The Running Public

Today begins a mini-series focusing on the different philosophies of endurance training. As people approach their “off season”, it is the perfect time to learn and evolve! We will have a different endurance expert on each week who will explain their theory of training. We start with Richard Diaz, endurance coach and author. Rich spent decades working with athletes before developing his own system known as Flow Training. Enjoy and take notes!

We all take at least one “off season” per year, and now is the time many people are looking to start theirs. Today we walk you through how to build and prioritize what should occur for you!

This is one of the most difficult topics to address with people, and runners are no exception. We’ve put off this episode for long enough; it is time to dive into how and why an athlete should approach the idea of lowering their weight. Please go into this with an open mind, and please listen to the entire episode! This isn’t one to press play on if you don’t have your full attention available, as every little sentence matters!

Warning: Spoiler alert for Boston, Chicago, and the Spartan 24 Hour Championship! The racing tactics of the pros this past weekend illuminated a flaw in how us mere mortals approach the majority of our workouts and races. This might be your most important episode for future races!

We received some truly great questions for this episode! Highlights include: running orthotics, preparing for hot races, burnout, how to train when you can’t get enough sleep, power hiking in races and training, and “should I race AG or Elite?”

Last week we talked about why you should rebuild your base if you’ve stagnated. Today we address the other people in the room: Those who are stagnating but still have a race remaining on their calendar. If you can’t start your off season quite yet, how do you approach your final race? Today we tell you!

At this point in the year (October), there are two types of runners: those who are still improving and those who are not. If you are struggling with stagnation, this episode is for you! If you’re not, count your blessings and take notes today in order to prevent it from affecting you in the future!

As our listeners well know, Kirk has been away for two weeks. Today, he opens up about everything he’s been dealing with. This is a heavy, personal episode. Our Training Tuesday will be released Friday.

In one of the most shocking upsets in OCR history, Hunter McIntyre was soundly beaten at the Hyrox World Championships in Berlin two weeks ago. A refocused Hunter joins us today to talk through how a champion responds to defeat. We also discuss season two of OCR Stars!

We get a surprise guest host today who walks us through his all time favorite running sessions from high school, college, and post-collegiate. Get ready to run fast!

Last Tuesday we gave you all the major pieces to include in your training. This week we give you our list of things many runners are doing but shouldn’t be!

From college walk-on to professional runner, Steph’s passion for running and competing launched a career that has taken her around the world. So what prompted her transition from the track to OCR? Listen to her story today!

What should I be doing in training? What strength work is beneficial to me as a runner? What mobility work is needed? What about core work? This episode is your complete guide to what EVERY runner should be doing in training!

From 400lb Strongman to record setting Ultra Endurance athlete, John Clark has never been content to live an ordinary life! He broke the 24 hour Ski Erg record and then recently became the first to run a marathon in all 48 counties in England in 48 consecutive days.

We’ve all been there and we never want to be there again! Today is nothing but how to prevent muscle cramping!

The faster Kraker joins us for a story of running, injury, potential, setbacks, rock bottom, and rebirth. This is one you won’t want to miss!

Some people just love racing. They would rather race than train, and they try to fill their schedules with as many races as possible. The question becomes, “How do I structure my training in between back to back race weekends (or back to back to back)?”

Kevin Donoghue has never chosen the typical path through life, so it is only fitting to have followed the same outside-the-box approach as an athlete. What started as a career as a defensive lineman and kick returner turned into a passion for endurance racing, ultimately leading him to becoming one of Obstacle Racing’s most decorated athletes.

We ran out of time last week, so we’re finishing up the Q&A today! We have some great topics, ranging from race cramping to blood flow restriction training, plus Kirk tries to navigate the choppy waters of purchasing a camper while recording a podcast.

Annie is a relative newcomer to the world of endurance racing, but has had immediate success. Not an outstanding runner as a youth, she ground her way to the top of her sport through years of consistent work and an abundance of grit. Equal parts distance runner and mountain goat, Annie’s story is a great one. Enjoy!

Veejay Jones breaks down his latest After Action Race Report, then we discuss the heart rate training zones we personally use, our thoughts on the CBD craze, the importance of pace and terrain in training, and much much more!

Kris is one of the most widely successful endurance athletes in North America. A self described “hybrid athlete”, he has seen success in everything from ultra running to obstacle racing. Kris boasts a resume that includes a top 10 finish at the Western States 100, a top 3 at a Spartan Race US National series event, and a 3:51 downhill road mile. On top of that, Kris is a chef, restaurant owner, coach, and course designer.

Training built to race day, but now the race is over. What do you do now? The first thing every runner needs to do is assess their performance in a non biased manner. Easier said than done! Excuses vs factors. Positives and negatives. Luck vs execution. Lack of toughness vs lack of fitness. We use Kirk’s race this past weeks to walk you through how to approach your after action report and what to do with the information!

After listening to the Ross Wiemer interview (Episode 46), TJ Schraufnagel decided to begin running with the intent of completing a mountain ultra. This is the story of his journey from running 7 times in January to completing a 31 mile race in July, at altitude and with 10,000’ of elevation gain!

We’ve all been there, searching online for the magic workout or training plan to get us through our next big race. Searching for the secret sauce that sets the great ones apart from the mortals. But what the great ones understand, either intuitively or through trial and error, is that success is the result of days, weeks, months, and years of consistent work. There is no magic workout that will launch you forward. Today we break that concept down and explore it fully!

Hawk Call took a break from his summer build towards his senior cross country season at Utah Valley University and jumped into the US National Series race in Utah. In his first race in the elite field, he led for 90 minutes before finishing 3rd, putting the sport on notice. Today he walks us through his journey from “Hobie Call’s son” to D1 runner and future OCR star.

As runners, we work really hard in order to be ready for our next race course. Often times, this means targeting a specific skill (technical terrain, descending, etc) throughout our buildup to race day. However, we often leave those skills behind during our subsequent training blocks, leaving us scrambling to regain them when another situation calls for their use! Today we discuss the top perishable skills and how to keep them well-oiled year round.

100k US Champ. Team USA Ultra Runner. Coach. Freethinker. Psychedelics advocate. Anthony is unique in a sport full of uniqueness. Kick back and enjoy a running interview that will go places we’ve not gone before, while challenging you to rethink the way you approach caring for your running body.

We received an interesting question this week: ”How do you two approach a big mountain race, from the moment you wake up until the moment you cross the finish line?” We liked it so much we talked about it for 55 minutes! From wake up time, breakfast, and warm up to mindset, strategy, and fueling, this is everything we think and do on mountain race day!

Today starts with a few personal stories that highlight the importance of flexibility on race week. You don’t always need a perfect lead-up to race day. Bad nights of sleep do not always equal a bad race! We then move into analyzing whether or not you are due for a “mini reset” in your training, along with strategies for resetting properly.

When life hands you lemons, make a Q&A Episode! Today we touch upon training with limited time available, training with new babies, how to handle physically aggressive racers on course, dealing with chronic pain, cramping on course, and racing shoes that drain well.

On race day, having the best fitness isn’t always enough to guarantee success. Often times the style of race eliminates people from contention long before their engine does. Practicing specific race day tactics in training is the only way to make sure you are ready for any style of race that presents itself! Today’s episode breaks down the main styles of endurance racing and gives you specific workouts to implement for each.

Arielle is currently one of North America’s best endurance runners but her path to stardom is certainly not the typical one. From high school long and triple jump sensation to six months spent medically bedridden, Arielle somehow transitioned into the world of ultra running. This young woman has a story and message that we all can learn from!

We showed up with a topic to discuss, but 70 minutes later we still hadn't moved past a long rant and some good ole fashioned Olympic trials chatting!

Veejay rejoins the podcast for an episode about mindset and the importance of technique work and mechanical efficiency as runner. This an episode that will make you rethink the way you train and approach running.

Having a huge engine is great, but if you don't use it wisely you'll still leave time out there on the course! Today's episode is all about HOW to use your engine. Uphill, Downhill, and Flat Running all require the correct technique, mindset, skills, and strategy in order to maximize the hard work you put in building your fitness. Tune in and then throw down on race day!

We get a little bit of everything today with Rich! Coming off his recent win and World Best time at Dekafit and his second place debut at Hyrox, Rich talks training for hybrid races and maintaining high volume with minimal running while dealing with injuries. We also touch upon how to approach nutrition while injured, as well as a very in depth discussion on hotdogs and supershoes.

Today is a two-part episode. In part one we follow up on the idea of being in a "running slump". We had so much feedback after Brakken talked about his personal slump that we felt it was necessary to continue the conversation! In part two we discuss training in the heat and humidity. Tis the season for miserable running weather, so let's attack it together! Part two starts at 31:20.

Not our typical Q&A session! We only hit a few questions today because they were so good that we needed to spend a lot of time on each of them. It's like 10 mini Training Tuesdays! Race anxiety Pace vs effort in races What to do when you're totally unmotivated Setting appropriate goals and few more beauties!

2nd Place at the Canadian University Championships for Cross Country 2nd Place at the Canadian National Mountain Running Championship 36th Place at the World Mountain Running Championship Those are the accolades of a world class mountain runner. At 28 year old she's still just entering her prime, so why is this woman making the switch to Obstacle Course Racing? By the time she finishes telling you her story, it will all make sense!

One of the hardest parts of endurance racing is choosing the correct effort and pace for any given race distance. Some people seem to intrinsically understand how to manage their race efforts, but the vast majority of us crash and burn time and time again. Today we give you all our tips, tricks, and strategies for nailing your next race!

Rylan is the newest "name to watch" in the OCR scene. At only 23 years of age, he has already retired from professional mountain bike racing and switched gears in order to attack obstacle course racing. Sit back, relax, and get to know the next big thing in this sport!

Every once in a while, we need to step way outside of our comfort zone and do something that scares us. Something we may not be prepared for. Something that changes us. Have you offered yourself that opportunity lately?

One of the UK's top OCR racers, Natasha had an extremely unique journey to becoming an endurance athlete. She didn't find running until she was 29, but quickly made up for lost time. From medical hardships and developmental anomalies to sub-3:00 marathons, Natasha is an inspiration to the "everyman and everywoman" looking to improve their running and mindset towards training.

We preach sustainability and caution on this podcast. We drive home the point that we need to hit certain paces and metrics in training. Well, today we throw all that out the window and discuss hitting workouts based on your future goals rather than your current fitness!

Hunter is teaming up with American Record Holder Ryan Hall to set the Clydesdale Marathon World Record (fastest marathon by a male over 200 lbs). He ran 2:55 at 214# with no marathon training. Hear how they plan to run under 2:37 this fall. Come for The Sheriff, stay for the training talk and his priceless nuggets on mental approach to training, competition, and life!

Today is a look behind the scenes to what a typical conversation between Kirk and Brakken looks like. No agenda, no specific topics, just talking about races and training. However, the second half features Brakken making a bold statement about doing nothing but Compromised Running for the rest of the year and detailing why and how he plans to do so!

We hit a little bit of everything today ladies and gents! We have to say, the level of thinking behind these questions is really impressive. We love seeing people take their training seriously, and your dedication shows in your questions. Some highlights include: Carbon trail shoe discussion What certifications should a running coach have? How to manage racing twice in one day How to calculate fueling needs for a race What OG OCR athlete would we bring back? HR Zones vs FTP Zones

Lactate Threshold might just be the single most misunderstood concept in all of endurance training. So, we dedicate an entire episode to explaining and simplifying this awesome piece of training jargon. Get ready to take some notes! And pay attention for the longest analogy (7+ minutes) we've ever used!

Three months ago, Nick was preparing to prove his ranking as one of the most promising young racers in North America. Then, he was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. The toll it immediately took on his body has been severe, and he is actively fighting to regain control of his dreams of being a professional athlete. This interview will leave you rooting for Nick while realizing how lucky we are to be able to run in the first place.