Dr. Julien Louis takes us through the training, pacing, and physiology of the father-son duo who set a new world record for combined time in the marathon. In 2019, Tommy (59 yrs) and Eoin Hughes (34 yrs) ran the Frankfurt Marathon in times of 2:31:30 and 2:27:52, respectively. Their combined marathon time was 4:59:22. Dr. Louis studied Tommy in a previous year and then studied the pair as they took on, and ultimately succeeded, in setting the new record. We discuss the father-son team and extrac...
Apr 02, 2020•38 min•Ep. 121
Mapping your training and then seeing what events (races, or adventures) fit on your map, without bending it, keeps the focus on what’s most important…you. This method tells you which events you could run because it’s the method that fits events to your body rather than bending your body to fit events. It’s the only approach that will provide a lifetime of healthy and sustainable running progress.
Mar 25, 2020•13 min•Ep. 120
This is a deep dive into carbohydrate periodization with Drs. James Morton and Julien Louis where we explain the science behind our recommendation of FUEL FOR THE WORK REQUIRED (e.g., enough but not much more) and GLYCOGEN THRESHOLD (i.e., train to low levels). We also explore issues of sex and age, how bone health may be critically dependent on carbohydrate availability (not just total calories), and several other important topics.
Mar 20, 2020•43 min•Ep. 119
Dr. Ron Maughan is arguably the most recognized name in sports nutrition. I was fortunate to meet with him in St Andrews, Scotland for our discussion. In this interview we talk about his early days in sports, running with the likes of Don Ritchie among many others, and review some of the current recommendations on training and nutrition.
Mar 05, 2020•57 min•Ep. 118
Our goal is never to get good at suffering. Our goal is to suffer less under the same conditions, not to make running easier but to run with greater ease.
Feb 13, 2020•20 min•Ep. 117
Today’s conversation is with John Kiely and Craig Pickering. John was on episode 52; we talked the lack of evidence supporting periodized training programs. We begin with the current state of evidence in genetic testing for athletic potential and planning training. We move on to more useful ways of viewing your training program. It really is simple yet multitudes are derailed by chasing placebo effects for marginal gains on an inconsistent program. Oh, and we talk about placebo effects as well....
Jan 31, 2020•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 116
Cramping isn't well understood. But here's what we know right now.
Jan 24, 2020•45 min•Ep. 115
Rest days are a staple of most running programs. But are they needed. In this episode we reframe our view of exercise, rest, and recovery time to help you make clearer decisions about when you exercise.
Jan 16, 2020•27 min•Ep. 114
A T/F from each of our four coaches posed to the group to wrap up 2019. Does level running speed translate to uphill abilities, is training for a 200 miler fundamentally different from training for shorter distances, should you run through tweaks or injuries, is more running volume going to help you run 100-milers better...these are our main topics of conversation.
Dec 25, 2019•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 113
Our four coaches discuss taking time off. If you’re looking for a coach, or just have questions, you can reach David Roche at SWAPrunning.com Ian Sharman at sharmanultra.com Krissy Moehl at krissymoehl.com Shawn Bearden at ScienceOfUltra.com ( shawn@scienceofultra.com )
Dec 05, 2019•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 111
A massive how and what on traveling, including cameo appearances from numerous elite ultra runners.
Nov 28, 2019•44 min•Ep. 110
I sat down with Spring co-founder Rafal Nazarewicz, PhD to talk about using real foods in ultras.
Nov 14, 2019•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 109
Is overtraining common among ultra runners? Are you running too much? Can adherence to the mantra of consistency open a gateway to overtraining?
Nov 07, 2019•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 108
How much do your training runs need to look like the race or event to maximize your performance? That's the basic question behind the term 'specificity'. Our four coaches address these ideas in today's Coaches' Corner.
Oct 24, 2019•57 min•Ep. 107
What is the 'long run'; can it be too short; can it be too long? Today we simplify and demystify this enigmatic workout.
Oct 16, 2019•20 min•Ep. 106
How valid are the most commonly held beliefs in exercise training that assume a reliable and specific adaptation to a specific workout - do this workout and get that result ? In this episode, I explain why we now view these ideas as too simplistic. We dig into how the basic principles that underly the majority of exercise training plans owe their origins to a theory of pathological stress-response patterns, which may not be reliable across the spectrum of sports. Then we take a four-step approac...
Oct 10, 2019•10 min•Ep. 105
Technology gives runners the opportunity to run according to readouts and feedback from devices. To what extent should you use them?
Sep 25, 2019•59 min•Ep. 104
In recent episodes we’ve explored how you can train your mind and body. The third area for training is craft. Everything from pacing, to hydration strategy, to gear choices, to foot care are part of your craft. Today, the part of craft we’re going to explore is downhill running. Downhill running is a skill. It requires deliberate practice and can not be mastered just by training the body or running downhill a lot without putting at least some thought into it.
Aug 14, 2019•11 min•Ep. 103
Is there a general formula you can apply to taper properly for an event? Find out how our coaches approach tapering with their athletes.
Aug 07, 2019•1 hr•Ep. 102
You can train our mind, body, and craft. In recent episodes on training your body, we skimmed the surface of training endurance and economy. If you run a lot of miles, often on race-like terrain and run all out for short bursts a few times per week, you’re doing the majority of the work that will improve your body’s capacities. To further extend stamina, you may want to run comfortably hard intervals, the topic of today's episode.
Jul 18, 2019•45 min•Ep. 101
Today’s episode breaks from our traditional format on Coaches’ Corner. Instead of starting with a T/F statement and then discussing the topic, we talk about a specific event today. This episode was recorded on July 2nd, 2019, just a few days after the 2019 WS100 Endurance Run. My guest coaches each had some great insights and experience at the event and we thought this would be a great opportunity to talk about their experiences and about how training may differ among athletes for the same event...
Jul 03, 2019•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 100
Today, we take a closer look at focus, which is the first of our core features of a high performance mindset. From focus with mindfulness, you can develop the other features of a high performance mindset: calm, confidence, optimism, and trust.
Jun 26, 2019•16 min•Ep. 99
If you’re going to do something that’s difficult, like running ultra-marathons, it’s important to have a strategy. Inside of that strategy you have to develop and refine skills through deliberate practice. Train your mind, just like you train your body. In this installment, we create an overview of training the mind.
Jun 26, 2019•8 min•Ep. 98
The average pace for an ultra-marathon isn't very fast. In races of 100 miles, for example, the average pace can be slower than easy training runs. How do successful ultra-marathon runners pace themselves? How do you pace yourself? Is it true that you should start races, especially longer ones, like a stroll in the park?
Jun 26, 2019•58 min•Ep. 97
Do older athletes need to train differently compared to their younger selves? Coaches Ian Sharman, David Roche, Krissy Moehl, and Shawn Bearden discuss training as we age in today's Coaches' Corner. Watch the discussion on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/loH878kbRbQ Each coach can be reached through their respective websites: Krissy Moehl http://KrissyMoehl.com David Roche https://SWAPRunning.com Ian Sharman https://SharmanUltra.com Shawn Bearden https://ScienceOfUltra.com...
May 30, 2019•51 min•Ep. 96
Running economy is one of the three key features in performance, along with endurance and stamina. You can develop your running economy through heavy resistance training, sprints, and volume. This episode is a crash course in how do it right.
May 16, 2019•23 min•Ep. 95
V̇O2max is the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use per minute. It's a metabolic rate that can be sustained for 6-10 minutes. Why do you hear so much about it in running, when competitions are so much longer. Maybe your V̇O2max isn't something you should ever focus on.
May 02, 2019•50 min•Ep. 94
What we’re talking about today is stamina. Stamina is your ability to maintain a pace for a long time. Stamina comprises endurance and economy. Endurance is your ability to cover a distance or to persist for a time. Economy is a traditionally quantified as the steady state oxygen consumption at a given running velocity. For our purposes, economy of running is the energy required to run at a given pace. Today’s episode is meant to introduce the key concepts and functional goals of improving endur...
Apr 19, 2019•15 min•Ep. 93
Workouts are when you stress your body. The rest of the day is when you improve. That's what we call recovery. Not only recovering to be able to do it again (get back to pre-workout capacity) but also adapt and become stronger (a new baseline capacity). Coaches Ian Sharman, David Roche, Krissy Moehl, and Shawn Bearden discuss recovery in today's Coaches' Corner. Watch the discussion on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/loH878kbRbQ Each coach can be reached through their respective websites: ...
Apr 03, 2019•55 min•Ep. 92
As we begin to dissect the three domains of training - mind, body, craft - start by answering Why and What. Then we can decide How to train. Your answers are unique to you. This episode will give you definitions and guidance on answering Why and What for yourself.
Mar 29, 2019•19 min•Ep. 91
