More Than Running: Mary Cain | NYC Manager and Runner for Tracksmith

More Than Running

May 25, 2020

“I don’t really feel that I need to disprove the idea of burnout. But to me, it’s all a mental thing. The only reason you really walk away is because 1) You just come to hate it and you never really want to do it again or 2) You never come to terms with the fact that you might have to do it differently to get back there. As young women, you wake up, you drink a glass of water, you put your shoes on and you’re out the door. The older you get, maybe you need to stretch a little bit beforehand or do so some extra drills. It’s kind of understanding that’s OK and that your body is going to grow, change and adapt. The longer you’re in the sport, the more you’re going to create rhythms for yourself and knowing that being 24 is still young and there’s a lot of life as a runner and otherwise to live.”


Mary Cain joins Dana Giordano for a conversation just days after she announced that she is now a full-time employee of Tracksmith and will help oversee the company’s New York City community engagement as a manager. Cain made headlines last fall when she came forward with allegations that she was “emotionally and physically abused” by coach Alberto Salazar as a member of the Nike Oregon Project. She has become one of the running’s biggest advocates for women’s sports and safe coaching practices as a result of sharing her story. Mary is still training at a professional level and is targeting the 2021 U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials in the 1,500 meters, 800 meters or 5,000 meters.

In this conversation, Dana and Mary discuss how Mary overcame her longest injury cycle, her drive growing up, tapering intensity, balancing the concept of burnout, how the New York Times op-doc came about and much more.

Subscribe and listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and Anchor.

Follow Mary on Instagram here.

▶ Follow Dana: Twitter | Instagram