What valuable race-day lesson could a runner possibly learn from a gastropod mollusk AKA snail? On this mini episode we share the tale of a determined little snail with big dreams of finishing a marathon. After months of training, doubt clouds the snail's mind on the eve of the race. The moral of this slimy yet uplifting tale will resonate with anyone struggling to stay the course. The journey of this ambitious snail will warm your heart and give you the motivation to slug it out, step-by-step.

On this episode, we explore a topic often underestimated but vital for endurance sports – sleep.  In a world where nutrition and exercise usually claim the spotlight, we're here to shed light on the underrated role that sleep plays in optimizing health and fitness. But why focus on sleep?  Have you ever considered that sleep might be more influential than both food and exercise combined? The renowned Shawn Stevenson, a nutritionist and former collegiate track athlete, suggests just that. To help explain how sleep impacts your endurance journey.  we brought together Dr. Lori McGee Koch, an occupational therapist and lead coach for CES's run program, and  Dr. Elise Toth from Align Modern Health, a functional medicine provider known for a holistic approach to health.  Your host, Ryan Caturan, CES's lead coach at Lincoln Square and Director of Community Partnerships with Aligned Modern Health, guides this discussion.

As an endurance athlete nutrition is a crucial aspect of our preparation as it provides the energy we need for running, triathlons, and other endurance sports. In this episode, we'll be focusing on nutrition for long-distance running, but fear not, the insights we share can be applied to various endurance sports like triathlon, swimming, and cycling.We are delighted to have an exceptional group of experts joining us for this conversation. From Align Modern Health, we welcome Dr. Lexi Mikrut and Dr. Blake Butler and representing Chicago Endurance Sports, we have the pleasure of having Coach Ryan and Coach Amanda on board. Together, their expertise promises to enrich our discussion on endurance athlete nutrition.If you're ready to elevate your athletic performance through the right nutrition strategy, tune in to this episode for expert advice, practical tips, and inspiring stories from athletes who've been where you are. Together, we'll embark on a nourishing journey to reach your endurance goals.Thank you all for joining us today. Let's kick off this episode and fuel your athletic aspirations! Stay tuned for a power-packed session!

The one thing that has always made the Chicago Endurance Sports training experience stand out is its diverse and experienced team of coaches. Individually our coaches bring unique experiences and expertise, and as a team are able to relate and assist to every type of athlete. On this mini episode of the Chicago Endurance Sports podcast you'll get to meet several of our 2023 Summer running coaches as they share some tips and advice to help you navigate the challenge summer training session.

Summer Marathon/ Half Marathon is our biggest and longest train program of the year, and with it come some of the biggest excitement and anticipation. To get thing off to an energetic start we have assembled this episode to introduce you to this season lead coaches as well as go over some of the basics that we believe will be useful as we kick-off the 2023 summer running season. If you are new to Chicago Endurance Sports, we highly recommend you check out our New Member Orientation episode, where we go into detail about how CES training is structured.

Coach Violet is here to pump you up for marathon day with her valuable insights, experience, and positive spirit in this bonus mini-episode .

Marathon Race Week can be full of excitement and anticipation, but also can be a source of worry and stress. On this episode of the Chicago Endurance Sports Podcast Coach Cynthia, Coach Lori, and Coach Michael do their best to help navigate you safely through the final week leading up to your race. Their conversation covers the dos and don’ts of your activity and nutrition on the days leading up to race day, setting race goals, your visit to the race expo, race morning, and much much more. And of course, they have fun too.This episode  references  a few previous episode you can listen to in the archives or by using these links:Marathon Race Strategies https://www.buzzsprout.com/1117280/9308750Prepping Your Mind For Running Success https://www.buzzsprout.com/1117280/4237271

While we tend to accept that being able to perfect most athletic skills requires investing time into practicing and performing drills, most of us give little thought into how we run. This might be due to the fact that running is a skill we don’t even remember learning, and is an activity we can do passively. The purpose of talking about Good Form Running ( GFR) is to make you conscious of how you run instead of just going through the motion. For this episode we repurposed the contentment from Coach Randy's fantastic video series on Good Form Running as a way to provide another avenue for you to become familiar with the topic. The ideas and concepts behind Good Form Running will be referenced by your coaches all season.The aforementioned video series of  Good Form Running goes more in depth on the topic and we highly encourage you take the time to check tt out at your convenience. You can find it here.Intro https://tinyurl.com/4bb2jhkbPosture https://tinyurl.com/2p98m4z3Foot Strike https://tinyurl.com/pdtu3n6xStride https://tinyurl.com/3mz7ywe7Cadence https://tinyurl.com/2p8a8uac

Attempting anything for the first time can elicit many emotions ranging from apprehension to  giddy excitement to cold-sweat terror. On this episode we are talking about the journey to your first marathon. No matter your background or experience, taking on the challenge of running a marathon is a daunting undertaking, especially for first-timers. We thought it would be beneficial to have a conversation at the start of the training season to help you avoid common mistakes, dispel pre-conceptions, and hopefully alleviate some of those first-time jitters.We hope this conversation aids in setting you up for success as you begin your journey to the start-line of your first marathon.References:New Member OrientationGoal Setting

So you registered to train with Chicago Endurance Sports, and now you are thinking “What have I gotten myself into”.  It is understandable to feel a little anxious when taking on a new challenge, but relax we have got you covered.On this episode of the Chicago Endurance Sports podcast we will try to answer many of the questions you may have as you begin your CES journey. We’ll discuss how CES does things and what to expect  from your CES training program so you feel comfortable as you get started training with us.We’ll go over how CES intends to support you through communications and staff, how your training is assigned and structured, what to expect from group workouts, and answers to some commonly asked questions participants have. This is a must listen for those new to Chicago Endurance Sports, and a great refresher for those returning alumni.

On this episode Coach Emily, Coach Michael, and Coach Ryan discuss the role of Spring Training and how you might leverage it to assist you in your short and long term running goals. Whether you have been training through the winter or taking some time off of running, Spring  Training offer many unique opportunities runners of all levels.What makes Spring Training unique? What special opportunities does Spring present for the  novice and experienced runner?  Whether you have already committed to Spring Training or are still on the fence, this episode should supply a lot for you to think about.Some of the topics covered in this episode include:The Role of Training CyclesSuccessfully emerging from Training HibernationUse Base Training For PrehabLaying  the Groundwork for Summer Fall Goals Getting the Most Out Of The SeasonReference: Prepping Your Mind for Running Success

On this episode, Coach Michael walks you through twenty race day strategies, ten on-course and ten mental, to assist you in your Marathon journey. You've done all the training and your bodies are well prepared to cover the distance, now its time to equip yourself with strategies to assist in having the best raceday possible.

Being well prepared can not only make your marathon experience more enjoyable, it can also assist in achieving a better finish time. This episode features an edited version of our 2021 Marathon Race Prep Webinar. Coach Lori, Coach Cynthia, and Coach Allison cover a vast array of topics related to race day preparation ranging from event logistics to race day strategies to dietary considerations. Check it out!

On this episode you'll learn how both a Tylenol commercial and Bruce Lee can inspire someone  living an unhealthy lifestyle into becoming a world-class runner. Dave Zimmer, owner of Fleet Feet Chicago, sits down with Hoka One One athlete Rajpaul Pannu to discuss his  journey to successful marathoner/ ultra- marathoner. Note from editor: Some training practices discussed may not appropriate to all runners, consult with your coach.

CES prides itself on having a diverse coaching team, staffed with friendly approachable personalities. While they all share a passion for promoting a healthy lifestyle and helping people achieve their fitness goals, each member of our 2021 Summer coaching staff brings a set of unique experiences and skills. Combined, our coaches make for a cornucopia of running knowledge and an endless supply of insight. In this episode you get a little taste of the talented and motivational CES coaching team. Throughout the course of your journey we encourage you to get to know as many of the coaches as you can.

Whether it is during training or in races, as endurance athletes we are always challenging ourselves to achieve more. But what happens when we fail to meet our expectations? It’s been said that you can’t be brave without being vulnerable. You can’t achieve great things without failing.On this episode Coach Michael and Coach Kristina, address the topic of Failure and Success. Coach Kristina, a licensed clinical psychologist, helps us to better understand failure and success, and how this understanding can positively influence our running pursuits, as well as how we can prevent it from hampering our progress.Among the many things covered, Kristina and Michael discuss topics ranging from how to deal with disappointment, strategies for avoiding common mental traps, the power of gratitude, and setting yourself up for success.Reference: Brene Brown

In this episode CES Coaches Cynthia, Lori, and Michael discuss how to get the most out of your training on race day. They start off by walking you through race week, addressing the many things you should and should not be doing the days leading up to your goal race. From there, the discussion switches to Race Day,  starting with race morning, taking you through your race, and post race recovery.Goal setting, settling pre-race jitters, mental strategies, race planning, recovery, and much more; this episode is chock full of practical tips and suggestions to help you maximize your race experience and celebrate all the hard work you have put in.

Get ready for a fun and spirited discussion with the Purple team from the South Loop. While they are back of the packers and like to have a good time, as you will learn, this does not take away from the fact they they are serious and dedicated athletes. Their spirit to motivate and support each other exemplifies so much of what Chicago Endurance Sports is all about.While this conversation is certainly a ton of fun, you will quickly discover it to be very honest and thoughtful, as we discuss what has bonded these runners together, and what continues to drive them individually and as a whole; even through the challenges of a pandemic.At its core, this South Loop crew celebrates running by uplifting each other. By the end of this episode, don't be surprised if you find yourself longing to be part of this self described tribe.

In this episode of Coaches Corner, Coach Lori speaks with fellow CES coach and Board-Certified Sports Dietitian Allison Koch about how the way you fuel your body effects you as a runner. Coach Allison provides tangible, practical advice on how you should be filling your plate throughout your training and how being smart about your nutrition can positively impact your running performance. Allison, an accomplish marathoner in her own right, draws on her personal experience, as well as science, to explain why what , when, and how much you eat and drink  matters.The discussion includes suggestions for timing and planning your eating so it works with your training and race goals. Allison also offers her professional insight on common misconceptions as well as popular nutritional trends.Get set for a heaping healing of insight and information you can easily and immediately put into practice.You can find Coach Allisons nutrition blog here: https://runningrdn.com/blog

When people enter into training for an endurance event, often the central focus immediately goes to The Long Run. In this episode of Coaches Corner coaches Lori, Cynthia, and Michael take a deep dive look into all aspects of The Long Run.  They talk about the purpose The Long Run serves in race prep, how to build a solid weekly routine so you are prepared for every long run, and good practices and strategies on the path to successfully get through your weekly Long Run. From poop to not pooping out and from pee to pie, this Coaches Corner is guaranteed to entertain you as well as deliver all sorts of useful, practical, and sometimes geeky, information to assist you in you training..