The Natural Running Network Live

Every Runner should listen to this interview with Jay Dicharry MPT, CSCS, and Director of The REP Biomechanics Lab in Bend Oregon. Richard Diaz and Jay discuss what Running Shoes can’t do for you and what you need to do to avoid injury and perform optimally.   Jay is the author of Anatomy for Runners and one of the most knowledgeable clinicians of biomechanics in the running industry today.  Learn what not to expect your running shoes to be able to do for you and what you should be doing to become a stronger more efficient runner.  This is a conversation that is long overdue!

On March 31, 1929 seventy seven men began an epic 3,554 mile footrace from New York to Los Angeles punishing their bodies an average of 46 miles for 78 days over mostly unpaved roads in hopes of winning $25,000 in prize money. The 1929 Bunion Derby is considered the most grueling ultra-marathon of all time. The event promoter Charlie Pyle put together a traveling Vaudeville show in hopes of raising the prize money, complete with dancing debutants, an all-girl band wearing pilot outfits and black faced comedians.  This is an amazing tale told by the author Charles B. Kastner.

Trail Running is on the rise; one of the most epic challenges for an UltraTrail Runner is traversing the Grand Canyon.  Listen as Vanessa Runs shares her journey from rim-to-rim-to-rim, running through one of the 7 great Natural Wonders of the World. How long will it take?  Well, first of all, it’s not a race. It would be crazy to do this run and not take some time to enjoy the incredible scenery.  A mid-pack runner should plan on at least 13-15 hours. It is a tough run, with a little bit of everything as obstacles: some rocky sections of trail, some exposure, two BIG hills, heat, cold, altitude (7000 feet at the south rim, 2600 feet at the bottom, 8000 feet at the north rim). You will definitely feel like you’ve accomplished something when you finish.  And you will see the Grand Canyon as few have ever seen it!

On the eve of The Boston Marathon, our guest Geoff Smith 2 X Winner reflects on past achievements as a World Class runner and the state of running today. What does The Boston Marathon mean to him, given the tragic attack on America’s most important Marathon? Geoff Smith was the man to beat at all the major races back in the early 80’s, having been edged out by Rod Dixon at the New York Marathon in 1983 by a mere 8 seconds after leading the race for 26 miles. He won Boston handily in both 1984 and 1985, a true running legend with a lot to share. This is a show you don’t want to miss!

Training with heart rate is the most effective way to improve endurance for cycling and running.  Join Richard Diaz and Dr. Iñigo San Millán, director of the Exercise Physiology Lab & Sports at the UC School of Medicine as they discuss heart rate training. Dr. Iñigo San Millán was selected as Colorado's Top Thinker 2013 in Health. He also served as director of physiological testing for the professional cycling team Garmin-Transitions, Spain’s pro team Once and Saunier-Duval, as well as Astana in 2007. While a number of his former employers have been beset by doping scandals, San Millán is widely regarded as an exponent of a clean cycling.

Meet Travis Macy, a World Class Endurance Athlete and Leadman record holder and inspirational speaker who teaches The Ultra Mindset, deciding to “choose to give up choice”, a method of embracing fear to overcome great obstacles in competition and in life. Listen as Host Richard Diaz and Co-host Vanessa Runs; delve in to the mindset and principals that Macy uses to compete in the world’s most grueling Ultra Marathons and Adventure Races. He has won the event that makes the term “Ultra” seem inadequate; The Leadman, a combination trail running marathon, a 50 mile mountain bicycle race,  a 100 mile mountain bike race, a 10k run and a 100 mile trail run, all at over 10,000 feet in the Rocky Mountains!

The Half Marathon is the most popular running event in the world today. More runners participate in this distance than any other race. Join Richard Diaz as he discusses training for this event with Luke Humphrey, Author of Hansons Half Marathon Method. Luke is the owner and head coach of the Hanson’s-Brooks Distance Project and 2 times Olympic Trial Qualifier and 5th place finisher at the San Diego Marathon with a time of 2:14:39. Listen as these two coaches share insights and theories on preparing for Americas favorite running distance.

If you are on a diet, any diet, you need to listen to this show. Best Selling Author Matt Fitzgerald has a lot to say about “One true way to eat” for maximum heath diets. Nutrition is plagued with fallacy and we’re going to expose some of these myths. Fitzgerald advocates an agnostic, rational approach to eating, based on one’s own habits and lifestyle. Many professional athletes already practice this agnostic approach, and now we too can ditch the brainwashing of these diet cults for good.

Joseph Gray, one of the most versatile professional long distance runners in the world from 10k on track to ultra-marathons on trial; he runs it all and wins most of the time. Join Richard Diaz and Vanessa Runs as they chat with The Mountain Runner Joe Gray. Joe Gray Named 2013 USA Mountain Runner Of The Year, member of the US Mountain Running Team, finished 17th in the Boston Marathon overall and posted the fastest time for any competitor from Washington state (there were 527 registered) at 2:18:45. This was his first marathon race after completing the 2013 USA 50K Road Championships in Lloyd's Harbor, NY in March with a time of 2:55:19.

Meet Teagan Redden an 8 year old Ultra MarathonRunner. Both her and her 11 years old brother Tajh Redden are accomplished Ultra Marathon Runners, Richard Diaz and Vanessa Runs beg the question, what’s too young to run? Running an ultra-marathon is no simple task for anyone, running these great distances while only 8 years old is unthinkable. Listen as we interview the parents of two child prodigies’ who have already accomplished the what few children in the world could dream of.

The Internet coupled with the advent of Bluetooth and GPS provides a unique opportunity to virtually coach runners online. Join Richard Diaz and Vanessa Runs as they discuss the benefits and provide real time support for one of our marathon running listeners. It was not long ago that the ability to monitor heart rate was cutting edge information. Now many coaches are able to provide detailed advice regarding a client’s training across the globe! Richard Diaz reveals one of the hottest advancements in running and triathlon training technology.

Every runner fears hitting the wall as they reach the 20 mile mark in a marathon. They also fear gastric distress if they consume too much or too little energy on the course.  Listen as Richard Diaz and Vanessa Runs interview Anthony Almada, an expert in evidence based performance nutrition as he shares some exciting news of a product that has proven to pack energy back into the working muscles without the bloat commonly associated with typical sports drinks and gels and does it in a fraction of the time of other products on the market.

Richard Diaz and Vanessa Runs say “Today is a great day to be reminded of how demanding we are as endurance athletes and the potential strain we can put on a relationship. We should be more understanding to non-running spouses/family (seeing things from their perspective)”.

This winter the weather has been challenging. Running in extreme cold weather requires discipline and preparation. Join Richard Diaz and co-host Vanessa Runs as she calls from her igloo as we discuss what to wear and how to prepare for running in the snow. The east coast has been punished by harsh winter storms and power outages; our co-host Vanessa Runs is calling us direct from her self-made igloo. The topic of running a marathon or ultra-marathon when the weather dips below freezing is our focus for this broadcast. Be sure to tune in… if your power is out, you can catch the show later from our archives.

Join Richard Diaz and Vanessa Runs as they chat with nutrition experts Matt Fitzgerald and Georgie Fear co-authors of the “Racing Weight Cookbook” learn to prepare delicious meals that help you lose weight and keep you lean while you train for your next race. Every endurance athlete or marathon runner knows that in order to get faster they must drop body fat.  Performance gains generally occur first through proper nutrition. Matt Fitzgerald’s best-selling weight loss program for athletes “Racing Weight” incorporates a simple Diet Quality Score system that guides athletes to eat the best foods in the right amounts throughout the day. The Racing Weight Cookbook breaks recipes into three skill levels for inexperienced cooks, the recipe literate, and athlete foodies.