The Strength Running Podcast

Ryan Wooderson owns Long Run Physiotherapy & Performance in Denver, Colorado and has spent nearly a decade helping athletes get healthy and stay healthy. He is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and completed his orthopedic residency at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He's an Orthopedic Clinical Specialist and his practice focuses on injury prevention and helping athletes perform.

In this episode, we explore further details about:

• Variability in perceived exertion during workouts
• Prioritizing restorative in the morning hours
• Improving the quality of your sleep with environmental factors
• How to do naps the right way

Anyone can benefit from better sleep and I hope this episode will provide you with ideas on how to do just that.

Links & Resources from the Show:

• Connect with Ryan on Instagram and Facebook
• Learn more on his website
• Free advice from elite runners on recovery

Our show is supported by our longtime sponsor InsideTracker. Today, more than ever, it's essential that we're making the right decisions to keep our bodies healthy. To help us be resilient, prevent over-training, and optimize our running to get the most from it.

InsideTracker is the ultra-personalized nutrition platform that analyzes your blood and DNA biomarkers along with your lifestyle habits to help you optimize your body and reach your goals.

InsideTracker's patented system will transform your body's data into knowledge, insights, and a customized action plan of science-backed recommendations. The data can help you determine whether you're running too much, not enough, or have some other issues that could be affecting your recovery or performance.

I've had my own blood drawn with InsideTracker several times and have been amazed at the valuable information that they provide. Not only are the results very detailed, but they also share guidance for how to improve any markers that are out of range.

If you're ready to take control of your health and optimize your training, InsideTracker offers a selection of plans that best suit your needs with a limited time 25% discount.

PATH Projects continues to be a great supporter of this podcast! I'm grateful for their partnership and want to share more about their products that I've been loving because they so durable and comfortable.

PATH Projects is an online-only retailer of high-quality running gear and apparel. That means there is no retail markup, making their products quite affordable.

In particular, I've just started wearing their 3" Sykes shorts and they're a little different from the 5" Sykes shorts (you can see those in action here). The material is thinner and lighter, which is perfect in a performance short, and they're obviously shorter. I'm not sure if my wife thinks they're too scandalous or loves them, but I'm wearing them constantly.

PATH uses new technical fabrics, like the Japanese fiber called Toray Primeflex, to create award-winning apparel for endurance athletes. In fact, their Brim shorts and Tahoe base liner won Runner's World's 2018 Gear of the Year award. And the Pyrinees hoodie was named one of the best six sweatshirts for running in the cold by Gear Patrol.

You know you'll be wearing the best when you select PATH Projects!

Brodie Sharpe is a runner and a physiotherapist based in Australia who helps injured runners get healthy and stay that way. He is the host of The Run Smarter Podcast and has certifications from The Running Clinic, the Running Repairs Course, Sports Medicine Australia, and Athletics Victoria Run as a running coach.

It's a pleasure to have Brodie as a part of our community. I was a guest on his podcast where we talked all about training plans and he was a prior sponsor of the SR Podcast.

In this episode, Brodie is sharing some of the biggest lessons he has learned about running a new personal best while staying healthy. It can be hard to balance prevention with performance, but Brody knows what to focus on!

Links & Resources from the Show:

• Follow Brodie on Instagram
• Check out more on his website
• Download Brodie's free ebooks here
• Free email course on injury prevention
• Complimentary ebook with tips from elites

A big thanks to Elemental Labs for their support of this episode! They make electrolyte drinks for athletes and low-carb folks with no sugar, artificial ingredients, or colors. And you can get a free sampler pack of 4 flavors and 8 individual packets when you pay $5 in shipping.

Elemental Labs' products have some of the highest sodium concentrations that you can find. Anybody who runs a lot knows that sodium, as well as other electrolytes like magnesium and potassium, are essential to our performance and how we feel throughout the day.

The citrus flavor has quickly become my favorite. I'm drinking one a day now to help me get enough fluids in our dry Colorado air. It's tasty and delicious and I find that I'm not peeing every 45 minutes throughout the day, which might be an indication I wasn't eating enough sodium.

There's now mounting evidence that higher sodium intake levels are not unhealthy – and athletes need substantially more than your typical sedentary person. Of course, ask your doctor if you're worried. But for those athletes running outside in the heat, an electrolyte replacement makes a lot of sense.

They just released their first new flavor of 2021, their most requested flavor, watermelon salt. So check out Elemental Labs to try their new flavor or get a free sampler pack.

Our guest today is Scott Johnston, an expert in endurance sports including everything from alpine skiing to mountain running. He has worked with Killian Jornet, arguably one of the best ultra endurance athletes on the planet, and numerous top cross country skiers in the US.

He's the author of Training for the Uphill Athlete and Training for the New Alpinism. Both books are manuals for athletes and coaches, filled with resources and tools to elevate endurance training.

Scott Johnston is himself a lifelong endurance athlete, having performed at high levels in swimming, skiing, and climbing. As a coach, he has practiced and refined an approach to training athletes that emphasizes the skills that can be practiced and acknowledges the genetic determinants of certain abilities.

In this episode, Scott explains the tripod of endurance, which are the foundational principles for going long in any sport.

Listen to the entire episode to better understand these three principles and what you can do to improve your own training, including:

• Running with perfect form, as David Rudisha does
• Collecting feedback by video, mirror, or other method to assess your running
• Including strides in workouts
• Strength training for endurance

Thank you Precision Hydration!

Thank you to our newest sponsor, Precision Hydration. If you've ever struggled with hydration or electrolyte issues, use code STRENGTH15 to get 15% off your first order. They offer tablets, packets, and other essentials to help you train in any environment.

Precision Hydration knows that there isn't a one-size-fits all approach to hydration, which is why I love that they help athletes refine their hydration strategy for whatever event they're training for. If you can't get a custom sweat test done, they have a free online test that will give you your own personalized hydration strategy.

It's heating up where I am and I'm ending my runs a lot sweatier than I was just a month ago. I know I'll be paying a lot more attention to my hydration and electrolyte needs. This is especially important with longer runs in the mountains here at altitude.

You can learn much more about hydration in my conversation with the founder of Precision Hydration, Andy Blow.

Check out Precision Hydration and get 15% off your first order of electrolytes that match how you sweat by using the code "STRENGTH15".

Krissy Moehl has completed hunderds of ultra races and has over 50 first place finishes in the female category, along with several outright wins. She has won some of the hardest 100 mile courses on the planet, including the Hardrock 100 and the HURT 100 in Hawaii.

Krissy is the author of Running Your First Ultra, which many athletes use as their ultimate guide to training. Although she didn't have a manual to follow for her own first ultra, she learned from a supportive community and shares those lessons with the readers.

Krissy's longevity in a sport this difficult is something to admire and on the show today, we're talking about what got her hooked on running long races after being an 800m runner in college, how she's evolved and changed her approach to ultras and fueling since she first started, and her best training tips for you.

Links & Resources from the Show:

• Follow Krissy on Instagram and Twitter
• Learn more from her website
• SR training plans for advanced runners
• The UK's Damian Hall on running 250+ miles

A big thanks to Elemental Labs for their support of this episode! They make electrolyte drinks for athletes and low-carb folks with no sugar, artificial ingredients, or colors.

Elemental Labs' products have some of the highest sodium concentrations that you can find. Anybody who runs a lot knows that sodium, as well as other electrolytes like magnesium and potassium, are essential to our performance and how we feel throughout the day.

The citrus flavor has quickly become my favorite. I'm drinking one a day now to help me get enough fluids in our dry Colorado air. It's tasty and delicious and I find that I'm not peeing every 45 minutes throughout the day, which might be an indication I wasn't eating enough sodium.

There's now mounting evidence that higher sodium intake levels are not unhealthy – and athletes need substantially more than your typical sedentary person. Of course, ask your doctor if you're worried. But for those athletes running outside in the heat, an electrolyte replacement makes a lot of sense.

They just released their first new flavor of 2021, their most requested flavor, watermelon salt. So check out Elemental Labs to try their new flavor and get your hydration optimized.

Matt Chittim is the host for the Rambling Runner and Road to the Trials podcasts. He is a running coach and, of course, a passionate runner himself. He is enthusiastic about amateur runners and contributes so much to the community through his content.

In this podcast, we talk about his recent injury, what lead to it, and the lessons that Matt learned through this experience.

Our topics of conversation also cover:

• The start and evolution of a running career
• What leads to a running injury and how to recover from it
• Importance of the proper training process
• The difference between knowing the right things and doing them

I loved this raw and real conversation and I hope you will find it to be informative as well.

Links & Resources from the Show:

• Follow Matt on Instagram and Twitter
• Check out the Rambling Runner website
• Mentioned episode with Duane Scotti
• See our injury prevention program with a free course
• Join our SR team - a community of passionate runners

Thank you to our newest sponsor, Precision Hydration. If you've ever struggled with hydration or electrolyte issues, use code STRENGTH15 to get 15% off your first order. They offer tablets, packets, and other essentials to help you train in any environment.

Precision Hydration knows that there isn't a one-size-fits all approach to hydration, which is why I love that they help athletes refine their hydration strategy for whatever event they're training for. If you can't get a custom sweat test done, they have a free online test that will give you your own personalized hydration strategy.

It's heating up where I am and I'm ending my runs a lot sweatier than I was just a month ago. I know I'll be paying a lot more attention to my hydration and electrolyte needs. This is especially important with longer runs in the mountains here at altitude.

You can learn much more about hydration in my conversation with the founder of Precision Hydration, Andy Blow.

Check out Precision Hydration and get 15% off your first order of electrolytes that match how you sweat by using the code "STRENGTH15".

Damian Hall is one of the best ultra endurance athletes in the UK. He has represented Great Britain at the trail world championships, holds 7 records or Fastest Known Times (FKTs) and he has competed in the Sahara Desert and the Arctic. All this in less than a decade-long running career.

Damian recently wrote a book called In It for the Long Run, which depicts his 2020 Pennine Way record attempt and details of his midlife crisis.

In today's conversation, Damian shares about his most recent Wainwright Coast to Coast FKT and the hallucinations caused by hyponatremia (decreased sodium concentrations due to over hydration). We also talk about the lessons learned in ultra running that apply to life.

In this episode we also talk about:

• How to prepare for days of running
• What drives someone to run for hundreds of miles
• How to know when you're ready... for anything in life

Links & Resources from the Show:

• Follow Damian on Instagram
• Learn more from his website
• SR training plans for advanced runners
• Check out Damian's book!

A big thanks to Elemental Labs for their support of this episode! They make electrolyte drinks for athletes and low-carb folks with no sugar, artificial ingredients, or colors.

Elemental Labs' products have some of the highest sodium concentrations that you can find. Anybody who runs a lot knows that sodium, as well as other electrolytes like magnesium and potassium, are essential to our performance and how we feel throughout the day.

The citrus flavor has quickly become my favorite. I'm drinking one a day now to help me get enough fluids in our dry Colorado air. It's tasty and delicious and I find that I'm not peeing every 45 minutes throughout the day, which might be an indication I wasn't eating enough sodium.

There's now mounting evidence that higher sodium intake levels are not unhealthy – and athletes need substantially more than your typical sedentary person. Of course, ask your doctor if you're worried. But for those athletes running outside in the heat, an electrolyte replacement makes a lot of sense.

They just released their first new flavor of 2021, their most requested flavor, watermelon salt. So check out Elemental Labs to try their new flavor and get your hydration optimized.

Megan Roche is the 2016 USATF Trail Runner of the Year at the ultra and sub-ultra distances. She is a five-time national champion, a North American Mountain Running Champion, and a six-time member of Team USA.

She graduated from Duke University with a degree in Neuroscience and received her M.D. from Stanford Medical School. She's currently back at Stanford, doing a PhD in epidemiology, focused on population health and genetics for athletes.

Today we're focusing on how to modify your training after a positive test or after your vaccine. We're going to learn what the vaccine does in our bodies, the effect it has on athletes, the types of exercise we might want to be cautious about post-vaccine, what side effects we can run through vs. what we should not run through, and more.

Thank you Precision Hydration!

Thank you to our newest sponsor, Precision Hydration. If you've ever struggled with hydration or electrolyte issues, use code STRENGTH15 to get 15% off your first order. They offer tablets, packets, and other essentials to help you train in any environment.

Precision Hydration knows that there isn't a one-size-fits all approach to hydration, which is why I love that they help athletes refine their hydration strategy for whatever event they're training for. If you can't get a custom sweat test done, they have a free online test that will give you your own personalized hydration strategy.

It's heating up where I am and I'm ending my runs a lot sweatier than I was just a month ago. I know I'll be paying a lot more attention to my hydration and electrolyte needs. This is especially important with longer runs in the mountains here at altitude.

You can learn much more about hydration in my conversation with the founder of Precision Hydration, Andy Blow.

Check out Precision Hydration and get 15% off your first order of electrolytes that match how you sweat by using the code "STRENGTH15".

Clare Gallagher burst onto the ultrarunning scene with her first attempt at a 100-mile race, the Leadville 100, which she won despite being brand new to the distance. She followed up with wins of the grueling Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run and the CCC 101K. She also has the Fastest Known Times on the Zion Traverse and Joshua Tree Traverse.

As an outstanding athlete, Clare has a platform that she uses to amplify voices, causes, and efforts that she feels passionate about. Clare is an environmental activist, helping preserve public lands across the country and bringing much needed attention to environmental issues that threaten the very lands our sport depends on.

In this conversation, we talk about:

• Clare's rise in the sport
• How she won Leadville 100 with no prior experience and no coach - as well as the value of having a coach
• Low-mileage training and how it works for her
• Clare's (lack of) willingness to run a 200-miler in the future
• Her approach to balancing training and racing with the rest of her life

Currently, Clare is training again for Western States 100, while continuing with her environmental activism.

Links & Resources from the Show:

• Follow Clare on Instagram and Strava
• Check out her blog and updates
• Our prior interview with Clare
• Follow Alex Falconer on Instagram
• Take action with Save the Boundary Waters

A big thanks to Elemental Labs for their support of this episode! They make electrolyte drinks for athletes and low-carb folks with no sugar, artificial ingredients, or colors.

Elemental Labs' products have some of the highest sodium concentrations that you can find. Anybody who runs a lot knows that sodium, as well as other electrolytes like magnesium and potassium, are essential to our performance and how we feel throughout the day.

The citrus flavor has quickly become my favorite. I'm drinking one a day now to help me get enough fluids in our dry Colorado air. It's tasty and delicious and I find that I'm not peeing every 45 minutes throughout the day, which might be an indication I wasn't eating enough sodium.

There's now mounting evidence that higher sodium intake levels are not unhealthy – and athletes need substantially more than your typical sedentary person. Of course, ask your doctor if you're worried. But for those athletes running outside in the heat, an electrolyte replacement makes a lot of sense.

They just released their first new flavor of 2021, their most requested flavor, watermelon salt. So check out Elemental Labs to try their new flavor and get your hydration optimized.

Chris Napier quite literally wrote the book on the Science of Running. He is a professor of Physical Therapy at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver as well as a practicing physiotherapist, 2:33 marathoner, and medal winner at the Canadian Track & Field Championships in 1996 and 1997.

Chris earned his diploma in Sport Physiotherapy and has a PhD in Running Biomechanics and Injury Prevention. With his academic background, Chis shares his knowledge on what the research has proven out and what we've learned from experience.

In this conversation, we talk about:

• Who should modify their cadence and when
• Why foot strikes are better left alone
• Benefits of logging more than your running stats

We also cover the myths that never die:

• Running is bad for your knees
• Static stretching prevents injuries
• Endurance runners should lift for endurance
• Certain types of shoes can help you prevent injuries

Chris is passionate about educating runners to make wise decisions in their training and recovery.

Links & Resources from the Show:

• Connect with Chris on Twitter
• Buy his book Science of Running
• Check our our free course on injury prevention

Thank you to our newest sponsor, Precision Hydration. If you've ever struggled with hydration or electrolyte issues, use code STRENGTH15 to get 15% off your first order. They offer tablets, packets, and other essentials to help you train in any environment.

Precision Hydration knows that there isn't a one-size-fits all approach to hydration, which is why I love that they help athletes refine their hydration strategy for whatever event they're training for. If you can't get a custom sweat test done, they have a free online test that will give you your own personalized hydration strategy.

It's heating up where I am and I'm ending my runs a lot sweatier than I was just a month ago. I know I'll be paying a lot more attention to my hydration and electrolyte needs. This is especially important with longer runs in the mountains here at altitude.

You can learn much more about hydration in my conversation with the founder of Precision Hydration, Andy Blow.

Check out Precision Hydration and get 15% off your first order of electrolytes that match how you sweat by using the code "STRENGTH15".

Our guest today is coach Mario Fraioli, a 2:27 marathoner who hosts the Morning Shakeout podcast and publishes the newsletter of the same name.

Mario coaches a wide variety of elite and sub-elite runners and has been involved in the running industry as an editor, book author, coach, podcaster, speaker, and thought leader for the better part of two decades. He's also one fast dude, running a blistering 4:09 mile. And I'm very fortunate to call Mario a friend.

In this conversation, we're discussing longer training cycles and why you might be interested (or not) in lengthening the cycle in which you plan your training.

We discuss:

• The nuances of longer training cycles
• The goals they aim to accomplish
• The practical difficulties of longer cycles
• Why most everyone sticks with a 7-day cycle
• The #1 skill you must learn if you adopt a longer training cycle

For more coaching guidance, check out Team Strength Running!

Thank you Elemental Labs

Our sponsor, Elemental Labs, helped make this episode possible. The day before I recorded this, I rode my bike in the heat for nearly two and a half hours at altitude and I'd like to thank ELEMENT CITRUS SALT for the quick post-ride recovery. They make high-sodium electrolytes to help manage your hydration needs. Go to drinklmnt.com/strengthrunning/ to sign up for a free sample pack with 4 flavors just for the cost of shipping.