The GJBeat

Molly Bullington finally made it here for an excellent conversation. She tells of how she gained ownership of Blue Ridge Racing which is the management company for Roanoke's largest running events. She has likely given you a high five at the finish of the Blue Ridge Marathon, Salem Half Marathon, The Drumstick Dash or others. Charleston, SC is her birthplace making it to Roanoke as an engineering graduate from Virginia Tech. She found her career passion elsewhere and her personal passion most recently in the woods hunting and harvesting deer. We had quite a deer treat during the conversation. Did you know Molly and her husband own the Texas Tavern?! Be sure to say hi to her at the finish lines!

This is the first official repeat guest on the GJBeat. Matt's life turned upside down in early 2022 and he was instantly thrown into the local spotlight. Since the cycling death of his wife, Tabatha, life has changed in so many difficult yet positive ways. Matt left his career to pursue ownership of Fleet Feet Roanoke which finalized in late 2022 while also fighting grueling court battles until recently. His honesty is refreshingly brutal and unedited giving a real insight to his struggles and victories. Hope you enjoy! (I misnumbered the episode in conversation. Yes, I know)

Carrie Cousins is a writer, designer and marketer in Roanoke with a strong bond to the region and its growth. Having worked in media, marketing, and education, she's passionate about seeing people here grow and thrive. She's currently the Director of Digital Marketing for LeadPoint Digital and an adjunct professor at Virginia Tech and 4x marathoner. The conversation starts with the outdoors and running -- viva Las Vegas! -- and moves into marketing, AI, and back to running again.

Third time's a charm for Kat Van Orden(we hope!). She is a self proclaimed newbie of trail running while showing the results of a seasoned champ. Kat got the victory at the 2023 Frozen Toe trail race immediately followed up by an injury she is very familiar with. She now navigates coming back from not one, not two but three ACL reconstruction surgeries at the age of 25. But she isn't letting it diminish her optimistic outlook. She's a coach, fitness addict and lover of all things outdoors. After graduating from Roanoke College she said goodbye to the beach and hello to the beautiful Blue Ridge which she now calls her permanent home. She undoubtedly has a future of excitement!

Dick Howard and I had never met and this was the best of connections. He is considered to be the Grandfather of Mountain Biking in Virginia. Why that self proclaimed title? You'll find out not just about Dick's passion for cycling but his stories of bartending in Richmond, celebrity encounters, education and everything in between. Saddle up and get ready to take a ride with the Grandfather!

Mark Long has been on the future guest list for quite a while. He's a very well known and respected athlete around Roanoke and beyond for his genuine personality and exceptional race finishes. Mark's latest life adventure centers around making a difference for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He has completed over 100 triathlons and even some ultra marathons mostly with podium finishes. His passion and kindness are beyond measure making him a major influencer on many levels. Enjoy!

Hop in the saddle for this endurance length podcast with all things bike with Ron Glowczynski as he tells his tale from being trained as a mechanic in a pro shop, getting roped into racing triathlons, biathlons and bikes in college and ultimately opening his own bike shop in Roanoke VA. Ron talks about the mentors who inspired this unique business model with the reopening of American Flyers. Since college he has jumped into all sorts of cycling and running events with impressive results and experiences. The latest leg of his bicycle journey pedaled him into the arms of his best friend, Sarah, to start an entirely new chapter of bikes, love and family.

This group began their journey of 100 miles on feet at 8am on a recent Saturday morning in Norton VA at the Cloudsplitter races. They finished Sunday just before midnight with this huge accomplishment. The experience is difficult beyond belief and these four tell all about it. Ed Mckeown, Jack Bugo, Keya Price and Matt Warner. Emily Jamison got her first big win in the 50K portion and it's a great story. Ordinary people doing extraordinary things!

Mark Taylor made his way across the country from Oregon while stopping at Northwestern for his education and spending some years abroad in the Navy. The Roanoke Times called his number in 1998 and he chose to remain here. He's now the Eastern Communications Director for Trout Unlimited. The conversation ventures into many different subjects with Mark's knowledge of the outdoors.

George piqued my interest in a presentation he gave about his work as an engineer in Afghanistan and experiencing the sudden evacuation in 2021. He has and continues to travel the world with Antarctica next to complete his mission to visit every continent in the world. He joined the Rocky Mount Rotary Club as his latest project to give back to the community he loves. It doesn't look like he is going to slow down anytime soon and I'm honored to call him my friend. Enjoy!

So much can be said about 'Army Brat', West Point Graduate and self proclaimed neurotic triathlete Scott Moir. Scott made his way to Roanoke and eventually discovered his relentless passion of being a triathlete and stacking up some impressive stats. His first race was at the age of 47 and has since completed 7 full Ironman distances and 20 half Ironman distances with 3 Ironman 70.3 World Championship Qualifications. He's a fierce competitor with many podium finishes. Scott has a tremendous presence in the local triathlon community and has been an influencer for so many things in Roanoke and beyond. He's a pharmaceutical sales representative by day and has a lot to talk about. Enjoy!

Matt Thompson left his career in biotechnology to try his hand as General Manager for Fleet Feet Roanoke. On the surface this may seem like an odd transition. However the path becomes clear as we discover his business experience, passion for fitness, commitment to our community and a life altering tragedy that was the catalyst to change. The loss of Matt's wife, Tabitha, while cycling near their home a few months ago has raised major awareness in the fitness community. Matt is determined to push forward and glorify her life to the fullest. He is an amazing guy as the local fitness community already knows.

Dr Jim Casey and I met thanks to ultra and pub running around the Roanoke region. His medical background specializes in obstetrics and gynecology with Carilion Clinic. His passion for adventure, family and travel compliments his love for helping people. Jim excelled at the University of Virginia and the University of North Carolina making him a highly respected medical professional. He is relatively new to ultra running and producing some impressive results. His best life is yet to come. This was a fun conversation and you'll surely enjoy it!

Jeff talks all about his life as a traveler and patent attorney while calling Roanoke his home at the moment. We met a couple of years back and I knew he was someone I'd want to know more about. It's unlikely for most of us to have ever met a patent attorney and he starts the conversation with that subject. His travel adventures peaked my interest after following him on social media. Jeff has a great way of painting mental pictures of the places he has traveled. It's a great conversation and hope you enjoy!

Chad is currently Battalion Chief at Roanoke City Fire-EMS with an extensive background in public service. He's a competitor in everything he involves himself in. He gives a very detailed vision into the life of a first responder and athlete. Chad is a wealth of knowledge and life experience and this conversation ventures deep into many areas of interest. From whitewater rafting guide to swift water rescue to training others to effectively carry out public duties... Chad has an awesome story and is excited to tell it!

Seth was born and raised just down the street in Boones Mill. The twists and turns of life eventually led him to discovering his huge passion for running. Like most, he started small and is now running ultra marathons a few times each year. Seth is an excellent photographer of running which you can see on all of his social media pages. His approach to running and life is uniquely his own and he tells all about himself in this conversation. Enjoy!

Sam Dean is a photographer/videographer and adventurer with curiosities that have taken him around the world. He spent many of his young years in Latin America and eventually landed at the University of Montana amongst other great places. These days he resides in the Roanoke area and produces some of the finest photo/video art imaginable. Sam's bio lists his work as authentic storytelling which is exactly how I would describe him. The conversation was deep at times and his world view is so interesting. Enjoy!

Caleb is the founder and owner of Hammer and Forge Brewery in Boones Mill, VA. His story leading up to now living in Boones Mill is pretty interesting. He was born in Alaska and has spent his life in many parts of the country. At one point, regular travel deep into Russia was part of his career. His brewery is a uniquely phenomenal place and he has been a big influence in pushing Boones Mill forward. But that's only a small part of his journey. Hope you enjoy!

Marty calls the Roanoke region his home now while spending his childhood near NASA in Florida. He became know in local circles through the very labor intensive All Trails Challenge which was a big hit for those trying to span nearly every trail within sight of Roanoke VA. He has become quite the local personality for his adventures and attention to detail. Marty just completed his first trail ultra marathon after numerous weight loss battles. He's currently winning the battle handily! During daylight hours he works as a reverse engineer of mostly foreign warfare technologies and I wish he would tell us more! Ruth Winn was in attendance and they are very kind people with unique and intelligent backgrounds. Marty has dedicated himself to his next ultra marathon and we will be hearing a lot from him. Enjoy!

Raven has run 8 miles on South Beach Miami every single day since Jan 1, 1975 for one of the longest streaks in the world. Robert Kraft is quite a personality around Miami Beach and continues his ritual each day starting at the 5th Street lifeguard stand. He lives right by the ocean and spends the rest of his time writing songs and impressing the crowds around Muscle Beach. His kindness is genuine and it's no wonder he is such an influencer around Miami. This was an excellent conversation and we plan to visit Raven again in the future.