Last week I had the chance to participate in a Coach Chat courtesy of the folks at RunKeeper. We took questions from the audience and I tired to frame all the answers as generally as possible to help as many listeners as possible.

I think the resulting interview was awesome, so I thought I would share the Coach Chat in a different format.

If you enjoy this type of podcast, I will definitely do more of them. Please leave a comment with a yay or neh if you want to see this type of question/answer more often.

Here’s what we covered:
Question #1:
I have been regularly for a few months and suddenly started experiencing pain in my upper right leg. how can I tell if this is muscular or something else? I am really missing running! Can I keep running?
What I discussed:

How to tell the difference between normal running soreness and an injury

What to do when you do get injured

The mistake you should absolutely not make when facing a potential injury

Why you likely won’t lose any fitness if you do need to take time off

Question #2:
I did my first marathon according to your ”Marathon to finish” in 4 hours 20 minutes and I want on my next marathon (Athens classic marathon) to finish in under 4 hours. What program should I follow and what should my nutrition habits be?
What I discussed

The role of glycogen when racing the marathon

How to train your body to use fat as a fuel source to prevent bonking

Post workout nutrition

Taking in fluids and gels during training

Fasted long runs (running long runs on an empty stomach)

Question #3
I realized that I’ve reached certain pace that i can’t run any faster. I’m running around 5’10” per km (8’10” per mile) and I’d like to improve it to something like 4’15” per km ( 6’50” per mile) . Any recommendations for achieving that goal? By the way, 36 old guy with 7 months of running career!
What I discussed

The importance of long-term development

Speed versus aerobic endurance

Picking an appropriate goal for yourself

Question #4
I’m currently running 3 times a week training for my next 10k to get to sub 55 min. I’ve started this training a month and a half ago. I wasn’t running for a long time, more than 1 year. It is common that I get a bad stomach ache after I ran 10k or more that 10K. I’m not eating my meals close to my training. I usually train at 6.30 PM and have a healthy lunch at 1.30 PM and a snack of fruit or cereal bar in the afternoon. I was told it is common for beginners trying harder.
What I covered

Dealing with stomach issues when training

Training in the heat

Question #5
I run 4 times a week 10-20k , I’m planning to do my first marathon in September, any recommendations?
What I discussed

Marathon specific workouts and specific workouts in general

Long runs and important marathon workouts

Question #6
Any plans for offering training plans for faster runners? The fastest half marathon training plan is 2 hours – I’d love to see some geared towards ~1:30 runners with emphasis on how to improve speed.
What I discussed

Why stock and template training plans don’t work for better/faster runners

The importance of a custom training plan that factors in your strengths and weaknesses

Comparing the training plans of two marathoners with similar PRs but with different talents

Question #7
Do you think it’s a good strategy, for those of us with bad joints (knees) to reduce our mileage and increase our speed? I’m marathon training on only 2 days/week right now, running a pace that keeps my HR over 165 so I know it’s high quality work, and then resting hard for my joints.
What I discussed

Is running bad for your knees?

Why running faster is harder on your joints, tendons and ligaments

Question #8
I started running in March and completed my first 5k on June 1st. What’s next? Should I bump up to training for a 10k or stick to 5k’