Eight to 10 times body weight through the calf-Achilles complex made his new mass a problem on hills.
1. The Run Smarter Podcast episode is Brodie’s year-end reflection on making 2026 a better running year.
2. Brodie is the host, an online physiotherapist who treats runners, and he uses his own training and injury history to explain the year’s decisions.
3. The episode asks what went well, what went wrong, what he learned, and what he will change next.
4. Brodie says he gained about eight kilos after starting HCG as part of an IVF cycle with his girlfriend.
5. A DEXA scan then showed that the weight change was 8.5 kilos of muscle and half a kilo of fat loss.
6. He connects the added mass to a grade-one calf strain and says the hills around his house made the calf-Achilles load worse.
7. Brodie also says his proximal hamstring tendinopathy returned while he was lifting heavier squats, deadlifts, hamstring curls, and lunges.
8. To manage the calf, he switched from zero-drop shoes to higher heel-stack shoes, ran only on the treadmill, and avoided consecutive running days.
9. For the hamstring, he reduced the risk of provoking symptoms by prioritizing the race-specific work he could tolerate.
10. He decided to keep running slow and focus on the non-running Hyrox stations rather than chase faster running near race day.
11. Brodie says the year became his first 12-month cycle of staying dedicated to one main goal.
12. He targeted his weak link, the sled push, which he says involved pushing 152 kilos for 50 meters in total.
13. He used five-week training blocks with four progressive weeks and one deload week, and he adjusted those weeks around sickness and travel.
14. He says his diet work included fermenting kombucha, sauerkraut, lacto-fermented pickles, garlic honey, and garlic asparagus.
15. He also experimented with creatine, magnesium, melatonin, and cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia.
16. Brodie tried bicarbonate loading for race day, including smaller doses over two to three days, but says he did not notice much improvement.
17. He says calm pre-race behavior mattered, so he stayed with his family on the grass and delayed entering the venue until 15 to 20 minutes before the start.
18. The episode is a solo reflection with a practical, conversational style that mixes training detail, injury management, and personal routine.
19. Listeners focused on running, strength training, and injury management will get the most from this episode.
20. Listeners wanting a short, purely race-results update may skip it.
