Shows
The Fast and Free PodcastWriting My Book on Mental Toughness Changed EverythingIn this episode of the Fast & Free Podcast, Elaina flips the script and puts Brant Stachel in the hot seat to unpack a big milestone: his newly released book on mental performance for endurance athletes. Brant shares how the idea took shape, what surprised him most about the writing and self-publishing process, and why he chose a practical, narrative style over a textbook approach. They dive into the real mental battles athletes face—pressure, nerves, confidence swings, and the story we tell ourselves when things get hard. You’ll hear Brant’s definition of mental toughn...
2025-12-2446 minThe Fast and Free PodcastHow She Turned a Stress Fracture & DNF Into a 2:46 Marathon and 6:18 50-Mile UltraIn this episode of Fast and Free, Brant turns the mic toward Elaina to explore a running journey shaped by grit, setbacks, and the kind of durability you can’t fake. They talk about the early days of running without structure, the string of breakthrough marathons that proved she had real potential, and the tough moments that nearly derailed everything — from a DNF at Grandma’s to discovering a 75% stress fracture that left her in a full leg cast and rebuilding her trust in her body from the ground up.What makes her story land isn’t just the...
2025-11-241h 04The Fast and Free PodcastMentorship Over Metrics: Why Real Life Coaching Still MattersFor the first time, Fast & Free Performance Coach Elaina Raponi takes the mic to interview Brant Stachel, co-founder of Fast & Free Coaching. Together, they explore the messy, rewarding, very human side of coaching — mentorship, patience, communication, and why slowing down might be the fastest way to grow.They share candid stories from years of coaching runners of all levels, lessons from their mentors, and what it really takes to build athletes for the long run — not just the next race.Relevant LinksGet coached by Brant – https://teamrunrun.com/coach/brant-stachel-kingston-ontario-running-coach/Get co...
2025-11-101h 11The Fast and Free PodcastTrail Smart: The Aerobic, Technical, and Mental Skills Behind Ultra Success with Matt UrbanskiIn this episode of the Fast and Free Podcast, Brant Stachel sits down with ultrarunner, coach, and Team RunRun co-founder Matt Urbanski to explore the mental and physical mechanics of going long—really long. From UTMB to Hardrock to 24-hour loops, Matt has raced some of the toughest courses in the world, and just weeks before this conversation, represented Team USA at the IAU 24-Hour World Championships, covering 255 kilometers in one day.Brant and Matt dive deep into the unique demands of ultra and trail running—from mastering downhill technique and training the aerobic engine to b...
2025-10-2749 minThe Fast and Free PodcastThe Psychology of Recovery: Reframing Setbacks with Martina NadeauIn this episode of the Fast and Free Podcast, Brant Stachel sits down with runner and coach Martina Nadeau to explore what it truly takes to rebuild confidence after a catastrophic injury. Two weeks before the 2022 NYC Marathon, Martina was diagnosed with a stress fracture that forced her to stop running completely. But instead of spiraling, she reframed the setback—learning to swim, committing to cross-training, and slowly rebuilding both her body and her mindset.Brant and Martina dive into the psychological side of injury recovery—navigating phantom pains, running by effort instead of pace, and learning to trus...
2025-10-131h 00The Fast and Free PodcastFrom Youth Champion to Olympic Hopeful: The Story of Thomas NobbsIn this episode of the Fast and Free Podcast, Brant Stachel sits down with one of Canada’s fastest-rising marathoners, Thomas Nobbs. With personal bests of 63 minutes in the half and 2:15 in the marathon, Thomas is chasing the dream of representing Canada at the LA 2028 Olympics—all while balancing 200km training weeks and a full-time career.Thomas opens up about the highs and lows of his journey: from the pressure of being a national youth champion, to hitting rock bottom with injuries and disordered eating in college, to rebuilding stronger than ever. Brant and Thomas also...
2025-09-2959 minThe Fast and Free PodcastConfidence, Consistency, and the Joy of Running with Jess HadleyIn this episode of the Fast and Free Podcast, Brant Stachel sits down with running coach and athlete Jess Hadley to dive into the mental side of endurance sports. From building confidence in workouts to shifting how we approach long runs, Jess shares her journey of embracing mindset shifts that take pressure off performance and bring joy back to the process. Together, Brant and Jess unpack how reframing workouts, finding balance, and trusting your training can unlock better results on race day—and make the sport more sustainable and enjoyable along the way.About the Guest...
2025-09-1554 minThe Fast and Free PodcastFrom Limiting Narratives to Peak Performance with Dr. Cassidy PrestonIn this first episode of the Fast and Free Podcast, Brant Stachel sits down with sports psychologist Dr. Cassidy Preston to explore the power of competitive identity and mental performance in endurance sports. From rewriting limiting narratives to developing an alter ego, Brant and Cassidy break down how athletes can reframe their mindset to perform at their best on the ice, the trails, or the marathon course. You’ll also hear insights on balancing data with intuition, protecting your mind from “junk food” thoughts, and how to truly enjoy the sport you love.About the Guest...
2025-09-0258 min
Pre-Zero Sports TalkThe Psychology of Winning with Brant StachelSend us a textIn this episode, host Sid Bensalah interviews Brant Stachel—psychotherapist, massage therapist, and high-performance coach—on the overlooked mental side of athletic success. From Olympic hopefuls to weekend runners, Brant shares how mental resilience, emotional safety, and process-driven growth unlock true potential.You’ll hear Brant’s journey from struggling athlete to performance coach, practical frameworks like IGNITE for mental strength, and why focusing on “we-go” instead of ego builds better teams.Whether you're an athlete, coach, or simply looking to sharpen your mental game, this episode delivers real stories, sci...
2025-06-031h 05
All Things EnduranceEpisode 31: Coaching Considerations Regarding Disordered Eating with Guest Brant StachelIn this episode of All Things Endurance, host Rick Prince chats with running coach and psychotherapist, Brant Stachel. Regarding his work as a psychotherapist, his focus is on sports performance and disordered eating. As both an endurance coach and disordered eating specialist, Brant brings a unique and very informed perspective to this very important topic. Below are some of the main topics that Brant discusses:1. Could you tell our listeners about your background?2. Disordered eating is becoming more of a topic these days. What does disordered eating encompass?3. Do you think that endurance...
2025-05-0941 min
West Coast Ultra PodcastThe Brant Stachel EpisodeJoining the podcast this week, all the way from Canada, is fellow Team RunRun coach and psychotherapist Brant Stachel.Brant and I met when I started coaching with Team RunRun. He brings a powerful combination of skills, coaching a wide range of athletes from Olympians to 6+ hour marathoners. He is also a strength and conditioning coach, massage therapist, and psychotherapist specialising in sports performance and eating disorders. We cover all that and more during our conversation.What we talked about:His early running days and involvement in coachingThe impact...
2025-01-101h 15
The Terminal MileTrackie Radio-The Terminal Mile-Episode 49-Fall Is...Marathons And X-CountryForget your apple pie, your pumpkin spice, your flannel shirts, and your changing leaves, fall is about 2 things, Marathoning and Cross Country racing. On this week’s show we chat about both, with special guest Leslie Sexton, who talks about her upcoming return to the Scotia Toronto Waterfront Marathon, and her experience with Athletics Ontario and the women’s race distance, and Declan White of Trinity Western University discusses his relationship with cross, the upcoming CIS champs and more...Oh yeah, there’s a new episode of #TrackFactOrFiction with Brant Stachel, guaranteed to please the coffee fiend in us all.
2016-10-0739 minThe Terminal MileTrackie Radio-The Terminal Mile-Ep. 46- Olympic Wrap Up and #TrackFactOrFictionThe Summer Olympic Games, the pinnacle of track competition, are over, and I think that there are a lot we can take away from our performances in Rio, both medaling and otherwise. To help us break it all down this week, our in house run pundit Jeff Costen joins us. Also on this week’s show, we try something new as Brant Stachel sits down with us to chat about some running myths, as we put them to the test in #TrackFactOrFiction.
2016-08-2629 min