As a reminder, you can watch this one on YouTube too: https://www.youtube.com/@roguerunning. In this episode, we dig into chapter 2 of Running the Rogue Way, which covers our perspective on the fundamentals of training and racing. You don't need a book to follow along but links to buy are below. James and I discuss the first 3 training fundamentals, which could be described as the 3 most important things you need to know about improving as a runner. So... this one is a must listen! a. Hardcover: https://shop.ingramspark.com/b/084?params=duRtYl7Frjuhhph8KZ7fjriq7BusNLYAk4XXhBTGYGg b. Paperback: https://shop.ingramspark.com/b/084?params=6egsNzSKdLR1IJkO1yPcuO3BaV31zmBbKBsxmwkqejS
You can watch this one on YouTube too: https://www.youtube.com/@roguerunning. We are excited about a new phase for the Running Rogue podcast with new video podcasts to be launched in 2026. The audio versions will still be posted too! James Dodds will be co-hosting with me to go through the content of our book, chapter by chapter. You won't need the book to follow along, but we highly recommend picking up a copy at the links below. In this episode, we talk about the core principles discussed last week and debate which ones are harder for people to follow and embrace. What is hardest for you?! a. Hardcover: https://shop.ingramspark.com/b/084?params=duRtYl7Frjuhhph8KZ7fjriq7BusNLYAk4XXhBTGYGg b. Paperback: https://shop.ingramspark.com/b/084?params=6egsNzSKdLR1IJkO1yPcuO3BaV31zmBbKBsxmwkqejS
It's finally here. A book that captures 21 years of Rogue, run-coaching philosophy in 450+ pages. It's everything we know about helping people do things in this sport that they never thought possible. It's about the X's and O's of running, but it's also about how to use running to unlock resilience and grit and mental fortitude that will translate to race day and then far beyond. It's for the front and back of the pack and everyone in between - truly. If you put one foot in front of the other at any "degree of fast," then this is for you. It's your blueprint to take ownership of your running and propel you to the next level. We hope you read it and then come back to specific chapters again and again. It's grounded in the absolute fundamentals, nothing flashy, and backed by science and tested on thousands of athletes over the last 21 years. It's dedicated to every single one of you who has ever trusted us with your goals, whether as a Rogue member or as a podcast listener. In the words of Coach Chris, "If running is my passion project, then this is a love letter to it for you." So much gratitude to Dr Jafar Abunasser, THE Allison Macsas Steger, & Coach James Dodds for making it a reality. Links below if you'd like to purchase a copy. a. Hardcover: https://shop.ingramspark.com/b/084?params=duRtYl7Frjuhhph8KZ7fjriq7BusNLYAk4XXhBTGYGg b. Paperback: https://shop.ingramspark.com/b/084?params=6egsNzSKdLR1IJkO1yPcuO3BaV31zmBbKBsxmwkqejS
We are getting close to fall races with many 2-8 weeks away, from Berlin to NYC. It's time to hone in on your final bits of training WITHOUT overdoing it. These tips will help you make sure your training is just right, while also getting your mind right for the big day. It's time to get your game face on!
I am back after a summer hiatus and here to share an original poem and the 20 years of inspiration behind it. The poem was inspired by listening to this podcast with David Whyte and then came together a few months later in 40-45 minutes of a single writing session. I am not necessarily a poet, but I do think these verses capture some meaningful lessons for all of us. If you listen, thank you for holding space for it. In this episode, I read the poem and then talk through the meaning behind it. The fundamental question at the heart of the poem is... "why are you running so fast?" Hopefully, it inspires you to consider that question and understand why you might be tempted to do so and then perhaps internalize that there can be another way. Enjoy!
Ok, we are 18 weeks from Berlin and 21 weeks from Chicago... it's time to start your training program! Every program should start with a priming phase (aka base building) in order to lay the foundation for what's to come. In this episode, I give you 7 things you should be thinking about to kick start your training for the fall. We talk about organizing your plan, building your volume, adding speed, having the right mentality/approach, and more... It's time to get to work!
Most runners that are new to working with me are impatient about their gains. They want everything tomorrow, and I love the new motivation and eagerness. We don't ever want to quell that, BUT we do need to instill a patient, long term view in order to help them reach their full potential. This episode is all about that. I give you six principles to ensure you are being patient enough to reach your long term potential. Staying patient with a long term view WILL make you faster in the long run. Trust me!
I start this episode with a few tips on preparing for your fall training cycle. Then, we get into the latest listener questions. I talk about building, building back, finding your edge in training, and much more. If you need some training inspiration... this is your episode!
It was an epic weekend for the Boston Marathon once again, and from it, I am still buzzing. Thus for this episode, I bring you 7 takeaways and inspirations from the weekend to carryforward to other races. From Des's final Boston to the Boston weather to the worthiness of that BQ goal, there is something in here for everyone! Enjoy!
I think we are in an era of our sport from elite to everyday runners where success is defined too narrowly. We are very time-focused at the expense of broader definitions of success, and I think that is limiting us as fans and participants and performers. In this episode, I talk about it and present 10 other ways to define success on race day. My hope is that this conversation will open up ways for you to love and enjoy our sport even more, while exposing you to more lessons and opportunities that improve performance as well.
To be or not to be... that is the question! In this case, we ask... to marathon or not to marathon in another listener conversation with Marisa from NYC. She is relatively new in her running journey, had a stress fracture training for her first marathon, and wants to know if she should wait a little while until her next one. We discuss all of that and more with her!
In this episode, I chat with listener Jennifer from Georgia who is wondering if she has the ability to get faster as someone who is usually near the back of the pack. She finished the NYC Marathon in 7 hours and recently did a half in 3:30, and now she wants more. I reassure her that she is worthy of her goals and worthy of coaching, and we give her hope that faster is still ahead of her. Jennifer's energy is bright and contagious, and she brings a great sense of humor to it all. She is an inspiration, and you will enjoy this conversation!
In this episode, Ben from Michigan joins the show to discuss his aspirations to auto-qualify for Chicago. That implies a time of 2:55 for his age group, while his current PR is 3:03 from last fall. We hear about Ben's journey to this point, and then I coach him up on taking the next step to qualify for Chicago. In addition and of course, we talk about tips for his longer term trajectory as well. As with all of these coaching conversations, there is something in here for everyone. Enjoy!
In this episode, I cover a smorgasbord of topics and listener questions that all essentially point to how you should manage your training from the 99% to the 1%'s. Along the way, I answer two listener questions about training for a road 50K and managing weekly mileage, while also giving 3 tips on prep for the Boston Marathon with 7 weeks to go. Don't get lost in the 1% if your 99% isn't on track!
Hey everyone... we are back with another listener question episode. This one covers great questions on burnout/lingering fatigue, weight/BMI, running tangents, creatine, ketones, recovery and more! Thanks for all of the great questions! You can always email questions to me at chris@roguerunning.com.
I know. I know. Some of you will think I am a social media curmudgeon for this episode, but I don't think so. I actually love what social media has done to grow and expand and educate the running community. It's actually quite amazing and powerful, and the impact in a positive way is far reaching. That said, there is some bad info out there as well as a tendency for our perception of the fundamentals to be warped by what we see there. In this episode, I give you 9 "messages" from social that I believe to be misleading, many that will prevent you from reaching your potential. Avoid the pitfalls you see there so that you can take/absorb the good without letting the "bad" influence you in an unproductive way.
In this episode, I have the privilege to talk to a listener who is 75 years old and just starting her running journey. She is 9 weeks into it and only beginning to think about the possibilities. She has a 5K on the docket in the spring but is also dreaming about a half marathon or more. How will I advise her to build and how might that look different because of her age? You might be surprised by my answers. I couldn't be more inspired by Deborah as she is proof that it's never too late to start and certainly never too late to dream big!
In this week's coaching conversation, I chat with listener Nicole. I have worked with Nicole before, and this is our first conversation in many months. You get to listen in as we discuss how she is trying to balance a new life stage with what that means for her running process and goals. We talk about dreaming big and how seasons of life can cause changing priorities, especially around starting a family. Does she have to abandon those dreams? How can she keep the fire lit while balancing everything? What does this mean for her future in the sport? And where should she start now? We talk about it all, and I really appreciate Nicole's willingness to share and be open as she wrestles with what's next.
This episode was inspired by a listener question about dealing with injury before race day. Naturally, I extrapolated it to a message about staying present in all of your training and racing. Listen in to learn how to stay present in training - day by day and within a run/workout - and stay present in racing - in planning and in race execution. Staying present is key to smashing your goals!
"A hero is somebody who voluntarily walks into the unknown." - Tom Hanks I would submit that we do that everytime we step on a start line. That quote also highlights that heroism is defined independently from the outcome, which means that we can all be heroes by stepping into the unknown of race day. We can all, also, have an heroic ripple effect on others by setting big goals, doing the work, and then putting ourselves in the scary position to achieve them. In this episode, I talk about the practical side of it. How can you relate to being a hero by examining what heroes look like? How can you then act like one to bring confidence to your next big swing at a goal? Bear with me on this one y'all... it might sound cheesy, but I believe there are some really good practical nuggets inside.
"We cannot know the mystery of the future." – Jimmy Carter Preparing for race day creates fear and anxiety in part because we cannot know what the future will bring. In those moments, I encourage athletes to focus instead on what you DO know and what you CAN control. In this episode, I give you a rundown on those controllables. With the Houston Marathon/Half Marathon as the backdrop, we talk about how to prepare both physically and mentally for everything that you will encounter pre-race and during the race to give you the best chance of hitting your goal.
In this final episode of the year, I answer questions from you! With questions from the UK, Canada, and all over the US, we cover caffeine and training, VO2Max, race planning, when to press vs. rest, osteoporsis and running, race goals, and so much more! Thanks to everyone who sent in a questions. I will be taking next week off, and episode #363 will release on January 10th. Happy New Year everyone!
How important is strength training for runners? Very important, but you have to do it the right way. It should support and supplement your running and not take away from it. In this episode, I give you 5 principles to construct your strength routine in a way that it will be additive to your running. Hint: it isn't about massive lifting sessions where you can't life your arm or move your legs the next day. It won't impress your social media, but it will lead to times that impress your Garmin!
We are back to our listener conversations, and this week we talk with Pete from Michigan. Pete has 4 kids and is about to turn 50. He is wondering if he can still get faster as he ages and wants to know how to optimize around that. He also has a goal to race Boston some day, so we dig into the big picture plans for that as well. I believe Pete still has faster days ahead, and like many of you, he just needs to do the work and believe!
In episode 357, I talked about the forest, the big picture and the long term view for your running goals. In this episode, I talk about planting the individual trees to achieve the forest of your dreams. Those individual trees are made up of a routine that is as consistent and year-round as you can possibly be. But, why and what does a successful routine look like? I break it all down for you in this one so that you can create a routine that will help you reach your max potential. How do the runs, the strength training, the recovery routines, and everything else fit together? And how do you tailor it for you?
Another listener - Maeson - joins the show to get coaching on chasing her big goal to qualify for the Boston Marathon. She has the confidence to dream big, but that confidence can often shrink on the starting line. In this conversation, we help her refine her "why" for the big goal and then discuss the tactics to get there including discussions on weekly volume, cross-training, the importance of super easy running, and the need to vary her target race distances. This episode is for anyone who might have doubts about chasing their big goal. Maeson can do this, and you can too!
This episode was inspired by many recent chats with athletes and listeners. Often, we get too focused on the minutia, on the little details, without keeping track of the big picture in training. In this episode, I give you 7 things to consider in order to keep your eyes on the forest, so you don't smash into a tree! This one will also help you keep a proper perspective in order to reach your long term potential. And please forgive the idioms and analogies... there are plenty of practical tips in this one too! Reminder: if you want to join our Crushing Boston virtual group, then email coaching@roguerunning.com.
Thank you to everyone for the warm welcome back to podcasting! It's been validating to hear the response. We are back today with a conversation with listener April from Michigan. She is a mom of 3 who is trying to break 4 hours in the marathon. She has great questions about the path forward to do that, and along the way, we start dreaming even bigger! I think many of you will relate to and can learn from April's journey, so I hope you enjoy. If you want to jump on a podcast like this with me, then email chris@roguerunning.com. If you want to join our Crushing Boston Virtual Group which starts on December 9th, then email coaching@roguerunning.com. It's good to be back!
Hey everyone... we are back after a long hiatus! I needed a break over the summer that turned into a longer break than anticipated, but I always knew I would be back. Thank you for your patience with me and thank you to everyone who asked how I was doing. In this episode, you get two parts. Part 1 is a re-introduction of me, who I am, and what I believe. Most of this you might already know, but perhaps you will hear some new facts about me. Either way, I felt it important to re-start by grounding you in who I am and what I believe as a coach. Then, we turn to a chat with Coach Cathy Casey who is launching a new virtual group to prepare people specifically for the Boston Marathon. With her, we talk specifically about preparing for the challenges of the Boston course and how to shape your training accordingly. This will certainly be useful for Boston racers, but will also be useful for anyone tackling a hilly course in the spring. Her new group will start on December 9th, and you can find more info here: https://www.roguerunning.com/virtual-group-training. If you want to be coached up on a future episode of Running Rogue, then email me - chris@roguerunning.com. If you want to get on the list for Cathy's new group then email coaching@roguerunning.com. It's good to be back!
In this one, we are going to talk about how to achieve BALANCE in your running in two different ways. a. How do you balance running and life? I give you 5 thoughts on how to find time for training while balancing work, family, and relationships. b. How do you balance finding the edge in performance with overall health? I give you 5 thoughts on how to find and test your limits without sacrificing long term health and longevity. Balance isn't easy and requires constant work, but I hope these ideas will help you get the yin and yang right for you. Thank you to Logan and Mikhael for the show ideas that sparked this episode! To redeem the offer from this episode's sponsor, use the code ROGUE for 10% off on running apparel at Janji.com.
