It’s hard to find a more decorated – yet easy-going – runner than three-time Olympian Shalane Flanagan.
Born in the coastal town of Marblehead north of Boston, Massachusetts, Shalane showed an early aptitude for distance running.
A three-time All-State cross country athlete, she also finished first in the state in the mile and her 4:46 performance won the National Scholastic Indoor championships. Her two-mile performance still stands as a Massachusetts record.
Flash forward to to 2004 when Shalane turned professional and her achievements kept piling up. A two-time national champion in the 5,000m, she won the short course cross country championships in 2004 and 2005.
Today, Shalane is one of the most dominant female distance runners on the planet, boasting achievements like:
- 2008 Bronze Medalist in the Olympic 10,000m
- Multiple American Record holder
- 2nd fastest American female marathoner of all time with a 2:21:14 personal best
- 2012 Olympic Trials marathon winner and 10th overall at the 2012 London Olympics
- 6th overall at the 2016 Rio Olympics in the marathon
But Shalane isn’t just a runner. She’s now a New York Times best-selling author with her coauthor Elyse Kopecky of Run Fast, Eat Slow: Nourishing Recipes for Athletes.
When I met Shalane in 2014 (the photo above is from a Runner’s World event we both attended), she was the featured guest in a private Q&A that I was a part of – and hearing Shalane talk about her training, racing, and mindset around running was thrilling for a running geek like me.
I knew at the time that bringing her perspectives to more runners would help them improve.
And now, I can do that! I’m excited to announce that episode 3 of The Strength Running Podcast features none other than Shalane Flanagan.
“When I’m running 120 miles a week, there’s a lot of laying around…”
This was one of the easier interviews I’ve ever done because Shalane is so easy-going and relaxed. I had a blast talking to her about a wide range of subjects:
- Does Shalane have a Boston accent after a few glasses of wine?
- Her favorite type of wine
- Go-to runs in the Boston area
- What does running 120 miles a week feel like?
- A snapshot of her strength training program
- Why she now loves fat – after avoiding it for years
- Her favorite race
- What’s next for Shalane (this might be surprising)
Click the play button below to listen to my conversation with Shalane Flanagan.
Click here to go directly to iTunes to download the latest episode.
Or, if you’re an Android user, subscribe to the show on Stitcher.
Links and Resources:
- 2014 Runner’s World Half & Festival
- Run Fast, Eat Slow
- How to start pool running
- The Boston Marathon
- Elyse Kopecky (coauthor of Run Fast, Eat Slow)
- Nutrition for Runners
- Shalane on Instagram
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