Episode 666: Elise Cranny on Joining M11, Chasing the 1500, and Finding Joy in Running Again

Two time Olympian Elise Cranny returns to the podcast for one of the most natural, easy conversations I have had in a long time. Elise shares why she recently made a major training change, joining M11 Track Club and spending much of the year in South Africa and the UK. We talk about craving training partners again, getting back into a beginner mindset, and why she wants to pay closer attention to the 1500 this season while keeping the 5000 in the bigger picture.

Elise reflects on the mental side of championship racing, developing an alter ego on the track, and what she learned during the 2024 Olympic cycle working one on one with coach Jarred Cornfield. We dig into overtraining, identity as an athlete, and how zooming out and setting process based goals helped her find a healthier balance. She also shares what cross training looks like now (swimming three days a week), why breaking two minutes in the 800 still matters to her, and how she thinks about “racing where you are” on the world stage.

This is such a fun conversation, enjoy!

Topics we cover

• Returning to the show as a two time Olympian

• Joining M11 and what pushed her to make a big change

• Training partners, discomfort, and renewed excitement

• Shifting focus toward the 1500 and what it can unlock for her racing

• The 2024 Trials double and why joy mattered in that build

• Overtraining, burnout, and stepping away from a group environment

• Confidence, an on track alter ego, and showing up locked in

• Cross training and swimming as part of her weekly routine

• Race strategy, mental skills, and setting A/B/C goals

• Big picture career thinking: no regrets, curiosity, and leaving no stone unturned

• Life outside sport: working on her MPH at George Washington University

Books mentioned

• Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

• When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

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