Dana Giordano is a middle-distance pro runner for Adidas and the Boston Athletics Association (B.A.A.). Prior to becoming a pro, she worked at Reebok for several years as a Product Manager, while keeping up with running as a lifestyle sport. She was also an All-American at Dartmouth University and reflects often on those years of running.
Dana has had an interesting year as a pro, given the global pandemic that we are all facing. Her impact goes well beyond her performance, as the host of the More than Running with Dana Giordano podcast, where she features stories of women in the sport.
Dana left her job in pursuit of her Olympic dreams and shares the many challenges that she has overcome and continues to deal with. In this episode, we talk about:
Dana's overall humble perspectives and down-to-earth approach makes this conversation very accessible to all runners. I hope you'll come away with a new look at the life of a pro runner and how you can achieve more in this sport as well.
Links & Resources from the Show:
Thank you to our newest sponsor, XOSKIN, who's offering 20% off with code 'SR' at checkout! I was introduced to this company a few months ago and have been impressed with the quality of the shorts and shirt that I’ve been wearing.
They have a patented knitting technology that keeps you warm in the winter and cool in the summer. It has even been used in Death Valley races, so you know the heat dissipation is excellent.
The 3-dimensional knitting of the fabric is very comfortable and versatile because there aren’t any seams so the risk of chafing, blisters, or hot spots is a lot lower. I’m also loving that they have powerful anti-odor properties. They use both copper and a synthetic treatment to reduce odor and friction and wick moisture. Plus, it’s molecularly bonded so it doesn’t come out in the wash.
Be sure to check out XOSKIN to see all of their shirts, tights, socks, compression sleeves, and more. Their clothes are made for both men and women so you're sure to find something that suits your needs.
Use code SR (not case sensitive) to get 20% off your order!
Dr. Caitlin Alexander is a physical therapist at Build Sports Performance Lab & Physical Therapy in Boulder, Colorado with a certification in Applied Functional Science. She's a certified triathlon coach, running coach, and has experience working with elite-level athletes.
She's also an incredible athlete herself! Caitlin has qualified for the Kona World Ironman Championships and is a category 3 cyclist.
In our conversation today, we’re talking about what happens when you have an injury for a very long time. You see, our movement patterns live in our brain. Your brain is what controls how you run and if your brain learns over time to compensate for an injury, you’ll develop all new movement patterns - and they won’t be ideal.
Finally, Caitlin and I discuss:
Resources & Links:
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.
They're also offering free product: just pay for shipping and you can get their sample pack including 8 packets of citrus, raspberry, unflavored, and orange salt varieties.
Elemental Labs' 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 (and don't forget to get your free sample pack!).
Steven Sashen is a Master’s All-American sprinter and one of the fastest sprinters over 50 in the United States. He’s a former All-American gymnast, a professional stand-up comic, a cognitive psychology researcher, and he previously tought Tai Chi and Zen Archery.
Steven has quite the background which is probably needed for starting a successful company in one of the most competitive industries in the world: footwear. He's now the cofounder and CEO of Xero Shoes.
We’re going to talk about the beginnings of Xero Shoes, the benefits of minimalism, how to transition, plus feature a whole host of questions from members of Team Strength Running, our group coaching program. If you’d like to impact future podcast episodes, you can learn more about the team at strengthrunning.com/join/
Follow Jason Fitzgerald on Instagram and subscribe to the Strength Running YouTube channel!
Our guest today is Bryan Green, the co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Go Be More apparel, host of the Go Be More Podcast, organizer of the Ignite Sendai Conference in Japan that connects entrepreneurs, and author of the new book Make the Leap.
Bryan ran for UCLA from 1997 - 2002 where he was a 2x National Qualifier for cross country, captain of the track team, and 3rd place finisher at the 2001 Pac-10 10,000m final.
In this conversation, we’re focusing on the mental side of training. The mindset that is required for high performance and all of the little things that enable us to succeed that aren’t really little at all. We’re going to discuss feedback loops, his Optimal Training Pyramid, your hidden training program, and building your self-belief system.
For more on mindset, sign up for Strength Running's free mental fitness course here.
Support our sponsor InsideTracker by using the code strengthrunning on any of their tests at InsideTracker.com.