The Strength Running Podcast

My guest on the podcast this week is Hannah, a former one-on-one coaching client who recently earned a PR at the 2023 Boston Marathon. Hannah and I met a little over a year ago at a running retreat in Colorado and started working together shortly thereafter, with her focus almost exclusively on half marathons and marathons.

Recently Hannah started to contemplate going after a 5k PR, but has had questions about making the transition from endurance training to 5k specific workouts. Our discussion today revolves around the best way to make that transition. Hannah is already doing a lot of things right in her training, but needs help learning how to reorient her focus and tweak her workouts.

In our conversation, Hannah and I cover:

• Hannah’s running history and recent training
• What her typical week looks like
• How 5k training can help her long term development as a runner
• Learning how to engage psychologically with more intense efforts
• How to “bridge the gap” from marathon to 5k training
• Using shorter races on the road or track to get out of your comfort zone
• Transitioning to 5k specific workouts

No matter what your preferred racing distance may be, you're sure to gain some insight on how to plan your training from this episode.

Links & Resources from the Show:

• Join one of our coaching programs to run your next PR
• Get strong like Hannah with High Performance Lifting
• Learn more about 5k specific workouts
• How to engineer a 5k personal best

After resisting most supplements for the better part of my life, I’m cautiously changing my tune. I’m less than a year from being a Masters runner and in my personal life, I’m optimizing for longevity. I want to be my healthiest self for as long as possible and I’m excited to partner with Previnex to make that happen.

Previnex uses the most bioavailable, clinically tested ingredients, the optimal form and dose of each ingredient, pharmaceutical grade manufacturing, testing of raw ingredients and finished products. For every purchase you make, they also donate vitamins to kids in need.

I’ve been taking their Immune Support and multivitamin over the last month and I feel great. I have more energy and clarity, not to mention peace of mind that I’m giving my body what it needs. I believe Previnex works and I hope you experience the same benefits as I do. Use code jason15 for 15% off your order at Previnex!

We’re also supported by Impossible Sleep, a performance sleep drink to help high performers get the most out of their nightly rest. Impossible Sleep is a melatonin free sleep drink mix that provides deep recovery while gently lulling you to sleep. It only has two ingredients, with magnesium to promote muscle recovery and deep sleep, and L-theanine for a subtle calming effect that helps you wind down at the end of the day.

High achieving runners have to prioritize their sleep - it’s like a performance enhancing drug that allows us to absorb our training, improve, and race faster. The Impossible Sleep drink helps you optimize your bedtime routine so you can get as much deep recovery as possible.

When you consider that studies have shown that sleep loss can lead to glucose imbalances, increased anxiety, and your risk of getting sick, it’s a no-brainer to get as much high quality sleep as you can. Learn more about Impossible Sleep drink and be sure to use code jason20 to save 20% on your first subscription order, plus you’ll get a free sleep kit as a welcome gift.

Get primed for your run with an all-natural pre-workout called 2before made from New Zealand blackcurrant berries. Blackcurrant berries have been scientifically proven to increase cardiovascular endurance, speed up muscle recovery, reduce inflammation and support immunity.

Blackcurrant berries are actually more effective than beetroot, which has been used for some time to improve performance. They help with improved blood flow and infla...

Last August, we witnessed the most electrifying track race in history at the World Championships: the women's 3,000m Steeplechase.

Before this race, no American woman had ever won a medal in the steeple at the World Championships.

Emma Coburn and Courtney Frerichs changed that with an historic 1-2 finish, decimating a field that included the current World Record holder and Olympic Champion.

This was also the first time any Americans had taken home both gold and silver at the World Champions or the Olympics in a race longer than 400m since the 1912 Olympics.

Both Emma and Courtney also ran faster than the existing American Record.

NBC Sports called the race "shocking."

Sports Illustrated described Courtney's effort "certainly one of the biggest surprises of the world championships."

And ESPN boldly proclaimed that this was one of the best races in the history of running.

I'll paraphrase ESPN:

Before this race, Courtney' fastest steeplechase time was 9:19. She beat that time by an enormous 15 seconds to win silver in 9:03.77. That's like scoring a hat trick in a World Cup soccer game after totaling only three goals all season.

No American had won a world title in steeplechase since 1952. No U.S. women had ever finished 1-2 in any world championship distance race. Track nerds -- why isn't there such a thing as a football nerd? -- are calling this the most thrilling race of the 2017 World Championships, and one of the greatest moments in American distance running history.

You sports fans can just call it amazing. Like a football game where -- nah, forget that. After a race like this, nobody cares about football.

A 15-second improvement? Over a race that's less than two miles long? INSANITY!

That kind of PR puts Courtney in the record books. She's now the 8th fastest woman to ever run the steeplechase.

Today you're going to hear directly from Courtney about this historic race.

Dirk Friel is the co-founder of TrainingPeaks, the largest training platform in the world for athletes. He’s also a talented athlete who explores the mountains through cycling and ski mountaineering.

In 2017, Dirk was named Business Person of the Year by Boulder, Colorado’s Chamber of Commerce. What began as a coach-focused triathlon training platform now includes running, cycling and a host of other sports, And soon they’ll be launching Training Peaks Strength for coaches as well!

Dirk and I discuss how training has evolved since the early days of faxed training plans, and where it is headed with the rapid advances in artificial intelligence.

Our conversation covers:

• The future of coaching and the impact of AI
• Why coached shouldn’t worry about losing their jobs to AI
• How TrainingPeaks harnesses AI to assist coaches and athletes
• Upcoming technology for athletes and coaches
• What has surprised Dirk from his decades of work with endurance athletes
• Challenges currently facing the coaching industry

Dirk has had a huge impact on the world of endurance training and continues to influence coaches and athletes through his training platform. Our conversation will help you think about the current and future role of technology in your own training!

Links & Resources from the Show:

• Follow Dirk on Instagram
• Learn more about Dirk
• Listen to the TrainingPeaks CoachCast
• Follow Training Peaks on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter
• Sign up for our email list to hear about my new training plans on TrainingPeaks!

A big thanks to DrinkLMNT for their support of this episode! They make electrolyte drinks for athletes and low-carb folks with no sugar, artificial ingredients, or colors. They are offering a free gift with your purchase at DrinkLMNT. And this does NOT have to be your first purchase. You’ll get a sample pack with every flavor so you can try them all before deciding what you like best.

DrinkLMNT's products have some of the highest sodium concentrations that you can find. Anybody who runs a lot knows that sodium, as well as other electrolytes like magnesium and potassium, are essential to our performance and how we feel throughout the day.

If you’re not familiar, LMNT is my favorite way to hydrate. They make electrolytes for athletes and low-carb folks with no Sugar, artificial ingredients, or colors. I’m now in the habit of giving away boxes of LMNT at group runs around Denver and Boulder and everyone loves this stuff.

Boost your performance and your recovery with LMNT. They’re the exclusive hydration partner to Team USA Weightlifting and quite a few professional baseball, hockey, and basketball teams are on regular subscriptions. So check out DrinkLMNT to get a free sampler pack and get your hydration optimized for the upcoming season.

Invented by renowned physical therapist Jay Dicharry, MOBO helps you stabilize your stance with an innovative rocker board that’s set up on two fins. The design effectively forces you to drive your big toe into the board to improve your stability. I was pretty arrogant going into my first session on the MOBO Board. How hard can it be to balance, right? Well, I was humbled pretty quickly!

Even if you’re a good runner, better balance, stability, and proprioception is going to help you have a more powerful stride and prevent more running injuries. You’ll learn how to improve the efficiency of the kinetic chain from your hip to your big toe. Because as Jay likes to say, it’s not just how strong you are, but how well you use that strength.

I was recently at a weekend physical therapy workshop (lol I was the only running coach) and learned how important (and rare) this simple movement is. Save 10% with code STRENGTHRUN10 at checkout at moboboard.com.

Andrea Pomaranski just completed the 2024 Olympic Trials marathon, finishing 27th of 117 finishers in a time of 2:34:35. Andrea ran shorter distances in college and set the American under-20 record in the steeplechase in 2001. Then 22 years later, she also set the American Master’s record in the 50k. Des Linden is currently the only woman who has recorded a faster 50k!

Andrea has qualified three times for the Olympic Trials in the marathon, and finished 27th this year only 20 days after racing the Houston Marathon. She credits her success to her long term consistency in training alongside regular strength work and pilates.

As an elite marathoner, Andrea has used High Performance Lifting for the past several years to guide her strength training. In this episode we discuss her approach to training and strength work, and how she manages to run 120+ mile weeks with 3 children and a hectic schedule. Our discussion covers:

• Andrea’s experience at the 2024 Olympic Marathon Trials
• How Andrea manages her marathon recovery
• Structuring 120 miles of weekly running as a busy mom
• Andrea’s keys to staying healthy while running high mileage
• What’s next for Andrea!

While Andrea is faster than most of us, her story of persistence and juggling a busy schedule is relatable to everyone. Enjoy our conversation!

Links & Resources from the Show:

• Follow Andrea on Instagram
• Check out Andrea’s impressive race performances
• Read more about engineering a master’s marathon PR

We’re also supported by AG1, the greens superfood mix. This is a category-leading greens mix that has 75 vitamins and minerals, prebiotics, probiotics, antioxidants, and adaptogens. It’s recommended by professional athletes and has over 7,000 positive reviews.

One scoop per day is what I’ve been doing to help me fill in any nutrition gaps in my diet. It also provide a nice boost of energy and focus throughout the day. With all 3 of my kids in school, I know I need to support my immune system or else I’m getting sick and can’t train.

I also love that AG1 has changed over the last decade. They've made 53 improvements to the formula based on the latest research to make these nutrients more absorbable and rigorous with the 3rd party testing that they do.

For our listeners, they are offering a year's worth of free Vitamin D and 5 free travel packs of AG1 with your first purchase. You can sign up for single shipment or for a monthly drop - the choice is yours. Check out AG1 to redeem your offer today.

The Performance Training Journal is now available on Amazon and debuted as the #4 new release in the running category. Since I started running in 1998, I’ve kept a hardcopy training journal. Holding a tangible log, writing in it daily, and reflecting on the ups and downs of running is a surefire way to improve.

This hardcopy training journal helps you focus on the training metrics that matter, prioritizes a long-term outlook so you don’t take any shortcuts, and maintains your motivation with strategic self-praise. With a no-frills, functional design, the Performance Training Journal includes coaching advice on racing, injury prevention, strength training, and more. It will guide you through race scheduling, how to plan your race morning, the best workouts for endurance runners, and encourage you to track your personal bests over time.

You have the space to make this journal your own whether you're a new runner or a professional, a trail or road runner, or a mid-distance specialist or ultra marathoner.⁣ So don't just track your running, learn from it with the Performance Training Journal! Check it out today on Amazon.

When runners get hurt, it’s often a tissue health problem, like a tendon injury.

Jay Dicharry is a physical therapist, author, entrepreneur, and faculty member at Oregon State University who knows a lot about tissue health for runners. He’s written some of my favorite books on running performance and injury prevention, including “Anatomy for Runners” and “Running Rewired.” Jay also hosts workshops for physical therapists.

In this episode, Jay and I talk about:

• New research on tissue remodeling and load tolerance skills to develop durable runners
• Improving strength, bone density, and tendon health through specific exercises and training methods
• Debunking common beliefs around running and bone health
• Proper plyometric training for bone and tissue health
• The link between nutrition, bone health, and stress fractures
• Tendon health and repair through slow loading (including Achilles injuries)
• How to prevent and address tendon injuries in runners through sound strength training
• Why runner’s feet need special attention
• Using the MOBO Board as a diagnostic tool for fatigue
• Every runner can learn something about tissue health from Jay in this episode to help them run strong and stay injury-free.

Links & Resources from the Show:

• Running Rewired: Reinvent Your Run for Stability, Strength, and Speed by Jay Dicharry
• Jay on Instagram
• MOBO Board on Instagram
• Get the free injury prevention email series.
• Take the Strength Running Podcast listener survey to let us know your thoughts and you might win a 30-minute coaching call with me or your choice of one of our training programs.

Thank you MOBO Board!Invented by renowned physical therapist Jay Dicharry, MOBO helps you stabilize your stance with an innovative rocker board that’s set up on two fins. The design effectively forces you to drive your big toe into the board to improve your stability. I was pretty arrogant going into my first session on the MOBO Board. How hard can it be to balance, right? Well, I was humbled pretty quickly!

Even if you’re a good runner, better balance, stability, and proprioception is going to help you have a more powerful stride and prevent more running injuries. You’ll learn how to improve the efficiency of the kinetic chain from your hip to your big toe. Because as Jay likes to say, it’s not just how strong you are, but how well you use that strength.

I was recently at a weekend physical therapy workshop (lol I was the only running coach) and learned how important (and rare) this simple movement is. Save 10% with code STRENGTHRUN10 at checkout at moboboard.com.

Thank you DrinkLMNT! A big thanks to DrinkLMNT for their support of this episode! They make electrolyte drinks for athletes and low-carb folks with no sugar, artificial ingredients, or colors. They are offering a free gift with your purchase at DrinkLMNT. And this does NOT have to be your first purchase. You’ll get a sample pack with every flavor so you can try them all before deciding what you like best.

DrinkLMNT’s products have some of the highest sodium concentrations that you can find. Anybody who runs a lot knows that sodium, as well as other electrolytes like magnesium and potassium, are essential to our performance and how we feel throughout the day.

If you’re not familiar, LMNT is my favorite way to hydrate. They make electrolytes for athletes and low-carb folks with no Sugar, artificial ingredients, or colors. I’m now in the habit of giving away boxes of LMNT at group runs around Denver and Boulder and everyone loves this stuff.

Boost your performance and your recovery with LMNT. They’re the exclusive hydration partner to Team USA Weightlifting and quite a few professional baseball, hockey, and basketball teams are on regular subscriptions. So check out DrinkLMNT to get a free sampler pack and get your hydration optimized for the upcoming season.

Thank you Previnex! After resisting most supplements for the better part of my life, I’m cautiously changing my tune. I’m now a Masters runner and in my personal life, I’m optimizing for longevity. I want to be my healthiest self for as long as possible and I’m excited to partner with Previnex to make that happen.

Previnex uses t...