The Running Public

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!

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

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

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.

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!

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!

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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

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!

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

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

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?

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!

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?

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!

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!

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?

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!

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?

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?

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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!

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!

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!

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

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!

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.

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.