The Seconds Flat Running Podcast

We've had the new Hoka Clifton 9 and Rocket X 2 on our feet and we tell you how they ride. Then, in our main segment, let's put 16 of the greatest male marathoners ever in a NCAA-basketball-style March Madness bracket and see who emerges as the greatest of all time (in the non-Kipchoge division). And finally, we conclude with an ode to high jumping legend Dick Fosbury.

We catch you up on all the recent record breaking track, field, and road racing performances before discussing our Mile 143 interview with Professor Andy Jones. Then it's time to dive into new scientific literature on threshold training and the Norwegian Training Model. Paper referenced: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/5/3782

No one in the field of exercise science has contributed more to our understanding of marathon training and racing than Andy Jones. Professor Jones has worked closely with arguably the two greatest marathoners in world history: Paula Radcliffe and later, as a lead physiologist for the Breaking 2 Project, Eliud Kipchoge. He serves as Professor of Applied Physiology at the University of Exeter and ha...

We give a full review of the new ASICS Nimbus 25 then catch you up on an unprecedented week of indoor track action. Which race performance was the best? Then, it's time for the seminal annual US indoor track meet -- The Millrose Games -- and we preview some of the showcase events. Finally, we close with workout session ideas for when you are in a down cycle, less structured training block, or tran...

Last weekend Andrew Colley of the Zap Endurance team raced to a second-place finish at the US Cross Country Championships in a time of 28 minutes 47 seconds. That result punctuated a thrilling return to racing this fall and winter for Andrew. He also claimed top 10 spots at the US 10 Mile Championships and USATF road 5K champs, and 4th place at the ultra-competitive Thanksgiving Day Manchester Roa...

Like you training in adverse conditions, we stayed committed to the craft this week and recorded amid some nasty weather. We apologize for the occasional weather-related background noise. Aussie XC trials for the World Champs were last weekend. We recap the action from the beautiful venue at Stromlo Forest Park, and discuss the favorites to make the USA squad. Then it's time for training talk. Our...

After a brief training update, we preview this weekend's lightning quick Houston Half Marathon field. Then we tackle a listener question about best practices for when and why to use medium-long runs v. long runs across endurance events from 5K to half marathon to ultra distances.

Start your 2023 training right with 5 key strategies from elite distance runners that apply to all of us. What are the big concepts the pros master that can be scaled to the masses? Tune in to find out. These principles build on episodes 114 and 115 and our analysis of the landmark study, "The Training Characteristics of World-Class Distance Runners: An Integration of Scientific Literature and Res...

Happy Holidays! We're excited to share our top shoes, gear, races, books, podcasts, and training lessons of 2022. Let's learn and grow from these experiences to become better runners in 2023. Also, are you stuck in the winter deep freeze? We conclude with a few tips to make the most out of cold weather training.

Our race at CIM was a disappointment, but it wasn't a failure. We have the opportunity to reflect, learn, and improve. We share how we process the common challenges of marathoning so that you too can grow after a disappointing race. Plus, we review the most anticipated Asics shoe release of the year: the all new Superblast!

We open with discussions of the recent NCAA Cross Country Championships and Manchester Road Race then dive into all things CIM. Phil and Travis prepare for their duel on the streets of Sacramento as part of the California International Marathon and US Marathon Championships. If you are racing this weekend this is a must listen for the best last minute tips!

Do you have an upcoming target race and you're determining how to execute a shorter or benchmark race during the training build? We review our experiences at the Shut-In Ridge Trail Race and Indianapolis Monumental Half Marathon as examples of how to "tune up" for a bigger race on the horizon.

Happy Halloween! This week we're previewing the exceptionally deep fields at the 2022 New York City Marathon and making our predictions sure to go wrong. Plus we have a review of the much anticipated Asics Novablast 3, and a debate over the best fun size Halloween candies.

We open by lamenting the near miss of Cosmo's return to the program before unpacking the last seven days of our training. Then in our feature segments we discuss best practices for running two marathons in short sequence -- and if this is something you should consider doing -- and tactical approaches to the upcoming Greenville Marathon at the Spinx Run Fest.

The Chicago Marathon exceeded expectations with Emily Sisson running an American Record, Ruth Chepngetich blazing off the front at an astonishing pace, and Conner Mantz solidifying himself as a legit marathoner in his debut. We discuss all that action plus a detailed conversation about categorizing your long runs and how to craft long run workouts for marathon success.

We take you inside the Berlin Marathon and Eliud Kipchoge's record-breaking performance and ask how much faster can he run? When will his record be broken? Is this the greatest race ever? Then, after training updates and our initial impressions of a few new shoes, We preview the upcoming marathons at London and Chicago. How fast will Sir Mo run in his marathon return? How fast will Connor Mantz ru...

After an opening discussion of Grant Fisher's remarkable track season, we unpack a framework for evaluating training. Rather than looking at specific workout ideas, intensity zones, or paces to run, we reflect on how our training can improve, express, or degrade our race readiness. By categorizing your sessions this way, and reflecting on the impact of each of these 3 categories, you can have a mo...

You've been sending us great questions and we dive into a few more this week on 5K and marathon training, super shoes, when to walk versus when to run in training, and where to run your next PR race. Plus, we review the new Saucony Endorphin Speed 3 and Brooks Glycerin 20.

Asics athlete Lindsay Flanagan continued her uber successful 2022 campaign with a personal best and course record victory at the recent Gold Coast Marathon. Lindsay’s mark makes her 1 of 4 American women this year to run under 2 hours and 25 minutes. She joins us this week for a conversation about that breakthrough win Down Under, the training that helped her cover the 26.2 miles in such dominant...

In the past 3 years Colin Mickow has ascended from marathon newcomer to a 2:11 personal best and member of the United States contingent at the World Championships in July. A tireless worker, Colin shares with us the details of his high-mileage training regimen. Plus, he takes us inside his response to race adversity after getting tripped up at World Champs, and he puts to bed any debate about the...

We open with our favorite moments from the recent World Championships in Eugene, Oregon, then dive into a listener question about how running slower can help us race faster. And in our feature segment we pick the 5K sessions we would make the foundation of our training.

Fresh off a personal best of 3 minutes and 34 seconds in the 1500 meters, mid-distance star Sam Prakel joins us this week. Sam owns one of the top 10 indoor mile times in American history and recently set a state soil record for the fastest time ever run in Washington with a lightning quick 3:50 road mile. Earlier this year he represented the US at the world indoor champs. Then, last month he took...

For the first time ever the World Athletics Championships will be held in the United States. We bring you a preview of the most anticipated events, World Champs history, and TV/streaming details for the Super Bowl of Track and Field!

Happy 4th of July! We have entered the dog days of summer in much of the country, and that means it’s time for our beloved “Summer of Hills." When we see fellow runners out on the trail or receive messages from listeners one of the most common topics of conversation is the “Summer of Hills.” It has become almost synonymous with Seconds Flat. In this episode we'll provide a framework of understandi...

We're bringing you all the history, course details, logistics, insights, and results from a trip to the biggest marathon of the summer: Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, Minnesota. Inspired by the Duluth experience, in the intro we draft a fantasy team of the best American marathons beyond the big 3 majors of Boston, Chicago, and New York.