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On today’s Q&A episode, Brodie tackles a wide range of listener-submitted questions—covering everything from preparing for mountain races without hills, structuring marathon training in your 50s, and the science of hydration, to managing lateral knee pain, deload weeks, and cardiac drift in ultra events.

The common thread is learning how to train smarter by understanding why your body responds the way it does—and how to adjust accordingly.

Key Questions & Insights

Training for Mountain Events (While Living on the Flats)

• Prioritise VO₂ max development (e.g. Norwegian 4x4 or 30:30 intervals)
• Build strength and power:
  • Walking lunges, split squats, calf raises
• Prepare for downhill demands with eccentric quad training (e.g. reverse Nordics)
• Use incline treadmills and stairs to simulate terrain
• Key principle: bridge the gap between your environment and race demands

Marathon Training at 57 (Sub 3:30 Goal)

• Current structure (4 runs + 2 strength days) is solid
• Ensure 80/20 intensity balance (most running easy)
• Strength training should include:
  • Squats, deadlifts, lunges, calf raises
  • Focus on heavier loads (6–8 reps) for performance gains
• Don’t overlook:
  • Recovery (sleep, nutrition)
  • Deload weeks every 4–5 weeks

Hydration & Recovery (The Science)

Hydration plays a critical role in recovery through:

• Nutrient delivery (oxygen, glucose, amino acids via blood plasma)
• Muscle repair signaling:
  • Hydrated cells promote protein synthesis
  • Dehydrated cells increase protein breakdown
• Glycogen replenishment efficiency

Practical takeaway:

• Measure sweat rate (pre/post run weighing)
• Replace both fluids and electrolytes, especially in long or hot runs

Lateral Knee Pain in Runners

Potential causes discussed:

• ITB friction syndrome (load/repetition-based irritation)
• Patellofemoral pain
• Other joint-related issues (requires proper diagnosis)

Key management strategies:

• Stay below pain threshold (0–1/10)
• Use run-walk strategies to manage load
• Address contributing factors:
  • Cadence
  • Step width
  • Downhill running exposure
• Strength helps, but load management is the priority

How to Structure a Deload Week

Purpose: allow accumulated fatigue to recover and adaptations to occur

Options for strength training deload:

• Reduce frequency
• Reduce load (~30%)
• Reduce range of motion
• Or a combination

Key goal:
Start the next training block feeling fresh, strong, and ready to progress

Cardiac Drift in Long Runs & Ultras

What it is:

• Gradual rise in heart rate despite constant effort

Main contributors:

• Dehydration
• Heat stress
• Glycogen depletion
• Neuromuscular fatigue

Strategies to delay drift:

• Start conservatively (70–75% HR max)
• Prioritise hydration and electrolytes
• Maintain carbohydrate intake (60–90g/hr)
• Manage heat (cooling strategies, pacing adjustments)

Key Takeaways

• Train the physiology required, even if you can’t replicate the exact environment
• Recovery (hydration, sleep, nutrition) is just as important as training
• Pain management = load management first, not just strengthening
• Deload weeks are essential for long-term progression
• Cardiac drift is inevitable, but you can delay and manage it

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Returning to running after injury isn’t as simple as waiting until you’re pain-free and heading back out the door.

In this episode, I sit down with Eric Hegedus to break down a structured, evidence-informed approach to returning to running—based on his clinical commentary and years of working with injured runners.

We dive into how to bridge the gap between rehab and performance, why so many runners get re-injured, and how to use simple tools like TRIMP to guide your training decisions.

If you’ve ever felt unsure about when to run, how much to do, or whether you’re progressing too quickly… this episode gives you a clear framework to follow.

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For MORE Run Smarter Resources 🏃‍♂️📚
- Including Free Injury Prevention Courses 🩹🎓
- The Run Smarter Book 📖
- Access to Research Papers 📄🔍
- & Ways to Work with Brodie 🤝👟
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In this month’s Latest Running Research episode, Brodie breaks down three fascinating studies that challenge common beliefs and refine how runners should approach performance and injury prevention. First, a randomized controlled trial on ketone supplementation reveals that while ketones significantly improve cognitive function—helping with reaction time and mental clarity—they do not improve running performance, efficiency, or fuel utilization. Despite feeling better during efforts, runners didn’t run faster, and some even experienced gastrointestinal issues, raising questions about their real-world value for endurance athletes.

Next, Brodie explores a meta-analysis comparing high-intensity interval training (HIIT) vs moderate continuous running (MICT). The key takeaway: HIIT is more effective at improving running economy (efficiency at submax speeds), particularly at moderate intensities, while steady running is better for improving VO₂ max (your aerobic engine). This reinforces the idea that both training styles serve different physiological purposes—and combining them strategically is the smartest approach for performance gains.

Finally, a newly released review challenges one of the most common rehab narratives: that weak glutes cause poor running mechanics. Across 19 studies, there was no consistent link between hip strength and running biomechanics, and even strengthening programs failed to meaningfully change running form. Instead, Brodie reframes strength training as a way to increase load capacity, not “fix” technique—highlighting the importance of gait retraining and smart load management over blindly strengthening muscles.

🎯 Key Takeaways

• Ketones may sharpen your brain—but won’t make you run faster
• HIIT improves efficiency, steady running builds aerobic capacity → you need both
• Stronger glutes ≠ better running form → focus on capacity, not just mechanics
• Fatigue, load, and training errors remain the biggest drivers of injury risk