Uphill Athlete Podcast

Coach Sam Naney is joined by Nikki LaRochelle and Mike Foote: Two successful mountain athletes both highly accomplished in the ski mountaineering, ultra running, and much more. They discuss the growth and development of the skimo racing in the US and Canada and how people can get involved with the skimo racing and ski mountaineering community in North America.

Coaches Scott Johnston and Sam Naney discuss overtraining syndrome (OTS).  “Treading on the knife’s edge, there is no real road map.” Key points covered are: Over-reaching verses over-training. Learning the distinction between the sympathetic and para-sympathetic overreaching; how to modulate training to encourage over-reaching and discourage over-training; recognizing red flags for over training; the pitfalls of group youth programs; recognizing a fatigue issue versus a fitness issue within the context of overtraining; the pitfalls of HRV (heart rate variability) for useful information for modulating training; how to modulate and accept mental and emotional stress; making rest as intentional as training; advice for people who find themselves in an overtrained state.

In this episode Scott Johnston is joined by Art Muir. Art is a seventy-four year old mountain enthusiast who has worked with Uphill Athlete for several years. As an urban dweller in Chicago, Art discusses how he trains for his mountain goals and ambitions in the flat lands, as well as how he has approached his training and goals through time.

Cody Ice Climbing: No Drafting on Pick Holes!Join Uphill athlete co-founder Steve House for a discussion with UA coach John Frieh and South Fork local and guidebook writer for the area, Aaron Mulkey. In this episode they discuss the ice climbing opportunities around Cody, Wyoming. They cover: the logistics of approaching various routes; how a typical day of ice climbing unfolds; things to consider when approaching routes; being prepared for wind, rock fall, and other inclement weather while on route; the differences between Ouray, Hyalite Canyon, and the South Fork; using v-threads for descending; hit list of Cody classics; Cody as a training ground for alpine climbing and consolidating fitness goals; the importance of aerobic fitness in approaching South Fork routes.

In this episode, Scott Johnston talks with Uphill Athlete's military and tactical coach, Drew Hammond. In this episode Scott and Drew discuss: Drew’s background; using hybrid strength and endurance methods; approaches for building an aerobic base for tactical athletes; training soldiers like athletes; training philosophy; scheduling training around deployment and at while at home; creating longterm positive change in base level physiology. 

Coach Sam Naney is joined by athlete Luke Nelson and coach, and 2019 Canadian Masters National SkiMo Champion, Scott Semple for a chat about all things ski mountaineering. Sam, Luke, and Scott have a great collective history in skimo racing. Join them as they talk about skimo racing in the US and in Europe; ways to train for and get involved in skimo; dive into some particulars about the gear needed; and learn how to get out there and make the best of ski mountaineering and racing.

In this episode of the Uphill Athlete Podcast, Scott Johnston talks with professional runner, Mike Foote. They discuss Mike's training and athletic history, the process of his athletic development, injury rehab and prevention, and Mike's passion for moving quickly in the mountains. 

Join Uphill Athlete co-founder Scott Johnston in his conversation with elite ultra runner Luke Nelson as they discuss their history and Luke’s connection to outdoor sports and activities. In this episode Luke and Scott do a deep dive into UA's Muscular Endurance progression. Luke has used it multiple times with great success for races and and FKTs. They discuss its role in providing increased fatigue resistance without super high mileage. They also touch on Luke’s balancing of career and family with his athletic ambitions; the appeal of fastest known times or FKTs; honoring the recovery process; how to encourage fatigue resistance, and how to program that into a training regime; the nuances of concentrated loading and shifting to tapering; the importance of the craft of daily practice as process-oriented goals; how to take the long-view and how to honor that process; how to construct the recovery process; "swimming like a cat" and using swimming as a recovery tool; and mastering efficiency on multiple types of terrain. There is much to be gleaned from this episode. Join in and give it a listen! 

Scott Johnston talks with high performance dietitian Rebecca Dent on a variety nutrition-related topics for aging athletes. In this episode they cover: why not all calories are created equal; Non Exercise Active Thermogenesis “NEAT”; understanding calorie impact; the boundaries and conditions involved in fasted training; appropriate nutrient timing; the role of diet and nutrition in injury prevention; psychology of maintaining fitness as we age.

In this episode of the Uphill Athlete Podcast, Scott Johnston interviews Doctor Monica Paris M.D., basecamp doctor for Mount Everest, Cho Oyu, and Manaslu. Join them as they discuss a variety of topics including: approaching 8,000 meter peaks; knowing how the body responds to altitude before heading to the Himalaya; avoiding illness during an expedition; general versus individual medical guidelines regarding what is possible in high altitude alpinism; personal risk assessment for climbing at altitude; using hypoxic tents as preparation for acclimatizing for high altitude; and dispelling misinformation about using supplemental oxygen at altitude.