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!
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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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.
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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What if I told you that there was a simple way to improve your muscular endurance, reduce your respiratory rate when running, reduce the production of lactic acid, slash your cortisol build up in half, allowing for faster recovery times after every run? I bet you’d be all over it, right? And then you might be asking, what’s the catch?
My guest today is Dr Dena Garner and she’s spent the last 17 years of her career researching and developing a very simple product that promises to do just that.
Dr Garner is a professor at The Citadel, one of six senior military colleges in the United States. She has degrees in exercise science and muscle physiology as well as a postdoctoral fellowship in neurology.
At The Citadel, her research has concentrated on the effects of a mouthpiece inserted over the lower teeth during exercise. She measures physiological parameters of her subjects while using the mouthpiece, including levels of lactate and cortisol, as well as respiratory rate and has found some pretty incredible results.
Her research has shown that the specific way you place your jaw and tongue, aided by a mouthpiece, results in a physiological change in the airway, which improves performance outcomes. In addition to opening your airway, when you bite or clench down on the mouthpiece during exercise, research cites an increase in cerebral blood flow, which may be the link to the improvements in cortisol and lactate.
Okay, okay, I know what you are thinking. This is pretty weird, right? And I’m not afraid to say that to Dr Garner in our conversation.
But, if you think about it, it could make sense. Think about when you are concentrating hard on something. Many people instinctively clench their teeth or chew on a pencil or their lip or a necklace or bite their nails. Why do we do that? What if it’s not just a habit your mom tries to get you to stop doing? What if it’s a stress-relieving mechanism that’s evolved over time that actually does help us?
I don’t know about all that, but what I do know is that this research is absolutely fascinating to me and potentially could be a gamechanger in performance and recovery. Let’s find out.
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Having a solid fueling plan for the marathon can make the difference between a great race and a disaster. But how do you know what to eat, how much to eat, and when?
Coach Claire Bartholic explains exactly how much runners need to take in before and during the marathon. She talks what you should be doing in the days before the race to top off your muscles' storage of glycogen, what you should eat race morning, and just how many carbs and calories you need to take in to avoid the bonk and cross the finish line your fastest!
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Marathon Nutrition Blueprint https://runnersconnect.net/marathon-nutrition-blueprint/
Are you ready to be inspired? And maybe have some fun while we are at it? Then this is the episode for you.
For most of us, qualifying for the Olympics is a completely unrelateable accomplishment, right? Well how about qualifying for FIVE of them?
Abdi Abdirahman is the only American distance runner to qualify for five Olympic Games. At age 44, Abdi is also the oldest American runner to qualify for the Olympics, the oldest male to podium at the New York City Marathon, and the USA Track & Field master’s record holder in the marathon.
Born in Somalia, he came to Tucson, Arizona, at age 16 after his family escaped civil war. He became an American citizen in 2000 and has represented the United States as a 10,000m runner at the 2000, 2004, and 2008 Olympics, in the marathon in 2012, and has qualified for the 2020 Olympic marathon to be held in Japan this year.
Coach Claire Bartholic wanted to talk to “The Black Cactus” as Abdi is also known, not just about his amazing accomplishments, but about the things that are relatable and helpful to all runners--not just elites.
Because the truth is that we are all runners and while Abdi just happens to be one of the fastest runners on the planet, we are all just putting one foot in front of the other.
His new book is called, Abdi’s World: The Black Cactus on Life, Running, and Fun, and in it, Abdi not only tells his incredible life story, but he also talks about how he leads a fulfilling life that is not all about running.
It’s like a guidebook that is part life lessons, part training tips, part autobiography, and all uniquely Abdi.
Claire talks with him about his 5 rules of running that might just help you have a better run today. It’s kind of hard to believe that such a dedicated, durable and resilient runner like him sometimes has to convince himself to go for a run, but it’s true and she asks him all about it.
This conversation is as much about living a passionate life as it is about running and it’s hard to find someone more passionate about both than Abdi.
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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%
This week's show also 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%
Do you want to know the number one way to get faster as a runner?
SLOW DOWN!
Yes, it seems like the opposite of what you want to do to improve, but it's absolutely true.
In this bonus episode of the Run to the Top, Coach Claire Bartholic will explain the science behind aerobic development and recovery and why slow, easy runs are the most beneficial.
Not only that, but she describes exactly HOW to run slowly and master this powerful technique.
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Accurate nutrition information for runners can get pretty murky out there. It can be tough to figure out what’s really important and really, what’s even true.
And that’s why I’ve brought on Meghann Featherstun who’s going to give it to us straight. Meghann is a registered dietitian and board-certified specialist in sports dietetics at Featherstone Nutrition– which means she’s an expert in sports nutrition. Her passion is to bring accurate nutrition and fueling information out to runners everywhere, backed by research and science. And her mission is to debunk the food myths that hurt runners’ health and performance.
Oh, yeah, she’s also a mom of two and a 2:57 marathoner.
I invited Meghann on the show to play a little game that she plays every week with her Instagram followers called “is that freaking true Friday” and we had lots of fun with this one.
So get ready to brush up on your running nutrition knowledge and crush a myth or two with Meghann.
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