Run to the Top Podcast | The Ultimate Guide to Running

Most of us have been there. You're in the thick of training just a few weeks away from your big goal race, and then one morning you step out of bed to feel a new pain - a pain far worse than the everyday soreness you know too well. *insert expletive* So what does the doctor prescribe? You guessed it. Time off. These two words are pretty much the last thing we runners want to hear after months and months of hard work, and the thought of scrapping all that work and starting over after your goal race has come and gone can be demoralizing. But it doesn't have to be that way. Enter Dr. Christopher Segler of Doc On The Run, a San Francisco-based practice that specializes in podiatry and running injuries. An accomplished marathoner and Ironman triathlete, Chris knows full well how frustrating injuries can be, which is why he's devoted his life's work to getting sidelined runners healthy and back to the grind as fast as possible. So what's the first step to a speedy recovery? According to Chris, don't take time off. You read that right. Despite those conventional protocols to which we're accustomed ("six weeks off" ring any bells?), Chris maintains time off is not only unnecessary, but it's also counterproductive to recovering from most injuries. In this episode of Run to the Top, Chris will dispel the myths surrounding injury and discuss better alternatives to time off - methods that help you bounce back not only stronger than before but also equipped with the knowledge crucial to preventing future injury. Here are some of the topics we'll discuss today: A little about Chris and Doc On The Run The most common causes of injury among runners Stresses and lifestyle habits that contribute to injury Chris' thoughts on minimalist and maximalist shoes Why inactivity is counterproductive to recovery When time off is actually warranted How to remain active while recovering Questions Chris is asked: 3:10 Tell us about yourself as an athlete as well as Doc On The Run. 6:08 What have you found to be the most common cause of injury? 7:27 What are the typical causes of plantar fasciitis and metatarsal stress fractures? 11:14 How would you advise people maximize their 'stress threshold' without exceeding it? 13:20 How familiar are you with Irene Davis and her research? 14:29 Do you think that footwear causes injuries? 17:07 Do you advocate minimalist shoes? 22:34 When should a runner avoid using minimalist shoes? 24:48 What do you mean when you say that runners have an unfair advantage when it comes to recovering from injuries? 29:46 Why is inactivity the last thing a runner needs when recovering from an injury? 36:55 Why does conventional medicine have such difficulty with treating runners? 37:42 What should runners actually do to facilitate recovery for different types of injuries? 44:58 How should an injured runner know when it's time to swap out running for a lower impact activity to aid recovery? 48:39 How can runners determine which cross training activity best suits their injury? 49:57 Will anti-inflammatories inhibit recovery? 56:26 The Final Kick Round Quotes by Chris: "That's the way I've really shaped my practice is to help runners achieve their goal - not just make their pain go away." "People say running causes running injuries, and that's just not true." "A news guy was interviewing a highway patrolman, and he was talking about snow - it had just started snowing in Lake Tahoe. And then while they were standing there talking about this, there was actually an accident right behind them….And so the interviewer said to the highway patrolman, 'Well isn't it true that snow causes accidents?' And the highway patrolman looked at him like he was an idiot, and he said, 'No, driving too fast for conditions causes accidents.'" "I believe you only have so much stress that your body can take, and if it's too much then something breaks." "The overwhelming majority of children actually run as forefoot or midfoot strikers. 85% of adults run as rearfoot strikers. 85% of adults who run as rearfoot strikers have also all been wearing some sort of shoe that has an elevated heel usually somewhere roughly in the vicinity of 12mm for pretty much their entire lives." "I believe that most runners who have been habitually active - that cycle of tissue damage and tissue repair effectively trains your immune system and your body to heal injuries faster." "Most runners don't feel good when they don't run, and it's not because they're exercise addicts. It's because their physiology is different." "I think it sets up a whole chain of recurring injuries when you stop running." "The doctors look at it and they say if you want this one thing - this one injured thing to get better - you have to pay for it by this whole protocol that we use in America as the standard treatment. And they don't even mention that you're going to have this enormous risk of recurring injuries that may or may not ever go away." Take a Listen on Your Next Run Want more awesome interviews and advice? Subscribe to our iTunes channel Mentioned in this podcast: Doc On The Run Run to the Top interview with Dr. Irene Davis Newton Gravity 6 RunnersConnect Running Form Course Book: Iron War Video: Peanut Butter Jelly Time (listeners beware) Garmin Forerunner 910XT Follow Chris on Twitter 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. If more people who know about the podcast and download the episodes, it means I can reach out to and get through to the top running influencers, to bring them on and share their advice, which hopefully makes the show even more enjoyable for you! -- Thank you to our sponsors for supporting Run to the Top Enter to win a FREE 6-Pack of Perfect Amino from BodyHealth Send an email to info@pacifichealthlabs.com with the subject line "Run to the Top" and ask for your FREE Accel Gel samples. Don't forget to include your address!

You know your body better than anyone else, so you know when things aren't feeling "right". Unfortunately, traditional healthcare doesn't typically cater to runners. Reference ranges are determined without the athlete in mind, and when you express symptoms of fatigue, weight gain, or maybe IBS to the average practitioner, you're often prescribed medication as a short term solution to a longterm problem. Enter functional diagnostic nutrition practitioner and "biohacker" Christopher Kelly. Chris is the founder of a company called Nourish Balance Thrive that provides athletes with science-based, personally customized support programs based on their unique wiring. A program is created with an athlete's specific biomarkers in mind, which are substances indicative of disease, infection, or environmental exposure that help Chris and his team pinpoint what might be holding that athlete back. Chris then creates a special diet and lifestyle plan that will trigger optimal gene expression (i.e. allow you to achieve peak athletic performance, improve your longterm health, and, ya know, just make you feel really, really good). After effectively reversing his Type II diabetes and going from recreational cycler to now pro, Chris wanted to share the methods he discovered through trial and error with athletes like him. He started Nourish Balance Thrive back in 2013, and he's now working with two medical professionals and two engineers to develop software for blood interpretation that he believes will change sports medicine (and healthcare in general) as we know it. Listen in as Chris discusses "biohacking" and explains two biomarkers he and his team have found to be paramount to performance and longevity. Here are some of the topics we'll discuss today: Key biomarkers and their importance Chris's personal story and reversing progressive diabetes Understanding diet and dietary adjustments How training slow can increase your performance The role of stress in our lives Questions Chris is asked: 4:40 Tell us about Nourish Balance Thrive 5:26 How do you help athletes adjust diets and lifestyles? 7:31 What is Fasting Blood Glucose? 9:17 How did your team determine optimal reference ranges? 10:41 How does elevated fasting blood glucose work as a biomarker and what does it mean? 11:21 What is Hemoglobin A1C? 12:22 Where do traditional reference ranges for elevated fasting blood glucose come from? 17:18 So you studied people who are pre-diabetes? 18:30 What factors might cause Hemoglobin A1C to be falsely high? 20:26 What elevates these numbers? 23:42 How did you reverse your Type 2 Diabetes? 26:38 Should endurance athletes move to a diet higher in fat and protein vs. carbs? 28:52 Does everyone have some degree of gluten intolerance? 30:13 How do you test clients for food allergies? 34:13 What foods should be temporarily avoided for food allergen diagnostics? 35:30 How do you ensure people notice differences or changes? 38:02 Did you have difficulties removing these foods from your diet? 40:18 What is Polarized Training? 43:20 Does this affect 'perceived effort'? 45:46 How should runners monitor Heart Rate? 47:04 How does stress relate to Hemoglobin A1C and Fast Blood Glucose? 50:23 What about nutrient deficiency? 55:27 Are probiotics helpful? 57:07 How can listeners find you and what services can you offer them? 1:01:37 Final Kick Quotes by Chris: "You can't possibly fix a problem without understanding what caused it." "It's always interesting to look at a study that's being done on people who don't have a problem." "I wouldn't try and claim that everybody is sensitive to gluten, nor would I try and claim that removing gluten from your diet makes it a healthy diet." "Let's say you've got the suspicion that you're sensitive to milk or cheese or soy or nuts or gluten or something else, the gold standard is to remove those foods from your diet for a period, see how you do and then experiment with reintroducing them." "Every time I go and do something, I'm always looking for small differences." "I find that once you get good at noticing these small changes, you won't just notice them in your environment around you, you'll also notice them in yourself." "One person's greatest problem is going to be not an issue at all for the next person and vice versa." "Different people respond in different ways to stress and your job is to find the tools that allow you to appropriately manage stress." Take a Listen on Your Next Run Want more awesome interviews and advice? Subscribe to our iTunes channel Mentioned in this podcast: nourishbalancethrive.com Elite Performance Program Blood Glucose Test Kit Dr. Bryan Walsh metabolicfitnesspro.com Generation UCAN Superstarch Book: Counterclockwise - Ellen Langer Book: The Big Book of Endurance Training and Racing - Philip Maffetone Book: The Endurance Handbook: How to Achieve Athletic Potential, Stay Healthy, and Get the Most Out of Your Body - Philip Maffetone Jeff Galloway on Run To The Top Chris Kelly's Podcast Book: Ready to Run - Kelly Starrett Fasted State Training article from Ultra Running 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. If more people who know about the podcast and download the episodes, it means I can reach out to and get through to the top running influencers, to bring them on and share their advice, which hopefully makes the show even more enjoyable for you!

Since Christopher McDougall popularized the practice in his 2009 publication of Born to Run, more and more runners have been opting for minimalist shoes or, ditching the foam altogether, barefoot running. Followers of the barefoot movement maintain the practice both significantly reduces injury and improves running performance. But is there real, scientific proof to back these claims? According to Dr. Irene Davis, the answer is a resounding yes. Irene is one of sport's leading experts on running biomechanics and injury as well as the most credible minimalist shoe and barefoot running advocate in the world. A professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School, Irene's research revolves primarily around the relationship between lower extremity mechanics and injury. She's devoted the last decade to developing protocols to alter runners' gait patterns and thereby reduce those mechanics known to cause injury - mechanics, as Irene has learned, often caused by footwear. Listen in as Irene explains how the evolution of footwear has ultimately come to defy our own. Here are some of the topics we'll discuss today: Irene's background and running biomechanics research How Irene became a barefoot and minimalist shoe advocate Why injury rates are so high among runners Differences in biomechanics between traditional shoes, minimalist, and barefoot How to modify running gait to reduce risk for injury and improve performance How to strengthen your feet How to transition to minimalist shoes/barefoot running if interested Minimalist shoe brands Questions Irene is asked: 4:30 What research are you involved in? 4:54 How did you get involved in biomechanics research? 5:36 Were you initially working with the general public or professional athletes? 6:22 Given your prior background, when and why did you become a barefoot running advocate? 9:12 Why do you think so many runners get injured every year? 10:44 Why do you believe supportive footwear is causing injuries? 14:03 Are these shoes encouraging heel-striking? 16:29 Is it correct to assume that strengthening your intrinsic and extrinsic muscles will correct issues? 18:46 Why do shod runners with a forefoot strike have the best loading-rates? 21:04 How should someone go about altering their stride? 24:07 What is 'doming'? 26:35 How could a runner perform weight-bearing exercises while doming? 30:38 Can an injured runner do these exercises? 31:27 Are there significant differences in alignment between runners in shoes and barefoot runners? 32:35 How is dynamic stability affected by footwear from barefoot to minimal to standard running shoe? 38:48 What brands of minimalist shoes would you recommend? 43:07 Where do you see the future of barefoot running going? 45:06 As a barefoot runner, can you run on any surface or are some more preferred? 49:41 How can a traditional runner transition to barefoot running? 55:01 The Final Kick Round Quotes by Irene: "Based on our hypothesis, barefoot running really is the model we should be using in terms of running style because it's closest to the way that we were adapted to run. There is something called the "mismatch" theory of evolution that says we're not using our bodies in the way they were adapted….and saying we're not eating the food we were adapted to eat. But I like to extend that also to running because I think that the footwear that we have gotten ourselves into….has actually changed the way that we run so that we are not running in a way that we were designed or adapted to run. We need to be open to new ideas, and you may need to evolve in your thinking. What the truth is today may not be the truth 10 years from now, and the truth 10 years ago may not be the truth today. Running is in our genes: you don't need to be taught to run. You run automatically as you develop. It's one of the motor skills you develop as a child, and so running is something that is innate in us. You do it for survival, and so it shouldn't be an activity at which we get injured at such a high rate….It would be like birds getting wing injuries or fish getting fin injuries at a high rate. If you think about it, if you were jumping off a high step and you were going to land in sand, you're going to stiffen your leg. But if you know that's concrete that you're landing in, you're going to soften your leg. And we do it without even thinking about it….So if you take someone who's adapted to cushioning and have them run without cushioning, their load rates are going to be much higher. If you consider the fact that there's a 52% lifetime risk of developing achilles tendonitis….and most people are heel-strikers, then you start to wonder perhaps if people were landing on the ball of their foot and actually resulting in stiffer, stronger tendons, maybe that rate - that statistic - would be significantly lower. There is evidence that the more you take away from the foot, the greater tendency you have to land on the ball of your foot….and we have basically shown that forefoot strikers in general have lower rates of loading than mid-foot strikers or forefoot strikers. 'Lose the foam and dome!' 'Minimal footwear running is science and evolution in perfect harmony.' Take a Listen on Your Next Run Want more awesome interviews and advice? Subscribe to our iTunes channel Mentioned in this podcast: Irene's Study on Foot Core Michael Ryan's Study on Partial Minimalist Shoes Shoe: Innovate Bare-XF 210 Shoe: Merrell Pace Glove Shoe: Xero Prio Shoe: Vivobarefoot Shoe: Teva Shoe: Nike Air Pegasus Shoe: Vibram Five Fingers Book: Born to Run Follow Irene on Twitter 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. If more people who know about the podcast and download the episodes, it means I can reach out to and get through to the top running influencers, to bring them on and share their advice, which hopefully makes the show even more enjoyable for you! -- Thank you to our sponsors for supporting Run to the Top Enter to win a FREE 6-Pack of Perfect Amino from BodyHealth Use coupon code TINA for 10% off at Saucony.com

Stacy Sims - Fuel For What You're Doing: Rethinking Fueling and Hydration There are a lot of options for fueling and hydration products on the market. But beyond taste and marketing lies efficacy: is the product doing the job you need it to do when you need it to do it? There are also some misconceptions and myths that, while generally accepted, are not actually based in physiological fact. And muddying the waters further are the inherent physiological differences between men and women. If you've ever been confused standing in front of a sports drink display, you're not alone. Enter Stacy Sims, an Environmental Exercise Physiologist and Nutrition Scientist specializing in sex differences of heat and/or altitude stress, recovery, genetics, and nutrition to moderate adaptive responses for performance. Stacy is a Senior Research Fellow at The University Of Waikato and author of ROAR, which helps women understand and work with their physiology for better performance. That's not to say that there's no information in here for men. Stacy passionately explains the why's and when's of fueling, hydration and more for both men and women. This episode will help you re-evaluate your fueling and hydration strategy to provide more optimal results. Here are some of the topics we'll discuss today: Issues with the product functionality of the modern sports drink industry. How to fuel and hydrate while training vs. while racing; and how needs change based on environmental conditions and gender. What causes most cramping while running (it's not what you think). Why drinking more water isn't necessarily helpful. The specific needs of female athletes and how oral contraceptives compromise performance. The best natural sources of sugar. Questions Stacy is asked: 3:37 What is your background in endurance sports? 4:35 What prompted your interest in Nutrition Science and Environmental Exercise Physiology? 5:25 What was your mission with Osmo, what is your mission now with Nuun and what is the history of the sports drink industry? 6:59 Has the sports drink industry been geared more towards palatability than osmolality? 8:55 Have you discovered that it's better to separate fueling and hydrating altogether? 10:55 How does this play into recovery & post-workout drinks? 12:45 What would be a good fuel strategy during a marathon or long run? 14:36 How do you feel about all natural gels? 16:01 Why are you not a fan of electrolyte pills or salt tabs? 18:34 Does cramping have anything to do with dehydration or potassium deficiency? 19:43 How should a runner determine how and when to hydrate as well as to take electrolytes? 21:57 How do women's hydration needs vary throughout the stages of their menstrual cycle? 23:49 How should a woman who is having her period leading into a race alter her hydration strategy? 24:40 What do you mean by "Women are not small men" and how do men's and women's protein and carb requirements differ? 27:30 Are you not a proponent of oral contraception for high performance female athletes? 29:04 What would you suggest to female athletes as a safe alternative to the pill? 30:07 What is your take on the popular high fat / low carb diet in general and for men vs. women specifically? 33:01 Do women need carbs as endurance athletes? 33:36 Does sugar actually inhibit one's ability to use fat as fuel? 35:01 Out of all the different types, which sugars are best? 36:39 What about honey? 37:06 What are the best solid foods to use to fuel for training and competition? 38:28 How does ambient temperature affect how people process different foods? 38:41 What should people consume post-run, especially post-workout or post-long run to facilitate glycogen repletion, fluid balance and overall recovery? 40:16 How has your partnership with Nuun been so far and what's in the works with them? 43:08 What is the new product Nuun just released? 47:50 The Final Kick Round Quotes by Stacy: "No one's really pushing down on 'we need fluid first', because you can live 3 or 4 days without hydration and you can live 7-90 days without food; so from a functionality and a physiological point, you really want to look at the hydration and not the carbohydrate intake." "A sports drink is like a sofa bed; it's not a good bed, it's not a good sofa, because you're trying to merge two things that shouldn't be merged." "When we think about all this engineered nutrition, you're taking concentrated carbohydrate and putting it in this compromised gut." "It's not about eating a whole bunch of food at once, it's a sip, sip, nibble, nibble approach." "Use water for something up to an hour, but if something's intense you need more than water, because water doesn't hydrate." "After 2 hours… your thirst is not a very good representation of what's happening." "Getting people to understand that what you read in a general scope does not necessarily apply to women because the research hasn't been done on women." Take a Listen on Your Next Run Want more awesome interviews and advice? Subscribe to our iTunes channel Mentioned in this podcast: Dr. Stacy Sims - The University of Waikato profile Book - ROAR: How to Match Your Food and Fitness to Your Unique Female Physiology for Optimum Performance, Great Health, and a Strong, Lean Body for Life nuun performance Urine Test Strips Metromint Water Dr. Constance Lebrun "No Sweat": Nina Stachenfeld OCP research article https://seleneyeager.com/ Running On Real Food blog Kara Gaucher's blog mobilitywod gear Book: Becoming a Supple Leopard - Kelly Starrett Follow Stacy on Twitter 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. If more people who know about the podcast and download the episodes, it means I can reach out to and get through to the top running influencers, to bring them on and share their advice, which hopefully makes the show even more enjoyable for you! -- Thank you to our sponsors for supporting Run to the Top

Running podcast to motivate & help runners of every level run their best. Sinead Haughey interviews running influencers, scientists, psychologists, nutritionists, & everyday runners with inspiring stories.

Beet juice has become all the rage in the running world over the last few years, and for that we can thank Dr. Andrew Jones (aka @AndyBeetroot on Twitter). With the help of his team at the University of Exeter, Andrew discovered beetroot's natural performance enhancing benefits back in 2014 and continues exploring new ways for runners to fully capitalize on them. These benefits include a reduction in the cost of oxygen during exercise (and therefore perceived effort) as well as a boost in cognitive function, which, let's face it, we could all use when the going gets tough at the end of a race. And Andrew's scientific pursuits don't stop there. While he's known more recently for his work with beetroot, Andrew is also the associate dean of Research and Knowledge Transfer, a professor of applied physiology, the Head of Sport and Health Sciences, and the leader of the Bioenergetics and Human Performance Research Group at the University of Exeter. When he's not studying beetroot's ergogenic effects, he's one of sport's leading physiologists. Specializing in VO2 kinetics, he works with a variety of elite athletes and was the longtime physiologist to both Jo Pavey, who just 3 years ago became the oldest European female 10K champion at the age of 40, as well as Paula Radcliffe, who holds the world record in the marathon. Let's just say Andrew knows his stuff, and between all his groundbreaking research and expertise there's a good chance you'll have a hankering for some beets by the end of this interview. Here are some of the topics we'll discuss today: Andrew's work as a leading physiologist The importance of VO2 max to performance The research on beetroot to date and what's next Beetroot's performance benefits How to integrate beetroot in your diet for the best results Questions Andrew is asked: 3:31 Andrew's background 5:53 Working with endurance athletes in your role as a physiologist 8:10 How important do you think VO2 Max is to athletic performance? 9:18 What studies are you currently working on? 10:53 How did you originally become interested in beetroot? 14:54 In your study, how long did it take for subjects to start seeing results from beetroot? 16:26 Would endurance athletes get the same benefits from beetroot as shorter, high-intensity athletes? 19:44 How much of your research has focused on the benefits of beetroot for recreational athletes vs. elite athletes? 22:03 When you studied lesser experienced runners, did you see any changes in their VO2 Max numbers? 24:37 Would this also speed up recovery rates? 26:42 Are there any other food sources that contain a high concentration of nitrate? 28:50 Are micro nutrients more easily absorbed via liquid form? 29:33 How do our bodies process nitrate? 32:41 Is there an effective beet product that is mobile-friendly? 36:17 How can people integrate beetroot into their diets and training programs for best results? 38:11 Why would you recommend 3-4 weeks on followed by a break from taking it? 38:54 Would consuming beetroot midway through a long run provide any benefits? 41:54 Are there any GI issues or side effects to be aware of? 43:40 How much headroom do you think there is for beetroot research as an ergogenic aid? 49:42 The Final Kick Round Quotes by GUEST: "One of my specialities is VO2 kinetics: so when the gun fires at the beginning of a race, how quickly we can switch on our aerobic energy system to meet the energy demand by utilizing the oxygen that we breath in." "I'm very interested in the impact of the work that we do in the lab on actually changing practicing athletes and helping them improve their performance….So my PHD was really all about what's the best approach we can use in the lab to measure the things in runners we know are important to their success and then relating that to the training that they do." "If you can understand the basis of fatigue, then that can help you understand performance more generally, and obviously that has applications in the elderly, the general public, and people with various diseases as well." "A chance encounter with a paper that surprised me in a journal led me to investigate the same topic further, and we've continued in that vein for probably the last eight years or so because the results were so - you know, it was one of those "eureka moments" that you get so rarely in science." "It looks as if in the condition where the participants took the nitrate top up halfway through, they were able to slightly spare the muscle glycogen concentration, which over the course of a marathon would be a beneficial thing to happen." Take a Listen on Your Next Run Leave a space for libsyn link Want more awesome interviews and advice? Subscribe to our iTunes channel Click to tweet- leave space Mentioned in this podcast: Andrew Jones' beetroot study Beet It (supplement product) Break 2 Project Book: This Mum Runs by Jo Pavey Book: 2 Hours by Ed Caesar 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. If more people who know about the podcast and download the episodes, it means I can reach out to and get through to the top running influencers, to bring them on and share their advice, which hopefully makes the show even more enjoyable for you! -- Thank you to our sponsors for supporting Run to the Top Enter to win a FREE 6-Pack of Perfect Amino from BodyHealth

Why Your Best Accomplishment Should Be Your Next One - Director of the Boston Marathon Dave McGillivray Race director, philanthropist, motivational speaker, accomplished athlete - Dave McGillivray is a professional with a purpose. From his extraordinary run across the U.S. to benefit the Jimmy Fund and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in 1978 to serving as technical director then race director of the BAA Boston Marathon since the 1980s, McGillivray has helped organize more than 900 mass participatory events since founding DMSE, Inc. in 1981, while raising millions for worthy causes close to his heart. In this episode, Dave shares with us his perspective on how running and races have changed over the years, as well as describing his own accomplishments and outlook. The Boston Marathon is arguably one of the most iconic races and one whose meaning has grown even more since the tragedy in 2013. I know that many of you are in the final stages of preparing for this event and I think this inside view may get you even more psyched up. If that's possible. Here are some of the topics we'll discuss today: Dave's personal running accomplishments Dave's drive for, and various types of, philanthropy His perspective on past and future accomplishments What's actually involved in putting together a major racing event How Dave has maintained his high fitness level. Questions Dave is asked: 5:39 What is your running background? 7:22 What was your initial spark to start running? 10:34 What is the story behind your starting the first sanctioned running club inside a maximum security prison? 13:56 How was your experience with your 24-hour swim? 17:10 How do you feel running has evolved since the 1970's? 20:40 Would you agree that there are many more recreational runners now than in the '70's? 22:06 Do you feel that all races should have a qualifying standard like the Boston Marathon? 23:45 What does it mean to be a race director? 27:10 How has your approach to organizing the marathon changed since 2013? 28:39 How has the atmosphere of the race changed since then? 29:52 Besides security increases, what are some of the other challenges you have to address as a race director? 32:14 What is the best part about your job? 33:47 How do you will yourself to run the course every year after the marathon is over? 36:10 How have you managed to remain fit? 37:42 Have you had to alter your training at all or just other areas of your life? 41:16 The Final Kick Round Quotes by Dave: "I just knew as I was running across America, going through 120 degrees in the desert, or running over the Rocky Mountains or running 50-60 miles a day, even though that might have been somewhat painful, it paled in comparison to what these kids were going through." "Kids ask me all the time: 'What's your best accomplishment?' and I invariably say to them, 'My best accomplishment is my next one.'" "I help raise the level of self-esteem and self-confidence of tens of thousands of people in America" "The toughest part about running a race is signing the application." "I have a button in my office that says: 'My job's secure; no one else wants it'." "The runners and race management have had to learn a whole new system. And sometimes people have a tough time with change, but eventually, after a year or two, it's not change anymore; it's become the norm." "I think the spirit from all the people who realize that good will always overcome evil has certainly been infectious for everybody." "I'd rather not put out fires; I'd rather prevent them." Take a Listen on Your Next Run Want more awesome interviews and advice? Subscribe to our iTunes channel Mentioned in this podcast: Book: The Haywire Heart; Velopress.com The Boston Marathon Book: The Last Pick Dave McGillivray Sports Enterprises (DMSE, Inc.) New Balance Falmouth Road Race Beach to Beacon 10K The Jimmy Fund Dana Farber Cancer Institute 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. If more people who know about the podcast and download the episodes, it means I can reach out to and get through to the top running influencers, to bring them on and share their advice, which hopefully makes the show even more enjoyable for you! -- Thank you to our sponsors for supporting Run to the Top Enter to win a FREE 6-Pack of Perfect Amino from BodyHealth

The Haywire Heart with Dr. John Mandrola, Lennard Zinn, and Chris Case It's been said that if a little does a good job, then a lot is even better and too much is probably just right. However, evidence indicates that too much exercise, like that experienced by years of endurance sports, can lead to what is known as "athlete's heart" - a host of conditions easy for physicians to misdiagnose. In this episode, we are joined by Dr. John Mandrola, Lennard Zinn, and Chris Case, the co-authors of The Haywire Heart. Their book details numerous case studies, including that of co-author Lennard Zinn and the event that nearly killed him. Today, Lennard shares the story of his initial cardiac episode, diagnosis, and his new perspective on fitness as he still participates in endurance sports. Dr. John Mandrola is a cardiac electrophysiologist and an active cyclist who had atrial fibrillation. He works in a private cardiology practice where he specializes in heart rhythm disorders. He is Chief Cardiology Correspondent for Medscape, the leading online resource for physicians and healthcare professionals seeking medical news and expert perspectives. He is a also a regular columnist for theHeart.org and VeloNews magazine. This interview is informative, cautionary, and, at the same time, inspirational. Don't forget: RunnersConnect members with training plans and / or Masters Subscriptions can get The Haywire Heart for 20% off by logging onto the RunnersConnect Dashboard > Resources > Member Perks. Here are some of the topics we'll discuss today: What is, and what causes, "athlete's heart" Various risk factors What can life be like after a cardiac diagnosis How to recognize symptoms How to work with your physician Types of treatment available Questions Guests are asked: 3:46 Was part of your intention with The Haywire Heart to dispel the myth that 'more is better"? 5:10 What is "athlete's heart" 7:17 What is the most common heart condition caused by overtraining? 8:53 Lennard, what is your background as a cyclist and what led up to your diagnosis? 14:15 What are some of the symptoms you experience now? 15:16 What do you do when you experience your arrhythmia during exercise? 16:40 Dr. Mandrola, what is the risk of this for endurance athletes? 18:03 Is someone more at risk if they started running at a younger age vs. started later in life? 19:27 What were some of the difficulties in studying this? 21:44 Are there any other factors that might have influenced why there are fewer women with arrhythmias? 23:37 Is there a correlation between women being shorter than men that may reduce the risk in women? 24:05 For how long has this been studied? 24:43 Lennard, do you still cycle competitively? 30:39 How does living at higher elevation affect this condition? 32:21 How long have you been living in Boulder? 35:24 Were there any significant patterns that tied the case studies in the book together? 39:13 What types of treatments are available for arrhythmia? 41:42 Lennard, what type of business do you run in Boulder? 42:30 Were you trying to create an optimistic tone with your book? 43:57 Dr. Mandrola, are there any ways to reduce risk of "athlete's heart"? 46:28 What would you recommend someone do if they experience symptoms? 50:30 The Final Kick Round Quotes by Guests: "The heart is a muscle, just like the bicep; if you do curls and weight lifting, like endurance exercise, your heart's going to adapt. And endurance training causes lots of different changes to the heart." "I was about 15 minutes into this half-hour climb and I looked down and saw that my heart rate was now 220 (bpm) and it just stayed there; I just kept riding. And I felt fine. But after seven minutes of continuing that way and it never came down, then it seemed like that's not the greatest thing to do to keep going." "I think in the coming years and decades, we're going to learn more about women athletes and heart disease because more and more women are doing endurance athletics." "People seemed to follow a similar pattern in that initially they would essentially be in denial, and then there was the realization that this was something serious and there was the contemplation of how this is going to change my life / is this going to ruin my life / how will I ever be able to do what I love, and then, of course… hopefully, they will continue down the path that Lennard took and realize that this doesn't mean that they have to never do what they love to do." "Pay attention to symptoms. Don't ignore excessive trouble breathing or a racing heart that seems out of proportion to the effort." "Always leave enough energy for the post-race party." Take a Listen on Your Next Run Want more awesome interviews and advice? Subscribe to our iTunes channel Mentioned in this podcast: Book: The Haywire Heart; Velopress.com Book: Born To Run Book: The Sports Gene Book: Slaying The Badger Moots Bikes 8 Things You Need To Know About Electronic Shifting 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. If more people who know about the podcast and download the episodes, it means I can reach out to and get through to the top running influencers, to bring them on and share their advice, which hopefully makes the show even more enjoyable for you! -- Thank you to our sponsors for supporting Run to the Top Enter to win a FREE 6-Pack of Perfect Amino from BodyHealth Use coupon code TINA for 10% off at Saucony.com

Fare Thee Well, Tina Muir - Welcome, Sinead Haughey This is a bittersweet episode, to be sure, for today we bid the fondest of farewells to our host for the last 2 years, Tina Muir, and introduce the new host for Run To The Top, Sinead Haughey. Most recently, Sinead was the Director of Premium for RunnersConnect having been a 2-time NCAA Championship qualifier in the 10K at Furman University. Sinead shares her background with us, which includes running professionally for Zap Fitness and Reebok. As the torch is passed from Tina to Sinead, Tina gives us a preview of her new venture: Running For Real. Every runner goes through a mentally rough stretch with running at some point, but very few are willing to share their challenges openly. With Running For Real, Tina is creating a safe environment for runners so they don't have to suffer in silence with their struggles - whether it's frustration with training, race results, or injury. While we are all going to miss Tina and her contributions here, we wish her nothing but the absolute best as she blazes this new trail. And we are equally excited to welcome Sinead as the new host and voice of Run To The Top. Here are some of the topics we'll discuss today: Getting to know new host Sinead Haughey An inside look at Zap Fitness RunnersConnect premium content and various ways to access it Tina's new focus: Running For Real Why Tina is so passionate about the mental side of running that no one else is talking about Questions Sinead is asked: 3:10 What was your collegiate and post-collegiate running experience? 4:33 What is an elite runner's typical day at Zap Fitness like? 6:10 Why did you choose to run at Zap? 8:33 How does having a dedicated chef at Zap work? 9:33 What were some of the things you didn't like about your post-collegiate experiences? 11:45 Before taking over the role as new host for Run To The Top, what were you doing for RunnersConnect? 14:25 How does the RunnersConnect Premium Content work? How can people get access to the Coach Chat? 16:21 The passing of the baton... Questions Tina is asked 18:20 What are your post-RunnersConnect plans? 23:55 Do you find middle-aged runners more open about their running struggles than younger runners? 27:58 Will you be offering anything beyond your new podcast? 31:23 What's one tactic people can use to remain mentally tough during a race? 36:17 How often did you use your 'Mental Bottles'? 39:35 The Final Kick Rounds (double feature) Quotes by Tina and Sinead: "Something that I'm going to have to accept as a post-collegiate runner is that I'm not trying to score points for anybody anymore." (Sinead) "I think there's definitely a pressure when you are younger to give off this vibe of being superhuman and never admitting that you need help. I think the elite world is even worse." (Tina) "Especially for new runners something they might find kind of intimidating coming into the sport is that there are just so many bad days, but once you get a good day it makes it all worth it." (Sinead) "I want to make sure that I do this right and I want to make it so that it can actually change people's running lives forever rather than just be something they learn and then two races later they forget it and need something else." (Tina) "I love helping people with the mental side of things because that is something that is just so often neglected and it makes SUCH a big difference." (Tina) "You could be the fittest you've ever been in your life and you could still run the worst race of your life because your mental side could really break you apart." Take a Listen on Your Next Run Want more awesome interviews and advice? Subscribe to our iTunes channel Mentioned in this podcast: Zap Fitness Evie Serventi on Run To The Top Scott Fauble's blog Good Gut - Prebiotic #running4real hashtag on Twitter Images about #Running4Real tag on instagram Deliciously Stella (@deliciouslystella) • Instagram Tina's blog Follow Tina on Instagram Running For Real Facebook page tina@tinamuir.com 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. If more people who know about the podcast and download the episodes, it means I can reach out to and get through to the top running influencers, to bring them on and share their advice, which hopefully makes the show even more enjoyable for you! -- Thank you to our sponsors for supporting Run to the Top Enter to win a FREE 6-Pack of Perfect Amino from BodyHealth Use coupon code TINA for 10% off at Saucony.com

Wait... What?? That's correct. 1972 Olympian, Jeff Galloway, who was self-coached and absorbed as much as he could from other runners has proven that to go fast, you should go slow. Hundreds of thousands of runners have trained with his method and the results he shares in this episode are nothing short of amazing. Since starting his retail store, Phidippides, in Atlanta, Georgia in 1975, Jeff has listened to runners who were looking for better and better training strategies. He has developed training methods, retreats at multiple locations around the globe, written several books, trained runners directly and remotely, written for Runner's World, partnered with Disney… well, you get the idea. We are so very lucky to have Jeff join us to tell us about his personal experiences with running and how his unique training philosophy has helped runners at all levels achieve great results while avoiding injury. This is likely to be one of those episodes that you listen to over and over because there is just so much good information. Be sure to check out the links below for even more tools and resources! Here are some of the topics we'll discuss today: Jeff's personal experiences running in college and his Olympic trials. Jeff counterintuitive training methods including full distance training and Run Walk Run. The benefits of group training. How The Magic Mile accurately predicts a runner's future race times. How to leverage our human brain to keep our 'Monkey Brain' under control. Questions Jeff is asked: 2:50 What are some of your favorite moments as a runner? 11:55 Do you think professional / elite runners today would give up a spot in a race to help a teammate advance? 13:30 How was it having a group working together in the early 1970's? 15:06 What's your theory on why there aren't more big groups of people who want to train together? 17:12 Should recreational runners train in groups? 19:26 How can people get involved in your training groups? 22:20 You have runners do a 26 - 29 mile run 3 weeks before their marathon at a slower pace for 6-7 hours? 24:38 So the only you're adding on race day is running faster? 24:55 What exactly is the Magic Mile? 26:29 How do runners get their individual Magic Mile times? 26:59 Is it just running that mile as fast as you can? 27:51 What is the Run Walk Run method? 31:14 What would you like to say to runners who have a social stigma against walking? 33:51 Does the amount of walking differ for each person? 35:24 What is the 'Monkey Brain'? 38:13 How long should the walk-breaks be? 40:00 How does it feel to have a training method named after you? 42:29 How does it feel to have a whole event series named after you? 45:07 What is involved in your retreats? 48:02 Do you have a favorite race you recommend all runners do at least once? 53:54 The Final Kick Round Quotes by Jeff: Even on the days when I was physically destroyed, which was most of the days during the first month, I felt better in my head and in my spirit than I had ever felt in my life. I helped my father get into running when he was 52. I never heard any of my Florida Track Club teammates brag unless they were being funny about something. There is no doubt that when you have a stable of good runners you can get some really good workouts if the coach is monitoring the effort level and making sure the athletes aren't running over their heads in workouts. The reason our Group Retreats have expanded is because there is so much interest in getting individual help with running and learning hands-on: 'How do you do these drills', 'What is my form like', 'Am I doing something wrong?'. We found that people tend to hit the wall within about a mile of the that they ran on long runs within the last 3 weeks. And so, by going the (full race) distance, not only do people feel strong and have more belief that they CAN do it, but they actually run FASTER. (The Run Walk Run) is a method that conserves resources that reduces injuries down to practically NOTHING and allows runners to run faster in long distances. You are the captain of your ship. You are the one who determines how you're going to run.