Marathon Volume, Injuries, and Tune-up Races with 2:25 Marathoner Laura Thweatt

Oct 24, 2024

Laura Thweatt, a 2:25 marathoner and former U.S. cross country champion, shares her journey through high-pressure racing and personal growth. She discusses the emotional rollercoaster of goal races and the importance of mental preparation, including working with sports psychologists. Injury management and nutrition strategies, particularly her approach to using higher carbohydrates during long runs, are also covered. Thweatt highlights the value of community support and having a training log to conquer pre-race nerves and celebrate breakthroughs.

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Intro

00:00 • 2min

Fueling Performance: The Marathon Journey

02:24 • 7min

Mental Training for Marathon Success

09:06 • 14min

The Psychological Complexity of Racing and the Value of Tune-up Events

22:56 • 4min

Mindset and Methodology of Marathon Training

27:14 • 23min

Mastering Marathon Pacing and Performance

49:49 • 10min

Optimizing Nutrition for Enhanced Endurance Training

59:25 • 2min

Support Systems and Community Engagement in Running

01:01:26 • 2min

From poor tune-up races to switching up nutrition, pro runners face the same lessons more casual runners do.

Laura Thweatt is a 2:25 marathoner, professional runner for Saucony, and former US cross country champion.

She placed 5th in the 10k at the 2016 Olympic Trials and 5th in the 2020 Olympic Marathon Trials.

We talk about:

The emotions before a goal race and working with a sports psychologist during a taper
Using a training journal to calm pre-race nerves and boost confidence
Injury management with high mileage
Handling a bad tune-up race
Laura’s goals and strategies for the Chicago Marathon (which she had to pull out of after recording due to an Achilles injury)
Laura’s approach to nutrition and using higher carb products during long runs
How runners can celebrate breakthrough performances and absorb them before moving onto new goals

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