Running On Purpose

Wherein your host, Steve Sisson, marks the return of the podcast from a three year hiatus. This episode reintroduces the new reboot of the Running on Purpose with a Who, What Where, When & Why for this return. It's been a long time coin', but Sisson is BAAAA-AAACCCKKKK!

On a spring day in London, the world was set on fire. We are joined by a legend, Deena Kastor, as we break down the 2003 London Marathon in which Paula Radcliffe unleashed perhaps the single most impressive race in the history of distance running. Deena gives us a front row seat to this legendary race

This interview with Dick Beardsley runs the gamut, from history & reflections on his running career to a deep sharing of personal tragedy & loss. But the current running underneath the narrative is Dick's love for life, others & the simple act of moving through space.

Part II of a two part episode on the 1984 Women's Olympic Marathon that jumps straight into the drama. We also discuss the four protagonists' post-Olympic careers, discuss who we consider the greatest of the decade & share our key insights & opinions on the legacy of this race & the four women who battled that August morning in LA.

Part I of a two part episode on the 1984 Women's Olympic Marathon that traces the history of women's running, highlights the careers of the four main protagonists & set up the drama for the race itself.

The inaugural episode in the Legends series breaking down classic races & highlighting legendary runners. We breakdown the 1982 Boston Marathon & highlight Alberto Salazar & Dick Beardsley.

A dialogue with Bill Corrigan on how to set up a metal training plan. Bill asks if there is a periodization model we can use to optimize our mental game in running & racing. Recorded before the outbreak of COVID-19 on March 6th.

In this episode we discuss life on lockdown & how we recommend silence & resilience as tools for coping with change & uncertainty. We end with one key session you can add now that will pay huge dividends down the road.

A lively & illuminating discussion & a case study on Tomek learning to deal with a longterm injury & how that can lead to a greater appreciation of being "a human having a running experience". We begin with a short commentary on the US Marathon Olympic Trials.

A Question & Answer episode on playing a long game in your running.

A Question & Answer episode on weight training.

A step by step guide to creating a marathon race plan.

The first in an ongoing series of short exhortations or "rants", if you will. This week I discuss the essential & necessary aspects of suffering in our training & racing.

We discuss the long run, its importance & its benefits. We also critique the Hanson's training model on the long run.

Game Changers are things you can add to your running repertoire that we argue will be hugely beneficial. In this episode we discuss sleep, nutrition, letting go & trail running.

A solo show about why mileage matters & why it can also hurt your longterm development.

A continuation of On Your Why where we delve into the specifics of creating a useful, resonant & inspirational Running Purpose Statement.

The first part of a primer on Creating a Running Purpose. We discuss why you need a running purpose & discuss the initial preparations necessary to writing a Statement of Purpose for your running.

An interview with trail runner & coach Joe Prusaitis. A Taoist sage of the dirt trails, Joe has a deep knowledge & intuitive coaching style that balances life & training.

How reflecting on the past year, the present season & your future can lift your running experience to a whole other level.

A rant on the unreasonable expectations we all have in training & racing. We cover the expectation of linear progression, of expecting races not to hurt & training to gain fitness rather than proving fitness among other topics. We end on a positive note with some preliminary thoughts on a universal purpose for running.

An interview with Certified Mental Performance Consultant & Olympian in the 3000m Steeplechase, Lennie Waite. We discuss a wide range of mental training topics including nervousness, fear of failure/success, how we find meaning through running & a host of other topics.

ATTENTION ALL PENDULUM SWINGERS!! In this episode, we discuss ways to find balance in your training & your life.

It's a simple decision but not an easy one to choose to continue when you are deep in the pain cave. This episode examines why we quit & specific techniques to stay in the arena.

Steve provides a wide variety of ways to practically apply self-coaching to your training & racing.

Steve throws shade on coaches (including himself) & shares more about why you should be coaching yourself, even if you already have a coach.

Steve discusses why runners should self-coach, even if they have a coach.

A short introduction to the podcast.