272. Shalane Flanagan, 4x Olympian & 2017 New York City Marathon Champion

As a runner, to get advice from 4-time Olympian (and silver medalist!) Shalane Flanagan the day before running the New York City Marathon is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. But as the host of this show? It was unbelievable to sit down with her LIVE and in-person at the culmination of Project Eclipse, a 6-marathon journey over 42 days in which Shalane taught us all that sport is for life. Bringing back this classic 2021 episode in honor of the New York City Marathon, in which we chat about it all: From how she got started with running (fun fact: her mom once held the world record in the marathon!) and what it was like being a collegiate athlete to the sacrifices she made along the way to make a name for herself. We laugh over stories from her world travels and marathons past (Boston 2018, anyone), and she tells me what it means to her to be the 2017 New York City Marathon champion. We also chat big, hairy, audacious goals, why she decided to go after the back-to-back six world marathon majors this year, and what it's like for to wear the Coach hat with the Bowerman Track Club. Plus: Advice for new runners, how to get out of your own way when anxiety takes over, and fueling and nutrition tips in the wake of the release of her new New York Times bestselling cookbook, Rise and Run.

Emily Abbate