Sam & Katie speak with Carl Ernst. Carl has had a long and successful running career, having run 29 marathons including ultra marathons (3-time Comrades Marathon finisher), and impressively will be lining up in a few weeks for his 16th consecutive Gold Coast Marathon. With PBs of 35:45 for 10k, 1:18:30 for the half, and 2:49 for the full marathon, Carl has been performing at a high level for many years.

Carl speaks about receiving coaching previously from Barry Keem and now James Tunbridge—he likes to simply turn up and do the training prescribed. When it comes to mileage, Carl has taken a very conservative approach, which might be the secret to his longevity. He’s currently training the house down and is a very good chance at a PB at the Gold Coast Marathon.

Sam speaks about the pinched nerve in his lower back which has been the cause of his glute pain, but manages to get through two short runs and 200+ km of cycling. Katie gets back to running later in the week with a combination of longish runs and Hyrox training. Carl runs us through his peak marathon week, including a JT Running session at the track on Tuesday with 10 x 400m off 200m float, and a very specific marathon session on Sunday with blocks at 102% and 98% of marathon pace—which he nailed.

Café Kit of the Week Right Street Loans Beanies Deep Heat heating belts Saucony Endorphin Pro (for Hyrox)

Round the Club Shoutouts Vanessa Donald – Narooma Run Club Graeme Errington – Narooma Run Club Angela Saville – Savvy Run Club Chloe Grund – Bega Valley Run Club