Athlete Factors

In this episode, Jeffrey Cunningham joins me to discuss training for the half-marathon and marathon distances. Jeffrey is the head coach of the Bat City Track Club based in Austin, Texas. He has coached multiple U.S. Olympic Trials marathon qualifiers and tutors a host of emerging elite distance runners. A native Texan, Jeffrey ran collegiately at Baylor University and is a licensed attorney. We talk about his coaching philosophy, how he programs training for his athletes, some of the training variables he prioritizes, as well as some of his "aha!" moments as a coach. Follow Coach Cunningham on Instagram: @jdcunningham97 Follow Bat City Track Club on Instagram: @batcitytrackclub

In this episode I talk with Sergio Reyes, US Marathon Champion in 2010, 4 x competitor at the US Olympic Trails in the Marathon, part of the US World Championship team in 2011, current US Cross Country Masters champion (2 weeks ago!), NAIA Track and Field 10k National Champion, and marathon wins at Twin Cities in 2010, Flying Pig in 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2016, SLO Marathon in 2017, and Vermont City in 2019. He has been with the HOKA Aggies Running Club since returning home to southern California after college at Cedarville University, which is also where I ran cross country and track & field. We discuss his recent win at the US Cross Country Masters Championship, how his training has changed and how it has stayed the same over the years, and the secret to staying elite for so long. Follow Sergio and his teammates on Instagram: @aggiesrunning

In this episode, Matt Fox, founder of Sweat Elite, joins me to discuss the incredible popularity of his YouTube channel, Sweat Elite - Training Sessions, which gives viewers an up-close-and-personal perspective of elite endurance athletes as they train. Viewers get vicarious interaction with the best endurance athletes in the world in a way that has rarely been experienced. We discuss Matt's background in running, his current training/racing, as well as some of the major lessons he's learned from spending time with athletes like Paul Chelimo, Sara Hall, Andy Buchart, Nell Rojas, Jake Robertson, Mo Katir, Julien Waders, Joe Klecker, Olli Hoare, NAZ Elite, NAU Track Team, Very Nice Track Club, Tinman Elite, Jacob Thomson, and Gwen Jorgensen, to name a few. Watch and Subscribe to Sweat Elite - Training Session here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFYpwqeNXx7M9xosFjdm5kQ/featured Follow Sweat Elite on Instagram: @sweatelite Follow Matt Fox on Instagram: @mattinglisfox

In this episode, I chat with Jacob Thomson, a professional runner with Under Armour, living and training in Flagstaff, Arizona. He also runs Thomson Training, a coaching service catering to all ages and levels of running. Jacob recently competed in the Chicago Marathon, finishing 12th place with a time of 2 hours, 15 minutes, and 49 seconds. He also competed in the 2021 US Olympic Trials 10k. His PR's include: 3:57 (mile), 7:50 (3k), 13:28 (5k), 27:57 (10k), and 2:15:49 (marathon). We discuss his current training, his preparation for the Olympic Trials earlier this year, his preparation for the Chicago Marathon and being featured on the Sweat Elite YouTube channel, and how training now compares and contrasts to his training in high school and college. We also cover his coaching philosophy, how he programs training, and how he started Thomson Training. Follow Jacob on Instagram: @jtcougars8 Follow Thomson Training on Instagram: @runthomsontraining Find Thomson Training on the web: https://www.thomsontraining.run

In this episode, Coach Jay returns to discuss a recent post covering the most important aspects of Sports Nutrition. We cover where general health and wellness fit in, and discuss whether dietary fat has any place in the context of "sport performance." He also explains how peri-nutrition (nutrition before, during, and after training or competition) fits into an athlete's priorities, and how following the hierarchy that he provides will allow any athlete to maximize both training and recovery, and therefore get closer and closer to full athletic potential and performance. Follow Coach Jay on Instagram: @athleatcoach Find Coach Jay online: https://athleatcoach.com/en/athleatcoach-en/

In this episode, I discuss strategies that I use and recommend to runners and endurance athletes to better deal with the physical and mental pain and discomfort of the pace and distance of training and racing. I cover what I like to call "macro chunking" and "micro chunking," which I use to both plan out my racing strategy as well as maximize my training volume and intensity.

In this episode, I continue the series covering my first book, Hormonal Nutrition. This episode covers the hormone ghrelin, and goes into what it does in the body and how the body perceives hunger signals. I also cover what activities, foods, and supplements have an affect on ghrelin levels and hunger signaling, as well as how chronic dieting can have an impact in the short-term and long-term when it comes to ghrelin levels. Get your copy of Hormonal Nutrition here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1657097463?pf_rd_r=M258J1FP5WCYWBBG6C7D&pf_rd_p=8fe9b1d0-f378-4356-8bb8-cada7525eadd&pd_rd_r=91d0f329-4db3-426b-b9f2-9b151b779a3b&pd_rd_w=w7vZ8&pd_rd_wg=ckc8Z&ref_=pd_gw_unk

In this episode, I talk with Tom Rapp, boys CC and Track coach at Mason High School in Ohio. We discuss his coaching philosophy, the training variables that he prioritizes with high school athletes, the importance of team culture, and some things he has learned along the way that contribute to individual and team success. Originally from Trotwood Ohio, Tom was a State Champion in cross country and in the one mile run. He attended Penn State University where he attained All-American honors and captained the team. He worked for Athletes in Action for 23 years, serving in various capacities including development of their track and field department. Tom was recently named Cross Country "Coach of the year" and has 2 State Team titles. Tom is a Spanish teacher at Mason High School. He is married to Mary, who was also an All-American track athlete at Penn State. Follow Tom on Twitter: @TomRapp16 Follow the Mason Teams: http://www.runmason.com

In this episode, I continue the series covering my first book, Hormonal Nutrition. This episode covers the hormone leptin, and goes into what it does in the body, how body fat percentage and fat mass affects it, as well as how it correlates to insulin sensitivity. I also cover what activities, foods, and supplements have an affect on leptin levels and sensitivity, as well as how caloric balance plays a role in leptin function. Get your copy of Hormonal Nutrition here: https://www.amazon.com/Hormonal-Nutrition-Kevin-Russell-Kuhn/dp/1657097463/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1631277287&sr=8-1

In this episode, I continue the series covering my first book, Hormonal Nutrition. This episode covers the hormone adiponectin, and goes into what it does in the body, how body fat percentage and fat mass affects it, as well as how it correlates to fat-free mass and fat-loss. I also cover what activities/lifestyle factors, foods, and supplements have an affect on adiponectin levels and adiponectin function. Get your copy of Hormonal Nutrition here: https://www.amazon.com/Hormonal-Nutrition-Kevin-Russell-Kuhn/dp/1657097463/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1631277287&sr=8-1

In this episode, Brett Cummins joins me to discuss training and assessments for baseball and softball athletes. We cover his priorities and pillars when developing a program for these athletes, the biggest issues and hurdles he has to deal with in his niche, what his assessment of athletes looks like, how the pelvic position affects posture, the scapula, and glenohumeral movement, and some of the things he is learning now that he wished he knew when he was just getting started in the industry. Brett Cummins, B.S. CSCS, USAW, CSAC, CSAS, CFSC, of Cummins Performance Training, was born and raised in Marietta GA. He attended Georgia State University on an athletic scholarship, and played soccer for GSU, competing in the Colonial Athletic Association. While at GSU, Brett earned two degrees. He received a B.S. in Exercise Science, and a B.A. in History, as well as a minor in Sociology. Brett, is currently a performance coach at 180 Sports Performance in Hoschton, Georiga, where he works with general population clients, youth athletes, and professional athletes. Brett, also directs and programs strength programs at Devine Baseball in Buford, GA, working with pitchers at all age levels. Brett has directed training programs for Team Elite Baseball, a club that has produced numerous collegiate and professional players, including five first round picks. He has been active in youth football and youth soccer, directing speed and agility clinics for multiple age groups. Brett is recognized by the National Strength and Conditioning Association as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), United States Weightlifting as a Sports Performance Coach (USAW), the National Sports Performance Association as a Certified Speed and Agility Coach (CSAC), the International Youth Conditioning Association as a Certified Speed and Agility Specialist (CSAS), and Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning as a Certified Functional Strength Coach (CFSC). Follow Brett on Instagram: @brett_cummins Follow Brett on Twitter: @bcummins21 Find Brett online: https://brettcumminstraining.com

In this episode, I start a series covering my first book, Hormonal Nutrition. This episode goes into the hormone Insulin, and covers what it does in the body, what happens when thew body becomes desensitized to insulin, how to improve insulin sensitivity, and what types of food, supplements, and lifestyle factors play a role in improving insulin function. Get your copy of Hormonal Nutrition here: https://www.amazon.com/Hormonal-Nutrition-Kevin-Russell-Kuhn/dp/1657097463/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=hormonal+nutrition+Kevin+kuhn&qid=1630060207&sr=8-1

In this episode, I talk about the major themes and lessons I drew from Chris Lear's book, Running With The Buffaloes, which follows the the 1998 cross country season of the Colorado University Buffaloes men's team. It provides some very unique insights into the mind of legendary coach, Mark Wetmore, as well as members of the team, like Adam Goucher, Mike Friedburg, Jay Johnson, and Chris Severy. I enjoyed the book so much that I listened to the audiobook twice in a row. If you want some context for how much further and faster you may be able to push your body before it breaks, this provides some useful lessons. It will probably get you fired up for a long run, too!

In this episode, I talk about a priority and commitment framework that I use use to help my athletes develop focus before the season, and maintain their "why" during the season. If you have a medium to long-term goal, this framework helps keep you consistently working on the necessary daily actionable steps required to hit that goal. Follow me on Instagram and Twitter: @athletefactors

In this episode, my friend Elliott Farris joins me to discuss the often confusing and mysterious idea of "peaking" or "tapering." We cover the most often used definitions, how it relates to end of season success, and why he doesn't believe the traditional concept of "peaking" makes physiological sense. We then go over training and programming strategies to ensure the best chances of success when you need to race the fastest. Elliott Farris is a former collegiate athlete and coach for Texas A&M. As a runner he earned All-Region honors in XC and made the NCAA first round for the Aggies, and has since run a 2:26 marathon. Elliott earned a BS in Animal Science and a Master of Agribusiness before realizing he could not leave his passion for endurance sports, and he now coaches privately while managing the best running store in Texas. Follow Elliott on Instagram: @elfarros Follow RunOn! Richardson on Instagram: @run_on_richardson

In this episode, Luke Scribner joins me to share his latest project for high school cross country and track coaches. We talk through his "How To" guide for coaches who want to improve the quality of their distance running program. This practical and easy to digest collection of keys to creating a successful training environment and step-by-step direction to creating a proper training program is a must-read for any high school coach who works with distance runners. Luke Scribner is the Head Cross Country and Track Coach at Frisco Reedy High School. Scribner comes from a background of running at Tarleton state collegiately, and Nomad Running society post collegiately. He coaches athletes of all ages and skills, from middle school to elites, and everything in-between. Contact Luke: Scribner.luke@yahoo.com

In this episode, Dillon Harris and Steven Machek join me to discuss their recently published review paper - Theacrine as a Potential Caffeine Alternative for Enhanced Ergogenic and Cognitive Performance in Athletes: A Call to Action and Brief Review. We talk about the role of Theacrine, how is it is similar and different to caffeine, and what the future may hold for this unique compound. Read the paper here: https://www.journalofexerciseandnutrition.com/ManuscriptUploadsPDF/200.pdf Follow Dillon on Instagram: @dillon_reis Follow Steven on Instagram: @stretch_rx

In this episode, I share my experience since my assessment with Ambrose Coleman. I talk about how my achilles feels, how I thought my training volume would have to be cut (spoiler alert: 2 workout pr's and 2nd highest mileage week for the summer), and how I'm feeling about my progress. If you're interested in this whole process, be sure to check out my assessment podcast episode with him (episode #107). Get yourself assessed! Follow Ambrose on Instagram: @goseeambrose

In this episode, Ambrose Coleman comes to my office to assess me. This episode is to show that even a Kinesiologist needs another Kinesiologist. I find out what my current movement limitations are as Ambrose runs me through the gambit of passive and active assessments. I learned where my gaps in programming are, and will be able to address these issues before we retest in a few weeks. Follow Ambrose on Instagram: @goseeambrose

In this episode, I discuss some of the buzz around the sport of Track & Field, some of the details related to the tainted burrito controversy, and how exciting the Euro 2020 soccer tournament is.