“Gait retraining has always been a significant part of the injury rehab space I’ve been involved in as a kinesiologist and osteopath. You can do great manual work on the table and get things moving the way you want, but if you return to the same patterns that caused the problem in the first place, those changes won’t last long.”

Jordan Collison, head cross-country coach at the University of Windsor, joins Brad Miles in this episode to share his insights on the transformative impact of gait retraining. Did you know it can reduce injuries by 62%? Jordan breaks down how addressing movement patterns, like overstriding, can make athletes more efficient and resilient.

This episode highlights how tools like Lever play a role in balancing recovery and performance. From easing athletes back into running after injuries to improving training consistency, Jordan explains how this approach keeps athletes healthy and performing at their best.

With a blend of science, experience, and practical advice, this episode challenges you to think: How often do we overlook the fundamentals in our pursuit of progress? Jordan’s perspective offers fresh ideas for runners, coaches, and anyone seeking to optimize their performance.

Quotes

• “Gait retraining has always been a significant part of the injury rehab space I’ve been involved in as a kinesiologist and osteopath. You can do great manual work on the table and get things moving the way you want, but if you return to the same patterns that caused the problem in the first place, those changes won’t last long.” (11:40 | Jordan Collison)

• “This ties back to gait retraining. One of the biggest issues I see is overstriding—where the foot extends out in front of the knee and center of mass. It’s like applying the brakes with every step, resembling more of a walking gait than a running one. We work to shift people back to a running pattern, almost like a marching motion, where the foot lands beneath the knee, creating a more vertical shin angle. This positions them optimally to be ready to hit the ground efficiently.” (16:20 | Jordan Collison)

• “I often ask people how they run faster, and a common response I get is, ‘I try to take a longer stride.’ A lot of people believe that simply reaching for a longer stride will help, but the truth is that a longer stride should come from putting more power into the ground, allowing you to travel further without reaching for it. That’s one of the key differences we focus on in gait analysis.” (17:49 | Jordan Collison)

• “A common exercise I recommend is stiff ankle hops. The goal is not to have a lot of flexibility or a ‘pogo’ bounce in the ankle, but to keep the ankle stiff and minimize time spent on the ground. This exercise is especially important for masters athletes. After 30, the ability to maintain ankle stiffness becomes the biggest difference between a 20-year-old and a 40-year-old. Staying on top of exercises like this helps prevent the loss of ankle stiffness, which is one of the first things to deteriorate with age.” (21:14 | Jordan Collison)

Links

Connect with Jordan Collison:

https://www.instagram.com/windsorlancerxc/

https://www.instagram.com/jordan_collison/

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

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

https://levermovement.com/

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

“How can we kind of be a little cutting edge? How can we find something new and innovative to help push us forward, help push the program forward?” Coach JT Klopcic, the associate head coach of cross country and track and field at Goucher College, lives by these questions as he integrates new technology into his training toolkit. In this episode, he joins Brad Miles to share how the Lever system, once just a recovery aid, evolved into a core part of his athletes’ performance routines. What’s the real value of body weight support in training? Coach JT explains how it helps his athletes build endurance and strength while easing physical strain, setting them up for high-quality workouts and consistent progress.

As Coach JT breaks down his approach, he offers insights into the careful balance of innovation and tradition—when to stick with tried-and-true methods and when to embrace tools that move the needle. For any coach looking to push their program forward, this episode is a reminder: sometimes, it’s the progressive steps that make the difference between a good season and a breakthrough.

Quotes

• “I started to realize, we’ve gotten some really good, high-quality workouts in on this. Why don’t we try sprinkling it (Lever) in a little bit more throughout some of our cycles as true workouts?” (06:44 | JT Klopcic)

• “What I might do is, in those first three weeks, set it ( Lever) at 40% of body weight, doing three sets of 15 seconds at their spin tempo pace. Then, over the next three weeks, I might either increase the duration to 20 seconds or reduce the percentage of body weight being taken off by the lever. It’s a progressive approach that gradually leads to the goal.” (10:59 | JT Klopcic)

• “Being able to take a little bit of that load off and do some of our more or true endurance workouts on the Lever has really, really kind of helped us.” (12:56 | JT Klopcic)

• “The Lever has certainly been really, really huge for us and certainly pushing us forward, especially with that middle distance group.” (22:45 | JT Klopcic)

Links

Connect with JT Goucher:
https://www.instagram.com/gouchertfxc/

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

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

https://levermovement.com/

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

“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