RunnersConnect Run to the Top Podcast

The Hansons-Brooks Distance Project has been helping good, but not star runners, compete with the best athletes in the world using unique and innovative training methods. More importantly, they’ve shared these methods to help runners like you achieve extraordinary results. The Hansons approach to marathon training, specifically the long run, has revolutionized the way age-group, Boston-qualifiers and beginners alike prepare for the marathon. Now, Luke Humphrey, the author of the ground-breaking book The Hansons Marathon Method, is back with a fresh and innovative approach to training for the half marathon. A few of the topics that Luke and I discussed included: Specific energy system differences in training for the half versus the full marathon How training for a half marathon can make training for the full distance seem more manageable How to run speed, strength, and tempo workouts and how they are incorporated into the training schedules How to adjust the schedule if you can’t handle all 3 workouts in 1 week The importance of a training segment for shorter races and how it can help your marathon training We’d like to thank Luke for his time and wish him the best of luck both with his own training and with his coaching. http://runnersconnect.net/running-interviews/half-marathon-luke-humphrey/

The Hansons-Brooks Distance Project has been helping good, but not star runners, compete with the best athletes in the world using unique and innovative training methods. More importantly, they’ve shared these methods to help runners like you achieve extraordinary results. The Hansons approach to marathon training, specifically the long run, has revolutionized the way age-group, Boston-qualifiers and beginners alike prepare for the marathon. Now, Luke Humphrey, the author of the ground-breaking book The Hansons Marathon Method, is back with a fresh and innovative approach to training for the half marathon. A few of the topics that Luke and I discussed included: Specific energy system differences in training for the half versus the full marathon How training for a half marathon can make training for the full distance seem more manageable How to run speed, strength, and tempo workouts and how they are incorporated into the training schedules How to adjust the schedule if you can’t handle all 3 workouts in 1 week The importance of a training segment for shorter races and how it can help your marathon training We’d like to thank Luke for his time and wish him the best of luck both with his own training and with his coaching. http://runnersconnect.net/running-interviews/half-marathon-luke-humphrey/

Understanding they “why” behind your workouts is an often overlooked aspect of training for many runners. Whether it be because you are new to the sport or because you’ve read outdated or faulty advice, many runners struggle because they can’t connect the physiological with what they’re trying to accomplish on trails, road and track. On our podcast today to help us better understand training methodology and training science is author and coach Steve Magness. Steve is an accomplished runner himself (he ran 4:01 for the mile in high school), a former assistant coach at the Nike Oregon Project, the author of an authoritative blog, The Science of Running, and is now the head cross country coach at the University of Houston. He has also recently published a book called The Science of Running: How to find your limit and maximize your performance. Some of the main points that Steve and I discussed included: The history of training methodology and how we have arrived at the present The most overlooked aspects of training, mileage and long runs, and how to question traditional training methods Steve’s book, why he wrote, and what he hopes readers will get out of it A few things that Steve thinks are part of the future of training and improving performance We’d like thank Steve for his time and wish him and his teams luck in the outdoor track season. If anything in the interview inspires any thoughts, we’d love to hear them. We’d also love to know what you think of our podcasts. You can leave a comment here or on our iTunes page. You can also leave us a voice message at (617) 356-7969. We look forward to your feedback and thanks for listening. Understanding the Science of Training to Run Faster: An Interview With Steve Magness

Understanding they “why” behind your workouts is an often overlooked aspect of training for many runners. Whether it be because you are new to the sport or because you’ve read outdated or faulty advice, many runners struggle because they can’t connect the physiological with what they’re trying to accomplish on trails, road and track. On our podcast today to help us better understand training methodology and training science is author and coach Steve Magness. Steve is an accomplished runner himself (he ran 4:01 for the mile in high school), a former assistant coach at the Nike Oregon Project, the author of an authoritative blog, The Science of Running, and is now the head cross country coach at the University of Houston. He has also recently published a book called The Science of Running: How to find your limit and maximize your performance. Some of the main points that Steve and I discussed included: The history of training methodology and how we have arrived at the present The most overlooked aspects of training, mileage and long runs, and how to question traditional training methods Steve’s book, why he wrote, and what he hopes readers will get out of it A few things that Steve thinks are part of the future of training and improving performance We’d like thank Steve for his time and wish him and his teams luck in the outdoor track season. If anything in the interview inspires any thoughts, we’d love to hear them. We’d also love to know what you think of our podcasts. You can leave a comment here or on our iTunes page. You can also leave us a voice message at (617) 356-7969. We look forward to your feedback and thanks for listening. Understanding the Science of Training to Run Faster: An Interview With Steve Magness

What is the key to improvement in running? Most coaches would probably agree that the answer to that is consistency. Consistency means both training regularly as well as staying healthy. Tell me if this sounds familiar: You have a goal race picked out and your training is going better than ever, including some PRs in tune-up races, only to suffer some minor but debilitating injury only weeks before race day. Unfortunately, this is an all-too-common scenario and you’re not alone if it’s happened to you. Now, the question is – how do you avoid that? John Davis, our RunnersConnect Head of Running Research, has had his fair share of injuries and setbacks to his training and racing. He started asking himself the question: “Why do runners get injured?” and began writing about it. He has come up with some interesting conclusions. John generously shared his ideas on injury prevention and training with us. The key points of our discussion were: How increasing one’s stride frequency can help reduce injuries and how to increase it Hip strength and its connection to a number of running-related injuries The concepts of aerobic and anaerobic threshold Some key workouts to learn how these intensities feel rather than adhering to certain paces We’d like to thank John very much for his time and wish him continued health as he returns to racing. (Ed. On February 7th, John bettered a 4-year-old indoor mile PR by running 4:25.11 at the Carleton Invite in Minnesota) If any of John’s advice or comments resonate with you, please don’t hesitate to tell us. We’d also love to know what you think of our podcasts. You can leave a comment here or on our iTunes page. You can also leave us a voice message at (617) 356-7969. We look forward to your feedback and thanks for listening. 4 Simple Methods to Improve Consistency and Reduce Injuries. Interview with research expert John Davis

What is the key to improvement in running? Most coaches would probably agree that the answer to that is consistency. Consistency means both training regularly as well as staying healthy. Tell me if this sounds familiar: You have a goal race picked out and your training is going better than ever, including some PRs in tune-up races, only to suffer some minor but debilitating injury only weeks before race day. Unfortunately, this is an all-too-common scenario and you’re not alone if it’s happened to you. Now, the question is – how do you avoid that? John Davis, our RunnersConnect Head of Running Research, has had his fair share of injuries and setbacks to his training and racing. He started asking himself the question: “Why do runners get injured?” and began writing about it. He has come up with some interesting conclusions. John generously shared his ideas on injury prevention and training with us. The key points of our discussion were: How increasing one’s stride frequency can help reduce injuries and how to increase it Hip strength and its connection to a number of running-related injuries The concepts of aerobic and anaerobic threshold Some key workouts to learn how these intensities feel rather than adhering to certain paces We’d like to thank John very much for his time and wish him continued health as he returns to racing. (Ed. On February 7th, John bettered a 4-year-old indoor mile PR by running 4:25.11 at the Carleton Invite in Minnesota) If any of John’s advice or comments resonate with you, please don’t hesitate to tell us. We’d also love to know what you think of our podcasts. You can leave a comment here or on our iTunes page. You can also leave us a voice message at (617) 356-7969. We look forward to your feedback and thanks for listening. 4 Simple Methods to Improve Consistency and Reduce Injuries. Interview with research expert John Davis

As our understanding of exercise physiology has evolved, coaches have come to truly understand the training needed to be done to perform your best at a given event. The problem for most runners is that they aren’t yet ready to do that training. Rather than focusing on preparing their body to handle the training needed to perform their best, many runners simply jump from one goal race to the next. In this podcast, we interview Coach Greg McMillan about how he learned this lesson from legendary running coach Arthur Lydiard and how you can apply this important training theory to your training. In this interview, we also spoke with Greg about: His famed pace calculator The McMillanElite training group that Greg coached in Flagstaff, AZ The importance of individuality in training We’d thank Greg for his time and wish him continued success in his coaching and good luck in setting up his new post-collegiate group. If any of Greg’s thoughts or advice speak to you, please don’t hesitate to tell us about it. We’d also love to know what you think of our podcasts. You can leave a comment on our iTunes page. You can also leave us a voice message at (617) 356-7969. We look forward to your feedback and thanks for listening. Is focusing on race goals holding you back? Why your first priority should improving your ability to train. An In-depth Interview with Greg McMillan

As our understanding of exercise physiology has evolved, coaches have come to truly understand the training needed to be done to perform your best at a given event. The problem for most runners is that they aren’t yet ready to do that training. Rather than focusing on preparing their body to handle the training needed to perform their best, many runners simply jump from one goal race to the next. In this podcast, we interview Coach Greg McMillan about how he learned this lesson from legendary running coach Arthur Lydiard and how you can apply this important training theory to your training. In this interview, we also spoke with Greg about: His famed pace calculator The McMillanElite training group that Greg coached in Flagstaff, AZ The importance of individuality in training We’d thank Greg for his time and wish him continued success in his coaching and good luck in setting up his new post-collegiate group. If any of Greg’s thoughts or advice speak to you, please don’t hesitate to tell us about it. We’d also love to know what you think of our podcasts. You can leave a comment on our iTunes page. You can also leave us a voice message at (617) 356-7969. We look forward to your feedback and thanks for listening. Is focusing on race goals holding you back? Why your first priority should improving your ability to train. An In-depth Interview with Greg McMillan

Many people can say that they have successfully trained for and run a marathon while balancing a family and a full-time job. Far fewer of those can say that they ran said marathon in under 2 hours 20 minutes. Nate Pennington did just that. Today he’s going to teach you the important lessons he learned that can help you reach your potential while balancing work, family and everything life throws at you. In 2007, Nate ran the California International Marathon in 2:19:35, an Olympic Trials qualifying time. Unfortunately, the race took place 29 days after the Olympic Trials race in New York City. He hasn’t let that stop him, though. A tireless worker with seemingly boundless desire to find his limits despite numerous setbacks, Nate continues to train at a high level while maintaining his career as an Army Medical Service Corps officer. Nate was nice enough to talk to us on a Sunday morning.  Some of the things we discussed included: How the role of motivation in training is nearly impossible to overstate How patience and persistence are the most important parts of any training program The fact that Nate mostly trains alone and some potential benefits to this approach The Kenyan approach to dealing with bad races Putting one’s training in perspective with the rest of life We’d like to thank Nate for his time and wish him the best of luck in his goal races this year. How to reach your potential while balancing work, family and everything life throws at you

Many people can say that they have successfully trained for and run a marathon while balancing a family and a full-time job. Far fewer of those can say that they ran said marathon in under 2 hours 20 minutes. Nate Pennington did just that. Today he’s going to teach you the important lessons he learned that can help you reach your potential while balancing work, family and everything life throws at you. In 2007, Nate ran the California International Marathon in 2:19:35, an Olympic Trials qualifying time. Unfortunately, the race took place 29 days after the Olympic Trials race in New York City. He hasn’t let that stop him, though. A tireless worker with seemingly boundless desire to find his limits despite numerous setbacks, Nate continues to train at a high level while maintaining his career as an Army Medical Service Corps officer. Nate was nice enough to talk to us on a Sunday morning.  Some of the things we discussed included: How the role of motivation in training is nearly impossible to overstate How patience and persistence are the most important parts of any training program The fact that Nate mostly trains alone and some potential benefits to this approach The Kenyan approach to dealing with bad races Putting one’s training in perspective with the rest of life We’d like to thank Nate for his time and wish him the best of luck in his goal races this year. How to reach your potential while balancing work, family and everything life throws at you

Almost all runners would agree that the most important piece of equipment are their shoes – so which one is right for you? When a person goes into a running store, he or she is often confronted by a wall containing a huge variety of shoes.  But what makes one shoe different from another?  More importantly, which is the best one for you? And what about those thin shoes that look light and fast? What advantages do they offer and should YOU be wearing them? This is your chance to find out from someone on the inside. Garth Merrill is the owner of Fleet Feet Sports Coeur d’Alene, a running store in northern Idaho.  Garth is an active runner who has completed a race every year since he was in elementary school.  He has also been working in various running stores for the last 15 years, the last 9 as an owner. Garth generously gave some of his time to talk to us about several key aspects of runners’ footwear before opening his store on a Friday morning.  Some of the things we discussed included: How shoes are classified and categorized The process of fitting a person for shoes Common misconceptions about shoes Minimal shoes, their uses, and their impact on the industry as a whole Did Garth’s insights raise any questions about your own shoes?  Leave a comment below or give our Google Voice line a call and leave us a message at (617) 356-7969.  We look forward to hearing from you. How to Find the Right Running Shoes for You: Interview with Shoe Expert Garth Merrill

Almost all runners would agree that the most important piece of equipment are their shoes – so which one is right for you? When a person goes into a running store, he or she is often confronted by a wall containing a huge variety of shoes.  But what makes one shoe different from another?  More importantly, which is the best one for you? And what about those thin shoes that look light and fast? What advantages do they offer and should YOU be wearing them? This is your chance to find out from someone on the inside. Garth Merrill is the owner of Fleet Feet Sports Coeur d’Alene, a running store in northern Idaho.  Garth is an active runner who has completed a race every year since he was in elementary school.  He has also been working in various running stores for the last 15 years, the last 9 as an owner. Garth generously gave some of his time to talk to us about several key aspects of runners’ footwear before opening his store on a Friday morning.  Some of the things we discussed included: How shoes are classified and categorized The process of fitting a person for shoes Common misconceptions about shoes Minimal shoes, their uses, and their impact on the industry as a whole Did Garth’s insights raise any questions about your own shoes?  Leave a comment below or give our Google Voice line a call and leave us a message at (617) 356-7969.  We look forward to hearing from you. How to Find the Right Running Shoes for You: Interview with Shoe Expert Garth Merrill

How many of you have wished that you could just focus on your running and not have a job or anything else that was always getting in the way of your perfect training schedule? What if I told you that the man who came in fourth place at the USA National Championship Meet this summer is also a full-time elementary school teacher?Matt Elliott holds one of the most inspirational stories in running history. A 4:42 miler out of high school, Elliott broke four minutes for the mile a few years after college in 2011, and in 2013 ran 3:36 for 1500m (equivalent to a 3:52 mile) and missed qualifying for the World Championship team by literally a split second. He graciously spent a Saturday afternoon to talk to us about balancing a full time job and the rigors of that life with a full time training schedule. Here’s what we’re going to talk about: Being smart with your limited free time, and the importance of grabbing a few spare moments to enhance recovery times. The benefit of having a full time job while focusing on running. Staying focused and consistent with your training over a long period, and being patient. As always, for the resources mentioned in this interview, check out http://runnersconnect.net/running-interviews/balancing-work-and-running-an-interview-with-school-teacher-and-world-class-runner-matt-elliott/

How many of you have wished that you could just focus on your running and not have a job or anything else that was always getting in the way of your perfect training schedule? What if I told you that the man who came in fourth place at the USA National Championship Meet this summer is also a full-time elementary school teacher?Matt Elliott holds one of the most inspirational stories in running history. A 4:42 miler out of high school, Elliott broke four minutes for the mile a few years after college in 2011, and in 2013 ran 3:36 for 1500m (equivalent to a 3:52 mile) and missed qualifying for the World Championship team by literally a split second. He graciously spent a Saturday afternoon to talk to us about balancing a full time job and the rigors of that life with a full time training schedule. Here’s what we’re going to talk about: Being smart with your limited free time, and the importance of grabbing a few spare moments to enhance recovery times. The benefit of having a full time job while focusing on running. Staying focused and consistent with your training over a long period, and being patient. As always, for the resources mentioned in this interview, check out http://runnersconnect.net/running-interviews/balancing-work-and-running-an-interview-with-school-teacher-and-world-class-runner-matt-elliott/

How many of you consider yourselves marathoners? When was the last time you raced something shorter than 10 kilometers? Today's guest, Hugh Enicks, was the top American at the 2011 Masters World Marathon Championships, finishing in 6th place overall. Would you believe me if I told you that he was also age group (50-54) bronze medalist at 3000m in 2011 at the National Masters Indoor Track & Field Championship? That's a lot of range! Hugh, a retired Army officer, took a twenty-plus year break from serious training while serving in the United States Army, before getting back to the grind in his early forties. Now, a dozen years later, he regularly logs training weeks between sixty and eighty miles, and is one of the best runners in the country at his age group. Want to know the trick to his success? He says it's racing at varied distances over the course of the year and not getting stuck in a rut. Here's some of the other things we're going to talk about in this interview: Juggling a serious training workload with the rest of life. The importance of core strength as you age. Acknowledging that recovery is more important than ever before. Logging a high volume of injury-free base miles. As always, to check out any resources we mention during the interview, go to www.runnersconnect.net/rc36. Are you a masters or grandmasters runner? Check out this interview, and let me know in the comments below what you took away from it!