Marathon Training Academy

In this episode Coach Athena joins the podcast to answer questions about optimizing running form. Athena ran her first marathon in 2002 and some lessons she learned the hard way! She answers questions about over-striding, heel striking, glute activation, core strength, proper form while running hills, and if it makes sense to tinker with your natural running form. Enjoy! Links Mentioned in This Episode Run Coaching. Work with an expert MTA running Coach. Join the Academy and access our new course Optimizing Your Running Form by Coach Athena! Joint Health Plus by Previnex -prevention is the best medicine and you need to protect your joint cartilage from breakdown. Get 30% off during their Black Friday Sale (no coupon code needed) or use code MTA for 15% off your first order the rest of the year. Altra Running -Altra shoes are designed to fit the natural shape of feet with room for your toes, for comfort, balance, and strength. So you focus on what really matters:  Getting out there. IQBAR brain and body-boosting bars, hydration mixes, and mushroom coffees. Their Ultimate Sampler Pack includes all three! Get 20% off plus FREE shipping. Just text “MTA” to 64000. AG1 Next Gen has new flavors: Citrus, Tropical, and Berry. Get a free Welcome Kit with your first order which includes 5 AG1 Travel Packs, a shaker bottle, metal canister, and a bottle of AG Vitamin D3+K2. Coach Athena has a Masters degree in Exercise Science and Health Promotion and is an Exercise Physiologist. She is also a RRCA Level 2 Certified Running Coach, UESCA
Ultra Run Coach a Certified Personal Trainer, Corrective Exercise Specialist, Performance
Enhancement Specialist, and Certified Coach in Menopause for Athletes and Women Are Not Small Men courses and Menopause Fitness Specialist. She has completed 18+ marathons (5 Boston qualifiers), 11+ ultras, countless half marathons and numerous obstacle race 1st place finishes. She lives and trains in San Antonio, Texas.

In this episode we bring you an interview with Doug Mayer -writer, ultra runner, and founder of Run the Alps. Hear Doug’s thoughts on cultivating an endurance mindset, new trends in trail running, and what it’s like to run in the Italian Dolomites. Plus, Trevor shares key takeaways from his journey to North America’s largest trade show for runners. Links Mentioned in This Episode 2026 Running Retreat in the Italian Dolomites with Run the Alps. See this page for details. The tour starts on June 16th 2026. (8-nights, 9-days). Run Coaching. Work with an expert MTA running Coach. UCAN -get the Trial Sample Pack for free with our link, just pay shipping! Altra Running -Altra shoes are designed to fit the natural shape of feet with room for your toes, for comfort, balance, and strength. So you focus on what really matters:  Getting out there. IQBAR brain and body-boosting bars, hydration mixes, and mushroom coffees. Their Ultimate Sampler Pack includes all three! Get 20% off plus FREE shipping. Just text “MTA” to 64000. Drury Hotels -Get 10% off your stay with our link! Doug Mayer grew up skiing in New Hampshire’s White Mountains and in a past life he worked as a Producer for the NPR show Car Talk. Today he is the owner of Run the Alps and writes for a number of trail running media outlets, including Outside, Trail Runner, and Ultrasignup. His latest book is ‘The Last of the Giants’, a graphic novel about running Italy’s 330-km long Tor des Géants trail race. He also wrote ‘The Race that Changed Running: The Inside Story of UTMB‘.  He lives in Chamonix, France, with his partner and dog Izzy.

In this episode we speak with Nicolas Thompson -CEO of The Atlantic and author of the book, ‘The Running Ground -A Father, A Son, and the Simplest of Sports’. Hear his reflection on how running helped him amid personal crises; getting faster after 40; and how he finds time to fit running into his day. Links Mentioned in This Episode Run Coaching. Work with an expert MTA running Coach. Altra Running -Altra shoes are designed to fit the natural shape of feet with room for your toes, for comfort, balance, and strength. So you focus on what really matters:  Getting out there. IQBAR brain and body-boosting bars, hydration mixes, and mushroom coffees. Their Ultimate Sampler Pack includes all three! Get 20% off plus FREE shipping. Just text “MTA” to 64000. MetPro.co -For the first time ever, MetPro is offering MTA listeners a full 30-day experience for just $95 with absolutely no strings attached! See what it’s like working with your own metabolic coach. Limited to the first 30 people. Nicholas Thompson (born 1975) is an American technology journalist, author, and media executive. He has been the chief executive officer of the American magazine The Atlantic since February 2021. Thompson previously worked as editor-in-chief of Wired and The New Yorker’s website. He is the author of two non-fiction books, is a contributor for CBS News, and regularly appears on CBS This Morning and CBSN. Thompson competed in running as both a high school student and briefly on his college team at Stanford. In 2021, Thompson set the American 45-49 age-group record at the 50-kilometer distance after running 3:04:36 at the Brooks Row River 50K in Oregon. As of 2025, he had completed the New York City Marathon 12 times, running his fastest time of 2:29 at the age of 44.

In this episode we take you to Charm City Run in Frederick, Maryland, to speak with store owner Josh Levinson about running shoe tech and terminology. How are running shoes engineered these days and what is the insider terminology you should know? Learn about stack height, heel-to-toe drop, stability, energy return, carbon and nylon plates, midsole foam durometer, torsional rigidity, gusseted tongue, and more. Josh and Kara Levinson opened their first specialty running store in 2002. Charm City Run now has 7 locations (six in Maryland and 1 in Delaware) and 200 employees! Special thanks to Academy member Stefanie Smith for arranging this interview! Links Mentioned in This Episode Run Coaching. Work with an expert MTA running Coach. Altra Running -Altra shoes are designed to fit the natural shape of feet with room for your toes, for comfort, balance, and strength. So you focus on what really matters:  Getting out there. Joint Health Plus by Previnex -prevention is the best medicine and you need to protect your joint cartilage from breakdown. Get 30% off during their Black Friday Sale (no coupon code needed) or use code MTA for 15% off your first order the rest of the year. IQBAR brain and body-boosting bars, hydration mixes, and mushroom coffees. Their Ultimate Sampler Pack includes all three! Get 20% off plus FREE shipping. Just text “MTA” to 64000. The Virginia Credit Union River City Half -March 7 in Richmond, Virginia. 2026 Running Retreat in the Italian Dolomites with Run the Alps. See this page for details. Athens 2026 Marathon Tour with MTA and Dean Karnazes. It’s going to be epic!

In this episode Coach Angie recaps the New York City Marathon and answers the question: does it live up to the hype? She shares her trepidation going into the race -especially after running a marathon the previous weekend. Hear tips on race-day logistics; and what’s it was like to run through the Five Boroughs. Links Mentioned in This Episode Run Coaching. Work with an expert MTA running Coach. Run the London Marathon in 2026 with Sports Tours International USA. They have guaranteed bibs for London, Berlin, Sydney, and Cape Town! Altra Running -Altra shoes are designed to fit the natural shape of feet with room for your toes, for comfort, balance, and strength. So you focus on what really matters:  Getting out there. UCAN -get the Trial Sample Pack for free with our link, just pay shipping! AG1 Next Gen has new flavors: Citrus, Tropical, and Berry. Get a free Welcome Kit with your first order which includes 5 AG1 Travel Packs, a shaker bottle, metal canister, and a bottle of AG Vitamin D3+K2.