Episode 702: Vanessa Fraser on a 4:31 Dog Mile, Health Challenges, and the Marathon Ahead

Friends, Vanessa Fraser is back on the podcast! She hasn't been on the show in probably eight years, so I was really excited to reconnect with her and hear everything she's been up to.

Vanessa ran at Stanford, where she was a 10-time All-American, before running professionally with the Bowerman Track Club. She has a 14:48 indoor 5K PR, spent some time training with Team Boss, went back to her college coach Coach Miltenberg, and now she's announced that she'll be working with David Roche as she sets her sights on the roads and, eventually, the marathon.

Vanessa's career hasn't gone exactly how she expected it would when she turned pro. She's dealt with injuries and a frustrating medical condition that has made fueling incredibly difficult. She recently stepped away from her corporate job and is going all in on running, and I loved hearing her perspective on constantly striving for something that doesn't always come to fruition in the way you imagined.

We talk about her years with Bowerman, Team Boss, going back to Coach Miltenberg, her relationship with Saucony, leaving the corporate world, her health struggles, and why she's ready for this next chapter with David Roche.

And we have to talk about Gigi! Vanessa recently ran a 4:31 mile with her dog, setting an unofficial world record for the dog mile. I loved hearing about their relationship and how much fun Vanessa had getting to race as a team with her dog.

This conversation honestly helped me see some things in my own career in a fresh perspective. Vanessa made me feel really seen and cared for, and I hope she felt the same from me. I'm so grateful for conversations like this one, and I know you're going to enjoy hearing more of Vanessa's story and what she's been up to over these past few years.

Books recommended:

Delusions by Cazzie David

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