In S4Ep19 of the PRP, Adam gets educated by uniquely seasoned first time marathoner, passionate health equity data analyst, virtuous vibe prescriber and proud Vietnamese American Selena Tran who has been preparing for the Baystate Marathon on Sunday October 20th, 2024. Eliana Lin, former collegiate pole vaulter, Ann Arbor’s favorite running PT, and Selena’s running coach rejoins the show to offer her take on all things Gushers, 4-square and of course, how often we should be rotating our running shoes.
This episode hits hard and provides a significantly unique lens into some of the challenges that a lot of 2nd generation Americans often face. Learn how Selena ended up in Michigan as she shares the tale of how her love for running helped her make the difficult decision to walk away from a PhD program that simply wasn’t fitting into her life the way she hoped it would. Selena then shares some meaningful anecdotes about the immigrant generational gap as she explains how her parents were faced with survival, all to provide her with the gift and opportunity to face self actualization. Although it’s an immense privilege to seek meaning, purpose and fulfillment in this life - it can be a challenging endeavor to hold onto aspects of your family’s culture of origin while also embracing the culture you were born and raised in.
Things get vulnerable when Selena dives deep on some of the insecurities and internalized shame she has faced over the years. From the self-induced pressure of being the first in her family to hold a terminal degree, to racism she’s experienced first hand, to navigating the several intersections of inequities that accompany who she is. Amongst all the barriers she has faced, learn how Selena has leveraged the sport of running to help her feel empowered in times of need as well as do what a lot of us often struggle to - trust our guts! It’s taken time for Selena to find her people, but the more she embraces who she is, the more she shows up in the spaces she has spent most of her life being afraid to show up in, the more she’s discovering that her people are there, and more importantly, she belongs.
Just how nostalgic is the race for Selena?! What exactly is “the lunchroom experience” and why should you be both aware and mindful of it? Grey’s Anatomy season 300?! S/O to Lane 9!!! Land acknowledgments for the win! Chuck Taylor era?! Rage running?? Reddit, double dutch and spring rolls oh my!
This and so much more in this unique, informative and inspiring episode of the PRP!
Explain that Strava section:
Sponsors
Ann Arbor Running Company
Recorded Tuesday October 15th @ 5:30PM EST