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We are really excited to have Jared Ward on this episode of the MTA podcast. We spoke with him not long after the 2016 Olympics in which he finished 2:11:30 (6th place) in the marathon.
Jared is Professor of Statistics at BYU. He wrote his master’s thesis on Optimal Pacing Strategy in the Marathon.
Interview with Jared Ward
Interview Questions:
- Tell us how you got started running. Did you know you wanted to specialize in distance right away or was that something that evolved over time?
- You wrote your master’s degree thesis on pacing strategies for the marathon. What were some of your conclusions and was there was anything that came as a surprise?
- What are the implications for middle-of-the-pack runners?
- What was your strategy in Rio?
- Walk us through the Olympic Marathon. What was your strategy going in and how did you execute that? What did you tell yourself when the going got tough?
- What was it like to live in the Olympic village?
- How did your life change when you finished 3rd in the Olympic Trials?
- Do you hope to go back to the Olympics?
- What strategies do you use to promote recovery and allow your body to withstand the rigors of high mileage?
- Any tips for runners who want to get faster?
photo credit: Jared Ward | Twitter
Also Mentioned in This Episode
Website and Twitter for Jared Ward: https://twitter.com/jwardy21; http://coachjaredward.com/#/
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Tupelo Half Marathon blog recap written by your’s truly.
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I’m so glad I discovered MTA… Great podcast; these are really great, casual, ‘real’ interviews (+ Jared’s son casually showing up at the end). And this time, with a quirky theme (‘running nerd’) that was a nice addition. I got to find out that Trevor is quite a foodie, and you-all are REALLY dedicating time to ‘marathoning’ (have fun in Berlin!). Seems, from hearing Jared Ward (and from my own running experience)- the ‘mental’ is a big part (I think that is what killed me the one time I tried a marathon). I wonder if nutrition or technology can improve this in the future. We already know things like the positive effects of B12 or blueberries, or maybe brain electrotherapy, but in the end the better approach seem to be: finding personalized ‘precision’ solutions (since every human being is different; just like Jared Ward has a certain body type that he thinks improves his performance in distance running, or so much has been written about Michael Phelps genetics for improved swimming performance). It’s not just that we are all different and can do some things better than others; it’s also about the possibility for anyone to improve in any particular activity (like running marathons) while finding personalized ways to improve. I’m looking at the field of genetics; there’s so much research going on!
Glad you liked it! You’re right, though we all can’t hope to be Olympians there are are ways we can all improve.