Run to the Top Podcast | The Ultimate Guide to Running

Sleepy glutes… yes, this is an actual thing for many runners. And it’s just one of an assortment of issues runners can suffer from. Whether it’s injury, weakness, or just inefficiency and injury prevention, a great physical therapist works individually with athletes to increase performance. And that is exactly what PT Abby Douek, owner of and therapist at Run Raleigh Physical Therapy and Performance Lab, does with her athletes. In this episode, we learn a lot about form; how to analyze it, including the differences between 2D and 3D gait analysis, and how to improve it. Strength and conditioning is another crucial component to rehabbing and pre-habbing injuries. And the good news is that it doesn’t take nearly as much time as you might think to improve your functional strength. Abby also challenges some conventional thinking about returning to running post-injury and thoroughly explains common issues runners have and some ways that might help them. Lots of great info in this one, so you may want to flag it as a favorite to come back to. Questions Abby is asked:   3:14 How was it seeing some of your athletes compete at the Olympic Trials in Atlanta? 3:43 How many of the runners had excellent form as you saw them running by? 4:12 How can people run well with what appears to be terrible form? 5:37 How easy is it to fix one’s form? 7:06 Can a novice runner fix form as easy as a veteran, or is it different? 8:18 What is gait analysis and what should someone expect? 10:16 Does form vary between paces? 11:02 What should people do if they feel injured on a run? 11:32 Should people run fast or slow when recovering from injury? 12:32 What are some of the most common issues you see with runners? 12:42 What are ‘Sleepy Butts’? 13:39 What can people do if they are deskbound at work? 15:02 What issues do you see with feet? 16:57 What do runners need for balance and how can they improve it? 18:18 How much strength work do runners need each week? 21:17 What is an example of a good strength work routine? 22:29 What are the best exercises for core? 23:09 What about ankles and how can we work on them? 24:25 What is the actual treatment process for injured runners? 26:49 How much pain is ok to run through? 28:38 Should most runners go to a PT when healthy or only when they’re hurt? 29:29 What advice would you give yourself back when you started running and weight training? 35:48 What is the best gift running has given you? 37:18 How can people connect with you? Quotes by Abby:   “We are trying to prevent the pain before it starts. We’re trying to get out in the community, trying to talk to coaches, talk to run clubs, anybody who will listen on how to foam roll properly, how to do dynamic stretching vs. static stretching before you get out there, anything we can do to try to catch problems before they start.”   “Every patient has to do two what I would consider ‘successful runs’ before we can increase them. It can’t be a fluke.”   “I try not to tell people where to put their feet on the ground, but can we think about where your gaze is, where your trunk is, things that are a little more tangible.”   “People are really amazing compensators; people can run with all kinds of biomechanical issues. It’s not necessarily my job to fix what I’m seeing, but to work with what we have.” Take a Listen on Your Next Run Want more awesome interviews and advice? Subscribe to our iTunes channel   Mentioned in this podcast:  Run To The Top Winners Circle Facebook Community RunnersConnect Facebook page Save 20% on your first order of Generation UCAN Follow Abby on:   Run Raleigh PT homepage Email Abby We really hope you’ve enjoyed this episode of Run to the Top. The best way you can show your support of the show is to share this podcast with your family and friends and share it on your Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media channel you use. The more people who know about the podcast and download the episodes, the more I can reach out to and get top running influencers, to bring them on and share their advice, which hopefully makes the show even more enjoyable for you!

Can exercise alone prevent age-related bone loss? Do all kinds of running activities help build your bone mass? What can you do as a runner to protect your bone density? Coach Hayley explains in today's podcast episode.

How much will running in windy conditions is going to affect your race? Does running in the wind cool you quicker? In this RC audio blog, Coach Claire talks about different research studies on the relationship between wind resistance and running performance and also shares tips for tackling the windy races.

In this week's edition of the RC update, Coach Michael shares details about the "Athlete of the Week", an achievement made by one of our coaches and how runners can prepare for Coronavirus. Tune in Now!

In today's podcast, Coach Ruairi interviews Coach Dylan about his journey to the Olympic marathon trails. Find out how he qualified for the race, the roadblocks he faced, his training plans and his preparation strategy for this race course.

At RunnersConnect, we get a lot of questions about using pace groups in races.  While we teach about how you should run your own race, there is something undeniably beneficial about running with a group.  It's been proven that being a part of a group with the same goal lowers your own perception of effort which makes running hard feel easier.   And the idea of just blindly trusting a group and letting go of the mental math that you have to do when you pace yourself, is unbelievably tempting.   On the other hand, after months or even years of training, do you really want to risk your race by following strangers?    So to answer this question, we sought out Rick Powell. Rick paced the last chance opportunity for women to qualify for the Olympic Trials in Houston this past January.   Rick Powell is a 31 year old Texan, originally from South Africa, a former marine and a current lawyer.  He has a personal best of 2:29 in the marathon and had the task of bringing in the group of women qualifying for the B standard under 2 hours and 45 minutes.   As you will hear in this interview, Rick is about as calm and collected as can be, which in my opinion is EXACTLY what you want in a pacer.  He talks not only about the specifics of pacing this important race in Houston, where he helped 17 women cross the line with an OTQ, but what pacing is like in general.  We go over strategy, what to ask your pacer before the race, and what pros and cons there are to pace groups.   If you've ever wondered about whether using a pace group can help you or hinder you, you'll have a better idea at the end of this episode.   Questions Rick is asked:   3:07 How did you end up pacing the 2:45 group of women at Houston, which was the last opportunity to qualify for the Olympic Trials? 5:17 What was it like on the day, and why don’t you like running Houston? 7:01 How was your buildup and training different from racing for yourself? 10:54 What pace strategy did you use in Houston? 12:38 What kind of questions did your pace group ask you before or during the race? 15:56 Were you running at a pace where you could communicate comfortably with them? 18:00 Is it acceptable to ask your pacer, “What’s your PR?”? 21:49 Should runners avoid pacers who are looking to positive-split a race? 23:38 Should runners audit the pacer with their own watches? 26:21 What was your finishing time? 27:24 Does Houston use gun-time or chip-time? 28:52 What are the pros and cons of pace groups? 33:21 What advice would you give for people who want to be a pacer? 35:39 Are you going to sign up again for this year? 37:28 What advice would you give yourself back when you started running? 35:48 What is the best gift running has given you? 37:18 How can people connect with you? Quotes by Rick:   “Taking the pressure off of me doing well and putting it on, ‘well, I have to help these women get there time and I have a job to do.’ I didn’t have time to think how good or bad a day it was.”   “You don’t want a pacer who’s like, ‘well… I’ve never actually run that time before, but I’m gonna go for it.’”   “Important things to ask the pacer are: What is your plan? How will I find you? Have you run this course before?”   “If you’ve not run the course before, I don’t trust you. I’m sorry; I just don’t.”   “The pack CAN push the pacer, which is another thing to be concerned about.”   “The more people you get together in the same mind set, the same common goal, the easier it is. It’s that pack mentality where if you’re all working together, you all will thrive.”   “Having a pacer or being in a pace group is a good indicator of where you are. If you've talked to the pacer beforehand and you know their strategy and their pacing and you know more or less where they want to be at certain mile-markers, it’s a good red-line marker.”   Want more awesome interviews and advice? Subscribe to our iTunes channel   Mentioned in this podcast:  Run To The Top Winners Circle Facebook Community RunnersConnect Facebook page Use Coupon Code: RTTT for 20% off Native Deodorant The Pacer Who Led Last-Chance OTQ Hopefuls at Houston Houston Marathon Follow Rick on: Instagram We really hope you’ve enjoyed this episode of Run to the Top. The best way you can show your support of the show is to share this podcast with your family and friends and share it on your Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media channel you use. The more people who know about the podcast and download the episodes, the more I can reach out to and get top running influencers, to bring them on and share their advice, which hopefully makes the show even more enjoyable for you!  

In today's podcast, Coach Laura discusses 3 simple things that you can add to your training to get the most out of yourself. Tune in now!

Are you a master runner? Is strength training necessary for you? How about speed work? Coach Claire clarifies and shares a few other tips to make running more pleasant for master runners. Listen now!

In this podcast, Coach Michael talks about some of the interesting things happening within the RC circle that runners like you can take advantage of, an event you should watch out for this weekend and then shares a truly inspiring story about one of our athletes that teaches the importance of focus and perseverance. Listen to our new special weekly episode!

In today's podcast, Coach Hayley shares her three favorite ways to incorporate races as part of your training. Tune in now!