The Strength Work That Makes You a Better Runner | Erin Carson

Erin Carson: Mobility, Strength & Moving Better for Life | The Aerobic Edge

What does it really take to stay strong, mobile, and injury-free as a runner — not just for your next race, but for the rest of your life?

In this episode I sit down with Erin Carson, strength coach behind some of the best endurance athletes in the world, including ultra-running GOAT Courtney Dauwalter. Based in Boulder, Colorado, Erin has built a unique niche at the intersection of strength, mobility, and endurance performance. Her approach is refreshingly holistic: it's never just about muscle, but about the nervous system, fascia, posture, and even mood and freedom of movement.

We start with Erin's journey from Division One basketball in Canada to becoming a sought-after strength coach in the endurance world, and why her background shaped a "train the person for what they actually want to do" philosophy.

From there we get into the practical stuff every runner and triathlete can use:

• Why a strength coach is so focused on mobility — and why mobility is not the same as flexibility
• The three key areas of mobility that anchor everything: ankles, hips, and the thoracic spine (and how a knee problem often starts somewhere else entirely)
• A simple at-home self-test for your pelvis and hamstrings, and why "tight hamstrings" usually aren't the real problem
• Why most running injuries happen on the landing — not the push-off — and why this gets worse running downhill
• What "training age" means, and where beginners should actually start with strength work
• Why you should evaluate your strength program by how you run, not how you compare to everyone else in the gym
• How to train effectively at home with minimal equipment — adjustable dumbbells, bands, and a stability ball
• Why understanding the "why" behind each exercise matters more than mindlessly following a list
• Staying strong in the final third of a race, when posture and form start to break down
• Strength, mobility, and quality of life as we age — and why your daily choices today shape your final decade

Whether you're training for your first marathon or chasing a personal best, this conversation will change how you think about strength and movement — on the road and in everyday life.

🔗 Find Erin Carson:
Website: ecfitstrength.com
YouTube: Mobility Monday — new every Monday
Instagram: ecfit_strength

🎧 The Aerobic Edge Podcast
Hosted by Joost Dekker, founder of Pace Buddies.
Helping recreational runners train smarter through aerobic development, movement quality, and injury prevention.

If you enjoyed this episode, follow the show, leave a review, and share it with a running friend who could use it. Got a question or topic you'd like covered? Reach out — I'd love to hear from you.

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