Upcoming Podcasts

We will discuss the making of the runnerd brand and talk about focus of our podcast. We'll announce several future guests of the podcast. Our future guests will be authors of fiction and non-fiction works related to running. Listen in as you might find out that you too are a runnerd.

On this episode, Don will be talking to runnerd press author, Bill Kenley, about his first novel High School Runner. Learn more about the author, his writing process, back stories on the characters, and what he is working on next.

High School Runner effectively follows the long-held tradition of coming-of-age novels, but with some twists. It tells the story of Sherman Leopold Kindle, or K1, a ninth grader beginning his high school journey as an initially apprehensive member of the cross-country track team. Over the course of the season, he learns to rise to the challenge of the work, self-discipline, teamwork, and most importantly, empathy. His often hilarious, sometimes pathetic, and ultimately pitiful coach mentors all of the runners - veteran or rookie, braggart or slacker, star or dud - in less-than-conventional fashion. As his life falls completely apart - both personal and professional - Coach Viddstein molds his team and inspires them to their greatest success. With splendid details and incisive, humorous writing, Bill Kenley brings High School Runner to the finish line.

We will speak with author Todd Corbin, CPC. Todd is a mindfulness and mental performance coach, author, speaker, avid runner, and learning specialist. He spent more than two decades in higher education publishing and was a Community College instructor for twelve years, teaching courses in stress management, communication skills, peak performance, mindfulness, and meditation. Todd is co-author of the best-selling, Mindfulness For Student Athletes: A Workbook to Help Teens Reduce Stress and Enhance Performance.

​Stay in the moment, stay in the game! With this fun and engaging workbook for young athletes, you’ll find practical ways to cope with stress and improve your performance, no matter what sport you play.

If you’re like many other high school or college students, you probably feel pressure to perform at a high level—both in the classroom and on the field. Unfortunately, this pressure can cause lots of stress and anxiety. To make matters worse, you may find it difficult to effectively manage all of these demands on your time, energy, and health. This is where mindfulness can help.

Mindfulness allows you to stay present, focus, and be calm with your thoughts and emotions, no matter how stressful life gets. In Mindfulness for Student Athletes, you’ll find practical and tactical ways to cope with stress and anxiety in the moment, prevent stress in the future, and experience more satisfaction and enjoyment while playing sports. You’ll also find proven-effective tools to naturally enhance your performance.

The mindfulness skills outlined in this workbook will not only help you on the field—but in life as well. You’ll be able to take what you’ve learned and apply it to any situation, from job interviews to scoring a touchdown. What a gift to have!

When the book What Made Maddy Run was first brought to my attention by my daughter Emmeline, she was talking about it over a family dinner, I took notice. Our entire family took notice. My wife Liz began reading the book soon after that conversation. We bought a second copy of the book. Over the next couple of months, the entire family had read the book. It's not uncommon for Liz or me to have read a book the kids are reading for school or to read along with them. It is uncommon for all four of us to read the same book. When deciding on a list of books to discuss in an episode of this podcast, What Made Maddy Run was at the top of the list.

What Made Maddy Run was written by bestselling author Kate Fagan. The author expertly navigates the delicateness of the subject matter, mental health and suicide. The story of Madison Holleran, Maddy to her family and friends, is one of a gifted student and athlete. She is described as beautiful, funny, and popular by those who knew her. Her social media accounts portrayed her as being full of life. And yet, as Maddy transitioned to her freshmen year of college she was met with feelings, internal struggles that she hadn't encountered before. Maddy contemplates quitting sports which was always a big part of her identity. She also considers transferring to a different college as she seeks to be happy again. Kate uses letters to and from Maddy; social media posts; first-person accounts; and elements of her own mental health concerns and experiences to describe Maddy's state of mind.

Throughout the book you will root for Maddy to find the answers she needs. You will relate to Maddy, her family, her friends, her coaches, and her teammates at different times. You will be left feeling empathetic for all of those folks in her life who will forever mourn her. We are reminded after reading this book to be kind to everyone you meet because you don't know what struggles they are facing. And as a parent, I am reminded to hug my kids and tell them I love them often.

My guests for this episode are Mr. Ryan Collins and Coach Josh Wachtel. They are the gentlemen who created the high school reading assignment that brought Maddy into our lives. Ryan and Josh are English teachers at Westfield High School (Indiana). The three of us discuss the scope of the student choice assignment. You will find out why What Made Maddy Run was added to the list of novels to choose from. We dig into student reactions after reading the book. We explore the impact of social media on the perception of happiness. And we talk about the importance of having someone to be able to open up to. None of us knew Maddy or her family personally but we were all moved by their story.

New York Times bestselling author Neal Bascomb joins us to discuss his book, The Perfect Mile. In the book, Neal depicts the virtual three man race towards the sub 4:00 minute mile. Sir Roger Bannister, John Landy, and Wes Santee captured the imagination of the world as each trained for and attempted to be the first man to achieve the mark. Neal spoke with each athlete about their experiences leading up to the fateful day and what it meant for their lives afterward. During our conversation, Neal describes his conversations with Bannister, Landy, and Santee. He let's us in on what it was like to walk the track with Sir Roger at Iffley Road. You'll feel as though you are getting a first hand view yourself. History comes to life in this episode.

Lindsey A. Freeman is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Simon Fraser University. In Running, the former NCAA Division I track athlete presents the feminist and queer handbook of running that she always wanted but could never find. For Freeman, running is full of joy, desire, and indulgence in the pleasure and weirdness of having a body. It allows for a space of freedom—to move and be moved. Through tender storytelling of a lifetime wearing running shoes, Freeman considers injury and recovery, what it means to run as a visibly queer person, and how the release found in running comes from a desire to touch something that cannot be accessed when still. Running invites us to run through life, legging it out the best we can with heart and style.

This episode features guest Lenecia Nickell. Lenecia is the Director of Sports Psychology and Wellness at the University of Cincinnati, a Division I school joining the Big 12 in July. Lenecia and I discuss the mental health of student-athletes. She talks about the mental health as it relates to sports performance and day-to-day mental wellbeing. Listen as Lenecia provides guidance for athletes and coaches.

We will speak with State Championship winning coach, Scott Lidskin, shares his perspective on what it takes to achieve excellence in high school cross country. His own career began in 1988 as a high school runner at Glenbrook South High School (suburban Chicago) where he earned All-State honors twice, including a state runner-up finish as a senior. He went on to run at Butler University where he was a four-time team MVP and school record holder in the 3000, 5000, and 10,000 meter races. After graduation he signed on to run for ASICS and qualified for three USATF Championship meets (including PRs of 29:29 for 10k, 13:59 for 5k, and 8:04 for 3k). In 1996 he was hired to coach cross country at Westfield High School in Indiana. While at Westfield, his teams won four state championships (1998, 2005, 2006, 2007), one state runner up (2004) and we had six other top 10 finishes at the state finals. His teams qualified for the national NXN championships three times. Additionally, he coached two state championship 3200 meter relay teams in track and field. He currently lives in suburban Indianapolis with his wife and two daughters.

In his book, Scott addresses the mental and physical elements of distance running. Scott provides details about how to create successful teams. Additionally, he addresses how he overcame pitfalls to achieve the peak of success as a high school cross country coach.

Tim's first novel, The Order of the Red Lion, will be released on August 10, 2023. Listen in as we talk about the path that led Tim to write about pre-World War II Luxembourg in his young adult suspense-thriller.

Author Bill Kenley is our first return guest on the podcast. He joins us to talk about his second novel, Tiny Little Running Shorts, a collection of short-stories in this sequel to his debut novel High School Runner.

Martinus Evans is the author of The Slow AF Run Club, a practical, hands-on guide for getting started as a runner. Martinus wrote the book that he wished he had when he first began running. The basic underlying premise is that regardless of body type or ability, he believes there is a place in the running community for anyone who wants to participate. And the book does a fantastic job of laying out "must know" elements of becoming a runner. Martinus covers mindset, training, goal setting, nutrition, and so much more. So far over 20,000 people have joined the movement. Listen in as Martinus shares stories from his own running experience as a 6' 4" 300+ pound runner, how being black impacts the way he thinks about training logistics, and his next big undertaking, starting a not-for-profit to assist runners in underserved communities. Runnerd Library supports inclusivity and is proud to share Martinus's message with our audience. Visit www.slowafrunclub.com to learn more about the movement and see Martinus's upcoming events.

A prolific writer, Jason is the author of 14 books: Coaching the Kenyans, The Endurance of Speed, Work Out, Running Periodization, The Inner Runner, Running a Marathon For Dummies, Run Your Fat Off, Lose it Forever, Sexercise, 14-Minute Metabolic Workouts, Running for Women, 101 Winning Racing Strategies for Runners, 101 Developmental Concepts & Workouts for Cross Country Runners, and How to Survive Your PhD. He is also editor of the sixth edition of Track & Field Omnibook. He has more than 400 articles published in numerous international coaching, running, and fitness trade and consumer magazines, including Track Coach, Techniques for Track & Field and Cross Country, New Studies in Athletics, Runner’s World, Running Times, Women’s Running, Marathon & Beyond, IDEA Fitness Journal, Oxygen, PTontheNet.com, and Shape, among others. He also served as senior editor for Active Network and is the founder of and principal agent at JK Literary Agency.

Jason is a USA Track & Field certified coach, has been sponsored by PowerBar and Brooks, and was a member of the silver-medal winning United States Masters Team at the 2013 World Maccabiah Games in Israel.

Jason was awarded the 2011 IDEA Personal Trainer of the Year (the fitness industry’s highest award), is a two-time recipient of the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, & Nutrition Community Leadership Award (2014, 2019), and was a 2019 finalist for Personal Fitness Professional Trainer of the Year and 2020 finalist for Association of Fitness Studios Influencer of the Year.

Jason received his PhD in exercise physiology with a physiology minor from Indiana University, his MBA in entrepreneurship from San Diego State University, his master’s degree in kinesiology from the University of Calgary, and his bachelor’s degree in exercise and sport science with an English minor from Penn State University. His research has been published in several scientific journals, and he serves as a journal expert peer reviewer.