Outside: Five, No Four, Sir

4 Signs That You're Not Training Enough
Matt Fitzgerald/Outside, July 12 2017


All endurance athletes—from the champion ultrarunner to the first-time triathlete—have specific goals. And these goals are met by training. For most of us, training simply consists of following numbers on a page—three miles today, an hour run tomorrow, rest the next day. So how do you know if you’re training enough? How can you really ensure that you’ll be dialed come race day?


Here are general signs that it’s time to step up your workouts. While none of these alone is a definitive indicator of undertraining, if a few of them occur simultaneously, it may be time to spend more time on the trails...


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Outside: Even Rest Takes Work

5 Questions to Determine if Rest is Best
Lindsey Emery/Outside, July 12 2017


For most sane people, a day off from exercise is a welcome chance to kick back and rest. Talk to many athletes, and they’ll tell you that a rest day feels counterproductive at best and alarming at worst. But no matter your goal, recovery is an integral part of any training plan and crucial for optimal performance, says Michele Olson, adjunct professor of exercise science at Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Alabama. That said, effective recovery—things like getting a massage, meditating, stretching, rehydrating, and eating well—takes work, so don’t think you can sneak in a few “rest” days when you’re feeling a little lazy, she says. Instead, ask yourself these questions to determine if today’s fine to skip or if you should power through...


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CTS: Cramp Causes and Fixes

Causes, Prevention and Treatment of Cramping
Chris Carmichael, CTS/July 20, 2017


Endurance sports are all about pushing yourself and testing your limits. Sometimes your brain has to step in and protect you from yourself, like when you bonk and your brain conjures up nausea in an effort to get you to slow down and address the problem. Other times your body skips protection and moves straight to kicking the crap out of you in a creative and painful way, otherwise known as cramping.


Muscle cramping is something athletes deal with at all levels of the sport, yet they’re often talked about with a sense of mysticism, like there’s a cramp fairy who magically appears and zaps your hamstring just as you get up to sprint. Science offers a number of theories for the cause of cramps, two of which are particularly interesting...


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Southern Region Level II Coaching Certification Session, New Orleans

Space is available for the Southern Region RRCA Level II Coaching Certification In-Person Session in New Orleans, LA, Saturday August 19 from 8am to 5pm.

The cost of the session is $225. Any Level I Certified Coach in good standing may enroll in the Level II In-Person Session to further their understanding of Level I concepts; however, participants must complete all requirements to earn the title of RRCA Level II Certified Coach:

• 18 years of age or older, no less than a high school diploma
• Up-to-date CPR and First Aid Certifications
• 12 months as an RRCA Level I Coach
• Proof of coaching experience

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions can be found here.

More information can be obtained by contacting the RRCA Coaching Director at coaching@rrca.org.

CTS: Sleep Before You Die

5 Ways Endurance Athletes Can Get More (and Better) Sleep
Jason Koop, CTS/July 11, 2017


In some ways, our glorification of entrepreneurial culture has sold you a bill of goods. “Be the first to arrive and the last to leave.” “Live for the grind.” “You can sleep when you’re dead.” “While you were sleeping, this guy was winning.” You know what successful people do? They sleep. They sleep soundly, and well, and they are protective of their sleep hours. Why? Sleep is the foundation of productivity, both in business and in sport. If you want to perform at your best this summer, don’t just focus on your training and nutrition. Focus on sleep, and here’s how...


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