The Defining Endurance Podcast from Lifelong Endurance

CIM? Chicago? Berlin? NYC Marathon?

No matter what marathon you're prepping for this fall - Coach Andrew Simmons is sharing the key elements to training in the late summer heat, specific endurance runs, and a few extra tips to help you dial in that BQ or sub-3-hour marathon goal.

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115 - Layers of Fitness #5 - Enjoying the Cake

1. Mental Tools
2. Visualization
3. Tactics for managing a tough race or workout
4. How to integrate mental preparation into your training

Layers of Fitness #4: Decorating the Cake

• Hydration 

• Nutrition (Day of Racing)

• Specific Long Runs

• Race Pace Sessions

Fast Racing demands vs. Marathon and beyond

Why we can run into stomach issues

What works for training?

Why Carbs or King, and Calories are crucial

Training your gut

Products changing the market!

What is a specific endurance run - it's more than race pace

Refining your strategy

Specific Questions?

E-mail me: andrew@lifelongendurance.com

Layers of Fitness #3: Baking the Cake

• Timing (How big is the cake?)

• Specific Demands

• Moving from General to Specific

• Speed Work (Sugar)

• Mixing the ingredients

Welcome back. This is the 3rd episode in a 5 part series where we break down the principles of training and dig into some of the smaller nooks and crannies of performance, preparation, and racing. We spent last episode on our mise-en-place, prepping the ingredients and if I’m being honest - we only scraped the surface of preparation. Quite often, when we train we end up degrading in certain areas over a cycle and the “prep” can really be about preparing our bodies to train and rebuilding ignored areas of training. Sometimes that can lead to injury, or it can be from an imbalance in load.

Questions? E-mail me! andrew@lifelongendurance.com

112 | Layers of Fitness #2: What are the Ingredients?

• General Fitness

• Strength

• Capacity [ Anaerobic vs. Aerobic]

• Ratio for events

• Sprinkles 

• Neural Work

• Strides

Welcome back. This is the 2nd episode in a 5 part series where we break down the principles of training and dig into some of the smaller nooks and crannies of performance, preparation, and racing. We spent last episode on our mise-en-place, prepping the ingredients and if I’m being honest - we only scraped the surface of preparation. Quite often, when we train we end up degrading in certain areas over a cycle and the “prep” can really be about preparing our bodies to train and rebuilding ignored areas of training. Sometimes that can lead to injury, or it can be from an imbalance in load.

Questions? E-mail me! andrew@lifelongendurance.com

Why does your pace and heart rate matter on easy days? Does it matter what kind of terrain you run on? How do you create a training schedule? Coaches Andrew and Lexi answer your questions

Sports-focused Social Workers Sollita Lucero and Jessica Joiner talk with Lexi Miller about common obstacles that athletes face in their mental wellness. The discussion dives into perfectionism, comparison, and societal pressure.  

Jessica Joiner LCSW, LAC, SAP, EMDR Trained: Jessica has over a decade of experience working with those afflicted with addiction, complex trauma, and co-occurring disorders.  She is using that experience and her expertise to address the many issues that arise for athletes. Jessica works with all levels of athletic performers to address issues such as anxiety/depression, daily stress and pressure, substance abuse/addiction, adjusting from one level of play to the next, identity, injury, and overall mental health and wellness.  She is a member of the Alliance of Social Workers in Sports and has been a presenter at their last two National Conferences. She is a Co-chair of the Clinicians Committee and is a member of the Pro Sports Committee. In addition, Jessica is an approved and listed provider on the Mental Health Registries for both the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA), and the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC).

Jessica has a private practice in the Denver/Metro area of Colorado where, in addition to working with athletes, she also works with military personnel, first responders, as well as other individuals and couples. She has a holistic approach that includes a social justice, systems, and advocacy perspective. Jessica is a professional speaker and as part of her practice, she enjoys presenting material on various topics related to equity issues, as well as those related to substance abuse/addiction—both in general, and in the world of sports.

Sollita Lucero LCSW:  Sollita is a Social worker who specializes in sports mental health and is committed to helping people in all walks of life address their mental health. Her work focuses on targeting ineffective behaviors, habits, and beliefs around their mental health that is affecting their quality of life. She believes in taking a collaborative approach to helping clients reach their mental health goals.

Coach Andrew examines the need for speed work, especially for those training for a marathon.

How much can you really change your genetic code? Can heat or elevation training improve your VO2 Max, or is it best to be born with an already stellar system? Geneticist, Dr. Kristen Wells examines and explains to Lexi Miller the roll that genetics play in creating an athlete.

Dr. Jesse is a physical therapist who believes in treating the whole person (not just their injury.) In this episode, he explains how he uses the BioPsychoSocial model to best treat his clients.

What does it take to be one of the best Obstacle Course Racers? Kristopher Mendoza sits down with Andrew Simmons to talk about racing, training, injuries, and keeping perspective. 

Andrew Simmons is joined by Johnathon Levitt, host of For the Long Run Podcast. They discuss the importance of finding your "why" in running and weigh the merits of running for fun versus for compition.

Allison Baca is an elite athlete with Solomon, she balances her intense training regimen with being a new mom and keeping up with her demanding job. She speaks with vulnerability about the challenges of being an athlete and foraging her own way.

Are you being unrealistic with your training? What problems could your shoes be causing? Coach Andrew Simmons examines the five most common mistakes in running, and how you can solve them.

For many, early winter is the calm before the training storm! In this episode, Andrew and Lexi discuss how to make the most out of your off-season, and discuss season 2 of Defining Endurance.

Ben Rosario is back again! Ben is the head of the Hoka NAZ-Elite team, and recent co-author of a book with Matt Fitzgerald. He discusses how the practices used by his team of elite athletes can be adapted by anyone.

Colette Vartanian, of Skratch Labs discusses the most important aspects of fueling and nutrition. She dives into the various ways to hydrate, and why they matter.

In a solo episode, Andrew discusses the importance of regression, and how it fits into the different seasons of our lives.

Kevin Goldberg, of TrainingPeaks, discusses what goes into finding the running coach that best matches your needs

Why is it important to support athletics among young people? Are girls at a greater disadvantage when it comes to fining their place in sports? Lauren Pietrek of Girls on the Run Rockies discusses the importance of the organization, and how everyday runners can get involved to make a huge difference. 

Chris Harrington is a part time pro-runner, full time lawyer and family man who recently finished 5th at the Leadville Trail 100. In this episode, he sits down with Andrew Simmons to talk about how his perspective of training and racing has shaped his performance.

Jamie Komadia speaks with Andrew about finding herself in running.

Becca Jay is a strength ad balance coach with Get Up! Training. In this episode, she discusses how all runners, especially those coming back fro an injury or spending time on the trail. 

Andrew and Lexi discuss the common dilemma of know when to move up in race distance. 

A solo-episode with Andrew Simmons, detailing the processes and adjustments an athlete should make for the best recovery in training.

Paul Lind, son of the original Western States 100 medical director, Bob Lind and father of top ten finisher, Cody Lind, discusses the history of Western States and gives great advice as a coach and athlete.

It is difficult to imagine running any race 27 years straight, let alone the Hardrock 100. Kirk Apt joins Lexi Miller to talk about his years on the trail, how ultra running has changed, and how he has managed to joyfully fill three decades of running long distances.

Coaches Hillary Osborne and Laura Bruck- Renzelmen sit down with Lexi Miller to talk about the dreaded DNF (did not finish.) They tell their own stories, and discuss how the reframe the experience and move on as a stronger athlete.

A solo episode with Andrew Simmons exploring what causes fatigue, what the effects of fatigue are, and how to best recover. This episode dives into the nitty-gritty into the biology and science involved in building fitness and developing fatigue.

Is there such a thing as perfect running form? When should you make changes to correct your own. Physical Therapist and coach, Katie Carbiener discusses the mechanics of running form and how little adjustments can go a long way.

Irritability, restlessness, disinterest, fatigue: all signs that something is amiss. While burnout can come from a variety of sources, it's effect on athletes, and their training, is impossible to ignore. In this episode, Therapist, Chelsea Vibert of the Jefferson Center, speaks with Lexi about signs and symptoms of burnout, and how you can prevent, or heal, from the experience.

Dave Milner is a well known figure in the world of track and field for his work with the Music City Distance Carnival and other professional track meets for emerging elite athletes. He chats with Andrew Simmons about his background in running, how he got involved in coaching, and his work with young atheltes.

Greg Adamson has been a strength and conditioning coach for countless collegiate athletes and Olympians. Currently, he works for the University of Tennessee's Swimming and Diving Team as well as the Men's Golf team. He talks with host, Andrew, about using the "ships" to motivate people to succeed, while being cognizant of their mental heath.

Amanda Brooks is an entrepreneur, running coach and author located in Boulder Colorado. She is founder and owner of the company Run to the Finish, which provides coaching to athletes around the world. In this episode with Andrew Simmons, she discusses how she started her career with blogging about running, then grew to helping other runners.

Athlete and coach discuss how to grow and adapt in the sport of trail running, whether you are a novice or a veteran.

Empathy is part of the human condition, but it takes a rare person to use emotion to make a change. Frank Fumich, philanthropist and endurance athlete discusses his journey going into pushing his physical limits in order to raise money for various charities while putting himself through deep discomfort to inspire those around him. Frank and Andrew take a dive into some of Frank's notable adventures while discussing the draw to help others.