Through Their Stride

Houston runner, coffee-roaster owner, and music lover Alan Ortega joins the show to share the story behind his first-ever marathon build. Alan began running in 2017 alongside the woman who is now his wife. What started as a shared hobby steadily became a meaningful part of his life — taking him through years of progress, consistency, and a near-sub-1:40 half marathon in 2025. Now, he is training for the Chicago Marathon with an even deeper motivation behind every long run. Alan is running for

Jason Schwarzer only started running a few years ago, but has instantly become one of the biggest builders of the running community. Co-host of the Runners Like Us Podcast, Jason has found that while he loves what he gets to learn about himself during tough ultramarathons and training blocks, he finds the most joy in sharing the stories of other runners and building them up. During tough workouts or long runs, Jason often finds himself cheering on the other runners on the trails around him. He

In Episode 50 of Through Their Stride, I sit down with Elizabeth Clor, competitive marathoner, running coach, author, and creator of the Racing Stripes blog. Elizabeth shares the story behind Boston Bound, which follows her seven-year journey to qualify for the Boston Marathon. The conversation explores how perfectionism, anxiety, and putting too much weight on one outcome can become obstacles, and what changed when she learned to stay steady-minded, focus on controllable, and commit to the pro

Natalie Lutz is a running coach, mom, full-time employee, and multi-time sub-three-hour marathoner. At the 2023 Chicago Marathon, Natalie ran 3:00:10 — just 10 seconds away from breaking the three-hour barrier. That near miss gave her a glimpse of what was possible, and she went all-in on the pursuit. Over the next 12 months, she raced five marathons before finally breaking through one year later. In this episode, Natalie shares: - What it felt like to miss sub-3 by 10 seconds at Chicago - ...

Chiara Bondi is a sub-3 marathoner, but this conversation is about more than a finish time. In 2025, Chiara ran under three hours at the Eugene Marathon and continues to chase big goals in distance running. Later that year, she received an autism diagnosis — an experience that helped her better understand herself and recognize that she was never broken. For Chiara, running and training have provided an important routine: a way to feel structured, grounded, and regulated throughout daily lif...

Five months ago, a police officer in California decided to lace up a pair of running shoes. Today, that man is a triathlete and cofounder of a triathlon endurance club in California. When Trent Herzog began his hybrid athlete journey, he didn't know how far it would take him. But after finishing in the top 10 in his first-ever 10-mile race, he knew he was on to something. He fell in love with triathlons shortly thereafter and is now training for his first-ever Ironman. But he won't be doing it