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Going Beyond Training to Master Your Fitness – Interview with Ben Greenfield

By on February 21, 2014 in Interview, Low Carb, Nutrition, Podcasts

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Ben Greenfield participating in a high fat low carb performance study

Ben Greenfield participating in a high fat low carb performance study

In this episode we talk with nutrition expert and triathlete Ben Greenfield about going beyond training to master your endurance.

Ben talks with us about being a fat adapted runner and answers nutrition questions from the listening audience.

You will hear questions and answers about his new book Beyond Training, the benefit of fat adaption for endurance athletes, the best way to become fat-adapted, what to do about an under active thyroid, snacks that fill you up without causing weight gain, what type of diet his kids eat, preventing heart & coronary disease, and the question of whether supplements provide a clear benefit.

But Wait There’s More!
We got exclusive permission to post content from chapter 13 of Beyond Training -the chapter entitled “How Much Carbohydrate, Protein, and Fat You Need to Stay Lean, Stay Sexy, and Perform Like a Beast”.

I asked him for this chapter because it deals specifically with high fat low-carb diets. As far as I know, we are the only website on the internet where you can read this content for free! (yes, we feel special) Continue Reading →

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Special 4th Anniversary Edition – Listener Q and A

By on February 10, 2014 in Podcasts

100th Episode*Audio Content Available For Members Only. Click Here to Join Now

In this special 100th episode of the marathon training academy podcast we answer real questions from every day runners who are trying to take their running and their health to the next level.

I answer questions about running multiple marathons, hill training, the 10% rule, 50ks, proper recovery, eating a high fat low carb diet, speedwork, running form, and questions about our family.

Continue Reading →

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I Biffed It – Taking a Tumble While Running!

By on January 28, 2014 in Safety, Trail Running

Not to happy about tripping over this!

Not to happy about tripping over this!

Face it, if you run enough you are going to take a tumble.

If you run on trails the probability of falling goes up exponentially.

It happened to me for the first time about 4 days ago. I was speeding through a 5 mile trail run on a nice leafy path. During the final downhill section a root stub sticking out of ground about 2 inches caught my left foot. I immediately went horizontal.

If you could rewind the tape and play it in slow motion you would see the following: Continue Reading →

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High Fat, Low-Carbohydrate Diets | Interview with Dr. Tim Noakes [part 2]

By on January 23, 2014 in Low Carb, Nutrition, Podcasts

Tim Noakes*Audio Content Available For Members Only. Click Here to Join Now

Many runners have experienced this frustration . . . no matter how much you run it doesn’t seem to have a dramatic effect on your weight loss.

Speaking from his personal experience of having completed over 70 marathons and ultra marathons Dr. Noakes writes,

“In forty-one years of running I have learnt that the numerous benefits of exercise do not include any sustained effects on weight loss.” -Challenging Beliefs, Kindle version

We have all heard the conventional formula for losing weight: (1) eat less (2) exercise more.

But when you step back and think about this model a cruel irony settles in . . . Continue Reading →

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Your Brain as the Central Governor – Interview with Dr. Tim Noakes

By on January 11, 2014 in Interview, Podcasts, Running Physiology

Dr. Tim Noakes*[Audio Content Available For Members Only. Click Here to Join Now]

Dr. Tim Noakes is a professor of exercise and sports science at the University of Cape Town, South Africa.

He has completed more than 70 marathons and ultra-marathons and is the author of Waterlogged, Running Injuries, Challenging Beliefs, and the Lore of Running.

The Lore of running (900 pages) is the first running book Trevor bought me before we started the MTA podcast. I have kept it by my reading chair for reference ever since. It is worth its weight in gold.

While we had Dr. Noakes on the phone we were eager to talk with him about how the brain governs one’s performance in the marathon. Here’s what he had to say, Continue Reading →

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Increasing Productivity and Reaching Goals in Marathon Training and Life

By on January 2, 2014 in Motivation, Podcasts

2014*Audio Content Available For Members Only. Click Here to Join Now

As we enter the New Year many of us have ideas about what we’d like to do and accomplish in 2014.

I think it’s healthy to have goals and dreams and work toward these things. However, I’ve read that only 8% of people’s resolutions actually get carried out.

I know I’ve been guilty of letting many good intentions go by the wayside. One common roadblock to accomplishing goals is the fact that we’re already so busy. Sometimes it seems overwhelming to add even another good thing to our schedule.

Here are my three tips for getting things done . . . (and loving it) Continue Reading →

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How to Beat Training Burnout

By on December 22, 2013 in Guest Perspective, Motivation

amywillGuest blogger Amy Will shares how she avoided burn out while juggling marathon training and the responsibilities of being a new parent.

As I signed up to run my sixth marathon, the Bemidji Blue Ox Marathon, I couldn’t anticipate how very different this race would be. This would be my inaugural marathon as a wife and new parent.

My post-baby body felt near normal, but I found myself physically and mentally exhausted as I adjusted to being a mom. In the peak mileage of training, I found myself completely burnt out and questioning whether I wanted to even run the race anymore! My desire to run had somehow snuck away. What was I thinking when I signed up for another marathon? Basically, I was burnt out – big time.

The lack of sleep, pressure I put on myself to run a certain finish time, not listening to my body, and the stress of being a new mom eventually got to me. Just in time to run my last training 20-miler, I came down with a nasty sinus infection.

I did my best not to stress about running only one 20-miler, the less than ideal training, and the fact that I didn’t even want to run this race anymore. In the last couple weeks before the race, I did my best to find joy in running again and escape this running rut.

Here are a few ways I beat the training burnout: Continue Reading →

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Race Recap: The Rocket City Marathon in Huntsville, Alabama

By on December 18, 2013 in Podcasts, Race Recap

Rocket City Marathon*Audio Content Available For Members Only. Click Here to Join Now

On December 14, 2013 we got to run the 37th annual Rocket City Marathon in Huntsville, AL put on by the Huntsville Track Club.

Huntsville is located in the north central part of Alabama and was a 5.5 hour drive for us. The city has around 180,000 residents and is the home of NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center and US Army Aviation and Missile Command.

This race is geared toward marathoners as it doesn’t offer any other races except a kids “marathon” later in the morning. The entry fee is very reasonable (around $60) considering the good organization, support and swag.
Continue Reading →

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Let’s Get Physiological! Vo2 Max, Heart Rate Variability, Anaerobic Threshold and More

By on December 12, 2013 in Fueling, Podcasts, Running Physiology

running pysiology*Audio Content Available For Members Only. Click Here to Join Now

In this blog post/podcast episode we want to delve into a few more components of understanding how your body ticks by discussing heart rate variability (HRV), V02 max and anaerobic threshold (AT).

I received a question from a listener related to our podcast about heart rate training. He says,

“The only thing you did not discuss and maybe there is no answer to this, but I’d like to know more about monitoring and tracking recovery heart rate after a workout. I “appear” to recover very quickly after a long or hard workout, as my heart rate comes back to normal quickly. Do you have any data or thoughts on this?”

This excellent question leads into the topic of heart rate variability (HRV). Continue Reading →

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How to Nearly Fail at a Marathon

By on December 3, 2013 in Beginner, Guest Perspective, Hills

North Country Trail Run

North Country Trail Run

Guest blogger Jeremy Verdusco gives us the painful details of his first trail marathon. Here’s what he learned . . .

Plenty of books and websites offer marathon training advice. How do I run a sub-4 hour marathon? How do I properly fuel for a marathon? What’s the best marathon pacing strategy?

I read a lot of that advice. I tried to follow it. I’ve finished four marathons and plan to sign up soon for a fifth. I’ve benefited from many of those running tips, and disregarded others that didn’t help me.

So what advice can I, a mid-pack runner, share?

I want to share the lessons I learned nearly failing at a marathon. Read on and I’ll tell you what you can do to avoid coming as close to a DNF as possible without dropping out. You’ll want to read this because finishing a marathon in four hours is hard, but finishing one in nearly seven hours means true suffering.

Learn from my mistakes. Continue Reading →

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Giving Thanks for Running – Stories from Real People Who Have Transformed Their Lives Through Running

By on November 28, 2013 in Motivation, Podcasts, Weight Loss

*Audio Content Available For Members Only. Click Here to Join Now

Hi Folks, Angie came up with a great idea while out on a run one morning, “Let’s do a special Thanksgiving episode that’s all about why we are thankful for running”.

So we solicited running stories from our audience and the response was great. You are going to hear from people who have lost 100+ pounds, busted through depression, took control of their health and positively redefined themselves.

  • Special thanks to: Lea, Melissa, Jim, Omar, Kate, Corinne, Glynda, Ed, Foti, Nicole, and Anna for sending in their inspiring running stories!

My Transformation
I also talk about my own running journey which roughly began in 2010. Thanks to Angie’s guidance I went from desk potato to marathoner.

I hated running. Building up to my first 5k was slow and torturous. But my body adapted!

Below you will find a side by side comparison of what I looked like before and after becoming a runner. I didn’t start running in order to lose weight but, as you can see, running has taken off 20 pounds of fat. Continue Reading →

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Run More! Interview with Chuck Engle aka Marathon Junkie

By on November 23, 2013 in Interview, Podcasts

chuck_engle*Audio Content Available For Members Only. Click Here to Join Now

In this episode we talk with Chuck Engle the man who holds the record for most career marathon wins of any person in the United States.

He has won 164 out of 332 marathons with an average time of 2:43. At age 42 he continues to race almost every weekend and he continues to win.

Chuck lives in Coos Bay, Oregon, and is the internet marketing director for marathonguide.com. His approach to marathon training is “run more”.

Ten questions for the marathon junkie: Continue Reading →

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