If you've been to a Pacers track workout or race, you've probably met Xiuya Yao, a Pacers Run Club leader. She's smiley, welcoming, and encouraging while also being a super badass runner. I was thrilled to have her on the podcast to talk about her running journey - from how she got involved with Pacers as a side hustle to what her upcoming goals are.We talked marathon training - from how Xiuya increased her mileage to how her fueling strategy has shifted (hint: no longer candy bars). We also talked using running as commuting and what it is like to get all around DC on foot. (Small shoutout to the Metro!)Xiuya discusses her favorite shoes (we are both big fans of the Adidas Bostons) and what it is like to work for Pacers. We laugh about sharing life stories on the run before knowing someone's name. This conversation is a wonderful listen, and Xiuya is truly a wealth of knowledge. I hope you enjoy! 

"I just think [running] is a really cool thing that those of us in DC have the opportunity to do."Hello! Happy New Year! Welcome back to Micromobility DC. I am attending the Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting (#TRBAM as the cool kids call it, I am told) and was called out yesterday for my lack of recent episodes! So here it is - the first episode of 2024! (And in my humble opinion, it is a great listen.)I had the opportunity to speak with Sarah Johanek on all things running and DC in December. We cover her big breakthroughs at the DC Half and Chicago Marathon (she ran 1:20 and 2:52 respectively). We speak about her experience moving to DC during the pandemic upon returning from Peace Corps, and later running her first marathon on the C&O trail. We speak about how she's found community around movement through Northeast Track Club. We cover how she gets around, best spots to run (first person in a while who didn't choose Rock Creek Park!), and how she has fun with running and getting strong (she shouts out Doc Sarah on the last point).Sarah is incredibly friendly, humble (she tries to tell me she doesn't know anything about running at one point), and fun loving. You can tell she chases joy and camaraderie in all she does. I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did!I am excited to be covering runners, bikers, walkers, and the people who help provide the infrastructure to make those things possible this year! Have a big goal of 24 episodes for 2024! Name it for accountability they told me!

"Showing up consistently over time with B+ work... is what actually brings you longevity in the sport."Hello, and welcome back to Micromobility DC! You are about to listen to an episode recorded way back in AUGUST. I know, I know, I am slacking on the editing process. In my defense I've been traveling to England, Germany, and random cities around the US. All in the name of RUNNING!The good news is that this episode has aged like fine wine. It is just as relevant as people go for big goals, get inspired by marathon majors, and decide to pursue a new training regimen this Fall. In this episode, I speak to Laur Hudson and Devon Genua. These two met at Northeast Track Club and hit it off. They realized that they had similar philosophies around training and with Devon's extensive marathoning experience (she's a sub 3 hour marathoner!) and Laur's experience as a D1 high jumper, running local races, and working as a Solid Core coach, they decided to start a coaching business. B+ Run Club was born!The two have many nuggets of wisdom, but one of the things I took away was their ability to jump at opportunity. Devon talks about encountering Northeast Track Club by chance at the track one day and just joining. Laur discusses agreeing to go with Molly Applegate (featured on Episode 4) to the track group without knowing too much about what was in store. I hope you enjoy and learn from this episode. Maybe it will inspire your training for your next big race.

If you've come to a Pacers Social Run on Monday or Thursday, you've probably come across Sam Burmester. He will introduce the workout, probably tell a few jokes, and cheer you on the whole way. Sam is the community lead for Pacers Running. In this episode we delve into what that role means, how Sam became involved with Pacers, and how Pacers engages with the community through its social runs and a variety of activations meant to make running more accessible and less intimidating in the District. One of the ways Pacers has made running more accessible this year is through its free training plans (and corresponding social runs) for various race distances. The current half marathon training plan is culminating with this weekend's DC Half Marathon. Catch members of the running community racing, pacing, cheering, and water stopping (I think think this is called thirst trapping?).Along with talking shop about Pacers, we delve into Sam's own journey with movement, as a runner and swimmer growing up and eventually as a triathlete. We talk about the training, the coping with injury, the PRs, the Ironman attempt, and all of the lessons learned along the way. Sam give a bit of helpful tips for those attempting multisport events. (Spoiler: Don't forget your nutrition plan!) We talk a lot of connections: movement, mental health, supportive community, feeling confident enough to go after big goals.

"Actually my training for the marathon was quite a disaster." Bettina described signing up for a marathon as "a treat" for herself for completing her LSAT studying. She ran a 50 miler just for kicks, with friends and family as a support system after graduating from Smith College. She is a true student of the sport, mentioning how she coached herself through the process of training for these events by researching the science behind why we do certain types of runs and how they benefit us. I absolutely loved picking her brain on her training strategies (she used a modified version of the SWAP plan to train for the OC Marathon), how she got into running (she wanted to be a sprinter, her coach threw her in the mile), her advice for other runners pursuing long distance events (tl;dr: enjoy the process).In this episode we also covered a lot about fueling and how that is such a big puzzle piece in marathons and ultras, the transition from college to post-college racing, best spots to run in the DC area, and how - despite getting sick during training - Bettina's first marathon turned out to be a great success. (She ran a 3:12:09!!)I loved getting to chat with Bettina, and I hope you find a bit of inspiration for Fall race season in this conversation!

Welcome back to Micromobility DC! For episode 25 we have the first of two episodes with runners on the move from DC to NYC. I had the chance to sit down and chat with Danielle Zarnick, a marathon training buddy and good friend. At the time of the recording, Danielle was a few days from making her move away from the District. She reflects on her time navigating around the district - running, walking, and forming community.In this episode, we also got into how Danielle began running (in Ohio), the trials and tribulations that came with elementary school cross country races, her decision to run at Colgate University, navigating injury, creating running friendships after graduating, marathon training (she's run Philly and Wineglass, and now she's gearing up for Chicago!), race pace, and her hobby mentality.I am very sentimental about this episode, and I hope you enjoy it! Also, send Danielle all of your favorite NYC running routes!

Welcome back to Micromobility DC - officially one year old now! Happy birthday, pod!This episode I had the opportunity to speak with my former colleague and wonderful friend, Nate Steele, who is a wealth of knowledge on all things transportation. We did discuss EVs and EV charging for the "macromobility" fans out there. In this vein, we discussed challenges around EV charging in urban spaces (like DC!) and integrating cars into larger transportation ecosystems. We also talked about Nate's bike commute up Klingle Hill, making cities pedestrian friendly, train comparisons with other cities, bike lane comparisons with other cities, and general impressions about getting around in DC on a daily basis. This was a fun (non-running-centric) one! I hope you enjoy!

Hello, hello! Hope everyone is staying safe during this very polluted week in Washington, DC. I've heard that listening to a podcast about running gives the same endorphin boost as going for a run itself, so hopefully this podcast does the trick until we can get back to exercising outside.*This episode is with resident Pacers Run Club Leader, Dan Kalinowski! Many of you know him from the Pacers Monday 6 mile route or Banneker Track circles on Thursdays. On this episode he discusses how he got into running, his journey to run marathons on every continent (he's run marathons in North America, Asia, Europe, South America, and Antarctica so far), his recent foray into triathlons, and how he goes about his role as an official pacer in local DC races (just like race day, don't try anything new on pace day!). This episode was a ton of fun, and even having known Dan for a while, I learned quite a bit. I hope you enjoy!*Not scientifically proven.

Hello, hello! Welcome back to Micromobility DC. This week we hear from Willis Chen, a dedicated amateur runner who recently broke the 3 hour mark at the 2023 London Marathon. This episode is a full-on running deep-dive.For those who don't know Willis, he can often be found trotting along the C&O Canal and around the National Mall or pacing NETC track workouts. I first met him while doing laps in front of the National Gallery of Art about 14 months ago and remember him being both friendly and humble. He is incredibly knowledgeable about running - from knowing what pros are breaking national records to keeping track of (and cheering for) his DC friends' PR successes. If asked, Willis will happily provide very useful and well informed training advice, and he knows all of the best races to run. In this episode, we talk about how Willis started running - he was not a high school or college athlete. We get into how Willis went from being an over 5 hour marathoner to a 2:58 marathoner. (His first marathon was local Marine Corps Marathon!) We discuss the ins and outs of the World Major Marathons. And we get an in depth recap of Willis's London Marathon quest. Thanks so much to Willis for taking the time to speak on the pod (and matching my enthusiasm for the sport). And thanks as always to Dan Hoffman for the soundtrack.

We are back! (Took both a podcasting #springbreak during April and am feeling refreshed and excited for what's next!)This episode is with Amanda Earl - a running pal for a few years now. Amanda discusses how she got into running, then trail running, then ultra trail running while living in DC on this episode. Quite the progression! We also spend a lot of the episode discussing Amanda's most recent race - the Big Sur Marathon. I've fact checked the elevation gain, and officially it is 2,182 over the course of the 26.2 miles (but many internet runners report that they believe it is more). Amanda discusses how she prepared for this race, dealing with injury mid training cycle, and the race experience itself - think 3am pitch dark bus rides with no cell service and a piano man several miles in. We talk about running as a de-stressor from DC work life, Pacers Running marathon training community, and big next goals. I really appreciate Amanda's curiosity drive in the running space, and I hope you do too.Thanks to you for listening, Dan Hoffman for the soundtrack, and Amanda for the conversation. Enjoy! (PS: The podcast is enough episodes deep for a post race beer!)