Running Shorts
By Andrew Lee
Running ShortsMay 06, 2020
Episode 12: Interview with Cherie Yanek, Burning Man Ultramarathon Founder
Cherie Yanek is the founder of the Burning Man Ultramarathon, one of the most extreme and extremely fun races in the world. If you're not familiar, Burning Man is a weeklong event that occurs at the end of August every year in the Nevada desert. In the austere and dusty environment, Runners vie for conventional awards, like top 10 finishers, but also unconventional awards like "Sexiest Runner", "Most Likely to Eat a Burrito", and "Naked Runner". Cherie has attend every Burning Man since 2008 and started organizing the Ultra in 2010. In this episode we talk about what led Cherie to Burning Man in the first place, why she was inspired to organize this race, and how sometimes runners can be the worst. In 2020, Burning Man has moved to a virtual event style due to Covid. Cherie has a few ideas in store for how to keep the event going such as a Virtual 50K, Virtual Beer Mile, and potentially even a Virtual Naked Mile. Listen in to find out more. Find the Burning Man Ultramarathon online at www.burningman50k.com, on Facebook at Burner Runners, or Cherie at www.cherylyanek.com.
Episode 11: Interview with Jeff Fleming, National Sales Manager, BOA Apparel
Jeff Fleming is the National Sales Manager for BOA, a running apparel company founded in 1992. They are best known for their whimsical patterns and designs on 1 inch split shorts. If you've ever seen somebody running down the street and wondered if they were only wearing in underwear, they were probably wearing BOA. In this episode you're going to hear about Jeff's career path as a college starting quarterback, transitioning into personal training, before joining the sports retail world. BOA is something that runs in his blood. His parents founded the company and Jeff grew up around the business. Today Jeff handles all customer facing responsibilities (sales, marketing, customer service), his brother handles product and manufacturing, and his parents run the books. Their story is one of entrepreneurship and making your vision a reality. Most recently BOA has stepped up to the plate to keep their employees on payroll while manufacturing much needed personal protective equipment (PPE). They first started with medical gowns and now also produce face masks using the same material and patterns from their shorts. Give this story a listen and be inspired by the American ingenuity at work. Find BOA online at: www.boausa.com and www.instagram.com/boarunning
Episode 10: Interview with Randy Accetta, Run Tucson & Road Runners Club of America (RRCA)
Randy Accetta is a community leader and coaching educator. Since 2011, Randy has led the coaching program for the Road Runners Club of America (RRCA). In addition, he is the founder of Run Tucson, Southern Arizona’s premier full-service running company. They produce free weekly events in the Tucson and Phoenix areas, as well as five flagship running races each year. And lastly, Randy is also a Mentor-in-Residence for the University of Arizona’s McGuire Center for Entrepreneurship. Besides his community building, Randy is an accomplished runner. He ran a 2:19 marathon and qualified for the 1996 US Olympic Trials. Listen to our conversation to learn more about Randy's background, his various career twists and turns, and his philosophy on running and community. Find him online at
Episode 9: Interview with Vanessa Kline, Beast Pacing & Batona Trail Races
Vanesa Kline is a Wonder Woman within the running community. After falling out of the sport after high school, she found herself overweight after giving birth to her third child. Determined to get healthy, she signed up for the 2012 San Diego Rock n Roll Marathon. She ran that race with a pacer and so appreciated the support that she wanted to provide this service to other runners. In 2014 Vanessa went all-in and started an organization, Beast Pacing, to provide pacing services for races nationwide. Nowadays Beast Pacing supports ~150 races per year and Vanessa has recently started organizing her own ultramarathons, the Batona Trail Races and NJ Devil 100. Learn about Vanessa's running journey and find her online at www.beastpacing.com
Episode 8: Interview with Columbia University Director of XC & TF, Coach Daniel Ireland
Coach Daniel Ireland is the Director of Cross Country / Track and Field, Middle Distance and Distance at Columbia University. He has been with the Lions since 2014 after previous coaching stints at Yale, La Salle, and his alma mater, Georgetown. In his 6 years at Columbia, he has been named Ivy League Coach of the Year 4 times. We talk about Coach Ireland's running career, including when he ran at Foot Locker Nationals, how he ran a minimum of 30 minutes every day for a decade, his coaching philosophy, and the best place to run in NY. We also talk about what Coach looks for when recruiting HS athletes, and how he helps student-athletes succeed at the collegiate level. Follow the team at www.gocolumbialions.com
Episode 7: Interview with Olympic Marathons Trialist Stephanie Pancoast
Episode 7 is a conversation with my dear friend, former co-worker and racing buddy, and Olympic Marathon Trialist, Stephanie Pancoast. During our podcast we chat about Stephanie's induction into her high school hall of fame, running Division I at Cornell, becoming a Doctor, winning the JP Morgan Corporate Challenge world championship, and her process to qualify for the 2020 Olympic Marathon Trials. Whew, that's a mouthful of accomplishments! Stephanie has battled injuries over the years such as a hamstring tear and shoulder surgery. You'll love her story of resilience. She is just so incredibly kind and you can't help but root for her.
Episode 6: Interview with NYCRUNS Founder and Race Director Steve Lastoe
Episode 6 is a timely conversation with Steve Lastoe, the founder and race director of NYCRUNS (www.nycruns.com). NYCRUNS is an event and race management company based in Brooklyn, New York. In 2020 the plan was to host over two dozen races and have field sizes ranging from 1,500 to 15,000 participants. Steve founded the company in the midst of the Great Recession in 2009 and he finds himself in another battle today during the Coronavirus pandemic. He talks to us about what his original running business idea was before NYCRUNS, his company's relationship with the New York Road Runners, and his creative ideas to generate revenue while in-person races are paused due to Coronavirus.
You can find Steve's writing online at Medium (www.medium.com/@slastoe), and be sure to sign up for a NYCRUNS race to support them. Keep NYC's racing community vibrant and diverse by registering for NYCRUNS events on Governors Island, Randall's Island, Riverside Park, and of course, Prospect Park.
Episode 5: Interview on Marathon Race Crewing
Episode 5 is a fun conversation between me and my wife. Elizabeth has been supporting me at races since 2008 with energy gels and raucous cheering. She has attended everything from the neighborhood 5K to ultramarathons. In this episode we talk about her tips for how runners can best set their race crew up for success (wear bright colors, map out where you plan to see each other, your pace, and what side of the road you'll run on). She also talks about how the race crew can be successful (rent a scooter or bike share, don't neglect your own self-care, set up text alert notifications). You hear about the evolution of our relationship from when people still used calling cards and flip phones to today!
You can find Elizabeth online at www.elizabeth-su.com and www.instagram.com/heyelizabethsu
Episode 4: Interview with Ultramarathon Race Director Sid Garza-Hillman
Episode 4 is a conversation with a true renaissance man, Sid Garza-Hillman. Sid is the creator and director of the Mendocino Ultramarathon 50K (www.mendocinoultra.com). I’ve had the absolute joy of running Sid's race from its inaugural year in 2016 and every year since. This year, April 2020, was supposed to be the 5th anniversary of the race. However, due to the Coronavirus public health emergency, Sid had to postpone the event until 2021. We'll talk more about that cancellation and its impact on the local community. But besides organizing an ultramarathon, Sid is an extremely interesting person. He is a nutritionist, small steps coach, podcaster (What Sid Thinks) and book author (find him on Amazon). We’ll learn about each of these facets of Sid’s life, while also learning more about his running journey.
Find Sid online at www.sidgarzahillman.com. You can find the Running Shorts website at www.runningshorts.org
Episode 3: Running in the Military
In Episode 3, we're going on a journey to learn about my running experience while I was a United States Marine Corps officer, as a member of the All-Marine Running Team, and the time I organized a marathon in Afghanistan! I'll detail how I got into marathoning, a fun race I once did running up the Empire State Building, and why Chris McDougall donated his book Born to Run and Gu Energy Gels donated energy gels to me. I hope you feel more connected and closer to me after listening to this episode. Find out more at www.runningshorts.org
Episode 2, Behind the Mic of Running Shorts
In Episode 2, I'm taking you behind the microphone so you understand my running background. We'll explore how I got into running, some of my earliest and most formative memories in the sport, and my high school personal records. We'll then transition to talk about college running at a Division III school, Tufts University, and my clash with the head coach. I hope you feel more connected and closer to me after listening to this episode.
Episode 1, Running in the Age of Coronavirus
In Episode 1, we’re tackling a very timely and relevant topic, COVID-19, also known as Corona Virus. I’ll talk about Corona Virus and its impact on runners and the running community. Subjects include: where does the name Corona Virus come from, where did the virus come from, how dangerous is it, how contagious is it, how is Corona Virus spread, and what can we do to prevent it. Lastly, we'll talk about what runners (and all people) should do in response to Corona Virus. These include:
- Practice healthy hygiene
- Have a positive mental attitude
- And continue getting those endorphins
Running Shorts Podcast Trailer
Welcome to the Running Shorts podcast! This podcast will highlight unique and original stories from the running community. We’re going to interview runners, the community that supports them, race organizers, equipment and apparel manufacturers, and more. We’ll speak with everyone from back of the pack penguins to world class elites in order to find out their training secrets, favorite races, and running history. There are so many great stories just waiting to be shared with the world. I hope these stories spark your motivation and inspiration.