Are You Running Too Hard?

 

I was listening the the Rich Roll Podcast with Camille Herron one of the greatest ultra runners we have ever seen. During the podcast Rich asks the ball of energy Camille about her training knowing that she was a bit of a stat freak. She said based on Strava, 86% of all of her running is easy. When Rich asked what her easy pace was she said “somewhere between 8 and 9 minutes per mile”. Later in the show they were talking about her coaching service and Rich asked her “What is the #1 problem when you meet a new runner” Her answer is the same answer from virtually any running or triathlon coach out there and it is not new. She said “most run there easy days way to hard”. 

Also this week I read the new book from Steve Magness, Do Hard Things. The one thing I got from the book fits right into what Camille was saying. I will paraphrase: People are constantly looking at the pace or race time they want to run. What they should do instead is bring the floor up to meet them. In other words, you have to understand where you are right now before you can set a time or pace you want to run. 

On the Track

I do my track sessions on Wednesday. I go to the local middle school which has a dirt track. We have access to mondo tracks but for some reason I prefer the solitude of the dirt track. On my plan was 12 x 400 with a 200 float rest. There are two keys to this workout. 12 hard 400s and the float. I know if I run too hard I won`t be floating by the end and will probably stop floating around rep 6. So I set out on the first 400 at a comfortably hard effort. On my third of fourth effort the best runner in the county and maybe in the state in my age group starts a workout. I stuck in my head, do your own workout. We exchanged a few words then continued our workouts. I was doing great. I was running about 6 seconds slower then the last time I ran this workout but I was was also executing the 200 float. On the two times he and I were on the same straight I noticed something. We were running the exact same pace. I was energized by that. Not because I think I am that good but because I was actually executing a workout as planned and still running reasonably well. I had not reached for a time I had brought the floor up to meet my feet. 

Shoe of the Week 

Saucony Endorphin Pro 3 

In my regular work I track all shoes but since last year I have tracking super shoes. Over the last year that has been one dominant shoe, the Nike Vapor Fly Next %. That is no secret. The #2 shoe is always the Alpha Fly Next % also from Nike. Number 3 is the Endorphin Pro from Saucony. With the Endorphin Pro 3 I think Saucony did everything right and it could lead them to jump of the Alpha Fly Next % to the #2 spot in the rankings. What did they do?

1. They increased the amount of foam under your foot. Their Power Run PB foam is a Pebax based foam just like the foam Nike uses in Zoom X. The increased the stack height to the absolute maximum allows by World Track and Field. 
2. They stripped the upper down to the bare minimum. When you put your foot in the shoe you can instantly feel the speed. 
3. They continue with why I think they are so high on the charts. I think with every other super shoe on the market there is an obstacle you mush get over. With the Alpha Fly Next % it is the super high arch support. With the adios Pro from adidas it is the unstable feel a slower speeds. With the New Balance Fuel Cell RC it is the rather strange lacing system. With the Saucony from the start, you put them on and run. There is nothing you need to get used to. 

Saucony Tempus

 

A few months ago in one of my reports I told Asics the Kayano needed to be reimagined. I had spent a long while listening to runners as they described their experience in the latest version. At the same time I listened to sales people talking through the latest version. I then asked them if the shoe was easy to sell or hard to sell. To a person they said it was getting harder to sell. The Kayano was butter. For more than 2 decades it was one of the easiest shoes to sell. Find the runner who needs that kind of support, put the shoe on their feet and more than likely they would never take it off. If the shoe was getting hard to sell I thought it needed to be reimagined. 

The Tempus

About 4 weeks ago I received an email from my Saucony contact. She said “I am sending you two shoes to test.” The first was the Saucony Ride which I talked about last week. The second was a totally new shoe called the Tempus. 

I like discovery so I didn`t read the description. I simply pulled it out of the box when it arrived and did my normal 10 miles in it. Instantly I knew it was a supportive trainer. After only a mile the though bubbled to the surface “This is the reimagined Kayano”. 

Foam and Structure

The main midsole you are running on is Power Run PB. Until this shoe this foam has shown up only on the go fast shoes of Endorphin Pro, Endorphin Speed and Freedom. It is ultra light, ultra resilient and just plain bouncy. It just feels fast. 

To support your foot there is a Power Run (EVA) super frame. It is the best way I can describe it. This foam provided the guidance your foot needs. As your weak foot and then ankle come in contact with the running surface the frame guides your foot to that super bouncy foam under the ball of your foot. This fame is not the selling feature. You need this frame. 

What you have always wanted is a lighter shoe that feels bouncy. The Power Run BB Foam gives you both. 

Upper/Fit

The upper is a premium mesh with support built into it. The heel fit is outstanding. The under foot just feels supportive. 

Price: $160

Available at www.Saucony.com or at your local running store. 

If you need a supportive shoe, you owe it to yourself to search this shoe out. You will understand what lightweight and fast feels like. 

The Swedish Way

 

Earlier this year I put myself into the best shape in a couple years. My main purpose was to race the 70.3 Oman. There I did not have the fastest time but given the long travel 3 days prior and the 12 hour time difference I was very happy. Most importantly I was energized after the race and no drained at all. Clearly I had done something right. I noticed through all of my work travel this year that the fitness carried as well. No, I was not and that supreme fitness but I was good. 

There was something missing though. Maybe it was all the travel or maybe it is my age, I could not recover like I used to. My sleep score on my Oura Ring said I was simply worn out. My resting HR rate would be higher than normal or my sleep would be restless. My body temperature would be high or my HRV would be low. 

My former coach Gordo Byrn said he was going to work on getting extremely race fit again. He was going to use the Swedish protocol of 5 days on and 2 days off. The more a read up on the benefits of doing this the more it made sense to me at my age. I have been on it now for two weeks. 

I will update more as I get into summer. Realistically I am training for life and the extremely busy back half of the year. 2 - 3 trips to Europe with one keeping me from home for slightly more than 3 weeks then a quick turn around to NYC. 

Rest and Recovery

As part of my daily routine I measure my HRV every morning when I wake up. In simple terms HRV is the variability in your heart rate. Basically what happens between heart beats. The higher the variability the better. Higher HRV shows better day to day recovery it shows less stress and in theory it will show healthier you. Since the COVID-19 shelter in place and the resulting canceling of my business my HRV has been plummeting. Funny thing is it’s still higher than what is considered normal. Doing a simple google search normal is 59. Mine right now fluctuates daily between 63 and 78. When I’m not feeling the stress of the current situations my HRV is consistently in the 80’s. 

I used to not worry about it. I would get a low reading and would carry on. Right now I use it as my guide that I’m tired. If my HRV drops below 65 I take the day off. No running, no riding and no strength work. Just walking the puppy. It seams to be working quite well. When I do that my HRV pops back up into the upper 70’s the next day.

Feeling really stressed. Take the day off of doing. There is no run or bike ride that is really all that important. As long as you are consistent over time, taking a day off here or there won’t hurt and it just may be the difference in your ability to execute the next day easily.

I have used the Sweet Beat app for years. There are many free HRV apps. Just find one that works for you and get started.

An Invitation to Run

I'm humbled by the outpouring of support of me for the death of my Brother Bob. I am surrounded by good people and it's times like these that prove that over and over again.

Since I don't have an office to go to, I've made it a point to get out and be social. One of the ways I'm doing that is accepting any invitation I get to run, ride or play in the ocean. Friday night I got an invitation to run on Saturday and didn't hesitate. Now it's important to understand where my running has been.

My longest run before Saturday was October 10th in Kona. I ran 47 minutes on that day and it was brutal. Nothing felt good. Between then and now I had built some consistency in my running. I ran all but 3 of those days because of travel. My longest and there was one was 30 minutes. All other runs were 10 minutes. As an example this week I ran 10 minutes 5 days in a row.

Saturday came along and I was not feeling like a long run would be a good idea. But I had committed so I showed up. We started running at an easy old man pace and really never got going. We were talking the entire time and at least for me, if I'm talking I'm not running real fast. We got to 40 minutes and my running partner said, let's make this 90 minutes. We'll go up this trail, turn at the parking lot and make a big loop back. It should be close to 90 minutes. The only problem is that we were talking the entire way. I believe we were on the topic of the women's race in Kona.

Daniela Ryf had an amazing rookie performance in Kona. She took the lead on the bike and held it for more than 20 miles on the run. She had 14 minutes on Marinda Carfrae at the start of the run. If but for one bad patch in the area of the Energy Lab she would have won the World Championships. That one bad patch allowed Rinny to do her magic and the rest is history. Well that's what we were talking about.

We missed a turn and ended up on a road neither of us knew. Being the runners that we are we decided to go forward rather than trace our way back. We found our way back to someplace we knew and continued on our way. The pace was now getting down right pedestrian, my fault totally. I started to feel every uneven step (we were running on wood chip horse trails) and I could feel my form tightening up. We got to the finish and we had run 1:53. A full hour more than anything I had run all month.

Every running expert in the world including me would tell you that's not a smart idea. Your long run should be around 30% of your total weekly running. You should increase your running by no more than 10% a week. You shouldn't run long when you are tired.

All of that is true but I believe when you get the invitation you go.

I did manage to run 10 minutes on Sunday. I was the shortest 10 minutes of the week.

It's a good life....

Running Form: Feet or Head and More Ironman Training

This past weekend Alistar Brownlee ran away at the Edmonton Grand Final Triathlon. It was great to watch him run the entire 10K. As I watched the running form debate raged in my head. If you broke his gate into two parts and watch his feet and then his upper body there is absolutely no reason for him to run so fast. His feet twist as they mange through to toe off. His upper body looks as though he's trying to sit down. It's weird to watch. But the other things are working.

1. His body is still - There is no bounce in his step.
2. His cadence is high. I didn't count but he's running 90+ cadence.
3. His arms are relaxed and driving.
4. His head is perfectly aligned over his body.

So the question is fix his flaws or let them be. I'm confident that if we put him in slightly forward lean he would slow down. His form, his natural form works for him. The video below is from last year. It's a better video to show his running form then the video from the weekend. He's a great athlete to watch run. He shouldn't be fast, he should be injured all the time and yet he is fast and his only injuries are from pushing his body too hard.

Did another long one with my friend training for Kona. We road 80 miles on Saturday and were done by 11:00am. It was great to get out early and get it done. Not once did I step out of comfort. I kept the entire ride in front of me and made it fun. He and our partner were upset that I called Super Bikes for the ride. He does not understand just yet how long he will be sitting in Aero position in October. I forced him into aero often on Saturday. He'll thank me.
It's a good life....

Five for Friday: Running Faster

The Conquest (Hoka One One) is amazing. It's a fast shoe. It has a lot of spring to it - Slowtwitch.com Forum Post

Are shoes fast or runners fast? The one thing I always say talking about Zoot shoes is we want them to FEEL fast. There is a huge difference in feeling fast and being fast. One is a state of mind the other is a true number against a clock. There is no fast shoe without a fast runner. 

I don't talk about my PR's. To me they are mine and how I judge myself. I know how fast I once ran and I know how fast I run today. They are different. The current fast is not close to the old fast but the way to both is close to the same. How to get there. 

1. Run Often - It's the same as my view on running form. You have to run often to improve efficiency and strength which are keys to running fast. Right now I'm running every day. My longest run is one hour and my shortest is 20 minutes. All buy one of the runs has a purpose. 20 minutes is reserved to recover. Enough to get the energy from running but not enough to do any damage. 
2. Build strength first and keep it strong - The most common way to build strength is hill repeats which work really well early season to make you hard. I walk away from hill repeats once I start racing and incorporate on hilly run each week and a couple days of leg work in our park. (Uphill bounding, frog jumps, squat jumps to one leg and more) 
3. Rule for Speed is 80/20. 80% easy (Old term LSD- Long Slow Distance) 20% Quality. My quality this summer is racing. Over the next 30 days I have 3 races two triathlon and one road running. I will build run speed by racing often. I may throw in an Ultra at the end of the year and If I do that my running will change. Racing a 10K hard will not really help me in running and ultra "Fast". 
4. Rest - This is a no brainer but it's as important as any training. If you can't recover from your running, you are only doing damage. Most will say you can only recover while sleeping so get good quality sleep. Personally I go to sleep at the same time every night and wake up with the sun. Right now that's getting up at 5am. I don't use an alarm. 
5. Consistency - This and #1 are tied together. Run often over time. To stay consistent you have to stay injury free and how I do that is posted all over this blog. Consistency is also how my friend Craig runs. So consistent is he that it's now 9+ years of running one hour a day. He's a really fast runner. 

It's a good life…..

Running Form Natural or Taught?

This past Sunday I witnessed the good, the bad and the ugly of running form. The good might be the two most beautiful runners of our time. The bad and ugly from a guy who has run 14 marathons winning 11 of them.

First the good. I was at the Rock n Roll Marathon San Diego waiting for my wife (with "perfect" form meaning it's perfect for her) to finish. I got the chance to see the the front of the race (1/2 marathon) finish. When I saw Birhane Dibada and Rita Jeptoo turn on to the finishing stretch my mouth dropped.

 Birhane

 Rita 

The two women were running side by side. Before they came by it was man after man. With the men there was a force and a mess about their form. These two women show up and running quieted down. Their form was flawless. Not a single movement out of place. Perfect arm swing, perfect flow with not even a hint of bounce. They were sprinting all out and you would never know it. They look the same sprinting as they do at mile 1. Rita is the most feared runner right now. She ran 2:18:47 at Boston in April. 

When I returned home I found myself watching the Stockholm Marathon and again my jaw dropped. This time however was because Bitok Benjamine was pulling away in the final 10K of the marathon to win. When he runs he looks like he's about to fall over. He leans so far forward it's looks painful. His chin sticks out and his foot plant is terrible. Yet he is running fast and winning. 

That's Benjamine in blue at the Stockholm Marathon

So I started to wonder if anyone ever taught them running form. Then I questioned what would happen if somebody tried to teach Benjamine proper running form. We would tell him to stand upright with only a slight lean. We'd probably tell him to dip his chin and we'd surely tell him to shorten his stride. I guarantee he would run slower too.

As you know most African runners didn't start as runners. They started as kids running to school and back. In fact if you look at Benjamine you get the feeling he was often late to school. My point is their form was developed long before they started to formerly train. Their form has become very efficient and I say that because they win often. Their form works because they run often. I've said this so many times and I can't say it enough. If you want to develop perfect running form for you, run as often as you can. The more you run, the more efficient you will become and don't let anyone tell you how to properly run. There is no single best way.

It's a good life....

No Foot Pain for Me

Everywhere I turn I'm confronted by runners in pain or injured. Yesterday in the office it was a knee. Saturday on the run it was shin pain. The weekend before it was a guy who was running in Newton for years and thought switching to a poorly created shoe that put him at a 13mm offset would be a good idea. The week before that it was three women running with pain and using Hoka running shoes to minimize the pain. 

There is stretching you should be doing but there is also self massage. Self massage has saved my legs and in my work below is what I've found to be the most important. 

 Today I'm going to focus on Foot and Achilles pain. What I have found is most of the pain is coming from tightness in the lower leg. To make sure I get at the tightness I use a Lacrosse Ball and a foam roller.

 One area that gets little love in stretching and standard self massage work is the Achilles itself. Walking, running, twisting all puts the Achilles under pressure. Too much and the area around it will get ultra tight. So using the ball I find the tight bits and then:

 I mash them. I roll up and down the groove between the muscle and the tendon and find the tight spots. The first time you do this you might cry but it gets easier the more often you do it.

 I also do the lateral side of the leg in the same place. You can do this at night and if you are really tight try it before you run. You will notice the difference.

I also use the ball to get to the top of calf and the hamstring attachment. Put the ball behind your knee, Use your hands to pull the shin in towards your butt. Move the ball around feeling for the tight spots. Believe me you have tight spots here and this hurts. Your legs will thank you when you are done.

 With the foam roller I roll my shins out using my body weight for the mash. If the last two didin't make you cry this one will. This is great because you can roll from the top of your foot all the way to your knee finding any part of that leg that is tight. Yes the picture is upside down but I think you understand. Put the roller on the floor. Put your shin on the roller with your bodyweight on top and roll.

I credit all of this the MobiltyWOD There is  a great deal more to this but for Running this is what I know works.

Now if you break your hand and can't run then hit the bike. This is Marco at 6:15am Monday morning hammering out. When the cast comes off there will be 2 or 3 track meets remaining in the season. Guess who wants to race them?

It's a good life….

The Healing art of Injury Prevention

Runner, triathlons, cyclist, swimmer or just about anybody with aches and pain can benefit from the items pictured above.

Golf Ball
You spend a great deal of time on your feet. If you run you are doubling the effect at least.You also wear poor fitting and maybe even poorly designed shoes. Each morning when you wake up spend two minutes rolling your foot over a golf ball. Start with light pressure and work your way over time to more pressure.You are looking for the parts of your foot that hurt. You want to work that pain out. It is said that Laird Hamilton can stand with all of his weight on a ball. A good goal to have.

Lacrosse Ball
This used mostly on my calf and Achilles. I sit cross legged and use the ball to find the tight areas of my lower leg. Once I find one I use the ball and the pressure of my hand to roll the pain out. The ball can get to places that other things can't. Especially along along the side of the Achilles.

The Skate Wheel Roller - triggerpoint.com
I like this to roll out my calf. Sit on the floor with your legs extended in front. Put the roller under one leg at the Achilles. Cross your other leg on top to apply pressure. Roll from there all the way to the top of your calf. Still and really work where it hurts.

Orange Roller -triggerpoint.com
Roll your back out. Lay on your front and use this to mash your quads. Works great on the IT band. Can be used like the above roller on your calf but it's not as effective. If you are only going to do one of these things buy one of these rollers. You will find your own uses for it.

The Yoga Strap
Perfect to stretch the hamstring. Lay on your back. Loop a foot with the strap, bring that leg up to stretch your hamstring and use the strap to extend the stretch. You can do the same thing to stretch your hips, groin and your upper body swimming muscles.

Use all of these tools to remove the small tightness that left unchecked can turn to chronic pain or in the athlete it can lead to injury.

It's a good life….