A new study provides a fascinating synthesis of what lab research tells us produces great runners and what the best runners in the world are doing in practice. We'll discuss the data, how you can apply it, and what questions are raised. But first we recap all the exciting Boston Marathon action!

paper referenced: https://sportsmedicine-open.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40798-022-00438-7

Friend of the Show Brad Orr joins us this week and details his training, mindset, racing, and remarkable victory at the uber tough Georgia Death Race in his first trail ultramarathon. Plus, it's Boston week! Enjoy Patriot's Day!

Zach Barker joins us for a discussion about how Maurten's revolutionary sports fuel has transformed marathon nutrition, his quest for the Olympic Trials Marathon, and the upcoming Boston Marathon. Maurten will be the official on-course nutrition at Boston this year, so Zach gives us a sneak peak at what you can expect on Patriot's Day!

For 9 miles -- from the Newton Hills to the finish line in Boston’s Back Bay -- at the 1982 Boston Marathon, Dick Beardsley and Alberto Salazar raced in near perfect concert under the searing mid-day sun. As competitors melted away behind them and the crowd roared deafeningly beside them, Beardsley and Salazar remained so tightly knit that each could feel his opponent’s gasping breath and could measure progress by the proximity of the two wiry shadows marauding the most famous streets in road racing. It was an edge-of-your-seat, back-and-forth drama rarely seen in marathoning. Ultimately, both men ran under 2 hours and 9 minutes -- a first in marathon history and a mark that only 1 American broke in 2021. The taxing heat, relentless surging, and unwillingness of either man to crack earned the 1982 Boston Marathon the well-deserved moniker: “The Duel in the Sun.” As that race’s historic 40th anniversary nears, Dick Beardsley joined us earlier this week on his 66th birthday to recreate the 26.2 mile chase for the laurel wreath. He also shared his riveting personal journey of obstacles, tragedy, redemption, and hope.

Dr. Christina Schultz stops by to share her insights on how plyometrics training can make you a faster runner. Also, we give initial impressions of the Nike Streakfly and Hoka Torrent 2, talk about Grant Fisher continuing to break records, cover results from other big recent races, and discuss Phil's recent half marathon PR.

Michigan State star Morgan Beadlescomb has been on a tear this winter. Building on his top 10 finishes at the outdoor track championships last spring, Olympic Trials in July, and at NCAA cross nationals in the fall, Morgan has torched the boards indoors over the past month. He ran 7 minutes and 43 seconds for 3000 meters at the Millrose Games followed by an NCAA-leading 3:52 mile at the Windy City Invite. That mile was the fastest first sub-4 mile in American history. Now Morgan sets his eyes on championship season. Earlier this week we spent time with Morgan talking about his electrifying recent performances, the quest for a national title, and life as a grad student with an extra year of eligibility post pandemic.

Each of us has a unique response to training. Using Phil's upcoming marathon training block as a case study, we're providing insights into how you can shape numerous variables within your running to best fit your needs. But first we give Phil an early birthday gift, discuss the lightning fast indoor track results from the past week, and share our fast food guilty pleasures.

Part 2 of our lactate threshold and tempo training episode picks up from last week and builds on the concepts and definitions we presented as the "what" of training at these intensities. Now we add the "why" and "how" so that you can better employ lactate threshold and tempo training in your pursuit of running excellence.

We open this week with a roundup of the Millrose Games, top milers, and our training week. Then, at minute 22, we begin our conversation about the seemingly confusing topic of threshold training. This discussion was so exhaustive that we had to break it into two episodes. In part one we define blood lactate, lactate threshold, tempo running, and other key terms, share the most recent research on these topics, connect these efforts with race paces and other indicators, and clarify some common misconceptions about threshold training. In part two we'll move from the what to the how and why.

Sports Dietitian Kelsey Pontius joins us this week fresh off a 2:34 performance at the Houston Marathon. Kelsey shares her PR experience and tips for fueling both your everyday training sessions and your next race. You can follow Kelsey's running and work on Instagram: @sportsdietitiankelsey or visit meteornutrition.com