It’s time for a look behind the scenes of the Real Life Runners, and a chance to listen into a coaching call.  The conversation this week is between Kevin and Angie about her latest 5k race over the weekend. The results were a bit mixed as it was a personal best, but it also fell short of the goal time.  

In this episode, we really look at the relationship of coach and athlete.  We cover how communication is key and how the long term development of an athlete should be at the front of a coach’s mind, even if that may have some short term issues.

We discuss pre-race nerves that hit Angie hard.  These nerves started about a week out and created some serious stomach issues the night before and morning of the race, not to mention the race itself.  

We cover the questions that Angie had after the race including did I put in the right work and enough of it?  Was the speed work over emphasized while longer intervals were neglected? Did cross...

This episode dives into the world of the inspirational pep talk.  We takes a few tangents along the way, but really try to view the pep talk from the perspective of both the coach and the athlete.  We also cover why the speech that gets you pumped up and ready to run through a wall can be a good and bad thing depending on how and when it is applied.

Coaches want to feel like they are helping the athlete as much as possible.  It is true that they generally plan the schedule and workouts. They help with mental tactics.  They try to manage the emotions of an athlete through rough patches. Eventually the coach may start to see their role as elevated.  

We realize that the coach is important.  Teaching is important. But in the end, it comes down to the athlete.  In all areas, the athlete is in charge. When the schedule says 5 miles, the athlete needs to do the work.  When the workout gets hard, the athlete needs to find the mental capacity...

This episode marks the one year anniversary of the podcast, and it has been amazing.  When we first started it was a little scary to think we would put this out to the world and people would actually want to listen.  Now, as we approach 27000 downloads around the world, we wanted to look back at some major lessons for life and running.

 This past weekend we also took a family trip to Disney World.  One of the best characteristics of Disney is that it is constantly growing and looking to improve.  As they keep building, the walls of the construction area often contain a picture of Walt Disney and one of his inspiration quotes.  We thought it would be interesting to look at the lessons of life and running through the lens of our Disney trip.

 The first lesson is based on a few quotes.  “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.”  Walt Disney was a dreamer and a visionary, but he certainly did not spend...

The half marathon is said to be for those who are only half crazy.  Angie and I both tried our first half marathon to see what was possible at that distance, while knowing that we were not ready for a full 26.2.  In this episode we dive into the half marathon from several different angles.

We cover:

• Why to run it in the first place
• How long you will need to train
• Key workouts to boost your preparation
• The little extra things you should do when prepping for a race this long.  

The half marathon is a great challenge race for a time strapped runner.  The distance requires a long run, but not to the same extent as a full marathon.  It also requires you to stay connected to you speed, but without the super fast workouts around a 5k that require extensive rest and tend to last a long time.  

A safe number to be fully prepared for a half marathon is around 12 weeks.  This number depends on your starting point and your goal for the race....

 One of my least favorite questions to be asked is one that I also frequently get as a teacher, coach, and parent.  

What do I need to do?

Except it usually sounds more like:  Uunnggghhh, what do I do?!?!?

Please don’t get me wrong, I love helping other people.  It’s at the core of our lives as a physical therapist, teacher, coaches, and, of course, parents.  Helping and serving others is the point of this podcast and the foundation of Real Life Runners.

The issue is “What do I do?” is not actually asking for help.  Below are my three issues with the statement and how to better frame the question if you find yourself wanting to scream “What do I need to do?”

First, let’s start with the question as a complaint that you probably already know the answer to.  In very frustrating situations such as a running plateau, a healthy eating hiccup, or any challenge with your kids, this question may hit your mind....

How do I get faster?  The ultimate question for a coach and competitive runner.  While there really is no magic workout or super predictor, there are some best practices.  

 Different workouts are designed for different physical benefits, and those benefits have varying levels of importance at different race distances.  Longer races require the physical ability to hold up over a few hours of running, while 5k races force an athlete to deal with higher levels of pain but for a shorter period of time.  

 As we have pointed out before, two athletes running the same workouts at the same pace(or intensity level) may not gain identical adaptations.  New runners and seasoned runners will adapt differently, and age and gender seem to also play a role. With that in mind, we present some workout ideas for success at major race distances.  

 5k

• 3 x 4 x 400 at sub 5k pace with 45-60 seconds between each and 3 minutes between sets or 400 at...

Are you a real runner?  Do you identify as a runner?  What are some of the benefits of finally accepting this identity, and what can be some of the downfalls of identifying this way?

Over years of coaching I have watched many runners take on the identity of runner.  Some are quick to accept while others take years to accept and may secretly still think they are not actually a runner.  The issue is usually connected to a negative self image and poor comparisons of themselves versus other "real runners". Once someone finally accepts the title of “runner,” the improvements on the metal and physical sides can really take off.  

As long as running remains a hobby and not an identity, there is always an excuse for missing a goal.  When a runner goes all in, a concept that varies widely in the world of real life runners, they can start working towards improvements.  Goals can be set, training can be focused, experiments can be run....

As technology improves, and the amount of information available on your wrist increases, are GPS watches helping or hurting your running?  As with most things in life, the answer is, of course, both.

We require every athlete on our cross country team to get at least a stopwatch.  Other athletes we train often have gps watches. We both have gps watches. The ease of workouts improves when you strap a watch to your wrist even if the workout is simply run harder for 2 minutes, and then easier for 2 minutes.  If you are looking to improve your performance, you are going to need some concrete numbers that a watch can provide. The extra enhancements like heart rate, pacing, and cadence can also be used to see performance improvement.

When using a watch to train in heart rate zones, the watch provides an honest accountability partner.  It forces easy to stay easy and lets you know when your heart rate has reached its hard zone. The watch may not know that you...

With the start of a new school year, there has been a lot of talk about clean slates and fresh starts.   Today, we talk about that concept and take two different angles: 

1. On one hand, we should look at everyday as a fresh start, a new chance to make choices that lead us closer to the person that we want to become, the goal we want to achieve or the milestone that we want to hit.  Why wait until some random day on the calendar when you can just start today?

2. On the other hand, do we ever actually get a clean start?  Our experiences shape us and our view of the world, so is there such a thing as a fresh start?  Can we just forget about the past and start again?  And if so, do you want to?

We talk about reality vs. perception, and how all events and people in our life can help to teach us things and help us to grow.  Yes, each day is a new day, and we should be conscious about the choices that we make, but changing our perceptions on past...

Show notes by Kevin :)

As summer wraps up, and we gear up for another school year, it is important to make sure that the level of daily, weekly, and monthly organization increases.  Now, to be very honest, I am not the best with organization, but I see it’s incredible value. On the other hand, Angie is the master of organization and planning and keeps all of our lives running smoothly.  

While I will rarely step up and lead the organization process, it is very important that the entire family does contribute to the overall weekly and monthly plans.  Parents must discuss their needs with each other or they risk simply giving everything they have to the rest of the family. Kids must contribute their needs so they can see how everyone is working together to create happiness and success for the entire family.

We have spent time with our kids discussing the difference between wants and needs, and this has transitioned nicely into their contribution to the...