Last weekend gave us runners a preview of brutal summer weather in South Florida. It wasnât as bad as mid-July, but in mid-May, it signaled what’s ahead. If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, expect this soon.
Hydrate, sure, but don’t overhydrate (Image by Grok)
The line between toughness and doing something stupid is very thin, and if you cross it, you can get seriously hurt. So, my yearly blog post urging runners to stay on top of their training during the summer has been forced to be published earlier than expected.
Adjust your training and expectations for survival, not just performance. Heat injuries can permanently impact your health and your running future.
Here are five adjustments for safe training during the summer.
1 – Know whatâs happening – You canât fight the weather; you can only adjust for safe running. Two basic things occur:
1A â When air turns humid, it feels thicker, making each run more effortful. Running at the same speed takes more work.
1B – The second one is basic biology: The human body cools off by sweating, and the blood is about 92% water. The more you sweat without replenishing fluids, the more water gets sucked out of your bloodstream, and the thicker the blood becomes, the more difficult it is to circulate. This spells deep trouble.
2 – Adjust your running time – If the brutal summer is an unavoidable part of your home zip code, your options for outdoor running are reduced to: A- adjusting to run in the heat/humidity, or B- not running at all. If you choose A, you must do so at the coolest time possible, when it is gentler to the body. The basic choices are before sunrise or after sunset. Wake up earlier or wait until later. If you canât, there is always a frightening Option C: The dreaded treadmill.
A good hack is to keep a running shirt and hat in the freezer and put them on right before you hit the road. This will cool your core and provide you with a few comfortable initial miles before the inevitable sets in.
3 – Slow your pace â Do you know why mainstream races take place in the fall or the spring? Who wants their goal race in the thick of a scorching summer? This is the time to get ready for the upcoming season; the time to tackle strength training and base building. The latter is achieved by running at a lower effort level, regardless of speed. Your fall and spring PRs are built during the summer. Donât worry about what âthe fastâ people may think. Stop posting on Instagram if your followers’ opinions matter.
4 â Overhydration is a real danger – Your body is designed to lose fluids as you run, without replenishing every single drop of sweat. So, donât fall into the temptation of overindulging in water or sports drinks. Hyponatremia is a serious condition that happens when too much fluid is ingested, diluting your sodium levels to the point that it may cause seizures, coma, and even death.
Hydration is not just about what you consume while running. Hydration is a 24/7 habit that has you ready to go by the time you press start in your GPS watch.
5 – Beware of the signs â The challenges of summer running go beyond training earlier, later, or slower. Heat exhaustion and heat stroke are among the most serious dangers in inhospitable climates. Itâs each runner’s responsibility to recognize the symptoms and adjust before it becomes a 911 call. With luck, a mishap may keep you out for a few weeks; without it, it could kill you. In a previous post, I wrote about heat exhaustion and heat stroke. I invite you to revisit it by clicking here.
In Conclusion
There are no medals or podiums during training. Be smart and remember you are only getting ready for next season.
Running in heat and humidity is doable if you prepare properly. Never lose sight of the fact that you need to live to run another day. As stated earlier, the line between toughness and doing something stupid is very thin, and if you cross it, you may get seriously hurt.
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When it comes to running, cadence is one of those parameters everyone can relate to, as the concept is straightforward. Yet, upon deeper inspection, most people have no idea what to do with it. It’s a bit like BMI (body mass index): Okay, it’s 29.6. Great! Now what?
Cadence is not a one-size-fits-all parameter (Image by Chat GPT)
The right running cadence can help reduce fatigue, become a more efficient runner, avoid injuries such as shin splints, and thus allow you to run longer. And while higher cadence can be beneficial, it is not the secret sauce that is missing from your training. And, if you donât know what youâre doing, cutting your stride indiscriminately is not without its consequences.
Cadence is a simple, straightforward concept: the number of steps you take per minute. Each step starts when one leg touches the ground and ends when the other does. It measures both sides, and most running watches quantify it as a standard function. While most everyday runnersâ cadence is around 160-170ish, it is usually higher for elite and track athletes. Thereâs even a myth about the âmagic 180 cadence.â
The idea that all runners should aim for 180 steps per minute for maximum efficiency is traced back to observations by exercise physiologist and coach Jack Daniels during the 1984 Olympics. Daniels counted the cadence of elite distance runners and found that most were running at about 180 steps per minute, or slightly higher. His observation was descriptive, not a universal prescription. However, as the finding spread through coaching circles, books such as Daniels’ Running Formula, and running watches that track cadence, the nuance was lost. What began as an observation of elite runners gradually became gospel among many recreational runners.
The problem with 180 is that only a tiny fraction of runners will ever become Olympians. So, while 180 is indeed a great cadence, it depends on factors such as height, weight, leg length, structural issues, and now even shoes. The runner pushing a sub-3 marathon, wearing carbon-plated shoes, has different mechanical requirements than one aiming for his first sub-30 5K. You canât expect both to run at a 180 turnover.
If you take away one thing from this post, may it be getting rid of that 180 myth. While it is a great cadence, it is not a magic pill that will have you winning marathons next year. Past and present elite distance runners have succeeded without 180. Meb Keflezighi, Galen Rupp, and Frank Shorter won Olympic marathon medals and were all most efficient in the low 170s. Bill Rodgers won four Bostons and four New Yorks between 160 and 170. Paula Radcliffe set the marathon world record, also around 170.
Cadence is not a magic pill to solve all your running problems and have you set world records (Image by Grok)
Varying your cadence must have a clear intention; it is not just upping the number for the sake of more-is-better. Changing your mechanics without a purpose is a recipe for injury.
Bryan Heiderscheit, PhD, Director of the Runnersâ Clinic at the University of Wisconsin Sports Medicine Center, explains: âResearch shows that when runners increase their turnover, they reduce the impact on their knees and hips and often improve their stride mechanics. Increasing turnover will help the chances of your foot landing closer to or underneath your pelvis, reducing overstriding tendencies, and increasing your lower extremity stiffness with less bounce and braking in your steps.â
That said, reducing your stride to increase your cadence while still overstriding wonât help you at all. Quite the contrary. You will be overstriding more often, speeding up your breaking point, and thus increasing your risk of injury.
“If you’re going to increase your step rate, also try to land with your foot closer under your hips,” Heiderscheit says. “You don’t want to keep reaching in front of yourself.” Jonathan Beverly compliments the idea by stating: âMy experience as a runner and coach confirms this: A faster cadence comes, in fact, as you learn to run tall, land closer, and push back-all part of the same process.â
In conclusion: Even though cadence is a simple concept, and the benefits of adjusting it are real, not every runner needs to do it, and not every leg malady gets solved by it. Assessing it and making a few adjustments is a good place to start, but if the issues donât subside quickly, you may want to check with a physical therapist before continuing to adjust your cadence indiscriminately. You donât want to end up with a stride that is too short for your frame, which will result not only in discomfort but in injury.
There are plenty of exercises and techniques to work properly on your cadence, but they are beyond the scope of this post. But beware: When researching online, make sure the author’s background and credentials are legitimate. Donât just do what the flavor-of-the-month influencer recommends. They may know what theyâre talking about, sure, but they may not.
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When it comes to the long run, theories abound. A certain influencer says this, scientific research says that (yet somehow you believe the influencer, but thatâs another story). Or your buddy swears at a new esoteric formula that allows you to run only twice a week and still improve all your PRs, but then, here comes fill-in-the-blank.
Most theories and formulas have their merit, but some are just quacks. Yet certain non-negotiables canât be overlooked if you strive to improve your endurance, times, PRs, and enjoyment in running. These are my six non-negotiables:
Hydration â it is not about drinking water during your long run. It is about setting a hydration strategy that goes beyond your time pounding the asphalt. Hydration is a weeklong strategy. You canât cram hydration the night before or the morning of your long run. A healthy intake of water and electrolytes throughout your day, every day, every week, will ensure you are primed to withstand the sweating rigors of your run, during which you must rehydrate as you go, of course. Donât start on a deficit. In the best circumstances, it is a recipe for a bad run; in the worst, for disaster.
Night-Before Dinner â A key component to the next dayâs long run success. It must be carb-rich, as they will help top off your glycogen (muscle fuel) stores. This is not the time for a big-ass stake or a huge salad. This is not the time to try that new restaurant your family has been dying to go to. This dinner is âme timeâ. It is about preparing for tomorrow. Itâs the time to be a little selfish and make sure your posse understands your nutritional needs. You can please everyone else with their meal choice tomorrow. One more thing: Give yourself plenty of time to digest your dinner.
Pre-Run Fuel â There are plenty of benefits to running in a fasted state, but those do not apply to your long run. Even if you had the perfect meal the night before, your body used glycogen and water to keep you alive through the night. So, even if you feel you can tough it out, hydrate and have a carb-rich snack before you start. There is no reason to start your journey without your tank topped off when the solution is so accessible. Your body will thank you with better performance and less fatigue.
In-run Fueling â Even though your body is designed to perform at a certain level of dehydration and calorie deficit (meaning you donât need to replace every drop of water as you sweat it or every calorie as you burn it), you must eventually replenish so your body continues performing over the energy demands throughout the workout. For that, you must develop your personalized protocol. Forget what experts say and figure out what is best for you. When do you need water? When do you need a gel? When do you need electrolytes? It is all about your individual needs so that you may keep the engine burning hot.
Execute your plan â When you go out for a long run, be clear about what you want to accomplish from your training, and make sure of that before you turn on your watch. You shouldnât be surprised by a mile-repeat in the middle of your run. You shouldnât figure out you are going 12 miles at mile 2. You should have known that yesterday, if not earlier. Being prepared is the key to success, and itâs better to avoid needing a week to recover instead of a day or two.
Purposeful Recovery â You finished your long run. Great! Congrats! Let the Strava kudos and the Instagram likes pour in. What now? Well, if you want your body to benefit from the workout, you must start the recovery process ASAP. This means you should not get in your car 30 seconds after you are done. You should catch your breath, cool down, stretch, rehydrate, ingest protein and carbohydrates (chocolate milk is an excellent way to do so), and make sure that, as your body enters recovery mode, it can recuperate stronger, faster. Eat, hydrate, and sleep so you are ready to use the benefits of that long run as soon as possible.
There are many theories about the long run, some with merits, some without. If you want to build strength, endurance, and confidence, not just for race day, but for years to come, I truly recommend you incorporate your non-negotiables into the long run. These have all been proven.
Please share your thoughts in the comment box below.
Back in June, I watched online as Faith Kipyegon unsuccessfully tried becoming the worldâs first sub-4 miler woman. The event was one of those multi-million-dollar circus shows put on by Nike to test human physical limitations. It was elaborate enough that, just like Eliud Kipchogeâs Sub-2 in 2019, it would not have counted as a world record should she succeed.
Athletics and the principle of diminishing returns (Image by ChatGPT)
Kipchoge needed to improve his marathon time by 100 seconds, and he did, finishing 19 seconds ahead of his previous record. Kipyegon needed to shave about 8 seconds (7.65) to achieve her goal, but she ended up about 6.5 seconds short. Even with the circus, space technology, support, and male pacing, she couldnât do it.
The failed attempt got me thinking about a basic concept in economics that easily applies to running: the principle of diminishing returns. In economics, this means that ff you improve one variable while keeping all the others constant, the incremental output gained from each extra unit will eventually fall. In other words, building a skyscraper in one day wonât be solved with more workers.
The same principle applies in athletics. Dr. George Sheehan, one of the greatest running writers, put it this way: âThe first mile is the most helpful one as far as conditioning goes. Each succeeding one gives less and less benefit than the one before. Runners who work more and more are working for less and less. [âŠ] It doesnât take much to get 90% fitness, only a few miles a day. But it takes progressively more and more training as you get closer to your ultimate potential. At the highest levels, you are putting in a huge investment for a very small return. It is the small gains what makes the difference between winning and losing.â
Think about it, itâs obvious. If not, it would be a matter of time and more miles before we all became elite athletes and broke world records. We all have a limit, and while reaching it is feasible, it requires a tremendous amount of work.
I recently heard Coach Steve Magness share a story where Shalane Flanagan told him something along the lines of, âThe difference between being in 2:30 marathon shape and 2:20 is astronomical.â For you and me, average, mid-to-back-of-the-pack marathoners, a 10-minute improvement may be a diligent training cycle away. For elites in a Marathon Major, this same result guarantees them peeing in a cup to verify cheating.
Nice background, Coach! But how does this apply to me, the average weekend warrior?
It is about training smarter, not harder (Image by ChatGPT)
I am glad you asked! The point of this introduction is for the reader to understand that the curve of progress in running flattens as we improve. It is a reality we canât solve with harder training. Progress is not a linear proposition.
And, while achieving the last 10% requires an astronomical effort, it is feasible. It is about figuring out what works for you. Just because Jacob Ingebrigtsen uses the Norwegian double threshold method doesnât mean it is the solution youâve been looking for. He is in such shape that this is the only type of training that will extract the extra hundredths of a second needed to break a world record. This training may land you, my dear average-runner reader, on the injury list.
Working around the principle of diminishing returns to reach your apex requires smarter training. Not just harder. As gains slow, finding that sweet spot between effort and recovery is the magic sauce. It may mean varying your workouts, adjusting intensity levels, or prioritizing recovery and nutrition more seriously. As we improve, we must tune into our bodyâs signals, such as fatigue, soreness, or lack of motivation. These can guide adjustments before you hit a training (or overtraining) wall. If in doubt, a training plan tailored exclusively for you may help you progress without burning out.
In conclusion, In athletics, more is not necessarily better. Most of what elite runners do to squeeze that last sliver of greatness out of their performance does not apply to you. We are all limitless, sure, but not in all areas of our human performance, athletics being one of them. Letâs work hard to reach our goals, but not at the expense of burning out.
What are your thoughts on this principle? I will read and answer your comments.
As long-distance runners, we focus on the long-distance run. Obvious. For marathoners, that 20-miler has been a staple our training for decades. The psychological advantage of having achieved that distance starting with a 2 instead of a 1, when you are about to run 26.2, cannot be overstated.
The benefit of that 20-mile run lies in the time it will take you to complete it (Image by ChatGPT)
Yet, there is no magic to be gained at 20 miles. If you train in kilometers, 20 miles is 32.18 Km, far from a round or memorable number. The âmagic markerâ for those who train in kilometers is 30, for the same psychological reason. This is equivalent to 18.64 miles. Nothing special to that figure either.
But, is there a physiological benefit from running a 20-miler or 30 kilometers, or two or three of them before your marathon? Does it apply to all marathoners? What does science say about this? How does all this apply to you and your training for your next marathon?
Letâs get into it.
While the confidence boost of having a 20 or 22 mile run under your soles is undeniable, its benefits are proven to diminish the longer you are on your feet. The elite Kenyans can cover the distance between less than two hours. The 3-hour runner can do it in 2:30-ish at an easier pace. But the 4-hour marathoner may take 3:45 at an easy pace. You can see the progression.
According to scientific studies: âafter running 3 hours the aerobic benefits (capillary building, mitochondrial development) arenât markedly better than when you run two hours.â This means that a 3-hour run will provide as much aerobic benefit as a 2-hour run. So you will accumulate additional fatigue and need a longer recovery before resuming your normal training.
Iâve read about coaches that do not prescribe 20-mile runs for anyone looking to run over 3:45 in the marathon. Others say 3:30 or even less. Remember that coaching is the intersection between art and science. An art based on science, not a science per se, so trial and error are part of the deal.
In my professional experience, runners that will run their marathons on the slower side than 3:30ish, will benefit from back-to-back runs that will allow accumulated fatigue to do its thing without breaking down the body too much. A long run today followed by a âlongishâ run tomorrow, where you accumulate from 18-22 miles in a weekend, produces better results than plowing through that mileage in one push.
You can achieve more with less time on your feel and more time to recover (Photo Pexels)
This is not to say that for certain runners, at a certain level of fitness, with a certain goals and with enough time to recover, may not benefit from a 20-miler. And I am not discounting the psychological benefit either. What I am stating is that the 20+ miler is not the key to achieve your marathon goals if you are not on the faster side.
Coach Jeff Gaudette, from Runnersâ Connect, wrote recently that one of the two primary reasons why runners get injured is âorogressing their training volume and running speeds at a pace that their body is not ready to handle. Or, as coach Jay Johnson would technically define it, âmetabolic fitness precedes structural readinessââ.
Before you ask, the other reason is structural imbalances and/or bio-mechanical issues.
Coach John Davis, a PhD in biomechanics at Indiana Universityâs School of Public Health, provides the following recommendations when it comes to the long run in a marathon training cycle.
Donât overemphasize the long run, especially when training for the marathon. Not only do aerobic benefits flat line after 2 hours of running, but as this research shows, injury risk increases significantly.
Think prehab rather than rehab. Work on strengthening known or potential weak areas in your running mechanics.
Fix flaws in your running form that become exacerbated during long runs. Improving posture, learning to generate proper hip extension, and fixing overstriding can help prevent many potential injury issues.
In conclusion:
The long run continues to be an essential element of the marathon training. Thereâs no way around it. But contrary to what has been drilled to us for so many years, the qualifying aspect of the long run is time, not necessarily mileage. It is not the longer the merrier. It is the longer you can run without hindering your recovery, the merrier.
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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.
âș It is the strength training that will help you get stronger, more resilient, have a better form, and make you injury resistant.
âș 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.
âș It is your daily nutrition that allows your body enough of the good stuff to repair itself and be appropriately fueled for your activity.
âș It is the hydration throughout the day that will allow you to sustain a hard run even in the harshest of weather conditions.
âș 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.
âș 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.
âș It is accumulating knowledge about the sport and the function of your body, which will allow you to understand whatâs happening and why.
âș 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.
âș 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.
âș 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.
