View show notes for this episode: https://bit.ly/3pY3y8S

Ryan Hall is the fastest American ever to run the marathon (2:04:58) and half marathon (59:43) and is the author of the book Run the Mile You’re In. In this episode, Ryan discusses his amazing successes and epic failures during his remarkable running career and what he's learned through these experiences. Ryan explains not only the physical aspects of running - including his training routine, fueling regimen, and recovery process - but he also emphasizes the mental aspect of the sport. He discusses how accepting and reframing negative thoughts can empower you to take on challenges and reach your potential. Additionally, Ryan discusses the traits that make the best competitors, the keys to overcoming setbacks, and his amazing feat of 7 marathons in 7 days as a goodbye to the sport that gave him so much.

We discuss:
0:00:00 - Intro
0:00:10 - How Ryan got into running and his formative years of training
0:05:40 - The advantages of altitude—living high and training low
0:10:00 - Progressive overload, blood flow restriction, and switching up your workout routine
0:12:42 - Lessons learned from competing in the Beijing Olympics
0:18:40 - Importance of speed, power, and strength for runners
0:32:12 - The crazy idea that got Ryan hooked on running
0:34:58 - The mental aspect of training and the power of reframing negative thoughts
0:49:45 - The importance of fueling, and Ryan’s marathon diet
0:57:17 - Boosting performance with Tylenol and keeping core temperature down
1:08:50 - Ryan’s early struggles and later success at Stanford
1:15:05 - Keys to overcoming difficulty: faith, mindset, and being a better teammate
1:21:32 - Ryan’s professional running career and his discovery of his gift for marathon distances
1:32:26 - Reflections after breaking the American half marathon record, and challenges faced by retired athletes
1:39:45 - Ryan’s marathon training regimen at the Mammoth Track Club in 2010
1:49:08 - Optimal body weight for competition and the pros and cons of going below your natural weight
1:54:45 - Training volume, importance of mixing up the intensity level, and zone 2 and zone 5 for longevity
1:59:12 - The most impactful adjustments Ryan made to his training leading up the to 2011 Boston Marathon
2:04:39 - A new personal record at the 2011 Boston Marathon and lessons on maximizing your own potential
2:13:55 - Learning from failure and takeaways from his disappointing performance at the 2012 Olympics
2:26:41 - Utilizing cardio and strength training for overall health, and how Ryan uses blood flow restriction in his workouts
2:31:32 - Performance enhancing drugs (or lack thereof) in marathon runners
2:34:54 - Traits of the greatest marathon runners
2:41:25 - 7 marathons in 7 days on 7 continents—saying goodbye to the sport
2:52:30 - Reflections on what running has given Ryan

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About:

The Peter Attia Drive is a weekly, ultra-deep-dive podcast focusing on maximizing health, longevity, critical thinking…and a few other things. With over 40 million episodes downloaded, it features topics including fasting, ketosis, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, mental health, and much more.

Peter is a physician focusing on the applied science of longevity. His practice deals extensively with nutritional interventions, exercise physiology, sleep physiology, emotional and mental health, and pharmacology to increase lifespan (delay the onset of chronic disease), while simultaneously improving healthspan (quality of life).

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