Run Culture Podcast Ep 57- An insight into elite marathon performance with Nike Breaking 2 Physiologist Andy Jones, PhD
Nov 29, 2024
Andy Jones, sport scientist and endurance physiologist who worked with Paula Radcliffe and Nike’s Breaking 2, shares his career and influences. He unpacks running economy, physiological resiliency, and how long-term training and biomechanics shape elite marathon performance. He also recounts the Breaking 2 strategy and discusses the effects of super shoes on fatigue and late-race strength.
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Practice At Your Target Race Pace
- Do practise at and around your target race pace because specificity trains physiological, biomechanical, and psychological adaptations for that speed.
- Measure economy at multiple speeds: you become most economical at the speeds you train most.
Why Running Economy Improves With Years Not Weeks
- Running economy improvements come from biomechanical (technique, coordination) and physiological (fiber-type shifts, tendon stiffness) changes over years.
- Andy notes running economy can change far more with training age than cycling efficiency because running technique varies widely between people.
Paula Radcliffe's Economy Rose While VO2max Stayed Stable
- Paula Radcliffe's running economy improved dramatically across 15 years while VO2max stayed fairly static in Andy's longitudinal measurements.
- Her program added mileage, strength, plyometrics, altitude and likely technique and anatomical changes contributing to economy gains.