Episode 32: There's Always Someone Faster by George Parker

One simple phrase has changed my entire approach to running.

I was at a marathon expo over 10 years ago talking to a pacer. When we finished, I said "Good Luck," and turned to leave. The pacer grabbed me, looked me in the eyes, and said "It's Not Luck. It's Training."

This phrase is a mentality that acknowledges the role of luck in outcomes, but does not permit luck to be the dominant variable.

The NYC Marathon is a World Major Marathon and an iconic race. If you are running, you are in for an unforgettable experience. In this episode, I discuss five things I wish I knew about the race before running.

Your body releases cortisol in response to stress, which prepares you to fight or flee. This is a useful response in our early years when the stressors were things trying to hurt, kill, or eat us.

But modern-day stressors are different — deadlines, colleagues, managers. We aren’t running or fighting these stressors, so the cortisol stays in our body keeping us in a constant state of alert. That heightened state is a big strain on the body.

Running burns off cortisol the way the body naturally intended.

Have you ever been racing or doing a hardworkout when things start going poorly? Do you start saying mean things to yourself? “You’re not good enough.” “You’re a bad runner.” “Just quit.”

This negative self talk is real and debilitating. When you listen, it’s horrible the mean things you can say to yourself. I have struggled myself with it over the years.

But you don’t have to accept it! There are techniques you can begin to quiet that negative voice.

What’s the better entertainment option when running on the treadmill?

Why do we run? It doesn’t always have to be about winning or setting personal bests. It doesn’t even have to be about being healthy.

Instead, I explore how running can be a common thread for your life.

Unless you are a professional runner, you're going to need to be flexible with your training plan. Ideally, you will have two easy running days between "workouts" such as tempos, fartleks, speed, and more challenging long runs. But that's not always possible. Sometimes you have to juggle your schedule around. In these instances, you cannot always schedule two easy days between hard workouts. What to do? The answer is NOT workout, easy day, workout. There are TWO BETTER OPTIONS that I discuss here based on my years of being coached and trial and error.

Armed with Strava and a Treadmill, you can prepare for the terrain of an upcoming race. Here’s how

Plantar Fasciitis is a horrible condition for runners to develop. It often starts mild and then progresses. In the early stages, I’ve discovered the Strassburg Sock that helps to ease the pain and begin the recovery process.