I was on the Run with Fitpage podcast this week to chat with Fitpage.in founder Vikas Singh about the root causes of running injuries and what runners can do to prevent them.
This was a great return to my own roots of academic research on the biomechanics of running injuries. We got to chat about my favorite explanation for running injuries—the paperclip analogy—and were also able to chat about how to interpret some of the running dynamics data that come off your smartwatch.
I really liked Vikas' ideas about your "intensity age" too: I've always tried to think about a runner's "training age," in the sense of how many years of running they've done, but Vikas pointed out that many runners today have been running for several years, but are quite new to high-intensity workouts. So, differentiating runners along this dimension can be really useful!
I have a few other podcast appearances coming up, so if you want to find out about those, be sure to sign up for my email list to find out when they come out.
I just recorded a great podcast with Victor Urquhart Smångs, a coach and 28:57 10k runner in Sweden who is in the middle of a big build-up for the Valencia Marathon. We talked about elite-level marathon training, including key workouts, periodization, and heat versus altitude training. Check out the full episode on your podcast app ... Read more
I just went on the Life in Stride Podcast to chat about all aspects of marathon training—workouts, periodization, fueling, tapering, recovery, and more! This was a super fun chat with Chris, Scotty, and Danny, and it was great to get their own perspectives on training (Chris had just done the classic 8 x (1k, 1k) ... Read more
I was just on the perfectly-named Running Book Reviews Podcast to chat with hosts Alan and Liz about my book, Marathon Excellence for Everyone. We talk about why I wrote the book, how I approach periodization for the marathon, and how to mentally approach race day, among many other topics. I really enjoyed this show ... Read more
I just posted the video from my live lecture on the science of modern marathon training! In the video, I uncover the science behind the modern approach to marathon training, including how VO2max, running economy, lactate threshold, and physiological resilience each contribute to marathon performance. Then, I explore the training methods that most effectively target ... Read more
Recently I sat down to chat about training with hybrid athlete, coach, and content creator Alec Blenis. This was a particularly interesting conversation because I am also coaching Alec on his quest to break 2:30 in the marathon while maintaining his strength and physique goals. I’m always looking to learn new things as a coach, ... Read more
I just recorded a great conversation on the Seconds Flat Podcast from Columbus Running Company where we chatted about base training for the marathon, what coaches influenced me, how to set your marathon goal pace, and the merits of single vs. double threshold, among other topics. Find the show on your favorite podcasting platform: 🎧 ... Read more
About the Author
John J. Davis, Ph.D.
I have been coaching runners and writing about training and injuries for over 12 years. I've helped complete novices, NXN-qualifying high schoolers, elite-field competitors at major marathons, and runners everywhere in between. I have a Ph.D. in Human Performance, and I do scientific research focused on the biomechanics of overuse injuries in runners. My new book on marathon training, Marathon Excellence for Everyone, is now available on Amazon!
