Run Culture Podcast

Welcome back to the 11th and final “Boom or Bust” Podcast, where we document the incredible journey of four runners to the 2025 Ballarat Marathon! I've been eagerly looking forward to this episode, and it's going to be a blast! We have so much to celebrate today: a Ballarat Marathon champion among us, the pacemaker of said champion, someone who just snagged a shiny new nine-minute marathon PB, and a surprised 39-year-old dad who thought his best running days were behind him. It's safe to say we all went "BOOM" this past weekend!A massive shoutout to the organizers for such a flawlessly executed event! The atmosphere was electric, with so many happy and motivated runners taking on that fast course!Thank you to Kate, Aaron, Ned, and their families for dedicating so much time to this journey. I'll forever cherish the experiences and memories made during the 2025 Ballarat Marathon. You all deserve your Monday nights back now!A big thanks to all the listeners who reached out during the series to let us know they were enjoying the ride or got a kick out of it. Your support truly made it worth the time and effort it takes to produce a podcast!And a heartfelt thank you to Jess Gasparroni, Riley, and Tate for all your support and encouragement over the past few months. Hitting this goal feels incredible! Now, let's take a moment to relax and soak it all in.#BallaratMarathon

Welcome back to Episode 10 of the Boom or Bust podcast! With just six days to go until the 2025 Ballarat Marathon, this is our final episode before the big dance! Today, Kate, Throbber, Noodles, and Dane discuss how their taper weeks are going. The four of them go over race day goals, plans and predictions! Plus, don't miss the fantastic listener question about how they mentally prepare to get the best out of themselves on race day. Tune in for all the insights! #BoomOrBust #BallaratMarathon2025 #racedayready

Today marks Episode 9 of the ‘Boom or Bust' podcast, and with just 12 days to go until race day, our four runners are in the 'tapering phase!' Join us as they chat about their training weeks—sharing both the ups and downs. The conversation takes some fun turns, covering everything from 'cask wine to lipstick!' Plus, we have a surprise guest: Riley, Dane's 3-year-old daughter, who joins us for a special cameo at the end of the episode. Don't miss next week's episode, where we'll dive into everyone's Ballarat marathon goals, predicted times, race strategies, and even tackle a listener question about preparing mentally for race day.Thanks to all those that are listening and for the streams of positive feedback we have been getting for doing this podcast series, very much appreciated!Not long now @ballaratmarathon !

*Boom or Bust Episode 8 Update* In today's episode, we faced a tough moment as Aaron "Throbber" Sim has had a hard time shaking off his sickness and has opted to rest and recuperate, aiming for a strong comeback at the Gold Coast marathon. The bright side? Kate has scored a solid pacemaker to support her on her journey!Before diving into their training updates, the athletes took a moment to answer a listener question about their strengths and weaknesses as marathon runners. Their insights were both enlightening and inspiring!Ned, Kate, and Dane all reported stellar training weeks, building excitement as they gear up for the Ballarat marathon—only 19 days to go! The energy is high, and they're ready to give it their all! Stay tuned for more updates as we follow their journey! #BoomOrBust #MarathonTraining #Ballarat2025

Last night, we recorded Ep. 7 of the “Boom or Bust- Ballarat” Run Culture miniseries, where four athletes share their journeys as they prepare for the 2025 Ballarat marathon. With just 4 weeks to go and with our athletes very much in the thick of it, it was a ‘mixed bag' of a week!

Episode 6 of the "Boom or Bust" Podcast is here! Join us as we follow the journeys of our four runners training for the 2025 Ballarat Marathon. With just 5 weeks to go, the training grind is real, and as always, our runners share their ups and downs filled with a bit of a laugh. A huge shoutout to Throbber and his former bandmates from ‘Red Ink' for letting us use their amazing song ‘Empty Road' as our opening jingle! This week, we had a surprise guest—Otis, Aaron's son, who jumped in to perfectly highlight the juggling act of life! If you're a running fan or training for a marathon, be sure to tune in.@ballaratmarathon

Welcome to Episode 5 of ‘Boom or Bust'! A podcast documenting the build ups of 4 athletes aiming to run the 2025 Ballarat Marathon! There was a bit happening this week!Aaron and Dane kick things off by sharing their experiences from the Inverloch Half Marathon. Despite falling ill right after last week's episode, Aaron took a pragmatic approach, focusing on recovery and lighter training to bounce back. Meanwhile, Kate had quite the adventure at school camp in Dartmoor, facing challenges like 4hrs of sleep most nights, lightning and bushfires! After a lighter week running wise she finished the week with a confidence-boosting marathon-specific session!Ned enjoyed a planned down week as he nervously awaited a 35km progressive run over the weekend around his favorite loop.Even though I'm the host of this podcast I personally enjoy sitting back and listening to everyone's weeks. It's great to see everyone adapting and pushing through their unique challenges!And a little teaser for next week— we might just have an Intro for the podcast, possibly featuring a 'B-side' from Aaron's rockstar past! So stay tuned for that!

Welcome back to Episode 4 of the Run Culture podcast mini-series, “Boom or Bust!” Join us as we track the journey of four athletes gearing up for the 2025 Ballarat Marathon, just under seven weeks away! This week, we have Kate Mason sharing her experience from a tin shed during a storm at school camp in Dartmoor—talk about dedication! While she faces a down week due to camp and a frustrating workout on Friday, her spirit remains unbroken.Ned Verwey updates us on his dietitian appointment and his impressive long run on Sunday, truly living up to our podcast's title! Meanwhile, Aaron ‘Throbber' Sim continues to crush it with a solid 3 by 5k workout at goal marathon pace, preparing for a head-to-head showdown with Dane at the Inverloch half marathon next weekend.Dane Verwey wraps up the episode with details of his consistent week, including a double threshold session and a marathon workout with Pete on the bike. While he's pleased with his endurance, he's working on finding that extra speed.We hope you're enjoying the show! We'd love to hear your thoughts or any listener questions for next week's episode! #RunCulture #BoomOrBust #BallaratMarathon2025

Kate, Ned, Aaron, and Dane not only recorded episode 3 of the "Boom or Bust" podcast—locking in its new name and thanking listeners for their suggestions and questions—but also powered through another eventful week of training for the 2025 Ballarat Marathon. Ned notched up a couple of big sessions (including one in heavies as he forgot his trainers and one with the Geelong River Run) whilst suspiciously getting lost around the chocolate factory on a run, go figure?! Kate hit another impressive 100-mile week, enjoyed the Kooks concert, rocked an outrageous shoe and sock combo on Friday, whilst the boys marvelled at her incredible ability in a 5am easy run to hit low 4 min/km out of the gate. Aaron enjoyed his new Vomeros, checked off both a quality track workout and a marathon-specific session, whilst locking in the nickname "Throbber" on his Ballarat Bib. While Dane recovered from minor niggles and maintained a solid training week, reinforcing his focus on recovery.If there are any listener questions, please reach out to the Run Culture Instagram or any of us on socials. @ballaratmarathon

Guess what? It's time for Episode Two of “Ballarat Marathon Buildups!” I'm excited to have Aaron, Kate, and Ned back on the show. This episode starts with our favorite training sessions and workouts that help us gauge our fitness.Ned and Aaron then detail their first marathon-specific workouts, while ‘Kate 5am Mason' shares the crazy things she sees during her early runs (I still can't believe what she saw in the ocean?!) She also shares a powerful lesson from her Gold Coast marathon experience when she faced ‘heat stroke.'Unfortunately we lost the last 10 minutes of the recording due to a software glitch (one technologically savvy person had so many podcast recordings saved to their computer that their storage reached capacity, sorry all!) Nonetheless, Dane, jumps back on and wraps it up with details of another motivating training week! We cover a lot in this episode, and I hope you find it entertaining! All 4 of us would love to hear your thoughts! Drop your listener questions or name suggestions in the comments below.

Today and over the next couple of months I've got something a bit different for you all!Each week I am going to catch up with my brother; Ned Verwey and good friends from down here on the 'Ninch'; Kate Mason and Aaron Sim, as we all train towards the 2025 Ballarat Marathon in just under 10 weeks time. We will catch up weekly to chat about the inevitable ups/downs and life hurdles typically encountered in a marathon build. I hope this podcast can inspire, entertain and/or influence other runners in some way. I also hope it highlights the fact that we can all come at the marathon from different angles and different approaches. That we all have similar challenges and different challenges, and that no one is perfect and that's ok! We aim to have a lot of fun:)More about the Guests:Aaron Sim is a 35 year old father of two, who only picked up running during COVID (2021). In the space of 3 years he has dropped his marathon time from 2:50 to 2:25:32! From 2008-2013 he travelled far and wide playing drums for an Indie band. Prior to finding running, he was an avid golfer! He's now a music teacher at Woodleigh Secondary.Kate Mason is one of the most infectiously bubbly and positive people you will meet. Her and her partner, Ben Griffith (Griffo) with their fur baby Nala in tow, intentionally make their whole life 'not' about running. If they aren't caravanning in NZ, they are always doing something interesting be it: mountain biking, going to a gig, catching up with friends or house renos etc...Kate's an incredibly talented runner with amazing grit and endurance, coming 3rd in 2:34:08 at the Melbourne Marathon in 2024. My brother Ned Verwey is 32 years old and lives in Anglesea and works in Prosthetics and Orthotics at Ballarat Hospital. He was a super talented junior track runner over 1500m-3,000m medaling Nationally! During University years he enjoyed himself and running fell by the way side. He then had several years plagued by injury. However, with patience, persistence and the helpful encouragement of his lovely wife Simone McInnes (also a runner) he has slowly got himself back to the strongest and fittest he has ever been. He's learnt a lot through the process and loves going out for a run everyday!And, then there is myself; Dane, a 39 year old father of two, I have been immersed in running my whole life; as a runner, physiotherapist and coach. This will be my 19th marathon and there is certainly a deep seated motivation to turn back the clock a little, show myself that I can still do it and nail a 'dad PB'!Listen in if you want :)

For the first few months of 2025 I am going to re-release some of the most listened to Run Culture Podcast Episodes over the past 5 years! We live in a fast paced, information dense world, attention spans are fleeting. Sometimes we ‘look' but do we ‘see?'Lately, I have loved slowing down and re-listening to past podcasts, allowing them to marinate better. It's incredible how each podcast can mean something different to me today than they did 5 years ago!In 2020, I chatted to Dr. Keith Livingstone- It was an amazing insight into the Principles of Arthur Lydiard.“Champions are everywhere....they just need to be trained correctly." -Arthur Lydiard If you want to hear a fantastic insight into the history, training and coaching philosophies of Arthur Lydiard and his pupils, then there is no better man to chat to than Keith Livingstone and that's who we have on the show today.This is a lengthy one, Keith's a fantastic story teller, I was spell bound, ideal for your next long run!Dr. Keith Livingstone not only was a high level distance runner himself in his day running; 14:04 for 5000m and 29:19 for 10,000m but was also a highly sought after chiropractor, running coach and now author of three books! These include; 1.) Healthy Intelligent Training- the proven principles of Arthur Lydiard, 2.) Champions are Everywhere-The Schedules (A practical user friendly summary of Healthy Intelligent Training) and 3.) Staring down the Beast- A book recounting Keith's survival journey after being diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor (glioblastoma multiforme) in 2007. Keith also has a fantastic blog at; www.drkeith.com.au, where he has a number of fantastic interviews, blogs and If you are interested you can also purchase his books.

Today on the Run Culture Podcast I had the privilege to chat with Scott Simmons a professional running coach of the American Distance Project, the US Army World Class Athlete Program and Team India, based in Colorado Springs, USA. Scott has over 30 years of coaching experience! He shared so many incredible stories and insights about training and coaching Olympians, Olympic Medalists and collegiate athletes. It felt like having a casual chat on my couch, asking all the questions I've always wanted to know! I can't wait for you all to listen and learn from his wisdom and stories. Topics covered include:-The importance of Speed development and always developing the aerobic house.-Non linear periodisation.-The myth of peaking/tapering.-Key training principles: Specificity, overload, recovery, adaptation, progression.-‘Harambee'- Swahili for ‘all pull together' This is the official motto of Kenya, appearing on its coat of arms.-Take a step back from time to time and reflect if running is making you a ‘Better human'?-The importance of Self belief and taking a bet on yourself.-How the environment, people, traditions, culture and embedded beliefs can influence performance.-Training is as much about training one's ability/skill to cope with pain as it is about improving one's fitness.-What's a Hammer rep or Predator Tempo?-Improving as a coach/athlete requires time and space to make mistakes to learn. These are the required steps to grow to get better.Thanks once again Scott. Merry Christmas everyone, I hope you enjoy this listen and the festive season!

Today on the Run Culture Podcast, I chatted to one of the most ‘well read, knowledgeable and innovative' coaching minds in current day distance running; Brad Hudson. The interview was quite high level, it covered a lot of territory and did bounce around a fair bit, many times I didn't know what direction it was going to go which made it fun. Since starting the Run Culture podcast some 5yrs ago, I've had some interviews I've really cherished and this one ranks right up there as one of my favorites, I had a blast trying to keep up with this running genius.   Brad is a well-known running coach (who's currently living in LA, USA) and was a former elite (2:13 marathoner) distance runner himself.   He is recognized for coaching many top-level athletes, including; Dathan Ritzenhein, Shayne Culpepper, Jason Hartman, Parker Stinson, Benita Johnson, Allie Kieffer, Jorge Torres, amongst many others….   There were many take home messages, including:   - How Modern elite training has changed in 2024? - Why we should all be 'Experimenting, Innovating and Evolving' our training? - Some of Brad's key Endurance Training principles. - The importance of customized and responsive training plans. - The Importance of Sleep, Psychology, Nutrition, Stress management. - His many coaching influences (too many to list, he's a lifelong learner and learns from anyone if he feels it could be useful). Some mentioned, include; Mark Wetmore, Bill Dellinger, Renate Canova, Arthur Lydiard, Percy Cerutty, Antonio Cabral, Jack Daniels, Nick Bideau and Pat Clohessy. - And many other pearls of coaching wisdom, including his two book recommendations- Ryan Holliday's ‘Daily Stoic' and Marc Bubb's book; ‘Peak: The New Science of Athletic Performance That is Revolutionizing Sports'   If anyone wanted to reach out to Brad for ‘Online Running Coaching' Brad's email is: ⁠hudsoncoachingmarathon@yahoo.com⁠   Thanks once again Brad, you were a joy to listen to and have certainly got me excited about my own coaching!

Today on the Run Culture podcast I was extremely fortunate to chat to Andy Jones. As a sport scientist he has worked with many elite athletes over the years. Including, the former womans Marathon World Record Holder; Paula Radcliffe, along with also being employed by Nike to help Eluid Kipchoge in the Breaking 2 Marathon Project. I thoroughly enjoyed this chat, Andy is a fountain of knowledge, he has devoted his whole professional life to attempting to improve our understanding of the physiology of endurance performance. We start the podcast, going over his own running career and what he learnt from his own childhood hero; Steve Jones. We then define and discuss the ins/outs of 'Running Economy' and 'Physiological Resiliency' at length, using Andy's experiences with Paula and the Nike Breaking 2 Project. Links to two of Andy's articles I refer to in this chat are below: -The 15 yr long longitudinal study on Paula Radcliff, 'The Physiology of the World Record Holder for the Woman's Marathon (2006).' Link: ⁠⁠SS 1-2-01-Jones⁠⁠ - ⁠⁠The fourth dimension: physiological resilience as an independent determinant of endurance exercise performance - Jones - 2024 - The Journal of Physiology - Wiley Online Library⁠

Today, I had an amazing chat with Peter Rae, the head coach of ZAP Endurance! We explored the history of ZAP and its mission to boost US distance running since the 90s. It was so interesting to hear his thoughts on why US distance running has made such great strides in the last 8 years and how ZAP performed in 2024! I really enjoyed learning about his coaching philosophy and how it has changed over the past 23 years. What's he doing now that he didn't do back then? Hearing about his mentors, like Bill Squires, Pete Pfitzinger, and Bill Rodgers, was truly enlightening! Peter also emphasized the importance of soft skills in coaching, which often doesn't get enough attention. We wrapped up by discussing Hurricane Helene and what the future holds for ZAP Endurance. If you're curious about ZAP Endurance—whether it's their running camps, coaching services, or insightful blogs—check out their website: www.zapendurance.com

Today on the Run Culture podcast I chat to renowned exercise physiologist and running coach; Greg McMillan. We specifically talk about the importance of individualizing training. Over the years Greg has used a simple evaluation to help thousands of runners train more effectively, avoid injury and peak when it counts! He shares how you can do this too!Here are three questions every runner should answer:-How do I respond to certain training? Runners respond differently to different types of workouts and mileage. Are you a speedster, endurance monster or a combo runner?-How do I recover from certain training? Recovery isn't static. What workouts do you recover quickly from, what workouts do you take longer to recover from?-How do I adapt to certain training? What workouts give you a quick fitness boost (fast-adapting), what workouts take a bit longer (slow-adapting)?Greg McMillan is a renowned running coach, exercise physiologist and founder of McMillan Running. Greg has had some incredible mentors, including; Arthur Lydiard, Joe Vigil, David Martin, Gabriel Rosa and Jack Daniels. For a number of years Greg coached an Adidas sponsored pro team in Flagstaff, Arizona called 'McMillan Elite' or 'Team USA Arizona'. As you will see Greg has been a student of the sport his whole life, he is an incredible wealth of running knowledge and I am so grateful that he could share some of this with us today! If you want to learn more about; Greg's coaching services, try his world famous pacing calculator or just continue to be well informed about running, be sure to go to; www.mcmillanrunning.com

Today on the Run Culture Podcast I was very lucky to chat to Paul Laursen. Paul is a renowned sports scientist and expert in high-intensity interval training (HIIT). His extensive research and practical experience (as a runner, triathlete and coach) have made him a pivotal figure in the understanding of how HIIT can be effectively applied to endurance sports. Paul is the co-author of the; ' The Science and Application of High Intensity Interval Training: Solutions to the Programming Puzzle.' with Martin Bucheit. Here he explored the physiological mechanisms and benefits of HIIT. In todays episode, Paul defines what HIIT is and we discuss the 'decision tree' you should use to more effectively prescribe it. If you liked this episode and you want to reach out to Paul, be sure to go to: https://athletica.ai

Yesterday I caught up with Pete Dutton after we both ran the 2024 Melbourne marathon! We chat about; the preparation, how the race went, his mindset throughout both and what's next!Pete finally can call himself a marathoner! Like many people's journey it's been a long time coming. I have coached Pete now for five years; so many of the training decisions over that time have been made with this ultimate goal of the marathon in mind. Three or four years ago after a couple of stress fractures off low mileage it seemed a long way off. This marathon was certainly the summation of a big body of work and growth. There were as always, many learnings to come out of it and there are many more to come. It certainly has instilled an exciting layer of confidence for the future knowing Pete's body cooperated and he ran as well as he did Sunday off a relatively conservative marathon build!I hope you enjoy this honest reflection and chat between coach and athlete!

Today, I had the distinct pleasure of engaging with the insightful John Davis on the Run Culture Podcast. We ventured into his coaching techniques, influenced by the greats like; Arthur Lydiard, John Kellogg, and Renate Canova. Our dialogue then largely focused on the groundbreaking concept of 'full spectrum training'—a vital approach for runners looking to enhance their training methods and understand the nuances of periodization. I specifically reached out to John to discuss this topic, as I believe it holds the potential to empower many runners in their training journeys. A huge thank you to John for generously imparting his wealth of knowledge! John is a runner, coach, scientist and author of the book: "Modern Training and Physiology for Middle and Long Distance Runners" He also has an amazing website called; www.runningwritings.com Be sure to explore his outstanding book and blog for more invaluable insights (links below): Newsletter: https://runningwritings.com/news Website: https://runningwritings.com/ Book: https://www.amazon.com/Modern-Training-Physiology-Long-Distance-Runners/dp/0615790291/ X: https://x.com/JDruns Here's a link to the percentage-based training article we discussed: https://runningwritings.com/2023/12/percentage-based-training.html

Peter Dutton is one of the Run Culture Owl athletes I coach, we have worked together for the past 5 years! The hidden advantage of doing a podcast with an athlete you have coached for that long is that you have an incredible audio time capsule to re-visit! In fact, as I write this blurb I am re-listening to the very first podcast we did together (S1-Ep. 30 Feb 2020), it's quite an interesting process as a coach; he's definitely the same person but a little bit different...as am I! It has been a year to the day since the last time Pete was on the podcast! So, please do yourself a favor and listen in to hear; -How Pete's 3 month US trip went (he trained at Altitude in Boulder and Flagstaff!). -Or how he salvaged, in his words; 'the track season from hell!' .... -and how I have finally given him the green light to try to make the 2024 Melbourne Marathon start line!

Ok, I raced well or I raced poorly but what's the ‘how' and ‘why' behind this?? How good would it be if we could peak under the hood? This is exactly what Nick Jankovskis @nj_sportscience does for a living. Nick is a Sports Scientist and endurance performance coach at METS Performance Consulting. A specialist in improving endurance performance by accurately analysing performance through physiological testing to prescribe individualised training to optimise athlete performance. He helps runners answer questions like: How big is my engine? How efficient is my engine? Where could I improve? Is my current training efficient and aiding better performance? What training should I prioritise/maintain? Why should I train differently at times to my training partner? Thanks for the ripping conversation Nick and I look forward to doing some testing with you for a few of the athletes I coach over the coming months (a repeat podcast discussing the results is a must!). If other runners are also interested in doing some physiological testing with METS performance consulting be sure to check them out here: @metsperformance Welcome — METS Performance Consulting

On today's episode of the Run Culture podcast, I had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Phil Batterson, the founder of Critical Oxygen. Dr. Batterson holds a PhD in human bioenergetics and is an avid endurance sports enthusiast himself. His passion lies in helping athletes and coaches optimize their physiology to enhance endurance performance. I've always wanted to delve into the scientific aspects of exercise physiology on the podcast, but I never felt qualified to do so. That's why it was fantastic to have Dr. Batterson join us today. During our conversation, Dr. Batterson provided a comprehensive understanding of the acute and chronic physiological processes that occur when we exercise. He explained how our bodies adapt to different types of training and highlighted the importance of testing and understanding our individualized training zones. This knowledge can greatly assist athletes in efficiently targeting specific adaptations to enhance their performance. If you want to follow more of Phil's educational content be sure to listen to his podcast (Critical Oxygen Podcast) or want to reach out to him with a Question find him on YouTube/Instagram @critcalo2 or his website at www.criticaloxygen.com

Calling all runners! This one has to be up there as one of my all time most enjoyable Run Culture Podcast conversations! This is part 2 of the conversation I had with Dutch Kenyan coach: Hugo Van den Broek about his key training principles for running! Hugo's passion, knowledge, thirst for learning and strengths as a communicator really shine through. Get ready to slow down and take notes or listen multiple times to absorb all the valuable lessons, stories, analogies, and coaching wisdom shared. Hugo, a former 2:12 marathoner, now resides in Kenya and coaches athletes worldwide through 'Train Smarter Run Faster' coaching. Check out his Instagram @running_coach_hugovandenbroek for more info.

What an insightful conversation with renowned Dutch Kenyan coach Hugo Van den Broek! In part 1, we delved into the secrets of Kenyan training methods and explore the polarised training literature. Stay tuned for part 2, where we'll dive into Hugo's key principles for running training. A former 2:12 marathoner, Hugo now resides in Kenya with his family and coaches athletes globally through 'Train Smarter Run Harder' coaching. He also runs Kenyan coaching camps. For more information go to Hugo's Instagram: @running_coach_hugovandenbroek. Get ready for a wealth of knowledge!

Today on the Run Culture Podcast I had the privilege to chat to Rene Wormhoudt, the Dutch national soccer team strength and conditioning coach and a physical therapist. Rene is also one of the founders of; ‘The Athletic Skill Model', a model designed to create more ‘adaptive/creative/versatile athletes'. If you are a therapist, coach or athlete trying to improve performance, reduce injury or make training fun this is a great listen for you! The idea that participating in seemingly unrelated sports can emergently help your target sport's co-ordinative abilities and versatility, is a complex concept to comprehend in our linear modern world dominated by reductionistic science. However, the athletics skill model and Rene Wormhoudt shed light on the immense benefits of incorporating such routines. Embracing variability in training can enhance coordination and unlock potential in various physical activities. #FarTransfer #CoordinativeAbilities For those interested in finding out more about the #AthleticsSkillModel please go to: www.athleticskillsmodel.nl and/or purchase the book.

I first came across Callum Jones only recently when I was trying to find out more about the ‘Norwegian double threshold method' and I came across his and Gavin Smith fantastic podcast called ‘Conversations About Running.' Callum Jones is a competitive runner himself over 1500m to 10km and also a coach at; ‘Train Smarter, Run Faster' with famed Kenyan Coach, Hugo Van den Broek (who he has studied extensively under). He's also the head of marketing and a coach at ‘Running Trips' a company that does training camps in Kenya. He has a girlfriend from Norway, so has spent a considerable amount of time in Norway trialing the Norwegian Double Threshold Method. He lives in Cornwall and runs for the Bristol track club. Last year, Callum travelled to Sierra Nevada and trained with the Norwegian Athletics Federation with athletes like, Simen Halle Haugen, Narve Gilje Nordas and Hendrik Ingebrigtsen. He's a fantastic resource of running and coaching knowledge. It was fantastic talking to him today about the Norwegian double threshold method, and what training is like in Kenya, as well as his personal experiences with running himself. I hope you enjoy this chat, I certainly enjoyed hearing about how different cultures tend to train.

Just had an inspiring chat with Matthew Hansen, a talented Aussie distance runner from the Bert Squad in QLD! He's making waves on the US college circuit and has seen incredible progress recently with 'The Norwegian Double Threshold Method'. Tune in to hear what Matt has to say about this training method, his experience with overtraining, his race mentality, and his tips for aspiring athletes looking to apply for US college. Don't forget to check out his YouTube channel (@MattHanso) to follow his running journey. #RunningCommunity #Inspiration.

I just had an incredible conversation on the Run Culture podcast with Jae Gruenke, a certified Feldenkrais practitioner, former professional dancer, and running form coach of over 20yrs. We discussed the fascinating concept of Feldenkrais and how it can benefit runners. Jae shared how her dance background has influenced her coaching approach and how it can help runners move more authentically and efficiently. We also explored the idea that humans are naturally evolved to run, but our modern habits and beliefs can hinder our movement. Jae explained the difference between running drills and running lessons, emphasizing the importance of a more explorative and sensory approach to motor learning. She also shared a few of her six main principles for balanced running. Such valuable insights! Check it out! And, if you want to find out more about Jae's offerings be it blogs, videos or courses be sure to go to: https://www.balancedrunner.com/ #RunCulture #RunningForm #InjuryPrevention

What can the running world learn from a coach heavily involved in equestrian and adventure sports? Tune in to the latest Run Culture podcast to find out! In this episode, I had the pleasure of chatting with Marianne Davies, a senior coach developer with UK coaching and a PhD candidate in skill acquisition and ecological dynamics in equestrian and adventure sports. Marianne's expertise in these disciplines brings a fresh perspective to the running world. During our conversation, we delved into the difference between perfect technique and adaptive technique in running. Marianne explained how a rigid focus on perfect technique might hinder runners from adapting to different environments and challenges. Instead, she emphasized the importance of developing an adaptive technique that allows runners to adjust and respond to the ever-changing dynamics of their surroundings. We also explored the significance of the athletic skills model in running. Marianne highlighted the value of variability in training, explaining how exposing runners to a range of different conditions and demands can enhance their overall athletic skills. By incorporating diverse training stimuli, runners can become more versatile and better equipped to handle various race scenarios. If you're intrigued by Marianne's insights and passionate approach to coaching, I highly recommend checking out her beautifully written blog at 'dynamics-coaching' and her 'river tiger' podcast. Her work is truly inspiring and offers valuable perspectives for athletes in any sport. Don't miss out on this enlightening episode of the Run Culture podcast, where we delve into the world of equestrian and adventure sports with Marianne Davies. Tune in now to gain valuable knowledge and get inspired by her expertise!

Today on the run Culture Podcast, I chat to Paul McKinnon, ‘The Balanced Runner'. We chat about his recent trip to the US where he has helped the Nike Bowerman track club with their running technique. We then talk about his experiences over the years as a Running Technique coach. We cover many things, including: -His wholistic top-down approach to running mechanics. -The importance of comparing ‘old versus new way', - ‘Upper leg versus lower leg' patterned mechanics, - Why he dislikes the phrase ‘lazy gluts', - His thoughts on ‘cadence', - Why working on your technique can help your running potential. - the typical process of changing your technique with the ‘top down approach.' Thanks for this unreal chat Paul, I'm sure many runners are going to find it super useful!!! Find Paul on Instagram at @thebalancedrunner

Attention all runners! Are you a runner that is purely performance orientated? Do you obsess over your GPS and strava data? Are you guilty of becoming a slave to your running program? Well, this episode is tailor-made for you. Last week, I had the honor of engaging in an unforgettable conversation with Jozef Frucek, the brilliant mind behind Fighting Monkey. I must confess, this discussion stands among my all-time favorite podcast moments. Jozef's unique creative flair and his ability to seamlessly fuse the artistic side of sport captured my heart. Throughout our dialogue, we delved deep into the challenges posed by modern Western culture, where money, efficiency, speed, numbers, measurement, and science tend to overshadow other aspects. While these factors may appear explicit and apparent, we should never overlook the immeasurable treasure of tacit knowledge. Jozef possesses an astonishing talent for articulating the intangible, abstract elements of movement. He emphasizes the necessity of diversity, variability, intuition, improvisation, communication, embodiment, rhythm, coordination, and so much more. In a society fixated on data and disconnected from our innate knowledge, Jozef's insights are nothing short of invaluable. So, whether you're eager to challenge the conventional training methods or simply curious about exploring movement in a holistic manner, this episode demands your attention. Join us now as we embark on a journey to deeply understand the profound impact Jozef Frucek and Fighting Monkey can have on your personal movement practice. Prepare yourself by lacing up your running shoes, grabbing your headphones, and diving into this transformative experience!

Today on the Run Culture podcast I chat to two of the Run Culture Owl athletes I coach, Bevan Does and Pete Dutton! These two athletes have trained together all year! Their friendship and consequential growth has extended on and off the track! Both started the year wanting to ‘try new things' and they continue to stay true to this motto! Thus, emerged the sub 70 project at the Gold Coast half marathon! A chance to independently travel and fend for themselves and explore! This chat is about the build up, the race, the experience and what exciting new things lie a head! Bevan and Pete will likely always remember the sub 70 project. Life is all about trying new things to better sculpt your sense of self and the life you'd love to lead.

Today's podcast is a great lesson for any runner who has plateaued for a long time and feels like they never will improve again!   Up until 9 months ago John Dutton had not improved in the marathon for 10 years.   Last weekend John broke the 2:20 barrier at the 2023 Gold Coast marathon. This is his second PB in 9 months over the distance. John has now shaved a whopping 6 minutes off in 9 months!   We all have our barrier! Some kind of goal, that drives us and tantalises us, can we do it or is it a step out of reach?   I've known John personally for many years, we have run together and run against each other. We have spoken many times about breaking the illustrious 2:20 barrier in the marathon, this has been a barrier that John has dreamt about breaking for his whole running career.   John is a father of 2 boys, he is a full time plaster and has run more than 20 marathons or ultra marathons since 2005.   So, how has he done it? Well, listen in, as this conversation between two running mates, is full of wisdom! We hope the stories and learnings shared might help others learn faster than what we have!!!! Thanks for giving me the privilege to share this fantastic marathon story on the Run Culture Podcast John!

Excited to share my latest podcast episode featuring return guest; Tom O'Halloran (physiotherapist & founder of Mechanics of Movement)! Continuing on from our chat on Episode 31, we dive deeper into the importance of skill acquisition & coordination in the running world. From baby deer to humans, we explore how we learn to move & optimize performance. Don't miss our chat on attention, feedback, coaching vs teaching, degrees of freedom, functional variability vs nonfunctional variability, invariant movement and many anecdotes! Plus, we unveil our collaboration - the 'Run Stronger' app, designed to enhance running performance & prevent injuries. Check it out via Mechanics of Movement IG bio! #RunningSkills #RunStronger #PodcastEpisode

Today, Run Culture Owl Head coach; Dane Verwey and athlete; Pete Dutton, reflect on: -Dane's recent 3rd place at the 2023 Brisbane Marathon over the weekend. -Pete's last 4 months of racing. -Pete and Bevan's Gold Coast marathon build. -How the rest of the Run Culture Owl squad is progressing and the injury woes. -How do you decide what training to do and what schedule to follow? How do you know when to push on, modify or rest? I hope you find this coach-athlete discussion insightful and potentially it gets you to reflect on your own running journey in some way!

Today on the Run Culture Podcast I chat with Rob Neylon, one of Australia's most promising distance runners of the early 80's and a former trainee of the legendary Percy Cerutty. We talked about Percy's innovative and at times controversial methods, as well as his Stotan philosophy. As a runner myself, it was inspiring to hear about the mindset and training required to achieve peak performance in distance running. So tune in, there's a lot today's world could learn from such a key figure in our sports history.

In this enlightening episode, we sit down with Tom O'Halloran, a physiotherapist and founder of Mechanics of Movement. Tom shares his journey of becoming a specialist in biomechanics and skill acquisition, emphasizing the importance of coordination in running, which is often underappreciated. We dive into the concept of motor learning and skill acquisition, discussing the constraints-led approach and its nuances. Our conversation then flows into the new ‘Run Stronger' app, a collaborative effort between Tom and myself (released May 1st), which combines strength and co-ordination exercises aimed at improving one's running performance and injury prevention. Tune in to learn more about how to become a better runner and take your training to the next level.

Today on the Run Culture Podcast, I sat down with John Nicolosi (Head of Melbourne Athletic Development). John is an experienced Sprints coach of the MAD Track Team (which contains multiple National champions, as well as Olympic and Commonwealth Games representatives). He is an experienced Physiotherapist and was also a former sprinter himself! With a shared passion for participatory knowledge, John and I open the chat by delving into the importance of having 'skin in the game' when it comes to improving your perspective and knowledge in life. John then shares his insights into what distance runners can learn from sprinters biomechanically, before discussing the ‘Constrained Led Approach' - a powerful technique for changing an athlete's running technique over time. Whether you're a running enthusiast or simply interested in the science of movement, this episode is not to be missed! I really enjoyed this chat with John and if you did too and are interested in checking out more of his work, go to his podcast: ‘Lateral Think' or reach out to him at: Melbourne Athletic Development on all socials (including Tic Toc thanks @Mia Gross)

For those of us residing in a society that prioritizes; productivity, extraction, speed, and efficiency, this episode of the Run Culture Podcast is a must listen! ."....certain non-western societies don't use the adjectives; efficient, rapid or fast, as words to describe expert performance, they actually use words like; cautious, slow, attentiveness and responsiveness. These slower adjectives are used to describe what it means to be an expert hunter...." They understand the idea of uncertainty, they take time to attend to the rich contextual ebbs and flows of information in front of them and they patiently wait for the right moment to act. I chatted to Dr Carl Woods a scientist and researcher at Victoria University in Melbourne who enjoys exploring the concepts of; learning, knowing and skill from an ecological and anthropological lens in sport. We discuss: -That we live in the 'information age', where there is an excess of 'second hand information' everywhere, we have a test for this a test for that, a strategy for this and all this tech spitting out all kinds of data...Universities teach courses in siloed and reduced methods and reward an encyclopedic like recall of information as expertise... Yes, 'second hand information' can be useful...but I am also seeing a lot of un-embodied/disconnected and disempowered runners as a result. -The importance of 'inhabitant knowledge'.....which is gained through exposure and 'primary experience', this can't simply be replaced by 'second hand information' eg. what a textbook/test or Instagram post says. -Embracing 'uncertainty' and 'the wisdom of not knowing', 'Being prepare but not planned' -Slow down and attend to the environment around you, be a 'wayfinder'. -What defines mastery/a skilled performer or expert? ....the humility to say; 'I don't know' or 'I am unsure', openness, lots of exposure to a certain environment and context, to resonate with their surrounds, to 'look, feel, hear and smell' better, to know what to pay attention to- what to 'stretch towards' and when to 'wait' and be patient.

‘Thinking, through making and doing' vs ‘Making, through thinking and doing' “Making through thinking is when a person starts with a fairly formed idea of what the final product is going to look like and then they work towards ‘matching' that product in their mind to what they actually create. However, it is suggested that the more skilled craftsperson actually ‘thinks through making' so they think while they're making, they don't start with a fully formed idea and then simply work towards passively creating what it is, it emerges through real perceptual alignment with the ebbs and flows of the materials that they're working with.” -Dr Carl Woods Today, I chat to one of the Run Culture Owl athletes I coach; Pete Dutton. It's his 5th appearance on the podcast, so if you enjoyed hearing his story then be sure to checkout Episode: 26, 25, 15 and 89. In this episode Pete reflects on his recent 5000m PB and how it emerged through becoming better attuned and aligned to his own ebbs and flows. “I think it's funny when you look back at it, it's not like we definitely knew and that's running for you, there's no definites, you just got to keep trying and this is one of the seasons where you just got it right. You have tried a lot of different ways and and we've learned because of that…..It's hard to like single out one thing. Sometimes, it just seems like we are never going to have the result we aspire, then some sometimes you just sort of get a glimmer of hope and things start to click and we certainly had a season like that for you!”

Today, on the Run Culture Podcast I was incredibly fortunate to chat to Shawn Myszka. Adhering too tightly to an idealized model can hyper constrain one's ability to adapt to a dynamic world. Many runner's would benefit from having more 'exploration and play' in their practice. This can enhance the; variability, creativity, ownership, authenticity and adaptability of one's actions. Over the past 14 years Shawn has worked exclusively with over 100 NFL players as their; 'Movement Skill Acquisition Coach'. He runs an educational group called ‘Emergence' ( www.emergentmvmt.com) that produces fantastic courses and blogs about the complexities of learning motor skills. He is also known as 'The Movement Miyagi' on twitter. Thanks once again Shawn for an enlightening and enjoyable chat that many runners will benefit from listening to!

Today I chatted to Pete Dutton, one of the Run Culture Owl athletes I coach. It's another authentic and honest chat as he details how his athletics season has progressed so far, what he is working on and what an enlightening experience he had at, 'Falls Creek Altitude training camp' recently. Pete, has come off the mountain, in career best shape but more noticeably the biggest changes have happened off the track!!!! He seems to have grown up a little, matured a touch, seems to be a little happier, seems more open to trying new things and keen for 2023 to be full of adventure! Athlete's are complex puzzles, there are lots of moving parts, and as you have seen with Pete, the stuff he has worked on 'off the track' has helped his performance just as much as the stuff he has done 'on it!' For those that fear failure, let's start to once again embrace and normalise trying different stuff, getting ugly and throwing yourself amongst it! We are a generation laced with fear.....A fair share of us have forgotten how to embrace the beauty of not knowing everything, being open to let life pan out a little. We should cherish imperfection, failure and mistakes as opportunities to challenge ourselves to reflect/grow and learn! Enjoy this one fellow runners! I hope you can all relate with Pete's story in some way and it helps you reflect.

I encourage all keen runners to listen to these 'athlete-coach' catch up episodes. Anecdotes and story are some of the best ways to relate, reflect and learn about your own running journey. This chat is full of honest, substantial and real discussion, between two runners that love the sport and are trying to master their craft. Today, I caught up with Peter Dutton one of the athletes I coach to reflect on the last 6 months of his running journey. It's an authentic athlete and coach reflection about; the ups, downs and learnings for the year. We also discuss how the rest of the Run Culture Owls went at the recent Vic Milers Club 3000m event and Open Victorian 5000m Track Championships. If you enjoyed this chat be sure to follow Pete's journey @petedutton_runs and the rest of the Owl squad @run.culture. Anyone after some running injury advice be sure to book an in person or online physiotherapy appointment with Dane through the link in the bio or www.runculture.org

On this episode of the Run Culture Podcast I had the privilege to chat to Austin Einhorn, a prominent Strength and Conditioning Coach that uses human evolution as a guiding philosophy. ‘….Humans evolved distinct movement patterns and profound skills over hundreds of millions of years…Each human has their own evolution too, from child to adult, and during this time are finite windows of opportunity. If they invest into them, they get robust ligaments, tendons, and bones. If they don't, the risk of injury skyrockets.…' Austin is owner of Apiros gym- where he practices this evolved approach and is also author of a soon to be released book: The Evolved Coach- the extinction of injury and evolution of performance. In this chat Austin discusses: -How many modern day humans have devolved their movements? -What 'movement banking' means? -Why rock climbing or hanging movements could be useful practices for runners to investigate and experience? -The complexities of skill acquisition and learning in reference to running technique. Thanks for the super enlightening chat Austin, I really enjoyed it and I'm sure many others will too! Be sure to follow Austin on Instagram here: @apiros.team and get his soon to be released book at: https://www.theevolvedcoach.com/book

Today on the Run Culture podcast, I chat to the host of one of my all-time favourite podcasts; Joel Smith. Joel is the host of, The ‘Just Fly Sports Performance' Podcast, he's also the author of a book called; ‘Speed Strength' and is a very experienced S & C Coach. Joel is driven by an intense desire to learn, he cares about the truth, he is ever curious, open and creative, he goes beyond the science, he isn't afraid to acknowledge the; ‘art', ‘soft skills' and ‘difficult to quantify' parts of human performance. 1.) Today, we discussed the idea of overcoaching… “….I think any coach who's had children and watches them …..you start to realize how well humans are wired to solve movement problems and it's more about removing things that mess us up than it is programming things to do….” 2.) He defines coaching wisdom? “….Is it the fact that you can treat a human like a machine better than the other person? Not really… Wisdom is the intuition, that helps manage the complex really well with simple story…..” 3.) He discusses the power of playing some pick up basketball or the like, to warm athletes up…. “….the human body is not a car, it is not a rocket, it is not an alarm clock we are so much more complex than that……..and that's the thing, people don't want to use basketball to warm up because it is hard to quantify …..it's social, it's emotional, there's reaction, there's present mindedness, there's flow states and it's fun, it's complex.” 4.) We then delve into the complexities at play when it comes to ‘running technique'. Here Joel shares how he works with his runners. He discusses his view on running drills and cues. He discusses how important; physical capacity, dynamic awareness, rhythm and falling are. Thanks again Joel, really enjoyed this chat! If you want to listen to Joel's podcast/check out his book; ‘Speed strength' or course; ‘elastic essentials', be sure to go across to his website at: https://www.just-fly-sports.com/

Rafe Kelley has spent much of his life moving and promoting movement. Rafe is the owner of 'Evolve Move Play' and has an amazing philosophical and experiential grasp of movement. He has been involved with many different martial art forms, has been practicing parkour since its humble beginnings and is a huge natural movement advocate! His 'Evolve Move Play' podcast and views on movement have really expanded my perspective. In the health and fitness industry, all too often movement is abstracted into components of fitness. Gyms are often highly contrived environments. There is a bias to focus on all that can be measured but as Rafe says; 'not everything that can be measured is neccessary and not everthing that is neccessary can be measured'. Yes, there is a time and place for; measuring, doing isolated exercises and controlling the environment but thinking 'this is the only way' is self limiting. Sometimes we should 'just move in nature'! Why? Well, from an evolutionary standpoint, before 'the comforts of the current age', there was a time where if you couldn't; run, climb, swim, hang, wrestle, crawl, throw, dance; you wouldn't survive. As humans we were designed to do all these general physical skills coupled with our natural environment. So, let's try some of these meaningful human movements. Perhaps overtime it helps you better couple how you perceive the environment with your movement, your rhythm, timing and co-ordination? Perhaps it challenges you to do potentially fear evoking/fun/challenging/playful things that you normally wouldn't do? Perhaps it helps push you towards better functional athleticism rather than being able to do a meaningless lift in a very controlled environment? Thanks for the enlightening chat Rafe! If you want to hear more from Rafe Kelley be sure to go to his website: About Rafe | Natural Movement Training | Evolve Move Play