Miles Better

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.--Kaizen⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Download the app⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Strava club⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Michael⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Josh

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.--Kaizen⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Download the app⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Strava club⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Michael⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Josh

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.--Kaizen⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Download the app⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Strava club⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Michael⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Josh

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 alsoMichael gives an overview of how he is proactively managing his calf niggle, with the main objective being getting to the start line healthy.--Kaizen⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Download the app⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Strava club⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Michael⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Josh

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.--Kaizen⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Download the app⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Strava club⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Michael⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Josh

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!)--Kaizen⁠⁠⁠⁠Download the app⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Strava club⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Michael⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Josh

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!--Kaizen⁠⁠⁠Download the app⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Strava club⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Michael⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Josh

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.--Kaizen⁠⁠Download the app⁠⁠⁠⁠Strava club⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠Michael⁠⁠⁠⁠Josh

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)Chapters00:00 Introduction to Stoddy Carey01:59 Stoddy's Running Journey05:42 The Speed Project Experience11:07 Fueling for Success16:17 Relay Races and Team Dynamics21:12 Racing Insights and Personal Growth24:20 Overcoming Challenges in Racing25:40 Upcoming Races and Personal Goals27:41 Team Dynamics in Relay Racing30:17 Training Philosophy and Specificity32:30 The Role of Competition in Training35:00 Injury Management and Cross-Training36:44 Wrapping Up and Future Plans--Kaizen⁠Download the app⁠⁠Strava club⁠⁠Website⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠Michael⁠⁠Josh

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.--KaizenDownload the appStrava clubWebsiteInstagramMichaelJosh

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--KaizenDownload the app: https://kaizen.app.link/milesbetterStrava club: https://www.strava.com/clubs/runkaizenWeb: https://runkaizen.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runkaizen/Michael: https://www.strava.com/athletes/32067191Josh: 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.Colehttps://www.instagram.com/colerunning/https://www.strava.com/athletes/6113358--KaizenDownload the app: https://kaizen.app.link/milesbetterStrava club: https://www.strava.com/clubs/runkaizenWeb: https://runkaizen.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runkaizen/Michael: https://www.strava.com/athletes/32067191Josh: 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--KaizenDownload the app: https://kaizen.app.link/milesbetterStrava club: https://www.strava.com/clubs/runkaizenWeb: https://runkaizen.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runkaizen/Michael: https://www.strava.com/athletes/32067191Josh: 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. --KaizenDownload the app: https://kaizen.app.link/milesbetterStrava club: https://www.strava.com/clubs/runkaizenWeb: https://runkaizen.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runkaizen/Michael: https://www.strava.com/athletes/32067191Josh: 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. --KaizenDownload the app: https://kaizen.app.link/milesbetterStrava club: https://www.strava.com/clubs/runkaizenWeb: https://runkaizen.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runkaizen/Michael: https://www.strava.com/athletes/32067191Josh: 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...--KaizenDownload the app: https://kaizen.app.link/milesbetterStrava club: https://www.strava.com/clubs/runkaizenWeb: https://runkaizen.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runkaizen/Michael: https://www.strava.com/athletes/32067191Josh: https://www.strava.com/athletes/1721750

2 weeks of training plus 1 week of taper to go before the first edition of the sub 2:28 challenge at the Barcelona Marathon.Josh has hit a 200km training week for the first time this block and is 80% sure he'll be in PB shape come race day. Michael has pulled out on the back of some rookie mistakes.The bulk of the episode is about how to think about, plan and benefit from B races around your primary race goal (like a marathon), to take advantage of that fitness you've built.Lots of details around responsible scheduling and some of the risks when think about additional races.Episode wraps up with Josh musing about whether to represent Germany or the UK at the European Road Running Champs in Brussels.KaizenDownload the app: https://kaizen.app.link/milesbetterStrava club: https://www.strava.com/clubs/runkaizenWeb: https://runkaizen.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runkaizen/Michael: https://www.strava.com/athletes/32067191Josh: https://www.strava.com/athletes/1721750

Josh is on track for sub-2:28. Michael is trending in the other direction.This episode dives into just how well Josh's training is going and why he's so bullish about his prospects for Barcelona Marathon, and also into some of the issues Michael's facing.Josh's banked 190k in the past week, and is on track to breach 200k in the coming weeks. Day to day consistency has been everything, and he explains a bit about how that.Michael is firmly in a hole and thinks he has some sort of low energy availability issue from not fuelling enough. Reassessing goals and plans accordingly. He shares a bit of his roadmap to get better.Josh explains some of the other ways that training for a marathon can go wrong. The episode wraps up with some back and forth about the sub 2:28 challenge being alive and well over the course of 2025.KaizenDownload the app: https://kaizen.app.link/milesbetterStrava club: https://www.strava.com/clubs/runkaizenWeb: https://runkaizen.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runkaizen/Michael: https://www.strava.com/athletes/32067191Josh: https://www.strava.com/athletes/1721750

Josh and Michael are halfway through their training block, shooting for a sub 2:28 at the Barcelona Marathon on 16 March. Michael has had a major setback and Josh has pretty much been in a different city every day for the past week, yet he is somehow managing to continue increasing his training load.This episode is a deep dive into how to stay motivated with you training when you're pushing your limits and things are getting hard. They talk a lot about being realistic about your situation and adjusting goals accordingly, including when it makes sense to completely ignore the big outcome goal at the end and just focus on the next day.Reasonable amount of chat as to why sunk cost fallacy is not relevant for runners.PSA: we are at the Barcelona Half Marathon Expo this week. Come say hi!KaizenDownload here: https://kaizen.app.link/milesbetterStrava club: https://www.strava.com/clubs/runkaizenWeb: https://runkaizen.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runkaizen/Michael: https://www.strava.com/athletes/32067191Josh: https://www.strava.com/athletes/1721750

This episode features a special guest, Jake Barraclough, who is living proof of the science and principles behind what we're building at Kaizen. Running is simple. Run more to get faster. Jake has been consistently running 200-250km per week since he moved to Japan about 18 months ago, and has improved his marathon PB down to 2:17. He reckons there's more to give (with more training) and is training towards a 2:12 at the Tokyo Marathon in just over one month's time. We dive deep into Jake's running history, motivations and aspirations for the future. Also some chat about Josh and Michael's ongoing training battle to see who can get into sub 2:28 shape for Barcelona Marathon on 16 March. Kaizen Download here: 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 Find Jake YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RanToJapan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rantojapan Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/41200754