Run4PRs

Latest Episodes:

272. Why Do People Say "Treadmill Running Isn't Real Running"? Jan 30, 2025

Show notes

Treadmill running

As we head into the winter months, it can be hard to train outside in the sub zero temps but it can also be dangerous with the icy footing. Many people opt for the treadmill for a number of reasons. It can be a topic of mixed emotions for many runners. I know I personally felt shamed by runners in the past for utilizing the treadmill despite exclusively training on a treadmill for a few marathons in my earlier years as a runner with great success.

Why is the treadmill so controversial?

Why do some people crush it on the treadmill?

Why does the treadmill feel so hard to some people?

Should you utilize the incline feature?

271. Are you in a plateau or did you reach your full potential already? Jan 24, 2025

Show notes

271. Did you peak with running already or is it a plateau?

Have you ever heard the quote “what would you attempt to do if you knew you would not fail?” that is a good one for todays podcast episode. A lot of people would love to look into a crystal ball and see what their full potential is if they gave running their all. Many people allow fear of failure to hold them back from giving 100% commitment/effort into The truth is that most people quit before they reach their full potential OR they stop putting in the same effort. It’s important to recognize that there is more to life than running so of course many people have other goals they want to pursue, but it’s important what language we use when we talk about our potential in the sport. I often hear people say they think they already reached their full potential within the sport after a few years. Did you really reach your full potential in the sport or are you stuck at a plateau?

How do you know if it’s a peak or a plateau

How long have you been training

Have you changed your training within the past 2-3 years

Have you focused on various events in running

Have you been coached

Peaking:

How can you continue to motivate yourself to be in endurance events if you already reached your peak?

What if you didn’t reach your true potential but you don’t want to continue to train at that high of a level?

Plateau

How can you breakthrough

How long would it take to breakthrough

What does it really take to achieve some of those big goals like OTQ or BQ

Do you actually have the desire to put in that much work?

Sacrifices in place

Athletes give us their races vs us recommending races

270. Anyone train for & finish a marathon: Listen For How Jan 17, 2025

Show notes

Before getting into the running, I was actually a SMOKER who couldn’t even run down the block. I used to hold onto the belief that marathons and races in general were for people who were not like me. I genuinely didn’t know that it was physically possible for me to build up to be able to run long distances let alone a FULL MARATHON. Now I have 27 marathons under my belt and have helped thousands of people go from beginner runners to marathon finishers. In this episode we are going to talk about what it takes to build up to a marathon and how to do it safely so that you can continue to run for a lifetime and not just be a ‘one and done’.

Marathoning maybe USED to be just for elite, but with the recent running BOOM we are starting to see that normal every day people with no experience can achieve amazing things and build up to a marathon.

If your goal was to run a marathon in the next 6-9 months and you had NEVER done a run before, where should you start?

Start with walking
Run/Walk intervals every other day
Start with 10-20 min and build up
Cut back weeks every 2-3 weeks
Find a half marathon half way through the training
Join a a group or find someone/something to be apart of community is everything
Don’t worry about workouts- go at a zone 2 pace

How do you know if you are running the correct pace?

Zone 2 is going to be the safest place to be- grab a HR monitor and 60-70% of your max HR
Another way to do this is think of a pace that you are not needing to take breaks from- should feel super easy. Breathing is light
Your long run pace should be the same as your easy run pace

How to build the long run

You have to have increase long runs to be able to finish a marathon
Old rules state to not have a long run be more than 30% of your weekly mileage, but these rules may not apply if you are newer to the sport and just can’t run high mileage yet. - to balance out the fact that it is risky to have such a long run relative to weekly mileage (ie a 12 mile long run when you only run 20 miles a week) we will want to keep these long runs extremely slow.

Confidence is key

Everyone is nervous about the marathon distance
I’ve done 27 marathons and still freak out about long runs
It’s good to find something to distract yourself and remain calm in the early miles

FUELING!

This is no joke. You can get ‘away’ with faster on shorter runs but when you make the jump to doing 60-90 min runs, it’s going to hit different. Fueling is EVERYTHING
Eat a carb rich breakfast
Take 60 grams of carbs PER HOUR minimum.
Aim for 1000mg of sodium PER HOUR
Train the way you plan to race

Don’t ruin your race by putting too much time goal pressure

It’s fun to push yourself but it’s not fun to overshoot your capabilities and end of hitting the wall.

269. Should you wear shorts running in 20 degrees? Jan 10, 2025

Show notes

Winter is upon us! We are located in Minneapolis, MN where it can be sub zero temps and often hits -40 f windchills every winter at least once. When you running outside in January it’s usually a sea of ice and snow so much so that our ‘running trails’ now become ski trails with natural snow. We like to think of ourselves as experts in training outside during the winter months since it can snow here 6 months out of the year. We decided to do a podcast with our top tips for training in the snow. Gradually getting used to it: some people go out ‘no matter what’ Ice/snow Treadmill is a good tool Fall gradually expose yourself How do you dress for different temps Windchill vs air tempo Footing/snow

268. How to not fail at your new years goals- Listen to this! Jan 01, 2025

Show notes

As we approach a new year, there are tons of athletes setting new years goals and resolutions for 2025. But in order to really achieve goals in the future, it is important to reflect back on what we have done in the past. Is there anything we want to change going forward? How can we become a better version of ourselves in the future? Many people set intentions to become better in the future but they fail to recognize the things that have held them back in the past. We often repeat the same patterns over and over again without realizing the issue at hand.

Stuck in a rut of the same old training over and over

Comfort zone

Over training?
No workouts?
Same goals every year

Law of diminishing returns
Juggling kids practices & working out

Too many goals in too many directions

BQ
PR
Orange Theory
Ironman

Lack of accountability for when things get challenging

Anyone can stay on track for a few weeks or months- what happens when you get sick or are not feeling great?

Process drive goals vs outcome based goals

You have to commit to the process

267. How to achieve your wild running goals in 2025 Dec 20, 2024

Show notes

How do you fuel a marathon

Need to fuel every 20-30 min

60 grams of carbs per hour

1000 mg of sodium per hour

This is not something that should be new, This should be practiced

How to handle upset stomach due to gels during the marathon

Fueling during training

How much speed work should you do in the offseason: I won’t actually run a 5k until the spring
Type of training during the offseason from the marathon training

Lots of ways to approach this
Consistency is most important: not just runs but workouts/specifics
Not overdoing it
Depends on your long terms goals

266. How to always be in the right mindset to crush a race Dec 13, 2024

Show notes

How to get into the right mindset before a race

Practice race mindset during workouts
Do races in the build up
Visualization

How do you incorporate heavy lifting

Start light- make sure you have proper form
Do it on hard days or day after hard running workouts
Consistency is key
You don’t build during peak marathon training
Offseason

How do you know whether or not you need a trainer/coach

No one really needs to have a coach just like no one needs to have a financial advisor or needs to have a house cleaner
It is a benefit to you because it can save you time/stress
It is a perk you can give yourself
This is your hobby, why would you not invest in it?
Better results, less chance of injury, part of a community

265. Can Anyone Run a Sub 3 Marathon With The Right Training & Consistency? Dec 05, 2024

Show notes

If VDOT says I should run 8:00 pace for a marathon pace but I plan to run 9:00 pace, when do I practice/switch to running 9:00 pace in training?
If my goal is to run a faster marathon (I am a new-ish runner_ would you recommend doing shorter races during the spring OR focus on building mileage/base and long runs. I am currently running 25 miles per week and ran my first marathon in 2019 but not since
Do you believe sub 3 is achievable for most runners?

264. CIM: Is the course as 'fast' as they say? How much should you stregnth train? Nov 21, 2024

Show notes

ASK THE COACHES. Here are the questions covered in the episode:

Racing specific

HRV has been great but tanked during the taper
How to run CIM
Top 3 things to consider when buying marathon training shoes

Training specific

How important is strength during the winter months?
If I can hold threshold for 1-1.5 hours, how long can i sustain zone 3 work (lower HR)

263. Hate Stregnth Training? Listen to this! Nov 15, 2024

Show notes

262. STRENGTH TRAINING BENEFITS)

Runners love to go hard. We love to keep moving and push ourselves. When we get into different exercises practices that are not as ‘fast paced’, it can feel strange. I have heard runners describe strength training as ‘boring’ or not feeling like they are ‘doing anything’. I have also heard runners say that they are ‘too sore’ from strength training to do their workouts. Even in my own experience, I have had my ego hurt when I visit the gym for strength training only to realized I am weaker than 90% of the other people strength training. It is tough when you are considered ‘advanced’ in one sport IE running and then novice/beginner at another. These feelings and experiences with lifting can hold people back from doing what needs to be done in the weight room. So often runners neglect strength training and it ends up coming back to bite them later in life through an injury or low bone density or inability to stay active.