The Tables Have Turned: Denny Krahe is the “Guest” on the “Diz Runs With” Podcast!

Wow.

I can honestly say that I didn’t think I’d make it to the 300th episode of the show back when I launched this puppy in July of 2014.

Yet here we are!

300 Episodes? That’s Just Crazy Talk!

Episode 300

For this milestone episode, the tables have been turned and I’m getting grilled!

Friend of the show, and past guest, Bill Culver drove down from the Orlando area to do the interview in person, which was a lot of fun.

Hopefully you’ll enjoy our chat little chat today, and maybe you’ll learn a little something new about me along the way.

Plans to Go Beyond Road Racing?

I’ve never been shy to make my feelings for ultra distance running known, but Bill wasn’t afraid to ask me about whether or not I’d ever consider running an ultra.

And yes, I absolutely would!

Between talking to so many different ultra runners on the show and interacting with different runners on social media, my opposition to running beyond 26.2 has been worn down.

I would almost go so far as to say I’m looking forward to that first ultra.

Almost.

And what about a triathlon?

I’m not going to say never, but I’m definitely a lot farther from signing up for a tri than I am from signing up for an ultra.

A Boston Marathon Timeline

Another big goal of mine, as you’re probably aware, is to qualify for Boston. And I still have some work to do on that one.

There are some that think that unless you have a timeline in place for your goals, you’re not being serious about achieving them. I’m not sure I agree with that line of thought, however.

Qualifying for Boston is absolutely a goal of mine, but I’m not trying to force it to happen by a certain date. I’m going to keep training, keep working with one eye on my BQ time, and if it takes 5 years that’s fine. And if it takes 10 years, that’s fine too.

I’ll qualify for Boston, guaranteed. But when it happens is really not a concern for me at the moment.

Other Factors that Influence Training

To reach your running goals, it makes sense that you’re going to have to do a certain amount of running.

But there are other factors at play as well.

When it comes to diet, Bill asked me how much I thought the roll of food plays in a runner’s improvements.

And there’s no doubt in my mind that eating well is important. Quality food provides your body with the nutrients that it needs to get stronger and keep going without breaking down.

The analogy that I always turn to is gasoline. The fuel we put into our cars isn’t the same as the fuel that goes into a rocket ship.

The higher quality fuel runs cleaner and provides more “oomph” than the lower quality fuel, and the same goes for the food that we eat.

Coaching Highs and Lows

Hands down, nothing in running makes me happier than when my athletes excel.

Sure, I have my own running goals and it feels good when I have a good run, but my running successes/failures pale in comparison to those of my athletes.

On the day that we recorded our chat, I had two women from the Coterie that were running 6 hour races and both of them did awesome! I was riding high that day after their successes, and I could hardly contain myself!

On the flip side, coaching runners on-line does present some challenges. The most specific of which is that lack of in person connection.

It’s hard to address form concerns and injury issues virtually without being able to see an issue up close.

This isn’t an impossible hurdle to overcome, but it is an issue that must be dealt with from time to time.

Run Faster or Run Farther?

When runners want to improve, it usually comes down to wanting to run farther, run faster, or do both. 

Bill asked me what I needed to work on, and it’s an easy question for me. I believe, 100%, that working on endurance (the running farther option) is what I need to do to reach all of my running goals. And for most runners, that should be their focus as well.

In many cases, when runners say they need to get faster they are missing the point. Most runners are fast enough to reach their goals, they just don’t have the fitness to hold that speed long enough.

As an example, in order to qualify for Boston I’d need to average a 7:15 per mile pace over a marathon. I could go out and run a 6:15 mile most days, and I could run 2 miles in 13+ minutes as well.

I’m clearly fast enough to qualify for Boston. 

Where I need to improve is my endurance. I can’t hold that type of pace over the course of 26.2 miles, and so that is why improving my endurance is my primary focus when it comes to my training.

For the 300th episode of the #podcast, the tables have turned and I'm the one getting grilled! #runchat #running Click To Tweet

As Always, I’d Love to Know What Stood Out to You From this Episode! Let Me Know Your Takeaway in the Comments Below!

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