The Strength Running Podcast

John Davis holds a PhD in Biomechanics, coaches elite marathoners, and is the author of Modern Training and Physiology for Middle and Long Distance Runners . His newest book is a masterclass on marathon preparation: Marathon Excellence for Everyone . It includes new research on training theory, elite-level training plans, and guidance for every type of aspiring marathoner. Today, we discuss physio...

Chris Napier is the author of Science of Running , a professor of physical therapy, practicing physiotherapist, 2:33 marathoner, and medal winner at the Canadian Track & Field Championships in 1996 and 1997. He is also a scientific advisor to Avelo , the world's smartest running shoe (I'm also an advisor!). Today's focus is on super shoes and how they affect your running form: The specific form ch...

Megan Flanagan is a former collegiate athlete and writer for Outside Magazine, a certified running coach and personal trainer, and a Spartan Elite podium athlete. She has a bachelor's in Psychology & Nutrition, a master's in Public Health, and has finished four 100-mile races. Megan is a multi-faceted athlete and works with a variety of runners in her coaching practice . In this conversation, we'r...

Scott Johnston is one of the top coaches in the world, especially in mountain and high alpine sports. He's worked with Killian Jornet and recently coached both winners of the most prestigious trail race on Earth, UTMB (Tom Evans & Ruth Croft). He's also author of one of my favorite training books, Training for the Uphill Athlete   and founder of the Evoke Endurance coaching group. This conversatio...

Sara Hall has been competing at the highest level for nearly 30 years. She was the 2000 high school national cross country champion before earning 7-time All-America honors at Stanford University. Not only has she won 10 US National Championship titles, but she's the only American to win national titles in both the mile and the marathon. Her incredible range is also demonstrated by her gold medal...

Coach Sean Brosnan turned around a struggling Newbury Park high school cross country team that hadn't qualified for a State Championship in 25 years. Soon, they had won three consecutive National Championships. How did he do it? Sean shares the psychological and physical strategies he used to instill belief, develop fitness, and build the bond between teammates. His all-in, often unorthodox approa...

What are the most effective recovery strategies for runners? In this episode, Jason distills his 15+ years of coaching and 27 years of running experience into the most important lessons about the recovery process. Hindsight is 20/20! For more on recovery, download our free Little Black Book of Recovery & Prevention and you'll hear advice from 9 elite athletes including Dathan Ritzenhein, Amelia Bo...

Phil Batterson is a competitive runner, former running coach, and the founder of Critical Oxygen. Phil has a PhD in human bioenergetics and a love for all sorts of endurance sports, from rowing to track and field and ultras. His goal with Critical Oxygen is to teach athletes and coaches how to optimize their physiology to maximize endurance performance. This episode is important and is a repost of...

Dan joins us on the podcast today: a runner who recently improved his marathon from 3:38 to 3:08. In this conversation, Dan shares what he did to improve by a massive 30 minutes over 26.2 miles. But what if he wants to keep going? What if Dan wants to run  another 30 minutes faster and start flirting with a sub-2:40 marathon? We'll cover what training changes need to happen to break 3 and run a mu...

Andrea (Annie) Rodenfels is a 7x All-American in the steeplechase and 5,000m, national champion, Drake Relays 3,000m steeplechase champion, and 2x Olympic Trials qualifier. Annie is also one of the few pro runners to come from a Division III school. In this episode, we discuss her path to going pro: The evolution of her career from college to now Her experience with the new pro team Meridia How sh...

When you get a new smart watch, heart rate monitor, or other type of wearable, do you know how it will help your running,  specifically ? Dr. Peter Tierney is a health and performance researcher, consultant, and coach who's worked with many professional sports organizations across Europe. He joins us today to discuss the science behind wearable tech. We discuss:  The wearable stack that Peter reco...

Runners are heat training more often with saunas, hot tubs, and hot weather runs. How much do we need to realize the full benefits of heat training? What are the best options and how do we structure it into our training? In this episode, coach Jason Fitzgerald shares how to think about heat training from duration to frequency to type of heat training. Resources:  Heat Exposure video Running in the...

Dr. Philip Skiba is a physician, performance consultant for the Breaking 2 project, coach to dozens of world class athletes, and author of Scientific Training for Endurance Athletes . Phil is a world-class expert on running physiology and how to race faster. His groundbreaking research into Critical Power, Critical Speed, and the "W Prime" model of fatigue help the best runners in the world plan t...

Keira D'Amato holds the American record in the 10-mile and is the former half-marathon and marathon American record holder. Her new book, Don't Call it a Comeback , is now available for preorder.  She was a 4x All-American at American University in both Cross Country and Track but took about a decade off from running seriously in her 20's and 30's. Keira joined us on the podcast in 2018 to discuss...

Colleen Quigley is a 2016 Olympian, steeplechaser, and former model. She accepted a full scholarship to Florida State University, where she became a nine-time NCAA All-American and a 2015 NCAA Champion in the 3000-meter steeplechase. Colleen went on to compete in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, finishing 8th in the 3000-meter steeplechase. She is also a current world record-holder in the 4x1500-m...

Podcaster and coach Lindsey Hein recently hosted Jason on her podcast, I 'll Have Another with Lindsey Hein . The conversation was wide-ranging and touched on a variety of topics so it had to be shared again! Lindsey asks Jason about:  His favorite 5k race strategy of "Letting Jesus Take the Wheel" How Jason got started in podcasting / Strength Running Jason's background & 2:39 marathon PR ( race...

Pete Pfitzinger is a RRCA hall of famer, top American at two Olympic Marathons, and legendary coach and author most known for his book  Advanced Marathoning (the 4th edition is now available for preorder!). He's the top American at the 1984 and 1988 Olympic Marathons, a 2-time winner of the San Francisco Marathon, 3rd place finisher at the 1987 NYC Marathon, and a coach with 30+ years of experienc...

Strength training is such a valuable tool for building speed, power, efficiency, strength, and injury resilience, that this episode needed to be republished! It originally aired in March 2022. Andy Galpin, PhD has been an assistant professor at California State University Fullerton for more than a decade. He formerly won a Division 3 national football championship while earning his exercise scienc...

Continuous Glucose Monitors - or CGM's - tell you how much glucose is in your body in real-time. But can they be helpful for runners? As the carb revolution continues and we understand the importance of high-carb fueling for endurance performance, the next logical question to ask is: Well, what's the optimal level of glucose? Is there a range that's most beneficial? Coach Hunter Allen joins us to...

A breakthrough race is intoxicating. Running a big Personal Best is a clear sign that you're training well, thriving, and on the right track. But what happens next? What happens  after you run a big PR and your season comes to an end? How do you keep the momentum going, while still respecting recovery and your need for down-time?  This episode is a repost of a conversation on the Elevate Your Runn...

Do nasal strips actually help you breathe better? What about detox diets or organic food - are they worth it? In this episode, Dr. Nick Tiller shares the evidence behind a variety of health and wellness trends and ideas, including: Cupping Organic Food Detox Diets Nasal Strips Respiratory Muscle Trainers Barefoot Running Dr. Nick Tiller is a research associate at the Lundquist Institute, Harbor-UC...

Creatine is now one of the most hyped supplements with promises of faster recovery, leaner muscle gain, and even increased strength and power. But should distance runners consider adding it to their routine? Is it worth the benefits while considering its drawbacks. Brady Holmer is a physiologist, 2:24 marathoner, and author of the Physiologically Speaking and Run Long, Run Healthy newsletters (the...

My client Brandon has had an amazing few years: he resolved several imbalances, improved his stride, healed ITBS, ran PR's in 4 major race distances, and also set a few training mileage PR's .... wow! In this episode, he explains how he turned his running around and got faster, healthier, and able to train even more. A big part was his embrace of strength training with our High Performance Lifting...

Dr. Victoria Sekely is a physical therapist, certified strength & conditioning specialist, and certified running coach. She is one of the brightest, most nuanced thinkers in the running space. In this episode, we answer YOUR questions about strength training! How to balance running and CrossFit When "something is better than nothing" might be wrong Why pilates and yoga are not replacements for str...

Bestselling author and acclaimed exercise science journalist Alex Hutchinson is back on the podcast! He is a regular columnist for Outside magazine writing the Sweat Science column and has contributed to publications such as the New York Times and the New Yorker . He's a former member of the Canadian national team, holds a PhD in physics from the University of Cambridge, a master's degree in journ...