Episodes

Creating lasting change is hard. It’s uncomfortable, it takes time, and it’s for these reasons that most people will not do it. Also, when most people set out to change, they just start with tactics. Do this, not that, eat this, not that, etc. But there is a critical first step most people miss in the process. So this episode of the Running Lean podcast is all about the important first step in creating change so you can get to your results faster. Work With Me Interested in working with m...

If you are a runner and you want to improve your speed, endurance, or both, then you’ll want to work on building some lean muscle. The problem is that most runners don’t really know how to build muscle, or they are using an outdated approach that really isn’t doing much for them. Building a stronger body will not only help improve your running performance, it will also help you to lose weight, have more energy, and generally feel better all the time. In this episode, what it takes to build le...

When it comes to creating healthy habits that last, the real key is consistency. You have to take consistent, aligned action if you want to create behavior patterns that get you results. And the key to taking consistent, aligned action is planning ahead. So in this episode of the podcast, you’ll learn the power of planning ahead and why you need to be practicing this right now. Work With Me Interested in working with me in a one-on-one setting? Get the personalized guidance, support, and ac...

When most people set goals for themselves, they think small. They set goals that feel doable, safe, and comfortable, goals that won’t cause them too much suffering if they don’t achieve them. But is this really what you want for yourself? Not me. I want to set goals that feel scary, uncomfortable, and impossible. In this episode I explain why you shouldn’t be setting small, easily-achievable goals, but instead working on achieving impossible goals. Work With Me Interested in working with ...

It’s that time of the year again! The kids are out of school, the weather is amazing, and you are going on vacation. But you might be worried because in the past, going on vacation meant going off the rails. You’re on vacation so you just want to have fun, right? You deserve to live a little! If this means coming home 10lbs heavier and hating yourself…is it really all that fun? In this episode of the podcast, I’ll offer up some helpful tips for sticking to your plan – even on vacation – so...

For a lot of runners, the off-season can be a challenging time. You’ve finished your races, the next training cycle won’t start for another 4-6 weeks, and you might feel like you’re in limbo until then. Here’s the thing, the way you approach the off-season is just as important as the training season itself. It’s so important that what you do in the off-season can often make or break your next race. So today, what to do in the off-season as a runner to ensure you start your next training cycl...

One of the big keys to achieving anything significant in your life – losing weight and keeping it off, running a marathon – is confidence. Being confident that you can accomplish something big will make that accomplishment practically inevitable. The opposite is also true however – a severe lack of confidence will make it basically impossible to reach that big goal. So how do you get more confidence? Well, you are in luck because that’s what’s on the agenda here today. In this episode, I exp...

This past weekend was the biggest running event of the year here in Cincinnati – Flying Pig Weekend! I did a lot of racing this weekend and let’s just say that things did not all go as planned. But despite dealing with some very challenging situations, the whole weekend was a huge success, both for the city and for me personally. Today on the podcast, I share my experiences in dealing with all the challenges and all the lessons learned Cincinnati Flying Pig weekend. Work With Me Interested ...

How are your stress levels these days? About 80% of Americans say they feel some degree of stress in their daily lives. Of course, some feel stress more often than others, but the fact is, we are a stressed-out society. Not dealing with stress can have all kinds of health and wellness implications including weight gain, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, depression, and a host of other issues. Having a daily stress management practice is imperative if you want to be a healthy happy...

We’re in the middle of the Spring racing season here in the US and a lot of runners ask me questions about pacing for their upcoming race. Should you start slow and then try to finish fast? Should you start fast and try to make up some time for when you inevitably slow down at the end of a race? Should you focus on your heart rate? Your cadence? Your current pace or average pace? Believe it or not, there is one pacing strategy that has been proven time and again to be the most effective for ...

One of the most powerful things you can do to improve your health and fitness is to regularly push past your comfort zone. This might seem obvious to you and pretty basic, but it’s an area where most people really struggle. The idea of getting uncomfortable is easy to understand, and most people say they’re more than willing to get uncomfortable. But when they come face-to-face with their own discomfort, all those good intentions go out the window. Most people end up running back to the safe...

17 years ago I finally made the decision to give up drinking alcohol. This was not a decision that came quickly or easily, I had been drinking daily for many, many years. I got to a point where my life was not what I wanted it to be. I wanted more for myself and alcohol was standing between me and the person I ultimately wanted to be. So today on the podcast, how I experienced freedom from alcohol, got my life back, and became healthier and happier than I ever thought possible. Click here t...

There’s a lot of interesting food advice being given out these days by health and fitness “experts.” One in particular that has stood out to me lately goes something like, “Take a few days each week and go crazy! Eat whatever you want! You don’t want to be too restrictive with your diet!” I’ve done a lot of thinking about this idea, in fact, I even tried it…for a while. I’ve learned a lot about this principle in the last few months and today I share my thoughts with you about it. In this epi...

Have you ever found yourself at the end of a sleeve of Oreos or at the bottom of a bag of potato chips and thought…did I really just eat all that? I know I have…and too many times to count! If so, then you have probably been doing some mindless eating. Mindless eating is something we have all done at one point or another, and it’s something you can absolutely change. You don’t have to continue to eat mindlessly, there are some practical things you can do to change this behavior. So today on...

If you’ve ever trained for a marathon then you know that sacrifices have to be made in order to achieve that goal. You have to put in a lot of hours on the weekends running in the cold. You have to give up time with your family and friends. You endure sore legs for days and you’re tired all the time. You are more than willing to sacrifice these things in order to run that race. How about when it comes to losing weight? What are you willing to sacrifice in order to hit your weight loss goal...

A lot of runners are told not to lose weight while training for a race. There are many reasons why they are given this advice (which I cover in today’s episode), but I don’t necessarily agree with all of it. I believe there’s a right way and a wrong way to lose weight as a runner, even when you’re training for an event like a half or full marathon. In this episode of the Running Lean podcast, can you…and should you lose weight while training for a race? Work With Me Interested in working wi...

If you’ve ever changed your eating habits or started exercising on the weekends instead of partying, and your friends have told you that you’re boring then this episode is for you. Every day I talk to people who want to lose weight and improve their health and fitness and one of the reasons they struggle is because it all seems so boring. They don’t want to give up their exciting lives will all the exciting food that goes along with it. In this episode, I share some unconventional ideas about...

If you want to lose weight and keep it off, you probably already know that you have to change your diet. This is obvious and we all know this, but that’s where most people stop. They change their diet and they see some results but it rarely lasts because they’ve only changed their behavior, not the thinking that drives the behavior. They keep slipping back into old eating patterns because they haven’t changed the thoughts that created those patterns in the first place. If you think you can c...

Whether you are just getting into running or have been at it a while, you should be actively working on improving your endurance. While there are many methods out there that are designed to help you improve your endurance, there are a few key principles that most runners overlook. So today on the podcast, I share 5 ways to improve your endurance to help you run longer and make running easier in general. Work With Me Interested in working with me in a one-on-one setting? Get the personalized ...

As runners, we’ve been told over the last 40 years or so that the only way to fuel for running is with carbohydrates. Loads and loads of carbs. Eat lots of carbs every day, carb load the day before you run, carb up in the morning pre-run, consume ample carbs during the run, and then of course you’ll want some carbs for recovery after your run. This has been the standard approach since the 80s but it’s definitely not the only way to do things. The thing is, this approach just doesn’t work for...

Recently I spent a week on vacation and decided to change my diet a bit. I made the decision to eat more freely, to enjoy some of the amazing local food, to eat dessert, bread, pastries, and generally be a bit less strict about my diet. It was definitely an interesting experience and I learned some very valuable lessons along the way. In this episode, it’s all the lessons learned from vacation eating for a week – the good, the bad, and the ugly. Work With Me Interested in working with me in...

Being overweight is not something that’s not talked about very much (or at all) in the running community. There seems to be some stigma around being a runner and being overweight. Like you’re not running enough, or you’re somehow doing it wrong if you’re training for a marathon and you’re overweight. I know exactly how this feels. In this episode, I’ll share why running is not a very effective tool for weight loss, and why you need to treat the underlying physical, mental, and emotional aspec...

If you’re a runner and interested in getting the most out of your training, then you’ve probably tried a multitude of supplements. There are literally thousands upon thousands of health and wellness supplements on the market today and around 1,000 new ones are introduced every single year. So if you are feeling a little confused and overwhelmed by all of these options, you are not alone! Today on the podcast, I’ve got a few simple suggestions for supplements every runner should be taking that...

When it comes to eating right and losing weight, there is so much information out there that it can feel incredibly overwhelming. While I can’t address every misconception out there on the internet here in one podcast episode, I do want to go over a few things you might want to stop doing right now. Because sometimes the best way to start… is to stop! So in this episode, I’ve got 3 things you should stop doing if you want to lose weight and keep it off for good. Work With Me Interested in w...