Citius Mag Podcast

“There’s no bigger high for me than watching your work get screened in front of people. Good or bad. I’ve had screenings where we’ve packed out a 250-person room with 400 people but I’ve also had screenings, where it’s a 50-person room and only six people, show up and it’s your parents and your friend that you begged to come along. For good or bad, those are the scenarios. It humbles you. It boosts your ego." We recorded this back in August when RJ McNichols and I were in Boulder, Colorado together. He’s one of the first friends I made while covering the sport from my days with Flotrack. He is a filmmaker based in Los Angeles and he’s produced some really cool projects including 16 2 1 and Beyond"; "Running Away to Flagstaff"; "Year of the Bison"; "Fear and "Loathing from Pier to Strip" and "The 41st Day". They’re excellent and make for a great complimentary watch to this podcast. Plus, with all this extra time at home before the holidays, it’s the perfect time to catch up on some running films you maybe were

“When I saw that positive pregnancy test, it was basically the highlight of my year. Looking at the place I am emotionally and mentally, I am very happy. I don’t think I’ve ever been happier.” – Aliphine Tuliamuk This is a short and special episode of the podcast regarding the big news that U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials champion Aliphine Tuliamuk is pregnant with her first child. A baby girl is expected in late January. She made her announcement on Sunday afternoon in an Instagram post. I published a story for Sports Illustrated about how she came to this decision but also dives into her family history since she is one of 32 siblings. Now, she’s starting her own. The story includes some insight from Northern Arizona Elite head coach Ben Rosario on her possible road back + HOKA One One’s sports marketing manager Mike McManus on how Aliphine won’t face any reductions or have to rush back to action. Aliphine just re-signed with HOKA One One for the next four years. She is going to have plenty of time to get ready

“I get it from people all the time who say, ‘You’re fairly unconventional for a pro runner.’ I’m like...Thank you? I guess i do appreciate that just because I do approach things in pro running a little bit differently than the ‘normal runner.’ I’m never going to be a Shalane Flanagan. I don’t think it’s healthy for me to be hyper-focused like a one-track mind. Everyone asks me, ‘Oh are you going to join Bowerman now?’ I personally don’t think I would do well on a team like that. I think that kind of structure works really well for people. I personally thrive off a little bit more loosey-goosey and being able to have another life outside of pro running, which is why I love being in Boston. I love living with my sister out here. I love having friends that aren’t pro runners. I love having Jon as my coach because he gives me so much independence to do that. Maybe I’ll do that...Molly the Unconventional Pro.” EPISODE NO. 200! When I was thinking about who would be a good person to get on for this one, it occurred

We're starting to get more news to discuss at the end of every month! Although COVID-19 cases continue to be on the rise in America, a vaccine appears to be on the way and there's optimism about 2021's possible plans. Recurring co-host Matt Meyer joins for episode No. 199. In this episode we discuss: – Track and football's beef involving people claiming Tyreek Hill is faster than Grant Holloway – Best performances of the month: Molly Huddle's one-hour American record, Tierney Wolfgram's American junior marathon record, CJ Albertson's insane 50K on a track or his 2:09 marathon, Keira D'Amato's 10-mile American record) – Upcoming competitions: Sound Running's Track Meet, Valencia Half Marathon & Marathon, The Fukuoka Marathon and The Marathon Project – Is indoor track going to happen? + Everyone's favorite Dopers Gonna Dope segment SUBSCRIBE TO THE CITIUS MAG NEWSLETTER ▶ Follow us: twitter.com/CitiusMag | instagram.com/citiusmag | facebook.com/citiusmag ✩ Connect with Chris via Email: chris@citiusmag.com |

Earlier this month, Clemson’s athletic department announced the decision to cut the men’s track and field and cross country programs after the 2020-21 academic year. Athletic director Dan Radakovich said it came as a measure that will save $2 million per year and would help other Olympic sports on campus survive. The men’s track and field/cross-country team features 51 athletes and has produced 22 Olympians and 16 NCAA titles since it was first offered up in 1953. One of the most outspoken athletes in the fight to save the team has been high jumper Anthony Hamilton Jr. He might have the biggest following with more than 81K Instagram followers and 112.9K TikTok followers thanks to his insanely cool basketball dunks that have been featured on ESPN, House of Highlights, World Star Hip Hop and other mainstream sports social channels. We spoke on Monday to discuss his reaction to the program getting cut, what conversations have taken place with members of the athletic department and more. We posted a video of his

“I knew what it felt like to be an elite runner and then being a spectator trying to get into shape. That’s really tough to do: creating a routine and breaking through those barriers at first before it becomes routine. I just gained a whole different perspective about running. I think where I’m at now I just feel so much gratitude and appreciation because I’ve seen every spectrum of running in my life and I’m appreciative and thankful for where it is now.” We might be a little late to the game in getting Keira D'Amato on the podcast because she's been on a tear in 2020. She finished 15th at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in 2:34:24. In June, she lowered her 5,000m personal best to 15:04 with a time trial on the track. In July, she won the MVMT Race Series in Boston with a 32:33.44 for the 10,000 meters. Most recently, she won the Michigan Pro Ekiden Half Marathon and the Sugar Run 5K over some fields with strong competition. So how she is doing this at 36? She is also a mother and a full-time realtor. 

“I think people need to remember that the presidency doesn’t solve all of our problems. If you want to continue to be engaged in the political process, find your local city council member and figure out if you’re not happy with what they’re doing, elect someone else or you can run yourself. I’m now at the point where I’ve got several friends who are in elected offices in California, which is very cool. Get involved in your state races, your city races, your county races. Those are also avenues that are going to have a tremendous impact on your life and if you’re not happy about the way things are going, not just in the White House but at every other level, get involved.” CITIUS MAG contributor Kevin Liao joins the podcast to share what his experience was like on the presidential campaign trail for the past two years. Kevin is wrapping up his time as Joe Biden's communications director in Nevada. Prior to that, he served as Elizabeth Warren's communications director in California and then as her Iowa press sec

“I think a big reason why I went for a good beer mile time was because of that first Flotrack championship. I remember streaming it live and thinking ‘They’re running a 5-flat beer mile. This is fast.’ But, at the same time thinking, ‘These guys don’t have as good of a PR as me in the mile so why can’t I run that sort of time? I can do that.’" Chris Robertson is the second-fastest beer miler in history and the American record holder in the event with his 4:37 personal best. The only person faster than him is world record holder and Canada’s own Corey Bellemore who has run 4:34.  Listener’s discretion is advised: There’s obviously lots of beer talk on this episode. We wanted to make it clear that we’re not encouraging irresponsible or dangerous behavior or drinking. That’s obviously the case if you’re not 21 years old or legal drinking age. Chris is a professional at it so some of what you might hear comes from his experience getting to that level.  In this episode, I got a chance to sit down with hi

"We wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to get better. I don’t have the pressure to get into a marathon build-up or if the Olympics were happening. I wanted to come out of this better. A big part of that for me was maybe taking it a little easier with the mileage and intensity and focusing back to strengthening up my leg. I lost a lot of muscle – not just in my ankle and those tendons but throughout that left leg. It’s been a long process and I think I certainly underestimated how difficult it would be. It’s been two years since  I was operated on but I feel like I’m finally getting back to my old self and getting some good push-off in my left leg. There was certainly a big hitch in my stride at the trials. I really wasn’t getting a lot of push there. It was just setting down and pivoting. My right leg was doing a lot of the work. I can certainly say that I’ve made some big improvements mechanically with that." It’s been eight months since Galen Rupp won the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials on Feb.

"I was a competitive snowboarder but seeing what I'm doing in running right now is above and beyond what I thought I was doing in that sport. Finding a sport this late in life and seeing that constant progression, which is what I lost in snowboarding, I hit this point where I don't want to hit jumps anymore. I just want to have fun on the mountains. You stop seeing yourself become better at a point. You're not learning new tricks. You're skiing and snowboarding on the same trails. With running, I'm continuing to get faster and PR in different events and progress. I mostly get messages from friends saying, 'I can't believe how fast you've gotten' or 'What kind of running shoes should I buy?' or even 'Hey! You've really inspired me to sign up for a race.' It's pretty cool, especially to have people who I looked up to for so many years to reach out to me and ask for my advice on running." If you enjoyed last week’s motivational episode with Pat Jeffers about his marathon progression after some time away from the

“It was a really fun experiment because I don’t think anyone thought that I could have done it...In the beginning, I couldn’t maintain under 5:20 pace for four miles so I’m so far away from this thing. But, the training became reckless in a sort of fun way. When you have a goal that’s unrealistic, you sort of just have to throw yourself at it. There’s no time to think or build up slowly. One of my biggest strengths as a runner is that I’ve been fairly durable – knock on every piece of wood around me – so I knew I could probably click off some 100-mile weeks. I could probably double as often as I had time to. It progressed pretty well. The workouts started going a little bit better. I ran a half marathon in October just under 5:20 pace. So I went from not being able to maintain seven-minute pace in March to running a 5K in June at 5:25 pace to a half marathon in October at 5:20 pace. So I was getting closer. I was getting to this point where no one would really think someone who runs a 60:50 half marathon woul

"This is a pretty huge East African community. A lot of these Africans don’t play basketball or football so this is their way of getting that opportunity at that highest level...I feel like one of the reasons they were able to bring back outdoor track was that they knew the amount of damage this would cause. But still, we need indoors as well because we want to be equal.” Obsa Ali is the 2018 NCAA outdoor steeplechase champion out of the University of Minnesota. I wanted to get him on the show because last Friday, the University of Minnesota’s Board of Regents voted to approve a resolution to eliminate the men's indoor track and field, men's tennis and men's gymnastics teams at the end of the 2020-21 school year. A revised proposal that was submitted on Friday removed men's outdoor track and field from the cuts that were first announced in September.  The university said the athletic department was facing a projected revenue loss of approximately $75 million and what do these three cuts end up saving? An

Tyler Day joins the podcast to share what went into the decision to turn professional and sign with the Hoka One One Northern Arizona Elite team after a successful career at Northern Arizona University. Tyler is a six-time All-American and was part of three NCAA championship-winning cross country squads for the Lumberjacks. Most recently, the end of his collegiate career was cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic but he managed to set the American collegiate record at the indoor 5,000 meter distance in 13:16.95 at an indoor meet at Boston University in the winter. He has also competed for the U.S. at the 2019 Pan American Games. In this episode, we look back at his successful NCAA career, his goals for the 2021 outdoor campaign, the Flagstaff running community and much more. Follow Tyler on Instagram. Follow NAZ Elite on Instagram.  Support for this episode comes from Bakline Running. We're excited to partner with this Brooklyn-based company that's making active lifestyle and streetwear-inspired appar

This is a two-part episode from my trip to Boulder in August. I made a quick visit over to one of the Tinman Elite Houses and sat down with Jeff Theis and Cameron Griffith.  Jeff ran at Portland and joined the team in 2018 after feeling like he wasn’t quite done with running at the end of his NCAA career and felt like there was more in the tank after injuries. Cam didn’t get hurt at the end of his time in Arkansas but COVID canceled his senior year’s indoor and outdoor season. Ready to take things to the next level, he made the move to Boulder and has been training with the group since the spring. He had a very brief summer racing season where he ran 3:40 for 1,500 meters and could be the next Tinman to land a pro contract.  Get to know these guys better. The first half of the show is Jeff and then the second half is Cam. Support for this episode comes from Bakline Running. We're excited to partner with this Brooklyn-based company that's making active lifestyle and streetwear-inspired apparel. I'm r

“My hope is that maybe the reason that I didn’t perform as well as I hoped at the Trials is just that I was too cooked. I was a little overtrained. Because when I look at that training block that I had in December, January and February, that was some of the best workouts I’ve ever put together. So what I’m hoping is that I’m fit enough now to have unlocked lifetime fitness. And if I can unlock lifetime fitness, then I can take advantage of some of those deposits to lifetime fitness that I made in January and February without being so burnt out that I can’t rest up in time for London. Here’s my theory: I’m fit enough to unlock lifetime fitness and that hopefully I’m a little bit more rested and maybe that will compensate for the shortened training cycle." 2016 U.S. Olympian Jared Ward returns to the podcast! The last time he was on this show was back in Feb. 2019. After that, he went on to run 2:029:25 at the 2019 Boston Marathon and was considered a strong contender to make a second Olympic team. However, tou

“What I did, anyone else can do and more people should be doing that. The running market is starting to get a lot bigger. There are more people making YouTube channels because they’re thinking, ‘I can do that.’ You know I had an iPhone until I hit 30,000 subscribers. I’m still using iMovie until this day. It doesn’t have to be unbelievable quality videos. People are a little scared to make that jump. Having no fear helps me stay motivated to put out content and also show that I’m somewhat of an elite runner and I’m trying my best to continue.” My guest for today’s episode is Spencer Brown but many of you might know him as The Athlete Special from his popular YouTube series. Some of you who have been following CITIUS MAG from the start might be familiar with him because he was one of the original contributors to the site and ran a 4:16 Blue Jeans Mile back in 2017 to set a then-world record. He’s come a long way since. He has run 3:39 for the 1,500 meters and 3:59.97 for the mile. Recently, Brooks decided to t

“When you look at running and why we’re doing this, the ultimate pinnacle goal is to be an elite medalist but really to be an Olympian and have that title. For Sara (my wife) and I, when we think about why we do this, it’s to try and qualify for the Olympics or give it our absolute best shot. When you talk to someone who is not closely tied to the running world, that’s what they’re looking for. When they describe you to your friends, they’re thinking, ‘This guy is training for the Olympics’ or ‘He’s trying to make the Olympics’ and it’s so cool to them but if you take the Olympics out of it, it loses the allure of what we’re doing. It’s very unique.” Consider this Part II to last week’s conversation with Sara Sutherland since we now get to interview her husband, Riley Masters. For those who may not be familiar with him, Riley was a standout runner at Maine before transferring to Oklahoma. He’s got personal bests of 3:36.49 for the 1,500 meters and 13:16.97 for the 5,000 meters. He serves as an assistant coach

“I remember the day I ran 4:06. I was on the phone with Riley and he was like, ‘You did it! You got the Olympic standard!’ And I was like, ‘Ugh! I just want to go faster!’ We’re all wired that way. That’s how we roll. Right now, women’s distance running in the United States in the 1,500 and 5,000 is amazing. There are so many women who have taken these preconceived barriers and said, ‘I don’t care. I’m going to go way faster.’ That’s my hope as well. I feel really inspired to see what women have been able to do over the last couple of years. I definitely felt like I was missing out on so much of that. I’m really excited if I can just stay healthy and be up there again.” Sara Sutherland is a professional runner for Saucony. She was a star at the University of Texas and the University of Colorado. She’s got personal bests of 4:06 for 1,500 and 15:26 for 5,000m. Just a few weeks ago, she raced at the Music City Distance Carnival and it was her first race in a year and a half. It’s been a challenging road back bu

“I just kind of wanted to write my own narrative of what it meant to be a professional runner. I knew coming out of college, I just didn’t want to give up on that dream. It was super important for me to do what I was passionate about and take a chance on myself. That meant moving to Boulder instead of moving to San Francisco and going to work at a 9-5 tech job. Basically, it’s been not giving up on myself knowing I have a lot more to give to the sport…” My guest for today’s episode is Joey Berriatua. This is actually the first podcast episode that I recorded in person in a while and I’m glad it’s with someone who has an appreciation for CITIUS MAG from its start in 2017. Just a few years back, Joey was a diehard Citius fan. He’d buy all the merch we’d put out. He’d listen to all the podcasts, DM us and he was running some solid times at Santa Clara. Sometime around 2018 and once his eligibility was over, he decided to continue his running career and he connected with Sam Parsons and Tinman Elite. He’s seen so

“I can’t wait for COVID to be over so I can step in some of these schools and juvenile delinquent centers to talk to these people because they need someone to talk to. I tell people all the time that I hated growing up and hearing “No” my whole life. ‘Oh, I want to be that.’ ‘No.’ ‘Oh, I want to work.’ ‘No. You’re going to be a worker and work for somebody.’ Your whole life you hear that. ‘Oh, you want to be an Olympian. That’s funny.’ That’s what we grew up in and we’re the product of our environment. If we don’t have people coming into that environment to make the product better, then we fail.” Trayvon Bromell is the 2015 World Championship 100 meter bronze medalist, the 2016 world indoor champion in the 60 meters and was a 100-meter finalist at the 2016 Olympics in Rio. However,  it’s been a bit of a rollercoaster for him as he's battled Achilles injuries and setbacks with a bone spur in the past three years. In this episode, I told him straight up that I thought he was done. Then, last month, he popp