Let‘s_Get_Uncomfortable
36 episodes - English - Latest episode: 2 months ago - ★★★★★ - 11 ratingsConversations that probe how our athletic love affair with running can be a tool for change.
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Episodes
Danni McNeilly aka Leggatron Breaks Three Hours in a Marathon
February 17, 2024 19:12 - 1 hour - 36 MBIt was a moment 10 years in the making for Black Roses NYC member Danni McNeilly. When she crossed the Chicago Marathon finish line at 2:59:33 in 2023, she became the newest Black American born woman to join a very exclusive list. With her accomplishment, Danni joined Black Roses teammates Sharada Maddox and Erica Stanley-Dottin. On the first episode of season four, Danni shares how long distance running became her passion, her dislike for the Boston marathon, and why running New York City a...
Tom O’Keefe and Stride for Stride Are on a Mission for BIPOC Runners
October 20, 2023 01:15 - 1 hour - 45.1 MBTom O'Keefe started his non-profit Stride for Stride in 2018, and to date the group has secured bibs for over 500 runners into the New York City, Boston and Miami marathons, the NYC Half, the Falmouth Road Race in Cape Cod and many other races across the country. The bibs to date, are over $138,000. With $54,000 this year alone, when the yearly average is $46,000 a year. Tom stumbled into running by having a very popular twitter account dedicated to Boston. From his experience, he recognized...
LGU Episode 33 Mwangi Gitahi’s journey from track start to coach
September 01, 2023 01:52 - 54 minutes - 27.6 MBMwangi Gitahi would be the first to tell you that he is naturally gifted as a runner. Growing up in Kenya, where long distance running is as common as apple pie, running is what everyone did. So excelling in South Kingstown High School in Rhode Island, was a no brainer. The unexpected challenges came when he picked up the whistle to be a coach. The red carpet that was laid out for him as a runner, didn't translate to being on the other side of the track. With his coaching career in bloom, he...
Episode 32: The Chinatown Speed Kooks Take On The Speed Project
June 10, 2023 19:38 - 1 hour - 110 MBIn the first episode of season three, the Chinatown Speed Kooks join the show for a behind-the-scenes look at The Speed Project. If you've never heard of TSP, it's an unsanctioned and unsupported race from the Santa Monica Pier to the Las Vegas sign. Sebastian Chiu and Let's Get Uncomfortable cohost Jaime Chien break it down the planning, financing, and running logistics, with a surprise visit from a special guest -- and a full action plan for how to escape a desert dog mafia.
Episode 31: Rowann Bowcutt and 10IronWomen Blaze into Barcelona
November 18, 2022 10:55 - 46 minutes - 85.8 MBThe name says it all: 10IronWomen. A movement from Rowann Bowcutt and friends to bring true gender parity to the Barcelona Ironman—and so much more. Like many triathletes, Rowann began as a runner, before adding cycling and swimming, two disciplines that require access to training spaces and expensive equipment. On the latest episode, we hop across the pond to London to learn why Rowann co-founded 10IronWomen, how they trained during the pandemic, and what happens at changing stations on rac...
Episode 30: Race the Bronx gives an inside look at the business of running
September 19, 2022 11:48 - 54 minutes - 100 MBToday we step off the track to go behind the scenes into the business of running with Sol Rivera and Alex Felicier of Race the Bronx. Proud Bronx residents, Sol and Alex give us an inside look at how and why they bring races to their borough, which has the worst health rating of any county in New York State. They’re on a mission to make running races affordable and inclusive, and we’re along for the ride.
Episode 29: Davon Culley talks track to ultras and how he builds representation
June 17, 2022 01:29 - 1 hour - 120 MBWith nearly 40 marathons under his belt, Davon Culley has spent the last three decades running and being part of the running boom, from the track to ultramarathons and everything in between. Encouraged by the growth of Black runners, as well as the significant number of races by Black race directors, Davon joins the show to discuss his hopes of true diversity and inclusion in running, and how his leadership roles give him a seat at the table to bring change.
Episode 28: Nacho Valle, founder of Snake Run and Achilles volunteer, on blending art and running into an inclusive space
May 06, 2022 02:02 - 43 minutes - 80.3 MBArt and running have a lot in common. Depending on your social connections or access to the outdoors, they can both be exclusive clubs. For Nacho Valle, the founder of Snake Run and volunteer/coach with Achilles International, art and running are about inclusion. On the latest episode of Let’s Get Uncomfortable, the Valencia, Spain, native shares his love for art and how it changed his perception of the world while growing up in an art gallery thanks to his father. That same passion for colo...
Episode 27: Jean Bell, Coach and founder of Jeuness Track Club, on building Black Girl Magic
February 15, 2022 10:54 - 57 minutes - 106 MBJean Bell, a judge for New York State and former college track runner, has been coaching girls in Brooklyn through Jeuness Track Club, the grassroots organization she founded in 1985. Jeuness athletes, ages 5-17, learn not only how to train for athletic excellence, routinely competing in national and world championships, but how to become dedicated students with the goal, often attained, of earning a college scholarship. Join us for Episode 27 of the Let’s Get Uncomfortable running podcast t...
Episode 26: Kim Rodrigues on using running to manage depression and stay in touch with herself
January 13, 2022 10:49 - 47 minutes - 87.8 MBWhile attending Tilden High School in Brooklyn, Kim Rodrigues ran the 600-, 800-, and 1,200-meter dashes, and the 400-meter hurdles, mainly to stay out of trouble. Years later, as she celebrates her 57th birthday with 15 marathons under her belt and more to come, she reflects on how running not only set her on the right path in fitness, but also helped her manage bouts of depression. Kim has become a premier fixture in the New York City group running scene, but she continues to find solace i...
Episode 25: Boogie Down Bronx Runners on building a vibrant running community from scratch and cheering at mile 20 of the New York City Marathon
November 02, 2021 03:06 - 1 hour - 34.1 MBWhen Lenny Grullon and Jean Paul (JP) Fontana, former basketball players from the Bronx, founded the Boogie Down Bronx Runners in 2017, they were their group’s only members. It took a few tries, but soon a few people showed up, including Chris Guzman, who wanted to get healthy and model an active lifestyle for his son. Today, the three of them lead well over 100 members, including 50 marathoners, throughout the Bronx, going beyond Van Cortlandt Park to Pelham Bay Park and down to the South B...
Episode 24: Mitchell Silver ”The People‘s Commissioner” on running, diversifying outdoor spaces, and never buying his wife flowers
September 27, 2021 02:03 - 1 hour - 52 MBMitchell Silver’s drive and determination is the kind of story that inspires generations. The kid from Brooklyn who dropped out of high school after just two years, made his way back to earn degrees in architecture and urban planning, the first black president of the American Planning Association to then become New York City Parks Commissioner. His road had many turns and valleys, and deeply marked by the his mother's death at a young age, and the death of his brother and best friend Sam as ...
Episode 23: Ashley Davies, the coach, runner and fitness instructor fighting for body positivity
August 09, 2021 03:08 - 1 hour - 48.8 MBOn her calendar for 2021, Ashley Davies has marathon number 15 circled for October. It is going to be Boston. Marathon training is always a challenge, and her road to Boston is paved with learning to heal from an eating disorder at age 11. On episode 23, Ashley shares her difficult journey with anorexia, the prevalence of eating disorders in running, and why she entered a body building contest. For the past six years since moving to Seattle, Ashley has also made waves as a fitness instructor...
Episode 22: Resident Runners on tacos, the NYC marathon after party and the freedom of running without pacers
July 26, 2021 03:09 - 1 hour - 69.7 MBThe foundation for why Resident Runners was started in 2013 is pretty simple: three men who enjoyed each other's company, getting together for run and then grabbing a beer. In 2021 the bond between Rashaan Rogers, Eric Blevens and Raymond Hailes is stronger than ever, a global pandemic and fatherhood during social unrest would do that. Because now as fathers, they understand the impact of their contributions in running will have for their children, on and off the course. Whether it is suppor...
Episode 21: Harold Dale Jr. Southern Hospitality with The 504th Crew and NOLA
July 12, 2021 02:56 - 1 hour - 46.5 MBBefore the United States and practically the entire world went into lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, The 504th hosted the Bridge the Gap NOLA in March 2020. The event, as with previous host cities, served as a gathering of like-minded run groups from all over the world. The recipe was simple: run together, run for a cause, run free, and party. All the money from the event was donated to Youth Run NOLA, in line with the mission that Harold Dale Jr., Trey Monaghan, Lindsey Dennis, Denal...
Episode 20: Coach Kai Ng and Leland Yu on Asian representation and Running for Chinatown
June 27, 2021 19:19 - 1 hour - 52.8 MBWhen Leland Yu found himself unemployed due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, he decided it was a good time to start running. Then Asian hate crimes became a byproduct of the pandemic, and Leland saw running as the best tool to raise awareness against Asian hate crimes. Running also became an outlet to support the businesses in Chinatown and essential workers. With the help of running coach Kai Yu, Leland went from being comfortable at running 5 miles, to one day running 61 miles in 12 hours...
Episode 20: Coach Kai Ng and Lelang Yu on Asian representation and Running for Chinatown
June 27, 2021 19:19 - 1 hour - 52.8 MBWhen Leland Yu found himself unemployed due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, he decided it was a good time to start running. Then Asian hate crimes became a byproduct of the pandemic, and Leland saw running as the best tool to raise awareness against Asian hate crimes. Running also became an outlet to support the businesses in Chinatown and essential workers. With the help of running coach Kai Yu, Leland went from being comfortable at running 5 miles, to one day running 61 miles in 12 hours...
Episode 19: Mixpe Ley and Raquel Roman of Running Mamis
June 14, 2021 03:02 - 1 hour - 53.6 MBWhen Mixpe Ley and Raquel Roman met through social activism circles in Los Angeles, they knew that were kindred spirits. It wasn't long after that, the two young mothers quickly noticed how running was different as a parent. Running Mamis was founded in 2018, to give moms a place to be active and find support in sisterhood. But it is much more than a running group. Through their activism and teaching background, Mixpe and Raquel are also championing for representation of the working class m...
Episode 18: Let WEPA Show You How Queens Is Doing it, Doing it, and Doing it Well!
May 24, 2021 01:51 - 1 hour - 48.1 MBEveryone has a different origin story for why they started running. For Gerardo Rodriguez, it was the death of a former student to cancer at just 24 years old. Gee aka El Oso Blanco then decided to turn his own life around and dive into running. It was 2015, and he has not looked back. The founder of the WEPA run crew in Queens, now has the 2017 NYC Marathon and multiple half marathons on his running resume. On our latest episode, he discusses sharing the running journey with his students, c...
Episode 17: The Race serves up Black Excellence from Atlanta to the world
May 03, 2021 02:39 - 1 hour - 52.8 MBAs one of the five co-founders of The Race, Temilola Sobomehin Marshall, is happy to celebrate the boom of Black run distance runners in Atlanta and across the world. The Race also makes it a point to run through historically Black neighborhoods in Atlanta to encourage its residents to become active. Temilola only started running in 2010, but by 2019 she had already completed nine marathons. As the founder of RunningNerds, Social Atlanta and a certified running coach, and Lululemon legacy am...
Episode 16: TriLatino Triathlon Club is helping minorities break barriers in three sports
April 19, 2021 13:02 - 1 hour - 59.6 MBListening to Cesar Argueta Jr. and Michelle Mendoza of TriLatino Triathlon Club, you can't help but be just as passionate as they are in their efforts to create access to the triathlon disciplines. We know that financial barriers can limit access to sports, but TriLatino is unfazed at the prospect of helping their members excel at running, biking and swimming. Their Bronx, New York-based nonprofit was founded in 2009, and the mission to bring minorities into triathlons is stronger than never...
Episode 15: Andy Kucer and Students Run Philly Style lace up to mentor through runnning
April 04, 2021 03:57 - 1 hour - 59.9 MBStudents Run Philly Style is a Philadelphia-based non-profit that uses running to mentor 6th through 12th graders from all over the city. The program not only introduces the students to fitness, but it also eliminates many of the barriers in running. At the end of the year, the students will either run the Philadelphia Half or the Philadelphia Marathon. The program mentors over 1,500 a year. On our latest episode Andy Kucer, the executive director of SRPS, shares the lessons they teach the s...
Episode 14: Thi Minh Huyen Nguyen on women and Asian representation in running
March 22, 2021 03:37 - 1 hour - 54 MBLike many leaders, Nguyen Thi Minh Huyen was catapulted into activism by life. When she returned to Berlin in 2018, there were no running groups where she found Asians or other minorities. Huyen wanted to create the same energy and community that she experienced in New York City, and teamed up with ex-pat Daniel Medina to form WayvRunKollevtiv. Leadership has come with its ups and downs, a global pandemic and the rise of hate crimes against Asians. Today, Huyen opens up about growing up in G...
Episode 13: Liz Rock and the Boston TrailblazHers
March 08, 2021 02:41 - 1 hour - 45.6 MBWhen most people take the first step towards getting healthy, they start by following a couch to 5k program. Liz Rock is not at all like most people. The co-founder of TrailblazHers and the Bra Run dove in with a sprint triathlon in 2016. By the end of 2018 she completed 4 of the 6 world major marathons (New York, Boston, London and Chicago). As women leaders in the running community Liz Rock, Francis Ramirez and Abeo Powder have created a space that uses running as the foundation for physi...
Episode 12: Leandrew Belnavis and the Unnamed Run Crew on disrupting running in Boston.
February 21, 2021 23:18 - 1 hour - 45 MBWhen Leandrew Belnavis started his running journey on a dare -- with a couch to half-marathon training program --, little did he know that such a simple yet courageous act, would lead him to become one of the leaders in the Boston running community. His role grew even as protesters flooded the streets to demand justice for the murder of Ahmaud Arbery and the death of Breonna Taylor. Through his running group, Unnamed Run Crew created in 2015, Leandrew is giving people of color a space to run...
Episode 11: Peter Bromka , the runner who aims to bend time to his will
February 08, 2021 05:12 - 1 hour - 60.3 MBPeter Bromka is a man who challenges time often. For his first marathon as a college senior, he ran the Boston Marathon at 3 hours and 8 minutes. In 2020, at age 39, he ran a 2:19:02 marathon in Houston. How does someone get faster from one decade to the next? How do you keep running when time is slipping away on the Olympic Qualifying course three times? Peter is a member of the Browerman Track Club Elite, a writer, and a man who grew up in the 80s under the "color blind" teachings of socie...
Episode 10: Bridgerunners, where expect the unexpected is a lifestyle.
January 25, 2021 05:04 - 1 hour - 50.5 MBWednesday nights in New York City have belonged to Bridgerunners since 2003, and no run with the trendsetters in urban running is ever the same. You can expect to get lost, find jewels in the city you think you already know, and also learn about the history and culture of new neighborhoods while dodging traffic and sprinting down a bridge. Mike Saes and Cedric Hernandez have elevated the concept of a run crew to bridge connections from boroughs, to sister cities and countries.
Episode 9: Elevating Native Women Running stories
January 11, 2021 02:15 - 1 hour - 44.2 MBAs a Navajo woman, Verna Volker sees running as a way to connect with her ancestors, and to heal from the generational and historical trauma suffered by Native people in the United States. Through Native Women Running, Verna is giving a voice to many of the issues that are crippling Native communities. A pressing issue, is the plight of missing and murdered Native Women. “When Native Women go missing or are murdered, those crimes are not often investigated. If the crime happens on tribal lan...
Episode 8:Gary Corbitt, a son keeping Ted Corbitt's running legacy alive.
December 28, 2020 02:21 - 59 minutes - 42 MBAs the proud son of Ted Corbitt and a running history expert, Gary Corbitt has spent countless hours documenting the legacy of African-American runners. His Black Running History Timeline project spans from 1880-1979, a work that highlights the resiliency, courage and desire to excel during one of the darkest moments of American history. In 2019, Gary was inducted into the National Black Marathoners Association, for his contribution to the sport through his work. Gary shared the mission for ...
Episode 7: Jessie Zapo, founder of Girls Run NYC, Black Roses, and Adidas leadership
December 14, 2020 01:04 - 1 hour - 48.5 MBJessie Zapo never thought of herself as a runner, but after years of contributing to the urban running culture in NYC with Bridgerunners and founding Black Roses with Knox Robinson, she stepped out on her own to create Girls Run NYC. In the latest episode of Let’s Get Uncomfortable she shares her experiences of becoming a coach in the very male dominated NYC scene, the strides that Adidas has taken to add more women and minorities as coaches and taking on the Speed Project.
Episode 6: Jes Woods, Nike coach, Brooklyn Track Club Trail coach and ultra-marathoner
November 30, 2020 00:43 - 1 hour - 45.6 MBAs a regional manager with Mile High Run Club, Nike coach, ultra + trail coach with Brooklyn Track Club , Jes Woods is in a position to open doors for minorities into outdoor spaces and coaching ranks. On the latest episode of our podcast, she shares her journey into running, ultra-marathons, coaching and what the demands for representation and access in the running world mean for the future of the sport. Under her supervision, Brooklyn Track Club Trail has taken groups participating in HBC...
Episode 5: Coffey the father, actor, filmmaker leading the running movement for social change
November 16, 2020 03:34 - 1 hour - 51.5 MBLast year Coffey was promoting his film 'About the People' with an all black male cast discussing how to build a stronger black community. In 2020, he is leading a movement through running that is bringing fiction to life. In a year unlike any other, Coffey took to the streets to use his rage over the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor to protest against police brutality and systemic racism. He shared his plans for the movement after the election, he is ready for a 10 year plan.
Episode 4: Peyton Thomas, marathoner, climate change activist, social justice advocate
November 02, 2020 03:22 - 56 minutes - 40.5 MBWhen Peyton Thomas crossed the finish line of the California International marathon in 2019 with a time of 2:42:57, she qualified for the 2020 Olympic Marathon Trials in Atlanta on her first marathon. Her incredible debut, also landed her in the history books, joining a list of women led by Marilyn Bevans, as African-American women who have run a sub- 3 hour marathon. In addition to running, Peyton is also passionate about climate change. She is an advocate for: Deep South Center for Environ...
Episode 3: Ester Barroso, runner, fitness instructor and actress
October 15, 2020 20:32 - 32 minutes - 23.5 MBAs an Asian woman, Ester Barroso-Guerzon is making a name for herself in both fitness and performing. Whether performing the lead in Miss Saigon, teaching a fitness class in the suburbs, or being active in the anti-racism campaign, she is empowering her voice. On out latest episode, Ester makes the case for why Asians should be allies in the Black Lives Matter movement.
Episode 2: Matthew Luke Meyer
October 05, 2020 00:43 - 43 minutes - 31.4 MBSince temporarily relocating to Montana from New York City and enjoying the trails, Matthew Meyer has joined the movement to make outdoor spaces more accessible to minorities through HBCUOutside. On our second episode he examines his own privilege, supporting the community of missing and murdered indigenous women in Montana, and his goals to olympic qualify for the marathon.
Episode 1: Power Malu, the activist, runner, artist and leader. Unbelieveable!
September 20, 2020 21:18 - 38 minutes - 28.6 MBAs a community activist, Power Malu has dedicated his life to bringing awareness to issues affecting marginalized communities. During these unprecedented times of a pandemic side by side with demands for social injustice, Power Malu is in the front leading the charge. He shared how sports and activism go hand in hand, and the work the running community can contribute.