Run to the Top Podcast | The Ultimate Guide to Running

Extending beyond normal sleep and nutrition routines, have you ever wondered about alternative recovery methods? Maybe you’ve had conversations with family and friends about Eastern Medicine, novel medical procedures, a new technology or something else along those lines and you’ve wondered: could this help my running? Well this episode of Run to the Top is another Up Tempo Talk with RunnersConnect coaches Dylan Belles and Ruari Moynihan discussing 5 alternative ways to recover from running workouts, some of the science behind these practices, as well as insights from their personal experiences with these tools and procedures.  Tune in to hear their discussion around acupuncture, platelet rich plasma procedures, sauna, cryotherapy, and compression garments.  Connect, Comment, Community Follow RunnersConnect on Instagram Join the Elite Treatment where you get first dibs on everything RTTT each month! Runners Connect Winner's Circle Facebook Community  RunnersConnect Facebook page GET EXPERT COACHING AT RUNNERSCONNECT! This week’s show brought to you by: BiOptimizers: Their Industry-leading magnesium supplement is organic and contains all 7 forms of magnesium, which helps you sleep better and reduce stress.  BiOptimizers - are having a Black Friday special offer from November 21st to 29th. You can get Magnesium Breakthrough and all of BiOptimizers best in class products with 25% off!  Do it while supplies last and don’t miss the November 29th deadline. Go to bioptimizers.com/runtothetop and enter code run10 at checkout to get 25% off any order.  Amino Co: Whenever we research supplements, we take great care to look at all the ingredients to make sure they are scientifically-proven effective and that they are dosed in efficacious quantities.   We love Amino Co supplements. Every product is backed by clinical research data you can examine for yourself. That’s not something a lot of supplement companies can say. And as a special, limited offer until November 28th you can get 50% off any Amino Co supplement by heading to aminoco.com/rttt and use the code RC30 at checkout to save 50%. If you are listening to this episode after November 28th and you've missed this one-time sale opportunity, don’t worry. You can still get 30% OFF at checkout when you use code RC30 at checkout.

For those of you who have been fans of RunnersConnect for some time now, you know that some of our favorite events of the year are our running retreats. It’s truly amazing to get to spend 4-5 days with passionate runners - talking about running, exploring awesome trails, and learning together. Now, runners attend our retreats for a lot of different reasons - the chance to run in awesome places, all of the 1-on-1 coaching and learning, or even just to be surrounded by a group of likeminded people who love running. But, for us coaches they also serve a fantastic purpose. You see, although our running retreats are 100% focused on delivering a great experience to our attendees, we are also rewarded with the opportunity to learn and grow as coaches. Moreover, when we host a retreat, it further reinforces why I love what I do. Plus, I always glean new insights into what works, what doesn't and what runners like you experience. So, in today’s show I want to go over 4 insights I gained from our retreats last year and how you can apply these lessons to your own training. Connect, Comment, Community Follow RunnersConnect on Instagram Join the Elite Treatment where you get first dibs on everything RTTT each month! Runners Connect Winner's Circle Facebook Community  RunnersConnect Facebook page GET EXPERT COACHING AT RUNNERSCONNECT! This week’s show brought to you by: BiOptimizers: Their Industry-leading magnesium supplement is organic and contains all 7 forms of magnesium, which helps you sleep better and reduce stress.  BiOptimizers - are having a Black Friday special offer from November 21st to 29th. You can get Magnesium Breakthrough and all of BiOptimizers best in class products with 25% off!  Do it while supplies last and don’t miss the November 29th deadline. Go to bioptimizers.com/runtothetop and enter code run10 at checkout to get 25% off any order.  Amino Company: If you're looking for the best way to get motivated, improve performance and recovery, and increase focus for your post-run strength workouts, you’ll love the new Perform from the Amino Company. Perform is an amino acid based formulation that I simply add to my water bottle during my run. It tastes great and is easy on my stomach. Clinical studies have shown that Perform helps improve endurance, reduce fatigue, and increase muscle protein synthesis so you recover faster after the run.  To learn more and give Perform a try, we’ve got a special offer for you where you can save 30% by using the code RC30. Just head to: aminoco.com/rttt and use the code RC30 at checkout to save 30%.

What if you could actually run your best past age 40? And get fitter and stronger? We’ve put together some of the best interviews we’ve conducted over the past 10 years from masters coaches, researchers and record holders to help you better understand how to adapt your training as you age. We’ll go over the mental obstacles we face as masters runners, from perhaps not being able to reach our previous best times to wondering what’s our potential and overcoming the fear of injury. You’ll also get specific workouts, training schedules, and strength schedules from some of the fastest and most accomplished masters runners in the world. So, if you’re ready to learn how to make the most of your running as you age, today’s interview round-up is just what you need! Connect, Comment, Community Follow RunnersConnect on Instagram Join the Elite Treatment where you get first dibs on everything RTTT each month! Runners Connect Winner's Circle Facebook Community  RunnersConnect Facebook page GET EXPERT COACHING AT RUNNERSCONNECT! This week’s show brought to you by: Bioptimizers: Magnesium Breakthrough from Bioptimizers is an industry-leading, full-spectrum magnesium supplement that is organic and contains all 7 forms of magnesium to help you sleep better and reduce stress.  BiOptimizers - are having a Black Friday special offer from November 21st to 29th. You can get Magnesium Breakthrough and all of BiOptimizers best in class products with 25% off!  Just go to bioptimizers.com/runtothetop and enter code run10 to get 25% off any order. Amino Company: Heal is an amino acid, whey and creatine based formulation designed to reduce recovery times and improve physical function after injuries by accelerating muscle repair while helping maintain a healthy inflammatory response.  If you're looking for a nutritional advantage when it comes to recovering from your running injury or your daily training I recommend you give Heal from AminoCo a try. If you’re interested in learning more and giving Heal a try, we’ve got a special offer for you where you can save 30% by using the code RC30. Just head to: aminoco.com/rttt and use the code RC30 at checkout to save 30%

We are back with another edition of Training Plan rescue. The feedback from the previous episode has been great and Coach Jeff is excited to take a deep dive into a listener's training plan this week to see what we can all learn and apply to our training.  This week, we’re looking at a training plan from Tim Ballard. Tim has been running for about 10 years and making good progress up until the last year or two. He’s typically in the top of his age group at most races, but as he’ll tell you, things have been slipping the last few races. Listen in to Coach Jeff’s expert analysis of Tim’s current strategy and execution, as well as his suggestions for Tim’s future training blocks when it comes to approaching easy days, workout selection, recovery, and strength building. What is causing your running injuries? Findout through our Mobility and Strength Assessments That Pinpoint Your Injury Risk Try our free Running Pace Calculator that provides your race pace and easy and long run paces! Connect, Comment, Community Follow RunnersConnect on Instagram Join the Elite Treatment where you get first dibs on everything RTTT each month! Runners Connect Winner's Circle Facebook Community  RunnersConnect Facebook page GET EXPERT COACHING AT RUNNERSCONNECT! This week’s show brought to you by: Kion: Kion Aminos is backed by over 20 years of clinical research, has the highest quality ingredients, no fillers or junk, undergoes rigorous quality testing, and tastes amazing with all-natural flavors.  If you want to naturally boost energy, build lean muscle, and enhance athletic recovery you need to get Kion Aminos.  To save 20% on monthly deliveries and 10% on one-time purchases, go to getkion.com/runtothetop to get the fundamental supplement for fitness, Kion Aminos. LMNT: Maintaining healthy electrolyte levels is not only important for your run, but your recovery and overall health as well.  That’s why we recommend all runners check out LMNT.  It's loaded with everything you need to replenish your electrolyte balance with 1000mg of sodium, 200mg of potassium, and 60mg of magnesium, and doesn't include anything you don't need like extra sugar or anything artificial. LMNT is running a special deal where you can get a free sample pack with any order. To claim this exclusive deal you must go to drinkLMNT.com/runnersconnect. 

What comes to mind when you think about “amino acids”? Are you incorporating them into your diet? Have you considered the performance and recovery benefits of amino acids for your running training? If not, you’ll want to tune in to this episode where I chat with Angelo Keely, the Co-founder and CEO of Kion. You’ll learn… About the importance of amino acids for body composition, fitness, and overall health. Understand why amino acids are fundamental for performance and recovery. Learn tactically when, where, and how runners can use amino acids to improve performance, recovery, and longevity. You’ll get a lot from this discussion about the importance of amino acids from one of the leading experts in the field! Connect, Comment, Community Follow RunnersConnect on Instagram Join the Elite Treatment where you get first dibs on everything RTTT each month! Runners Connect Winner's Circle Facebook Community  RunnersConnect Facebook page GET EXPERT COACHING AT RUNNERSCONNECT! This week’s show brought to you by: P3-OM Probiotics If you’ve struggled with stomach issues in training or racing or frequently get sick when training hard, adding a high quality probiotic supplement could be the key to relieving both issues. P3-OM is a patented probiotic that uses the most effective strain of probiotic and also at the highest recommended effective dosages. This strain is also proteolytic, meaning it is maintainable in the human digestive system and it doesn’t require refrigeration. It’s a secret weapon for upgrading your immunity and protection against bad bacteria. If you’re interested in trying it out, you can get 10% off P3-OM right now by going to p3om.com/runtothetop  and typing in coupon code run10. Mitopure from Timeline Improving your mitochondria is one of the easiest ways to upgrade your performance and make your body work better.  Time-line Nutrition's Mitopure is backed by over a decade of research and is clinically proven to revitalize mitochondria.  Mitopure restores mitochondrial function, so every cell in your body has the energy to do its job and keep you healthy and functioning right. In fact, clinical studies have shown that 500mg of Urolithin, one of the main ingredients in Mitopure, can significantly increase muscle strength & endurance with no other change in lifestyle. Improving your mitochondria is one of the best things you can do for your health and with Mitopure from time-line nutrition, it has never been easier.  Go to timelinenutrition.com and use promo code RUNNERSCONNECT for 10% off the plan of your choice.

Do you ever notice fellow runners taking an interesting approach to a particular run or training block? Or using certain recovery tools or consuming certain drinks and foods in their quest to improve and reach peak performance? In any of these circumstances, maybe you’ve asked yourself: “Why do you runners do that?”  Well, this episode of Run to the Top is another Up Tempo Talk with Runners Connect coaches Dylan Belles and Ruari Moynihan answering 3 of those burning questions. First, they address why runners drink beet juice and whether it's performance enhancing, then they tackle why runners do two-a-days and specifically why they double on their long run days, and finally they examine whether it's beneficial to schedule and execute back to back workout runs in a training block. Connect, Comment, Community Follow RunnersConnect on Instagram Join the Elite Treatment where you get first dibs on everything RTTT each month! Runners Connect Winner's Circle Facebook Community  RunnersConnect Facebook page GET EXPERT COACHING AT RUNNERSCONNECT! This week’s show brought to you by: CollaGenius: Adding collagen to your daily recovery routine can dramatically improve your recovery and ability to stay healthy.  If you want to try collagen yourself, our recommendation is CollaGenius because it contains an efficacious dose at 2.5g of collagen with no added fillers or proprietary blends. If you’re interested in trying it out, head to nootopia.com/runtothetopgenius and user code run10 during checkout to save 10 percent. NordVPN: Nord VPN allows you to change any device location to any country you want with a simple click of a button.  It works for computers, tvs, tablets, phones, and streaming services so you can safely and securely watch events, shows, and movies exclusive to other parts of the world.  If you want to give NordVPN a try, head to nordvpn.com/runtothetop to get a huge discount off your NordVPN Plan + 4 months for free!

What should I eat before I run? It’s an age-old question faced by many runners both new to the sport and those who have been training seriously and are looking to fine tune their training diet. Unfortunately, this isn’t a question with a simple answer. First, almost every runner will differ in terms of what works well for their stomach and the types of foods they prefer, both in terms of taste and any specific food sensitivities.  Second, the amount of time you have before you run will play a big role in exactly what and how much you can eat. Finally, the type of run you’re doing - easy, long, or fast workout - will change the energy demands you need and thus what types of foods will work best. But never fear, while there isn’t a simple answer, today we’re going to take you through a simple 3-step process to help you find the optimal foods for you to eat before every type of run. Plus, as a bonus, I’ll get into the science of the best foods for recovery after every type of run. Connect, Comment, Community Follow RunnersConnect on Instagram Join the Elite Treatment where you get first dibs on everything RTTT each month! Runners Connect Winner's Circle Facebook Community  RunnersConnect Facebook page GET EXPERT COACHING AT RUNNERSCONNECT! This week’s show brought to you by: P3-OM and Timeline Nutrition First, P3-OM: One of the most exciting frontiers in athletic performance research is on the population of “good bacteria” in your stomach, often called probiotics. For those that are unfamiliar, probiotics are a combination of live beneficial bacteria and/or yeasts that naturally live in your body and that can be used to change or re-establish the intestinal flora and improve your health. Even more exciting for runners is that a lot of recent research has shown supplementing with probiotics can have a dramatic impact on performance.  Specifically, probiotics have been shown to help reduce the risk of getting sick during tough training blocks by almost 50%, and they could also help prevent gastrointestinal problems like cramping, bloating, and diarrhea, both during training and racing. If you’ve struggled with stomach issues in training or racing or frequently get sick when training hard, adding a high quality probiotic supplement could be the key to relieving both issues. As always, the quality and type of probiotic supplement you take can have a huge impact on its effectiveness.   That’s why we recommend P3-OM probiotics. P3-OM is a patented probiotic that uses the most effective strain of probiotic and also at the highest recommended effective dosages. This strain is also proteolytic, meaning it is maintainable in the human digestive system and it doesn’t require refrigeration.  It’s a secret weapon for upgrading your immunity and protection against bad bacteria. If you’re interested in trying it out, you can get 10% off P3-OM right now by going to p3om.com/runtothetop and typing in coupon code run10. And if you order it, and it’s not everything you hoped for, their support team will give you all your money back, no questions asked. Just visit p3om.com/runtothetop to get a 10% discount with coupon code run10 Second, Timeline Nutrition: Improving your mitochondria is one of the easiest ways to upgrade your performance and make your body work better.  My friends at Time-line Nutrition have introduced a product called Mitopure that is the ultimate tune-up for mitochondria.  Time-line Nutrition's Mitopure is backed by over a decade of research and is clinically proven to revitalize mitochondria.  As we know, mitochondria are the energy generators at the heart of nearly every cell in our body, but new science is shedding light on just how critical mitochondria are to our health and performance.  For example, researchers found that mitochondria sound the alarm when cells are exposed to stress or chemicals that could damage DNA. Plus, as we age, eat too much, and sit at our desks too much, our mitochondria deteriorate and our bodies suffer.  Mitopure restores mitochondrial function, so every cell in your body has the energy to do its job and keep you healthy and functioning right. In fact, clinical studies have shown that 500mg of Urolithin, one of the main ingredients in Mitopure, can significantly increase muscle strength & endurance with no other change in lifestyle. Mitopure comes in powder form to mix into your favorite smoothie, Protein Powder if you are looking for a great 1,2 punch of muscle support, or softgels.  Improving your mitochondria is one of the best things you can do for your health and with Mitopure from time-line nutrition, it has never been easier.  Go to timelinenutrition.com and use promo code RUNNERSCONNECT for 10% off the plan of your choice.

Did you know we’ve been publishing interviews with some of the leading scientists, coaches, athletes and experts in the running world since 2011! That means we’ve had more than a decade of experts to learn from and to help you hone your training. That said, combing through podcast archives to find specific answers to your questions or the challenges you’re feeling with in training now isn’t always easy. That’s why as one of our new formats for this show, we’re going to be combining the best knowledge we’ve gained over the past decade plus into actionable audio lessons and guides on specific topics you need help with. Each episode will get in-depth on topics such as strength training, injury prevention, training for specific race distances, nutrition and more. And we’ll do it using the best sound bites and actionable pieces of information from our years of interviews. With fall marathons on the horizon, this episode is going to cover everything involved in the marathon taper.  From mileage and specific workouts to nutrition and race day prep. You’re about to hear the best advice on every facet of the marathon taper so you nail your last three weeks of training and race day. Listen in! Connect, Comment, Community Follow RunnersConnect on Instagram Join the Elite Treatment where you get first dibs on everything RTTT each month! Runners Connect Winner's Circle Facebook Community  RunnersConnect Facebook page GET EXPERT COACHING AT RUNNERSCONNECT! This week’s show brought to you by: Nord VPN and LMNT Nord VPN -  As a huge fan of marathons and track and field, I love watching the biggest track events and marathons across the world. Unfortunately, finding reliable ways to watch these events can be a challenge. Most major track events and marathons are geo-restricted, meaning you can’t watch them unless you live in a specific country. That’s why I am such a huge fan of Nord VPN. Nord VPN allows you to change any device location to any country you want with a simple click of a button. It works for computers, tvs, tablets and phones. With Nord VPN I was able to watch all of the diamond league track races as well as major marathons like Boston, London and New York.  Plus, it works for streaming services such as Netflix, so you can watch movies and shows exclusive to other parts of the world. Even better, if you’re a frequent traveler or concerned about your internet security, using Nord VPN can help keep you safe from hackers and malicious sites when traveling. It’s the price of a cup of coffee every month, a small price to pay for premium cyber-security and access to a vast amount of entertaining content from all over the world. If you want to give Nord VPN a try, head to nordvpn.com/runtothetop to get a Huge Discount off your NordVPN Plan + 4 months for free!  Plus, It’s completely risk free with Nord’s 30 day money-back guarantee! LMNT -  As the weather cools and you wear more clothes, you sweat more than you realize. Hydration is critical. But as an athlete, training effectively in these conditions requires more than just water. You need electrolytes too, especially because you sweat more as a runner. Electrolytes are charged minerals that conduct electricity to power your nervous system and help you balance fluid levels. The most important electrolytes for runners are sodium, potassium, and magnesium. Maintaining healthy electrolyte levels will not only improve performance and endurance on the run, but can help with preventing headaches, maintaining a healthy weight, and help with recovery. That’s why we recommend all runners check out Element this summer. It's loaded with everything you need to replenish your electrolyte balance with 1000mg of sodium, 200mg of potassium, and 60mg of magnesium, and doesn't include anything you don't need like extra sugar or anything artificial. Even better, they are currently running a special deal where you can get a free LMNT Sample Pack with any order. So, order your favorite flavor and get a free sample pack to try out new flavors or share with your running friends.  To get this special offer and make sure you’re hydrating properly this summer, head over to drinklmnt.com/runnersconnect.

We are excited to share with you the first rendition of our “training plan rescue” series where a listener sends us their busted training plan and our coaches rescue it.  In this episode, our Head Coach Michael Hammond analyzes and offers recommendations on the training plan from a listener named Alex who has been aiming and falling short of his goal to break 3:40 in the marathon. You’ll learn about the 3 big problems in Alex’s current training plan as well as the 3 high-leverage changes he can make to run well under 3:40 off his training next cycle.  You’ll learn: The 3 big problems in Alex’s current training plan The 3 high-leverage changes Alex can make to break 3:40 in his next training cycle Connect, Comment, Community Follow RunnersConnect on Instagram Join the Elite Treatment where you get first dibs on everything RTTT each month! Runners Connect Winner's Circle Facebook Community  RunnersConnect Facebook page GET EXPERT COACHING AT RUNNERSCONNECT! This week’s show brought to you by: Timeline and BiOptimizers  1. MassZymes from BiOptimizers  If you’re looking to try enzymes to help with your digestive issues, we recommend Masszymes by BiOptimizers. It’s a best-in-class supplement loaded with full spectrum enzymes for digesting proteins, starches, sugars, fibers, and fats.  MassZymes is a 17-enzyme full-spectrum formula with 5 different kinds of protease. Plus, it contains all of the key enzymes needed for optimal digestion.  It also contains AstraZyme which is an all-natural, plant-derived compound that boosts amino acid absorption by 30-60 percent.  Plus, as a Run to the Top fan,  you save an additional 10%.  Just head to masszymes.com/runtothetop and use the code run10 and you’ll save an additional 10% on any purchase.  Offer is valid while supplies last.   2. Mitopure from Timeline Improving your mitochondria is one of the easiest ways to upgrade your performance and make your body work better.  Time-line Nutrition's Mitopure is backed by over a decade of research and is clinically proven to revitalize mitochondria.  Mitopure restores mitochondrial function, so every cell in your body has the energy to do its job and keep you healthy and functioning right. In fact, clinical studies have shown that 500mg of Urolithin, one of the main ingredients in Mitopure, can significantly increase muscle strength & endurance with no other change in lifestyle. Improving your mitochondria is one of the best things you can do for your health and with Mitopure from time-line nutrition, it has never been easier.  Go to timelinenutrition.com and use promo code RUNNERSCONNECT for 10% off the plan of your choice.

We have bittersweet news to share. This is the last episode hosted by Claire Bartholic!  In this special, transition episode of the Run to the Top Podcast, Claire Bartholic bids farewell to listeners and welcomes new Host Finn Melanson. You will also hear from RunnersConnect Founder Jeff Gaudette who talks further about next steps for the podcast and the types of content listeners can expect from the show on a weekly and monthly basis. You’ll learn: Why Claire is stepping down, what’s next for her professionally, her favorite moments hosting the show, and how listeners can stay in touch All about the new Host Finn Melanson, his running and podcasting backgrounds, and how he’ll work with RunnersConnect moving forward New content cadences and formats for the show moving forward Connect, Comment, Community Follow RunnersConnect on Instagram Join the Elite Treatment where you get first dibs on everything RTTT each month! Runners Connect Winner's Circle Facebook Community  RunnersConnect Facebook page GET EXPERT COACHING AT RUNNERSCONNECT! This week’s show brought to you by: BiOptimizers and LMNT Magnesium Breakthrough product from Bi-optimizers Supplementing with magnesium before you go to bed has been shown in scientific studies to… Increase in muscle oxygenation during high intensity exercise Reduce inflammation  Significantly improve sleep quality Improve aerobic exercise capacity when training And when you’re looking for a magnesium supplement, make sure you take one that is organic and has all 7 unique forms of magnesium.  Our recommendation is Magnesium Breakthrough from Bioptimizers because it’s made with the highest quality, organic magnesium and contains all 7 critical forms. Most other magnesium supplements are synthetic and only contain one or two forms of magnesium, which is simply not enough. For an exclusive offer for Run to the Top  listeners go to magbreakthrough.com/runtothetop  to save up to 42%  LMNT Maintaining healthy electrolyte levels will not only improve performance and endurance on the run, but can help with preventing headaches, maintaining a healthy weight, and help with recovery.  That’s why we recommend all runners check out Element this fall. It's loaded with everything you need to replenish your electrolyte balance with 1000mg of sodium, 200mg of potassium, and 60mg of magnesium, and doesn't include anything you don't need like extra sugar or anything artificial. Even better, they are currently running a special deal where you can get a free LMNT Sample Pack with any order. So, order your favorite flavor and get a free sample pack to try out new flavors or share with your running friends.   To get this special offer and make sure you’re hydrating properly this fall, head over to drinklmnt.com/runnersconnect.