The Strength Running Podcast

In Episode 33, I introduced you to Joel Runyon who recently ran an ultramarathon on every continent - and raised a staggering $190,000 in the process. Today, we're diving deeper into the obstacles he faced, lessons learned, and what he'd change if he were to do it all over again. In part two of our conversation, Joel opens up about the obstacles he faced while attempting to finish the 777 Project. They included injuries, unrelated lawsuits, brutal trail races in the mountains of Thailand, and the normal logistical nightmares of running races all over the world. Of course, Joel didn't quit. It didn't matter that he had to take 6 months off to rehabilitate a peroneal tendon injury. He didn't care that every race - and the travel that went along with it - was self-funded. Nor was it even an option to quit during a race (how's that for commitment?). More important than the mindset that allowed Joel to leapfrog these obstacles is the impact and lessons learned from the 777 Project. We cover all that and more in today's episode of the Strength Running Podcast.

7 Aug 201755min

To help you shatter your perception of what's possible, discover the training necessary to run 100 miles, and inspire you to chase your next stretch goal, I've invited Magdalena Boulet onto the podcast to talk about her performance at this year's Western States Endurance Run. One of the biggest names in the world of ultramarathons, Magda Boulet has an impressive list of credentials: 1st - 2002 and 2003 Pittsburgh Marathon 1st - 2002 San Francisco Marathon 1st - 2006 Orange County Marathon 2nd - 2008 Olympic Trials Marathon 1st - 2015 Western States Endurance Run 5th - 2016 Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc 2nd - 2017 Western States Endurance Run She prepares methodically for challenging races, leaving no stone unturned as she strives to compete with the fastest endurance runners on the planet. This unique "testing mindset" helped her identify potential injury warnings before this year's Western States, vaulting her onto the podium. Using a blood analytics service called Inside Tracker, she identified biomarkers outside of her optimal zones - and then went to work fixing them through diet and lifestyle changes. She's on the podcast today to talk more about: What it takes to train for 100 milers Are they so different from marathons...? Her personal fueling approach for ultra marathons Pre- and post-race blood testing goals How her blood test results impacted her recovery Enjoy!

31 Jul 201753min

Joel smashes through goals normally considered impossible.  Recently, he completed an ambitious project to run 7 ultramarathons on 7 continents for charity to build 7 schools in developing countries. He succeeded - raising over $190,000. The 777 Project brought him to: Thailand Antarctica Australia Patagonia South Africa Finland and Chicago! Joel's philanthropic quest brought him around the world to extreme locations and terrain that nearly broke him. But his persistence led to the constructions of seven schools through Pencils of Promise, a charity where 100% of donations go toward its mission of school construction, scholarships, and trains teachers. Joel is on the podcast to talk about what it takes to run a series of ultramarathons in rapid succession, in varying climates, on very different terrain, all over the world. What are the travel logistics like for such an audacious project? How do you train for so many different races? What kind of gear is necessary to race in Antarctica? We cover that - and a lot more - on today's show.

23 Jul 20171h 7min

Jonathan Beverly was the editor-in-chief of Running Times for 15 years. He's run nearly 30 marathons and hundreds of road and trail races around the world. He's also coached with the New York Road Runners Club, taught several college running classes, and has coached junior and high school track and cross country since 2003. Jonathan's new book quickly became one of my favorites. Your Best Stride: How to Optimize Your Natural Running Form to Run Easier, Farther, and Faster – with Fewer Injuries is a holistic look at how to run with better form. He does not promote a certain brand of form (like Chi or POSE). He won't make you run on your forefoot (that's a big no-no). And he isn't even gung-ho about "cues" that make you run slightly differently. Instead, the goal is to bring you back to when you were 10 years old. Remember back then? If not, just know that you ran with a lot better form back then. Jonathan is on the podcast today to discuss how to reclaim your youthful, smooth, powerful stride.

12 Jul 201752min

Tina is a professional distance runner, Great Britain Olympic hopeful, and 11-time All-America Track and Field/Cross Country athlete for Ferris State University. She's run in two British Olympic Trials, finishing 3rd in the 10k in 2012 and 5th in the Marathon in 2016. Her personal bests, as you can imagine, are out of this world: 5k - 16:08 10k - 33:24 Half Marathon - 1:13 Marathon - 2:36 Earlier this year, Tina made a stunning announcement that she was taking a hiatus as a pro runner. She's recovering from amenorrhea (she didn't have a period for 9 years) and is hoping to start a family soon. But she realized that she just didn't enjoy her running anymore. Every run was a struggle. She dreaded upcoming workouts and just wasn't excited about training anymore. I consider this to be an unspoken problem in the running community. Amid calls for consistency, putting in the work, and training "no matter what" there lies a deeper issue: once you've done that, when is it ok to stop? Tina is on the SR Podcast today to talk about her journey and give hope to runners everywhere whose hearts just aren't set on hard training anymore. This is an honest, real, and personal conversation that I hope you enjoy.

29 Jun 201749min

I invited Simon Marshall, PhD and his wife Lesley Patterson to talk about practical strategies for building confidence, reducing pre-race anxiety, and managing fears. Their new book The Brave Athlete is a handbook for the athlete's brain, showing you how to: Resist the urge to quit Embrace difficulty Respond positively to setbacks Build confidence and self-belief Cope better with stress and anxiety This husband and wife team is quite the duo. Simon is former professor of family and preventive medicine at the University of San Diego and a professor of sport and exercise psychology at San Diego State University. Currently, he's the performance psychologist for BMC Racing - a World Tour professional cycling team. His wife Lesley Patterson is a dominant triathlete, having won three world off-road triathlon champions and an Ironman Triathlon. A professional mountain biker, she's also a former national champion in cross country. And I think all of us get how important our brain is to our running. How many times have you been halfway through a long run and dreaded every step? How many races have you wished in hindsight that you had sucked it up and ran harder instead of settling? It's happened to me more times than I can count. And it happens to world-class athletes (like Lesley, which we talk about) all the time, too. This podcast will show you how to turn your brain into an asset, rather than a liability.

25 Jun 20171h 1min

What we put into our bodies has a profound impact on our ability to train effectively. In short, if you care about you running, you have to care about your eating habits. And I've brought a Registered Dietitian on the SR Podcast to help. Over the last few weeks, I've surveyed the Strength Running Twitter and Facebook communities about dieting, weight loss, nutrition, and race fueling. I collected about a dozen of the best questions and got my friend Anne Mauney to help me answer them for you. Anne worked with me to create one of SR's flagship programs, Nutrition for Runners. She's one of the busiest RD's I know with a private practice in Washington, DC and a popular lifestyle blog. She also gives healthy eating presentations and workshops to organizations like Whole Foods. Her work has been featured in Glamour, Self, The Washington Post, and Fitness Magazine. When she's not helping athletes improve their diets, she's usually running around DC or tackling yet another half marathon. There are also two more Q&A podcasts that we did together - download them here for free. On this episode, we cover a lot of questions: What foods fight inflammation? What foods increase iron levels? Is it ok to drink alcohol while you're training for a race? What's an optimal pre-marathon fueling strategy? Are carbs from bread or pasta "better" than those from starchy vegetables? What are your favorite healthy snack ideas? Enjoy!

20 Jun 201750min

Usually, I fire off answers as fast as I can. Whether that's on Facebook or Twitter, I try to be as responsive as possible. But sometimes, life gets in the way. I simply don't have the time to answer all of your questions - especially when a single SR email goes out to about 80,000 runners... That does not, however, mean I'm not paying attention. In fact, I often save your running questions to get to them later. And that's exactly what we're doing today. Joining me as the SR Podcast's first co-host is my friend, fellow coach, and ultra runner Doug Hay. Fresh off his sub-15hr run at the Ultra Run of Champions (snagging him a sweet belt buckle!), Doug is helping us get to the bottom of some of your toughest questions. Let's dive in.

5 Jun 201755min