I start with my thoughts on Boston's controversial new registration lottery! Then, I turn to a topic that will be important to many of you with big races coming up in August, September, and October. Now, it's time to plan for both the elements you can control and those you cannot.

We talk about the important categories for planning (from logistics to race execution), and then we discuss how to think through potential problems that pop up along the way both in this cycle and the next one. While the specific problems you face might be different than you think, the act of problem solving in your mind will make you better at it so that you are ready for any curve ball on race day.

What does it look like to manifest your future? Is it just thinking and dreaming + magic and hope or it is more?

In this episode, we discuss the tactics behind manifesting your goals. While some of these tactics might sound cheesy, they are backed by science and years of subjective experience. We cover self-talk, affirmations, re-framing negative thoughts, visualization, and problem solving. Plus, we discuss how to turn "failure" into opportunity and the lessons that will lead to eventual success.

It is time to re-program your brain to believe!

We've discussed knowing your purpose. Now, it is time to paint a picture of what you want in this sport.

Your vision is the dream and the big picture which isn't bounded by time. Your goals are the timebound milestones along the way.

In this episode, we talk about the process of creating a vision board and then discuss the do's and don'ts of goal setting. Should you create process or outcome goals? Should you have an "A" goal and "B" goal? How do you find the balance of making the goal a stretch without making it unrealistic? We talk about all of this and more!

There are two big questions underpinning this episode...

• Is mental strength innate or do you build it?
• What's the distance between your true limits and the perceived limits posed by your mind?

We discuss these questions to open the episode. We truly do believe that mental fortitude is built. AND, there is plenty of room to better match your perceived limits with your actual limits.

To do that, you have to work at it, and we break down how to do so. Know your plan. Bring your mental tools to race day. Build the mentality needed to give your all. Execute, apply, learn. And finally, do it with a team to best hone your mental skills.

We are turning the page (pun intended) to a new section of the book where we discuss the mental side of training and racing. And, as cheesy as it might sound, it all starts with knowing your purpose for the run.

Why do you run, and specifically why do run for performance?

For you, running might be about stress relief, health or longevity, but we would submit that there are likely deeper reasons as well, especially if you are listening to us talk.

In this episode, we encourage you to dig into your purpose by creating a statement of purpose for your running. We give you 6 tips and several thought starters for doing so. This might be a scary exercise for you, but we promise it will pay off when the going gets tough in training or racing!

If the long run "puts the tiger in the cat," then the long run workout puts the saber tooth in the tiger!

Yes, we need all of those easy long runs to build the aerobic foundation. Then, as you gain experience and appropriately timed in the cycle, it is important to add quality into your long runs to give you that extra edge for race day. We call these workouts race simulations or race preps because they give you the opportunity to practice that race-day feeling while still saving something for race day.

In this episode, we break down how to do that in an optimal way with all of the do's and don'ts, including example workouts. Are you ready to upgrade some of your long runs with speed? Then, this episode is for you!

There are 3 main pillars of recovery - sleep, nutrition/hydration, and easy movement.

In this episode, we talk about the third pillar. In our training programs, easy movement primarily manifests as recovery running. These are the glacially slow runs that enable blood flow which promote healing for the next long or hard thing. If you are skipping your recovery runs, then you are likely on the bullet train to injury.

So, get in those recovery runs and do them at paces that are slower than you think. Your body will thank you and so will your next PR.

Last week, we talked about the long run, and now this week, we talk about the medium long run.

I call it the "unsung hero" of fitness building, and it's a run that is often overlooked relative to the speed workout or primary long run. In this episode, we discuss why it's really the third leg or pillar in your training that should be given equal weight to those other two.

Listen in to learn about the why and the how of building a robust medium long run to help you smash your goals. It is more important than you think!