About this episode
It’s time for our Summer Mailbag episode! The Marathon Handbook Podcast crew — Michael, Katelyn, and Alex — dive into listener questions about marathon training, race strategy, running shoes, and how to get faster without getting injured. We kick things off with Katelyn’s 100-mile training update and Alex powering through a raspy-voiced episode (00:00), before unpacking how marathon pace should feel over a 16- to 20-week build (03:30). We talk through why you don’t need to hit every distance time trial to validate your marathon goal (12:05), and why Garmin’s race predictor might be messing with your head (15:00). We break down how to build VO₂ max with 5K interval workouts (19:45), what those sessions should look like (21:45), and what shoes are best for hard efforts (25:15). Michael shares his go-to marathon prep workout — a 10K at goal pace 10 days before race day (30:45), and we discuss how to train on terrain that matches your race (33:45). Then comes blob run talk: how to handle purposeless or failed workouts and how to bounce back stronger (35:15). We dive into heat training and how to adjust your pacing using the VDOT calculator’s temperature function (43:00), and help a listener decide if a 4:30 marathon goal is realistic for CIM (47:05). Next, we take on the great supershoe debate: Should you train in them or save them for race day? (50:15) Are they just for fast runners? (55:00) And how do you properly break in a brand new pair? (59:30). We even ask: Is a “carbon cleanse” coming? Will runners rebel against high-stack, tech-loaded shoes? (1:02:00) Then we unpack Boston Marathon’s new qualifying rules and debate whether shoes with >40mm stack heights should be banned (1:05:15). We also offer advice for overpronators looking for racing shoes (1:14:00), and help a listener navigate heart rate training on hilly routes (1:18:45). Finally, we respond to some pushback around Alex’s “real marathon” comments (1:26:00) and discuss what defines a meaningful marathon experience. As always, thank you for the amazing questions — keep them coming! 📩 Got a question for the pod? Email us at hi@marathonhandbook.com or drop a comment on YouTube or Spotify! 👟 Subscribe for more running tips, gear reviews, and race strategy: https://www.marathonhandbook.com/podcast 📱 Follow us for updates, behind-the-scenes, and expert shoe reviews: • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marathon.handbook • TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@marathonhandbook • Threads: https://www.threads.net/@marathon.handbook #marathontraining #runningshoes #runningtips #runningpodcast #vo2max #supershoes #racedaytips #runningcoach #beginnerrunner #sub4marathon #halfmarathontraining #cimarathon #bostonqualifier #rpe #jackdanielsvdot