Inspirational Marathoner Tommie Runz on Sobriety & Trauma's Power to Transform Us

04/13/22 • 66 min

"I think that we don't give ourselves enough credit in many areas for the strength we have cause it doesn't seem like the connection should be made to something else. But if you can be strong in one area, you can translate that to almost any other area of your life."

Today's guest is Tommie Runz, a 2:48 marathoner who recently qualified for the upcoming Boston Marathon.

Tommie has one of the coolest stories in running today. Five years ago, running became the tool he used to transform his life. It has taken him on a journey to not only becoming sober but also a growing inspiration to anyone who hears his story. What makes this conversation special is Tommie’s willingness to be open, honest, complex and vulnerable.

His message: be honest with yourself so you can finally overcome what’s holding you back. We talk about the transformative power of running throughout this conversation, but if any sport makes you feel free and empowered, then it can do for you what running has done for Tommie. His story is proof that the right personal changes can help you overcome whatever seems impossible to you right now.

Timestamped Show Notes:

3:08 Training for Boston...

6:49 Approaches and strategies to stay on track... and using the past negatives to reach new goals...

10:54 “If you can be strong in one area, you can translate that to almost any other area of your life.”

13:13 A road to sobriety...

18:30 Who will I be without drinking?

22:21 “No matter what the habit is, it's not like everybody's a drinker out there, but whatever thing you're trying to break, you have to tell the truth. At some point, you got to tell the truth out loud.”

26:04 Small random moments that meant everything along the way...

29:16 Getting into running...

33:39 Filling up time with other things...

35:34 How other projects came to be...

38:18 “I need my kids to see. I need us to have a sense of ownership of something. And no matter if it's small, big, or at least see their black father, try something a little more different than what he's already doing.”

42:19 Championing the effort for other young black men...

47:57 Becoming better and creating opportunities through sports...

48:50 Advice for fueling the mindset...

51:17 PR Project and UCAN products...

54:57 Q&A with Tommie after the show...

60:45 A recap with Jon and Bryan...

References:

Run Eat Sleep Podcast - Apple Podcasts

Chip Time Running - homepage

PR Project YouTube - YouTube

What the Health movie - Wikipedia

Josh Shipp - homepage