"A hero is somebody who voluntarily walks into the unknown." - Tom Hanks

I would submit that we do that everytime we step on a start line. That quote also highlights that heroism is defined independently from the outcome, which means that we can all be heroes by stepping into the unknown of race day. We can all, also, have an heroic ripple effect on others by setting big goals, doing the work, and then putting ourselves in the scary position to achieve them.

In this episode, I talk about the practical side of it. How can you relate to being a hero by examining what heroes look like? How can you then act like one to bring confidence to your next big swing at a goal?

Bear with me on this one y'all... it might sound cheesy, but I believe there are some really good practical nuggets inside.

“We cannot know the mystery of the future.” – Jimmy Carter

Preparing for race day creates fear and anxiety in part because we cannot know what the future will bring. In those moments, I encourage athletes to focus instead on what you DO know and what you CAN control. 

In this episode, I give you a rundown on those controllables. With the Houston Marathon/Half Marathon as the backdrop, we talk about how to prepare both physically and mentally for everything that you will encounter pre-race and during the race to give you the best chance of hitting your goal. 

In this final episode of the year, I answer questions from you! With questions from the UK, Canada, and all over the US, we cover caffeine and training, VO2Max, race planning, when to press vs. rest, osteoporsis and running, race goals, and so much more!

Thanks to everyone who sent in a questions.

I will be taking next week off, and episode #363 will release on January 10th. Happy New Year everyone!

How important is strength training for runners? 

Very important, but you have to do it the right way. It should support and supplement your running and not take away from it. 

In this episode, I give you 5 principles to construct your strength routine in a way that it will be additive to your running. Hint: it isn't about massive lifting sessions where you can't life your arm or move your legs the next day. It won't impress your social media, but it will lead to times that impress your Garmin!

We are back to our listener conversations, and this week we talk with Pete from Michigan. Pete has 4 kids and is about to turn 50. He is wondering if he can still get faster as he ages and wants to know how to optimize around that. He also has a goal to race Boston some day, so we dig into the big picture plans for that as well.

I believe Pete still has faster days ahead, and like many of you, he just needs to do the work and believe!

In episode 357, I talked about the forest, the big picture and the long term view for your running goals. In this episode, I talk about planting the individual trees to achieve the forest of your dreams. Those individual trees are made up of a routine that is as consistent and year-round as you can possibly be. But, why and what does a successful routine look like?

I break it all down for you in this one so that you can create a routine that will help you reach your max potential. How do the runs, the strength training, the recovery routines, and everything else fit together? And how do you tailor it for you?

Another listener - Maeson - joins the show to get coaching on chasing her big goal to qualify for the Boston Marathon. She has the confidence to dream big, but that confidence can often shrink on the starting line.

In this conversation, we help her refine her "why" for the big goal and then discuss the tactics to get there including discussions on weekly volume, cross-training, the importance of super easy running, and the need to vary her target race distances. 

This episode is for anyone who might have doubts about chasing their big goal. Maeson can do this, and you can too!

This episode was inspired by many recent chats with athletes and listeners. 

Often, we get too focused on the minutia, on the little details, without keeping track of the big picture in training. In this episode, I give you 7 things to consider in order to keep your eyes on the forest, so you don't smash into a tree! This one will also help you keep a proper perspective in order to reach your long term potential.

And please forgive the idioms and analogies... there are plenty of practical tips in this one too!

Reminder: if you want to join our Crushing Boston virtual group, then email [email protected].

Thank you to everyone for the warm welcome back to podcasting! It's been validating to hear the response.

We are back today with a conversation with listener April from Michigan. She is a mom of 3 who is trying to break 4 hours in the marathon. She has great questions about the path forward to do that, and along the way, we start dreaming even bigger! I think many of you will relate to and can learn from April's journey, so I hope you enjoy.

If you want to jump on a podcast like this with me, then email [email protected]. If you want to join our Crushing Boston Virtual Group which starts on December 9th, then email [email protected]. It's good to be back!

Hey everyone... we are back after a long hiatus! I needed a break over the summer that turned into a longer break than anticipated, but I always knew I would be back. Thank you for your patience with me and thank you to everyone who asked how I was doing.

In this episode, you get two parts. Part 1 is a re-introduction of me, who I am, and what I believe. Most of this you might already know, but perhaps you will hear some new facts about me. Either way, I felt it important to re-start by grounding you in who I am and what I believe as a coach. 

Then, we turn to a chat with Coach Cathy Casey who is launching a new virtual group to prepare people specifically for the Boston Marathon. With her, we talk specifically about preparing for the challenges of the Boston course and how to shape your training accordingly. This will certainly be useful for Boston racers, but will also be useful for anyone tackling a hilly course in the spring. Her new group will start on December 9th, and you can find more info here: https://www.roguerunning.com/virtual-group-training.

If you want to be coached up on a future episode of Running Rogue, then email me - [email protected]. If you want to get on the list for Cathy's new group then email [email protected]. It's good to be back!

In this one, we are going to talk about how to achieve BALANCE in your running in two different ways.

a. How do you balance running and life? I give you 5 thoughts on how to find time for training while balancing work, family, and relationships.

b. How do you balance finding the edge in performance with overall health? I give you 5 thoughts on how to find and test your limits without sacrificing long term health and longevity.

Balance isn't easy and requires constant work, but I hope these ideas will help you get the yin and yang right for you.

Thank you to Logan and Mikhael for the show ideas that sparked this episode!

To redeem the offer from this episode's sponsor, use the code ROGUE for 10% off on running apparel at Janji.com.