In this ‘All Things Endurance’ episode, host Rick Prince chats with professional marathon runner and coach, Nell Rojas. Nell was the top American woman in the Boston Marathon in 2021 and 2022, and in 2023 she PR’d with a 2:24:51.
In this episode, Nell discusses a wide range of topics from the perspective of both a professional runner and a coach. Specifically, she discusses the differences and similarities between elite runners and amateurs with respect to training and racing.
Thank you for listening!
- 1:43 – Two common mistakes that runners make
- 5:25 – Response from athletes when asking them to lower their expectations in their goal race
- 10:30 – What are some things that amateur runners aren’t doing when it comes to recovery?
- 14:54 – Prioritizing sleep and rest
- 16:22 – Biggest lifestyle change to becoming a pro runner
- 19:18 – Most important support team member for runners
- 21:48 – Why do elite marathoners only race a few marathons a year?
- 26:11 – Do pros have a higher pain tolerance and mental/emotional toughness than age groupers?
- 28:48 – How important are super shoes for age groupers?
- 30:37 – Important aspects of mental training and mentality
- 35:14 – Taper tantrums
- 38:06 – Importance of historical data to base a taper off of
