How To Get Faster | 9 Lessons from Pro Road Running

Summary

This video is a coaching discussion about what elite road and track running can teach other runners. The presenter cautions that standout athletes are exceptions, not templates: training should account for individual differences, use research carefully, and adapt as new evidence and athletes’ experiences emerge.

Nine lessons from professional running

1. Develop power (07:08–12:56). Running depends on the force produced with each stride, not just aerobic fitness or steady efficiency. The presenter recommends short, fast hill or flat accelerations—often around 10–30 seconds—as a way to build power. He cites research linking sprint training with improved race performance and running economy, including at easier intensities.

2. Prioritize adaptation over intensity (12:56–16:24). A standard week of several hard sessions may suit unusually resilient athletes but leave others exhausted. The presenter argues for emphasizing easy running and sustainable progress, generally limiting hard workouts to about two a week and counting the long run as hard when it is demanding.

3. Fuel with carbohydrates (16:24–19:34). Carbohydrates can help athletes perform during a session and accumulate more productive training over time. The presenter says elite runners commonly take at least 60 grams per hour during longer races, and often 75–90 grams per hour in harder efforts. He also points to research suggesting that even small amounts—or a carbohydrate mouth rinse—can affect performance.

4. Consider bicarbonate and other aids (19:34–25:32). Sodium bicarbonate, or baking soda, may help with repeated high-intensity efforts and could influence training adaptations, though gastrointestinal problems can be a drawback. The presenter also discusses emerging possibilities such as broccoli-sprout compounds and blackcurrant, while stressing that basics like adequate food, iron, and vitamin D matter.

5. Train the “lactate shuttle” (25:32–29:57). Lactate is not simply a waste product or the cause of fatigue; the presenter describes it as a fuel that the body can transport and use. He gives examples of workouts that pair faster intervals with controlled steady running, including recovery “floats” and mixed-tempo sessions. The aim is to improve the body’s ability to use oxygen and process lactate without making every workout all-out.

6. Use “zone compression” (29:57–33:39). The presenter describes elite runners who can sustain paces close to what would conventionally be considered threshold or even VO₂-max effort for much longer than expected. He attributes this partly to stronger lactate use, built through powerful short efforts and substantial aerobic training—without overloading the athlete with hard work.

7. Build fatigue resistance throughout the year (33:39–35:04). A large marathon-training dataset discussed in the video found that faster runners did not do more intense training; they did much more total training, largely at easier intensities. The presenter argues that consistent aerobic volume is central to fatigue resistance and warns that extra intensity can backfire.

8. Use incline-treadmill work and cross-training (35:04–38:49). Treadmill sessions at an incline can provide controlled, substantial aerobic work without the same demands as running hard outdoors. The presenter gives an example of repeated five-minute uphill efforts. Cycling, swimming, or elliptical training can also add aerobic work; it need not all come from running mileage.

9. Use supershoes strategically (after 38:49). The presenter says highly cushioned, responsive shoes may improve running economy and make it easier to tolerate more training. Research cited in the video found improved marathon performance after supershoes became widespread, with gains continuing over time. His broader point is that equipment, fueling, and training can combine to support adaptation—not just race-day speed.

Conclusion

The video presents elite running as a fast-changing field shaped by training, physiology, nutrition, and equipment. Its central advice is to learn from high-level athletes without copying them blindly, favor sustainable aerobic development, and use practical tools—such as strides, adequate fueling, and cross-training—to build toward individual goals.

Presenters and sources

Presenter: David Roche, from the David and Megan Roche channel. Megan Roche is mentioned as his wife and coaching collaborator.

Athletes and coaches mentioned: Allie Ostrander (rendered variously in the subtitles), Jess McLean, Emma Grace Gurley, Vincent Maui, Emily Ventors, Charlie Sweeney, and Hans Troyer.

Research and scientific sources cited:

• “Reproducibility Issues in Sport and Exercise Science: A Review of Selected Methodological Issues in the Field”
• “Six Sessions of Sprint Interval Training Improve Running Performance in Trained Athletes”
• “The Effect of Speed Training, Endurance Training, and Reduced Workload on Running Economy and Adaptation of Individual Muscle Fibers in Trained Runners”
• “World-Class Long-Distance Performance Is Predicted by the Volume of Easy Running and the Focused Practice of Short Intervals and Tempo Runs”
• “Is High-Volume, Low-Intensity Lactate Threshold Interval Training the Next Step in the Evolution of Endurance Training?”
• “The Effect of Carbohydrate Intake on Endurance Athlete Performance: A Systematic Review”
• “Carbohydrate Intake Eliminates Hypoglycemia and Improves Endurance Training Performance in Triathletes Adapted to Very Low-Calorie and High-Calorie Isocaloric Diets”
• Research on sodium bicarbonate and repeated high-intensity interval training, mitochondrial adaptation, and PGC-1α expression
• George Brooks’s 1986 work on the lactate shuttle
• “Distribution of Training Intensity of Marathon Runners by Performance Level”
• “A Quantitative Analysis of Short-Term and Long-Term Performance Metrics” on supershoes
• A systematic review and meta-analysis on blackcurrant anthocyanins and exercise metabolism