Real Life Runners with Angie and Kevin Brown

Latest Episodes:

158: The Importance of Cadence in Running Sep 17, 2020

Show notes

You want to run fast. You want to run far. You also want to look amazing as you run along the trail or down the street. Maybe you have heard that you are born with your running form. Maybe you have heard that running more will naturally fix your running form. This is only somewhat true and somewhat misguided. The truth is you can improve your form. Running is a skill that you can train. Today we are going to discuss the concept of cadence and how it is important, but that one size does not fit all.

Highlights of the Episode

Running is a skill that comes naturally at first

Living on hard surfaces and in shoes has adjusted our natural form

Just because you can run, does not mean you are maximizing your ability

The importance of cadence

The pitfalls of overstriding and shuffling

The "magic" cadence number of 180

Why it is difficult to think your way to better form

A simple method for increasing your cadence

Challenge of the Week: Cadence challenge

🔢 Count how many steps you take per minute.

You can either count left, right, left, right as 1, 2, 3, 4 or you can count only one foot and multiply by 2.

📌 For example: If you count the number of times the right foot hits the ground and you get 80, multiply by 2 to get 160. That is your cadence, or steps per minute.

What's your number❓

Thanks for Listening!!

To download our FREE strength guide for runners, click here.

To join the RLR Tribe, click here.

If you have a topic you would like us to talk about, please send us an email at support@realliferunners.com

Come find us on Facebook and Instagram and say hi!

Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one!

Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeartRadio, or Google Play

Interested in Training plans and Coaching? Check that out here!

Don't forget: The information in this website is not intended to treat or diagnose any medical condition or to provide medical advice. It is intended for general education in the areas of health and wellness. All information contained in this site is intended to be educational in nature. Nothing should be considered medical advice for your specific situation.

157: Treating Calf Pain in Runners Sep 10, 2020

Show notes

Runners tend to have strong legs muscles built from miles on the roads or trails. We often tout the importance of maintaining strong core muscles, which is very important. However, today we are going to focus on a pair of muscles and their neighbors, who propel every step while also cushioning every landing. In this episode, we put the calves on center stage and discuss why this dynamic duo is so important to your running success.

Highlights of the Episode

Running is actually a more complicated process than it first appears

The 4 phases of running gait and muscle action during each

How running form maximizes the efficiency of using our forces

The running body is a passive spring (the importance or our tendons)

The running body is an active engine (the importance of our muscles)

The running body is beautifully intertwined - how the active machine and passive spring work together

When the body changes, problems can occur

How we can counteract the effects of aging and protect ourselves from injury

How we can get stronger and faster as we get older

Challenge of the week: Calf Raise Challenge - check out our show notes or social media for more details! Thanks for Listening!!

To download our FREE strength guide for runners, click here.

To join the RLR Tribe, click here.

If you have a topic you would like us to talk about, please send us an email at support@realliferunners.com

Come find us on Facebook and Instagram and say hi!

Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one!

Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeartRadio, or Google Play

Interested in Training plans and Coaching? Check that out here!

156: Be Thankful for the Challenges Sep 03, 2020

Show notes

Gratitude is a very positive character trait, but a gratitude practice or an "attitude of gratitude" is both more simple and more complex than it first seems. Beginning the day or ending the day with a journal practice of gratitude for one or three items has become very popular in the personal development world. This is great, but might not be the whole picture. While there is a clear benefit to focusing on the positive aspects of your day rather than the negative, when you can detach your judgment and be grateful for your difficulties, stumbles, and misses during the day, gratitude is world changing.

Highlights of the Episode

How people usually practice gratitude

Gratitude for the struggles

The ease of being grateful for the positives

How gratitude for the positives can actually be a negative thing

How to reframe your life and your running through gratitude

What to do if you're having a hard time shifting to gratitude

Resources mentioned in the episode:

Our other gratitude episode - Episode 67
The Real Life Runners Tribe

Thanks for Listening!!

To download our FREE strength guide for runners, click here.

To join the RLR Tribe, click here.

If you have a topic you would like us to talk about, please send us an email at support@realliferunners.com

Come find us on Facebook and Instagram and say hi!

Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one!

Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeartRadio, or Google Play

Interested in Training plans and Coaching? Check that out here!

155: The Key To Running Faster and Avoiding Injury Aug 27, 2020

Show notes

You want to run faster, so you practice running faster.

You want to run faster, so you push every run just that little bit extra.

You want to run faster, so you live by the motto "no pain, no gain."

You want to run faster, but now you are exhausted, sick, burnt out, or injured.

When you are ready to start back up and bring more joy to your running, consider that most improvement coming during the easy days. If you do not have easy days, when do you plan on improving?

Highlights of the Episode

Background to running - where did you start?

What experiences have shaped your beliefs about what running should be?

Coming from other sports

Pushing harder is always better

Coming to lose weight

The trap of the comparison mindset

Why do you keep running? What do you want to get out of it?

Most runners we know are looking to be able to run longer or faster regardless of why

Conveniently, the answer to both options lives in the easy run

The biological and scientific changes that occur in the body when running slower

How running slower can help us to run faster

The oxymoron of "easy running"

The need for acceptance and letting go of judgment

How much of your running should be easy?

Resources mentioned in the episode:

Thanks for Listening!!

To download our FREE strength guide for runners, click here.

To join the RLR Tribe, click here.

Are you making one of these training mistakes? Check out our free resource, 12 Mistakes that Runners Make, to find out what you could be doing wrong and what you need to be doing instead!

If you have a topic you would like us to talk about, please send us an email at support@realliferunners.com

Come find us on Facebook and Instagram and say hi!

Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one!

Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeartRadio, or Google Play

Interested in Training plans and Coaching? Check that out here!

154: How to Handle Changes to the Plan Aug 20, 2020

Show notes

It's August, and that means back to school for us, as well as any of the teachers and parents we have listening. In previous years, this would mean printing out the supply list and heading to the store to track down folders and pencil cases. It would mean a return to early mornings and greater structure and routine to the day. This year, it means less control and greater uncertainty. While the kids will be learning reading, writing, and arithmetic, we are all discovering more about ourselves during this time of change.

In running, it means that races suddenly disappear from the calendar. What do we do and how do we stay motivated and focused when things are constantly changing and up in the air?

Highlights of the Episode

All plans are fluid and subject to change

The only thing to be certain of is that any plan will need adjustment

Do not be so rigid in your training, or any aspect of your life, that you overly neglect the others

Plans and goals are still important: Without a general guideline, you cannot create careful deviations from the plan

Goals should be rooted in your deep why

There are always many ways to reach the goal

We need to be a tree that can withstand a hurricane

Understand your values and make strong decisions based on those values

Do not cling so strongly to the plan that the whole plan comes down if any part is missing

Your goals and values need to be:

Deep rooted

Flexible

Resilient

Do your best

Inaction is not allowed

"Best" requires some thought and reflection

Thanks for Listening!!

To join the Real Life Runners Training Team, click here.

To join the RLR Tribe, click here.

Are you making one of these training mistakes? Check out our free resource, 12 Mistakes that Runners Make, to find out what you could be doing wrong and what you need to be doing instead!

If you have a topic you would like us to talk about, please send us an email at support@realliferunners.com

Come find us on Facebook and Instagram and say hi!

Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one!

Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeartRadio, or Google Play

Interested in Training plans and Coaching? Check that out here!

153: Get Rid of Running Pain For Good Aug 13, 2020

Show notes

Runners like to run and when they cannot run the way they want, they are not their best. Injuries can often stand in the way of a runner reaching his potential. Unfortunately, many runners deal with injuries by pretending they don't exist or treating symptoms. We take a break from running, but when we ramp back in mileage or speed, the pain comes back. How can we get better without consistency? What do we do when the only consistency in our running is the injury that keeps flaring up?

Highlights of the Episode

Kevin's injury story - Overtraining and under recovering

Angie's savior story - Lucky for Kevin, Angie was getting her doctorate in physical therapy and helped him fix his problem for real

What was the magic that took a limited runner from knee pain to healthy running

Don't just treat the injury - EAT the injury

EAT: Evaluate, Assess, and Treat

The magic in the diagnosis came from questions and knowledgeable connections

The resistance came from attempting to treat the symptoms and expecting the problem to resolve

Evaluate - what is actually going on?

Assess

Strength and mobility tests

Treat

Strengthen, mobilize, correct

Hope you enjoy it!! Let us know if you have any questions that you would like answered on our show!

Thanks for Listening!!

To join our Runner's Body Masterclass to learn how to evaluate and treat lower leg and foot pain, click here.

To join the RLR Tribe, click here.

Are you making one of these training mistakes? Check out our free resource, 12 Mistakes that Runners Make, to find out what you could be doing wrong and what you need to be doing instead!

If you have a topic you would like us to talk about, please send us an email at support@realliferunners.com

Come find us on Facebook and Instagram and say hi!

Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one!

Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeartRadio, or Google Play

Interested in Training plans and Coaching? Check that out here!

152: How to Safely Return To Running After A Break Aug 06, 2020

Show notes

Breaks in training consistency can happen for so many reasons. You can get sick, go on vacation, get busy at work, need extended recovery after a race, or find yourself injured. The key to long term improvement is not that you cannot ever take a break, it's how to come back successfully. The road back to running will not be identical for everyone, but there are some safer guidelines to follow.

Highlights of the Episode

Running is not a perfectly smooth path

If you have taken a step back from running for whatever reason, you need a plan to comeback

The comeback is physical and mental

If you missed a couple days because you "didn't have time"

If you missed a week without an injury

Missed a week because of injury

Missed a few weeks with illness

You had a big race and oops a month has gone by and you ran 2-3 times

Stay focused on establishing good routines as you build back up

Thanks for Listening!!

To join our Runner's Body Masterclass to learn how to evaluate and treat lower leg and foot pain, click here.

To join the RLR Tribe, click here.

Are you making one of these training mistakes? Check out our free resource, 12 Mistakes that Runners Make, to find out what you could be doing wrong and what you need to be doing instead!

If you have a topic you would like us to talk about, please send us an email at support@realliferunners.com

Come find us on Facebook and Instagram and say hi!

Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one!

Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeartRadio, or Google Play

Interested in Training plans and Coaching? Check that out here!

151: How To Prioritize Your Running Jul 30, 2020

Show notes

Deep down we have a set of values, actually a very small number of them, that define who we are. When we face choices in our life, we rely on those values to help choose the path to follow. On this episode, we cover the importance of discovering your core values, the exhaustion of faking our values, what to do when both sides of a choice seem to align with our values, and of course how this plays out in our world of running.

Highlights of the Episode

What are values and why are they important?

What happens when values are not clear?

What does it mean to be a runner?

Why do you do this day after day?

What happens when running goals are not clear?

What about choices that have two good options, or no good options?

What is the best thing I can do to step toward my running goal?

Why this matters in running and life

The obstacle to greatness is boredom

Values are also a beacon that show where to go next

Hope you enjoy it!! Let us know if you have any questions that you would like answered on our show!

Thanks for Listening!!

To join the RLR Tribe, click here.

Are you making one of these training mistakes? Check out our free resource, 12 Mistakes that Runners Make, to find out what you could be doing wrong and what you need to be doing instead!

If you have a topic you would like us to talk about, please send us an email at support@realliferunners.com

Come find us on Facebook and Instagram and say hi!

Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one!

Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeartRadio, or Google Play

Interested in Training plans and Coaching? Check that out here!

150: Best of RLR - Running In The Heat Jul 23, 2020

Show notes

It's our first "Best of" archive episode. This one definitely warrants a re-listen. So many good nuggets of information here. We will be back next week with a new episode, but until then, stay safe out there, friends!

Summer is here! It's important to be aware that heat and humidity can change running in many different ways. Down here in Florida, we understand the importance of dealing with heat and humidity, but this is important no matter where you live.

For full show notes, go to www.realliferunnerspodcast.com/episode150

Highlights of the Episode:

Review of what happens to body temperature when we exercise

Heat in a dry climate

Heat and humidity

How heat and humidity can affect performance

Heat-related conditions/illnesses

Advantages of running in the heat

How to train in high heat and humidity

Hope you enjoy it!! Let us know if you have any questions that you would like answered on our show!

Thanks for Listening!!

To join the RLR Tribe, click here.

Are you making one of these training mistakes? Check out our free resource, 12 Mistakes that Runners Make, to find out what you could be doing wrong and what you need to be doing instead!

If you have a topic you would like us to talk about, please send us an email at support@realliferunners.com

Come find us on Facebook and Instagram and say hi!

Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one!

Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeartRadio, or Google Play

Interested in Training plans and Coaching? Check that out here!

149: Running Is Not A Solo Sport Jul 16, 2020

Show notes

There is an often repeated saying: "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." In the world of running, the ability to go fast and far are often goals simultaneously chased. After some amazing track meets over the weekend, it seems like a good time to reflect on the ability to work together to achieve tasks that may be viewed as impossible or crazy when working solo.

Highlights:

The misnomer of being self-made

The influence of family - for good or for bad

The influence of friends and social circles

The Influence of your education

What to do if you struggle with motivation or inconsistency

Finding the right group to support you on your journey

Resources:

Click here to request to be added to our private Facebook tribe!

12 Common Running Mistakes - free audio training and ebook!

Interested in our coaching program? Click here to learn more about our coaching program and fill our our coaching application.

Our Favorite Products to Make Healthy Living Easier