Today we welcome professional runner Garrett Heath of the Brooks Beast Team. Garrett was a 9-time All-American at Standford before turning professional. Garrett won the 2014 and 2015 Edinburgh Cross Country short course races before beating Mo Farah in the world championships in 2016. We catch up with Garrett about what his plans are for the future and talk to him about a time he almost took out a rabbit in a race.
How did you get your start in running?
You ran for a great program in high school did that help keep you interested?
There are many successful runners who came out of Minnesota and many of them seemed to spend a lot of time cross country skiing in the winter, did you do much skiing?
You had a great career at Stanford and I’ve heard in your college career your coach had some interesting ways to work on overspeed work?
When did you know that you wanted to try your hand at professional running?
What was it like running in Europe, how was it different?
Sounds like there is a model of how to make track and field a success with the public, why don't you think we do this in the US?
First time you broke 4 minutes in the mile?
You are now running with Danny Mackey and Brooks Beast Team, how did that connection happen?
Early in your career, you focused more on the 1500, then you started with some 5ks but this year you ran a good 10k at the Payton Jordan. Where do you see yourself focusing going forward?
You have had a lot of success running longer distances in cross country, how different is it racing those bad weather cross contry races vs a controlled track race?
If money and everything were the same would you make a living on the track, roads or xc course?
You have mentioned a few times about the mental aspect of of racing, how much time do you spend working on your mental game?
Not sure how much you pay attention to Let’s Run, but One of the posts from January this year asked who is most jacked Chris Solinsky vs. Garrett Heath vs. Ben True. So how much do you lift and work on strength?
One thing a lot of casual observers of our sport may not realize is when you run for a team, it is not like running for a professional football or baseball team with a huge salary. What is that relationship like with your sponsors?
Final Surge round, 5 questions in under a minute
Favorite endurance/running book? - Running with the Buffaloes
Current trainers you are wearing? - Brooks Glycerin
Favorite race? – Edinburgh Cross Country
Favorite recovery meal or recovery drink? – Chocolate Chip Pancakes
Your favorite workout – Long Tempos
https://www.instagram.com/garrettheath
This week we bring you a "Best Of" episode with Dr. Stephen Seiler and our discussion on polarized training.
Welcome to episode 89 of the Final Surge Podcast where today we welcome 2x defending NCAA XC Champ Coach Mike Smith to the show. Mike has a unique background working for years alongside Jack Daniels before going into college coaching. We talk to Mike about his coaching philosophies. Please remember to subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss future episodes and share it on Twitter or Facebook.
How did you start running?
How did you move from running at Georgetown to Coaching?
Was there any coaching between when you left college and the head coaching job at Georgetown?
What was it like working with Dr. Daniles
You had 4 years at Georgetown with great results. When you heard Eric Heins was stepping down at NAU what was your thought process when you were considering changing jobs?
Took NAU first-year assistant then took over for xc champ any pressure?
We focus on the championship race, but 99% of what you do is not at that race it is in practice day-to-day. Can you tell us what you are looking for in practice and what your interactions are like?
What do you think of race plans for your athletes?
Not everyone is going for the win as an individual, can you talk about winning the race within the race, what does that mean to you?
Your culture seems to be of a fun team where the top racers are all competitive, are they as competitive with each other in practice as they are in a big race and is that culture dictated by the athletes you have and will change with the athletes or something you instill in the team?
Tyler Day is one of your top runners and a very interesting story for me. Tyler went to high school less than a mile from my house and I watched him compete in high school. He had that great personality then too. And while Tyler was a good high school runner, I don't think anyone ever looked at him and said he would be a national all-American in college. What do you contribute to the huge jump Tyler made at NAU?
You said on another podcast that you thought one of the issues you see in training is over-prescription of VO2 work. Can you talk about your training philosophy.
How does your training differ from Georgetown to NAU because of the altitude?
Let’s say you were a high school coach living at sea level in a very flat area, and every year the high altitude teams came down to the state meet and over performed, how you would target your planning to offset the advantage the altitude teams have?
How does you periodization work. Are you like a lydiard with pretty strict training periods or are you more of the new school where you touch on everything all year with small variations?
What are you looking for in runners who may want to run at NAU?
You talk about moving with the ground, I know you run a summer camp for high school runners, is this something that athletes?
Final Surge round, 5 questions in under a minute
Favorite endurance/running book? - Once a runner
Current trainers you are wearing? - Ultra Boost
Favorite race? – Western States 100
Favorite recovery meal or recovery drink? – Mike and Rhonda's Lumberjack Special
Your favorite workout –
Welcome to episode 88 of the Final Surge Podcast where today we welcome Olympian runner Ruben Sanca. Ruben ran for Cabo Verde in the 2011 World Championships in the marathon and the 2012 Olympics in the 5k. Ruben won 2017 New England Grand Prix Road Racing title and was elected U.S.A. Track & Field New England Male Runner of the Year. We talk to Ruben about how he came to American at age 12, his running career and about his newer company, The Lowell Running Company.
Ruben can you start out telling us a little bit about yourself and how you got started running?
So you came to the US at the age of 12. I don’t know a lot about Cabo Verde besides it’s off the coast of West Africa. Did you speak English? Tell us what it was like for a 12-year-old to come here?
Was running big there or something you didn't discover until you got here?
You ran at U Mass Lowell then you went on to compete at the World Championship in 2011 in the marathon and the London Olympic Games in the 5k in 2012. What was it like competing in the Olympics?
What is your running goals now?
You are working full time, you train 100 miles a week and you manage the Lowell Running Company. How do you fit it all in?
So one of the ways I first started noticing what you were doing was from the activity online with the Lowell Running Company. Can you tell us what the LRC is and how that started?
Do you do group runs or is it all virtual?
Is your coaching all in person or do you virtual coaching too?
Do you work with mostly marathoners or do you work with others?
How are you using Final Surge in your coaching?
Final Surge round, 5 questions in under a minute
Favorite endurance/running book? Lore of Running by Tim Noakes and for enjoyment: Running with the Buffaloes by Chris Lear
Current trainers you are wearing? - New Balance 880’s
Favorite race? – Boston Marathon
Favorite recovery meal or recovery drink? – Sirloin steak with sweet potatoes and Endurex R4 Endurance Formula
Your favorite workout – 4xmile at 5k pace for track and for marathon 3x3mi at marathon pace w/ a mile recovery at 95% marathon pace. This is one of the standard marathons workouts I do at the beginning of every marathon block.
Resources
Lowell Running Website
Sanca Foundation
Facebook Page
Twitter Account