Run to the Top Podcast | The Ultimate Guide to Running

This episode will give you new insight on improving your running performance and reducing injuries. Matt Phillips is a Running Injury & Performance specialist based in Sussex, England. As a writer for numerous publications and websites, he is a popular speaker at national & international conferences, and has his own bi-monthly podcast called 'RunChatLive' helping runners, coaches and therapists clear up the myths & misconceptions that are certainly a part of this sport. Matt shares his research-driven perspective on heel striking, foot shape, the running magazine dilemma, the dangers and benefits of running teams, and the ever elusive sub-2-hour marathon.  

HILLS! For many of us this word terrifies us because they’re hard, they’re uncomfortable, and we may not even know how to run them correctly. Up hill, downhill, hills for interval training and speed work, trail running with hills, it’s all part of the running experience. Yet, how many of us know how to use hills effectively and to our optimal benefit to improve our running? In this episode Dylan discusses hills and why all of us can benefit from understanding how to run them better and how to utilize the power that comes from effective hill running – for racing and training. When we think of running hills, we often envision running up a road with a steep hill, running up a long but low grade, or the infamous “Heartbreak Hill” of Boston. But, as Isaac Newton essentially said: “What goes up, must come down.” and Dylan also shares with us how to effectively run down hills and how hills should be approached when trail running.

Kate reached a do or die moment, her senior year of college, a moment where she either made a drastic change or let her spirit wither away. The 2 words that kept repeating were CHANGE and RUN. So with the need to feel powerful and the thrill to seek adventure and new roads, she signed up for a 50-mile race… her first ever running race with only 3 cold Chicago months to take her non-running self across the finish line of a grueling footrace in the  backwoods of Pekin, Illinois (McNaughton Trail 50-miler 2007). That singular 50-mile race changed the course of her life forever!

In this week’s episode, Austin Martinez, Director of Education at StretchLab describes the 7 Essential Stretches for runners and why we need to include flexibility and strength workouts in addition to just running miles for injury prevention and optimum performance as a runner. These stretches focus on the following areas of our bodies: Feet, Lower Legs, Quads, Hamstrings, Glutes, Spine, Core, and Upper Body. (Ok, that’s really 8, but Upper Body is easily overlooked for runners and Austin gave us a bonus stretch).

What do zombies and ultra marathons have to do with each other? We find out in this week’s episode where we talk with Undead Ultra book author and ultra runner, Camille Piccott, as we honor Zombie Awareness month in May. We discuss Camille’s 3 zombie books with ultra running heroes: Dawn Patrol, Undead Ultra, and Dorm Life. We are in for a fun and provocative discussion of the merits of ultra-running and the apocalyptic potential of zombies taking over the earth.

Hemp, marijuana, CBD, THC... How are they related and can they help runners? Are they even legal? Can CBD alleviate pain and inflammation? What is the science behind it? Are our bodies actually pre-wired for this? There is a lot of chatter about CBD supplements, but what is actually known?  Our guest today is Caleb Simpson from Hemp Daddy’s Therapeutics. Caleb will give us the facts and fill in the missing pieces of the hemp/CBD mystery.

Ryan Hall - Run The Mile You’re In Olympic athlete and American record holder in the half marathon Ryan Hall hasn’t always loved running. In his new book, Run the Mile You’re In: Finding God in Every Step, Ryan reveals how he got his unlikely start in running, both the “why” and the secret to the success of his 20-year athletic career. He encourages others to run their own races with confidence.

For many of us, the Boston Marathon is not just a Bucket List race, but a Bucket List goal altogether. While we’re excited to see what the elite field can do in one of the most famous running events, thousands of non-elite runners will also be putting their bodies and their minds to the test next Monday. Scott Mattingly, 60, is one such runner. Born and raised in Catonsville, Maryland, Scott will be competing in his first ever Boston Marathon in 2019.

Who will win at the Boston Marathon in 2019? Coach Ben Rosario offers a few thoughts on the overall field and his own contenders from the Hoka Team NAZ Elite in Flagstaff, Arizona.  Ben has been just about everything in the running industry; elite athlete, special events director for a big city marathon, running store owner, marketing director, elite athlete coordinator and of course…coach. His number one passion though, has always been the competitive side of the sport and he brings a healthy obsession for success to his role as coach/president of Hoka Northern Arizona Elite.

We choose different running shoes for terrain, weather, price, ability, etc. In the second of this 2 part series we are talking with Derek Wun, running shoe expert in California as we continue our search into the best running shoes of 2019.  Derek will add to what started with Ross Martinson, from Philadelphia Runner Stores last week with his California based choices of the best running shoes of the year.