Welcome to October—the month of marathons! With major races happening across the globe and plenty of local events too, it’s an exciting time to be a runner. Even if you don’t have a race on the calendar, the crisp fall weather makes October one of the best months for lovely runs.

 

In this week’s newsletter, we’ll cover how to gauge what “hard” really means in workouts when you don’t have exact paces, discuss the Boston Marathon cutoff, celebrate the launch of RUNHER magazine’s first issue, unpack how imposter syndrome can sneak up on runners and of course, we had to talk about Taylor Swift in honor of The Life of a Showgirl release tomorrow. Plus, if you’re running New York City next month, don’t miss our NYC Marathon Webinar with Coaches Nick and Amanda packed with everything you need to feel prepared for race day. Can’t make it live? No worries, you’ll still receive the full recording and slide deck with all the details to help take the stress out of race day.

 

Let’s get after it!

 

This is a great question! I’ll answer it directly and then share a broader perspective on how to approach workouts labeled “hard” when no specific pace is given. The first thing to consider is context—what’s the purpose of the workout? That helps us decide how to approach “1 minute hard” and the effort to put into it. Is it placed at the end of a longer workout? Are there 10–15 reps? How long is the recovery? Are we training for a shorter race like a 5K or for a marathon? Without knowing your exact VO₂ max pace, you can frame this type of workout around race effort. Typically, for 1-minute hard efforts, we’re thinking in the range of 3K–5K effort, but those factors above can shift things. If you’ve raced a 5K, that’s often a good benchmark for pacing these intervals.

 

One guideline I always give is: finish most workouts feeling like you could do one more rep—but don’t. For example, if you had 10 x 1-minute hard reps, you should finish the last one knowing you could do an 11th, but instead, you transition into your cooldown. That means managing your effort so each rep builds and challenges you, without going all-out. Pacing is a skill you need to master as a runner, and workouts like this are practice for that. The goal isn’t to go to the well every time, but to stay in the growth zone—progressing, not depleting. I use this principle with all my athletes, unless the plan specifically calls for a maximal effort, in which case recovery is built in afterward.

 

So even if you don’t know your exact pace, you can still approach these workouts by focusing on effort. Over time, this not only gets you the full benefit of the session but also sharpens your ability to understand and feel your training and racing paces throughout a training block.

 

— Nick K, Baltimore, MD

 

60% of you said something savory

While 40% of you would rather have a sweet treat

 

As most people know, the cutoff this year was 4 minutes and 34 seconds—on top of the five minutes added to qualifying standards at the start of this registration window. More people are running than ever, and they’re getting faster, too. Technology plays a role, certain courses are more favorable, and weather can make a huge difference, but ultimately the sheer number of marathoners is impacting qualifying times. The Boston Marathon remains the race people dream about, and it stings to miss out after hitting a qualifying standard. I hope that one day a system exists where meeting a time means guaranteed entry, but for now we live in a world of cutoff times. Hopefully, with adjustments for downhill races, we’ll see the cutoff shrink in the future—but only time will tell.

 

On another note, former podcast guest Ashley Mateo just launched the first issue of RUNHER, an incredible print magazine dedicated entirely to women’s running. I received my copy this week and can’t wait to read it, support this publication, and celebrate women’s sports more broadly. I want to take a moment in this newsletter to honor the hard work that went into creating such a meaningful new piece of media for the running community. If you haven’t yet, go follow RUNHER, subscribe, and support the running world in this way. We absolutely need more print media and more platforms that celebrate all runners—and yes, that includes a publication focused solely on women. Running is in a boom right now, and it’s exciting to see more people engaging, writing, and talking about the sport. I can’t wait to watch this momentum continue to grow.

 

— Nick K, Baltimore, MD

Imposter syndrome happens to all of us — no matter how fast or slow you are, every runner has moments of insecurity and doubt. Maybe you've spent the past year injured, you feel too slow, or worry that you take walk breaks. Imposter syndrome is common in our sport but it’s also a myth. Running isn’t defined by pace, medals, or mileage. You’re still a runner in an off-season, while recovering, or when life gets busy. Claiming your identity as a runner is about showing up, finding joy, and treating yourself like an athlete. You don’t have to earn the title—you already are one.

 

Read more on The Training Blog here.

If there's a specific topic, type of post, or guest you want to see, hear, or learn more about, send us an email at podcast@runningexplained.com. 

Whether you’re training for your first race, working on your next PR, or coming back from a break, we’ve got the tools and support to help you along the way.

Explore our science-backed training plans, personalized coaching services, and educational resources designed to make your running journey as effective and enjoyable as possible.