Strength For Endurance Podcast

A large proportion of the clients who work with us are pushing hard in multiple areas of their lives. 

They are immersed in busy, and sometimes stressful corporate careers, have family responsibilities at home and are also trying to achieve feats within endurance sport.

Physically capable of alot, but juggling training, careers, family and health can be tough and often results in injury or burnout.

In todays episode Kriss takes you through one particular case study and shows how with the right approach and balance we can thrive in all areas. 

(00:00) In...

Whether it's your first attempt or your 20th, training for an ultra marathon event is no mean feat.

Unfortunatley the volume and intensity of the training often leads to injury, especially if the right approach isn’t taken.

Today Kriss looks into how we can avoid injuries when training for an ultra marathon.

- What do we need to establish before training begins?
- What happens when volume and distance start to ramp up?
- What other factors can help us getting to that finish line without injury  

(00:00) Introduction to...

In todays episode Kriss shares with you the story of a female client who was struggling to get back to running post children (her youngest now 2.5 yrs old).

This client had trained and competed at an elite level up until her mid 20’s during which she struggled with RED-S. 

She came to us at SFE because even though she felt she was doing everything she needed to, niggles keep cropping up everytime she tried to get back to running.

Kriss discusses the comprehensive approach that followed, one that quite quickly saw her back on...

For SFE client Ange, Ultra Trail Australia was a bucketlist race, that she once thought was out of reach.

In todays episode, we share a few snippets from our post race debrief.

Ange and I discussed the unique feature of the event that included over 8000 steps, getting her nutrition on point, how she navigated sickness in race week and how she walked away without very little muscle soreness. 

(00:00) Welcome and Introduction
(00:02) From Setback to Triumph
(01:22) The Big Goal: 50K Trail Race
(03:05) Race Day Challenges and Experiences
(05:23) Training and Preparation I...

Knee pain in runners is a common issue, however it can be both prevented and solved with the right approach.

Today Kriss talks through 6 key components that we incorporate when working through knee pain with our clients.

Over the past 15+ years SFE has helped an extensive number of runners overcome injury, resume consistent training and regain confidence in their bodies to take on whatever goals they set their mind on.

(00:00) Introduction to Overcoming Knee Pain
(00:42) Understanding Knee Pain in Runners
(02:12) Importance of Mobility and Flexibility
(05:38) Strength and Conditioning for Knee...

Today Kriss is joined by SFE client Oliver, who recently completed the Coast to Coast path which runs from the west coast of England at St. Bee’s to the east coast at Robins Hood’s Bay.

Usually walkers break the 192 mile (310km) route into stages over around 14 days, however Oliver decided he’d like to run it in 7 days.

192 miles, 9000m of elevation and on average covering a marathon a day.

Oliver shares how he coped with a niggle in the lead up to this event, the nutrition strategies he’s been working...

As much as we try to prevent injuries from occurring, we’re never going to eradicate injuries completely. The levels that we push our bodies to harbour too many variables and are often acute events that are out of our control. 

But the advantage attained by those of us who understand and invest in our S&C is the ability to act logically and appropriately so that 1. no further damage is done and 2. you can resume normal training as soon as possible.

Listen in to today's episode as Kriss explains the rational action steps you can...

Today Kriss had the great pleasure of being joined by one of our current SFE athletes Jess, who was kind enough to share her journey.

As a triathlete Jess came to us after not being able to run for around a year due to injury.

We talked about her journey back to being able to run again and recently compete in two major long distance events. 

She has done this whilst also having to navigate a major life event, moving 16 hours from Colorado to Oregon in the peak of a race block.

Chasing our athletic goals (whether competitive or not) will require you to push your body, potentially harder than you ever have.

You will be tired, have great sessions and bad sessions, niggles will crop up - it won’t always be a linear trajectory.

But there are things you can do to ensure you’ve got the best chance possible to get to your goals without detrimentally affecting your health.

Today Kriss highlights 5 attributes that a successful and sustainable training program will have. Listen in to find out if your current program ticks the...

Race season has well and truly arrived. Amongst the medals, finish line photos and race reflections, will be a few sore bodies.

But do we have the ability to reduce the level of muscle soreness we experience after an event?

Can we do things that’ll allow us to recover quicker and get back into training sooner?

In todays episode Kriss discuss’s factors detemining how you recover from a race or event, resume normal training and be ready for the next. 

(00:00) Introduction to The Strength for Endurance Podcast
(00:41) Understanding Recov...

Over the last few years we have seen the introduction of another high intensity functional fitness based sport Hyrox. 

Unlike it’s predecesor Crossfit, Hyrox offers a lower barrier of entry and running based/aerobic background, naturally appealing to many endurance athletes.

But can you train for an event like Hyrox at the same time as your endurance goals, and what does training look like?

In todays episode we discuss just that, and what considerations need to be taken in order to prosper in an event that requires significant strength attributes alongside running. 

Following on from last weeks episode on how to progress you strength training alongside your running, this week we go a bit more granular in terms of what this looks like. 

Knowing how to increase and adjust the weights you are lifting, and what number of  reps and sets you're doing, requires some consideration and forward planning. 

Listen in as Kriss shares how to work this out depending on your individuals needs and the phase of training you're in. 

(00:00) Introduction to The Strength for Endurance Podcast
(00:45) Recap of Previous Episode: Building Foundations

Progressing your strength training is essential if you want to keep meeting the demands of your running goals. 

As you increase duration, intensity and distance in your running, if you don’t have the necessary strength and conditioning in your body, it simply won’t be able to stand up to the ever increasing demands, and thus dysfunction and injury will start to creep in.

But how should you progress your strength sessions? Increase load, repetitions, frequency of sessions? 

Listen in as Kriss lays out a logical framework to guide your approach in the gy...

Gone are the days where strength training was kept just for the off season, we all know the importance of having a year round approach.

However this shouldn’t be the same approach all year round. Your strength training will ebb and flow depending on your goals, your overall training load and your need for recovery.

Listen in to todays episode as Kriss delves further into how your strength training should adapt depending on your individual needs.

(00:00) Introduction to The Strength for Endurance Podcast
(00:40) Client Case Study: The Importance of Individualized Strength Tr...

We all know that freak accidents and injuries can happen as a result of a slip, trip or fall. But the majority of injuries sustained by endurance athletes are chronic, overuse injuries that can often be prevented.

In todays episode Kriss discusses running injuries in a bit more detail. 

From how our past and current lifestyle habits can predispose us to certain injuries, to what mental checklist we can start to build in order to reduce the likelihood of them occuring in the first place.

(00:00) Introduction to Strength for Endurance
(00:40) Preventing Common R...

Something that many of us will have experienced in the past is having an injury in the lead up to a race or goal event.

Training is going well and then within weeks of the finish line, you’re struck down with an injury and your world falls apart. The answer everyone wants in that moment is “Will I be ok in time for my race?”

Now, it’s common for us to immediately panic and catastrophise - we’ve all done it! But the decisions you make at this time will determine the trajectory of your in...

It was a great priviledge to sit down with todays guest on the podcast, Matt Dixon from Purple Patch Fitness. 

Matt has been at the forefront of triathlon coaching for many years. Based in San Francisco, his coaching expertise has seen him guide a wealth of athletes,many of who have gone on to become World Champions. 

His logical and holistic approach to training and performance resonates a great deal with the approach we follow at Strength For Endurance. 

We find out about Matt’s coaching journey, how he learnt from his own exper...

In todays episode Kriss sits down with Sport and Exercise Psychologist, Stu Holliday.

With 15 years experience of training and professional practice Stu has worked with a wide range of sporting individuals helping them improve their mindset and thinking, in a way that benefits their performance 

Currently he is working with the GB Olympic Swimming Squad, his private practise see’s him supporting athletes from the Endurance field, Archery, Netball, Football and musicians.

Kriss and Stu talk about stress, the importance of reflecting on positive takeaways from your training and what day to day hab...

When it comes to strength training, some of the best benefits aren’t talked about enough.

In fact, there are some you might not have even considered!

Listen in as Kriss shares 5 benefits that you can expect to see when intergrating a consistent and individualised strength training plan.

(00:00) Introduction and Listener Engagement
(00:34) Welcome Back and Episode Overview
(00:35) The Importance of Strength Conditioning for Endurance
(02:03) Benefit 1: Improving Recovery and Resisting Fatigue
(06:13) Benefit 2: Enhancing Efficiency and Economy
(09:12) Benefit 3: Boosting Muscular Endurance
(12:25) Benefit 4: Developing Power and Speed
(13:37) Benefit 5: Injury Pr...

This week Kriss sat down with Lawrence Van Lingen, a Movement Specialist who helps individuals in high performance environments to move better and understand their injuries. He has worked with some of the best endurance athletes such as Jan Frodeno, Holly Lawrence, Taylor Knibb, to name just a few.

We've been aware of Lawrence's work for over a decade now, having worked with some of the same athletes and we share a very similar approach to treating athletes in a holistic way.

Lawrence’s work focuses a lot on how the body functions in synergy wi...

The goal with periodisation is to maximise your results, whilst reducing the risk of injury and staleness of your program over the longterm.

But what does this really look like?

Is it something you conciously do already or something you’d like to understand better.

In todays podcast Kriss discusses the importance of periodising your endurance program, what the potential issues are if you don’t and 
the clear benefits of when you do?

(00:00) Introduction to Strength for Endurance Podcast
(00:39) The Importance of Periodization in Endurance Training
(02:16) Understanding and I...

What does it take to be great at Ultra distance running? For those who have tackled that sort of distance, there are highs and lows and many surprises, no matter how prepared you feel going into the event.

This week we caught up with SFE athlete George Lucas, who put in an incredible performance at The Spine Challenger North earlier this month, to finish in the top 10.

Kriss and George talked about the experience he’s gained and lessons he’s learnt over the past 3 years. From socks and blisters to drinking mocha’s, an early...

How do you establish your training parameters? Heart rate, power zones, rate of percieved exertion? 

How do you then use these to set your programming? For many that’s where a coach comes in. 

But whether it’s you or your coach doing the calculations, these shouldn’t be the things we use to establish our capacity for work, there are some less obvious markers that also need to be considered.

Listen in as Kriss explains more.

(00:00) Introduction to Strength for Endurance Podcast
(00:42) Understanding Athlete Thresholds
(01:13) Beyond Heart Rate and Powe...

It's official Tickets are now on sale for our inaugural Endurance Speak Series!

We're so excited to bring you not one, but six amazing opportunities to learn, understand and apply topics that are going to truly transform the way you train, the way you coach and the way you perform moving forward.

Much more than the standard lectures you might have attended before, The Endurance Speaker Series puts a big focus on applying the information that is delivered. Attendees at each event will learn frameworks, key methods and top tips to intergrating the lastest research...

Todays episode is for the cyclists amongst you. Whether it’s road, track, trail, downhill, in a group or riding solo - our common desire is to ride to the best of our ability. 

But we can’t escape the fact that sitting in this position, aero or not, is somewhat artificial. We expect our bodies to mould into optimal bike positions over long durations and high intensities.

Today we look at how strength and conditioning will allow you to ride with more power and more efficiency whilst minimising the risk of injury.

(00:00) Intro...

As we approach a new year, Kriss shares a invaluable tip to take forward if you want to get the most out of your training.

Subjective feedback……What is it? What does it look like for you? and How important is it to your training and performance?

Listen in to todays episode and think about how you can apply in the coming months.

(00:00) Introduction to Strength for Endurance Podcast
(00:41) The Importance of Feedback in Endurance Training
(02:17) Methods of Gathering Feedback
(04:07) The Power of Context in Training Programs
(06:42) Reflective Practices for...

In todays episode Kriss answers the question 'Why we don’t showcase more of our endurance programming?"

Nowadays, the endurance world is saturated with template programs more than ever; whether it be 12, 16 or 24 week race plan, marathon program or Ironman build. 

A seemingly innocent, cheaper and simpler training solution accessible at the click of a button, however more often than not it can have long term, costly consequences.

At SFE our reservations towards sharing our programming openly is not about keeping our cards close to our chest and our secrets hidden...Listen in as...

Today Kriss is joined by Alison Rose and Claire Merrett from CSPC Physiotherapy in Leeds, who share their experience and expertise on both Pre and Post Pregnancy considerations for athletes. 

Working with a wide range of clientele including the likes of Olympic Heptathlete Jessica Ennis, Alison and Claire have alot of knowledge to share and myths to dispel.

Topics in todays episode include the unexpected issues that happen in the body as a result of pregnancy, why the “easy” rehab exercises are so vitally important longterm and how most men don’t realise that they have a...

The term RED-S or 'Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport' is fairly well known within the endurance community. Previously termed the Female Athlete Triad, it's name now better represents an issue that affects both men and women.

Lack of a menstrual cycle, disordered eating, low body mass, stress fractures and osteopenia are some of the more commonly associated signs and symptoms when it comes to RED-S, but what about the lesser known symptoms?

Today Kriss talks from personal experience, as a coach and husband, about the less common symptoms of low energy availability, and why having...

One of the draws to trail running is the ability to just get out there. Out into the mountains, forests, countryside, whatever your chosen environment. It’s easy... you can just put on your shoes and go, which is probably why we’ve seen the sport increase in popularity over the past couple of years.

So, the last thing we want to do is take the romantism away from you - the fun and thoughtlessness it brings. But we also want you to be able to keep doing it and keep reaching you’re goals, and in order...

When it comes to injury, we often focus alot on the physical; from symptoms and pain, to surgery and rehabilitation. But what if we we're to put as much emphasis on the psychology around injury. What would we find and how would it benefit the athletes who are working through it? 

Our guest today Ciara Everard, is a former elite athlete, Physiotherapist by trade and obtained her PhD in Sports Injury Psychology at St. Mary's University, Twickenham. Ciara currently lectures at the University of Roehampton, where she continues her research work. 

Today Ciara joins Kriss to...

Whether you’re doing one sport or three, finding time to fit strength sessions in to your weekly schedule on a consistent basis often leaves poeple feeling overwhelmed and thats before we even factor in work, family and other day to day responsibilities. But as you know S&C can afford to be the ’thing’ that is skipped, after all it’s what is going to keep you doing the ‘fun stuff’ aka run, bike, swim, hike...

So when there are seemingly no more hours in the day what can we do? 

Today’s epoisode is full of time...

It's not unusual to see athletes struggling with injury or a plateau in their performance trying to fix the issue with 'one key exercise', a running gait analysis or a 'fast track' 6 week program.

But as endurance athletes the majority of our problems are complex and there are many contributing factors; overtraining, underfuelling, poor integration of training, insufficient strength, inadequate conditioning etc etc The reality is that it takes the manipulation of multiple training variables to overcome these problems.

Listen in as Kriss discusses how our approach needs to change if we don't want to...

Many of us are aware that female performance can be affected at different times of the monthly cycle.

But how is performance affected when we’re peri-menopausal, menopausal or post-menopausal? How do our hormones fluctuate throughout the lifespan of a woman and how can we apply what we know back into our training and performance?

We spoke with Dr Jessica Piasecki, who is the Associate Professor of Female Physiology at Nottingham Trent University to find out more. As a World Class Olympic athlete herself, with a very impressive marathon PB of 2.22.25, Jessica shares abit about he...

As someone who trains alot, when was the last time you had a performance blood test? ….In fact have you ever had one?

If the answer is no, don’t panic!

Today we’re discussing the importance of athletes having blood tests, and specifically a performance blood test. Giving us an individualised and comprehensive insight into your currently health, it can provide us vital information and answers around how we are feeling, training, recovering and performing. Facilitating and understanding this key topic is the forefront of athlete care, regardless of their age or ability.

...

Listen in to todays episode where Kriss is joined by Exercise Physiologist from Northumbria University, Dr. Phil Hayes. As a Professor, Sports Scientist and Reseacher with over 30 years experience, he gives us a fascinating insight into some of the research and studies he’s done over the years. From how fatigue effects running gait, specifically the role of muscular strength; aerobic interval training, quantifying training and the relative age effect.

But Phil is also unique, as well as having an incredible knowledge and understanding around the science of running, as an active Level 4 Athletics Coach he also de...

There is an art to successful and sustainable coaching.

Now whether you’re self coached, training from a downloaded template or within a club, it’s vital that as athletes we don’t just follow a program blindly.

How many times have you completed a training program where you haven’t had to change a single thing? Chances are you’ve had to miss sessions, the intensity has been too much or you’ve had a huge week at work and you just need to back off for a few days.

Accepting this rather than...

it’s a pleasure to welcome Pippa Woolvern to the podcast today. A former GB Athlete, Psychology Coach and athlete mentor, Pippa set up Project RED-S with the aim of raising the awareness, prevention and support of low energy availability and it’s associated problems amongst athletes of all ages and abilities.

A topic that resonates closely with both Pippa and Kriss, she shares her story of struggling with RED-S, the guidance and support she wished she’d had and the fantastic work they are now doing to help prevent other athletes from going down the same path.<...

Our feet are one of our most important parts of "real estate".

We expect so much from them, but rarely do we train and prepare them for the distances, terrains and intenities we have planned.

We can get carried away with building stronger glutes, quads and hamstrings. But if we neglact the very thing that connects us with the ground, is this work wasted?

It’s time to take it back to basics, shoes and socks off - let’s give our feet the thought and attention they deserve.

(00:00) Introduction to SFE...

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed these days when it comes to the “perfect run form” or what you should look like when you run.

But how often are you able to take this information and advice and easily apply it to your own running? Today Kriss covers a few of the basics that you go and work on right away including Cadence, Mantra’s and Identifying Weaknesses.

(00:00) Introduction to SFE Athlete Pathway
(01:16) Welcome to the Strength for Endurance Podcast
(01:59) Maintaining Strong Run Form
(04:30) Understanding and Monitoring Your Cadence
(08:23) The Power of Mantr...