274. Training Fundamentals, "Full" Marathons, Road vs. Trails, and more (with Travis Macy)

Self-efficacy is one of the most important concepts in the world of performance psychology. Most of us understand this idea as "confidence" but it's actually more specific than that. It means: "Self-efficacy refers to an individual's belief in his or her capacity to execute behaviors necessary to produce specific performance attainments." Now you might have a lot of questions: How can we better prioritize our mental fitness so that we believe in our abilities? What are the sources of self-efficacy so we can draw from them during training? How can we use mantras for running to our advantage? Are there strategies for building confidence training (or self-efficacy training) into our running? To help us answer these critical questions, I invited Dr. Amber Shipherd onto the podcast. Dr. Amber Shipherd is an assistant professor and performance psychology program coordinator at Texas A&M University-Kingsville. She's also a certified mental performance consultant and owner of Next Level Mind Consulting. She is a member of the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee Sports Psychology Registry and an Executive Committee Member with the Association for Applied Sport Psychology. And thankfully for us, she's an expert on self-efficacy! She joins us on the Strength Running Podcast to discuss the intricacies of confidence: Why confidence is not nearly as valuable as self-efficacy Strategies for building self-efficacy while running Mindset traps that sap confidence and leave you doubting yourself Best practices for incorporating imagery and personal affirmations in your running Links & Resources from the Show: Follow Amber on Twitter Visit Amber's website How to thrive during adversity My favorite mantras

19 Nov 202052min

Most diets claim to deliver one big goal. For some, that's making the body more alkaline (the opposite of acidic). Others promise to help you lose weight, reduce inflammation, improve gut health, increase mental clarity, burn fat, and generally just "upgrade your life." But are they real? Do these diets deliver on their promises? And they worth the hassle? These are critical questions because our nutrition and fueling is paramount to our success as runners. And as the saying goes, garbage in means garbage out. The days of believing that "the furnace will burn anything if the fire is hot enough" are over. We now know that nutrition plays a leading role in how energized we feel, how well we recover from hard efforts, and our general health and longevity. Without good nutrition, we're setting ourselves up for failure. But do we need a specific diet? To get a clear answer, I invited Registered Dietitian (and certified running coach) Claire Shorenstein to the podcast. Claire Shorenstein is a RRCA certified running coach, Registered Dietitian, and host of the Eat for Endurance Podcast. She has a private practice in New York where she puts her Master's degree in clinical nutrition to good use. We first met back in 2015 at the National Endurance Sports Summit at Princeton Univeristy where we both participated on a panel about fueling for endurance running. Since then, I've seen her name pop up in Runner's World, Salon, Food & Wine, and other big media outlets. She joins us for a two-part discussion. Part 1 focuses on three specific diets: the alkaline, anti-inflammatory, and microbiome (or gut health) diets. We talk about the goals of each diet, how they claim to deliver results, and whether or not it's a good choice for runners. Part 2 is about diets and eating for endurance. We talk more broadly about eating healthy, the rules that we each follow (and break regularly), and why runners should think twice about following a strict diet. Links & Resources from the Show: Claire's website Follow Claire on Instagram or Facebook Strength Running's free nutrition course More Q&A with a Registered Dietitian SR's Running for Weight Loss resource page

12 Nov 202048min

Breaking through a performance plateau when you seem to be slowing down can be frustrating. Running improvement sometimes can be difficult. How do you train differently? What are the low-risk, high-reward activities that will prompt you to keep improving? Sometimes, a fresh set of eyes on your training is what it takes. Use the improvement suggestions in this episode to help you think more strategically about your training, challenge yourself to try something new, and get out of your comfort zone. For more, visit strengthrunning.com or our youtube channel. 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.

5 Nov 202031min

Brian Zuleger is a professor of sport psychology at Adams State University, where he is also the mental strength coach for the Cross Country and Track and Field teams. He works directly with athletes in an integrative, holistic approach. Brian is a certified Exercise Physiologist from the American College of Sports Medicine. He applies his education with the athletes he works with as a personal trainer and coach. We discuss the partnership that he has with athletes, the skills that they focus on, and their unique psychology. We talk about the advantages and disadvantages of the youthful mindset, as well as what adult runners can take away. We also talk about: Healthy ways to view competition Temptation of numbers-driven outcomes Getting unstuck after a bad workout Advantages of having a team Show Links & Resources: Check out Brian's website Connect on Instagram Sign up for our free course on confidence, focus, and mental toughness Thank you  to the  Run Smarter Podcast! The Run Smarter Podcast is our newest sponsor that I know you'll love. Hosted by Brodie Sharpe, an expert in physiology, it aims to bridge the information gap for recreational runners and the field of physiotherapy. Brodie is an expert in this and is passionate about helping runners perform their best. Alongside the valuable resources shared in the Run Smarter Podcast, he offers online physiotherapy to help runners recovery from injuries. When I joined Brodie to discuss how to create the best training plan, I was impressed with his thoughtful questions and commitment to science-based information. Check out more of his episodes on The Run Smarter Podcast and subscribe to get the newest ones. I know you'll really enjoy it!

29 Okt 202050min

Starting anything new can be overwhelming, especially if you do all the research upfront. Read about running and you'll find yourself wondering if you have the "right" shoes, gear, training plan, etc. To simplify, we have a free course to help you with getting started as a new runner. The information will help get you going and keep you running. Today's podcast addresses questions that we collected from our community. Many are frequent ones that every new runner will wonder about at some point. Others topics are more specific and interesting to be aware of, even if they don't pertain to you. We divided the questions into several categories: Getting started - the "how" and "why" of running Training strategies - we discuss different paces, stretching routines, and goals Fueling - details for drinking and eating on the run Your body's performance while running Mental skills for runners Ever wondered how long it might take you to train for a marathon? Or when to consider packing water with you on the run? And most importantly - where do you start? We have you covered! Thank You PATH Projects! PATH Projects continues to be a great supporter of this podcast! I'm grateful for their partnership and want to share more about their products that I've been loving because they so durable and comfortable. PATH Projects is an online-only retailer of high-quality running gear and apparel. That means there is no retail markup, making their products quite affordable. In particular, I've just started wearing their 3" Sykes shorts and they're a little different from the 5" Sykes shorts (you can see those in action here). The material is thinner and lighter, which is perfect in a performance short, and they're obviously shorter. I'm not sure if my wife thinks they're too scandalous or loves them, but I'm wearing them constantly. PATH uses new technical fabrics, like the Japanese fiber called Toray Primeflex, to create award-winning apparel for endurance athletes. In fact, their Brim shorts and Tahoe base liner won Runner's World's 2018 Gear of the Year award. And the Pyrinees hoodie was named one of the best six sweatshirts for running in the cold by Gear Patrol. You know you'll be wearing the best when you select PATH Projects!

22 Okt 20201h 22min

Rose is a scientist and an enthusiastic runner. While she wasn't involved with organized running teams through her earlier years, she has been running for several decades. Now, in her 40s, Rose is wondering if she can continue to get faster in her marathon times and beat a PR from her 20's. Rose is a strong and committed runner who has made significant improvements in the last few years. She previously dealt with a lot of discomforts, but is now running pain-free. She attributed that to her strength from the High Performance Lifting program and mobility improvements.  In this conversation, you'll learn more about Rose's past race performance, training cycle lengths, and her goals. We talk though many other aspects that she can dial in and ultimately lay out a full year of training and races for her. Rose was pumped to hear that a PR is most definitely possible. We just have to be thoughtful in the approach and patient with the process. We're all cheering for her! If you'd like the opportunity to have a 1-on-1 coaching call with Jason for the podcast, join the Strength Running team, where you can join our thriving community.

15 Okt 202050min

Wondering what you can do to prevent injuries? Let's learn from the best in the sport! Today's podcast rounds up advice from the world's top female runners on what they do to prevent injuries and stay healthy while performing at the highest levels. I asked a single question to 5 of the best runners in the world - Colleen Quigley, Sara Hall, Grayson Murphy, Kate Grace, and Molly Huddle: What single idea, tool, or strategy is most helpful in keeping you healthy and running injury-free? The responses are fascinating. Particularly, pay attention to the commonalities. These women are especially focused on what allows them to run sustainably, improve over time, and focus on their own particular needs. Many of the women mentioned the importance of your mindset, and I couldn't agree more! That's why we offer a course designed to improve your mental toughness, along with techniques that you can implement in your own running. If you aren't ready for a full course, check out these helpful guides to up your mental game: Mantras for running Mental toughness training Additional tips from a sports phycologist See what these incredible women had to say and, of course, see our ultimate guide for injury prevention. Thank You PATH Projects! PATH Projects continues to be a great supporter of this podcast! I'm grateful for their partnership and want to share more about their products that I've been loving because they so durable and comfortable. PATH Projects is an online-only retailer of high-quality running gear and apparel. That means there is no retail markup, making their products quite affordable. In particular, I've just started wearing their 3" Sykes shorts and they're a little different from the 5" Sykes shorts (you can see those in action here). The material is thinner and lighter, which is perfect in a performance short, and they're obviously shorter. I'm not sure if my wife thinks they're too scandalous or loves them, but I'm wearing them constantly. PATH uses new technical fabrics, like the Japanese fiber called Toray Primeflex, to create award-winning apparel for endurance athletes. In fact, their Brim shorts and Tahoe base liner won Runner's World's 2018 Gear of the Year award. And the Pyrinees hoodie was named one of the best six sweatshirts for running in the cold by Gear Patrol. You know you'll be wearing the best when you select PATH Projects!

8 Okt 202041min

Matt Phillips in an expert in the field of massage therapy and performance, which is why he's one of our few repeat guests! Our previous podcast focused on running form, but today we're discussing another specialty of his: massage. Originally a strength and conditioning coach with the National Academy of Sports Medicine, Matt turned his attention to Sports Therapy in 2004. Since then, he has focused his work on distance runners and endurance athletes. He is also a lecturer in Anatomy and Physiology and his work has appeared in most major media. In this episode, we talk about the common beliefs that are not supported by scientific data, in particular, that massages are not helpful for: Breaking down scar tissue Flushing out lactic acid Increasing circulation Reducing injury through added pain We also talk about how finding a knowledgeable massage therapist can help with: Relaxing the central nervous system Aiding with recovering Educating you Matt provides some great tips on how to find a therapist suitable for you and your needs, incorporating massages into your athletic pursuits, and sorting through all that anecdotal evidence. Thank You Elemental Labs! A big thanks to Elemental Labs for their support of this episode! They make electrolyte drinks for athletes and low-carb folks with no sugar, artificial ingredients, or colors. Their products have some of the highest sodium concentrations that you can find. Anybody who runs a lot knows that sodium, as well as other electrolytes like magnesium and potassium, are essential to our performance and how we feel throughout the day. The citrus flavor has quickly become my favorite and I'm drinking one a day now to help me get enough fluids in our dry Colorado air. It's tasty and delicious and I find that I'm not peeing every 45 minutes throughout the day, which might be an indication I wasn't eating enough sodium. There's now mounting evidence that higher sodium intake levels are not unhealthy – and athletes need substantially more than your typical sedentary person. Of course, ask your doctor if you're worried. But for those athletes running outside in the heat, an electrolyte replacement makes a lot of sense. I'm encouraged by the fact that Navy SEAL teams, Olympic teams, and pro athletes have started using Elemental electrolyte supplements to improve their performance. Learn more about what they do at their website.

1 Okt 20201h 4min