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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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Run to the Top Podcast | The Ultimate Guide to Running
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Now displaying: Page 10
Sep 10, 2021

Running strides will get you fast, fast!

What if we told you that there was a way to get faster, to improve your running form, quicken your feet, better prepare for a race, and have some fun, all in less than 90 seconds of work? 

The good news that such a thing actually exists.  This simple speed development drill is a staple of track and field and cross country teams all over the world, but many recreational runners are missing out on a classic tool that can massively improve their running.

It’s called the stride.  Or striders, or accelerations, or stride-outs.  Lots of names for the same awesome skill.  But what it’s not is a sprint or a surge.  Coach Claire Bartholic will explain.

In this episode, she investigates why strides are so amazing, what they do for you, and tells you exactly when and how to do them.

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Sep 8, 2021

Sha'Carri Richardson thought she was going to the Olympic this summer after winning the 100m sprint.  But when she tested positive for THC after the race, she was disqualified.

Like Richardson, several elite athletes have made headlines recently, while the use of marajuana has pretty much been an open secret among the best of the best.

But why?  What is the science behind this controversial plant?  What researchers are starting to learn is that the natural runner’s high that we feel when we go for a run is directly related to the one you get from THC and NOT from endorphins like so many believe.

Now there’s a whole lot more to this topic than getting stoned and going for a run, I promise you, and today I’m going to talk to the investigative journalist who literally wrote the book on it.

Josiah Hesse’s work has been featured in publications including Vice, The Guardian, Politico, and Esquire.  In his new book, RUNNER’S HIGH, Josiah takes us on a journey through the secret world of athletes who experience astounding, cannabis-inspired physical and mental transformations.  He explores the groundbreaking science of the runner’s high, the economics of the $20 billion CBD market, and the fundamental racism and inequalities in the enforcement of marijuana prohibition.

Regardless of what you feel personally or politically about marijuana, and how it relates to running, this is a stereotype-busting deep dive into a fascinating topic and I hope you’ll join me for the trip.

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Sep 3, 2021

Is a cool down after running really important?  Do you tend to skip your cool down when time is crunched?

Coach Claire Bartholic reveals the the four biggest myths about cool downs, because even if you do one religiously, it might not be doing what you think it’s doing. Despite what they don't do for you, there are still some great reasons for incorporating a cool down into your routine after each and every run.  Claire explores how you can maximize the time at the end of your runs most effectively.

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Sep 1, 2021

Will running a marathon in high-tech super shoes help you run faster?

Nike made huge headlines when they came out with the Vaporfly series in 2017.  Featuring a new kind of foam and a flexible carbon plate, Nike promised that their expensive new shoes would improve a marathoner’s running economy by 4%.

With elites and recreational runners doing everything they could to improve by just one percent, these magic new shoes were pretty tantalizing.

But with all new technology comes controversy.  Nike had already been supplying its best runners with Vaporflies as early as 2016, which was an Olympic year.  Other athletes sponsored by other companies would be at a clear disadvantage if the 4% improvement numbers were really true and they complained to the governing bodies of the sport.

Rules changed and the copycats followed Nikes lead.  Now in 2021, most of the major running shoe companies have some version of high-tech foam and carbon plate shoes and all of them need to be available to the public before they can be used in competition.

So what does this all mean for you?  How much do high-tech shoes matter in your running and racing?  I wanted to find out so I invited Michael Haischer on the Run to the Top to tell us what he found.

Mike is a doctoral student and lab manager at the Athletic and Human Performance Research Center at Marquette University in Milwaukee, WI, which just so happens to be my alma mater.

Mike and his team wanted to better understand the potential performance-enhancing effects of technological advancements in marathon racing shoes.  So they examined the finishing times of the top 50 male and 50 female runners from all the World Marathon Major series in the past decade, both before and after the introduction of new Nike shoe models.

Did the Nikes make a difference?  And if so, what implications does that have on the rest of us, who are not in the top 50?

We are about to find out.

Take a Listen on Your Next Run!

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Marquette University's Athletic and Human Performance Lab

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Aug 27, 2021

Do you eat before a run?  Should you?  And what should you eat that will fuel your run the best?

Coach Claire Bartholic explores exactly what you should eat before any type of run.  She brings back registered dietician and 2:57 marathoner Meghann Featherstun to explain the science.

Coach Claire also gives you meal and snack ideas that you might not have thought of that are quick to grab, easy on your stomach, and fast to fuel your run.

 

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Aug 25, 2021

Sarah Clem is the director of operations and running coach at CHAARG, an organization dedicated to igniting a passion for movement in college women.  

CHAARG stands for Changing Health Attitudes + Actions to Recreate Girls.  They have chapters on 115 university campuses in the US and their mission is to free young women from the elliptical and show them that fitness can (and should!) be fun. 

Sarah Clem has been an avid runner for the past 16 years and started the CHAARG Run Club in order to help more women learn to love running. She's coached over 500 athletes to complete their first 5Ks, 10Ks, half marathons over the past year and is looking forward to sharing the powers of running with even more young women this fall.

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This episode is sponsored by LMNT

When coaching endurance runners of all levels to be their best, I always emphasize the need for proper hydration with the right balance of electrolytes.  Most athletes I've coached are surprised to learn that their sodium needs are actually much higher than they expected and it's been hurting their performance. 

Part of the reason athletes need much more sodium than they think is not just because they lose electrolytes through their sweat, but also because athletes tend to eat very healthy diets.  They've been told that salt is a bad thing in food and frequently don't get enough for their lifestyle. 

Much of the science of sodium is based on people who eat highly processed diets which also are very low in potassium.  It could actually be the low potassium levels causing the issues that sodium has been blamed for! 

What is clear is that both sodium and potassium at the proper levels are essential for high performance (and for life in general!). 

When I race, I don't crave sweet, I crave salt and LMNT is the perfect way to hydrate and replenish the electrolytes I need to perform and feel my best. 

Head over to DrinkLMNT.com/RUNNERSCONNECT for your salty samples. 

 

 

 

Aug 20, 2021

The tempo run is a classic workout for runners. But  what does the word "tempo" really mean?  It can mean different things to different runners and can be done at different paces.

Coach Claire Bartholic brings on Coach Dylan Belles, fellow RunnersConnect coach and 2:16 marathoner to help explore the science, benefits, and different types of tempos or threshold workouts.

They will go over the three main phases of intensity of tempos: aerobic threshold, lactate threshold, and anaerobic threshold.  They clear up the confusion since these terms are often used interchangeably, so you can be the smartest one at your next group run.

 

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Aug 18, 2021

Imagine having the opportunity to train for one of the top marathons in the world with nearly all the advantages of an elite.  You’d have access to world-famous coaches, have top of the line training gear and tools, and thousands of dollars of free stuff.  When race day comes around, you’d be whisked away to meet your teammates in person, as prepared as humanly possible for the race of your life.

Sounds amazing, right?  Katie Sloane and Ivan Alonso  won exactly that.

They are two of the lucky winners of a contest held by Zwift, a massively popular multiplayer online cycling and running platform. 

Ivan Alonso is a 39 year old, Texas-based husband and father of two young children. Since beginning his athletic journey, he’s lost nearly 100 pounds from both running and cycling and dropped an incredible more than 90 minutes off his very first marathon to become a sub-three hour marathoner today.  

Katie Sloane is a 31 year old amateur ultra runner from England who is shifting to the roads by training for Berlin.  She’s most at home on  the trails with her dog, but don’t underestimate Katie’s talent in the marathon.  She’s training for a blisteringly fast 2:45 finishing time.

Claire Bartholic asks them about their running Cinderella story and what it’s like to virtually train like an elite for one of the world’s most iconic races.  If you’ve ever wondered what your training and racing would look like with some of the best coaches and gear in the world, you can experience it vicariously through their stories.

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This week's show brought to you by: 

Heal from the Amino Company. Heal is an amino acid, whey and creatine based formulation designed to reduce recovery times and improve physical function after injuries by accelerating muscle repair while helping maintain a healthy inflammatory response. Check out the research here: https://aminoco.com/rttt 

If you're looking for a nutritional advantage when it comes to recovering from your running injury or your daily training I recommend you give Heal a try. 

If you’re interested in learning  more and giving Heal a try, we’ve got a special offer for you where you can save 30% by using the code RC30. Just head to: https://aminoco.com/rttt and use the code RC30 at checkout to save 30% 

 

 

Aug 13, 2021

Strength training for runners improves performance and prevents injuries.  But when you love to run, it can be hard to add strength training into your routine, even if you know you should. 

The two main benefits of strength training are that it prevents and helps heal injuries, and it enhances performance. Done properly, strength training creates a foundation for injury-free running and allows you to keep up with increasing mileage and intensity on your runs.

On the performance side, studies have shown that resistance training improves running economy and endurance muscle fibers. Research has also linked weight training to better body composition and resting metabolic rates. 

Not to mention, strength training is particularly important as we get older, in a way that running alone is not.  Recent studies have proven that running does not protect against the gradual loss of lean muscle tissue and, as we lose muscle, we also lose a larger percentage of our fast-twitch muscle fibers, which is part of why we slow down as we age.

To say it another way, if you are afraid of getting slower as you get older, making strength training a part of your routine will slow down that slow down.

In this episode of the Run to the Top Podcast, Coach Claire Bartholic explains exactly how much strength training runners need, when to do it, and the four best exercises for runners.

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This episode is brought to you by Athletic Greens and Timeline Nutrition.  Use the code CONNECT to save 10% of your Timeline Nutrition order!

Aug 11, 2021

Aqua jogging, also known as deep water running, is the most running-specific alternative to land running.  By using a flotation belt which keeps you vertical in the water, you can mimic a land-based running workout, with no impact.  It can effectively maintain or even build your fitness if you're injured or if you can't handle the pounding of another day of running.

Jennifer Conroyd is a marathon runner who was stuck in the deep end of the pool for six weeks before the Chicago Marathon.  She had injured her calf so badly that pool running was her only option to keep her fitness and finish the race.  Not only did she finish Chicago, but she qualified for Boston.

Her success led her to found her company Fluid Running, which provides a complete system to get anyone started with deep water running.  Fluid Running offers group classes that Men’s Journal voted one of the Best Workouts in America, and they also have the only app-based and coached water running workout system in the world.  Using waterproof, bluetooth headphones, you get workouts, music, and a coach in your ears to keep you entertained and focused on your fitness.

Coach Claire Bartholic talks with Jennifer about her personal journey, the science behind deep water running, and how it can not only help injured runners, but healthy runners as well.  If you are looking for a way to break out of a plateau, but just can’t handle more pounding on the roads, this could be the solution for you.

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This week's show is brought to you by LMNT.  Head over to DrinkLMNT.com/RUNNERSCONNECT for your salty samples.

Aug 6, 2021

Finding the time to get in a run, let alone a warm up can be a challenge at times.  But if you are the kind of runner that thinks a little jogging is all you need to warm up, you're going to want to listen to this.

A proper warm up will help you feel better on the run, be less injury prone, and with practice, run better and faster than ever.  And if you are getting ready for a speed day or a race, a warm up is essential for performing your best.

In this bonus Run to the Top Podcast, Coach Claire Bartholic talks about why you shouldn’t skip a true warm up and she explores exactly how to warm up for any kind of run or race.

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Aug 4, 2021

In May of 2021, two ultrarunners named David Kilgore and Margot Fleming were invited to a unique event whose only rules are there are no rules and there are no spectators.  In the spirit of Hunter S Thompson’s mind-expanding trip across the desert in the iconic book Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas, The Speed Project is a race from Los Angeles to Las Vegas.  The route is anywhere from 300 to 340 miles and is a journey just as counter culture as Thompson’s book, just without the drugs.

David and Margot were each supported by their crews on this multi-day race and to make things more interesting for all of us data-lovers, they had their biometrics measured the whole time by a wearable technology device called WHOOP.  WHOOP measured their heart rate, heart rate variability, sleep quality, recovery and more.

You would think that after 50 to 80 mile days of running in the desert, all biometric trends would progressively get worse as each athlete deteriorated with the effort.  But that’s not what happened.

A little background, David Kilgore is an accomplished ultrarunner, who ran for the University of Colorado and on Team USA in the Trail and Ultra Running World Championships in 2019. Today, he leads marketing for On Running in New York City, where he now lives and trains. 

Margot Fleming is an ultrarunner and marathoner, has worked with Nike as a global brand manager, and now heads the global footwear marketing team at Lululemon.  She is also the daughter of famed marathoner and 2 time NYC Marathon winner Tom Fleming who tragically suffered a heart attack at age 65.  Margot is deeply ingrained in the NY NJ run scene and has worked closely with New York Road Runners in honor of her father’s legacy.

Claire Bartholic sits down with David and Margot to learn what it was like to push yourself to such limits through running, what it was like to race through the desert for days, how they fueled, and how they recovered.

For those of you that already love the world of ultra running, this one will hit the spot and for those of you who cannot even fathom such a journey, David and Margot will help paint the picture of what it’s really like.

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Whoop.com  Save 15% with code RTTT

 

This week's show brought to you by: 

Purity from the Amino Company. Purity is an essential amino acid-based formulation that has been shown in clinical trials to help reduce liver fat levels while working to maintain healthy liver enzyme levels and so much more. Check out the research here: https://aminoco.com/rttt 

If you’re interested in learning  more and giving Purity a try, we’ve got a special offer for you where you can save 30% by using the code RC30. Just head to: https://aminoco.com/rttt and use the code RC30 at checkout to save 30% 

Jul 30, 2021

Many runners are guilty of downplaying their running.  If you've ever said, "I'm not a real runner," or have gotten down about your abilities as a runner, this is for you.

We are shifting the negativity about our running on The Run To the Top in this episode and owning up to our true awesomeness!  Learn how to break out of the negative self talk and comparison trap today.

*GIVEAWAY ALERT*

If you agree with how awesome running is, and are ready to celebrate the fact that you are an awesome runner, I’d love to hear about it.  Follow me, @theplantedrunner and tag me on instagram with your running post using the hashtag #awesomerunner.  I’ll respond to you personally and I’ll send two winners a FREE supply of LMNT hydration powders as a thank you.

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Jul 28, 2021

In today’s episode, we’re going to drill down on one critical micronutrient that is essential to humans in the right dose, highly toxic in the wrong dose, and one that many runners are chronically deficient in and that is iron.

To help explain the unique role of iron in runners, I invited Dr Mike Zourdos and Dr Sara Mahoney on the Run to the Top.  Mike and Sara have studied the role of iron in marathon runners for both health and performance, and fun fact, Sara is Mike’s endurance coach.

Mike is a Full Professor and the Associate Chair in the Department of Exercise Science and Health Promotion at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, FL. Mike’s research lab, the Muscle Physiology Laboratory, focuses on resistance and strength training, but more recently, he has begun to come over to the endurance side of sport with a little help from Sara.

Dr Sara Mahoney is the Chair of the Department of Exercise Science and Associate Professor at Bellarmine University in Louisville, KY.  Her research has been focused in the use of nutraceuticals and the use of nutrition in athletic performance, specifically endurance and ultra-endurance events.

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This week's show is brought to you by:

LMNT.  Head over to DrinkLMNT.com/RUNNERSCONNECT for your salty samples.

Jul 23, 2021

Up to 50% of runners will suffer an injury in any given year and one of the most severe and common injuries is a stress fracture.

Because treatment for a stress fracture will require a significant amount of time off your feet, you’ll want to become aware of this risk to runners and start work on prevention now to avoid ever getting a fracture in the first place.

And if you’ve already suffered from a stress fracture and want to know what steps to take to heal, recover, and get back to running your bes t, I’ll go over what you need to know with a little help from runnersconnect.net founder Jeff Gaudette.

 

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Jul 21, 2021

If you’ve run long enough or are just starting your journey, you probably have a Iove/hate relationship with running.  Running long distances is wonderful and completely irrational at the same time.

To help me explore the delightful and nonsensical sport that we all love to hate, I invited author and ultrarunner Brendan Leonard on the Run to the Top.

Brendan is a freelance writer and illustrator whose new book, I Hate Running and You Can Too, is a hilarious and relatable trip into the mind of a runner that’s not going to top any podiums or win any races, but still regularly runs irrationally long distances.

Brendan started his popular website Semi-Rad.com in 2011 as a channel for active, yet not elite athletes, who love to get out there, but don’t take themselves too seriously.

He’s  a contributing editor at Adventure Journal and a columnist at Outside. His stories have appeared in Backpacker, National Geographic Adventure, Men’s Journal, Sierra, Adventure Cyclist, and more.

He’s bicycled across America, runs hundred milers, and he is continually amazed at the things that regular people can do.

His work is funny and insightful and he might just inspire you to love (or hate?) your running too.

 

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Semi-Rad.com

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This week's show brought to you by: 

Perform from the Amino Company. Perform is an amino acid based formulation that I simply add to my water bottle during my run. It tastes great and is easy on my stomach. 

Clinical studies have shown that Perform helps improve endurance, reduce fatigue, and increases muscle protein synthesis so you recover faster after the run. Check out the research here: https://aminoco.com/rttt 

If you’re interested in learning  more and giving Perform a try, we’ve got a special offer for you where you can save 30% by using the code RC30. Just head to: https://aminoco.com/rttt and use the code RC30 at checkout to save 30% 

 

Jul 16, 2021

Many people want to lose weight with running.  While the benefits of running can go far beyond losing a few pounds, running can be a fantastic part of your strategy to get in the best shape of your life.

So why is it that runners come in all shapes and sizes?  If running is so good for weight loss, why aren’t all runners perfectly trim and lean?  And what about those stories that you hear of people actually gaining weight while training for the marathon?  How is that even possible when you are pounding out mile after mile?

Coach Claire Bartholic goes beyond just calories in and calories out to explore why you might not be losing weight despite how much you run.  Then, she goes over how you can change your routine and habits to finally achieve the weight loss results you are looking for.

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Jul 14, 2021

Hydration and Fueling For Endurance Performance Series, Part Two: The EXACT Fueling and Hydration Secrets from the Best Endurance Athletes with Abby Coleman

Learn exactly how the best endurance athletes in the world are fueling and hydrating with sports scientist, Abby Coleman.  Abby is part of the team at Precision Hydration and she has helped create and analyze the strategies of top Ironman performers, the man who broke the 100 mile and 12 hour world record breaking race, and multiple champion ultra runners and riders.  She knows exactly what they ate and drank at every stage of the race and will help us apply that knowledge to our own plans.

Abby is an expert on sweat and has Sweat Tested some of the top athletes in the world - including NBA, Premier League, NFL and MLB players - to help them refine their hydration strategies. She advises professional cycling teams, pro triathletes, and 2x Olympic runner Eilish McColgan. 

Oh yeah, Abby helps recreational athletes too.

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Jul 9, 2021

Welcome to Part One of our two part series on Hydration and Fueling for Endurance Performance.  In this episode we’ll talk about how to craft your perfect hydration plan and on Part Two, we’ll learn the exact fueling and hydration strategies of some of the best endurance athletes in the world.  Be sure that you are subscribed to the Run to the Top so you don’t miss out on a single episode!

Ah, summer.  The warm, sunny days, and short nights are perfect for getting outside and savoring nature with family and friends.  But if you are an endurance runner, training in the heat comes with challenges.

Not only is running simply more uncomfortable as the mercury rises, but the combination of heat, sun, humidity and distance will begin to affect our performance as the body struggles to cool itself down.

If you’ve ever come back from a run soaked in sweat, or had salt stinging your eyes and staining your clothes, you probably already know that hydration is important. And if you are training this summer for a marathon or an ultra, a perfect hydration plan is an absolute must.

The question is how do we do it right for both our health and our performance?  

To get into the precise details and science to help you craft your own personal hydration strategy, I invited sweat expert Andy Blow of Precision Hydration back on the Run to the Top to help me out.  You may remember him from my interview with him in 2020, one of our most downloaded episodes of the year.  If you haven’t listened to that one, be sure to go back and check it out! 

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Precision Hydration

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How To Measure Your Sweat Rate

Cramps

How To Start an Event Well Hydrated

How Much Dehydration Can You Tolerate?

How To Tell if You May be a Salty Sweater

Discount code for precisionhydration.com for 15% off your first order: RUNTOTHETOP

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Jul 7, 2021

Your spine starts showing signs of aging at age 20.  Is too much running putting it at more risk?

We talk about the spine a lot to our athletes. Your posture and spinal mobility are huge players in good running form, which allow you to run faster and longer with less effort.  Flexibility in the thoracic spine in particular allows you to run light and tall, as well as makes more room for lungs to fully expand to their potential.

So what can we do to make sure that our spine is supported, helping us run faster and pain-free?  And what happens to our spinal health as we age, especially if we’ve spent years pounding out mile after mile?

Brigham Young University’s Dr Ulrika Mitchell researches the spine and is on the show to talk about it.  

Dr Mitchell was born in Germany and got her degrees in Sports Science and Physical Therapy there before moving to the US in the 90s.  She got her PhD at BYU and now teaches Functional Anatomy and Orthopedic Impairment at the university. Her research is mostly focused on the spine, low back pain, and she frequently studies runners as she is a runner herself.

Coach Claire asks her all about how the spine functions when we run, how to make sure that it is optimally supported, what exercises we can do to maintain proper spine alignment as we run, and what happens to our spines as we age. 

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Jul 2, 2021

The instinct to run hard from the start is something that is tough to unlearn. That’s why you so often see new runners, and even experienced runners do this in workouts and races:  they start off too fast and at some point, dramatically and disappointingly slow down, finishing far slower than their potential.

But there is a proven race strategy that race after race produces far better results.

It’s a strategy that has led to nearly every world record in distances from 1500m to the marathon and beyond.  It’s called the negative split.

A negative split is simply running the first half of your race slower than your second half.  That means you have to run slower when you are feeling good and run faster when you are feeling tired.  Sounds impossible, right?  Well, it’s not easy, for sure, but it’s a concept that can work in nearly any race to ensure that you get the very most out of your potential.

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Jun 30, 2021

Is a lack of great sleep ruining our lives and our running?  Claire wanted to find out, so she invited sleep expert Dr Shelby Harris on the show to talk about it.

Dr. Harris is the former director of the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Program at the Sleep-Wake Disorders Center at Montefiore Medical Center.  Now in private practice in White Plains, NY, she treats a wide variety of sleep disorders such as insomnia, nightmares, circadian rhythm disorders, narcolepsy, and more using evidence-based behavioral treatments. She has researched the neuropsychological effects of insomnia in older adults as well as behavioral treatments for insomnia, parasomnias, narcolepsy, and excessive daytime sleepiness. 

Dr. Harris has written for the New York Times and Psychology Today and has been quoted in media such as The Huffington Post, The New Yorker, Wall Street Journal, O Magazine, and New York Magazine. She has appeared on the Today Show, World News with Diane Sawyer, Good Morning America, and more.

In other words, she knows a lot about sleep and she is a runner herself.  Claire asks her how we can better decide to prioritize sleep over running and whether afternoon runners or morning runners are doing a better job with their sleep.  She talks about how much sleep we really need and how to get more of it.

And if you are a runner with kids, this episode is especially for you because your little ones might just need a little more sleep too.

And just so you know, if you are listening to this at 2am because you can’t sleep and you just happen to fall into dreamland before the show is over, we will take it as a compliment!

Jun 25, 2021

Summer is officially here in the Northern Hemisphere and while longer days leave lots more time for running, the sun, heat and humidity can make running miserable.  But unless you’d like to spend the season on a treadmill in the air-conditioning, learning to adapt to the heat is your best option.

The good news is that all your sweaty work this summer will pay off with faster times in the fall, when things cool off a little.

We'll get into the science of what is happening when you run in the heat and then offer some cool suggestions that can help you train this summer more effectively, despite the temperatures.

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Jun 23, 2021

Matt Frazier is a vegan ultramarathoner, author, and entrepreneur, best known as the founder of the No Meat Athlete movement and host of the No Meat Athlete Radio podcast. Matt found he could run longer and faster with the help of a plant-based diet, and shortly after adopting a plant-based diet, Matt qualified for the Boston Marathon after taking over 100 minutes off his first marathon time. He has run several 50-milers and a 100-mile ultramarathon on a vegan diet.

Matt's books have sold over 125,000 copies in five languages, and his work have been featured in books including Rich Roll’s Finding Ultra, Brendan Brazier’s Thrive Foods, and Seth Godin’s What to Do When It’s Your Turn. Matt was named by Greatist as one of the 100 Most Influential People in Health and Fitness, and Sports Illustrated has called The No Meat Athlete Cookbook one of the best Health & Wellness books.

Matt has a brand new book out called the Plant Based Athlete and I couldn’t leave out his equally amazing co-author Robert Cheeke.

Robert began a vegan lifestyle for ethical reasons at age 15, weighing just 120 pounds. Today he is the author of the best-selling books, Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness, Shred It!, Plant-Based Muscle. He is often referred to as the “Godfather of Vegan Bodybuilding,” growing the industry from infancy in 2002, to where it is today.

 As a two-time natural bodybuilding champion, Robert is considered one of VegNews magazine's Most Influential Vegan Athletes. He tours around the world sharing his story of transformation from a skinny farm kid to champion vegan bodybuilder. Robert is the founder and president of Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness and maintains the popular website, VeganBodybuilding.com. He is a regular contributor to No Meat Athlete, Forks Over Knives, and Vegan Strong.

In my conversation with Robert and Matt, we talk about common nutrition myths about plant-based and vegan diets (here’s a hint--they are not always the same) and how more and more top athletes around the world are discovering that plant-based nutrition is not simply some fad diet, but a powerful performance and recovery enhancer.

We talk about protein, calories, macros, and whether or not you need to be all in to reap the benefits of plants.

As you can probably guess, this was a delightful conversation for me because not only did I get a chance to interact with two people whose work I think so highly of, but I also get to talk about my two most favorite subjects:  running and food.

Jun 18, 2021

Have you ever experienced painful leg cramping late in a race?

Coach Claire goes into the science of leg cramping.  This episode will equip you with an action plan that you can start today to cramp-proof your legs, so you can crush your next race, cramp-free.

And she does it with a little help from her running mentor, Coach Jeff Gaudette, 2:22 marathoner and founder of RunnersConnect.net.

Coach Jeff has extensively studied the issue of late-race cramping in runners and it might not be caused by what you think it is.

 

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