Issue 2

Hey, gang! Welcome to the December edition of The Hammer. Let's get into it ⚒️

This issue of The Hammer is sponsored by ShoeSense

Shoesense is a wearable device that brings the biomechanics lab to the palm of your hand to help keep you healthy in three essential ways: shoe selection, optimized training, and shoe health. Selecting the best running shoe is hard to do with so many options. ShoeSense measures different shoes during your test runs to find which shoe provides the best impact reduction and stability for your stride. Once you’ve found the optimal training shoes for you, Shoesense uses a baseline test and data tracking to provide a custom training plan that will keep you healthy. Shoesense is there for all of your runs to keep tabs on the shoe’s lifespan and let you know when it’s time to replace them.

The Agenda

1. Q + A with Connor "Winter is Coming" Winter ❄️

2. Questions from Readers - Answered by Hammer & Axe Coaches (even Joan 👀) ✒️

3. Coaching Openings 🔓

4. Recovery Tip of the Month 💁

5. Giveaway Winner and New Giveaway Announcement 🔥

Q + A with Coach Connor Winter

Injuries, Rebirth in the Sport, and New Goals in Life and Running

Hey Connor. How’s it going, man?

Hey! I'm great. It has been quite a journey over the last year and a half to get to this point. There were some points when I was honestly not sure I would be a professional runner again. I trusted that God had a plan for my life and focused on the positive aspects of life outside of running. It has given me a greater appreciation for running and I am grateful to be back running again.

You had serious surgery last year, correct? Can you tell us a little about that process? What made it hard, and how did you overcome it?

While I was trying to qualify for the Olympic Trials in the 10k, I partially tore my Achilles due to bone spurs in my heel. I ended up getting surgery in July 2021 on the Achilles and the bone spur. This forced me to take 3 months off of running in a walking boot.

Once I was able to start running, I had to start at square one with cross-training and then short walk/jog runs. I had to relearn how to run without compensating for my left ankle and weak calf muscle. I did not think that I would be able to get back to a high level of training, but I focused on rehab, cross-training, and recovery and made an emphasis to take it one day at a time.

At first, I was ashamed to go running with the team, so I mostly trained by myself and tried to get to a place where I could keep up with the guys. Reed was starting his New York Marathon build in July, and I was barely holding on to him in most of the early workouts. Each week I could hold on for a bit longer, and I felt like I was making progress. I'm now up to running 90 miles a week and feeling fitter than I have ever been!

You’re kind of a jack of all trades, what are you currently training for and what are your racing plans for the upcoming season?

I have enjoyed running fast on the track and chasing PRs. After a slow comeback and working on my weaknesses as a runner, I am now making the transition from the track to the road racing scene. I am getting old and the track really beats me up, especially with a bum achilles. I am excited about a new challenge and have loved the training necessary for being competitive in longer distances like the half and full marathon. I will be running the Sound Cross Country race and debuting in the half marathon next year. I am excited to try a marathon this next year and go for the Olympics Trials Qualifier.

As you pointed out in your racing plans, Sound Running Cross Champs is today (12/1). What are you expecting from that race from yourself and the team?

I'm grateful to toe the line at the Sound Running Cross Champs and see where I stack up. I've had such a long journey back and have a new appreciation for running. I want to see what my full potential is with running and walk away knowing I gave it my all. As for Sound XC, Tinman was born out of beating people who we are not supposed to beat in cross country. I am excited to go back to where it all started and compete as a team on the course.

In the pilot episode of TinTalk, Reed Fischer said he thought you’d be a good marathoner one day. How do you feel about that? Haha.

I really enjoyed helping Reed with his New York build this year. It gave me a taste of what it'd be like to be a marathon man. I responded well to the training and have stayed healthy with a 9-day training cycle. I think my skill set really lends well to road racing and I'm excited to compete and surprise some people. Hearing Reed say that he sees me as a good marathoner gives me confidence in myself knowing how good he is, and that's motivating.

When you’re not running, how do you stay busy?

While being injured, I was able to find other outlets for my time and energy. I got married to my wonderful wife Meg in August 2021 and have been working on a fun project that I started when I was injured in college. Both my injuries and my training as a mechanical engineer led me to create Shoesense.

I created ShoeSense to help runners stay healthy and reach their goals by tracking relevant data points and providing a tailored training program. My goal with this project was to create a product that helps you make sense of running so you can get back to what you enjoy! We’re offering 20% off Shoesense for our crowd-funding campaign, click ‘Learn More' to get started.

Training Questions from Readers Answered by the Hammer & Axe Coaching Staff

We reached out to our Instagram followers and asked them to hit us up with any questions they may have about training. We picked a few of the best questions and asked our lovely coaching staff to give you the answers.

Best Plan for out of shape, busy dad who wants to be in running shape? -@nathaneherron

Hey Nathan! Great question. Many of the athletes we work with are full-time parents and only have an hour or so a day to squeeze out some miles. I highly recommend getting up early, knocking it out when everyone is asleep, and getting into a routine of doing this. It will be hard to start but easy to maintain once your body is used to it. As for plans, I highly recommend these:

Base Build Program- This is a great plan to really build a solid base over a few weeks and allow your body to adjust to some harder training. Once this is completed, you will be fit enough to decide what races you want to tackle.

Half Marathon- Entry Level - Reed works with a ton of busy athletes and knows what it takes to get to the starting line prepared while balancing family, life, and work. Try this one if you're looking to run a half! Good luck - Coach Drew

Coach Reed, I work 8-4 with 90 min commute, 5 days a week. How many miles per week do you think is possible? -@cathal_mccarron

Building mileage on a tight schedule is always tricky. First, consider that the body doesn't know mileage, it only knows stress. Be kind to yourself and give yourself some grace when needed. If you've had an extra busy week, trying to cram in more miles or feeling guilty for not running as much as you'd like will only increase your stress levels and can lead to burnout or injury. So, don't add mileage solely for the sake of adding mileage.

If your schedule and stress levels DO allow for some extra volume throughout the week, my recommendation would be to tack on 5-10 minutes onto your recovery days. That should add a mile or so per day and should bump your weekly mileage up by five miles or so. Once you've spent a few weeks with those slightly longer recovery runs, you could consider adding a short "double" run on one of your weekend days since your schedule is free. No more than 30 minutes total! Doing that should add another four miles or so to your weekly total.

Between those two, you'll be adding about 10 miles/week over your current total by making small additions to your runs during the busy work week and making the most of the weekend. But again, mileage is only one piece of the puzzle. Listen to your body and know when it's time to sacrifice mileage for recovery! Good luck - Coach Reed

Best advice for racing the steeple for the first time? -@vasqueezey

Assuming you've done some hurdle work before racing your first steeple (which is generally regarded as a good idea), the best advice is to trust yourself to get past the barriers. When you're nervous about clearing them you usually jump too close and end up wasting a lot of energy going up instead of forward. Keep your rhythm attacking into the hurdles and carry that rhythm out of each hurdle as well and it'll help you find that sweet spot. You've got this! - Coach Brian

Best/favorite workouts to improve speed? -@eg_villanueva89

I like a progression of short hill reps, 8 to 10 seconds on a medium to steep hill gradually progressing to fast reps on the flat. You might start with 4 x 8 second hill sprints and progress by one rep a week until you get to 8 to 10 reps. Walk down recovery and rest until you get to two minutes before going again. You would then move to a combo workout of starting with a few hill reps and finishing with a couple of flat 50-60 meter reps. Eventually, you could move to a set of 6 x 60 m on the flat. Once you get used to doing these, they can be done even on a recovery day as they are not taxing. - Coach Joan

Any advice on coming back from injury? -@joshuaa_maguire

I would say be sure to control the controllable things. Anything out of your control shouldn't be stressed over as it only makes the comeback harder. Do the right things every day and don't worry about anything else. You've got this - Coach Aaron

What should I prepare for my track season in the winter? [email protected]

Track season is long, especially if you do indoor track. It's best to prepare for the long season by staying consistent with your routine - mileage, lifting, core, etc. It's important to establish and keep that routine throughout the early months that will carry you through the late spring and early summer months. Keep it up - Coach Bags

How important is mileage during track season for an 800/1600 guy? -@_sanjogsooch

For myself (an 800/1500 guy), mileage has always been an incredibly important piece of training. If you haven't done it before, 15-20 miles a week is a good starting point, and you can progress from there. I think you'll see significant changes in performance after doing consistent mileage for a few months. Just make sure you're feeling good and fresh for your races and not overlooking the speed elements that are also necessary for those events. I believe in you! - Austin

Need a Coach?

The track and spring marathon season is coming up! We've got coaches that can help you succeed in any event from the mile to the marathon. No matter who you choose, you'll get personalized training, unlimited text/email communication, weekly calls, and the love and care that only a mother could come close to. The coaches below have openings and are taking on new clients today.

Links to coach profiles: Jordan Gusman, Joey Berriatua, Tori Gerlach, Aaron Templeton, Connor Winter, Jamaine Coleman

Recovery Tip of the Month

Have you ever heard the saying, "you can't make bread without kneading the dough"? Running is exactly like that. To get the most out of your body on race day, you've got to put a little TLC into those legs day in and day out. Whether you're rolling out, doing static stretches, or laying in the most obscure position on your couch watching random Tinman Elite YouTube videos (ok not that last one), you've got to figure out a routine to recover from training.

This month, our recovery tip is this app ↓

Austin here! I just discovered Recover Athletics, and it's been great for post-run recovery. It gives you recovery routines based on your sore spots and has a plethora of other resources including pre-run routines, strength routines, and more. I've had a sore glute medius for a few weeks now. I've been doing the "glute medius recovery" routine at least 5 days a week and have seen a lot of improvement. I appreciate how simple the routines are and how easy they are to complete. The app links to your Strava and is free to anyone that has a Strava subscription. This is not an ad. I'm just a happy, appreciative customer 🥳

GIVEAWAY WINNER!

Last month, we promised the individual with the most referrals a free training plan from coach Drew Hunter.

We're happy to announce that bmalickbeltran won the competition 👏🎊🎉

Thanks for referring your friends to The Hammer. We'll be in touch about your free training plan soon!

This time, we'll be giving away a gift package of a Hammer & Axe t-shirt, hat, and tote bag. So copy that referral link at the bottom of the newsletter and send it to your friends! The monthly leader at the end of December will win the package 🎁 good luck!

Make sure to check out our sister newsletter The Axe if you want to hear success stories from athletes in the Hammer & Axe program.

Thanks for reading The Hammer. We appreciate your support more than you know. ⚒️