It took me a while to understand it, but with maturity, I finally did. Training consists of two separate and different elements: Work and recovery. They are equally important, and they complement each other. Their symbiosis confirms the Aristotelian saying that the whole is more than the sum of the parts.
Recently, I heard that the second element is labeled as The Invisible Training.
It got me thinking about a classic Emil Zatopek quote where he states: âWhat you do when the stadium is full is important, but what you do when the stadium is empty is a thousand times more important.â
For us amateur weekend warriors, a standing ovation at an Olympic stadium is no more than a pleasant dream. Yet, well into the XXI Century, each one of us has the equivalent of our own Olympic stadium, and we have become addicted to that standing ovation of kudos Strava, followers on Facebook, and likes on Instagram. These may be cool for many, but they wonât get you any better.
As Zatopek (a 4-time Olympic gold medalist and multi-world record breaker) said, that is not the key to success. It is what we do outside the limelight that counts. A thousand times more.
âş It is the strength training that will help you get stronger, more resilient, have a better form, and make you injury resistant.
âş it is the physical therapy you do to take care of your bones, muscles, and soft tissues. Not just face-to-face with a professional, but as a prehab to avoid a recurring injury.
âş It is your daily nutrition that allows your body enough of the good stuff to repair itself and be appropriately fueled for your activity.
âş It is the hydration throughout the day that will allow you to sustain a hard run even in the harshest of weather conditions.
âş It is the scheduled recovery for your body to adapt to the stress we have put it through and accepting that sometimes it will require more time.
âş It is understanding that sleep is the champion of recovery tools in your arsenal and that lack of sleep is not a badge of honor.
âş It is accumulating knowledge about the sport and the function of your body, which will allow you to understand whatâs happening and why.
âş It is the evaluation of your training, especially when you have bonked or screwed up, and accepting it as an opportunity to learn and build experience.
âş It is living a balanced life, one where your job, your family, and your friends wonât be neglected, and end up resenting you and your running.
âş It is allowing yourself to have fun outside your running life. Keeping it all in perspective and always remembering why you are doing this.
These are just ten of hundreds of parameters of what is encompassed within the realm of invisible training.
In summary, everything you do while you are not running is equally essential to the running time.
Yes, it all sounds intuitive, simple, even obvious. But weâve all fallen into the trap of only accepting hard work as worthwhile training. And to many, an injury has taught us how wrong we were. My wish is that this brief writing will help avoid the injury part for you, dear reader.
Share your thoughts in the box below so other runners may benefit from your experience.
No sugar coating it: Running in the heat and humidity of the summer sucks. It does. However, if we want to remain active during these challenging summer months of running and have any chance of having a solid racing season come fall, we must continue training. And to make hot weather running enjoyable and safe, the only way is by making substantial adjustments.
I’ve shared summer running tips every year since I began blogging, but this time I decided to do something different. I have gone through my previous writings on the issue and consolidated the tips. These, plus a handful of new ones I’ve added, bring the final count of summer running tips to 39.
To be clear, nobody expects you to apply all 39 of these hot weather running tips on every run. These are just guidelines and suggestions with very short explanations to get your thoughts started. I have included links to posts where I have explored the issues in more depth. And if you’re looking for more background or science behind these summer running safety tips, a quick Google search will point you in the right direction.
So, without further ado, here they are:
1 – Listen to your body â If you feel dizzy, nauseated, or overheated, don’t hesitate to stop, cut the run short, seek shade, ask for help, or just call it a day.
2 – Recognize heat stroke symptoms â Know the difference between exhaustion and heat stroke and familiarize yourself with warning signs like confusion, rapid pulse, or clammy skin.
3 – Hydrate all day â Hydration should be a 24/7 habit that keeps you close to fully hydrated by the time you start your GPS watch.
4 –Don’t overhydrateâ Overindulging in water or sports drinks can cause hyponatremia, a condition in which diluted sodium levels may lead to seizures, coma, or worse.
5 – Use electrolytesâ Supplementing with sodium, potassium, and magnesium helps your body retain and use the fluids you’re drinking more effectively.
6 – Run early or late â Run before sunrise or after sunset to avoid the most extreme heat and protect your body from overexertion.
7 – Monitor the heat indexâ Skip your outdoor workout if it’s over 98°F with more than 70â80% humidity, as your risk of overheating skyrockets.
8 – Slow down your pace â Running in the heat is harder, so let go of your pace goals and focus on effort instead of speed.
9 – Accept higher perceived effort â A rise in core temperature, not lactate or heart rate, becomes the main fatigue limiter in hot conditions.
10 – Use effort and time, not pace â In summer, pace and heart rate can be unreliable, so go by effort and run by minutes instead of distance.
11 – Recognize the signs of dehydration â Watch for fatigue, brain fog, darker urine, dizziness, or a dry mouthâthese may all signal fluid imbalance.
12 – Prehydrate before long runs â Do not cram your hydration; it doesn’t work that way. Hydrate throughout the day and days, not just before your run.
13 – Rehydrate after running â After a sweaty session, replace fluids with water or an electrolyte drink. Not only as soon as you’re done but throughout the day.
14 – Dress light and bright â Light-colored, loose, and moisture-wicking clothing helps reflect sunlight and allow sweat to evaporate more easily.
15 – Train in the shade â Routes with trees or buildings that block direct sun can be 10â15°F cooler and far more comfortable, and safer.
16 – Freeze your gear â Put your shirt and hat in the freezer before a run to delay overheating and make the first few miles more tolerable.
17 – Take short breaks â Stop for 1â3 minutes during a hot run to drink, throw water on your head, or reset your effort perception.
18 – Use water for recovery â Jumping into a pool, cold bath, or even running through sprinklers post-run can drop your core temp and revive you.
19 â Know where the water is â If you don’t know where the reliable water sources are, run with a handheld bottle or hydration pack.
20 – Run indoors if needed â If conditions are extreme, choose a treadmill or indoor track to get your miles without the heat risk.
21 – Build heat tolerance gradually â It takes a few weeks to acclimate, so ease into hot-weather running instead of diving into hard efforts.
22 â Move workouts around when necessary â Move long or intense workouts to cooler days and use weather apps to plan smarter each week.
23 – Use a heart rate monitor â Heat elevates heart rate, so monitor it to avoid overexertion while running.
24 – Expect it to suck â The first few weeks of heat running will feel awful, but your body will adjust and it will suck less. Proceed with caution.
25 â Adjust your training plan â In very hot climates, push harder workouts like long tempos to the fall and focus on base-building instead.
26 – Exploit cooler days â When temperatures drop, use the opportunity for a strong tempo or threshold session to boost confidence.
27 – Don’t obsess over metrics â During summer training, forget about pace, Strava comparisons, or even distanceâsurvival and consistency are the priority.
28 – Take advantage of trails â Shaded trails provide natural cooling, softer surfaces, and often more enjoyable running when it’s hot out.
29 – Eat hydrating foods â Boost your fluid intake by eating fruits and veggies like watermelon, cucumber, and oranges, which are 80â90% water.
30 – Beware of diuretics â Limit high doses of caffeine or alcohol around runs, as they increase urination and risk of dehydration.
Learn how to gauge your level of exhaustion (Photo: Tima Miroshnichenko, Pexels)
31 – Set hydration reminders â Pair water intake with daily habits like brushing your teeth, meals, or use phone alerts to stay on track.
32 – Sip, don’t guzzle â Drink water steadily throughout the day and during your run to avoid bloating and improve absorption.
33 â Internalize year-round hydration strategies â Treat hydration like a year-round discipline, not just something to focus on when it’s hot.
34 – Know your sweat rate â If you’re a heavy sweater, you may need more fluids and sodium than the average runner.
35 – Pair hydration with daily habits â Combine drinking water with routines like meals, workouts, or bedtime to form easy-to-remember habits.
36 – Double instead of going long â On non-long run days, two shorter sessions may be safer than a longer push under the brutal heat. Consider it if needed.
37 – Use treadmill for quality work â Use a treadmill to maintain pace accuracy or intensity when outdoor heat makes it unsafe.
38 – Keep someone informed â Always tell a friend or loved one your planned route and expected return time, or use live tracking apps.
39 – Know the line between tough and dumb â Being smart and cautious during summer training keeps you healthy and able to run tomorrow.
Did I miss anything, or would you like to contribute to the list? Please do so in the comment box below.
In a WhatsApp running group, one of our friends recently shared an article from Menâs Journal Magazine praising the benefits of training in a fasted state. The sub-title alone was promising: The Science-Backed Benefits of Running on Empty, by Spenser Mestel.
I opened it as I thought of how pseudo-science has affected even the most mundane, easy runs lately. Most come from unqualified social media influencers or studies commissioned by companies that will benefit from their results. Dr. Tim Noakes is famous for questioning Gatoradeâs science-based recommendations about the benefits of consuming Gatorade. And like that, examples are plenty.
Running on empty has its scientifically proven benefits (Image by ChatGPT)
We tend to forget that humans have been running for thousands of years. Hunted gatherers did so for hours while chasing an animal until it collapsed. Yet, they were able to pick it up and take it home to feed their families. They didnât carry water packs to replenish every drop of sweat. They didnât carry chews or gels to replace every calorie they burned.
Sure, we have evolved in those thousands of years. The bushmen of the Kalahari were not used to spending their day under air conditioning, sitting in front of a computer, or wearing shoes before they went hunting. But we havenât entered devolution either. Our bodies were built to withstand a certain level of dehydration and caloric deficit.
I want to leave no room for doubt that I am not advocating against electrolyte replenishment, chews, gels, or any other product. God knows I could not have finished my last few marathons without the help of Maurten gels. What I am advocating against is their overuse, to the point where our bodies become unable to learn how to use their own resources.
Running on an empty stomach is not a fad passed around by social media influencers. Based on the article in question and the study on which it was grounded, it is a well-rounded premise that âfasted cardioâ and âlow-glycogenâ training are similar but distinct practices that can offer real metabolic advantages if done right.
While skipping breakfast can be beneficial, you don’t have to do it for every run (Photo Pexels)
Mestel brings in Professor Richard J. Bloomer, Dean of the College of Health Sciences at the University of Memphis, to clarify the lingo. According to him, a âfasted stateâ can simply mean not eating for 10â12 hours, like overnight. But low-glycogen training goes further. It implies depleting your muscle glycogen stores, typically by limiting carbs over a longer period. Both approaches can shift your bodyâs fuel source away from sugar and toward fat, especially during lower-intensity sessions.
According to the study, these are some of the benefits:
Fat Adaptation: By skipping that pre-run snack or breakfast, your body is nudged into burning fat for fuel. Studies cited in the article showed that both men and women increased fat oxidation after exercising in a fasted state. Simply put, youâre teaching your body to tap into a steadier, more abundant fuel source.
Less Stomach Drama: Fasted runs can reduce gastric discomfort for those with fussy guts. No food means nothing sloshing around in there. Itâs a win for morning runners whoâd rather not eat at 5:00 AM just to avoid bonking at 6:00.
Convenience: This one isnât science; itâs life. Rolling out of bed, lacing up, and getting it done before breakfast is just easier sometimes.
The science goes even deeper. In a 2010 study from the Journal of Applied Physiology, Beneficial Metabolic Adaptations Due to Endurance Exercise Training in the Fasted State by Van Proeyen et al., this wasnât anecdotal evidence; it was a tightly controlled experiment. Two groups trained identically on bikes for six weeks. One ate carbs before and during workouts; the other trained fasted.
The result? While both groups got fitter, the fasted group showed superior metabolic adaptations. Their muscles improved at burning fat, their ability to use stored fat (even deep in the muscle) improved, and they kept blood sugar stable over long workouts. The carb-fed group? They didnât show those perks.
Conclusion
It is not about skipping breakfast forever or starting every workout on an empty stomach. But if you mix in a couple of easy runs each week without eating beforehand, especially when effort is low and stakes are even lower, your body might thank you. Youâll become more metabolically flexible, able to use fat when needed and carbs when it matters most.
Donât go overboard. Itâs about teaching your body to adapt so it can rise to the occasion, whether chasing a PR or just running for joy.
Curious to try it? Leave a comment and let me know your experience. And donât forget to subscribe to the Foultips.Run newsletter by clicking the button below.
Talking about our great workouts and spectacular results is a favorite topic of runners’ conversation. “Johnny’s mile repeats are spot on for a 5K PR!”, “Jimmy is crushing his track workouts.”, “Helen swears by her Fartlek sessions.” So, why am I not doing any of this stuff? Why does my coach have me doing boring stuff?
If you are training for long-distance running, your base is the key. The aerobic base, that is. A skyscraper stands on a solid footing for the same reason the pyramids have stood on their wide bases for 4500 years. They both have a solid foundation to bear the load. The same principle applies to a long-distance runner. Your aerobic base is the foundation of your running. It’s what every training block builds upon, and what ultimately supports your ability to perform. What good comes from running 400 meters in 62 seconds if that is all you can hold, but you are racing a 5K?
To understand the importance of an aerobic base for a long-distance runner, know that even the fittest and fastest Kenyan elite runner runs a marathon 99% aerobically. Even Olympic 5000-meter champions require about a 90% aerobic effort to compete at that level. You’ll likely never be there, but this doesn’t preclude you from the reality of human physiology.
In his “Guide to Coaching”, Coach Steve Magness states: “We have a temptation to want to skip to the ‘cool, sexy’ stuff. It’s boring to do endless easy runs or to spend hours working on the starting position in the sprints. But the ‘boring’ work serves as our foundation. We need a firm understanding of the basics before we move on to the next step. And once we have moved on, we must continually go back to the basics to ensure that they are ingrained.”
Is this clear enough?
The Boring Stuff
It is counterintuitive to accept that you must run slow so you can run fast. Yet this is one of those things you must accept, trust the science, and move forward with if you aspire to become a successful long-distance runner.
The slow (boring) stuff is the key to becoming a strong runner (ChatGPT Image)
Training at slower paces is the foundation of endurance because, among other things, it enhances mitochondrial density (improving oxygen delivery to the muscles), enhances capillary development, and increases fat utilization as fuel, which will make you a more efficient athlete. Low-intensity training also stimulates aerobic enzymes without overstressing the body, allowing more consistent training and better recovery. Over time, these physiological improvements will enable you to maintain faster paces with less effort.
Structured properly within your training, slow runs support speed, stamina and contribute to a better race-day performance. And this takes time. It doesn’t happen by running slow for a week or a month. If you trust the process and keep a written record of your workouts, before you know it, you will be running longer, easier and faster with the same effort. What once was your pushing pace, will now be your warmup pace.
The Sexy Stuff
Now that you have a strong base, we build on it.
Do you want to enjoy the runner’s highs? Build a base (Photo Pexels)
I often compare runners with F1 engines. They can do amazing things, but they require a lot of work, constant modifications and adjustments. The engine is the base, which is solid, but it can’t perform at the expected level without testing, tweaking and failures.
Short intervals, long intervals, Fartlek, mile-repeats, track, threshold, VO2Max, progressions, and so many more are part of the arsenal of workouts you have at your disposal to become a faster runner. These workouts will leave you pleasantly exhausted, provide you with that exhilarating feeling we have learned to love, and get you to enjoy the sweets of a runner’s high.
But be warned. These should be just a fraction of your workouts. You shouldn’t do them day after day after day just because you built a solid base. Maintaining and solidifying the base is a lifetime pursuit. The base of the Eiffel Tower has been constantly maintained since 1889, and thus, still stands strong.
Speed work is essential to becoming a faster runner, but easy recovery runs in between hard workouts and the ubiquitous long run should not be skipped. It should all be in balance.
So, next time your coach asks you to slow down, be patient, or play the long game, understand he/she is not doing so because he/she is mean. There are proven scientific and physiological reasons behind it. So, embrace the boring stuff and become a better, faster runner.
Can you share your slow running experience in the comment box below?
A few years ago, in a Facebook group I belonged to, someone asked for recommendations on what to include in a kit for a 5K she was putting together for some community center. âA tech shirtâ, said someone. âA good bag that you can actually use after the raceâ, stated someone else. âA travel mug with the race logo,â chimed in a 3rd person. As asked, I added my 2 cents: âA pair of custom-made running shoes delivered to my door by Eliud Kipchoge himselfâ.
And I was not being facetious. I was expressing how much I would love for Eliud Kipchoge to personally hand-deliver a pair of custom-made running shoes as part of that 5K. The point was that you may include whatever you want in a race kit, it is just a matter of cost.
For those of us who have been competing for a few decades, races where you only got a bib and traffic control were commonplace. Races with medals, tech shirts, expos, and celebrity participation were the exception. Or they were the exclusive domain of races with a major sponsor, the New York City Marathon, or similar events.
In a recent Runnerâs World Newsletter, they stated that âveterans of the first running boom in the late 1970s and early 1980s love to recount the simplicity of that eraâs races. âSomeone would draw a line in the road, yell âGo!â, and then hand you a popsicle stick with your place as you finished. Entry fees were a dollar or two. The post-race party was a tailgate at someoneâs station wagon.â
Even the convenience of registering online adds to the price of a race (Photo Pexels)
Now we complain if the medal looks cheap, if hydration has no options, if there is no entertainment along the way, if all we get is a banana, if the race shirt design is not to our liking, if there are no finish line professional pictures, if the race kit has only a handful coupons, etc. All great optionsâbut they cost money, and you have to pay for them.
When you have water, Gatorade, or multiple flavors of gels every two miles, understand that it is part of the $80 for 10K or $150 for a half marathon you ponied up. When you go out of your way to thank all police officers for being there, donât forget you paid for their time. This is when you should be mad at a crappy medal, a cotton race shirt, not having a banana, or them cramming age groups every 10 years.
According to that same RW post, âa RunSignupâs 2023 report found that the average 5K cost $29.90. Half marathons in the $100 range are now typical. And in December, 1,000 runners will get boutique treatment (personal fluids, pacers, indoor warmup space, etc.) at The Marathon Project in exchange for a $500 entry fee. Even allowing for inflation and exaggeration, races cost relatively much more than in days of yore. What gives?â
There are always cheap race organizers. The ones who charge premium prices yet donât have crowd control and mix hundreds of runners with regular space users, such as a beach boardwalk. Sure, there are the ones that accommodate a half marathon within the confines of a public park, donât have police control in place, get you a cheap generic award, and have no qualms about overcharging you. You should not participate in those races.
Look. I am not saying âthe old times were betterâ. I am not here to advocate the return of the $15 Boston Marathon. The point here is to understand that you get what you pay for. When racing is labeled as a charity event it is because funds are being raised for a noble cause, not because sponsors want to subsidize your racing ego. So, there are two clear options:
A â Treat every local 5K as if it were a World Marathon Major celebration and demand what you pay for if you donât get it.
B â Accept a no-frills race at a no-frills price and then donât go complaining on Tik Tok about how crappy the medal was.
Do you think race fees are justified? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!
A few of my running buddies have asked me through the years how it is possible that I always look good in the finishing pictures of my races. Even if I donât have a good race. I donât âalwaysâ look good in my finishing pictures, but do I have many outstanding ones.
Is this a frivolous topic? Sure, it is. But letâs be honest: Do you rather look good in your finishing pictures? Or do you not care if you look like crap?
Yep⌠I thought so, too.
There is an art to this, and a story behind it, too.
As I have stated in previous writings, my dad was the first person I knew to run a marathon. He ran NYC in 1982. NYC was famous for many things; one of them was that they offered for purchase an image (meaning only one) of your finish. As my dad told me about his marathon experience, I couldnât wait to see his finishing picture, which came weeks later.
The picture was so underwhelming. Check the image below, and you will think my dad is the runner number C328. But no, he is the guy behind him, looking down at his watch. In those days, you only had one shot per race for a picture. And he screwed it up in his first marathon. Lesson learned for me, as I was certain I would someday run one myself. I wanted to make sure my finishing picture would reflect not just a finish, but that it would be epic. That it would reflect my true emotions.
As you can see, it took many failed attempts for my dad to get a great finishing picture.
Through my years of racing I have learned how to maximize the opportunities of a good picture, which is not always guaranteed. It is an art, not a science. Sometimes, you finish so happy and exhilarated, but when you look at the race pictures, you donât feel that they reflect what you were feeling, or you are not even in them. But in general, I have realized that if you let your emotions out and you are aware of the situation, not only will you enhance your chance of amazing images to reminisce your races, sometimes you will even make it to the local paper. Yep, it did happen.
To improve your chances of a great picture at the finish line, I follow these easy guidelines:
1 â Be aware that even in the smallest runs, most likely there is a photographer at the finish line. Big races will have multiple.
2 â Understand that photographers donât have time to frame you up. They shoot at everything, hoping to catch that great shot. If you help them out, there is a better chance you could be that great shot. How do you help them:
Spot the photographer as you approach the finish line and position yourself in a prime spot.
Find an opening in the crowd (if there is one) so you can enhance the chances of being seen.
If you are not pushing for a PR or have already secured it, look behind and make sure no runner behind you will sprint and block you.
3 – Express your genuine emotions freely. Show your happiness, disappointment, pain, thankfulness, or whatever you are feeling openly and honestly. Donât fake it, as it will be captured.
4 – Donât just crash the first inch after the finishing line. Photographers shoot multiple times, and your best image may be a second or two after you are done.
These are three of my marathon finishes. Solid images to celebrate the accomplishments.
As for my dadâs finishing pictures, they got better with time, but it took a few failed attempts. In the 1985 Madrid Marathon, he finished with a PR and raised his arms, but he was right behind another guy. You can only see his head and arms raised. My brother and I kept coaching him, hoping for a good one. In 1995, he ran his last marathon, and he finally got the finishing picture he deserved after a long and inspiring marathoning career. It only took 13 years and 8 marathons.
In the meantime, I learned so much about how not to do it that Iâve accumulated many awesome finishing images. Enough that my friends ask me how I do it. And if that wasnât enough, I get to write about it.
What is your experience with race-finishing pictures? Let me know in the comment box below.
