Final Surge Podcast

We were supposed to have Runners World's Bart Yasso on the podcast this week, but he had some technical difficulties so we had to reschedule his interview. This week we bring you one of our earliest and most popular episodes where we talked to Tom Tinman Schwartz for an hour about training. This is probably the most detailed training episode we have done to date.

In episode 61 of the Final Surge podcast, we welcome coach Jim Vance who literally wrote the book on power meters of runners with his book Run With Power. Power meters have been around for a while with cyclists, but for runners, they are fairly new. Final Surge recently started importing Stryd's power numbers from Strava and Garmin. We talk to Jim about what some of those numbers mean and how he used power training to coach Ben Kanute to his recent runner-up at the 70.3 Worlds. I just recently started playing with a Stryd power meter so I learned a lot as I did this podcast. This is a topic we will continue to cover as we become more familiar with it and as the technology continues to advance. If you are listening to this podcast when it first comes out you head over to FinalSurge.com or to our @FinalSurge Twitter account and register for a chance to win a free Stryd running power meter.

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You coach some great Triathlon athletes including Olympian Ben Kanute, how did you first get started in endurance athletics and how did that lead to coaching today?

Let's start here, most endurance athletes have heard about power meters for the bike, but what is the power meter for running?

How can a power meter help a runner? If someone gets a new power meter, what is the first thing a runner should do?

What is your power number that you get, what does it mean?

Once I have a dataset of 4-6 weeks of runs, what numbers should I be looking at and trying to change and improve?

How will power numbers differ for different workouts like a long run vs a tempo run?

As a coach, I am trying to understand this better. If we are doing a 7x1k workout at tempo, how do I use a power number?

Can you talk about these zones and how you use them to write workouts?

What is the biggest difference in power numbers you are going to see in newer runners vs more experienced runners?

What would be a significant change in these numbers, what are you looking for in numbers?

Facebook question: So, page 205 (Power book by Vance) says the analysis should explore the following key metrics in the post-race analysis: NP, IF, VI, TSS, EI, CTL the day before race day, TSB on race day, w/kg during the race, power zone distributions, point in the race where power and/or pace dropped off. This appears to be the story that emerges which should guide your next training cycle. Is there a simplified way to understand that story? I realize I should look at the numbers and decide a weak area...but that's a lot of numbers! Can you guide our eye for making decisions about the next step in training?

You recently released some plans on Final Surge for running with power, can you tell us what is in those plans?

You mentioned Ben Kanute ran a 340 for power in a 70.3 race, when we are looking at the power number in Final Surge should we be aiming for a certain number.

Resources Run With Power CoachVance.com Vance on Twitter Vance Training Plans

If you are following us on Twitter @FinalSurge or on Facebook you have probably seen the project with Matt Fitzgerald we have been helping to promote called The Running Bum. Matt sees what it is like when a decent age group runner in his mid-40s becomes a full-time runner and joins Ben Rosario's Northern Arizona Elite Team as a member. We discuss with both Matt and Ben what the experience was like and what Matt learned that he can use in his coaching. Thanks for following the Running Bum blog online and enjoy this episode we did with Matt and Ben.

What brought on this idea to go run and train with a professional group?

Why NAZ Elite and Ben Rosario, is there a reason you reached out to them specifically?

Ben, what were your thoughts when he reached out to you?

When did the training start for the Running Bum project?

Where were you in your marathon fitness in November when you reached out to Ben about the project?

What was your marathon PR before this project?

Ben, what did you think when he approached you saying he wanted to run a PR 9-years later?

Was there a moment after you arrived in Flagstaff that you thought this may be different than I thought it would be?

You faced some setbacks with injuries, a groin issue, an Achilles issue. I know you say you have a long history of injuries. Training with pros, this could have gone anyway on the injury front. Can you talk about the setbacks and what you learned from them?

Ben, was there a point where you got concerned or did these health issues not surprise you?

How long did it take to get you adapted to the altitude in Flagstaff?

Besides training at altitude, what do you think changed the most about your training when you started training with professionals?

Ben, when you have a team, you have a team chemistry. When you add in a new athlete it can change the atmosphere and chemistry of the team. How did it go adding Matt in?

Reading the stories on the blog, you talk about the conversations with the other athletes on the runs. This was one of the more enjoyable parts. What was it like running on a team when you were not used to it?

Was there anything about the structure of the week or the workouts that surprised you?

Ben, what would a 9-day cycle look like a month out from the race?

Was there anyone workout that you saw that stood out as it looked hard and had you worried?

What did you learn from this experience that you can use in your coaching going forward?

I was looking at your splits per mile on your Final Surge Log, you started out with a 6:02 per mile pace. Every mile after that was right around there within about ten seconds. Your last couple of miles show a 6:02, 6:07, 6:03 pace. You don't seem to have hit the wall and were pretty consistent, how did this vary from past marathons you have done?

Ben, we have a lot of recreational runners trying to get better. If you had someone at home who had a full-time job, kids at home and were busy, what advice would you give them to running a successful marathon where they don't hit the wall?

What was it like being in the same coral as the elite runners at a world major marathon?

Was there any point in the race you had any concerns?

Ben, was there a point you were concerned it would not go as well as it did?

Whats next, are you ready to go after a mile PR?

Resources

Matt Fitzgerald Website The Running Bum blog Final Surge entry for Matt's actual Chicago Run Northern Arizona Elite Matt on Twitter Ben on Twitter Final Surge on TwitterFinal Surge Facebook pageMatt's Final Surge Episode 29 recording

Make sure you check out the Running Summit at http://www.runningsummit.com

Follow us on Twitter @FinalSurge

Welcome to Episode 59 of the Final Surge Podcast where today we welcome legendary coach Dennis Barker. Dennis was the long-time coach of Team USA Minnesota where his athletes achieved 75 top 3 finishes in US Championships and 29 different athletes made world championships teams. We talk about some fundamentals of training and his new book The River Road.

How did you get your start in running?

You founded Team USA Minnesota in 2001, at that time there was Team Hanson, Mammoth, maybe Oregon Project around that time, how has that team aspect lead to a resurgence in American distance success?

We were solid in the 70's and 80's, and we have had this resurgence, what happened in the 90's where the US fell off the map so badly?

USATF teaches a strict periodization where coaches such as Salazar do more year-round training, how have you seen that change?

You mentioned you ran a lot of local races. If you look at local 5k/10k runners, how should they structure their year of training?

How does a coach who has coached 29 World qualifiers move to high school coaching?

How is training different besides just the volume?

Your new book The River Road is a novel, the running community had Once A Runner, was your goal to write the next great running novel?

As you wrote this you got the chance to think about the last 30-40 years of running. What has changed the most over that time?

Final Surge 5 questions in under a minute Favorite running book? - Coe/Martin Training Current trainers you are wearing? - Asics Favorite race? - Carrie Tolleson 1500 Final 2004 Olympic Trials Favorite recovery meal or recovery drink? - Octoberfest Beer Your favorite workout - 8x1200, 24x100m hills

CoachBarker.com

River Road Book

Dennis on Twitter

Welcome to episode 58 of the Final Surge Podcast where today we welcome Jens Jakob Andersen. Jens founded RunRepeat.com, a website with the goal to help you find your next pair of running shoes and to offer you a deal on them. In this episode, we talk about the growth of RunRepeat, how free shoes could bias results of these reviews and what are some of the trends he is seeing in shoes. Please remember to leave us a review on iTunes. Your review will help us grow our podcast. Next week we have one of the legends of coaching who will be joining us to talk training.

How did you get your start in running?

How did your passion for running lead you to create RunRepeat?

When did RunRepeat start?

Can you explain to our listeners the goal of RunRepeat?

Each shoe has a number score associated with it, how does the rating system work?

Reviews are from experts on other sites and users who review the shoes on your site?

Who are these expert reviewers that work for you?

If reviewers are getting free shoes, can it cause a bias in the reviews?

If a new shoe was provided for free, will they look at the reviews and treat you differently?

How many miles do they run in a pair of shoes before they review?

What are some of the current trends you see in running shoes that seem to be having a good impact?

What about the Nike 2 hour shoe, what do you think of that shoe project?

All this money goes into marketing to say their shoe is the best. So how does someone find out what is the best shoe for them?

When I was younger I run almost solely in the Asics GT 2020 line and its successors, in the last decade though I almost never buy the same shoe two times in a row. Do you find people tend to buy the same shoe each time or do they tend to jump around between brands and models?

If I am always buying something new, I need to go into a store to try them on. If someone is buying online would you recommend they stick to the same shoe because they cannot try them on?

When do you know its time for new shoes?

Do you find the shoes that rate the highest are the most popular shoes that companies market the most or do you find no relationship between ratings and popularity?

We have had some new companies emerge over the last few years such as the Sketchers Performance line and Under Armor, what do you see as up and coming running shoe lines?

They recently signed King Cheserek to a deal which is a huge name. I had a pair of GoRuns about two years ago and if I am being honest, they were probably the most comfortable running shoes I ever owned, but they broke down really quickly. What are you seeing from them and the ratings?

I noticed one of your studies showed that the higher the priced shoe, the lower the ratings were, is that because people have unreasonable expectations when they spend more or why do you think that is?

You have a study which was ironically posted on your website on July 4th that said American runners are getting slower. But when we look at the Olympic A standard qualifications like the 5k, they the standard was faster in 2016 than it was in 2012, and we had more people who hit the faster A standard. So the elites are not getting slower, so tell us about this report?

Is it because more people who would have never considered doing a marathon before are now doing it for charity?

What other interesting studies do you have coming out?

Final Surge 5 questions in under a minute Favorite running book? - Shoe Dog Current trainers you are wearing? - Declined Favorite race? - Norway 1k vertical climb Favorite recovery meal or recovery drink? - Chocolate Your favorite workout - 10x400 with 1 minute rest + 3 min rest then 10x200 with 1 minute.

Email Jens [email protected] RunRepeat Website

In Episode 57 we welcome Carrie Lane, Sports Performance Coach at Authentic Performance Center, USTFCCA Strength Training Certification Instructor. Former track and field coach at University of Nebraska and University of Virginia.

How did you get your start in endurance athletics when you were younger?

You are known for your strength training, but you ran collegiately as a distance runner, can you tell us how you got made that transition?

A lot of young athletes, especially distance runners, are becoming more specialized. How important is building an endurance athlete even more so than just a distance runner to remain durable and for consistency?

You mention plyometrics, when do you move athletes from plyos to getting under the bar and lifting?

When you read about coaches like Percy Cuerety, and runners like Sebastian Coe we hear a lot about strength training that is not running specific. So where do we start in build dynamic runners?

How often would you do the skipping and dynamic warm ups?

How would the warm up differ before a recovery day vs a workout day?

Over a course of a week, what type of structure should all these exercises have?

Carrie discusses using a rope for hurdle mobility drills.

When you finally get into a weight room, how often should an athlete be in the weight room?

On those weight room days would you recommend getting them in on a workout or easy day?

Should the weight room days be done in a different part of the day like run in the AM and weights later in the day?

We think of strength work for a sprinter or thrower, but why is it important to work on strength for endurance athletes?

What about the differences between male and female, what areas are different that they need to work on?

We recently started doing a band routine a day post run. How much band work do you typically incorporate?

If you have some dynamic warm-ups leg swings before you run, then you have core work almost daily. Work in some band work. You have some plyo work and you are getting into the weight rooms a few times a week, is there a point for a distance runner where the returns are just not worth the extra time you are doing?

You have a program you have made available for distance runners, can you tell us about that and what is included.

Contact Strength Program

Carrie on Twitter: Carrie on Instagram

Welcome to Episode 56 of the Final Surge Podcast where today we welcome Jonathan Beverly an author at Runner's World and is a former Editor at Running Times. Jonathan has recently released the book Your Best Stride. We dig into what your best stride is and how you get there. We have been getting a lot of great feedback over our iOS App and the updated Android App is being worked on as we speak. Make sure you download the app and review it in the App iStore. Also follow us on Twitter and Facebook @FinalSurge.

How did you get your start with running?

How did you transfer from a high school runner to the editor of Running Times?

You have a new book called Your Best Stride. What made you decide to write this book?

You have been running since 1980 so you have been around, is there anything you learned while writing this book that really surprised you?

Let's start digging in with upper body and the role it plays. I have a sophomore girl who just joined our team who is a first-time runner. Day one she held her arms way up and pretty much in front of her, can you talk about the role the arm swing plays in our stride?

You stress all things starting at the hip, can you talk about how important the hip is?

How do we get our hip flexors extended or loosened?

How do you make sure you glute bridges are right so you make sure you feel it in your glutes, not your hamstrings?

Your Best stride, how does that differ from the best form for all?

One thing that is discussed all the time when we are talking about stride is foot strike. How important is foot strike?

How can someone with a large overstrike work on their mechanics to fix this?

Can you talk about what we are doing for the 22.5 hours a day we are not exercising and how it effects our running?

What do you recommend about running shoes and switching them up? If you find a shoe that seems to work should you buy a bunch and stick with it or should you switch them up?

When you are going to the running store and they look at you and say you over pronate, what would you recommend?

We all want our best stride, what cues can we use to check ourselves while we are running?

What are some other things you can briefly tease our listeners with that are included in your book?

What are you working on now, any other books you have coming?

Final Surge 5 questions in under a minute Favorite endurance/running book? - Road Racing for Serious Runners Current trainers you are wearing? - Topo Fli-lyght 2 Favorite race? - 10 miles Favorite recovery meal or recovery drink? - Peanut butter and honey sandwich Your favorite workout - Tempo run

Website

Jonathan on Twitter

Your Best Stride

Welcome to episode 55 of the Final Surge Podcast where today we do something a little different. This week we talk to a variety of professional coaches who coach Olympic athletes, high school coaches who are among the most successful in the country, professional athletes and coaches who coach mostly online and we talk to them about training logs. We ask them who should be using a training log, what should be included in the log and their experiences with training logs. Now onto the show.

This week's guests

Drew Wartenburg Norcal website Norcal on Instagram Norcal on Twitter Drew on Twitter

Neely Spence Gracey Neely Website Neely on Instagram Neely on Twitter

Mario Fraioli Mario Website Morning Shakeout Mario on Twitter

Joan Hunter Joan on Twitter

Matt Fitzgerald Running Bum Blog Mattfitzgerald.org Matt on Twitter

Sean McCaffery CBA on Twitter

Kyle Kranz Kyle on Twitter Kyle Website

Welcome to episode 54 of the Final Surge podcast where today we talk to triathlete turned coach Marcelo Holcberg. We discuss with Marcelo who his biggest influences are, how busy professionals can train for triathlons and how he works with periodization. Remember to follow us on Twitter @FinalSurge and don't forget to subscribe and rate us on iTunes.

How did you get your start in endurance athletics?

What was the hardest part of the transition from running to triathlons?

When did you make that transition from successful athlete to coaching?

You moved to the US in the late 90s and decided to build a coaching business, what was it like moving to a new country and building a coaching business where you probably did not know a whole lot of people?

All great coaches learn from other people Arthur Lydiard, Phil Maffetone, Joe Vigil, these are some well-known coaches, whose training methods have had the biggest impact on our coaching philosophy?

How many people are you coaching now?

What is the typical profile of your client?

If you have a non-professional athlete who works a full-time job, maybe travels for their job, has a husband or wife at home and three kids, what do you need to take into consideration to create a plan that they can execute, do consistently and reach their goals?

Do most of the athletes you coach come from a running background, or what is their athletic background?

You start to work with a new client who has a running background who wants to become a triathlete, how do you start working with them?

Do you work with most of your athletes in person or do you do virtual coaching too?

You mention you may get a 3:15 marathoner who comes to you, how do you break it up early in their training between the run which they are experienced with vs. bike and swim?

You talked about Periodization in your training, Is a training plan much like a running plan where you start with a base of time/miles and as you get closer to the event the more race specific it becomes and is it different for each of the disciplines?

How does your peak week for a triathlon differ from the early weeks, do you change the time with maybe bike or swim and focus more on the area they are weaker in?

For the average athlete, you have that comes to you looking to do their first triathlon how long do you like an athlete to have to work on a program before they try their first triathlon?

In your coaching how much do you use heart rate or power zones vs going strictly by feel?

Come race day how do you plan out your race? What advice do you have for knowing the best race strategy for that new triathlete?

You mention transition zones, how much time can be saved or lost in a transition between the two transition zones?

How much time do you work on the transitions?

Let's talk about some of the most common sticky points or FAQ's

-How do you find the right race for you?

-How can you spot and correct under or over training

-How do you do rest days when you are going hard on swim one day, do you come back with a hard bike or run or do you need a rest day?

-What are some of the key workouts you have that you think may be a good indicator of fitness and how ready someone is for their next race?

You have been in the sport a long time, how has it changed since the late 80's?

You are starting a new a Youth Development Running Program in Miami, can you tell us about that?

Final Surge 5 questions in under a minute

Favorite endurance/running book? - Jim Fixx Complete book of Running Current trainers you are wearing? - Asics DSTrainer Favorite race? - Anything inside of Central Park Favorite recovery meal or recovery drink? - Chocolate milk Your favorite workout - Hills running

how can people follow you on social or online

Website Tri2One

Instagram