225. Planning a 5k PR: A New Behind-the-Scenes Coaching Call with Coach Chris Robinson

Luke Tyburski has overcome more in his relatively short life than most of us. His dream as a child was to play professional soccer on the world stage. And he accomplished exactly that as an adult, playing in lower-level professional leagues in California, Louisiana, and the UK. But his dreams were cut short after a series of debilitating injuries. He couldn't maintain the workload of a high-level soccer player without getting hurt. Soon, he succumbed to severe clinical depression. With no backup plan and thoughts of suicide running through his mind, Luke felt lost. But then he discovered endurance sports. Reinventing himself as an ultra-endurance adventurer, Luke started competing in the most brutal events on the planet: The Ultimate Triathlon - a 12-day, 2,000km triathlon across multiple countries Marathon des Sables - a 6-day, 156-mile ultramarathon in the Sahara Desert The Everest Ultramarathon - a 40-mile ultra going down from Base Camp (elevation 17,000 feet) And these are just the most extreme events! Now, Luke is still focused on ultra-endurance events but also in sharing his journey. In this episode of the podcast, Luke and I talk about his background as a soccer player and how he decided to become an ultra-endurance athlete. Specifically, we discuss: What he learned from being injured so frequently as a soccer player How those injuries influence his training for running events The shifts in mindset that were required to transition from soccer to ultra running How running helped him fight his clinical depression What keeps Luke motivated today Luke is a teacher and has a way of lifting up those around him. I felt inspired, motivated, and in a positive state of mind after I spoke with him and I know you will, too! Show Links & Resources: Visit Luke Tyburski's website Chasing Extreme: A Journey of Overcoming Obstacles & Depression to Embrace a Life of Extreme Adventure The Ultimate Triathlon documentary Get $150 off his mindset course with code SRMINDSET Follow Luke on Twitter Mental toughness training How to beat pre-race anxiety Thank you SteadyMD Our sponsor for this episode of the podcast is SteadyMD. They pair you with a primary care doctor, online, who's available via phone, text, or video for all of your needs. It's tele-medicine at its finest. And not just any doctor, but a fellow runner who understands the training process, your recovery needs, repetitive stress injuries, and can easily order you blood work, referrals for specialists, and more. Dr. Josh Emdur leads the program and he's a sub-3 marathoner! Visit SteadymD to learn more about this innovative medical service for endurance runners and reserve your spot.

9 Apr 20201h 1min

Today on the podcast, we're talking with Emma Coburn on the incredible success she's had over the last few years. For nearly a decade, Emma Coburn has been a force to be reckoned with in the 3,000m steeplechase - a notoriously difficult race that requires strength, coordination, and an unwavering focus. In this conversation, we're discovering how Emma has engineered such a tremendous career over a long period of time. Emma and I talk about: What she's doing right now to maintain her momentum now that the 2020 Olympics have been postponed The training staples that are consistently present in her training Advice for runners who've had their spring races cancelled The elements of her training that have changed over time Her advice for high school girls transitioning to college track and cross country When she knows its time to move out of her comfort zone Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartRadio, or Google Play. Show Links & Resources: Follow Emma on Instagram or on Twitter Check out Emma's exercise bands (perfect for the ITB Rehab Routine) Listen to my interview with fellow steepler Courtney Frerichs Sign up for our injury prevention ecourse Thank you Elevate Running Camp A big thanks to our new sponsor, Elevate Running Camp! This is an awesome opportunity to enjoy some of the best trails in the country and a mecca for distance running in Boulder, Colorado. Elevate is a 4-day, 3-night adult running camp with pro athletes, doctors, and other experts to help you make the most from the retreat. You'll be able to get a post-run massage, do some outdoor yoga, and most importantly, connect with other runners just like you. Plus, you get a swag bag and professional camp photos to post all over your Instagram account! All ages and paces are welcomed and the price, excluding travel to Boulder, is all-inclusive with lots of great food for runners as well. While registration is currently closed because of the coronavirus, I encourage you to sign up for their email list on their site. You'll be the first to know when registration reopens and when it does, you can use code elevatestrength200 to save $200 off a camp of your choice.

2 Apr 202029min

Abby Stanley is the assistant cross country and track coach for Cal Baptist and the cohost of the Up and Running Podcast. She's also my teammate for Rambling Runner's Virtual Race Series Podcaster Challenge. And I'm happy she's on my team - she's a 2:52 marathoner, too! Her first race ever was a marathon in college - not the best introduction to racing, but it got her hooked. Now, she surrounds herself with running as a coach and podcaster. On the Strength Running podcast, we're discussing a wide-ranging set of issues designed to help you improve: What aspect of fitness do most runners need to develop? How does she focus on injury prevention - and what are the most effective prevention strategies? Should beginners race "complex" or challenging races? How can we adapt the lessons she's learned working with college athletes to us adult runners? Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartRadio, or Google Play. This episode would not have been possible without Inside Tracker, who is offering a 10% discount on any of their tests with code strengthrunning.

26 Mar 202057min

This episode answers the #1 question runners have asked over the last week: 'now that my spring race is canceled, what do I do now?' You'll hear from Jen Miller, author of Running: A Love Story and the person behind the New York Times weekly running newsletter. She had a marathon and a 50k on her plate this spring but both races are canceled. Jason and Jen discuss what she can do now and her unique circumstances that take priority over running. Team Strength Running - our virtual team - is open indefinitely to help you stay connected to the running community. This is our group coaching program where you get a coach, a library of training plans, strength and core routines, ongoing education with a new expert interview every week, and the support and camaraderie of having a network of other runners just like you. It's a team, after all! If you'd like to see more details and potentially join, go to https://strengthrunning.com/join-the-team/ to learn more. A virtual race series that I've joined is The Rambling Runner series. You can find more info at https://www.theramblingrunner.com/virtualraceseries or you can simply search for the rambling runner club on Strava and join from there. It's entirely free and this is one of the best opportunities to stay connected in the coming months.

19 Mar 202022min

This is an extra episode this week about the coronavirus. All of our lives have been disrupted over the last few weeks and things seem to be getting worse, so I wanted to give some advice to runners out there on how to handle their training and race schedule in a time like this. Beth Skwarecki joins us to discuss pandemics from a historical perspective, talk more about why this is unlike the flu, and what you can do to keep yourself and loved ones healthy and safe. Beth is the Health Editor of one of the largest blogs in the World, Lifehacker and runs their health and fitness vertical called Vitals. She has published two books - Genetics 101 and Outbreak! 50 Tales of Epidemics that Terrorized the World. Her work has been featured in Science, Medscape, Scientific American, and many other major media sources. Be sure to stay tuned after our conversation; I'll be talking about what you can do to stay fit if you're isolated at home or if your spring race has been cancelled. Use these routines to stay fit and strong at home: ITB Rehab Routine Standard Core Routine Gauntlet Plank Routine

16 Mar 202041min

Justin ran his first marathon last year in 3:53 after a few years of consistent running. But he's recently taken the last 6 months off from running for a move and a new PhD program. His goal is to run a much faster marathon this fall. Without much race history and a relatively low training age, we're left with many questions: How will he do it? What aspects of his training demand improvement? What elements of training from his last cycle should remain the same? Should he start training for a fall marathon now? How can he take "the next step" with his running but also stay healthy? The marathon is a uniquely difficult event so our preparation must be methodical. It's the longest distance that's not considered an ultra marathon. And while many ultras are on trails, most marathons are on the roads, providing far more stress and impact than a trail race. Moreover, the human body is only capable of storing enough carbohydrates for about 20 miles of hard exercise. Hitting the wall - or the infamous marathon bonk - is because runners don't have enough carbs to fuel their high-intensity running. Clearly, we need to take the marathon seriously. And Justin is ready to do just that. In this episode, we're going to learn: His background and how long he's been running What his training was like for his first marathon His history with injuries and other race distances The strategy from March - October for a faster marathon What he should right now (note: it's not start training for his fall marathon) The concrete training upgrades he ought to make for a faster race Justin is a regular runner just like all of us. He's a 25-year old PhD student living in Philadelphia who started taking running more seriously after he fell in love with his progress. And now, he's starting to think about qualifying for Boston and potentially running a sub-3 marathon.

12 Mar 202046min

A graduate of Harvard Medical School, Dr. Metzl is one of the most highly regarded doctors for runners. He delivers lectures around the world and has published numerous peer-reviewed papers. In addition to his medical practices in New York and Connecticut, Jordan has written several books for athletes including: Running Strong The Athlete's Book of Home Remedies The Exercise Cure He's the creator of the IronStrength workout for runners and is a multiple marathon and Ironman finisher. Today on the podcast, we're discussing how to keep you healthy and running stronger. Our topics of discussion include: The importance of having a strong butt Strength training's (bloated?) injury prevention benefits Balancing high mileage with staying healthy The injury risks of highly cushioned shoes like the Nike Next% Links & Resources From the Show: Follow Jordan on Instagram Prevention advice from the pro's Visit Jordan's website Strength routines for runners Our injury prevention email series

5 Mar 202041min

On Saturday, February 29, 2020 history was made in Atlanta Georgia as hundreds of athletes vied for the top 3 spots in the men's and women's Olympic Trials Marathon. This episode was originally recorded for the Road to the Olympic Trials podcast, where it was released one day before this episode. It features a recap of the 2020 Men's & Women's Olympic Trials Marathons with Matt Chittim, host of that podcast as well as the Rambling Runner podcast. This episode is sponsored by Inside Tracker, a company that helps endurance athletes optimize their training after taking a simple blood test. Figure out if you're over- or under-training so you catch these problems early and train more effectively. Use code strengthrunning (no space) to save 10% on any of their blood testing kits at insidetracker.com. At this Olympic Trials, history was made, lifetime dreams were accomplished - and shattered, and Olympians were minted. Nothing is more exciting than a 4-year quest to represent your country in the most competitive contest on Earth. The Olympic Games represent the best in humanity - and you're about to hear from two very excited running geeks who just watched the trials marathon. Matt and Jason had a blast talking about the breakaway performances, the unique difficulty of the Atlanta course, and surprises from this Olympic Trials.

2 Mar 202052min