Big thank you to the podcast supporters! John Wayne Cancer Foundation - Run the GRIT Series https://johnwayne.org/ Tanri Outdoors - All Natural Sun Protection for Runners (use “ULTRA10” for 10% off) https://tanri.com/ XoSkin (use “T4U20” for 15% off) https://www.xoskin.us/ Thank you Patreon supporters! https://www.patreon.com/trainingforultra

 

Guest: Brodie Sharpe

Episode Title: Run Smarter with Brodie Sharpe

Bio: Brodie Sharpe is an Australian runner and physiotherapist who, through his books, clinics, podcasts, and plethora of interviews has provided runners all over the world with the resources to recover and prevent running injuries. Brodie approaches running with the mind of a scientist and offers a unique, insightful, encyclopedic, and science-based approach to running, recovery, and injury prevention/treatment. Brodie understands the reality of running: injuries will happen, but he also knows that if you handle them correctly, long term injuries and injury cycles are incredibly preventable. There is nothing worse for a runner, especially an ultrarunner, than being laid up with an injury. It was actually when Brodie was training for his first marathon and nursing one of his own injuries that he really delved into the science of running and he has now made it his life’s goal to dispel common misconceptions and share his hard-earned information with fellow runners. Brodie is an accomplished runner himself and has experience running everything from trails and marathons, to triathlons. Brodie believes an important part of injury prevention is mindset and understanding that life stress can and will affect the body, so remember the body doesn’t know the difference, sometimes a rough mental day deserves an easy physical day and vice versa! A key component to enjoying your training is training smart!

Quotes from podcast episode:

(starting from Brodie's interview of Rob on his podcast)

“I truly believe I was an ultrarunner long before having the physical capabilities. Mentally I became an ultrarunner probably right along when I read Dean Karnazes book and then physically it took me a while to catch up.” - 4:18 Rob Steger

“I am all about finding just great inspiring stories regardless of if that person has, I've had people on that have, 10, like 10 million followers on social media. I've had people on with 200 and you know what? I ask them the same questions and I find them equally as inspiring and I always go for back-of-the-pack, middle-of-the-pack, front-of-the-pack, not-even-in-a-pack, like I just go for inspirational stories. That's how the podcast started.”  - 11:06

“Learn to enjoy not only the training, but the rest days also, and the taper.” - 19:01 Rob Steger

“I think 90% of DNF's happen before the race even starts.” - 46:55 Rob Steger

“It's those ugly ugly conditions that you train in that can actually lift you up during race day and can make that mental switch happen in your head, where you're like, “yeah things are tough, but look around, it's like 80 degrees and sunny and the trails are smooth right now”… You have to put yourself through training that makes you so uncomfortable at times that you're almost thankful to just be at the race.” 49:32 Rob Steger

“The running community is global, and as weird as, whether you love 5ks, or 10ks, or marathons, or whatever the distance, whatever the speed; there's a group out there for you.” 1:01:43 Rob Steger

 

“My goal is for someone to listen to my lessons and then they don't need me. That's the number one goal I have for someone to sort of overcome their injury themselves or realize these injury prevention principles and then they don't need me. That's great! That's what I want!” - 1:15:16 Brodie Sharpe

“When I do offer advice I try and make it as sound, as clear, and effective as I can.” - 1:16:06 Brodie Sharpe

“You don't know until you have actually gone through that process, you can't make that judgement call of how long that injury is going to take to get better when you're in the moment and you start noticing soreness.” - 1:25:42 Brodie Sharpe

“It's all about putting on your scientific hat, testing something out, and paying attention to symptoms along the way.” - 1:37:10 Brodie Sharpe

“Almost every running-related injury is due to overuse. It's due to doing the same thing over and over and over and over again until eventually something breaks down.” - 2:01:39 Brodie Sharpe

“If you're constantly breaking down… you really need to start strength training.” - 2:02:02 Brodie Sharpe

“Good quality sleep is the number one recovery strategy you have. If you are an ultrarunner, like the recommended average sleep is eight hours, but if you're an ultrarunner and you're doing a lot of mileage you're recommended is probably close to ten.” - 2:10:28 Brodie Sharpe

 

Episode Timeline:

(starting from Brodie's interview of Rob on his podcast)

1:23 The origins of Training for Ultra

5:10 Rob’s book 

8:50 Starting out with Instagram

10:40 Starting the podcast and creating inspirational content through great stories

14:30 Why tell middle-of-the-pack stories?

14:55 Losing the fear of failure

16:53 Rob’s training philosophy 

19:40 Days off are okay

20:45 Maintaining the joy of running during training

21:35 Your “why” can change

23:00 Your goals have to inspire you

24:10 Suffer now or suffer during the race

24:45 How to get into a flow state while running, what is it, and what are the benefits?

28:25 Runners high versus flow state

29:15 Conserving cognitive energy

31:45 How do you schedule your long runs?

34:00 Benefits of double and triple runs to squeeze in miles

35:50 Training has to work for your lifestyle

36:50 Low versus high mileage

39:30 Customize your training through trial and error 

40:15 Mental strength tips for ultrarunning

50:35 Is there something you have learned from ultra training that applies to non-ultra runners?

53:10 Common misconceptions about ultras and ultrarunners

55:30 Common training and racing mistakes

57:55 Have the confidence in yourself to do your training and run your race

59:45 The “marathon ego” is unsustainable in ultrarunning

1:03:00 Don’t be too hard on yourself

1:06:07 Start of Training for Ultra interview of The Run Smarter Podcast

1:07:40 Mental challenges of COVID race cancellations

1:09:33 How has running changed in Australia due to COVID restrictions and lockdowns 

1:12:00 Trail running versus road running 

1:13:10 Has COVID changed your podcast and business?

1:15:51 How to listen to your body

1:17:20 Identifying good pain versus bad pain

1:21:10 Generic protocol for pain identification

1:23:50 When to stop running and risk versus reward

1:27:00 Importance of maintaining biomechanics

1:29:30 What inspires Brodie to educate and help runners through his books and podcast

1:31:45 Pain, rest, weakness, downward spiral 

1:35:30 Training within your adaptation zone

1:38:28 Science behind changing your running technique - should you do it?

1:42:03 Is the ideal cadence really 180?

1:44:20 Biomechanics of changing your speed

1:46:26 Correlating cadence and injury

1:49:05 How to work on your cadence

1:49:45 Overstride problems

1:52:00 Which part of Volume 2 are you most proud of

1:54:30 The science behind strength training for runners

1:56:53 How many pull ups could Kipchoge do?

2:01:03 Combining strength training with ultrarunning training 

2:05:30 Correlation between diet and injury

2:08:25 Benefits of beer drinking for running

2:10:20 Thoughts on CBD and melatonin for maximizing recovery

2:13:40 Weirdest question you have been asked on a podcast

2:15:55 Parting words of wisdom on injury prevention

Social Media:

Instagram:🎧 The Run Smarter Podcast 🎧 (@runsmarterseries) • Instagram photos and videos Website:About Brodie Sharpe • The Run Smarter Series

eBook:  https://mailchi.mp/runsmarter/e-book-sign-up-vol-1-2 

 

Big thank you to the podcast supporters! John Wayne Cancer Foundation - Run the GRIT Series https://johnwayne.org/ Tanri Outdoors - All Natural Sun Protection for Runners (use “ULTRA10” for 10% off) https://tanri.com/ XoSkin (use “T4U20” for 15% off) https://www.xoskin.us/ Thank you Patreon supporters! https://www.patreon.com/trainingforultra