In this episode, host Alison explores the role of rib mobility in enhancing running performance by improving breathing efficiency, core engagement, and rotation. Proper rib movement optimizes diaphragm use, reduces strain on accessory muscles, and supports better posture and force management. Efficient rib and torso rotation also improve energy transfer and running mechanics. Alison shares practical strategies to enhance rib mobility, including targeted breathing exercises, breath-timing during strength training, and incorporating reciprocal motion under load. She emphasizes the value of personalized approaches, which she offers through her Women’s Running Academy and one-on-one mentorship. Listeners are encouraged to apply these techniques to their training and share the episode if they found it helpful.

Resources Mentioned:

• Breathing exercises mentioned in the episode:
  • Rockback Breathing
  • Crocodile Breathing
  • Hooklying Breathing

• Women’s Running Academy: A 12-week group coaching and education program to help female runners ditch the cycle of injury and burn out and finally make real, consistent progress towards their goals.
• 1-on-1 Full Assessment and Strategy Session: Through my efficient postural and movement assessment, we will identify the specific needs of your body (as they relate to your goals) and create a custom strategy so that you can continue to perform without pain.

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In this episode, Alison discusses the importance of rest during strength training for runners, emphasizing that strength training should focus on force production and proper recovery rather than speed. She encourages runners to see strength training as a tool to improve running efficiency, sharing how her own struggles with running led her to appreciate strength training. She introduces essential movement patterns like pushing, pulling, hinging, squatting, and lunging, and explains how these exercises can improve running form by targeting specific muscle groups and movement dynamics. Additionally, Alison highlights key principles such as organizing the center of mass over the stance leg, rotation, and co-contraction, which can enhance running efficiency. She explains how practicing co-contractions during hinge movements like deadlifts helps with hip extension before knee extension, which is essential for efficient running. Alison also emphasizes the importance of plyometrics, including landing and propelling exercises, to improve the body's ability to absorb and rebound from ground forces. She concludes by highlighting the integration of these concepts into strength workouts, offering a program to help runners implement them effectively, with a focus on progressive training and proper rest between exercises.

Resources Mentioned:

• Fast & Free: A FREE plug and play set of run warm ups to help female runners feel strong, efficient, and confident in their stride.
• RunStrong101: A 6-week strength training program for female runners to run stronger, faster, and more efficiently without all the typical aches and pains!

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In this episode, host Alison Marie discusses the biomechanics of uphill and downhill running. She highlights the physical challenges of uphill running, such as increased demand on the hip flexors and Achilles, and emphasizes the importance of strength training, particularly for hip flexors, pelvis position, and Achilles tolerance. On the other hand, she outlines the difficulties of downhill running, including eccentric muscle demands on the quads, potential issues with posture, and increased landing forces. Alison also shares strategies for training both uphill and downhill running, including hill repeats, plyometrics, and eccentric strength exercises. Additionally, she addresses how strengthening the pelvic floor can help improve downhill running for those experiencing pelvic floor symptoms. She discusses a key technique for downhill running: widening the arm swing to slow down without losing posture, a method often used by trail runners. Alison then shares three specific hill workouts and emphasizes the importance of training eccentric strength and pelvic floor responsiveness to handle the demands of both uphill and downhill running effectively.


Resources Mentioned:

• Stretch or Strengthen! What Hip Flexor Exercises Should You Do?
• Is Running Bad for the Pelvic Floor? Discover How Strength and Yielding Exercises Can Help

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In this episode, Alison discusses the importance of body autonomy and how it relates to both running and broader societal issues. She shares her perspective on coaching, emphasizing the value of understanding the "why" behind training and how it empowers women to become caretakers of their own bodies. Drawing on personal anecdotes and quotes from her Women's Running Academy, Alison highlights the significance of women living fully for themselves, breaking free from societal pressures, and advocating for their own well-being. The episode also touches on the emotional impact of recent political events and the ongoing fight for women's rights and equality.

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In this episode, Alison discusses the importance of an effective warm-up, emphasizing dynamic movements that increase blood flow, improve neuromuscular coordination, and enhance joint range of motion. She explains how her Fast and Free warm-up program, a downloadable resource of plug-and-play warm-ups, integrates five key running skills, such as stack alignment and rotation, to help runners improve efficiency and avoid injury. These exercises focus on building muscle coordination, joint stiffness, and energy storage, essential for efficient running, and incorporate springy movements to activate the nervous system. Alison emphasizes how these warm-ups help female runners improve strength, efficiency, and power in their stride. She encourages listeners to download the warm-ups and join her email list for upcoming Black Friday deals on her Strong and Stable course, designed to strengthen hips for female runners. The course will guide participants through a six-to-eight-week program aimed at improving hip strength and range of motion.

Resources Mentioned:

• Fast & Free: A FREE plug and play set of run warm ups to help female runners feel strong, efficient, and confident in their stride.
• Here’s the link to join my weekly newsletter to make sure you don’t miss the Black Friday Presale of my new hip strengthening course for runners - Strong and Stable.

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In this episode Alison dives into the critical role of hip strength in running, challenging the common belief that tight hips need more stretching rather than strengthening. She explains how efficient biomechanics, particularly during the stance phase of running, are essential for minimizing energy loss and preventing pain or injury. By focusing on the phases of loading, stabilizing, and propelling, she demonstrates how targeted strength training and dynamic drills can improve running economy and stride efficiency. Traditional exercises like clamshells and band walks are critiqued for their limitations, with an emphasis on drills that develop dynamic hip strength and center-of-gravity organization. The episode also introduces her upcoming new program, Strong and Stable, designed to help runners build strong, stable hips for a more powerful and efficient stride, with special discounts available through her newsletter.


Resources Mentioned:

Here the links to each exercise mentioned in the episode:

• ADDUCTOR TAP DOWN WITH HIP LOCK
• HINGE TO HIP LOCK DRILL
• SHIFT LATERAL BOX JUMP

Here’s the link to join my weekly newsletter to make sure you don’t miss the Black Friday Presale of my new hip strengthening course for runners - Strong and Stable.

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In this episode, host Alison Marie discusses the concept of cadence in running and its impact on performance and injury risk. She explains that while the commonly recommended 180 steps per minute works for elite athletes, it's not a one-size-fits-all solution for all runners. Cadence should vary based on pace and individual characteristics, and a lower cadence can lead to overstriding and increased load, while a higher cadence distributes load over more steps. Alison emphasizes addressing biomechanics, such as stride length and body alignment, before focusing on cadence adjustments and recommends strides, strength training, and specific warmups to optimize running efficiency.

Resources Mentioned:

• The Runner’s Lab: The Runner’s Lab is a 2 hour virtual masterclass, part powerpoint style education and part practice to move, feel, and experiment with your physiology, stress resilience, running biomechanics and my 5 essential skills for an efficient stride in your body.

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In this episode Alison explores the importance of pelvic floor function for runners and outlines seven core principles from her Pelvic Floor Fundamentals course. She begins by sharing a personal story that underscores the emotional and physical demands on mothers, linking it to her own journey of rediscovery through running. She then explains how a "responsive" pelvic floor can prevent common issues like leakage, improve running efficiency, and reduce stress on the body. Alison’s approach includes understanding the pelvic floor’s interconnected role with core and hip stability, developing a full range of motion through key muscle groups, and incorporating dynamic, functional movement. She emphasizes that a resilient pelvic floor should work automatically and efficiently, allowing runners to stay focused on their stride rather than on managing symptoms.


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!

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