Sunday Dinner

This week on Sunday Dinner, we’re joined by two generations of Madison West cross country coaches: Tom Kauffman and Caleb Wilson.

A good coach can build a winning team. A great coach can build a community.

That’s what TK showed both Caleb and me when we ran for him, and now we get to hear Caleb’s perspective as the new head coach at Madison West. This conversation is full of nostalgia for me, but it was also fascinating to reflect on how much the landscape of high school running has changed over the past decade.

We discuss how coaches are navigating the evolving world of running technology, training methods, and information sharing, while staying grounded in the principles that matter most. For both TK and Caleb, it always comes back to the same goal: creating a community of lifelong runners.

I’m grateful for what these two are doing for the sport and for the thousands of athletes they’ve taught that “You can’t get there without getting there.”

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Music written and recorded by Tim Gibson

This week on Sunday Dinner we talk about sodium bicarbonate. It seems like everyone's trying it, and at many different disciplines from the 400 to the marathon. But what is it best for? How do you use it? Why should you use it? We explore how it works, what the research suggests are the best use cases and my own personal experiences. Despite its recent popularity there is almost 100 years of science exploring this supplement and more ways to use it rather than just a pre-packaged, pre-dosed system. I learned something new and I hope you do too, enjoy!

Grgic, J., Pedisic, Z., Saunders, B. et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: sodium bicarbonate and exercise performance. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 18, 61 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-021-00458-w

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Music written and recorded by Tim Gibson

This week on Sunday Dinner we are joined by Adrian Wildschutt. Adrian takes us through his amazing running career so far. From getting dragged to his first cross country practice by his older brother Nadeel to the Olympic 10k final Adrian's humility and humor are on full display! In this episode he talks about his gratitude for his parents, his disastrous Jimmy Johns experience and his recent foray onto the roads. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did!

Look out for Adrian's book Change of Pace coming this October!

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Music written and recorded by Tim Gibson

This Week on Sunday Dinner we talk more about biking. This time with more specifics on how you could substitute cycling for different types of running workouts. We cover aerobic rides, long and short interval work and active recovery. Hope you enjoy!

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Music written and recorded by Tim Gibson

This week on Sunday Dinner we talk about some recent races and the ensuing drama! Starting with my dad's 106 mile bike race where he cuts down a 7 minute lead for the win (in his old age group). We discuss the wrong turn at the USATF Half Marathon Championships and dig into the rulebook regarding the disqualification in the NCAA Indoor 3000m. Certainly not what anyone wanted but lots to talk about, hope you enjoy!

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Music written and recorded by Tim Gibson

This week on Sunday Dinner we talk biking! In a true Hacker Sunday dinner it would be pretty easy to get someone talking about their various bike components. Luckily or unluckily, depending who you are, that is not what we cover. Instead we see what science has to say about using cycling as a cross training tool for running. Past it being generally a good way to improve aerobic capacity we bring up more questions than answers. We get into specifics of the physiological differences between running and cycling and consider what implications those could have on a cross training athlete. I learned a lot and hope to apply it to my own training as soon as possible. Hope you enjoy!

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Music written and recorded by Tim Gibson

This week on Sunday Dinner, we're joined by my teammates Paige Wood and Florence Caron. The new training duo talks about their shared goals and how their complementary strengths will help one another. They share insights on building an effective partnership, the challenges of altitude training, and lessons learned from their coaches over the years. Though their running backgrounds differ, both bring deep joy to the sport—and they’ll be a fun duo to watch on the circuit.

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Music written and recorded by Tim Gibson

This week on Sunday Dinner, we talk injury. I explain about what's going on with my foot, and how I figured out what's going on with my foot. My dad takes us through the healing process of a torn plantar and a surgerized plantar in a way only a nerdy scientist would. I take a moment to complain about my sewer issues and we close with a discussion about the mental side of injury and identity in sport.

Every runner is going to get injured at some point, so you have to figure out what to do about it. Mostly, you just have to let it heal (which is surprisingly hard). Hope you enjoy!

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Music written and recorded by Tim Gibson

This week on Sunday Dinner we discuss the intricacies of altitude training for elite endurance athletes. We review a paper that explores periodization of altitude training, focusing on the benefits of multiple periodized exposures, optimal timing for race performance, and the importance of monitoring adaptation and stress responses. We find that although individual differences must be considered the science supports cycles of altitude and sea level training blocks. I learned a lot and hope you enjoy!

Contemporary Periodization of Altitude Training for Elite Endurance Athletes: A Narrative Review

Iñigo Mujika, Avish P. Sharma, Trent Stellingwerff

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Music written and recorded by Tim Gibson

This week on Sunday Dinner, we’re joined by my teammates Ahmed Muhumed and Wesley Banguria Kiptoo who are fresh off the World Cross Country Championships. We start by breaking down their qualifying at the U.S. Championships. They share what it was like competing on the world stage and reflect on representing the USA as immigrants. From elite racing to identity, pressure, and pride—this one goes deep.

Also… let’s add cross country to the Winter Olympics already.

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Music written and recorded by Tim Gibson