Why am I so tired?

Runners know what it is like to be tired.  As real life runners, with jobs, families, and other responsibilities, we definitely know what it is like to be tired.  But what exactly is fatigue?

Scientists used to try to figure out what exercise-induced fatigue was through strictly physiological models.  They figured that the body just ran out of fuel at some point, which caused us to feel fatigue. They talked about fueling, the build-up of by-products in the body (why do you think everyone knows about lactic acid!?), and the other physical changes that occured within our cells.  

Sure, that can explain fatigue, but is it the whole story?  As busy parents, we know that it’s not just physical things that cause us to be fatigued.  When we have a lot of mental stress or a million things going on in our lives, we can feel tired, even though we may be getting enough sleep or eating the right food.  What, then, is the...

Today, let's talk about Final Surge.  It is an awesome app that we use to coach all of our clients, to make sure that you have your workouts right at your fingertips with no headaches.  

After you purchase a training plan or personalized coaching from us, the next step is to create a Final Surge account and download the app onto your device.  Here are the steps:

To access your program on Final Surge: 

1. Go into the App Store on your iPhone or Android device
2. Search for Final Surge
3. Download the app
4. Open the app and create a login with username and password (you can also create an account online at Finalsurge.com then just login to the app after you download it)
5. Accept the coaching invitation that we sent to you
6. After you accept our coaching invitation, we will be able to load your program onto your account.

Here is a very helpful link to the Final Surge YouTube channel.  Here you will find lots of tutorial videos to help you navigate the app,...

 What is food?  Food is fuel, but food is so much more than just fuel.  Food describes who we are, where we come from, and how we live our lives.  The choices that we make about our food are far-reaching and say a lot about us.

 In today's episode we talk about: 

• What is food?
• How does food fuel us?
• What else does food do besides just fuel us?
• What is good nutrition?
• How is good nutrition different for different people?
• What does it mean for our food to be sustainable?
• What are the two kinds of sustainability?
• Is there one best diet?
• How can we be more mindful about our food choices?

Hope you enjoy it!! Let us know if you have any questions that you would like answered on our show!  

Thanks for Listening!!

To help out the show:

If you have a topic you would like us to talk about, please send us an email at [email protected]    

Come find us on Facebook and Instagram and say hi!

Leave an...

Maybe you are one of those runners that never leaves the house without headphones.  Maybe you are one of those runners who can't stand the idea of having something in your ears.  We have each been both of those runners at one point in our running journey.  Which one is which now?

There are definite benefits of running with music and definite benefits of running unplugged.  Which is better?

Today we talk about:

• The benefits of running with headphones
• How music can help cadence
• How running with headphones can help productivity
• How running with headphones can help you run longer and farther
• The benefits of running unplugged, without headphones
• How running without headphones can help you tune into your body better
• How running without headphones can improve your view of the world around you
• How you can use your runs to connect better with others
• And so much more! 

 Hope you enjoy it!! Let us know if you have any questions that you would like...

Sometimes racing goes well.  We have that day when we hit a PR and all is right in the world.  Then there are those days when it doesn't.  We don't hit our goal, we don't PR, and we feel like crap.  

Kevin had one of those races this weekend and today we talk about what went wrong.  There a lot of gems in this episode, so we hope you like it.  

We talk about: 

• Mental strategies to use when you're not feeling it
• Different ways to block out the pain
• What to do when you just want to throw in the towel
• And so much more!

Hope you enjoy it!! Let us know if you have any questions that you would like answered on our show!  

Thanks for Listening!!

To help out the show:

If you have a topic you would like us to talk about, please send us an email at [email protected]    

Come find us on Facebook and Instagram and say hi!

Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help...

In a world where everyone wants more all the time, is that really what is best?  When is more a good thing, and when is more just, more?

This is a big pitfall for a lot of runners.  People get better and faster when they start adding more miles or more speed work, so they think that continuing to add more will continue to get them better and faster.  Unfortunately, this is not always the case.  

More mileage will make you a better runner.  Speed work will make you a faster runner.  However, we can't just endlessly add mileage or keep dropping times in our workouts just for the sake of doing so.  Many times, our bodies are well-served by maintaining a given training level until our body has reaped all of the benefits from that level before moving on to the next.  

Today, we talk about: 

• The 4 fundamentals of running that every runner needs to focus on in order to continue to reap the benefits of training and stay healthy...

We all want to look good, feel strong, and be in good shape.  That's why a lot of people start running in the first place.  However, while some people naturally lose weight in the process, it's not so easy for others.

What gives?  If we start running, shouldn't the weight just fall off?  Unfortunately for most of us, that's not the case.  There are a lot of factors that go into our body weight, so changing one thing may or may not lead to weight loss.  Running alone does not guarantee weight loss and a thin body.  Look at the starting line of any marathon.  There are people of all shapes and sizes, all of them about to run the same distance, and most of them have been running and training for months or years for it.  Running alone does not lead to a certain body type, weight, or shape.  

Today we talk about the many, many factors that go into our body weight, and why running may or may not be the best avenue for...

Injury.  The runner’s nemesis. Sometimes it is avoidable.  Other times, it is not. Sometimes we trip and fall.  Sometimes the injury is a result of overtraining. Either way, many runners will find themselves needing to rebuild their mileage after injury.  

Today, we talk about rebuilding speed and power after injury.  We start out with some tips on how to prevent those little aches and pain from turning into a bigger injury (Hint, when in doubt, ice it out!).  

Unfortunately though, not all injuries are preventable.  Some are more serious. Some require the dreaded time off.  If you do find yourself injured, there are definitely good and bad ways to get back into running and rebuild your fitness.  

Today we talk about:

• What you can do to avoid injury
• Ways to self-treat to prevent little aches and pains from becoming something bigger
• Ways to stay in shape while rehabbing from injury
• How to safely get back into running...

Make sure you stretch so you don’t get hurt!  Sometimes there is sage wisdom that can stand the test of time.  Other times, it’s just a training method that has been passed down for years without anyone actually questioning the point.  As real life runners, we are often pressed for time when working out. We hate wasting time with any activity that does not have an actual benefit on performance.  

In this episode we discuss the myths of stretching, the three main components that actually lead to flexibility and mobility, and how to deal with tightness in the body.  We cover why most of what we do for stretching, while not a negative, does not serve the purpose we think it does. Most importantly, we cover what should be done as a replacement for the generic static stretching that many people have been doing for years.  

In this episode you will learn:

• The difference between flexibility and mobility
• What 3 main things limit the motion...

In this episode, we discuss the benefits and difficulties that come from being a new runner.  While new runners are able to quickly adapt to new stresses on the body, everything is a new stress and that greatly increases the chance of an injury.  

New runners tend to get caught in a couple of traps. Recognizing the pitfalls will hopefully help any new runners, or runners that seem to have plateaued, move forward in the best way possible.  

Focus on one of the biggest keys of all running.  If you want to be a better runner, you need to run.  In a world filled with the fear of missing out, any runner, but especially new runners, can get distracted by the latest training buzzword and lose focus.  

Runners don’t like to take the slow and steady path even though that gets the best long term results. All of us need to take a step back from running, eating, or our general health and make sure that whatever we are doing to improve ourselves...