The Stronger Stride Podcast

144. Run 4 Resilience

Today’s ep we were joined by two well respected expert health professionals, Elise Falloon Social Worker, Running Coach and founder of Strength To Strength Mental and Physical Healthcare, and Mick Chappman returning guest, Accredited Nutritionist, masters in Public Health and founder of My Health Pledge. Both have a passion for physical and mental health, and have used their expertise and love for running to create a 12 week program to combat lonliness by bringing people together through running. The program is designed for beginner runners wanting to train for a 10km with the focus on developing sustainable trainign habits, creating a community, building a sense of belonging and using movement to improve mental health.

In the ep we cover;

• loneliness, community and mental health
• the importance of movement and exercise for mental health
• statistics from the 2023 cohort, making true impact and what this looks like for the future of healthcare
• breaking the boom bust cycle, accountability and sustainability in exercise habits + mental health impact

You can hear more about the program here;

Lauren Marshall has recently put herself on the Australian ultra-running map by finishing Sydney's Backyard Ultra as the last female standing, completing 30 yards (over 200 kilometres).

In this episode we discuss:

- Lauren's introduction to running

- The importance of community

- Internal motivation to challenge herself

- Her first backyard ultra experience

- Her recent backyard ultra win, including details on:

Pacing, nutrition, gear, tent set-up, motivation, checklists, the importance of having a good crew and so much more.

Today's solo ep is all about tendons and optimal loading patterns.

Lydia first runs you through her training update and reflections on her recent injury. Lots of reflections about identity, purpose and innate desire for progression. Following this the chat on tendons starts around 30 mins, which covers the essentials when it comes to tendon loading and rehab for runners.

What I cover in this ep;

- understanding lower limb tendons and their role in running

- tendon adaptation to mechanical stimuli, tensile vs compressive vs shear forces

- common runners mistakes

- positive and maladaptive tendon adaptations

- boom bust tendon pain trap for runners

- running economy and tendon stiffness

- exercise selection, rep ranges, frequency and load to build tendon capacity

Resources:

Johanna Garton is a three-time author with her most recent book; All in Stride, released this month.

Her book details the gripping and inspiring stories of elite runners Elvin and Shadrack. Beginning with their upbringing in Kenya, Garton follows the runners through their journeys to the United States, competing for Division One universities, their romance during college, and ultimately their service as U.S. soldiers and professional runners. More than just a running story, All in Stride takes readers behind the scenes to explore the difficulties Elvin and Shadrack faced, including adjusting to an entirely new culture in the U.S., bigotry and intolerance, the stresses and joys of global competitions like the Olympics, joining the U.S. Army’s World Class Athlete Program, and discovering the ever-changing landscape of what it means to be an American.

Woven through the narrative is the story of Samantha Schultz, who competed in the sport of modern pentathlon for the U.S. Army.  Sammy’s journey involved several obstacles including poor coaching, overtraining, the intense pressure to make the Olympic team and a dive into disordered eating, a condition that plagues so many young female athletes.

In this conversation we discuss: - Johanna's background and early introduction to running - The stories of Shadrack & Elvin - The story-writing process - The challenges of "making it" as a professional runner And so much more.

Last weekend Soph went down to Canberra to run the Half Marathon. Have a listen to hear how the training block and race went.

Thanks so much for your support!

You can find us here:

139. Running A Marathon With Parkinsons Disease

Dean Laws is an everyday Aussie bloke who got a heartbreaking diagnosis of Parkinsons disease at 52 years old. Today, 12 years later, he's run 2 marathons and claims to be in the best shape of his life. Dean tells about his sporty upbringing, competing in triathlon and his first Parkinsons symptoms. He delves into the process of diagnosis and the impact this had on his mental health as well as physcial symptoms. As someone who loved living an active life it was devastating to see it all start to slip away, with no possibility of cure.

Dean didn't lose all hope though, he describes this turning point in the ep where he turned to his closest friends for support and decided he was going to put up a fight. We hear the story of seeking exercise intervention and the return to running and eventual completion of Sydney Marathon, a distance he'd never run even before his diagnosis. He since has founded 'The Dean Team' which is dedicated to helping people with Parkinsons live active, fulfilling and independent lives. They raise awareness and funds for Parkinson's research and support services.

Dean is an inspiring man who shares a story of possibility, hope and transformation. A big message from this ep is the importance of seeking help and surrounding yourself with a community that can uplift you. We know you're going to love it.

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138. Returning to running after nearly a year off!

Today’s solo ep with Lydia is all about the comeback from zero to hero! She takes you through her injury journey the last 12 months and how she’s returning to running.

She covers;

• what happens to the heart, lungs, muscles and bones when we have a prolonged period off training
• Lydia’s injury journey over the last 13 months
• things to consider before returning to running; calf capacity + hop testing
• making a plan, intensity, mileage
• bone strength + deload weeks
• comparison, social running + what not to do

References mentioned in show:

Check out these episodes for more info:

In this weeks episode, Sophie sits down with Tim Locke from The Distance Collective to dive deep on his coaching philosophy's, how to approach training for a 50k a detailed debrief on Sophie's Tarawera 50k program.

We discuss:

- How Tim's coaching philosophy has evolved

- The importance of being adaptable and fluid with your training

- Prioritising long term development rather than instant gratification

- Things to consider when training for a 50k ultra

- Overview of Sophie's Tarawera program

You can reach out to Tim (and his partner, Michaela) at The Distance Collective if you're looking for some coaching advice.

In today's ep, Sophie discusses some strategies to think about during race week! What should you do 24-72hrs prior to the event and what to do on the morning of, to make sure you have the best day. She dives into carb loading, hydration, logistics, products etc.

If you'd like some more information on any of the topics mentioned, check out these episodes:

REGISTRATIONS OPEN 9am 16th January:

In Today's episode we chat to Hugh Mason; Exercise Physiologist and Strength & Conditioning Coach about his philosophy's on returning to running post-injury and rehabilitation more broadly.

Specifically, we speak about how sleep and stress can delay the recovery process and why we need to look beyond the physical indications of injury.

We also chat about how to schedule and structure your running and rehab sessions as well as some frameworks around returning to sport following an injury.

It was a great conversation and we know you're going to take a lot away from what Hugh had to say.

You can find Hugh here:

In this episode, Soph and Lyds chat about the highs and lows of 2023, including some of our most popular podcasts episodes, training and racing highlights and of course some reflections from Lydia.

We'd love to hear how your year has been and what your plans are for 2024! Leave a comment on Spotify or send us a DM on Instagram.

Harry is a passionate running focused Physio and Strength & Conditioning coach who is dedicated to getting runners back to what they love doing! His experience ranges from treating runners with crippling injuries right up to preventative strength and conditioning as well as running performance, biomechanics and hands on treatment.

Harry’s approach to running injuries involves a dive into the individuals ecosystem considering everything from sleep, stress, biomechanics, physiology and more. Personally, Harry loves running and has competed in various events over the world, including many marathons and ultramarathons. Harry states that although he will never be competing for the podium, It is his love of the sport, the people, how it is suited for all capabilities, and the mental health benefits that inspires him.

In this ep Harry covers;

• How the beginner runner gets injured
• Heart rate zones to prevent injury
• The importance of strength training for runners; where to start and what to avoid
• Why the calf muscle muscles are essential for runners; anatomy and specific exercises

121. The Impact of Running in the Heat (and what to do about it)

In today's ep, Soph chats about why running in the heat can be detrimental to our performance if we aren't well prepared. For anyone who has struggled through a run on a hot day, it makes a lot of sense as to why!

- How does heat effect our physiology?

- Conditions or variables to consider when running in the heat

- Risks and dangers

- How do we keep cool (physiologically)

- Strategies to manage your temperature to improve your performance in hot and humid conditions

Thanks for listening!

Please share this episode on your instagram story or send it to a friend!

DISCOUNT CODES:

In this episode, Sophie uncovers why running makes us feel good. This is a rapid fire episode, with more depth on certain aspects coming in future ep’s. She discusses the previous theory of endorphins causing this 'euphoric' feeling and a more recent idea around a naturally occurring substance, called Endocannabinoid (ECB) which could have a big role to play. As well as discussing the science and research, she also speaks on a few anecdotal reasons why she believes running is so powerful. We'd love to hear your thoughts. Why does running make YOU feel good?

Scott Goddards' ep on Flow State - https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/strongerstride/episodes/80--Flow-State--Goal-Setting-for-runners-w-Scott-Goddard-PHD-e1v1lkh

Articles:

Today we are joined by two fellow podcasters, Kelly & Blake from The Sports Medicine Project.

In this episode we spoke about Kelly's recent bony injury and what her rehab has looked like.

We also discussed our thoughts on training load, RED-S, deload weeks and general running chat.

111. How cadence can transform your running

Typically running isn't a quick win sport, it takes years of clocking miles on the legs to see progress. The only secret is... CONSISTENCY.

Except... what if I told you that adjusting your running cadence could transform your running!! It's likely the only research backed running metric that is proven to reduce over use running related injuries (outside of course just running less and slower, but who wants to do that). And it's something you can change immediately! This ep is here to teach you how.

In this ep I discuss how checking and adjusting your cadence is really the simplest way to make running more efficient and reduce your injury risk. This of course only really applies to those who's cadence needs adjustment. So tune in to learn how to check your cadence, what is good or bad and what you can do about it.

I cover;

- what is cadence and how you can measure it

- what the research says we should do

- cadence related biomechanical changes; stride length + impact forces

- tibial bone stress, patellofemoral pain + risk reduction

- easiest way to implement a cadence change

Some of the resources I mentioned in the show;

In todays episode we re-introduce and fill you in on:

- Who we are

- Why we run

- Regrets from our early running years

- Advice for new runners

- Things we have changed our minds on

- Biggest mistakes that we see as a phyio / coach

107 - Managing Running Related Bone Stress and Stress Fractures

Today we dive into one of the BIGGEST and most complex running injuries of all... BONE STRESS.

It's a HUGE topic and today covers all the basics when it comes to pathophysiology, diagnosis, risk factors and early management. This is far from a rehab guide as bone stress is complex and frequently requires a multidisciplinary management approach. What you will learnt however is;

- what causes bone stress and what it actually is from a pathophysiology perspective

- who gets them and why

- both biomechanical and biological risk factors

- training error you should look out for

- gold standard diagnosis, who to seek help from and why other input may be requirred

- grading stress, injury site and bone type

- early management, prognosis, de-loading and time frames to return to running

In the next bone stress episode we will delve deeper into management and bone loading principals.

Some references for your further reading;

Branching out from simply just running might be a good idea!

In today's ep, Soph discusses the pro's and con's of hybrid training and whether or not it's worth all of the hype.

She also gives a quick recap following her attempt at a HYROX competition.

Good luck to the those doing City2Surf today!

Thanks again for listening and supporting our show!

Hey Team!

Today's episode is all about progress! Or lack of...

As runner's we thrive off progression, improvement, running faster, or longer or getting a PB! But once the beginner gains wear off we can start to plateau and the progress no longer comes so easily.

Sophie breaks down some of the most common reasons for this and provides some practical strategies for overcoming your road blocks!

FREE downloadable Weekly Recovery Audit PDF:

Ep. 100: Christine Yu - UP TO SPEED: The Groundbreaking Science of Women Athlete's

*Interview starts at 18:52*

Christine is an award-winning journalist and author of the book UP TO SPEED: The Groundbreaking Science of Women Athletes.

In today's episode, we discuss:

- Reasons for the lack of research on women

- The effects of the menstrual cycle on performance

- The dangers of glamorising being thin in sport

- Intermittent-fasting

- The narrowing gap between men and women in ultra-endurance events

- Clothing and footwear considerations

Jenny Valentish is an accomplished author and immersion journalist who has focused her work on investigating the science of addiction and the parallels in extreme sports; who is drawn to such intensity and what compels one to grit it out above the rest.

Jenny is well respected writer with an impressive resume previously contributing to Triple J Mag and Time Out Melbourne; with regular contributions to The Age, The Guardian, The Sydney Morning Herald and the ABC. Jenny has become an expert in what it as that draws people into such extreme and outrageous activities and hobbies, including of course ultra running. When writing fro her book 'Everything Harder than Everyone Else' Jenny interviewed multiple people across an array of sports and activites that took things to a whole new level. There were some fascinating similaries across groups and frequently Jenny likens such ultra enthusiasm as similar to drug or alcohol addiction.

In today's ep Jenny discusses;

- her personal experience with addiction + inspiration for her research-memoir hybrid 'Women of Substances' (2017)

- reoccurring themes in elite athletes and addicts

- structure and regiment as a path to peace and safety

- childhood trauma and its potential power to alter ones relationship to pain

- self harm and pushing to ones physical limit

- sustainability, obsession and ultra running

- social media icons, the glamorisation of grit and possible trauma masking

- activities and sports with measurable goals compared to ones for fun

We know you're going to love this one and we can't wait to hear your take-aways.

There are some heavy topics discussed in today's episode so please check the links below if this brings anything up for you.

https://www.health.gov.au/our-work/drug-help https://au.reachout.com/mental-health-issues/addiction

There's a lot of talk lately about the Norwegian Double Threshold Method which has seen a lot of success for elite middle distance runners such as Jakob Ingebrigtsen. How does this relate to the everyday runner's training schedule? Is there any application or is it only reserved for the best of the best? In today's episode Sophie explains what lactate threshold is and the principles of double threshold training.

She explains the practical application for recreational runners with some example sessions as well as addressing some listener questions from Brooke, Tyler and Sota.

Thanks for listening!

Resources:

Nick Jankovskis Youtube video - 'What Blood Lactate ACTUALLY Means': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5P6jGZ8N5w4

Ep. 61 w/ Nick Jankovskis: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/RuQ1O3SpHAb

Jono Ridler joins us on the podcast today to chat about his ultra marathon swim of nearly 100kms, the longest open water swim in New Zealand ever!

*Interview starts at 20:58*

Jono is a humble man who tells us his story into swimming, the mindset behind this huge endurance feat and some of the crazy physical experiences he had while in the water for nearly 33 hours. The record breaking swim took place in May 2023, starting in Karaka Bay, Aotea Great Barrier Island and finishing in Campbells Bay, Auckland. Jono's love of the ocean extends beyond challenging his physical limits, he's on a mission the raise awareness for ocean conservation in NZ, partnering with Live Ocean for his epic event. You can learn all about the amazing marine conservation work they do here https://liveocean.com/foundation/swim4thegulf/

In this ep we cover;

- Jono's journey into ultra swimming

- training for a 33 hour swim

- fuelling and support crew

- logistics, weather, medical support

- letting the mind wonder vs staying focused

- marine conservation with Live Ocean

We know you're going to love this one. A truly inspiring story about the potential of human endurance.

You can hear more from Jono on his website: https://www.jonoridler.com/about