As strange as it sounds to nonendurance junkies, the most addictive element of triathlon is how fun the races are. The simple thrill of racing three different ways in a morning is hard to fully explain.

But when you want to improve your triathlon performance beyond simply surviving the race, triathlon training is a big part of the fun as well—it becomes a puzzle to be solved. Few are blessed with being strong swimmers and bikers and runners, and figuring out how to not only improve your weaknesses but also fit all that training into a busy life is a unique challenge.

This is why a training plan is essential for a triathlon. If you’re looking to train yourself and not hire a coach, you’ll find a lot of plans out there. Here are some of the best ones on the internet.

Hal Higdon

(Free, with paid interactive versions available)

Legendary coach and longtime author Hal Higdon developed these extremely straightforward, beginner-friendly, eight-week plans for sprint-distance triathlons. is more of a general fitness overview, with days for strength building and even walking, and isn’t meant to make you competitive. is more specific and features combination workouts that allow you to practice your transitions using brick sessions, which are bike-run workouts that get your body used to running on heavy, tired legs (just like on race day). Both plans measure in time rather than distance; more detailed, interactive versions of these are available through .

Triathlete.com

($54.95 to $84.95)

Coach Matt Fitzgerald created —ten each for sprint, Olympic, half-Ironman, and Ironman distances. Whether you’re aiming to win or simply to finish, there’s a plan for you. Triathlete also offers a free . The paid plans are all on the TrainingPeaks platform.

TrainingPeaks

($4.95 to $1,500)

If you’re looking for the mother lode of training plans, . The industry-standard TrainingPeaks platform lets you track your plan and all data from your workouts across all your devices. You’ll find plans here from top coaches like , , , , and many others, plus official Ironman-branded plans.

Purplepatch Fitness

($185 per month)

For those who want a without the commitment of regular coaching, elite coach will craft a plan for you based on your type of race, goals, and weekly schedule. There’s also unlimited support for all your training and racing questions when they come up—and Dixon offers one-on-one consultations if you need them.

Super Simple Ironman Plan

(Free)

Like any iconic race, attracts a lot of bucket-listers. For those who simply want to finish 140.6 miles, this will get you to the start line—and, ideally, over the finish line. It’s broken down monthly, not weekly, and there are no listed effort levels for each workout—simply duration.

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Just because cycling is a low-impact activity doesn’t mean it’s an injury-free pursuit—even when you stay rubber side down. Of course, there are some inherent high-velocity risks. But aside from those, lots of cyclists suffer from several common injuries unrelated to crashing. Luckily, many are curable—and usually avoidable with a few important tweaks to equipment or training routine.

For expert advice on cycling injuries and how to beat them, we asked , a sports medicine doctor in New York City who’s also an experienced cyclist. To dial in your bike fit, we suggest using Competitive Cyclists’ .

Saddle Discomfort

This is a catchall term for the pain caused either by achy sit bones from too much pressure on the saddle or from saddle sores—which are abrasions from too much friction between you and your seat.

How to Prevent It: A number of things can cause pain in this region, so Metzl recommends the doing plenty of core-strengthening exercises and getting a good bike fit. Often, saddle pain or friction occurs when the saddle is too high. As for saddle sores, be sure to wear properly fitting shorts, and try chamois cream in your nether regions. It’s important to them when they start out as hot spots, before they become full-blown sores with the potential for infection. Also consider to one with a better shape or cushioning (less is often best) that feels right to you. Many bike shops will help fit you to a saddle of the right width and even allow you to try different models until you find one that works. Finally, invest in a high-quality pair of bib shorts.

Cyclist’s Knee

Though lots of people take up cycling to ease pain in their knees, cycling doesn’t always entirely relieve this pain—even a quarter of pro cyclists suffer from knee injuries, in the American Journal of Sports Medicine that looked at seven professional cycling teams. Similar to runner’s knee, this is patellofemoral pain in and around the kneecap. Cyclists can get it from muscle tightness or a bad bike fit.

How to Prevent It: “Cyclists are notorious for not stretching,” Metzl says, “so I have my cyclists get on a foam roller, which really helps them a lot.” He recommends rolling the quads, hamstrings, and calves. And stretch, of course. Also: Check your seat height and setback against an online calculator.

Back Pain

It’s probably no surprise that hours spent in the cycling position can give riders soreness throughout the neck and spine. than cycling with strong muscles and a properly fitted bike.

How to Prevent It: Make sure your saddle is the right height—one that’s too low or too high can aggravate lower-back pain. And be sure the rest of the bike’s geometry fits you so that your spine is in a neutral position and not rounded. Most riders will benefit from a more relaxed fit—with the bars higher and closer to the body—that prioritizes comfort over aerodynamics. Finally, Metzl recommends core strengthening and foam rolling to ensure flexibility and a greater range of motion.

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Every year, . Most suffer from a handful of common injuries. These are not good odds.

But here’s the good news: You can avoid them. In fact, these injuries are often easier to prevent than to cure. For advice, we turned to , a sports medicine physician in New York City who’s run 35 marathons and finished 14 Ironman triathlons.

Here are the three most common running injuries, according to Metzl, and his advice on how to prevent them.

Shin Splints

This soreness on your tibia can be mild or severe enough to make running impossible. It’s often a new-runner injury, experienced by people whose bodies aren’t used to the impact. But runners—even serious ones—can get when getting back into running after a long break or by running in minimally cushioned shoes too soon. If you ignore the pain and try to run through it, Metzl says it’s possible for shin splints to eventually lead to a stress fracture.

How to Prevent It: If you’re just starting running or getting back into it after time off, “be slow and steady with your ramp-up,” Metzl says. (He also encourages runners never to increase their mileage more than 10 percent per week.) If you start to feel shin splints, “recognize the pain early on, and don’t run through it, which makes it a lot worse,” he says. Also: Increase your calcium and vitamin D intake, and strengthen your hips and core.

Achilles Tendinitis

This pain at the back of the heel is often caused by weak muscles in your posterior chain (calves, hamstrings, and glutes), says Metzl. Inflexibility, especially in the calf muscles, can be another primary cause. The pain can be severe enough to keep you away from running at all.

How to Prevent It: Metzl recommends strengthening the posterior chain with exercises like squats, burpees, lunges, and . And remember to stretch your calves. Metzl also recommends orthotics or running in shoes with more support for those who need it.

Runner’s Knee

Runner’s knee, or patellofemoral pain syndrome, refers to pain under the kneecap. There can be many causes, but according to Metzl, it generally happens “when your muscles above the knee are not strong or flexible enough, while below the knee, your foot is rolling in too much.” This puts pressure around the front of the kneecap, which can twist the patella tendon underneath it. If the pain is manageable, people may try to run through it (although it’s best not to), while others find it debilitating.

How to Prevent It: Runner’s knee is often caused by a combination of muscle tightness and weakness. Metzl recommends foam rolling your quads, hamstrings, and calves to increase flexibility. (Be sure to stretch as well.) Then strengthen your knees, hips, quads, and hamstrings—options include lunge matrices, squats, mountain climbers, and knee raises.

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Few track fans are as lucky as I am. Growing up in Eugene, Oregon, I spent many days and evenings of my youth on the edge of my bleacher at Hayward Field, surrounded on all sides by other spectators. The crowd was loud and passionate, clapping and stomping in unison every time the pack came around the turn and passed in front of us. The stadium felt volatile—and would frequently erupt in a single roar. People were locked in to every second of action: even a pole vaulter or shot putter could bring the house down when they cleared a particularly high attempt or uncorked a long throw.

Seeing what’s possible as a spectator, at such a young age, made track and field feel electric—but it also now puts the sport’s typical spectator experience into perspective. And last weekend’s annual U.S. outdoor track and field championships at a barren Hornet Stadium, on Sacramento State University’s campus (which, to be fair, I watched on TV) felt decidedly un-electric. It was genuinely difficult to watch—and was the latest but plainest sign that track needs to have a major rethink about how it presents itself.

It’s no secret that track and field is hurting. Fans kvetch about it all the time: its popularity keeps declining, its governing bodies are corrupt, it’s riddled with performance-enhancing drugs, most professionals can hardly earn a living at it… the list is long. We can accept that most people only care about the sport for two weeks every four years, during the Olympics. NBC Sports will soon be broadcasting more track than it ever has before on TV and streaming online, as itÌęwill be one of the main sports on its newÌę, launching July 15. But will it matter? I’m a committed viewer, and even I have trouble watching this stuff anymore. Pity the casual or curious viewer who wanted to give track a shot and tuned into this mess.

Last weekend, the unbearable weather was the main thing that most people () wanted to blame. Held in Sacramento, California, the meet was severely overcooked Thursday through Sunday, with temperatures often well above 90 degrees. Attendance figures were more than 29,000 over four days, but the stands, with a capacity of more than 21,000, appeared largely empty away from the finish line throughout the meet. (A USATF spokeswoman told me the advance ticket sales far outmatched the attendance.) The venue itself made the optics even worse. The small crowds, aluminum bleachers and gridiron markings on the infield gave USATF’s marquee annual event, our national championships, the look and feel of an all-comer’s meet.

NBC Sports, for its part, did little to salvage a difficult situation. Apart from and on the track this year, there was little drama or passion conveyed in many of the races, and sometimes no perspective at all (try and figure out what’s going on )—hardly what a championship competition deserves.

Athletes, meanwhile, did themselves no favors when NBC’s trackside reporter, Lewis Johnson, had a word with them after their race. While it’s surely difficult to be witty and insightful while panting, America’s best track athletes rarely strayed beyond the most boring sports platitudes, and too often revealed nothing at all about themselves.

It’s frustrating to see a sport you love look so amateurish. And it’s impossible not to wonder why, in an age where the quality of sports broadcasting is so high, does track look so lifeless, irrelevant, and uncool? Nobody seriously expects track and field to have the production values of the NFL. But there are several short- and long-term adjustments the sport could make to regain at least some of its appeal.

Embrace the Production Values of More Popular Sports

So many great sports moments are intertwined with the announcer’s call. The commentators are a vital part of the viewing experience—they literally provide a soundtrack to the sport. Anyone who’s watched European soccer () knows that a good announcer is not just informative, but gives the event a feel and a texture, which track desperately needs more of right now. And storylines matter: the sport has more than a few characters, but broadcasters seem reluctant to fully embrace them. American running is in a good place right now, with lots of young talent plus several dominant stars at the peak of their careers, and a mix of budding and longstanding rivalries. They should be hyped up. , and there’s no point in adhering to stodgy values.

Provide Better Media Coaching to Athletes

It’s a massive letdown when you watch an athlete do something amazing, but then they fail to put any of it into words when given the chance in front of a microphone. A USATF spokeswoman told me that athletes do receive media training during their rookie years and ahead of major events (but not college athletes, of which there were many at this meet). Unfortunately, they often freeze up during those trackside interviews, which is the only opportunity most athletes will ever get to speak to a TV audience. If athletes want more fans, they need to put away the clichĂ©s and entertain. Be emotional. Be interesting. Talk trash. Stoke rivalries. Give us insight into what we just saw. The secret to fame isn’t necessarily about talent; it’s about being entertaining.

Get Sponsors to Promote the Sport and Their Athletes

Nike alone pumps millions of dollars into track. While the company often throws its considerable weight around the sport in unseemly ways, it’s not a stretch to say the Swoosh props up track and is inextricably intertwined with USATF. So why doesn’t the company want to cross-promote its athletes? Here’s an idea: Put one or two of Nike’s sponsored runners in an ad or social-media campaign with LeBron James or Kevin Durant during the NBA Finals, for example. Promoting runners alongside their marquee athletes is a win-win for the brand, since Nike controls an even bigger piece of track than it does most other sports. Resources alone don’t attract viewers to a sport—fans get hooked on the personalities. And no brand is better than Nike at cultivating sports personalities.

Pay More Attention to College Track and Field

Yes, this is outside the box. But people love college sports. Athletic departments should work to entice students in all sorts of ways to come out and watch—most college tracks are right on campus anyway. One way might be by bringing back dual meets. Even someone who knows nothing about track will root for their school against its college rival. People might then follow their school’s athletes during their pro careers, but more simply, if broadcasters paid the same attention to runners’ alma maters as they do for basketball and football players, viewers might be more inclined to root for their fellow alumni.

American sports fans, even the committed track fans, just need reasons to watch. The USA singlet and waving a bunch of flags is not nearly enough—but it’s what the sport has been coasting on for way too long. The sports industrial complex has changed. With its future at stake among a crowded, more viewer-friendly sports landscape, it’s way past time that track and field changes as well.

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In 2012, just months before that year’s Olympics, 800-meter runner felt a sharp pain under his kneecap. There had been no traumatic event. It just flared up one day during a regular training run. With a little trial and error, he quickly found that his pain abated when he ran at faster speeds. So he cut back on his mileage, and did all his easy runs at a quicker pace. Within a few weeks, he was pain free and on his way to racing the 800-meter final in London.Ìę

“I didn’t see a doctor—I could just kind of tell that it didn’t hurt running fast, so I picked up my speed,” Symmonds says. “I’m old-school like that.” He had self-diagnosed his condition as runner’s knee—or —a common injury in runners across all different levels. Ìę

Although Symmond’s treatment plan is far from the norm, all runner’s knee cases aren’t created equal. There’s no definitive cause for the pain, making its rehab complicated. Nor is there any one way it presents, so it has essentially become a catch-all term for when the kneecap or the surrounding area twingeÌęand barkÌęduring your run. SometimesÌęthe pain can be strong enough to stop you in your tracks; in other instances, it's just enough to nag you for months on end.Ìę
Ìę
Variation aside, there are some measures you can take to treat and ultimately prevent . We talked to Michael Conlon, owner of in New York City, to mine the best advice on getting you back to 100ÌępercentÌęfor good. Ìę

What It Is

Normally, your kneecap moves smoothly along a groove in your femur bone every time you bend your knee. If it gets off track, your kneecap will twist and torque the tendons underneathÌęit. That’s what causes pain under or around the knee, Conlon says.Ìę

Even at its worst, the pain outweighs the structural damage being done. Simply inflaming the tendons likely won’t cause long-term or permanent harm, says Conlon. But even if you can run through the pain, it’s best to get treated rather than continually toughing it out. You could be changing your stride to overcompensate for the discomfort, a surefire way to injure another part of your body.Ìę

The CauseÌę

Usually the root problem is a combination of inflexibility, weak muscles, or imbalances that areÌętotally separate from the knee itself. Ìę“It’s not really an issue at the knee in terms of biomechanics,” says Conlon. “TypicallyÌęyour knee is structurally sound, but a mobility or strength discrepancy anywhere from your spineÌęto your foot throws it off track during movement.”Ìę

Overuse can exacerbate these imbalances. Ramping up your miles quickly or suddenly, , wearing the same shoes, or running on the same surfacesÌęcan allÌętrigger patellofemoral pain, because your body isn’t equipped to take on the increased load.Ìę

The SignsÌę

If you feel localized pain underneath or even around the kneecap while running, chances are you’ve joined the ranks of runner’s knee sufferers. But you could feel it during your workday, too—usually when you walk downhill or down stairs or sit too long at a desk with your knees bent. “It’s hard to isolate,” Conlon says. “People often say it feels like their kneecap is floating. That’s inflammation of the tissues around the kneecap.”

The Cure

Good news: it’s almost always treatable. But Symmonds’s experts-only method of running faster isn’t the recommended solution for most.

Consider taking a hiatus from running for a couple days, or at least backing off your mileage or pace. If you don’t give the inflamed tissue a break, you’ll likely just make the pain worse. “If your pain is moderate to severe at the beginning of a run, then don’t even start,” Conlon says. “You’re better off doing something that’s pain free, like the elliptical or the bike.”

Use the rest days to see a doctor of physical therapist. They can prescribe a therapy program specific to your case to expedite recovery. If you can’t get an appointment right away, Conlon recommends the following broad tips.ÌęÌę

Heat: If you don’t have severe acute pain, steer clear of icing. , which you need for tissue to repair itself. Heat, such as warm baths or heating pads, are a better idea. Ìę

Rolling: Myofascial release with a , as it unlocks your hips and releases tightness in muscles. That increased mobility allows the rest of your body to move as it should to help get the knee tracking properly.

Sports massage: Similar to rolling, deep-tissue release through massage or lets an expert identify specific spots—or adhesions—where your muscle isn’t moving efficiently and could be compromising your stride.Ìę

Prevention

First, sit less. It keeps the hips tight, which can prevent the patella from tracking in the joint properly.Ìę

Second, add some variety to your footwear and runs. Rotate between several different pairs of shoes, change your speeds and distances, and run on varied surfaces. “Speed work is a great way to alter your biomechanics. As you run faster or slower, your gait changes so you maintain fluidity and openness in all your joints. You get more flex in the kneesÌęand bigger range of motion in your hip,” says Conlon.Ìę

Third, learn to love your floor. Foam roll regularly and incorporate exercises, like the ones below, that focus on smaller muscles and change your range of motion to address imbalances and weakness.Ìę

Exercises

For lasting biomechanical change (and improved injury protection), add these exercises to your regular workout routine a few times per week.Ìę

Forward lunge and overhead press: with right leg bent to 90 degrees. Hold the position and raise your rightÌęhand (dumbbell optional) over your head. Push right hip out towards your right sideÌęslightly and tilt torso inward. Then alternate sides. Do tenÌęreps on each leg.Ìę

Single-leg stance and rotational reach: Put your right hand on your rightÌęhip and move your left foot a half-step back. Squat halfway down, bearing most of your weight on right leg, while bringing your left hand across your body, . Three times on each side counts as one rep. Do one set of tenÌęreps per side.

Single-leg stance and lateral reach: Put your right hand on your rightÌęhip and move your left foot a half-step back. Squat halfway down, bearing most of your weight on right leg, . Three times on each side counts as one rep. Do one set of tenÌęrepsÌęper side.Ìę

Pivot lunge and reach: Start with feet shoulder-width apart and yourÌęhands above your head. Lunge with your left foot back and rotate both arms across your body to the left. In one continuous motion, Ìęwith your right foot leading, and passÌęboth arms to your right as you do so. Four steps counts as one rep. Do one set of tenÌęreps.Ìę

Lunge matrix: with your right leg, then twist arms and torso to the right. Step back to the starting position, then lunge laterally to your right, again twisting both arms and torso to right. Return to starting position, then lunge backward while twisting both arms and hips to right. Then return starting position. Perform this matrix for one minute, doing three minutes on each side.Ìę

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Reaching the finish line of a marathon takes planning, discipline, and a whole lot of sacrifice. For most runners, the race has been on their minds for months. But what about a plan for the moment after you cross the finish line? Besides a splurge meal and a cold adult beverage, most people don’t give much thought to what they should (and shouldn’t) do in the hours, days, and weeks after a big race. What’s the best route to healing yourself and bouncing back as quickly and completely as possible?

We asked two top running coaches—, in Boulder, Colorado, and Drew Wartenburg, of the , in Sacramento, California—for advice.

Immediately After the Race

For the vast majority of people running a marathon, this is a maximal effort; you will be tired and very thirsty. The first thing to do is attend to your immediate needs. “First and foremost is to get liquids in you,” Hudson says. “Get a sports drink, Coke, it could be anything. And carbs—sugars, sweet stuff, fruit—because your body’s going to absorb anything it can right away. So whatever you can get in and is palatable to you, I would take immediately after the race.”

According to Wartenburg, it’s also important to get comfortable as soon as you can. Most marathons are well equipped for recovery zones. “If you’re cold, get warm,” he says. “If you’re wearing sweaty race clothes, get out of those. Then take a warm shower. Get clean and into comfortable clothes.”

If you feel like soaking, Hudson says science suggests that hot and ice baths are both healthy, so do whichever sounds good to you.

A bit later, you will be really hungry. For that first meal, many runners crave something indulgent, like a giant burger, or they want to make good on a promise to themselves to splurge. That’s OK. In fact, a burger isn’t a bad idea. It gives you vital protein and plenty of other calories, so go for it if that’s appetizing. “You want to be good to your body as soon as you can after you finish,” Wartenburg says. “But part of the trick is balancing what is ideal with a little bit of listening to what your body’s asking for.” In other words: if it sounds good, contains lots of protein, and is packed with calories, go ahead and enjoy it.

If you want to celebrate (or forget about) your race with a drink or two, that’s fine, although Hudson says it’s better to wait a day if you can. Be sure to include plenty of water along with any beer, wine, or cocktails. And don’t stay out too late—just because it’s liquid doesn’t mean it’ll hydrate you. In fact, alcohol will do the opposite, which is precisely what your body doesn’t need to be dealing with right now.

This is a good time to mention that, with the race still so fresh, resist the urge to make big decisions—wait a bit before declaring you’ll run another marathon or before swearing off the distance for good. “A cardinal rule is wait till you wake up the next day before you agree to anything,” Wartenburg says.

Finally, if you can get away with sleeping in the next morning, turn off the alarm before you go to bed. In the coming days, sleep and rest are incredibly important, so get as much as you can.

The Next Day

First things first: no running today. For many people, it’s the last thing they’ll want to do, but others, especially those with a great race, may want to get back out there. Don’t.

“Do not do any impact exercise for five days,” Hudson says. “You can get in the pool the next day, but I would not run. I know some people think running’s going to help recovery, but because the marathon is an impact thing and there are microtears in your muscles, you don’t need to run to get rid of lactate or anything like that. It’s not very smart to pound the body at all. So, really, I would take at least five days off. I usually have my athletes take seven to ten [days off].”

Wartenburg agrees. He suggests a walk, cycling, or a bit of pool jogging. “If you’ve done a destination marathon and you’re in a hotel with a pool, maybe do some water running,” he says. “If you want to go for a swim, go for a swim. Move the body the day after the marathon just so you’re moving the blood and working out some kinks.”

Along with not running, don’t do anything else intense. “I think it’s just common sense—don’t do crazy stuff,” Hudson says. “A lot of people, because it’s their time off, all of a sudden go hiking for three hours. Don’t do anything too out-of-the-ordinary strenuous.”

Now could also be a good time to get a massage. Wartenburg recommends getting one within 24 hours of running to help flush muscles and repair the damage you’ve done. Plus, it feels great.

Like on race day, be mindful of what you eat today. “Just like you preload with carbs, you want to post-load with carbs,” Hudson says. And again, sleep as much as you can.

The Next 5 Days

Nope, still no running yet. If you feel like moving around, stay low impact. An even better idea: do something different. “This is a time when you can do other restorative things, like take a yoga class,” Wartenburg says. “Post-marathon is a great time to explore things that may not fit into the day when someone is in the throes of marathon training.”

This week following the marathon is also the perfect time to tune up your body. Seek professional help in repairing the things that could keep you from resuming your running routine when you’re ready.

“A lot of people deal with little injuries or physical issues that pop up during training for a marathon,” Wartenburg says. “Once it’s over, it’s a great time to use some sort of restorative therapy—massage, straight physical therapy, or active-release therapy. Things that are going to allow you to come back restored or a better version of yourself. Time off is a great time to replace training time with appointments and just some general TLC for the body.”

Enjoy the mental break, too. “For most people, the marathon is going to represent a peak emotional effort,” Wartenburg says. “Training for a marathon is not easy, and the event itself is demanding, so taking a step back from having to get up every day and run can relieve pressure when it’s time to start back up again.”

As for eating, remember that you’re no longer burning lots of calories like you were in the weeks and months before your marathon. Try to get back to being sensible. Don’t panic if you put on a couple pounds—that’s totally normal.

“Look at what elite athletes do,” Wartenburg says. “In a recovery period, a lot of them let themselves go a little and put on a few pounds. You can’t be at racing weight year-round. As you begin to train again and get serious, you will get back to peak fitness, so I think it’s OK to say, ‘I’m going to get a little softer, but I’m going to do it eating healthily.’”

7 to 10 Days After the Race

Are you ready to run again? OK, go ahead. But ease back into it slowly—no long runs, according to Hudson. Wait at least two weeks after your race before going long. In the meantime, run casually or do speedwork. Listen to your body and enjoy the feeling of getting back into running with your marathon behind you now that you’re rested and rejuvenated. Just as training is an essential part of running a marathon, so too is the recovery process—and it should be taken every bit as seriously.

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Roughly once a month, Scott Hansen, a musician and graphic artist from San Francisco who records under the name Tycho, finds himself totally lost in nature—intentionally. Hansen and his label mate, Christopher Willits, usually set off around noon somewhere among Northern California’s dense redwoods or along its coastline. Then they hike all night, without a map or a destination, until sunrise the following morning.

“It becomes this endurance thing, really meditative,” says Hansen, 39, who was a competitive runner in high school and college. “You feel a slight element of fear. We’re in the woods at 3 a.m., it’s pitch black, and we’re barely finding our way on this trail. By the end of it, you’re just exhausted but also exhilarated.”

With tongue firmly in cheek, he and Willits call these adventures “spirit journeys.” And for anyone familiar with Tycho’s music, these trips make perfect sense. Although Hansen makes music inside a dark and cramped Bay Area studio, the expansive sounds he emerges with seem made for the outdoors. He and his four-piece band’s instrumental music is variously characterized as post-rock, electronic, ambient, or chilled out. But Hansen says listeners often describe it more experientially—that it evokes driving along the ocean, sitting in a meadow, or floating above a mountain.

Throughout Tycho’s four albums, his somewhat spare guitar and synth riffs are drenched in expansive-sounding reverb. The melodies evoke a kind of wistfulness and nostalgia, making ample use of minor chords as well as the kind of melancholic sounds produced by sixth and ninth chords—think the ending of the Beatles’ “Help” and Adele’s “Hello,” respectively. It’s often driven by throbbing, midtempo bass lines and a snappy snare drum sound. It’s far too grounded in popular music to be described as New Age, but it’s also no coincidence that Hansen plays a popular sunrise DJ set at Burning Man every year.

“In the beginning, I was truly trying to take what I felt when I was in a field or in an outdoor space and directly translate it into the music,” Hansen says. “That was the only way I found I could do it: I was a visual artist before, but I don’t feel like my skills ever caught up with the vision.”

Hansen grew up on the undeveloped edges of suburbia in Sacramento, California, and lived a childhood of free rein over rolling hills, old farms, and the nearby American River. As a competitive track and cross-country runner, his workouts often took him deep into the forest. He says the mental high he got from physical exertion in nature is what he’s often attempting to convey.

“I wouldn’t call it psychedelic, but it was definitely one of my first experiences with feeling a disconnection from your body,” he says. “That actual high was something I was very aware of and chasing after at a pretty young age.”

Today, Hansen often chooses to tackle more personal emotions as musical themes and downplays the overt nature element. But, he says, it’s always in there. “It’s like you’re going out [in nature] and you’re collecting this experience,” Hansen says. “Whether you’re consciously channeling that into the work is kind of inconsequential—I think it’s what puts you into this state, and you’re gonna hold onto elements of that, and it’s going to find its way into the music. I would just say nature is the palette and not necessarily the content.”

Nevertheless, the natural world exists as the main theme of his album art, tour posters, and video direction—all of which he designs. They’re almost exclusively graphical representations of the sun, moon, water, monoliths (after all, the name Tycho is taken from 2001: A Space Odyssey), or celestial objects.

Even without any overt human aesthetic to the music, either through vocals or imagery, Tycho has enjoyed popular and critical acclaim. The band’s fourth album, Epoch, released in September, soon hit number one on Billboard’s electronic/dance albums chart and was recently in the category of best dance/electronica album. The album’s success represents an unlikely crossover for an instrumental artist.

As you might expect of a distance runner, Hansen works brutal, sleepless stretches at a desk in his studio. He is aware of the toll it can take on a body, and thanks to his athletic background, Hansen sees the relationship between physical wellness and creativity more astutely than most artists. To him, fitness means having the physical ability to put himself in a studio for weeks at a time.

“I start to get afraid that when you see artists drop off, it’s maybe because they’ve lost the ability to really push themselves into this heightened state,” he says. In that way, being active in nature also serves as training for his work.

“Sometimes I wonder if I’m just memorializing my youth when I spent all this time outdoors,” Hansen says. “I always envisioned my adult life like I’m going to run every day and live in the woods in a cabin if I can—and here I am living in San Francisco and working in a studio. It’s almost like I make music that makes me feel OK about the fact that I’m not out there actually experiencing nature.”

Hansen has been on an extended break since the release of Epoch and gets outside as often as he can ahead of a busy 2017. The band has toured extensively in Asia and Europe and is a fixture at large outdoor festivals like Coachella. Hansen is now gearing up for an Australian and Asian tour at the start of the year, which then will take him through the United States and around Europe.

But the band’s final show of 2016, a set at the Treasure Island Music Festival in San Francisco, was memorable. As they had done all weekend, the skies opened up and poured torrents of rain during Tycho’s performance. There are few bands for which this would seem more appropriate; naturally, Hansen and his fans wouldn’t have had it any other way.

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