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. 3d ago

    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

  2. Aug 24

    Ep. 210 - Some Thoughts Before My Senior XC Season

    Enjoy!

  3. Aug 17

    Ep. 209 - He Trained For a Half Marathon at 10 - Then Became a 2X 800m National Champ

    One hundredth of a second. That was the difference between Caleb Winders winning and going home wondering what he could have done differently. A few weeks later, he ran 1:46.85. The Bloomington North senior has spent the last few years quietly building himself into one of the best 800-meter runners in the country. Now headed to UNC, Winders has combined raw speed with a blue-collar approach to training, racing, and getting better every day. In 2026, he repeated as Indiana 800m state champion and broke the state record with a 1:46.85. He won New Balance Nationals Indoor and Outdoor, adding two more national titles to his résumé. He also helped Bloomington North win its fourth Indiana 4x800-meter state championship. But the numbers only tell half the story. This season also brought Winders his biggest setback. A hamstring injury hit during the postseason, forcing him to balance his own goals with his responsibility to his team. It was a reminder that even when everything is moving forward, running can still ask you to slow down. In this conversation, we get into what it actually feels like to run 1:46, the mental battle of the 800, the race he lost by a hundredth, and the day-to-day grind behind the performances. We talk about pressure, confidence, pain, consistency, and why Winders still seems to care most about one simple thing: beating the people next to him and having fun doing it. Now, the high school chapter is over. Chapel Hill is next. Tap into the Caleb Winders Special. If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following The Sunday Shakeout on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review. And if you know someone who would enjoy this conversation, send it their way.

    Ep. 209 - He Trained For a Half Marathon at 10 - Then Became a 2X 800m National Champ

  4. Aug 9

    Ep. 208 - From Falling While Leading At The State Meet to 2X NXN Team Champ | The Hunter Robbie Special

    Sometimes the athletes who go the farthest are the ones who never made the biggest splash at the start. Hunter Robbie didn't become a two-time Nike Cross Nationals All-American overnight. The 2026 Niwot High School graduate grew from an overlooked middle school runner into one of the leaders of the greatest cross country dynasty in the country, helping Niwot capture back-to-back NXN titles and three straight Colorado 5A state championships. His senior season was one of remarkable consistency. Hunter finished sixth at Nike Cross Nationals in 15:11 to earn his second consecutive All-American finish. He ran 14:34.2 for runner-up at Nike Cross Southwest Regional. He was named the 2025-26 Colorado Gatorade Boys Cross Country Player of the Year and closed out his high school career with personal bests of 4:07 for 1600 meters and 8:45 for 3200 meters before heading to Duke. But this conversation isn't about the medals. It's about the people who believed in him before he believed in himself. We talk about the coach who made a four-year bet on a kid who wasn't yet winning races, why consistency always beats chasing the perfect workout, and how Niwot built a culture where teammates could compete fiercely without becoming competitors first. Hunter also reflects on falling while leading the Colorado state championships, carrying the pressure of defending a national title, and why making running your entire identity is one of the fastest ways to lose the joy that makes great performances possible. His perspective is simple. Care deeply. Stay loose. Keep showing up. The results will take care of themselves. Tap into the Hunter Robbie Special. Follow The Sunday Shakeout on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and if you enjoyed the episode, leave a five-star review.

    Ep. 208 - From Falling While Leading At The State Meet to 2X NXN Team Champ | The Hunter Robbie Special

  5. Aug 2

    Why I Left Strava Before My Senior Season

    This week, I'm taking a break from guest interviews to share a few lessons from my final varsity camp before senior cross country. We talk about why I decided to step away from Strava, what chasing social validation was quietly doing to my training, and how I'm learning to focus less on what everyone else is doing and more on becoming the best version of myself. I also reflect on the teammates who shaped my high school running journey, what leadership has come to mean to me, and why taking care of your mind might be just as important as taking care of your body. Whether you're gearing up for a new season, feeling overwhelmed by comparison, or simply trying to find more purpose in your training, I hope this episode gives you something to think about. Thanks for listening to The Sunday Shakeout.

  6. Jul 26

    Ep. 207 - The Fastest Mississippi HS Runner of All Time: Running Free and Surmounting the Pressure with 8X MS State Champion Andrew Brown

    Andrew Brown was labeled a prodigy before he was old enough to drive. Then came the pressure, the setbacks, and the question every young athlete eventually faces: who are you when things don't go your way? The rising senior from Tupelo High School to its first Class 7A cross country state championship since 2013 while winning his second straight individual state title. He followed it with a dominant track season, sweeping the Class 7A 1600m and 3200m titles before breaking the Mississippi state record with an 8:52 performance at Nike Outdoor Nationals. But this episode isn't really about the medals or the times. Andrew opens up about the mindset that's changed the way he races. We talk about Josh Kerr's chase for the mile world record, what "running free" actually means, and why letting go of pressure has helped him become a better competitor. He also shares his pre-race routine, why he's thrown up before some of his best races, and how he balances preparation with trusting his instincts when the gun goes off. We also rewind to where it all started. Growing up in Mississippi, competing against his brother, making the switch from baseball and football to distance running, and slowly realizing he could be one of the best runners in the state. Along the way, we dive into training camps, racing the nation's best, recovering from overtraining, and the lessons that came with each step forward. It's a conversation about confidence, patience, and finding joy in the process. Whether you're chasing a PR or simply trying to enjoy the sport a little more, there's something here you'll carry into your next run. Tap into the Andrew Brown Special.

    Ep. 207 - The Fastest Mississippi HS Runner of All Time: Running Free and Surmounting the Pressure with 8X MS State Champion Andrew Brown

  7. Jul 19

    Ep. 206 - Inside the Mind of 2X 800m National Champion Reagan Moore

    In 2026, Oak Knoll School's Reagan Moore cemented herself as one of the premier 800-meter runners in the United States. The rising senior from Summit, New Jersey claimed her second national title this June, running wire-to-wire to win the New Balance Nationals Outdoor 800 meters in 2:05.00 at Franklin Field. It was a different kind of victory than the one that first put her on the national stage. Just a year earlier, Moore produced one of the most memorable finishes of the indoor season. Sitting 10th at the halfway mark of the Nike Indoor Nationals final, she trusted her race, closed her final 200 meters in 29.68 seconds, and stormed to the national title in 2:05.05. Her sophomore season also produced a New Jersey Meet of Champions record of 2:04.80, the third-fastest indoor 800-meter performance in state history behind only Athing Mu and Ajee Wilson. Since then, she has added three NJSIAA Meet of Champions titles to her résumé while establishing herself as one of the country's most consistent championship racers. The journey wasn't without difficult decisions. Following an outdoor season she knew could be better, Moore stepped away from soccer, a sport she had played since Pre-K, to run cross country for the first time and build the aerobic foundation she believed was missing. Just weeks before winning her second national championship, she also finished third at the New Jersey Meet of Champions, proving that one race never defines an athlete. In this conversation, Reagan reflects on the contrast between leading from the front and chasing from behind, the mindset required to trust a long-term process, and the courage it takes to leave comfort in pursuit of something greater. It's an episode about patience, conviction, and becoming a student of the sport. Tap into the Reagan Moore Special. If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following The Sunday Shakeout on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and leaving a five-star review. I would also appreciate it if you shared this episode with a friend who you think would benefit from it.

    Ep. 206 - Inside the Mind of 2X 800m National Champion Reagan Moore

  8. Jul 13

    Ep. 205 - The Blueprint for XC Team Success: What it Takes to Build a Dynasty with CDA's Wyatt Carr

    In 2025, Coeur d'Alene High's Wyatt Carr stepped into a new role. The team's longtime leaders had graduated, and the responsibility of carrying one of the nation's premier distance programs now rested on his shoulders. The Idaho standout responded with the best cross country season of his career. At the Idaho 6A State Championships, Carr ran 14:31.3 to finish runner-up while breaking a course record that had stood since 2022, leading Coeur d'Alene to a third consecutive state title. Weeks later, Carr placed eighth at the Nike Cross Northwest Regional in 14:48.7. Although the Vikings narrowly missed a return trip to Nike Cross Nationals, the disappointment became fuel rather than a defining moment. His momentum carried into the spring, where he captured the Idaho 6A state championship in the 3200 meters in 9:12.27 and helped Coeur d'Alene set a school record in the 4x800-meter relay, completing a remarkable turnaround after an SI joint injury had disrupted his sophomore track season. In this episode, Wyatt reflects on the lessons hidden within an unforgettable year. We discuss why championship teams are built during ordinary summer training, how focusing on the fundamentals creates long-term success, why injury became one of the greatest catalysts for his growth, and how Coeur d'Alene's culture remained strong after falling short of its biggest team goal. He also shares the value of training in groups, simulating race scenarios, and embracing the daily process instead of chasing outcomes. As he enters his senior year, Carr is no longer simply one of Idaho's top runners. He has become the leader of a program built on consistency, resilience, and the belief that the biggest breakthroughs are earned long before race day. Tap into the Wyatt Carr Special. If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following The Sunday Shakeout on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and leaving a five-star review. I would also appreciate it if you shared this episode with someone who you think will benefit from it.

    Ep. 205 - The Blueprint for XC Team Success: What it Takes to Build a Dynasty with CDA's Wyatt Carr
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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
    212
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Nicholas Macha
  • Show Website
    The Sunday Shakeout

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