We are about 11-14 weeks out from some of the major marathons in the US. 

Today, Coach is breaking down how to build a marathon training block for fall races like Chicago, New York, and Indianapolis. He covers periodization, weekly workouts, long runs, marathon-pace training, fueling, recovery, heat adjustments, and tapering. 

Most importantly guys, he explains how to train consistently, build mileage safely, and avoid cramming missed workouts like some college student facing a Monday deadline.

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Intro

02:17 Marathon Training Periodization Explained

05:27 How Long Should a Marathon Block Be?

09:28 Why a 13-Week Marathon Plan Works

13:51 Critical Velocity Repeats and Pacing

19:01 Tempo Runs and Combination Workouts

22:05 Long-Run Workouts and Marathon Tapering

24:52 How to Space Workouts for Recovery

27:05 Adding Marathon Pace to Long Runs

28:18 Adjusting Training for Heat and Humidity

30:01 Maintaining Speed During Marathon Training

33:22 What to Do When You Miss a Workout

38:02 Gut Training, Carbohydrates, and Sodium

39:54 How to Prepare for Your Marathon Course

42:00 How Many 20-Mile Runs Do You Need?

43:24 Balancing Repeats and Threshold Workouts

46:32 Marathon Block Length and Mental Fatigue

48:40 Mailbag

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Bat City Track Club is an emerging national class and regionally elite team with a primary focus on distances 5,000m to the marathon.

⁠https://www.batcitytc.com/⁠

FOLLOW:

IG: @theconsistentlygoodpodcast

YT: @theconsistentlygoodpodcast

JEFF CUNNINGHAM:

IG: @jdcunningham97

BAT CITY: @batcitytrackclub

This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be considered legal [health or profession] advice. Bare Performance Nutrition (BPN) is not responsible for any losses, damages, or liabilities that may arise from the use of this podcast. This podcast is not intended to replace professional medical advice.

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Coach revisits his disastrous first marathon to explain why race-day success depends on preparation, confidence, adaptability, and competitive integrity. He’s covering managing anxiety to trusting your training and adjusting to conditions, he shares how runners can execute when doubt arrives without turning every workout into the Olympic Trials. Here we go!

CHAPTERS:00:00 Houston Marathon Wakeup Call

01:57 Why Racing Feels Hard

06:52 Competitive Integrity Explained

10:46 Stop Racing Workouts

16:50 Make the Decision Midrace

23:33 Three Step Race Day Switch

25:39 Ditch Negativity and Noise

30:41 Avoid Overcontrol and Superstition

37:51 Accept Imperfect Outcomes

44:04 My 1998 Marathon Meltdown

48:25 Race Day Checklist and Sendoff

Become a BPN member FOR FREE - Unlock 25% off FOR LIFE ⁠

⁠https://www.bareperformancenutrition.com/collections/performance-nutrition⁠

Bat City Track Club is an emerging national class and regionally elite team with a primary focus on distances 5,000m to the marathon.

⁠https://www.batcitytc.com/⁠

FOLLOW:

IG: @theconsistentlygoodpodcast

YT: @theconsistentlygoodpodcast

JEFF CUNNINGHAM:

IG: @jdcunningham97

BAT CITY: @batcitytrackclub

This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be considered legal [health or profession] advice. Bare Performance Nutrition (BPN) is not responsible for any losses, damages, or liabilities that may arise from the use of this podcast. This podcast is not intended to replace professional medical advice.

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Coach Jeff Cunningham sits down with filmmaker and runner Eric Floberg to unpack the road from under 4 hours to 2:29 at Boston. They talk breakthrough races, brutal training blocks, creative burnout, family, online criticism, and why simplifying life helped Eric rebuild belief, enjoy the process, and finally put it all together.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Intro

01:04 Marathon Journey Begins

06:21 Creative Roots and Filmmaking

14:44 Handling Online Hate

18:23 Bittersweet PRs and Progress

23:45 Burnout and Too Many Pots

28:55 Boston Build and Belief

33:38 Race Week

38:21 Closing Miles Breakdown

41:45 Racing With an Audience

55:11 Berlin Plans and Fueling

57:52 Speed Gains and Haters

59:25 Dad Life and Sports Joy

01:04:11 Impact Beyond Running

Become a BPN member FOR FREE - Unlock 25% off FOR LIFE ⁠

⁠https://www.bareperformancenutrition.com/collections/performance-nutrition⁠

Bat City Track Club is an emerging national class and regionally elite team with a primary focus on distances 5,000m to the marathon.

⁠https://www.batcitytc.com/⁠

FOLLOW:

IG: @theconsistentlygoodpodcast

YT: @theconsistentlygoodpodcast

JEFF CUNNINGHAM:

IG: @jdcunningham97

BAT CITY: @batcitytrackclub

This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be considered legal [health or profession] advice. Bare Performance Nutrition (BPN) is not responsible for any losses, damages, or liabilities that may arise from the use of this podcast. This podcast is not intended to replace professional medical advice.

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This week, coach Jeff Cunningham discusses how people in life transitions can chase new passions without becoming “all consumed." He contrasts being productively "all in” for defined windows of time with letting a goal become an identity that causes neglect, anxiety, or spiraling when training or races go poorly, and warns about hyper-obsession with diet and clean eating. He argues balance is often a cliché and reframes it as healthy imbalance, where excellence requires weighting time toward a pursuit while protecting non-negotiables. 

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Chasing Change

02:08 All In vs Consumed

03:43 Poker Chips Metaphor

06:56 Protect Your Identity

10:11 All In Done Right

13:01 Quixotic Passion

17:42 When More Is Justified

21:27 Sponsor Fuel Break

22:18 Myth of Balance

24:08 LeBron and Talent Garden

31:24 Consistently Good Mindset

37:35 Faith and Audacious Goals

40:41 Mailbag Heart Rate

44:30 Final Sendoff

Become a BPN member FOR FREE - Unlock 25% off FOR LIFE ⁠

⁠⁠https://www.bareperformancenutrition.com/collections/performance-nutrition⁠

Bat City Track Club is an emerging national class and regionally elite team with a primary focus on distances 5,000m to the marathon.

⁠https://www.batcitytc.com/⁠

FOLLOW:

IG: @theconsistentlygoodpodcast

YT: @theconsistentlygoodpodcast

JEFF CUNNINGHAM:

IG: @jdcunningham97

BAT CITY: @batcitytrackclub

This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be considered legal [health or profession] advice. Bare Performance Nutrition (BPN) is not responsible for any losses, damages, or liabilities that may arise from the use of this podcast. This podcast is not intended to replace professional medical advice.

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Listen guys, when coach says he has some important things he wants to address, you hit record.

Coach collected GPS data from over 100 Boston Marathon runners to settle the "course was long" debate once and for all — then he breaks down fartlek execution, why missing a workout doesn't ruin your race, and why trying to optimize everything might be the thing that's actually holding you back.

CHAPTERS:

0:00 Intro:

1:17 GPS vs. Race Time

2:55 How Race Courses Are Officially Measured

9:08 The Boston Marathon Data Study

11:33 What Extra Distance Costs You in Real Time

18:13 What Is a Fartlek?

20:48 The GPS Anxiety Problem

24:19 The Highway Analogy

27:04 Skipped Workouts, Bad Workouts & the Rule of Thirds

38:08 Bandwidth Management

46:54 Mailbag

Become a BPN member FOR FREE - Unlock 25% off FOR LIFE ⁠

⁠https://www.bareperformancenutrition.com/collections/performance-nutrition⁠

Bat City Track Club is an emerging national class and regionally elite team with a primary focus on distances 5,000m to the marathon.

⁠https://www.batcitytc.com/⁠

FOLLOW:

IG: @theconsistentlygoodpodcast

YT: @theconsistentlygoodpodcast

JEFF CUNNINGHAM:

IG: @jdcunningham97

BAT CITY: @batcitytrackclub

This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be considered legal [health or profession] advice. Bare Performance Nutrition (BPN) is not responsible for any losses, damages, or liabilities that may arise from the use of this podcast. This podcast is not intended to replace professional medical advice.

Coach is walking you through his complete race weekend blueprint which starts 48 hours out and going all the way through post-race recovery. 

Diet, pacing discipline, the danger zone at miles 13–17, fueling strategy, race morning prep, and why the plan you made calmly before race week is still your best plan at the starting line.

CHAPTERS:

0:00 Racing Is an Investment

4:12 48 Hours Out

7:13 Carb Loading Is Real

9:24 It's a Business Trip, Not a Vacation

11:38 Pack Smart: Weather, Logistics & Throwaway Clothes

13:43 Have a Plan. Know It. Trust It.

17:25 Race Morning

24:22 At the Start Line

26:57 Miles 0–13: Restraint, Fueling & Neurological Calm

35:54 Miles 13–17: The Danger Zone

38:28 Miles 17–21

40:30 Miles 21–Finish

42:38 Post-Race: Celebrate, Refuel & Rest

Become a BPN member FOR FREE - Unlock 25% off FOR LIFE ⁠

⁠https://www.bareperformancenutrition.com/collections/performance-nutrition⁠

Bat City Track Club is an emerging national class and regionally elite team with a primary focus on distances 5,000m to the marathon.

⁠https://www.batcitytc.com/⁠

FOLLOW:

IG: @theconsistentlygoodpodcast

YT: @theconsistentlygoodpodcast

JEFF CUNNINGHAM:

IG: @jdcunningham97

BAT CITY: @batcitytrackclub

This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be considered legal [health or profession] advice. Bare Performance Nutrition (BPN) is not responsible for any losses, damages, or liabilities that may arise from the use of this podcast. This podcast is not intended to replace professional medical advice.

Mailbag goes deep this week answering as many of your questions as possible in a reasonable time. Just call it another chapter in our seasonal Q&A episode! We're talking mileage sweet spots, post-marathon recovery timelines, race day anxiety, carbon plate strategy, Boston qualifying buffers, fueling ratios, and why most runners aren't overtraining at all.

This one is technically for everyone even if your question wasn't answered. Just go ahead and drop it in the comments so coach can see it (We'll remind him to check, but he's pretty good).

Become a BPN member FOR FREE - Unlock 25% off FOR LIFE ⁠
⁠https://www.bareperformancenutrition.com/collections/performance-nutrition⁠

Bat City Track Club is an emerging national class and regionally elite team with a primary focus on distances 5,000m to the marathon.
⁠https://www.batcitytc.com/⁠

FOLLOW:
IG: @theconsistentlygoodpodcast
YT: @theconsistentlygoodpodcast

JEFF CUNNINGHAM:
IG: @jdcunningham97
BAT CITY: @batcitytrackclub

This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be considered legal [health or profession] advice. Bare Performance Nutrition (BPN) is not responsible for any losses, damages, or liabilities that may arise from the use of this podcast. This podcast is not intended to replace professional medical advice.

Jeff is covering the real science behind heat training vs. altitude training from EPO production and red blood cell growth to plasma volume and stroke volume. Now, that's a lot of science, but he makes it very approachable. That's a promise.

Plus, he walks through the carbohydrate conundrum, sodium strategy, and why fasted heat training simply doesn't work. We know this.

Train smarter this summer, wherever the heck you are.

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Intro

01:12 Setup

07:33 Why Altitude Works

13:08 Heat Training Basics

17:41 Heat Adaptations Explained

26:05 Heat and Red Blood Cells

35:43 Fueling in the Heat

40:23 Heat Prep Mindset

42:30 Preload Calories Overnight

46:09 Hourly Sodium Targets

50:13 Small Bites Fueling

52:09 Race Day Salt Tactics

56:41 Heat Training Takeaways

01:04:20 Mailbag

Become a BPN member FOR FREE - Unlock 25% off FOR LIFE ⁠

⁠https://www.bareperformancenutrition.com/collections/performance-nutrition⁠

Bat City Track Club is an emerging national class and regionally elite team with a primary focus on distances 5,000m to the marathon.

⁠https://www.batcitytc.com/⁠

FOLLOW:

IG: @theconsistentlygoodpodcast

YT: @theconsistentlygoodpodcast

JEFF CUNNINGHAM:

IG: @jdcunningham97

BAT CITY: @batcitytrackclub

This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be considered legal [health or profession] advice. Bare Performance Nutrition (BPN) is not responsible for any losses, damages, or liabilities that may arise from the use of this podcast. This podcast is not intended to replace professional medical advice.

In this episode, I break down what to do before your fall marathon block begins. We talk summer mileage, running economy, heat training, 5Ks, hill circuits, fartlek workouts, strength training, nutrition, and how to stay fit without showing up to marathon training already cooked, crispy, and emotionally unavailable.

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Intro

03:06 The Consistently Good Paradox

05:21 Why Fitness Disappears Faster Than You Think

07:49 Periodization For Summer Training

09:21 Lower Volume, Lower Stress, Better Timing

12:23 Improve Your Running Economy

15:21 Speed Work, Hill Reps, And Fartlek Training

21:41 How Much Mileage Should You Run?

25:05 Why Strength Training Matters Now

27:33 Heat Training Is A Gift

32:59 Mailbag

Become a BPN member FOR FREE - Unlock 25% off FOR LIFE ⁠

⁠https://www.bareperformancenutrition.com/collections/performance-nutrition⁠

Bat City Track Club is an emerging national class and regionally elite team with a primary focus on distances 5,000m to the marathon.

⁠https://www.batcitytc.com/⁠

FOLLOW:

IG: @theconsistentlygoodpodcast

YT: @theconsistentlygoodpodcast

JEFF CUNNINGHAM:

IG: @jdcunningham97

BAT CITY: @batcitytrackclub

This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be considered legal [health or profession] advice. Bare Performance Nutrition (BPN) is not responsible for any losses, damages, or liabilities that may arise from the use of this podcast. This podcast is not intended to replace professional medical advice.

Jeff Cunningham kicks off Season 3 with the chase every marathoner knows. Breaking three hours.

However, the goal here is to accomplish this uncommon feat without losing your mind, your legs, or your family’s respect. Too much?

He breaks down the benchmarks, mileage, workouts, long runs, fueling, taper, and race-day decisions that make sub-3 elite but possible. Simple? Not exactly. Doable? With consistency, patience, and fewer heroic mistakes, we say yes. More people can do it than they think!

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Season 3 Starts Now

01:00 The Sub-3 Marathon Standard

02:25 How Rare Is Sub-3 Really?

04:44 Raising Your Marathon Ceiling

07:52 Do You Have the Wheels?

09:45 The D.I.V.N Training Framework

12:55 Building the Weekly Mileage

16:39 Long Runs That Actually Matter

20:24 Density, Easy Days, and Not Being a Hero

24:52 Setting Up the Hard Work

31:53 Three Track Workouts That Build the Engine

41:55 Tempo Work That Transfers

50:40 Long Run Workouts for Sub-3

57:29 How to Taper Without Panicking

01:03:57 Picking a Race That Helps You

Become a BPN member FOR FREE - Unlock 25% off FOR LIFE ⁠

⁠https://www.bareperformancenutrition.com/collections/performance-nutrition⁠

Bat City Track Club is an emerging national class and regionally elite team with a primary focus on distances 5,000m to the marathon.

⁠https://www.batcitytc.com/⁠

FOLLOW:

IG: @theconsistentlygoodpodcast

YT: @theconsistentlygoodpodcast

JEFF CUNNINGHAM:

IG: @jdcunningham97

BAT CITY: @batcitytrackclub

This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be considered legal [health or profession] advice. Bare Performance Nutrition (BPN) is not responsible for any losses, damages, or liabilities that may arise from the use of this podcast. This podcast is not intended to replace professional medical advice.

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