Atlantic CEO Nick Thompson on Master's Training, Motivation, and Breakthroughs
The Strength Running Podcast
Jason Fitzgerald
4.7 • 1.5K Ratings
🗓️ 30 October 2025
⏱️ 53 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Nick Thompson has been running and racing for 35 years. He's the 40-44 age group American record holder in the 50k with a 3:04 finish time (that's 5:56 per mile for 31 miles), and was previously the world's top ranked runner in his age group in the 50-mile.
He's now the CEO of the Atlantic Magazine and his new book is now available: The Running Ground: A Father, a Son, and the Simplest of Sports.
You'll hear:
- How Nick's relationship with his father helped him get into running
- What drives him to compete today vs. 30 years ago
- His recommendations for passing along a love for running to your kids
- How his cancer diagnosis changed his relationship with running
- The training changes he made to finally have a breakthrough as a Master's runner
Resources from the show:
- Follow Nick on Instagram
- Coaching Call: Make a Comeback at 40
- Subscribe to The Atlantic
- Strength training for runners
Thank you MOBO Board!
Invented by renowned physical therapist Jay Dicharry, MOBO helps you stabilize your stance with an innovative rocker board that's set up on two fins. The design effectively forces you to drive your big toe into the board to improve your stability. I was pretty arrogant going into my first session on the MOBO Board. How hard can it be to balance, right? Well, I was humbled pretty quickly!
Even if you're a good runner, better balance, stability, and proprioception is going to help you have a more powerful stride and prevent more running injuries. You'll learn how to improve the efficiency of the kinetic chain from your hip to your big toe. Because as Jay likes to say, it's not just how strong you are, but how well you use that strength.
I was recently at a weekend physical therapy workshop (lol I was the only running coach) and learned how important (and rare) this simple movement is. Save 10% with code STRENGTHRUN10 at checkout at moboboard.com.
Thanks to The Performance Training Journal!
The Performance Training Journal is now available on Amazon and debuted as the #4 new release in the running category. Since I started running in 1998, I've kept a hardcopy training journal. Holding a tangible log, writing in it daily, and reflecting on the ups and downs of running is a surefire way to improve.
This hardcopy training journal helps you focus on the training metrics that matter, prioritizes a long-term outlook so you don't take any shortcuts, and maintains your motivation with strategic self-praise. With a no-frills, functional design, the Performance Training Journal includes coaching advice on racing, injury prevention, strength training, and more. It will guide you through race scheduling, how to plan your race morning, the best workouts for endurance runners, and encourage you to track your personal bests over time.
You have the space to make this journal your own whether you're a new runner or a professional, a trail or road runner, or a mid-distance specialist or ultra marathoner. So don't just track your running, learn from it with the Performance Training Journal! Check it out today on Amazon.
Thank you Gut & Green!
Previnex's new Gut & Green Superfoods powder is my new go-to. It has organic barley and oat grass, alfalfa, spirulina, chlorella, kale and broccoli… and that's it. Their ingredients are backed by clinical data and contain three specific gut fibers that help promote GI health, digestion, reduced inflammation, and a better microbiome.
And it has twice of the fiber of my last greens mix - something I'm trying to work on. I don't always eat as many whole foods as I should, so G&G gives me more peace of Mind. Plus, the flavor actually tastes good. I don't have to choke it down so I enjoy drinking it!
Try it for yourself here at previnex.com and be sure to use code "JASONGREENS" to save 15% off your first order. Don't tell anyone, but if you put Gut & Green Superfoods powder in your cart, then the 15% off discount will work for anything else you add into your cart as well. Thanks Gut & Green!
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Ready, set, go! |
| 0:04.4 | This is episode 430 with world-ranked Ultra Runner, |
| 0:08.9 | the 40-44 age group 50K American record holder, author, and the CEO of the Atlantic, Nick Thompson. Welcome to the Strength Running podcast. |
| 0:28.0 | We surround you with the same experts as pro runners. |
| 0:30.7 | So keep listening to hear coaches, physical therapists, strength experts, dietitians, |
| 0:36.0 | sports psychologists, and other thought leaders give you the best |
| 0:39.6 | guidance possible to take your running to the next level. I'm your host, coach Jason Fitzgerald. |
| 0:45.4 | I'm a former cross-country and track athlete for Connecticut College. I've been coaching runners since |
| 0:50.2 | 2010, and I'm a former columnist for Trail Runner magazine. |
| 0:54.6 | You can learn more about me and strength running at strengthrunning.com. |
| 0:58.9 | Now, before we start the show, I just want to thank you for listening, for subscribing, |
| 1:04.3 | leaving reviews of the podcast. |
| 1:06.4 | If you're new here, don't forget to follow or subscribe to the show. Because last week, we were the number one and number two running podcast in the United |
| 1:15.5 | States for about five days straight. |
| 1:18.1 | I'm really glad this podcast is resonating with you and helping you become a better runner. |
| 1:23.1 | I couldn't do it without your support. |
| 1:25.1 | So thanks again. |
| 1:26.3 | And if you want to see more episodes, |
| 1:28.0 | let's keep the show sustainable by supporting our sponsors. |
| 1:32.0 | A huge thanks to Previnex and their new Gut and Greens Superfood Greens powder. I've moved on |
| 1:38.4 | from AG1. Sorry, Athletic Greens. It's just not doing it for me anymore. To be up front, |
| 1:43.4 | I still like AG1, and I think |
... |
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