Copying the Pros Won’t Work, Belief Is Real, and Your Taper Might Be Hurting You—Alex Ostberg Breaks Down July’s Biggest Lessons in Training Psychology

THE RUNNING EFFECT PODCAST

Dominic Schlueter

Running, Sports

4.8 • 686 Ratings

🗓️ 28 July 2025

⏱️ 51 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Alex Ostberg is back again, ready to unpack the powerful, and often overlooked, mental side of training.

In this July roundup, Alex breaks down the four most impactful lessons from his newsletter The Rundown: covering everything from tapering tweaks to placebo power.

If you’ve ever second-guessed your workouts, tried to copy what the pros are doing, or sabotaged yourself before race day—this episode is your antidote.

First up, Alex covers why copying elite runners can backfire, and how to train for yourself, not someone else’s blueprint. Next, he discusses the placebo effect redefined, how it’s not a trick, but a training tool rooted in belief and biology. Then it’s onto the taper trap: how overthinking and last-minute adjustments ruin weeks of hard work (and how to stop). Lastly, he examines the hidden role of mindset across every training phase, and how to build routines that boost performance from the inside out.

Alex is ready to show how success isn’t about replication, it’s about personalization; that belief isn’t fake; it’s a real driver of results; and how trusting the plan matters just as much as writing a good one.

Alex is a former D1 All-American, coach, and creator of The Rundown, one of the most practical and honest newsletters in running. His approach blends elite-level insight with grounded, actionable strategies every runner can use.

Tap into the Alex Ostberg Rundown Special.

If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it.

Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I’ll DM you a link to listen.

If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend!

S H O W N O T E S

-The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs

-The Science of a Taper

-How To Stop Sabotaging Your Taper

-The Placebo Effect Isn’t A Trick – It’s A Tool

-Don’t Copy The Winner

-BUY MERCH BEFORE IT’S GONE: https://shop.therunningeffect.run

-Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run

-THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ

-My Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

-Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	If you take an athlete, you give them a perfect training plan that's designed exactly to the specifications of their physiology and goals, but they don't believe in it.
0:09.1	And you compare that to the same athlete who's handed a mediocre program, but they buy completely into it and they trust their coach, who performs better.
0:17.1	I think that the one who believes in the program is always going to beat the person who has the perfect physiological plan.
0:27.9	Ladies and gentlemen, that was Alex Osberg today on the Running Effect podcast.
0:36.3	Today we are breaking down the last four editions
0:38.8	of our newsletter, the rundown by the running effect. These additions include deep, deep insights on
0:44.9	the science of tapering, the placebo effect, why you shouldn't copy professional runners and copy
0:49.9	the winner, as Alex calls it, and so many other insights. I want to ask you guys a favor.
0:55.1	You guys listen to the podcast. It's completely free. The newsletter is debatably better than the
0:59.9	podcast. The insights that Alex takes to your inbox every Thursday morning, I think are out of
1:05.6	this world. I personally have been blessed by them. If you subscribe, it's completely free.
1:10.1	And if you don't enjoy it,
1:11.1	you can always unsubscribe the following week. I have left a link in the show notes to the
1:14.9	past four editions that get discussed in today's conversation, as well as the general
1:19.0	rundown link that you guys can hit the subscribe button to. I firmly believe that by subscribing
1:24.4	and reading this newsletter, your running will be impacted positively
1:28.4	as a result, starting from the moment you subscribe and start to consume the content.
1:33.2	So do me a favor, take five seconds, scroll on the show notes, hit the subscribe button,
1:37.3	and let me know your thoughts, your opinions on the rundown, and how it has changed
1:41.7	the way that you view your training, racing, and even
1:44.9	everyday life. I am a firm believer in this project, which is why, you know, I brought it
1:50.2	to life and I'm funding it. And I really want to see it have the impact that I know it can
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Dominic Schlueter, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Dominic Schlueter and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.