The Zone 2 Podcast
The Zone 2 Podcast
Podcast Description
In our mid-20s, we had a choice to make: get married, earn a master's degree, or run a marathon. So here we are. Join Francis and Brian as we learn all there isn't to know about training for our first 26.2 milers and beyond. New episodes every Wednesday morning.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The show explores various aspects of running, including training tips, personal stories, and interviews with running enthusiasts, such as discussions on women's running and brand ambassadorship in Episode 2 featuring Cate Schultz, as well as the dynamics of balancing personal life with marathon training.
Running talk at a conversational pace. New episodes every Wednesday with runners of all kinds — sharing stories, lessons, and laughs from the road.
Based in Boston, The Zone 2 Podcast started as a passion project while Francis and Brian trained for their first marathons. Since then, it’s grown into a platform for conversations with voices from across the running community — from brand reps and run club founders to coaches, pro athletes, and more.
Stay connected with us on social media @thezone2podcast and across platforms.
In this week's episode we sit down with New Balance Research Engineer, Ben Hazelwood, to discuss what goes into testing and evaluating some of the best shoes on the market. We reference a few different studies in this conversation and we've linked them here:
Papers on modeling marathon performances by Michael Joyner:
https://journals.physiology.org/doi/abs/10.1152/jappl.1991.70.2.683
https://www.thieme-connect.com/products/ejournals/abstract/10.1055/a-2539-1381
Paper about foot strike and response to super shoes:
https://www.ovid.com/jnls/acsm-msse/abstract/10.1249/mss.0000000000003411~the-influence-of-super-shoes-and-foot-strike-pattern-on
An abstract from Ben's master’s:
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19424280.2025.2489682#d1e145
Getting Technical with Russell Wells
Carbon Plated and Elated: The Super Shoe Revolution
The ”Truth” about racing with Sam Truax
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Check out more of our shoe specials here:
Getting Technical with Russell Wells
Carbon Plated and Elated: The Super Shoe Revolution
The ”Truth” about racing with Sam Truax
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Thanks for listening to The Zone 2 Podcast! We talk about running at a conversational pace. Be sure to never miss a run, or an episode:
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Thanks for listening — and happy running! 🏃♂️💨
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🎧 Created, Written, Edited, and Produced by hosts: Francis Criscione & Brian Coven
🎙️ Guest: Ben Hazelwood
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