The Halfstep Pod

Welcome back to a new season of The Halfstep Pod! It's the same as the old season, but we accidentally didn't record for six months so now it's a new season!. Grant and Connor talk about Grant's 4th and 6th place finishes at the World Championships in Eugene, his two American Records since the last recording (5k & 3k), the Diamond League Final in Zurich, and everything else you would want to know about Grant's last six months.

On Episode 7 of Season 2 of the Halfstep Pod, Connor sits down with Sean McGorty for a comprehensive interview about his last year of pro running. This includes the crazy moment his shoe fell of at the Olympic Trials, post-Trials achilles surgery for Haglund's Deformity, his comeback from this most recent procedure and his successes in hitting the world standards in the 5k & 10k in his last two races -- running 13:09 and 27:18. They also cover so much more in this nearly 90 minute expansive interview. Enjoy! ** Follow Halfstep Pod on Instagram / Youtube /Grant’s Instagram /Connor’s Instagram /Spotify /Apple Podcasts / Podbean Or email us halfsteppod@gmail.com !! **

Ep 5 of Season 2 of The Halfstep Pod is a wide-ranging discussion that covers Grant's thought's about Elise Cranny's mindset she shared on last week's podcast, Marc Scott's first global medal, the shifting mentality of the members of BTC with an eye towards global medals, and -- with an eye towards an under the radar World Indoor Champs this past weekend, potential ways to get more people interested in Track & Field outside of the Olympic cycle... and much more! ** Follow Halfstep Pod on Instagram / Youtube /Grant’s Instagram /Connor’s Instagram /Spotify /Apple Podcasts / Podbean Or email us halfsteppod@gmail.com !! **

On Episode 3 of Season 2 of the Halfstep Pod, Grant runs a PR of 26:33 in the 10k, a new American Record by 11 seconds. Or rather, he talks about running it this past Sunday at The Ten presented by Sound Running. The guys go deep on the race recap and all things surrounding this performance, including the importance of incredible teammates and healthy rivalries, light rail technology, squeezing a pace down, how silly it sounds to think about your 10k PR being 26:33, and how difficult it can be pre-race to conceptualize that a time like that requires running 64 second 400s for 25 laps (then kicking). Hope you guys enjoy. Apologies for technical difficulties surrounding Connor's audio issues. There was a microphone error that was unrealized until after the recording. Style (Check the Youtube): Connor: Yeti Fleece jacket from silknode and Explora Grant: Nike 🙄, Bowerman Hat, Sound Running Hat ** Follow Halfstep Pod on Instagram / Youtube /Grant’s Instagram /Connor’s Instagram /Spotify /Apple Podcasts / Podbean Or email us halfsteppod@gmail.com !! **

On Episode 1 of Season 2 of the Halfstep Pod, the guys are back to recap Grant's breakthrough 12:53 AR in the 5000 this past weekend at the BU Valentine Invite, including closing the final mile of his 3 mile race in 3:58. Grant discusses what his first American Record means to him, if he knew he was ready for this performance, and much more! Season 2 will include: - Weekly Episodes - Youtube Channel (Halfstep Pod) where we will upload our conversations in full - More Guests - More Listener Questions Sorry for the abrupt hiatus last Fall everyone! But we're back and are planning on uploading weekly episodes moving forward both in podcast form and on Youtube. Stay tuned for more! ** Follow Halfstep Pod on Instagram / Youtube /Grant’s Instagram /Connor’s Instagram /Spotify /Apple Podcasts / Podbean Or email us halfsteppod@gmail.com !! **

On Episode 23 of The Halfstep Pod, Grant joins the Pod from back home in Oregon, after completing his 10k-5k double at the Olympics last week. With two top 10 finishes in his debut experience at the Games (5th in the 10k, 9th in the 5k) Grant discusses how he managed to get through that intense week of racing, a sudden injury that prevented him from running a step between the 5k prelim and 5k final (and jeopardized his ability to compete at all), and Moh's crazy push for a Silver medal in the 5k. The guys also dive deep on the 5k prelim and final from Grant's perspective as they do with all races. They conclude by talking about Grant's upcoming race plans now that his calf is recovering, which could include the Pre Classic in Eugene next week. Be on the lookout for our Instagram post this upcoming week asking for questions about Grant's Olympic experience. Also feel free to email (halfsteppod@gmail.com) or DM us with those same questions if you can't find it. Thanks to everyone for listening! Be sure to rate us and subscribe if you haven't already in order to get our podcasts as soon as they drop!

On Episode 21 of The Halfstep Pod, Grant joins the show live from Tokyo (Not live by the time you're hearing him, unfortunately). The guys go through what it's like living in the Village- from how much he is actually able to socialize, how he's getting his runs in, and what a cafeteria pumping out 40,000 meals a day actually looks like in action. Grant and Connor then spend the second half of the episode previewing Grant's 10k on Friday night, 8:30 Japanese local time. 7:30 Friday morning US Eastern time (4:30 AM PST, yikes). They go over how he is preparing to run the biggest race of his life so far, what it'll be like to have so many of his training partners and teammates in the field with him, and what his goals are for the race. Thanks to everyone for listening ! Please continue sending us your listener questions (halfsteppod@gmail.com) or DM us on instagram! Be sure to rate us and subscribe if you haven't already in order to get our podcasts as soon as they drop! We've gotten a lot of questions about XC season and college/pro recruitment stuff- we definitely will tackle those after Grant's upcoming races.

On Episode 19 of The Halfstep Pod, Connor interviews his Stanford teammate, Julia Heymach on the heels of her breakthrough 2021 Cross Country and Track seasons. The two go through her training experiences during the COVID pandemic, and then recap her whole season starting with her first cross country meet in Florida and culminating with her 6th place finish at the 2021 US Olympic Trials in the 1500. Along the way they discuss her 13th place finish at NCAA XC Nationals, Her victorious debut track 5k at PAC 12s, her double at NCAA Outdoor, and her experience getting through the rounds at the Olympic Trials. They also discuss how much goal setting can influence performance, ways to stay calm and controlled while racing, and how to train through sickness in a smart and safe way. This was a really fun episode to do, so we hope you all enjoy it! Thanks again to Julia for coming on! You can find her on instagram @ jhey__ Grant and I will be back later this week for the normal episode!! As always, thanks to everyone for listening. You can find us at halfsteppod@gmail.com or DM us on instagram at @ halfstep_pod. Be sure to rate us and subscribe if you haven't already in order to get our podcasts as soon as they drop!

On Episode 17 of The Halfstep Pod, Grant and Connor go chronologically from Grant's return to Park City after the 10k final, all the way through the 5k final and the reaction to Grant making the Olympic team in his second event. (2nd place in the 5k). The guys get detailed on the Trials environment, the structure and difficulty of the 5k prelims, the 10 am race start time on Sunday for the Final, and, of course, the last 100 meters of the 5k race, which saw Grant pushed out into lane 5 across the finish line. Thanks to everyone for listening and sorry for the delay between episodes! Please continue sending us your listener questions (halfsteppod@gmail.com) or DM us on instagram! Be sure to rate us and subscribe if you haven't already in order to get our podcasts as soon as they drop! Timestamps: 3:00- Grant's time back in Park City post 10k 8:40- 5k Prelim & Prelims in general 34:00- 5k Final recap 49:00- Final sprint drama 59:30- Eye toward Olympics & Misc ramblings

On Episode 15 of The Halfstep Pod, the guys discuss Grant's mentality a week out from the Trials 10k, how he plans to attack that race, and his mentality for his potential double attempt. They also talk about the first two days of the NCAA Championships and touch on the killer 5k at the Rome DL. They end by answering a listener question about the Tokyo Games-inspired Bowerman merch and the story behind the Japanese athletes who train with the group on a consistent basis. Thanks to everyone for listening and sorry for the delay between episodes! Please continue sending us your listener questions (halfsteppod@gmail.com) or DM us on instagram! Be sure to rate us and subscribe if you haven't already in order to get our podcasts as soon as they drop!

On Episode 13 of the Halfstep Pod, Connor and Grant recap Grant's 1500 meter race at the Sound Running Track Meet in L.A. this past weekend. Grant came in 4th place, running 3:36.52. The guys talk about Grant's pre-race preparation, some things he wishes he could have another shot at in the race, and the things he executed well to bring him home in a solid time and place. They also discuss the early race tangle up between Moh and Eric Avila that somehow didn't get recalled. Grant also mentions when and where his next race will be! Thanks to everyone for listening! Please continue sending us your listener questions (halfsteppod@gmail.com) or DM us on instagram! Be sure to rate us and subscribe if you haven't already in order to get our podcasts as soon as they drop!

On the much-delayed Episode 11 of The Halfstep Pod, Connor and Grant recap the events of the Mt. Sac meet this past weekend- including Sean's 8:20 steeple debut and DK Metcalf's 100 meter race. They also briefly preview Grant's 1500 race this Saturday, 11am PST at The Track Meet presented by Sound Running. The guys then reveal the winner of the first ever Podcast giveaway (30:30). The second half of this week's episode is dedicated to Grant's 2013 victory at Footlocker Nationals his Junior year of high school (34:10). This race is most memorable for Grant's intense battle with John Dressel over the closing kilometer, culminating in repeated contact between the two right up to the finish line. Hear Grant breakdown his Junior year XC season, his State and Footlocker Regional victories, his journey out to San Diego, and lastly, the race itself. The best video to follow along with is titled: “2013 Boys Championship Race” on the footlockerxc youtube account. We will be dropping the second half of our interview with Moh Ahmed on Sunday morning, hopefully in time for everyone's long run, and will get in a race recap of Grant's 1500 that will most likely be released midweek next week. Thanks everyone for following along, participating in the giveaway, and continually giving us feedback. Please continue sending us your listener questions (halfsteppod@gmail.com) or DM us on instagram! Also let us know which guests you would like to hear from next. Be sure to rate us and subscribe if you haven't already in order to get our podcasts as soon as they drop!

On Episode 9 of The Halfstep Pod, Grant and Connor immediately get side-tracked talking about Seahawks Wide Receiver DK Metcalf's entry into the 100 meter race at the Mt. Sac meet this weekend. Things then get back on track as Grant reveals he has a race on the schedule in the near future. The guys talk about the value of a 1500 for a longer distance runner and Grant's mindset as he tunes up not just for that meet, but for the Olympic Trials in 6 weeks, too. Stay tuned for our first ever interview Pod- coming this weekend with 2x Olympian and World Championship Medalist, Bowerman Team Member Moh Ahmed!! Thanks to everyone for listening! Please continue sending us your listener questions (halfsteppod@gmail.com) or DM us on instagram! Be sure to rate us and subscribe if you haven't already in order to get our podcasts as soon as they drop!