RunnersConnect Run to the Top Podcast

We’ve put together some of the best interviews we’ve conducted over the past 6 years from masters coaches, researchers and high-performing athletes to help you better understand the benefits of strength training in any running program. In this interview… We’ll dispel some of the myths out there around strength training Look at what the academic research says about its applicability to running Help...

Do you have great results at shorter distances like the 5k and 10k, but can’t run equivalent times for longer races like the HM and Marathon? That’s the problem Aliisa Laurie has dealt with her last few marathons. Alissa has posted impressive times at shorter distances, but through a combination of training errors and injuries has fallen short of her potential in the marathon. Listen in to Coach M...

How many times have you been in a training run or race environment where issues like nausea, bloating, or cramping have interrupted performance?  Or how often have you tried to experiment with the latest drink mixes, gels, and bars only to find yourself back at square one wondering what will keep you properly fueled and focused on the task at hand during prolonged exercise?  Personally, I’ve lost...

Extending beyond normal sleep and nutrition routines, have you ever wondered about alternative recovery methods? Maybe you’ve had conversations with family and friends about Eastern Medicine, novel medical procedures, a new technology or something else along those lines and you’ve wondered: could this help my running? Well this episode of Run to the Top is another Up Tempo Talk with RunnersConnect...

For those of you who have been fans of RunnersConnect for some time now, you know that some of our favorite events of the year are our running retreats. It’s truly amazing to get to spend 4-5 days with passionate runners - talking about running, exploring awesome trails, and learning together. Now, runners attend our retreats for a lot of different reasons - the chance to run in awesome places, al...

What if you could actually run your best past age 40? And get fitter and stronger? We’ve put together some of the best interviews we’ve conducted over the past 10 years from masters coaches, researchers and record holders to help you better understand how to adapt your training as you age. We’ll go over the mental obstacles we face as masters runners, from perhaps not being able to reach our previ...

We are back with another edition of Training Plan rescue. The feedback from the previous episode has been great and Coach Jeff is excited to take a deep dive into a listener's training plan this week to see what we can all learn and apply to our training.  This week, we’re looking at a training plan from Tim Ballard. Tim has been running for about 10 years and making good progress up until the las...

What comes to mind when you think about “amino acids”? Are you incorporating them into your diet? Have you considered the performance and recovery benefits of amino acids for your running training? If not, you’ll want to tune in to this episode where I chat with Angelo Keely, the Co-founder and CEO of Kion. You’ll learn… About the importance of amino acids for body composition, fitness, and overal...

Do you ever notice fellow runners taking an interesting approach to a particular run or training block? Or using certain recovery tools or consuming certain drinks and foods in their quest to improve and reach peak performance? In any of these circumstances, maybe you’ve asked yourself: “Why do you runners do that?”  Well, this episode of Run to the Top is another Up Tempo Talk with Runners Connec...

What should I eat before I run? It’s an age-old question faced by many runners both new to the sport and those who have been training seriously and are looking to fine tune their training diet. Unfortunately, this isn’t a question with a simple answer. First, almost every runner will differ in terms of what works well for their stomach and the types of foods they prefer, both in terms of taste and...

Did you know we’ve been publishing interviews with some of the leading scientists, coaches, athletes and experts in the running world since 2011! That means we’ve had more than a decade of experts to learn from and to help you hone your training. That said, combing through podcast archives to find specific answers to your questions or the challenges you’re feeling with in training now isn’t always...

We are excited to share with you the first rendition of our “training plan rescue” series where a listener sends us their busted training plan and our coaches rescue it.  In this episode, our Head Coach Michael Hammond analyzes and offers recommendations on the training plan from a listener named Alex who has been aiming and falling short of his goal to break 3:40 in the marathon. You’ll learn abo...

We have bittersweet news to share. This is the last episode hosted by Claire Bartholic!  In this special, transition episode of the Run to the Top Podcast, Claire Bartholic bids farewell to listeners and welcomes new Host Finn Melanson. You will also hear from RunnersConnect Founder Jeff Gaudette who talks further about next steps for the podcast and the types of content listeners can expect from...

Planning a destination race in a far away place has lots of challenges. International travel is even more stressful since there are so many details that you will have to figure out before you even set foot on the plane. To navigate the dos and don’ts of destination races, I’m speaking with Angie and Trevor Spencer, the duo in charge at Marathon Training Academy. Angie and Trevor love nothing more...

If you’ve been a runner long enough, some well meaning person will eventually ask you about your knees. Running is actually good for your knees, but if you’re the one who’s got knee pain on the run, that’s not particularly comforting. So what can we do about this common injury in runners? Do we have to stop running completely? Thankfully, the answer is usually no. But there’s a lot more to it than...

Have you hit a plateau in your running? Despite doing all the right things, or most of the right things that you are supposed to be doing, you just seem stuck. Maybe it’s because you're getting older and you think your better days are behind you. Maybe you need a new workout plan, a new coach, new shoes, or a new supplement to get you to the next level. Or perhaps you’re just not finding the joy i...

All runners are not the same. Distance runners and sprinters really seem to be engaging in an entirely different sport. Tiny and lean elite marathoners are a stark contrast to muscular, powerful sprinters. Training for these events is vastly different and what it takes to be successful for a 100m sprinter is quite different than that for a marathoner. Or is it? Certainly it’s easy to find the diff...

As good as running is for our bodies, it’s probably equally good, if not even more so, for our brains. The mental health benefits of aerobic exercise have been proven over and over again in scientific studies. On today’s Run to the Top Podcast, we explore the topic of running as a meditation practice with author and runner Nita Sweeney. You might remember her from being on the show a couple of yea...

Running is a massive participation sport. About 50 million Americans (or 15 percent of the U.S. population) participate in some form of running, according to a 2020 report from the Sports & Fitness Industry Association. Yet very few elite runners are true household names these days. Sure, there might be some stories that capture the world’s attention, usually around the Olympic Games, but overall...

What if I told you that there is something out there that can help you build lean muscle, boost endurance, reduce fatigue, help you perform better, help slow down the aging process, with virtually no downsides? Not only that, it’s something that is super cheap, safe, and has been rigorously studied for decades. You’d probably say it’s too good to be true. Well, it actually is true. It’s creatine....

Trail running can be intimidating to lots of people. What if you get lost, break your ankle, or see a snake? I’m not sure that you’re safer running in the city with weirdos and speeding BMWs, but I think it’s pretty normal to be intimidated by trail running if you’ve never done it before. Anne (Wheatly) George is on the Run to the Top today to help us out. Anne has challenged herself with some of...

It’s the middle of summer and for fall marathoners, it’s time to get into your marathon build up. On today’s Run to the Top Podcast, I’m going to go over exactly what you should be doing for the next 12-14 weeks, week by week, to get ready for your best marathon yet. I’ll go over what your training should look like each week with modifications for first time marathoners and for advanced runners. Y...

According to the Centers for Disease Control, 25% of Americans have experienced back pain in the last three months. Up to 80% of all adults have felt it at some point in their lifetime. There are lots of reasons for this and most of them stem from leading a sedentary lifestyle. But you’re a runner. You’re not sedentary. So why are you getting a pain in the back when you run? We invited physical th...

To be a serious athlete, it’s pretty much a given that you need to be, well, serious. Serious about your training, what you eat, how you recover. You need to choose your races wisely. You need to say no to things that might be a lot of fun, but don’t align with your bigger goals. Or do you? Shawanna White is definitely a serious runner, but she is clearly having way more fun than the rest of us. (...

Plantar fasciitis sidelines countless numbers of runners each year, with a stabbing pain in every step. The good news is there is treatment and prevention which can make your feet less susceptible to this debilitating injury. And the best protocols might not be what you think they are. The Plantar Fasciitis Doctor, Dr Angela Walk, joins Coach Claire to explain more. Yes, that’s really her last nam...