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.
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:
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.
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:
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.
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:
Enjoy!
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.
I met Ian in August, 2016 one day before the Leadville Trail 100. We got coffee with a friend of ours and then watched a Beer Mile (it took place on the road behind us in the above picture).
Ian officiated – starting the race and cheering on runners as they raced and chugged beers.
Two days later, Ian crossed the finish line of the Leadville Trail 100 in first place – his third victory.
He’s no slouch in the world of ultra running. In fact, he’s one of the best ultramarathoners in the world:
And over the last year, I’ve been fortunate to work with Ian on a few different projects:
Now he’s back to talk about running an 11+ minute personal best at the Mt. Charleston Marathon.
But it’s not all training geekery. Did you know Ian has run dozens of marathons in costumes?
In fact, he’s run a 2:40 marathon as Spider Man!
This is going to be fun 🙂
I invited Tom Foreman on the podcast to philosophize about running, goals, and racing throughout life.
You might recognize Tom as an emmy-award winning journalist at CNN. He's reported on wars, natural disasters, and political skirmishes across 20 countries.
He's also quite the runner.
Author of My Year of Running Dangerously, Tom has a handful of marathons and ultramarathons under his belt and is chasing a BQ soon at the Cincinnati Marathon.
More than anything, Tom has a unique perspective on what running means at various stages of life.
Speaking with Tom is always a treat so I hope you enjoy this conversation. I think it will bring you new appreciation for running!
Is it surprising that I don’t think strength workouts are cross-training? Rather, strength work is just part of your training as a runner.
Cross-training is supplemental exercise that can be helpful to your running, like cycling.
But just like form drills, strides, or dynamic flexibility exercises, I consider strength training to be an integral part of how to train distance runners.
If you’re not strength training, then you’re not training.
And to help you get things right in the weight room, I invited top strength and conditioning coach Tony Gentilcore on the Strength Running podcast to talk about:
Cofounder of Cressey Sports Performance, Tony now owns his own gym outside of Boston and trains top-level athletes and everyone else.
A frequent contributor to major fitness and media outlets like T-Nation, Women’s Health, and The Boston Herald, Tony also runs a popular strength training blog.
Tony made my job easy as podcast host because he has a great sense of humor and can make exercise science seem easy. I hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as I did speaking with Tony.
Even if you’re comfortable in the gym, you won’t want to miss this episode.
You might recall George from episode 6 of the Strength Running podcast.
We talked about a lot:
George wanted help planning for a PR attempt at the half marathon. Episode 6 was a “behind the scenes” coaching call where we strategized on how he could make it happen.
Now, he’s back on the podcast to see if my ideas actually worked!
For a long time, George’s episode was the most downloaded show because folks loved listening “over my shoulder” as we strategized.
And I think you’ll enjoy this show just as much.
It's not every day that you meet somebody with so many varied interests.
And when you do, pay attention. Their insights and mental models are light years ahead of the average person.
Simon Donato is one of these "Renaissance Men." His many accomplishments include:
He's on the podcast today to help us find more adventure in our life.
I think runners are uniquely suited to be adventurers because of our endurance, appetite for suffering, and thirst for new experiences.
This episode is an excerpt from an interview included in Team Strength Running - affordable coaching with teammates, proven training, me as your coach, and team perks like discounts and other bonuses.
If you'd like to learn more about the team, sign up at http://strengthrunning.com/tsr/ (we're opening soon!).
Boston is unlike any marathon in the world. It first started in 1897 with a whopping 18 runners. In 2011, nearly 27,000 runners ran the race on “Marathon Monday,” also known as Patriot’s Day in Massachusetts.
In one of the most famous stories, Kathrine Switzer finished Boston as the first woman with a race number in 1967. She registered as “K.V. Switzer” to avoid detection since women were not allowed to run at that time. When officials found out she was running, they tried to physically eject her from the race. Luckily another runner body checked the official to the ground and she was able to keep running.
Her historical finish proved that women could run marathons and sparked a women’s running revolution. Race officials eventually recognized the female race winners from before they were officially allowed to compete in 1972.
After Bill “Boston Billy” Rodgers, a Boston legend, won the race four times in trademark style in the 1980’s, the race has become one of the most competitive marathons in the world. With a prize purse approaching $1 million in 2011, the best marathoners in the world show up to give it their all.
Showcasing the extreme competitiveness of Boston, in 2011 Kenyan Geoffrey Mutai overtook early leader Ryan Hall and crushed the last 10k to finish in a mind-blowingly fast time of 2:03:02.
Yes, you read that right: the world’s fastest time is an average 4:41 mile pace over 26.2 miles.
In this podcast, Jason shares some words of wisdom before you line up in Hopkinton to race the world's most prestigious marathon.
Nate is the cofounder of The Run Experience. And he doesn't just have a USA Track & Field coaching certification. He's also completed continuing education courses in:
Like me, he recognizes that injury prevention and athleticism are what make faster, healthier runners.
And in this conversation, we dive deeper into mobility work for runners and how to implement a daily mobilization routine into your schedule. Plus, the differences between mobility and flexibility.
You'll notice that Nate has quite the background in CrossFit. While I've gone off on CrossFit in the past, we acknowledge the helpful parts of this sport that runners can use to design smarter training.
If you're injury-prone or looking for ways to level up your training, you don't want to miss this episode.
Diet is more important than most runners realize - and the effects of poor eating habits can derail anybody's running:
But if you dial in your nutrition then performances will improve, recovery will be faster, and you'll just feel better.
And I think every runner would benefit from that.
To help optimize our dietary choices and approach to fueling, I invited author Matt Fitzgerald onto the podcast today.
Over the last several years, Matt has been investigating the eating habits of professional endurance athletes around the world.
And his findings are powerful. World-Class runners in the United Sates, top swimmers in Australia, and champion triathletes in South Africa all have one thing in common: their diet.
There's overwhelming evidence from around the world - and indeed, from every type of endurance sport - that the best runners in the world all eat the same way.
Matt calls this approach The Endurance Diet and outlines five foundational habits that shape how elite runners fuel their training.
And on the podcast, we outline each of these habits and how you can apply them to your life. Enjoy!
Ritz has more career highlights than there are spectators at the Boston Marathon (ok maybe not but still!):
A Generation UCAN-sponsored athlete, he is now preparing to run the River Bank Run 25k this May.
I kicked off the episode with an embarrassing story - one I debated sharing but I thought it was funny. Enjoy!
On more serious topics, we chat about:
I hope you enjoy my conversation with Dathan Ritzenhein!
James doesn't look like the "typical" runner - he's 6'6" and 250 pounds. A former professional rugby player, James has a degree in Sport Rehabilitation and is fully insured member of the British Association of Sport Rehabilitators and Trainers (BASRaT).
He's the founder of Kinetic-Revolution and has an ongoing fascination with the functional biomechanics of running (in other words, how you move while running).
In this far-reaching discussion, we talk about quite a few issues:
Enjoy my conversation with James (and don't miss the announcement at the end of the show!).
In this short episode, Jason shares a letter from a runner named Colleen. She experienced self-doubt and was afraid of failure before a race. But with a positive mindset and a few inspiring lessons, Colleen successfully finished her race.
In this letter, Colleen shares her journey. And I hope you find it motivating as you push through with your training.
Long runs, weekly mileage, and faster workouts are all important - but they won't help you improve if you don't prioritize a healthy lifestyle.
Without proper nutrition, you won't have as much energy to tackle your training.
Without enough sleep, recovery will be sub-par and some of your hard work will be wasted.
Without reducing stress, the risk of over-training and injury increases (and you'll rarely feel good).
So it makes sense to give yourself every advantage and set yourself up for success, especially if you're gearing up for a big race or attempt at a personal best.
When you get these "little things" (which are not so little) right, it makes training much easier to accomplish.
After all, success in running depends on the lifestyle that surrounds the training.
So I invited No Meat Athlete founder Matt Frazier on the podcast. In just the last few years, Matt has implemented a staggering number of changes to his life:
If you've ever tried to start a new healthy habit, you know how difficult this can be on top of your other obligations like work and family.
And I wanted to know how to make all of these "little things" easier to implement in your life.
Because if you're not sleeping well, eating right, and eliminating stress the other 23 hours of the day, then running a longer distance or racing a Personal Best is going to be that much more difficult to achieve.
Dr. Mike Young is the Director of Research and Performance at North Carolina-based Athletic Lab. A Lead Instructor for both USA Track & Field and USA Weightlifting, he also works with elite athletes and has consulted with the MLS, MLB, NFL, PGA, and NHL.
He has degrees in exercise physiology, coaching science, and biomechanics – not to mention his prowess publishing multiple peer-reviewed journal articles.
Mike has coached seven national champions in Track & Field and at four Division I NCAA programs.
He’s on the Strength Running Podcast today to talk about how distance runners can benefit from speed development – from specific workouts to other ways of getting faster (it’s not all sprint work).
Claire Shorenstein is no stranger to running long: she's a Boston Marathon-qualifying runner, frequent triathlete, and multiple ultra marathon finisher.
Perhaps more importantly, she's a Registered Dietitian and New York State Certified Dietitian-Nutritionist with a Master’s degree in Clinical Nutrition from New York University. A certified Road Runner's Club of America running coach, she works at several private practices to counsel athletes and non-athletes on their nutrition goals.
Her specialties include weight loss, sports nutrition, chronic disease prevention and management, and pre- and post-natal nutrition. Read more about Claire on her website, Eat for Endurance.
She is also very pregnant as of now!
In this episode of the Strength Running Podcast, we discuss how pregnancy will change your approach to running, nutrition, and exercise in general. Please enjoy!
Current research shows that strengthening the small stabilizing muscles around the arch and plantar fascia can improve ankle stability and balance - but it's often neglected.
So I invited Matt Ferguson, the founder of AFX, on the Strength Running podcast to discuss several topics around foot strength:
We also dive into the history of running shoes and why they look very different today than they did 40 years ago.
Enjoy!
Bart Yasso is a legend in the running community. And as the “Mayor of Running” and Chief Running Officer at Runner’s World, he’s one of the most recognizable faces in the sport.
If you don’t yet know Bart, here’s a short list of what he’s been up to over the last 30 years:
He’s also the author of My Life on the Run: The Wit, Wisdom, and Insights of a Road Racing Icon.
In 2014, I had the pleasure of meeting Bart at the Runner’s World Half Marathon and Festival (recap here) where he shared the running stories that have shaped his life.
In particular, how the Comrades Marathon brought South Africa, a country weighed down by the horror of Apartheid, closer together.
And how his favorite running memory is drinking coffee by the Trevi Fountain with his mom during the Rome Marathon.
More importantly, Bart spoke about the people that make the sport of running so incredible. Meeting other runners is what keeps him going – and he meets a lot of people flying to 45 races every year!
This episode of the Strength Running podcast is brought to you by... YOU! Coach Jason Fitzgerald answers 7 of your biggest questions about running consistently, improving your trail running skills, motivation, and how many miles you should start with when you first begin running.
For beginner runners or those who are just getting back into running after a long layoff from injury or simply taking a break, how you tackle your training is really important. For more beginner-oriented training advice, sign up at http://strengthrunning.com/new and you'll also get the bonus encore podcast that answers even more of your burning questions!
Dr. Justin Ross is a Denver health psychologist who focuses on sports and performance psychology among other specialties like stress reduction and pain management. He’s also a triathlete, Boston-qualifying marathoner, and a founder of Mind Body Health, a Denver-area integrative health psychology and counseling center.
And we talk about a lot: everything from managing anxiety before a race to practical strategies for both increasing and decreasing arousal around key performances. But we also get into behavioral change - in other words, how do you change specific behaviors (like waking up earlier) that make running a lot easier?
Finally, I share a lot of my own running stories and we play a good game of role-reversal where he interviews me about my inner self-talk and why in the world we chanted “Grimace” before high school cross country races. The reason is not entirely legal but you’ll have to hear that story yourself...
Travis Macy is an endurance Renaissance Man. If it exists, he’s probably done it.
Multiday, team stage race? Snowshoe racing? Ski mountaineering? He’s completed all of that – and a lot more. Sponsored by brands like Hoka and Injinji, Travis has completed over 120 events in 17 countries.
When he’s not running up mountains in Colorado’s front range (even bringing me along for a run), he’s skiing, mountain biking, snowshoeing, or gearing up for his next 100-mile ultra.
His book, The Ultra Mindset, is a blueprint for success in running, business, and life. Miss his actionable running lessons at your own peril…
In the latest episode of the Strength Running Podcast, I sit down with Travis to talk about his many adventures in the world of ultra-endurance.
I’m sure you’ll find it inspiring – but more importantly, the advice can help you plan your next adventure.
There's no better investment in your running than a book. For the price of a movie and popcorn, you can learn the training strategies of elite coaches, Olympians, and the lessons that have taken others decades to learn.
Wouldn't you like to shortcut that learning curve?
Coach Jason Fitzgerald shares his six favorite running books (and the other - admittedly weird - books he's currently reading) that will propel your training to new heights and deepen your understanding of the sport.