EP267: Andy Buchanan on Setbacks and the Road to Valencia

Better with Running

This week on the Better With Running podcast, hosts Chris Armstrong and Zac Newman are joined by Australian marathon record holder, olympian r and fellow Run2PB coach, Andy Buchanan, for a Melbourne Marathon race week special. Chris shares his latest training, detailing a 72km week capped off by a challenging progression session (2 x Mile, 2 x 800m, Mile, 800m) where he started conservatively and made each rep progressively faster. This segment naturally leads into a discussion about coaching philosophy, with Andy stressing that success is found in consistently putting in and absorbing the work, not overcomplicating a single session, a lesson he's imparted to Chris over the last five years.

The conversation takes a serious turn as Andy reflects on his planned World Championships campaign. He recounts a "blur" of travel and training, including a challenging heat prep camp in Cairns and his impressive win at the Sunny Coast Half. Andy addresses the inevitable follow-up question regarding the setback, offering his perspective on what went wrong and how he mentally reset after the disappointment.

With the focus now firmly on the future, Andy details the strategic balancing act of his Valencia build, and how he will attack it. The episode concludes with invaluable insights for all the athletes lining up at the Melbourne Marathon.

With thanks to Oat Running our partner, Chris will be gifted some Oat Running Socks.

Listeners of the show can get a a 15% discount using "run2pb15" at the check out. Visit www⁠.oatrunning.com.au