Jenny Simpson Shifts Her Focus To The Roads As A New Chapter of Her Career Begins, Signs With PUMA

It's hard to do an entire episode looking back at someone's career when it was a really long and successful one. Meb Keflezighi joins the show. He needs no further introduction but for those unfamiliar with the U.S. distance running legend, he's the only man to win a silver medal at the Olympics (2004), the New York City Marathon (2009) and Boston Marathon (2014) in his career. Oh! He also made four Olympic teams for the U.S. Chris and Meb look back at some of the highlights of his career and catch up on how life has been since he retired after the 2017 New York City Marathon – the 26th of his career and at 42 years old. Among the questions asked: - What's the one race from the 90s that he wishes was caught on video? - How often does he go back to watch his races? - One question asked per Olympics including 'How quickly did you have to think about doing push-ups when you slipped in Rio?' - After 2004, he was a silver medalist but how did he maintain that underdog mentality? + Listener questions You can catch the latest episode of the podcast on iTunes so subscribe and leave a five-star review. We are also now on Stitcher and now Google Play!

19 Jan 20181h 18min

Alan Webb, the American record holder in the mile, joins the CITIUS MAG Podcast to take a trip down memory lane and catch up on what he's up to nowadays. Webb retired from track in 2014 and then made a run for the 2016 Olympics in the triathlon. The triathlon chapter did not pan out as planned and he now owns a truck repair business in Oregon. "For me, I started to kind of take on a different mentality," Webb says. "I started to enjoy watching others be in that moment. You kind of know when someone is building that momentum and seeing it...You just have a genuine appreciation of someone going through something you felt...It changed for me and that's when I started to know that it was time to step away." "It became hard to genuinely give it everything I had," Webb adds. "I couldn't dig down deep like I used to. That's when I was like 'You're not digging!' It was hard. It was honestly hard mentally to dig down deep. I wasn't what I would recommend to someone else. If I was coaching I wouldn't want them to do what I was doing...I would give up sometimes. That was hard. Knowing I was doing that." We delve into the magic of that 2007 season and what the impact was of that 3:46.91 at a tiny meet in in Brasschaat, Belgium. We did start to think about how long does he think the record will stand. The closest someone has come is 3:50.53 by Matt Centrowitz in May 2014 and that’s still 4 seconds off. Among the questions explored: What was it like stepping off the track at the Millrose Games and retiring at 31 years old? Does he believe in the idea that runners who thrive so early in their careers simply can’t maintain that peak? We get the full rundown on Webb's weight room training including how much he would bench before his races and what his routine was.  What's the deepest that he's ever had to dig for a race? As he begins his coaching career soon, what coach from his career does he think he may resonate the most with? He was coached by Scott Raczko, Alberto Salazar, Ron Warhurst, Jason Vigilante, Jerry Schumacher and Jon Marcus in his career. Whose career would you rather have: Webb's, Ryan Hall's, or Dathan Ritzenhein's? Can Webb make the case for why they should pick him? Or does he have a different opinion? We take a few listener questions and more. ------- This episode was brought to you by Maurten. It’s the world’s most carbohydrate-rich sports drink and it’s being used by the top marathoners in the world. Eliud Kipchoge used it during the Breaking2 attempt and the Berlin Marathon. Kenenisa Bekele has been using it since winning the 2016 Berlin Marathon. Mo Farah even used it prior to his gold medal runs at the world championships. It worked for me at the Berlin/New York City Marathons and it could work for you. They have two drinks with 40 or 80 grams of carbohydrates and they’re now available in the U.S. Check them out today at Maurten.com CITIUS MAG PODCAST LISTENERS GET 20% OFF THEIR NEXT ORDER: Use promo code CMP20 at checkout.

12 Jan 20181h 16min

We kick off 2018 on the CITIUS MAG Podcast by chatting at length with two-time Olympian and three-time NCAA champion Andrew Wheating. He announced his retirement from professional running on Thursday afternoon with a letter to professional running. We caught up on Friday morning for a long conversation looking back at his career and what comes next for him. We discuss Wheating's magical 2010 season, where he ran 3:30.90 at the Monaco Diamond League. (There's some good first-person recounting of that race.) The time now ranks as the fifth-fastest by an American of all-time. But we take a look at some of the runners that have run that fast and what happened afterward in their career. Running 3:30 is no joke but does it take a toll on the future? "I remember telling a friend of mine to respect what you've run because it may not happen again,"  Wheating says. "To take it for granted, you can really miss out on opportunity. Keep that open-minded spirit. 3:30 is not something to joke about and I kept thinking 'Eh, it can be something that I can do forever.' Once you turn it into that, it starts to get a little harder and disappointment starts to creep in. I'm not quite sure why it never happened again. These things just happen. It's just a day I'll never forget." Of course we discuss the NCAA 1,500 meter sweep and the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials. We'll break out a few more quotes from Wheating in the coming days but that was one that really stood out. Among the other topics discussed on the podcast: -  Wheating's relationship with Vin Lannana and how it changed over time -  What it's like for him to re-watch the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials 800m race and what he prefers instead - An attempt to fake a rivalry between him and Matt Centrowitz - The hardest workout that he's ever run before that 3:30 in Monaco - Kobe Bryant at the 2008 Olympic Opening Ceremonies - The pressure that comes with a big contract - Wheating does race commentary on a hypthetical all-time U.S. 1,500m race between him, Matt Centrowitz, Bernard Lagat, Alan Webb, Sydney Maree and Leo Manzano. - His Mt. Rushmore of Oregon distance runners Wheating also takes questions from the listeners including a campaign for us to bring back puka shell necklaces. All that and more on the latest episode of The CITIUS MAG Podcast. ------- ------ This episode was brought to you by Maurten. If you’re interested in marathon investigations then there’s a chance that you’re also a marathon or road runner. If so, you should fuel properly for those long distance races and we recommend Maurten. It’s the world’s most carbohydrate-rich sports drink and it’s being used by the top marathoners in the world. Eliud Kipchoge used it during the Breaking2 attempt and the Berlin Marathon. Kenenisa Bekele has been using it since winning the 2016 Berlin Marathon. Mo Farah even used it prior to his gold medal runs at the world championships. It worked for me at the Berlin Marathon and it could work for you. They have two drinks with 40 or 80 grams of carbohydrates and they’re now available in the U.S. Check them out today at Maurten.com CITIUS MAG PODCAST LISTENERS GET 20% OFF THEIR NEXT ORDER: Use promo code CMP20 at checkout.

5 Jan 20181h 26min

We decided to do a little crossover episode between the CITIUS MAG Podcast and The Price of A Mile With Woody Kincaid. He joined the show to discuss his first season as a professional runner with the Bowerman Track Club and coach Jerry Schumacher. Woody ran four indoor races before a stress fracture derailed his year but there were some great moments. He clocked a 13:12.22 a the Boston University Last Chance Meet in February and then finished second to Paul Chelimo at the 2017 U.S. Indoor National Championships. Before turning professional, Woody ran for the University of Portland so he shares some of his favorite memories as a Pilot and whether Rob Connor may have fudged up his story from NCAA Cross Country Nationals a little bit.  Woody joined the CITIUS MAG team when we started the site when he pitched doing a month podcast, where he interviews his fellow Bowerman teammates. It's a great show and if you're not subscribed to the Price of A Mile with Woody Kincaid, you're missing out.  Other questions from listeners include: Who would he put on a DMR against the Nike Oregon Project? What's the dumbest purchase that he's made since signing a professional contract? Who is the most competitive teammate that he's ever had? Much more on the show. You can catch the latest episode of the podcast on iTunes so subscribe and leave a five-star review. We are also now on Stitcher and now Google Play! ------ This episode was brought to you by Maurten. If you’re interested in marathon investigations then there’s a chance that you’re also a marathon or road runner. If so, you should fuel properly for those long distance races and we recommend Maurten. It’s the world’s most carbohydrate-rich sports drink and it’s being used by the top marathoners in the world. Eliud Kipchoge used it during the Breaking2 attempt and the Berlin Marathon. Kenenisa Bekele has been using it since winning the 2016 Berlin Marathon. Mo Farah even used it prior to his gold medal runs at the world championships. It worked for me at the Berlin Marathon and it could work for you. They have two drinks with 40 or 80 grams of carbohydrates and they’re now available in the U.S. Check them out today at Maurten.com CITIUS MAG PODCAST LISTENERS GET 20% OFF THEIR NEXT ORDER: Use promo code CMP20 at checkout.

15 Dec 201750min

We finally deliver one of the most requested episodes. Kyle Merber joins the CITIUS MAG Podcast to take all your listener questions. Thanks a lot to all of the listeners who sent in questions. We did our best to get to as many of them but definitely ran out of time and will have to bring Merber back on the show at another point. Here are some of the questions discussed: - Who has the best kick in U.S. middle distance running right now? - Most intense Gags story from practice - Best race that he's witnessed in person or was part of? - Any plans to move up from the 1,500 meters to the 5,000 meters? - Is Merber considering dual Irish citizenship? - Most memorable David Torrence story? - Why does he wear a headband? - More talk about seltzer than you'd expect to hear on a podcast - What's the story behind his Twitter avatar? - Are we ever going to get a Real Maine 2? All that and more in the latest episode. You can catch the show on iTunes so subscribe and leave a five-star review. We are also now on Stitcher and Google Play!

8 Dec 20171h 12min

Portland Pilots cross country coach Rob Conner joins the CITIUS MAG Podcast to discuss the surprising runner-up finish by his men's team at the 2017 NCAA Cross Country National Championships last weekend. Conner delves into the history of the Portland cross country program, recruiting in the same state as Oregon, breaking down his coaching philosophy and much more. We also delve into the controversy that followed when some of Portland's top guys did not race at the Western Conference Championship and let to an editorial on LetsRun.com. We'll have a separate post on the site with Rob's comments transcribed. Other questions include: Do you feel closer to a national championship now more than you did five or ten years ago? Who would be on the Mt. Rushmore of Portland Cross Country runners? What is his coolest piece of wrestling memorabilia?  You can catch the latest episode of the podcast on iTunes so subscribe and leave a five-star review. We are also now on Stitcher!

22 Nov 201758min

Isaac Wood, author of The Wood Report, joins the show to break down the individual and team races at the 2017 NCAA Cross Country National Championships. Isaac is also the director of track and field operations at BYU and with the Cougars being one of the best teams in the country, he's able to share some insight into their program and how they became a national championship contender.  On Thursday, Isaac released his final projections you can find the links below: Men's individual projections and All-Americans: http://citiusmag.com/ncaa-cross-country-championship-mens-projections-individuals/ Men's team projections: http://citiusmag.com/ncaa-cross-country-national-championship-mens-team-projections/ Women's individual projections: http://citiusmag.com/ncaa-cross-country-championship-womens-individual-projections/ Women's team projections: http://citiusmag.com/ncaa-cross-country-national-championship-womens-team-projections/ We take some listener questions from people on Twitter including: How would the races be different if they were both 8K as opposed to 10K for the men and 6K for the women, who could be the biggest disappointments and much more. If you have any more questions for Isaac before the championship, he can try to answer them on Twitter by reaching him: @Wood_Report. You can catch the latest episode of the podcast on iTunes so subscribe and leave a five-star review. We are also now on Stitcher!

17 Nov 201742min

Get to know Jeanne Mack after she stunned us with her 24th overall (10th American woman) finish at the 2017 New York City Marathon. In addition to writing for CITIUS, Jeanne is an MFA student at NAU. She previously ran at Harvard. Jeanne shares a little insight into her running trajectory, what it's like to be coached by Stephen Kersh, a wild start to her race and what's next as an emerging sub-elite athlete. Jeanne actually just wrote her own reflection on her race, which you can find and read here: http://citiusmag.com/running-with-men/

10 Nov 201746min