Mike Bridges—host of At Your Own Pace and Mike Runs Marathons—returns to the Abbott World Marathon Majors as a runner, coach, and new dad. His second six-star journey is about more than races: it’s a story of how life changes the way we define progress, courage, and success. Laura Thornton and Mike trace his unlikely path from hating sports to running marathons. After a difficult stretch involving loss, surgery, and a health wake-up call, a simple 20-minute treadmill challenge sparked a journey that grew from a 5K to the NYC Marathon, a first six-star medal, and now a second attempt at the majors—with a different mindset. In this episode, Mike shares how he got started, what he learned from race-day mistakes and fueling challenges, and why comparing your pace to someone else’s can get in the way of finding your own. He also reflects on the mental health experiences that shaped him, earning his first six-star medal in Boston, and how fatherhood has changed his perspective on strength, purpose, and showing up. Whether you’re chasing a marathon, navigating a major life change, or wondering if you’re “a runner,” this conversation is a reminder that progress isn’t always linear—and your pace can evolve as your life does.

Most runners are chasing speed. Kyle from The Back of the Pack Podcast is chasing something bigger, from World Marathon Majors to a first half Ironman, and he’s doing it with brutal honesty, a wicked sense of humor, and zero patience for fake “real runner” nonsense. Laura sits down with Kyle for a deeply relatable, wildly entertaining conversation about the miles that change you. From Sydney’s punishing hills and brutal sun to London’s six-star finish, from race-day bathroom disasters to the thrill of a medal that means you did the hard thing, this episode is packed with the kind of stories every runner recognizes and every new runner needs to hear. You’ll discover:

• why Sydney humbled even experienced marathoners
• how Tokyo’s cutoffs turn a race into a mental chess match
• why the back of the pack deserves as much respect as the front
• how running became Kyle’s way through divorce, grief, and health struggles
• what it really means to build a community where every pace has a place

Kyle also shares the story behind Back of the Pack Podcast and Chasing Rabbits Run Club, where his mission is simple: make the mistakes so you don’t have to, welcome every newcomer, and remind runners that finishing is finishing, whether you run, walk, or do both. Laura brings her own candid race stories, from Sydney and New York to Boulder’s legendary 10K, plus the shared frustration of trolls who think pace determines worth.This one is for anyone who has ever felt too slow, too late, too out of place, or too intimidated to call themselves a runner. If you need permission to start, to keep going, or to be proud of the finish line you earned, press play.

The advice around weight loss and self-belief is wrong when it tells you to wait until you feel ready. Jennifer Brown, better known as this Iowa mom, shows how progress actually starts: with honesty, repetition, and a decision to keep going even when the scale, the clock, and your own head say otherwise.Laura Thornton opens this deeply personal conversation with Jennifer Brown, a mom, runner, creator, health coach, and Runner’s World contributor whose candid online presence has resonated with a huge community. What follows is a raw, often emotional look at the mental shift behind Jennifer’s transformation—from 342 pounds, type 2 diabetes, and a season of fear about her health to marathon finishes, a stronger mindset, and a life she says she never thought was possible. You’ll discover how Jennifer built momentum with the simplest starting points: walking, drinking water, and a 30-day one-mile challenge on a clearance treadmill in her basement. She breaks down why she stopped treating one bad day like a total failure, how she uses food, water, movement, and sleep as her coaching framework, and why her mantra—“the finish is the win”—matters far beyond running.Laura and Jennifer also get real about the emotional side of change: validation, body image, parenting, setbacks, and the inner voice that can keep you stuck for years. Jennifer shares how running changed her relationship with herself, why she thinks mindset is the true engine behind lasting health, and how she learned to stop looking for permission from everyone else.They also tackle the GLP-1 conversation head-on, including the practical reality of using medication as part of a broader health journey. Jennifer explains why she sees it as support, not identity, and Laura adds her own lived experience to make the conversation even more honest and useful for listeners navigating similar decisions.Jennifer Brown is the creator behind this Iowa mom, a health coach, and a runner whose story has built a loyal audience through candor and consistency. Laura Thornton is the host of Hear Every Mile, where she spotlights the voices and moments that carry us through life’s hardest miles.Essential listening if you need a reminder that you do not have to be perfect to begin, and that finishing—in running, health, or life—is still a win.