Episodes

1d ago

We, but mostly Brakken, talk about our year of training, racing, and also what next year might look like!

6d ago

We pick three shoes, three training locations, and three pieces of gear/clothing for each major race type: 5k/10k, Half Marathon/Marathon, and Ultramarathons.

Dec 11

The training, the current Pro scene, the race itself, and what Ultramarathon fitness allows you to do makes these the best race distances!

Dec 6

Mary Martin is the race director of the Standhope Ultra Challenge in Idaho: a race built for women, parents, and the next generation of mountain athletes.

Dec 3

The training, the current Pro scene, the race itself, and what HM / Marathon fitness allows you to do makes these the best race distances!

Nov 29

The training, the current Pro scene, the race itself, and what 5k / 10k fitness allows you to do makes these the best race distances!

Nov 22

Former NCAA D1 swimmer, current NYU med student, and recent Olympic Trials Marathon Qualifier off less than 50 miles per week!

Nov 20

The training, the current Pro scene, the race itself, and what Mile fitness allows you to do makes the Mile the best race distance!

Nov 15

Today’s topics: HRV, Strength Training, Extra Sleep vs Extra Training, 100M readiness, Strava Overtraining, and Backwards Walking.

Nov 13

Kirk is back in the studio and we’re answering your most pressing running questions!

Nov 8

A nutrition coach and sports dietitian in addition to being a runner herself, Kylee specializes in endurance athletes struggling with complex GI issues, race fueling complexities, disordered eating, eating disorders, low energy availability, and REDS.

Nov 6

Sound familiar? The RMR podcast did this exact topic this week. Rich didn’t listen to this, we didn’t listen to his, and we did not discuss our talking points with each other prior to recording! Mostly because Rich didn’t know we were doing this. Check his out if you haven’t already and see where we are in alignment and where we disagree!

Oct 29

They aren’t going anywhere any time soon, so is the running community better or worse for their presence??

Oct 25

Anytime, anywhere! These workouts are simply great for building overall fitness.

Oct 23

Kirk loves float style intervals. Brakken loves to hate them. What exactly makes these workouts worth doing?

Oct 18

Ultra runner extraordinaire, Mark Dowdle, joins us to chat all things Backyard Ultras and Last Man Standing events.

Oct 16

If two 5 mile runs equal one 8 mile run, what does the 4x4x48 Challenge equal? And does a 15:00 5k runner hurt the same as a 15 minute two mile runner, assuming they are both at max effort?? What about time spent in zones?!? Let chaos ensue!

Oct 11

We choose your six best questions of the week to spend a little extra time analyzing and talking through!

Oct 8

The weather is finally shifting away from the summer heat and it is time to go find out exactly what kind of fitness you’ve build this year!

Oct 4

James brings a crazy resume to the podcast: USA Cycling BMX National Team Coach USA Cycling Coach of the Year Physical Health & Wellness Vice President for the Wounded Warrior project Exercise Physiologist Bike Racer & Trail Runner

Oct 1

How should you actually feel during each stage of training? From Off Season and Base all the way through Competition, here is how our energy levels, soreness, and motivation changes throughout the cycles.

Sep 20

When life dictates that you need some time away from full bore training, but you don’t really want or need a real offseason, it’s time for a Bridge Season!

Sep 18

Today we’re re-airing our interview with Rylan Schadegg. Rylan passed away last week and this is the best way we know of keeping his voice alive.

Sep 13

High mileage with less ‘Quality” workouts or low mileage with more Quality? Singles or Doubles? Base Building before starting Speed Work or doing it concurrently? Long Runs or Medium Runs?

Sep 10

Last week we discussed why a formula CAN’T accurately tell you how much hill work you should be doing. This week we discuss exactly what you SHOULD be doing in training!

Sep 7

A listener sent us a reel that gives a simple calculation for determining how much vertical gain every runner should be doing. Is it perfect? Just okay? Terrible?

Sep 3

We cover 8 great listener questions, ranging from speed work to marathon training!

Aug 30

Wrapping up our mini series, some aspects of running can be very overrated at times while being very underrated in certain circumstances.

Aug 27

With all the recent drug bans being laid down in the running world, it’s time we talk about what performance enhancing drug use looks like in our sport.

Aug 23

You want to take your running seriously? These are the most underrated ways of improving!

Aug 21

We debate the most overrated tactics when it comes to getting faster!

Aug 15

Highlights include: Stride Rate vs Length Hyrox Shoes Tall Runners Treadmill vs Outdoor training Group Run Etiquette Race Pace Predictors

Aug 13

Spartan Racing, in the Pro Ranks, is dead and gone in North America. Athletes haven’t been paid in years, numbers have flatlined, and the opportunity to make a living as a Spartan Athlete is no longer a thing. So, today we remember peak Spartan Race. Not in sadness, but as a celebration of what once was!

Aug 8

Lead chiropractor and owner of Bottenfield Chiropractic Strength and Wellness, Dr Patrick has become Kirk’s go-to for injury rehab.

Aug 6

US Track and Field Championships were this past weekend and oooooh baby were there some RACES!

Aug 2

Kris shows up to discuss racing, training, mindset and balance like only she can!

Jul 30

We know that you’re probably struggling to deal with the current heat wave, but we have good news: It gets better! Your body will adapt.

Jul 26

Jess moderates a non-serious debate between Kirk and BK regarding listener questions.

Jul 23

If you’re going to take running seriously, you’re going to be tracking some combination of pace, RPE, and heart rate (at the bare minimum). So, where should you start? What metric matters the most?

Jul 19

The questions are nicely polarized: roughly 80% nonsense and 20% running related.

Jul 16

We are generally our own worst enemy. Here’s how to avoid that trap while self coaching!

Jul 12

At what point does cross training stop being useful to your running?

Jul 10

Last week Tyler slid into Kirk’s DMs with some friendly training advice. This week we invited him on to chat it through on air. So sit back, grab your notebook & pen, and get ready for some great advice from a 3x Olympic Trials qualifier!

Jul 5

Marathon Training Ultra “time on feet” indoor vs outdoor workouts strength training racing weight

Jul 1

Kyle recently broke the World Record for most holes of golf played in 24 hours, covering over 90 miles en route!

Jun 26

Unfortunately, most of us will drop out of a race eventually. Here is how to review the race & the preceding training, draw accurate conclusions, and plan ahead to prevent it from happening again!

Jun 21

The audience came through with some excellent questions this month, including questions about Tapers, Lifting, Hyrox, OCR, Pacing, and Body Weight.

Jun 18

Kirk is making his marathon debut this weekend. We discuss the exact details of his taper, race week sleep and dietary plans, race morning routine and warm up, and his plan of attack for the race itself.

Jun 14

Father, teacher, Ninja Warrior, and endurance athlete. Chris epitomizes the “non pro” athlete who is chasing performance with the same dedication and intensity as the pro athletes.

Jun 11

Last week we talked about avoiding common race blunders. Today, we lay the blueprint for actively succeeding on race day!

Jun 7

Glenn Cassidy and Edwin Leahy of Saint Benedict’s Prep School join us to discuss the 55 mile hike on the Appalachian Trail which all freshman embark on as a capstone project.

Jun 4

From pre-race anxiety and cramming in too much last minute work to starting out too fast, we cover the most common ways people screw up their races!

May 31

Some might be considered “hot” takes, others are decidedly lukewarm. But these are the trends we’re noticing (and not always loving) in running right now!

May 28

Don’t skip past this one just because you aren’t running 100 mile weeks! Overtraining can happen to anyone, regardless of training volume. Here are the signs, symptoms, and causes, with some fixes and preventions thrown in for good measure.

May 24

Your questions have been stacking up so we’re diving into them today! Highlights include: Supershoes Marathon Prep When to “retire” Why warm ups matter! Pre-race excuses

May 21

The heat and humidity has arrived. How should we go about accounting for this in training?

May 14

Last week we decided that Brakken needs to suck it, sign up for a race, and start training seriously. Today, we build him a 16 week training plan designed to address all the deficiencies he’s developed over the past few years of half-assed training.

May 7

After completing just 2 races in the past year, it is time for Brakken to sign up, show up, and get back to racing!

May 3

For the past 25 years, Rich has never stopped pursuing his goal of becoming the best runner and athlete possible. Why has he now, at the age of 39, seemingly reached new heights of fitness?

Apr 30

The Long Run is a staple of life for many distance runners. It is also pretty demanding on the body. Here are our favorite “bang for your buck” options!

Apr 26

Darla returns to talk injuries, rehab, holding on to fitness through cross training, and refusing to ever give back or back down.

Apr 23

Can you just do classic track workouts on the trails? Sure. But sometimes you need something specifically designed for your off road racing needs!

Apr 20

On Tuesday we covered the workouts that give you solid fitness benefits with very little recovery costs. Today we are taking the opposite stance: workouts that are crazy costly but have the potential for big improvements to your fitness and/or confidence!

Apr 16

Minimum recovery costs; maximum fitness gain. These are the workouts we find to be most repeatable, manageable, and enjoyable! We choose multiple options each for Speed, Threshold, and Tempo sessions.

Apr 11

Running is hard! Are you playing to your strengths as a runner or just banging your head against the wall?

Apr 8

Kirk was in California crushing marathon workouts and big mountain runs. Brakken was in Sweden… cross training?

Apr 5

Scott H. Frey, Ph.D., Ed.M., is an award-winning scientist, mentor, and lifelong endurance athlete. For the past 30 years, he led a research program that focused on understanding the relationship between the brain and human performance and is now applying his methods to endurance athletes around the world. Visit cerebralperformance.com to learn more.

Mar 29

Professional runner and Guinness World Record holder Michael Wardian talks goals, recent runs and races, and his work with World Vision on a clean water initiative.

Mar 20

When pace, gps or hr fails you during a race, having a metronome stride you can fall back on to ensure that you are pacing correctly is a huge advantage!

Mar 17

Sean is the founder and owner of Emergence Physical Therapy Strength and Running Performance Center in Redmond, Oregon, an ultra runner, and a holder of multiple Master’s power lifting records.

Mar 12

Workout One: 12x 1000m w/ 1:00 float recovery. Workout Two: 10x 200m w/ 150m jog recovery. Both workouts didn’t quite go as planned and adjustments had to be made during. What do you take away from a workout that goes awry?

Mar 8

Life and personal questions, generated randomly, answered by us? Sounds like Long Run material!

Mar 5

“I probably shouldn’t do this cool local race because it doesn’t fit in with the training block I’m currently in.” Sound familiar? Let’s chat it out!

Mar 1

You asked and we delivered! Three years after our last chat with Derek about his journey with running and his battle with colon cancer, he rejoins the show to update us on his life, health, and running.

Feb 26

We take some time to talk through racing goals and pick each other’s brains about the training needed to accomplish them!

Feb 21

Matt joins us to talk about: After three years of dealing with Long COVID, going from zero miles per week to racing a 100k Adapting his training to accommodate his body’s “new rules” His new book: Chasing Mastery

Feb 18

Far too many runners choose their training volume based on what others are doing. This is how we think about the appropriate volume to train at!

Feb 15

We continue from where we left off last week with Kirk taking the lead on his most impactful takeaways from our early episodes.

Feb 12

How we approach them, our strategy, our training adjustments, and our expectations.

Feb 7

We have had the opportunity to listen to so many incredible individuals impart knowledge, wisdom, and warnings over the past 500 episodes. Today we recap some of the best lessons we’ve learned from others since starting this podcast.

Feb 4

Our current practices for injury prevention. How to implement hill work and at what grade of steepness. How Lactate Threshold HR and pace change over time. When to time trial and when to race. Plus more!

Jan 29

Why should runners lift? What is really considered strength training when it comes to endurance running? How often do we think a runner should lift? Do we prioritize performance or prevention of injury? And much more!

Jan 25

Jan 22

This isn’t us telling you what shoes to get. We’re not telling you what shoes we think are “good”. There is really no such thing as a “good” or “bad” shoe these days; just a shoe that does or doesn’t work well for your foot and purpose. Today we discuss how to decide what shoes are likely to be a good match for your feet, your stride, and your terrain.

Jan 18

Cam is a renowned endurance athlete, through hiker, and all around outdoor adventurer. In 2024, between completing the Pacific Crest Trail and several other adventures, he slept outdoors more than indoors!

Jan 14

This is episode three in a series of Training Tuesdays explaining our rationale behind the way we think about and execute various pieces of our training. Today: How to approach your Off Season.

Jan 12

Ian completed two of the tougher 100 mile races in the US this past year, despite never running a race longer than 65 miles prior. Today we chat about persevering, staying the course, and putting one foot in front of the other when you absolutely do not want to.

Jan 8

This is episode two in a series of Training Tuesdays explaining our rationale behind the way we think about and execute various pieces of our training. Today: Speed Development for distance runners. How much, when to do it, and how to know what exactly you need as a runner.

Jan 4

We lay out our training and racing goals & aspirations for the coming season!

Jan 1

We’re kicking off a series of Training Tuesday episodes explaining our rationale behind the way we think about and execute various pieces of our training. Today: the Pre-Race Warm Up. Most people do far too little. Some people do way too much. Either way, we’re not telling just telling you HOW to warm up, we’re telling the REASON we believe you should warm up a certain way.

Dec 28, 2024

One of us did a lot of running and racing. The other did a lot of rehabbing and dreaming about racing. We both learned a ton.

Dec 20, 2024

The world record holder in the 400m and 800m, Austin competed at the 2016, 2020, and 2024 Summer Paralympic Games, winning a gold and a bronze medal in Paris 24.

Dec 18, 2024

We discuss our recent training, team racing strategy, fueling during stage racing, and our reactions to the training principles David Roche implemented during his build to the Leadville 100.

Dec 11, 2024

How often should you look forward to your runs? How often should you feel good during a run? How should running (or missing a run) affect your daily life? Does race performance affect your self worth?

Dec 6, 2024

Ian Hosek combs through the social media clips from our 2024 episodes and questions us about things we’ve said that he disagrees with!

Dec 4, 2024

Traditional lifting vs CrossFit for runners Speed first vs Endurance first for a new runner How early to wake up before races and long runs Workout anxiety/doubts and more!

Nov 27, 2024

If you aren’t an elite runner, is OCR style training your best way to improve your running?

Nov 23, 2024

When Betsy was diagnosed with MS she had two choices: give in, or go all in!

Nov 20, 2024

So you want to significantly raise your training volume but you can’t safely run any more than you already are. What are your options for doing this in an outside the box manner?

Nov 16, 2024

How do I know if I need to work on speed or stamina? Should I give my coach another chance? Should I use the track for intervals? And more!

Nov 13, 2024

The US has seen countless global medals on the track in recent years, so why have we struggled to match that level of success in the Marathon?

Nov 9, 2024

After capturing second place at World’s Toughest Mudder in 2023, Cali has spent this entire year chasing the source of chronic pain in her back, leg, and ankle. This episode is for anyone who has ever struggled with injury, motivation, rehab, or simply anyone who enjoys the power of the human spirit!

Nov 4, 2024

We’re not necessarily talking about our best races, our fastest races, or the races we’re most proud of. These are the races that changed us for the better, both as runners and as coaches.

Nov 1, 2024

Today’s episode is a rundown of the thirteen workouts that had the most impact on me as a runner and coach. Starting with my freshman year at Campbell University in 2005 and moving through my training years in Colorado in 2015, this is a decades worth of lessons learned via hard work.

Oct 26, 2024

You are either injured or you will be. There is almost no way around it. But that doesn’t mean training has to stop! Today we break down everything you need in order to build and execute highly effective cross training workouts. You may not need this right now in this moment, but store it away until you do!

Oct 23, 2024

The off season is a great time to back off your interval intensity a bit, rest your body and mind, and stay away from training styles that are prone to wearing you down. But, it is also a perfect time to send it! Run some time trials, crank on the last few miles of the long run, jump in some random races! When done appropriately, and in moderation, this can keep your off season stimulating and it can even make you a better racer next season.

Oct 18, 2024

We have 20 mini topics to discuss and we go through them like a Quality Long Run. We have to pick whether to spend 5, 4, 3, 2, or 1 minute on each topic. We complete four rounds of this. If you run faster during the “rest” period between answers and run easier during the answers themselves, you will complete a 2 hour long run with 60 minutes of faster running throughout it! Or you can just listen the normal way.

Oct 16, 2024

What do you do if your Off Season is approaching but you aren’t wanting to actually take time off? What if you just want to build some fitness without following a super specific plan? Let’s explore it!

Oct 12, 2024

Hannah has become an incredible ultra runner, and has done so by embracing all types of race distances and formats, while always being hungry for more in training. From 100 milers to Backyard Ultras to Spartan races, she seems to show up and perform no matter the task or distance.

Oct 9, 2024

You sent us 22 questions and we set out to answer them all. Well, we got through maybe seven. But that means you get really, really in depth answers!

Oct 2, 2024

If you had to pick one pace to train at for the majority of your Quality Sessions, what should it be? What race distance is the best for making you the most well rounded runner?

Sep 28, 2024

Today we explore Jack Daniels’ training formula, the Norwegian approach, the Five Pace training theory, and the MAF method. We break down the main premise of each program and discuss what type of athlete would (or wouldn’t) be a good fit for each!

Sep 25, 2024

Some highlights include: Can shoe drop cause Achilles pain? Why do I feel terrible during my taper week? Do compression calf sleeves help with cramping? What inclines should I train at for different intensities?

Sep 21, 2024

Do you need to be good early on to be considered talented? Or are their other types of running talent you might unearth as your training journey unfolds?

Sep 18, 2024

Ian returns to the podcast to chat training, racing, the state of OCR, and to preview the USA OCR Championships which is going down one month from now in Georgia.

Sep 11, 2024

So you didn’t make it. You’re thiiiis close to the cool temps of fall running, but your body and/or mind is DONE. What now?

Sep 7, 2024

Dr. Maggie is a physical therapist at Revival Physical Therapy and Wellness in Robbinsdale, MN. She specializes in treating active women and mothers who are experiencing pelvic pain or related conditions.

Sep 4, 2024

BK goes off the rails on his three favorite types of racing shoes: Safe Super Shoes, Wild Super Shoes, and “Old School Racing Flats Meet New School Technology”. Because he has an obsession, he breaks these down for both road and trail options.

Aug 31, 2024

It’s been over a month since we last dove into your most pressing running questions! We aimed to keep the answers succinct and to avoid rabbit holes. We failed.

Aug 28, 2024

Kirk just had his first track race of the year. The 5000m race distance reminded him of certain things that needed reminding and taught him a few things that needed teaching!

Aug 21, 2024

It’s almost race week. You’re worried you might not be totally prepared. Just one more big effort couldn’t hurt, right? If you mimic the demands and the hurt of the race once more, you’ll be more prepared to handle it, right?? We’re here to talk you off the ledge. It’s officially time to Not Screw It Up!

Aug 17, 2024

Three years, 3000 miles, 1500 streets, and one stress fracture later, Lisa has become the first female (and second overall) to ever run every street in the city of Milwaukee. Find out what she learned, how she strategized, the best and worst of her experiences, and more!

Aug 14, 2024

The Games have concluded and we’re back with our impressions, takeaways, and favorite moments from the final races of the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Aug 10, 2024

We react to the Olympic races that have been run up until this point, discuss the lessons learned, biggest takeaways, and what we’re still looking forward to!

Aug 7, 2024

You asked for it, so we’re doing it! Today we give you our philosophy of why runners should all be strength training, how we think about executing a strength session, and what exercises and rep ranges to target.

Aug 3, 2024

A year ago, Matt thought his running days were over. His knees were bone-on-bone, he was arthritic, and he couldn’t run downhill to save his life. Now 50 years old, he recently set the FKT on Mauna Kea, just missed the master’s record at Mt Marathon, and is training 12+ hours per week.

Jul 30, 2024

Whether you’re moving from the roads to the trails, mountains to the track, or OCR to HYBRID, your legs need to be ready for the impact demands of your new terrain in order to fully use your existing fitness!

Jul 27, 2024

Kirk and a surprise guest co-host answer your burning questions!

Jul 23, 2024

How to approach training when your life schedule is atypical Are you leaving performance on the table due to imperfect nutrition? How to execute Kirk’s favorite workout: Float Style Intervals When executing a Split Long Workout, is short rest or longer rest between workouts better?

Jul 20, 2024

Some people struggle to get things done. TJ is not one of them. What can we learn from someone who hasn’t missed a workout in years despite working full time , having three kids, and not being a natural runner?

Jul 17, 2024

Today we discuss how much volume is needed for an athlete to run-walk a marathon, how we would train for life if races ceased to exist, what we would do if we had one year to become the biggest monster possible, and what to do if your half marathon time is disproportionate to your marathon time.

Jul 13, 2024

How to return from injury. Are long hill intervals better than short ones? How to manage racing 5 out of 6 weekends in a row. And a bonus shoes question: Deka vs Hyrox shoe choice.

Jul 9, 2024

How to rest, recover, execute quality workouts, and hold onto fitness when racing multiple times in short succession!

Jul 6, 2024

Two years ago Nick Ryker was on the show discussing his battle with Ulcerative Colitis. He followed that up with his best ever season of training and racing. Now he returns having struggled with a relapse. Today is another great conversation with a pretty awesome human!

Jul 2, 2024

We start with a recap of what we learned during the US Olympic Trials then move to a conversation about what to do when you’re either unsure of your fitness or overconfident in you fitness.

Jun 29, 2024

Natasha returns to discuss her recent foray into 24 hours of racing without doing long back to backs, why she runs 3:00+ per mile slower than 5k pace on her recovery runs, and how she navigated being anemic and struggling to absorb iron.

Jun 25, 2024

Mr. Kirk DeWindt got out on the roads and ripped a quick half marathon this past weekend. He had a less than ideal lead in, so what can we learn from this? Also, a brief Olympic Trials chat.

Jun 21, 2024

Yes, we Global Running Day was a few weeks ago, but we already had an episode in the chamber for that day so deal with it! Jen Eddins at Peanut Butter Runner compiled a great list of questions for any runner to answer on this day of days, so we took the opportunity to ask them of each other on air!

Jun 19, 2024

We believe you should be watching professional and collegiate running! We not only lay out our case, we also give you our Starter Pack of races on YouTube that will get you hooked on the sport!

Jun 14, 2024

We take a deeper look at 6 listener questions + 1 question from Kirk himself! Todays topics include pacing a longer race, heat adjusted paces, anemia in runners, and cross training specifics (amount, type, intensity).

Jun 11, 2024

It’s been a minute since we recommend the gear we are currently using! Today we cover trail shoes, socks, shorts, shirt, hats, and watches.

Jun 8, 2024

Today we tackle our most pressing listener questions, but we’re slipping in a lie from time to time! It will sound like a real answer, it will make logical sense, and the other host won’t know when it is coming. See if you can spot the lie before one of us does!

Jun 5, 2024

The summer heat and humidity has officially arrived. Kirk bombed a workout this week and chances are you will, too! How should we approach our running during this season?

Jun 1, 2024

Mark didn’t find running until he was 38. He transformed himself from a chain smoking, overweight partier into a endurance machine at an age when most people have already let go of their athletic aspirations.

May 28, 2024

We travel back in time to the 3rd Training Tuesday we ever recorded: Running Terminology 101! The audio quality was amateur hour, our delivery was a work in progress, but the content is just as useful now as it was 4 years ago! This re-release will give you all the definitions needed to navigate the world of running jargon.

May 24, 2024

Race stories, poop stories, embarrassing stories, and the lessons learned!

May 21, 2024

The top 5 worst runs of our entire life, described in full, excruciating detail!

May 18, 2024

Medically prevented from working out for the first three decades of her life, Joyce finally found freedom through fitness well into her thirties. Join us for her story of perseverance, endurance, and mindset.

May 14, 2024

When do we need bland, consistent training and when should we spice things up with variety and novelty?

May 11, 2024

We pick out a 4 current situations our athletes are dealing with and discuss them in depth: Should I have pushed harder? When have I raced too much? Do I pull the plug on my training or push through this injury? Am I actually healthy enough the start training again?

May 8, 2024

We all have slightly different ideas of what really constitutes Speed Work for distance runners. Let’s explore that!

May 4, 2024

3:57 miler, proud Canadian, and World Record Holder in the Beer Mile, Corey joins us to explain how a kid from Windsor came to be the fastest individual ever to run one full mile while consuming four beers and how doing so changed his place in the run world.

Apr 30, 2024

Warning: you will either agree with us today or you will be really upset! Stretching and mobility work are such touchy topics. Runners will happily debate high vs low mileage, threshold vs vO2max work, or Lydiard vs Daniels, but bring up mobility work and watch those smiles get turned upside down real quick! So, today is OUR take on what runners do and don’t need to worry about when it comes to flexibility, mobility, and range of motion. Don’t say we didn’t warn you!

Apr 26, 2024

We had a great queue of listener questions this month, from footwear to focusing on time vs mileage. Enjoy!

Apr 23, 2024

Hybrid racing is the ultimate meeting ground for endurance and power athletes, but can they both train the same way? We break it down today!

Apr 19, 2024

Fresh off her finish as the 10th American at the Boston Marathon, Maura chats with us about training for an Olympic Trials qualifier while balancing the duties of a full time high school teacher and mom of three!

Apr 16, 2024

Everything, everywhere, all at once! That’s how many runners like to race. So let’s build out that training style today! From 1 mile through 50 miles, we’ve got you covered.

Apr 13, 2024

BK & KD sit down for a chat about how their training is progressing, Kirk’s upcoming race, and what they’re planning for goal races this year.

Apr 9, 2024

On road, off road, mountain, 50k, 50 mile? We’ve got you covered!

Apr 5, 2024

Fresh off his runner-up finish in the sands of Saudi Arabia, Ryan joins us to talk training theory, preparing for the arrival of his first child, his status with Spartan, and plenty more!

Apr 2, 2024

What mileage, workouts, weekly structure and training style are needed to run your lifetime best for the full marathon?

Mar 29, 2024

Matt discusses making his living in the running, OCR and Hybrid landscape, how he operates his business, what drives him and how he envisions the future of sport to look.

Mar 26, 2024

The 5k is the most commonly sought after PR, so let’s make sure you hit your lifetime best!

Mar 22, 2024

We run ChatGPT through this month’s Q&A questions in order to find out just how effective AI can be for run coaching.

Mar 19, 2024

Not everyone races the mile distance but MOST people wouldn’t mind running a fast one. We’ll tell you how to do it!

Mar 15, 2024

In 2015, Nick left his job in finance, placed all his possessions in two bags, and set on his way to create Impact Marathons around the world. Impact Marathons combine Nick’s love of running and his passion for enacting positive change in the world. Enjoy this one!

Mar 12, 2024

We get three minutes to answer your question before moving to the next one! Today we stick to more answers and less tangents.

Mar 9, 2024

A running coach and high level visually impaired athlete, Jared has worked his entire life to overcome challenges most of us never even consider. Join us for a great conversation about running, adapting and overcoming, inclusion, and mindset!

Mar 5, 2024

For every type of athlete there is an ideal frequency for racing. What’s yours?

Mar 2, 2024

Carrie returns to the show for a great conversation about transitioning to the real world after identifying only as an athlete, her flourishing broadcasting career, training as a masters athlete, and a few of her favorite workouts.

Feb 27, 2024

Breakthroughs often happen right when we’re not expecting them. What are the signs of an impending breakthrough and what are some ways we can encourage it?

Feb 24, 2024

Alec joins the super elite, highly sought after and uber prestigious list of second time podcast guests as he stops by to tell us why every runner should be strength training! If you know Alec, you already know this will be a good conversation.

Feb 20, 2024

Some days you just don’t have it. Some days you’re way slower than your intended pace. Some days you’re just fatigued. When should you push through and when should you live to fight another day?

Feb 16, 2024

Already a world champ and record holder, Lauren has again taken her training and racing to the next level. If you liked Lauren’s previous episode detailing her journey as a person and athlete, you’ll love hearing her break down her training and racing routines and methodology!

Feb 13, 2024

We are back from deep in the Midwest woods to discuss how our retreat went, our plans for the podcast, and a recap of our weekend’s workouts. We close with a chat about drug use in running.

Feb 10, 2024

We’re in the backwoods of Wisconsin, together in-person at last, answering your most pressing questions!

Feb 7, 2024

Ever look back at an old training log and realize you did way less work than you previously thought? Not a great feeling, but we can learn from that!

Feb 3, 2024

Could you win an Ultra without ever running longer than 80 minutes? PR in a 5k without any interval work? Crush a Hyrox with zero weight lifting? Maximize your running potential on only three days per week?

Jan 31, 2024

Brakken hits a quick recap of his race from Saturday, then the boys each list their three favorite workouts from the past four weeks of training.

Jan 24, 2024

Some runners need permission to get out into the cold. Some will need permission to get on the treadmill and hammer. Some just need reassurance that fitness can be built in less than ideal conditions!

Jan 20, 2024

Hans just won the Bandera 100k, breaking Jim Walmsley’s course record in the process. Still in grad school, this was Hans’ first 100k. What led to such a debut? Also, thank you to all the listeners who have helped us reach 4 years and 400 episodes! We wouldn’t be here without you!

Jan 17, 2024

The off season is the perfect time to build consistency, and the easiest and most sustainable way to stay consistent is to avoid doing too much on any given day. The added bonus from doing B workouts rather than A workouts is you can do more of them.

Jan 13, 2024

Ryan is a Senior Lecturer at Vanderbilt University, with a PhD in Education Policy and a background in Psychology. This episode is a direct follow up to the Two Types of Athletes episode (those who get things done and those who find reasons not to). We explore the idea of what to do if you are the type who doesn’t “get things done no matter what.”

Jan 10, 2024

Recently, we’re discussed Speed Sprinkles, Muscular Endurance work, Medium Long Runs, and Long Runs. Today, we discuss how to schedule these into your training, how they should feel during, and how you should feel the day(s) after.

Jan 6, 2024

Joshua returns to talk through all things Ultra running: training, racing, strength training, fueling, and much more!

Jan 3, 2024

Don’t let the perfect workout get in the way of a good workout! Sometimes we’re strapped for time, completely lacking motivation, or simply in a funk. At these times, we need to keep the ball rolling rather than skip out on a workout entirely. Exercise can be a powerful stopgap when training isn’t feasible.

Dec 30, 2023

The training we attempted, the races we completed, the lessons we learned, and our plans for 2024!

Dec 23, 2023

Ryan Whited and Matt Fitzgerald join us to talk about how pain is incorrectly used to identify and rehab injuries. They’re recently written a book on the subject, Pain & Performance: The Revolutionary New Way to Use Training as Treatment for Pain and Injury., and they have some bold, fantastic ideas that all athletes need to hear!

Dec 19, 2023

Sometimes we try to get too cute with our training paces. We try to be too precise and we get stressed over tiny little details that probably don’t impact us noticeably in the long run. Just how accurate do we need to be during quality sessions?

Dec 16, 2023

Fresh off his 50 mile World Record, Charlie stops by to talk his journey, his training, and his future goals in this sport!

Dec 13, 2023

Is there benefit to doing some really seriously fast running, even for long distance runners? If so, how often should we do it to avoid interrupting our usual training?

Dec 9, 2023

One of the great stories, minds, and personalities of the endurance world, Josh joins us to share some of his background, some of his training wisdom, some laughs, and a whole lot of entertaining chat!

Dec 6, 2023

Those who find a way to get it down and those who find a reason not to get it done. Which are you?

Dec 2, 2023

This episode is a peak behind the curtain as the boys discuss their off season plans, their current views on training, and how they approach working towards a season’s build.

Nov 29, 2023

You all sent some great questions and we’re giving out full helpings of answer! From volume and lifting to creatine and shoes, this episode has a little of everything.

Nov 25, 2023

The legendary coach of Northern Arizona University and NAU Alumnus / Pro Hoka Runner Matt Baxter join us to discuss the legacy of NAU’s powerhouse distance program and what makes them so special.

Nov 22, 2023

The boys answer a listener question about long Ultras, break down NCAA Cross Country Nationals, then discuss what Running related things they are most grateful for.

Nov 18, 2023

Laura is current one of the leading running personalities on social media, but backs up her fame and humor with some serious chops as a runner.

Nov 14, 2023

A Doctor of Physical Therapy, Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, Functional Medicine Practitioner, and founder of Movement Vault, Dr Wickham joins us for a conversation on joint longevity, flexibility, mobility, stretching, human movement, injury prevention, injuries, injury rehab, and recovery.

Nov 8, 2023

The boys catch up after Kirk’s vacation and then answer nine very good questions submitted by you all during the past month.

Nov 3, 2023

Rich and Brakken have a deep dive conversation about using Non Impact Cardio (cross training) as a performance enhancer RATHER than using it for only for rehab specific purposes. How can a runner use non running activities to noticeably improve their race performances?

Nov 1, 2023

Kirk is on vacation, so Lisa steps up and lobs listener questions for Brakken to knock out of the park!

Oct 29, 2023

Eamon was the team captain, and emotional leader, of UW OshKosh’s track and cross country teams when Kirk first arrived on campus as a freshman. After a stellar individual running career, he returned as a coach and has spent the last thirteen years leading the distance programs. Today he chats old running stories, his transition into collegiate coaching, and the challenges of coaching and recruiting in the day and age of social media.

Oct 24, 2023

Brakken raced, and won, this weekend! What does it mean, if anything? Then, the boys answer a few listener questions.

Oct 21, 2023

Get to know your second favorite host through the eyes of his wife! Lisa walks us through their journey from college to full time athlete to coach/father/podcaster/husband.

Oct 18, 2023

We’ve received too many good questions lately, so we’re blasting our way through them today!

Oct 10, 2023

There a so many “scientifically sound” training approaches out there. Is one best? Are any better than any others for me? How do I find out?

Oct 7, 2023

How do I know if I’m doing enough volume/mileage? When is it time to invest in a better (fill in the blank)? How do I start dealing with crippling race anxiety?

Oct 4, 2023

Episode Two of our mini series! We all have workouts which would make absolutely zero sense on paper. Maybe you just love the workout. Maybe it is necessary for injury prevention or mental toughness. Or maybe it really just doesn’t make any sense and you shouldn’t be doing it!

Sep 30, 2023

Justin takes us through his recent experience of switching from pursuing a chilly 140 mile FKT with 36,000 feet of vert to a warm 100 mile race with 13,000 feet of vert. He discusses switching from pure steep hill training to flat, faster training, how he went about utilizing heat acclimation practices, how he fits in his massive training weeks, and what a race feels like when your gut betrays you.

Sep 26, 2023

Today kicks off a mini series on how to effectively train yourself for running performance. We begin things with “Boring is Best, Unless You Need Excitement.” All the best endurance athletes use simple training methods. How do you enact this without going stir crazy?

Sep 23, 2023

Veejay went right to the top of the OCR world on the strength of his running and obstacle abilities. With the shifting landscape in OCR no longer motivating him the way it used to, he’s decided to branch out into Hybrid Racing. Today he discusses the process of taking time off running, taking up serious weight training and learning to run while truly compromised for the first time, and how it has made him more serious about getting faster than he’s been in years.

Sep 20, 2023

Many of us are approaching the end of our current “season”, which leads to questioning how to properly wrap things up and begin the off season. We dive deep and explore this all the way through!

Sep 15, 2023

How do I improve my ability to go to the pain cave in a race, as well as build mental toughness in general? How do I cultivate motivation? How long does it take to regain race fitness after rehabbing an injury? How long does it take to sharpen up for a faster, highly anaerobic race?

Sep 14, 2023

Daily training shoe. Short race shoe. Long race shoe. Trail versions for everything! Running shorts, socks, shirt, long sleeve, and jacket. Headphones and watch. We tell you exactly what we’d choose and why!

Sep 9, 2023

Corinna Coffin MS, RD, CSSD joins us for part two, and this time she fields your most pressing questions regarding sports nutrition.

Sep 6, 2023

Coming down from altitude for a race. Climbers vs descenders. My coach doesn’t believe in zone based training. I can’t get my heart rate up. Preparing for races with significant water crossings/swims. What does a stress fracture feel like? Should I use creatine? Do I need to fully warm up for quality session?

Sep 1, 2023

Matt spent an entire training block, en route to the Chicago Marathon, living and training with the NAZ Elite pro running team. His experience was so life changing that he set about creating the opportunity for others to go through the same process. Dream Run Camp: Train like the pros, live like the pros, eat like the pros, and recover like the pros.

Aug 30, 2023

The training that worked for us as beginner/youthful runners probably can’t sustain us as we progress through our running journey. Here’s how we believe every runner should approach their training once the “noob gains” are gone.

Aug 26, 2023

9 weeks ago Jack broke his kneecap. Today his fitness metrics remain high despite not running a step. He tells us how he got through the healthcare system quickly and efficiently and how he kept his engine primed without running.

Aug 23, 2023

Finding the correct pacing strategy for long distance races can be super difficult but is also extremely important. Maximize your endurance events with this episode!

Aug 19, 2023

Coach, CPT, and social media guy, Eric talks how to keep living the running dream and make it work financially without being a professional athlete.

Aug 16, 2023

We discuss the five workouts we have prescribed the most so far in 2023 to our one-on-one clients. We have talked about our favorite workouts before, but today is all about the workouts we find so effective that we can’t stop programming them!

Aug 13, 2023

How can a low mileage athlete prepare for a long race without risking injury? Today’s chat is all about how to get the most out of your mileage!

Aug 5, 2023

The internet and television are full of products, theories, and training styles that promise to be Game Changers. Today, we discuss the things that actually have changed us for the better throughout our time as runners.

Aug 1, 2023

It is Kirk’s wedding week, so we’re keeping things light! Today we recap the 5k he just raced on the track and discuss our thoughts on racing, heat, pacing, and more.

Jul 29, 2023

Corinna is a high level runner, hybrid athlete, Crossfitter, and OCR athlete, but also a great mind in the Sports Nutrition world. Get ready for two hours of a practical, applicable, and relatable conversation about fueling for performance.

Jul 25, 2023

Last week’s interview with Dr Doug shed some great light on the importance of running your best stride. Today we focus on practical skills, drills and tips for improving your body’s ability to run that best stride.

Jul 22, 2023

Founder of RunDNA, a 3D gait analysis company, Doug is a wealth of running knowledge. On top of being an expert in the field of stride analysis, Doug also serves as a PT to some of the top runners in both the US and abroad.

Jul 19, 2023

Sob story? Retirement? Embarrassment? Relief? We know Brakken had a tough day at the office in Pennsylvania this weekend and he breaks down exactly what happened, why, and what it means for him moving forward.

Jul 14, 2023

Twelve years ago, Mike set off on a quest to run a Sub 3 Hour Marathon in every US state. This is that story!

Jul 11, 2023

Listeners submitted some good questions this week, so we choose three and drove on in: 1. When should I push through and when should I take a break in training? How should “improving “ feel? 2. How much should I use Pace as a metric for Quality Workouts when preparing for OCR? 3. I just cancelled my upcoming race and signed up for a different one a few months later in the year. Should I keep following my training plan or should I rework the plan based on the new goal?

Jul 7, 2023

We have too many training items on our mind this week, so we’re covering multiple topics today! We start with the lessons we had reinforced to us this past weekend about pacing and racing in the heat, and then we progress to warm ups, race strategy, and mental toughness.

Jul 1, 2023

Matt was the best runner on Kirk’s college track team. He was a 4:00 miler and a 1:47 800m runner. In the twenty years since they last saw each, Kirk found OCR and trail racing while Matt dabbled in triathlon before becoming a National Record holder on the row and ski ergs. And today here they are, reunited on The Running Public!

Jun 27, 2023

Over the past three weeks, we’ve discussed the three main types of Quality Sessions: Speed Work, Threshold Work, and Long Runs. Today, we break down exactly how we like to mix them all together at different points of the year (Off Season, In Season, Peaking).

Jun 24, 2023

Running, like any form of fitness, is full of preconceived notions which simply aren’t super accurate. So, let’s put some of them to rest today!

Jun 22, 2023

Are long runs overrated, underrated, or simply misunderstood? What exactly is a Quality Long Run and why should we be doing such a thing?

Jun 17, 2023

From strongman and Canada to running and China, Cody has lived quite the athletic life!

Jun 14, 2023

Lactate threshold. Anaerobic threshold. Ventilatory threshold 2. Forget all the terms and science and confusion. There are plenty of other episodes out there regarding all of that! Today is all about WHAT this type of training looks like, WHY it is so effective, and HOW we can implement it effectively in our training.

Jun 10, 2023

Brakken and Kirk get to know each other on a much more intimate level by spending an hour grilling each other with Speed Dating questions.

Jun 7, 2023

“Speed Work” is one of the most misunderstood and misapplied types of quality workouts! We all want to be fast, but how fast do we need to be running in training? Today’s episode breaks down what speed work is, common misconceptions, and how to implement it in your schedule (assuming you’re training for an event that is 5k or longer!).

Jun 2, 2023

Meg transitioned from running track and cross country at UConn to setting the current Hyrox World Record. Fresh off her 2nd place finish at the Hyrox Championships a week ago, she walks us through her fitness journey and drops some golden insights into the mindset and dedication needed to be a high level performer in any walk of life.

May 31, 2023

We wrap our mini series with the longest common training cycle: The 14 Day Cycle. This plan takes the best of the 7 Day and 10 Day cycles and combines it all into a delightful little microcycle.

May 26, 2023

Heart rate training vs RPE. Road shoes vs trail shoes. Mileage vs vert for ultras. Singles vs doubles. Starting out with low mileage vs high mileage as a runner.

May 23, 2023

Arguably the single most effective use of your training time, the 10 Day cycle is tailor made for nailing your quality sessions and fully recovering in between!

May 20, 2023

One simple question about a race decision spawned 90 minutes of deep dive into why Brakken is the way he is, what the guys want out of running this year, and why sustainability matters so much in your fitness journey.

May 16, 2023

We kick off a mini series on the different types of training cycles runners can employ. Today we dig into the most popular option: the 7 Day Cycle.

May 12, 2023

Tom works on the industry side of running events in the UK. From positions on the Mass Participation World Global Council and the Running Industry Alliance Board, to his current postings as Head of Partnerships at RaceNation and LimeLight Sports group, Tom has his hands in all things running related. He also has completed hundreds of Park Runs and has been voted Mayor of Running!

May 10, 2023

We look back on the characteristics, patterns, and trends of the athletes we’ve worked with who have experienced the most success. We break down how they think, act, and train, and hopefully give you some ideas for optimizing your own training and lifestyle.

May 3, 2023

The title is self explanatory! Do you try racing every weekend? Do you find yourself signing up for competitions that have no fitness relationships to each other? We got you!

Apr 29, 2023

In the past year, Dave went through a tibial stress fracture that cost him 16 weeks, lower back issues, and an implosion at the Hyrox European Championships before rebounding to win the North American Championships. How did he manage his physical rehab, mental confidence, and training with a new baby in the mix?

Apr 26, 2023

The Boston Marathon and the Palm Beach Spartan 3k. Two race types that couldn’t be more dissimilar, yet two races that showed us the exact same things: you must be ready for the unique demands of any race and you must pace yourself properly. Let’s break that down in depth!

Apr 22, 2023

Cassie picked up running during Covid and immediately tried an ultramarathon. Since then, she’s been hooked and recently trained through her first pregnancy. Now, she prepares to rebuild for another ultra after giving birth a few weeks ago.

Apr 19, 2023

We’ve all seen an amazing runner post one of their “key race workouts” online. We invariably want to incorporate that workout into our training in some way. But should we do that exact workout or modify it to fit our fitness? And how would we go about doing so?

Apr 15, 2023

Does Double Threshold Training have any use for an athlete who can’t fit doubles in their week? Should I practice fasted long runs? Am I training correctly for WTM? What would our last meal be? My cadence is super low, how do I fix it? And, of course, much more!

Apr 12, 2023

Brakken is back in the US and mostly recovered from jet lag! The boys catch up, talk Kirk’s race from this weekend, and sprinkle some training talk around as well.

Apr 8, 2023

Glenn just ran 15:58 for a 5k at 43 years old. Not bad a guy training for OCR and hybrid racing! We chat about how he is staying fast, healthy, and balanced as a masters athlete.

Apr 6, 2023

Tyler Jermann joins Kirk for today’s Training Tuesday! They dive into half marathon and marathon training, float style intervals, breaking through plateaus, and some of Tyler's favorite training sessions.

Apr 1, 2023

Dr. Fred Clary drops one hard truth after another in todays episode. We talk raw power for endurance athletes, nervous system training & recovery, systemic inflammation & countless other topics. Hang on for this one as you're going to learn a ton!

Mar 29, 2023

Kirk is joined by Veejay Jones for todays training Tuesday! Kirk & Veejay get caught up on current life happenings & then dive into Veejay's training progression under different coaches & chat through his favorite workouts since picking up OCR in 2015.

Mar 25, 2023

Henry Ward: recovering alcoholic and addict, ultra runner, and author of Running Without the Devil. Today we chat w/ Henry about his journey from hitting rock bottom to ultimately finding running, finishing a 250 mile ultra & now spreading the sobriety & running message to help others.

Mar 21, 2023

Kirk is back and Brakken is about to head out of country, so today is spent hashing out our goals and vision for racing in 2023.

Mar 18, 2023

Rich Ryan joins Bk in order to nerd out on the hot new style of training sweeping the globe right now: Double Lactate Threshold Sessions. Strap in for two hours of science, theory, and plenty of BSing!

Mar 14, 2023

Brakken describes two of his most effective workouts for Speed (30/30 Advanced) and Compromised Running (Katie E). He walks you through why and how to implement these, how to make them flat or hill based, and how to adapt them to your own needs as an athlete.

Mar 11, 2023

With Kirk gone, there is nothing to prevent Brakken from spending 70 straight minutes breaking down everythIng no one ever knew they needed to know about super shoes. What makes a super shoe? Are all super shoes truly super? Will any super shoe work for me? Are they legit for the trails? How do I go about finding the best one for me?

Mar 7, 2023

The Split Tempo & Big Foot: Two workouts with infinite variations and applications, for pure runners and OCR athletes alike! This is a short, sweet episode that breaks down exactly how to execute and implement these two Swiss Army Knife workouts.

Mar 4, 2023

TransRockies winner. Leadville 100 runner-up. Spartan Race OG. Almost completely unknown. Chad might just be the best trail runner you’ve never heard of!

Mar 1, 2023

Both Kirk and Brakken are heading overseas in the next month, so they’ve been working on adjusting their training plans in order to accommodate their travel. Seems like a perfect time to break it down on an episode! Whether you travel for work, with family, or for pleasure, this episode is for you!

Feb 26, 2023

Kirk and Jess are headed to Vietnam for two weeks, and there is no way they could relax and enjoy the trip knowing there are unanswered listener questions at home! So, Jess plays moderator while Kirk and Brakken get to work clearing the queue of some great questions which you all sent in over the past month or so.

Feb 22, 2023

We recently launched a Running specific training plan to accompany our OCR training plan and our Strength training program, and we spend some time today spelling out exactly what it contains and how to use it. We preface that conversation with some chat about our recent interval sessions.

Feb 18, 2023

The crossfitter who just wants to run for hours in the mountains and keeps winning World Championships joins us to discuss her training before, during, and after childbirth, what drives her, and how her mindset affects the way she trains and competes.

Feb 15, 2023

Brakken raced this past weekend and was pleasantly surprised by his fitness levels. The only possible explanation lies in the type of rehab work he’s done the past few months, so we dive into the nuts and bolts of it!

Feb 11, 2023

The last time we chatted with Mark he was building towards his 2021 season. Since then, he’s found his calling in Ultras, won a world championship, and lost a full championship season to illness. Let’s dive in!

Feb 8, 2023

What are some “mandatory” supplements for runners? Should I trust my HR zones when I’m out of shape? How should we gauge improvement? How do I keep my body hair from chafing? Plus, more!

Feb 4, 2023

What is your current Stage of Training? Is it time to repeat what you’ve done or is time to change things? Are you more of a fast twitch or slow twitch athlete? What does it matter? Should you keep doing what you like doing most? Why is my training plan working better for others? All of these are super important questions to be able to answer as a runner, so let’s dig in!

Feb 1, 2023

We break down Kirk’s awesome weekend of racing and talk about his takeaways from the first Spartan event of 2023 (how the course looked, what the obstacles were like, penalty loop setups, rumors for the season, etc).

Jan 28, 2023

DJ joins us today to discuss his wild journey from bowling to power lifting to health nightmare to world champion.

Jan 25, 2023

The classic form of interval training uses standing, walking, or slow jogging as the rest period following a hard/fast interval. There is an alternative means of conducting your “rest” during an interval workout and that is what we explore today!

Jan 22, 2023

Our last episode was aimed towards the athlete who realizes they will never be “fast”. One of our listeners who fit that description realized that we totally missed the mark with other direction we took things. Today, she joins us for an unscripted conversation about what it really means to her. This was one of our best chats. Enjoy!

Jan 17, 2023

As much as we like to talk about optimizing race performances, there is a whole sect of the population who will never be considered fast and who don’t really have any desire to be fast. That’s not why they run. So how do you approach running if your goal doesn’t have anything to do with speed?

Jan 14, 2023

This is NOT an informative Q&A. This will give no amount of running knowledge. It is probably our most ridiculous episode to date, or at least our most random. But, the questions all came from listeners so we can’t be held responsible!

Jan 10, 2023

We both started as track/cross country coaches. Then we found OCR and trail running. How has that impacted and changed our philosophy and understanding of run coaching?

Jan 7, 2023

What better way to begin our New Year’s push towards improving ourselves than to listen to a man who quit training, lost his love for the sport, lost his fitness, and then began the long road back to an eventual world championship.

Jan 3, 2023

Last episode was about theory. Today is about action. We walk through how to put it all into action.

Dec 31, 2022

As the new year approaches, people everywhere scramble to refocus their lives. Far too often, they concentrate on flashy goals while failing to acknowledge the root causes of past failings. Let’s all avoid that this year! We also clean out the few remaining listener questions from 2022!

Dec 28, 2022

AKA, why running is just like marriage. People expect linear progression, which isn’t possible. Here is how it REALLY works!

Dec 24, 2022

As we come to the end of a fantastic 2022, we’re taking the opportunity to answer as many of your questions as possible! You all sent some pretty great ones this time around!

Dec 17, 2022

Possibly the best current example of a hybrid athlete, Katie went from a CrossFitter who didn’t run to world champion in the 24 hour World’s Toughest Mudder in just three years. Today she breaks down exactly how and why she trains the way she does does!

Dec 14, 2022

You can be successful runner using a low volume, medium volume, or high volume approach. So, why do so many coaches and athletes believe that higher volume training is superior?

Dec 10, 2022

Kris just completed one of the most outrageous years of racing, both in terms of how many races she ran and how many different types of races she excelled in. We gave up trying to guess how she pulls it off and just decided to ask her.

Dec 7, 2022

The weight room is, historically, the distance runner’s nemesis. You might not feel welcome. You probably don’t know where to begin. You might not know why runners should even lift. This episode is designed to educate you and put you at ease!

Dec 3, 2022

Ian is an Ultra runner and also the man behind the social media accounts of some of your favorite OCR and running podcasts. Plus, he has a pretty amazing story himself!

Nov 30, 2022

Recently, Parker Valby took 2nd place at NCAA cross country championships despite only running (allegedly) 3 times per week. That got our little brains thinking about the non traditional approaches to becoming a better runner!

Nov 26, 2022

The sport of running is in a historically great place, and we’ll take the next 90 minutes to tell you exactly why!

Nov 22, 2022

The title says it all! Be the best gift giver this year!

Nov 19, 2022

Chad has a wild story that takes him from broke and fighting addiction to finding sport and becoming an Age Group champ. Enjoy this one!

Nov 15, 2022

It’s been two years since we released our “Get to Know Your Hosts” and we have new listeners who don’t know us as well as the OG listeners do. Since Brakken is out sick, we’re rereleasing those two episodes as one double feature episode today. Brakken is part 1; Kirk is part 2. Enjoy, and we’ll be back to our regular scheduled programming on Friday!

Nov 8, 2022

Is it weak to use the treadmill when the weather is cold? Is it okay to do speed work indoors rather than outdoors? How often should I force myself outside this winter? Do high level runners use treadmills?

Nov 4, 2022

Story hour? Race recaps? Training and racing advice? YUP.

Nov 1, 2022

You had random questions you wanted answered; we answer them! Be warned, these have very little to do with Training!

Oct 25, 2022

Fall Ultras are here. Spring Ultras are right around the corner. The single most overlooked factor for a successful Ultra race? The people crewing it! This episode breaks down everything you need to know in order to set your runner up for success.

Oct 21, 2022

Ryan talking setbacks, training, racing mindset, mental toughness, and finding passion year after year? Sign us up!

Oct 18, 2022

You keep sending great questions so we just have to keep answering them! There are some great ones today, enjoy!

Oct 14, 2022

What sets pros apart? How do I train through crazy life stress? Can I train for an Ultra and a hybrid race simultaneously? For a mixed terrain race, how do I choose the right shoe? Why do Ultra runners drink Coke on course? All that plus more!

Oct 11, 2022

This isn’t an episode about workout paces or race paces. This is an episode about pacing your life-training balance and pacing your season’s progression!

Oct 8, 2022

Tyler is a 2:12:40 marathoner working full time and training in Kirk’s neck of the woods, up in Minnesota. Hear how a mid-pack college runner transformed himself into a monster marathoner. Plus, he has trail and ultra aspirations!

Oct 4, 2022

It’s about that time y’all! Off season is quickly approaching and it doesn’t have to be an intimidating time of year! We break down how to approach preparing for 2023.

Sep 30, 2022

When ESPN and NBC stopped producing live coverage for OCR they left behind a need for someone to fill that role. Recently, Jason Dupree has been the technician and producer for many of the live race streams. Today he sheds light on what occurs behind the scenes, the challenges independent production companies face on race day, and his vision for the future of live race coverage.

Sep 27, 2022

Far too often we prepare our bodies for the exact demands of our competition and then race day throws an unexpected wrench in our plans and we’re left in a world of misery on course. Here’s how to avoid that!

Sep 24, 2022

Ean Caskey is smashing all the Iowa masters running records. Seeing as we just talked about the aging athlete, we had to find out how!

Sep 20, 2022

Racing more than once in a day or a weekend is a very imposing but very doable task! Here’s how to approach it.

Sep 17, 2022

Rich Ryan is the fastest runner to go all in on hybrid races (running + strength stations). Why he chose to, what he does, how he does it, and how the Everyman athlete can do it!

Sep 13, 2022

Training motivation ebbs and flows and there is no shame in that! Today we chat through some tried and true strategies for getting out the door, then we spend some time talking about how to keep yourself accountable during a tough workout.

Sep 10, 2022

The boys break down Ultras, hydration pack use, downhill training blocks, running where predators lurk, and more!

Sep 6, 2022

We break down everything a runner or hybrid athlete needs in a home gym setup and give you budget and budget-less options!

Sep 2, 2022

Last week we told stories of our greatest running regrets. This week we do the opposite! These are some of our best running experiences.

Aug 30, 2022

Father Time is undefeated. What then do we do about it?

Aug 27, 2022

Our biggest regrets as runners, all rolled into one chit chat story sesh. Bad gear choices, races we’d love to redo, missed opportunities, and much more!

Aug 23, 2022

I’ll hit this workout later. I’ll start this training block on Monday. My diet starts after the weekend. I’ll start getting up for morning workouts once I catch up on sleep. False. Later = Never.

Aug 19, 2022

The recent winner of the Ouray 100 mile race swings through to discuss his transformation from wheelchair to OCR to Ultra distance monster!

Aug 16, 2022

The boys got rolling today on these listener questions! No surface level answers here, only deep dives! Ankle stability while descending, treadmills for recovery runs and downhill work, descending for flatlanders, y mucho mas!

Aug 12, 2022

Matt rejoins the show to discuss all thing pacing! His new book, On Pace, is designed to teach every runner how to run every race at their real limit. This is a perfect discussion to pair with last week’s Pacing episode!

Aug 9, 2022

What shoes, socks, underwear, shorts, shirts, rain jackets, hydration belts & packs, watches, sunglasses, and hats do we currently use? You asked; we answered!

Aug 3, 2022

Over half the year has gone by and do you know what has been jumping out at us? Improper pacing! From the weekend warriors to world champs, we’ve seen people lose races, miss PRs, or simply just stop enjoying their daily runs, all due to improper pacing!

Jul 30, 2022

Australian endurance athlete, hybrid racer, and all around wild man Chris Woolley swings in to talk training styles, mental health, and crazy vert weeks!

Jul 27, 2022

Justin Hamilton’s most recent episode sparked a lot of questions regarding training for an Ultra, so we’re answering them today! But first, a little soapbox action from Brakken about armchair coaches and threshold definitions ;)

Jul 22, 2022

Justin Hamilton joins us again to discuss how exactly he goes about preparing for, training for, and executing an Ultra distance race. We discuss how he prepares his legs for descending all day, night, and day again, his checklist for a successful Backyard Ultra (a ‘last man standing’ style of competition) and his advice for all those racing Ode to Laz this weekend!

Jul 19, 2022

Our last round of listener questions was on our birthday week in May, so let’s fire this thing up!!

Jul 16, 2022

Mrs Space Cadet is quite possibly the best social media follow for runners who are able to laugh at the absurdity of our daily struggles. Hear how she found running, what motivates her, and why we need to embrace the daily, hilarious struggle of being a non elite athlete!

Jul 13, 2022

Our beliefs and best practices of endurance training have changed and evolved over time, and they will continue to do so! But at this moment in time, this is the breakdown of our Six Golden Rules of endurance training.

Jul 8, 2022

Mike Stefano, co-host of Obstacle Running Adventures, delivers a fantastic conversation on running, mental health, and his experiences building his business around endurance racing.

Jul 6, 2022

This is a three-part episode. One, we share our initial review of the new Tectonic X “trail super shoes” from Hoka. Two, we discuss “when to race your own race and when to race someone else’s race.” Three, we dive deeper down the rabbit hole that Jon Albon opened last week about the usefulness of training in super shoes.

Jul 2, 2022

When we last talked to Jon, a little more than a year ago, he was coming off foot surgery and barely able to jog. Last weekend he won the prestigious Marathon du Mont Blanc; arguably the best accomplishment of his entire career. How did he get from there to here? Suppose you’ll have to push Play!

Jun 29, 2022

Mr McIntyre co-hosts a special Training Tuesday all about the training for Hyrox. Well, mostly about training for Hyrox with a small amount of Hunter tangents. Okay, a decent amount of Hyrox with a healthy amount of nonsense. Fine, it’s mostly chit chat, tangents, and nonsense, but there still is some Hyrox training GOLD in there along with a breakdown of his new Hyrox Masterclass training program.

Jun 24, 2022

After his basketball career ended, Tim took up running in order to lose weight. 1,636 days later and he still hasn’t missed a run!

Jun 21, 2022

Today we picked a few of your really good questions and took our time exploring them completely! Some highlights: Practicing ugly running, smart watch metrics worth paying attention to and distance vs time for Time Trials.

Jun 17, 2022

American distance running extraordinaire Dani Moreno joins us from Chamonix, France as she prepares for the Marathon du Mont Blanc. Hear her journey from collegiate runner to outdoor guide to US Champion, with plenty of European racing along the way!

Jun 14, 2022

How do I know what shoe is best for me? Are all super shoes going to make me faster? Should I even be wearing super shoes? What drop and stack height works best for my stride? We got you!

Jun 11, 2022

As Brakken recovers from surgery, Masters stud Darla joins Kirk for a one-on-one dive into what makes her so dominant at 54 years young!

Jun 9, 2022

Brakken had surgery and Kirk took full advantage of the opportunity to ask a loopy Brakken all the tough questions about his mindset and future in running!

Jun 4, 2022

Today we get the opportunity to chat with the Beast of the Northeast, Sayard Tanis. This woman can flat out run, and her backstory is just as amazing. Enjoy!

Jun 1, 2022

To close out the “how to react to race performances” mini series, we chat through appropriate reactions for the races you crush and the races you don’t finish at all.

May 28, 2022

Veejay Jones joins the boys to discuss SPEED. What it looks like, how to train it, mistakes to avoid, and all things MAUD!

May 25, 2022

Some times you just don’t race well. What then? Funny you should ask!

May 21, 2022

Drs Benjamin Britton and Peter Stanley join us to talk all things Physical Therapy!

May 17, 2022

After getting the opportunity to talk with dozens of athletes in Vegas this past weekend, we noticed some common mistakes being made in the training of many athletes. Let’s do our best to learn from them!

May 14, 2022

We have much to discuss today, from Brakken’s new injury to a bunch of fantastic listener questions. Enjoy!

May 10, 2022

“The tree of training must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of excuses and yeah-buts.” - Thomas Jefferson

May 6, 2022

Derek Rubis is the single biggest fan of running the sport has ever seen. He has been the entire running community’s most faithful supporter for the past 20+ years and it is time to return the favor. Please listen to this episode. Please share it with your running friends. And please consider becoming part of Derek’s journey in your own way!

May 3, 2022

I don’t want to overthink my training. I don’t want to mess with the hassle of periodizing my workouts. I don’t want to go all in with major training blocks that focus on one specific race. I just want to feel good, look good, improve as a runner, and be ready to jump into just about any competition that interests me. How should I set up my training?? We’re glad you asked!

Apr 29, 2022

Two episodes ago we told an athlete not to give up on the sport too soon. That athlete reached out to us and we interviewed him today!

Apr 26, 2022

What race to choose. When to pull the plug on a race. What race series fits my skillset? How long do I have before I start to succumb to father time? The decisions never stop, so how do you work your way through them?

Apr 23, 2022

We have an open mic and a backlog of listener questions, so let’s do this thing! Brakken tries to fight through training induced brain fog while also showing off his impressively bad math skills.

Apr 19, 2022

You’re one month out from race day and you’re not quite where you want to be, fitness-wise. What to do? We got you!

Apr 16, 2022

In his first episode, Nick was in the middle of the lowest point of his life due to medical issues. In Part 2, he discusses his re-emergence in the competitive race field and his improved mental game!

Apr 13, 2022

Kirk took down a course record this weekend while Brakken chased some nostalgia. They also answer some of your top recent, and not so recent, questions.

Apr 9, 2022

Get ready to laugh, cry, cringe, and learn! This is an all time episode with ultra endurance athlete Justin Hamilton, and we’re not going to spoil the story by giving a preview. Enjoy!

Apr 5, 2022

We’ve been receiving lots of requests for an episode describing how to approach each obstacle at a Spartan Race, so here it is! Come for the nerdy OCR talk, stay for the Bachelor in Paradise talk!

Apr 3, 2022

Danish National Champion. European Champion. Runner-up at World Champs. Ida is a force in any endurance sport she enters, despite not finding running until her early twenties!

Mar 31, 2022

We list the shoes we use/would use/recommend for every type of race: 5k and under, 10k to Half Marathon, and Marathon to Ultra. PLUS we break it down by terrain type: road, smooth trail, technical trail, and sloppy trail. Boom.

Mar 27, 2022

Spring time = trails are opening. It also means the trails are at their most vulnerable. Master trail builder Adam Buck drops by to walk us through proper trail etiquette!

Mar 23, 2022

The good folks on the message boards over at Letsrun had an interesting question: What is the simplest plan for getting faster? We decided to answer it!

Mar 18, 2022

We had a bunch of our Running Public athletes racing over the past two weeks, with many of them seeking meaning after a tough race. It can be tough to analyze your races without help at times, so today we break down our own personal race lessons that we’ve learned over the past two decades!

Mar 15, 2022

Kirk raced again and, surprise, he’s still super fit! Today we go in depth on the things this race taught us and how you can be better for it.

Mar 13, 2022

The multiple time European OCR champ is in the midst of a comeback from a devastating leg injury. Hear him talk his progression as a runner, his love of training, and his painful journey back to the top!

Mar 8, 2022

We’ve noticed a trend of athletes practicing one stride and racing with a different stride once fatigue sets in. Let’s combat that together!

Mar 5, 2022

Random episode content? Yup. Great info about training and Kirk’s Bachelor days? Double yup.

Mar 1, 2022

Kirk raced. He learned some stuff. We tell you all about the stuff. Also, a discussion on incline intervals during race week!

Feb 25, 2022

Roles reverse as Kirk drops in for a running therapy sesh with the esteemed Dr Brakken Kraker!

Feb 22, 2022

It has been a while since some of you raced. Here’s our refresher on what to do and what not to do on race week!

Feb 19, 2022

Doc DeWindt welcomes Brakken and Running to his therapy couch in order to help them work on their relationship. They make some great progress in today’s session!

Feb 16, 2022

Cross training is the subject of so many of the messages we receive each month, and for good reason! Today we talk about the different types of cross training and how to use it for building fitness vs recovery.

Feb 11, 2022

From playing 11 years in Major League Baseball to going sub 23 hours at the Western States 100, Eric has lived a sporting life that few athletes can equal!

Feb 8, 2022

Kirk is sick. Brakken just had COVID. It feels like the entire world is either coming down with or just getting over something. How should we approach training while sick??

Feb 4, 2022

Shawn Roberts is a competitor through and through. From running the 800m and 1500m at Georgia Tech and then with the NJNY track team to the trails and mud of OCR, Shawn has been laser focused on winning every step of the way. His mindset and approach to life and training is on full display in this episode!

Feb 1, 2022

Is there such thing as spending too much time in Base Building phase? Let’s dive in!

Jan 29, 2022

Kris has an unbelievable combination of maybe the best athletic range and the most unique life story of anyone we have ever had on this show (all apologies to Ryan Atkins and Stephen Menya). Good luck not becoming a Kris fan after this one!

Jan 25, 2022

Jan 21, 2022

We’re cleaning out our closet! All your remaining questions from 2021 will be answered today! There are some good ones, some tough ones, and a zombie apocalypse question. We’ve got it all!

Jan 18, 2022

January is upon us and race schedules are being released. It is the time of year when many runners are faced with the dilemma of what races to sign up for and how to go about being fit for those races. Today we walk you through how we attack this process!

Jan 14, 2022

Cali Schweikhart joins us for our 200th episode, and we couldn’t ask for a better guest to represent everything the Running Public stands for! Her story is one of athletic pursuits, personal demons, health challenges, and continuing redemption. Oh, and she’s teaming up with Brakken to attempt a world record a week from now! Enjoy the episode and thank you all so much for the support over these past two years!

Jan 11, 2022

Brakken and Kirk break down and react to Spartan’s big Age Group and Elite Series announcement. This is about as close to a hot take episode as you’re going to get!

Jan 7, 2022

From juvenile delinquent to the fastest person to run self supported around the United Kingdom, Chris is not your typical distance runner. Come for his wild story, stay for his killer accent. http://chriscoastrun.co.uk/

Jan 4, 2022

Kirk and Brakken recap their highs and lows from 2021 and then preview what is in store for 2022. Thanks for being here with us the entire time!

Dec 31, 2021

We’re back from our holiday break with a phenomenal entry in our Philosophy of Training series. Becca Jones is an Ultra runner, Ultra Coach, and co-race director of the Tennessee Mile and the Mid State Mile Last man standing race. Get your notebooks ready!

Dec 21, 2021

Aerobic Threshold. Anaerobic Threshold. Lactate Threshold. Ventilatory Threshold 1. Ventilatory Threshold 2. So many threshold terms. So much confusion! Let’s break it all down!

Dec 14, 2021

Kirk raced this weekend, so we begin with the recap before moving into what we all love about training: The Quality Workouts!

Dec 11, 2021

Rich Ryan makes Running Public history with his 4th appearance on the show! As always, he brings a wealth of information for runners and strength athletes alike. Have the notebook ready!

Dec 7, 2021

Brakken hobbles to the mic to recap the Tennessee Mile, then the boys break down the Spartan World Championship.

Dec 4, 2021

When it comes to knowing the ins and outs of how the human body responds to both endurance and strength training, Alec Blenis is as good as anyone. Grab a pen and pad, and get ready for a few hours of knowledge bombs.

Nov 30, 2021

The Mid Week Long Run, or Medium Long Run, is one of our favorite types of runs. Get pumped to dive into this little rascal! FYI, we start with a chat about Brakken’s upcoming Ultra before breaking down the Spartan World Championship race, also this coming weekend. Skip to 42:10 to get right to the MWLR talk.

Nov 26, 2021

Steeplechase national champ, 2:21 marathoner, high school coach, and author Joey Keillor joins the Philosophy of Training series this week. If you’ve ever struggled with underperforming or overtraining, this one is for you!

Nov 23, 2021

Long Runs should be a staple of most runners’ programming, but we often let these slide out of use. Let’s refresh to ourselves why they are so important! We talk a good bit about Brakken’s race, so skip to 30:00 if you want just the Long Run info!

Nov 20, 2021

Kirk and Brakken each take on the same questions they’ve been asking other coaches during the past few Philosophy of Training episodes. Let’s see how they hold up under the pressure!

Nov 16, 2021

New series alert! We’re getting back to the basics on Tuesdays, focusing on the Fundamental pieces of running. Today we break down the principles of Easy and Recovery runs. They are very simple and very similar, but they are also the run types most often completed incorrectly!

Nov 12, 2021

Acclaimed author and coach Matt Fitzgerald joins us to chat through his philosophy of training. Along the way we delve into his evolution as a writer, his experiences living and training with a pro running group, and his current health battle.

Nov 9, 2021

We’ve received a lot of questions regarding the TRP Plan on Training Peaks recently, and with our off season build beginning this week it is a good time to give a complete breakdown of what’s in store for our athletes this year! We cover the weekly format, style of training, and yearly flow.

Nov 5, 2021

We take a break from our Coaches Series to clean house. We have so many listener questions unanswered that we just need to get through them. We start with Black Friday gift guides for runners, then get into the nitty gritty training questions!

Nov 2, 2021

The boys get chatty about life and running, but they manage to answer a few listener questions along the way!

Oct 29, 2021

Week Two of our series brings us Ian Hosek. Ian learned his craft while working at Nike and continues to apply his training principles today, with an emphasis on racing the trails and in the mountains.

Oct 26, 2021

We begin with chit chat, move to a breakdown of the Richard Diaz Flow Training episode, then finish up with some tough love and motivation!

Oct 22, 2021

Today begins a mini-series focusing on the different philosophies of endurance training. As people approach their “off season”, it is the perfect time to learn and evolve! We will have a different endurance expert on each week who will explain their theory of training. We start with Richard Diaz, endurance coach and author. Rich spent decades working with athletes before developing his own system known as Flow Training. Enjoy and take notes!

Oct 19, 2021

We all take at least one “off season” per year, and now is the time many people are looking to start theirs. Today we walk you through how to build and prioritize what should occur for you!

Oct 15, 2021

This is one of the most difficult topics to address with people, and runners are no exception. We’ve put off this episode for long enough; it is time to dive into how and why an athlete should approach the idea of lowering their weight. Please go into this with an open mind, and please listen to the entire episode! This isn’t one to press play on if you don’t have your full attention available, as every little sentence matters!

Oct 12, 2021

Warning: Spoiler alert for Boston, Chicago, and the Spartan 24 Hour Championship! The racing tactics of the pros this past weekend illuminated a flaw in how us mere mortals approach the majority of our workouts and races. This might be your most important episode for future races!

Oct 8, 2021

We received some truly great questions for this episode! Highlights include: running orthotics, preparing for hot races, burnout, how to train when you can’t get enough sleep, power hiking in races and training, and “should I race AG or Elite?”

Oct 5, 2021

Last week we talked about why you should rebuild your base if you’ve stagnated. Today we address the other people in the room: Those who are stagnating but still have a race remaining on their calendar. If you can’t start your off season quite yet, how do you approach your final race? Today we tell you!

Oct 1, 2021

At this point in the year (October), there are two types of runners: those who are still improving and those who are not. If you are struggling with stagnation, this episode is for you! If you’re not, count your blessings and take notes today in order to prevent it from affecting you in the future!

Sep 28, 2021

As our listeners well know, Kirk has been away for two weeks. Today, he opens up about everything he’s been dealing with. This is a heavy, personal episode. Our Training Tuesday will be released Friday.

Sep 24, 2021

In one of the most shocking upsets in OCR history, Hunter McIntyre was soundly beaten at the Hyrox World Championships in Berlin two weeks ago. A refocused Hunter joins us today to talk through how a champion responds to defeat. We also discuss season two of OCR Stars!

Sep 22, 2021

We get a surprise guest host today who walks us through his all time favorite running sessions from high school, college, and post-collegiate. Get ready to run fast!

Sep 14, 2021

Last Tuesday we gave you all the major pieces to include in your training. This week we give you our list of things many runners are doing but shouldn’t be!

Sep 10, 2021

From college walk-on to professional runner, Steph’s passion for running and competing launched a career that has taken her around the world. So what prompted her transition from the track to OCR? Listen to her story today!

Sep 7, 2021

What should I be doing in training? What strength work is beneficial to me as a runner? What mobility work is needed? What about core work? This episode is your complete guide to what EVERY runner should be doing in training!

Sep 3, 2021

From 400lb Strongman to record setting Ultra Endurance athlete, John Clark has never been content to live an ordinary life! He broke the 24 hour Ski Erg record and then recently became the first to run a marathon in all 48 counties in England in 48 consecutive days.

Aug 31, 2021

We’ve all been there and we never want to be there again! Today is nothing but how to prevent muscle cramping!

Aug 27, 2021

The faster Kraker joins us for a story of running, injury, potential, setbacks, rock bottom, and rebirth. This is one you won’t want to miss!

Aug 24, 2021

Some people just love racing. They would rather race than train, and they try to fill their schedules with as many races as possible. The question becomes, “How do I structure my training in between back to back race weekends (or back to back to back)?”

Aug 20, 2021

Kevin Donoghue has never chosen the typical path through life, so it is only fitting to have followed the same outside-the-box approach as an athlete. What started as a career as a defensive lineman and kick returner turned into a passion for endurance racing, ultimately leading him to becoming one of Obstacle Racing’s most decorated athletes.

Aug 17, 2021

We ran out of time last week, so we’re finishing up the Q&A today! We have some great topics, ranging from race cramping to blood flow restriction training, plus Kirk tries to navigate the choppy waters of purchasing a camper while recording a podcast.

Aug 13, 2021

Annie is a relative newcomer to the world of endurance racing, but has had immediate success. Not an outstanding runner as a youth, she ground her way to the top of her sport through years of consistent work and an abundance of grit. Equal parts distance runner and mountain goat, Annie’s story is a great one. Enjoy!

Aug 10, 2021

Veejay Jones breaks down his latest After Action Race Report, then we discuss the heart rate training zones we personally use, our thoughts on the CBD craze, the importance of pace and terrain in training, and much much more!

Aug 7, 2021

Kris is one of the most widely successful endurance athletes in North America. A self described “hybrid athlete”, he has seen success in everything from ultra running to obstacle racing. Kris boasts a resume that includes a top 10 finish at the Western States 100, a top 3 at a Spartan Race US National series event, and a 3:51 downhill road mile. On top of that, Kris is a chef, restaurant owner, coach, and course designer.

Aug 3, 2021

Training built to race day, but now the race is over. What do you do now? The first thing every runner needs to do is assess their performance in a non biased manner. Easier said than done! Excuses vs factors. Positives and negatives. Luck vs execution. Lack of toughness vs lack of fitness. We use Kirk’s race this past weeks to walk you through how to approach your after action report and what to do with the information!

Jul 30, 2021

After listening to the Ross Wiemer interview (Episode 46), TJ Schraufnagel decided to begin running with the intent of completing a mountain ultra. This is the story of his journey from running 7 times in January to completing a 31 mile race in July, at altitude and with 10,000’ of elevation gain!

Jul 27, 2021

We’ve all been there, searching online for the magic workout or training plan to get us through our next big race. Searching for the secret sauce that sets the great ones apart from the mortals. But what the great ones understand, either intuitively or through trial and error, is that success is the result of days, weeks, months, and years of consistent work. There is no magic workout that will launch you forward. Today we break that concept down and explore it fully!

Jul 23, 2021

Hawk Call took a break from his summer build towards his senior cross country season at Utah Valley University and jumped into the US National Series race in Utah. In his first race in the elite field, he led for 90 minutes before finishing 3rd, putting the sport on notice. Today he walks us through his journey from “Hobie Call’s son” to D1 runner and future OCR star.

Jul 20, 2021

As runners, we work really hard in order to be ready for our next race course. Often times, this means targeting a specific skill (technical terrain, descending, etc) throughout our buildup to race day. However, we often leave those skills behind during our subsequent training blocks, leaving us scrambling to regain them when another situation calls for their use! Today we discuss the top perishable skills and how to keep them well-oiled year round.

Jul 16, 2021

100k US Champ. Team USA Ultra Runner. Coach. Freethinker. Psychedelics advocate. Anthony is unique in a sport full of uniqueness. Kick back and enjoy a running interview that will go places we’ve not gone before, while challenging you to rethink the way you approach caring for your running body.

Jul 13, 2021

We received an interesting question this week: ”How do you two approach a big mountain race, from the moment you wake up until the moment you cross the finish line?” We liked it so much we talked about it for 55 minutes! From wake up time, breakfast, and warm up to mindset, strategy, and fueling, this is everything we think and do on mountain race day!

Jul 6, 2021

Today starts with a few personal stories that highlight the importance of flexibility on race week. You don’t always need a perfect lead-up to race day. Bad nights of sleep do not always equal a bad race! We then move into analyzing whether or not you are due for a “mini reset” in your training, along with strategies for resetting properly.

Jul 2, 2021

When life hands you lemons, make a Q&A Episode! Today we touch upon training with limited time available, training with new babies, how to handle physically aggressive racers on course, dealing with chronic pain, cramping on course, and racing shoes that drain well.

Jun 29, 2021

On race day, having the best fitness isn’t always enough to guarantee success. Often times the style of race eliminates people from contention long before their engine does. Practicing specific race day tactics in training is the only way to make sure you are ready for any style of race that presents itself! Today’s episode breaks down the main styles of endurance racing and gives you specific workouts to implement for each.

Jun 25, 2021

Arielle is currently one of North America’s best endurance runners but her path to stardom is certainly not the typical one. From high school long and triple jump sensation to six months spent medically bedridden, Arielle somehow transitioned into the world of ultra running. This young woman has a story and message that we all can learn from!

Jun 22, 2021

We showed up with a topic to discuss, but 70 minutes later we still hadn't moved past a long rant and some good ole fashioned Olympic trials chatting!

Jun 18, 2021

Veejay rejoins the podcast for an episode about mindset and the importance of technique work and mechanical efficiency as runner. This an episode that will make you rethink the way you train and approach running.

Jun 15, 2021

Having a huge engine is great, but if you don't use it wisely you'll still leave time out there on the course! Today's episode is all about HOW to use your engine. Uphill, Downhill, and Flat Running all require the correct technique, mindset, skills, and strategy in order to maximize the hard work you put in building your fitness. Tune in and then throw down on race day!

Jun 11, 2021

We get a little bit of everything today with Rich! Coming off his recent win and World Best time at Dekafit and his second place debut at Hyrox, Rich talks training for hybrid races and maintaining high volume with minimal running while dealing with injuries. We also touch upon how to approach nutrition while injured, as well as a very in depth discussion on hotdogs and supershoes.

Jun 8, 2021

Today is a two-part episode. In part one we follow up on the idea of being in a "running slump". We had so much feedback after Brakken talked about his personal slump that we felt it was necessary to continue the conversation! In part two we discuss training in the heat and humidity. Tis the season for miserable running weather, so let's attack it together! Part two starts at 31:20.

Jun 4, 2021

Not our typical Q&A session! We only hit a few questions today because they were so good that we needed to spend a lot of time on each of them. It's like 10 mini Training Tuesdays! Race anxiety Pace vs effort in races What to do when you're totally unmotivated Setting appropriate goals and few more beauties!

May 27, 2021

2nd Place at the Canadian University Championships for Cross Country 2nd Place at the Canadian National Mountain Running Championship 36th Place at the World Mountain Running Championship Those are the accolades of a world class mountain runner. At 28 year old she's still just entering her prime, so why is this woman making the switch to Obstacle Course Racing? By the time she finishes telling you her story, it will all make sense!

May 25, 2021

One of the hardest parts of endurance racing is choosing the correct effort and pace for any given race distance. Some people seem to intrinsically understand how to manage their race efforts, but the vast majority of us crash and burn time and time again. Today we give you all our tips, tricks, and strategies for nailing your next race!

May 21, 2021

Rylan is the newest "name to watch" in the OCR scene. At only 23 years of age, he has already retired from professional mountain bike racing and switched gears in order to attack obstacle course racing. Sit back, relax, and get to know the next big thing in this sport!

May 18, 2021

Every once in a while, we need to step way outside of our comfort zone and do something that scares us. Something we may not be prepared for. Something that changes us. Have you offered yourself that opportunity lately?

May 14, 2021

One of the UK's top OCR racers, Natasha had an extremely unique journey to becoming an endurance athlete. She didn't find running until she was 29, but quickly made up for lost time. From medical hardships and developmental anomalies to sub-3:00 marathons, Natasha is an inspiration to the "everyman and everywoman" looking to improve their running and mindset towards training.

May 11, 2021

We preach sustainability and caution on this podcast. We drive home the point that we need to hit certain paces and metrics in training. Well, today we throw all that out the window and discuss hitting workouts based on your future goals rather than your current fitness!

May 7, 2021

Hunter is teaming up with American Record Holder Ryan Hall to set the Clydesdale Marathon World Record (fastest marathon by a male over 200 lbs). He ran 2:55 at 214# with no marathon training. Hear how they plan to run under 2:37 this fall. Come for The Sheriff, stay for the training talk and his priceless nuggets on mental approach to training, competition, and life!

May 4, 2021

Today is a look behind the scenes to what a typical conversation between Kirk and Brakken looks like. No agenda, no specific topics, just talking about races and training. However, the second half features Brakken making a bold statement about doing nothing but Compromised Running for the rest of the year and detailing why and how he plans to do so!

Apr 30, 2021

We hit a little bit of everything today ladies and gents! We have to say, the level of thinking behind these questions is really impressive. We love seeing people take their training seriously, and your dedication shows in your questions. Some highlights include: Carbon trail shoe discussion What certifications should a running coach have? How to manage racing twice in one day How to calculate fueling needs for a race What OG OCR athlete would we bring back? HR Zones vs FTP Zones

Apr 28, 2021

Lactate Threshold might just be the single most misunderstood concept in all of endurance training. So, we dedicate an entire episode to explaining and simplifying this awesome piece of training jargon. Get ready to take some notes! And pay attention for the longest analogy (7+ minutes) we've ever used!

Apr 23, 2021

Three months ago, Nick was preparing to prove his ranking as one of the most promising young racers in North America. Then, he was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. The toll it immediately took on his body has been severe, and he is actively fighting to regain control of his dreams of being a professional athlete. This interview will leave you rooting for Nick while realizing how lucky we are to be able to run in the first place.

Apr 20, 2021

The people have spoken: It is time to dive into training and racing distances over 30 miles! How much volume do you need? Back to back long runs? How long is long enough in training? Do I need speed work? Gear, fueling, shoes, etc

Apr 17, 2021

Slovenian National Gymnastics Team Member for 10 years Spartan Ultra World Champion 2x World's Toughest Mudder Champion 2nd Place at ECO Challenge: Fiji Undefeated at OCR Races 8 Hours or longer Bachelor’s Degrees in Physics and Astrophysics from Cal-Berkeley Master’s Degree in Science and Engineering from Stanford. This woman is one of the top endurance athletes on the planet but has taken the long, broken road to get here. Her story is incredible, as are the life obstacles she has overcome.

Apr 13, 2021

If you're going to swing the hammer, swing that thing hard! That was a big take away from the Dr Fred Clary interview, as he talked at length about preparing for 110% or even 120% of the demands of your next competition. Today we explain what that means, why it matters, and how it works / what it looks like in training.

Apr 9, 2021

Fred Clary is a Chiropractic Neurologist, World Record holding Power Lifter, and a goldmine of knowledge about maximizing the potential of the human body. Today we look into the role strength training plays in unlocking your endurance potential. Be warned: Brakken filled an entire page with notes while recording this episode. This is one you will want to listen to with a pen and pad in hand!

Apr 6, 2021

The super-shoe era is officially here, so Doctor Kraker went into the lab to test out the Nike Alphafly against two "typical" racing shoes in order to get clear data that shows exactly how much these new shoes affect your running. Along the way we hit the following: What is a super shoe? How does the carbon plate work? How do they affect pace at Mile, 5k, 10k, Half Marathon, and Marathon distances? Should they be legal?

Apr 2, 2021

Brakken's wife, Lisa, finally joins us today! Lisa hates racing. Hates it. She also can't stand easy runs, training schedules, and scripted quality workouts. We discuss how she structures her training and life in order to keep running a purely enjoyable and therapeutic exercise.

Mar 30, 2021

Kirk raced in Las Vegas this past weekend while Brakken commentated the Savage Race in Georgia. They have several takeaways from the two races that could be difference makers for athletes moving forward! The power of purposeful cross training How truly awful it is to race in sand The importance of a plan for attacking rigs Having the correct mentality for racing under the new pandemic style of races

Mar 26, 2021

Glenn is a self taught runner who didn't even begin training until after college. Learning on the fly, he progressed to a low 15 minute 5k and 4:12 mile over the course just a few years. From there, he was signed by the Spartan Pro Team in 2014 and has been an OCR racer ever since. Our longest episode yet, and you will not regret staying until the end! Glenn is one of the best people we have ever met in this sport, but he has also overcome some pretty incredible life obstacles along the way. If you don't know Glenn's story, buckle up!

Mar 23, 2021

We've noticed a few trends with the athletes we work with over the past few months. We want to go over them right now and hopefully help out anyone who is starting to exhibit similar behaviors in training! A few highlights: Rushing injury rehab in order to be ready for a "B" Race Forcing a specific pace on Easy / Recovery Runs Cutting weight too aggressively / restricting too many calories Trying to hit a monster workout too close to a race in order to feel mentally prepared

Mar 19, 2021

This month's Q&A covers a little bit of everything! How much is too much cross training? Nasal breathing as a tool vs a training style Should you treat Grip training like Endurance training? When to get new shoes for treadmill training Can you improve your ability to use fast-twitch muscles? Should supercompensation be used more heavily for designing training plans? And people apparently still really want to know who would win in a fight between the two of us... Heads up, we get lost down a few rabbit holes regarding OCR schedules and the recent NCAA National Championship meet, so skip to 21:00 if you are just looking for the Q&A portion!

Mar 16, 2021

Waking up for the second day of racing can be a brutal experience. Today's episode is designed to make that process as smooth as possible for you! How to train for multiple days of racing How to approach race week What to do immediately after Race #1 How to warm up Day #2

Mar 13, 2021

Yancy might be the most influential person in the sport of OCR not named Joe De Sena. His coaching, passion, and service to our sport has personally impacted thousands and thousands of individuals. From a childhood in rural Texas to the military to cancer, learn about the journey that made the man we all know and love.

Mar 9, 2021

When we find ourselves do too much of our running on surfaces that don't mimic race terrain it ALWAYS comes back to haunt us. A week ago in Jacksonville, many people realized they weren't ready for the sloppy conditions. The water and mud broke their cadence and rhythm, preventing them from ever getting going. Broken running is such a powerful skill to master, so we dive deep into it today!

Mar 5, 2021

An endurance athlete, Doctor and Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Dr. A'nna joins us for a look into the way nutrition and blood testing affects our performance. We begin with general principles then progress to A'nna's specialty: female specific nutrition and blood testing. If you are a female athlete, coach female athletes, or even just know a female athlete, the second half of this interview is now on your "must-listen" list!

Mar 2, 2021

Racing has returned to the OCR world! This weekend was full of familiar faces and surprise performers. Today we breakdown the course, the performances, what we learned, and much more!

Feb 26, 2021

Kevin is the biggest enigma in the sport OCR. Despite having an endurance career that stretches over 30 years, he is still a bit of an unknown commodity. Understood by few, his story deserves a listen. So kick back as he takes you through the process of becoming the KG we see today!

Feb 23, 2021

It is time to kick off our 2021 Race Season! Today we discuss our race week mindset, the final workouts we hit, we preview the course and the competition and talk a bit of strategy!

Feb 19, 2021

Born into extreme poverty in a small Kenyan village, Stephen survived and made his way to the US through running. One of the wildest stories of defying the odds you'll hear, Stephen is a shining example of what vision, hard work, and pure self belief can do for you, both as a human and as an athlete!

Feb 16, 2021

What barriers are constantly in your way? Every time you struggle to get a workout in or perform your best, what is to blame? Today we identify what is holding you back and give strategies for eliminating those road blocks!

Feb 12, 2021

Carol Pratt is a running coach who has seen and done it all throughout her career: Part of the first female high school class to have equal access to sports Witnessed the rise of Title IX Ran D-1 Track Ironman Finisher 2x Boston Marathon Qualifier Created a girl's high school cross country program High School, Club, and Masters Running Coach

Feb 9, 2021

The age old debate for endurance sports is one of size. At what point does extra power or strength begin to get in the way of your speed and endurance? This question is often paired with its less healthy sibling: How small is too small? We discuss this in depth today in hopes of helping you frame your mindset for what is ideal for your body.

Feb 5, 2021

So often we hear, "I've been running for 3 years now and I'm just not getting any better. I think I've hit my ceiling." Endurance sports are the LONG game, and it is important to keep your personal progression in perspective. Brakken and Kirk walk us through their Running Progression today in order to show how difficult it can be to know what phase you're in until afterwards! They trade stories and anecdotes back and forth that remind us of a few important facts: We track fitness in DECADES, not years or months. When we stagnate, that doesn't mean we've hit our ceiling. We need to be in the correct room.

Feb 2, 2021

We've all seen it: a guy or girl we know who is SUPER fit shows up to a competition and just gets smoked. How is this possible? What is the missing link between great overall workout fitness and great race day fitness?

Jan 29, 2021

Army Ranger. National Level Ultra Runner. Collegiate Basketball Player. And most impressively, the winner of the 2020 Running Public Burpee 10k! Mark is one of the best unknown racers in the US, and today will shed some light on how he got to be the man and athlete he is!

Jan 26, 2021

We've hit a lot of heavy topics lately, so today we're lightening things up with a rundown of our absolute favorite workouts! From track workouts and interval sessions to threshold work and long runs, we break down a ton of great workouts today.

Jan 22, 2021

Some really good questions came in this month! Some highlights are: How important is talent? Why does my HR go up on Easy days when I try a higher cadence? How often to hit race specific terrain? Is rucking useful to endurance racers? Active Recovery Days vs Off Days Road paces vs OCR paces

Jan 19, 2021

"We don't train so that the race doesn't hurt, we train to tolerate it." - Michael Scott, probably. Far too often, we improve our fitness and then go into a competition imagining how awesome we are going to feel, only to get smacked in the face by how much racing still hurts. Today's episode deals with every aspect of that, from mindset and mental tricks, to race strategy and training focus. We spend the first 25 minutes talking all about the Running Public Training Plan that dropped today on therunningpublic.com. We explain the set-up and training style as well as how to use the plan. If you want to skip straight to the meat and potatoes of this episode, fast forward to 25:00.

Jan 15, 2021

Bailey is the newest face on the world mountain and trail running scene. She only shifted to the trails in 2019 but has already established herself as the woman to watch in the coming years. Today she details her journey from child prodigy to stagnated race times, an eating disorder, unhealthy coaches and finally to personal health and competitive excellence!

Jan 12, 2021

Online Coaching is one of the easiest ways for people to start making money quickly. The fitness industry is overrun with bad coaching, and the Running community (OCR in particular) is not immune to this. If anything, it is worse than most other industries. Way too many unqualified coaches are taking advantage of unsuspecting clients. Warning: Today is one giant rant. We identify the key pieces to look for in order to ensure you are finding a good coach and we identify the classic tactics used by bad coaches. We finish by shouting out the coaches we know are doing it right!

Jan 8, 2021

Fresh off his Hyrox World Championship victory, Hunter has set his sights on the first race of the Spartan US National series. He discusses his training and mindset for being able to transition successfully between such vastly different competitions (OCR->CrossFit->Spartan Games->Hyrox->OCR). Good luck listening to this one without getting pumped up to train and compete!

Jan 5, 2021

We preach "the process" on this podcast (plan, periodize, execute, etc), but life isn't all about linear progressions. Races pop up, opportunities present themselves, and plans sometimes need to get changed. Kirk and Brakken are each going through that right now, so today they dive into the importance of not being held captive by your training plans. Mental flexibility is an important skill that the best athletes in the world share; here's how to enact it yourself!

Jan 1, 2021

Born in Brazil. Raised in Germany and the US. Injured for years. One of the top downhill runners on the planet. Johnny takes us through his athletic journey, enlightens us on his training style, and reveals his plans to be a dominant all around endurance racer!

Dec 29, 2020

With the last episode of the current year we discuss what we learned from 2020. From our most asked questions to our biggest training, racing, and life lessons of the year, this episode wraps up 2020 and looks ahead to 2021!

Dec 25, 2020

Aaron gives us an all access look into what makes him tick. Starting with a traumatic childhood and continuing through bizarre injuries, Aaron's love affair with endurance sports has been the one constant in his life. Don't make up your mind about Aaron until you listen to this episode!

Dec 22, 2020

Everyone knows that their weaknesses are the major obstacle holding them back from success. The tough part for many people is actually identifying what their most important weaknesses are and how to address them. We give you the 4 important questions to ask yourself that will accurately identify your major and minor weaknesses, and then we talk about how to go about fixing them! We finish off with a good old fashioned rant about motivation. You don't want to skip this one!

Dec 18, 2020

The greatest Obstacle Course Racer in history joins us for an episode about her rise to the top, her remaining goals, motherhood, and retirement. This is a fascinating look into the mindset and lifestyle of the very best of the best.

Dec 15, 2020