So much great information can be found in our past coaching calls.
Grab your favourite beverage and have fun bingeing on all of these audio recordings from past discussions since November 2019.

Nov 2019 Coaching Call Recording & Slides
- November Group Coaching Call Slides
Follow along with the audio file above from our first live group coaching in November.
November Group Coaching Call Content
- Aerobic base building
- How/why to do a maximum aerobic function (MAF) test
- Injury prevention, and
- Nutrition.
- 38:55 - How do I determine my easy running pace if I don't know my 5k pace?
- 1:05:26 - What if I can't do SAM right away? Is it okay to wait 20 minutes until I get home?
- 1:08:29 - How will I know when to move to the next level of SAM?
- 1:10:16 - Can SAM be modified if it's unsafe to complete in slippery weather conditions?
- 1:13:49 - I don't always trust myself to eat intuitively. How can I structure my eating to make sure I get enough of what I need (e.g. protein from plant-based sources) without overeating?
- 1:31:36 - Can you eat carbohydrates and still be a fat burner?
Questions for December Q&A Call
- 4:38 - What does it mean if my 5k + 1:30 pace is way different than my 180-age pace?
- 18:37 - What are your thoughts on using a run/walk approach during a race?
- 21:24 - I know you want us to run by feel but I'm compelled to check my data (pace, HR). Is that bad?
- 25:43 - What are your thoughts on treadmill running?
- 31:14 - I feel great. Can I add more mileage and/or make my long run longer?
- 34:28 - Are strides like sprints?
- 39:07 - Considering we are in cold/flu season, how do you decide when to skip the workout and when to push through?
- 46:23 - Do I need to strength train in addition to SAM? If so, what exercises do you recommend and when should I strength train (e.g. easy days vs. hard days)?
- 56:18 - I just watched the movie Game Changers. Should I be eating a plant-based diet? (If you're curious to learn more about another perspective not offered in the film, check out Chris Kresser's Revolution Health Radio podcast from Nov 7th titled "Why the Optimal Human Diet Includes Animal Protein.")
Questions for January Q&A Call
- 7:00 - I like to run with my local run group. What if their workout is different from the one you prescribed?
- 10:10 - What if I feel like I'm putting in the right effort but due to weather conditions the pace is much slower?
- 13:50 - I have a race coming up. Can you talk about warm up and race strategy? (There is a video of me performing the warm-up & technique drills on our resources page that you might want to check out)
- 24:05 - I have a race coming up and I'm worried that I haven't done enough challenging workouts yet.
- 25:30 - I am foam rolling my IT band but it doesn't seem to be working. Do you have any recommendations?
- 29:17 - Is there anything special I need to eat/drink around hard workouts, long runs, or races?
Questions for February Q&A Call
- 0:10 - Review of 25-30% rule for long run
- 40k/week…10-12k long run
- 45k/week…11.25-13.5k long run
- 50k/week…12.5-15k long run
- 65k/week…16.25-19.5k long run
- 90k/week…22.5-27k long run
- 100k/week…25-30k long run
- 3:30 - Why I don't often recommend recreational runners run a marathon.
- 7:12 - Creative ways to add more weekly mileage (if desired).
- 16:30 - Is there a difference between the chest strap heart rate monitor and a wrist-worn device? Is one better than the other?
- 21:43 - What should I aim to keep my heart rate at during races?
- 23:43 - What incline should I set my treadmill to?
- 24:35 - Can you explain the purpose of the harder workouts like hills, sprints and tempos? What happens in the body with that kind of training stimulus?
- 38:45 - Review of race strategy (1/3-1/3-1/3).
- 40:30 - How do you build mental toughness?
Turning Disappointment Into Opportunity
- The global COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to all of our March/April races being cancelled or postponed. May and June races are not officially cancelled, but stay tuned.
- 3:35-34:40 - One of your fellow runners, Melanie, discusses a recent marathon experience that didn't go according to plan, how she moved through a range of uncomfortable feelings that followed, what she learned from her "failure," and how'll she'll modify her training/racing going forward.
- 34:58-53:00 - We discussed alternative race options if your race has been cancelled (e.g. virtual races, time trials, race your friends, delay until a late spring or fall race), as well as how to adjust your training if your race has been pushed to the fall.
- 53:04-57:52 - How to deal with the disappointment of injury.
Discussion for April's Call
- Stage a time trial.
- Participate in a virtual race. (The Rambling Runner has a whole series)
- Take a break. (essential if you're feeling burned out/injured)
- Do an 8-10-week speed segment.
- Go into a holding pattern with bread-and-butter workouts. (lots of easy mileage, tempo running, long runs, hills/drills/strides)
Interview with Carolyn's Husband, Johnny
- 0:10 - Intro and bio.
- 4:00 - Tell us about your sports background and when you started running.
- 9:54 - It took you 2-3 seasons of running (mostly hard workouts, low volume, little structure) to shave 1-min off your 5k, but then you started to plateau. What did your coach say that caused you to take running more seriously?
- 16:23 - What made you finally buy into slowing down?
- 23:25 - What made you question your "no pain, no gain" mentality?
- 31:27 - Do you think spending several years mastering the 5k contributed to your success at longer distances?
- 35:12 - Let's talk about nutrition. What foods do you eat (or not eat) for athletic performance?
- 39:24 - You seem to be very mentally tough. What do you tell yourself when things get challenging in a workout or race? How do you work with yourself in order to detach from doubt, fear, and tiredness?
- 47:33 - What is it that you like most about short/hard workouts?
- 55:00 -- Do you go into a race knowing it's going to be hard?
- 56:35 - 5 key takeaways (1. Listen to your coach 2. Keep your easy days easy; make your hard days hard 3. Slow the bleep down 4. Be intuitive 5. Prioritize the 'non-running' work).
- 58:34 - What do you do for cross training?
Interview with Carolyn's Client, Shawn
In this interview, Shawn shared the fascinating story of dropping >135 pounds over the past 2.5 years (big shout-out to his dog, Friday!) and taking over two minutes off his 5k personal best over the past ten months! Find out how he went from almost 300 pounds to running sub-21 minute 5k's.
Inside Carolyn's Marathon Training
- 2:55 - My "why" for running another marathon
- 10:30 - My goals and how I set them
- 16:05 - What aspects of my training went well
- 23:30 - What aspects of my training didn't go so well
- 31:40 - What I'm most nervous about
- 33:45 - What I'm most excited about
- 37:40 - What shoes I'll be wearing
- 41:40 - How I'm planning to fuel/hydrate
- 54:55 - How I'll work with myself (mentally) throughout the taper and during rough patches in the race
- 1:01:30 - What's next?
A review of the fundamentals
Train Like the Elites
Feb 2021 Coaching Call
- Nutrition for Runners (Slides)
Follow along with the February 2021 audio on Nutrition for Runners.
Nutrition for Runners
Mar 2021 Coaching Call
- Training Zones (Slides)
Follow along with the March 2021 audio on Training Zones.
Training Zones
Apr 2021 Coaching Call
- Race Strategy & Building Mental Toughness (Slides)
Follow along with the April 2021 audio on Race Strategy & Building Mental Toughness.
Race Strategy & Building Mental Toughness
You can be physically fit but fall short of your potential on race day if you don't execute it properly or leave your mental preparation to chance. Learn how to set up a mental training program that will make you more resilient and harder to knock down.
Q&A
Q&A
0:15: What adjustments should I make to my running after receiving the COVID vaccine? (Here's a nice chart to follow. Here's a great article if you want to learn more.)
5:12: Should I count cross training (e.g. cycling, brisk walking) towards my weekly running mileage, and if so, is it a 1:1 relationship?
9:45: What kind of feedback are you looking for about my runs?
12:35: When doing short hill sprints, should I count the time walking back down toward the total assigned running time (e.g. 45 minutes)?
15:40: Can you describe strides? I'm not sure I'm doing them correctly.
20:30: Do I have to do SAM if I follow a strength training plan that includes many of the same exercises?
23:30: If you assign me a distance for the long run but I choose to do it on the trails, should I still go the same distance even though it will take much longer?
28:30: What does a safe return-to-run plan look like following time off from an injury? Here's a great reference article.
Sept 2021 Coaching Call
- Understanding the Taper & Race Execution (Slides)
Follow along with the September 2021 audio on Tapering & Race Execution.
Understanding the Taper & Race Execution
Oct 2021 Coaching Call
- Planning Your Next Training Cycle (Slides)
Follow along with the October 2021 audio on Planning Your Next Training Cycle.
What's Next?: Planning Your Next Training Cycle
2:05: The four phases of training
3:05: The base phase - goals & timeframe
9:53: The aerobic strength phase - goals & timeframe
17:40: The race specific phase - goals & timeframe
21:25: The taper phase - goals & timeframe
23:50: Sample 7-month training schedule for a goal half marathon
28:15: Q&A
Mar 2022 Coaching Call
- The Aerobic Strength phase of training (Slides)
Follow along with the March 2022 audio on the Aerobic Strength phase of training.
The "Aerobic Strength" Phase of Training
Jul 2022 Coaching Call
- Speed Development (Slides)
Follow along with the July 2022 audio on Speed Development.
Speed Development
- 1:11: What is speed?
- 3:12: Why is speed important?
- 17:00: When to focus on speed work?
- 19:45: Sample workouts - Pure speed
- 26:25: Sample workouts - Speed endurance
- 41:03: Sample workouts - Time-based (non-track)
- 42:30: Q&A