Have you ever had a big goal race go SO CATASTROPHICALLY SIDEWAYS that you're plummeted into an existential crisis afterwards? Yeah, us too! In this episode with Dr. Victoria Sekely (@trainsmartunstrong) we discuss the pressure of setting goals, the impact of race disappointments, and the influence of others' opinions. PLUS, we talk about the challenges faced by women in running and the importance of living with uncertainty and being able to pivot. The conversation includes personal experiences, such as training for and racing the New York City Marathon, and going out too fast in races!

KEY HIGHLIGHTS!

04:45 The Impact of Race Disappointments

06:37 Vicky's Experience of Training for and Racing the New York City Marathon

20:51 Navigating Expectations and Perfectionism

45:12 Dealing with Shame and Self-Worth

55:00 Trusting Yourself in Races

01:05:13 Redefining Goals and Expectations

01:07:15 Approaching Future Goals with Awareness

01:12:08 Accepting Imperfection and Progress

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FOOTSTRIKE is often a hot topic among runners... but should it be? Does where you land matter? If so, WHY? Physical therapist & founder of Learn2Run Dr. Matt Minard, PT, DPT, OCS, CMTPT, CSCS, Cert. MDT, returns to the show for a deep dive into all things foostrike!

-What is footstrike?

-What footstrike can and can't tell you

-Why you might be thinking about footstrike all wrong

-Heel striking vs midfoot or forefoot striking

-Footstrike form cues: helpful or harmful?

-What about sprinters?

-Footstrike on different terrain

-AND more!

WATCH: "Reverse Engineering Foot Strike- Why & When the HEEL is King" on the Learn2Run YouTube channel!

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Relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S) describes a syndrome of poor health and declining athletic performance that happens when athletes do not get enough fuel through food to support the energy demands of their daily lives and training. RED-S can and does affect athletes of any gender and ability level. Melissa Lodge, PhD(c) is an elite runner and researcher studying RED-S in endurance athletes, and she joins the show to talk about RED-S and her work!

Welcome to 2024! In this first episode of the year, Coach Elisabeth breaks down what makes an "elite" runner elite: their genetics, training, and more!

-What is "elite"? A tiered framework for understanding athletic performance

-Genetic predispositions: maybe they're born with it!

-Why it's not just about good genes

-The training: how much? What type?

-And more!

Are you derailed by performance anxiety? Are you pinning your self-worth & whether your training cycle was "worth it" on if you PR'd or not? Dr. Leah Avery, DPT, joins the show today to talk about her experience in healing from debilitating performance anxiety and her relationship with athletic performance. Leah was a D1 All-American swimmer and competed at the Olympic Trials, but her relationship with sport and performance was anything but healthy; when she started running during her graduate work, she found herself stuck in a cycle of performance anxiety that culminated in panic attacks during not one, but two, different marathons. Determined to make a change in her relationship with performance, sport, and running, Leah has spent the past few years intentionally freeing herself from the expectations of performing in a certain way and re-finding her love of running and sport!

Taking objective stock of your training cycle - what did you attempt to do, what actually happened, and how did it feel - can be an incredibly useful exercise so that you can learn what worked, what didn't... and ID any mistakes that were made! Coach Elisabeth walks you through training cycle analysis in this episode that will encourage you to...

1) Objectively look at what you set out to do vs what actually happened

2) Identify patterns & learn lessons

3) Understand what is and is outside of your control

and 4) Take those lessons in your next training cycle!

Coach Elisabeth Scott is the Founder and Head Coach at Running Explained. She is a multi-certified run coach, Boston Qualified marathoner, and seeker of both truth and compassion in helping YOU become the best runner you can be!

Can you get FASTER by running LESS?? This is NOT your clickbaity "smash a marathon PR by only doing 3 runs a week"-style low volume training; coach and elite mountain runner Kim Nedeau is here to talk about how to excel as an endurance runner in a low run volume/high training volume framework.

-What is "low run volume/high training volume" training?

-Who this training framework is best for

-Manipulating training intensity distribution with lower running volume and higher cross-training volume

-"But isn't more mileage always better?"

-How is this framework different from multisport, i.e. triathlon, training?

-Ways to configure a training week in this framework

-How we're seeing more competitive and elite runners excel on lower run volume with high training volume

-and more!

Is there anything worse than needing an emergency bathroom stop on a run... except for needing TWO? What about when our poor gut health interferes with our ability to absorb important micronutrients or tolerate the fuel we need to power our long runs and races? Sports dietitian Kylee Van Horn, RD (@flynutrition3) is here to talk all about gut health for runners! Including...

What IS "good gut health" in general and how can we support it?

Our gut microbiome

Can changes in our gut health signal when our training balance is appropriate vs inappropriate?

How does "nutritional training" work to help us handle more fuel & fluids?

Signs your gut health isn't great (& what to do)

And more!

Post-race recovery starts AS SOON AS YOU CROSS THE FINISH LINE! What do you need to do to set yourself up for post-race recovery success?

-The very first things to focus on after crossing the finish line

-Refueling and hydrating in the hours after your race

-Muscle glycogen depletion and resynthesis

-WHY racing is so stressful on your body

-How much time do you really need to take off after a race?

-Why does it feel like I've lost SO much fitness??

-And more!

Coach Elisabeth is the founder and head coach at Running Explained. She is a multi-certified run coach, has been featured in the New York Times, and works with runners around the globe to help them understand the science behind endurance running in order to become the best runners they can be!