158. World Championships Analysis, How To Train For Shorter Distances, and Improving Climbing!

We brought a heaping helping of excitement to this episode to celebrate the most wonderful time of the running year! The main discussion was on the 2023 World Championships for trail and ultra-running. We break down the storylines, including an analysis of race tactics and training for WORLD CHAMPION Grayson Murphy. The courses were absolutely wild, and there are lessons for all athletes. Some of those lessons are about training and racing, and some are about not trying to cool yourself off with bottled sparkling water. Though it does sound quite refreshing!

The main training topic was on training for shorter events, and how those principles apply to optimizing potential at every distance from the mile to 100 miles. The fastest runners in the world use intensity-controlled principles even when they are racing very short distances. We zoom out from examples on the track to talk about how the same principles are at play in longer distances. Physiology is SO COOL! Except GI tract physiology. It knows what it did.

And that was just the start of the fun! Other topics: getting hyped for the Western States 100, an incredible story about coaching and love, how to improve uphill running, whether intervals should be steep, the tradeoff between aerobic and mechanical adaptations, 9 hot takes from listeners, 3 world records from the track, track super-spikes, and a listener corner about shooting your shot.

You'll never guess what a listener said about squirrels in the Hot Takes segment. We love our listeners and their weird takes!

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