Doctors of Running Podcast

Over the past decade, Altra has gathered a cult following, with their signature zero drop midsoles and anatomically shaped shoes. On this episode, Nathan and Matt interview Brian Beckstead, Co-founder of Altra, and Alex Lind, Senior Product Line Manager. They discuss the history of Altra and how it was formed from the ground up. They explore the place for zero-drop, "natural" shoes in th...

We've got another edition of what has become the official Doctors or Running game show, Buy or Sell, with Matt Klein and Andrea Myers as your hosts. They cover a bevy of topics ranging from racing shoes for 4 hour marathoners, hear rate monitors, super shoes for 5Ks and more. Be sure to listen to the end to catch Matt & Andrea's differing views on Nike's Alphafly versions 1 and 3!...

If you're in the running shoe world at all, you know cushion and softness are the name of the game. Every shoe brand claims that each new version of their shoes is softer than the last, but what does it even mean for a shoe to be "soft"? How do you compare the softness of one shoe to another? In this episode, Nathan, Matt, and David do just that. They take a list of 10 of our favorit...

Here at DOR we love answering your questions! Matt Klein and David Salas are here to do just that. Tune in for tips on picking the ideal long run shoe, stable neutral shoes for flat feet, stable training & racing shoes, and more. They tackle some tricky shoe suggestions for dealing with nerve pain, achilles tendinopathy, and other pathologies. We're always open to your questions, so send u...

Getting a running shoe that fits right can be a challenge, especially when so much of our shopping is done online. In this episode, Matt Klein helps you figure out how to find the best fitting shoe for you. Shoe length in particular is critical, not just in finding a comfortable shoe, but one that lines up with your mechanics. He also gives some advice on finding shoes when dealing with specific p...

Happy New Year runners! While we're excited for 2024, we still have lots about 2023 to talk about with this week's podcast. Senior Contributor Nathan Brown shares his favorite shoes of the past year (along with those that didn't quite work out) and discusses working through an injury that's greatly slowed his running journey as of late. Learn how he's dealt with the injury and...

2023 is quickly coming to a close, so it's time to pick our favorite shoes from the past year. Matt, Andrea, and David get together to share their picks for the best shoes. Tune in to hear their choices for long distance (half marathon/marathon) racing shoes, short distance (5K/10K) racing shoes, and trail shoes. This is our last episode of the year and we can't thank each of you enough fo...

2023 is quickly coming to a close, so it's time to pick our favorite shoes from the past year. Matt, Andrea, and David get together to share their picks for the best shoes. Tune in to hear their choices for daily trainers, stability/stable neutral shoes, and performance trainers. And get ready for the next episode where they'll share their favorite racing shoes! We want to hear from you: w...

This week's episode is all about your questions! We love hearing from you and fielding your questiosn, so Nate and Matt are here to answer more. They discuss the role of plates, foams, and more in super shoes, and the possible efficiency of the Nike Alphafly's Zoom Air Pods. They give tips for finding comfortable shoes when dealing with bunions, training your body for shoes with different...

This episode is your quick guide to post-race recovery after a season of training and racing with Andrea and Megan (who are fresh off marathons themselves). From immediate post-race steps to nutrition, hydration, and mental recovery strategies, Andrea & Megan share valuable insights. Get tips on travel, changing training, and downtime activities. Whether you're a seasoned runner or a begin...

This episode is all about strength training. Some runners love it, most runners avoid it, but almost everyone knows they should be doing some of it. Nathan's joined by Victoria Sekely, DPT to answer all your strength questions. How do you best integrate it with your training? Where do you get started with lifting heavy? What are some generally beneficial exercises? What shoes should you wear?...

On this episode we Nate, David, and Matt answer more of your questions! They cover the life of midsoles and foams over miles and time, overuse injury prevention, the most stable marathon shoes, and more. We always love fielding your questions, so let us know what you want answered on our next mailbag show by emailing doctorsofrunningpodcast@gmail.com ! Chapters 0:00 - Intro 4:56 - How does midsole...

Achilles tendon injuries plague many a runner, but Matt is here with findings from his PhD dissertation to help us understand what's going on and find the path to recovery. Matt dives into the anatomy and function of the Achilles in the gait cycle. Then he explains tendinopathy, the most common injury to that tendon, and what puts runners at a higher injury risk. Finally, he gives rehab and st...

Heart health is complicated and can be scary, even for runners. Andrea is joined by Dr. Tamanna Singh, MD to unravel the mysteries of cardiac health for endurance athletes. They discuss the biological benefits that running provides the heart, and how we as runners can expect our hearts to change as we train. Dr. Singh gives advice on what to do if you start experiencing cardiac issues, and how to...

The majority of runners will get injured every year, and the first question we often find ourselves asking is, "how long until I can run again?" In this episode, Matt & Nathan broadly explore the healing timeframes for a variety of common injury types. They give an insight into what's happening at a cellular level when we get injured and then heal over time. Then they dive into h...

If you've been a follow of Doctors of Running for a while, you know we like discussing stability in our shoes. As we've talked about at length, stability is not a monolithic term, but something that will vary between shoes and runners; everyone's experience of a shoe's stability will be different. On this episode, Matt and David rank ten different shoes from least to most stable. Y...

Mailbag show means it's all about your questions. At DOR we love hearing from you! On this episode, Nathan and David tackle your shoe, training, and injury questions. They take a look at comparing daily trainers and super shoes. They give some tips on how to taper for different lengths of races, and explore strength-training and injuries like proximal hamstring tendinopathy and hip impingement...

Bone injuries such as stress reactions and fractures plague many a runner. It's often a challenge to find their source and rehab can be long. Matt is joined by Rich Willy to discuss his research and work in bone health and injuries in runner (particularly ultra-runners). Rich's insights will help you better understand the cause of common bone stress in the foot, lower or upper leg, hip, et...

Andrea & Megan host a fun Q&A episode–This or That? They take your this-or-that questions and help you find the answers! Stiff or flexible shoes for sprinting? Foam rolling or massage guns for recovery? Liquid nutrition or gels for fuel? Not to mention, of course, a bevy of shoe comparisons. And, because it's an Andrea episode, a New Balance Beacon question. Chapters 0:00 - Intro 7:57...

Get ready for our second installment of Buy or Sell where we debate news, trends, and topics in the running world. Nate, Matt, and David argue shoes and recovery. Are super shoes the reason for all the broken world records? Is a pair of $500 worth it? How do foam rolling and strength training contribute to injury prevention? Things get heated on this one! Chapters 0:00 - Intro 5:00 - Buy or sell:...

This episode is a special double-feature from David and Matt. First off, David give you some advice on building a two, three, and four shoe rotation for both the road and the trail. He'll help you answer questions like: What kind of shoe do I start with? What should I use for my faster workouts? When do I need a racing shoe? Whether you (or a friend) are new to the world of running shoes or a...

Time for another mailbag show. You asked, and we answered. On this episode, Nathan and Matt field listener questions about shoes, biomechanics, and more. Tune in for a couple shoe comparisons: the Boston 12 against several other similar options, and the Endorphin Elite vs. the Vaporfly 3. They also take a look at stability & asymmetry in running mechanics, the latest research on icing for reco...

This episode is all about that max stack. With almost every shoe coming in with a midsole thicker than 30mm, it's becoming hard to define what "maximal" even means, but Nathan, Matt, and David will give it a shot. They take a look at the research on maximal shoes and how it applies to today's offerings. They also argue about what shoes even count as max-stack trainers these days...

The internet provides us with an endless amount of information about running, but between websites, social media, online magazines, and more, how do we sift through to find what's legitimate? On this episode, Andrea and Nathan are joined by journalist and influencer Ashley Mateo to talk all things running media and coaching. They take a look at the state of journalism and how it's changed...

Bloodwork, vitamin levels, and other biomarkers can be confusing, so on this episode Andrea is joined by Dr. Liz Herman, ND and Dr. Jared Pistoia, ND to break down the science of our blood. They explore how getting our bloodwork done as athletes can differ from the average person. They take a look at creatine kinase, blood glucose, anemia and more. They also dive into the critical role of vitamins...