Every experienced runner knows that when the going gets tough you better be on top of your mental game! But mental strength is often only something that comes along with years of experience and some tough lessons learnt.

But mental gains can be trained and with developing the right habits, it could be the key to unlocking not only your best performance, but your perception of satisfaction too.

It all starts with deciding what kind of runner you want to be…

That’s where our guest today comes in, Giovanni Bianco, Mental Performance Coach and All-American Triathlete, helps us master our mental game. We chat:

• Dealing with discomfort, failure and self doubt.
• The power of deciding what kind of runner you want to BE and how this can transform your running experience good/bad.
• Mental strength: having it vs developing it.
• Creating the “perfect race conditions” vs waiting got everything to line up.

Give Giovanni a follow on Social Media @giovannimentalperformance and feel free to reach out to him if you are in need of a mental coach that knows how to get the best out of his athletes.

We hope you enjoyed the show!

In a modern society that thrives on comfort, choosing to run and push the boundaries on performance is inherently uncomfortable. It's going beyond what's normal and as athletes, our nutrition should reflect that...

Unfortunately this is often not the case and nutrition is an afterthought, second to training. But they are not actually separate things, they go hand in hand in finding hormonal homeostasis - balance - which is reflected back to us in our ability to maintain or improve our performance.

Today's episode takes a closer look at the effect that fuelling has on hormones and as a result our training. Our guest, Annie Bothma, a certified Master Sports Nutritionist, Running Coach and Professional Athlete helps unpack:

• Hormones, what they are and why they matter.
• Cortisol, stress and recovery.
• Sex hormones and issues with energy availability; REDS, LEA.
• The impact of fasting and calorie restriction.
• How good nutrition and adequate fuelling can support hormonal health.
• The difference between training for weight loss and training for performance and why it's vital to differentiate between the two.
• And more...

This is the kind of episode that you can return to time and time again and learn something new every time.

As Annie mentions, if you suspect that a loved one or training buddy is suffering the consequences of poor nutrition or any of the concepts discussed in this episode, please encourage them to seek professional help! We cannot do this sport without taking care of our health.

If you'd like to reach out to Annie, find her at: https://www.anniesathletes.org/ and to learn more about her journey as an athlete and professional, we encourage you to follow her blog too - https://www.anniebothma.com/

Feel free to reach out to us at anytime on socials: https://www.instagram.com/makingarunner?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==

We bring to you another deep dive with one of our favourite guests on the show, Dr Martin Khoury is not your average Chiropractor. His inquisitive nature and steadfast pursuit for answers make for an excellent combination in solving the puzzling problems that people present with - and give us the opportunity to bring you an even better conversation. Not only is he mega-smart, he also has an extensive running CV to boast.

Today we chat strictly to problems surrounding the knee, one of the most commonly injured areas for runners.

We talk through some unconventional theories about why people present with maladies in the first place and how the body tells a story through its biomechanical patterns…if we’re able to tune in and read the signs, we may be able to interpret and prevent some of the injuries that otherwise take us by surprise.

Our conversation addresses:

• The anatomical structure of the knee.
• 3 common knee conditions, their symptoms and treatment options including: Patella Tendon pain, ITB issues and Patella Tracking issues.
• How running can expose weaknesses that otherwise wouldn’t have been discovered.
• Trail running as an alternative to road running and in which conditions it may be helpful/harmful.

We hope that today's episode gave you the insight you need to tackle any current and future knee injuries. If you have any questions feel free to reach out on info@makingarunner.com or give us a follow on our socials @makingarunner and don't forget to review and share with your running buddy.