228. Broken to Healthy: How Ultrarunner Connor Meakin Overcame Years of Injury
Release Date: 12/30/2021
Pete Pfitzinger on How to Run Your Best Marathon: Aging, Intensity, Posture, and More
The Strength Running Podcast
Pete Pfitzinger is a RRCA hall of famer, top American at two Olympic Marathons, and legendary coach and author most known for his book (the 4th edition is now available for preorder!). He's the top American at the 1984 and 1988 Olympic Marathons, a 2-time winner of the San Francisco Marathon, 3rd place finisher at the 1987 NYC Marathon, and a coach with 30+ years of experience. He's on the podcast today to discuss marathon training: How is your posture during the delay related to how you run and your ? The value of back to back hard days (and how to structure them) Training red flags...
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Strength vs. Power: How to Lift So You Race Faster with Professor Andy Galpin (repost)
The Strength Running Podcast
Strength training is such a valuable tool for building speed, power, efficiency, strength, and injury resilience, that this episode needed to be republished! It originally aired in March 2022. Andy Galpin, PhD has been an assistant professor at California State University Fullerton for more than a decade. He formerly won a Division 3 national football championship while earning his exercise science degree at Linfield College. He then got his Master’s in Human Movement Sciences and his PhD in human bioenergetics. He serves on many advisory boards in the area of human performance, wrote the...
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Fueling 2.0: Training with a Continuous Glucose Monitor with Olympic Coach Hunter Allen
The Strength Running Podcast
Continuous Glucose Monitors - or CGM's - tell you how much glucose is in your body in real-time. But can they be helpful for runners? As the carb revolution continues and we understand the importance of high-carb fueling for endurance performance, the next logical question to ask is: Well, what's the optimal level of glucose? Is there a range that's most beneficial? Coach Hunter Allen joins us to discuss how to train effectively with a CGM. He is a USA Cycling Level I coach, founder of the Peaks Coaching Group, cofounder of TrainingPeaks Software, and a former professional cyclist with...
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The Season After the Season: How to Plan After a Breakthrough Race, with Sara Manderscheid
The Strength Running Podcast
A breakthrough race is intoxicating. Running a big Personal Best is a clear sign that you're training well, thriving, and on the right track. But what happens next? What happens after you run a big PR and your season comes to an end? How do you keep the momentum going, while still respecting recovery and your need for down-time? This episode is a repost of a conversation on the with coach Sara Manderscheid. We talk about: Recovery is a real phase of training. Learn how long to rest and why it's more than physical. Race analysis and reflection: Discover how to learn from your...
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Facts vs. Fads: Dr. Nick Tiller on Nasal Strips, Organics, Cupping, Detox Diets, and More
The Strength Running Podcast
Do nasal strips actually help you breathe better? What about detox diets or organic food - are they worth it? In this episode, Dr. Nick Tiller shares the evidence behind a variety of health and wellness trends and ideas, including: Cupping Organic Food Detox Diets Nasal Strips Respiratory Muscle Trainers Barefoot Running Dr. Nick Tiller is a research associate at the Lundquist Institute, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, an acclaimed writer, and author of The which was named one of Book Authority's "Best Sports Science Books of All Time." He is an accomplished ultra runner, a regular contributor...
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Is Creatine Worth the Hype? Weighing the Pros & Cons with Physiologist Brady Holmer
The Strength Running Podcast
Creatine is now one of the most hyped supplements with promises of faster recovery, leaner muscle gain, and even increased strength and power. But should distance runners consider adding it to their routine? Is it worth the benefits while considering its drawbacks. Brady Holmer is a physiologist, 2:24 marathoner, and author of the and Run Long, Run Healthy newsletters (the latter was previously authored by legend Amby Burfoot). He joins us to discuss: What is creatine and what it does Its benefits (and caveats with those benefits) Potential drawbacks Timing and dosing of creatine...
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Coaching Call: How Brandon Resolved ITBS, Ran 4 PR’s, and Set New Mileage Records
The Strength Running Podcast
My client Brandon has had an amazing few years: he resolved several imbalances, improved his stride, healed ITBS, ran PR's in 4 major race distances, and also set a few training mileage PR's .... wow! In this episode, he explains how he turned his running around and got faster, healthier, and able to train even more. A big part was his embrace of strength training with our program. For other options, see all of our . We discuss: What his training was like before he made this transformation How he changed his approach to running for the better The distances that he set PR's in The most...
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CrossFit vs. Pilates, Best Calf Exercises, and How to Lift More Weight with Victoria Sekely DPT
The Strength Running Podcast
Dr. Victoria Sekely is a physical therapist, certified strength & conditioning specialist, and certified running coach. She is one of the brightest, most nuanced thinkers in the running space. In this episode, we answer YOUR questions about strength training! How to balance running and CrossFit When "something is better than nothing" might be wrong Why pilates and yoga are not replacements for strength training Why weight lifting shouldn't be aerobically demanding Calf & soleus exercises she recommends How to get confident adding weight to your strength exercises A lot more! I am so...
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Alex Hutchinson, PhD on New Training Theory, High Mileage, Heat Training, and the Effort Paradox
The Strength Running Podcast
Bestselling author and acclaimed exercise science journalist Alex Hutchinson is back on the podcast! He is a regular columnist for Outside magazine writing the and has contributed to publications such as the New York Times and the New Yorker. He’s a former member of the Canadian national team, holds a PhD in physics from the University of Cambridge, a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University, and conducted post-doctoral research with the National Security Agency. We're exploring the frontier: what Alex is most excited about from the latest research that has the potential to...
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Foundational Running Skills: Carolyn Coffin Interviews Jason on Fundamental Training
The Strength Running Podcast
Hear Jason getting interviewed about fundamental training: the most important elements of any training plan, why you should focus on middle distances, the remaining 1% of things to focus on, why the term "full marathon" should be banished, and more. This is a repost of an episode of the . Resources from the show: (case study) Don't forget to hit the follow button and subscribe to the Strength Running Podcast! Thank you Previnex! After resisting most supplements for the better part of my life, I’m cautiously changing my tune. I’m now a Masters runner and in my personal life, I’m...
info_outlineRecovering from injuries is challenging when they keep you away from running for days or weeks. But injuries that linger for years require a special type of perspective and perseverance.
This week’s podcast guest received the kind of news you hope never to receive from a doctor - that you might never run again.
Connor Meakin had been an elite athlete long before he took up ultrarunning. He was a member of the Canadian Men’s National Field Hockey Team for four years before completing a road marathon. He quickly discovered his love for the mountains and trails and seemed to have found his calling, winning multiple races in 2014.
What began as a bad ankle sprain in 2014 quickly devolved into a much more serious injury. Connor tried to continue running and racing but the injury worsened and created new issues with his foot.
Soon, a radiologist told Connor he had one of the worst injuries he had ever seen. The doctor recommended he take up cycling and told him that he might never run again, especially in any sort of competitive fashion.
In the face of this grim news, most athletes would give up hope. But 5 years later, he's back to winning races!
Connor discusses a number of the strategies that did contribute to his recovery, including
- Facing the reality of the severity of his injury
- Finally resting
- Cross-training
- Gait retraining
- Digging into scientific research on rehabilitating injuries
- Physical therapy
Whether you’re struggling physically or mentally with an injury, or just trying to avoid them altogether, you’ll find something in Connor’s journey that you can relate to.
Links & Resources from the Show:
- Connect with Connor on Linked In
- Visit Connor’s business online
- Follow Connor on Instagram and on Facebook
- Prevent injuries that keep you sidelined from running
- Discover strategies for recovery and injury prevention from 9 elite athletes
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