The Sunday Shakeout

Nicholas Macha
  • 5.0 (176)
  • Running
  • Updated Weekly

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. 6d ago

    Ep. 218 - Thoughts Heading Into My Final HS XC Postseason

    Please consider leaving a follow and a five-star review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify! Thank you to all of the listeners for the support! I hope you enjoy this episode of The Sunday Shakeout.

  2. Oct 11

    Ep. 217 - "Infinite Thresh," Mental Toughness, & State Glory with 3A #1-Ranked Shorewood Star: Elijah Graves

    In the spring of 2025, a stress fracture ended Elijah Graves' sophomore track season. Eighteen months later, the Shorewood senior is running 14:36, winning the Nike Hole in the Wall Elite Race, and making a case for himself as Washington’s next state champion. The Shorewood High School senior has made one of the biggest jumps in Washington distance running. With a team state championship on the horizon, Graves and his teammates are beginning to see just how far this season could go. Graves holds personal bests of 4:07 in the 1600m, 9:02 in the 3200m, and 14:36 in the 5K. His victory at Nike Hole in the Wall put him firmly among the state's top cross country runners. Behind the breakthrough is a training philosophy built on aerobic mileage, threshold work, and consistency. At Shorewood, the goal isn't to complicate the process. It's to trust it. On this episode of The Sunday Shakeout, we get into Shorewood's training, the meaning behind its “infinite thresh” approach, and what it takes to trust your fitness when the race gets uncomfortable. We talk about rankings, nerves, finishing kicks, and a team chasing a state title with its sights set on Nike Cross Nationals. Because sometimes the biggest breakthroughs aren't about finding a new secret. They're about putting in the work, trusting the people around you, and giving yourself time to see what you're capable of. Tap into the Elijah Graves episode of The Sunday Shakeout.

    Ep. 217 - "Infinite Thresh," Mental Toughness, & State Glory with 3A #1-Ranked Shorewood Star: Elijah Graves

  3. Oct 5

    Ep. 215 - Chiropractor Magic, Thoughts on Senior XC Experience, Momentum Swings

    Please consider leaving a follow and a five-star review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify! Thank you to all of the listeners for the support! I hope you enjoy this episode of The Sunday Shakeout.

  4. Sep 28

    Ep. 214 - Injury & Teachings From Coach Mike Smith

    Please consider leaving a follow and a five-star review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify! Thank you to all of the listeners for the support! I hope you enjoy this episode of The Sunday Shakeout.

  5. Sep 21

    Ep. 213 - The Senior Pilgrimage & Thoughts Going Into Bob Firman

    Please consider leaving a follow and a five-star review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify! Thank you to all of the listeners for the support! I hope you enjoy this episode of The Sunday Shakeout.

  6. Sep 13

    Ep. 212 - First Meet of My Senior XC Season, Thoughts on Pre-Race Nerves, the Status of the Show

    Please consider leaving a follow and a five-star review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify! Thank you to all of the listeners for the support! I hope you enjoy this episode of The Sunday Shakeout.

  7. Aug 30

    Ep. 211 - The Biggest Postseason Bounce-Back of 2026: Notre Dame Freshman & 1:48 800m Runner Owen Horeni

    One week. One tough loss. Six days to figure out what comes next. At the 2026 IHSA Class 3A State Championships, Owen Horeni finished second in the 800m, running 1:51. It wasn’t the ending he wanted. Less than a week later, he lined up again at the HOKA Festival of Miles, fought all the way to the line, and dove for the win in 1:48.58. That race was the perfect snapshot of Owen’s senior season. He ran 1:50.25 for 3rd at the Arcadia Invitational, then dropped his PR to 1:50.18 at sectionals. He also won the 1,600m sectional title in 4:13.25. After four years of climbing the podium at the state meet, he had put together one of the best middle-distance careers in Yorkville history. But there’s a lot more to Owen’s story than the times. He grew up running with his marathoner parents and found his love for competition in elementary school cross country. He dealt with knee issues and cross training early in high school, trained through Illinois winters, and slowly figured out that the 800 might be where he could really make his mark. We talk about what actually happened between state and HOKA. The disappointment. The reset. The differences in the two races. The role of pace lights, race conditions, crowd energy, and having the right people around you when things don’t go according to plan. Owen also takes me through the recruiting process, from reaching out to more than 200 coaches to visiting schools like Stanford and Georgetown, and eventually deciding that Notre Dame was the place he wanted to call home. Now he’s heading into college, where the races will be less frequent, the training will be longer, and progress won’t always be as obvious. So maybe the biggest lesson from Owen’s story isn’t a time or a place. It’s learning how to stay patient, keep moving forward, and trust that the work is adding up. Stay the course. If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review. And if you know someone who would get something out of this conversation, send it their way.

    Ep. 211 - The Biggest Postseason Bounce-Back of 2026: Notre Dame Freshman & 1:48 800m Runner Owen Horeni

  8. Aug 24

    Ep. 210 - Some Thoughts Before My Senior XC Season

    Enjoy!

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5
out of 5
176 Ratings

About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    Nicholas Macha
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    218
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Nicholas Macha
  • Show Website
    The Sunday Shakeout

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