Professional Runner Anthony Camerieri Joins Dr. Leo Kormanik & Zach Goulet to Talk About His Career

Mind Body Marathon

In this episode of the MindBodyMarathon podcast, professional distance runner Anthony Camerieri joins Dr. Leo Kormanik and Zach Goulet to discuss Anthony's journey as a professional runner. Anthony shares that he just completed two sets of hill repeats and talks about his transition from a one-year contract with Tinman Elite to a new four-year contract with Saucony. He details the quick negotiation process, facilitated by his Ole Miss coach, and expresses excitement about having job security as a professional runner.

The conversation moves to training locations, with Anthony considering moving to Flagstaff due to better altitude for training. They discuss the dynamics of their training team and how the environment has changed, noting a decrease in the number of athletes training in certain areas.

Anthony reflects on his running career, mentioning struggles with injuries and how he managed to compete despite setbacks. He recalls his high school experience, running a successful relay team and eventually transitioning to collegiate running at Miami, where he faced challenges adapting to the required mileage after not running for an extended period. The episode highlights Anthony's growth and resilience as an athlete while also touching on the importance of community and training environments in his journey.

In this segment, the hosts discuss Anthony's running journey, particularly his high school and collegiate experiences. Anthony recalls breaking 25 minutes in his sophomore year and improving to around 24:30 by junior year. He shares that after dealing with injuries and a stress reaction in his foot, he shifted to cross training and reduced his running mileage, which allowed him to train consistently. Over time, he gradually increased his running volume while maintaining cross training, ultimately building up his ability to handle the load.

They touch on Anthony's high school cross country career, including his best state meet finish and comparisons with peers. The conversation shifts to discussing the evolution of cross country courses and their spectator-friendliness, including frustrations with the criteria for state courses that often prioritize revenue generation over spectator experience.

Anthony also shares his experience representing the U.S. in cross country at the World Championships in Serbia. Although he finished fifth on the team and 52nd overall, he reflects on the challenges of the course and the competition. The discussion highlights the importance of competition in athletics and the growth that comes from overcoming obstacles in training and racing.

The discussion revolves around upcoming athletic events and training strategies, particularly focusing on cross country and track running. The speaker is considering participating in the World Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee in 2026, emphasizing the competitiveness expected at the event. They mention the introduction of a new World Championship format, which will occur every four years in the off years of the Olympics and World Championships, providing a more condensed and viewer-friendly experience.

The speaker is preparing for the indoor season, with a primary focus on the 3K event, aiming to improve their personal record (PR) and potentially qualify for the US Indoor Championships. They reflect on their recent pacing duties and improvements in their performance, noting a significant PR in the 3K and expressing confidence in achieving a faster 5K time this indoor season.

Training strategies are discussed, highlighting the importance of gradual mileage increase to avoid injuries, and the speaker shares their current training consistency at around 80-83 miles per week. They also touch on their interest in coaching, leveraging their knowledge of health and athletic training to enhance their coaching effectiveness. The conversation emphasizes the importance of maintaining general health and staying injury-free, noting a trend towards more consistent, less flashy training methods in the running community.

The conversation focuses on the differences in running culture, training strategies, and the importance of consistency in achieving performance goals. The speakers discuss how marathon times can vary significantly between different races despite the number of participants, highlighting the competitive nature of certain events.

They emphasize that many runners could potentially break three hours in a marathon with a consistent training routine that includes long runs and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. One speaker reflects on their past training mistakes, recalling a particularly intense week in high school that led to injury. They acknowledge that injuries are a common part of the sport but believe that with a smarter approach to training, it doesn't have to be inevitable.

As they talk about their current training regimen, they express a desire to maintain higher mileage throughout the racing season and improve their strength training, especially given some ongoing hip issues. Nutrition is also discussed, with one speaker mentioning their reliance on processed foods for convenience and the need to improve their diet for better performance.

The conversation also touches on specific workout routines, including double threshold training, which involves a combination of long runs and intense workouts. They discuss the benefits of standing rest periods during workouts to reduce lactate buildup and improve overall performance. The speakers share insights on how they manage fatigue and the psychological aspects of pushing through challenging training sessions.

Overall, the dialogue highlights the importance of consistency, smart training practices, and maintaining a balanced approach to nutrition and strength training in the pursuit of running excellence.

The conversation revolves around training techniques, particularly focusing on threshold training and the physiological responses associated with it. The speakers discuss their personal experiences with pace thresholds, lactic acid levels, and how these metrics inform their training intensity. They highlight the importance of testing during workouts, mentioning that they typically wait until halfway through to assess their lactic acid levels, which helps them gauge whether they need to adjust their pace.

One speaker notes the relationship between perceived exertion, breathing patterns, and heart rate during runs, explaining that they can sense when they’re pushing too hard based on these factors. They discuss using a heart rate monitor for better tracking and understanding of their performance, favoring an armband over chest straps for comfort.

The dialogue transitions to discussing different workout structures, including hill workouts and varying workout intensities. They emphasize the benefits of hill training for running economy and strength, explaining that hills naturally promote better form and muscle recruitment. The speakers reflect on how hill workouts enhance power and efficiency, even on flat surfaces.

They also touch on the concept of neurological adaptation through heavy lifting and its impact on running performance, sharing anecdotes from their experiences in college training. The conversation illustrates the interconnectedness of training techniques, physiological responses, and performance outcomes in distance running.

In this conversation, the speakers discuss various aspects of training, particularly focusing on strength training techniques like deadlifts and the neurological benefits versus muscle mass gains. They explore the importance of incorporating plyometrics and sprint drills into training, acknowledging the risks involved with high-intensity exercises but recognizing their potential benefits for performance.

One speaker reflects on their training experience in high school, emphasizing the significance of mental toughness and the balance between hard workouts and injury prevention. They share insights on how injuries, often unrelated to running, impacted their high school career and overall performance trajectory. The discussion highlights the importance of self-belief despite setbacks and the value of enjoying the sport to maintain motivation.

You can order the Dr. Leo Kormanik's book Faster Without Fail on Amazon at https://amzn.to/4eEsB7M.

Be sure to also check out Dr. Leo's Running Rehab YouTube page at www.YouTube.com/@RunningRehab.