In Episode #40 of the More Than Miles Podcast, physical therapists Dr. Kate Mihevc Edwards and Dr. Kacy Seynders interview strength coach, gym owner, and athlete, Erin Carson. Erin grew up as a competitive youth basketball player in Canada, ultimately went on to play for the Canadian National team, and also coached basketball. During her athletic career (and prior to making the national team), she was told that she would need to get stronger in order to remain competitive and this motivated her to start strength training on her own. After attending the University of Colorado in Boulder, and settling in to living in Boulder, Erin become involved in the endurance athlete community as a gym owner and strength coach and now specializes in strength training for endurance athletes.

During the podcast interview, Erin talks about some of the important nuances that she uses when programming strength training into a distance runner or endurance athlete’s schedule. She also talks about the importance of changing strength training parameters based on the athlete’s competition and training schedule, overall recovery, and even mood! Erin explains some of her decision making when creating individualized training plans for athletes and some of her favorite strength exercises for endurance athletes. She also talks about the influences that led her to want to become a strength and conditioning coach and her passion for this line of work. She discusses her philosophy of strength training in prioritizing four key pillars of health, science, movement, and strength. Erin also talks about her gym Rally Sport in Boulder, CO and some of the elite endurance athletes that she has trained including Kara and Adam Goucher. If you are an endurance athlete and interested in how to maximize the benefits from strength training, this is an episode you won’t want to miss!