Training Well Done

Summary:

• Coach Donald & Coach Tim chat about the phosphagen system, what it is and how it works in sports performance.

Key Discussion Points:

Addressing Common Misconceptions:

• The aerobic system helps restore phosphocreatine
• Creatine kinase is one of the fastest enzymes in the body

Deep Dive:

• ATP review
• Phosphagen Intro
• Capacity, Fatigue, Recovery
• Training Applications
• Coaching Points

Webinar Pitch, Outro & Feedback

• Link to webinar

Noteworthy Moments/Quotes:

• 0:54 - First the fun! Coach Donald talks about the start of track competition and Coach Tim shares his experience training and running with Jordan from Kool Run Club.
• 10:56 - Coach Donald talks about how the aerobic system creates energy that can then be used during anaerobic efforts.
• 14:10 - The coaches introduce the phosphagen system and what it does.
• 20:16 - Coach Donald takes a deep dive into capacity, fatigue and recovery as it relates to the phosphagen system.
• 31:10 - Using creatine as a supplement.
• 35:36 - Coach Donald explores how the phosphagen system ties into strength training.
• 40:50 - The coaches talk about some practical training applications for athletes.
• 50:08 - Coach Donald and Coach Tim wrap up the episode with some real-world examples of why it’s important to train the phosphagen system.

Resources Mentioned:

• Webinar: https://ghperformance.com/webinar/
• Website: https://ghperformance.com/

Next Episode Teaser:

In Season 2: Episode 15, the coaches talk about training-related fatigue, how to manage it and best recovery practices.

Summary:

• Coach Donald & Coach Tim talk about their reading habits, share some Coaching Moments and explore ATP and the energy systems that produce it.

Key Discussion Points:

• Addressing Common Misconceptions:

1) Correction about LAH

2) Fat cells don’t decrease, they get smaller

3) ATP is mostly just used to keep your body temperature up

• Deep Dive:

1) What is metabolism?

2) ATP review

3) Anaerobic vs Aerobic: The Big 3 energy systems

• Webinar Pitch, Outro & Feedback

1) Link to webinar

Noteworthy Moments/Quotes:

• 0:22 - The coaches discuss what books they are currently into, and what their reading habits are.
• 8:00 - Coach Donald and Coach Tim share their Coaching Highlights & Learning Moments.
• 13:09 - Coach Donald brings up an interesting thought experiment about what it means to be a “good person.”
• 15:03 - The coaches finally get into the show and introduce the training topic for the episode.
• 19:40 - The coaches start their Deep Dive into ATP and the energy systems that create it.
• 28:04 - Coach Donald shares some insight into the aerobic vs. anaerobic systems.
• 42:58 - Coach Tim shares a personal coaching experience, and Coach Donald dives into the glycolytic system and its use in training.
• 54:30 - Coach Donald talks about his experience watching one of our youth athletes compete.
• 1:07:24 - Coach Donald recaps the episode.

Resources Mentioned:

• Webinar: https://ghperformance.com/webinar/
• Website: https://ghperformance.com/

Next Episode Teaser:

In Season 2: Episode 14, the coaches take a deep dive into the creatine-phosphate system.

Summary:

1. Coach Donald & Coach Tim share some personal stories about their own training, racing and competing in this training-centric episode of “Ask Me Anything.”

Key Discussion Points:

“Ask Me Anything” Questions:

1. 1) Is there a moment in your life you’re especially proud of?
2. 2) What are some stories about the two of you competing?
3. 3) What are your favorite places to run?
4. 4) What are some nutrition tips you can provide?
5. 5) How do I know if I’m selecting the appropriate weight/load during my gym sessions?

Webinar Pitch, Outro & Feedback

1. 1) Link to webinar

Noteworthy Moments/Quotes:

1. 2:40 - The coaches talk about some moments in their life that they are especially proud of, like Coach Tim’s BQ and Coach Donald’s half-Ironman.
2. 13:45 - Coach Donald shares his experience coaching overseas.
3. 23:57 - The coaches share some of their competition stories, including some racing misadventures from Coach Tim and a redemption story from Coach Donald.
4. 55:50 - The coaches do a little rapid-fire Q&A to wrap up the episode.

Resources Mentioned:

1. Webinar: https://ghperformance.com/webinar/
2. Website: https://ghperformance.com/

Next Episode Teaser:

In Season 2: Episode 13, the coaches kick off Series Two on metabolism.

Summary:

1. Coach Donald & Coach Tim share some personal stories about their lives, coaching careers and athlete successes in this people-centric episode of “Ask Me Anything.”

Key Discussion Points:

1. “Ask Me Anything” Questions:
2. What is something not many people know about you?
3. Who do you look up to?
4. What athletes do you feel most improved during your time training them?
5. What made you guys want to become coaches?
6. Webinar Pitch, Outro & Feedback
7. Link to webinar

Noteworthy Moments/Quotes:

1. 2:53 - The coaches introduce the “AMA” episode, talk about the people-centric theme for the first part of a two-part series and Coach Tim admits an embarrassing fact about the Winter Olympics.
2. 10:45 - The coaches address the first question, and Coach Tim shares a story about scuba diving while Coach Donald talks about his childhood dreams.
3. 25:55 - The coaches talk about the people they look up to.
4. 41:12 - The coaches share some historical success stories from athletes. Coach Tim talks about specific training groups from a previous position, while Coach Donald highlights youth athletes that have trained at GHP.
5. 52:05 - The coaches share their origin stories as coaches.
6. 1:09:03 - Coach Donald wraps up the episode, and plugs the Strength Training for Runners webinar.

Resources Mentioned:

1. Webinar: https://ghperformance.com/webinar/
2. Website: https://ghperformance.com/

Next Episode Teaser:

In Season 2: Episode 12, the coaches tackle more “Ask Me Anything” questions!!

Summary:

1. In Episode 10, the coaches recap what lactate threshold training is and then explore ways to test, train and race at that threshold

Key Discussion Points:

1. Addressing Common Misconceptions:
2. Tempo training is the same as LT training
3. LT training should be brutal
4. Deep Dive:
5. How lactate threshold differs from other types of training
6. What is happening when we run under, at or over LT
7. How you can test your lactate threshold
8. What does LT training mean for performance
9. What it feels like to train at LT
10. LT training parameters & environment
11. Webinar Pitch, Outro & Feedback
12. Submit questions for the “Ask Me Anything” episode

Noteworthy Moments/Quotes:

1. 1:08 - The coaches celebrate the arrival of the new equipment
2. 4:25 - Coach Tim shares his Coaching Moment of the week and Coach Donald talks about the Strength Training for Runners webinar
3. 7:00 - The coaches explore some common myths associated with lactate threshold training, and go on a crusade against “tempo” running
4. 20:15 - Coach Donald shares the discussion topics for the day, while Coach Tim provides a brief recap of what lactate “buffering” means and talks about what is happening at a cellular level when we run at “threshold”
5. 25:10 - The coaches talk about how you can test your lactate threshold, and learn what paces might correspond to your threshold
6. 35:45 - Coach Tim chats about how lactate threshold training translates to a real-world setting and race-specific environment
7. 44:15 - The coaches talk about the best practices and parameters for athletes to train at lactate threshold
8. 50:42 - Coach Donald wraps up the episode, teases the next series and solicits questions for the “Ask Me Anything” episode

Resources Mentioned:

1. Webinar: https://ghperformance.com/webinar/
2. Website: https://ghperformance.com/

Actionable Takeaways:

1. Lactate threshold training is hard, but sustainable and NOT a brutal crash & burn effort
2. VO2 max training raises your ceiling, but lactate threshold training determines how close you can get to that ceiling at a lower metabolic cost
3. You can determine your lactate threshold using different fitness tests outside of a lab environment

Next Episode Teaser:

In Season 2: Episode 11, the coaches tackle the “Ask Me Anything” questions!!

Summary:

1. In Episode 9, the coaches provide insight and context for lactate threshold (LT) training and discuss the basic biology behind these higher-intensity sessions.

Key Discussion Points:

1. Addressing Common Misconceptions:
2. Understanding LAH+ in the body
3. Soreness is not leftover LAH+
4. La- is not bad, it is fuel
5. Deep Dive:
6. What is your Lactate Threshold
7. How does Lactate/H+ accumulate
8. How does buffering + clearance work
9. Why does it burn when I’m beyond LT
10. What happens when you keep training beyond LT
11. Webinar Pitch, Outro & Feedback
12. Submit questions for the “Ask Me Anything” episode!

Noteworthy Moments/Quotes:

1. 3:52 - The coaches share their Coaching Moments from the past few weeks
2. 9:02 - Coach Donald shares some Training Myths revolving around lactate threshold
3. 14:44 - The coaches start their Deep Dive into lactate threshold: what it is, how does it affect you and what happens when you train at your lactate threshold
4. 36:39 - Coach Donald provides a brief recap of the concepts covered in the episode
5. 45:54 - The coaches offer some practical Training Takeaways for athletes
6. 48:19 - Coach Donald shares that the topic for Ep. 11 is “Ask Me Anything,” and encourages listeners to submit their questions

Resources Mentioned:

1. Webinar: https://ghperformance.com/webinar/
2. Website: https://ghperformance.com/

Actionable Takeaways:

1. Lactate threshold training is improving your body’s ability to buffer acidity
2. LT training is hard but sustainable, not a “crash & burn” effort
3. If you cannot maintain the effort for 30 minutes, it’s likely too fast. If you can sustain the effort for more than an hour, it’s likely too slow.

Next Episode Teaser:

In Season 2: Episode 10, Coach Tim shares some strategies, techniques and tools that athletes can use to get the most out of their lactate threshold training sessions.

Summary:

1. In Ep. 8, the coaches define the difference between V02 max and vV02 max, discuss the benefits of training to improve both metrics, what it means in a racing environment and offer some tips for performance-based athletes.

Key Discussion Points:

1. Addressing Common Misconceptions:
2. A higher VO₂ max guarantees better race results
3. VO₂ max is the best single metric to track
4. vVO₂ max is just a lab number
5. Deep Dive:
6. Central Capacity vs Usable Speed
7. What vVO₂ Max Actually Represents
8. Muscle-Level and Metabolic Factors
9. Fractional Utilization and Fatigue Resistance
10. Neuromuscular and Mechanical Efficiency
11. Webinar Pitch, Outro & Feedback
12. Training Takeaways

Noteworthy Moments/Quotes:

1. 4:05 - The coaches introduce the topics of V02 max and vV02 max, discuss their contributing factors and dispel some common myths
2. 20:35 - Coach Donald & Coach Tim start their Deep Dive by talking about the training parameters that affect V02 and vV02 max, and what they look like in a real-world setting
3. 29:17 - Coach Donald breaks down the idea of running efficiency and economy at V02 max, and the coaches brainstorm a brilliant idea for some new GHP swag
4. 38:05 - The coaches talk about the practical application of running at high percentages of V02 max, and what it looks like in a racing context
5. 47:55 - Episode summary and training takeaways for athletes

Resources Mentioned:

1. Webinar: https://ghperformance.com/webinar/
2. Website: https://ghperformance.com/

Actionable Takeaways:

1. Train VO₂ max to build capacity, but don’t live there year-round.
2. Use vVO₂ max–focused work to raise race-relevant speed, improve efficiency under stress and make fitness usable.
3. If your aerobic fitness is high but your speed isn’t improving, efficiency (not capacity) is likely the bottleneck.

Next Episode Teaser:

1. In Season 2: Episode 9, the coaches talk about lactate threshold training and introduce the concept of fatigue management and offer some best practices for athletes.

Summary:

In Ep. 7 the coaches explain what running economy means, what the benefits are to improving your efficiency and some key takeaways on how to train to get more out of your running.

Key Discussion Points:

Addressing Common Misconceptions:

1. Running economy only matters for long-distance runners
2. Better economy just means shorter steps or higher cadence

Deep Dive:

1. How Your Muscles and Nervous System Affect Economy
2. What You Feel When Economy Improves
3. What’s Happening When You Sprint, Jump, or Change Direction
4. Why Running Fast Can Actually Improve Economy
5. Which Body Areas Matter Most for Efficiency
6. Training Takeaways for Athletes

Webinar Pitch, Outro & Feedback

1. Final Thoughts
2. Webinar Plug
3. Next Episode Preview

Noteworthy Moments/Quotes:

1. 0:40 - Coach Donald recaps his cruise vacation with Coach Leslie and talks about some of their adventures
2. 12:53 - The coaches share their respective Coaching Moments
3. 18:00 - Coach Donald & Coach Tim discuss some common myths related to running economy and running efficiency
4. 27:40 - The coaches talk about the factors that actually make running more efficient
5. 46:35 - How an athlete can train and develop their running economy
6. 51:49 - Coach Donald expands on the neuromuscular component of up-tempo running
7. 59:58 - Wrap up & key takeaways

Resources Mentioned:

1. Webinar: https://ghperformance.com/webinar/
2. Website: https://ghperformance.com/

Actionable Takeaways:

1. Efficient athletes turn on muscles quickly, turn off what they don’t need and don’t fight themselves with extra tension.
2. When your running economy improves, strides feel lighter, you don’t feel like you’re forcing speed and you recover faster between efforts.
3. Faster movement teaches your nervous system to recruit muscles more effectively, reduce unnecessary tension and use elastic energy better.
4. Pay attention to how long your speed holds up, whether your form falls apart under effort and how quickly you recover between reps.
5. If you’re always exhausted but not faster, economy is probably the limiting factor.
6. Support the podcast by downloading Coach Donald’s Strength Training for Runners webinar!

Next Episode Teaser:

1. Season 2: Episode 8 - The coaches talk about aerobic power, VO2 max and vVo2max, and what that means for athletes and their training and performance.

Summary:

Coach Donald and Coach Tim discuss the key points of building an aerobic fitness base, and why it is such an important component of overall athletic performance regardless of an athlete’s sport or experience level.

Key Discussion Points:

1. Addressing Common Misconceptions:

1) Aerobic capabilities don’t matter for power sports

2) High-intensity activities are required for base-building

1. Deep Dive:

1) Cardiac and metabolic adaptations

2) Tendon, bone & muscle adaptations

3) Nervous system adaptations & efficiency/economy

1. Webinar Pitch, Outro & Feedback

Noteworthy Moments/Quotes:

1. 5:22 - Coaching Highlights include learning programming techniques and fielding questions from athletes
2. 13:00 - The coaches dispel some common myths and discuss how the aerobic base serves a purpose as recovery in most sports
3. 19:30 - The purpose and dosage of high intensity interval work required when building an aerobic base
4. 22:50 - Defining what “base building” actually means
5. 26:05 - Sprinters, team/field-sport athletes, and endurance athletes all need aerobic development — just in different proportions
6. 26:30 - The coaches take a deep dive into cardiac and metabolic adaptations and tendon, bone and muscle changes to aerobic base building
7. 42:10 - The nervous system refines landing mechanics, making each step more uniform, more efficient and less costly
8. 46:00 - How strength training plays an important role in aerobic base building
9. 52:30 - Episode re-cap & Coaching Considerations

Resources Mentioned:

1. Webinar: https://ghperformance.com/webinar/
2. Website: https://ghperformance.com/

Actionable Takeaways:

1. All athletes can benefit from having a good aerobic base!
2. Do a lot of low intensity work early in the training cycle, to support higher intensity activities later
3. Load and intensity will differ for each individual athlete
4. Support the podcast by downloading Coach Donald’s Strength Training for Runners webinar!

Summary:

Coach Donald & Coach Tim make the case for single-leg strength training, along with how and why all athletes should incorporate it into their programming.

Key Discussion Points:

Addressing Common Misconceptions:

• Prehab/rehab, balance and lower loads

Deep Dive:

• Neuromuscular demands
• Biomechanical implications
• Relative force
• Programming

Webinar Pitch, Outro & Feedback

Noteworthy Moments/Quotes:

• 7:00 - Coach Donald & Coach Tim share their most recent Coaching Moments.
• 14:25 - The coaches address some common myths when it comes to single-leg strength training, like it only being useful for rehab and balance and that you shouldn’t do it with high loads.
• 17:50 - A discussion on the neuromuscular demands of single-leg training versus bilateral.
• 20:52 - The coaches talk about the biomechanical implications of sprinting, cutting and jumping that make the argument for single-leg training.
• 25:40 - Coach Donald unpacks relative force, the bilateral deficit phenomenon and how single-leg strength training can help mitigate injuries.
• 32:30 - The coaches talk about best practices when programming single-leg strength training for athletes.
• 42:24 - Episode recap and closing notes.

Resources:

Webinar: https://ghperformance.com/webinar/

Website: https://ghperformance.com/

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9331349/

https://physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/share/GRNFMYYMRSE3SC8XJS7R?target=10.1113/EP091881