The Fast and Free Podcast

Brant Stachel
  • 5.0 (1)
  • FITNESS

The Fast and Free Podcast with Brant Stachel explores the intersection of endurance training and mental performance. Each week, Brant—an endurance coach, Registered Psychotherapist, and mental performance specialist—dives into conversations with Olympians, elites, and everyday athletes chasing their goals. From running strategies to psychology tools, every episode delivers practical insights to help you train smarter, think stronger, and perform at your best.

  1. MAY 3

    Masters Runner Runs 2:57 at Boston… Without a Watch, with Henry Walker

    In this episode of the  @FastAndFreePodcast , I sit down with masters runner Henry Walker after a huge performance at the Boston Marathon, where he ran 2:57 and hit the qualifying standard for the Abbott World Masters Championships. We break down how Henry approached Boston without a watch after it died at the start line, and how years of experience, effort-based training, and race discipline allowed him to stay completely in control. No splits. No pace checks. Just execution. Henry’s Boston performance is the result of doing the simple things consistently, making better decisions over time, and trusting the process instead of chasing numbers. Happy Training! ⸻ Relevant Links 🚨 FREE TOOLS I CREATED FOR RUNNERS 🚨 https://www.runfastandfree.com/free-tools ⚠️ TAKE THE MARATHON READINESS QUIZ NOW ⚠️ https://marathon-readiness-quiz.scoreapp.com Get Coached by Brant Stachel https://teamrunrun.com/coach/brant-stachel-kingston-ontario-running-coach/ Mental Performance Coaching with Brant Stachel: https://calendly.com/cepadminteam/15-minute-intake-call-clone?month=2026-01 Get my Book, “Fast and Free”, on  @amazon : https://a.co/d/00twBZ6d ⸻ Follow Brant Stachel Fast & Free Performance Coaching https://www.youtube.com/@UC4Nd1yg5n94puosXxjeL5FQ https://www.instagram.com/fastandfreecoaching https://www.instagram.com/brant_stachel https://www.tiktok.com/@BrantStachel https://www.strava.com/athletes/12318637 https://www.facebook.com/FastandFreeWithBrant https://www.twitter.com/BrantStachel https://www.LinkedIn.com/Brant-Stachel https://www.reddit.com/user/BrantStachel/ Visit My Website: http://runfastandfree.com Coming Soon, Substack: https://www.substack.com/@fastandfree

    1h 15m

  2. MAY 3 ·  BONUS

    It's true... The Slower You Run, The Faster You Get

    Today I wanted to break down why pushing your easy days into that “kinda hard” grey zone is where progress dies. It’s the most common mistake I see across my clients at every level, and it sabotages a runner's ability to actually improve. I dove into what “easy” actually means (and why most runners get it wrong), why your brain keeps pulling you to go faster, and how the best runners in the world are doing the opposite. Backed by studies, the data is becoming more and more clear: faster athletes aren’t doing more intensity… they’re doing more easy running, and they’re doing it slower. I also walk through the physiology behind how easy running builds your aerobic system, improves durability, and sets you up to actually perform on the days that matter. Plus, a real example from a recent Boston build where simply slowing down easy runs helped an athlete drop from 3:08 to 2:56. I know it's a bit of a paradox, but trust me it’s real: the easier you run on your easy days, the faster you’ll be when it counts. Happy Training! ⸻ Relevant Links 🚨 FREE TOOLS I CREATED FOR RUNNERS 🚨 https://www.runfastandfree.com/free-tools ⚠️ TAKE THE MARATHON READINESS QUIZ NOW ⚠️ https://marathon-readiness-quiz.scoreapp.com Get Your First Month of Coaching with Brant for just $20 https://teamrunrun.com/coach/brant-stachel-kingston-ontario-running-coach/ Mental Performance Coaching with Brant Stachel: https://calendly.com/cepadminteam/15-minute-intake-call-clone?month=2026-01 Get my Book “Fast and Free” on  @amazon : https://a.co/d/00twBZ6d Learn More about  @teamrunrun : https://teamrunrun.com/ Fuel Your Training with  @fuelgoods  (AFFILIATE LINK): https://fuelgoods.com/?ref=Brant

    10 min

  3. MAY 3 ·  BONUS

    A Sub 2-Hour Marathon?!?!

    HOW?!?! Breaking 2 hours in the marathon used to feel impossible. Then Sunday happened… and we got to witness not once, but TWICE! I'm still in shock. ⸻ Relevant Links 🚨 FREE TOOLS I CREATED FOR RUNNERS 🚨 https://www.runfastandfree.com/free-tools ⚠️ TAKE THE MARATHON READINESS QUIZ NOW ⚠️ https://marathon-readiness-quiz.scoreapp.com Get Your First Month of Coaching with Brant for just $20 https://teamrunrun.com/coach/brant-stachel-kingston-ontario-running-coach/ Mental Performance Coaching with Brant Stachel: https://calendly.com/cepadminteam/15-minute-intake-call-clone?month=2026-01 Get my Book “Fast and Free” on  @amazon : https://a.co/d/00twBZ6d ⸻ Follow Brant Stachel & Fast & Free Performance Coaching https://www.youtube.com/@UC4Nd1yg5n94puosXxjeL5FQ https://www.youtube.com/@FastAndFreePodcast https://www.youtube.com/@FastAndFreePodcastClips https://www.instagram.com/brant_stachel https://www.instagram.com/fastandfreecoaching https://www.tiktok.com/@BrantStachel https://www.strava.com/athletes/12318637 https://www.facebook.com/FastandFreeWithBrant https://www.twitter.com/BrantStachel https://www.LinkedIn.com/Brant-Stachel https://www.reddit.com/user/BrantStachel/ Visit My Website: http://runfastandfree.com Coming Soon, Substack: https://www.substack.com/@fastandfree

    14 min

  4. APR 24

    The 4-Year Journey to a Half-Marathon Breakthrough, with Sophia Rodriguez

    Runners can spend years trying to force progress without ever really addressing the thing that keeps setting them back. They train hard, race hard, deal with the same injuries, the same anxiety, the same frustration, and quietly start wondering whether they’ve already hit their ceiling. In this episode of the ‪Fast And Free Podcast‬, I sit down with Sophia Rodriguez after a huge half-marathon breakthrough that was years in the making. We talk about the long road that led to this performance, including early struggles with recovery, repeated setbacks, race anxiety, and the challenge of trying to rebuild in a way that was actually sustainable. This wasn’t just a good race. It was the result of years of learning how to train smarter, manage load better, and finally give her body and mind the support they needed. We get into what changed over the last two training blocks, why this half-marathon build felt different, and how small practical shifts made a massive difference on race day. Sophia talks about improving her sleep leading into the race, how better consistency in training changed her confidence, and what it felt like to finally have a performance that matched the work she had been putting in. We also break down the race itself, from the pre-race chaos and traffic stress to the moment she realized she was going to pull off the result she had been chasing for years. This episode also goes deeper than the race result. We talk about her background in the military, how difficult it was to balance service, unpredictable training demands, and her own running goals, and why finally having more control over her schedule helped unlock progress. Sophia also shares how race anxiety shaped her relationship with running for years, how mental health support became part of the process, and why running works best when it stays connected to joy rather than turning into another source of pressure. We also spend time on something a lot of runners will relate to: the value of community. Sophia talks about going from years of running alone to finding real support through run clubs, how that changed her relationship with the sport, and why the right environment can make a massive difference in both performance and happiness. There’s a lot in here about accountability, structure, injury prevention, and learning how to stop making every run carry the weight of your entire identity. Happy Training!

    53 min

  5. APR 23 ·  BONUS

    Explaining: Why Yasso 800s Don't Work

    Yasso 800s have become one of the most popular “predictors” in marathon training. Clean, simple, easy to follow… buuuuuuuut in most cases... completely misleading. ➡️ Sign Up For My Newsletter: https://brantstachel.activehosted.com/f/30 ⸻ Relevant Links 🚨 FREE TOOLS I CREATED FOR RUNNERS 🚨 https://www.runfastandfree.com/free-tools ⚠️ TAKE THE MARATHON READINESS QUIZ NOW ⚠️ https://marathon-readiness-quiz.scoreapp.com Get Your First Month of Coaching with Brant for just $20 https://teamrunrun.com/coach/brant-stachel-kingston-ontario-running-coach/ Get my Book “Fast and Free” on Amazon : https://a.co/d/00twBZ6d Learn More about  @teamrunrun : https://teamrunrun.com/ Fuel Your Training with  @fuelgoods  (AFFILIATE LINK): https://fuelgoods.com/?ref=Brant ⸻ Follow Brant Stachel & Fast & Free Performance Coaching https://www.youtube.com/@UC4Nd1yg5n94puosXxjeL5FQ https://www.instagram.com/brant_stachel https://www.tiktok.com/@BrantStachel https://www.strava.com/athletes/12318637 https://www.facebook.com/FastandFreeWithBrant https://www.twitter.com/BrantStachel https://www.LinkedIn.com/Brant-Stachel https://www.reddit.com/user/BrantStachel/ Visit My Website: http://runfastandfree.com

    10 min

  6. APR 17

    She Quit Running… Then Came Back and Ran 2:34 at McKirdy, with Jess Donohue

    In this episode of the Fast and Free Podcast, I sit down with Jess Donohue to talk about her return to high-level marathoning and the breakthrough performance that followed. After years of battling injuries, stepping away from the sport, and rebuilding her relationship with running from the ground up, Jess has gone from simply wanting to run healthy again to qualifying for the Olympic Trials and dropping a massive personal best of 2:34:40 at  @McKirdyTrained . We get into how that comeback actually happened, what it took to rebuild confidence after years of setbacks, and why this version of her as an athlete is stronger than the one that came before. This conversation goes well beyond splits and race results. Jess opens up about her experience in the NCAA system, the physical and mental toll that came with disordered eating and chronic injury, and what finally allowed her to break that cycle. We talk about identity, the danger of tying self-worth entirely to running, and why learning that there was more to her than the sport ended up being one of the biggest reasons she was able to return to it in a healthy way. We also get into the practical side of what has helped her make this jump in the marathon. That includes higher mileage, better recovery, consistent strength work, weekly physical therapy, better fueling, and a more mature long-term approach to training. Jess shares why the marathon ended up being a better fit for her than the intensity-heavy structure of college racing, how she learned to stop chasing more for the sake of more, and why the less glamorous parts of training are often the ones that move performance forward the most. Happy Training! ⸻ Relevant Links Get coached by Brant Stachel https://teamrunrun.com/coach/brant-stachel-kingston-ontario-running-coach/ Get coached by Jess Donohue https://tinyurl.com/3zwswzce Get my Book, “Fast and Free”: https://a.co/d/00twBZ6d ⸻ Follow Brant Stachel Fast & Free Performance Coaching https://www.youtube.com/@UC4Nd1yg5n94puosXxjeL5FQ https://www.instagram.com/fastandfreecoaching https://www.instagram.com/brant_stachel https://www.tiktok.com/@BrantStachel Visit My Website: http://runfastandfree.com ⸻ Follow Jess Donohue https://www.instagram.com/jess.emily.donohue/ https://www.tiktok.com/@jess.emily.donohue https://www.strava.com/athletes/15254503

    49 min

  7. APR 17 ·  BONUS

    Explaining: Time vs. Mileage and Which One Actually Makes You Faster

    I’ve always believed that the time vs mileage debate creates waaaaay more confusion than it should. Runners are constantly asking whether they should run for 60 minutes or 10 miles, what elites are doing, and why every training plan seems to pick one without ever explaining the reasoning behind it. What a lot of runners don’t realize is that these two approaches can create completely different training stress, even when they look identical on paper. In this video, I wanted to break down what’s actually happening when you train by time versus distance, from the physiological side, how your body responds to metabolic stress and fatigue, to the psychological side, including pace pressure, overtraining tendencies, and the obsession with hitting arbitrary numbers. I also walk through why time-based training has become more prominent in modern systems, how it better accounts for terrain, fatigue, and real-world conditions, and where mileage-based training still has a place. From there, I give you a practical framework for structuring your training blocks, including when to use time, when to use mileage, and how to combine both into a hybrid approach that actually makes sense for your goals, your schedule, and how you train. This is the same approach I use with athletes across all levels, from first-time marathoners to high-performance runners, to remove guesswork, reduce unnecessary stress, and build training that’s consistent, adaptable, and sustainable. If you’ve ever felt pressure to hit certain numbers or questioned whether you’re structuring your runs the right way, this should give you clarity. Happy Training! DISCLAIMER: I'm in the middle of home renos right now, my apologies for some of the background noises in this video! ⸻ Relevant Links 🚨 FREE TOOLS I CREATED FOR RUNNERS 🚨 https://www.runfastandfree.com/free-tools ⚠️ TAKE THE MARATHON READINESS QUIZ NOW ⚠️ https://marathon-readiness-quiz.scoreapp.com Get coached by Brant Stachel https://teamrunrun.com/coach/brant-stachel-kingston-ontario-running-coach/ Get my Book, “Fast and Free”: https://a.co/d/00twBZ6d ⸻ Follow Brant Stachel Fast & Free Performance Coaching https://www.youtube.com/@UC4Nd1yg5n94puosXxjeL5FQ https://www.youtube.com/@FastAndFreePodcastClips https://www.instagram.com/fastandfreecoaching https://www.instagram.com/brant_stachel https://www.tiktok.com/@BrantStachel Visit My Website: http://runfastandfree.com ⸻

    14 min

  8. APR 17 ·  BONUS

    Explaining: Why You Feel TERRIBLE During Taper Week

    In my years of coaching runners, I've found that many tend to think that the taper is when things should start feeling easy. However, in reality, it’s when everything starts to feel wrong. Your legs feel heavy, your fitness suddenly feels VERY questionable, small aches feel like catastrophic injuries, and your confidence starts to spiral right before race day. What I wish these runners would realize is that this is not a sign that something is going wrong. It’s a predictable physiological and neurological response to reducing training load after weeks or months of consistent stress. In this video, I wanted to break down what’s actually happening during the taper, from glycogen supercompensation and neuromuscular restoration to immune system recovery, and why these adaptations are essential for peak race performance. I also walk through what I call “taper madness,” the psychological side of the taper that almost every runner experiences but very few understand. We get into why your brain starts scanning for problems, why your routine disruption creates anxiety, and how to reframe those thoughts so you don’t sabotage your race before it even starts. From there, I outline a practical taper structure, how to reduce volume while maintaining intensity, and the key behaviours during race week that actually impact performance, including sleep, nutrition, movement, and managing your mental environment. This is the same framework I use with athletes across all levels to help them arrive at the start line confident, prepared, and ready to execute. If you’ve ever felt worse during your taper than you did in peak training, you’re not alone. You’re right on track. Happy Training! ⸻ Relevant Links 🚨 FREE TOOLS I CREATED FOR RUNNERS 🚨 https://www.runfastandfree.com/free-tools ⚠️ TAKE THE MARATHON READINESS QUIZ NOW ⚠️ https://marathon-readiness-quiz.scoreapp.com Get coached by Brant Stachel https://teamrunrun.com/coach/brant-stachel-kingston-ontario-running-coach/ Get my Book, “Fast and Free”: https://a.co/d/00twBZ6d ⸻ Follow Brant Stachel Fast & Free Performance Coaching https://www.youtube.com/@UC4Nd1yg5n94puosXxjeL5FQ https://www.youtube.com/@FastAndFreePodcastClips https://www.instagram.com/fastandfreecoaching https://www.instagram.com/brant_stachel https://www.tiktok.com/@BrantStachel https://www.strava.com/athletes/12318637 Visit My Website: http://runfastandfree.com

    12 min
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About

The Fast and Free Podcast with Brant Stachel explores the intersection of endurance training and mental performance. Each week, Brant—an endurance coach, Registered Psychotherapist, and mental performance specialist—dives into conversations with Olympians, elites, and everyday athletes chasing their goals. From running strategies to psychology tools, every episode delivers practical insights to help you train smarter, think stronger, and perform at your best.

Information

  • Creator
    Brant Stachel
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    42
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Brant Stachel
  • Show Website
    The Fast and Free Podcast

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