Hey folks—
This week’s Physical Education is a sit-down with Coach Brett that started as “let’s talk about running” and turned into something a little bigger.
We get into why so many people hate running (and why that might not actually be their fault), the idea of gears, rep pollution, and why only ever running tired and fast can quietly ruin the experience. We also talk about how this thinking shaped the new 5-day Hybrid program and what we’re aiming for long-term.
If you’ve ever said “I’m just not a runner,” this one’s worth your time.
You can watch or listen below—and if you’re a member, the best follow-up is simple: jump into a Hybrid class and feel the difference for yourself.
—Noah
Noah:
Alright, welcome back to another episode of Physical Education. Podcast style. Sitting down with a remote member, getting into things a little deeper. We’re limiting this one to five questions. We’ve found that keeps it in that 20–40 minute range instead of turning into a full philosophical naval-gazing session.
I’m here today with—why don’t you tell people who you are, just in case they haven’t seen your face before?
Coach Brett:
Yeah. I’m one of the three full-time coaches here. I coach group classes, do personal training, and I work on the hybrid conditioning program—especially the longer-duration conditioning work. That’s been a big focus since we started it last year.
Noah:
Alright, let’s get into it. Five questions today. We’re going to talk about running, the hybrid program, and how what we’re doing in 2026 lines up with how you’ve wanted to run this program from the beginning.
Let’s start with running. Almost everybody has done it at some point. Some people enjoy it. Some people really don’t.
Coach Brett:
Yeah. I never really ran on my own early on. I had a girlfriend who talked about a “runner’s high,” and I didn’t get it. I truly didn’t understand what she was talking about. She used to say, “You’ve never really run,” and she was right. I didn’t know what I was missing at the time.
Noah:
So what’s the difference between running as a practice—something you do intentionally—and running inside the gym in group classes or workouts?
Coach Brett:
Running is such an innately human movement. It’s something we’re built to do. But it also comes with a lot of mental baggage. We all have blocks like that in different parts of life.
If your only experience with running is in group classes—200 meters, 400 meters, maybe a mile—usually combined with other movements, that’s a very specific experience. It’s intense, it’s rushed, and it’s survival-based.
One of the reasons running is hard to improve is because of how many repetitions you’re doing. A 400-meter run might be 300 or 400 steps. Compare that to five reps of a lift. The muscle memory builds differently.
Running is also a sliding scale. You can move forward with very low-quality movement or very high-quality movement. It depends on whether you’re paying attention and practicing with intention, or just trying to get through it.
Noah:
That makes sense. So what actually makes getting better at running so hard for people?
Coach Brett:
A few things. First, it takes a lot of intentional practice, and that’s hard. Second, there’s a huge mental component.
People approach running with a lot of tension—emotional and mental tension—which leads to mechanical tension. We talk a lot about creating tension in lifts, but we don’t talk enough about relaxation. In running, muscles that aren’t working need to relax so the stride can happen naturally.
If you’re white-knuckling every run, it’s really hard to relax the right things.
Another challenge is that people usually only run in group settings, surrounded by others, already fatigued, often comparing themselves. That makes it even harder to relax and enjoy the movement.
Noah:
And if someone only ever runs already tired—heart rate already high—that shapes how they perceive running entirely.
Coach Brett:
Exactly. If every run starts at 175 beats per minute, you never get to experience running as something smooth or exploratory.
Noah:
So let’s say someone wants to get better at running. Broad strokes—what should they actually do?
Coach Brett:
I’d say two big things.
First: create more gears. Most people only have one speed, and that speed is “survival.” We want to create disparity between your slowest pace and your fastest pace. That means long, slow runs where you can move for 30–40 minutes, and short, fast efforts where you might run 50–100 meters and rest fully.
When you spread those out, you build a different relationship with running.
Second: find some grass and run there. Shoes today give you a lot of cushion and allow poor mechanics to stick around. Running barefoot—or close to it—on grass for short distances teaches your body how to strike naturally.
Run 50 meters at an easy pace. Walk for 30–40 seconds. Do that five to ten times. Your body will figure things out without you trying to hold a million cues in your head.
Noah:
And people should expect to be sore if they’ve never done that.
Coach Brett:
Absolutely. Calves especially. But that’s part of the process.
Every shoe has a place, but relying on maximal cushion for everything isn’t ideal if you want to improve mechanics.
Noah:
Alright, let’s shift to hybrid training. We’re launching a new five-day hybrid format. Walk me through the thinking behind it.
Coach Brett:
When we started hybrid, it was partly about reaching people outside the gym. Over time, as the community got tighter, I realized people needed more structure—not just individual sessions, but a long-term plan.
Hybrid is about providing value over weeks, months, and years. It’s a full fitness program, not just isolated workouts.
Noah:
So how is five days of hybrid different from someone just coming to group class five days a week?
Coach Brett:
In group class, as you get fitter, you can turn intensity up without necessarily increasing volume. Running doesn’t work like that. You need to manage both volume and intensity separately.
Hybrid also encourages people to put events on the calendar—not to compete, but to express fitness. A 10K isn’t about beating others; it’s about checking in with yourself.
We program around those events, managing workload across the year, so people can peak and recover intentionally.
Noah:
One thing I’ve always appreciated about you is how consistent your vision has been. This five-day hybrid feels like it finally aligns with that fully. How would you describe the values behind it?
Coach Brett:
The program demands accountability. Not perfection. Not elite athleticism. But willingness to work and engage honestly with the process.
Progression is paramount. Running, especially, offers so much opportunity that most people never explore.
We’re not hyper-fixated on one thing forever, but 2026 is about integrating everything we do into a coherent system.
Running matters because it’s transferable. You can be great on a bike or a machine, but running is how humans move through the world. It’s practical. It’s real.
If your car breaks down 15 miles from home, running matters.
Noah:
That’s a good place to land.
Thanks for watching. If you’re already a member, jump into a hybrid class and try it. See how it feels.
