Craig Engels: Your Mother's Favorite Runner | Mr. Rubio Used To Run Ep. 4 - Running Warehouse

Aug 13, 2025

Intro: This is a quick summary of Craig Engels: Your Mother’s Favorite Runner from the Running Warehouse channel. It’s a great watch — we’re breaking it down so you can try the workout today. Be sure to check out the full video for all the details.

Key Points:

Tempo‑run focus: Craig’s old Miss team used 8‑mile tempo runs at roughly 4:40 / mile, which burned out the squad; they switched to 4‑5 mile track tempos to stay sustainable.
Super‑shoe strategy: Run in a high‑stack “Super Shoe” for speed work, then follow with sand‑drills or barefoot work to keep foot‑strength and prevent Achilles issues.
Foot‑size check: Proper shoe sizing (often a half‑size up from the listed size) can spare you chronic foot pain.
Consistency & injury‑prevention: Regular, balanced weeks—mixing easy miles, tempo work, and strength drills—helped Craig avoid the burnout that plagued earlier training cycles.

Workout Example:

4‑5 mile Tempo on the Track

Warm‑up: 1 mi easy + 4 × 200 m strides @ 5K effort

Main set: 4 mi at target 4:40 / mile (or ~7:20 per mile) on the track, holding a steady pace (use a GPS watch or track lap timer).

Cool‑down: 1 mi easy, then 5 min of sand‑drills (high‑knees, bounding, or barefoot shuffles) to reinforce foot strength. Adjust the distance or pace to match your current fitness—e.g., 3 mi at 5:00 / mile for newer runners.

Closing Note: Try this tempo‑track session and pair it with a quick sand‑drill finisher—then customize the paces in the Pacing app to fit your own speed. Have fun, stay strong, and don’t forget to watch the full episode for Craig’s deeper insights and more training stories!