Runners' World: Ticker Taping?

How Exactly Does a Fitness Tracker Monitor Your Heart Health? 

We tapped an expert to break down how a heart rate monitor works—and who should invest in one. JORDAN SMITH/Runners' World.com/Sep 18, 2020 

Tracking your heart rate during workouts isn’t new, but heart rate tracking technology is rapidly advancing. Gone are the days of merely monitoring your beats per minute; the latest trackers can now alert you to an irregular heart rhythm, and some are even rolling out low-range VO2 max tracking. 

With more younger people suffering from strokes, and more reports of cardiac arrests happening during exercise, it might be a good time to consider upgrading your tracker. We tapped experts to find out just how much you should rely on your new tracker’s heart-monitoring software...

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PodiumRunner: A Short Marathon Build-Up?

The Case for a Shorter Marathon Buildup

The uncertainty of racing makes it hard to plan 4–6 months out. Take heart, 8–10 weeks might be a better marathon buildup. 

Sep 4, 2020/RICHARD A. LOVETT/PodiumRunner 

If you’re looking for candidates for the type of runners who’ve been most severely impacted by COVID-19 restrictions, marathoners are probably top of the list. After all, it’s fairly easy to do a virtual 5K or 10K — or give the mile or the 800 a go on a track or measured road. 

But a virtual marathon? With no aid stations and no other runners to keep you focused during those long, later miles? That’s a different beast, entirely. 

Which means that once COVID-19 restrictions on road racing start to ease, there’s going to be a big clamor for marathons. But, when a marathon finally becomes possible, that will raise another question: how far in advance do you need to start training for it?

(Link to article)

PodiumRunner: Embrace The Alternative

How to Embrace Cross Training

3 Keys to finding enjoyment and satisfaction in alternative activities. 

August 25, 2020/Jonathan Beverly/PodiumRunner.com 

 ...I’m usually not much of a cross-trainer. I’m a runner. I run. It’s been who I am and what I do since 1977. I don’t foresee that I’m going to overthrow that identity and become primarily a hiker, biker or tree-climber anytime soon. And, I confess that my new-found enthusiasm for cross-training is due to my doctor suggesting I give my knee a chance to repair some damage that running is inflaming. But I am enjoying what I’m learning, even if it is forced: namely, that running gives me the mental skills and physical endurance to cross-train effectively — be that traditional modes or decidedly unconventional ones — and that cross-training can provide not only physical benefits but much-needed mental ones. 

The physical ones are rather obvious and well documented. But I’m discovering a few keys to making cross training more mentally satisfying... (Link to article)

Runners' World: Screen Time Is Hurting Us

How Increased Screen Time During Coronavirus Outbreak Is Affecting Your Mental Health
Less exercise and more screens may lead to higher depressive symptoms, a preliminary study finds.
JORDAN SMITH/Runners World.com//AUG 21, 2020

As the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) continues to recommend physical distancing measures across the county to slow the spread of COVID-19, it’s taking a toll on everyone’s mental health. But how exactly does a change in exercise levels and increased screen and sedentary time affect you...?

(Link to Article)

Podium Runner: Training Partners?

Running Free with the Pack
My dogs love every run, with no goals, measurements or expectations. I need that right now.
JONATHAN BEVERLY, PodiumRunner.com/AUGUST 18, 2020

For the past decade, I’ve had the privilege of running with a pack nearly every day. A pack of dogs, that is: three rescue pups with whom we’ve shared our rural home. They may be the luckiest dogs in the world, free to run leash-free with me over the trails and dirt roads of the high plains. When they’re not chasing rabbits or pheasants, they usually fall into a pattern: one out front scouting, one a bit behind herding, and one so close I can reach down and touch his head...

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Runner's World: Connecting Black Runners and Allies

In the Wake of the George Floyd Protests, This Run Club Connects Black Runners and Allies
By uniting the community through running, Dyani Cox hopes to empower them to make lasting change.
BY TAYLOR DUTCH JUL 31, 2020

Dyani Cox sees running as a gift that keeps on giving. In addition to empowering the 37-year-old Chicago resident to overcome personal challenges in her own life, running has inspired Cox to encourage more people in the Black community and beyond to develop a sense of agency in the fight against systemic racism...

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Runners World: Stay (Running) In Place

All of the Ways to Run While Sheltering in Place, Ranked from Best to Worst
From backyards to balconies, creative running courses have been resurrected in wild places during the coronavirus pandemic.

By HAILEY MIDDLEBROOK APR 23, 2020/Runners World On-line

With races cancelled and lockdown orders in place across the globe because of the coronavirus, some runners have turned to creative measures to get in their miles. Ultrarunners have measured out 50-plus mile courses in their small neighborhoods. Others have logged serious mileage on the treadmill. And some have completed marathons on the track, on a rooftop, inside a building, and even on a balcony. Here, we’ve ranked the weirdest places we’ve seen people running during the pandemic, ranked from best (the most approachable option) to worst (the one most likely to make us say, “I’ll pass”).

(Link to article)

RUNSAFE: "Too Much, Too Soon"

In the British Journal of Sports Medicine March 2020, we discuss the “too much, too soon” theory. 

In running, it is widely accepted that athletes sustain sports injury if they train ‘too much, too soon’. However, not all runners are built the same; some can tolerate more running than others. It is for this reason that prescribing the same training program to all runners to reduce injury risk is not optimal from a coaching perspective. Rather, runners require individualized training plans. 

In acknowledgement of athlete diversity, it is therefore essential that researchers, assisted by runners, coaches and others, ask the right causal research question in studies examining sports injury etiology. In the article, we conclude “In the light of the limitations of population-based prevention that intends to provide all athletes with the same advice, we argue that a stronger emphasis on research questions targeting subgroups of athletes is needed. In doing so, researchers may assist athletes, clinicians and coaches to understand what training advice/program works best, for whom and under what circumstances”. 

In this light, participants in the Garmin-RUNSAFE Running Health Study, are a part of one of the first research studies that, based on a priori defined criteria, seeks to understand what running advice works for certain runners.

Read more about causal questions and the “too much, too soon” theory here:
https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/2020/03/05/bjsports-2018-100245 
Note that the publisher owns the copyright for these publications so only the abstracts are available for free.

RUNSAFE: The "Wrong" Shoe?

A new publication from the RUNSAFE group that has surfaced March 2020 in the journal Footwear Science. Here, we highlight that the cause underpinning running-related injury occurrence is the relation between exposure to training load, internal tissue loads, and tissue capacity - with tissue load exceeding its capacity being the key biological mechanism in the development of injury.

On this basis, we examined the beliefs of running shoe salespersons and physiotherapy students regarding the influence of running shoes and foot pronation on running injury occurrence. Unfortunately, both populations hold beliefs that do not align well with current understanding of causes underpinning running injury occurrence. 

In the article, it reads “…the use of the terms “wrong shoes” or “adequate shoes” is likely inaccurate terminology. Viewed from a causal perspective, “wrong shoes” effectively do not exist as you are able to run a shorter or greater distance depending on the choice of running shoe… Despite this evidence, it remains common practice to recommend running shoes based on foot morphology and foot pronation”. If you find the topic appealing, you are able to read the abstract of the article here:

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19424280.2020.1734869

Runners' World - Bring On The (Un-)Funk

The Best Sprays, Pods, and Pouches for Getting the Stink Out of Your Shoes 
Smelly kicks don’t stand a chance against these odor-fighting, bacteria-killing products.
 Amy Schlinger and Morgan Petruny/Runners' World, Jan 16, 2020

When you get home and kick off your shoes after a hard workout, there’s a good chance they reek. After all, when your feet start to sweat, that moisture is trapped in your socks, which is then stuck inside your shoe harboring funk.

A simple fix is using odor-reducing and germ-killing sprays or inserts regularly. Take a look...at info on the top five from our testing...
(Link to article)

Runners' World - Working Harder In The Room

Unreal Treadmill Sessions Push College Coach to Olympic Trials
Tyler Pence also trains with his distance runners, who inspire him to give his best effort.
Cindy Kuzma/Runners' World/Jan 14, 2020

Runners at the University of Illinois-Springfield abide by two rules: Be a good person, and work harder than anyone else in the room...
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Runners World: What's That Green Stuff?

Getting Outside in City Green Spaces May Help You Live Longer
Boost the benefits by adding in some exercise, too.
Elizabeth Millard/Runners' World/December 20, 2019

Finding time to enjoy a city park isn’t just a pleasant lunchtime excursion—recent research suggests those outings could help you live longer.

Published in the journal Lancet Public Health, a World Health Organization review of nine major studies from seven countries—representing over 8 million people—on green spaces and all-cause mortality found that there’s a significant association between exposure to green spaces in urban areas and better public health.

Researchers found that for every 0.1 increase in green space within a third of a mile of a person’s home, there was a 4 percent reduction in premature death. This was consistent across every country, including the U.S., China, Spain, Australia, Canada, Italy, and Switzerland...

(Link to article)

Runners' World: Not Just The Cave

The Best Conditioning Exercises You Can Do to Stay Fit in the Off-Season 
Combine alternative cardio workouts with a strategic strength circuit so you’ll be firing on all cylinders when you get back into the swing of full-on training.
Ashley Mateo/Runners' World.com, Dec 17, 2019

You might be logging tons of miles a week during warmer weather, but when the temperature drops and the amount of daylight gets shorter, it’s not as feasible to keep that up.

That doesn’t mean you’re sentenced to a season of running on the treadmill in your basement. The off-season is a great time to build your foundation not just with conditioning exercises, but also with cross-training modalities that will keep you rolling strong right into your peak running season, says Zack Allison, a senior coach with Source Endurance and racer for Team Clif Bar... 

(Link to article)

CTS: If It (Or You, For That Matter) Ain't Broke Don't Fix It

(Uninjured) Heel-Strikers, Rejoice! Change to Forefoot Striking Not Necessary, Research Shows
Jason Koop, Head Coach of CTS Ultrarunning/December 17 2019

For far too long, heel strikers have been ridiculed, mocked and laughed at in running communities around the globe. It’s time for that to stop. We’ve heard it all before. The rationales for a forefoot strike go something like this:

“Our Paleolithic ancestors inevitably ran on their forefoot because they didn’t have shoes. They couldn’t heel strike because it’s too painful.”

They also lived to the ripe age of 40 and usually died because they were simply left behind by their hunter and gather pack. So, there’s that.

“We were ‘Born to Run’ on our forefoot, just look at the Tarahumara.”

The Tarahumara are awesome, but do you really want to run with old tires attached with leather straps on your feet...?

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Runners World: Compared to Whom

How Do You Compare to Every Runner on Strava This Year?
This year’s trends among Strava users may inspire your running goals for 2020.
Paige Triola/Runners' World.com, Dec 11, 2019

Whether it seemed to fly by or crawl along at a snail-like pace, with 2019 just about wrapped up, many runners are reflecting back on their year with a few questions:

• How well did I stick to my training plans? 
• Did I reach my annual mileage goal? 
• Was I doing enough cross-training? 

If you’re curious about how other runners performed this year, Strava can shed some light on the subject. The app’s annual “Year in Sport” report is out—and we wanted to put the running-related data on display for your viewing pleasure...

(Link to article)

Phil Maffetone: Java (No) Jive

More Coffee?
Dr. Phil Maffetone/December 10, 2019

I enjoy writing about coffee, especially over my first morning cup. This update adds to my other articles on coffee, caffeine and their many potential benefits.

The high caffeine content of coffee makes it one of the most popular psychoactive drugs in the world. It also may be the most popular — and legal — performance-enhancing substance among athletes and fitness enthusiasts.

Coffee’s fat-burning effects can help athletes go farther, faster. Even the caffeine from one cup can increase oxygen consumption, blood circulation, muscle function, and mitochondrial activity (fat-burners in our cells). The increased fat-burning conserves glycogen stores, and, despite claims, it won’t dehydrate you. In addition, caffeine can also help recovery...

(Link to article and podcast here)

TrainRight.com: Okay Boomer This

5 Things Aging Runners Need To Do In Your 50s, 60s, and Beyond
Andy Jones-Wilkins, CTS Ultrarunning Coach/trainright.com

When I turned 50 I felt like an old man, just like that. While I know “age is just a number” there was something about the Big 5-0 that felt a bit different. Put bluntly, it felt to me that after 50 I was on the downhill side of life.

So, after being depressed about this realization for a little bit, I began noodling around with thoughts of what in my life gives me pleasure and how I can takes those things and find ways to maintain or enhance them in this stage of life. And, of course, running was close to the top of my list. It is certainly one of the most pleasurable parts of my daily existence and so, as both a runner and a running coach, I began to reflect on what things are most important to the aging runner. And, in the process, I came up with five key tips to keep running happily into old age...

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Runners' World: Shoe Size?

Everything You Need to Know About Running-Shoe Size
The fit of your shoe is critical to your stride—here’s how to get it right.
By CINDY KUZMA/Runners' World On-Line/DEC 5

Zero-drop, carbon fiber plates, minimalist or maximalist—runners love to discuss and debate the latest shoe types and features. Far fewer long-run chats and online forums are dedicated to discussing running shoe size. But how well a shoe matches the length, width, and shape of your feet may actually matter as much as, if not more than, the cushioning that goes underneath them, says Geoffrey Gray, D.P.T....
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Outside: Naming, Shaming and Blaming

Frank Meza’s Death and the Running Internet Mob 
Martin Fritz Huber/Outside Online, Jul 9, 2019

Anyone seeking guidance on how to be a decent person in our chaotic and violent world could do worse than consult John Stuart Mill’s famous essay, On Liberty, from 1859. One of the most influential ideas that Mill unpacks is the notion that—to generalize horribly—an individual’s freedom should only be curtailed when it begins to impinge on the freedom of another. It’s a concept that sounds great in theory but, of course, things get a little murky when we have to figure out where that nebulous boundary lies.

Take, for example, the seemingly benign case of the course-cutting amateur runner. On the one hand, if I’m participating in a race and someone else cheats, it’s really not my problem—unless the cheater somehow directly interferes with my progress. On the other hand, as I’m sure many will be quick to point out, if someone cuts the course and finishes ahead of me, it does impact me in the sense that I will be one spot further down in the results. If the cheating runner deprives me of a podium finish, or even prize money, the offense becomes more acute...

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Outside: What's Harder Than Giving Birth?

What Kara Goucher Learned from the Leadville Marathon 
Martin Fritz Huber/Outside Online, 21 Jun 2019

As you may be aware, Outside has recently made a lot of new friends in the trail running community, thanks to an article that suggested that the demographic should be more proactive about volunteer work. At the risk of squandering the surplus of goodwill, last weekend’s Leadville Trail Marathon brought to mind a contentious question: What would happen if more elite road runners transitioned to trail racing? Or, as we asked in an article from 2015: Are the stars of the ultra scene only successful because the best distance runners tend to stick to the roads?

The answer appears to be “no,” at least if last weekend’s race is anything to go by.

(Link to article)