The Strength Running Podcast

Last week, I had the pleasure of spending an hour talking to Sarah Canney. She's a Road Runners Club of America and USA Track and Field certified running coach in addition to being a competitive mountain runner and member of the 2018 US National Snowshoe Running Team. In fact, she recently placed 9th at the World Championships in Val di Non, Italy on January 5th. Now, I've never gone snowshoe running. I don't own any snowshoes. Frankly, I don't even like the cold. But after hearing Sarah speak more about the sport and how fun it can be, it's something I'm dying to try (and you can't get a better snowshoe running venue than Colorado's Front Range!) And while snowshoe running might be a lot of fun, it can also be an extraordinarily helpful method of cross-training: There's less impact running slower on snow (and less injury risk) It's incredibly specific to running (in fact, it is running) Because it's more difficult than running on the road, less time is needed for a great workout The more and more I think about this sport, the more that I think runners need to try it! In this episode, we talk everything snowshoe running: How it's very similar to cross country The gear and equipment required for success The training: how is it different from running? What you need to know before getting started How difficult it can be and how that relates to pace and effort We also discuss her running retreat Rise. Run. Retreat. for women and how she's making a big impact in the world of women's running.

Megan Roche is a professional runner for HOKA ONE ONE and the 2016 USA Track & Field Trail Runner of the Year at the ultra and sub-ultra distances. A five-time national champion, she’s also the North American Mountain Running Champion and a six-time member of Team USA. Her new book The Happy Runner: Love the Process, Get Faster, Run Longer was written with her husband David Roche (also an elite runner who contributed to our Little Black Book of Recovery & Prevention) and presents a unique and compelling view of how to excel as a distance runner. In it, she discusses a wide range of fascinating topics for runners: The difference between hard and fast – and when to prioritize each How to define “the process” Why kindness can help you become a better runner And of course, Megan and David cover the training side of things with a focus on how to get the most out of your body. In this podcast conversation, Megan and I talk about: Can positivity make you a more robust runner? Does running make people more optimistic? Why is running “meaningless?” How her medical degree has impacted her training A lot more…

Over the last two years, I've been learning more and more about strength training. In fact, our new strength program High Performance Lifting (details here) has rocketed to our most popular training course. Like many runners, I'm not in love with weightlifting (I'd rather be running!) but I've come to appreciate just how valuable it is for endurance athletes. Higher levels of strength almost always lead to faster race times.   That's why I'm thrilled to present a new podcast with strength coach Tony Gentilcore. Tony previously joined us on the pod to talk about why runners should lift. He's back on today to go into more detail. Tony pointed out during our conversation that all of us deadlift all day long. Whenever we pick something up from the ground (a child, a bag of groceries, your running shoes), we're performing a deadlift. If we practice that movement and get stronger moving in that way, it will make life - and our running - a lot easier. And that's the mentality we should all have when we think about strength training: it's exercise that makes other exercise easier. But we're going to talk a lot more about the deadlift in this episode: Is there such a thing as "perfect" lifting form? Should we chase ideal form or make adjustments based on our own anatomy? The similarities between running and strength training If you're not sure where to start, don't miss SR's free strength series.

Now, my goal at Strength Running is to always show you the most effective approach. The training that will most likely get you to achieve your biggest goals. That’s why we don’t waste time on minutiae. We don’t chase shiny objects like CrossFit Endurance or wonder if we should go keto or run all of our miles barefoot. We focus on what has been shown to conclusively work for runners. As you can imagine, some prevention strategies are better than others: If the goal is a fast marathon, great long runs are more effective than pool running workouts If the goal is a fast mile, speed development is more critical than foam rolling or core routines If the goal is to stay healthy long-term, a good dose of strength training is better than regular ice baths This episode will rank the most effective injury prevention strategies so you know which one to choose for your needs.

Verrelle Wyatt is a 2:24 marathoner, 4:18 miler, and an Athletic Hall of Famer for his high school. He received his doctoral degree in Physical Therapy from Walsh University in Ohio. He has two medical licenses in both Physical Therapy and Sports Physical Therapy in addition to being certified as both a Performance Enhancement Specialist (PES) and Corrective Exercise Specialist (CES). In this conversation, we discuss a lot: His experience working with Cirque du Soleil athletes How having a doctoral degree in PT has informed his running The training that led Verrelle to a 2:24 marathon How to avoid the common injury mistakes that land runners in his office This episode is an excerpt from our full conversation for Team Strength Running, Strength Running's affordable group coaching program.

As a runner himself, Jason Koop has two top-10 finishes at the Leadville Trail 100 and has finished some of ultrarunning's most challenging races like the Badwater 135, Wasatch 100, and the Hardrock 100. He's the Director of Coaching at Carmichael Training Systems where he's been for over a decade working with runners, cyclists, and triathletes. Today, coach Jason Koop focuses more on trail ultramarathoners, guiding some of the best ultra runners in the country: Dakota Jones, winner of the 2018 Pike's Peak Marathon (after he cycled 250 miles in the four days before the race...) Missy Gosney, 4th at the 2015 Hardrock 100 Mile Timothy Olson, former course record holder of the Western States Endurance Run This wide-ranging conversation covers a lot: The nuances and pros/cons of progression runs Why (and how) to never let yourself become more than 10% detrained The impact of climate change on the sport of running What Jason Koop wishes he could tell his 20-year old self How he continually learns about running, coaching, and exercise science Our conversation is a must-listen for aspiring coaches, ultrarunners, and running geeks who want to dive a little deeper into training theory.

Running injuries are formally called repetitive stress injuries. Do the wrong thing (over a prolonged period of time) and you can rest assured that you’re probably going to get hurt. Here’s a great example from outside the running world. Recently I interviewed Staci Ardison in our monthly interview series for Team Strength Running about weight lifting. She’s become a very competitive powerlifter over the last few years and asked about injuries in the weight room. What causes them? How do you stay healthy while lifting? Her answer was surprising. It wasn’t a neat new trick or fancy wrist strap for dead lifts. It had nothing to do with what shoes you’re wearing (in fact, she frequently lifts barefoot or whether or not you were wearing compression socks. Her answer was this: Not doing things correctly. Don’t ego lift. How simple. And also, how accurate. In the sport of weightlifting (just like in running), injuries are caused by doing things you’re not prepared to do. I want to provide a bit more detail on and examples of these training errors so let’s dive into the top 5 mistakes we make as runners.   For more on injury prevention, get our free email series here.

With some runners hesitant to brave the yoga studio – and the benefits unclear – I wanted to get a leading expert on the podcast to discuss yoga for runners. Please say hi to Sage Rountree. Sage isn’t just an internationally recognized yoga expert with the highest level of training possible. She hasn’t just worked with Olympians, NBA and NFL players, and collegiate athletes. She’s also a running and triathlon coach and the author of eight books, including: The Athlete’s Guide to Yoga: An Integrated Approach to Strength, Flexibility, and Focus Racing Wisely: A Practical and Philosophical Guide to Performing at Your Personal Best The Runner’s Guide to Yoga, 2nd Edition With a PhD in English Literature, race experience from 400m to the ultramarathon, and experience teaching yoga at venues ranging from the local Turkey Trot to the Pentagon, Sage has a breadth of experience unlike most other fitness experts. She’s also the owner of the Carolina Yoga Company, the Hillsborough Spa and Day Retreat; and the Carolina Massage Institute. And she’s on the podcast to talk about the many benefits of yoga for runners.

Today I want to help you avoid the most common mistakes among new runners. These "unforced errors" derail your progress, invite injury, and make running harder than it needs to be. Simply not doing the wrong thing can be the difference between success and failure. It’s like Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz once said: “It’s not the great play that wins the game. It’s eliminating the dumb play.” Here are three of the most common mistakes I see beginners make with their running – whatever you do, avoid these at all costs! For more on beginner running, get our Bonus Podcast for new runners at https://strengthrunning.com/new/

Pam is a Team Strength Running member. Every month, I get the team together for a live video coaching call. We talk about workouts, scheduling races, planning around vacations and injuries, and how to strategically plan a season. I recently asked the team if anybody was planning a BIG goal and wanted to come on the podcast to talk more about how to achieve that crazy goal. [These opportunities are only available to Team SR members. Learn more about the team here.] Pam stepped up. She’s not new to running but wants to run a marathon even though she’s never run longer than about 9 miles. Her longest race has been 10k. This is a unique place to be: an experienced yet low-mileage runner who wants to make the leap to running 26.2 miles. We’re left with a lot of questions: How can this transition be done safely with as little injury risk as possible? Can Pam train for a marathon now or should she wait? How can Pam build her mileage over the long-term to make running her first marathon easier to achieve? These are the questions we’re answering on today’s podcast episode about running your first marathon. This is a behind the scenes coaching call that I occasionally do for team members, highlighting their unique goals and struggles and how they can keep improving. The format of the call is three parts: First, what is Pam’s background as a runner? Second, what are her goals and current training like? Finally, we strategize on how she can make those goals a reality.