USATF OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS | DAY 2 REACTION SHOW: MELISSA JEFFERSON-WOODEN 10.65! KENNY BEDNAREK 9.79! 800M STUNNERS

“Ultimately, for that Orlando race, that was more about getting my feet wet a little bit and seeing how the distance felt. Now that I know how it feels, I know that I can push harder.” My guest for today's episode is Amanda Vestri. She's a professional runner for Brooks who trains with Zap Endurance. She's a rising star on the U.S. distance running scene who just made a stunning half marathon debut at the Orlando Half this past weekend with a blazing 1:18:12 performance that puts her at No. 13 on the U.S. all-time women's half marathon list and sets the stage for what could be an incredible road racing career ahead for her. Amanda's path to this milestone hasn't been smooth after an injury disrupted her training just weeks before her debut. She pivoted her plans and showed remarkable adaptability and determination to test herself in Orlando. The positives for 2024 outweigh the negatives. She ran a 31:10 personal best for 10K on the track. She was the top American at the NYRR Mini 10K. Over the summer, she signed a pro contract and then took fifth at the US Olympic trials 10,000m final on the track. In this episode, we discuss her breakthrough 2024 season and unpack some of her aspirations for Houston and beyond. We also look back at what spurred her passion to someday become a professional runner and then follow her long term vision of making the U.S. Olympic Marathon team for Los Angeles in 2028.  Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram Guest: Amanda Vestri | @a_vestri Time stamps: 4:20 - Reflections on her 2024 season 7:21 - How her training has evolved throughout the year 9:58 - Details on her training group (Zap Endurance) 14:33 - Plans on chasing standards + U.S. teams 17:44 - Thoughts on racing the 10K 19:52 - Her transition to the roads 24:46 - Her path to elite running  27:32 - Reflections on her college career at Iowa State + Syracuse 34:33 - How she handled getting COVID leading into the Olympic Trials 36:51 - Signing with Brooks during the Trials 40:24 - Breaking down the Olympic Trials 10,000m 45:29 - Half marathon being an underrated distance 51:13 - Details on some of her workouts + long runs  54:36 - Breaking down the race 56:33 - Goals for the Houston Half 59:34 - Fueling during the race  1:02:21 - Thoughts on moving up to the marathon  1:06:51 - Goals looking ahead to 2025 SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS WAHOO: KICKR RUN - a new revolutionary treadmill offering the freedom and form of outdoor running at home, from Wahoo Fitness. Run hands-free and focus solely on the joy of running with the innovative RunFree Mode - which adjusts to your stride and pace automatically. For the first time, runners can now fully benefit from indoor training apps such as Zwift Run and the Wahoo app for an immersive training experience that delivers unmatched realism and results. Learn more at WahooFitness.com OLIPOP: For the past year, we’ve redefined Olipop as more than just a healthy drink known for its gut microbiome with a low sugar content and a much better alternative to regular soda. You know there are more than 16 flavors, including classic root beer, cherry cola, and lemon-lime. You know it as The Runner’s Soda. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get 25% off your orders by using code CITIUS25 at drinkolipop.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

11 Dec 20241h 9min

"I had done great things in the sport before, but I had never won a medal. That was something that had tormented me and eluded me for so long. And I finally got two of them. So it feels great. It feels even better when you feel so much ownership over them. I know that it was my decision-making and risk-taking that led to those outcomes." My guest for today's episode is U.S. Olympian and two-time bronze medalist Grant Fisher. Grant had a career-defining year in 2024, standing on the podium twice at the Paris Olympics in the 5000m and 10,000m. But true to his form, he's not content to rest on those accomplishments. He's gearing up for a new challenge in 2025 by signing on for the inaugural season of Grand Slam Track. In this interview, he shares his thoughts on how the Grand Slam model can elevate track visibility, attract new fans, and give athletes like him more opportunities to test themselves against the best in the world. He's in a racer group that will contest a 3K and 5K against the likes of Luis Grijalva, Ronald Kwemoi and one more racer that is expected to be announced soon.  We dive into Grant's reflections on his breakout 2024 season, the lessons he's carrying into 2025, and how he's preparing for a shot at both glory and Grand Slam Track and some more hardware at the world Championships in Tokyo. Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram Guest: Grant Fisher | @grantfisher_ on Instagram Time stamps: 4:08 - Where he’s at with training and racing coming off the Olympics. 5:15 - Reflections on his 2024 season. 6:42 - How he built his confidence heading into the Olympics. 7:47 - Goals for the 2025 season. 8:48 - Why he decided to sign with GST.  15:24 - Why he might have an edge over other GST racers. 17:12 - Thoughts on racing the 3K/5K double in Jamaica. 21:05 - Why fans should care about watching GST. 23:19 - Thoughts on his GST competitors, who else he wants to join. SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS WAHOO: KICKR RUN - a new revolutionary treadmill offering the freedom and form of outdoor running at home, from Wahoo Fitness. Run hands-free and focus solely on the joy of running with the innovative RunFree Mode - which adjusts to your stride and pace automatically. For the first time runners can now fully benefit from indoor training apps such as Zwift Run and the Wahoo app for an immersive training experience that delivers unmatched realism and results.⁠ Learn more at WahooFitness.com⁠ OLIPOP: For the past year, we’ve redefined Olipop as more than just a healthy drink known for its gut microbiome with a low sugar content and a much better alternative to regular soda. You know there are more than 16 flavors, including classic root beer, cherry cola, and lemon-lime. You know it as The Runner’s Soda. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get 25% off your orders by using code CITIUS25 at drinkolipop.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

11 Dec 202426min

“It’s time to move on to bigger adventures.” Graham Blanks, the Harvard standout and two-time NCAA cross country champion joins The CITIUS MAG Podcast with the news about his decision to turn professional with New Balance. Just two days ago, Graham ran 12:59.89 for 5000 meters indoors, becoming only the second collegian in history to break 13 minutes indoors—a fitting way to cap off one of the most decorated collegiate careers in recent memory. In this interview, we’ll reflect on Graham’s Harvard career to the global stage as a U.S. Olympian in the 5000m and his incredible cross country dominance over the past two years. We’ll also discuss his decision to return for one final collegiate cross country season, his plans to stay in Boston with coach Alex Gibby, and how he is thinking about balancing life as a new pro with finishing his degrees in economics and philosophy. Get the full scoop in our exclusive interview. Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram Guest: Graham Blanks | @graham_voted_for_pedro on Instagram SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS WAHOO: KICKR RUN - a new revolutionary treadmill offering the freedom and form of outdoor running at home, from Wahoo Fitness. Run hands-free and focus solely on the joy of running with the innovative RunFree Mode - which adjusts to your stride and pace automatically. For the first time runners can now fully benefit from indoor training apps such as Zwift Run and the Wahoo app for an immersive training experience that delivers unmatched realism and results. Learn more at WahooFitness.com OLIPOP: For the past year, we’ve redefined Olipop as more than just a healthy drink known for its gut microbiome with a low sugar content and a much better alternative to regular soda. You know there are more than 16 flavors, including classic root beer, cherry cola, and lemon-lime. You know it as The Runner’s Soda. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get 25% off your orders by using code CITIUS25 at drinkolipop.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

9 Dec 20241h 2min

Biya Simbassa took many American track and field fans by surprise on Sunday morning when they awoke to results from the Valencia Marathon and saw that the 31-year-old notched a personal best by nearly four minutes to run 2:06:53. The performance was good for 17th place in the race but moved him to No. 4 on the U.S. all-time list. Only Khalid Khannouchi (2:05:38), Galen Rupp (2:06:07) and Ryan Hall (2:06:17) have run faster. Back in 2022, we paid a visit to Flagstaff, Ariz. for a video featuring Simbassa and also recorded a podcast episode detailing his career path from being born in Ethiopia, moving to the United States in 2007 and then going through the school system. He started running in high school in Minnesota and then continued his development at Iowa Central Community College before transferring to Oklahoma.  After graduating, he was coached by Scott Simmons in Colorado Springs before signing a pro contract with Under Armour to be part of the Dark Sky Distance Project with coach Stephen Haas. In 2023, Simbassa started working with Hall as his coach. The partnership lasted until this summer before Hall decided to step back from coaching. Simbassa worked with Ian Carter (a McKirdy Trained coach, who also was coached by Hall) for the Valencia Marathon build-up. CITIUS MAG spoke with Simbassa on Thursday afternoon to get details on how the performance came about. Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram Guest: Biya Simbassa | @simba_runner Time stamps: 3:19 - Reflections coming off the Valencia Marathon  5:12 - Processing the Olympic Marathon Trials  6:59 - Thoughts on whether he could’ve made the Olympic team 8:17 - When he knew the marathon was his event 11:15 - Feelings after not making Olympic team 13:00 - Why he races so often 17:14 - Thoughts on Ryan Hall stepping away as his coach 18:27 - Ian Carter becoming his new coach 19:42 - Why he landed on racing Valencia 20:39 - Goals and expectations heading into Valencia 23:55 - How he stayed composed after the halfway split  27:12 - Valencia course + atmosphere 30:13 - Shoe choice for the race 32:00 - Fueling throughout the race  33:44 - Plans for what’s next  SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS WAHOO: KICKR RUN - a new revolutionary treadmill offering the freedom and form of outdoor running at home, from Wahoo Fitness. Run hands-free and focus solely on the joy of running with the innovative RunFree Mode - which adjusts to your stride and pace automatically. For the first time runners can now fully benefit from indoor training apps such as Zwift Run and the Wahoo app for an immersive training experience that delivers unmatched realism and results. Learn more at WahooFitness.com OLIPOP: For the past year, we’ve redefined Olipop as more than just a healthy drink known for its gut microbiome with a low sugar content and a much better alternative to regular soda. You know there are more than 16 flavors, including classic root beer, cherry cola, and lemon-lime. You know it as The Runner’s Soda. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get 25% off your orders by using code CITIUS25 at drinkolipop.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

5 Dec 202436min

“I know that I have to come in even stronger, even faster, even better. I'm looking to break the world record indoors this season and win the world indoor title. That’s not going to come with me still living in being an Olympic champion from August. We've got to do it again.” My guest for today's episode is Masai Russell, the Olympic champion in the 100m hurdles and one of track's brightest new stars. Masai's gold medal performance in Paris wasn't just a victory; it was a statement after a season filled with ups and downs and doubts. She channeled sheer will and resilience to seize the biggest title of her career crossing the finish line in a jaw-dropping photo finish that left fans around the world celebrating her triumph. In this episode, Masai reflects on her remarkable 2024 season, the challenges she overcame to reach the top, and how she's already back to work with even bigger plans for 2025. There's also some great mindset talk in this conversation.  Plus, she's here to announce one of her first races of 2025 will be the 60m hurdles at the Millrose Games. This upcoming February, you can get your tickets on the Armory's website. She'll bring the same fearless energy that made her an Olympic champion. Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram Guest: Masai Russell | @masai_russell on Instagram Time stamps: 3:20 - How life has been since becoming the 100m hurdles Olympic champion 4:17 - Opportunities since winning the Olympics 6:28 - Plans for racing indoor season  8:06 - Millrose annoucement: 60m hurdles 12:03 - How she progresses training to peak at the right meets 16:07 - What makes her stand out against her competitors  21:03 - The night and day leading into the Olympic final  26:47 - When the reality of becoming the Olympic champion sunk in  29:23 - How her experience at Bullis High School shaped her mindset  35:53 - Looking ahead to future races  41:18 - More reflections on winning the Olympics 44:05 - What it’s going to take to top 2024 in 2025 SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS WAHOO: KICKR RUN - a new revolutionary treadmill offering the freedom and form of outdoor running at home, from Wahoo Fitness. Run hands-free and focus solely on the joy of running with the innovative RunFree Mode - which adjusts to your stride and pace automatically. For the first time runners can now fully benefit from indoor training apps such as Zwift Run and the Wahoo app for an immersive training experience that delivers unmatched realism and results. Learn more at WahooFitness.com OLIPOP: For the past year, we’ve redefined Olipop as more than just a healthy drink known for its gut microbiome with a low sugar content and a much better alternative to regular soda. You know there are more than 16 flavors, including classic root beer, cherry cola, and lemon-lime. You know it as The Runner’s Soda. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get 25% off your orders by using code CITIUS25 at drinkolipop.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

4 Dec 202448min

“A lot of the time it comes down to whether I’d rather set a world record in February or win the World Championships and defend my title in September. There's a lot that goes into it, but I think I'm fast enough to go after a world record in a few events.” My guest for today's episode is none other than Cole Hocker, the 23-year-old American middle distance star who shocked the world at the Paris Olympics by winning gold in the men's 1500m. While the pre-race buzz centered on Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Josh Kerr, it was Cole who flew under the radar and stormed to victory in an Olympic record of 3:27.65. If you go back into our podcast archives, you can find an episode that we did with Cole in Paris just 48 hours after his victory. It was really cool to have that moment etched in time and to hear how fresh his thoughts and feelings were. We touch on life since Paris in this conversation. From his breakout performance in Tokyo to the Olympic triumph in Paris, Cole has established himself as one of the best middle distance runners in the world. We reflect on his incredible 2024 season and learn how he's gearing up for another big year with the World Championships in Tokyo on the horizon. Plus his participation in Grand Slam track's inaugural season. Cole is also here to announce that one of his first races in 2025 will be the 3000m at the iconic Millrose Games this February in New York City. You can get your tickets at the Armory's website. Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram Guest: Cole Hocker | @colehocker on Instagram Time stamps: 4:02 - Highlights since becoming the 1500m Olympic champion 6:25 - Plans looking ahead to 2025 8:05 - What recovery looked like for him post-Olympics 9:00 - Racing the 3000m at Millrose Games announcement 10:33- How he’s getting ready to move up to the 3K 11:50 - Why he’s racing the 3K instead of the mile at Millrose  17:13 - Going after the 3K world record  18:31 - Looking ahead to race plans for the 2025 season  22:42 - Ways he’s hoping to continue improving  25:44 - Deciding to sign with Grand Slam Track 28:35 - When he’ll start race-specific training  29:24 - His upcoming 600m race with Fred Kerley SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS WAHOO: KICKR RUN - a new revolutionary treadmill offering the freedom and form of outdoor running at home, from Wahoo Fitness. Run hands-free and focus solely on the joy of running with the innovative RunFree Mode - which adjusts to your stride and pace automatically. For the first time runners can now fully benefit from indoor training apps such as Zwift Run and the Wahoo app for an immersive training experience that delivers unmatched realism and results. Learn more at WahooFitness.com OLIPOP: For the past year, we’ve redefined Olipop as more than just a healthy drink known for its gut microbiome with a low sugar content and a much better alternative to regular soda. You know there are more than 16 flavors, including classic root beer, cherry cola, and lemon-lime. You know it as The Runner’s Soda. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get 25% off your orders by using code CITIUS25 at drinkolipop.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

4 Dec 202431min

“The pieces were there – but getting them to mesh and come together, we had to embrace the imperfect. We had to have these women realize that if you're scared of something, the only way to get over that fear is to conquer it. That was what this championship was for a lot of the women.  My guest for today's episode is Diljeet Taylor, Head Coach of BYU’s women's cross country and track team. She's one of the most inspiring leaders in the sport. Coach Taylor just wrapped up a storybook season by guiding BYU to the 2024 NCAA Cross Country women's team title. It's their second national championship under her leadership and the program's sixth overall. This victory wasn't just about redemption. It was about resilience one year after a devastating 14th place finish at NCAAs – the lowest moment of her coaching career. Coach Taylor and her team embraced the imperfect, leaned into their depth, and executed when it mattered most. From butterfly mantras to pajama parties to brilliant race strategies, Coach Taylor proved that with belief and preparation, anything is possible. In today's conversation, we talked about BYU’s incredible turnaround, her approach to coaching All-Americans and building a winning culture, and why this year was a testament to her mantra, ‘Embrace the imperfect.’ Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram Guest: Diljeet Taylor | @diljeetdosanjhtaylor on Instagram Time stamps: 3:33 - Reflections coming off BYU’s team title at NCAAs  5:03 - Finishing 14th at the 2023 Championship to winning in 2024 8:47 - What she said to her athletes after NCAAs last year  10:16 - How her coaching style has changed 12:27 - Lexy Halladay-Lowry’s progression + working through an injury to finish 14th 14:22 - What the evening was like with the team the night before NCAAs 21:03 - Why the team got off social media the month leading up to NCAAs 23:06 - “The Night Before Nationals” book 25:46 - Frank Gagliano’s impact on her as a mentor  26:55 - Overcoming last year’s disappointment at NCAAs 29:12 - Goals and expectations heading into this year’s race  34:05 - How the race played out  37:27 - How the team celebrated winning  42:38 - Looking ahead to next year’s team  45:01 - What she hopes her legacy will be 48:49 - Connecting with other female coaches  SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS WAHOO: KICKR RUN - a new revolutionary treadmill offering the freedom and form of outdoor running at home, from Wahoo Fitness. Run hands-free and focus solely on the joy of running with the innovative RunFree Mode - which adjusts to your stride and pace automatically. For the first time runners can now fully benefit from indoor training apps such as Zwift Run and the Wahoo app for an immersive training experience that delivers unmatched realism and results. Learn more at WahooFitness.com OLIPOP: For the past year, we’ve redefined Olipop as more than just a healthy drink known for its gut microbiome with a low sugar content and a much better alternative to regular soda. You know there are more than 16 flavors, including classic root beer, cherry cola, and lemon-lime. You know it as The Runner’s Soda. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get 25% off your orders by using code CITIUS25 at drinkolipop.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

2 Dec 202452min

“The only magic thing about running is consistency. Consistent competence equals eventual excellence. That's kind of my mantra. So we try to stay healthy so that we can be consistent. We just keep on getting the miles in, getting the workouts in, and over time, good things happen. What was special about 2024? Who knows other than having the right athletes in the right position, the right belief and faith in their parts and goals, and going, ‘Hey, maybe we can do this.’” My guest for today’s episode is BYU director of track and field and cross country Ed Eyestone, the architect of one of the greatest years ever for American distance running. From Olympic medals and top-10 marathon finishes to NCAA titles, 2024 was nothing short of historic for Coach Eyestone and his athletes. Just this weekend, Ed capped it all off by leading the BYU men to their second NCAA cross country title in six years, holding off a stacked field at the Thomas Zimmer Championship Course. It’s been a dream season for Eyestone, whose year began with Conner Mantz and Clayton Young finishing 1-2 at the Olympic Marathon Trials and ended with BYU completing a historic NCAA sweep—both the men’s and women’s teams claiming national titles for the first time since 2004. We dive into Ed’s coaching strategies, his reflections on this monumental season and how he’s built a culture of resilience and excellence at BYU. From the roads to the track to the grass, no one’s had a better 2024 than Ed Eyestone, and we can’t wait to hear his take on how it all came together. Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram Guest: Ed Eyestone | @edeyestone on Instagram Time stamps:  3:30 - Returning to campus after BYU won the NCAA XC Championship team title 5:13 - Feelings and emotions after winning the NCAA team title 7:16 - Strategy + plan for the men heading into the race  10:54 - Using a whiteboard during the race to communicate with the team 12:29 - Using olive oil to stay warm during the race 14:18 - Backstory on the affirmations notecard on his arm during the race  19:25 - Similarities between the men’s and women’s programs at BYU 23:23 - Why everything clicked for the team in 2024 27:53 - How the 2024 season was a dream come true  30:44 - His process-oriented coaching philosophy  33:19 - What the team got up to in the final days before the race  36:48 - Casey Clinger’s impact on the team + how going on missions affects training 42:42 - How his coaching style has changed + how he structures workouts 45:56 - Thoughts on upcoming changes to the NCAA SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS WAHOO: KICKR RUN - a new revolutionary treadmill offering the freedom and form of outdoor running at home, from Wahoo Fitness. Run hands-free and focus solely on the joy of running with the innovative RunFree Mode - which adjusts to your stride and pace automatically. For the first time runners can now fully benefit from indoor training apps such as Zwift Run and the Wahoo app for an immersive training experience that delivers unmatched realism and results. Learn more at WahooFitness.com OLIPOP: For the past year, we’ve redefined Olipop as more than just a healthy drink known for its gut microbiome with a low sugar content and a much better alternative to regular soda. You know there are more than 16 flavors, including classic root beer, cherry cola, and lemon-lime. You know it as The Runner’s Soda. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get 25% off your orders by using code CITIUS25 at drinkolipop.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

25 Nov 202453min