Advertise on podcast: The Natural Running Network

If you do not know how to identify and even become a first responder to overuse injuries your athletes deal with, you have no business leading them as their coach. I learned this early and have become a staunch follower in all facets of these concerns and how best to meet them with incredible solutions, many provided by The RockTape company.

Will Chung, grandson to the late creator of Soo Bahk Do, a Korean style of martial arts is respected as one of the great movement experts of our time. We recently learned of our connection through family and realized the synergy of thought we also shared in our training philosophy. Anyone who aspires to improve their athletic abilities will benefit from this candid conversation.

Fitness competitions are all the rage. With the advent of #crossfitgames #hyrox and now #thenashvillefitgames we seem to be searching for the optimal body type and functional training to create The Hybrid Athlete. With the help of Devin Tolentino, Kimm Chase and Augie Christian and myself Richard Diaz, we discuss what it takes to achieve this standard.

Steven Sashen is the CEO and Co-founder of Xero Shoes, a company dedicated to the design of minimal running shoes and the belief that as close to barefoot in all we do is healthier and promotes longevity. It is a rare opportunity to find a running shoe manufacture who refuses to bend to trendy designs in the hopes of earning more money! Richard Diaz has long been a supporter of learning to run as our bodies were designed to function as seemingly unpopular it may be to avoid trendy fashion. This is a conversation that may cause you to rethink your next running shoe purchase.

If Kipchoge ran BAREFOOT? Nike had invested a fortune to bring one of their Elite runners to the finish line of a marathon in under 2 hours. Elide Kipchoge did just that! Of course, Nike Monopolized on the event by creating a special racing shoe for him to wear which will pay them back 1000 times over. The question is… If Eliud was paid to attempt the Marathon BAREEFOOT would he have been able to better or at least match his amazing finish? There is a lot of controversy surrounding shoe design. Should a runner opt for zero drop? How about higher stack height or carbon fiber in the sole? Richard Diaz and Blue Benadum discuss these considerations and finally, what IF Eliud Kipchoge was to attempt the Marathon record barefoot? https://youtu.be/5K5OhUpzpv8 https://diazhumanperformance.com/shop/

Hard to believe but yes it’s true! I did an interview after a long break from podcasting.  I said I wouldn’t do it unless I found someone interesting to chat with.  So… I reached out to Rylan Schadegg, someone I think is worth a look.  A fierce competitor new on the OCR and functional fitness arena.  You can catch the video interview on my YouTube channel. https://youtube.com/c/RichardDiaznaturalrunningcoach

Time Trial Tips for Runners… In most training plans runners follow, rarely do you see Time Trials. Blue Benadum and Richard Diaz felt that it’s a topic that runners should understand and employ in their training. How to do it, when to do and why to do them is covered here in this episode! In the conversation Blue mentioned the training plan he followed for Boston and the Book I wrote “Training the Dark Side” find them both as a bundle from this link: https://diazhumanperformance.com/prod…

Who is Richard Diaz? it’s difficult to put a label on him and he would prefer you don’t. His notoriety is earned through his success as a coach and sports clinician and yes, he has written a few books. All the same he doesn’t like to be defined exclusively for these accomplishments. He has exceeded retirement age with no interest in shutting it down. Blue Benadum an accomplished elite marathon runner who apprenticed under Coach Diaz. Richard is no bull shit coach, those who don’t know him will quickly learn what makes him tick. Blue set a personal best at The Boston Marathon with a finish time of 2:23. Richard Diaz agreed to sit for this candid interview. You’ll learn that he’s been around the block and has earned a great deal of experience from his travels. Most that follow his work these days are from the obstacle course racing space. Many know him as the coach behind elite athletes such as Hunter McIntyre and more recently VeeJay Jones. He also works virtually with clients from all parts of the world on a daily basis. His recently released book Training the Dark Side is a departure from traditional training practices and is worth reading. Be sure to visit his website to learn more about the services he provides and to get an update on his clinic “Road Show.”

OCR for Beginners! There is so much to know and learn if you’ve never participated in a Spartan race or any other OCR event, such as Tough Mudder, Savage Race. The first thing you should know is that they are addicting! It seems people can’t get enough of them, almost to a fault. In OCR for Beginners we discuss things you need to work towards, what’s important, what is less important, basically things you need to know to crush your first Spartan Race! Your host, Richard Diaz is recognized around the world for the success he’s provided to some of the top athletes in the sport with a few world champions and many other elite athletes that have been influenced by his coaching. Leah Duhon is a fierce competitor who’s skills revolve around obstacle expertise is our co host and is on board to share some tips that will help you succeed in your first event! To see more on this topic, be sure to visit the YouTube page for this and other great videos to make you a better athlete!

dip’s OCR Run Clinic recap Tired of getting injured doing OCR Races? OCR Run Clinic Recap Tired of getting injured doing OCR Races? A few things you can depend on, the sky is blue, grass is green and OCR athletes get injured. Out of love for participation in Spartan races and other OCR events, many enthusiastic OCR participants will find themselves suffering from injuries that could have been avoided.  It’s a function of eduction and application.  Racing is not training or vice versa.  For over a decade Coach Richard Diaz has hosted running specific clinics that provide a wealth of information through clinical diagnostics, gait training and injury abatement solutions that are self help oriented and extremely effective. Did I mention we dial in your nutrition? Through our Resting metabolism assessment we can clearly define how effective your feeding habits are and show you how to develop a feeding strategy that is easy to follow and will balance your weight without sacrificing muscle! We also reveal your metabolic turn point so that your training intensities are always in control and progressive. If you have not had a chance to attend one of these clinics, we highly recommend that you listen or watch this entire broadcast. If you are interested in learning more about these clinics and upcoming dates, visit https://diazhumanperformance.com. Here is the video version: https://youtu.be/Fcdrf7_b278

If you run, you had to have been dealing with injuries and follow the concepts and rationale for shifting to “Running Naturally”.  Odd’s are you have been working at it, changed to a more minimal design in shoe selection and through it all, thus far, you’ve come up lame! Injury, frustration yet still feeling you are on the right path, that the frustration will result in success and are not about to give up, you need to hear this. You could be approaching the work all wrong! It’s not the process, it’s the practice. Listen as Coach Diaz feels your pain and discusses the posible culprits, how to abate the problems and put to use some self help treatments to get you through the rough spots in your quest to become a better runner. As you will soon learn, this is an audio version of the video version posted on our YouTube page. to gain a better appreciation for this content we recommend you visit the site to see it After you finish your workout!

Planning on setting new goals for the New Year? We set out to help you avoid common pitfalls so you can avoid inevitable failure! We cover 10 bad idea’s and 10 common approaches and conclude by adding our own spin on what steps to take to help you ensure your success!