With spring marathon and half marathon training getting underway for many runners, Heather welcomes elite runner and coach Luke Humphrey to the show to talk about his books Hansons Marathon Method and Hansons Half Marathon Method. Luke, who is a runner with the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project in Rochester, Mich., wrote these books with Keith and Kevin Hanson, elite running coaches and owners of Hansons Running Shops in southern Michigan. Their training method is used with impressive success by members of the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project as well as everyday runners all across the country. Runners who follow the plan often achieve personal best times -- sometimes huge PRs -- given the method's unconventional approach (one example: the longest run in the marathon plan is 16 miles, not the traditional 20 or 22). Luke explains in detail how the method's combination of "smart science with proven practice" makes all the difference. You'll hear about the importance of "cumulative fatigue" and how you learn to train hard and consistently by following the plan, resulting in a strong performance on race day. Luke also shares his own personal running journey, which began in high school and continued at Central Michigan University. He has qualified for three Olympic trials in the marathon -- in 2008, 2012 and 2016 -- and has a personal best marathon finish time of 2:14:38. Link: Hansons Coaching Services: hansonscoachingservices.com
