The Break Down, A ZenduranceNow Podcast

What’s it like to be a GREAT Race Director with Vinny Capp

Meghan and Sean sit down with Vinny Capp from Happily Running https://www.happilyrunning.com They discuss how Sean met Vinny and through his involvement with Laurel Highlands and putting on that race during the pandemic. Vinny has been involved in the race community for many years and we have discussions about how he got into long distance Race Directing and running. Vinny puts on several races and has just recently acquired Virgil Crest from Red Newt racing. Virgil Crest has changed many years and so has the course. We talk a little about the logistics of the race and course. Please check out Happily Running and support their awesome races. 
You can find Vinny on Instagram at: https://instagram.com/vinnyruns?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/vinnyruns
Outtake Song: Idles, "Television" 
 
 

Join the Coaches Corner with Mindy Randall

Meghan and Sean welcome fellow coach Mindy Randall from Forward Motion Run Coaching. Mindy is a fellow endurance junkie and has crossed paths with Meghan over the past 6+ years. Sean and Mindy also discover that they are both training for the Jigger Johnson Ultramarathon in August. Mindy talks about her journey as a mid-pack runner, to veterinary medicine, to coach. She tells us how she coaches her athletes and talks to us about women specific research and endurance sports.
Check Mindy out of social media: https://www.facebook.com/people/Forward-Motion-Run-Coaching/100063541450247/ and https://www.instagram.com/nhclickchick/
Mindy’s outtake song: Long May You Run, Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young

Who’s Music is Best? Let the Battle Commence!

Meghan, Sean, and Sam each play songs that they love. The group talks about the songs and laughter commences.
Playlist for you to decide for yourself: 
APPLE MUSIC: https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/zendurancenow-mix-vol-3/pl.u-76oNNdmIdre74
SPOTIFY:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7JSPcgzBzFNt5YgMBp0fql
 
Thin Lizzy Cowboy Song
James McMurtry Choctaw Bingo
Rob Zombie What Naughty Cheerleader
Shane Smith and The Saint Fire in the Ocean
Infamous String Dusters Gravity
4 Non Blondes Whats Up
Turnstile the Mystery
John Mellencamp Key West Intermezzo
Greta Van Fleet Black Smoke Rising
Dead Co Friend of the Devil
Darlingside God of Loss
Sponge Molly, Sixteen Candles
Trampled by Turtles Starting Over
Hot Tuna Watch the North Wind
Eric Clapton Forever Man
The Pogues Body Of an American
Nusrat Fateh Ali Kahn My Comfort Remains
John Hiatt Have a little Faith (outtake song)

Cults

Meghan and Sean talk cults. The discussions center around fitness and diet related cults. They talk about their personal experiences with in and around these cults as a layers on the fitness world. Sean discusses some of his dietary changes that were derived from cult like diet systems. Meghan tell some stories of her cultish experiences with yoga. They both address issues that arrive with coach worship and gurus and how they avoid these traps in their coaching. 
Outtake Song: "Fire Woman" The Cult

Squirrel! What? Oh yeah . . .

Sometimes in the course of a podcast Meghan or Sean will get distracted and veer hard off topic. This episode is really no different. Meg and Sean catch up a little after his vacation. They then go and address some listener submitted questions: recovering from illness and training, how to come back after a long layoff, staying motivated as a back of the pack runner. Meg goes hard after the idea of motivation. A couple of movies are addressed these are their links if you want to watch them. Movie links: Unbreakable: The Western States 100 - https://youtu.be/zy1as6CTYXI, A Life In A Day - https://youtu.be/kYgcTJBLwsU. Sean brings up Matt Fitzgerald’s book How Bad Do You Want It? Mastering the Psychology of Mind Over Muscle and discusses some points in regard to this topic as addressed in the book. The topic shifts towards the first two questions Meg addresses her personal experiences within these two areas. The conversation takes a hard pivot after a small interruption and they talk a little about music and Yellowstone. 
Outtake song: "The Good I'll Do" Zach Bryan

Team ZenduranceNow Reunites

Join Coaches Meghan, Sean, and Sam as we talk about everything Grateful Dead, favorite movies, life and it's chaos, how Meghan finds her Zen, and yelling at our athletes (not really.) Sam seems to really enjoy poking Meghan and Sean and making them argue. If you live in Massachusetts and need a good massage therapist Sam is your man https://samfarnsworthlmt.com/
Sam's outtake song: The Waterboys, Fisherman's Blues

Recovery (for real!)

Meghan starts with a quote from Cory Reese and his recent book, Stronger than the Dark. In a strange twist Sean is also reading a book, The Brave Athlete: Calm the F**k Down and Rise to the Occasion. We discuss pre-race anxiety and how that feeling manifests in everyday life. After several more digressions the topic of the podcast: Recovery is finally addressed. The conversation then  bounces from vacation, cancelling vacations, cruises. Recovery in sport doesn’t have to be laying on the couch and watching Netflix. Recovery manifests in many different ways depending on the person. The conversation comes to an end with a discussion on the movie Falling Down.
Outtake song: Jason Isbell, "Stockholm"

Mental Health Crisis - emergency episode*

*trigger warning* We talk about suicide and mental health in this podcast. 
 
We have a different podcast today. I was very shaken by two recent child suicide attempts in my circle. Also, as I signed on to record this podcast with Sean I learned about the recent hate fueled shooting at Club Q in Colorado Springs. And while editing this podcast I learned of another shooting at a Walmart in Chesapeake VA. We are outraged and sad.
I am on the front lines of mental health care and EMS. I am angry and frustrated every day at the lack of mental health resources available in our country.
Sean and I want you to hear that we know how terrible it is. Mental illness is no joke. You can't exercise is away. If you are suffering please find help. You can call or text 988 at any time for mental health support. If you need help finding appropriate mental health support please reach out to us or to someone you trust.
 
Outtake song: "Keep the Wolves at Bay," Ryan Bingham

Bikes, But We Digress

What is this? Sean is a Furry? Sean and Meghan talk about race volunteering and local race communities. Introducing your kids to the crazy world of endurance athletics. Sean volunteered as a trail marshal for  Amy Rusiecki’s Mt Tom trail race. Check it out here https://beastcoasttrailrunning.blogspot.com/?m=1
Meg went surfing again and it’s quite possible she recorded this podcast with a concussion that occurred during her morning surf. They discuss together the excitement of picking up a new activity and how bad days with that activity produce desire to get better. As the discussion progresses it becomes a very bike centric episode. Flats vs clipless, E-bikes, gravel bikes and inconsiderate clueless drivers. The bike discussions give way to conversations of yoga and weight lifting and choosing workouts that allow us to be more present throughout the day. Meg and Sean close out the topics for this podcast with some Grateful Dead chat then Sean drives into a hard pivot for his closing song.
closing song: "Doors and Fours" NOFX

Grit part 2

*Note from Sean: I incorrectly state that NH has no ultras outside of Ghost Train and that Ghost Train was the only NH 100 miler. However, Jigger Johnson 100 miler just announced itself. I am looking forward to hearing more about this.*
 
Meghan and Sean and revisit grit as suggested by podcast listener after his experiences during his most recent ultramarathon. We begin the discussion  with grit through training and preparation. The mental preparation in a race, through training practice and race planning is discussed. Building upon grit in practice; the ideas of repetition and finding your why can define how your mental fortitude is created. As is typical in conversations between Sean and Meg Tim Noakes and David Goggins are both addressed and discussed. They touch on life balance, excuse making, real priorities. The conversation centers heavily on grit being an everyday occurrence. It’s a not just an aspect of athletics it manifests in most aspects of one’s life. The ability to adapt is a crucial component being gritty and it defines how an individual is a participant in all facets of life.