About Start Where You Are Running and Ultrarunning
This show helps new ultrarunners get to their first or their next ultramarathon start line. Erin loves everything ultra and will get you inspired to get out and start training for your first 50K or 50 miler or even 200+ mile distance with her tales from the trail.
Episode 37. Push, Pull, Hinge, Squat Carry: Strength Training that Keeps You On the Trails
In Part 2 of this series on strength training for ultrarunners, coach Erin Quinn breaks down five essential movement patterns — pull, push, hinge, squat, and carry — that every trail and ultra runner should incorporate into their routine. Building on the bodyweight foundations from Episode 36, Erin explains how adding weighted exercises just 2–3 times a week (in as little as 15–30 minutes) can significantly reduce overuse injuries, improve running economy, and keep you on the trails instead of the sidelines.
You'll learn practical examples of each movement pattern you can do at home with minimal equipment — dumbbells, kettlebells, bands, and stairs — along with guidance on rep schemes, progressive loading, and how to make strength training a non-negotiable part of your training plan. Erin also shares her own experience of overcoming chronic overuse injuries after adding structured strength work, including during a year and a half that included two 200-plus mile races and a 100-miler.
Plus, Erin announces the upcoming launch of her book Running the Moab 240, serialized on Patreon beginning Black Friday.
You can contact Erin at erinmaryquinn@gmail or at erinmaryquinn.com
28 Oct 2026
Episode 36. No Gym Required: Strength Basics for Ultrarunners
In the first episode of a three-part series on strength training, Erin Quinn gets back to basics — bodyweight exercises you can do anywhere, no gym or equipment required. If you've been meaning to add strength work to your running routine but keep putting it off, this episode is for you.
Erin covers why strength training is one of the best things you can do to stay durable and injury-resistant as an ultrarunner, how to start even if you've never lifted a weight, and why the bar to entry is lower than you think. She shares her own journey from strength-training skeptic to believer, and walks through a full set of bodyweight exercises — from push-ups and planks to glute bridges, squats, lunges, calf raises, Romanian deadlifts, and more — that you can do in your living room, driveway, or even while folding laundry.
The message is simple: start where you are. Pick three exercises, do them two to three times a week for 10–15 minutes, and you'll be feeling stronger in a month. Next week, Erin will talk about how to add weights to take it to the next level.
To learn more about Erin's 1:1 Coaching you can email her at erinmaryquinn@gmail.com or go to her website https://erinmaryquinn.com/ and click "Apply to Coach with Erin"
@erinquinnultraruncoach
For a list of exercises Erin mentioned in this episode go to:
https://bit.ly/4em6G7R
21 Oct 2026
Episode 35. Why Hiking Makes You a Better Ultrarunner
If you've ever felt the stigma of hiking during an ultramarathon, this episode is for you. Host and ultrarunning coach Erin Quinn breaks down why hiking isn't a cop-out — it's a critical skill every trail runner needs to master.
We cover:
When to switch from running to hiking — it's not about a specific grade, but a combination of terrain, climb length, fatigue, and effort cost
The physical benefits — hiking engages different muscles, reduces impact, and preserves your body for the long haul
The dangers of hiking too much — once you settle into a hiking rhythm, restarting the run takes extra effort, and cutoffs wait for no one
How to practice — pick a trail, walk it once, then gradually add running sections until switching between the two feels natural
Real race examples — from the Beastmaker in the Hudson Valley to the Cats Tail Trail Marathon and Cocodona
Whether you're tackling your first 50K or lining up for a hundred-miler, learning when to hike and when to run could be the difference between a finish and a DNF.
If you'd like to learn more about Erin's 1:1 online Trail & Ultrarunning Coaching email her at erinmaryquinn@gmail.com or go to her website https://erinmaryquinn.com and fill out the "apply to coach with Erin" form.
Whatever you do, make sure that you start where you are, but you start!
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Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
9 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
7 ratings
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