The marathon is quite the beast of a race.  Many runners set the marathon as a long term goal or the peak of their running achievement.  

Others run a few every year while a rare few set out to run one in every state in the US or aim for global destinations.  Regardless of where you may fall on the spectrum from first race to hundredth, one thing is clear, the marathon is not easy.

 Running a marathon requires substantial physical preparation.  

• Runners must increase the time they are able to spend on their feet and the length of run they can complete.  
• They need to be able to learn how to fuel during a run.  
• Training for a marathon should include practicing different types of fuel to see which option works best with your body.  
• Runners also need to be able to deal with drinking while running.  
• The physical preparation slides into the mental challenge as the training requires the ability to handle whatever happens on race...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KEVIN!

The internet in filled with training plans designed for all sorts of race distances with the allure of magic paces and workouts to help you reach your peak.  In this episode we break down where these plans come from, what some of the vocabulary means, and hopefully educate you about how different paces can help you.  

First, the plans come from well intentioned exercise physiologists trying to take research on elite athletes and adjust it to mortals.  The issue is when reducing the paces or distances, the benefits might not be the same. Also, given the background of an elite runner versus a more typical runner, even identical workouts will result in different physical adaptations.  

The paces in these plans often fall into one of these categories.

Marathon pace- This is what you can sustain for 2:30 to 3:00 regardless of how far that gets you.  If you finish a marathon around 4:22(10 minute miles) your "marathon pace" in...

What is a runner’s body?

In the world of running, there are a lot of stereotypes about what runners look like or should look like.  Running used to be more of an elitist sport, not a sport of the masses like it is today.

Today, running has become more accessible to so many more people and the “runner’s body” now takes on many more shapes and sizes.  

However, that runner’s body stereotype hasn’t gone away.  Many people judge themselves based on their size or shape, and some even think that that image has a role in determining their own self-identity as a runner.  

I’m not a runner because I’m not thin enough.

I’m not a runner because I’m not fast enough.  

The truth of the matter is that it does not require a certain look or race time to become a runner.  It does not take a specific weekly mileage. Runners do not have to race marathons, or even race at all.  To be a runner, you...

Journaling is an incredibly healthy habit that seems to be done in some form by basically every successful person.

In this episode we discuss journaling from two very different perspectives. Angie has always had her daily planner going back to at least high school.  It has helped to bring focus and structure with to-do lists. It has provided a source of reflection and a guideline to thanksgiving.

On the other hand, Kevin has tried to keep a journal since high school.  It has repeatedly proved unsuccessful although it does feel really good during the week or two that it lasts.

In this episode, we discuss the benefits of journaling for life and specifically for running.  We cover the sense of accomplishment, the organization, and the ability to look back and recognize patterns and causes of both high and low points.  

Angie lists numerous options for what to enter in a journal, while always starting with gratitude.

We cover what type of information you...

As much as we focus on training, goal setting, and lots of details to running improvement, sometimes it’s nice to step back and remember that all of this running is supposed to be fun.  

There are days that we do need the big goals to get us through a rough patch that tends to show up during the heat of the summer or the cold of the winter. However, at the end of the day, your running should provide you with some level of joy.

On this episode, we talk about:

• How running can provide happiness through stress relief and meditation
• The joy and other benefits of running with a group.
• How ignoring your goals may provide happiness for some people, yet focusing on goals and competition brings about happiness in others
• We wrap it up with a connection of how happiness matters in all areas of life from nutrition to family.

Ultimately, there are plenty of ways to enjoy running and when you finish you should remember to put a smile on your face.  

Go find your joy!

Hope you...

Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water.  After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. 

This Buddhist statement about chopping wood and carrying water highlights the importance of fundamentals, no matter what stage you are at along your journey.  

It is important to understand that improvement in running, health, or really any worthwhile venture happen over a long period of time and through many small (and seemingly boring) steps.  

While the allure of the Instagram worthy workout or magic training secrets are attractive, the truth is that getting better simply requires consistency towards a goal.

In running, the recovery distance, stability exercises, and mobility work are the foundation of great achievements.  

Do not discount stability, as it is likely the reason you are not injured.

Do not ignore mobility; it is fixing that small ache before you are sidelined.  

Do not regard easy runs as “junk” mileage, because they...

What's the point of training if you're not all-in?  Do you believe in your training plan?  Do you believe in your support system?  Do you believe in yourself??

Today's society seems to be overruled by FOMO, the fear of missing out.  People are always looking for the next best thing and don't want to be left behind.  People are always second guessing if what they are doing is the best thing or if there is something better waiting around the corner.

What's the best training plan for you?   In truth, there are a lot of good training plans out there, and most of them work.  There are some that have more focus on distance and some focus more on speed, but most will work.  However, they aren't going to work if you don't commit to them or if you jump from plan to plan looking for the fastest results.

Buy in.  Commit.  Succeed.  That's the theme of today's episode.  

We talk about: 

• Belief in your training plan
  • There...

In this world of immediate gratification and all information at our fingertips, everyone wants a quick fix and immediate results. 

Want to get in better shape? Try HIIT training.

Want to get faster?  Try sprints.

Want to lose weight? Try extremely restrictive diets.

Want more money? Click one of those online ads to make $25k this month.

Running isn't like that though.  Distance running is about slow and steady results.  We need to look at running as a journey rather than a single destination.

There is a great benefit to building the aerobic base, but it does not usually deliver quick feedback.  Classic periodization builds a big base and then tries to use speed later in the season to refine the aerobic base into speed.

New runners and old runners off of a break try to circumvent this strategy by hitting speed early and can see positive early results.  In the long run, pure speed will reach a limit quickly and progression will likely stop,...

 Summer is coming!  It’s important to be aware that heat and humidity can change running in many different ways.  Down here in Florida, we understand the importance of dealing with heat and humidity, but this is important no matter where you live.

Let's review of what happens to body temperature when we exercise: 

• Body temperature goes up so the body sweats to try to cool it body temp down
• Body cools down as the sweat evaporates from our skin
• Body also sends more blood to the skin to cool us down, but during exercise the blood is also being sent to our working muscles - this can lead to overheating
• Body can divert more blood to skin, but then not as much going to muscles, so muscles have to work harder to produce the same effort

Heat in a dry climate:

• Dry air evaporates sweat from your body almost as quickly as you’re producing it so you can become dehydrated much more quickly.
• As you become more and more dehydrated throughout a run, your...

Why am I so tired?

Runners know what it is like to be tired.  As real life runners, with jobs, families, and other responsibilities, we definitely know what it is like to be tired.  But what exactly is fatigue?

Scientists used to try to figure out what exercise-induced fatigue was through strictly physiological models.  They figured that the body just ran out of fuel at some point, which caused us to feel fatigue. They talked about fueling, the build-up of by-products in the body (why do you think everyone knows about lactic acid!?), and the other physical changes that occured within our cells.  

Sure, that can explain fatigue, but is it the whole story?  As busy parents, we know that it’s not just physical things that cause us to be fatigued.  When we have a lot of mental stress or a million things going on in our lives, we can feel tired, even though we may be getting enough sleep or eating the right food.  What, then, is the...