The Better Podcast

Joe and Matti answer a listener's question about morning routines. They dig into morning workouts, sleep, alcohol, screen time, food, and much more! 

Joe and Matti chat about ownership and how owning your training plan will lead to the best results. They dive into the patterns, habits, and mindset that support this process. Grab a pen and paper because this one has tons of great tips and ideas! 

Wondering how to balance the holidays with training? All those cookies... so much alcohol... too much togetherness! Joe and Matti will calm your impending stress in this week's episode. Check out these tips so you can head into next week feeling relaxed and ready for the Holidays!   

Joe and Matti discuss Joe's athletic journey and his process for getting back to training. They dive into injuries, athletic identity, coaching philosophies, and strength training insights.   

Joe and Matti have a fun chat to recap this summer and all the lessons learned along the way. Including Joe's mindset shift brought on by mountain biking and Matti's race experiences + gravel goals. 

Joe and Matti discuss some general concepts that relate to many different areas in life, including training. These patterns can help us have clarity on the best course of action so we can get to where we want to be faster. 

Joe and Grace are joined by Rea Kolbl - gymnast turned runner turned obstacle course racer turned skimo racer!  She shares her unique perspective on being a professional athlete, life, training, and so much more. 

Joe and Grace talk with badass athlete, Silverfork skimo coach, race director, and emergency room PA, Sarah Cookler.  They chat about Sarah's background, how she started a skimo club, the future of the Powderkeg, and a ton more!

Coach Jaime Brede talks with two of her athletes, Kevin Clarke and Bryan MacGurn. They highlight the value of planning, consistency, communication, enjoying the process, and finding your "why". This one is packed with valuable insights! 

Joe talks with badass mountain athletes and parents, Brad and Nikki LaRochelle. The three dive into how Brad and Nikki juggle training, endurance goals, family, and parenting. Joe gives a shout-out to summer coaching plans and short/fast mountain running races. 

Joe and Matti are joined by Andy Rowe. And yes, he is Matti's big brother! Andy went through an incredible journey to health and is here to tell his candid story. From poor eating habits, stress, weight gain, to weight loss, and achieving goals, this episode is an awesome and inspiring roller coaster.   "You'll never be perfectly prepared - just move forward imperfectly. The important thing is tha...

Joe and Grace talk with mountain guide, author, and skimo friend, Rob Coppolillo. They cover Rob's background in guiding, his impressive publications, living in Chamonix, and so much more!

Joe and Grace talk with SEA and Team Summit coach and endurance athlete Jaime Brede. They dive into Jaime's background, racing at the pro/elite level, and her transition into coaching. Also, Jaime gives a shout-out to Team Summit, Joe encourages checking out USA Skimo and Grace promotes Skimo Stats.

Joe and Matti discuss relationships and training. They cover it all, from communication tips, setting expectations, being ok with some selfishness, and providing support. Also, Matti looks ahead to gravel races while Joe is in skimo mode, including consulting and customizing training plans.

Joe and Grace talk to SEA athlete, Brooke Haynes about her path to becoming an athlete in her late 20's. Together they chat about balancing training with work/family/friends and dive into keeping things fun! Also, Grace continues her European adventures and prepares for the French Cup while Joe is back to racing here in Summit County.

This episode will fuel your body and soul. Joe and Grace sit down with sports dietitian extraordinaire Kylee Van Horn from Fly Nutrition. Together they answer questions like 'how much should you eat during a workout?', 'how to keep your fuel from freezing on cold days?', and 'what's the weirdest workout fuel choice you've seen?'.

Doug Stenclik, from Cripple Creek Backcountry, Wild Snow, and the Totally Deep Podcast, joins this episode to talk skimo gear, tell some comical race stories, and play a little ski mountaineering 'would you rather'. Also in this episode, Grace goes to Europe and Joe takes a vacation. 

Joe and Matti debate the High Fat Low Carb nutrition trends and their impact on athlete performance. They do a deep dive into what really happens in the body during fat adapted racing and training. Matti is back on the bike racing and Joe is back in the snow getting stoked for winter.

Joe and Grace talk with Dirk Friel, Co-Founder and Chief Evangelist at Training Peaks. Get excited for winter and learn how Training Peaks can help optimize your training. Also, Grace races in Broken Arrow before heading to Europe while Joe works the Badass Class circuit.

Eat your heart out science nerds! Joe and Matti review a podcast about dopamine and apply their learnings to optimize endurance sport and training. Joe does a deep dive into additional dopamine research and compares his findings to the podcast. They discuss how dopamine influences addiction, motivation, and what is known and unknown about how it works. Also, Matti's son has started ripping around...

Joe and Grace talk to Chris Knerl, Strength Coach and Performance Manager at Howard Head Sports Medicine, about strength philosophies, strategies, and Grace's box jumps. This one includes a lot of knowledge and some motivational phrases you can tape to your mirror.

Joe and Matti discuss injuries; everyday habits to prevent them and what to do about niggles (little pains that could turn into big injuries if not addressed properly). Also, Matti prepares for his final bike race of the season and Joe continues to work on an injury of his own.

As the summer training and race season comes to an end, do you need to take a two week break? Joe and Matti explore the benefits of seasonal breaks and how to spend those dreaded 14 days without training and racing. Matti tells a harrowing story of getting lost during a gravel bike race. Also, how is success defined as an athlete? And is it really possible to find the perfect balance between paren...

Joe and Grace talk to USSMA Board President, Ram Mikulas about how the sport of skimo gets to be included in the Olympics. Also, Grace dominates The Rut, Joe is back to hard workouts, and everyone has a take on intervals called Build-A-Bear.

In this episode Joe and Grace talk about off season training, how to use poles while running, and the smoke factor.