Over the weekend Lou Serafini became the 514th American to break four minutes for the mile when he ran 3:59.33 at the Boston University Last Chance Meet. He’s one of the chillest dudes in track and a name to watch over the next few years on the U.S. distance running scene.

He joined the show to discuss what it’s like being a blue-collar runner balancing a full-time job at Tracksmith, coaching other athletes and yet still putting in the daily work to chase the dream of breaking four minutes for the mile. Lou has range as he’s raced everything at a high level from 1,500 meters to the marathon. He qualified for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials and boasts a 2:17 personal best at the distance.

For some time after college, Lou decided that he was done running for a bit. We discuss that break and how he decided to come back by being self-coached. What’s that like?

Lou’s got some nice stories about coach Randy Thomas, his roommate David Melly and some of the athletes that he coaches.

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Be sure to follow Lou on Instagram since he’s very honest and open about his training. Earlier this week, he posted a full look at his training, which you can see below:

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If you can learn to let go and focus on what makes you happy then good things will come. You can only work for something so hard. There’s a tipping point where you start causing more harm then good. When you’re treading water, come up for air and figure out what’s holding you back. My friends know that I live a balanced life. I work a full-time job at @tracksmithrunning. I coach 4 great friends and hundreds of run clubbers. I enjoy my beers, my late nights and other indulgences. All these things make who I am and make me happy. Running comes very naturally when you have a balanced routine. Consistency is key. Swipe right to see my training for the past 11 weeks. There’s nothing crazy or out of the ordinary. 85-90 miles, a speed workout, a tempo run, a long run and a day off. #running #bostonrunning #tracksmith #hareac #mile #balance #happiness #sub4 p/c @chaserofsteeples

A post shared by LOU (@louserafini1) on Feb 26, 2018 at 2:08pm PST

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