Sage Advice from The Real Deal Neil

Chico State's Humble Hammer

Episode 25 brings the heat. Before Ross and Petar sit down with today’s guest, they run through a stacked lineup of summer shoutouts because the Chico running community has been absolutely cooking. Tahoe 200, Dipsea, Broken Arrow, Headwaters, Lemurian, CRC, BRC, Fleet Feet — the whole region is buzzing, thriving, and leveling up. Then the main event: Damian Garcia, one of the most complete runners to ever come through Chico State. A West Region champion, multi‑time CCAA champion, national finalist, and owner of one of the fastest 1500-meter times in Division II history. He’s run the equivalent of a sub‑four mile, shattered school records, and keeps finding new gears every season. But Damian is more than the accolades. He’s the team barber. A pizza and burrito connoisseur. A fisherman. A Rubik’s Cube wizard. A grounded, humble athlete whose rise from Turlock to national prominence is one of the best stories in Wildcat history. In this episode, Ross and Petar dive into Damian’s origin story — from growing up in Turlock and discovering his engine to finding home at Chico State and stepping into the national spotlight. They unpack the breakthrough races that changed everything, including his historic 3:35 at Azusa, the school‑record 800, and the West Region 10K title. Damian opens up about the mental game, the role his mom has played in his journey, and what keeps him coming back to the sport. The conversation explores the Chico State system, the teammates and coaches who shaped him, and the culture that makes the Wildcats different. They break down tactical mile scenarios, talk barber life, pizza missions, fishing stories, and Rubik’s Cube speed, and dig into the gear he trusts. Damian reflects on his connection to the Chico running community, his preparation for the USA Championships, his long‑term dreams, and the future of his running career. He even delivers his entire running philosophy in exactly ten words before taking on the Pod on the Run Rubik’s Cube Challenge and Petar’s secret lightning round. The episode closes with a look at who Damian Garcia is becoming and the legacy he hopes to leave.

Sage Advice from The Real Deal Neil

Episode 24 is a full‑stride tour through the Chico running universe - community highs, big race breakthroughs, and the kind of mid‑life brilliance that only comes from someone who has lived enough life to know better… and run anyway. We kick things off at Global Running Day, where Fleet Feet turned a free 5k into a full‑blown Chico reunion. The Chico Striders and Danny DiMeo handed out this year’s Run Strong Scholarships to local high‑school seniors, surrounded by sponsors like Bidwell Run Club, Chico Running Club, The Original A‑Team, and individual supporters Tracie Hannick and Christine Campbell. We grabbed interviews with Danny and a couple of the scholarship runners - and they’re sprinkled throughout the episode like perfectly timed aid‑station snacks. As we hit record, Todd Ziegenmeyer was out representing Chico on the Tahoe 200 course - one of the wildest tests of grit in the sport. Then we roll into race recaps. First up: Steven Hartman, who just obliterated a 50k in Oregon and brought back a perspective that’s equal parts grounded and gritty. After that, we caught up with Peter Hansen - The Form - fresh off a monster run at The Light at the End of the Tunnel Marathon, where he punched up his Boston Qualifying time like it owed him money. Before we dive into our main guest, we look ahead at what’s coming up in the community: the Colby Mountain TrailFest with Bidwell Run Club and the 4th of July 5k hosted by Chico Running Club - both fueling and supporting the Run Strong Scholarship that keeps this whole ecosystem thriving. And then… we get to Neil. This is where the episode earns its title: Sage Advice. Neil is 60-3, but in running years he's the guy who shows up humble, quotes a study about aerobic development, and then drops you on a hill. He’s funny, wise, analytical, and somehow both modest and quietly unstoppable. He talks about growing up in Boston with the marathon practically baked into his DNA, his Carlsbad years, and the winding path from runner to the mortgage industry to lawyer to teacher… and back to runner. He breaks down how he re‑engineered his running form, why he’s proud of the athlete he’s turning into, and how he plans to savor every mile from here on out. He studies the sport like it’s a master class - VO₂ max, cadence, ground contact, mechanics, progression, longevity - and yes, algebra is absolutely part of his joy. And in classic Neil fashion, he drops a few dry, perfectly placed one‑liners about dating apps and mid‑life romance - the kind that sneak up on you and make you laugh out loud. Then we hand him the chalk for Professor Neil, where he dishes out pop‑quiz answers, running truths, and a homework assignment guaranteed to make you a better runner (or at least a smarter one). This episode is clever, heartfelt, funny, and full of the kind of perspective you only get from someone who’s lived a lot of life - and is running straight into the next chapter with joy, curiosity, and a very dialed‑in cadence. Sage advice. Big laughs. A whole lot of heart. Lace up. Let’s run.

Race Recaps: The Community That Carries Us

This episode is a celebration of community - the people who shape our races, carry us through the hard miles, and remind us that running is never a solo act. Through stories from Boston, Eugene, Big Sur, and the Mendocino Coast, these voices share how togetherness, weather, terrain, crowds, and crew support transform a race into something shared and deeply human. From the emotional simplicity of running side‑by‑side, to the internal negotiations of the middle miles, to the coastline that becomes a companion, to the ultra-community that turns endurance into belonging, each segment reveals a different way we’re held by the people around us. What emerges is a portrait of running as a communal experience—messy, joyful, reflective, chaotic, grounding, and always shaped by the “we” more than the “I.”

Choppin' it up with Chops

In the latest episode of Pod on the Run, Ross and Petar sit down with one of Chico’s most quietly iconic figures: Bill Parnell, the runner you’ve probably seen floating up North Rim with Fred or Leia trotting beside him. Bill is one of those rare Chico characters whose reputation reaches you long before the conversation does — the effortless stride, the calm presence, the stories that sound too wild to be true until he casually confirms them. From closing the Big Alta 100K with 8‑minute miles to completing twelve 100Ks, ten 50Ks, Western States, and Dacia UTMB® Mont Blanc 2023 – CCC, his running résumé is stacked, but it’s only one part of a much deeper, more introspective story. Bill’s love for running didn’t begin with racing — it began on the Pacific Crest Trail. A full thru‑hike lit the spark, and in this episode, he shares the trail magic, his trail name, the characters he met, and the long, quiet days that shaped the way he thinks about movement and himself. That early adventure set the tone for a life built around curiosity and reflection, a life that eventually took him to Antarctica, where he worked for a season and ended up running a marathon at the South Pole. He also completed a 10‑day silent meditation retreat where he didn’t speak a single word — an experience that fits perfectly with the introspective way he moves through the world. Running runs deep in his family, too. Bill talks about his dad — an incredible athlete who holds an American record for his age group — and how growing up around that kind of quiet excellence shaped his own approach to the sport. From his PV High cross‑country days to the Upper Park loops that forged him, from the Deerpen rocker era to becoming a legitimate bocce ball threat and poet, from Fred’s steady companionship to Leia’s lovable chaos, Bill’s story is full of texture, humor, and heart. Throughout the conversation, Bill opens up about what running gives him, what ultras have taught him, how he thinks about suffering and joy, and why he keeps returning to the long stuff. Petar closes things out with a lightning round, and the episode ends with a look toward what’s next — the adventures, races, and unknowns Bill is quietly leaning toward. It’s a conversation that’s grounded, surprising, and full of the kind of wisdom that only comes from a life lived everywhere from the PCT to the South Pole to the North Rim. This one moves like water.

Girls on the Run: Where Confidence Takes Flight

In Episode 21 of Pod on the Run, we sit down with someone who helps more than one-thousand girls each year discover confidence through movement. Claire Johnson, Executive Director of Girls on the Run North State, is one of those rare leaders who doesn’t just run a program — she builds a community. Her story begins in a family of twelve, where she learned early how to listen, negotiate, and find her voice. Those skills now shape the way she leads coaches, volunteers, and teams across more than sixty sites from Yuba City to Yreka, creating spaces where girls feel seen, supported, and capable of more than they imagined. Claire shares how Girls on the Run grew from Molly Barker’s original vision in 1996 — a curriculum designed to help girls reclaim their identity and emotional strength through movement — into a national force that has reached more than 2.5 million participants. We explore how GOTR blends running with life‑skills education, using kinesthetic learning to help girls navigate friendships, emotions, and the challenges of growing up in a world full of comparison and pressure. From the “friendship builder, tester, or breaker” conversations to the 10‑week arc that culminates in a Community Impact Project and a 5K, Claire brings to life what belonging looks like on a GOTR team. We also dig into the scale and heart of the North State program: 1,000+ girls each year, more than 200 volunteer coaches, and a network of teams that stretch across rural, suburban, and small‑town communities. Claire talks about what it takes to support such a wide geographic footprint, the unique spirit of North State girls, and the moments that remind her why this work matters — especially in 2026, when confidence, identity, and emotional safety are more important than ever. From the nervous energy at the starting line to the moment a girl realizes she can run farther than she thought, Claire paints a vivid picture of the transformation that happens when young people learn to trust their bodies, their voices, and their choices. We close with stories of leadership, community, and the joy of watching girls step into their own power — plus a fast‑paced lightning round with Petar to bring it home. This episode is about confidence in motion, the adults who make that possible, and the girls who carry those lessons into every part of their lives.