In episode 357, I talked about the forest, the big picture and the long term view for your running goals. In this episode, I talk about planting the individual trees to achieve the forest of your dreams. Those individual trees are made up of a routine that is as consistent and year-round as you can possibly be. But, why and what does a successful r…

Another listener - Maeson - joins the show to get coaching on chasing her big goal to qualify for the Boston Marathon. She has the confidence to dream big, but that confidence can often shrink on the starting line. In this conversation, we help her refine her "why" for the big goal and then discuss the tactics to get there including discussions on …

This episode was inspired by many recent chats with athletes and listeners. Often, we get too focused on the minutia, on the little details, without keeping track of the big picture in training. In this episode, I give you 7 things to consider in order to keep your eyes on the forest, so you don't smash into a tree! This one will also help you keep…

Thank you to everyone for the warm welcome back to podcasting! It's been validating to hear the response. We are back today with a conversation with listener April from Michigan. She is a mom of 3 who is trying to break 4 hours in the marathon. She has great questions about the path forward to do that, and along the way, we start dreaming even bigg…

Hey everyone... we are back after a long hiatus! I needed a break over the summer that turned into a longer break than anticipated, but I always knew I would be back. Thank you for your patience with me and thank you to everyone who asked how I was doing. In this episode, you get two parts. Part 1 is a re-introduction of me, who I am, and what I be…

In this one, we are going to talk about how to achieve BALANCE in your running in two different ways. a. How do you balance running and life? I give you 5 thoughts on how to find time for training while balancing work, family, and relationships. b. How do you balance finding the edge in performance with overall health? I give you 5 thoughts on how …

I am back after an unplanned hiatus with some great listener questions. Check it out and email me with more questions or show ideas - chris@roguerunning.com. Plus, consider joining the virtual group with me at roguerunning.com. To read the blog mentioned in this episode: https://www.drstacysims.com/blog/what-women-need-to-do-instead-of-zone-2 To re…

It's that time of year again. Your spring race may have just finished, and it's time to think about what's next. Are you doing Berlin, Chicago, NYC or perhaps a fall half?!? In this episode, I give you 5 tips to get the most from your next training cycle. With each tip, you also get the common pitfalls to avoid from my experience as a coach. Do thi…

I had an amazing weekend in Boston nearly two weeks ago. Whether running the marathon or not, there is always so much inspiration to go around on Boston Marathon weekend. In this episode, I give you 9 takeaways from my weekend of cheering/supporting which will inspire you regardless of whether your goal is to qualify for the race or not. Enjoy! To …

Boston, London, Eugene, Vancouver, Oklahoma City, Carmel, Ohai, Grandma's, and so many more. Spring racing season is here, and I've got 10 tips to get your mind right for race day. Put these to work, and you will be ready to crush it! To redeem offers from this episode's sponsors: Use the code ROGUE for 10% off on running apparel at Janji.com. For …

In this episode, I answer recent questions from listeners as well as themes from athletes that I coach. Today's questions: How should I evolve paces over time and can I go too slow? What should I do if I have a bad workout or long run? How can I protect myself from dogs on the run? Should I do a 2 or 3 week marathon taper (or 1 or 2 week half marat…

We all have fears in training... every single one of us. In this episode, I talk through 6 common examples I see as a coach and give you tips on how to face down each one of them. From doubting your potential to being afraid of never getting back to fitness after injury (and more), this episode might make you feel less alone in your journey. To whi…

Where can you improve in order to reach your full potential? I often get this question, and it's my job as a coach to assess the opportunity areas for my athletes. In this episode, I give you 6 opportunity areas and the associated metrics to consider in order to identify your biggest needs in training. Rate your yourself on all 6 and then go tackle…

James Dodds and I had a little bit of fun with this episode, and we hope you enjoy it. We riff on 6 topics that have been the object of our recent coaching curiosities or ruminations. The topics range from the limits of easy aerobic volume to maxing out in-run carbs and to the science (and potentially hocus pocus) of advanced recovery techniques (a…

It is that time of year where everyone is rapidly falling out of training due to sickness. When that happens, panic mode sets in, and you might try to simply train through it. However, that can be dangerous and cause you to extend your sickness even more. Instead when sick, you need to give your body the time, ability, and resources to temporarily …

Zone 2 this and Zone 2 that... it's all the rage on social media and with longevity experts. On the bright side, discussing Zone 2 means that you are talking about the importance of EASY running, and we know easy running is the key to building fitness and longevity. On the other hand, there are misconceptions about what Zone 2 means and how to appl…

James Dodds joins me to help me recap a tough day at the Houston Marathon for me. It was my big goal race, but it didn't go how I hoped it would. Fortunately, the reasons for that are crystal clear, which I break down in the episode. I am still very proud of my day and even more hungry for what's to come. Thank you to everyone for your support in t…

Do you want to have your best year of running yet? This episode is here to help you achieve the right balance in training in order to do so. I give you 4 things to do more of and 4 things to do less of in order to optimize your performance in 2024. Where you are out of balance?!? Listen in and find out! To redeem offers from this episode's sponsors…

Many have asked about how my training for the Houston Marathon is going, and this episode is your answer. James Dodds joins the show to interview me on my training progress. You will hear that I still don't know what the outcome will be, but I feel really good about my progress to this point. We talk about my process and how I've felt along the way…

In this episode, James and I interview Paul Esteso, a member of our virtual podcast group called the Rogue Renegades. Paul tells the story of his running journey and the epiphany that would lead to a massive breakthrough in his results. His marathon times had hit a plateau, and he wanted more. With a few simple changes to his training, focused on t…

On October 23rd, Rogue lost a member of our community when Larry Bright passed away. He was a runner with us for 17 years and a coach for 10 years. This episode is my tribute to him and the lessons we can all learn from his life and running journey. RIP to my friend Larry. To support Larry's family, you can give here: https://gofund.me/c98f8228. To…

You just crushed your fall race... now what? I often see runners jump straight into the next training cycle without giving yourself time for the proper 2-3 week reset. In this episode, I talk about 8 things - 4 mental and 4 physical - in order to appropriately reset the mind and body for what's to come. Do not take shortcuts with your post-race res…

Lori Smiley (my sister) was on episode 303 of this podcast to celebrate her hard-earned Boston qualifier earlier this year. She was confident of toeing the line next April with her 5:00 minute buffer. Then, the news of the 5:29 hit her like a ton of bricks in September, sending her into an existential spiral over her running goals. In this episode,…

In this episode, James and I are joined by Doctor of Physical Therapy Morgan Riggins to talk about running and physical therapy. We discuss finding a good physical therapist to help you run more consistently, prevent and/or work through injury, and minimize downtime when injuries do pop up. If you don't have a physical therapist on your support tea…

Have you ever wondered how your wearables are made? Or how a company validates the data that is produced by them? Probably not and that's ok, but today, that's going to change! In this episode, James and I chat with Jeff Knight, former Rogue coach and training director, who has been working in the wearable space for the last 8 years. We talk about …

One of the top questions I get as a coach is about running and aging. Everyone is always worried about the grim reaper coming for their speed. In this episode, James and I are here to tell you to let go of those limitations and focus on 8 important elements to consider as you age. These 8 things, including 2 that are must-haves, touch on not only a…

In this episode, James and I chat with 5-year Rogue member Dan Wiersema. 5 years ago, Dan joined us with the goals to find a community, start moving, and lose a little bit of weight. That first season with us saw him complete his first half marathon, and now, he is dreaming of much bigger things as he prepares for his 3rd marathon this fall. I thin…

This episode starts with a discussion of the recently-announced Boston Marathon "buffer" and how gutting it is for those who missed the cut. As a coach, I feel that pain too having many athletes who just missed being able to toe the line next year in Boston. As a part of that discussion, I give a few tips for those who missed out and also give my s…

Why am I not improving? I get this question a lot as a coach, and this episode provides the answer, eight of them to be exact. First of all, I talk about how to know if you are in a performance plateau, and then I give you 8 reasons why that might be true. Along the way, I give you the solutions to consider so that you can find performance gains ag…

In this episode, James and I chat with everyday runner and relatively new half marathoner - Sarah Perry. Sarah sent me a direct message on Instagram with questions about VO2Max and heart rate, and it magically turned into a 1-hour coaching chat with James and I. Plus, we recorded it so that you all could learn from the discussion as well! In this c…

In this episode, one of my athletes - Nicole Winter from @nicolemruns - interviews me! This was the idea of Nicole and other athletes in my Austin training group (shout out to the Rogue Morning Show!). They put together a list of questions for me ranging from fun, get-to-know-you questions to questions about my running journey and even some questio…

The fall racing season is almost here, and in this episode, we help you answer this fundamental question: should I do a race in preparation for my primary race (aka my "A race")? Thank you to Caroline from the Rogue Renegades for these questions. The short answer is... it's not as simple as you think. For the long answer, tune in for more. In this …

In this episode, I replay a live question and answer session that I did with Nicole Winter's followers (@nicolemruns). Nicole is an athlete that I've coached for 2 years, including to her first Boston Qualifier in Eugene in April. She's a running and fitness content creator on instagram, and definitely worth a follow there. Her followers also ask g…

Prompted by a question from a Rogue athlete, we dig into the HOW of separating your identity and your worth from your results. It's a never ending journey, but you will get better at it over time with consistent work. In this episode, we frame up the problem and give you examples of how this might manifest in an unproductive way in your training, f…

For this episode, I am excited to interview Tina Muir and Zoë Rom about their new book Becoming a Sustainable Runner. The book talks about how to be a happy and healthy runner for a lifetime while also giving back to your community and your environment. In this conversation, we talk about: The importance of taking a long term view of your running j…

I'm back after a summer hiatus and joined by guest host James Dodds. Thanks for your patience with new episodes, but we are back for the duration! In this episode, we answer questions about choosing training paces, building race plans, and recovery. If you have ever wondered how to determine your training paces, how those paces might evolve over ti…

I've gotten many questions recently about building or rebuilding a running routine, whether it be for the first time or for someone restarting after a break. In this episode, I give you 9 principles to consider when doing so in order to do it in a safe and sustainable way with your long term potential in mind. The main message is this: take your ti…

Nicole Winter (@nicolemruns) had me back on her Instagram Live this week for another Q&A from her followers, who always have great questions. We talked about offseason training, tips on running form, how to balance running and strength work, and so much more. You can also watch the video on Nicole's account. Thank you to Nicole for having me on aga…

I have had several people ask me recently about how my running journey is progressing. Well, here it is. I give you an update on the last 18 months of training for me and what's next for the rest of 2023 as I build toward the Houston Marathon in 2024. The good news is that things are going well toward my goals, but it hasn't been without major chal…

Did I dig deep enough? Can I go faster? How do I know when I've reached my limits? These are all questions you may have asked yourself at one time or another. You might think that grit is a genetic trait, but it is very much learned and can be developed. In this episode, I talk about 9 ways to build your own grit and resilience so that you can get …

Who else is overwhelmed by the long list of things you need to do in order to achieve your goals? Sometimes, it feels like it's impossible to do it all from the running itself to strength training to foam rolling, hydration, stretching, taking supplements, and so much more. In this episode, I talk about this very dilemma and give you 7 tips for man…

Do you focus too much on half marathon or marathon training while neglecting your speed? If so, this episode is for you. In it, I talk about 5 misperceptions of training for the 5K or 10K distances. Spoiler alert: no, 5K-10K training won't take away from your half marathon or marathon potential. (Just the opposite in fact). Listen, learn, then go c…

It's time to start training for fall races and you might be wondering how to take your training to the next level. If so, this episode is for you. I start by talking about how to prime your body for the training to come, and then I give you 5 ways to level up your training for races this fall. Don't do them all. Pick 2 to implement for this cycle, …

It's time to change the narrative!! As a coach, I consistently here similar, negative things from the runners I meet and coach, but mostly these are false narratives that get in the way of reaching true potential. In this episode, I give you 10 of those lies and tell you how to change your story. From "I'm not a runner" to "I'm slow" or "I don't ha…

It is race week for my athlete and running influencer Nicole Winter (@nicolemruns). She is racing the Eugene Marathon this weekend and shooting for her first Boston qualifier. To celebrate race week, we did a live Q&A with her followers on Instagram. That audio is here. We cover all things race week from race planning to pre-race nutrition to the m…

I am still coming off the high from Boston Marathon weekend, and as such, I had to get back to some of my podcasting roots with this recap episode. Fortunately, Kara Goucher was willing to join me to break it all down! We break down the elite races on both sides and talk about an historic day for American marathoning, especially on the women's side…

There is nothing worse than training for 4-5 months for a single race only to have the weather betray you on race day. Heat, cold, wind, and rain... any of those can derail a well-executed training cycle. In this episode, I talk about each of those conditions and discuss how you should adjust your pacing strategy and your race day approach to give …

In this episode, I chat with Dave Spandorfer and Mike Burnstein who co-founded Janji in 2012. Janji produces great running apparel while also giving back to water projects around the world. My connection to Dave and Mike actually goes back to 2012 as well. In this conversation, we cover the story behind Janji, go behind-the-scenes on the challengin…

In this episode, I interview Des Linden on her soon-to-be released book Choosing to Run. It'll be out on April 4th. In the book, she shares details about her life and journey to the Boston Marathon win in 2018, including a health scare in 2017 that almost kept her from the start line. You must listen and read to learn more. Listen and then go buy t…

Nell Rojas has been the top American at the last two Boston marathoners and is set to line up there again in 3 weeks. Her path to the front of elite marathoning has not been a direct one, however, and we talk about that winding path in this conversation. In particular, her journey includes becoming a coach for the every-day athlete well before she …