Like the episode? Let us know with a quick text! Host Alison Gilliard interviews Josh Sprague, founder of Orange Mud (started January 2012) and Seven Clay. Josh explains building Orange Mud’s hydration packs and the transition wrap/seat cover as “innovation from frustration,” recounts his background in endurance sports and adventure racing, and emphasizes training less to avoid overtraining, family-first balance, warming up slowly, and breaking big efforts into small, measurable goals while s...

Like the episode? Let us know with a quick text! John explains that after reaching his heaviest weight and feeling depressed, he quit alcohol, joined a gym, bought cheap running shoes, and began running on a treadmill, completing his first 5K in October 2023 in about 56 minutes before progressing through 10Ks, half marathons, and ultras with the Scallywags. He recounts his breakthrough first 50K at Lake Guntersville, later running a 100K (In the Heat of the Night) and his first 100 miler (Ch...

Like the episode? Let us know with a quick text! Jillian Walters went from Strongman competitor to trail ultrarunner in under three years — and she just turned 40. She shares how family 5Ks with her husband and kids turned into 50Ks on the trails, heat-training for her first eight-hour race, running in Luna sandals, the aid-station order that never changes (a cheese quesadilla and a little bit of Coke), faith and worship music in the hard miles, and the mantra that keeps her moving: "I am ma...

Like the episode? Let us know with a quick text! Allison interviews Tim Martin of the Warrior’s Way Podcast, who shares how he went from avoiding running to starting with a coworker-led Ragnar Relay, learning proper gear, and finding a community that pushed him to grow as a husband, father, and man of faith. Tim founded Warrior’s Way in Michigan as an outdoor men’s workout group meeting year-round on Saturdays, using cinder blocks to symbolize choosing discomfort for growth, followed by devo...

Like the episode? Let us know with a quick text! Allison Gaillard of Run Your Story Podcast interviews runner and mom Elizabeth German, a longtime athlete from South Louisiana whose running began with a family rite of passage at age 13 in the Crescent City Classic, progressed to half and full marathons, and continued through teaching and dyslexia therapy work. Elizabeth discusses balancing running with parenting, lessons of perseverance and community, favorite races (Crescent City Classic an...

Like the episode? Let us know with a quick text! Allison Gaillard interviews Steven Vinson of “Keep Showing Up, Steven,” who shares his lifelong struggle with weight, reaching 632 pounds, losing and regaining after injuries, surgeries, and depression, and adopting a July 2025 mindset shift from chasing perfection to consistently “keeping showing up.” Steven describes adapting training to his body and the Alabama heat through walking, swimming, and indoor options, tracking streaks, and planni...

Like the episode? Let us know with a quick text! In this conversation, Erica shares how she began running in her late twenties during an abusive marriage as a way to escape and regain strength, and how running stayed with her after leaving. Encouraged by her now-husband Joey, she skipped shorter races and ran a first half marathon, later completing more halves and many 5Ks/10Ks, with a goal to try a full marathon to see if she wants to continue beyond 13.1. She explains how her Instagram (s...

Like the episode? Let us know with a quick text! Sean describes growing up as an athlete who disliked running until he developed Guillain-Barré syndrome at 13, rapidly progressing from numbness to full paralysis, ICU ventilation, and a 94-day hospital stay, followed by relearning movement and returning to football within months with a full recovery. At 22, while teaching English in Korea, he joined an international run club and impulsively ran his first marathon with minimal training, which ...

Like the episode? Let us know with a quick text! On the Run Your Story podcast, Blake Colton shares how he began running in high school, paused to pursue the trades as an electrician, then returned about eight years ago through marathons inspired by his dad, repeatedly failing to qualify for Boston and nearly quitting due to burnout and gut issues. A friend introduced him to trail running, where the slower pace helped, and he became hooked, starting with a backyard ultra and progressing to 1...

Like the episode? Let us know with a quick text! Allison interviews Hildee about her book, Embracing My Inner Athlete, and Hildee shares how, in 2014, as a busy wife and mother of five, she decided to prioritize herself after encouragement from her father-in-law and began training with Jeff, who became her trainer, coach, and friend. Initially afraid to run, she progressed from treadmill walk-jog intervals to completing her first 5K, then caught the running “bug,” trained for longer distance...