100k US Champ. Team USA Ultra Runner. Coach. Freethinker. Psychedelics advocate. Anthony is unique in a sport full of uniqueness. Kick back and enjoy a running interview that will go places we’ve not gone before, while challenging you to rethink the way you approach caring for your running body.
We received an interesting question this week: ”How do you two approach a big mountain race, from the moment you wake up until the moment you cross the finish line?” We liked it so much we talked about it for 55 minutes! From wake up time, breakfast, and warm up to mindset, strategy, and fueling, this is everything we think and do on mountain race day!
Today starts with a few personal stories that highlight the importance of flexibility on race week. You don’t always need a perfect lead-up to race day. Bad nights of sleep do not always equal a bad race! We then move into analyzing whether or not you are due for a “mini reset” in your training, along with strategies for resetting properly.
When life hands you lemons, make a Q&A Episode! Today we touch upon training with limited time available, training with new babies, how to handle physically aggressive racers on course, dealing with chronic pain, cramping on course, and racing shoes that drain well.
On race day, having the best fitness isn’t always enough to guarantee success. Often times the style of race eliminates people from contention long before their engine does. Practicing specific race day tactics in training is the only way to make sure you are ready for any style of race that presents itself! Today’s episode breaks down the main styles of endurance racing and gives you specific workouts to implement for each.
Arielle is currently one of North America’s best endurance runners but her path to stardom is certainly not the typical one. From high school long and triple jump sensation to six months spent medically bedridden, Arielle somehow transitioned into the world of ultra running. This young woman has a story and message that we all can learn from!
We showed up with a topic to discuss, but 70 minutes later we still hadn't moved past a long rant and some good ole fashioned Olympic trials chatting!
Veejay rejoins the podcast for an episode about mindset and the importance of technique work and mechanical efficiency as runner. This an episode that will make you rethink the way you train and approach running.
Having a huge engine is great, but if you don't use it wisely you'll still leave time out there on the course! Today's episode is all about HOW to use your engine. Uphill, Downhill, and Flat Running all require the correct technique, mindset, skills, and strategy in order to maximize the hard work you put in building your fitness. Tune in and then throw down on race day!
We get a little bit of everything today with Rich! Coming off his recent win and World Best time at Dekafit and his second place debut at Hyrox, Rich talks training for hybrid races and maintaining high volume with minimal running while dealing with injuries. We also touch upon how to approach nutrition while injured, as well as a very in depth discussion on hotdogs and supershoes.
Today is a two-part episode. In part one we follow up on the idea of being in a "running slump". We had so much feedback after Brakken talked about his personal slump that we felt it was necessary to continue the conversation! In part two we discuss training in the heat and humidity. Tis the season for miserable running weather, so let's attack it together! Part two starts at 31:20.
Not our typical Q&A session! We only hit a few questions today because they were so good that we needed to spend a lot of time on each of them. It's like 10 mini Training Tuesdays! Race anxiety Pace vs effort in races What to do when you're totally unmotivated Setting appropriate goals and few more beauties!
2nd Place at the Canadian University Championships for Cross Country 2nd Place at the Canadian National Mountain Running Championship 36th Place at the World Mountain Running Championship Those are the accolades of a world class mountain runner. At 28 year old she's still just entering her prime, so why is this woman making the switch to Obstacle Course Racing? By the time she finishes telling you her story, it will all make sense!
One of the hardest parts of endurance racing is choosing the correct effort and pace for any given race distance. Some people seem to intrinsically understand how to manage their race efforts, but the vast majority of us crash and burn time and time again. Today we give you all our tips, tricks, and strategies for nailing your next race!
Rylan is the newest "name to watch" in the OCR scene. At only 23 years of age, he has already retired from professional mountain bike racing and switched gears in order to attack obstacle course racing. Sit back, relax, and get to know the next big thing in this sport!
Every once in a while, we need to step way outside of our comfort zone and do something that scares us. Something we may not be prepared for. Something that changes us. Have you offered yourself that opportunity lately?
One of the UK's top OCR racers, Natasha had an extremely unique journey to becoming an endurance athlete. She didn't find running until she was 29, but quickly made up for lost time. From medical hardships and developmental anomalies to sub-3:00 marathons, Natasha is an inspiration to the "everyman and everywoman" looking to improve their running and mindset towards training.
We preach sustainability and caution on this podcast. We drive home the point that we need to hit certain paces and metrics in training. Well, today we throw all that out the window and discuss hitting workouts based on your future goals rather than your current fitness!
Hunter is teaming up with American Record Holder Ryan Hall to set the Clydesdale Marathon World Record (fastest marathon by a male over 200 lbs). He ran 2:55 at 214# with no marathon training. Hear how they plan to run under 2:37 this fall. Come for The Sheriff, stay for the training talk and his priceless nuggets on mental approach to training, competition, and life!
Today is a look behind the scenes to what a typical conversation between Kirk and Brakken looks like. No agenda, no specific topics, just talking about races and training. However, the second half features Brakken making a bold statement about doing nothing but Compromised Running for the rest of the year and detailing why and how he plans to do so!
We hit a little bit of everything today ladies and gents! We have to say, the level of thinking behind these questions is really impressive. We love seeing people take their training seriously, and your dedication shows in your questions. Some highlights include: Carbon trail shoe discussion What certifications should a running coach have? How to manage racing twice in one day How to calculate fueling needs for a race What OG OCR athlete would we bring back? HR Zones vs FTP Zones...
Lactate Threshold might just be the single most misunderstood concept in all of endurance training. So, we dedicate an entire episode to explaining and simplifying this awesome piece of training jargon. Get ready to take some notes! And pay attention for the longest analogy (7+ minutes) we've ever used!
Three months ago, Nick was preparing to prove his ranking as one of the most promising young racers in North America. Then, he was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. The toll it immediately took on his body has been severe, and he is actively fighting to regain control of his dreams of being a professional athlete. This interview will leave you rooting for Nick while realizing how lucky we are to be able to run in the first place.
The people have spoken: It is time to dive into training and racing distances over 30 miles! How much volume do you need? Back to back long runs? How long is long enough in training? Do I need speed work? Gear, fueling, shoes, etc
Slovenian National Gymnastics Team Member for 10 years Spartan Ultra World Champion 2x World's Toughest Mudder Champion 2nd Place at ECO Challenge: Fiji Undefeated at OCR Races 8 Hours or longer Bachelor’s Degrees in Physics and Astrophysics from Cal-Berkeley Master’s Degree in Science and Engineering from Stanford. This woman is one of the top endurance athletes on the planet but has taken the long, broken road to get here. Her story is incredible, as are the life obstacles she has overcome....
If you're going to swing the hammer, swing that thing hard! That was a big take away from the Dr Fred Clary interview, as he talked at length about preparing for 110% or even 120% of the demands of your next competition. Today we explain what that means, why it matters, and how it works / what it looks like in training.
Fred Clary is a Chiropractic Neurologist, World Record holding Power Lifter, and a goldmine of knowledge about maximizing the potential of the human body. Today we look into the role strength training plays in unlocking your endurance potential. Be warned: Brakken filled an entire page with notes while recording this episode. This is one you will want to listen to with a pen and pad in hand!
The super-shoe era is officially here, so Doctor Kraker went into the lab to test out the Nike Alphafly against two "typical" racing shoes in order to get clear data that shows exactly how much these new shoes affect your running. Along the way we hit the following: What is a super shoe? How does the carbon plate work? How do they affect pace at Mile, 5k, 10k, Half Marathon, and Marathon distances? Should they be legal?
Brakken's wife, Lisa, finally joins us today! Lisa hates racing. Hates it. She also can't stand easy runs, training schedules, and scripted quality workouts. We discuss how she structures her training and life in order to keep running a purely enjoyable and therapeutic exercise.
Kirk raced in Las Vegas this past weekend while Brakken commentated the Savage Race in Georgia. They have several takeaways from the two races that could be difference makers for athletes moving forward! The power of purposeful cross training How truly awful it is to race in sand The importance of a plan for attacking rigs Having the correct mentality for racing under the new pandemic style of races
