The Aerobic Edge
The Aerobic Edge is a running podcast hosted by Joost Dekker, a coach at Pacebuddies. It aims to help runners move beyond generic training plans and make consistent progress. Episodes cover topics like the SRA cycle, smart pacing, recovery, and building real fitness. The show offers practical, no-nonsense coaching advice for runners from 5K to marathon. New episodes are released every two weeks.
Afleveringen
Iron Deficiency in Runners: And How to Actually Fix It - Dr Alannah McKay
Most runners who think they have low iron have never had the right test. And most who supplement for it never needed to.Dr Alannah McKay is a Senior Lecturer at the Mary MacKillop Institute for Health Research, Australian Catholic University, where she studies iron metabolism in athletes. She trained full-time as a ballet dancer from twelve to eighteen and thinks she was iron deficient through mos
You only need 10 grams an hour - Prof Tim Noakes
Every fuelling guide tells you to take as many grams per hour as your gut can handle. Prof. Tim Noakes has spent four years arguing the number you actually need is closer to ten.His position is contested. Prof. Louise Burke argues the opposite, and they published a three-part debate against each other in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in May 2026 — her case, his case, and a joint conse
Deena Kastor: How To Train The Mental Side Of Running
There comes a point in a race where it stops being about fitness. Deena Kastor — Olympic marathon bronze medallist and American record holder for nineteen years — is unusually specific about what to do when that moment arrives.We cover where her mental training started under coach Joe Vigil, the hill where she changed the words in her own head, and the practices she kept for decades:a daily gratit
Why "Breathe More Oxygen" Is a Myth: Nasal Breathing, CO2 Tolerance & the Diaphragm | Zack Kramer
Most runners assume nasal breathing works because it gets you more oxygen. It doesn't — and today's guest explains what's actually going on instead. Zack Kramer, a strength and conditioning coach who rebuilt his practice around breathwork after years in CrossFit, walks through the real mechanism behind nose vs. mouth breathing: it's not oxygen uptake, it's CO2 tolerance.We cove
Running Technique: Cadence, Foot Strike and What Actually Matters | Paul Mackinnon
Most runners try to fix their form by chasing numbers — 180 steps per minute, a midfoot landing, a shorter stride. Paul Mackinnon thinks that's the wrong end of the problem.Paul runs The Balanced Runner in Melbourne and has spent close to a decade coaching running technique full time, working with Olympians like Galen Rupp and Brett Robinson alongside recreational runners with sore knees. His
Lactate as Fuel, Not Waste: The Physiology of Running Fatigue | Dr. Michael Lindinger
For a hundred years, runners have blamed "lactic acid" for burning legs and fatigue. It's one of the most persistent myths in sport — and it's wrong.In this episode I talk with Dr. Michael Lindinger, exercise physiologist and former professor at the University of Guelph, who spent decades studying what actually happens to lactate and acid in working muscle. We get into what lacta
How Much Protein Do Runners Actually Need? Dr. Jose Antonio
Dr. Jose Antonio, co-founder and CEO of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN), joins The Aerobic Edge to go through what the evidence actually says about protein, buffering supplements, and caffeine for endurance athletes.We cover why the protein-kidney myth persists despite years of contrary data, why most national protein guidelines are too low for anyone trying to race rather tha
HRV for Runners: What Your Morning Number Actually Means — Marco Altini
Your HRV dropped after a hard session. Most runners take that as proof they trained hard. Marco Altini says it's proof of the opposite.Marco is the founder of HRV4Training, an advisor at Oura, and an endurance coach. He came to physiology the long way round — from computer science and early wearable prototypes, back to university to study sports science, because he wanted to understand the bod
Fix Running Injuries: Why Your Head & Feet Matter More Than Your Legs | Helen Hall
What if the pain in your knee, your Achilles or your foot has almost nothing to do with the spot that hurts?In this episode of The Aerobic Edge, I sit down with movement specialist Helen Hall — the person runners often turn to as a last resort, after they've tried everything and been told they might never run again. Using one of the most advanced motion analysis systems in the world (affection
The Strength Work That Makes You a Better Runner | Erin Carson
Erin Carson: Mobility, Strength & Moving Better for Life | The Aerobic EdgeWhat does it really take to stay strong, mobile, and injury-free as a runner — not just for your next race, but for the rest of your life?In this episode I sit down with Erin Carson, strength coach behind some of the best endurance athletes in the world, including ultra-running GOAT Courtney Dauwalter. Based in Boulder,
The Science of Running Endurance: How Your Body Really Works, with Prof. Paul Laursen
In this episode I sit down with Professor Paul Laursen — sport scientist, co-author of Science and Application of High-Intensity Interval Training, and co-founder of Athletica — to break down the science of endurance in plain language. From mitochondria and fat-burning to HIIT, the neuromuscular system, nutrition, recovery and HRV, we turn the biology of running into practical tools to help you tr
The Sub-3 Marathon: The Complete Training System — with John Starrett
In this episode of The Aerobic Edge, coach John Starrett ("The Stable Master") returns for a deep dive into the sub-3 marathon — a magical barrier for many runners. Since 2017, John has coached a staggering 962 runners to sub-3 and 274 to sub-2:30, all online. We unpack what it actually takes to break that barrier and what your training needs to look like to get there.John explains why h
Run Free: The Nervous System Approach to Injury-Free Running — with Lawrence van Lingen
Lawrence van Lingen is a sports chiropractor and movement specialist. Described by Triathlete Magazine as the genius of running, he has over 25 years of experience working with world-class athletes including Jan Frodeno, Taylor Knibb, and Flora Duffy.In this episode we talk about why most running injuries keep coming back, what fascia actually is and why it matters, and how your nervous system sha
Marathon-Specific Training: How to Peak at Race Day — with John Starrett
John Starrett is an experienced endurance coach with over 40 years in the sport. He has coached more than 900 runners to a sub-3 hour marathon and has guided male and female athletes to the US Olympic Marathon Trials. He is also known as The Stable Master.This is John's second appearance on The Aerobic Edge. In our first episode we covered aerobic base building and bridge training. In this epi
The Aerobic Base Blueprint: What Zone 2 Really Means — with Scott Johnston
Scott Johnston is one of the most respected endurance coaches in the world. As founder of Evoke Endurance and co-author of Training for the Uphill Athlete, he has coached athletes across skiing, mountaineering, trail running and road running. In 2025, both the men's and women's UTMB champions — Tom Evans and Ruth Croft — were coached by Scott.In this episode we dig into the foundation of e
Bridge Training: The Missing Link Between Base and Peak Performance
In this episode, Joost sits down again with coach John Starrett to dive into one of the most overlooked phases in endurance training: bridge training.After building a strong aerobic base through the foundation, pre-super base, and super base phases, many runners jump too quickly into race-specific work. Bridge training fills that gap—safely introducing intensity, improving speed, and preparing the
Metabolic Flexibility for Runners: Top Tips from Mikki Williden
Most runners assume that logging more miles automatically makes them better fat burners. The science says otherwise.In this episode, Joost sits down with New Zealand-based sports dietitian and researcher Mikki Williden (PhD, public health) to unpack one of the most misunderstood topics in endurance sports: metabolic flexibility. Mikki has a 2:55 marathon PB, has raced the Boston Marathon, the Sout
The Minimal Strength Routine for Runners
Most runners either skip strength training or do it completely wrong. In this episode, Joost breaks down how just 5 to 10 minutes a day makes you a stronger, more durable runner — no gym, no heavy weights. Just a minimalist routine that improves your running economy without sabotaging your recovery.Why heavy lifting can actually slow down your running adaptationWhat gluteal amnesia is and how to f
Hills and Strides - Your secret weapon for better running
Most runners shuffle. Short stride, low heel lift, zero power. It's not laziness — it's your glutes being completely switched off. And the frustrating part? Adding more miles or speed work just reinforces the problem.In this episode we go deep on gluteal amnesia, the neuroscience of running mechanics, and the two tools — hill blasts and strides — that will rewire your movement pattern from
Coaching Beginners to Olympians - Interview with John Starrett:
Interview with John Starrett: Coaching Beginners to Olympians — The Stazza System ExplainedJohn Starrett has been coaching runners for over 40 years. Since moving online in 2017, he's guided nearly 900 athletes to sub-3 marathons and over 250 to sub-2:30 — including athletes at the US Olympic Trials and the Tokyo Olympics. In this episode, he breaks down the complete Stazza's Stable system
Building an Aerobic Base with the SuperBase
About this episodeMost runners skip the one phase that actually builds speed. They go straight into marathon-specific training, do the long runs, hit the intervals — and wonder why they plateau after 8 weeks.The secret? It's called the Super Base. A 4-month training block that builds durability, raises your lactate ceiling, and makes your body ready to handle real speed work without breaking.I
No Copy-Paste – Why Generic Plans Fail (And How to Build a Week That Actually Fits Your Life)
Most runners follow training plans that were never written for them. Plans that don't know they slept badly, have work stress, or just feel off. And when those plans don't work? They blame themselves.In this episode, we break down why generic plans fail, what the "no cut-and-paste" rule actually means, and how to adjust your training — not every 12 weeks, but every single week.No
Stop training too hard
Show Notes – The Aerobic EdgeEpisode: Stop Training Too Hard (The SRA Cycle)Most runners think improvement happens while they're running. It doesn't. It happens after — when you recover, adapt, and come back stronger.In this episode, we break down why "harder is better" is keeping you stuck, how the SRA cycle actually works, and why recovery isn't passive — it's when you
