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Running is exploding.

Marathons are selling out. HYROX is filling events faster than ever. Run clubs are popping up everywhere. Google searches for “how to start running” and “run club” are hitting all-time highs. Millions of people are suddenly choosing to run, race, lift, compete and train together.

But why?

Is this really about getting faster and getting in better shape?

Or are we searching for something bigger?

In this episode of Running With James, we take a look at the numbers behind the massive growth in running, HYROX and the fitness industry—and what that growth might tell us about where we are as a society.

We talk about:

🏃‍♂️ Why marathon demand has exploded
🔥 The unbelievable growth of HYROX
📈 The search numbers behind the running boom
🤝 Why run clubs are becoming so popular
🧠 The connection between exercise, mental health and loneliness
❤️ Whether we’re actually getting healthier—or simply becoming more obsessed with fitness
🏋️ How the fitness industry has shifted from selling workouts to selling community
⚠️ The darker side of the fitness boom: comparison, burnout and turning everything into a competition
💭 And the bigger question: Are people really searching for fitness… or are they searching for connection?

Maybe the biggest fitness trend isn’t running.

Maybe it’s belonging.

🎧 Listen now and tell us: Why do YOU run?

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You trained for the race. You put in the miles. You did the workouts.

But do you actually have a race plan?

A great race doesn’t just happen because you’re fit enough to finish. How you pace yourself, fuel, hydrate, manage effort, handle the tough moments, and respond when things don’t go according to plan can make or break your race.

In this episode of Running with James, we’re breaking down how to create a race plan that gives you the best chance of executing on race day.

We’ll talk about:

🏃 How to set realistic race goals
⏱️ How to determine your pacing strategy
❤️ Using effort and heart rate instead of blindly chasing a pace
🥤 When and how to fuel and hydrate
🧠 What to do when the race starts hurting
🔥 How to avoid the biggest race-day mistake: going out too fast
📈 How to adjust your plan when things don’t go perfectly
🏁 Why your race plan should be flexible—not rigid

Whether you’re preparing for your first 5K, a marathon, HYROX, or your next big competition, the goal is the same:

Don’t just show up fit. Show up with a plan.

🎙️ Running with James — real coaching, real training, and real conversations about becoming a better athlete.

If you enjoy the episode, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who has a race coming up.

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What happens when you put James, Lauren, and Rocky in the hot seat and ask the questions they normally wouldn’t answer?

This episode of Running With James is a little different. No training plan. No structured interview. Just three coaches answering questions about training, racing, fitness, personal life, pet peeves, embarrassing moments, unpopular opinions, and everything in between.

Some answers are serious. Some are ridiculous. A few might get us in trouble. 😂

Who has the worst training habit?
What’s our biggest pet peeve?
What would we never do again?
Who takes competition the most seriously?
And what questions did we REALLY hope nobody would ask?

You asked. We answered.

This is Running With James… Hot Seat style.

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YOU DON’T NEED TO RUN MORE TO GET FASTER.

Or do you?

One of the most common pieces of advice runners hear is simple: if you want to get faster, run more.

But is more mileage actually the answer?

In this episode of Running with James, we challenge the idea that more running automatically leads to more speed. We break down frequency, volume, intensity, recovery, and the 80/20 approach to training—and why constantly adding miles may not be the smartest way to improve.

We’ll talk about why runners often turn easy days into hard days, why your hardest workout isn’t necessarily your most important run of the week, and why recovery is part of training—not time away from it.

Whether you’re training for a 5K, marathon, HYROX, or simply trying to become a better runner, there’s a good chance the answer isn’t “just run more.”

More running isn’t always better running. And more miles definitely don’t guarantee more speed.

So… do you really need to run more?

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Who really belongs in HYROX?

This week, we’re going straight into one of the more controversial conversations in the sport: Do you actually need to be prepared to do HYROX?

What about the people who sign up just for fun? The athletes who show up underprepared? The people who aren’t chasing a podium, a qualifying time, or a personal best?

Does HYROX belong only to serious competitors, or is there room for everyone?

We break down where we stand on the “HYROX for fun” debate, what being “unprepared” really means, whether there should be a minimum level of preparation, and why the growth of HYROX is bringing a whole new group of people into the sport.

It’s a little controversial. It might ruffle some feathers. But it’s a conversation worth having.

So… who REALLY belongs in HYROX?

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Think getting faster in HYROX means you just need to run more? Think again.

In this episode of Running with James, we break down the 5 key areas you need to train to become a faster, stronger, and more efficient HYROX runner.

HYROX is unique because you’re not running a fresh 1K, you’re running eight of them while your legs are constantly getting beat up by the stations. That means your training needs to prepare you for much more than just running mileage.

We break down the five training “buckets,” how each one impacts your HYROX performance, and how to put them together so you can run faster when you’re already fatigued.

Whether you’re training for your first HYROX or trying to take minutes off your next race, this episode will give you a better strategy for improving your running and your overall race performance.

Stop just running. Start training to run fast at HYROX. 🏃‍♂️🔥

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You don’t need to be better at everything in HYROX.

You need to get better at the right things.

In this episode of Running with James, we break down the 5 HYROX stations that can make or break your race—and why simply training harder isn’t always the answer.

After our recent BC Fitness Movement Performance Clinic with Coach Tommy, we looked at athletes through a different lens: movement quality, efficiency, fatigue, pacing, and the numbers behind performance.

We’re breaking down:

🔥 Sled Push
🔥 Sled Pull
🔥 Burpee Broad Jumps
🔥 Wall Balls
🔥 The Roxzone — the “hidden station” that can quietly destroy your race

We’ll talk about the biggest mistakes athletes make, where they’re leaving free time on the course, and what you can actually do in training to turn your weaknesses into strengths.

Because in HYROX, seconds matter. And sometimes the fastest way to get faster isn’t running faster—it’s wasting less time everywhere else.

Train smarter. Move better. Race faster.

Running with James
BC Fitness
Houston HYROX Run Club

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You trained for it. You put in the miles. You did the workouts. You felt ready.

Then race day comes… and somewhere along the way, you hit the wall.

Your pace falls apart. Your heart rate climbs. Your legs feel like bricks. Suddenly the finish line feels a whole lot farther away than it did an hour ago.

But why does this happen?

In this episode of Running with James, we break down why athletes blow up on race day and what you can do to prevent it—from marathon racing to HYROX and everything in between.

We talk about:

🏃 Pacing: Why going out too fast can ruin the race you trained for
❤️ Heart Rate: What your body is telling you when the effort starts getting too expensive
⚡ Race Adrenaline: Why feeling amazing early can actually be dangerous
🍌 Fueling: How running out of energy can bring even the fittest athlete to a stop
🔥 Threshold: Understanding the line between pushing yourself and going too hard
🏋️ HYROX Stations: Why attacking one station too aggressively can cost you later
🏃‍♂️ Compromised Running: Learning to run when your legs are already fatigued
🧠 The Mental Battle: What to do when your brain starts telling you that you can’t keep going

And most importantly, we talk about how to recognize where the blow-up actually began.

Because sometimes you don’t hit the wall at mile 20.

You hit the wall at mile 1—you just don’t realize it until mile 20.

If you’ve ever blown up in a race, this one’s for you.

Train smart. Race smart. Save something for the finish.

🎙️ Running with James
Change your mind. Change your life.

#RunningWithJames #HittingTheWall #Running #MarathonTraining #HYROX

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