May Mailbag: Being in a Relationship with a Runner, the Late-Starter Marathon Window & Fueling for 24 Hours

It's the May Mailbag — and Michael, Alex and Katelyn are getting personal. With their spouses conveniently out of the house, the three of them dig into what it's actually like to be in a relationship with a runner: pace mismatches, "morning person" catfishes, who gets the long-run slot on Sunday, and what happens when your non-running partner slowly, accidentally becomes a runner.

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Alex also previews his new podcast with his fiancée Alexis — tentatively called "For Better or For Worse" — which follows the two of them training for very different goals (Alex chasing a fast Valencia half; Alexis chasing her first-ever 10K) on the way to their wedding day. Katelyn shares her first non-running vacation in years (Hawaii — and yes, she still snuck in a three-hour long run), and Michael confesses to running shifts with Kelly.

Then into the mailbag:

— Tibo (36, started running in 2023) asks if there's any science on how much room a late-starter has to keep improving. Spoiler: a lot.— Adam is taking on Endure 24, a 24-hour trail race in the UK, and wants to know what to eat for an entire day of running. Katelyn breaks down her ultra fueling playbook (grilled cheese, quesadillas, Coke and broth all make appearances).— A listener pushes back on a previous comment about London Marathon qualifying times — the team clarifies what they actually meant and pitches a two-day London Marathon format.— Gavin wants a sub-2:50 marathon plan. The crew talks volume, threshold work, periodization and how to graduate from the sub-3 plan.

Plus: a teaser of Jessy Carveth's new interview with Jakob Ingebrigtsen, dropping later this week.

Got a question or comment? Email podcast@marathonhandbook.com — or send a voice memo for the upcoming summer voicemail mailbag.

Timestamps

(02:06) Katelyn's first non-running vacation in years(06:25) Buying super shoes from a Hawaiian beach(09:55) Alex's new podcast with Alexis: "For Better or For Worse"(13:15) Dating a runner vs. dating a non-runner(25:30) Life in a two-runner household(31:30) Whose running takes priority?(35:00) Type A vs Type B runners(40:00) The wedding 5K and the sub-15 curse(46:50) Mailbag: Late-start marathon progression(1:01:00) Mailbag: Fueling for a 24-hour race(1:14:30) Listener feedback on the London Marathon lottery debate(1:24:30) Mailbag: Building a sub-2:50 marathon plan(1:29:00) Jakob Ingebrigtsen interview teaser