The MicroCast

Running twice a day sounds serious, but is it actually right for you? This week, Zoë and TJ dig into the full science of doubles: what they are, what they're definitively not, and how to know if you're actually a candidate. Plus, a round of listener-submitted Hot or Nots and a great question about why early morning runs feel so much harder.

First up, meet Coach James Nance, a multi-sport specialist who coaches cyclists, runn...

We brought in the person we trust with our own training. Cliff Pittman is the Director of Coaching at Carmichael Training Systems, which means he's essentially a coach of coaches, overseeing the education and development of CTS's entire coaching staff. He's also, full disclosure, our coach. So we wanted to have an honest conversation about what coaching actually is, what it isn't, and the massive gap between what athletes see and w...

Is your watch making you a worse runner? We dig into two powerful books — The Way of Excellence by Brad Stulberg and The Score by C. Thi Nguyen — to unpack how metrics, Strava segments, and training scores can quietly hijack your motivation and identity as an athlete.

We also tackle a wild listener question: a 23-year-old running 30 hundred-milers a year. We break down the real physiology — rhabdomyolysis, acute kidney injury, endoc...

Wired article on the Enhanced Games: https://www.wired.com/story/enhanced-games-freestyle-record-las-vegas-steroids/

You've got a distance that sounds impossible — maybe it's a marathon, maybe it's a 100-miler. The process for preparing to go longer than you ever have is more similar across distances than you might think. TJ and Zoë break down the physiology, psychology, and practical strategies behind training for longe...

Is fasted running sabotaging your performance? Are you accidentally under-eating on your hardest training days? This week, we break down the seven most common nutrition mistakes runners make, from calorie restriction at the wrong time to blindly copying elite protocols, and explain why the science says you probably need to eat more, not less.

We cover why your gut issues might actually be a training problem, not a food problem. We t...

How do you keep training when life gets stressful? Whether you're navigating a new job, new baby, a big move, or personal loss, your body processes all stress the same way—and that changes everything about how you should train.

In this episode, we break down the science of stress and running performance, including how the HPA axis works, why your "stress bucket" has a finite capacity, and why the same workout that buil...

Taking time off from running, whether from injury, illness, or life—doesn't have to derail your progress. In this episode, we break down the actual physiology of detraining and give you a science-backed framework for returning smarter, not just faster.

We cover what happens to your body during time off (spoiler: it's not as catastrophic as your brain tells you), why connective tissue is the real limiting factor in comebacks,...

📧 ⁠microcosmcoaching@gmail.com⁠🌐 microcosm-coaching.com💬 Foothills Community: $10/month (code FOOTHILLS10)

Does cross-training actually help runners, or is it just a distraction from the main thing? We break down the research on what transfers to running performance and what doesn't, covering AlterGs, curved treadmills, ellipticals, cycling, swimming, yoga, and Pilates.

The key finding: VO2 max transfers between modalities, but ru...

Happy New Year! Welcome to our first episode of 2026.

We kick things off with our Athens Big Fork Trail Marathon race recap—Zoe ran an 8-minute PR after 4 years of training (that's 30 miles per second of improvement), while TJ ran his worst time ever and learned some valuable lessons about mental performance and showing up when things don't go your way.

Then we answer a listener question: Does shoe cushioning actually matter ...

Your off-season choices today determine your race day results tomorrow.

Most runners get the transition season completely wrong—they either hammer through on their way to burnout or disappear entirely and spend January rebuilding from scratch. In this episode, we break down what actually works for year-over-year improvement.

We cover why taking zero time off after race season is a recipe for injury and plateau, the science of post-ra...

Listener Q&A: Your Trail & Ultra Running Questions Answered

Holiday grab bag episode! We answer your most-asked questions about ultras, gear, and training.

What We Cover:

• Road marathon to ultra transition: drop bags, poles, navigation, aid stations
• How to choose your first 100 miler
• Trail shoe buying guide + our current favorites
• GPS watches: what you actually need
• Supplements: sodium bicarbonate vs creatine
• Masters athlete tra...

We break down the five most important running studies of 2025 and give you a framework for deciding which science actually deserves your attention, and what's just expensive distraction. Plus, we debunk the hype around ketone supplements and Norwegian double threshold training.

What We Cover:

• The "Should I Care" framework for evaluating new research
• Why strict 80/20 polarization isn't magic for recreational athle...

We're back after a quick Thanksgiving break to share the running wisdom we wish someone had told us years ago. Drawing on interviews with experienced runners and our own coaching insights, we break down five lessons that could save you years of frustration, injury, and wasted effort.

What We Cover:

• Why the most important quality in an athlete isn't talent, it's showing up
• How to incorporate skiing and winter activities...

What separates athletes who reach their potential from those who plateau? In this fan-favorite episode, Coach TJ and Zoe break down 11 guiding principles that form the foundation of sustainable athletic growth—from knowing your why to controlling the controllables.

But first, we settle the important debates: Pop-Tarts vs. Fig Newtons, why watermelon at aid stations is basically a psy-op, and which race day foods are actually worth r...

Training harder but not getting faster? Dealing with recurring injuries? The problem might be your fuel.

Before Thanksgiving, I'm sharing an episode from Your Diet Sucks about RED-S, the energy mismatch that's quietly destroying athletic performance and causing injury after injury.

When you chronically undereat for your training load, your body can't adapt. You're doing the work, but not getting the gains. Studies sho...

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Want to run healthier, stay consistent, and finally stop the cycle of overuse injuries? This episode breaks down the five most science-backed strategies for injury prevention, in a way that’s actually useful for real runners balancing work, ...

Want to train smarter, run stronger, and stop second-guessing your training? This episode dives into one of the biggest pitfalls we see as coaches: overthinking. From obsessing over pace and metrics to chasing “perfect” plans, Zoë and TJ break down how overthinking sabotages performance, and how to get back to feeling good, recovering well, and actually getting faster.

🎙️ In this episode:

• The “Overthinking Hall of Fame”: Pace Po...

Want to train smarter, fuel better, and understand what your body actually needs? This episode unpacks the real science behind endurance training and fueling—no pseudoscience, no gimmicks. We start with a quick announcement about our Boston Marathon 2026 prep webinar (covering pacing, fueling, and course strategy from Hopkinton to Boylston), then move into a “Hot or Not” segment on popular running recovery tools: KT tape, dry needl...

If you’re running the 2026 Boston Marathon, don’t miss our Run Your Best Marathon at Boston Webinar Series—four live sessions led by certified Microcosm coaches Skylar Sorokoty and James Nance. Learn how to train for Boston’s unique course, nail your fueling, and feel confident and race-ready by April. Spots are limited, register now!

This week, Zoë and TJ are talking about one of the most misunderstood workouts in endurance trainin...