In the second locker room episode, we catch up with some of the sports favourite athletes. Toeing the line at the marathon & 60km races tomorrow, we chat through:

• The build up to MUT
• Injuries & setbacks
• Sibling rivalry
• History with the event
• Working with the race day rubik's cube
• & more!

Race director, Zane Schmahl, gives us a race report ahead of the MUT by UTMB weekend. 2025 is set to be the biggest event yet with 2100 runners toeing the start line over the 6 distances.

Welcome Brendan Lombard! From racing across the globe to coaching runners of all levels, Brandon shares his expert insights on purpose-driven training, strength & conditioning for runners, and overcoming injuries.

🎙️ In this episode, you'll discover:

🔥 How to build strength for trail running – Key exercises, common mistakes, and how to integrate strength into your routine without overloading yourself.

🏃‍♂️ Brendan's journey from South Africa to Spain – Why he made the move and how it’s shaped his training and coaching philosophy.

🏋️ Strength training myths & best practices – Why “leg day” isn’t enough and how periodization can change your performance.

🤕 Injury prevention & recovery – Lessons from his Achilles injury and the breakthrough method that got him back to running.

⛰️ Racing in Europe vs. South Africa – Insights on courses, competition, and what it takes to perform on the world stage.

Chapter Markers:

00:00 - Welcome to Season 2!

01 :38 - Meet Brendan Lombard: Sports Scientist, Coach & Trail Runner

04:30 - Why Brendan moved to Spain & how it’s impacted his training

08:00 - Brendan’s running journey – From swimming to world championships

13:20 - First trail race reality check – How road speed doesn’t always translate to the mountains

18:30 - Full-time coaching & digital nomad life

23:00 - Brendon’s Achilles injury & breakthrough recovery technique

27:50 - Mental battle of injury & staying motivated

31:40 - Brendan’s 2025 race goals – Tenerife, Eiger Ultra, UTCT & more

36:00 - The importance of training with purpose

9:00 - Biggest mistakes runners make with strength training

45:20 - How to structure strength workouts around your running

51:10 - Beginner’s guide: Strength training for trail runners

56:40 - How long does it take to see strength training results?

01:03:00 - Final advice: Brendan’s favorite training philosophy

🌍 Connect with Trail Culture:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trailcultureza/

Trail Culture Coaching: https://www.trailculture.co.za/

Support those who support us:

Carbon Endurance Instagram

Carbon Endurance Wesbite

📩 Follow Brendan Lombard (Instagram)

🔔 Subscribe & Follow for More Trail Running Insights! Don’t forget to hit LIKE, COMMENT, and SUBSCRIBE for more epic trail running and strength training content! Let us know your biggest strength training struggles in the comments below!👇

You asked & we listened. This weeks episode with @dewaal.simon is a hot topic. We unpack some of need to knows around super shoes. We talk about advanced footwear technology (AFT), what we learn from road runners, what research on super shoes tells us & more 💥

What you’ll gain from this episode:

🌟 Insights into the research on super shoes for both trail & road

💡 Tips on what to consider when getting a pair of super shoes

🏞️ Inspiration to follow the research on super shoes in the trail running space

🎥 Chapter Markers:

00:00 - Welcome to 2025: Season 2 continues

03:07 Vapor flies: Personal dabbling in the super shoe scene

06:50 - Shoes vs Barefoot: Why should we care about our footwear

10:27 - Design & definition: Advanced footwear technology (AFT)

14:35 - Super shoe benefits: Are they real or perceived?

19:15 - The carbon plate: Potential energy & carbon improvements

22:21 - Early research: The 4% benefit & Nikes research

30:12 - The influence of speed: How much of a role does speed play

35:20 - Running environment : Is there a place for super shoes on trail

40:30 - The Salomon study: Current research for the trail space

55:05 - Windlass Mechanism: Foot mechanics in an uphill condition

59:18 - Future research: Making it more trail specific

This week I’m stoked to welcome an expert to the podcast. She is all knowing when it comes to physiology & sports nutrition 🍎🍰🥤

The founder of @fuel_form, Louise joins us this week to talk about piecing together the fuelling puzzle. Where to start, what to avoid & the origin story behind some classic nutrition myths 💭

What you’ll gain from this episode:

🌟 Insights into fuelling for Ultra running & how to get started .

💡 Tips on the types of things to eat & when to fuel when training and racing

🏞️ Inspiration to put the fuelling puzzle piece together to suit your goal

🎥 Chapter Markers:

00:00 - Welcome to 2025: Season 2 continues

02:10 The sports journey: Finding research & a passion for rugby

05:25 - PhD & international partners: Supplementing with ketones for physical & mental recovery

11:15 - The Cape Epic: Research in the field

14:15 - Fuel Form: Starting a business & real food focus

17:09 - Common struggles: GI distress, liquid nutrition & planning

22:10 - Electrolytes: When and how should athletes use them?

27:58 - Carbs are back : What is possible vs what is necessary?

34:25 - High fat low carb : What works for ultra runners

38:02 - Fuelling for sessions: Timing & fasted training

45:02 - Gut training: How to get start & what progress looks like 51:26 - In race fuel: Putting together your fuelling plan

This week I’m stoked to welcome Skye Clark to the podcast. He’s the perfect guy to chat to about consistency & finding sustainable training rhythms.

His hard work over the last few years is paying off & he’s quickly becoming a household name for the SA trail scene. In this episode we talk about Skyes history with the sport, how he’s chipped away at his race performances, what consistency in training will do for you & more. From strava banter with Petrus de Klerk, to training runs with Flat Rock Endurance - community & support is definitely a common theme that comes through. I hope you enjoy the episode

What you’ll gain from this episode:

🔥 Motivation to conquer your own goals & stick to the plan

🌟 Insights into staying consistent & finding sustainable rhythms

💡 Tips on balancing high-performance sports with family life

🎥 Chapter Markers:

00:00 - Welcome to 2025: Season 2 continues

01:45 - Growing up : The Comrades inspiration

04:46 - Finding Ultras: The roadmap to long distance

08:34 - The 100km stoke: Finding races that inspire him

10:00 - UTMB: The lotto & an unexpected adventure

15:10 - Strava wars: Petrus de Klerk & the segment banter

20:22 - Consistency always wins: Showing up & working on weaknesses

29:30 - The race mindset : Focus & considerations

35:25 - 100km rollercoster : UTCT & working through the challenges

40:02 - 2025 game plan: What’s next on the horizon

45:47 - The juggling act: Adaptability & support

49:45 - External perspective: Working with a coach & learning where to land

🔗 Links & Resources:

Skye Clark: Instagram

Marz van der Merwe: A commitment to adventure

Join us this week as we chat to a local favorite, a tremendous talent & a well rounded athlete. So stoked to have @marz_merwe on the podcast this week 🎙️

We’ll be talking about everything from her sports journey to her professional development. 🤙🏼

🎥 Chapter Markers:

00:00 - Welcome to 2025: Season 2 continues

02:36 - Goal orientation: Finding trail running

04:37 - Early days: Racing & early mistakes

08:05 - The Coaster: Race directing & the Canada adventure

16:37 - International Events: Navigating UTMB & Western States

23:38 - Working with the GOAT: Jim Walmsley & sports media

31:03 - Western States: Backpack sprints & race highlights

39:32 - The comeback: Injuries & mindset

45:35 - The race calendar : Wildstrubel & racing emotions

52:55 - Outro: What’s next for Marz in 2025

🌄 Whether you’re a seasoned ultrarunner or simply love incredible stories of human endurance, this episode is packed with inspiration, practical advice, and captivating adventures. Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more episodes featuring extraordinary guests like Mars van der Merwe. 🙌

🔗 Links & Resources:

Trail Culture Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trailcultureza/

Trail Culture Coaching: https://www.trailculture.co.za/

From the Ghosts Above : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8G0fNkk4g0A

Sherpa : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMWtu8Gb_HU

Marz van der Merwe website: https://www.marzellephotography.com/

Back like we never left 👋🏼

For those who are new here, once a month Trail Culture releases a more scientific episode, recorded with @dewaal.simon from the legendary @rootedindirt 🤙🏼 Simon is a runner, a coach & a scientist. We talk about various hot topics in the trail running space & unpack the relevant research surrounding them. We also have some not so relevant banter & we’re so grateful that you all tune in.

This weeks episode brings us an update on Simons PhD. We talk about some of his most recent findings, the progress of his publication journey, the vision for the 2025 trail science episodes AND we manage to find time to rip each others Stravas stats. 😆🎙️

Article: Physiological Indicators of Trail Running Performance