Run Fast, Run Forever Presented by Lever Movement Lever Movement

What motivates an Olympian when faced with setbacks? In this episode, three-time Olympian and renowned Scottish athlete Eilish McColgan delves into the various aspects of her athletic career. Eilish discusses her upbringing in a family of elite runners, her experiences dealing with challenging injuries, and her approach to training and competing.
 
Eilish shares how her parents—both accomplished athletes—nurtured her love for running without imposing pressure, allowing her to pursue the sport on her own terms. Despite encountering mental and physical hurdles, such as a critical injury prior to the London Marathon, Eilish persevered through a difficult recovery marked by misdiagnoses and setbacks, which strengthened her mental resilience and shaped her approach to overcoming obstacles.
 
Discussing her evolution in training, Eilish highlights the importance of integrating cross-training and recovery strategies into her regimen to manage her workload effectively. The Lever, a key tool in her recovery phases, aids in adjusting training intensity and volume to prevent recurring injuries. Eilish also stresses the significance of maintaining a healthy balance between athletic pursuits and personal well-being, advising against sacrificing life's joys for sporting success.
 
Looking ahead to the upcoming Paris Olympics, Eilish shares her aspirations, detailing her current training focuses and the strategic preparations she and her team are undertaking to ensure peak performance. Her balanced approach to sport and career exemplifies her role as a model of resilience in professional athletics.
 
Quotes
“I’m not someone who goes to bed dreaming of becoming an Olympic champion or anything like that. I’ve never, ever been that type of person. I literally just enjoy trying to run my own PB, whether I come first in a race or last in a race, but I've run a PB, that for me is what is the motivating factor. I like that feeling of pushing yourself and knowing that you’ve done it.” (02:54 | Eilish McColgan) 
“As an athlete, I always want to keep pushing, I want to do more.” (09:06 | Eilish McColgan)
“Now I have a much better balance with my training of recovery, of having a day off every week, using things like the lever, just small things like that, just reducing my load.” (11:49 | Eilish McColgan)
“Cross-training is a huge part of my program. I’d say over the last five years that’s been implemented and has just completely changed the way that I train. (12:01 | Eilish McColgan)
“The hardest part is getting a qualifying time. There’s not a huge amount of 10k races of that high level across the world. To be able to have my time and know that that’s banked is definitely a good feeling. Obviously, because I’ve been injured, I still need to show fitness and form towards my federation, so I have until the end of June to do that. We have our British Championships at the very end of June, so it’ll be up to me to try and prove that I'm... I don't need to be breaking records and setting PBs, but I certainly need to show that I am moving towards that Olympic standard again.” (33:19 | Eilish McColgan) 
 
Links
Connect with Eilish McColgan:
https://www.instagram.com/eilishmccolgan/
 
https://www.instagram.com/levermovement/ 
https://www.instagram.com/bradmiles/
https://levermovement.com/



Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm
 

Can one return to form as an ultra runner with just two months of a recovery program? Stefanie Flippin, a Lululemon athlete, is living proof that it's possible. In this episode, Stefanie takes us through her journey as a physician, a professional runner and a coach. She discusses her recovery and training following a bone stress injury that sidelined her at the end of 2023. This eventually culminated in her triumphant performance at the Lululemon FURTHER event—a six-day ultramarathon spanning over 100 miles.
 
Stefanie touches on the specific challenges and adjustments in her training leading up to the Lululemon FURTHER event, particularly her cautious approach following her recovery from COVID-19 and a subsequent stress reaction in her sacrum. Thanks to the Lever system, she managed a controlled and effective return to running, gradually increasing her outdoor activity while managing the load on her body to prevent further injury.
 
Beyond her achievements, Stefanie is deeply committed to fostering growth within the trail running community, promoting diversity, and improving accessibility within the sport. Her story is an example of resilience, strategic recovery, and the innovative use of training tools like the Lever Movement system to overcome setbacks.
 
Quotes
“I’m really opposed to the idea of waiting until your golden years. People just work so, so hard. You can work hard but still enjoy the moment that you’re in now and not waste—I don’t want to say waste your youth—but these are the golden years. Every moment is that. I don’t think that we should wait until we’re 65 to pursue what sets our heart on fire.” (16:09 | Stefanie Flippin)
“What do I actually want to accomplish in this sport? Is it purely performance-oriented? And I came to the conclusion that it’s actually not. My performance goals are very important to me and I feel like I hold those tightly in one hand. But on the other hand, I feel like it’s also just as important to me to build community, to empower other runners, to build diversity in this sport, and to make it as accessible as possible.” (19:34 | Stefanie Flippin)
“Regardless if the athlete wants to continue on, I want them to have a good and positive empowering experience with the race and just their training along the way so that it’s not something where they cross the finish line hating the sport and the experience they just had.” (24:14 | Stefanie Flippin)
“It was really, really nice to have the lever system where I could just offload a ton of body weight, but then just run for 20 minutes. And it actually feels like overground running without that stop, start, stop, start.” (34:01 | Stefanie Flippin)
“I want to get a good feeling racing. Not to say that it’s non-competitive, but just something that feels good. And I think that that’s always smart. That’s something that I recommend to any level of athlete entering back after injury. You don’t need to stress yourself out by entering into a national championship race. Just set joyful goals, make it fun again.” (44:07 | Stefanie Flippin) 
 
Links
Connect with Stefanie Flippin:
https://www.instagram.com/stefanieannflippin/



https://www.instagram.com/levermovement/ 
https://www.instagram.com/bradmiles/
https://levermovement.com/
 
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm
 

Each year, 80% of runners face injuries. Dr. Kate Mihevc Edwards, the head physical therapist for the Atlanta Track Club, addresses this high incidence of running injuries. She brings a wealth of experience, from authoring books and conducting pivotal research to hosting her own podcast and running a specialized PT practice for runners and triathletes. She also introduces RunSource, an app designed by her company, FastBananas, to transform runners' approaches to training and recovery.
 
Dr. Kate emphasizes the holistic care provided at the Atlanta Track Club, where her holistic approach extends beyond treating physical injuries, considering athletes' mental and emotional health. She details how the club's integrated team of dietitians, psychologists, and chiropractors works together to prevent overtraining and boost performance by prioritizing the overall health of each athlete.
 
By discussing the risks of following popular fitness and diet trends without considering individual needs, Dr. Kate stresses the importance of expert guidance. She points out the benefits of using heart rate variability (HRV) tracking as a tool for monitoring training loads and preventing overtraining. Her clinical use of the Lever system is particularly beneficial for postpartum athletes and those recovering from stress fractures or managing tendinopathies. The system, an essential part of injury recovery prehab, allows athletes to train effectively while minimizing injury risks by offloading some of their body weight.
 
Dr. Kate reminds runners to listen to their bodies and adjust their training schedules accordingly. She stresses the importance of rest, recovery, and not being rigidly tied to training plans. 
 
Quotes
“Runners getting injured hasn't changed in 40 years. The same amount of runners are getting injured all of the time. And no matter what happens from a shoe standpoint, or what happens in terms of like the coolest technology out there, or that we're tracking this, we're tracking that, nothing has changed. I believe that nothing has changed because we haven't really looked at the athlete from that holistic view.” (08:31 | Dr. Kate Mihevc Edwards) 
“You have to know what overtraining is, what it looks like and what impacts it. I would say the No. 1 thing is stress, whether it's mental, emotional or physical.” (12:04  | Dr. Kate Mihevc Edwards) 
“80% of runners are injured and it's happened for 40 years and nothing has changed. All of the things that I've seen with the track club in the last three years and seeing the resources that they've had that have really helped them, I thought, ‘Why can't everybody have these same resources?’ And a lot of the people that are experts in the field are unavailable to most people, because we're too busy. We've got a zillion projects going on, we're booked out, or we're too expensive, and you can't get in to see us. So I decided to say to all the experts I know, ‘Hey guys, let's get together, create this app and give this information to people.’ So maybe we have a chance to start decreasing this trend of getting injured and help people reach those performance levels that they want without getting injured because you can't be a high performer if you end up injured.” (17:12  | Dr. Kate Mihevc Edwards) 
“What's really cool about the lever is that you can add that mileage, get that time on the ground, but it takes you away from that line a little bit, which is what I like.” (26:26  | Dr. Kate Mihevc Edwards) 
 
Links
Connect with Dr. Kate:
https://www.instagram.com/precisionpt_atl/ https://www.fastbananas.com/



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



Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm
 

From a devastating bike crash to a triumphant win at Patagonman, Laura Siddall, known to many as Sid, is a prime example of determination and resilience. Transitioning from the corporate grind in Australia, she embraced the rigorous demands of professional triathlon—a sport she leaped into at age 29 and quickly dominated at the amateur level before moving into the professional ranks.
 
Sid shares the challenges she faced early in her professional career, including securing sponsorships and adapting to the intense competitive environment. She delves into her experience with injuries, particularly a serious bike crash in Brazil that resulted in a brain bleed. She describes the intense recovery process, emphasizing the mental challenges that accompanied her physical recovery: the unexpected emotional toll and the difficulty of regaining her pre-accident form.
 
Despite the setbacks, Sid managed to return to competition, participating in the Ironman World Championship in Kona and later winning the Patagonman—an event known for its extreme conditions, ranging from a frigid swim to a grueling, self-supported run. She emphasizes the crucial role of rest and recovery in her career, especially post-accident, highlighting how the Lever Movement system was pivotal during her injury rehabilitation. It has since become a key component of her training for enhancing performance and refining technique.
 
Sid's story is a reminder of how professional athletes go through complexities of recovery and competition, highlighting the realities of professional sports and the mental and physical strength required to succeed in the long run.
 
Quotes
“There's this huge transition from an amateur to professional. And you kind of get caught up initially into like, ‘I've got to get results. I've got to get sponsors. How am I going to survive?’ Well, actually, just put your head down. Adjust to the training, adjust to that kind of a new life, and the results hopefully will come and then you can get your name out and then you can start approaching for sponsorship and support.” (10:47 | Laura Siddall)
“When I turned professional, I had no plan of what I would achieve. I just wanted to think, ‘Okay, if I give it my full 100% attention, how good can I be for myself?’ And I would say it's definitely been up and down. Life sport is, you know, the highs are high, the lows are lows. It's also what makes the highs sweeter, so to speak, when you've kind of got those lows. It's all relative. It's sports. It's not a critical industry of the world, so to speak. We're very lucky to get to do or to choose to follow our passion. (12:17 | Laura Siddall) 
“People ask me now, ‘Are you fully recovered? Are you back?’ Like, ‘Yeah, I'm back training and racing,’ but I don't think you ever return to who you were before a big accident. You can still be good, but it's just a different person, different way.” (15:16 | Laura Siddall) 
“I don't particularly enjoy running on the treadmill, but having a lever system just makes it a whole different experience.” (47:31 | Laura Siddall)
 
Links
Connect with Laura Siddal:
https://www.instagram.com/lmsid/



https://www.instagram.com/levermovement/ 
https://www.instagram.com/bradmiles/
https://levermovement.com/
 
Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm
 

Discover how embracing multi-sport training can redefine resilience and performance in endurance sports. Hillary Allen, renowned for her ultramarathon expertise and her remarkable comeback after a life-altering accident, shares her inspiring journey of integrating cycling into her training regimen to enhance her running performance and maintain a healthy balance.
 
Recounting the traumatic experience of her fall in a sky running race and the subsequent challenges of recovery, Hillary reflects on the deeper reasons behind her passion for running and competing. Her narrative goes beyond the conventional metrics of success, focusing instead on curiosity, exploration, and the joy of movement.
 
As a multi-sport athlete, Hillary balances her training between running and cycling—a combination that provides a refreshing mental diversion and enhances her trail running with strength-building cycling sessions, which mitigate the impact on her body. Her training is a blend of discipline and joy, encompassing running, cycling, and the strategic use of the Lever system to facilitate recovery and manage training intensity, especially after undergoing surgery for bone spurs in her ankle.
 
In this episode, listeners will learn about the benefits of multi-sport training, the importance of resilience and mental strength during recovery, and finding motivation beyond competition. As a bonus, listeners of this episode will receive a 20% discount on any Lever Movement devices and the Lever Pro Shorts by using the code HillyGoat.
 
Quotes
"The reason why I got into trail and ultrarunning was because I had that curiosity for the limits of human potential and how far I could go." (02:32 | Hillary Allen)
"It's been an interesting saga of getting back from injuries, pivoting and seeing how it's really forced me to grow as an athlete and a person to really ask again these questions: 'Why do I want to keep doing this?' 'Why do I want to keep running and competing and doing all this other stuff?' and 'How can I do it differently that actually supports my new body?'" (05:40 | Hillary Allen) 
"I've fully embraced the multi-sport athlete life. And I think that it first came from trying cycling as a way to get back from injury, from some ankle injuries. It was a quicker way for me to start to move again." (12:31 | Hillary Allen)
"What I love about being a multi-sport athlete is, I feel like mentally, it gives me a break. I'm not just doing the same thing." (16:54 | Hillary Allen) 
"I started using the lever system as a way to add in running volume while doing it more purposefully. I could actually temper how much weight I was loading on my tendon as it was kind of getting used to the pounding of running, which I think was absolutely game changing." (26:31 | Hillary Allen)
 
Links
Connect with Hillary Allen:
https://www.instagram.com/hillygoat_climbs/
https://www.hillaryallen.com/
https://levermovement.com/discount/Hillygoat



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



Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm
 

What makes the 800-meter race one of the most challenging and intriguing events in track and field? Tom Brumlik, the driving force behind the coaching of 800-meter athletes for Under Armour's Mission Run Team, has the answers to this question. Alongside host Brad Miles, they discuss the complexities of coaching this event, explore the philosophies behind Tom’s approach and the strategies he has implemented to enhance his athletes' performances.
 
From his initial days coaching at the high school level to playing a significant role at American University under Coach Matt Centrowitz, Tom shares his journey and the founding of the District Track Club. He acknowledges the impact that mentors like Matt Centrowitz and Drew Mearns have had on his career, shaping his views on coaching and athlete development. 
 
Tom’s coaching ethos–rooted in a passion for competition and helping athletes achieve their highest potential–truly shines through when he discusses coaching the 800-meter. Detailing a week in his training program, he reveals the delicate balance between aerobic base building, endurance work, sprint sessions, and essential recovery periods. A key component in this regimen is the Lever Movement system that enabled his athletes to increase their training volume without the wear and tear. This is exemplified by the improvements in both aerobic capacity and race times of one of his athletes.
 
Quotes
"I've always just been attracted to the complexity of the event, the amount of difference, the amount of different skills and knowledge that you have to have to understand the event. Cause again, you gotta be a sprint coach and you have to be a distance coach." (22:13 | Tom Brumlik)
"We found a lot of good success in getting athletes to be able to get a lot of volume on those Monday base work days with the lever." (25:34 | Tom Brumlik)
"If you're not aerobically fit, you're not going to put together a good 800.” (39:10 | Tom Brumlik) 
"In general, our athletes have developed a lot aerobically because of utilizing the lever and we have eight athletes right now. A couple of them are due to the program. But with that group specifically, we've just been able to get in a lot of really, really high-level aerobic work, keep it in the right parameters, make sure it's truly something that's going to help you develop aerobically.” (39:26 | Tom Brumlik) 
 
Links
Connect with Tom Brumlik:
https://www.instagram.com/missionrun_balt800/ 
https://twitter.com/TH_Brumlik



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





Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm