Welcome to At Your Own Pace — your running buddy for the long haul.
Every week, I sit down with runners from every corner of this sport — the first-timers, the Six Star finishers, the moms, the comebacks, the sober warriors, the heart warriors, the back-of-the-pack lifers, the ultra chasers, the Olympians, the everyday athletes who lace up anyway. The common thread? Every single one of them has a story worth telling.
Because here is the thing — this show is not about mile splits. It is about the miles lived. The hard training blocks. The injury comebacks. The finish lines that mattered. The ones that broke us. The person running next to us at mile 22 who became a friend for life. The reason we started. The reason we keep going.
I am Mike — host, coach, Six Star finisher, 17-time marathoner, and the guy who believes with everything in me that this community is bigger than any clock. Whether you run fast or slow, far or just around the block, whether you are chasing a PR or chasing peace of mind — you belong here.
So lace up, press play, and come run with us.
This is your race. Run it, at your own pace.
Every Mile As Myself — Alex Vass on Running, Art, and Identity
Alex Vass is proof that you do not have to pick a lane. A non-binary actor, singer, multi-instrumentalist, and ultrarunner, Alex has spent their life learning that the most powerful thing you can do is show up as every version of yourself at once.
In this surprise NYC Marathon week drop, Alex and I get into all of it. Growing up resisting compulsory school sports and discovering that choosing movement on their own terms unlocked everything. The 2015 Costa Rica expedition that reset their relationship with alcohol, with technology, and with their body. The hungover Boxing Day four-mile run that sparked the thought that would become a half marathon, then a full marathon, then an 11-year running journey. The ambitious first marathon in Manchester, where a knee issue and a confusing course could not stop them from finishing without walking. The classical training on violin, the musical theatre work, the master’s at Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London, and the varied path that led them back to performance.
We also talk about the 250-kilometer multi-stage ultramarathon they completed, the 100-miler within 24 hours they are training for, and what it means to show up at a start line as their full non-binary self. We dig into visibility — why Alex intentionally enters races in the non-binary category to help other runners feel seen, and what it means to have been selected for the New York City Marathon’s non-binary sub-elite category.
This episode is a love letter to anyone who has ever felt like they had to pick a single lane in order to belong. Alex is here to tell you that you do not. And neither does anybody else.
31 Oct 2026
Three Words. One Bridge. A NYC Marathon Legend. — The Last Damn Bridge Story
If you have ever run the NYC Marathon, you know the moment. Mile 22. The Madison Avenue Bridge. The last bridge on the course. Your legs are gone, your brain is gone, and you are looking for anything to carry you home. And standing on that bridge — year after year, race after race — is a crew of New Yorkers holding a sign with three words. Last. Damn. Bridge.
That sign has become so legendary that the official 2026 NYC Marathon pacing guide literally coaches runners with the exact phrase. A homemade sign has become part of how the greatest race on Earth prepares its athletes.
In this surprise NYC Marathon week drop, I sit down with Emily Litman — the woman behind the sign. A New Jersey middle school teacher who has never run a step on the course and has somehow become one of the most important humans on it. We get into the accidental origin story back in 2015, the viral moment that turned a one-off cheer into a tradition, the wall of hearts that honors runners’ loved ones, the race-day logistics, the pain cave moments, the 2022 heat emergency, and the mantra that Emily carries with her every single November — nada te turbe. Nothing shakes you.
This episode is a love letter to the spectators, the sign holders, the cheer crews, and every single human who makes race day what it is. Because the truth is — you do not need a bib to belong to this community. You just need to show up.
29 Oct 2026
From Sobriety to the 70.3 Worlds — The Josh Vernon Story
Josh Vernon has built his entire adult life inside endurance sport — from the inside out. He is the Partnerships Manager at SuperTri. He is the host of Another Triathlon Podcast. He is a certified swim, bike, and run coach. He is a Marathon Sports, On, and Athletic Brewing ambassador. He is a 3:04 marathoner, a Boston qualifier, and a 2026 Ironman 70.3 World Championship qualifier heading to Nice, France.
And right there in his bio, out in the open, is the line that made this episode what it is. Sober since 2019.
In this conversation, Josh and I get into all of it. His sobriety journey and how it rebuilt everything that came after it. The mindset work he does every single day to stay intentional, consistent, and connected to the sport he loves. The transition from pure athlete to community-focused organizer. The role sponsorships, partnerships, and brands like Athletic Brewing play in shaping modern endurance culture. The mental health conversation that is finally happening inside this sport — and the one we still need to have more loudly. And the beautiful, messy, honest truth that endurance sport is at its best when it is giving us something to come back to on the days we need it most.
We also get into charity, community, the Team LUNGevity miles, the training it takes to stand at a 70.3 World Championship start line in Nice, and what Josh wants to build next — both as an athlete and inside the business of the sport.
If you have ever needed proof that a single decision can rebuild a whole life, this one is for you.
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
2 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
11 ratings
Contact At Your Own Pace
Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Host of At Your Own Pace?
Claim your podcast to manage its listing and keep your show details accurate.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
