The Marathon Podcast

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Kristian brings back a favorite format: a solo episode with a Puma giveaway, his own favorite marathon workouts, everything you need to know before Boston Marathon registration week, an honest WHOOP review, and a gear chat with Mark Guyer from Syndicate Running recorded live from the road in Norway.

Kristian breaks down how to win a pair of Puma DV8 Pure shoes, shares the two workouts that have shaped his own marathon training the most, and walks through exactly what you need to do (and by when) to register for the Boston Marathon this September. He also gives an honest update on switching back to WHOOP, comparing its sleep and HRV data against his running watch. The episode closes with a fun, glitchy conversation with Mark Guyer, catching up on the results of Battle of the Run Clubs and breaking down the Puma Fast R3, gels, and a few under the radar brands worth knowing about.

In this episode:
- How to win a pair of Puma DV8 Pure shoes
- Everything you need to know about Boston Marathon registration week
- Two of Kristian's favorite marathon specific workouts
- An honest review of switching back to WHOOP
- Comparing WHOOP's sleep and HRV data to a running watch
- Battle of the Run Clubs results and what's next for the challenge
- A deep dive into the Puma Fast R3 super shoe
- Gel recommendations and a couple of under the radar running brands
- Why gear recommendations here are never about selling you something

Timestamps
00:00 Welcome to this solo episode
01:18 What to expect: gear, workouts, and Boston updates
06:40 How to win a pair of Puma DV8 Pure shoes
09:42 Everything you need to know about Boston registration week
11:51 Kristian's favorite marathon specific workouts
19:03 A long run workout he's leaned on for building fitness
21:58 Why staying honest with pacing matters in these sessions
23:24 Recommending an upcoming event worth signing up for
32:36 A WHOOP review: sleep tracking and sleep debt explained
39:50 Comparing WHOOP's HRV data to his running watch
41:40 Whether WHOOP is actually worth it
43:36 Jumping into a gear chat with Mark Guyer, live from the road
44:52 Catching up on the results of Battle of the Run Clubs
1:03:02 Trying Puma's gels and merch
1:53:42 A deep dive into the Puma Fast R3 super shoe
1:58:17 Getting stronger to actually run well in an aggressive super shoe
2:22:43 A quick list of other gear worth checking out
2:26:02 Closing thoughts and a health update

Mark on Syndicate Running: https://syndicaterunning.com

Start your free Musicbed trial: https://fm.pxf.io/kristianwarwick

Full episodes + the Boston 2025 documentary: https://www.youtube.com/@Warwickruns
Follow my training journey on Instagram: @warwick.runs
Music from Musicbed: MB01XPYH8ZYENVAMB0133EV2TCQFZY

Get 20% off a Strava annual subscription with code KRISTIAN
Get €25 off AG1: https://fbuy.io/greens/h287rp3w
Save on FlexBeam using code WARWICKRUNS or this link: https://rechargehealthas.sjv.io/55GAPb

Kristian welcomes back Matt Fox, the 2:18 marathoner who just ran 2:33 in Sydney while wearing jeans to take the unofficial world record from Truett Hanes, for one of the most requested returns to the podcast.

Content note: this episode includes an open discussion of intentional weight loss for athletic performance, which some listeners may find triggering or difficult. Please take care while listening, and know it's okay to skip ahead if this isn't the right episode for you today.

Matt catches Kristian up on everything since his detainment in Japan last year, the long road back from a stress fracture that followed it, and how he returned to running in what he considers close to his best shape yet. The conversation covers his approach to intentional, performance focused weight loss alongside serious strength training, and an honest discussion about staying lean without losing power, along with his own thoughts on why this topic tends to be controversial. The episode closes with his training heading into the Melbourne Marathon, where he's chasing a new personal best.

In this episode:
- Running a 2:33 marathon in jeans to take the unofficial world record
- Catching up since a legal detainment in Japan last year
- A seven month recovery from a stress fracture
- Getting back to close to his best shape in just a few months
- His approach to performance focused weight loss and strength training
- Navigating criticism and staying authentic on social media
- A training update heading into the Melbourne Marathon
- Hill sprint sessions and how he fits them into a normal training week
- Balancing running content creation with being a public figure

Timestamps
00:00 A preview and an important note on this episode's topics
01:11 A disclaimer about discussing weight loss on this episode
02:41 Kristian's own training and moving house update
05:03 Catching up with Matt after Sydney
05:23 Why he decided to run a marathon in jeans
06:32 Thanking Matt for support after the Japan incident
11:36 The slow road back from Japan and a stress fracture
14:42 Explaining the Japan detainment for new listeners
15:14 How the detainment led to a stress fracture
17:33 Identity and self worth tied to being a fast marathoner
20:13 What he'll never forget about coming home from Japan
25:10 Getting back into shape faster than expected
30:54 Choosing Melbourne over Sydney for his next big goal
49:42 Muscle memory and bouncing back into strength
50:09 Opening up the conversation on weight loss
51:50 The risk of losing muscle when losing weight too fast
53:00 How he's maintained strength while losing weight
54:35 Calling it "performance weight loss" and why the distinction matters
2:18:02 A breakdown of his hill sprint sessions
2:25:32 Handling criticism and staying used to pushback
2:26:49 Closing thoughts and where to follow Matt

Matt on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattinglisfox/
Sweat Elite: https://sweatelite.co

Start your free Musicbed trial: https://fm.pxf.io/kristianwarwick

Full episodes + the Boston 2025 documentary: https://www.youtube.com/@Warwickruns
Follow my training journey on Instagram: @warwick.runs
Music from Musicbed: MB01XPYH8ZYENVAMB0133EV2TCQFZY

Get 20% off a Strava annual subscription with code KRISTIAN

Save on FlexBeam using code WARWICKRUNS or this link: https://rechargehealthas.sjv.io/55GAPb

Kristian sits down with Jacob Simonsen, the Danish national record holder in the marathon with a 2:07 personal best, for a deep dive into smart training, missing the Olympics by one minute, and bouncing back to break a national record weeks later.

Jacob shares how becoming a father changed his approach to training, treating running more like a job while also learning to reschedule sessions instead of pushing through fatigue. He walks through the years long climb from his marathon debut to a 2:07, the heartbreak of narrowly missing direct Olympic qualification, and how he turned that disappointment into a national record breaking performance in Berlin weeks later. The conversation goes deep into his actual training: double threshold sessions, weekly mileage around 190k, and why building a strong aerobic base matters at every distance. He closes with his goal of breaking the one hour half marathon barrier at the World Championships in Copenhagen.

In this episode:
- Balancing elite training with being a parent
- How having kids changed his mentality around training
- The years long climb to a 2:07 marathon personal best
- Narrowly missing direct Olympic qualification by one minute
- Turning disappointment into a national record in Berlin
- A full breakdown of his double threshold training sessions
- Why aerobic training matters at every distance, not just the marathon
- Recovering from a stress reaction and learning to manage recovery
- Bouncing back from a bike accident ahead of the World Championships
- His goal: breaking the one hour half marathon barrier in Copenhagen

Timestamps
00:00 A preview: learning to run faster without training harder
00:52 Welcome and introducing Jacob Simonsen
01:53 Kristian's own week of feeling under the weather
03:46 Jumping into the conversation with Jacob
04:11 Balancing elite training with being a parent
05:35 How becoming a dad changed his training mentality
19:30 What his coach and team have brought to his career
27:17 Respect for the marathon distance after his debut
28:00 Finally cracking the code on handling more volume
29:03 Chasing direct Olympic qualification and coming up short
31:32 The disappointment of missing the cut by one minute
32:23 Turning that setback into a national record in Berlin
46:59 Increasing mileage safely and staying strong enough to handle it
48:53 Learning when to push through and when to back off
51:22 Building mileage and finding his current training ceiling
54:42 The philosophy behind double threshold training
58:40 Why aerobic training matters at every distance
59:36 A full breakdown of his current training week
1:00:35 What his double threshold sessions actually look like
2:03:24 The importance of high volume in a marathon block
2:13:49 His next goal: breaking sub one hour in the half marathon
2:14:41 Closing thoughts and good luck in Copenhagen

Jacob on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jacobssimonsen/

Start your free Musicbed trial: https://fm.pxf.io/kristianwarwick

Full episodes + the Boston 2025 documentary: https://www.youtube.com/@Warwickruns
Follow my training journey on Instagram: @warwick.runs
Music from Musicbed: MB01XPYH8ZYENVAMB0133EV2TCQFZY

Get 20% off a Strava annual subscription with code KRISTIAN

€20 off first AG1 subscription: https://fbuy.io/greens/h287rp3w

Save on FlexBeam using code WARWICKRUNS or this link: https://rechargehealthas.sjv.io/55GAPb

Kristian welcomes back "MEO the Machine" Martin Olesen, straight off representing Denmark at the European Championships marathon in Birmingham, for a catch up on altitude training, race day chaos, and what it might take for him to go full time as a runner.

Martin shares what an altitude camp with training partner Jimmy Whelan in Font Romeu actually looked like ahead of Birmingham, and how a security breach at the athlete hotel the night before the race left him running on just three hours of sleep. He breaks down the brutal, technical Birmingham course, finishing 34th as a full time employee alongside professional athletes, and reflects on the mix of gratitude and hunger for more that came with it. The conversation closes with an honest chat about balancing a demanding job with training at an international level, and whether going full time as a runner might be next.

In this episode:
- Racing the European Championships marathon in Birmingham
- Training alongside Jimmy Whelan at an altitude camp in Font Romeu
- A security breach at the athlete hotel the night before the race
- Racing on almost no sleep and still finishing 34th
- Breaking down a brutal, technical championship course
- Being a full time employee competing against full time professionals
- The mix of gratitude and hunger for more after the race
- Balancing a demanding job with training at an international level
- Whether going full time as a runner might be next

Timestamps
00:00 Welcome back, straight from the European Championships
02:11 Kristian's own rough week battling a fever
05:44 A nutrition update and finishing up work with his nutritionist
07:41 Introducing Martin and previewing the conversation
08:19 Training in Barcelona and altitude camp with Jimmy Whelan
11:24 A full breakdown of the Font Romeu altitude camp
18:59 What Jimmy Whelan taught him about training
29:44 Reflecting on his second European Championships selection
31:27 The marathon that first proved his potential
32:14 What it means to represent Denmark as a full time employee
36:48 His first real altitude camp experience
37:56 Long runs and track sessions alongside Jimmy
41:22 Whether the altitude or the lifestyle made the difference
49:03 How he felt physically after the altitude block
1:02:11 Race recap: finishing 34th at the European Championships
1:03:02 Comparing his grade adjusted time to his marathon PR
1:04:39 The security breach that cost him a night's sleep
1:07:01 The feeling of gratitude and hunger for more after the race
1:11:31 What his coach says about balancing work and elite training
1:13:48 Considering a future full time as a runner
1:14:46 Closing thoughts and what's coming up next

Martin on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meothemachine/

Start your free Musicbed trial: https://fm.pxf.io/kristianwarwick

Full episodes + the Boston 2025 documentary: https://www.youtube.com/@Warwickruns
Follow my training journey on Instagram: @warwick.runs
Music from Musicbed: MB01XPYH8ZYENVAMB0133EV2TCQFZY

Get 20% off a Strava annual subscription with code KRISTIAN

Save on FlexBeam using code WARWICKRUNS or this link: https://rechargehealthas.sjv.io/55GAPb

Kristian welcomes back Matt Smith, South Africa's Winter Olympic cross country skier known as the Snowbok, for round two of their conversation, this time diving into the messy reality of training through illness, breaking down the Oslo Marathon course, and flipping the format so Matt gets to ask Kristian questions too.

Matt shares how a chopped up training block full of sickness has tested him in a way his Olympic buildup never did, and the two compare notes on how to tell the difference between pushing through a tickle in your throat and actually needing to rest. Matt also picks Kristian's brain on hilly course strategy ahead of the Oslo Marathon, drawing on lessons from over 200 podcast episodes and Kristian's own marathon experience. If you haven't listened to their first conversation yet, this one builds directly on it and stands alone just as well.

In this episode:
- Training through a chopped up block full of sickness
- How to tell the difference between pushing through and needing rest
- Using resting heart rate as the one metric that matters
- Lessons in patience from athletes who've dealt with stress fractures
- Matt turns the tables and starts asking Kristian questions
- A full breakdown of the Oslo Marathon course, hill by hill
- Race day nutrition strategy for hilly courses
- Why negative splitting hilly marathons is so tricky
- Sending in listener questions for a future Q&A episode

Timestamps
00:00 Welcome back and what this episode covers
01:35 Kristian's biggest training week since his professional days
17:11 What actually makes being sick or injured so hard
19:36 Matt's sickness free Olympic buildup, then a rough patch since
20:32 The mindset shift: being really good at being sick
24:12 Learning patience from stress fracture recovery stories
26:49 The cross country skier stereotype around getting sick
29:43 When listening to your body stops giving clear answers
35:52 Comparing notes on staying healthy through a training block
38:57 Diving into the hilly Oslo Marathon course
40:29 Starting at Radhusplassen and heading into Vigeland Park
46:26 A full course tour: hills, forest, and the finish
47:12 Why the course offers such a unique city experience
1:00:52 Gear tips: half tights built for carrying race nutrition
1:02:47 The risk of relying on friends for on course nutrition
1:05:01 Closing thoughts and send in your questions

Matt on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattcsmith_/

Start your free Musicbed trial: https://fm.pxf.io/kristianwarwick

Full episodes + the Boston 2025 documentary: https://www.youtube.com/@Warwickruns
Follow my training journey on Instagram: @warwick.runs
Music from Musicbed: MB01XPYH8ZYENVAMB0133EV2TCQFZY