“It’s not your fastest mile that matters, it’s your slowest mile.” Ian Sharman on The Extramilest Show #131
Ian Sharman improved his marathon time from a 3:40 to a 2:21 at age 43. He has completed over 250 marathons and ultramarathons. In this conversation he shares the simple training shifts for his biggest breakthroughs and the mindset behind long-term improvement.
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Topics covered:
- 00:00 — Ian Sharman’s biggest running lessons
- 02:47 — Consistency beats heroic workouts
- 09:31 — Why runners struggle with consistency
- 11:26 — Flexibility vs rigid training plans
- 12:45 — Should you make up missed runs?
- 15:57 — PB Running Coaching Program
- 16:26 — Balancing running with family & life
- 19:24 — The purpose behind every run
- 22:08 — Ian’s 2:32 marathon breakthrough
- 25:40 — What is flow running?
- 31:02 — The three phases of every race
- 36:47 — The power of hiking in ultrarunning
- 43:04 — Why your slowest mile matters most
- 45:39 — Ian’s biggest race mistakes & Boston 2018
- 51:44 — How aging changes your training
- 56:45 — Do you really need long training runs?
- 1:02:55 — Road runner’s guide to trail running
- 1:08:15 — Pain vs suffering
- 1:17:09 — What 100 miles does to your body — Western States blood results
- 1:19:55 — Heat training for ultrarunners
- 1:24:22 — The core message of The Art of Ultrarunning
- 1:25:37 — Where to find Ian Sharman and his book
AA few of many quotes from my conversation with Ian Sharman.
- “You go 15 seconds a mile too fast, you go half as far before you blow up.”
- “Body awareness is probably the biggest skill you need as an athlete of any type.”
- “Being consistently good is better than being heroic every now and then.”
- “In a race, it’s your average pace that determines the finish, not your quickest mile split.”
- “There wasn’t anything like a secret workout that makes a difference. I just made my easy days easier and my hard days harder”
- “If over a six-month period you’ve been able to do about 90% of what you’ve been aiming for, that is excellent.”
Ian Sharman is the author of the new book The Art of Ultrarunning.
Hope you enjoy this new video, CLICK HERE to watch it.
Cheers,
Coach Floris Gierman
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