Run To The Top Podcast | The Ultimate Guide To Running

It’s probably safe to say that most Americans have never driven across the United States. And even fewer have run across the country. So how is it that a 71 year-old Swedish man has run his way coast-to-coast across America, not once, but a staggering 7 times? And maybe more importantly, WHY? In this episode, we meet Bjorn Suneson, the man who has done just that. I think we can all agree that runners are just a bit ‘crazy’ and perhaps Bjorn is even more Runner-Crazy than most of us. In our conversation, we not only learn why he decided to do this on multiple occasions, but how he manages the logistics involved in such an undertaking.

We’ve spent the last couple weeks learning more about the benefits of Generation UCAN and this week we have one more voice to champion the SuperStarch® that has fueled countless elite runners, recreational runners, and those of us in between. Greg McMillan and McMillan Running are names that are highly respected and have been part of the running world for many years. Greg truly believes SuperStarch® is an essential part of a runner’s toolbox. He will also share tips and tricks from his vast experience, through McMillan Coaching, with the thousands of runners who have benefitted from his methodology. Greg leverages his experience as a National Champion runner with his background in plans that are individualized to a runner’s unique traits. Renowned Coach Greg blends his exercise science to create scientifically-based, proven training by runners and coaches across the globe, he has one of the most diverse coaching resumes around, with equal success coaching new runners, age groupers, Boston Qualifiers, and Olym

A recent article in Seasons Magazine featured the incredible story of UCAN, a SuperStarch® for athletes that started from a life threatening illness that threatened a baby’s survival. Follow this story from its inception as a life-saving nutrient to its evolution as a power drink that Meb Keflezighi, Dathan Rytzenheim, and many top athletes rely on. We are now in part 2 of this amazing story that has, up to this point, introduced our listeners to Wendy Feldman, Shoba Murali, and Meb Keflezighi whose lives have been intricately intertwined by Team UCAN. In this episode, we talk with Krista Austin, a sports scientist who has been connected with UCAN from the start. She was Meb's sports scientist back in 2009 and was the one who first worked with him to try UCAN in his training. She also introduced the product to Olympian Dathan Ritzenhein in 2014.

t’s not often in sport that there is something that can fundamentally, and legally, improve training and performance. It’s even rarer that a product that was born out of a unique solution to a serious health issue can have wide-reaching applications, too. Today we speak with Shoba Murali, one of the developers of Generation UCAN (also known as Super Starch) Wendy Feldman, the mother of a child born with Glycogen Storage Disease, and (THE) Meb Keflezighi about how Generation UCAN came about, the impact it is having on athletes and non-athletes, and how Meb enjoyed tremendous success while using UCAN.

Summer’s here and the time is right for racing in the streets.  Looking for some fun races for the end of summer or early fall?  Today’s guest is Mitchell Garner, President of Road Runners Club of America and he has some favorites he will share with us. With varying distances, locations, and difficulties, Mitchell has run and raced a lot of territory and visited a lot of events around the country. He will give us enough details for you to make an educated decision on your next road race – even if you wait until next year and plan a whole vacation around it.

After only running consistently for a couple of years, newly minted Doctor in Cognitive Science, Lauren Curley ran her first ever full marathon in a brisk 2:57:58. Lauren started running to relieve stress during her doctorate program in college and her running career took off from there competing in ultra racing, trail racing, and obstacle racing. In addition to a great first marathon time, Lauren has placed first female in 2 50k’s and in the SoCal Warrior Dash. Not bad for a new-ish runner in her late 20’s.

Erin Taylor believes that yoga can save your body from injury and understands the importance of this to runners. Yoga has changed her ability as an athlete and she started a company called Jasyoga to offer yoga in a functional, fun format for runners to remain healthy and injury free. Erin says “Do some yoga today. Anything is better than nothing. Do two minutes, do thirty seconds, do something for your body and feel the difference.”  

Alex shares the science and the mysteries of endurance, a subject near and dear to all runners. From short sprints to ultra-marathons, endurance plays a crucial role and today we find out what it is and how to extend it. Alex covered Nike’s Breaking 2 project in 2017 where elite marathoner Eliud Kipchoge attempted a sub-2 hour marathon, albeit in fabricated and controlled conditions. Kipchoge came up just short, but in so doing, showed us how close the human body actually is to breaking this wall.

Katie Zaferes - #1 Triathlete What does it take to be ranked the #1 International Triathlon Union triathlete in the world? In this episode we talk with Katie Zaferes, 2016 Olympic triathlon participant for Team USA and currently competing professionally in triathlons around the world as the top ranked triathlete. Katie shares with us her athletic background from running cross-country in High School and college to becoming a professional triathlete. She discusses her mental preparation for competition and how she approaches her nutrition when travelling to so many different locations around the world. In the ITU World Triathlon Series, Katie finished her 2017 season ranked 3rd in the world and her 2018 season ranked #2.  So far in the 2019 season, Katie leads the world with a #1 ranking, sweeping the first three events of the series with victories in Abu Dhabi, Bermuda and Yokohama.  Approaching the 2020 Olympic Games, Katie has set her sights high, seeking to bring home a medal to the United States. In recogn

You love running, right? Today’s episode is about ROWING and how the two fit together. Today we get some advice from an expert on how to add something new to our training regimen that might make a huge difference in our overall training. Caley Crawford, shares details on how to improve your running with rowing. We all know that cross training can be extremely beneficial. But, just like running, it needs to be done with proper form and technique to get the most out of it.

Can doing yoga make us better runners? Yoga practice has been around for thousands of years yet, there are still questions about its benefits and usefulness for runners who inevitably would rather be running than doing much of anything else with our training time.  Today we have Lindsay Junk, marathoner, triathlete, and president of YogaSix to share her thoughts and offer some specific yoga poses that benefit runners. A background in nutrition and personal training as well as her experience as an endurance athlete make Lindsay a great choice to talk about the benefits of cross training with Yoga. Lindsay already has 2 marathons completed in 2019 and we’ll find out what else she’s been up to for her own fitness. Our main focus, of course, is to receive specifics on how yoga can help us in pursuit of running excellence.

This episode will give you new insight on improving your running performance and reducing injuries. Matt Phillips is a Running Injury & Performance specialist based in Sussex, England. As a writer for numerous publications and websites, he is a popular speaker at national & international conferences, and has his own bi-monthly podcast called 'RunChatLive' helping runners, coaches and therapists clear up the myths & misconceptions that are certainly a part of this sport. Matt shares his research-driven perspective on heel striking, foot shape, the running magazine dilemma, the dangers and benefits of running teams, and the ever elusive sub-2-hour marathon.  

HILLS! For many of us this word terrifies us because they’re hard, they’re uncomfortable, and we may not even know how to run them correctly. Up hill, downhill, hills for interval training and speed work, trail running with hills, it’s all part of the running experience. Yet, how many of us know how to use hills effectively and to our optimal benefit to improve our running? In this episode Dylan discusses hills and why all of us can benefit from understanding how to run them better and how to utilize the power that comes from effective hill running – for racing and training. When we think of running hills, we often envision running up a road with a steep hill, running up a long but low grade, or the infamous “Heartbreak Hill” of Boston. But, as Isaac Newton essentially said: “What goes up, must come down.” and Dylan also shares with us how to effectively run down hills and how hills should be approached when trail running.

Kate reached a do or die moment, her senior year of college, a moment where she either made a drastic change or let her spirit wither away. The 2 words that kept repeating were CHANGE and RUN. So with the need to feel powerful and the thrill to seek adventure and new roads, she signed up for a 50-mile race… her first ever running race with only 3 cold Chicago months to take her non-running self across the finish line of a grueling footrace in the  backwoods of Pekin, Illinois (McNaughton Trail 50-miler 2007). That singular 50-mile race changed the course of her life forever!

In this week’s episode, Austin Martinez, Director of Education at StretchLab describes the 7 Essential Stretches for runners and why we need to include flexibility and strength workouts in addition to just running miles for injury prevention and optimum performance as a runner. These stretches focus on the following areas of our bodies: Feet, Lower Legs, Quads, Hamstrings, Glutes, Spine, Core, and Upper Body. (Ok, that’s really 8, but Upper Body is easily overlooked for runners and Austin gave us a bonus stretch).

What do zombies and ultra marathons have to do with each other? We find out in this week’s episode where we talk with Undead Ultra book author and ultra runner, Camille Piccott, as we honor Zombie Awareness month in May. We discuss Camille’s 3 zombie books with ultra running heroes: Dawn Patrol, Undead Ultra, and Dorm Life. We are in for a fun and provocative discussion of the merits of ultra-running and the apocalyptic potential of zombies taking over the earth.

Hemp, marijuana, CBD, THC... How are they related and can they help runners? Are they even legal? Can CBD alleviate pain and inflammation? What is the science behind it? Are our bodies actually pre-wired for this? There is a lot of chatter about CBD supplements, but what is actually known?  Our guest today is Caleb Simpson from Hemp Daddy’s Therapeutics. Caleb will give us the facts and fill in the missing pieces of the hemp/CBD mystery.

Ryan Hall - Run The Mile You’re In Olympic athlete and American record holder in the half marathon Ryan Hall hasn’t always loved running. In his new book, Run the Mile You’re In: Finding God in Every Step, Ryan reveals how he got his unlikely start in running, both the “why” and the secret to the success of his 20-year athletic career. He encourages others to run their own races with confidence.

For many of us, the Boston Marathon is not just a Bucket List race, but a Bucket List goal altogether. While we’re excited to see what the elite field can do in one of the most famous running events, thousands of non-elite runners will also be putting their bodies and their minds to the test next Monday. Scott Mattingly, 60, is one such runner. Born and raised in Catonsville, Maryland, Scott will be competing in his first ever Boston Marathon in 2019.

Who will win at the Boston Marathon in 2019? Coach Ben Rosario offers a few thoughts on the overall field and his own contenders from the Hoka Team NAZ Elite in Flagstaff, Arizona.  Ben has been just about everything in the running industry; elite athlete, special events director for a big city marathon, running store owner, marketing director, elite athlete coordinator and of course…coach. His number one passion though, has always been the competitive side of the sport and he brings a healthy obsession for success to his role as coach/president of Hoka Northern Arizona Elite.