Science of Running

How do you survive heat and humidity? In this week’s episode, we delve into the science and practice of training in hot and humid conditions. From heat acclimatization and strategies to mitigate the deleterious effects of heat and humidity, we keep you informed on the latest research and best practices. Steve & Jon Visit our…

In this episode, we welcome coach Danny Mackey to the show to discuss the training and preparation of Olympic Bronze medalist Josh Kerr. We dive into everything that went into preparing Josh for the games. From the training decisions, and workouts leading into the race to the psychology. How did he prepare Josh for the…

Warming up should be simple. Go jog around for a bit, do some drills and strides and you’re ready to go. In this episode we break down the science of two staples of running that are often afterthoughts. You’ll learn how warm-ups and cool downs aren’t just about priming your body to perform and then…

We are taking a trip back into the time machine. It’s time to look back at training and coaching that we used to do, that we now look back upon and ask “what in the world were we thinking?” This weeks episode is about reflection. Not only to laugh at our ignorance, but to learn…

In this week’s episode we dive into how our striving to get better, to perfect every single thing may actually be holding us back. We dive into the disease of overplanning, what occurs when we chase the minutia and the distinction between fragile and robust athletes. Steve & Jon Visit our Sponsor The Scholar Program…

How do you get prepared for the big meet? It’s not only about physical preparedness, but also your mental and decision making framework. In this episode, we cover everything from understanding and setting up your psychological framework to priming for performance to making better decisions. Steve & Jon Resources Mentioned: The OODA Loop by John…

We’ve all been there before. The bear jumps on our back in the final 200 meters. Our legs turn to lead and cease to function. What’s going on when the bear jumps on our back? In this episode we explore fatigue related to acidosis, H+, and more. And as always, tell you how to deal…

Hitting the wall is a dreaded experience in the marathon. Your body runs out of energy and you feel like you are fighting your muscles every step. But what’s really going on? We don’t actually run out of energy. In this episode we dive DEEP into the physiology of hitting the wall and more importantly…

What do we do when it’s all going wrong? When an athlete seems to be headed in the wrong direction? In this weeks podcast we dive into how to get performance back on track. Do we take a week off, run easy for a while, change the workouts? Jon and Steve explore all the ways…

In our early days or running, improvement comes easy! A little bit of training and our performance improves. We get fooled into thinking work and improvement are directly correlated. This is great for getting us to put in the work, but what happens when improvement slows down, when it becomes a jagged line? Do we…

It’s time for a state of the sport check-in. In this episode, Jon and Steve take on the sleeping giant that is the sport of track and field. We discuss how to improve it, what we are missing, and how we need to change the narrative. From big ideas to small tweaks that we all…

As coaches, we obsess over the X’s and O’s. Did we get the training just right? But often it’s the mental side of the sport that makes much of the difference. In this episode we dive into what coaches need to know about sports psychology. We cover everything from anxiety, choking, motivation, and understanding our…

In this episode we dive into the bread and butter of coaching runners, designing and implementing workouts. Jon and Steve discuss their favourite marathon, middle-distance, and 5k-10k workouts. What are they? When should you utilize them? Who are they for? If you love diving into the details of workout creation, this episode is for you.…

Coaching is easy when everything is going smoothly. But how do we know when to pull the plug on an athletes workout or season? What do we do when an athlete is struggling in a workout? Do we give them more rest, adjust the pace, or pull the plug? When a season is going in…

How do you get ready to race after a long layoff? This might be something that you may be facing do to COVID or coming back from injury. In this episode we dive into how to get back into the groove of racing! Steve & Jon Resources Mentioned in the Podcast Bill Bowerman’s High Performance…

What’s effective training? What workouts are the best for improving endurance, speed, fatigued resistance? In this episode, we dive into how to determined what effective training is, and how we define effective training. Steve & Jon Resources Mentioned in the Podcast Bill Bowerman’s High Performance Training Visit our Sponsor We’ve just launched a new course…

Everyone is different. We all recover at different rates for different workouts. In this episode, we explore why some athletes need work work, why others need more recovery, and how to identify and modulate your training to give each athlete what they need. Steve & Jon Resources Mentioned in the Podcast Athletic Development by Vern…

Strength training can occur anywhere. It’s not dependent on the weight room. In this episode we explore ways to develop strength and power outside of the weight room. From utilizing sprints and hills to bounding, plyos, and throwing around heavy objects outside, we cover ways in which runners can develop strength outside of the traditional…

You’re at the track, watching a workout, when all of the sudden it starts to go south. Athletes are missing their splits, first by a few seconds, then by more and more. Do you pull the plug? Increase the recovery? Shorten the repeats? In this episode of the On Coaching Podcast, we dive into when,…

Should you follow the 10% rule for increasing mileage? Are you destined to be injured if you increase mileage too quickly? In this podcast we tackle all of the questions around mileage. How much, what does it do, when should we increase it, and much more. Steve & Jon Resources Mentioned in the Podcast Running…

The title says it all: we need coaches! Why? Coaches are there to not only motivate but to provide perspective. Whether you coach at the high school, college, or professional level, coaches spend more time with athletes than that athlete spends with any teacher, professor, or anyone else outside of those they live with. The…

Periodization sounds complex, but it’s really just how we plan and organize our training. Do you build a big base and then go short and fast with speedwork? Or employ a blended or mixed system? In this episode we break down periodization and discuss how to use it not only when things are going well,…

Hard days hard, easy days easy. How much validity does that saying have? How hard should our hard workouts be? Should we jog slowly on recovery days or make them steady? In this episode, we dive into the balance between hard workouts and recovery days. Steve & Jon Resources Mentioned in the Podcast The Stress…

What’s it mean to be fit? What about to perform? Is there a meaningful difference? In this episode, Steve and Jon explore the continuum from fitness to performance. As we make our way from fitness to performance, the psychological demands shift. From high control to low. From low threat to high. Give this episode a…

What’s it mean to improve the lactate threshold? What about lactate buffering capacity? In this episode, John and Steve take you down the rabbit hole of workouts designed to improve every part of the lactate curve. You’ll learn why traditional tempo runs push the lactate curve up, but you can also pull the curve. You’ll…