This is the first guest episode of the Long Game Project, and it felt important to start with someone who really sets the tone for what this is all about.

Steve Neal is a coach with over 30 years of experience working with endurance athletes, from development level all the way through to high performance. He’s known for his deep understanding of physiology, testing, and how to actually apply that information in the real world. But more than that, he’s someone who has spent a long time figuring out what truly works—and what doesn’t.

In this conversation, we get into a few key ideas that come up again and again when it comes to training, especially as athletes get older.

We talk about what actually changes as we age—and what doesn’t. Why so many people end up training too hard, and how that can quietly hold them back. How to think ...