Ian Gonzalez: Community Defender - R4R 388

Ian Gonzalez is a trailblazer. He co-founded 7 on Sundays,  a run crew on Chicago’s South Side, an area where running as a pastime had been virtually nonexistent. 7 on Sundays created a community of runners, but there was nowhere for them to buy running shoes, clothes, or nutrition. Ian filled that void by opening Last Lap Cornerstore, the only running store on the South Side, and the only Black/Latino-owned running store in the city. He was forced to close the store, but is determined that Last Lap will return to serve the area’s runners.  For complete show notes and links, visit our website at runningforreal.com/episode388.   Thank you to HydraPak, AG1, and Tracksmith for sponsoring this episode.  HydraPak is the number one original equipment manufacturer of reservoirs and soft flasks in the world. They are continually looking for ways to help runners and their communities lessen their environmental footprint, and consequently their reusable hydration products are aimed not only at supporting athletes in pursuit of their personal goals, but at reducing single-use waste. Most recently, they unveiled their Cupless Racing Partnership Program, designed to support trail and road races across the country in eliminating race day waste by offering their collapsible and reusable SpeedCup as an alternative to single-use cups at running events. Find out more at https://hydrapak.com/pages/tina.   AG1 is the daily Foundational Nutrition supplement that delivers comprehensive nutrients to support whole-body health.  With its science-driven formulation of vitamins, probiotics, and whole-food sourced nutrients, AG1 replaces your multivitamin, probiotic, and more in one simple, drinkable habit. And just as importantly, it actually tastes good! If a comprehensive solution is what you need from your supplemental routine, go to http://drinkag1.com/TINA and get a FREE 1-year supply of Vitamin D AND five free AG1 Travel Packs with your first order!   Tracksmith is an independent running brand inspired by a deep love of the sport. They’re so committed to their mission of getting runners to do their best that they are offering a $100 gift card to any runner who runs a PR before April 30th. You can find all of the details under the “It’s PR Season” section at tracksmith.com/tina. If you’re a new customer, go to tracksmith.com/tina and use the code TINANEW at checkout to get $15 off your order of $75 or more. Returning customers can use the code TINAGIVE, and Tracksmith will give you free shipping and donate 5% of your order to TrackGirlz.   Thanks for listening! If you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe wherever you’re listening to this podcast. And if you enjoy “Running for Real,” please leave us a review! Keep up with what’s going on at Running for Real by signing up for our weekly newsletter on our website, https://runningforreal.com/. Follow Tina on Instagram, Facebook, and X (Twitter). You’ll find Running for Real on Instagram too! Want to be a member of the Running for Real community? Join #Running4Real Superstars on Facebook!  Subscribe to our YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@TinaMuir) for additional content, including our “RED-S: Realize. Reflect. Recover” series of 50+ videos. Thank you for your support - we appreciate each and every one of you!