The Seconds Flat Running Podcast

It's race week and we're bringing you race predictions, course tips, carb load principles, weather advice, and more! Enjoy Chicago Marathon weekend! secondsflatpodcast@gmail.com columbusrunning.com

T-minus 2 weeks to Chicago! Max Hoffman, who ran 2:22 last fall at CIM, joins the show for a discussion about his training block and favorite sessions. Plus, we unpack taper strategies for the final days of the cycle.

It's less than three weeks to the Chicago Marathon! Friend of the show Blake Pratt returns, and we do a DEEP DIVE into his training toward a sub 2:40 goal. Questions, comments, or show ideas? email us: secondsflatpodcast@gmail.com columbusrunning.com Enjoying the Chicago Marathon series? Please leave us a 5-star rating on Spotify or Apple Podcasts!

We're inside one month to Chicago! This week we welcome Pegah Kamrani. Pegah shares her training, multi-year journey to the Chicago start line, and goals for race day. She's running big miles and has the guys from our previous two episodes in her sight!

You heard from Miles Bryan last week, now track from six to five weeks out to Chicago with his archrival, fellow 2:54 man Benjamin Byrd! Benjamin shares his past marathon experiences and goals, build, and strategy for the Windy City. columbusrunning.com Questions, comments, or show ideas? email us: secondsflatpodcast@gmail.com

We're back on the road to the Chicago Marathon for Season 2 of The Windy City Chronicles! It's 6 weeks to race day and we'll be welcoming a different guest each week as we unpack the training cycle and race day planning. This week it's Miles Bryan. Miles ran 2:54 at Chicago last year then followed up with a big half marathon personal best of 1:16 this spring. He shares insights from his Chicago ex...

For many of us the long run serves a source of reflection on our place in the larger landscape of nature, humanity, creation, and existence. Author and teacher Mary Grace Mangano beautifully captures the spiritual essence of the long run in her article, "The Chapel of the Road," published last year in Plough Magazine. "The long run is a holy hour (or two, or three) that trains and shapes my heart,...

In 2016 Noah Droddy rose from relative obscurity to the center of our national track and field consciousness when he qualified for the Olympic Trials 10K in Eugene. Noah was a blue collar, former Division III collegiate runner who graced Hayward Field with flowing locks, a throwback mustache, a free spirit, and genuine child-like enthusiasm for his newfound place on the national stage. He became a...

Chris Glover loves running. And he loves connecting people through running. If you've been to a group run in Central Ohio you know Chris. If you've seen a man dressed like a superhero at a local race you know Chris. Earlier this week Chris and I sat down for a conversation about his running journey and current projects. Along the way we discuss ways to add joy to your running experience while also...

With the U.S. Championships beginning this week in Eugene, and the World Championships in Tokyo quickly approaching, we're veering from our usual format for a look inside Japanese running culture, particularly the nation's unparalleled love for the marathon. The following is an updated and adapted version of an article I wrote leading up to the pandemic-delayed 2021 Tokyo Olympic Marathon. As you...

Run with Rush, celebrating the life of our dear friend Josh Rush, 6am Saturday @ Unity Park in Greenville, SC. We hope to share miles and friendship with you this weekend.

We're back from summer break and considering a listener question about long run frequency within a marathon training block. Plus, there's big doping news, a new mile AR, and the hottest trending social media movement of the summer and autumn: #beatphil Special edition Mile 210 will follow tomorrow. secondsflatpodcast@gmail.com columbusrunning.com

Phil is headed to Grandma's Marathon and we're offering some last minute course strategy tips for everyone competing in Duluth this weekend. Then we discuss more on low risk, high reward training. In particular, we dive into the longstanding Phil v. Travis debate on continuous v. broken threshold runs. Thanks for all the great follow-up emails and questions!

The Columbus Marathon identifies itself as, "America's Most Meaningful Race." After spending the next hour with Darris Blackford and Alli Hile, we think you'll understand why that title fits the event. Darris serves as Race Director, drawing on a wealth of experience as he helps organize one of the Midwest's finest marathons. Alli was the original Marathon Mile Patient Champion representing Nation...

Building off our listener questions from last episode, we're helping create a portfolio of workouts that will help you improve with low risk of over training, burnout, or injury!

We're back from Spring Break with a conversation about your questions: What are the best applicable lessons from the elite races at Boston and London for amateur runners? How can we adapt my training for summer heat? How can we use heat & humidity to enhance my training? Are my training sessions turning into races? What are indicators I can use to control effort levels in workouts? How much time s...

After a recap of the 129th Boston Marathon, we unpack Conner Mantz's training block, analyzing the past 10 weeks of mileage, long runs, workouts, paces, racing, cross training, taper, and more! We're diving deep into all the details that helped build the second fastest American marathoner ever. Finally, we close by previewing the London Marathon. It features one of the most accomplished fields in...

Earlier this week I shared a conversation with New Balance Boston Coach Mark Coogan. He is truly one of distance running's great sages. His team includes current lions of our sport like Elle St. Pierre, Heather MacLean, and recent addition Parker Valby. Mark shares tales from New England's rich running tradition and his own elite career on the track, grass, and roads. We also unpack specific worko...

Who is the greatest American female distance runner ever? We're back with Part 2 of our bracket. Last week we crowned Frank Shorter as King, who will be his Queen? Questions comments, or show ideas? Email us: secondsflatpodcast@gmail.com Enjoy the show? We'd love your feedback in a 5 star review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts! columbusrunning.com

Who is the greatest American male distance runner ever? It's time to decide in our March Madness style Sweet 16 bracket. We're comparing 16 of the best ever from mile up to marathon, crossing eras, offering a lesson in our sport's history, and picking the GOAT. Next time, we'll turn our attention to the women's bracket. Questions, comments, or show ideas? Email us: secondsflapodcast@gmail.com Enjo...

How are shoe brands testing their professional athletes and their shoes? How will the super shoes of the future look and feel? What is the life span of your racing shoe? How often should you wear super shoes as part of your training? What are the best practices for attacking the uphills and downhills at the Boston Marathon? Jinger Gottschall of New Balance joins us this week answering all these qu...

In February 2021 Hobbs Kessler recorded the fastest indoor mile ever by a U.S. high school runner. Last week he moved to number two on the all-time world rankings with his 3:46 mile at the Millrose Games. In between, Hobbs inked a pro contract with adidas, won the mile at the World Road Running Championships, and made the Paris Olympics in both the 800m and 1500m, finishing fifth in the 1500. Rece...

Karaoke. Seafood. How do we grade Parker Valby's pro debut? Cam Myers v. Hobbs Kessler, who has the brighter future? Is Ethan Strand the next great American miler? Millrose Games or Super Bowl, what are you watching? & More!

Thank you for all the emails! This week we're tackling the hot topics of best practices for restructuring a training week when life happens, recovery tools, frozen food indulgences, where to go if you are targeting a PR marathon or half marathon, activation, and dynamic warmups. Enjoy! Our warm-up drill sequence mentioned in this episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_la6oN1hUx8 columbusrunning...

The late North Carolina State basketball coach Jim Valvano said, "Every single day, in every walk of life, ordinary people do extraordinary things." Our friend Blake Pratt epitomizes Jimmy V's words as a champion of the running community and top notch masters athlete. Blake has poured his energy into uplifting fellow runners. His string of recent personal bests prove we are all better together. We...