Have you ever chatted with a friend who has a completely different perspective on the same subject than you?
Every conversation is fascinating because each of you approach the topic from different angles. Neither of you are wrong – both of you are right just in different ways.
This is the reason why I love talking about running with Matt Frazier, author of No Meat Athlete and someone who has a long list of accomplishments:
- Multiple ultramarathon finisher – including a 100-mile race
- Creator of the wildly popular No Meat Athlete blog and podcast
- Boston Marathon Qualifier at 3:09 (but he started with a 4:53! Here’s how)
Recently during a live Q&A with our Run Your BQ members, Matt and I both answered the same question about breathing while running. My answer was simple: no breathing pattern has been shown to improve performance, so don’t over-think it. Try to breathe normally.
But Matt looked at the subject differently. Sure, breathing a certain pattern won’t help you run faster, but what if it helped you relax? Or simply increase your enjoyment of the run?
Well, focusing on a breathing pattern is absolutely worthwhile in that case!
Matt sees things that I don’t. His experiences as a marathoner and ultra runner help shape a perspective very different than mine.
But Matt wasn’t always a 100-mile running, book-writing, Boston Qualifier. In fact, he didn’t even LIKE running when he was a kid. Running conjured bad memories of suffering through the high school mile test during gym class. In other words, running was punishment.
Somehow, Matt gradually transformed himself over the years. His massive accomplishments aren’t because he’s super talented or won the genetic lottery like the pros. Instead, he’s done all of this while raising a family and growing a business.
So, how’d he do it? What enables a regular guy to fall in love with running, improve by leaps and bounds, and become an ultra-endurance runner?
That’s the topic of this interview and his newest program, the 5k Roadmap: The Plant-Based Guide to Getting Fit, Becoming a Runner, and Loving it.
The Beginner’s Guide to Getting Started with Running
Today I’m excited to share an all-new interview with Matt on how you too can become a more consistent runner who finally loves running.
Yes, my goal is to make you fall in love with running today.
Just click the button below to start the interview. Or, click here to open the audio player in a new tab.
[audio:https://s3.amazonaws.com/StrengthRunning/How+to+Start+Running+and+Actually+Enjoy+it+with+Matt+Frazier.mp3]You’ll learn about the beginning of Matt’s running career, how he got started, and why he became obsessed with qualifying for Boston.
Finally, he shares strategies I’ve never written about on how you can run more consistently, more habitually, and enjoy every second of it.
Show Notes, Extra Resources & Links From the Interview
- Matt’s journey from his first 4:53 marathon to his Boston qualifying 3:09 marathon (free ebook)
- How to make running a habit (article)
- Stretch Goals – how to set goals that scare you (article + audio interview)
- No Meat Athlete – the book
- Breathing while running (for meditation, relaxation, and getting into the “zone”)
- Trail running in Colorado (video)
- Badwater Ultramarathon
- Derek Sivers: Keep your goals to yourself (TED talk)
- How to Finally Enjoy Running (Matt’s wildly popular article that got published on Huffington Post)
- Run Your BQ (the marathon community that Matt and I co-coach)
- The “3 C’s” of easy running (article + video)
- Born to Run by Christopher McDougall (the book that made Matt start thinking of himself as a runner)
- Eat and Run: My Unlikely Journey to Ultramarathon Greatness by Scott Jurek
- Body, Mind, and Sport: The Mind-Body Guide to Lifelong Health, Fitness, and Your Personal Best by John Douillard
- The Spirit of the Marathon (crazy inspirational marathon documentary movie)
- Finding Ultra by Rich Roll (Jason’s choice for an inspiring running book)
- Running shoes (SR’s collection of shoe reviews)
- Beginner training plans + running guide (5k Roadmap)
What Excites You About Your Running Journey?
When I started running, my goal was to see how fast I could run our high school’s home cross country course.
Soon, that goal morphed into how fast I could run every distance: the 800m, mile, 2-mile, and 5k. When I got to college, I chased personal bests in 8k cross country, the indoor 3,000m, and even the steeplechase.
Matt Frazier’s goal was to run his first marathon. Then to qualify for Boston. Soon he was covering ultramarathon distances up to 100 miles. Maybe someday he’ll take a crack at the 3:00 hour marathon barrier.
And what about you?
What goals are you chasing? What excites you about running? Why do you lace up your shoes every day?
Running can be challenging, boring, frustrating – but it can also be exhilarating, rewarding, and one of the most fulfilling ways to spend your time.
So tell us, what makes running exciting for you? Post your comment below. I’d love to know more about why you run!
If you’re a new runner, check out Matt’s newest program, the 5k Roadmap, on how you can start running the right way and learn to love the sport.
PS. Tomorrow’s the last day to enter for your chance to win a GoPro Hero3+ Silver Edition Camera. Giddy up!
