
Trail Runner Nation
792 episodes — Page 5 of 16

Ep 587EP 587: The Art of Pacing
Runner, Coach, and Author Matt Fitzgerald has a new book out, On Pace, Discover How to Run Every Race at Your Real Limit. If you go to the link you can get the first chapter for FREE!!!! Matt helps us undersand why pacing matters, why it is difficult to do, and how to become better at it. Find out more about Matt: - Matt's primary web page - Matt's training page with coaching plans

Ep 586EP 586: Anatomy of An Aid Station
Aid Stations are so important at a race. They have evolved with trail running over time combining medical help, shelter, therapy, and all-you-can eat buffets. Sarah Lavender-Smith joins us to discuss how they have evolved and how to use them efficiently. Here is her article that spurred the discussion. Check out all her newsleter, Colrado Mouintain Running & Living Check out on of Sarah's fall races, Hanging Flume 50K We encourage you to check out all of our partners and their excellent products and services. A new one we want to make you aware of is Wonderful Pistachios. It might be your newest and favorite trail snack.

Ep 585EP 585: How to Use Biomarkers to Be a Better Runner
Sports Nutrition expert, Ashley Reaver, rejoins The Nation to discuss 5 additional biomarkers that endurance athletes should be aware of. These biomarkers can help (or hinder) functions within the body like buiding red blood cells, help in recovery, energy and other body functions. Biomarkers help us understand what is going on inside our bodies. Ashley helped us understand the top 5 biomarkers in a previous episode. In this episode identifies five additional biomarkers, why they are important, what is the normal range and what can we do to correct them if they are outside the normal range. Ashley Reaver is a registered sports dietician with a masters in Nutrition Science and Policy. She offers nutrition counseling in her private practice and a full-time teacher of nutrition and dietetics courses at the University of California, Berkeley. She is also the lead nutritional scientist at Inside Tracker. We encourage you to check out all of our partners and their excellent products and services. A new one we want to make you aware of is Wonderful Pistachios. It might be your newest and favorite trail snack.

Ep 584EP 584: Knowing Our Community: A Look at Some Recent Surveys
We all are part of The Nation. What does that mean. How does The Nation look? What gear do we use? There have been a few surveys conducted in 2022 that help us understand. Check out the ITRA Survey ATRA also conducted a Survey We encourage you to check out all of our partners and their excellent products and services. A new one we want to make you aware of is Wonderful Pistachios. It might be your newest and favorite trail snack.

Ep 583EP 583: TRAINING PRINCIPLES - Nutrition
Endurance runners love to eat! However nutrition for endurance running can be a moving target. Experimentation is key and once you think you have it figured out, you don't. We found four nutritional experts to help us understand more about nutrition. Meredith Terranova, experienced ultra runner, swimmer and athlete with a degree in Human Nutrition and Consumer Science. Check out her website with coaching options. Matt Fitzgerald, Athlete, Coach, Author and Speaker is a certified sports nutritionist including many on nutrition. Check out his new running camp concept, Endeavorun Stephanie Howe is a PhD in Nutrition and Exercise Science and elite athlete. Check out her coaching and web site with many great recipes Bob Seebohar is a board certified specialist in Sports Dietetics and former director of sports nutrtition for the University of Florida and served as a sports dietitian for the US Olympic Committee. Hire him as a coach

Ep 582EP 582: Chasing That Perfectly Imperfect Day
Elite runner, Tim Tollefson, had a great spring training and racing leading up to his A-race, the Western States 100 Endurance Run. His expectations were high and many thought he would be able to best his 2021 fifth place finish. Tim joins us to shares what he experienced and the lessons he learned. Be to check out and register for Tim's Mammoth Trail Fest on Sept 22-25, 2022. We encourage you to check out all of our partners and their excellent products and services. A new one we want to make you aware of is Wonderful Pistachios. It might be your newest and favorite trail snack.

Ep 581EP 581: Running in the Heat: How to Prepare For it and Tricks to Help Stay Cool
Do you have a hot adventure or race you are preparing for? Corrine Malcolm helps The Nation understand what we can do to improve our chances for success. Corrine breaks down these science-based strategies for getting cool before your adventure and staying cool when you are running. We reference her article from iRunFar she wrote. Find out how Corrine can become your Coach Follow Corrine on Instagram and Twitter

Ep 580EP 580: Altitude Training - Best Practices for Adaptation
Do you have an adventure or race at high altitude this summer? You will want to listen to Coach Ian Sharman teach us about the ins and outs of how to adapt most effectively. Ian has experience at altitude. He is a four-time winner of the high-altitude Leadville 100 (lowest point is over 9000' and climbing up to 12,532'). We talk about when do you need to consider acclimatization where to train how to train how soon should you be at the event what if you don't have time to spend at altitude Check out his article "High Altitude Training" in Ultra Running Magazine Find out more about Sharman Ultra Coaching

Ep 579EP 579: Keep Your Gut and Brain Happy
What are the biggest misconceptions that endurance athletes have about nutrition? Dr. Patrick Davitt, Assistant Professor of Kinesiology and Program Director for Exercise Physiology at the Saint Joseph's University, joins us The Nation to help us understand some important information about nutrition as it relates to endurane sports. Patrick has practical experience as an avid and accomplished member of our community of trail runners! Should we taper our nutrition prior to a race? Can we train our gut similar to our cardiovascular system? Find out more about Dr. Davitt at CTW Endurance

Ep 578EP 578: Sleep is Training
One of our favorite topics at TRN is sleep. Sleep is the time our bodies adapt to the training stimulus. Alexey Guzey, a researcher, writer and co-founder and executive director of New Science joins us to shed more light on this important part of our training. We cover many topics like: What are the myths of sleep? Why do we sleep? Is it OK to feel sleepy? Should we get as much sleep as our body wants? Can we over sleep? Can we bank sleep? Can we catch up on sleep? Depression and sleep Check out this past episode about Matthew Walker's book, "Why We Sleep" Take a look at a couple of Alexey's articles on sleep: Thesis on Sleep Alexey's take on Matthew Walker's book, "Why We Sleep" You can learn more about Alexey at Guzey.com, follow him on twitter or learn more about New Science

Ep 577EP 577: Western States 100- The Keys to Success at This Race and Any Other Long Run
Western States 100 is this weekend. International runners represent nearly 1/3 of the entrants. We recorded this episode live with these international runners at a local running store in Auburn California, The Aid Station. Course experts, Tim Twietmeyer and Ian Sharman join us to help these runners understand the course and how to develop a strategy for success. Many of these strategies can translate into your trail adventures and races. HERE is a link to a course map and elevation profile. Link to Joe Uhan's iRunFar articles: - The Western States Killing Machine - Part 1 - The Western States Killing Machine - Part 2 Sharman Ultra Coaching

Ep 576Ep 576: 2022 Western States 100 Preview
Merry Statesmas! They 2022 running of the iconic Western States 100 is next weekend. We sit down with Andy Jones-Wilkins to get his take on this year's race. There will be 385 amazing stories from each of the starters this year. We highlight some of the ones that you might want to watch unfold. Joe Uhan's iRunFar articles, "Western State Killing Machine": Part 1 & Part 2 Hire Andy as a coach! or check out his weekly Tap Room at iRunFar

Ep 575EP 575: TRAINING PRINCIPLES: The Joy of Pacing
Pacing can be an art and a science. In this episode we bring on four experts to help us understand what a good pacer is and isn't / does and doesn't. Scotty Mills, Coach Jimmy Dean Freeman, Coach Meghan Canfield, and Andy Jones-Wilkins share their wisdom as racers and pacers. What makes a good one? Here are some previous episodes we have done on pacing: Pacing: How to Be the Best Pacer with Victor Ballesteros Pacing and Crewing with Dominic and Katie Check out SoCal Coyotes Check out Meghan's coaching site Hire Andy as a coach! or check out his weekly Tap Room at iRunFar

Ep 574EP 574: TRN Audio Magazine - Volume 10
It has been a while since the last publication of the Audio Magazine. We invited some of our favorite witty guest to make it fun. Each person comes with a title of their article. The other participants guess what the article is about and then we discuss. Hire Andy as a coach! or check out his weekly Tap Room at iRunFar Warren Pole, one of the founders of 33 Fuel. They recently started a podcast that is devoted to endurance fueling: 33Fuel Podcast

Ep 573EP 573: 5 Biomarkers Every Runner Should Know About
Biomarkers help us understand what is going on inside our bodies. There are many that are very important to endurance athletes. In this episode Ashley Reaver helps us identify five of these biomarkers, why they are important, what is the normal range and what can we do to correct them if they are outside the normal range. Ashley Reaver is a registered sports dietician with a masters in Nutrition Science and Policy. She offers nutrition counseling in her private practice and a full-time teacher of nutrition and dietetics courses at the University of California, Berkeley. She is also the lead nutritional scientist at Inside Tracker.

Ep 572EP 572: Running and the Science of Mental Toughness
Don recently came across an article by Mariska van Sprundel, "Running and the Science of Mental Toughness". We love talking about the mental side of our sport and thought Dr. Rob Bell would be an excellent guest for the topic. Dr. Rob Bell is a certified Mental Performance Coach with years of academic research and real-life coaching experience. 2 of the 7 books Rob has written:: - Puke & Rally: It's Not About the Setback, It's About the Comeback - listen to our episode on the book HERE - No One Gets There Alone Check out - Dr. Rob's web site - Puke & Rally web site - His podcast, "15 minutes of Mental Toughness" Find him at Twitter Facebook Instagram YouTube Rob is running the Dances With Dirt 50K this weekend! He will be the one smiling!

Ep 571EP 571: TRAINING PRINCIPLES: Base Building
We've all heard that we should build a good "base". In this episode we devine what base building is and how to make it a fundimental part of our training. Our experts for this episode are Ian Sharman, Krissy Moehl, Dr. Phil Maffetone, and Ellie Greenwood. Links: Dr. Phil's Big Books: Big Book of Health and Fitness Big Book of Training and Racing Dr. Phil's web site Sharman Ultra Coaching Krissy Moehl's web site Phil Maffetone's music site

Ep 570EP 570: The Power of Consistency
What does consistency mean to you? Returning guest, Adam Kimble joins The Nation to discuss the long-term benefits of consistency. Could consistency be the holy grail of training success? Learn more about Adam by checking out his web site and his coaching site, Run On Dirt Coaching. Adam's social channels: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook

Ep 569EP 569: Should We Believe in Science-Backed Research?
Alex Hutchinson is back to discuss some of his most recent articles he published at Outsideonline: Why Cyclists Can Handle Heat Better than Runners New Data on How Your Arm Swing Affects Running Do Endurance Athletes Get More Cavities? Alex Hutchinson is an avid runner and author. We did a series of podcasts on his book, Endure: Mind, Body and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance. Previous Podcasts where we discuss the specific chapters of Endure: Podcast #1: The Unforgiving Minute, The Conscience Quitter, Heat, Belief Podcast #2: The Central Governor Theory, Pain and Training the Brain Podcast #3 : Oxygen, Fuel, and Zapping the Brain Check out Alex's other books: Which Comes First, Cardio or Weights?: Fitness Myths, Training Truths, and Other Surprising Discoveries from the Science of Exercise Big Ideas: 100 Modern Inventions That Have Transformed Our World What Defines our Limits - with Alex Hutchinson Follow Alex on Twitter Check out Sweat Science

Ep 568EP 568: How to Deal With Aid Station Emergencies
Our good friend and running doctor, Mark Cucuzzella, joins us again to discuss common medical issues that you might experience on the trail, causes and treatments. Dr. Mark's Run for Your Life Podcast Dr. Mark's book, "Run for Your Life" Make sure you watch his 8:25 Video that show the principles of natural running. Be sure to spend some time learning at The Natural Running Center web site. Visit Two Rivers Treads running store either in person or call them and ask them some questions!

Ep 567EP 567: 5 Secrets Pros Do That Can Help You Regardless of Your Ability
Head Coach and Executive Director of the Hoka Northern Arizona Elite Team, aka Hoka NAZ Elite, Ben Rosario helps us understand how the pros train. You might be surprised that there are many things they do that you can too! Regardless of your ability level, age, or experience, we can learn some key principles that will help us run faster and/or further. Sleep Nutrition Strength Training (you don't have to have a gym membership) Stretching Taking it easy on easy days BONUS – Pacing You can learn more in the book he co-authored with Matt Fitzgerald, In their new book, Run Like a Pro (Even If You're Slow): Elite Tools and Tips for Runners at Every Level, they help us understand that we can reach our potential if we include some of these training techniques and strategies.

Ep 566EP 566: Strategies of Mental Running
A few weeks ago we spoke with Addie Bracy about mental training. We loved it so much we bought her book, Mental Training for Ultrarunning: Your Psychological Skills for Ultra Success, and asked AJW if he would join us to talk about the principles she writes about. Visit her mental performance page at Strive Mental Performance

Ep 565EP 565: TRAINING PRINCIPLES - Running with Poles
We often see photos of people, especially outside the USA, running with poles. Running with poles can be more efficient - using both legs and arms to help you uphills. Have you ever considered running with poles or not sure how to use them proplerly? In this month's Training Principles episode, we get some sound advice from four professional runners, Max King, Courtney Dauwalter, Sabrina Stanley, and Tim Tollefson on how to be successful with poles. Check out Max King's runnning camp Sabrina's coaching Check our Leki, if you want the best poles on the trail.

Ep 564EP 564: Run Like a Pro (Even if You're Slow)
Runner, coach, certified nutritionist and author Matt Fitzgerald teams up with the coach of the Hoka Northern Arizona Elite team, Ben Rosario, to help us understand how the pros run. In their new book, they help us understand that we can reach our potential if we include some of these training techniques and strategies. Matt has been on TRN ten previous times including the episode we referenced, How Bad Do you Want It? Find out more about Matt and coaching at 8020endurance.com

Ep 563EP 563: Mental Training for Ultra Running
We've all heard the saying, "Ultra running is 90% mental and the rest is in your head". Addie Bracy a sports and performance phychologist rejoins The Nation to dive deep into this oft-times neglected part of our training. We discuss mental toughness and how it correlates to performance, mental distractions, and how to get into the "zone". Check out her book, book, Mental Training for Ultrarunning: Your Psychological Skills for Ultra Success Visit her mental performance page at Strive Mental Performance

Ep 562EP 562: TRAINING PRINCIPLES - Conquering Technical Trail Running
Trails can be intimidating with varying technical challenges. Four coaches from Sharman Ultra Coaching help us understand these challenges and give us some tips on how to feel more comfortable. Ian Sharman, Liza Howard, Hillary Allen and Addie Bracy are all excellent technical trail runners and share their knowledge with us. Learn more about mental training at Addie's web site: strivementalperformance.com or her new book, Mental Training for Ultrarunning: Your Psychological Skills for Ultra Success FInd out more about Hillary Allen HERE Find out more about Liza Howard HERE Check out Liza's great camp for veterans and their families HERE

Ep 561EP 561: Believe Your Best Athletic Days are Ahead of You
Hillary Allen was on the top of her sport, Skyrunning, when she fell 150 feet off an exposed ridge, breaking two ribs, fracturing her back, ruptuing a ligament in her foot and breaking both wrists. She joins The Nation to discuss the mindset of injury recovery, why having a support system matters, and the importance of balance in athletics. LINK to her Tedx CU talk LINK to Hillary's web site Get her Book, Out and Back: A Runner's Story of Survival Against All Odds

Ep 560EP 560: Spin the Bottle with TRN
Sometimes we just have to have a light fun episode. We invited Andy Jones-Wilkins to join us on a new type of episode, Spin the Bottle, a randomized vocabulary game. Join us and play along. We referenced AJW's postmortem episode shortly after his first DNF. HERE is that episode. Hire Andy as a coach! or check out his weekly Tap Room at iRunFar

Ep 559EP 559: Understanding Female Athletes with Megan Roche
Dr. Megan Roche helps us all, men and women, understand the physiological differences that women have and how it might be an advantage. Dr. Roche is an MD and current PhD candidate at Standford University working on epidemiology, focused on population health and genetics for athletes, spedifically women. she is also a freaking fast runner: 2016 USATF Trail Runner of the Year 5-time national champion North American Mountain Running Champion 6-time member of team USA She is the co-author of, The Happy Runner: Love the Process, Get Faster, Run Longer and co-host of the popular podcast, "Some Work, All Play" You can also hire her or their coaches at SWAPRunning. Check out this past episode with Megan and David about their book.

Ep 558EP 558: TRAINING PRINCIPLES - Consistency
In our second monthly installment of Training Principles, we attack the subject of consistency. Joining us on this episode are some amazing coaches and consistent runners. We chose some running and coaching couples for this episode: Megan Roche: Consistency in Speed Happy Running Coaching Some Work, All Play podcast Book: The Happy Runner: Love the Process, Get Faster, Run Longer David Roche: Consistency in aerobic development Emily (Harrison) Torrence: Consistency will help you run injury free Sundog Running Coaching, Running camp and Racing Ian Torrence: Consistency and goal setting-both within a season and within an event
Ep 557EP 557: Eric Clifton- Racing His Own Race
Eric Clifton was inducted into the American UltraRunning Hall of Fame in 2021. He was the fastest and most dominating 100-mile trail runner in the 1990s. He has amassed more than 60 ultra wins and his win ratio at the 100-mile distance is staggering 17 wins of his 31 finishes and more than 20 course records. His strategy was very different from the norm back then. And get this....He has 19 years of his career where he won at least one ultra. We sit down and talk with Eric about his experiences back in the early 90s and how he went against conventional wisdom to race the way he wanted to race. He talks about how running saved his life. Be sure to listen to his complete story on UtraRunning History Podcast.
Ep 556556: Ultrarunning History
Davy Crockett, the host of the podcast, "Ultrarunning History" joins us to help us understand our community's history and helps us better understand our tribe's culture. Davy has run over 100 100-mile finishes since starting in 2004. He is a race director of the Pony Express Trail 50 and 100 in Utah and was recently named Director of the American Ultrarunning Hall of Fame. You can learn more about Davy and his many works at Ultrarunninghistory.com
Ep 555EP 555: Running Your First Ultra with Krissy Moehl
Are you new to trail or ultra running? Are you interested in testing the a new distance? Krissy Moehl wrote the book that can help you. We talk with Krissy about her updated second edition of the book and how it can help you become a better runner. We mentioned a video of Roch Horton talking about the Kroker's Canteen aid station at Hardrock 100 Learn more about Krissy, preorder her book and consider her coaching services HERE

Ep 554EP 554: Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results with Atomic Habits
Are you looking to begin running? Are you having trouble with consistent running? Are you wanting to take your running to a new level? This episode will help. Adam Kimble recommended the James Clear Book, Atomic Habits, to us a few months ago. We read it and realized there are many tools in this book that can help us develop habits that will propel us to becoming better runners. Here is the episode where Adam introduced us to the book: EP 541: Improving Performance Through the Aggregation of Marginal Gains

Ep 553EP 553: TRAINING PRINCIPLES - Quality Training
In 2022, we will be doing a monthly episode focused on Training Principles. In this episode, we start with the principle of Quality Training. We have invited four experts to give their take on quality training: Sally McRae: strength training = injury prevention Sally's Web site Patrick Reagan: disciplined recovery runs Patrick's coaching site Adam Kimble: variety Adam's coaching site Ian Sharman: have a purpose Ian's coaching site

Ep 552EP 552: David Horton: Always Searching for the Next Challenge
David Horton is a 5-time finisher and won the first two Hardrock 100 races. He has competed in over 160 ultras with 40 wins. He is one of 14 finishers of the iconic Barkleys Marathon. But wait, he has also set speed records on the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Coast Trail and one of the fastest transcontinental runs. David is a Professor of Health Sciences at Liberty University where he shares his passion for endurance sports with its students and encourages them to aspire to more. In this episode David shares some of his philosophies and passion for trail running. David also directs the Hellgate 100k. Listen to our first interview with David back in 2014 at the Hardrock 100

Ep 551EP 551: The Art of Running Free
"You're off to Great Places, today is your day! Your mountain is waiting, so...get on your way!" - Dr. Seuss Trail running is more than exercise, it is moving meditation with nature. Do you want some of this? Are you considering trail running? You might have some apprehensions. In this episode we talk with long time trail runners Brian Metzler and Doug Meyer about trail running basics from where to find a trail to running gear, fueling and safety. Their stories and step by step process will give you the knowledge and confidence you need to begin your journey on the trail. Already a long-time veteran? You might be able to recall some of the stories where you learned the importance of hydration, fueling, alluding bears, etc. Doug and Brian recently published, "Trail Running Illustrated: The Art of Running Free", a great reference for anyone that enjoys or wants to enjoy the trail. Here are the links to Brian's previous episodes: Kicksology: They Hype, Science, Culture & Cool of Running Shoes Pack Burro Racing - A Kick in the Ass

Ep 550EP 550: TRN Gift Exchange
Since it is gift-giving season, we thought we would throw out some ideas to The Nation in a unique way, by doing a gift exchange with Andy Jones-Wilkins! Here are some of the gifts: Book, Running & Being by George Sheehan Sundial Snittens Holy Hiker Bidet Petzl Iko headlamp A race bib/entry Hire Andy as a coach! or check out his weekly Tap Room at iRunFar

Ep 549EP 549: Running Through the Ups & Downs with Patrick Reagan
Patrick Reagan has twenty years of running experience and had been coaching endurance athletes for ten years. But in 2021 he found himself in a funk that he couldn't figure out. In this episode, Patrick explains that his increased fatigue and changing emotions were a result of low ferritin and iron levels. He reveals what changes he made and how he is coming back to his real self. Patrick runs professionally for Hoka One One and GU Energy Labs. Here are his recent accomplishments: 2017 finished 12th at Comrades Marathon in South Africa 2017 first 100-mile @ Javelina Hundred, won and set course record in 13:01.14 AND defended his title in 2018 and 2019 2019 USATF 100-mile champ and CR at Brazos Bend 100 2019 1st WS100 (8th place) 2021 19th WS100 Be sure to check out his new coaching website. Lives in Savannah, CA with wife Adrienne, 2 dogs and 2 cats

EP 548: Bon Courage: How to Become More Courageous
Bon Courage is an essential French expression for offering verbal support before or during a difficult task. Similar to the English, "good luck" but with a twist. Luck is outside of our control, where courage is something we can control. Returning Guest,Hillary Gerardi, joins us to discuss her philosophy of building courage with "little c's and BIG "C's".

EP 547: Remember to LIVE!
Dr. Gordon Harvey is a Professor of history at Jacksonville State University. He is also a seasoned ultra runner with dozens of finishes under his belt. He has a pendant that says, "Memento mori and memento vivere" - Remember that you must die, and remember to live. Gordon joins The Nation to talk about his recent experience training and running the Pinhoti 100. This was a race to prove that his first 100-mile finish wan't a "fluke". But there were obstacles and set backs in his training, including a heart attack and surgery less than one year before the race. Gordon shares his not-so-unique story with us and helps us understand and cope with the process and the result. Read more about his Pinhoti 100 journey HERE Be sure to sign up for a 30-day free trial of Open, a mindfulness studio by going to Open-together/trn and using the code TRN

Ep 546EP 546: The Nation Speaks
Our first live recording where Nation Members could join the audience and listen while we record & ask any questions they have for Don, Scott and frequent-guest Andy Jones-Wilkins. Hire Andy as a coach! or check out his weekly Tap Room at iRunFar

Ep 545EP 545: Survey Results Are In! Mental Health and Running
Ultrarunner and Psychologist, Jill Colangelo, recently published her thesis discussing the relationship of mental health and ultra endurance sports. Some of you may have even participated in her study! We discuss how prevalent mental illness is in our sport and how we can balance our passion with healthy living. You can read her paper HERE. For more information or to talk with Jill visit her web site.

Ep 544EP 544: Part 2- Wrapping Our Brain Around the Central Governor Theory - Part 2
The central governor theory is based around the premise that the brain will override your physical ability to run and "shut the body down" before you're able to do serious or permanent damage to yourself. Dr. Joe Uhan, founder of Uhan Performance in Eugene (Physical Therapy, Coaching, Running Analysis) and is studying manual therapy fellow-in-training at Johnson & Johnson Physical Therapy in Steamboat Springs, CO. Topics we cover in part 2: The central governor has a purpose and we have to listen to it. Learned pain patterns You become more sensitive to common pain points. Your governor becomes hyper sensitive, and more threatened. Can you "synthetically mask" the central governor? Does the governor actually know whats going on? Can your central governor fail you? Can that work to your advantage? Can you train your central governor with Psychology? PMA goes a long way. What's happening to the governor when we have peaks and valleys in our run? Maybe it's a committee of governors... What is the something that all the top runners have in common that amazes you? We referenced the article Joe wrote in irunfar

Ep 543EP 543: Part 1- Wrapping Our Brain Around the Central Governor Theory - Part 1
The central governor theory is based around the premise that the brain will override your physical ability to run and "shut the body down" before you're able to do serious or permanent damage to yourself. Dr. Joe Uhan, founder of Uhan Performance in Eugene (Physical Therapy, Coaching, Running Analysis) and is studying manual therapy fellow-in-training at Johnson & Johnson Physical Therapy in Steamboat Springs, CO. Topics we cover in part 1: What is the central governor What the central governor does. Tries to determine how much output can the body give without catastrophe. The central governor depends on all systems of the body. There's the role of the different peripheral systems and then the central brain. Everyone's Different. How close to catastrophe does the central governor shut down the body? How can we have a better relationship with our governor. Which is easier to train; the peripheral systems or the brain? Does the central governor fall out of shape? We referenced the article Joe wrote in irunfar

Ep 542EP 542: Drop Bag with AJW
Here are the items we talked about Running Shoes - HERE is the article Don referenced Ibuprofen - HERE is the story AJW referenced What are your Cues? Why are we offended by the term Jogging? Knowing the trail The Awe Run. HERE is the article from Psychology Today about Awe Walks. HERE is the podcast episode Scott mentioned where he learned about Awe Walks Hire Andy as a coach! or check out his weekly Tap Room at iRunFar

Ep 541EP 541: Improving Performance Through the Aggregation of Marginal Gains
Adam Kimble and Strava Co-Founder, Mark Gainey, were recently talking about Eliud Kipchoge's attempt at the sub 2-hour marathon. They focused on every little detail that his team worked on improving. These small improvements can make a big difference. How can we implement this strategy in our lives? British Cycling Team Performance Director, Dave Brailsford, did this with the team back in 2003 turning their mediocre winless team into a powerhouse of competitors with his philosophy of the "aggregation of marginal gains": tiny margins of improvement in everything they did. Read more about the British cycling team from James Clear HERE Check out Adam Kimble's new running journal, "Chasing Twilight" he wrote with Connor Crouch and Jim O'Brien Learn more about Adam by checking out his web site and his coaching site, Run On Dirt Coaching. Adam's social channels: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook Check out this super 30-day trial to Open, a mindfulness studio

Ep 540EP 540: Can You Be Fit and Still Be Unhealthy? Dr. Phil Maffetone Weighs In
Trail Runner Nation friend and frequent guest, Dr. Phil Maffetone, helps us understand that health isn't a simple byproduct of fitness; that fitness can be improved with better health. He explains how we can become healthier and more fit athletes. We refer to an article, "Athletes: Fit but Unhealthy". Other references: Get the Maffetone App HERE Take the 2 Week Test Get a taste of Dr. Maffetone's best articles HERE Keep listening past the credits for a song from Phil's most recent album, Outlier. Learn more about Phil Maffetone's MUSIC We had a fun Bonus Miles discussion with Phil that you can access as a Patreon Ambassador level or higher. Support the podcast by supporting these great partners: Athletic Green's AG-1 XO Skin's 'Socktober' sale. Use code 'TRN15' for discounts on non-sale items Native Deodorant and use the code 'Trail' for 20% off your first order Other deals here Previous episodes with Dr. Maffetone: Get Stronger with Dr. Phil Maffetone Why is Weight-Loss so Difficult Even for Runners? Dr. Phil Maffetone Daydreaming is Healthy for Runners Dr. Phil Maffetone Unplugged Dr. Phil Maffetone was RIGHT all along! Take Your Shirt Off and Get Some Vitamin D - with Dr. Phil Maffetone Phil Maffetone: How can Rhythm Improve Your Efficiency? Breaking the 1:59 marathon with Dr. Phil Maffetone Dr. Phil Maffetone - Building a Better Athletic Brain Phil Maffetone transcribed! Eat to Win with Dr. Phil Maffetone. Dr. Phil Maffetone - Speed up by slowing down

Ep 539EP 539: 7 Simple Rules Before Buying Your Next Running Shoe
Dr. Mark Cucuzzella and Dr. Ryan Green are runners, experts on running form AND owners of specialty shoe stores. We enlist their help to teach us how to choose the right shoes: Find a credible store and fitting expert Step & Feel What is the right size? Use all your senses to feel the fit Orthotics? Color matters Magic will happen when you take off your shoes References: Contact Dr. Green at his web site or visit his web site: Varsity Running Dr. Mark's Run for Your Life Podcast Dr. Mark's book, "Run for Your Life" Holowka, N.B., Wallace, I.J. & Lieberman, D.E. Foot strength and stiffness are related to footwear use in a comparison of minimally- vs. conventionally-shod populations. Sci Rep 8, 3679 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-21916-7 Cudejko, T., Gardiner, J., Akpan, A. et al. Minimal shoes improve stability and mobility in persons with a history of falls. Sci Rep 10, 21755 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-78862-6 Make sure you watch his 8:25 Video that show the principles of natural running. Be sure to spend some time learning at The Natural Running Center web site. Visit Two Rivers Treads running store either in person or call them and ask them some questions!

Ep 538EP 538: Continuous Glucose Monitors: The Ultimate Running Hack?
One of the new devices for athletes that is getting some buzz are continuous glucose monitors (CGM), a small adhesive patch with a tiny filament embedded in the flesh. This device is designed to track your blood sugar levels. Could this be the next technology that helps runners avoid bonking? Author, runner and regular TRN guest, Alex Hutchinson recently tried out one of these devices and shares his experience. Read his recent article, "A Real-Time Fuel Gauge for Endurance Athletes" in OutsideOnline Alex Hutchinson is an avid runner and author. We did a series of podcasts on his book, Endure: Mind, Body and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance What Defines our Limits - with Alex Hutchinson Follow Alex on Twitter Check out Sweat Science