Pete Magill is one of the top masters runners in the United States.

Over the past decade, he’s led his Southern California clubs to 17 masters national championships in cross country and road racing.

He’s won the individual title in six masters national cross country championships, holds five American age group records, and is the oldest American to break 15:00 for 5K, running 14:45 at the distance a few months before turning 50.

He is also the fastest American distance runner over age 50 in the 5K (15:01) and 10K (31:11) and second fastest half-marathon (1:10:19).

Pete is also a coach having coached runners at the youth, high school, open, and masters levels.

He’s also a senior writer for Running Times magazine where he shares his training insights and has just released a new book titled Build your Running Body, which takes an approach to building the parts of your body necessary for successful running vs focusing on mileage alone.

Pete’s journey to the top of masters running wasn’t a linear progression and included several breaks, straying away from the sport and a period of unhealthy habits.  Ultimately his love for running and commitment to a healthy active lifestyle pulled him back to the sport – all of which he shares in this engaging episode.

Pete also shares his years of running wisdom for running as you age and those at the masters level currently including:

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• A younger training age or minimizing injuries when younger – what is more important
  
• How there are no good workouts and only good training programs
  
• The importance of being able to adjust workouts on the fly – and when/why to do so
  
• Not making direct comparisons to other runners and your own training
  
• His take on the minutes vs. miles debate for workout goals
  
• The most common cause of slowing down as you age that is not related to age itself
  
• Specific things you can do to reduce the effects of aging on your performance
  
• The importance of focused training of intermediate and fast twitch muscles starting in your 30s
  
• Mistakes masters runners make and how you can avoid them
  
• Overcoming the mindset to run “just one more race” like you used to be able to
  
• How using running goals and measuring success should change as you age
  
• The importance of building your entire running body as everything is interconnected
  

Learn strategies to avoid going out too fast at the start of your next race.

Build Your Running Body – Get Pete’s New Book

petemagill.com – Pete’s Website

Support Youth Running – Donate to coach Matt’s marathon for inner city youth running programs