Roots Running Sessions

Lexi Zeis ran the Olympic Trials back in February as her first experience at the marathon distance. But, we both knew it was a glorified training run as she wasn't quite ready to "race" the marathon yet. This past December at the Marathon Project, she had her first real-go at racing the marathon distance finishing 16th in 2:32:40 making her one of the fastest US marathoners under age 25 in history.

Noah Droddy became the #9 fastest US men's marathoner running 2:09:09 at the Marathon Project event in Arizona on Dec. 20th. He and Frank Lara (who helped pace the event) talk about the build-up to the race, staying motivated during the pandemic, and looking ahead to 2021.

Frank Lara graduated from Furman University in 2019 and although he showed glimpses of his potential while in college, he didn't have the same accolades or fanfare as some of his competitors. But, he has burst onto the scene this year with a US title, a 27:44 10km PR, and an automatic qualifier to the US Olympic Track and Field Trials in June 2021. He is a tough, gritty competitor that has adapted quickly to post-collegiate running, now finding his name mentioned with some of the best in the country.

2020 Olympic Marathon Trials Week!!! I sit down with American Running Legend Benji Durden to talk about marathoning, athletic development, training and racing in Atlanta, and his 2nd place finish at the 1980 Olympic Trials Marathon.

It took Maggie a little bit to realize her potential. But with confidence growing to match her fitness, she's starting to scratch the surface of what she's capable of. She recently ran 70:06 at the Houston Half Marathon, ranking her 25th of all-time in the US, in only her second time running the distance. Maggie discusses that race, her background with running, and what's ahead in 2020.

After subpar debuts or disappointing past experiences at the marathon distance, our guys (Noah, Alex, and Willie) took big steps forward at the Chicago Marathon in October. It was a good day for what it meant: a positive experience in the event and affirmation that they belong at the distance. Enjoy hearing about their experience.

In this episode, we sit down with our newest female athlete Jen Bergman to detail her big PR at the Chicago marathon, her return to competitive running after a year off, and re-capturing the success she showed as a 7-time All-American at the University of Arizona.

Get to know one of our newest female athletes: Alexis (Lexi) Zeis. Lexi was a 13x All-American and 3x National Champ for Div 2 - University of Mary. She'll be one to keep an eye on in the future.

Alex Monroe reflects on his NYC experience during his first marathon and how quickly things can change during the race, what he learned, and how he'll approach the distance in the future.

In this episode, the coaches for the Roots Running Project, Richey and Jeff, discuss the role mileage plays in training. Is there a target number of miles you should hit per week? What factors should you consider when progressing your overall volume? Is focusing your training around a mileage goal a bad thing?

Just 3 dudes, sitting around, drinking boxed wine, re-living the highs and lows of an overall solid race day

The story behind Wade Meddles - a once talented prep star who gave up the sport after a subpar collegiate career (by his standards)is back with a new-found purpose and drive to optimize his ability.

Alia Gray and Noah Droddy recap their races at the 2017 Chicago Marathon. Alia finished 8th overall in a time of 2:34 and Noah finished 19th overall in a time of 2:16.

Recapping the 2017 season while previewing Noah Droddy and Alia Gray's Chicago Marathon outlook

As we start our new development team, we are fortunate to have Jeff Boele come on board as one of our coaches. Blending science, experience, S&C, and healthcare, Jeff embodies what it means to be a complete coach and build a complete program. Learn about his path to coaching and what he thinks makes a successful post-collegiate athlete.

Willie and Alia share some thoughts on their decision to make post-collegiate running their full-time focus after college and what new post-collegiate runners should expect.

Part 2 of our Podcast regarding Noah Droddy's NYC Half Performance: Flashback to the summer of 2015 - Roots Running Project was just starting out, Noah Droddy was ready to make post-collegiate running more of a focus. Following a whirlwind 18months, we retrace the logical steps that created unexpected success. Moral of the story: Timing is Everything

Flashback to the summer of 2015 - Roots Running Project was just starting out, Noah Droddy was ready to make post-collegiate running more of a focus. Following a whirlwind 18months, we retrace the logical steps that created unexpected success. Moral of the story: Timing is Everything

Injuries happen in competitive distance running. But, when faced with so many setbacks, it can be difficult to maintain the excitement to continue pursuing a competitive career. Margaret and Andy discuss their injury-riddled collegiate careers and how they've continued to stay motivated while coming back from injury.

Alia and Noah recap their experience, for better or worse, at the humid 2017 Houston Half Marathon