Holistic, deep-thoughts innovator and Runner of the Week, Brent Robertson, joins the show to tell how he went from being unhealthy to marathoner—and how that has affected his career, relationships, and his entire life. Serena, Marie, RD, talks about the exclusive TRLS Shake Yo’ Sugar Habit Challenge, and Kari gives an update on her sugar-free Lent experience this past week. Kari recaps Cupid’s Undie Run in Washington, DC and her experience meeting Kim Stemple from We Finish Together. Serena busts some electrolyte myths and shares the best source of electrolyte replenishment when you are feeling off or need to rehydrate.

Featured Guest and Runner of the Week: Brent Robertson

Hear how Brent Robertson went from being overweight and having a heart condition to running marathons and how it has affected his career, relationships, and the rest of his life.

• Explains how he started running (in April 2014)—and how it became a practice of discipline
• Chats about the body, mind, and soul connection and how he took responsibility for the viability of his wellbeing
• Talks about his ideal for a work environment where we can fully express ourselves (we spend so much time working anyway, why not connect to ourselves more deeply and have it expressed through our work?) and how his business, Fathom, revolves around that theory
• Uses ideograms to help understand his employees and himself
• Explores his running challenges
• Loves posting his runs on social media—and it actually helped him catch his atrial fibrillation, which is a quivering or irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia) that can lead to blood clots, stroke, heart failure, and other heart-related complications
• Ran a 5K and the next day had heart surgery in June 2014 (and ran a ten-mile race three weeks later!)
• Signed up his first half marathon in Fall 2014 (Hartford Half Marathon in the pouring rain)
• Ran the Gansett Half Marathon in Narragansett, RI the following weekend (in hurricane conditions)
• Adopted a policy where he always signs up for his next event the day before the event he’s about to run
• Used a training program that the West Hartford Fleet Feet ran and joined a running group (January 2015)
• About a month before he signed up for the Vermont City Marathon (in Burlington), the Sierra Club reached out and asked if he would run with their team for the Boston Marathon (which was only four weeks away at the time), so Boston became his first marathon (and he finished in 3:37)!
• Is coaching runners for the 2016 Boston Marathon
• Started a trail-running group and ran 26 miles of the Appalachian Trail
• Is currently training for a BQ at the Sugarloaf Marathon on May 15, 2016
• Suggests Cloze for smarter relationship management and uses Evernote
• Ran the New York City Marathon this fall after rupturing a disk in his back
• Has the Traprock 50K trail run in April 2016

Jabra

Have you entered yet to win a FREE set of Jabra Pulse earbuds this month? Jabra, a TRLS show sponsor, is giving away a free pair in February, so sprint over to Jabra.com/TRL, and sign up for the TRLS e-mail list at therunninglifestyle.com/join to enter to win. This month’s winner will also receive an exclusive Skype call with Kari. She loves the Pulse for the in-ear heart-rate monitoring and amazing sound quality.

Serena Marie, RD

Serena Marie, RD, the show’s go-to, real-food dietitian, chats about the Shake Yo’ Sugar Habit Challenge and more.

• Describes the three-week challenge that re-examines eating choices
• Kari admits that she got headaches at the beginning (which could be a sign of withdrawal)
• Kari has more energy and feels more in control
• Serena explains that the more choices you have, the more likely you are to overeat—limiting your options is a way for your brain to relax and not make so many choices
• Kari drinks smoothies with frozen strawberries, almond milk, and avocado, chia or hemp seeds, unsweetened, shredded coconut, and tangerines
• To join, go to com for details and access to a special Facebook group
• Kari recaps Cupid’s Undie Run in Washington, DC on February 13, 2016 and meeting Kim Stemple from We Finish Together (and the episode “Special Mindful Monday w/Kim Stemple, Founder of We Finish Together” [Episode 103])
• Kari met the founder of Cupid’s Undie Run (which holds races across the country), Bobby Van, who was named one of Runner’s World’s most inspiring runners (He raises money for the Children’s Tumor Foundation)
• Went to watch the Olympic Marathon Trials with a group of runners (including Melani Hom) at Duffy’s Irish Pub (the pub opened up early for folks to watch the trials!)
• The ladies were rooting for Meb of course, Galen Rupp took first (and this was his first marathon), Jared Ward took third, and Luke Puskedra took fourth (which means he’s the alternate)
• On the women’s side, Amy Cragg and Shalane Flanagan ran almost the whole race together; Desiree (Desi) Linden ran a great race, and Kara Goucher came in fourth
• Special thanks to Jeff Caron from ElliptiGO® who connected Kari with fellow runners
• Serena also suggests coconut water (potassium) with honey or salt to replenish electrolytes for someone who’s very active; bone broth with apple cider vinegar, salt, and veggies for someone who’s feeling ill

Thanks to Jeff Paladina at Fleet Feet Sports in Mechanicsville, PA on Sunday, March 6 at 9:30 a.m. EST, Kari will talk about living a running lifestyle and a behind-the-scenes look at The Running Lifestyle show, and then the group is going to go out for a run. Kari is looking forward to meeting up with runners!

Visit Delaware on Mother’s Day weekend to hang out with Kari at the Delaware Marathon Festival! The Delaware Marathon Running Festival, on May 8, 2016, is amazing thanks to Race Directors Joel and Stacey Schiller (Stacey will be announcing at the marathon and half marathon finish line, and Kari will be the announcer at the relay finish line.)

Head over to the Delaware Marathon Festival web site. When registering for a race, use The Running Lifestyle Show (TRLS) as a team and receive the following discounts:

• $20 off the marathon ($90 by February 29^thwith the TRLS discount)
• $10 off the half marathon ($75 with the TRLS discount by February 29^th)
• $10 off a four-person relay team ($150 with the TRLS discount by February 29th)
• $20 off an eight-person relay team ($300 with the TRLS discount by February 29th)

Kari will be hosting a meet up in Wilmington, DE on May 7. E-mail Kari@TheRunningLifestyle.com for details.

To show your TRLS love at the festival, run over to the Shop section of the TRLS web site to grab your TRLS apparel.

Next week, Kari will talk with Cailyn Ryan about how companies are looking at the lifestyle market and what trends are popping up.

Please remember to review TRLS in iTunes or recommend the show to your friends and show them how to subscribe!

Contact:

Brent Robertson:

Website: Fathom.net
Facebook: /brent.robertson
Twitter: @brentrobertson

Serena Marie, RD:

Website: www.SerenaMarieRD.com
Facebook: /SerenaMarieRD
Twitter: @SerenaMarieRD
Instagram: SerenaMarieRD

Kari Gormley:

Facebook: The Running Lifestyle Show
Twitter: @KariGormley
Instagram: @KariGormley

Aqua fitness professional and Runner of the Week, Connie Lagerhausen, chats with show host Kari Gormley about how aqua running can benefit injured and healthy runners alike. Serena, Marie, RD, talks about shaking yo’ sugar habits, and Kari and Serena give updates on how their running is going this winter.

Runner of the Week: Connie Lagerhausen

Aqua fitness professional, Connie Lagerhausen, explains what aqua running is, some of the misconceptions surrounding it, and different equipment options.

• Has been teaching aqua fitness for over three decades
• Is certified with the Aquatic Exercise Association
• Explores how waltz music and REO Speedwagon led her to aqua fitness
• Runs for fun when she’s not coaching and teaching
• Chats about her experiences with the Milwaukee Marathon in October 2015 and the Rock ‘n Roll Half Marathon in Phoenix, AZ this month (February 2016)
• Shares a Brené Brown moment with Kari
• Talks about training in the AZ summer heat (running between 3:30 and 4 a.m.): “Train before the Death Star rises.”
• Explains some of the misconceptions about aqua running
• Explores the benefits of cross training—think about this: a 120-pound woman weighs 12 pounds in the water!
• Shares the Aqua Bootcamp experience and why it was harder on Kari than aqua running
• Explains the proper aqua running form (that takes a few times to get used to)
• Describes taking your run to the water with the same intensity or effort as running on land; work out for the same amount of time in both mediums
• Introduces aqua fitness equipment including the aqua belt (like the Hydro-Fit Classic WAVE Belt that Kari used, the AquaJogger Active Water Exercise Buoyancy Belt that Connie uses, or the Aquatic Fitness Hydro Resistant Jog Belt) and gloves (such as the Hydro-Fit WAVE Web Pro gloves for more resistance)
• Suggests shoes for resistance and to protect/support your feet in shallow water (or swimmies for folks who are very strong in the deep end or even no equipment at all)
• Describes water walking for a warm up (heel toe)
• Explores why swimmers tend to lean forward too much
• Get this: 50–75 percent of training can be done in the pool if you’re not injured
• Kari and Connie bond over the Spirit of the Marathon and how Deena Kastor trained in the water and went on to win the Chicago Marathon that year even though she was injured leading up to the race
• Can do the grapevine, standing high-knee drills, use dumbbells, and so on in water
• Shares deep thoughts toward the end of the interview

Jabra

Do you want a chance to win a FREE set of Jabra Pulse earbuds in February? Jabra, a TRLS show sponsor, is giving away a free pair this month, so head on over to Jabra.com/TRL and sign up for the TRLS e-mail list at therunninglifestyle.com/join to enter to win. February’s winner will also receive a special Skype call with Kari. She loves using them while out walking, running, or enjoying aqua fitness.

Serena Marie, RD

Go-to, real-food dietitian Serena Marie, RD, helps Kari and listeners break the sugar habit.

• For Lent (40 days), Kari is giving up added sugar (and thanks to the Shake Yo’ Sugar Habit challenge, even some types of fruit)
• Serena had recently done a Shake Yo’ Sugar Habit challenge/program at her gym in Brooklyn, NY
• When you eat sugary foods (including Stevia-sweetened foods), the brain lights up with dopamine (picture fireworks)
• Blueberries, strawberries, and beets can cause this effect, but by eating processed foods, your body’s response to more natural foods that contain sugar is less strong
• Avoiding sugar helps strengthen that response to more natural foods
• S = Strong for Serena and K = Kind for Kari
• Offers three tips: 1) avoid sugar 2) concentrate on carb and fat intake via a provided list 3) shake yo’ botty (high-intensity interval training) several times a week
• Recommends to shake yo’ cabinets clean of the carbs that aren’t allowed on the allowance list
• Put sugary foods high up on the shelf in opaque containers; put sweets in the freezer
• Offers replacements for sugary foods (for example, adding fruit to yogurt or cottage cheese or using undutched, unsweetened cacao powder [Trade Joe’s, Alter Eco, Navitas Naturals] with nut butters)
• Suggests substituting avocado for banana in smoothies
• Check out the episode about sugar in many forms called “Running for 42 Years with Ellen Rohr (1/2)” (Episode 89)
• Previews fruits to focus on—berries, melons, and citrus fruits
• Suggests avoiding all the polyunsaturated seed oils (vegetable oil, canola oil, corn oil, soy bean oil)
• Recommends Fitocracy
• Serena (knee pain) and Kari (plantar fasciitis) update listeners on their running statuses and cross-training efforts
• Kari tries the Roll Recovery R3 orthopedic foot roller on air and compares it to the Trigger Point foot roller. She likes it a lot and may have sounded like Meg Ryan in “When Harry Met Sally”!
• Join the exclusive TRLS Facebook group and the e-mail list or go to Serena Marie, RD’s web site to get on her e-mail list to gain access to the Shake Yo’ Sugar Habit challenge
• Kari gives a dry hands and heels update (uses coconut oil at night while wearing gloves/socks)

Next week, Brent Robertson joins TRLS to inspire and empower listeners. He is a runner who used the gift of running to lose 50 pounds and is creating amazing running experiences for others through his gift of running.

Visit Delaware on Mother’s Day weekend to hang out with Kari at the Delaware Marathon Festival! The Delaware Marathon Running Festival, on May 8, 2016, is amazing thanks to Race Directors Joel and Stacey Schiller (Stacey will be announcing at the marathon and half marathon finish line, and Kari will be the announcer at the relay finish line.)

Head over to the Delaware Marathon Festival web site. When registering for a race, use The Running Lifestyle Show (TRLS) as a team and receive the following discounts:

• $20 off the marathon ($90 by February 29^thwith the TRLS discount)
• $10 off the half marathon ($75 with the TRLS discount by February 29^th)
• $10 off a four-person relay team ($150 with the TRLS discount by February 29th)
• $20 off an eight-person relay team ($300 with the TRLS discount by February 29th)

To show your TRLS love at the festival, run over to the Shop section of the TRLS web site to grab your TRLS apparel.

Contact:

Connie Lagerhausen:

Email: connie@desertswimschool.com
Website: DesertSwimSchool.com/adult-lessons
Facebook: /theswimguru
Twitter: @charrisonlager

Serena Marie, RD:

Website: www.SerenaMarieRD.com
Facebook: /SerenaMarieRD
Twitter: @SerenaMarieRD
Instagram: SerenaMarieRD

Kari Gormley:

Facebook: The Running Lifestyle Show
Twitter: @KariGormley
Instagram: @KariGormley

Kari re-runs (get it?) her interview with Meb Keflezighi from July 2015, announces the ElliptiGO® ARC, and. goes fan-girl crazy over elite runners like Adrianna Nelson and Luke Puskedra. Serena Marie, RD, illustrates the science behind gluten-free diets.

Febru-Jabr-ary

Jabra, a sponsor of TRLS, is giving away a FREE set of Jabra Pulse earbuds in February! To enter to win, head on over to Jabra.com/TRL and sign up for the TRLS e-mail list at therunninglifestyle.com/join. Don’t forget that February’s winner will also receive an exclusive Skype call with Kari. Kari loves her Jabra Pulse earbuds because of their top-of-the line sound clarity, customizable fit, and ability to connect to many running apps.

The January Jabra Pulse earbuds winner is Marla Lenox from Alabama. Congratulations, Marla! Marla ran the Big Beach Marathon, and she’ll be featured on an upcoming episode to share her race recap and experience there!

Runner of the Week: Meb Keflezighi

Kari shares her experience chatting it up with Meb Keflezighi from “Meb Keflezighi—Achieving Your Dreams Through Hard Work” (Episode 85 Episode 86) and gives listeners an update as well on Mighty Meb now. We typically highlight an everyday Runner of the Week, but in honor of Meb running the Olympic Trials, we thought it would be fitting for Meb to be the Runner of the Week to give him some extra love and good mojo!

• Is the only man to have an Olympic medal who has also won the Boston Marathon and New York City Marathon
• Shares his story about how he came to the United States at twelve years old from a war-torn village from his book Run to Overcome: The Inspiring Story of an American Champion’s Long-Distance Quest to Achieve a Big Dream
• Recounts his seventh-grade Physical Education class and how that inspired him to run (which included a 5:20-minute mile!) and learning what the Olympics were
• Shares his passion for running and the ElliptiGO®
• Talks about Meb for Mortals: How to Run, Think, and Eat Like a Champion Marathoner and how all runners can apply it to their running journeys
• Describes his November 2007 Olympic trials experience in New York and the tragic passing of Ryan Shay and Meb’s devastating hip injury
• Shares some words of wisdom about the New York City Marathon course for Kari and Serena before they ran the marathon in 2015 for Action for Healthy Kids
• Details what the Meb Foundation stands for
• Recalls his 2013 Boston Marathon spectator experience and his 2014 Boston comeback
• Shares his nutritional fuel favorites such as PowerBar, Generation UCan, and KRAVE Jerky
• Raves about his Sketchers and CEP compression socks
• Loves running for the New York Athletic Club
• Dreams big for February 13, 2016 to be able to win the Olympic Marathon Trials to go on to Rio
• Kari announces the ElliptiGO® ARC, which is the lightest and most affordable model from ElliptiGO®
• One runner who uses the ElliptiGO® who is also going to the Olympic Marathon Trials is Adrianna Nelson (of ROLL Recovery). (Her husband Jeremy appeared on “Physical Therapist Advice to A New Runner, Obstacle Racer” [Episode 56].)

Serena Marie, RD

Serena Marie, RD, from the home of one of Meb’s favorite marathons, shares what she found out from Luke Puskedra from “Behind The Scenes at The Chicago Marathon W/ Luke Puskedra, Jon Dunham, & Miguel Blancarte, Jr.” (Episode 99) about why he could run so well.

• Chats about gluten-free diets (which provide more nutrient-rich options)
• Discusses Luke’s wife from South Africa who cooks with legumes
• Offers her take on “leaky gut”
• Kari talks about Tera Moody from “How to Run the Chicago Marathon, With Tera Moody” (Episode 93) who will also be at the Olympic Marathon Trials and also trains on the ElliptiGO®
• Talks about how running is so accepting of every type of person (age, shape, and ability)

Remember, at the end of the day, we all have different paces, and we are so fortunate to have the gift of running in our lives.

Next week, Kari interviews aqua fitness professional Connie Lagerhausen who explains how runners can integrate aqua running and boot camps into training as a way to train when injured or even when you’re not.

Namaste TRLS brothers and sisters!

Contact:

Meb Keflezighi:

Website: MarathonMeb.com
Facebook: /MarathonMeb
Twitter: @runmeb
Instagram: @runmeb

Serena Marie, RD:

Website: www.SerenaMarieRD.com
Facebook: /SerenaMarieRD
Twitter: @SerenaMarieRD
Instagram: SerenaMarieRD

Kari Gormley:

Facebook: The Running Lifestyle Show
Twitter: @KariGormley
Instagram: @KariGormley

Certified Life and Transition Coach, Caroline Large, stops by to chat about relationships (how to find your mate, spice things up, and love yourself). Runner of the Week Christine Schwindt talks about the TMC Sunrise at Old Tucson Trail Run 4M & 1M Walk/Run, and Serena Marie, RD, offers some healthier Valentine’s Day recipe options and love-related activities that you and your sweetie can do together.

Caroline Large

Caroline Large of A La Carte Coaching shares how to find ourselves more and how to build our relationships.

• Explains what a life coach is and does
• Helps us learn how to discover our core values and balance our lives
• Suggests meditation and affirmations for empowerment
• Recommends acknowledging ourselves more
• Offers advice on how to rekindle or grow our relationships
• Discusses the five love languages—gifts, quality time, words of affirmation, acts of service (devotion), and physical touch (intimacy) based on the book The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate by Gary D. Chapman
• Gives guidance for people who are looking to date or find their life partners

Can’t You Feel the [Jabra] Love Tonight?

Jabra, a sponsor of TRLS, is giving away a FREE set of Jabra Pulse earbuds (valued at $199) in February! To win, run over to Jabra.com/TRL and sign up for the TRLS e-mail list at therunninglifestyle.com/join. February’s winner will also receive an exclusive thirty-minute call with Kari. Kari loves using her Jabra Pulse earbuds because of their amazing sound and built-in heart rate monitor.

Runner of the Week: Christine Schwindt

Christine and Kari chat about the TMC Sunrise at Old Tucson Trail Run 4M & 1M Walk/Run together via Periscope audio.

• Just finished her ninth marathon at Rock ‘n Roll Arizona
• Previews her upcoming races in Arizona: IMS Arizona Marathon, Desert Classic Marathon, Phoenix Marathon, The Lost Dutchman Marathon, Ragnar Relay Del Sol

Book Club

The February Book of the Month is Better Than Before: What I Learned About Making and Breaking Habits—to Sleep More, Quit Sugar, Procrastinate Less, and Generally Build a Happier Life by Gretchen Rubin. Make sure to check out gretchenrubin.com for more information and to take the Four Tendencies quiz.

Serena Marie, RD

Go-to real-food dietitian, Serena Marie, RD, offers some alternate ways to make ourselves feel good (besides diving into that big box of chocolates). She also gives some sweet treat tips if you do want to indulge in a healthier way.

• Recommends planning a massage, race, or indoor activity (like rock climbing) together
• Suggests making banana pancakes with frozen berries as a pureed topping or popping popcorn (buy kernels yourself and cook in a paper bag in the microwave and add undutched, unprocessed cocoa powder and a small amount of coconut sugar or Stevia powder)
• Also recommends 80 percent or greater dark chocolate like the Alter Eco brand that Kari and Serena both love or pitted dates filled with cacao nibs or almond butter
• Suggests taking organic, grass-fed milk (or almond or hemp milk) and adding some grass-fed heavy cream with some undutched, unprocessed cocoa powder and coconut sugar to make a healthier version of hot cocoa
• Kari chats about essential oils and her diffuser—using lemon with peppermint (morning) and lavender (night)

The most important thing you can do is to love yourself before you can love anyone else! Whitney Houston’s “The Greatest Love” epitomizes this, and here are the lyrics:

I decided long ago, never to walk in anyone's shadows
If I fail, if I succeed
At least I'll live as I believe
No matter what they take from me
They can't take away my dignity
Because the greatest love of all
Is happening to me
I found the greatest love of all
Inside of me
The greatest love of all
Is easy to achieve
Learning to love yourself
It is the greatest love of all

Next week, Kari is going to release a special episode with return guest Meb Keflezighi from “Meb Keflezighi—Achieving Your Dreams Through Hard Work (1/2)” (Episode 85) and “Meb Keflezighi—Achieving Your Dreams Through Hard Work (2/2)” (Episode 86). They chat about the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Los Angeles, CA, and the LA Marathon.

Also, please remember to go over to iTunes to review this podcast!

Namaste TRLS brothers and sisters!

Contact:

Caroline Large:

Website: ALaCarteCoaching.com
Facebook Page
Email: mailto:info@alacartecoaching.com

Christine Schwindt:

Facebook Page

Serena Marie, RD:

Website: www.SerenaMarieRD.com
Facebook: /SerenaMarieRD
Twitter: @SerenaMarieRD
Instagram: SerenaMarieRD

Kari Gormley:

Facebook: The Running Lifestyle Show
Twitter: @KariGormley
Instagram: @KariGormley