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    THE RUNNING EFFECT PODCAST

    THE RUNNING EFFECT PODCAST

    About

    The Running Effect tells the best stories in running—and turns them into insight, inspiration, and tools to help competitive runners become greater. Every week, host Dominic Schlueter sits down with the fastest, smartest, and most inspiring people in the sport—from Olympic medalists to breakthrough athletes—to unpack the stories, lessons, and mindset behind elite performance. Whether you’re chasing a personal best or looking to understand how greatness is built, The Running Effect will make you a deeper fan of the sport—and a better runner.

    Hosted By

    Dominic Schlueter

    Natasza Dudek, America's No. 1 High School Girl, on Sweeping NXN and Brooks XC, 35-Mile Weeks, and Growing Up With a National Champion Sister

    Natasza Dudek, America's No. 1 High School Girl, on Sweeping NXN and Brooks XC, 35-Mile Weeks, and Growing Up With a National Champion Sister

    October 14, 2026
    45m

    Natasza Dudek only wanted a PR. She got history instead. 


    Now a junior at Ann Arbor Pioneer and the reigning Gatorade National Girls Cross Country Player of the Year, Natasza joins Dominic midway through her 2026 season to look back on the year her name went national. She remembers watching her oldest sister Zofia’s finishing kick win the 2019 Foot Locker title on a computer screen. She also explains what she learned as the youngest of three running sisters, and how weeks of workouts in the school hallways and a “feels like one degree” Brooks photo shoot tested her Michigan toughness.


    Her training is refreshingly simple. She does two workouts a week, one of them up whatever “Mount Everest” her coaches can find around Ann Arbor, and she guesses she peaks at 35 to 40 miles a week. She also goes back to the last downhill at Brooks, where Blair Bartlett caught her and she told herself to stop giving up and sprint. And she talks about racing this fall as the girl everyone is chasing.


    She wraps up with advice for kids hoping to make a national meet, her loaded Chipotle bowl, and the cabbage-wrapped Polish comfort dish she wishes more Americans knew. 


    It’s a joy to spend time with a champion who still runs for her team, her sisters, and the fun of it. We can’t wait to cheer her on in San Diego this December.


    Tap into the Natasza Dudek Special. 


    If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it.


    S H O W  N O T E S   


    -The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs


    -Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run


    -THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: 

    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ


    -My Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


    -Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz


    Behind the scenes of The Running Effect: https://youtube.com/@dominicschlueter?si=PM9FjPc92eFUFEZ


    LuminaryThreads: luminarythreads.shop


    $20 off your next Attuned scan: https://attuned.health/discount/TRE20?ref=TRE20


    Fleet Feet x Brooks XC Championships


    FleetFeet.com



    @tashi_avo2 on Instagram 

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