Run Your Story Podcast
Where Every Story Needs to be Heard! Runners and walkers are interviewed to tell their run/walk stories, share fun memories, and provide great advice for those interested in this sport!
Jim Toledo - "People are watching"
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Jim Toledo has been an athlete his whole life - soccer, basketball, football, and baseball as a kid. Sprints and jumps on his high school track team, and played softball, basketball, and indoor soccer leagues all through his 20s and 30s.
When the people he played with got busy with lives and kids, he went looking for an individual sport.
Running had never stuck - shin splints, and "wow, running sucks" - until a friend talked him into a 5K he was having...
Families of the Fallen (Jailbreak 5k) - "Every Mile Every Step"
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It started with a hug on a cold Mardi Gras night in 2018.
Tina Zanca was riding the parade route with the Mobile Police Department's barricade team when she stopped to see Valerie Green and her son Trey - the family of Officer Steven Green, who was killed in the line of duty on the first day of Mardi Gras in 2012 - and told them they ought to jump in the truck and stay warm.
That night Valerie messaged her: Trey had not stopped...
Cherinna Coulter - "Slow and steady holds the pace"
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Cherinna Coulter was the girl who hid in the locker room during P.E. to get out of running the mile.
Nobody in her family ran, and running was nowhere in her history.
Walking her baby son down the dirt road past her parents' house in the mountains of Washington, she told her mom that one day she'd run to the end of that road without stopping, and when a doctor suggested she get outside for thirty minutes a day, she took it...
David Whitehead - "It's me versus me"
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David Whitehead grew up a sprinter in South Georgia - the 400, the 200 and the 100 - and thought he'd been a runner all his life until he started running 5Ks, 10Ks and half marathons.
Out running in Huntsville, he kept seeing people running by themselves or in small groups, so he started a run club to bring them together: Rocket City Runners, a free, all-inclusive club that just turned two, where people who come out as walkers keep coming back and turn into runners.
...
Silvia Garcia - "Choose the harder option"
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Silvia Garcia had nine half marathons, a stretch of obstacle racing and CrossFit five days a week behind her when she decided 2020 would be the year she ran a full marathon.
Disney ended in a heat advisory and a DNF at mile 22, and that spring, at 31, just as COVID was shutting everything down, she was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer.
Sixteen rounds of chemo with no visitors allowed, a mastectomy with complications, three months on a walker, and a full hysterectomy after learning...
Kaitlyn Collier - "Anything is better than nothing"
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Kaitlyn Collier only started running two years ago because of true crime podcasts.
Mid-episode of one, she realized that if she ever actually had to run for her life, she couldn't, so she set a goal of one mile on the gym treadmill and is now deep in Run the Date: running the date in miles every single day of the year (October 5th = 10.05 miles), no misses, ranked around fifth globally among everyone doing it.
Along the way: the lessons running taught her...
Miles for Heroes Recap (Ainsley's Angels) - "We get to do this"
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Something different this time: no guest chair, nineteen voices.
On September 26th, Ainsley's Angels of South Alabama rolled across its first start line at the Miles for Heroes 5K in Daphne, hosted by I Got Your 6 Gulf Coast — and this episode hands the microphone to the people who made it happen.
You'll hear from the runners who pushed, the parents whose kids rode, and the riders themselves — including a four-year-old coach named Ryann.
Allison tells the whole story of a podcast inte...
Miles for Heroes (IGY6) - "We got your six."
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Our first panel episode, recorded race week for the Miles for Heroes 5K in Daphne, Alabama (Saturday, September 26, 2026).
The race benefits IGY6 Gulf Coast - "I Got Your Six," from the old aviation call for the spot right behind you - a group of veterans and first responders who step in for anyone in a mental health crisis.
Around the table: founder Bill Menefee, 21 years in the infantry and a Bradley Master Gunner who later served as a school resource officer and on...
Lenise Ligon - "You've done this before."
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Lenise Ligon is a Gulf Coast TV news anchor and a certified yoga instructor who swears she used to hate running.
A trainer tricked her onto the pavement about two years after she moved to the Gulf Coast, signed her up for a 5K in Daphne to keep her honest, and she was hooked - she has stuck to halves, fulls, and the occasional 15K ever since.
A Detroit native, she ran the Rock 'n' Roll New Orleans Marathon at 19 weeks pregnant (that's...
Matt Billotti - "Do hard things."
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Matt Bilotti is retired U.S. Coast Guard. His running started in 2003–2004 with a "Boot Camp" gym class at the WVU football stadium (Law School Hill sprints and 120-some stadium steps) to get ready for Coast Guard boot camp.
Today he is a vocational trainer for a personal fitness training program with the Federal Bureau of Prisons (Department of Justice).
He teaches the ISSA Certified Personal Trainer course — 10 to 12 weeks, about 120 hours, two classes a day — to incarcerated men, who leave with a certif...
Sheila Scott (Miles of Motherhood) - "I'm a negotiator"
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Sheila Scott — author of "Miles of Motherhood" — joins Allison to talk about a running life that started with a grade-school one-mile fun run outside Rochester, New York, and never really stopped: cross-country coaches who preached "look at the foliage" and taught visualization before it was cool, stepping away from the sport and finding her way back, and raising two runners of her own (both now at Alabama — Roll Tide).
She relives the mud that ate her shoe at a high-school race, the 2019 Marine Corps Marathon downpo...
Josh Sprague (Orange Mud) - "Stay positive and focus on the goal"
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Host Alison Gilliard interviews Josh Sprague, founder of Orange Mud (started January 2012) and Seven Clay. Josh explains building Orange Mud’s hydration packs and the transition wrap/seat cover as “innovation from frustration,” recounts his background in endurance sports and adventure racing, and emphasizes training less to avoid overtraining, family-first balance, warming up slowly, and breaking big efforts into small, measurable goals while staying positive and caring for feet and gut.
He describes racing a 12-hour adventure race with his 14-year-old son, shares nutrition strategies using...
John Bruce - "Embrace the Suck"
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John explains that after reaching his heaviest weight and feeling depressed, he quit alcohol, joined a gym, bought cheap running shoes, and began running on a treadmill, completing his first 5K in October 2023 in about 56 minutes before progressing through 10Ks, half marathons, and ultras with the Scallywags.
He recounts his breakthrough first 50K at Lake Guntersville, later running a 100K (In the Heat of the Night) and his first 100 miler (Chief Ladiga 100), emphasizing discipline, giving yourself grace, and “embrace the suck,” with goals including 100 miles in a...
Jillian Walters - "I am made in the image of a mighty God"
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Jillian Walters went from Strongman competitor to trail ultrarunner in under three years — and she just turned 40.
She shares how family 5Ks with her husband and kids turned into 50Ks on the trails, heat-training for her first eight-hour race, running in Luna sandals, the aid-station order that never changes (a cheese quesadilla and a little bit of Coke), faith and worship music in the hard miles, and the mantra that keeps her moving: "I am made in the image of a mighty God."
Tim Martin - "I've done hard things, and I do hard things"
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Allison interviews Tim Martin of the Warrior’s Way Podcast, who shares how he went from avoiding running to starting with a coworker-led Ragnar Relay, learning proper gear, and finding a community that pushed him to grow as a husband, father, and man of faith.
Tim founded Warrior’s Way in Michigan as an outdoor men’s workout group meeting year-round on Saturdays, using cinder blocks to symbolize choosing discomfort for growth, followed by devotion and coffee.
He began the podcast to share impact...
Elizabeth German - "Quick like a Bunny, Sting like a Bee"
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Allison Gaillard of Run Your Story Podcast interviews runner and mom Elizabeth German, a longtime athlete from South Louisiana whose running began with a family rite of passage at age 13 in the Crescent City Classic, progressed to half and full marathons, and continued through teaching and dyslexia therapy work.
Elizabeth discusses balancing running with parenting, lessons of perseverance and community, favorite races (Crescent City Classic and the 2024 Marine Corps Marathon), a mental challenge with the Louisiana Half’s lake turns, her routines, music, shoe “relationships,” fuelin...
Stephen Vinson - "Keep Showing Up"
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Allison Gaillard interviews Steven Vinson of “Keep Showing Up, Steven,” who shares his lifelong struggle with weight, reaching 632 pounds, losing and regaining after injuries, surgeries, and depression, and adopting a July 2025 mindset shift from chasing perfection to consistently “keeping showing up.”
Steven describes adapting training to his body and the Alabama heat through walking, swimming, and indoor options, tracking streaks, and planning for worst days.
He’s training for the Rocket City Half as a promise to himself and a goal beyond the scale, emp...
Erica Kennedy - "Find the joy in running"
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In this conversation, Erica shares how she began running in her late twenties during an abusive marriage as a way to escape and regain strength, and how running stayed with her after leaving.
Encouraged by her now-husband Joey, she skipped shorter races and ran a first half marathon, later completing more halves and many 5Ks/10Ks, with a goal to try a full marathon to see if she wants to continue beyond 13.1.
She explains how her Instagram (started July 2025) gained traction, leading to...
Sean Casey- "Take the stairs"
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Sean describes growing up as an athlete who disliked running until he developed Guillain-Barré syndrome at 13, rapidly progressing from numbness to full paralysis, ICU ventilation, and a 94-day hospital stay, followed by relearning movement and returning to football within months with a full recovery.
At 22, while teaching English in Korea, he joined an international run club and impulsively ran his first marathon with minimal training, which inspired him to learn and improve, leading to races like Miami, LA, Chicago, and Tokyo.
Drawn to t...
Blake Colton - "Go slow, be consistent, and you'll never know where it'll take you"
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On the Run Your Story podcast, Blake Colton shares how he began running in high school, paused to pursue the trades as an electrician, then returned about eight years ago through marathons inspired by his dad, repeatedly failing to qualify for Boston and nearly quitting due to burnout and gut issues.
A friend introduced him to trail running, where the slower pace helped, and he became hooked, starting with a backyard ultra and progressing to 100Ks, multiple 100-milers, and a 200-miler.
He recounts...
Hildee Weiss (Author: Embracing My Inner Athlete) - "Embrace it for all that it is"
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Allison interviews Hildee about her book, Embracing My Inner Athlete, and Hildee shares how, in 2014, as a busy wife and mother of five, she decided to prioritize herself after encouragement from her father-in-law and began training with Jeff, who became her trainer, coach, and friend.
Initially afraid to run, she progressed from treadmill walk-jog intervals to completing her first 5K, then caught the running “bug,” trained for longer distances, and overcame a broken fifth metatarsal by following a gradual recovery plan.
She discusses late...
Kelsey Williams - "Running is a gift"
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Allison interviews Kelsey (“Dr. Williams”), a Mississippi runner and assistant principal at Florence Middle, about completing her first marathon at Jackson’s Run the Rainbow, a hilly race benefiting the state’s only children’s hospital.
They discuss how they connected through Kelsey’s social post, the emotional impact of running past the hospital, and Kelsey’s running origin during COVID after a difficult period that included her father’s death and a divorce.
Kelsey credits the Run Strong community and coaches Claire and Jeremy for p...
Nicole Adams (Author: Running With God) - "Don't compare yourself. Just let it be."
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Allison interviews Nicole about her book, "Running With God: A Devotional Journey Through the Race of Faith," praising its reflective questions and themes of running and scripture.
Nicole shares how she began running in middle school, later experienced God speaking to her during runs, started the book 15 years ago, and, after a dark season and stepping away from faith, found healing from depression as running drew her back to God and led her to finish the book as an act of obedience despite fear.
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CJ Johnson - "Be legendary"
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Allison interviews Baton Rouge runner CJ Johnson about his running journey, community work, and current injury recovery.
CJ began running in middle school, quit in 11th grade amid family turmoil, later joined the Air Force, and was discharged after learning he had sickle cell anemia.
He recommitted to running after his father’s leg amputation, and because his son has full-blown sickle cell anemia and cannot run, motivating CJ to “run for both of them.”
He describes lessons on faith, training smart...
Jacob Martin - "Why settle for 2nd when 1st is available?"
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In an interview, ultramarathon runner and Fresh Junkie Ambassador Jacob shares how he began running in his late teens after being sedentary and overweight, inspired by watching the Cajun Man Triathlon, then trained for and completed a sprint triathlon as his first race before progressing to half marathons, marathons, 50Ks, 50-milers, and finishing his first 100-miler (Loop Garoo 100), which he praises for its community and aid stations.
He describes pre- and post-race routines (oatmeal, minimal stretching, pizza, Epsom salt baths, and active recovery), preferred gear...
John Calabrese - "You're not good enough, John!"
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On the podcast, John shares how running began as an outlet during depression and divorce, evolving from ramping up in 2016 to his first marathon in 2017 and then ultras, where he found a supportive community and a sense of purpose.
He explains lessons learned, staying true to personal goals, using past DNFs and even trash talk as motivation, and focusing on hard training and unglamorous work like PT, core, and gym strength to reduce injuries.
John describes discovering Ainsley’s Angels after seeing a du...
Bethany Madson - "You are the only one that sets your limits"
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Scott interviews ultra runner Bethany about her running journey, which began in 2018 with a six-hour trail ultra at The Beast after returning to running post–second daughter, progressed to a first 50K at Big BUTTS, a 12-hour at The Beast in 2019, a break in 2020–2021, then a return in 2022 and a first 100-miler at Red Dirt in 2023.
She completed her 10th 100-miler in March 2026.
She shares lessons on pushing limits, nutrition and hydration, focus, and the supportive ultra community, plus favorite races MS 100 and Fond...
Ali Sudderth - "I get to do this. I get to run."
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In this podcast interview, runner and mom Ali shares how she began running in her mid-20s using Couch to 5K, completed half marathons, tore her ACL/MCL, then stepped away from running during surgery recovery, pregnancy, and postpartum while focusing on strength training at Burn Boot Camp.
In July 2024, she was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome, rapidly becoming paralyzed from the chest down with partial arm and facial paralysis, and spent about three months at the Shepherd Center relearning daily tasks and eventually running five m...
Corbin Harris - "Finding joy in the journey"
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Corbin shares how he started running in fourth grade, became an average high school runner, and later found deeper passion and success at Campbellsville University, eventually winning a conference 5K title and a Christian College National Championship.
After college, he trained for his first marathon to qualify for Boston, won in 2:36, later ran Boston in 2:27 (55th), and began pursuing Olympic Trials standards, including a 2:23 marathon and a 2:21 at Chicago 2023, then continued despite tougher qualifying times.
He coached collegiately, moved to Lexington after marriage...
Ainsley's Angels at Crescent City Classic 2026
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[This podcast is best experienced on our YouTube channel, which includes pictures, names, titles, and subtitles for each of the people we interviewed.]
Host Allison Gaillard introduces a different kind of Run Your Story podcast episode featuring Ainsley’s Angels participants from the Crescent City Classic, including Greater New Orleans members and families who traveled from Texas.
Interviews with riders, runners, parents, and volunteers highlight how the organization creates inclusion not only during races but also through post-race community and celebration.
Gu...
Kyle Walker (Back of the Pack Podcast) - "Why are we taking this seriously?"
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At the Run the Rainbow Expo, Allison interviews Kyle of the Back of the Pack Podcast ahead of the Run the Rainbow race and a planned meetup at Rocket City Marathon’s Podcast Alley.
Kyle shares that he began running after a 2010 divorce, starting at nearly 300 pounds by running short intervals, completing his first 5K in December 2010, and eventually doing about 382 races.
He started his podcast to share lessons from mistakes and support all runners, pushing back on claims that back-of-the-pack and charity ru...
Dylan Led - "I've been through so much worse than whatever's in front of me in a race"
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Allison interviews Dylan, an ultra runner with 14+ ultramarathons, a sobriety and redemption story, and a weekly live cornhole podcast.
Dylan shares how he ran casually as a young athlete, joined the US Army in 2013 for eight and a half years, then swore off running after leaving in 2021 and struggled with lost purpose and heavy drinking, intensified after a roommate’s death in a 2022 motorcycle accident.
After reading David Goggins’ “Can’t Hurt Me,” he began training for the 4x4x48 challenge, found running as therapy...
Stephen Havard - "Accept there will be discomfort and accept the challenge."
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On the podcast, Allison interviews Steven (“Big Papa”), a fast, humble runner and new dad, about how he started running after high school to stay in shape and to eventually beat his older brother in races.
Steven describes shifting from mostly trail running in Georgia (especially 2017–2021) to more road running after moving to Mobile in July 2021, noting differences in pacing, muscle strain, anxiety, passing on single-track trails, and the need for more cushioned shoes on pavement.
He shares lessons from running—discipline, consistency, focusing...
Jackson Wolf - "I'm gonna let the rougarou out."
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Jackson discusses how he started running competitively later in life—his first marathon at 33 after dabbling in mountain biking, triathlons, and five Ironmans—and quickly progressed into trail ultras, including signing up for a 100-miler before completing a 50K.
He shares his love of technical trails, boredom as a key weakness, and how moving between Mississippi and places like Flagstaff shaped his training.
Jackson explains how Live Oak 50K began as a low-key group run that grew into an organized race, and his goal...
Laura Green - "Motivation is nothing. It's just dedication."
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Laura Green, a mom, comedian, and runner, shares how she started running at 12 through cross country, trained seriously in high school in New York, and later ran at Northeastern while majoring in physical therapy.
After college, she shifted to more recreational trail and road running, completing under 10 marathons, including a first marathon in Nashville to raise money for a friend’s wheelchair, and repeated Boston mainly to visit friends; she especially enjoyed New York City and the Paris Marathon.
She prefers cross country an...
Rhonda Hayden - "It's a passion that I've had for a long time."
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Allison welcomes back Rhonda, who runs Kinda Gritty, to discuss her background directing races and fundraising, and how her company creates experience-focused events with strong community impact.
They recap Kind of Gritty races including Salute Red, White, and Blue at Camp Shelby benefiting the National Guard Youth Challenge Program, and the Molten Mohawk Niner at Thomley’s Christmas Tree Farm featuring hand-blown glass medals and fundraising beneficiaries that have included a prosthetic leg, medical bills for injured athletes, and Oak Grove High School’s cross coun...
Travis McCalla - "That sense of belonging"
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Podcast host Alison interviews Travis, a veteran whose running story spans childhood trauma, military service, alcoholism, sobriety, and ultra-distance racing.
Travis describes hating running in high school, escaping an abusive home by joining the Marine Corps in 1997, developing a heavy drinking habit, later joining the Army Reserve in 2006, and seeking help in 2014 because he feared dying.
After getting sober, deployments and a 2017 convoy crash in Germany revealed health issues, prompting him to start running, progressing quickly from 5Ks to marathons, 50 milers, and 100 milers.<...
Selena Daniel - "I need new friends"
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In this conversation, Allison interviews Selena, a runner and the race director of Run the Rainbow, a multi-distance race event in Jackson, Mississippi that benefits the state’s only children’s hospital.
Selena shares how she began running in her early 30s as a personal goal, progressed from 5Ks to marathons, and grew passionate about the running community.
She discusses taking on trail running at longer distances, including a goal sequence with the local Muts Group (Frosty 15, Big Butts 50K, Clear Creek 50K) and...
Josh Coleman - "The race is never over"
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Alison interviews ultra runner and author Josh Coleman about his book, Moving Forward: Running With Grief, which centers on his grief after his wife Erin’s death and the importance of community support for those grieving.
Josh explains he wrote the book to keep Erin’s legacy alive, capture who she was for those who never met her (including the trail running community), help process his own grief, and share how he grieved without prescribing a “right way” to others; he emphasizes that grief doesn’t end but...
Blake Hughes - "Running isn't what most people think that it is"
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In this episode, Blake shares his incredible transformation from viewing running as a form of torture in his youth to becoming an ultramarathon runner.
Blake discusses his initial attempts at running, propelled by a friend's encouragement, leading up to completing his first 5K and ultimately participating in marathons and ultra-races.
He reflects on the lessons learned through running, emphasizing mental and spiritual aspects. Blake also delves into his training routines, gear preferences, and the pivotal role of his supportive wife.
With...
