Stepping off the well-trodden path, Austin Dudley joins me to unpack a story woven with dedication and a deep-seated love for Division III college athletics. His leap from the comfort zones of St. Louis to the challenges of Webster University's cross-country terrain exemplifies a tale not just of sports, but of personal evolution. Choosing passion over pragmatism, Austin's shift from environmental sciences to education mirrors the very adaptability and resolve intrinsic to the student-athlete spirit.
Navigating the post-graduation maze often leaves many of us pondering our next move; my own journey from scraping by to carving a niche in the registrar's office, with a side of freelance coaching, is a testament to this universal quest. Austin and I dissect our allegiances to rival sports teams, the cultural clash of rooting for the underdog in a city of champions, and how humor—like the unexpected delight of stand-up comedy—can be a saving grace amidst the pressures of early career life.
As we close, the conversation ascends from the literal heights of rock climbing to the metaphorical peaks of honeymoon marathons in the Pacific Northwest. We recount hydration follies, race day surprises, and the communal push beyond comfort zones that every athlete faces. My parting thoughts offer a curated list of podcasts that entertain and inspire, from true crime to running humor. We sign off with a heartfelt reminder to spread positivity and invite listeners to carry these good vibes forward, eagerly anticipating the next round of stories to share.
Stepping off the well-trodden path, Austin Dudley joins me to unpack a story woven with dedication and a deep-seated love for Division III college athletics. His leap from the comfort zones of St. Louis to the challenges of Webster University's cross-country terrain exemplifies a tale not just of sports, but of personal evolution. Choosing passion over pragmatism, Austin's shift from environmental sciences to education mirrors the very adaptability and resolve intrinsic to the student-athlete spirit.
Navigating the post-graduation maze often leaves many of us pondering our next move; my own journey from scraping by to carving a niche in the registrar's office, with a side of freelance coaching, is a testament to this universal quest. Austin and I dissect our allegiances to rival sports teams, the cultural clash of rooting for the underdog in a city of champions, and how humor—like the unexpected delight of stand-up comedy—can be a saving grace amidst the pressures of early career life.
As we close, the conversation ascends from the literal heights of rock climbing to the metaphorical peaks of honeymoon marathons in the Pacific Northwest. We recount hydration follies, race day surprises, and the communal push beyond comfort zones that every athlete faces. My parting thoughts offer a curated list of podcasts that entertain and inspire, from true crime to running humor. We sign off with a heartfelt reminder to spread positivity and invite listeners to carry these good vibes forward, eagerly anticipating the next round of stories to share.
Welcome everybody to another episode of the Ride Home Rants podcast. This is, as always, your host, mike Bono. I have a great guest for us today, but first and foremost, I would please go and peep all the sponsors that you heard at the beginning of the show. All American owned businesses, small businesses. They all go to great causes. Go and help them out. I also have some help for you, too, as well, with a bunch of promo codes to save you some money in this rough, rough economy that we're in right now. But, that being said, my guest today he's coming to us from Cleveland. Austin Dudley joins the show. Austin, thanks for joining me.
Speaker 2:
Thanks for coming.
Speaker 1:
How are you today? I'm doing pretty good. Man, it's a day off for me, but you know I don't actually have days off, so you know it's work never stops for me. But yeah, man, doing good. So you know, for the listeners out there, you know, you know where did you kind of grow up and where did you go to high school and all that kind of stuff.
Speaker 2:
So I'm originally from St Louis, Missouri. I grew up, born in South Lake geography in St Louis, so born in South. He eventually moved to sub-Campaign, to County region the suburbs, went to Novo High School where I actually, you know, I ran cross-country there. That got me to run for a Division III college in St Louis. So then I went to Webster University in St Louis.
Speaker 1:
Gotcha. So cross-country, like that's that to me, like that's just that was a punishment for the sports that I did was running, so we'll get you into cross-country.
Speaker 2:
So an element for school. In third grade they had us from a timed mile. I ran pretty good. I ran third.
Speaker 1:
And I think we just lost Dudley.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, you. Sorry, it looks like I cut out there.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, we got you back there. All right, we got you now. All right, no worries.
Speaker 2:
Um, good, yeah, okay. So third grade ran, ran a mile Fastest in my class for that, and then every year we did a timed mile and I was just really good at it and I enjoyed winning. Somebody in my family is always good at one sport. So my oldest brother was a basketball and wrestler. My father was a baseball player and football player. My cousins were basketball players and soccer players. We each tried specializing in sport to like diversify the family so we could take ownership of being good at something.
Speaker 1:
Hey, I get it, but I know I grew up with two sisters. They were both cheerleaders, one was a softball player, one swam briefly with me and I also played football. So I definitely get that with diversifying and the sports world and being in different sports at different times Made it taxing on my parents going in 17 different directions and trying to figure out who they were going to go and watch. A lot of times one pair went one way, the other one went the other way to figure out how they were going to get to everybody. So I definitely get it. Because the nice thing was, though, when I was in high school, my sister actually cheered while I was playing football, so that made it a little easier for them to be able to watch both of us at the same time. But I definitely understand that.
Speaker 1:
And then swimming was a whole other aspect. When I swam, I was the only one out of the three of us that stuck with it. So, yeah, I definitely get that for sure. So you mentioned you went to the college in St Louis. So what made you choose that college? And you know what did you study when you were there.
Speaker 2:
So how it started was so I wasn't originally going to go there. I had a few options I wanted to go to. I wanted to go either to like Missouri State, Northern Arizona University, or like somewhere just out of state. But my mother, her cancer, got worse so I decided to stay closer to home. Yeah, and Webster, they offered you know. They said, hey, you can run for us. So I was like you know what I enjoy running a knife. I wasn't planning on doing it in college, but if I'm gonna do it, I mean I can do it. Division three you know you don't get money, but love of the sport, so did that. I studied in college education. I was originally going to go for environmental sciences because NAU has a really good program for it, but Webster did not. So I was like, well, I could maybe teach or go into higher ed myself. So that's what I did.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, I mean I definitely get going to college with a sport for the love of the sport. I went D3 myself for swimming where, like you said, they can't give you a full ride, they can't give you all this. I mean Bethany College was good at giving quote-unquote academic money to their athletes to get around that a little bit. Obviously still not full rides, but you know it's, it wasn't, it wasn't really on the radar swimming up until about my junior year of high school I always thought I was gonna go somewhere for football and then realized being a habitual backup my entire high school career at football and getting letters for swimming and not football kind of had to try to change my mindset a little bit. And you know, a couple unfortunate injuries kept me going from going D1 and swimming and Bethany kept their their scholar, quote-unquote scholarship with the academic money.
Speaker 1:
So ultimately the reason I chose there but it was for the love of the sport and actually love being in the water and swimming and competing at that and I definitely get that Like it's a lot of fun when you're enjoyed the sport that you're in and you're not doing it for a career. We'll say you know what I mean like people, you know, when you're going D3, you're not really thinking, okay, I'm gonna go pro in this sport. It's really for the love of the sport. Did you have that feeling as you were competing, like this is, this is something I love to do, this is something I want to do?
Speaker 2:
Oh, most definitely, I mean. And then just the culture itself. I feel, with division three sports too, it really cultivates other people who do love the sport. It's not a career. Nobody's there and they're like trying to just be, like all I want to do is run because it's my job or because I need it for my like everybody was there. It's like we enjoy doing this, but we also enjoy going to school, like we enjoy, you know, building and fostering a helpful environment for all of us to self improve ourselves.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, absolutely. And you know, when I was swimming at Bethany it was kind of a smaller men's program, I mean, and I mean very small I was one of four guys on the on the swim team, yeah, so I was swimming, a lot of events, a meet, about six or seven events of meat, so it was. It was taxing but it was fun because two out of the other three guys were my fraternity brothers. So we had that other common interest in that. You know we're hanging out all the time, we're at practice all the time. It really helped us grow a friendship even more than what it was. And obviously the other guy on the team I'm still close with today and you know we still talk and everything like that. But it was those other interests that really brought us together as a team and knowing that, hey, we're not all here just to be swimmers, we're here to get an education, we're here to do other extra curriculars like being in a fraternity and doing this and these events here and there, and you know it really I think it really helps D3 sports and people overlook D3 sports In my opinion, because there's a lot of really good athletes that go D3 for the love of the sport.
Speaker 1:
I mean just you know, even off the top of my head, future Hall of Famer Julian Edelman went to a D3 school and he played in the NFL. I mean now, obviously that's very few and far between. James Harrison went to Kent State you know what I mean Like little unknown school. He went for the level game. Obviously we see the career and the Hall of Fame career that he had, but people overlook it that there's some really good athletes at D3. I mean, did you notice that when you were at there, like man, I don't know why they're at D3. Like, why are they not at a higher ranked school?
Speaker 2:
You know this brings up a good point. A few years ago for cross country, they changed the regional lines Because if you know anything, for Division 3, cross country, when I was in college, wisconsin, all of them, every one of them, ran I don't I don't know if you've been to Wisconsin, but they're known obviously known for the cold, yeah, being drunk all the time and he and apparently absurdly fast at racing a five mile race. Because I watched the guy run five miles in 23 minutes, in 40 seconds. Wow, I was like that's a division one runner right there. Yeah, like absolutely.
Speaker 1:
That's a little bit times right there like that's like Ha you know.
Speaker 2:
It's like well, gosh, my, you know, 28 minutes looks like I'm walking comparatively.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, you know, I mean, I had that. I thought I was a good freestyle racer when I was at Bethany, you know, and I was, I was swimming 30 seconds and under in my 50 freestyle, which was at that time was a pretty good time. The world record was, you know, at like 27, 28, you know. So I was right there and we had guys swimming 29 fives, 28 threes and it's just like, why are you here, like you could be doing so much more like, but thank you for being on our team Team out. But wow, man, like that's, I look like I'm not even moving in the water next to you and I'm and I'm cooking, you know, I mean like it, it's just like I can. I couldn't believe it just the times that I was seeing. So I mean, yeah, I definitely get it and people definitely sleep on Division three athletes.
Speaker 1:
About the colleague with D3 wasn't good enough to go D1. Well, that doesn't really mean anything. Maybe it was an academic thing where he couldn't go to a D1 or something. You know, something like something in your situation you had some family issues, so D3 made more sense than going to a division one school. But you know, I can sit and talk. You know sports all day, you know, but you know so what's. You know colleges all over. Can you talk to us through, like your job and your living journey? You know post college and both as post athletics.
Speaker 2:
Well, yes, so obviously I love I still love running to this day. Um, I coach a few athletes currently, but before we get to that, I have to go right after college. I thought I found the Job that, like I was gonna be in, it was still in the running world. It was a Timing company, so I'd be at the races and I would post the results I'd get these kids terms Didn't work out in the end. Um, the owner was a I Not the nicest human being. In fact, one time there were only three of my co-workers. We were at a meet getting it all set up because it was army. Like the timing company set up a meet and we're just in the gator and he's just yelling at us, he's cost at us, telling us how bad of workers we are, and we're like, huh, this is cool, this is fun, this is this is what you want to hear. It you know. 22 years old, right out of college, right, getting paid 30k.
Speaker 2:
Yeah like, oh, I get paid nothing and I get to be told on, you know, scum to the ear. So I quit that. I was like all right time to just start looking for other things. And you know, I did some like it was hard trying to find, because I would coach, freelance coach here and there for some people, or I would like I was still working at like a running store and you got to really do your research on what a good running store is, because sometimes there's great, but then I mean a lot of the time it's retail. So Everybody is a dollar sign when it comes down to the end, 100%. But, um, you know, a few years later I get married, my wife, she gets accepted into Case Western Reserve for a PhD.
Speaker 2:
I moved to Cleveland, didn't have a job. I worked two years. I was like looking, couldn't find anything, worked at a preschool. Don't recommend working at a preschool. Yeah, yeah, that was two years of pain. I know I got lucky and I found a job in the registrar's office at a um, at Notre Dame College in Ohio. Yeah, and I was like, well, this could be it, this could be the break I finally need and Been doing that for a while now it's been good. Um and then I still freelance coach and I have two athletes right now that I Made huge improvements with it.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, I mean. So I, I get it. Uh, because, you know, right around my sophomore year of of college, you know I was getting looked at pretty heavily for the for the 2012 Olympic trials and everything like that. So, in my mind, as a Dumb 18, 19 year old college student, thinking like, oh, this is it big break. I don't know how to do anything else. What's school? I don't need school, I'm going to London and I'm going to swim with the best in the world. I'm set. Well, yeah, things change, injuries happen and things like that. So it's um, now trying to switch the mindset to okay, I'm gonna be graduating here soon. What am I going to be doing for? For work and kind of like.
Speaker 1:
You went into the retail world, um, and, like you said, everybody is a dollar sign to the company I've worked for some crap companies. Everybody is just all right. Well, why didn't you sell them what? Why didn't they buy anything? Why didn't they do this? Why, why, why, why, why, why. And it just gets too much. And Well behold, 11 years later now I do stand-up comedy. So you know it's. It's something that's a great that you switch mindsets and having to to switch that. But, being from st Louis. How do you like being in Cleveland?
Speaker 2:
It's so, um, I don't know if you've been to st Louis at all. I have. I love st Louis, but I also don't like st Louis because it's a very unsafe city. Okay, um, high crime rate everywhere. Um, I mean, I've, you know, like I had an old beater car and like Didn't have like automatic locks. So I'd have to try to remember sometimes, like if somebody left my car I'd have to, you know, get over on the side and lock the door and if I didn't Like in the car doors. So cars were constantly broken into or somebody once got in my car. I mean that hasn't happened in Cleveland and I've lived in some unsafe areas in Cleveland. But you survive st Louis, you can survive, yeah, but I'm also biased. I love st Louis, isa cult with baseball, and I love baseball, yeah, and Cleveland's got all right baseball. You know they've done good, but I'm a red, I'm a red birds fan, so I will die on that hill, I get it.
Speaker 1:
I'm a pirates fan. I grew up an hour away from Pittsburgh, in West Virginia. You know West Virginia has no pro sports teams, so and I can actually say, yeah, I root for the pirates and it's, it's tough, it's a hill that you're. You're definitely gonna die on being a pirates fan for sure, and it's, it's, it's tough of people when they see me out wearing a pirates hat or a pirates hoodie or shirt or something like that, they're like you're actually gonna wear that. I was like this is how you know I'm a true fan. I'm willing to wear it out in public. It's just how they disappoint us every year. Uh, just, it's tough, and so I get it. Being playing the cardinals every year, being in the same division. I, I feel for you and One one one year, we're gonna get you guys. I feel it, I could feel it, but you know it's not gonna be any time soon.
Speaker 2:
Well, the wildest thing I'll tell you, since you're you're a Pittsburgh fan, you're a skewer's fan, you're a, you know, a pirate's fan. In eighth grade my history teacher I'm a history fan his entire room we get in there. Not a single st Louis sports thing. All Pittsburgh, pittsburgh, penguins, pittsburgh, steelers, pittsburgh, backwards. And you're like did you live in Pittsburgh? No, what, this is the hill you're gonna die on. You're from st Louis, you went to school in st Louis and you're gonna be a pirate's fan.
Speaker 1:
You used to be, this used to be the city champions. I'll give it that the Steelers, penguins, pirates, were all winning championships and that's something happened, and now we can't win a championship to save our life. But you know I get it.
Speaker 2:
You're just remember, we're always all better than Detroit.
Speaker 1:
Yeah yes, yes, absolutely always. Always better than Detroit. So now being you know, going from that one sports city to Cleveland is a sports city for the most part, with the Browns and the Guardians and all that up there. So what are some of your more favorite things to do in Cleveland?
Speaker 2:
Well, before the world, you know, went wacky and like things shut down. I was getting into rock climbing. So when I moved to Cleveland I was like, well, this is the only way to make friends, apparently. So I went to a climbing gym and, sure enough, made tons of friends right off the bat, because climbers I don't know if you're friends with any rock climbers quite interesting human beings, the weirdest people you'll meet, but the friendliest. But yeah, I'd be falling off a wall and they're like great job, I fell 20 feet.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, I can safely say I know zero rock climb. You might be the first person that's into rock climbing that I can say I know now. But yeah, and I'm definitely afraid of heights, so that's not happening like I will I pass out going up like a step ladder. That's how afraid of heights I am and I'm six foot five. So people are always like, how are you that tall and afraid of heights? It's like I don't know, I just I don't, I will pass out like that's that's the extent of it and me and heights.
Speaker 1:
And Christmas is always a fun time, putting lights up on the house and everything like that. It's, it's an event. Luckily now I have a smaller house so I don't have to go up on the ladder my first level. I'm actually tall enough I can reach the cutters to put the lights up. But that's second level that we gotta put lights on. That's when the issue starts to happen. So, yeah, rock climbers, I know none, so I'll take your word for it that they're friendly in that. But I couldn't see someone telling me in the sports that I did falling or messing up anything and being like, yeah, good job, way to go, way to go, man. That's just. That doesn't happen in the sports that I did right.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, I've never been in a culture, a sports culture, like that, like, yeah, you know it's like you finish and you did bad. You're like I, you know I sucked, like that was awful, I need to do better. I'll be like great job, you're gonna get it on the next send and I'm like, okay, most of the time we're all like thinking negative, but they're always the next one. I got it the next one than that, so it's been great mentally for that aspect yeah, that's definitely gonna be a boost the confidence a little bit.
Speaker 1:
So you mentioned a little bit. We'll switch gears here a little bit. But you know you're married and I heard you took a pretty unique honeymoon, so can you tell the listeners what you did on your honeymoon?
Speaker 2:
so my wife did most of the planning for the wedding and I said you know what I need to do? Something I will plan the honeymoon. We're both runners, so I planned. We went to Seattle, start Seattle one flying in was a little cheaper and we both we want to travel 50 states together so we thought Seattle would be really cool. Seattle is a cool city, a little wild, but my favorite shoe company for running is there. Brooks running company is there, so we went there. Her favorite running like clothing line is there, so we went there.
Speaker 2:
We visited, we ran on the University of Washington's truck, which is purple, did that too because her favorite color is purple. So the Huskies made a purple track. Okay, and Pro teams train on that track. So we were like we might see pros. So we did that. You know, we stayed there a few days. The real goal was to get down to Oregon, because everyone knows that Oregon is the running capital. Don't know, it's weird, it's been the running like mecca of the world forever. So we stayed. Well, we went down to Eugene truck time USA and this is actually you very unique. All the people that live in Eugene basically live on the University of Oregon's campus, like I, we stayed in Airbnb and it was on the campus, but it was like this family, like this family built a little house in their backyard but it's on the campus and I was like this is strange. There's college kids just walk in all around and yeah, so that's a little weird yeah, and they don't let you pump your own gas Oregon.
Speaker 1:
It's very aggravating yeah, I mean I've been yeah, so oh go ahead.
Speaker 2:
No say, no good, oh no, I was just gonna say you know I mean, but yeah, that's all I mean it. For a runner it's a very quirky like honeymoon of going, because we ran. You know we went to Nike's headquarters to finish it off and ran on the track they have there and visited. You know we saw Steve pre-fontanes rock where he tipped over and died right after he left on. He dropped Frank shorter off, a US marathoner, olympic marathoner, and then subsequently died right after doing that. Oh man.
Speaker 1:
But yeah, but I would say I'm going back to the pumping of the gas. I've been to states where, like they like yell at you for pumping your own gas. Like I visited New Jersey and just pulled in, it was late at night. I needed gas. I was driving from West Virginia to New Jersey. It's the long drive and I was just tired. It was like 11, 30, 12 o'clock at night and I just needed to top off before I got to my destination and I get out of my car and it attended, literally yelled at me to get back into my car.
Speaker 1:
I thought something was happening and like police were showing up, like there was somebody being robbed and like or something. And I get in and then he comes up and knocks on my window to roll my window down. I was like what's going on? He was like yeah, what do you need? I was like I just need to get some gas and he was like no, no, we take care of that for you here. I was like not used to that. I'm from West Virginia, we, we know how to pump gas. Like we know what we're doing it's. And he was just like no, no, no, we were not allowed to, we're not allowed to let anybody pump their own gas. I was like that is the weirdest thing I've heard. But all right, I'll stay in the car then. I guess this looks like a pretty sketchy part of town, I guess, so we'll stay here, then here $20 give me, just pump it and let me go.
Speaker 1:
But yeah, it threw me for a loop and then I got told I had an accent, which I don't think I do. But they knew as soon as I opened my mouth and like, oh, you're not from here, are you where? You're from down south somewhere, aren't you? I was like down south. I was like I don't think I have an accent or anything like that. I'm from West Virginia. So, but yeah, I'm not from Jersey, I'm. I wouldn't call that the South, though, but you know it's. You just meet. You meet interesting people when you go out. And yeah, I can only imagine what Washington is like.
Speaker 2:
I've never been that far west it's, it's unique, it's I mean, my wife is from Arizona, so we go back to Phoenix a lot. Love Arizona, I love it. I want to live there one day. I love the heat too. So but I'm real quick. You brought up an interesting point. Two things I don't hear you having an accent, but people say I have an accent. And two, do you think St Louis is the South, because people have said, oh, you're from the South, no, I'm from the Midwest.
Speaker 1:
I was just going to say I would consider St Louis Midwest. That's definitely the Midwest, Like people say here in Ohio, where I'm at, they're like oh, you're from the Midwest. I'm like this is not the Midwest. Like I would still consider this the East Coast. I'm in the Eastern time zone. How is that Midwest Like? How does that even become a thing? But people say it all the time. I don't think you have an accent either, like people have told me they're like oh well, you definitely have a draw to your voice. I was like no, I really don't. I talk like a normal person. I don't have a twang or a draw or anything like that. I just don't sound like you. So now, naturally I have an accent.
Speaker 2:
You want to hear an accent go down to Tennessee, where they all just for some reason have an accent.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, I know that's my wife and I's end goal is Tennessee. We actually have a couple that we were thinking about Tennessee, colorado and Montana. Tennessee's the main go oh my God, the main one we want to go to. But Montana, my wife loves the snow, she loves snow, and why not go to basically where it's created Montana? It snows like nine months out of the year there. So it's on the list, but, yeah, the places we at least want to visit. But we're definitely going to end up in one of those states eventually. But I heard an interesting thing about you from the wonderful manager of the podcast, Johnny Fittifile County. You carry a Gatorade bottle with you everywhere you go and that you even brought it into a bar one time for a group dinner. Is this true? I got to check his facts sometimes and if so, I need to hear the story.
Speaker 2:
I do so. Yes, ever since high school I've always had a water bottle with me and it's just become so innate with muscle memory. I swear to God, I walked all the way to that bar with the water bottle. Why the hell do I still have this? I was like, well, I'm not walking back to the car, I'm just like I mean, there's nothing, you know, I don't know, you're there, just there, you know, like I don't know. It's a weird thing. I think it's just been so ingrained in my memory because I mean, well, you did a water sport, but I'm sure you were still drinking water like crazy. But I mean all the sports players. You could always tell they were in a sport because they had water bottles for no reason Every minute, just drinking water. I go, I'm gonna drink water.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, definitely in swimming, because you don't realize that you're getting dehydrated because you're in water, in your wet, so you think you're fine. But that actually that actually cost me some events at my conference championships. At Bethany we were at the conference championships. It was the second of four days and I got out of my event and I was sitting there after I did my recovery and everything like that, and I was like I don't know why I'm still like I'm not amped up. I got like three, four hours till my next event and I can't stop shaking and I told my coach and he made me go see one of the trainers and they instantly like looked at me, like yeah, you're dehydrated severely, like Gatorade's not going to cause it, you need to go to the hospital and get an IV and the doctors and the only person that could take me, unfortunately, was my assistant coach. So it's not like I got back to the camp Fine, coach, we're fine, got some fluids in me, we're good, let's. Let's get back to the events. That he told my coach that yeah, hey, he can't swim anymore at these events. So I had a forego the last two days of conference championships, which was a real kick in the short hairs. If you're an athlete, like saying it's the biggest event that you're going to be in in your conference championships, and nope, you're done, you're your, your sideline, and that was the hardest thing. But yeah, you don't realize you're getting dehydrated. And then you, just like me, I finished my event, I did my cool down in the pool, I drank two bottles of Gatorade and then I had a third one that I was just sitting there sipping on and I just could not.
Speaker 1:
My hands were shaking and like everyone was like you look pale. Like you, you're normally, you're Italian, you're normally dark and plectid as it is, and you're you're, you're white, so like that's, you need to get checked out, and yeah. So, lo and behold, that was something that you know, you don't realize, as a swimmer. So, yeah, we always had big water bottles, of the big Gatorade squeeze bottles, at the end of every lane for all of us, and at first people were like, why do they need water? They're in the water Like it's. No, you're sweating as much as another normal athlete. You just don't realize it. So I mean, and you, being that big into running, can you talk about some different running events that you've done over the years, you know, and maybe some stories that go along with those.
Speaker 2:
Sure, yeah, I mean I've done, I've done a lot of weird things. I've been to running camps in Southern Missouri, but I mean, in event wise, cross country and high school, you do the 5k, college you do the 8k. For division three I wasn't a great cross runner, I was more of a better at track and I did the 1500, but I really should have been. Well, I should have been a fun to get a runner, but I didn't want to run 12 and a half laps on a track. No, that doesn't follow. Yeah, but I got to say probably the funniest story I can remember is my sophomore year of college. Which bad year for me, because two months prior to that my mother had passed away from cancer.
Speaker 2:
And but you know, just still going on trying to focus on my running, we go down to Tennessee for a meet, down to Memphis it's only a four hour drive from San Luis and it was so humid and so hot and it was a night race and we're like, oh, it's going to be so cool. No, me and my one friend, we're very hairy people. So we're like, I mean just, and we're very sweaty people, so running is bad for us because we just look disgusting. You got these hairy, sweaty, animal fucking people and then we're like all right, two mile warm up done. We're already drenched and we're like God, now we have to race or race.
Speaker 2:
Well, this race had like 2000 people per minute and we all go off the line and we're running and running, not even 300 meters in. Somebody jumps out from in front of me, there's a cone. They didn't yell anything. I trip all over this cone. I'm side stepping. Eventually I fall and do a full like cartwheel. I was like, oh my God, and I mean it's funny, but it also suck, because you know you lost all that momentum.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, I will say for your sport with the reason I watch track and field in the Olympics is for that reason right. There is to hope somebody trips, falls, does a tuck and roll and see if they can keep going. You know, especially in the hurdles. You know that's definitely an event I try to watch for that reason.
Speaker 2:
That's, that's yeah, the hurdles insane event. And then I got to say to one year. So Wash U Washington University in St Louis is our biggest school, it's our most prestigious school, it's basically like Case Western and they have a meet every year. My coach made me run the 500 and 800, and then he had me run the 4x4. I am by no means a 400 runner. So one lap around the track and I said, okay, coach, I'll do that.
Speaker 2:
I went to this place called the Loop. It's this little strip where all the college kids eat and drink and stuff. I drank a huge soda, ate a huge burger, a bunch of fries, got over, got back there. I said, all right, I'm ready. I sprinted like a mad bat out of hell and it hurt so bad. I got through 200 meters, half the track, and I'm like I'm going to die. I'm literally going to die. I think I ran 24-something and then the last 200 meters was not good. It was 30 seconds. So I went from 24 to 30. You're like, yeah, it looked like you were walking at the end there. I didn't feel like it. I'll tell you that, yeah.
Speaker 1:
We had a meet like that when I was at Bethany.
Speaker 1:
It was the Westminster meet. It was only a distance meet. I am a sprinter. Anything more than 200 meters in a pole amount, like there's no way I'm doing that. Like I never swam a 200. It was a 100 and under and that's all I ever did.
Speaker 1:
So I'm going through my normal practice and my coach comes up to me and he's like, hey, you better keep going and pump this up. You got to get ready for your 200 in three days. I'm sorry, what did you just tell me? I have to do it. I'm not doing the 200. I never do a 200. He goes. Well, that's the shortest race they have is the 200. So there's no hundreds, there's no fifties, it's all distance. I was like, well, that would have been nice to know at the beginning of the week practice, because I had been going through my normal sprinting workout. That's not a sprint, like that's middle distance. I would say, but yeah, you had to do a 200, a 400, a 300. And just I remember after the 400, like that's in, there was 50 meter pull, so that's like eight laps and like that's yeah.
Speaker 1:
After that, the only thing that was my saving grace is where the starting blocks were. Where you finished to where the cool down pool was was literally you get out of the pool. It's two steps and then you're into the cool down pool. I remember barely being able to climb myself out of the pool. I took two steps and just face planted into the pool, like it was.
Speaker 1:
I was that tired and he was like we still got three more events and you've got two more relays to do. I was like no, I don't, that's not, that's not, I'm not, we're losing this meat. Coach. I'm telling you right now, there's no way I'm making times like there's, it's not happening. So I get it being thrown into events that you just don't know and you've never done. And yeah, it's, it's tough, especially for that 200. I started out like I was sprinting my normal hundred and no, I made my hundred times. After that it was like is he even? Is he doggy paddling? What is he doing? He's not moving. Yeah, everyone was still waiting for me. I was the last one. First. They had all caught their breath by the time I finished the event. That's how long it took me. So, yeah, it's, I get that not knowing those times and how to pace yourself for those events.
Speaker 2:
Uh, you brought up a memory I had from high school. I had a bad track coach in high school, like my senior year, and he forced us around the four by eight. So everybody runs an 800 meters, so two laps around the track. I was on this team with the worst runners I'd ever been on a team, with all of them 245 or slower, which is extremely slow. So I was the anchor leg and by the time the third person got it, everybody was nearly done. And I look at my coach and said please don't make me run this. They're almost done, I'll be on the trial. I look like a joke, I'll get the pity clap. So nope, you got to run it. I grabbed the baton, I just go to 200 meters and everyone's done and people are just clapping for me like great job, keep going, you're a champion. I was like I'm going to kill myself, I'm going to do it and like I should just throw the baton get DQ'd.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, that's, that's. I felt that because, yeah, you get those pretty claps when you still have three laps left and everyone's done and you're so cool. But so you know. Finally, you know you're a really big fan of podcasts. You know, can you tell our listeners some of your favorite podcasts that you're into?
Speaker 2:
Well, I enjoy your podcast, Obviously, thank you. I listened to. Let's see, I've listened to the last. I like a lot of true crime. I like some weird things, some runner related things, so I've listened to the last podcast on the left. I don't know if you've listened to them. They're pretty good. This one my wife got me into just because the stories are so funny and when I'm on a long drive I need to laugh to keep me up, so it's called normal gossip and there's wild people out in this world that reveal some wild things. And then I go back to re-listening to some podcasts by my favorite athlete. His name is Grant Fisher, so he's been on some podcasts. He started a podcast a while ago and I just re-listened some of those episodes. Just re listen to things I hadn't thought about in a while, or re-shift my focus.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, I listened to a bunch true crime.
Speaker 1:
For sure my wife and I my wife's gotten me into true crime more than I was. She was a huge true crime fan. A lot of documentaries that happened in the Bono household, for sure. But yeah, it's. Yeah. I never thought I would get into the true crime, but like she would start it and I'd be like, all right, go ahead, watch it, I'll do whatever I gotta do for comedy or for my day job or whatever. And then I find myself looking up one.
Speaker 1:
Well, who's that guy? What's going on here? Like, what did he do? What's his deal? And now I'm just locked in. So, true crime podcast, trying to find one. I'll shamelessly plug his show. I have a buddy who's been on here. His name is David Keck from Tennessee. He's actually started his own true crime podcast a couple months ago, but he is the owner of the surviving abuse podcast two very good podcasts that you should definitely check out by him. I will shamelessly plug his show here. He didn't ask me to do this. He never asked me to do anything, but I love his show. I've been on his show, he's been on mine, it's. They're great to listen to, especially on long drives. They really, really make you think for sure.
Speaker 2:
Great yeah.
Speaker 1:
I love to listen to them. Thank you, no problem. But Austin, we are running down near the end of the episode, so I do have to get this last segment in here. If not, the manager of the podcast, johnny Fiddy Falcone, will kill me if I don't. And that is the Fast Fiddy Five. Five random questions from the wonderful manager of the podcast, johnny Fiddy Falcone. And for the new listeners out there, these are kind of rapid fire, but you can elaborate if you need to. And Austin, these have nothing to do with what we've been talking about for the past 40 minutes here. So if you're ready, I'll do my best.
Speaker 2:
I'm nervous now All right.
Speaker 1:
Question number one is hot chocolate with or without marshmallows? Better With marshmallows. Yeah, that's a toss up, that's an easy one. Question number two which would you rather do? Climb to the top of Mount Everest or sail to the South Pole? I think I already know the answer to this one.
Speaker 2:
Oh climb Mount Everest easily.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, what we talked about earlier, that was an easy one. Question number three the most enjoyable beer is I love Guinness. I'm a big Guinness guy. You just I don't know if anybody could hear it my wife from the background. She's a big Guinness person, her son as well. She's full Irish. So obviously, yeah, she Guinness is her go-to. So yeah, you gotta cheer from the other bottle in the household here. Question number four would you rather take a week-long vacation in Maine or North Dakota?
Speaker 2:
Well, well, I just visited North Dakota, so I'll tell you not North Dakota, maine it is. I almost killed myself. I'm gonna be honest with you.
Speaker 1:
Ha, ha, ha ha, ha, ha, ha ha ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha ha ha. Question number five the best food at a Chinese buffet is Ooh Beijing beef or Kung Pao chicken.
Speaker 2:
Okay With chicken fried rice.
Speaker 1:
Okay, that was the fast fruity. A lot of food in this one. I'll say that I mean he tends to. He goes through these spurs. Like for a while and I mean like six months worth of shows there was animal questions in every single one. We're slowly switching to food. Now I'm noticing in these questions because he sends these to me the day I'm recording he doesn't give me time to read through these and think about no, no, all right, you're gonna be recording in an hour. Here you go and there they are. So, yeah, that was the fast 55, and, yeah, a lot of food in this one.
Speaker 1:
Oh, but my wife, from the best she goes. You're both Italian. So, yeah, like it's just, we love food. I wish we talked about it. Yeah, she chimes in every now and again. But, austin, like I said, we are running down there at the end of the episode. I give every guest this opportunity at the end of the show. I'm gonna give you about a minute. If there's anything you wanna get out there, anything you wanna promote, whether it's running or even if it's just a good message for somebody, floor is yours.
Speaker 2:
Oh gosh, I wasn't prepared. Well, I just gotta say, you know, always spread positivity in life, that's what I go on. I mean, I've worked in a lot of terrible places that were negative, so I love just, you know, spouting out positivity. So I hope everyone's doing well, continue to do well, work together, because we all need that, because this world's been kinda crummy, you know, there's been a lot of negativity and we need that positive energy.
Speaker 1:
Absolutely. And I gotta tell you I love it when guests finish on a good message. I really do. I'm all for helping people promote what they got going on, but when it's just a good message like that, I love it when the show ends that way. But that is gonna do it for this week's episode of the Ride Home Rance Podcast. Once again I want to thank my guest, austin Dudley, for joining the show. This was a lot of fun. Got to know a little bit more about running. I didn't know a lot about it but you know it was fun to catch up and to talk to you and everything like that and what you got going on. As always, if you enjoyed the show, be a friend, tell a friend. If you didn't tell them anyways, they might like it just because you didn't. That's gonna do it for me and I will see y'all next week.
