It is an honor to have Amy Natalini back on the show! I couldn't wait to have her back on to talk about her remarkable past year. Especially her work on combat motivation and how it can relate to those in civilian life. To quote Amy: "Over the last eleven months, I’ve been working towards my third Masters degree, reading a book a day, writing papers for finals exams, spending hours arguing/defending/listening/learning from my classmates. And writing a thesis on motivation. Combat motivation, to be precise. My research concluded that it’s not the work done on the battlefield or in the moment that creates motivation, but the influence of training that fosters the willingness to take action. Read that again. Motivation is built and cultivated DURING TRAINING... (t)he last 11 months of studies: 10 courses; 136 books; 8 papers; 2 projects; an 85 page thesis; a comprehensive oral exam and a partridge in a pear tree. All in the pursuit of a Master’s in Philosophy. I also certified as a USATF coach and earned a certificate in Diversity and Inclusion. I ran four full marathons, three half marathons, countless other distances, and became the Alabama 8k State Champ." Amy ran her first marathon in 2004 in Detroit, Michigan, and has completed 54 full marathons to date. She was recently named the 2018 Air Force Athlete of the Year. After finishing the 2018 Marine Corps Marathon as the 3rd place military finisher, she was selected to represent the United States in the Marathon during the 7th World Military Games in Wuhan, China. Amy helped lead the Women’s Team to a 5th place finish. Racing pro- and Olympic athletes from over 18 nations, she finished 22nd with a Personal Record time of 2:53:53. Amy also has an overall Top-50 women's finish at the NYC Marathon. Amy's first appearance on the Rambling Runner Podcast was in episode 138. You can follow Amy at www.instagram.com/usaf_amy_runs. Sponsors: Are you looking to reach your short-term and long-term running goals while enjoying the sport you love? Then McKirdy Trained is for you. As a coach on this esteemed roster, I'd love to work with you as you set the biggest goals you can imagine and have fun doing it! Learn more at https://mckirdytrained.com/get-trained/. Follow Matt: Instagram - @rambling_runner Twitter - @rambling_runner Rambling Runner Podcast Community Corner private Facebook group - www.facebook.com/groups/125544686229661 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices