

For The Long Run: Exploring the Why Behind Running
Jonathan Levitt
Exploring the why behind what keeps runners running long, strong, and motivated. Running is a sport that has the power to unite us all and we are here to share conversations about how running has shaped the lives of people within our community, as well as how running has created community in itself.
From pro runners and Olympians to ultramarathoners running their first big race to business owners who use running to improve their entrepreneurial journey, we believe in creating community and expanding the running world for all.
Hosted by running enthusiast, Jonathan Levitt.
From pro runners and Olympians to ultramarathoners running their first big race to business owners who use running to improve their entrepreneurial journey, we believe in creating community and expanding the running world for all.
Hosted by running enthusiast, Jonathan Levitt.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 13, 2020 • 54min
114. Tyler Day: Chop wood and carry water
Tyler Day is one of the two newest additions to Northern Arizona Elite, living and training in Flagstaff, Arizona.
In this episode, we talked about:
-his dreams of being a catcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks
-where the idea of becoming a runner came from
-graduating college during COVID times
-gratitude
-self confidence
-failure
-what he’s proud of
-what he wants to gain/contribute in regards to NAZ Elite
-what it’s like to live in Flagstaff
-having a fresh start when it comes to training
-the best pizza and burger in Flagstaff
-and much more!
Follow along with Tyler’s adventures at instagram.com/day6nau
This episode is sponsored by Janji. As a local to Boston running apparel company, I’ve enjoyed seeing Janji grow over the years and their gear has only gotten better as time has gone on.
I have a few pairs of both the AFO split and AFO middle shorts, and highly recommend them. Their singlets are super cool too. You can take 15% off all month with the code FTLR15.
I hope you love them as much as I do!

Oct 9, 2020 • 44min
113. Julia Kohnen: "The best thing you can be is consistent"
Julia Kohnen is a professional runner for HOKA ONE ONE’s Northern Arizona Elite.
In this episode, we talked about:
-getting into running from a soccer background
-being what she would consider a newer runner
-earning an OTQ in her second marathon
-her running dreams
-what running means to her
-gratitude and her intentional practice
-pride and failure
-the running community
-what she hopes to gain with NAZ
-what she hopes to contribute
-consistency
-and so much more!
Follow along with her journey at https://twitter.com/julia_kohnen and https://www.instagram.com/juliakohnen5/
This episode is sponsored by Janji. As a local to Boston running apparel company, I’ve enjoyed seeing Janji grow over the years and their gear has only gotten better as time has gone on.
I have a few pairs of both the AFO split and AFO middle shorts, and highly recommend them. Their singlets are super cool too. You can take 15% off all month with the code FTLR15.
I hope you love them as much as I do!

Oct 6, 2020 • 1h 1min
112. Matt Bach: Chasing his Umeke
Matt Bach is a triathlete, husband, dad and Director of Endurance Athletics for UCAN. In this episode, we talked about: -his pro triathlon journey -working on Wall Street while racing triathlon -working at UCAN -making your life an experiment -burnout and coming back from it -what he thinks about when things get hard -honoring his brother in sport and how he intends to make him proud -gratitude -chasing the “umeke” -what success means to him -why he’s focused on -balance -being at peace in a race and getting great results -and so much more! Follow along with Matt’s adventures at instagram.com/ironmattbach and Ucan.co! This episode is sponsored by Janji. As a local to Boston running apparel company, I’ve enjoyed seeing Janji grow over the years and their gear has only gotten better as time has gone on. I have a few pairs of both the AFO split and AFO middle shorts, and highly recommend them. Their singlets are super cool too. You can take 15% off all month with the code FTLR15. I hope you love them as much as I do!
You can also take 15% off UCAN as Matt referenced with the code FTLR or by following this link! ucan.co/discount/FTLR/

Oct 2, 2020 • 1h 3min
111. Dr. Emily Kraus: Running and Researching
Emily Kraus is a runner, cyclist and sports medicine physician at Stanford.
In this episode we talked about:
-her start as a runner
-her job as a sports med physician
-how it overlaps
-OTQ dreaming
-her interest in women’s health
-our run with Allie Kieffer
-research she’s been a part of and collaborations with Megan Roche, Tracy Hoeg and other researchers
-Western States 100 bone health project
-stress reactions and stress fractures
-bloodwork for athletes
-low energy availability and RED-s
-within day deficits
-next steps to take if someone’s experiencing LEA (low energy availability)
-what she’s proud of
-and much more!
Follow along with her adventures at instagram.com/emilykrausmd and her research at instagram.com/emilykrausmd_sportscience
This episode is sponsored by Janji. As a local to Boston running apparel company, I’ve enjoyed seeing Janji grow over the years and their gear has only gotten better as time has gone on.
I have a few pairs of both the AFO split and AFO middle shorts, and highly recommend them. Their singlets are super cool too. You can take 15% off all month with the code FTLR15.
I hope you love them as much as I do!

Sep 29, 2020 • 56min
110. KK Fischer: “Non Laurus Luctatio: Not the prize, but the struggle.”
Katherine “KK” Fischer is a lover of life, lover of humans and really wants to squeeze the juice out of every day and make the most of it.
In this episode we talked about:
-“squeezing the juice out of life”
-running REALLY long and why she does it
-how her Why has evolved over the years
-what got her into running
-ultra endurance events as a microcosm of life
-testing her limits
-“Not the prize, but the struggle”
-A 100 mile run she did around her block
-her race on the moon
-growth mindset vs fixed mindset
-her views on growth
-and so much more!
Follow along with KK’s adventures at https://www.instagram.com/kkfischer/
Thanks to @runjanji for sponsoring this episode. Their community called the Janji Collective was designed to provide an easy way for us as runners to help contribute to clean water projects worldwide.
For the $50 membership fee, they’ll put $50 towards supporting these clean water project and you’ll get a sweet singlet (just select the $75 option and use code FTLR) as well as a discount for life and early access to new gear!

Sep 25, 2020 • 54min
109. Aisha Praught Leer: Remember to have fun!
Aisha Praught Leer is a mid distance runner and Olympian representing Team Boss as well as Jamaica, living in Boulder, Colorado.
In this episode, we talked about:
-“Success isn’t finite”
-the team model in running
-Team Boss
-what running means to her
-balance
-the importance of fun
-balancing competition and friendship
-what success means to her
-her Olympic experience
-margaritas
-what she’s most proud of
-intrinsic/extrinsic motivation
-the fundraiser that Team Boss did in June
-and more!
Follow along with Aisha’s adventures at instagram.com/aishapraughtleer and https://twitter.com/aishapraught
Thanks to @runjanji for sponsoring this episode. Their community called the Janji Collective was designed to provide an easy way for us as runners to help contribute to clean water projects worldwide.
For the $50 membership fee, they’ll put $50 towards supporting these clean water project and you’ll get a sweet singlet (just select the $75 option and use code FTLR) as well as a discount for life and early access to new gear!

Sep 22, 2020 • 50min
108. Mel Lawrence: Proud of sharing experiences
Mel Lawrence is today’s guest on the podcast. Mel is a professional runner for Oiselle and Little Wing in Bend, Oregon.
In this episode, we talked about:
-her first run
-her use of social media
-what she’s proud of
-balance
-growth as a professional athlete
-failure
-working at PickyBars
-being sponsored by Oiselle and coached by Lauren Fleshman
-feminism
-gratitude
-her legacy
-and much more!
Follow along with Mel’s adventures at instagram.com/mellawrence29 and twitter.com/mellawrence29
Thanks to @runjanji for sponsoring this episode. Their community called the Janji Collective was designed to provide an easy way for us as runners to help contribute to clean water projects worldwide.
For the $50 membership fee, they’ll put $50 towards supporting these clean water project and you’ll get a sweet singlet (just select the $75 option and use code FTLR) as well as a discount for life and early access to new gear!

Sep 18, 2020 • 58min
107. Nick de la Rosa: Battling Mental Health
Nickademus De La Rosa is a trail runner and coach living in Sedona, Arizona.
In this podcast, we dove deep into mental health, therapy and also talked about suicide.
We also talked about:
-having heart surgery in 2018
-borderline personality disorder and how it impacts him
-shame and self-loathing
-chasing the hardest events and why
-his relationship with running
-understanding that relationships and ultrarunning were what he defined worth by
-gratitude
-what “you are enough” means to Nick
-why he got out of bed today
-destigmatizing therapy
-his motivation for talking about therapy and mental health
-running as a part of therapy but not the only form of therapy
-his role models and how they’ve changed
-and much more
Follow along with Nick’s journey at https://www.instagram.com/ultrademus
Thanks to Janji for sponsoring this episode. As a runner you know the importance of hydration, but you might not know that almost 800 million people lack access to drinking water. By working together, we can create viable solutions and collectively, we can have a greater impact.
The Janji Collective is one way to do that. It's a membership that earns you tons of perks like discounts on gear and first access to new collections. It's also a community of adventurous runners around the world. 100% of the membership fee goes towards supporting clean water programs
I’m a member and enjoy knowing that it is a small step that each of us can take that when pooled together, can have quite an impact.
If you use the code FTLR, you can join the Janji collective for $50. You’ll receive a free singlet as well as a special members only discount for life. Every dollar from that will go towards supporting clean water programs.

Sep 15, 2020 • 1h 9min
106. Dana Bogan: keep showing up
Dana Bogan is a runner, fitness instructor and social worker in Boston, MA.
Dana’s a friend I’ve known for over five years and it has been a pleasure to watch her grow over that time.
In this episode, we talked about:
-why she started running
-being from an interracial couple
-going from short distance to long distance
-the pressure she feels related to running and racing
-“what does running mean to you?”
-her relationship with community
-life as a social worker
-mental health and the stigmas around it
-depression and related thoughts
-some of her amazing messages on instagram
-her initial apprehension for doing the podcast
-her racing goals (they’re a bit different yet AWESOME)
-some of her role models and biggest supporters
-success
-and so much more
Follow along with Dana’s adventures at instagram.com/strength.soul.sarcasm
Thanks to Janji for sponsoring this episode. As a runner you know the importance of hydration, but you might not know that almost 800 million people lack access to drinking water. By working together, we can create viable solutions and collectively, we can have a greater impact.
The Janji Collective is one way to do that. It's a membership that earns you tons of perks like discounts on gear and first access to new collections. It's also a community of adventurous runners around the world. 100% of the membership fee goes towards supporting clean water programs
I’m a member and enjoy knowing that it is a small step that each of us can take that when pooled together, can have quite an impact.
If you use the code FTLR, you can join the Janji collective for $50. You’ll receive a free singlet as well as a special members only discount for life. Every dollar from that will go towards supporting clean water programs.

Sep 11, 2020 • 53min
105. Ben Rosario: "Let the body drive the ship"
Ben Rosario, the first guest of the podcast returns for his second episode to talk about the recent four year contract that Northern Arizona Elite signed with HOKA ONE ONE, of which he is the coach for.
In this episode, we talked about:
-why Ben thinks that the group training model is the best model for both athletes and sponsors
-how it is a good deal for the industry overall
-health insurance for pro athletes
-recruiting and growth plans for NAZ Elite
-“let the body drive the ship”
-adding additional resources to NAZ Elite and what that looks like
-social media for athletes and how it’s a nearly necessary piece of the puzzle
-Tommy Rivers Puzey and what he means to the team and Flagstaff in general
-what he’s learned about himself in 2020
-how NAZ Elite has approached 2020
-balance as an athlete and coach
-focusing on finding a sense of normalcy
-and much more!
Thanks to Janji for sponsoring this episode. As a runner you know the importance of hydration, but you might not know that almost 800 million people lack access to drinking water. By working together, we can create viable solutions and collectively, we can have a greater impact.
The Janji Collective is one way to do that. It's a membership that earns you tons of perks like discounts on gear and first access to new collections. It's also a community of adventurous runners around the world. 100% of the membership fee goes towards supporting clean water programs
I’m a member and enjoy knowing that it is a small step that each of us can take that when pooled together, can have quite an impact.
If you use the code FTLR, you can join the Janji collective for $50. You’ll receive a free singlet as well as a special members only discount for life. Every dollar from that will go towards supporting clean water programs.


