1 00:00:00,480 --> 00:00:03,000 Relly Ladner: I think it was about halfway through maybe mile 14 2 00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:05,790 Relly Ladner: or 15, and I was like, " I'm done. I can't 3 00:00:05,790 --> 00:00:09,690 Relly Ladner: do it. I'm done." And they're just like, " Walk, you can 4 00:00:09,690 --> 00:00:12,479 Relly Ladner: do it. Just walk." And I think in that moment, 5 00:00:12,510 --> 00:00:15,150 Relly Ladner: even just hearing the words walk was like, there was 6 00:00:15,150 --> 00:00:17,160 Relly Ladner: a time when I wasn't able to walk. I can 7 00:00:17,160 --> 00:00:20,310 Relly Ladner: walk right now, I can finish this if that means 8 00:00:20,310 --> 00:00:21,540 Relly Ladner: that I'm crawling. You know what I mean? 9 00:00:26,670 --> 00:00:29,550 Rob Simmelkjaer: Hey everybody, and welcome to Set the Pace, the official 10 00:00:29,550 --> 00:00:33,360 Rob Simmelkjaer: podcast of New York Road Runners presented by Peloton. I'm 11 00:00:33,360 --> 00:00:35,520 Rob Simmelkjaer: your host, Rob Simmelkjaer, the CEO of New York Road 12 00:00:35,520 --> 00:00:39,390 Rob Simmelkjaer: Runners. I am flying solo. This week, Becs is out 13 00:00:39,390 --> 00:00:43,470 Rob Simmelkjaer: on vacation. Coming up, we are still flying high from 14 00:00:43,470 --> 00:00:47,550 Rob Simmelkjaer: the largest marathon ever, the 2025 TCS New York City Marathon. 15 00:00:47,909 --> 00:00:50,909 Rob Simmelkjaer: And in that spirit, our guest today is Relly Ladner, 16 00:00:50,940 --> 00:00:54,420 Rob Simmelkjaer: a member of this year's Team Inspire. Relly was diagnosed with Guillain- 17 00:00:54,450 --> 00:00:56,970 Rob Simmelkjaer: Barré syndrome, and she was told that she might not 18 00:00:56,970 --> 00:00:59,790 Rob Simmelkjaer: ever walk again. But not only did she go on 19 00:00:59,940 --> 00:01:04,380 Rob Simmelkjaer: to walk, she played Division I soccer in college. And on 20 00:01:04,380 --> 00:01:08,760 Rob Simmelkjaer: Sunday, November 2nd, she completed the 2025 TCS New York City 21 00:01:08,760 --> 00:01:12,390 Rob Simmelkjaer: Marathon, her third marathon. Later in the show, Meb will 22 00:01:12,390 --> 00:01:15,780 Rob Simmelkjaer: be here with New York Road Runners member Felicia Pasadyn. 23 00:01:16,050 --> 00:01:20,100 Rob Simmelkjaer: Felicia placed 14th among all women in the marathon this 24 00:01:20,100 --> 00:01:24,630 Rob Simmelkjaer: year with a finishing time of 2:35: 17 and that qualified 25 00:01:24,630 --> 00:01:28,890 Rob Simmelkjaer: her for the 2028 Olympic trials, and get this, Felicia 26 00:01:29,100 --> 00:01:32,280 Rob Simmelkjaer: is doing this as a medical student. That's right, so 27 00:01:32,280 --> 00:01:34,890 Rob Simmelkjaer: an incredible story there, and I can't wait to hear 28 00:01:34,890 --> 00:01:38,160 Rob Simmelkjaer: Meb's conversation with Felicia. And then finally on today's Meb 29 00:01:38,160 --> 00:01:41,610 Rob Simmelkjaer: Minute, Meb does a roundup of all things that you 30 00:01:41,610 --> 00:01:44,880 Rob Simmelkjaer: can learn from running a marathon that have nothing to 31 00:01:44,880 --> 00:01:48,810 Rob Simmelkjaer: do with running, so stay tuned for that. Peloton's Cross 32 00:01:48,810 --> 00:01:52,320 Rob Simmelkjaer: Training Series is designed to be the ultimate marathon training 33 00:01:52,320 --> 00:01:57,690 Rob Simmelkjaer: partner. Now powered by Peloton IQ, their products deliver personalized 34 00:01:57,690 --> 00:02:02,580 Rob Simmelkjaer: cardio and strength training with adaptive plans, progress tracking and real- 35 00:02:02,580 --> 00:02:06,480 Rob Simmelkjaer: time insights, plus a variety of strength classes to build 36 00:02:06,480 --> 00:02:10,320 Rob Simmelkjaer: endurance as well as human coaching that keeps motivation high 37 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:13,829 Rob Simmelkjaer: and form on point. Whether you're aiming for a first 38 00:02:13,830 --> 00:02:18,180 Rob Simmelkjaer: finish or a personal best, Peloton makes every step smarter, 39 00:02:18,180 --> 00:02:22,110 Rob Simmelkjaer: stronger, and more connected. Ready to elevate your race game 40 00:02:22,110 --> 00:02:26,820 Rob Simmelkjaer: with Peloton? Head to onepeloton. com to learn more. Peloton, 41 00:02:26,940 --> 00:02:32,340 Rob Simmelkjaer: an official partner of the 2025 TCS York City Marathon. Imagine 42 00:02:32,340 --> 00:02:35,880 Rob Simmelkjaer: being a star teenage athlete one day and unable to 43 00:02:35,880 --> 00:02:40,019 Rob Simmelkjaer: walk the next. That's the reality that Relly Ladner faced 44 00:02:40,320 --> 00:02:42,269 Rob Simmelkjaer: at the end of her junior year of high school 45 00:02:42,270 --> 00:02:46,410 Rob Simmelkjaer: when Guillain- Barré syndrome left her paralyzed from the waist 46 00:02:46,410 --> 00:02:49,440 Rob Simmelkjaer: down. A few years earlier as a freshman in high 47 00:02:49,440 --> 00:02:51,900 Rob Simmelkjaer: school, Relly had secured a Division I offer to play 48 00:02:51,900 --> 00:02:55,919 Rob Simmelkjaer: soccer at Dartmouth College. Go Green. But her diagnosis threatened 49 00:02:55,919 --> 00:03:00,000 Rob Simmelkjaer: to sabotage all her work and dreams. Relly's today because 50 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:03,030 Rob Simmelkjaer: she fought her way back to health. She went on 51 00:03:03,030 --> 00:03:05,880 Rob Simmelkjaer: to play soccer with Dartmouth, and never took a single 52 00:03:05,880 --> 00:03:08,760 Rob Simmelkjaer: day on the field for granted. She was a member 53 00:03:08,760 --> 00:03:12,090 Rob Simmelkjaer: of Team Inspire, and she ran this year in support 54 00:03:12,090 --> 00:03:17,160 Rob Simmelkjaer: of the adolescent health organization, Grassroot Soccer. Relly, it is 55 00:03:17,160 --> 00:03:19,950 Rob Simmelkjaer: great to see you and I'm so happy you had 56 00:03:19,950 --> 00:03:22,380 Rob Simmelkjaer: such a great day on November 2nd. Welcome to Set 57 00:03:22,380 --> 00:03:22,889 Rob Simmelkjaer: the Pace. 58 00:03:23,279 --> 00:03:24,989 Relly Ladner: Good to see you, thank you so much for having me. 59 00:03:25,559 --> 00:03:28,829 Rob Simmelkjaer: Absolutely. And you and I had a chance to spend some time 60 00:03:28,830 --> 00:03:31,410 Rob Simmelkjaer: together in the run- up to the marathon. I saw 61 00:03:31,410 --> 00:03:34,470 Rob Simmelkjaer: you at the finish line on Marathon Day. I saw 62 00:03:34,470 --> 00:03:38,040 Rob Simmelkjaer: a lot of smiles at that finish line, none bigger 63 00:03:38,040 --> 00:03:41,130 Rob Simmelkjaer: than yours. Can you talk about what it meant for 64 00:03:41,130 --> 00:03:44,220 Rob Simmelkjaer: you to cross that finish line on November 2nd? 65 00:03:44,610 --> 00:03:47,370 Relly Ladner: Yeah, I mean, being able to cross the finish line 66 00:03:47,370 --> 00:03:49,320 Relly Ladner: and then being able to cross the finish line with 67 00:03:49,680 --> 00:03:53,250 Relly Ladner: the bib that said Team Inspire was just inspiring to 68 00:03:53,250 --> 00:03:56,490 Relly Ladner: me. It was a surreal moment. And to do it 69 00:03:56,490 --> 00:03:59,280 Relly Ladner: in New York where I live is just, it doesn't 70 00:03:59,280 --> 00:04:03,660 Relly Ladner: get better than that. I've said I ran the TCS 71 00:04:03,660 --> 00:04:05,790 Relly Ladner: New York City Marathon last year and I said it 72 00:04:05,790 --> 00:04:08,309 Relly Ladner: was the best day of my life and this totally 73 00:04:08,310 --> 00:04:12,780 Relly Ladner: topped, it was for sure now the best day of my life. Just 74 00:04:12,780 --> 00:04:13,590 Relly Ladner: such an amazing day. 75 00:04:14,160 --> 00:04:16,440 Rob Simmelkjaer: I've heard a lot of people say who'd run the 76 00:04:16,440 --> 00:04:20,370 Rob Simmelkjaer: marathon multiple times that this year felt special to them. 77 00:04:20,370 --> 00:04:21,630 Rob Simmelkjaer: Why did it feel special to you? 78 00:04:21,630 --> 00:04:25,350 Relly Ladner: I think for multiple reasons. One, the weather was amazing, 79 00:04:25,350 --> 00:04:30,420 Relly Ladner: the perfect, perfect running weather. And I think just the 80 00:04:30,420 --> 00:04:35,310 Relly Ladner: atmosphere, the people, the crowd, it just pushed you through 81 00:04:35,310 --> 00:04:38,820 Relly Ladner: the whole time there was cheering nonstop. There wasn't a 82 00:04:38,820 --> 00:04:41,970 Relly Ladner: moment where there wasn't any sort of cheering. And I 83 00:04:41,970 --> 00:04:45,330 Relly Ladner: really think that even when the marathon gets tough like 84 00:04:45,330 --> 00:04:47,700 Relly Ladner: at the end, going up 5th Ave, just having the 85 00:04:47,700 --> 00:04:49,230 Relly Ladner: crowd there really pushes you through. 86 00:04:49,710 --> 00:04:53,099 Rob Simmelkjaer: Yeah, no doubt. The crowds we know we've seen this 87 00:04:53,100 --> 00:04:55,919 Rob Simmelkjaer: year, they were just on another level to what we 88 00:04:55,920 --> 00:05:01,320 Rob Simmelkjaer: had seen before, so it was incredible. And I know 89 00:05:01,320 --> 00:05:04,260 Rob Simmelkjaer: obviously being on Team Inspire was a big change for 90 00:05:04,260 --> 00:05:05,490 Rob Simmelkjaer: you as well. I think a lot of our listeners 91 00:05:05,490 --> 00:05:07,920 Rob Simmelkjaer: know what Team Inspire is, but a lot probably don't. 92 00:05:08,490 --> 00:05:12,900 Rob Simmelkjaer: This group of 26 incredibly inspiring athletes each with unique 93 00:05:13,170 --> 00:05:15,419 Rob Simmelkjaer: stories, and you got a chance to be a part 94 00:05:15,420 --> 00:05:17,700 Rob Simmelkjaer: of that because of the story that I just talked 95 00:05:17,700 --> 00:05:20,219 Rob Simmelkjaer: about. What was that experience like being on Team Inspire 96 00:05:20,220 --> 00:05:20,550 Rob Simmelkjaer: for you? 97 00:05:21,180 --> 00:05:25,289 Relly Ladner: It was amazing. I keep saying to myself that I think that my 98 00:05:25,320 --> 00:05:27,600 Relly Ladner: story was chosen to be on Team Inspire as an 99 00:05:27,600 --> 00:05:31,680 Relly Ladner: inspiring story, but I've left this experience being more inspired 100 00:05:31,680 --> 00:05:35,700 Relly Ladner: than ever, not only by my story, but by the 101 00:05:35,730 --> 00:05:39,690 Relly Ladner: 25 other amazing athlete stories. It really felt like I 102 00:05:39,690 --> 00:05:44,460 Relly Ladner: was doing the marathon not just for myself but for 103 00:05:44,460 --> 00:05:47,970 Relly Ladner: the team, and then also for everything that the people 104 00:05:47,970 --> 00:05:50,700 Relly Ladner: on the team are fighting for and have gone through. 105 00:05:52,560 --> 00:05:55,050 Rob Simmelkjaer: They've gone through a lot of different things, and what 106 00:05:55,050 --> 00:05:58,380 Rob Simmelkjaer: you went through, each of these challenges and stories is 107 00:05:58,380 --> 00:06:00,300 Rob Simmelkjaer: unique. Let's talk about your story a little bit. You 108 00:06:00,300 --> 00:06:05,790 Rob Simmelkjaer: grew up in Vienna, Austria, and you played on boys' 109 00:06:05,910 --> 00:06:09,359 Rob Simmelkjaer: soccer teams as a young girl, how did you get 110 00:06:09,360 --> 00:06:12,720 Rob Simmelkjaer: drawn to soccer and how did that playing with the 111 00:06:12,720 --> 00:06:16,800 Rob Simmelkjaer: boys at an early stage affect you as a competitor, 112 00:06:16,800 --> 00:06:17,760 Rob Simmelkjaer: as a soccer player? 113 00:06:18,029 --> 00:06:20,700 Relly Ladner: Yeah, I grew up in a very athletic family and 114 00:06:20,700 --> 00:06:23,220 Relly Ladner: my brother played soccer. He's two years older than me, 115 00:06:23,220 --> 00:06:26,880 Relly Ladner: so he was always my inspiration athletically so I just 116 00:06:26,880 --> 00:06:30,510 Relly Ladner: followed in his footsteps naturally. And then when we moved 117 00:06:30,510 --> 00:06:34,680 Relly Ladner: to Austria when I was in elementary school, I wanted 118 00:06:34,680 --> 00:06:38,880 Relly Ladner: to continue playing soccer. And quite frankly, the I guess 119 00:06:39,630 --> 00:06:42,029 Relly Ladner: girl soccer at that age was not up to the 120 00:06:42,029 --> 00:06:45,360 Relly Ladner: level that I wanted to play in so I played 121 00:06:45,360 --> 00:06:46,980 Relly Ladner: on the same club team as my brother a couple 122 00:06:46,980 --> 00:06:50,760 Relly Ladner: years younger. I think that playing on a boys team 123 00:06:50,820 --> 00:06:52,350 Relly Ladner: shaped me in so many ways at such a young 124 00:06:52,350 --> 00:06:54,180 Relly Ladner: age. And not only was it a boys team, but 125 00:06:54,180 --> 00:06:56,520 Relly Ladner: it was also a totally German- speaking team, which at 126 00:06:56,520 --> 00:06:58,830 Relly Ladner: the time, now I know German, but when I first 127 00:06:58,830 --> 00:07:02,460 Relly Ladner: moved there, I didn't know the language. So on top 128 00:07:02,460 --> 00:07:04,980 Relly Ladner: of being the only girl on a boys team, I 129 00:07:04,980 --> 00:07:07,260 Relly Ladner: also didn't know the language, so it was quite isolated. 130 00:07:07,529 --> 00:07:09,359 Relly Ladner: But I think one thing that I really learned was 131 00:07:09,360 --> 00:07:14,100 Relly Ladner: that sports in general bring people together. Quite literally, if 132 00:07:14,100 --> 00:07:16,470 Relly Ladner: you don't know the language, you can be able to 133 00:07:16,470 --> 00:07:18,300 Relly Ladner: play the same sport as someone. And I think that 134 00:07:18,300 --> 00:07:20,910 Relly Ladner: goes the same for running, and also goes to show 135 00:07:20,910 --> 00:07:23,250 Relly Ladner: in the TCS New York City Marathon, there's so many people 136 00:07:23,250 --> 00:07:25,140 Relly Ladner: from so many different countries all doing the same thing, 137 00:07:25,590 --> 00:07:27,840 Relly Ladner: all with the same goal in mind. So yeah, I 138 00:07:27,840 --> 00:07:31,080 Relly Ladner: think that at a young age, playing on a team 139 00:07:32,190 --> 00:07:36,450 Relly Ladner: really just showed me that despite my differences and also 140 00:07:36,450 --> 00:07:40,770 Relly Ladner: I was so young, and that I was able to 141 00:07:40,770 --> 00:07:42,570 Relly Ladner: fit in just through athletics. 142 00:07:42,870 --> 00:07:45,570 Rob Simmelkjaer: Yeah, no, sports are amazing that way. We see it 143 00:07:45,570 --> 00:07:48,750 Rob Simmelkjaer: at the marathon, I'm sure for you in a new 144 00:07:48,750 --> 00:07:52,410 Rob Simmelkjaer: country, being able to speak as long. As you don't 145 00:07:52,410 --> 00:07:54,930 Rob Simmelkjaer: call it soccer over there, you're fine, right? As long as you got to 146 00:07:54,930 --> 00:07:56,311 Rob Simmelkjaer: call it football, that's the number one thing. 147 00:07:56,311 --> 00:07:57,690 Relly Ladner: Exactly. Strictly football. 148 00:07:58,080 --> 00:08:01,020 Rob Simmelkjaer: Yeah. Once you've done that, you're fine. And you mentioned 149 00:08:01,020 --> 00:08:05,070 Rob Simmelkjaer: your family and all the athletics in your family. Your 150 00:08:05,070 --> 00:08:10,470 Rob Simmelkjaer: grandfather was a marathoner, your mom played college field hockey 151 00:08:10,470 --> 00:08:13,860 Rob Simmelkjaer: and lacrosse. You mentioned your brother playing soccer as well 152 00:08:13,860 --> 00:08:17,490 Rob Simmelkjaer: so this was something that was really in your genes 153 00:08:17,490 --> 00:08:19,590 Rob Simmelkjaer: if you will, from a young age. Did you have 154 00:08:19,590 --> 00:08:22,590 Rob Simmelkjaer: the marathon as something even when you were younger that 155 00:08:22,590 --> 00:08:24,870 Rob Simmelkjaer: you thought you'd want to do? Just because you did 156 00:08:24,870 --> 00:08:28,620 Rob Simmelkjaer: have your grandfather did it, and I know he did it a lot, 157 00:08:28,620 --> 00:08:29,850 Rob Simmelkjaer: he ran it 17 times. 158 00:08:30,480 --> 00:08:34,950 Relly Ladner: Yeah, I grew up with obviously my grandfather and then 159 00:08:34,950 --> 00:08:37,230 Relly Ladner: also my parents, my dad's a big runner as well. 160 00:08:37,470 --> 00:08:40,260 Relly Ladner: I grew up always watching my family run. And for 161 00:08:40,260 --> 00:08:42,359 Relly Ladner: me, running when I was younger always felt like a 162 00:08:42,360 --> 00:08:45,059 Relly Ladner: punishment from soccer. If you didn't play well, you had 163 00:08:45,059 --> 00:08:49,050 Relly Ladner: to run or train for the beep test. And so 164 00:08:49,050 --> 00:08:50,910 Relly Ladner: I never really viewed running as a fun thing, for 165 00:08:50,910 --> 00:08:54,840 Relly Ladner: me, it was more a punishment. So no, I never thought 166 00:08:55,350 --> 00:08:58,170 Relly Ladner: up that running would be, well, would have such an 167 00:08:58,170 --> 00:09:01,200 Relly Ladner: impact on my life, but then a positive impact. But 168 00:09:01,380 --> 00:09:03,929 Relly Ladner: I would've never thought that I would be running marathons. 169 00:09:04,650 --> 00:09:08,010 Rob Simmelkjaer: Yeah, I think when you're young, it's just not something 170 00:09:08,010 --> 00:09:10,740 Rob Simmelkjaer: that occurs to you. Who would want to do that 171 00:09:11,640 --> 00:09:15,780 Rob Simmelkjaer: when you're 16? And so many people tell me that 172 00:09:15,780 --> 00:09:19,650 Rob Simmelkjaer: story, and so many sports football, American football, soccer, whatever 173 00:09:19,650 --> 00:09:23,309 Rob Simmelkjaer: you want to call it, baseball, which I played, use 174 00:09:23,309 --> 00:09:29,250 Rob Simmelkjaer: running as a punishment, that it creates this negative mind 175 00:09:29,250 --> 00:09:32,010 Rob Simmelkjaer: reaction to the idea of running, so why would you 176 00:09:32,010 --> 00:09:34,410 Rob Simmelkjaer: want to just keep doing that? But when did that 177 00:09:34,410 --> 00:09:36,720 Rob Simmelkjaer: change for you? And we'll talk about your story obviously 178 00:09:36,720 --> 00:09:38,010 Rob Simmelkjaer: of what happened to you with your illness. 179 00:09:38,520 --> 00:09:38,610 Relly Ladner: Right. 180 00:09:38,610 --> 00:09:40,860 Rob Simmelkjaer: But when was the first time you ever thought, " You know what, this 181 00:09:40,860 --> 00:09:42,540 Rob Simmelkjaer: running could actually be something I want to do for fun?" 182 00:09:43,530 --> 00:09:47,100 Relly Ladner: I interned my junior summer of college in the city 183 00:09:47,520 --> 00:09:51,570 Relly Ladner: and I lived with a roommate who ran casually and 184 00:09:51,900 --> 00:09:53,490 Relly Ladner: we would go on runs together and it was a great way to 185 00:09:53,490 --> 00:09:56,309 Relly Ladner: explore the city. And I think that that really opened up 186 00:09:56,309 --> 00:09:58,950 Relly Ladner: my eyes to, oh, it actually is something fun, and 187 00:09:58,950 --> 00:10:03,150 Relly Ladner: it also allows me to do something other than taking 188 00:10:03,150 --> 00:10:05,730 Relly Ladner: the subway, or it allowed me to explore a lot 189 00:10:05,730 --> 00:10:08,400 Relly Ladner: of different areas of the city in a quick way. 190 00:10:08,760 --> 00:10:10,590 Relly Ladner: I think that was really the first time that it 191 00:10:10,590 --> 00:10:12,960 Relly Ladner: opened up my eyes to, oh wow, this doesn't have 192 00:10:12,960 --> 00:10:15,329 Relly Ladner: to be a negative thing. It's actually allowing me to 193 00:10:15,510 --> 00:10:20,520 Relly Ladner: explore and to see parts of the city that I wouldn't 194 00:10:20,520 --> 00:10:23,460 Relly Ladner: have necessarily seen if it wasn't for being able to run. 195 00:10:23,820 --> 00:10:26,490 Rob Simmelkjaer: I always say running, especially in a city like New 196 00:10:26,490 --> 00:10:29,189 Rob Simmelkjaer: York is an underrated form of transportation. 197 00:10:29,640 --> 00:10:29,730 Relly Ladner: 100%. 198 00:10:29,730 --> 00:10:32,730 Rob Simmelkjaer: It's just a great way to get from point A to 199 00:10:32,730 --> 00:10:36,000 Rob Simmelkjaer: point B in a city where that's not always so easy 200 00:10:36,000 --> 00:10:36,449 Rob Simmelkjaer: to do. 201 00:10:36,750 --> 00:10:40,500 Relly Ladner: Right. It's so funny when my family is planning a vacation 202 00:10:41,429 --> 00:10:45,420 Relly Ladner: because everyone in my family runs, it's strictly does wherever 203 00:10:45,420 --> 00:10:50,550 Relly Ladner: we're going have access to somewhere we can run? So it's just 204 00:10:51,420 --> 00:10:52,920 Relly Ladner: at such the forefront of my family. 205 00:10:53,250 --> 00:10:56,550 Rob Simmelkjaer: 100%, yeah. All right, so let's go back to your 206 00:10:56,550 --> 00:10:59,850 Rob Simmelkjaer: high school years and so your end of your freshman 207 00:10:59,850 --> 00:11:03,480 Rob Simmelkjaer: year of high school, you committed to play division one 208 00:11:03,480 --> 00:11:07,140 Rob Simmelkjaer: soccer at Dartmouth, which I'm going be clear is my 209 00:11:07,140 --> 00:11:13,080 Rob Simmelkjaer: alma mater too. Go Green. Love that. And you must've 210 00:11:13,080 --> 00:11:16,110 Rob Simmelkjaer: been very good, I mean to be recruited and already have a 211 00:11:16,110 --> 00:11:18,840 Rob Simmelkjaer: commitment to play D1 at the end of your freshman 212 00:11:18,840 --> 00:11:21,840 Rob Simmelkjaer: year, that is more typical maybe these days than it 213 00:11:21,840 --> 00:11:26,160 Rob Simmelkjaer: was earlier in history, but still pretty impressive. So what 214 00:11:26,160 --> 00:11:31,890 Rob Simmelkjaer: was that like? And did that add motivation or pressure 215 00:11:31,890 --> 00:11:34,140 Rob Simmelkjaer: for you as you played soccer for the rest of 216 00:11:34,140 --> 00:11:35,939 Rob Simmelkjaer: your high school knowing that you already had a Division 217 00:11:35,940 --> 00:11:37,380 Rob Simmelkjaer: I offer locked in? 218 00:11:38,550 --> 00:11:42,480 Relly Ladner: Yeah, thank you. No, I always say that I think that playing on 219 00:11:42,480 --> 00:11:44,400 Relly Ladner: a boys team growing up allowed me to become a 220 00:11:44,400 --> 00:11:46,470 Relly Ladner: lot more competitive. I was a lot more aggressive and 221 00:11:46,470 --> 00:11:49,050 Relly Ladner: that was my style of playing, and I think what 222 00:11:49,050 --> 00:11:52,170 Relly Ladner: attracted a lot of college coaches to me at such 223 00:11:52,170 --> 00:11:54,540 Relly Ladner: a young age was how aggressive I was, which was 224 00:11:54,540 --> 00:11:57,690 Relly Ladner: maybe a little bit different than the technical play that 225 00:11:57,690 --> 00:12:00,569 Relly Ladner: they taught here. And on my club team in the 226 00:12:00,570 --> 00:12:01,920 Relly Ladner: US, a lot of the players were technical and I 227 00:12:01,920 --> 00:12:04,559 Relly Ladner: was more of the aggressive so I think that made me stand 228 00:12:04,559 --> 00:12:07,260 Relly Ladner: out. But yeah, committing at such a young age was, 229 00:12:07,380 --> 00:12:09,929 Relly Ladner: I mean it was my goal always to play at 230 00:12:09,929 --> 00:12:12,179 Relly Ladner: the highest level I could. And for me, it wasn't 231 00:12:12,179 --> 00:12:13,920 Relly Ladner: just about playing at the highest level, but also going 232 00:12:14,220 --> 00:12:17,069 Relly Ladner: to a college that academically was at the highest level. 233 00:12:17,070 --> 00:12:19,620 Relly Ladner: And so I think committing to Dartmouth was the combination 234 00:12:19,620 --> 00:12:22,439 Relly Ladner: for me of both the highest academics as well as 235 00:12:22,440 --> 00:12:26,160 Relly Ladner: the highest athletics I could get. So it was honestly, 236 00:12:26,370 --> 00:12:28,890 Relly Ladner: it was such a relieving feeling. It made the rest 237 00:12:28,890 --> 00:12:31,679 Relly Ladner: of high school, I was able just to enjoy it for 238 00:12:31,679 --> 00:12:35,400 Relly Ladner: the most part rather than having this stress of what 239 00:12:35,400 --> 00:12:36,630 Relly Ladner: is my future going to look like. 240 00:12:36,690 --> 00:12:41,520 Rob Simmelkjaer: Yeah, absolutely. Take us to the day in high school 241 00:12:41,520 --> 00:12:47,190 Rob Simmelkjaer: where you started to feel something changing with your legs 242 00:12:47,190 --> 00:12:51,540 Rob Simmelkjaer: and the journey that would really begin from that point. 243 00:12:53,670 --> 00:12:56,670 Relly Ladner: It was a warm day and I was playing with 244 00:12:56,670 --> 00:13:00,420 Relly Ladner: my club soccer team. We were in a tournament that 245 00:13:00,510 --> 00:13:02,280 Relly Ladner: we've played in every year and- 246 00:13:02,370 --> 00:13:02,550 Rob Simmelkjaer: What year of high school was this for you, Relly? 247 00:13:02,551 --> 00:13:08,370 Relly Ladner: This was going into my junior year of high school. I was playing 248 00:13:08,370 --> 00:13:10,229 Relly Ladner: in a game and like I said, it was kind 249 00:13:10,230 --> 00:13:12,929 Relly Ladner: of a hot day and my legs in the beginning of 250 00:13:12,929 --> 00:13:16,020 Relly Ladner: the game started to tingle. And then by halftime, I 251 00:13:16,020 --> 00:13:18,750 Relly Ladner: remember there's this picture of my friend shaking out my 252 00:13:18,750 --> 00:13:21,720 Relly Ladner: legs, but I just thought it was a hot day, 253 00:13:21,840 --> 00:13:24,569 Relly Ladner: a little bit tired. And then by the end of 254 00:13:24,570 --> 00:13:26,490 Relly Ladner: the game, my legs were completely numb. I couldn't feel 255 00:13:26,490 --> 00:13:28,829 Relly Ladner: anything, so I went straight to the hospital with my 256 00:13:28,830 --> 00:13:31,620 Relly Ladner: mom and when I was at the hospital they did a 257 00:13:31,620 --> 00:13:36,330 Relly Ladner: bunch of tests all on my legs and they ultimately 258 00:13:36,360 --> 00:13:40,530 Relly Ladner: couldn't find anything. They just said, " You're probably dehydrated, tired 259 00:13:40,530 --> 00:13:43,830 Relly Ladner: from the game." Because also, what I've learned through all 260 00:13:43,830 --> 00:13:46,920 Relly Ladner: of this, it was like an invisible disease and I 261 00:13:46,920 --> 00:13:51,420 Relly Ladner: think that that's almost harder for people to see when 262 00:13:51,420 --> 00:13:56,670 Relly Ladner: something's not visible. But so I was sent out of 263 00:13:56,670 --> 00:14:00,809 Relly Ladner: the hospital just on go home and hydrate and I 264 00:14:00,809 --> 00:14:03,270 Relly Ladner: woke up the next morning and the bottom of my 265 00:14:03,270 --> 00:14:05,250 Relly Ladner: feet were a purple color and I fell out of 266 00:14:05,250 --> 00:14:08,069 Relly Ladner: my bed. I couldn't walk. And so we called my 267 00:14:08,070 --> 00:14:10,620 Relly Ladner: pediatrician at the time, and she told me to go 268 00:14:10,620 --> 00:14:12,720 Relly Ladner: right back to the hospital and have them test things 269 00:14:12,720 --> 00:14:15,449 Relly Ladner: other than just my legs. So I went to the hospital and had 270 00:14:15,450 --> 00:14:19,800 Relly Ladner: a variety of tests, a MRI, a CAT scan, and 271 00:14:19,800 --> 00:14:22,320 Relly Ladner: while I was waiting for all the results on those, 272 00:14:22,320 --> 00:14:24,870 Relly Ladner: they did a reflex test where when you go to 273 00:14:24,870 --> 00:14:26,101 Relly Ladner: the doctor and they tap your knee and you're like. 274 00:14:26,101 --> 00:14:26,102 Rob Simmelkjaer: With a little hammer, yeah. 275 00:14:26,102 --> 00:14:32,220 Relly Ladner: Exactly. And your leg moves. I had no reflexes so 276 00:14:32,220 --> 00:14:35,010 Relly Ladner: my leg didn't move an inch, and that's where they 277 00:14:35,010 --> 00:14:37,650 Relly Ladner: started to think that it could be Guillain-Barré. I was 278 00:14:37,650 --> 00:14:40,680 Relly Ladner: sent into an emergency spinal tap and that's how I 279 00:14:40,680 --> 00:14:42,239 Relly Ladner: was diagnosed, so that's- 280 00:14:42,420 --> 00:14:42,421 Rob Simmelkjaer: This all happened in a day basically. 281 00:14:42,421 --> 00:14:49,050 Relly Ladner: From the day that I was playing, I went straight 282 00:14:49,050 --> 00:14:51,450 Relly Ladner: to the hospital, then I was sent home, and then 283 00:14:51,450 --> 00:14:54,480 Relly Ladner: I was back in the hospital within the 24 hours 284 00:14:54,510 --> 00:14:57,810 Relly Ladner: and I had a bunch of tests that took a 285 00:14:57,810 --> 00:14:59,940 Relly Ladner: while so it was an overnight, so it was within 286 00:14:59,940 --> 00:15:02,070 Relly Ladner: 48 hours that I was fully diagnosed. 287 00:15:02,550 --> 00:15:05,430 Rob Simmelkjaer: And I'm imagining, correct me if I'm wrong, you probably 288 00:15:05,430 --> 00:15:06,300 Rob Simmelkjaer: had never heard of- 289 00:15:06,660 --> 00:15:06,661 Relly Ladner: No. 290 00:15:06,661 --> 00:15:10,859 Rob Simmelkjaer: ... Guillain- Barré syndrome, right? I'm trying to imagine what it's 291 00:15:11,040 --> 00:15:16,410 Rob Simmelkjaer: like to be that age and be told 48 hours 292 00:15:16,410 --> 00:15:18,721 Rob Simmelkjaer: after everything was perfectly normal and fine in your life, right? 293 00:15:18,721 --> 00:15:19,081 Relly Ladner: That. 294 00:15:19,410 --> 00:15:24,150 Rob Simmelkjaer: That you have a syndrome. You've never heard of a rare 295 00:15:24,240 --> 00:15:29,520 Rob Simmelkjaer: autoimmune disorder and what you were told at that time 296 00:15:29,520 --> 00:15:30,720 Rob Simmelkjaer: by doctors, talk about that. 297 00:15:31,290 --> 00:15:35,730 Relly Ladner: Yeah, I think it was scary for me, but it was even scarier for me 298 00:15:35,730 --> 00:15:38,850 Relly Ladner: to see my parents' reaction. At the time, my parents 299 00:15:38,850 --> 00:15:40,620 Relly Ladner: were still living in Europe, so my mom was there 300 00:15:40,620 --> 00:15:43,080 Relly Ladner: with me, and my dad had flown back but he 301 00:15:43,080 --> 00:15:44,489 Relly Ladner: wasn't there, so it was just my mom and I 302 00:15:44,490 --> 00:15:47,970 Relly Ladner: in the hospital for the initial day or two. And 303 00:15:48,030 --> 00:15:51,150 Relly Ladner: I think seeing her reaction and her uncertainty was what 304 00:15:51,150 --> 00:15:56,910 Relly Ladner: really scared me because as a young adult, I always 305 00:15:56,910 --> 00:15:59,280 Relly Ladner: relied on my mom to tell me that everything's going to 306 00:15:59,280 --> 00:16:00,960 Relly Ladner: be okay, and she couldn't tell me that. So I 307 00:16:00,960 --> 00:16:05,130 Relly Ladner: think that's what really scared me. And like you said, 308 00:16:05,130 --> 00:16:11,130 Relly Ladner: just my life changing overnight, and not just physically, I 309 00:16:11,130 --> 00:16:13,920 Relly Ladner: had lost all ability to move in my legs within 310 00:16:13,920 --> 00:16:17,910 Relly Ladner: a day. It was not like anything had happened. If 311 00:16:17,910 --> 00:16:19,890 Relly Ladner: you break a leg or something, you have an impact, 312 00:16:19,890 --> 00:16:23,520 Relly Ladner: something you can feel. It was like I couldn't pinpoint 313 00:16:23,520 --> 00:16:26,280 Relly Ladner: what I did wrong. So then how do I know 314 00:16:27,150 --> 00:16:28,440 Relly Ladner: what I had done? 315 00:16:31,680 --> 00:16:34,290 Rob Simmelkjaer: What were the doctors telling you at that point about 316 00:16:34,320 --> 00:16:36,600 Rob Simmelkjaer: your future and your prognosis? 317 00:16:39,300 --> 00:16:43,170 Relly Ladner: They were very uncertain as well. They actually had said 318 00:16:43,170 --> 00:16:46,200 Relly Ladner: that they had never seen anyone be diagnosed so soon, 319 00:16:46,200 --> 00:16:48,330 Relly Ladner: which was great that I was diagnosed so soon. I 320 00:16:48,330 --> 00:16:50,550 Relly Ladner: always say that it's because I know my body so 321 00:16:50,550 --> 00:16:52,830 Relly Ladner: well that I was able to catch it so soon. 322 00:16:53,070 --> 00:16:54,900 Relly Ladner: I think that a lot of people maybe would have 323 00:16:54,900 --> 00:16:58,050 Relly Ladner: just blown it off as their legs are tired from 324 00:16:58,050 --> 00:17:00,000 Relly Ladner: a game, whatever and not have gone into the hospital 325 00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:02,820 Relly Ladner: so quickly. I'm so glad that I did. It does 326 00:17:02,820 --> 00:17:04,800 Relly Ladner: spread up your body so it can start either in 327 00:17:04,800 --> 00:17:07,230 Relly Ladner: your feet or in your fingertips and can leave you 328 00:17:07,230 --> 00:17:11,700 Relly Ladner: paralyzed completely or on a ventilator. I definitely was lucky 329 00:17:11,700 --> 00:17:13,439 Relly Ladner: to find it quickly, and that's what the doctors were 330 00:17:13,440 --> 00:17:15,149 Relly Ladner: so shocked about too, was that I was able to 331 00:17:15,150 --> 00:17:17,159 Relly Ladner: find it so quickly, and also that it happened in 332 00:17:17,160 --> 00:17:22,710 Relly Ladner: someone who was young and healthy. So I think that 333 00:17:23,369 --> 00:17:25,679 Relly Ladner: the doctors were a little bit unsure of what to 334 00:17:25,680 --> 00:17:28,050 Relly Ladner: tell me in the beginning. How they stopped the spread 335 00:17:28,050 --> 00:17:31,350 Relly Ladner: of it is through blood serum transfusions. So I had 336 00:17:31,350 --> 00:17:34,650 Relly Ladner: two blood serum transfusions, and since it was spreading quickly, 337 00:17:34,650 --> 00:17:37,200 Relly Ladner: they rushed this blood serum transfusions, which- 338 00:17:40,560 --> 00:17:40,561 Rob Simmelkjaer: What does that mean, a blood serum trans? 339 00:17:40,561 --> 00:17:45,119 Relly Ladner: It's just what it like. It's in an IV and it's blood 340 00:17:45,119 --> 00:17:47,910 Relly Ladner: serum that goes in and stops the spread. I think 341 00:17:47,910 --> 00:17:53,310 Relly Ladner: it shocks the system and stops the spread and that, 342 00:17:53,400 --> 00:17:55,859 Relly Ladner: it normally takes eight hours for each blood serum transfusion, 343 00:17:55,859 --> 00:17:58,560 Relly Ladner: but they rushed it, so they put it in quicker 344 00:17:58,590 --> 00:18:02,220 Relly Ladner: to stop the spread quicker, which then caused aseptic meningitis, 345 00:18:02,220 --> 00:18:04,920 Relly Ladner: which is a migraine times a hundred so that was 346 00:18:05,160 --> 00:18:09,510 Relly Ladner: the worst feeling. And because I couldn't feel anything in 347 00:18:09,510 --> 00:18:13,470 Relly Ladner: my legs, that was what I had felt. I don't 348 00:18:13,470 --> 00:18:16,260 Relly Ladner: know, I think there was so much that I had 349 00:18:16,260 --> 00:18:19,830 Relly Ladner: never experienced, and so many words that were being flown 350 00:18:19,830 --> 00:18:22,710 Relly Ladner: around that were so not on the level that I 351 00:18:22,710 --> 00:18:24,899 Relly Ladner: could comprehend that the doctors were saying and talking to 352 00:18:24,900 --> 00:18:28,740 Relly Ladner: each other that it was so scary that, and a 353 00:18:28,740 --> 00:18:30,270 Relly Ladner: lot of times the doctors were talking to each other 354 00:18:30,270 --> 00:18:32,520 Relly Ladner: and not to me, but what the doctors had told 355 00:18:32,520 --> 00:18:34,710 Relly Ladner: me early on was that there was a chance I 356 00:18:34,710 --> 00:18:36,090 Relly Ladner: was never going to be able to walk again. And 357 00:18:36,090 --> 00:18:38,100 Relly Ladner: I think that's what has stuck with me, and what 358 00:18:38,100 --> 00:18:40,649 Relly Ladner: stuck with me then the most was all of a 359 00:18:40,650 --> 00:18:44,190 Relly Ladner: sudden in 48 hours I went from playing soccer, like 360 00:18:44,190 --> 00:18:47,400 Relly Ladner: you said, being committed to Dartmouth, in my peak shape 361 00:18:47,670 --> 00:18:51,030 Relly Ladner: athletically, to being told by doctors that there was a 362 00:18:51,030 --> 00:18:52,260 Relly Ladner: chance I would never be able to walk again. 363 00:18:53,460 --> 00:18:59,669 Rob Simmelkjaer: Yeah, I cannot imagine what that must have been like 364 00:18:59,670 --> 00:19:02,220 Rob Simmelkjaer: for you. Talk about the recovery. How long did it 365 00:19:02,220 --> 00:19:06,480 Rob Simmelkjaer: take, and when did you realize, Relly, that, or when 366 00:19:06,480 --> 00:19:08,250 Rob Simmelkjaer: did the doctors tell you that it looked like you 367 00:19:08,250 --> 00:19:12,660 Rob Simmelkjaer: were turning the corner and that you might be able 368 00:19:12,660 --> 00:19:15,810 Rob Simmelkjaer: to not just walk but get back to playing soccer, and who knows, someday 369 00:19:17,460 --> 00:19:18,240 Rob Simmelkjaer: running marathons? 370 00:19:20,460 --> 00:19:23,190 Relly Ladner: After the blood serum transfusions, I was then in the hospital for 371 00:19:23,190 --> 00:19:26,670 Relly Ladner: a couple weeks. I was able to be discharged from 372 00:19:26,670 --> 00:19:29,580 Relly Ladner: the hospital when I was able to walk upstairs. So 373 00:19:29,580 --> 00:19:31,170 Relly Ladner: it was a big moment when I was able to walk 374 00:19:31,170 --> 00:19:33,210 Relly Ladner: down the stairs and walk up one flight of stairs 375 00:19:33,270 --> 00:19:34,830 Relly Ladner: or walk down the hall and walk up one flight 376 00:19:34,830 --> 00:19:36,270 Relly Ladner: of stairs. That was the day that I was able 377 00:19:36,270 --> 00:19:39,600 Relly Ladner: to be discharged. And then I was in PT for 378 00:19:39,600 --> 00:19:43,710 Relly Ladner: around six months, and the PT was associated through the 379 00:19:43,710 --> 00:19:45,570 Relly Ladner: hospital, which was great because the doctors kept a close 380 00:19:45,570 --> 00:19:49,080 Relly Ladner: eye and I relearned everything. So I relearned how to 381 00:19:49,080 --> 00:19:51,359 Relly Ladner: walk, how to run, how to kick a soccer ball, 382 00:19:51,480 --> 00:19:53,820 Relly Ladner: how to climb. It was really amazing and it was 383 00:19:53,820 --> 00:19:56,490 Relly Ladner: thorough. I was there most days of the week, and 384 00:19:56,490 --> 00:20:01,920 Relly Ladner: I think that I was, had this external motivation of 385 00:20:02,670 --> 00:20:05,640 Relly Ladner: wanting to play soccer. That was really what led me 386 00:20:05,640 --> 00:20:08,160 Relly Ladner: to push myself hard in PT and push myself to 387 00:20:08,640 --> 00:20:12,060 Relly Ladner: get better, and almost tell myself that I was going 388 00:20:12,060 --> 00:20:15,030 Relly Ladner: to get better rather than have it in my mind 389 00:20:15,030 --> 00:20:17,490 Relly Ladner: that I wasn't going to be able to, it was 390 00:20:17,490 --> 00:20:20,429 Relly Ladner: never really an option for me not to get better. 391 00:20:20,730 --> 00:20:22,590 Relly Ladner: I never told myself that and I think that's what kept 392 00:20:22,590 --> 00:20:22,830 Relly Ladner: me going. 393 00:20:24,660 --> 00:20:28,410 Rob Simmelkjaer: From diagnosis to recovery, it sounds like a couple weeks 394 00:20:28,410 --> 00:20:31,020 Rob Simmelkjaer: in the hospital, and then maybe was it a few 395 00:20:31,020 --> 00:20:34,290 Rob Simmelkjaer: months before you were able to get back to some normalcy 396 00:20:34,290 --> 00:20:35,460 Rob Simmelkjaer: and start playing soccer again? 397 00:20:35,700 --> 00:20:38,250 Relly Ladner: Yeah, it was a couple months and even when I 398 00:20:38,250 --> 00:20:40,770 Relly Ladner: went back on the field for the first time, for 399 00:20:41,670 --> 00:20:44,669 Relly Ladner: the first couple weeks, I would have to stop. And 400 00:20:44,670 --> 00:20:47,250 Relly Ladner: I think there was a lot of mental aspects went 401 00:20:47,250 --> 00:20:50,490 Relly Ladner: into it. I remember we were doing a running test 402 00:20:50,490 --> 00:20:52,320 Relly Ladner: and I had to stop halfway through and I don't know 403 00:20:52,320 --> 00:20:56,520 Relly Ladner: if it was because I was tired and not in 404 00:20:56,520 --> 00:20:59,100 Relly Ladner: the best shape, but I think a lot of it had to do 405 00:20:59,100 --> 00:21:02,520 Relly Ladner: with, I felt like my legs were tingling even though 406 00:21:02,520 --> 00:21:06,119 Relly Ladner: they weren't, but it was almost this mental block that 407 00:21:06,119 --> 00:21:07,800 Relly Ladner: was really hard to get through when I first started 408 00:21:07,800 --> 00:21:08,520 Relly Ladner: playing soccer again. 409 00:21:12,570 --> 00:21:16,680 Rob Simmelkjaer: Yeah, no, it makes sense. I mean, before we go forward in the story, it's pretty remarkable that you are able to recover 410 00:21:16,680 --> 00:21:20,460 Rob Simmelkjaer: this quickly. Catching it early clearly was a really big part 411 00:21:20,460 --> 00:21:23,250 Rob Simmelkjaer: of that because this is a rare syndrome for sure, 412 00:21:23,250 --> 00:21:26,700 Rob Simmelkjaer: but it's not unheard of. I mean, I don't know 413 00:21:26,700 --> 00:21:29,850 Rob Simmelkjaer: if you've seen the film, Relly, but Final Finishers, the 414 00:21:29,850 --> 00:21:33,840 Rob Simmelkjaer: film that we put out about four members of the 2024 415 00:21:34,680 --> 00:21:36,869 Rob Simmelkjaer: Team Inspire or some of the Final Finishers, I mean 416 00:21:36,869 --> 00:21:42,300 Rob Simmelkjaer: in the 2024 marathon. One of those characters, Michael Ring, was 417 00:21:42,300 --> 00:21:48,929 Rob Simmelkjaer: someone who also suffers from Guillain- Barré syndrome and still has 418 00:21:48,930 --> 00:21:52,920 Rob Simmelkjaer: a struggle running and moving and has braces and needs 419 00:21:52,920 --> 00:21:56,790 Rob Simmelkjaer: a lot of help. He manages amazingly and miraculously to 420 00:21:56,790 --> 00:22:00,600 Rob Simmelkjaer: run the marathon, but isn't without restrictions in terms of 421 00:22:00,600 --> 00:22:04,500 Rob Simmelkjaer: what he can do. I'm sure you look around and 422 00:22:04,500 --> 00:22:08,790 Rob Simmelkjaer: see others who've had this syndrome and realize how incredibly 423 00:22:08,790 --> 00:22:11,640 Rob Simmelkjaer: lucky you are to have caught it that soon and 424 00:22:11,640 --> 00:22:12,690 Rob Simmelkjaer: gotten that kind of treatment. 425 00:22:13,230 --> 00:22:16,410 Relly Ladner: Yeah, for sure. No, I mean I tell myself every day how 426 00:22:16,410 --> 00:22:18,600 Relly Ladner: lucky I am and I think that that really goes to 427 00:22:18,660 --> 00:22:21,929 Relly Ladner: show and stories like that, and in any sort of 428 00:22:21,930 --> 00:22:24,300 Relly Ladner: disease where I still see people that aren't able to 429 00:22:24,300 --> 00:22:28,050 Relly Ladner: recover, I am thankful. I'm lucky that I was able 430 00:22:28,050 --> 00:22:30,000 Relly Ladner: to be in such a great hospital and have such 431 00:22:30,000 --> 00:22:33,330 Relly Ladner: great care too. I'm also lucky to have had such 432 00:22:33,330 --> 00:22:36,000 Relly Ladner: a good support system in my family, and I think 433 00:22:36,000 --> 00:22:39,359 Relly Ladner: having them have all been athletes too, they really also 434 00:22:39,359 --> 00:22:42,000 Relly Ladner: helped me push to continue to get to that next 435 00:22:42,000 --> 00:22:45,419 Relly Ladner: level rather than just maybe being okay with walking. I 436 00:22:45,420 --> 00:22:50,640 Relly Ladner: think that having that backbone of an athletic family also 437 00:22:50,640 --> 00:22:51,210 Relly Ladner: really helped me. 438 00:22:51,450 --> 00:22:54,930 Rob Simmelkjaer: Oh yeah, no doubt. But I guess it's a message 439 00:22:54,930 --> 00:22:57,480 Rob Simmelkjaer: to people out there. When something seems off with your 440 00:22:57,480 --> 00:23:03,750 Rob Simmelkjaer: body and something really feels strange, don't waste time. Go 441 00:23:04,080 --> 00:23:04,741 Rob Simmelkjaer: get it checked out. 442 00:23:04,741 --> 00:23:10,020 Relly Ladner: Yeah, 100%. Yeah, it's always better to be over cautious. 443 00:23:10,710 --> 00:23:13,320 Rob Simmelkjaer: Absolutely. So all right, so you get back on the 444 00:23:13,320 --> 00:23:17,700 Rob Simmelkjaer: soccer field, Relly, and by your senior year you're playing an 445 00:23:17,850 --> 00:23:20,609 Rob Simmelkjaer: state championship game for your high school team. 446 00:23:21,090 --> 00:23:26,490 Relly Ladner: Yeah, I think that I almost had this extra motivation to get back 447 00:23:26,490 --> 00:23:28,230 Relly Ladner: and to not only get back, but to have the 448 00:23:28,230 --> 00:23:33,750 Relly Ladner: biggest impact that I could. Being able to play for 449 00:23:33,750 --> 00:23:37,440 Relly Ladner: my high school at the state championship was just so 450 00:23:37,440 --> 00:23:42,510 Relly Ladner: surreal, so amazing, and really a full circle from when 451 00:23:42,510 --> 00:23:44,490 Relly Ladner: I was told that I wasn't going to be able to 452 00:23:44,490 --> 00:23:48,810 Relly Ladner: walk to winning a state championship, which was the highest 453 00:23:49,080 --> 00:23:52,230 Relly Ladner: level at my age that you could do at the 454 00:23:52,230 --> 00:23:55,410 Relly Ladner: time. So yeah, it was like the best reward. 455 00:23:55,890 --> 00:23:58,350 Rob Simmelkjaer: Relly, you're being modest. You didn't just play in the 456 00:23:58,350 --> 00:24:02,400 Rob Simmelkjaer: state championship, your team didn't just win the state championship, you had 457 00:24:02,910 --> 00:24:04,080 Rob Simmelkjaer: a special role in that. 458 00:24:04,500 --> 00:24:09,180 Relly Ladner: Yeah. Yeah, I did have a goal. I scored the 459 00:24:09,180 --> 00:24:10,050 Relly Ladner: lone goal in that game. 460 00:24:10,050 --> 00:24:13,680 Rob Simmelkjaer: The game- winning goal, yes. It was one- nothing, you 461 00:24:13,680 --> 00:24:17,550 Rob Simmelkjaer: scored the one. Yes. Got to say this for you 462 00:24:17,550 --> 00:24:21,690 Rob Simmelkjaer: apparently. Yes. No, really good. And I mean obviously an 463 00:24:21,690 --> 00:24:26,010 Rob Simmelkjaer: incredible story. What was that like for you, for your 464 00:24:26,010 --> 00:24:29,790 Rob Simmelkjaer: parents? I, being a parent, I can't help but see 465 00:24:29,790 --> 00:24:34,140 Rob Simmelkjaer: this through their lens. What do you remember about that 466 00:24:34,500 --> 00:24:39,869 Rob Simmelkjaer: moment with them when you had that incredible victory and 467 00:24:39,869 --> 00:24:43,020 Rob Simmelkjaer: the role you played, but also what it meant for 468 00:24:43,020 --> 00:24:44,760 Rob Simmelkjaer: your journey and where you came from? 469 00:24:45,090 --> 00:24:48,689 Relly Ladner: Right. I think that my parents have always shown me 470 00:24:48,690 --> 00:24:50,939 Relly Ladner: in different ways how proud they are of me, but 471 00:24:50,939 --> 00:24:53,580 Relly Ladner: I think this was different than proud. It was almost 472 00:24:54,690 --> 00:24:57,780 Relly Ladner: a relief to watch me be able to do what 473 00:24:57,810 --> 00:25:00,420 Relly Ladner: all my friends were doing and to be able to 474 00:25:01,230 --> 00:25:03,959 Relly Ladner: be so happy doing the thing that I loved was 475 00:25:04,350 --> 00:25:08,250 Relly Ladner: less of a proud moment, which I think that every 476 00:25:08,250 --> 00:25:11,940 Relly Ladner: other parent might've felt watching their daughters on my team 477 00:25:11,940 --> 00:25:16,889 Relly Ladner: win that game, but more so a relief that I 478 00:25:16,890 --> 00:25:18,600 Relly Ladner: was able to do it, I was able to get 479 00:25:18,600 --> 00:25:23,609 Relly Ladner: back, and also able to get back and accomplish things. 480 00:25:24,210 --> 00:25:28,740 Relly Ladner: Not just, like I said, not continue along a flat 481 00:25:28,740 --> 00:25:32,160 Relly Ladner: line. I was able to push myself and start to 482 00:25:32,160 --> 00:25:33,149 Relly Ladner: accomplish things. 483 00:25:33,930 --> 00:25:37,379 Rob Simmelkjaer: You went on to Dartmouth, you were a defender up there, 484 00:25:37,380 --> 00:25:41,220 Rob Simmelkjaer: and what was that like? Obviously, it was your goal, 485 00:25:41,220 --> 00:25:43,320 Rob Simmelkjaer: right, so you got there, you majored in German, which 486 00:25:43,320 --> 00:25:45,899 Rob Simmelkjaer: makes sense for someone who grew up in Austria, that 487 00:25:45,900 --> 00:25:46,650 Rob Simmelkjaer: must have been easy. 488 00:25:46,980 --> 00:25:51,840 Relly Ladner: Yeah, everyone says that it's so easy, but I always then say it's majoring in 489 00:25:51,840 --> 00:25:55,619 Relly Ladner: English. It's not just learning the language but reading the literature. 490 00:25:57,720 --> 00:26:01,050 Rob Simmelkjaer: Good point. Okay, good point, I'll give you that. That makes sense. Absolutely. 491 00:26:01,380 --> 00:26:04,740 Rob Simmelkjaer: What was it like? I mean, did the experience you'd been through 492 00:26:06,180 --> 00:26:09,780 Rob Simmelkjaer: probably felt a little more, maybe in some ways mature 493 00:26:09,780 --> 00:26:13,109 Rob Simmelkjaer: than a lot of your teammates given what you'd been through? 494 00:26:13,530 --> 00:26:18,420 Relly Ladner: Yeah, I think that there's a lot of politics and drama that 495 00:26:18,420 --> 00:26:20,940 Relly Ladner: can go into sports, especially at a high school level 496 00:26:20,940 --> 00:26:25,440 Relly Ladner: or at a college level. And I think that whenever something like 497 00:26:25,440 --> 00:26:27,840 Relly Ladner: that would occur, I would try to stay out of 498 00:26:27,840 --> 00:26:33,659 Relly Ladner: it and just tell myself that my playing time, whatever, 499 00:26:33,660 --> 00:26:35,550 Relly Ladner: you know what I mean? I'm here on the team 500 00:26:35,550 --> 00:26:38,970 Relly Ladner: that I love, at the school that I love playing 501 00:26:38,970 --> 00:26:41,580 Relly Ladner: the sport that I love and able to do it so 502 00:26:42,090 --> 00:26:44,399 Relly Ladner: who cares if I play five minutes in a game 503 00:26:44,400 --> 00:26:48,090 Relly Ladner: or if the starter, I'm playing the full, you know 504 00:26:48,090 --> 00:26:50,369 Relly Ladner: what I mean? That didn't matter to me anymore. It 505 00:26:50,369 --> 00:26:52,770 Relly Ladner: was more so just that I was able to be 506 00:26:52,770 --> 00:26:56,219 Relly Ladner: doing what I loved. I think that I always felt like, yeah, that I had 507 00:26:56,880 --> 00:27:00,119 Relly Ladner: that different perspective that I wasn't, and it wasn't that 508 00:27:00,119 --> 00:27:03,180 Relly Ladner: I wasn't competitive with myself. I've always been competitive with 509 00:27:03,180 --> 00:27:06,240 Relly Ladner: myself, but it was a different type of, I let 510 00:27:06,240 --> 00:27:11,520 Relly Ladner: myself not be competitive in that sense and more so 511 00:27:11,520 --> 00:27:17,429 Relly Ladner: feel appreciative of just the everyday and being able to 512 00:27:17,430 --> 00:27:21,000 Relly Ladner: go out and play with my team. 513 00:27:22,530 --> 00:27:25,560 Rob Simmelkjaer: I got to get to the question of what put 514 00:27:25,560 --> 00:27:29,159 Rob Simmelkjaer: the idea of running a marathon for real, really doing 515 00:27:29,160 --> 00:27:32,820 Rob Simmelkjaer: this into your head. I mean, soccer players do run 516 00:27:32,820 --> 00:27:35,220 Rob Simmelkjaer: a lot. There's a lot of running now. You weren't 517 00:27:35,220 --> 00:27:38,250 Rob Simmelkjaer: a midfielder, you were a defender, so I guess you run maybe a 518 00:27:38,250 --> 00:27:40,590 Rob Simmelkjaer: little bit less than a midi might run, but still, 519 00:27:41,160 --> 00:27:43,439 Rob Simmelkjaer: you know how to run, right? But those are short 520 00:27:43,440 --> 00:27:47,640 Rob Simmelkjaer: bursts and things like that. When did this really get 521 00:27:48,060 --> 00:27:50,250 Rob Simmelkjaer: in your head and say, " This is something I think 522 00:27:50,250 --> 00:27:50,850 Rob Simmelkjaer: I really want to do?" 523 00:27:50,850 --> 00:27:54,540 Relly Ladner: I think after my junior summer when I interned and 524 00:27:54,810 --> 00:27:57,270 Relly Ladner: scored the city through running, I then went back my 525 00:27:57,270 --> 00:28:00,090 Relly Ladner: senior year of college and played the fall, and then 526 00:28:00,510 --> 00:28:02,280 Relly Ladner: it was just crazy. It was like one day, all 527 00:28:02,280 --> 00:28:05,159 Relly Ladner: of a sudden in mid- November my soccer was done, 528 00:28:05,340 --> 00:28:07,409 Relly Ladner: and then it was almost like the same feeling that 529 00:28:07,410 --> 00:28:10,830 Relly Ladner: I had had when I was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré. I was like, 530 00:28:10,890 --> 00:28:13,740 Relly Ladner: everything just stopped. Everything that I had worked for in my life 531 00:28:13,740 --> 00:28:16,980 Relly Ladner: just stopped and all of a sudden one day everything 532 00:28:16,980 --> 00:28:20,879 Relly Ladner: just stopped and I didn't want to stop. And so 533 00:28:21,300 --> 00:28:24,150 Relly Ladner: I went back to running. And then it wasn't really 534 00:28:24,150 --> 00:28:27,000 Relly Ladner: until I moved to the city when I graduated in 535 00:28:27,359 --> 00:28:31,500 Relly Ladner: that summer that I really started to run again. I 536 00:28:31,500 --> 00:28:34,170 Relly Ladner: think for the same reasons. I also think that it's 537 00:28:34,170 --> 00:28:36,450 Relly Ladner: such a social thing, it can introduce you to so many 538 00:28:36,450 --> 00:28:40,200 Relly Ladner: people through run clubs, through races, through, there's so many 539 00:28:40,200 --> 00:28:43,200 Relly Ladner: different social aspects of that, which I've really enjoyed. But 540 00:28:43,200 --> 00:28:45,990 Relly Ladner: yeah, it wasn't really until I graduated that I started 541 00:28:45,990 --> 00:28:49,980 Relly Ladner: running and then I ran my first marathon, which was 542 00:28:50,010 --> 00:28:53,730 Relly Ladner: the Nashville Marathon in that following spring. So my first 543 00:28:53,730 --> 00:28:56,610 Relly Ladner: year living in the city, I ran the Nashville Marathon and 544 00:28:56,610 --> 00:28:58,950 Relly Ladner: I chose to do the Nashville Marathon because my parents 545 00:28:58,950 --> 00:29:01,350 Relly Ladner: had both done the Nashville half and they had told 546 00:29:01,350 --> 00:29:04,650 Relly Ladner: me how fun it is, there's live music the whole time. 547 00:29:05,130 --> 00:29:07,770 Rob Simmelkjaer: That's the rock and roll. Is that the rock and roll marathon 548 00:29:07,770 --> 00:29:10,440 Rob Simmelkjaer: down there? Yeah, that's a, it's a popular marathon and half. 549 00:29:10,860 --> 00:29:14,370 Relly Ladner: Yeah, it is. And for the first half, it was 550 00:29:14,370 --> 00:29:16,920 Relly Ladner: a ton of fun. Live music, and then the second 551 00:29:16,920 --> 00:29:19,740 Relly Ladner: half when it's, because it's one of those races where 552 00:29:19,740 --> 00:29:21,570 Relly Ladner: the marathon and half- marathon are going the same time 553 00:29:21,570 --> 00:29:23,790 Relly Ladner: and they split off. And then the second half, I 554 00:29:23,790 --> 00:29:26,730 Relly Ladner: was running through the streets of Nashville alone. It's not 555 00:29:26,730 --> 00:29:30,150 Relly Ladner: as big of a marathon as the New York Marathon or not 556 00:29:30,150 --> 00:29:33,060 Relly Ladner: nearly as big. There was times when I was running 557 00:29:33,060 --> 00:29:35,670 Relly Ladner: by myself and I was almost questioning to myself, why 558 00:29:35,670 --> 00:29:38,370 Relly Ladner: am I doing this? At one point I called my 559 00:29:38,370 --> 00:29:40,320 Relly Ladner: parents and I had definitely hit- 560 00:29:40,320 --> 00:29:41,640 Rob Simmelkjaer: You called them in the race? Yeah. 561 00:29:41,670 --> 00:29:44,940 Relly Ladner: Yes. Yeah, they were there cheering for me and I think 562 00:29:44,940 --> 00:29:48,720 Relly Ladner: it was about halfway through maybe mile 14 or 15. 563 00:29:48,810 --> 00:29:51,300 Relly Ladner: And I was like, " I'm done. I can't do it. 564 00:29:51,300 --> 00:29:54,780 Relly Ladner: I am done." And they're just like, " Walk, you can 565 00:29:54,780 --> 00:29:57,600 Relly Ladner: do it. Just walk." And I think in that moment, 566 00:30:00,180 --> 00:30:03,810 Relly Ladner: even just hearing the words walk was, there was a 567 00:30:03,810 --> 00:30:06,060 Relly Ladner: time when I wasn't able to walk, I can walk 568 00:30:06,060 --> 00:30:09,000 Relly Ladner: right now, I can finish this if that means that 569 00:30:09,000 --> 00:30:11,340 Relly Ladner: I'm crawling. You know what I mean? And I think that 570 00:30:11,340 --> 00:30:14,370 Relly Ladner: really resonated with me just like, yes, it doesn't matter. 571 00:30:14,580 --> 00:30:17,580 Relly Ladner: I can finish a marathon. But it was definitely extremely challenging 572 00:30:17,580 --> 00:30:19,980 Relly Ladner: for me, that marathon. I went out way too fast. 573 00:30:19,980 --> 00:30:24,690 Relly Ladner: I also, I was training myself and I didn't have 574 00:30:24,810 --> 00:30:29,400 Relly Ladner: a real training plan. I didn't know much. I thought 575 00:30:29,400 --> 00:30:31,620 Relly Ladner: it was kind of invincible. I was a college athlete, 576 00:30:31,620 --> 00:30:33,030 Relly Ladner: of course I can go out and run a marathon, 577 00:30:34,140 --> 00:30:37,320 Relly Ladner: and it was hard. It challenged me in a lot 578 00:30:37,320 --> 00:30:44,040 Relly Ladner: of ways, but I finished, and I think finishing, it 579 00:30:44,040 --> 00:30:48,060 Relly Ladner: was almost like one of the bigger accomplishments that I 580 00:30:48,060 --> 00:30:52,710 Relly Ladner: had done since I was diagnosed with Guillain- Barré and able 581 00:30:52,710 --> 00:30:55,200 Relly Ladner: to come back from it. It was like I had 582 00:30:55,500 --> 00:30:58,350 Relly Ladner: gone through this hardship during the marathon and was able to 583 00:30:58,350 --> 00:31:00,239 Relly Ladner: come back from it and finish and I think that 584 00:31:00,240 --> 00:31:03,540 Relly Ladner: that's really what's then sparked my love of running after 585 00:31:03,540 --> 00:31:06,420 Relly Ladner: that, being like, " Okay, I can do hard things. I 586 00:31:06,420 --> 00:31:08,460 Relly Ladner: can put my mind to something and I can do it." Yeah. 587 00:31:08,820 --> 00:31:13,710 Rob Simmelkjaer: Yeah, no, I can imagine feeling exactly that way. It's 588 00:31:13,710 --> 00:31:15,930 Rob Simmelkjaer: a lot to have accomplished by a very young age, 589 00:31:16,200 --> 00:31:19,710 Rob Simmelkjaer: obviously the recovery and then running a marathon. It's interesting, 590 00:31:19,710 --> 00:31:24,060 Rob Simmelkjaer: Relly, we actually are seeing this trend with marathons now 591 00:31:24,360 --> 00:31:28,440 Rob Simmelkjaer: where the fastest growing demographic when it comes to people 592 00:31:28,440 --> 00:31:33,420 Rob Simmelkjaer: running marathons is people in their twenties. Marathons traditionally had 593 00:31:33,420 --> 00:31:37,170 Rob Simmelkjaer: been something that older people who are more middle- aged 594 00:31:37,170 --> 00:31:40,290 Rob Simmelkjaer: maybe would come to, maybe you'd run track as a 595 00:31:40,290 --> 00:31:44,220 Rob Simmelkjaer: kid and maybe you'd run but 5Ks and stuff in 596 00:31:44,220 --> 00:31:46,650 Rob Simmelkjaer: your twenties if you ran at all, and it was maybe 597 00:31:46,650 --> 00:31:49,110 Rob Simmelkjaer: in your thirties or forties that you decided you want 598 00:31:49,110 --> 00:31:52,440 Rob Simmelkjaer: to start running marathons. But now, there's this huge growth 599 00:31:52,830 --> 00:31:56,430 Rob Simmelkjaer: in people in their twenties running, very similar to you, 600 00:31:56,790 --> 00:32:02,400 Rob Simmelkjaer: graduating college and making it that rite of passage, next 601 00:32:02,400 --> 00:32:05,820 Rob Simmelkjaer: big thing after college. I'm curious, why do you think 602 00:32:05,820 --> 00:32:09,420 Rob Simmelkjaer: that is? Why do you think people like you these 603 00:32:09,420 --> 00:32:10,830 Rob Simmelkjaer: days want to run marathons? 604 00:32:11,430 --> 00:32:14,280 Relly Ladner: I think a couple reasons. One is it's so accessible. 605 00:32:14,310 --> 00:32:17,400 Relly Ladner: Being able to run is, you can do it anywhere. 606 00:32:17,670 --> 00:32:19,560 Relly Ladner: You just really need a pair of shoes. And I 607 00:32:19,560 --> 00:32:22,110 Relly Ladner: think now there's so much that goes into it, so 608 00:32:22,110 --> 00:32:25,800 Relly Ladner: much more outfits, and that type of thing and fuel. 609 00:32:26,340 --> 00:32:28,890 Relly Ladner: But just really the basics of running is just having 610 00:32:28,890 --> 00:32:30,180 Relly Ladner: a pair of shoes and going out and running, so 611 00:32:30,180 --> 00:32:34,229 Relly Ladner: I think it's super accessible for everyone all over no 612 00:32:34,230 --> 00:32:36,690 Relly Ladner: matter where you are. I also think it's very social. 613 00:32:37,020 --> 00:32:39,900 Relly Ladner: There's a lot of run clubs and I think that 614 00:32:40,290 --> 00:32:42,750 Relly Ladner: it's almost become a trend like Running Now. 615 00:32:42,750 --> 00:32:48,330 Rob Simmelkjaer: Huge on social media obviously. I mean, my feed since the marathon 616 00:32:48,330 --> 00:32:50,430 Rob Simmelkjaer: has just, it's been non- stop. 617 00:32:50,610 --> 00:32:50,760 Relly Ladner: Yeah. 618 00:32:50,760 --> 00:32:53,550 Rob Simmelkjaer: People who ran the TCS New York City Marathon, it's 619 00:32:53,550 --> 00:32:57,180 Rob Simmelkjaer: incredible, and I feel like that's playing into it a lot as well. 620 00:32:57,540 --> 00:33:01,830 Relly Ladner: Yeah, and I think it's so amazing because it's, as popular as it's 621 00:33:01,830 --> 00:33:04,200 Relly Ladner: getting, which means it's harder to get into races and 622 00:33:04,200 --> 00:33:07,950 Relly Ladner: that type of thing, which is a little frustrating for 623 00:33:07,950 --> 00:33:10,290 Relly Ladner: someone who loves running. But at the same time, I 624 00:33:10,290 --> 00:33:13,800 Relly Ladner: think it's so amazing to see such a large community 625 00:33:13,800 --> 00:33:18,390 Relly Ladner: come together with something so positive. It's such a good 626 00:33:18,450 --> 00:33:22,260 Relly Ladner: thing for you and for the community and it brings 627 00:33:22,260 --> 00:33:26,370 Relly Ladner: together not only the runners, but also spectators and yeah. 628 00:33:26,370 --> 00:33:29,730 Relly Ladner: I think it brings together the community in such a 629 00:33:29,730 --> 00:33:32,580 Relly Ladner: healthy way, which is like you can't be mad that 630 00:33:32,610 --> 00:33:35,160 Relly Ladner: it's becoming such a big thing because it's such a 631 00:33:35,160 --> 00:33:36,660 Relly Ladner: healthy thing. You know what I mean? 632 00:33:38,220 --> 00:33:41,100 Rob Simmelkjaer: I tell that to people all the time, and thank 633 00:33:41,100 --> 00:33:44,400 Rob Simmelkjaer: you for saying that because, Relly, sometimes they do get 634 00:33:44,400 --> 00:33:48,719 Rob Simmelkjaer: mad, even though maybe they shouldn't. Sometimes they get mad that 635 00:33:48,720 --> 00:33:52,080 Rob Simmelkjaer: they can't get into every race they want to run 636 00:33:52,080 --> 00:33:55,740 Rob Simmelkjaer: in, they can't get into the marathon. I try to 637 00:33:55,740 --> 00:33:58,770 Rob Simmelkjaer: point out, this is actually a good thing, but I 638 00:33:58,770 --> 00:34:02,280 Rob Simmelkjaer: understand sometimes that argument doesn't resonate. 639 00:34:03,450 --> 00:34:03,780 Relly Ladner: Yeah. 640 00:34:05,670 --> 00:34:09,270 Rob Simmelkjaer: All right, so rough first marathon, not unheard of. We've 641 00:34:09,270 --> 00:34:13,710 Rob Simmelkjaer: all heard that story a bunch of times. You decided 642 00:34:13,710 --> 00:34:15,510 Rob Simmelkjaer: that you didn't want to go out like that, so 643 00:34:15,510 --> 00:34:19,170 Rob Simmelkjaer: you came back and ran New York in 2024, finished 644 00:34:19,170 --> 00:34:21,750 Rob Simmelkjaer: in under four hours. What did you fix and what 645 00:34:21,750 --> 00:34:24,390 Rob Simmelkjaer: was the difference for you in your second time out 646 00:34:24,390 --> 00:34:25,290 Rob Simmelkjaer: with a marathon distance? 647 00:34:25,350 --> 00:34:28,200 Relly Ladner: I think two things. The biggest thing as humbling as 648 00:34:28,200 --> 00:34:32,879 Relly Ladner: it was to me was just go slower. I didn't need 649 00:34:32,880 --> 00:34:35,280 Relly Ladner: to sprint and to find a pace that I was 650 00:34:35,280 --> 00:34:38,460 Relly Ladner: really able to maintain and to also train in a 651 00:34:38,460 --> 00:34:42,029 Relly Ladner: way that I was incorporating a lot of different runs. 652 00:34:42,030 --> 00:34:47,940 Relly Ladner: I think that for me what was hard was I 653 00:34:47,940 --> 00:34:51,330 Relly Ladner: grew up where running was something I didn't always love 654 00:34:51,330 --> 00:34:53,730 Relly Ladner: because it was a punishment and it was a punishment 655 00:34:53,790 --> 00:34:55,530 Relly Ladner: in a way that was like you had to do 656 00:34:55,530 --> 00:34:58,590 Relly Ladner: sprints or something that was very exerting. I went into 657 00:34:58,590 --> 00:35:02,370 Relly Ladner: my first, to the national marathon having just casually ran. 658 00:35:02,430 --> 00:35:04,770 Relly Ladner: I ran long runs and stuff, but I never really pushed 659 00:35:04,770 --> 00:35:08,820 Relly Ladner: myself. And so this, for the New York Marathon last 660 00:35:08,820 --> 00:35:12,239 Relly Ladner: year, I did hill workouts, I did sprint workouts, and 661 00:35:12,239 --> 00:35:14,880 Relly Ladner: I think in the beginning it was like, " Oh, why 662 00:35:14,880 --> 00:35:16,770 Relly Ladner: am I forcing myself to do this?" But then ultimately 663 00:35:16,890 --> 00:35:19,440 Relly Ladner: seeing the result made it also worth it. So I think 664 00:35:19,440 --> 00:35:22,799 Relly Ladner: incorporating a lot of different styles of running and being 665 00:35:22,800 --> 00:35:25,890 Relly Ladner: okay with what I'm on a longer run, not being 666 00:35:25,890 --> 00:35:28,140 Relly Ladner: the fastest one out there. It's okay if people pass 667 00:35:28,140 --> 00:35:29,910 Relly Ladner: me on the West Side Highway. I think that is 668 00:35:30,090 --> 00:35:33,060 Relly Ladner: a big thing too for me was being okay that 669 00:35:33,750 --> 00:35:36,060 Relly Ladner: it's okay to go slower, which is I think what 670 00:35:36,060 --> 00:35:37,920 Relly Ladner: ultimately makes you faster, but. 671 00:35:37,920 --> 00:35:40,320 Rob Simmelkjaer: They say run slower to run faster, 100%. 672 00:35:40,680 --> 00:35:47,160 Relly Ladner: Exactly. And then I also think fueling, I really nail 673 00:35:47,160 --> 00:35:50,130 Relly Ladner: down a good fueling plan and I think for me, I 674 00:35:50,130 --> 00:35:54,239 Relly Ladner: had never really thought of using fuel. 675 00:35:54,540 --> 00:35:54,900 Rob Simmelkjaer: Fuel. 676 00:35:54,960 --> 00:35:58,859 Relly Ladner: Yeah, exactly. Using fuel and what works for me versus 677 00:35:59,040 --> 00:36:01,799 Relly Ladner: what could work for a friend is totally different. So 678 00:36:01,800 --> 00:36:04,410 Relly Ladner: really figuring out my fueling. And then I think also 679 00:36:04,410 --> 00:36:08,310 Relly Ladner: being in New York, just the atmosphere is so amazing. 680 00:36:08,310 --> 00:36:11,160 Relly Ladner: Having all my friends and family there to support me, 681 00:36:11,160 --> 00:36:15,300 Relly Ladner: but also just everyone, every part of the marathon is 682 00:36:15,300 --> 00:36:19,859 Relly Ladner: just packed with different people. And I think another big 683 00:36:19,860 --> 00:36:21,690 Relly Ladner: thing about the New York Marathon is you're never alone. 684 00:36:21,690 --> 00:36:23,700 Relly Ladner: You're always running. There's people in front of you and 685 00:36:23,700 --> 00:36:26,610 Relly Ladner: there's people behind you the entire time, so you really 686 00:36:26,610 --> 00:36:28,561 Relly Ladner: feel like you're a part of something. 687 00:36:28,561 --> 00:36:33,630 Rob Simmelkjaer: I feel like the crowds, and the other runners in New 688 00:36:33,630 --> 00:36:39,719 Rob Simmelkjaer: York are worth a good 10 minutes of faster times. I really do believe that. 689 00:36:39,719 --> 00:36:40,109 Relly Ladner: Absolutely. 690 00:36:40,650 --> 00:36:43,860 Rob Simmelkjaer: A little less than say 30 seconds per mile. I 691 00:36:43,860 --> 00:36:46,230 Rob Simmelkjaer: mean, you don't want to go crazy, obviously. You learn 692 00:36:46,230 --> 00:36:47,850 Rob Simmelkjaer: the lesson of going out too fast and a lot 693 00:36:47,850 --> 00:36:50,340 Rob Simmelkjaer: of people do learn that in New York, it's not 694 00:36:50,340 --> 00:36:52,469 Rob Simmelkjaer: a course that a lot of people negative split on. 695 00:36:52,739 --> 00:36:55,620 Rob Simmelkjaer: They do tend to struggle in the second half just 696 00:36:55,620 --> 00:36:57,299 Rob Simmelkjaer: because the second half is so hard. 697 00:36:57,690 --> 00:36:57,810 Relly Ladner: Yeah. 698 00:36:57,810 --> 00:37:02,730 Rob Simmelkjaer: But I really believe that the energy can take 10 699 00:37:02,730 --> 00:37:05,940 Rob Simmelkjaer: minutes off of your time. You got under four hours 700 00:37:05,940 --> 00:37:07,830 Rob Simmelkjaer: last year. What were your goals coming into the race 701 00:37:07,830 --> 00:37:09,870 Rob Simmelkjaer: this year? Did you have a time goal? I know 702 00:37:09,870 --> 00:37:12,300 Rob Simmelkjaer: you were obviously on Team Inspire, so you were part 703 00:37:12,300 --> 00:37:15,450 Rob Simmelkjaer: of your experience this year was going around and telling 704 00:37:15,450 --> 00:37:17,670 Rob Simmelkjaer: your story and being a media star and all of 705 00:37:17,670 --> 00:37:21,270 Rob Simmelkjaer: that, but did you have a specific time goal in mind? 706 00:37:21,750 --> 00:37:26,040 Relly Ladner: Yeah, I did. In the 2024, so last year, I ran a 707 00:37:26,040 --> 00:37:30,210 Relly Ladner: marathon in 3: 57 and then this year my goal 708 00:37:30,210 --> 00:37:34,830 Relly Ladner: was 3: 45, so definitely cutting that down. I almost 709 00:37:34,830 --> 00:37:37,410 Relly Ladner: felt like 3: 45 was a little bit lofty of 710 00:37:37,410 --> 00:37:39,210 Relly Ladner: a goal. I was a little bit scared to tell 711 00:37:39,210 --> 00:37:41,489 Relly Ladner: people that because I didn't want to not get that, 712 00:37:41,820 --> 00:37:44,370 Relly Ladner: but I ended up getting a 3: 32, so definitely. 713 00:37:44,370 --> 00:37:51,299 Rob Simmelkjaer: Whoa. 3:32, you were going for 3: 45, how did that happen? What got 714 00:37:51,300 --> 00:37:53,940 Rob Simmelkjaer: into you out there on the course to run that 715 00:37:53,940 --> 00:37:55,170 Rob Simmelkjaer: much faster than your goal? 716 00:37:57,450 --> 00:38:00,900 Relly Ladner: I think a couple things. I think the first is 717 00:38:01,260 --> 00:38:04,170 Relly Ladner: a couple times in the beginning of the marathon I 718 00:38:04,170 --> 00:38:06,780 Relly Ladner: had, so I had my regular bib on the side 719 00:38:06,780 --> 00:38:08,730 Relly Ladner: of my shorts and then I had the Team Inspire 720 00:38:08,730 --> 00:38:11,520 Relly Ladner: bib on my back. And a couple of times people had 721 00:38:11,520 --> 00:38:15,300 Relly Ladner: passed me running and were like, " Whoo, Team Inspire," cheering. 722 00:38:15,630 --> 00:38:19,319 Relly Ladner: And it was so amazing to me that people knew 723 00:38:19,320 --> 00:38:23,910 Relly Ladner: what Team Inspire was and were so happy to celebrate 724 00:38:24,180 --> 00:38:26,370 Relly Ladner: and they had no idea of my story. I was 725 00:38:26,370 --> 00:38:30,120 Relly Ladner: just someone running around the same time as them, which 726 00:38:30,120 --> 00:38:33,450 Relly Ladner: was just so amazing and really motivational too. It was 727 00:38:33,450 --> 00:38:37,110 Relly Ladner: almost like, " Yes, I'm wearing this." It almost felt like 728 00:38:37,590 --> 00:38:40,020 Relly Ladner: as I would think a national team player would feel 729 00:38:40,020 --> 00:38:43,110 Relly Ladner: to wear the flag on their jersey. It was like 730 00:38:43,110 --> 00:38:45,719 Relly Ladner: I was wearing something that I had to represent and 731 00:38:45,719 --> 00:38:48,718 Relly Ladner: I had to do well for myself to represent this 732 00:38:48,719 --> 00:38:52,259 Relly Ladner: team that I was a part of. But I also think that I had 733 00:38:52,260 --> 00:38:54,150 Relly Ladner: known the course so I knew it was coming. I 734 00:38:54,150 --> 00:38:56,010 Relly Ladner: knew when it was going to get hard. I knew 735 00:38:56,100 --> 00:38:58,859 Relly Ladner: when I could go a little bit faster. And then 736 00:38:58,860 --> 00:39:01,230 Relly Ladner: right when I got over the Queensboro Bridge at mile 737 00:39:01,230 --> 00:39:05,250 Relly Ladner: 16, I had done this run. My brother just moved 738 00:39:05,250 --> 00:39:07,170 Relly Ladner: to the city, he goes to business school year now, 739 00:39:07,170 --> 00:39:10,830 Relly Ladner: and I had done this run I to him pretty much 740 00:39:10,830 --> 00:39:12,989 Relly Ladner: every Monday and it was a five- mile run up, five- 741 00:39:12,989 --> 00:39:15,810 Relly Ladner: mile run back, so 10 miles. And when I got 742 00:39:15,810 --> 00:39:17,460 Relly Ladner: off the Queensboro Bridge, I was like, " You're just running 743 00:39:17,460 --> 00:39:20,219 Relly Ladner: to George. You're just running your 10 mile, the run that 744 00:39:20,219 --> 00:39:22,320 Relly Ladner: you do every Monday." And I think that's what really 745 00:39:22,320 --> 00:39:26,310 Relly Ladner: pushed me to give a little bit more in those 746 00:39:26,310 --> 00:39:27,030 Relly Ladner: last 10 miles. 747 00:39:28,380 --> 00:39:31,200 Rob Simmelkjaer: That's amazing, that's quite a day that you had. 748 00:39:31,500 --> 00:39:31,501 Relly Ladner: Yeah. 749 00:39:31,500 --> 00:39:36,450 Rob Simmelkjaer: At what point did you realize that this was just 750 00:39:36,450 --> 00:39:39,060 Rob Simmelkjaer: going to be an incredible time, an incredible day for 751 00:39:39,060 --> 00:39:42,120 Rob Simmelkjaer: you, given what you had accomplished? Was it later in 752 00:39:42,120 --> 00:39:43,890 Rob Simmelkjaer: the race when you looked at your watch and you were like, " 753 00:39:43,890 --> 00:39:45,090 Rob Simmelkjaer: Wow, I'm crushing this today?" 754 00:39:46,469 --> 00:39:48,360 Relly Ladner: I knew that I was going a pretty steady pace 755 00:39:48,360 --> 00:39:51,239 Relly Ladner: the whole time, until I got to mile 18. That's 756 00:39:51,239 --> 00:39:56,190 Relly Ladner: when I faded in the 2024 marathon and I was 757 00:39:56,190 --> 00:39:57,839 Relly Ladner: a little bit scared that I was going to have, 758 00:39:58,110 --> 00:40:00,689 Relly Ladner: I don't know, the same, mentally I was going to 759 00:40:01,110 --> 00:40:04,350 Relly Ladner: feel like I was hitting a wall again or having 760 00:40:04,350 --> 00:40:06,180 Relly Ladner: the same. And when I was able to cruise through 761 00:40:06,180 --> 00:40:08,670 Relly Ladner: that, I was like, " I got this. I can finish 762 00:40:08,670 --> 00:40:10,500 Relly Ladner: strong." So yeah, I think the whole race was pretty 763 00:40:10,500 --> 00:40:13,379 Relly Ladner: smooth. And then when I got to 18 and was 764 00:40:13,380 --> 00:40:16,380 Relly Ladner: feeling good, I was like... There was no way I 765 00:40:16,380 --> 00:40:17,610 Relly Ladner: wasn't going to finish strong then. 766 00:40:17,880 --> 00:40:20,910 Rob Simmelkjaer: Oh yeah, absolutely. And I saw you at the finish 767 00:40:20,910 --> 00:40:24,750 Rob Simmelkjaer: line, as I mentioned, an unbelievable smile in your face. How 768 00:40:24,750 --> 00:40:27,330 Rob Simmelkjaer: did it feel different crossing this finish line versus others that 769 00:40:27,330 --> 00:40:27,930 Rob Simmelkjaer: you had crossed? 770 00:40:29,460 --> 00:40:32,040 Relly Ladner: I think a couple reasons. One, being on Team Inspire 771 00:40:32,040 --> 00:40:34,890 Relly Ladner: and like I said, having the bib on my back, 772 00:40:34,920 --> 00:40:40,530 Relly Ladner: I felt proud. I felt like I was able to 773 00:40:40,620 --> 00:40:46,170 Relly Ladner: inspire myself if not people around me. And I was 774 00:40:46,170 --> 00:40:49,529 Relly Ladner: just, I don't know, everything about the day was just 775 00:40:49,620 --> 00:40:52,290 Relly Ladner: so amazing. I was on cloud nine, I couldn't stop 776 00:40:52,320 --> 00:40:54,210 Relly Ladner: smiling. I was smiling for a couple of days after, 777 00:40:54,210 --> 00:40:56,190 Relly Ladner: I smile every time I think about it. It was 778 00:40:56,190 --> 00:40:58,890 Relly Ladner: just such a special day in so many ways, such 779 00:40:58,890 --> 00:41:01,980 Relly Ladner: a fun day. I think that one reason I love running 780 00:41:01,980 --> 00:41:06,330 Relly Ladner: is it just like when I'm having a bad day 781 00:41:06,330 --> 00:41:08,640 Relly Ladner: and I go for a run, everything just feels happier. 782 00:41:09,330 --> 00:41:10,530 Relly Ladner: It was just such a happy day. 783 00:41:10,770 --> 00:41:15,900 Rob Simmelkjaer: Yeah, no, it was for you, and about 59, 200 784 00:41:15,900 --> 00:41:16,680 Rob Simmelkjaer: others as well. 785 00:41:16,680 --> 00:41:16,890 Relly Ladner: Amazing. 786 00:41:17,940 --> 00:41:19,920 Rob Simmelkjaer: We're thrilled you had a great day. Let's talk about 787 00:41:19,920 --> 00:41:24,600 Rob Simmelkjaer: the charity you ran for Grassroot Soccer. Makes perfect sense 788 00:41:24,600 --> 00:41:26,700 Rob Simmelkjaer: given your background, what does that organization do? 789 00:41:27,690 --> 00:41:32,700 Relly Ladner: Yeah, so it's an organization that helps adolescents through soccer 790 00:41:32,700 --> 00:41:34,650 Relly Ladner: and I think that's the main reason what attracted me 791 00:41:34,650 --> 00:41:38,100 Relly Ladner: to it. It helps adolescents to empower them and educate 792 00:41:38,100 --> 00:41:41,250 Relly Ladner: them on a variety of topics. One main one is 793 00:41:41,250 --> 00:41:47,069 Relly Ladner: mental health. And so I think that when I was young, soccer was such a 794 00:41:47,250 --> 00:41:50,640 Relly Ladner: big part of my life that it just made sense, 795 00:41:50,640 --> 00:41:54,690 Relly Ladner: the perfect organization to be running for an organization that 796 00:41:54,690 --> 00:41:56,069 Relly Ladner: was helping the youth through soccer. 797 00:41:57,330 --> 00:42:00,600 Rob Simmelkjaer: And was that a team as well for you? Did you have 798 00:42:01,380 --> 00:42:03,839 Rob Simmelkjaer: a chance to meet some other people running for that organization? 799 00:42:04,050 --> 00:42:07,410 Relly Ladner: Yeah, I did. And the person who runs the organization 800 00:42:07,410 --> 00:42:10,710 Relly Ladner: is, she's from where my parents live, so kind of 801 00:42:10,710 --> 00:42:13,590 Relly Ladner: a connection there. And also, the founder of the organization 802 00:42:14,160 --> 00:42:16,350 Relly Ladner: is a fellow Dartmouth alum too. So a lot of 803 00:42:16,350 --> 00:42:20,340 Relly Ladner: Dartmouth people run the marathon through Grassroot Soccer, which is 804 00:42:20,670 --> 00:42:23,969 Relly Ladner: a great way to bring together the Dartmouth community too. 805 00:42:25,140 --> 00:42:27,090 Rob Simmelkjaer: Can people still donate to your run? 806 00:42:27,750 --> 00:42:28,560 Relly Ladner: Yes, people can. 807 00:42:28,860 --> 00:42:29,520 Rob Simmelkjaer: Where do they go? 808 00:42:30,270 --> 00:42:33,960 Relly Ladner: I can send you the link. I have a fundraising page. 809 00:42:33,989 --> 00:42:35,969 Rob Simmelkjaer: We'll put it in the show notes, absolutely. We'd love 810 00:42:35,969 --> 00:42:40,020 Rob Simmelkjaer: to help you raise more money. The fundraising continues even 811 00:42:40,020 --> 00:42:44,130 Rob Simmelkjaer: after the marathon for most people running for charity. All 812 00:42:44,130 --> 00:42:47,460 Rob Simmelkjaer: right. So Relly, what's next? You've had now I guess 813 00:42:47,460 --> 00:42:51,150 Rob Simmelkjaer: the three marathons under your belt. Your times are improving 814 00:42:51,150 --> 00:42:53,250 Rob Simmelkjaer: by leaps and bounds. I mean, when you're going from 3: 815 00:42:53,250 --> 00:42:58,440 Rob Simmelkjaer: 57 to 3: 32, there's more upside there for you. 816 00:42:58,440 --> 00:43:01,320 Rob Simmelkjaer: So what's your next race and what's your next goal? 817 00:43:01,830 --> 00:43:05,160 Relly Ladner: Yeah, well, I'm trying to figure out my next race 818 00:43:05,160 --> 00:43:08,550 Relly Ladner: right now. I'm in the lottery for Berlin and for 819 00:43:08,550 --> 00:43:11,940 Relly Ladner: Chicago so fingers crossed one of those come through. But 820 00:43:11,940 --> 00:43:13,500 Relly Ladner: I definitely want to do a spring race, so I'm 821 00:43:13,500 --> 00:43:16,200 Relly Ladner: just trying to figure out, right now. I'm thinking maybe 822 00:43:16,200 --> 00:43:19,080 Relly Ladner: the Vienna Marathon just because it's so close to home, 823 00:43:19,170 --> 00:43:25,230 Relly Ladner: but definitely a spring marathon. And I also, I started 824 00:43:25,230 --> 00:43:29,279 Relly Ladner: marathons as a fun thing. I didn't actually think that 825 00:43:29,280 --> 00:43:32,430 Relly Ladner: I would be going as fast as I am, and 826 00:43:32,430 --> 00:43:36,239 Relly Ladner: I think getting a 3: 32 has made me realize 827 00:43:36,239 --> 00:43:39,390 Relly Ladner: that I really can push myself. So ultimately, my goal 828 00:43:39,390 --> 00:43:42,629 Relly Ladner: is to now Boston qualify, which is a couple minutes 829 00:43:42,630 --> 00:43:45,150 Relly Ladner: away and definitely will take a lot of work, but 830 00:43:45,150 --> 00:43:47,250 Relly Ladner: I think within the next year or two, that's my 831 00:43:47,250 --> 00:43:47,759 Relly Ladner: goal for sure. 832 00:43:48,270 --> 00:43:52,020 Rob Simmelkjaer: It's a good goal. Berlin, Chicago, a little flatter than 833 00:43:52,020 --> 00:43:55,319 Rob Simmelkjaer: New York, so good places to give that a try 834 00:43:55,320 --> 00:43:55,860 Rob Simmelkjaer: as well. 835 00:43:55,860 --> 00:43:56,190 Relly Ladner: Exactly. 836 00:43:56,640 --> 00:43:59,250 Rob Simmelkjaer: I have a feeling you're going to get this, I 837 00:43:59,250 --> 00:43:59,521 Rob Simmelkjaer: really do. 838 00:43:59,521 --> 00:43:59,880 Relly Ladner: Thank you. Thanks. 839 00:43:59,880 --> 00:44:05,100 Rob Simmelkjaer: I mean, jeez, you're at that growth ramp where it 840 00:44:05,100 --> 00:44:07,530 Rob Simmelkjaer: just feels like you're going to get a lot faster 841 00:44:07,890 --> 00:44:09,660 Rob Simmelkjaer: given your athletic ability as well. 842 00:44:10,259 --> 00:44:10,500 Relly Ladner: Thank you. 843 00:44:10,980 --> 00:44:15,150 Rob Simmelkjaer: It was incredible watching you on Marathon Day. You did 844 00:44:15,150 --> 00:44:18,900 Rob Simmelkjaer: such an amazing job for Team Inspire for the organization. 845 00:44:19,050 --> 00:44:23,760 Rob Simmelkjaer: We just love being able to highlight these stories. I 846 00:44:23,760 --> 00:44:25,860 Rob Simmelkjaer: love that people were yelling that out in the race. 847 00:44:25,860 --> 00:44:28,739 Rob Simmelkjaer: I love that people recognize what that is. It's such 848 00:44:28,739 --> 00:44:32,640 Rob Simmelkjaer: an important part of the TCS New York City Marathon of 849 00:44:32,640 --> 00:44:35,700 Rob Simmelkjaer: what we do at New York Road Runners and you 850 00:44:35,700 --> 00:44:36,660 Rob Simmelkjaer: are a big part of it this year. 851 00:44:37,350 --> 00:44:41,040 Relly Ladner: Thank you, yeah. I feel so lucky. I feel lucky 852 00:44:41,040 --> 00:44:44,009 Relly Ladner: every day that I am able to walk and I tell myself 853 00:44:44,010 --> 00:44:47,400 Relly Ladner: that, but especially this past marathon, I have felt, I've 854 00:44:47,400 --> 00:44:49,500 Relly Ladner: never felt lucky. I feel so lucky to be a 855 00:44:49,500 --> 00:44:53,250 Relly Ladner: part of this team with 25 amazing other people that 856 00:44:53,250 --> 00:44:56,430 Relly Ladner: we're all still in touch and I feel like we 857 00:44:56,430 --> 00:45:00,630 Relly Ladner: could be lifelong friends. So it's really brought together a 858 00:45:00,630 --> 00:45:04,080 Relly Ladner: smaller community and in an amazing way with people that 859 00:45:04,080 --> 00:45:06,420 Relly Ladner: are so inspirational to everyone. 860 00:45:06,960 --> 00:45:09,299 Rob Simmelkjaer: And you've been doing all these media appearances too, getting 861 00:45:09,300 --> 00:45:09,900 Rob Simmelkjaer: used to that? 862 00:45:11,790 --> 00:45:14,160 Relly Ladner: Yeah. We were together on my first interview where I 863 00:45:14,160 --> 00:45:17,760 Relly Ladner: was definitely quite nervous. It's been a lot of fun. 864 00:45:18,210 --> 00:45:21,180 Rob Simmelkjaer: Yes, you're a pro now. I mean, you do these 865 00:45:21,180 --> 00:45:24,060 Rob Simmelkjaer: interviews like you're running for office. Come on, you can 866 00:45:24,060 --> 00:45:26,820 Rob Simmelkjaer: do this rolling out of bed now. Absolutely. You're very 867 00:45:26,820 --> 00:45:29,790 Rob Simmelkjaer: good at it. Relly Ladner, thank you so much for 868 00:45:30,150 --> 00:45:32,910 Rob Simmelkjaer: being with us on Set the Pace. Congratulations. We wish 869 00:45:32,910 --> 00:45:36,270 Rob Simmelkjaer: you luck in your next marathon adventure. 870 00:45:36,810 --> 00:45:36,989 Relly Ladner: Thank you. 871 00:45:36,989 --> 00:45:38,550 Rob Simmelkjaer: And it's really been great talking to you, thanks. 872 00:45:38,730 --> 00:45:39,419 Relly Ladner: Thank you. You too. 873 00:45:40,230 --> 00:45:43,230 Rob Simmelkjaer: New York Road Runners is a nonprofit organization with a 874 00:45:43,230 --> 00:45:46,620 Rob Simmelkjaer: vision to build healthier lives and stronger communities through the 875 00:45:46,620 --> 00:45:50,700 Rob Simmelkjaer: transformative power of running. The support of members and donors 876 00:45:50,700 --> 00:45:53,910 Rob Simmelkjaer: like you helps us achieve our mission to transform the 877 00:45:53,910 --> 00:45:57,779 Rob Simmelkjaer: health and wellbeing of our communities through inclusive and accessible 878 00:45:57,780 --> 00:46:02,400 Rob Simmelkjaer: running experiences, empowering all to achieve their potential. Learn more 879 00:46:02,400 --> 00:46:08,310 Rob Simmelkjaer: and contribute at nyrr. org/ donate. Felicia Pasadyn is a full- 880 00:46:08,310 --> 00:46:11,969 Rob Simmelkjaer: time medical student at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, currently 881 00:46:11,969 --> 00:46:16,170 Rob Simmelkjaer: applying for radiology residencies while working hospital shifts and aiming 882 00:46:16,170 --> 00:46:21,270 Rob Simmelkjaer: to graduate with her MD in 2026. Somehow, between rotations 883 00:46:21,270 --> 00:46:24,270 Rob Simmelkjaer: and exams, she's also become one of New York City's 884 00:46:24,270 --> 00:46:28,290 Rob Simmelkjaer: top sub- elite runners, coming seemingly out of nowhere to 885 00:46:28,290 --> 00:46:31,920 Rob Simmelkjaer: win this year's RBC Brooklyn Half. Six months later, not 886 00:46:31,920 --> 00:46:35,819 Rob Simmelkjaer: only did Felicia place 14th among all women. That's right, 887 00:46:35,820 --> 00:46:39,779 Rob Simmelkjaer: including all the pros at the 2025 TCS New York City 888 00:46:39,780 --> 00:46:42,569 Rob Simmelkjaer: Marathon. She crossed the finish line with a time that 889 00:46:42,570 --> 00:46:47,969 Rob Simmelkjaer: qualifies her for the 2020 US Olympic trials. Felicia is 890 00:46:47,969 --> 00:46:51,300 Rob Simmelkjaer: a former Harvard swimmer turned distance runner, and here in 891 00:46:51,300 --> 00:46:55,650 Rob Simmelkjaer: New York, she's a member of the 212 Athletic Saucony Run 892 00:46:55,650 --> 00:46:57,989 Rob Simmelkjaer: Club. Here's Meb with her story. 893 00:46:58,230 --> 00:47:01,680 Meb Keflezighi: Wow. What a resume. Felicia, welcome to the Set the 894 00:47:01,680 --> 00:47:03,570 Meb Keflezighi: Pace podcast, how are you doing today? 895 00:47:04,440 --> 00:47:06,989 Felicia Pasadyn: Thank you, I'm doing well. Yeah, thanks for asking. 896 00:47:07,800 --> 00:47:08,940 Meb Keflezighi: Little sore or no? 897 00:47:10,410 --> 00:47:12,989 Felicia Pasadyn: Yes, I'm still quite sore, I'm not going to lie. It's 898 00:47:12,989 --> 00:47:15,719 Felicia Pasadyn: getting better, but it's been tough to go down the 899 00:47:15,719 --> 00:47:16,860 Felicia Pasadyn: stairs, for example. 900 00:47:17,730 --> 00:47:22,410 Meb Keflezighi: Just amazing to be from a swimmer, which is 100 901 00:47:22,410 --> 00:47:26,790 Meb Keflezighi: meters or whatnot, to 26. 2 miles and finishing 14th 902 00:47:27,330 --> 00:47:29,790 Meb Keflezighi: at the TCS New York City Marathon. Can you just describe 903 00:47:29,790 --> 00:47:31,980 Meb Keflezighi: what that feeling is? How did you get started running? 904 00:47:32,969 --> 00:47:36,239 Felicia Pasadyn: Yeah, so I will say I started running all the 905 00:47:36,239 --> 00:47:41,130 Felicia Pasadyn: way back in middle school actually, but swimming, my identity 906 00:47:41,130 --> 00:47:41,941 Felicia Pasadyn: was largely a swimmer all the way. 907 00:47:41,940 --> 00:47:44,910 Meb Keflezighi: Not only a swimmer, all American swimmer though. 908 00:47:46,140 --> 00:47:49,350 Felicia Pasadyn: Right, so in middle school and high school, sure, I 909 00:47:49,350 --> 00:47:52,200 Felicia Pasadyn: loved running and I did it for fun with my 910 00:47:52,200 --> 00:47:55,440 Felicia Pasadyn: friends and represented my high school. But I committed to 911 00:47:55,440 --> 00:47:58,049 Felicia Pasadyn: swim in college and also swam during my master's degree 912 00:47:58,050 --> 00:48:04,320 Felicia Pasadyn: at Ohio State, and that was my main sport. But 913 00:48:04,320 --> 00:48:07,590 Felicia Pasadyn: I knew that when I finished swimming, my last meet 914 00:48:07,590 --> 00:48:10,980 Felicia Pasadyn: I believe was NCAAs in March of 2023. By May 915 00:48:10,980 --> 00:48:13,680 Felicia Pasadyn: of 2023, I had signed up for a half- marathon, 916 00:48:14,010 --> 00:48:16,200 Felicia Pasadyn: so I knew I wanted to return to running. I 917 00:48:16,200 --> 00:48:20,879 Felicia Pasadyn: loved it. But yeah, it wasn't a completely new thing 918 00:48:21,660 --> 00:48:24,149 Felicia Pasadyn: when I did my first ever half- marathon. I had 919 00:48:24,150 --> 00:48:25,710 Felicia Pasadyn: run a little bit when I was younger. 920 00:48:26,100 --> 00:48:29,670 Meb Keflezighi: Well, great to have you back to running again, but balancing 921 00:48:29,670 --> 00:48:33,210 Meb Keflezighi: med school and marathon training sounds nearly impossible. How do 922 00:48:33,210 --> 00:48:36,990 Meb Keflezighi: you fit long runs and recovery into such a demanding schedule? 923 00:48:37,230 --> 00:48:40,379 Felicia Pasadyn: Yeah, I'm not going to lie, it's extremely challenging. For 924 00:48:40,380 --> 00:48:44,850 Felicia Pasadyn: example, whereas someone who maybe works an office job might 925 00:48:44,850 --> 00:48:48,420 Felicia Pasadyn: start at 9: 00 AM, oftentimes hospital shifts is in 926 00:48:48,420 --> 00:48:51,090 Felicia Pasadyn: the hospital at 6: 45 or 7: 00. So I 927 00:48:51,090 --> 00:48:54,450 Felicia Pasadyn: have this protected time between the hours of about 4: 928 00:48:54,450 --> 00:48:58,710 Felicia Pasadyn: 15 and 6:45 AM. I work out and then I 929 00:48:58,710 --> 00:49:02,130 Felicia Pasadyn: lift. So that's either a run or a StairMaster combined 930 00:49:02,130 --> 00:49:04,500 Felicia Pasadyn: with a lift. And then I shower and eat. I 931 00:49:04,500 --> 00:49:07,410 Felicia Pasadyn: call it a military shower. I do about a two- 932 00:49:07,410 --> 00:49:10,049 Felicia Pasadyn: minute shower. I eat breakfast on the way, and then 933 00:49:10,050 --> 00:49:12,000 Felicia Pasadyn: I am in the hospital for most of the day, 934 00:49:13,320 --> 00:49:15,210 Felicia Pasadyn: and then I try to go to bed very, very 935 00:49:15,210 --> 00:49:17,550 Felicia Pasadyn: early to keep it all sustainable. But I will admit, 936 00:49:17,850 --> 00:49:21,089 Felicia Pasadyn: it's challenging to know that everyone has the same number 937 00:49:21,090 --> 00:49:22,650 Felicia Pasadyn: of hours in the day, yet it feels like I 938 00:49:22,650 --> 00:49:25,320 Felicia Pasadyn: have so much to do. But if you want anything 939 00:49:25,320 --> 00:49:28,560 Felicia Pasadyn: bad enough, and I do love running enough, you can 940 00:49:28,560 --> 00:49:29,100 Felicia Pasadyn: get it done. 941 00:49:29,910 --> 00:49:33,239 Meb Keflezighi: Just amazing. And balance is such an important component of 942 00:49:33,239 --> 00:49:36,960 Meb Keflezighi: life. It kind of remind me of Roger Bannister, the 943 00:49:36,960 --> 00:49:40,410 Meb Keflezighi: first guy to ever break four minutes for the mile. 944 00:49:40,440 --> 00:49:43,049 Meb Keflezighi: He was a medical student while he did that. So 945 00:49:43,320 --> 00:49:45,029 Meb Keflezighi: what message do you have for the people that say, " 946 00:49:45,030 --> 00:49:46,020 Meb Keflezighi: I just don't have time?" 947 00:49:47,670 --> 00:49:50,489 Felicia Pasadyn: My message for that is if you look in your day and 948 00:49:50,489 --> 00:49:53,009 Felicia Pasadyn: you think, what is the thing that I'm missing that 949 00:49:53,010 --> 00:49:56,520 Felicia Pasadyn: I feel the most strongly about, my priority, you can 950 00:49:56,520 --> 00:49:59,400 Felicia Pasadyn: shift your day around to really make something important to 951 00:49:59,400 --> 00:50:02,040 Felicia Pasadyn: you happen. For example, maybe it's a call with your 952 00:50:02,040 --> 00:50:04,320 Felicia Pasadyn: family members and you're having trouble fitting that in your 953 00:50:04,320 --> 00:50:07,620 Felicia Pasadyn: day. I think if you slide around, you avoid things 954 00:50:07,620 --> 00:50:11,100 Felicia Pasadyn: like doom scrolling or dilly- dallying, you can get those 955 00:50:11,100 --> 00:50:13,530 Felicia Pasadyn: things done that you really love to do in your day. 956 00:50:14,730 --> 00:50:17,880 Meb Keflezighi: Excellent. You have said that running gives you a sense 957 00:50:17,880 --> 00:50:21,540 Meb Keflezighi: of control during uncertainty of medical training. Can you tell 958 00:50:21,540 --> 00:50:22,860 Meb Keflezighi: us more about that, please? 959 00:50:23,910 --> 00:50:27,299 Felicia Pasadyn: Sure. So I mean, something about medical school, especially once 960 00:50:27,300 --> 00:50:30,420 Felicia Pasadyn: you get into rotations and you're on the wards, is 961 00:50:31,620 --> 00:50:34,890 Felicia Pasadyn: sometimes your schedule is unpredictable. Not to mention that the 962 00:50:34,890 --> 00:50:39,450 Felicia Pasadyn: actual patient care can be very unpredictable. For example, I 963 00:50:39,450 --> 00:50:42,060 Felicia Pasadyn: find medicine to be very rewarding, but there are some 964 00:50:42,060 --> 00:50:46,200 Felicia Pasadyn: days where a patient case or a result comes back 965 00:50:46,200 --> 00:50:49,560 Felicia Pasadyn: that you really weren't expecting. And emotionally, it can be 966 00:50:49,560 --> 00:50:54,569 Felicia Pasadyn: very, very difficult. But running makes me feel extremely grounded. 967 00:50:55,350 --> 00:50:57,989 Felicia Pasadyn: I know I can go to Central Park and run 968 00:50:57,989 --> 00:51:00,180 Felicia Pasadyn: at 4: 30 and I can get my 10 miles 969 00:51:00,180 --> 00:51:01,680 Felicia Pasadyn: in and then I can do my lift and I 970 00:51:01,680 --> 00:51:04,710 Felicia Pasadyn: can come back and shower and feel like I've lived 971 00:51:05,370 --> 00:51:08,700 Felicia Pasadyn: almost a whole day before I even get on the 972 00:51:08,700 --> 00:51:11,700 Felicia Pasadyn: medicine wards. And in a way, that just sets up 973 00:51:11,700 --> 00:51:14,760 Felicia Pasadyn: my day and is so empowering when I don't know 974 00:51:14,760 --> 00:51:17,250 Felicia Pasadyn: what the shift is going to bring. So it does 975 00:51:17,520 --> 00:51:22,080 Felicia Pasadyn: give me that sense of home and control and grounding 976 00:51:22,080 --> 00:51:24,600 Felicia Pasadyn: even in very difficult patient moments. 977 00:51:24,960 --> 00:51:27,300 Meb Keflezighi: I'm pretty sure it teaches you a lot about time management 978 00:51:27,300 --> 00:51:31,529 Meb Keflezighi: before getting to that medical school. So you have raised 979 00:51:31,530 --> 00:51:34,650 Meb Keflezighi: everything from RBC Brooklyn Half to the New York City 980 00:51:34,650 --> 00:51:38,100 Meb Keflezighi: Marathon this year. What did all those experience teach you 981 00:51:38,100 --> 00:51:39,720 Meb Keflezighi: about yourself as a runner? 982 00:51:41,250 --> 00:51:48,450 Felicia Pasadyn: I think I learned that imposter syndrome doesn't exist if 983 00:51:48,450 --> 00:51:54,510 Felicia Pasadyn: you believe in yourself enough. For example, I found myself 984 00:51:54,510 --> 00:51:57,420 Felicia Pasadyn: very in awe of the women around me in the 985 00:51:57,420 --> 00:52:00,060 Felicia Pasadyn: pro field, but not in a way where I felt 986 00:52:00,060 --> 00:52:04,739 Felicia Pasadyn: an imposter more in a way of the only outcome 987 00:52:04,770 --> 00:52:08,040 Felicia Pasadyn: is for me to level up and accomplish something I 988 00:52:08,040 --> 00:52:12,060 Felicia Pasadyn: didn't even believe was possible. And going into the Brooklyn 989 00:52:12,270 --> 00:52:14,460 Felicia Pasadyn: Half, it was not on my radar. I thought maybe 990 00:52:14,460 --> 00:52:16,710 Felicia Pasadyn: I could get top five women, it wasn't in my 991 00:52:16,710 --> 00:52:20,190 Felicia Pasadyn: radar to win. But partway through the race, even in 992 00:52:20,190 --> 00:52:22,860 Felicia Pasadyn: the most challenging of hills, or when your legs are 993 00:52:22,860 --> 00:52:26,009 Felicia Pasadyn: burning or your quads feel like bricks, you just have 994 00:52:26,010 --> 00:52:29,160 Felicia Pasadyn: to feel motivated by the women around you rather than 995 00:52:29,160 --> 00:52:32,610 Felicia Pasadyn: feeling like you don't belong. And I think that, I 996 00:52:32,610 --> 00:52:35,790 Felicia Pasadyn: mean half- marathons and marathons, mental is a big part 997 00:52:35,790 --> 00:52:38,129 Felicia Pasadyn: of it. And once I adopted that mentality of if 998 00:52:38,130 --> 00:52:40,110 Felicia Pasadyn: I believe I can do it and rise to the 999 00:52:40,110 --> 00:52:43,770 Felicia Pasadyn: occasion, then I will. That's really been a game changer 1000 00:52:43,770 --> 00:52:44,401 Felicia Pasadyn: in terms of my performance. 1001 00:52:44,401 --> 00:52:51,420 Meb Keflezighi: Amazing. Believe in yourself and do the grind. Amazing results will come. Looking ahead as you move 1002 00:52:51,420 --> 00:52:55,290 Meb Keflezighi: into the radiology residency, how do you hope to keep 1003 00:52:55,290 --> 00:52:56,550 Meb Keflezighi: running part of your life? 1004 00:52:57,840 --> 00:53:00,299 Felicia Pasadyn: Yeah, I mean, it's unclear what the balance is going 1005 00:53:00,300 --> 00:53:03,270 Felicia Pasadyn: to look like given that radiology is a five- year 1006 00:53:03,270 --> 00:53:08,009 Felicia Pasadyn: residency that's extremely rigorous. It's quite a competitive specialty and 1007 00:53:08,010 --> 00:53:11,280 Felicia Pasadyn: it takes a lot of very detail oriented, long training 1008 00:53:11,280 --> 00:53:15,060 Felicia Pasadyn: as well. However, again, as I've mentioned, if you want 1009 00:53:15,060 --> 00:53:17,400 Felicia Pasadyn: something bad enough, you'll make it happen in your day. 1010 00:53:17,670 --> 00:53:20,850 Felicia Pasadyn: So what I envision is no matter what city I move 1011 00:53:21,210 --> 00:53:24,210 Felicia Pasadyn: to, no matter what my schedule looks like, if I 1012 00:53:24,210 --> 00:53:26,100 Felicia Pasadyn: can get my runs in, if I can get my 1013 00:53:26,100 --> 00:53:29,880 Felicia Pasadyn: workouts in, I'd really like to potentially sign with a 1014 00:53:29,880 --> 00:53:33,450 Felicia Pasadyn: company, go pro, continue to work my way through the 1015 00:53:33,450 --> 00:53:36,210 Felicia Pasadyn: marathon majors and just see where it all takes me. 1016 00:53:37,080 --> 00:53:39,660 Meb Keflezighi: Well, you just finished 14th at the biggest marathon in 1017 00:53:39,660 --> 00:53:45,120 Meb Keflezighi: the world and no doubt that you're going to be able to do it. Felicia, as we move forward to what 1018 00:53:45,120 --> 00:53:48,690 Meb Keflezighi: is ahead by just qualify for the Olympic trials for 1019 00:53:48,690 --> 00:53:51,060 Meb Keflezighi: the 2028, how do you feel about that? 1020 00:53:52,140 --> 00:53:55,350 Felicia Pasadyn: I'm absolutely beside myself. This a goal that I thought 1021 00:53:55,350 --> 00:54:01,170 Felicia Pasadyn: maybe in 2027 I could possibly accomplish, but I had 1022 00:54:01,170 --> 00:54:03,270 Felicia Pasadyn: heard so much about how difficult of a course New 1023 00:54:03,270 --> 00:54:06,870 Felicia Pasadyn: York City Marathon was, and it really wasn't something I 1024 00:54:06,870 --> 00:54:09,210 Felicia Pasadyn: believed I could do so to go a 2: 35 1025 00:54:09,390 --> 00:54:12,989 Felicia Pasadyn: and break that 2: 37 standard on Sunday was absolutely 1026 00:54:12,989 --> 00:54:16,830 Felicia Pasadyn: incredible and reminded me a lot of the moment that 1027 00:54:16,830 --> 00:54:19,650 Felicia Pasadyn: I made my first ever Olympic trial cut in the 100- 1028 00:54:19,650 --> 00:54:23,760 Felicia Pasadyn: meter backstroke for swimming. And again, moments like that in your 1029 00:54:23,760 --> 00:54:27,090 Felicia Pasadyn: life, you'll never, never forget. Just a testament to how 1030 00:54:27,090 --> 00:54:29,219 Felicia Pasadyn: much hard work goes into it. 1031 00:54:30,120 --> 00:54:32,880 Meb Keflezighi: I know hard work is in everything, whether you're swimming 1032 00:54:32,940 --> 00:54:36,180 Meb Keflezighi: or running, but how is that? To be Olympic trial 1033 00:54:36,180 --> 00:54:38,220 Meb Keflezighi: qualifying the swimming I think would be different than running 26.2 miles. 1034 00:54:41,550 --> 00:54:44,969 Felicia Pasadyn: Well, I think, I'm not going to lie, every four 1035 00:54:44,969 --> 00:54:48,989 Felicia Pasadyn: years there are more female swimmers that make Olympic trials 1036 00:54:49,410 --> 00:54:53,280 Felicia Pasadyn: than female runners, and so I think this accomplishment might 1037 00:54:53,280 --> 00:54:58,020 Felicia Pasadyn: be even more niche and more special, but it's hard 1038 00:54:58,020 --> 00:55:00,509 Felicia Pasadyn: to compare them. I love both sports so much, and 1039 00:55:00,510 --> 00:55:03,239 Felicia Pasadyn: I think my swimming background really gave me the grit 1040 00:55:03,239 --> 00:55:06,300 Felicia Pasadyn: and determination and ability to push myself in the running. 1041 00:55:06,989 --> 00:55:09,420 Felicia Pasadyn: They kind of go hand in hand, and again, both 1042 00:55:09,420 --> 00:55:10,859 Felicia Pasadyn: of them are moments I'll never forget. 1043 00:55:11,219 --> 00:55:13,620 Meb Keflezighi: They go hand in hand with you. I know people have seen 1044 00:55:13,620 --> 00:55:15,390 Meb Keflezighi: me run marathon and said, " You're going to be a great 1045 00:55:15,390 --> 00:55:19,800 Meb Keflezighi: swimmer," and I'm not. So congratulations, that's just incredible. 1046 00:55:20,670 --> 00:55:21,360 Felicia Pasadyn: Thank you. 1047 00:55:21,900 --> 00:55:22,290 Meb Keflezighi: Well done. 1048 00:55:23,430 --> 00:55:26,190 Rob Simmelkjaer: Thanks for joining us, Felicia, and for being a member 1049 00:55:26,250 --> 00:55:29,490 Rob Simmelkjaer: of New York Road Runners. Now it's time for today's Meb Minutes. 1050 00:55:32,430 --> 00:55:35,310 Meb Keflezighi: Lessons from the marathon that have nothing to do with running. The 1051 00:55:36,030 --> 00:55:39,900 Meb Keflezighi: marathon is a mirror of life. It tests patience, humility, and 1052 00:55:39,900 --> 00:55:44,820 Meb Keflezighi: perseverance. You learn how to manage discomfort, not just physically 1053 00:55:44,820 --> 00:55:48,839 Meb Keflezighi: pain, but also self- doubt and setback. Marathon teaches us 1054 00:55:48,840 --> 00:55:51,300 Meb Keflezighi: to do hard things and how to handle it. It's 1055 00:55:51,300 --> 00:55:54,090 Meb Keflezighi: always going to be a challenge, but if you're severe, 1056 00:55:54,330 --> 00:55:58,590 Meb Keflezighi: great things will happen. Marathon training teaches us time management 1057 00:55:58,590 --> 00:56:01,739 Meb Keflezighi: showing up daily even when it's not convenient. That's what 1058 00:56:01,739 --> 00:56:04,170 Meb Keflezighi: I tell people. If you have somebody to meet up, 1059 00:56:04,260 --> 00:56:05,730 Meb Keflezighi: you're going to show up and it's going to help 1060 00:56:05,730 --> 00:56:08,880 Meb Keflezighi: you get easier. It's all about controlling what you can control 1061 00:56:09,150 --> 00:56:12,060 Meb Keflezighi: and let it go what you can't control, a skill 1062 00:56:12,060 --> 00:56:17,070 Meb Keflezighi: that applies everywhere in life. Gratitude for the miles, for the 1063 00:56:17,219 --> 00:56:19,350 Meb Keflezighi: people that cheer you on, and for the body that 1064 00:56:19,350 --> 00:56:23,640 Meb Keflezighi: carries you from 13.1 miles or 26. 2 miles. Make 1065 00:56:23,640 --> 00:56:26,460 Meb Keflezighi: sure you have a gratitude for your body. The marathon remind 1066 00:56:26,460 --> 00:56:30,360 Meb Keflezighi: us that the goals that take time. Consistency beats intensity 1067 00:56:30,390 --> 00:56:34,890 Meb Keflezighi: every time, and then learning to recover gracefully from a 1068 00:56:34,890 --> 00:56:38,250 Meb Keflezighi: disappointment and miss a PR or bad race or a bad 1069 00:56:38,250 --> 00:56:44,340 Meb Keflezighi: weather or injury shows resilience. I really think that it 1070 00:56:44,340 --> 00:56:47,310 Meb Keflezighi: is important to know about patients and also to be 1071 00:56:47,310 --> 00:56:51,210 Meb Keflezighi: able to just recover because race is a race. Injuries 1072 00:56:51,210 --> 00:56:53,730 Meb Keflezighi: happen, and you might not hit your goal, but at 1073 00:56:53,730 --> 00:56:56,790 Meb Keflezighi: the same time, keep chugging away. I always sometimes say 1074 00:56:57,360 --> 00:56:59,580 Meb Keflezighi: the end of one race is the beginning of another, 1075 00:56:59,640 --> 00:57:02,730 Meb Keflezighi: so you discover a lot of things about yourself, but also, 1076 00:57:03,030 --> 00:57:05,489 Meb Keflezighi: you discover about the community. You might have a bad 1077 00:57:05,489 --> 00:57:07,799 Meb Keflezighi: race, but there's so many people that had a great 1078 00:57:07,800 --> 00:57:10,230 Meb Keflezighi: race, be a positive team player and be able to 1079 00:57:10,230 --> 00:57:13,919 Meb Keflezighi: encourage others to keep going. The finish line is always 1080 00:57:13,920 --> 00:57:17,610 Meb Keflezighi: magical every time, even when you have a disappointment, so 1081 00:57:17,640 --> 00:57:21,810 Meb Keflezighi: make sure you appreciate it and don't dread your disappointment 1082 00:57:21,810 --> 00:57:23,940 Meb Keflezighi: for a long period. It's okay to be disappointed for 1083 00:57:23,940 --> 00:57:26,820 Meb Keflezighi: an hour or a couple hours, but after that you 1084 00:57:26,820 --> 00:57:30,060 Meb Keflezighi: have to realize you just did something incredible to get to 1085 00:57:30,150 --> 00:57:33,600 Meb Keflezighi: that cross the finish line. Everything in life is one 1086 00:57:33,600 --> 00:57:36,450 Meb Keflezighi: day after another, one challenge after another. You have to 1087 00:57:36,450 --> 00:57:38,670 Meb Keflezighi: take a day to day and make sure you appreciate 1088 00:57:38,670 --> 00:57:42,300 Meb Keflezighi: the small victories in life and in marathon. There's no 1089 00:57:42,300 --> 00:57:45,840 Meb Keflezighi: shortcuts. There's no instant gratification, but if you work hard, 1090 00:57:46,380 --> 00:57:48,450 Meb Keflezighi: you're going to be all right. I remember one time, 1091 00:57:48,450 --> 00:57:52,320 Meb Keflezighi: sometimes in a race in 2013 at the TCS New York City 1092 00:57:52,320 --> 00:57:55,110 Meb Keflezighi: Marathon. I wasn't having a tough day, but I have 1093 00:57:55,140 --> 00:57:58,350 Meb Keflezighi: to refocus, get to that finish line. Even though you are 1094 00:57:58,560 --> 00:58:00,600 Meb Keflezighi: 19 miles or 20 miles, they don't feel like you're 1095 00:58:00,600 --> 00:58:04,170 Meb Keflezighi: going to go, but you just have to make a 1096 00:58:04,170 --> 00:58:06,330 Meb Keflezighi: new goal to say, I'm going to get to that finish line 1097 00:58:06,360 --> 00:58:08,970 Meb Keflezighi: even if it means walking. But before you're realizing that you're going to 1098 00:58:09,150 --> 00:58:12,240 Meb Keflezighi: start jogging, get to that finish line, get to that 5K to 1099 00:58:12,240 --> 00:58:14,400 Meb Keflezighi: go, and then the crowd would going to carry you 1100 00:58:14,400 --> 00:58:18,030 Meb Keflezighi: through it, and the camaraderie and the friendship that you make, 1101 00:58:18,150 --> 00:58:21,390 Meb Keflezighi: like I did that year with Mike Cassidy, still friends 1102 00:58:21,390 --> 00:58:24,030 Meb Keflezighi: to this day, even those 12 years later. 1103 00:58:24,420 --> 00:58:26,400 Rob Simmelkjaer: All right, well, that does it for another episode of 1104 00:58:26,400 --> 00:58:28,830 Rob Simmelkjaer: Set the Pace. We want to thank our awesome guests 1105 00:58:28,830 --> 00:58:32,430 Rob Simmelkjaer: today, Relly Ladner and Felicia Pasadyn. If you like the 1106 00:58:32,430 --> 00:58:36,600 Rob Simmelkjaer: episode today, please subscribe, follow it, rate it, leave a 1107 00:58:36,600 --> 00:58:39,209 Rob Simmelkjaer: comment so others can find it too, and so that we 1108 00:58:39,210 --> 00:58:42,180 Rob Simmelkjaer: can hear from you. Thanks for joining us everybody. Hope 1109 00:58:42,180 --> 00:58:44,940 Rob Simmelkjaer: you're enjoying that post- marathon glow, those of you who 1110 00:58:44,940 --> 00:58:47,370 Rob Simmelkjaer: ran. Enjoy the miles, we'll see you next week.