This episode continues the series The 5 Pillars of Better Running with pillar two: easy running.

Easy running can look almost too simple to matter. The pace is controlled, the heart rate stays lower, and compared with a hard interval session, the immediate fitness stimulus can seem modest.

But that is only part of the picture.

Easy running allows us to accumulate more training without making every additional kilometre equally costly. Over time, that extra volume contributes to aerobic development, including adaptations in the mitochondria inside the muscle and the capillary network that helps deliver oxygen where it is needed.

The episode also looks at why easy running can support better quality on hard days, why it can help runners gradually tolerate more training, and why injury prevention is better understood as managing load and recovery rather than assuming that slow running is automatically safe.

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Yomif Kejelcha has spent more than a decade among the world’s best distance runners, from 3,000 and 5,000 metres on the track to the 10,000, half marathon and marathon.

In this episode, Bjørn-Ivar reflects on Kejelcha’s journey through extraordinary performances, championship near-misses and a gradual move towards longer distances, culminating in his 56:51 half marathon world record in Buenos Aires.

It raises an interesting question for the rest of us: how certain should we really be about the kind of runner we are? The distance that suited us five or ten years ago may not be where we find our best running today.

A conversation about persistence without stubbornness, staying curious, trying different distances and allowing our running to develop over the long term.

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This episode begins a new series: The 5 Pillars of Better Running.

The first pillar is consistency.

Not perfect training weeks. Not completing every planned session. And not trying to make up every workout that gets missed.

Instead, this episode looks at consistency as the ability to keep returning to running over time.

A missed interval session, a shorter run, tired legs, or an unexpected change in everyday life can easily make a training week feel as if it has gone wrong. But long-term progress is built over months and years, not around one perfect Tuesday.

The episode explores why trying to catch up can sometimes disturb recovery, why protecting what comes next can reduce unnecessary injury risk, and why adjusting a session does not automatically mean the training has failed.

Consistency is less about never being interrupted and more about maintaining a relationship with running that can continue through different seasons of life.

The first pillar is therefore simple: keep returning, allow training to adapt when needed, and give progress enough time to develop.

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Summer often brings fewer structured workouts and more opportunities to simply enjoy running. While many runners worry about maintaining fitness, this episode explores a different perspective: that summer can help you become a better runner in ways that aren't measured by pace or mileage.

Bjørn-Ivar reflects on how exploration, enjoyment, perspective and balance all contribute to long-term development. Through stories and reflections, he looks at why memorable runs often matter more than perfect workouts, how running fits best when it supports life rather than competes with it, and why a healthy relationship with the sport is one of the strongest foundations for lasting progress.

Whether you're on vacation or simply enjoying a change of routine, this episode is an invitation to step back from the numbers, reconnect with the joy of running, and discover how the lessons of summer can stay with you long after the season has ended.

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Summer often changes the way we train. Travel, family commitments and different routines can make even the best training plan difficult to follow. In this episode, Bjørn-Ivar explores why adaptability may be one of the most important qualities a runner can develop.

Rather than trying to force perfect training into an imperfect schedule, this episode looks at how flexible thinking helps maintain consistency, reduces unnecessary stress and supports long-term progress. You'll hear why protecting habits matters more than protecting routines, why short runs still have value, how to avoid the make-up workout trap, and why rebuilding momentum is often more important than chasing fitness.

Whether you're on vacation or simply navigating a busy period of life, this episode offers a practical perspective on staying connected to running without losing sight of the bigger picture. The goal isn't perfect training—it's learning how to keep moving forward through every season of life.

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Summer often brings a change of routine. Travel, family commitments, social events, and a break from normal schedules can leave many runners worrying about lost fitness and interrupted training.

In this episode, I explore why that concern is often larger than the actual risk.

We look at what happens to fitness during shorter periods of reduced training, why maintaining fitness can sometimes be more valuable than chasing improvement, and how experienced runners learn to adapt their training to the realities of life rather than fighting against them.

I also share a personal update on my Sub-20 5K project and why I've had to adjust my timeline after several months where migraine symptoms have limited the quality training needed to pursue that goal.

This is a conversation about consistency, patience, realistic expectations, and understanding that long-term progress is built over years rather than a few individual weeks.

Whether you're heading into vacation season or simply trying to balance running with the rest of life, this episode is a reminder that fitness is often more resilient than we think.

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In Part 2 of the 5K Training Guide, Bjørn-Ivar Sigbjørnsen moves from the purpose of different workouts into how training can be built around the runner doing it. The episode looks at how much easy and harder running makes sense when you train two, three, or more days per week, and why a 5K plan should have a clear weekly rhythm rather than simply collecting sessions.

The episode covers practical workout choices, including threshold sessions, 5K-specific intervals, hills, strides, and longer easy runs, along with how those sessions can be balanced across a training block. Bjørn-Ivar also discusses the limitations of the 10 percent rule, why distance alone does not show the full training load, and how tools such as Strava Relative Effort or Garmin training load can be used alongside body feel and recovery.

Recovery, sleep, fueling, and hydration are connected to the training itself, with particular attention to the importance of carbohydrates around harder running and the role of protein in rebuilding afterwards. Strength training is discussed from a runner’s perspective: as a possible support for performance and durability, but also as an added demand that needs to earn its place in the week.

The episode also explores how to respond to soreness and recurring discomfort, how to taper for a goal 5K without losing speed, and how to approach race day with controlled pacing and a clear head. After the finish line, the race becomes useful feedback for the next block rather than a verdict on the whole process.

Bjørn-Ivar also shares an update on his own goal of returning to a sub-20-minute 5K at age 57, reflecting on why speed now has to be built with more patience, respect for recovery, and a commitment to protecting the daily running he values most.

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In this first part of the 5K training guide, Bjørn-Ivar Sigbjørnsen looks at what the 5K really asks from a runner and why the distance is more than just a short hard effort. The episode covers how to start from the runner you are today, why easy running matters, how harder sessions should have a clear purpose, and why the body needs time to adapt before race fitness shows up.

The episode also explains how different workouts support different needs, from short faster running and 5K-specific intervals to threshold work and hills. Recovery between reps is discussed as part of the workout itself, including when standing, walking, or easy jogging can change the purpose and effect of a session.

Heart rate, pace, feeling, and lactate are presented as useful tools when they support the bigger picture, rather than numbers that should control every decision. Bjørn-Ivar also shares an honest update on his own Sub-20 5K project at age 57, including why speed takes more patience now than when he was younger, and why staying healthy and keeping daily running in his life matters more than forcing a goal too quickly.

The episode closes by introducing Part 2, which will continue with recovery, sleep, fueling, strength training, injury signals, race week, pacing, and the mental side of the 5K.

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In this marathon special, I take a closer look at Sabastian Sawe’s 1:59:30 in London and why it felt like more than just another world record. With three runners under the previous world record in the same race, this episode looks at what may have shifted at the very front of the marathon.

We go into what made the run so remarkable, why this counts as the first official sub-two marathon, and why the negative split tells us something important about how the distance may now be raced. We also spend time on the harder questions around trust and testing, and on the practical side of performance, including shoes, high-carb fueling, bicarbonate, weather, race execution, and marathon-specific training.

The episode closes by bringing the conversation back to regular runners. What can ordinary marathoners actually use from a performance like this? How should training, pacing, fueling, and long-term development be understood in light of what we saw in London? This is a calm and thoughtful look at one of the biggest moments the marathon has ever had.

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