#206 This or That? Super Trainers vs. Training Companions, Buying 2023 or 2024 Shoes, Top Beginner Shoes, and Could Caitlin Clark BQ!?
Time for another edition of "This or That" where we pit two opposing concepts (shoes, training, recovery, nonsense) against each other and force ourselves to pick a side. On this episode, Nathan, David, and Matt debate...well...pretty much everything: super trainers vs. training companion shoes, running in the heat vs. the cold, long racing vs. short racing, LeBron vs. Caitlin Clark, and even California geography. If you're looking for needlessly hot takes, we've got 'em. Check out our friends at Skratch and save 25% on your first order with code DOR24! Chapters 0:00 - Intro 5:18 - 2023 shoes vs. 2024 shoes 16:04 - Saucony Ride 16 vs 17 19:10 - Marathon vs. Half marathon 24:44 - Running in 0º or 100º 28:50 - Santa Barbara is Southern California or Central Coast? 34:22 - Foam rolling vs. percussive massage 38:50 - Supertrainers vs. training companions 44:19 - SC Trainer v3 vs. On Cloudmonster Hyper 47:16 - Only racing 5Ks vs. marathons 55:04 - Only road running vs. only trail running 56:54 - Rockered vs. flexible shoes 59:05 - Lebron vs. Caitlin Clark BQ-ing 1:03:06 - Running at the Olympics: no golds but three medals or only one gold in three races 1:05:51 - Top 2 starting shoes: Pegasus, Ghost, Cumulus, 880, Wave Rider, Ride 17 1:12:30 - Wrap-up
28 Aug 20241h 14min
#205 Our Top Stable Neutral Shoes of 2024
If you know DOR, you know we love talking about stable neutral shoes. On this episode, Nathan and Matt take a look at some of their favorite stability shoes of 2024. They start at the basics, defining "stable neutral" and giving some guidance how to know whether you could benefit stability in a shoe. Then, they pair up shoes like the Brooks Ghost Max 2, ASICS Superblast 2, New Balance More v5 and more for some compare/contrast Check out our friends at Skratch and save 25% on your first order with code DOR24! Chapters 0:00 - Intro 2:13 - Defining "stable neutral" 4:12 - Assessing your need for stability in shoes 6:14 - Components of stable neutral shoes 14:09 - Brooks Ghost Max 2 vs. On Cloudrunner 2 21:53 - On Cloudmonster Hyper vs. New Balance More v5 26:46 - adidas Terrex Agragic 3 vs. Hoka Speedgoat 5 31:00 - Brooks Hyperion Max vs. Hoka Skyflow 34:08 - Hoka Skyward X vs. ASICS Glideride Max 40:44 - Wrap-up
21 Aug 202443min
#204 All About the Long Run: Benefits and RISKS of Long Runs, How to Pick Your Shoes, and Returing to Long Runs from Injury
Today's episode is all about the long run, one of the most critical, and most fretted over, parts of a runner's training. David and Matt get together to share their expertise on surviving and thriving on those long days. They discuss the physiological and mental benefits you gain over a long run, as well as the risks as you build up to it. Of course they share their favorite shoes and give guidance on how to pick what to put on your feet. Finally they give strategies on adjusting your runs in extreme heat or cold, and how to build back to a long run after dealing with an injury. Check out our friends at Skratch and save 25% on your first order with code DOR24! Chapters 0:00 - Intro 2:16 - What's the point of a long run? 5:36 - The benefits and risks of long runs 20:00 - What makes a run a "long" run and how do you build to one? 28:20 - How should you pace your long runs? 31:06 - Picking your shoes for your long run 41:58 - How do you adjust your long run for extreme weather? 52:54 - How do you come back to a long run after injury? 58:38 - Wrap-up
14 Aug 20241h
#203 The Best NON-Plated Workout Shoes Right Now, and the Pros and Cons to Using them Over Carbon
Between super racing shoes and super trainers, it seems like half the shoes on the market have super foams and/or carbon plates. But, what if spending too much time in these maximally performing, fun shoes, might be doing us a disservice? Matt and David look into the research and share anecdotes from their own training on how super shoes have affected them. Then they take a look at some of the excellent non-plated, lightweight trainer options like the New Balance Rebel v4, Topo Cyclone 2, and more. Check out our friends at Skratch and save 25% on your first order with code DOR24! Chapters 0:00 - Intro 2:04 - The pros/cons of training in plated & super shoes 14:14 - Topo Cyclone 2 16:52 - Kinvara 15 19:36 - ASICS Tri Noosa 16 22:51 - New Balance Rebel v4 24:37 - Hoka Mach 6 26:52 - Brooks Hyperion 30:50 - Saucony Ride 17 33:56 - Wrap-up
7 Aug 202439min
#202 More Toebox Please: We Rank Shoes By Uppers and Talk About the Differences from Runner to Runner in Fit
This episode is all about uppers. Often the more overlooked part of running shoes, uppers can make or break the running experience. Nathan and David get together to rank ten shoes from Hoka, Altra, Saucony, ASICS, Topo, and more from 10-1 on upper fit for them. They also explore what components make an upper and how to find the best fit for you. Check out our friends at Skratch and save 25% on your first order with code DOR24! Chapters 0:00 - Intro 1:47 - What is a shoe's upper? 6:05 - Tier 4 uppers 14:53 - Tier 3 uppers 22:32 - Tier 2 uppers 27:34 - Tier 1 uppers 34:04 - Wrap-up
31 Juli 202437min
#201 Inside the New Brooks Hyperion Lineup: Why was the Hyperion Max Redesigned? What is DNA Flash Exactly? and How Stability is Approached in Neutral Designs
On this episode, Andrea is joined by long time friend of the pod, Tina Danforth, Footwear Product Line Manager for Brooks Running. They take a deep dive into Brooks's latest updates to their Hyperion line, specifically the Hyperion 2, Hyperion Max 2, and Hyperion Elite 4. Tina breaks down the specific science of their foams (DNA Flash & DNA Loft) and how they formulate them for different uses. They also take a look at the upcoming Ghost Max 2, an update to the massively popular debut. Check out our friends at Skratch and save 25% on your first order with code DOR24! Chapters 0:00 - Intro 4:12 - Big updates in the Hyperion line of shoes 6:14 - The difference between DNA Flash & DNA Loft foams 8:16 - How DNA Flash has evolved 10:51 - Geometry & design updates on the Hyperion Max 2 15:30 - The new Hyperion Elite 4 18:33 - What's new for the Hyperion 2 29:52 - Building stability into the Hyperion line 32:14 - What's coming from Brooks in 2025 35:48 - How Brooks creates its foams 42:30 - Updates to the Ghost Max 2 48:04 - Brooks' approach to stability 52:56 - How Brooks' design philosophy has evolved over the years 54:40 - Wrap-up
24 Juli 202455min
#200 Mailbag Special! 1000+ Mile Shoes? Building Our Dream Shoe, Our Running Celebrity Bestie, and If This Shoe Were a…
It's the 200th episode of the Doctors of Running Podcast! For this milestone episode we've put together a mailbag from some of our favorite running-world friends like Connor Blalock (Running Warehouse), Elisabeth Scott (Running Explained), Victoria Sekely (Train Smart Run Strong), and more! Nathan, Matt, and David get together to tackle their questions about dream running celebrity friends, 1000mi shoes, the future of racing shoes, and so much more. We're so thankful for each one of you for supporting and following along with our work for this long, and we're looking forward to the next 200 episodes! Chapters 0:00 - Intro 5:57 - If you could hang out with any running celebrity, who would it be? 12:10 - If you worked in the run industry, who would you work for? 18:14 - Will we ever see shoes last 1000+ miles? 24:28 - What does the average runner put up with in their shoes that could be better? 32:00 - Are shoes in the style of old racing flats gone for good? 43:23 - What type of "support" doesn't exist that should? 46:34 - Do you see any new future limits on race-legal shoes? 49:17 - If you could relate your personality to any running shoe, what would it be? 55:42 - How would you assemble your dream shoe? 1:03:40 - What would you like to see DOR do in the next 200 episodes of the podcast, and in the next 2 years in general? 1:11:33 - If the ASICS Superblast 2 was an NBA player, who would it be? 1:14:28 - Wrap-up
17 Juli 20241h 15min
#199 What Makes Super Shoes “Super” and Interpreting Results for Individuals with Dr. Wouter Hoogkamer (Researcher, Leader of The 4% Study)
On this episode, Nathan and Matt have the privilege of interviewing Dr. Wouter Hoogkamer about his research on super shoes and how they affect running performance. They discuss what makes a super shoe "super" (the plate, the geometry, the foam, or all three?). They also discuss Wouter's latest writing and research on getting the best results from running research trials. They get Wouter's take on training in super trainers/plated shoes and how they may effect biomechanics. Be sure to listen to this fascinating discussion on super shoes and research! Dr. Wouter Hoogkamer is a researcher focusing on biomechanics and energetics of human locomotion and running. He currently leads the UMASS Integrative Motion Lab. If you’ve been in the running shoe space, and are listening to this podcast you likely have heard of one of his most “famous” studies colloquially known as “The 4% Study”, which looked at the original Nike Vaporfly and produced results that gave the shoe it’s name. Beyond research, he is a runner and ultra-runner himself and was the founder of the Trail Ultra Mountain Alliance. Chapters 0:00 - Intro 3:40 - The Subjective: what's your favorite super shoe? 8:01 - Wouter's article: The Fallacy of Single Trials 15:33 - Structuring research to achieve more confident results 18:47 - Accounting for variabilty in trial results 21:38 - Defining physiological drift 26:44 - The risks of using single trials 38:10 - Wouter's definition of super shoes 41:40 - The roles of plates, foams, and geometries in super shoes 55:10 - Wouter's take on super trainers and training in plated shoes 1:06:36 - Why do some respond to certain shoes and not others? 1:12:07 - Wrap-up
10 Juli 20241h 14min
