Tread Lightly Running Science Podcast

Latest Episodes:

How Long Does It Take to Get Faster at Running? Oct 31, 2026

Show notes

How long does it take to get faster? We answer one of your top running questions in this episode. We break down training adaptations by different systems so that you understand what’s happening beneath the surface. You will learn how to progress training, how to work through plateaus, and how much improvement to expect in each training cycle.

In this episode, you’ll learn about:

🔸 How the aerobic system adapts in response to training

🔸 The slower rate of musculoskeletal adaptation

🔸 Neuromuscular adaptations from lifting and running

🔸 How long it takes to get faster

🔸 How to overcome training plateaus

Tread Lightly Running is hosted and researched by Amanda Brooks and Laura Norris, MSc. Production, show notes, and graphics by Laura Norris. Media kit available to interested sponsors upon request.

If you enjoyed this episode, you may like:

🎧 Do You Need High Mileage? The Science of High Volume Running (21 Aug 2026)

🎧 The Science-Backed Benefits of Endurance Training (2 Oct 2026)

References

🔬Keogh, A., Smyth, B., Caulfield, B., Lawlor, A., Berndsen, J., & Doherty, C. (2019). Prediction Equations for Marathon Performance: A Systematic Review. International journal of sports physiology and performance, 14(9), 1159–1169. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijspp.2019-0360

Let’s stay connected:

➡️ Tread Lightly Running Podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/treadlightlyrunning/

➡️ Laura Norris Running on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauranorrisrunning/

➡️ Subscribe for weekly evidence-based newsletters, straight to your inbox, on https://lauranorrisrunning.substack.com/

➡️ Run to the Finish on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runtothefinish/?hl=en

➡️ Thousands of running gear reviews and training guides: https://runtothefinish.com/

Do You Need 120 Grams of Carbs Per Hour? Sodium Bicarb? New Running Nutrition Research Review Oct 24, 2026

Show notes

Do you need 120 grams of carbs per hour? Will adding sodium bicarb to that further boost performance? In this episode, we take a deep dive into two trending studies on sport nutrition and running performance. We chat about high carb fueling, sodium bicarb supplementation, practical applications from these studies, and some nuance around study structures, sample sizes, author biases, and more. Hopefully by the end, we’ve saved you both some money and some unnecessary mid-race bathroom breaks.

In this episode, you’ll learn about:

🔸 If you should fuel with 120 grams of carbs per hour

🔸 Whether carbs help with fatigue or its all in your head

🔸 How to use high carb fueling in your marathons

🔸 If bicarb is as effective for long-distance running as marketing claims

Tread Lightly Running is hosted and researched by Amanda Brooks and Laura Norris, MSc. Production, show notes, and graphics by Laura Norris. Media kit available to interested sponsors upon request.

References:

🔬PMID: 41416636

🔬PMID: 41191077

🔬PMID: 39786965

🔬PMID: 40089940

🔬PMID: 32403259

If you enjoyed this episode, you may like:

🎧 What You Really Need to Know About Fueling Your Runs (28 Nov 2025)

🎧 What Running Economy Really Means for Your Performance with Dr. Shalaya Kipp (31 Oct 2025)

🎧GLP-1s, Nomio, UCAN Gels, and Other Trendy Supplements with Dietitian Alex Larsen (18 Sept 2026)

Let’s stay connected:

➡️ Tread Lightly Running Podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/treadlightlyrunning/

➡️ Laura Norris Running on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauranorrisrunning/

➡️ Subscribe for weekly evidence-based newsletters, straight to your inbox, on https://lauranorrisrunning.substack.com/

➡️ Run to the Finish on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runtothefinish/?hl=en

➡️ Thousands of running gear reviews and training guides: https://runtothefinish.com/

Mental Skills That Get You Through the Hard Miles with Sports Psychologist Dr. Duncan Simpson Oct 17, 2026

Show notes

“You’ve got to have high challenge and high support.” In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Duncan Simpson of Dartmouth’s Teeven Center for Peak Performance to discuss the psychology of pushing yourself to your limits as a runner.

In this episode, you’ll learn about:

🔸 Effective strategies to navigate tough moments in a race

🔸 The importance of creating a strong but not singular identity as a runner

🔸 How to create a healthy narrative around your running

🔸Three mindset skills to sharpen in a training cycle

🔸Psychologically healthy vs unhealthy race goals

Tread Lightly Running is hosted and researched by Amanda Brooks and Laura Norris, MSc. Production, show notes, and graphics by Laura Norris. Media kit available to interested sponsors upon request.

About our guest:

Duncan Simpson, PhD, director of Dartmouth’s Teevens Center for Peak Performance and Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC) has spent his career studying what happens when people are pushed to their limits, and what allows some to keep performing through high-stakes environments. As the former Head of Mental Conditioning at IMG Academy, Duncan has helped professional, international, and NCAA athletes of all ages perform under pressure and sustain elite performance.

If you enjoyed this episode, you may like:

🎧 The Psychology Behind Peak Running Performance with Dr. Trent Claypool (7 Aug 2026)

Let’s stay connected:

➡️ Tread Lightly Running Podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/treadlightlyrunning/

➡️ Laura Norris Running on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauranorrisrunning/

➡️ Subscribe for weekly evidence-based newsletters, straight to your inbox, on https://lauranorrisrunning.substack.com/

➡️ Run to the Finish on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runtothefinish/?hl=en

➡️ Thousands of running gear reviews and training guides: https://runtothefinish.com/

Understanding Common Half Marathon Training Plans, From Hal Higdon to Hansons Oct 10, 2026

Show notes

If you google “Half Marathon Training Plan,” the search engine presents you with an overwhelming variety of options: Galloway, Hansons, Hal Higdon, Daniels, and more. In this episode, we discuss the fundamental principles of volume, intensity, and progression in the most popular half marathon methodologies.

In this episode, you’ll learn about:

🔸 If 80-20 is the best training intensity distribution for the half marathon

🔸 How to use the run-walk method for the half marathon

🔸 The pros and cons of the Hansons Half Marathon Method

🔸 If low-volume training plans work for the half marathon

🔸How the Jack Daniels Formula works

🔸Who popular online plans such as Hal Higdon and BAA plans are best for

Tread Lightly Running is hosted and researched by Amanda Brooks and Laura Norris, MSc. Production, show notes, and graphics by Laura Norris. Media kit available to interested sponsors upon request.

If you enjoyed this episode, you may like:

🎧 Why 80/20 Doesn’t Work for Every Runner with Jonah Rosner (12 Dec 2025)

🎧 What is Zone 3 Really Doing to Your Running Fitness? (26 Dec 2025)

🎧 Half Marathon Taper: It’s Not Just Less Running (26 March 2026)

🎧 Tune Up Race Formula (14 August 2026)

Let’s stay connected:

➡️ Tread Lightly Running Podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/treadlightlyrunning/

➡️ Laura Norris Running on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauranorrisrunning/

➡️ Subscribe for weekly evidence-based newsletters, straight to your inbox, on https://lauranorrisrunning.substack.com/

➡️ Run to the Finish on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runtothefinish/?hl=en

➡️ Thousands of running gear reviews and training guides: https://runtothefinish.com/

The Science-Backed Benefits of Endurance Training Oct 03, 2026

Show notes

Running is not bad for your knees - if anything, consistent running is remarkably beneficial for your cardiovascular, metabolic, and mental health. In this episode, we delve into the research around running, disease risk, and mortality/longevity. You will learn how running improves heart health, lowers cancer risk, helps you sleep, and more.

In this episode, you’ll learn about:

✅ How endurance training changes your heart

✅ The impact of running on cardio-metabolic disease risk

✅ How consistent running affects your musculoskeletal system

✅ How endurance training improves sleep

✅ The impact of running on brain health

✅ The immune system benefits of running

✅ How running impacts longevity

Tread Lightly Running is hosted and researched by Amanda Brooks and Laura Norris, MSc. Production, show notes, and graphics by Laura Norris. Media kit available to interested sponsors upon request.

References

🔬PMID: 28365296

🔬PMID: 26178328

🔬PMID: 31103650

🔬PMID: 29342063

🔬PMID: 40664502

🔬 PMID: 31036563

🔬PMID: 2471166

🔬PMID: 38355154

🔬PMID: 30991724

🔬PMID: 25082581

If you enjoyed this episode, you may like:

🎧 Running for Health vs Running for Performance (14 Nov 2025)

🎧 How Much Do Genetics Impact Your Running Performance? (30 Aug 2024)

🎧 Hybrid Training as Health Training with Dr. Alyssa Olenick (6 Sept 2024)

🎧 How Much Does VO2max Actually Matter? (3 Oct 2025)

https://lauranorrisrunning.substack.com/p/does-running-increase-your-risk-of

Let’s stay connected:

➡️ Tread Lightly Running Podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/treadlightlyrunning/

➡️ Laura Norris Running on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauranorrisrunning/

➡️ Subscribe for weekly evidence-based newsletters, straight to your inbox, on https://lauranorrisrunning.substack.com/

➡️ Run to the Finish on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runtothefinish/?hl=en

➡️ Thousands of running gear reviews and training guides: https://runtothefinish.com/

What the Data Says About Current Trendy Recovery Tools Sep 26, 2026

Show notes

Recovery tools have proliferated in the running world over the past few years: red light therapy, ice plunge buckets, peptides, and more. However, the expensive price tag does not guarantee efficacy. In this episode, we look at the data behind various recovery tools and if they actually work - or if they just come with a powerful placebo effect.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

✅ How the placebo effect interacts with recovery tools

✅ If pulsed electromagnetic field mats improve recovery

✅ How red light therapy can be used for injury healing

✅ If peptides are safe to use

✅ If Whoop and Garmin accurately estimate your training readiness and recovery

✅ The effective drivers of recovery

Thank you to Our Sponsors:

✨ Join Amanda on the Japan Running Retreat: https://www.wildexplorers.travel/tours/wild-japan-running-retreat-with-amanda-brooks

✨ Use link to enter Run to the Finish Fall Training Support Giveaway, featuring podcast sponsors Mizuno, Title Nine, and more: https://runtothefinish.com/fall-training-support-giveaway/

Tread Lightly Running is hosted and researched by Amanda Brooks and Laura Norris, MSc. Production, show notes, and graphics by Laura Norris. Media kit available to interested sponsors upon request.

References

🔬PMID: 27141153

🔬https://www.yourdietsuckspodcast.com/your-diet-sucks-podcast/why-is-everyone-using-peptides

🔬PMID: 40756949

🔬PMID: 40789979

🔬PMID: 41742004

🔬 PMID: 39476109

🔬https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-science-behind-the-peptide-craze/

If you enjoyed this episode, you may like:

🎧 What to Do the Week After a Half Marathon or Marathon (28 Aug 2026)

🎧 What to Eat Before Runs, Recovery Nutrition, and Low Energy Availability (26 July 2024)

Let’s stay connected:

➡️ Tread Lightly Running Podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/treadlightlyrunning/

➡️ Laura Norris Running on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauranorrisrunning/

➡️ Subscribe for weekly evidence-based newsletters, straight to your inbox, on https://lauranorrisrunning.substack.com/

➡️ Run to the Finish on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runtothefinish/?hl=en

➡️ Thousands of running gear reviews and training guides: https://runtothefinish.com/

GLP-1s, Nomio, UCAN Gels, and Other Trendy Supplements with Dietitian Alex Larsen Sep 19, 2026

Show notes

Are broccoli sprout shots the secret to your next PR? Will U-Can gels help you manage weight? And are greens powders a scam or magic bullet? We sit down with registered dietitian Alex Larson, the founder of Alex Larson Nutrition. She answers all our questions on GLP-1s, cortisol-reducing supplements, lactate gels, if Laura can make her own Nomio at home, and more.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

✅ The difference between GLP-1 medications and “GLP-1-like” supplements

✅ Are superstarch gels worth the money?

✅ Do cortisol reducing supplements work?

✅ Are greens powder a scam or worthwhile?

✅ Are broccoli shots the secret to a PR?

✅ If lactate gels are the next big thing

Thank you to Our Sponsors:

✨ Use link to enter Run to the Finish Fall Training Support Giveaway, featuring podcast sponsors Mizuno, Title Nine, and more: https://runtothefinish.com/fall-training-support-giveaway/

✨ Join Amanda on the Japan Running Retreat: https://www.wildexplorers.travel/tours/wild-japan-running-retreat-with-amanda-brooks

Connect with our Guest:

🔗 https://alexlarsonnutrition.com/

https://alexlarsonnutrition.substack.com/

https://alexlarsonnutrition.com/podcast/

https://www.instagram.com/alexlarsonnutrition

Tread Lightly Running is hosted and researched by Amanda Brooks and Laura Norris, MSc. Production, show notes, and graphics by Laura Norris.

Let’s stay connected:

➡️ Tread Lightly Running Podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/treadlightlyrunning/

➡️ Laura Norris Running on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauranorrisrunning/

➡️ Subscribe for weekly evidence-based newsletters, straight to your inbox, on https://lauranorrisrunning.substack.com/

➡️ Run to the Finish on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runtothefinish/?hl=en

➡️ Thousands of running gear reviews and training guides: https://runtothefinish.com/

Is Zone 2 Running Overrated? Understanding the Backlash Against and Science of Easy Running Sep 12, 2026

Show notes

Zone 2 is the magic bullet for improved health and endurance fitness - or it is overrated and spikes your cortisol. You have likely encountered both claims on social media, and neither are correct. In this episode, we dive into the science of zone 2 for runners. We discuss how to set your zone 2 correctly, who should use it, who should ignore their heart rate zones, and what happens if you run slower than zone 2 on your easy runs. Whether you are a new runner or a marathoner, you will learn something from this episode!

In this episode, you’ll learn:

✅ How to use zone 2 correctly

✅ Is zone 2 a waste of time for low-volume runners?

✅ Should female runners train in zone 2?

✅ Do new runners need to use zone 2?

✅ Do you get benefits from training in zone 1?

✅ What to do if you feel you cannot run in zone 2

References

🔬PMID: 40225831

🔬PMID: 40560504

Tread Lightly Running is hosted and researched by Amanda Brooks and Laura Norris, MSc. Production, show notes, and graphics by Laura Norris.

If you enjoyed this episode, you may like:

🎧 The Benefits of Using the Run-Walk Method (17 Oct 2025)

🎧 Why You Need All Training Zones to Improve as a Runner (29 Aug 2025)

Let’s stay connected:

➡️ Tread Lightly Running Podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/treadlightlyrunning/

➡️ Laura Norris Running on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauranorrisrunning/

➡️ Subscribe for weekly evidence-based newsletters, straight to your inbox, on https://lauranorrisrunning.substack.com/

➡️ Run to the Finish on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runtothefinish/?hl=en

➡️ Thousands of running gear reviews and training guides: https://runtothefinish.com/

Does Summer Running Really Make You Faster in the Fall? Sep 05, 2026

Show notes

Slower summer runs lead to fast fall races - so you have heard. But as you slog through another humid, hot long run, you may be wondering: is there truth to this adage? In this episode, we discuss ideal fall racing temperatures, all the variables that contribute to fall race performances, and how long heat adaptations actually last.

Thank you to our sponsors:

✨ Tailwind: Complete sport nutrition made simple, including hydration mixes, high-carb sport drinks, endurance fuel, and recovery mixes. Use code TREADLIGHTLY20 at https://tailwindnutrition.com/TREADLIGHTLY for 20% off your first purchase.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

✅ How long do heat adaptations last?

✅ Other variables that contribute to fast fall races

✅ Could summer training impair your fall goals?

✅ Should you heat acclimate for fall races?

✅ Does your watch’s VO2max predict your fall race time?

✅ What are the ideal racing temperatures?

✅ Can you run a fast fall race if you train in mild temperatures?

Tread Lightly Running is hosted and researched by Amanda Brooks and Laura Norris, MSc. Production, show notes, and graphics by Laura Norris.

If you enjoyed this episode, you may like:

🎧 The Science of Running in the Heat and Humidity (22 May 2026)

🎧 Heat Acclimation Strategies (29 May 2022)

🎧 Gut Training for Runners with Claire Shorenstein (10 July 2026)

Let’s stay connected:

➡️ Tread Lightly Running Podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/treadlightlyrunning/

➡️ Laura Norris Running on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauranorrisrunning/

➡️ Subscribe for weekly evidence-based newsletters, straight to your inbox, on https://lauranorrisrunning.substack.com/

➡️ Run to the Finish on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runtothefinish/?hl=en

➡️ Thousands of running gear reviews and training guides: https://runtothefinish.com/

What to Do The Week After a Half Marathon or Marathon: A Science-based Post Race Recovery Guide Aug 29, 2026

Show notes

Post-race recovery is not the avoidance of training. Rather, it is a crucial component of a well-periodized training plan, especially for a marathon or half marathon. In this episode, we first examine the physiological impact of racing a marathon or half marathon on the body. Then, we detail how to approach a recovery phase, including what can enhance or impair recovery after a race.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

✅ What happens to your body after you run a marathon

✅ Should you do a recovery run after the race?

✅ How to structure a recovery phase after a half marathon

✅ How to recover after a marathon

✅ How to improve your post-race recovery

✅ Health risks during the recovery phase

Tread Lightly Running is hosted and researched by Amanda Brooks and Laura Norris, MSc. Production, show notes, and graphics by Laura Norris.

References

🔬PMID: 42298171

🔬PMID: 39094181

🔬https://www.nature.com/articles/s42255-025-01244-7