The Science of Running Endurance: How Your Body Really Works, with Prof. Paul Laursen

The Science of Running Endurance: How Your Body Really Works, with Prof. Paul Laursen

In this episode I sit down with Professor Paul Laursen — sport scientist, co-author of Science and Application of High-Intensity Interval Training, and co-founder of Athletica — to break down the science of endurance in plain language. From mitochondria and fat-burning to HIIT, the neuromuscular system, nutrition, recovery and HRV, we turn the biology of running into practical tools to help you train smarter, recover better, and avoid the classic pitfalls. ABOUT PAUL LAURSEN A sport physiologist from British Columbia, Canada, with a career spanning the Australian Institute of Sport and the New Zealand Olympic program, where he led physiology across two Olympic cycles. He's best known for his work on high-intensity interval training, co-authored the leading textbook on the subject, is co-writing the fifth edition of Lore of Running with Tim Noakes, and co-founded the AI training platform Athletica. WHAT WE COVER * How muscles create movement and turn food into energy * Mitochondria: why endurance training grows them, and why fat is the clean fuel * The heart as a muscle — stroke volume and why running starts to feel easier * Why "no pain, no gain" is the number-one endurance mistake * Consistency over heroics: the most important session is the next one * Building the aerobic base first (Paul's fat-burning study with Stephen Seiler) * MAF and low-heart-rate training, with a nod to Phil Maffetone * Nutrition as a lever: insulin, whole foods, and the simple PFC rule * When to add HIIT, and how it recruits fast-twitch fibres * The neuromuscular system and Dr. Marius Bakken's Norwegian Method * What adaptation is and when it happens: sleep, recovery and nutrition * Reading your body's data: wearables, RPE, feel and HRV * Understanding HRV: 7-day vs 60-day averages and overtraining risk KEY TAKEAWAYS * Fat is your clean fuel — aerobic training teaches your body to burn it efficiently * Patience beats punishment — build the base before adding intensity * Recovery is training — prioritise sleep, then whole-food nutrition * Listen to the trend, not the day — use HRV to adjust before stress builds LINKS Paul Laursen: https://www.paullaursen.com [https://www.paullaursen.com] HIIT Science: https://www.hiitscience.com [https://www.hiitscience.com]Athletica: https://www.athletica.ai [https://www.athletica.ai] MENTIONED Science and Application of High-Intensity Interval Training — Laursen & Buchheit Lore of Running (5th edition, with Tim Noakes) The Norwegian Method Applied — Dr. Marius Bakken PACE BUDDIES Website: https://pacebuddies.com [https://pacebuddies.com] Book a free call: https://cal.eu/pacebuddies/freecall [https://cal.eu/pacebuddies/freecall] Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe to The Aerobic Edge and leave a review — it helps more runners find the show.

The Sub-3 Marathon: The Complete Training System — with John Starrett

In this episode of The Aerobic Edge, coach John Starrett ("The Stable Master") returns for a deep dive into the sub-3 marathon — a magical barrier for many runners. Since 2017, John has coached a staggering 962 runners to sub-3 and 274 to sub-2:30, all online. We unpack what it actually takes to break that barrier and what your training needs to look like to get there. John explains why his approach centers on temporal flow — his own term for fatigue resistance — and why the old story about lactic acid and H ions is outdated. Lactate isn't the enemy but fuel; the skill lies in shuttling and reusing it. We work through his complete system, from pre-super base to the marathon block, and he shares the exact key sessions that reveal whether your sub-3 fitness is right where it needs to be. He also speaks candidly about his own comeback: after five or six years away from running, he's starting from the bottom again with run-walk intervals, with Joost as his coach. An honest look at consistency, progression, and structure — the pillars of his philosophy. In this episode: * Why 962 runners hit sub-3: system over isolated workouts * Temporal flow & fatigue resistance: the science beyond lactic acid and H ions * The key sessions 3-5 weeks out (16/18 miles at marathon pace) that tell you if it's "on" * Why John aims for 2:55 fitness to buffer against heat and conditions * Race tactics: stay slightly off pace until 32K, then make your move in the final 10K * Bridge training: the difference between a sub-4 and a sub-3 runner * Disguised marathon pace: endurance spine runs vs. structural runs (80' & 90' tempos) * Lactate tickles & blend workouts: safely touching 5K/10K pace without injury * A look at his Olympic athlete (18 miles at 5:10/mile) and what it reveals about the system * John's own comeback: from zero to pre-super base via run-walk About John Starrett: online marathon coach with a track record in sub-3 and sub-2:30, known for his emphasis on consistency, progression, and structure over "old school" hard training and exhausting VO2max sessions.

Run Free: The Nervous System Approach to Injury-Free Running — with Lawrence van Lingen

Lawrence van Lingen is a sports chiropractor and movement specialist. Described by Triathlete Magazine as the genius of running, he has over 25 years of experience working with world-class athletes including Jan Frodeno, Taylor Knibb, and Flora Duffy.In this episode we talk about why most running injuries keep coming back, what fascia actually is and why it matters, and how your nervous system shapes the way you move. We cover head position, screens and posture, backward walking, the flow rope, skipping, crawling patterns — and why running should feel like freedom, not a checklist of cues.This is one of those conversations that flows naturally between two people who genuinely geek out on the same things — it goes deep and wide, Lawrence thinks out loud, makes connections you don't expect, and follows the thread wherever it leads. I loved every minute of it.What we cover:* Why injury patterns are so hard to break — and the nervous system's role* What fascia is and why it's been overlooked for so long* Why running injury rates haven't improved in 40 years* Screens, posture, and the modern movement crisis* Head position and why it changes everything downstream* The flow rope — what it does and how Lawrence discovered it with Jan Frodeno* Crawling patterns — the foundation before everything else* Backward walking — why Jan Frodeno used it and how to do it* Skipping and the happy hip hack* Why running should be felt, not thoughtLawrence's exercises — watch before you listen:* Crawling patterns: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6X_jt62zc0* Flow rope: https://youtu.be/5QqiDMrMSzs?si=8zQCkiZ6HmIdeAIq* Backward walking: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNcwOix9Uac* Breath: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQQKLLak0bU* Head posture / Ball on Head: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKEXzZSReqsLinks & resources:* Lawrence van Lingen: http://lawrencevanlingen.com* YouTube: Lawrence van Lingen* Instagram: @lawrencevanlingen* Book a free 30-minute coaching call with Joost: https://www.cal.eu/pacebuddies/freecall* Pace Buddies: http://pacebuddies.com

Marathon-Specific Training: How to Peak at Race Day — with John Starrett

John Starrett is an experienced endurance coach with over 40 years in the sport. He has coached more than 900 runners to a sub-3 hour marathon and has guided male and female athletes to the US Olympic Marathon Trials. He is also known as The Stable Master. This is John's second appearance on The Aerobic Edge. In our first episode we covered aerobic base building and bridge training. In this episode we go deeper into the final piece of the puzzle: the marathon-specific block. John walks through his complete 11-12 week marathon block in detail — from the first long run all the way to race week. We cover why most runners train the wrong paces in a marathon block, why racing a half marathon four weeks out is a bad idea, how to use the lactate shunt session in your taper, and what the key sign is that your athlete is ready to race. John also makes a personal announcement: at 59 years old — after years off from running — he is going to attempt to run a marathon himself, starting from scratch. And Joost is his coach. What we cover: * The structure of an 11-12 week marathon-specific block * Weekend long runs: how to build from easy pace to full marathon pace * Why you should never race a half marathon four weeks out * Midweek sessions: the support role in a marathon block * The lactate shunt session and why it works * 5K sessions in a marathon block — why they do more harm than good * Taper structure: the overload principle and the 10-day rule * How to handle heat, wind and bad weather during key sessions * John's personal marathon attempt — and Joost as his coach Links & resources: * Free coaching call with Joost: https://www.cal.eu/pacebuddies/freecall [https://www.cal.eu/pacebuddies/freecall] * Pace Buddies: pacebuddies.com

The Aerobic Base Blueprint: What Zone 2 Really Means — with Scott Johnston

Scott Johnston is one of the most respected endurance coaches in the world. As founder of Evoke Endurance and co-author of Training for the Uphill Athlete, he has coached athletes across skiing, mountaineering, trail running and road running. In 2025, both the men's and women's UTMB champions — Tom Evans and Ruth Croft — were coached by Scott. In this episode we dig into the foundation of endurance performance: the aerobic base. Scott explains what zone 2 actually is, why percentage-based calculators don't work, how to find your personal aerobic threshold with a free at-home test, and why most runners are unknowingly training in the wrong zone. We also cover aerobic deficiency syndrome, the vacuum cleaner analogy for lactate, and why consistency beats every magic workout you'll ever find on the internet. If you're a recreational marathon runner who wants to train smarter, this episode is the place to start. What we cover: * How Scott went from ski coach to world-class endurance coach * What aerobic and anaerobic actually mean * Why zone 2 is not a percentage of your max heart rate * The heart rate drift test — free, simple, and personal * Aerobic deficiency syndrome and how to fix it * The vacuum cleaner analogy: lactate as fuel, not waste * How long does building a real aerobic base actually take? * Why consistency is the only secret that works Links & resources: Evoke Endurance — evokeendurance.com Aerobic Deficiency Syndrome (ADS): https://evokeendurance.com/resources/aerobic-deficiency-syndrome-ads/ [https://evokeendurance.com/resources/aerobic-deficiency-syndrome-ads/] Heart rate drift test & aerobic assessment: https://evokeendurance.com/resources/our-latest-thinking-on-aerobic-assessment-for-the-mountain-athlete/ [https://evokeendurance.com/resources/our-latest-thinking-on-aerobic-assessment-for-the-mountain-athlete/] Setting your heart rate zones: https://evokeendurance.com/resources/setting-your-hear-rate-zones/ [https://evokeendurance.com/resources/setting-your-hear-rate-zones/] Book a free coaching call with Joost: https://www.cal.eu/pacebuddies/freecall [https://www.cal.eu/pacebuddies/freecall] Pace Buddies — pacebuddies.com