Run Free Podcast

On this episode, Jay talks with one of his Run Free athletes, C.J. Gustafson all about his journey from boxer to runner and how Run Free has impacted his life. Great discussion we hope you enjoy! To get a free consultation and a Run Free coach yourself, visit www.runfreetraining.com and click the button.

Jay is joined by Run Free Coach Cody Moore and Run Free athlete Chris Jackson to hear from Chris all about how much having a Run Free Coach in Cody changed and improved every aspect of his training and performance for the better. From Chris: "I started working with Cody in October of 2024.  My main 2 goals I shared with him were to 1.) run a well executed marathon and 2.) break 2:50.  I had run 3 marathons prior (3:12, 2:55, 3:01) and experienced a bonk in all 3." Highlights:Training Overall -  Throughout the training I had so many milestones that I've never experienced before.  Running faster paces for longer periods of time.  Several cool workouts where I would run fast for a portion and then recover but then run intervals or even faster miles towards the end of the workout.  Those workouts gave me so much confidence in being able to still run fast when I'm tired. I probably have 5-6 workouts that I feel almost as proud of as if it were a race.  That made the training super fun and rewarding.  I also told Cody that I feel like I was a 3-speed bike before working with him and now I feel like a 18-speed.  Not only like I have more gears but I have control and confidence over those gears.  Week over week I appreciated that the workouts were never really the same - this was a big difference from my training plans in the past.  Also, Cody's advice on nutrition on longer runs helped me get use to it early in the training cycle so I had no issues during my races. Chickamauga Battlefield Half Marathon - ran a PR in the of 1:19.  The PR wasn't the goal but awesome to get it.  We ran the race as a workout with a 3 mile warm up, 10 steady and then close out the last 5k hard.  My previous half PR was a 1:21. This one gave me a lot of confidence because I knew I could go much faster if I were to race a half. Super fun!Whiskey Run Half Marathon - ran a 1:20 and placed 1st. Same thing with this run on treating it like a workout.  We ran the first 10 at/near marathon goal pace and then the last 5k hard.  The cool thing about this one - I ran the last 5k of this race in 17:24 and my current 5K PR is 17:04.  I can't wait to try a 5k now!Wilmington Marathon (goal race) - ran a 2:44:34 and didn't bonk!  I'm still processing how excited I am about this race.  I had a lot of negative thoughts in my head about 3 days leading up to the race.  I was worried that even though I've done all the work I'm still going to bonk/crash at some point because that is what I do in marathons.  MAN, incorrect.  I was literally able to race all 26.2 miles.  We had a great plan of 3 miles warming up around 6:25 and then stick between 6:13 - 6:20until mile 20.  The first half felt good and I was conserving energy a bit.  Miles 13-20 felt way better than I expected and I was avg. closer  to 6:15 at this point.  In the final 10k I was starting to get real pumped but still respecting the fact that this is where I typically fall off.  I ended up closing with  6:14, 6:11, 6:12, 6:05, 6:08 & 5:45.  I think the think I was most excited about was feeling good the whole race and knowing there is definitely more time I could take off.  A 2:39 feels in reach and I would have never said that before this experience. 

For this episode of the Run Free Podcast, both Jo Butler and Jennifer Galvez join Jay to discuss how to eat proper and get quality nutrition leading up to running a marathon. This is just as important as running and weight lifting and other forms of training in order to get your best performance. Enjoy!To get a free consultation and learn how we can help you get to the next level and exceed your goals, please click the link on our webiste: www.runfreetraining.com.

Run Free Co-Founder Jay Stephenson sits down with athletes Drew Burnett and his son, Malachi, who is also a Run Free athlete and one of the best high school runners in Georgia. Malachi had a tremendous season that saw him reach the national finals in San Diego in 2024. It's a great discussion and we hope you enjoy it! Thanks for stopping by!

In this episode, Jay and Chad talk about their personal journey's with sleep and how they have implemented different methods to improve their sleep quality. For a free consultation or to find more info on our services, check us out at runfreetraining.conm

Jay interviews Ryan Hall about the process of not coaching and Ryan's transition from coaching professional athletes. Great discussion that we hope you will enjoy!

In this episode we chat with Run Free Athlete Kristen Briglia about her journey overcoming RED's (relative energy deficiency) and HA (hypothalamic amenorrhea). Kristen shares what she has learned on her path to recovery after decades of under eating and the subsequent health decline she experienced as a result.

In this episode we chat with the author of Built to Run, Dr. Matthew Silver. Matt is a long time runner with a passion for helping his fellow runners become more resilient to injury, reduce pain, and achieve their best performances. We’re very excited to share this information packed episode with you and also announce that Matt will be joining us this June at our Run Free Camp in Flagstaff Arizona.  You can find Matt’s book at his website: https://www.alphaprojectphyzio.com/meet-alpha-project Sign up for Camp or Free Consultation at runfreetraining.com 

In this episode, Jay and Chad chat about the the largest component of run training, aerobic runs. These runs bring a ton of value and fitness but don't get talked about as often as the more flashy workouts. So why do we need to spend so much time running easy? Jay and Chad share their own personal experiences playing around with how they executed their easy runs and subsequent running volume, along with recommendations on how to make good decisions about your own running volume and easy run pacing.

In this episode, Ryan rejoins as co-host as we catch up with one of his athletes, professional runner and Run Free coach Rory Linkletter. This conversation comes fresh off Rory's blazing fast race at the Seville Marathon where he posted a 2:08:01, sneaking under the Olympic standard for the marathon. Rory has a lengthy running resume and we're excited to share some of his knowledge with you in this conversation.