Run To The Top Podcast | The Ultimate Guide To Running

We’re doing something a little different today on Run To The Top and we hope you find it helpful. One of our athletes, Wayne Jimenez, recently DNF’d a marathon at mile 16 and was not sure why. He has completed marathons and half-Iron Mans, but just over halfway through this race he could not keep going and he’s eager to get back in a marathon ASAP since he still feels pretty strong from all his training. But, he’s concerned about racing too soon.   Coach Jeff engages Wayne in a discussion to unpack what happened during, and more importantly prior to, the race to help identify the root cause of the issue and to determine when Wayne should make his way into his next corral.   We hope you enjoy listening to this conversation and find some takeaways that help you in your training. We would also love to know what you think of this podcast format as well as any suggestions you have for Run To The Top in general.

We’ve long known the biggest barriers in running are those we create in our own heads, but according to Alex Hutchinson and the latest research, there are ways we can bypass these barriers to push farther and faster. A National Magazine Award-winning journalist, Alex’s work revolves mostly around the science of endurance, and there’s a pretty good chance you’ve read some of his stuff. He contributes to Runner’s World, the New York Times, the New Yorker, and he also has his own column in Outside Magazine called Sweat Science. In this episode, Alex will share with us a little about his upcoming book, ENDURE: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance. In the book, Alex explores the controversial new science of endurance that suggests our brains are just as responsible as our bodies for the physical obstacles we encounter in running. In other words, most of the limits we experience are illusionary, and, with some groundbreaking techniques Alex will share with us today, we can actually push

If an airplane wing is too rigid, the plane will crash, and according to author and marathoner Duncan Larkin, the same is true for us runners. When we adhere too closely to our training plans or even, as Duncan says, the tenets of his own books, we don’t leave room for two crucial details: one, that each of our bodies is different and possesses its own unique ebb and flow and two, we’re just plain busy. For most of us, running isn’t our number one priority and our schedules don’t always perfectly complement our training - and that’s okay. However, to optimize our performance and steer clear of injury, it’s important to be flexible and emphasize quality over quantity in training, and that’s the basis of Duncan’s new book, The 30-Minute Runner: Smart Training for Busy Beginners. Duncan writes for Outside Magazine, Runner's World, and ESPN to name a few,  and he was on the show in 2017 to talk about his second newest book Run Simple: A Minimalist Approach to Fitness and Wellbeing. In this episode, Duncan shares

The first rule of Fight Club is: you do not talk about Fight Club.   The second rule of Fight Club? You know how it goes.   Lucky for us, the opposite is true for the founders of November Project, a fitness movement popularly known as the “Fight Club” of running clubs for its intense workouts, free membership, and tribe mentality.     Following their days rowing crew for Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts, Bojan Mandaric and Brogan Graham found themselves struggling to stay in shape in the cold New England months and the absence of a structured exercise regiment.   Then one night in 2011 over a couple of beers, they decided to make a pact: every morning for that month of November, they would meet at 6:30am and workout together.   Running hill repeats, bounding up the stairs of Harvard Stadium, dropping to the ground for the occasional pushups - the city was their gym, and the results were significant.   After a few months, Bojan and Brogan decided to throw out a few invites on Twitter, and the r

While most of us know we need to do strength work to truly see results, according to Jay Dicharry, this is a waste of time without also practicing movement and mobility. One of America’s leading physical therapists and author of Anatomy for Runners, Jay established his reputation as an expert in biomechanical analysis as Director of the University of Virginia’s SPEED Clinic. Today, athletes from all over travel to his REP Lab in Bend Oregon where Jay blends clinical practice and engineering to better understand overuse injuries. But what sets Jay apart from traditional therapy? He works to correct imbalances before they become a problem, and to do that he helps runners rewire their body-brain movement patterns. In this episode, Jay will share a little about his new book, Running Rewired, explain how we can rediscover our body-brain movement patterns, and dispel the myths that pervade both the shoe and physical therapy industries.

As we enter the bell lap for 2017, I wanted to do something a little special for this week’s episode. Just as it’s good to reflect back on a season and extract all the learning moments, I wanted to reflect back on the best lessons from Run to the Top this year, and to do that I asked for your help. Today’s show will include Run to the Top’s greatest hits of 2017 as chosen by our very own listeners: runners who made incredible strides mentally and physically thanks to the wisdom, inspiration, and perspective shared in this year’s interviews. In this podcast, those runners will share their favorite episodes and what they gained from them followed by a little segment from each show. Whether these episodes are new to you or you’ve heard them before, I hope the lessons within both help you reflect back on 2017 and serve as a springboard into your best year yet.

If you ever have thoughts and feelings you wish you didn’t, there’s a good chance you’re human.   But there are ways to put a stop to those thoughts and feelings, and that’s where Dr. Simon Marshall comes in.   A competitive triathlete and world-renowned sport psychology expert, Dr. Marshall helps endurance athletes train their brains to become happier and more mentally resilient.   Dr. Marshall is a former professor of Family and Preventive Medicine at the University of California, San Diego, former Director of the Graduate Program in Sport & Exercise Psychology at San Diego State University, and has published over 100 scientific articles on the psychology of exercise and has been cited in scientific literature over 10,000 times.   He’s currently the performance psychologist for the BMC Racing team, an elite WorldTour professional cycling team, and he’s also married to three-time world champion triathlete and his business partner Lesley Paterson.   Together, Dr. Marshall and Lesley make up Brave Heart Co

He’s back! World renowned dietitian and exercise physiologist Bob Seebohar joins us again to delve deeper into the growing research surrounding his two concepts of metabolic efficiency training (MET) and nutrition periodization. If you listened to Bob’s last interview with us, you know that together these concepts increase the body's ability to use fat as fuel during exercise and thus optimize both body composition and performance - a hard balance to strike for most distance runners. If you missed that episode and like what you hear today, be sure to go back and give it a listen here for some better context. Bob is a registered dietitian, exercise physiologist, NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, USA Triathlon Level III Elite Coach. He also traveled to the 2008 Summer Olympic Games as a sport dietitian for the US Olympic Team and the personal sport dietitian/exercise physiologist for the Olympic Triathlon Team. This time Bob’s back to answer YOUR questions and, in so doing, discuss everythin

Our guest this week is an incredible guitar player, amazing singer song-writer, and the best audio editor you could ask for, and I’m not just saying all that because he’ll be reading this while he edits the show. :)   If you haven’t already guessed, this week’s guest is none other than Run to the Top editor, Jeremy Noessel.   In addition to playing in 3 bands in the Rhode Island / Connecticut / Massachusetts area and working on several podcasts, Jeremy and his wife, Louise, are also writing an e-book for guitarists and musicians, will be soon launching a blog, and also planning his own podcast.   I’ve been wanting to have Jeremy on the show for some time now because his story is seriously one of a kind.   Jeremy started editing the podcast back when Tina Muir was hosting the show, and since then he’s not only helped us take the show to a whole new level, but the podcast has inspired him to start running again after about a 25-year hiatus.   Jeremy’s skill and incredible attention to detail is a large part of

Michael Hammond is a graduate of Virginia Tech where he competed in cross country and track, earning two ACC titles and four NCAA All-American honors. His individual efforts led his team to four ACC team championships: one in cross country, two in indoor track, and one in outdoor track. On this episode, Michael shares his perspective on, well… perspective. Most runners are goal-focused, which is understandable considering the time and effort that goes into distance running. But at what point does this single-mindedness become unhealthy? How can runners strike a balance between their running goals and the rest of the world, especially when blindsided by an illness or injury? In his role as Director of Coaching for RunnersConnect, Michael has gotten to know every member, their motivations and exactly what support they need to receive from the coaches as well as from each other. In this episode, he’ll also share a little about the support we need to give ourselves.   Questions Michael is asked: 3:57 What do you

Telling people that you run marathons usually prompts some dumbfounded expressions, but tell them you run ultras and, let’s face it, they’ll probably think you’re nuts. But that’s just a day in the life for Georgia native, Nathan Maxwell.   Like a lot of runners, Nathan started running to get in shape. He did a few 5K’s and then decided to try his hand at the half marathon. That was in 2012.   Since then, Nathan has completed 44 ultra marathons, 9 marathons, and 3 100 milers. He’s a self-proclaimed ultra junkie, and he loves sharing his adventures and promoting an active lifestyle on his blog and Twitter account under the name Social Shark.   On this episode, Nathan will share with us a little about his journey, how to transition from the marathon to ultras if you’re so inclined, and how to stoke the fire if you feel your passion for running starting to fizzle.   While running an ultra is no easy feat, it is manageable and possesses some surprisingly accessible entry points for those who want to dip their run

The world's best are gritty. The world's best are clear on their purpose. The world's best become a master of their thoughts. The world's best know themselves to master yourself. The world's best dominate the controllables. The world's best own the moment. The world's best choose empowering emotions. The world's best own who they are. The world's best live and let go. The world's best choose their courage zone.   In her more than sixteen years coaching elite runners, Olympians, championship teams, executives, and entrepreneurs, world renowned performance psychologist Dr. Cindra Kamphoff has discovered these ten practices to be consistent among the world’s very best.   In her book, Beyond Grit: Ten Powerful Practices to Gain the High-Performance Edge, Dr. Kamphoff explains why each of these practices is important to discovering your purpose, “owning your why,” and boosting your performance through drive and grit, which Dr. Kamphoff argues prove more important than talent.   Dr. Kamphoff is the Director and F

Author, coach, and nutritionist Matt Fitzgerald started running at the age of eleven when he completed the last mile of the 1983 Boston Marathon with his father (who had run the whole thing) and his two brothers.   By that time Matt was already a writer (specifically a comedic poet), having declared his intention to pursue a career in writing at the ripe age of nine.   He never changed his mind.   An expert on all things running, Matt especially loves to write about the psychology of running and has written several books and articles on the subject, including his popular book How Bad Do You Want It? Mastering the Psychology of Mind Over Muscle.   In this episode, Matt discusses what goes into a runner’s mental capacity and shares with us some tips as to how we can better push our limits.

When you think of dietitians, you probably think of, well, diets.   It’s right there in the name, and most dietitians are devoted to helping people follow regulated diets that will, in theory, make them healthier.     Heather Caplan isn’t like most dietitians.   The certified running coach and host of the RD Real Talk podcast believes diets are nothing but counterproductive and that “diet culture” is full of hidden agendas and falsehoods detrimental to our wellbeing and mentality towards food.   Not just that, but dieting can go way too far, causing conditions like orthorexia in which an unhealthy fixation on eating healthy can lead to symptoms like hair loss, difficulty sleeping, chronic fatigue, anemia, and hypothyroidism.   You read that right. Too much healthy eating can be unhealthy.   That’s why Heather exercises a non-diet approach at her private practice in Washington, DC, helping runners relearn the “intuitive” eating that diet culture can make so foreign to us.   In this episode, Heather discusses t

Running isn’t always forgiving. Between injuries, mental ruts, and the curve balls life sometimes throws at us, finding long term success and remaining engaged in the sport can be incredibly difficult, and that’s why Jonathan Beverly’s new book is one every runner needs to read. The book is called Run Strong, Stay Hungry, and it reveals the habits and mentalities of more than 50 veteran runners who are still running fast decades after they started.   A writer for Runner’s World and lifetime runner himself, Jonathan will give us a peek into the lives of runners like Bill Rodgers, Deena Kastor, and Joan Benoit Samuelson to show us what it takes to avoid burnout and achieve longevity in the sport - both physically and mentally. P.S. Jonathan was kind enough to offer two lucky winners a signed copy of Run Strong, Stay Hungry! If you’re interested, head on over to runnersconnect.net/giveaway. The contest will end at 12am EST November 2nd, 2017, so be sure to enter fast!

Now known as the “Acupuncturist for Skeptics”, Sarah Hammer Stevens wasn’t always a believer in this alternative therapy. A longtime runner, Sarah was training for the Portland Marathon a few years ago when she sustained a knee injury that threatened to sideline her just weeks before the race. Desperate to recover as quickly as possible, Sarah tried everything. She consulted both her primary care doctor and an orthopedist but just wasn’t seeing any real improvement. So, ready to try anything, Sarah decided to give acupuncture a shot, and she was glad she did. After running pain-free to set a big PR, Sarah was excited to share the benefits of acupuncture with the world. She quit her job to pursue a career in integrative health care, and she now enjoys helping runners like herself through her practice To the Point PDX in Portland, OR. In this interview, Sarah will explain to us the intricacies of acupuncture, dispel the misconceptions that surround it, and share the reasons she believes every runner should give

Okay, well at least occasionally :) That’s what marathoner and writer Duncan Larkin argues in his book Run Simple: A Minimalist Approach to Fitness and Well-Being. Duncan, who also writes for Outside Magazine, Competitor Magazine, Runner's World, ESPN, and Running Times, believes the best way to maximize running’s mental and physical benefits is to get back to the basics. While the book is full of training regiments and advice for increasing quality over quantity, it starts off with one resounding message: ditch your gadgets. According to Duncan, runners have become slaves to their electronic devices, and, believe it or not, this reliance can be detrimental to both performance and the very value of a training program. In this interview, Duncan shares with us the principles of his simplistic training philosophy, a little about the coaches and runners who swear by it, as well as a sneak peek at his upcoming book, The 30-Minute Runner: Smart Training for Busy Beginners.

In 2009, Kelly Roberts was thrown into the deep end when she suddenly lost her younger brother, Scott. Struggling to cope during this emotionally draining time, Kelly gained over 70 pounds by the end of the year, by which point she decided it was time for her to find a healthy way to work out her grief. That’s when she found running. 8 years later, the sport has become invaluable to Kelly, and she now uses it to uplift thousands of others through her hilarious yet incredibly authentic blog Run, Selfie, Repeat. Kelly continually strives to break the societal norms that insist what “strong” ought to look like, and she loves inspiring thousands of runners to pursue the best versions of themselves. In this episode, Kelly shares with us what she’s learned through her own ongoing journey to self-acceptance as well as her tips to conquering the inhibitions that tie us down. All, of course, with a healthy dose of hysterical laughter.   Questions Kelly is asked: 3:48 What prompted you to start running and what has tha

One of the biggest advantages of running is that you don’t need a whole lot of equipment to do it.   But because we rely so heavily on the little equipment we do need, most of us would rather go for another run than try to choose between the wide array of activity trackers, GPS watches, and power meters available to us within the ever-growing sport tech market.   That’s where Ray Maker’s tech review blog, DC Rainmaker, can save you the time and energy not only picking the best product for you but also getting the absolute most out of that product.   A longtime runner and triathlete, Ray is arguably the most respected sport tech guru out there, and his climb to the top isn’t what you’d probably imagine.   During his spare time in high school, Ray started a one-man software company developing “programs” we now call apps - programs that garnered quite a lot of interest in Ray’s skills.   Long story short, Ray went directly from his high school graduation to a full-time career in technology consulting just 36 hou

Contrary to popular belief, losing or even maintaining weight while training for a marathon can be incredibly difficult. Many marathoners either find they can’t quite achieve the weight loss they want, or, on the flipside, they’re able to lose weight, but at the cost of performance. It’s a hard balance to strike, but with the latest research it’s becoming much easier. The research in question revolves around the two concepts of Nutrition Periodization and Metabolic Efficiency Training. Together they increase the body's ability to use fat as fuel during exercise and thus optimize both body composition and performance.  Joining us in this episode is Bob Seebohar, the creator of these two concepts. Bob is a registered dietitian, exercise physiologist, NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, USA Triathlon Level III Elite Coach. He also traveled to the 2008 Summer Olympic Games as a sport dietitian for the US Olympic Team and the personal sport dietitian/exercise physiologist for the Olympic Triathlon