Run to the Top Podcast | The Ultimate Guide to Running

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!

Neely Spence Gracey has running in her blood--her Olympian dad, Steve Spence, was running the Boston Marathon the day she was born and her mom ran that day too! She became a four-time state champion in high school and went on to turn pro after college.  She has qualified for the Olympic Trials three times, but due to injury, hasn't been able to toe the line and race for a spot. Until now. On this episode of Run To The Top, Claire talks with the 2:34 marathoner about journey she has experienced for the past year and a half. From injury, to pregnancy, to qualifying for the Olympic Trials in Atlanta this weekend, she shares it all. Not only that, Neely shares her wisdom for staying focused and healthy; the same tips she gives the athletes she coaches herself. Neely has a wonderful attitude and tremendous insight to performance athletes. We can't wait to cheer her on in Atlanta!   Questions Neely is asked:   3:30 What made you change your mind to go for the Olympic Marathon Trials? 9:34 How was your mental state while you were injured? 12:12 What do you think makes a good coaching relationship? 14:52 What was your experience running through your pregnancy and how do you coach your runners who are pregnant? 21:54 Do you think you will come back stronger post-pregnancy? 23:47 Do you have any stroller-running tips? 26:05 How did you use Walk/Run to ramp back up post-pregnancy? 30:01 How did it feel from an ‘ego’ standpoint to be Walk/Running? 32:45 What are your goals for Atlanta on February 29th? 34:21 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 Neely:   “I was just hoping that either it was going to happen or I was going to be far enough off that that it wasn’t realistic. Because , I did not want to be one of those very heartbreaking, tragic stories of the people who have just missed it by a few seconds.”   “As a coach, I try to really educate my athletes and help them learn about their bodies and build up their confidence and their own intuition of what they should be able to do and what they shouldn’t do.”   “There’s times where you have to push through, there’s times where it’s not a lot of fun. But, there’s also that really key line of when to push and when to not. It’s always better to err on the ‘not’.”   “The biggest thing is every person is so different. That doesn’t change whether you are pregnant or not, whether you’re a male or a female, each athlete is so unique.”   “When we try and force things, when we try and rush things it’s never going to go well. My goal for the year is to not ride that red-line at all, to be really conservative, to listen to my body, to rest when I need to rest, to not force a workout just because I think I have to, to not run that extra 2 miles at the end of a long run if I’m feeling fatigued.” 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: RUN10 for 10% off Halo Headbands Follow Neely on: Instagram Facebook Twitter neelyruns.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. 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!  

After weeks and months of training and preparation for your goal race, the last thing you want is the race getting cancelled.  How to cope and modify your plans when your race is cancelled? Find out in today's episode from Coach Laura.