Welcome to episode 69 of the Final Surge Podcast where we welcome world record holder Camille Herron. In 2017 Camille won Comrades set two American Records and two World Records. Camille has had an interesting journey which has been riddled by injuries and we discuss how she has overcome those and what she has learned to make herself a stronger runner. We also talk about her secret weapon in an ultra race, beer. Camille was great to talk to and I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did recording it. We are now on Spotify so please remember to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Google Play or Spotify, wherever you consume it.  

In recent weeks Camille has set a 100-mile world record 12:42:39, a
100km USA track record 7:36:39 at Desert Solstice and then went on to run for
12-hours and set a 12hr All-Surface World Record 92.708 miles.
She is the new Ann Trason and arguably, she will be in for a shout as ultra-runner of the year.

How did you get your start in running?

• Basketball player ran for first time in middle school
• In high school focused on running
• Tulsa University scholarship but a lot of injuries
• Became hobby runner after that

What exactly did your running look like after Tulsa

• Hobby run
• Husband ran professionally 
• Was running long as recreational about 70 miles a week
• Husband started coaching

How do you go from always injured to running 70 miles a week?

• Frank Shorter: Run for stress relief
• Started running slower
• Biomechanics and physic courses: Started feet strength/barefoot

Where was your minimalist running in relation to Born To Run?

• 3-4 years before
• Very minimalist shoes from Boulder Running Company

Moved to minimalist running and your husband is coaching you, where did you jump back into competitive running?

• Longer distances seemed to be better
• Focused on qualifying for Olympic Marathon Trials
• 2007 Marathon debut
• Ran 2:38 at Twin Cities and it took off

When did you make the jump into ultramarathons?

• 2009 MarathonGuide.com sponsored
• Started doing back-to-back marathons
• Grad school, how to enhance bone recovery

When you talk back-to-back marathons how often are you talking?

• A few weeks apart
• 2011 David Monti of NYC Marathon suggested ultra running
• 2013 made debut
• Underperformed in the first ultra

We see injury problems from growth spurts, which you had. You also studied bone recovery. What advice would you have now for those struggling?

• Did too much high intensity
• Focus on easier aerobic volume development 
• Don't be afraid of mileage as much as intensity
• Recover with easy days easy

When did you do the first ultra?

• 2013
• 2014 first Comrades but got sick and ended up in the emergency room

You had done marathons, you understand the wall. So what was the first ultra like, was it like you expected or different?

• Was too cautious
• Could have pushed more

What is your diet like?

• Meet and potatoes, wholesome southern diet
• Eat Taco Bell or Subway day before races 

What about fueling during a race?

• Naturally good fat burner
• Diet analyzed and was 50% carbs, 36% fat, 14% protein
• Take in 60-90g carbs/hr
• Take gel every 30 mins and sip on sports drinks as needed
• Will have a beer or whatever body tells me to have

You have a beer during a race?

• Helped settle stomach
• If tired of eating gels will have a beer

We are at the end of 2017, can you walk us through what a year looks like for you as a competitive ultrarunner?

• Have had major highs and lows
• Started with some trail race in New Zeland
• March in a race 10 weeks before Comrades tore MCL
• Took a few weeks off and came back slowly walk/run
• Won Comrades off injury
• 3 weeks later Western States, fell and got a concussion
• Leadville ran into issues with pelvic pain
• Won Comrades to two DNF and being broken
• Tunnell Hill 100 

Did at least 8 races this year, a marathoner may do 2-3 races a year. How do you recover so quickly?

• Family heels quickly
• Studied recovery in grad school
• Use active recovery always walking twice a day after a race

I saw you earlier this month at Desert Solstice. We went to see Zach Bitter, but he was out. We saw what you were going after. After 11.5 hours of running on the track in a 1/4mile circle, you still seemed to be smiling so much.

• In love with running
• Love what you are doing

Broke Ann Trasons 12-hour record which has stood since 1991?

• That is why I was smiling, felt great

What was the hardest part of running for 12-hours on a track?

• Concentration, cannot zone out like on trails
• Hard to get into the zone

How hard is it to get going again after you have to stop to use a restroom or something?

• It was hard because it was warm
• Took 18-minute break, had to start off walking before really got going again pushing

You had two World Records this year, now what for an encore in 2018?

• Been fun to break the records
• Want to try for the 24-hour record
• Need to redeem self on trails
• Goal to win Western States and Comrades in same year

You are very active online, where can people find you?

Twitter RunCamille
Instagram RunCamille
Facebook RunCamille

Final Surge 5 questions in under a minute
Your favorite endurance/running book? - Lore of running
Current trainers you are wearing? - Nike Zoom Fly
Favorite race? - Comrades
Favorite recovery meal or recovery drink? - Cheeseburger and Fries with Beer
Your favorite workout - Long runs with heart rate progression

Welcome to episode 68 of the Final Surge Podcast where we welcome competitive runner and coach Korey Konga of Upper Left Distance Training. Korey came to running as a way to change his health. Korey has a successful ultramarathon resume and has transitioned into coaching. If you enjoy this episode please remember to share the love and share it with a friend.

• How did you get your start in running?
  
  • Change of lifestyle

• Started running ultras and picked up sponsors
  
  • Moved into coaching

• What was it that triggered you to change your lifestyle and get into running?
  • Jogged a lot on job
  • Friend suggested run a half marathon
  • Running replaced drinking
• What was the process like developing as runner and becoming an ultra runner?
  • Read blogs and got inspired
  • 6 months after his half marathon he qualified for Boston
  • 3 months later did his first ultra
  • Training errors lead to injuries

• You mentioned you got hurt a lot the first year. As a coach, what advice do you give newer runners who may run into those injuries problems?
  • Easier said than done, but listen to body

• What signs are you looking for when working with your athletes to recognize they may be pushing the envelope too far?
  • Watch Final Surge feedback ratings

• When did you make the transition into coaching?
  • Been coaching for a while, but two years ago opened the business

• What does your typical athlete you are coaching look like?
  • 1/2 marathon to 100-mile ultra races

• What was the biggest difference with training between a 1/2 marathon runner and an ultra running?
  • Time commitment and volume
  • As move to more specific stages changes, ultra do a lot of long hill repeats

• You mentioned the base season may be similar between the 1/2 and ultra, are you talking types of workouts or volume?
  • Volume can be different, but workouts similar
  • All do short hill sprints, strides

• You mentioned a runner in a pancake flat area, if I had a restriction on hills available to me, how would you recommend someone trains to get in some hill type work?
  • Treadmill
  • Really short hills for sprints
  • Stadium stairs for strength
  • Parking Garage can work

• When you are building volume for long runs for ultra runners how often do you utilize back to back long runs?
  • Depends on the individual, but not as much as some people
  • Big run on mountains on Saturday, then come back with a faster flat run

• Do you focus on feel, pace per mile, heart rate, power?
  • Mostly feel
  • Some CV work will use pace per mile

• What advice do you have to runners looking to make that change about becoming fat burners and if that is important in ultra running?
  • With volume and easy long runs, it just happens
  • Will use depletion runs occasionally

• For someone making that jump from 1/2 marathon to longer races is fueling the biggest obstacle you face?
  • Mental game

• Many new runners are probably not thinking about getting a coach. What type of advise do you have to runners who are considering getting a coach, when is the time right?
  • Any time is a good time to have a coach
  • Can avoid a lot of problems and progress quicker
  • Not for everyone

• Are the athletes you work with mostly online or in person?
  • Almost all virtual coaching

• Walk me through the process of what it may look like if I reached out to you and what do those conversations look like?
  • Why are you reaching out
  • History, family life, work/life balance
  • Questionnaire
  • Final Surge Invite

• Do you build in pre/post strength routines or just running plans?
  • Different options

• We are now entering into winter months, what advice do you have for ultra runners who are going to be spending hours on the trails for training in the winter?
  • No such thing as bad weather, just soft people

• One of your recent posts recounted an encounter with bears, cougars and more. How do you stay safe?
  • Ton of bear and mountain lions in Oregon and never been an attack, but be aware of surroundings
  • Make sure someone knows where you are going, what loop you are doing

• You have been very active with your updates and blogging on the site, what information are you trying to provide?

Final Surge 5 questions in under a minute
Favorite running book? - Science or Running by Steve Magness
Current trainers you are wearing? - Adidas Adios
Favorite race? - Orchas Island 50k
Favorite recovery meal or recovery drink? - Pizza
Your favorite workout -  Gnarley hill repeats

Resources

UpperLeftDT.com

Upperleftdt@gmail.com

Korey Konga on Twitter

Korey Konga on Instagram

Welcome to episode 67 if the Final Surge Podcast. Today we welcome back Jay Johnson which is the other half of the podcast we did last week. In this episode, Jay talks about marathon training. We talk about his book Simple Marathon Training, which he points out is not to be confused with easy marathon training. Jay focuses on helping busy people who want to train for a marathon put a plan together. We discuss some of the concepts in his book in this episode.

Listen to the podcast on iTunes or listen to it on Stitcher if you have an Android device.

Stream it right here:

Your book is called Simple Marathon Training: The Right Training For Busy Adults With Hectic Lives. I think most of us think we have busy lives, so does this mean this book is for everyone who wants to run a marathon?

Jay also discusses who the book does not fit.

If someone is is looking to run their first marathon and wants to use your book as a resource to help them get through the process, where do you recommend they come in at? What should their minimum base be?

How much does your book stress strength and mobility work?

You do private online coaching, when someone who is a professional with a family comes to you and says I want to run a marathon, what are the first things you ask them to make sure they are really committed?

You mentioned using fat as a fuel source. When we had Scott Simmons of American Distance Project on and Ben Rosario of NAZ Elite, they both mentioned doing depleted runs or runs to trigger fat for fueling, is this something you focus on with your training?

Simple Marathon Training
CoachJayJohnson@gmail.com
CoachJayJohnson.com
Twitter @CoachJayJohnson
Instagram @CoachJayJohnson
Boulder Running Clinic

Welcome to episode 66 of the final surge podcast where we welcome back Coach Jay Johnson. Jay was the very first guest back in episode 1. In this interview we covered two very distinct topics, we talked about his site High School Running Coach and his upcoming clinic which has a fantastic lineup, and we also talked about his Simple Marathon Training Book and marathon training and fueling. We decided to break it up into two episodes as they were distinctly different. So in this episode, we will be talking about his high school training clinic which Final Surge will be a sponsor. If you have any interest in learning from the best coaches in the country, you will want to be there, and it is very affordable.

The Lineup:

You have John O'Malley - Sandburg (IL)  his boy Dylan Jacobs lead much of the race and is now on his way to the Footlocker National Race.

Dan Iverson Naperville North (IL) - Girls coach who’s girl’s team created one of the most dramatic moments when they came from way back to come within 5 points of knocking of Fayetteville Manilas.

Doug Soles of Great Oaks who’s boys came in 6th and girls came in 8th.

Jonathan Dalby - Mountain Vista whos boys came in 3rd and girls in 6th.

Then Joan Hunter who was our guest here in episode 64 who lead Loudoun Valley’s boy's team not only to a perfect score at their state meet but also a national championship. Can you tell us a little about how this came together?

What topics will they be covering?

5 of the best coaches in the country, it is amazing that these top coaches are sharing and not trying to keep anything a secret.

Jay also talks about why coaches should stick around after the clinic is over on Saturday night and maybe even for Sunday morning.

Resources

CoachJayJohnson@gmail.com
CoachJayJohnson.com
Twitter @CoachJayJohnson
Instagram @CoachJayJohnson 
Boulder Running Clinic