The Gift of Running with Shawanna White

I have said from the beginning that the goal of this podcast is to profile “Ordinary people living extraordinary lives”.   So, the idea of interviewing a marathon runner trying to make to the Olympic qualifier seemed far from ordinary.  Imagine being able to run a mile in a little over 6 minutes.  Now imagine doing that for two hours and 45 minutes.  That’s exactly what it takes to be a world-class marathon runner.  And that’s exactly who Shawanna White is.  Shawanna eats, sleeps, and breathes running.  On any given weekend, you will find her bouncing around the country not only racing marathons but throwing in some 5 and 10k’s and even a few half marathons just for fun. But as amazing an athlete as she is, what struck me is how humble and normal she is in person.  While most competitive athletes can have a rigid plan or schedule and rarely spend much time training with mere mortals, Shawanna’s favorite aspect of the sport is the camaraderie it brings. A lot of her runs are at slower paces with close friends that are just recreational runners.  She shares this and many more hilarious aspects of her lifestyle all on social media.  Never taking herself too seriously and always remembering to be grateful for the gifts she was given, I know you will love my conversation with Shawanna White.