This week we talk with Calum Neff, who holds the Guinness world record in the marathon and the 10k while pushing a stroller, or as they say in the UK, while pushing a "pram."
Calum’s accomplishments are amazing and he has a unique perspective on getting fit as a family. Currently residing in Houston, TX, he started running at four years old. His wife, Julie, and his three young daughters have helped define Calum’s running career after earning a series of Guinness World Records racing while pushing his daughters in the stroller. But he also is a diverse runner competing in all distances on all terrains in a single year, from speed on the track to grueling ultras in the mountains and everything in-between. He also runs his own coaching business called Hardloop Endurance in Houston.
So just how fast do you have to run while pushing a young human in a stroller to earn a Guinness World Record? Pretty darn fast! Calum ran 2:31 in the marathon, 1:11 in the half, and 31:43 in the 10k. That is lightning fast even without a stroller!
Not only is Calum fast, but he involves his family in his accomplishments, which is not easy to do. You can tell that he takes his job as a parent and a husband very seriously, but also manages to have a great time in the process.
Take a listen as we learn about his training and racing endeavors. Perhaps you will be inspired to gear up the kid(s) and push yourself to new achievements.
3:18 How did you get into racing with a stroller and how did you decide to go after stroller records?
4:30 Was it your idea or your daughter’s?
5:22 Can you recap your recent 10K WR you just got in February?
7:30 What tips do you have for stroller running?
8:43 What do you look for in a jogging stroller?
9:27 Do you switch hands and how often would you switch in a 5k?
9:47 What is your daughter doing during the race?
10:57 How would you describe your race footage?
11:38 What are the reactions of other racers to you?
12:28 Do you have stroller-specific training?
13:36 What tips do you have to stay fit as a family?
15:51 What strength training do you do with your kids?
19:15 Do you ever run without your kids?
20:02 What advice do you have for those looking at online running coaches?
21:34 Will you coach your daughters at some point?
22:24 What advice would you give parents who are looking for a coach for their kids?
24:28 How do you walk the line of nurturing and pushing?
26:45 Any more WR attempts on the horizon?
27:45 What are the differences between single and double strollers?
29:08 Any plans to reclaim the Half Marathon Stroller Record?
29:40 What advice would you give yourself back when you started running and weight training?
30:53 What is the best gift running has given you?
31:49 How can people connect with you?
“Running takes so long to develop. Stay consistent; stay at it through not only the good times, but the bad runs, as well.”
“Imagine you’re watching a movie and your kids are in that movie, but YOU’RE NOT. And you’re at the theater. You would never stand up in the theater and scream at the screen; you would never try to change the plot. Showing up to sports with that attitude is going to improve not only your kid’s enjoyment of the game, whatever that game is, but it will improve your relationship.”
“A lot of my work in the gym is just very light weight, but very focused on single-leg stability, because you’re either on your left or on your right when you’re running. It’s great to be in a single plane and strong that way, but as soon as you’re off kilter or getting fatigued late in the marathon, you really need to have those extra stability muscles and core strength to kick in.”
“Allie, when I did the marathon record, she was four. This is something that she’ll remember for the rest of her life and just to be running alongside Olympians was the coolest thing to share with her.”
“Stay fluid on the (stroler) bar. I always see parents with the double-handed death-grip on their stroller like it’s just going to fly away from them. It makes you whole body very rigid and your form goes out the window.”
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Calum Neff World Record Half Marathon with Stroller Periscope Footage
Calum Neff World Record 10K with Stroller Footage
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How to strengthen your foot? What exercises can help stretch your foot and calf muscles? Coach Laura explains in today's podcast.
So your race is likely to get cancelled or postponed. Now what to do? In this week's audio blog, Coach Claire reads an article about how to potentially adjust your schedule for another race and why now is the best time to work on your weaknesses.
As many big-city races are getting cancelled due to Coronavirus, what can you do to remain positive and stay focused on other aspects of your running goals? Coach Michael gives suggestions on how to cope and turn this situation into a more positive one.
In this podcast about Olympic Trails recap, Coach Dylan talks about various interesting things that happened before, during and after the race. Listen now!
Sleepy glutes… yes, this is an actual thing for many runners. And it’s just one of an assortment of issues runners can suffer from. Whether it’s injury, weakness, or just inefficiency and injury prevention, a great physical therapist works individually with athletes to increase performance.
And that is exactly what PT Abby Douek, owner of and therapist at Run Raleigh Physical Therapy and Performance Lab, does with her athletes.
In this episode, we learn a lot about form; how to analyze it, including the differences between 2D and 3D gait analysis, and how to improve it.
Strength and conditioning is another crucial component to rehabbing and pre-habbing injuries. And the good news is that it doesn’t take nearly as much time as you might think to improve your functional strength.
Abby also challenges some conventional thinking about returning to running post-injury and thoroughly explains common issues runners have and some ways that might help them.
Lots of great info in this one, so you may want to flag it as a favorite to come back to.
3:14 How was it seeing some of your athletes compete at the Olympic Trials in Atlanta?
3:43 How many of the runners had excellent form as you saw them running by?
4:12 How can people run well with what appears to be terrible form?
5:37 How easy is it to fix one’s form?
7:06 Can a novice runner fix form as easy as a veteran, or is it different?
8:18 What is gait analysis and what should someone expect?
10:16 Does form vary between paces?
11:02 What should people do if they feel injured on a run?
11:32 Should people run fast or slow when recovering from injury?
12:32 What are some of the most common issues you see with runners?
12:42 What are ‘Sleepy Butts’?
13:39 What can people do if they are deskbound at work?
15:02 What issues do you see with feet?
16:57 What do runners need for balance and how can they improve it?
18:18 How much strength work do runners need each week?
21:17 What is an example of a good strength work routine?
22:29 What are the best exercises for core?
23:09 What about ankles and how can we work on them?
24:25 What is the actual treatment process for injured runners?
26:49 How much pain is ok to run through?
28:38 Should most runners go to a PT when healthy or only when they’re hurt?
29:29 What advice would you give yourself back when you started running and weight training?
35:48 What is the best gift running has given you?
37:18 How can people connect with you?
“We are trying to prevent the pain before it starts. We’re trying to get out in the community, trying to talk to coaches, talk to run clubs, anybody who will listen on how to foam roll properly, how to do dynamic stretching vs. static stretching before you get out there, anything we can do to try to catch problems before they start.”
“Every patient has to do two what I would consider ‘successful runs’ before we can increase them. It can’t be a fluke.”
“I try not to tell people where to put their feet on the ground, but can we think about where your gaze is, where your trunk is, things that are a little more tangible.”
“People are really amazing compensators; people can run with all kinds of biomechanical issues. It’s not necessarily my job to fix what I’m seeing, but to work with what we have.”
Take a Listen on Your Next Run
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Can exercise alone prevent age-related bone loss? Do all kinds of running activities help build your bone mass? What can you do as a runner to protect your bone density? Coach Hayley explains in today's podcast episode.
How much will running in windy conditions is going to affect your race? Does running in the wind cool you quicker? In this RC audio blog, Coach Claire talks about different research studies on the relationship between wind resistance and running performance and also shares tips for tackling the windy races.
In this week's edition of the RC update, Coach Michael shares details about the "Athlete of the Week", an achievement made by one of our coaches and how runners can prepare for Coronavirus. Tune in Now!
In today's podcast, Coach Ruairi interviews Coach Dylan about his journey to the Olympic marathon trails. Find out how he qualified for the race, the roadblocks he faced, his training plans and his preparation strategy for this race course.
At RunnersConnect, we get a lot of questions about using pace groups in races. While we teach about how you should run your own race, there is something undeniably beneficial about running with a group. It's been proven that being a part of a group with the same goal lowers your own perception of effort which makes running hard feel easier.
And the idea of just blindly trusting a group and letting go of the mental math that you have to do when you pace yourself, is unbelievably tempting.
On the other hand, after months or even years of training, do you really want to risk your race by following strangers?
So to answer this question, we sought out Rick Powell. Rick paced the last chance opportunity for women to qualify for the Olympic Trials in Houston this past January.
Rick Powell is a 31 year old Texan, originally from South Africa, a former marine and a current lawyer. He has a personal best of 2:29 in the marathon and had the task of bringing in the group of women qualifying for the B standard under 2 hours and 45 minutes.
As you will hear in this interview, Rick is about as calm and collected as can be, which in my opinion is EXACTLY what you want in a pacer. He talks not only about the specifics of pacing this important race in Houston, where he helped 17 women cross the line with an OTQ, but what pacing is like in general. We go over strategy, what to ask your pacer before the race, and what pros and cons there are to pace groups.
If you've ever wondered about whether using a pace group can help you or hinder you, you'll have a better idea at the end of this episode.
3:07 How did you end up pacing the 2:45 group of women at Houston, which was the last opportunity to qualify for the Olympic Trials?
5:17 What was it like on the day, and why don’t you like running Houston?
7:01 How was your buildup and training different from racing for yourself?
10:54 What pace strategy did you use in Houston?
12:38 What kind of questions did your pace group ask you before or during the race?
15:56 Were you running at a pace where you could communicate comfortably with them?
18:00 Is it acceptable to ask your pacer, “What’s your PR?”?
21:49 Should runners avoid pacers who are looking to positive-split a race?
23:38 Should runners audit the pacer with their own watches?
26:21 What was your finishing time?
27:24 Does Houston use gun-time or chip-time?
28:52 What are the pros and cons of pace groups?
33:21 What advice would you give for people who want to be a pacer?
35:39 Are you going to sign up again for this year?
37:28 What advice would you give yourself back when you started running?
35:48 What is the best gift running has given you?
37:18 How can people connect with you?
“Taking the pressure off of me doing well and putting it on, ‘well, I have to help these women get there time and I have a job to do.’ I didn’t have time to think how good or bad a day it was.”
“You don’t want a pacer who’s like, ‘well… I’ve never actually run that time before, but I’m gonna go for it.’”
“Important things to ask the pacer are: What is your plan? How will I find you? Have you run this course before?”
“If you’ve not run the course before, I don’t trust you. I’m sorry; I just don’t.”
“The pack CAN push the pacer, which is another thing to be concerned about.”
“The more people you get together in the same mind set, the same common goal, the easier it is. It’s that pack mentality where if you’re all working together, you all will thrive.”
“Having a pacer or being in a pace group is a good indicator of where you are. If you've talked to the pacer beforehand and you know their strategy and their pacing and you know more or less where they want to be at certain mile-markers, it’s a good red-line marker.”
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In today's podcast, Coach Laura discusses 3 simple things that you can add to your training to get the most out of yourself. Tune in now!
Are you a master runner? Is strength training necessary for you? How about speed work? Coach Claire clarifies and shares a few other tips to make running more pleasant for master runners. Listen now!
In this podcast, Coach Michael talks about some of the interesting things happening within the RC circle that runners like you can take advantage of, an event you should watch out for this weekend and then shares a truly inspiring story about one of our athletes that teaches the importance of focus and perseverance. Listen to our new special weekly episode!
In today's podcast, Coach Hayley shares her three favorite ways to incorporate races as part of your training. Tune in now!
Neely Spence Gracey has running in her blood--her Olympian dad, Steve Spence, was running the Boston Marathon the day she was born and her mom ran that day too!
She became a four-time state champion in high school and went on to turn pro after college. She has qualified for the Olympic Trials three times, but due to injury, hasn't been able to toe the line and race for a spot.
Until now.
On this episode of Run To The Top, Claire talks with the 2:34 marathoner about journey she has experienced for the past year and a half. From injury, to pregnancy, to qualifying for the Olympic Trials in Atlanta this weekend, she shares it all.
Not only that, Neely shares her wisdom for staying focused and healthy; the same tips she gives the athletes she coaches herself. Neely has a wonderful attitude and tremendous insight to performance athletes. We can't wait to cheer her on in Atlanta!
3:30 What made you change your mind to go for the Olympic Marathon Trials?
9:34 How was your mental state while you were injured?
12:12 What do you think makes a good coaching relationship?
14:52 What was your experience running through your pregnancy and how do you coach your runners who are pregnant?
21:54 Do you think you will come back stronger post-pregnancy?
23:47 Do you have any stroller-running tips?
26:05 How did you use Walk/Run to ramp back up post-pregnancy?
30:01 How did it feel from an ‘ego’ standpoint to be Walk/Running?
32:45 What are your goals for Atlanta on February 29th?
34:21 What advice would you give yourself back when you started running and weight training?
35:48 What is the best gift running has given you?
37:18 How can people connect with you?
“I was just hoping that either it was going to happen or I was going to be far enough off that that it wasn’t realistic. Because , I did not want to be one of those very heartbreaking, tragic stories of the people who have just missed it by a few seconds.”
“As a coach, I try to really educate my athletes and help them learn about their bodies and build up their confidence and their own intuition of what they should be able to do and what they shouldn’t do.”
“There’s times where you have to push through, there’s times where it’s not a lot of fun. But, there’s also that really key line of when to push and when to not. It’s always better to err on the ‘not’.”
“The biggest thing is every person is so different. That doesn’t change whether you are pregnant or not, whether you’re a male or a female, each athlete is so unique.”
“When we try and force things, when we try and rush things it’s never going to go well. My goal for the year is to not ride that red-line at all, to be really conservative, to listen to my body, to rest when I need to rest, to not force a workout just because I think I have to, to not run that extra 2 miles at the end of a long run if I’m feeling fatigued.”
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We really hope you’ve enjoyed this episode of Run to the Top.
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After weeks and months of training and preparation for your goal race, the last thing you want is the race getting cancelled. How to cope and modify your plans when your race is cancelled? Find out in today's episode from Coach Laura.
We're changing things up at the Run to the Top! Listen to hear what is new.
Going to the gym to strength train is often the last thing most of us who are not elite-level runners want to add into our busy lives. So this is often why we neglect it. And, for those who actually do strength training, are we really doing what we should to improve our running?
This week, Coach Claire talks with Sam MacIntosh, powerlifter, triathlete, and marathoner. Formerly a rugby player in her 20’s, Sam switched to strength training and weightlifting several years ago. She is also a British Weightlifting Level 2 coach and a Precision Nutrition Level 2 coach. Having coached over 200 online clients to become leaner and stronger, she specializes in coaching masters-level athletes to maximize their performance.
Listen as Sam describes how we can get maximum strength gains without spending hours at the gym. She also busts several nutrition myths and gives us great tips and an interesting strategy for best nutrition.
3:09 How do you balance being a champion weightlifter, a triathlete, and a marathoner?
4:26 How much strength training does a marathoner need?
6:05 What kind of exercises are the most important?
8:57 Is it better to do a high or low number of reps?
9:55 How can we improve our running form while running and while strength training?
11:30 Is it possible to gain muscle AND lose fat at the same time?
14:43 How would one periodize nutrition while building up for a marathon?
15:32 How can timing nutrition phases really help?
16:38 On a macro level, what do runners really need for nutrients and how should they go about measuring portions?
21:20 Are ‘palm-fuls’ and ‘thumb-fuls’a better way of portioning than a food calculator like My Fitness Pal?
23:08 How does nutrition differ for weightlifters and runners?
24:33 What supplements, if any, do runners need?
26:06 What are some of the biggest nutrition misconceptions do you help people overcome?
27:38 What do you eat before, during, and after a run?
29:55 What advice would you give yourself back when you started running and weight training?
31:52 What is the best gift running has given you?
32:50 How can people connect with you?
“I think we can get everything we need from the food we eat. That said, I think everyone on a standard, Western diet, can benefit from an Omega-3 supplement.”
“If you want to reliably gain muscle and lose fat at the same time, it’s very difficult to track that. What’s better is to a periodized dieting approach like you would do with a training block for running.”
“If you learn how to keep your core integrity in strength exercises, that will transfer over into your running without even trying. Your body is a full system, so if you're learning it while you’re doing squatting and deadlifting and that sort of thing, you will carry that over into your running.”
“Two (strength training) sessions a week is what I usually prescribe for people who are training for marathons, but that can be really appropriate for a 5 or 10k racer, as well.”
“For runners, and this is regardless of level, if they’re asking me about supplements and gels and the nitty gritty, and they’re plate for three meals a day is awful, don’t worry about gels, don’t worry about supplements; you need to sort THAT out first.”
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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.
The more people who know about the podcast and download the episodes, the more I can reach out to and get top running influencers, to bring them on and share their advice, which hopefully makes the show even more enjoyable for you!
In this episode, Coach Claire digs in to find out how Joshua went from that shocking diagnosis to running his first ultra at age 44, and eventually becoming the Badwater Ultra Cup Champion. We also learn how he approaches training and injury prevention, his plant-based nutrition, and how he could run for 24 hours on a treadmill.
Joshua has incredible insight and is an inspiration, even if you don’t plan on running any farther than a local 5K. His experiences overcoming his injury, racing for 24 hours, and helping to pace and crew for friends are enlightening and huge confidence builders.
4:42 How do you look at aging and running performance?
6:27 What percentage of your training goes to all the ‘extra’ things beyond actually running?
7:17 How can people learn to stop worrying and love the treadmill?
9:38 What was it like to go through your spinal injury, receive a diagnosis that you’d never run again, and then actually start running again from scratch?
11:41 What were the steps you took to start running all over again?
12:52 What is the experience of pacing, and being paced, like?
14:49 How do you talk to somebody you’re pacing through the Dark Times of a race?
15:55 What is it like to be running an ultra really hard in the middle of the night and being sleep deprived?
18:25 What other learnings from your military experience carry over into your running?
19:36 How did you develop your running form and what tips would you share with us?
21:18 Is it easier to have better form in the gym than on the road?
22:47 What do you normally eat before and during a run?
26:14 Do you have any mantras that help you get through races?
27:59 Can you develop a positive voice when you’re not racing?
30:11 What advice would you give yourself back when you started running?
31:27 What is the best gift running has given you?
33:03 How can people connect with you?
33:35 What’s on your horizon?
“It’s what you do with the other 20 hours. At least two-thirds to three-quarters of everything that I do is in support of the actual running.”
“If you have a negative mindset from the moment you step on the (treadmill) belt, it’s never going to be a good experience.”
“I’m just exceedingly stubborn. If you want me to do something, tell me not to do it, and I will make it my life’s mission; it will become my purpose to do it.”
“I didn’t know what I’d been missing until I got to pace and crew for some of my friends.”
“Where sleep is absolutely imperative is in the training and recovery cycles. I typically get between 8 and 10 hours of sleep a night. I try to be routine in that sometime between 9:00 and 10:00 is when I’m going down and getting up organically between 6:00 and 7:00.”
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Running podcast to motivate & help runners of every level run their best. Coach Claire Bartholic interviews running influencers, scientists, psychologists, nutritionists, & everyday runners with inspiring stories.
Is there a best shoe for you? Julie Cattell from Milestone Running, an independent running store in the San Diego area, will give us her perspective on what’s hot and what’s not from a warmer climate perspective. Many of the shoes we learn about from Julie are different models than those Bryan picked for us last week. Because we really can’t have too many shoes to pick from, can we?
Today’s episode takes us to the southern part of California where, except for rain and fog, runners here can appreciate and, pretty much count on, moderate temperatures and outdoor accessibility almost every day of the year.
Olympic Marathon Trials
There are few things more exciting than watching those who are the best of the best perform. Whether it’s sports, music, theatre, comedy, or anything else. And it’s a rare occasion that amateurs can compete along with them.
On February 29, 2020 (Leap Day), over 750 of the best American Marathoners will compete in Atlanta, Georgia for a select number of spots to represent Team USA in Tokyo this summer.
The Atlanta Track Club has the distinguished honor and responsibility of hosting the Olympic Marathon Trials in 2020. In this episode, we talk with Rich Kenah, Executive Director of the ATC, who shares some of the history of the Club, his own history as a high level competitive runner and lots of details about the upcoming Olympic Marathon Trials.
Dr. Eugene Charles experienced a sports injury in his teens that ended any athletic dreams he had. No one was able to diagnose the reason for his shoulder pain and after years of looking into and studying the problem he was no closer to a remedy.
Fortunately, Dr. George Goodheart had discovered a system of using movement and muscle testing to diagnose and treat health problems. Dr. Goodheart was giving a seminar nearby and after listening to this very knowledgeable man, Gene approached him about his shoulder. From watching him move and testing a few muscles, Dr. Goodheart immediately uncovered the underlying cause of pain, and in a few months it was completely healed. It changed Dr. Charles’ life.