The Fast and Free Podcast

How To Train If You Started Running Late

Internet running advice wasn’t designed for the person who started running at 35, 45, or 55. It’s built for athletes who generally already have years of training history behind them. In this video, I wanted to break down the biggest mistakes I see newer runners make when they enter the sport later in life. We’ll cover why your aerobic fitness improves much faster than your connective tissue, why standard training plans often fail late starters, and how trying to “catch up” with speed work usually leads to injury instead of progress. You’ll learn how I apply the Marathon Hierarchy to new runners, why consistency beats intensity early on, and how to build a training structure that allows you to stay healthy, improve steadily, and keep running for years. Whether you’re training for your first 5K, 10K, half marathon, marathon, or simply trying to become a healthier runner, I hope this framework will help you avoid the common traps that derail so many athletes in their first few years! Happy Training! ⸻ Relevant Links 🚨 FREE CALCULATOR & OTHER TOOLS I CREATED FOR RUNNERS 🚨 https://www.runfastandfree.com/free-tools [https://www.runfastandfree.com/free-tools] ⚠️ TAKE THE MARATHON READINESS QUIZ NOW ⚠️ https://marathon-readiness-quiz.scoreapp.com [https://marathon-readiness-quiz.scoreapp.com] Mental Performance Coaching with Brant Stachel: https://calendly.com/cepadminteam/15-minute-intake-call-clone?month=2026-01 [https://calendly.com/cepadminteam/15-minute-intake-call-clone?month=2026-01] Get my Book “Fast and Free” on  @amazon  [https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UCkLXELm63_pH7L-r-548kig]: https://a.co/d/00twBZ6d [https://a.co/d/00twBZ6d] ⸻ Follow Brant Stachel & Fast & Free Performance Coaching https://www.youtube.com/@UC4Nd1yg5n94puosXxjeL5FQ [https://www.youtube.com/@UC4Nd1yg5n94puosXxjeL5FQ] https://www.youtube.com/@FastAndFreePodcast [https://www.youtube.com/@FastAndFreePodcast] https://www.instagram.com/brant_stachel [https://www.instagram.com/brant_stachel] https://www.instagram.com/fastandfreecoaching [https://www.instagram.com/fastandfreecoaching] https://www.tiktok.com/@BrantStachel [https://www.tiktok.com/@BrantStachel] https://www.strava.com/athletes/12318637 [https://www.strava.com/athletes/12318637] https://www.facebook.com/FastandFreeWithBrant [https://www.facebook.com/FastandFreeWithBrant] https://www.twitter.com/BrantStachel [https://www.twitter.com/BrantStachel] https://www.linkedin.com/in/brant-stachel [https://www.linkedin.com/in/brant-stachel] https://www.reddit.com/user/BrantStachel/ [https://www.reddit.com/user/BrantStachel/]

How To Know If You're About To Get A Running Injury

A lot of runners think injuries just happen because of bad luck, poor biomechanics, or flawed training plans. But in many cases, the real mistake happens in the moment you feel something isn’t right and convince yourself to keep going anyway. In this video, I break down the four most common psychological traps runners fall into when they ignore injury warning signs: the Rationalization Loop, the Sunk Cost Trap, Identity Threat, and the Fitness Illusion. I hope you'll gain from this why smart, driven runners often make poor injury decisions, how the brain tricks us into overriding our body’s signals, and the decision-making framework I use with all the athletes I coach to help them stay healthy, train consistently, and reach the start line ready to perform. Happy Training! ⸻ Relevant Links 🚨 FREE TOOLS I CREATED FOR RUNNERS 🚨 https://www.runfastandfree.com/free-tools [https://www.runfastandfree.com/free-tools] ⚠️ TAKE THE MARATHON READINESS QUIZ NOW ⚠️ https://marathon-readiness-quiz.scoreapp.com [https://marathon-readiness-quiz.scoreapp.com] Mental Performance Coaching with Brant Stachel: https://calendly.com/cepadminteam/15-minute-intake-call-clone?month=2026-01 [https://calendly.com/cepadminteam/15-minute-intake-call-clone?month=2026-01] Get my Book “Fast and Free” on Amazon: https://a.co/d/00twBZ6d [https://a.co/d/00twBZ6d] ⸻ Follow Brant Stachel & Fast & Free Performance Coaching https://www.youtube.com/@UC4Nd1yg5n94puosXxjeL5FQ [https://www.youtube.com/@UC4Nd1yg5n94puosXxjeL5FQ] https://www.youtube.com/@FastAndFreePodcast [https://www.youtube.com/@FastAndFreePodcast] https://www.instagram.com/brant_stachel [https://www.instagram.com/brant_stachel] https://www.instagram.com/fastandfreecoaching [https://www.instagram.com/fastandfreecoaching] https://www.tiktok.com/@BrantStachel [https://www.tiktok.com/@BrantStachel] https://www.strava.com/athletes/12318637 [https://www.strava.com/athletes/12318637] https://www.facebook.com/FastandFreeWithBrant [https://www.facebook.com/FastandFreeWithBrant] https://www.twitter.com/BrantStachel [https://www.twitter.com/BrantStachel] https://www.linkedin.com/in/brant-stachel [https://www.linkedin.com/in/brant-stachel] https://www.reddit.com/user/BrantStachel/ [https://www.reddit.com/user/BrantStachel/]

6-Week Half Marathon Training Plan

A lot of athletes don't know how to train for the half marathon properly, and blow up around mile 10. I break down the 6 week plan I use with athletes racing their first to elite half marathons. 🚨If you wish to purchase my 6-Week Half Marathon plan, you can do so at the link below🚨 https://www.trainingpeaks.com/coach/brantstachel#plans [https://www.trainingpeaks.com/coach/brantstachel#plans] 🚨 Want me to be your Coach? Sign up below 🚨 https://teamrunrun.com/coach/brant-stachel-kingston-ontario-running-coach/ [https://teamrunrun.com/coach/brant-stachel-kingston-ontario-running-coach/] In this video, I wanted to do something I’ve never done before (and something you've all been asking for in the comment section!) and actually walk you through a complete 6-week half-marathon training build. We’ll open up the training plan, break down every workout, explain why each session exists, and show you how I structure training for late-beginner to intermediate runners looking to run a new personal best. One of the biggest mistakes I see runners make is overemphasizing speed work while neglecting the aerobic and tempo training that actually prepares them to sustain pace late in the race. The half-marathon sits in a unique space where aerobic fitness, lactate threshold development, and interval work all need to work together. When one piece is missing, race day often falls apart in the final few miles. Happy Training! ⸻ 🚨 FREE TOOLS I CREATED FOR RUNNERS 🚨 https://www.runfastandfree.com/free-tools [https://www.runfastandfree.com/free-tools] ⸻ Follow Brant Stachel & Fast & Free Performance Coaching https://www.youtube.com/@UC4Nd1yg5n94puosXxjeL5FQ [https://www.youtube.com/@UC4Nd1yg5n94puosXxjeL5FQ] https://www.youtube.com/@FastAndFreePodcast [https://www.youtube.com/@FastAndFreePodcast] https://www.instagram.com/brant_stachel [https://www.instagram.com/brant_stachel] https://www.instagram.com/fastandfreecoaching [https://www.instagram.com/fastandfreecoaching] https://www.tiktok.com/@BrantStachel [https://www.tiktok.com/@BrantStachel] https://www.strava.com/athletes/12318637 [https://www.strava.com/athletes/12318637] https://www.facebook.com/FastandFreeWithBrant [https://www.facebook.com/FastandFreeWithBrant] https://www.twitter.com/BrantStachel [https://www.twitter.com/BrantStachel] https://www.linkedin.com/in/brant-stachel [https://www.linkedin.com/in/brant-stachel] https://www.reddit.com/user/BrantStachel/ [https://www.reddit.com/user/BrantStachel/]

The Marathon Hierarchy

Most marathon training plans are failing runners because, at their core, they assume you’re starting with something you may not have built yet. In this video, I wanted to break down what I call "The Marathon Hierarchy": the five layers that sit underneath every successful marathon build. Whether you’re following Daniels, Pfitzinger, Higdon, a stock plan, or working with a coach, every training system is built on the same fundamental progression. The problem I've found in my 15 years of training runners is that most runners jump straight into workouts, marathon pace sessions, and speed work before they’ve developed the aerobic foundation that allows those sessions to actually work. Happy Training! ⸻ 🚨 FREE TOOLS I CREATED FOR RUNNERS 🚨 https://www.runfastandfree.com/free-tools [https://www.runfastandfree.com/free-tools] ⚠️ TAKE THE MARATHON READINESS QUIZ NOW ⚠️ https://marathon-readiness-quiz.scoreapp.com [https://marathon-readiness-quiz.scoreapp.com] Mental Performance Coaching with Brant Stachel: https://calendly.com/cepadminteam/15-minute-intake-call-clone?month=2026-01 [https://calendly.com/cepadminteam/15-minute-intake-call-clone?month=2026-01] Get my Book “Fast and Free” on Amazon: https://a.co/d/00twBZ6d [https://a.co/d/00twBZ6d] Learn More about  @teamrunrun  [https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UCy974ZfiyLe61H4RKAer26Q]: https://teamrunrun.com/ [https://teamrunrun.com/] Fuel Your Training with  @fuelgoods  [https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UCHlsky380Go5eyDMcVuAUnQ] (AFFILIATE LINK): https://fuelgoods.com/?ref=Brant [https://fuelgoods.com/?ref=Brant] ⸻ Follow Brant Stachel & Fast & Free Performance Coaching https://www.youtube.com/@UC4Nd1yg5n94puosXxjeL5FQ [https://www.youtube.com/@UC4Nd1yg5n94puosXxjeL5FQ] https://www.youtube.com/@FastAndFreePodcast [https://www.youtube.com/@FastAndFreePodcast] https://www.instagram.com/brant_stachel [https://www.instagram.com/brant_stachel] https://www.instagram.com/fastandfreecoaching [https://www.instagram.com/fastandfreecoaching] https://www.tiktok.com/@BrantStachel [https://www.tiktok.com/@BrantStachel] https://www.strava.com/athletes/12318637 [https://www.strava.com/athletes/12318637] https://www.facebook.com/FastandFreeWithBrant [https://www.facebook.com/FastandFreeWithBrant] https://www.twitter.com/BrantStachel [https://www.twitter.com/BrantStachel] https://www.linkedin.com/in/brant-stachel [https://www.linkedin.com/in/brant-stachel] https://www.reddit.com/user/BrantStachel/ [https://www.reddit.com/user/BrantStachel/]

Intensity Discipline Prevents Running Injuries

Today, we’re breaking down one of the most common reasons runners get injured, plateau, and stop improving: poor intensity discipline. Most runners think they’re being disciplined because they show up every day, push through fatigue, and rarely miss a session. But effort without precision is where a lot of runners get themselves into trouble. They run easy days too hard carry too much fatigue into workouts, stack hard sessions too close together, and spend too much of their training stuck in the grey zone. In this video, I break down what intensity discipline actually means, why easy runs need to be genuinely easy, why hard workouts require freshness, and how elite runners structure their weeks so they can adapt, recover, and keep improving year after year. I also walk through the intensity audit framework I use with athletes, including how to establish your actual easy pace, protect your hard days, space workouts properly, and stop turning every run into the same moderately hard effort. Happy Training! ⸻ Relevant Links 🚨 FREE TOOLS I CREATED FOR RUNNERS 🚨 https://www.runfastandfree.com/free-tools [https://www.runfastandfree.com/free-tools] ⚠️ TAKE THE MARATHON READINESS QUIZ NOW ⚠️ https://marathon-readiness-quiz.scoreapp.com [https://marathon-readiness-quiz.scoreapp.com] Mental Performance Coaching with Brant Stachel: https://calendly.com/cepadminteam/15-minute-intake-call-clone?month=2026-01 [https://calendly.com/cepadminteam/15-minute-intake-call-clone?month=2026-01] Get my Book “Fast and Free” on Amazon: https://a.co/d/00twBZ6d [https://a.co/d/00twBZ6d] Learn More about @teamrunrun: https://teamrunrun.com/ [https://teamrunrun.com/] Fuel Your Training with @fuelgoods (AFFILIATE LINK): https://fuelgoods.com/?ref=Brant [https://fuelgoods.com/?ref=Brant] ⸻ Follow Brant Stachel & Fast & Free Performance Coaching https://www.youtube.com/@UC4Nd1yg5n94puosXxjeL5FQ [https://www.youtube.com/@UC4Nd1yg5n94puosXxjeL5FQ] https://www.youtube.com/@FastAndFreePodcast [https://www.youtube.com/@FastAndFreePodcast] https://www.instagram.com/brant_stachel [https://www.instagram.com/brant_stachel] https://www.instagram.com/fastandfreecoaching [https://www.instagram.com/fastandfreecoaching] https://www.tiktok.com/@BrantStachel [https://www.tiktok.com/@BrantStachel] https://www.strava.com/athletes/12318637 [https://www.strava.com/athletes/12318637] https://www.facebook.com/FastandFreeWithBrant [https://www.facebook.com/FastandFreeWithBrant] https://www.twitter.com/BrantStachel [https://www.twitter.com/BrantStachel] https://www.linkedin.com/in/brant-stachel [https://www.linkedin.com/in/brant-stachel] https://www.reddit.com/user/BrantStachel/ [https://www.reddit.com/user/BrantStachel/]