Tim and Cal Emz break down running economy and why it matters so much for long-course triathlon. They also swap race-week stories from Sunny Coast, talk through recent injuries, and share practical cues and drills that can help runners become more efficient without overhauling their natural style.

Key topics

• In this episode, Cal and Emz give a quick update on recent race recovery, off-season plans, and the realities of juggling training with unexpected injuries.
• Tim explains running economy as the energy cost of running at a given speed, and why minimizing wasted movement matters more when athletes are already fatigued in a 70.3 or Ironman.
• The group discusses the main pieces of economy: metabolic efficiency, elastic return through tendons, muscular strength, and coordination.
• Tim points out that good running form is not always obvious visually and that some athletes look unconventional but still run very economically.
• Cal compares different elite runners and notes that speed, resilience, and injury resistance do not always show up in the same athlete.
• Emz shares what has improved her own economy lately: genuinely easy running, consistent strength work, and drills done as part of the program.
• The coaches talk through useful running cues like running tall, soft shoulders, light feet, and pelvis posture, and why different athletes need different cues.
• The discussion covers how drills, strides, and video feedback can help athletes notice changes in form over the course of a long run.
• Cal explains how arm carriage, relaxed shoulders, and posture can help on hills and when holding cadence under fatigue.
• The episode closes with a reminder that efficiency is about what a runner can sustain, not just how they look from the outside.

Timestamps

00:00 - Race updates, recovery, and the injury lottery

01:44 - Why random injuries happen outside hard training

03:17 - Port Macquarie logistics, accommodation, and race planning

06:37 - What running economy actually means for triathletes

08:25 - The four main ingredients of better economy

10:13 - Why some elite runners look efficient even when they do not look textbook

13:04 - Form is what you can see, economy is what it costs

14:01 - The sprint finish debate: line changes, fatigue, and kick speed

15:47 - Hayden Wilde, recovery, and backing up hard races

17:19 - Short course versus long course and what age might change

18:43 - Emz on the three biggest gains in her running economy

21:06 - Easy aerobic running, drills, and strength working together

22:46 - Why running tall and relaxed shoulders matter

23:46 - Cues for posture, light feet, and listening to foot strike

24:54 - The belt-buckle cue for hills and forward posture

25:20 - More cues: hips under the body, glutes, hamstrings, and cadence

26:46 - Using video to compare the first and last part of a long run

28:00 - Arm drive, core stability, and keeping the body compact

30:08 - Hill running cues from Pete Fitzinger

31:31 - Why some race photos are best left unseen

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