The Natural Running Network

“I want to win everything this year”, so says Faye Stenning. Few would argue that this is not a reasonable goal for Faye. Only to be bested by another Canadian in Lindsey Webster-Atkins who I am sure is working hard to keep this from becoming a reality. Listen as Richard Diaz draws out some predictions of the 2017 Spartan Race Season. Learn about her training philosophy, thoughts on volume, running career and plans on becoming the World Champion of Obstacle Course Racing.

Anyone who follows the sport knows that when Hunter McIntyre toes the line in an Obstacle Course Race he is a threat and heavy favorite, regardless who else is in the field. Hunter has been away, taking a much needed break from training and racing and today was his first day back to training. We began with some very important preseason diagnostics and he’s with us to discuss his time off, what we learned today and a bit about his success as reigning champ of Steve Austin’s Broken Skull Ranch competition. https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=3129714156833&id=1084080959

Joe Gray is the undeniable king of the mountain. He won the World Mountain Running Championships in 2016.  He won the Pikes Peak Ascent in a time of 2:05, the fastest climb since 1995. He is the record holder for The Mount Washington Road Race and an eleven-time national champion and first ever national champion at the 30k trail distance. What’s even better; is that Joe has agreed to share some of the details to his winning formula. * How he feeds * How he feels about supplemental strength training * Weekly mileage * Treadmills and much more… Visit Joe at: https://m.facebook.com/journeyofjoegeezi/

The idea of “Natural Running” conjures up the thought of Tarahumara Indians traipsing effortlessly through the Copper Canyons of Mexico. The Idea of running barefoot came and went as quickly as any trendy fashion. Few were willing or able to adopt the ability to run unshod, those that have tended to be miraculously free of injuries that most runners face. In this episode we will discuss the Why, When and How to employ barefoot running. Richard Diaz and his guest OCR athlete Benjamin Pina reveal training tips that are highly effective in correcting many of the flaws that lead to injury in a simple “Natural” approach to training.

Traditionally, our podcasts are pre-recorded which does not allow us to take random callers. We thought that for THE NEW YEAR we would open up the phone lines and take calls from YOU! For one hour LIVE! We will, take your calls, we want to know what your plans are for the new racing season, be it trail racing, Spartan Racing etc., it’s an unvarnished opportunity to share with the listening audience, what you’ve learned from last year’s experiences, what you plan to do differently or whatever else is on your mind. * Share your goals and how you plan to achieve them. * What mistakes did you make that you hope to correct? * What if any Lifestyle resolutions have you made? OCR Running Coach and Clinician Richard Diaz and his wing man OCR Elite Pro Miguel Medina are live and want to hear your New Year Obstacle Course Racing Resolutions!

We talk often on various topics related to obstacle course racing and training, how to develop greater performance no matter the sport, Spartan Racing, Tough Mudder or Marathon Running. In this episode Coach Diaz and wing man Miguel Medina discuss key elements in training to perform optimally. If you want to win races or establish a personal Best in 2017, you really need to listen to this episode.

Matt Fitzgerald is back, after an amazing world tour, studying the eating habits of some of the greatest elite athletes from a variety of ENDURANCE SPORTS. What were revealed are the common feeding practices these athletes shared. What you will learn may surprise you. From world class Marathon Runners to Professional Cyclists, they all know that success is greatly dependent on what they eat. What you will also learn is the disconnect between elite performance vs. those of recreational athletes is in large part the fault of following trendy diets vs. sound nutrition.  If you struggle with performance and are confused about your eating habits, this is a great episode for you!

Once again we requested questions from inquiring athletes and got rave responses to do so. The obstacle course racing community is eager to learn what it takes to perform optimally and the had a lot of questions, so many that we could not cover them all in this one episode  Questions like: * How often should I strength train vs. Run? * How can you tell which  event distance is best for your genetic make up? * How accurate is the VO2max score my watch reveals? * How do I adjust my nutrition relative to the type of distances I race? * How should I adjust my running style when going up or down hills? This is the time of year when the races tend to fall off and the athletes should be in rebuild and regeneration mode for the coming 2017 Spartan Race season. Tune in to hear what Richard Diaz had to say in response to these burning questions and be sure to tune into future episodes to learn more.

Many of the elite athletes in the sport of OCR work hard to draw attention to themselves to earn sponsorships and fan base. Mark Jones will have none of it, he just loves to challenge himself; the bigger the challenge the better. From Death Race to Worlds Toughest Mudder and all points in between. I asked Mark to be a guest to discuss the things that drive him and to speak on the future, past and present of the sport of Obstacle Racing. He was also kind enough to provide some insight into some of the events he and his fellow event producers have slated for 2017. You don’t want to miss this!

Miles Keller is your better than average OCR athlete and he plans on making adjustments to this statement by improving his approach to training. Miles attended one of our OCR Run Clinics (Dallas 11/20/16) and we invited him on to discuss his take on what he learned and his feelings about the event. If you are one of those who have been thinking about attending one of these clinics but can’t seem to pull the trigger, this is a good episode for you to listen to. In this episode you will: * Learn why it’s important to train with heart rate * Learn why running for is so important * Who should attend these clinics? * Why Miles is eating his Thanksgiving dinner alone! Miles is cohost to the Link Endurance Podcast: https://goo.gl/EOtbVl  

Long before there was OCR or Spartan Race, there was Adventure Racing. It’s not surprising that with the popularity of obstacle course racing that Adventure Racing has made resurgence. Adventure Racing is a serious test of endurance, a team competition strewn over the toughest terrain the world has to offer. Up to six days and hundreds of miles, unsupported, no GPS allowed, only map, compass and the wit of the teams trusted navigator.  In this episode, Richard Diaz interviews Erik Nachtrieb one of the executive producers of the AR World Series. Erik explains what it takes to meet the challenges of arguably one of the toughest physical challenges in sport. If you love to race OCR, grab a cup of coffee, you’re going to love this!

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to participate in one of our OCR Running Clinics, this is a great episode for you. Rather than banging the drum ourselves, we decided to pass the microphone around to all the athletes who attended our recent clinic in Killington Vermont. This way you get an unscripted first-hand account “live” from the folks who just completed a weekend training with us. Those who listen to this and wonder how to get involved the best way to learn more is by visiting our coaching site. Here you will find upcoming dates and information on virtual coaching services and if you have questions regarding the mechanics of getting us to come to your home town, just drop us a message. Here is the link: www.naturalrunningcoach.net

Everyone knows that to be successful in the sport of Obstacle Racing you must develop your running skill. Never mind that of all recreational sports, running leads in the number of injuries that athletes endure. What’s interesting is that the leading cause of these injuries is improper running skill and could easily have been avoided with proper training. Our host Richard Diaz is a highly sought after running form specialist and performance diagnostician. In this episode of “Listen and Learn” He hopes to point out the principal flaws runners make and what they should do to correct these flaws and get back to running injury free and optimal performance. If you are setting out to run your first marathon or are an avid Spartan Race aficionado, this is an episode you don’t want to miss! ”Running more often or at greater intensity with bad form is a hell bound train!”

Grab a cup of coffee and tune into a fascinating account of the shocking trail of hypocrisy that belies the tidy myth of clean athletes fighting corrupt deviants.  Cleaning up drug-soaked sports has been a mission at odds with the spectacle hungry interests of advertisers, Olympic organizers, governments, and fans. None of whom want to spit in the sports nourishing broth of money, national pride and power. Author Mark Johnson shares his “Spitting in the Soup” an eye opening account of social and economic clamor that arises from our ongoing efforts to create a sporting island of chemical purity in the midst of a drug dependent world

What is it that makes us want to push ourselves past our comfort zones, to race on broken bodies and to push on beyond reason?  Who better to discuss this topic than someone who has mastered the art of Ultra-Endurance Suffering, Charlie Engle?  Charlie is famous for his HBO Special “Running the Sahara” in which he and his band of running comrades ran over 4,600 miles across the Sahara Desert, the most unforgiving piece of terrain on the planet. Charlie is a recovering alcoholic/drug addict who is now 20 years sober. His insights on suffering will make you pause.  He also speaks on his recently released book “The Running Man” a memoir on the life and times of a recovering addict turned ultra-runner. If you have ever pushed yourself to the edge and wondered why you do it, this episode is for you!