“Finding little things to celebrate I think makes the process a lot easier. Whether it’s, ‘I felt great on my run today’ or ‘That was the fastest long run I’ve ever done’— just little things to get excited about. It breaks it up a little bit and gives you little milestones along the way and then, when you do get the really big things, you just appreciate it because you’ve appreciated it the whole time.” * In this episode, Kyle Merber, professional runner for Hoka One One and New Jersey New York Track Club, writer, and race director, explores celebrating the milestones in running as a metaphor for celebrating life. He reflects on his passion for literature, including what book he is reading now and how he chooses what to read. Kyle explains how he cultivates a positive internal experience during racing, calling upon his recent win at Furman University, where he ran the World/Olympic ‘A’ Standard in the 1500-meter. He recounts his early love of running and his childhood dreams of becoming a professional runner. Kyle then explains how a positive outlook kept him mentally strong throughout his collegiate career, marked by the high of setting the American collegiate 1500-meter record and the low of a year-ending injury. He describes his life as a professional runner now, from the importance of his Hoka One One sponsorship to his world-record, distance medley relay race at the 2015 World Relays. Kyle then invites his teammate Ford Palmer, ROO podcast Interviewee #119, to share the mic with him to discuss Kyle’s self-proclaimed “accidental veganism.” As a race director, Kyle shares his vision and plans for the upcoming Hoka One One Long Island Mile. Lastly, Kyle reflects on his goals and dreams in the sport of running.

Full post at runningonom.com