Tread Lightly Running Podcast

Base building is not very exciting – but it is highly effective, whether your goal is to run a faster marathon or 5K. While often conflated with an off-season, a base building phase is a distinct and crucial training phase. This phase of lots of easy miles develops both aerobic fitness and tissue tolerance, so that you can later build race-specific fitness with lower risk of injury and greater adaptations overall. In this episode, we discuss the adaptations of base building, how to structure a base building phase, and more!✨Join us on Patreon.com/treadlightlyrunning or subscribe on Apple Podcasts starting in December, when we’ll be releasing special subscriber-only content!In this episode, you’ll learn:✅ What is base building and why is it beneficial?✅ Is base building solely easy running?✅ How long should a base building last?✅ Sample workouts for a base building phase✅ The role of long runs during a base build✅ How often should you run during a base building phase?References:🔬 PMID: 40913707🔬 PMID: 40878015Tread Lightly Running is hosted and researched by Amanda Brooks and Laura Norris, MSc. Production, show notes, and graphics by Laura Norris.Let’s stay connected:➡️ Tread Lightly Running Podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/treadlightlyrunning/➡️ Laura Norris Running on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauranorrisrunning/➡️ Subscribe for weekly evidence-based newsletters, straight to your inbox, on https://lauranorrisrunning.substack.com/➡️ Run to the Finish on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runtothefinish/?hl=en➡️ Thousands of running gear reviews and training guides: https://runtothefinish.com/

Will running in the “grey zone” cause you to flounder - or appropriately dosed amounts let your fitness flourish? This remastered episode, originally from January 2024, provides a nuanced discussion on how moderate intensity running can be beneficial in the correct doses - but why you don’t want to train every day in this zone.✨Join us on Patreon.com/treadlightlyrunning or subscribe on Apple Podcasts starting in December, when we’ll be releasing special subscriber-only content!In this episode, you’ll learn:✅ What is the grey zone in running?✅ The benefits and detriments of running in the grey zone✅ How to use the talk test✅ When to use zone 3 training✅ Should you do all of your long runs at marathon pace?✅ What is polarized training (hard days hard, easy days easy)✅ Marathon pace/zone 3 workouts✅ Zone 2 vs zone running when you are a beginner runnerIf you enjoyed this episode, you may also like🎧 Why 80/20 Doesn’t Work For Every Runner (12 Dec 2025)🎧 Why You Need All Training Zones to Improve a a Runner (29 Aug 2025)🎧 Does Zone 2 Actually Matter for Runners? (6 June 2025)References:🔬 PMID: 33344993🔬 PMID: 36900796🔬PMID: 35661059🔬PMID: 26578968🔬Skiba, Scientific Training For Endurance Athletes⁠https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspor.2019.00070/full⁠Tread Lightly Running is hosted and researched by Amanda Brooks and Laura Norris, MSc. Production and graphics by Laura Norris.Let’s stay connected:➡️ Tread Lightly Running Podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/treadlightlyrunning/➡️ Laura Norris Running on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauranorrisrunning/➡️ Subscribe for weekly evidence-based newsletters, straight to your inbox, on https://lauranorrisrunning.substack.com/➡️ Run to the Finish on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runtothefinish/?hl=en➡️ Thousands of running gear reviews and training guides: https://runtothefinish.com/

Are you tired all the time, both during runs and during the rest of the day? This remastered episode from 2024 examines training fatigue, abnormal fatigue, vitamin deficiencies, low energy availability, training load management, and more!Thank you to our sponsors:✨ FlipBelt: Sleek storage options, including no-bounce running belts and shorts. Use code TLF20 at flipbelt.com for 20% off your purchase.✨Join us on Patreon.com/treadlightlyrunning or subscribe on Apple Podcasts starting in December, when we’ll be releasing special subscriber-only content!In this episode, you'll learn: ✅ Normal vs abnormal fatigue✅ Vitamin D deficiency and low iron levels✅ Low energy and low carbohydrate availability✅ Is caffeine or pre-workout overriding your body’s signals?✅ Eating disorders and disordered eating✅ Is it your training plan that is making you tired?✅ Other factors that may cause fatigueIf you enjoyed this episode, you may also like:🎧 The Burnout Episode Every Runner Needs to Hear (7 Nov 2025)🎧 Why Running Fasted Won't Make You Run Faster (2 May 2025)🎧 What to Eat Before Runs, Recovery Nutrition, and Low Energy Availability (26 July 2024)References:🔬Jeukendrup & Gleeson. (2016). Sport nutrition. Third edition. **Human Kinetics.🔬Gropper & Smith. Advanced nutrition and human metabolism. Sixth edition. Wadsworth Cengage Learning.🔬PMID: 34181189🔬PMID: 28012184🔬PMID: 33095376🔬PMID: 37329147🔬PMID: 37052052

You have likely seen the term 80-20 running: a training approach where 80% of runs are easy, and 20% are hard. But is this an infallible rule as people present it on social media, or are there times when you may run more hard workouts - or more easy runs? We discuss the nuance of training intensity distribution with sport scientist Jonah Rosner.Thank you to our sponsors:✨ Amazfit: User-friendly simple running watches with advanced features, at an affordable price point. Use link http://bit.ly/4nai73H for 10% off your purchase.✨ FlipBelt: Sleek storage options, including no-bounce running belts and shorts. Use code TLF20 at flipbelt.com for 20% off your purchase.✨ Previnex: Previnex creates clinically effective, third-party tested supplements made with high-quality ingredients, including Muscle Health Plus (creatine). Use the code treadlightly for 15% off your first order at previnex.com✨Join us on Patreon.com/treadlightlyrunning or subscribe on Apple Podcasts starting in December, when we’ll be releasing special subscriber-only content!In this episode, you will learn:✅ What is 80-20 running?✅ What does 20% of your training hard actually look like?✅ Polarized vs pyramidal training✅ Why so much of your training is easy running✅ How to approach training intensity in a marathon build✅ The load differences of different training pacesWho should and should not use 80-20 trainingAbout our guest:Jonah Rosner is a sport scientist, strength coach, and running performance coach based in Brooklyn. He spent the past decade working with athletes across every major American pro sport, including serving as the Applied Sport Science Coordinator for the Houston Texans in the NFL, one of the youngest sport scientists in league history.Jonah now focuses on helping everyday runners train with the same clarity and structure used in elite environments. He partnered with Nike to run the Nike Running Performance Lab NYC, where he used advanced testing and technology to build individualized strength and marathon training programs.Today, Jonah creates some of the most widely shared science-backed running content online. His free weekly newsletter, Marathon Science, breaks down training, strength, fueling, and performance into simple takeaways runners can use immediately. Subscribers get free tools like his daily nutrition guides, carb-loading cheatsheet, and strength-for-runners resources.You can join the newsletter at: https://marathonscience.beehiiv.com/ — it’s packed with practical insights grounded in real sport science.If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like:🎧 Running for Health vs Performance (14 Nov 2025)🎧 Is it Bad to Run in Zone 3? (12 Jan 2024)🎧 Understanding Different Marathon Training Plans and Methodologies (24 Jan 2025)Let’s stay connected:➡️ Tread Lightly Running Podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/treadlightlyrunning/➡️ Laura Norris Running on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauranorrisrunning/➡️ Subscribe for weekly evidence-based newsletters, straight to your inbox, on https://lauranorrisrunning.substack.com/➡️ Run to the Finish on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runtothefinish/?hl=en➡️ Thousands of running gear reviews and training guides: https://runtothefinish.com/

If you are a new runner or returning to the sport after a hiatus, you likely started with Couch to 5K program. But what comes next after those initial weeks? In this episode, we discuss the different approaches of how to build your endurance and speed after finishing Couch to the 5K. ✨ Amazfit: User-friendly simple running watches with advanced features, at an affordable price point. Use link http://bit.ly/4nai73H for 10% off your purchase.✨ FlipBelt: Sleek storage options, including no-bounce running belts and shorts. Use code TLF20 at flipbelt.com for 20% off your purchase. ✨ Previnex: Previnex creates clinically effective, third-party tested supplements made with high-quality ingredients, including Muscle Health Plus (creatine). Use the code treadlightly for 15% off your first order at previnex.com✨Join us on Patreon.com/treadlightlyrunning or subscribe on Apple Podcasts starting in December, when we’ll be releasing special subscriber-only content! In this episode, you will learn:✅ Realistic goals after completing Couch to 5K✅ Whether to build volume or speed next✅ What to do if you got injured during couch to 5K✅ Why you need to gradually progress any speedwork✅ What to do if you used Couch to 5K to rebuild after injury or a hiatus✅ How to know if you are ready to run a marathonIf you enjoyed this episode, you may also like:🎧 The Benefits of Using the Run-Walk Method (17 Oct 2025)🎧 How to Train for Your First Half Marathon (28 June 2024)🎧 First Marathon Training Tips (2 June 2023)Let’s stay connected:➡️ Tread Lightly Running Podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/treadlightlyrunning/➡️ Laura Norris Running on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauranorrisrunning/➡️ Subscribe for weekly evidence-based newsletters, straight to your inbox, on https://lauranorrisrunning.substack.com/➡️ Run to the Finish on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runtothefinish/?hl=en➡️ Thousands of running gear reviews and training guides: https://runtothefinish.com/