Michael sits down with everyone's favourite dad marathoner, Eric Floberg, fresh off a PB at his home race at the Chicago Marathon.
Hear about what it's like to have people shouting your name the entire way along a marathon course, and a pretty honest appraisal of the mental game in the last 10km.
Michael and Josh dissect their performances at the unbearably hot 2025 edition of the Berlin Marathon over the weekend.
Both of them well off where they wanted to be given the conditions.
Josh executed brilliantly in the circumstances, posting a 2:43 with a 3-4 minute positive split, whereas Michael managed a 2:50 with a 10 minute positive split.
Hear about what went wrong, and what's going to change leading into their next races at Deauville and Valencia respectively.
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Kaizen
It's race week. Josh and Michael have wrapped up their training, are tapering (perhaps too aggressively), and talk about race prep.
Lots of talk about how to handle the forecasted warmer conditions, whilst Michael is struggling with managing an unexpected setback.
Race plans and expectations have diverged slightly, although the weather may bring them back together come race day.
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Kaizen
2 weeks til Berlin Marathon and things are heating up.
Josh and Michael have near identical race predictions. Last week's training was almost the same. It won't be sub 2:30, but the race is on...
They discuss prep leading into the race from here. What the last week of training will look like, getting everything organised from kit to shoes to nutrition.
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Kaizen
Just under 3 weeks out from Berlin, and Michael's had a minor niggle. Josh's training is still on the up, although he's also had to pare it back slightly. 2 big weeks of training to go and they are neck and neck in fitness terms.
Neither is full convinced of getting in 2:28 shape, but they're both keen to go head to head.
After discussing training and shape, Josh gives an overview of how he manages his training on a daily basis to mitigate the risk of getting injured, whilst also
Michael gives an overview of how he is proactively managing his calf niggle, with the main objective being getting to the start line healthy.
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Kaizen
After last week's downbeat recording, Josh and Michael are on the up (training, shape and vibes).
Training load is increasing, and marathon predictions are improving.
Josh tries to start playing mind games and goes deep on his heat training protocol. Michael is plugging away and already in PB shape with 2.5 weeks to go.
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Kaizen
Exactly 1 month til Berlin Marathon and both Josh and Michael are making big strides in training.
Detailed check in on how Josh is going with gut training before Berlin on the back of his nutrition fail in Barcelona.
Deeper dive on the training numbers and race predictions. Both still confident of making big gains in the next couple of weeks and giving 2:28 a red hot crack.
Some more chat about sacrifices that need to be made in marathon training. Can't spin all the plates!
(Sorry for the dodgy echo towards the end. Tried to fix it!)
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Kaizen
Week 2 of the Berlin Marathon series, and Josh and Michael's training is coming along. Michael still in better shape than Josh, but Josh is closing fast.
A lot of talk about training, balancing work/life/family with running.
Deeper dive on training zones and how they can actually be quite un-useful for your training if you're expecting specific benefits by working specific systems. Physiology is more complex than that!
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Kaizen
Season 4 kicks off with a recap of how Michael & Josh's training has been going. Michael; good, Josh; less good, but on the up.
Off-brand interlude about the strength work and cross-training they've both been doing and associated risks and benefit.
Sub 2:28 challenge is ON AGAIN for Berlin Marathon, so there is a shallow dive into what training is going to look like.
Hard data to follow in the next episode telling each of them EXACTLY how much training they need to do leading into Berlin to be in 2:28 shape.
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Kaizen
In this episode, Michael and Josh welcome Stoddy, who shares his young journey into running, including his experiences with the Speed Project and not eating enough. The conversation delves into the importance of racing as a training tool, Stoddy's training philosophy, and his upcoming race goals. The trio discusses the balance between training and racing, the challenges of pushing oneself (sub-16 challenge for 5k), and the camaraderie found in the running community.
Find Stoddy on Strava (sometimes)
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Stoddy Carey
01:59 Stoddy's Running Journey
05:42 The Speed Project Experience
11:07 Fueling for Success
16:17 Relay Races and Team Dynamics
21:12 Racing Insights and Personal Growth
24:20 Overcoming Challenges in Racing
25:40 Upcoming Races and Personal Goals
27:41 Team Dynamics in Relay Racing
30:17 Training Philosophy and Specificity
32:30 The Role of Competition in Training
35:00 Injury Management and Cross-Training
36:44 Wrapping Up and Future Plans
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Kaizen
In this special two part video episode Josh chats to Lauren before and after her 110km ultramarathon at the IATF.
Part 1 takes place in the hours before the race. We chat though her plans and preparations for the longest race she's ever attepted.
Part 2 takes place the day after the race, when Lauren reflects on how the rac went. We dig into what went well and what she'd do differently next time.
Find Lauren on Instagram.
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Kaizen
Felt rude not to acknowledge our favourite race distance of 26.2 miles, so we've put together a special episode to celebrate the marathon. Deserves to be treated with respect.
We celebrate the good, bad and ugly of our collective 40 or so marathons. Blood, sweat and tears all feature in some way throughout. Lots of lessons learnt with the myriad things that can go wrong, where the marathon has put us in our place. A few positive takeaways as well.
That's why we love it, and keep coming back for more.
Kaizen
We spoke with Dan Robinson, a 2:12 marathoner who ran for GB in the 2000s. His notable achievements include a bronze medal at the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games marathon, top 25 at both the Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 Olympics, a 9th in the 2007 London Marathon and an 11th and 12th place at the World Championships.
Dan tells us how he got into running accidentally, his love of the treadmill, and how he educated himself on training. Very refreshing to hear from someone who — at the top of their game — trained hard, without too much emphasis on the specifics.
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Kaizen
Download the app: https://kaizen.app.link/milesbetter
Strava club: https://www.strava.com/clubs/runkaizen
Web: https://runkaizen.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runkaizen/
Michael: https://www.strava.com/athletes/32067191
Josh: https://www.strava.com/athletes/1721750
In this episode, we explore the journey of Harry Lancaster, a marathon runner who faced significant setbacks due to bone-stress related injuries and subsequent diagnosis of osteoporosis. Harry shares his experiences with training, nutrition, and the challenges of coming back from a significant layoff and a condition that usually affects people twice his age.
He discusses his gradual return to running, the importance of strength training in aiding his recovery, and his upcoming races, including the Manchester Marathon. A great conversation on the importance of overall health for runners and how to stay positive when working through difficult periods in life.
Harry
https://www.instagram.com/harrylancaster/
https://www.strava.com/athletes/7239399
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Kaizen
Download the app: https://kaizen.app.link/milesbetter
Strava club: https://www.strava.com/clubs/runkaizen
Web: https://runkaizen.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runkaizen/
Michael: https://www.strava.com/athletes/32067191
Josh: https://www.strava.com/athletes/1721750
We speak to people who love running all the time. But Cole probably loves it the most.
With his sights set on a sub 2:20 London Marathon debut in 1.5 weeks (pending recovery from an altercation with an e-scooter), we hear from Cole on his recent training, running history, shared family obsession, and scientific understanding of the sport and what contributes to performance.
And for the lovers of rice pudding, we spend a good little while having Cole the connoisseur put us through our paces on what constitutes a good one. Josh and Michael have their own trips down rice pudding lane, and there's a bit of riffing on what you could experiment with to make the king of puds. Not one for the chefs.
Cole
https://www.instagram.com/colerunning/
https://www.strava.com/athletes/6113358
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Kaizen
Download the app: https://kaizen.app.link/milesbetter
Strava club: https://www.strava.com/clubs/runkaizen
Web: https://runkaizen.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runkaizen/
Michael: https://www.strava.com/athletes/32067191
Josh: https://www.strava.com/athletes/1721750
Our next guest for S3 is Rayne Holland, who ran a perfectly paced 2:48:30 at Melbourne Marathon 2024 in her first ever race.
To this day she's never run a 5k, 10k or half marathon and yet is gearing up for a big PB at the Ballarat Marathon by knocking off consistent 150k+ weeks.
Rayne's deep understanding of the factors that influence running performance, and her commitment to doing everything in her control are rare for someone with so little time in the sport.
Rayne: https://www.strava.com/athletes/63853661
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Kaizen
Download the app: https://kaizen.app.link/milesbetter
Strava club: https://www.strava.com/clubs/runkaizen
Web: https://runkaizen.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runkaizen/
Michael: https://www.strava.com/athletes/32067191
Josh: https://www.strava.com/athletes/1721750
In Season 3, we're featuring a number of guests on the show. The first few are all prepping for an upcoming marathon and bring a diverse range of running stories and backgrounds to keep things interesting.
First up is Sofia Eves, 3:06 marathoner (on debut!) who has Hannover Marathon upcoming this weekend. Sofia dives into her first marathon (and training), plus her second marathon (slightly less successful).
We also dig into planning and prep ahead of Hannover Marathon where Sofia is going for sub-3.
Sofia: https://www.strava.com/athletes/39378389
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Kaizen
Download the app: https://kaizen.app.link/milesbetter
Strava club: https://www.strava.com/clubs/runkaizen
Web: https://runkaizen.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runkaizen/
Michael: https://www.strava.com/athletes/32067191
Josh: https://www.strava.com/athletes/1721750
A bonus episode where Michael and Josh discuss the good, the bad and the ugly from Josh's day at the Barcelona marathon.
What can he to better next time? What went well in this race? Michael has opinions on both.
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Kaizen
Download the app: https://kaizen.app.link/milesbetter
Strava club: https://www.strava.com/clubs/runkaizen
Web: https://runkaizen.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runkaizen/
Michael: https://www.strava.com/athletes/32067191
Josh: https://www.strava.com/athletes/1721750
Michael and Josh use the upcoming Barcelona marathon to showcase tips and tricks to maximise your performance on race day.
We've got chat about preparation in the days before a marathon (correctly assessing fitness, gear check, pacing plan) as well as heaps on detail about how to make the most of race day (course optimisation, toilet trips, breakfast, + more) - all through the lens of how Josh will approach his marathon this weekend.
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Kaizen
Download the app: https://kaizen.app.link/milesbetter
Strava club: https://www.strava.com/clubs/runkaizen
Web: https://runkaizen.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runkaizen/
Michael: https://www.strava.com/athletes/32067191
Josh: https://www.strava.com/athletes/1721750
Race week. Josh is ready to go large in Barcelona. He's in and around PB shape.
The chat is about the last few weeks of training including a 5k best (and second best) for Josh and a bit of detail about how to think about the taper. Conclusions: highly personalised and more art than science.
Special episode will follow on Friday or Saturday to talk about the nuance of Josh's prediction and race planning.
Stay tuned...
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Kaizen
Download the app: https://kaizen.app.link/milesbetter
Strava club: https://www.strava.com/clubs/runkaizen
Web: https://runkaizen.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runkaizen/
Michael: https://www.strava.com/athletes/32067191
Josh: https://www.strava.com/athletes/1721750
