KoopCast – Details, episodes & analysis

Ever wondered how elite trail and ultra runners manage to stay competitive throughout a jam-packed racing calendar? Join us as CTS coaches Neal Pallas and Adam Ferdinandson unlock the secrets to mastering the race recovery cycle. From developing tailored recovery plans to navigating the intricacies of transitioning between different race categories, this episode is loaded with actionable strategies to keep you performing at your peak while steering clear of injury and burnout.

What happens when you need to balance high-intensity training with essential recovery? Addison lays out a comprehensive framework for categorizing race sequences, helping athletes pinpoint the critical phases of their training regimen. Whether transitioning from B races to A races or tackling back-to-back A races like Western States and UTMB, you'll gain clarity on how to optimize your training peaks and recovery intervals. And let's not forget the psychological aspects—physical healing isn't complete without addressing your mental well-being. Discover how maintaining supportive relationships and engaging in enjoyable activities can help you stay mentally sharp and avoid burnout.

Finally, we dive into the practicalities of tapering and reintroducing intense workouts post-recovery. Neil and Adam share their expertise on individualized tapering strategies, emphasizing the importance of choosing races that align with your personal interests and values. Plus, get insider tips on monitoring your progress and knowing when to push the intensity. From determining appropriate recovery times to the benefits of community engagement at races, this episode offers a holistic approach to sustaining peak performance throughout the racing season. Don’t miss our invitation to join us at the Javelina 100 and explore how being part of the CTS family can elevate your running game.

Additional resources:
SUBSCRIBE to Research Essentials for Ultrarunning
Buy Training Essentials for Ultrarunning on Amazon or Audible.
Information on coaching-
www.trainright.com
Koop’s Social Media
Twitter/Instagram- @jasonkoop

Coaches Stephanie Howe, PhD and Ryne Anderson discuss what athletes should and should not be doing in the several days leading up to UTMB.
Timeshifter app

Additional resources:
SUBSCRIBE to Research Essentials for Ultrarunning
Buy Training Essentials for Ultrarunning on Amazon or Audible.
Information on coaching-
www.trainright.com
Koop’s Social Media
Twitter/Instagram- @jasonkoop

View all show notes and timestamps on the KoopCast website.

Episode overview:

Corrine Malcolm is a coach, podcaster, on-air personality, and the head of the Pro Trail Runners Association anti-doping working group.

Episode highlights:

(14:34) Anti-doping goals in ultra-trail: an internationally recognized governing body, WADA compliance, moving past guerilla education, clarity and common rules

(39:50) Managing cost: a federation, race organization, or other relevant entity could serve as a signatory, a less official system could also partner with USADA, being part of WADA is more convenient, the PTRA cannot be a signatory, finding this entity is a challenge

(1:01:09) Next steps: inventing the “UTI”, what happens after an entity like this exists, establishing a global testing pool, distance-agnostic testing

Additional resources:

https://corrinemalcolm.com/
PTRA-https://trailrunners.run/

SUBSCRIBE to Research Essentials for Ultrarunning
Buy Training Essentials for Ultrarunning on Amazon or Audible.
Information on coaching-
www.trainright.com
Koop’s Social Media
Twitter/Instagram- @jasonkoop

View all timestamps and show notes on the KoopCast website.

Episode overview:

Ben Rosario is the Executive director of the Hoka Northern Arizona Elite team. In this episode we discuss what makes a great elite training team and how culture can help drive performance.

Episode highlights:

(12:58) The advantages of training with a team: support systems, training with like-minded individuals, motivation

(32:04) Making elite athletes more accessible: highlighting athlete personalities

(46:16) People-first training models: athlete support, confidence, and the evolution of trail running communities

Additional resources:

NAZ Elite

Buy Koop’s new book on Amazon or Audible

Information on coaching-

www.trainright.com

Koop’s Social Media

Twitter/Instagram- @jasonkoop

Chiara Gattoni ​​is a researcher and strength and conditioning coach. She holds aa BSc in Exercise and Sport Sciences (University of Verona, Italy), a MSc in Sport Sciences and Training Methodologies (University of Verona, Italy) and a MSc in Sport and Health Sciences (University of Exeter, UK). 

She completed her PhD program at the School of Sports and Exercise Sciences (University of Kent, UK), under the supervision of Professor Samuele Marcora. 

She currently works at the University of Kent as a Research Assistant and Research Associate. We obtained two research grants and worked on a project funded by the Ministry of Defence UK. 

Sleep Deprivation Training to Reduce the Negative Effects of Sleep Loss on Endurance Performance: A Single Case Study

Buy Koop’s new book on Amazon or Audible

Information on coaching-

www.trainright.com

Koop’s Social Media

Twitter/Instagram- @jasonkoop

Frederic Sabater Pastor is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Inter-university Lab of Human Movement. His area of focus is running, trail, performance, physiology, and fatigue.

Paper on physiological variables related to ultramarathon performance.

Previous papers on the subject- 

Physiological Determinants of Ultramarathon Trail-Running Performance

Predicting Trail-Running Performance With Laboratory Exercise Tests and Field-Based Results

Frederic on Twitter

Buy Koop’s new book on Amazon or Audible

Information on coaching-

www.trainright.com

Koop’s Social Media

Twitter/Instagram- @jasonkoop

This episode of the podcast is a coaching roundtable with CTS coaches AJW, Corrine Malcolm, and Michelle Foster. We go over our experiences training athletes during the last 6-10 weeks leading into a race. 

Buy Koop’s new book on Amazon or Audible.

Information on coaching-

www.trainright.com

Dr. Philip Skiba received his medical degree in June of 2003, and trained in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Georgetown University / National Rehabilitation Hospital, in Washington DC. He then completed residency training in Family Medicine and a fellowship in Sports Medicine. He is board-certified in both Family Medicine and Sports Medicine, and his practice focuses on the non-surgical management of sports injuries, as well as athlete training, health, rehabilitation, and wellness. He completed his Ph.D. (exercise physiology) in the Jones Laboratory at the University of Exeter (UK), where his research studies focused on oxygen kinetics, the determinants of athlete power production, athlete performance, and their relationship to training. Dr. Skiba is the Program Director of sports medicine fellowship at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital, in Chicagoland, and is the Regional Director of Sports Medicine for the AdvocateAurora Medical Group, one of the largest in the United States. He is also a team physician for the University of Illinois (Chicago).

Dr. Skiba has been working in sports training and performance for more than 2 decades. As a sports physician, he works clinically, on the sidelines, and in the training room with high school, NCAA Division 1, and professional athletes. He has trained a number of Olympian and World Champion endurance athletes and is a regular face in broadcast journalism. Most recently, Dr. Skiba was a consultant on the Nike Breaking 2 project, where he traveled 3 continents training the best marathon runners in the world, appearing in the Cannes Film Festival award-winning documentary Breaking 2.

Phil’s Book

Dietary Supplements as Source of Unintentional Doping 

Buy Koop’s new book on Amazon or Audible

Information on coaching-

www.trainright.com

Koop’s Social Media

Twitter/Instagram- @jasonkoop

Peter Defty is the General Manager of VESPA Power products and coaches athletes using an optimized fat metabolism protocol.

Information on VESPA

FASTER Study

Abe paper

Buy Koop’s new book on Amazon or Audible.

Information on coaching-

www.trainright.com

Koop’s Social Media----

Twitter/Instagram- @jasonkoop

Kristin Keim is a sports psychologist out of Newberry, South Carolina. She has one of the more renown practices sports psychology practices in the country today that consists of all types of endurance athletes, cyclists, triathletes, and MMA fighters. In particular, she works with many of the country’s best cyclists, many of whom we mention throughout the course of this podcast. 

In this podcast, we discuss the origins of and how to manage one of the most common psychological pitfalls athletes face, performance anxiety. 

Kristin’s Website: http://www.keimperformanceconsulting.com/

Buy Koop’s new book on Amazon or Audible.

Information on coaching-

www.trainright.com

Koop’s Social Media

Twitter/Instagram- @jasonkoop