For Real, Though

Can you imagine averaging 8:40 pace for 100 miles?

Nope, neither can I, but today’s guest has done just that, and won many big time races like Leadville 100 mile this year (2017), and has also run a 2:38 marathon! How is that for range?

Devon Yanko talks of her huge success after a long layoff, and her struggles with imposter syndrome and the dark places our minds go when the negative thoughts kick in. Devon is honest and real, and shares the thoughts many of us are afraid to admit, like running well, but not enjoying the process along the way, is it really worth it? Or is it better to run happy the entire time, but finish a little further down?

In Leadville 100 mile this year, Devon had a goal of being the happiest person out there, and made sure to congratulate every runner she saw out on the course, realizing that if you are out there doing something hard, those negative thoughts will be trying to drag you down, and maybe a friendly hello or well done would help (and it did).

Devon shares her amazing idea of yelling, “PLOT TWIST” when things get tough in races, to shake yourself out of a funk, and make yourself smile.

We also discuss how we as runners get too confident in what we are doing, and feel like we are entitled to certain results (guilty!).

Finally, we go over the other part of Devon’s life, the part that keeps her balanced, the bakery she owns with her husband, and how they manage to squeeze in 70-90 miles a week when the only available times were 2am runs.

We talk about brands that truly care about individuals, not just the bottom line, and why Hoka and Oiselle are her favorite brands for being good role models to other companies, making the world a better place.

This interview is for you if you enjoy hearing from others who have been given tough life situations, but have made the best of it, and keep a great perspective on life. Devon is real and fun, and I know you are going to love her as much as I do.

Today’s Guest

Devon Yanko

One of the best female ultra runners out there, Devon Yanko won the 2017 Leadville 100 mile race while greeting and celebrating every runner she saw on the course. Devon has run the third fastest 100 mile time in history, but is still humble and genuine. Owner of M.H Bakery, Devon lives a balanced, fun, and happy life.

What You Will Learn About

* Why she only had one goal for Leadville 100 mile (which she won); to be the happiest person out there.

* How to mentally talk yourself back into the race when your emotions take over

* The strategies Devon uses in ultra events to combat the negative chatter

* Why yelling, “PLOT TWIST!” in a struggle during a race could snap you out of a tough patch

* How Devon balances being the owner of her bakery and her training

* What do you want your athletic identity to be?

Listen to the Running for Real Podcast

Devon’s Power Pose

Inspirational Quotes

For some reason, because of my huge success after this long layoff, I was having really bad imposter syndrome. I went into a very deep, dark place in my mind, a lot of self-doubt and questioning my worth, and that Javelina was just a fluke, an outlier.

I had gone into western states super prepared, very zen, very calm, and then the first thing that happened that I hadn’t considered threw me off, and I ended up making mistakes.

I had to watch the race pass me by.

It is really important to me that I am a good person while I am doing this. It had been a hard year for injury, recovery, and personal stuff, so I thought leading up to Leadville that I am a version of myself I really like, and I want to be a good person out there.

I would rather be happy the whole time, than be miserable and win, because that it detracts from the experience.

Can you imagine averaging 8:40 pace for 100 miles?

Nope, neither can I, but today's guest has done just that, and won many big time races like Leadville 100 mile this year (2017), and has also run a 2:38 marathon! How is that for range?

Devon Yanko talks of her huge success after a long layoff, and her struggles with imposter syndrome and the dark places our minds go when the negative thoughts kick in. Devon is honest and real, and shares the thoughts many of us are afraid to admit, like running well, but not enjoying the process along the way, is it really worth it? Or is it better to run happy the entire time, but finish a little further down?

In Leadville 100 mile this year, Devon had a goal of being the happiest person out there, and made sure to congratulate every runner she saw out on the course, realizing that if you are out there doing something hard, those negative thoughts will be trying to drag you down, and maybe a friendly hello or well done would help (and it did).

Devon shares her amazing idea of yelling, "PLOT TWIST" when things get tough in races, to shake yourself out of a funk, and make yourself smile.

We also discuss how we as runners get too confident in what we are doing, and feel like we are entitled to certain results (guilty!).

Finally, we go over the other part of Devon's life, the part that keeps her balanced, the bakery she owns with her husband, and how they manage to squeeze in 70-90 miles a week when the only available times were 2am runs.

We talk about brands that truly care about individuals, not just the bottom line, and why Hoka and Oiselle are her favorite brands for being good role models to other companies, making the world a better place.

This interview is for you if you enjoy hearing from others who have been given tough life situations, but have made the best of it, and keep a great perspective on life. Devon is real and fun, and I know you are going to love her as much as I do.

 

Today's Guest

Devon Yanko

One of the best female ultra runners out there, Devon Yanko won the 2017 Leadville 100 mile race while greeting and celebrating every runner she saw on the course. Devon has run the third fastest 100 mile time in history, but is still humble and genuine. Owner of M.H Bakery, Devon lives a balanced, fun, and happy life.

What You Will Learn About

• Why she only had one goal for Leadville 100 mile (which she won); to be the happiest person out there.
• How to mentally talk yourself back into the race when your emotions take over
• The strategies Devon uses in ultra events to combat the negative chatter
• Why yelling, "PLOT TWIST!" in a struggle during a race could snap you out of a tough patch
• How Devon balances being the owner of her bakery and her training
• What do you want your athletic identity to be?

Inspirational Quotes

For some reason, because of my huge success after this long layoff, I was having really bad imposter syndrome. I went into a very deep, dark place in my mind, a lot of self-doubt and questioning my worth, and that Javelina was just a fluke, an outlier.

I had gone into western states super prepared, very zen, very calm, and then the first thing that happened that I hadn't considered threw me off, and I ended up making mistakes.

I had to watch the race pass me by.

It is really important to me that I am a good person while I am doing this. It had been a hard year for injury, recovery, and personal stuff, so I thought leading up to Leadville that I am a version of myself I really like, and I want to be a good person out there.

I would rather be happy the whole time, than be miserable and win, because that it detracts from the experience.

I am just thinking about how big the climb is, and something flashed in my mind, a perspective of just keeping happy even when things are hard and I yelled out loud, "PLOT TWIST!". 

I am a very process driven person, and I find when I lose focus on the process and start focusing on the outcome, like I deserve this PR or when am I going to do this thing I set out, if you focus on the process towards that, if you are doing everything you possibly can, genuinely doing all of the things to produce an outcome that is physiologically capable for you, then a lot of times you need to just go back to the process and focus on that, rather than getting wrapped up in the time.

Make sure whatever that goal is, you are working towards that goal and you are willing to do the work and focus on the process. Point yourself towards that goal, but you shouldn't have everything wrapped up in the outcome.

When you start wrapping up your identity with outcomes, it's just very dangerous, you start thinking this is who I am, and if I am not that, I am somehow unacceptable.

(About Trail running) Other than the fact they are approximately, within a couple of miles, the same distance, they are completely different, that really helped me to keep that perspective that I am not just wrapped up in time. That also translate to not just having myself think,I just focus on my running.

For the majority of people, having the other aspects of their life, helps keep balance.

The relationship and what the company stands for, what they are willing to get behind is important.

The best way for people to go about finding their own success is to be willing to experiment with things.

Resources Mentioned

Last week's interview with Phil Maffetone

Leadville 100 mile

Javenlina Jundred

Devon's blog post on Leadville 100mile

M.H. Bread and Butter

Dave's Killer Bread

Hoka One One

Oiselle

Hoka Adweek Women Who Fly Videos

Devon's Twitter

Devon's Instagram

Generation UCAN and BodyHealth sponsored this episode of Running for Real. Two products you can rely on.

Even if you are trying to tweak your diet to be ready for race day. Generation UCAN is the ONLY fuel I needed during my marathons, and you can get 15% off with code RUNNING4REAL at Generationucan.com

BodyHealth Perfect Amino helped my body recover MUCH faster after runs and workouts, I couldn't imagine my training life without them. You can get 10% off at BodyHealth.com using coupon code TINA10

Dr. Phil Maffetone is one of the best running experts in the industry for his work on the MAF method of training and his research on nutrition, particularly how to burn fat for fuel.

Today Phil and I started talking about nutrition, how he discovered that there was something fundamentally wrong with the food sold today, and how deceptive the food industry can be.

We discuss how the Government subsidizes junk food, leaving fruits and vegetables more expensive, which makes eating well on a budget impossible to accomplish.

The chronic diseases most people die of linked to being overfat, and the reasons why weighing yourself is NOT an accurate indicator of how well your body is doing. Not only are you starting your day depressed from the number you have seen, but you are essentially measuring water weight. Phil gives us a better solution, and ways to eat better for your long-term health as well as your running.

We discuss why runners might struggle to run fast speed workouts with a low carb diet initially (I definitely experienced this!), and the power of those slow twitch muscles to develop our aerobic system. Fueling them correctly will only help us feel better, and of course run faster.

In the second half of the interview, we discuss the MAF method of running “slow” for 3-6 months, and how you although it seems counterproductive, you will end up running easy at a pace you previously considered hard, by giving your body the time to adapt and learn to burn fat for fuel instead of working off carbs.

Finally, Phil discusses his latest research on the Boston marathon, and his vow to try to change the ruling on Boston being a record ineligible course, as his research proves it is by far the slowest…and actually, two other courses have a distinct advantage.

This episode is for you if you love to learn about the science behind what is going on in the running world. Phil is one of the names every runner needs to know, and this is why.

Today’s Guest

Phil Maffetone

Dr. Philip Maffetone has been a private practitioner, health and athlete coach and consultant, published independent researcher, respected pioneer in the field of complementary sports medicine, and internationally recognized educator and author in the fields of nutrition, biofeedback, exercise physiology, and athletic training over the course of his forty- year career. 

What You Will Learn About

* Are we turning a corner with our health or are we getting worse?

* What overfat is and how it is affecting our running more than we realize

* How to lose that excess fat without going on a diet

* Why getting rid of refined carbohydrates through sugar and junk food will make you feel significantly better in your running

* The benefits of building your aerobic system for your health, not just your running

* What fatiguing early in the race shows about your system and what you need to do

* How you can run faster even if you are running slow every day

Listen to the Running for Real Podcast

Inspirational Quotes

The big companies, the sugar industry, the junk food companies know what we think, they know what people think, so they are changing things. We have a whole new world of junk food called natural.

If you go into health food stores, you will see junk foods, and it is very well disguised, and if you are not careful, you will be sucked in by the packaging, by the names, the inferences.

90% of US adults are overfat, that is mind boggling…exercise isn’t going to solve the problem. More people in the US are exercising than ever before, sugar being added to foods is the problem.

Junk food is not cheap, it just appears to be cheap because the price you pay for one meal or one dinner for the family. People who consume junk food get hungrier sooner, so they eat more calories.

Dr. Phil Maffetone is one of the best running experts in the industry for his work on the MAF method of training and his research on nutrition, particularly how to burn fat for fuel.

Today Phil and I started talking about nutrition, how he discovered that there was something fundamentally wrong with the food sold today, and how deceptive the food industry can be.

We discuss how the Government subsidizes junk food, leaving fruits and vegetables more expensive, which makes eating well on a budget impossible to accomplish.

The chronic diseases most people die of linked to being overfat, and the reasons why weighing yourself is NOT an accurate indicator of how well your body is doing. Not only are you starting your day depressed from the number you have seen, but you are essentially measuring water weight. Phil gives us a better solution, and ways to eat better for your long-term health as well as your running.

We discuss why runners might struggle to run fast speed workouts with a low carb diet initially (I definitely experienced this!), and the power of those slow twitch muscles to develop our aerobic system. Fueling them correctly will only help us feel better, and of course run faster.

In the second half of the interview, we discuss the MAF method of running "slow" for 3-6 months, and how you although it seems counterproductive, you will end up running easy at a pace you previously considered hard, by giving your body the time to adapt and learn to burn fat for fuel instead of working off carbs.

Finally, Phil discusses his latest research on the Boston marathon, and his vow to try to change the ruling on Boston being a record ineligible course, as his research proves it is by far the slowest...and actually, two other courses have a distinct advantage.

This episode is for you if you love to learn about the science behind what is going on in the running world. Phil is one of the names every runner needs to know, and this is why.

Today's Guest

Phil Maffetone

Dr. Philip Maffetone has been a private practitioner, health and athlete coach and consultant, published independent researcher, respected pioneer in the field of complementary sports medicine, and internationally recognized educator and author in the fields of nutrition, biofeedback, exercise physiology, and athletic training over the course of his forty- year career. 

What You Will Learn About

• Are we turning a corner with our health or are we getting worse?
• What overfat is and how it is affecting our running more than we realize
• How to lose that excess fat without going on a diet
• Why getting rid of refined carbohydrates through sugar and junk food will make you feel significantly better in your running
• The benefits of building your aerobic system for your health, not just your running
• What fatiguing early in the race shows about your system and what you need to do
• How you can run faster even if you are running slow every day

Inspirational Quotes

The big companies, the sugar industry, the junk food companies know what we think, they know what people think, so they are changing things. We have a whole new world of junk food called natural.

If you go into health food stores, you will see junk foods, and it is very well disguised, and if you are not careful, you will be sucked in by the packaging, by the names, the inferences.

90% of US adults are overfat, that is mind boggling…exercise isn't going to solve the problem. More people in the US are exercising than ever before, sugar being added to foods is the problem.

Junk food is not cheap, it just appears to be cheap because the price you pay for one meal or one dinner for the family. People who consume junk food get hungrier sooner, so they eat more calories. That's what junk food does, that is what sugar does.

Diets don't work long-term.

We need to take responsibility for our own health, and not rely on anybody.

What sugar does when we consume it; about 40% of that sugar gets converted to fat and gets stored. The more sugar we consume, the more we convert. When we consume that sugar, we take a lot of the fat that is stored on our arms and legs, and send it to the belly.

Sugar reduces our ability to burn fat.

It takes a while for exercise alone to have an effect on body fat, but with sugar, it really takes 2 meals of no sugar or low sugar to affect your metabolism measurably. Within the course of 2 weeks, I have seen people lose 2 inches on their waist.

It's now considered normal for runners to have frequent infections.

Submax performance is a very good way to measure max performance…and it is something you can do in the course or training without having to rest for it or recover after it.

Runners do more than run. They have a social life, a work life, a family life, and all these factors have a certain amount of stress, and that stress impacts our ability to progress.

The most common reason people don't progress is because of their diet, because of the sugar.

That's the benefit of the aerobic system, you can run faster at the same heart rate, and if you can run faster in training, you can run faster at the same race heart rate as well.

It's a scientific way to get more healthy and fit

Stress affects us regardless of where the stress is, whether it's the physical stress of bad shoes or the biochemical stress of eating junk food or the mental stress of having a bad day at the option, weather can be a stress too. Hazy hot and humid weather is a huge stress.

Under stress our resting, training, and racing heart rates are higher.

Resources Mentioned

Last week's interview with Chad Moye

Big Fat Food Fraud Book

Endurance planet podcast with Tawnee Gibson

Athletes; Fit But Unhealthy

Definition of overfat

Article about excess body fat and being overfat

2 week test 

MAF test

MAF Heart Rate Formula

Boston marathon study about it being a slow course

Generation UCAN and BodyHealth sponsored this episode of Running for Real. Two products you can rely on.

Even if you are trying to tweak your diet to be ready for race day. Generation UCAN is the ONLY fuel I needed during my marathons, and you can get 15% off with code RUNNING4REAL at Generationucan.com

BodyHealth Perfect Amino helped my body recover MUCH faster after runs and workouts, I couldn't imagine my training life without them. You can get 10% off at BodyHealth.com using coupon code TINA10

We may love running now, but not every runner started off enjoying it. Chad Moye hated running for the first 40 years of his life, and as his addiction to drugs became worse and worse, the idea of running for pleasure seemed even less likely.

In between drug rehab programs, Chad would see runners in his "home" in Metropolitan park, and would laugh at the short shorts and neon clothes, having no idea that one day he would be one of them.

Only when the judges grew tired of his antics and sentenced him to prison time, that Chad realized this was his last chance.

The first time Chad ran, he couldn't even make a half mile, but he vowed he was going to make it all the way around the 800m track, and exercise began to change his path. Chad became determined to get fitter by the day, and focus on what he could do with his future.

Chad realized that it was not just about the motion of running itself, but everything that comes with it; “It's not just the act of running, it is everything that comes with it, the community, its the training, waking up and going to bed early, watching what you put in your body, looking at your nutrition, it is the lifestyle of being a runner, it is the blueprint of sobriety.”

And that is what today's episode is about; the journey of Chad Moye, and how running changed his life, and now he is using runners to help others change their lives too.

Today's Guest

Chad Moye

A homeless, heroin addict, whose bad behavior finally landed him in prison, looking at a sentence of up to 20 years. Chad took the opportunity to turn his life around, and now he is helping others do the same.

What You Will Learn About

• How easily a prescription for painkillers can turn into a serious drug habit (and yes, it can happen to all of us!)
• How Chad ended up homeless and living his life around his drug addiction
• The divine intervention that occurred and why he knew this was his last chance to change
• How exercise and running changed his life and set him free
• How it felt to cross the finish line of his first 5k
• How it felt to win a race in the park he had previously lived in when he was homeless

 

Inspirational Quotes

I didn’t understand how physically addicting they can be, mentally too. As time went on, when I would not have them or try to get off them, the withdrawal symptoms would be bad, really bad.

I didn't have something at the time to channel my addictive behaviors into something else and it just got worse and worse over the years.

I am here to break down the stigma of addicts, the stigma that comes along with addiction, the way other people view us. I know really good people who suffer from addiction.

It became a full time job. Every day of my life from waking up, I had to find my fix just to get through the day.

I found myself homeless and hopeless, and wondering where do I go from here?

They (runners) were out there doing what they loved, free, and here I was, captive of addiction and drugs.

I knew this was my last chance. I knew I had to do this right and change. I knew I had to break this addiction and being put away for a little time could be my chance.

(The first time he ran) the track we had was about 1/2 mile around, I couldn't even make it around one time, and I was running in crocs…it was painful, I was nauseous, but I knew I wanted to do it again.

Not to sound cliche, but I woke up one morning, I was about to go out to the rec yard, I was watching the sun come up and I had my headphones In listening to music and I said, this is it right here. I have no burden. I am in prison, but I am free, this is how I want to be, this is how I want to feel for the rest of my life.

I was so relieved to wake up and not have to worry about addiction, the full time job and burden of how am I not going to be sick today?

It was freedom at its best in every aspect. It was great to get out and run free.

Once I got to the finish line (of his first 5k), thats where it all happened, crossing that finish line for the first time, the people cheering, what time you ran was insignificant, it was about crossing that finish line and the effort you put in yourself.

I felt it, I went across, and I was like wow, I love that! That is a high that I like!

The finish line was right there in metropolitan park, the same park that I used to spend my homeless days in…I had to take a step back and look at it, realize how far I had come at that point.

Its not just the act of running, it is everything that comes with it, the community, its the training, waking up and going to bed early, watching what you put in your body, looking at your nutrition, it is the lifestyle of being a runner, it is the blueprint of sobriety.

Resources Mentioned

Last week's interview with Christie Aschwanden

Interview with Dick Beardsley

Runwell

Gateway Rehab

Mike Martinez

Kim Pawelek Brantly

Thanks to VI for sponsoring this podcast, check out GetVi.com/Running4Real to enter to win a FREE VI

"At the end of the day, nothing beats running. There is nothing that a nice run can't make a little bit better"- Christie Aschwanden.

There is no doubt that todays guest is passionate about being a runner. Writing for some of the biggest publications in the US, she gets to dive deep into controversial topics that others are too afraid to cover.

We talk about gender issues, including the story of Caster Semenya, who has been targeted by IAAF for her testosterone levels. Christie will make you rethink the way you are looking at the gender issue in sport, and bring to light some important points that you may not have noticed before.

We go into the doping scandals, just how bad it is, and what we can do to prevent it as we know as soon as the test is created, the dopers are already one step ahead finding a way to cheat the system.

This is casting doubt on all records in recent years, including the famous women's marathon record by Paula Radcliffe, as there is no way to prove you are clean, we need to find another solution. Christie shares a story of a former teammate who was caught doping, and how sharing his story of how he was dirty, even while he still denied it, was one of the hardest things she had to do.

We talk about predatory coaches abusing high school athletes, and what to look out for if you suspect something might not be right.

And we talk about the relief and comfort running brings when you are struggling with problems or the loss of a loved one. Running helps us to deal with our problems, and Christie loves running more than most.

This episode is for you if you are interested in the discussion of topics that are controversial, but very real within our sport. if you are passionate about athletics, you will have heard of these issues, and in this episode, we dive deep into what exactly is happening.

Today's Guest

Christie Aschwanden

Christie Aschwanden is the lead writer for science at FiveThirtyEight and a health columnist for The Washington Post. She’s also a frequent contributor to The New York Times, and a contributing editor for Runner’s World. Christie is not afraid to write (or talk) about the difficult topics, which has won her countless journalism awards.

What You Will Learn About

• Why preparing and writing a big article is very similar to preparing for a race
• Caster Semenya and other athletes who are considered controversial due to high testosterone or other factors, how does gender play a part in running
• Doping in our sport and how the dopers are one step ahead of anti doping officials as they are better funded.
• How running helps us deal with problems, especially with the loss of a loved one
• Abuse from high school coaches to their athletes (and why its more common than we realize). What we can do to look out for this potentially happening with children you know.

 

Christie's #R4RPowerPose

My power pose is hula hooping. The photo is from a dinner party, but I also keep a hula hoop around as a good thing to do as a break from writing.

Inspirational Quotes

I could not be a writer without running. Its where I get my best ideas, its where I get my best leads.

It always feels so rewarding, you are creating something from nothing. Even journalism is a very nice creative process, you are taking pieces and creating something new that didn't exist before.

Someone like Caster (Semenya) who has female anatomy, is raised as a female, lived her entire life as a female, what we are really doing when we have women sport is breaking it down by gender, and gender is different to sex.

Gender is an identity, and it just seems fundamentally unfair to have someone who is born, raised, and had an identity her entire life as a certain gender, and to say no, thats not what you are, we are not going to allow you to compete with other people of that identity.

There are other traits we celebrate, and its really putting limits and breaks on what limits sports can be, saying that certain traits or certain aspects of athleticism are male and others are female. I don't think its an accident that these women who are being targeted are more masculine appearances.

As soon as you have a test, then the race is on for the dopers to get around it.

The solution to doping is to change the culture where it is just not acceptable to dope…for a very long time, we had this win at all costs mentality and when you have people (coaches and trainers) who are promoting this stuff, you can't have that.

You cannot prove you are clean, that is scientifically impossible.

That is one of the saddest things about doping to me, is that is cast out on every wonderful performance and that really takes something away.

At the end of the day, nothing beats running. There is nothing that a nice run can't make a little bit better.

I would go out and run as hard as I could, just breathe really hard. I wanted to feel the burn in my muscles as it was just a way of making this nebulous emotional pain, turning it into something that felt more tangible and expressing that.

Someone I had trusted had betrayed that trust, and I was still quite young, it pulled the rug from under me and made me question a lot of things.

Resources Mentioned

• Last week's episode with Nancy Clark 
• Caster Semenya article
• Track and Field may scrap records article
• Runners World article about losing someone- The Painful Truth
• Alicia Shay Interview 
• Coaches who abuse interview
• Christie's article on her former teammate caught for doping

Finding the right weight for you and your body as a runner can be tough.

We live in a world where it feels like skinnier=faster, and it can be tempting to use diets and restrictions of foods to lose some of that weight that holds us back from running our best, but actually, in most cases we are doing more harm than good.

It was time to get real with this one. You will hear about my story of how I was undereating as a runner, and for that reason, my body wasn't functioning correctly, and it wasn't just the lack of periods that showed it.

You might recognize some of these other symptoms, and they may be an indicator that you too, are not fueling your body enough, even if you have a normal BMI and a reason why each of your symptoms show up.

This episode is all about learning to enjoy eating again, without letting it overtake your life. We need to get back to how we ate as children; eating when we are hungry, stopping when we are full, and never caring about what the number n the scale says.

It may seem too good to be true, but our bodies really do have all the answers here, and if you find you spend a lot of your day thinking about food, looking forward to your next meal, this is an episode you need to check out.

There are no good and bad foods, only balanced and unbalanced diets, and yes, balanced diets DO include what we may consider "bad foods".

If you care about running your best, if you think that your weight isn't right, and if you feel like you are unhappy with the way you look, this is a must listen.

Today's Guest

Nancy Clark

A registered Dietitian who was one of the pioneers for sports nutrition in the running world. Her bestseller book, Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook has sold 600,000 copies all over the world.

What You Will Learn About

• Why it is important to work with a Registered Dietitian over a nutritionist or certified nutritional advisor (before working with Nancy, I always thought it didn't really make a difference)
• How you might be ignoring symptoms that indicate underfueling, and instead putting them down to family genetics or personality.
• Do you love to watch the food channel? That might be a big indicator for you that something needs to change.
• An experiment you can try to see how you feel eating more food (without committing to anything).
• How to balance eating enough to fuel your body with trying to reach a racing weight where you can run fast.
• Why your body will find its natural weight if you are eating enough (and yes, your hunger will go down once you get there!).

 

Inspirational Quotes

There are so many people who miss out on this opportunity to learn not so much what they should be doing, cause they know what they should be doing, but why it is that they are not eating what they should eat. It is more looking at what is going on behind the scenes.

Dietitians are the best kept secret.

The goal is to help you find peace with food, and help you to be the best runner that you can be.

If you aren't eating enough, your body works hard to maintain heat in the core, but your hands and feet  are always cold, and you think, "oh I have raynauds disease", well, it is amazing the amount of people who do not have raynauds disease, they are just undereating and when they eat more, their hands and feet don't get cold anymore.

Food should be one of life's pleasures, but when it is obsessive, it is because there is this undercurrent of hunger hunger hunger, I want more fuel, that is really driving that love of eating.

People don't inherently have a sweet tooth, but when they get too hungry, the body wants quick energy, it wants sugar, it wants sweets.

My clients that undereat love the summer because finally it is their chance to be warm and they don't mind running in the heat.

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. If you happen to be living in a larger body and you think that you don't look like a runner, look at your family and how do you look compared to the others...If you are leaner or far leaner and trying to get leaner yet, it might be that the costs of that is eating like a bird.

When people say, "I don't look like a runner", well, what does a dog look like? There are greyhounds, St Bernards, Chihuahua, Beagles, Labradors, English setters...they all come in different sizes and shapes. In the dog kingdom every dog is very proud of their genetics, and they would have no interest in looking like others...It is unfortunate that in the human kingdom, the runner kingdom, the person in the larger body would just love to be in the smaller body.

If you are from a solid background of husky people, you are never going to turn into a really petite person, without it having a high cost, and that cost is sanity and your health.

There is no truth to the lightest runner is the best runner. It is that the best runner is genetically gifted, well rested, well fueled, wisely trained. 

It is really important to let go and trust. Trust that your body is not going to suddenly get fat on you.

People that have a complicated relationship with food, they like to control it. They like to control their food, and their portions, and their appetite, and their exercise. They control everything very tightly. To let go, and follow the body cues, there is a lot of fear.

Eating should be a timeline, and you get a food bucket every four hours.

There are not good food and bad foods, there is a balanced diet and unbalanced diet...you don't have to have a perfect diet to have an excellent diet. I know plenty of people who have a perfect diet, but it is very unbalanced.

There is too much emphasis on everything being healthy, instead lets focus on being balanced.

Resources Mentioned

• Last week's episode with Danny Dreyer
• Nancy's website
• Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook
• Nancy Clark's Food Guide for Marathoners
• Scan DPG (to find a RD near you)

Thanks to VI for sponsoring this podcast, check out GetVi.com/Running4Real to enter to win a FREE VI

Danny Dreyer has been working with runners on their running technique since the late 90s through ChiRunning. He has helped hundreds of thousands of runners to feel more relaxed and actually enjoy running (yes, it is possible) by bringing together tai chi and martial arts.

Danny has been working with runners since the time that teaching people how to run was completely unheard of, but he realized the importance of keeping posture straight and supported, and how we can actually do functional core work to support our body as it runs…rather than just sit ups and crunches!

Chi running teaches runners how to run with a forward lean, rather than just folding at the hips, and the impact it will have on your running will be huge.

Yes, it is possible to run efficiently, relaxed, and comfortably, no matter what level, speed, size or ability you are, and Danny is here to teach us how.

This episode is for you if you feel like your running technique or your running form is not what it should be, if running just feels uncomfortable for you, and you are ready to make a change.

Today’s Guests

Danny Dreyer

Co-founder of Chi Running and Chi Walking, a revolutionary forms of moving that blend the subtle inner focuses of T’ai Chi with running and walking. His work is based on his study of T’ai Chi with Master Zhu Xilin and internationally renowned Master George Xu, and his 35 years of experience, running, racing ultra marathons and coaching people in “intelligent movement.” He has taught thousands of people the ChiRunning and ChiWalking techniques with profound results.

What You Will Learn About

* Why paying attention to and changing how you move, particularly through running, can eliminate injuries.

* One simple thing all the best runners in the world (especially the Kenyan runners) do to make themselves be able to run fast.

* If running doesn’t feel good or comfortable, what you need to do to change this.

* The biggest difference between elite runners and recreational runners, and why not every elite is running to their potential as their form is bad too!

* Why body sense is the biggest skill anyone can learn, and how it will change your life forever.

* Why it is critical to know your race course long before the race to prepare your body for that moment.

Listen to the Running for Real Podcast

Dannys #R4RPowerPose

Inspirational Quotes

There is really something between building a connection between these two well established sports (Tai Chi and Running).

Nobody had ever taught anyone how to run when I came out with this.

Running doesn’t hurt your body, it’s the way you run that hurts your body.

The more balanced you are as you land, the more smoothly you move across the earth and the less impact you create.

If your core is strong that alignment stays in tact the whole time you are moving through your support stance.

When you fall, the difference in workload to your legs is that when you can run in a controlled fall, all you have to do is exert the right amount of energy to pick up your feet. If you are vertical, you have to exert the energy to push your entire body forward. 

Once you learn to move your body in a way that doesn’t feel uncomfortable, you can go out all day if you feel like it.

The elites that do the best are the ones who follow the rules, and it’s not about power. It is about their ability to relax more.

Resources Mentioned

* Last week’s episode with Mark Cucuzzella and Josh Emdur 

* Chi Running website

* Chi Runnin...

Danny Dreyer has been working with runners on their running technique since the late 90s through ChiRunning. He has helped hundreds of thousands of runners to feel more relaxed and actually enjoy running (yes, it is possible) by bringing together tai chi and martial arts.

Danny has been working with runners since the time that teaching people how to run was completely unheard of, but he realized the importance of keeping posture straight and supported, and how we can actually do functional core work to support our body as it runs...rather than just sit ups and crunches!

Chi running teaches runners how to run with a forward lean, rather than just folding at the hips, and the impact it will have on your running will be huge.

Yes, it is possibly to run efficiently, relaxed, and comfortably, no matter what level, speed, size or ability you are, and Danny is here to teach us how.

This episode is for you if you feel like your running technique or your running form is not what it should be, if running just feels uncomfortable for you, and you are ready to make a change.

Today's Guests

Danny Dreyer

Co-founder of Chi Running and Chi Walking, a revolutionary forms of moving that blend the subtle inner focuses of T'ai Chi with running and walking. His work is based on his study of T'ai Chi with Master Zhu Xilin and internationally renowned Master George Xu, and his 35 years of experience, running, racing ultra marathons and coaching people in “intelligent movement." He has taught thousands of people the ChiRunning and ChiWalking techniques with profound results.

What You Will Learn About

• Why paying attention to and changing how you move, particularly through running, can eliminate injuries.
• One simple thing all the best runners in the world (especially the Kenyan runners) do to make themselves be able to run fast.
• If running doesn't feel good or comfortable, what you need to do to change this.
• The biggest difference between elite runners and recreational runners, and why not every elite is running to their potential as their form is bad too!
• Why body sense is the biggest skill anyone can learn, and how it will change your life forever.
• Why it is critical to know your race course long before the race to prepare your body for that moment.

Inspirational Quotes

There is really something between building a connection between these two well established sports (Tai Chi and Running).

Nobody had ever taught anyone how to run when I came out with this.

Running doesn't hurt your body, it's the way you run that hurts your body.

The more balanced you are as you land, the more smoothly you move across the earth and the less impact you create.

If your core is strong that alignment stays in tact the whole time you are moving through your support stance.

When you fall, the difference in workload to your legs is that when you can run in a controlled fall, all you have to do is exert the right amount of energy to pick up your feet. If you are vertical, you have to exert the energy to push your entire body forward. 

Once you learn to move your body in a way that doesn't feel uncomfortable, you can go out all day if you feel like it.

The elites that do the best are the ones who follow the rules, and it's not about power. It is about their ability to relax more.

Resources Mentioned

• Last week's episode with Mark Cucuzzella and Josh Emdur 
• Chi Running website
• Chi Running workshops
• Chi Running School (Danny's recommendation if you don't live near workshops, one new thing per week)
• Chi Running Book
• Chi Marathon Book
• Chi Walking Book

Thanks to Generation UCAN for sponsoring this podcast, you can get 15% off your order by visiting this link and using code RUNNING4REAL.

As much as we try to navigate our way around Dr. Google and his suggestions for our troubles as runners, we all know deep in our hearts that the best way to deal with an injury or frustration is to go speak to a medical professional.

But it can be hard to find someone you trust without spending thousands trying to find someone who won’t just say, “stop running”. That is why I brought Dr. Mark Cucuzzella and Dr. Josh Emdur on today as they are working on something radical that could change the way we as runners are treated for our running injuries. Steady MD is something that I believe a LOT of you will benefit greatly from.

Mark, Josh and I discuss running in its basic form, the peace it brings us, and why even if you have a very busy life, where it feels like you don’t even have a minute to yourself, you need to find time to get yourself in a healthy place, or there is no way you can help those you love. If Dr Josh and Dr Mark can manage it, we all definitely can!

We discuss the problems in the health industry today, and the frustration as runners we feel when we can’t even get our doctors to get back to us within 24 hours, let alone the immediate response we hope for…when we have a pain, but a big race is coming, we need help NOW.

We dive deep into the culture we live in, and what we can do if we are frustrated with the communities we live in. You have to be the role model and the one to begin that change towards health. Mark and Josh give great advice how.

Finally, we talk about female bodies, and what body fat a woman needs to be able to sustain a healthy pregnancy, and how we can overcome the mismatch with what our culture portrays as the perfect weight.

If we do not do something, the girls growing up in our world will believe that an unhealthily lean body type is what they have to strive towards, but it needs to be changed.

This episode is for you if you are passionate about health and those you love being in a place where they can live a long and happy life. Or if you are frustrated with injuries and the medical system never really giving you any help or control over the situation.

Today’s Guests

Dr. Mark Cucuzzella and Dr. Josh Emdur

Dr Mark Cucuzzella is one of the leaders of the health industry for his work in the state of West Virginia. Mark a family medicine physican with an extensive background in treating health diseases. Mark is the executive director of Two Rivers Treads Running Store, and race director for the Freedom Run.

Dr Josh Emdur is a family physician with extensive expertise in the non-surgical treatment of adult disorders, including the treatment of severe life-threatening illnesses. Josh is now the lead physician working for SteadyMD Running; an online platform to work one on one with a health professional who cares about you as a runner.

What You Will Learn About

* Why waking up early to get your run in is like being a member of a secret club and the stillness is so good for us.

* Is trail or road running more likely to give you an injury? Should we all do trail running or just for runners doing trail races?

* Why SteadyMD is partnering runners from all over the world with a physician who actually understands runners and can help you with your running injury questions at any time you need.

* Fructose and the damage is is doing to our bodies, what we can do in our communities to reverse or limit the damage on our loved ones.

* Why it is so important to cook and eat dinner as a family…even if that means you eat later at night.

* Why women lose their menstrual cycles, and how to know if you need to do something about it.

Listen to the Running for Real Podcast

Mark and Josh’ #R4RPowerPose

Mark would like you to watch this vide...