater including some of the new projects they are working on! Without further adieu let’s get started!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 24:06 — 22.1MB)

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Pace, distance, cadence, water stops, bathroom breaks, nutrition intake… the list goes on. There are a lot of things that we expect to worry about when we are going running, especially if we are training for or running a race. One thing that we shouldn’t have to worry about is whether or not we will be safe on our runs. However, news story after new story tells us differently. Safety can be a big concern for runners of all ages, races, genders, and identities.

Today we are joined by Laura Morrow from RunCltRun and she is her to talk to us about the precautions we can take to be a little safer on our runs as well as the larger conversation on why these precautions have to be taken in the first place.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 18:28 — 16.9MB)

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We love to run. The feeling of crossing the finish line, of getting a new PR, and just being around the running community is why we love our sport. But at the Novant Health Charlotte Marathon race day is just the beginning. Part of every race entry is a donation that goes to the Novant Health Hemby Children’s Hospital, and through your support, the marathon has been able to donate over $250,000 over the years to help the children and families receiving care.

Today we are joined by Dr. Erin Trakas, a NICU doctor at Hemby Children’s Hospital. She and her colleagues work everyday to provide medical care for children and support their families through what are mostly likely the hardest times in their lives.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 15:49 — 14.5MB)

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We’re almost ready for the Novant Health Charlotte Marathon, and it’s a good thing too because it is right around the corner. It takes a lot to put on a race of this size from closing down streets, to getting vendors, to making sure that we’ve got a fancy finish festival for you to sprint into.

With just a couple weeks left it’s great to see everything coming together and we thought it would be great to get an update from Dr. Lisa Rentz the marathon medical director with everything you need to know to stay safe on race day!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 22:23 — 20.5MB)

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Running is a great sport, there’s no getting around that! It’s a great way to meet people, it’s always a great feeling of accomplishment to reach your running goals, and among sports, it has a pretty low barrier to entry. No need to buy a bat or racket. If you had to, you could probably go for a run in the shoes you are wearing right now! Running is one of the few sports that can really meet you where you are and our next guest is a testament to that.

Today on the podcast we are joined by Jaime McDonald! If you are a part of the Charlotte Running scene you’ve definitely seen Jaime running around town, working at your local running store, pacing a race or cheering for you from the sidelines.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 18:22 — 16.8MB)

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How do you get out of your own head and start working towards your goals? Well, sometimes the first step is the hardest. And the longer you wait, the more time you have to build it up in your head until taking that one step turns into something much more difficult. But when should you take that first step? Well today’s guest would say that today is the best day to take that first step.

This week on the podcast we are joined by Troy Gagliardo. Troy decided to take that one step about 1000 days ago and hasn’t looked back. He’s here to tell us a little about what he’s been up to since he got out of his own way.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 23:57 — 22.0MB)

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Have you ever been out for a run or in a race and seen someone carrying a backpack? You think to yourself… surely they aren’t carrying their computer, in the hopes that they can fire off a few emails mid-race. Well depending on where you were those people were probably rucking! Wondering what rucking is, who the people that do it are, and how you can join the fun? Well, you’ve come to the right place!

This week’s podcast guest is Amy Petersen! Amy is here from Pathfinder Rucking and she is here to take the mystery out of rucking. She’ll be explaining the reasons behind it, the training, and how you can show up and have a great rucking experience on race day.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 18:38 — 17.1MB)

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We all remember 2020 as a year when everything changed. We had to stay in our homes, and words like social distancing and pandemic became a part of our everyday language.  We traded happy hours at the bar for drinks in our pajamas over zoom and we all collectively forgot what the bottom half of a human face looks like. It’s safe to say that 2020 was a tough year for just about everyone, and if you or a loved one contracted Covid-19 we can only imagine.

We aren’t afraid to say it. Covid was scary! In 2020 we didn’t know much but we knew that it could really hurt your lungs and that some people weren’t able to bounce back from it. So you can imagine when Alejandro (Alex) Burgos contracted Covid in the middle of training for a 100mi race it really threw a wrench in his plans. But enough introduction we can hear all about it from the man himself. Thanks for joining us today Alejandro.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 17:40 — 24.3MB)

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Isms… Racism, Sexism, Classism, Ableism, the list goes on. We are all affected by them even if it is not directly. But it is important to remember that even if something does not affect you or someone you love that doesn’t mean it doesn’t matter. Our world needs to change and become more inclusive and though at times it seems like we are more divided than ever organizations like our next podcast guest give us hope that maybe we are not quite as divided as we think.

This week on the podcast we are joined by Jillian Peat Hamilton from Race Against ISMs 5K. They are here to tell us about the opportunities that their race provides as well as the work that we must keep doing if we hope to achieve a world without -isms!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 23:33 — 32.4MB)

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