I wonder how many gains fod runner can have at his age in the marathon. I imagine it’s marginal gains. Not worth becoming exhausted for the rest of your time for.
Tbh I don't think the age is a problem. He's only 35-36 and his PB is like 2:40 right? There are a lot of guys much older running much faster. If we take the age away, the main problem here is that his training is really garbage.
It's tough to see because he seems nice, but he is hitting way too much stuff in hard/moderate. Moderate zone for him is not totally aerobic either, so when you run every single long run at a borderline aerobic it's just really pointless for building fitness. He is doing 3 sessions a week as well at a mix of threshold/LT2, but when you pile all the additional 'moderate' mileage on top it's a total nightmare of a training plan. If you go through his training you will see just how badly he is running himself to the ground. No wonder he got ill, but even if he didn't get ill I would be extremely surprised if he didn't blow up and run like 2:45. Super dangerous position to be in as well when all the youtube comments from slow hobbyjoggers are gaslighting him by saying how well he is doing. I don't think the guy will even learn though, so I'll just sit here and rant about it instead.
I'll agree he seems like a nice/normal guy who is starting to slip down the same cliche slope of getting carried away by the normal youtuber tropes
Every upload recently has been him over-analysing his HR & politely arguing with people in the comments who are trying to point out he's doing this to himself and needs to find better balance; "yeah but my HR was better today!" is not a acceptable answer when you've been ill 4x in as many weeks and your upload history is just an array of DNF'd long runs.
It's getting sad now, and based on his recent unnecessary 24M slog that he waded through positive splits, even if he isn't targeting London anymore, it will still go horribly when he's a 2:40 Marathoner who is only just scraping under 7:00/M for his efforts in the latter part of the session...
Tbh I don't think the age is a problem. He's only 35-36 and his PB is like 2:40 right? There are a lot of guys much older running much faster. If we take the age away, the main problem here is that his training is really garbage.
It's tough to see because he seems nice, but he is hitting way too much stuff in hard/moderate. Moderate zone for him is not totally aerobic either, so when you run every single long run at a borderline aerobic it's just really pointless for building fitness. He is doing 3 sessions a week as well at a mix of threshold/LT2, but when you pile all the additional 'moderate' mileage on top it's a total nightmare of a training plan. If you go through his training you will see just how badly he is running himself to the ground. No wonder he got ill, but even if he didn't get ill I would be extremely surprised if he didn't blow up and run like 2:45. Super dangerous position to be in as well when all the youtube comments from slow hobbyjoggers are gaslighting him by saying how well he is doing. I don't think the guy will even learn though, so I'll just sit here and rant about it instead.
I'll agree he seems like a nice/normal guy who is starting to slip down the same cliche slope of getting carried away by the normal youtuber tropes
Every upload recently has been him over-analysing his HR & politely arguing with people in the comments who are trying to point out he's doing this to himself and needs to find better balance; "yeah but my HR was better today!" is not a acceptable answer when you've been ill 4x in as many weeks and your upload history is just an array of DNF'd long runs.
It's getting sad now, and based on his recent unnecessary 24M slog that he waded through positive splits, even if he isn't targeting London anymore, it will still go horribly when he's a 2:40 Marathoner who is only just scraping under 7:00/M for his efforts in the latter part of the session...
He is a coach too. I really do not understand how he can coach anybody lol
Hi, I'm Roger Biebert, and I am here today to review The FOD Runner's "My TAPER for London Marathon 2024". Let's get into it...
Sometimes “lightweight” isn’t a pejorative. “My TAPER,” is almost like a comics-based superhero movie that’s centered around one of the more arguably goofy marathoning characters. It achieves its particular magic by keeping its proceedings almost as weightless as its shrunken-down hero. The movie, directed by Andy and starring himself, isn’t exactly or entirely fluffy, but it’s pretty damn agile, and as a result provides the most pure, uncomplicated fun, and even joy, of any shoetuber video I’ve seen in a couple days.
The good news is that your enjoyment of this video won’t be reliant on your getting various in-jokes and character references, even though there are a fair number of them. What the video delivers for most of its running time is a surprisingly disarming amalgam of “The Incredible Shrinking Man” and “Rififi” by way of Brian De Palma’s first “Mission Impossible” movie, except with Jules Dassin’s goofball element thrown back in the mix.
The stakes are high here, but they’re not as grandiose as they are in most contemporary shoetuber videos, where the fate of the entire world if not the universe seems to be at stake every time. Yeah, marathoners can be seen as lunatics, and in this case he does want to make an army of subscribers think about his taper plan. But this video doesn’t need to film any long breakfast scenes and suburban drives to get its job done.
This is a lot of material for any video to juggle, and it’s also competing with a crazy visual-effects element. The script is credited to Andy as well. I suspect quite a few of the visual gags in this video originated with some friendly contributions. In any event, the video Andy has directed offers a remarkably direct through-line; I kept waiting, in dread, for a flashback explaining how the he got that way, but it never came; instead, we find out what we need to know via narration and action, which is very welcome. Despite the video’s buoyancy, it manages to convey the typical marathoner's villainy and its gravity with an appropriate tone. It’s delightful and almost miraculous the way this video manages to work as a comic heist picture on a huge scale, and with an inspirational sports flick blended into it…while managing to cohere to the whole, you know, shoetuber thing. Even the usually dreaded training-montage sequence manages to unfold like a compelling dance number. Part of it has to do with the novelty of the training—it’s not many videos that show its protagonist attempting to leap through a proverbial keyhole. As is customary with shoetuber videos, “My TAPER” has more than one ending—more than two, as it happens. My favorite was the second one, which will probably please thinkpiece writers and/or classic cinema fans, so I’m sure you’ll hear about it soon. As for myself, I found myself grinning a bit at the final promise that he'll "see us in the next one.”
Three out of Four Stars
This post was edited 2 minutes after it was posted.
Hi, I'm Roger Biebert, and I am here today to review The FOD Runner's "My TAPER for London Marathon 2024". Let's get into it...
Sometimes “lightweight” isn’t a pejorative. “My TAPER,” is almost like a comics-based superhero movie that’s centered around one of the more arguably goofy marathoning characters. It achieves its particular magic by keeping its proceedings almost as weightless as its shrunken-down hero. The movie, directed by Andy and starring himself, isn’t exactly or entirely fluffy, but it’s pretty damn agile, and as a result provides the most pure, uncomplicated fun, and even joy, of any shoetuber video I’ve seen in a couple days.
The good news is that your enjoyment of this video won’t be reliant on your getting various in-jokes and character references, even though there are a fair number of them. What the video delivers for most of its running time is a surprisingly disarming amalgam of “The Incredible Shrinking Man” and “Rififi” by way of Brian De Palma’s first “Mission Impossible” movie, except with Jules Dassin’s goofball element thrown back in the mix.
The stakes are high here, but they’re not as grandiose as they are in most contemporary shoetuber videos, where the fate of the entire world if not the universe seems to be at stake every time. Yeah, marathoners can be seen as lunatics, and in this case he does want to make an army of subscribers think about his taper plan. But this video doesn’t need to film any long breakfast scenes and suburban drives to get its job done.
This is a lot of material for any video to juggle, and it’s also competing with a crazy visual-effects element. The script is credited to Andy as well. I suspect quite a few of the visual gags in this video originated with some friendly contributions. In any event, the video Andy has directed offers a remarkably direct through-line; I kept waiting, in dread, for a flashback explaining how the he got that way, but it never came; instead, we find out what we need to know via narration and action, which is very welcome. Despite the video’s buoyancy, it manages to convey the typical marathoner's villainy and its gravity with an appropriate tone. It’s delightful and almost miraculous the way this video manages to work as a comic heist picture on a huge scale, and with an inspirational sports flick blended into it…while managing to cohere to the whole, you know, shoetuber thing. Even the usually dreaded training-montage sequence manages to unfold like a compelling dance number. Part of it has to do with the novelty of the training—it’s not many videos that show its protagonist attempting to leap through a proverbial keyhole. As is customary with shoetuber videos, “My TAPER” has more than one ending—more than two, as it happens. My favorite was the second one, which will probably please thinkpiece writers and/or classic cinema fans, so I’m sure you’ll hear about it soon. As for myself, I found myself grinning a bit at the final promise that he'll "see us in the next one.”
Three out of Four Stars
I see that GMC pun in there...a well-played, if not oblique, reference. I'll have to turn that knob and butter that Bobo when it comes to improving in trying to write great reviews as Biebert!
This post was edited 54 seconds after it was posted.
More and more the shoetubers give their uploads some clickbaity titles. I hate that. I'd prefer some titles like "the new daily trainer from brand x - my verdict".
7
1
I put on ghosts and you wont believe what happened next
More and more the shoetubers give their uploads some clickbaity titles. I hate that. I'd prefer some titles like "the new daily trainer from brand x - my verdict".
It's time for an update on our favorite running YouTubers.
Allie Ostrander spent a thousand dollars (split with Spencer) on their dog's stomach ache. She's happy with her 30th place at World XC. And she's now chasing a qualifying time for the Olympic Trials in the Steeple Chase. She hates Canada Geese too, apparently they chase her and her dog.
Spencer celebrated a return from injury by running a 4:57 mile.
Thomas from Believe in the run is mystified as to why people keep calling him a corporate shill. He's also making videos saying he uses $300 shoes as daily trainers and he's OK with high prices. Seems to me like those two things might be related. They haven't made any trips recently. Maybe, just maybe, the running brands are finally deciding that paying for travel of influencers to big races alienates their core audience. One can hope.
Then there's Matt Choi, who is getting ready for Boston. One wonders how he's going to get his entourage onto the course with him. A guy like Choi can't run Boston without being surrounded by three bicycles providing him help and acting as his domestique. A note to the BAA: accepting help from any other person not involved in the race, definitely including your own personal cyclist violates USATF/RRCA rules, so whatever so called qualifying time this idiot used isn't valid. But he doesn't actually have a qualifying time, so we know you gave him a influencer bib. It's pathetic that 1,000 qualified runners were left out so clowns like Choi could be let onto your course and create dangerous situations for competitors with their bicycle entourages. I blame Kofuzi for whatever happens with Choi, as he blatantly violated to the in race photography ban last year, and BAA didn't DQ him.
Speaking of Kofuzi, he took a sponsored trip to Jamaica to watch their Champs track meet. He did disclose Puma paid for this one, which is new. But he didn't disclose the travel and its value when he released his video about the new Puma shoe, which was literally released on his first day in Jamaica, paid for by Puma. He loved the shoe, which should surprise no one given that he was on a trip with Puma when the video was posted. This one is so blatant I think I'll file a complaint about it.
Philly Bowden is pulling her best Matt Choi entourage imitation and following her boyfriend around on a bike, weaving in and out of other runners as he runs 2 hours for a half.
Ben Felton ran a decent half marathon and is getting ready for Copenhagen.
And that's all the time I have this morning for running YouTubers today. I think I'll check back after Boston, when it should be maximum cringe from the likes of Matt Choi and Thomas from Believe in the Run.
Tbh I don't think the age is a problem. He's only 35-36 and his PB is like 2:40 right? There are a lot of guys much older running much faster. If we take the age away, the main problem here is that his training is really garbage.
It's tough to see because he seems nice, but he is hitting way too much stuff in hard/moderate. Moderate zone for him is not totally aerobic either, so when you run every single long run at a borderline aerobic it's just really pointless for building fitness. He is doing 3 sessions a week as well at a mix of threshold/LT2, but when you pile all the additional 'moderate' mileage on top it's a total nightmare of a training plan. If you go through his training you will see just how badly he is running himself to the ground. No wonder he got ill, but even if he didn't get ill I would be extremely surprised if he didn't blow up and run like 2:45. Super dangerous position to be in as well when all the youtube comments from slow hobbyjoggers are gaslighting him by saying how well he is doing. I don't think the guy will even learn though, so I'll just sit here and rant about it instead.
I'll agree he seems like a nice/normal guy who is starting to slip down the same cliche slope of getting carried away by the normal youtuber tropes
Every upload recently has been him over-analysing his HR & politely arguing with people in the comments who are trying to point out he's doing this to himself and needs to find better balance; "yeah but my HR was better today!" is not a acceptable answer when you've been ill 4x in as many weeks and your upload history is just an array of DNF'd long runs.
It's getting sad now, and based on his recent unnecessary 24M slog that he waded through positive splits, even if he isn't targeting London anymore, it will still go horribly when he's a 2:40 Marathoner who is only just scraping under 7:00/M for his efforts in the latter part of the session...
I almost think FOD has been creating this false 'I'm tanking and fighting this incredible battle to stay healthy' situation over the last few weeks of videos so that he will have a 'miraculous' result at London. a really great narrative arc - the injured hero fights back against all odds to run a great marathon!
however, the arguing with people in the comments stuff suggests otherwise. kinda like when you tell a friend they're drinking too much and they just give excuse after excuse for their crinking.
Colorado-based apparel company rep: Me too, (commenter's name), me too : (
This is evidence that Seth has money from something else. He doesn't vlog anymore and his gear was a flop. The only explanation is him being deeply in debt or trust fund.
It's time for an update on our favorite running YouTubers.
Allie Ostrander spent a thousand dollars (split with Spencer) on their dog's stomach ache. She's happy with her 30th place at World XC. And she's now chasing a qualifying time for the Olympic Trials in the Steeple Chase. She hates Canada Geese too, apparently they chase her and her dog.
Spencer celebrated a return from injury by running a 4:57 mile.
Thomas from Believe in the run is mystified as to why people keep calling him a corporate shill. He's also making videos saying he uses $300 shoes as daily trainers and he's OK with high prices. Seems to me like those two things might be related. They haven't made any trips recently. Maybe, just maybe, the running brands are finally deciding that paying for travel of influencers to big races alienates their core audience. One can hope.
Then there's Matt Choi, who is getting ready for Boston. One wonders how he's going to get his entourage onto the course with him. A guy like Choi can't run Boston without being surrounded by three bicycles providing him help and acting as his domestique. A note to the BAA: accepting help from any other person not involved in the race, definitely including your own personal cyclist violates USATF/RRCA rules, so whatever so called qualifying time this idiot used isn't valid. But he doesn't actually have a qualifying time, so we know you gave him a influencer bib. It's pathetic that 1,000 qualified runners were left out so clowns like Choi could be let onto your course and create dangerous situations for competitors with their bicycle entourages. I blame Kofuzi for whatever happens with Choi, as he blatantly violated to the in race photography ban last year, and BAA didn't DQ him.
Speaking of Kofuzi, he took a sponsored trip to Jamaica to watch their Champs track meet. He did disclose Puma paid for this one, which is new. But he didn't disclose the travel and its value when he released his video about the new Puma shoe, which was literally released on his first day in Jamaica, paid for by Puma. He loved the shoe, which should surprise no one given that he was on a trip with Puma when the video was posted. This one is so blatant I think I'll file a complaint about it.
Philly Bowden is pulling her best Matt Choi entourage imitation and following her boyfriend around on a bike, weaving in and out of other runners as he runs 2 hours for a half.
Ben Felton ran a decent half marathon and is getting ready for Copenhagen.
And that's all the time I have this morning for running YouTubers today. I think I'll check back after Boston, when it should be maximum cringe from the likes of Matt Choi and Thomas from Believe in the Run.
Couple additions there:
Philly Bowden - just got dropped by New Balance, also that cycling through her BF's HM was disgustingly obnoxious
Nick Bester - is following a similar attitude of having people cycle through competitive 5K's, and have someone roller-blade through parkrun crowds just so he can get a couple side-on shots of him running
Ben Felton - just blew up early in a HM this past weekend (vlog pending)
Matt Rees / Welsh Runner - back to incredibly inconsistent uploads. Loves to only show the highlights. Who knows when we'll get something next.
Ben Parkes - has well and truly ran out of video ideas, seeing as he refuses to do any hard sessions, but still calls himself a 2:25 Marathoner (2018)
TAS - has retired yet somehow is putting out even worse content ideas
Running YouTube has really entered the dark times. Sure a couple people will pop back out with a Marathon vlog but largely everyone seems burnt out from cycling the same tired ideas and unable to keep acting up for the cameras
Colorado-based apparel company rep: Me too, (commenter's name), me too : (
This is evidence that Seth has money from something else. He doesn't vlog anymore and his gear was a flop. The only explanation is him being deeply in debt or trust fund.
I watched a few of Seth's older vlogs last night and honestly I felt kind of sad. Back in 2021 and years prior he had a lot of enthusiasm. He had a good stage presence. Miss the old shoedio. I think his heart was in the right spot. He was on fire and started doing pretty much everything wrong and drove his channel into the ground. And I legit feel sad about it. He should've hit the OTQ. He should've cut the daily vlog years ago. He should've had gear ready at his peak, not once his channel had cratered. He should've been more involved with his fans. He could've had a partnership/sponsorship with a legit sports apparel company. FFS why the hell did he not have some sort of arrangement with Bobos, he probably gave them hundreds of thousands of $$ in free advertising over 7-8 years. Wish him all the best going forward and his channel will legitimately have a special place in my heart as I watched it a lot during lockdowns when I hit my marathon PR. Love you Seth.
Did Phily Bowden actually get dropped by New Balance or did her contract just expire? I'd assume it was just a gear deal, so maybe she has something else in the works (although she also split with her coach, which suggests there might be something else at work). She is a good but not amazing runner - but it would be a shame to see her give up on a professional running/coaching situation to do full time Youtube.
This is evidence that Seth has money from something else. He doesn't vlog anymore and his gear was a flop. The only explanation is him being deeply in debt or trust fund.
I watched a few of Seth's older vlogs last night and honestly I felt kind of sad. Back in 2021 and years prior he had a lot of enthusiasm. He had a good stage presence. Miss the old shoedio. I think his heart was in the right spot. He was on fire and started doing pretty much everything wrong and drove his channel into the ground. And I legit feel sad about it. He should've hit the OTQ. He should've cut the daily vlog years ago. He should've had gear ready at his peak, not once his channel had cratered. He should've been more involved with his fans. He could've had a partnership/sponsorship with a legit sports apparel company. FFS why the hell did he not have some sort of arrangement with Bobos, he probably gave them hundreds of thousands of $ in free advertising over 7-8 years. Wish him all the best going forward and his channel will legitimately have a special place in my heart as I watched it a lot during lockdowns when I hit my marathon PR. Love you Seth.
I joke around about Seth but I agree with this. He had a TON of potential and times very very few could hit (2:19-2:23). Plus he does have some charisma on-screen and does a GREAT job with video editing/production/photography (no sarcasm).
Could have had partnership with Bobo's, Andy's (ice cream chain?) and even other local Denver running/outdoor companies. Maybe something with Eddie Bauer (outdoor wear), as he's a trail guy too.
Seth was no slouch--UC Buff and a scorer (top 5 within the team).
This post was edited 1 minute after it was posted.
I watched a few of Seth's older vlogs last night and honestly I felt kind of sad. Back in 2021 and years prior he had a lot of enthusiasm. He had a good stage presence. Miss the old shoedio. I think his heart was in the right spot. He was on fire and started doing pretty much everything wrong and drove his channel into the ground. And I legit feel sad about it. He should've hit the OTQ. He should've cut the daily vlog years ago. He should've had gear ready at his peak, not once his channel had cratered. He should've been more involved with his fans. He could've had a partnership/sponsorship with a legit sports apparel company. FFS why the hell did he not have some sort of arrangement with Bobos, he probably gave them hundreds of thousands of $ in free advertising over 7-8 years. Wish him all the best going forward and his channel will legitimately have a special place in my heart as I watched it a lot during lockdowns when I hit my marathon PR. Love you Seth.
I joke around about Seth but I agree with this. He had a TON of potential and times very very few could hit (2:19-2:23). Plus he does have some charisma on-screen and does a GREAT job with video editing/production/photography (no sarcasm).
Could have had partnership with Bobo's, Andy's (ice cream chain?) and even other local Denver running/outdoor companies. Maybe something with Eddie Bauer (outdoor wear), as he's a trail guy too.
Seth was no slouch--UC Buff and a scorer (top 5 within the team).
The dude hit his 2:22 PR off some of the dumbest training ever seen, which IMO is actually extremely impressive. I shudder to think what he could've hit had he done a proper 16-18 wk training block without any mountain races to distract him, fewer but faster miles, more sleep, and better nutrition. I think 2:15:xx would have been possible a few years ago.
This post was edited 27 seconds after it was posted.
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