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Girls on the Run

We’re so happy it’s Spring! We not only love the weather and want to go for a run, but it’s time for spring running programs for the kids. One of our favorites started right here in Charlotte – Girls On The Run. The organization now serves more than 200-thousand girls a year in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. It teaches more than just running, too – it teaches social and emotional skills, confidence, and good life habits, to name a few. Joining us today on Running Around Charlotte are Development Director Monica Carr and Council Director Jamie Krusch.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 18:59 — 26.1MB)

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Sarah Connolly – Cortland

We’re excited about our remaining races in the 6 Pack Race Series and the Novant Health Charlotte Marathon. One reason is, they’re great races and we have a lot of fun. Another – and even better reason – is the money we can raise for a lot of good causes around our region.

Our Sponsors are an important part of making that happen, and this year, Cortland Apartment Living joins the party as a sponsor, with a $1,000 donation to the named beneficiary at each race! They’re also adding a little fun with the Cortland Celebration Zone at every finish line. Their support for the Six Pack and Marathon is a nice fit with their “healthy lifestyle” living arrangements at their 11 properties around the Charlotte area. But wait, there’s more to their community outreach – and Courtland’s managing director Sarah Connolly is here with us today on the Running Around Charlotte Podcast to tell us all about it.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 17:20 — 23.8MB)

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Xavier Vargas – Ambassador

We welcome runners from every background at the Novant Health Charlotte Marathon, and choose Ambassadors who reflect that, too. Our next guest on the Running Around Charlotte podcast is a husband and father of two, who hails from the Bronx – but he’s been around the world serving in the U.S. Army, and also found the time to give back to the community he lives in now – Camden, South Carolina – while pursuing his MBA. Sounds like he has a full plate! Let’s learn more about Xavier Vargas, who you’ll see running our Six Pack races and the marathon.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 20:54 — 28.7MB)

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Ashley Muschiatti – Novant

One of the number one questions for any runner is how to FUEL. Yes, what to eat, when to eat it, and how much to eat for the distance you want to run in training or a race. If you feel like you’re just going from experience or trying to figure out a complex mathematical formula for every meal, we get it. Our next guest on the Running Around Charlotte podcast gets it too – and she’s got the knowledge to help! Ashley Muschiatti is a Registered Dietician and Performance Specialist with Novant Health Sports Performance, and she’s got answers.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 22:56 — 31.5MB)

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Marshall & Hugh Love – Runner

April is Autism Awareness Month, and if you’ve never known a young athlete on the spectrum, we’d like to introduce you to one. Autistic athletes are not only capable, but can also be fast! And Marshall Love is a great example of that– just one year after he began running, he took first at the Let Me Run 5k! He is part of a pretty substantial community of runners who are on the spectrum, and Marshall and his dad Hugh are joining us on the Running Around Charlotte podcast to tell us their story.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 20:13 — 13.9MB)

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Bethany Salisbury – Artist

If you have a pet, you know it’s part of the family! But you also know how hard it is to capture their spirit in a photo, because the best moments often come out a blur – it’s not easy to make them sit still when they’re being cute. So how do you turn a treasured glimpse of your pet into a keepsake?

Our next guest on the Running Around Charlotte podcast can help. Pet Portraits by Bethany can help you slow down the motion and capture your awesome BFF – best 4-footed friend – forever. And the artist, Bethany Salisbury, is also a runner! The former VP of the Charlotte Running Club joins us today to talk about life as a runner, artist, and now, Fine Arts grad student.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 22:53 — 15.7MB)

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Nathan Leehman – Ultra Running Company

We know marathoners are a special breed – it takes a lot of time, energy, and dedication to train for a 26-mile race and be any good at it. But let’s quadruple that distance for a moment, and consider the energy, sweat, and *we’re pretty sure,* TEARS that come with a 100-mile race. If you’re good, that’s 20-some hours of running at once.

We’re joined today on the Running Around Charlotte Podcast today by one of those very special people, who travels the world competing in Ultramarathons. Even better, he opened a running store in 2013 so people who love running could gather, hang out, talk about running, and yes, buy exactly the right shoes for them. It’s our pleasure to say hi today to Nathan Leehman.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 28:55 — 19.9MB)

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Donny Forsyth – Charlotte Running Company

We always hear that age slows us down, but our next guest on Running Around Charlotte defies that idea. Donny Forsyth is one of the top Masters triathletes in the country, winning his age group at races all over the U.S. with his team, Triple Threat Racing. In December, he competed in the XTerra World Championships, and hasn’t stopped there.

It’s a good thing he owns a shoe store, with all of the rubber he wears out! Yes, Donny is one of the owners of Charlotte Running Company, which has 5 locations around the Charlotte area and -STOP THE PRESSES- was just named 2021 Best Running Store in America at The Running Event in Austin, Texas. He’s joining us now to tell us how a guy with a Masters Degree in Park & Recreation Management landed his first job in pharmaceuticals, only to transition to owning the best running store in America a few years later.

 

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 29:13 — 20.1MB)

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Lorna Martinez – Famous Toastery

Want a fun, fresh breakfast? The answer is apparently, “Yes,” because a small house-turned-restaurant that first served breakfast in Huntersville in 2005, now has more than 30 locations across 6 states! Yum! If you live in the Charlotte area, chances are you’ve eaten at a Famous Toastery. 

And if you hurry, you can sign up for the Famous Toastery Shamrock 4-Miler coming up March 12th. Get your green on and go run! It’s a really fun, “top o’ the morning” event in a sea of green. Lorna Martinez is joining us now on the Running Around Charlotte Podcast to fill us in on what’s new at Famous Toastery and their involvement in the first race of our 6-pack series.

 

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 17:00 — 11.7MB)

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John Gerst – Ironman

We all make resolutions at some point – and we often make them in the New Year, whether we speak them out loud or not. Tops on those lists are diet and exercise, which many of us follow through on, though not always with the desired results. We get it.

But our next guest on Running Around Charlotte made a plan and stuck to it. John Gerst is a preacher, an auto-finance guy, a husband, and a father… so we know his time is not his own. But in 5 years, he’s gone from 352 pounds of praise and love to a half-marathon and half-ironman finisher… and half the weight he used to be! How did he do it? Well, let’s hear it from him.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 21:54 — 15.1MB)

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