Welcome back to Run to the Top! After a year-long break, we're back with a new format, a new permanent co-host in Coach Sara, and a lineup of new segments designed to make this show more interactive and more useful for your training.

Most runners start fall marathon training by adding miles. The intention is right, but the execution goes wrong immediately: their "easy" runs land in the gray zone, which means every mile costs more recovery than it should.

A study of 119,000 marathon runners found that the fastest finishers weren't training harder. They were running easier, more often.

Today's show covers:

• Why we've been away and what's new with the show
• What easy pace actually means, with real numbers and a 3-test diagnostic you can use today
• The science behind why slow running builds a bigger aerobic engine than moderate running
• 5 specific costs of running your easy days too fast, and how the damage compounds over a training cycle
• A coaching case study: fixing a masters runner whose easy pace was 30 seconds off marathon goal pace

If you're kicking off a fall marathon cycle right now, this is the single most impactful adjustment you can make in week 1. Get this right and the next 16 weeks go better. Get it wrong and you'll spend the cycle fighting fatigue you created on day one.

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Fighting the effects of aging is something I've become more and more passionate about as I push closer to 50. Whether it's improving recovery or maintaining energy levels so I can play with my kids, I am always on the lookout for ways to feel better.

That's why I started taking Blueprint's Longevity Mix a few months ago. The founder is Bryan Johnson, the tech entrepreneur who is constantly experimenting on himself to fight the effects of aging. While some of the things he does may be a little crazy, I appreciate his science-first, research-backed approach.

Most importantly, he's not just trusting the studies, but testing everything himself and tracking biomarkers, publishing the data publicly, and refining everything based on the results.

It's specifically formulated with scientifically-backed ingredients shown to support energy, cognitive performance, mood, focus, sleep, cellular resilience, and healthy aging. Science-backed, precision-dosed, no BS.

For a limited time only, new customers get 20% off + free shipping at blueprint.bryanjohnson.com by using code RTTT at checkout.

If you've been on the fence about creatine, or you tried powder before and dealt with stomach issues, this is worth a look. Creatine is one of the most well-researched supplements out there. It improves muscle recovery, supports bone mineral density, and recent research shows real benefits for endurance athletes, not just sprinters and lifters.

The challenge is getting enough through diet alone — you'd need to eat about 2 pounds of raw beef every day. MAS Edge created a creatine gummy with micronized creatine monohydrate, formulated for endurance athletes. No powder, no stomach issues, just 3 to 5 grams a day consistently.

Head to masedge.com/creatine to check it out.

Pretty much every runner deals with injury setbacks. The silver lining is that the recovery process can teach many important lessons.

Coach Andie Cozzarelli joins us on the show to chat about her own injury setbacks and what you can learn from the recovery process.

This is a special episode because after 13 amazing years, this will be the last episode of Run to the Top. If you're a longtime listener, thank you for your support and we look forward to bringing you more great training content through the RunnersConnect blog and newsletter.

Connect, Comment, Community

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This week's show brought to you by:

Ketone-IQ

You may have read a lot the last few years about the benefits of ketones for endurance performance, such as mitochondrial efficiency and glycogen sparing.

Your body uses ketones for energy typically during fasting, long periods of exercise, or when you don't have as many carbohydrates.

The problem is that you typically need to severely reduce your carbohydrate intake in order to take advantage of them, which is difficult to sustain, even for the most dedicated runner.

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And the academic literature on the effectiveness of ketones for running performance is overwhelming.

For example, a 2021 study demonstrated that the ingestion of ketones improved mitochondrial efficiency by 7% and 2019 study concluded that using ketones significantly enhanced endurance performance while minimizing overtraining.

If you want to see more of the research, head to ketone.com/RTTT

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MAS NAD+ for Runners

Did you know that by Age 40, your NAD+ levels can be half of what they were at 20? And they only go downhill from there.

This is important because lower NAD+ levels have been shown in research to impact some of the hallmarks of aging such as reduced muscle strength, lower mitochondrial performance and overall energy.

But, just because NAD+ levels decline with age doesn't mean you have to accept it.

NAD+ from MAS Edge is a groundbreaking formula that can increase your NAD+ levels by 67%.

Their unique formula enhances absorption by 71% and increases uptake and utilization in the body by 167% compared to generic NAD+ supplements.

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If you're ready to fight all the typical signs of aging and feel a decade younger, this is no-brainer.