No athlete goes it alone, but who do you actually need on your team in order to find success as an athlete?  In this episode, we talk about the four different support systems, or buckets, that need to be filled in order to thrive in sport (and in life).  The four buckets:

• Mental/motivational
• Educational/Consulting
• Responsibilities
• Coaching 

And at the end, Angela suggests an acitivity to do to see where you might need more support and where you can help to give others support.  Have a listen! 

Also sign up for our 250 mile challenge this May and support the podcast!

https://runsignup.com/Race/MA/Brewster/250miles?mc_cid=f4739987c5&mc_eid=1758eac39c

The 128th Boston Marathon is done and dusted!  It was a gorgeous day on the course for spectators, which means the heat posed a bit of a challenge for the runners out there.  In this episode, we talk to Veronique Ranger, Seamus Woods, Pedro Gomes about their builds to Boston and their experience on race day.  Three different athletes, three different builds, and three different race approaches. And one banana. Have a listen!

250 mile Challenge:

 https://runsignup.com/Race/MA/Brewster/250miles?mc_cid=f4739987c5&mc_eid=1758eac39c

We are big fans of "controlling the controllables" when racing, and this episode is dedicated to one of the biggest things we athletes cannot control on race day: the weather.  Although we like to *think* we can control the forecast by checking it often in the week leading up to the race (surely it has changed from 20 minutes ago?), the truth is that we must accept and adapt to whatever conditions we get on race day.  In this episode, we talk about how to prepare pre-race for certain weather conditions and then how to race strong and smart when Mother Nature does not give us "perfect" race conditions.  Bonus material in this episode is that Angela shares some of her best hacks and MacGyver tips. :) 

It’s time for a reality check.  For most of us, our base season might be coming to a close and many of us are building to our first race of the season. You've got to put in the work and put in the time.  And if you want to reach the goals you have set, you need to remember that it's not going to come to you.  Topics covered:

• How to find the time and motivation
• Change the plan/ change the goal
• So you want to make a smoothie
• Juggling responsibilities  
• Getting underneath the missing workouts 
• Why you are demotivated
• The fueling and sleep connection
• Commit to the whole goal
• Solutions! How to give yourself a kick in the butt
• It’s not all or nothing 
• Revisting the smoothie 

Injuries happen to most athletes. And when injured, it's not just the physical recovery that can be challenging, but also the mental load of navigating that injury can be just as difficult.  Authors Cindy Kuzma and Carrie Jackson have created one of the best resources for helping athletes bounce back from injury with their book "Rebound," and their online group and podcast entitled, "The Injured Atheltes Club."   In this episode, we talk about their own experiences with injuries, how they came up with their famous tagline "Recovery is Now Your Sport," as well as review mental skills and tools to help guide you from injury to a comeback.  Have a listen!

https://injuredathletesclub.com

It's not always the fittest person who gets to the finish line first.  All the fitness in the world doesn't matter if you don't know how to use it in a race.  So in this episode, we talk about how and when to race with your head, and how and when to race with your heart. Spoiler alert: the best performances come when you can successfully tap into both sides of your athlete persona.  However, there are situations when you need to race more with your analytical brain and when you need to race more with your intuition and gut. Have a listen and get ready to have your best races this season! 

How much data is too much data?  When does technology help you perform better,  and when does it hold you back?  In this episode, we dive into training metrics. From CTL to TSS, from heart rate to power, from Strava to Training Peaks, we try to help you differentiate between the positives and negatives of  big data.  Have a listen! 

Most people know Dave McGillivray as the Boston Marathon Race Director (since the late 1908s), but did you know he raced the Ironman World Championships 9 times, or that he completed the World Marathon Challenge at age 63 a few years ago, running 7 marathons in 7 days on 7 continents?  He also is inducted into 7 Hall of Fames, created the Dave McGillivray Finish Strong Foundation, and yes... he famously runs the Boston Marathon every year once the marathon is over on Marathon Monday. His accomplishments and charity work are so impressive. In this episode, we talk all things Boston, but we also talk about his triathlon days as an athlete and a race director.  And there are a couple of SURPRISE announcements in here that involve Kona and the Boston Marathon, so have a listen! 

https://www.davemcgillivrayfoundation.org

Our very knowledgeable friend and teammate, Christine Saleeba, is back to answer more questions about injury, recovery, and everything in between!  Topics covered in this episode:

• Bone vs soft tissue injuries- how do you know?
• Upstream/downstream pain
• Mobility- Do I stretch? Do I strengthen?
• What to do when PT isn’t working?
• What kind of discomfort can I train through?
• 5 things that someone could do at home to test for good functional strength and mobility 
• When do you need surgery?
• Massage / relaxation techniques and effectiveness 
• Rapid fire round! 

We go a bit "lighter" in today's episode with some "mythbusting" about pro triathletes.  How much money do pros really make from sponsorships and prize money?  What's happening at their pro race briefings before races?  How many hours a week do they train, for real? Do they like sharing the course with age groupers?  Real talk, real answers... fact or fiction: pro triathlete edition! Have a listen!