The Rambling Runner Podcast

Discover the remarkable story of Wilbur Vale — from struggling with his health and weight as a child to becoming a dedicated runner and advocate for holistic wellness. In this episode, Wilbur shares how faith, community, and resilience propelled his transformation and how he uses his journey to inspire others to live healthier and meaningful lives.

Key Topics:

Wilbur’s pivotal moment: a challenging hike in El Salvador that revealed his pre-diabetic condition

His childhood influences and family culture around food and survival

The mental and emotional challenges of gaining weight again and self-compassion strategies

The importance of community in endurance sports and personal growth

How faith shapes Wilbur’s approach to setbacks, goals, and perseverance

The 90-day challenge focused on physical, mental, and spiritual renewal

Tracking progress with body composition scans versus scale weight

Tips for integrating faith and community into fitness pursuits

Wilbur’s current focus on sustainable health practices and goal setting

Follow Wilbur’s Instagram

Sponsors

Mount to Coast - Explore the H1, one the most critically acclaimed running shoes of the past year, and all of its road or trail glory, at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.mounttocoast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and use code RAMBLING to save 10% on your order.

Amazfit - The GPS running watch I trust is Amazfit. It is loaded with features, top tier GPS technology, and is incredibly well-priced. Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://bit.ly/47AOxzW⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more and use code RAMBLING to save 10%.

The Marathon Project returns December 11–13, 2026 in Chandler, Arizona, offering one of the fastest, most athlete-focused marathon experiences in the country. The event features a Gold Wave amateur race on Saturday and the professional race on Sunday, giving runners the chance to race fast and then watch some of the best athletes in the sport compete the next day. The course is flat and criteria-style with pacers every five minutes from 2:20 to 3:30, bottle service, bag drop, and a top-tier race experience designed for performance. The Gold Wave is open to runners who have run under 3:30 since 2022, and last year 81% of finishers hit their Boston Qualifier. Registration is currently $400 but increases to $500 on April 1. Visit themarathonproject.com and use code roadtothetrials (all lowercase, no spaces) to save $25 on your entry.
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Last weekend, Nick Lee set the fastest known time on the Cape Cod Traverse, self-supported -male. He finished the 64.6 mile route in 11:06:54. Nick is a longtime friend and I couldn’t wait to talk to him about the effort and the training/planning that led into it. 

You can view the effort here: https://fastestknowntime.com/route/cape-cod-traverse-ma

Sponsors

Mount to Coast - Explore the H1, one the most critically acclaimed running shoes of the past year, and all of its road or trail glory, at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.mounttocoast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and use code RAMBLING to save 10% on your order.

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Canyon Woodward has progressed from casual runner during his college years to one of the best trail and ultra runners in the world. It is a remarkable rise for a Harvard educated political operative who balances a calm equanimity with a passion for competition. In this episode, Canyon describes his rise from living at the doorstep of the Appalachian trail to a Western States golden ticket.

Sponsors

Mount to Coast - Explore the H1, one the most critically acclaimed running shoes of the past year, and all of its road or trail glory, at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.mounttocoast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and use code RAMBLING to save 10% on your order.

Amazfit - The GPS running watch I trust is Amazfit. It is loaded with features, top tier GPS technology, and is incredibly well-priced. Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://bit.ly/47AOxzW⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more and use code RAMBLING to save 10%.

Fooster - Check out the player in the online sports nutrition retail world - Fooster! While you're at it, you can pick up the new Rambling Runner Pack to try a variety of sports nutrition options and use code "Runner" to save 15% on your order at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.thefooster.com/products/rambling-runner-pack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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In this powerful conversation, Patrick Yalon shares his transformative experience after a near-fatal surfing accident, exploring how a life-altering event can redefine purpose, self-love, and spiritual connection. His story is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the profound lessons learned through endurance races and inner reflection.

Here’s the iRunFar article mentioned in the episode:https://www.irunfar.com/still-here-running-the-moab-240-mile-after-a-near-death-surfing-accident

Sponsors

Mount to Coast - Explore the H1, one the most critically acclaimed running shoes of the past year, and all of its road or trail glory, at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.mounttocoast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Amazfit - The GPS running watch I trust is Amazfit. It is loaded with features, top tier GPS technology, and is incredibly well-priced. Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://bit.ly/47AOxzW⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more and use code RAMBLING to save 10%.

Fooster - Check out the player in the online sports nutrition retail world - Fooster! While you're at it, you can pick up the new Rambling Runner Pack to try a variety of sports nutrition options and use code "Runner" to save 15% on your order at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.thefooster.com/products/rambling-runner-pack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Abdul Said shares his transformative journey from a sedentary lifestyle and health scare to running his first marathon in Osaka. Discover how he shifted his perspective on food, incorporated running into his daily routine, and embraced the vibrant Japanese running culture along the way.

You can follow Abdul at www.instagram.com/osakamiles.

Sponsors

Mount to Coast - Explore the H1, one the most critically acclaimed running shoes of the past year, and all of its road or trail glory, at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.mounttocoast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Amazfit - The GPS running watch I trust is Amazfit. It is loaded with features, top tier GPS technology, and is incredibly well-priced. Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://bit.ly/47AOxzW⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more and use code RAMBLING to save 10%.

Fooster - Check out the player in the online sports nutrition retail world - Fooster! While you're at it, you can pick up the new Rambling Runner Pack to try a variety of sports nutrition options and use code "Runner" to save 15% on your order at ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.thefooster.com/products/rambling-runner-pack⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices