In this episode, we dive deep into the critical logistical pillars of marathon success that go beyond simple aerobic fitness. If you want to avoid hitting the wall at mile 20, you need to master your fuel, gear, and recovery.

• The Carbohydrate Bottleneck: Why the marathon is as much a fuel management test as it is an aerobic one, and how burning through glycogen leads to the dreaded late-race bonk.

• Proactive Fueling Targets: Moving past outdated advice to embrace modern research supporting 90 to 120 grams of carbohydrates per hour for trained athletes.

• Dual-Source Carbohydrates: Why combining glucose (maltodextrin) and fructose in a ~1:1 ratio uses complementary intestinal transporters (SGLT1 and GLUT5) to prevent absorption bottlenecks.

• Sweat Testing & Sodium Mechanics: How to run a simple 60-minute field test to calculate your individual hourly sweat loss, plus the truth about sodium, cramps, and hyponatremia.

• Gut Training: Why your digestive system struggles under race-intensity blood flow redistribution, and how to progressively train your gut during long runs.

• The Three-Shoe Rotation: Breaking down the functional roles of your durable daily high-volume trainers, responsive workout shoes, and race-day carbon super shoes.

• Taper Science & The Taper Tantrum: Understanding why a taper is about eliminating cumulative fatigue rather than building new fitness, why feeling terrible is normal, and why you must stick to the 21-day rule.

Connect with Us:

• Our website: https://www.marathonjournal.com

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningpodcast

• YouTube: https://youtube.com/@marathonjournal

• Follow us on Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/30798607

unning has a way of meeting us exactly where we are—even when we feel completely broken. On this week's episode of Your Story, Your Why, host Letty Lundquist sits down with close friend and World Marathon Majors finisher Patti Shawber.

After losing a decade of her life to severe drug addiction through her 30s and early 40s, Patti woke up one day exhausted and ready for change. After achieving sobriety, she stepped onto a Planet Fitness treadmill in her mid-40s, walking at 4.0 mph for 45 minutes to complete her very first 5K distance. What started as a way to reclaim her health evolved into a global running journey that took her across the world to earn her Six Star World Marathon Majors Medal before turning 60.

Patti opens up about channeling the intense energy of addiction into endurance sports, navigating fear and imposter syndrome, balancing competitive goals with aging, and why she holds onto the memory of her lowest moments so she never has to go back.

Welcome back to Part 2 of our Marathon 101 Masterclass series! Following the response to our initial guide, we dive deep into how to structure your training weeks, execute quality workouts, and build a body that holds up under marathon fatigue.

In this episode, we cover:

• Myth Busting & The 80/20 Rule: Why running faster all the time won't make you faster on race day, and how volume builds endurance.

• Polarized Training: Differentiating hard days from easy days to maximize recovery and efficiency.

• The 4 Phases of Marathon Training: A step-by-step breakdown from early strides and fartleks to threshold work, peak race-pace sessions, and the taper.

• Microcycle Flexibility: Adjusting weekly workouts based on recovery needs, age, and individual adaptation.

• Strength Training for Runners: Essential movements to improve running economy, protect tendons, and maintain posture late in the race.

• Practical Micro-Habits: Adding light strides and dynamic warm-ups to improve range of motion.

Life & Travel Updates:

• Race week coverage from the TCS Sydney Marathon.

• Updates on our upcoming running documentary Why They Run, screening this November at IRX in Amsterdam.

Resources & Links Mentioned:

• Learn more about the documentary project: Why They Run

  Connect with Us:

  • Our website: https://www.marathonjournal.com

  • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningpodcast

  • YouTube: https://youtube.com/@marathonjournal

  • Follow us on Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/30798607