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The Strength Running Podcast

276. Running & Power: Exploring ‘Mechanical Output’ with David Roche

The Strength Running Podcast

Jason Fitzgerald

Health & Fitness, 10k, Beginnerrunning, Marathontraining, Fitness, Injuryprevention, Marathon, Halfmarathon, Running, Sports

4.81.3K Ratings

🗓️ 1 December 2022

⏱️ 67 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

If you haven’t thought much about power as it relates to your running, you’re not alone. As runners, power isn’t something that we often consider in our training.

To help us understand power, we have David Roche with us today. David Roche is an elite trail runner, author, and running coach. He is a two-time USATF trail national champion and the 2014 Sub-Ultra Trail Runner of the Year. David publishes regularly in Trail Runner Magazine and wrote the book, The Happy Runner, with his wife Megan.

Although the subject of power and mechanical output may sound daunting, never fear! David breaks down the concepts in a way that makes it understandable, approachable, and easy to apply to your running year-round. We discuss:

  • The definition of power and mechanical output, both in theory and in practicality for runners
  • Why power is a bigger limiter for non-elite athletes
  • How most benefits of developing power come from very short work intervals
  • Why maintaining power is your key to longevity in the sport
  • The success of the Norwegian system using power development
  • Five way to consistently improve your own power

David is insightful and enthusiastic when it comes to discussing the technical aspects of running. You're bound to learn something new to apply to your own training!

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Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Ready, set, go!

0:04.8

This is episode 276 with TrailRunner magazine columnist running coach to some of the best

0:10.9

trail and ultra runners in the country, author, and former trail runner of the year, David

0:15.9

Roche.

0:25.6

Welcome to the Strength Running Podcast.

0:27.6

I'm your host coach, Jason Fitzgerald, and this episode is all about power, as it relates

0:33.0

to endurance running.

0:34.5

Is our sport a power sport?

0:37.1

What is mechanical output?

0:39.6

If we want to improve our ability to produce force, how do we do that?

0:44.0

My guest is David Roche, and that's our goal today, because power can help you dramatically

0:49.8

improve.

0:51.1

If you're new here, this show features training conversations, coaching calls, and experts

0:55.9

in the running space, to elevate your thinking about the sport.

0:59.6

Because if you better understand the process of improvement, when you recognize knowledge

1:04.2

as a competitive advantage, you'll be a much better runner.

1:07.8

But Strength Running is not just a podcast, don't miss our growing YouTube channel at youtube.com

1:12.6

slash Strength Running, and you can find me on Instagram at Jason Fitzgerald.

1:17.9

Our home base is StrengthRunning.com, since 2010 we've been helping runners around the

1:23.4

world, no matter how fast you are, with our award-winning blog, our free email courses,

1:29.0

and our suite of training programs to help you accomplish your biggest running goals.

1:33.6

You can learn more about those at StrengthRunning.com slash Coaching.

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