The Sunday Shakeout

Nicholas Macha

The Sunday Shakeout seeks to share the untold stories of top high school, collegiate, and professional runners. The mission? To showcase the humanity and unique journeys of these athletes. Through deep, authentic conversations, I aim to inspire my audience to pursue both athletic and personal success, seeing running not just as a set of goals, but as a path of growth and transformation along the way.

  1. 10月6日

    Ep. 162 - When The Results Don't Match The Work: Believing Through The Slump In My Junior XC Season

    The October Rundown. This week, I did not plan for a guest. I have been wanting to do a genuine solo episode for a while now. To put it lightly, my junior cross-country season has not gone to plan. Today, I reflect upon my season so far, and the challenges and unexpected turns so far this fall. Historically in my running career, when I don’t run well, I can usually pinpoint injury or illness as the culprit, causing either a decline in fitness or reduced performance. For the first time in my career, I am not running well, but cannot pinpoint a specific reason. Nothing is making sense right now. Sometimes, this sport doesn’t make sense. Running is hard, but that’s what makes it rewarding. You have to stay self-aware and keep believing and persevering through tough times. Because, ultimately, championship season is what truly matters. The greats in every walk of life face slumps; it’s part of the process. That’s what I have to remind myself during the struggle. Takeaways: Embrace the journey, even when it doesn't go as planned.Mental focus is key to overcoming physical challenges.Every athlete faces slumps; it's part of the process.Trust in your training and preparation.Learn from past experiences to improve future performances.The importance of self-awareness in sports.Championship season is what truly matters.Keep believing and persevering through tough times.Adjusting race strategies can lead to better outcomes.Running is hard, but that's what makes it rewarding. I hope you enjoy this episode of The Sunday Shakeout! Shoutout to the team at the Battle of 509 who told me they are fans of the podcast. Y’all are real ones. Please consider leaving a follow and a five-star review.

    28 分钟
  2. Ep. 161 - The Heir to the Throne of Oregon 5A XC Dominance: The Rise of #2 Oregon 5A XC Returner Ty Cirino

    9月28日

    Ep. 161 - The Heir to the Throne of Oregon 5A XC Dominance: The Rise of #2 Oregon 5A XC Returner Ty Cirino

    Today on the podcast is Ty Cirino. Ty is the #2 returner in Oregon 5A cross country, out of Central High School in Independence, Oregon. With the graduation of Tayvon Kitchen and Josiah Tostenson this past spring, the door is open in Oregon high school XC Ty Cirino is a possible heir to the throne. As a junior, Ty won the The Mook XC Invite at Alderbrook in a new course record of 14:43 (which was just recently broken by Kellen Williams in 14:28). Ty also finished 2nd at the Rose City Invitational in 14:35. After finishing 4th at Oregon 5A State Cross Country as a junior and placing 3rd in both the 1500 and 3K this past track season, many have been expecting Ty to rise to the occasion this cross-country season. But, it hasn’t been without struggle. Despite a groundbreaking summer of training, Ty sustained a tiny flare-up that has temporarily sidelined him for a couple weeks to end his September. However, as we head into October, and as you will learn today, Ty believes that this setback could be his strength. Aside from a minor setback, Ty and I go in-depth on his thoughts on the competition in the northwest this cross-country season, as well as his thoughts on the change of the NXR location, why a state title would mean more than an NXN birth. We also discuss his preferences and insights tactical racing vs. front running and we run the gauntlet on the recruitment process. Ty definitely has a bright future. I think we all have to remember, that as you will here Ty say today, “championship season is all that matters”. People don’t remember who sets a course record in September. But people do remember the clutch moments, whether that be winning a state title, winning NXR, or even winning a national title. It was a refreshing perspective to hear, and I hope you enjoy my conversation with Ty today. Please consider leaving a follow and a five-star review! I hope you enjoy this episode of The Sunday Shakeout!

    39 分钟
  3. Ep. 160 - Track 10Ks, Double Threshold, EASY Easy Days & Race Day Nerves With Brooks NIL Athlete Isaac Benjamin

    9月22日

    Ep. 160 - Track 10Ks, Double Threshold, EASY Easy Days & Race Day Nerves With Brooks NIL Athlete Isaac Benjamin

    Today, I got to chat with Isaac Benjamin. Isaac is a senior out of South Kitsap high school in Washington. He is #2 returner in the Northwest and one of the top high school athletes in the nation going into this season. He holds PRs of 4:13 for 1600, 8:52 for 3200, 14:35 for track 5K, 15:01 for cross country 5k, and 30:18 for track 10K. He is also a Brooks NIL Athlete. Isaac is one of the most fun guys you will ever meet at the top. I talk a lot about how chill a lot of my guests are, but Isaac is just like such a genuine, funny, chill guy. He says he doesn’t get nervous before races and I can see why. He keeps it real, down to earth, and I think he sees our sport in a way that I think a lot of people can benefit from. Don’t wanna spoil too much. We talk about his junior track season and racing through sickness. We talk double threshold, 8-minute pace easy days, race nerves, the track 5K and track 10K he did this summer, and so much more. But before we get into the show, please—if you haven’t already, and if you’re enjoying this podcast—I would really appreciate a follow and a five-star review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or whatever platform you’re listening on. That goes a long way in supporting the growth of The Sunday Shakeout. That’s all I ask. Other than that, sit back, relax, and enjoy my conversation with Mr. Isaac Benjamin.

    53 分钟
  4. Ep. 158 - The Most Poised High Schooler in the Nation | A Conversation with Asher Oates (#24 Ranked, State Champion, 14:44 5K XC Runner)

    9月8日

    Ep. 158 - The Most Poised High Schooler in the Nation | A Conversation with Asher Oates (#24 Ranked, State Champion, 14:44 5K XC Runner)

    Today on the podcast is Asher Oates! Asher is the #1 returner from Tennessee, ranked 24th in the nation by Milesplit. Asher is a senior out of Independence High School in Tennessee. Just yesterday, he ran 14:44 for 5K XC, soloing a PR gun to tape in only his second meet of the season. He is the defending Tennessee state champion for cross-country in Division 1 Class AAA. He also got 20th at Footlocker Nationals in 2024. Even more exciting though, is that Asher is on the U20 U.S. Mountain/Trail Team, where he will represent the United States at the World Mountain & Trail Championships in Spain later this month. Such an amazing opportunity. We talk all about what that means for him. And, really, overall, my chat with Asher today was one of the deepest I have ever had on the show. We talk so many things, from what it means to have the opportunity in Spain, to going to altitude camp in Boulder for 6 weeks with Paul Stafford this past summer, where he got to meet some of the top pros and mental performance coaches in the running space. We also talk a little bit about the exit of Footlocker Nationals and the new era of high school national meets at Balboa Park. One key theme in our chat today was definitely the mental game. As you will pick up on in our conversation, there is a level of poise and confidence that Asher carries with himself. He is surgical in the way that he approaches the process of training, the process of racing. Today, we truly peel back the layers of how he has developed such a mindset over his career. And, get some pen and paper out because, man, there were so many good insights. The man is a philosopher, for real. Please consider leaving a follow and five-star review! Other than that, sit back, relax, and enjoy my conversation with Mr. Asher Oates.

    56 分钟
  5. Ep. 157 - From 2X NXR Team Champs To Fastest Freshmen Twins In the NCAA: The Rise of Max and Zack Cervi-Skinner

    9月1日

    Ep. 157 - From 2X NXR Team Champs To Fastest Freshmen Twins In the NCAA: The Rise of Max and Zack Cervi-Skinner

    Hello, and welcome back to another episode of The Sunday Shakeout! I am your host, Nicholas. Today on the show, I had the pleasure of chatting with the fastest freshman twins in the NCAA this fall at Wake Forest… Zack and Max Cervi-Skinner. They’re from Idaho, where they ran for Coeur D’Alene High School and built quite the legacy for CDA Distance. In 2023 and 2024, they led the CDA boys to a team title at the Nike Cross Regionals Northwest Meet—one of the most competitive regions in the nation. And just this past winter, the CDA squad placed second at the Nike Indoor Nationals 4 x mile. Back in May, Max became a state champion in the 3200 at the Idaho State Track Meet—a storybook ending to his high school career after battling injury and illness that lasted months into the spring. Today, it was fascinating to me to get an inside look at the championship culture that Max and Zack built—essentially from scratch—over in Coeur D’Alene. As freshmen in high school, the team only managed to finish 11th at the Idaho State meet in cross country. Yet two years later, they hoisted the trophy as the best team in the entire region. Hearing about—and learning from—the ups and downs, as well as the unique dynamic Max and Zack have as twins, was incredibly interesting. There’s a lot of praise for individual performances and for showing out as one of the best athletes in your state or region. But beyond that—and having been part of a championship culture myself—I know it’s truly a sacred, special experience to be part of a high-performing, dominant team dynamic. The brotherhood and camaraderie formed at the top are like nothing else. It goes far beyond what you can achieve as an individual. I believe you’ll get a glimpse of that in my conversation with Max and Zack today. But before we get into the show, please—if you haven’t already, and if you’re enjoying this podcast—I would really appreciate a follow and a five-star review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or whatever platform you’re listening on. That goes a long way in supporting the growth of The Sunday Shakeout. That’s all I ask. Other than that, sit back, relax, and enjoy my conversation with Max and Zack Cervi-Skinner.

    38 分钟
  6. Ep. 155 - The Most Underrated Runner In the PNW | Bad Luck, Nothing To Lose, & 2 State Titles with Dylan Weniger

    8月17日

    Ep. 155 - The Most Underrated Runner In the PNW | Bad Luck, Nothing To Lose, & 2 State Titles with Dylan Weniger

    This week on the show is Dylan Weniger. Dylan is a graduated senior from Sherwood High School in Oregon and will be running for Gonzaga under Pat Tyson this fall. Dylan is the most underrated runners in the Pacific Northwest. This man flies under the radar like no other. Yet somehow, he is a 4:06 miler, he ran 8:14 for 3K, and is a 2x Oregon 6A State Champ (1500m & 3K). How can a two-time state champ fly under the radar? Dylan flies under the radar partially because he only has come on as a dominating high schooler in Oregon late in his career. As you will learn today, Dylan had the worst luck (at least that I have ever heard of) in a postseason during his senior cross season, where he pulled his oblique in a fall at Districts, got sick the next week, right before State. And then, NXR… it’s a crazy story. You will be shocked to listen to it today. Today, Dylan and I chat all about his thoughts of his narrative of flying under the radar, what it means for him to leave Oregon and continue his career is Spokane, developing under Coach Tyson at Gonzaga. We also discuss Dylan’s stunning and memorable track season, where he went from bombing the Oregon Relays 2-mile, to finishing THIRD at the Jesuit mile as the LAST SEED. Dylan and I also discuss the lowest point of career in that aforementioned senior cross-country season, and the road to redemption, completing the double in the 1500 and 3K at the State meet. There’s a lot of athletes who let bad luck and misfortune become the narrative that defines their career. But to learn about the tenacity, resilience, and quick, yet powerful mental shifts that Dylan is able to employ, it’s impressive, to say the least. I don’t want to give too many spoilers, but this was a good one. Lots to learn from Mr. Underdog himself. Please consider leaving a follow and a five-star review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify! I hope you enjoy this episode of The Sunday Shakeout!

    50 分钟

关于

The Sunday Shakeout seeks to share the untold stories of top high school, collegiate, and professional runners. The mission? To showcase the humanity and unique journeys of these athletes. Through deep, authentic conversations, I aim to inspire my audience to pursue both athletic and personal success, seeing running not just as a set of goals, but as a path of growth and transformation along the way.

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