Steve Gonser shares his journey from a reluctant runner to a passionate marathoner, discussing his experiences, challenges, and the evolution of his training methods. He highlights the importance of context in research, the role of strength training, and his personal health discoveries. The episode sets the stage for future conversations with athletes and experts in the running community.
Felicia Pasadyn is a 2:35 marathoner, former Olympic Trials swimmer, and current NYU medical student who returned to elite-level running by doing almost everything differently than the standard marathon playbook.
In this conversation, Felicia talks about growing up in Brunswick, Ohio, competing at Harvard and Ohio State, and how her background in swimming shaped her approach to training, strength work, and injury management. We get into her unconventional buildup to the New York City Marathon, including managing an Achilles issue days before the race and what it was like lining up and racing in the pro field.
Felicia also reflects on finishing NYC, the disbelief that followed, and the online debate around her training methods. We talk fueling, community support, balancing medical school with high-level training, her decision to pursue radiology, and how she sees AI playing a role in future patient care.
A wide-ranging conversation about durability, adaptation, and building a sustainable path in both running and life.
Most conversations about running focus on performance.
Times. Results. The highlight reel.
Early Miles is a long-form conversation podcast about how runners are shaped over time, not just how they perform on race day.
Some episodes center on personal stories. Others dive deep with experts. And some are driven by questions from the running community.
Hosted by physical therapist and runner Steve Gonser, the show explores the early decisions, struggles, failures, pivots, and quiet habits that compound when no one is watching. From everyday runners to coaches, clinicians, and researchers, Early Miles sits at the intersection of storytelling, real conversation, and science-backed thinking you can actually apply.
If running is part of who you are, you’re in the right place.