Running Rogue

The temperatures hit triple digits in Texas this weekend, but the entire country is heating up as the summer solstice approaches. In this episode, Chris and Steve talk about how to stay motivated in the summer and how you might modify your training to get the benefits you need from training through the tough temps. In addition, we shamelessly plug our upcoming Fast Camp - a weekend in Austin to help you find a breakthrough as a runner. To sign up for the discounted rate mentioned on the podcast, click on this link: https://roguerunningsquarespace.memberspace.com/member/plans/367e7fff6a  Plus, we thank you for helping us land on this list of top podcasts for runners: http://running.competitor.com/2017/06/training/5-podcasts-every-runner-listening_165010 Steve and I are having too much fun recording for you all, and we really appreciate all of the feedback and love.

In episode #26, we interview Coach Mike Barnett, the head cross-country (XC) and track coach at Luling High School outside of Austin. His teams have won a state-record seven straight XC titles because of his philosophy on pursuing excellence. We talk training principles, teamwork, motivation, and what it means to pursue excellence. You might be surprised by what you learn from this experienced high school coach.

We start with a thorough recap of the Prefontaine Classic and then continue our series on Mental Training with this episode on Personal Power. This is for running and for life... listen in as we give you 4 steps to harnessing your personal power and learning to use it by living in the present. This might be a little "woo woo" for some of you, but we promise that the core principles will be life changing if you give it a try.

Killian Jornet did what?!? We start there and then cover much needed territory on the recently-leaked USADA report on Alberto Salazar and the Oregon Project. Find out if Steve is willing to eat crow on his Salazar love from recent episodes. Then, for the main part of the discussion, Steve and Chris continue their two-part series on the coach-athlete relationship by answering Steve's loaded question from part 1: "What's it going to take?" They finish the discussion with summary tips on improving your relationship with your coach.

We begin this episode with a short interview of episode #2 guest Allison Macsas, getting a firsthand recap of her big 2nd place finish at the Vancouver Marathon. Then, we talk highlights from NCAA track and field conference weekend and tell you what to expect for the upcoming NCAA regionals. For the main part of the discussion, Steve and Chris begin a two-part series on the coach-athlete relationship featuring a real coach-athlete conversation between Steve (as coach) and Chris (as athlete). In part 1, Chris reveals his purpose for running and his big hairy audacious goal (BHAG), while Steve challenges him a little bit on what's most important. 

Former Rogue coach and store manager, John Schrup is an idiot savant for all things running. Steve and Chris grabbed coffee and beer with him to cover a host of topics from the state of US and international marathoning to training principles and ultimately running footwear. John knows a lot about a lot of things in the running world, and we know you will be entertained with his perspectives. Part 2 of 2.

Former Rogue coach and store manager, John Schrup is an idiot savant for all things running. Steve and Chris grabbed coffee and beer with him to cover a host of topics from the state of US and international marathoning to training principles and ultimately running footwear. John knows a lot about a lot of things in the running world, and we know you will be entertained with his perspectives. Part 1 of 2. 

With episode #20, we continue our series on mental training, discussing additional mental tools that you can add to your tool kit to prep for workouts or races. In this episode, we cover problem solving, resilience training, and an exercise to help you overcome limits. Check-out episodes #6, 11, 13, and 18 for prior episodes in the series. In the opener, we talk about local race results from the Capitol 10K and sound off on the new, all women's world record for the marathon from London last weekend. Are Steve and Chris believers?!?

In this episode, we mix it up and give you a full breakdown of Boston Marathon results including a recap on how we fared with our pre-race predictions. Some highlights: We call bulls**t on one big part of the results We discuss Des Linden and what it will take to get her first victory We give props to Jordan Hasay and talk about why her future is so bright, and more... In addition, we give you a review of the new documentary on Boston: Boston, An American Running Story and tell you why it's a must-see.   

In this episode, we start with Chris sounding off on doping in running, discussing recent medal upgrades for Shalane Flanagan and Kara Goucher. We also tell you why you shouldn't let it make you a cynic. Then, we continue our series on mental training and begin discussing the mental tools (or weapons) you can put to use to become a stronger runner. Self talk and visualization are two of those weapons. Learn what they are and how to put them to work in your favor.

Continuing this episode to celebrate the Boston Marathon coming on Monday, we start with the Duel in the Sun and then tell stories about the current American running heroes - Kara Goucher, Desiree Linden, Ryan Hall, and of course, Meb. Also check out, Episode #17 (Part A) for more Boston history.   

We are releasing two parts to Episode #17 this week, one today and one Thursday. In them, we share 9 inspiring stories from the Boston Marathon through the years. For Part A, hear the stories of John A. Kelley (Runner's World Runner of the Century), Roberta Gibb, Katherine Switzer, Joan Benoit Samuelson and Boston Bill Rodgers. Also, check out Episode #14 where we break down the Boston Marathon course and discuss pace strategy for it. 

Men AND women... this episode is for you! Guys need to better appreciate and sympathize with their female training partners, and the ladies might want help managing the unique realities that running as a woman can bring. In this installment of Running Rogue we talk about a range of topics from periods to pregnancy to running safety with special guests and all-around badasses Mallory Brooks and Jen Harney. Mallory is a mom, the Rogue trail coach, founder of Spectrum Trail Racing, and a personal trainer at Pure Austin. Jen is a mom of 2 boys, the training director for Rogue Cedar Park, coach for TeamRogue in Cedar Park, and has coached all levels of runners from middle school to masters.  As intro-bonus content, we recap race #1 of the Rogue Trail Series as well as talk about the greatest footrace on the planet - the World Cross Country Championships. This YouTube clip of the race is a must-watch to fully understand the race: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZRIYlptiLY.      

This is the 4th and final episode of our series on training principles (also check-out episodes 1, 7, and 10). In this episode, we discuss in detail our final 2 training principles, explaining the importance of peaking and training with a coach/group. Running is only a solo sport if you let it be. For the blog we reference, click here.  As the intro, we begin with a tribute to the late, great Mr. Ed Whitlock, who left us too soon a few weeks ago at the age of 86. We then unpack the results of the NYC Half Marathon and tell you why you need to know the names Emily Sisson and Noah Droddy.       

The Boston Marathon is the oldest continuously-held marathon in the world, but it's only the second oldest continuously-held road race in North America. Do you know which one is the oldest, or did you know that Boston hasn't always been held on a Monday? In this episode, we discuss fun facts on Boston Marathon history, provide some way-too-early race predictions for this year, and then spend the majority of the episode discussing Boston Marathon course strategy. Whether you are running Boston this year or dream of running it some day, this episode is for you.

This week, Steve and Chris open with commentary on the latest news from Nike's Breaking2 project. Nike announced the location of the sub 2 hour marathon attempt as well as details on the shoe and gear that will "assist" the athletes along the way. For more details, check out the Runner's World article here.  Then, we continue our series on mental training with this 3rd episode in the series (also check out episodes 6 and 11). In this episode, Steve and Chris talk about visioning and goal setting for your running. You might think it's cheesy, but we promise creating a vision board will change how you approach your training and place you on a path to achieve big goals!  

Unfortunately, you can't improve your running form by thinking about it or just going to a running form clinic. In this episode, Dr. Davis from RunLab joins us again to talk about running form. We start with the top 5 myths on running form (including a discussion on the Pose Method), then discuss common running form challenges, and finish with 5 ways to improve your running form. It takes work, but the work we discuss will make you a more efficient runner based on how your individual body moves through space.  In this episode, we intro the podcast discussing this video of two 90+ year old men going at it in the 60m dash:  http://www.runnersworld.com/general-interest/99-year-old-upsets-92-year-old-in-thrilling-sprint And, you learn a little bit about adventure racing in central Texas. Are you ready for a 6+ hour race?!?  

This episode starts with a recap of a brutally tough day at the Austin Marathon and Half Marathon.  Then, Steve and Chris continue their series on mental training, delving further into the first component of their mental framework - the battle plan. With this installment, they help you think about what motivates you to run and then walk you through the steps to create a statement of purpose for your running. If you can't answer the fundamental question - "why do you run?" - then it will be difficult to set big goals and achieve them down the road.   

With episode #10, Chris and Steve continue their series on training principles. In episode #1, they laid out Rogue's five core training principles. In episode #7, they talked about the first training principle in detail - Miles Matter. In this episode, they cover the 2nd and 3rd principles, discussing the importance of effort-based training and how every day has a purpose. As Steve eloquently states: "If you don't follow the purpose of the day, then you might as well stay home in bed." As bonus content up-front, they discuss the upcoming retirement of Usain Bolt and where he fits in the list of all-time great track athletes. As a part of this discussion, Chris shares his personal story of watching Bolt break the world record at the Olympics in Beijing.

In this episode, we catch up with former Rogue coach and Rogue Athletic Club member Scott MacPherson. Scott, affectionately known as Scotty Mac, is an elite marathoner who has endured many trials and triumphs during his career. He recently had a breakthrough race with a 2:14 personal best at CIM, but any marathoner can relate to his struggles. Listen in to hear about his journey from Texas High School State Champ to pro runner just trying to compete with the best of the best. As the opener, Steve, Chris and Scotty also talk about Nitro Athletics, a new track meet format headlined by Usain Bolt, attempting to create more excitement in our sport. Here is a clip of one of the events with a unique format the "Elimination Mile:" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hn8hZJ_Jqaw.