Sarah Svensk’s transition from doctor to triathlete illustrates her remarkable resilience and adaptability, overcoming substantial challenges to excel in a completely new field. Starting her triathlon journey in 2015 in Germany, Sarah quickly turned professional despite having no traditional background in endurance sports.

In this episode, Sarah discusses overcoming recurring injuries, notably stress fractures, and how adjusting her training and recovery strategies was crucial. She highlights her record-setting performances at Ironman Barcelona and Ironman Cozumel, emphasizing the role of rigorous training, expert coaching, and the Lever Movement system in maintaining her competitive edge and managing her recovery.

Sarah shares her ambitions for the upcoming season, including competing pain-free and aiming for the World Championships. She offers insights into managing bone stress injuries and balancing training with recovery, providing valuable advice for athletes facing similar setbacks.

Quotes

• “There was an overlap when I was trying to balance working 50% and being a triathlete, but it was hard. It’s easy to get the training in, but to get the recovery and all the other necessary stuff, it’s very hard to balance with a day job, actually.” (02:05 | Sara Svensk)

• “In the beginning, you get devastated when you get an injury. In triathlon, there are so many other things you can do. If you have these bone reactions, then you can usually swim and usually bike, so you can develop that side of the sport. But then mentally, it’s super hard and you lose the trust in your body… It’s just like regaining the trust in the body again. But then I’m also surprised because I always heal. The body’s amazing.” (16:03 | Sara Svensk)

• “For the Mallorca race now, I didn't have the biggest build for the run. I think the longest run I did was 12k, but I had the lever. And I think that was a game changer for me, because then I could add on some mileage. First and foremost, I could start the run build a lot more secure and with lower impact. And then I could add some mileage and actually a little bit of speed.” (26:13 | Sara Svensk)

• “The best thing is that almost all the stress fractures heal. And I think just stay calm in that. Take time off. Don’t stress about it. It will heal. Just give it time.” (39:45 | Sara Svensk)

Links

Connect with Sara Svensk:

https://www.instagram.com/svensksara/?hl=en

https://www.instagram.com/levermovement/

https://www.instagram.com/bradmiles/

https://levermovement.com/

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

“I just fell in love with being able to work with athletes that are pursuing their goals and dreams,” says Lara Rogers, coach of the Under Armour Mission Run women’s team. In this episode, Lara shares her journey from coaching at the University of Cincinnati and Shippensburg University to her influential role at Under Armour.

Lara discusses the importance of trust and strong relationships in fostering athletic growth, reflecting on the team’s evolution from two to five athletes. She highlights recent achievements, including Ellie Leather’s personal best in the 3K and Lauren Ryan’s national record for Australia in the 5K. She attributes these achievements to the athletes’ relentless dedication and a nurturing team dynamic.

Listeners gain insights into transitioning from collegiate to professional coaching, with a focus on 5K training and the absence of a cross-country season for professionals. Lara explains how they integrate tools like the Lever Movement System, which alleviates physical stress while preserving training intensity. This episode emphasizes the significance of consistency, health, and mutual support within a high-performance sports environment, offering a compelling look at the complexities of coaching a top-tier women’s running team.

Quotes

• “The biggest part for me is just the reward that you get from seeing athletes achieve the best out of themselves or get the best out of themselves. And that’s why I do it. And it’s something I don’t think I’ll ever want to stop doing.” (03:37 | Lara Rogers)

• “At the end of the day, it’s just hard work over a long period of time and consistency that’s kind of leading to those breakthroughs that everybody’s seeing.” (09:25 | Lara Rogers)

• “We have athletes on the lever and Ellie Leather specifically uses that every week for doubles for recovery runs, making sure that we’re taking a little bit of weight off but we’re still getting in the volume. And I think that’s also been super crucial for her and staying healthy. She is one of the athletes that’s taken some of the biggest steps this year. I attribute that a lot to being able to train and stay healthy and that consistency piece is key.” (13:19 | Lara Rogers)

• “I think a big staple for any 5K runner is doing stuff at race pace.” (22:30 | Lara Rogers)

Links

Connect with Lara Rogers:

https://www.instagram.com/laralu12/

https://www.instagram.com/missionrun_baltdistance/?hl=en

https://www.instagram.com/levermovement/

https://www.instagram.com/bradmiles/

https://levermovement.com/

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

“If I think about the biggest impact anything’s had on my life, running has probably had the largest impact,” says Thomas Neuberger, the founder of Believe in the Run. Thomas reflects on his initial experiences in running and how a personal blog documenting his TransRockies race training evolved into a leading voice in running gear reviews.

Thomas shares the importance of community in running, highlighting how he started the Faster Bastards—a running club that fosters camaraderie through events and shakeout runs.

Tune in to gain insights into the continuous innovation in running footwear, including a recent trip to Adidas Headquarters. Learn about Thomas’s top running shoe picks for training and racing, and discover how he utilizes the Lever Movement system for injury recovery.

Quotes

• “When the website started up for TransRockies, I started getting inquiries and people were asking, ‘what gear are you wearing? What are you doing? You’re doing a lot of mileage to gear up for this challenge, what type of gear are you using?’ So I started talking about it. And as I started talking about it, people cared less about what training I was doing and more about the gear I was wearing. So I learned really quickly, like, ‘Oh, if I want attention, talk about the gear.’ And so it quickly became a very gear-centric place to be.” (10:44 | Thomas Neuberger)

• “When you’re running, it’s not necessarily an expensive sport, but if you want all the gear and stuff, it gets expensive pretty quick.” (11:24 | Thomas Neuberger)

• “We’re in a really nice moment in the running shoe industry where there’s a lot of good product out there.” (23:56 | Thomas Neuberger)

Links

Connect with Thomas Neuberger:

https://www.instagram.com/tfneuberger/

https://www.instagram.com/believeintherun/

https://believeintherun.com/

https://www.instagram.com/levermovement/

https://www.instagram.com/bradmiles/

https://levermovement.com/

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm