Endurance Podcast Ep. 1 - Optimal Pacing with Dr. Shawn Bearden

Introducing the new PodiumRunner Endurance Podcast hosted by Ian Sharman. Sharman is a professional ultra runner and coach with over 200 marathons or ultra finishes and more than 50 wins (www.sharmanultra.com, twitter:@sharmanian). We discuss training and racing topics with leading sports scientists and how to practically apply research findings for marathoners and ultra runners.

Episode 1: Optimal Pacing with Dr. Shawn Bearden

Our first episode has a broad scope, talking about a wide range of research and training topics with Dr Shawn Bearden.

- Shawn is Professor of Physiology at Idaho State with a B.S in Sports Medicine from the University of Virginia, M.S in Exercise Science and Health Promotion from George Mason University, PhD in Exercise Physiology from Florida State, and a postdoctoral research fellowship at the Yale University School of Medicine.
- He's run his own laboratory since 2004, and been heavily involved with the research and sports performance worldwide.
- He’s also a coach and the host of the Science of Ultra Podcast where he talks with scientists, coaches, and athletes to bring valid, reliable, and actionable information to runners.
- Find out more about Shawn at www.scienceofultra.com or via social media at@scienceofultra.

This show delves into:

- Talking about high level elements of training that really make a difference and questioning common misconceptions.
- What bioenergetics is (the branch of biochemistry that focuses on how cells transform energy) and the types of research Shawn has focused on related to this and why it is important for runners.
- Optimal pacing and how that can differ from 10K and marathon to longer ultras.
- How to best use zone training; why 3 zones are enough and how environmental factors affect your heart rates.
- Why judging effort is the most important skill any runner can develop and how to hone it.
- Gaps in research related to the marathon and even bigger unknowns for longer distances, especially since pure physical fitness becomes relatively less important to success for ultras.
- Personalized medicine and how research generally doesn’t factor in differences between men and women or factors specific to older athletes.