The Women's Running Lab

Alison Marie, PhD
  • 5.0 (5)
  • RUNNING
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Welcome to the Women’s Running Lab Podcast. I’m your host, Alison Marie teacher, coach and self proclaimed running nerd. Here you’ll gain a deeper understanding of the physics and physiology of running and what that means for your body and your training.  We are going to get nerdy, but we are also going to break it down into the simplest form of what actually works AND in a way that you can consistently do it.

  1. SEP 23

    E52 - All Runners’ Essential Needs: Sustainable Base Training for Runners

    In this episode of the Women’s Running Lab podcast, host Alison introduces a “runner’s hierarchy of needs,” modeled after Maslow’s pyramid, to explain how athletes can progress toward their full potential. She emphasizes that true success begins with a self-care version of base training for runners—focusing on consistency, recovery, sleep, fueling, and nutrition—before layering in smart volume management, keeping easy runs truly easy, and gradually adding purposeful pacing and strength training. Higher levels of the pyramid include refining biomechanics, improving running economy, building stress resilience, and practicing breath work, all while maintaining adaptability over perfection. Alison highlights how her Women’s Running Academy Intensive helps runners apply this framework, learn their body’s language, and take ownership of their training to run stronger, healthier, and with more joy. Resources Mentioned: Women’s Running Academy Intensive: A 12-week group mentorship program to help female runners ditch the cycle of injury and burn out through understanding their body on a deeper level. Take the reins of your training and continue to perform confidently while feeling great long-term.  Follow Along Between Episodes on Instagram and if you enjoyed this episode please give a share and tag me in your stories!

    24 min

  2. SEP 16

    E51: Less Stretch, More Strength: Mobility Exercises for Runners

    In this episode, Alison challenges the idea that more stretching is always the answer and instead highlights the value of carefully chosen mobility exercises for runners. She explains that hypermobile athletes often develop chronic tightness by gripping in areas like the feet, glutes, or pelvic floor, and that true relief comes from balancing stiffness, stability, and mobility. By building “good tension,” improving alignment, and increasing body awareness, runners can release unnecessary tension, protect their joints, and move with greater efficiency. Viewing the body as an interconnected system, rather than isolated parts, helps prevent recurring issues and unlocks more enjoyable, sustainable performance.    Resources Mentioned: Women’s Running Academy Intensive: A 12-week group mentorship program to help female runners ditch the cycle of injury and burn out through understanding their body on a deeper level. Take the reins of your training and continue to perform confidently while feeling great long-term. Strategies for Running With Hypermobility: https://www.alisonmariephd.com/blog/Running-with-Hypermobility  Follow Along Between Episodes on Instagram and if you enjoyed this episode please give a share and tag me in your stories!

    21 min

  3. SEP 9

    E50 - Your Body is a Team: 10 Things Every Runner Should Know

    In this 50th episode of The Women’s Running Lab podcast, host Alison celebrates the milestone by sharing ten key lessons she wishes runners knew about their bodies, all centered on the idea that the body works as an integrated system rather than isolated parts. She discusses topics such as the pelvic floor’s crucial role in running, the misconception of “over-pronation,” why tight hips and hamstrings often signal a need for strength instead of stretching, the importance of stability over excessive mobility, and how tendons, breath, and coordination shape running efficiency. She emphasizes that pain rarely originates where it’s felt, that rehab should focus on reintegration, and that runners are not fragile but highly adaptable when trained strategically. Alison also shares her upcoming transition back to classroom teaching, notes the podcast may shift to a biweekly schedule, and invites listeners to join her 12-week Women’s Running Academy Intensive to build resilience, efficiency, and long-term running potential.   Resources Mentioned: Women’s Running Academy Intensive: A 12-week group mentorship program to help female runners ditch the cycle of injury and burn out through understanding their body on a deeper level. Take the reins of your training and continue to perform confidently while feeling great long-term.  Follow Along Between Episodes on Instagram and if you enjoyed this episode please give a share and tag me in your stories!

    36 min

  4. SEP 2

    E49 - Run With the Seasons of Life: Running While Pregnant and Postpartum

    This episode of The Women’s Running Lab explores how to approach running while pregnant with both flexibility and strategy. Host Alison and guest Martina discuss managing the “athlete brain,” using run-walk intervals, and knowing when to pause without seeing it as failure, since rest often sets up a stronger postpartum return. They highlight strength training as essential for supporting pelvic floor health, core stability, and efficient mechanics, with single-leg work and hinges as key exercises. Both emphasize adapting training by feel—focusing on duration and energy rather than pace or mileage—and aiming to finish workouts refreshed, not depleted. Ultimately, they encourage pregnant runners to see this as a season of life, investing in themselves through mindset shifts and strength work to stay strong, healthy, and prepared for running again after pregnancy.  Guest: Martina, qualified personal trainer, pregnancy and postpartum coach, founder of Fit Mná and Mammy, and currently pregnant runner. You can find more from Martina on Instagram (@fit.mna) or at her website https://www.fitmna.com/  Resources Mentioned: Pregnancy Blogs: https://www.alisonmariephd.com/blog?tag=pregnancy  Follow Along Between Episodes on Instagram and if you enjoyed this episode please give a share and tag me in your stories!

    1h 9m

  5. AUG 26

    E48 - Core Confidence: Strengthening Your Pelvic Floor for Running

    In this episode, host Alison Marie discusses how to strengthen the pelvic floor for running by explaining how pelvic floor health connects to posture, breathing, hip rotation, and foot mechanics. She emphasizes that a responsive pelvic floor is not about constant Kegels but about finding length, mobility, and natural activation through internal rotation, pronation, and dynamic movement. By combining mindful breathwork, rib cage mobility, and progressive strength training, runners can better manage forces, improve stride efficiency, and reduce issues like incontinence. The host also highlights her Pelvic Floor Fundamentals course and Women’s Running Academy Intensive as resources to help women build strength, confidence, and long-term resilience in their running.  Resources Mentioned: Pelvic Floor Fundamentals for Runners: Support your pelvic floor through a whole-body approach so that you can run freely in just 30 minutes a week!Women’s Running Academy Intensive: A 12-week group mentorship program to help female runners ditch the cycle of injury and burn out through understanding their body on a deeper level. Take the reins of your training and continue to perform confidently while feeling great long-term.  Follow Along Between Episodes on Instagram and if you enjoyed this episode please give a share and tag me in your stories!

    24 min

  6. AUG 19

    E47 - Breathe, Run, Repeat: Unlocking Your Nervous System’s Power

    This episode explores how training, performance, and recovery are deeply influenced by the nervous system and our ability to manage stress. Stress from both life and workouts can overload the body, so balancing intentional training stress with effective recovery is essential. The host highlights breath work as a key tool for nervous system health, introducing CO2 tolerance testing and breathing exercises for running like nasal breathing, box breathing, waterfall breathing, and humming. These practices improve oxygen efficiency, tap into the parasympathetic state, and build stress resilience, ultimately helping athletes recover more effectively, prevent burnout, and perform at their best.  Follow Along Between Episodes on Instagram and if you enjoyed this episode please give a share and tag me in your stories!

    35 min

  7. AUG 12

    E46 - Rethinking Recovery from Injury with PEACE & LOVE

    In this episode, Alison shares how a knee injury at camp inspired her to discuss shifting from the traditional RICE method (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) to the more modern PEACE & LOVE approach for recovery from injury. While RICE can help in the acute stage by reducing swelling and pain, it doesn’t address the need for movement and tissue loading. PEACE focuses on the early days post-injury—Protection, Elevation, avoiding overuse of Anti-inflammatories, Compression, and Education—while LOVE guides the subacute phase with Load, Optimism (or nervous system safety), Vascularization, and Exercise. She emphasizes that effective recovery from injury means transitioning from passive rest to active healing, reducing pain, protecting the injured area, and progressively restoring strength, mobility, and function.  Resources Mentioned: The Big Six: https://youtu.be/5YuaQPUA_yM  Follow Along Between Episodes on Instagram and if you enjoyed this episode please give a share and tag me in your stories!

    35 min

  8. JUL 8

    E45 - Rebuild, Reconnect, Run: Your Return to Running Postpartum

    This episode offers a comprehensive guide to returning to running postpartum, outlining six key strategies to rebuild strength, movement quality, and impact readiness after pregnancy. Host Alison explains how physical changes like pelvic tilt, rib flare, and altered hip mobility affect running mechanics, and emphasizes the importance of restoring core and pelvic floor connection, improving rib and thoracic mobility, and retraining hip function and mid-stance loading. Through intentional progressions in foundational movements like squats and lunges, listeners are guided to build a strong, confident base for running that supports long-term performance and prevents injury.  Resources Mentioned: Postpartum Resources: There you will find options for postpartum with a living child at home and for postpartum after pregnancy or infant loss. Each will include the following where workouts and main content are essentially the same but each is taught in its own context and with respect to what postpartum life looks and feels like right now.Postpartum Run Ready Road Map: This FREE resource will introduce you to the 5 steps in my START Formula so that you have confidence that you are taking the steps back to that thing that makes you feel like you, in a way that feels good in your body and builds a solid foundation for all your future performance goals.​Postpartum Run Ready Fundamentals: With this full course eliminate the guesswork with a full step-by-step plan using my START Formula so that you have confidence that you are taking the steps back to that thing that makes you feel like you, in a way that feels good in your body and builds a solid foundation for all your future performance goals.  Follow Along Between Episodes on Instagram and if you enjoyed this episode please give a share and tag me in your stories!

    31 min
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About

Welcome to the Women’s Running Lab Podcast. I’m your host, Alison Marie teacher, coach and self proclaimed running nerd. Here you’ll gain a deeper understanding of the physics and physiology of running and what that means for your body and your training.  We are going to get nerdy, but we are also going to break it down into the simplest form of what actually works AND in a way that you can consistently do it.

Information

  • Creator
    Alison Marie, PhD
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2025
  • Episodes
    53
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Alison Marie, PhD LLC
  • Show Website
    The Women's Running Lab