Podcast
Run The Race
Hosted by WTVM · EN
On your journeys of fitness and faith, we are helping you stay motivated to be stronger physically and spiritually on the new RUN THE RACE podcast. Host Jason Dennis - veteran WTVM news anchor, marathon runner and missionary, will talk to experts and people with inspiring stories as we dig deeper into the mind, body and soul.
37episodes
Episodes
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#280: Nutritionist & Running Coach Helps You With Food & Training For Your Next Race
Mar 501:03:01Tap to summarizeIt can be a delicate balance between exercise - like long distance running - and nutrition. Are you eating enough? A lot of endurance athletes do not. This week's "Run The Race" guest has some sound advice to help you with food and training plans for your next race, whatever distance it is. (2:44) Registered dietician nutritionist (RDN) and personal trainer and certified ultramarathon running coach Todd Reinkemeyer of Georgia helps us dig into proper fueling for your performance goals before and during races. We start with what to eat during training, the timing of it, and pre-race nutrition for half marathons vs. 26.2 miles and ultras. You can get 1-on-1 help from him too: https://www.offtrailcoaching.com/ (13:26) How much should you take in DURING that long race? He's got some numbers to help prevent "bonking." We also talk specific foods that can be fun or forced during longer distances (Todd loves burritos, breakfast sandwich, mashed potatoes in those ultra marathons). (25:41) A lot of runners are chronically UNDERFUELING. Keeping your weight down to be faster can have negative affects, he says, but we should focus on everyday healthy eating habits. How do we know the right amount of calories to eat? Todd has some answers. (38:05) Todd may have been undertrained for his first full marathon, but he's learned and wants to help others with training plans to succeed. We discuss advantages to hiring a coach for nutrition and running - which includes accountability and adaptability. (48:18) And like me, he's trying to complete marathons in 50 states, his next one being BOSTON. Todd is also the keynote speaker the night before the Bootlegger 100 race (with lower distance races too) in Flovilla GA on March 28: https://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=103737. (59:15) I close out the episode in prayer. Thanks for listening! Follow or subscribe to this podcast and tell others about it. Happy running and eating!
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#279: Police Officer Turned Minister Helps Us "Reach One Heart At A Time"
Feb 2700:54:02Tap to summarizeHe was a police officer in East Alabama, where he grew up, then Mack Ballard got a new call from God. Now, for more than four decades, he's been a minister and missionary and chaplain for the Opelika Police Department. And he just wrote his first book - helping us better be able to witness to others - called "One Heart At A Time: Simplifying Outreach For the Body of Christ." https://www.amazon.com/One-Heart-Time-Simplifying-Outreach/dp/1257028081. (3:30) Chaplain Mack is open about his chaotic and troubled childhood...seeing difficult things as a policeman...God saving him and being on fire for the Lord. (19:04) Along with his calling to write multiple books, we dive into his journey from law enforcement to chaplain for those in the dangerous jobs. (28:02) His book focuses on BEING Witnesses, as it says in the Bible, not doing witnessing...and praying for God to open doors for that...and advice for others who may not think they can talk to strangers about the Lord. Mack has stories! (35:02) He also did ministry in places like Russia, India, Mexico where their spiritual lives are much different...places where he learned a lot about outreach. (45:15) God has also told Chaplain Mack to REFIRE not Retire. At any age, we can learn from his tidbits on telling others about Jesus and not focusing on meeting so-called church standards. (49:14) And my guest closes us out in prayer. Thanks for listening to "Run The Race." Tell others about it, listen to past episodes on faith and fitness, leave a review on Apple.
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#278: Marathon In The Snow As I Turn 50 Years Old; Birthday & Race Recap
Feb 2000:27:49Tap to summarizeI am now 50 years old, proud of it! And I just ran marathon in state #38, which was Michigan - in the snow! I talk about both those monumental moments in this shorter personal and solo episode of the "Run The Race" podcast. I give my thoughts on these markers in my life, from God's faithfulness and celebrating the past/future on this landmark birthday...to the extra clothes/food for the 26.2 miles in the really cold Groundhog race - which was also where one members of MI state police finished his 50 state, 50 marathon, 50 month journey. Fits in the 50 theme for what I'm talking about.
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#277: Father's Faith After Human Trafficking Of Daughter Keeps Giving Hope & Healing
Feb 1200:58:15Tap to summarizeBeing a parent is difficult, at times, but imagine if your 19-year-old daughter was a victim of sex crimes. That's what faced this week's podcast guest, a father who talks about how crucial his faith in God was in this disturbing situation, theirs being the 1st human trafficking case prosecuted in Georgia/USA involving an adult survivor. I will be moderating a special panel discussion on Thursday, February 26 in Columbus GA with Keith Cooper, his daughter/survivor Rachel Thomas, and the detectives who also advocated for her, the Micah's Promise "Luncheon Celebrating the Promise of Hope and Healing": https://www.micahspromise.org/events/5th-annual-luncheon-celebrating-the-promise-of-hope-and-healing. (4:04) Now 70-yr-old Keith Cooper talks about what happened to his daughter and what the Lord revealed to him about unconditional love, with timing that prevented her suicide. He is vulnerable about how his Christian faith was tested and how God is using his daughter now to help trafficking survivors all over the nation. There are also details in the book they co-authored "Rachel's 5 Miracles": https://www.amazon.com/Rachels-Miracles-Fathers-Daughter-Trafficking/dp/B0CXQWRCRM. (16:41) He has advice for other parents going through traumatic times, choosing the Lord instead of evil temptations, Bible verses that were instrumental in their situation, and the relationships of fathers/daughters. (33:10) Keith and I dive into those words HOPE and HEALING, in the title of our event later this month...what he hopes people get from our panel discussion...also getting past bitterness/anger to blessedness quick...also the importance of being open about the messy things in life to prevent crimes, save lives. (50:50) We close out our chat with his focus on physical health, eating well, walking daily - which is spiritual for him. (54:30) And Keith closes our episode out in prayer. Thanks for listening. Subscribe to the podcast and share #RunTheRace with others.
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#276: Sled Dog Racing + Winningest Musher In The World, With The Iditarod in Alaska Soon
Feb 501:05:21Tap to summarizeThe 54th running of one of the biggest sports events in the world, The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race (54th running), begins with a ceremonial start in Anchorage on March 7, led by this week's guest on the "Run The Race" podcast. Jeff King is known as the "winningest musher in the world," having won the 1,049-mile very challenging Iditarod four times (1993, 1996, 1998, 2006). Now he and his family lead "Husky Homestead" in Denali National Park where they train dogs that will compete in that race and teach people from all over the world about these sled dogs: https://huskyhomestead.com/. (3:11) Jeff King breaks down the Iditarod Trail Race and this sled dog sport and the beauty of Alaska, comparing it to what Nashville is to country music. There are amazing numbers about food and number of dogs used and the 22 checkpoints in this race that takes 10-20 days. You can follow along next month: https://iditarod.com/. (15:45) What kind of training and fitness helps for the mushers/people on the sled? Jeff says biggest parts to deal with are strategy (like a coach) and sleep deprivation. He also digs deeper into the dogs being the amazing athletes here, the wild amounts they eat during the Iditarod (10,000 calories every 24 hours), how much more sleep they get than the musher, and being in awe of what these Alaskan Huskies can do. (31:55) The wild weather can have big impacts on sled dog racing and the more than 1,000 mile trail used for the Iditarod. And how did Jeff get into sled dogs and the Iditarod? (41:55) He shares memories about winning that huge race, 4 times, including being the oldest to do so at age 50. (49:00) And now there's a legacy of his family carrying on this tradition, how they're training dogs and exposing tourists to their state and to this unique sport. Jeff also discusses the beautiful and spiritual aspects of being on the sled with these dogs in Alaska. After our chat, I share about some meaningful races, including one for me soon, also in the snow. And I close the episode out in prayer.
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#275: Poet & Military Officer Finding Faith and Hope Amidst "The Spurs Of Service"
Jan 2800:57:17Tap to summarizeAn Army officer on Fort Benning, who's seen plenty of difficult things during his almost 15 years of deployments and training, has been writing poems for the last few years and has now released a more than 100-page book of that poetry called "The Spurs of Service," hoping to inspire others to share their emotions, and save lives after he experienced two friends killed in Afghanistan and one soldier under his command commit suicide. He's also a man of God wanting to help others find faith and hope. (2:42) MAJ Jake Kelly and I sat down to talk about that book, the purpose of it, the different chapters, how it's already helping wounded warrios and the fallen comrades that inspired the project. (14:20) We also chatted about his faith journey that includes a portion of the book about God bringing peace in his life, along with the traumatic health challenges for their daughter. (23:11) Why did he join the Army and how is he helping modernize the military for the future? Military families also sacrifice a lot, but he says they deserve just as much as what you do in uniform. (32:53) Something to inspire you, Jake explains the meaning behind a mentor's motto "Get Better Every Day" and (38:22) hear his take on why it's Not about balance between your job/Army and being a family man, but instead surges and timing. (43:01) I got talented poet MAJ Kelly to read part of one of his poems "By The Glow Of The Fire." You can purchase "The Spurs of Service" at https://sawdustpublishing.com/product/the-spurs-of-service/?v=0b3b97fa6688. I also read another of his poems...then close out the episode in prayer. Make sure to subscribe to the "Run The Race" podcast, tell others about it, write a quick review on Apple, and listen to any previous 274 episodes from the last 6+ years at https://www.wtvm.com/podcasts/.
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#274: Avid Runner, Life Coach, Army Veteran Helping You Succeed At Goals - Big and Small
Jan 1400:54:27Tap to summarizeAfter 20 years in the US Army, our latest guest on the "Run the Race" podcast continues to be an avid long distance runner and is now a life coach - helping you meet your small and big goals, maybe ones you made for 2026. (2:12) Retired Staff Sgt. Laurie Miorana in Columbus GA - who has a civilian job on Fort Benning - talks about those New Year's "resolutions," why people fail and how you can succeed! That includes some hints on losing weight and saving money. (10:25) She had some dangerous close calls during 3 deployments to Iraq, thankful to God and her training, learning a lot about leadership and discipline/structure/planning from her Army career. What kind of leader or example do you want to be for others? Laurie wants to help others live their best life, including fellow Army vets. (18:00) She loved running even before the military, but being a soldiers taught her how to be an even better athlete. We also talk about the farthest she's run...her favorite races...and the rewards of being involved with Team RWB, keeping vets physically active in a community instead of isolated: https://teamrwb.org/. (29:30) Married to an "Army brat," she and John have a great relationship because they are both very focused on being fit and helping others - including volunteering at races and cheering on fellow runners through success/injuries/adversity. (34:46) Laurie breaks down what life coaches do, how it's different than counseling, common obstacles for meeting your goals, being disciplined, and how you can sign up for an exploratory session with her before signing up for a 3-9 month package of "Better Together Life Coaching": https://paperbell.me/better-together. After some steps to live your best life, I close the episode out in prayer. Thanks for listening! Make sure to subscribe to "Run the Race" for more inspiration on fitness and faith. Tell others about the podcast too.
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#258: Chiropractor Climbing to Honor 9/11 Fallen Firefighters, Helping Sports Teams & Your Body Too
Aug 1900:47:47Tap to summarizeIt's been almost 24 years since the attacks on America that tragic day of September 11, 2001. Columbus GA is hosting its inaugural Memorial Stair Climb at the Columbus Civic Center on Saturday morning, September 6 and the organizer of that event is my "Run the Race" guest. Dr. Ken Calain also talks about the cause that event with 2,200 steps benefits...how he helps people as a chiropractor...having that medical role for 3 local semi or pro teams in town...being a father of 8 kids and more. (3:20) If you want to or can climb the equivalent of 110 flights of stairs - like each of the World Trade Center towers - then register for this event for only $45 with the proceeds going to the National Fallen Firefighter Foundation: http://colga911stairclimb.org/. You have until Wednesday/tomorrow August 20 to be guaranteed a shirt after signing up. You can also donate to this great cause. Dr. Calain talks about how the organization spends money raised to help honor, assist (families, first responders) and prevent future tragedies/accidents involving heroes like our firefighters, some of which will do this stair climb in their full gear. (13:08) Dr. Calain is also involved with F3, a national mens group focused on fitness, fellowship and faith. How and when can you get involved locally? (18:21) We dig deeper into what people can expect when they go see a chiropractor like him. And he deals less with pain...more with pressure on your nerves, degeneration, inflexibility from lack of physical activity. His job: help your body function at 100% or closer to that. You'll hear his story about a grandmother dropping her cane and inspiring him to help others the same way. And doing adjustments, alignments in not like what you see in some of those viral videos. (25:40) It's also interesting how he takes care of athletes in different ways as team chiropractor: hockey players for the Columbus Riverdragons, members of the Columbus Lions arena football team, and baseball players on the new Braves AA affiliate Columbus Clingstones. (31:44) He also stays busy as a father of 8 kids, combined with his wife - as they pass on a legacy of fitness and faith. And finally, he has some advice when it comes to serving in your community! I close our episode out in prayer. Thanks for listening to the #RunTheRace podcast! Also, write a quick review about it, on Apple podcasts. For more info and all past episodes, go to www.wtvm.com/podcast/.
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#257: Alaska Adventure of Hiking, Animals, Running (Marathon), Food, Rafting - Travel Ideas For You
Aug 13, 202500:41:19Tap to summarizeIt was our first time to Alaska! This is a recap of running a marathon in state #36 for me but so much more in the "final frontier." Check out this solo episode with travel ideas for when you and your family go to the 49th state, but also plenty of stories about adventures with my son: flightseeing over the massive 6 million acre Denali National Park and landing/walking on a snowy glacier...running the race amidst mountains in the Alaska capital of Juneau (and where this one ranks out of 40 marathons so far)...going on several hikes, more than a dozen miles and thousand of feet of elevation, plus God's beauty what we saw at the top each time...rare sightings of Denali summit...seeing Alaskan sled dogs in action, with stories from a 4-time Iditarod champ...feeing reindeer and highland cattle at a farm...why Hatcher Pass was our favorite in hiking boots...how to get around Alaska...rafting down the river next to a big glacier in Juneau...and the different food we ate during our exciting trip (naming names of restaurants). Thanks for listening to the #RunTheRace podcast, which I hope you'll subscribe to! Share it with your friends. Also, write a quick review about it, on Apple podcasts. For more info and listen to any previous episodes, go to www.wtvm.com/podcast/.
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#256: New Miss Georgia Making Christ Known + Fueling, As She Competes For Miss America Crown
Jul 31, 202500:50:10Tap to summarizeShe won Miss Georgia in June and she will compete to be Miss America in early September but says there are other wins besides the crown, namely amplifying the Gospel of Christ through the opportunities on this journey. On this podcast (subscribe), Audrey Kittila opens up about winning...being a UGA student...how food/fuel is a top priority in he journey to stay fit, strong...her message to others about chasing dreams....her passions for music and education and speech...traveling as Miss GA and preparations for the next even bigger event. (2:48) The 80th Miss Georgia, Audrey Kittila, talks about that moment she found out she was crowned the winner in Columbus. This platform also allowing her to share about her priority: To know Christ and to make Him known. She also shares about support from her home church in Alpharetta and what her top prayer was when she started as a UGA student 4 years ago. (10:47) Fueling her body! She says that means eating what she wants in moderation. Audrey talks about the different sides of fitness within Miss Georgia and America. What are her favorite foods and how is a new personal trainer helping her? As for being spiritually and artistically fit, music also gives her a chance to share what she's feeling and her faith - playing violin and singing on big stages. She's championing the message (19:47) "Chase your dreams." She didn't grow up in pageants, but hopes to inspire others during her reign and also as a future speech pathologist, with a little more left to get her Masters from UGA. Audrey also explains how her community service initiative "Education For All" is helping people enjoy learning more and reducing GA dropout rates. We also dive into (28:19) the busy travel schedule as Miss Georgia, taking a "zoom out" approach, keeping a prayer journal throughout her 4 years of pageant competitions, and the sisterhood encouragement in that process. How's she preparing this final month before Miss America? It's September 2-7 in Orlando. She also has advice for others facing fears or big challenges. (38:29) We wrap up the chat with what she wants her legacy to be as Miss Georgia...how the crown works for this taller young lady...how girls can compete for Miss GA 2026...and misconceptions about the pageant world. Thanks for listening to the #RunTheRace podcast! Also, write a quick review about it, on Apple podcasts. For more info and all past episodes, go to www.wtvm.com/podcast/.
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