The Running Public

If you're going to swing the hammer, swing that thing hard! That was a big take away from the Dr Fred Clary interview, as he talked at length about preparing for 110% or even 120% of the demands of your next competition. Today we explain what that means, why it matters, and how it works / what it looks like in training.

Fred Clary is a Chiropractic Neurologist, World Record holding Power Lifter, and a goldmine of knowledge about maximizing the potential of the human body. Today we look into the role strength training plays in unlocking your endurance potential. Be warned: Brakken filled an entire page with notes while recording this episode. This is one you will want to listen to with a pen and pad in hand!

The super-shoe era is officially here, so Doctor Kraker went into the lab to test out the Nike Alphafly against two "typical" racing shoes in order to get clear data that shows exactly how much these new shoes affect your running. Along the way we hit the following: What is a super shoe? How does the carbon plate work? How do they affect pace at Mile, 5k, 10k, Half Marathon, and Marathon distances? Should they be legal?

Brakken's wife, Lisa, finally joins us today! Lisa hates racing. Hates it. She also can't stand easy runs, training schedules, and scripted quality workouts. We discuss how she structures her training and life in order to keep running a purely enjoyable and therapeutic exercise. 

Kirk raced in Las Vegas this past weekend while Brakken commentated the Savage Race in Georgia. They have several takeaways from the two races that could be difference makers for athletes moving forward! The power of purposeful cross training How truly awful it is to race in sand The importance of a plan for attacking rigs Having the correct mentality for racing under the new pandemic style of races

Glenn is a self taught runner who didn't even begin training until after college. Learning on the fly, he progressed to a low 15 minute 5k and 4:12 mile over the course just a few years. From there, he was signed by the Spartan Pro Team in 2014 and has been an OCR racer ever since.  Our longest episode yet, and you will not regret staying until the end! Glenn is one of the best people we have ever met in this sport, but he has also overcome some pretty incredible life obstacles along the way. If you don't know Glenn's story, buckle up!

We've noticed a few trends with the athletes we work with over the past few months. We want to go over them right now and hopefully help out anyone who is starting to exhibit similar behaviors in training! A few highlights: Rushing injury rehab in order to be ready for a "B" Race Forcing a specific pace on Easy / Recovery Runs Cutting weight too aggressively / restricting too many calories Trying to hit a monster workout too close to a race in order to feel mentally prepared

This month's Q&A covers a little bit of everything! How much is too much cross training? Nasal breathing as a tool vs a training style Should you treat Grip training like Endurance training? When to get new shoes for treadmill training Can you improve your ability to use fast-twitch muscles? Should supercompensation be used more heavily for designing training plans? And people apparently still really want to know who would win in a fight between the two of us... Heads up, we get lost down a few rabbit holes regarding OCR schedules and the recent NCAA National Championship meet, so skip to 21:00 if you are just looking for the Q&A portion!

Waking up for the second day of racing can be a brutal experience. Today's episode is designed to make that process as smooth as possible for you!  How to train for multiple days of racing How to approach race week What to do immediately after Race #1 How to warm up Day #2

Yancy might be the most influential person in the sport of OCR not named Joe De Sena. His coaching, passion, and service to our sport has personally impacted thousands and thousands of individuals. From a childhood in rural Texas to the military to cancer, learn about the journey that made the man we all know and love.