Running Rogue

This is the 4th and final episode of our series on training principles (also check-out episodes 1, 7, and 10). In this episode, we discuss in detail our final 2 training principles, explaining the importance of peaking and training with a coach/group. Running is only a solo sport if you let it be. For the blog we reference, click here. As the intro, we begin with a tribute to the late, great Mr. Ed Whitlock, who left us too soon a few weeks ago at the age of 86. We then unpack the results of the NYC Half Marathon and tell you why you need to know the names Emily Sisson and Noah Droddy.

The Boston Marathon is the oldest continuously-held marathon in the world, but it's only the second oldest continuously-held road race in North America. Do you know which one is the oldest, or did you know that Boston hasn't always been held on a Monday? In this episode, we discuss fun facts on Boston Marathon history, provide some way-too-early race predictions for this year, and then spend the majority of the episode discussing Boston Marathon course strategy. Whether you are running Boston this year or dream of running it some day, this episode is for you.

This week, Steve and Chris open with commentary on the latest news from Nike's Breaking2 project. Nike announced the location of the sub 2 hour marathon attempt as well as details on the shoe and gear that will "assist" the athletes along the way. For more details, check out the Runner's World article here. Then, we continue our series on mental training with this 3rd episode in the series (also check out episodes 6 and 11). In this episode, Steve and Chris talk about visioning and goal setting for your running. You might think it's cheesy, but we promise creating a vision board will change how you approach your training and place you on a path to achieve big goals!

Unfortunately, you can't improve your running form by thinking about it or just going to a running form clinic. In this episode, Dr. Davis from RunLab joins us again to talk about running form. We start with the top 5 myths on running form (including a discussion on the Pose Method), then discuss common running form challenges, and finish with 5 ways to improve your running form. It takes work, but the work we discuss will make you a more efficient runner based on how your individual body moves through space. In this episode, we intro the podcast discussing this video of two 90+ year old men going at it in the 60m dash: http://www.runnersworld.com/general-interest/99-year-old-upsets-92-year-old-in-thrilling-sprint And, you learn a little bit about adventure racing in central Texas. Are you ready for a 6+ hour race?!?

This episode starts with a recap of a brutally tough day at the Austin Marathon and Half Marathon. Then, Steve and Chris continue their series on mental training, delving further into the first component of their mental framework - the battle plan. With this installment, they help you think about what motivates you to run and then walk you through the steps to create a statement of purpose for your running. If you can't answer the fundamental question - "why do you run?" - then it will be difficult to set big goals and achieve them down the road.

With episode #10, Chris and Steve continue their series on training principles. In episode #1, they laid out Rogue's five core training principles. In episode #7, they talked about the first training principle in detail - Miles Matter. In this episode, they cover the 2nd and 3rd principles, discussing the importance of effort-based training and how every day has a purpose. As Steve eloquently states: "If you don't follow the purpose of the day, then you might as well stay home in bed." As bonus content up-front, they discuss the upcoming retirement of Usain Bolt and where he fits in the list of all-time great track athletes. As a part of this discussion, Chris shares his personal story of watching Bolt break the world record at the Olympics in Beijing.

In this episode, we catch up with former Rogue coach and Rogue Athletic Club member Scott MacPherson. Scott, affectionately known as Scotty Mac, is an elite marathoner who has endured many trials and triumphs during his career. He recently had a breakthrough race with a 2:14 personal best at CIM, but any marathoner can relate to his struggles. Listen in to hear about his journey from Texas High School State Champ to pro runner just trying to compete with the best of the best. As the opener, Steve, Chris and Scotty also talk about Nitro Athletics, a new track meet format headlined by Usain Bolt, attempting to create more excitement in our sport. Here is a clip of one of the events with a unique format the "Elimination Mile:" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hn8hZJ_Jqaw.

In this episode, Steve and Chris start by breaking down the Austin Marathon elite fields. We tell you who the favorites are and make our picks for both the men's and women's races. Then (beginning at the 15 minute mark), James and Chris give their strategic breakdown of the Austin course and talk about how you should plan your pace strategy and mental game for this race. If you are racing Austin (full or half), this is a must-listen.

In this follow-up to episode 1, we begin a series on the physical tenets of training that will run in parallel to our series on mental training (pun intended). For this episode, we talk about why your running mileage matters and how to safely build it. You also get bonus content where we riff on Bekele's world record attempt in Dubai, Kate Grace's sponsorship switch, and a few other big stories in our sport.

In this episode, Chris admits he might have been wrong about Jordan Hasay, plus he and Steve handicap the full Boston fields. Then with the main topic, they talk about why mental training is important and lay out a framework for a podcast series on mental training with more episodes to come.