Run To The Top Podcast | The Ultimate Guide To Running

Only 0.3% of Americans participate in ultra races but if you’re not a part of this group (yet) you can still learn from the challenges of these difficult events. Coach Hayley is a talented 2:37 marathoner and recently completed her first-ever ultramarathon by finishing a 50k run through the Endurancelife Ultra Series. She even accidentally ran an extra 2 miles, something Hayley will speak about during the episode. Despite the mishap, she is now preparing for her first 100k race and has some great lessons to share with other runners. Whether you’re a veteran at the distance or have never run a race of any distance this is an insightful conversation about human perseverance and dealing with unexpected obstacles. As we unpack everything Hayley learned through this experience, we’ll go over some exciting topics that include: How to nail your fueling for ultra-endurance races The importance of testing your gear beforehand Why you may need to start slower than you think for your first ultra And why trying new thin

Marathon season is upon us and the team at RunnersConnect is bringing you all the greatest storylines going into the Boston and London Marathon. This year’s field of professional runners is loaded leading up to the Paris Summer Olympics and we’ll give you our take on what to expect and who might surprise or disappoint at upcoming marathon majors. We’ll also chat about our thoughts on what to expect from the American Olympic Marathon team who have all opted out of running a Spring marathon. This is not your typical sports commentary show, so expect it to feel more like a conversation among friends than a data dump of performance metrics. We’re throwing out all of our bold predictions and hot takes so you play along and feel free to disagree with anything said. This is going to be a fun conversation that you’ll love if you also get excited talking about long-distance running events. Some of the stories you’ll hear include: Will Olympic Trials 3rd place finisher Leonard Korir be competing in Paris? (03:26) Our

Roughly 1 in 4 US adults suffer from bunions and whether you knew it or not, there’s actually such a thing as “National Bunion Day '' that's only a few days away. Given the time of year and the applicability to our community, I figured it’d be a good topic of conversation.  For runners like us, bunions often result from the repeated stress of hitting the pavement, wearing shoes that are too tight, as well as having flat feet or over pronation to aggravate the problem.  With that context in mind, I invited Dr. Brad Schaeffer, who you may know from the hit TLC show “My Feet Are Killing Me” onto the pod to talk about this issue. Dr. Schaeffer trained at the Comprehensive Foot & Ankle Reconstructive Surgical Residency Program at the Hoboken University Medical Center and is a Board Certified Foot Surgeon with the ABFAS. In this episode, we talk about the causes of bunions, the symptoms of bunions, what to keep in mind if you have them and you’re running with them, how to treat them non-surgically, and some of

After 8 years away, I'm finally making a return to competitive running. It's been a challenging road back, and I've learned some valuable lessons along the way. Here are three key takeaways from my journey: **Training at Your Current Fitness Level:** I've realized the importance of training based on my current fitness level, rather than aiming for past personal bests. It's been humbling, but ultimately crucial for progress. **Finding Your 'Why':** As my motivations have shifted, I've discovered that having a clear 'why' is essential for enduring the grind of training. Whether it's overcoming health issues or being a positive role model for my children, identifying your 'why' can be a powerful driving force.  **Balancing Health and Performance:** Through this journey, I've come to understand that prioritizing overall health is paramount. Better health doesn't just lead to improved running performance, but also a more fulfilling life beyond the track. Follow my journey towards the 2028 Olympic Trials Marathon

We are just a few weeks away from one of the world's most popular running events, the Boston Marathon. With this highly anticipated annual event approaching, I imagine you’ll be eager for relevant discussion.  So in this episode, we are joined by Jeff Gaudette, Founder of RunnersConnect, to address general questions about the race, offer advice on final race preparations, and discuss strategies for working towards the goal of qualifying for and racing in the Boston Marathon in the future, if you haven't already had the opportunity. Specifically, we discuss:  What makes this race so interesting from coaching, performance, and spectator standpoints Jeff’s philosophy for getting athletes ready for this race The types of workouts, recovery protocols, and mindset practices runners should be incorporating in the final 2-3 weeks of preparation Whether it’s possible to get into this race, despite the tough standards, and how you can successfully work backward from the goal of racing Boston one day And much more! If

Today’s episode is a true story of courage and resilience. Alison’s life was changed forever when she discovered two lumps on her neck in April of 2023 and later had these diagnosed as Non-Hodkins Lymphoma. Despite this news, she was so inspired to raise awareness and funding for another disease, motor neurone disease (MND), that she continued running and training throughout her chemo treatment. Alison finished her treatment last August and is now continuing her fundraising efforts while training forto complete her first ever marathon this May. This is the story of an incredibly courageous and patient runner who has faced significant adversity but come out the other side determined to continue bettering herself and show other runners that you should never give up. You’ll hear all about how Alison won her fight against cancer, including topics such as: How Alison was motivated by her husband to first start running What it’s like to run through chemotherapy cancer treatment Why Alison is so passionate about in

Running biomechanics expert, Jay Dicharry, returns to the show to talk about the upcoming new edition (stay tuned) of his popular book “Running Rewired”. In this conversation, we talk about: why we all need to be students of our sport the specific skills you should have in your running toolbox why you need inputs (not just recovery) to improve the way you’re moving why too much, too fast, too soon isn’t the only pathway to injury the cognitive, associative, and autonomous stages of building muscle memory to move better the relative importance of prehab, precision, and performance workouts I found Jay to be a very interesting, engaging, and generously informative guest. Be sure to tune in, and if you’re interested in checking out the latest edition of Running Rewired, stay tuned for its release very soon! Connect, Comment, Community Follow RunnersConnect on Instagram Join the Elite Treatment where you get first dibs on everything RTTT each month! Runners Connect Winner's Circle Facebook Community  Ru

Running is an incredible sport with the power to change lives for the better. Unfortunately, it’s not as accessible as it can and should be. Despite being a relatively approachable sport with minimal equipment there are still systemic barriers that make it difficult for some to participate. Today, we’re tackling this issue head-on with a panel of diverse runners sharing their experiences in the sport and thoughts on how to make it more welcoming for all types of runners. Our panel for this episode includes: Dione Mason: Toronto Carnival Run race director and recipient of the Canfitpro Fitness Professional of the Year in 2017 Andie Cozzarelli: RunnersConnect coach and semi-professional marathon runner  Catie Markesich: Youth running coach and community advocate  Not everyone feels welcome in the sport but this doesn’t have to be the case. This was an enlightening conversation that did not stray from difficult topics. We hope you enjoy listening and hopefully come away with some helpful tips to become an advo

If you’ve been tracking write ups in the media or public sentiment on all the message boards out there, then you know double threshold workouts are all the rage right now and given the moment we’re in, I thought it would be good to have RunnersConnect Head Coach Michael Hammond on the show to break everything down and help us determine whether it’s something this audience should consider for training purposes.  It’s a wide-ranging conversation with Michael, we cover a lot, but some of the specifics discussed include: the backstory of how double-threshold workouts became popular in the US how double thresholds work, where they’re inserted in training blocks, and what the purported benefits are what to do in between workouts and how to assess whether it’s a type of day you want to insert into your own block the differences between a pro runner and an amateur runner attempting to double threshold and what to consider in these different scenarios the super shoe effect on double thresholds And much more! Coach M

As spring approaches, many runners are preparing for their first race of the season and may be wondering how to pace themselves in the race or during key workouts. Luckily, a properly crafted workout can be used to help estimate fitness for almost any distance. Whether you’re hoping for a PR or just curious about what finishing time to expect, then these race predictor workouts can help you make an educated guess of future race performance. We’ll go through several of these workouts for many distances and explain how you can calculate your race time using paces from those runs. This will include answering questions such as: How a prediction of race times can help with your pacing? What are some workouts to predict race times across various distances? How and when to perform race-predicting workouts? What is the best pacing strategy based on your goals and race distance? If you have an upcoming race on the calendar or wonder how you would perform in one then you’ll want to tune in for an exciting conversatio

RunnersConnect Founder and CEO Jeff Gaudette returns to Run To The Top this time to chat on a variety of topics. Specifically, we discuss: how his training methodology has changed in recent years peak week training tips for races like the Boston Marathon how to think about the non-running components of training like rest and active recovery protocols why he’s a strong (no pun intended) proponent of strength training the benefits of online coaching and how RunnersConnect is different from other options on the market as well as his favorite running books and moments on the professional side of the sport And much more! Tune in for an equally fun, engaging, and informative chat with our Founder! Connect, Comment, Community Follow RunnersConnect on Instagram Join the Elite Treatment where you get first dibs on everything RTTT each month! Runners Connect Winner's Circle Facebook Community  RunnersConnect Facebook page GET EXPERT COACHING AT RUNNERSCONNECT! This week’s show brought to you by: MAS Iron Ou

On today’s show, we are talking with Kara Goucher author of “The Longest Race: Inside the Secret World of Abuse, Doping, and Deception on Nike’s Elite Running Team”, which chronicles her ascent from Olympic aspirations to the Nike Oregon Project, led by Alberto Salazar, where she unveils a culture of abuse and doping, shedding light on the shadows of elite running.  Goucher's resilience and advocacy, despite corporate complicity, ignited a call for reform in the sport, offering a powerful narrative of empowerment and action. In this conversation, we talk about: the nature of Alberto Salazaar and the Oregon Project and what made the opportunity so appealing initially for athletes like Kara the value of taking responsibility and action to fix something that’s wrong the fear of being a whistleblower and possibly ostracized by the running community her next act in the running community including broadcasting, podcasting, and ambassadorship among other important roles how she feels about the state of pro running

Every racing distance comes with its own challenges, but in this episode the RC team is going to debate what race is the best test to crown the fittest runner on the planet. The winner of the 100m dash is typically given the title of fastest on the planet but we’re not going to let sprinters have all of the fun. You’ll hear our coaches each make their case for what they believe is the best test of fitness before we officially settle on a winner. Distance runners are a special breed of athlete and it takes dedication to compete in the sport. That’s why we’re celebrating your hard work by discussing all of the strengths required to excel at every distance from the mile up to ultra-marathons.  Although every race has its unique challenges, there can only be one victor. In order to help answer what race is the best test of fitness we’ll cover topics including: What is fitness and how can it be measured? What traits make a runner successful over different races? And, of course, we’ll give you our thoughts on what

A captivating chat with Fiona O'Keefe, a former coach at Runners Connect, about her remarkable journey to winning the US Olympic Trials marathon and earning a spot on the Paris Olympic team.  Her insights and experiences shed light on the dedication and balance required for elite-level training and competition.

To many of you, Abdi Abdirahman is a household name. He’s the first American distance runner to make five Olympic teams and the oldest American distance runner ever to make an Olympic team. The list of accomplishments goes on. A few years ago, he wrote a book called “Abdi’s World,” which chronicles his impressive career in running, and that's why I wanted to have him on the show. In this conversation, we discuss: Not taking the sport too seriously as a strategy to stay competitive. Self-belief and why he’s never lacked motivation to be a professional runner. The importance of a team environment and the psychological challenges of group workouts. Rules to live by in running. What’s next for his professional career. Like probably everyone else, I found Abdi to be equal parts generous, joyful, introspective, and excited in this conversation. I hope you take as much from it for your own running life as I did. Connect, Comment, Community Abdi's World: The Black Cactus on Life, Running, and Fun Follow Runne

In this edition of RC spotlight we hear from Frederich Hayem (Fred), a relatively new runner who has achieved rapid success since taking up the sport just over a year ago. He is the perfect example of how good training and learning from your mistakes is the best way to improve as an athlete.  He joined our coaching program with the goal of running his first marathon and crushed it, running a 3:29. Despite some injury and setbacks, he has taken several minutes off of his already impressive half marathon PR and as he moves into a new age group, he is only continuing to get faster. Fred attributes much of his success to consistent strength training and sticking to a plan without stressing about hitting mileage or paces exactly. To learn more about Fred’s story and growth as an athlete we’ll chat about topics including: How Fred used his background in strength training to help his running performance Why consistency is king when it comes to improvement in running What it means to be a “smart runner” Why you shou

Joe Friel is a renowned endurance sports coach most notable for some of the elite triathlon and cycling athletes he’s worked with over the years. He’s also the author of a great book called the “Triathlete’s Training Bible” and he joins the show today to discuss some of the running-related themes in the newest edition.  In a wide-ranging conversation around mental readiness, physical readiness, and race-season planning you’ll get some excellent takeaways from topics like: why should you become mentally ready before you’re physically ready for a race the most important questions to gauge your mental readiness  the concept of a “success savings account” how to determine your “ability limiters” and “goal-specific weaknesses” how to properly use a training diary Joe is a wealth of training information. Give it a listen! Connect, Comment, Community Follow RunnersConnect on Instagram Join the Elite Treatment where you get first dibs on everything RTTT each month! Runners Connect Winner's Circle Facebook Co

It can be trickey to tell the difference between a niggle and an injury but how you respond when something doesn’t feel quite right could be the difference between a PR and and DNF. Coach Hayley Munn joins us in this to show, bringing her educational background in physical therapy and years of coaching experience to help tell the difference between an injury and a niggle and explain what to do about each of them.  It can be really challenging sometimes for even the most experienced runners to make this distinction but there are some general guidelines you can follow to stay healthy and limit the chances of a niggle or injury derailing your training. To better understand these strategies we’re going to cover topics that include: What is a niggle and how is it different from an injury? How thinking more positively about an injury can actually help in the recovery process How much running is appropriate if you think that you may be injured And strategies you can use to maximize your chances of getting to the st

In this episode of Run To The Top, sports dietitian Alex Larson delves into the intricacies of fueling for improved performance and body composition among endurance athletes, advocating for a flexible eating style.  Larson offers insights into post-race recovery, emphasizing the importance of timing and food group choices to optimize recovery windows. The discussion also touches upon the early signs and consequences of underfueling, highlighting the need for sustained nutritional support for athletes.  Addressing a common misconception, Larson explains how athletes can simultaneously enhance speed and achieve leanness, while also offering practical advice on balancing athletic aspirations with a hectic lifestyle.  Through nuanced guidance and expertise, this episode provides valuable insights for athletes seeking to optimize their nutrition and performance. Connect, Comment, Community Alex Larson Website Follow RunnersConnect on Instagram Join the Elite Treatment where you get first dibs on everything

If you’re a runner, you probably already know you need to train to get faster but what about taking this to the next level with over 175 miles per week?  This is exactly the type of extreme training that went into Kelvin Kiptum’s world record setting marathon performance, where he ran 2:00:35 in Chicago this past fall.  In this episode we’ll take a closer look at Kiptum’s training and discuss whether everyday runners can employ some of the same strategies or if Kiptum’s radical approach to training is best reserved for the elites. It takes an incredible amount of talent and dedication to make it to the professional level of marathon running. Most of us will never come close to holding the 5:36/mile pace Kiptum ran but this doesn’t mean you can’t learn a few things from these exceptional athletes.  Over the course of the show we’ll discuss what you might be able to take away from Kiptum’s success with topics including: What makes elite runners so good at their sport and could following their training make you