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Today we are sharing the second episode Alysia recorded live from TRE earlier in the month as she spoke with Shannon Woods, who is currently the senior manager of DEI at Brooks Running among other things. Shannon tells us how her own upbringing as a mixed race woman and the experiences of both herself and the experiences of her parents during the civil rights movement as well as her own experiences as a mother who wanted to make sure her kids learned diverse histories she didn’t in school all informed her decision to work in DEI . She is working on dismantling systemic racism in the running community and on opening up opportunities in these jobs via her role at Brooks and on the Running Industry Diversity Coalition Board . For more show notes as always head to our website www.keeping-track.com!Also check out our Tees and Visors, as all of our Dec/Jan sales go to Trackgirlz 2022 grants as they work to promote "Sisterhood, Empowerment and Track And Field".Also don't forget to follow us on instagram @keeptrackmedia and like or review us on iTunes! 

Today we have a surprise guest hostess (Marielle Hall!) as we talk to Viola Lagat, also known as Viola Cheptoo  Lagat, who you may know as recent second place woman at the 2021 NYC Marathon (and maybe you’ve heard of one of her many talented runner siblings, Bernard Lagat?)She takes us through her family’s deep running roots, what her training is like, how she spends time between the US and Kenya, her journey from being a1500m runner to nearly beating the Olympic Champion in her debut marathon, and her remembrance of her friend Agnes Tirop. Viola shares with us how close to home and ever present gender based violence, like what lead to Agnes’ murder,  is in Kenya and what she and other women are doing to help change things for the next generation.

Alysia talks to Alexi Pappas live at the 2021 TRE expo in Austin, Texas. They talk about being new teammates for Altra Running, about giving yourself permission to be more than an athlete, for example how creative projects energize and motivate Alexi rather than take away from her performance, the power of your inner narrative, Alexi's unique experience running vs racing  the NYC Marathon, her projects as an author and director and more!As always it was a refreshing and uplifting perspective to hear from Alexi!Buy Bravey book here!Thanks to Altra and CleanSportCollective for helping us host the conversation!

We talk to Mary Wacera Ngugi, who most recently finished 3rd at the 2021 Boston Marathon, about her start in the sport, how Kenyan camp systems work and her journey to the marathon. You may be surprised to hear who is coaching her now! We also talk to Mary about her brave and impactful efforts to help women of Kenya find confidence and escape abusive marriages. She recently started the Womens Athletic Alliance as part of the movement that has gained volume in East Africa following the tragic murder of Agnes Tirop by her husband, she was one of the brightest young stars in the womens 10,000m. Mary has always seen the need to change how women are treated as property and told from a young age they don’t matter and to be quiet. She hopes to provide a safe place of support, to celebrate the women athletes as people, provide legal aid and mentoring through the new Program. Many women from around the sports world have offered help and support and we are there behind her too.  Womens Athletic Alliance founderFollow her here“The women deserve better. Being married to a person who loves and cares about me, I feel so much that my sisters and the women in Kenya should live a life like that; they should be treated better, they should be loved, they should be cared about and supported-they need the support not the control” -Mary Ngugi

Ro and I do a 25 min catch up on fall action (there has been a lot of it!) so feel free to fastforward to the GOOD STUFF aka Kori Carter and Natasha Hastings talking through some of the struggles they had this past year, what helped them through and tips for anyone dealing with similar things, plus we talk about the success, origins and future plans of their Youtube Track and Field talk show TrackGirl Summer. Check our blog for more links but some mentioned in catch up and episode are here:Follow Mary NgugiFollow Violah LagatFollow Kori CarterFollow Natasha HastingsWomens Athletic Alliancesubscribe to TrackGirl SummerMerchandise!Loveland FoundationNatasha's Foundation NHF Cares-they do scholarships and moreNatasha's Original show Teatime with Tashathe 400m Diva lip and lash collection!Kori's world champs vibeKori's Christian Athlete Training Journal

Fall Marathons are back! The 125th running of the Boston Marathon is being held on Indiginous People's Day,  October 11th,  in Massachusetts.  We talk to one of the best road runners in American History, Patti Dillon, about her career, being the fastest Native runner in history and how she is staying connected to the Native Community. Patti also talks about the power of the mind in running, her unique journey from smoker to Marathon champion and how healing trauma is the way forward in life. Molly does this interview solo and missed Ro and Alysia big time! Also this interview was done in the Fairmont Copley Lobby so there is some ambient crowd noise as we catch up live-ish among the hubub of pre-Marathon preparations. Check out Wings Of America here, and follow Patti Dillon on instagram  @pattispeaks227

We're doing our second episode swap of the season-this time hilighting Hear Her Sports with Elizabeth Emery. Elizabeth was a professional cyclist in the 90's and now is on the other side of the game as a content creator with Hear Her Sports podcast, "Hear Her Sports is the podcast where female athletes share stories of breaking barriers, speaking up, and living with power and confidence in today’s changing world. Every guest does amazing things."website: heresubscribe on Apple Podcasts here Hear legendary coach Muffet McGraw talk about her experiences advocating for the sport of women's basketball during her 32 year career at The University of Notre Dame. Subscribe to hear her sports here and check out the website for more women's sports stories!

Molly Ro and Alysia talk to prep phenom Mary Cain about the struggles and abuses she faced as a young track star under now banned (by USADA and Safe Sport)  coach Alberto Salazar. Mary tells us how this journey inspired her to start a unique women's track club called Atalanta,  what her future running and racing plans and dreams are, and other experiences we'd like to not see affect women in sport in the future. 

Friend of the Podcast Kate Grace is back to chat about how she's found her power and found herself leading the Diamond League and setting PR's this season after narrowly missing the 202one US Olympic Team. Kate tells us how she went from a well rounded Yale Student -athlete to a focused pro, and we hit on topics like the business side of track and field, spike technologies,  how she learned to listen to the voice inside saying "the 800m is your best event!" plus we dispel some Olympic "myths". Thank you to Saucony for continued support!Plus- Alysia's Caden Shae Bloom line is live ! Check it out!

Ro and Molly talk with newly minted 400m Olympian and 2019 World Champion 4th place finisher Wadeline Jonathas.We spoke about her Covid Year, graduating from University of South Carolina,  and insights on media coverage and storytelling of professional athletes. Also check out our blog for all the links and show notes!www.keeping-track.com

Thanks to Whoop (link) use code Track for 15% off and recover smarter today!As always thank you to Saucony for supporting season 2 ok Keeping-Track!Visit www.keeping-track.com for show notes and links from the episode!We talk to Amy about her resillence, her best race, what she' s learned as she enters the coaching world, and even dive into topics like shoe technology and social media . “For every high that I’ve had like that there has been an equal low- I think every runner and every person experiences this- but really you have to weather the storm. You have to get through that bad mile because a good one is coming up- you just have to have faith that it’s going to happen”-Amy Hastings,  2x Olympian and World Champs bronze medalist

 Molly and Alysia talk anti-doping. We’re speaking on doping cases like Shelby Houlihan’s recent case where accidental contamination is named as the cause. How are the many cases like these in the USA alone over the last few years potentially affecting clean athletes and the progress toward anti-doping? We talk about the concerns around setting a precedent for escaping a ban, on trying to avoid our own biases, exlpain more about the AIU, learn of Alysia’s experiences fighting for clean sport and talking to Yuliya Stepanova, and note how we are waiting to hear the other side of the case annnnnd we leave you with why there are still real amazing performances out there.This Episode is sponsored by Whoop! Head to Whoop and use code TRACK for 15% off!

We talk to Keturah about  her Covid Year, why mentorship is important to her, Rule 50, her training , her challenging moments and the mantras they taught her, what it's  like to train with a legend like Brittney Reese and why it's important to know Keturah is more than an athlete. Thanks to Whoop for sponsoring this episode! Head to whoop.com and use code TRACK for 15% off a recovery band!also check out Keturah's great blog keturahorji.comand thanks to Saucony.com for supporting our season 2 production costs!check out our blog for full show notes  on this epsidodewww.keeping-track.com

Our first women's sports pod cross promotion is with Cherie Louis Turner's Stride's Forward Podcast. We sent her our Dawn Harper Nelson Episode last month and we host her interview with ultra running star Courtney Dauwalter.Big Thanks to WHOOP for sponsoring this episode. use our code "TRACK" for 15% off!Annnnnd anyone needing motivation to race-check out these two virtual events supporting maternal health causes like Every Mother Counts!EMC Global Run Challenge which ends June 2!Also the Made to Move Virtual Race

In this episode Ro and Molly talk with Michelle Carter who is a three-time Olympian, American Record Holder and Rio Olympic Champion in the shot put. She tells us how this past year has gone, how she harnesses her confidence, her plans outside of track, what it was like during that gold medal throw, her special relationship with her coach and sports star Dad, and how she’s thrived by as she states it by "embracing all of who she is." How to follow Michelle:Instagram @shotdivaFacebook @ShotPutDivaWebsiteShout outs from the intro:Katie Burgess at Garrison Hughes is up for Addy awards for the work she did on our Instagram account this JanuaryPre-order our S1Ep6 guest Tianna Bartolettas book Survive and AdvanceRoisin and Lauren Fleshman's Believe Training JournalAlysia’s book Feel Good FitnessSupport &Mother with a virtual 5kOur PatreonAnd thank you to Saucony for covering Season 2 production costs and to Gatorade Endurance for sponsoring this episode! This month the focus is Personalization Is Power. How are you tailoring your hydration and fueling to you? Check out the new Gx Sweat patch here and get 20% off Gendurance products with code TRACK20 (Offer good until 12/31/21).As always, check out our website for more episode information including show notes, transcripts, and more, and follow us on Instagram. Thanks for Keeping Track!

We talk to Irish record holder, mama, cancer survivor and our good friend Mary Cullen about her start in the sport, her days at Providence College, her pro-career, injury struggles and recent battle with cancer which occurred during her pregnancy with baby Ellis. Mary has always been a strong one, and we hear it from her today. Thanks for Keeping Track!Intro: Molly and Alysia intro Mary and Alysia has some shout outs:You can support &mother as they support Mother-athletes chasing Olympic Dreams this year Also can support them by signing up for their virtual Mom Forward 5k, with maternity fitness brand cadenshae and Altra running! reg opens March 23 As always check into our website and block keeping-track.com for transcripts and more show info! Thank you for Keeping Track!

In this episode we talk to Michelle wheeler. She is a wheelchair racer in the marathon on the roads and Paralympic hopeful on the track. We talked to her about her life as Mom, as an athlete and as a professional mental health counselor. She tells us how she has been doing over this Pandemic year, and we discuss how Paralympic athletes could be better represented and supported as well as how she has been a role model for other kids to enter the sport. See our website (https://keeping-track.com) for show notes with links and a full transcript.  

We spoke to scientist, distance runner and trans woman Joanna Harper about her book Sporting Gender. In it she covers the history and science of DSD and transatheltes in an interesting read that gives deeper information on the discussions about women’s sport you likely have seen in recent news as well as an inside view of some of the IAAF rulings on DSD and Trans athletes. We also hear from 800m runner Kate Grace (as well as Alysia) on their perspectives in an event that has seen dominance by women with DSD and how they’re both honestly still figuring out how to talk about this complex topic and all it’s intersections in a way that’s fair and supportive for all involved. (full transcript and show notes with links at our site)

The gals catch up for a bit then we talk to newly professional runner, NCAA XC and 10,000m champ Weini Kelati. We talk about her recent year during Covid times at school in New Mexico, her decisions to go pro and where to go and who to sign with, and then we delve into part of Weini’s backstory . She tells us about how she found running in her rural Eritrean village, and how she hopes to inspire a wider view of  what’s possible for women back home.Catch up: 0-6 Alysia’s Diastasis Recti surgery recovery- prioritize your body’s peak functioning!8-Ro’s post baby life update. Resource yourself!14-Molly: Alexi Papas  Op Ed on clinical depression and Aliphine Tuliamuk baby announcement!17-athlete mental health risks19-having something outside of sport as an athlete can help you keep perspective and joy25-Weini’s introduction and our takeaways from the conversation33: intro Weini @kelatiweini twitter and @weini_kelati  instagram and Weini Kelati facebookHer life this year during covid: school, class online, training, no racing34-On going pro!Importance of seeking and making your own support group as an athlete (like a family away from your family)How she made her decision to go to Flagstaff (Dark Sky Distance with Steven Haas and Under Armor)42- Weini’s journey into the sport as a girl from rural Eritrea and how she got to USA and stayed at 17 years old45-she walked to meet 5 hours away!53 “(in my village in Eritrea) Your family has no vision for you as a girl. All they know is you can get married in a few years, and you have to learn what your Mom does. I didn’t see a lot of runners, I hadn’t heard of runners or anything.’“I want to be the best example I can be-I want to through running inspire the women and young adults (back home)....I want to show that they can be independent and do things bigger than what’s expected” 55-misguided beliefs about women’s health and sport back home, disapproval of letting kids go away overnight to meets57-courage to go against the normRo wants to share this video , explaining barriers to access to physical exercise, (such as Weini describes back home and we see in the USA as well!)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgClXqDxtZg&t=1s&fbclid=IwAR1piTvXrsTWAHGfRyPPo70vDg8Qvfljv_jZvqKJ1dVF3cSsSJAl-hWaVYU

Today Alysia, Ro and I catch up then Alysia and I talk to USA Long Jump Legend Brittney Reese. She is a 7 time World Champ gold medalist , 2012 Olympic champion and 2016 silver medalist, and indoor American record holder. We talk to her about her pandemic year, training at the Olympic Training Center, life with her son, how she is giving back to the kids in her Mississippi home town and what she has planned for the future. 0-4:  Ro and Alysia catch up-juggling kids during Covid and working for yourself: saying yes to too much5- post election emotions 10-Hour Track record14-Intro Brittney Reese (alysia is pumping -Mom at work!)2012 goldBrittney is legendary athlete, and opening herself up more as a shy but impactful presence in the community.17: Brittney Reese InterviewBased at Oly Training center in Chula Vista-what changes w Covid:Brittneys Fam: son Alex is 13Balancing training and him/distance learning/his sports schedule etc21-Future plans: Just got her Masters in entrepreneurship22- we need more meet opportunities in USA “I don’t think we have enough meets to meet those needs for everybody outside sprinting and distance”26: she gives back to the sport and her community In many ways-“The end goal for me is to be a track coach. I want to give back to the sport that’s allowed me to be successful .. but I also want to take that knowledge and go home (to Mississippi) and start my own track club”30: Making the big push for these last 2 years of her career31- wants to support her son as he gets more seriously into sports 32- what things are like right now in training35-Being seasoned and marinated!36- does her son ever come to practice?37: Background on how she came to adopt him43: doping:  robs athletes of money, exposure and when it’s good people that miss out it hurts (link her op Ed)- side note, the Rodchenkov Anti Doping Act recently passed in Senate46: life at the Olympic Training Center (Drug tests once a month)- what’s practice like48: can she dunk though?WNBA plans?(Link to league pass!)we got ours!52: On trying to put herself out there more to affect change and reach the kids, engage in community 56“I could care less about the spotlight...but now I’m trying to open up a little bit more and give back a little bit more and I know that the youth is where it starts, which is why I have camps back home, which is why I want my own track club- I invest in the youth that’s my thing, they’re who is going to carry the sport”57: why be closed off as an athlete? Protect your zone and mental focus