Unfiltered: New Equipment, Jason's Knee Injury, Milestones, and more with Jon Levitt

I'm not promoting running trails because they're beautiful. Or awe-inspiring. Or jaw-dropping. Though, that's certainly an added bonus! Trail running is a welcomed alternative to road running because it's a different type of stress that helps you become a better runner: The uneven surface can limit the repetition of running, thereby reducing your injury risk The varying terrain and obstacles (rocks, roots, holes, more turns and elevation changes) requires more athleticism Softer surfaces can promote recovery on easy days Plus, let's not forget that running trails usually means that you're going to run slower. And that can actually be a very good thing! When used appropriately, train running can aid recovery by forcing you to run slower. A lower heart rate - on a softer, more forgiving surface - is how to structure a great recovery day. From injury prevention to athleticism to recovery, trail running can help improve the quality of your training (and your race results). To help you make the most of running trails - and get started with the least amount of stress - I spoke with trail and ultra runner Doug Hay. Doug is the coach behind the Rock Creek Runner blog and podcast (Trail Talk). For a healthy dose of #trailporn, don't miss his Instagram! He's also the creator of the Trail Runner's System (today's sponsor). Our conversation covers a lot: Our best advice for new trail runners Do trails make running easier? How "trails" can be a lot more than just trails The risks of road running Trail running as a gateway drug What trail gear is absolutely necessary (and what isn't)? We also include a challenge for you - so don't miss this episode.

15 Aug 201843min

Dr. Ryan Smith is a lead instructor for the Institute of Clinical Excellence in the Fitness Athlete division. He specializes in treating individuals who participate in CrossFit, Olympic Lifting, powerlifting, and other recreational sports like running. He also specializes in pelvic health therapy, utilizing an external approach that focuses on education and management of diastisis recti, pelvic organ prolapse, and post-partum issues. Ryan is an avid supporter of the Senior Rehab Project and promoting individuals to strength train throughout their lifetime. You might recognize his name - he contributed to an earlier article on bodyweight strength training for runners. And I'm excited to introduce a longer discussion with Ryan on many related topics: The common movement dysfunctions among runners (and how to address them) Should you worry about a "clicky" hip or knee? What are "movement vital signs?" How to use pain science to improve your running Enjoy my conversation with Dr. Ryan Smith! Show Links & Resources: Ryan on Twitter Ryan's PT office Recharge Weightlifting for runners My recommended strength exercises SR's free strength course (case studies, exercises, what not to do, and more)

9 Aug 201839min

Jonathan Marcus is to running as Charlie Munger is to investing: a coach that uses "elementary, worldly wisdom" to mold his athletes into high-level runners. His past coaching and running industry experience includes: Assistant track coach at Portland State University Division I / NAIA / post-collegiate club / Oregon High School levels Involvement with the Portland Track Festival, USA Track & Field, NIKE's Bowerman Track Club, and the Run Portland/Team Athena running clubs He was appointed USA Track & Field High Performance Coordinator for the men's middle distances in 2011 and his national role with USATF included serving as co-meet director for the prestigious USATF High Performance track meet held annually at Occidental College. Currently he's the Director of High Performance West, an elite training group in Portland Oregon. He also has an incredibly enlightening and action-packed podcast with fellow coach Steve Magness called On Coaching that I highly recommend. What I most respect about coach Jonathan Marcus is that he's a lifelong learner: always reading books, learning, educating himself, and connecting with others to improve his ability to perform at a high level as a running coach. Our wide-ranging discussion might surprise you because we talk about some interesting topics that, on first examination, don't appear to be truly about running or coaching! Issues like: The books that Jonathan is reading (and why they're not all running books) Empathy and bias (and why these are crucial traits for coaches) Vision (and how this relates to your success as a runner) "Cognitive coping skills" for racing and challenging workouts For those who want to transcend beyond an elementary understanding of running, this conversation is a fantastic primer on the nuances of high-level running achievement. I think you're going to love it.

30 Juli 201859min

You might recognize Tina from Episode 31 of the podcast. She's an 11-time All-American athlete and elite athlete for Great Britain who's run in two British Olympic Trials. Tina recently overcame amenorrhea by taking a break from training, had a daughter, and is now returning to competitive running. But we're not here to talk about Tina. We're here to talk about YOUR questions, problems, and struggles. In this conversation, we're discussing: If you can only run a few times per week, should those runs all be "hard?" Do compression socks actually work? How do you advance beyond walking to run all of your miles? What are the most important things to remember when training for a Ragnar Relay? How do you pace a long run? And a lot more!

15 Juli 201854min

Nichola - or Nic as her friends call her - has such a long list of credentials and accomplishments that I simply can't share them all here. But just a sampling of her education and experience demonstrates her expertise: Graduated from Loughborough University with a First Class Honours Degree in Sports & Exercise Science Graduated from Leeds Metropolitan University with a post-graduate diploma in Dietetics Holds a Master's Degree in Health Science Published author in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics Her blog has also been voted as the UK's best health blog in 2015! Clearly, we're in good company. In this conversation, Nic and I discuss a wide variety of topics important to runners: How can athletes running with diabetes fuel appropriately while managing their disease? Why is being "calorie-aware" important but fundamentally different than counting calories? Does the ketogenic ("keto") diet work for runners? Is coconut water a good source of hydration for runners? Do detoxes work? Should athletes like runners take multivitamins? Use these principles to focus on big-picture principles and thrive!

2 Juli 201842min

I'm a proud omnivore. I firmly believe that eating a balanced, "whole-foods" diet is the key to both long-term health and improved running performance. But the issue isn't which diet is best, but the results that a certain diet can give to you. Over the past decade, I've been borderline obsessed with discovering the optimal diet for running performance. I've read many of the best diet books, interviewed Registered Dietitians, pro athletes, and best-selling diet authors: Q&A Podcast with Anne Mauney MPH, RD How elite OCR athlete Kimber Mattox fuels her running Matt Fitzgerald on "The Endurance Diet" How pro marathoner Ariana Hilborn eats I've also heard first hand from elite runners, USA Track & Field instructors, and world-class coaches about the best approaches to eating for endurance runners. And they all include meat. But… not one person (anywhere) thinks we should eat a meat-based diet. Whether you're vegan or an omnivore like myself, we should all eat a plant-based diet. Here are 3 strategies that work well for me.

21 Juni 201814min

Angie and Trevor Spencer are the hosts of the Marathon Training Academy podcast and have helped thousands of runners over the years successfully run their first marathons. Angie ran her first marathon in 2008, promptly got injured, but turned things around in a big way: since then, she's run 51 marathons and 4 ultras with not a single injury (!). A Registered Nurse, she also has USATF-Level 1 and RRCA-Level 2 coaching certifications. Trevor followed in his wife's footsteps and went from couch potato to marathoner in just a few short years. After his first marathon in 2011, he's since completed 14 marathons, 15 half marathons, and a Spartan Trifecta. They've both joined me on the podcast to talk about the subject of "Couch to Marathon" or how to: Transition from sedentary to marathon with as little injury risk as possible Differentiate between training to finish vs. training for performance Marathon training mistakes that are common among beginners Every year, about a half a million runners finish a marathon in the United States (and most of them - nearly all of them - aren't elite athletes blessed with marathon-friendly genetics). The marathon can be conquered. Success over 26.2 miles just needs a more strategic plan than your neighborhood 5k. This is how you do it.

18 Juni 201845min

Over the years of coaching hundreds of athletes to new personal bests from 1.5 mile military fitness tests up to the 50-mile ultramarathon distance, I've been given a "private look" inside how runners approach their training. And most of the time, I'm horrified! There's no progression. They avoid race-specific workouts. I see pacing mistake after pacing mistake. If you want to run faster you need to take the next logical step in how you prepare and plan your training schedule. Even though you might think the 5k is short, it demands very specific workouts. Good 5k training includes three distinct aspects of running fitness: speed, race-specific fitness, and endurance. Over-emphasize endurance and you won't have that "higher gear" to hammer the last mile. Skip the specific 5k workouts and you'll feel flat with no power. Balancing all three ensures that you'll feel powerful on race day and accomplish your race goals. So if you're wondering how to train for a 5k, here's how to execute each one (no matter what fitness level you're at right now). Learn more about SR's training programs if you'd like to race faster! See https://strengthrunning.com/coaching/ for more.

7 Juni 201815min