Science Of Ultra (Shawn Bearden)

Iñigo Mujika (PhD) has coached numerous Olympians, national teams, and is recognized as one of the top triathlon (swimming, cycling, and running) coaches in the world. He's published over 100 peer-reviewed articles, books, and book chapters. He literally wrote the book on tapering, which is the main focus of our discussion though we touch on many other important and practical topics. Find all the links we talk about at https://scienceofultra.com/podcasts/127

Ian Torrence has complete nearly 200 ultra distance events and has won approximately 25% of them. He has important advice to give regarding longevity in the sport and approaches to DNFing that you need to hear if you want to be successful in this sport for years to come.

Andy Jones is one of the world's leading experts in human performance physiology, especially in the realm of endurance. Nike recognized this when they brought him onto the Breaking 2 project. He's most famous in many circles for his pioneering work using nitrates to boost performance. Yes, this is the beetroot guy. Today we talk about mechanisms of fatigue, critical speed/power, evidence-based approaches to training, and (of course) beetroot juice.

A deep scientific discussion of the concept of critical power/critical speed as the 'fatigue threshold' with an emphasis on how it may apply to ultra-endurance training and performance.

A primer on the why and how of sleep for endurance athletes with Amy Bender, PhD from the Centre for Sleep.

Show page: https://scienceofultra.com/podcasts/137

Today, we take a closer look at focus, which is the first of our core features of a high performance mindset. From focus with mindfulness, you can develop the other features of a high performance mindset: calm, confidence, optimism, and trust.

Dr. Ron Maughan is arguably the most recognized name in sports nutrition. I was fortunate to meet with him in St Andrews, Scotland for our discussion. In this interview we talk about his early days in sports, running with the likes of Don Ritchie among many others, and review some of the current recommendations on training and nutrition.

My guest today is Luke Nelson. He's a physician assistant, race director, husband, father, and public lands activist. He’s been on the podium at many of the top ultras, set course records, and has set numerous FKTs of mountain linkups and traverses. Prior to getting fully into mountain running, in 2012 he was the U.S. Ski Mountaineering National Champion. He’s active on Instargram and you can follow him @slukenelson He’s and ambassador for Patagonia and also runs for La Sportiva, GU, Zeal Optics, Jaybird, Suunto. And, in August of 2018, he placed 8th at the legendary Tor des Geants. Our conversation today is mostly about his preparation and experience in that race but we get into a lot more as well. He’s also a friend and neighbor of mine, so we recorded the episode when he joined me at my house. If you’d like to support the podcast and keep it advertisement-free, go to https://scienceofultra.com/support. If you want to take your training to the next level, and you’re interested in hiring me to be your coach, go to https://scienceofultra.com/coaching

The structures that transmit force from muscle cells to bone are critical components of your running health and economy in addition to a common site of injury. Today we learn all about tendons and sinews from the world's leading expert on this topic.

Professional runner Dylan Bowman invited me into his home to discuss his running. We cover topics ranging from his development and early years, to his motivations and mindset, to racing strategy and more.

True or False: Performance metrics are important for optimizing outcomes

Two questions answered today. Should you put intervals at the beginning or at the end of the workout? Should progression runs be done by effort or pace?

Dr. Roger Enoka is the world’s leading expert on the neuromuscular determinants of movement in health and disease. Today we talk about the physiology of controlling muscle force, new paradigms for viewing fatigue, muscle cramps, and aging. He also answers the question, “why is running fast downhill beneficial for a runners development?”.

Jose Areta studies energy availability, training, and performance. We talk about his recent case study of an amenorrhoeic athlete who restored their menstrual cycle while training and competing at a high level, his comprehensive review of glycogen utilization, and how an athlete can loose weight while training for performance and periodizing carbohydrate intake.

SOUP is free of advertisements and sponsors, it’s supported by listeners who find it useful: https://scienceofultra.com/support

Mapping your training and then seeing what events (races, or adventures) fit on your map, without bending it, keeps the focus on what’s most important…you. This method tells you which events you could run because it’s the method that fits events to your body rather than bending your body to fit events. It’s the only approach that will provide a lifetime of healthy and sustainable running progress.

Part 2 of our conversation into the considerations for your first ultra marathon. In today's episode we focus mostly on the mental aspects of getting it right.

Kathryn Ackerman, MD, MPH is a sports medicine physician, Associate Professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, medical director of the Female Athlete Program at Boston Children's Hospital, Associate Director of the sports endocrine research lab at Massachusetts General Hospital, and a team physician for USA Rowing. Dr. Ackerman is, herself, a former national team rower.

Twitter: @DrKateAckerman https://twitter.com/DrKateAckerman

Female Athlete Conference: https://www.femaleathleteconference.com​

https://scienceofultra.com/podcasts/142

Author of 'The Ultra Mindset', Travis Macy, sits down with us to discuss the book and share his insights into mental side of our sport.

If you’re going to do something that’s difficult, like running ultra-marathons, it’s important to have a strategy. Inside of that strategy you have to develop and refine skills through deliberate practice. Train your mind, just like you train your body. In this installment, we create an overview of training the mind.

A comprehensive conversation with elite ultra runner Stephanie Howe Violett, PhD where we talk about her year of injuries, her approaches to injury recovery and to training, and her expertise (PhD) in sports nutrition.

Dr. Baar rejoins us on the show. He was previously on for episode 58. Today we illuminate the central role of connective tissue and associated proteins in transmitting force from muscle, extend that understanding to explain how muscle functions in running (hint: it’s not at all like most people think), and dive into ways that you can optimize your connective tissue health.

https://scienceofultra.com/podcasts/143

My guest today is Mark Burnley, PhD from the University of Kent, in the UK. His principle interests concern endurance physiology, specifically the oxygen uptake and metabolic responses to exercise and the power-duration relationship. For example, he was part of the group that first validated the 3-minute all-out test to estimate critical power. He's spent much of his career questioning why a large fraction of our exercise capacity is unsustainable. In other words, we can only maintain exercise when the intensity is less than 20-30% of our ability to generate force…why do we have so much additional capacity when we can't sustain it?

Hiking! I'm joined by Ian Sharman for a deep dive into training for hiking in ultras.

Listener questions answered!

1. What are the overall (daily) protein needs of endurance athletes, and will this differ for ultra marathon runners?
2. Does it matter if we get it throughout the day vs mostly at one or two meals?
3. Does our daily average need to be daily or can it average over days?  
4. Is there a protein hunger, per se, that is reliable and will we self regulate sufficiently?
5. What is protein used for in an endurance athlete? How much protein is used for energy /ATP?
6. What do we know, or can we expect about protein needs and use during and following an ultra?
7. Is protein immediately before, during, or immediately after training handled differently?
8. Is it beneficial to consume protein immediately after a training bout?
9. Are there adverse effects of excess protein?
10. Are all proteins equal?

• What advice might he give to an ultra marathon runner concerned with their protein intake?

Dr. Julien Louis takes us through the training, pacing, and physiology of the father-son duo who set a new world record for combined time in the marathon. In 2019, Tommy (59 yrs) and Eoin Hughes (34 yrs) ran the Frankfurt Marathon in times of 2:31:30 and 2:27:52, respectively. Their combined marathon time was 4:59:22. Dr. Louis studied Tommy in a previous year and then studied the pair as they took on, and ultimately succeeded, in setting the new record. We discuss the father-son team and extract additional take-away messages for your training.

My guests today are Dr. Sam Cheuvront and Dr. Robert Kenefick

• Two of the world’s leading scientists in hydration and fluid homeostasis
• Going in alphabetical order, 
  1. My first guest is Research Physiologist and Team Leader of the Thermal and Mountain Medicine Division at the US. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (also known as USARIEM). His research includes the study of environmental and nutritional factors influencing human work performance. He is a leader in the fields of human fluid needs, dehydration assessment, heat stress mitigation, and exercise thermoregulation. He’s published over 100 -peer-reviewed papers and book chapters. Our first guest is Sam Cheuvront, PhD, RD
  2. My second guest is Principal Investigator in the Thermal and Mountain Medicine Division at USARIEM. He has published over 90 peer-reviewed manuscripts, book chapters AND reviews on fluid homeostasis and the physiological responses to environmental stress. He served as the president of the New England Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine and received their Honor Award in 2012. He is also part of the Ultra Clan as an ultra marathon runner himself. Our second guest is Robert Kenefick, PhD.

My guests work for the U.S. Army. So, we must provide the disclaimer that "The views and/or opinions of Dr.'s Kenefick and Cheuvront are theirs personally and do not reflect the views or opinions of the U.S. Army or DoD."

Part 1: BASIC PHYSIOLOGY - FLUID & ELECTROLYTE BALANCE

This episode is the first in a two part series on fluids, hydration, and electrolyte physiology pertaining to ultra marathon running. We’re starting with the basics and progressing to specific application.

In this episode, you'll learn the answers to:

1. What are the major body fluid and compartments and definitions the major relevant terms (de/eu/hyperhydration, hyper/hypovolemia)?
2. What are the mechanisms/routes and quantities of water loss?
3. How much water does a person need each day?
4. Drinking to thirst - is it sufficient, like you hear commonly? (spoiler: NO!)
5. How much salt is lost in sweat - only sodium? To what extent does this change throughout the time-course of an ultra marathon?
6. What’s in sweat and what are ranges of rates and composition in running?
7. During exercise, the majority of water gained is in the form of what we drink. But we have heard about getting water also from the breakdown of stored glycogen. Is this accurate?
8. How can we expand our plasma volume?
9. When do we need (and not need) an electrolyte-containing drink either during or after exercise?
10. What is needed in an electrolyte drink beyond sodium?
11. Hyponatremia; should it be a concern for most ultra marathon runners? 
12. When does a runner need to consciously add sodium, beyond just following cravings?

AND MUCH MORE...

My guest today is David Bishop, PhD from Victoria University in Australia. He’s a world leading expert on the health and performance outcomes of exercise prescription with a particular emphasis on mitochondrial adaptations. Recently, he’s been studying the impact of twice-per-day training and that’s the main reason I brought him on the show. You’ll learn, for example, that running twice in a day may be more beneficial than training for the same duration in one long run. But we explore many other topics that will help you take your workouts to the next level. I spoke with him in the midst of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic while he was on sabbatical and in lockdown in the north of Italy.

Guillaume Millet, Ph.D. is the world's leading expert on neuromuscular fatigue in ultramarathons. We explore the many facets of fatigue and bring his years of field research to you in practical and applied terms that you can use to help become your ultra best.

Today we cover questions on heat acclimatization for altitude performance, veganism, building hiking into training even if you live in a flat area, respiratory discomfort after endurance exercise, foam rolling, weight lifting, mental fogginess after endurance events, body weight, and taking time off for niggling injuries.

Everything you need to know for optimal protein nutrition to maximize your training and adaption. Dr. van Loon joins us from the Netherlands where he leads a large and outstanding research group. He's the world's leading expert on this topic. How much, when, what about sex differences, what about aging, right after training, what about over night...we cover it all!

Patrick Wilson (PhD) is an Associate Professor at Old Dominion University and author of a newly published book, The Athlete's Gut. He was a guest in episode 16. Today, we update our understanding of gut physiology from when he was first on the show but spend most of our time on lots of new and applied questions relevant to your training, racing, and adventures.

How do you handle adversity in the moment? Do you have a mental training practice? You know that ultra-marathon running is as much mental as it is physical. RISE to train your mind as well as you train your body.

This is a deep dive into carbohydrate periodization with Drs. James Morton and Julien Louis where we explain the science behind our recommendation of FUEL FOR THE WORK REQUIRED (e.g., enough but not much more) and GLYCOGEN THRESHOLD (i.e., train to low levels). We also explore issues of sex and age, how bone health may be critically dependent on carbohydrate availability (not just total calories), and several other important topics.

How do the best endurance athletes partition their training? Most of understand what it is to go out for an easy run, but what about intervals. How do the best in the world do it? And, what does the science show about how you should design your interval workouts? What should you do for work duration, rest duration, total work, frequency, and effort level? These are the principle issues we discuss in this episode. And, we wrap up with parting advice from Dr. Seiler that you must hear if you're going to become your ultra best.

You can train our mind, body, and craft. In recent episodes on training your body, we skimmed the surface of training endurance and economy. If you run a lot of miles, often on race-like terrain and run all out for short bursts a few times per week, you’re doing the majority of the work that will improve your body’s capacities. To further extend stamina, you may want to run comfortably hard intervals, the topic of today's episode.

Answers to listener questions.

In this week’s episode, I sat down with Mike Wardian. He's one of the most prolific runners on planet Earth. As this episode airs, he’s traveling the world to complete seven marathons on seven continents in seven days. He’s a font of information on how to be successful while making running a lifestyle. And, yes, he actually has a ‘regular job’. How does he do it? Listen and learn.

An incredible episode on psychological fatigue. Is fatigue in ultra endurance performance mostly in your mind? What can you do to stay psychologically motivated to keep going? Listen and learn on today's episode with the pioneering experts on this topic.

How valid are the most commonly held beliefs in exercise training that assume a reliable and specific adaptation to a specific workout - do this workout and get that result ? In this episode, I explain why we now view these ideas as too simplistic. We dig into how the basic principles that underly the majority of exercise training plans owe their origins to a theory of pathological stress-response patterns, which may not be reliable across the spectrum of sports. Then we take a four-step approach to getting it right, or at least better.

Running economy is one of the three key features in performance, along with endurance and stamina. You can develop your running economy through heavy resistance training, sprints, and volume. This episode is a crash course in how do it right.

Mileage is the most important factor in your training, after consistency, no matter your goals.

Show page: https://scienceofultra.com/podcasts/136

SOUP is taking a break for the summer, and will be back in September 2021.

Western States champion (2015), Magdalena Boulet, joins me for an amazing episode. Learn all the ins and outs of her training, racing approaches, nutrition strategies, and much more!

What is the 'long run'; can it be too short; can it be too long? Today we simplify and demystify this enigmatic workout.

When to walk vs run on inclines, how can poles help, use water in your weighted vest...practical gems from this top athlete and applied scientist.

Roundtable discussion with three coaches (Paul Lind, Andrew Simmons, Ty Draney) recorded on location, including audience questions.

Today we touch on a variety of topics in biomechanics, from shoe cushioning to children's shoes to pool running...and more...

The myth of adrenal fatigue.

Gianluca Vernillo, PhD is one of the world's leading scientists studying mountain ultra trail runners. Today he brings a vast amount of science and practical insight from his years of studying the uphill, downhill, and other physiologic features of extreme endurance running in the world's toughest mountain courses.

1. What are the most common mistakes Dr. Burke sees ultra endurance athletes making with their overall nutrition? And, what should you be doing?
2. What would she say to an ultra endurance athlete interested in training and performing at their best today, regarding fat adapting diets?

Thank you, thank you, thank you...on we go!

1. On a daily basis, what are the carbohydrate needs of an ultra endurance athlete?
2. How many calories can most people digest and absorb per hour when running?
3. What is the fate of consumed carbohydrate relative to stores while exercising?
4. What are the key factors to be considered with respect to the carbohydrates during a long event that may last 24 hrs?
5. Can we predict when relative glycogen depletion might occur in an ultra marathon?
6. What should we consider when we are choosing specific high-carbohydrate foods?
7. What are the key issues to consider relative to the timing of carbohydrate intake prior to, during, and following training workouts?
8. What about timing of carbohydrate consumption for a race event?
9. Is glycemic index of a given food different when running vs at rest?
10. For those who don’t like sweet tastes while exercising or late in races, what are the sources of simple carbs that don’t taste sweet?
11. Are there data, or any good reason to expect, that any aspect of carbohydrate digestion/optimal sources/etc. will change over the course of an ultra marathon? Does carbohydrate physiology change when we go way beyond the better understood distance of marathon? 
12. Is consumption of foods that contain protein, fat, or fiber a concern in light of effects on gastric emptying?
13. When we consume carbohydrate during a run but prior to reaching very low levels of glycogen in muscle and liver, are those calories used more/less/equally to stored muscle glycogen?
14. Can carbohydrate consumption keep us from reaching a muscle and/or liver glycogen depleted state?
15. What is the relation between carbohydrates (type, source, complexity?) and likelihood of GI distress?
16. Tell us about the topic of ‘fat adaptation’ to spare glycogen. From my reading and understanding, there is no good evidence that fat adaptation provides any benefit to endurance performance and it may even impair higher intensity performance (like going uphill) by not ‘sparing’ glycogen but rather by ‘impairing’ glycogen utilization…that apparent sparing may actually be a side effect of impaired utilization.
17. How does caffeine ingestion interact with endogenous and exogenous substrate utilization?
18. GI distress late in a race makes it difficult for some people to retain any calories they might swallow. Tell us about this interesting topic of ‘mouth sensing’ and what it might do for us in that situation.

Alyssa Amos Clark is an extraordinary athlete. We start this interview after she completed 66 marathons in 66 days, on her way to many more. We finish discussing her journey, including her battles with COVID-19.

Episode page: https://scienceofultra.com/podcasts/128

Instagram: @theory_in_motion

Alyssa's website: https://akamos13.wixsite.com/website

1. All about the history and current topics of research at Western States Endurance Runs (WSER).
2. Hyponatremia at WSER
3. Learn the answer to, "Is sodium supplementation necessary to avoid dehydration during prolonged exercise in the heat?”.
4. What do we know today about the long term health of ultra-endurance runners? Is ultra marathon running bad for us AND WHY IT MAY NOT EVEN MATTER?
5. Learn the most important take-home action items from research at WSER that you can put into practice TODAY!
6. Find out how you can get involved in research at WSER. http://www.wser.org/research/

In recent episodes we’ve explored how you can train your mind and body. The third area for training is craft. Everything from pacing, to hydration strategy, to gear choices, to foot care are part of your craft. Today, the part of craft we’re going to explore is downhill running. Downhill running is a skill. It requires deliberate practice and can not be mastered just by training the body or running downhill a lot without putting at least some thought into it.

1. In our last episode with Jason, episode 3, he explained his overall approach to training as transitioning from the least race-specific workouts to the most race-specific. A listener might question then, what is the reason for training short interval high intensity far out from a race at all? How does THAT benefit the overall plan and training?
2. There are proponents of always training below LT, basically training at race pace or lower year 'round. What are Jason's thoughts on that and what are the physiological mistakes in that approach? 
3. In the fall, many people are thinking about planning the following year. What should we consider as we question which races we sign up for, especially considering necessary recover time between races?
4. How does he monitor athletes for signs of over-fatigue on a short time frame and over the course of a season?
5. What is the physiological basis for doing recovery runs (rather than just taking the day off), and how should recovery runs be implemented in the course of a weekly plan?
6. How does Jason monitor for progress and improvements during a training plan and how does he know it’s time to move on to the next phase of training?
7. How long is the final phase (‘aerobic’) of training, optimally?
8. In that final phase, where we are most race specific, what would we expect to be a weekly volume (distance or time) relative to the goal race and how should that volume be distributed throughout a week?
9. Physiologically, why not divide the desired weekly volume evenly over 6 days, with one day off…what is the distinct benefit of more and less on different days in this final phase?
10. The big race is now a few weeks away. How do we balance loss of preparedness from tapering with race readiness - what is an effective tapering strategy for shorter ultras like 50k to longer events, like 100 miler?

1. What are the 2 most common mistakes that you see in athletes prior training when they first hire you?
2. What are the 3-4 key action items that we can put into practice right away to improve our training?

A double episode. Interviews with cardiologists Larry Creswell M.D. and Aaron Baggish M.D. They are at the forefront of heart health in endurance athletes. Is ultra marathon running okay for your heart? Listen and learn.

Megan Roche is a medical doctor, extraordinary trail runner, coach, scientist, and book author. This episode is the first in a two-part interview. We talk about everything from research to coaching to joy in running.

What we’re talking about today is stamina. Stamina is your ability to maintain a pace for a long time. Stamina comprises endurance and economy. Endurance is your ability to cover a distance or to persist for a time. Economy is a traditionally quantified as the steady state oxygen consumption at a given running velocity. For our purposes, economy of running is the energy required to run at a given pace. Today’s episode is meant to introduce the key concepts and functional goals of improving endurance and economy so that you can improve stamina. Today, we also explain endurance as a capacity and how to increase endurance within the context of consistency for sufficient and relative weekly volumes. We also outline how to progress training volume of easy running and how to test your bioenergetic and physiological capacity profile with an easy run test. Then we added strides as a salvo into developing economy. Economy will be the next topic in the series on training your body for ultra-marathons.

My guest today is Cody Lind. He's sponsored by Scott and, at age 20, is a rising start in the ultra marathon community. He set five course records and placed second in the U.S. Sky Running Series.

We talk about his training, racing, and his perspectives on running. From big weekly mileage to big weekly vertical, Cody trains hard. Learn about his special connection to the Western States 100 mile Endurance Run and what it takes for even a gifted runner to do well in Sky Running in the U.S.

As we begin to dissect the three domains of training - mind, body, craft - start by answering Why and What. Then we can decide How to train. Your answers are unique to you. This episode will give you definitions and guidance on answering Why and What for yourself.

Dan Moore, PhD, brings us the current science on protein requirements for endurance athletes along with very practical advice for putting it into action for you.

Episode page: https://scienceofultra.com/podcasts/129

Trent Stellingwerff has been in the trenches of nutritional support and body composition in supporting athletes of all abilities for many years. Today, we talk through critical new insights that can apply to your training.

Episode page: https://scienceofultra.com/podcasts/130

1. We start with a scenario: I go for a long run and during the run my urine is dark; after the run I try to replace fluids by drinking plenty the rest of the day and by bedtime, my urine is a much lighter color. But, when I wake up in the morning, it’s dark again…what’s going on?
2. What is the time-frame for fluid/electrolyte shifts among body compartments?
3. As we sweat, the fluid and electrolytes initially come from the interstitial compartment, specifically around the glands near the surface of our skin. As we run and sweat…what do we know about fluid shifts and electrolyte shifts across the three body compartments during prolonged exercise.
4. Another example, I run and take water = regular urination and clear; drink electrolyte solution = less urination and darker…we talked about the physiology of this in episode 4 but now, putting a real world example to the physiology, what’s happening to me in those cases?

1. Once in a while, we hear advocates of ‘bonk’ runs where one would purposefully dehydrate or go out without water. Clearly, this can be very very dangerous and we recommend against doing bonk runs. Out of curiosity, thought, is there any evidence that we can train in a way that will help us to perform better in a dehydrated or low volume state?
2. Keeping ALL ELSE EQUAL, what are the practical, relative effects of each of the following on sweating: long clothing vs short vs nothing (same material - just different coverage), tightness of clothing, type of material, color of material?
3. What are the definitions of adaptation, acclimation, acclimatization?
4. What does it mean to be acclimatized to a hot environment with respect to body fluids, hydration, and sweating?
5. What are best practices for preparing to race in warmer environments? Exercise, sauna,…?
6. What is the recommended protocol for acclimation to heat in preparation for an event?
7. What is the time-course of gain and loss of heat acclimation?
8. When we plan for thermal stress from the environment, we must consider not only temperature but other factors such as wind, sun exposure, and humidity. Let’s say that we have gone through the acclimation protocol. Is there a cut off temperature/thermal stress range, below which, there is no benefit to performance. How can we gauge whether going through the protocol will be of benefit?
9. Specifically thinking about what’s going on during running: at what body temperature do we begin to sweat and where on the body do we sweat first, most, etc.?
10. Should we be concerned about gear placement (e.g., hydration pack vs waste belt) with regard to efficient sweating and cooling? E.g., would we expect any appreciable difference in fluid loss or cooling over time for someone wearing a hydration pack vs waist belt vs none or handheld bottles.
11. To what extent does carrying extra weight affect sweat loss due to the extra work of carrying it; e.g., as much as 5 lbs for some full hydration packs vs 1 lb or so for a full handheld. 

Think the immune system just helps to keep us from getting sick or recover from illness? Think again...

Amelia Boone is the most accomplished obstacle course racer on the planet. Now she's running ultra marathons. What does it take to make that transition? What do success and failure look like to someone so dominant in one sport and very good in another? What motivates and drives Amelia's passion for endurance sports? We learn about all these topics and more in today's conversation, which is an in-person interview near her home California.

Hillary Allen, aka Hillygoat, is one of the top ultra- and sky-runners in the world. We talk about her views of life and running, what's important, and how to stay competitive while embracing whatever life brings.

Her near-death accident during the 2017 Tromsø Skyrace, and her recovery are chronicled in her book Out & Back: A Runner’s Story of Survival and Recovery Against All Odds

Her website: https://hillaryallen.com/

Show page: https://scienceofultra.com/podcasts/149

This week I interviewed Bob Kenefick PhD and we outline a strategy for you to develop your approach to staying properly hydrated - actionable info!

Workouts are when you stress your body. The rest of the day is when you improve. That's what we call recovery. Not only recovering to be able to do it again (get back to pre-workout capacity) but also adapt and become stronger (a new baseline capacity). Coaches Ian Sharman, David Roche, Krissy Moehl, and Shawn Bearden discuss recovery in today's Coaches' Corner.

Watch the discussion on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/loH878kbRbQ

Each coach can be reached through their respective websites:

Krissy Moehl http://KrissyMoehl.com

David Roche https://SWAPRunning.com

Ian Sharman https://SharmanUltra.com

Shawn Bearden https://ScienceOfUltra.com

Is overtraining common among ultra runners? Are you running too much? Can adherence to the mantra of consistency open a gateway to overtraining?

Amino acids, the leucine trigger, and branched chain amino acids. What do you need, should you supplement, do they aid performance...all these question answered and much more.

Soup to nuts on our current understanding of recovery from one of the scientific leaders in the field. Dr. Peake is a colleague of Dr. Neubauer, who was on last episode (#48), discussing the immune system in recovery. Today we broaden the discussion and talk about the other knowns and unknowns on the topic.

[Rebroadcast] Our goal is never to get good at suffering. Our goal is to suffer less under the same conditions, not to make running easier but to run with greater ease.

Findings from recent research on recovery practices and their effectiveness for ultra marathon finishers.

William is a 62 year old British and Scottish international athlete and has set 160 ultra distance running records (from 30 miles on the track to 3100 miles/ 5000 kms on the road) at World, British and Scottish level including age-group records.

My guest today is John VonHof. He literally wrote the book on foot care for the athlete, Fixing Your Feet. You can learn more from him on his website, http://www.fixingyourfeet.com

Today we dig into all the essential components of good foot care, from shoe fitting to blister care. We wrap up by defining the essential features of a good minimalist foot care kit for your next run or adventure.

Is there a general formula you can apply to taper properly for an event? Find out how our coaches approach tapering with their athletes.

My guest today is Michael Gervais, PhD. He has been described as an industry visionary. Dr. Gervais is a licensed psychologist who focuses most of his time on people at the "top of their game", including the NFL's Seattle Seahawks, NBA players, Olympians, military personnel and corporate leaders. While spending years in the trenches of high-stakes circumstances, he has developed clarity for the tools that allow people to pursue their potential.

This is the first episode of Coaches’ Corner, a new and ongoing series with several of the top trail running coaches in the world, Krissy Moehl, David Roche, Ian Sharman, and me. Each of these episodes is intended to highlight a specific topic relevant to all trail runners. We start in the form of a T/F statement, get a one-word answer from each coach, and then discuss the nuances that make the real answer less clear. Ultimately, the purpose is to provide you with information that you can apply to your own training. These are also published on our YouTube channel at YouTube.com/ScienceOfUltra The T/F statement for today's episode is: There’s a minimum volume of running required before adding any structured workouts (such as intervals or hills) becomes more useful than simply adding more volume

Everything you need to know about the fundamentals of biomechanics as they relate to injury in runners. Lots of actionable info in this one!

Today’s conversation is with John Kiely and Craig Pickering. John was on episode 52; we talked the lack of evidence supporting periodized training programs. We begin with the current state of evidence in genetic testing for athletic potential and planning training. We move on to more useful ways of viewing your training program. It really is simple yet multitudes are derailed by chasing placebo effects for marginal gains on an inconsistent program. Oh, and we talk about placebo effects as well.

Let's talk about failure, success, and learning.

An overview of recovery strategies with Dr. Shona Halson, Senior Recovery Physiologist at the Australian Institute of Sport.

So, you've been running for 4...6...10...18...24...hours. Yes, your legs are tired. But, what about your respiratory muscles? Are they suited to breathing heavily for that long? Do they fatigue? Does greater effort to breath in a long ultra translate into higher ratings of perceived exertion? Check out my interview with Darlene Reid, PhD to learn the answers to those questions and how you can train your respiratory muscle to become your ultra best!

We've learned about foot strike patterns but never quite like this. What's the role of sensory feedback and shoe cushioning on foot strike and on your running patterns? Today we get deeper insights into these issues so you can make more informed decisions about your shoe choices and running mechanics with Missy Thompson, PhD.

Connect with her:
Researchgate:https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Melissa_Thompson10
Instagram: flcexercisescience
Twitter: FLC_Exercise Science
Facebook: FLCExerciseScience

Backpacking legend, Andrew Skurka, is also an outstanding ultra runner. Today, we learn about the psychology, mindset, and perspectives it takes to become one of the most accomplished adventurers in the world.

What do you mean when you use the word 'training'? Today, we start a project, together, to create a training framework.

Learn how to prepare for performance in the heat and how heat acclimation can actually improve your performance in moderate temperatures.

My guest today is Jennifer Pharr Davis. She is an author, speaker, and a National Geographic Adventurer of the Year.

Jennifer is among the most well known of American long distance hikers. She holds the record for the women’s FKT for a thru-hike of the Appalachian trail; a record which was the overall outright record for several years and fell by only 3 hrs 12 minutes in the summer of 2015. She has hiked over 12,000 miles on six different continents, including thru-hikes on the Pacific Crest Trail, the Appalachian Trail (three times), the Colorado Trail, the Long Trail in Vermont, the Bibbulmun Track in Australia, and numerous trails in Europe and South America, including the Tour du Mont Blanc, which ultra marathon runners will be familiar with.

Connect with Jennifer:
1) On the trail!
2) Facebook: Jennifer Pharr Davis
3) Twitter and Instagram: JenPharrDavis
4) Her company: BlueRidgeHikingCo.com
5) Books: Becoming Odyssa and Called Again: A Story of Love and Triumph

She answered many questions on this in depth interview, including:

You hiked that AT in 2005, 2008, and the overall record setting year 2011. Your first women’s record of the trail in 2008 was a bit over 57 days; in 2011 you destroyed that record and did the trail in a bit over 46 days. How did that enormous improvement come about?

Would you describe the demands of a long-distance thru-hike? Granted that weather can have a big impact, what does a ‘typical’ day look like for a long distance thru hiker?

Are you ever running/jogging during a thru-hike or is it all hiking?

Tell us about your training for a thru-hike. In your experience, would a 3-4+ week thru-hike be good training for ultra marathons of 100 miles or longer?

How do you handle sleep deprivation, or functioning on little sleep, for weeks on end? Tell us about your nutrition for a thru-hike.

Tell us about your foot care on a thru-hike.

You wrote an article recently for the New York Times for which you explored the topic of sex differences, or lack thereof, in ultra distance events. Tell us about that.

Tell us about the psychological demands of a major thru-hike.

As an exceptional, experienced, and accomplished ultra-endurance athlete, you have surely had some very dark moments (mentally).
Would you take us to back to your darkest experience, tell us that story and how you handled it?

We wrapped up with some advice for ultra marathon runners interested in tackling a thru-hike.

Cramping isn't well understood. But here's what we know right now.

Kelly McGonigal, PhD understands the power of mindset and movement better than anyone.

Show page: https://scienceofultra.com/podcasts/138

V̇O2max is the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use per minute. It's a metabolic rate that can be sustained for 6-10 minutes. Why do you hear so much about it in running, when competitions are so much longer. Maybe your V̇O2max isn't something you should ever focus on.

Runners need to run. Ultra-marathon runner need to run a lot. But could you be more effective spending some of that time cross-training?

If you’re looking for a coach, or just have questions, you can reach:

David Roche at https://SWAPrunning.com

Ian Sharman at http://www.sharmanultra.com

Krissy Moehl at http://krissymoehl.com

Shawn Bearden at https://ScienceOfUltra.com

If you want to submit a True/False statement for us to discuss on a future episode of Coaches’ Corner, send it to shawn@scienceofultra.com

Rebroadcast part 2 of 2 - Two of the living legends of performance hydration bring everything you could want to know about hydration for endurance athletes. This episode is all about application of knowledge in the context of ultras.

The average pace for an ultra-marathon isn't very fast. In races of 100 miles, for example, the average pace can be slower than easy training runs. How do successful ultra-marathon runners pace themselves? How do you pace yourself? Is it true that you should start races, especially longer ones, like a stroll in the park?

I sat down with Spring co-founder Rafal Nazarewicz, PhD to talk about using real foods in ultras.