Episode 5: Zach Brettnacher - The King of Dad Jokes and My Heart

Episodes

May 5

For the first episode featuring a guy, I sat down in my office closet with my husband of almost nine years, Zach, the night before the Indy Mini. Dad jokes included.

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About this episode

Zach Brettnacher is my husband, my biggest supporter, and the king of dad jokes. He grew up in Crown Point, Indiana, the son of a drug-free powerlifter, played baseball and football, ran the 400 and 4x4 in high school, and went on to Purdue, where he was president of the Interfraternity Council. In 2013 we ran the Chicago Marathon together, which may be his one and only full.

We talk about how we met through mutual co-workers, his very questionable pick-up line, and our hot Chicago Marathon in matching name shirts. We also get honest about how our family works now that I've stepped back from software sales to run Athlete Bouquets, his Eat the Frog routine, and his very light training for the 500 Festival Indy Mini.

In this episode, we discuss

Zach's Indy Mini training plan: three miles a day for three days
Growing up in Crown Point, Indiana with a powerlifting dad who coached him and was his high school principal
Being a pinch runner in baseball and running the 400 and 4x4 in high school
His sister Mandy's state relay title and her finish line rope scars
Purdue, Sigma Nu, and serving as Interfraternity Council president
How we met through mutual co-workers and a cheeseburger with peanut butter
The 50% and 70% pick-up line in Broad Ripple
Training for the 2013 Chicago Marathon on the Monon and at Lake Wawasee
Race day in Chicago: heat, a yellow flag, sponges, and the hill at the finish
Matching shirts with our names and Zach pulling me through miles 20 to 24
Leaving my software sales career during the pandemic and how we split the work at home
Zach's 11 years at Interactive Intelligence and Genesys in product management
Eat the Frog Fitness and where the name comes from
Our pre-race plans for the Indy Mini, from packing a toaster to kissing the bricks
Zach's power songs and his goal to get back under two hours

Chapters

Intro
Zach's Indy Mini training
Growing up in Crown Point and a powerlifting dad
Purdue and fraternity life
How we met
Training for the Chicago Marathon
Race day in Chicago
Leaving software sales and making it work at home
Zach's career and working from home
Eat the Frog Fitness
Dad jokes and Jeep hair, don't care
Plans for the Indy Mini weekend
Playlists and next goals

Mentioned in this episode

Races: Chicago Marathon, 500 Festival Indy Mini-Marathon
Organizations and charities: Purdue University, Sigma Nu, Interactive Intelligence, Genesys, Eat the Frog Fitness, Bottleworks Hotel, The Garage Food Hall
Other: Monon Trail, Lake Wawasee, Bryan Clay

Previous guests mentioned

Related episodes

Frequently asked

Who is Ally Brettnacher's husband?

Ally Brettnacher's husband is Zach Brettnacher, a Purdue graduate from Crown Point, Indiana who works in software product management and joined her on episode 5 of Finish Lines & Milestones.

Did Zach Brettnacher run a marathon?

Yes. Zach Brettnacher ran the 2013 Chicago Marathon with his now-wife Ally Brettnacher, finishing in just under five hours, and says it may be his only full marathon.

What is Eat the Frog Fitness?

Eat the Frog Fitness is a national group fitness studio that Zach Brettnacher attends in Carmel, Indiana; he explains its name comes from a motto of co-founder Bryan Clay, a former Olympian.

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Transcript

This transcript was generated automatically, so it may contain errors.

Welcome to finish lines and Milestones with Ali, Brett knocker, incredible stories and tales of Triumph with everyday people achieving their goals and fitness. This podcast brought to you by athlete, bouquets celebrate, Finish Line's and Milestones are the people that you love by visiting athlete bouquets.com. Happy Friday, or Saturday, or whenever you're listening to episode 5 of Finish Lines and Milestones, this is a Libra knocker. And for the first episode featuring a guy or man, on this podcast, I had to choose my number one, guy, my husband of almost nine years. Zach, Brettnacher, this is a fun episode. We there's a few dad jokes Zach is the king of dad jokes sprinkled in throughout.

We talk about our first marathon together. Perhaps his only. We chat about how we met we joke about how he trained for a race that we are doing tomorrow, which is the Indianapolis. 500 Festival Indy mini a tradition for us here in Indianapolis and a lot more topics. So this may be the only time you hear from Zach and I'm so grateful to him for joining me but also for making it possible for me to do what I love. So, thank you, Zach, I don't know if you love her, listen to this, but I love you so much and I hope everybody else enjoys this conversation.

Hi, welcome to episode 5 of Finish Lines and Milestones. Not at the caramel library today. Instead, I am in my office closet with my husband Zach and our golden doodle Doug, who refused to leave us alone. So Zach agreed to do this and I don't know. Are you nervous Zach, you know, I'm a little nervous that you kicked off with that. I'm in the closet with my wife. I don't know quite what that entails. Oh, are you okay, guys, this is all of a sudden, not safe for work content, I'm just kidding. Look at him. He's looking at me. You made the joke. I didn't make the joke, that's good.

Are you feeling more comfortable? Now, this is what you're in for. Okay, excellent. I'll also let you know that before we started recording, Zach got out his phone. I'm like, okay, like are you ready? And he's on the calculator. So I'm thinking he's like, calculating something for an email, he just got, but instead he was calculating how old he is going to be this year. So Zach tell everyone how old Going to be this year, not 40 39 and holding, which is true. Actually, because otherwise we'd have something planned, which means next year, were going to plan something big, right? It sounds great, great. But he hates when I try to plan trips.

Okay, so as I said, this is my husband, Zack Zack and I have been married for nine years this year. So, when is our anniversary, Zach, May 17th? Good job. I am dragging him with me to run the mini marathon this weekend. And so before we get into introducing him and his background, what he does. Now I wanted to talk about how Zack has trained for the Indy mini Zack. Will you tell us about what your training has look like for this year? You know, last week I ran three miles a day for three days in a row. So that's basically doing nine. Miles is what you're saying, it's about the total amount so it is when it comes to training for a many or a full Marathon.

It's about getting those miles in a lie. It doesn't matter how you do it. It's about getting them in great, and where'd you get those miles in? I was in California for work and so it was beautiful. 84 degree weather, and I'm ready for the same weather here in Indianapolis this weekend. Do you think we can make it happen? I don't think anyone wants to be 84 degrees, but that's cool. So you've heard it here. He has trained, he's run three miles three times and that's it and he's ready to go. Go, you have a time you shooting for? I'm gonna break to. Oh God, okay, well maybe we'll run together then we'll see.

We'll talk a little bit more about our plans for the race before we wrap up. But first, I want to kind of back up and let you guys get to know Zak. I'm sure I'll learn some things while interviewing him to which is what makes me so excited for this back up and tell us a little bit about your background a little bit about childhood, what sports did you play growing up? And then we'll go from there. Tell us about tell us about Doc. So I was born July 7th 1984 in Crown Point Indiana I have an older sister and two parents and yes certainly grew up playing sports.

My dad was always my coach growing up. I played a lot of little league also played football throughout middle and high school and then dabbled in a little bit of track. I once I found out that I was being In used as a pinch. Runner in baseball, in high school, got to be a little bit more exciting to run around the oval a little bit and then sitting on the bench in the baseball, Dugout, what is a pinch Runner? Pinch Runner is when a slow individual gets on base, so a better hitter than I would would go ahead and get on base. And then I would get brought into pinch run for them so that I could switch at the base.

Yep, you get to switch out as the as the runner after the team member gets ahead and gets on base. They do that in the pros. Yeah, absolutely. Okay. See, I know nothing about baseball which always makes sense. I know nothing really about sports in general. So Zach is always teaching me, you ran track someone. I didn't know that. I ran track my Junior and Senior year. Wow. What do you remember? What events you did? I ran the 400 the 4x4. Okay, and I long jumped for a little B, 0 fascinating, I did the Hai Jaan. Did you know that I did not? Yeah, I was not good at it.

My long jump, career consisted of a really good first jump, First Time of the Season and then I could never reach that again. So I don't know if that means that I'm uncoachable or we're really what that, you know what, that translates to interesting. And so when you so little league football track with, did your dad coach you in most sports that you did? Did so definitely, you know, little league all throughout and then, even in football, my dad was an assistant coach and also my high school principal which is very exciting times. Mhm, shout-out to dr. Gel Brettnacher. So, before he was your hair, was it during where he was into like what tell us about Jose Fitness?

Oh, Dad's on a total, different level. So growing up, my dad was Drug-free power lifter. And so we got to travel as he was going to different tournaments when we were younger. That was actually the first time I got to go to Disney. I think it's a land of born in California. That's right. Also, my first time flying on a plane. I believe I heard I was a real treat. Like it is taking our children on a plane. Yeah, 45 hours. So yeah, Dad was always very athletic, you know, powerlifting was a big part of life. If I grew up lifting with him in the basement, we had our own squat rack and gym and it's definitely, you know, fun bonding experience between that and playing sports.

I got to see a lot of my dad at school. So the rig that we have in our basement. Now was your dad's when you were growing up, yep, that's cool. What age were you? When you started lifting within, that seems like Pretty kind of aggressive for a little kid. Maybe like five or six. But Dad was well trained and certainly didn't let me lift more than a child. Should at that age? Of course here. Yeah, so well with your mom, your mom is probably spotting you. Okay. And what about Mandy? Did Mandy? You're so that's his sister. Did she left with you guys at all?

Or no. I don't remember. Her lifting much with us. It wasn't her thing. Okay, but she was a great track runner and middle school and high school. I believe she even won a state metal. I want to say her for, by one team. I think was maybe her sophomore year. Oh, Golden State. And they were, they were super fast. Either that's super good at the exchanges with the Baton. And I remember growing up in Middle School, my sister who is rather short, she used to get scars on her neck line, because the Rope at the Finish Line would be too high for her. Oh my God.

So, she would get a scar on her neck. As if somebody was, you know, strangling her with a rope and got a little rope burn every time she won. The Hundred meter dash because she got scars. This is oh my gosh. Mandy, I cannot wait to have you on here that it's so funny. Her episode name is going to be like Finish Line scars. That's so funny but you did while the things you remember but I just remember that. My sister would so good. Get us a scar on her neck every time she won, but that's great. That's great. I love that. So you played Sports growing up.

You played all through high school. Do you play football for years? I would assume I did your dad. Coaching to and then College you. I know did not play football in college. Tell us about your college Years. Ack. Yeah, I didn't obviously play anything post high school at the Collegiate level, other than just Rec Sports but through the fraternity, I ended up playing football like football and some basketball. Okay, and where did you? You didn't even tell us where you went to college. I went to the Purdue University, but boiler up boiler up. I'm an, I'm a boiler by me. So tell us more about the fraternity stuff.

You know, you headed up all the fraternities, right? That's right. So I got into government a little bit of student politics and it was a fun experience. So I started off as holding offices within my fraternity, Sigma Nu go Sigma Nu had then we transferred it kind of over into interfraternity Council or IFC where I was President for a year and then wrapped up. Up my fraternity experience as vice president tang. And what made you want to join a fraternity? Was that just what people did at Purdue has did your family have any history? Because Mandy wasn't Greek, was she know I was the first one in my family to go Greek for me, it was a way to take a large school like Purdue and make it feel smaller.

And as a very diverse group of guys, no matter what you wanted to do, if you wanted to go to the gym, wanted to go running. Wanted to play games. Wanted to enjoy your Friday and Saturday night. Yeah, you would always find somebody that was, you know, dtp ready to party. Yeah. Ready to hang out with you or ready? To even go down to the, you know, the study hall in case I have any co-workers or employer listening? Yeah, I just wanted to give a shout out to the study hall. Well, I mean thankfully, you're smart. Enough. You just probably breathed your school. I can't imagine her.

Did you you really did study? I really did study freshman year, was easy. I guess from the standpoint of I felt really prepared. I went to very good Catholic, High School growing up that got us really prepared and was able to balance that joining a fraternity and managing freshman year, the new Norm of not having parents there to tell you to do your homework. Yeah, two. Get everything done on your own but I think really in general, sports taught me the time management to make that successful growing up. So I felt like I already had pretty good routine there by the time I got to college.

Wow that sounds like the answer to a job. Interview question. That was very good. It's very, very professional. It wasn't intended to be. What is something you do? Believe it's something you've got there. It is nice. Yeah. It's just in, I mean, your parents May listen to this so I don't know. Your dad is in the car. A lot. Maybe he'll listen. We'll have to teach him, we'll teach him how to do it. So you played intramural stuff in college. Did you ever work out and go to the gym to stay active? Or is it really just like intramural kind of stuff probably like most in college, my freshman year I started working out and going to the gym for the first couple months.

And why did you do that? I can see the glint in your eye. You go to check out the ladies, did you know? It was, you know, kind of with the goal of sticking with some, you know, past routines and In other things. But you know, time becomes more scarce. And you know, a lot of times that's one of the first things to go is the gym routine unfortunately. So the had the onset of the Freshman 15 probably at some point gosh I do love the the chicken fingers at Carey quad back in the day. Those were fantastic. We used to also take some to go on Friday and Saturday, you know, you'd line your pockets with some extra.

It's a chicken fingers. Did Purdue have any dining Halls that were open late night because Miami did. And that's definitely what I blame the Freshman 15 on because we I'd talked about in my first episode but we had like grilled cheese sandwiches with pizza in them and like Oreo shakes and they were open till like 1:00 or 2:00 in the morning, which didn't seem like a good idea. I don't recall, it's probably changed since I've been there. They definitely had like mini-marts open that you could use your die. Yeah, they're Dining Dollars on but I don't recall there being an actual food Hall opened at the time, but I'm sure.

Probably, that's changed over the years. Mmm-hmm now a doordash, my goodness. Okay. So after college I'd love for you to tell the story about how we met. So we met at a party with mutual co-workers. I was just leaving my Consulting career and I started at a small family-owned business that you would worked at and so as it stands I took your role after you left. Left, it was funny because at my cubicle, there was a picture of these two women and I wasn't quite sure which one I was meeting at lunch that day, but both were appealing. Hey boy. You heard it here first cake.

Yeah, she was the other one in the photo and yeah, kind of the rest is history. But, you know, we definitely went to lunch that day. I think you made fun of me for ordering a cheeseburger, with peanut butter on it. I'd never had and we do now. I cannot believe you did that. I don't know why I ever learned that I didn't really like it. I'm kind of a plain cheese burger kind of guy. Yeah. And then I think I saw you later at another co-worker event of all things. Like pumpkin carving. Oh, I remember carved a Purdue P into your pumpkin. I don't remember what I did and then I asked you if you ever hang out in Broad Ripple and you gave me the weirdest look.

So I was like, okay, well, that didn't go very well. Well, what you didn't say? As I was dating somebody else at the time I'm so I just was kind of like, okay know that. Yeah. So we met. Yeah, I was dating. Someone else when we met at lunch and then when we met the pumpkin carving but when that went South then we we really solidified our liking of each other. This is sorry, it sounded weird when we when we met at the what was it? Like Christmastime we there's like a Christmas happy hour when we went out. Oh yeah I think it was like a Christmas gathering where you still hung With a lot of the other guys and gals at the company.

Yeah. And I was invited as well and yeah and then hanging out more. Tell the people, this is a good segue to dad jokes. Tell the people the pick-up line you used. Now I'm trying to think back and remember. Oh, okay. So it turns out that you were a statistics major at Miami, which I didn't know at the time, but I think at the beginning of the night I said well this wasn't Quite the beginning of the night. Let's say maybe this is like a mid point in the night. I said there's about a 50% chance that we're going to kiss tonight. And later on in the night, I said, well, I think there's about a 70% chance that we're going to kiss tonight and I don't remember getting much Beyond, you know, 70% before we kissed.

So yeah, yeah, I think it was a, I think you were, you were Beyond maybe 50, or 70 percent and in like, you meet before. Oh yeah, yeah for sure. And we Remember it differently to whether it was Brothers. We were at Brothers, when for sure, when he started spitting these this mad game, but then we went to, which no longer exists was all my gosh. I just blanked with the called the, where you go down, Chumlee not Tony's. It wasn't called the upper o Casbah. Yeah, thanks. Thanks, Casbah. So shout out to Old School Broadripple days. So we met and then after that night we just kind of started just.

I think we had our First date like the next day or like very soon after I remember, I think we went out and it was the middle of the week and then Gchat still existed like, on Gmail. Also, I don't know if you remember this, but I like literally followed you to work like the next day too. It was so weird, cause we lived close enough to each other. Yeah, I think we went to my macros. Yep. Shots around the Corollas. I don't know if we're getting royalties on this podcast just yet, but not. Not quite, I'm working on it. Great restaurant. Always have a good time there and then I believe you went on a ski trip with your family.

So I didn't see you for for a bit. Maybe a week or so. Yeah, yeah. So we met we then we met again and then we started, dating was like, zero to 60 and then this kind of gets into the topic of running and how we started running together. I wondered what the Segway was going to be there. Okay, well yeah, we I mean, I could just Like continue. This was a running part of it. Is it is but you know it's everybody you know they want to hear all the stories I think, maybe. So anyway so we then start running together but I don't really even remember like asking like oh do you want to run the Chicago marathon with me or like what you even said in response but do you remember?

I don't remember the decision point of when I officially agreed to run the Chicago marathon Remember the training and how I got to eat, which was fantastic. Yeah, that's true. Training for the, you know, the full Marathon was definitely a lot of fried tenderloins that we would eat after a long. You know, 15 16 mile run on the on the hot Monon. Preparing for the Chicago. Yeah, and I remember, well, you should see if you can remember some of our training runs, there's one in particular. I remember, When we were up at Lake Wawasee which is in Northern Indiana and did end up getting dark.

Like I think we ran later in the day for some reason, I don't know but I just remember trying to map out these crazy places to for us to get in all the miles and then at the lake, it was really nice to do long runs because means the mole nowhere. So you can get a lot of miles. What's that face for? I don't remember. Okay, good. That that one. Okay, I remember running at the lake. I don't remember the late-night run. You mentioned. I swear it got dark and we were like running in the dark over by like that McDonald's. I don't know. I also have a really terrible memory so I could have made that what?

Like I like McDonald's. Yeah. You do. Yeah. So we ran a ton of Miles together and you say that your one and done. Do you still do you still stick to that statement? I think on the full marathons I think that's probably gonna hold true. At least through while the kids are little little and you know, because it does take up a large time commitment with work and children, but I do still. Enjoy the you know, the minis or the you know, 10 case. Yeah dear. And what do you remember about the Chicago marathon? I actually meant to look up what year that was. I don't remember what year it was but who cares.

Now, wasn't that married teen? We got married in 2014, it was 2013 the year before. Yeah. So because I want to remember about the Chicago marathon is a couple of things. One, definitely the people, which was, which was fantastic. It was definitely fun. As you're as you're running through the different parts of Chicago. I remember there was a we had pretty warm weather that day. I don't know. I think they maybe had a yellow flag out. Yeah, it's to be cautious. It was there someone I think somebody did pass away, unfortunately, that year, so they had a yellow flag out and I remember there was one Out of town that must have been like a young, pretty fun, part of town and there was a couple of different kiddie pools of water and somebody had bought a bunch of sponges.

Yes, I don't know if this was by the race our that this was maybe yeah. Just private. And so, you know, they would throw these wet sponges at you and, you know, and you would, you know, just, you know, squeeze them out and it was exciting. And then right after that there was a like a shot stand where somebody was trying to get you. To take a shot of who knows what? Yeah, who knows what? Mr. E Liquid. They had in there. Did you take one? I don't think I did. I surely not. Don't know. I don't remember. I don't remember either though. I think this is say we did.

Yeah. Sounds, we definitely did because we're so fun. We are so I remember that and then I want to say the other thing I remember is because there's so much talk about it before is that the finish of the Chicago ends with a little bit uphill? And so there's a bridge at the end of the Chicago marathon. And actually, I didn't think it was that bad so for all those may be training for the Chicago. Yes, there is a small incline at the Finish, but to me it was so exciting because at that stage in the race I could see the Finish. Yeah, so I didn't mind that it was slightly, you know, uphill, maybe training at, you know, why was he like you mentioned.

I mean, there's some a little bit Hills and certain parts maybe of the farmland. Not much. Okay. Maybe a little actually I can think a little bag, there's a papa loved ones. You know by the barn 25k. You're right. Well he'll there. Okay. So don't call me a liar. Okay. I know I just had a picture it over there. Yeah. Over. There's like a Fourth of July race. We do every year or we did before kids. Yeah, I remember the incline of Chicago. I've done Chicago four times to your one ha, but I do remember that incline at the end is kind of brutal because you just want to be done, but it's so close to the Finish but you go, it goes.

But then it comes down and then it's flat till the end. So it's not like you it's not like we have to run up till all the way to the Finish. But yeah, I remember that too. And I remember the sponge is actually on my previous episode with my friend Whitney. She told she told me a story about how they had sponges with soap, in them by accident at a race. She was at that was hot. So thankfully we did not have any soap in our sponges. They were just so cold. I remember to is Chicago. One of the other things is Spectators will bring out all kinds of stuff for you to eat popsicles like I just remember the Popsicles I think that day they had to have had them because it was so hot and like candy and I don't know but popsicles I remember specifically in Chicago I think there's something like over a million Spectators it's probably only grown now with the race being so popular and when we did it it was not a lottery, you just signed up and got to do it.

Now you have to get into the lottery and like, get picked. I don't know if you knew that, but we ran together that year we did. And I don't know if you remember She just threw out that you ran for compared to my one, but I don't know if you remember who was helping, you get to the Finish Line on that race. That's one. Other thing I do remember, is I felt like I was pulling you miles, 20 through 24 to keep running. Yeah, it's true. I actually did admit that. In my first episode, I said that you were really like it. Not you carried me through the finish and I said not literally because That would be impressive but I do remember really struggling and you were like loving wife and we ran it in like just under 5 hours.

So it's not like we were, you know. So we were, you know, I remember Zack said his arm was sore from like this pumping to the crowd because we owe. You forgot to tell about the shirts. Yes. We definitely wore shirts with our names on them, which is a pro tip. They attend provided for me, and so a lot of people were saying goes at go Ali. Yeah, it was a, it was a lot of fun. Definitely, like you said, my my right arm and then eventually, I would have to switch my left arm to to fist pump or to do a boiler up when I would see fellow.

Boilermaker on the sidelines. I think we actually ran into maybe one or two fraternity Brothers to spectating, I think. Yeah. Because a lot of them lived up in Chicago. Yeah, I think Elliot we saw and his dad was running, but he wasn't running. So, yeah, yeah. Do you remember what the shirts said on the back? We weren't engaged at the time. See, you're still really up in your game. Oh, wait. I got those made at the, the tiki hut where you got em at the tiki. Got the tiki hut. I didn't know that money on the back. I think it's a she made me wear.

I've been chasing her. It was nice. It was like she made me do it was like something like that. I don't remember the exact wording but it was something like chased her for 500 miles. What's another 20s? Yeah, something like that. It was really cute. Shoot, I think your sister helped with that. You told me, but it was really nice. He is in public relations, she's very good with words and and I love words as you know, I'm a words of affirmation girl don't worry. I won't get too weird on you, he's nervous. Yeah, so we ran a marathon together and then zap was you know, like I said he's were like he said probably done with the folks at least while the you're right with the kids being little, it's a good time to thank you for all the Support that you've given me when I've wanted to run full marathons after kids and I kind of just do it and pray that you'll not be too upset.

I, you know, over the years of being married, you do learn how to better ask. I'm still working on really figuring out how to how to do that. So, if anyone has advice for for that, let me know. But thank you started with the ask for forgiveness. Has permission. And I think it took me. Yeah. I'mi'm were yours to to go to that model as well? Yeah, right. I know. Well, it's It's Tricky, right? And it depends kind of on the thing. And, you know, I think the fortunate thing with my most recent marathon is that I didn't have a 9 to 5, so I could just, I could do my runs without it, impacting the family as much, which was the goal, but I would also still be really tired, so it takes a lot out of you, so I'm probably done.

Well, I don't I can't even say that. I'm probably done with fools for a little bit, maybe till I told you not this year. So maybe next year, I did not enter any of the lotteries yet, so just so, you know, I think sometimes they would provide you the gentle reminder that translated to some of your mugs of you get to do this. Yeah, I think was you get two days when you're really tired? Following a training session? I know, it's hard to bitch about it. Especially, yeah, you're like, you're the one who gets to and wants to and I'm like, you're right. You're right.

It's such a good reminder. ER yeah, especially for people who like physically the can't even do it. So let alone my situation with the flexibility in work and I guess that I did want to talk cover this a little bit because I don't know if this is the first episode, somebody's listen to they don't they may not know. So we have two kids Sydney who's five and Sloan who's to? So two girls and, you know, we've figured out how to be parents. Obviously, you just kind of fly by the seat of your hands. But I think with the pandemic is when, you know, Certainly when I needed to take a step back from the career part of what I had been doing for so long which you know in software sales was a grind and then pandemic really brought it to light that it just wasn't something I wanted to do anymore and I was pregnant with Sloane at the time and so it's just a good good a time as any I guess to take a step back from work.

So Zack has been working at the same company for what feels like forever. I don't know if you want to just talk a little bit about what you do. Do now and like our transition of me now. Doing what I do? Sure. Yeah so I've been at the same company now for 11 years, you need your calculator, I did, I don't. But when I started, it was a company called Interactive Intelligence here in Indianapolis. Indiana. And for the past five years, we were acquired by a company called Genesis based out of San Francisco. And yeah, it's been a really fun ride got to wear multiple.

Hats and really, for the last four or five, I've been in product management working closely with the, as I say, the really smart folks, which are software developers to help. Build build a product, Shout out to software developers and Corporate America is Corporate America. But I think talk about what is it like to have always be in the same house with your wife and what is it like to have your office right below mine. I think the bigger challenge is having the office close to the kitchen for you. Yeah, well, I'll go ahead and start with that one. Is that definitely is a struggle for me to be so close to the snack drawer and the, in the fridge.

But yeah, the pandemics been obviously interesting. You noted some of the hurdles, especially when we had both children home, but we do now have both children in daycare, our oldest getting ready to go to kindergarten next year and It's certainly been a learning curve. I think one of the things that helped me out was pre-pandemic, half of my team is on the east coast and so I had already worked at home two or three days a week so get used to interacting virtually all. So that's the preferred method for, you know, a lot of the different developers as well. And I do miss in person was great last week.

I got to travel to San Francisco and at the sea part of the leadership team in person and an Act in that way. Which definitely adds a lot of value, but, you know, I feel like we've been able to adapt. Well, it was interesting at first to have you as my coworker directly above me, but one of the blessings we had is even pre-pandemic was already had doors on my office. You already had a defined space as well and, you know, we're fortunate to live in Indiana where we have, you know, a little bit more real estate than you would on a churro for instance, with my sister who lives.

In the Washington, DC area, your bedroom, kind of acts as your office. That's true. So yeah, definitely helps. You make your bed every day from that regard? I'm sure. But it's great to have a defined space so that you can still walk downstairs. Have that be, you know, where do you go to work? So you can focus and you have that set space. Like, I mentioned so overall not too bad in my opinion, but you know, luckily, you know, haven't haven't got rid of any co-worker. Yes. Yeah, it is, it is funny because when when you're traveling I don't know why it's different that different because it's not like you're, you're like in your office and that's it.

But then, if I want to, like, listen to my podcast, or my audio books out loud and like, do stuff. I do. It's nice. Like, to have the house to yourself. Sometimes I don't know why it's weird, but it's just different. When there's like, someone in the house, I can try golfing more if that'd be helpful. That would be great. Okay, perfect. Yeah. Okay, so now your Fitness routine, I wanted to tell people about eat the Frog because I feel like, is it a national thing? It is yes. So they have Studios nationally and shout out to my primary coach. Darrell eat the Frog, and there's several great coaches that work with over there, and it's really just fun.

So, it's become a nice routine for me to a, get out of the house. Yeah, he get fit. And And it does provide, you know, that level of kind of social interaction, so mean, when I think about, you know, Ronnie and I definitely enjoy running but I'm kind of more of a team type of athlete. If I can call myself an athlete, I do, that's a little bit of a stretch, Everyone's an athlete. But, you know, I definitely enjoy the fact that, you know, we go in with a group of individuals and the morning. I'm a big fan of the 8:30 a.m. class over, eat the frog in caramel, and it's, it's just fun.

We do kind of different stations. So usually there's a station, either at a rower or a stationary bike. And then there's a lot of body weight exercises where you're also using a TRX band or strap, so it's definitely a great. I've lost a little bit of weight, so that makes it a little bit easier, which is nice. And then also, we have free weights as well where we do different exercises. So today, It was more of a strength exercise and then they also have another series called cardio and one called agility and so it kind of varies up your routine and you can also switch sides or stations to kind of change, things up a little bit if you want to take that same session multiple times a week.

So I try to get there, you know, three or four times a week. It's a nice routine and I feel like that's going to be my primary Training Method here for the mini marathon. I was going to ask about the name, eat the Frog. Do you know, what is it? Why is it called eat the Frog? So I feel like people are like, what the heck's that so this is on the wall in the gym. So I should definitely know this, but the now, the founder co-founder Bryan, clay, I believe former Olympian. And that was one of the mottos that he had with some with, with other athletes of this is actually an old saying they would wake up every morning.

They would eat the Frog you get in the routine, get in the workout, you know, take it all in and you know that's what it took to be an Olympian, huh? And again, going back to definitely, like I said, as you mentioned, we're all athletes. Don't sell your a marathoner, don't sell yourself, definitely not not in a Olympian style athlete, I think it definitely has some different meanings. When you say eat the Frog and what that frog is. But when you have training for the Olympics, probably, mmm-hmm probably too that, you know similar, You know, regard is everybody gets to pick what that, you know, what that frog is?

And, you know, it's not obviously a actual fraud, actual frogs have been harmed and eating stuff to tell children, what that means. The truth. I mean, you can't. Anyway, it's hard to explain anything to a five-year-old because you can't technically eat a frog and then she, it's hard enough. Yeah. Should we have frog legs for dinner to? Yeah, Jesus. Okay, I have been so the The thing I want to touch on two before we talk a little bit more about the running side of this and kind of what our plans are for this weekend in the mini and all that was a little bit about how we make it work.

As it were. So it is, I mean, it was so hard going from to really successful, decent paying jobs to one, especially with two girls in daycare, cannot wait until the end of this month. When we stop paying one of those bills for Sydney, but we went from and it was during the pandemic. And so we've still been trying to figure out this Alex doesn't exist. But this like rhythm of what this looks like for us now and certainly, you know, athlete, bouquets my business doesn't bring in a ton of money and so just adjusting to that. But also trying to figure out what I take on at the home versus kind of like what you're responsible for.

And so just thought to be helpful a little bit to share how we make that work. And so basically, like the way that, I the way that I look at, it is a lot of the things that I typically, we would typically share when we both were working now, Now I do. So like I do all the laundry and it's nice because I can do it during the day. I do grocery shopping which drives act nuts because I do delivery, which I will fight you on this because I swear it saves me money and it's not my fault. When Kroger doesn't have the things I need sometimes.

But I try to like meal plan at the beginning the week where it's like. Okay, I'm going to cook three meals. I'm gonna order my instacart, make my three meals, I try to make sure like in the mornings. When you get back from the gym the house is in order of It's because the girls can be like, a tornado in the morning and I try to own as much of that mourning process as I can. And I do, I just, I'm rambling, but I want you to touch a little bit on that because I do think people are interested in, how the hell people are doing things because obviously, I'm social media looks so great, but it's not always the easiest thing.

Yeah, I'd like to still think of it as a as a partnership. You know, I think there's a lot of societal Norms. Yeah, out there. Sure that says, you know, the man is the one that's supposed to work. They, you know, the woman is the one that's supposed to, you know, stay at home. Watch the children, cook clean and tell your foot size joke, are you? No, not at all. But I, you know, I feel like, you know, over the last, you know, 10 20 years, you know, that's really, you know, taking great strides and, you know, one of the reasons why I fell in love with you as you are a strong woman and you know very successful and your software career.

You made a decision for our family that I don't think is, you know, anything to be held, you know, against your decision, from a professional standpoint. It's you chose to take a pause and you kind of with that then, you know, and our partnership is, you know, you've started picking up some more of the activities that we would have traditionally split like I do enjoy cooking to a certain degree, but it is tricky is to, you know, take your last phone call. Yeah. Yeah, you know, 5:30 and then all of a sudden, you know, have two children. Now home from daycare that are extremely hungry, that are either going to get a gallon of goldfish, your gutter apples, a little bit more nutritional but they want it now.

So, yeah. I think overall it be, you know, it's worked out well and, you know, especially to with being able to run a business out of out of our home office here. You know, definitely something great and I'll support you in whatever you do after that. So you're so sweet. Thank you. Well it's hard to because I fought it for a long quite a while. And I remember having conversations about like I just wasn't happy in work. Elias actually been pretty tough for me to be happy and work and I think a lot of it. I don't know if I made to work for somebody else as part of the problem and I think it it just took a while to just say, okay, it's time to take a step back.

It's time to just figure it out and yeah, who knows what the future holds. I don't know no idea but I appreciate your support. So so, so much. And for those of you who'd followed athlete, bouquets on social media for a while. You've seen pictures of me and my family, some Finish Lines. And so Zack has been just a huge supporter that in that regard to and though, he'll bring the girls to the finish line and still in their pajamas, which is just so great. I know how hard it is to get to little humans out the door, let alone by a certain time to catch mom at the finish and So I've said this already, which you haven't listened, so you haven't heard but just know that I appreciate you being the one, supporting our family and working hard.

So thanks I like so far that our girls have the motto of Jeep hair. Don't care. And so we kind of started that I got a Jeep Wrangler that I've that I've always wanted since the age of 8 16, you know? And so when we take the top off of the Jeep Wrangler, we always you know, joke Joke. Jeep are don't care so I don't need to change the pajamas. I don't need to brush your hair. Yeah. Because it's just in a, you know, get your shovel there in the in the Jeep. Do you care? Don't care and you know, you like my motto, the no one cares which then just you know, it all kind of ties together because nobody nobody cares.

Like if your kids are in pajamas and if you care like why would you ever care that? Somebody's kids were in pajamas. Maybe you can make a Jeep mug to, and you know, with the cheap hair don't care. Then I get in trouble for that. There's a big market for Jeep, aftermarket stuff stuff. Yeah, there is. Okay, so we're approaching the end of our episode. I feel like there's so much I wanted to talk about and I tease the idea of doing this again after the mini but I know that I get probably one shot at least for a while. So yeah. He nodded he nodded.

So so folks are going to have to look me up online to see if I if I broke too. Yeah, well I'll share they're gonna have to look up your results. So I'd maybe like to reset my goal. Okay, so I think I'm gonna break to 30. Yeah, that's better. It's gonna say don't hurt yourself. That was also when my dentist appointment is 30 later this week. Oh boy, tooth. Hurty okay. Give us a couple more dad jokes while we're at well we got it. Give us a couple. So I did find one this morning though is very relevant here to running and It's what did one tomato?

Say to the other tomato as they were being passed during the race? I don't know. Zach, you better catch up. Oh my God. You guys. I hear those every day and as I like to say, I'm in the front row of every show for Zach's jokes and there's some I've heard a 1 million times but I still chuckle. Yeah yeah. Unfortunately those dad jokes weren't really dead jokes and About, you know, five years ago here in the with the birth of Sydney and that's when they became apparent. There we go. Okay, wow. We didn't even plan on that. Okay, so this weekend, let's talk a little bit about this weekend, then we'll wrap it up.

But so this weekend we actually get to stay in a hotel. Downtown away from the kids, I'm actually kind of it's weird because I have such a specific like routine that I like to do before my race is gonna pack the toaster. Again, I'm gonna that's weird. I know it. Is weird. I'm gonna pack the toaster because the but I asked the bottle works hotel and they do not have a toaster, so they said go ahead and bring it if you want. So I'm going to bring my toaster so that I can make my toast with my peanut butter, my banana, what are you going to eat for breakfast?

Right now? All I can think about is, I have a toast joke, but I'll go ahead and, and what's the toast? Joe, leave that till the end. No, don't leave it for the ad. Now people you got to do it, okay? So say Coast three times Coast toaster Coast Coast with the seeds Coast Coast What do you put in the toaster toes? No bread. Oh goodness of all a cow at one point that's the say silk 30. Silk silk silk, what do cows? Drink milk, milk, milk milk? They drink water. Yeah, makes sense. Okay, jeez. I don't know. Sorry about that people. Okay. So you're going to eat for breakfast toast as well.

Then we covered that. And so what our I mean, is there anything you want to do? While we're downtown? How are you going to feel being my My husband for two days, he's struggling. Yeah, I've been off the socials for a while so we use x just tell me what you know what you need. I don't know. I've learned one thing, you know, in terms of this isn't social media with you is you always tell me that to hold the camera. Hi hold the phone up for god. Sakes to get on a knee and I would take oh picture looking up. So you get this guy but apparently that's a big No-No.

I didn't realize how big of a Yeah, and you know what strangers, who asked you to take their photo? Now, appreciate that. Because if you hold it up, there gonna be like, he knows, he knows how to take a photo. Yeah. And portrait modes good for sometimes, you know, you'll be a decent Instagram. Has I know you're off to Instagram but you'll just have to be, you know, you got to take some photos of me and at the Expo and what do you want to eat for dinner the night before? Because I already know what I want, but what do you usually like I'm a spaghetti and meatballs kind of guy or I could always go for a you know nice.

Slice of lasagna, but definitely pasta before race pasta. Okay, we're going to get pizza, probably. But maybe they have pasta. They had pasta. We're gonna go to the garage, which is a food hall, right by the bottle, works hotel in that area. It's so cool. It makes me feel like I'm on vacation when I go there because I think we never go downtown and I usually like to have a beer or two before. But never one, I said this was a partnership. It seems like, you know, you've already planned my okay. So Zach this is what we're gonna do. Do. I do remember yes, yes, yes, yes.

Well, the good news about the garage is they have, like, I don't know how many restaurants in there so surely will be able to find something for both of us and then at the race we usually like start next to each other and then just kind of say goodbye at least these days, I do kind of Miss running with you. Just gonna put that out there but you don't run so much anymore. I was gonna tell folks, my tip is, don't start too fast. That's a good tip. It's there's definitely a lot of Adrenaline there at the, at the start of the Indie mini, and also spend a lot of time zigzagging, a lot of zigzagging, with the people.

It's so crowded. Yeah. So crowded and the track is long. It's two and a half miles. So it's exciting for like the first one second and then you're like, oh my God, and stay low on the track. It is. Banked day long. Yeah. Oh, I was like, what? And also, if you want to kiss the bricks, I think you go to the right side, they'll have signs. They used to not have signs, and people would just like, get down and you'd be Like what the fuck? Do you like trip on somebody? This crazy. Now they have designated like, if you'd like to kiss the bricks, have you ever kissed the bricks?

Like during the many not know I have it. I heard only one time. Did we? I did it. Okay. When I ran with Alyssa that one year, I mean I think I'm maybe one year. Maybe I acted like a did. I don't think I've ever actually physically put my lips on the bricks. Yeah, hmm. Maybe this is the year. Do you remember how many minis you've run? Like half marathons in general. So you don't have a spreadsheet. Like I do. I do. Ooh, not. I remember I ran One mini marathon and maybe going back to our relationship as I told my dad, I was going to propose to you.

I forgot about when we were running the mini marathon together and I told him at the bricks. That's so that's my book story. I do have a brick story there about that. See this is where I just I mean we got to do this another time so we can remember all the things right? So yeah, running the many. I'm excited and then, okay? So two questions for you to wrap it up. One is what's your favorite running or like workout song and or songs? And then also like Mantra trying to think of songs? Usually, what playlist do you use? Just going to stick with, you know, a Spotify radio playlists.

It's so risky of sorts. Yeah, I just, I don't know. I've never really invested the time. They go in and create A full playlist. I've used during New York playlist. A few times these updated a little bit. It does. I need to delete some of the ones out there. That's probably why I asked everybody because it's a good idea and you can use all the songs. I think I used to use. There was a Nike running out for a while and it had something called a power song. Oh, yeah. And so, one of the power songs I configured was Call Me Maybe. I don't know what I mean.

But yeah, that was a, you know, One one I think was it. I can't feel my face when I'm with you. Yeah that's another kind of I think about my year that song you like. This is Maya the gosh. Yeah I mean there's your definitely it's a mix of you know kind of what you want to listen to you. Whether it's, you know, I like my pop. I like my rap. Hey, I really like a good mix. There's also Parts where, you know, growing up, we listen to a lot of eagles. Oh yeah. You don't have a little Eagles in there but take it easy.

That's a good one. Oh yeah, so it's really you know kind of a mix and that's why I kind of I would say I'm more of like a radio playlists, you know type fan where I like a little bit something new and then I can always you know hit my watch and click next if I don't like the song. Yeah, yeah okay well we already know your next Finish Line because it's going to be on Saturday the, any money. So that's exciting. Any other jokes or any words of wisdom. You'd like to impart before we before we Go. I definitely feel like you know for me I'm kind of my Milestone or my goal here is again to finish I just want to, you know, keep this being you know consistent I think I do need to train more and more as I continue to get oh he's closer to that 40 mark you know in general I think that either frogs really helped me from a cardio and a general fitness standpoint but I need to do a better job hitting the pavement and so that's, you know something that you'd like to work on.

On, I think one of the Milestones may be looking past this race would be as I'd really like to get back in the sub. 2 ranges one so I can hang out with everybody longer at the after-party. Yeah because being the last one to finish isn't. Yeah. Isn't the best and then you got it then you everybody wants to race to the car. Yeah. To I mean I think you know just going to be a fun race. I'm hoping for good weather and I'm excited to get out there and hit the pavement. Hmm and be fine. I'm excited too. All right, well time to wrap.

It up. Thank you so much for doing this with me. Gosh you're the best I love you. All right everybody. Well I hope you have a great many for those of you who are running this weekend and happy running. Bye.

Ally Brettnacher