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Run to the Top Podcast | The Ultimate Guide to Running

Running podcast to motivate & help runners of every level run their best. The RunnersConnect team of coaches, headed by your host Finn Melanson, share with you the best running information backed by research, science and experts.
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Now displaying: 2017
Jul 12, 2017

Closing the Gap Between Who We Are and Who We Can Be - With Adam Goucher & Tim Catalano

Adam Goucher & Tim Catalano met at the University of Colorado where they ran together under esteemed coach Mark Wetmore. It was there that a lasting friendship was born, and Tim and Adam later went on to pen a book on their combined experiences and studies.

The book is called Running the Edge, and it is as much about life as it is about running.

Running the Edge served as a philosophical foundation for their business, Run The Edge, a community of fitness and fun based in Boulder, Colorado. The ultimate goal of Run The Edge is to help people around the world improve their fitness and overall well-being, and to encourage all levels of transformation and growth through community support.

Adam and Tim are big believers in the power of reflection and self-awareness, and as they strive to help others better themselves in running and beyond, they’re continually working to do the same.

Take a listen and learn how the power of positive psychology can help us close the gap between who we are and who we can be.

 

Here are some of the topics we’ll discuss today:

 

  • Adam and Tim’s running background
  • Key principles in their book, Running the Edge
  • How successful running and successful living are intertwined
  • The importance of self awareness
  • Why having multiple sources of passion is important
  • How the challenge of running changes as we age

 

Questions Adam & Tim are asked:

3:56 How did you start running and what sparked your interest in it?

8:01 What inspired you to write your book Running the Edge?

10:53 What are some of the principles from the book?

12:47 How do these principles relate to your company and how did you come up with the name Run The Edge?

15:02 What are “The Six Mirrors”?

16:27 Did you have any learning or self-discovery moments as you wrote the book?

20:59 What is the dynamic like of being longtime friends and working together?

24:27 Did this dynamic exist between you back in college?

27:04 How do you advise people to find other passions without sacrificing their running?

31:30 What advice do you give to older runners, especially older beginners, who may be past their peak conditioning?

35:20 In your book, what do you mean by the Distance Maven and how did you come by that term?

40:29 What is your Amerithon Challenge?

44:55 Is there a time frame requirement for completing the challenge?

46:40 Can people join in any time after the launch?

47:34 Are most of your clients in America or overseas?

48:15 What’s in the future for Run The Edge?

 

Quotes by Adam & Tim:

“It’s weird how (running) can make you happy and miserable all at the same time.”

“We didn’t want to write a normal running book.”

“Am I applying myself to the point where I’m working as hard as I can and doing things the right way? Because if I am, then I will be successful.”

“Here’s what I really am. And here’s my ideal self, which is where I could be and try to look at the gap between those two things.”

“Awareness is the key. Once you are aware of your shortcomings, you have the ability to fix them.”

“You’ve gotta be more than a runner.”

“I’ll never be as fast as I once was, but that doesn’t mean I can’t challenge myself to do new and different things.”

 

Take a Listen on Your Next Run

Want more awesome interviews and advice? Subscribe to our iTunes channel

 

Mentioned in this podcast:

Interview with Caitlin Landesberg of Sufferfest Beer Company

Book: Running the Edge

runtheedge.com

Book: The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

Amerithon Challenge (use promo code: runnersconnect to save $5 off your purchase)



We really hope you’ve enjoyed this episode of Run to the Top.

The best way you can show your support of the show is to share this podcast with your family and friends and share it on your Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media channel you use.

If more people who know about the podcast and download the episodes, it means I can reach out to and get through to the top running influencers, to bring them on and share their advice, which hopefully makes the show even more enjoyable for you!

--

Thank you to our sponsors for supporting Run to the Top

Enter to win a FREE 6-Pack of Perfect Amino from BodyHealth

Send an email to info@pacifichealthlabs.com with the subject line "Run to the Top" and ask for your FREE Accel Gel samples. Don't forget to include your address!

Jul 12, 2017

Closing the Gap Between Who We Are and Who We Can Be - With Adam Goucher & Tim Catalano

Adam Goucher & Tim Catalano met at the University of Colorado where they ran together under esteemed coach Mark Wetmore. It was there that a lasting friendship was born, and Tim and Adam later went on to pen a book on their combined experiences and studies.

The book is called Running the Edge, and it is as much about life as it is about running.

Running the Edge served as a philosophical foundation for their business, Run The Edge, a community of fitness and fun based in Boulder, Colorado. The ultimate goal of Run The Edge is to help people around the world improve their fitness and overall well-being, and to encourage all levels of transformation and growth through community support.

Adam and Tim are big believers in the power of reflection and self-awareness, and as they strive to help others better themselves in running and beyond, they’re continually working to do the same.

Take a listen and learn how the power of positive psychology can help us close the gap between who we are and who we can be.

 

Here are some of the topics we’ll discuss today:

 

  • Adam and Tim’s running background
  • Key principles in their book, Running the Edge
  • How successful running and successful living are intertwined
  • The importance of self awareness
  • Why having multiple sources of passion is important
  • How the challenge of running changes as we age

 

Questions Adam & Tim are asked:

3:56 How did you start running and what sparked your interest in it?

8:01 What inspired you to write your book Running the Edge?

10:53 What are some of the principles from the book?

12:47 How do these principles relate to your company and how did you come up with the name Run The Edge?

15:02 What are “The Six Mirrors”?

16:27 Did you have any learning or self-discovery moments as you wrote the book?

20:59 What is the dynamic like of being longtime friends and working together?

24:27 Did this dynamic exist between you back in college?

27:04 How do you advise people to find other passions without sacrificing their running?

31:30 What advice do you give to older runners, especially older beginners, who may be past their peak conditioning?

35:20 In your book, what do you mean by the Distance Maven and how did you come by that term?

40:29 What is your Amerithon Challenge?

44:55 Is there a time frame requirement for completing the challenge?

46:40 Can people join in any time after the launch?

47:34 Are most of your clients in America or overseas?

48:15 What’s in the future for Run The Edge?

 

Quotes by Adam & Tim:

“It’s weird how (running) can make you happy and miserable all at the same time.”

“We didn’t want to write a normal running book.”

“Am I applying myself to the point where I’m working as hard as I can and doing things the right way? Because if I am, then I will be successful.”

“Here’s what I really am. And here’s my ideal self, which is where I could be and try to look at the gap between those two things.”

“Awareness is the key. Once you are aware of your shortcomings, you have the ability to fix them.”

“You’ve gotta be more than a runner.”

“I’ll never be as fast as I once was, but that doesn’t mean I can’t challenge myself to do new and different things.”

 

Take a Listen on Your Next Run

Want more awesome interviews and advice? Subscribe to our iTunes channel

 

Mentioned in this podcast:

Interview with Caitlin Landesberg of Sufferfest Beer Company

Book: Running the Edge

runtheedge.com

Book: The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

Amerithon Challenge (use promo code: runnersconnect to save $5 off your purchase)



We really hope you’ve enjoyed this episode of Run to the Top.

The best way you can show your support of the show is to share this podcast with your family and friends and share it on your Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media channel you use.

If more people who know about the podcast and download the episodes, it means I can reach out to and get through to the top running influencers, to bring them on and share their advice, which hopefully makes the show even more enjoyable for you!

--

Thank you to our sponsors for supporting Run to the Top

Enter to win a FREE 6-Pack of Perfect Amino from BodyHealth

Send an email to info@pacifichealthlabs.com with the subject line "Run to the Top" and ask for your FREE Accel Gel samples. Don't forget to include your address!

Jul 5, 2017

Playing to Your Strengths with Esther Atkins

When Skechers Performance athlete Esther Atkins realized she didn’t quite possess the genetics to become an 800 meter specialist, she set her sights on something different - and it’s lucky she did.

One of America’s best marathoners today, Esther was the 2014 US Marathon champion and earned a spot on the World Championships Marathon team in 2015.

With a blazing personal best of 2:33:15 and many more achievements to her name, it’s clear Esther found her calling.

But just as with most runners, Esther’s career has not been without its setbacks.

From severe performance anxiety to plain old bad races, Esther has persevered through a lot to become the accomplished competitor she is today, and she credits a large part of her success to avoiding comparisons and focusing on her strengths.

Listen in as Esther shares her inspiring story and her tips for capitalizing on the strengths unique to you and your body.

Here are some of the topics we’ll discuss today:

 

  • Esther’s running background
  • Esther’s worst race ever and what she learned from it
  • How to bounce back from bad days
  • Mental toughness
  • The pitfalls of comparison
  • Determining and maximizing your strengths
  • Tricks for setting goals

 

Questions Esther is asked:

 

3:37 How did you first get into running?

 

8:40 How did your collegiate running turn into becoming a career marathoner?

 

17:19 What were some of the strategies you used to manage your pre-race anxieties?

 

21:29 What sparked your passion for the marathon?

 

27:54 Would you consider that 3rd marathon a defining race that changed the course of your career?

 

28:23 What did you credit that great pace to?

 

30:26 Why do you consider your 2nd marathon one of your worst races and what were your takeaways from it?

 

41:20 How do you bounce back after a bad race?

 

44:13 What is one of your proudest accomplishments to date?

 

47:01 What are your tips for enjoying every day and the process that is being a runner?

 

51:27 What advice do you have regarding setting goals?

 

53:54 How do you advise people to avoid the comparison rrap?

 

58:26 What's next for you and Skechers?  

 

 

Quotes by Esther: 

“Pick a point in the race where the people around me at this point are the people I’m racing - that’s my race. And if I beat all the people around me or that person in front of me….that’s me winning the race.”

“At 30k….I stepped off the course and sat down and I had a little pity fest….and then I started walking and then I started jogging because I was like ‘this is going to take forever’. Then I heard this voice over the PA….say in German, ‘Come on, ladies. Four of the top sixteen have already dropped out. Come on - just have fun like the rest of us!’ And I was like ‘you are so right’.”

“As I got so much better at the marathon, I was like ‘oh all my other times are going to get so much faster’, and it just didn’t happen that way.”

“A coach that I worked with at Rider, Bob Hamer - he’s the head coach there - he had his own version of it from yoga class where it’s just focus on your own mat and your own practice, and that’s so important to happiness. The key to happiness is not comparing yourself.”

 

Take a Listen on Your Next Run

  

Want more awesome interviews and advice? Subscribe to our iTunes channel

  

Mentioned in this podcast:

ZAP Fitness

Esther’s Blog

Skechers

Follow Esther on Instagram

Follow Esther on Twitter

  

We really hope you’ve enjoyed this episode of Run to the Top.

The best way you can show your support of the show is to share this podcast with your family and friends and share it on your Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media channel you use.

If more people who know about the podcast and download the episodes, it means I can reach out to and get through to the top running influencers, to bring them on and share their advice, which hopefully makes the show even more enjoyable for you!

--

Thank you to our sponsors for supporting Run to the Top

Enter to win a FREE 6-Pack of Perfect Amino from BodyHealth

 

 

Send an email to info@pacifichealthlabs.com with the subject line "Run to the Top" and ask for your FREE Accel Gel samples. Don't forget to include your address!

 

Jun 28, 2017

Orthopaedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist Dr. David Geier has an enormous passion for helping athletes reach their maximum potential, and he believes a big part of that is simply learning from others’ mistakes.

We runners often ride that line between just right and too much in training, and injury occurs when we go too far.

This is the basis of David’s book That’s Gotta Hurt, which chronicles the injuries that have served as turning points in sports medicine, including Joan Benoit’s legendary win in the 1984 US Olympic Marathon Trials just 17 days after arthroscopic knee surgery.

In this episode, David will discuss the ways in which sports medicine has evolved and share the truth behind treatments like cortisone injections, stem cell therapy, and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) to help you navigate through injuries for long term health and success.

Here are some of the topics we’ll discuss today:

  • Common causes of running injuries and how to minimize them
  • The importance of sleep and how to know if you’re getting enough
  • How to determine if shoes or orthotics will help or hurt you
  • The importance of strength training and cross training
  • What’s on the horizon for sports medicine
  • Inflammation and anti-inflammatories: When are they good and when are they not?

Questions Dr. Geier is asked:

4:03 What sparked your interest in sports medicine and orthopedic surgery?

5:28 What has been the most common cause of injury among your clients and runners in general?

 

6:49 What advice do you have for runners regarding not crossing that line into you overuse?

 

8:13 Is it just a matter of not exceeding your stress threshold and do stress thresholds increase as you get fitter?

 

9:35 What are some stresses and lifestyle habits that make a runner more susceptible to injury?

 

11:13 How much sleep should runners be trying to get at night?

 

13:33 What monitor are you using to monitor your sleep?

 

16:21 In your opinion, how do you shoes play a role in injury?

 

22:13 What is your opinion on whether or not orthotics cause more injuries than they prevent and if so, why is this?

 

25:05 How can runners determine for themselves if orthotics are necessary?

 

24:58 Is it better for runners to strength train weak spots on their bodies then to use orthotics?

 

26:34 How did Joan Benoit’s rapid recovery from knee surgery resulting in her win at the Olympic marathon trials serve as a turning point for sports medicine?

 

29:42 What is your opinion on taking time off when recovering from injury?

 

32:24 What are a few common weaknesses for runners that contribute to injury?

 

37:31 What's happening in sports medicine today with treatments that can help reverse damage from prior injuries?

 

39:51 What is platelet rich plasma (PRP) treatment?

 

42:24 How effective is it and how quickly do people see the effects of it?

 

43:32 Why aren't you a fan of Cortisone shots?

 

45:27 Should runners take anti-inflammatories or let the inflammation run its course?

 

47:12 How should people best implement Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation and are any more important than the other?

 

49:05 What's your opinion on cryotherapy?

 

52:58 What kinds of things can runners do now to ensure long-term health and performance success?

 

Quotes by Dr. Geier:

“I’m all for pushing yourself to a new goal, but you’ve got to work up to that slowly.”

“If you start paying attention to your sleep, that naturally is going to make you want to get more sleep.”

“There was a study that just came out in the last 3 or 4 months that showed that the lowest injury rates were people who wore the shoes that were most comfortable for them.”

“It’s just really a great feeling to be able to tell somebody after they suffered an injury or they had surgery, ‘Hey, you can go back to running or you can go back to football or soccer or whatever it is’ and see the excitement on their face.”

“If something really hurts, just take a day or two off and see if that’s just enough to get it better, but you don’t have to just stop running altogether.”

“We may be at the point where we’re about to make another big, big shift in (sports medicine). I think what’s coming are these treatments based on YOUR body.”

“We want people being active forever, throughout their lives. The key is to encourage people to do it, but to do it in a way so that their bodies hold up so they can be active later, so that they can play with their kids and run in their 50’s, 60’s and 70’s and just be physically active with daily activities.”

Take a Listen on Your Next Run

 

Want more awesome interviews and advice? Subscribe to our iTunes channel

 

Mentioned in this podcast:

 

Dr. David Geier's website

Book -  That's Gotta Hurt: Dr. David Geier

Whoop sleep monitoring system

Joan Benoit - 1984 Marathon Gold Medal Performance

Dr. Chris Segler Run To The Top interview

Dr. Irene Davis Run To The Top interview

Jonathan Beverly Run To The Top interview

Follow Dr. Geier on Twitter

Follow Dr. Geier on Facebook

Dr. Geier's Podcast page



We really hope you’ve enjoyed this episode of Run to the Top.

The best way you can show your support of the show is to share this podcast with your family and friends and share it on your Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media channel you use.

If more people who know about the podcast and download the episodes, it means I can reach out to and get through to the top running influencers, to bring them on and share their advice, which hopefully makes the show even more enjoyable for you!

--

Thank you to our sponsors for supporting Run to the Top

Enter to win a FREE 6-Pack of Perfect Amino from BodyHealth

 


Send an email to info@pacifichealthlabs.com with the subject line "Run to the Top" and ask for your FREE Accel Gel samples. Don't forget to include your address!

Jun 21, 2017

It was the hottest Boston Marathon in history.

 

Heat waves blurred the horizon as Jack and his competition toed the starting line, their uniforms already drenched in sweat. It was over 100 degrees, and spectators lined the course with sprinklers and garden hoses at the ready to cool off passing runners.

 

40 percent of the field dropped out that year, but, through smart racing and pure grit, Jack gradually worked his way into the lead and then into history as he crossed the line the champion of the 1976 Boston Marathon with a finishing time of 2:20:19.

 

The race was nicknamed - appropriately enough - the “Run for the Hoses”, and it was one of the biggest defining moments of Jack’s life.

 

“One” being the operative word.

 

Jack went on to record a personal best of 2:11:17 at Boston in 1978 and qualified for 3 consecutive Olympic Trials in the marathon in 1972, 1976, and 1980.

 

Jack also taught sports psychology at Tufts for 26 years and now works as a training consultant to the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge through which he has raised over $30 million for breast cancer research.

 

Jack has no shortage of insight when it comes to mental game, and he loves sharing that insight to help other runners.

 

Listen in as Jack discusses his tips and tricks for setting goals, bouncing back after bad races, and finding happiness in the process.

 

 

Here are some of the topics we’ll discuss today:

 

  • How Jack started running
  • Jack’s progression from underdog to Boston Marathon winner
  • The 1976 Boston Marathon
  • Jack’s background in sports psychology
  • Why it’s important to differentiate “victory” and “success”
  • Jack’s advice on setting goals
  • How to bounce back from a bad race

 

Questions Jack is asked:

 

3:55 How was your experience at ZAP Fitness?

6:15 How did you first get into running and what really sparked your passion for the sport?

19:45 What were the conditions for 1976 Boston Marathon?

21:13 Did your strategy change going into that race?

26:17 What were the last 8 miles of that race like for you?

31:58 How did it feel having the crowd cheering for you as you won the Boston Marathon?

37:03 What do you advise runners to do in regards to setting goals or multiple goals per race?

46:02 Why should we differentiate “Victory” from “Success”?

49:20 How do you advise runners bounce back from a ‘bad’ race?

57:13 How much time did you give yourself to ‘grieve’ over a disappointing race?

1:00:31 What’s next for you?

 

Quotes by Jack:

 

“I just almost had to keep pinching myself. ‘Is this really happening? I’m really winning the Boston Marathon!’”

“Too much focus on the outcome will contaminate your performance….The process by which - if we attend to that, then the outcome becomes a byproduct of that process, and we have much more control over the process as opposed to the actual outcome.”

“Part of the human condition is that we tend to confirm our greatest fears to ourselves, and if our greatest fear is to lose a race, we increase the likelihood of that happening by whatever means.”

“Having a secondary goal to fall back on when we know the first one is gone - that can help keep your feet in the fire. If somebody goes to the starting line of...a marathon...wanting to qualify for Boston, and now their splits are telling them that’s not going to happen. You don’t want to just throw the whole thing out and find yourself giving up, and now you take nothing away from the race other than beating up on yourself….Have a secondary goal going in that you can fall back on.”

“Victory is purely defined by the results, and success can be defined by an internal measure of what you did against what you felt you had to give.”

“It’s running smart first, and tough second, and taking your last effective steps at the finish line and crossing the finish line knowing that no matter how else you may have executed the race, you probably could not have run any faster.”

 

Take a Listen on Your Next Run

 

 

Want more awesome interviews and advice? Subscribe to our iTunes channel

 

Mentioned in this podcast:

Once a Runner

Boston Marathon

Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge

Follow Jack on Twitter

 

 

We really hope you’ve enjoyed this episode of Run to the Top.

The best way you can show your support of the show is to share this podcast with your family and friends and share it on your Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media channel you use.

If more people who know about the podcast and download the episodes, it means I can reach out to and get through to the top running influencers, to bring them on and share their advice, which hopefully makes the show even more enjoyable for you!

--

Thank you to our sponsors for supporting Run to the Top

Enter to win a FREE 6-Pack of Perfect Amino from BodyHealth

 

 

Send an email to info@pacifichealthlabs.com with the subject line "Run to the Top" and ask for your FREE Accel Gel samples. Don't forget to include your address!

 

 

Jun 14, 2017

What if someone told you there is no “correct” stride? That, just like our fingerprints, everyone’s optimal stride is unique to them?

While this goes against the grain of what we runners have been taught, Jonathan Beverly has the proof to back it up.

The author of a new book called Your Best Stride, Jonathan is a coach, lifetime runner, and expert in running shoes and the running industry.

He writes for Runner’s World and Outside Magazine just to name a few, and he also served as editor of Running Times from 2000-2016.

Today Jonathan’s going to share with us some shocking information on the myths surrounding running shoes and what constitutes a perfect stride, how to counter those lifestyle habits detrimental to your stride, and how to master the best stride for you and your performance.

Here are some of the topics we’ll discuss today:

 

  • Jonathan’s new book Your Best Stride
  • Why there is no “correct” stride
  • Stride signature and preferred movement path
  • Why foot strike is overrated
  • The perils of sitting down and other lifestyle habits
  • How to counter the effects of these habits
  • How to avoid “ruts”
  • Universal form cues all runners should know

 

Questions Jonathan is asked:

3:48 What is your background and how did you become passionate about running?

6:32 What prompted you to start a writing career centered around running?

9:26 Can you tell us about Your Best Stride and what inspired you to write it?

16:03 Why is foot strike overrated and what should runners focus on instead?

19:30 You argue there is no “correct” stride. Why?

22:37 How does sitting down a lot affect stride? What are some other bad lifestyle habits for stride efficiency?

25:42 How does driving, typing, and scrolling through your phone affect posture and arm carriage?

27:27 How can people counter the effects of these lifestyle habits on their strides?

31:07 What areas of the body should runners focus on strengthening most?

38:01 How does switching up terrain and race distance help improve stride and overall performance?

41:53 Should runners switch the types of shoes they run in regularly?

44:05 What are the myths surrounding running shoes?

47:47 What are some universal form cues all runners should follow?

50:37 Is it more important to strengthen our weak spots than it is to try and consciously change our form?

52:01 How should runners determine which shoes are right for them and their bodies?

54:42 What’s next for you?

Quotes by Jonathan:

 

“The kinetic chain starts at the hips, and if your hips are off, then everything else is going to be off. So the focus needs to move up, and [foot strike] is the consequence of an effective stride - it’s not the cause of it. If you try to correct the consequence without addressing the cause, you end up with a mess.”

“You can think of your stride like your voice. I’m hearing you talk now and it’s the first time we’ve talked, but the next time I hear you I’ll recognize you. And you shouldn’t sound like me - you should sound like you. You vocal chords are different, the length of your neck is different, the size of your lungs is different - all of those things go into creating your voice. And it’s the same thing with your stride.”

“Because we’ve been sitting so long, a lot of us can’t actually [extend our hips] anymore….If we try, it’s sort of like opening a screen door that only has a hinge one way. If you’re pushing it the other way, you’re going to break the door frame.”

“[Running drills] aren’t cueing a certain type of stride - they’re just changing the motion, changing the muscle recruitment so that your body starts noticing that ‘oh, if I use the glute instead of the hamstring, we can go easier and faster’.”

 

Take a Listen on Your Next Run

  

Want more awesome interviews and advice? Subscribe to our iTunes channel

 

Mentioned in this podcast:

Book: Your Best Stride by Jonathan Beverly

Road Runners Club of America

Article: 5 Common Myths About Running Shoes by Jonathan Beverly

Run to the Top Interview with Irene Davis

Run to the Top Interview with Danny Dreyer

Book: The Story of the Human Body by Daniel Lieberman

Jonathan’s website

Follow Jonathan on Twitter

 

We really hope you’ve enjoyed this episode of Run to the Top.

The best way you can show your support of the show is to share this podcast with your family and friends and share it on your Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media channel you use.

If more people who know about the podcast and download the episodes, it means I can reach out to and get through to the top running influencers, to bring them on and share their advice, which hopefully makes the show even more enjoyable for you!

--

Thank you to our sponsors for supporting Run to the Top

Enter to win a FREE 6-Pack of Perfect Amino from BodyHealth

  

Send an email to info@pacifichealthlabs.com with the subject line "Run to the Top" and ask for your FREE Accel Gel samples. Don't forget to include your address!

 

 

Jun 7, 2017

After LA native and trail runner Caitlin Landesberg discovered she was gluten intolerant, she felt left out when she could no longer partake in the ritual post-workout beer with her friends.

 

To most runners, this ritual is a familiar one and part of what makes the sport so gratifying. Kicking back with friends after a workout or a race and having a well-earned beer (or, ya know, maybe a few) is an important facet of running and one that goes way back. The celebration (and often commiseration) following a race is a key component to our camaraderie as runners, and beer plays a big role in that.

 

To Caitlin, running just wasn’t the same without this component, and so she began looking for a satisfying gluten-free beer that would quench her thirst for the rich, full taste to which she was accustomed.

 

Coming up empty, Caitlin decided to just make her own, and, after a lot of trial and error, Sufferfest Beer Company was born.

 

Specializing in gluten-removed beer, Sufferfest’s mission is to build community in the running world and provide hardworking athletes with the reward they deserve.

 

Caitlin is continually working to create not only a great tasting beer but a beer also enriched with vitamins and minerals to help you replenish what you’ve lost and bounce back faster.

Listen in as Caitlin shares how she is working to change the worlds of craft beer and running alike.

Here are some of the topics we’ll discuss today:

  • Caitlin’s athletic background
  • Symptoms of gluten intolerance
  • Challenges Caitlin faced when going gluten-free
  • How Sufferfest Beer Co. got started
  • How to make gluten-removed beer
  • Caitlin’s mission to change the worlds of beer and running

 

Questions Caitlin is asked:

3:12 What is your background as a competitive trail runner?

6:25 How did you find out your had a gluten allergy?

9:43 What challenges did you face when you began adjusting your diet?

11:58 How did you begin brewing your own beer?

15:55 How do you remove the gluten from your beer?

19:17 Could your friends tell the difference between your initial homebrew and commercial beer?

22:47 Were you doing this on the side or did you leave your job to do this?

25:50 Was it difficult finding distributors for your beer?

29:35 How did you come up with the name Sufferfest?

32:07 Where can people buy Sufferfest beer?

38:42 How do you wish to impact both the worlds of craft beer and athletics?

43:17 What makes conservation and sustainability so important to you and your team?

46:14 What’s next for you and Sufferfest?

48:09 If you could pick the worst/most gratifying race you’ve ever run, the best Sufferfest, what would it be? 

 

Quotes by Caitlin:

 

“Now I run mostly for fun, I run with friends, I run to….gosh, to just sort of feel alive.”

“You would look at me and say this person’s in shape - she eats pretty well and of course runs quite a bit and treats her body pretty well, but I was all sorts of wrong at the time.”

“It was just kind of the trial and error of seeing how far I could take something and see how good I could make something taste for myself for very selfish purposes is what sort of led me down this road.”

“That was the big aha moment for me was being able to pass my beer around that was made in this gluten-removed methodology, and people just drank it and loved it. And I didn’t even have to say anything about it, and that’s the beauty of it….just enjoying the basic ritual of having a beer with friends.”

“After a hard day out there whether you’ve been hiking or swimming or what have you - whatever you do to kind of feel like you’ve earned it….I want something satisfying and premium and not low-calorie.”

“I think when we’re all drinking together, we have that camaraderie that we’ve just really writhed and ailed, and that’s sort of the best feeling at times: to finish together and talk about what you’ve just endured.”

“We’re celebrating of course, and that’s part of training: to take days off or take time to celebrate achievements. But how can beer also aid in bouncing back and recovery?”

 

Take a Listen on Your Next Run

Want more awesome interviews and advice? Subscribe to our iTunes channel

 

Mentioned in this podcast:

Sufferfest Beer Company

Brewers Clarex

Ragnar

Follow Caitlin on Twitter

  

We really hope you’ve enjoyed this episode of Run to the Top.

The best way you can show your support of the show is to share this podcast with your family and friends and share it on your Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media channel you use.

If more people who know about the podcast and download the episodes, it means I can reach out to and get through to the top running influencers, to bring them on and share their advice, which hopefully makes the show even more enjoyable for you!

--

Thank you to our sponsors for supporting Run to the Top

Enter to win a FREE 6-Pack of Perfect Amino from BodyHealth

 

 

Send an email to info@pacifichealthlabs.com with the subject line "Run to the Top" and ask for your FREE Accel Gel samples. Don't forget to include your address!

May 31, 2017

Cherie Gruenfeld exemplifies the ability to remain competitive regardless of age.

 

Much like many of our listeners, Cherie picked up endurance sports a little later in life - starting running in her early 40s and triathlons in her late 40s.

 

Now at the age of 73, she is one of the most heavily decorated Masters triathletes in the world and still competes in half Ironmans to this day.

 

In this episode, Cherie walks us through her late entry into competitive running and triathlons, her philosophy for finding continued success in the sport, and a little about her nonprofit organization through which she works to help underprivileged kids achieve more than they ever thought possible.

 

Between her advice on longevity in the sport and her outlook on self betterment (even when that may no longer mean setting PR’s), Cherie’s story has something for everyone.

Here are some of the topics we’ll discuss today:

  • What motivated Cherie to start running and competing in triathlons
  • How she has maintained her competitive streak, both physically and mentally
  • What makes the Ironman World Championship at Kona so special to Cherie
  • How Cherie is giving back through sport and opportunity

Questions Cherie is asked:

3:25 What is your athletic background?

5:14 What inspired you to start running?

8:36 Did you have any setbacks or struggles when you first started?

10:12 When did you realize you had the potential to be a competitive triathlete?

10:55 How did you get interested in triathlons?

19:04 Did you know at your first Kona event that you could become one of the most decorated Masters triathletes in the world?

19:45 What did becoming the first woman over age 55 to complete an Ironman in less than 12 hours mean to you?

23:14 Why did you select Kona as the event you wanted to break the 12-hour barrier?

24:18 What makes Kona so special to you?

26:21 What makes Kona something you look forward to year after year?

28:22 Is Kona the Boston Marathon of triathlons?

28:44 Which part of the triathlon is your strongest and which is your weakest?

30:25 Is trying to set new goals within each component of the triathlon part of what keeps you going?

36:47 How has BodyHealth helped you compete at such a high level for so long while remaining healthy?

39:21 Do you attribute much of your success to these supplements and how did you feel prior to and after using them regularly?

41:39 Besides the supplements, what other tips do you have for maintaining competitive longevity?

43:32 What is your organization, Exceeding Expectations, and what is its mission?

49:12 What’s next for you?

 

Quotes by Cherie:

“I would never have guessed that I would have had the opportunities that I did.”

“If you have to ask (about Kona), you haven’t been there.”

“There’s a bonding among all Ironmen; you meet another Ironman on a plane and you don’t even have to ask questions, you just automatically know certain things about the character of the person.”

“My swim and my bike are within 10 or 15 minutes of what they used to be, but the run? There’s no way that I am going to run a 4-hour marathon in an Ironman any longer. But I’m still one of the top runners in the age group.”

“You cannot race the way you used to; you simply are NOT going to, and you have to accept that.”

“Sleeping is critical to being ready for the next day.”

“Don’t wait till you’re a Masters athlete to start thinking about maintaining health and longevity, because if you intend to stay in this for the long haul, you gotta start when you’re younger. You have to develop these good, healthy habits, you have to understand that you’re not invincible, that you can be taken down and it’s up to you to take care of yourself so that some of that doesn’t happen.”

“It’s never too late to be what you might have been.”

Take a Listen on Your Next Run

  

Want more awesome interviews and advice? Subscribe to our iTunes channel

 

Mentioned in this podcast:

IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

BodyHealth supplements homepage

Exceeding Expectations Foundation

Challenged Athletes Foundation

 

We really hope you’ve enjoyed this episode of Run to the Top.

The best way you can show your support of the show is to share this podcast with your family and friends and share it on your Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media channel you use.

If more people who know about the podcast and download the episodes, it means I can reach out to and get through to the top running influencers, to bring them on and share their advice, which hopefully makes the show even more enjoyable for you!

--

Thank you to our sponsors for supporting Run to the Top

Enter to win a FREE 6-Pack of Perfect Amino from BodyHealth

 

 

Send an email to info@pacifichealthlabs.com with the subject line "Run to the Top" and ask for your FREE Accel Gel samples. Don't forget to include your address!

 

May 24, 2017

When ultramarathoner and running guru Danny Dreyer attended a tai chi class in 1999, a lightbulb went off.

 

He believed the martial art’s principles of alignment, relaxation, and balance might allow him to finally make the next leap in training, and he wasn’t disappointed.

 

After he began incorporating tai chi into his running, Danny not only witnessed dramatic improvements in his performance, but he also wasn’t getting injured any more.

 

In fact, he’d finish a run feeling exactly the same as when he started.

 

Wishing to share his discovery, Danny founded ChiRunning through which he’s helped thousands of runners conquer injury and run more efficiently to reach new levels.

 

A mindful and process driven exercise rather than simply a means to an end, ChiRunning is also known as “moving meditation”, and it’s helped both recreational and elite athletes reduce impact for improved health, better performance, and more enjoyable running.

 

Listen in as Danny discusses the benefits of ChiRunning as well as how you can achieve the technique so many runners swear by today.

Here are some of the topics we’ll discuss today:

 

  • A little about Danny and ChiRunning
  • The ChiRunning technique
  • Scientific evidence for the benefits of ChiRunning
  • Danny’s opinion on footwear
  • How to accomplish the ChiRunning technique
  • Body Sensing
  • ChiRunning School
  • Success stories and elite runners that use this technique

Questions Danny is asked:

 

3:05 What is your background with ChiRunning?

 

6:56 What are the principles of Tai Chi and how are they incorporated into biomechanics?

 

12:01 What is the foot-strike with ChiRunning?

 

13:44 What did the 2012 ChiRunning study at UNC - Chapel Hill involve?

 

18:29 In this study, how did shoes affect ChiRunners?

 

23:48 What is the ChiRunning technique?

 

28:41 What about cadence and stride rate?

 

29:35 How long does it take for a runner to learn this new motion?

 

30:30 How does this help or help prevent injury?

 

34:20 How would you advise runners adjust their form into ChiRunning?

 

37:43 What is Body Sensing and what are the benefits?

 

42:24 Is it more real-time analysis vs. post-activity analysis?

 

43:19 How is Body Sensing taught?

 

46:52 Do Runners need shoes for pronation / supination?

 

48:27 Do you do online consultations?

 

54:39 Listener question: Do people see significant improvements in their running times with ChiRunning?

 

Quotes by Danny:

 

“[ChiRunning] is all about really having great posture (really working on your posture)....working from your core or from your center but relaxing everything outside that. It’s really different than how most runners run.”

“I would come back from a run and not even feel like I had gone for a run, so I thought ‘there’s something to this.’”

“Tai Chi is based on how the body is designed, and how the human body is designed is all the big muscles and larger and stronger muscles are in the area of your core - or your “center”. Now in Tai Chi they call your center your “dantien”, and they call it your “power center”. It’s the place from which you move.”

“Where do most of the running injuries happen?....From the knees on down….So what does that tell you? People are using all the teeny tiny, much smaller muscles to run with instead of all the big strong muscles in the middle.”

“The running form is what’s important - not the shoes.”

“As your knees bend as you pass over your support stride, then it turns into a very circular stride like your feet are going around in a wheel motion - like you’re pedaling a crankset to a bicycle.”

“It’s also about reducing your impact. So not only are you getting faster easier, but you’re not creating any impact, which can wear out your muscles, joints, brake pads, things like that.”

“I love that phrase ‘run yourself into the ground.’ That’s how a lot of people run: into the ground instead of across the ground.”

“What I’ve come up with is 104 lessons - that’s one lesson a week for two years. And I did a video of each lesson, and then I did an audio to take with you on the run so people can download the audio and I’m talking in your ear while you’re learning [ChiRunning].”

  

Take a Listen on Your Next Run 

Want more awesome interviews and advice? Subscribe to our iTunes channel

 

Mentioned in this podcast:

ChiRunning

Study on ChiRunning’s Benefits

ChiRunning Love Letters

ChiRunning School (two years’ worth of video lessons to help you master ChiRunning)

Follow Danny on Twitter

 

We really hope you’ve enjoyed this episode of Run to the Top.

The best way you can show your support of the show is to share this podcast with your family and friends and share it on your Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media channel you use.

If more people who know about the podcast and download the episodes, it means I can reach out to and get through to the top running influencers, to bring them on and share their advice, which hopefully makes the show even more enjoyable for you!

--

Thank you to our sponsors for supporting Run to the Top

Enter to win a FREE 6-Pack of Perfect Amino from BodyHealth

  

Send an email to info@pacifichealthlabs.com with the subject line "Run to the Top" and ask for your FREE Accel Gel samples. Don't forget to include your address!

 

May 17, 2017

Most of us have been there.

You’re in the thick of training just a few weeks away from your big goal race, and then one morning you step out of bed to feel a new pain - a pain far worse than the everyday soreness you know too well.

*insert expletive*

So what does the doctor prescribe? You guessed it. Time off.

These two words are pretty much the last thing we runners want to hear after months and months of hard work, and the thought of scrapping all that work and starting over after your goal race has come and gone can be demoralizing.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Enter Dr. Christopher Segler of Doc On The Run, a San Francisco-based practice that specializes in podiatry and running injuries.

An accomplished marathoner and Ironman triathlete, Chris knows full well how frustrating injuries can be, which is why he’s devoted his life’s work to getting sidelined runners healthy and back to the grind as fast as possible.

So what’s the first step to a speedy recovery? According to Chris, don’t take time off.

You read that right.

Despite those conventional protocols to which we’re accustomed (“six weeks off” ring any bells?), Chris maintains time off is not only unnecessary, but it’s also counterproductive to recovering from most injuries.

In this episode of Run to the Top, Chris will dispel the myths surrounding injury and discuss better alternatives to time off - methods that help you bounce back not only stronger than before but also equipped with the knowledge crucial to preventing future injury.

Here are some of the topics we’ll discuss today:

  • A little about Chris and Doc On The Run
  • The most common causes of injury among runners
  • Stresses and lifestyle habits that contribute to injury
  • Chris’ thoughts on minimalist and maximalist shoes
  • Why inactivity is counterproductive to recovery
  • When time off is actually warranted
  • How to remain active while recovering

Questions Chris is asked:

3:10 Tell us about yourself as an athlete as well as Doc On The Run.

6:08 What have you found to be the most common cause of injury?

7:27 What are the typical causes of plantar fasciitis and  metatarsal stress fractures?

11:14 How would you advise people maximize their 'stress threshold' without exceeding it?

13:20 How familiar are you with Irene Davis and her research?

14:29 Do you think that footwear causes injuries?

17:07 Do you advocate minimalist shoes?

22:34 When should a runner avoid using minimalist shoes?

24:48 What do you mean when you say that runners have an unfair advantage when it comes to recovering from injuries?

29:46 Why is inactivity the last thing a runner needs when recovering from an injury?

36:55 Why does conventional medicine have such difficulty with treating runners?

37:42 What should runners actually do to facilitate recovery for different types of injuries?

44:58 How should an injured runner know when it's time to swap out running for a lower impact activity to aid recovery?

48:39 How can runners determine which cross training activity best suits their injury?

49:57 Will anti-inflammatories inhibit recovery?

56:26 The Final Kick Round

Quotes by Chris:

“That’s the way I’ve really shaped my practice is to help runners achieve their goal - not just make their pain go away.”

“People say running causes running injuries, and that’s just not true.”

“A news guy was interviewing a highway patrolman, and he was talking about snow - it had just started snowing in Lake Tahoe. And then while they were standing there talking about this, there was actually an accident right behind them….And so the interviewer said to the highway patrolman, ‘Well isn’t it true that snow causes accidents?’ And the highway patrolman looked at him like he was an idiot, and he said, ‘No, driving too fast for conditions causes accidents.’”

“I believe you only have so much stress that your body can take, and if it’s too much then something breaks.”

“The overwhelming majority of children actually run as forefoot or midfoot strikers. 85% of adults run as rearfoot strikers. 85% of adults who run as rearfoot strikers have also all been wearing some sort of shoe that has an elevated heel usually somewhere roughly in the vicinity of 12mm for pretty much their entire lives.”

“I believe that most runners who have been habitually active - that cycle of tissue damage and tissue repair effectively trains your immune system and your body to heal injuries faster.”

“Most runners don’t feel good when they don’t run, and it’s not because they’re exercise addicts. It’s because their physiology is different.”

“I think it sets up a whole chain of recurring injuries when you stop running.”

“The doctors look at it and they say if you want this one thing - this one injured thing to get better - you have to pay for it by this whole protocol that we use in America as the standard treatment. And they don’t even mention that you’re going to have this enormous risk of recurring injuries that may or may not ever go away.”

 

Take a Listen on Your Next Run

Want more awesome interviews and advice? Subscribe to our iTunes channel

 

Mentioned in this podcast:

Doc On The Run

Run to the Top interview with Dr. Irene Davis

Newton Gravity 6

RunnersConnect Running Form Course

Book: Iron War

Video: Peanut Butter Jelly Time (listeners beware)

Garmin Forerunner 910XT

Follow Chris on Twitter


We really hope you’ve enjoyed this episode of Run to the Top.

The best way you can show your support of the show is to share this podcast with your family and friends and share it on your Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media channel you use.

If more people who know about the podcast and download the episodes, it means I can reach out to and get through to the top running influencers, to bring them on and share their advice, which hopefully makes the show even more enjoyable for you!

--

Thank you to our sponsors for supporting Run to the Top

Enter to win a FREE 6-Pack of Perfect Amino from BodyHealth

Send an email to info@pacifichealthlabs.com with the subject line "Run to the Top" and ask for your FREE Accel Gel samples. Don't forget to include your address!


May 10, 2017

You know your body better than anyone else, so you know when things aren’t feeling “right”.

Unfortunately, traditional healthcare doesn’t typically cater to runners. Reference ranges are determined without the athlete in mind, and when you express symptoms of fatigue, weight gain, or maybe IBS to the average practitioner, you’re often prescribed medication as a short term solution to a longterm problem.

Enter functional diagnostic nutrition practitioner and “biohacker” Christopher Kelly. Chris is the founder of a company called Nourish Balance Thrive that provides athletes with science-based, personally customized support programs based on their unique wiring.

A program is created with an athlete’s specific biomarkers in mind, which are substances indicative of disease, infection, or environmental exposure that help Chris and his team pinpoint what might be holding that athlete back.

Chris then creates a special diet and lifestyle plan that will trigger optimal gene expression (i.e. allow you to achieve peak athletic performance, improve your longterm health, and, ya know, just make you feel really, really good).

After effectively reversing his Type II diabetes and going from recreational cycler to now pro, Chris wanted to share the methods he discovered through trial and error with athletes like him.

 

He started Nourish Balance Thrive back in 2013, and he’s now working with two medical professionals and two engineers to develop software for blood interpretation that he believes will change sports medicine (and healthcare in general) as we know it.

 

Listen in as Chris discusses “biohacking” and explains two biomarkers he and his team have found to be paramount to performance and longevity.

 

Here are some of the topics we’ll discuss today:

  • Key biomarkers and their importance
  • Chris’s personal story and reversing progressive diabetes
  • Understanding diet and dietary adjustments
  • How training slow can increase your performance
  • The role of stress in our lives

 

Questions Chris is asked:

4:40 Tell us about Nourish Balance Thrive

5:26 How do you help athletes adjust diets and lifestyles?

7:31 What is Fasting Blood Glucose?

9:17 How did your team determine optimal reference ranges?

10:41 How does elevated fasting blood glucose work as a biomarker and what does it mean?

11:21 What is Hemoglobin A1C?

12:22 Where do traditional reference ranges for elevated fasting blood glucose come from?

17:18 So you studied people who are pre-diabetes?

18:30 What factors might cause Hemoglobin A1C to be falsely high?

20:26 What elevates these numbers?

23:42 How did you reverse your Type 2 Diabetes?

26:38 Should endurance athletes move to a diet higher in fat and protein vs. carbs?

28:52 Does everyone have some degree of gluten intolerance?

30:13 How do you test clients for food allergies?

34:13 What foods should be temporarily avoided for food allergen diagnostics?

35:30 How do you ensure people notice differences or changes?

38:02 Did you have difficulties removing these foods from your diet?

40:18 What is Polarized Training?

43:20 Does this affect ‘perceived effort’?

45:46 How should runners monitor Heart Rate?

47:04 How does stress relate to Hemoglobin A1C and Fast Blood Glucose?

50:23 What about nutrient deficiency?

55:27 Are probiotics helpful?

57:07 How can listeners find you and what services can you offer them?

1:01:37 Final Kick

Quotes by Chris:

“You can’t possibly fix a problem without understanding what caused it.”

“It’s always interesting to look at a study that’s being done on people who don’t have a problem.”

“I wouldn’t try and claim that everybody is sensitive to gluten, nor would I try and claim that removing gluten from your diet makes it a healthy diet.”

“Let’s say you’ve got the suspicion that you’re sensitive to milk or cheese or soy or nuts or gluten or something else, the gold standard is to remove those foods from your diet for a period, see how you do and then experiment with reintroducing them.”

“Every time I go and do something, I’m always looking for small differences.”

“I find that once you get good at noticing these small changes, you won’t just notice them in your environment around you, you’ll also notice them in yourself.”

“One person’s greatest problem is going to be not an issue at all for the next person and vice versa.”

“Different people respond in different ways to stress and your job is to find the tools that allow you to appropriately manage stress.”

Take a Listen on Your Next Run

 

Want more awesome interviews and advice? Subscribe to our iTunes channel

 

Mentioned in this podcast:

nourishbalancethrive.com

Elite Performance Program

Blood Glucose Test Kit

Dr. Bryan Walsh

metabolicfitnesspro.com

Generation UCAN Superstarch

Book: Counterclockwise - Ellen Langer

Book: The Big Book of Endurance Training and Racing - Philip Maffetone

Book: The Endurance Handbook: How to Achieve Athletic Potential, Stay Healthy, and Get the Most Out of Your Body - Philip Maffetone

Jeff Galloway on Run To The Top

Chris Kelly's Podcast

Book: Ready to Run - Kelly Starrett

Fasted State Training article from Ultra Running

 

We really hope you’ve enjoyed this episode of Run to the Top.

The best way you can show your support of the show is to share this podcast with your family and friends and share it on your Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media channel you use.

If more people who know about the podcast and download the episodes, it means I can reach out to and get through to the top running influencers, to bring them on and share their advice, which hopefully makes the show even more enjoyable for you!

 

 


May 3, 2017

Since Christopher McDougall popularized the practice in his 2009 publication of Born to Run, more and more runners have been opting for minimalist shoes or, ditching the foam altogether, barefoot running.

Followers of the barefoot movement maintain the practice both significantly reduces injury and improves running performance. But is there real, scientific proof to back these claims?

According to Dr. Irene Davis, the answer is a resounding yes.

Irene is one of sport’s leading experts on running biomechanics and injury as well as the most credible minimalist shoe and barefoot running advocate in the world. A professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School, Irene’s research revolves primarily around the relationship between lower extremity mechanics and injury.

She’s devoted the last decade to developing protocols to alter runners’ gait patterns and thereby reduce those mechanics known to cause injury - mechanics, as Irene has learned, often caused by footwear.

Listen in as Irene explains how the evolution of footwear has ultimately come to defy our own.

Here are some of the topics we’ll discuss today:

  • Irene’s background and running biomechanics research
  • How Irene became a barefoot and minimalist shoe advocate
  • Why injury rates are so high among runners
  • Differences in biomechanics between traditional shoes, minimalist, and barefoot
  • How to modify running gait to reduce risk for injury and improve performance
  • How to strengthen your feet
  • How to transition to minimalist shoes/barefoot running if interested
  • Minimalist shoe brands

Questions Irene is asked:

4:30 What research are you involved in?

4:54 How did you get involved in biomechanics research?

5:36 Were you initially working with the general public or professional athletes?

6:22 Given your prior background, when and why did you become a barefoot running advocate?

9:12 Why do you think so many runners get injured every year?

10:44 Why do you believe supportive footwear is causing injuries?

14:03 Are these shoes encouraging heel-striking?

16:29 Is it correct to assume that strengthening your intrinsic and extrinsic muscles will correct issues?

18:46 Why do shod runners with a forefoot strike have the best loading-rates?

21:04 How should someone go about altering their stride?

24:07 What is ‘doming’?

26:35 How could a runner perform weight-bearing exercises while doming?

30:38 Can an injured runner do these exercises?

31:27 Are there significant differences in alignment between runners in shoes and barefoot runners?

32:35 How is dynamic stability affected by footwear from barefoot to minimal to standard running shoe?

38:48 What brands of minimalist shoes would you recommend?

43:07 Where do you see the future of barefoot running going?

45:06 As a barefoot runner, can you run on any surface or are some more preferred?

49:41 How can a traditional runner transition to barefoot running?

55:01 The Final Kick Round

Quotes by Irene:

“Based on our hypothesis, barefoot running really is the model we should be using in terms of running style because it’s closest to the way that we were adapted to run.

 

There is something called the “mismatch” theory of evolution that says we’re not using our bodies in the way they were adapted….and saying we’re not eating the food we were adapted to eat. But I like to extend that also to running because I think that the footwear that we have gotten ourselves into….has actually changed the way that we run so that we are not running in a way that we were designed or adapted to run.

 

We need to be open to new ideas, and you may need to evolve in your thinking. What the truth is today may not be the truth 10 years from now, and the truth 10 years ago may not be the truth today.

 

Running is in our genes: you don’t need to be taught to run. You run automatically as you develop. It’s one of the motor skills you develop as a child, and so running is something that is innate in us. You do it for survival, and so it shouldn’t be an activity at which we get injured at such a high rate….It would be like birds getting wing injuries or fish getting fin injuries at a high rate.

 

If you think about it, if you were jumping off a high step and you were going to land in sand, you’re going to stiffen your leg. But if you know that’s concrete that you’re landing in, you’re going to soften your leg. And we do it without even thinking about it….So if you take someone who’s adapted to cushioning and have them run without cushioning, their load rates are going to be much higher.

 

If you consider the fact that there’s a 52% lifetime risk of developing achilles tendonitis….and most people are heel-strikers, then you start to wonder perhaps if people were landing on the ball of their foot and actually resulting in stiffer, stronger tendons, maybe that rate - that statistic - would be significantly lower.

 

There is evidence that the more you take away from the foot, the greater tendency you have to land on the ball of your foot….and we have basically shown that forefoot strikers in general have lower rates of loading than mid-foot strikers or forefoot strikers.

 

‘Lose the foam and dome!’

‘Minimal footwear running is science and evolution in perfect harmony.’

 

Take a Listen on Your Next Run

 

Want more awesome interviews and advice? Subscribe to our iTunes channel

 

Mentioned in this podcast:

Irene's Study on Foot Core

Michael Ryan's Study on Partial Minimalist Shoes

Shoe: Innovate Bare-XF 210

Shoe: Merrell Pace Glove 

Shoe: Xero Prio

Shoe: Vivobarefoot

Shoe: Teva

Shoe: Nike Air Pegasus 

Shoe: Vibram Five Fingers 

Book: Born to Run

Follow Irene on Twitter

 

We really hope you’ve enjoyed this episode of Run to the Top.

The best way you can show your support of the show is to share this podcast with your family and friends and share it on your Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media channel you use.

If more people who know about the podcast and download the episodes, it means I can reach out to and get through to the top running influencers, to bring them on and share their advice, which hopefully makes the show even more enjoyable for you!

--

Thank you to our sponsors for supporting Run to the Top

Enter to win a FREE 6-Pack of Perfect Amino from BodyHealth

 

 

Use coupon code TINA for 10% off at Saucony.com

 

Apr 26, 2017

Stacy Sims - Fuel For What You’re Doing: Rethinking Fueling and Hydration

 

There are a lot of options for fueling and hydration products on the market. But beyond taste and marketing lies efficacy: is the product doing the job you need it to do when you need it to do it? There are also some misconceptions and myths that, while generally accepted, are not actually based in physiological fact. And muddying the waters further are the inherent physiological differences between men and women. If you’ve ever been confused standing in front of a sports drink display, you’re not alone.

 

Enter Stacy Sims, an Environmental Exercise Physiologist and Nutrition Scientist specializing in sex differences of heat and/or altitude stress, recovery, genetics, and nutrition  to moderate adaptive responses for performance. Stacy is a Senior Research Fellow at The University Of Waikato and author of ROAR, which helps women understand and work with their physiology for better performance.

 

That’s not to say that there’s no information in here for men. Stacy passionately explains the why’s and when’s of fueling, hydration and more for both men and women. This episode will help you re-evaluate your fueling and hydration strategy to provide more optimal results.

 

Here are some of the topics we’ll discuss today:

 

  • Issues with the product functionality of the modern sports drink industry.
  • How to fuel and hydrate while training vs. while racing; and how needs change based on environmental conditions and gender.
  • What causes most cramping while running (it’s not what you think).
  • Why drinking more water isn’t necessarily helpful.
  • The specific needs of female athletes and how oral contraceptives compromise performance.
  • The best natural sources of sugar.

 

Questions Stacy is asked:

3:37 What is your background in endurance sports?

4:35 What prompted your interest in Nutrition Science and Environmental Exercise Physiology?

5:25 What was your mission with Osmo, what is your mission now with Nuun and what is the history of the sports drink industry?

6:59 Has the sports drink industry been geared more towards palatability than osmolality?

8:55 Have you discovered that it’s better to separate fueling and hydrating altogether?

10:55 How does this play into recovery & post-workout drinks?

12:45 What would be a good fuel strategy during a marathon or long run?

14:36 How do you feel about all natural gels?

16:01 Why are you not a fan of electrolyte pills or salt tabs?

18:34 Does cramping have anything to do with dehydration or potassium deficiency?

19:43 How should a runner determine how and when to hydrate as well as to take electrolytes?

21:57 How do women’s hydration needs vary throughout the stages of their menstrual cycle?

23:49 How should a woman who is having her period leading into a race alter her hydration strategy?

24:40 What do you mean by “Women are not small men” and how do men’s and women’s protein and carb requirements differ?

27:30 Are you not a proponent of oral contraception for high performance female athletes?

29:04 What would you suggest to female athletes as a safe alternative to the pill?

30:07 What is your take on the popular high fat / low carb diet in general and for men vs. women specifically?

33:01 Do women need carbs as endurance athletes?

33:36 Does sugar actually inhibit one’s ability to use fat as fuel?

35:01 Out of all the different types, which sugars are best?

36:39 What about honey?

37:06 What are the best solid foods to use to fuel for training and competition?

38:28 How does ambient temperature affect how people process different foods?

38:41 What should people consume post-run, especially post-workout or post-long run to facilitate glycogen repletion, fluid balance and overall recovery?

40:16 How has your partnership with Nuun been so far and what’s in the works with them?

43:08 What is the new product Nuun just released?

47:50 The Final Kick Round

Quotes by Stacy:

 

 

  • “No one’s really pushing down on ‘we need fluid first’, because you can live 3 or 4 days without hydration and you can live 7-90 days without food; so from a functionality and a physiological point, you really want to look at the hydration and not the carbohydrate intake.”
  • “A sports drink is like a sofa bed; it’s not a good bed, it’s not a good sofa, because you’re trying to merge two things that shouldn’t be merged.”
  • “When we think about all this engineered nutrition, you’re taking concentrated carbohydrate and putting it in this compromised gut.”
  • “It’s not about eating a whole bunch of food at once, it’s a sip, sip, nibble, nibble approach.”
  • “Use water for something up to an hour, but if something’s intense you need more than water, because water doesn’t hydrate.”
  • “After 2 hours… your thirst is not a very good representation of what’s happening.”
  • “Getting people to understand that what you read in a general scope does not necessarily apply to women because the research hasn’t been done on women.”

 

 

Take a Listen on Your Next Run

 

Want more awesome interviews and advice? Subscribe to our iTunes channel

 

Mentioned in this podcast:

Dr. Stacy Sims - The University of Waikato profile

Book - ROAR: How to Match Your Food and Fitness to Your Unique Female Physiology for Optimum Performance, Great Health, and a Strong, Lean Body for Life

nuun performance

Urine Test Strips

Metromint Water

Dr. Constance Lebrun

"No Sweat": Nina Stachenfeld OCP research article

https://seleneyeager.com/

Running On Real Food blog

Kara Gaucher’s blog

mobilitywod gear

Book: Becoming a Supple Leopard - Kelly Starrett

Follow Stacy on Twitter



We really hope you’ve enjoyed this episode of Run to the Top.

The best way you can show your support of the show is to share this podcast with your family and friends and share it on your Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media channel you use.

If more people who know about the podcast and download the episodes, it means I can reach out to and get through to the top running influencers, to bring them on and share their advice, which hopefully makes the show even more enjoyable for you!

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Thank you to our sponsors for supporting Run to the Top

Apr 19, 2017

Running podcast to motivate & help runners of every level run their best. Sinead Haughey interviews running influencers, scientists, psychologists, nutritionists, & everyday runners with inspiring stories.

Apr 12, 2017

Beet juice has become all the rage in the running world over the last few years, and for that we can thank Dr. Andrew Jones (aka @AndyBeetroot on Twitter).

 

With the help of his team at the University of Exeter, Andrew discovered beetroot’s natural performance enhancing benefits back in 2014 and continues exploring new ways for runners to fully capitalize on them. These benefits include a reduction in the cost of oxygen during exercise (and therefore perceived effort) as well as a boost in cognitive function, which, let’s face it, we could all use when the going gets tough at the end of a race.

 

And Andrew’s scientific pursuits don’t stop there. While he’s known more recently for his work with beetroot, Andrew is also the associate dean of Research and Knowledge Transfer, a professor of applied physiology, the Head of Sport and Health Sciences, and the leader of the Bioenergetics and Human Performance Research Group at the University of Exeter.

 

When he’s not studying beetroot’s ergogenic effects, he’s one of sport’s leading physiologists. Specializing in VO2 kinetics, he works with a variety of elite athletes and was the longtime physiologist to both Jo Pavey, who just 3 years ago became the oldest European female 10K champion at the age of 40, as well as Paula Radcliffe, who holds the world record in the marathon.

 

Let’s just say Andrew knows his stuff, and between all his groundbreaking research and expertise there’s a good chance you’ll have a hankering for some beets by the end of this interview.

 

Here are some of the topics we’ll discuss today:

 

  • Andrew’s work as a leading physiologist
  • The importance of VO2 max to performance
  • The research on beetroot to date and what’s next
  • Beetroot’s performance benefits
  • How to integrate beetroot in your diet for the best results

 

Questions Andrew is asked:

3:31 Andrew’s background

5:53 Working with endurance athletes in your role as a physiologist

8:10 How important do you think VO2 Max is to athletic performance?

9:18 What studies are you currently working on?

10:53 How did you originally become interested in beetroot?

14:54 In your study, how long did it take for subjects to start seeing results from beetroot?

16:26 Would endurance athletes get the same benefits from beetroot as shorter, high-intensity athletes?

19:44 How much of your research has focused on the benefits of beetroot for recreational athletes vs. elite athletes?

22:03 When you studied lesser experienced runners, did you see any changes in their VO2 Max numbers?

24:37 Would this also speed up recovery rates?

26:42 Are there any other food sources that contain a high concentration of nitrate?

28:50  Are micro nutrients more easily absorbed via liquid form?

29:33 How do our bodies process nitrate?

32:41 Is there an effective beet product that is mobile-friendly?

36:17 How can people integrate beetroot into their diets and training programs for best results?

38:11 Why would you recommend 3-4 weeks on followed by a break from taking it?

38:54 Would consuming beetroot midway through a long run provide any benefits?

41:54 Are there any GI issues or side effects to be aware of?

43:40 How much headroom do you think there is for beetroot research as an ergogenic aid?

49:42 The Final Kick Round

Quotes by GUEST:

“One of my specialities is VO2 kinetics: so when the gun fires at the beginning of a race, how quickly we can switch on our aerobic energy system to meet the energy demand by utilizing the oxygen that we breath in.”

 

“I’m very interested in the impact of the work that we do in the lab on actually changing practicing athletes and helping them improve their performance….So my PHD was really all about what’s the best approach we can use in the lab to measure the things in runners we know are important to their success and then relating that to the training that they do.”

 

“If you can understand the basis of fatigue, then that can help you understand performance more generally, and obviously that has applications in the elderly, the general public, and people with various diseases as well.”

 

“A chance encounter with a paper that surprised me in a journal led me to investigate the same topic further, and we’ve continued in that vein for probably the last eight years or so because the results were so - you know, it was one of those “eureka moments” that you get so rarely in science.”

 

“It looks as if in the condition where the participants took the nitrate top up halfway through, they were able to slightly spare the muscle glycogen concentration, which over the course of a marathon would be a beneficial thing to happen.”



Take a Listen on Your Next Run

 

Leave a space for libsyn link

 

Want more awesome interviews and advice? Subscribe to our iTunes channel

 

Click to tweet- leave space

Mentioned in this podcast:

Andrew Jones’ beetroot study

Beet It (supplement product)

Break 2 Project

Book: This Mum Runs by Jo Pavey

Book: 2 Hours by Ed Caesar



We really hope you’ve enjoyed this episode of Run to the Top.

The best way you can show your support of the show is to share this podcast with your family and friends and share it on your Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media channel you use.

If more people who know about the podcast and download the episodes, it means I can reach out to and get through to the top running influencers, to bring them on and share their advice, which hopefully makes the show even more enjoyable for you!

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Thank you to our sponsors for supporting Run to the Top

Enter to win a FREE 6-Pack of Perfect Amino from BodyHealth

Apr 5, 2017

Why Your Best Accomplishment Should Be Your Next One - Director of the Boston Marathon Dave McGillivray

 

Race director, philanthropist, motivational speaker, accomplished athlete - Dave McGillivray is a professional with a purpose. From his extraordinary run across the U.S. to benefit the Jimmy Fund and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in 1978 to serving as technical director then race director of the BAA Boston Marathon since the 1980s, McGillivray has helped organize more than 900 mass participatory events since founding DMSE, Inc. in 1981, while raising millions for worthy causes close to his heart.

In this episode, Dave shares with us his perspective on how running and races have changed over the years, as well as describing his own accomplishments and outlook. The Boston Marathon is arguably one of the most iconic races and one whose meaning has grown even more since the tragedy in 2013. I know that many of you are in the final stages of preparing for this event and I think this inside view may get you even more psyched up. If that’s possible.

Here are some of the topics we’ll discuss today:

 

  • Dave’s personal running accomplishments
  • Dave’s drive for, and various types of, philanthropy
  • His perspective on past and future accomplishments
  • What’s actually involved in putting together a major racing event
  • How Dave has maintained his high fitness level.

Questions Dave is asked:

5:39 What is your running background?

7:22 What was your initial spark to start running?

10:34 What is the story behind your starting the first sanctioned running club inside a maximum security prison?

13:56 How was your experience with your 24-hour swim?

17:10 How do you feel running has evolved since the 1970’s?

20:40 Would you agree that there are many more recreational runners now than in the ‘70’s?

22:06 Do you feel that all races should have a qualifying standard like the Boston Marathon?

23:45 What does it mean to be a race director?

27:10 How has your approach to organizing the marathon changed since 2013?

28:39 How has the atmosphere of the race changed since then?

29:52 Besides security increases, what are some of the other challenges you have to address as a race director?

32:14 What is the best part about your job?

33:47 How do you will yourself to run the course every year after the marathon is over?

36:10 How have you managed to remain fit?

37:42 Have you had to alter your training at all or just other areas of your life?

41:16 The Final Kick Round

Quotes by Dave:

“I just knew as I was running across America, going through 120 degrees in the desert, or running over the Rocky Mountains or running 50-60 miles a day, even though that might have been somewhat painful, it paled in comparison to what these kids were going through.”

 

“Kids ask me all the time: ‘What’s your best accomplishment?’ and I invariably say to them, ‘My best accomplishment is my next one.’”

 

“I help raise the level of self-esteem and self-confidence of tens of thousands of people in America”

 

“The toughest part about running a race is signing the application.”

 

“I have a button in my office that says: ‘My job’s secure; no one else wants it’.”

 

“The runners and race management have had to learn a whole new system. And sometimes people have a tough time with change, but eventually, after a year or two, it’s not change anymore; it’s become the norm.”

 

“I think the spirit from all the people who realize that good will always overcome evil has certainly been infectious for everybody.”

 

“I’d rather not put out fires; I’d rather prevent them.”

Take a Listen on Your Next Run

 

Want more awesome interviews and advice? Subscribe to our iTunes channel

 

Mentioned in this podcast:

Book: The Haywire Heart; Velopress.com

The Boston Marathon

Book: The Last Pick

Dave McGillivray Sports Enterprises (DMSE, Inc.)

New Balance Falmouth Road Race

Beach to Beacon 10K

The Jimmy Fund

Dana Farber Cancer Institute

 

We really hope you’ve enjoyed this episode of Run to the Top.

The best way you can show your support of the show is to share this podcast with your family and friends and share it on your Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media channel you use.

If more people who know about the podcast and download the episodes, it means I can reach out to and get through to the top running influencers, to bring them on and share their advice, which hopefully makes the show even more enjoyable for you!

--

Thank you to our sponsors for supporting Run to the Top

Enter to win a FREE 6-Pack of Perfect Amino from BodyHealth

Mar 29, 2017

 

The Haywire Heart with Dr. John Mandrola, Lennard Zinn, and Chris Case

It’s been said that if a little does a good job, then a lot is even better and too much is probably just right. However, evidence indicates that too much exercise, like that experienced by years of endurance sports, can lead to what is known as “athlete’s heart” - a host of conditions easy for physicians to misdiagnose.

In this episode, we are joined by Dr. John Mandrola, Lennard Zinn, and Chris Case, the co-authors of The Haywire Heart. Their book details numerous case studies, including that of co-author Lennard Zinn and the event that nearly killed him. Today, Lennard shares the story of his initial cardiac episode, diagnosis, and his new perspective on fitness as he still participates in endurance sports.

Dr. John Mandrola is a cardiac electrophysiologist and an active cyclist who had atrial fibrillation. He works in a private cardiology practice where he specializes in heart rhythm disorders. He is Chief Cardiology Correspondent for Medscape, the leading online resource for physicians and healthcare professionals seeking medical news and expert perspectives. He is a also a regular columnist for theHeart.org and VeloNews magazine.

This interview is informative, cautionary, and, at the same time, inspirational. Don’t forget: RunnersConnect members with training plans and / or Masters Subscriptions can get The Haywire Heart for 20% off by logging onto the RunnersConnect Dashboard > Resources > Member Perks.

Here are some of the topics we’ll discuss today:

  • What is, and what causes, “athlete’s heart”
  • Various risk factors
  • What can life be like after a cardiac diagnosis
  • How to recognize symptoms
  • How to work with your physician
  • Types of treatment available

Questions Guests are asked:

3:46 Was part of your intention with The Haywire Heart to dispel the myth that ‘more is better”?

5:10 What is “athlete’s heart”

7:17 What is the most common heart condition caused by overtraining?

8:53 Lennard, what is your background as a cyclist and what led up to your diagnosis?

14:15 What are some of the symptoms you experience now?

15:16 What do you do when you experience your arrhythmia during exercise?

16:40 Dr. Mandrola, what is the risk of this for endurance athletes?

18:03 Is someone more at risk if they started running at a younger age vs. started later in life?

19:27 What were some of the difficulties in studying this?

21:44 Are there any other factors that might have influenced why there are fewer women with arrhythmias?

23:37 Is there a correlation between women being shorter than men that may reduce the risk in women?

24:05 For how long has this been studied?

24:43 Lennard, do you still cycle competitively?

30:39 How does living at higher elevation affect this condition?

32:21 How long have you been living in Boulder?

35:24 Were there any significant patterns that tied the case studies in the book together?

39:13 What types of treatments are available for arrhythmia?

41:42 Lennard, what type of business do you run in Boulder?

42:30 Were you trying to create an optimistic tone with your book?

43:57 Dr. Mandrola, are there any ways to reduce risk of “athlete’s heart”?

46:28 What would you recommend someone do if they experience symptoms?

50:30 The Final Kick Round

Quotes by Guests:

“The heart is a muscle, just like the bicep; if you do curls and weight lifting, like endurance exercise, your heart’s going to adapt. And endurance training causes lots of different changes to the heart.”

 

“I was about 15 minutes into this half-hour climb and I looked down and saw that my heart rate was now 220 (bpm) and it just stayed there; I just kept riding. And I felt fine. But after seven minutes of continuing that way and it never came down, then it seemed like that’s not the greatest thing to do to keep going.”

 

“I think in the coming years and decades, we’re going to learn more about women athletes and heart disease because more and more women are doing endurance athletics.”

 

“People seemed to follow a similar pattern in that initially they would essentially be in denial, and then there was the realization that this was something serious and there was the contemplation of how this is going to change my life / is this going to ruin my life / how will I ever be able to do what I love, and then, of course… hopefully, they will continue down the path that Lennard took and realize that this doesn’t mean that they have to never do what they love to do.”

 

“Pay attention to symptoms. Don’t ignore excessive trouble breathing or a racing heart that seems out of proportion to the effort.”

“Always leave enough energy for the post-race party.”

 

Take a Listen on Your Next Run

Want more awesome interviews and advice? Subscribe to our iTunes channel

Mentioned in this podcast:

Book: The Haywire Heart; Velopress.com

Book: Born To Run

Book: The Sports Gene

Book: Slaying The Badger

Moots Bikes

8 Things You Need To Know About Electronic Shifting

 

We really hope you’ve enjoyed this episode of Run to the Top.

The best way you can show your support of the show is to share this podcast with your family and friends and share it on your Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media channel you use.

If more people who know about the podcast and download the episodes, it means I can reach out to and get through to the top running influencers, to bring them on and share their advice, which hopefully makes the show even more enjoyable for you!

--

Thank you to our sponsors for supporting Run to the Top

Enter to win a FREE 6-Pack of Perfect Amino from BodyHealth
Use coupon code TINA for 10% off at Saucony.com

Mar 22, 2017

Fare Thee Well, Tina Muir - Welcome, Sinead Haughey

This is a bittersweet episode, to be sure, for today we bid the fondest of farewells to our host for the last 2 years, Tina Muir, and introduce the new host for Run To The Top, Sinead Haughey.

Most recently, Sinead was the Director of Premium for RunnersConnect having been a 2-time NCAA Championship qualifier in the 10K at Furman University. Sinead shares her background with us, which includes running professionally for Zap Fitness and Reebok.

As the torch is passed from Tina to Sinead, Tina gives us a preview of her new venture: Running For Real. Every runner goes through a mentally rough stretch with running at some point, but very few are willing to share their challenges openly. With Running For Real, Tina is creating a safe environment for runners so they don’t have to suffer in silence with their struggles - whether it’s frustration with training, race results, or injury.

While we are all going to miss Tina and her contributions here, we wish her nothing but the absolute best as she blazes this new trail. And we are equally excited to welcome Sinead as the new host and voice of Run To The Top.

Here are some of the topics we’ll discuss today:

  • Getting to know new host Sinead Haughey
  • An inside look at Zap Fitness
  • RunnersConnect premium content and various ways to access it
  • Tina’s new focus: Running For Real
  • Why Tina is so passionate about the mental side of running that no one else is talking about

Questions Sinead is asked:

3:10  What was your collegiate and post-collegiate running experience?

4:33 What is an elite runner’s typical day at Zap Fitness like?

6:10 Why did you choose to run at Zap?

8:33 How does having a dedicated chef at Zap work?

9:33 What were some of the things you didn’t like about your post-collegiate experiences?

11:45 Before taking over the role as new host for Run To The Top, what were you doing for RunnersConnect?

14:25 How does the RunnersConnect Premium Content work? How can people get access to the Coach Chat?

16:21 The passing of the baton...

Questions Tina is asked

18:20 What are your post-RunnersConnect plans?

23:55 Do you find middle-aged runners more open about their running struggles than younger runners?

27:58 Will you be offering anything beyond your new podcast?

31:23 What’s one tactic people can use to remain mentally tough during a race?

36:17 How often did you use your ‘Mental Bottles’?

39:35 The Final Kick Rounds (double feature)

Quotes by Tina and Sinead:

  • “Something that I’m going to have to accept as a post-collegiate runner is that I’m not trying to score points for anybody anymore.” (Sinead)
  • “I think there’s definitely a pressure when you are younger to give off this vibe of being superhuman and never admitting that you need help. I think the elite world is even worse.” (Tina)
  • “Especially for new runners something they might find kind of intimidating coming into the sport is that there are just so many bad days, but once you get a good day it makes it all worth it.” (Sinead)
  • “I want to make sure that I do this right and I want to make it so that it can actually change people’s running lives forever rather than just be something they learn and then two races later they forget it and need something else.” (Tina)
  • “I love helping people with the mental side of things because that is something that is just so often neglected and it makes SUCH a big difference.” (Tina)
  • “You could be the fittest you’ve ever been in your life and you could still run the worst race of your life because your mental side could really break you apart.”  

Take a Listen on Your Next Run

Want more awesome interviews and advice? Subscribe to our iTunes channel

Mentioned in this podcast: 

Zap Fitness

Evie Serventi on Run To The Top

Scott Fauble’s blog

Good Gut - Prebiotic

#running4real hashtag on Twitter

Images about #Running4Real tag on instagram

Deliciously Stella (@deliciouslystella) • Instagram

Tina's blog

Follow Tina on Instagram

Running For Real Facebook page

tina@tinamuir.com

 

We really hope you’ve enjoyed this episode of Run to the Top.

The best way you can show your support of the show is to share this podcast with your family and friends and share it on your Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media channel you use.

If more people who know about the podcast and download the episodes, it means I can reach out to and get through to the top running influencers, to bring them on and share their advice, which hopefully makes the show even more enjoyable for you!

--

Thank you to our sponsors for supporting Run to the Top

Enter to win a FREE 6-Pack of Perfect Amino from BodyHealth

Use coupon code TINA for 10% off at Saucony.com

 

 

 

 

 

Mar 15, 2017

Wait... What?? 

That’s correct. 1972 Olympian, Jeff Galloway, who was self-coached and absorbed as much as he could from other runners has proven that to go fast, you should go slow. Hundreds of thousands of runners have trained with his method and the results he shares in this episode are nothing short of amazing.

Since starting his retail store, Phidippides, in Atlanta, Georgia in 1975, Jeff has listened to runners who were looking for better and better training strategies. He has developed training methods, retreats at multiple locations around the globe, written several books, trained runners directly and remotely, written for Runner's World, partnered with Disney… well, you get the idea.

We are so very lucky to have Jeff join us to tell us about his personal experiences with running and how his unique training philosophy has helped runners at all levels achieve great results while avoiding injury. This is likely to be one of those episodes that you listen to over and over because there is just so much good information. Be sure to check out the links below for even more tools and resources!

Here are some of the topics we’ll discuss today:

  • Jeff’s personal experiences running in college and his Olympic trials.
  • Jeff counterintuitive training methods including full distance training and Run Walk Run.
  • The benefits of group training.
  • How The Magic Mile accurately predicts a runner’s future race times.
  • How to leverage our human brain to keep our ‘Monkey Brain’ under control.

Questions Jeff is asked:

2:50 What are some of your favorite moments as a runner?

11:55 Do you think professional / elite runners today would give up a spot in a race to help a teammate advance?

13:30 How was it having a group working together in the early 1970’s?

15:06 What’s your theory on why there aren't more big groups of people who want to train together?

17:12 Should recreational runners train in groups?

19:26 How can people get involved in your training groups?

22:20 You have runners do a 26 - 29 mile run 3 weeks before their marathon at a slower pace for 6-7 hours?

24:38 So the only you’re adding on race day is running faster?

24:55 What exactly is the Magic Mile?

26:29 How do runners get their individual Magic Mile times?

26:59 Is it just running that mile as fast as you can?

27:51 What is the Run Walk Run method?

31:14 What would you like to say to runners who have a social stigma against walking?

33:51 Does the amount of walking differ for each person?

35:24 What is the ‘Monkey Brain’?

38:13 How long should the walk-breaks be?

40:00 How does it feel to have a training method named after you?

42:29 How does it feel to have a whole event series named after you?

45:07 What is involved in your retreats?

48:02 Do you have a favorite race you recommend all runners do at least once?

53:54 The Final Kick Round

Quotes by Jeff:

  • Even on the days when I was physically destroyed, which was most of the days during the first month, I felt better in my head and in my spirit than I had ever felt in my life.
  • I helped my father get into running when he was 52.
  • I never heard any of my Florida Track Club teammates brag unless they were being funny about something.
  • There is no doubt that when you have a stable of good runners you can get some really good workouts if the coach is monitoring the effort level and making sure the athletes aren’t running over their heads in workouts.
  • The reason our Group Retreats have expanded is because there is so much interest in getting individual help with running and learning hands-on: ‘How do you do these drills’, ‘What is my form like’, ‘Am I doing something wrong?’.
  • We found that people tend to hit the wall within about a mile of the that they ran on long runs within the last 3 weeks. And so, by going the (full race) distance, not only do people feel strong and have more belief that they CAN do it, but they actually run FASTER.
  • (The Run Walk Run) is a method that conserves resources that reduces injuries down to practically NOTHING and allows runners to run faster in long distances.
  • You are the captain of your ship. You are the one who determines how you’re going to run.
Mar 8, 2017

Mary Wittenberg & Virgin Sport - Social Movement 

As CEO of the New York Road Runners from 2005 to 2015, and having been involved with them since 1998, Mary Wittenberg helped the NY Marathon grow to include 400,000 participants, including 120,000 school children across multiple events and helped found the World Marathon Majors which connected the marathons in Boston, Berlin, London, Chicago and New York. 

Since stepping down from NYRR, Mary is now Global CEO of Virgin Sport and together with Richard Branson, she is re-inventing group athleticism to encourage as many people as possible to experience social running. 

Virgin Sport has four weekend multi-events on the calendar with more to follow. And you know if Richard Branson is involved, these fitness festivals will truly be special.

In this episode Mary tells us about the philosophy behind Virgin Sport and how they are engaging athletes of all levels. She also goes into detail about the events currently on the calendar as well as what the future of Virgin Sport looks like. 

She shares her experiences of running, both as an athlete and as a race organizer and group leader. Her passion for running and fitness shine through in this conversation. 

She is an inspiration and we are all very lucky to have her join us on Run To The Top.

Here are some of the topics we’ll discuss today:

  • How Mary’s rowing team led to her becoming a runner
  • What Mary did as CEO of NYRR and how the youth program grew under her leadership
  • What it was like to run the NYM after being the CEO.
  • Why she believes running is for just about everyone, especially kids
  • The current and future vision of Virgin Sport

Questions Mary is asked:

3:14 What is your background as a runner?

4:40 How much has competitive running changed since you were a more serious athlete?

6:13 Had it been an available option would you have continued post-collegiate running?

6:57 Do you still run now?

8:22 What was it like to run the New York Marathon after having been the director for so long?

11:53 What did being the CEO of New York Road Runners entail?

15:33 Why did you feel it was so important to build it at a youth level vs. focusing on adults?

17:20 Of the 50+ NYRR events, which is your favorite?

18:10 What about being the first female marathon race director?

19:29 Why do you think it’s important to have other events outside of traditional marathons for people to choose from and do you think other cities will adopt these, too

21:31 What about your current job as CEO of Virgin Sport?

23:33 What can you tell us about these initial four festivals you have scheduled?

26:08 Can people pick and choose which events they want to do, can they do all of them?

27:18 How do potential future events look for Virgin Sport beyond these first four cities?

28:43 How could someone get involved in these events?

30:03 What is it about running that makes you want to share it with as many people as possible?

31:56 Where you would like Virgin Sport to be in 10 years?

33:07 What can more recreational runners do in their own world to inspire others?

34:57 What do you think about Park Run?

38:09 The Final Kick Round

Quotes by Mary: 

I think there’s many more opportunities today for young runners and athletes in other sports that switch to running to find a post-collegiate running group and run pretty seriously.

You realize as time goes on that there are still roadblocks to women in leadership.

If you fit running and some high intensity running into your life, it may be the best way for you to get healthy and fit. It’s not just about the marathon.

I have always had this burning desire to take the model of community based running and fitness on the road.

We’re in the experience business.

Our Proposition is based on bringing people together.

For us, the challenger in the industry is not other people putting on events, because from a mission of purpose that’s awesome they’re doing that. Our challenge is the things that stop people; the comfortable bed, the super-busy workday.

Just by getting out the door every day, you inspire people. When people see people running, other people realize: ‘Oh. maybe I can do that, too.’

 

Mentioned in this podcast: 

Virgin Sport Homepage

NY Road Runners

The New York City Marathon

Park Run

Book: A Race Like No Other; Liz Robbins

Book: Once a Runner; John L. Parker, Jr.

Book: Running With the Buffaloes; Chris Lear

FloTrack

Runner's World

Ask Lauren Fleshman

Garmin watches and wearables

Strava Homepage

Runkeeper Homepage

 

We really hope you’ve enjoyed this episode of Run to the Top.

The best way you can show your support of the show is to share this podcast with your family and friends and share it on your Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media channel you use.

If more people who know about the podcast and download the episodes, it means I can reach out to and get through to the top running influencers, to bring them on and share their advice, which hopefully makes the show even more enjoyable for you!

--

Thank you to our sponsors for supporting Run to the Top

Enter to win a FREE 6-Pack of Perfect Amino from BodyHealth

Use coupon code TINA for 10% off at Saucony.com

Mar 1, 2017

Collegiate, post-collegiate & non-collegiate running with Michael Hammond

Michael Hammond is a graduate of Virginia Tech where he competed in cross country and track, earning two ACC titles and four NCAA All-American honors.

His individual efforts led his team to four ACC team championships: one in cross country, two in indoor track, and one in outdoor track.

So, how could a runner with such an impressive collegiate resume struggle with running after college?

On this episode, Michael shares his experiences of running in, and after, college. He speaks openly and honestly about his challenges and his observations from working with both competitive and non-competitive runners.

He relates how he has gained a massive amount of respect for runners who are not just trying to hit their personal goals, whatever they may be, but to do it while juggling everyday, real-world responsibilities of life, work and / or families.

In his role as Director of Coaching for RunnersConnect, Michael has gotten to know every member, their motivations and exactly what support they need to get from the coaches as well as from each other.

And as you’ll hear, this community-based, member-to-member support is one of the benefits members appreciate the most.

Here are some of the topics we’ll discuss today:

  • Michael’s collegiate / post-collegiate running experiences
  • How and why Michael took a self-imposed hiatus from running
  • How similar recreational and collegiate runners are
  • Michael’s role with RunnersConnect
  • How RunnersConnect coaches help different types of runners
  • How RunnersConnect members support each other to reach their personal goals

Questions Michael is asked:

3:59 What is your background with running?

8:36 Now that you are on a ‘long hiatus’ from running, what have you filled that gap with?

10:30 What is it about collegiate running that is so intense?

15:04 Did your injury make it easier for you to transition out of competitive running?

18:16 Looking back, what advice would you give for someone either in a collegiate program or post-collegiate who is questioning their passion for running?

21:04 What did it feel like to break 4:00 in the mile?

25:05 What differences do you see between how collegiate runners and recreational runners approach running?

28:41 What appreciation have you gained for recreational runners who aren’t necessarily competing, but are just trying to better themselves?

33:09 What does your job as Director of Coaching for RunnersConnect entail?

36:13 What do you think makes RunnersConnect stand out from other training sites?

40:23 How do you plan to keep the community feel while the membership continues to grow?

43:58 How can RunnersConnect help shorter distance runners?

45:54 What impresses you most about the power of the running community to help each other out?

50:46 The Final Kick Round

Quotes by Michael:

“No one gets started in just running.”

“A harsh reality for me about post-collegiate running… is that most people just DON’T care about your running anymore unless you are absolutely at the top.”

“Be real with yourself. Be real with what you want. Be real with your goals.”

“If you can have any control over this, try to get in a race you have a chance of winning to break 4:00.”

“In college, you always have (goals) to chase. If you don’t have stuff to chase, you’re gonna get cut from the team because you have to have stuff to chase. You don’t even have to decide it; your coach decides it for you.”.

“(As a recreational runner) you totally get to set your own narrative in a way. And I actually think there’s something really cool about that. And you can make it as huge of a deal or as small of a deal as you want. I’ve definitely grown to really respect that.”

“Ultimately, how can you put together a team of coaches that truly knows EVERYONE? You can’t; it’s impossible. Anyone who tells you that they are is lying. It’s just not possible.”

Feb 22, 2017

Running can be tough, not just on our bodies, but on our emotions and psyche. 

This is especially true whenever we experience any perceived setback; injuries, a rough workout or a less than desired performance in a race. 

We all talk to ourselves, whether we’re aware of it or not, but many people don’t realize that this self-talk actually affects our performance. This is both good and bad, depending on the type of self-talk in which we engage ourselves. 

If we habitually beat ourselves up after a setback, this can become detrimental to our running. On the other hand, if we use more positive self-talk, even after a setback, we can recover from it that much better.

Evie Serventi, a competitive runner and swimmer, is the Deputy Editor of Running Fitness magazine in the UK and is also a Sports Psychologist. 

In this episode, she talks to us about the importance of Mental Training and shares with us techniques that she recommends for training our brains to help us run better and to not sabotage the effort we put into our physical conditioning.

As you will hear, Evie and I have a wonderfully close relationship. She has been a tremendous resource for me and I think you will come away with actionable steps that will get your brain and body working more effectively together.

Here are some of the topics we’ll discuss today:

  • How running is helping refugees cope in England
  • How Evie has helped Tina PR
  • How to be aware of our self-talk and use it to perform even better
  • Self-encouragement vs. Excuses
  • How to use ‘Check-ins” to become aware of our mental states and adjust accordingly.
  • How could a running diary help?
  • What is ‘Reframing’ and how can we use it to improve our performance?

Questions Evie is asked:

4:40 Tina’s Big Announcement

7:05 Evie’s Big Announcement

10:10 Will running be a part of it?

12:08 How did you become Deputy Editor for Running Fitness Magazine?

16:33 How did you get into sports psychology?

19:47 What advice would you give to someone who, later in life, is considering making a big career change or going back to school for something new?

22:00 What about the refugee group you’re working with?

28:57 Why be kind to yourself vs. being tough on yourself?

34:26 What does ‘Be Kind To Yourself” actually mean?

35:26 Should someone work on this prior to a race or can someone start doing it once they are racing?

38:11 How can people start putting these “Mental Bottles” into practice?

42:14 How do you avoid letting ‘being kind to yourself’ turn into just making excuses?

45:04 What’s a good exercise for people to start with?

48:32  What other mental strategies would you suggest for those thinking that they are struggling in various ways.

52:27 What are your future plans, website, other info?

55:05 Are you still taking on new clients?

59:13 The Final Kick Round

Quotes by Evie:

“Run your own race; control what you can control.”

“Get comfortable with being uncomfortable.”

“If you want to do something, you find a way.”

“The risk, though with (motivating yourself via) negative emotions, or feeling angry, even if you feel that they’re positive at the time, is that they’re generally not sustainable.”

“Self-talk is part of your mental training.”

“There IS a lot you can control about your own performance and your own actions. You can’t control the weather, you can’t control the amount of runners, the speed of the other runners. But what you CAN control is your attitude and the way you approach the run.”

“Keeping a diary of what you’re thinking, during a run, after a run / post-run thoughts, can often be quite revealing and help you in terms of “Where do I start? I’m not confident and I don’t feel like I’ve got the mental toughness to do this race.”

“Ask other people; observe what other people who you think have mental toughness do. How do they train? What do they wear? What sort of statements do they say? What sort of language are they using?”

Take a Listen on Your Next Run

 

Want more awesome interviews and advice? Subscribe to our iTunes channel

[bctt tweet="Learn tips from @tinamuir sports psychologist on this weeks podcast" username="Runners_Connect"]

Mentioned in this podcast: 

Follow Tina on Facebook

Fast Feet Forward

Fast Feet Forward (FFF) is a pilot research study lead by Dr Ana Draper for Sussex Partnership Foundation Trust in collaboration with Virtual Schools Kent and a small local charity, Kent Kindness. The study involves a sport-based early intervention trauma group protocol for unaccompanied asylum seeking children (UASC) who now live in Kent. The idea behind the intervention is to coach a group of young (male) asylum seekers through a series of running drills and fast feet movements to help them process trauma - trauma which they may have experienced back in their country of origin, on their journey to the UK, and ongoing trauma as a result of the stressful immigration process taking place.

RTTT Podcast: Katy Sherratt - The Power of Running to Overcome Homelessness

Email Tina for daily check in questions tina@runnersconnect.net

www.evieserventi.com

Connect with Evie on LinkedIn

Follow Evie on Twitter

Follow Evie on Facebook

E-mail Evie

Tina's Website / Blog

Book: Runner by Lizzy Hawker

Saucony Triumph Shoes Use coupon code TINA for 10% off

We really hope you’ve enjoyed this episode of Run to the Top.

The best way you can show your support of the show is to share this podcast with your family and friends and share it on your Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media channel you use.

If more people who know about the podcast and download the episodes, it means I can reach out to and get through to the top running influencers, to bring them on and share their advice, which hopefully makes the show even more enjoyable for you!

Feb 15, 2017

Sleep Illiteracy? Sleep Education? Sleep Management? Is it really a big deal? We’ve all been sleeping our entire lives, but do we even think about sleep correctly? 

Luke Gupta graduated from the University of Bath with a B.Sc in Sport and Exercise Science and completed an M.Sc in Exercise Physiology at Loughborough University. Currently, Luke is conducting a part-time PhD Studentship into Sleep and Athletic Performance in collaboration with the English Institute of Sport. 

He worked with some of the Rio Olympians across many different sports on their sleep habits. In this episode, Luke shares with us what his research and experience has shown him about how the function and significance of sleep in an athlete's life. 

The way Luke talks about ‘sleep’, it sounds like an actual entity with it’s own set of rules. 

For those of us who have spent many nights waiting anxiously for sleep to overtake our racing minds, he may not be far off. How can people who have difficulty falling asleep learn these rules and thus manipulate them to our advantage? 

Listen as Luke decodes the inner workings of sleep, confronts myths that have permeated our ‘understanding’ of sleep and gives us all practical methods for getting all the sleep we’ll ever need. 

Here are some of the topics we’ll discuss today:

  • The roles our genetic and early adolescent personality traits play in determining the sports we excel in.
  • Is 8 hours a night really the magic number for sleep for everyone?
  • Does going to bed early equate to more rest?
  • How Circadian Rhythms affect our sleep habits.
  • Why your bed should not be a multitasker.
  • Internal vs. External sleep aids
  • Performance vs. well-being
  • Is it possible to front-load sleep before a race?

Questions Luke is asked:

3:30 How did you get into your current field and position?

6:05 Has your experience reaffirmed that this is the area you want to focus on?

6:51 What does your job look like? What are some of your favorite parts of working with athletes regarding sleep and performance?

9:05 How did you help the Rio Olympians optimize their sleep for their competitions?

11:12 What differences did you see between the different types of sports / athletes?

15:01 Does all this apply to recreational athletes as well as Elite Athletes?

17:05 What are some common myths about sleep and can you debunk them?

18:40 How does anyone know what their optimal amount of sleep is?

22:45 What if someone gets up unusually early, say for a 4:00 a.m. flight; what should they do to catch back up on their sleep?

24:45 Other myths you’d like to bust?

26:46 What has your researched uncovered about how sleep affects changes to performance, motivation and physiology?

31:12 What are some of the things that you’ve found help people fall asleep?

34:17 If someone’s mind won’t shut down when they’re trying to fall asleep, what should they do?

38:13 What are the pros and cons of using sleep aids?

43:18 Other suggested sleep aids or behavioral sleep aids?

45:04 How can we avoid psyching ourselves out while waiting to fall asleep?

47:17 Based on your research, how close is the correlation to sleep and performance?

50:53 What should someone do to manage anxiety the night before a race? 

54:03 Do you have any planned research we can keep up to date with?

58:40 The Final Kick Round

Quotes by Luke:

“My research recently found that there’s big differences between sports and how the athletes sleep and perceive sleep.”

“Listen to your body.”

“Sleep is quite an automated process in that if you’ve had a bad night’s sleep one night, the next night’s sleep will, more likely than not, be that much better given the opportunity. That’s just how sleep works.”

“You can’t just say if you’ve had a bad night’s sleep you’re going to perform poorly.”

“The way sleep works is: the longer you stay awake, the sleepier you feel.”

“When you try to do anything with sleep, that’s when it tends to go wrong.”

Mentioned in this podcast: 

Dr. James Maas on Run To The Top podcast

Dr. James Maas Pillow - Bed Bath & Beyond

English Institute of Sport

Consumer Reports - Blue Blocking Glasses

Luke's research published in Sports Medicine journal

Follow Luke On Twitter

Book: Ultramarathon Man

Polar RC3 GPS Watch

http://tinamuir.com/sleep-therapist/

RunnersConnect Extra Kick Daily Podcast

We really hope you’ve enjoyed this episode of Run to the Top.

The best way you can show your support of the show is to share this podcast with your family and friends and share it on your Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media channel you use.

If more people who know about the podcast and download the episodes, it means I can reach out to and get through to the top running influencers, to bring them on and share their advice, which hopefully makes the show even more enjoyable for you!

--

Thank you to our sponsors for supporting Run to the Top

Enter to win a FREE 6-Pack of Perfect Amino from BodyHealth

Use coupon code TINA for 10% off at Saucony.com

 

Feb 8, 2017

Jay Dicharry may or may not have taken Gretchen Rubin’s Four Tendencies quiz, but it’s safe to say that he’s probably a Questioner. Jay is not afraid to question beliefs that many of us have blindly accepted for years and study if, in fact, there is actually any truth in them or if there are better ways to train to avoid injuries. He has a passion for this ‘Pre-Habbing’ which goes back to his injury-prone youth.

 Jay is a renowned expert in biomechanics and physical therapy and is also the author of Anatomy for Runners. In this episode, he challenges us to reevaluate parts of our accepted, conventional training and running wisdom.

 He does a great job of deconstructing clinically complex concepts into easily understandable ideas and examples. He breaks down things like Strength Training versus Power Training and the differences between joint limitation or blockage, shortened tissues, stiffness / sticky tissues, and dynamic mobility.

 Our conversation covered a lot of ground and included many additional resources as noted by the links below. This may very well be an episode that you will want to listen to multiple times to explore these and evaluate what changes you may want to integrate into your own personal program.

Here are some of the topics we’ll discuss today: 

  • How biomechanic training can help Pre-Hab or prevent injuries.
  • Biomechanics fact vs. fiction and the ongoing critical evaluation of prior assumptions.
  • How to leverage strength training to improve your running while reducing your volume.
  • How to evaluate a potential strength coach or options if you don’t have access to one.
  • Risk / Reward balance of using different types of shoes for training / racing.
  • Jay’s Mobility / soft-tissue work philosophy.
  • The difference between ‘stretching’ and ‘dynamic mobility’ and which you should do before a run.

Questions Jay is asked:

3:50 When did you determine that biomechanics was your passion?

6:37 Is there still a lot of misinformation portrayed within the PT / sporting world?

8:07 Do you still get frustrated when people repeat ‘facts’ they haven’t verified or is it getting better with more readily available information?

10:30 What is it that drives you to keep exploring?

12:33 Is there anything surprising that you’ve learned about Pre-Hab along the way?

14:42 Who else can people reference for up-to-date information

16:17 Is the UVA Running Medicine Conference open to the public?

17:14 (Listener Question) If you could go back and rewrite Anatomy For Runners, is there anything you would change?

18:58 Is there another book in the works?

19:25 What is your philosophy on strength training and plyometrics?

20:52 Exactly what type of training are you referring to by ‘Strength Training’?

27:07 When selecting a Strength Coach, how important is it that they have a running background?

29:45 What can you tell us about the Saucony Stride Lab for those who may not have access to a running lab?

34:20 Why did you choose to work with Saucony?

35:18 Were you part of the design team for the Saucony Freedoms?

35:41 (Listener Question) If you’re running in a heavier / bulkier shoe, is there an injury risk to doing the workouts or races in a lighter shoe if you train in the heavier shoe?

39:34 Can we trust our GPS / wearable tech with our biomechanics or are they inaccurate?

40:29 When it comes to imbalances or weaknesses, is it an issue if one part, or side, of your body is stronger than the other?

43:25 If you do all the form trainings we discussed, you’re prolonging the amount of time your body is able to hold good form when running?

44:21 Should people who sit all day at work and run after work stretch between working and running?

49:25 How often do you recommend that runners should perform foam rolling / mobility / soft-tissue work? Every Day?

55:00 The Final Kick Round

Quotes by Jay:

“There’s still the folks out there saying ‘Running is going to kill you and you need to stop’.”

“I don’t like being the person paving the way; I like being the person helping people.”

“ ‘What’s the ONE thing to do?” and the reality is that life isn’t that simple, right? If it was, then nobody would have problems.”

“There is very good research out there to show that running does NOT make you strong. Running efficiency DOES improve when you improve the way that you carry yourself.”

“At the end of the day, the runners who are serious find a way to get in the weight room. The runners I work with, the people I’ve introduced to this, I don’t know any of them who have STOPPED doing this at all even from a novice up to an elite level.”

“The goal is to build a running-specific plan to RUN better, not just to lift more weight in the gym.”

“If it’s not improving running economy and making your body more robust in terms of injury reduction, then you shouldn’t be doing it.”

“If you’re a soccer player and you’re more accurate in shooting goal with your right foot, that’s fine, right? But, when you run both legs have to show up.”

“I’m not looking to train a muscle; I’m looking to train a movement.”

Take a Listen on Your Next Run

Want more awesome interviews and advice? Subscribe to our iTunes channel

Mentioned in this podcast:

UVA Speed Clinic

Run To The Top podcast with Max Prokopy

The American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Joe Friel's Blog

Bryan Heiderscheit, PT, PhD

Christopher M. Powers, PhD, PT, FACSM, FAPTA

Irene Davis, PhD, PT, FAPTA, FACSM, FASB

  1. Reed Ferber PH.D., CAT(C), ATC: Director - Running Injury Clinic

2017 UVA Running Medicine Conference

PubMed Website

MedLine Home Page

Jack Daniels's Run Smart Project

Book: Anatomy For Runners

Run To The Top podcast with Dr. Santos

Run To The Top podcast with Drew Watts

Saucony Stride Lab app for iOS

Saucony Freedom Shoes

Steve Magness Amazon Author Page

Runner's World Article: How to Use a Lacrosse Ball for Recovery

Carrom Balance Board

Hyperice Vibration Ball

Rep Lab - Jay's lab blog

Tina’s Dynamic Warm-up Drills

We really hope you’ve enjoyed this episode of Run to the Top.

The best way you can show your support of the show is to share this podcast with your family and friends and share it on your Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media channel you use.

If more people who know about the podcast and download the episodes, it means I can reach out to and get through to the top running influencers, to bring them on and share their advice, which hopefully makes the show even more enjoyable for you!

--

Thank you to our sponsors for supporting Run to the Top

Enter to win a FREE 6-Pack of Perfect Amino from BodyHealth

Use coupon code TINA for 10% off at Saucony.com

Feb 1, 2017

For someone in their late 20’s to feel lucky that they were diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, they would have to be a very special individual. 

Hannah Smith is just that: very special, indeed. 

Her story isn’t just one of survival; it’s an inspirational journey of using what many of us might consider a nightmarish situation to then fully live life and recognize the beauty and wonder that exists all around us.

In this episode, Hannah shares her incredible journey and outlook with us. 

From her life before her diagnosis, through the treatment and recovery, having to adjust to a new ‘normal’, and ultimately achieving goal after goal, not just in regards to competing in races and triathlons, but in all areas of her life.

Her experience, attitude and advice are not helpful only to those with significant health challenges, but also to any of us who may get so caught up in our busy lives that we lose sight of what is truly important. 

She shows us all that living isn’t just about surviving, but it is really about Sur-Thriving.

Here are some of the topics we’ll discuss today:

  • What is it like to not know when you’re hungry so that you remember to eat?
  • How absolutely important attitude is in order to live a full life.
  • Who was Hannah’s inspiration?
  • How she managed the emotional cycles of difficult chemo rounds.
  • Her experience with managing self-expectations.
  • How she fends off external negativity.

Questions Hannah is asked:

4:52 How did fitness initially fit into your life?

6:57 What happened? 

10:36 How did that make you feel to be diagnosed at such a young age?

14:15 At what point after the diagnosis did you refocus on health and fitness?

15:23 What are some examples of cancer fighting foods you now focus on eating?

16:07 How and when did you approach building fitness back into your life?

19:07 Post-surgery, what are some of the funny things that happened and what do you miss?

24:20 How has your sense of humor helped your state of mind?

27:20 Did people try to coddle you as you worked towards your fitness goals, and if so, how did you handle that?

30:17 How would you advise families of patients regarding getting medical clearance to train?

34:35 To what do you credit your improved running times when you started competing again?

39:53 Have you embraced challenges your whole life or only since your diagnosis?

43:05 Do you live a more fulfilling life because you focus more on things you want to do vs. things you feel purely obligated to do?

46:00 Is there a reason for you that running and triathlons mean so much to you?

49:02 What would you like to say to someone who may be going through a similar situation?

54:01 The Final Kick Round

Quotes by Hannah:

“You can either be bitter and twisted and angry at the situation or you can make the best of whatever time you’ve got left, because at the end of the day, you’re gonna die anyway.”

“I did come, eventually, to the understanding with my family that (my training) wasn’t anything that I wasn’t allowed to do and that my surgeon (had cleared it).”

“I carry a donor card, but I do feel like when I am gone and they cut me open, there’s just going to be an IOU.”

“Ultimately the biggest goal for me is to be as fit and healthy and the best person I can be.”

“Dream big. And if you hit somewhere in the middle, that’ll be alright.”

“Strangely enough, my experience with cancer was probably one of the best experiences of my life. My life is infinitely better after my diagnosis than before, simply because I now look at things and think, ‘Do I really want to do this?’ ”

“Your brain is the only intelligent part of your body. If you give up mentally, what chance does any other part of your body have?”

“You’re stronger than you know.”

“Find what you LOVE to do and build your life around that.”

Mentioned in this podcast: 

Do Today Well - Blog

Chrissie Wellington: A Life Without Limits

The Brownlee Brothers - Swim, Bike, Run: Our Triathlon Story

80/20 Running by Matt Fitzgerald

3 Simple Ways to Determine if You are Running Easy Enough: Matt Fitzgerald

Garmin Fenix

STOP Looking at Your GPS Watch to Run Faster (& enjoy it more too!)

Follow Hannah:

Follow Hannah on Instagram

GutlessIrongirl Website

We really hope you’ve enjoyed this episode of Run to the Top.

The best way you can show your support of the show is to share this podcast with your family and friends and share it on your Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media channel you use.

If more people who know about the podcast and download the episodes, it means I can reach out to and get through to the top running influencers, to bring them on and share their advice, which hopefully makes the show even more enjoyable for you!

 

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