Tag Archives: Holistic

Episode 10: Manu Vilaseca, Trail & Ultrarunning, UTMB, Stage Racing, Coaching, Travelling, Language Learning, and more

Podcast, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

In this episode of the Art and Science of Running podcast we speak with international trail and ultrarunning superstar, Manu Vilaseca.

In this conversation, long-time coach, Jacob Puzey, chats with Manu about her experiences at UTMB, moving to a new country and learning a new language, cross training, training for a stage race, and how coaching has helped her become a better runner.

They also discuss how Manu’s background as a multi-sport athlete training in Brazil has informed the way that she trains and coaches those she coaches in Catalunya and beyond. They specifically discuss the old school HIIT workouts, Cruz Intervals, named affectionately after Brazilian mid-distance star, Joaquim Cruz that Manu and Jacob suggest for some of their athletes to work on speed, agility, and power – especially when they aren’t able to train on trails.

Manu hails from Rio de Jainero, Brazil, and currently resides in Moiá, Catalunya where she and her partner, Gerard Morales, lead a group of athletes known as Team Peak Run Moiá.

Manu has a background in product design and a gift for learning languages. She loves travelling to races around the world and learning about the people and the places she explores on foot. To date, Manu speaks Catalan, English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish.

Manu has placed top ten at two of the uber competitive UTMB races, UTMB and TDS and has been ranked top ten in the Ultra Trail World Tour for her top performances at internationally competitive ultramarathons around the world. In 2019, Manu placed 5th at TDS in what she describes as one of the most challenging courses she has encountered thus far.

In addition to training together, Manu and Gerard will be teaming up to to tackle the Everest Trail Race in Nepal.  Manu ran it last year and will be returning with her partner to see how they fair against the altitude and the elements.

All of this and more in Episode 10 of the Art and Science of Running Podcast.

Intro and outro music by Dallin Puzey, GOIN 4 A WALK.

Please listen, subscribe and rate this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, YouTube, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Please follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook and let us know what you’d like us to discuss in future episodes.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS | More

Episode 2: Group Training, NN Running, Recovery, Trusting the Process

Podcast, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Live from Malc’s basement in Cochrane, Alberta, co-hosts Malc Kent and Jacob Puzey discuss group training, specifically the NN Running Team, with whom Malc has been working in Kenya.

 

Malc originally moved to the area because a research and development center for Garmin is located in Cochrane. Malc’s wife worked as a wireless developer for Garmin and Malc did some consulting and testing work on wearable running technologies.

Over the years, Malc has worked as a consultant for a number of companies and groups.

Most recently, Malc has been working in Kaptagat, Kenya with NN Running, the training group with which marathon world record holder, Eliud Kipchoge, trains.

Coach Patrick and team physio, Marc, monitoring a team track session in rural Kenya. Photo by Malc Kent.

Malc discusses some unique features of the group that help make it so successful:

  • Everyone accepts the process.
  • Everybody does their job.
  • They don’t burden themselves with over analysis.
  • Often in training, the superstars are in the middle and not out front pushing the pace on every run.
  • There are no secrets.
  • The training is essentially the same workouts on the same days every week.
    • The track workout happens on one day.
    • The fartleks happen on another day.
    • The long run happens at another day.
  • This routine helps make recovery predictable and manageable.
  • They just consistently do the work and consistently recover from the work.
  • The altitude and dirt roads help, but the group mentality is what really sets NN Running apart.
  • Running camps are almost military style and foster camaraderie.
  • When not running, the athletes are fine doing nothing.
  • One key to success is recovering from hard work.
  • The group dynamic is one of constructive interference.

Malc relates his experience as an elite climber to trusting one’s teammates or coach. The stakes in climbing are extremely high. There is no middle ground. You’re trusting your life with a person hundreds of thousands of times in one trip.

Jacob describes some of the groups of athletes with whom he has worked and how important trusting the process, trusting the training, trusting your teammates, and trusting the coach can be.

Outro music by Dallin Puzey, GOIN 4 A WALK

Please subscribe to and rate this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, YouTube, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Please follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook and let us know what you’d like us to discuss in future episodes.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS | More

Intro to the Art and Science of Running Podcast

Podcast, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
In this episode of the The Art and Science of Running, coaches Malc Kent and Jacob Puzey share their histories as athletes and coaches in the sport of running.
 
Jacob began running in middle school to get in shape for basketball. He ran in high school in the state of Oregon, USA before walking onto a Junior College Cross Country team at Ricks College where he was part of 2 x National Championship Team.
 
Even at 18, Jacob noticed differences in coaching styles between his high school and college coach. After a 2 year break from running and university studies, Jacob resumed his studies and began volunteer coaching and learned everything that he could from myriad mentors and books.
After a few years of pre-medicine and Exercise Science course work, Jacob gravitated toward the humanities and social sciences – cultural studies, anthropology, world languages, linguistics, language learning, and biolinguistic revitalization, etc.
During this time, Jacob coached high school teams and athletes throughout rural America to their first state track and cross country team and individual titles. He was also actively training and racing toward his own athletic goals and coaching other adults on the side. He continued to learn all that he could through books, articles, mentors, and coaching certification programs.
These experiences have led Jacob to approach running and coaching through a holistic lens trying to balance both qualitative and quantitative aspects of running and life.
 
After about 10 years of coaching high school and collegiate athletes, Jacob began coaching athletes remotely under the direction of Greg McMillan and Ian Torrence at McMillan Running.
After two years at McMillan Running, Jacob started his own online coaching company, Peak Run Performance, through which he, Malc, and other professionals coach athletes of all ages, abilities, and ambitions from all over the world.
Malc started running cross country in the UK as a young kid. Gradually worked his way up to the English School’s championships as a teenager where he ran against the likes of Mo Farah. He was also a national champion in orienteering at the age of 16.
 
His analytical mind helped him outperform even those who were fitter or more athletic. Malc started strength training as a rugby player in his teenage years. He began formally strength coaching in his early 20s.
 
Malc’s academic background is in applied physics and biomechanics. He has worked the last 14 years as an applied scientist or in biomechanics or mechanics.
Malc noted a BIG turning point 8 years ago when measuring with wearable technology which allows runners and scientists to get outside lab and measure in an authentic environment.
Jacob and Malc discuss the evolution of wearable technologies from Garmin footpods and basic GPS watches to power meters.
 
Malc asks: What is your philosophy on data? Do you treat all data the same or do you value some data more than others?
 
Jacob explains that time is the number one metric he relies upon in his own training and when designing training for athletes. He details his rationale in this article: DURATION vs. DISTANCE
 
Malc discusses the gait metrics he measures when performing a gait analysis.
 
  • Power is not the best metric for runners. It has been overhyped.
  • It changes quickly & is impacted by looking at watch. It also doesn’t take into account fatigue, etc.
  • How do you adjust training to life when based on power?
 
Malc subscribes to a systems thinking in the body like Stuart McMillan of Altis, in which the body is set of complicated systems that all interact. If you change one they all have to adjust and compensate.
 
Malc recommends that athletes collect all the data possible to understand a complex system with more than one stream of data.
 
Jacob and Malc began collaborating because Malc offers a service with technology that exceeds Jacob’s training and level of expertise and there was a demand for gait analysis services that Jacob could not meet. Both have enjoyed helping athletes from all over the world.
 
Intro & Outro music, “Goin 4 a Walk” by Dallin Puzey Music
 

Please subscribe to and rate this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, YouTube, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

 

Please follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook and let us know what you’d like us to discuss in future episodes.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS | More