Welcome to 2024! In this first episode of the year, Coach Elisabeth breaks down what makes an "elite" runner elite: their genetics, training, and more! -What is "elite"? A tiered framework for understanding athletic performance -Genetic predispositions: maybe they're born with it! -Why it's not just about good genes -The training: how much? What type? -And more!

In this year-end reflection, the podcast covers topics such as recovering from relative energy deficiency syndrome, the impact of carbon plated shoes on performance, the importance of individualization in running, the podcast distribution on Spotify, the concept of rehab and prehab for runners, the importance of strength training for rehabilitation and prehabilitation, and expressing gratitude to the audience.

Are you derailed by performance anxiety? Are you pinning your self-worth & whether your training cycle was "worth it" on if you PR'd or not? Dr. Leah Avery, DPT, joins the show today to talk about her experience in healing from debilitating performance anxiety and her relationship with athletic performance. Leah was a D1 All-American swimmer and competed at the Olympic Trials, but her relationship with sport and performance was anything but healthy; when she started running during her graduate work, she found herself stuck in a cycle of performance anxiety that culminated in panic attacks during not one, but two, different marathons. Determined to make a change in her relationship with performance, sport, and running, Leah has spent the past few years intentionally freeing herself from the expectations of performing in a certain way and re-finding her love of running and sport! Leah has been a practicing PT for nearly a decade which is also when she began here running career. Prior to that she was a competitive swimmer starting at the age of 8 and retired her senior year of college. During her career she was a D1 All-American and competed at the Olympic Trials. Leah’s athletic career was anything but linear and she faced many hardships which originally lead her to a career in physical therapy. However, after starting her running journey, it was clear she had an unhealthy relationship with athletics. Her mission is to help runners reach their potential in a healthy manner by treating the person, not just the runner. And help them understand that running adds value to our lives but it is not what makes us valuable.

Taking objective stock of your training cycle - what did you attempt to do, what actually happened, and how did it feel - can be an incredibly useful exercise so that you can learn what worked, what didn't... and ID any mistakes that were made! Coach Elisabeth walks you through training cycle analysis in this episode that will encourage you to... 1) Objectively look at what you set out to do vs what actually happened 2) Identify patterns & learn lessons 3) Understand what is and is outside of your control and 4) Take those lessons in your next training cycle! This episode is sponsored by Previnex! Try the probiotic & other supplements that Coach Elisabeth takes daily, and save 15% using code RUNEXP on your first order from ⁠⁠⁠Previnex.com⁠⁠⁠! - Coach Elisabeth Scott is the Founder and Head Coach at Running Explained. She is a multi-certified run coach, Boston Qualified marathoner, and seeker of both truth and compassion in helping YOU become the best runner you can be!

Coach and elite mountain runner Kim Nedeau discusses the benefits of low run volume/high training volume training framework, manipulation of training intensity distribution, configuring a training week, and the success of elite runners on this framework. They also explore alternative training methods, the challenge of convincing athletes to lower mileage, and the importance of cross training in running. Kim Nedeau shares her coaching programs and services for athletes seeking alternative training methods and injury prevention.

Sports dietitian Kylee Van Horn discusses gut health for runners, including supporting good gut health, the gut microbiome, signals for training balance, nutritional training, signs of poor gut health, and more. Kylee Van Horn is an endurance sports dietitian and founder of Flynutrition.

Post-race recovery starts AS SOON AS YOU CROSS THE FINISH LINE! What do you need to do to set yourself up for post-race recovery success? This episode is sponsored by Previnex! Try the probiotic that Coach Elisabeth takes daily for her own gut health, and save 15% using code RUNEXP on your first order from ⁠Previnex.com⁠! -The very first things to focus on after crossing the finish line -Refueling and hydrating in the hours after your race -Muscle glycogen depletion and resynthesis -WHY racing is so stressful on your body -How much time do you really need to take off after a race? -Why does it feel like I've lost SO much fitness?? -And more! Coach Elisabeth is the founder and head coach at Running Explained. She is a multi-certified run coach, has been featured in the New York Times, and works with runners around the globe to help them understand the science behind endurance running in order to become the best runners they can be!

Coach Toni Kengor, co-founder of Relentless Runners, talks about the importance of off-seasons for runners and how it can make them better. They discuss when and why to take time off, handling anxiety around running less, training adaptation, and being a runner and more. They emphasize the power of recovery and rest, the benefits of running at a comfortable pace, and taking time off to perform well in races. They also touch upon the concept of not needing to race every single race and enjoying participation as part of training.

Forward-thinking international exercise physiologist and nutrition scientist Dr. Stacy Sims, MSc, PhD joins the show today for a wide-ranging conversation about fueling, hydration, and optimizing performance for female endurance athletes! In this episode, we cover... Getting past focusing on weight loss and body recomposition as "the magic solution" The issues with intermittent fasting for female athletes What about utilizing low carbohydrate diets to force an increase in using fatty acids for fuel (i.e. fat burning or "fat adaptation") The problem with "cycle syncing" training programs How funding for research works and potential issues with bias; do we need to be concerned about WHO is funding research? Should you be worried about "becoming reliant" on carbohydrates for fuel when you run? Different forms of carbohydrate: let's talk about fructose, sucrose, glucose, performance fuel products, and more How does dehydration affect performance for women vs men? Figuring out your hydration needs Current research Dr. Sims is most excited about And more! -- STACY T. SIMS, MSC, PHD, is a forward-thinking international exercise physiologist and nutrition scientist who aims to revolutionize exercise nutrition and performance for women. She has directed research programs at Stanford, AUT University, and the University of Waikato, focusing on female athlete health and performance and pushing the dogma to improve research on all women. With the unique opportunities, Silicon Valley has to offer, during her tenure at Stanford, she had the opportunity to translate earlier research into consumer products and a science-based layperson's book (ROAR) written to explain sex differences in training and nutrition across the lifespan. Both the consumer products and the book challenged the existing dogma for women in exercise, nutrition, and health. This paradigm shift is the focus of her famous "Women Are Not Small Men” TEDx talk. Her contributions to the international research environment and the sports nutrition industry has established a new niche in sports nutrition; and established her reputation as the expert in sex differences in training, nutrition, and health. As a direct result, she has been named: One of the top 50 visionaries of the running industry (2015) by DMSE Sports. One of the top 40 women changing the paradigm of her field (2017) by Outside Magazine.  One of the top four visionaries in the outdoor sports industry (2017) by Outside Magazine - Genius Issue (no electronic version but here is the proof). One of the top four individuals changing the landscape in triathlon nutrition (2017) by Triathlete Magazine Dr. Sims has published over 70 peer-reviewed papers, several books and is a regularly featured speaker at professional and academic conferences, including those by USOC and USA Cycling.  Stacy currently holds a Senior Research Associate position with SPRINZ- AUT University, supervises PhD students, writes academic papers, and is on the advisory board of some cutting edge companies including Tonal Strength Institute, WILD.AI, and EXOS.  She also has her own business (www.drstacysims.com) where she creates and delivers online learning material focused on women training with their physiology across the lifespan. 

YOUR KNEES AND RUNNING, PART TWO with Dr. Lauren LaPierre, DPT (@thepersonalizedrunningdoc). Thought we'd covered it all last season? Nope! -No, running still isn't bad for your knees -How is it that we sometimes experience whole-joint soreness in the knees? -Risk factors for knee injuries -Isometric exercises to address knee pain -Stabilization of the knee joint: understanding the role of the adductors -How to harness the power of eccentric exercises to improve your running -Is it OK to let my knees go past my toes when I'm strength training? -Are we doing ourselves a dissevice in how we talk about having "good knees" or "bad knees"? -Different rates of development for muscles vs. tendons vs. ligaments, etc -If strength takes so long to develop... how come I can rapidly increase how much I can handle when I first start lifting weights? -Why PRs aren't the only measure of improvement -How to use injury as an growth opportunity -"Offensive" vs "defensive" strength training as a runner -And more! Dr. Lauren LaPierre is a doctor of physical therapy by trade, runner rehab specialist and running coach! Dr. Lauren personally has over a decade of competitive running experience, competing throughout high school and later for the University of Rhode Island as a Division I athlete. Her personal journey with running is the reason she went to PT school and later started her business, The Personalized Running Doc. Her mission is to help other runners overcome training-related injuries when all else has failed, empowering them to continue running for themselves and crushing their goals as they do. Since 2020, her comprehensive approach and hybrid training model have helped runners all over the world return to running pain-free and reach their maximum running potential!