Run To The Top Podcast | The Ultimate Guide To Running

As runners, we strive to do our best and we know how important nutrition is to running our best. Yet, we often hear about how many runners don’t get enough vitamins and minerals in their diet. In today’s episode, you’ll learn more about nutritional deficiencies, the science behind them, and how to correct them once and for all. If you’ve ever wondered whether you need to take iron, calcium or any other supplement, you’ve come to the right place. We’ll also talk about various studies done on bone density, bone loss and nutrition, and their surprising findings, diet recommendations for sports performance, and much more.

Marathon Season is here and this is Chicago Marathon week (did you read our Chicago marathon race guide?).  One of the runners who will take part in it is my guest on this episode and he shares his incredible story of bravery and overcoming the odds to lead a life that inspires others. It is the most emotional interview I’ve done and I am certain you will be as inspired by Fernando Cabada as I am. Fernando explains that he grew up in the Fresno, California area as the son of first and second generation immigrants.  His fat [...]

We’ve all heard the expression - when one door closes, another opens. For my guest that expression had lasting meaning. Carrie Tollefson, a 2004 Olympian, had trained and planned for a spot on the 5K team, but as fate would have it she didn’t make the team. Carrie came back and surprised everyone, including herself, by earning a spot on the 1500m team. For Carrie, being an Olympian changed her life. Carrie, elite middle-distance runner, is also a five-time NCAA champion, three-time national champion, an ESPN2 analyst, wife and mother. Through her website, public speaking and training camps Carries inspires people to Get After It and [...]

In today’s episode, we’ll be debunking a few fitness myths and learning some important tips with certified personal trainer and running coach, Meghan Kennihan. Meghan has loved sports for as long as she can remember, including: being on every sports team in her school and running several marathons and triathlons, but hitting several bumps along the way. These are some of the topics we covered: Meghan’s transition from running to power lifting Differe [...]

My guest today is Janae Jacobs who writes a daily blog, Hungry Runner Girl. Not only does Janae give advice and share her journey of running, but her blog also serves as a community for runners to encourage and support one another. Hungry Runner Girl has grown in popularity and now receives a million views a month. Janae ran her first marathon in 2010 and fell in love with running and racing. Today we’ll talk about how runners can support each other, how to motivate yourself to get through workouts, and why it’s important to think long-term when you think about running. Janae blogs twice a da [...]

Today I am excited to welcome Max Prokopy to the show. Max has his masters degree in exercise physiology and a member of the UVA Speed Clinic. At the Speed Clinic they help people runners and walkers optimize their gait to remain injury free and increase their performance. Max and his team have helped both elite level runners to age groupers, and from age 10 to 80 come through their 2.5 hour evaluation process. When you arrive at the clinic you will run a little, watch a lot of video, and perform a battery of ex [...]

Our guest today is a nutritionist and authority on using proper nutritional habits to get your body race day ready. Her name is Pip Taylor, a professional dietitian, sports dietitian, and triathlete. She has been competing internationally for 15 years. She has won the ICU World Cup and many Ironman Triathlons. She has also represented her home country of Australia numerous times on the international stage. Today we will discuss the following: How fear can ruin a di [...]

I try to listen to your requests for podcast guests. One request that comes up often is to interview other coaches who are interested in sharing their coaching philosophies. Another is to hear from elite athletes to find out what life is like for them. In this interview we will be doing both. So expect to hear about what the life of an elite athlete is and how our guest coach prepares his group of elites for their races. Dennis Barker has been the coach of Team USA Minnesota since its inception in 2001. Team USA Minnesota is a team of professional runners based in St. Paul, Minnesota. Coach Barker oversees the training of both male and femal [...]

Today’s guest is someone who brings fun to the sport but isn’t looking into breaking a world record. Liz Miele is a seasoned marathon runner, a stand-up comedian at Comedy Central including “Live at Gotham”, she’s been on “Late Night with Conan o’Brien” and Access TV. She’s been featured in many press publications like the NY Times, Time at New York and the New Yorker, winner of the 2008 Gilda’s Club contest and a finalist at the 2008 March Comedy Madness. In this episode we’ll discuss:

Dr. Steve Pribut will be bringing something new to the table. A Podiatrist based in Washington D.C., he mainly specializes in Podiatric Medicine and Surgery. Aside from that he is also a well-known expert of Podiatric Sports Medicine and Biomechanics. In short, he is an expert on a variety of runner’s injury and its treatment. Aside from his profession, he has also served as the President of the District of Columbia Podiatric Medical Association for 4 years. He was also the past president of the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine (AAPSM) and he was also on the advisory board of Runner’s World Magazine. He also served as ch [...]

For today’s show, I have no guest because I am getting married in a few days! So I decided to share my story for anyone who is interested in learning more about me. I was interviewed on Marathon Training Academy a few months ago by Angie and Trevor, and you can listen to that episode here. For those of you who weren’t aware, I am originally from England, and moved to the States in 2007 to pursue my running career. I finished off a great collegiate career by finishing 3rd in the 10k at the 2012 Great Britain Olympic Trials.

Today on the show I am excited to welcome Michele Gonzalez of the blog NYC Running Mama. First and foremost, Michele is an amazing person who puts her kids first, but also makes the time to run. She is a mother of two, Ironman finisher, ultra, and marathon runner. To top that, she has also completed 3 tours in Iraq as a military intelligence officer, later became a captain. Michele writes for Women’s Running magazine. First marathon was 3:54

Dr. Mark Cucuzzella is an accomplished marathon runner. He is also an Associate Professor at West Virginia University, a family physician, a Lieutenant Colonel in the Air Force Reserves, the Chief Medical Consultant for the Air Force Marathon, and the owner of Two Rivers Treads, the nation’s first minimalist shoe store which is located in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. We cover a lot of ground with Mark as he discusses:

I have been thinking for a while that it is time to change it up. I loved the idea of having panel of experts on at the same time, I just needed a topic that would allow it. Recently on my personal blog, I wrote about why runners need to cross train, even if they are not injured, and it got me thinking about cross training more and more. Until recently I was scared to cross train, I thought I was too good to cross train, and I associated injury with cross training. We hea [...]

With the running boom that has been going on for a few years now, we have learned more and more about running, and added so many things that we need to pay attention to in order to get the best out of our running, but are we making things too complicated? My guest today has so much research and knowledge behind him, but is encouraging runners to go back to basics, keep things simple and focus on the things that really matter, the things that do not keep changing as new research comes out. As runners this can be tough for us, as we tend to go overboard when we learn something that might help us, but hopefully this interview today shows you what [...]

We all have to run on our own sometimes. Those moments where you can be alone with your thoughts, and your mind runs wild. It is always fascinating to reflect on the places your mind goes, and what you end up thinking about. Do you ever find that you come up with a crazy idea, something you would like to challenge yourself to do, but then you swat it away, nah, I could do that. What a silly idea you think to yourself. But what if you didn’t swat that idea away, what if you added that to a list, a list that you work your way through and push yourself in new ways as often as you can.

The Chicago marathon: one of the 6 marathon majors that almost every marathon runner wants to complete during their running career. One of the fastest, and most recognized marathon races in the world, it is one to watch every year. Last year, I was given the opportunity to race in it as an elite, and while in the elevator a few days before the race, I met the driving force behind it; race director Carey Pinkowski. Someone who had so much to do, and has so much responsibility, took the time to talk to a nervous, overwhelmed British woman, to reassure her that she did belong to be there. Carey has been the race director for the Chicago marathon [...]

I have always been fascinated with the minds of runners. At one point in my life I even looked into becoming a sports psychologist. Today, I had the opportunity to ask those questions I have always wondered with a well known sports psychologist, who has studied distance runners in detail, and has come to some fascinating conclusions on why we act the way we do. You are going to learn so much in this interview, and it will make you change your whole outlook on life, especially if you want to be successful, and get the most out of your running goals. My guest today is Dr. Stan Beecham

There are many topics that are covered over and over again, and some that you can ask someone about, or type into a search engine, and almost hear the crickets as you realize there is nothing on that topic. Runners are dedicated, determined, and love to research what they can do to run faster, so why is there absolutely nothing on women’s issues and running. If you are a guy, you may want to switch off now, but it would also be a great idea for you to listen in to this interview, to learn more about it. And to the female listeners, this may be a first ever for how deep and detailed we go into these topics, but it will be informative, and I a [...]

One of my favorite quotes is by Neal Donald Walsh; life begins at the end of your comfort zone. Even though this quote is very well known, and we often tell ourselves that we are great at taking those leaps of faith, I often wonder, are we really? One person who has embraced this to the fullest is my guest today. She is one of the figureheads of womens running, and a photo of her in the Boston Marathon was voted one of the 100 photos that changed the world. Not only did she change it that day in boston in 1967, but she has kept that momentum going and is still encouraging it, breaking those barriers, pushing those boundaries, and making sure the women of the future have as much opportunity as men.