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)

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...

(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...?

(Link to article)

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)

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...

(Link to article)

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....
(Link to article)

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...

(link to article)

Sports Illustrated: Perhaps Toby Tanser Got It Wrong

Olympic Marathon Silver Medalist Eunice Kirwa Busted for EPO Doping, Provisionally Suspended
Chris Chavez/Sports Illustrated May 21, 2019

Olympic silver medalist Eunice Kirwa of Bahrain has been provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit after testing positive for EPO, a blood-boosting drug. Kirwa finished second in the women's marathon in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro behind Kenya's Jemima Sumgong.

Sumgong is currently serving an eight-year suspension after she tested positive for EPO in 2017. She was initially banned for four years but appealed the suspension and then lied at her doping hearing. An independent arbiter determined she provided false records of a hospital visit to try and justify her failed drug test. Since the positive test came after the Olympics, she will hold onto her gold medal from the 2016 Summer Games but cannot compete again until 2027. She made history with her victory in Rio by becoming the first Kenyan woman to win the Olympic marathon.

(Link to article)

Runner's World: How To REALLY Cut 30 Seconds Off Your 5K

How Stephanie Bruce Ran a 27-Second 5K Personal Best at 35 
After a 3-year racing break following the birth of her two boys, Bruce has been racking up personal bests and national titles.
Taylor Dutch/ Runner's World, May 19, 2019

“Believe, run first 3K with confidence, stay attached, you will be hurting a lot...pretty early on, but keep in contact. Split second decision to push, sub 15:22 top 3. Compete, compete, compete.”

These are the notes that Stephanie Bruce wrote in her phone an hour before she raced the 5K at the USATF Distance Classic in Eagle Rock, California, on May 16. The prerace practice is part of a conversation with herself where Bruce addresses her fears and nerves with confident solutions.

(Link to article)

Outside: On Your Left?

Runners, Stick to This Side of the Road
Martin Fritz Huber/Outside, Mar 30 2015

If you keep tabs on aging rockers and their brushes with the law, chances are you read about a recent incident involving David Crosby and an ill-fated roadside runner in California. Crosby was driving about 50 miles per hour in a black Tesla when he slammed the runner from behind. The runner suffered several fractures and lacerations after impact, and needed to be airlifted to a Santa Barbara hospital. Crosby, 73, who was driving the speed limit at the time, maintained that he was blinded by the sun and didn’t see the runner, who is expected to make a full recovery.

It all seems like an unfortunate accident, but there’s a catch: The runner, it appears, was running with traffic, not against it. Though not illegal on a national level, that move goes against common sense...

(Link to article)

Runner's World: From Sickness to Grand Slam

Once Drained by Multiple Sclerosis, She Is Now Headed for the Grand Slam of Ultras

Melissa Ossanna’s doctors told her exercise could help. So she started with a marathon—and has never looked back.

Taylor Dutch/Runner's World, Feb 17, 2019

Melissa Ossanna has a nickname among her community in Bar Harbor. To her friends on the island off the coast of Maine, the ultrarunner is affectionately known as “Smiley,” because when she logs miles around the town, she smiles from ear to ear.

Even at the finish line of a grueling 100-mile race, she can always be counted on to smile through the pain.

Ossanna has a lot to smile about...

(Link to Article)

Outside: How To Turn Dreadmill To Treadmill?

The Science Behind Your Favorite Workout Playlist 
Mollie Bloudoff-Indelicato/Outside, Jan 31, 2019

...For years, scientists have studied the link between music and heart rate. In 2005, a team of researchers found that listening to music with a fast tempo could speed up heart rates, while a leisurely tempo could slow them down. Furthermore, crescendos—where the volume of a song gradually rises—can increase heart rates, while decrescendos have the opposite effect, according to a small study from 2009 published in the journal Circulation. Although scientists aren’t certain why and how these interactions happen physiologically, relaxing music could be used to maintain a level of serenity for lower-intensity activities like yoga. “I always set my metronome at 60 [bpm] because it’s lower than the normal heart rate, and it helps me relax,” says Rodney Garnett, an ethnomusicologist at the University of Wyoming. “Something that has a slower beat gets a different response than something that has a fast beat..."

(link to article)

Outside: She's In My Rear View

Are Women Closing in on Men at the Boston Marathon?
Alex Hutchinson/Outside, Jan 28, 2019

A detailed analysis of historical Boston results wades into the long-running debate on sex differences in endurance

Back in 1992, scientists at UCLA made a surprising prediction in Nature. Since women’s marathon times were improving more quickly than men’s, they forecast that women would surpass men in 1998. While that didn’t come to pass, the idea that women might be closing the gap in endurance races persists, thanks to the feats of athletes like Jasmin Paris, the ultrarunner who shattered the overall course record in the 168-mile Montane Spine Race in Britain earlier this month, and Camille Herron, who beat the entire field while setting a women’s 24-hour running record in December.

But you can only learn so much from individual stories, no matter how remarkable. That’s where a new analysis in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research comes in...

(link to article)

Runner's World: That Guy

Who Is the Guy Who Tells You to Have a Good Race? 
Ali Nolan/Runner's World, Jan 10, 2019

It’s 32°F at the start of the Philadelphia Marathon and the corrals are packed with runners bobbing up and down as the anthem plays. One of them, Gary Collina, stares straight ahead and reminds himself why he’s running today. He turns to a woman standing next to him, offers a fist bump, wishes her luck. Then turns to another runner, repeats the gesture...

(Link to article)

Runners' World: These Boots Were Made For...?

Why Runners Might Want to Try Walking in Minimalist Shoes
Alison Goldstein/Runners' World, 21 Dec 2018

As runners, we are encouraged to do a whole load of “prehab” activities: core work, strength sessions, stretching, and foam rolling, among others.

Sometimes, though, life gets in the way. Our other commitments—jobs, family, friends, even other hobbies—can encroach on that time, and we inevitably end up taking the gamble: We skip some of those injury prevention tasks, cross our fingers, and hope for the best as we set out for our runs.

So wouldn’t it be nice if something we already do as part of our daily lives—say, for example, simply walking—could double as an injury prevention tactic?

(Link to Article)

Outside - Yes, You Need This

5 Awesome Key-Chain Bottle Openers 
Graham Averill/Outside. 15 Dec 2018 

We’re big fans of the multitool and the pocketknife, but another useful tool to keep handy is a bottle opener. We’ve found five bottle openers that are small enough to be unnoticeable on your key chain but so beautiful that you’ll look for an excuse to use them....

(link to article)

Inner Voice - Not Traditionally Associated

A Wonderful Place
Rob Watson/Inner Voice, 19 Dec 2018

I like music even more than I like running. I don’t play an instrument, I’ve never had the gear, and I’ve never had the ability. But I’ve always been really into the punk rock/hardcore scene. I can’t explain it. I’ve been going to punk rock shows since I was 13 years old. Growing up, none of my friends were athletes, so I was the odd one out, but we were more connected through the music side of things. There’s just something about going to a concert that brings out a certain side of me...

(link to article)

Runner's World: Prognostication for the Running Nation

The 8 Trends, Events, and Phenomena We’re Watching in 2018
From the women’s marathon to a hot hashtag (seriously!), the new year of running looks like an exciting one.
Runner’s World/December 20


Here at Runner’s World, we’re pretty excited for the New Year. How could we not be, given everything that happened in 2017? We saw Eliud Kipchoge almost break the two-hour marathon barrier, and we saw American runners win for the first time in decades at Chicago and New York. But what will 2018 bring? We’re hesitant to make out-and-out predictions (as runners, we know anything can happen!), but here are eight things—call them trends, phenomena, events, whatever—we’ve got our eyes on in the next 12 months...


(Link to Article)

Active: Dead Leg Day No More

9 Ways to Help Your Legs Recover in 24 Hours
Jennifer Fox/Active.com


If you've been a runner long enough, you've inevitably encountered a workout or run that's left your legs (and body) totally drained. Think: yesterday's hilly tempo or Saturday's 12-miler.


Part of success in running is consistency--the ability to get out there day after day and put in the work. When your legs are so trashed that you have to take unplanned days off, it can impede your progress.


But here's the good news. You can take steps to mitigate post-run soreness, so you can get back to training ASAP...


(Link to article)

Rodale: Don't Wait Until You're Dead

Why You Can’t Stop Waking in the Middle of the Night
You can’t run your best unless you’re getting enough rest. See if one of these is getting in the way. Christina D'Adamio/Rodale Wellness, October 16, 2017


If you’re constantly waking up in the middle of the night, it’s safe to say, you’re not getting your much needed rest. That's unfortunate, because your body needs a certain amount of sleep—generally seven or eight hours—to help you make the most of your runs.


Fortunately, Adam Tishman is here to help you get the snooze you deserve. It’s time to find out why you’re constantly waking up in the middle of the night and correct your sleep mistakes...


(Link to Article)