Episode 61: Larra Overton - Running Miles Daily

Episodes

Jun 21

Listener note: This episode includes discussion of mental health and a brief mention of a family history of mental illness and addiction.

Larra Overton has run at least a mile every day since November 2019. She's also a former IU track star, an ESPN track analyst and a producer, host and reporter for the Indianapolis Colts.

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About this episode

Larra Overton grew up in New Albany, Indiana, the daughter of two coaches, and walked on to the Indiana University track and cross country team. She earned a scholarship by scoring at the Big Ten meet as a sophomore, finished top three in the Big Ten in the 800 and 1500, and ran at NCAA championships in track and cross country. Today she's a producer, host and reporter for the Colts and works track and field broadcasts for ESPN and USATF.

Larra was on day 1,682 or so of her daily mile streak when we talked, and she shares how to start and keep a run streak, including the night she ran loops in a Kroger parking lot in Batesville at 11:50 pm. We also cover how she went from appearing on ESPN at 17 to the Colts, staying in touch with mentors, calling races at Hayward Field, pulling off a July 2020 wedding during the pandemic, and why she thinks of mental health as a toolkit.

In this episode, we discuss

How Larra's daily mile streak started in November 2019 alongside her Shred415 trainer
Tips for starting a run streak, including pushing through days 7 to 21
Accountability partners, a paper planner and runs without a watch
Running loops in a Batesville Kroger parking lot at 11:50 pm to save the streak
Keeping running clothes in the car and at the office
Running with her English mastiff, Tugboat, and how he got his name
Growing up in New Albany with coaching parents and a high school coach who made her love cross country
Walking on at IU and earning a scholarship by scoring at the Big Ten meet
Two NCAA track appearances in the 1500, knee surgeries and deciding not to chase the Olympic Trials
Appearing on ESPN at 17 as a Wendy's High School Heisman finalist
How staying in touch with ESPN's John Anderson led to calling NCAA track and field
Working PA at the 2021 Olympic Trials and interviewing athletes at the World Championships in Eugene
From WDRB and WTWO to Fox 59 and a full-time role with the Colts
A wedding saved two days out from a pandemic event ban
Kicking the Stigma, meeting Peloton's Kendall Toole and building a mental health toolkit

Chapters

Intro
How the daily mile streak started
Tips for keeping a run streak
The Kroger parking lot mile
Tugboat the English mastiff
Growing up around sports in southern Indiana
Walking on at Indiana University
Deciding not to run professionally
Wacky races and one marathon
Covering track at Hayward Field
Michael Hartnagel's Metastatic Mission
From ESPN at 17 to the Colts
Colts blue and life on the road
A pandemic wedding audible
Kicking the Stigma and mental health
Songs, mantra and what's next

Mentioned in this episode

Races: CNO Indianapolis Monumental Marathon, Eugene Marathon, Indiana Women's Running Festival, Drumstick Dash, Firecracker Run, Savannah Women's Marathon, NCAA Track and Field Championships, U.S. Olympic Trials
Organizations and charities: Indianapolis Colts, Kicking the Stigma, USATF, ESPN, SEC Network, Big Ten Network, Indiana University, Shred415, Peloton, Carmel Running Group, Metastatic Mission, IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, Indianapolis Central Library
Other: Hayward Field, Steve Prefontaine, Kendall Toole, John Anderson, Allyson Felix, Parker Valby, Shannon Rowbury, Wendy's High School Heisman, 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, "Many Men" by 50 Cent, "King of Wishful Thinking" by Go West

Previous guests mentioned

Related episodes

Frequently asked

How long has Larra Overton been on a run streak?

Larra Overton has run at least one mile every day since November 2019, putting her around day 1,682 in June 2024 with five years coming that November.

How do you start a run streak?

Larra Overton suggests starting with a short goal instead of a huge number, pushing through the tough stretch between about day 7 and day 21, telling someone for accountability, and keeping running clothes in your car so you have no excuses.

Did Larra Overton run in college?

Larra Overton walked on at Indiana University, earned a scholarship after scoring at the Big Ten meet, finished top three in the Big Ten in the 800 and 1500, and competed at NCAA championships in track and cross country.

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Transcript

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

Welcome to Finish Lines and Milestones with Ali Bretnacher. Incredible stories and tales of triumphs with everyday people achieving their goals and fitness. This podcast brought to you by Athlete Bouquets. Celebrate finish lines and milestones of the people that you love by visiting athletebouquets.com. Hello and welcome to episode 61. This is Ali Brettnacher, and I kind of broke a rule for this week's episode. This, as you may know, is a podcast about everyday people doing incredible things when it comes to running. Well, This week's guest, Lara Overton, is not your everyday person, and here's why. Lara is a producer, host and a reporter for the Indianapolis Colts.

She also works for USATF, which is USA Track and Field, ESPN, and the SEC Network. Fun fact, she was on ESPN at age 17, which is nuts. She also, alongside her jobs, manages to run one mile every single day and she's been doing that since November of 2019. So this November will be five years of her daily mile. She gives some great advice on how to start or how to maintain a run streak if you're at all interested in that. And she tells a pretty funny story about a day she almost missed her run. But we really walk through everything and how she got to be where she is now through growing up around sport and just being super talented.

So I can't wait for you to have a chance to get to know Lara because I was certainly honored to do that on this podcast. So enjoy, Ready, ready to roll. Excellent. Laura. Thank you so much for being here. Oh my gosh, thanks so much for having me. I still have nightmares about when I went up to you and I was like, hey Laura, I swear to God. All the time. I'm sure it does, but I just was like, I've mortified. Like, no, it's it's like Sarah with an L So for everybody who reads it, like I think for me, I like Lara bars and so.

Oh yeah. Well, I have a. Girlfriend named Laura Lara. Oh, great. Yeah, so. All of our group of friends will. It's often that just we'll all be together and it's easy to say. So I've never offended. By it because my good friend Laura so. It's nothing that I. Live so funny. I know, I know. That just complicates things for everyone for. Everybody, everyone's like, I don't know. I don't know what to say no. So anyway, you were so sweet. And I was like, Oh my God, I'm never going to forget about that as long as I live. What's? Funny is that sometimes, I mean, there are people who have known for years and I'll mention it and I'll oh, it's pretty and, and oh, OK.

And they still can't get it. There's some people just have like a little bit of a block about it. I don't know what it is. That would be like my dad, my dad, like he just doesn't. Well, he also just doesn't even really. It's not like he's an asshole, he just. Doesn't that they notice he just. Doesn't think about it. Exactly. Exactly. They just they get it set one way and that's what you can't give it out of your brain. So you know, that's. Fine. So yes, I cannot believe that we've technically known each other since 2020, when Megan Loman is a mutual friend of ours, and so is Sue Young.

I lived with Sue back in the day, and we used to run together a lot back in the day. But you and I got on a Zoom during COVID times, which is just so weird. That feels like a whole different life. Time ago, it really does. I was actually just thinking about that when I was driving up to do this. I was there was something that reminded me of it and I was like, Oh my God, that was so strange when we were doing all of that. And I think it was because I had like this whole work from home like set up. Basically I had to make, I have a, we call it the dressing room.

It's kind of like my closet slash office in our house and I had to make it my basically my TV studio. I would do like our full TV show from my house. So it was. So just trying to like. Figure out the way to record it all and do all these things and put it all together. It was really, really a bizarre time. Yeah, a bizarre time. And I want to talk about how you got married during that bizarre time, but we'll do that later, OK? But yeah, which is crazy. I can only imagine. It was so much wild stuff. Stressful, stressful. So I want to know what day you were on for your daily my.

Daily Mile 1680 two, I think 1682 or 1683, something like that. OK. So how many years is that? I started in November of 2019 and I had attempted a daily mile streak a number of times. Like one thing I always tell people I didn't start this my first attempt. Like I had heard of people who had done run streaks and who were on run streaks and I wanted to do one and I'd start and I would get, I don't know, like two weeks in or something. And I would just lose motivation. Like I probably tried it like twice. I, I had attempted, yeah. And I was like, I just like wasn't feeling it.

So anytime someone is attempting a mile straight, I'll say like, don't you, you can always start again. Like don't push that and force yourself into it if you're not feeling it, Like don't. And then the other thing I'll say is weeks 2:00 to like 3 are the sticking point. Once you it for some reason feels hard from like day, like after week 1 into between maybe 7 and 21 days is where that's just the point to push through and then it becomes second nature. I was at the time doing some coaching at Shred 415 and love the Shred studio and I'm so grateful for it because it brought me to this amazing community of people created some of my like very best friendships came from working at Shred.

And the guy who had trained me at Shred's name is Jeremy Walton. He's a great follow, especially if you're into fitness. He's based in Chicago. He's like a Lululemon global ambassador. He's so motivating and and all that. So Jeremy trained me and he was doing a run streak going into his birthday. I want to say it was maybe like his forty. I think it was like his forty. It was like a milestone birthday. And I was like, you know what? I'll start the streak that when Jeremy starts it. So I started in November. I think he was going through his birthdays right on Christmas time and he had a run through.

So I started November and my goal was like I'm going to go N1 through the end of the year. Another tip, if you're doing the Daily Mile, like don't start out thinking you're going to do 1600 or something crazy days like I started I'm going to go N1 to December 31st was initially what I wanted to do. Felt like it just kind of a good thing to do through the holidays. Got to December 31st and still felt really good. And I thought my birthday's February 14th and that was going to take me right around. Like I feel like at that point would have gotten to 100 days, maybe going November, December.

Yeah, I would have been like, I don't. Know that's too much mail? Yeah, so I thought, oh, this is maybe I'll try to go for 100 days consecutively was like what I decided. And then I got to 100 and I was like, well, might as well do 200. And then I got to two and I was said, I wonder if I can do this for a whole. Year, yeah. And that is how this whole crazy thing started. But I have to say, there is this woman in Fort Wayne. Her name is Liza and she has like a 20 plus year run streak. 20 plus. Yes, yes, like you have to look her up.

She's unbelievable and she documents everyday like what she does, she's really cool and and what she's doing. So I'm so motivated by her and watching what she has done and I make no excuses because I read an article where she actually ran the same day she gave birth. Oh. So I yeah. I'm just trying to that's on another. Head around that I know I know. So like on the days when I think my legs are tired of like she ran after giving birth. Yeah, so. So that's fine. So I can I can just hobble around the Yeah, yeah. I had a guy, he's based in Fishers, J Idle Jorg, and he has over 10 years now.

Oh, that's amazing. And I'm just like, holy crap. And what's his? Minimum one mile or what is it, 'cause I know a few guys, There's some guys who ran at Indiana at the same time that I did. So we ran track and cross country all in the same era and they a few of those guys. Their minimum is more like 4. Whoa, I know. OK, no, he he is a mile I believe and I think he always is outside. I forget. Oh, OK. And he for a year or so, had it at 2. Like he kind of switched it up and was like, OK, I'm going to do a minimum of two miles.

I think he did that for a year. Yeah, at one point, but. My good friend Chris Scott, another shred a lot. Chris. Scott, he also coaches at Oswell, so for anyone who goes to Oswell, take Chris's class. He started his streak 11 days after I did so. We've. Really been pushing each other and kind of checking in on each other and run some of our milestone runs together and and different things. So he always keeps me super motivated. It's. Nice to have an accountability. Buddy, it really. Is well, I really liked. I can't remember where I saw this, probably on your Instagram somewhere, maybe somewhere else.

But it was like, if you ever think about quitting, just tell somebody that you want to quit and they'll tell you why it matters and why it's important that you don't. I thought that was so profound. And like you, that is. Really smart and my mine is my husband. Like I will, I'll tell him or he'll ask, have you gotten your run in today? And he does such a good job of checking in. But I've told him at certain points I was like, is, are we still doing this? Am I really still doing this? And he is so great about, Oh, you've gone so far Like he is 100% like my big motivation and my accountability and as well as like the people who I follow.

And that is one thing about there's so many negatives, of course, of social media and and you can go down certainly maybe a drain of it on, you know, your energy and there's a lot of negativity within it, but there are also so many wonderful aspects of it, For example, people who are following what you're doing or encouraging you along the way. I have a girl who I used to work with at the Colts and she just hit 100 days of the daily Mile. And I was so excited for her and to watch her do this. And it's like, okay, this is like all the inspiration that I need, you know, I'm.

So that is one of the really neat things about this wild community of streakers. I love. That there are so many, you know, positives within it. And when you post about it, people who you know will comment or be inspired by different things. But yes, tell someone if you start a streak and you want to start a streak leak, give yourself a couple of times. Like don't feel like that you have to do it immediately. Like you don't have to put that. I'm going to go for 100 days. Just make it for the 1st, you know, 10 days, 20 days that's pushed through the point where it feels a little tough and then it becomes habit.

I have a girlfriend who did it for one full year, a few a few friends who did like a full year recently. And then yeah, tell someone if you get on a good little streak, just vocalize it when you're like, my motivation is, you know, I'm struggling a little bit through it. And then the I also tell people like if you want to walk a day, like walk a day, you know it, you can make it a lot of things. And I know not everyone is a runner. And if running is not your thing, you can make it, you know, 10 minutes of stretching or 10 minutes of core or two minutes, 10 minutes of cycling or 10 minutes of meditation.

You know, you can make it anything just to create that habit and that mindset. My mom, actually, she does. She has done a Peloton ride every day this year. That's her. Version of. That's awesome. Yeah, I feel like that. At like 11 at night, like sometimes like I'll talk to her, I'll be going to bed, she's like I'm going to go get my ride in. That's so great. I feel like the Peloton platform helps a lot with that too, like just being able to see it and keep track of it. Love. It love the peloton. Yeah. I also wanted to ask you how you do keep track of your runs, Jake.

I think I saw at one point you were like, yeah, I can't remember what it is. Yeah, especially when you start getting up there. I write it down. I still keep a a planner. Like a that's so. Great. Actually, it's like around here. So right over here, I keep it, I, I write down every day what I've done and then that's how I keep track. And then I also sometimes I'll check there's like a a website where it's like you can calculate dates like date calculate. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I use that all the time for random stuff, yeah. So I'll use that to just to make sure I'm where I thought I was.

Yeah. But yeah, I write everything down. I'll write down how far I ran or what I did in in addition to my runs. That's the other thing too, is I will do things other than just running. I might do strength, I might do Peloton, might do a yoga class, but I'll always tack on at least one mile of a run on top of it. But I like it because I'll go back and see, you know, check things that I did and, you know, maybe where I ran a certain day or, you know, if I know it was a trail run or different things like that.

Yeah. But I also it's for people if they are doing a streak, I will take days where I won't even time it. Like I'll ditch my watch like because you most people will know a little bit of a route around. Your house for exactly a mile. Exactly. So I will ditch the watch. I won't time it. That's another really good thing for me is sometimes like I will try to one once a week. I aim to doesn't always have once a week, but at least, you know, a couple times a month do it where I don't time it. It's just all about and I like pull out my air pods and just like listen and escape and go.

And that's a really nice thing to do as well. So you don't feel like you're constantly racing yourself. Right. Like it doesn't need to be a fast mile, needs to be a mile. It it doesn't at all and you're going to burn yourself out if you're like, Oh, well, yesterday I ran out of, you know, I ran 630 and so today needs to be 629 or whatever. Yeah, yeah, that'd be rough. I also saw that you put clothes in your car and stuff because that seems really smart. Have you gotten, have you had any close calls over time? Oh yeah. Waking up, it's like 11:30 and you're like, oh shit, I got to go.

Outside right now I've had a couple, the the funniest one and the closest was just last summer. My husband and I were up in Toronto visiting some very good friends of ours and it was the day before players reported for training camp. OK, we usually do a a trip at the end of the summer because my husband's birthday is is late July and our wedding anniversary is July 25th. So we usually do something like right around that time, right? We are flight from Toronto we were supposed. To go Oh no. Toronto through maybe Chicago and home and our flight got cancelled the morning of the morning we were supposed to leave.

And I'm on the phone with the airline and they're like, oh, we can get you on a flight tomorrow. And I was like, well, that's not going to work. I have to be back for work. Like it's training camp starting, right? That is like huge it's and so we and I end up I'm on the phone. I get us on a flight from Toronto into Cincinnati. So direct Toronto, Cincinnati, and then we were renting a car in Cincy to drive and then because my car's at the airport, so we could pick up the car in Cincy, leave it at Indianapolis airport. So our flight was supposed to be in, and I want to say 8:00, we'd be home by 9 or something or rough.

I mean, a little later than that. But I was like, OK, we're fine. Flight gets delayed and delayed and delayed. We are leaving. And of course, like with every delay, I'm like, we're cutting it closer and closer and closer and gets the airport to get the car. Line is really long to get the car. We thought we would be home before midnight. Turns out we're driving. And again, my incredible husband is like Lara. We're not. We're not going to get home in time. And I usually try to get it in by midnight. Now, if I, if we'd gotten home, it was after midnight and I ran at home, it probably would have been OK.

You know, we can, but but we were, it was about 11:30 and we were getting close to Batesville. And we know Batesville well because that's his family is from the Greensburg area and we have like family out that way. So at 11:40, something we pull off in Batesville and I find a Kroger parking lot And I, I was wearing, I was not, I didn't have my, I could have switched my shoes probably and put on my regular running shoes. But I happened I was traveling in like a set, like a little sweats set and I had on like air Max like, you know, not I do like, you know, not they are lifestyle shoes.

This is not really a running shoe and I was at 1150 starting my run by doing loops in the the very well lit Kroger parking lot in Batesville to get the Daily Mile in before midnight. And the people working had to thought, had to think I was an absolute lunatic. Like they're like cleaning up the cart, like putting the carts back in. Oh my God, they're probably close outside they're. Probably close like 11. It's a Monday night and I got it in. Wow. Also, did Jan just sit in the car? I think he went to McDonald's and got food. I think that's what he did.

Do you want anything up there? Like that was the one thing open at the time. Funny. But he could see me, right? So he was just nearby so he could see. But so I got it in. The worst part about it was I did not account for running in sweats and the chafing that occurs like. That quickly. Well, that quickly, it really did. I, I know like 10 minutes or whatever, it will still happen. But yeah, I mean it just but it was fine. But that's probably that's the best, that's the best story of cutting it really, really close and lesson. I should have done it first thing.

I should have done it in the morning, but I was so stressed about trying to, you know, work with rearranging our flights and, and all of that that I didn't do in the morning. So that's the other. The other part of it is I know I feel best when I do it. First thing, yeah, it's a word when you don't have to. I know so. The things that I do though, I'm really fortunate that in my full time job with the Colts, we are right by Eagle Creek Park and we also have access to our weight room and everything there that has the incredible Woodway treadmills and all of that.

So I will keep running clothes and shoes at my desk in the in our office or you know, I have a little locker and in my car. So that sometimes maybe if, you know, I'm done with meetings and I can go and run over on the trails or, you know, at the end of the day, once the weight rooms open, I can go and hop on the treadmill. So. Build. In that's another tip if you're doing this is just build in a lot of ways to, you know, not give yourself excuses. Yeah, keep stuff in your car. You know, it's easy. Toss them in your trunk.

Just, you know, a bag of like your shoes and whatever you need to get it done. I have people who will say, yeah, you know, took my kid to whatever, you know, lesson or soccer practice and just, you know, just get it in while you're there. Like, you know, hey, well, we had a soccer tournament, Grand Park. So I was running at Grand Park or whatever it was. So that's one thing too. If you just keep shoes kind of with you at all times, that allows you to. And it's it is amazing. The little pockets of time that you can find. Like. And. People will ask, but wait.

What about this when it's super cold and things like that? Well I bundle up because I'm taking the dog out anyway. Like I have 150 LB English mask. Like he's so handsome. So thank you. And so I'm taking him out like most days anyway and so. It takes me. Longer to get dressed and bundled up when it's, you know, we had crazy cold days, you know, like it was here this past winter. But by the time I'm bundled up, heck, I'm going to like take him out at least like around the block or whatever. Why not go ahead and get a run in while you're at it?

Can you run like beside him? Because he's so big? Like his stride is probably so big that if you run slow enough. He's such a goof too, like he's very clumsy and he's he's not super athletic. Like he likes to like run and then it's like he gets distracted. He wants to sniff, he wants to know whatever. And so he'll kind of he's he's a fart like runner, right? Like he is, he's like a good burst and then he's going to walk, you know, and so he's not a real steady. He, he is good about running next to me. Not as great as our old dog.

We had dog Diesel who was the bull mastiff, much more athletic, much more lean. And he was a runner. I mean, he would go for six miles with me and he loved it. So he was really well disciplined, but he was just a lot leaner and, and all of that so. Being the bull. Mastiff rather than like the English mastiff, but so he really spoiled me because he would run with me and he was awesome. Tugboat is a little more leisurely. He's more of a, you know, we're walking to go to Three Dog Bakery to get treats and then we're going to take a little, you know, loping walk, jog home.

And he's going to want to like he's very social. He'll say hi to everyone wants. To talk to. Everyone like, yeah, so. And he doesn't understand. Like, sometimes he sees other dogs and they don't want to be so social as he does, especially because he's very slobbery and like, he's going to leave a lot of love on you when he sees you because he's going to. Yeah. How did he get his name? My husband came up with it like we wanted. So he named Diesel. Diesel was his dog 1st. And we wanted something that kind of followed that, you know, and it's a great like Mastiff name, like he was Diesel.

And so we wanted something kind of along that same line and we were trying to think of, and we didn't even mind you, we didn't even have the dog yet like we had. Oh. You're just ready. For that, well, we had gone to. Visit, but we hadn't picked him up yet. OK. And we'd gone to dinner and we were out just like having drinks. This was maybe this was in January. Yeah, it was January and we were talking about it. And I threw out, I was kind of going along the same. I thought we were going to go with another D name. And I threw out Dugan, which is Tom Hanks's character in A League of Their Own.

He's. Jimmy Dugan, and it's a good name. So I thought that that'd be I thought that'd be a good dog name. So Diesel and Dukan. And although Diesel had passed away at that point, but we were kind of going and then he didn't, he wasn't a big fan of it. I like, I still like it. I still think it's fun, especially if you're if you know league of their own like you know there. I mean, there's. No crying in baseball, right? Like that's that's the Tom Hanks line and he threw out tugboat and I was like, I have no idea where you got that, but that's amazing.

And he is. And then we got him and he is such a tugboat and it's great to. There are 1,000,000 nicknames that you can get. That's what I love. Tuggy, he's boat he's I mean boaty boat. Like there are a lot of iterations of tugboat. The best is when you people like, oh, what's his name? And you say Tugboat and you watch their reactions so because. They're like, oh, that's. I think now is inevitably when we get another dog, how do we follow that? Like he actually, like my husband set the bar way too high. He had the total mic drop with Tugboat and now I don't know what else is going to happen.

Yeah. Tugboat too. Yeah, I know, I know. We've talked about Dingy. Like. Like the dinghy boat. Like that's which would be funny. Which would be funny for like a it's the same kind of dog. Like a giant dog. Yeah, we'll see. We'll. Have Tugboat, but yeah, Tugboat is in a league of his own. Like, no pun on that's. So good, so good. We have a 10 year old goldendoodle named Doug DUGI. Love that from the movie Up. Oh. Cute. I also really love human. I love. Human. Names for dogs. My parents, my parents house. One of their neighbors had a pug named Matthew. Get out.

That's great. Well, I just thought full name. Full. Namer. Matthew. Matthew, Yeah. Maddie. I love it. Yeah. And he was hilarious and I loved every time we'd see him. Yeah, pretty great. Are your parents still here in town? So my all my family is in southern Indiana in Louisville. So I was born in Louisville and then grew up in New Albany. All of my family is there. My sister just moved to Lexington, but there, but everyone else is there, my mom, stepdad, my sister and her family and my dad and stepmom all like right around there. OK, and my grandma. So it's great because when I go, when I go home, I mean India's home now and has been for a long time.

But when I I still call it like going home and I go like to my parents or whatever, it's wonderful because everyone is kind of within about 20 minutes of each other. I can bounce. It down really nice. Yeah, I was just down two weeks ago for my niece's birthday party and was able to see everyone. We'll probably go back down to celebrate my mom's birthday and Father's Day and all of those things. So super easy from my I can be from my house to my parents driveway in about an hour and 45 minutes. That is nice. Very, very fortunate. And in the wild business of sports media and television, usually you end up having to bounce around quite a bit and like go to a lot of, you know, markets and you're all across the country chasing, you know, whatever job you can find.

I'm really fortunate that my first job out of college was in the Louisville market and then I went to Terre Haute for my first on air job and then came to Indy. So I never went farther than three hours away. So I've been incredibly fortunate. I have so many friends who were like, oh, man, they're in, you know, Missoula, Mt, or, you know, North Dakota or something, you know, before they're able to come back home or, you know, you move away and you never end up, you know, closer than being able to. Take a flight home so. Well, especially if you get end up with your dream job somewhere, it's like.

Well, I know, I know. How lucky that's, really. Amazing. So, so lucky, so lucky. And obviously, you know, went to my my whole career and, and path has been in, you know, the basically from Indianapolis down to Louisville between growing up in Southern Indiana, you know, running at IU and going to school at IU and then going back to Louisville. Terra Houghton here. And you walked on at IUI. Did. So how the heck did that happen? I so I, I had a pretty good, I had a good high school career and. How large, How big was your high school? Good a good size high school.

So I went to New Albany High School and we were we were top five in the state and cross and then I was third in the state in the 800. But in the summers went to IU cross country camp and loved everything about it. Judy Wilson is the was the head coach at the time. Loved her, loved her camp. I went two years while I was there. I really struggled my senior year had some issues where I was actually like fainting while I was running. Like would just be in like a full run and then I would just go down like I like. What? Yeah, went through a.

Lot of testing like so I had some kind of heart things going on and then and and it was only cross that I really had that and then had a stress fracture in my senior year of tracks. So didn't run and so was working through a lot of those things. But coach Wilson had she and I had established such a great relationship from going to her camps over the course of like my high school career. Loved the group that she had there, loved the team and the women who that who she'd had on the team at the time. And so talk to her and basically like, I was able to like go there and she had seen enough, you know, from my going to her camps.

And I mean, I had had relative success in crossing track and all of that. So, but it was a really big, she had a really big class of freshmen that year that I think we had 12 freshmen in my class. And there were incredibly talented girls, girls who had been state champs out of high school and who had run, you know, low 5 minutes in the mile and so came in with much stronger resumes. So there wasn't really a scholarship spot for me from track. Luckily I had scholarships from the School of Journalism and a couple of other things, and my parents, who were incredibly supportive.

So I had. Offers other places and they said, but if you really want to go to Indiana, like you'll we'll figure it out, right? And so so coach was able to provide me with a lot of resources from the athletic standpoint from the team. And then she told me, she said if you score in the Big 10 meet, I'll put you on scholarship. So. Sophomore year. Sophomore year I scored in the Big 10. Me. I think it was fifth in the Big 10. What does that mean? Score. So your top eight places, so in track your top eight are scored. So so it's 10 points for first place, second is 8/6 for 3rd, 54321 got it.

So I had to finish the top eight and sophomore year I think it was fifth or something like that. So they put. Me on money and by so but I was on full a full ride by the time I graduated so. That's. So I ended up thanks. I ended up I was top three in the Big 10 in both the eight and the 15 by the time it was all said and done. Qualified twice for the NCAA meet in track in the 1500 and ran into NCAA championships and cross. So yeah, so it was, yeah, I was just, it was honestly, it was believing and committing and Coach Wilson believing in me and I talked to her.

She's absolutely phenomenal and I joke with her all the time because we talk frequently and I tell her I said you didn't know when you signed, when I signed to go to IU as an 18 year old, that you were actually going to be coaching me not for four or five years, but you would coach me for the rest of my life because I call her all the time for things still. Wow, what an incredible relationship. So, yeah, and with like my teammates, like we were all, so I did the NCAA meet just last week and we were all trading techs around with my teammates from IU and everything.

So, yeah, I, I think that, you know, for anyone who like is, wants to run, you know, at the college level or whatever it is like you have to know that it's a long term commitment. Like you, you know, and you know, it's there was a guy who actually ran the 10,000 at the NCAA meet who went to a Division Three school for his first few years, then ended up going to North Carolina for grad school and was one of the top in the country, had like broken the UNC record and, and all of that. So everyone starts at these different points and you can become, I mean, Olivia Markosich, who runs for Notre Dame, She was a walk on a Notre Dame.

She. Won the NCAA title in the Steel Chase last year. Like if you buy in and you commit, everyone can get like not everyone is a phenom out of high school who find success in college. Yeah. Especially because so many people like I think you develop. Over the course of your 20s, so. Much in running, like you look at the people who've hit their PRS later in life or you know, maybe women who after they have kids, they're running their, you know, marathon or half marathon, P Rs, whatever it might be like. Just wild. Yeah, yeah. So. I think that's one thing. That I would say to everyone is like, you don't have to run super fast out of high school or your first few years of college to ultimately get to an NCAA championship or, you know, whatever it might be.

Yeah. I was like a. Two. 17800 runner out of high school who ended up running, you know, 206207 and then 420 and 1500 four forty for the mile so. How did running end up? What, like your parents? Were they? My parents were coaches and everything. I have a picture. I brought this up and I was asking my mom. I ran my first race, I think when I was six. Yeah. But yeah, my my dad coached track at Jeff High School when I was growing up. My mom coached at Clarksville High School. They coached my mom coached cheerleading at the University of Louisville and. So I was always around sports, but yeah, we would just.

Tag along and go to practices with my parents and everything. Like we didn't go home after school, we went to practice and so I was always around track, always wanted to run, always loved it. Like, I'll, I'll show you the, the picture from my first, my first ever race. It's kind of hilarious. But yeah, I was always around it, always wanted to do it, played other sports. I mean, you know, I did cheerleading and played soccer and played basketball, but running was always like what I loved. And I think I just like, it's kind of where I just felt like I belonged and I like I loved the outlet of it.

I was, I really thought strongly, I was like a 400m runner like, and it's like then I, you know, as I moved into high school, it was like, oh, maybe the 800 we're I'm quite up like that, really speedy, you know, 400 quickness. So, but I did run the 4x4 a little bit, but and then 815 hundred ran cross. Cross was never my favorite, but when I got to high school I was very fortunate to have a coach, Tom Chappella, one of my all time favorite humans. Who? Just created an amazing environment for our cross country program and we had a really special group when I was there and he was so much fun.

And he had actually coached my dad. He was my dad's football coach in high school. And then he coached our cross country team while I was the entire time I was at New Albany. And yeah, we got on the podium. We were top five. And I think that he he made me love it too, because of the team dynamic that he created. People always think of running as an individual sport and it is an individual sport. And you know, track was my first love, but I, I found a love for cross. And I think that it instilled a deeper love of running because of what Coach Chappella did at in my high school career and then what Coach Wilson further developed when I went to IU.

Did you ever consider running beyond college? Like did you ever consider going pro? Great question. A little bit. I flirted with it, you know, it was so I, I graduated from my, I stayed a fifth year. So I had an injury during my junior year. I had to have knee surgery that put things in perspective, actually ran faster after I came back. Wow. Yeah, yeah. I think I was just really motivated after that because there was a little bit of a scare of am I going to be able to do this again? And so I didn't really take it for granted, Got faster afterwards. So I stayed a fifth year and it was 06 when I finished grad school and and my fifth year eligibility.

So it would have been two more years for the Olympic trials. And I think I was kind of, I, I had already stayed another year. I had a lot of my really close friends who were, who had gone through the journalism program with the IU who were already in their first TV jobs and they're starting to get traction in their careers. So I already felt like I was a little bit a year behind. Turns out I wasn't and I was fine. Felt like I needed to get my. Career going and. I didn't, it's not like I had super lucrative offers. You know, my coach kind of, she worked with me a little bit and I could have stayed and again, I could have kept training and worked and all of that.

I think though, through some of the issues, you know, that I'd had, I had a little bit of a scare in college with that same like heart issue. I'd had the two knee surgeries in college. I had gone to, you know, two national championships and. Track. I was like, what more? Like, OK, I could go to the Olympic trials. Was I going to run sub two minutes, you know, or you know, whatever it was like that you would. I mean, I could basically go and find a way to say, OK, I ran at the Olympic trials and that would be really cool. But was it likely that I was going to get on an Olympic team like which that's the goal, if it can be, that's what everyone.

So I just didn't feel like it was probably realistic. I had hit the point that I did. I felt really proud of what I'd been able to do and how far I'd come and knew that I was always going to run and I would do some races. But in terms of maybe, you know, trying to hit the standard to go to the trials or do those things, I just felt that it was probably I was at a point where I could be happy with where I was and just know that that like next thing was coming and I was going to have to start, you know, looking for a job in TV.

And that being said, like I even still had a hard time finding a job in TV. Actually worked at a Wellness Center in Louisville before I was able to find a job with the TV station that I'd formerly that I'd interned with and came in as a production assistant on the morning show and then would just try to. Get on air when I could and do certain things and finally broke into reporting thanks to the Big 10 network and, and all of that and. So it still took a long time for me to find those first opportunities in, you know, reporting and being on air.

So I think that looking back, it was it was probably wiser than what I gave myself credit for at the time to just see it through and see it long term. But yeah, it's I do, I do think about it like when I watch the only Trials now, I'm like, Oh my God, how cool to like be in that environment. But I think at that point, like, I was ready. I also knew that the group I was with at IU, that was really special and I was going out on such a high note with that group. I had gone to nationals with two of my best friends.

Jessica Gall was running there. She ran the 10,000 at NCAA's. My good friend Kelly Seeger, she was all American in the steeplechase. We all kind of went out together at the same time and I knew if I were trying to run post collegiately like I wasn't going to have that same. Environment again I wasn't going to have the training partners and and all of that so kind of wanted that to really punctuate my competitive running career and you know now I just jump into things and. You know we'll. Run a drumstick dash here or there or, you know, find different things to do. But yeah, now I have the itch to now I want to run something else.

Like what am I going to run? I need I need a race on the calendar so. If you have, if you have good suggestions for me, send them my way. Oh yeah, I have. I want to. I really want to run the inaugural women's marathon in Savannah, GA. Oh, that'd be amazing. Oh. By the way, we're we talked about Sue earlier. Sue. And I jumped into this. Wacky 5K last 4th of July. It was hilarious. It was. We were up in Wisconsin. Oh, OK. I was like where? It was, yeah. In Wisconsin, we were in Minocqua, WI, and it was at like there we have this Winter Park where they like ski and snowshoe and they ran, they put a race on there.

Oh, it was crazy. Like you're basically running uphill to like. And it was, and I don't even know how I found it. I was like. Surely. And so Sue and I had an absolute. Blast. They served spotted cow at the finish line. Love me some spotted. Cow. Oh great, I was like this. Is glorious so. Sue is such a trooper because now it's like, I'll just get wacky ideas like, oh, let's just go jump in this like crazy. 5K in Monaco, Wisconsin. So these are the type of things that I get gratification from. Now is just going and doing finding crazy runs like that and friends who are crazy enough to do it.

Like, sure, right? I'd love to do that. Yeah. How did you know, Sue? Sue's husband and my husband have been really close friends for years, going back to college so. Were you at their wedding? I was. OK, so was I. I was at their wedding that crazy rainy. And they jumped in the pool. My husband wouldn't let me. That sounds bad, but he was like, you're going to regret jumping in the pool in your dress. I was like, I really want to jump in the pool right now. It was so fun, an absolute blast. So yeah, we sit 4th of. July with their family up at Will's family.

They have like several. Cabins up in Managua. It was incredible. It was my first time going up there. It's one of my husband's. My husband did his bachelor party up there. Like he loves it so much because of Will. That's so cool. Yeah. Oh, I love that. So have you run more than 1/2 marathon? Are you I? Did a marathon once. OK. I trained for about two weeks. Oh boy. My good friend Betsy. She was going to do the Monumental marathon and we had this checklist of things we wanted to do by our 30th birthdays. And one of the things she wanted to do was to run a marathon.

And her boyfriend at the time was going to run it with her and he was training with her. And then he got hurt. He I was like an Achilles or something like that. I mean, like hurt himself really badly, like in training. And then we are worried she wasn't going to run like, or you know, we just wanted somebody to do it with her. And at the time I've been kind of trying. I think I was going to do the half already. And I've been doing some longer runs with a friend of mine because he was training for Chicago. So I was in decent shape at the time and had done some long ish runs.

And so I think I was like, yeah, I can do it. So I jumped in and did like a 20 Miller with her like two weeks before and then ran it with ran the Monumental with her. So I ran it. I don't really say it was the best preparation for it, but I can say I completed. Yeah, you ran a marathon your. Marathon, I did, yeah. I'd like to do one, maybe for real at some point, like actually do it. I get really jealous when I see people, like, run Boston or do these really cool things. I just haven't figured out how to navigate the training with the football season because there are a lot of, you know, it just hasn't really aligned for me just yet.

I love the half marathon distance. I'm like that's that is I think manageable for the training and to get it done And I also. Feel like that that's an accomplishment to do 13.1. Like, I get a lot from that, especially as, you know, a recovering middle distance runner who like cross country and when they went to six Ki was like 6K. We're doing this. Why? You know, I mean, I never ran more than four laps on the track. In fact, when I. When coach told me, when coach told me, OK, we're going to the 15. 100 I was like. No, I just figured out this.

800 thing why are we doing? More Yeah, I thought I I really I. Thought I was Susie. Favor, you know, like that's I think that's I there, I thought. And she's like, no, no, you don't have that leg speed. I, I have a desire. I want to do another half marathon. I'll see how I recover from that. I would have to do a marathon with someone. My, my wonderful friend Megan O'Brien, who's a reporter and all of that. She just ran the Eugene marathon and ran ridiculously fast. And she's talking about like wanting to run the Olympic marathon trials and do all that. And I'm like, girl, you're on another.

Level. She's like, let's run together. And I was like, like. Like. You would cook me in in a marathon. So we'll see. We'll see. I, I love doing, I love doing a good 5K or, you know, five mile road race type of thing here there that I can, you know, just do some longer daily miles and train for it. Like I don't really follow a good training program. I probably should be a little more diligent than that, but I'm trying to my thing right now is I'm trying to be better about strength training. I'm just trying to do. More of that struggle for me. It's always a struggle.

So if I can do and right now if I get consistent with doing two or three days of that. Then I'll feel more comfortable to like ramp up some mileage. Yeah. Now you mentioned Eugene, is that we're always where the NCAA championships are. No, actually last year it was in Austin. And no, it's a, it's on a bidding system now since they've obviously committed to doing the major renovation and Hayward Field is phenomenal, which they did for to bid for the World Championships, which I was a part of and they host now. The Olympic Trials will probably be there every year, but for NC. AA's.

They have rotated it around to have it a couple different places, but I think for the next handful of years it will be in Eugene moving forward. And for anybody who may not know, I mean that's like track capital. Of the world, it's the Mecca. Yeah. Hayward Field is, you know, that is the, you know, tradition of University of Oregon track and field and Steve Prefontaine and Bill Bauerman and Phil Knight and all of these, you know, icons of sport. Yes. And it is incredible, the environment there. They call it Hayward Magic for a reason. I've never been. I have to go sometime. Yeah, I love to.

Race there and they do some awesome races. They do the Eugene. Marathon there, they do a lot of races and different things, and if you can go for to be a spectator at something like the NCAA Championships or the Olympic Trials, it's absolutely incredible. I was trying to think I actually raced at old Hayward Field. Yeah, Old Hayward. I ran there when I was in in college. I've probably been to Eugene now 10 times or so between competing there and then covering whether it's NCAA's, Olympic trials or World Championships. And when you say so, pretend like I know nothing about sports media world, because I really don't.

What do you do when you cover an event like that? I have. Been incredibly fortunate to cover it in a number of different capacities. So my first time covering it was I think 2016 or 2017. I went for ESPN, part of the ESPN coverage of the NCAA track and field championships. And that's what I just did out in Eugene. Worked with John Anderson, Dwight Stones, Dan O'Brien, Robert Griffin, the third. So I have been, I was the one of the analysts on the coverage. So we're up in the booth calling the races as they happen. So Dwight Stones does play by play. And then we have a number of different voices that are just, you know, kind of.

Providing the color commentary and all of that for those races. So that's what I have done the most of for the Olympic Trials in 2021 because we have the delayed Olympic year. In 2021 I was doing PA. That was my first. Opportunity to be in the booth for PA, which is. So does that mean you're like over the loudspeaker? You're and now you're introducing the athletes as they go to the line. You're calling the race for everyone in the stands. Yeah, it's, it's an intimidating position to be an especially at at Hayward Field, at a venue like that and when you're trying to punctuate like I.

Remember, I'm like looking at my sheet, I'm announcing Allison Felix like. How do you how do you read the resume of Allison Felix and and feel like you have done it justice, right? Like I mean the most decorated track and field athletes and it was unbelievable. So you're doing doing that. And then for World Championships, I did some PA, but then I also was doing like in venue and like down on the track interviewing the athletes after they win, which was incredible. Yeah, I have a video where I'm sitting on the track with Cindy McLaughlin after she won and yeah, it's amazing. And like, the US swept the 100 and you're doing these interviews and yeah, so you're all down on the track.

Really, really cool so. I've been fortunate to be able to do a number of of different things in terms of, you know, covering. Those types of championships. Wow. Well, gosh. Talk about motivation for your Daily Mile. While you're out there. Oh my gosh. Right like I'm I want to run. Oh, and I was IA. Couple mornings, got up and ran at Praise Trail. I saw that. I was just like, so jealous of that. It was how magical is. That it's really cool. And like it. Was awesome like I'm out running and you just see all these people who are out either on like the shake out runs or different things or I ran into, you know, my good friend Shannon Roberry, who I've met through the sport obviously, you know, Olympian Shannon Roberry and yeah, we're just like, yeah, I'm.

Finishing my run and she's finishing hers. We're hanging out on Praise Trail and. Doing all of that and yeah. It's. Really, really awesome out there. So yes, you're right. Like you, you wake up and you're inspired. So inspired, especially in an Olympic year and seeing all of it, but you know, it's. Just one of the things that I've. Found is I get inspired by a great stories and so yeah, of course when you're watching Parker Valby and what she did and she won, you know, the 10K and the 5K and set a collegiate record. The five broke the meet record in the 10 and or you know, watching Stanford women go 1/2 and the eight, yes, tons of that.

But then also too just people who you talk to out there who love the sport or people who are here who, you know, have these incredible, you know, stories like, oh, I mean, in the 5K, I'm talking to Bob Kennedy. I mean, you know, like I caught up with Bob. His daughter Sophia was running out there and, you know, just being so privileged to get to tell that story of her running as a freshman, qualifying for the national championships and running at Stanford and, you know, and, and talking to Bob and. All of those things are just really, really cool that you'll that you will have and I I love to just.

Read the incredible stories of people in the sport who love the sport, who love to run, and provide so many sources of inspiration. Like you don't have to be a national champion or an Olympian or whatever. Like they're just these great stories that running has at every level. Like that's why I started this podcast. People are nuts. I know. And I mean just incredible people. I just love running doing crazy. Things Well then, Michael Hartnegel, do you know, like his story? The reason I believe that I. Metastatic mission down to his doing. Oh my, good. Because you shared his story and I saw that and I was like, I have to meet this kid like.

So like, that's The thing is like what he's. Doing with running I think is so incredible. So incredible. And who doesn't know? Like he ran across the state of Indiana to honor his dad, who passed away from cancer. Exactly. Yeah. And now he's running around cancer centers every month this year. Yes. I finally got to go to one of his. Have you been you went to like the first one? Well, I, I ran with him as part of his journey across the state. I met up with him downtown and we, so we met at the circle and we ran over to IU Simon Cancer Center.

And I was able to be part of what was a really, really special moment because Michael's dad had just recently passed at that point, and they were running past the Cancer Center and the Doctor Who treated his dad was there and. Through the generosity. Of the Colts blue I showed up and presented a donation on behalf of a metastatic mission and what Michael is doing to IU Simon Cancer Center on the research and and everything. So it was like, talk about chills. I mean, yeah, it's awesome to watch people win races and, and do all of that instead of but like in terms of like shook me to my core.

Like that is a moment that I am so very grateful for. And Michael is so special in what he is doing. Really. He is like watching him and what he does that inspires me. And and that's and also I'm like, oh, man, what it makes you want to do more? Like what am I doing? What am I? Yeah, exactly. Yeah. So his he and his family, they are so. Incredible in what they're doing. Yeah, they, they really are. I think while I was trying to think of when this was going to come out, this month's will have already passed the the marathon of this month.

But yeah, every month this year he's going to be doing one. I believe they're all going to be in the state of Indiana and. He does a great job of posting all. Yeah, that's one of the things is now that I have a little relative downtime this summer is that's part of my summer bucket list is certainly going to be to get out and, you know, run with Michael and get to do that. Again, I took my kids and I was like, OK, I'm just going to do like one lap. I'll just go. I have this wagon that is not meant for running. I ended up running 7 miles with the girls in this wagon.

Are you serious 'cause I just, I didn't want to stop. You can't. I know. And, and my, but my girl, you know, they're like, we're hungry and tired and now it's time. But it was, they made it a lot longer than I expected. And, and just being out there with him and his family and his friends and it was just, it was awesome. So, yeah. Oh, I was going to ask you about kind of your your journey to covering track. I mean, obviously you were an athlete, but then you were on ESPN when you were 17 years old. And then like, obviously you work for the Colts now, but you're also doing all this with USATF.

And so like how how do both of those things? Yeah. That's a great question. So I always knew that I wanted to work in some form of media. I have been a. Word nerd. Bookworm. Forever and I thought I wanted to write. I was obsessed with newspapers. I wanted to write, wanted to like work for Sports Illustrated or you know, just something like that. And we had an incredible like there's so much of this goes back to like the growing up where I did going into Albany. Obviously I had my incredible coaches, but we also had this radio and TV program. Lee Kelly, who is no longer with us, who is my mentor.

He ran this radio and TV program at New Albany and allowed us to do TV and all of these things when we were in high. School. And he showed me examples of people and how they'd gotten into the TV industry and what they did to get there. So I was bitten by the bug early and was so fortunate to be nominated for this award, the Wendy's High School Heisman Award. And I was a finalist and went to New York when I was a senior in high school. And that is how I was on ESPN at 17. They I was doing these interviews for a show that they did, Scholastic Sports America.

And they asked, oh, what do you want to do? I said, I want to, I want to be on TV. I want to be a sports reporter. And so like, OK here. So they let me toss the commercial break. So. That's my ESPN debut. I guess it I. Mean it, does it? I don't care. Yeah, it. Counts so so like and so amazing for them to like let me do that like they made this you know, teenage and. It was all the stream. Come true. On the spot. Yeah, I mean they. Like beforehand they're like, would you? Want to do and I was like. Absolutely.

So I think. They've got like a couple. Yeah, I recurse. Yeah, I recurse it a little bit. They had it on the teleprompter and on all of that. So that was my. Debut. And then such a big. Deal, though, I it's. Really cool I had. Just incredible, like my journalism teachers at in high school who encouraged me to go to IU and I was part of some programs at IU that, you know, were in broadcasting and all of that. Did an internship in local news and then my junior year intern at ESPN and. It was. I joke that it is like the best. Summer camp for a 21 year old.

Ever. Because we had this group of interns who. We all were. Working on Sports Center, we were working on Sports Center as production assistants when we were 21 years old. And at that point like that was that really solidified that that was what I wanted to do. And so obviously still had to work my way up through the ranks and, you know, do you know, local news and local sports and all of that. But I that summer met John Anderson. And John has worked on Sports Center for 25 years. And he is a track and field junkie just like I am. He was a high jumper at Mizzou.

So we, you know, just kind of shared this love of track and field. And John and I kept in touch after I left ESPN. And I would send him things from time to time, hey, here's what I'm doing. And he reached out a number of years ago and said, hey, are you still doing TV? And yeah, he said, hey, send me your stuff. And because they needed more voices, in particular, they were looking for, you know, some more female voices to contribute to track and field coverage. And I had done Big 10, I'd, I'd worked on Big 10 championships for Big 10 Network. I'd also done some Conference USA and Big Twelves for Fox Sports.

So I had a couple of opportunities to work on track and field and those broadcasts and then ESPN. Let me have a chance. What I think is really important about the story you just told there was that you kept in touch and said, here's what I'm doing. People don't do that. And it's such an easy way to kind of just stay on someone's radar. And, and also like John thinking of me and, and doing that and then he and I just spent, you know, we were in Eugene for a week hanging out, which is the best. And like now like two, I was able to hang out with his whole family when we've been at, you know, in Fayetteville, AR for championships or we were in Boston and we all went out to dinner together and different things.

So like now they're like my extended family. It's really cool. It's it's really cool. But yeah, it is. And you know, I stayed in touch, not. Because I was like, oh. I hope that you're going to think of me to do, you know, track and field at some way. That wasn't the motivation at all. It was purely just staying in touch because I valued him as a mentor so much and wanted feedback on what I was doing. And it wasn't that I thought he would put me up for a job at some point or that I even thought, oh, I'm going to eventually want to work on ESPN or, you know, do something like that at one point.

Because those are, you know, such rare opportunities and coveted opportunities. And I didn't ever know if I would be, you know, if I would ever earn an opportunity to do just that and take absolutely like nothing for granted. But yeah, I kept in touch because just adore John and valued his feedback and his mentorship and and all of that and what I was doing because I had a couple of, you know, when I was deciding between do I go this direction or that direction? You know, what do I do? And he has been always such, you know, a valued perspective for me in, in a lot of ways, they're both in career and in life.

And then where does football happen? I have always loved football. I mean, I think growing up as an Indiana gal, like you're, you know, you love basketball, right? You're a Hoosier through and through and went to Indiana and all of that. I. So I mean you cover when I was working in local news like you cover all sports, you cover everything. And my first job when I was at WDRB, my first full time job, WDRB News in Louisville and I worked on, I would working on the morning show full time. So I was a production assistant associate producer on the morning show doing that. So all behind the scenes, but on nights and weekends, I would go and turn packages and work on highlights and different things to help with the sports department.

And those guys invested a ton in me in terms of teaching me to shoot right. I didn't do all of that. So I got to a point where I would just pitch stories and I said, hey, can I go and cover the IU spring game? Like, yeah, absolutely. Like. And it was, you know, I, you know, know IU well and all of that. So I went up, covered the spring game, turned a package around and they aired it. And at that point, I had gotten a significant amount of reps doing because Louisville is an incredible market where you're covering obviously Louisville sports, but also University of Kentucky and, and IU.

So I'd been able to kind of dabble in a lot of like college, great college football environments. And I loved college football because my mom was a cheerleading coach. So I would tag along with her like we would be on the sidelines at Louisville football and basketball games. Like I think that I. Like it was never that I felt like I had to earn a spot on the sidelines because I just thought that was. That's where I did right. And Big 10 Network was taking off at the time and they wanted to utilize a lot of former Big 10, you know, athletes on their coverage.

So I had an agent that I was working with, Seth, who pitched me to Big 10 Network and they were, they took a chance on me and I was so green and just like I had, I mean, I was like blinded, you know, it was like deer in headlights doing college football for the first time, like live on the sidelines. But those reps were so valuable and taught me that I needed to really do sports, you know, each and every day, you know, showing up on Saturdays and doing sidelines. Like there are people who are great at doing that, but you've got to build up the repetition in terms of doing it and establishing yourself and knowing the sport.

So I went and worked at my first on air full time on air opportunity WTWO in Terre Haute weekend sports anchor and then sports reporter. So then I was doing it a lot when I was turning packages and learning football more and more and studying a lot more and and picking brains and you know, of of the people who I really valued. And so yeah, that was where I kind of learned more and more, especially doing college football sidelines. So did a couple of seasons of Big 10 Network and then moved to Indy and made the leap here. And when I started at Fox 59, I was working on the morning show.

I always ended up back on the morning show, right? That's where it started. Like. At some point, I could never get away from it. Those 2:00 AM wake up calls. But I was really lucky. Fox 59 and CBS4 are partners of the Colts and at the time a few years ago they did several TV shows from for the Colts. The Colts produced a number of different in house shows, coaches show and inside football with Rick Venturi and Colts 360 and they allowed me to come in and work on Colts 360. So that's kind of how I learned the Colts organization and got a foot in the door with the Colts franchise.

Was freelancing and working on Colts 360, working with my good friend Matt Wilkening who produced the show at the time. So really got to know the team that way even before I was in the sports department at FOX 59. So hosted that show for two years while I was working at Fox, first on the morning show and then full time in sports. And then I was when I was working in the sports department at Fox, was covering the Colts day in and out. And so through all those opportunities, like then just have, you know, grown to love like football, maybe even more than I love track and field if I know, and just surrounded by incredible people.

And then when there was an opening full time with the Colts, so fortunate to have that opportunity. My boss, Dave Knickerbocker hired me to come in and be, you know, producer, host, reporter and coming up on five years. I've been there now and have had just these wonderful opportunities to continue to grow there and do so many different things both on camera reporting and hosting and then producing in particular our you know, long form content and working on a lot of our series that we do. When I was looking for you this morning, I was like ready for you to be in Colts blue. Probably, yeah.

You know what I usually am. I I usually am. I went, I went more neutral today, but yeah, it's still. Blue, but it's still technically blue. Well, I just, one of the things that I wanted to talk to you about was your wardrobe, because it's just like there's a few components there. One like just having so much stuff that's Colts blue, right. But then the other thing is like just being camera ready, like when you're going to work. Yeah. How does? Lovely. Beautiful photos of you all that Thank you. But you're like, how do you how do you manage? Oh gosh, you know. One to me one thing is I don't have to do it every day thank God I do which when I was on when I was working at Fox and CBS 4 you know I was you were on air everyday five days a week and that is a lift.

You know, this time of year I can go into work looking, looking not maybe not as casual as this, but so I. Do have to be camera? Ready. It's usually you during the season two days a week for sure, 'cause I, we do our TV show, we record everything on Monday and then Sundays for game day and then we have our podcast, we record on Tuesday. So, but the podcast can be a little you're on camera. It's a, it's not quite as like on camera as you are for game day and for the show. So two days a week I can get myself up right.

And now going on five years of doing this, I have accumulated so much blue that I just interchange pieces. I'm really lucky that we have such a great color. Two. True I. Feel for my colleagues who are like with the Browns just because like orange is not the best color on me, orange and brown is. On any top. Who looks good? And I don't, I don't, I don't really know like even like. So I think about someone like man that like the teal if you're with like the Panthers or the Jags or something like that's tough too. Like for at least for me like and not my all.

The people like the color matching right where like what if it's not your? Color not in your E. Season you know so I what's great is I shop year round not so great for my budget but you know I'm always looking for things I also have my mom will pick out things for me she's probably the best the things I get most compliments on are things that my mom has found for me I. Also I love it like I'll have people who. Like, oh, I saw this, it's cold blue, I thought of you and I have to all the time. Yeah, they'll send it all the time.

Yeah. So I'm trying to get a little bit better this year about okay, I have so much stuff like you can rewear things, you can recycle things. We don't have to go, we don't have to have 20 brand new outfits for the season. Yeah. You really don't like? So it got to be so fun. But yeah, you don't, because you can mix and match and yeah. Yes, and so I'm going to try to do I'm trying to be a little better about that this this year I've not been so good. I I have a lot of shoes. That's the the outfit. The shoes is probably where I'm going to have the toughest time not buying more, but I really don't need more.

I don't. I just bought so in your dressing room at your house as you've mentioned. Like is there a wall of your sneakers? How do? You there isn't and that might be I might have to do that next it. Would be a great shoe game, thank you. Thank you. I was just talking. I need them. I need to have them better organized. They're just kind of in their boxes right now and they're just in the closet. I know I've seen some major closet envy, especially on Instagram, on Instagram. But yeah, that might be a summer project for me to coordinating something to do. You got to get there's so many like, well, I don't know if you know Mariah Bear.

She has this company, the bare minimalist. She would, Oh my God, just be like, hey, Mariah, will you can I hire you to just make my closet this magical place? And she'd be like, yes, and she would make it happen. I know and the. Other thing is it's like my husband is so like handy like if if we have. A vision he can. Execute it like he can build something out. I do have a wall that might I have an empty wall in my dressing room that might be might be the move. Be so cool, Be so cool. Yeah, I went to the Nike employee store when I was out in Oregon.

So yeah, I just got a couple new pairs. Yeah, how do you not? I don't know. Yeah, wow. I know I limited myself to three. Yeah, well, I recently went, I love free people movement. Yeah, they have great stuff for you could wear while running or working out, but it's also just you could just wear every day. Well they have those super cute like one piece things I always see everyone. Yeah, so they have they have a good blue now, right now, this cute shirt and I got some white shorts from there. And I was like, my husband's like, is this your? Is this your Colts outfit?

I was like, it is. It is now. Heck yeah. Well, the good thing is too. Is if you're in Indy, like the Pacers blue, Colts blue are kind of like energy, you know, like the you can get away with utilizing stuff. Yeah. I mean, if you're a Butler fan, there's a little more Navy. But it was there's. A lot of, there's a lot of blue around here. So yeah, well, I just feel like accumulated that you've got to have so much. Oh my gosh. And how do you even get rid of stuff? Because it's all still. So with a lot. Of my Colts. Like apparel that I have, if I'm kind of rotating through things, I will take it in like a lot of the girls in the office like will share a lot of stuff so you know if.

Once. Yeah, once maybe if you have something you're like I'm not going to wear this or I've worn a handful of times and then we'll share a lot of things. That's one thing that I tried to do is just take it in and, you know, we have the other ladies in the office or like, usually like more than a year, like take things or like I'll have friends and they're like, hey, I need something called. Yeah. Right. Yeah, I got. I'm going the game here. What do you need? Yeah. What do you need? And so you travel. Do you travel with the team? I do they and do they have a plane that they so it shows my ignorance.

I don't. Know no, it's a, it's a we do a team charter when we are on the road. Yeah, that's got to be such a cool experience. It is. It's like a total like pinch myself, like how did I get here? You're just on the plane and. I know I, I know it's. It's hard for me to wrap my head around, really. Actually, it's great. I mean it's so cool. It it is and I, you know, realize, obviously we are so fortunate to have the support that we do like not every team gets to do that. You know, that's not how they do every organization.

I mean, I mean, I mean every yes, the team, they travel, the every team charters, yes, but not necessarily like do you have like your staff, right and, and all of those things. So, you know, and, and when we were, you know, in the pandemic, we covered everything remotely. We ended up calling the games, the road games. We were doing a broadcast from Lucas Oil Stadium, actually from our hill. Control room? Oh, I didn't realize. That yes, we had a feed in there. So we had we're covering everything. So being back on the road is we know how fortunate we are. It's a huge. Privilege to be able to to get to that.

What is your favorite place to go outside of Indy? Obviously like if for away games like where do you look forward to going the most? Oh, there are so many incredible places. I went to Baltimore last year for the first time for a game. It's so cool. Obviously given like the history too with the Colts in Baltimore, that's a that's a really neat environment. We also had an unbelievable game there. Kansas City is unreal, like that fan base, and that environment of Arrowhead is every bit as advertised. I'm going to Lambeau this year for the first time. I've never been to Lambeau Field, so yeah, so we're playing.

I've even been there. That's surprising. We're playing week two there. So excited for Lambeau. I've heard Seattle is awesome. I have not yet been there, but yes, I think that so far I would have to say Kansas City is the coolest environment that I've experienced. But Baltimore is right up there. I also love Buffalo. We've gone to Buffalo a number of times. If you have a chance to go there, especially before they, you know, move into their new home, Buffalo is the fans are unreal in Buffalo, even for a preseason game. Yeah. So those have been so far a few of my favorites. I I have a feeling that Lambo will be right up there and I'm really eager at some point to get out to Seattle because I've heard like the whole 12th man is something special.

I got to go to a Colts game at Lambo. Did you? Must have been. I don't. It must have a. While ago we only play every eight years in Lambo. I mean guaranteed to, you know, unless something you know so. It's been a while. Yeah, well, there was a squirrel on the field that day. It's funny things I remember, but I just remember, like the electricity in that stadium for the game was great, but when this squirrel was running down that field, oh, hilarious it was. Wild. My whole family's going to go Lambo. Too. Oh my gosh, yeah, we went with many. Experience it all together.

My brother-in-law is Packers fan, he's my sister and brother-in-law live in Milwaukee. So that made it special too. Like, you know, all those things combined. So yeah, anyway, you touched on the pandemic. I want to circle back to the wedding stuff because you got married like yeah, high of the pandemic dish, but it was like, I love how you called it a like a matrimonial audible. It's like you just like we're in this mode where it's like, Hey, you can have this now you can and you go there and just I guess maybe the shorter. Version of this I will. Crazy story I. Will try to make this yes.

So we planned a year and a half out. So we thought, oh, we're giving ourselves plenty of time to plan all of this knew we wanted to get married at the Central Library downtown. So beautiful. It's all well, we love the library, right? And that's where we wanted to do it hands down. And we set the date maybe 14-15 months out. Wow on July 25th, 2020 and we get to March and my absolutely lovely wedding coordinator at the Central Library, Jana calls me and says, hey, we have canceled all of our events for April, May, June. It may have been April by the time like they made this, but she's like, we've canceled everything for April, May, June.

Do you want to put a backup? Date on the calendar and I said what are the backup dates? And they were both in December and I said or so I think one was late November and one was December. And I was like, absolutely like, no, because that's I'm in season. So I said we're just we're going to stick with it. And she said, OK, She said, we'll just keep you updated along the way. So we get up to it and we're obviously like knowing like, OK, we're going to have to like distance people and, and people are going to be in masks and different things.

But we figured out the seating appropriately and we were able to spread people out for the ceremony and, and, and all of that. So we were abiding by certain restrictions. And Thursday before our wedding, we're getting married on Saturday, Thursday rolls around and my husband had gone to pick up our best man from the airport from Toronto. I picked him up, he's out in our our back deck and all the guys are over kind of celebrating like it's wedding weekend is here. I'm packing my suitcase 'cause we're doing like staycation for the whole weekend downtown. My parents had just gotten in town. Our my family's on our our their way from everywhere.

And one of my best girlfriends who coincidentally works in crisis communication. Shout out to Sarah Holsapple sends me a text and says how does the mayor's ban affect your wedding? And I was like. What mayor's ban? And immediately she she's like, oh, I got to call you. She's like the mayor just halted events of 50 people or more starting immediately. And I was like, what do you mean? Because we were downtown Indianapolis. So I get on the phone or like I'm texting back and forth with Jana and she's like, yeah, it, it applies like, so since we were getting married at the Central Library, all of the catering was done through Ritz Charles.

So I call, I like call Dan. And he's like, I was like, hey, babe, can you come in here real quick? And like, he's having a great time, right? All of his buddies are in town like this. They're having beverages on the back deck. We have dinner at Saint Elmo's in two hours. And I was like, I really need you in here. And so I immediately thought, and Casey with Ritz Charles was amazing. I called her and I said, hey, we're going to have to go out of downtown because the the option was to have fewer than 50 people there or we couldn't do it at all.

So we were starting to look at which the Ritz Charles has these venues. So it was like Cox Hall Gardens or looking at the Bluffs at Conner Prairie. Like so we were So what we figured out we like working with Casey. She's like, yes, we can just pivot. And because luckily they didn't have events there, so Dan and I are like figuring out. So we we're like, OK, we'll just shift everything, everything on the same time. We just have to tell everyone we're going to go up to the Bluffs instead of doing at the Central Library. Because to me, having fifty people was not an option.

Everyone was already coming in, everyone already committed. So we're like going through all of this. So at the time, I'm like calling my parents, I said, hey, we've run into a little bit of a problem. We're not going to be able to do it at the library. We're going to have to go elsewhere. But Ritz Charles is amazing and they're going to be able to basically take everything and just go somewhere else. We're just going to have to shift everyone's like 20 miles north or something. And like truly like my husband had zero panic. He was like, OK, we'll just do it somewhere out. Like we're just going to find somewhere else.

So we I printed out our wedding list and he said, you, you start at the top or start at the barn. Let's just start calling everyone and tell them everything is the same. It's just this address, not this. And we're like, OK, break. Like we've got this like, and we're all set to go. And then Jana calls and she goes, we're good. I said, what do you mean we're good? She said they sent out the press release and it's effective Monday. You're like the big. I was like, you know, the biggest sigh of relief like that we're actually going to like have this happen. And and so like, I'm like, OK, we're good.

Like, so, and the whole time as we're going through all of this. And yeah, it was, it was one thing is it's not stressful compared to what a lot of other people experienced in the pandemic, right? Like we were having a wedding like this is this is there were much greater things going on. I think that I had that perspective and my whole thing was the whole time when I called my mom, as I said, as long as Dan Tucker is standing at the end of that aisle, we can get married on a parking lot. I do not care. Like as long as he is there and we are sang vows and we are Mr.

and misses at the end of all of this. I do not care where it happens. Like I just want just want that. And it gave me like I think that was what kind of kept our calm throughout his like, hey, we're in this. We'll figure it out. So man, we got to dinner that night with my family and it was on. We were like, this is happening. We're good, and it led to. My dad gave the best speech like. It. Was like. With all of that, it like it made for like such a great story. So yeah, so we pulled it off and no one got sick.

That's that is like cherry on top. I know and The thing is too is if we had to laid it, it really wouldn't have been any better for like another year, you know, 'cause. It's all kind of the same. It it like, if anything like it actually the restrictions were amplified after that. Like we kind of snuck it in because we kept thinking, right? The whole mentality was, oh, we'll be in what, phase four by 4th of July? Like we'll be. Good and. If anything like it actually the restrictions were heightened after all of that and and everything. So yeah, cheers to four year anniversary this summer.

Cheers to that. Yeah. And it's like and we haven't. Really taken a honeymoon because we're going to take a honeymoon then. So yeah. And we were like kind of waiting for things to ease up. So we'll get around to. It someday, maybe around 10, I just celebrated 10 years. Yeah. And we didn't go on a trip and I'm like, OK, well, yeah. You know, life. I'm like, man, OK, well, we got to figure out when to do that. But then life happens and you're like, OK, well, you know, some point. Yeah, you'll get it. I think five years will be a good time. Like that'll be, oh, we'll do it.

Do it then so. Well, and the longer you wait, the bigger it can be. That's true. I mean, that's my justification. I love that, I love that. So keep saying we want to go to Australia, so maybe that's the reason to do. It yeah, my oldest daughter is Sydney, her name. So I'm like, we got to take her to Sydney someday. Absolutely. Yeah. I love that. Yeah, OK. The last topic I wanted to cover with you, I mean, if I had to choose, is the topic of mental health and the fact that you got to interview Kendall O'Toole from Peloton. So I'm a big Peloton person.

I don't know how many people that listen to this are like super into Peloton, but I am. And when I saw you got to interview her, I was like, Oh my Lord, I am. That is amazing. So I would love to hear about how that came about is for a very important. Event. And it maybe just like how you yourself kind of think about mental health, I know, being in the public eye and being on social media and all that, you know? Well, you know how they always say like, don't meet your heroes? Right, like they always say that because like you worry that they won't meet your expectations.

Like meet Kendall because she surpasses every expectation, like everything that you see on your screen. And how like dynamic she is, is even more so in person. Like she is like everything, her energy. And I mean, she's so authentic and she is so much fun. Like she is, she is the gal who you want to hang out with like you do like you, she is everything. And so Kailyn Jackson, co-owner vice chair of the Indianapolis Colts, you know, one of the Ursay daughters, she started Kicking the Stigma a few years ago, which is, you know, an organization committed to mental health and raising awareness of mental health health and eradicating the stigma that surrounds mental health conversations and kind of addressing the roadblocks that many people have in terms of seeking mental health resources.

And the fundraiser that's associated with the Kicking the Stigma initiative is called Be on the Sidelines. And Kendall was our featured guest of Be on the Sidelines this year to help raise money, raise awareness for Kicking the Stigma. And so she came in and we had a chance to sit and chat before and then we had this, you know, conversation and, and everything. And she is magnificent. She's so fun and she also has a very strong tie to mental health and she shared her story and what she went through in battling anxiety and she has a very special story that she has told. You can go and like look into and all of that and hear it from her perspective.

Is there a recording of your conversation anywhere? There, there isn't like start to finish. I mean, there is, but it's kind of involved in like a recap. But she has told it to Carson Daly. OK, I need to. Find. Haven't heard? It find her. Conversation with Carson Daly in which she tells and she retold this story and she was so selfless and she gave all of her time and energy and she was talking with everyone and people wanted photos and she was there start to finish. I think like, you know, it was she had committed to two hours or whatever it was and she was there till the event ended.

Like, and you know, we'll still trade messages and everything like back and forth on Instagram. And yeah, she's and I love it. Like now I take her class. I'm like, oh, we're friends. You know, like she's talking directly. To me and and all of that, but it is she was so great and I think that it is it is indicative of how special of a community there is through fitness and Wellness and you know, through Peloton. And I do think that they're very selective in the people who they have because they're not just fitness instructors, they're like life coaches and they are ambassadors. And because of the impact and the influence that they have on people extends well beyond just coaching you in that 30 minute, you know, cycling class.

And, you know, for me, I have a family history of mental illness and things and addiction like in our family. And so I've always been very aware of that. And I mean, find find someone who hasn't been touched it to some degree with it. So I have always been. And I think for me, fitness and Wellness and activity is really my outlet for, you know, addressing a lot of those things. And as I have gotten into, you know, stages of my life that I have found yoga is incredibly important for me. And just and being open and I think we're hopefully getting to a place.

And this is one of the things that Kicking the Stigma has really addressed is just being able to say, Hey, I'm struggling right now or I'm feeling off. And it doesn't have to be that you have a diagnosis to be able to say, I just I'm feeling down or I need this or that. And, you know, being able to say those things and have those important conversations is really a significant step in being in a much healthier space. And those are, you know, some of the things that and and too like it can be as simple. I think that we don't acknowledge or maybe recognize that something as simple as when you ask someone, how are you waiting for a response and really listening and saying no, actually, how are you?

Or, you know, having 5 minutes with somebody and, you know, grabbing coffee with them and checking in on people like can go a really, really long way. And you know, I think that sometimes people think, oh, you have to be a therapist or you have to be someone who's trained in that to really, you know, help someone in their journey. And you don't obviously, if, if someone voices that they are struggling with something or, you know, at a point of, you know, contemplating taking, obviously get someone involved in that and seek someone who is a professional. And all those resources are on our website. So you can go to colts.com/kicking the stigma.

Just, you know, look at cooking the stigma. You can find 988 is like the emergency number if you do know someone who is experiencing a mental health crisis, but also like, don't let it get to that point. Like just ask people how they are and if people are struggling, like just be attentive to that. And then also like one of the things that Kaylin talks so much about, and Kendall talked about this too, is like being proactive with your mental health and you're having a mental health toolkit and knowing what works for you. It's just like, you know, we should approach our mental health just like we approach our overall physical health.

Like, you know, most people probably take a daily vitamin or you drink your water or you do those things to think about. Well, you know, I want to be healthy and want to feel good. Well, we should be doing the same things, you know, whether it's, you know, meditation or limiting the time that you're on your phone or, you know, finding the time for connection and doing all of that. Those are incredibly valuable aspects of, you know, being being proactive in your mental health. Yeah. I like the the toolkit concept because it is a toolkit. You can't just be like, hey, like this one thing takes care of my mental health because truly it's like, OK, like I have a therapist.

I also have medication. I also run. Yeah. You know, it's there's a lot of different components. And some may work for some people that don't work for others and all those things. It's like you need to think about it. It is and it's very individualized, yes. It's not like just a, you know, slap on one fix, you know, one quick fix type of thing, right? But I think that the way it's individualized leads itself to having conversations with people and finding out what helps them can be helpful for you as well. But that all starts with not being able or not being afraid and being able to have those, you know, certain conversations, you know, with the people who you know you value a new trust.

Yeah, absolutely. Oh man, this has been so fun and so good. OK, I have two final questions. One of the podcast questions I ask everybody. So the first one is do you have a running song or mantra? Or both. It rotates. A lot. I have like a just. A my hip hop playlist on Spotify really into many men right now. Whoa. $0.50 that is a throwback. Yeah, I like that. It's a yeah. So that's one of the things that I'm struggling with my motivation. Like that's the 1st. First, go listen to that. First thing, I'll queue up. That's one of them. It runs the gamut.

What's the Oh my God, I should go? Yeah, that's. I mean, this is there are a number of them there's I do have some go to's for sure. Spotify's right here. I should probably share this for everybody. King of wishful thinking is the other one. Go West. I don't know that. Yeah. Oh, you do. I do 80s song. OK, I. Mean I only couldn't be farther. I mean, I am all over the place. I'm all over that. Mine is very weird too. I can't share my playlist 'cause it's like. Oh what? What's your go to? Well, there's, well, mine. So, but those are kind of lately, those are my two that I go with.

I also Post Malone as like a standard for me like but yeah, many men as most often the day I'm struggling, I'll just. Go straight to. That that's such an interesting. I love Sia unstoppable. It's kind of cliche, but like, I really, I really just like Sia's music in general. Yeah, but I run the gamut too. Well, I've got like random ass Disney songs on there because like, you know. Oh. Mine will go from I have mine will go from $0.50 to like Hall and Oates and then they're. Like Kenny Loggins. And weird. And then it's Drake and then it's Post Malone and then it's like, I've been on a country kick lately.

A lot of Morgan wallet. In there, So mine is really weird and so people, if they listen to my playlist, would be like what in the world? But it works for me like all these songs. Are that's what matters, right? Yeah. Yeah, and what about a mantra? Do you have a mantra? Gosh, I'm sure that I do. That's a great question. Oh, if this is probably cheesy and predictable of me, it's but this is like with the go to thing. And this applies to many things other than running. But, and it's probably just my recently being in Oregon and the influence of steep prefontaine, but I go to this one a lot like to To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.

Oh yeah, there you go. Yeah, so that, and that applies to a lot of things 'cause I think that it is easy when I get into especially like you're kind of into the the grind of maybe the season and you're like, oh man, it's like, you know, it's week 15 and we're, you know, you're preparing for a game, you're preparing for a show. And I'm like, Oh my gosh, this is such a privilege to be able to do this job. And I never take it for granted. And any day that I don't go in prepared and excited to be there and all of that, like you're sacrificing that opportunity.

So yeah, to give anything you left in your best is to sacrifice the gift. Yeah, I, I love the you get to do this, right, Like, and that a lot of Peloton gives you like this constant stream of mantras that I love because I always then try to use those if I'm out and something's hard or I'm like, or so lucky that you get to be doing this run like suck it up. Well, that's like Kendall's is, you know, they can knock you down, but they can't knock you out. You know, never knocked out as. Her like go to love it. OK. And then next finish line or milestone, is there a milestone coming up for your Daily Mile?

I mean, 1700 is kind of like AI guess really the next one will be it'll be five years in November. OK. So the five year one, I think that's a big one, five years in November, but that's not a finish line. It's only a milestone because you're going to keep going after that. I think five years is pretty significant for that. I do want to do because we have a few weeks now before training camp. So I'm looking to do, I want to do a couple fun like summer races and stuff. So I would love like a finish line coming up. So if anyone listening like has a good suggestion.

My next one is that so it used to be downtown and now it's owned by the caramel Running God. Sorry, Todd. I always mess up the name of this CRG. Yeah, what it stands for every time. But it's the Indiana Womens''s Running Festival. So it used to be downtown. Now they've used Carmel and I think this will be the second year in Carmel. So it's August 31st, it's Labor Day weekend fun. So they have a 5K10K in half and so I. Will be. That's great. Pacing the half for the first time, being a Pacer 155 will be my pace group. This is the first time I've said this, so yeah.

So it's happening. Good for you. That's exciting. That'll be a fun one. It's hard. Labor Day weekend. That's awesome. So IA few years ago I did the firecracker run on 4th of July down. Oh yeah, that's a really fun one too, so I might have to get back to that. Yeah, there you go. Yeah. Cool. Well, thank you so much. You're. So welcome. Absolutely. It was so much fun this. Is a great conversation. It's so fun. Yeah, well. All right, well, thank you everybody who has listened and happy running. And hey, if you like this episode, go rate and review and share. You know the drill.

Appreciate you.

Ally Brettnacher