In this episode of the Marathon Handbook Podcast, we reveal the results of a landmark study on 867 NYC Marathon trainees that identified a single exercise—the single-leg glute bridge—that cut injury risk by 64%. Michael Doyle, Katelyn Tocci, and Alex Cyr break down the findings, share their own injury stories, and discuss how runners can apply this to training.

(00:00) The tease: could one exercise fix everything?

(02:00) Training updates: Katelyn’s 100-miler build, Alex’s knee niggle, Michael’s pacing story

(13:00) Study breakdown: how it worked, injury rates, the surprise result

(16:30) The single-leg glute bridge explained

(19:00) Injury horror stories and lessons learned

(35:00) How to perform the exercise correctly

(41:00) Why 20–29 seconds is the sweet spot

(44:30) Unilateral strength for runners

(51:20) Long-run spikes: the #1 cause of injury

(53:30) Listener mailbag: chasing sub-3 in Lisbon

(58:00) Wrap-up and mailbag invite

How-To Explainer on glute exercises for runners:
https://marathonhandbook.com/glute-exercises/

The single best exercise for runners to prevent injury:
https://marathonhandbook.com/the-single-best-exercise-to-prevent-injury/

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Michael Doyle, Alex Cyr, and Katelyn Tocci share the ultimate guide to choosing the perfect running shoe. After swapping travel and race stories (4:08), they break down the five main shoe categories — daily trainers, super trainers, super shoes, trail, and hybrid (11:24) — and reveal their own shoe rotations (16:54).

They discuss key factors like fit, foot type, and mileage (21:58), common pitfalls for new runners (26:05), and a simple “flow chart” for buying the right shoe (33:40). The team shares workout shoe picks (39:04), builds the ideal multi-shoe “quiver” (43:31), and dives into super shoe trends and tech (45:28).

They also cover when to invest in trail shoes (1:01:17), the rise of gravel/hybrid models (1:07:46), and pro tips for getting the best fit and value (1:20:02), before previewing upcoming reviews and projects (1:26:13).

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Mental toughness isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a trainable skill. In this episode, Michael, Alex, and Katelyn break down the science behind mental toughness in running, including the Central Governor Theory, neuroplasticity, and perception of effort (07:26).

They highlight inspiring examples like Courtney Dauwalter, Eliud Kipchoge, and Faith Kipyegon (16:56), and share workouts and training strategies to build grit, like solo long runs, hill repeats, and back-to-backs (25:50).

The team discusses training in tough conditions—embracing the suck (34:00), using visualization and mantras to push through dark patches (41:30), and the link between mindset, panic, and heart rate during races (58:05).

They wrap with their personal philosophies on positive self-talk and why mental training matters as much as physical prep (01:03:45).

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