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Science of Running

Science of Running

Steve Magness 300 episodes Nov 10, 2026

An in-depth look at training, coaching, sport science, and anything else that relates to enhancing endurance performance.

Episodes

Track and Field Has a Story Problem
Track and Field Has a Story Problem Nov 10, 2026 1:01:14 Track and field has incredible athletes, record-breaking performances, and millions of participants. So why is it so hard to follow? Steve and Jon unpack running’s story problem: scattered championships, hidden results, conflicting incentives, training content replacing competition, and a sport that too often makes fans do all the work. They argue for more rivalries, history,…
The Good-Enough Approach to Double Threshold
The Good-Enough Approach to Double Threshold Nov 3, 2026 1:01:29 The Norwegian method has become running’s latest formula. But its value isn’t in blindly copying double-threshold sessions or chasing perfect lactate numbers. Steve and Jon unpack the principle beneath the method: control the effort, create a signal the athlete can absorb, and repeat it long enough to adapt. A conversation about RPE, survivorship bias, individualized…
The Time-Starved Athlete: How to Train When You Can’t Do Everything
The Time-Starved Athlete: How to Train When You Can’t Do Everything Oct 28, 2026 54:53 You don’t need a professional athlete’s schedule to train well. But you do need to stop pretending you can fit everything in. Steve and Jon explain how time-starved athletes can identify what matters, shift priorities across seasons, protect what keeps them in the sport, and resist shortcuts promising four years of adaptation in four weeks.…
The Workout Is Not the Point
The Workout Is Not the Point Oct 22, 2026 48:25 Training is only the input. Adaptation is the goal. Steve and Jon explore why the same workout can transform one athlete and bury another and how stress, recovery, nutrition, individual differences, and the messy reality of working with human beings determine what actually sticks. Do us a favor, fill out this coaching survey to help…
Consistency vs. Variety: The Secret to Peak Performance in Running
Consistency vs. Variety: The Secret to Peak Performance in Running Aug 31, 2026 Steve Magness and John Marcus discuss how record-level training requires consistency paired with deliberate variety, warning that repeating the exact same workouts can lead to physiological staleness and psychological burnout, while random novelty becomes a “drunkard’s walk” that’s hard to replicate. They emphasize the body’s “weird” time horizons for adaptation, arguing the coach’s eye and…
Rethinking Recovery: The Essentials of Rest and Resilience
Rethinking Recovery: The Essentials of Rest and Resilience Aug 24, 2026 55:56 Steve Magness and John Marcus rant about the “recovery industrial complex,” arguing that while recovery knowledge has improved, monetized gadgets can waste money, create psychological fragility, and give a false sense of control—especially as aging brings non-negotiable limits. They emphasize prioritizing foundational recovery: consistent good sleep (the key “canary”), adequate fueling and hydrati
Beyond Mileage: The New Rules of Summer Base Training
Beyond Mileage: The New Rules of Summer Base Training Aug 17, 2026 50:50 Steve Magness and Jonathan Marcus discuss an updated approach to summer base building that keeps aerobic mileage as the foundation but adds “spices” year-round to prepare athletes for race demands. Instead of a reductionist focus on aerobic capacity alone, they emphasize integrating neural coordination, mechanical efficiency, and structural tissue resilience to reduce injury risk and…
Patience in Performance: Delayed Gratification in Training
Patience in Performance: Delayed Gratification in Training Aug 11, 2026 58:38 Steve Magness and Jonathan Marcus discuss the art and science of delayed training effects, arguing that training adaptations are non-linear, hard to quantify, and often misunderstood as quick “return on investment.” They contrast complicated vs complex systems, noting hidden variables and individual response rates that make simple timelines unreliable. Using examples from elite runners, David&#823
Navigating the Unpredictable: Managing Athlete Injuries
Navigating the Unpredictable: Managing Athlete Injuries Aug 4, 2026 1:05:09 In this week’s episode Steve and Jon discuss injuries as an unavoidable, unpredictable part of running due to impact and eccentric loads, arguing coaching has shifted from “rest and hope” to creative training that maintains fitness without worsening injury. They outline a framework for evaluating injuries by type (bone, soft tissue, metabolic/overtraining, and “WTF” injuries),…
Unlocking Potential: The Power of Constraints in Coaching and Training
Unlocking Potential: The Power of Constraints in Coaching and Training Jun 2, 2026 45:14 The episode focuses on constraints in coaching: manipulating training and environment to drive physical and psychological adaptation by identifying and widening an athlete’s primary bottleneck. David Epstein recounts Sheila Taormina learning the Theory of Constraints in college, shifting from aerobic volume to strength/power, making the Olympic team, winning relay gold, and later competing across
Marius Bakken on the Norwegian Method: Double Threshold, Lactate Control, and Muscle Tone
Marius Bakken on the Norwegian Method: Double Threshold, Lactate Control, and Muscle Tone May 26, 2026 We host Olympian and Norwegian-method innovator Marius Bakken and talk bout the history and principles behind double-threshold training, lactate testing, and “muscle tone” as a key limiter of recovery and performance. Bakken contrasts lessons from coaches like Joe Newton, Peter Coe, and others, emphasizing long-term progression and balancing load with precision rather than uncontrolled intensity.&
Part 3: The Art and Science of Peaking
Part 3: The Art and Science of Peaking May 19, 2026 52:23 Steve Magness and John Marcus continue their peaking series by reframing peaking as maintaining fitness while eradicating fatigue so athletes can express existing fitness on race day, rather than expecting a magical performance boost. They emphasize that peaking is as psychological as physiological: coaches must set realistic expectations that racing will still feel hard, shift…

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