187 | Margarita Matos | Running Zero to 60 | Surprise Co-Host Hanna Banana

In this episode of the On The Runs Podcast, hosts Eric and Erika welcome Margarita Matos (14:30) a Boston Marathon qualifier and a prominent figure in the New Hampshire running community. The conversation explores Margarita's journey into running, her experiences training for marathons, and the challenges she faces, including injuries like IT band syndrome. The hosts and Margarita discuss the differences between running in New York City and New Hampshire, emphasizing the importance of community support in the running world. Additionally, they touch on the topic of gender equality in sports, particularly the disparities in pay between WNBA and NBA players. The episode is filled with insights, personal stories, and a celebration of the running community. This conversation explores the experiences of runners dealing with injuries, the importance of community and ambassadorship in running, and the journey of new runners. The guests share their personal stories from various marathons, discussing both the challenges and triumphs they faced. They also provide valuable advice for those preparing for marathons, emphasizing the significance of having fun and enjoying the journey. The discussion highlights the competitive spirit within the running community and the friendships formed through shared experiences.

Chapters

00:00 Intro
03:29 Hanna's Journey in Theater and Television
06:18 Behind the Scenes in Television Production
09:25 Memorable Encounters with Celebrities
14:30 Margarita Matos
18:23 Basketball Background and Transition to Running
31:02 The Journey Begins: From Friendsgiving to Running
36:57 Training Trials: The Road to the Marathon
41:54 Overcoming Injuries: The Mental Battle of Running
49:51 Finding Community: The Power of Running Friends
50:08 The Running Community and Personal Connections
55:37 Marathon Experiences and Favorite Races
01:03:44 Memorable Marathon Moments
01:06:45 Training for the Chicago Marathon
01:17:11 Closing Thoughts and Future Plans
01:18:21 The Outro
01:20:49 The Journey to Running: Inspiration and Motivation
01:23:49 Training for the New York City Marathon
01:26:52 Volunteering and Community in Running
01:29:16 Running in New York vs. New Hampshire
01:31:56 Behind the Scenes: Working with Conan O'Brien
01:35:10 Family, Names, and Personal Identity
01:36:31 Family Connections and Marathon Preparations
01:39:49 Marathon Strategies and Race Day Tips
01:43:39 Adeline's Triathlon Experience and Advice
01:49:31 Final Thoughts and Future Goals

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Don't Fear The Code Brown and Don't Forget To Stretch!

Transcript

Eric (00:55)
What's up everybody. Welcome to episode 187 of the On the Runs podcast. It's the last day of September and the air conditioners are back in the attic and the windows are open for some cool, fresh air. This past weekend, one of us ran a 5k, the other one ran a 100-miler and we both set PRs. However, I'm not with my usual rock starver co-host. You think she would be too tired after a hundred miles or maybe she'd be stuck traveling back today, but that's not it.

Six-star Erica decided to go to trivia night tonight instead of recording the podcast, but that's okay. My feelings aren't hurt. I'm not upset. The pod lives on and we won't miss a week because of trivia night. So what did I do? I decided to bring in an amazing person to co-host with me. She's a star in many high school dramas like Chicago, West Side Story, My Fair Lady, and Beauty and the Beast. She almost won an Emmy after her 2001 performance as Scuttle from The Little Mermaid.

at the Sandow Town Hall Broadway Club. And in 33 days, she'll be running her first ever marathon with me in New York City. I'm wicked excited to have my sister filling in on the podcast. Hannah Banana, what's up?

Hanna Knuuttunen (02:11)
Yeah, I got a little scared during that intro because I definitely did not run 100 miles this weekend. And to clarify, I almost won a Tony for my performance as Scuttle. Mm hmm. Yeah. Yeah.

Eric (02:11)
Let's go!

⁓ there's so many awards. Emmy, Tony, Grammy. I don't

get it. What's the difference? What's a Tony versus an Emmy?

Hanna Knuuttunen (02:29)
Tony is for theater, Emmy is for television, Oscars, movies, Grammys, music.

Eric (02:36)
Okay, so a Tony is theater. All right, you rocked that scuttle performance. We've talked about it once or twice on the pod. I'm thinking we save it for the end. Maybe at the very end of this episode, you can give that one line you had that just had the entire town hall, like laughing, clapping, just loving it, you, just like Adeline. For some reason, these Knuten and Jeans just steal the show.

Hanna Knuuttunen (02:38)
Yes.

Hehehehehe

Yep, yep, we got that talent. Don't wait.

Eric (03:06)
Yeah, yeah. So actually,

did, well, you live in New York City. You went to school in New York on Long Island at Hofstra. But did you go to like pursue Broadway or what did you go to pursue? I might know, but the people don't. Like you were Broadway star in high school. Did you try to continue this? Are you going to keep trying or what's your, what are you doing in New York?

Hanna Knuuttunen (03:16)
Mm-hmm.

So that was my original intention. I did go to Hofstra originally to pursue a degree in theater. ⁓ But after my freshman year, in my sophomore year, I decided to switch things up a little bit. I wanted to get a little more behind the scenes, a little more technical. And so I switched from a major in theater to a minor in theater. And instead, I majored in television production, which is what I do now. I work at HBO Max. And it's...

Eric (03:57)
Not a big deal.

Hanna Knuuttunen (03:58)
It pays the bills a little bit better than struggling on theater. Although if you're the number one Tony winner, you might be getting the big bucks, but that wouldn't necessarily happen to me. But who knows? It's a big life.

Eric (04:12)
What is the last,

big life? So tell us a little bit about behind the scenes stuff. You used to be like on set for a couple shows, a couple big shows before HBO days, like right out of college. And if I remember right, you're like running around grabbing outfits, doing all that, let's just call it bitch work, right? Right, for a couple like big time TV shows.

Hanna Knuuttunen (04:21)
Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

It essentially was, yes.

Yeah, yeah, I worked on Homeland season five, I was a production assistant, which is a great job to have to start your career in television. But it is like you said, it's bitch work. It's doing all of the errands that make the show work. It's getting people lunch, it's getting there earlier and setting up the your studio or your office space so that when your talent or your crew comes in, everything's ready to go. And truly, I talk about this all the time lunch was

the most stressful thing, getting lunch for your entire staff, having to make sure you got the right orders. Some people were very picky. It was a little scary. One time we had a snow storm because we were shooting here in New York, and this was pre-COVID, pre-working from home being normal. ⁓ And it was a day that the storm was so bad that all these big businesses were telling people not to go in. But in TV, the show must go on. You have to shoot.

So I had to get myself to the studio and people still needed lunch, but the roads were so bad, they wouldn't let me take the car. So I had to walk a mile in a snowstorm to go pick up lunch for everybody. So yes, it is bitch work. But good work, you learn a lot. really, you know, sets the tone for TV and film is not an easy industry to be in. It's long, hard days. And being a PA really sets you up for success and gets you in that mindset.

Eric (05:46)
my god.

What was your next step after being a PA? Like how long were you a PA? Was it like just one season of a show or did you move on to another one? Like what I remember hearing mostly from mom and dad was like you only had the job for a little bit. Like when the season's over and they're not recording, like now you gotta go find another job.

Hanna Knuuttunen (06:13)
Hahaha

Right.

Yeah, so that's what's tough about, you know, there's kind of two aspects of working in TV and I've done them both. There's, you know, being on a specific show on set versus being at a studio, which is where I'm at now at HBO. So on set, you know, if you're working on a specific show, like I was, Homeland Season 5, once that season's done shooting, you're out of work. You got to find a new show or a new gig, whatever, to pay the bills.

So once that season ended, you know, I was not working for a little bit until some of the connections I made at Homeland got me another PA gig on the show Younger. It was season three of Younger, which is, know, Sutton Foster and Hilary Duff. It was a cute, I think, CBS show. I did meet Hilary and she, I mean, we weren't, you know, Bessie's chit chatting, but she was very sweet. She was very sweet. So yes.

Eric (07:00)
Did you get to meet Hilary Duff?

Yeah. Who's some of the

coolest people you've met? And when I say cool, I don't mean famous. I just mean like they were cool. Like, you know how they say don't always meet your heroes? Who are some of them that were just cool and you're like, oh, I'm glad this guy's cool because I would have been disappointed if they were, you not?

Hanna Knuuttunen (07:18)
Yep.

Hmm, let's I met Daniel Radcliffe really briefly once. ⁓ He was doing a show at ⁓ TBS when I worked at TBS at the Times a few years. He's Harry Potter. Yes. No, that's that's a gosh. now I'm blanking on his name, but he's Harry Potter, not Ronald Weasley. Rupert Grint. Rupert Grint is Ronald Weasley. Daniel Radcliffe is Harry Potter.

Eric (07:38)
Who's he? Is he Harry Potter? He's the redhead!

he's act-

Okay, well I got the series right. So he was lovely.

Hanna Knuuttunen (07:54)
And he was absolutely lovely. He was so sweet.

He was lovely. So sweet. Hillary Duff, like I said, she was a nice girl, know, quiet. Mandy Patinkin, I met him on the set of Homeland. He ⁓ was nice, you know, reserved to himself, but very friendly. I remember, I don't remember what I said, but I made some joke about our Chipotle lunch that day and he laughed. So I always remember that, that I made Mandy Patinkin laugh. ⁓ Who else? ⁓

John Glazer, I don't know if you know him. He's a comedian. He's in a bunch of different shows. ⁓ He's in Parks and Rec. And I've worked with him on two different shows. He had a true TV show called John Glazer Loves Gear, which people ⁓ that listen to this podcast might be interested in. all about different sports gear, different athletics. And then I also recently did last summer a pilot with him that's not going to series, but I got to spend.

A full two days sitting in a garage with him as he did voiceover for this pilot episode we were testing out.

Eric (08:55)
That's so cool. So if that's so cool, I said, what was it going to say? Okay. So I went hiking. don't know if you saw recently with Brett, our cousin Brett, and Brett's more my age, but Brett works on the Colbert show, which is not for long, right? So he's kind of in that same thing that you were years ago, but he was telling me like of all his years working on the Colbert show, he only had like one real interaction with him. And he didn't say bad guy or anything. He says great guy. He loves, he loves Stephen Colbert.

Hanna Knuuttunen (09:00)
You

Yes.

Right, not for long. RIP.

Yeah.

Eric (09:25)
But he only had one interaction when they were doing like a, so Brett does lights. He's really behind the scenes, but sometimes they film extra work and pre-film some clips and stuff. And so there was one time he got to work really close with him and he says that was cool. from what I know, there might be a show you're on and there might be some really famous people, but unless you're like up there.

and getting that person their coffee, their Starbucks, their lunch every day, you really don't interact with people. You're on the show, your name is on the cast, but like George Clooney, who's probably awesome, you know, doesn't know you.

Hanna Knuuttunen (10:01)
Mm-hmm.

That is true. And there's plenty of talent that I work with from afar but have not ever really got to meet them. Even like I said, Hilary Duff, yes, I met her, but it was very briefly. It's a quick, hi, how are you? We're not shooting the shit. But there are some experiences where I have had a little bit more one-on-one time.

Eric (10:03)
Yeah.

That's so cool. You know who I think maybe my biggest disappointment is? I was so excited for you to meet somebody and it didn't happen, yeah, you were, tell me that story because you knew how obsessed I was and I don't even know if you really knew him, but you jumped at the opportunity and then, and then it didn't work out. Why?

Hanna Knuuttunen (10:30)
⁓ Casey Neistat, I know, I know.

I know.

Yes, for you, but it didn't work

out. So it was something our company used to do every one week a year called Make You Matter Week, and it's just morale boosting. They have different speakers come in, different events at the office all week, and you can sign up for them to go listen to someone, tell an inspirational story, or you can go take cool new headshots, or you can get a back massage, just all these nice little things that make you feel like you matter.

⁓ and Casey Neistat did, he had a talk, you know, like an hour long discussion just about how he likes to make content, his process. And you can volunteer to be the person that, you know, meets the, meets the speaker at the front desk and bring them to their spot and hand them their coffee and water and whatnot. And so I volunteered to be Casey Neistat, ⁓ his, you know, his greeter.

And I was selected, but something happened last minute and they were like, we actually have like a specific person that we want to bring him in. So I think he was just a little too popular maybe, who knows. Yeah.

Eric (11:40)
He got really popular. And like,

because they knew it was going to be on the vlog and everything, which I think was a massive mistake from your work. Because you would have been on the vlog and you would have been great. You would have been absolutely great. Also because I don't feel like you were a huge fan. You were aware of him. Yeah, because if you were a huge fan, it would have been not so cool. If it was me, it wouldn't have been cool.

Hanna Knuuttunen (11:46)
Hahaha

I know.

Yeah, I would have been really cool about it.

Right. You would have

been freaking out and they would have been like, slow your roll.

Eric (12:05)
I

would been freaking out on the inside. I would have played it off like, you vlog? That's cool. That's cool. What's a vlog? that's cool. Good for you, man. Good for you. ⁓ Anyways, I'm excited you're here. I think we got some cool things to talk about, like New York City. I might even have some breaking news because I just went on an 18-mile run and I got a pretty cool notification. We can talk about all that in the outro, but we do have to get to our guest before...

Hanna Knuuttunen (12:10)
yeah, yeah, yeah.

Me too.

Okay. Yes.

Eric (12:32)
Or we get to our guest though, I think you're a diehard listener of the podcast.

Hanna Knuuttunen (12:36)
Die hard. Haven't missed an episode ever.

Eric (12:38)
who sponsors the trolls. Let's give them a shout out.

Hanna Knuuttunen (12:41)
my race tats, let's go my race tats and also, my God, right socks. I love my right socks. I've got a few pairs. I've got multiple pairs. I've got four or five pairs of right socks. In fact, I have two of the same sock. have a sock that has a little smiley face with sunglasses on it and I lost one pair and I was so upset. Yes. And

Eric (12:50)
You got a pair. You got a few.

It ran away. Socks do that.

Hanna Knuuttunen (13:10)
I was so upset and Mike, my husband, was so lovely. saw that I was genuinely sad that I lost one of the sunglass smiley socks. He went and he sneakily bought me a new pair. Then the new pair came and that exact day that the new pair arrived, the other missing sock fell out of my comforter. Yep. It's for the best because now I have two pairs of my favorite little smiley face socks.

Eric (13:27)
⁓ It always happens like that. It always happens like that!

Yeah. Did

he buy it using the link in the show notes?

Hanna Knuuttunen (13:37)
You know, I don't know. I don't know, but I do know that this happened after your fundraising. So I'm not sure if it would have made a difference anyways. Yes. Yes. Yep.

Eric (13:44)
Okay, yeah. But that's awesome! So he bought some right socks for you after he saw you upset. That's so cool.

We'll talk about Mike, we'll talk about the wedding, we'll talk training, we might even make some phone calls in the outro, but we need to get to today's guest, and let me ask you this, Hannah Banana. Do you like margaritas?

Hanna Knuuttunen (13:59)
Yes. Yeah. Yeah.

Love, Margaritas.

Eric (14:04)
And so we have quite the Margarita on today's episode because she's awesome. She's a local legend. That's a hint to my breaking news. And she was so cool. I ran into her at the 5k the other day and she absolutely crushed it. Like ran like super fast. She's so fast. She's so cool so guys enjoy Margarita.

Hanna Knuuttunen (14:19)
Nice.

Eric (14:26)
on the podcast and on the other side, Hannah, I'll be back. We'll talk about some more cool shit.

Eric (14:33)
Our next guest on the pod is a New Hampshire runner from Puerto Rico, a mom of two in a two time Boston marathon qualifier. She's a staple in the New Hampshire running community and currently she is training for the Chicago marathon this October and we're wicked excited.

to finally have her on the podcast. Maggie Matos, welcome to the On the Runs podcast. What's up, Maggie?

Margarita Matos (14:52)
Woohoo! What's

up guys? Nailed it!

Erika (14:55)
Yeah, absolutely nailed that intro. was absolutely perfect. So happy to see you,

Eric (14:59)
First time, nailed

Erika (15:00)
Maggie.

Eric (15:00)
it on the first time.

Erika (15:02)
time, first time. Yeah, we're so happy to have you and happy to see you again. It's been a little while. I mean, I usually see you at all of the races around the state and it's just always so good to bump into you and say hello. So welcome to the podcast.

Margarita Matos (15:16)
Yes, thank you for having me. I'm so excited.

Eric (15:18)
I'm wicked excited because just like Erica, I see you all the time too, but you're usually really far ahead of me because you're fast. But we had one encounter, I wonder if you remember this, and I wonder if Erica does too. We actually, think the first time we were introduced was last year at the Gothstown Gallup. And I remember Erica at the time was thinking, I want to win, I'm going to get the non-resident winner, and then you come walking down the hill and Erica just goes, damn it.

Erika (15:19)
Our pleasure.

Margarita Matos (15:27)
you

Erika (15:42)
you ⁓

I do remember that because with the GovStamp Gallup, they're weird a little bit that way because they only do two people for a podium, I suppose. So they do your top two in your age group, non-resident and resident. And I see you, I'm like, crap. There's no way I'm getting one this year. But you got one, and congratulations, because that course is no joke, and you crushed it.

Margarita Matos (16:12)
Thank you. It is no joke. It

is no joke. That was my first time doing that course. So I did not even know what to expect. All I saw was Yuki going and flying me and I'm like, there she goes. All right.

Erika (16:25)
That's

right, Yuki was there too. That was a good turnout year.

Margarita Matos (16:29)
She was, it was,

it was good.

Eric (16:30)
and hopefully

it'll be a good turnout next year because of the big 4-0 for six-star here. But you know what I just thought? Just recently we all ran the New Hampshire Ten-Miler. The Gostown Gallup is kind of a good prep course for the Ten-Miler. It's 5.2 miles, it's hilly, it's a good one. I just thought of that. Man, too bad it was the last year of the Ten-Miler. But Maggie, how are you? I'm so happy you're finally here.

Erika (16:35)
⁓ yeah, that's right.

Margarita Matos (16:44)
It definitely is.

Erika (16:47)
Mm-hmm.

Margarita Matos (16:48)
It is.

Eric (16:54)
We like to get to know you a little bit. You're from Puerto Rico. We talked about that a little bit before we hit record and Erica's been there. Give us a little bit of your background before everything here in New Hampshire, what we all probably already know.

Margarita Matos (17:07)
So I didn't really up in Puerto Rico because I had left when I was a baby. So when I was born, I actually came to the US right after, probably like, I don't know, maybe like a year. I was maybe like a year old or so. I don't really remember. It's so hard to remember when you're that age. You're like, I don't know what age I was, three, four? I don't know. I just remember.

Erika (17:26)
Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

you

Margarita Matos (17:36)
I was...

in third grade by the time I came to the US and I lived in Connecticut. So my mom and my dad separated. So I wasn't really fully in Puerto Rico. I didn't really get to experience the way I wanted to because my mom just took me and she was like, bye. So I came to the US, went to Connecticut for a few years. So I was there for third, fourth grade, maybe in the middle fourth grade.

and then that's when my mom decided I moved to New Hampshire and I literally been here ever since. But in that time frame I used to visit Puerto Rico every summer because my dad was still down there so I would visit for like a good month.

Erika (18:08)
Mm-hmm.

Very nice.

Margarita Matos (18:23)
So I would stay there and they would bring me to places and things like that, ⁓ my dad's side. So it was a lot of fun. Obviously me being like, I don't know, six or seven years old since I was traveling by myself. Mind you, obviously I feel like nowadays that's not a thing. People don't do that anymore. Yeah, like I used to just travel all by myself and now forget about it. People see little kids by themselves. They're like, where are your parents?

Eric (18:40)
Yeah.

Erika (18:41)
Unaccompanied miners, right? Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm. It's little iffy.

Margarita Matos (18:53)
But

I think that I didn't really get to fully experience it there when I was a child, but I still had good memories growing up there.

Erika (19:08)
to get into your running career and how you started being active. So did you play any sports when you were a kid? Did you do anything active when you were visiting Puerto Rico over those summers? ⁓ What got you started in the running world?

Margarita Matos (19:10)
Okay.

Yeah.

So it's funny because I actually was more into like basketball has been like my thing. That was like my number one sport. I've always played since I was, I think I tried out in like fifth grade. ⁓ A little bit here and there. I wish I stuck it out more in middle school. I kind of just played for like fun and not really for ⁓ the team kind of thing. ⁓

Erika (19:29)
Hmm, okay.

and you stuck with it all that time.

Hmm.

Margarita Matos (19:53)
But then I went to, once I transferred into high school, I started going to Boys and Girls Club in Manchester, because that's where I honestly went. All three schools, I went into Manchester. So I went to Central High School and right across the street was Boys and Girls Club. So I always went there after school and I always played basketball there with the boys all the time. I was the only girl who was there.

Erika (20:17)
Mm-hmm.

Margarita Matos (20:20)
playing basketball, probably maybe like one other girl. I'll give her credit, but. yeah, I mean, I still to this day play, I play Thursdays. I play basketball on Thursdays. Obviously a lot older generation. I mean, I think they all range in, honestly, it's like there's 65 year old men out there playing basketball and they're like, they're pretty rough. So I was like, hey guys. I mean.

Erika (20:22)
Mm-hmm.

Eric (20:23)
I bet you could hang with them though. Pretty good.

Erika (20:42)
throwing them bows, okay.

Margarita Matos (20:47)
It happens, but they're really great guys. I enjoy playing with them. But anyways, so...

Eric (20:52)
It's their inner athlete

there. Like I see it with hockey all the time. They just want, they have to get a little bit out. They just have to get a little out. They had a hard day at work. I'm just gonna take it out on the court here. That's what they're doing. But you can handle it. Maggie's tough. She's got it.

Erika (20:59)
Just wanna play. Mm-hmm.

Margarita Matos (21:00)
yeah.

Erika (21:04)
It happened.

Margarita Matos (21:04)
yeah. You know, the,

for sure, for sure. You know, the thing that I love when I play with boys is, men I should say now, is the fact that, you know, they look at you because you're like, it's a woman, it's a girl. you know, like, gotta take it easy on her or can she even play? And, you know, it's kind of good for like me to like show them that I can actually play. then,

Erika (21:24)
Mm-hmm.

Margarita Matos (21:29)
When I first first started playing on Thursdays, they didn't take it so like not personal. They didn't take it so rough on me because they're like, ⁓ she probably can't. She can't probably shoe like, ⁓ she's fine. And then like I show them up like, I don't know, three weeks later, like they're actually like playing defense on me guys. just like, what? Okay. Like I'm okay. Exactly. Exactly. So it's a good feeling to know that like they're actually playing.

Erika (21:49)
Okay. It's like, don't treat me any differently. Come on.

Margarita Matos (22:00)
like real basketball with me because they know that I can actually play. mean, am I a good like, am I like the next Kaylin Clark? Absolutely not. Like I'm not a good dribble or anything, but I can, I'm pretty decent, I will say. So yeah.

Erika (22:13)
Mm-hmm. You can hold your own.

Eric (22:16)
Do you know who Caitlin Clark is?

Erika (22:18)
course I know who Caitlin Clark is. I did watch the women's college games the year before she went pro. I know, I know.

Margarita Matos (22:20)
Ugh.

Oh, that was amazing.

Eric (22:27)
She's like

the thing right now. What's your opinion? Let's talk about this for a second. What's your opinion on the whole WNBA wanting like equal pay, wanting to get paid the same as the NBA or get paid more? Have you been following any of that?

Margarita Matos (22:29)
I was... She is the thing.

I have been following that. and honestly I don't, that's a, that's, that's hard because they're, yeah, like I can see like them getting paid more, but the way like the MBA is right now versus like how WMA is right now, it's, it's still two, two different worlds. Like they need a lot more work. They need a lot more.

Erika (23:03)
Mm.

Eric (23:06)
Yeah,

it's the same in hockey.

Margarita Matos (23:09)
This is only year, this is like what year one or two and like they're now they want it's like equal pay like you might need a little more years.

Eric (23:13)
Right, it's kind of the same. What's kind of

the same as I understand from the hockey world is, you know, the NBA and the NHL make billions a year and the WNBA and the ⁓ WPHL something, they make, you know, maybe a million. And so I'm not one to pick and choose, but I think what they say as well, technically the athletes are getting...

50 % of the money when NBA athletes are getting 20 % of the money, but the NBA guys are still making millions more. So I've been kind of following that. And I understand, like, when you look at the salaries of these WNBA players, it's not that impressive compared to what we probably make on a full-time job.

Erika (23:47)
Mm.

Margarita Matos (23:55)
Mm, yeah.

Correct. Yeah, honestly, it's, they do, they do deserve more pay, but I don't know if I would say like NBA pay. That's a little extreme.

Eric (24:07)
Yeah,

but this is the most basketball talk we'll ever do on the podcast because we want to talk running and learn about you. I have a couple of notes and Erica told me she thinks she found you the first time actually be, um, the first time from she runs this town.

Erika (24:12)
I totally really can't chime in that much.

Margarita Matos (24:12)
Absolutely.

⁓ wow, they bringing it back to the old days.

Erika (24:27)
Throwback, right? Mm-hmm. It's either that or it was Rachel. Yeah,

was either she runs this town or Rachel, which could have been both during the same time because we used to join a bunch of the group runs and like just, she may have been the one to introduce us. I don't remember.

Margarita Matos (24:40)
Yes.

Yes, and then

all the millions of pro compression socks that I have that I long go

Erika (24:50)
My God,

that's right. That totally spaced it.

Margarita Matos (24:53)
I honestly have like 70 pairs. It's sad.

Eric (24:53)
Do you have your own dresser for it? Do you have like your own area

where they go? Yeah.

Margarita Matos (24:58)
Yes.

You should see, like, I actually had, bought like this little kit where they're made, it's made to have like, they're like little individual, ⁓ organizers type of thing. I don't know. I got it on Amazon. Yes. Yeah. I have like four of those filled with socks that I don't longer wear.

Eric (25:10)
Like a slot, like what you have Erica for your gooders.

Erika (25:11)
nice.

Taking notes.

Honestly, yeah. So that makes a lot of sense because Rachel was the one who introduced me to those and then I started liking them too. And then she's like, yeah, then Maggie's got like, Maggie's an ambassador this year. And so that totally makes sense. would try to make all the,

Margarita Matos (25:34)
Yeah. yeah, that was used to be a big thing. I'd be like, my God, I

got ambassador. It was like a thing. I would throw a party. Yes.

Erika (25:41)
you

Eric (25:42)
Would you match, like would you wear turkey pro compression socks during Thanksgiving? Would you wear the Christmas ones for Christmas? And would you match your whole outfit?

Margarita Matos (25:47)
Absolutely. Yes, that's

like, that's like a religion with socks. You have to match, like you have to match the, you have to match the shoes, the socks, the shorts, shirt, everything to the top bottom. I don't care what it is. You have to match or pro compression socks. You know, the, the Instagram people.

Erika (25:56)
See, I'm not crazy. It happens.

Margarita Matos (26:13)
are not going to use your photos and that was a thing. You want them to use your photos.

Erika (26:16)
Mm-hmm.

Eric (26:16)
Yeah, you're right. You're right.

You make good sense there because like if. Right, right, absolutely. I get it. Erica needs to do it more, but you get it just like Rachel.

Erika (26:20)
Gotta give him a reason.

Margarita Matos (26:22)
You gotta do it for the gram.

Erika (26:29)
I Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Margarita Matos (26:31)
I gave up. I gave up. I made

Erika (26:32)
I'm not good. I'm not good at it.

Eric (26:32)
Well, like, okay, let's talk in Bastchers. Let's.

Margarita Matos (26:37)
alumni and then I was like, that's it. I've done my duties.

Eric (26:40)
Let's talk

about ambassadorship though, like when you do that for pro compression or for brands, think Erica is it for a few brands, like what do you get in return for being an ambassador for a company like that?

Or what do you have to give to them to get something back in return?

Margarita Matos (26:53)
What did we get? Like we got presented, like,

I think we got like a special code, right? Like we got special code for like friends and family. And then I think we got one for ourselves. Is it? I honestly can't remember. Yes. And then we would get exclusive, we get exclusive shows of like the next socks like that are coming out, which nobody knows about that we could order or something like that.

Erika (27:02)
Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm. would usually get like half off or something like that, maybe 40 % off and throw in some free shipping and we're like...

Mm-hmm.

Eric (27:19)
That's actually cool.

Erika (27:20)
Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Margarita Matos (27:22)
Yeah, which that it was pretty cool because we're like, uh-huh, we know what's coming out. Uh-huh. And you don't. Anyways, yeah.

Erika (27:28)
Exactly. Did make us feel pretty badass. So I actually, I

still am one of their ambassadors. ⁓ But in the summer, just with all the running that I do, it doesn't, like, I don't like having that much material on me in the summer. Like just the high knee God, and that's the worst. there you go.

Eric (27:45)
You don't want the sock tan.

Margarita Matos (27:46)
Correct. Correct. That was the worst. And me being Spanish, like, hello guys. Like 50 shades of brown. Like, come on.

Erika (27:58)
Gotta at least try to even it out. It's bad enough I already have the low sock tan. I don't need a knee sock tan.

Margarita Matos (27:58)
I could, I use, I do have their lows. I like their lows ⁓ socks, which I do wear. But how do you show those off? Like with no, you know what mean? With no shoes. what?

Eric (27:59)
If you go, if.

Erika (28:09)
Mm-hmm.

Eric (28:09)
Let me tell you.

Erika (28:12)
Yeah, I'm

gonna put my shoe on here's a picture of the sock

Margarita Matos (28:15)
Hey, check these out.

Eric (28:19)
I'm gonna show you this. If you actually

go creep in, which I like to do through your Instagram.

Margarita Matos (28:26)
⁓

Eric (28:27)
You really did a good job matching. Look at this, like that's all white camo.

Margarita Matos (28:30)
I mean.

Erika (28:32)
And you're super photogenic too.

Margarita Matos (28:34)
You have to be,

listen, you have to be photogenic or else they're not gonna use your photos. Like why else, you know?

Eric (28:41)
Yeah. Look at this one, right?

Erika (28:42)
Mm-hmm.

Eric (28:43)
look at this. You even got the Santa hat, the Santa socks.

Margarita Matos (28:47)
Yes,

you gotta use props.

Eric (28:49)
They

must have loved you.

Margarita Matos (28:51)
Those unicorn ones, the blue ones, they used that photo as well. yeah.

Erika (28:56)
I

swear to God, I still see you in like email blasts every once in a while.

Margarita Matos (28:57)
You have to,

they also use the one down there. Yeah, you have to have the right pose, the right angles, the right lighting.

Erika (29:04)
I never nailed it. It was

always you and Rachel. I'm like, I'm done.

Eric (29:06)
How do you nail it? Like, did you have a photographer?

Margarita Matos (29:10)
It feels like a competition.

Eric (29:10)
⁓ yeah, well, you know, to some people it might be.

Erika (29:13)
I was no

competition.

Eric (29:16)
Erica's just like I just want everyone to be happy and everyone to win and some people totally totally You know they get really into it like what were you doing with it with?

Erika (29:21)
rainbows and puppies and...

Margarita Matos (29:25)
⁓

I was so into it. That's why I have 70 plus socks. Like, it's bad.

Eric (29:29)
How did you take the photos? Did you plan it? Did you have like a camera mount or did you have like a setup or did you have when you were kids be like your photographer?

Margarita Matos (29:35)
It got so bad

actually ordered a mount to put my camera on. So that way I had the right angle. But sometimes you have to find like...

other places to like put your phone because I didn't have all those photos that you saw like 90 % of them it was like myself like I didn't have anybody else take it for me obviously there's times where you have to because of the lighting but ⁓ yeah it got so bad that I'm like I need a I need a stick or whatever those things are called like for my phone so I can take some good photos for this company that is not even paying me like what is happening

Erika (30:04)
Mm.

you

Eric (30:18)
That's the only tough

part I have with investorships. I feel like a lot of people work hard to help them, but I think pro compression is one of them that gives back more. They give back with the deals. ⁓ have 70 pairs of socks, you probably paid half.

Margarita Matos (30:29)
Yeah.

Erika (30:32)
They've done better this

year because they revamped their program and without giving away too many secrets, they do these competitions on Strava where either high mileage for a month, they'll give you a gift card and they've been doing more gift cards lately. I was like, okay, I'll play ball. I'll see what I can do. They've stepped it up a little bit.

Margarita Matos (30:52)
⁓

Yeah, I don't know any of that. I lost track, clearly.

Eric (30:59)
As we're talking

Erika (30:59)
you

Eric (31:00)
about this, feel like I really want to shout out Right Socks right now. Right Socks, we love you. Yeah. Yeah. We do love you. Anyways, Maggie, let's get into running here. Like you've qualified for Boston twice. You've run over nine marathons, over like 18 half marathons. You're very, you're speedy. But like, when did this all start? Was it she runs this town or was it something else when you started running and getting really like involved?

Margarita Matos (31:02)
I think I retired.

Erika (31:04)
Shout out to Right Socks, who actually sponsor us. Yay.

Margarita Matos (31:27)
Yeah, so I would say probably the end of 2017, I was at Friendsgiving and

I had a couple friends talking about running and I was just sitting there and I'm like, obviously I can't like get into this conversation because I'm not a runner. So I guess I'll just listen. So they were talking and I was like, maybe I should like find a hobby or something. I don't know. At that point I was not playing basketball because I just had my son four years ago. So it was kind of more of like, at that point I needed to be a mom and you know, try to get back to like the gym and all this other

Erika (32:04)
Mm-hmm.

Margarita Matos (32:07)
stuff that you know we love to do but at that point yeah I took the 2018 you know how like we always have like a resolution being like oh my god I want to lose weight but like at that point I'm like I don't I feel like I always say that every year and I feel like I need to change it up so I'm like maybe I should like get into some like a new hobby so then I tried running the following year

Erika (32:23)
Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Margarita Matos (32:30)
and call me crazy but the first year that I literally got into running I ran my first 5k half marathon and marathon at the same year. I mean I don't recommend it but yeah too quickly.

Erika (32:41)
wow. So you, picked it up quickly. So,

Eric (32:47)
I hope you worked your

way up though 5k half full.

Erika (32:48)
so you just started. Yeah.

Margarita Matos (32:51)
I did. I started with my first 5k was the Mardi Gras and I think that might have been maybe the last year that they did it. I'm not sure. It was that Tuesday night ⁓ at Manchester. No, it was the Mardi Gras in that Millennium. It was a, I think they had it in March, didn't they? I don't know. I just, I just know it was cold. It was cold.

Erika (32:59)
⁓

Eric (33:02)
Yeah, Cinco de Mayo you mean?

Erika (33:04)
But we're talking

May, yep.

Or is it February? When do they hold that? I don't actually know. OK.

Eric (33:17)
You

Margarita Matos (33:19)
It was was nighttime and I was like, what am I doing? Whatever. I'll get this done. So I did. And then at that point, I started doing have you heard of Freeze Your Buns 5K in Menashwa?

Eric (33:31)
Yes.

Erika (33:31)
Yep, that's like one of the Mindfall series, right? Mm-hmm, yes.

Margarita Matos (33:34)
Yes, so I

did that series as well. So I started with that and I was like, I don't know in my head, I'm like, I don't know how people run 13.1 miles. Like I'm exhausted running three. But then after that, I ran Shamrock in March.

Erika (33:50)
Mm-hmm.

⁓ my gosh. So that was a quick escalation.

Margarita Matos (33:59)
Yes. So I think it was, so I think you are

right, Erica. think Mardi Gras was in February because I did train a little bit, obviously, for Shamrock. I did that in like, 208 or 210, something like that. Fantastic. But like, I had, I had no supportive shoes. I had no gels. I had, I was so unprepared. I'm like, what am I doing out here?

Erika (34:08)
Mm-hmm. Yeah.

That's fantastic. So just starting out. Yeah.

Hmm.

I feel like that's a normal thing for a new runner. It's kind of figuring it out as you go. And it does take some time to get to that point where you're comfortable in your fueling strategy, your training strategy. But I mean, so if you're doing the freezer bun series and the other 5K, running must have been OK for you. what made you? Right. But you didn't hate it.

Margarita Matos (34:29)
for sure.

Yes.

It was okay. I'm obviously, it was sore and I was like, I'm so exhausted. Like, you know how you first start.

Erika (34:54)
So you at least ⁓ wanted to try the half marathon. So was that your idea or did somebody kind of talk you into that or how did that happen? Okay.

Margarita Matos (35:01)
Actually, no, that was my idea.

It was my idea. kind of just started doing research and I was like, maybe, like maybe I would, if I do want to try a half marathon, like I would want to try something local. I would try something where there's a lot of people and like more support. So I figured why not? Shamrock, which is one of like the biggest races here in New Hampshire, like for half marathons. But I don't know if they don't have it anymore, right?

Erika (35:07)
Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Eric (35:25)
And

Not the Shamrock half, but they have the shuffle. This is four months after that friend's giving. Who were these friends talking about running? I'm curious because I see a, well, in

Erika (35:28)
They just got rid of it. Yeah.

Margarita Matos (35:31)
Yeah, the shuffle, yeah.

Mm-hmm.

Erika (35:40)
Are they still friends?

Margarita Matos (35:42)
Yeah, well, they're still friends, but they're not, you know, like they're not close. Like they don't, I think it was more of just hang out. They don't really talk as much right now.

Eric (35:47)
So it's...

So it's not your

girls then, because I'm gonna say your girls, looking at all these photos, I see a ton of photos of you and Justine, Nicole, Crystal and Kristen. I see a ton.

Margarita Matos (36:02)
I

had zero idea who these people were until now, obviously. But at that point, I had no idea who any of those girls were. None.

Eric (36:11)
So you just started running on your own

after a Friendsgiving and you really picked it up. You went like zero to 60 in four months, Yeah.

Margarita Matos (36:15)
Yeah.

And then I took it to a hundred

when I was like, when I ran, you know what's funny? When I ran Shamrock and I was. ⁓

You know how it ends like on obviously on on stream you're coming down that long strip again i'm telling myself this because you know they do tell they do say you know the you start talking to yourself or you or your your mental mental stress getting to you and i'm like I don't know how I love talking to myself I guess while i'm running but i'm like, how do people like run like another 13.1 after this like i'm so exhausted my feet hurt and like all this stuff and like just complaining like obviously

Eric (36:46)
do the same.

Margarita Matos (36:57)
And I finish and then probably I can't even, I don't even know. I'm trying to remember like when I thought to do the marathon because obviously I needed X amount of weeks to train for that. But I think it was like in spring that I'm like, I'm like, I know that I said, like I won't do a marathon and like people are crazy to do that. But I had this crazy idea.

Erika (37:12)
Mm-hmm.

Eric (37:22)
I might be crazy.

Erika (37:26)
That happens a lot.

Margarita Matos (37:28)
It happens a lot. Yep. Till this day, it happens a lot. But I did start training for, what's that? Base date was my first.

Erika (37:40)
Awesome. That one, that one is so deceptive. Everybody tells you like, it's super flat and super fast. I ran it for the first time last year. It is not. It has some real like they're gentle, gentle grip. I should have known, but like real gradual, like it's gradual uphills, but they are like four mile long stretches of uphill. I'm like, Holy crap. So how did base?

Eric (37:40)
LOL

Margarita Matos (37:45)
yeah.

Yeah.

no, I would have told you the real deal. I would have told you the real deal. Yeah.

yeah. yeah. I remember asking people

and that's what they would tell me. And I'm like, so now at this point, I'm like, if you guys don't know the real deal, like it's, it's not no flat fast. I don't know who said that, but, and then you got to write it you got to do it twice, like two loops at the same time. Yeah.

Erika (38:15)
Right. That is the tough part. So how did

training go over like the springtime and the summer for Baystate?

Eric (38:24)
And I

want to know like, at what point did running become part of your personality as I think it is and if it was during this point, how?

Margarita Matos (38:32)
So definitely not this point. This point I was questioning my sanity. ⁓ I was like, what am I doing right now? So at this point, I literally was doing so much research because I was like, first of all, Shamrock was a shit show. Because I was like, no way. I can't go to a full marathon feeling the way I was feeling like this.

Erika (38:37)
Hehehehehe

Mm-hmm.

Something's gotta change,

yep.

Margarita Matos (38:57)
something's got to change. So I started, you know, researching shoes, researching like gels, like what do need to do? I mean, do need to take like, what are gels? Like, what are like, what is it going to do to me? Like, am I going to poop my pants, which I honestly, I almost did. I do got to say about that. There was a long run. Why not?

Erika (39:09)
Right.

She knows the code, bros. There we go. Spare no details.

Eric (39:16)
We don't talk about that stuff on the pod.

Erika (39:20)
I have a poop emoji on my microphone if you can't even tell. There we go. Yeah, that's Dooley. We love poop in a totally non-weird way.

Margarita Matos (39:24)
I was like, isn't that like, yeah, what's he gonna say? It's not your mascot? Your mascot is the poop.

Eric (39:26)
yeah, yeah.

Margarita Matos (39:31)
Yeah, so

that training was definitely rough. It was rough. I had some questionable long runs and I'm like, what am I doing? Am I gonna finish?

Erika (39:36)
Mm-hmm.

Margarita Matos (39:43)
And then obviously then I got hurt. You know, I have this long, I have this on and off relationship with my IT band still to this day guys. Still to this day. If there, if anybody out there has a new IT band for me, I would love to take it. I would take an RV. ⁓ specifically my left. Okay. Just in case anybody wants to share. But anyways, ⁓ I didn't so

Erika (39:46)
no.

⁓ mm-hmm.

I will keep my eyes peeled for you.

Margarita Matos (40:12)
Long story short, my marathon didn't go as planned. Like I finished, but I finished having an IT band hurting the whole time. So technically I should have stopped. I should have been like, no, like I should just not do it. My IT band is kind of like not doing okay. But at the same time, like this other side of me is like, you're not a quitter. You've never quit before. Let's do this. So.

Erika (40:32)
Mm-hmm.

It's so hard. ⁓ no. It's so hard to talk yourself out of that though. I mean, it might be the right thing to do, but the, the work that you put into it and it's just, it's a heartbreaking thing to, make the decision to pull out of something like that. So I don't blame you for going through with it. It's probably something I would have done. Actually, I have done stuff like that. Do not recommend, but it happens and yeah.

Margarita Matos (40:41)
I ran a whole marathon injured. Not recommending.

I think that's what it is.

Yeah.

Yep, cuz then I was out for like months. I can't tell you the next

time I ran I was like, well, this sucks.

Eric (41:11)
The other thing is like, I don't

Erika (41:12)
Yeah.

Eric (41:13)
know if you like put it out there on social media or to friends and family, like I'm gonna do this. The other part is like you don't want them to be like, what happened? You don't want to disappoint them or yourself in a way, or you just don't want to talk about it.

Margarita Matos (41:22)
Yep.

Erika (41:22)
Mm-hmm.

Margarita Matos (41:26)
I've learned,

I've learned not to do that. I've so there was times where I would be like, is my bib number, please follow me, blah, blah, blah. Now at this point, I don't do that anymore because I'm like, please don't follow me. I feel like I'm so pressured and everybody's watching me on their phones. And then I'm like, if I stop, people are going to be like, are you okay? Just like my Boston, my Boston 2024 was awful. And I feel like I probably got like 500 text messages from people being like, are you okay? And I'm like, yes, I'm in the bathroom.

Erika (41:34)
Yep.

you

takes the fun out of it? Yeah.

Eric (41:44)
Mm-hmm.

Shit happens.

Margarita Matos (41:57)
Like

it was not okay. does happen. Yeah. It really is.

Eric (42:01)
Yeah.

Erika (42:01)
Yeah, I totally get that. It's extra pressure. Like you put enough pressure on yourself,

but knowing that there's so many people who, yes, they may be rooting for you and meaning well, but it just, it adds so much extra stress.

Margarita Matos (42:12)
Yeah,

yeah, just like cheap marathon. was like, please, like nobody please don't follow me. Like I'm yes, I'm on a mission. But like if you ask me one more time, what my time is, like what do want for my time to be? I'm gonna like lose it. Did not win. Did not win.

Erika (42:18)
Mm-hmm.

Eric (42:26)
Did you win?

Erika (42:28)
Did you win? ⁓

Eric (42:31)
Still,

it's the common question the non-runners ask, did you win?

Erika (42:32)
feel like we need to,

little kids too. Little kids love that question.

Margarita Matos (42:34)
I know. yeah,

my son and my daughter always do that. Like, did you get first? I'm like, well, at my age group, yes. But not, right? Right?

Erika (42:42)
Mm-hmm. I feel like we need to flip the script now and start being like, did you have fun? That should be the number one

question people ask. Did you have fun? Mm-hmm. Go for it. Yeah. See, that's me. That's me with like the rainbows and the puppies. Like, just want everybody to be happy.

Margarita Matos (42:51)
I like that, Erica. I'm gonna use that more. Yeah, it's not about place, you know?

Eric (42:58)
That's what it's like for me. I wrote in my coach's report today,

Margarita Matos (42:59)
You

Eric (43:01)
like, hey, party pace, it was a blast, but halfway through I said, see you later, I wanna run a little harder.

Erika (43:07)
I party paced that whole race and I had a blast. don't, I don't think I've ever had that much fun at that particular race. Like the 10 mile or always sucks. Like the life out of my soul, either because it's super hot or the Hills. Like there's just no way, but I had so much fun just talking to random people around me. was with Tara the whole time. Like, God, it was great.

Margarita Matos (43:25)
See, can't, I don't

know how to do that. Like people are like, they do it. It's so hard for me to party pay. What, like, what does that feel like? Can you guys talk to me? Cause I'm like over here like party pays like, peace out.

Erika (43:29)
Stick with me girl, we'll help you out. ⁓

Honestly,

our party pace for the beginning of the race was like a 920 and Tara's like, I'm dying. No, we were doing some fun, like some fast down the hills and Tara's like, help me. We're like, okay, we'll kind of tone it down a little bit, but we were just having fun.

Eric (43:43)
No it wasn't, it was like 11 minutes.

Margarita Matos (43:46)
⁓ yeah.

Eric (43:54)
First mile was very slow

because we were very late, not late, we were there super early, but just in the back. And then eventually after mile one, we started really going in. It was funny, Nicole looked at it and she was like, holy damn, what happened in the second half of your race? Because yeah, I had an 11 in there, which is, agree, Maggie, it's hard to do sometimes to go not slow, but when you typically just run, you have your typical.

Erika (44:00)
So many people, so many people.

Margarita Matos (44:02)
Mmm.

You

Eric (44:24)
cruising pace and it's hard to go slower than that. totally get that.

Margarita Matos (44:26)
Yes.

Erika (44:28)
Mm-hmm.

Margarita Matos (44:28)
I feel like I get hurt when I go slower. I'm like, I can't do this. I gotta go.

Eric (44:30)
Well, think of it like this. it

Erika (44:31)
That is true.

Eric (44:32)
like if you ever want to do party pace with us, just go, hey, I'm going on a walk.

Margarita Matos (44:36)
Exactly. Like, do I want to walk? Okay, I know a few people. All right.

Eric (44:36)
Yeah, and I might...

Erika (44:41)
Yep, yep.

We were walking hills and I was like, don't mind if I do. That is when I want to walk. Yes, absolutely.

Margarita Matos (44:47)
See, I'm different. I look

at it and I'm like, I just want to get this all done. So let's get up here. Suffer later.

Erika (44:51)
You know, I get both sides of it, but

if you are saying, let's walk, I'm like, sure. Yes, please.

Margarita Matos (44:57)
Yeah, you will never hear

Eric (44:58)
So are you though,

Margarita Matos (44:59)
me say walk.

Eric (45:00)
are you naturally competitive then? Because like you're fast and with basketball you're pretty good, you hang with the boys. Are you naturally competitive?

Margarita Matos (45:11)
I'm not going to say no. I'm going to say yes to a certain extent. I think I'm more competitive with myself because I'm trying to see what, how can I be, how can I get better at something that I enjoy and I'm good at both like basketball and running whether one or the

Erika (45:19)
Mmm.

Mm-hmm.

Absolutely.

Eric (45:32)
And I'm gonna call them your girls. I don't know if you have an official name, but you're the girls. Like you're all fast and you probably all push each other whether you mean to or not. Because you're all fast. Every one of you is like super speedy and super competitive in your age groups. And I know, because I know a few of you, that your goal is always to do better and improve. So you're kind of in that group. You're in that category. When did you get introduced to them? Because you didn't know them.

Margarita Matos (45:42)
Right.

Yes. Yes.

Eric (45:59)
I don't know if running is your personality yet. You're questioning your sanity. When did you meet these girls who probably made you more crazy or made you more happy about your sanity?

Erika (46:10)
You

Margarita Matos (46:11)
So I feel like as the years went on, I started to kind of like, like kind of see who was like certain packs, I guess there's like certain packs that are going on. So I'm like, okay, you know, we got this, this, you know, this group here, this group here. So like, and like you mentioned before, ⁓ obviously I started Wish You Runs This Town. So I feel like I used to post

That's like one of the other things too. Like when I was more into pro compressions and I used to like do my photos, I would post my photo, not only an Instagram, but I would post it on She Runs This Town all the time. And that's how some of the girls knew who I was. But I think they knew me more as more as, ⁓ as I was going to more races and

Erika (46:50)
Mm-hmm.

Margarita Matos (47:03)
they saw me kind of being a little bit more faster than what I was originally. Cause I was chunking my time down and I feel like the more you chunk down, people start noticing you. They're like, who is this girl? never seen her before. I'm like, I'm the real deal right now.

Eric (47:20)
It's like, it's like Erica, who's this girl at

my Goffstown Gallop taking my trophy from me?

Erika (47:26)
Well, I had known Maggie for a while at that point and I've seen you run and we'll see you in the pictures from Millennium and we'll see your age group awards and I'm like, damn, I want to be like that. I want to get faster. mm-hmm. Yep. Yep.

Margarita Matos (47:42)
And honestly, that's how I was too. So there's a few girls like Crystal. Crystal is one

of them and I know she's gonna listen to this, I'm gonna tell her too. So it's funny because she was one of those people who I would see a lot in races and I would be like, everybody has that person, I'd be like, who is that? They're pretty fast. I wanna be fast like that.

Erika (47:56)
Mm-hmm.

Margarita Matos (48:04)
Can I be faster? Can I do this? Like it kind of just, you need something to kind of just get you to be better. And I feel like she doesn't even know this, but I feel like she helped me with that. Cause I was like, I kind of want to, I want to be that fast. I feel like I can do it. but, and obviously when I started to know more girls after that, but.

Erika (48:17)
There we go. And it's nice that you.

Yep.

It's nice that you find the group of people that are more of your pace, because you just feel like you can hang out, and your conversation pace is a more comfortable, speedy pace. So that's why me and Rachel vibe so well, because her and I, we're very comfortable in the 9 to 10 minute range. But we know that if we need to do a speed workout or something together, we can kick it up a notch. So you found your girls.

Margarita Matos (48:39)
Mm-hmm.

Erika (48:54)
who are gonna do the same thing for you. You can run your easy pace with them. They're gonna help you do what you need to do. You're gonna help them with what they need to do. Yeah, you guys should vibe very well together.

Margarita Matos (48:56)
Yes.

Erika (49:05)
shout out to your girls, because I like them too. They're all wonderful.

Margarita Matos (49:08)
Yes,

all of them, all of them. Justine, Nicole too, Nicole and, Nicole and Crystal used to be a thing too. So like, I would be like, oh, like it was, it was nice. It was nice to kind of just get to know other people in the running community. Cause like, I'd never realized how huge the running community was until like I got into it I was like, wow, like there's a lot.

Erika (49:15)
Mm-hmm.

Definitely.

Margarita Matos (49:35)
runners and it's just it's it's nice to that they're all kind of in different areas whether it's like really really like fast runners you know medium runners and then you and then you walkers and you're in it just it's nice it's really nice

Erika (49:37)
Mm-hmm.

It's kind of cool that, like... ⁓

Yeah. And it's kind of cool that when you have such a nice friend group and they all might live in different places, that means you just have more places to go. So you're not running the same route all the time. You're getting some different terrain, might be different hills. That's awesome too. Invaluable.

Margarita Matos (50:03)
Exactly, yes.

Eric (50:09)
You you mentioned the running community and you mentioned your girls and we talked about Dave. There's this is one other person in all your photos and many of them I want to point out and I'm to point out this one photo here because I just think it's great. First off, it's an amazing shot of you, but lurking in the background is Woody, also known as Yuki, who dresses up at all the races.

Erika (50:29)
See you again!

Margarita Matos (50:31)
I love you,

G. ⁓

Eric (50:33)
And you've mentioned her

Erika (50:33)
Ha ha ha

Eric (50:34)
a

couple of times now. So it seems like, like you've really gotten into this, we're just going to call it the Millennium Running family. Like you got your girls, you got Yuki, everybody knows you now. it's such a cool thing of this whole New Hampshire running community.

Erika (50:34)
ha!

Margarita Matos (50:41)
Yes.

Yes.

Yuki, I love her. She's one of those that also like pushes me. Like, I feel like we push each other. You know, like you asked us about the whole or asked me about the competitive, like my competitive. And I feel like I can see that being a thing between us, but like in a good way kind of thing. ⁓

Erika (51:08)
Mm-hmm.

Margarita Matos (51:11)
Because she, you I know that she's fast, she knows that I'm fast and we kind of push each other, which is, it's nice. It's, it's fun. It makes it fun. So.

Erika (51:21)
I love it. Yeah, Yuki's just so sweet too. You guys gel so well.

Margarita Matos (51:23)
I think there was another, there's another photo too. I forgot what

it was, but she was actually Elsa. She was, she was behind me. She was Elsa at the snowflake. Yeah. ⁓

Eric (51:27)
⁓ I'll find it. ⁓

Erika (51:31)
That was was that like a share? Not a shamrock snowflake shuffle. That's right.

Eric (51:38)
I found it.

my God. Well, talk about creeper status. I am fast. Here it is.

Erika (51:40)
Huh.

Margarita Matos (51:43)
You

Erika (51:44)
That's one race

you'll rarely see me at because I don't do cold very well.

Eric (51:49)
She's always

Margarita Matos (51:49)
Yes!

Eric (51:50)
just

one or two steps behind you, Yuki. Yuki, you gotta step up. Maggie's always ahead of you. But that's like Elsa chasing you, like, I'm gonna get you.

Margarita Matos (51:53)
All the time. She's ahead of me. She's ahead of me right now.

Erika (51:54)
You king!

Margarita Matos (52:01)
Yeah. I was like, I have to post this. This is amazing.

Erika (52:01)
That is priceless.

Eric (52:06)
That photo right

Erika (52:06)
Yeah.

Eric (52:07)
there, that is something else. Look at that costume. It's just like she's coming after you.

Margarita Matos (52:12)
Yes, she's trying to froze me up. She's freezing me.

Erika (52:13)
Done it. Done it.

Eric (52:14)
Yeah. ⁓ man.

You know, it's really cool because I've been running the Millennium Races for a little while now. I'm not everyone like some other people, like Erica's at most of them. You're at a lot of them. But when I'm there, I always see the same people. You're part of the Millennium Running Club. There's another one. I'm not going to keep sharing, but one of you and you get the Millennium Singlet. So no, it really feels like running has become part of...

your life and your personality. And I would never have guessed that you only picked it up less than 10 years ago in 2018. So like, this is kind of like a, this just happened like that, zero to 60.

Margarita Matos (52:46)
Mm-hmm.

zero to 60. I don't even know how, but... And I'm thankful. I'm just... It's... You know, it brings me challenges, but in a good way. ⁓ I like to get outdoors whenever I can because honestly, I mean, you mentioned that you don't like running in the cold. mean, I'm not a big fan of running in the cold at all. I'm not even looking forward to it right now. Yes, I still do it.

Erika (53:09)
It's not my favorite, no. But you still do it.

Margarita Matos (53:16)
But I just, I whine the whole time. I'm like, it's too cold out there. am I doing? A treadmill, whatever.

Erika (53:21)
That's honestly half of the fun.

If I go outside, you better believe I'm complaining about it, but I'll feel good afterwards. I always do. You rarely regret going on a run, so it's just more fun to complain about it.

Margarita Matos (53:27)
yeah.

Yes, like

when you see these when you see those runners that run out and like, I don't know, it's like negative five outside and they have like freezing eyelashes. Like that's not this not me. Not your girl. No, not this island girl.

Erika (53:44)
Nope. The only time I would only do it

for the picture, I'd be like, all right, I better get a good eyelash picture out of this or else I'm going to complain even more.

Margarita Matos (53:50)
Exactly, yeah do it for the picture make

sure you got pro compression socks on though. That would be dope

Erika (53:57)
Fair enough. I'll

have to plan it next time.

Eric (54:00)
Let's,

you two should match, but let's talk some running, like marathons, half marathons, favorite races, storytelling, maybe not favorite races. You've done nine marathons, 18 halves. Your 5K, by the way, is a 1942, not a big deal. But what are some of your favorite, like, I know you've done Boston twice. Have you traveled? Have you done other world major marathons? What are some of your favorites?

Margarita Matos (54:17)
No big deal.

I actually did Boston three times.

Eric (54:29)
⁓ damn, I'm so bad. No, at least I did homework.

Erika (54:29)
He did not do his homework well. You get a

Margarita Matos (54:32)
Three times,

Erika (54:33)
C minus. I'm not going to flunk him, though.

Margarita Matos (54:34)
I know, I know. It's cause, so the first one it was 2021 in October. So that was like the, that was so cool. That was honestly.

Erika (54:40)
⁓

Eric (54:42)
that must have been kinda neat, actually.

Erika (54:44)
How did you like that one compared to

April?

Margarita Matos (54:47)
That was amazing.

I loved it. That was my favorite one because it was like, yeah, like you said, it was, it was October. It was the fall. Perfect weather. It was like, I think it was like 60, but it was like cloudy, very, like it was just perfect. Perfect. I couldn't even ask for better weather because the last two, forget about it. So hot. I finished, but it was hot.

Erika (55:05)
Excellent. ⁓

Eric (55:13)
Do you run well in the heat then?

Erika (55:13)
Mm-hmm.

Margarita Matos (55:15)
⁓ depends on what kind of heat we're talking. Like if it's, mean, I, you know, it's so funny. I always look at the weather and I'm like, it's going to be seventies later. Like that's fine. I can do that. Like that's not too hot. Like I'd be all right. I go outside and like bomb L one. like, what am I doing right now? It is so hot. What else? I was like thinking, yes.

Eric (55:30)
Right.

Erika (55:35)
It all depends on humidity too. If that's like super high,

it's going to be miserable.

Margarita Matos (55:45)
Yeah, so it's funny because I tell myself, I'm I love running in the heat. And then like, here I am complaining about running in 70 degree weather, because it's so hot outside and humidity is high. I, yeah, it is. And I'm like, you know, I'm going to complain when it's too cold, too hot. I know. I got to find a happy medium somewhere.

Erika (55:56)
But hey, we established it's fun to complain about the runs. It's definitely fun.

Literally, we

get like 10 days in the fall where it's like absolutely gorgeous, like maybe a crisp 55 degrees and it's so gorgeous and you have the best run of your life and then it's either way too cold or it gets hot again. There's... Gotta love New England.

Margarita Matos (56:12)
Yep.

and then it's straight 40 degrees and cold like okay.

Gotta wear my layers now.

Erika (56:26)
Mm-hmm.

Eric (56:27)
But you've been around, right? You've gone, I think you've run Chicago. Like, do you travel?

Erika (56:31)
And she's going back.

Margarita Matos (56:32)
I did

run Chicago

Yeah, I did Chicago in 2019. So that was pre COVID. That was my first obviously Chicago and it was it was fun. Obviously I got hurt but what I'm going to talk about. I told you my TV and guys like if you find one let me know. But no, it was it was still good. It was still fun. I finished. You know, I actually did New York City five weeks after that. I don't recommend but.

Erika (56:44)
Ugh.

Eric (56:45)
What happened?

that's right. Yeah.

Erika (56:50)
Mm.

Did you?

Margarita Matos (57:02)
Yes I did. That was

awful. Like don't ask me how New York City was.

Erika (57:07)
So I

assume your IT band was not 100 % after Chicago for New York City.

Eric (57:08)
I wanna know though.

Margarita Matos (57:12)
It was not 100 % yeah,

so like New York City like yeah, I ran until like mile 17. Oh, I gotta show you his picture after I Saw a photographer took a picture of me walking with my phone

Erika (57:22)
Mm-hmm.

Margarita Matos (57:26)
Like I'm texting on my phone because I was so miserable. This is how, this is how I mean, it's, it's a picture to remember. Cause I'm just like, Hey, look at me. I'm actually walking and I'm on my phone because I'm so miserable right now. And I just want to be done. This was like in central park too. Like I'm just like people like, you're almost there. I'm like, no, no.

Erika (57:31)
⁓

Eric (57:34)
I don't mean to laugh, but.

Erika (57:41)
No.

At your point, you're just like, shut the hell up.

Margarita Matos (57:48)
You guys don't understand. can't even feel my,

I can't even feel my fingers. I'm cold. My T-Band hurts. if you know, just, don't know why you're telling me that. Stop. It was not the best After the race.

Erika (57:58)
Not the best race, uh-uh.

Eric (57:59)
What was after that race like? What was that?

Yeah, what was after the race like? Okay, you're hurt, you're cold, you're not feeling it from what I hear, because I'm running New York soon. It's like getting out of there isn't easy. Give us the post-race details here.

Margarita Matos (58:09)
Ooh.

So what did

you, I know you had to pick an option, right? Did you pick poncho or did you pick, what did you pick?

Eric (58:18)
I don't think I made a choice yet. I definitely didn't pick anything. ⁓

Erika (58:22)
Get on that.

Margarita Matos (58:24)
What are you doing? Number one. I thought you. Yeah. So with the poncho, I thought, did you, don't you have to walk farther to get the poncho? The poncho is like, I love it. I still have it. It's like an amazing poncho to have. Like it's literally top notch poncho. So.

Erika (58:26)
you

Pick poncho. It's a great keepsake.

Agreed.

Margarita Matos (58:52)
I don't know if you picked that, but if I were you, I would probably pick the poncho. I think your time expired. I think you're expired.

Eric (58:55)
Was I supposed to pick this earlier? Maybe I did, not even knowing it was a thing.

Erika (58:59)
Are you getting any

emails from the NYRR? Or is Jen handling all this for everybody? Did you pick a bus versus the ferry? ⁓

Eric (59:04)
I have so many emails, Erica.

Margarita Matos (59:04)
He probably is.

Eric (59:11)
I got that email the other day. have to, we're going

Margarita Matos (59:11)
⁓ that too!

Eric (59:14)
to, my sister and I are going take the ferry. That happened the other day. When do I pick a poncho?

Erika (59:16)
Okay, okay, as long as you're getting some emails, but

Margarita Matos (59:18)
Very, I

Erika (59:20)
I don't know.

Margarita Matos (59:20)
know I'm like, ah man, you're already, you're failing already. I don't like this. I don't like it.

Eric (59:25)
It's okay. I hope to

Erika (59:25)
will look through old emails

Eric (59:26)
have an inside connection soon.

Erika (59:27)
for you, I'm going to look through old emails for you, but it's definitely a walk. I feel like you're walking at least an extra half a mile just to get out of the park. And then you got to get back to wherever.

Margarita Matos (59:35)
It is a walk. Yes. Yeah.

Eric (59:40)
Right, so you're hurting at that time, you're not feeling good.

Margarita Matos (59:42)
So honestly,

was probably like 10 minutes, like for me, from me getting out of the finish line to get in my poncho, going all the way around, cause like literally like a U loop, I think it literally took like 10 minutes because there were so many people. Then you have to find your people. And it's like, I'm so done texting. I'm cold. I'm so miserable. Like, I'm going to be honest. Like it was just a rough time.

Eric (1:00:09)
It wasn't fun. Yeah.

Erika (1:00:11)
Yeah.

Margarita Matos (1:00:12)
I hope you know you're going to have a great time, but you have to pick your poncho because.

Eric (1:00:14)
I'm gonna have a good time.

I'm gonna have to figure this out after we record tonight. So I actually, you know it's funny, minutes before we jumped on I was on the phone with my sister who lives in New York City. She's running with me and I'm like, don't know, what do we do? The bus or the ferry, what do we choose? You know and all this stuff and I go like, can you look at this? Like can you be my personal assistant? I'm way too busy. Can you sign me up? But this ponzo thing is news to me so I gotta figure that out. Like what's your other option?

Margarita Matos (1:00:19)
I think, yeah.

You know how you could you

could also check your NYRR account. Your dashboard should say it.

Eric (1:00:47)
I will, which I'm a member

now. So, I will. No, I got to, well, I did not pay, it was included. Yeah, it was included. Wait, I need that button that I don't have.

Margarita Matos (1:00:50)
What? You're a member now?

Erika (1:00:51)
You pay?

Margarita Matos (1:00:57)
⁓ excuse me.

Erika (1:01:00)
He's getting special perks now.

Margarita Matos (1:01:03)
All

exclusive over here. Okay. Can he had that deserves that Mr. All inclusive over here with NYR account member member now

Eric (1:01:12)
Not a big deal.

Erika (1:01:14)
Yeah.

Eric (1:01:17)
Remember, only for a year. Like, I'm not gonna renew unless I run it again. Maybe they keep me, maybe they don't, maybe they like me, I don't know, we'll see. Maybe the CEO gets me like a ⁓ exclusive VIP tent, we'll find out.

Margarita Matos (1:01:25)
I don't think you're gonna run it again. You're gonna be like, I'm never doing this again.

Erika (1:01:32)
it twice myself and I have no desire to do it again. Not that it's not a great race, but I just don't like going into New York City. I prefer Boston. Give me Boston any day. It's a lot of work.

Eric (1:01:36)
Really?

Well, we know that it's not.

Margarita Matos (1:01:41)
It's such a hassle.

Such a hassle.

Eric (1:01:45)
So we know it's not your

favorite for the two of you, but you've both.

Margarita Matos (1:01:48)
Although I was

supposed to do it two years ago and I had to defer twice. So I actually got in with a half marathon time. I qualified.

Erika (1:01:56)
You qualified. That's right. That

was, yeah, you have to have a wicked fast time to do that.

Margarita Matos (1:02:00)
Yes, and I

was supposed to do it and I had to defer because I got, that's right, when I did Berlin, I got hurt, guess what guys, with drum roll, IT man, you named it. That's right, so I had to defer. I don't know. Oh, I tried.

Erika (1:02:10)
No. Maggie.

All right, what can we do to fix your IT band? Is it like dry needling? What do we need for you? Like, I'm going to manifest some

like healing vibes. don't know.

Margarita Matos (1:02:25)
I literally I've done, I did dry needling. I've done foam

roller. I have all types of equipment out there in my room. Like I can't even tell you dry needling socks. Okay. Let me tell you, it's not great. It's not.

Eric (1:02:31)
Dry needling sounds cool.

Erika (1:02:31)
Mm-hmm. ⁓ man.

All right, we've been talking about all

these bad marathons that you've had because you've been injured. Can you tell me a good one? Give me a good story.

Eric (1:02:46)
Well, no, just want to know first though, you've run

Margarita Matos (1:02:49)
God.

Eric (1:02:49)
Boston, New York and Chicago. Out of the three, rank them. No, out of those three I want to know.

Erika (1:02:52)
Berlin.

Margarita Matos (1:02:56)
rank them? Ooh, I knew I was going to get this question. Cause I know obviously New York city is like the bottom, like, that's why I wanted to do it again, because I want redemption. I want redemption on New York city. So it's going to happen eventually. Just not right now. But, ⁓ I will have to say, Ooh, cause I don't know. I really, I love both like Chicago and Boston. ⁓

Eric (1:02:57)
Yeah.

Erika (1:03:05)
Hehehehehe

Eric (1:03:05)
I really only care about the boss of Chicago

here.

There you go.

Erika (1:03:12)
There you go.

Margarita Matos (1:03:26)
But I would obviously have to say, I mean, Boston's like number one. It's right there. It's literally an hour away from home. It's like.

Eric (1:03:32)
There you go. That's right. That's the right answer, Maggie. That's the right answer. That's the right answer.

Erika (1:03:37)
Right. Hey, I

will change my answer when I get to run again and get a real shot at it. Cause I had the 2018 race and like, nobody came out and it was like, I didn't even have to wait in a corral. just got to go, you know, it's like, I didn't even get to feel all the excitement. So.

Margarita Matos (1:03:49)
⁓ yeah, see?

Yeah. ⁓ and that was the other thing I liked. 2021, I was able to do that. It

was a rolling start. So I was able to just start whenever I wanted. There was no crowds. It was amazing. I'm telling you, 2021 was like the best marathon. Like I just didn't care about the time. That was a good one. Honestly, that was my best one. 2021 Boston Marathon was the best experience ever. It was great.

Erika (1:04:01)
There you go.

Good, good, there's a good one.

Excellent.

Eric (1:04:19)
Is that gonna be one of your good marathons that Erica wants to hear about? She's like, stop talking about bad ones, let's talk about good ones.

Margarita Matos (1:04:25)
yeah,

Erika (1:04:25)
Well there are too many bad ones!

Margarita Matos (1:04:25)
because I was injured free. I didn't have no poop issues. Weather was amazing. Crowd was great. It was great. It was great.

Erika (1:04:35)
See, that's

wonderful when just everything lines up. Like you can't plan for a great day, but it just comes together anyway.

Margarita Matos (1:04:43)
Yes.

Eric (1:04:43)
And is there

a goal? Like, do you want to become seven star Maggie? Like, you've done Berlin too, so you got four. Am I correct there, or have you done some others?

Margarita Matos (1:04:50)
absolutely. I'm

trying to get that star. That's my goal. I mean I'm getting rejected left and right with London and Tokyo but that's fine. I'll get there eventually.

Eric (1:05:01)
Yeah.

Erika (1:05:02)
They're not going anywhere.

Margarita Matos (1:05:04)
They're not going anywhere. I'll get there eventually. Yeah, and then more IT bands, her injuries and you know, all that stuff, you know. I think I just.

Eric (1:05:05)
We're just gonna keep adding more, but yeah.

Erika (1:05:10)
Maybe by then, I was just going to say that I'm like,

Eric (1:05:11)
until we get you a transplant.

Erika (1:05:15)
maybe the science will be there next time and have some new treatments.

Margarita Matos (1:05:19)
I need to, ⁓ maybe I just need to go to the gym and just strength train for a good, I don't know, three months. I don't know. I had, I did it once.

Eric (1:05:26)
Have you done ice baths?

yeah. I feel like that would help. I'm like really, I'm on the line right now. I'm on the line right now getting a gym membership just cause they have an ice bath. Like a legit ice bath. And I'm like, I want to go every day. That's like my thing now. It's in ⁓ Manchester. Well, it's technically Londonderry. It's at the airport, the executive.

Margarita Matos (1:05:35)
I did it once.

Stop it.

Where's this? ⁓

Oh, okay. I didn't know that they had an ice bath in there.

Eric (1:05:54)
They have brand new, they're brand

new. They're brand new. And I used to be a member of about until a year ago, I let it expire. didn't renew. And I'm like, I think I'm going to go back just for the ice bath and the sauna.

Erika (1:06:07)
Can we get them to sponsor us? Because that's the only way I'm going to do it.

Eric (1:06:08)
Yeah, well because every time I've gone in an

Margarita Matos (1:06:09)
Seriously.

Eric (1:06:11)
ice bath, I feel amazing for the next day and a half.

Erika (1:06:16)
But they have saunas too, right? So I could do the freeze my balls off and then go into the steam room or something. Yeah, that's the only way I would do it.

Eric (1:06:18)
Yes, in a steam room. But you won't drive up the highway, Erica.

You won't drive up the highway.

Erika (1:06:26)
It's like 20 minutes, it's not that bad.

Margarita Matos (1:06:26)
But he's, but he's an NYRR member. So maybe like he can use that.

Eric (1:06:32)
Not a big deal. Hey, my wife works there. My wife works there.

I don't get a free membership. I'm kind of actually peoed about that. like, what the heck? No discount. Anyways, hey, it's not about me. It's about

Eric (1:06:45)
are training for the Chicago Marathon this year. It's coming up in a couple of weeks. Eric is going to be there. I don't know if it's a competition between the two, but Erica, I think Maggie is going to kick your ass.

Margarita Matos (1:06:55)
Hahaha

Erika (1:06:56)
No doubt, no doubt.

Eric (1:06:56)
How are you feeling? How's the IT

band right now? Are you ready to go for Chicago?

Margarita Matos (1:07:01)
IT band is, that's okay, it's hanging on. It's hanging on, let's just say. I'm just taking it easy, but I am ready. Regardless, I am ready. I don't know if I'm gonna be, I know. I was like, I just saw like a post from Chicago on my Instagram. I think it was probably now two days ago. It was like 50 days left or something. And I was like, what?

Erika (1:07:13)
It's coming up, I'm excited.

There we go.

Margarita Matos (1:07:28)
I'm like, am I ready?

I'm like, I think I am. don't know. Yes, but I am ready. I don't know if I'm gonna be like feeling competition wise. Like, I'm not gonna be out here and be like, I'm gonna beat you.

Eric (1:07:33)
You got it.

What's your game plan? Like are you going early? Are you going with friends, family, by yourself? Do you know people out there? Are you going to run with people? you just, is this like a me, myself and I trip?

Margarita Matos (1:07:51)
So I'm going with my boyfriend and we're going, we're leaving Friday. So we'll get there. I think we're leaving early Friday, so.

Erika (1:08:02)
Are you leaving from Manchester?

If you are, hope I'm on your flight. I'm leaving early on Friday too, so I will look out for you at MHT and hopefully I'll see you.

Eric (1:08:09)
She let him take care of the logistics.

Margarita Matos (1:08:11)
I know, I was like, maybe?

Okay, ⁓ hold on.

Wait, wait, wait. Which, are you doing Southwest? What are you doing? Yeah. What time are you leaving?

Erika (1:08:26)
Yes, I am. ⁓

Hold on, I think it's like a seven, seven.

Eric (1:08:31)
He might be Seatmates. Could he be Roamies? That's

what Bex Gentry called it, Roamies.

Margarita Matos (1:08:34)
I know, I'm like...

Erika (1:08:36)
It's like a seven, maybe seven something play.

Eric (1:08:40)
Don't you get to pick

your flight or your seat on Southwest?

Erika (1:08:45)
So.

Margarita Matos (1:08:45)
I think so. I'll have to catch up with you on that to see. Yeah, well, we'll definitely link up on that. But yeah, no, so I'm going with him. ⁓ And then I'm doing I was just telling Erica when you weren't, you know, around because you had other things to do. ⁓

Erika (1:08:50)
We'll talk. We'll talk.

But actually, well.

Eric (1:09:08)
He loves, she loves to give me shit. I love it. We're going to be besties as long as I can give it back.

Erika (1:09:12)
gonna have her come back for.

Margarita Matos (1:09:14)
Super

besties.

That's fine. I'll take it. I was telling her that I'm also doing ⁓ the 5k. So I'll be doing the 5k Saturday morning. I think I'll have time to do are you doing the I'm doing the expo on Friday I feel like I want to get it out of the way and get it done. Because expo are insane. They're they're madness. And you're gonna you're gonna see in New York City to over there Mr. NYR.

Erika (1:09:34)
Me too.

That's the best idea. Yeah.

Eric (1:09:45)
Mm-hmm. Yeah, it's gonna be mad, but I got friends out there. My sister's gonna be like my tour guide the whole cuz she lives in the city I'm just going where she goes and I know letties I think letties gonna know letties gonna be in Chicago actually, but they'll be people there You know, I'm gonna hang out with Bex Erica. That's what I'm gonna do. Don't be jealous. Don't be jealous

Margarita Matos (1:09:47)
You're gonna see. ⁓

Erika (1:10:04)
That's fair. I get just Lindeman and Maggie. can,

Chad and Hillary. Like I got, I got a good crew going out there. So yes, we do.

Margarita Matos (1:10:13)
We have a great crew. It's gonna be so much fun.

Eric (1:10:15)
You really

do. I want as much content as you can get. And if you see Erica just go, better get that content, better get that content for the pod. But hey, Chicago is going to be great for you. know you're going to, you know, the IT band, I'm going to manifest this good luck for you. The IT band is going to just be in sync that day. You're going to have a great day at Boston or at Chicago. It's going to be amazing. I'm happy for you. I can't wait to see you go out there and crush it. I won't follow you. So don't worry about me.

Erika (1:10:20)
you

Margarita Matos (1:10:23)
Okay, alright, I will. I will.

Erika (1:10:23)
Somebody tells me to, I'll do it.

Okay.

Eric (1:10:43)
Tracking you don't be like, my god, Eric's tracking. I don't I don't even track Erica But There's two big questions. We ask everybody and these are these are important. These are hard This is where the pressure comes and I'm gonna go first Maggie because I know you got your girls You got a lot of people and I've updated it where you can't like take the easy out and take family But we're gonna have this huge pasta dinner

Margarita Matos (1:10:43)
Yeah, please don't.

Eric (1:11:08)
at the end of the year. And all our guests in 2025 are welcome to come to this dinner. It's going to be epic. It's going to be awesome. Obama's coming. I think Jesus is coming. Michelle Obama's coming. It's just going to be absolutely epic. ⁓ Erica can name the rest. ⁓ what's the F1 driver, Erica? Lewis Hamilton? He's coming. Anyways, you get to bring a plus one. You can bring anybody in the world alive or dead, but not family. Who are you going to take?

Margarita Matos (1:11:20)
jeez.

Erika (1:11:27)
Lewis Hamilton.

Margarita Matos (1:11:38)
Ooh. Hmm.

That's really tough. Dead or alive? To a pasta dinner?

Eric (1:11:49)
Yeah. Epic pasta dinner. The best pasta you have ever had. Amazing drinks. you like whatever you want to drink will be there. It's going to be epic. Yeah. And there's going to be like just just the crowd and then then the whole like we're going to take this list at the end and be like what table do you want to sit at?

Margarita Matos (1:11:51)
Hmm.

Erika (1:11:59)
Fresh from Italy. Italian.

Margarita Matos (1:12:01)
Hahaha

Hmm.

Erika (1:12:09)
That is a

seating chart I don't want to touch.

Margarita Matos (1:12:13)
⁓ man. ⁓

don't know. There's so many, I feel like there's so many people that, how about like, I don't know, I want somebody funny. I like to be funny, so I like having somebody funny, so maybe Ryan Reynolds.

Eric (1:12:27)
I like funny.

He is funny. Yeah, we like him. Especially, ⁓ I love him in, God, what's the movie he hit, where's Deadpool?

Erika (1:12:33)
Hell yes, he can sit at my table.

Margarita Matos (1:12:35)
Yeah.

Deadpool and Vol- Wolverine is it?

Erika (1:12:45)
Mm-hmm.

Eric (1:12:46)
Yeah, well, no, the first two, the first two. I love the first two. The Wolverine one was a little bit like just, you know what? It's like we're rich. We have a lot of money. We can do whatever we want. And I respect that. They did whatever they wanted. And, and, you know, I don't actually know the history of Wolverine. So I got a kick out of it, but it wasn't like the first one, the first. But you know what I love? I love how he does those little, I don't know if they're Easter eggs, but he'll be like.

Margarita Matos (1:12:48)
The first two.

Yeah.

Eric (1:13:12)
He'll talk to you, the audience. He'll talk to you and he'll make fun of Marvel. He'll make fun of other people in those communities of Marvel movies and all these action superhero movies. It's kind of entertaining. I get a chuckle out of it.

Erika (1:13:15)
He breaks the fourth wall.

Margarita Matos (1:13:27)
Yeah, I think it's hilarious.

Erika (1:13:29)
Good choice. I am totally on board with Ryan. ⁓ But Maggie, my question, actually I have two and I didn't tell Eric this. So my first question is, ⁓ we have a Spotify playlist and we like to invite our guests to add a song to it. So is there anything that you think would be awesome for a runner just looking for something to pump them up? What song would you add?

Margarita Matos (1:13:31)
Yeah.

⁓

Ooh, there's so many good ones. ⁓ See, I like to listen to things that get me going. Like, I don't know how people do like really like poppy songs. Like I like like kind of like Thunderstruck or like I love Thunderstruck. Like give me that energy.

Erika (1:13:58)
Mm-hmm.

Eric (1:14:09)
That's an amazing song!

Erika (1:14:09)
very nice.

Eric (1:14:15)
You ever

listen to the live version from like Ireland or something and it's like a eight minute long song with a big build up and he's like he's got the hammer with the big bong. It's such a good song. That's a great song. Do you listen to that like when you're warming up though like pre race or is that like a song you want to hear at the end of a race?

Margarita Matos (1:14:35)
So I have a playlist in my phone and it kind of just shuffles, but it's in there. like, I feel like I have really good songs like that really pumped me up. Like, so if you want some speedy songs, I got you. I'm your girl.

Eric (1:14:49)
We could do a blend. We could do a Spotify blend. Yeah.

Erika (1:14:49)
Excellent. Ooh, I wouldn't hate that. Honestly

Margarita Matos (1:14:51)
Yes.

Erika (1:14:54)
though, Thunderstruck is like the kind of song like I can picture myself listening to right before starting a race. Like you're at the line, the anticipation is high, you're just raring to go and that song's blasting in your headphones. ⁓ That is a perfect choice. Yup. All right. But one more question that Eric doesn't know about. Over the weekend, we had our live show with Millennium and I still have the hat.

Margarita Matos (1:14:54)
Yes.

Yes.

Yes, I've done that and it happens. Yes.

Erika (1:15:19)
that's full of this or that question. So I'm gonna pull one for you and you just have to do, you just have to answer.

Margarita Matos (1:15:21)
You

Eric (1:15:22)
⁓ this is cool actually. Yeah, we didn't see you. Were you there?

Margarita Matos (1:15:28)
I was there. Yeah, I ran.

Erika (1:15:30)
We, saw you from afar. We had our little table that was over by the, ⁓ the step and repeat thing, but.

Margarita Matos (1:15:33)
Yes, I was getting my

bib and I was like, somebody's already there. Bummer.

Eric (1:15:40)
Come over next time. don't care who's there. Come over. I'll make it work. Because, Maggie,

Erika (1:15:40)
Okay.

Margarita Matos (1:15:41)
Okay.

Eric (1:15:45)
there's going to be more.

Erika (1:15:47)
Hopefully.

Eric (1:15:48)
yeah.

Erika (1:15:52)
All right, I know we touched upon this a little bit, but if you had to choose, winter or summer running.

Margarita Matos (1:15:58)
⁓ winter. ⁓ wait a minute. Wait a minute.

Eric (1:16:00)
Wha- Nope! That's it! Final podcast over! She's

a winter runner! Everybody, thank you! That was wicked awesome! Thank you, Maggie, for jumping on the pod!

Erika (1:16:11)
Wow, he cut you off real fast

Margarita Matos (1:16:13)
He got me off real quick, that's fine.

Erika (1:16:15)
Hehehehehe

Eric (1:16:17)
No, so wait,

not winter, I take it. Damn.

Margarita Matos (1:16:21)
No, I honestly, I know, I know, but I got to tell you, my winter training was just not okay this winter. It was bad. I got it done, but it was just like, it was miserable. I'm more miserable in winter than I am in summer. So I will take summer all day.

Eric (1:16:22)
This summer's been brutal though, Maggie. This summer's been so hot.

Erika (1:16:41)
Preach. Same. I feel you. I feel you.

Eric (1:16:43)
All right. There

Margarita Matos (1:16:44)
And that's that

Eric (1:16:45)
it is.

Margarita Matos (1:16:45)
folks.

Eric (1:16:47)
That's it. That's all she wrote. Hey, this was a lot of fun with the exception of my Internet issues. A hundred and eighty plus episodes. It's never happened. I'm to say that, Erica, never. It's always Erica. But Maggie, thank you for your patience dealing with all that. Thank you for being an amazing guest. This was a lot of fun getting to know you. And I really hope next time we're doing a live show at a race.

Erika (1:16:47)
That's all she wrote!

Margarita Matos (1:16:49)
That's it.

Erika (1:17:00)
I

Eric (1:17:11)
You do come over and say hello because that would be amazing to meet you in person and talk a little bit more.

Margarita Matos (1:17:14)
I totally...

Erika (1:17:17)
Maggie, this was so much fun. And next time you see us at a race, please say hello. And I will do the same because I love bumping into you at all these races. this was just so, so, so nice to get to know you a little bit better. And, and yeah, I cannot wait for Chicago. We're going to have so much fun out there.

Margarita Matos (1:17:25)
I love it.

Yes, sir. Thank you guys.

Eric (1:17:35)
Guys, that was awesome.

I really hope you enjoyed this. I'm going to call her like one of the, a New Hampshire running. What did I say earlier? I'm just going to call you legend. You're well known in the New Hampshire community here running millennium, in the Millennium Running Club. You're in all the pictures with your girls. You got the socks, so you got the matching outfits. This is so cool getting to know you. I echo what Erica said. I hope you come by.

Erika (1:17:43)
no!

So I know Eric was gearing up for an excellent, excellent, ⁓ like a goodbye message. So I'm going to do it for him. We'll see how this goes. But Maggie, you are absolutely wonderful. Thank you so much for spending your

Margarita Matos (1:17:52)
Mm.

Okay.

Erika (1:18:01)
time with us and for being so patient. And we wish you the best of luck. I hope your IT band cooperates with you. And thank you for being on the On the Runs podcast.

Eric (1:18:01)
to our live podcast and we're doing it again next time you see us. I don't care if anyone's at our table already talking, you come over, say hi. You know, we'd love to meet you in person, but this was great. Guys, I really hope you enjoyed

Margarita Matos (1:18:05)
you

Yes,

thank you, thank you so much. I had a blast.

Eric (1:18:12)
Maggie Matos on the On The Runs podcast because that was wicked awesome.

Erika (1:18:15)
Thank you. Everybody,

Maggie Matos on the On The Runs

Eric (1:18:20)
All hold on.

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:18:25)
Thank you, Margarita, that was an awesome episode. I loved listening to your stories and hey, whenever you're ready to start running Party Pace, give me a call, because Party Pace is my only pace, so I can help you out.

Eric (1:18:36)
Party pace is fun pace. I ran into Margarita at a 5K just down the street from my house. I gotta tell you the story, because I don't even think you know it, but she was there. I finally got to say hi and we chatted and we talked about it because she ran ⁓ really fast. And I actually ran pretty fast because it was just me and Tara and Tara wanted to PR. And so we both PR. Yeah, I'll call it a post-COVID PR. I didn't get COVID, but like I haven't ran a 5K that fast since 2019.

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:18:54)
Yeah, I saw ShePodium too.

Eric (1:19:06)
when I was like tip top Ironman shape. But let me tell you this, I had an 18 mile run today and last minute I had to go pick Adelaine up at Bedford High School to get her from cheerleading. They were running super late so Ashley couldn't go get her. So I ran over with the boys and got her and just down the street from Bedford High School is Millennium running. So spontaneously I pulled into Millennium to get some fuel for my 18 mile run and they're doing bit pickup for a 5K. It was called the foot race for the fallen and

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:19:06)
Nice, that's great.

Eric (1:19:36)
I knew this race was happening. knew Terra Pterodactyl was running it, but I forgot. And then all of a sudden it's like the race is tomorrow. the starting line Hannah is less than a mile from my house. So I signed up. I ran to the starting line the next day. I ran a PR, had a blast. I ran into John from Millennium. I ran into Mel, Melissa.

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:19:46)
Mm-hmm.

Gotta do it. Yeah.

Eric (1:20:02)
uh, Miguel, a bunch of others. I saw my college friend, Rain, haven't seen her in years, saw Danielle and Heather and Jamie Staten was there. It was so cool. But I ran into Margarita and we chatted for a little bit and like she freaking crushed it. She ran like a 21 something and change, which is that to be honest, it's probably her party pace, but I don't know. Yeah, I know. Oh my God. I ran 26, like 24, and I think my PR is 21 58 from.

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:20:14)
Mm-hmm.

my gosh.

my gosh.

Eric (1:20:31)
six years ago. So we're calling it like north of 35 PR here. Yeah.

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:20:37)
Yeah, yeah, wow. Good

for you. That's amazing though. That's awesome. And good for Margarita. She's a speedy demon.

Eric (1:20:40)
Thank you.

She is. So let's talk running now. So we're 187 episodes into this podcast. Do you remember what, we are old, we are. But do you remember when you started running and tell me why it was because of this podcast or why was it not because of this podcast?

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:20:45)
Yes.

Crazy, you guys are old.

Well, the podcast did give me extra inspiration for sure. Listening to everybody's stories got me more excited 100%. But the true reason that I started running was really 100 % the New York City Marathon. I've lived in New York for years now, almost 10 years. And I go and I watch the marathon every year that I can. it's amazing every single time. It always brings me to tears.

I've had some friends that have run it and I've just loved being there and supporting them and seeing them along their journey. every single year I would go and I would watch and I would get all teary-eyed and I'd be like, my gosh, this is so amazing. These people are incredible. And I would want to run. I'm like, one day I'm going to run this marathon, one day I'm going to run this marathon. And would always, the two weeks after the marathon, I would go to Central Park and I'd run like a mile or two and then it would die off and I just wouldn't stick with it. ⁓

But for my 30th birthday, just about two years ago, again, Eric, we've discussed this. You and Alex used to always jokingly tell me that at 30, that's when I needed to start running, not being so lazy and getting my shit together. So I was like, all right, well, I guess it's time. I'm 30. ⁓ And so one of my good friends who has run the New York City Marathon many times and who always was trying to get me to run it because she knew that I could, she believed in me,

She was like, you got to do the 9 plus 1 next year for the 2025 marathon. So I was a little scared, but I was like, OK, let's give it a try. I signed up for a few small races at the very top of 2024. I signed up for a four mile, and I signed up for a virtual 5K. And that was it. And I was like, let's see how these two go. And then I'll continue the 9 plus 1 from there if I like it and if I think I'm doing OK.

And so also she convinced me to enter the lottery for the Brooklyn half marathon for 2024, which was in May. And so of course that January, the beginning of the year, I got an email saying, congrats, like you were selected in the lottery for the Brooklyn half. And I was like, damn it, but also excited. Yes, I am. I am. But so.

Eric (1:23:09)
You're really good at that lottery thing.

Can't talk about it. Moving on.

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:23:17)
So I got into ⁓ the Brooklyn half and I was like, guess if I'm doing this half, I'm starting to take it serious now. So I started signing up for other races and I, yes.

Eric (1:23:26)
So does this count in your nine plus one? The

virtual 5K, the sparkling, it all counts. So now you're like already three or four in. Yeah.

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:23:32)
Yes, exactly. So at that point, I already knew I had three. Yes, exactly.

there was still, you know, only the basically the Q1 races of the year had been released and able to sign up. So I knew that I would have the opportunity to sign up for more throughout the year. So I did. And I

I kept going. completed my nine plus one after my first marathon in my first half marathon, the Brooklyn half in May. Immediately I was like, I want to do that again. I signed up for a race, a half marathon in New Hampshire. So not another nine plus one, but just like, you know, something to keep me going, just to keep my, speed up my, or my, distance up rather my miles. But yeah, I really, I fell into it and I

Really enjoyed it and now I'm what am I 33 days away 32 days away.

Eric (1:24:20)
33

days away. If you're listening on the day this dropped insane.

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:24:23)
Yes,

33 days away. And I'm also, have since decided to do the nine plus one again this year. So I, you know, once I do the marathon in November and the 5K, which is the day before, you know, like the Abbott race to the finish line, that those will be my eighth and ninth race for this year. So yeah, 2026, I'll be good to go for the New York marathon for a second time.

Eric (1:24:47)
New York. You're

going to have to get your other brother to run with you. Yeah. So are there requirements? Now, nine plus one is you run nine New York Roadrunner races. You volunteer at one of them. Are there requirements? Like, does one of them have to be a half? Or can you just run nine 5Ks or nine milers?

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:24:51)
I know, I really should, that'd be so funny.

Yeah. Yeah.

Nope.

Could be 9, 5Ks. if you are in the New York Roadrunners group, you go on their website and they have tons of races. Not everything qualifies for a 9 plus 1. ⁓ You'd have to go into the race details and make sure that your race does qualify for that. Some of them don't. So you do have to be aware of which races you're signing up for. ⁓ But yeah, no, you could.

Do 9 5Ks if you wanted and if that was available. It does not have to be any certain distance. It does not have to be any certain pace. You just got to complete the nine plus one.

Eric (1:25:42)
Yeah.

What did you think about volunteering? What did you do? What race was it? How was it? Were you like the water girl or were you like the person directing traffic? What was your role?

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:25:54)
I've done two volunteers now, one in 2024 and my 2025, nine plus one. So 2024, it was a November race. It was like a four mile in Central Park. It was a chilly morning, but a nice day. And I was the water girl. I stood at the big water table, filling up water cups and handing them out to people. And we were the water station right past the finish line, which was fun because people were excited. We got to really cheer them on. I'm always like in my zone, super energetic, like, yeah, let's go. You did it. So I had fun.

people appreciate that. And then ⁓ totally different for this. ⁓ Just a few weeks ago, I volunteered for 2025. I did the Bronx 10 miler, which is a huge race in the Bronx brings in tons of people, thousands and thousands of runners. And they also have a kids race or a few kids races actually. So I was the kids race volunteer. So it was very precious. I led two parts of the race. read the, led the competitive ⁓

they were, I think, 12 to 18, so like middle school, high school-ish range kids. And these are kids that are in cross country and track at their school. Like they are legit. They would kick my butt, but they had a mile and a half race. So I would get them all set in their corrals, pump them up. I'd bring them up to the starting line and then watch them go and then they'd be off. And then the more chaotic one, I did the five-year-olds race. So it was hectic.

⁓ But it was very cute and they ran not far. It was maybe like, I'm just guessing 50 meters like down a block. It was very quick and easy, but it was cute and it was chaotic getting them all to their their start like their starting point because they all just you know want to run

Eric (1:27:37)
well, that's so cool they do that. I wish Boston had something like that, but that's super cool because it really gets you in to running if you live in New York. And it also really helps with all the volunteers. So that's awesome. More on that actually in a couple of weeks on another episode. But now let's talk New York City 33 days away. How are you feeling training wise? What's your longest run you just did?

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:27:45)
Yes.

Yes.

Eric (1:28:00)
Like how we looking for November 2nd?

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:28:04)
I'm feeling good. I'm feeling good. I had my longest run last weekend. Last Sunday, I'm actually wearing my shirt for it right now. I did the New York Roadrunners 18-mile training series. ⁓ And so this race, this training series, even though it's not a race, but you know, we got a bib, there's corrals, it's pretty large. This race count or training series counted for my nine plus one this year, which is great.

Eric (1:28:13)
Nice.

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:28:27)
But it was three laps around Central Park. And Central Park can be tough. It could be pretty hilly. And it's three laps. It can just be mentally a little tiring. But I felt great. It was my first time ever sticking with a pacer. I found a pace group that I thought I would be comfortable following along with. And I stuck with them the entire time. I never stopped for walk breaks unless I was getting a gatorade or a water at the water station. I felt good with my fueling. ⁓

So yeah, I felt really, really proud of that run. And then right after, I basically went home, showered, and then I had to hop on a plane and go on a plane to LA for six hours. So I was worried about that, but the next day I woke up and my legs felt fine. So that's good. Yeah, I know.

Eric (1:29:10)
You need some Firefly. I'm wearing

my Firefly right now, actually, because I just ran 18 miles and then finished up, came home, showered, and now podcasting with you. So I've been doing my long runs on Mondays because it's impossible to do it on the weekend. But I had a lot of fun. We did a long run together when you were home last on the Lundary Rail Trail. What was that like versus running in New York? Like running in New York City streets?

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:29:15)
⁓ good for you.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yep.

Eric (1:29:37)
you know, loud noises, siren, buildings. On the rail trail, you have this thing called the forest right next to you. I don't know if you know what that is, but that's like a lot of trees. You don't have that in New York, but you know, what is it like running in New York?

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:29:43)
I've heard of it.

you

well, in comparison to that Londonderry rail trail, that was flat. New York people might think it's flat. It is not flat. And in my neighborhood, I've got hills. I'm going over a bridge, at least one bridge every single run. Like I've got elevation. So that's at least one thing that I feel good about. yeah, New York is just a little bit more chaotic. The one thing that I really enjoyed about the rail trail and I'm sure runs just in New Hampshire or outside of New York city that

I would love to have is the ability to not have to stop so often for cars. It's quite often that I'm, you know, going across a giant intersection. And as much as I would love to just like keep going, I have to stop, you know, because I prefer life. I choose life over over a fast speed or something.

So that's one thing that I really enjoyed. We could just continuously keep going. There wasn't really anything to get in your way that would force you to stop and slow down and start over. But I love running in New York. I love going to Central Park, running through the park, which is pretty foresty. There are areas that are pretty foresty over there. Yeah, for sure.

Eric (1:30:59)
I stayed home alone. You got the crazy bird lady.

You ever see her?

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:31:02)
The

crazy pigeon lady. Yes. I think there's a crazy crazy pigeon lady that lives like in an apartment building across the street from me, different crazy pigeon lady.

Eric (1:31:10)
what about the cats?

You have like, what was the cat? So let's talk about this. Before COVID, you always had this one cat who would show up to your door and you had a name for him. Mr. Stripes. So then COVID happens, you and Mike moved back to New Hampshire. Your husband, Mike, is actually also from New Hampshire.

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:31:19)
Mr.

Eric (1:31:29)
So you both moved in with mom and dad. You moved into my room, by the way. You two lived in my room for like a year and a half. You had your own that you stole from me. That's a whole other story we already talked about at once. Yeah. But then not only do you move back to New York City, you happen to get the exact same apartment.

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:31:31)
Yep, good times. Yep, good times.

That became my office.

I know it was really crazy. It was really crazy. was Kismet. It was meant to be.

Eric (1:31:54)
So is Mr. Stripes there when you returned?

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:31:56)
You know, Mr. Sharpes is not here, sadly. He was definitely getting old and he was a street cat, but there are other cats that I have since named. I got Scruffy that always hangs out behind us, always hanging out on the garages out back. And I actually met and like saved ⁓ not a street cat, but a house cat that somebody let out and got lost named Charlie the other day.

And I found his owner and I got to carry Charlie back to his owner. He was crying outside my apartment. I was like, who is this poor baby? Went outside, fed him some water, some tuna, and then kept an eye on him for a few hours and then heard somebody like calling for what sounded like a cat. So I went out, I got the cat, brought it over to the owner, learned that his name was Charlie, saved the day, local hero.

Eric (1:32:42)
Nice. Not only

are you a runner and a cool sister, but you're a hero. Yes. Not all heroes wear capes, but Hannah is a hero. Hey, what are some of the shows you're working on right now? If someone's watching HBO and if they're seeing a show, what is a show that you're doing anything behind the scenes with?

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:32:47)
I am a hero. Yeah. Don't you forget it.

The show that I'm working on right now that I think people would love is Conan O'Brien Must Go. It's a travel. Yeah.

Eric (1:33:07)
You're on code- wait, what?

I used to watch Conan every night, me and Steve Spahn in college. We'd like, we'd purposely go to bed just in time, put it on TV, set a timer on. Conan is awesome.

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:33:17)
Yep. Yep, Cone, he

is the best. And you know what? Kind of going back to our conversation earlier about celebrities and he is exactly what you would imagine. He's based in LA. I actually was at his studio this past week when I was out there and he is exactly what you would expect. Like he is Conan 100 % of the time. Yeah.

Eric (1:33:27)
Can I meet Conan when I go to New York? Come on. Okay.

I loved his monologues.

Some of the best. I even talked to Erica recently about let's open a podcast episode just with like a 12 minute monologue that goes straight to the guest. Like let's talk about current events and everything. We'll just, she goes, I'm not good with that. I'm like, no, we'll type it all out. We'll know what to say. We can take our time because we'll edit it to make it sound fluid, but fluent, whatever the word is.

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:33:52)
Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah, I feel like fluent or fluid could both work.

Eric (1:34:08)
Yeah, so you're on the Conan show. You're not on, but you're behind the scenes.

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:34:12)
I'm, it's Conan O'Brien Must Go. It's a travel series and every single episode, Conan goes to a different country, meets with fans over there, you know, just learns about the culture, but it just in a very Conan way, very slapstick comedy, always doing something silly, always causing a ruckus. So if you like Conan and if you like travel, you'll love the show.

Eric (1:34:34)
And is your name at the end like when the cast list goes up and down?

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:34:39)
Sadly, no, because studio members, which is what I'm at, I'm an HBO member, I don't get a credit on the show. Only the members from Team Coco, which is Conan's production company, they get the credits.

Eric (1:34:52)
Okay. So, but when your name is, do people

look for Hannah Knutinen or Hannah Nye?

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:34:58)
I'm Han Knutin and still I'm an independent woman. No man can own me

Eric (1:35:01)
You are, okay.

All right, all right. I thought maybe for some, there was this story about at the town hall, you didn't know you had to make a decision, you made a decision. So we stuck with Knutnen.

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:35:10)
Yeah.

Well, so yes, I did have to put on the marriage license that my name last name would be Nye, but I have not gone through with the actual legal change. And the only thing I've learned is basically it's just if I didn't, if I put Hannah Knutin on the marriage license and if down the line I decided I wanted to change my last name to Nye, it would require like I would have to petition the courts.

Eric (1:35:21)
And it's not on Facebook yet.

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:35:35)
So it just, my new name would have to match the name on the marriage license. But having my Ni, the last name on the marriage license, does not legally mean that's my last name. Just makes it easier for if and when I want to make that change. I know. I've been saying that I wish we were, I wish we both changed our names and we just added a K-NYE. So I would be Hannah Kenai and he could still be a silent K and he could still be Mike Ni, but with a K.

Eric (1:35:48)
Mike could have gone with Knutnen now. I mean...

Newton and I.

Yeah. ⁓

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:36:06)
That was

Eric (1:36:06)
creative.

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:36:07)
⁓ my suggestion, but.

Eric (1:36:09)
Yeah.

You want to do something cool? You want to do something cool? Let's make a phone call, which is a cool thing I can do here on here. Let's make a phone call. Let's call Alex. Let's see if he picks up.

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:36:12)
Let's do something cool. Yeah.

Wow.

Okay.

Eric (1:36:28)
What's good? What's up buddy? We're podcasting. Welcome to the on the runs podcast. I'm here with my amazing, amazing, absolutely incredible co-host Hannah banana. She's co-hosting subbing in today. ⁓ I've heard of Hannah bananas. She's the girl running the New York city marathon pretty soon. She is.

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:36:31)
What's up bro?

What's up bro number two?

That's

me! me in the flesh.

Eric (1:36:53)
That's pretty cool. Hey, are you coming

to New York City, Alex? I am coming to New York City to watch both of my amazing siblings run. The question is, who am I putting money on to win? ⁓

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:37:08)
Definitely not your sister.

Eric (1:37:10)
I think we're going to run together

though. I think we're going to run together. But what I really want to know Alex is this is Hanna first marathon. I've run three marathons. I've done a few Ironmans. I've done one big Ironman. You've never flown out to see me compete. Very, very true. Well, see, the thing about an Ironman is you travel all the way to watch somebody compete for about 40 seconds in a...

a 12 hour race. I think when Hanna marathon, I can Uber and Lime scooter all around. I could probably watch it three, four, five times. Including you. And I'm doubling down. I get to see both siblings in one showing. Guaranteed, you're only going to see us for a total of about a minute in the same thing would have happened to my Armin. You actually would have saw me, let do the math here at Mont Tremblant. One, two, three, four, five and a half.

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:37:48)
That is true, that is true. He's saving his travel budget for the both of us.

Eric (1:38:03)
Six, seven, eight, nine, You would have seen me about 12 times in that Iron Man.

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:38:08)
got at least three

spots for like confirmed that I'm gonna have Alex and mom and dad and Mike and everybody who's coming to watch go so at least three good spots that they'll see us that we'll be able to pull over and be like yeah

Eric (1:38:22)
So what we're going to do, Alex, actually is we're going to have some fuel set up, like maybe some extra water bottles and stuff, and we're going to give them to you guys. So you're, going to have a really important job to hand us like water bottles with our fuel in it. Okay. So orange soda and apple juice. that what we're doing? Or and show it. would be great actually. Coke as well, but maybe, maybe some pre-made bottles. What, know, I will say one of the most depressing moments I've ever had in the race. I can't remember.

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:38:38)
I was gonna say I'm more of a Coca-Cola.

Eric (1:38:51)
the distance. Honestly, I can't remember the race, but I remember dying. I like, God, I cannot wait to the next aid station. I cannot wait to get a Coca-Cola. It's the only thing that's going to get me to the following aid station. And we get there and they're like, we have water and this super watered down electrolyte formula. and I, my God, it was the worst moment of my life. Coke is amazing during like a race and anything endurance wise. It's awesome. Do you remember the Bruins playoffs? Like Zdeno Char was drinking Coke and double overtime on the bench.

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:39:12)
⁓ no.

Eric (1:39:21)
Like Coke is so good. I don't remember that, but I can see that. Yeah. It's so fricking good. So the other thing Alex is this. Hannah got into the New York city marathon, doing the nine plus one last year. She's also doing the nine plus one this year. She already completed it. So she's a guarantee, a lock in next year's New York city marathon. Will you travel to New York in 2026 and run New York city with Hannah?

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:39:49)
Do it. Do it.

Eric (1:39:51)
⁓

well, Hannah, what do I have do to get in?

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:39:54)
⁓ we can figure that out. We can figure out the logistics.

Eric (1:39:57)
Yeah. You have to

fundraise, like- If, if, if on the Runs podcast can, can get me a pro bib, I'm, I'm, I'm in. Let's do it. We could get you in probably somewhere you have to fundraise. You should definitely sign up for the lottery. See if that happens. Like Hannah has really good lottery luck. Maybe it runs in the Canoone and jeans. Yeah, I have terrible lottery luck. I have signed up for the Leadville 100, I think five times and I've still yet to get in. I, lotteries just don't really-

don't really turn out well for me. So I think, I think if you both complete it this year, you both run well. I think I could, I think I could see myself there in 2026. You know what? Never. I've probably run 26.2 miles, probably 26 times, but I've never run a road marathon in my life. There you go. Got to be the first run with Hannah. So she can then run with both brothers. I mean, number one brother runs the first year. Number two brother wins the second year.

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:40:46)
Wow.

Yeah, I think that would be so fun.

Eric (1:40:56)
Not that we're ranking anybody, you know, facts. Hannah might be too quick for me at that point. You know, I'm one of those trail runners and you know what a trail runner is? just, it's just somebody who can't run fast enough to keep up with road runners. I think a trail runner is like an East coast skier. A trail runner could probably run.

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:40:58)
you

Eric (1:41:15)
any race on trailer on road where road runners have a hard time on the trail and East coast skier can ski anywhere around the world, but the West coast skiers have a really hard time coming East to ski our mountains. I'll take that. Yeah. I'll take that. So you're, you're, you're capable of doing any, any race road dirt trail, even if it was in snow running up mountains, you got that. Not a problem. All right. Well, let's find a race that's road dirt and snow on one actually.

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:41:37)
Yeah, you got it, Alex. We believe in you.

Eric (1:41:44)
I have seen a couple of those. look fun. Yeah. Yo, I seen one you you would send me videos sometimes you guys are running down a hill and somebody fell and he slid like hundreds of feet in the snow Does that ring a bell? That's possible. That's very possible I mean when you're running in Tahoe and in in the springtime well, if you think about like Broken Arrow Sky Race at ⁓ Palisades Tahoe that race is in ⁓ June every year this year it snowed

six inches during the race. During the race.

And I was like, Nope. Hey, we're starting her off small. She's going to baby step. Well, no, you did the nine plus one. You did a couple. You went and watched a few. And, now you're like, you're throwing your name in a London lottery, the Tokyo lottery. If Boston had a lottery, you would probably Chicago next year. You're going to try to go to Cape Town because they're going to announce that. got some inside information. Cape Town will be a world major announced the day after New York City marathon.

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:42:19)
Couldn't be me.

Yeah, starting me off small with the New York City Marathon. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

my gosh. But announced here first, apparently.

Eric (1:42:48)
She's just a nudge. Just

a nudge. I got a nudge. It's gonna be announced the day after. So it'll be eight stars and then eventually nine. Yeah, but you're gonna do them all.

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:42:57)
crazy.

I would love to. I think that would be a really fun goal to try and accomplish, definitely. And I love to travel, so might as well mix the two.

Eric (1:43:10)
There you go. Well, Alex, before we go, what's new with you? Anything going on lately? You ever poop in the woods again with a guy sipping on his coffee, reading the newspaper lately, or what are you doing? that was, that was funny. Are you, are you asking what's new for me in the running world or just in general here? Cause I know you guys love to catch up with me as your favorite brother. Yeah. As you are my favorite brother, unless there's another one we don't know about. So no, just in general, what's new? ⁓

about to take my lovely dog Louie on a little walk. We just closed out a good work day and I will go on a run post that. You know, I have been, I mean for years and years and years, I think this came from growing up playing hockey and then rowing in college. I've always been the early morning guy. Like get up early and run, run before work, run before school, whatever it might be. I bet in the last year I've done more sunset runs than anything.

And it's like my new favorite thing to head out about 40 minutes before the sunset, start running and catching that evening glow and finishing up under the lights of the neighborhoods and back to the house. So I'll be starting my run today, probably about 20 minutes before sunset. I'll get a good hour and most of it at night. And it is my new favorite thing. I don't even want to run in the morning. It's like, I only want to run at the end of the day.

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:44:32)
for you.

Eric (1:44:33)
Hey, someone just came in the room. think she might want to say hi to both of you.

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:44:39)
Hey!

Eric (1:44:40)
Who's

that? Me? You don't know me? Me. I don't know anybody named me. Is it M-I-E? Is it just M-I? How do you spell it? A-D-A-L-I-N-E. I'm not good at spelling, but I don't think that spells me. It spells Adeline, because that's my name, dummy. ⁓ it's Adeline.

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:44:53)
⁓ okay, okay, okay. Got you.

⁓ no she did not.

Eric (1:45:06)
I heard Adeline ran, ⁓ ran, swim and bite to triathlon pretty recently. How was that?

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:45:14)
Yeah, how fast did you go?

Eric (1:45:16)
I think I went really really really really slow but my parents say that I went really really really fast. ⁓ tell them about the 5k. My dad wants me to tell you about the 5k that I did.

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:45:23)
No, you went really, really fast. You're a speedy girl.

Yeah, that's what we're talking about.

Yeah, tell us about it.

Eric (1:45:35)
Um, so I did a 5k and there's over 4,000, almost over 4,000 people there. um, forget what place I won, like out of everybody, but out of my division, which was zero to 18, I won fifth place. No way. It's true. My dad has a photo of it.

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:45:56)
Wow, that's amazing.

I believe

it.

Eric (1:46:04)
Now, Adeline, I don't know what a kilometer is. How many miles was that? ⁓ five miles is three miles. I mean, five K is three miles. You ran three miles and did that well. And how old are you right now? Nine. my God. We have a future marathon winner on our hands here.

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:46:15)
Nice.

so good.

We really do. We really do.

⁓ I love you, Adeline. I miss you. I'm proud of you.

Eric (1:46:30)
Me too.

So Adeline, I have a question. Yeah? So as you know, Auntie Hanna running her first marathon in New York. What advice do you have for her to go and finish that race and have the most fun? What would you tell her? Well, first, I have advice for you to not cut me off when I'm about to say good luck for your marathon.

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:46:55)
Whoa! Shots fired! ⁓

Eric (1:47:00)
Well, I have some

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:47:04)
Yeah, give me your tips.

Eric (1:47:05)
First,

at least once a week, make sure you run two, three miles. It's good to do multiple times a week, but at least once a week. And then also, yeah, if you're like waiting in line or like you have some free space in your board, just stand in place and run or like go in a couple circles. ⁓ And also make sure before you do the marathon,

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:47:12)
Yeah.

Yeah, keep the legs loose.

Eric (1:47:34)
You should eat a good dinner, breakfast, and lunch. I don't know when the time is, like when it goes. So just make sure you eat healthy before and like the day before. And also make sure you get good rest. And last but not least, not last but not least, I'll say that. have a couple more. Make sure, like at the marathon, you feel well rested but not too tired. So don't go to battle like 5 p.m. Go to bed at.

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:47:46)
Hmm, so important.

Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Right.

Eric (1:48:03)
like eight, eight thirty. Yeah,

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:48:04)
Yeah, like a normalish time. Yeah. Yeah.

Eric (1:48:07)
um, two days before, like push yourself hard, hard. Then the next day, just relax. But don't just be in bed sitting and eating chips on your phone. What I mean by relax is like sit down, eat healthy, drink nice milkshakes. Yeah, stretching.

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:48:14)
Okay.

Yeah, maybe do like a little stretching.

Eric (1:48:30)
I hire you as a coach? Because if milkshakes are created healthy, I want to work with you.

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:48:37)
You got a pair though.

Eric (1:48:39)
Last but not least, to help you win, have fun.

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:48:44)
I love that, most important, most important.

Eric (1:48:46)
And also,

you might win 2006 place, but in all of our hearts, you're in first place.

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:48:54)
And that's all that matters. That's all that matters.

Eric (1:48:57)
Yeah. Oh

my God. So just have fun, work hard and push yourself as hard as possible, but just don't push yourself too much because then like the middle thing, you're to get too tired. Then you're going to like the slowest place in the world. Then you're going to win like last place. So don't push yourself too hard, but push yourself to the limit and set a pace.

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:49:06)
Mm-hmm.

Right, right.

love it. These are incredible tips Adeline. Thank you so much. I'm going to be thinking about these the entire time. I'm running.

Eric (1:49:20)
Yeah. Great advice. Love it.

guys, love you! Love you, Aftonline! Love you!

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:49:28)
Bye Adeline, love you.

Eric (1:49:31)
that was cool. You guys got to catch up with that align the rock star as well. So that was cool. Alex. We'll see you New York pretty soon, man. I will see you soon. And I am for sure hiring Adeline as my next coach. If milkshakes are considered healthy. I love that. that. think, I think we all should probably hire her. So it's super cool. You know, it will be cool.

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:49:40)
Yeah, yeah!

Smart move.

Eric (1:49:56)
Next year, you'll run the New York City Marathon with Alex. And in about maybe 12 years, you'll run a marathon with Adeline, bet.

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:50:05)
I believe it and I cannot wait for the day.

Eric (1:50:08)
Awesome. Hey, Alex, thank you so much for jumping on the podcast. I hope you listen to this one. We're 187 episodes. I think you've listened to just yours. Well, I don't know, but hey, we'll see you in New York with Hannah. But Hannah, you got to do Erica's job and take us home. You know what to say.

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:50:27)
I will thank you so much, Big Bro number one and Big Bro number two for having me on the On the Runs podcast for the first time, might I add. I'm so excited for the next 33 days New York City Marathon to hopefully come back after, tell you all about my journey and how it went. But until then, you know we love you.

Eric (1:50:46)
Don't fear the code brown.

Hanna Knuuttunen (1:50:48)
And don't forget to stretch!

Erika (1:51:44)
Did he say that you're Boston this action?

Margarita Matos (1:51:47)
He did.

He did.

Eric (1:51:48)
I I said

Boston. said, I thought I said Chicago.

Erika (1:51:50)
You said Boston.

Margarita Matos (1:51:53)
Yeah, I heard Boston. Yes.

Erika (1:51:53)
You're going to Chicago. Hell yes. The group of people going is going to be epic. I'm so excited for you. so we're a little you said Boston. You were on the Boston.

Margarita Matos (1:51:59)
⁓ super epic. I'm excited. You totally said Boston in October.

Eric (1:52:02)
Did I really not say Chicago?

Margarita Matos (1:52:07)
So I was like, I mean, I guess that's what I'm

Eric (1:52:07)
Okay. Yeah, you're going to just do here. I'm going to read

it again.