TrainingPeaks Founder Dirk Friel on AI, the Future of Coaching, and New Tech for Runners
Release Date: 01/18/2024
Strength & Age: How to Adapt Your Running As You Get Older, with Dr. Karl Knopf
The Strength Running Podcast
What age is too old to start strength training? (Spoiler alert: You're never too old.) Dr. Karl Knopf is an author and college professor who has been involved in the health and fitness of older adults and people with disabilities for more than 40 years. Over the decades, he's worked in almost every aspect of the industry, from personal training and therapy to consultation. We talk about: Misconceptions about strength and age for runners Functional fitness, cross-training and active rest for longevity The impact of poor posture on runners Strength training for different...
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Mental Toughness Masterclass: Dr. Lara Pence on How to Master Your Mindset
The Strength Running Podcast
This could be the most important skill set for any runner to develop. Dr. Lara Pence is a licensed clinical psychologist and MBA specializing in elite and professional athlete development to optimize wellness and performance both in sport and in life. She works with a wide range of athletes, from NFL players to trail running champions and from PGA tour members to Olympic medalists. Lara is the founder of The Coaches Collective, a program that teaches ambitious sport coaches how to coach from a whole-person, psychologically grounded perspective. We talk about: The...
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Nutrition Reality Check: Pseudoscience & Myths with Kylee Van Horn & Zoë Rom
The Strength Running Podcast
There’s a lot of nutrition misinformation out there for runners, and many of us would be better off being less strict about our fuel. Kylee Van Horn and Zoë Rom are co-hosts of the podcast Your Diet Sucks. Kylee is the founder and owner of the sports nutrition business Flynutrition, which helps runners, triathletes, cyclists, and skiers to learn not only the “why” but the “how” behind fueling for performance. Zoë is an ultrarunner with top finishes at the Rio Del Lago, Run Rabbit, and Leadville 100’s. As a journalist and writer, she specializes in...
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The New Rules of Protein for Endurance Runners: Q&A with Claire Shorenstein, RD
The Strength Running Podcast
How much protein do you actually need, and how should you get it? Claire Shorenstein (MS, RD, CSSD) is a board-certified sports dietitian with over a decade of experience working with teenage and adult athletes from the recreational to elite level. Claire is a longtime distance runner herself and hosts The Eat for Endurance Podcast. We talk about: How protein needs have been rising for athletes and what that may mean for you The factors that influence individual nutrition and why RDA isn't everything Protein's impact while injured or recovering Why you need to...
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Q&A with Jason: Supercompensation, Scheduling Strength, Time vs. Miles, and more
The Strength Running Podcast
Wish you could ask a coach about injury risk, building back fitness after illness, common training errors, and more? I collected popular running questions from our and am answering these questions: What exactly is supercompensation? How can you build back your fitness after getting sick? What are some pitfalls and traps around beginner runner progressions? Should I count myself as a novice or more advanced runner? Is there any benefit for longer duration of the same mileage between two runners? When in a weekly schedule is a good day to do specific strength training? What are examples of...
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The Meaning of Endurance: Anthropologist Michael Crawley on Why We Run
The Strength Running Podcast
What drives us as humans to push our physical and mental limits in endurance events? Michael Crawley is a 2:20 marathoner, professor of anthropology at Durham University, and author of the new book We talk about: The collective nature of running culture Why we voluntarily sign up for exhausting endurance activities An evolutionary perspective on running Technology's role in modern running Incorporating endurance into daily life How Michael's personal endurance approach has changed through his book research Send this episode to your running friend who's also a history or culture nerd,...
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Double Threshold, High Volume, & Lactate: Exploring the Norwegian Method with Brad Culp
The Strength Running Podcast
It's a common misconception that the Norwegian Method is just running double threshold workouts. Brad Culp is a sports journalist, endurance athlete, and author of the fascinating new book, We dug into Brad's knowledge of the training principles behind the Norwegian Method: lactate threshold, lactate testing, a focus on low intensity and high volume, heat training, altitude, and more. We talk about: The nuance behind the Norwegian Method and what it actually entails The role of lactate and lactate testing in the Norwegian Method High volume training and Zone 1 running The difference between...
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Becs Gentry: How this Peloton Instructor and 2:32 Marathoner is Running the Great World Race
The Strength Running Podcast
If you had the chance, would you sign up to run 7 marathons in 7 days on 7 different continents? Becs Gentry is a popular One Peloton instructor, the 4th place finisher at the 2021 UK Olympic Trials, a former Nike Run Club Coach, and a 2:32:01 marathoner. She’s getting ready to start the Great World Race on November 15, 2024. We talk about: Whether Becs expects more challenges physically or logistically How Becs intends to approach each of the 7 days The recovery strategies Becs will implement throughout the week Expected challenges of the Antarctica marathon Becs’ goals for the weeklong...
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Phil Batterson, PhD on Tissue Tolerance: The Key to Preventing Injuries?
The Strength Running Podcast
"Tissue tolerance" might be a hard term for the average runner to define. But it could also be how you prevent your next big running injury. Phil Batterson, PhD, is a former competitive runner with a background in human bioenergetics. As the founder of Critical Oxygen, he gives athletes and coaches knowledge, testing, and coaching to optimize their physiology and maximize endurance performance. We talk about: How pliability, range of motion, and mobility affect tissue tolerance The impact of shock on the body while running Approaching training with injury prevention in mind Strength training...
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The New Rules of Carb Loading with Sport Scientist Jonah Rosner
The Strength Running Podcast
You might give carb loading a quick thought in your taper, but are you actually looking at the current science to make it effective? Jonah Rosner is an applied sport scientist who spent the past 10 years working with athletes and teams from all major American Professional Team sports. Jonah is a running coach and a certified strength and conditioning specialist who uses the latest sport science technology to individualize running programs. Jonah was also the sport scientist on hand during a recent fitness retreat where I had my VO2 Max measured. We talk about: The old vs. new recommendations...
info_outlineDirk Friel is the co-founder of TrainingPeaks, the largest training platform in the world for athletes. He’s also a talented athlete who explores the mountains through cycling and ski mountaineering.
In 2017, Dirk was named Business Person of the Year by Boulder, Colorado’s Chamber of Commerce. What began as a coach-focused triathlon training platform now includes running, cycling and a host of other sports, And soon they’ll be launching Training Peaks Strength for coaches as well!
Dirk and I discuss how training has evolved since the early days of faxed training plans, and where it is headed with the rapid advances in artificial intelligence.
Our conversation covers:
- The future of coaching and the impact of AI
- Why coached shouldn’t worry about losing their jobs to AI
- How TrainingPeaks harnesses AI to assist coaches and athletes
- Upcoming technology for athletes and coaches
- What has surprised Dirk from his decades of work with endurance athletes
- Challenges currently facing the coaching industry
Dirk has had a huge impact on the world of endurance training and continues to influence coaches and athletes through his training platform. Our conversation will help you think about the current and future role of technology in your own training!
Links & Resources from the Show:
- Follow Dirk on Instagram
- Learn more about Dirk
- Listen to the TrainingPeaks CoachCast
- Follow Training Peaks on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter
- Sign up for our email list to hear about my new training plans on TrainingPeaks!
Thank you DrinkLMNT!
A big thanks to DrinkLMNT for their support of this episode! They make electrolyte drinks for athletes and low-carb folks with no sugar, artificial ingredients, or colors. They are offering a free gift with your purchase at DrinkLMNT. And this does NOT have to be your first purchase. You’ll get a sample pack with every flavor so you can try them all before deciding what you like best.
DrinkLMNT's products have some of the highest sodium concentrations that you can find. Anybody who runs a lot knows that sodium, as well as other electrolytes like magnesium and potassium, are essential to our performance and how we feel throughout the day.
If you’re not familiar, LMNT is my favorite way to hydrate. They make electrolytes for athletes and low-carb folks with no Sugar, artificial ingredients, or colors. I’m now in the habit of giving away boxes of LMNT at group runs around Denver and Boulder and everyone loves this stuff.
Boost your performance and your recovery with LMNT. They’re the exclusive hydration partner to Team USA Weightlifting and quite a few professional baseball, hockey, and basketball teams are on regular subscriptions. So check out DrinkLMNT to get a free sampler pack and get your hydration optimized for the upcoming season.
Thank you MOBO Board!
Invented by renowned physical therapist Jay Dicharry, MOBO helps you stabilize your stance with an innovative rocker board that’s set up on two fins. The design effectively forces you to drive your big toe into the board to improve your stability. I was pretty arrogant going into my first session on the MOBO Board. How hard can it be to balance, right? Well, I was humbled pretty quickly!
Even if you’re a good runner, better balance, stability, and proprioception is going to help you have a more powerful stride and prevent more running injuries. You’ll learn how to improve the efficiency of the kinetic chain from your hip to your big toe. Because as Jay likes to say, it’s not just how strong you are, but how well you use that strength.
I was recently at a weekend physical therapy workshop (lol I was the only running coach) and learned how important (and rare) this simple movement is. Save 10% with code STRENGTHRUN10 at checkout at moboboard.com.