While it can be argued that there is a general recipe for strength training (warm-up, main lifts, accessory lifts, supplementary work), the skill and art of putting together an effective program comes in the individualization of each element. There are infinite combinations of exercises, sets, reps, loads, and rests, and manipulating any parameter will yield different results. On this weeks episode we dive into different considerations when creating a strength program for an individual (or yours...
Nov 29, 2024•52 min
Runners, OCR athletes, and hybrid athletes alike all benefit from strength training (though their programs look much different!) Putting together an effective strength program is a mix of art and science, and we aim to convince you how important it is for optimal run and OCR performance as well as teach you the components of a great routine. In our latest episode you will: Discover how effective programming can lead to better run and ocr/hybrid performance and prevent injuries Learn how to craft...
Oct 25, 2024•49 min
We all go through times in our lives where there just isn't the time we once had to dedicate to ourselves and fitness. Unlike many of our other episodes, this episode is geared towards training to be fit for life not training for a specific event or race. We hope you walk away from this one with tips and tools so you can adjust your training when time, resources, and energy just aren't on your side. No time to listen to the full episode then check out our blog: Maintain a Sustainable Fitness Rou...
Sep 20, 2024•47 min
Today we are joined by Kayti Simonson, a 34 year old lawyer and pro hybrid athlete based in Calgary, Canada. Kayti has a massive sporting background - she ran 400m hurdles and played soccer in the NCAA, played semi-pro soccer in Florida, England, and Texas who impressively earned an undergrad and three post-grad degrees along the way! Kayti shares how she's dived head-first into the world of Hyrox, how her training has shifted as she's embraced endurance training (which is no joke coming from a ...
Aug 02, 2024•45 min
On this week's episode Grit Coaching's very own Strength Coach and former Spartan Pro Faye Stenning shares 5 tips to take your OCR racing to the next level. With a bronze medal at the Spartan World Championships and her record of the most Spartan podium finishes over the past decade, Faye has years of insight and has tested many different training approaches. This episode she goes through what she believes has worked and what hasn't. The Nitty Gritty Training Podcast is hosted by Jessica O'Conne...
Jul 19, 2024•53 min
You’ve done the work, and now it’s time to put it all together! We all know that consistent training is essential for great race day performance, but races are chaotic and wrought with unknowns. An underappreciated challenge of race day is “performing on demand” , or competing at your physical capacity in an uncontrolled environment, harnessing the work you’ve done into great race-day performance. To help, a bit of pre-emptive planning goes a LONG way! Spending some time thinking about logistics...
Jul 05, 2024•44 min
Today we are joined by Lindsay Housman, founder and CEO of Hettas, a company creating running shoes optimized for female biomechanics. The majority of athletic shoes have been designed, researched and tested on men and the Hettas fundamentally believe that design shouldn't be unisex: if you consider design from a female perspective, you’ll end up with a better product for women — one that will positively impact performance and longevity. We are delighted to have LIndsay here to share about the r...
Jun 21, 2024•35 min
On this episode we are joined by Gwendolyn (Wendy) Bounds, an award winning journalist and author as well as a multi-time AG champ in spartan racing. Wendy is an absolute powerhouse, and we’ve had the pleasure of coaching her since 2019. Wendy recently wrote a book called Not Too Late which details her journey into obstacle racing and the power of pushing limits at any age. Obstacle racer or not, this is such an inspiring episode with lots of insightful takeaways. The Nitty Gritty Training Podca...
Jun 07, 2024•48 min
With a ton of our listeners being avid Spartan racers we thought it was about time we had Joe De Sena on! As the founder of Spartan and endurance junkie himself, Joe De Sena joins us to talk about how Spartan was started, how it has evolved over the years including navigating the challenges covid brought, and shares some exciting news about the future of the sport (hint- Olympics! ). Joe also shares some tips on how he makes time for fitness while managing everything else he has going on- we all...
May 24, 2024•38 min
City folks this one's for you! Coach Faye spent the majority of her Spartan Race career training for some big mountain races in the middle of Manhattan so she knows a thing or two about getting mountain fit without any access to elevation. So whether you’re heading to the mountains for the last stops at the Spartan USNS or trying to nail an epic trail race with a ton of vert- you're not going to want to miss this one! The Nitty Gritty Training Podcast is hosted by Jessica O'Connell, MSc, CSEP-CE...
May 10, 2024•43 min
Grit coaching is 7 YEARS OLD this year, and we’ve learned a ton since Day 1. Sometimes coaches get a bit shy about admitting that they’ve changed their mind on something - there is a feeling that we must be all-knowing, and many coaches feel insecure saying “we’re looking at something differently now”. Not us! On this week's episode, Coach Jess shares how her philosophies towards run programming and coaching have changed over the years as she has gained a TON of experience working with a diverse...
Apr 26, 2024•47 min
This week we are joined by Eoin Everard, the current World and European Masters (Over 35) 3000m champion who also has a blazing sub-14 min 5km and sub-4 min mile under his belt. In addition to being an astonishing runner, but Eoin holds a PhD in Biomechanics and is a Physiotherapist and the founder of the BackAware Belt, a tool to help with back pain. In this episode we talk about injury prevention (particularly when it comes to the back), discuss methods to help you move better day-to-day, and ...
Apr 12, 2024•55 min
You’ve done the training, and now all that’s left is executing your race. But…..how? In this episode, we give you the nitty gritty on different pacing strategies: what works, what doesn’t, and why. We tackle this both through physiology and personal experience: everyone’s got a good pace-related story! Proper pacing is absolutely essential for great performance. We’ll convince you why on this episode! This episode is hosted by Olympian/Exercise Physiologist Jessica O'Connell and OCR Star Faye St...
Mar 28, 2024•46 min
This week we are thrilled to catch up with OCR superstar Nicole Mericle! Nicole is fresh off her 2nd place finish at Tough Mudder Arabia which was arguably one of the most competitive OCR races in history with a prize purse that did not disappoint! We also discuss Nicole's road to recovery after knee surgery, how the short course specialist changed her training to dominate a 8 hour event and much much more. This episode is hosted by Faye Stenning, BKin, and coach at Grit Coaching ! We offer cust...
Mar 15, 2024•1 hr
You asked, we answered. Really nailing your endurance training can be complicated - everyone knows "how" to run, but not everyone knows how to optimize their endurance training to suit their goals and ability. This re-released podcast gave listeners the chance to ask their burning endurance questions and gave us a chance to provide insight on a bunch of endurance-related topics. It's an episode of variety that you're sure to learn from! This episode is hosted by Jessica O'Connell, MSc, CSEP-CEP,...
Feb 23, 2024•50 min
We love putting together podcasts on sports performance topics we think are important but the reality is: YOU know what you know and don't know best! (whoo, that's a mouthful!) As my school teachers always told me, if you have a question, chances are that others in the room are wondering the same thing. On this re-released episode, we answer some of the queries we get the most often. This episode is hosted by Jessica O'Connell, MSc, CSEP-CEP, OLY, and Faye Stenning, BKin, and coaches at Grit Coa...
Feb 09, 2024•47 min
Winter training - it ain't so bad! Faye and Jess, seasoned Canadian runners with souvenir frostbite scars, share their best tips on how to thrive during the winter training season. We've made all the wardrobe mistakes and created all the weather hacks so you don't have to! This re-released episode is hosted by Jessica O'Connell, MSc, CSEP-CEP, OLY, and Faye Stenning, BKin, and coaches at Grit Coaching ! We offer custom run and strength training for runners, OCR, and hybrid athletes. Check us out...
Jan 26, 2024•30 min
Endurance racing affectinatos are faced with racing options of different lengths and types galore! In this re-released episode, we advise on how to select races and plan a season that allows for proper preparation for key goals, but still leaves wiggle room for exploration. This episode is hosted by Jessica O'Connell, MSc, CSEP-CEP, OLY, and Faye Stenning, BKin, and coaches at Grit Coaching ! We offer custom run and strength training for runners, OCR, and hybrid athletes. Check us out!...
Jan 05, 2024•55 min
Goals give direction and purpose to your efforts, but it's important that you don't confuse goals with dreams. Dreams are ideas, and goals are roadmaps. I think you can guess which one has a greater likelihood of success! In this re-released episode, we discuss why goal setting is important and how to do it in an effective and meaningful way. This episode is hosted by Jessica O'Connell, MSc, CSEP-CEP, OLY, and Faye Stenning, BKin, and coaches at Grit Coaching ! We offer custom run and strength t...
Dec 29, 2023•37 min
Relative Energy Deficiency In Sport (RED-S), or chronic underfuelling, can have very serious health and performance consequences. We are joined by Dr. Alex Coates, former elite ITU triathlete and current professor of Exercise Physiology who's research has focused on what happens when we push too far or when we recover insufficiently from training. Alex educates us on the consequences of RED-S and how to make sure we are fuelling well for heath and performance. This episode was originally release...
Dec 15, 2023•1 hr 7 min
Two new running/fitness "hybrid" competitions are sweeping the nation and attracting runners, Crossfitters, and OCR Addicts alike. Hybrid competitions involve run intervals alternated with standardized strength exercises and challenging an athlete's strength and endurance. This week, Faye Stenning shares the Nitty Gritty on the two most popular hybrid events/brands: DekaFit and Hyrox. We deep dive on what's involved and how to train for these demanding events. Spoiler alert: as always, it's all ...
Dec 01, 2023•52 min
Runners: Does the weight room feel like the wild west? We get it, but strength training has serious benefits and doesn't need to be initmidating. As a runner, you're doing a serious disservice to your training regime if you're ignoring strength! This episode, we break down why strength training is important for runners, how much you need, and what to focus on. Fast healthy runners are strong runners, and we hope you'll walk away from this episode conviced of the benefits of strength training and...
Nov 17, 2023•1 hr 3 min
Runners fall into two camps - they're either as bendy as a slinky, or they can't touch their toes. This podcast dives into the differences between mobility and flexibility, how much range you REALLY need, and the when/where/what on stretching. This re-released episode is sure to bend your knowledge on movement and performance (ha!) This episode is hosted by Jessica O'Connell, MSc, CSEP-CEP, OLY, and Faye Stenning, BKin, and coaches at Grit Coaching ! We offer custom run and strength training for...
Nov 03, 2023•42 min
Tis the season for peak races and the inevitable recovery that follows. Everyone's heard of the big (and oddly intimidating) "Off Season", but what IS it? This week, we dive into why the Off Season is important and how a bit of rest and recovery can take your training to the next level over the coming months. Rest to progress? We say YES! This episode is hosted by Jessica O'Connell, MSc, CSEP-CEP, OLY, and Faye Stenning, BKin, and coaches at Grit Coaching ! We offer custom run and strength train...
Oct 12, 2023•53 min
Just like it's common to hire a coach to help you reach an sporting goal and live an active lifestyle, nutrtition coaches exist to help educate and guide individuals towards health goals. It makes sense - changing habits is hard, especially if you aren't highly educated in nutrition, so expert guidance can be SO helpful! This week, we are joined by Josh and Brittany, two nutrition coaches at Working Against Gravity, a nutrition coaching company that has helped thousands of individuals to learn a...
Oct 06, 2023•49 min
This week we deep dive into an athlete’s most essential piece of gear- footwear! There are A LOT of shoe options out there and we nerd out and break them down for you. Learn all about different types of footwear , what to look for when buying shoes, the best footwear for OCR races, and the newest super shoes hitting the market! This re-released episode is hosted by Jessica O'Connell, MSc, CSEP-CEP, OLY, and Faye Stenning, BKin, and coaches at Grit Coaching !...
Sep 22, 2023•1 hr 7 min
Hyrox is a fitness competition that's been popular in Europe for a while and is now taking North America by storm. Hyrox involves eight standardized fitness stations alternated with 1000m of running. The 8km of total running in the event makes it appealing to OCR athletes and runners alike! (though the strength stations are no joke!) A few years ago, Faye decided to train for and compete in Hyrox. In this re-released episode, she details how she prepared for the event by focusing on raw strength...
Sep 08, 2023•40 min
If you're a female athlete, or you know a female athlete, this episode is for you! We chat about range of topics pertinent to active women including: fueling, RED-S, birth control, pregnancy, training and aging, and how to keep young girls engaged in sport. Though many of these topics aren't exclusive to women, we talk about them through a female physiology lense Let's go girls! This rereleased podast is hosted by Jessica O'Connell (MSc, CSEP-CEP, OLY) and Faye Stenning (BKin). Jess and Faye bri...
Aug 25, 2023•47 min
The allure of the marathon has captured countless runners, but what does it really take to prepare? On this episode, we break down the essentials of marathon training and detail the most essential pieces of training. We completely understand that not everyone has endless time to train at their disposal, and we deep dive in to how to maximize training for a great marathon experience. This podcast is hosted by Faye Stenning, bKin, and Jess O'Connell, MSc, OLY, CSEP-CEP - the coaches at Grit Coachi...
Aug 11, 2023•38 min
In races longer than an hour or two, nailing fueling is absolutely critical for success. You can't run on an empty tank, after all! Fueling can make or break a performance, but it can be daunting for novice and experienced athletes alike. This week we are joined by Arielle Fitzgerald - OCR Dream Team athlete, Ultrarunner, and holistic nutritionist. We figured that she is the perfect person to interview all about fueling for long OCR and running events - it's kind of her thing! We learned a ton a...
Jul 28, 2023•57 min
