Whether you’re new to running or looking to master your craft, AnyQuestion’s panel of Olympian and World Champion Track and Field athletes are here to help you improve. Learn about training plans, race strategy and sport specific nutrition from verified experts like Meb Keflezighi, Michael Johnson and Gail Devers.


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Michael Johnson is one of the greatest sprinters of all time, and in the 1990s he dominated the 200m and 400m, going undefeated in the latter for seven years. Born in Dallas in 1967, he studied at Baylor University and was spotted by coach Clyde Hart. After gaining a degree, he committed to full-time athletics and in 1991 won the 200m world title. Sadly, food poisoning denied him individual success at the Barcelona Olympics, but he helped the US 4x400m relay team to gold. From 1993, Johnson went undefeated in the 400m for 58 races and in 1996 achieved the 200m-400m double at the Atlanta Olympics, setting world records in both. He retired in 2001 having won 8 world and 4 Olympic gold medals.

Deena Kastor is an American long-distance runner and 8-time national cross country champion. She was the holder of American records in the marathon (2006-2022) and numerous road distances. At the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece, she won the bronze medal in the women's marathon. She ran collegiately for the University of Arkansas, coached by Joe Vigil and Terrence Mahon, and post-collegiately coached by husband Andrew Kastor. Kastor has earned two silver medals in the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, and holds U.S. records in the women's road 10 mile, 15K, and 8K. She formerly held the women's marathon, half marathon, 10,000m, and road 5K records. Kastor has won multiple awards, including the Jesse Owens Award, USATF Runner of the Year (2001, 2003, 2004, and 2008), and C.C. Jackson Award. She has been inducted into the New York, National, and Southern California Jewish Sports Halls of Fame.

2016 Olympic 1500 meter Gold Medalist 
2016 World Indoor Champion 
3x Olympian 
7x US Champion 

Keturah Orji, known as KO, is a two-time Olympian and one of the world's rising stars in track and field. She is credited with leading a new era of excellence in the American triple jump. KO has also worked to advance access to opportunities for women of color. She is the first American since 1974 to win more than six consecutive U.S. titles in the outdoor triple jump and was the first American woman to qualify for two consecutive Olympic finals in the triple jump. Her mission is to show people that they can accomplish great things regardless of their background or looks. To carry out her mission, she created Amara's Pride, a mentorship program for girls. The program aims to provide young girls with access to successful women they can look up to, helping them envision themselves succeeding in their own lives. KO is currently a professional triple jumper and long jumper and trains in Atlanta, GA.

Gail Devers is an American retired track and field sprinter. She won gold at the 1992 and 1996 Olympics in the 100m, making her the second woman to defend an Olympic 100m title. She was also the 1993, 1997 and 2004 world indoor champion in the 60m, 2003 world indoor champion in the 60m hurdles, and 1993, 1995 and 1999 world champion in the 100m hurdles. In 2011, she was inducted into the National Track and Field Hall of Fame.

Frank Shorter made history as the first American in 64 years to win the Olympic marathon at the 1972 Games in Munich, his birthplace. He won the NCAA 6-mile run for Yale in 1969 and the 10,000-meter and marathon at the 1971 Pan American Games. He won gold at the 1972 Olympics and silver at the 1976 Olympics. After retiring, he founded a sportswear company, worked as a commentator, and was involved in sports administration. He left an indelible mark on distance running and represented the US with distinction.

Meb Keflezighi is an Olympic Marathoner, best-selling author and co-founder of 26. He is the only runner to win the New York City Marathon, the Boston Marathon and an Olympic medal. Meb's "Run To Win" philosophy encourages runners to prioritize their own wellness. He is a highly regarded keynote speaker and global ambassador for running.

Aliphine is a world class athlete from Kenya who moved to the US to pursue public health science. She won four USATF titles in 2017, was 15th at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships and won the US Half Marathon Championships in 2018. She was fourth at the USATF Cross Country Champs in 2019 and third at the Rotterdam Marathon in 2:26:50, a PB. In 2020, she won the Olympic Trials Marathon in 2:27:23, becoming the team's first Olympian. In 2021, she was forced to drop out of the Olympics due to an injury. In 2022, she won the USATF 25k Champs and was 7th at the TCS NYC Marathon, setting a PB of 2:26:18. She is a 14x All American, a double runner-up at the NCAA 10k and holds multiple school records.

When should I incorporate ice bath? Since my recovery, the short answer is never. The long answer is that new research shows that a cool leg is less capable of muscle protein synthesis. So, with the reduction in muscle temperature, you slow down the necessary processes and within the muscle to generate new proteins by reducing blood flow, you reduce the amount of building blocks or amino acids that can be transported to the muscle. So if you're trying to repair or build muscle, I'll just avoid what the ice bath. You can read more about this in the Journal of physiology from December 1st, 2019, some really excellent research demonstrating the fallacy around ice baths.

Avoid ice baths for muscle recovery as they reduce blood flow to the muscle and slow down the necessary processes within the muscle needed for protein synthesis.

When should I incorporate ice baths into my recovery?

New research debunks ice baths for muscle recovery

When should you incorporate ice baths into your recovery? In my opinion, the answer is never. New research suggests that a cool leg is less effective in muscle protein synthesis. Lowering muscle temperature slows down the necessary processes for generating new proteins by reducing blood flow and limiting the transport of amino acids to the muscles. If your goal is to repair or build muscle, it's best to avoid ice baths. You can find more information on this topic in the Journal of Physiology from December 1st, 2019, where excellent research debunks the effectiveness of ice baths.

So stress is super important before race because it actually helps you get your best performance. But we want to control it and not let it get out of hand. So the first thing is when you do have stress before a race is to control it. Make sure you understand it, that it's really just your chimp brain exaggerating things, that sport is not life or death. So you need to face everything and respond. And usually, when we have stress it's telling us, we're worried of upcoming performance. We're worried of being embarrassed or something. So it means we care. It means we think we can make a difference. And remember there's really three main parts-- I'm making this simple, but there's three parts to our brain. The chimp brain, the emotional side that exaggerates everything. You need to realize sport is not life or death. Control this. This is the emotional side. Usually, it's things we don't want. Then we have the professor brain, which is the rational, smart side. We want to engage this part more. Then we have the computer brain, which is this automatic things we don't notice. So realize what's going on. And the other thing is to avoid stress and to have the least amount of stress, you need to have 24 and 48 hour laminated cards that tell you what to do in every moment. Bill Belichick has a great saying. Know what your job is and do your job in every moment. And you should have cards that telling you what to do from playlists to listen to foods that are right, when to warm up, when, to eat, when to drive to the airport how long it takes. I know it sounds simple, but you want-- when you get stressed out, you get flustered and you forget things. So have an outline of what to do in the 24, 48 hours before the race and you'll--

Stress is important in order to get your best performance, but it's important to control it. Understand that sport is not life or death and engage the rational side of your brain. Have a 24 and 48 hour plan that tells you what to do in every moment in order to minimize stress.

How can you relieve stress in the days leading too a race?

Mastering Stress: Key Strategies to Optimize Race Performance

To relieve stress in the days leading up to a race, it's important to understand and control it. Recognize that stress is a natural response that can actually enhance performance. However, it's crucial to prevent it from becoming overwhelming.

First, acknowledge that stress is often the result of our chimp brain, the emotional side, exaggerating things. Remember that sports are not a matter of life or death. Understand that stress indicates that you care and believe you can make a difference.

Our brain has three main parts: the chimp brain (emotional side), the professor brain (rational and smart side), and the computer brain (automatic functions). Engage the rational side of your brain and control the emotional side.

To minimize stress, create laminated cards that outline what to do in every moment during the 24 to 48 hours leading up to the race. These cards can include playlists to listen to, appropriate foods to eat, warm-up routines, and even logistical details like travel times. Having a clear plan helps prevent feeling flustered and forgetting important tasks.

Following this approach will help you manage stress effectively and be well-prepared for the race.

Hey, James Thank you for asking the question about doing hills for increasing your speed. I believe hills are very important for speed, especially because hills give you power, and power gives you speed. So if you go to a hill, somewhere between 30 and 50 meters and have a more of a steeper hill, that would be really beneficial for your hill workout to increase power, which would give you the speed. You could also do longer hills, but that would be more for endurance. So if you wanted to do a hill workout which increases your power and power gives you the speed, then you do then between 30 to 50 meters. I hope that helps.

Hills are important for speed, especially if you do steeper hills between 30 and 50 meters. This will help increase power, which would give you the speed.

How important are hill repeats for increasing run speed?

Power up your speed with hill repeats

Hills are crucial for increasing run speed because they provide power, which translates to speed. For an effective hill workout, find a hill that is around 30 to 50 meters long and has a steeper incline. This type of hill will help you develop power, which in turn enhances your speed. Longer hills can be beneficial for building endurance, but for specifically targeting speed, shorter and steeper hills are ideal. Incorporating hill repeats into your training routine can greatly contribute to improving your overall running speed.

I would say 100% on this one. Yeah, you did. You probably have to start doubling at some point back in the day. I think they're even tripling Jerry lingering days. My dad might have attempted a couple triples and so he was like, this is ludicrous. But I think every runner at some point in their career, whether it's late in high school or in college, they start to incorporate doubles just because, you know, the the type of mileage you're going to end up getting up to, like, in the hundred, you know, as You get closer to 100 or even over 100. It's extremely hard to do that in single. So personally, I love doubles. I think it keeps my legs fresh. I'd much rather go for like a seven and a seven mile double than going straight to 14 miles. I know a lot of my teammates differ on that one with me, but I just always feel so much better in the PM's. And so, for me doubling three, four, five, even sometimes six times a week, not a big deal for me. I rather do that. Actually been single. So

Yes, it's common for runners to incorporate doubles into their training in order to build up mileage and increase endurance. It helps keep the legs fresh, and can be done 3-6 times a week depending on the runner's needs.

Do you think there is a specific point where runners need to incorporate doubles to continue progressing?

Unlocking Progress: The Key to Incorporating Doubles for Runners

In my opinion, there definitely comes a point where runners need to incorporate doubles to continue progressing. It's something that has been done in the past, with some even attempting triples. Whether it's in late high school or college, as you start to increase your mileage, it becomes extremely challenging to reach higher mileage solely through single runs.

Personally, I am a fan of doubles. I find that they keep my legs fresh, and I prefer doing two shorter runs, like a seven-mile double, rather than one long run of 14 miles. However, I understand that not everyone on my team shares the same preference. For me, doubling three, four, five, or even six times a week is not a big deal. I actually prefer it over running solely in singles.

I did have workouts that prepared me to close extremely hard, but I also did a bunch of workouts as well that was ready for a really, really fast race. You know, that that work out with 48 hundredths, averaging 149 showed that my my speed endurance was there. And, you know, I was obviously ready to run a really really fast time. Certainly PR was able to no doubt about it. I was ready to run under 3:30. I don't think it would have needed that. Real. But you know I had run 334 at the Olympic trials. And so I think I was ready for any type of race. I wouldn't say that my coach predicted. It would be that tactical. Certainly not 350, but we were prepared for anything and I would say my Collegiate races actually prepare me for that type of race. More than any workout. I could have done leading up to that. So Odyssey, it was a culmination of my whole career leading up to Rio, that allowed me to win that race, you know, previous workouts, obviously, but also races as well, so,

I did a lot of workouts that prepared me for a fast race, such as running a 48 hundredth mile at 149. I was able to PR and run under 3:30, but my collegiate races more than anything else prepared me for the race in Rio, leading to my win.

Leading up to Rio, you had workouts preparing you to close hard in a tactical race. How did you and your coach predict the race would be tactical?

Workouts and Races: How This Runner Prepared for a Tactical Race in Rio

I had workouts leading up to Rio that prepared me to close hard in a tactical race. However, I also did workouts that prepared me for a fast race. One particular workout, where I averaged 1:49 for 4x800m, showed that my speed endurance was on point and I was ready to run a fast time, possibly even under 3:30.

While my coach didn't specifically predict that the race would be tactical, we were prepared for any scenario. I had already run 3:34 at the Olympic trials, so I felt ready for any type of race. Additionally, my experiences in collegiate races had prepared me for tactical races more than any specific workout leading up to Rio.

Ultimately, my success in that race was a culmination of my entire career leading up to that point. It was a combination of previous workouts, as well as the lessons learned from past races, that allowed me to come out on top in Rio.

Okay, Henry. I don't have an exact creative work out unless you're looking for but got to think for yourselves a little bit. So here's what here's what's involved, do. A lot of creative workouts and it involves multiple distances and involves non-traditional ways utilizing the water. That means forwards backwards sideways to the bottom up off. The bottom involves using the entire pool deck. In whatever way is the lifeguards will allow which can include dry land exercises. It can include Runners and do be careful Runners into water long as the water is deep enough and it can include other kinds of things that cause you to take the power from the dry land and transition. It to the water keeps things. Interesting keeps things fun. And it's a great question to ask, but you'll have to come out the details yourself.

Creative workouts involve multiple distances and non-traditional ways of using the water, such as forwards, backwards, sideways, up or down. It can also include dry land exercises, running into the water (if it's deep enough) and other activities that transition power from dry land to water.

What’s the most creative workout you’ve written/gotten?

Henry, Dive into Creative Workouts Combining Land and Water - Unleash Your Inner Athlete!

I don't have a specific creative workout to share, but I encourage you to think outside the box and come up with your own ideas. Creative workouts can involve various distances and non-traditional ways of utilizing water, such as moving forwards, backwards, sideways, or even off the bottom of the pool. You can also incorporate exercises on the pool deck, as long as it's allowed by the lifeguards. Transitioning from dry land to water can add an interesting and fun element to your workout. While I can't provide specific details, I hope this inspires you to create your own unique and creative workout routine.