Explore every episode of the podcast Keep Going

In this wide ranging episode we trace how being the best at what you do can play into a beautiful life. Dave Matthews Band, politics & if racing is dying off are the framing points but where we end up is being excellent is a personal journey. 

We hit another four quick takes this week & we relate much of this to the idea of training by feel. We also talk about the Breaking 4 performance before the event happens. 

• Performance: what is the optimal time of day to train?
• Progress: when do we know we are fit?
• Pain: varieties of pain
• Breaking 4

In this very special episode, Michael shares his Atreyu journey. Having recently announced that Atreyu would not be continuing to produce shoes & would be shutting down at the end of 2025, Steve asks Michael some questions about his Atreyu journey. This episode is not the whole story, by any stretch, but it is a conversation around what really matters. 
We hope you enjoy this candid conversation around Michael's Atreyu journey. 
Godspeed, friends; godspeed. 

Welcome to Riffs! In this experimental episode in which we unpack four distinct topics in 10-15 minute segments instead of one topic over an hour. 
The Riff topics are: 

• Waterstops
• Hunger
• Race Day Fitness Indicators
• Rain

If you like this format, please send us a few topics/concepts that you'd like us to riff on & we'll pull them all together in our next Riffs episode.  

In this episode Michael calls Steve out on his administration of hilly routes for easy long runs. We talk about hills, easy running & how hills can become your superpower.
Godspeed, friends, godspeed.
Note the inclusion of the fantastic Iron Maiden song, Run To The Hills from the classic album, The Number of the Beast.

An extended conversation/diatribe on the value of growth & Late Western Capitalism. We loosely pull in running in a few places but this is definitely way of the beaten path. There does seem to be something in the air, relative to the unhappiness many of feel about the current state of the world: politically, economically & culturally. 
We hope you enjoy this conversation. Godspeed, friends, godspeed.

An invitation to join the experimental Training By Feel Project which will follow an approach of training by feel for any race between 5K & a marathon this fall. If you are interested reach out to me directly at sisson at telosrunning dot com. 
Also, we are looking for listener input on topics for Michael & Steve to riff on for a maximum of 15 minutes. We'll take your topics & curate them with others of our own & the Telos Running community to put out a couple of hot/cold takes on any topic you'd like us to riff on. Just reach out at the email above. 
This one is super short & sweet, ya'll. 
Godspeed. 

This is the initial exploration of an experiment we are planning for this fall. Listen along & look for the next episode - a solo one by Steve unpacking & presenting the project more concretely. Reach out if if you have any questions: sisson at telosrunning dot com. 
Godspeed, my friends, godspeed. 

Even though we didn't plan this episode to link up so well with the last one (see Ep 88: Liminal Running (Part I): Breaking Frames), it just does. A continued bending of the tariffs impact on Atreyu & Michael's livelihood with one of Steve's major philosophical positions, soul-style. 
We really catch a groove here & are interested in your feedback, if you've got any. Thanks for listening, we truly appreciate our listeners. Godspeed, y'all, godspeed. 

Man, this podcast is so fucking cool. I mean, it certainly is an acquired taste - like nattō or Limburger cheese or Mr Twit's Odious Ale - but when it hits, it hits. This episode (88) should be paired with the next episode (89, duh) in terms of full on Keep Going. We sense we are getting into rarified air, if lack of oxygen is your thing, in these two epsiodes of sharing our personal experiences alongside some pop culture references & our continued anti-running culture vibes. We are't likely gonna win over any new listeners with tour views, but we will continue to explore the liminal spaces of running experience.  
We really can't categorize these two episode so just trust us: a mouthful of nattō is NOT a bad thing. 
Godspeed, expeditionaries, godspeed. 

A little musical prelude where we talk about Dan Reeder, Ted Lucas & Charles Bukowski before we wander back into the AI discourse on our way to what beauty & art mean in our current crazy world. Steve asks Michael about these damn tariffs & we all get a great education on the struggles & strategies around running a small business

For more on this please don't miss Michael's heartful & revealing Tariff Talk on his YouTube channel.  This discussion was recorded on April 3rd & Michael's talk was released a week after this episode. At the time of this episode's release, there were 3.3K views & 182 comments on the video: that's a good bit of discussion around a critical issue for all of the running shoe industry. Consider this discussion as an early iteration on Michael's thinking around the challenges these tariffs will create. 
We hope you enjoy 

Cross training is always a fruitful topic & one we haven't really explored together on this podcast. Michael makes his arguments for why cycling & swimming are really optimal cross training options for the serious runner. 
We also discuss the longterm potential of this podcast, take a listener's recommendations really seriously & ask any of our consistently listeners to chime in on requested topic suggestions. 
This one is for all our dedicated listeners. Godspeed, my friends, godspeed. 

Of of our heroes is the late, great Townes van Zandt & this episode is named after one of his great albums. In this episode we loop back to the ideas of running as Practice & running as Pursuit that we unpacked many months ago. 

Note: If you tried to listen to this early on Monday, March 10th, we'd uploaded a repeat of last week's episode. This has been corrected. If you downloaded it prior to our correction, you may need to refresh to get the actual episode. Sorry for any confusion.
Your intrepid hosts were completely winging it on this one & we thought it might end up on the cutting room floor. Then we decided that we among friends here so why not air out some crazy thoughts & theories. Certainly we meant for there to be more levity & laughter on this one but we ended up getting into the competitive world of distance running & Michael is still waiting for the sport to create format & delivery upgrades before he'll really dive into the sport. Steve gets angry, sad & a more than a little sensitive. We end up shaking hands but it got a little spicy here for a hot minute.  
Trend Topics Include:

• Footwear 
• Apparel
• Training 
• Groups
• Joy of Running

Then an hour long argument around what it would take for there to be more fans of the sport. 

Shit is gettin weird around here, y'all. & fair warning: Steve gets really riled up on this one. & drops lots & lots of f-bombs.
It's helpful to remind you that this is just a conversation between friends. 
If you take this episode's title at face value, you may be a bit confused for the first 10-15 minutes where we touch into personal addictions & thoughts on sobriety. Eventually we transition into our more general discussion around magic & the desire we all have for altered states. Our foundation is that our current models of what is real & how the world is represented by our senses are not up to the task of what we desire around meaning & purpose. We talk about how language & communication are complicit in the way we experience the world, how are conditioning & mindsets can hold us captive if we do not examine them closely & ensure they are working for you.
We eventually get to a place where we recognize suffering is so helpful to our lived experience, especially as runners.
For anyone interested in egregores see THIS reddit thread.  
Join us on a journey where we explore a magical way of experiencing the world & our running, more specifically.this is some deep shit, friends, Godspeed. 

Please be patient in listening to this episode, friends. We take a little while to get rolling on our topic but we think its worth your time & listening investment.  ichael & Steve use the analogy of playing a musical instrument for how we might approach our body/mind experience in running. As Michael is learning how to bring his music theory & experience of musicianship to learning how to play the pedal steel. We take that & run with it, no pun intended. Steve ends with a short introduction of his developing theory of Four Intelligences. 
We end with a little outro music from Michael, for your listening experience. 
Godspeed, friends, godspeed. 

While this was entirely unintended, this episode feels like a part two of last week's discussion. This one leans into the struggles we both feel about this late capitalist, social media saturated attention economy as entrepreneurs & "experts" in our respective fields. What would happen if it all fell apart? Is mission enough? What is our expertise worth? We wrestles with these topics & many more in an attempt to stay optimistic & creative in a challenging market that seems to suck the soul from any entrepreneurial effort. 
We hope this frank & vulnerable conversation resonates with you. Godspeed, friends, godspeed. 

A deep dive into training with a group & what training even is anyway. Is "Everything is Training" really true? What about when you aren't in a series training mode? How do you process not having a goal race staring right down your face? In this episode we cover a lot of ground but we stay committed to the topic & hope you enjoy our ponderings. Until next time, friends, godspeed!

We dive into a favorite topic of Steve's: listening to your body. Along the way we discuss the Japanese kōan, guitar pedals, old school running magazines, book collecting, etc. 
In this episode, Steve mentioned that he has an online lecture series created in 2020 that he was willing to offer. If you are interested, send Steve an email at sisson at telosrunning dot com. 
We hope y'all enjoy this one & godspeed!

Appreciation of the radio, early Genesis & Keep Going Radio kick this episode off but our main topic is on the importance of racing various race distances for all runners. We cover how training for & racing different race distances is incredibly beneficial for all runners. We hope you enjoy this one...
Godspeed, friends, godspeed. 

We start with Steve's experience of the "Fuck You Beer" & move into much more important matters like Michael's discontinuing of Atreyu's iconic Base Model. We recorded this episode on December 12, 2024. It seems important to mention this at the outset of this episode. There is a lot of early chatter around bodily functions - yikes Steve - but it is all a part of what we appreciate about this podcast: conversation. 
There is a lot in this discussion around endings, getting older, dying & the Tibetan Book of the Dead. 
Par for the course over here in Austin, Texas. 
Godspeed, my friends, godspeed. 

"Aspiration without attachment." - Michael

Please join us in a discursive, yet oddly flowing conversation exploring the paradoxes around being an Artist.
 
For more on Michael's analogy of "a vending machine on Mars" see below, curated from the Atreyu Running's newsletter that you should be subscribed to: 

Before there was Atreyu, there was this audacious dream: to design a pair of running shoes that could be purchased from a vending machine on Mars. I know, I know... it's a wacky idea, but stick with me. This motivation was vivid and visceral to me. It still is.

I have this philosophy about goal-setting: it’s about daring to transcend the logical confines of a reasonable outcome. For instance, if we aim to move from a 4 to a 7 on a 1–10 scale (any goal, any task), I find myself best served by aspiring toward a 15, only to land, serendipitously, on an 8 or a 9. Occasionally, I even achieve an 11, and have the opportunity to recalibrate my prior boundaries of excellence. Magic.

The audacity of the goal is something to revere and embrace. The storytelling boldness alone has the capacity to catapult us beyond the familiar, pushing us into uncharted territory: the “exploration zone.” It allows us to glide gracefully over the incremental steps required to achieve the goal. Yes, those small victories are vital, but shooting for the audacious 15 becomes the beacon that keeps us inspired and invigorated in the pursuit.

With that said, I am renewing my commitment to this challenge of the world's first vending machine in space. If humanity ever ascends to the point of running marathons in space, I fervently hope Atreyu is the title sponsor of the race, outfitting you with marathon finisher metal worthy of the stars.

Wishing you boundless success in your own endeavors as you reach for the seemingly unattainable. Dream big, and always remember: Huge goals are a mosaic of tiny victories, thoughtfully strung together in an extraordinary way.

_michael

P.S. A shoe is just a shoe until you imbue it with meaning. I hope your Atreyus carry you on an adventure that’s nothing short of extraordinary.

We hope you enjoy this conversation. Godspeed, my friends, godspeed. 

Neither of your two intrepid co-hosts planned to continue to explore, analyze & interrogate "the race experience", but here we are. The past few months have followed Michael's preparation & execution for the 2024 Detroit Marathon & we covered significant prep/debrief in episodes 71 & 72. Then in episode 73 we discussed the importance of felt-sense for training & racing thinking we'd moved on...& that was not the case. in this discussion, I felt it was really important to unpack more a specific comment Michael made in the episode on felt-sense. Here we unpack this in much greater detail. 
This episode was recorded on November 7th but will be released almost a month later because we took a break for The Running Event (TRE) & Thanksgiving. I made the executive decision to release our November 14th conversation earlier to coincide with when The Running Event is actually happening. 
We'll be back with you in December. Godspeed, my friends, godspeed. 

This episode is released as The Running Event (TRE) - an annual trade conference for the running industry - is in full swing in our hometown of Austin, Texas. As a provocation, I asked Micheal the question "What's New In Running?" thinking we might just skate along the surface. Instead, Michael unloads in an open & honest reflection of the thoughts, insights & fears surrounding the business side of the business of running. Godspeed, my friends, godspeed. 

What is the felt-sense? How important is it for runners to be conversant & skilled in the varieties of the feeling states we encounter in our running practice & pursuit? While this episode only scratches the surface on this topic, it does try to grapple with what we feel is a critically overlooked aspect of training & racing for runners across a variety of domains, from footwear to easy running to racing paces & effort. 
We hope you enjoy this episode. Godspeed, my friends, godspeed. 

In part two of our race series discussion around Michael's Detroit Marathon performance, we debrief his experience. Surprises ensue, respect is gained. Godspeed my friends, godspeed. As mentioned in the short intro, check out THIS REALLY COOL RACE VIDEO Michael made documenting his race experience for his Man on the Run YouTube channel. Very cool & inspiring. Like & subscribe, as they say. 
Godspeed, my friends, godspeed. 

Consider the first of a two part series on the Detroit Marathon 2024. Michael & Steve create a race strategy for Michael's Detroit Marathon run from scratch in this episode & in the one well release tomorrow, we'll debrief the race itself. 
Godspeed! 

This conversation goes a thousand different directions. If you need a little help in determining if you want to join us on this crazy ride based on the topics we cover, here are a few: flat earth theory, running monoculture, the mind as immune system, recovery, failure/mistakes are required, capitalism, suffering well, etc.

This is the podcast episode we reference in this episode: AI EXPERT ON THE DAWN OF CONSCIOUSNESS. 
Curt Jaimungle's Theories of Everything podcast is one of Steve's favorites. In this episode, he interviews William Hahn, associate professor of Mathematical Sciences & CEO of an AI AI 
William is a technologist and researcher, specializing in the intersection of artificial intelligence, programming languages, and the nature of consciousness.

The taper is the least discussed aspect of a runner's training plan that causes the most distress in the 2-3 weeks before a command performance race. Michael & Steve break it all down in this episode. Godspeed, y'all!

A conversation exploring beauty & how it plays into our experiences of running. 

In this episode of the Keep Going podcast, Michael & I discuss the psychology of running. 

In this episode we trace many of the mistakes that an athlete makes at the midpoint of their training for a big command performance. Ostensibly, it is about dialing your strategies in way before race day: pacing for your race, dialing a specific strategy, fine tuning nutrition, getting your shit straight NOW!  Don't make the mistake of waiting until your taper phase to be planning your work & working your plan. 
Godspeed, my friends, godspeed. 

We finally take a break from all the track & field talk & get back to talking training. Michael has been following the telos Running training model in preparation for his upcoming marathon in Detroit. In this episode we catch back up with his training progress, answer some questions & do what we are pretty "famous" for here at Keep Going, talking shit about running. We discuss mileage, how to execute in hot/humid conditions & adapting to these on race day, "sneaking in" last chance Boston qualifying races, strength training - in praise of the pistol squat!, curiosity & creativity in training, racing off feeling-based training & more. This one is a little of a grab-bag discussion be we cover a lot of ground &, as usual, have so much fun talking training. We hope you enjoy this one where we get back in the flow of the "typical" Keep Going content.
Please don't puke! 
Godspeed, friends, godspeed. 

Halfway through the Olympic Games, Michael continues to reflect on his track & field education. We reflect on our experiences as fans during the amazing Paris Olympics.  This episode was recorded on August 8th, about halfway through the Olympics T&F events. We know we are risking a little overkill for some of you who prefer our discussions around running culture & training more than this experiment in building a track & field fan. But we know there are some of you who are loving this shit. Don't worry. We'll get back to regular Keep Going content in the coming episodes. 

Definitely a provocative title, but true to how a new fan has experienced this compressed tutoring in the sport. This episode was recorded way back in early July, post-Olympic Trials & Pre-Olympics. For certain this is outdated discussion but we still feel like its interesting listening for those who have been following our ongoing attempts to turn Michael into track fan, for those who are interested in Steve's "hot takes" (racism, elitism, diversity, etc) & for our thoughts on how the sport is distributed across media channels. 
Godspeed, my friends, godspeed. 

You can't get strong & fast at the same time.
-Steve Sisson

A mistake many runners make at some point in their running career is breaking the rule above. This episode covers the dangers of ramping up mileage while in the specific phase of a training plan. Steve describes the phases that he uses in any training program: Base, Foundations, Specific & Taper. We also discuss what the right mileage is for marathoners, what pace should our easy runs be & can they be too slow, & what about doing doubles? & much more great training intel in this episode. We hope you enjoy & godspeed. 

This is a special episode discussing/analyzing the first half of the Olympic Trials this past week in Eugene.

The Women's 800m Final Video

The Women's 5000m Final Video

The Men's 1500m Final

The Men's 10,000m Final

In this special edition of Keep Going, Michael & Steve interview Darian Allberry, Head of User Experience or "Product Translator" at Coros. They discuss smartwatches, GPS & data & their uses in our training experience. 

This episode ends up being a continuation of last week's discussion around the important aspects any runner should be considering when starting a training plan. We covered so much ground last week but it felt to us that there were still things we needed to address. 
Every runner who embarks on a training journey desires transformation. Ultimately, every runner who sets a goal time for a race wants to be somewhere different from where they find themselves in the moment. They are desiring transformation. & because they are working extremely hard for this change, there is a significant risk that if they don't hit the mark, there will be significant disappointment. 
So the training process is very serious business. What do we need to be considering in order to be ready for the transformation we desire. Listen along as we unpack this more deeply. Godspeed, my friends, godspeed. 

Last time around we covered the essentials of a quality session. This time around we attempt to cover what to consider when starting a training cycle. Jury is out on whether we succeed or not. What we most certainly do is get our rant on. Steve pops off all over the goddamn place. Trigger warnings for vegans, overreachers, those who are full of shit & many others. This is definitely a wide open conversation heavy on Steve's "strong opinions".
Godspeed, friends, godspeed. 

What makes a workout something other than just a run? In this training deep dive, Michael & Steve describe the architecture of a workout. The two categories we use are form & function - following the famous quote of Louis Sullivan: "Form ever follow function." 
The full quote is pretty cool, actually:

 Whether it be the sweeping eagle in his flight, or the open apple-blossom, the toiling work-horse, the blithe swan, the branching oak, the winding stream at its base, the drifting clouds, over all the coursing sun, form ever follows function, and this is the law. Where function does not change, form does not change. The granite rocks, the ever-brooding hills, remain for ages; the lightning lives, comes into shape, and dies, in a twinkling.

It is the pervading law of all things organic and inorganic, of all things physical and metaphysical, of all things human and all things superhuman, of all true manifestations of the head, of the heart, of the soul, that the life is recognizable in its expression, that form ever follows function. This is the law.

-Louis Sullivan

In our discussion we break things down as such:

Form

• pace/effort
• distance/duration
• rest/recovery
• warm-up/cool-down

Function

• variation
• specificity
• one discrete whole
• purpose

We go pretty deep here. Enjoy & godspeed, my friends, godspeed. 

In essence a Part II of episode 54 - The Privilege, in this episode we unpack Michael’s IM Woodlands race experience. We cover how we can think through race results that go wrong & so much more.

The Women's 10K/5K History

The 10K wasn't even added into the WC or Olympics until 1988.  

Again, the domination by the East African countries, especially Ethiopia & Kenya has been total. 

I'll mention Ingrid Kristiansen, a Norwegian badass in the 80's who revolutionized the women's 5000/10,000 before moving up & getting steam-rolled in big races by the inimitable Joan Benoitin the inaugural women's Olympic Marathon (LA-1984). After this though, she utterly dominated the marathon between 1985-1989. Why is she not the GOAT? 4th in 1984; DNF in 1988. 

After this the East Africans come in & start dominating, same as with the men. 

Recent Results setting up 2024 Paris Olympics

10K/5K

2019 World Championships at Doha: VIDEO & SUMMARY

2020 Solo WR by Letesenbet Gidey at Valencia with the wavelights VIDEO 

2021 Olympics in Tokyo VIDEO not the full race unfortunately & SUMMARY

2022 World Championships in Eugene VIDEO & SUMMARY

2023 World Championships in Budapest VIDEO & SUMMARY

The women's 5K/10K players over the past 5 years.
Sifan Hassan (1500m to Marathon) the world's greatest all around talent, hand's down.. But she loves to play. & simply wants to enjoy her career. If winning happens (& don't get it twisted...she wants to WIN) so be it. If not, she honors the Gift. 

Letesenbet Gidey (WR - 10K/Half/fastest marathon debut ever) Perhaps the greatest overall potential. But she has a hard time holding off the kickers - except in Eugene. 

Hellen Obiri (NYC Marathon wins '22 & '23; 5K World Champion '17 & '19; 5K Olympic silver in Tokyo; 10K World Championship silver '22)
Gudaf Tsegay (5K WR - 14:00.21/10K World Champ '23; 5K WC '22; 1500m silver WC '22)

Faith Kipyegon: The greatest miler of all time AGOAT (male or female...the A stands for Absolute) moved up to the 5K last year at the WC & won an epic battle with Sifan. 

Americans: 

Kara Goucher was our last great 10K woman. We have some solid potential here but we don't have our Grant Fisher yet. 

Alicia Monson was stellar in the WC 10K battling to 5th but will struggle since the event is dominated by women who ha e equal or greater aerobic talent & sub 4 min 1500m wheels & gears on top of gears.

& Karrissa Schwitzer has been close but can't hold up under the final 800m pressure.
Elise Cranny could be in there but it seems she wants to move down to the  1500m/5K. 

We have seen women lead the world in willingness to move freely between the roads & the track, led by my favorite runner - male or female - right now, Letensebet Gidey. The most representative race to cover in the 2022 Eugene WC 10K Race. Watch the final 800m (30:54)Until the rash of WR 5K performances this past summer, Gidey held the WR in the 50K, 10K, 15K road (where, in the final 10K, she ran the fastest time ever recorded by a woman at the time - 29:12) & the Half Marathon. SHe's run two marathons now Valencia - 2:16 where she was 2nd in her debut - fastest debut ever - & 2nd at this fall's NYC Marathon. 

But Obiri is now the NYC/Boston x2 champ & looks to be the best strategic marathoner in the world. But what will happen in the 5K/10K this summer? 

I am most excited for these two races in Paris. 

--

Where we start with X - & weak sauce social media takes, move into Michael's pre-race thoughts around IRONMAN Texas on April 27th (no pressure, dude!) & finish with privilege of celebrating the human experience of training & racing.
Hot takes on Death, predictive processing, & the recent Kara Goucher/Rich Roll episode.
We hope you dig this one. 
Godspeed, my friends, godspeed. 

In this episode Steve takes a deep dive into the 10,000m track event in our series on trying to make Michael into a track & field fan in anticipation of the 2024 Olympics in Paris. For the notes Steve created to help introduce Michael to the event, please see below.
Please note that we while we didn't go into the women's 10K nearly enough, we'll continue to bring out the important storylines over the coming months to ensure Michael has as much intel on the women's events as the men's. 

The 10,000m Episode Notes

• Relevance. It's more likely that you have experience running/racing the 10K than the 800m. Also, you understand the energy needs for this event more than the 800m. 
• The TEN. One of the biggest 10Ks of the year was run this weekend. Sound Running put on the their yearly 10K on So Cal in perfect conditions where athletes were trying to get their Olympic standards. This provides an excellent opportunity for you to watch the race before we talk & have it top of mind.
  Here is a link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdnO--7pbP4
  You won't know many/any? of the names before watching this video & I won't be surprised if you want to fast forward to the final 5 min or so. If you do fast forward, I recommend you jump to 17 min (18:17 on the video). One argument for listening all the way through is you can get a chance to be exposed some of the lingo & energy. 
• How To Qualify for the Olympics. This will give us a chance to go over the rather confusing & complicated process for getting on the starting line of the 10K in Paris. 
• Another important 10K happened over the weekend in Spain where two of the favorites for the 10K gold medal ran on the roads. You can see that HERE of you are interested. 

Main Discussion Points

• We want to talk distance. How the event feels when racing. 
• We want to talk surface. Track (25 laps of the 400m track) vs Cross Country vs Road. 
• I want to talk about technology & how wavelight & new "super" spike/shoe tech has revolutionized the distance. Also, here is an interesting review of the top 6 models as of summer 2023.
• I want to talk a quick overview of the history of the event: Flying Finns, Emil Zatopek & then the African Dominance of the past 30 years. See below for a bit more on that. 
• Set Up for the Olympic 10K final. 
• Is the 10K redundant?

Quick History
The Men

• The Flying Finns: Paavo Nurmi & the dominance of Finland in the first 
• Emil Zatopek, of Czechoslovakia 
• East/North African Dominance 

At the World Championships, between 1991-2023, out of 51 potential medals, 47 were won by East or North Africans. The other four were won by Mo Farah of Great Britain, who was born & raised in Somalia, in East Africa. . 

At the Olympics, between 1988-2020, out of 21 potential medals East/North Africans won 17 of 21. 2 of these were Mo Farah. The other two were an Italian in 1988 (EPO era) & Galen Rupp in 2012. 

There have been a few eras in the 10K since the 70's.

• The Lasse Viren era (Prefontaine & Frank Shorter competed in this era).
• The Haile Gebraselassie/Paul Tergat era.
• The Kenenisa Bekele era.
• The Mo Farah era.
• & the Joshua Cheptegai era we are in currently. 

The Women

Women did not begin competing in the 10K until the late 80's at the World Championships (1987) & 1988 Olympics. 

Similar story to the men in the dominance of East/North Africans in the event. 

Recent Results & Race Videos setting up 2024 Paris Olympics

2019 World Championships at Doha: VIDEO & SUMMARY

2020 Solo WR by Joshua Cheptegai at Valencia with the wavelights VIDEO & SUMMARY

2021 Olympics in Tokyo VIDEO & SUMMARY

2022 World Championships in Eugene VIDEO OF FINAL 1K & SUMMARY

2023 World Championships in Budapest SHORTER VIDEO & SUMMARY

The TEN (VIDEO) was raced this weekend & 8 runners got the Olympic Standard. 

& that's just the men. 

In this episode we introduce a series in which we endeavor to educate & inspire Michael to become a track & field fan as we approach the 2024 Paris Olympics. As the series unfolds, we'll go through each of the distance/middle distance events & unpack the event, its history & attempt to set the stage for whatever transpires this spring & summer. It is an incredible time to be a track fan. Each event now has an unprecedented about to drama, really compelling storylines & rivalries & we are seeing an absolute renaissance in the sport, & especially in the middle & ling distances as America is finally competitve & the hegemony of the East & North Africans is beginning to be broken up. It is a very exciting time to be a fan. We hope you'll consider joing us on this journey we call Hoe To Become A Track Fan: An Introduction. Godspeed my friends, godspeed. 

In this episode Steve critiques Michael's strength training regimen. We cover four domains that should be considered when spending any time working on developing strength.

Some links to resources discussed in this episode:
The two classic text's Steve references here are by Jay Dicharry are Anatomy for Runners & Running Rewired. 

In this episode we discuss the roots of being local. In Austin, we have a local business support rallying cry that has become the de facto Austin vibe: Keep Austin Weird. We spend a lot of time wrestling with the concept of being local in a global running culture. This is our 50th episode & while we don't really celebrate the milestone in any concrete way, we definitely hit our favorite themes here.
Godspeed, my friends, godspeed.
 
Some links around what we discuss in this episode:
Comedor Running Club in Austin
Atreyu Run Club is Michael's crew in Austin.
Episode 25 where Paul Carrozza challenges us to invest in local events.

We've decided to jettison the intro & drop the needle right into the deep track. Let us know if you miss it...I certaily won't miss doing it!

What an awesome opportunity Michael & I had last week to interview the legendary Leo "The Lion Manzano.  This is a personal & wide-ranging discussion around his experiences in the sport & industry of distance running. One of Keep Going's missions is to explore local running culture & this episode does not disappoint on that level, but it is also so much more. Leo is incredibly candid, funny & insightful in detailing how a young Hispanic boy in Granite Shores/Marble Falls with limited options or opportunities ran himself into the American running legend he his today.
In this episode we cover a lot of ground but spend most of our time discussing Leo's local Central Texas roots & racing experiences. If you don't know who Leo Manzano is, you must be living under a rock. He won the first Olympic medal in the 1500m in the 2012 London Olympics in 44 years. As we discuss here, we argue that Leo - & his University of Texas teammates between 2004-2008 - fundamentally changed the face of American distance running.
Leo has two ventures we are excited to support. Check out his store at www.leomanzano.com. Leo is also announcing very soon his involvement in the new Border Line Track Club, founded by Paul Carrozza this spring. This group's unique feature - besides having both Paul & Crayton, his six-time All-American son, onboard - is to help athletes who find themselves in limbo in their collegiate career. There are many athletes who find themselves pushed out of the collegiate system. This group will allow these athletes to bridge back to the collegiate system, or bypass it altogether if that's the best choice. See this recent FloTrack article for more, We are very excited to see how this venture proceeds & look forward to supporting Leo & Paul in any way we can.
Please enjoy this extended & candid conversation with one of the all time greatest American middle distance runners, Leo "The Lion" Manzano. 

A correction in the audio: Leo was at UT from 2004-2008, not from 2008-2012. 

We have been dancing around the edges of capital P "purpose" in many of our discussions over the past year, but in this episode Michael & I dive in deeper. We consider if purpose should be considered as an ultimate aim or if we are in need of a  less grandiose & more useful conception. As usual we get into pretty deep waters. But you've come to expect that by now. 
So we hope you'll join us for a conversation we call Running & Purpose: Towards a Natural Style. 
Godspeed, my friends, godspeed.