I know. I know. Some of you will think I am a social media curmudgeon for this episode, but I don't think so. I actually love what social media has done to grow and expand and educate the running community. It's actually quite amazing and powerful, and the impact in a positive way is far reaching.

That said, there is some bad info out there as well as a tendency for our perception of the fundamentals to be warped by what we see there. In this episode, I give you 9 "messages" from social that I believe to be misleading, many that will prevent you from reaching your potential. Avoid the pitfalls you see there so that you can take/absorb the good without letting the "bad" influence you in an unproductive way.

In this episode, I have the privilege to talk to a listener who is 75 years old and just starting her running journey. She is 9 weeks into it and only beginning to think about the possibilities. She has a 5K on the docket in the spring but is also dreaming about a half marathon or more. How will I advise her to build and how might that look different because of her age?

You might be surprised by my answers. I couldn't be more inspired by Deborah as she is proof that it's never too late to start and certainly never too late to dream big!

In this week's coaching conversation, I chat with listener Nicole. I have worked with Nicole before, and this is our first conversation in many months. You get to listen in as we discuss how she is trying to balance a new life stage with what that means for her running process and goals.

We talk about dreaming big and how seasons of life can cause changing priorities, especially around starting a family. Does she have to abandon those dreams? How can she keep the fire lit while balancing everything? What does this mean for her future in the sport? And where should she start now?

We talk about it all, and I really appreciate Nicole's willingness to share and be open as she wrestles with what's next.

This episode was inspired by a listener question about dealing with injury before race day. Naturally, I extrapolated it to a message about staying present in all of your training and racing.

Listen in to learn how to stay present in training - day by day and within a run/workout - and stay present in racing - in planning and in race execution.

Staying present is key to smashing your goals!

"A hero is somebody who voluntarily walks into the unknown." - Tom Hanks

I would submit that we do that everytime we step on a start line. That quote also highlights that heroism is defined independently from the outcome, which means that we can all be heroes by stepping into the unknown of race day. We can all, also, have an heroic ripple effect on others by setting big goals, doing the work, and then putting ourselves in the scary position to achieve them.

In this episode, I talk about the practical side of it. How can you relate to being a hero by examining what heroes look like? How can you then act like one to bring confidence to your next big swing at a goal?

Bear with me on this one y'all... it might sound cheesy, but I believe there are some really good practical nuggets inside.

“We cannot know the mystery of the future.” – Jimmy Carter

Preparing for race day creates fear and anxiety in part because we cannot know what the future will bring. In those moments, I encourage athletes to focus instead on what you DO know and what you CAN control.

In this episode, I give you a rundown on those controllables. With the Houston Marathon/Half Marathon as the backdrop, we talk about how to prepare both physically and mentally for everything that you will encounter pre-race and during the race to give you the best chance of hitting your goal.

In this final episode of the year, I answer questions from you! With questions from the UK, Canada, and all over the US, we cover caffeine and training, VO2Max, race planning, when to press vs. rest, osteoporsis and running, race goals, and so much more!

Thanks to everyone who sent in a questions.

I will be taking next week off, and episode #363 will release on January 10th. Happy New Year everyone!

How important is strength training for runners?

Very important, but you have to do it the right way. It should support and supplement your running and not take away from it.

In this episode, I give you 5 principles to construct your strength routine in a way that it will be additive to your running. Hint: it isn't about massive lifting sessions where you can't life your arm or move your legs the next day. It won't impress your social media, but it will lead to times that impress your Garmin!