Tread Lightly Running Science Podcast

Over 40% of runners experience an injury each year. One of the most frustrating aspects of a running injury (beyond not running) is the uncertainty: how much time do you need to take off for this injury to fully heal? Why are you still having pain weeks later? In this episode, we explain the science of injury healing and troubleshoot various reasons why your injury may not be healing.

In this episode, you’ll learn about:
🔸 Why self-diagnosis can prolong your injury
🔸 How long it takes for PT exercises to help
🔸 The healing timelines of bone, tendon, and muscle injuries
🔸 If ice, NSAIDs, or massage guns accelerate healing
🔸 How to deal with phantom pains
🔸 If your nutrition is delaying your injury healing

Tread Lightly Running is hosted and researched by Amanda Brooks and Laura Norris, MSc. Production, show notes, and graphics by Laura Norris. Media kit available to interested sponsors upon request.

If you enjoyed this episode, you may like:
🎧 How to Start Running Again After Injury (26 April 2024)
🎧 What Runners Need to Know about Tendinopathy and Tendon Health (with Dr. Alex Nelson) (9 Aug 2024)
🎧 How to Prevent Bone Stress Fractures: Bone Health for Runners with Dr. Nathan Carlson (1 Nov 2024)

References
🔬Kakouris, N., Yener, N., & Fong, D. T. P. (2021). A systematic review of running-related musculoskeletal injuries in runners. Journal of sport and health science, 10(5), 513–522. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jshs.2021.04.001

Let’s stay connected:
➡️ Tread Lightly Running Podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/treadlightlyrunning/
➡️ Laura Norris Running on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauranorrisrunning/
➡️ Subscribe for weekly evidence-based newsletters, straight to your inbox, on https://lauranorrisrunning.substack.com/
➡️ Run to the Finish on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runtothefinish/?hl=en
➡️ Thousands of running gear reviews and training guides: https://runtothefinish.com/

How long does it take to get faster? We answer one of your top running questions in this episode. We break down training adaptations by different systems so that you understand what’s happening beneath the surface. You will learn how to progress training, how to work through plateaus, and how much improvement to expect in each training cycle.

In this episode, you’ll learn about:
🔸 How the aerobic system adapts in response to training
🔸 The slower rate of musculoskeletal adaptation
🔸 Neuromuscular adaptations from lifting and running
🔸 How long it takes to get faster
🔸 How to overcome training plateaus

Tread Lightly Running is hosted and researched by Amanda Brooks and Laura Norris, MSc. Production, show notes, and graphics by Laura Norris. Media kit available to interested sponsors upon request.

If you enjoyed this episode, you may like:
🎧 Do You Need High Mileage? The Science of High Volume Running (21 Aug 2026)
🎧 The Science-Backed Benefits of Endurance Training (2 Oct 2026)

References
🔬Keogh, A., Smyth, B., Caulfield, B., Lawlor, A., Berndsen, J., & Doherty, C. (2019). Prediction Equations for Marathon Performance: A Systematic Review. International journal of sports physiology and performance, 14(9), 1159–1169. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijspp.2019-0360

Let’s stay connected:
➡️ Tread Lightly Running Podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/treadlightlyrunning/
➡️ Laura Norris Running on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauranorrisrunning/
➡️ Subscribe for weekly evidence-based newsletters, straight to your inbox, on https://lauranorrisrunning.substack.com/
➡️ Run to the Finish on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runtothefinish/?hl=en
➡️ Thousands of running gear reviews and training guides: https://runtothefinish.com/

Do you need 120 grams of carbs per hour? Will adding sodium bicarb to that further boost performance? In this episode, we take a deep dive into two trending studies on sport nutrition and running performance. We chat about high carb fueling, sodium bicarb supplementation, practical applications from these studies, and some nuance around study structures, sample sizes, author biases, and more. Hopefully by the end, we’ve saved you both some money and some unnecessary mid-race bathroom breaks.

In this episode, you’ll learn about:
🔸 If you should fuel with 120 grams of carbs per hour
🔸 Whether carbs help with fatigue or its all in your head
🔸 How to use high carb fueling in your marathons
🔸 If bicarb is as effective for long-distance running as marketing claims

Tread Lightly Running is hosted and researched by Amanda Brooks and Laura Norris, MSc. Production, show notes, and graphics by Laura Norris. Media kit available to interested sponsors upon request.

References:
🔬PMID: 41416636
🔬PMID: 41191077
🔬PMID: 39786965
🔬PMID: 40089940
🔬PMID: 32403259

If you enjoyed this episode, you may like:
🎧 What You Really Need to Know About Fueling Your Runs (28 Nov 2025)
🎧 What Running Economy Really Means for Your Performance with Dr. Shalaya Kipp (31 Oct 2025)
🎧GLP-1s, Nomio, UCAN Gels, and Other Trendy Supplements with Dietitian Alex Larsen (18 Sept 2026)

Let’s stay connected:
➡️ Tread Lightly Running Podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/treadlightlyrunning/
➡️ Laura Norris Running on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauranorrisrunning/
➡️ Subscribe for weekly evidence-based newsletters, straight to your inbox, on https://lauranorrisrunning.substack.com/
➡️ Run to the Finish on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runtothefinish/?hl=en
➡️ Thousands of running gear reviews and training guides: https://runtothefinish.com/

“You’ve got to have high challenge and high support.” In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Duncan Simpson of Dartmouth’s Teeven Center for Peak Performance to discuss the psychology of pushing yourself to your limits as a runner.

In this episode, you’ll learn about:
🔸 Effective strategies to navigate tough moments in a race
🔸 The importance of creating a strong but not singular identity as a runner
🔸 How to create a healthy narrative around your running
🔸Three mindset skills to sharpen in a training cycle
🔸Psychologically healthy vs unhealthy race goals

Tread Lightly Running is hosted and researched by Amanda Brooks and Laura Norris, MSc. Production, show notes, and graphics by Laura Norris. Media kit available to interested sponsors upon request.

About our guest:
Duncan Simpson, PhD, director of Dartmouth’s Teevens Center for Peak Performance and Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC) has spent his career studying what happens when people are pushed to their limits, and what allows some to keep performing through high-stakes environments. As the former Head of Mental Conditioning at IMG Academy, Duncan has helped professional, international, and NCAA athletes of all ages perform under pressure and sustain elite performance.
Connect with Duncan on LinkedIn
Email duncan.simpson@dartmouth.edu
Think aloud study
Ultramarathon study
Learn more about The Teevens Center

If you enjoyed this episode, you may like:
🎧 The Psychology Behind Peak Running Performance with Dr. Trent Claypool (7 Aug 2026)

Let’s stay connected:
➡️ Tread Lightly Running Podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/treadlightlyrunning/
➡️ Laura Norris Running on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauranorrisrunning/
➡️ Subscribe for weekly evidence-based newsletters, straight to your inbox, on https://lauranorrisrunning.substack.com/
➡️ Run to the Finish on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runtothefinish/?hl=en
➡️ Thousands of running gear reviews and training guides: https://runtothefinish.com/

If you google “Half Marathon Training Plan,” the search engine presents you with an overwhelming variety of options: Galloway, Hansons, Hal Higdon, Daniels, and more. In this episode, we discuss the fundamental principles of volume, intensity, and progression in the most popular half marathon methodologies.

In this episode, you’ll learn about:
🔸 If 80-20 is the best training intensity distribution for the half marathon
🔸 How to use the run-walk method for the half marathon
🔸 The pros and cons of the Hansons Half Marathon Method
🔸 If low-volume training plans work for the half marathon
🔸How the Jack Daniels Formula works
🔸Who popular online plans such as Hal Higdon and BAA plans are best for

Tread Lightly Running is hosted and researched by Amanda Brooks and Laura Norris, MSc. Production, show notes, and graphics by Laura Norris. Media kit available to interested sponsors upon request.

If you enjoyed this episode, you may like:
🎧 Why 80/20 Doesn’t Work for Every Runner with Jonah Rosner (12 Dec 2025)
🎧 What is Zone 3 Really Doing to Your Running Fitness? (26 Dec 2025)
🎧 Half Marathon Taper: It’s Not Just Less Running (26 March 2026)
🎧 Tune Up Race Formula (14 August 2026)

Let’s stay connected:
➡️ Tread Lightly Running Podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/treadlightlyrunning/
➡️ Laura Norris Running on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauranorrisrunning/
➡️ Subscribe for weekly evidence-based newsletters, straight to your inbox, on https://lauranorrisrunning.substack.com/
➡️ Run to the Finish on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runtothefinish/?hl=en
➡️ Thousands of running gear reviews and training guides: https://runtothefinish.com/