We brought some big-time celebration vibes for this holiday episode! The main training topic was on the body of literature connecting strength work to running economy improvements. Wherever you look, there seem to be agreements mixed with contradictions, and we sprinkle some spicy controversy flakes on top of it all. Our take? Endurance athletes should probably be doing some strength work, especially with age, and we lay out a simple approach that will cost almost nothing. Two times per week, 10-20 minutes each time. You just need a kettlebell and a dream!

Though it may cause your glutes to be very sore on Christmas morning. Leave a protein shake out for Santa.

And WOW was this one full of gratitude and laughs! Other topics: the wild soreness from initial adaptations, the repeated bout effect and why it's our favorite physiological phenomenon, a primer on running economy, the lack of good elliptical research, CJ Albertson's bonkers training involving heat lamps and boiling water, our take on Strava's Year in Sport summary, a follow-up on Omega 3s, how AI is already changing the coaching landscape, hot takes, and a new segment: secrets.

You know what's not a secret? We have infinite gratitude for our listeners! Thank you for joining us for the fun each week, and for making it all possible. We hope your season is full of self-acceptance, love, cookies, satisfying bathroom trips, new shoes, and hill strides!

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Speed Legs routine: https://www.trailrunnermag.com/training/trail-tips-training/8-minute-speed-legs/