Uphill Athlete Podcast

Coach Martin Zhor and Alyssa discuss the challenges of running in extreme conditions like altitude, heat, and cold. They cover acclimatization strategies, caloric and hydration needs at altitude, heat training, nutrition and hydration in hot and cold weather, and proper preparation and gear for cold weather running.

On this episode, Alyssa catches up with Registered Dietician, Rebecca Dent, to discuss proper race fueling strategies and how to perform your nutrition best in trail running. The two break down how to set up a race nutrition strategy as well as how to test this strategy in your training. Rebecca emphasizes the importance of proper carbohydrate consumption throughout the race and how it can turn a DNF into a Personal Best. They continue with considerations for multi-day races, gut training and common GI issues runners face. The two wrap with hydration and sodium requirements as well as the top three common mistakes Rebecca sees trail athletes make in nutrition. Rebecca shares a tremendous amount of knowledge and experience in this podcast and it will help you achieve your trail running goals.Reach us at uphillathlete.com or write to us at coach@uphillathlete.comSweat Loss Calculator: https://www.precisionhydration.com/performance-advice/hydration/how-to-measure-your-sweat-rate/

Alyssa welcomes fellow coaches Alexa Hasman and Brian Passenti to a coaches round table to discuss in race fueling strategies. They break down using aid stations, planning race nutrition, as well as fueling considerations for different distances. With all three having experience running distances from 50km to over 300 miles, each discusses how they individually approach a race, mistakes they have made and how they have learned to deal with ups and downs in their own careers. They also give advise on managing nausea and their ride or die must bring nutrition. Lastly, the three discuss what to do when it seems like everything is going wrong, and how to dig yourself out and keep moving forward. You do not want to miss this lively discussion on managing your race fueling.Write to us at coach@uphillathlete.com or check out our website uphillathlete.com for more information on our offerings. 

Alyssa is joined by two special guests this episode on pacing and crewing, her pacer from the Canyons 100 miler, Nic Erol, and her husband and long time crew chief, Codi Clark. The first part of the episode focuses on pacing where Nic and Alyssa discuss the history of pacers, their purpose in races as well as where in the world pacing is allowed or disallowed. They go on to talk about what to look for in a pacer, the pacer’s role for the runner, and discussions to have pre-race. In the second half of the episode, Codi and Alyssa break down the role of a crew, especially how a crew chief operates and delegates tasks to help the runner. They also discuss packing essentials for crew, how to mentally and physically prepare for the race and wrap up with Codi’s key takeaways from crewing for the past six years. This is a great episode to share with your pacers and crew to help prepare for success in racing and beyond.

Steve is joined by the Chamonix Fit master himself, Neil Maclain-Martin, to interview the legendary mountain athlete, Hillary Gerardi. Among her accomplishments as a skyrunning series champion and Mont Blanc 90 km winner, Hillary most recently set a new Fastest Known Time summiting Mont Blanc in 7 hours, 25 minutes and 28 seconds. Steve, Neil and Hillary discuss Hillary’s introduction to mountain running and how she has combined her elite running with ski touring and alpinism. Hillary and her husband Brad, share a deep passion for conservation and climate activism which factors greatly into her mountain pursuits. The three continue with a discussion on Hillary’s route choice for her FKT and the impact these decisions have on setting safe examples in the mountains. Hillary also brings up the relationship she has with her coach and the deep trust and collaboration the two have to help Hillary be her best. This is an inspiring and thought provoking episode sure to get you excited to head to the mountains.

In this episode, Steve and Alyssa welcome coach Will Weidman to the podcast to discuss the benefits of muscular endurance training for trail runners. The three break down what muscular endurance training looks like for trail runners, how it can be integrated into training and its importance particularly in downhill training. Will describes his positive experiences with using muscular endurance training for UTMB and Tor Des Geants and the improvement in results he found. The three discuss using gym based vs outdoor based muscular endurance and how Alyssa and Will use it specifically for themselves and their athletes. They wrap up with a conversation about the upper body endurance needed for 200 miles and the importance of training with weight to endure a 200 mile event. Muscular endurance training is key to big mountain trail running and you do not want to miss this lively discussion.Please write to us @ coach@uphillathlete.com or visit our website at uphillathlete.com for more information.https://bit.ly/43wuU7L

Discussion on the importance of strength training for trail runners, including injury prevention and performance improvement. Tips on incorporating strength exercises into daily activities and the significance of core strength and self-control. Overcoming fear in strength training with less intimidating exercises. Importance of note-taking and eccentric strength for downhill running. The significance of rest and recovery after strength training.

Alyssa sits down with another special guest for the trail running series, professional runner, environmental activist and writer, Damian Hall. Damian has a wide variety of racing experience and success from a Spine Race Course Record, to a Pennine Way FKT and a 5th place finish at UTMB. He is also a coach, journalist and author of two books including We Can’t Run Away From This which examines the impact of running and racing on the climate crisis. The two discuss Damian’s trail running journey alongside his environmental activism. They dive into the balance of choosing goal races while reducing environmental impact. Damian also gives advice on reducing waste in gear, nutrition and hydration and how to make running as sustainable as possible. The two wrap up discussing the future implications of environmental disasters as well as the importance of advocating and taking a stance to change environmental policies for future generations.If you are interested in learning more about Damian’s initiatives and joining the organization he co founded, check out thegreenrunners.comIf you would like to learn more about uphill athlete, please visit uphillathlete.com or write to us at coach@uphillathlete.com https://bit.ly/43wuU7L

Steve and Alyssa are joined by the first special guest of the trail running podcast series, John Kelly. John is a prolific runner, data scientist and father to four. He has successfully taken on everything from Ironman World Championships, fast marathons, multi day FKTs, 200 mile races and last but not least, his two time finish of Barkley Marathons. The three kick off with John’s experiences racing and adventuring while balancing a full time job, a family of four and the subsequent time constraints. John explains his decision making process with racing and the rates of success he expects in taking on lofty goals. They also discuss John’s evolution in his relationship with competition and how he deals with failure and success. This is a conversation not to be missed with an athlete who has years of wisdom and experiences to share.You can check out John's adventures here: https://www.randomforestrunner.com/ or find him on Instagram @randomforestrunner Visit us at www.uphillathlete.com, email us at coach@uphillathlete.com or see us on instagram @uphill_athlete

Director of Coaching Chantelle Robataille and coach Alyssa Clark are back in the second episode of the trail running series. They discuss the basics of training for trail running including aerobic base building, metabolic efficiency, and proper training progression. They move into discussing and debunking common myths in training for ultras. Chantelle and Alyssa wrap up with advice on specializing your training to fit your race profile and strategies. Join the two for a lively discussion of all things trail running!Visit us at www.uphillathlete.com, email us at coach@uphillathlete.com or see us on instagram @uphill_athlete