Jimmy Whelan - Chasing Sub 60 Half Marathon, Marathon training, Altitude Training, Shoe Tech and Switching From Pro Cycling

Jimmy Whelan talks about leaving WorldTour cycling, becoming a Salomon-sponsored professional runner, training at altitude, chasing a sub-60 half marathon, and building toward the marathon long term.
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Jimmy Whelan joins Matt to talk about his move from seven years as a professional cyclist, including WorldTour stints with EF and Q36.5, into professional road running with Salomon. Now training at altitude in Andorra and Font-Romeu, Jimmy is focused on chasing a sub-60 half marathon and building toward the marathon long term, with the LA Olympics as a major target.
Jimmy shares his early running background, including an 8:11 3K and a top-five finish at Zatopek U23, before an Achilles injury pushed him toward cycling and rapidly into the professional ranks. He discusses the crashes, pressure, and stress that contributed to him leaving cycling in 2024, briefly considering triathlon, and then committing fully to running after a 61:37 half marathon in Valencia.
Matt and Jimmy also cover high-mileage training, double-threshold work, altitude response, marathon potential, shoe development with Salomon, nutrition and carb tolerance from cycling, bicarb issues, sauna and heat protocols, anti-doping differences between cycling and running, selective cross-training, minimal strength and plyometrics, and why Jimmy is based in Barcelona.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Altitude Training Update
01:41 - From Cyclist to Runner
04:22 - High School Running Roots
06:50 - Injury and Cycling Breakthrough
08:52 - Leaving Pro Cycling
12:10 - Chasing Sub 60
16:23 - Marathon Engine and Altitude
20:17 - Mileage and Double Threshold
22:29 - Salomon Shoe Prototypes
28:35 - Kenya Talk and Doping Testing
34:35 - Cycling Cross Training Debate
39:50 - YouTube Content Drought
41:15 - Reels vs YouTube Value
42:43 - Fans After Bad Race
44:14 - YouTube Impact Stories
45:20 - Carbs and Gut Training
48:41 - Race Weight Balance
51:50 - Bicarb and Creatine
55:06 - Sauna and Heat Blocks