What is “Training?” The Principles, Science and Art of the Training Process with Dan Cleather
Release Date: 12/25/2025
The Strength Running Podcast
Dan Cleather is a strength and conditioning coach, professor at St. Mary's University, and author of . So, what exactly is "training?" Is it different than "exercise?" In this episode, we discuss what training specifically is, what it's not, and what it's attempting to do. Once you understand that we're after change in our bodies, we can better structure training to reach our goals. Visit or follow him on Please support the show by supporting our partners! Thank you 2Before! We are supported by , a powerful sports supplement made from New Zealand Blackcurrant berries...
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is an applied sport scientist who spent 10 years working with athletes and teams from all major American professional team sports, particularly the National Football League. He’s a certified running coach and strength and conditioning specialist and he previously partnered with Nike to run the Nike Running Performance Lab in New York City. You can sign up for his . Jonah was also the sport scientist on hand during a fitness retreat I attended last year where I had my VO2 Max measured. Jonah administered the test, which you can watch on . In this conversation, we myth-bust around the...
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Elisabeth Scott is a USATF, RRCA, and UESCA certified running coach and the host of the enormously popular . She and Jason are answering questions from about: Optimal ratio of hard to easy mileage Physiological benefits of moderate paced running Helpful cues to ensure you’re truly running easy How you figure out your training paces Elisabeth is an authentic and powerful force in the running community and I hope you use her startegic advice in your training. Thank you 2Before! We are supported by , a powerful sports supplement made from New Zealand Blackcurrant berries designed...
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Floris Gierman is a 2:44 marathoner, cofounder of , 100-mile ultramarathon finisher, and author of the new book . He's done something rare: interview the world's best runners (like Eliud Kipchoge, Courtney Dauwalter, and Killian Jornet) and put all the best lessons, insights, and wisdom into his new book. You'll learn what keeps the most competitive runners going, how they train, and their best advice to excel. Pick up your copy . I wanted to know: What has he learned from hundreds of conversations with such amazing athletes? What sets them apart? What makes them similar to us? From all...
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How did we transition from a society with no "sports" or competition, to one where they're ubiquitous? Learn the history of the fitness industry: how weightlifting and running emerged, early versions of equipment, how people trained 200+ years ago, and more. Dr. Conor Heffernan explores the main themes from his book, . If you like history and training, you're going to love this episode! Thank you 2Before! We are supported by , a powerful sports supplement made from New Zealand Blackcurrant berries designed to increase endurance, manage inflammation, support immunity, and promote...
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Listen in on a Team Strength Running coaching call, where Jason takes questions from the community about training, long runs, workout strategy, and more. To join one of these calls, . We discuss: Long run strategy ( with David Roche!) The value of lifting heavy weights () How to balance speed and mileage Thank you for listening and supporting the podcast! Thank You Lever! I'm excited to partner with - a bodyweight support system that helps you run further or faster with less effort and injury risk. You’ve probably seen pro runners using Lever...
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Brodie Sharpe is a physiotherapist, the host of the , and author of . As a Physical therapist who specializes in endurance runners, Brodie Sharpe takes a holistic approach to . He helps runners learn how to correct mistakes and work with their bodies to get healthy. Brodie emphasizes the importance of looking at training as well as your lifestyle around it, since every aspect of what you do impacts how you feel and perform. This episode focuses on how to learn from a running injury: how to figure out what caused it the training changes needed to prevent it from recurring how to update...
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Dr. Matthew Silver is a physical therapist, author, and owner of Alpha Project Phyzio and Performance in Maryland. His book is now available. While he set his college’s 8k record and made the all-conference team, injuries prematurely ended Matt’s career, sparking his interest in physical therapy. In today’s conversation, we’re talking about the different types of strength training that exist, their benefits and drawbacks, and how to integrate them into your training. It’s important to recognize that not all strength training is the same. We’re going to discuss traditional...
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Nick Thompson has been running and racing for 35 years. He’s the 40-44 age group American record holder in the 50k with a 3:04 finish time (that’s 5:56 per mile for 31 miles), and was previously the world’s top ranked runner in his age group in the 50-mile. He's now the CEO of the Atlantic Magazine and his new book is now available: You'll hear: How Nick’s relationship with his father helped him get into running What drives him to compete today vs. 30 years ago His recommendations for passing along a love for running to your kids How his cancer diagnosis changed his relationship with...
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Dr. John Rusin is a physical therapist and trainer who's worked with nearly every professional sports league as well as Olympic athletes. His new book, , is now available. Our conversation focuses on movement, coordination, and building efficiency. We discuss: common mistakes in the weight room how to structure better strength workouts mindfulness and breathing a nervous-system oriented warm-down when to know if you’re putting in too much effort in the gym We should not consider strength training to be "cross-training" - it’s just part of the normal training process. Learn how to...
info_outlineDan Cleather is a strength and conditioning coach, professor at St. Mary's University, and author of The Process of Change: The Art & Science of Training.
So, what exactly is "training?" Is it different than "exercise?"
In this episode, we discuss what training specifically is, what it's not, and what it's attempting to do. Once you understand that we're after change in our bodies, we can better structure training to reach our goals.
Visit Dan's website or follow him on Instagram here.
Please support the show by supporting our partners!
Thank you 2Before!
We are supported by 2Before, a powerful sports supplement made from New Zealand Blackcurrant berries 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.
Just like beetroot powder but more effective, 2before uses the powerful vasodilation benefits of blackcurrant berries to prime you for hard work. If you're getting ready for a big workout or race, their caffeinated version is a must try! You'll get the oxygen boosting benefits of blackcurrants, plus the performance benefits of caffeine.
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 Gut & Green!
Previnex’s new Gut & Green Superfoods powder is my new go-to. It has organic barley and oat grass, alfalfa, spirulina, chlorella, kale and broccoli… and that’s it. Simplicity is powerful and Gut & Green delivers on what I care most about: doing one thing really well.
Their ingredients are backed by clinical data and contain three specific gut fibers that help promote GI health, digestion, reduced inflammation, and a better microbiome. As someone who doesn't always eat all of their vegetables, this is important to me.
With twice of the fiber of my last greens mix and a better flavor, it’s a no brainer. Gut & Green Superfoods is like insurance against my diet (which isn't always as good as it should be) so I can feel my best throughout the day.
Try it for yourself here at previnex.com and be sure to use code “JASONGREENS” to save 15% off your first order. Don’t tell anyone, but if you put Gut & Green Superfoods powder in your cart, then the 15% off discount will work for anything else you add into your cart as well. Thanks Gut & Green!
Thank you MOBO Board!
Invented by renowned physical therapist Jay Dicharry, MOBO helps you stabilize your stance with an innovative rocker board that’s set up on two fins. The design effectively forces you to drive your big toe into the board to improve your stability. I was pretty arrogant going into my first session on the MOBO Board. How hard can it be to balance, right? Well, I was humbled pretty quickly!
Even if you’re a good runner, better balance, stability, and proprioception is going to help you have a more powerful stride and prevent more running injuries. You’ll learn how to improve the efficiency of the kinetic chain from your hip to your big toe. Because as Jay likes to say, it’s not just how strong you are, but how well you use that strength.
I was recently at a weekend physical therapy workshop (lol I was the only running coach) and learned how important (and rare) this simple movement is. Save 10% with code STRENGTHRUN10 at checkout at moboboard.com.