
On Coaching with Magness & Marcus
Coaches Steve Magness and Jon Marcus team up to bring you an insider’s view on coaching. Taking you inside the thoughts and conversations that usually occur behind the scenes. They bring a diverse background having both worked with athletes at the collegiate and professional level. They hope to bring a mixture of science, old-fashioned wisdom, and a touch of philosophy to help understand the process of coaching and maximizing endurance performance. For more information visit www.ScienceOfRunning.com
Latest episodes

Nov 14, 2022 • 1h 7min
Episode 188: Updating Outdated Coaching Ideas
Jon and Steve take on popular ideas that have stuck around but need some updating. From energy system domination to various forms of training, we take you down a rabbit hole of what needs to be updated in the running coaching world. Steve & Jon Visit our Sponsor The Scholar Program is our one-stop-shop for…

Oct 24, 2022 • 35min
Episode 187: The Power of the Barbell Strategy: Why protecting against the downside will protect the upside
In Nassim Taleb’s book Antifragile, he introduces the concept of the barbell strategy. At one end of the barbell, you’ve got low-risk low-reward, don’t he other end high risk, high reward. Taleb believes that you stack a bunch on the low risk/reward side and take strategic shots on the outliers, while staying away from the…

5 snips
Oct 17, 2022 • 58min
Episode 186: The New Laws of Lactate Dynamics and Its Implications for Training
“Lactic Acid” is horribly misunderstood. It’s been cast as a demon for far too long. It’s time to set the record straight. In this episode, Steve and Jon break down new research that shows lactate’s true rule in the body. Hint: It’s not harmful, but helpful! Study: Tracing the Lactate Shuttle Steve & Jon Visit…

11 snips
Oct 10, 2022 • 1h 3min
Episode 185: Marathon Training: Surveying the Little Things That Can Add Up to Big Results
We all know about the big things you have to worry about for marathon training: the long run, the mileage, the longer tempo runs, but what are the small things that make a difference? In this episode we go over fueling, strength training, sprinting, pacing, and recovery; The ‘small’ things that can make a difference…

Sep 28, 2022 • 35min
Bonus Episode: The Mike Smith Tapes- Part 1
An exclusive interview with NAU coach Mike Smith! This is part 1 of a 3 part series. Part 2 and 3 are exclusive to our running scholar program. If you’d like to listen to them (and get access to courses, discussion groups, and more!) join today and receive $10 off your first month! Use the…

Sep 19, 2022 • 1h 3min
Episode 184: Fitness Measurement Fallacy
Does your belief in your fitness feel like a ping pong ball, bouncing back and forth wildly, dependent on whether your latest workout went well or not? In this episode we cover the fallacy of equating a single workout or measure as the be all end all marker of whether we are ready to go…

4 snips
Sep 12, 2022 • 1h 2min
Episode 183: The Secrets to Becoming a Great Coach
This podcast explores the secrets to becoming a great coach, emphasizing the skills of thinking, observing, and problem-solving. It discusses the importance of collaboration and meaningful communication in coaching. The hosts share stories that highlight the power of coaching and education in helping athletes achieve success. They also emphasize the need for cautious advice and collaboration in coaching and promote joining the Scholar Clubhouse to enhance coaching skills through collaborative learning.

Sep 5, 2022 • 1h 7min
Episode 182: What We Learned.
In this episode, we reflect on what we’ve learned over nearly two decades of coaching. What did we think was important but quickly realized wasn’t? What actually matters in preparing athletes to perform? We cover all of this and more in today’s episode. Topics covered include: Building Buy-In Stabilizing Lifestyles Getting Comfortable with asymmetrical progress…

Aug 22, 2022 • 1h 4min
Episode 181: Flux Training: The Magic Bullet Workout?
What’s new in training? Not much! But, alternations, flux training, lactate dynamics, natural fartleks…or whatever you call it is underutilized in modern training. In this episode, we break down the physiology, psychology, and history of emphasizing and manipulating the recovery portion of the workout to great effect. If you haven’t yet, check out Steve’s new…

Aug 15, 2022 • 1h 4min
Episode 180: Avoiding Training Dead Ends: Methods to Restoring the Winning Balance
Training is about balancing opposing demands: speed and endurance. What happens when you mess up the balance? It’s often a disaster. In this episode, Jon and Steve go through how to find the balance point, and what to do to correct it. If you haven’t yet, check out Steve’s new book: Do Hard Things: Why…