When Jacob Heslington was sitting in the ICU as a 21 year-old recovering from severe blod clots, he probably didn’t imagine that only 9 years later he would be running in the Olympic Marathon Trials. Qualifying alone would have been an impressive feat. His success didn’t stop there though. In only his 2nd ever marathon, Jacob managed to finish 21st in a time of 2:15 and while competing against a field of over 100 incredibly talented elite and semi-elite runners from across the country.
He’s the ultimate everyman runner, balancing his training with a full-time engineering job and 3 kids. There’s a lot you can learn from the training of elite athletes. What makes Jacob a special role model to runners is that he has achieved such incredible success in the face of adversity countless times. This is a real-life story of an athlete that has overcome the odds to make his running dreams a reality.
He’s joining us on the Run to the Top Podcast so that other runners can find inspiration to achieve their own goals. We’ll cover topics including:
We’re excited for Jacob to share his incredible story with you. His unique insights into the intersection of elite performance with the stressful life of “normal” runners will be sure to inspire you.
Jake’s Instagram: www.instagram.com/heslingtonjake
Personalized coaching from Jake Heslington: customfitrunning.com
This week’s show brought to you by:
Previnex Joint Health Plus
Joint Health Plus from Previnex is clinically proven to reduce joint pain, joint stiffness,and improve joint flexibility in 7-10 days.
In fact, it is clinically proven to be up to 5 times more beneficial than glucosamine and chondroitin alone or in combination.
I saw immediate results when I started using Joint Health Plus and that’s why I reached out to Previnex to see if we could put together an offer for you guys.
If you’re suffering from joint pain or simply want to get a jump start on protecting your joint health as you get older, head to runnersconnect.net/joint and use the code RTTT15 to save 15% on your first order.
Lever
Have you seen top athletes like Eilish McColgan and Kara Goucher using the LEVER system lately? If not, let me fill you in on why this might just be the game-changer you've been waiting for.
The LEVER system is an innovative way to reduce your body weight while exercising on a treadmill, which means less impact on your joints.
Whether you're coming back from an injury, looking to increase your running volume, or wanting to add some serious speed work to your routine, LEVER has got you covered.
Our own has been using it and only 5 months after hip surgery has been able to build mileage up to 45 miles for the week by reducing impact on the LEVER. She’s even been able to run faster with better mechanics while still keeping the effort and HR in the easy zone.
What’s even better? The LEVER system is incredibly portable. It sets up on your home treadmill or at your local gym in under two minutes.
And because we know you'll love it, we’ve got an exclusive deal for you. Use the discount code RunnersConnect at levermovement.com to get 20% off your purchase.
Trust me, your joints, achilles, and sore muscles will thank you, and so will your future self.
There’s a lot of bad information out there when it comes to injury treatment and prevention. That’s why it’s so important to make sure you get information from a reliable source like today’s guest, doctor of chiropractic Chantelle Maryuen. Chantelle works at the Runner’s Academy clinic in Toronto, offering a variety of services helping runners with “striving to make striving for your goals a joyful experience rather than a painful one”.
Part of the challenge in following research-based principles is that they are so specific to the individual. This means that good treatment for one person could be totally counter-productive for someone else. We want to make this episode as relevant as possible to you, so we’ll cover what treatment options are proven to work for the vast majority of runners but also where to find good information to make treatment decisions for yourself.
Treatment doesn’t just apply to injuries though. How you treat niggles or soreness can be just as important to keeping you healthy. Whatever your current health, we promise you’ll learn something new. During the interview we’ll cover topic including:
A big part of achieving your running goals is staying healthy so that you can get your training done. Unfortunately, taking the wrong approach to treating injuries could be making the situation even worse. That’s why you should listen up, to make sure you know what treatment options are proven to help keep you running pain-free.
Guest Bio:
Dr. Chantelle Maryuen is a graduate of Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College. She was a competitive cross country and middle to long distance track runner for York University Track Club and the University of Toronto's Varsity Blues. She is a UESCA-certified and NCCP-trained run coach and currently trains for road races. She has clinical interests in running-related injuries, gait analysis, and rehabilitation. She applies various techniques in practice such as Neurofunctional Medical Acupuncture, Active Release Techniques (ART), joint mobilization and manipulation, Neurodynamic Solutions (NDS), exercise, education, and the latest evidence, to deliver the best patient-centered care.
The Runner’s Academy Clinic: https://www.therunnersacademy.com/
Chantelle Maryuen Instagram handle:@therunnerschiro
The Runner’s Academy Instagram handle:@therunnersacademy
Exercises for desk workers:
www.instagram.com/reel/DBAOEtkNp3k/?igsh=MW1ja3k2bnhkMjZrcg==
Short foot & progression exercise:
www.instagram.com/reel/DBByzNwRM5e/?igsh=MWtjeGN4ZTU3eGtyNA==
This week’s show brought to you by:
Manukora Honey
Are you looking for a delicious way to spice up your pre-run snacks and make them healthier?
Then you need to try Manukora honey.
Not only is it hands-down the best honey I’ve ever tasted, Manukora Honey contains powerful nutrients to support immunity and gut health.
The bees collect the nectar from the Manuka tea tree in New Zealand. The nectar is packed with bioactives and the honey that is produced has 3 times more antioxidants and prebiotics than your average honey.
A special antibacterial compound called MGO also comes from the nectar of the tea tree.
Manukora third party tests every single harvest for MGO and makes these results available through their QR system.
It’s a game changer, and all you need is 1 heaped teaspoon each morning to get the most out of the amazing bioactives in Manuka.
I love it in the morning before my runs and I’ve found myself craving it as I wake up.
Now, it’s easier than ever to try Manukora Honey. Head to manukora.com/RTTT to get $25 off the Starter Kit, which comes with an MGO 850+ Manuka Honey jar, 5 honey travel sticks, a wooden spoon, and a guidebook!
MetPro
Using Metabolic Profiling, MetPro’s team of experts analyzes your metabolism and provides an individualized approach to obtaining your goals.
Your MetPro coach then works with you to consistently make adjustments based on your metabolic data as well as how your plan fits your lifestyle.
MetPro’s coaches are not only educated experts in their field, but they’re empathetic that people have demanding schedules and often stressful lives. They will work one-on-one with you to identify the best nutrition and fitness strategy that is going to work for your personal goals and lifestyle needs.
Get a complimentary Metabolic Profiling assessment and a 30-minute consultation with a MetPro expert at metpro.co/rttt
Every run in a good training plan serves a purpose. That doesn’t mean that you have to enjoy them all equally though. Even if you have performance goals, it can be a lot easier to stick to the plan if you enjoy the process. Today’s show is all about giving you new workout ideas that you’ll actually want to do. Coach Ruairi has more than a few ideas and he’s sharing his favorite workouts to help give you some inspiration.
Each of these workouts is RC coach approved to help get you fitter without compromising on fun. Ruairi knows a thing or two about keeping running interesting. He often jumps between the road and trails and has been known to drop several viral tracks about running. Don’t let his rapping skills fool you though because he’s also an excellent coach and runner with a 2:21 marathon PB.
You need a variety of workout types to achieve your best performance from tempo runs to long runs. This show is meant to cover them all and Ruairi will share which workouts he loves when preparing for different race distances. For each of these workouts we’ll get into:
Take out your notepad and listen carefully because Ruairi has some great ideas to keep your running fun.
Essential Fartlek Workouts video: youtube.com/watch?v=PdGS8qwS-Gs&t=520s
This week’s show brought to you by:
Mushroom Breakthrough
One of the most difficult things about training hard in the morning is the brain fog and mental fatigue that comes when you’re trying to get your work day going.
I am sure all you morning runners can relate to that feeling of not being able to focus and get motivated those first few hours at work.
That’s why I was excited when BIOptimizers released its one-of-a-kind product called Mushroom Breakthrough
It’s a powdered blend of 5 potent superfoods including 1.2 pounds of concentrated mushrooms, which have been shown in research to enhance memory, focus, processing speed, and more.
It’s the perfect way to not only boost recovery post-run, but improve mental clarity in the morning without taxing your adrenal system with caffeine.
You’ll notice the difference in concentration, focus and mood, especially on those days when morning training really has you feeling tired and unmotivated.
For an exclusive offer go to bioptimizers.com/runtothetop and use code RUN10 during checkout.
And the great thing about BIOptimizers is that you can try it risk-free with their 365-day money-back guarantee.
LMNT
Maintaining healthy electrolyte levels will not only improve performance and endurance on the run, but can help with preventing headaches, maintaining a healthy weight, and help with recovery.
That’s why we recommend all runners check out LMNT. It's loaded with everything you need to replenish your electrolyte balance with 1000mg of sodium, 200mg of potassium, and 60mg of magnesium, and doesn't include anything you don't need like extra sugar or anything artificial.
Even better, they are currently running a special deal where you can get a free LMNT Sample Pack with any order. So, order your favorite flavor and get a free sample pack to try out new flavors or share with your running friends.
To get this special offer and make sure you’re hydrating properly this summer, head over to drinklmnt.com/runnersconnect.
Sabrina Little is a 5x national champion ultra runner who happens to also be a professor of moral philosophy. During her career, when she wasn’t breaking American records, she earned a Phd in Philosophy at Baylor University. More recently though, she published her book “the Examined run - why good people make better runners” all about how running fits into a happy and fulfilling life. Her book is filled with thought-provoking lessons for anyone who loves to run and she is the perfect guest to explore how running can make us better people or even how practicing virtuous traits can make you a better runner.
One of the key tenets of Sabrina’s writing is that virtuous traits like patience and empathy are teachable and performance-enhancing, so practicing them is beneficial to excelling in sport. This means that becoming a better person can actually be a tool to improve your running!
Some of the topics we cover include:
Sabrina has a way of making philosophical topics approachable and relevant to runners that we’re sure you’ll love. Tune-in and find out for yourself how you can become a happier and faster runner all at the same time.
This week’s show brought to you by:
TIMELINE
Improving your mitochondria is one of the easiest ways to upgrade your performance and overall health.
If you didn’t know, mitochondria are often called the “powerhouse” because most of the energy your muscle cells need during aerobic running is supplied by mitochondria.
This is why one of the primary goals of all the runs we do is to increase the amount of new mitochondria in our cells and to increase their efficiency.
But, now there’s a new way to also improve your mitochondria - Mitopure from time-line nutrition.
Mitopure restores mitochondrial function, so every cell in your body has the energy to do its job and keep you healthy and functioning right.
In fact, clinical studies have shown that 500mg of Urolithin, one of the main ingredients in Mitopure, can significantly increase muscle strength & endurance with no other change in lifestyle.
Mitopure comes in powder form to mix into your favorite smoothie or softgels to make them easy to take.
Improving your mitochondria is one of the best things you can do for your health and with Mitopure from time-line nutrition, it has never been easier.
Go to timelinenutrition.com and use promo code RUNNERSCONNECT for 10% off the plan of your choice.
MetPro
Using Metabolic Profiling, MetPro’s team of experts analyzes your metabolism and provides an individualized approach to obtaining your goals.
Your MetPro coach then works with you to consistently make adjustments based on your metabolic data as well as how your plan fits your lifestyle.
MetPro’s coaches are not only educated experts in their field, but they’re empathetic that people have demanding schedules and often stressful lives. They will work one-on-one with you to identify the best nutrition and fitness strategy that is going to work for your personal goals and lifestyle needs.
Get a complimentary Metabolic Profiling assessment and a 30-minute consultation with a MetPro expert at metpro.co/rttt
We get that you’re busy, and finding a balance between training and life will probably make you a better runner than forcing your training at the expense of sleep or important life commitments. Life is unpredictable and it can be hard to find the right balance for you. Coach Jeff Gaudette is familiar with this struggle as a running coach and father of 4.
While completing all of your easy runs and workouts might be challenging, the hardest part can sometimes be finding the time to fit this into your busy lifestyle, and then maintaining your energy the rest of the day afterwards. Unless you’re a professional athlete with endless time for training, you likely have struggled with this at some point. We’re diving into some of the most hectic situations everyday runners face to help provide some tips for fitting in your training without feeling like you need to give up the rest of your life. Some of the questions we’ll answer include:
We know you lead a busy life, so let’s not beat around the bush and get right into it!
This week’s show brought to you by:
Mushroom Breakthrough
One of the most difficult things about training hard in the morning is the brain fog and mental fatigue that comes when you’re trying to get your work day going.
I am sure all you morning runners can relate to that feeling of not being able to focus and get motivated those first few hours at work.
That’s why I was excited when BIOptimizers released its one-of-a-kind product called Mushroom Breakthrough
It’s a powdered blend of 5 potent superfoods including 1.2 pounds of concentrated mushrooms, which have been shown in research to enhance memory, focus, processing speed, and more.
It’s the perfect way to not only boost recovery post-run, but improve mental clarity in the morning without taxing your adrenal system with caffeine.
You’ll notice the difference in concentration, focus and mood, especially on those days when morning training really has you feeling tired and unmotivated.
For an exclusive offer go to bioptimizers.com/runtothetop and use code RUN10 during checkout.
And the great thing about BIOptimizers is that you can try it risk-free with their 365-day money-back guarantee.
LMNT
Maintaining healthy electrolyte levels will not only improve performance and endurance on the run, but can help with preventing headaches, maintaining a healthy weight, and help with recovery.
That’s why we recommend all runners check out LMNT. It's loaded with everything you need to replenish your electrolyte balance with 1000mg of sodium, 200mg of potassium, and 60mg of magnesium, and doesn't include anything you don't need like extra sugar or anything artificial.
Even better, they are currently running a special deal where you can get a free LMNT Sample Pack with any order. So, order your favorite flavor and get a free sample pack to try out new flavors or share with your running friends.
To get this special offer and make sure you’re hydrating properly this summer, head over to drinklmnt.com/runnersconnect.