The Natural Running Network Live

Matt Fitzgerald has authored more books on endurance sports training and sports nutrition than almost anyone in the industry. As of this writing he has penned 22 books, co-authored a handful of others and has two in the “Queue” as he calls it this year. Of interest for this podcast is: “How Bad do you Want it” and a follow up on eating habits of the greatest endurance athletes which should be released sometime in 2016. How Bad Do You Want It, promises to reveal the neuroscience behind the mind set of successful athletes. What do they think about, why and what results when they do. How we can trigger successful outcomes in our competitions through mental preparation and techniques we can employ to perform optimally. We also discuss the new trend in “Fat adaptation” diets. Do they work? You’ll have to listen to find out more…

Canadian Ryan Atkins is scorching the Battle Frog racing series, coming off of his second Toughest Mudder World Championship win where he covered over 95 miles in 24 hours! He is now setting his sights on the Spartan World Championships at Lake Tahoe this fall. Richard Diaz catches up with him to discuss training, running technique and all things to do with Obstacle racing as an elite pro. Obstacle racing is the hottest endurance sport in the world today. There is a whole new influx of amazingly talented athletes who are vying for top spots in the world rankings and Ryan has proven to be a force to reckon with.

Training and racing for obstacle races such as Spartan, Atlas, Tough Mudder and Battle Frog places unique demands on an athlete.  These events require the ability to perform at far greater intensity than preparing for a marathon.  Richard Diaz and his guest Dr. Harry Pino, a renowned sport scientist discuss these demands and the program written by Richard Diaz tailor made to prepare these athletes for the rigors of these intense competitions that he has justifiably named “The Dark Side”Lactate Tolerance Training for high intensity running

Travis Macy is best known as; “The Guy who won the Leadman Ultra Endurance Event”. Travis is a professional adventure racer, ultra-marathonrunner, coach and motivational speaker. We speak about his newly released book: “The Ultra Mindset” a book that serves as a guide to 8 key principles to becoming successful in sport, business and life. He delivers powerful self-help messages such as; “When you have no choice, anything is possible”.  This is a great interview for anyone who is in search of success.

Bart Yasso is considered “The Mayor of Running”. He is recognized around the world, having competed in running events on all seven continents from the Antarctica marathon to the Mt. Kilimanjaro marathon. A delightful ambassador to the sport of running and Runner's World "Chief Running Officer", Infamous for the; not so scientific but highly regarded “Yasso 800’s” a system of training and means for predicting a runners marathon finish time. Yasso won the U.S. National Biathlon Long Course Championship and won the Smoky Mountain Marathon in 1998. He has also completed the Ironman five times and the Badwater Ultramarathon through Death Valley.

Michael Johnson won 4 Olympic gold and 8 World Championship gold medals.  He holds the 400m world and Olympic records. His 200m time of 19.32 at the 1996 Summer Olympics stood for 12 years. Johnson is considered one of the greatest sprinters in history. He is the only male athlete in history to win both the 200 meter dash and 400 meter dash events at the same Olympics, a feat he accomplished at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. He holds the world's best time at the 300 m.  Johnson is also the only man to successfully defend his Olympic title in the 400 m. Aside from his Olympic success Johnson accumulated eight gold medals at World Championships, and is thus tied with Carl Lewis and Usain Bolt for the most gold medals won by any runner in history.

Rose Wetzel has dominated the pro field in Obstacle Races through 2014 and is currently ranked #2 in the world as of this episode  and has she suggests, “Its early in the season”.  Listen as we discuss what it takes to rise to the top of the field in Spartan Racing, how important running skill plays into her success and her involvement in The American Ninja Warrior competition. Obstacle Racing is the hottest endurance event in the world today, drawing attention from the runners who historically have participated in marathons, half marathons are stepping up to the challenge offered by these unique competitions.

Isaiah Vidal Elite Pro Obstacle racer is on the podium at almost every race he enters. Richard Diaz catches up with Isaiah to find out his tricks and share some with the audience. Running is recognized as a critical component of Obstacle Racing. Some say running skill represents 75% of the winning equation. Isaiah is working hard to add this asset to his portfolio. As a Spartan Elite Pro each athlete is ranked by the number of events they participate in and those in which they win or place. The events are set up around the world in three challenges, a sprint (5K) a Super (8 miles) and the Beast which is 13 miles all with unique obstacles to conquer.

Many runners are afraid to change the way they run even though they are plagued with running injuries. Richard Diaz and guest Peter Faletto, PT, gait correction expert, explain how a runner would change the way they run to reduce injury and improve performance. Both Richard and Peter are highly experienced in the practice of neuromuscular re-education through a very unique system of unweighting and passively correcting poor gait mechanics while in motion. Any runner who is engaged in marathon training, half marathon training or even high intensity sprint speed athletics should tune into this episode.

Once an illegal substance, Marijuana is now gaining popularity among Runners as a training enhancement.  Legal in 28 states many runners are smoking pot to improve performance. Join our host Richard Diaz and Jimmy Reed as they visit, “Runners who get high”. Once considered taboo, smoking or possessing marijuana could land you in jail.  Now there is a growing trend and experimentation in the benefits of cannabis use among competitive runners.  The vaporize it, eat, rub it on tired and sore muscles and swear by the benefits provided opposed to taking other over the counter and prescribed anti-inflammatory drugs.   It’s an interesting topic and The Natural Running Network is going to tackle it head on.

An interview with Jim Gourley author of The Race Within –The Ultraman World Championship and Christian Isakson, 2 x competitor.  Ultraman is one of the toughest events in the world, a 3 day event that tests the stamina and grit of the few willing to brave it.   A race born in Kona, where competitors begin on day one with an ocean rough water 6.2 mile swim, followed by another 90 miles by bike.  Day two is another 171 miles of cycling to conclude with a double marathon the final day, over 52 miles of running.  We discuss the history of the event, the challenges the race promoters face to keep the event running along with some very interesting history of the Ironman World Championship.

Joe Friel is back!  Learn how to train and Race as a senior athlete as we explore training tips from the most respected endurance coach in the country.  Joe is cofounder of Training Peaks, The Triathlon Training Bible and several other great books on training. Very few coaches are as well versed on the application of heart rate and prescription of training based on scientific evidence. Joe Friel is a best-selling author of more than a dozen books for athletes.  He is also a masters multiple champion and has coached athletes from novice to elite both amateur and professional.

Junyong Pak, 2 time Toughest Mudder World Champ smashes Guinness Book World Record by  running the fastest marathon (3:12:47) carrying a 40lb. weight.  Pak says: “it's an addictive rush when you're so good at tolerating pain—and you come out the other side”.   Richard Diaz catches up with him to find out how he does it.  We’ll talk nutrition, training and grit and plans for future competitions, obstacle racing and marathon running.

Every competitive runner works hard to improve running speed.  Often, these attempts lead to injury and often progress is elusive.  Richard Diaz shares his training secrets for achieving running speed for various events from the mile to the Spartan Beast. This episode is perfect for runners of all distances.  The advice provided is a result of decades of field testing, comprehensive work in diaz human performances lab on athletes of all shapes, size and sports; from Sprinters to Ultra Marathon runners.  The path to successful speed begins with some critical first steps.  Be sure to tune in!

Joseph Gray 5-Time USA Mountain Runner of the Year.  Joe is a runner with an amazing story to tell.  In Mexico he challenged one of the toughest races in North America the Itzaccihuatl Skyrace de Mexico starting at 11,000 feet ascends to 15,750+ and back. In 2014 Joe became the first athlete in USA Mountain Running History to win back to back USA Mountain Running Titles while also becoming first Male athlete to win both Uphill/Downhill and Uphill Formats for the Championship. This is a recap of an amazing running adventure from one of the true running greats of our time.

Joe DeSena, creator of Death Race and the fastest growing sport in America, obstacle racing or more precisely, Spartan Racing. Sure to become an Olympic event, Spartan racing is breeding a new generation of athletes, many were once dedicated runners. Joe is infamous for his no nonsense approach to fitness. He himself once a highly respected adventure racer, ironman and ultra-marathon runner, is known for accomplishing the unheard of in endurance sport. Joe has invited literally thousands to train with him at his 700 acre farm in Vermont; few ever stay due to the sheer intensity of the training he prescribes.  If you enjoy hard core training and endurance adventure, you will enjoy this interview.

There is a growing trend surrounding the prospect of becoming “Fat Adapted” by changing diet.  Join Richard Diaz and guests Anthony Almada MSc, FISSN and Michael Wardian Elite Ultra Endurance Runner as we discuss the pros and cons of a high fat diet. Many Ultra Runners have experimented with high fat diets due to the claims that by doing so will enhance fat burning and carbohydrate sparing potential. This about face in sports nutrition goes against the grain of traditional sports science.  Anthony Almada is an expert in the field of performance nutrition and Michael Wardian, is a world class Ultra Runner whose performance depends on proper refueling before and during competition.  We hope to shed some light on this hot topic of “Fat Adaptation”.

Max King is a force to be reckoned with at any distance from a 3K to 100K and beyond. He has placed 1st in some of the most competitive races in the world from the Transrockies 6-Day Stage Race to the IAAF World Mtn Running Championships while still able to produce blistering speed at the shorter distances.  Our host Richard Diaz, asks, how he does it and what’s in store for the New Year.

An amazing account of faith, running as a national champion, hope and inspiration.  A true story of genocide survival and a second chance to give back as a running coach in America.  As told by Gilbert Tuhabonye. Gilbert Tuhabonye, a native of Burundi Africa, a nationally ranked runner and genocide survivor.  Tells how he escaped being burned to death with all his schoolmates, now a renowned running coach in America. An inspiring story every runner must hear. Gilbert narrowly escaped an attack on his school as the Hutu’s sought revenge for the murder of the president of Burundi by the Tutsi’s. With 30% of his body burned he escaped a burning building where as many as 200 of his class mates lay brutally tortured and burned to death.  Fortunately, this story ends well as Gilbert now coaches runners in Austin Texas.

Runners get injured, often needlessly. Join Richard Diaz and his guest Jason Fitzgerald-USATF Certified Running Coach as they share insights into the cause of most running related injuries and the misconceptions of what does NOT prevent these injuries. If you have been sidelined by running injuries, incapable of finishing a marathon and are unsure why you often plagued by reoccurring problems with your run, this is a show you don’t want to miss. Some of the information may surprise you, the solutions are simple to employ and may be what is needed to get you back on track and running with confidence once again.