In the 4th episode of the Perfect Flow Podcast I speak with Mat Lewisham of Mat Lewisham Performance Coaching. With a background in personal training, Mat has been on the trail running scene for many year as both an athlete and a coach, knocking off many ultras including the 100 Miler at Tarawera Ultra a week ago. You can find Mat at mlpc.co.nz and on Facebook.
I also released a race report and taper review that have generated a lot of interest and I’d encourage you to read them too.
The main topics we cover:
- Mat’s favourite sessions
- Running technique incorporating glutes and hamstrings
- Different approaches to periodisation
- Pacing for training and racing and what counts as junk miles
- Recovery, the true purpose of training
- Planning training programs
- Depression, mindfulness and how to find purpose
We also mention the work of:
I made some generalisation that I’d like to clarify:
- I mentioned Phil Maffetone’s fascinating work on what it would take to run a marathon in 1:59, or even quicker if all the stars align. My point is that the sub-1:59 times appear beyond the natural limit that seems to be forming. I’m not in any way discrediting his body of work and coaching philosophies as a whole. This guy knows his stuff and has a lot of research and experience to share.
- The comment about not using your hamstrings and still living an unaffected life is a hyperbole exaggerating the quad dominance problem in runners. You would not be able to walk properly without your hamstrings, but they are under used as a result of poor technique and a modern lifestyle.
- The generalisation about physios always identifying glute weakness in runners and prescribing clams, or similar isolation exercises, is not a stab at the competency of physios. They are probably right in their findings and clams are not the wrong exercise to be doing. The problem, as I see it, is that most of the potential benefit is wasted without integration of glute activation into the unique mechanics of the individual. For most, this integration and coordination is hard and requires a lot of troubleshooting and guidance.
- Mat and I expressed some relief for the declining hype around HIIT (high intensity interval training). I believe there is a time and place for HIIT, but it’s not the one stop shop for improving top end speed, VO2 max, cognitive acuity, fat burning and your best friends relationship with their mother-in-law that the internet seems to be claiming. 😉 Doing HIIT training is a lot of fun, but not high on my list of sessions I recommend to runners.
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