Whether you love the mile or you want to continue running into your 40's or beyond, you'll be inspired by this Masters runner.

Mario Fraioli is a Bay Area-based running coach who works with a number of Olympic Trials-level marathoners, top ultrarunners, and competitive age-group athletes.

He’s one of the most competitive Master’s runners in the USA, having run the 2023 Boston Marathon in 2:34 and with his recent 3rd place finisher at the 2024 National Masters Road Mile.

In this episode, Mario and I talk about:

• Mario's goal to break the 5-minute mile at age 42
• Love for the mile: a perfect blend of speed and strength, fitness and focus
• Returning to running after a 20-year hiatus, and the "fresh start" of turning 40
• Preparing for the Masters Road Mile Championship with smart training
• Earning a personal best of 4:09.2 at the Mike Fanelli Track Classic
• Training strategies for track and field athletes, especially Masters
• Incorporating movement prep and speed work before intense track workouts
• Proper running form and technique during high-intensity interval workouts
• Running volume and long runs for track athletes
• Structuring mile workouts for Masters runners, including threshold intervals and tempo runs
• Pacing and mental preparation for a mile race

Listen to this episode for a case study in amazing planning so you can be thoughtful in your next running goal.

Links & Resources from the Show:

• Mario's website
• Mario on Strava
• Mario on Instagram
• The Morning Shakeout
• Want to stay strong throughout your running career? Get the free strength email course.

Thank you to 2Before!

We are supported by 2Before, a powerful sports supplement made from New Zealand Blackcurrants designed to increase endurance, manage inflammation, support immunity, and promote adaptation. 2Before helps to boost performance by increasing blood flow, making it more efficient for the body to pump oxygenated nutrient-rich blood into the muscles.

So, if you want to try to boost your performance and immune system, use code JASON for 30% off 20 packs and multi-serve packs at 2Before.com.

Thank you to 2Before for supporting Strength Running!

Thank you DrinkLMNT!

A big thanks to DrinkLMNT for their support of this episode! They make electrolyte drinks for athletes and low-carb folks with no sugar, artificial ingredients, or colors. They are offering a free gift with your purchase at DrinkLMNT. And this does NOT have to be your first purchase. You’ll get a sample pack with every flavor so you can try them all before deciding what you like best.

DrinkLMNT’s products have some of the highest sodium concentrations that you can find. Anybody who runs a lot knows that sodium, as well as other electrolytes like magnesium and potassium, are essential to our performance and how we feel throughout the day.

If you’re not familiar, LMNT is my favorite way to hydrate. They make electrolytes for athletes and low-carb folks with no Sugar, artificial ingredients, or colors. I’m now in the habit of giving away boxes of LMNT at group runs around Denver and Boulder and everyone loves this stuff.

Boost your performance and your recovery with LMNT. They’re the exclusive hydration partner to Team USA Weightlifting and quite a few professional baseball, hockey, and basketball teams are on regular subscriptions. So check out DrinkLMNT to get a free sampler pack and get your hydration optimized for the upcoming season.

As a runner, it's almost guaranteed that somebody has told you, "Running is bad for your knees!"

Spoiler alert: It's not. Dr. Howard Luks has the education and experience to prove it.

Howard spent more than 20 years as the Chief of Sports Medicine and Arthroscopy at New York Medical College, specializing in athlete care.

As a board certified orthopedic surgeon, he focuses on a variety of joints but focuses on knee health.

In this episode, Howard and I talk about:

• Squats for knee health: form and variety
• Functional strength training that mimics life activities
• Assessing risk with knee pain or swelling, and whether you should stop running
• The true cause of osteoarthritis
• How running can actually help knee health and cartilage
• Running types that put runners at higher risk for knee injury
• Managing knee injuries through load management and smart exercises
• Exercises to improve power and quickness for running on hills and trails
• The effects of shoe choice and training surface

Next time somebody tells you that running will hurt your knees, send them this episode.

Links & Resources from the Show:

• Howard on Twitter/X
• Howard on Instagram
• Read Howard's book, "Longevity… Simplified"
• Injury prone? Download our free Little Black Book of Recovery & Prevention featuring 9 pro runners and their strategies for recovering and staying healthy.

Thank you Previnex!

After resisting most supplements for the better part of my life, I’m cautiously changing my tune. I’m now a Masters runner and in my personal life, I’m optimizing for longevity. I want to be my healthiest self for as long as possible and I’m excited to partner with Previnex to make that happen.

Previnex uses the most bioavailable, clinically tested ingredients, the optimal form and dose of each ingredient, pharmaceutical grade manufacturing, testing of raw ingredients and finished products. For every purchase you make, they also donate vitamins to kids in need.

Their new Muscle Health Plus is something I'm now taking. Turning 40 - and having a thin frame - has made me realize that I need to prioritize lean muscle mass to stay healthy and age well. Muscle Health Plus has creatine, essential and branched chain amino acids, and it's designed in a way to maximize protein synthesis and the absorption of amino acids.

Muscle Health Plus will help you prevent muscle damage, which is particularly important for aging runners who want to protect themselves from muscle loss and recover faster after hard workouts. As is true for all of their products, Previnex adheres to the highest of standards: their ingredients are clinically proven to do what they say they’re going to do.

Previnex offers a 30-day money back guarantee. If you don't feel the benefits of their product, you get your money back no questions asked. With their focus on quality and customer satisfaction, I hope you’ll try it! Use code jason15 for 15% off your first order at Previnex!

Thank you AG1!

We’re also supported by AG1, the greens superfood mix. This is a category-leading greens mix that has 75 vitamins and minerals, prebiotics, probiotics, antioxidants, and adaptogens. It’s recommended by professional athletes and has over 7,000 positive reviews.

One scoop per day is what I’ve been doing to help me fill in any nutrition gaps in my diet. It also provide a nice boost of energy and focus throughout the day. With all 3 of my kids in school, I know I need to support my immune system or else I’m getting sick and can’t train.

I also love that AG1 has changed over the last decade. They’ve made 53 improvements to the formula based on the latest research to make these nutrients more absorbable and rigorous with the 3rd party testing that they do.

For our listeners, they are offering a year’s worth of free Vitamin D and 5 free travel packs of AG1 with your first purchase. You can sign up for single shipment or for a monthly drop – the choice is yours. Check out AG1 to redeem your offer today.