Run to the Top Podcast | The Ultimate Guide to Running

In this week's episode, Coach Ruairi and Coach Dylan talk about 3 things that some runners do often. What's the hype around them? Why are runners doing that? What is the science behind them and are they worth trying? Find out now!

Salt, Sweat, and Hydration: Dr. Patrick Burns Should you be taking sodium and other electrolytes while racing? What are electrolytes anyway, and what are the key factors that affect electrolyte levels when running? Dr. Patrick Burns has been studying the answers to these questions and more, and shares his latest research in this episode. Patrick started running as a Massachusetts high school student. He traded short distances for the two-mile event after discovering he was "not fast." At Bowdoin College in Maine, he made another switch, favoring enjoyable and exploratory running over competition. This continued as he traveled the world as a nomadic teacher, using running as a way to explore new countries. Eventually, Patrick moved back to be near his family and go to Tufts medical school. His sister, Katie, had six marathons to her credit, and Patrick decided to train with her for one. This is when he really fell in love with running. Patrick and Katie completed the Boston Marathon, and more long distance races followed. However, once he began his Emergency Medicine residency at the University of Washington, Patrick had very little time to run. Four years later, Patrick did a Wilderness Medicine fellowship at Stanford. Here he discovered RacingThePlanet and ultramarathon running while working as a researcher on a race in Ecuador. He was hooked. Here's Patrick's definition of Type 2 fun: a self-supported, 250 km, 7-day race through extreme environments. He considered this brutal, grueling, and amazing. Patrick is currently a clinical assistant professor for the Department of Emergency Medicine at the Stanford University School of Medicine and the assistant director of the Wilderness Medicine section. He continues to work with RacingThePlanet to answer questions related to ultrarunning. This project coincided with his first RTP ultramarathon – a fantastically humbling experience. Questions Patrick is asked: 2:35 You are an ultra runner and emergency room doctor at Stanford University and before I get into the main topics that I'd like to discuss today, how is the current situation there? 3:15 Stanford is now doing all their classes online. Is that correct? 3:59 As we head into the summer months in the northern hemisphere, many athletes become more concerned about electrolytes. You are one of the authors of a very interesting study on hydration and electrolytes and you were also one of the test subjects. Before we get into the study, can you give us a little primer on electrolytes, what they are, and why they are important for the human body? 4:56 What happens when you run long distances and get those electrolytes out of balance? 5:54 Can you explain what hypo- and hypernatremia are and why that matters? 6:23 Can you talk about some of the complications of hypo- and hypernatremia? 9:00 Is hyponatremia more dangerous than dehydration or hypernatremia? 9:34 Is sodium the most important electrolyte? 9:54 Are some electrolytes more important than others? Do you have to replace all of them while racing? 10:31 Can you describe the study that you and your colleagues did? What was the goal of the study? How was it conducted? 13:12 How many people raced in the event and how many people did you end up studying? 14:40 How were samples collected? Were you pricking people's fingers? 16:12 How good are we at hydrating and keeping sodium levels in balance? 16:54 Is a too high sodium level from taking in too much salt or not taking in enough water, or could it be either or both? 17:44 Did you talk to the runners in the study about why they were doing what they were doing with regards to sodium? Why is there such a big range of what we take in? 20:08 Should you change your sodium level intake in a hot race? 21:34 Do you have any insight on taking extra electrolytes for muscle cramps? 23:13 I would love to ask you about the drink-to-thirst philosophy. We're reading a lot about that nowadays, that that should be the only rule: drink to thirst. What do you think about that? 24:50 What about in a race where you're not carrying your own fluid for the most part? You can't really drink to thirst. You've got to wait until you get to that aid station, so there has to be some sort of plan that overrides the drink-to-thirst. Is this just, would you say, trial and error and see what works for you? 25:55 What questions are still unanswered when it comes to athletic hydration? What's next? Are you planning on more studies, or what are some of the things that you and the doctors that you work with are looking to study? 27:33 Are you going to test people with blisters to see what product works best? 28:17 What products do you like? Questions I ask everyone: 28:59 If you could go back and talk to yourself when you first started running, what advice would you give yourself? 29:38 What is the greatest gift that running has given you? 30:15 Where can listeners connect with you? Quotes by Patrick: "Sodium is the electrolyte that seems to be dysreg

Can improving your gut health improve your running and make you a faster runner? What can you do to increase your gut microbiome diversity? Find out in today's episode from Coach Hayley.

How to safely increase your mileage to the next level? How to know what mileage your body can handle? Coach Claire discusses 8 challenges that can help you increase your mileage to over 60 miles a week without getting injured.

With New York City Marathon also getting cancelled, what can you do now to stay focused on your running and fitness goals? Coach Michael discusses a few new great options that you can utilize to become a better runner during this time.

In today's podcast, Coach Ruairi and Coach Dylan go through 3 books each that can inspire and motivate runners and talk about how the various principles discussed in the books can help you get the most out of your running lives. Tune in now!

Adina Crawford - Yoga Can Make You a Better Runner Running dramatically changed Adina's life, transforming her from a non-athlete to a source of fitness inspiration. One of the keys to Adina's athletic ability and mental strength is yoga, a practice she believes everyone can benefit from. Adina shares with Coach Claire her approach to yoga in the classes she teaches, how to get started, some of the best poses for runners, as well as some helpful tips. She talks about what mindfulness means to her, as well as the benefits of cross training. Most of all, she teaches us that with a positive attitude and a willingness to try something new, it's never too late to transform your life. In addition to being a runner and cyclist, Adian is also a certified PYTT 200 and 50 YSTT yoga instructor specializing in Vinyasa, Sculpt, and Restorative. She is a mentor, motivator, advocate, and community influencer who serves as an ambassador for Black Girls Run, HoneyStinger, Nuun, Black Girls Do Bike (Shero), and ZOOMA National. She is also a FitPro for Athleta and serves on the Board of Directors for Black Girls Run Foundation. Adina has a fitness blog and has been featured in various online articles, podcasts, and participated with the Brooks Running shoe campaign. In addition, she has taught at various locations including Lululemon, Athleta, private events, family reunions, private schools, and local fitness centers. In 2016, Adina completed her first Marathon (Chicago), numerous half marathons, several indoor triathlons and cycling events in various cities. She is recognized as a strong motivator and advocate for health, fitness, and wellness to her communities. Her goal is to bring more diversity and awareness to the mat and spread the love of all the benefits of yoga coupled with other activities. YOGA IS FOR EVERY-BODY. Questions Adina is asked: 2:07 You are a runner, a cyclist, and a yoga instructor. How do those three activities complement each other? How did you get started? 3:09 How does yoga balance out running and cycling? What kind of yoga are we talking about? 3:32 Walk me through restorative yoga. If I show up at your class, what are we doing if I'm a total newbie? 4:48 You've been quoted as saying yoga is for every BODY. What do you mean by that? 5:47 How did you get started in yoga? 6:15 One thing I have heard people say is that you don't want to be too flexible as a runner because you want those tight springs so that you can run fast. So some of the athletes that I've coached have been sort of hesitant to get super flexible. What do you think about that? 7:07 How have you changed your practice with the whole pandemic? 7:59 What do you use yoga sandbags for? Can you go into detail about that? 8:40 What are some of the best yoga moves for runners? 9:48 With pigeon pose, a lot of runners are really tight in their hips. I know that you can do a couple of variations on pigeon pose that can kind of hit you in different spots. Can you talk a little bit about that? Your hips, or sometimes it hits you more in the hamstrings. Can you talk about some variations for the hips? 10:56 You touched a little bit at the beginning talking about mindfulness. Can you talk about the benefits of mindfulness with yoga and how it relates to running, and how it's different than the mindfulness you might experience on a good run? 12:02 Can you talk a little bit about breathing? I know breathing is really important in yoga, and obviously it's important in running too. Can you talk a little bit about what we're supposed to be doing when we're breathing? 13:16 Are there any other breathing techniques that we can use when we're not practicing yoga or when we're not running? Just anything else besides the deep breaths? I know several yoga types have different kinds of, you know, quick breaths in and then quick breaths out, and I'm not super familiar with it, so I was wondering if you could talk a little bit more about that? 14:49 Another thing kind of related to mindfulness is the idea of being present. If I think about running or if I'm in a race or something like that and if I let my head get too far ahead of worrying about, "This hurts. I should slow down," or "I should stop. I should quit," your brain goes a mile a minute and a lot of people who practice yoga have a better time with staying present. So how do you teach your students to stay present and what's a good practice for someone who's new to this? 16:07 Do you have specific thoughts about how to build your confidence? Because I know sometimes if you're on a race for example, you might not have so much confidence that you're going to get to the finish line in the time that you want, or whatever your goal is. Do you have a confidence practice? 17:03 You started running a little bit later in life. Can you talk about your running journey and how that all started? I think it's an inspiring story. 18:31 How did you get started; what was that first day and first month like? 19:44 Where

In today's podcast, Coach Hayley shares top tips for running safely in hot weather and making the heat work for you. Tune in now!

What are tempo and threshold runs? What are the three different zones of threshold runs? How to know whether you are running your tempo at the right pace or not? Find out in today's podcast from Coach Claire.

Coach Michael talks about the biggest lessons that 2020 has taught us so far from the running perspective. Listen now!

What are surges in running? How to do it? What are the ways to incorporate surges into your training? Coach Ruairi and Coach Dylan explain in today's podcast.

Toby Tanser - Running to Make a Difference How did a nordic athlete wind up living and training in Africa and becoming a huge philanthropist? Toby Tanser, the founder and CEO of Shoe4Africa, which has evolved from providing Kenyan athletes with running shoes to a charity focused on health, education, and women's empowerment, and which built the first public children's hospital in East and Central Africa, tells Coach Claire how it all got started. In this inspirational episode, Toby also talks about his experiences in Kenya, including differences between Kenyan and Western attitudes towards running, and offers up some training tips as well. He discusses his "cult classic" book Train Hard, Win Easy: The Kenyan Way, not to mention he literally wrote the book on the New York City Marathon. He has a great take on what makes the NYC marathon unique. In addition to his philanthropy, coaching, writing, and running, Toby has sat on the New York Road Runners Board of Directors since 2002, was on the Achilles Track Club Board for six years before moving up to the Vice President of Achilles International in 2011, and is on the Coaches Advisory Board for Runner's World. Toby has many other achievements under his belt, but more than anything, he shows us how one person can make a huge difference in the world. Questions Toby is asked: 2:27 You are a philanthropist, a coach, an author, a writer, and a former professional athlete. What roles of these have been your favorite? 2:58 Tell us a little bit about your charity, Shoe4Africa. How did it start and what is its mission? 3:59 Where has Shoe4Africa grown in the last 25 years? 4:34 It's not just runners that you're helping; it's everyone? 5:20 Do you still go to Africa and run with people there? 6:11 You've also written several books about running and one of them is Train Hard, Win Easy: The Kenyan Way. I'd love to hear the story behind that book and some of the main training tips. 7:38 What are some of the tips you learned about how Westerners and Kenyans train differently? 10:52 How have things changed in the past 25 years in Kenya? 12:34 I think you've seen that in America nowadays people are learning from the Kenyans, and there are so many more group running programs out there as far as at the elite level. You have all sorts of training groups that you really didn't see before, and it seems to be kind of based on the Kenyan model, don't you think 13:48 It's said that the Kenyans really take their jogging seriously too, which Westerners sometimes have a problem with. Can you talk about how they run easy? 17:11 You were on the board of directors for the New York Road Runners and the New York City Marathon for 15 years. Can you tell me a little bit about that experience? 18:56 Tell me a little bit about the New York City Marathon. You've written a book on it, so I'm sure you know a lot about it. Can you give any tips, any experiences about the marathon there? 21:06 How many times have you run it? 23:04 And after that day running the marathon for charity, pretty much that has been your whole life is running for charity in a sense? 24:50 Any thoughts about whether the New York City Marathon will go on this fall with everything that's going on? 25:58 How are things in Kenya right now with the pandemic? 27:24 Have they started to reopen things again in Kenya? 28:44 What is next for you and Shoe4Africa in the future? 31:21 How can people help? If they're listening to this and they're inspired, how can people help the efforts that you're doing? Questions I ask everyone: 32:25 If you could go back and talk to yourself when you first started running, what advice would you give yourself? 35:21 What is the greatest gift that running has given you? Quotes by Toby: "You rarely find a Kenyan training alone. They're always in some form of a group, and together you have an amazing power." "You run a marathon in Berlin or France and people come out and cheer, but in New York, they come out to cheer the people at the back of the pack." "Imagine if every single person said, 'I want to run to make a difference.'" "I think in life if you're given opportunities and you turn them away, there's only a certain amount of opportunity you can turn down before you start to realize, 'Hey, I should be doing something.' It's almost like an obligation." Take a Listen on Your Next Run Want more awesome interviews and advice? Subscribe to our iTunes channel Mentioned in this podcast: Shoe4Africa Book: Train Hard, Win Easy: The Kenyan Way New York Road Runners The Essential Guide to Running the New York City Marathon All4running Juli Anne Perry Children's Cancer Hospital Run To The Top Winners Circle Facebook Community RunnersConnect Facebook page [email protected] Follow Toby on: Toby Tanser email Toby We really hope you've enjoyed this episode of Run to the Top. 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,

How to increase your mileage safely? Does increasing the total miles at the rate of 10% every week work for everybody? How quickly can you increase your running mileage? Coach Hayley explains in this week's ExtraKick episode.

What are electrolytes? Why is electrolyte balance important for runners? How electrolytes and hydration go hand in hand? Coach Claire explains in this podcast episode.

In this week's Team RC Update, Coach Michael talks about the biggest running lessons learned from 2020. Tune in now!

In this week's Uptempo Talks, Coach Dylan and Coach Ruairi talk about the pros and cons of the Strava application. As its best features are now moved behind a subscription, is it worth paying? How valuable are Strava segments to non-paying users?

Miriam Salloum, MPT, COMT, OCS - Build Better Tendons Have you ever had an issue with your achilles, hamstring, patella, or IT band? As a runner, you probably just answered, "Yes." Miriam Salloum, aka The Runner's Mechanic, shares her tendon injury expertise in this episode, including what causes tendon issues in the legs and feet, how to treat these issues, and most importantly, how you can keep running while gradually getting pain free. Miriam is a physical therapist who specializes in working with runners at her aptly named business, The Runner's Mechanic, in Asheville, North Carolina. She hails from Gulfport, Mississippi, earned a BS in Biology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, followed by a Masters of Physical Therapy at East Carolina University, and then a post-graduate internship at the Mayo Clinic's prestigious biomechanics and motion analysis lab in Rochester, Minnesota. Miriam has practiced orthopedic and sports physical therapy for the past 20 years, helping runners in Western North Carolina and elsewhere with foot and ankle rehabilitation, foot orthoses fabrications, taping techniques, spine and lumbopelvic neuromuscular reeducation, spinal manipulation, and the biomechanical analysis of running gait. Miriam also uses dry needling techniques used for rehabbing the neuromuscular system. In 2015, she studied these techniques under Sue Falsone, head of Athletic and Sport Performance training for the US Soccer's Men's National team, as well as effective treatment of chronic tendon disorders in high level athletes and runners. In 2016, she was the physical therapist for the Olympic Training Site under the Center for Excellence for Sports Science in Johnson City, where she worked with Olympic athletes in bobsled and track and field. Miriam received her certification of orthopedic manual therapy (COMT) for spine and peripheral joint disorders through Maitland-Australian Physiotherapy and is an orthopedic certified specialist (OCS) through the American Physical Therapy Association. She has been a national presenter for North American Seminars for the past 4 years, educating health professionals in the latest treatments of running related injuries. She models her approach to runners' rehabilitation after the Speed Clinic & Center for Endurance Sports at UVA and Spaulding National Running Center at Harvard, which has allowed her to utilize the most effective techniques for real time gait re-training. Questions Miriam is asked: 2:15 You are the Runner's Mechanic. What does that mean and how did you come up with the name? 3:45 You provide a wide range of physical therapy services for runners, but today, I would like to talk about just a few specific topics that runners face and what we can do to prevent and treat them. One of the most common issues that comes up with runners is injury to our tendons, most often the Achilles and the hamstrings, but all the other tendons in the legs and feet as well. Can you talk a little bit about what's going on with this? 6:45 Let's talk specifically about the achilles first. Is this so common, who is at risk for this, and what do we do about it? 8:30 What do we do to prevent our tendons becoming like brittle elastic bands, or at least push it down the road, specifically with Achilles because I think I hear Achilles injuries most often, and so what would you say you would do if you felt that niggle after, let's say, a speed workout? 9:56 Can you talk about why hills are a problem for the Achilles? 11:09 Moving up to the hamstring, let's talk about that. Who's at risk for that? Is it the same population, or are there any differences you see between people who have hamstring injuries versus Achilles injuries? 12:13 Let's start talking about treatment. We hear about for the Achilles, some people say do the eccentric drop, some people say the calf raises, some say do one but not the other, so what should we be doing for rehab for that? 16:08 I've heard different advice for insertional tendonitis, and I've heard different advice for if the problem is a little higher up. Do you use the same protocol for both, or do you treat those differently? 17:26 Are shoes, and orthotics, and things like that helpful? Can you use those long term? Should people with lower-leg problems always wear a kind of a stacked, non-minimalist shoe? 19:18 Once the rubberband (tendon) is overstretched, that's it, right? There's no getting back that elasticity, or can the body kind of heal that? 20:19 For the high hamstring, what is the PT for that? 22:24 What about the other tendon issues? We've talked about some of the most common ones, but we see runners that have all sorts of issues with tendons, the outside of the leg, the inside of the leg, the top of the foot, all of that. Can you talk a little bit about those and how common those are? 23:34 So basically, whatever tendon it is, there's a loading protocol and you can still keep running as long as you're not in too much pain? 24:13 Le

During this trying times, many of us are experiencing significant stress. So how do stress and anxiety affect your training? What can you do about this? Should you rest or push harder? Coach Hayley explains in this podcast.

Why you need to stop icing your running injuries? Is icing effective in every situation? Can you use ice for an acute injury? Find out in today's podcast from Coach Claire.

With Boston Marathon being cancelled, what areas should you focus on now and why you need to find other ways to motivate yourself within running? Coach Michael explains and also talks about the importance of staying optimistic and adaptability in today's podcast.

How do you run when you're dealing with adversity, whether it is internal or external? When and how to adjust your training? When you should run and when to take a break during these turbulent times? Find out in today's podcast from Coaches Ruairi and Dylan.

Tyler Andrews - World Records Will Be Broken Yes, Tyler Andrews is the World Record Holder for the Treadmill Half Marathon. He is also a US National Champion, a World Championship Silver Medalist, and a World Record holder. And on this Saturday, June 6th, he will not just be racing a 50K, he will be racing a 50K on the treadmill. Talk about mental strength! He will be competing against renowned ultra runners Max King and Mike Wardian in a very special event that you can participate in too at no cost for the full 50K, or you can opt for a shorter distance. If you're tempted to go for a world record yourself this weekend against, say, American marathon star Sara Hall or John Raneri in the half marathon, or maybe just watch world records being broken, Tyler will provide the race details for the Chaski Challenge in this episode, including what will make it exciting for all you fans out there who prefer to spectate! He'll also share his advice for using the treadmill as a training tool and his race day strategy, so if you consider the treadmill a necessary evil, definitely check out what Tyler has to say! Tyler started his endurance career as a scrawny high school cross country runner only capable of running a 5K in 18:30, before competing in NCAA Div. 3 track and cross country for Tufts University. After graduation, he pursued his running dreams in South America where his hard work led to faster times at longer distances, ultimately earning him a HOKA ONE ONE sponsorship. Ty has established himself as a world-class endurance runner, making three US National Teams for the 50K World Championships finishing with individual silver in 2016, and winning his first National Championships over 50 Miles in 2019. Over this decade of improvement, he also improved his best times to 2:46 for the 50K (the second fastest 50K time for an American), 5:43 for 50 miles (a 6:52 pace!), 2:15 for the marathon, 1:03 for the half marathon, 14:12 for the 5K, and competed at two US Olympic Marathon Trials in 2016 and 2020. Entering the trail world, he has also set speed records on the Inca Trail in 2019 and Everest Base Camp Trail in 2020. In addition to being a world record holder, Tyler is the Chaski Endurance Collective founder, and his passion for athletics has also led him to empower other athletes over the last 10 years through coaching and mentorship via his work with Strive-Peru. He's been coaching -- both in person and online -- for most of the last decade and hopes to continue to lead athletes to new triumphs over the years to come. Tyler is weathering the current pandemic by being creative, making the best out of it, and just saying, "Yes" to stuff. Questions Tyler is asked: 2:49 Can you tell us a little bit about what life and training has been like over the past year and especially now during the pandemic? 4:39 This weekend, June 5th and 6th, you are taking part in the Chaski Challenge which is open to everyone, and some elite runners are hoping to take down some world records on the treadmill. Can you first tell me about the open event and what that's about and how people can get involved? 6:45 How do you watch that? 8:01 You do see in the recreation running community, a lot of times there's this huge disconnect between elites and everybody else. There's so many other sports that have just these rabid fans and we don't always see that in track and field or marathoning or even ultra running, so that's really cool that you're trying to find a way to connect the two. 9:51 The more fans, the more sponsors, the more money, the more growth. It seems like if more elites take that point of view, it will only help them in the end. 10:45 Talk about the prizes. It's okay to shout out some of the companies. I'd love to hear who's supporting this. Your main sponsor is HOKA ONE ONE, right? 11:47 Let's talk about the elite field for a moment. You've got Sara Hall headlining the Women's half, John Raneri in the Men's Half, and then you've got Michael Wardian, Max King, and you in the Men's 50k. Sounds like a really exciting lineup! Can you break down the field for us, and do you have any predictions? 14:20 You've got some stiff competition, so I think that's great that you picked some people that will give you a run for your money. 15:08 Why did you choose a treadmill and not your backyards? 16:28 Do you have to do special things like call up the people like Guiness, or how do you certify that it's an official world record? Do you have to do all sorts of logistical stuff like that? 18:46 Can you tell me a little bit about the Chaski Endurance Collective, the organizer of this event? 21:55 I'm going to ask you to put on your coaching hat for a minute and give our listeners some treadmill tips because people hate the treadmill, and some of them grow to love it eventually, but what's some of your best advice for using the treadmill as a training tool? 25:00 A lot of people ask me as the coach, "What about the incline?" Do you mess around with

Why running alone feel so much harder? Why the effort level is low when racing alone? What can you do about this? Coach Hayley explains in this podcast. Listen now!

How to train for an ultra marathon? What can you do to bring the pace down? How to build mental toughness for ultras? Coach Claire explains in this week's Audio Blog podcast.

In this week's update, Coach Michael talks about the Boston marathon cancellation (the big news this week), what runners can do now to stay focused on their running goals and the importance of adaptability.

In this week's episode, Coaches Dylan and Ruairi do a countdown on the top three hardest races to master when it comes to racing and their favorite distances to race. Tune in now!

Jay Ell Alexander - Empowering A Generation of Black Women After hitting her heaviest weight after graduate school, Jay Ell started running. That was almost 10 years ago. She is now the owner and CEO of Black Girls RUN!, a national running organization focused on supporting and encouraging African American women to embrace a healthy and active lifestyle through running. BGR is currently located in 75 cities and 33 states, and with a growing membership of 250K+. In this episode, Jay Ell discusses with Coach Claire obstacles women of color face with their health and in the running community, BGR member success stories, and how lack of diversity in the recreational running community impacts runner safety, especially in light of the murder of black runner Ahmaud Arbery. Jay Ell has a passion for creating safe and healthy spaces for women to come together and live their best life through running. She started as a volunteer at Black Girls RUN! eight years ago, and acquired the company in 2018, while also launching the BGR! Foundation with a focus on community engagement and local programming to support a healthy lifestyle in the community. Jay Ell has her own public relations firm, and her background in public relations has been instrumental in growing the Black Girls RUN! brand. She is also a new children's book author, and she and her husband, Chris, Sr., are parents to 8-month-old Chris, Jr. Questions Jay Ell is asked: 2:53 You are the CEO of Black Girls Run. Can you talk about the organization, how it started, and its mission? 4:43 What are the obstacles black women face when it comes to running? 8:01 How have things changed for the group in the pandemic? 9:52 Is it more of a challenge now for people who feel vulnerable or that running solo isn't something they're able to do? 10:40 Do you still see a lot of online engagement with the group? 11:43 What are some success stories and transformations have your members experienced? 13:58 Women of all races are welcome to join in your group runs, but no men allowed. Why is that? 15:43 On a serious note, I would like to get your thoughts on diversity in the running world. With the recent murder of black runner Ahmaud Arbery, it has become glaringly obvious that the running community has a serious diversity issue. Can you expand on this? 17:28 Why do you think there is a lack of diversity below the elite levels? 19:52 Do some of the daughters come with their moms on the runs? 21:35 How important is it that parents set healthy examples for their kids? 22:28 How can the running community as a whole be more inclusive? 23:51 Before this happened, I had never thought to be worried about the safety of the athletes I coach, especially men. But when I asked my athlete, John, a kind, successful runner in his 50s who's also a black man over 6' tall about the case, he told me that he thinks about his survival every time he runs. He takes special precautions to make sure that people don't even see him, like running a 1-mile stretch of a service road over and over again. Do you hear stories like this as well? 26:14 What is the future of Black Girls Run? 27:16 Do you get most of your funding from donations or corporations? 27:55 What advice would you give yourself back when you started running? 29:02 What is the best gift running has given you? 29:56 How can people connect with you? Quotes by Jay Ell: "We talk about health has to come over beauty. Well, when we spend a lot of money sitting in a hair salon, spend a lot of time in a hair salon, sometimes a run or your health can go on the back burner because you want to preserve what you have on top of your head, the style that you have or get your money's worth, and so that's absolutely a real conversation." "I think especially in the days that we're in now where social media and things are definitely much more present, just skin color is still a big issue as well, just kind of running while black. That is a real conversation." "We're finding women, that they're almost living like a second life. Now they're traveling more, they're running to travel, they have this new friend group, they're losing weight." "A runner does not traditionally have to look like a 120-pound white female. It can be all shapes, all sizes, all curves, all colors." "I definitely think children, they do see what their parents are doing, so it may not seem like a direct impact, but it's dropping little gems that they may take away." "It doesn't really dawn on you, sometimes we just take it for granted just to kind of run out our front door and just go for a run and not knowing what everyone else that may be a different walk of life, what they're dealing with as well." Take a Listen on Your Next Run Want more awesome interviews and advice? Subscribe to our iTunes channel Mentioned in this podcast: Jay Ell Alexander Black Girls Run [email protected] Run To The Top Winners Circle Facebook Community RunnersConnect Facebook page claire@runnersconnect

Does hard running suppress the immune system? What causes decrease in lymphocytes in the blood after hard workout? What to do to boost your immunity? Find out in today's podcast from Coach Hayley.

What causes shin splints while running? How to prevent it from getting worse without stopping running? What are the treatment options available for shin splints? Coach Claire explains in this week's Audio Blog episode.

In this episode, Coach Michael shares insights about training hard at this time and then talks about an athlete of the week who also shared some great advice on how to cope with the current situation. Listen now!

This week it's Coach Ruairi turn! Coach Dylan interviews Ruairi about his childhood running experiences, college life, current goals, planned breaks, passions and hobbies, and many more. Tune in now!

Dr. Meghan Bishop - The Biology of Performance What is it like running in NYC right now during the pandemic? Why is there a performance gap between male and female athletes? How do running injuries differ between men and women? What are some of the issues facing intersex athletes? Dr. Meghan Bishop is an orthopaedic surgeon specializing in sports-related injuries of the knee, shoulder, and elbow at the Rothman Orthopaedic Institute in NYC and Westchester, NY. She graduated at the top of her class at George Washington University Medical School, and completed her residency in Orthopaedic Surgery at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, PA. She also completed a fellowship in Sports Medicine and Shoulder Surgery at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, NY. During her fellowship, Dr. Bishop served as one of the team physicians for the New York Knicks and Iona College. Dr. Bishop has served as head orthopaedic medical director of the 2019 Philadelphia Marathon as well as volunteer physician at the 2019 USATF outdoor track and field championship meet. She is a former Division I collegiate track and field athlete at the College of William and Mary, and qualified for the 2020 US Olympic Marathon Trials in February, placing 50th and scoring a PR. As an avid marathon runner, Dr. Bishop has a special interest in the sports-related injuries of runners and female athletes. In this episode, Coach Claire and Dr. Bishop talk about an article she recently coauthored that was published in The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery on the biology of sex and sport. This article discusses the effects that sex and biology have on performance, why there's a gap between male and female performance, if that gap can be narrowed or closed, and advantages of female athletes. Questions Dr. Bishop is asked: 3:02 You are an orthopedic surgeon in NYC. How are things in the city right now? How is running? 4:18 What does an orthopedic surgeon do and how does that relate to running? 6:27 What's the difference between a general sports-medicine doctor, what you do, and a physical therapist? 8:07 Can you talk a little bit about training at such a high level when you clearly also have a pretty high-level job as well? 9:46 When people ask, "Which specialist should I go to?" the first question should be, "Are you a runner?" Can you talk a little bit about the differences between men and women in performance? 12:00 Why do women do well in long distance events? 13:19 If you took a man who is the exact same size as a woman, the same height, the same weight, they still would perform differently. Is that what you're saying? 13:51 So it's not just testosterone. If it's not just testosterone, it's more complicated than that. Is that correct? 15:39 Do we know why women are more susceptible to those types of injuries? 16:15 You mentioned the shoulder injuries, that they're more likely in women because you said their ligaments are stretchier. Can you explain that a little bit? 16:59 I've definitely seen some studies where you look at the marathon and women seem to slow less in the marathon than men. Is that due to the fatigue resistance or we're just better strategists? 19:36 On the one hand you want everybody to be able to compete no matter who they are and what their genetic makeup is, but on the other hand, if you're a female runner and competing against someone who is genetically more male, that gets very challenging if males are 10% faster, better, stronger than us, it's tough on all sides. I don't think there is an easy answer for this one. 20:55 It seems like forcing her to take any kind of drugs, that just doesn't feel right either, so hopefully it's going to evolve as we go forward as more intersex athletes rise to the high level, I would assume? 21:35 What things could we as women work on to close that gap? Do you think that it's a possibility that the 10% could shrink in the future, or is this just, this is our biology, this is what we're stuck with? 22:27 World records seem to be dropping all the time, so you kind of hope the gap would drop too, but maybe not. 22:47 You wore the Nike shoes for the trials, right? How did they work out for you? 23:25 What I'm hearing a lot is that recovery is so much better because they are so cushioned, you don't pound your legs quite as much and you're able to walk normally a little quicker after the marathon. Did you find that as well? 24:15 What advice would you give yourself back when you started running? 25:15 What are your favorite strength training exercises for runners? 25:42 What is the best gift running has given you? 26:50 Are you getting in some socially distant running? 27:09 How can people connect with you? 28:00 How do telehealth visits work? Quotes by Dr. Bishop: "Taking care of a runner really is a multidisciplinary thing. It's a big group involved with it." "Females, I think, in general, are just really tough, but that's not the biological reason." "If you look at the trials th

What is Lactate Clearance? What are the benefits of including these workouts into your training? Find out in today's podcast from Coach Hayley.

Why is running harder when it's hot outside? How long does it take to adapt to the heat? Coach Claire explains and also shares six strategies for running in hot weather. Listen now!

In this week's Team RC Update episode, Coach Michael shares some of the awesome race results that are super inspiring at this time and provides more details about our daily live strength training video sessions. Listen now!

In this week's podcast, Coach Ruairi interviews Coach Dylan about his background, career, coaching style, first experience of running a marathon, goals, racing preferences, and many more. Tune in now to get great insights!

Nicholas Thompson: Faster in Your Forties Nick is the editor-in-chief of WIRED magazine and former editor of newyorker.com. He's a contributor to CBS News, CBS This Morning, CBS Sunday Morning, and he's interviewed just about every major tech company CEO out there. Nick is also a fast marathon runner who in 2019, was ranked as one of the top 30 Masters marathoners in the world after clocking a 2:29 in the Chicago Marathon, a personal best he achieved in his 40s. In this episode, Coach Claire talks to Nick about how he broke through his marathon pace plateau and psychological barriers by changing his technology, his workouts, as well as getting some surprise coaching assistance from Nike. But more than just going deep into the tools, techniques, and training tweaks he made, Nick talks about how his journey with the marathon started and how it's inextricably entwined with his childhood, his relationship with his complicated father, and how he now sees himself. It's not easy to run faster later in life, but Nick's story shows that it is absolutely possible. It takes a combination of many things including better training, better technology, as well as "belief and want", to dramatically change your results, even if you're in your 40s or beyond. Questions Nick is asked: 2:22 You're in New York City. Are you still run-commuting to work or are you mostly at home these days? 2:56 Can you explain how your father both inspired you and how you also didn't want to follow in his footsteps? 5:27 In your 40s, the experts at Nike came up to you and asked if they could help you get better. Can you talk a little bit about that experience? 9:12 With all the changes, there's so many variables, you can't really attribute any one thing to your success, but do you think it's just a combination of all the things you mentioned or is there something that stands out as, "Yes, this helped me get faster?" 14:19 Maybe in your 30s, you just didn't believe it or you didn't want it as much as you want it now. Could it be something like that? 16:25 What changed between not knowing your pace / effort when you were younger and now monitoring your heart-rate? 18:30 I wrote down a quote from one of your articles that you wrote. "The quantified self is often a neurotic soul." And that could pretty much describe most runners. So how do you balance that? All the tech is awesome, but doesn't it make you a little crazy? 20:28 How do you deal with the what ifs? 25:20 What is your feeling on this? What is the allure of the marathon distance? 26:43 You're not in New York right now but you used to commute, and I would love to talk about run-commuting. Can you give me some tips about run commuting and how to do it for someone who's thinking about it? 30:44 Assuming races are going on, are you planning on doing Chicago, or something else? 32:11 What advice would you give yourself back when you started running? 34:25 What is the best gift running has given you? 35:24 How can people connect with you? Quotes by Nick: "I think that running very fast both improves musculature and helps me psychologically." "Having a consistent heart rate monitor, and I used one on my arm, giving me constant feedback of not just feel but how fast I was going, was incredibly helpful, both in helping me sort of adjudicate workouts, and two, pacing in the marathons." "There had to be kind of a psychological intervention, which I think happened with the new training, the new coaching, the new workouts, that got me subconsciously to accept that my ambition wasn't just to run as fast as I'd run before I got sick, but that I could go faster." "I feel like the heart rate monitor gives you assurance; the watch gives you fear." "One of the issues I have as a runner, and I'm sure you have and others have, is that it's a hobby. I don't make any money off this." "The perfect Nicholas Thompson, perfectly trained, what is his actual top marathon performance? Could I have made the Olympic trials? Probably." "I think what has made success late in life possible is failure early in life." "One of the things I think I've done a good job at is making my training efficient. And the way I've made my training efficient is I run to work; I run home from work." Take a Listen on Your Next Run Leave a space for libsyn link Want more awesome interviews and advice? Subscribe to our iTunes channel Mentioned in this podcast: Run To The Top Winners Circle Facebook Community RunnersConnect Facebook page [email protected] WIRED magazine article: Aging Marathoner Tries to Run Fast After 40 WIRED subscribe Nick Thompson Follow Nick on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Periscope Spotify Strava Twitter We really hope you've enjoyed this episode of Run to the Top. 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 episode

Do female runners need fasted runs? Is it safe and effective for women? Coach Hayley explains in this week's ExtraKick podcast episode. Tune in now!

Is stretching before a run good or bad? Why should runners care about increasing flexibility? How to improve your flexibility? Coach Claire clarifies and also discusses various techniques that you can use to improve flexibility. Listen now!

With all the cancellations and delays of future race events, what areas you should focus on now to reach your running and fitness goals? When could racing start up again? Find out in today's podcast from Coach Micheal.

In this week's Up-Tempo talks episode, Coaches Dylan and Ruairi talk about recovery. How long should you rest between your intervals? What type of recovery it should be? How to manipulate the recovery periods to get the most out of your training and achieve the right goal?

Mario Fraioli: Re-Examine Your Relationship With Running Mario Fraioli is a running coach, writer, and podcaster who has helped athletes accomplish goals including first finish lines, personal bests, Boston Marathon qualifying times, national championship titles, Olympic Trials appearances, international podiums, world championship teams, national records, and the Olympic Games. He is a former senior editor of Competitor magazine, and currently writes the morning shakeout weekly email newsletter and hosts the morning shakeout podcast, both great sources of information and inspiration for runners. This is a very difficult time mentally for all of us who have had races canceled and are not sure when things will actually get back to normal. Mario has some great thoughts about adopting a flexible mindset during this time to reap some different benefits from running than you would while training for a big event. Mario shares with us some of the advice he gives to his athletes on how to approach training right now, including his thoughts around the fall marathons, events which may or may not actually happen. We also find out why the sport of track and field frustrates Mario so much, how he feels about social media for athletes, if he's participating in virtual races, and how running with his puppy, Tahoe, is going. Questions Mario is asked: 2:16 With so much uncertainty about races this year, what gets you out the door and what advice do you have for others to keep up their fitness? 4:07 What kinds of changes are you making to your athletes' schedules? 7:42 How do you think various types of stress affects training? 9:23 What can you tell us about your current running streak? 11:39 What advice or guidance do you have for people considering doing a running streak? 12:30 How hard is it to go to open-ended training from a very structured type of training regimen? 14:34 How do you compare the experience of personal running success to coaching your athletes to success? 15:55 Why do you think that in a sport millions of people participate in, that track and field is not more popular in the US? 25:02 We've just learned that Berlin is out for the fall, so now there are 4 major marathons planned in 8 weeks. Any predictions? Training advice for September Boston? 29:51 What are your thoughts on virtual races? 31:01 Do you have any tips for running with dogs? 32:15 What advice would you give yourself back when you started running? 33:29 What is the best gift running has given you? 34:34 How can people connect with you? Quotes by Mario: "The way that I'm thinking about training right now for everyone that I work with is that it needs to be sustainable and there is no point to trying to get really, really fit right now because you can't hold that for very long." "Running gives me a sense of normalcy, a sense of routine, and it serves as the foundation for the rest of my day." "I know because I've been doing this for long enough that when I run first thing in the morning, even if I feel crappy, I never regret it and the rest of my day is better as a result." "I don't, just in my life in general, don't plan too, too far ahead. I think that's a dangerous way to do things, so I like having just a little bit of structure, but I'm not super tied to it and if I need to pivot, I can do that pretty easily." "I get much more out of helping someone else get closer to their goal and being a part of their journey and seeing them do something that they didn't think was possible, or helping pick them up when they've been down, than I do myself." "In general, athletes need to race more so that there's a narrative to follow there if you're a fan." Take a Listen on Your Next Run Want more awesome interviews and advice? Subscribe to our iTunes channel Mentioned in this podcast: Run To The Top Winners Circle Facebook Community RunnersConnect Facebook page Mario Fraioli The Morning Shakeout Follow Mario on: Instagram Twitter We really hope you've enjoyed this episode of Run to the Top. 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!

How to feel your pace for different types of workouts? What is the best way to ensure you're getting the right physiological benefits from your workout? Coach Hayley explains in this episode.

What is a heel strike? Is it bad to heel strike when running? What part of the foot should touch the ground first? How to find your ideal running cadence and how to prevent overstriding? Find out in today's podcast from Coach Claire.

When can we possibly expect the races to resume? What areas you can focus on right now to enhance your fitness level? Coach Michael explains in this week's Team RC Update.

In this week's episode, Coach Ruairi talks about 10 items that he can't live without as a runner. Listen now!

Kelly Jones: Optimal Nutrition for Performance and Longevity Is there a perfect diet for runners? What about macros? What are the common mistakes made when switching to a plant-forward diet? Kelly Jones provides her thoughts on these topics as well as body size, glycogen depleted runs, intuitive eating, and more in this episode hosted by Coach Claire Bartholic. Kelly is a board certified specialist in sports dietetics, focusing on performance nutrition for endurance sports. She has consulted with high level organizations such as USA Swimming, the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Road Runners, and has been featured as an publications such as Runner's World, US News and World Report, Women's Running, and Women's Health. Her career began as an Associate Professor of Nutrition for nine-years in Pennsylvania and before that she was a Division I athlete in swimming. Today, as a mom and business owner, Kelly continues to compete in road races and triathlons, and creates recipes and resources that offer practical solutions to optimize physical and mental performance. Although Kelly works with many kinds of athletes, in this episode she focuses her expertise specifically on performance nutrition for runners. She delivers a positive message about fueling properly for running as well as for living your optimal life. Kelly uses an evidence-based nutrition approach, focusing on what she calls "plant forward performance nutrition." With so many of us quarantined right now, it's easy for us to neglect our nutrition. Especially with the potential disruptions to the meat industry, it's more important than ever for us to find ways to add plants to our diets in a way that optimizes performance. Questions Kelly is asked: 2:43 You specialize in performance nutrition for endurance sports. Can you explain exactly what that means and how you work with athletes? 3:56 What is the best diet? 5:23 What's the difference between eating for performance vs. eating for longevity? 6:53 How do you feel about eating whole foods during training and races to avoid sugar? 9:04 What's your philosophy with macros (Carbs, Protein, Fat)? 11:59 Timing wise, when should you eat what? 14:25 What about glycogen depleted runs? 15:44 What is your experience with race-weight, performance, orthorexia, etc…? 19:07 How do you find the balance between eating for fuel and eating just the right amount? 20:50 What do you mean 'plant forward nutrition approach'? 22:28 What are the challenges with plant-based eating with nutrient deficiency and performance? 25:10 How do you help people to trust their body when it comes to eating? 27:26 Do you find that our bodies adapt easily to new eating habits? 28:52 What advice would you give yourself back when you started running? 29:55 What is the best gift running has given you? 30:29 How can people connect with you? Quotes by Kelly: "For anyone, I still would recommend inclusion of more plants no matter what you're trying to follow" "Could you still train and race with less carbohydrates than what might be recommended? Sure, but are you going to feel as energized physically and mentally as you should? Are you going to perform as well? That's the question." "I'm a big advocate for eating your energy before you need to use it." "The glycogen depleted runs, while there's a lot of people talking about them, there isn't a lot of research to support them. And what I try to help people understand too is that you might see there's one study on something, but that doesn't mean that the practice is what we call evidence based." "I try to tell people too, if you have a run where you're not feeling energized, where it's mentally hard to get through, it's physically hard to get through, how is that going to help you get closer to your goal?" "We don't really have good evidence that a smaller body size is actually going to benefit racing, but we do have a lot of evidence… that a smaller body size can actually impair your health in the short and long term, and may impair performance more in the long term." "When you're not mentally healthy, it's really hard to have any other areas of your health work well too." "You might be trying to work towards racing optimally, but what about living the rest of your life in an optimal way too?" "It takes work to eat intuitively, but then it's never something that you have to do again in the future." Take a Listen on Your Next Run Want more awesome interviews and advice? Subscribe to our iTunes channel Mentioned in this podcast: Run To The Top Winners Circle Facebook Community RunnersConnect Facebook page Kelly Jones Nutrition Follow Kelly on: Facebook Instagram We really hope you've enjoyed this episode of Run to the Top. 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

How to tailor or optimize your training around your menstrual cycle? What female athletes can do to get the best out of their training at any time of the month? Coach Hayley explains in today's episode.

How do easy runs help you race faster? What is aerobic system and why is it so important? What pace should you run on easy days? Find out in today's podcast from Coach Hayley.

In this week's Team RC Update, Coach Michael shares details about some of the wonderful performances achieved by the athletes at last week's RC virtual race. Also, listen to find out what's new on your YouTube live sessions.