Train the Body You Have to Get the Body You Want: Tianna Bartoletta

04/28/21 • 44 min

Run to the Top Podcast | The Ultimate Guide to Running

Tianna Bartoletta is one of the best sprinters in the world, and she’s on hand to teach all of us, even the endurance runners, what we can learn from short distance running. Really short.

For most of us, a sprint is less than 20 seconds, which is the distance short enough to reach your top speed completely anaerobically, or without needing oxygen for fuel. Past this point, your lungs scream for oxygen and you will probably not be able to sustain the effort.

Why should long distance runners care about those 20 seconds? Because by tapping into your anaerobic system a couple times a week, you teach yourself to burn that fire just a little hotter, and train your other gears to run a little more smoothly and efficiently.

Tianna also talks about what surprising things endurance runners can learn from long jumpers and yogis, how to frame our body talk in a positive way, how she’s adapted her training as she’s aged, and her gold-medal-winning, world-record-breaking Olympic relay experience. This episode has something for everyone, whether you’re a walker, a sprinter, or an endurance monster!

Tianna is a 35 year-old American sprinter and long jumper. She is a two-time Olympian with three gold medals. She ran the lead leg in the world record setting 4 × 100 m relay team in 2012, handing the baton to Allyson Felix. At the 2016 Summer Olympics she won two more golds, first with a personal best to win the long jump then again leading off the winning 4 × 100 m relay team.

In non-Olympic years, Tianna has won the World Championships 3 times and competed as a pusher on the U.S. bobsled team in 2012.

And if all of that weren't amazing enough, she’s also a registered yoga teacher, writes a blog at tiannabee.com , and her memoir, Survive And Advance, will be released this June!

Questions Tianna is asked:

4:37 This conversation is a little bit delayed because you got a surprise drug test at 7:00 in the morning. Can you talk about that?

5:09 Can you talk about the 60-day transformation that you posted? What happened? I thought you looked great before, but now you’re like a sculpture. It’s amazing. Can you tell me how that happened?

9:01 I remember reading in one of your Instagram threads that you said you were hungry during your 60-day transformation, and that’s not something that we really like to admit. Why did you want to tell people like, “Hey, yes, this is working but to be perfectly honest, I’m hungry?” Why did you want to share that part about it?

11:45 You'll have to forgive me for asking what might end up being very basic questions, but our listeners mostly are endurance runners. So when somebody says, “I’m going to go run 100,” they’re usually talking about 100 miles not 100 meters, and you are a 100-meter specialist among many of your talents. So I would love to learn more about what it takes to be a good 100m specialist?

13:41 When you say you’re allergic to running long, you obviously don’t just run 100 meters in training and then stop. You do obviously run long. So what’s a long run for you?

17:17 Let’s talk about Stephanie Bruce. One of the bright spots of 2020, an obviously crazy year, is that you two connected, and I would love to hear about that story.

19:39 In 2020, obviously Tokyo was delayed. What was that like for you when you found out the news?

22:12 In both 2012 and 2016, you were a part of the gold-winning 4x100m relay team, in the lead leg position, handing the baton to Allyson Felix. Talk us through that. What makes a good relay team? How does the coach determine the order? How many times do you practice that baton pass?

24:19 What was your favorite moment from those games?

25:19 You are also a gold medalist in the long jump, and I want to talk about the world record there. The American world record and the overall world record, those are very, very old from the ‘80s and ‘90s. What’s it going to take to break it?

29:00 You recently had a meet where you were jumping really, really well, and you registered under the team name AARP. Can you explain that?

30:37 What’s your key to longevity in this sport then? What makes you at your age still able to perform at such a high level?

32: 17 How do you get you...

Tianna Bartoletta is one of the best sprinters in the world, and she’s on hand to teach all of us, even the endurance runners, what we can learn from short distance running. Really short.

In non-Olympic years, Tianna has won the World Championships 3 times and competed as a pusher on the U.S. bobsled team in 2012.

And if all of that weren't amazing enough, she’s also a registered yoga teacher, writes a blog at tiannabee.com , and her memoir, Survive And Advance, will be released this June!

Questions Tianna is asked:

4:37 This conversation is a little bit delayed because you got a surprise drug test at 7:00 in the morning. Can you talk about that?

13:41 When you say you’re allergic to running long, you obviously don’t just run 100 meters in training and then stop. You do obviously run long. So what’s a long run for you?

17:17 Let’s talk about Stephanie Bruce. One of the bright spots of 2020, an obviously crazy year, is that you two connected, and I would love to hear about that story.

19:39 In 2020, obviously Tokyo was delayed. What was that like for you when you found out the news?

24:19 What was your favorite moment from those games?

29:00 You recently had a meet where you were jumping really, really well, and you registered under the team name AARP. Can you explain that?

30:37 What’s your key to longevity in this sport then? What makes you at your age still able to perform at such a high level?

32: 17 How do you get you...

Previous Episode

Jump Start Your Running With Plyometrics: Duane Scotti

You probably know that strength training can help a runner minimize injuries but what about plyometrics or jump training? Do runners really need plyometrics? Wouldn’t that lead to more injuries? Dr. Duane Scotti thinks the opposite is true.

Dr. Duane Scotti, DPT, PhD, OCS is a running physical therapist, run coach, host of the Healthy Runner podcast, and founding owner of SPARK Physical Therapy, and has been a leader in the rehab and running community for over 17 years. He is passionate about helping runners feel strong and confident so they can stay healthy and become lifelong injury free runners!

Dr. Duane truly believes that anyone can run and that all runners should be treated differently as athletes. He is on a mission to change the traditional thinking that running causes “overuse injuries” and you must “take a break” in order to get better. Through run specific training (exercises and running progression) you can build your body to be a strong resilient runner and stay active, stay healthy, and just keep running!

You may think it’s counterintuitive to take time out from your running to work on your jumping, but running is a series of one-legged hops so incorporating some plyometric training into your workout plan to get better at those one-legged hops can dramatically change how well you run and how good you feel while running.

In this episode, Duane explains exactly why plyometrics is important for runners and shares what he thinks are the key muscles runners should focus on, and also gives some great examples of non-jumping strength training exercises that all runners should do to become better and stronger. Some exercises were even new to Coach Claire!

Through the Healthy Runner community, Duane strongly believes living an active lifestyle can help you stay healthy and live a pain free life. At SPARK Physical Therapy, Duane guides his clients in achieving a high-performance active lifestyle through his in-person clinic and virtually anywhere in the world. You could be a runner who aspires to complete your first half marathon, or you could be an experienced marathoner of 30 years. Duane has been the fitness and health support system and the go to resource for coaches, trainers, and runners.

Duane is also honored to be a part of team UCAN as a featured expert dedicated to training strategies and innovation. He has his clients’ best interest in mind as evidenced by constantly creating and sharing new videos, podcast episodes, and blog posts to help runners improve their confidence and strength for running. Through his programs, coaching, and virtual rehab, Duane has successfully helped thousands of runners crush their running goals, hitting personal bests over the years. He has a passion for helping runners of all abilities stay healthy and prevent injuries in order to get back to the workouts and runs they love!

Questions Duane is asked:

5:27 You’re a physical therapist who specializes in runners. Can you tell us a little bit about your own running journey and how you came to focus on runners in your practice?

6:30 You used to dance. What kind of dancing did you do?

7:20 What is plyometrics and why is it good for runners?

9:06 I’m going to play a little devil’s advocate for you here. So if we are jumping all the time, running is a series of hops from one foot to the other, if we’re already jumping all the time, why do we need to do more jumping?

10:03 How do your muscles function differently when you’re running and jumping versus strength training?

11:06 Are plyometrics for every runner?

12:43 Let’s say I am a Level 1 runner. I run three days a week, speed work one day, easy day one day, long run on the weekend, and I’ve never done any plyometrics before. What would your prescription be for me?

14:26 You’re saying that we need to practice landing softly in the gym as well as when we’re running?

15:22 What’s Level 2 plyometric training?

19:32 When I was in super heavy marathon training, the miles piled up, I was running every day, and the last thing that I wanted to do was jump around because I would be so tired. So what do you say to somebody who’s really deep into marathon training and who is balking at a little plyometrics?

22:00 One thing about plyometrics, at least in my experience, is that it ends up being really high cardio. For the most part, I want to get my cardio from running, not from my extra activities so what’s your position on that? How much do you really need or are you a fan of getting your heart rate up in non-running activities?

24:10 At least with other kinds of strength training, a little goes a long way for runners because we’re not trying to get huge and strong and build muscle mass and deadlift a million pounds. We are trying to be not weak for running, so we can get away with a little less strength training than some other kind...

Next Episode

100 Marathons at Age 24: Jocelyn Rivas

If you think running a single marathon is tough, get ready to be inspired by Jocelyn Rivas. Jocelyn is on a mission to not just run 100 marathons, but break the Guinness World Records (plural) for being the youngest person to run 100 marathons AND the youngest woman to run 100 marathons AND the youngest Latina to run 100 marathons. Whew!

At age 24, Jocelyn already has 82 marathons behind her, many done during the pandemic, which was no easy feat. And we’re not talking loops she’s running through her neighborhood. These are real certified races, each one bringing her closer to her ambitious goal.

No stranger to adversity, Jocelyn is a DREAMer who was brought to the United States from El Salvador as a child and remains in this country for now thanks to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Act.

Part of her 100-marathon motivation stems from her desire to shine a light on people like herself and to show others that women can do anything no matter where they were born. She talks about what this quest means to her, how she manages to pull this off with a challenging full-time job, and what training and recovery is like for her. Oh, and she’s doing this on a completely plant-based diet.

Jocelyn’s great determination and positive energy makes for a very unique and enjoyable conversation with Coach Claire!

Questions Jocelyn is asked:

4:00 You are currently trying to break two Guinness World Records to become the youngest person to run 100 marathons and the youngest woman to run 100 marathons. How old are you and what got you started with this quest?

4:50 How did you start running then? Did you just start with a mile or what was the first day of training like?

5:45 How old were you when you ran your first marathon?

5:56 When did you get this idea to go for the world record?

7:05 Can you explain what a DREAMer is?

8:04 What country are you from?

8:11 Does anyone else in your family run?

8:43 How did the pandemic affect your mission?

10;33 What are some of your favorite stories? How many marathons have you run in a week?

11:49 The obvious question is how do you recover from running 26.2 miles for six out of nine days? You must be sore and tired, so how do you get through that?

16:33 Let’s talk about food. You’re a vegan so you’re like me, and the first question that everyone’s going to ask is, how do you eat enough on a vegan diet? Where do you get your protein? How do you pull this off on just plants?

19:06 You just started eating vegan as an experiment. It wasn’t ethical or environmental. You just saw that people were doing it and decided to try it. Is that it?

19:52 Do you still use gels while you run marathons or do you eat something else?

20:50 How long does it usually take you to run the marathons? Are you running them really fast or what is your average finishing time?

22:28 What are you doing in-between each marathons? Do you have some kind of structured plan? Do you do speed work? Do you do strength training or are you just recovering?

23:59 Have you had any injuries? Are you worried about overtraining or anything like that?

25:22 You’re still working a full-time job 40 hours a week. What do you do and how do you fit all this in with your life?

29:47 You’re planning on hitting marathon number 100 in November in your hometown at the Los Angeles Marathon. What are you anticipating that day to be like?

31:13 What’s been the hardest part of this journey for you?

31:54 You don’t drive. Why don’t you drive?

33:34 What kind of support are you getting from the community? If you pull this off, you will be the youngest Latina to run 100 marathons. Why is that important to you?

35:07 Once you accomplish this, do you have any idea what’s next?

35:31 What’s your next marathon coming up?

Questions I ask everyone:

36:14 If you could go back and talk to yourself when you started running, what advice would you give yourself?

36:53 What is the greatest gift running has given you?

37:18 Where can listeners connect with you?

Quotes by Jocelyn:

“I was actually not in a good place mentally. There were things going on with being deported potentially, and so I was just in a very dark place. And I was like, I want to make a statement. I want to make a statement that DREAMers are here to do something good. DREAMers are here to just help.”

“My biggest thing is I take recovery, I prioritize it more than anything. I use so many tools. I massage myself. I use so many lotions. You would make fun of me because I literally have like 10 different lotions and I use them all.”

“I use running as a type of therapy and it’s just so amazing. Once I am done with work, I go for a run. I come back and I’m just like, I feel amazing. That feeling that wow, just everything goes away.”

Tak...