Madison "Coach" Tucker.

There aren't enough superlatives. Madison is a father, a husband, a middle school teacher, a volleyball coach, and a PGA Certified Gold Instructor. He's run countless races of every distance from 5k to 50 miles.

That's just the surface of who he is and what he does. When you dig deeper, you'll uncover a man who has battled demons, overcome alcohol and xanax misuse, and channeled his checkered past into a passion for inspiring others to live a purpose driven, full life.

To know Madison is to be inspired by his seemingly endless positivity and energy. Enjoy.

Dave | Runner

One of the greatest gifts recovery has given me is the occasional moment when I'm able to apply new ideas to my running journey. I'm endlessly fascinated by those profound "aha moments" when I connect the (sometimes obvious) dots between sobriety and endurance. I think it's safe to say Dave feels the same way.

Dave is a family man and an ultra runner with 12 years of sobriety. He was gracious enough to publicly share his experience, strength, and hope. We talked about what his life was like then and what it's like now.

Conversations like this remind me how important it is to remember that so often when we meet a stranger, we're only seeing a small glimpse of their life in what could be one of their best moments, or their worst.

In one moment, we can decide to change, and who we were then can be miles apart from who we are now.

Andrew Griggs. A brother from another mother. A long lost cousin. A kindred spirit. More to the point- he's a runner in sobriety. Andrew stopped drinking over two years ago, but he's been a runner and an endurance athlete for even longer.

Andrew's athletic prowess was built on the foundation of a long soccer career, but what fascinated me most was his mental game. He isn't afraid to spend several hours on the trail reflecting on his past, his purpose, or his relationship with running and sobriety.

Andrew walks a fine line that not everyone can. He is inquisitive without being overbearing, intentional without being pretentious, and inspiring on social media without being inauthentic. Follow him on TikTok @andrew_roadrunner and Instagram @andrew_road_runner and I'm sure you'll agree.

I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did.

Brittany Carr tells her story of getting sober and surviving cancer. We talked about running and fitness, and she even dropped some news regarding her next big running goal.

Brittany's story involves two of the most powerful drivers of maladaptive behavior we humans have- shame and imposter syndrome. Those feelings don't go away overnight, so her willingness to be vulnerable was beyond admirable.

She also talked about her recent half marathon, and how it might have sparked a desire to go a little further. We discussed her love of running and CrossFit, and how they provide structure and accountability, two very powerful tools in recovery.

Follow Brittany on TikTok and Instagram @bcarrsoda

Meghan Bufton has some serious recovery. She's been in sobriety for over 20 years, and she's been running for just as long. Her battle with feeling "other" started in early in life.

She was raised in an affluent area of New York and always felt like an outsider. Craving control and seeking value, Meg engaged in severe restrictive eating behaviors while being a very athletic youth. This led to an extended stay at a hospital and some (borderline barbaric) psychiatric treatment.. Suffice it to say, this was more or less the beginning of what would become a long battle with substance use.

A little over 20 years ago, sobriety finally clicked. At the same time, Meg's running journey began. And in both arenas, she's seen and been through it all. Give it a listen. Her story is an inspiring one.

Follow Meg:

on TikTok @megbufton

on Instagram @meg.bufton

Mandy Tollerud joined me to share her journey of getting sober nearly 1000 days ago. Her story is a little different, and I think it's so valuable for people to hear the varied approaches to making lifestyle changes. Mandy's is such a wonderful example of this. She truly took it one day at a time.

Along the way Mandy discovered that moving her body was an incredibly helpful tool in changing her daily habits. Instead of drinking wine every night, she went for a walk. Eventually, walking became running. And like many of us, that led to a marathon.

Follow Mandy on the socials: @runner_mandy, as her journey continues through running and sobriety. She is a "Grambassador" for next year's Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, so be sure to tune in for all the training and inspiration she is sure provide along the way!

Let me introduce you to one of my favorite humans- Eamon Kearney. Fair warning though, you will fall in love with this man. He is as wise as he is charming and as warm as he is witty. I had the pleasure of meeting Eamon in person last fall, and I made sure that wasn't the only time we got to hang.

I shouldn't bury the lede.

He's been running a long time and he's in sobriety. In this episode, he tells it all. From growing up as an orphan, serving in the armed forces in Ireland, and eventually landing in Boston, Eamon shares his story of battling alcohol dependency. Moreover, we learn and talk about the feelings his alcohol use was masking, how he finally broke free, and how running played a pivotal role in the process.

He's on the road to the Indy Monumental Marathon, so be sure to follow him on TikTok @irish_sober_strider and cheer him on. You'll probably learn a little something about what it means to be a curious and compassionate human along the way.

Courage only exists if there's fear, and the level of bravery you'll hear in this episode is superhuman. Drea tells her story of getting sober and staying sober, and she doesn't hold back. It's already a difficult topic to discuss, but her story has another layer of difficulty that I am so grateful she was willing to reveal.

Medically Assisted Treatment. GLP-1 Medications. Methadone. Suboxone. In the world of recovery, around the topic weight loss, or just in our culture in general, these words tend to cause a reaction. Usually that reaction is strong, and often times it carries with it a lot of judgement.

That's one of the many reasons conversations like these are so important. We're all in this together, and we need to remember that when we want to throw stones at someone else's choices.