The continuing dialogues between Steve & Kobe around running & what we call the spiritual. In this episode we unpack & examine the differences between personal growth & spiritual growth: how they are different, the ways they feed forward & backward into each other & share some deeply personal ways in which we both have "struggled well" in relations…

The beginning of the end of the Running on Purpose podcast is the new beginning of the RunGnosis project. This episode covers the reasons for the transition & introduces the general message & intent of RunGnosis. After this intro, Steve covers the reasons why every runner should be focused on their inner experience of running as much as their goals…

This is the final episode in our “apophatic” series, where we tackle the topic of No Lies. An overarching theme is my personal experience around the toxicity of modern Western culture & how it creates many challenges for runners.Par Telos Running

In he fourth episode in our "apophatic" series, we cover no assumptions. Godspeed, my friends, godspeed.Par Telos Running

In the 6th installment of the "Kobe & Steve Show", which I call The Innerwork Dialogues, we start in a more contemplative mood & take our time in getting around to our planned discussion topic of No Assumptions. In fact, we realized about an hour in that we'd really not specifically addressed the topic but instead spent our time reflecting on the i…

Back finally with another solo episode. As I mentioned recently, I have been working on a new series for this podcast that I’ll be announcing very soon. This series will fold in with the Innerwork Dialogues I have been doing with Kobe over at In The Zone & continued posts around the Endorphin Book Club - more on that below - & continued reflections…

The second episode in our series on the running's apophatic path: no expectations.Par Telos Running

In a another of our Innnerwork Dialogues, Kobe & I unpack a key concept from an early In The Zone episode more fully. We discuss the hazards of judgement. Please join usPar Telos Running

Happy Vernal Equinox 2024. Last night at 10pm we shifted seasons. This marks the scientific & mythic transition from winter into spring. It’s associated with Easter & the death burial & resurrection of Christ & the temporary return of Persphone, goddess of Spring, from her enslavement in the underworld with Hades for the rejuvenation of the crops &…

I am back with Kobe of the In The Zone podcast, where we are primarily focused on the inner game of running. What are the varieties of inner experience, that some may call spiritual, & how to they impact our training & racing. In this specific episode we explore the concept of "goallessness" or framing one's running experience without the typical o…

Where I announce the Endorphin Book Club, a community for runners who read or readers who run. If you are interested in joining us please reach out to me directly via email at sisson at telosrunning dot com.Par Telos Running

In this essential episode, I walk through the single most important protocol one can implement this year & in the future for vastly improving their performance in training & racing. There is a ton of very important information here. It can be distilled as follows: The Mission Protocol. The Brief is the Vision. The intention is the Seed. Training is…

“The bad news is that you are falling through the air, there is nothing to hang onto, and you have no parachute. The good news is that there is no ground.” ~Chögyam Trungpa We are back in conversation with Kobe Blondeel from In The Zone podcast for another of what we are calling The Innerwork Dialogues. Our goal with these discussions is to begin t…

If you are anything like me, you probably listen to a lot of podcasts. I mean, here you are, listening to this one now. & it can be challenging to process the content in a long, deep episode & come away with concrete, actionable takeaways. I'll be listening to an episode & have a note file started on my phone so I can jot down key insights or inspi…

This episode is filled with gold. While the recording quality was abysmal - totally a fault of my using a recording system I was unaccustomed to - the discussion is phenomenal. I as mentioned in the last RoP episode, sometime getting more context & discussion around the heady, meta foundation of worldview can be challenging. This discussion has man…

Because something is happening here but you don't know what it is Do you, Mr. Jones? -Bob Dyan, Ballad of a Thin Man This intro is from Cat Power's recently released live album Cat Power Sings Dylan: The 1966 Royal Albert Hall Concert. I highly recommend this album & of course the various originals Dylan himself released. This episode takes this qu…

In this Thanksgiving special episode, I interview Bill Corrigan an athlete I have worked with for over four years who was diagnosed almost two years ago with ALS or Lou Gehrig's Disease. What follows is an inspiring & moving conversation around how this disease has changed Bill's life & how much we all have to be grateful for. Happy Thanksgiving & …

In this solo episode, I develop my thesis that running is best understood & experienced as a movement practice. Here I unpack various arguments & points of view where the focus of most runners on training & racing is missing a huge opportunity & is a fundamental misunderstanding of what we are doing as runners. While this might seem a bit dry or me…

This episode is the first in a series of readings I am calling the Endorphin Book Club. The EBC - which really should be called the Endocannabinoid Book Club to honor recent scientific discovery but we'll keep it simpler & nostalgic - scratches an itch that I have always wanted to scratch: classic texts in running history read in audiobook style to…

I am very excited to introduce a new series & co-host to the RoP podcast. Over the summer I found a podcast created by a Belgian runner & coach, Kobe Blondeel, that addressed topics that I felt resonated the essential shift in consciousness that was undergoing around running as a spiritual practice. Kobe hosts In The Zone & his early episodes were …

As I was putting the finishing touches on the episode I planned to release today, I realized it might be helpful to discuss what I see purpose meaning now - in the fall of 2023 - vs how I framed it three years ago. This episode is a revisioning of what I mean by "running on purpose" & how I am doubling down on the concept, if in a slightly modified…

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!Par Telos Running

Show Notes Full Video of this Episode (YouTube) Deena's Essential "Instructional" Memoir at Amazon Full video of 2003 London Marathon (PART I) (PART II) Footage of the 2001 World Championships 10,000m Race (YouTube) Deena book recommendations -Big Potential by Shawn Acor at Amazon -A Practice of Mountains by Andrea Mead Lawnrece at Amazon ($$$!) -T…

YOUTUBE VIDEO LINK Only 18 months after making the decision to train seriously, Dick Beardsley drives the best marathoner in world beyond his limits in the world's best marathon. How does an upstart develop so quickly in such little time? Listen to this interview & you'll find out. After our inaugural episode of Legends, covering the 1982 Boston Ma…

Show Notes Time - Content 00:00 - Race Discussion 11:00 - Post-Race Interviews 16:50 - Post Olympic Careers - Joan Benoit 23:15 - Grete Waitz 28:50 - Rosa Mota 32:00 - Ingrid Kristiansen 35:00 - Who Was the Best of the Decade (1980's)? 43:00 - Rabbit Holes (Olympic Marathon Course Design & the History & Legacy of Athletics West) 47:20 - Questions/D…

Show Notes Time - Content 3:30 - Reflections on Legends 1984 Boston Marathon 6:00 - 1984 Olympic background 13:20 - Women’s distance running history 23:55 - Grete Waitz 31:10 - Joan Benoit 41:40 - Ingrid Kristiansen 45:15 - Rosa Mota 49:20 - Who was supposed to win?Par Telos Running

Episode Breakdown 0:00 - Introduction of Legends 10:45 - Culture & Running Scene in 1982 17:55 - Background on Race Protagonists 34:55 - Race Discussion & Analysis 51:00 - The Race Finale 1:00:15 - Career Epilogue 1:13:15 - Hot Takes on Alberto 1:27:00 - Final Questions about Race Links Boston Marathon 1982 Video footage - https://www.runnerspace.c…

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.Par Telos Running

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.Par Telos Running

A wide ranging, honest dialogue about how injury impacts running & life. We start off talking about the US Marathon Olympic Trials & move into the specifics of how Tomek became injured, how he struggled with diagnosis, how it impacted his overall wellbeing & what he's going to be bringing to his running & his community as he returns back to full he…

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

A Question & Answer episode on weight training.Par Telos Running

I. Preparatory Work: Review Your Why Review Your Goal Review Your Training Review Your Course Review Your Heart II.Align Your Fitness/Circumstances with Your Objective How Likely Are You To Achieve Your Goal 90-100% Likely: Negative Split 80-90% Likely: Slight Negative Split Less Than 80%: Even Split How To Assess Your Fitness Long Runs - How many …

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.Par Telos Running

The Long Run What Even Is a Long Run? Why It Matters Most Important Run For All Distances Benefits for Aerobic Development (covered below) All Distances (800m to Marathoners/Ultramarathoners) Arthur Lydiard’s Legacy Peter Snell 20M Hilly runs as an 800/1500m runner) Special Concern for Marathoners Other races distances the LR is longer than the rac…

Dr Zach Bush on the Rich Roll podcast discussing gut health & biome. Episode 353 Episode 414 Episode 456 Highly recommended.Par Telos Running

In this episode Steve discusses: Why Mileage Matters Why Dick Measuring is Ridiculous Why More Mileage Is Not Always Better Junk Miles, Long Runs & Medium Long Runs What a Sweet Spot Is & How To Find It How To Safely Raise Your Mileage What Mileage Has To Do With Your "True Potential" Enjoy! Telos Running has a new FREE Base Building program beginn…

RoP 12 - On Your Why: Creating a Running Purpose (Part II) Quick Review from last Week: Why Your Why is Important Intrinsic vs Extrinsic Reasons for Running & Why Intrinsic is the only one that will stick. How to get started: Brainstorming with Mind Mapping, clustering or other brainstorming techniques that work for you. Take your time Write a Lett…

RoP Episode 11 - Finding a Running Purpose INTRO Why It Is Important (6:18) Stop chasing numbers start letting the process Deepens & expands the running process Helps develop meaning Helps develop balance Pulls a beautiful form of expression back into the totality of your life. It is not separate or other. It IS you & you ARE it. Intrinsic vs Extri…

In this episode, Steve interviews the Wiseman of the Trails. A mentor to me for many years, Joe is a coach & former race director by trade but he is really more like a Taoist sage of the dirt. We discuss the early years the Austin running scene & the parallels between running, coaching, positive energy flow & trail running. We also cover Joe's year…

A month early we ask you to take a look back on your running year & check your process & results against your 2019 goals, your purpose for running & how this reflection can be really impactful on you 2020 goals & results.Par Telos Running

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.Par Telos Running

ATTENTION ALL PENDULUM SWINGERS!! We know from experience how hard it is to find balance in training & in life. In this episode we discuss balancing the body in a few key training areas: mileage, periodization, neuromuscular recruitment patterns & nutrition. We also discuss the crucial need to find balance in life in order to keep running healthy, …

Why do people quit in training or a race? We argue there are really only two reasons: negative mental feedback loops & Imminent dangers like injury, etc. If you make the decision to Never Fucking Quit & you stick to that commitment, you'll be amazed at the power inherent within you. If you have quit, how can you keep yourself from doing so in the f…

In this final episode in the self-coaching series, Steve provides a basic outline & discussion for what you need to get started self-coaching. Topics include: Radical Personal Responsibility. Come Prepared. Get Your Data In One Place. Reflect on it. Share the Key Points With Your Coach Every Week. Set Goals with Your Coaches Input. Create Your Own …

Steve delves deep into the dark secrets of the coaching profession & calls all coaches, including himself, out on their methods of coaching & coercion. His topics include: Your Coach Thinks You Are Full of Shit Your Coach Is Fucking With Your Head Your Coach is Experimenting On You. Your Coach (Probably) Knows Less Than They Let On & They (Probably…

In this episode, Steve covers the importance of self-coaching to all runners even if you already have a coach. If you can say yes to the following statements then you need to listen to this episode & the next two that follow it: You care about your performance You care about your race results You want to get better You want to know how These are th…

A short introduction to the podcast.Par Telos Running