Running Rogue

We are getting close to fall races with many 2-8 weeks away, from Berlin to NYC. It's time to hone in on your final bits of training WITHOUT overdoing it.  These tips will help you make sure your training is just right, while also getting your mind right for the big day. It's time to get your game face on!

I am back after a summer hiatus and here to share an original poem and the 20 years of inspiration behind it. The poem was inspired by listening to this podcast with David Whyte and then came together a few months later in 40-45 minutes of a single writing session. I am not necessarily a poet, but I do think these verses capture some meaningful lessons for all of us. If you listen, thank you for holding space for it. In this episode, I read the poem and then talk through the meaning behind it. The fundamental question at the heart of the poem is... "why are you running so fast?"  Hopefully, it inspires you to consider that question and understand why you might be tempted to do so and then perhaps internalize that there can be another way. Enjoy!

Ok, we are 18 weeks from Berlin and 21 weeks from Chicago... it's time to start your training program! Every program should start with a priming phase (aka base building) in order to lay the foundation for what's to come. In this episode,  I give you 7 things you should be thinking about to kick start your training for the fall. We talk about organizing your plan, building your volume, adding speed, having the right mentality/approach, and more... It's time to get to work!

Most runners that are new to working with me are impatient about their gains. They want everything tomorrow, and I love the new motivation and eagerness. We don't ever want to quell that, BUT we do need to instill a patient, long term view in order to help them reach their full potential. This episode is all about that. I give you six principles to ensure you are being patient enough to reach your long term potential. Staying patient with a long term view WILL make you faster in the long run. Trust me!

I start this episode with a few tips on preparing for your fall training cycle. Then, we get into the latest listener questions. I talk about building, building back, finding your edge in training, and much more. If you need some training inspiration... this is your episode!

It was an epic weekend for the Boston Marathon once again, and from it, I am still buzzing. Thus for this episode, I bring you 7 takeaways and inspirations from the weekend to carryforward to other races. From Des's final Boston to the Boston weather to the worthiness of that BQ goal, there is something in here for everyone! Enjoy!

I think we are in an era of our sport from elite to everyday runners where success is defined too narrowly. We are very time-focused at the expense of broader definitions of success, and I think that is limiting us as fans and participants and performers. In this episode, I talk about it and present 10 other ways to define success on race day. My hope is that this conversation will open up ways for you to love and enjoy our sport even more, while exposing you to more lessons and opportunities that improve performance as well. 

To be or not to be... that is the question! In this case, we ask... to marathon or not to marathon in another listener conversation with Marisa from NYC. She is relatively new in her running journey, had a stress fracture training for her first marathon, and wants to know if she should wait a little while until her next one. We discuss all of that and more with her!  

In this episode, I chat with listener Jennifer from Georgia who is wondering if she has the ability to get faster as someone who is usually near the back of the pack. She finished the NYC Marathon in 7 hours and recently did a half in 3:30, and now she wants more.  I reassure her that she is worthy of her goals and worthy of coaching, and we give her hope that faster is still ahead of her. Jennifer's energy is bright and contagious, and she brings a great sense of humor to it all. She is an inspiration, and you will enjoy this conversation!

In this episode, Ben from Michigan joins the show to discuss his aspirations to auto-qualify for Chicago. That implies a time of 2:55 for his age group, while his current PR is 3:03 from last fall. We hear about Ben's journey to this point, and then I coach him up on taking the next step to qualify for Chicago. In addition and of course, we talk about tips for his longer term trajectory as well. As with all of these coaching conversations, there is something in here for everyone. Enjoy!  

In this episode, I cover a smorgasbord of topics and listener questions that all essentially point to how you should manage your training from the 99% to the 1%'s. Along the way, I answer two listener questions about training for a road 50K and managing weekly mileage, while also giving 3 tips on prep for the Boston Marathon with 7 weeks to go. Don't get lost in the 1% if your 99% isn't on track!

Hey everyone... we are back with another listener question episode. This one covers great questions on burnout/lingering fatigue, weight/BMI, running tangents, creatine, ketones, recovery and more! Thanks for all of the great questions! You can always email questions to me at chris@roguerunning.com.

I know. I know. Some of you will think I am a social media curmudgeon for this episode, but I don't think so. I actually love what social media has done to grow and expand and educate the running community. It's actually quite amazing and powerful, and the impact in a positive way is far reaching. That said, there is some bad info out there as well as a tendency for our perception of the fundamentals to be warped by what we see there. In this episode, I give you 9 "messages" from social that I believe to be misleading, many that will prevent you from reaching your potential. Avoid the pitfalls you see there so that you can take/absorb the good without letting the "bad" influence you in an unproductive way. 

In this episode, I have the privilege to talk to a listener who is 75 years old and just starting her running journey. She is 9 weeks into it and only beginning to think about the possibilities. She has a 5K on the docket in the spring but is also dreaming about a half marathon or more. How will I advise her to build and how might that look different because of her age? You might be surprised by my answers. I couldn't be more inspired by Deborah as she is proof that it's never too late to start and certainly never too late to dream big!

In this week's coaching conversation, I chat with listener Nicole. I have worked with Nicole before, and this is our first conversation in many months. You get to listen in as we discuss how she is trying to balance a new life stage with what that means for her running process and goals.  We talk about dreaming big and how seasons of life can cause changing priorities, especially around starting a family. Does she have to abandon those dreams? How can she keep the fire lit while balancing everything? What does this mean for her future in the sport? And where should she start now? We talk about it all, and I really appreciate Nicole's willingness to share and be open as she wrestles with what's next.

This episode was inspired by a listener question about dealing with injury before race day. Naturally, I extrapolated it to a message about staying present in all of your training and racing. Listen in to learn how to stay present in training - day by day and within a run/workout - and stay present in racing - in planning and in race execution. Staying present is key to smashing your goals!

"A hero is somebody who voluntarily walks into the unknown." - Tom Hanks I would submit that we do that everytime we step on a start line. That quote also highlights that heroism is defined independently from the outcome, which means that we can all be heroes by stepping into the unknown of race day. We can all, also, have an heroic ripple effect on others by setting big goals, doing the work, and then putting ourselves in the scary position to achieve them. In this episode, I talk about the practical side of it. How can you relate to being a hero by examining what heroes look like? How can you then act like one to bring confidence to your next big swing at a goal? Bear with me on this one y'all... it might sound cheesy, but I believe there are some really good practical nuggets inside.

“We cannot know the mystery of the future.” – Jimmy Carter Preparing for race day creates fear and anxiety in part because we cannot know what the future will bring. In those moments, I encourage athletes to focus instead on what you DO know and what you CAN control.  In this episode, I give you a rundown on those controllables. With the Houston Marathon/Half Marathon as the backdrop, we talk about how to prepare both physically and mentally for everything that you will encounter pre-race and during the race to give you the best chance of hitting your goal. 

In this final episode of the year, I answer questions from you! With questions from the UK, Canada, and all over the US, we cover caffeine and training, VO2Max, race planning, when to press vs. rest, osteoporsis and running, race goals, and so much more! Thanks to everyone who sent in a questions. I will be taking next week off, and episode #363 will release on January 10th. Happy New Year everyone!  

How important is strength training for runners?  Very important, but you have to do it the right way. It should support and supplement your running and not take away from it.  In this episode, I give you 5 principles to construct your strength routine in a way that it will be additive to your running. Hint: it isn't about massive lifting sessions where you can't life your arm or move your legs the next day. It won't impress your social media, but it will lead to times that impress your Garmin!