Runner Academy with Matt Johnson: Achieve Your Running Goal | 5K | 10K | Half Marathon | Marathon

Travis Macy is a world-class multi-sport athlete and coach who has competed in over a dozen countries. He has earned high finishes at the Adventure Racing World Championship, Primal Quest Adventure Race, 24 Hours of Moab, Wulong Mountain Quest and the Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge - a multi-day race in that included a 75 mile running portion with nothing on the horizon but shifting waves of sand. The pinnacle of his career thus far came in 2013 when he won and set the record in the Leadman, a high-altitude 282.3 mile race series with the combination of a trail running marathon, 50-mile mountain biking race, 100-mile mountain biking race, 10K run, and finishing with the famed Leadville 100 - all in the span of 6 weeks. He also enjoys pursuing fastest known times (FKTs) on some of the most challenging terrain that isn't possible to stage formal races. He's been featured in numerous magazines, gives talks on the topic of applying what he has called an Ultra Mindset to all areas of your life. He has just released his first book on this very topic, applying the lessons he has learned from his training and racing in the most grueling events in the world into 8 core principles for success in business, sports and life in The Ultra Mindset. In this episode Travis and I discuss several insights from his running career and book including: Fixed vs. growth mindsets - and how a fixed mindset can be detrimental to your running The concept of goal contagion and how it can propel you to new levels Overcoming the fear of the unknown or enormity of what lies ahead How to eliminate doubts along your journey that may be fueled by actual events or fear When it might be ok - or even preferable - to quit Putting things into perspective - especially as you progress His best advice for moving up with either new distances or faster paces Why having children should not be a reason to hold you back, but instead be a reason to achieve Thinking of "struggle" in endurance sports as normal rather than something to be avoided Strategies to relinquish your need for control over every aspect of your training and racing A look into his training under ultra runner and coach Ian Sharman Why you might want to fuel during your short, easy efforts even though physiologically you don't need to Coaching Minute The importance of applying the principle of specificity to your own training to improve. Success Quote "Whether you think you can, or you think you can't - you're right" - Henry Ford Links Mentioned in the Show The Ultra Mindset - Get Travis Macy's Book (Amazon) Vitargo Endurance Fuel TravisMacy.com Chris Klug Foundation CrushMyPR.com - Free training on the 5 Step System to Crush Your PR

For Margaret Webb, her running journey was rekindled approaching age 50 with a simple premise – become fitter than her prior varsity athlete self at age 20 by engaging in a super fit year training for a marathon and in doing so attempting to run a Boston Marathon qualifying time of an 18-34 year old woman of sub 3:35. Throughout her journey she consulted with a team of experts, tapped the minds of leading researchers and delved into physiology and laboratory testing, all in a quest to understand how to minimize the effects of aging and continue running for the second act of life. She traversed North America to run with pioneers of the women’s running boom and uncover secrets of some of the best masters athletes in the world as to how they manage to run well into their 70s, 80s and even 90s. She also traveled to Africa to train with elite marathoners, summited Mt. Kilimanjaro and eventually to Italy where she tested herself in a half marathon against some of the fittest 50 year olds on the planet, finishing in the top 5 for her age group. Today she places and even at times wins her age group in some races, has a marathon PR 21 minutes under her Boston Qualifying standard and a new outlook on the second half of her life. She wrote a running column in Canada’s Globe and Mail, has contributed to Canadian Running Magazine and is a published author including her latest book which chronicles this entire journey, the stories of those running strong at an advanced age and the researchers studying them in Older, Faster, Stronger. In this episode you'll discover how running can be enjoyed well into advanced age including: How running can reduce the use of prescription medications, the effects of aging, cancer and even increase life expectancy The importance of hard training sessions as you age for stimulating growth hormone (and why it's key) Her healthy alternatives to gels and bars for quick carbs to fuel your harder sessions How she increased her volume from 18 miles per week to 55 miles per week - and had fewer issues Safely building speed after age 50 Thoughts on how to be your own best supporter (what that means) Why preparing for a race from a technical, tactical and metal perspective translates into success on race day What she learned from running with the Iron Nun, BJ McCue and other masters runners well into their 80s How to not dwell on falling short of your goal Coaching Minute Thoughts on what to focus on most as a masters runner, and if you aren't a masters runner what to do now to ensure you will enjoy the sport long after you become one. Success Quote "The obsession with running is really an obsession with the potential for more and more life." -George Sheehan Links Mentioned in the Show Older, Faster, Stronger - Get Margaret's Book MargaretWebb.com Crush My PR - Sign up for our free training on the 5 Step System to Crush Your PR

Many runners classify themselves as a certain type of runner or strong at a particular distance vs. others. Max King is one of the few exceptions to this. Max has been one of America’s best and most versatile distance runners for the past several years. He's been successful at distances from 3,000 meters to 100 miles. From roads to trails and obstacles to mountains. One of his most recent successes was winning the IAU 100K World Championships in his 100K road race debut, running the 20-lap course in 6:27:43 – a 6:14 per mile average pace besting Tom Johnson’s 19-year-old 100K US record of 6:30:11. In 2011 he claimed the World Mountain Running Championship title. He’s also won the Warrior Dash championships. On the roads he holds claim to a 2:14:36 marathon PR, 1:03:07 in the Half Marathon, 29:01 in the 10K and 14:02 in the 5K. In this episode, Max and I talk everything from versatility, training, diet and shoes including: Will we see more ultra runners coming down in distance to race competitively in road marathons His mantra that keeps him running and experimenting with different race types and distances Running when you don't have the full support of those around you How he manages to run such a large spectrum of events at a competitive level Incorporating hill running into training and the benefits of doing so The structure of harder efforts vs. easy efforts in his training Why maintaining a consistent volume will help you recover faster from progressively longer runs His tips for getting foot speed back after an ultra What he does to avoid getting bored when running looped courses or very long training runs Preparing for his first 100 mile race, and determining how he should feel at various points in the race Why one of his measures of fitness is based on where he bonks in training - and how he improves His experience as a shoe buyer for Footzone - what he looks for in shoes that make the cut Why having a variety of shoes that you regularly run in may help prevent injuries His tips for determining proper fit of a shoe and what he looks for when he performs fittings Thoughts on how to remain humble and keeping running enjoyable Coaching Minute How running more volume is inversely related to running injury. Success Quote "If you want to win something, run 100m. If you want to experience something, run a marathon" -Emil Zatopek Links Mentioned in the Show Max King's Blog

Ian Sharman has been racing around the world since 2005 and coaching since 2010, having raced nearly 200 ultras and marathons in all. A UK native that has since called the US home, he’s won almost 50 events including multi-day races, road marathons, trail ultras and adventure races with experience of running in many mountain ranges, including the Himalayas, Andes, Rockies and European Alps. He holds the fastest time in a trail 100-mile race in the US at 12 hours 44 minutes, where he crushed a 15-year-old course record and set the new North American record for the distance by over 30 minutes. He was also the 2013 Leadville Trail 100 Champion and completed the grand slam of four 100 mile races in a 10 week period. He directs the US Sky Running series, coaches ultra runners and has a stellar coaching team at SharmanUltra comprising of elite ultra runners Ellie Greenwood (who won the Comrades Marathon herself) and Liza Howard. He also holds 9 Guinness Book of World records for running marathons in costume in the fastest time. In this episode, Ian and I talk about his career along with his best coaching advice including: The importance of progression and learning from your training and racing The mistakes he made and learned from on his journey from Everyday Runner to a top ultra marathoner Focusing on preserving the highest average pace as a way to get your best time Quantifying how much slower you will finish for going out too fast in the marathon through 100 mile events His overall diet and race nutrition advice - why you should keep it simple and avoid "diets" Going from injured to winning a race in 3 months - along with what to do if you are injured ahead of a key race A look into his training - and the metric he uses to determine what peak volume should be for you Why he doesn't set his training or racing in stone and the importance of being flexible Transitioning from marathons to ultra marathons - recommendations on long runs, events and training structure One change to some of your speed sessions that can give your legs that extra strength you need late in a marathon The emergence of a Sky Running circuit in the US and the difference compared to trail running His thoughts on if Sky Running has staying power Life as an entrepreneur working in the running industry after leaving the corporate world behind Coaching Minute Thoughts on setting goals and identifying the motivations behind them. Success Quote "We probably will not grow if we are too afraid to embarrass ourselves in the process." -Alexi Pappas Links Mentioned in the Show Podcast Awards - Please continue voting daily for Runner Academy under Health/Fitness Sharman Ultra - Ian's Website Becoming Ultra - Documentary of two everyday runners being coached to first 50K trail race

Steven Kotler is the co-founder and director of the Flow Genome Project, an international organization dedicated to putting flow state research onto hard science footing, mapping the genome of Flow by 2020 and open sourcing it to everyone. His articles have appeared in over 60 publications, including The New York Times Magazine, Atlantic Monthly, Wired, Forbes, GQ, National Geographic and Popular Science. He has presented to many of the top companies in the world including Google, appeared on CNN and many other programs. He’s a New York Times Best Selling author of several books including The Rise of Superman, which draws on decades of research decoding the mystery of ultimate human performance through the power of harnessing flow, with an emphasis on the study of extreme and endurance athletes who have been able to experience near exponential growth in performance in the last 30 years. Researchers believe flow sits at the heart of almost every athletic championship, every world record, better sprinters, marathoners, the most extreme achievements in endurance sports and just about every facet of high performers in life. If you think that this ability only resides in top performers and our best athletes, think again. Flow is ubiquitous and shows up in everyone and can take seemingly ordinary people to extraordinary accomplishment or at the very least bring you much closer to your very best performance and allow you to perform at a level perhaps better than your training. It can even boost the immune system and help overcome disease states where medicine has exhausted all options. Steven is one such case of this. In this episode, Steven shares all about the elusive flow state and how you can leverage it in your training including: What specifically the flow state is How to shut down your "inner critic" once and for all while running Why a pace group might bring out a better performance than racing alone The 4 cycles of the flow state - and how to identify where you might be The 7 specific triggers for the flow state in your individual running (plus 10 more for group) Why the "Runner's High" is barely delivering the benefits of flow to you - and how to get more Disabling your central governor and getting that reserve you have in the tank when you need it most Why you should visualize any flow experiences you have as you are falling asleep "Flow hacks" that allow you to hack into the flow state Coaching Minute Get an action plan for practicing getting into the flow state in your training so you can activate it on race day. Success Quote "Most people run a race to see who is fastest. I run a race to see who has the most guts." -Steve Prefontaine Links Mentioned in the Show PodcastAwards.com - Vote for Runner Academy Once Per Day Everyday! The Flow Genome Project The Rise of Superman: Decoding the Science of Ultimate Human Performance - get his book 17 Flow State Triggers - Steven's Slide presentation Focus at Will - Background Music to drive concentration and focus

Tim Durbin is a self-described world traveler and average runner, but he’s accomplished much over the past several months. He completed seven marathons on seven continents in seven days in the World Marathon Challenge, which began with a 26.2-mile run on Union Glacier in Antarctica and ended 6 days and 20 hours later with a marathon finish in Sydney, Australia. Each day he spent between four and six hours running, and nearly twice that much time traveling. Durbin was the only American among 10 marathoners from around the world to run 183.4 miles within a seven-day period, and spend 59 hours in the air while flying approximately 23,612 miles. He attracted major media attention for his accomplishment in both the US and around the world. As if the World Marathon Challenge wasn’t enough, it’s actually only a small part of a bigger challenge that Durbin started two years ago. In 2013, he started logging his miles for walking, running, cross country skiing and swimming in order to complete the distance around the equator - 24,901 miles before 2022. He logged over 4,000 miles last year and is in the middle of a 70+ day run streak at the time of this recording. In this episode, Tim shares his entire journey including: From not being able to run a mile just 3 years ago to the World Marathon Challenge How he arrived at wanting to do this challenge How he made the time to train for this epic endurance challenge What he did to keep his mind occupied through 4,000 miles of training without music A recount of his entire journey through all 7 marathons on 7 continents in 7 days Getting through the low points of fatigue, air travel, lack of sleep and endless miles Running with major media coverage following along before the quest was done Overcoming naysayers along the way to his goal How he plans to complete his entire goal of 24,901 miles by 2022 Coaching Minute What you can take away from Tim's journey in accomplishing your own aspirational running goals. Success Quote "Don't give up. Don't ever give up" -Jimmy Valvano Links Mentioned in the Show 24901experiences.com - Tim's Blog Jimmy V Foundation

Sage Rountree is an internationally recognized authority in yoga for athletes and an endurance sports coach specializing in athletic recovery. Sage is the author of six books, some of which include The Athlete’s Guide to Yoga, The Athlete’s Guide to Recovery, Racing Wisely and an upcoming release Everyday Yoga, which will be released in June 2015. She also has a decade of experience teaching yoga, owns two yoga studios in North Carolina and is an experienced registered yoga teacher at the highest level with the Yoga Alliance. Sage teaches both students and aspiring Yoga teachers alike with her students including casual athletes, Olympians, NBA and NFL players, and many University of North Carolina athletes and coaches. Sage also competes in running races from the 400m to the ultramarathon and triathlons from the super sprint to the Ironman. She holds coaching certifications from USA Triathlon, the Road Runners Club of America and writes for publications including Runner’s World, Yoga Journal, and USA Triathlon Magazine. Sage shares her experience, study and teachings including: How she went from couch potato to runner, triathlete and yogi The intangible benefits of yoga that translate to improved running Her tips for incorporating yoga into your training if you are new to it Why yoga for running should be practiced quite differently from those who don't run When you should - and shouldn't - consider adding yoga to your training The 3 imbalances in runners that yoga can help address Advice for men to overcome stereotypes and intimidation of yoga being a predominantly female activity 5 suggested yoga poses for runners to get started How yoga can provide you the tools to help you execute at your best on race day How she approaches racing and what she does when things aren't going well How listing your fears of racing ahead of time can help you address them in training Her strategy of splitting races into four quarters instead of halves When and what type of massage fits in best with your training and racing Coaching Minute Taking action on the things in your training that you are least confident about. Success Quote “If you’re scared to do something, it means you’re on the right track” Links Mentioned in the Show Podcast Awards - Nominate Runner Academy under Health/Fitness through Friday 2/6/15 SageRountree.com YogaVibes - Use code 'sagefreemonth' for a free month of access Racing Wisely - Get Sage's book on racing

Peter Sagal’s career has included stints as a playwright, screenwriter, stage director, actor, an extra in a Michael Jackson video and of course radio. He has been the host of the popular NPR News Quiz Show “Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell Me!” since 1998 heard by millions of listeners each week via radio and podcast. Aside from comedy, broadcasting and writing, the other passion in his life has been running. He went from a considering himself neighborhood jogger to what he considers a fairly serious runner. Like many facing age 40, Peter found himself needing to make a change in his health and fitness. He found that change through running along with personal fulfillment and inspiring many others to achieve their goals in the process. He has notched sub-40 minutes in the 10K, sub-1:30 in the half marathon and an impressive marathon PR of 3:09:25 at age 46 after at one point wondering if his fastest days were behind him. He is active in the running community in Chicago, has helped organize races, is an advocate for the sport also writes a column for Runner’s World. Most recently, he has found himself dedicating time to pay it forward by serving as a guide to visually impaired runners in the Boston Marathon. In this light yet insightful episode, Peter shares his running journey and highlights including: The point in his training he knew he was on track His advice to staying committed and trusting the plan What he specifically did in his training to crush his marathon PR by 11 minutes Why what you can do without extreme discomfort is a good measure of fitness The specific training experience that gave him confidence on the start line of his best marathon Overcoming the deep post-race blues in the aftermath of a race result he never thought possible Where he found a new motivation to continue running when PRs were no longer important His experience serving as a guide for blind runners A recount of finishing just 4 minutes ahead of the bombs at the 2013 Boston Marathon How he keeps up with running while traveling for his radio show His thoughts on the differences and similarities of runners across the United States The best piece of running advice he has ever received Coaching Minute Criteria for when and how you should consider changing your training. Success Quote Insanity: Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. - Albert Eienstien Links Mentioned in the Show Podcast Awards - Nominate Runner Academy for Best Health and Fitness Podcast PeterSagal.com @peterruns - Follow Peter's musings about running on Twitter Wait Wait..Don't Tell Me! - Peter's NPR Show

For Leo Manzano it hasn’t been easy reaching for the top, nor staying there – but he has been overcoming the odds his entire life. Born in central Mexico in a town that until recently did not have running water or electricity, Leo moved with his family to Texas at the age of four where he later took up running as a youth - at one point even running in work boots. Leo progressed and had a standout high school career for Marble Falls High School in Marble Falls, Texas, where he won a total of nine Texas 4A state championships. Despite this, his 5’5 physical build made it difficult to get attention from many traditional running powerhouse schools. It still worked out - finding a great match when he was recruited to University of Texas as the first member of his family to attend college. In Austin, he became just the second Longhorn to run the mile in under 4 minutes, amassed ten Big 12 championships, 2 NCAA 1500m outdoor titles and 2 NCAA indoor mile titles and a distance medley relay tile along with becoming the first ever Longhorn to make the U.S. Olympic squad in the 1,500m. After not making the 1500m final in the Beijing games in 2008, he made the final in London in 2012 and ran a heroic finish to the race moving from last place going into the bell lap to second and claiming the silver medal, the first for the US since Jim Ryun in 1968 and one of just 4 US men to ever do so. After that accomplishment, a period of challenges and hard work followed with contemplation of leaving the sport after finding himself without a sponsor. But 2014 brought him a new sponsor with Hoka One One, a new agent Hawi Keflezighi, brother of Meb Keflezighi, and a new coach, John Hayes. It’s led to an outstanding year for Leo winning the USA 1500m Outdoor National Championship and a new 1500m PR in Monaco in July of 3:30.98. He’s proved doubters wrong time and time again throughout his career though perhaps his greatest asset is his determination, heart and of course, a competition crushing finishing kick. The importance of consistency Consistently timing your peak and bringing out your best performance on race day What he does when he mentally wants to just give up in a race Knowing when to kick into the finish - avoiding too soon or too late A recount of his heroic final lap in Men's 1500m Final during the 2012 London Olympic Games His perfect formula to develop your own kick Overcoming the post race blues that almost made him quit following the pinnacle of his career His advice at becoming a better miler so that you can improve at all distances Coaching Minute An insight from Leo's training progression from high school to collegiate to professional running that you can implement within your own running to achieve a new level of success. Success Quote "It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves." -Sir Edmund Hillary Links Mentioned in the Show Watch Leo's Finish at the 1500m Final 2012 Olympics Watch Leo's pre-race ritual 2012 Olympics LeoManzano.com - Leo's website

Eric Allen and George Wu are two runners that have taken their professional academic pursuits and put them to work in analyzing runners and their performances in the marathon. Eric holds a PhD in Business Administration and is an assistant professor of accounting at USC Marshall School of Business. George Wu holds a PhD in Decision Sciences and is a Harvard educated professor of Behavioral Science at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business where he studies the psychology of individual, managerial, and organizational decision making; decision analysis; and cognitive biases in bargaining and negotiation. Eric and George recently teamed up on research along with Patricia Dechow and Devin Pope that examined finishing times from an amazing database of over 9.5 million marathon finishes, taken from marathons around the world dating back to 1970 including the 50 largest US marathons, plus virtually all North American marathons since 2000, and other major races from every continent. They published their findings in July 2014 in a paper entitled Reference-Dependent Preferences: Evidence from Marathon Runners. The result of their research is a fascinating look into how runners finish the marathon and bunch up ahead of round number finishing times and how runners set their racing goals. George also has conducted additional research with others focusing on goals as reference points in marathon running and harnessing optimism – how eliciting goals improves performance providing new insights into how you might approach your own goal setting. This episode will dive into this fascinating research including: A look at the distribution of millions of marathon finishing times - what it tells us and means for you The psychology behind round number goals and the power of loss aversion Why two runners finishing within seconds of each other can feel completely different about a race outcome Data that shows how setting too easy of a race goal can limit performance Why you should not wait to set your marathon goal until the day before the race - and when to do so instead Why your optimism declines as the race gets closer If setting a goal too ambitious and falling short has any negative consequences How to harness the power of setting goals for your marathon that are likely to elicit your best performance Coaching Minute How to set a year long plan to make this your best year of running yet. Success Quote "That's what our training is for, we practice not panicking, we practice breathing, we practice looking directly at the thing that scares us until we stop flinching, we practice overriding our can't." -Kristin Armstrong Links Mentioned in the Show Reference-Dependent Preferences: Evidence from Marathon Runners - Full text of their joint study ericjallen.net - Eric's website George Wu - Faculty Profile

Tyler McCandless is a top American distance runner part of Newton Running elite, a PhD student in Meterology at Penn State and an Olympic Hopeful for the 2016 games in Rio. He’s based in the running mecca of Boulder, Colorado under the tutelage of coach Steve Jones, a former marathon world record holder. While at Penn State, he earned All-American Honors in the 10,000m. Since graduating college, his made the transition to road races qualifying for the 2012 Olympic marathon trials at his first attempt at the distance in the California International Marathon in 2010. Tyler’s won three marathons: the Kauai Marathon in Hawaii in 2011, and 2012; and also the Iwaki City Marathon in Japan in 2012. Tyler’s marathon PR currently stands at 2:15:26 and improving. He also excels at the half marathon, with a current PR of 1:03:16. Tyler’s success is coming from doing many things in his training and racing that some would consider unconventional or even at odds with today’s best practices – but it is bringing him continued success. Perhaps most importantly of all, one of his core philosophies is that running should be fun. The importance of running being fun and keeping the pressure off for best results How he balances other pursuits along with 70-90 mile weeks Staying motivated in looking at a multi-year approach to meeting running goals How having a more relaxed approach can lead to more fun and better results Letting go of being too analytical of training from someone obsessed with data Overcoming fears running some workouts without a GPS watch and running by feel Measuring your progress in the absence of just looking at the numbers The frequency he experiences a mediocre workout - and why they don't really matter His racing strategy that takes the opposite approach of most - and why it is working for him Why as a meteorologist he doesn't obsess over race day weather Coaching Minute How to get started with implementing effort based training to your workouts. Success Quote We may train or peak for a certain race, but running is a lifetime sport. -Alberto Salazar Links Mentioned in the Show The Kauai Marathon @TrackTy - Follow Tyler on Twitter Tyler on InstaGram

Dr. Nicholas Romanov is an author, world-renowned sports scientist with a career spanning over forty years, developer of the Pose Method of running and one of the world's leading experts on running technique. He was born, raised and educated in Russia, but relocated to United States in the early 1990s. A man of humble beginnings, Dr. Romanov became a star Track & Field athlete. He became a champion with several records in high-jump standing unmatched for years and later a 2-time Olympic Coach that coached champions. He has conducted a significant body of scientific research including a groundbreaking scientific study alongside Dr. Tim Noakes published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercises that demonstrated how to reduce, by virtually 50%, the impact on the knees in running. He has also authored books on technique & training as well as published numerous scientific papers. He has just released his latest book this past September, The Running Revolution: How to Run Faster, Farther, and Injury-Free--for Life of which covers In this episode, Dr. Romanov shares his life's work studying and teaching the idea of a series of poses being at the center of good technique including: Thinking of running as "flying" Reducing emphasis on the ground and your optimal contact with it Why landing is less important than how you fall How running is less about effort to move ourselves, but instead how you use your legs to fall The two most common errors all runners make with their running form and technique Why stride length is a function of the angle of your fall, rather than something you should try to control Why Usain Bolt's 100m WR of 9.58 sec is mathematically not even close to what is possible Mathematical proof that the 2 hour marathon barrier can and will be crushed Discussion on conflicting viewpoints around the role of gravity in running and reducing effort expended The critical importance of perception in achieving your goals How we can account for individual differences in running form and some inconsistencies at the elite level Strategies for maintaining your running technique longer in distance events Why you are actually working harder than elite athletes on race day Coaching Minute Best practices for using your smartphone to improve your running technique. Success Quote Ask yourself:  "Can I give more?" The answer is usually yes. -Paul Tergat Links Mentioned in the Show Running Revolution: How to Run Faster, Farther and Injury Free for Life - Get Dr. Romanov's Book Pose Method Coach's Eye - Video Analysis App for Android, iOS, Windows Phone See Coach's Eye in Action:

Coach Brad Hudson started training at the age of 10 under the tutelage of world-renowned distance running coach Mark Wetmore who at the time was a student at Rutgers. In high school Brad became the New Jersey State Cross Country Champion and then moved to Eugene, OR and then became the Oregon State Cross Country Champion. In college at the University of Oregon, he earned multiple NCAA All-American honors and won the Pac-10 Cross Country Championships under the direction of coach Bill Dellinger, as many may know the coach of legend Steve Prefontaine. After successful high school and collegiate careers he competed on the roads for 10 years as an elite runner qualifying for the Olympic trials 3 times and earning a PR of 2:13:23 at the Cal International Marathon. He also notched two victories at the Columbus Marathon and a win in the Detroit Marathon before turning his passion towards coaching. In his coaching career he has coached notable runners including Shayne Culpepper, Dathan Ritzenhein, Jason Hartmann, James Carney, Molly Pritz and Pat Rizzo as well as everyday runners. He is also co-author with Matt Fitzgerald on the well regarded book Run Faster from the 5K to the Marathon. In this episode, Brad shares his insights from coaching elite runners and everyday runners alike including: Thoughts on children training and racing competitively at a young age from his own experience doing so His meeting with Arthur Lydiard Making sense of the endless training approaches and ideas available today What will improve your running the most if you are young How running more now will allow you to run less when you are older and still have success The concept of individualization - and why there is no one size fits all training How often you should be changing things up in your training Evaluating your training from an "Everything Matters" approach What being consistent really means Is high volume to blame for most overuse injuries - or something else? How he has his athletes build mileage - and how you can safely build yours What his thoughts are on missed workouts and deviating from a training plan Why comparing previous performances on workouts can be misleading in measuring true progress Insights into the seemingly endless injuries at the elite level in many prominent marathons His thoughts on the 80/20 principle of training Quick Tip Ideas on how to maintain consistency in your running so you can realize the long term payoff it can bring. Links Mentioned in the Show Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcom Gladwell Run Faster from the 5K to the Marathon by Brad Hudson and Matt Fitzgerald RA Podcast Episode 37: Matt Elliot - Hear this inspirational story of training at a high level with a full time job

Deena Kastor has put together a professional running career spanning nearly two decades setting American records in every distance from 5K to the marathon and now world masters records as a masters runner. Considered the top female distance runner in U.S. history, her American half marathon record of 1:07:34 and her American marathon record of 2:19:36 still stand today. She has notched victories in the Chicago Marathon, the London Marathon, and was a medalist in the 2004 Olympic Marathon in Athens and at one time was ranked the #1 marathoner in the world. As a masters athlete, she just recently claimed world masters records in the 10-mile (52:41), 15K (49:03) and 20K (1:05:52) en-route to a new women’s masters half marathon world record of 1:09:36 at the Rock ‘N’ Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon in September 2014. She is also the president of the Mammoth Track Club along with her husband Andrew who serves as head coach, which is a famed group that trains elite runners, up and coming runners and everyday runners alike at altitude in Mammoth Lakes, CA where she has resided and trained since 2001. She’s been having great success in 2014 but prefers to look ahead rather than in the past with her current sights set on a great showing in the NYC marathon in just a few weeks. In this episode, Deena shares much from her career and experiences including: How her failed attempts at soccer, softball and ice skating led her to the track Staying motivated after a period of slowed progression in collegiate running Believing in herself enough to convince a renowned coach to take her on after college Her progression of going from 40 miles per week in college to 75 MPW and then 100+ MPW as an elite How she adjusted her training after spending time training in Kenya Adapting her diet with a full travel schedule and when in foreign countries The staples in her daily diet How she deals with weather conditions she would prefer not to run in Training and having success at a variety of distances from 5K to the Marathon Building speed without losing endurance, and not letting endurance rob speed Tying together different training and races throughout the year to achieve your major goals Coming back from injury, setbacks and disappointing race performances How she "digs deep" when races get difficult - what that really means How even with 30 years of running and racing, she is still learning An insight to her thoughts on the start line, and decisions she makes while in the race itself Running before and after the birth of her daughter Piper How she avoids burn out year after year of training and life events that many would consider retiring A recount of her Bronze Medal win in Athens and first marathon victory in Chicago Quick Tip Actionable strategies to regain and maintain confidence if you lose it ahead of your goal race. Links Mentioned in the Show Spirit of the Marathon - Recommended movie for all marathoners featuring Deena Kastor Mastering the Taper - Runner Academy Episode 6

Bill Rodgers, known by many as “Boston Billy” was one of the key figures in the distance running boom that started in the 1970s and continues strong still today. A complete unknown grad student before capturing attention and admiration following his 1975 Boston Marathon Victory, a race he went on to win a total of 4 times including 3 straight from 1978-80 and twice set the American Record on the course. In addition he captured the NYC Marathon 4 times and the famed Fukuoka Marathon in Japan holding the title of all 3 at the same time. He did all of this at a time when the reward was not money or sponsorship, but for the win itself. Of the 60 or so marathons Rodgers has ran, 28 were run under 2:15. In all he won 22 marathons in his career and countless wins against top talent in shorter races including the famed Falmouth Road Race on Cape Cod of which he ran and won 3 times in the very beginning. He trained and raced with some of the best of the era and all time including Amby Burfoot, who was his college roommate, Frank Shorter, Alberto Salazar and many more that have gone on to become names we all know but at the time were just simply men who loved to run. He opened the first running specialty store in America dubbed the Bill Rodgers Running Center which operated in Boston for 35 years becoming the model for the running specialty stores we know today. His entire story is captured in a book released in 2013 that for me was impossible to put down, Marathon Man: My 26.2-Mile Journey from Unknown Grad Student to the Top of the Running World. In all, he has ran over 175,000 miles by his own estimates and perhaps relates the most to the everyday runner. In this episode Bill shares highlights and inspiration from his storied running journey including: Running relatively injury free for his entire career From imagining a Boston win after a night out to sitting at dinner with the President after doing so What the President of the United States asks of you at dinner Reshaping your destiny with running - a look at how powerful it really is How the marathon can humble anyone - even those at the top of the sport What Bill was thinking when he struggled in races What you should do if the marathon humbles you and a race doesn't go as planned Thinking about your running and racing as a quest When to be conservative and when to gamble a bit and go for it Insights into Bill's racing strategies and decision making process Are we too fixated on perfect training, diet and might stand to relax a little? His thoughts on training and racing the Boston Marathon How we are all students of the sport and always learning - regardless of ability His thoughts on where the sport is today from the running boom he helped set in motion Quick Tip Hear ideas on recovering from a race that doesn't go as planned. Links Mentioned in the Show Marathon Man: My 26.2-Mile Journey from Unknown Grad Student to the Top of the Running World - Get His Autographed Book Boston 1982: Duel in The Sun - Hear Dick Beardsley's Appearance and recount of this race on episode 19 Runner Academy Shirts - Support Youth Running with a Runner Academy Tech Shirt