In this solo episode, I'm FINALLY tackling one of the most important (and least sexy) topics in training: training load. What it is? Why should you care? And how can you make sure you're living in the "juuuuuuust right" zone!

Most of us are so focused on paces and mileage (or kms) targets that we miss the bigger picture: how much stress your body is actually experiencing and accumulating from your training. And if you’re stuck in a cycle of “train hard → crash → repeat,” this episode is especially for you.

I break down everything from acute vs. chronic training load, to how wearable devices, like your Coros running watch, calculate your load using things like "TRIMP" and heart rate, and to how to use heart rate variability (HRV) as a recovery gauge. We’re talking spreadsheets, ratios, metrics, and yes: how your “just right” is totally different than someone else’s!

• What training load actually means (and what it doesn’t)

• How to avoid the dangers of "too much too soon" (even if your mileage says you should be OK)

• Why intensity (and training intensity distribution) is more important than distance alone

• How the acute:chronic ratio of your training load tells you when you’re on the onramp to the highway to the danger zone

• What the 10% “rule” misses (and why it’s not always that simple!)

• The difference between “I ran 10 miles!” and “I worked HARD for 10 miles!”

• Tools like TRIMP, TSS, and HRV: what they tell you and how I use them

• The deets on my own quick & dirty training load spreadsheet before I had fancy tools

• Why managing training load is especially important for self-coached runners!!

  
  

TOP SOUNDBITES:

“Your body doesn’t track distance; it tracks stress.”

“That hero week you’re so proud of? It might be the reason you need a nap for the next 10 days.”

“This is about learning what ‘just right’ looks like for you—because too much breaks you, and too little stalls you.”

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🌟 This episode is brought to you by my friends at Coros, who make amazing watches ⌚ that have all the tools you need (with none of the fluff) to manage your training like a pro, no matter WHAT your goals are!

If you're looking to upgrade (or you’re just tired of guessing), check out the Coros Pace 3 (that's what I wear!), and don't forget to use code RUNEXP at checkout for a FREE second strap when you buy your watch! 🌟

🖱 Coros.com

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• Join the Patreon: patreon.com/runningexplained for bonus episodes, book club, and more!

• Join the Road to Race Day: Philly team if you’re training for the Philadelphia half or full marathon!

• Curious about HRV or training load tools? I’m always happy to chat more—DM me on Instagram or shoot us an email!

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What would happen if you decided to just… run around the world?

No, seriously. That’s what Marie Leautey did. She’s only the second woman in history to complete a verified World Run—crossing four continents, coast to coast, on foot. She pushed a stroller (not with a baby - important note), slept in a tent, dodged kangaroos, used bear spray in Montana, and somehow didn’t get injured while running over 28,000 kilometers.

In this episode, Marie and I talk about:

• How a random doodle at work turned into a 2.5-year global running adventure

• What actually counts as a “run around the world” (yes, there are rules! No, they don't make you run on water!)

• Staying injury-free while running 700+ marathons in a row (the “body scan” trick is genius)

• The joy of running without pace goal… or time goals… or really any data at all

• Being mistaken for a mom with a baby in a stroller (and how that probably kept her safe)

• Why she got fined $2,600 over a rogue scallion at the Australian border

• And how to tell the difference between giving up… and just hitting a (global pandemic) Pause Button

Marie’s story is one of those rare ones that’s impossible to summarize and even harder to forget. It’s about running, yes, but also freedom, persistence, problem-solving, and learning how to really listen to your body (and your gut).

📖 Her book Lootie’s World Run: The Extraordinary True Story of the Fastest Woman to Have Run Around the World is wonderful; part memoir, part field guide, part “wait, she did what?!” Get your copy today!

This week I’m joined by Jeff Horowitz—"recovering attorney" turned running coach, author of Think Like a Runner, and someone who’s run over 200 marathons (yes, really!). Jeff shares stories from his global racing adventures (including an ultramarathon in Cairo where he was chased by wild dog s), his journey back from a devastating femur fracture, and why he thinks every runner—no matter their pace—deserves to take themselves seriously.

We get into:

• Why so many runners struggle to call themselves runners

• How your relationship with running evolves over time

• What it means to truly trust your body again after injury

• How to define success beyond speed or finish times

• Why you do deserve good gear, a coach, and the “serious runner” stuff, no matter your pace

This was one of those conversations that just felt like a long exhale. If you’ve ever questioned whether you’re a “real” runner, or wrestled with how to stay in love with this sport as things shift and change, this episode is for you

📘 Grab Jeff’s book Think Like a Runner!

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👟 The Running Explained Podcast is here to help you train smarter, run better, and understand the why behind what you’re doing. Whether you’re chasing a PR or just trying to make sense of your training plan, we’re here for the long run.

🎙️ Want more episodes, early access, and bonus content? Join the podcast Patreon!
patreon.com/runningexplained

🧠 Learn more, explore resources, and check out training plans at runningexplained.com