It was an honor to speak with the wonderous Lisa Mueller for this episode of the Rambling Runner Podcast.  A year ago she listened to Mary Johnson and Lauren Floris detail their "Project: Breaking 3" women's program in episode 199. It inspired her to chase her own sub-3 goal. But, she was a bit unsure as the women in that program had already run close to 3:00, making her wonder whether a bigger improvement was possible. Lisa is a 35 years old political science professor at Macalester College. One of the best liberal arts colleges in America. Before she got seriously into sports she was a champion debater. A few years later Lisa "flunked out" of cross country in both high school and college, due to crippling race anxiety and toxic teams that fueled depression and eating disorders. A male coach told her when she quit that "running just isn't for everyone." She then made it my mission to show him! Lisa switched from running to bike racing in grad school and found a fun and supportive community. She broke too many bones and moved from California to snowy Minnesota, prompting her return to running. After swearing that she'd never run a marathon she fell into a marathon-centered club in the Twin Cities and caught the bug. Lisa proceeded to run three marathons between 2018 and now (3:24, 3:14, 2:57). Going from being an cyclist to being a runner was her biggest challenge . It turns out running was way more complicated than just putting one foot in front of another! A stress fracture last year taught her the importance of form. Since then, she has gone all-in on form analysis, drills, mobility, etc. Her philosophy is to train like a pro, just a bit slower. Sponsors: InsideTracker is the ultra-personalized nutrition platform that analyzes your blood and DNA biomarkers along with your lifestyle habits to help you optimize your body and reach your goals. InsideTracker’s patented system will transform your body's data into knowledge, insights, and a customized action plan of science-backed recommendations. Go to www.insidetracker.com/qr/onboarding/SUPERRECIPES/  and use code GIFTFROMRAMBLINGRUN to save $200 on their Ultimate Plan! Paper Trails Greeting Co. is a small business was created by a dedicated amateur runner with a passion for snail mail and the running community, and a frustration with lack of options for greeting cards appropriate for runners. Their online shop of 35+ greeting cards, all with messages specifically for runners. There’s never been a better time to connect with your people via handwritten note. Visit www.papertrailsgreetingco.com and use code RAMBLING will get you 15% off any order. Follow Matt: Instagram - @rambling_runner Twitter - @rambling_runner Rambling Runner Virtual Summit - https://www.theramblingrunner.com/summit Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices