LET'S GET SOME ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS! In this UNEDITED, one-take episode, Coach Elisabeth goes through the leftover questions from a recent Instagram Story Q&A! Pre-written training plans & the Banana Republic pants analogy Workouts in off-seasons Post-half marathon recovery and the "reverse taper" Why are my easy runs getting slower in maratho…

DOUBLE THRESHOLD TRAINING is one of the recent "trends" in high-level endurance training, but is this something that YOU should be doing in your own training? Exercise physiologist Dr. Phil Batterson rejoins the show today to talk about this training framework and how it's ACTUALLY implemented (plus takeaways and guidance for the everyday runner an…

Much is made of dedication and "no days off" in the running world... except, sometimes, you SHOULD skip a run or take the day off! Conversely, sometimes that little voice in your head can convince you that you shouldn't for your run today... when actually, it's in your best interest that you do! But how to figure out the difference? And why does it…

Let's dive into VO2max! In this episode, Coach Elisabeth unravels the intricacies of VO2Max, its measurement, and its significance in endurance performance. How much do you ACTUALLY need to focus on VO2max? What VO2max measures, and the variations in ranges observed across different populations, spanning from beginners to elite athletes. The challe…

Your fitness isn't as fragile as you think it is!! Fitness loss is not as quick or significant as many people fear, and taking a few days or week off has essentially no impact on your fitness. And while detraining is a natural part of the training process and can be beneficial in certain contexts, taking long weeks or months off will definitely res…

My guest this week is Dr. Kate Bochnewetch, and we are delving into the world of running and training while living with a chronic illness. Drawing from her own journey coping with chronic migraines, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, and POTS, Kate sharess valuable insights into being a runner with chronic illness and how to navigate a "new normal" in goal-se…

Let's talk about METABOLISM! No, running doesn't "break" your metabolism; no, your metabolism doesn't screech to a halt once you turn 40. Metabolism and nutrition researcher Dr. Stephanie Compton, PhD, RD, joins the show to discuss metabolism and its impact on our bodies. It's not just about burning calories; it also includes the biochemical proces…

LET'S DIVE INTO THE HALF MARATHON! This episode with Coach Elisabeth delves into half marathon training: uncover the secrets to conquering this popular race distance, armed with insights that focus on optimal performance. From building your aerobic endurance foundation to mastering targeted workouts like lactate threshold sessions, elevate your per…

Let's run MORE!! Why? In this episode with Coach Elisabeth, we talk about how to increase running volume effectively and the importance of finding the right balance between volume and frequency, and the relationship between volume and speed. Practical tips for adding volume to your training week include adding another day of running and distributin…

Eating to support your running can feel really overwhelming when you're ALSO being a partner, parent, employee, friend - ALL of the things you also are in your busy life! Sports dietitian Alex Larson, RD (@alexlarsonnutrition) and Coach Elisabeth cover topics such as post-workout breakfasts for busy mornings, easy fueling before and after workouts,…

Have you ever had a big goal race go SO CATASTROPHICALLY SIDEWAYS that you're plummeted into an existential crisis afterwards? Yeah, us too! In this episode with Dr. Victoria Sekely (@trainsmartunstrong) we discuss the pressure of setting goals, the impact of race disappointments, and the influence of others' opinions. PLUS, we talk about the chall…

FOOTSTRIKE is often a hot topic among runners... but should it be? Does where you land matter? If so, WHY? Physical therapist & founder of Learn2Run Dr. Matt Minard, PT, DPT, OCS, CMTPT, CSCS, Cert. MDT, returns to the show for a deep dive into all things foostrike! -What is footstrike? -What footstrike can and can't tell you -Why you might be thin…

Relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S) describes a syndrome of poor health and declining athletic performance that happens when athletes do not get enough fuel through food to support the energy demands of their daily lives and training. RED-S can and does affect athletes of any gender and ability level. Melissa Lodge, PhD(c) is an elite runne…

Welcome to 2024! In this first episode of the year, Coach Elisabeth breaks down what makes an "elite" runner elite: their genetics, training, and more! -What is "elite"? A tiered framework for understanding athletic performance -Genetic predispositions: maybe they're born with it! -Why it's not just about good genes -The training: how much? What ty…

ANOTHER YEAR DOWN! What did I learn this year? What have I been reflecting on the most? From RED-S recovery to carbon plated shoes, to abolishing the binary of "rehab" vs. strength training, to why welcoming runners of ALL paces into our community is important (and why I want YOU to stop being ashamed of your paces), it's time for another year-end …

Are you derailed by performance anxiety? Are you pinning your self-worth & whether your training cycle was "worth it" on if you PR'd or not? Dr. Leah Avery, DPT, joins the show today to talk about her experience in healing from debilitating performance anxiety and her relationship with athletic performance. Leah was a D1 All-American swimmer and co…

Taking objective stock of your training cycle - what did you attempt to do, what actually happened, and how did it feel - can be an incredibly useful exercise so that you can learn what worked, what didn't... and ID any mistakes that were made! Coach Elisabeth walks you through training cycle analysis in this episode that will encourage you to... 1…

Can you get FASTER by running LESS?? This is NOT your clickbaity "smash a marathon PR by only doing 3 runs a week"-style low volume training; coach and elite mountain runner Kim Nedeau is here to talk about how to excel as an endurance runner in a low run volume/high training volume framework. This episode is sponsored by Previnex! Try the probioti…

Is there anything worse than needing an emergency bathroom stop on a run... except for needing TWO? What about when our poor gut health interferes with our ability to absorb important micronutrients or tolerate the fuel we need to power our long runs and races? Sports dietitian Kylee Van Horn, RD (@flynutrition3) is here to talk all about gut healt…

Post-race recovery starts AS SOON AS YOU CROSS THE FINISH LINE! What do you need to do to set yourself up for post-race recovery success? This episode is sponsored by Previnex! Try the probiotic that Coach Elisabeth takes daily for her own gut health, and save 15% using code RUNEXP on your first order from ⁠Previnex.com⁠! -The very first things to …

How can taking time OFF make you a better, faster, more resilient runner? Coach Toni Kengor, co-founder of Relentless Runners, joins the show to talk ALL THINGS OFF-SEASON! -Why you need them -WHEN to take them -What an off-season is (& is not) -How to handle feelings of anxiety around "running less" -The basics of training adaptation and supercomp…

Forward-thinking international exercise physiologist and nutrition scientist Dr. Stacy Sims, MSc, PhD joins the show today for a wide-ranging conversation about fueling, hydration, and optimizing performance for female endurance athletes! In this episode, we cover... Getting past focusing on weight loss and body recomposition as "the magic solution…

YOUR KNEES AND RUNNING, PART TWO with Dr. Lauren LaPierre, DPT (@thepersonalizedrunningdoc). Thought we'd covered it all last season? Nope! -No, running still isn't bad for your knees -How is it that we sometimes experience whole-joint soreness in the knees? -Risk factors for knee injuries -Isometric exercises to address knee pain -Stabilization of…

BONES! Literally what holds us upright. So what do we runners need to know about our bones, bone health, and bone stress injuries? Dr. Steph Mundt, PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS (@stephmundt.dpt) joins the show today to teach us about... What are our bones made of and how do they get stronger? Who is at higher risk of bone stress injuries? What is "good bone …

Owwwww my hips hurt! Hip pain in runners is not uncommon, and physical therapist Dr. Sarah Louie joins the show to talk about hips, running, and what you need to know to "bulletproof" your hips as a runner! -What are some misunderstandings runners have about hip injuries? -The form and function of how our hips work -Why you need more than clamshell…

Comparison is the thief of joy... so why do we spend SO much time & energy comparing ourselves to others? To other runners, to other versions of ourselves. Coach Nick Klastava is here this week to help us understand WHY breaking free from the comparison trap is actually one of the best things you can do as a runner, why copying another runner's tra…

Running Explained Coach and 25x marathoner Jessie Gruca joins the show to talk about MARATHON TRAINING! Hear from Coach Jessie on the evolution on her marathon knowledge, what's been the most impactful changes for her (especially as a post-partum runner), and how she approaches coaching her own marathoners! -The biggest marathon training mistakes m…

Our miniseries on triathlon continues with Sports Dietitian Natalie Robertello, MS, RD, CSSD, CDN of BeFueled Sports Nutrition to educate us on the FOUNDATIONS of fueling for multisport events, i.e. triathlon! The basics of multisport fueling How do your daily nutrition needs change as training volume increases? Understanding your hydration needs P…

Let's answer some questions! In this episode, Coach Elisabeth answers 4 running related questions:What’s the deal with these menthol gels? Are they going tohelp me in the heat?The recommendations for running (or not running) when you’resick and how to deal with the “back to school” season of constant sicknessDealing with severe race anxietyCan men …

What is toxic fitness culture? It's attitudes and beliefs in the "fitness" space (yes, including running) that promote unrealistic and unhealthy approaches towards exercise and fitness, and unfortunately, sometimes these things show up in the endurance running space as well. Running Explained Coach and Personal Trainer Amanda Katz joins the show to…

What does it mean to have a sustainable approach to running? What does exploring the relationship between environmental sustainability and running look like? Co-authors of the new book "Becoming A Sustainable Runner" Tina Muir and Zoë Rom are here today to talk about it!-"Sustainability" in the context of training-Creating ways we can have a susta…

Are you interested in delving into the world of triathlon as a runner? What do you need to know? Coach Danielle Hirt (@runwithcoachd) is here to talk about all the things you need to know to get started in triathlon as a runner! -Overview of triathlon as a sport -Different triathlon distances -Where should a runner start when they want to make the …

WHY AM I GETTING SLOWER? As coaches, this is a common question we we get, and Coach Amanda Brooks (@runtothefinish) and Coach Laura Norris, MS (@lauranorrisrunning), co-hosts of the Tread Lightly Podcast, are here to talk about it! -When an athlete comes to you and says "help, I'm getting slower", what are the first things that come into your mind …

Let's learn all about our calves nd Achilles tendons and how important they are for running! Sports Chiropractor Luke Nelson (@sportschiroluke) joins the show today to teach us all about our calves! -The structure of our calves: what are the key muscles? - What role do our calves play when we run? -Common calf-related issues runners face: tightness…

What is pain? No, not the suffering we experience in a race or hard workout, but ACTUAL pain? Physical therapist Dr. Megan Waples, PT, DPT of @perfectstridept joins the show today to talk to us about pain! What is pain? Is pain always a bad thing? The difference between the "pain of racing" vs injury-related pain Is where you feel pain always where…

What can perimenopausal athletes do to support their health and training? Well, let's start with nutrition! Registered Dietitian Brooke Czarnecki, RDN, LD of Intentful Nutrition (@intentfulnutrition) joins the show today to talk about perimenopause, being an endurance athlete in perimenopause, and what you can do to support your health and performa…

How can we stay competitive with our running as we age? That is the central question posed to our guest this week, Dr. Eoin Everard, PhD, biomechanist, physiotherapist, and current World and European Over-35 3k Champion! -How to extend high performance into your 40s and beyond -What a newer runner might expect from their ability to perform when sta…

What's the difference between preventative work and rehabbing an injury? What is a physical therapist considering when you're coming in with an injury versus creating a preventative framework or targeting performance optimization? Dr. Marie Whitt, DPT (@dr.whitt.fit) rejoins the show to talk all things rehab vs prehab! What is rehab vs prehab? Diff…

Let's talk about low-carb diets for endurance athletes! Sports dietitian Holley Samuel, RD, MEd, CPT (@holleyfuelednutrition) joins the show to talk about low carbohydrate approaches for endurance athletes. Good? Bad? Let's discuss! Intentional vs unintentional carbohydrate restriction The purported benefits of a low-carb approach; does it translat…

How can we make running a sport that is welcome to ANYONE who wants to run? Marathoner, author, coach, & activist Martinus Evans (@300poundsandrunning | @runslowaf) joins the show for a wide-ranging conversation about his new book, The Slow AF Run Club, size & pace inclusivity, challenging the status quo, having uncomfortable conversations, and abo…

What is fatigue? What causes it? What can we do to improve our fatigue resistance? Exercise physiologist Dr. Phil Batterson, PhD (@criticalO2) joins the show today for a deep dive into the science of muscle fatigue in endurance athletes! What is "fatigue" and why does it happen? How your muscles and your mitochondria work How can we develop FATIGUE…

HOW can you be an informed consumer of sports nutrition products? How can you critically evaluate the claims set forth by different sports nutrition companies, sort through the BS, and find the best products for you? Sports Dietitian Stevie Lyn Smith, MS, RDN, CSSD, CDN (@stevielynlyn) joins the show to help us become more informed consumers and un…

What does foam rolling actually DO and how can you include it appropriately in your training? What about percussion massagers? What is fascia, and what does it do? Does KT actually work? Physical Therapist Dr. Duane Scotti, DPT, PhD (@sparkhealthyrunner) returns to the show to help us understand how these tools can help (or hurt, if used incorrectl…

In this mid-week Q&A episode with Coach Elisabeth, we tackle 3 recent questions from runners: What's going on with all these marathoners who run massive PRs (30-40 minutes or more) from their 1st to their 2nd marathon? Can I still get faster as a masters (over 40) runner Why is my watch VO2max decreasing/why does my watch say my run was "unproducti…

Should you train by TIME or train by DISTANCE? ...or both? Coach Elisabeth breaks down time-based vs distance-based training, the pros and cons of each, and what we're ACTUALLY targeting in our training Training plans written to time vs distance WHY and WHEN time vs distance is more appropriate Distance-based training applied to athletes of differe…

What do you get when you run all six of the Abbott World Major Marathons: Berlin, Chicago, London, New York, Boston, and Tokyo? You get a special medal and a place on the short list of runners who have accomplished such a feat! Marathoner, journalist, and coach Ashley Mateo (@ashleymateo) joins the show to talk about her Six Star journey! What does…

Coach Elisabeth recaps running the 127th Boston Marathon this past Patriots Day! Learn about... the uphills, the downhills, the good, the bad, and the ugly of running a quad-shredding course like this one! -- Group Coaching 2.0 is OPEN! High-support coaching in a group environment to help you train for your next marathon or half marathon! Not ready…

Ultramarathons are a big commitment… can you still train for one with limited availability? Coach Kelly Vigil (@moremilesmorefun) is here to talk about her experience training for a 50k on top of being a full-time working mom of 3 kids under 5! -The importance of base-building -Finding the time; what does that look like? -Time on feet vs specific d…

Learn about your IMMUNE SYSTEM and how endurance running affects it! Immunologist Dr. Yasmin Mohseni, PhD, joins the show this week to talk about running and our immune systems, including... The basics of what our immune system is and what it does Is exercise good for our immune system? Why? What's going on when we feel like we're "getting sick" af…