Grit coaching is 7 YEARS OLD this year, and we’ve learned a ton since Day 1. Sometimes coaches get a bit shy about admitting that they’ve changed their mind on something - there is a feeling that we must be all-knowing, and many coaches feel insecure saying “we’re looking at something differently now”. Not us! On this week's episode, Coach Jess shares how her philosophies towards run programming and coaching have changed over the years as she has gained a TON of experience working with a...

This week we are joined by Eoin Everard, the current World and European Masters (Over 35)  3000m champion who also has a blazing sub-14 min 5km and sub-4 min mile under his belt. In addition to being an astonishing runner, but Eoin holds a PhD in Biomechanics and is a Physiotherapist and the founder of the BackAware Belt, a tool to help with back pain. In this episode we talk about injury prevention (particularly when it comes to the back), discuss methods to help you move better day-to-day,...

You’ve done the training, and now all that’s left is executing your race. But…..how? In this episode, we give you the nitty gritty on different pacing strategies: what works, what doesn’t, and why. We tackle this both through physiology and personal experience: everyone’s got a good pace-related story! Proper pacing is absolutely essential for great performance. We’ll convince you why on this episode! This episode is hosted by Olympian/Exercise Physiologist Jessica O'Connell and OCR Star...

This week we are thrilled to catch up with OCR superstar Nicole Mericle! Nicole is fresh off her 2nd place finish at Tough Mudder Arabia which was arguably one of the most competitive OCR races in history with a prize purse that did not disappoint!   We also discuss Nicole's road to recovery after knee surgery, how the short course specialist changed her training to dominate a 8 hour event and much much more. This episode is hosted by Faye Stenning, BKin, and coach at Grit Coaching! We...

You asked, we answered.  Really nailing your endurance training can be complicated - everyone knows "how" to run, but not everyone knows how to optimize their endurance training to suit their goals and ability. This re-released podcast gave listeners the chance to ask their burning endurance questions and gave us a chance to provide insight on a bunch of endurance-related topics. It's an episode of variety that you're sure to learn from!  This episode is hosted by Jessica O'Connell, MSc,...

We love putting together podcasts on sports performance topics we think are important but the reality is: YOU know what you know and don't know best! (whoo, that's a mouthful!)  As my school teachers always told me, if you have a question, chances are that others in the room are wondering the same thing. On this re-released episode, we answer some of the queries we get the most often.  This episode is hosted by Jessica O'Connell, MSc, CSEP-CEP, OLY, and Faye Stenning, BKin, and coaches at...

Winter training - it ain't so bad!  Faye and Jess, seasoned Canadian runners with souvenir frostbite scars, share their best tips on how to thrive during the winter training season. We've made all the wardrobe mistakes and created all the weather hacks so you don't have to!  This re-released episode is hosted by Jessica O'Connell, MSc, CSEP-CEP, OLY, and Faye Stenning, BKin, and coaches at Grit Coaching! We offer custom run and strength training for runners, OCR, and hybrid athletes....

Endurance racing affectinatos are faced with racing options of different lengths and types galore!   In this re-released episode, we advise on how to select races and plan a season that allows for proper preparation for key goals, but still leaves wiggle room for exploration.    This episode is hosted by Jessica O'Connell, MSc, CSEP-CEP, OLY, and Faye Stenning, BKin, and coaches at Grit Coaching! We offer custom run and strength training for runners, OCR, and hybrid athletes. Check us...

Goals give direction and purpose to your efforts, but it's important that you don't confuse goals with dreams. Dreams are ideas, and goals are roadmaps. I think you can guess which one has a greater likelihood of success!   In this re-released episode, we discuss why goal setting is important and how to do it in an effective and meaningful way.   This episode is hosted by Jessica O'Connell, MSc, CSEP-CEP, OLY, and Faye Stenning, BKin, and coaches at Grit Coaching! We offer custom run and...

Relative Energy Deficiency In Sport (RED-S), or chronic underfuelling, can have very serious health and performance consequences. We are joined by Dr. Alex Coates, former elite ITU triathlete and current professor of Exercise Physiology who's research has focused on what happens when we push too far or when we recover insufficiently from training. Alex educates us on the consequences of RED-S and how to make sure we are fuelling well for heath and performance. This episode was...

Two new running/fitness "hybrid" competitions are sweeping the nation and attracting runners, Crossfitters, and OCR Addicts alike. Hybrid competitions involve run intervals alternated with standardized strength exercises and challenging an athlete's strength and endurance. This week, Faye Stenning shares the Nitty Gritty on the two most popular hybrid events/brands: DekaFit and Hyrox. We deep dive on what's involved and how to train for these demanding events. Spoiler alert: as always,...

Runners: Does the weight room feel like the wild west? We get it, but strength training has serious benefits and doesn't need to be initmidating. As a runner, you're doing a serious disservice to your training regime if you're ignoring strength!  This episode, we break down why strength training is important for runners, how much you need, and what to focus on. Fast healthy runners are strong runners, and we hope you'll walk away from this episode conviced of the benefits of strength...

Runners fall into two camps - they're either as bendy as a slinky, or they can't touch their toes. This podcast dives into the differences between mobility and flexibility, how much range you REALLY need, and the when/where/what on stretching.  This re-released episode is sure to bend your knowledge on movement and performance (ha!) This episode is hosted by Jessica O'Connell, MSc, CSEP-CEP, OLY, and Faye Stenning, BKin, and coaches at Grit Coaching! We offer custom run and strength...

Tis the season for peak races and the inevitable recovery that follows. Everyone's heard of the big (and oddly intimidating) "Off Season", but what IS it? This week, we dive into why the Off Season is important and how a bit of rest and recovery can take your training to the next level over the coming months. Rest to progress? We say YES! This episode is hosted by Jessica O'Connell, MSc, CSEP-CEP, OLY, and Faye Stenning, BKin, and coaches at Grit Coaching! We offer custom run and strength...

Just like it's common to hire a coach to help you reach an sporting goal and live an active lifestyle, nutrtition coaches exist to help educate and guide individuals towards health goals. It makes sense - changing habits is hard, especially if you aren't highly educated in nutrition, so expert guidance can be SO helpful!  This week, we are joined by Josh and Brittany, two nutrition coaches at Working Against Gravity, a nutrition coaching company that has helped thousands of individuals to...

This week we deep dive into an athlete’s most essential piece of gear- footwear! There are A LOT of shoe options out there and we nerd out and break them down for you. Learn all about different types of footwear , what to look for when buying shoes, the best footwear for OCR races, and the newest super shoes hitting the market! This re-released episode is hosted by Jessica O'Connell, MSc, CSEP-CEP, OLY, and Faye Stenning, BKin, and coaches at Grit Coaching! 

Hyrox is a fitness competition that's been popular in Europe for a while and is now taking North America by storm. Hyrox involves eight standardized fitness stations alternated with 1000m of running. The 8km of total running in the event makes it appealing to OCR athletes and runners alike! (though the strength stations are no joke!) A few years ago, Faye decided to train for and compete in Hyrox. In this re-released episode, she details how she prepared for the event by focusing on raw...

If you're a female athlete, or you know a female athlete, this episode is for you!  We chat about range of topics pertinent to active women including: fueling, RED-S, birth control, pregnancy, training and aging, and how to keep young girls engaged in sport. Though many of these topics aren't exclusive to women, we talk about them through a female physiology lense Let's go girls!    This rereleased podast is hosted by Jessica O'Connell (MSc, CSEP-CEP, OLY) and Faye Stenning (BKin). Jess...

The allure of the marathon has captured countless runners, but what does it really take to prepare? On this episode, we break down the essentials of marathon training and detail the most essential pieces of training. We completely understand that not everyone has endless time to train at their disposal, and we deep dive in to how to maximize training for a great marathon experience.   This podcast is hosted by Faye Stenning, bKin, and Jess O'Connell, MSc, OLY, CSEP-CEP - the coaches at Grit...

In races longer than an hour or two, nailing fueling is absolutely critical for success. You can't run on an empty tank, after all! Fueling can make or break a performance, but it can be daunting for novice and experienced athletes alike. This week we are joined by Arielle Fitzgerald - OCR Dream Team athlete, Ultrarunner, and holistic nutritionist. We figured that she is the perfect person to interview all about fueling for long OCR and running events - it's kind of her thing! We learned a...

Very few people have had as many podium finishes at OCR events as Faye Stenning. This episode, she shares many of her BEST hacks on how to perform your best at an OCR race. Whether you're training for your first race or your 100th, you're sure to pick up a game-changing tip or two curtesy of Faye's immense experience.   This podcast is a rerelease originally recorded in Spring 2021 and is hosted by Jessica O'Connell (MSc, CSEP-CEP, OLY) and Faye Stenning (BKin). Jess and Faye bring grad...

It's a hill, get over it! Hill running is mechanically and metabolically different than flat running and requires a combination of fitness and skill to thrive. Luckily, uphill and downhill running ability is trainable. We drop tips on how to properly train for and run up and downhill, even if you don't necessarily have incline readily available. It's a hill, and we'll help you get over it!  This is a repost of an episode originally airing in Spring 2021 and is hosted by Faye Stenning and...

We're on the cusp of summer and hot weather is BACK! Every spring, athletes worldwide find themselves questioning their fitness and wondering why it's suddenly so challenging to hit training paces. The answer: t's hot outside, and heat must be respected! In this episode, we detail how to adjust training to the heat, how heat adaptation works, and how to adjust training and racing plans to have success in high temperatures.   This episode is hosted by Jessica O'Connell, MSc, CSEP-CEP, OLY,...

Dr. Emmi Aguillard, PT, DPT, FAFS is a NYC-based physical therapist who specializes in treating and training runners. She also has advanced training in pelvic health and works with women to safely maintain their optimal fitness and performance both during pregnancy and as they return to running after giving birth. Emmi has even co-authored a book on running injury prevention called Run Healthy and is an expert in the field. The pelvic floor is a bit of a mysterious body part and we take the...