Description
Running coach David Roche explains the science and psychology behind coaching America’s top runners: high-carb fueling, bicarb, zone compression and the lactate shuttle, and why joy is a performance tool. Recorded ten days after Jess McClain’s second-place finish at the 2026 New York City Marathon.
David Roche is a two-time Leadville 100 course record holder and co-founder of SWAP Running with Dr. Megan Roche. Together they coach some of the best distance runners in the U.S., including Jess McClain and Allie Ostrander. In this conversation with Johnny Pace, David covers:
→ Watching Jess McClain’s NYC Marathon finish, and why her race plan was “just be Jess”
→ How Allie Ostrander’s bet on SWAP opened the door to road and track coaching
→ The two pillars of coaching: joy and science, and the mouse study that connects them
→ Building a culture of celebration, even after a DNF
→ How high-carb fueling changed pro cycling and is now changing running
→ How many carbs per hour to take on long runs and workouts (75–120 g/hr)
→ Why too much anaerobic work and “redlining” workouts hold U.S. runners back
→ Zone compression and the lactate shuttle
→ Sodium bicarbonate: why lower, steadier doses
→ David’s own injury comeback and finding meaning in running past your peak
→ The next frontier: MCT1, epigenetics and evolution
Whether you’re training for your first marathon or chasing a PR, you’ll come away with practical fueling targets, smarter workout habits and a healthier way to think about your running.
CHAPTERS
0:00 Intro
1:01 Watching Jess McClain’s NYC Marathon finish
3:47 “Just be Jess”: coaching without control
5:17 Allie Ostrander and SWAP’s road & track era
8:21 The two pillars: joy and science
10:06 The mouse study: why joy changes adaptation
11:35 How to build joy in high achievers
14:38 Why individual sports need a different kind of coach
18:15 Coaching the kid inside every athlete
21:47 David’s injury year and comeback
26:32 Finding meaning in running past your peak
29:01 The fueling revolution: low-carb to high-carb
35:05 How many carbs per hour? A practical guide
38:50 Too much anaerobic work: the redlining problem
42:12 Training partners and slowing athletes down
44:12 Zone compression and the lactate shuttle
46:16 Bicarb: why lower, steadier doses
49:08 MCT1, epigenetics and the next frontier
51:44 Evolution, mitochondria and the low-carb argument
54:43 What’s next and the 2028 Olympic Trials
FOLLOW DAVID
Instagram: @mountainroche
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MountainRoche
SWAP Running: swaprunning.com
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