The CITIUS MAG Podcast | A Running + Track and Field Show

“What I did, anyone else can do and more people should be doing that. The running market is starting to get a lot bigger. There are more people making YouTube channels because they’re thinking, ‘I can do that.’ You know I had an iPhone until I hit 30,000 subscribers. I’m still using iMovie until this day. It doesn’t have to be unbelievable quality videos. People are a little scared to make that jump. Having no fear helps me stay motivated to put out content and also show that I’m somewhat of an elite runner and I’m trying my best to continue.” My guest for today’s episode is Spencer Brown but many of you might know him as The Athlete Special from his popular YouTube series. Some of you who have been following CITIUS MAG from the start might be familiar with him because he was one of the original contributors to the site and ran a 4:16 Blue Jeans Mile back in 2017 to set a then-world record. He’s come a long way since. He has run 3:39 for the 1,500 meters and 3:59.97 for the mile. Recently, Brooks decided to take a chance on him and sign him to a contract that will have him training with the Brooks Beasts and coach Danny Mackey in Seattle, Washington. His goal is to make it to the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials. You’ll hear more about how that deal came to be, his goals and expectations for himself as well as the background story on when he got his start in running on the competitive Connecticut high school scene and then what led him to pick up a camera to start documenting it all to the masses. Follow Spencer Brown on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/theathletespecial/ Check out his YouTube videos here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTVjyeSlm3sR3N1fx-NI-Kw 😎 Support for this episode comes from GOODR SUNGLASSES – I’ve been rocking Goodr sunglasses throughout the past couple of months. No slip. No bounce. No fog. Polarized. Ridiculously affordable starting at $25 a pair. They’re already the most affordable performance shades on the planet. | Visit GOODR.COM/CITIUS to check out some of my favorite pairs. Subscribe to the CITIUS MAG Newsletter for all sorts of analysis and commentary on everything happening in the sport: https://citiusmag.substack.com/ FULL SHOW NOTES ON CITIUSMAG.COM Catch the latest episode of the podcast on iTunes so subscribe and leave a five-star review. We are also on Stitcher, Google Play and Spotify! ▶ Follow us: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook ✩ Connect with Chris via Email: chris@citiusmag.com | Twitter | Instagram

16 Syys 20201h 9min

“When you look at running and why we’re doing this, the ultimate pinnacle goal is to be an elite medalist but really to be an Olympian and have that title. For Sara (my wife) and I, when we think about why we do this, it’s to try and qualify for the Olympics or give it our absolute best shot. When you talk to someone who is not closely tied to the running world, that’s what they’re looking for. When they describe you to your friends, they’re thinking, ‘This guy is training for the Olympics’ or ‘He’s trying to make the Olympics’ and it’s so cool to them but if you take the Olympics out of it, it loses the allure of what we’re doing. It’s very unique.” Consider this Part II to last week’s conversation with Sara Sutherland since we now get to interview her husband, Riley Masters. For those who may not be familiar with him, Riley was a standout runner at Maine before transferring to Oklahoma. He’s got personal bests of 3:36.49 for the 1,500 meters and 13:16.97 for the 5,000 meters. He serves as an assistant coach at Colorado where he works closely with his own coach Mark Wetmore. Riley hasn’t raced in 2020 because he’s making his way back from getting surgery to correct Haglund's deformity, which is a bone growth on the heel bone. I’ve known Riley for years and as he’s now in his 7th year of running professionally, we were both together in Europe in 2013 for our rookie seasons at the top end of the sport. We catch up on what he’s learned in that span of time, why this year is the worst one that he’s faced but keeps him motivated to explore what’s possible in 2021. For all my OG Real Maine fans – the documentary that brought some hype behind guys like Riley and Kyle Merber – we touch on the lasting legacy of that film. Plus: An epic tale of a Jeep Cherokee being stolen and totaled in a drug-related bust...Riley’s Mt. Rushmore of runners from Maine and much more. Follow Riley on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/riley_masters/ 😎 Support for this episode comes from GOODR SUNGLASSES – I’ve been rocking Goodr sunglasses throughout the past couple of months. No slip. No bounce. No fog. Polarized. Ridiculously affordable starting at $25 a pair. They’re already the most affordable performance shades on the planet. | Visit GOODR.COM/CITIUS to check out some of my favorite pairs. Subscribe to the CITIUS MAG Newsletter for all sorts of analysis and commentary on everything happening in the sport: https://citiusmag.substack.com/ FULL SHOW NOTES ON CITIUSMAG.COM Catch the latest episode of the podcast on iTunes so subscribe and leave a five-star review. We are also on Stitcher, Google Play and Spotify! ▶ Follow us: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook ✩ Connect with Chris via Email: chris@citiusmag.com | Twitter | Instagram

10 Syys 20201h

“I remember the day I ran 4:06. I was on the phone with Riley and he was like, ‘You did it! You got the Olympic standard!’ And I was like, ‘Ugh! I just want to go faster!’ We’re all wired that way. That’s how we roll. Right now, women’s distance running in the United States in the 1,500 and 5,000 is amazing. There are so many women who have taken these preconceived barriers and said, ‘I don’t care. I’m going to go way faster.’ That’s my hope as well. I feel really inspired to see what women have been able to do over the last couple of years. I definitely felt like I was missing out on so much of that. I’m really excited if I can just stay healthy and be up there again.” Sara Sutherland is a professional runner for Saucony. She was a star at the University of Texas and the University of Colorado. She’s got personal bests of 4:06 for 1,500 and 15:26 for 5,000m. Just a few weeks ago, she raced at the Music City Distance Carnival and it was her first race in a year and a half. It’s been a challenging road back but if there’s anyone who has ever had a great attitude when faced with tough obstacles, it’s been Sara. We catch up on her work to get back to 100% and the gratitude that comes with doing what you love. This was a blast to record and Sara said I asked a lot of good questions. Follow Sara on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/sarasutherland_/ Subscribe to the CITIUS MAG Newsletter for all sorts of analysis and commentary on everything happening in the sport: https://citiusmag.substack.com/ FULL SHOW NOTES ON CITIUSMAG.COM Catch the latest episode of the podcast on iTunes so subscribe and leave a five-star review. We are also on Stitcher, Google Play and Spotify! 😎 Support for this episode comes from GOODR SUNGLASSES – I’ve been rocking Goodr sunglasses throughout the past couple of months. No slip. No bounce. No fog. Polarized. Ridiculously affordable starting at $25 a pair. They’re already the most affordable performance shades on the planet. | Visit GOODR.COM/CITIUS to check out some of my favorite pairs. ▶ Follow us: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook ✩ Connect with Chris via Email: chris@citiusmag.com | Twitter | Instagram

3 Syys 202049min

“I just kind of wanted to write my own narrative of what it meant to be a professional runner. I knew coming out of college, I just didn’t want to give up on that dream. It was super important for me to do what I was passionate about and take a chance on myself. That meant moving to Boulder instead of moving to San Francisco and going to work at a 9-5 tech job. Basically, it’s been not giving up on myself knowing I have a lot more to give to the sport…” My guest for today’s episode is Joey Berriatua. This is actually the first podcast episode that I recorded in person in a while and I’m glad it’s with someone who has an appreciation for CITIUS MAG from its start in 2017. Just a few years back, Joey was a diehard Citius fan. He’d buy all the merch we’d put out. He’d listen to all the podcasts, DM us and he was running some solid times at Santa Clara. Sometime around 2018 and once his eligibility was over, he decided to continue his running career and he connected with Sam Parsons and Tinman Elite. He’s seen some big improvements since his move to Boulder and he’s on the cusp of breaking four minutes for the mile. I believe he’s running a mile this weekend, which would be cool to see him finally get under. We talk about how we got to this point, why he took this risk on himself, some people give Tinman a hard time and how he takes that criticism plus what’s the endgame in this pursuit. It’s funny because when I showed up to the Tinman house, I didn’t know I’d be sitting down with Joey so there were no notes and no questions written down for this one. Just two of us having a candid and honest conversation. Enjoy! FULL SHOW NOTES ON CITIUSMAG.COM Catch the latest episode of the podcast on iTunes so subscribe and leave a five-star review. We are also on Stitcher, Google Play and Spotify! 😎 Support for this episode comes from GOODR SUNGLASSES – I’ve been rocking Goodr sunglasses throughout the past couple of months. No slip. No bounce. No fog. Polarized. Ridiculously affordable starting at $25 a pair. They’re already the most affordable performance shades on the planet. | Visit GOODR.COM/CITIUS to check out some of my favorite pairs. ▶ Follow us: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook ✩ Connect with Chris via Email: chris@citiusmag.com | Twitter | Instagram

28 Elo 20201h 4min

“I can’t wait for COVID to be over so I can step in some of these schools and juvenile delinquent centers to talk to these people because they need someone to talk to. I tell people all the time that I hated growing up and hearing “No” my whole life. ‘Oh, I want to be that.’ ‘No.’ ‘Oh, I want to work.’ ‘No. You’re going to be a worker and work for somebody.’ Your whole life you hear that. ‘Oh, you want to be an Olympian. That’s funny.’ That’s what we grew up in and we’re the product of our environment. If we don’t have people coming into that environment to make the product better, then we fail.” Trayvon Bromell is the 2015 World Championship 100 meter bronze medalist, the 2016 world indoor champion in the 60 meters and was a 100-meter finalist at the 2016 Olympics in Rio. However, it’s been a bit of a rollercoaster for him as he's battled Achilles injuries and setbacks with a bone spur in the past three years. In this episode, I told him straight up that I thought he was done. Then, last month, he popped a 9.90 in a small meet in Florida. In early August, he ran a wind-aided 9.87. It looks like the comeback is real. In this episode, we address everything that’s taken place since he came up as a high school star, losing some years in his 20s due to injury and why this has been a long road not only to success but out of poverty. I really enjoyed this conversation. Definitely think Trayvon could be a regular on the show because I’ve changed my mind on him being done. FULL SHOW NOTES ON CITIUSMAG.COM Catch the latest episode of the podcast on iTunes so subscribe and leave a five-star review. We are also on Stitcher, Google Play and Spotify! 😎 Support for this episode comes from GOODR SUNGLASSES – I’ve been rocking Goodr sunglasses throughout the past couple of months. No slip. No bounce. No fog. Polarized. Ridiculously affordable starting at $25 a pair. They’re already the most affordable performance shades on the planet. | Visit GOODR.COM/CITIUS to check out some of my favorite pairs. ▶ Follow us: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook ✩ Connect with Chris via Email: chris@citiusmag.com | Twitter | Instagram

12 Elo 20201h 1min

“With track it’s definitely a lot different than your basketball and football. With track, you’re always going to be able to compete against those mid-major schools and Power 5 schools no matter what school you’re at. For example, North Carolina A&T is an HBCU and they’re doing phenomenally well in the NCAA. Seeing that is going to get a lot of kids to want to go to those school. Seeing some of the alums that came from HBCUs like Kellie Wells or Francena McCorory is going to draw other athletes to HBCUs as well. You can say, ‘Oh if I go to an HBCU and make an Olympic team, I can still achieve my Olympic dream all while still being among the Black community.’ I think conversations like that are being had and a lot of people are considering HBCUs now more than ever. In the track world, it was always kind of popular to go to HBCUs but now it’s more than ever it’s definitely a thing.” Edose Ibadin a pro runner with the District Track Club in Washington D.C. I decided to get him on the show after he went viral over the weekend with a cool tweet that said: “Dang I really ran 1:44 on Friday. This the same guy who never made an NCAA final. Only made NCAA in the 800 one time. Only had one scholarship offer out of high school. Wasn’t All-American in HS. Where your story starts isn’t where it ends” That’s just awesome. I wanted to know a little bit more to his story and how he’s gotten to this point, plus what it was like to run at a HBCU. Follow Edose on Instagram – @eibadin FULL SHOW NOTES ON CITIUSMAG.COM Catch the latest episode of the podcast on iTunes so subscribe and leave a five-star review. We are also on Stitcher, Google Play and Spotify! 😎 Support for this episode comes from GOODR SUNGLASSES – I’ve been rocking Goodr sunglasses throughout the past couple of months. No slip. No bounce. No fog. Polarized. Ridiculously affordable starting at $25 a pair. They’re already the most affordable performance shades on the planet. | Visit GOODR.COM/CITIUS to check out some of my favorite pairs. ▶ Follow us: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook ✩ Connect with Chris via Email: chris@citiusmag.com | Twitter | Instagram

5 Elo 202039min

“At the end of the day, I stepped away and I took on this mindset of ‘I’m not just a runner’ and I wanted to do other shit whether it was in work or outside of work. I wanted to distance myself from this world. The biggest thing I’ve learned from meeting people away from the sport and having experiences removed from the sport of running is that I am a runner at my core and it’s OK to admit that running is something really special. To be able to call yourself a runner is amazing. To be able to have the chance to do it at a high level – maybe even do it as your job or represent your country – besides it being something you love so much and naturally have a disposition for is a gift that maybe you shouldn’t throw away. I learned that being away from the sport. When I was in the sport, I was super frustrated like ‘Fuck this. I’m hurt all the time. This is bullshit.’ The time where I “treated my body to death” any epiphanies that I might have had have pulled me back into the sport. Now, I can look at it and say I am a runner at my core and that’s pretty cool.” Just a while ago, I was scrolling through Instagram and a poster for what looked like a concert festival came up but instead, it was for 'The Not Dead Yet Comeback Tour' and it was Ciarán ó Lionáird announcing his comeback to professional running. It looks serious. He’s working with agent and coach Stephen Haas in Flagstaff Arizona and he’s working out with Edward Cheserek. So I wanted to know more about this comeback. We decided to jump on a call where we discuss this, his disappointment in 2012, a series of injuries, time away from the sport, adjusting to the real world and what will ultimately make this all worth it even if there is no Olympics. This one goes out to all the listeners who want to rekindle that flame in training and sharpen their mindset for a comeback. Follow Ciarán and keep up with his comeback on Instagram. FULL SHOW NOTES ON CITIUSMAG.COM Catch the latest episode of the podcast on iTunes so subscribe and leave a five-star review. We are also on Stitcher, Google Play and Spotify! 😎 Support for this episode comes from GOODR SUNGLASSES – I’ve been rocking Goodr sunglasses throughout the past couple of months. No slip. No bounce. No fog. Polarized. Ridiculously affordable starting at $25 a pair. They’re already the most affordable performance shades on the planet. | Visit GOODR.COM/CITIUS to check out some of my favorite pairs. ▶ Follow us: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook ✩ Connect with Chris via Email: chris@citiusmag.com | Twitter | Instagram

30 Heinä 20201h 11min

“What I know is the aspect of being looked at differently because of our national heritage – in this case as Kenyan athletes who also happen to be Black in the United States of America. It’s real...One of the things that bothered me many times was that I would go and run a race and if it was a United States championship, they would say ‘Kenyan-born Sam Chelanga.’ What do you get by that? You get to tell people this is the real champion and this is not the real champion because he is Kenyan-born. My performance and my hard work go through the window.” Lots of people know of Sam from his success as a three-time NCAA cross country champion out of Liberty. He set the NCAA 10,000 meter record of 27:08.49 in the same race that Chris Solinsky broke 27 to set the American record. Those accomplishments came before he became an American citizen in 2015. It was something he wanted for a while and patiently waited out the process until it became official. As a professional, he had some success including being the alternate for the 2016 Olympics in the men’s 10,000 meters and then taking well to the roads. Then in 2018, he retired to enlist in the Army at 33 years old. It was a sudden announcement that surprised many because he was in the middle of an Olympic cycle. He explains so much behind what called him to do that along with many of the other major decisions in his life – on this podcast and also in his new book “With The Wind: Finding Victory Within.” The book will come out on July 28. You can order your copy here. More topics discussed in this episode: Why he chose to write a book, running out of poverty in Kenya, his proudest NCAA cross country title, who wins a hypothetical cross country race between the greats, Aliphine Tuliamuk's comments on track media, the decision to serve in the Army and much more... FULL SHOW NOTES ON CITIUSMAG.COM Catch the latest episode of the podcast on iTunes so subscribe and leave a five-star review. We are also on Stitcher, Google Play and Spotify! 😎 Support for this episode comes from GOODR SUNGLASSES – I’ve been rocking Goodr sunglasses throughout the past couple of months. No slip. No bounce. No fog. Polarized. Ridiculously affordable starting at $25 a pair. They’re already the most affordable performance shades on the planet. | Visit GOODR.COM/CITIUS to check out some of my favorite pairs. ▶ Follow us: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook ✩ Connect with Chris via Email: chris@citiusmag.com | Twitter | Instagram

20 Heinä 20201h 3min