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Runners Podium Ep. 3 | How Eliza Eshelman Has Kept a 23-Year Running Streak Alive
19 Plays7 days ago
In this episode of Runners Podium, Eliza Eshelman shares the mindset, habits, and experiences that have helped her maintain a remarkable 23+ year running streak—meaning she hasn’t missed a single day of running in over 23 years. We also dive into our signature Top 3 running categories, including favorite races, memorable running moments, shoes, gear, pet peeves, and more.
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Transcript
Introduction to Zah and Her Running Streak
00:00:02
Speaker
So excited and honored to have Eliza Eshelman, also known as Zah. Daily Run with Zah on the podcast today. You're an amazing inspiration for so many people out there. Okay. I think you're at 23 years odd run streak, running every day through pregnancy, childbirth, race recoveries, sickness, all the things that life throw at you. So it's just an incredible
Zah's Instagram and Running Journey Highlights
00:00:31
Speaker
feat. And, um, it's all chronicled on your Instagram, which is an amazing Instagram. So for everyone out there, check it out. And, uh, thanks so much for joining.
00:00:40
Speaker
Yeah. Thanks for having me. I'm excited to talk about running and everything else. Yeah. So let's jump right into the categories. What would you say are your three most memorable running, running moments?
00:00:53
Speaker
Um, excellent question. so Yeah, if I were to narrow it down to three, i mean, for example, I had a great run this morning. So i don't know. It's just like day by day.
00:01:07
Speaker
But then it's also most memorable run. Sometimes we think about the most challenging runs. So when it comes to a run streak, so just to kind of maybe summarize what a run streak is, it's running every single calendar day. If you run for at least a year, you can say you have a run streak. So there's an association called, it's a Streak Runners International.
00:01:26
Speaker
And I found this back maybe a year into my run streak.
Memorable Runs and Overcoming Anxiety
00:01:30
Speaker
So I just started running every day because I loved running. um So when it comes to a run streak, most memorable are oftentimes the days where it's like the odds are against us. So, yeah.
00:01:42
Speaker
I mean, every day sometimes I reflect on, like, crazy runs. um But most memorable, like, this morning was great because I was running. You know, sometimes you're in a run and you're like, wait, am I even – I forgot I was even running. You know, you're such a great – kind of cadence and you know, you have like all the thoughts, but no thoughts at the same time. So I like, I love those friends. You almost feel like you're just flying. You don't have like any pains or aches, you know, it's like, wow. Like you just find that stillness in the moment.
00:02:14
Speaker
So that's a recent memorable run. Cause it was 12 hours ago or whatever. Um, well not, yeah, I can't do math, but, um, maybe the second, um,
00:02:27
Speaker
Uh, I've ran in airports before. So maybe, so I had a fear of flying internationally because, so I traveled to India to study yoga on and off for over five years. I would travel there annually.
00:02:41
Speaker
So I had to run a 5k in, um, the Heathrow airport. So that's a memorable run. Yeah. Because first I was like, okay, I was just going to run a mile. Like I laced up my shoes as we got to the airport I think it was like from Chicago to London, laced up my orange Nikes that I was wearing at the time. And I'm like, all right, we're just going to deboard the plane. And I'm going to start my watch and do a run, like pretend nobody's there. Because I'm like, you know, we have that anxiety or the overthinking of like, how is this going to happen?
00:03:12
Speaker
But I think like in any times in our life, it's like you just have to be in the moment. Just don't let the mind make it worse. So I started my run like I would do at any run. And I was like, okay, i'm just going to run a mile.
00:03:27
Speaker
And then I got to a mile. I'm like, hey, I'm going to i'm just going to run a 5k. So I just kept running. And yeah, when I was done with the run, I was like drenched with sweat because it's like inside. And I didn't realize like, oh, I should have brought a change of clothes. So I went through customs.
00:03:43
Speaker
And I'm like, show, you know, I just got off the plane. And I'm like drenched in sweat. And I go through customs. And um They didn't ask why I was sweating profusely, but I thought it was really funny.
00:03:54
Speaker
That's awesome. I just show up drenched in sweat. like Nobody asks questions. And I'm like, all right. um Let's see My third most memorable run. there's Yeah.
00:04:07
Speaker
I mean, also with the run streak, I can remember almost every day I've kept like a handwritten log. I can go back to like October 12, 2009. see the run. I'm like, oh, yeah, I remember that day, like what I was thinking.
00:04:19
Speaker
What I ate you know, how I was feeling or whatever. um So I could tell you thousands of memorable runs, but just to play along. um Let's see, maybe a shorter story of, um I mean, travel always gets the best of us as far as like planning things.
00:04:40
Speaker
So maybe like an early morning, like 3 run because now I always run before flights. ah So just running in the dark, which is like I hate running in the dark, um but it's sometimes you got to do it. Yeah, I do it like all winter. Yeah, yeah because you're a early morning runner, right? Mm-hmm.
00:05:00
Speaker
Totally. In New York, it's like dark, cold, but you know, there's also a peacefulness to it. I find that's true. Well, actually going off that memorable run, i was in New York city and December of this year, we had that first big snowfall and it was like Sunday morning and I went out for my run cause I had to get it done early. And I was the only one in central park running with the falling snow. So i was like, where is everyone? Exactly. Yeah. Yeah.
00:05:27
Speaker
Yeah. It's one of the few times in New York where it's like quiet, you know, like I'll be, I run the bridges and I'll be on the bridge. Like just me, there's nobody else on the bridge, you know, and it's like dark and a big moon in the sky over the river. I'm like, this is awesome.
00:05:40
Speaker
You know? all right, cool. Let's keep it
Zah's Running Shoe Collection and Preferences
00:05:43
Speaker
moving. What about your top three running shoes? All right. um So also, little side story. I guess I have archives of my running throughout the year. So I've saved every single one of my shoes from the very first day of my run streak. And I have them all categorized, you know, from like...
00:06:04
Speaker
August 2002 to maybe spring 2002, I had these shoes. They're all categorized. And I know people are like, why don't you recycle your shoes or donate them? You don't want to have my shoes. Like, I don't want anybody to wear these shoes. They're down to the the very ends, you know? Yeah. um So my...
00:06:22
Speaker
favorite running shoes, Nike, the Lunar Trainers, which came out in, are you familiar, Lunar Trainer back in, okay. I also used to work at a running store. So 2000, circa 2008, 2009, I'd say. um Yeah, because it was before.
00:06:39
Speaker
So anyway, ah Nike came up with the Lunar Trainers and I was able to log over a thousand miles in these shoes, no problem. And guess what? They discontinued them. So in 2011, I went to a Nike outlet store and bought like 12 pairs. That lasted me actually almost 10 years because I lowered my mileage when I was pregnant. And so 10 years, I had a decade worth of shoes.
00:07:01
Speaker
So those are like, yeah, I kind of wish I would have, you know, invested more in them. I had a $40, or it was 25% off, 40% off on that in the Nike outlet store. ah Yeah. And then second favorite...
00:07:18
Speaker
Current shoes I'm wearing i now, shout out to anybody that can find these because Nike discontinued my favorite pair of shoes once again, the Nike Invincibles. I'm in the Invincible 3. They were going to make the Invincible 4, but then they changed it into the Vimera, which I hate stability shoes. And I hate just like the bulkiness of shoes. um Yeah, so I'm down. I have two pairs right now. They're at 500 miles each.
00:07:41
Speaker
So I'm like, oh, great. You know, I'm so I'm trying to find I'm going to leave that. Third one empty because i'm I need to transition and find another like ride or die pair of shoes. and Got you. Yeah. I'm very picky when it comes to running shoes because I'm very paranoid about getting injured. And if I start a run in the shoes I'm wearing, i have to finish a run. i can't stop a minute in. I have to just complete the run.
00:08:11
Speaker
yeah so I feel you. Yeah. No, no. 100%. And what are you what are you running? i I have different, like basically different shows shoes in my rotation kind of, by like my everyday trainers are, my favorite are the New Balance 1080s. Okay.
00:08:27
Speaker
but I love those. I run in those like, you know, a lot of my just normal easy runs. And then I have, um I really like, I've started racing in the New Balance. I think they're like the super comp.
00:08:41
Speaker
The carbon one. i've That's what I've been doing, like my marathon and my half marathons. And I have Sauconies. I have other just different daily trainers that are like I rotate in and out. I change it up.
00:08:52
Speaker
Yeah. That's good. Yeah. I change it up. It's hard for me to change it up. I just get kind of yeah get locked in. Yeah. And then they discontinue them and. Right. Yeah. For years I was Adidas too. I would like, I had all kinds of Adidas, um, shoes, but I've, for whatever reason, I love the new balance. The new balance seems to really work with me and my feet. So yeah.
00:09:12
Speaker
Yeah. Um, what about your top three running moments that didn't go as planned?
Adapting to Unexpected Running Conditions
00:09:18
Speaker
Um, yeah, everything, according to plan and for the most part, uh, weather wise, um, I've run through some storms, you know, like go out and it's lightning and thundering. And once again, I can't like just stop my run.
00:09:37
Speaker
So yeah, it doesn't go as planned because you can't control the weather, but that's part of the fun about running, right? You just, whatever life throws at you, you have to get through. Um, there was another one I was thinking, um Yeah, clearly you deal with adversity well. It doesn't seem to stop you. Yeah, true. And I try to plug that into other aspects of life, which is actually could be harder than just to run.
00:10:02
Speaker
so yeah. um Let's see. Another moment would be... Um, so yeah, we took a trip to, so I live in Indiana. We flew or drove from Indiana to New York city and had some stops. We stopped in Cooperstown, New York.
00:10:20
Speaker
So anytime we're in some random town, obviously I have to run and it's really hard to figure out where to run, you know, like I kind of go with the flow and be like, all right, I'm just going to step outside, see what happens. So i ended up running on this New York state highway. i forget what the numbers are, but, um, didn't go as planned because,
00:10:43
Speaker
ah it was a highway. Cars are like driving 60 miles an hour. And it was really hilly and all of that. So, um, and then another one, ah you know, we're Lafayette, Indiana, don't recommend.
00:11:00
Speaker
We're staying at a hotel, kind of just ran around shopping centers. And in some ways, it's like, that's part of the run streak. You can't plan everything. And I feel like in our day-to-day life, the mind really wants us to plan everything and, you know, okay, I'm saving this much and I'm depositing this in my IRA, I'm gonna do this, right? And it never goes that way, right? So it's like, same thing with the run. I try not to over plan,
00:11:30
Speaker
um Because more often it doesn't go as planned. Or like sometimes you plan, wow, I had a great run yesterday. going have a great run today. You get out there like, what what's wrong? I didn't have another good run, right? So it's part of the expectations, which if, you know, you're Anybody that runs, you know what it's like. Well, I feel pretty good today. I could go for a run. and You get out there. oh that didn't go as planned, you know. So it's just a matter of the next day. Try it again. Yeah, I hear what you're saying. It's like the illusion of control. There you go yeah
00:12:02
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. Which I like to. i like to control things, but, you know, sometimes you got to learn. What are your top three pieces of essential gear outside of shoes? Okay.
00:12:14
Speaker
I'm a very minimalist type of runner. so um and also, yeah when I was training for marathons 2008 to 2012, I was really into like the 1970s and how they trained.
00:12:33
Speaker
Back in the 70s, guess what? They didn't have water belts. They didn't have gels. They didn't have a electrolyte powder bottles. Whatever. I don't, so I don't really keep up with the, I feel like they're all kind of trends too.
00:12:46
Speaker
Um, so I'm a very minimalist runner. Garmin tried to do a partnership with me through 2022. And I said, tried because then I forgot to make videos about it, but I got to watch. nice Yeah. So I guess the gear, I use Strava every day on my phone. That's kind of gear because I like to, i mean, I still handwrite and track my runs. um But I just started using Strava in 2020 because my Timex watch broke.
00:13:16
Speaker
And I was trying to use my stopwatch on my phone, but it kept randomly pausing. So my friend for like five years was trying to get me to download Strava to do the challenges or whatever. And i anyway I ended up downloading Strava so I could record my runs. um And then the Garmin, this Garmin, I don't even have the app. I just use it as like a backup in case Strava dies.
00:13:38
Speaker
I can take a picture of my watch for proof. Now that my streak is shared with other people, i feel like I got to keep up with like recording instead of me just handwriting things. Keep it official.
00:13:51
Speaker
Yeah. And then third gear, i have to say my strong mental state. Oh, I love hey Which took some time to develop, but it can happen.
00:14:05
Speaker
and And like, ah you know, you said Strava, but it sounds like almost your running log is kind of an essential piece of gear to like that handwritten. That's almost part of your process. True.
00:14:15
Speaker
Super cool. Okay. So what about your top three running pet peeves? Do you have any that come to mind? I mean, I could write a book and it might be part of my book, just a whole chapter.
00:14:27
Speaker
okay so I'm a very like lone runner. i couldn't, I don't even remember the last time. oh I do remember that. Okay. Erica, I ran with her in central park in may, maybe I ran with three people this entire year. um yeah, I just don't really like,
00:14:44
Speaker
running with people. It is fun, you know, meet up with a friend and run. um But I just like my run this morning, I like to just do the run, right? And I don't need to entertain somebody and I don't have to like realize, okay, am I breathing too loudly for you? Or, you know, we're just like in the zone running. So a pet peeve would be like, I guess running with people that push the pace, um ask me questions,
00:15:11
Speaker
ah You know, um another running pet peeve. Oh, I actually hate stoplights. And I'm actually, this is, ah if you see my obituary, it might be like I got ran over by a car.
00:15:27
Speaker
Because oftentimes I'm like, I don't even look both ways. I just run. and then i I go across the street and I'm like, oh my gosh. Yeah, that was totally a stoplight. I should have kind of made sure there was no cars coming.
00:15:42
Speaker
um So the where I run every day is just kind of like loops in this back neighborhood. So I don't have to cross. Yeah. Cars just are a big pet peeve because it's like, yeah, they're annoying. But I love like trails that you can just run down and back.
00:15:59
Speaker
um Let's see. Another pet peeve. got people. We got cars. Hmm. Hmm. I guess it's just those are kind of things that are out of my control maybe, but.
00:16:14
Speaker
Yeah. I mean, those are two strong ones. It's cool. So do you still run races? I have your top three favorite races, but I know it like you, you certainly have done many in the past, but does that apply to you? Your top three favorite races?
00:16:28
Speaker
Yeah. I kind of stopped racing, um, January of 2010, where I just stopped in the middle of the Miami marathon and decided Yeah. Why am I doing this? four Yeah. Five more miles, go to this yoga place and then lay by the pool. Like, I don't want to do this.
00:16:48
Speaker
Um, but my, yeah, I've done races. I was competitive, um, cross country track runner in college, uh, And then after that ran marathons. And then I was going to train 2010.
00:16:59
Speaker
two thousand ten i was going a train for this 50K because I was really great at distance. And I would finish the marathon and I'd be like, know, all right, yeah, let's go. Let's do another run. Still more in the tank.
00:17:13
Speaker
Yeah. But yeah, then I found yoga and I kind of kind of went through this process of finding the middle way in a lot of my life and realizing that oh, I don't have to run 80 to 90 miles a week.
00:17:27
Speaker
You know, I can find a middle way of balancing a yoga practice and running. um so yeah, I've been ran many 5Ks, 10Ks, marathons.
00:17:39
Speaker
um I guess the most memorable race. um I don't know. Let's see. Well, I ran the Boston Marathon in 2009, which... Oh,
00:17:51
Speaker
Cool. And it was like the peak of the Boston Marathon. so I just finished Columbus Marathon. uh, what do you call it? Qualified for Boston. And my dad actually, so I was born outside Boston and my dad's like, yeah, just, you should sign up and do it. I'm like, I don't really know. Should I? So anyway, we had this trip out to Boston and it was mostly, and then it became, I feel like it became like a big thing. I know it was a big thing before, but I didn't realize like Boston people spend their whole lives qualifying for Boston. So I'm glad I did that. But also,
00:18:26
Speaker
Kind of hated the race. Like, yeah, the whole like 26 miles, people are yelling at you, screaming, cheering for you. I don't know. has I'm glad I did it. But it yeah, it wasn't.
00:18:41
Speaker
I guess I didn't really like the hype around it. No. Yeah. Yeah, that's not for everybody. Like big city marathons is not for everybody. I totally agree. I also, I do those, which, and I love them, but I also do like the small ones. I go upstate and I run these really small marathons and I love those. There's actually moments where sometimes there's no one else around and stuff like it's just me and I, and it's just quiet and you can be much more just like within yourself. And I love those.
00:19:09
Speaker
h um What about your top three favorite places to run? Hmm.
00:19:17
Speaker
Let's see. Okay. I'll have, so number one, so my family has a kind of farm area and there's long country roads. So when I did most of my marathon training, um i would run literally West 10 miles, turn around East, come back, like just flat Indiana roads.
00:19:36
Speaker
Yeah.
Running on Country Roads and Finding Tranquility
00:19:37
Speaker
And then the cars didn't really bother me. Like I'd actually had this thing, any amount of miles I ran, that's how many cars I would see. Like if I ran seven miles, I'd see seven cars. That's funny.
00:19:48
Speaker
So that was' that's my favorite place to run because, I mean, also the conditions can be horrible, like gusting winds. um But it's just like great memories of when I first started running and it was just barren country roads. There's just something about the stillness of that. And like a mile on country roads feels so much shorter than like a mile in Central Park. You know, you're just like, because you see the stop sign at the at the beginning of the mile. Yeah.
00:20:16
Speaker
Um, so just anything like monotonous and like boring is my favorite place to run. Um, yeah, see, yeah, if I could run anywhere just because it's good memories of when I first started running,
00:20:32
Speaker
um pretty much, I'm not really that picky when I run just as long as there's not a lot of stoplights, uh, um, Yeah.
00:20:43
Speaker
That's your criteria. Yeah. Where I run every morning is just like loops around this neighborhood. And people see me like, you know, people that live there. um We're starting to know each other's names, you know, where you just kind of wave at people or. Yeah. It's just funny that they don't know the backstory, even though I've been in the newspaper, the local newspaper. It's like, it's just kind of funny to see the same people and they're out walking. i'm out running.
00:21:08
Speaker
yeah So like she seems to run a lot. Yeah. And then it's like pouring down rain. They're like getting their mail. Oh my gosh, you're running. What's that crazy lady doing running again?
00:21:21
Speaker
um So I wonder with all your running in the run streak, my, the next category is your top three recovery tools or foods. Is that something you think much about in terms of recovery? I know you're it's like yoga and stuff like that. I wonder if that's an element of your recovery or.
00:21:37
Speaker
Yeah. Well, Also, because I've been running every day, I'm not an expert in like planning. Like you'd think I'd be better, I guess, of having things more
Humorous Admission on Post-Run Habits
00:21:49
Speaker
organized. um Like for example, yesterday i ran five miles. I was like drenched with sweat. I don't know how much body weight I lost in water, you know, running in the humidity. And I didn't drink water for like two or three hours after that run.
00:22:02
Speaker
ah And I'm like, yeah, I could be so much better at this. So, but my, if I want to you know, be great at it. I have this like, um, recovery drink because I'm also vegetarian, mostly vegan. So it's not like, and I don't do like the protein shakes, but there's at least carbs and protein in this, um, it's called first endurance.
00:22:24
Speaker
And I just sometimes chug that after a run. Um, and yeah, I do yoga practice. I used to practice like two hours, two to three hours every morning. Wow. So it's not necessarily a recovery thing. It's just something extra.
00:22:43
Speaker
um Foam roller is great. ah Yeah, I don't know if I just, it's just part of my lifestyle where I just run, but. Awesome. Well, we rocked through the categories of with you have such an um amazing and I think unique perspective on running. This has been so cool. um Can you leave one last thought for runners out there?
00:23:07
Speaker
Last thought.
Zah's Personal Running Philosophy
00:23:09
Speaker
I'm great. Um,
00:23:17
Speaker
last, I mean, I have so many bad ideas.
00:23:23
Speaker
Feel free. Yeah. i think so. My last thought, even with like coaching other runners, um especially in like today's age with like the mass amount and of information, one person says you should do this. One person says do this. Somebody else is like, you need at least one rest day. Or someone's like, you can run three times a week, still train for a marathon.
00:23:48
Speaker
i mean, obviously it's good to do your research, but I feel like in today's age, Like, find yourself, find what works for you. Everybody has their own middle way and everybody has a middle way at certain points of their life. Like in my early twenty s my middle way was running 70 miles a week and I felt great, you know?
00:24:07
Speaker
So it's like, find, i mean, obviously you need guidance, but just try to find your own authenticity and don't let other people change your mind about it or steer you one way that you don't feel resonates like deep within your soul. Because throughout my running streak, 23 years, I've almost had more naysayers than support.
00:24:32
Speaker
And I just kind of stuck to what I wanted to do. And I just wanted to run. You know, it's not like we're doing anything too crazy out here. I'm just going out for a run five hours after getting birth. I want to, I'm just going to do my run because I can, right?
00:24:46
Speaker
So, yeah, I mean, it do things with intention and purpose and for a general like love for what you're doing. And that's to me, that's running maybe for you as well. Love it. Yeah.
00:25:00
Speaker
Eliza, thank you so much. This has been such an an amazing thing to have you on. It's really an honor. And yeah, I should have mentioned at the beginning that you're also a coach. So people out there can also look to daily run with Zop for guidance in their coaching.
00:25:14
Speaker
So definitely reach out, find her on IG. Thank you so much. Yeah, thank you.