2x NCAA XC Champion Graham Blanks Turns Pro & Signs With New Balance, Reflecting On His Career At Harvard And Running 12:59.89 For 5000m

Ryan Sterner and Stephen Kersh join me for this bonus episode of The CITIUS MAG Podcast to discuss their documentary "A Time And A Place" – which follows Northern Arizona Elite's road to the 2020 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. As I wrote in the CITIUS MAG Newsletter: "Many of us know how the story ends and if you don’t then major spoiler: Aliphine Tuliamuk ends up making the U.S. team for the Tokyo Olympics. But what you don’t know is what the road to get to Atlanta looked like. Over the past 12 months, maybe you’ve caught interviews with the athletes about the preparation and some of the workouts but this film packages it all together and really helps paint the picture of what this pursuit ultimately means for each of the athletes. I highly recommend you check out the film." World-renowned film critic Paul Snyder wrote a glowing review of the movie. There are very few tickets remaining for the film's virtual world premiere on Feb. 13 at 7 p.m. ET. Get your tickets today. 💪 Support for this episode comes from MOMENTOUS. I've been able to try Momentous' ArcFire Strength Recovery Proteinas one of the newest additions to my training regimen. Try it for yourself. CITIUS MAG Podcast listeners will generously receive 20% off their first order of Momentous by using the promo code CITIUS at checkout on LiveMomentous.com. That's CITIUS at checkout for 20% off your first order of plant protein, whey protein, sleep formula and more. 🏃 FOLLOW @trialsofmilesracing for more information on the TEXAS QUALIFIER happening in late February. If you’re a sponsor or brand with an interest in getting involved with the meet, please feel free to contact me: chris@citiusmag.com You can 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! HOW TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST 🎙️ Subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. 💵 Pledge any dollar amount to us on Patreon.com/CITIUSMAG 👕 Pick up merch from the CITIUS MAG store to show your support for the podcast and website.

11 Feb 202139min

"One of the things I feel that I’m pretty good at is the competition side of things. When I do get put up against people like that, the true competitor side comes out in me. It’s like I’m almost pushing my body beyond what it can do just because I don’t want to lose." Bryce Hoppel is one of Team USA’s stars to watch in the Olympic year since he’s the second-fastest American 800 meter runner indoors and the seventh-fastest American outdoors for the same distance. He’s run 1:43.23 and finished fourth at the World Championships. At the University of Kansas, he was a two-time NCAA champion and a five-time All-American. In this episode, you’ll get to know him a little bit better before he takes a swing at David Torrence’s 2:16.76 American record in the indoor 1,000 meters and then you’ll be able to see him in action at the Trials of Miles Texas Qualifier men’s 800 on Feb. 27. 💪 Support for this episode comes from MOMENTOUS. I've been able to try Momentous' ArcFire Strength Recovery Proteinas one of the newest additions to my training regimen. Try it for yourself. CITIUS MAG Podcast listeners will generously receive 20% off their first order of Momentous by using the promo code CITIUS at checkout on LiveMomentous.com. That's CITIUS at checkout for 20% off your first order of plant protein, whey protein, sleep formula and more. 🏃 FOLLOW @trialsofmilesracing for more information on the TEXAS QUALIFIER happening in late February. If you’re a sponsor or brand with an interest in getting involved with the meet, please feel free to contact me: chris@citiusmag.com You can 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! ✍️ FULL SHOW NOTES + MORE QUOTES ON CITIUSMAG.com HOW TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST 🎙️ Subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. 💵 Pledge any dollar amount to us on Patreon.com/CITIUSMAG 👕 Pick up merch from the CITIUS MAG store to show your support for the podcast and website. 📧 Subscribe to the CITIUS MAG Newsletter 🎥 Subscribe to the CITIUS MAG YouTube channel ✩ Connect with CITIUS MAG: Twitter | Instagram

9 Feb 20211h 4min

Matthew Luke Meyer and I catch up to discuss some of the best performances of January 2021. It's a weird time in the sport where there's indoor and outdoor track going on at the same time as cross country and select road races. In this episode, we unpack: – Matt won the men’s division of his first-ever ultramarathon in Moab, Utah (second overall to Sarah Cummings) so he shares what it was like racing for the first time in a while. – We share our new year's resolutions. – A rundown of recent sponsorship changes with athletes including major moves by Puma and cuts by Nike – Some of the biggest performances of the month including: Jim Walmsley's near-miss at the 100K world record attempt, the American Track League's world record showing by Ryan Crouser, Oregon's NCAA record-setting DMR and much more. PLUS...More details on theTrials of Miles Texas Qualifier! 💪 Support for this episode comes from MOMENTOUS. I've been able to try Momentous' ArcFire Strength Recovery Proteinas one of the newest additions to my training regimen. Try it for yourself. CITIUS MAG Podcast listeners will generously receive 20% off their first order of Momentous by using the promo code CITIUS at checkout on LiveMomentous.com. That's CITIUS at checkout for 20% off your first order of plant protein, whey protein, sleep formula and more. 🏃 FOLLOW @trialsofmilesracing for more information on the TEXAS QUALIFIER happening in late February. If you’re a sponsor or brand with an interest in getting involved with the meet, please feel free to contact me: chris@citiusmag.com You can 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! ✍️ FULL SHOW NOTES + MORE QUOTES ON CITIUSMAG.com HOW TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST 🎙️ Subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. 💵 Pledge any dollar amount to us on Patreon.com/CITIUSMAG 👕 Pick up merch from the CITIUS MAG store to show your support for the podcast and website. 📧 Subscribe to the CITIUS MAG Newsletter 🎥 Subscribe to the CITIUS MAG YouTube channel ✩ Connect with CITIUS MAG: Twitter | Instagram

5 Feb 202156min

“If I come back next year, we’re going to target all the D2 records.” If you’re not familiar with Christian Noble's name yet that’s OK because he’s letting some of his performances do the talking for him. In the past two weeks, he set two Division II indoor track records at 3,000 meters and 5,000 meters. He ran 13:37.39 on Jan. 24 in Birmingham, Alabama and then came back a few days later to run 7:51.46 for 3,000 meters. Initially, LetsRun.com reported that the NCAA wouldn’t count the 5K record because the meet used pacing lights on the inside of the track. However, they later walked back that decision and said the mark would count. Christian is the Division II leader in the mile, 3K and 5K. Get to know a little bit more about him. Follow Christian on Instagram: @little_nobes 💪 Support for this episode comes from MOMENTOUS. I've been able to try Momentous' ArcFire Strength Recovery Proteinas one of the newest additions to my training regimen. Try it for yourself. CITIUS MAG Podcast listeners will generously receive 20% off their first order of Momentous by using the promo code CITIUS at checkout on LiveMomentous.com. That's CITIUS at checkout for 20% off your first order of plant protein, whey protein, sleep formula and more. 🏃 FOLLOW @trialsofmilesracing for more information on the TEXAS QUALIFIER happening in late February. If you’re a sponsor or brand with an interest in getting involved with the meet, please feel free to contact me: chris@citiusmag.com You can 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! ✍️ FULL SHOW NOTES + MORE QUOTES ON CITIUSMAG.com HOW TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST 🎙️ Subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. 💵 Pledge any dollar amount to us on Patreon.com/CITIUSMAG 👕 Pick up merch from the CITIUS MAG store to show your support for the podcast and website. 📧 Subscribe to the CITIUS MAG Newsletter 🎥 Subscribe to the CITIUS MAG YouTube channel ✩ Connect with CITIUS MAG: Twitter | Instagram

2 Feb 202135min

"I'm more comfortable with betting on myself now than I have been in the past, and I think it comes from just accumulating achievements that I look back on and think, 'Yeah, I'm good enough to do this.'" My guest for today’s episode is the Roots Running breakout star of 2020 not named Noah Droddy. Frank Lara was the US Champion in the 15K despite finishing second after the winner tested positive for EPO. We hear his thoughts on that. He ran 27:44.65 for the 10,000 meters and 61:50 for the half marathon last year. We recorded this episode a few weeks ago so we touch on his hopes for the new year and he makes his pitch to a potential sponsor. Frank will be among the athletes competing at the Trials of Miles Texas Qualifier next month. 💪 Support for this episode comes from MOMENTOUS. I've been able to try Momentous' ArcFire Strength Recovery Proteinas one of the newest additions to my training regimen. Try it for yourself. CITIUS MAG Podcast listeners will generously receive 20% off their first order of Momentous by using the promo code CITIUS at checkout on LiveMomentous.com. That's CITIUS at checkout for 20% off your first order of plant protein, whey protein, sleep formula and more. 🏃 FOLLOW @trialsofmilesracing for more information on the TEXAS QUALIFIER happening in late February. If you’re a sponsor or brand with an interest in getting involved with the meet, please feel free to contact me: chris@citiusmag.com You can 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! ✍️ FULL SHOW NOTES + MORE QUOTES ON CITIUSMAG.com HOW TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST 🎙️ Subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. 💵 Pledge any dollar amount to us on Patreon.com/CITIUSMAG 👕 Pick up merch from the CITIUS MAG store to show your support for the podcast and website. 📧 Subscribe to the CITIUS MAG Newsletter 🎥 Subscribe to the CITIUS MAG YouTube channel ✩ Connect with CITIUS MAG: Twitter | Instagram

28 Jan 20211h 2min

“In 1996, Derrick Adkins came back to his elementary school on Long Island and showed everyone the gold medal he had won. I was in the crowd. I got to see it. I got to talk to him and touch the medal. I was immediately enthralled by the sport that I went home and talked to my mom about signing up for track. That left a really lasting impression on me because I know that he may not have wanted to go back to his elementary school a month after winning the Atlanta Olympics but he did it out of an obligation to his community. Whenever I’ve been invited to speak at camps or schools or any event, I always try to think of the fact that there’s a little kid there who may be sent on a different path just because he had the opportunity to hear my story.” My guest for today’s show is Kyle Merber and this is his exit interview. He spent the past seven years running for the New Jersey-New York Track Club and just a few weeks ago took to Instagram to announce that he's not done running but done getting paid for it. He finishes his professional career with personal bests of 1:47.23 for 800 meters, 3:34.54 for 1,500 meters and 3:52.22 for the mile. I wrote in my newsletter: He made an impact on the current generation of American distance running by bringing humor, transparency and personality to the track and social media. He’s arguably one of the funniest professionals to follow but also posted with honesty when things weren’t going so great in his attempted comebacks from a series of injuries. You’ll get that from this conversation we recorded this week as we go through his career but also his vision for change and fixes within the sport. 🏃 FOLLOW @trialsofmilesracing for more information on the TEXAS QUALIFIER happening in late February. If you’re a sponsor or brand with an interest in getting involved with the meet, please feel free to contact me: chris@citiusmag.com You can 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! ✍️ FULL SHOW NOTES + MORE QUOTES ON CITIUSMAG.com HOW TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST 🎙️ Subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. 💵 Pledge any dollar amount to us on Patreon.com/CITIUSMAG 👕 Pick up merch from the CITIUS MAG store to show your support for the podcast and website. 📧 Subscribe to the CITIUS MAG Newsletter, ✩ Connect with CITIUS MAG: Twitter | Instagram

20 Jan 20212h 21min

“I’m a big believer that you should really judge people at their worst and not at their best. When people are at their best and everything is comfortable and good or everything is going their way, it’s not really a fair assessment of their character. I think it’s a lot more insightful how someone acts when they’re down and facing adversity. That’s exactly what I was dealing with at that moment. I remember being like, ‘I’m just going to show just how tough I am here and how this isn’t going to shake me at all.’” NAZ Elite has added the 1500m and 5000m specialist to their roster in 2021. Ryan Hill has spent the last seven years training under Jerry Schumacher. He joined the group shortly after he made his first U.S. national team in 2013 and then competed at the world championships in Moscow. With Bowerman, he won three U.S. titles and made four world championship teams. He won a silver medal in the 3,000 meters at the 2016 World Indoor Championships that were held in Portland, Ore. We touch on those moments in his career and the lessons he learned + what he expects under coach Ben Rosario. If you got a kick out of Emma Bates doing a Nick Willis impression, just wait until you hear Ryan’s Jerry Schumacher character. Follow Ryan on Instagram: @ryanhillncstate 🏃 FOLLOW @trialsofmilesracing for more information on the TEXAS QUALIFIER happening in late February. If you’re a sponsor or brand with an interest in getting involved with the meet, please feel free to contact me: chris@citiusmag.com You can 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! FULL SHOW NOTES + MORE QUOTES ON CITIUSMAG.com HOW TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST Subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Pledge any dollar amount to us on Patreon.com/CITIUSMAG Pick up merch from the CITIUS MAG store to show your support for the podcast and website. Subscribe to the CITIUS MAG Newsletter ✩ Connect with CITIUS MAG: Twitter | Instagram ✩ Connect with Chris on Twitter and Instagram.

14 Jan 20211h

“There was consistency. There was never the breakthrough that I thought could happen. You can only control what you do. I think for the most part I did everything that I wanted to." Andrew Bumbalough is one of the OGs of the Bowerman Track Club and has been training with them since 2010. In this episode, he announces he is retiring and no longer running professionally and no longer a Nike athlete. He’s shifting his priorities and getting into coaching. On Jan. 1, he launched Highgear Running, which offers personalized coaching for runners of all levels from the mile to the marathon. You’ll hear him discuss where the name came from and what he’s hoping to accomplish there. We’ll also take a deep dive into his career from his days starting off as a soccer player in Tennessee through his consistency as one of America’s best 5K runners of the past decade. He’ll share the workout where he dropped Chris Solinsky and other fun stories like his 5th place finish at the Boston Marathon. He finishes his career with personal bests of 13:12 in the 5K and 2:10 in the marathon. It was an honor to get Andrew for his exit interview of sorts but excited for what’s to come next. Follow Andrew on Instagram: @abumbalough Check out Highgear Running: @highgearrunning on Instagram | https://www.highgearrunning.com/ You can 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! FULL SHOW NOTES + MORE QUOTES ON CITIUSMAG.com HOW TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST Subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Pledge any dollar amount to us on Patreon.com/CITIUSMAG Pick up merch from the CITIUS MAG store to show your support for the podcast and website. Subscribe to the CITIUS MAG Newsletter ✩ Connect with CITIUS MAG: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook ✩ Connect with Chris on Twitter and Instagram. If you’re interested in sponsorship of the podcast or site, please reach out to Chris Chavez at chris@citiusmag.com. Package and slots for 2021 are available.

11 Jan 20211h 33min