“The 3:05 was a shock. It’s not something that I expected. The approach that we’re taking is how quick can you get on the volume of training that you’re currently doing, and then you can increase it, and then you can get faster,” says Steph Clutterbuck, a professional triathlete, as she reflects on her remarkable marathon performance at Ironman Chattanooga and the gradual, deliberate strategy that led to her unexpected personal best.

Steph joins Brad Miles in this episode and opens up about her journey from swimmer and rower to professional triathlete, with only ten months under her belt as a pro. How did she manage to secure a Kona qualification so early on? Steph shares her strategy of focusing on quality over quantity in her run training and explains how minimal run volume led to her unexpected marathon success. But what did it take for her to refine her form while staying injury-free? Steph talks about the mental and physical aspects of racing and also shares the mindset shifts that helped her perform at the highest level. As she gears up for Kona, her insights into balancing ambition with smart training make this episode a must-listen for athletes aiming to push their limits.

Quotes

• “I wasn’t running efficiently enough to be able to execute run sessions. I was just getting so tired from trying to hit paces that I should have been able to hit early last year around a 1.24 half marathon, which isn’t awful. It’s pretty good. I couldn't get anywhere close to half marathon race pace and training. So, it just wasn’t making sense. Whereas now, I’m able to run efficiently enough that I can actually execute run sessions.” (24:44 | Steph Clutterbuck)

• “In my mind, I needed to run more without running more. I think I don’t know how else to explain it. All I needed to ingrain was better movement patterns, and then it’s all about habit forming. We all know that the best way to form a habit is to do the action more frequently. But with running, when you’re running at full body weight, the injury risk increases exponentially with it. Whereas with the lever system, I can run more without running more, but I can reduce my body weight and therefore reduce the risk of injury.” (26:07 | Steph Clutterbuck)

• “I just was in this completely zen flow state where the world seemed to cease to exist. I was just running and I was focusing on the sound of my feet hitting the floor.” (38:15 | Steph Clutterbuck)

Links

Connect with Steph Clutterbuck:

https://www.instagram.com/stephclutterbuck/

https://www.instagram.com/levermovement/

https://www.instagram.com/bradmiles/

https://levermovement.com/

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm