How Ultrarunner David Roche Uses Science to Break Records
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Greetings! David Roche is a decorated trail runner, coach, and co-founder of SWAP Running. He's a two-time national champion and a three-time Team USA member, and he recently set the course record at the Leadville 100 trail run with a time of 15 hours, 26 minutes, 34 seconds. David and his wife, Megan Roche, M.D., offer coaching that blends science, training theory, and a philosophy of joy and long-term growth for all athletes. Megan just launched a website—Huzzah—“to empower female endurance athletes by providing accessible sports science knowledge and fostering a love for sport through content, insights, and scholarships, with a focus on supporting overall health, education, and competitive edge.” I’ve become a bit obsessed with how David thinks about running and how invested he and Megan are in reading and implementing the science of training and racing. So I needed to nerd out with him on some topics. In this interview, I picked David’s mind about his scientific approach to training, and we detail several of the training practices he used in his buildup to the race, including: Sodium bicarbonate Downhill running High-carb fueling Super shoes Post-exercise exogenous ketones Heat training/hot water immersion Caffeine Heart rate zones And more! Relevant links For more details about David and SWAP Running, visit their About Us page Follow David on X @MountainRoche Watch the documentary about David’s record: Leadville 100 Ultramarathon & David Roche's Run for The Impossible Record This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.physiologicallyspeaking.com/subscribe
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