RunnersConnect Run to the Top Podcast

Running can be complicated enough when you consider the myriad of factors that go into the perfect training schedule. However, when you add in the difficulty of designing the perfect nutrition plan to compliment your training, things really get confusing. Luckily, world-renowned running nutritionist Nancy Clark is on our podcast today to show you step-by-step how you can simplify your nutrition for optimal training and racing. Nancy Clark is one of the most respected and influential sports nutritionist in the world. Perhaps she is most well known for her best selling sports nutrition book, Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition Guidebook. However, she’s also penned the Food Guide for Marathoners: Tips for Everyday Champions and Food Guide for New Runners: Getting It Right From the Start. On our show, Nancy is going to help you simplify your nutrition and help answer some tricky questions when it comes to sustainable weight loss and marathon racing. Specifically, we cover: How to manage weight loss by following the simple practice of fueling by day, dieting by night. How to establish “food buckets” to make meal decisions easy and to help you structure a nutrition plan that works for you. We also cover nutrition during the marathon, including how many calories an hour to take in and different food choices to fuel your race. Enjoy the interview and let us know in the comments section if you have any questions. Making Nutrition Simple: Interview with Nancy Clark

Running can be complicated enough when you consider the myriad of factors that go into the perfect training schedule. However, when you add in the difficulty of designing the perfect nutrition plan to compliment your training, things really get confusing. Luckily, world-renowned running nutritionist Nancy Clark is on our podcast today to show you step-by-step how you can simplify your nutrition for optimal training and racing. Nancy Clark is one of the most respected and influential sports nutritionist in the world. Perhaps she is most well known for her best selling sports nutrition book, Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition Guidebook. However, she’s also penned the Food Guide for Marathoners: Tips for Everyday Champions and Food Guide for New Runners: Getting It Right From the Start. On our show, Nancy is going to help you simplify your nutrition and help answer some tricky questions when it comes to sustainable weight loss and marathon racing. Specifically, we cover: How to manage weight loss by following the simple practice of fueling by day, dieting by night. How to establish “food buckets” to make meal decisions easy and to help you structure a nutrition plan that works for you. We also cover nutrition during the marathon, including how many calories an hour to take in and different food choices to fuel your race. Enjoy the interview and let us know in the comments section if you have any questions. Making Nutrition Simple: Interview with Nancy Clark

Dr. Tim Noakes is one of the most influential and esteemed exercise scientists in the world. His book, The Lore of Running, is considered by many students of the sport to be the Bible of training theory. We’re honored to have the privilege today of having him join our podcast for an in-depth interview about some of his latest research on hydration, mental training, and the optimal diet. Perhaps one of the reasons Dr. Noakes is so renowned is his continued desire to question current training theory, even conclusions he initially helped define. Rather than resting on his laurels, Dr. Noakes continues to challenge his own beliefs and push his research and understanding of training theory. Some of the topics we cover in this interview include: Redefining our thoughts on dehydration and the danger of hyponatremia (over-hydration). Including, what causes this, why is it’s so prevalent and dangerous, and refined hydration guidelines for training and competition. His changing perspective on carbohydrates and his move to a more high fat, high protein diet. Specifically, we discuss the importance of teaching your body to stop seeking out carbohydrates and how finding your minimum number can help improve your performance and overall health. Finally, we discuss the role the brain plays in training and racing and how understanding how this process works can help you push through hard workouts and races. Dr. Noakes is truly a pioneer and authority in the sport and his passion for research and running are palpable throughout this interview. I hope you learn as much as I did from it! Interview with Dr. Tim Noakes: Hydration, The Role of the Brain in Racing, and His Latest Findings

Dr. Tim Noakes is one of the most influential and esteemed exercise scientists in the world. His book, The Lore of Running, is considered by many students of the sport to be the Bible of training theory. We’re honored to have the privilege today of having him join our podcast for an in-depth interview about some of his latest research on hydration, mental training, and the optimal diet. Perhaps one of the reasons Dr. Noakes is so renowned is his continued desire to question current training theory, even conclusions he initially helped define. Rather than resting on his laurels, Dr. Noakes continues to challenge his own beliefs and push his research and understanding of training theory. Some of the topics we cover in this interview include: Redefining our thoughts on dehydration and the danger of hyponatremia (over-hydration). Including, what causes this, why is it’s so prevalent and dangerous, and refined hydration guidelines for training and competition. His changing perspective on carbohydrates and his move to a more high fat, high protein diet. Specifically, we discuss the importance of teaching your body to stop seeking out carbohydrates and how finding your minimum number can help improve your performance and overall health. Finally, we discuss the role the brain plays in training and racing and how understanding how this process works can help you push through hard workouts and races. Dr. Noakes is truly a pioneer and authority in the sport and his passion for research and running are palpable throughout this interview. I hope you learn as much as I did from it! Interview with Dr. Tim Noakes: Hydration, The Role of the Brain in Racing, and His Latest Findings

Lauren Fleshmen is perhaps one of the most decorated US middle distance runners in the early part of this decade. Her list of accomplishments includes 3 NCAA titles and two US Championships in the 5,000 meters, 3 top-five finishes at NCAA cross country, multiple PAC-10 1500m titles, PRs of 14:58 for 5k and 2:37 for her debut marathon, and a 7th place finish at the 2011 World Championships...phew. And she’s on our show today to discuss how she managed to be successful for so long, how she’s dealt with injuries, and how she’s continued to channel her passion for running and nutrition into her company Picky Bars. Lauren is an inspiration to many female runners thanks to her honesty, her intelligence, and her fierce competitive desire and spirit. Lauren didn’t disappoint for this interview and brought her A game with some very impactful lessons. Here are a few tidbits: How a long-term approach and patience enabled her to have success during the transition from high school to college when many other athletes typically struggle. You’ll be surprised to learn that Lauren struggled to keep up with her training partners, but stayed positive by focusing on the small steps towards her goal. The importance of rest and taking downtime and how that helped her make continued improvements year after year. How she handles the issue of body image and distance running. Even elite runners like Lauren struggle with wanting to look thinner, but Lauren stresses the importance of not taking shortcuts and being comfortable with your own body type. How she turned a devastating injury into an opportunity to express her passions outside of running and actually comeback stronger than before she was hurt. Finally, we chat about her company Picky Bars and the importance whole foods and nutrition play in the diet of serious runners. This was one of my favorite interviews ever to record as Lauren’s passion and intelligence are palpable throughout the show. I absolutely guarantee you’ll find tons of useful nuggets of training advice. Enjoy! Interview with Lauren Fleshmen: The Importance of Rest, Long-Term Thinking and the Story of Picky Bars

Lauren Fleshmen is perhaps one of the most decorated US middle distance runners in the early part of this decade. Her list of accomplishments includes 3 NCAA titles and two US Championships in the 5,000 meters, 3 top-five finishes at NCAA cross country, multiple PAC-10 1500m titles, PRs of 14:58 for 5k and 2:37 for her debut marathon, and a 7th place finish at the 2011 World Championships...phew. And she’s on our show today to discuss how she managed to be successful for so long, how she’s dealt with injuries, and how she’s continued to channel her passion for running and nutrition into her company Picky Bars. Lauren is an inspiration to many female runners thanks to her honesty, her intelligence, and her fierce competitive desire and spirit. Lauren didn’t disappoint for this interview and brought her A game with some very impactful lessons. Here are a few tidbits: How a long-term approach and patience enabled her to have success during the transition from high school to college when many other athletes typically struggle. You’ll be surprised to learn that Lauren struggled to keep up with her training partners, but stayed positive by focusing on the small steps towards her goal. The importance of rest and taking downtime and how that helped her make continued improvements year after year. How she handles the issue of body image and distance running. Even elite runners like Lauren struggle with wanting to look thinner, but Lauren stresses the importance of not taking shortcuts and being comfortable with your own body type. How she turned a devastating injury into an opportunity to express her passions outside of running and actually comeback stronger than before she was hurt. Finally, we chat about her company Picky Bars and the importance whole foods and nutrition play in the diet of serious runners. This was one of my favorite interviews ever to record as Lauren’s passion and intelligence are palpable throughout the show. I absolutely guarantee you’ll find tons of useful nuggets of training advice. Enjoy! Interview with Lauren Fleshmen: The Importance of Rest, Long-Term Thinking and the Story of Picky Bars

Ryan Warrenburg is the Assistant Coach at Zap Fitness, a training group for elite runners in the hills of Blowing Rock, North Carolina. Before jumping into coaching, Warrenburg was an elite athlete himself, winning the 2009 Club Cross Country Championships and finishing 7th at the USA National Championships in the Steeplechase. Ryan is on our show today to share some of the vast wisdom he’s accumulated over the years as an elite runner, coaching and working with adult runners as part of ZapFitness’ camps and private coaching opportunities, and from coaching professional runners. In today’s interview, Ryan is going to talk to us about: How to intelligently increase mileage to stay healthy and make long-term progress. You often hear and read that it’s important to “increase mileage intelligently”, but Ryan’s going to share the details on exactly how he recommends you do it. Ryan’s going to talk about the hip injury that cut short his professional running career and share the lessons he learned from his battle with injuries so you can prevent the same things from happening to you. Ryan digs into the mental side of training and racing as we discuss some of the insecurities and struggles that even elite athletes have after a bad workout or when they try to grasp the concept that training takes years. Gear up for another great interview! How to Intelligently Increase Mileage and Tackle the Mental Side of Trainin

Ryan Warrenburg is the Assistant Coach at Zap Fitness, a training group for elite runners in the hills of Blowing Rock, North Carolina. Before jumping into coaching, Warrenburg was an elite athlete himself, winning the 2009 Club Cross Country Championships and finishing 7th at the USA National Championships in the Steeplechase. Ryan is on our show today to share some of the vast wisdom he’s accumulated over the years as an elite runner, coaching and working with adult runners as part of ZapFitness’ camps and private coaching opportunities, and from coaching professional runners. In today’s interview, Ryan is going to talk to us about: How to intelligently increase mileage to stay healthy and make long-term progress. You often hear and read that it’s important to “increase mileage intelligently”, but Ryan’s going to share the details on exactly how he recommends you do it. Ryan’s going to talk about the hip injury that cut short his professional running career and share the lessons he learned from his battle with injuries so you can prevent the same things from happening to you. Ryan digs into the mental side of training and racing as we discuss some of the insecurities and struggles that even elite athletes have after a bad workout or when they try to grasp the concept that training takes years. Gear up for another great interview! How to Intelligently Increase Mileage and Tackle the Mental Side of Training

On today’s show we’re chatting with Mario Fraioli, who is an Olympic-level coach, senior editor of Competitor magazine, and one of the brightest young minds in the coaching industry. Mario just released his first book, The Official Rock n’ Roll Guide to Marathon and Half Marathon training. In this interview, we’re going to discuss the concepts and training plans outlined in the book as well as lessons learned from his years of coaching and training experience. In this interview we’ll cover: How and why a lack of patience and trying to take too big a leap in fitness/results was one of the biggest mistakes he made in his own training and how he sees the same tendency in the runners he coaches. Mario’s approach to individualistic training and how understanding the framework of a training plan is more important than blindly following a generic plan. We discuss Mario’s approach to race specific work and get in-depth about his favorite marathon workout, the Squires long run. This was an insightful interview packed with lots of actionable lessons. I highly recommend picking up Mario’s book. It’s basic enough to be valuable for beginners, yet doesn’t gloss over training theory, so even experienced runners will learn a lot. Not only does it have some great plans, but it will help you understand the framework of how a training plan is structured. Interview with Mario Fraioli, Author of the Rock and Roll Guide to Marathon and Half Marathon Training

On today’s show we’re chatting with Mario Fraioli, who is an Olympic-level coach, senior editor of Competitor magazine, and one of the brightest young minds in the coaching industry. Mario just released his first book, The Official Rock n’ Roll Guide to Marathon and Half Marathon training. In this interview, we’re going to discuss the concepts and training plans outlined in the book as well as lessons learned from his years of coaching and training experience. In this interview we’ll cover: How and why a lack of patience and trying to take too big a leap in fitness/results was one of the biggest mistakes he made in his own training and how he sees the same tendency in the runners he coaches. Mario’s approach to individualistic training and how understanding the framework of a training plan is more important than blindly following a generic plan. We discuss Mario’s approach to race specific work and get in-depth about his favorite marathon workout, the Squires long run. This was an insightful interview packed with lots of actionable lessons. I highly recommend picking up Mario’s book. It’s basic enough to be valuable for beginners, yet doesn’t gloss over training theory, so even experienced runners will learn a lot. Not only does it have some great plans, but it will help you understand the framework of how a training plan is structured. Interview with Mario Fraioli, Author of the Rock and Roll Guide to Marathon and Half Marathon Training

Qualifying for the Boston Marathon is the pinnacle of running achievements for most runners. For some, race day is a time to celebrate that accomplishment and soak up all the sights, sounds, and experiences that make Boston so special. However, for many others, Boston is a chance to conquer one of the most fabled courses in marathon history. If you’re racing Boston with the goal of recording a PR or running your best time (or plan to in the future), knowing how to target your training specifically to the demands of the course is essential. You need to prepare your legs for the demanding hills, develop your patience for the early miles, and prepare for the quad-pounding downhill finish. To help you get ready for Boston (or any difficult course for that matter) we’ve invited BAA coach Terry Shea on our podcast today. In addition to being the BAA coach, Terry also has the distinguished accomplishment of running faster at each of his previous eleven Boston Marathon races. He started with a 2:35 in 2000 and in 2011 brought his time down to 2:20:48. In this interview, Terry is going to share with us the secrets of the Boston marathon course and how to tailor your training to prepare your body for race day. Some of the highlights include: When to start specific training for the race. Start too early and you’ll be burnt out come March and April. Implement the hill work too late and you’ll be fried for race day. Terry will share is infamous 2-4-2 workout that is guaranteed to get your legs ready for the Newton hills and downhill finish. How to mentally and logistically approach the downhill start and the Newton hills. Terry shares the strategy and advice he’s learned after running the course hundreds of times. Obviously, this is a must listen interview if you’re running Boston. However, the tips and advice Terry shares is essential for anyone running a tough course, like New York City, Marine Corps, or any other race that requires specific course training. How to Train for and Race the Boston Marathon Course: Interview with BAA Coach Terry Shea

Qualifying for the Boston Marathon is the pinnacle of running achievements for most runners. For some, race day is a time to celebrate that accomplishment and soak up all the sights, sounds, and experiences that make Boston so special. However, for many others, Boston is a chance to conquer one of the most fabled courses in marathon history. If you’re racing Boston with the goal of recording a PR or running your best time (or plan to in the future), knowing how to target your training specifically to the demands of the course is essential. You need to prepare your legs for the demanding hills, develop your patience for the early miles, and prepare for the quad-pounding downhill finish. To help you get ready for Boston (or any difficult course for that matter) we’ve invited BAA coach Terry Shea on our podcast today. In addition to being the BAA coach, Terry also has the distinguished accomplishment of running faster at each of his previous eleven Boston Marathon races. He started with a 2:35 in 2000 and in 2011 brought his time down to 2:20:48. In this interview, Terry is going to share with us the secrets of the Boston marathon course and how to tailor your training to prepare your body for race day. Some of the highlights include: When to start specific training for the race. Start too early and you’ll be burnt out come March and April. Implement the hill work too late and you’ll be fried for race day. Terry will share is infamous 2-4-2 workout that is guaranteed to get your legs ready for the Newton hills and downhill finish. How to mentally and logistically approach the downhill start and the Newton hills. Terry shares the strategy and advice he’s learned after running the course hundreds of times. Obviously, this is a must listen interview if you’re running Boston. However, the tips and advice Terry shares is essential for anyone running a tough course, like New York City, Marine Corps, or any other race that requires specific course training. How to Train for and Race the Boston Marathon Course: Interview with BAA Coach Terry Shea

How do you know if your nutritional intake is primed for optimal performance? While many runners eat a healthy diet in general, it’s still possible to have low or inadequate levels of important nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. For example, Recent research indicates that almost 56 percent of joggers and competitive runners suffer from an iron deficiency that severely hampers performance. The problem for runners is that it’s not easy to know if you’re deficient in some of these key bio-markers. Further, following general nutritional recommendations doesn’t specifically apply to your training load, lifestyle or genetics. Plus, it can be difficult to appreciate how those recommended numbers translate to what an actual daily diet looks like. One company is trying to solve that problem – and doing a great job at it. Gill Blander is the co-founder of InsideTracker, which offers a nutritional service that analyzes your blood to measure key performance bio-markers. More importantly, based on your specific needs, InsideTracker provides a detailed, scientifically-backed plan to optimize your levels. On our show today, Gill is going to discuss how InsideTracker works and cover: Some of the key bio-markers important for runners and how they impact health and performance. For example, hot creatine kinase and testosterone levels can help determine if you’re overtraining or fully recovered after a marathon. How InsideTracker is able to provide individual bio-marker recommendations based on lifestyle, training and genetics. more importantly, why following general recommendations or trying the shotgun approach (taking multivitamins for example) isn’t effective. Gill is also going to dive into some great examples of elite athletes who’ve seen dramatic results from using their service. One example in particular is how an Olympic triathlete found the key to her sleeping issues was low magnesium. I strongly believe that InsideTracker offers a unique and innovative approach to optimizing performance through nutrition. As such, we’ve worked out a special deal with their team to offer you a 10 percent discount on any of their service. Simply use the code RUNCON3013 at purchase and they’ll take 10% off your order. To be upfront, we do receive an affiliate commission when you use this code. However, I would never recommend something I didn’t 100% believe in. This is absolutely a service I wish has been available when I was competing professionally. Enjoy the interview and if you have any questions, please leave them in the comments section and I’ll definitely get them answered for you. http://runnersconnect.net/running-interviews/optimize-your-performance-blood-bio-markers/

How do you know if your nutritional intake is primed for optimal performance? While many runners eat a healthy diet in general, it’s still possible to have low or inadequate levels of important nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. For example, Recent research indicates that almost 56 percent of joggers and competitive runners suffer from an iron deficiency that severely hampers performance. The problem for runners is that it’s not easy to know if you’re deficient in some of these key bio-markers. Further, following general nutritional recommendations doesn’t specifically apply to your training load, lifestyle or genetics. Plus, it can be difficult to appreciate how those recommended numbers translate to what an actual daily diet looks like. One company is trying to solve that problem – and doing a great job at it. Gill Blander is the co-founder of InsideTracker, which offers a nutritional service that analyzes your blood to measure key performance bio-markers. More importantly, based on your specific needs, InsideTracker provides a detailed, scientifically-backed plan to optimize your levels. On our show today, Gill is going to discuss how InsideTracker works and cover: Some of the key bio-markers important for runners and how they impact health and performance. For example, hot creatine kinase and testosterone levels can help determine if you’re overtraining or fully recovered after a marathon. How InsideTracker is able to provide individual bio-marker recommendations based on lifestyle, training and genetics. more importantly, why following general recommendations or trying the shotgun approach (taking multivitamins for example) isn’t effective. Gill is also going to dive into some great examples of elite athletes who’ve seen dramatic results from using their service. One example in particular is how an Olympic triathlete found the key to her sleeping issues was low magnesium. I strongly believe that InsideTracker offers a unique and innovative approach to optimizing performance through nutrition. As such, we’ve worked out a special deal with their team to offer you a 10 percent discount on any of their service. Simply use the code RUNCON3013 at purchase and they’ll take 10% off your order. To be upfront, we do receive an affiliate commission when you use this code. However, I would never recommend something I didn’t 100% believe in. This is absolutely a service I wish has been available when I was competing professionally. Enjoy the interview and if you have any questions, please leave them in the comments section and I’ll definitely get them answered for you. http://runnersconnect.net/running-interviews/optimize-your-performance-blood-bio-markers/

Being sidelined by injury is physically and emotionally hard to deal with. Unfortunately, getting injured also very common. Recent research estimates that eighty-two percent of runners will get injured at some point in their running career. It’s no secret then that getting to the bottom of your running injuries, and preventing them in the future, is critical if you want to continue to improve long-term. We’ve covered the topic of injury prevention in many of our previous podcasts and articles. But, what happens when you are injured? Who should you go see, what are the best types of treatments, and how do you know when you’re working with a provider you can trust and won’t just tell you to “stop running”? Thanks to a lot of bad advice, antiquated myths, and a fractured health care system, answering these questions, especially as they pertain to your running, is extremely difficult. On today’s show, we’re talking with Dr. Ryan Shum, who’s one of the most experienced and knowledgeable sports-injury providers in the Boston area. Dr. Shum graduated with honors from McMaster University with a degree in Kinesiology and later went on to obtain dual degrees in Masters of Science in Applied Clinical Nutrition and a Doctorate of Chiropractic. I’ll spare you the remainder of his accomplishments, teams worked with, and experiences to get on with the show. However, suffice it to say he’s easily one of the most versatile and knowledgeable practitioners I’ve ever met. In this episode, we discuss: The most common mistake runners make when they first get injured and how being more proactive can reduce healing times dramatically. How to properly vet a potential doctor, therapist or chiropractor to ensure they understand your needs as a runner We break down some of the myths about chiropractic care and how it can benefit runners. We look at acupuncture, debunk some of the myths, explain the science, and help you decide if it’s a worthwhile treatment option for your injury. This was a fantastic interview and we’re excited about the possibility of having Dr. Shum return to the show and answer your questions. If you have questions or feedback for Dr. Shum, please leave them in the comment section here. We’ll make sure to ask them in our follow-up interview. http://runnersconnect.net/running-interviews/running-injury-recovery/