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In this episode of the Run Smarter Podcast, Brodie dives into the latest running research released over the past month. As always, the goal is to cut through the myths and confusion to bring you evidence-based strategies to improve your performance, prevent injury, and run smarter.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode 🏃‍♂️📚

1. Cadence & Injury Prevention
   • A new systematic review on how running cadence influences biomechanics and injury risk.
   • Why a 5–10% increase in cadence can reduce knee impact forces by ~20%.
   • How cadence changes affect running economy, injury risk, and sustainability over time.
2. Training Volume & Marathon Performance
   • Insights from the 2022 Boston Marathon survey.
   • Why higher yearly training volume and more quality sessions (speed work) are linked to faster race times.
   • How slightly reducing training frequency/volume in the 4 months before race day may improve results.
3. HIIT Frequency for Recreational Runners
   • A six-week study comparing 1, 2, or 3 weekly HIIT sessions.
   • Why two HIIT sessions per week seems to strike the best balance between adaptation, recovery, and adherence.
   • The surprising improvements seen even with just one session per week.
4. Plantar Plate Injuries
   • A narrative review on diagnosing this under-recognized but common source of forefoot pain.
   • Key clinical tests (like the drawer test and toe purchase test) and why MRI remains the gold standard.
   • How to distinguish plantar plate injuries from similar conditions such as Morton’s neuroma or stress fractures.

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On this Q&A episode of the Run Smarter Podcast, Brodie tackles a range of listener-submitted running questions—covering everything from calf pain management to the best time to reintroduce speed work during tendon rehab. Drawing from both research and clinical experience, he provides practical, evidence-based strategies you can apply directly to your training.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Calf Pain & Cadence Adjustments – Why increasing step rate can help, and what other factors (like load, recovery, and footwear) you need to balance for lasting relief.
• Tendinopathy Rehab – Should you introduce speed workouts or back-to-back run days first? Brodie outlines safe progression strategies to avoid setbacks.
• Strength Training for Runners – The four cornerstone exercises every runner should be doing, including recommended rep ranges and frequency for performance and injury prevention.
• Post-Marathon Motivation – What to do after the high of race day wears off, how to reflect on your performance, and strategies to find your “next thing.”

Key Takeaways

• Running injuries often come down to load vs. recovery balance. Tweaking cadence, training intensity, or footwear can shift stress away from vulnerable tissues.
• In tendon rehab, symptom tolerance and gradual progressions are key—starting with strides before intervals.
• When it comes to strength training, lifting heavy (safely) has the greatest impact on running performance.
• After a big event like a marathon, self-reflection on what you loved (and what you didn’t) is the best guide to your next goal.

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In this episode, Brodie Sharpe sits down with Sara to share her inspiring journey of overcoming Proximal Hamstring Tendinopathy (PHT) after struggling with it for several years. Sara's story is filled with ups and downs, from navigating misdiagnoses and passive treatments to discovering the power of strength training and the mind-body connection. Whether you’re currently battling PHT or looking for guidance on chronic pain, this episode offers valuable insights and hope.

Episode Highlights:

• 00:00 – Introduction to today’s episode and Sara’s success story
• 00:33 – Background on Sara’s PHT journey and how it developed over the years
• 01:07 – Sara shares the onset of her symptoms dating back to 2009
• 02:34 – The chronic resurgence in 2017 and the role of life transitions
• 03:54 – Seeking treatment: from passive treatments to sports medicine
• 05:49 – Ineffective treatments: PRP, dry needling, and acupuncture
• 06:48 – Diagnosis of PHT and later gluteal tendinopathy
• 08:15 – Attempting different procedures: Tenex, injections, and shockwave therapy
• 09:43 – The mental and emotional toll of chronic pain
• 10:41 – Finding Brodie’s podcast and beginning strength training
• 12:18 – The importance of slow, heavy progressive strength training in recovery
• 14:13 – Balancing treatment approaches and avoiding unnecessary interventions
• 16:29 – Returning to running: overcoming fear and rebuilding confidence
• 19:22 – A pivotal moment: discovering ‘Think Away Your Pain’ and the mind-body connection
• 24:27 – The impact of personality traits on chronic pain and recovery
• 27:53 – How stress and responsibility play a role in pain persistence
• 31:36 – Understanding the emotional component of pain and its management
• 34:27 – Key strategies for overcoming hypervigilance and overanalysis
• 37:45 – How to shift treatment strategies when progress plateaus
• 41:02 – Sara’s current status: running again and symptom management
• 42:51 – Final advice for PHT sufferers and key takeaways

Key Takeaways: 
✔ Passive treatments like PRP, dry needling, and injections may not provide long-term relief for PHT. 
✔ Strength training, specifically slow, heavy progressive loading, is a crucial foundation for recovery. 
✔ Addressing the mind-body connection can be a game-changer in managing chronic pain. 
✔ Hypervigilance and fear of movement can perpetuate pain—learning to reframe these thoughts is essential. 
✔ Recovery is a journey—adjusting your approach when progress stalls is key to success. 
✔ Stress and personality traits (perfectionism, responsibility, self-criticism) can influence chronic pain.

Resources Mentioned:

• Sara's email: [email protected]
• Think Away Your Pain – David Schechter
• Healing Back Pain – Dr. John Sarno
• Emily's TMS Instagram
• Dan’s YouTube Channel: Pain Free You

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O₂ max is often thrown around as the holy grail of endurance performance—but how much does it really matter, and how can you train it effectively? In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Will O’Connor, exercise physiologist, endurance coach, and experienced researcher, to break down the science, myths, and practical strategies behind VO₂ max.

We cover what VO₂ max actually measures, whether your Garmin or Coros watch is giving you reliable readings, and the key workouts proven to raise your aerobic ceiling. Will also shares valuable insights into how long it takes to lose fitness when you’re sidelined with injury, and why efficiency and running economy might matter more than the raw VO₂ number.

If you’ve ever worried about your fitness dropping during time off, or if you’re curious about how to truly get faster by training smarter, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• What VO₂ max really represents and how it’s measured in a lab
• Why running economy and fractional utilization matter more than a single number
• How accurate VO₂ max data is from wearables like Garmin
• Proven interval sessions to raise your aerobic ceiling
• The difference between short, sharp efforts vs. 4-minute intervals (and when to use each)
• How quickly fitness declines during injury or downtime
• The importance of deciding: are you training or are you rehabbing?
• Why performance—not your watch’s algorithm—is the true indicator of progress

Guest Bio – Dr. Will O’Connor
Will holds a PhD in Sport & Exercise Science, specializing in performance metabolism and physiology. With hundreds of VO₂ max tests under his belt, published research, and years of coaching endurance athletes, he brings a unique balance of scientific rigor and practical know-how. He also runs the Performance Advantage Podcast and creates evidence-based training content on his YouTube channel, helping runners and triathletes worldwide optimize performance.

Resources & Links

• Connect with Will on YouTube: Dr. Will O’Connor
• Visit his website: drwilloconnor.com

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In this episode, Brodie chats with Dr. Phil Hayes — senior lecturer at Northumbria University, sports scientist, and highly experienced running coach — about his role as co-editor of The Science and Practice of Middle and Long-Distance Running. Phil’s academic expertise in exercise physiology and decades of coaching experience give him a unique perspective on bridging cutting-edge research with practical training wisdom.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Behind the Book: How the project came about, Phil’s collaboration with Rich Blagrove, and why they felt a science-based resource for runners was missing from the market.
• Physiology Insights: The limitations of purely metabolic models of performance and why neuromuscular factors and fatigue resistance are vital for understanding endurance.
• Critical Speed Testing: How to use field-based protocols to estimate your maximum sustainable speed, set training zones, and guide performance predictions without a lab test.
• Training Load Monitoring: Why mileage alone can be misleading, and how tools like session RPE, TRIMP scores, and workload ratios help prevent injury and manage progression.
• Consistency Over Intensity: Why avoiding training spikes and maintaining a sustainable workload is key to long-term performance gains.
• Strength & Conditioning: How targeted, year-round S&C work prevents injury, improves resilience, and supports running efficiency.
• Structured Programming: Building both macro- and micro-level training structure to balance hard and easy sessions, and why logging your training is crucial.
• Race Preparation: Adopting a “own the start line” mindset, using checklists, and practicing tapers before key events to refine your approach.
• Tapering Principles: Reducing volume while maintaining intensity in the final weeks before a race, and why individual experimentation is essential.
• Fundamentals First: How focusing on the basics—training structure, S&C, recovery, and balanced intensity—outperforms chasing “magic workouts.”

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In this month’s research breakdown, Brodie dives into four fascinating studies every runner should know about. From bone health and marathon pacing to hamstring flexibility and recovery tools, these findings reveal how science can help you train smarter and avoid common pitfalls.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Bone Health in Distance Runners
  Why running alone isn’t always enough for strong bones, and the crucial roles of nutrition, vitamin D, strength training, and recovery. Learn the red flags—like stress fractures and missed periods—that signal compromised bone health.
• The Science of Negative Splits in Marathons
  How running the second half faster than the first can preserve glycogen, improve thermoregulation, reduce cardiac drift, and even protect your biomechanics. Plus, practical training strategies to master pacing discipline.
• Hamstring Flexibility & Performance
  A small but insightful study shows how hamstring tightness may reduce quadriceps strength—but doesn’t necessarily affect speed or endurance. What this means for your strength balance, mobility work, and injury prevention.
• Foam Rolling vs Massage Guns for DOMS
  Which recovery tool actually works? Foam rolling improved muscle tone, elasticity, and stiffness faster than rest, but neither reduced soreness compared to doing nothing. Find out what this means for your post-run recovery routine.

Key Takeaways for Runners:

• Fuel properly—low energy availability harms bone health.
• Strength training twice a week boosts bone density and performance.
• A slight negative split is often the optimal marathon pacing strategy.
• Hamstring flexibility supports strength balance but doesn’t guarantee speed gains.
• Foam rolling may help restore function, but don’t expect it to erase soreness.

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In this powerful conversation, Brodie Sharpe sits down with physical therapist, running coach, and lifelong runner Steph Mundt to explore her remarkable journey from repeated bone stress injuries and dangerously low bone density to becoming a stronger, healthier, and faster runner.

Steph opens up about her history with disordered eating, how Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) impacted her bone health, and the wake-up call that led her to overhaul her training and fueling strategies. She shares exactly what worked — from nutrition changes to targeted strength training and plyometrics — and why bone health should be on every runner’s radar, not just those who have experienced stress fractures.

Whether you’re looking to prevent injury, improve performance, or run for decades to come, this episode delivers science-backed strategies and inspiring lessons for all runners.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Steph’s early running journey and how a desire for speed led to under-fueling and multiple stress fractures
• The truth about RED-S and its impact on hormones, recovery, and bone density
• Why running alone is a poor bone-building stimulus (and what to do instead)
• The specific strength training and plyometric exercises Steph used to rebuild her bone density
• How often to train, and why timing matters for bone adaptation
• Fueling strategies and key nutrients for strong bones
• Why all runners — even those without bone health issues — should focus on building and maintaining bone strength
• The mindset shift from chasing short-term PRs to prioritizing longevity and consistency in training

Links & Resources

• Follow Steph on Instagram: @stephmundt.dpt
• Steph’s Coaching & PT Services: Volante PT & Performance

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🧠 Episode Summary

In this episode, Brodie dives into a newly published paper titled “Female Tendons are from Venus and Male Tendons are from Mars: But Does it Matter for Tendon Health?” by Gerard McMahon and Jill Cook. The paper explores how male and female tendons differ in structure, adaptation, healing, and injury risk—and what it means for those dealing with tendinopathy.

🔍 What You’ll Learn

• Key structural differences between male and female tendons (size, stiffness, collagen synthesis)
• Why female tendons may stretch more but adapt less to training
• How men and women respond differently to tendon rehab protocols
• Surprising findings about pain, healing, and tendon blood flow
• Whether injury prevention or rehab should differ based on sex

📌 Key Takeaways

• Female tendons are more compliant, have lower stiffness, and show slower collagen production—even at rest.
• Male tendons respond more favorably to traditional rehab (like eccentric loading), often reporting greater pain reduction and functional improvements.
• Despite men experiencing more frequent tendon injuries in some data, women may be closer to their strain “danger zone” during exercise, possibly increasing injury risk.
• Women may need longer rehab timelines, heavier resistance training (beyond just eccentrics), and closer attention to recovery, nutrition, and hormonal cycles.
• Men should be cautious about overloading tendons due to higher force-generating capacity and should still progress gradually.

💡 For Runners With Tendinopathy

• Don’t compare your progress to someone of the opposite sex—recovery is sex-specific.
• Trust the process: healing may be happening at a microscopic level even if pain relief is slow.
• Tailor your rehab by considering not just gender, but also age, training history, injury severity, and more.

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To celebrate 400 episodes of the Run Smarter Podcast, Brodie brings on his sister Zoe for a heartfelt and relatable conversation about one of the most transformative shifts in her running journey: learning to truly slow down.

After years of red-lining every session, feeling fatigued, and struggling with motivation, Zoe had a revelation that changed everything. In this episode, she shares what triggered this shift, how removing the pressure of apps like Strava helped, and what it actually feels like to run slow enough to enjoy the process and stay consistent.

💡 Key Takeaways:

• Slowing Down Can Speed You Up: Running slower than you think you “should” may be the key to unlocking consistency and long-term improvement.
• Strava & Social Pressures: Public tracking apps can subconsciously push you into unsustainable efforts. Zoe ditched Strava and focused on how running felt rather than how it looked.
• Enjoyment Fuels Consistency: For the first time, running became enjoyable — not a chore. Zoe looked forward to her runs instead of dreading them.
• Signs You’re Running Too Hard:
  • You constantly red-line
  • You struggle to breathe or feel exhausted post-run
  • You feel unmotivated to start your runs
• Tips for Running Slow Enough:
  • Try “embarrassingly slow” pace for recovery runs
  • Sing a line of a song as a breathing test
  • Focus on how your legs and breath feel, not your watch
  • Finish feeling like you could do it again
• The 80/20 Rule: About 80% of your weekly mileage should be at low intensity — slow enough to hold a conversation or feel relaxed throughout

🧠 Reflection Prompts:

• Are you genuinely running slow enough on your easy days?
• Do apps or social comparison affect your running intensity?
• Would removing pressure improve your enjoyment and consistency?

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Struggling with running during illness, lingering muscle pain, or training for a faster marathon? In this special Ask Me Anything episode, Brodie dives into listener-submitted questions to cover a range of critical topics—from when to return to training after a cold, to how long injuries actually take to heal, to strategies for a faster marathon.

🎧 What You'll Learn:

🔹 Running After Illness:

• How to know when you're ready to return to training after a cold, flu, or COVID.
• The role of heart rate variability in gauging recovery.
• Brodie's personal recovery experience from COVID and his return-to-run strategy.
• Practical illness recovery tips: breathwork, hydration, supplements, and more.

🔹 When Rest Isn’t Enough for Muscle Healing:

• Why complete rest often delays recovery.
• How early rehab exercises support healing and reduce dysfunction.
• The “pain-rest-weakness” spiral and how to avoid it.
• Step-by-step progressions for hamstring rehab.

🔹 Injury Recovery Timeframes:

• Why Brodie avoids giving specific timelines for recovery.
• The importance of physical benchmarks over time-based goals.
• Key recovery factors: daily load, psychological mindset, treatment methods, and training mistakes.

🔹 Is Chronic Injury Harder to Heal?

• The impact of long-term pain on your nervous system and mindset.
• Why recovery is still possible—even after years of dealing with injury.

🔹 Marathon Performance Boosters (Beyond Mileage):

1. Strength training (and how heavy you really need to lift)
2. Pacing strategy (even or negative splits for optimal results)
3. Fueling & hydration (don’t wait until race day to figure it out)
4. Recovery strategy (why sleep is your best performance tool)
5. Footwear (how super shoes like Vaporfly affect performance)