The Running for Real Podcast

How to be a Positive Runner When You Don’t Seem to be Improving

PR.

Perhaps the most commonly used jargon in the running world. In a sport that is largely about competing with yourself, a personal record can mean everything. Hours of pain, sweat, and tears can seem to mean nothing if you don’t believe you are improving. For many runners, coming in even a second earlier is the difference between elation and depression. What is it that makes us feel so deeply about certain numbers? Should we allow ourselves to have such strong emotions about something that is physiologically insignificant?

If there’s one person that is qualified to speak on this subject, it’s Sarah Crouch. Since the age of 14, Sarah was an elite runner. For 11 years straight, she set a personal record. Whether it was a 10k, a half marathon, or a full marathon, she had a race time she could celebrate, and a hunger to improve. However, around the age of 25 her luck seemed to run out. For the next four years, Sarah could not beat her past self. It wasn’t until she was faced with increased uncertainty that she found what she was looking for.

What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Grateful

Tumor.

A word that Sarah has become familiar with. This year, Sarah was told she had a tumor in her calf. The size and depth were enough for the doctors to warn her that she may not be able to competitively run after removing it. Before the surgery, Sarah took some advice to go for a run in a beautiful place and reflect on her running career. As she ran, she let the feeling of possibly never running again sink in. “Letting that feeling hit you like a Mac truck rather than hiding from it, can actually be a really valuable experience,” says Sarah.

Facing difficulty head on is an effective way to grow. Once you have allowed yourself to think through one difficult thing, new fears are easier to overcome. “Being afraid, and letting that fear affect your behavior are two completely different things,” says Sarah.

Just a few weeks after surgery, with the bandage from the stitches still intact, Sarah lined up to run the Chicago Marathon. Although typically anxious and nervous prior to a race, this time Sarah only felt grateful.

Allowing yourself to think what life would be like without running can be the key to enjoying it more fully. It doesn’t take a catastrophe to know what you are lucky to have.

Embracing Adversity

After four years of training without a time improvement, Sarah learned how to combat negativity. Many psychologist experts agree that 70 percent of self-talk is negative. When you add in the pain the body goes through as you run, that number increases in an attempt to get you to slow down. Sarah compares this negative self-talk to a radio that is constantly playing in the background. Instead of listening to the radio, she creates her own sounds to listen to—a personal drum kit. “It’s about recognizing the voice and understanding that it doesn’t control you,” Sarah says. “You actually have the ability to consciously choose to listen to [another] sound that your brain is producing.”

Become familiar with the fears and negativity that your brain naturally produces. Once you realize you can control them, their existence alone won’t have any power over you. In fact, you can even use them to your advantage. When the negativity radio comes on, let it be a que to start pounding on your air drums.

Preparation: Negativity’s Worst Nightmare

What about when the negativity is coming from outside sources?

Even when you have mastered the self-talk dilemma, other people’s talk may bring you down. Prior to the Chicago Marathon there was a lot of talk about which American was going to come in first. Although Sarah had been a top-ten American in several recent races, she was not invited to the prerace press conference. She also overheard other runners talking about their lofty goals and the records they wanted to beat.

Hearing all that noise could’ve made anyone feel down. Instead, Sarah kept reminding herself, “Well, they still have to run the race.”

She had run 4 previous Chicago Marathon’s and knew that her experience was going to mean a lot. Knowing this particular course, the times to push it and the places the crowd will pick you up, was crucial for Sarah. Her preparation, and her confidence in that preparation, made all the difference as she ran across the finish line as the first American. The “unexpected” first made it that much sweeter.

For the Love of Running

After four years, Sarah did PR again. However, she hardly uses a watch now. Her lifelong marathon goal is still to come in sub 2:30, but she admits that probably isn’t likely to happen until she stops focusing on the numbers. Luckily, she has an incredible amount of love for running. She will run as fast as she can, for as long as she can.

The takeaways? Run fast and run your pace. Don’t let a clock control you. Prepare. Face your fears and negative thoughts head on. LOVE running. Play your own drums. Be grateful. Celebrate your victories, and then let your hunger to improve start up once again.

Resources:

Last week's episode with Jeff Galloway

Tina4Real Podcast 

Running for Real Superstars Community

Support Tina through her Patreon Page

Buy a Running for Real T-shirt, Tank, or Hat

Sarah’s Website

Sarah’s Instagram

Sarah’s Twitter

Sarah’s Facebook

361 (Sarahs Sponsor)

 

Thank you to Bombas and Bodyhealth for sponsoring this episode of Running for Real.

I absolutely LOVE these Bombas Socks, and I think it is SO COOL that they donate a pair to a homeless shelter for every pair you purchase (socks are the number one requested item from homeless shelters, but they cannot accept used pairs). Use code running4real at Bombas.com/running4real and you can get 20% off your first order!

Now I am back to training, guess what was the first thing I did to start making sure I recover quicker (as coming back to fitness really beats your body up!), yep, you guessed it, BodyHealth Perfect Amino! Get 10% off at Bodyhealth.com using coupon code TINA10

 

Thanks for Listening! I hope you enjoyed today's episode.

To share your thoughts:

Leave a note in the comment section below.

Join the Running for Real Facebook Group and share your thoughts on the episode (or future guests you would like to hear from)

Share this show on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.

To help out the show:

Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews will really help me climb up the iTunes rankings and I promise, I read every single one.

Subscribe on iTunes or your favorite podcast player.

Not sure how to leave a review or subscribe, you can find out here.

Thank you to Sarah, I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the show.

What Does it Take to be an Elite Short-Distance Runner?

Every young athlete dreams of being the best at his or her game. Think back to your childhood days and envision yourself kicking a soccer ball in the backyard. Each tree is a suspect defender waiting for your signature juke. You can hear the crowd roar as you sprint past each victim and net the ball into the upper 90 with no time left. You whisper under your breath as the announcer in your head yells, “Goooooaaalll!” The game ends and you lie on the grass almost feeling yourself being lifted off the field by your teammates as the stadium chants your name.

Okay. Maybe this isn’t the exact scenario that played out in your head. But you’ve had a dream before too. Whatever it was, it was glorious to you. Dreaming is fun, and instantly rewarding. But do you have what it really takes to become a true elite athlete?

Enter Jake Wightman. Jake is a highly decorated short-distance runner who recently won the New Balance Fifth Avenue Mile in New York City. He also won gold at the 2013 European Junior Championships and has won bronze in both the Commonwealth Games and European Championships, all in the 1500-meter event. At the age of 24, Jake is just getting started. He is dedicated to his craft and reviewed with us what he has done to stay at the top of his game.

Putting in the Work: Physical Training

Once a dream becomes a goal, the real work begins. This can be both daunting and exciting. Jake’s success hasn’t happened on accident. He follows a rigorous training schedule, with concrete workouts every day of the week.

Here’s what a typical weekly workout looks like for Jake:

Monday:

Fast run. 8 miles at a 5:40 pace. Yoga in the evening.

Tuesday:

Hill runs. 15 reps of 75 second near-sprints up and a jog back down. Strength conditioning for 2 hours in the evening.

Wednesday:

“Easy run.” 8 miles (or two 5s) at a 6 min pace. Evening stretches and light workout of calves, hamstrings.

Thursday:

Another fast run. 5 miles at a 5:40 pace. Additional drills and sprints.

Friday:

Easy run or recovery day.

Saturday:

Time-based runs. Strength conditioning.

Sunday:

Long run. Up to 17 miles, but comfortable. A pace you can have a conversation at.

SO, if all you have written out for your daily workout is “Run,” you might want to take a page out of Jake’s book.

Depending on your distance of choice, the best type of training routine for you could be drastically different. While an elite marathon runner logs 100-120 miles a week, someone like Jake puts in 65-75 miles. Elite athletes train hard, but they also train smart. Make sure you are doing what is good for YOUR body and your type of competition.

Staying Mentally Tough

If you are reading this article, you probably already know that the majority of athletic success comes from mental toughness. Naturally gifted athletes with raw, physical abilities will not last long against persistent, mentally tough, run-of-the-mill competitors.

For Jake, it’s all about embracing the opportunity of a competition, staying positive, and remembering to be human. After you have committed to putting in the training time, every competition can be treated as a reward, a time to show what all that hard work has accomplished. For those that get nervous or anxious as the competition gets closer, Jake says, “You’ve got to remember the work you’ve put in…the race should just be the icing on the cake.”

Speaking of cake, another task of being a great athlete is remaining human. “Although it seems like [great runners] live the strictest lives possible, we’re also human,” says Jake. He goes on to say that runners at every level need to have moderation in everything. Never allowing yourself to cheat and have your favorite dessert or beer once in a while can be more damaging than helpful. Mental toughness is also about being realistic with yourself. Be dedicated, but make sure to enjoy life at the same time.

Maintaining a Positive Image

Have you thought about what changes when you actually become an elite athlete?

It’s probably mostly a waste of time to think about what you will do once you become a superstar athlete. (It’s like dreaming what you will do when you win the lottery.) You ought to focus on the day-to-day and what will get you there. However, there are a few things to consider once you finally “make it.”

As you climb the ladder of success, more and more eyes will be on you. Young athletes especially will begin to pattern their clothes, pre-competition routines, and attitudes after you. Jake Wightman gives back to the running community by volunteering at training camps and giving advice to those hopeful athletes that are hoping to break through. Remember that you are representing your sport, your city or country, and your friends and family. Being a “Pollyanna” isn’t a requirement when you start to get a little success, but remember, it’s bigger than just you.

If you are a hopeful athlete yourself, Jake gives some of his best advice to those that are determined to make their dreams a reality. “It’s just a game of being patient,” Jake says, “I guarantee if you stay with it and don’t do anything stupid or lose your head or lose your love for the sport, you will get the success you deserve from all the hard work you put in.”

So, what are you waiting for? Go out there and work hard, be patient, and never stop loving your sport and you too will find the success you deserve.

Resources:

Last week's episode with Jeff Galloway

Tina4Real Podcast 

Running for Real Superstars Community

Support Tina through her Patreon Page

Buy a Running for Real T-shirt, Tank, or Hat

Jake’s Twitter

Jake’s Instagram

New Balance

 

Thank you to Bombas and Bodyhealth for sponsoring this episode of Running for Real.

I absolutely LOVE these Bombas Socks, and I think it is SO COOL that they donate a pair to a homeless shelter for every pair you purchase (socks are the number one requested item from homeless shelters, but they cannot accept used pairs). Use code running4real at Bombas.com/running4real and you can get 20% off your first order!

 

Now I am back to training, guess what was the first thing I did to start making sure I recover quicker (as coming back to fitness really beats your body up!), yep, you guessed it, BodyHealth Perfect Amino! Get 10% off at Bodyhealth.com using coupon code TINA10

Every runner knows that walking during a run sort of feels like cheating. Runners only walk after they cross the finish line. Walking is often seen as a sign of weakness reserved for beginners, the injured and the defeated. After all, we call ourselves runners, not walkers. Right?

What should I do when I don't feel like running?...walk!

Consider this: Jeff Galloway, former Olympic runner and professional running coach, ran his fastest ever marathon at the age of 35 coming in at a cool 2:16. He is now 74 years young with hundreds of marathons behind him and plenty more ahead. He hasn’t dealt with a running injury in over 40 years and has coached over 1 million runners to feel as great about running as he does.

His secret to his success?

Walking.

After returning from the navy, Jeff was out of (running) shape and was attending graduate school at Florida State University. He started training with a goal to qualify for the Olympic trials and was quickly introduced to the heat and humidity of the Southeast. Without taking walk breaks Jeff would literally start to hallucinate during his runs.

He found that taking a one-minute walk break after each mile he ran dramatically increased his ability to train for the Olympics. He did qualify for the Olympics in 1972 and went on to run the 10,000-meter race in Munich representing the U.S. Several years later, he was asked to create a training program for beginning runners. He implemented the “Run Walk Run” theory that he used to train for the Olympics. However, he underestimated the effect he would have not only on beginning runners, but many advanced runners around the world.

Why walking is for everyone

Walking isn’t just for beginners or people getting back into running shape. Since Jeff began his “Run Walk Run” campaign, his team has done studies on how taking short walk breaks can improve runners of nearly all levels. They have found that someone who hasn’t previously used the “Run Walk Run” method improves their marathon time by an average of thirteen minutes when they incorporate walk breaks. Oh, and that PR Jeff set at the age of 35? Yep. He even took several walk breaks during his best marathon.

But how? Why?

For Jeff, it’s all about the mental game. When he takes walk breaks (which can last anywhere from 30 to 60 seconds) he is able to focus his mind on how he’s running. He does a quick check to make sure he isn’t slumped forward, his strides are landing correctly, and his overall form is flawless.

These short breaks have helped thousands of runners keep their energy up throughout long distance runs. Jeff also attributes his injury-free running career to this technique. Each break allows him time to refocus on race strategy, correct bad form, and give his legs a short break. Better form and less fatigue is the key to injury prevention. Short breaks from running make that possible. So, what are you waiting for? Start walking!

Having a positive running attitude

Jeff approaches running with an immense amount of positivity, which he mostly attributes to his parents. Just listening to Jeff’s voice gives you the impression that he could spend hours giving advice to any inquisitive runner. In fact, he spends 5 to 6 hours a day answering emails from his running students.

In this podcast, Jeff relates two heart-warming stories that show his genuine spirit. After qualifying for the Olympic 10k, Jeff made it his personal goal to help his good friend Jack Bacheler qualify for the marathon event after Jack did not qualify for the 10k. Jeff paced Jack for that trial event and slowed down during the last few seconds to allow Jack to take the final spot on the team. Jeff Galloway also talks about his favorite student he ever had. That student went from only being able to run the distance between two telephone poles, to qualifying for Boston at the age of 75. (Listen to the podcast to find out who that student was. No spoilers!)

Approaching a race as you age is something Jeff has mastered. At some point everyone has to face the fact that their body can’t do what it once could. Joining a strong community of runners and having the attitude of “we’re all in this together” can help ease the transition. Jeff recommends changing your goals as you age. “I can focus on something else,” he says, “I can be injury free. I can enjoy every run. I can run with family and friends.”

Running (and walking) is for everyone. Coming to terms with how YOU run is important to experiencing lifelong running fulfillment. Being real with your own training and avoiding the comparison trap is crucial to being a healthy and successful runner. This is Running for Real.

Resources:

Last week's episode with Lori Richmond 

Tina4Real Podcast 

Running for Real Superstars Community

Support Tina through her Patreon Page

Buy a Running for Real T-shirt, Tank, or Hat

Jeff's Books:

The Walk Run Method

Marathon: You Can Do It!

Half Marathon: You Can Do it!

Running Until You Are 100

Mental Training for Runners

The Story of the Human Body By Daniel Lieberman

Jeff’s website

Jeff on Twitter

Jeff on Instagram

Run Disney

 

Thank you to Bombas and Bodyhealth for sponsoring this episode of Running for Real.

I absolutely LOVE these Bombas Socks, and I think it is SO COOL that they donate a pair to a homeless shelter for every pair you purchase (socks are the number one requested item from homeless shelters, but they cannot accept used pairs). Use code running4real at Bombas.com/running4real and you can get 20% off your first order!

 

Now I am back to training, guess what was the first thing I did to start making sure I recover quicker (as coming back to fitness really beats your body up!), yep, you guessed it, BodyHealth Perfect Amino! Get 10% off at Bodyhealth.com using coupon code TINA10

Thanks for Listening! I hope you enjoyed today's episode.

To share your thoughts:

Leave a note in the comment section below.

Join the Running for Real Facebook Group and share your thoughts on the episode (or future guests you would like to hear from)

Share this show on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.

To help out the show:

Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews will really help me climb up the iTunes rankings and I promise, I read every single one.

Subscribe on iTunes or your favorite podcast player.

Not sure how to leave a review or subscribe, you can find out here.

Thank you to Jeff, I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the show.

This children’s book writer and illustrator is the artist behind View from My Run, where she does scenes from along her runs in the same time it takes her to do the run itself. She indicates on her site that she has always been an artist but it took her 39 yrs to become a runner and a bit longer to marry the two together.

Lori was successful in the business world as a Corporate Creative Director and then moved on to a career that blended her passion for art and children’s literature. We discuss the process Lori goes though in developing her books and the amazing process it takes to let the picture build the story with a limited number of words allowed in the genre of writing for children.

As Lori progressed as a runner she found she was using her run time to problem solve in her business life and had a desire to blend the two together. From that A View From My Run was born, where she paints scenes from her runs in the same time that the run took. She has also now worked with the NY Roadrunners Club and others to help runners develop their artistic side.

Today’s Guest

Lori Richmond is a picture book illustrator in children’s publishing. She has appeared on Today, Good Morning America and CNN. She lives in Brooklyn NY with her husband and two sons. She runs and draws her runs in New York.

What you will learn about:

• How Lori jumped, at age 39, from a 20 yrs career in a Corporate Creative Director role to go back to her roots as an artist. She built herself an 18 month exit plan that allowed her to return to a passion of art and children’s literature.
• The process Lori follows in developing a story idea into a picture book where the words and the story blend together into a cohesive whole.
• How Lori considered herself a fitness failure from childhood, but at age 39 she realized she also needed to take charge of her health in addition to taking charge of her business career. She was inspired by her sister and others in her studio that were runners, including one studio mate that wrote the first C25K program. Her first road race was a half marathon.
• We discuss how she blended running and art. Her inspiration was realizing her training was paralleling her art work and how she used her runs to problem solve in her artistic life. A photograph taken on a run across the Manhattan bridge inspired her to paint the scene and then realized that a good side project for her to relieve stress was to paint the scenes from her runs to marry the two together.
• We discuss the comparison trap, how we compare ourselves to others, rather than focusing on how we feel when we are doing an activity. You don’t have to be the best to get something out of it, the joy comes from the feelings. When you run, you have to trust your plan and training. When you do art, or any endeavor, you have to also trust your plan. You have to go forward from where you are, not where others are. Stay with your own compass and where you are in your own plan.
• We discuss how Lori paces her drawing like her running when trying to determine how to finish a scene in the same time as her run duration. She adjusts her strategy to use materials or details based on the time she has. The same applies to race strategy where she adjusts based on the times she is actually running vs a plan.
• How she has found that she sees her surroundings differently now that she is paying attention while she is running vs being so how we are so over scheduled and busy that we neglect to admire what is around us.

Inspirational Quotes:

Children are fearless in their artwork and use their imagination to draw the most beautiful vision they see in their mind. And then at some point we are taught that if it does not look like what you are drawing, it is wrong. When it is imperfect, that is what makes it yours. Concentrate on how you feel rather than what it looks like.

Drawing is visually expressing your idea, and if you communicate, even with as simple as a stick figure, it is a success.

The unfinished ones sometimes end up being the most interesting ones.

Resources:

Last week's episode with Derek Murphy of Marathon Investigation

Tina4Real Podcast 

Running for Real Superstars Community

Support Tina through her Patreon Page

Buy a Running for Real T-shirt, Tank, or Hat

Lori on Instagram

Lori on Twitter

Lori's website

Bunny's Staycation Book

Oopsie-Do Book

A Hop is Up Book

Skelly's Halloween Book

 

Thank you to Bombas and Bodyhealth for sponsoring this episode of Running for Real.

I absolutely LOVE these Bombas Socks, and I think it is SO COOL that they donate a pair to a homeless shelter for every pair you purchase (socks are the number one requested item from homeless shelters, but they cannot accept used pairs). Use code running4real at Bombas.com/running4real and you can get 20% off your first order!

 

Now I am back to training, guess what was the first thing I did to start making sure I recover quicker (as coming back to fitness really beats your body up!), yep, you guessed it, BodyHealth Perfect Amino! Get 10% off at Bodyhealth.com using coupon code TINA10

 

Thanks for Listening! I hope you enjoyed today's episode.

To share your thoughts:

Leave a note in the comment section below.

Join the Running for Real Facebook Group and share your thoughts on the episode (or future guests you would like to hear from)

Share this show on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.

To help out the show:

Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews will really help me climb up the iTunes rankings and I promise, I read every single one.

Subscribe on iTunes or your favorite podcast player.

Not sure how to leave a review or subscribe, you can find out here.

Thank you to Lori, I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the show.

Today we are talking to the man behind Marathon Investigation, a website that seeks to “out” the cheaters of the running world. Derek is himself a runner, has done 11 marathons.

The podcast covers how Derek ensures that there are not issues with the data he is seeing/using from race timers/directors before he publishes a report on those who he believes have cheated. We also discuss why he believes people are engaging in this behavior and how social media has both increased the prevalence and made it easier to identify who might be doing so.

This podcast also discusses the controversy behind transgender runners and the issues that surround their ability to participate in races.

This podcast is a wide ranging discussion of some of the issues around the impact of cheating on racing and what each of us can learn from the cheaters being reported and how we can help be vigilant when we see infractions happening around us and reporting it to the race directors.

Today’s Guest

Derek Murphy, a financial analyst, father and runner, is the person behind the website Marathon Investigation.

What you will learn about:

• Who is Derek, the man behind the website.
• The goal of the website is to bring out and identify those who cheat in races, originally to call out those who cheat to qualify for the Boston Marathon but has expanded to other race distances and types and to exposing those who cut a race to reach the podium.
• How cutting the course is only one way to cheat, others include trading or selling bibs.
• How Derek was surprised at how easy it was for him to look at race data and determine people were cheating. It spurred his interest in trying to identify those who were trying to profit from others or stealing from someone else. He tries to follow those he suspects to see if there is intent to defraud vs those who cut a course because they are fatigued or not well.
• How sometimes people themselves prove they cheated by posting their Strava data that clearly shows they didn’t run the entire race. Or clearly shows they have edited the data.
• Why Derek believes that despite it appearing it focuses on the negatives of the sport, those who benefit but actually then getting into a race like Boston makes it worthwhile. He also has begun to try to balance the negative by reporting on positive stories related to running like charities involved in running to helping people disqualified by mistake get their results corrected.
• Why Derek decided to cover the issue of transgender runners qualifying for Boston and how difficult it was to balance the discussion so that the issue received the attention it deserved with making sure the intention came across properly. How important language/terminology was to the discussion and how it caused the runners concern over their safety during the race itself.
• We cover the mass cheating that happened at the Mexico City Marathon/Half Marathon, over 3,000 runners out of roughly 28,000 were disqualified this year and Derek says the real number cheating was over 5,000 and the officials are under-reporting the totals. The impetus was the medal series and runners coveting the medals and being willing to cheat to get them.

Inspirational Quotes:

The part I hate the most is writing the articles but reporting things to the race directors was not effective at making the practice stop. At most I probably write about 10% of what I notice, the rest I do simply report it to the directors and move on.

Resources:

Last week's episode with Dean Karnazes

Tina4Real Podcast 

Running for Real Superstars Community

Support Tina through her Patreon Page

Buy a Running for Real T-shirt, Tank, or Hat

Marathon Investigation on Instagram

Marathon Investigation on Twitter

Marathon Investigation on Facebook

Amelia Gapin Podcast epiosde

Marathon Investigation website

 

Thank you to Bombas and Bodyhealth for sponsoring this episode of Running for Real.

I absolutely LOVE these Bombas Socks, and I think it is SO COOL that they donate a pair to a homeless shelter for every pair you purchase (socks are the number one requested item from homeless shelters, but they cannot accept used pairs). Use code running4real at Bombas.com/running4real and you can get 20% off your first order!

Now I am back to training, guess what was the first thing I did to start making sure I recover quicker (as coming back to fitness really beats your body up!), yep, you guessed it, BodyHealth Perfect Amino! Get 10% off at Bodyhealth.com using coupon code TINA10

 

Thanks for Listening! I hope you enjoyed today's episode.

To share your thoughts:

Leave a note in the comment section below.

Join the Running for Real Facebook Group and share your thoughts on the episode (or future guests you would like to hear from)

Share this show on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.

To help out the show:

Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews will really help me climb up the iTunes rankings and I promise, I read every single one.

Subscribe on iTunes or your favorite podcast player.

Not sure how to leave a review or subscribe, you can find out here.

Thank you to Derek, I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the show.

These two sports psychologists may have different areas they focus on, but they both love to run; Dr Helen Lane and Professor Andy Lane both race marathons, have run over 200 parkruns and even enjoy ultra marathons. This means they get the running struggles we go through and how important the mental side of training the mind is to racing well. Helen and Andy have both worked with professional athletes to help them reach their potential, as well as teaching runners psychological skills training techniques such as imagery, anxiety regulation, and emotion

regulation.

If you love learning more about the mind, and how we can learn to handle the negative thoughts that go through our mind when we are in the hard part of a race, you will love this husband and wife episode, where there is a lot of humor and fast talking British and New Zealand accents, be ready to listen, and be ready to learn!

Today’s Guests

Dr Helen Lane has a PhD in attitudes to eating among exercisers. She has authored several

articles including the commonly used measure of mood called the The Brunel Mood Scale and a

version of the Eating Attitude Test.

Andy Lane has a PhD and is BASES accredited sport and exercise scientist, a fellow of BASES,

Chartered by the British Psychological Society, and a psychologist registered with the Health

Professionals Council.

What you will learn about:

* How Helen and Andy met, and if they psychoanalyze one another

* What Andy has learned in the 100 peer reviewed journal articles he has worked on

* The powerful impact of sad or depressed thoughts and how it can really affect your ability to run well

* How important it is to go for a run if you are in a difficult period of your life

* Why the fear of failure is not necessary a bad thing, and how to limit the pressure you feel for a race when you have told so many people you are going the race

* Why you should have some kind of effort involved with you goals, rather than exclusively time goals

* Why EVERYONE has a self confidence issue, and why knowing that makes us feel like we are not alone

* How we are all connected emotionally to food, and guilt can be present even while we are eating food we enjoy

* The relationship between food and performance, and how runners can be affected by a need to be thin

* The strategies to use to get through the hardest parts of the race, including imagery of a runner you admire (really interesting!)

* Running with music can actually help you run faster if you find the right rhythm

* What to do if you have a bad race; how jumping in another race COULD be a good idea, in the right circumstance

* Why having a break after a great race will help you to reassess and think up a new goal, if you go back into it without much rest, you are going to struggle

Listen to the Running for Real Podcast here:

Inspirational Quotes:

You get trapped in the event. You might be the expert, but you are still trapped in the event. You do need to hold back when you are giving advice out, and it is difficult to take advice as well, no matter how well intended it is.-Andy Lane

A small mark of depression can lead to all sorts of devastating or negative results that go on from that.-Andy Lane

Everybody needs a bag of tricks to identify and use in the dark moments.-Andy Lane

Your emotions are evolutionary functions to tell you what is important- Andy Lane

Human beings are competitive, so we have competed with ourself by saying that (a time we want), so we can easily think we are failures.-Helen Lane

Everyone underneath has an underlining self esteem issue, they are not confident in all situations- Helen Lane

These two sports psychologists may have different areas they focus on, but they both love to run; Dr Helen Lane and Professor Andy Lane both race marathons, have run over 200 parkruns and even enjoy ultra marathons. This means they get the running struggles we go through and how important the mental side of training the mind is to racing well. Helen and Andy have both worked with professional athletes to help them reach their potential, as well as teaching runners psychological skills training techniques such as imagery, anxiety regulation, and emotion regulation.

If you love learning more about the mind, and how we can learn to handle the negative thoughts that go through our mind when we are in the hard part of a race, you will love this husband and wife episode, where there is a lot of humor and fast talking British and New Zealand accents, be ready to listen, and be ready to learn!

Today’s Guests

Dr Helen Lane has a PhD in attitudes to eating among exercisers. She has authored several articles including the commonly used measure of mood called the The Brunel Mood Scale and a version of the Eating Attitude Test.

Andy Lane has a PhD and is BASES accredited sport and exercise scientist, a fellow of BASES, Chartered by the British Psychological Society, and a psychologist registered with the Health Professionals Council.

What you will learn about:

• How Helen and Andy met, and if they psychoanalyze one another 
• What Andy has learned in the 100 peer reviewed journal articles he has worked on
• The powerful impact of sad or depressed thoughts and how it can really affect your ability to run well
• How important it is to go for a run if you are in a difficult period of your life
• Why the fear of failure is not necessary a bad thing, and how to limit the pressure you feel for a race when you have told so many people you are going the race
• Why you should have some kind of effort involved with you goals, rather than exclusively time goals
• Why EVERYONE has a self confidence issue, and why knowing that makes us feel like we are not alone
• How we are all connected emotionally to food, and guilt can be present even while we are eating food we enjoy
• The relationship between food and performance, and how runners can be affected by a need to be thin
• The strategies to use to get through the hardest parts of the race, including imagery of a runner you admire (really interesting!)
• Running with music can actually help you run faster if you find the right rhythm
• What to do if you have a bad race; how jumping in another race COULD be a good idea, in the right circumstance 
• Why having a break after a great race will help you to reassess and think up a new goal, if you go back into it without much rest, you are going to struggle

 

Inspirational Quotes:

You get trapped in the event. You might be the expert, but you are still trapped in the event. You do need to hold back when you are giving advice out, and it is difficult to take advice as well, no matter how well intended it is.-Andy Lane

A small mark of depression can lead to all sorts of devastating or negative results that go on from that.-Andy Lane

Everybody needs a bag of tricks to identify and use in the dark moments.-Andy Lane

Your emotions are evolutionary functions to tell you what is important- Andy Lane

Human beings are competitive, so we have competed with ourself by saying that (a time we want), so we can easily think we are failures.-Helen Lane

Everyone underneath has an underlining self esteem issue, they are not confident in all situations- Helen Lane

Everyone has a little bit of an emotional problem with eating; they eat when they are stressed, bored, not when they are hungry, overeat in social settings...we all have this awareness with food, almost a preoccupation with food.-Helen Lane

If I look at social media, I would not know what to eat.- Andy Lane

If you want to find an angry person, find a hungry person!- Andy Lane

Rethink what fatigue means. Fatigue is an indicator you are working hard. It is not to be feared, it is accepting that you are working hard.- Andy Lane

It is very difficult to get from the very highs and maintain those highs, it's unlikely you are going to have another Olympic Gold Medal winning moment two months after.-Andy Lane

Resources:

Last week's episode with Dean Karnazes

Subscribe to the Running for Real Podcast on your favorite player:

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Tina4Real Podcast 

Running for Real Superstars Community

Support Tina through her Patreon Page

Buy a Running for Real T-shirt, Tank, or Hat

Andy on Twitter

Helen on Twitter

Winning Lane website

Chrissie Wellington interview

Paul Sinton Hewitt interview

Check out the Running for Real Podcast Series, sponsoring this episode today:

• Beginners
• Mental Toughness Training
• Marathon Training
• Coming Back From Injuries
• Running Nutrition
• Running Through and After Pregnancy

 

Thanks for Listening! I hope you enjoyed today's episode.

To share your thoughts:

Leave a note in the comment section below.

Join the Running for Real Facebook Group and share your thoughts on the episode (or future guests you would like to hear from)

Share this show on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.

To help out the show:

Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews will really help me climb up the iTunes rankings and I promise, I read every single one.

Subscribe on iTunes or your favorite podcast player.

Not sure how to leave a review or subscribe, you can find out here.

Thank you to Helen and Andy, I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the show.

This internationally renowned athlete known for pushing the limits of his endurance shares real running moments he never has before. Dean, at age 14 ran a marathon to raise money for charity. He started running home when he was in kindergarten and has always had a love for moving. He is known for his amazing endurance achievements, continuing to push what his body is capable of achieving.

Dean most recently ran 50 marathons, in all 50 US states, in 50 consecutive days, finishing with the NYC Marathon, which he ran in three hours flat. Dean has also run for 24 hours straight on a treadmill in Times Square. He has run in many many incredible places around the world, on all the continents, across the Gobi desert. He is truly an amazing athlete, and is here to talk about his latest adventure; running the spartathlon, and completing the final 75 miles without any food or fuel other than water.

For those who are still running in your later years, Dean is especially inspiring as he is now 55 years old and still going strong. If you want to hear questions and a discussion with Dean unlike any other podcast, this is the episode for you.

Today’s Guest

Dean Karnazes is an internationally renowned athlete known for pushing the limits of his endurance. Dean has run 350 continuous miles, foregoing sleep for three nights. He's run across Death Valley in 120 degree temperatures, across the Gobi desert, and a marathon to the South Pole in negative 40 degrees. On ten different occasions, he's run a 200-mile relay race solo, racing alongside teams of twelve.

What you will learn about:

* What makes Dean’s calves the way many recognize him.

* How Dean had what most would consider an ideal life but was not happy with his non-running life, because things were just too easy and routine.

* How Dean keeps all the fan letters he gets in special folders in his trophy room.

* Dean discusses his recently released book The Road to Sparta and how he tried to recreate to the best he possibly could, the run Pheidippides did that inspired the marathon as a race distance. He discusses how as runners we get so caught up in the moment and our stubborn pride can prevent us from doing what we know we should do.

* Dean discusses how difficult it is to deal with all the crowds of people that come out to see him during his endurance events and being torn between needing to rest and wanting to acknowledge the effort they made to come out to see him. How he ended up choosing to forgo his own self care.

* When we are struggling during a half or full marathon it is a unique sensation to us as runners. Most people don’t have any way to relate to our experience other than perhaps a woman giving birth. We don’t have those intense moments on a day to day basis. There are moments of extreme doubt and suffering that you don’t normally experience in day to day life.

* How when you run overnight, you are overriding all your normal processes but your body takes over and your body finds a way to compensate and you are sleep running.

* Dean describes the anguish and struggle that every runner goes through during an endurance race. Shared experiences bring us together and builds bonds and how it doesn’t matter if you are an elite marathoner or first time 5k runner, you share the same experience. Dean runs every race that he attends because he feels it is important to share the experience with others.

* Dean talks about his participation with Marathon Wines, which is targeted to runners. Greece is the home for fine wines and there are stories of the early Greek runners drinking wine along their runs. The vines in Santorini make unique wines, high in electrolytes and by participating he is helping Greece.

Listen to the Running for Real Podcast here:

Inspirational Quotes:

This internationally renowned athlete known for pushing the limits of his endurance shares real running moments he never has before. Dean, at age 14 ran a marathon to raise money for charity. He started running home when he was in kindergarten and has always had a love for moving. He is known for his amazing endurance achievements, continuing to push what his body is capable of achieving.

Dean most recently ran 50 marathons, in all 50 US states, in 50 consecutive days, finishing with the NYC Marathon, which he ran in three hours flat. Dean has also run for 24 hours straight on a treadmill in Times Square. He has run in many many incredible places around the world, on all the continents, across the Gobi desert. He is truly an amazing athlete, and is here to talk about his latest adventure; running the spartathlon, and completing the final 75 miles without any food or fuel other than water.

For those who are still running in your later years, Dean is especially inspiring as he is now 55 years old and still going strong. If you want to hear questions and a discussion with Dean unlike any other podcast, this is the episode for you.

Today’s Guest

Dean Karnazes is an internationally renowned athlete known for pushing the limits of his endurance. Dean has run 350 continuous miles, foregoing sleep for three nights. He's run across Death Valley in 120 degree temperatures, across the Gobi desert, and a marathon to the South Pole in negative 40 degrees. On ten different occasions, he's run a 200-mile relay race solo, racing alongside teams of twelve.

What you will learn about:

• What makes Dean’s calves the way many recognize him.
• How Dean had what most would consider an ideal life but was not happy with his non-running life, because things were just too easy and routine.
• How Dean keeps all the fan letters he gets in special folders in his trophy room.
• Dean discusses his recently released book The Road to Sparta and how he tried to recreate to the best he possibly could, the run Pheidippides did that inspired the marathon as a race distance. He discusses how as runners we get so caught up in the moment and our stubborn pride can prevent us from doing what we know we should do.
• Dean discusses how difficult it is to deal with all the crowds of people that come out to see him during his endurance events and being torn between needing to rest and wanting to acknowledge the effort they made to come out to see him. How he ended up choosing to forgo his own self care.
• When we are struggling during a half or full marathon it is a unique sensation to us as runners. Most people don’t have any way to relate to our experience other than perhaps a woman giving birth. We don’t have those intense moments on a day to day basis. There are moments of extreme doubt and suffering that you don’t normally experience in day to day life.
• How when you run overnight, you are overriding all your normal processes but your body takes over and your body finds a way to compensate and you are sleep running.
• Dean describes the anguish and struggle that every runner goes through during an endurance race. Shared experiences bring us together and builds bonds and how it doesn’t matter if you are an elite marathoner or first time 5k runner, you share the same experience. Dean runs every race that he attends because he feels it is important to share the experience with others.
• Dean talks about his participation with Marathon Wines, which is targeted to runners. Greece is the home for fine wines and there are stories of the early Greek runners drinking wine along their runs. The vines in Santorini make unique wines, high in electrolytes and by participating he is helping Greece.

Inspirational Quotes:

I wanted the pain and the struggle of doing something physical again.

I am humbled and awed when I go into my trophy room that one man could accomplish all these things.

Taking a few minutes in what might be a 30 hr race to correct something is far better than continuing on, but we get caught up in the passion of what we are doing at the moment.

It is the fear of pain that holds people back, so shifting the paradigm to embracing the pain and responding, then your relationship to pain will change.

Resources:

Last week's episode with Emelia Gorecka

Tina4Real Podcast 

Running for Real Superstars Community

Support Tina through her Patreon Page

Buy a Running for Real T-shirt, Tank, or Hat

Dean on Instagram

Dean on Twitter

Dean on Facebook

Dean's website

Road to Sparta book

Marathon Wine website

Thank you to Bombas and Bodyhealth for sponsoring this episode of Running for Real.

I absolutely LOVE these Bombas Socks, and I think it is SO COOL that they donate a pair to a homeless shelter for every pair you purchase (socks are the number one requested item from homeless shelters, but they cannot accept used pairs). Use code running4real at Bombas.com/running4real and you can get 20% off your first order!

Now I am back to training, guess what was the first thing I did to start making sure I recover quicker (as coming back to fitness really beats your body up!), yep, you guessed it, BodyHealth Perfect Amino! Get 10% off at Bodyhealth.com using coupon code TINA10

 

Thanks for Listening! I hope you enjoyed today's episode.

To share your thoughts:

Leave a note in the comment section below.

Join the Running for Real Facebook Group and share your thoughts on the episode (or future guests you would like to hear from)

Share this show on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.

To help out the show:

Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews will really help me climb up the iTunes rankings and I promise, I read every single one.

Subscribe on iTunes or your favorite podcast player.

Not sure how to leave a review or subscribe, you can find out here.

Thank you to Dean, I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the show.

Emelia Gorecka is an international distance runner best known for her running with scoliosis, a genetic spinal deformity that causes curvature of the spine and host of gait related problems. When she’s not training she spends time helping to promote issues affecting female athletes. One movement she’s an ambassador for is FitrWoman. FitrWoman aims to help women make more informed decisions in sport using a specially developed app focusing on how previously ‘taboo’ subjects such as periods can affect performance.

Emelia is incredibly focused on listening to her body and what it is telling her and I am sure she will teach you a lot about listening to your own body and finding ways to build a support structure around your running to help you to build resilience.

Today’s Guest

Emelia Gorecka is a 24 yr old British middle and long-distance runner. She specializes in middle and long-distance running, racing in 1500 meters, 3000 meters, 5000 meters and 10,000 meters, as well as cross country running. She has congenital scoliosis, and wore a brace in her younger years to help reduce the curvature and prevent it from worsening.

What you will learn about:

• How she because a strong contender/runner as young as 11 yrs old and how she has continued to achieve and not burn out. She didn’t suffer her first injury until she was 21 yrs old.
• How having brothers taught her to make sure she got her share of the food and sweets.
• How she has learned when she feels ill or has an injury she asks herself why is this happening and what she can do to adjust and learn when to pull back and how to change what she is doing is influencing what she is feeling. How important it is to step back vs try harder.
• How she was diagnosed at age 13 with scoliosis, when she fell during a training session. Her back is shaped like a question mark as her spine has rotated. After a year she was placed in a body brace to help slow and correct the progression. She wore the brace 23 hrs a day for 3-4 yrs and could only train during that one hour a day.
• She believes the brace helped here build her own confidence in what she could accomplish, despite being very private in the beginning and hiding the fact that she had to wear a brace at all. But she learned to run well with it and learned to dare to be different.
• How the brace did cause restrictions in her upper body and its ability to move hr arms and back, as well as how she breathes.
• How stress fractures in her foot at age 21 caused her to learn to focus on how her body was moving and what was causing her to become injured. She changed coaches, changed how she viewed looking at what shoes she should run in, and how her foot strike needed to change. She spent the next year to year and a half working on her mechanics.
• Why she got involved with FitrWoman and what she thinks it can do to help other woman understand their bodies.

Inspirational Quotes:

I learned to dare to be different and still achieve.

You do it for you, you don’t do it for anyone else. If it doesn’t work out, I will know I have tried.

The people who inspire me are the ones I see day to day giving it their best and working hard.

Resources:

Last week's episode with Matt Davis 

Tina4Real Podcast 

Running for Real Superstars Community

Support Tina through her Patreon Page

Buy a Running for Real T-shirt, Tank, or Hat

Emelia on Instagram

Emelia on Twitter

Fitr Woman

Thank you to Bombas and Bodyhealth for sponsoring this episode of Running for Real.

Bombas socks are my favorite socks, they are so comfortable! How amazing that they donate a pair of their socks to a homeless shelter for every pair you purchase.

Now I am back to training, guess what was the first thing I did to start making sure I recover quicker (as coming back to fitness really beats your body up!), yep, you guessed it, BodyHealth Perfect Amino! Get 10% off at Bodyhealth.comusing coupon code TINA10