Whatever distance you’re training for – from 100 meters on the track to a road 5k to a trail ultra – no training schedule will ever go 100% as planned. Learning how to embrace the unexpected is an essential skill to get the most from your running.
Living through the recent pandemic has made us acutely aware of the need to adapt to changing circumstances. We can only control the controllables, and there are very few of them!
Runners like to feel control over their training plans, envisioning a string of perfectly executed workouts leading up to a goal race. But the truth is that nothing ever goes exactly as planned. The runners who succeed are the ones who learn how to adapt, and realize that change – even when unexpected – isn’t always a bad thing!
This week’s podcast guest has had an enormous impact on the world of high school coaching. Mr. Ryan Banta is a coach with more than 20 years of experience and the author of The Sprinter’s Compendium. At the high school level, Ryan has produced 163 All-State medalists, including 16 state champions and 21 runners-up. He also coached this year’s state championship team.
Ryan Banta on Staying Flexible
A major factor in Ryan’s success comes from his ability to help others embrace the twists and turns of the training process. He is a master at reframing setbacks and teaching his runners that success comes from being adaptable. Ryan’s knowledge and experience applies to runners of all levels and with goals at any distance.
Ryan’s breadth and depth of knowledge make for a fascinating conversation on so many aspects of adaptability, including
- Why training plans always get changed
- How to remain flexible, while still pushing yourself forward
- Why it’s so hard to change your plan even when your plan needs to change
- Our favorite forms of cross-training for runners
- Specific changes you can make to your training based on the setback you’re experiencing
- Practical, every day training modifications for distance runners
You’ll find our discussion full of useful information on mindset, flexibility and more!
Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartRadio, or Google Play.
Links & Resources from the Show:
- Learn more about Ryan Banta
- Follow Ryan on Twitter
- Connect with Ryan on Linked In
- Check out Ryan’s book, Sprinter’s Compendium
- Listen to a previous episode with Ryan
- Download our free Season Planner worksheet
Thank You Athletic Greens!
Thank you to our sponsor, Athletic Greens! They are a health and wellness company that makes AG1. This is a category-leading greens mix that has 75 vitamins and minerals, prebiotics, probiotics, antioxidants, and adaptogens.
One scoop per day is what I’ve been doing to help me fill in any nutrition gaps in my diet. It also provide a nice boost of energy and focus throughout the day. With all 3 of my kids in school, I know I need to support my immune system or else I’m getting sick and can’t train.
I also love that AG1 has changed over the last decade. Athletic Greens has made 53 improvements to the formula based on the latest research to make these nutrients more absorbable.
For our listeners, they are offering a year’s worth of free Vitamin D and 5 free travel packs of AG1 with your first purchase. You can sign up for single shipment or for a monthly drop – the choice is yours. Check out Athletic Greens to redeem your offer today.
Thank you Gnarly Nutrition!
What an amazing brand name! But Gnarly Nutrition don’t just sound great, they make amazing nutrition products to help athletes like you optimize their diet, fuel smarter, and reach new heights in training. Their chocolate whey protein powder blows my mind – it’s the tastiest protein powder I’ve ever had. I mix it with almond milk and it’s just amazing how creamy and sweet it tastes.
Gnarly is a trusted supplier of nutrition products to athletes because all of their protein powders, pre-workout supplements, amino acids, and fuel are all NSF-certified. That means you can trust everything from Gnarly to be safe, clean, and free of any banned substances. They comply with strict standards and procedures during every stage of the product’s development, including unplanned on-site inspections, to ensure you know exactly what you’re putting in your body.
Fuel better and recover smarter so that you can do more of what you love: running. Go to gognarly.com and be sure to use code GNARLY20 to save 20% sitewide on your entire order.
