My wife Erin and I are back stateside after a vegan tour of Italy. In today's episode, we talk about our favorite moments of the trip, what we thought of the food, and why we think it's alright to indulge a bit on vacation. Note: Because we're still on the road, the sound quality of this episode isn't very good. Bare with us another week and things will be back to normal!

Have conventional habit change methods been wrong this whole time? A few weeks ago I see person after person making as they try to start a new habit. They either go all in, dive head first into massive change, and burn out just as reality starts to set in. Or they take the small steps approach. They follow a slow, arduous process of tiny steps. With no major breakthroughs or results, the motivation simply disappears. My approach is different. I think you can do both. Instead of choosing massive action or small steps, you can bridge the gap between the two, and create a method that provides immediate results, and the structure to make it stick. In today's episode we discuss that philosophy, how it's the only process that has worked for me, and the steps you should take for lasting habit change.

Our answer to the common question: "What should I eat before a race or long run?"

Right as this episode goes live, I'll be landing in Rome, Italy, where my wife Erin and I are taking part in a vegan tour. It's guaranteed to be a blast.   But this week also marks Week 2 of my official marathon training plan. So it begs the question:   Should I be running while on vacation?   If you’re a regular listener to the podcast, it should come as no surprise that NMA Radio co-host Doug and I approach this answer differently. He loves running, and would do it all the time. Including on vacation.   I, on the other hand, don't. And I prefer my vacations free of stresses like a running routine.   In today's episode, Doug and I argue our different point of views, and discuss the pros and cons of keeping up a running routine. Doug also shares his tips for planning a running vacation … the vacation he looks forward to most each summer.

As young children, chasing friends on the playground, screaming through sprinklers, and rushing down the first base line in tee-ball, we were runners. Runners much more concerned with having fun than running form. At the time form didn't matter. Now that we're adults running harder and longer, small form adjustments can prevent injuries, make us faster, and burn less energy. The problem is, adjusting your form can be difficult. And confusing. Cadence, arm swing, foot-strike -- We've all heard the terms, but what do they really mean? In today's episode, NMA Radio co-host Doug and I break down proper running form in a way that's approachable to all runners. Even non-running-geeks like ourselves.

I run a blog, host a podcast, and am working on my second book, all based on habits most people find challenging. I must be perfect at those habits, right? Wrong. When you read someone's blog, or listen to them share stories on a podcast, it's easy to assume they don't struggle with the same issues you do. The truth is that none of those people are perfect, they just try to look flawless in order for you to take them seriously. In today's episode, NMA Radio co-host Doug and I spill the beans. We admit that as much as we like to pretend we're flawless, we're not. We fight temptation and discipline just like you.

Trail running is intimidating. There's no way around it. You could get lost or hurt. You have to deal with uneven footing and steep climbs. It's dirty, wet, and exposed. But for co-host Doug, it's the only reason he's still running at all. And all those factors I listed earlier? They're much less of an issue that most beginner's think. Doug runs almost exclusively on mountain trails, is the author of the , and gets more pleasure from playing in the woods than anyone I know. When we decided to record an episode on trail running for beginners, it seemed like a no-brainer to follow his lead. In today's episode, I ask Doug to share the 6 most important rules new trail runners should follow to stay safe and easily transition from the roads to the trails.

One of the most frequently asked questions Jason and I get at is our opinion of the Maffetone Method. You may have heard of Dr. Phil Maffetone and his unusual training philosophy, which put simply suggests that slow running will make you faster. It sounds a little out there, but since first reading one of his books a few years ago, I've heard from complete beginners and elite runners who have all had success training with the Maffetone Method. Even Rich Roll used it while training for the Epic 5. So in this most recent training cycle, which I hope will lead to a , that I've integrated many of these ideas into my own training. Today I sit down with Phil Maffetone to discuss his approach to training, and learn more about why you need to run slow in order to run fast.

NMA Radio co-host Doug recently attended a bachelor party, where while discussing meals for the weekend, it became clear that one of the guys wasn’t comfortable with Doug’s being a vegan.      "We’re all having meat. What are you going to eat, Doug? Carrots?" We’ve all been in this situations like this. It’s that moment at a restaurant, party, or dinner when all of a sudden people realize you’re vegan or vegetarian, and don’t know how to react. Before you can even say a word, someone gets defensive or pokes fun of your diet.  So what do you do? Usually, we react in one of two ways. Either:      1) You use it as an opportunity to make a point, defend your diet choice, and maybe even convince a few people, or     2)You brush it off and keep the mood light, in an attempt to make veganism appear as normal as possible.  I’m not saying either of these better than the other; I respect both choices. But I know the one that I choose, almost every single time.  In today’s episode, we discuss these two approaches, and how Doug and I handle the uncomfortable situations at parties, with family, and while out to dinner. We also share the rest of Doug’s story, and how by the end of the weekend, he got that same guy to take interest in the vegan diet.

The Old-Timer. The Selfie Runner. The Kicker. We've all seen these runners and thought to ourselves, "I don't ever want to be that guy." I hate to break it to you, but you might be that guy. Or one of the nearly 20 other runner types we discuss in today's podcast. It all started while flipping through Mark Remy's , where I came across his Types of Runners list. The funny, lighthearted list not only takes aim at the obviously obnoxious runners, but also takes a jab at just about every single one of us. Doug and I decided to share that list, plus a few of our own, in an attempt to laugh at ourselves, and have a little fun with a sport we usually take so seriously. Doug admits that he's the "Ultra Guy," and as much as I wish it weren't true, I admit that I've been at least 5 types of runner over the past few years.  Which type are you?