Episode 478: The Workouts That Built Me

The US has seen countless global medals on the track in recent years, so why have we struggled to match that level of success in the Marathon?

After capturing second place at World’s Toughest Mudder in 2023, Cali has spent this entire year chasing the source of chronic pain in her back, leg, and ankle. This episode is for anyone who has ever struggled with injury, motivation, rehab, or simply anyone who enjoys the power of the human spirit!

We’re not necessarily talking about our best races, our fastest races, or the races we’re most proud of. These are the races that changed us for the better, both as runners and as coaches. 

Today’s episode is a rundown of the thirteen workouts that had the most impact on me as a runner and coach. Starting with my freshman year at Campbell University in 2005 and moving through my training years in Colorado in 2015, this is a decades worth of lessons learned via hard work.

You are either injured or you will be. There is almost no way around it. But that doesn’t mean training has to stop! Today we break down everything you need in order to build and execute highly effective cross training workouts. You may not need this right now in this moment, but store it away until you do!

The off season is a great time to back off your interval intensity a bit, rest your body and mind, and stay away from training styles that are prone to wearing you down. But, it is also a perfect time to send it! Run some time trials, crank on the last few miles of the long run, jump in some random races! When done appropriately, and in moderation, this can keep your off season stimulating and it can even make you a better racer next season.

We have 20 mini topics to discuss and we go through them like a Quality Long Run. We have to pick whether to spend 5, 4, 3, 2, or 1 minute on each topic. We complete four rounds of this. If you run faster during the “rest” period between answers and run easier during the answers themselves, you will complete a 2 hour long run with 60 minutes of faster running throughout it! Or you can just listen the normal way.

What do you do if your Off Season is approaching but you aren’t wanting to actually take time off? What if you just want to build some fitness without following a super specific plan? Let’s explore it!

Hannah has become an incredible ultra runner, and has done so by embracing all types of race distances and formats, while always being hungry for more in training. From 100 milers to Backyard Ultras to Spartan races, she seems to show up and perform no matter the task or distance.

You sent us 22 questions and we set out to answer them all. Well, we got through maybe seven. But that means you get really, really in depth answers!