Runsung Heroes John

Hi guys – thanks for tuning in.  Tonight, before I go to bed, I’m dropping my conversation with Whitney Thornburg Macon for your listening pleasure. To be frank –this episode is sick. You’re all in for a treat. Whitney was super generous with her time speaking to us for over an hour and then hanging on the line after the mics turned off for another 30 minutes or so.

Her story is one of inspiration, trials and tribulations, mixed with personal achievement and the hunger for additional growth. From an underrecruited high school athlete in Ashville, NC to a regional qualifier in the 10k at Harvard, all the way to anchoring the 2015 cross country national champions from UNM as a 5th year senior –Whitney has stay humble and hungry.

Post-collegiately Whitney ran finished 40th at the US Olympic Marathon Trials in Atlanta, GA on February 29, 2021, and further bested that effort with a 2:33 performance at the Marathon Project in Chandler, AZ in December 2021.

Tune in as she graciously tells her story, shares how she “whole asses thing instead of half assing two” and “expects nothing and appreciates everything.”

This week, I’m joined by a very special guest, Karen Bertasso Hughes. She is an orthopedic physician’s assistant here in Albany, NY as well as an Olympic Trials qualifier. Karen qualified for the 2020 trials in Atlanta, at the Hartford Marathon in 2018, realizing a dream and goal she set for herself in 2014.

Here we talk about her exciting intro to road racing and the marathon, more specifically, after a childhood and young adulthood centering around soccer as well as number of positions and volunteer work she has done abroad.

In her career it isn’t uncommon to work 10-14 hour days with a large portion of it spent on your feet, so I was particularly interested in her ability to stay motivated during these long work cycles and her ability to recover and how she prioritizes her training.

Today is Karen’s birthday, so if you could show her some support and thanks for sharing her story, give her a follow on Instagram at KickAssBertass. Let’s seen if we can get her to 1,200 followers – she is about 5 away last time I checked.

Sit tight and I hope you enjoy.