The mile, or its metric equivalent, the 1500m, like many races, tends to unfold in one of three ways: Sometimes it's fast from the gun; other times it goes out kind of slow and finishes at breakneck speed. More often than not, though, it starts pretty quick, settles into a steady rhythm for a good chunk of the race, and finishes in a final flurry. This workout is designed to mimic the latter scenario, breaking 600m reps into three distinct pieces so that you can practice the specific physical and mental demands of such a situation. With generous recovery and a focus on controlled execution, this session is ideal for sharpening race-readiness in the final weeks before competition—but only after a solid foundation of fitness is already in place.
This week on the podcast I sit down with my right-hand man Chris Douglas and answer reader and listener questions about dream podcast guests, training ideas I have and haven’t changed my mind about, the impact of AI on coaching, best mindset practices for training and racing, and a lot more. There’s even a good rant from me on running while sick/injured that I hope folks will appreciate and take to heart.
In this episode, bestselling author Sebastian Junger talks about his background in running as well as how it's shaped his identity and framed his perspective on writing and life. We also discussed how his relationship to running has evolved over the years, the parallels between competitive running and being in combat — "There's nothing like fear and exhaustion to wipe out your ego," he explains — how he got his start as a journalist and eventually author, the race he's spent his entire life training for, and a lot more.
The following workout comes from Jon Green, head coach of the Verde Track Club who guided Molly Seidel to a bronze medal in the marathon at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. It's essentially an enhanced version of the broken-up tempo run and one of Green's go-to sessions for all the athletes he works with. "This is a sneaky hard workout," Green told me.
In this episode Simon Freeman and Mario Fraioli discuss the importance of making time for quiet, creating space for ourselves, and slowing down in both running and in life.
The following workout from coach Chris Miltenberg is called "A Little Bit of Everything," a foundational session for milers and 10K runners alike. It starts at threshold pace and ends down around 1-mile pace. The main goal is to reinforce raising intensity throughout.
The following workout from coach Jack Mullaney is a fatigue resistance session that Alex Masai of HOKA NAZ Elite did last fall in his buildup to the Chicago Marathon, where he ran 2:08:51 to finish 9th overall in his debut at the distance. It consists of a tempo run at marathon pace, followed by some 1-mile repeats at 10K pace, followed by another tempo run at marathon pace.
In this episode of the morning shakeout podcast, Ben Rosario and Mario Fraioli talk about the return of The Marathon Project, Ben's career as an entrepreneur in the running industry, running's third "boom," and a lot more.
In any given week I run in 3-4 different types of shoes, which is a privilege I don't take for granted. Even if that's not possible for you, having at least two pairs in your rotation—one for general mileage and one for speed workouts/races—can help each shoe last you a little longer, lessen the likelihood of injuries, and optimize performance and recovery. What follows here are the different models of New Balance shoes I use for various types of runs.
