Alex Parker and Meredith Root’s Afternoon Snack Podcast invites you to join in on conversations where science, culture, and philosophy meet practical personal advice and experience that everyone needs to hear. They ask the big and small questions to get you thinking while injecting a hefty amount of personal experience and banter as partners in life, business, and sport. New episodes every Wednesday.
Rebecca Rusch - Motivation, Movement, and the Summer Streak
This is our very first collaborative episode between Afternoon Snack and What's the Rusch, bringing Rebecca Rusch onto the show to launch our Summer Streak Challenge together. Rebecca is one of the most inspiring people on the planet. She is a true leader in sport, performance, mindset, and philanthropy. There are very few people who accomplish what Rebecca has and still strive to do more in the space - most specifically in giving back to those around her. In this episode we explore why motivation shows up after you act instead of before it, how the right amount of stress builds growth while too much burns you out, and what happens when training data starts running your life instead of supporting it. We discuss the four types of motivation, the tools that pull you out of a demotivated spiral, and the launch of our Summer Streak Challenge, a joint habits challenge between our coaching business, Tactic Functional Fitness, and the Be Good Foundation. Every dollar raised goes toward the Be Good Foundation's girls and women mentorship program at Rebecca's Private Idaho, pairing young women with experienced mentors in cycling, bike mechanics, and action sport photography and videography so they can build real skills and find their own places in the outdoor and sports industry. Learn More about The Be Good Foundation: https://www.thebegoodfoundation.org Info on The Summer Streak Habits Challenge: https://www.tacticworksout.com/summerstreak Save 20% on your RPI Registration with the code RPITactic26! https://www.rebeccasprivateidaho.com/ 💪 Train With Us: Get access to expertly designed daily workouts at https://www.tacticworksout.com 🥦 Need Personalized Nutrition Support? Work 1-on-1 with a coach to tailor your nutrition to your goals at https://www.tacticmethod.com 💥 Want More? Get bonus episodes, exclusive content, and behind-the-scenes access by supporting us on Patreon 👉 www.patreon.com/teamtactic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
All About 5/3/1 Strength Training and Why It's Probably Right for You
In this episode, we dive into the 5/3/1 Strength Training Program that has been the backbone of the Tactic Fitness program for almost 12 weeks. It was designed by Jim Wendler, a world class power lifter and renowned coach. But just because the 5/3/1 program was developed by an elite athlete doesn't mean it's not for you. In fact, 5/3/1 may be one of the best if not THE best training programs for people of all backgrounds. You will learn about the core philosophies behind the program, how the progression works, and why it combines so well with functional training. If you've been doing our programming for a while and loving 5/3/1, you'll learn why in this episode. If you are new or on the fence about jumping in, we hope this convinces you to take the leap. If you are just here to learn about strength and conditioning, you will learn a lot too! 💪 Train With Us: Get access to expertly designed daily workouts at www.tacticworksout.com 🥦 Need Personalized Nutrition Support? Work 1-on-1 with a coach to tailor your nutrition to your goals at www.tacticmethod.com 💥 Want More? Get bonus episodes, exclusive content, and behind-the-scenes access by supporting us on Patreon 👉 www.patreon.com/teamtactic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
To Grit or to Quit? - On the Courage and Commitment of Letting Go
To Grit or To Quit? That is the question. Quitting is an essential skill. It takes courage and honesty in reflection to be able to see a long view of where you're going and step off of certain paths, even when it is an uncommon or even taboo decision to make. Today's episode talks about the skill of quitting, when it may be the right decision for you, and how to know the difference between being gritty and just being stubborn. 💪 Train With Us: Get access to expertly designed daily workouts at www.tacticworksout.com 🥦 Need Personalized Nutrition Support? Work 1-on-1 with a coach to tailor your nutrition to your goals at www.tacticmethod.com 💥 Want More? Get bonus episodes, exclusive content, and behind-the-scenes access by supporting us on Patreon 👉 www.patreon.com/teamtactic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dusty Bandita, Adventures in Idaho, and the Power of Yes!
The summer of bike adventures continues! In this episode, we talk about the Dusty Bandita, bike packing in Idaho with Rebecca Rusch, our all-new Summer Streak challenge, and the power of saying yes (and no). 💪 Train With Us: Get access to expertly designed daily workouts at www.tacticworksout.com 🥦 Need Personalized Nutrition Support? Work 1-on-1 with a coach to tailor your nutrition to your goals at www.tacticmethod.com 💥 Want More? Get bonus episodes, exclusive content, and behind-the-scenes access by supporting us on Patreon 👉 www.patreon.com/teamtactic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Unbound 200 Race Recap: Lessons in Persistence
What a year it was for the most famous gravel race in the world, Unbound. Set in Emporia, Kansas in June, it's not a question of if you will ride in bad weather, it's a question of when. And after two dry years, Unbound was due for a wet one and boy was it ever. The conditions may not have been ripe for speed but they sure were ripe for lessons and opportunities to overcome challenges. Meredith rode the 200 mile distance for the second time this year. In this episode, we talk about the lead in and race day - what went well, what didn't go so well, and what you can come back from if you're just willing to try. Great job to everyone who toed the line in Emporia, it was an epic, memorable, and challenging day! 💪 Train With Us: Get access to expertly designed daily workouts at www.tacticworksout.com 🥦 Need Personalized Nutrition Support? Work 1-on-1 with a coach to tailor your nutrition to your goals at www.tacticmethod.com 💥 Want More? Get bonus episodes, exclusive content, and behind-the-scenes access by supporting us on Patreon 👉 www.patreon.com/teamtactic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Race Recap: Calgary Marathon Edition
Alex ran the Calgary marathon for the third time on May 24th which marks her 10th marathon. In this episode, she speaks about her experience leading into the race, how different her race strategy was from her usual approach, how hard it was to stick to that race strategy, and what else goes into running a successful sub 3 hour marathon. 💪 Train With Us: Get access to expertly designed daily workouts at www.tacticworksout.com 🥦 Need Personalized Nutrition Support? Work 1-on-1 with a coach to tailor your nutrition to your goals at www.tacticmethod.com 💥 Want More? Get bonus episodes, exclusive content, and behind-the-scenes access by supporting us on Patreon 👉 www.patreon.com/teamtactic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Hannah Simms on The Fernie Gravel Grind, Women in Racing, and Where Gravel is Going
Hannah Simms is on the show today! Hannah races gravel and MTB for Kona Bikes and The Easton Overland Team. And as impressive as she is on the bike, she is equally impressive in her work on the events and marketing side of things for Anything Goes Event Series who puts on our hometown race, The Fernie Gravel Grind. If you've done this race, you already know how special it is and no, it's not just because of the party! This was a really cool conversation that drifted from elite competition to mindset to events and back and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Oh and if you fancy riding bikes with us and many others in the Tactic community, consider joining us in Fernie in July to take on the Fernie Gravel Grind! You can find more on that race here: https://anythinggoeseventseries.com/ 💪 Train With Us: Get access to expertly designed daily workouts at www.tacticworksout.com 🥦 Need Personalized Nutrition Support? Work 1-on-1 with a coach to tailor your nutrition to your goals at www.tacticmethod.com 💥 Want More? Get bonus episodes, exclusive content, and behind-the-scenes access by supporting us on Patreon 👉 www.patreon.com/teamtactic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Gone Phishing - Taper Tantrums and Sleazy Scammers
With the Calgary marathon and Unbound 200 coming up, we (Alex and Meredith) are both in full on taper mode. Tapering is one of the most effective ways to get the most out of your training leading into a race but it doesn't happen without some mental and sometimes physical difficulty. This episode covers the science of tapering and how it works in practice. And in the spirit of mentally challenging situations, we tell the funny and emotionally fraught stories of Meredith's recent experience with scammers. 💪 Train With Us: Get access to expertly designed daily workouts at www.tacticworksout.com 🥦 Need Personalized Nutrition Support? Work 1-on-1 with a coach to tailor your nutrition to your goals at www.tacticmethod.com 💥 Want More? Get bonus episodes, exclusive content, and behind-the-scenes access by supporting us on Patreon 👉 www.patreon.com/teamtactic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Concretegate - End of an Era, More Lessons in AI, and Doing Things the Right Way
Today's episode is for the die hards - those people in our community who have been following along with Meredith's concrete court saga. It's the facts versus a completely fabricated AI hypothesis. She serves up justice, hot and ready! But will it be enough to win this small claims case? If you are just jumping in, don't worry! There is enough background included to get the gist of the concrete fiasco. And this story is just too ridiculous not to share. 💪 Train With Us: Get access to expertly designed daily workouts at www.tacticworksout.com 🥦 Need Personalized Nutrition Support? Work 1-on-1 with a coach to tailor your nutrition to your goals at www.tacticmethod.com 💥 Want More? Get bonus episodes, exclusive content, and behind-the-scenes access by supporting us on Patreon 👉 www.patreon.com/teamtactic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Revisting the Metabolic Toggles
The two biggest inputs we have into our physiology and metabolism are what we eat and what we do for movement and exercise. There are 4 unique metabolic scenarios that emerge when modulating those two inputs and they underlie the process and progress a person makes towards their physical and health goals. This episode dives into the how, why, when, and for how long for each of these metabolic scenarios, that we call - The Metabolic Toggles. Citation: Relationship between changes in body weight and waist circumference in Japanese, PMCID: PMC2723379 💪 Train With Us: Get access to expertly designed daily workouts at www.tacticworksout.com 🥦 Need Personalized Nutrition Support? Work 1-on-1 with a coach to tailor your nutrition to your goals at www.tacticmethod.com 💥 Want More? Get bonus episodes, exclusive content, and behind-the-scenes access by supporting us on Patreon 👉 www.patreon.com/teamtactic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
So, what's the deal with Peptides?
The story arch of the current peptide craze is mind bogglingly illogical. It is one of the most common things we get asked about which is kind of nuts because... we aren't doctors. This week, we dive into how this genuine (and not new) scientific revolution has been laundered into the latest wellness grift. We look at what research there actually is on peptides and discuss how the current US administration in combination with mega and micro health influencers are driving the surge in popularity while removing barriers to access. Science has been co-opted by experts and non-experts to fan the flames of establishment distrust and hyper-individualism, but at what cost to the consumer? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
You want me to Theragun what? A spring endurance training update
With the Calgary Marathon coming up for Alex and Unbound 200 for Meredith, spring training is in full swing and along with it all of the aches and pains that can be expected when volume is high! New this year, the concurrent self work that is somatic based therapy. In this episode, we dive into the structural changes present in both of our programs and how the more drastic training changes are going for Alex. We talk about he work through injuries and decide when to push and when to pull back. And we wrap up with a preview of where you can find us this summer! 💪 Train With Us: Get access to expertly designed daily workouts at www.tacticworksout.com 🥦 Need Personalized Nutrition Support? Work 1-on-1 with a coach to tailor your nutrition to your goals at www.tacticmethod.com 💥 Want More? Get bonus episodes, exclusive content, and behind-the-scenes access by supporting us on Patreon 👉 www.patreon.com/teamtactic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Deb Armstrong on New Challenges, Giving Back, and Living Young
Deb Armstrong is truly one of a kind. She is an Olympic gold medalist but as you will learn quickly in this episode, that accomplishment doesn't define who she is. After retiring from a successful World Cup racing career, Deb went on to get her degree in history from the University of New Mexico where she also learned more about who she was outside of her athletics. She jumped into ski coaching with both feet and went on to hold several high level coaching and directing roles where she helped develop some of the best young ski talent in the US. Deb's approach to coaching is playful, light, and distinctly unserious - despite being a very serious athlete for her entire life. Which tells you everything you need to know about her magic. She has an electric enthusiasm for sharing, coaching, and giving back. All of this comes through when you see her in action on her YouTube channel, Ski Strong, where she's published hundreds of coaching and instructional videos. We are so grateful to have spent time with Deb in Colorado and once again when recording this episode. It's rare to see someone live with such passion and curiosity for life. We hope you enjoy this episode as much as we did! You can find Deb's YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@DebArmstrongSkiStrong You can find her on instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/armstrong.deb/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Raising the Floor - The Dos and Don'ts of Improving Aerobic (and Life) Capacity
Alex and Meredith Dive into aerobic development, the 2 ventilatory thresholds (VT1, VT2), zone 2 training, field testing for everyday athletes, the downsides to intensity training, and how the same concepts that are fundamental to aerobic training are also present in strength training, skill development, and non-athletic pursuits as well. This episode is full to the gills of information! If you find this episode interesting and want to learn in more detail, we would recommend Training for the Uphill Athlete by Scott Johnson and The Norwegian Method by Brad Culp. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The Power of Yes
Can one word change your life? Yes. Pun intended. Yes embodies a way of being and making decisions that can sometimes feel against the grain, scary, and add odds with a felt sense of safety and comfort. But often that area of discomfort, if leaned into, precipitates tremendous growth. In this episode, we walk through some personal stories where we said YES to opportunities, invitations, and ways of thinking that have helped us grow as humans. 💪 Train With Us: Get access to expertly designed daily workouts at www.tacticworksout.com 🥦 Need Personalized Nutrition Support? Work 1-on-1 with a coach to tailor your nutrition to your goals at www.tacticmethod.com 💥 Want More? Get bonus episodes, exclusive content, and behind-the-scenes access by supporting us on Patreon 👉 www.patreon.com/teamtactic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Adventures in Artificial Intelligence - Part 1
Artificial intelligence is undoubtedly here to stay but the way people choose to use it has implications beyond the obvious. Join us as we discuss AI use in the coaching and creative spaces and how coming face to face with a moral and monetary dilemma has forced us to grapple with the very real impacts of artificial intelligence in business. 💪 Train With Us: Get access to expertly designed daily workouts at www.tacticworksout.com 🥦 Need Personalized Nutrition Support? Work 1-on-1 with a coach to tailor your nutrition to your goals at www.tacticmethod.com 💥 Want More? Get bonus episodes, exclusive content, and behind-the-scenes access by supporting us on Patreon 👉 www.patreon.com/teamtactic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes! Alex's New Approach (and Coach) for Hybrid Training
If you know Alex, you know that she struggles with change. Especially big ones. And you also probably know how seriously she takes her training for running, strength, and triathlon. Which makes changing coaches and training programs probably the biggest and most impactful change that she's made since deciding to step away from a legal career. And a change that big deserves a podcast episode! So for this episode, we are diving deep on the drivers behind making a training change like this and how she is handling it mentally. Whether your interests lie in training and program design for hybrid training or in the more personal side of things, this episode is for you. 💪 Train With Us: Get access to expertly designed daily workouts at www.tacticworksout.com 🥦 Need Personalized Nutrition Support? Work 1-on-1 with a coach to tailor your nutrition to your goals at www.tacticmethod.com 💥 Want More? Get bonus episodes, exclusive content, and behind-the-scenes access by supporting us on Patreon 👉 www.patreon.com/teamtactic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Joy is not Resistance (but it still matters) - a Solo Show from Meredith
In my first solo episode, I (Meredith) step behind the mic to reflect on the tension between joy, guilt, and real resistance. This show dives into the nuance of emotional substitution and how feel-good phrases like “Joy is Resistance” can unintentionally bypass the real work of activism. We will explore what true resistance looks like (spoiler: it’s not always comfortable), and how we can hold both joy and responsibility without confusing the two. I'm going to challenge you to build your emotional capacity, reflect on your guilt, and start engaging with real sustained action. You don’t need to agree, you just need to stay curious. Topics Covered: The myth of "joy as resistance" Baldwin, Lorde, and the call for responsibility Emotional partitioning (hello, divided plate metaphor!) Guilt vs. action in the face of injustice What real resistance actually looks like 🎧 This is one to share—especially with someone who’s been struggling to find clarity in the chaos. James Baldwin The Fire Next Time Notes of a Native Son Nobody Knows My Name Begin Again by Eddie Gaude Black Feminism & Structural Critique Sister Outsider Feminism Is for Everybody All About Love Hood Feminism AgainstWhite Feminism Intersectionality & Power Black Feminist Thought Intersectionality as Critical Social Theory Contemporary Cultural Analysis We Were Eight Years in Power Eloquent Rage Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Research Round Up! Autophagy, Reps in Reserve, and Sugar Cravings
This episode is a research round up! We are discussing three new (ish) studies and reviews on nutrition, strength training, and a study that helped us change our mind! Nutrition: The effect of fasting or calorie restriction on autophagy induction: A review of the literature Strength Training: Muscular Adaptations in Single-Set Resistance Training Performed to Failure or with Repetitions-in-Reserve Changed our Minds: The Sweet Tooth Trial 💪 Train With Us: Get access to expertly designed daily workouts at www.tacticworksout.com 🥦 Need Personalized Nutrition Support? Work 1-on-1 with a coach to tailor your nutrition to your goals at www.tacticmethod.com 💥 Want More? Get bonus episodes, exclusive content, and behind-the-scenes access by supporting us on Patreon 👉 www.patreon.com/teamtactic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Kristi Mohn: 20 Years of Unbound, Women in Gravel, and Training Grounds AZ
In this episode, I sit down with Kristi Mohn to talk about the 20 year anniversary of Unbound Gravel, the impact of community and local flavor on race longevity, and why the work for women and diversity is always worth doing. We talk about leadership in every day life and the power of subtle influence that occurs independent of platform size. Kristi has some very cool new things coming up including a gravel training camp called Training Grounds in Patagonia, AZ in late February that's meant to help riders get ready for the big spring classic races like Mid South and Unbound. You can learn more about Training Grounds here: https://www.ridebikeseatfood.com/traininggroundspatagonia 💪 Train With Us: Get access to expertly designed daily workouts at www.tacticworksout.com 🥦 Need Personalized Nutrition Support? Work 1-on-1 with a coach to tailor your nutrition to your goals at www.tacticmethod.com 💥 Want More? Get bonus episodes, exclusive content, and behind-the-scenes access by supporting us on Patreon 👉 www.patreon.com/teamtactic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
