On today’s episode we interview Lena Zentgraf, assistant race director for the Oakland Run Fest.

Held in March each year for the past 10 years the Oakland Run Fest offers a marathon, a half marathon, a 5K, a relay, and a combo race that includes the 5K and half marathon.

In 2019 our first episode was full of success stories and inspiration for our listening audience. However, we did not have a female perspective, so today’s episode will focus on Bethany Rutledge.

Bethany is an endurance coach, writer, small business owner, who regularly contributes to triathlon and endurance sports publications such as Triathlete Magazine, Women’s Running, and more.

A self-described ‘unlikely’ endurance athlete, she and husband John are now co-owners of Atlanta Triathlon Club, a large triathlon community in Atlanta, GA, and Energy Lab, a unique cycling and coaching studio. Throughout her career as a coach, Rutledge has worked with hundreds of athletes, each with their own inspirational story.

Bethany is also a two-time Kona (IRONMAN Hawaii) qualifier and new mom of twin boys. 

In this episode, Bethany describes her entry into running and endurance sports and her journey becoming an author and fitness coach. She shares with us how her book, The Courage to Tri: Finish Your First Triathlon. A Motivational How-To for Women, can help athletes of all levels have a successful Triathlon.

She also educates us on the rules, various courses and distances of triathlon events and how stretching out of our comfort zones by trying something new and challenging can open many doors beyond just fitness.

Goodbye, 2018; Hello, 2019

As we enter into a New Year, we take time to reflect on some running success stories close to home, even if they’re half a world away. ‘Close to home’ because our guests today all are part of the RunnersConnect family. Today we hear from our podcast editor, three of our coached athletes, and our founder, Jeff Gaudette.

Jeremy Noessel began running in the spring of 2017 and completed his longest distance race to date this past summer; a 10-miler in the hot and humid New England summer. We get a glimpse behind the scenes and also insight into his approach to running. Jeremy also shares with us his favorite episodes from 2018.

In 2018, Ethiopian-born Tensai Asfaw started competitive running in boarding school in New Jersey at age 15. He finished as NJ state champ in cross-country and the mile and received All-State honors. He ran at Princeton University where he was a multi-time Ivy League Champion and Captain of the Princeton Track team. He has worked with RunnersConnect for just over a year and has shaved 2-minutes from his 8K and 10K times and 45 minutes from his marathon time.

Scott Borella added the RunnersConnect Strength Training to his training in 2017 and saw an amazing improvement in his 2018 5K, 10K and Half-Marathon races.  Scott talks about his competitive background and how he has applied swimming and strength training to his running program.

Our third success story is Rodrigo Jara from Paraguay. He started running in just a couple years back and his speed and training intelligence has led him to overall and age group victories. A software engineer by day, he started training with RunnersConnect 2 years ago and it changed his entire perspective about running. He shares with us how he achieved his 2018 goals by working with his coach.

RunnersConnect founder, Jeff Gaudette, now experiences most of his running life through RunnersConnect. He shares with us his thoughts on 2018 and what the future of RunnersConnect looks like.

Unheralded runner Austin Brogan ran down Matt Llano in the final 200 meters of the 2018 US Marathon Championship.

Hear how he clawed his way back over the last few miles and the story of those suspenseful final meters. Plus, learn about the training that has allowed Austin to PR from the mile to the marathon.

There is often a stigma attached to the run walk method, but when used correctly it can be amazing for beginners and experienced runners alike.

In today's episode we chat with the pioneer of the run-walk method, Jeff Galloway. We will get answers to many of the common questions about run-walking and even discuss proper run/walk etiquette during the race.

This is another of those episodes that you listen to over and over because there is just so much good information.

Using data collected on running injuries from researchers around the world, Dr. Reed Ferber is on the cutting edge of what causes and can help prevent running injuries.

In today's episode we discuss how wearable technology can predict fatigue-related injuries, how deviation from a training plan leads to injuries, and what specific muscle weaknesses is likely to lead to injury.

How do you push through those inevitable thoughts during a race or tough workout that tell you to slow down or that "it's just too quick"?

On today's show we interview Gary Dudney, author of the Mindful Runner, about the techniques we can use to deal with pain when racing, push past it, and eliminate that doubt we all have.

This is a great episode if you've ever wanted to learn how to develop a tougher mindset when racing!

Holly Zimmermann, mother of 4 and ultramarathoner shares her experiences with training, planning, and gear for some of the most extreme ultramarathons in the world.

Even if you're not into extreme races, her experiences are truly incredible and inspiring.

In this episode we interview scientist and journalist Gretchen Lidicker about the research behind natural supplements such as magnesium, CBD oil, and more.

If you're interested in natural supplements and learning how they may help your running, this is a must listen!

Have you considered trying a triathlon? Maybe you just started training for one and are now realizing it's more than just adding a swim and bike ride to your run.

If so, this week’s guest is going to be a game changer.

Mikael Eriksson, coach, podcaster and triathlete and he is going to break everything down for you with some actionable and amazingly helpful steps to help you transition to your first triathlon.

Mark Gainey - Social Media For Runners

This week we hear from Mark Gainey, co-founder and Chairman of Strava, the social network for athletes.

Founded in 2009, millions of athletes worldwide have joined Strava for the ability to track and share their fitness activities as a community whether they are running, cycling, hiking, racing, skiing, swimming or just working out.

Mark is a runner, cyclist and fitness enthusiast. Started as a youth soccer player later moving to Cross Country in high school, winning the individual State Championship as a Senior. After a collegiate career as a rower, Mark returned to running in the 1990’s and has participated in local 10k’s, marathons and an IronMan and has completed the Chicago, New York and Boston Marathons. He now has his sights set on an Ultra Marathon.

In this episode we learn how and why Strava was developed and has evolved over time and why so many athletes choose to connect through its website and app. Strava is device-agnostic, so you don’t have to spend a lot of money on a GPS watch just to use it.

Mark mentions some notable Strava users, but some he didn’t mention include NASCAR drivers (7-time champion) Jimmie Johnson, (2003 Champion) Matt Kenseth, and Dale Earnhardt, Jr.; former MLB player, Barry Bonds; fashion model, Candice Huffine; and former New England Patriots linebacker, Tedy Bruschi. Log in to Strava and search for your favorite celebrity or local athletes to follow and enjoy all that Strava has to offer.

In this episode, we chat with well-known and highly acclaimed scientist, doctor and author Professor Tim Noakes.

We learn is a Low Carb, High Fat diet can be beneficial for athletes. We also discuss the controversy and challenges athletes face when trying to eat low carb and high fat.

This episode is quite dense with nutritional information, historical information and may put some of our deepest held nutritional beliefs to the test.

But as Tim says, the most important thing is that we listen to our own bodies and not necessarily any ‘experts’ (including him) to determine our optimal nutrition.

Earlier this month, Sarah Crouch was the first American female finisher at the Chicago Marathon with a time of 2:32:37, which was also a PR, and 6th place overall.

In this episode, she shares some of her training secrets and nutrition strategies for the marathon!

In today's episode, here from Trail Running Film Festival, founder James Varner discusses how his films help inspire and motivate trail runners. Plus, learn how you can catch some of these amazing stories when they're in a town near you.

Pease Brothers - Creating Impact Beyond the Finish Line

On October 13th, 2018, brothers Kyle and Brent Pease will compete in the grueling Ironman World Championship triathlon in Kona, Hawaii consisting of a 2.4 mile swim, 112 miles of cycling capped with a full 26.2 mile marathon. And they will be competing as a wheelchair assisted team.

William Pullen, is spreading the message that movement is medicine for mind, body and soul. He is the author of the book: Running with Mindfulness: Dynamic Running Therapy (DRT) to Improve Low-mood, Anxiety, Stress, and Depression, which offers solutions to many of the issues people are currently experiencing.

Dr. Mark Cucuzzella recently wrote Run for Your Life: How to Run, Walk, and Move Without Pain or Injury and Achieve a Sense of Well-Being and Joy.  This book addresses many of the common questions runners have about gear, motivation, running form, injury prevention and more.

Claire Bartholic - The Planted Runner

This week, we hear from 2:58 marathoner, multiple BQ-er, Masters Athlete and RunnersConnect Coach, Claire Bartholic. You may recognize her voice from the “Extra Kick Podcast” from RunnersConnect, and in this episode we learn even more about how she uses s plant based diet to train her best.

For regular runners to children, to elite competitors, RRCA is behind the scenes making running accessible to all of us at all stages of our running lives.

RRCA provides support to over 40 programs through grants, serving over 23,000 children around the US via school-based running programs as well as offering two levels of coaching certification to help runners achieve their goals and much more.

Allen Curanno ran his first 50k in 2010 and has since run several 50k’s, the North Face 50-miler in Marin, the Miwok 100k, the Wasatch Front 100 mile and Tahoe Rim Trail 100 mile trail races. He has also run the Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim, and for a while had the Fastest Known Time (FKT) on the East Bay Skyline Trail.

He enjoys the competitive and social aspect of trail races, but what really excites him is long, self-sufficient adventure runs in the High Sierra which is why he attempted to run the entire 211 mile John Muir Trail unaccompanied.

Sally Edwards is a running pioneer who has carried the fitness torch since the early 70's. 

The 70's was the beginning of her career as an exceptional athlete and an astute business woman, dedicated always to the credo that fitness is a way of life.

From Western States to the Olympic Trials, to snowshoeing 24 hours continuously in Alaska, and many more accomplishments as a business woman and extreme athlete/runner Sally has a great story to share and the fact that she had "the courage to finish last" is just one of many interesting facets to her life.

Being Vegan isn’t just a diet, it’s a lifestyle. But is a vegan diet sufficient for athletes? Well, just ask Ultra-Marathoner Rich Roll, Marathoner Scott Jurek and our own coach, Claire Bartholic and I’m sure you’ll get 3 emphatic replies of YES.

Michael Jordan. Phil Mickelson. Michael Phelps. Meb Keflezighi.

Even the greatest athletes have coaches. Or rather, ESPECIALLY the greatest athletes have coaches. Will working with a coach transform you into an elite runner? Well… not necessarily. But will working with a coach increase your performance greater than going it alone? Absolutely.

Strength Training. We all could benefit from it. But who has time for it?

What if you’re still fairly new to fitness or running and don’t want to invest in hundreds of dollars of equipment? What if you don’t like the idea of going to a gym and ‘performing’ exercises for the whole world to see?

Enter Krista Stryker, creator of 12-Minute Athlete, a High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) workout regimen consisting of incredibly short, effective workouts based on calisthenics, cross-training and functional fitness.

One of, if not THE, best way to improve your running AND prevent running injuries is by implementing strength training into your training program. But where do you start? How should you start?

This week’s episode features RunnersConnect founder, Jeff Gaudette. Jeff has been a runner for 25 years with personal times of 2:22  in the marathon and 28:45 in the 10k. Recently, Jeff has been focusing on strength training and injury prevention and he speaks with our host, Stephanie, on the science and philosophy of how important strength training is for runners.