Coach Laura McLean From RunnersConnect
This week we get to hear from, and learn some running tips from one of RunnersConnect’s own coaches: Laura McLean.
Laura is a certified endurance coach and also trained as coach for athletes with disabilities. She is a former elite hockey player who ran cross-country and track in high school.
Laura took a brief athletic hiatus after playing college-level hockey before rediscovering running. She hasn’t looked back since.
Running Tips from Canada
Living in Toronto (which apparently is NOT the capital of Canada), Coach Laura helps RunnersConnect athletes from around the world achieve their running goals. She explains how the coaching programs work and also shares with us her current challenges with running and how she is working through them.
In this episode, filled with running tips and suggestions, we learn about her approach to training, cross-training, nutrition and the runners she is most inspired by. AND be sure to catch Coach Laura LIVE on the RunnersConnect Coach Chat this Thursday, May 24th at 8:00 p.m.ET on the RunnersConnect Facebook page.
Questions Laura is asked:
2:25 First Four:
- How old are you?
- Where were you born?
- Where do you live now?
- What is your favorite race distance or type of race?
3:57 How did running come into your life?
5:13 Did you run before high school?
6:35 What was it like to be an elite hockey player?
7:47 Were you paid or sponsored as an elite and how long was your hockey career?
9:08 How did you transition back into running?
10:23 Are you an outdoors person?
10:50 How are playing hockey and running similar and different?
11:48 What can you tell us about your running club?
12:42 How do the club’s training workouts work? Are they casual or structured?
13:23 What can you tell us about your coaching certifications, especially working with athletes with disabilities?
15:03 What did you learn from this training?
16:12 What are some common questions you come across as a coach?
18:09 What is your philosophy on cross-training?
18:59 What kind of cross-training is helpful for runners on a regular basis?
20:46 How many days per week is the right amount for cross-training?
21:25 What do you recommend to your athletes regarding rest and recovery days?
22:30 How do you feel about cadence and stretching?
23:38 How does landing lightly affect cadence?
25:23 What are your thoughts on pre and post training stretching?
26:32 How does the online coaching program with RunnersConnect work?
28:56 What aspects of your running would you like to improve at the moment?
31:22 How has your nutrition changed at this point?
31:48 What is ferritin and what role does it play?
33:22 Is ferritin deficiency more common in women than men?
34:09 Who are your running role models?
35:34 Why do you think there’s so much more focus on US athletes than Canadians?
37:59 Final Kick Round:
- What is your favorite local training run (location, starting point, parking, distance, terrain and safety issues)?
- Favorite running book(s)?
- Words of Wisdom or Humor?
- Any questions for Stephanie?
- Who would you like to hear on the Run To The Top podcast?
Quotes by Laura:
“We’re in a place right now where we’re so tuned in with the technology and data that we have available to us that sometimes we listen more to what our watch or heart rate monitor says than to what we feel.”
“You can fit in your 15 minutes or half an hour of cross-training 3 times a week, you’ll find that it’s not actually that much more and you do have the time for it.”
“Doing cross-training work on a single leg is really important because when you’re running, when you’re touching the ground, it’s one foot at a time, not two feet at a time.”
“If you slow down you’ll be able to run faster in your workouts and be prepared for them and run faster in your races.”
“I want to get the most out of myself everytime I put on my shoes or go to the gym.”
Take a Listen on Your Next Run
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Mentioned in this podcast:
Run To The Top Winners Circle Facebook Community
Longboat Road Runners homepage
RunnersConnect Coaching Program
Learn more about Shalane Flanagan
Learn more about Desiree Linden
Learn more about Jenny Simpson
Book: The Silence of Great Distance by Frank Murphy
Stephanie Herbst-Lucke in Runner’s World
Follow Laura on:
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Thank you for listening. We’ll be back next week.
