The thinking behind the plans, the science I lean on, and the patterns I watch for. No fluff, no listicles, just the way I actually coach.
When the AQI spikes, most runners either bail on the week or run anyway and feel wrecked. Here is the coach's threshold chart for when to run, when to shorten the session, and when to move it indoors.
MarathonMost tapers fail because runners cut the wrong thing. The 3-week protocol: what to drop, what to keep, and when your last hard workout should land.
Johnny Crain10 min
PacingWant to run faster? The eight-week protocol a 2:12 marathoner uses with athletes, with the strides, threshold work, and form fixes that actually move pace.
Johnny Crain10 min
MarathonThe global average marathon time is around 4:30. What that number actually means, why it doesn't set your goal, and how to pick a real target.
Johnny Crain9 min
RecoveryIt is not a knee problem, it is a hip and load problem. Why rest alone fails, and the four-phase protocol that actually heals it.
Johnny Crain10 min
PacingConvert MPH and KPH to real running paces, plus the 1% incline rule and how to actually train indoors.
Johnny Crain10 min
5K & 10K3.1 miles is the easy answer. The harder one is how to pace and build for it without blowing up at the line.
Johnny Crain10 min
MarathonFrom your first long run to the start corral, the full arc of building toward 26.2 without breaking down along the way.
Johnny Crain11 min
MarathonThe physiology that actually moves the needle, and how to structure a block around it instead of guessing.
Johnny Crain9 min
MarathonA BQ is a precision project, not a volume contest. Here is how a coach builds the plan that gets you there.
Johnny Crain8 min
RecoveryThe early signs of overreaching show up in your data before they show up in your legs. Here is what to watch.
Johnny Crain8 min
Easy runsMost runners run easy days too hard and hard days too easy. The fix is simpler, and slower, than you think.
Johnny Crain8 min
StrengthNot every lift makes you faster. Here are the movements that build durable, resilient running, and the ones to skip.
Johnny Crain9 min
Heat & summerTrain smart through the heat and you bank adaptations that pay off all fall. Push too hard and you cook your season.
Johnny Crain10 min
PacingVDOT turns a race result into training paces. The number is easy; knowing when to trust it is the coaching.
Johnny Crain12 min