The Happy Runner

I just ran the first 100 kilometers in the New Balance SC Elite v4. One of the most anticipated carbon plated running shoes of early 2024.

Will try to give you my honest opinion on what I think about the shoe and how it felt running in it.

Shin splints are one of the most common injuries for runners. In this episode we talk with Marie what they are, why we get them, how to avoid them and what to do, if we get them.

As for all injuries, we should seek advice from an expert and as Marie is one, you can reach out to her, if you need.

I waited quite long to publish my goals for this year. But just over the last days I finalized my race plan for this year.

Therefore I'm publishing my goals end of February.

Not only my running goals but also my personal goals for the Happy Runner podcast and some other running related goals I have for this year.

Rather than exact training plans I want to talk about all aspects that are important when training for a fast 5k and also the fact why marathon and half marathon runners like me are struggling to run a fast 5k.

This episode is also for those new to running that want to get advice on how to run a 5k race faster.

In case you need a training plan according to your personal goals you can reach out to me over email:

I know, if you want to run a sub 1.45 you need to be 15 minutes faster then those who want to run a sub 2 hour half marathon. But the training structure itself is not that different for those two time goals, that's why I decided to talk about both in the same episode.

The biggest difference are the paces you'll be training (or running) at and the longrun. The longest longrun for a sub 1.45 half marathon should be over the race distance but for a sub 2 hour half marathon 18k will be enough.

S sub 4 hour marathon is a big goal for a lot of marathon runners. But before you even start with such a training plan, there are certain criteria you as a runner should meet. I will let you know if them and why they are important.

Another big thing is time you need to dedicate for your training and of course the training structure itself.

A sub 4 hour marathon is competitive and therefore a good training structure is important. You'll get the information about what and why in this episode of the podcast.

In a training block that's going over several weeks, we have good runs but also some bad runs. It's perfectly OK to have such runs. In the end they will make us even stronger. What's important is, how we deal with such runs. I had one just a week ago, a good example. I know what went wrong and why ... and I know that I will not repeat the same. Because if I would the same run would not go to plan even the second time.

We learn from such runs, learn on how to adjust.

Do you know your fitness level before starting a training block? If not you may be running your runs way too fast, that can result in fatigue and higher risk of overtraining or even injury. Before we start with a training block we should test or fitness to make sure we will be training according to our capabilities ... not what we hope to be able to run.

And during a longer training block an additional fitness test is welcome, so we can adjust our training according to the result from the test. Such a test race doesn't take much time, we can plan one every now and then. After the test be honest with yourself and adjust your training accordingly. Listening to this episode will give you more insight, why running at the right paces in training is important.

You can just run every run about the same but there will not be much progress. The smarter way is to hire a running coach or you write a training plan fo yourself. The most important thing is, that your plan has a good structure. A structure, that will support you and is tailored to the goals you have.

In the first part of todays episode I talk about the structure of my current marathon training block and in the second part I explain how a structure of a training block should look like, from 5k up to the marathon.

Today I host Kit. A runner, youtuber and a triathlete. She will share some insights into her running background and talk, why entering running races is a good thing. More then that she will also give some advice for those new to running and those of you who just started. Who knows, maybe she will even inspire you to lace up your shoes and go outside.

As most of us I was not lucky enough to run London marathon next year. Now with this out of the way I made my final plans till the end of this year. Not just around the races I'm gonna run but also how I'm gonna train for my next marathon.

Sure: there are some things that will just stay as they are but otherwise I'm gonna try out a few new things and from the first few weeks I did some of them I know they work.

It there a magic formula, a quick fix that will make you run faster?

Well if there is such a thing please share the information with me. As far as I know it takes time, dedication, consistency, hard work and mental strength … and that is the ugly truth about running faster.

Summer started a few days ago in the northern hemisphere. It’s warmer and the outside conditions during the next few months will not be in our favor. In this episode you'll find my tips, that will help you to enjoy your runs even during those hot summer days.

Maybe the best of all advices is the goal and reward system I talk about. It's the first time I'm trying this for myself and after just a few weeks I can see that it work. At least for me.

If you are looking for a good drink mix you can check out victus sports. It's an affiliate link and I get a small commission from each purchase:

There are many different was or techniques to overcome dark thoughts when running a race, a long or a fast run. I speek mostly from my own perspective and what helps me.

Most important is to mentally prepare yourself for the race. You'll find more on the topic in the previous episode of The Happy Runner. If you are well prepared, chances are that you may not drift away into the dark.

At the end of this episode I also give my thoughts, why we get dark thoughts during races.

Mental training for a race starts way before race day. For me it starts when I plan my next race and start working on my training plan. Personally I think that with mental training our running will improve. Not only the speed we are running at. We will be happier, more focused and running will become easier and more manageable, even on those harder days.

I use a lot of visualization techniques when preparing for races. Why I do them, how I do them and when? Well, you will find out this and even more in this episode.

What happens after we hit 50, is a decline in performance. A decreasing aerobic capacity, loss of muscle mass and an increase in body fat. There are ways to slow the changes or even reverse them. Not huge changes. What we as runners need to do are small changes that will postpone the changes in our body. If we start to train and live smart we still will be able to run fast and strong after 50.

I'm 52 and just a few weeks ago I ran my marathon PB and about 6 months ago, just before I turned 52 my half marathon PB. If you ask me it's possible to run fast after 50 but you need to be smart about your training, nutrition and recovery.

Today I am sharing with you what really happened at Prague marathon 2023 where I ran a new marathon PB of 3:16:02. I have done my best to cover as much as possible and go into as much detail as possible, not only the race but also the course itself and the conditions. So you will find this episode even useful if you plan to run the Prague marathon in the next years.

If you have any questions regarding the course or the race feel free to contact me.

You know I'm not much into review but to be honest I was intrigued when approached by Mike from Oladance to test their earbuds or as they call the wearable stereo. So after more than a year of running without music or listening to podcasts from fellow creators I decided to try running with music again. If you want to find out more about the wearable stereo from Oladance and my thoughts on the product ... well, you can hear all you need to know in this episode of The Happy Runner podcast.

When over 40 we are over our prime when it comes to physical activities, running included. But there are still ways to stay and run strong even while getting older. Today I'm not gonna talk much about the impact of age on running. I will rather give you a few tips how to still be able to run strong when in your 40's.

One topic that's also addressed in this episode is pilates. Some time ago I hosted Molina on the podcast. She is a Yoga and Pilates instructor and those of you who want to find out more about Yoga and Pilates for runners can find her thoughts on the topic in our chat. Link below:

I just ran my first half marathon of the year and guess what? It was a big learning lesson. Probably this was the most controlled half marathon that I ever ran but it felt good. So don’t go out and make mistakes, learn from my experience.

Lately I did some changes to my marathon training and I can feel I’m moving in the right direction with these changes. I feel stronger, more rested and more in control while running.

Why another review of the New Balance 1080 v12? Well, I got a pair from Top4Running for testing and reviewing and I think that for some this shoe is a great, if not the best option there is. The model is almost a year old and lately there are some great deals for the shoe. With the New Balance 1080 v12 you will get a shoe that can do almost everything: from easy runs, even run - walks, up to 5k or even marathon racing. But maybe not for everyone.

Best is to listen to what I have to say about the shoe.

As I mentioned in the first part of the podcast you can buy the shoe also in the top4running EU online store. Just use the link below and with code: Roman you get a 5% additional discount on most of the items. It's an affiliate link and I get a small fee from each purchase you make. It help's me to keep this podcast running.

Do you want to know what motivates Marlene to go out runnig? What her tips are to live a healthy lifestyle? Or maybe you just want to find out more how she came to running and what her goals and plans are for this year?

We can still run fast when getting older but there are a few things we need to concider. Probably the two most important are my first and my last advice. Not that all the others don't matter. 

All in all we need to train smarter. But before I'll go too much into detail listen to the episode and find out how I managed to run a personal best over the marathon distance at the age of 52. I know, what works for me might not work for you but you can give it a try.

We all know the importance of aerobic base training and we know that this is the foundation we as runners need to start with our race specific work. But is aerobic base training just about running easy and moderate? Do we also need to include some faster workouts, interval sessions and tempo runs into our aerobic base training? Is this maybe the time to try some new things?

You have questions, I give you answers.

Well there’s no easy answer to the question. Some train for up to 20 weeks for a race, some only a week or two. Personally I’m not a fan of too long training blocks when it comes to running. A better solution in my eyes is to … well, you’ll find out more if you listen to the episode.

In the last years a lot was written about the 80/20 training principal and how it should be the best for runners. But is it really the best? Does 80/20 training really work? Or are there other training principals that work better?

I found a study that claims, that 80/20 is not the best and while looking back at my last marathon training plan I realised, that I did almost the same as suggested by this study. It worked more then well for me. With this kind of training structure I was able to run a 12 minute marathon PB last year in Berlin.

Are you struggling to run a fast 5k or 10k if you mostly run half marathons or marathons? Scaling down the distance doesn’t mean that we able to run much faster. Find out why and find out what to do to successfully run faster when scaling down the race distance.

The running story of Sarah is a bit different. Why? Well her first race was a marathon. Not just any marathon but the New York City marathon. Well, since then she did also half marathons and 10k races ... and for this year she plans ... well, listen to her and you will find out about her running story, her life, her plans ... and even some tips for those new to running.

What is important to become a runner? How to start with your running journey? What kind of equipment do you need?

Find answers to this questions and more in this weeks episode of the podcast.