In this episode of Your Story, Your Why, host Letty Lundquist sits down with Massimo Ian, Head of Marketing & Communications at Tracksmith. Massimo shares how his multicultural upbringing in New York City shaped his deep appreciation for community, food, and human connection. He opens up about his early years in running—from using the sport as a coping mechanism while navigating his identity as a closeted youth to healing his relationship with running and body image.

Massimo details his career transition from international non-profit work with UNICEF and youth rehabilitation programs in Brazil into the running industry. He discusses the importance of representation, creating welcoming spaces for underrepresented communities in running, and his favorite weekly mindfulness habit: running "unplugged" without a watch, phone, or headphones to stay connected with nature and body feel.

In this episode, veteran sports nutrition coach Erin Sperald dives deep into the clinical reality of Low Energy Availability (LEA) and Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs), exposing how chronic underfueling sabotages athletic performance, immune function, and bone health. Sperald shares actionable strategies for calculating baseline nutritional needs, using carbohydrates as a flexible fuel dial to match training output, and shifting focus away from aesthetics toward long-term health and longevity. Whether you are balancing heavy marathon mileage or struggling with recovery plateau, this conversation provides essential insights to optimize daily fueling and protect your metabolic foundation.

What separates a late-race marathon breakdown from a course PR? In this episode, host Letty Lundquist sits down with RRCA Certified Coach, Abbott 6-Star Finisher, and veteran pacer Dave Masterson to discuss his new book, "Marathon 101" by Dave Masterson: A Professional Pacer's Book Running Your Personal Best. Having paced and finished over 70 marathons, Dave shares his front-row strategies on mastering energy conservation, training your gut for race-day fueling, skipping aid-station chaos, and executing a smart pacing plan.