
#122: You're Doing Zone 2 Wrong (Even If You Think You're Not) | Scott Johnston Round 2
The Extramilest Podcast
How to Recover from Overtraining
Scott advises immediate stop, extended rest, and warns that recovery can take months for serious cases.
Thanks to Bear Mattress for sponsoring this video. Get 40% off your Bear mattress at https://www.bearmattress.com/floris using code Floris.
Another incredible episode with Coach Scott Johnston. He is back for Round 2 after our first episode reached over 140,000 YouTube views in just a few weeks. We dive deeper into Zone 2 training, common mistakes runners make, VO₂ max myths, recovery, and how to balance intensity and volume for long-term progress without burning out.
Watch this full video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDg4NAEKQO8
Chapters:
- 0:00 – The truth about zone 2 training
- 1:00 – Training for the Uphill Athlete
- 1:20 – BEAR mattress sponsorship
- 2:40 – What people get wrong about zone 2 training
- 10:10 – MAF training explained (180 – age)
- 14:11 – What people get wrong about high-intensity training
- 23:18 – Introducing our new Personal Best Running Club
- 24:07 – Recovery times by training zone
- 28:27 – How Jakob Ingebrigtsen runs double threshold sessions
- 34:50 – Balancing volume, intensity, and priorities
- 37:14 – Overtraining signs and recovery debt
- 47:45 – Motivation, body signals, and when to stop
- 51:40 – How to do run-walk training in zone 2
- 55:40 – How to measure progress in run-walk training
- 57:12 – Sample run-walk training week
- 59:22 – Guidelines for beginners starting easy training
- 1:02:04 – How to do cross-training during injury
- 1:05:12 – Lever treadmill tool (injury recovery)
- 1:07:23 – Returning after injury or time off
- 1:13:20 – Training in heat and adjusting effort
- 1:18:58 – Does aerobic threshold improve over time?
- 1:20:58 – Breathing vs heart rate for intensity
- 1:24:00 – Training at altitude (heart rate adjustments)
- 1:25:35 – Where to find Scott, his books, & programs
- 1:27:03 – Final advice for recreational runners to improve without burnout
FIND SCOTT JOHNSTON
► Website: https://evokeendurance.com/
► Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coach_scott_johnston/
► Evoke Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/evokeendurance/
► Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/evokeendurance/
► Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/evokecast/id1652132598
► Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5hEgBO6OHjnya5S6CWL024
► Training for the New Alpinism Book: https://a.co/d/056KjXT1
► Training for the Uphill Athlete Book: https://a.co/d/00NXdpdR
YOU CAN FIND ME, FLORIS GIERMAN HERE:
► Our New Personal Best Running Coaching Program: https://www.pbprogram.com/
► Buy my new book Running Breakthroughs: https://geni.us/runningbreakthroughs
► Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/florisgierman/
► Extramilest Website: https://extramilest.com
► Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/1329785
► Path Projects Website: https://pathprojects.com
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ABOUT THE EXTRAMILEST SHOW:
A podcast and YouTube channel where host Floris Gierman interviews world class athletes, coaches and health experts on the topic of how to become a stronger, healthier and happier athlete.
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