The Physiology of Endurance Running Podcast

Dan & Owain are delighted to welcome Dr Andy Shaw to the podcast. Andy is the Senior Physiologist for UK Athletics - working with some of the best athletes on the planet as they prepare for major events. The discussion begins with some reflections from Andy on his PhD - which he completed at Loughborough University and investigated running economy, a topic often talked about on the podcast. Th...

The hard work has been completed, and Owain is ready to taper. Dan & Owain discuss the last big week of training for Barry 40, including a session and drink mixes. They then discuss one of the early thoughts at the start of the series; would Owain's training look much different if he was training for a marathon instead? The Physiology of Endurance Running podcast is proudly sponsored by SO...

The hay is almost in the barn, as they say, for Owain and his Barry 40 training. A fairly unremarkable week in the books with a big session and a 20 mile long run, and lots of carbs. The lads then talk through what went wrong for Owain at last year's Barry 40, and the lessons that were learnt from that attempt at the race! The Physiology of Endurance Running podcast is proudly sponsored by SOA...

Dan & Owain are delighted to welcome their first guest to the podcast! Lauren Thomas joins the show to talk all things Maurten, nutrition and performance. Lauren is the Performance Nutritionist for Maurten, and a registered sports dietitian, holding a Masters in Nutrition Education from Columbia University. The interview kicks off with a discussion about some of the Maurten products and the sc...

28 days from the race - and the last few weeks of big training for Owain. Dan & Owain break down another week of training, with another trial of bicarb and a cross country race. The Physiology of Endurance Running podcast is proudly sponsored by SOAR. SOAR produce high quality running clothing, designed to fit the needs of runners that put in time & effort to the sport. Check them out here...

More athletes and coaches are using portable lactate devices to monitor sessions, or lactate test themselves outside of the lab. But what are they doing right, and wrong? Dan & Owain discuss what a lactate device can and can't do - and offer some helpful knowledge and experience so you can get better results, or see through some of the smoke and mirrors appearing on social media! The Physi...

5 weeks until the Barry 40! Dan & Owain are back to discuss another week of training. Owain combines a long "durability" style session with a staple session of Aussie running podcasts, before a 20-mile long run with a carbohydrate buffet. The Physiology of Endurance Running podcast is proudly sponsored by SOAR. SOAR produce high quality running clothing, designed to fit the needs of...

Dan & Owain are back with another week of training for Barry 40. This week Owain's tried out bicarb, completed a VO2max test, and raced a fell race - a far from normal week! Dan has some questions about Owain's training structure, or lack thereof... The Physiology of Endurance Running podcast is proudly sponsored by SOAR. SOAR produce high quality running clothing, designed to fit the...

Dan & Owain follow on from their episode on improving your VO2max, to discuss thresholds. First the boys break down what thresholds are, and are not, before diving into some of the research - what it says and more importantly, doesn't say. As always with physiology, the answer isn't as clear as we'd all like it to be! The Physiology of Endurance Running podcast is proudly sponsored by SOAR. SO...

Dan & Owain are back, with another week of Barry 40 training to dissect. Owain has had an interesting week - working around research, racing & finishing off his Masters, to get his training done. The Physiology of Endurance Running podcast is proudly sponsored by SOAR. SOAR produce high quality running clothing, designed to fit the needs of runners that put in time & effort to the spor...

Dan & Owain are back with another "Road to..." series - this time a very unique race is on the cards for Owain - Barry Track 40 Miles. The history of the race, and ultras in the UK is discussed, before Owain's recent lab test is broken down before Owain's training week is rattled through. The Physiology of Endurance Running podcast is now proudly sponsored by SOAR. SOAR produce high quality ru...

Dan & Owain are back with a boxing day treat - what does the science say about improving your VO2max? Firstly, some discussion about what VO2max is, some misconceptions and some scene setting. They then break down 3 key papers about training VO2max, before giving some take-home advice on how to train your VO2max. Seiler et al. (2011) Wen et al. (2019) Ronnestand et al. (2020) The Physiology of...

We're back, like your favourite sitcom, with a Christmas Special. Dan & Owain answer some listener questions! Before diving in some talk about nasal strips - an accessory popping up in a lot of races recently. Do they actually work, should you use them yourselves? Then it's on to questions. Loads of topics are covered - thanks for sending in a question, and sorry if yours wasn't covered this t...

Dan & Owain are back, with a big debrief of Dan's race in Valencia. The newly minted 2:12 runner goes through his taper week, the race, his pacing and nutrition. Dan talks through his training in 2024, and across the last 8 weeks, before thinking ahead to 2025. The guys finish off with some housekeeping; plans for the podcast for the rest of 2024 and into 2025. Let us know if you're keen for a...

A bumper episode before the big race - Dan & Owain talk through Dan's week of training. Dan's been in the lab for his pre-marathon lab test, with promising results. They then talk through the marathon itself; fueling, kit, shoes, pacing; haircuts. Let us know how you think Dan will get on! The Physiology of Endurance Running podcast is now proudly sponsored by SOAR. SOAR produce high quality r...

2 weeks to go, the hay is in the barn, the work is banked. Dan & Owain talk through the last "big" week of training before Valencia marathon. Dan travels up north for a wedding, but before that runs one last big treadmill session, with some final shoe testing. Dan's session planning is also discussed in a listener question. If you have any questions for Dan before the big day in Valencia, drop...

A big week in the books for Dan, with two sessions and a long run. Dan & Owain break down the sessions, and take a deep dive into some shoe testing numbers as Dan decides on his shoes for the big dance in Valencia. The Physiology of Endurance Running podcast is now proudly sponsored by SOAR. SOAR produce high quality running clothing, designed to fit the needs of runners that put in time &...

On today's episode, Dan & Owain take an initial dive into the physiology heat exposure. They first discuss the physiological benefits and drawbacks to altitude, and how this can lead many to using heat as a means to increase haemoglobin mass. They then discuss different forms of heat exposure, including baths and sauna, and the physiology behind undertaking these. Let us know if you've used baths...

Dan & Owain are back to discuss Dan's training with 4 weeks to go until the Valencia Marathon! Dan's week began on a high note, before coming down with a cold. Dan logged a fast long run beforehand, which is broken down, along with a few listener questions! The Physiology of Endurance Running podcast is now proudly sponsored by SOAR. SOAR produce high quality running clothing, designed to fit...

A big week in the books for Dan, and a big episode to break it down! Dan & Owain discuss the sessions, as well as Dan's carbs & bicarb use during the sessions - and his thinking for using them during the marathon itself. A longer episode than normal, but a lot of information to cover! The Physiology of Endurance Running podcast is now proudly sponsored by SOAR. SOAR produce high quality ru...

Dan & Owain are back to discuss strength and conditionining training. A growing body of research has focussed on S&C training and its impact on endurance training. Dan & Owain talk through some of the myths and possible benefits of S&C, and how to apply these to your own training. If you're interested in reading more about S&C, Richard Blagrove's book is a fantastic resource and aimed specifically...

Dan & Owain are back again to dissect Dan's training - but begin with an exciting announcement about the podcast! With 6 weeks to go until Valencia marathon, Dan returns to a fairly normal training week! Using lab data to guide his return to sessions, they go through Dan's aborted session, followed by a quality session later in the week. They also discuss fitting training around Dan's hectic s...

In this episode, we review Dan's week following his PB at Cardiff Half Marathon. Initially, a positive start, with a quick recovery from the race. We then discuss Dan's strength training regime that he has introduced as a "marginal gain" in this Valencia block. Unfortunately, Dan then caught one of the many viruses going around which led to three days off running and a measly 72km for the week. Yo...

In this new mini-series, we will share a week-by-week account of Dan's preparations for Valencia marathon where he is targeting the European Road Running Championships qualifying time of 2:12:30. As this is a podcast about physiology, the emphasis will be on how Dan uses his own data, and findings from the scientific literature, to optimise his training and performance come race day. In this first...

After giving their excuses for recording a week later than planned, Dan & Owain delve into Durability. As they discuss, durability is a growing area of research and particularly impacts marathon (and ultra) performance. But how do you measure it, and how do you improve it? A new mini-series is announced to close the show... https://forms.gle/XGmxsR6dsanikRSX7