Carb loading before a marathon is one of the most "accepted" rituals in distance running, but does it actually improve race performance?

In this episode of Run Long Run Healthy, Thomas Watson and Brady Holmer break down a brand-new meta-analysis that finally asks the question nobody had rigorously tested: does carbohydrate loading work if you're already fueling properly during the race?

If you've ever wondered whether you really need to stuff yourself with pasta the night before your marathon, this episode has the answer.

00:00 Introduction: Revisiting the Carb Loading Orthodoxy
00:32 What Is Carbohydrate Loading? (Glycogen Science Explained)
03:27 The Original Protocol & Old-School Traditions (Pasta Parties, Grandma's Marathon)
06:10 The New Meta-Analysis: Does Carb Loading Even Work?
08:00 Placebo, "Nocebo," and the Study's Limitations
13:32 Sponsor: Kila Insoles
15:55 What This Means for Everyday Marathon Runners
19:49 Brady's Recommended Carb Loading Protocol
28:19 Race-Day Fueling & the Breakfast Debate
32:30 Final Takeaways: Do You Actually Need to Carb Load?

Wahoo Fitness spent 15–20 years becoming the data leader in indoor cycling and now they're bringing that same obsession with precision to running. In this episode of Run Long Run Healthy, Thomas Watson and Brady Holmer sit down with Joe Justice and Mac Cassin of Wahoo Fitness to break down the KICKR RUN treadmill, a machine they rebuilt from the ground up instead of just copying what already existed.

We get into why cycling data (power, cadence, FTP) doesn't translate cleanly to running, how Wahoo is tackling grade-adjusted pace, vertical oscillation, and ground contact time, and why "durability" and physiological resilience are the next frontier in runner data. Joe and Mac also walk through the three non-negotiable design principles behind KICKR RUN (run feel, speed/acceleration control, and simplified controls), the treadmill's 4-minute-mile top speed, Run-Free adaptive pacing mode, terrain mode, and the Bluetooth headwind fan. Plus, how thermoregulation changes when you take a run indoors.

Chapters:
0:00 Introduction: Wahoo enters the treadmill game
1:04 Why Wahoo built a treadmill from scratch
2:03 The cycling-to-running data gap
4:00 GPS accuracy & grade-adjusted pace
6:20 Individualized metrics vs. population averages
7:55 Physiological durability & resilience scoring
10:24 Sponsored by Kila custom insoles
12:37 Turning treadmill data into actionable feedback
14:43 Inside KICKR RUN's 6–7 year development story
16:39 The 3 non-negotiable design principles
19:35 Why treadmill speed limits held runners back
21:24 Run-Free mode, terrain mode & the headwind fan
26:16 The case for precision in indoor training
27:33 Reframing the treadmill as a tool, not a fallback
29:58 Thermoregulation, sweat & heat adaptation indoors
33:57 Reducing mental load to stay motivated
38:13 The next 10 years: AI, wearables & training data
44:07 Explaining Wahoo's 3DP/4DP performance models
50:09 Will AI ever replace a running coach?
55:42 Integrating cycling into your run training
58:53 Where to demo the Wahoo KICKR RUN

Custom insoles made with supershoe foam: visit kilarun.com and use code “RLRH” to get $50 off your first order.

Check out the KICKR RUN Treadmill:
https://www.wahoofitness.com/devices/running/treadmills/kickr-run-buy

Could the best runners of the 1960s have beaten the sub 2-hr marathon if they had 2026 level sports science, gear, and training protocols? That’s what Thomas is looking to answer today - and why our understanding of Marginal Gains is, at times, flawed.

Chapters:
00:00 Could old-school runners have broken 2 hours?
01:31 Derek Clayton's old-school gear, diet & training
02:32 Stacking modern marginal gains onto Derek
05:42 Were old-school runners just tougher?
06:36 Origin of "marginal gains": Team Sky
07:30 The Team Sky doping controversy
08:29 Debunking the marginal gains myth
11:20 Ceiling effects and the Atomic Habits graph
13:04 Marginal gains = avoiding bad outcomes too
14:00 Back to Derek: what the real data says
18:05 Why Derek would still trail today's best
19:45 Verdict, and a message to Derek Clayton
22:03 Two real takeaways for your own training

Join Marathon Handbook’s RunClub for access to our members-only podcast, training plans, community rooms, merch and more: https://marathonhandbook.com/runclub

Shop Marathon Handbook merch: https://store.marathonhandbook.com