Strength Training For Runners and OCR Athletes: The WHY and HOW

Runners, OCR athletes, and hybrid athletes alike all benefit from strength training (though their programs look much different!) Putting together an effective strength program is a mix of art and science, and we aim to convince you how important it is for optimal run and OCR performance as well as teach you the components of a great routine.  In our latest episode you will:  Discover how effective programming can lead to better run and ocr/hybrid performance and prevent injuries Learn how to craft a personalized strength program that fits your lifestyle and goals.  Discover techniques that will help you make the most of your time in the gym and achieve sustainable gains!  Want to dive deeper? Check out our blog: Seven Reasons Why Strength Training is Essential for Runners The Nitty Gritty Training Podcast is hosted by Jessica O'Connell, MSc, CSEP-CEP, OLY, and Faye Stenning, BKin, and coaches at Grit Coaching! We offer custom run and strength training for runners, OCR, and hybrid athletes. Check us out!

We all go through times in our lives where there just isn't the time we once had to dedicate to ourselves and fitness. Unlike many of our other episodes, this episode is geared towards training to be fit for life not training for a specific event or race.  We hope you walk away from this one with tips and tools so you can adjust your training when time, resources, and energy just aren't on your side. No time to listen to the full episode then check out our blog: Maintain a Sustainable Fitness Routine Amid Life's Chaos The Nitty Gritty Training Podcast is hosted by Jessica O'Connell, MSc, CSEP-CEP, OLY, and Faye Stenning, BKin, and coaches at Grit Coaching! We offer custom run and strength training for runners, OCR, and hybrid athletes. Check us out!

Today we are joined by Kayti Simonson, a 34 year old lawyer and pro hybrid athlete based in Calgary, Canada. Kayti has a massive sporting background - she ran 400m hurdles and played soccer in the NCAA, played semi-pro soccer in Florida, England, and Texas who impressively earned an undergrad and three post-grad degrees along the way! Kayti shares how she's dived head-first into the world of Hyrox, how her training has shifted as she's embraced endurance training (which is no joke coming from a speed-power/crossfit background!), and how she balances it all while practicing as a lawyer. This gal who does it all shares some great insight on how to approach goals in a new sport as a high performer. The Nitty Gritty Training Podcast is hosted by Jessica O'Connell, MSc, CSEP-CEP, OLY, and Faye Stenning, BKin, and coaches at Grit Coaching! We offer custom run and strength training for runners, OCR, and hybrid athletes. Check us out!  

On this week's episode Grit Coaching's very own Strength Coach and former Spartan Pro Faye Stenning shares 5 tips to take your OCR racing to the next level.  With a bronze medal at the Spartan World Championships and her record of the most Spartan podium finishes over the past decade, Faye has years of insight and has tested many different training approaches. This episode she goes through what she believes has worked and what hasn't.  The Nitty Gritty Training Podcast is hosted by Jessica O'Connell, MSc, CSEP-CEP, OLY, and Faye Stenning, BKin, and coaches at Grit Coaching! We offer custom run and strength training for runners, OCR, and hybrid athletes. Check us out!

You’ve done the work, and now it’s time to put it all together! We all know that consistent training is essential for great race day performance, but races are chaotic and wrought with unknowns. An underappreciated challenge of race day is “performing on demand” , or competing at your physical capacity in an uncontrolled environment, harnessing the work you’ve done into great race-day performance. To help, a bit of pre-emptive planning goes a LONG way!  Spending some time thinking about logistics, setting goals, and creating an execution plan (or several) will provide direction to your efforts. Let’s dive deeper on this week's episode. The Nitty Gritty Training Podcast is hosted by Jessica O'Connell, MSc, CSEP-CEP, OLY, and Faye Stenning, BKin, and coaches at Grit Coaching! We offer custom run and strength training for runners, OCR, and hybrid athletes. Check us out!

Today we are joined by Lindsay Housman, founder and CEO of Hettas, a company creating running shoes optimized for female biomechanics.  The majority of athletic shoes have been designed, researched and tested on men and the Hettas fundamentally believe that design shouldn't be unisex: if you consider design from a female perspective, you’ll end up with a better product for women — one that will positively impact performance and longevity. We are delighted to have LIndsay here to share about the research and innovation Hettas is working on in female biomechanics and physiology as well as the story driving force behind Hettas.  Want to give Hettas a try? Use promo code GRIT15 for 15% off! @ https://hettas.ca  The Nitty Gritty Training Podcast is hosted by Jessica O'Connell, MSc, CSEP-CEP, OLY, and Faye Stenning, BKin, and coaches at Grit Coaching! We offer custom run and strength training for runners, OCR, and hybrid athletes. Check us out!

On this episode we are joined by Gwendolyn (Wendy) Bounds, an award winning journalist and author as well as a multi-time AG champ in spartan racing. Wendy is an absolute powerhouse, and we’ve had the pleasure of coaching her since 2019.  Wendy recently wrote a book called Not Too Late which details her journey into obstacle racing and the power of pushing limits at any age. Obstacle racer or not, this is such an inspiring episode with lots of insightful takeaways. The Nitty Gritty Training Podcast is hosted by Jessica O'Connell, MSc, CSEP-CEP, OLY, and Faye Stenning, BKin, and coaches at Grit Coaching! We offer custom run and strength training for runners, OCR, and hybrid athletes. Check us out!

With a ton of our listeners being avid Spartan racers we thought it was about time we had Joe De Sena on! As the founder of Spartan and endurance junkie himself, Joe De Sena joins us to talk about how Spartan was started, how it has evolved over the years including navigating the challenges covid brought, and shares some exciting news about the future of the sport (hint- Olympics! ).  Joe also shares some tips on how he makes time for fitness while managing everything else he has going on- we all can relate to this one!  The Nitty Gritty Training Podcast is hosted by Jessica O'Connell, MSc, CSEP-CEP, OLY, and Faye Stenning, BKin, and coaches at Grit Coaching! We offer custom run and strength training for runners, OCR, and hybrid athletes. Check us out!

City folks this one's for you!  Coach Faye spent the majority of her Spartan Race career training for some big mountain races in the middle of Manhattan so she knows a thing or two about getting mountain fit without any access to elevation.  So whether you’re heading to the mountains for the last stops at the Spartan USNS or trying to nail an epic trail race with a ton of vert- you're not going to want to miss this one!  The Nitty Gritty Training Podcast is hosted by Jessica O'Connell, MSc, CSEP-CEP, OLY, and Faye Stenning, BKin, and coaches at Grit Coaching! We offer custom run and strength training for runners, OCR, and hybrid athletes. Check us out!

Grit coaching is 7 YEARS OLD this year, and we’ve learned a ton since Day 1. Sometimes coaches get a bit shy about admitting that they’ve changed their mind on something - there is a feeling that we must be all-knowing, and many coaches feel insecure saying “we’re looking at something differently now”. Not us! On this week's episode, Coach Jess shares how her philosophies towards run programming and coaching have changed over the years as she has gained a TON of experience working with a diverse range of athletes.  The Nitty Gritty Training Podcast is hosted by Jessica O'Connell, MSc, CSEP-CEP, OLY, and Faye Stenning, BKin, and coaches at Grit Coaching! We offer custom run and strength training for runners, OCR, and hybrid athletes. Check us out!