Never Limit Where Running Will Take You

A Conversation with Bart Yasso and Beyond

Welcome back friends to Life on Mars, the space where I share .. well everything . When I say everything, I mean everything about my life experiences , my thoughts in general , the latest in wellness and wellness trends, music and my life as a Peloton Instructor

“Bart Yasso sitting at his kitchen table with his favorite mug”

Last week, I sat down for an interview with Bart Yasso . My first interview in a few months and not only was it exciting to be sitting across the table from someone. It was surreal to be sitting across from “The” Bart Yasso. I met Bart for the first time 3 years ago at, Shamrock Marathon in Virginia Beach. I had no idea who he was at the time. The only thing I knew was that he was a nice older gentleman that all the die hard runners were vying to approach and speak with.

Bart’s running journey began in his early 20s after leaving a bar drunk alongside another intoxicated friend. He watched as his friend stumbled out of the bar so intoxicated that he simply walked out in front of a moving vehicle. From that moment on Bart knew that he wanted to sober up and do something different with his life. He didn’t know exactly how but he took up running, aiming just to run a mile. That was over 50 years ago.

Bart Yasso is now known for his success as the former Chief Running Officer of Runners World Magazine, the creator of Yasso 800's , a workout designed to assist in predicting marathon pace based on an 800 meter workout . He’s competed in and reported on over 1500 races around the world, is one of the very few people that have run on all 7 continents and is the author of 3 books on the sport of running . His latest book being “100 Runs of a Lifetime, The World's Ultimate Races and Trails” with National Geographic.

As we walked through Bart's 2 story stone home, tucked away just outside of historic Bethlehem , Pa, my eyes were drawn to every corner of the tastefully decorated space covered in race memorabilia . In one corner sat over 800 race press laners, some dating all the way back to races from the 80’s. Multiple keys to multiple cities, African statues, and the gear he used to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro all sat in the next. The entire place felt more like a spiritual homage to running than someone's home . However , from his warm smile and subtle hints of pride you could tell that Bart was definitely at peace in his space. As we made our way through the corridor and into the softly lit living room, Bart would occasionally grab one of the various knick knacks hanging along the way and as if it was an artifact possessing the power to transport him back in time he’d break out into story after story. Recounting for me and the camera hovering just above whatever object he grabbed next the exacting events from that day and time

(Bart in front of a Post he fabricated of all of the great races and trails he’s completed in his lifetime.)

It was such a surreal experience, sitting in his garden with a box of his old race memories and watching his stories come to life. At the tender age of 72 Bart stands as a reminder of the importance of living a full and tremendous life. I spent about 3 hours in Bart’s home that Friday before sharing a meal with him in downtown Bethlehem.

Sitting here now and writing this article for you I can’t help but shed a few tears to be honest. In awe of all of the things that Bart has accomplished for sure but also in awe of all the endless circumstances that needed to occur for our meeting to be possible. Bart and I couldn’t be more different. Him and an older white man in his 70s from the foothills of Pennsylvania and me, a 30 something black woman from South Memphis. Yet we bounded over the gift of running and how it can challenge you , change you, and transport you to heights you could never have imagined. As Bart says, “Never limit where running can take you” .

Make sure you are subscribed to my YouTube and Spotify for the full interview.

📌 In Other News

GRATITUDE

I met Gloria Estefan this week. I got to give her a huge hug, take a photo and even chat with her briefly. Before that I was doing a photo shoot on the Highline with my own makeup artist, hairstylist and three photographers circling me while people walked by watching me do my shoot. I was not only comfortable, I was confident and really felt like I was owning my space.

Sometimes I forget just how far I’ve come . It’s not just my job but it’s also about my mindset and my mentality how much I have grown. Younger me even though she was stick-thin she would have felt so exposed, not small enough and countless other lackings. It’s easy to forget sometimes . It’s easy to get distracted by what other people have and what you don’t . This is just a reminder to be grateful for every win you accomplish. Acknowledge where you are and keep striving forward .

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📌What’s Happening in the Studio

The tread studio is officially open again and there are far too many new classes for me to list every one here but this week

MONDAY : 5:30PM 45 MIN INTERVAL RUN ENCORE

WEDNESDAY : 12:00 AM NEW RELEASE 60 MIN WALK +RUN OUTDOOR

THURSDAY : 12:00 AM 5 MIN POST RUN STRETCH

SUNDAY : 2:30 PM 60 MIN POP RUN

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📌Newsletter Trivia

Time for your weekly newsletter trivia game where I hide clues throughout the newsletter and you have to provide me with the answer based on the clues you find IN THE NEWSLETTER. Think Jeopardy meets Wheel of Fortune .

Rules

• Be the first to respond in the comments below ( thank you for answering via other channels . This is appreciated as participation but not as entry to win )

• Using*** The cues provided in the newsletter list all clues you find . As the total number of cues go toward your points .

• Based on these rules the winner of last week’s quiz is

This track was a hit from Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine . It picked at # 5 on the billboard top 100 and was from their ______ studio album.

• statement and provide the name and date of the project. Using the clues above

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📌 Keep in Touch

Instagram @offialmarcelfit

Listen to Podcast : Take The Hill Podcast

Take a class with me: 30 day free trial here

Let’s Work Together :

https://marceldinkins.komi.io

YouTube : @officialmarcelfit

Thanks for reading Life on Mars