Dr. Megan Roche (@meganroche) and David Roche (@davidroche) have made their mark on the trail running world. While they have street cred through national titles and Trail Runner of the Year awards, it’s their contributions to the running community as coaches, authors and purveyors of the Happy Runner mindset where their impact extends far.

We get into it all in our interview, from self-belief and mental health to overcoming roadblocks. Megan is an MD and is working on a PhD in epidemiology at Stanford to study the genetics of sports injury; combine her experience as an athlete with deep scientific knowledge and you’ve got special insights on training, performance and finding meaning on the journey to reaching your potential. As David and Megan say many times, “a little bit of kindness goes a long way.”Listen to the podcast on The Common Threads: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify

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David Swain (@swain): What did you both have for breakfast this morning?

Megan Roche: I love that question. I’ve recently been on a toaster waffle kick. This morning, I had classic multigrain toaster waffles with a very hearty amount of maple syrup. 

David Roche: I’m a big children’s cereal fan. I had some peanut butter puffins, which are possibly the most delicious snack on the planet. Then we both had a substantial amount of coffee.

Megan: That’s very true. You can get the culinary theme of our family: children’s food.

Journey to Coaching

How did you make your way into running?

Megan: I grew up playing a lot of sports: soccer, field hockey, basketball. I ultimately went to college to play field hockey. I always knew that I loved running. When I was a field hockey player, I got pumped to do wind sprints. After I wrapped up field hockey in college, I took a fifth year to run track and cross country. That was really my first journey into running, and l met David during that time. We found running together. I loved track, but there was just something about being able to connect with nature on trail runs. Having the time to play in the mountains together was so meaningful.

David: I was a middling football player. I went to college to play football and quit. I had always been curious about endurance sports. I remember my first run coming off football. I barely got around the block before I had to stop, and I was sore for days. Fortunately for me, I met Megan right as I was starting to get a little bit more serious about pursuing my potential. I was researching everything I could. Megan is so brilliant, and it was like having a textbook next to me. We both got more serious at the same time.