Run To The Top Podcast | The Ultimate Guide To Running

Periodization is one of the most important training concepts that helps runners break through plateaus.   Once you stop training race-to-race and focus on how all your seasons fit together, huge breakthroughs can happen.   In today’s show, Coach Ruairi and Coach Dylan are going to help define what periodization is and go over the two most popular approaches so you can learn how it can benefit you at any race distance.   If you’ve been stuck in a plateau with your training or racing, this will be an awesome 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 Community  RunnersConnect Facebook page GET EXPERT COACHING AT RUNNERSCONNECT! This week’s show brought to you by: Elo Health Finding the right supplements at the right dosages specifically for your needs isn’t easy.  That’s why we love Elo Health. Elo uses a combination of at-home blood b

Have you ever been curious about hearing from the families of Olympic-level endurance athletes? Perhaps, you’ve been curious about the roles they played, the support they provided, and the insights they have from being so close to the athletes?    Well in this conversation with Nancy and Elizabeth Jorgensen, you’re getting just that. Nancy and Elizabeth recently wrote a book time lining and reflecting on Professional Triathlete Gwen Jorgensen’s rise from intrinsically inspired kid athlete to gold medal winner at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.   In this episode we talk about the themes of: personal discovery risk-taking goal-setting team-building   You’ll enjoy and gain value for your own endurance sports journey regardless of whether you are at the level of Gwen, a weekend warrior, or someone just getting their start in road running or triathlons. Connect, Comment, Community Follow RunnersConnect on Instagram Join the Elite Treatment where you get first dibs on everything RTTT each month!

The marathon isn’t just a physical beast, it’s also a mental battle against yourself.    A lot of races can be lost in the last 10k simply because we aren’t mentally prepared.   On this week’s Coach Chat we cover the mental side of racing and go over 9 tips you can use to stay mentally engaged when the pain starts to set in.   After listening, you’ll be ready to master the last 10k mentally and a PR might just be on the horizon! 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: Mobility Wall We all know how important foam rolling is for staying injury-free and just plain feeling better for every run. But, let’s face it, many of us skip it because clearing out space on the floor feels like too much work, the pressure is too painful and

For those who have ever thought they were too old or too unfit to compete in endurance sports, listen to this conversation with Hilary Topper. Growing up and even well into adulthood, Hilary did not consider herself an athlete. But in her late 40s, she decided to get into running.   Fast forward a decade and she’s completed numerous road races and triathlons, started virtual endurance teams and communities, maintained an inspirational blog on all these topics, and written a book going through all the details of her journey and offering advice to fellow runners and those just starting out in our sport looking for a similar roadmap.    In this episode you’ll learn: How we can make the running community more accessible and interesting to middle and back of the pack endurance athletes How to maintain a positive attitude and growth mindset in the face of adversity, especially when you’re starting a new venture or hobby like running How to make your running journey an especially rewarding one by fos

On today’s coach chat podcast episode, we’re going to hear from RunnersConnect head coach Michael Hammond about the common struggles our athletes are facing right now and how we’re helping them overcome them. We’ve always felt the group atmosphere is part of what sets us apart from most training plans - even other customized ones. As an athlete, sometimes it’s just nice to know that others are struggling with the same issues as you are or are having the same fears and apprehensions at the same time during a training cycle. When a workout or long run feels harder than you think it should have, it’s nice to confirm with other runners that you’re not alone and it’s part of the process or how you should feel. So, today Coach Michael is going to give you an inside look at some of the winter running struggles many of our athletes are facing and how you can overcome them too! Connect, Comment, Community Follow RunnersConnect on Instagram Join the Elite Treatment where you get first dibs on everything RTTT each mon

It’s the beginning of February and that means most of us are in the midst of our training for spring races. With races still a few months away, and the training starting to get difficult, this is a great time to start thinking about the mental component to your training and racing.  Mental training is often overlooked as we focus so much of our attention on the physical aspects of our workouts. But, being mentally strong and knowing how to overcome the mental challenges that every race and training plan present is a critical piece to your success. So, today you’ll hear from some of our best guests we’ve had on the podcast over the last few years on mental training. You’ll learn… How to improve your confidence How to deal with bad things happening on race day Learning to push through pain Mental training techniques you can use in training to improve your mental toughness. For those of you who are RunnersConnect members and want more on mental training, be sure to check out the Mental Training Summit inside t

Not including proper progression in your strength routines is one of the biggest reasons you may still be getting injured despite performing injury prevention routines and why your progress may have stalled. In today’s episode, Coach Jeff is going to help you fix this by… Explaining what progression is and why it’s important The different ways you can add-in progressive overload to your training Walk you through a 4-phase progression you can implement in your training today. If you’re not currently implementing progression into your strength training, this is a must listen! To make it easier for you to implement, Get your FREE copy of Strength Progression PDF now. 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: Mobility Wall We all know how important foam r

Angelo Poli is a Transformation Specialist and the creator of the MetPro system, an advanced methodology that analyzes a person’s specific response to diet and activity, and adjusts based on their personal needs and goals.  In this week’s episode, you’ll learn more about: the relationship between diet metabolism and running fitness lifestyle evaluation and actionable strategies you can take to master your nutrition and truly  meet your running goals how the process of metabolic profiling can help you reach your transformation goals as a runner when and why it makes sense to have a personalized nutrition coach in your running journey Have you ever heard of metabolic profiling before? Let us know in the comments! 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

Many of us enjoy nothing more than a cold beer on a hot day or a strong drink after a long work shift.  However, what impact, if any, does this have on our training and racing goals? Obviously, you’re not drinking beers before you run, so is there any detriment? The research and answers may surprise you. In today’s uptempo talk, Coach Dylan and Coach Ruairi are going to dive into the pros and cons of alcohol consumption on your running and even discuss the beer mile along the way.  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: CollaGenius: Adding collagen to your daily recovery routine can dramatically improve your recovery and ability to stay healthy.  If you want to try collagen yourself, our recommendation is CollaGenius because it contains an efficaciou

Nick ran cross country in high school, setting a 5k PR of 17:49 way back in 2005. But in 2012 he developed a severe case of achilles tendonitis which caused him to hang up the racing shoes for almost 10 years! Now he’s back to training - but he’s having some trouble. Some injuries, overly intense workouts, and in general he doesn’t feel like he’s quite on track to reach his goals. What could be behind the present difficulty? We have some ideas! On this weeks Training Plan Rescue, Coach Michael covers: How to effectively come back from a big running hiatus If and when you should emulate what the pro runners do We’ll set Nick up for success moving forward. Anyone had similar difficulties as Nick? Let us know in the comments! 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 broug

Do you have a goal time you’ve been eyeing but aren’t sure if and when it will be attainable? Or are you fairly new to running and wondering what to expect from your rate of improvement? This is a fairly common question and the short answer is, it depends.  In today’s episode, we’ll help you… Determine how much you should expect to improve race to race  Understand the factors to consider when it comes to getting faster. The specific things you can work on to ensure you maximize your potential through the year Want more? Download your FREE Improvement Performance Calculator now. Enjoy the chat today and of course, let us know if you have any questions of your own on any of our social media channels. 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: LMNT LMNT i

There’s no doubt that winter running can be some of the most difficult months of training, especially if you have a big race coming up in April or May and you have to be focused on getting in the work. Motivation fades when every run requires dressing in 10lbs of gear and braving the elements or constantly fretting about how to adapt yet another workout for the ice and snow.  That’s why in today’s podcast roundup, we’re going to help teach you everything we’ve learned over the past 10 years about training in winter conditions. And no, these are just another round of “wear layers” type of tips (although we do recommend this). Instead, we’re going to hear from some experts on exactly how to adapt your workouts, stay motivated, and make sure your spring race is your best yet, whatever mother nature throws at you this weekend. Grab your free download of our Treadmill Guide for Runners now! Connect, Comment, Community Follow RunnersConnect on Instagram Join the Elite Treatment where you get first dibs on everythi

Welcome to our coach chat this week and our first podcast of the new year. As we all try to get our 2023 started off on the right track, one of the first things we start to think about is tracking towards our goals. As any good coach will tell you, one of the most critical pieces to achieving any goal you set for yourself is tracking your progress along the way. Unfortunately, many runners are not aware that they are often too concerned with the wrong metrics in their training. The result is often frustration, stagnant race results, and injuries. So, today we’re going to go over a couple of common metrics many runners put too much focus on and how you can shift your mindset should you fall victim to these familiar pitfalls. 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 brough

When it comes to executing workouts, understanding aspects like pace, distance, and duration might already be at the top of your mind. But how much thought have you given to the importance of the rest intervals in your workouts? Can you distinguish between what you need for something like a neuromuscular-based workout versus the rest you need for threshold intervals?  Come to think of it, you might have other questions too. Like on those days where things aren’t clicking, does it make sense to stop a workout? And if so, when is it prudent to move it to the next day?  Well, this is another episode of Run To The Top with RunnersConnect coaches Dylan Belles and Ruari Moynihan discussing the appropriate rest intervals and rest paces associated with 5 paces and intensities and the questions of when you should stop a workout and if and when you should consider moving these workouts to another day.  Tune in to hear their discussion. Connect, Comment, Community Follow RunnersConnect on Instagram Join the Elite Trea

What are your thoughts on exogenous ketones? Are you familiar? Are you wondering what they have to do with running? Well, in this episode you are in for a treat. Brian McMahon, runner and Chief Strategy Officer at deltaG - a company that makes exogenous ketones - joins Run To The Top to talk about what ketones are, the difference between options out there on the market for runners (particularly, the difference between ketone “esters” and “salts”), their benefits for running performance, recovery, and even day to day life, recommended programs for usage, and much more.  If you’re curious to learn more about ways that you can sustainably and optimally fuel your body during prolonged exercise and tough training blocks, this episode is for you.  In addition to the science of ketones, Brian and I do a deep dive into the history of its development and usage in military and endurance sports environments, and talk a bit as well about what the next few years could look like for its adoption in the running community. 

We’ve put together some of the best interviews we’ve conducted over the past 6 years from masters coaches, researchers and high-performing athletes to help you better understand the benefits of strength training in any running program. In this interview… We’ll dispel some of the myths out there around strength training Look at what the academic research says about its applicability to running Help you understand the types of strength training you should be doing Plus, how often you should be doing it, what progression should look like in this area, and more. And the best part is, in this podcast we’re boiling everything down to just the best advice and words of wisdom. So, if you’re ready to learn how to make the most of strength training for your running performance, today’s interview round-up is just what you need!  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 Commu

Do you have great results at shorter distances like the 5k and 10k, but can’t run equivalent times for longer races like the HM and Marathon? That’s the problem Aliisa Laurie has dealt with her last few marathons. Alissa has posted impressive times at shorter distances, but through a combination of training errors and injuries has fallen short of her potential in the marathon. Listen in to Coach Michael’s analysis of Alissa’s current strategy and execution, as well as his suggestions for Alissa’s future marathon training blocks when it comes to approaching long runs, easy days, workout selection, strength building, and injury prevention. Download your FREE Hip Strengthening Exercises Guide Now! 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: P3-OM: If you’ve

How many times have you been in a training run or race environment where issues like nausea, bloating, or cramping have interrupted performance?  Or how often have you tried to experiment with the latest drink mixes, gels, and bars only to find yourself back at square one wondering what will keep you properly fueled and focused on the task at hand during prolonged exercise?  Personally, I’ve lost count of how many times gut distress and nutrition choices were the limiting factors on my performance in these scenarios. And that’s why I’m excited to have Robert Wilson, a professor of exercise science and registered dietitian on the podcast today.  Robert wrote a book a few years ago called “The Athlete’s Gut: The Inside Science of Digestion, Nutrition, and Stomach Distress”. In this interview, we use his research to talk about the sources and remedies for common gut distress issues that runners face. We dive deep into the nutritional strategies that runners can implement to execute their most important, challeng

Extending beyond normal sleep and nutrition routines, have you ever wondered about alternative recovery methods? Maybe you’ve had conversations with family and friends about Eastern Medicine, novel medical procedures, a new technology or something else along those lines and you’ve wondered: could this help my running? Well this episode of Run to the Top is another Up Tempo Talk with RunnersConnect coaches Dylan Belles and Ruari Moynihan discussing 5 alternative ways to recover from running workouts, some of the science behind these practices, as well as insights from their personal experiences with these tools and procedures.  Tune in to hear their discussion around acupuncture, platelet rich plasma procedures, sauna, cryotherapy, and compression garments.  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 RUNNERS

For those of you who have been fans of RunnersConnect for some time now, you know that some of our favorite events of the year are our running retreats. It’s truly amazing to get to spend 4-5 days with passionate runners - talking about running, exploring awesome trails, and learning together. Now, runners attend our retreats for a lot of different reasons - the chance to run in awesome places, all of the 1-on-1 coaching and learning, or even just to be surrounded by a group of likeminded people who love running. But, for us coaches they also serve a fantastic purpose. You see, although our running retreats are 100% focused on delivering a great experience to our attendees, we are also rewarded with the opportunity to learn and grow as coaches. Moreover, when we host a retreat, it further reinforces why I love what I do. Plus, I always glean new insights into what works, what doesn't and what runners like you experience. So, in today’s show I want to go over 4 insights I gained from our retreats last year and