Better with Running

Welcome to Episode 319 of the Better With Running Podcast! Chris Armstrong and Zack Newman kick things off by breaking down their training blocks, with Chris logging 74km—highlighted by 8 x 800m repeats and a strong 27km long run—alongside a celebratory nod to the undefeated San Francisco 49ers. Zacca shares his week of 55km easy-effort kilometres, setting the stage for a massive episode ahead.

Returning guest Fraser Pope joins the show alongside coach James Telford to unpack his stellar performance at the Melbourne Marathon, where he sliced three minutes off his Gold Coast time to run a brilliant 2:46:23. The crew dives into Fraser’s incredible progression from senior footy stalwart to sub-2:50 marathoner, comparing his training blocks, high-volume weeks, and how he and Telf fine-tuned their race execution.

To wrap up a bumper episode, Fraser tackles the famous quick-fire round—sharing everything from his fav athlete, to his current shoes of choice. It’s a jam-packed session full of coaching insights, laughs, and running banter.

Oat Running Socks is proud to partner with the Better With Running podcast and Run2PB, keeping our community moving in absolute comfort. Engineered for peak performance.

Oat Running Socks | Official Partner of Better With Running & Run2PB

Chris Armstrong and Zacca Newman are back for another week of all things running, with plenty to unpack after a huge Melbourne Marathon weekend. From the atmosphere on the ground and some outstanding performances to the training changes behind big PBs, there’s plenty to get stuck into.

The boys kick things off diving into Melbourne Marathon, reflecting on the racing, the results and the stories that make this event such a special weekend on the Australian running calendar.

They then catch up with Run2PB athlete Peter Oslewski, who ran an incredible 19-minute marathon PB to finish in 3:07:30, coached by Nikki Curry. Pete shares his running journey, how his training has progressed over the years, balancing running with a full-time job and two young kids, and what it’s like working with Nikki. They also get into his marathon build, favourite sessions and what’s next on the racing calendar.

Later, Mel Townsend returns to the show, she delivered a huge 2:41 marathon PB, finishing 10th overall and third Victorian at Melbourne Marathon. The team breaks down her progression across three marathon builds, improving from 2:53 to 2:48 and now 2:41. We look at the changes behind the improvement, including increased training volume, more long runs over 30km, additional quality work and a big step up in carbohydrate intake during racing.

Oat Running Socks is proud to partner with the Better With Running podcast and Run2PB, keeping our community moving in absolute comfort. Engineered for peak performance.

Oat Running Socks | Official Partner of Better With Running & Run2PB

In Episode 317 of the Better With Running podcast, hosts Chris Armstrong and Zac sit down with Olympian nd coach Andy Buchanan to break down his stellar 2:10 marathon performance at the Sydney Marathon. The conversation kicks off with a recap from sydney marathon and the brutal toll that Sydney's downhill course takes on the quads and then oving beyond his own race splits, Andy reflects on his debrief with coach Scott 'Scotty' Westcott grading the effort as a solid "B+ for goal execution and C for performance" while keeping a long-term eye on future Olympic qualification goals. He also shares a humbling and perspective-shifting recount of his recent trip to Alice Springs with ASICS and the Indigenous Marathon Foundation, where handing out shoes reminded him that there is much more to life than chasing fast times.

With the Melbourne Marathon fast approaching, the trio transitions into expert coaching advice and race week preparation. Andy shares tactical guidance for first-timers and seasoned runners alike, emphasising the importance of managing taper week nerves, dialing in fueling routines with Maurten, and remembering that a marathon truly begins around the 32 or 33-kilometer mark.

The episode rounds out with a fun rapid-fire segment covering lighter topics outside of running, such as jelly slice and lawn chat and building the ultimate home gym

Oat Running Socks is proud to partner with the Better With Running podcast and Run2PB, keeping our community moving in absolute comfort. Engineered for peak performance.

Oat Running Socks | Official Partner of Better With Running & Run2PB

This Week on the Better With Running podcast with Chris Armstrong and Zac Newman. With the Chicago Marathon just around the corner, the hosts are joined by returning fan-favorite guest Rory Flanagan (the Prince of Bendigo) and Run2PB coach Ben Stoltz to discuss massive training blocks, race-kit aesthetics, and major marathon tactics.

On the running and NFL front, the San Francisco 49ers (unofficially adopted by the Run2PB community) are sitting strong at 3–0 after a tight 36–30 win over the Arizona Cardinals. Brock Purdy is playing at an MVP level, throwing 4 touchdowns, including an 80-yard score by Deebo Samuel that Chris has dubbed the "immaculate reception". Meanwhile, Chris clocked 66km for the week, highlighting a tough threshold session and a solid 20km long run while continuing his quest for an AMACX raspberry gel discount code.

The core of the episode shifts to the Chicago Marathon buildup, featuring Rory and the Choccy Milk Run Club (CMRC) crew preparing to head stateside after a massive training block. Ben Stoltz notes that Rory has been exceptionally consistent, logging 100–105km of running weekly alongside 40–80km on the bike and structured gym work. By visiting Ben's new venture, The Movement Co, for baseline testing, Rory added targeted plyometrics and single-leg strength routines that boosted his strength metrics by 30% over three months and kept his long-standing Achilles issues at bay.

Looking toward race day, Rory is dialing in his kit with the Puma Fast-R model and aiming for a smart, conservative start (targeting an 80-minute split for the first half depending on conditions) to finish strong by passing runners in the latter stages.

To close out the episode, Rory tackles a rapid-fire session where he ditches Garmin Connect for its brutal "unproductive" notifications in favor of Strava and chooses the Mona Fartlek for elimination because he is "too vague" to track all the short rep beeps properly. He also reflects on his favorite athlete of all time: Andrew Lloyd and his legendary come-from-behind victory in the 5,000m at the 1990 Commonwealth Games.

Watch Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8s3cmw9IcDE

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Oat Running Socks is proud to partner with the Better With Running podcast and Run2PB, keeping our community moving in absolute comfort. Engineered for peak performance.

Oat Running Socks | Official Partner of Better With Running & Run2PB

The weather is finally turning, the sun is out, and the build-up to daylight savings has officially brought out peak icy pole chat. Chris and Zac dive into listener tags, Zooper Doopers, Calippos, and Chris’s early steps into sports nutrition influencing after receiving a care package of Amacx gels and recovery juice. Plus, we celebrate the 49ers moving to 2-0 to start the NFL season as the official football team of the podcast, and look ahead to an already fast-filling Sweat vs Steam 2026.

This week’s feature guest is one of the most dedicated runners you’ll ever come across, Run2PB athlete Jenna Trueman. Joining the team back in December 2019 after building her way back from the New York Marathon, Jenna has since smashed personal bests right across the board—from the 5K all the way up to the marathon, including a 7-minute half marathon PB down to 1:50 at Jetty to Jetty and a 4:02 in Canberra.

But Jenna’s story goes way beyond the stopwatch. She has officially ticked off the Abbott World Marathon Majors, including a mind-blowing 2025 double where she ran Boston on a Monday and London with Phil the following Sunday, finishing within three minutes of each other. We unpack the incredible resilience it took to bounce back from a mid-race gallbladder attack and emergency surgery at the Sydney Marathon, complete a conservative 8-week return, grab sweet redemption on that exact same course, and then immediately line up for her first-ever 26km trail race in Malaysia.

Jenna shares what it's really like balancing a full-time career in finance and motherhood in the brutal Brisbane heat, working with coach Matt Davey, and being an incredible role model for her kids.

Oat Running Socks is proud to partner with the Better With Running podcast and Run2PB, keeping our community moving in absolute comfort. Engineered for peak performance.

Oat Running Socks | Official Partner of Better With Running & Run2PB

In Episode 314, Chris and Zac return for another massive show, kicking things off with a deep dive into an unforgettable piece of sporting history right in Melbourne's backyard. Chris shares an epic, firsthand recap of the historic NFL regular-season game packed into the MCG, where a staggering 100,021 fans turned out to make it the 7th biggest crowd in NFL history. From the seamless outer-perimeter entry gates and a buzzing atmosphere featuring daytime fireworks and fighter jet flyovers, to the 49ers taking down the Rams 27–7 on the back of Brock Purdy's massive 40-yard touchdown pass, it felt every bit like an AFL Grand Final or Super Bowl. Chris even braved the post-game merch madness at Bourke Street, finding out just how fast 49ers gear flew off the shelves.

The second half of the show welcomes back three-time guest Andy Catchlove for a brilliant catch-up on his stellar running progression under Run2PB coach Sammy McLean. Andy reflects on his journey from a sub-20 minute 5K runner to dropping a blazing 16:30 on the track and logging a massive 34:50 10K PB at the Geelong River Run. He opens up about the tactical shifts that unlocked his brilliant 2:41 marathon performance at the Gold Coast Marathon—including moving away from strict watch fixation to running by feel, battling brutal headwinds on the back half of the course, and nailing his race-day fueling. Plus, Andy shares his unfiltered, hilarious thoughts on why running "doubles" ranks even lower than cleaning out the kitchen S-bend.

We wrap up the episode with our signature quick-fire questions with Andy—touching on everything from magpie avoidance to eliminating Garmins.

This episode is brought to you in partnership with Oat Running Socks and listeners can score some using the run2pb discount code "Run2pb15" for 15% off the range by visiting ⁠www.oatrunning.com.au.

Oat Running is a proud partner of better with running podcast and run2pb,

Engineered for peak performance, Oat running socks feature Anatomical Fit: Left- and right-specific designs that match the natural shape of each foot to completely eliminate bunching or slipping. Thermoregulating Fabric: Advanced materials designed to keep your feet cool during hot summer miles and warm through winter starts. Technical Mesh Support: Strategically placed mesh zones that support your foot securely through the entire gait cycle. Blister Prevention: High-performance, moisture-wicking fibers that minimize friction and keep skin irritation at bay.

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Chris Armstrong and Zac Newman kick off this week very differently, as they aunch into NFL fever, as Chriso excitedly talks through upcoming NFL match in Melbourne featuring his lifelong team, the San Francisco 49ers, versus the LA Rams.

This week's #Teamrun2pb interview features athlete Casey Dean alongside her Run2PB coach, Elise Beacom. Casey catches up with the team from Melbourne, We hear about her athletic background starting from high school cross-country, her introduction to running during COVID-19, and her unfortunate introduction to Elise when she tore every ligament in her foot playing footy and the delayed start around that.

Casey unpacks her running progression, moving away from unstructured volume and couch-to-5k plans into formal coaching with Elise, leading to a stellar 3:38 PB at the Ballarat Marathon and her recent first major marathon experience at the Sydney Marathon. Despite hitting the wall hard at Centennial Park and a late training block disruption involving a humid treadmill in Vietnam, Casey pushed through to finish in 3:40, sharing laughs about her dad making friends on the course and the unmatched atmosphere of race weekend.

The episode wraps up with a lighthearted round of rapid-fire questions covering duck encounters on the run, nana-ish crafting hobbies like crochet, and shoe rotations, before closing out with a gift from our friends at Oat Running Socks to Casey.

Oat Running is a proud partner of better with running podcast and run2pb, Their Socks feature: Anatomical Fit: Left and right-specific designs match the natural shape of each foot to reduce bunching or slipping.Thermoregulating Fabric: Keeps feet cool during summer and warm during winter. Technical Mesh: Supports your foot through the entire gait cycle.Blister Prevention: Moisture-wicking fibres eliminate friction and skin irritation.

Chris Armstrong and Zac Newman kick off Episode 312 of the Better With Running podcast by catching up on recent training blocks, including dropping volume to freshen up and tackling a strong Mona Fartlek entirely on feel.

Zac dives into his full Sydney Marathon race-weekend experience.

This #Teamrun2pb interview features Finn Crethar 23-year young gun, who debuted in the marathon running 2:38. We hear about his journey with run2pb, what promoted him to join and his intial meeting with his Coach James Hansen. Finn unpacks his build to Sydney Marathon and the experience of the day.

The episode wraps up with the usual round of lighthearted rapid-fire questions covering everything from egg preferences and shoe rotations to weird encounters on the run, before closing out with a shout out to including a shoutout to Jess from Oat Running for smashing an 8-minute PB to run 3:43, and their continued support of the podcast, where they gift Finn the guest a pair of Oat Socks.

Episode 311 of the Better With Running Podcast begins with hosts Chris Armstrong and Zac Newman discussing the immense anticipation surrounding the Sydney Marathon.

Chris shares a vivid recap of the National Cross Country Masters 4km in Ballarat, battling ankle-deep mud, freezing weather, and call-room logo-taping logistics to finishing an epic race. Zac manages a minor calf scare with the help of Physio and fellow run2pb Coach James Telford.

The main interview features professional touring drummer and Run2PB athlete Tim Firth. Tim details his running journey from an initial 4:40 marathon disaster to chasing a sub-3:30 at Sydney, alongside his progression to a 3:35 personal best. As a freelance drummer and music teacher—with a degree from the University of New South Wales and Sydney Conservatorium—Tim opens up about what it is like balancing parenting and a demanding professional music career touring with iconic Australian acts like Dragon and Thirsty Merc, as well as jazz artists like James Morrison. He explains how he navigates unpredictable late-night gig schedules, irregular travel, and early morning runs to maintain a consistent routine without letting his music or family life slip.

Finally, Tim and the hosts dive into coaching adjustments with Brady, shifting from high-mileage weeks that left him broken down to fresher, targeted 80km weeks built around marathon-specific quality. The episode concludes with a fun quick-fire round comparing the endurance of a marathon to musical performances, thoughts on modern running tech, and cricket chats.

This episode is brought to you in partnership with Oat Running Socks and listeners can score some using the run2pb discount code "Run2pb15" for 15% off the range by visiting ⁠www.oatrunning.com.au.

In their weekly training updates, Chris shared details of his 62km week, highlighted by a scorching session of 7 x 1km with 1-minute standing recoveries averaging 3:37/km. Meanwhile, Zac logged 79km while recovering from the Ballarat Half Marathon, managing a 30-minute threshold session on Kew Boulevard’s rolling hills and a support-ride for his athlete despite a minor mid-week calf scare.

The featured interview welcomes back returning guest Matt Miller, a Run2PB athlete from Tatura who made the leap from a scratch golfer to a dedicated runner in just two years. Matt discussed his incredible journey joining the Division 1 Bendigo Bats cross-country team, where he anchored the squad under immense pressure at Jells Park. Under Chris Armstrong's coaching, Matt has shattered his personal bests across the board in 2026, dropping his 5km time to 15:37, his 10km to 32:18, and his half marathon to 1:12:39 at the XCR Ballarat event.

Matt also opened up about his physical hurdles, including a tough day at the Ballarat Marathon where hydration issues forced him to walk and shuffle through the latter stages before triumphantly bouncing back to race a strong 5K just two weeks later. Beyond his own breakthroughs, The episode wrapped up with valuable training takeaways on running to feel rather than staring at split times, keeping easy runs honest, and prioritizing consistency over complex volume.

This episode is brought to you in partnership with Oat Running Socks and listeners can score some using the run2pb discount code "Run2pb15" for 15% off the range by visiting ⁠www.oatrunning.com.au.