Whether you love the mile or you want to continue running into your 40's or beyond, you'll be inspired by this Masters runner.

Mario Fraioli is a Bay Area-based running coach who works with a number of Olympic Trials-level marathoners, top ultrarunners, and competitive age-group athletes.

He’s one of the most competitive Master’s runners in the USA, having run the 2023 Boston Marathon in 2:34 and with his recent 3rd place finisher at the 2024 National Masters Road Mile.

In this episode, Mario and I talk about:

Mario's goal to break the 5-minute mile at age 42
Love for the mile: a perfect blend of speed and strength, fitness and focus
Returning to running after a 20-year hiatus, and the "fresh start" of turning 40
Preparing for the Masters Road Mile Championship with smart training
Earning a personal best of 4:09.2 at the Mike Fanelli Track Classic
Training strategies for track and field athletes, especially Masters
Incorporating movement prep and speed work before intense track workouts
Proper running form and technique during high-intensity interval workouts
Running volume and long runs for track athletes
Structuring mile workouts for Masters runners, including threshold intervals and tempo runs
Pacing and mental preparation for a mile race

Listen to this episode for a case study in amazing planning so you can be thoughtful in your next running goal.

Links & Resources from the Show:

Mario's website
Mario on Strava
Mario on Instagram
The Morning Shakeout
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Thank you to 2Before!

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Thank you to 2Before for supporting Strength Running!

Thank you DrinkLMNT!

A big thanks to DrinkLMNT for their support of this episode! They make electrolyte drinks for athletes and low-carb folks with no sugar, artificial ingredients, or colors. They are offering a free gift with your purchase at DrinkLMNT. And this does NOT have to be your first purchase. You’ll get a sample pack with every flavor so you can try them all before deciding what you like best.

DrinkLMNT’s products have some of the highest sodium concentrations that you can find. Anybody who runs a lot knows that sodium, as well as other electrolytes like magnesium and potassium, are essential to our performance and how we feel throughout the day.

If you’re not familiar, LMNT is my favorite way to hydrate. They make electrolytes for athletes and low-carb folks with no Sugar, artificial ingredients, or colors. I’m now in the habit of giving away boxes of LMNT at group runs around Denver and Boulder and everyone loves this stuff.

Boost your performance and your recovery with LMNT. They’re the exclusive hydration partner to Team USA Weightlifting and quite a few professional baseball, hockey, and basketball teams are on regular subscriptions. So check out DrinkLMNT to get a free sampler pack and get your hydration optimized for the upcoming season.

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