The SMH Lab (sports, music and mental health)

Coach Barker talks training for distance runners and also how to build a strong team culture that led to a national championship.

Brad talks to Derek Leininger about him starting Indiana Runner and his coaching and his admin and his writing a book. Also Derek gives all time lists of his favorite singers and runners.

2020 Olympic Trials marathoner Matt Blume

Justin Furstenfeld and his band Blue October have been consistently putting out hits on the charts for more than 15 years. Justin visits mainly with Neeka DeGraw about addiction and loss and mental health. He also sings the powerful song Fear live at the end of the interview as a dedication to Neeka and what she and her family are going through.

Anna Rohrer ran 9:55 for 3200 and 16:00 for 5k in high school. She went on to numerous all American races at Notre Dame and is now about to turn pro. We talk to her and her high school coach, Coach Kov, about how she became the best.

Chris Renzema is an up and coming Christian singer songwriter. He is on the Centricity label, who also has Lauren Daigle as one of their other clients. Chris discusses his new album and also the pandemic and its effects on the album, his tour, and his life.

Izaiah Steury grew up as a 5 year old shepherd in Ethiopia and then bounced around orphanages there before coming to Indiana. He is now one of the fastest distance runners in the nation. How did all of this happen? What a story!

Coach Chris Kovalewski from Mishawaka and Coach Chad Wetzel from South Bend Riley talk cross country training with Coach Peterson and Coach Fletcher. Kov coached the best runner in Indiana high school female distance running history in Anna Rohrer and Chad has coached numerous teams to the state meet even at a small school and with a small team with no feeder system.

Eric Kellison is one of the best coaches in Indiana history. He talks about how he was able to get his team to a state championship and also how he helped Aaron Fisher become one of the best runners in the nation.

Keaton Simons is a prolific songwriter, soulful singer, and a great guitar player who has been out on the road lately with country superstar Brett Young. Before that, he was out with the legendary late Chris Cornell. And years ago, he was out with Snoop Dogg and Knarls Barkley. This guy has truly worked with every genre in his 25 years or so as a musician. He also talks mental health, especially in dealing with the loss of Chris Cornell.

Brynn Brown is the fastest high school female distance runner in the country. She ran 9:39 for two miles, which is one second away from Mary Cain’s national record. And Brynn is a junior!!! She also has an incredible story of coming back from an eating disorder better and stronger than ever.

This is an important episode in which Bryan Payton discusses race, inequality, and police brutality and what he is doing to help educate his players. We also talk about Bryan’s outstanding athletic career and his journey as a student athlete to a coach-recruiter and his wide variety of other interests. #Empathy over Apathy.

Coach Hannah Weiss from Capital University in Columbus, Ohio, talks about her journey as an athlete and as a coach. She talks about what makes D3 college athletics so special and different in many ways.

Leo Daschbach is only the 11th high schooler to ever run under 4:00. He did this over Memorial Day weekend in a small race with no fans in California. Leo talks about his progression from a 4:40 freshman miler to breaking 4:00 just three years later and the work he put in for this to happen both mentally and physically. Izaiah Steury is my co host on this. Izaiah runs for me and is one of the best sophomores in the USA.

Tyson Motsenbocker is one of the up and coming singer songwriters in the industry, in the same vein as acts like Colony House, Judah and the Lion, and Switchfoot, all bands he has toured with before. He explains that Judah Akers is the first artist that really believed in him and gave him a shot. Tyson also discusses losing his mother in 2013 to cancer and the song “In Your Name” that came out of that experience. Tyson talks about the state of the radio/music world right now and where he fits in. We are fortunate to have Tyson give us 3 songs to use in this episode, including two brand new acoustic tracks.

Part 2 of this coaching panel on how to train distance runners. Guests include Zach Raber and Josh Fletcher from Trine University, Hannah Weiss from Capitol University, authors Derek and Gwen Leininger, and Joe Eby from Baldwin Wallace University. We talk how we like to do the long run, what we define as threshold or tempo runs and now he do them, and the importance or lack of importance of speed year round.

Coach Peterson has various coaching guests on to discuss a great book on distance running called “Enduring Wisdom.” Guests on the podcast are the authors of the book, Gwen and Derek Leininger, and the coaches on this episode are Zach Raber (Head cross country coach at Trine University and former coach at Carroll High School in Indiana); Josh Fletcher (Head track coach at Trine University and former high school coach at Northridge and Penn in Indiana; Joe Eby (Head Cross country coach at Baldwin Wallace University). This is part 1.

Singer Andrea Thomas talks about her time on “The Voice” and her time on the road with Carrie Underwood with hundreds and thousands of people. Andrea also talks about her new single “Dragonslayer” and the impact it can have on the world right now and on those with mental health issues. Andrea’s “Sound of Hope” organization was created to help mental health through music, storytelling, and intimate discussions. Andrea also talks about how she became close friends with Neeka and Gavin and Joey and the whole DeGraw family and the impact that Lynne still has on so many today from above.

Neeka DeGraw talks about Iron Will and Baking New Memories, two incredible organizations to help people through quarantine and through Covid19. Neeka discusses her musical background from brothers Gavin and Joey and also her favorite band Blue October. She also shares how her faith and strength helped her come back from tragedy. Suggested music: Blue October, Gavin DeGraw, Joey DeGraw, Wilder Woods, Counting Crows.

Heather McKinley and Megan Chandler talk about how they juggle training for the Boston Marathon and other races while being wives and mothers and employees. Heather had not run since high school (14 years earlier) when she decided to get back at it at age 32 a few years ago. They also talk about running helps their mental health and about a great program they are part of called Neighborlinks. Suggested music: NEEDTOBREATHE and Gavin DeGraw

Reggie and Arin Hodges talk about being a Christian married couple in the NFL and also give great testimony in how we should deal with the pandemic on Easter Sunday. Reggie also discusses his book coming out soon entitled “Thrive.”

Alissa Doehla talks about her incredible running career as state champion in Indiana and moving on to all American and national champ in college and to Olympic trials and world championships post collegiately. Now she is a triathlete professionally and becoming one of the best in the world. She also talks about getting hit by a car while biking two years ago and how she has overcome this life altering moment.

Brad talks with Joe Eby, Baldwin Wallace University Head Cross Country and Assistant Track Coach, about his coaching career and coaching stops since he started, and why D3 is a great place to be.

Brad talks to Coach Fletcher about his faith life, family, and journey in coaching.