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, and working with Alec, who is very knowledgeable about strength training, is a great opportunity for me to learn how to integrate marathon training and serious strength work.
Check out the video below!
We had an excellent chat about marathon training, strength work, mindset, my thoughts on current trends in training, and my opinion on the greatest marathon ever run.
If you enjoyed this conversation and want to follow Alec’s training, be sure to follow him on Instagram, like the video, and subscribe to Alec’s YouTube channel. These are super easy and helpful ways to show content creators that you appreciate their work!
Learn more about marathon training
If you want to apply a more scientific approach to your own training, I have two books that outline exactly how to do it. The most recent is Marathon Excellence for Everyone, which takes a full-spectrum percentage-based approach to running your best in the marathon.
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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
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
I just recorded an awesome podcast on marathon training with Dane Verwey on his excellent Run Culture Podcast. I was really looking forward to going on this show because Dane was one of the beta testers who tried out the Marathon Excellence training plans before the book came out! Dane ran 2:24 at the Ballarat ... Read more
I just went on this week’s episode of The Planted Runner Podcast with Claire Bartholic to chat about how you can apply the principles of modern marathon training, even if you’re not an elite runner. We also talk about some of the most useful findings from scientific research in the last few years, and how ... Read more
Regular readers will know that I’m a big believer in the importance of physiological resilience for the marathon—the ability to resist the decline in your effective fitness level as a race continues. This week I was thrilled to return to Jason Fitzgerald’s Strength Running Podcast to do a deep dive into physiological resilience. In the ... 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!
1 thought on “Chatting marathon training, strength work, and mindset with Alec Blenis”
This was a great video, the discussion about mindset really helped set me up for the last few weeks of marathon training, I was really able to trust in my abilities and ran a 3:12 debut (only a single vdot lower than my mile time trial in February predicted!) at Eugene this past weekend with the 12 week Wind plan. Thank you for putting out so much quality content.
This was a great video, the discussion about mindset really helped set me up for the last few weeks of marathon training, I was really able to trust in my abilities and ran a 3:12 debut (only a single vdot lower than my mile time trial in February predicted!) at Eugene this past weekend with the 12 week Wind plan. Thank you for putting out so much quality content.