Sweat Elite Podcast

Timo Limo is a professional Kenyan distance runner and coach – specialising in technique, strength work and core stability for runners. He is one of the most well respected Kenyan athletes/coaches in Iten and assists elite athletes such as Mary Kietany and Abel Kirui with strength work, core stability and technique. He’s also run some fast times over 800m through 10km.

Sweat Elite Founder Matt Fox is joined by British distance runner Bill Day – interviewing Timo Limo in this podcast episode, live from Iten (Kenya). Timo Limo speaks about:

– The benefits of growing up and living in Iten.
– The typical diet for a Kenyan athlete.
– His running training camps in Italy.
– His YouTube channel featuring many of his technique exercises.
– His point of view on why Kenyans are so dominant in distance running.
– The importance of technique and strength work for runners of all abilities (amateurs through to elites).
– The importance of listening to your body in training / being careful with GPS watches feeding data.
– The influence of european coaches (Colm O’Connell, Renato Canova) on Kenyan distance running.

Timo Limo can be found on Instagram: @timolimo800

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Betsy Saina is an elite Kenyan distance runner with personal bests of 30:07 for 10,000m, 67:49 for the Half Marathon and 2:22:43 for the Marathon. She placed 5th (not 6th as stated in the Podcast Intro) at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in the 10,000m, won the Paris Marathon in 2018 and before these two achievements - attended Iowa State University where she arrived a 9:58 3km runner and departed the NCAA champion over 5000m, 10,000m and Cross Country. She has been coached by world famous coach Renato Canova for the past few years.

We recorded this podcast episode live from Iten, Kenya. In the episode, Saina talks about:

– Attending Iowa State University.
– Arriving at Iowa State University a 9:58 3km runner, almost losing her scholarship in Freshman year and eventually winning NCAA champs over 3 distances.
– Winning Paris Marathon.
– Pulling out of Chicago Marathon last year due to food poisoning and a week later, running 2:22:43 (her Marathon personal best) at Toronto Marathon.
– Training with Renato Canova including some of her toughest training sessions.
– Some differences between training in the USA and Kenya.

More on Betsy Saina’s training: www.sweatelite.co/kenyan-elite-training-series-betsy-saina/

Betsy Saina is best followed on Instagram: @sainabetsy

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At the age of 8, Philipp Pflieger told his parents that he would run at the Olympic Games one day after watching Haile Gebrselassie and Paul Tergat battle it out in the home straight of the 10,000m at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. His parents laughed at him. In the following two decades Pflieger endured growth problems in his knees which sidelined him through most of his high school years, multiple stress fractures and surgeries in his early-mid 20’s and was told by several doctors that he wouldn’t run again. Cross training alone at the age of 25, Pflieger considered hanging up the racing shoes. Inspired by his best friend, Pflieger rolled the dice one more time and stepped up to the Marathon distance. Despite not finishing his first attempt at the Marathon, Pflieger managed to clock a 2:12:50 on his second attempt at the 2015 Berlin Marathon and qualify for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in the process. 

We recorded this podcast episode live from Iten, Kenya. In the episode, Pflieger talks about:

– how and why he stayed true to his childhood dream.
– his book Laufen am Limit.
– some of his training.
– his short term and long term goals.
– not finishing his first Marathon experience.
– running 2:12:50 at Berlin Marathon 2015.
– his Rio 2016 Olympics experience.
– collapsing at 39km in the Berlin Marathon 2017.
– altitude training camps in Kenya (pro’s and con’s).
– pace/effort of easy runs.
– long runs (30km+) in the final month preparing for a key Marathon.
– his typical taper (last 2 weeks before a Marathon).
– injury prevention.
– mental training.

Philipp Pflieger is best followed on Instagram: @philipp.pflieger

https://www.sweatelite.co/renato-canova-philosophy-part-2/

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This podcast episode features a conversation with Thomas Potzinger – assistant coach to Renato Canova. Renato Canova is one of the most successful elite distance running coaches in the world. He has coached more sub 2:05 male and sub 2:22 female marathoners than any other coach in the world. Thomas Potzinger (interviewee) has worked closely with Renato Canova in Kenya for many years and has learned the ins and out of his training philosophy. In this podcast episode we discuss Renato Canova’s training philosophy in detail.

Potzinger shares the story of how he met Canova, Canvoa's training princples, the training of Sondre Moen (Norweigan 2:05 Marathoner coached by Canova), how short hill sprints can be beneficial for long distance runners, measuring data and more.

Articles mentioned in this podcast episode:

Eliud Kipchoge’s Training Diary

Eliud Kipchoge’s Training Group: Training Structure and Attitude

Renato Canova – Training Philosophy Summarised (Part 1)

Renato Canova – Training Philosophy Summarised (Part 2)

Thomas Potzinger can be found on Instagram: @thomas_run_kenya

SUBSCRIBE to Sweat Elite to learn much more about elite distance running: www.sweatelite.co/subscribe-now.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States of America is the strongest university sports system in the world. Hundreds of elite junior runners from outside the USA sign contracts with American colleges each year to compete in the NCAA. South African George Kusche recently made the move to the University of Nebraska.

George Kusche is a South African 3:58 miler and 1:47 800m runner and is now studying at and competing for the University of Nebraska. In this podcast episode George shares details of his experience at the University of Nebraska, debunks some myths about the experience and shares advice to those interested in joining a University in the NCAA.

George can be found on Instagram: @kuschegeorge

SUBSCRIBE to Sweat Elite to learn much more about elite distance running: www.sweatelite.co/subscribe-now.

[Preview] The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States of America is the strongest university sports system in the world. Hundreds of elite junior runners from outside the USA sign contracts with American colleges each year to compete in the NCAA. South African George Kusche recently made the move to the University of Nebraska.

George Kusche is a South African 3:58 miler and 1:47 800m runner and is now studying at and competing for the University of Nebraska. In this podcast episode George shares details of his experience at the University of Nebraska, debunks some myths about the experience and shares advice to those interested in joining a University in the NCAA.

George can be found on Instagram (@kuschegeorge).

A huge thanks to our subscribers who opt to access the full versions of these podcasts. You help keep Sweat Elite going!

[This is a preview. You can find the full episode at our website under the “Podcast” tab.]

Freddy Ovett (son of legendary mid distance runner Steve) joins the Sweat Elite podcast again – this time to discuss Elite Distance Running in 2020 – the male events. Will Bekele race Kipchoge over the Marathon? Will Kamworor join the match up? Who will be in contention for the 800m, 1500m, 5,000m and 10,000m at the Tokyo Olympic Games and will Bekele, Kipchoge or Kamworor face each other in Japan? Which World Record(s) may be broken? All of these questions are discussed in this podcast episode with Freddy Ovett. Freddy can be found on Instagram: @freddyovett

Links to the articles mentioned in the show notes:

Ingebrigtsen Brothers – Key Training Sessions

Training Insights From Norwegian Long Distance Runners: Ingebritsen brothers, Sondre Moen, Marius Bakken, Ingrid Kristiansen.

The Making of Joshua Cheptegei and Training Insights of the Ugandan Team (Part 1)

The Making of Joshua Cheptegei and Training Insights of the Ugandan Team (Part 2)

If these article links don’t work in your podcast player, visit the Sweat Elite website and find them in the Articles section in the Menu.

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The son of legendary distance runner Steve Ovett joins the Sweat Elite podcast today – Freddy Ovett followed in his dads footsteps as a junior middle distance champion but after a persistent injury in his late teens, he was lead to Cycling and hasn’t looked back. Freddy is based in Girona, Spain and trains on the bike full time. In this podcast episode, Freddy shares what it was like training under Steve as a junior, the change to Cycling and plenty of stories about Steve from back in his prime. Freddy is also a big advocate of old school training methods (limiting data tracking) and talks in detail about this.

Freddy can be found on Instagram: @freddyovett

SUBSCRIBE to Sweat Elite to learn much more about elite distance running: www.sweatelite.co/subscribe-now.

[Preview] The son of legendary distance runner Steve Ovett joins the Sweat Elite podcast today – Freddy Ovett followed in his dads footsteps as a junior middle distance champion but after a persistent injury in his late teens, he was lead to Cycling and hasn’t looked back. Freddy is based in Girona, Spain and trains on the bike full time. In this podcast episode, Freddy shares what it was like training under Steve as a junior, the change to Cycling and plenty of stories about Steve from back in his prime. Freddy is also a big advocate of old school training methods (limiting data usage) and talks at length about this.

We recorded a second podcast episode with Freddy Ovett all about “Elite Distance Running in 2020” which will be published the day after this one.

Freddy can be found on Instagram (@freddyovett).

A huge thanks to our subscribers who opt to access the full versions of these podcasts. You help keep Sweat Elite going!

[This is a preview. You can find the full episode at our website under the “Podcast” tab.]

Brian Livingston – a seasoned Marathon runner and elite coach joins the Sweat Elite podcast this week to discuss Marathon specific training, old school training methods focused on “running with spirit” and working at Nike for 13 years. Brian has personal best times of 29:31 for the 10km, 1:06:26 for the Half Marathon and 2:21 for the Marathon. He is an elite/sub-elite coach for Berlin Track Club (and freelance), is full of training wisdom and shares plenty of it on this podcast episode.

Brian can be found on Instagram: @blivin

SUBSCRIBE to Sweat Elite to learn much more about elite distance running: www.sweatelite.co/subscribe-now.