We are getting close to fall races with many 2-8 weeks away, from Berlin to NYC.

It's time to hone in on your final bits of training WITHOUT overdoing it. 

These tips will help you make sure your training is just right, while also getting your mind right for the big day.

It's time to get your game face on!

I am back after a summer hiatus and here to share an original poem and the 20 years of inspiration behind it.

The poem was inspired by listening to this podcast with David Whyte and then came together a few months later in 40-45 minutes of a single writing session. I am not necessarily a poet, but I do think these verses capture some meaningful lessons for all of us. If you listen, thank you for holding space for it.

In this episode, I read the poem and then talk through the meaning behind it. The fundamental question at the heart of the poem is... "why are you running so fast?" 

Hopefully, it inspires you to consider that question and understand why you might be tempted to do so and then perhaps internalize that there can be another way. Enjoy!

Ok, we are 18 weeks from Berlin and 21 weeks from Chicago... it's time to start your training program! Every program should start with a priming phase (aka base building) in order to lay the foundation for what's to come. In this episode,  I give you 7 things you should be thinking about to kick start your training for the fall. We talk about organizing your plan, building your volume, adding speed, having the right mentality/approach, and more...

It's time to get to work!

Most runners that are new to working with me are impatient about their gains. They want everything tomorrow, and I love the new motivation and eagerness. We don't ever want to quell that, BUT we do need to instill a patient, long term view in order to help them reach their full potential.

This episode is all about that. I give you six principles to ensure you are being patient enough to reach your long term potential. Staying patient with a long term view WILL make you faster in the long run. Trust me!

I start this episode with a few tips on preparing for your fall training cycle. Then, we get into the latest listener questions. I talk about building, building back, finding your edge in training, and much more. If you need some training inspiration... this is your episode!

It was an epic weekend for the Boston Marathon once again, and from it, I am still buzzing.

Thus for this episode, I bring you 7 takeaways and inspirations from the weekend to carryforward to other races. From Des's final Boston to the Boston weather to the worthiness of that BQ goal, there is something in here for everyone! Enjoy!

I think we are in an era of our sport from elite to everyday runners where success is defined too narrowly. We are very time-focused at the expense of broader definitions of success, and I think that is limiting us as fans and participants and performers.

In this episode, I talk about it and present 10 other ways to define success on race day. My hope is that this conversation will open up ways for you to love and enjoy our sport even more, while exposing you to more lessons and opportunities that improve performance as well. 

To be or not to be... that is the question!

In this case, we ask... to marathon or not to marathon in another listener conversation with Marisa from NYC. She is relatively new in her running journey, had a stress fracture training for her first marathon, and wants to know if she should wait a little while until her next one.

We discuss all of that and more with her!

In this episode, I chat with listener Jennifer from Georgia who is wondering if she has the ability to get faster as someone who is usually near the back of the pack. She finished the NYC Marathon in 7 hours and recently did a half in 3:30, and now she wants more. 

I reassure her that she is worthy of her goals and worthy of coaching, and we give her hope that faster is still ahead of her. Jennifer's energy is bright and contagious, and she brings a great sense of humor to it all. She is an inspiration, and you will enjoy this conversation!

In this episode, Ben from Michigan joins the show to discuss his aspirations to auto-qualify for Chicago. That implies a time of 2:55 for his age group, while his current PR is 3:03 from last fall.

We hear about Ben's journey to this point, and then I coach him up on taking the next step to qualify for Chicago. In addition and of course, we talk about tips for his longer term trajectory as well. As with all of these coaching conversations, there is something in here for everyone. Enjoy!