Endurance Planet

  Sponsor: Check PerfectAmino by BodyHealth, an athlete’s secret weapon featuring eight essential amino acids in the exact ratios needed to ensure proper protein synthesis in the body. PerfectAmino has been tested and approved for in-competition athletes and professional sports; and all of us over at EP have used in in our athletic careers. Plus, PerfectAmino now comes in a sugar-free powder form that’s great for those who don’t like pills and/or want something tasty to mix in your workout drink! BodyHealth also offers Perfect Calm, a new well-formulated magnesium powder supplement to round out an athlete’s needs in particular getting good sleep and stress management. Julie Moss is a Ironman triathlon legend whose 1982 crawl to the finish at the Ironman World Championships made sport history and inspired countless athletes to do a triathlon. Julie’s new memoir, Crawl of Fame: Fifteen Feet That Created an Ironman Triathlon Legend, is now available to the public and it is a very exciting and insightful read that dives into Julie’s personal story and her journey to finding purpose through triathlon. On this episode we chat with this incredible athlete who’s been racing triathlon ever since that fateful February day in Kona, Hawaii, most recently competing in the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Nice, France. We hear all about her career in triathlon, motivation, the spiritual connection in racing, and also how Julie now trains as a masters athlete. What we discuss: The story of Julie’s “crawl of fame” at the Ironman in 1982 and how it changed her life. You are a champion for your own dreams. What is so important to me that you’d be wiling to crawl for it? Sport gets you to question: what are you willing to do to get to your goal? Central governor theory- not too easy to even reach this point of failure. The psychological, mental and spiritual component. Heart connectedness. How Julie got turned onto Ironman during senior year in college. Intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation: Emotional connection to feeling like you’re good at something; it’s not about competing against someone else. Pro triathlon back in the day and Julie, in her early 20s, being somewhat of a free spirit through it all. How Julie was red-lining for much of her training in the early days. Getting more serious about sport, starting to use a HR monitor, etc, around the time she started dating Mark Allen. Did Julie do MAF? Julie’s key to longevity in sport – long breaks and downtime between all the racing. Now in the past ~10 years she’s been able to train better, smarter, etc. The value of bricks/transition runs off the bike and why Julie ALWAYS runs off the bike!!! Julie outlines her weekly training that gets her to the level of qualification for world championship races in her 60s. Her recovery days, what do they entail? (Hint: not just days off resting.) Being self-coached. Breaking down transition runs into small pieces, and how incredibly helpful this is to build mental toughness for longer days. Incorporating walking into runs. Her race in Nice in 1989, where she had a breakthrough performance, winning the event and beating legend Paula Newby Fraser. Bringing your best. “Focus on your effort.” Other people do not determine your success! On writing the memoir and getting personal. Julie’s son with Mark Allen- he dabbles in triathlon and is pretty good, and also hiked the full PCT.  The post Julie Moss: The Crawl of Fame, and Finding Purpose and Personal Growth Through Sport first appeared on Endurance Planet.

Sponsor: You hear us talk about UCAN all the time. Many of our athletes and listeners swear by it. How about you? Maybe you’re ready to try UCAN but don’t know where to start? We have the perfect solution: Click here to get 50% off your UCAN Tri Starter pack. The Tri Starter Pack includes a sample of all the best UCAN products for just $17.50, normally $35. This deal is exclusive to our EP audience and not offered to the general public. It won’t last forever so take advantage while it’s here! Intro EP is taking runners for a second Ragnar team! Email events@enduranceplanet.com if you’re interested. Zach Bitter just set the world record for the 100-mile (with an average 6:48 mile pace!) Tawnee gratefully responds to a respectful listener critique of ATC 292 (regarding stereotypes and runner anxiety): Rachel wrote: Dear Tawnee, I’m a big fan of the Endurance Planet podcast and am so happy to have you back on the show! However, I was recently concerned about a couple of comments that you made on the recent episode ATC 292 in your response to Brennan’s question about running together with his partner. First, I was concerned that you immediately assumed her anxiety was about being attacked while running alone, even though the question itself didn’t mention the source of her anxiety, and there are so many possible factors (whether clinical or mundane) that it could be. Regardless of the reason for her anxiety, it seemed particularly unhelpful to then describe in detail all the safety risks for female runners when running alone, since that just has the potential to make her anxiety worse. Finally, and most importantly, I was really disappointed that you assumed homeless people and individuals with mental illness were the perpetrators of attacks along the trails near your parents’ house. Just because someone is unsheltered (likely due to economic and/or residential displacement) does NOT mean that they are unstable, violent, or anti-social — and particularly in light of current economic inequality, the housing affordability crisis (especially here in California), and displacement of low-income communities. Moreover, studies show that individuals with mental illness are far more likely to be the victims of violence and/or crime, not the perpetrators, so describing the attackers on the trail as “loonies” just perpetuates harmful stereotypes. I appreciate you taking the time to read and consider this feedback, and I would love to hear any response you may have. In general, I deeply appreciate your sensitivity to issues of mental health, equity, and personal / spiritual well-being, so I hope this can add just a little bit to that. Jessi asks: Split Long runs – pros, cons and the why? Hello! I was hoping you could speak a little to the theory of breaking up long runs for marathoners and ultrarunners. Here’s some context: I am training for a couple of 50 milers this year and hopefully building toward a 100 miler the year after and have heard a few interviews with Camille Herron and some other ultra runners. In those interviews they talked about breaking up a long run in to morning and afternoon sessions, and how for them, they contribute it to their success and lack of injury in the sport. I am curious about a couple of things: (1) Is it just as simple as breaking say a 24 mile run into a 16 mile run and an 8 mile run later? Or how is it best to split those and how much time ideally would we want in between sessions? Does 16 + 8 = 24? Or would it be more like 16 + 10 or 12 to get the same benefit from split runs? (1b) As far as training load goes, does a split run compare to a full long run? Is there any evidence that one is “better” or more efficient than another? (2) Is there any evidence that this helps to prevent injury? I can see both sides…if you run the long run all at once, you have more time to recover before your next session, but your form may end up suffering more in the later half of the run. If you break apart the run, you will have less overall recovery time before your next session, but theoretically you will have better form in the latter part as you will have rested in between. I’ve been battling an ongoing hamstring issue the past year (finally doing some PT to help strengthen and learn to fire the glutes more), and was wondering if this approach may help in that process by splitting up stress of a long run on my hamstring in to smaller segments. I would like to perhaps experiment with a split long run here or there, but was curious as to your take on its effectiveness. I have a little bit of an issue convincing my ego that 24 miles is the same as a 16 + 8 mile in terms of what I would get out of it in terms of ultra training, but at the same time I don’t want to reject it completely because I am too “proud” to split up runs (and not see those longer runs appear on my Garmin…psychologically for me its a confidence booster going into an ultra) when in reality it may be more beneficial down the road. Help? What the Coaches Say: You’re allowing the next session to influence what you’re doing right now. Don’t be so rigid about the workout structure. Do your best today and possibly bump the next session if you’re not feeling recovered. There’s not a ton of research on this approach, just anecdotal evidence. The best thing you can do is try the method and see if it works for you as an n=1. A little ego is ok. You need to build confidence and see if you can do this. Tawnee says the only caveat is when ego causes you to get injured. Exert discipline with your ego. One way to tame ego is to be ok with an “ok” workout. To split a 50-miler, Lucho recommends shooting for 25 miles the first day, but going further if you feel good. Then the next day is just making up the difference. Remember, you’re running within a range, not shooting for an exact mileage each day. Let the mileage come to you. This approach allows you to get the volume in without as much risk of injury. Keep in mind, when you’re going long like this, the difference between 35 and 30 miles is negligible. It’s not worth risking an injury to push those extra miles because you’re “supposed” to. Tawnee thinks split running is a particularly great approach for runners looking to push volume greater than they ever have before. You could even do a “triple run”: with an AM and PM run on the same day then an AM run the following day, equalling three runs in 24-hours. That’s more gentle than just running 20 miles straight, but uses the principle of cumulative fatigue to increase your fitness. It’s important to strengthen the hamstring, but it’s even more important to figure out why you’re having the issue.   Over-striding, perhaps? Anonymous asks: Hitting intervals and stiffening during long run Sending much love out to all that you do. I’ve been listening since the original guy started podcasting this show. I’ve missed very few episodes since then. I appreciate Lucho’s and your thoughtful answering of the variety of questions you receive and also just your conversations with each other. I can’t begin to tell you how much education y’all have provided. I’ve had a million questions or requests for points of clarification over the years but this is my first time writing in with any of them. Fortunately most of the questions were eventually answered or they were forgotten! Feel free to choose all, some, or none of these to answer! First my background (only if you need it for the question(s): Mid-60s male Triathlon for more than a decade Done over 10 Ironman races (usually in top 25% of age group but never a Kona qualifier) Have probably overemphasized zone 2 and MAF training at the expense of high end speed. (Not probably, most certainly!) The Questions that i have not heard answers for: There have been previous questions about marathon pace, training pace, etc. How would you determine what your “race pace” and your “training pace” should be when training for something like the run on an Ironman or 70.3? Is there a resource or table or calculator or something to put someone in the ballpark? With training, would you emphasize HR or perceived effort instead of actual pace? I’ve heard you talk about pulling the plug on a run interval/track workout when you stopped hitting target times. Are there benefits (such as mental toughness) for continuing the workout even when you miss your pace? And how does this apply to a swim workout? Shouldn’t you finish the swim anyway? (Back in my competitive swimming days, if we missed the interval we just stopped getting rest but had to keep going until we finished the set.) During a longer run my range of motion gradually declines. (God help me if my shoes become untied!) Would it be smart to stretch and/or do dynamic movements? It seems like stretching is not the way to go but maybe something like butt kicks and knee slaps would. Would that improve or revive the run? What the Coaches Say: If you’ve chosen the correct interval, then yes you should stop when you’re not hitting it. If you’re failing then that means you’re not doing yourself any favors to keep going. Save “mental toughness” training for race-specific workouts (like long bricks). You might be able to change an interval session to a threshold session if you’re not hitting the intervals, but this isn’t for “mental toughness.” Lucho does optional FTP tests, where you start off with a 20’ interval at best effort on the bike. If you’re failing at that then you dial back to mid-zone 4 and do it for 2×20’. He never does that for track workouts though. Swim intervals are different because it’s not as hard on your body. You can probably continue to push through a swim workout, even if you’re not hitting the intervals. Just don’t push through shoulder issues. There’s a downside to mental toughness: if you continue to plow through workouts when you’re tired and not performing then you’ll dig yourself into a hole and not be able to perform at all eventually. For tightening up on the run, an isometric (flexing the muscle) would probably be best. Doing something like a walking lunge into a RDL hold would work well, or just standing up on your toes. Back planks (reverse supermans) will also help. Knee slaps and bounding will be good for knees and calves. Definitely avoid static stretching! Also be wary of tension in your traps/shoulder. Shake arms out during long runs. The post ATC 295: Split Long Runs – Why and When Are They A Good Idea, Plus: Hamstring Healing, Bailing on Interval Workouts, and More first appeared on Endurance Planet.

Sponsor: Have you explored Nourish Balance Thrive yet? It’s the wellness solution created for athletes, by athletes. The NBT team can help you heal fatigue, insomnia, hormonal or digestive problems so you can regain peak performance! Nourish Balance Thrive has a carefully cultivated tools to better assess your health.   On this episode we’re joined by two legends of endurance sport, Dr. Phil Maffetone and six-time Ironman World Champion Mark Allen. Mark had a 15-year professional triathlon career in which he was coached by Phil starting in the 1980s. Working with Phil led to Mark discover the MAF Method, which he now uses for athletes he coaches at Mark Allen Coaching. Mark is also starting a new project called 1989thestory.com consisting of 10 stories that will be written by he and Dave Scott about the year leading up to their 1989 classic battle. On this show we talk all about the benefits to hiring a coach, using the MAF Method, and also some great stories from Mark and Phil about the “good ol’ days.” Mark’s history racing in Nice, France and 10-time win at the triathlon there. Phil and Mark met in late 1983, and shortly after started working together. Prior to Phil, Mark was training “stupid” by going too hard too often getting injured, sick and burned out often–until he switched to MAF. The MAF philosophy is to gain fitness without destroying yourself. Heart rate training back in the ’80s and Mark’s first MAF Test experience at 25 years old. Mark went from 8:30 pace to 5:30 pace with MAF. Discipline with MAF is a key component to making it work. Mark ran 45-55 miles per week to get those results + patience (others gave up but Mark stuck with it). Speedwork is fine tuning the system after developing the aerobic base. Phil’s story: Like so many of us, was he once a “no pain no gain” guy in his athletic journey before he formulated the MAF Method? 1980 NYC marathon, he wasn’t as healthy as he should have been and he realized he was in an imbalance and his health was not optimal, giving birth to the idea of balancing health and fitness. Phil’s early days with the MAF Method–did he ever doubt or question whether it’d work when he first started trying it out on athletes? Mark uses MAF as the foundation of coaching his athletes. The benefits of using HR are deep to guide athletes. For example, is one data point such as FTP or pace enough to gauge fitness gains? No, use in combo with HR. Podcast: Myth of Non-Responders What happens when Mark sees an athlete not responding to MAF? Look at variables OTHER THAN training alone–family issues, job, sleep, diet, and so on. Our body can only handle so much stress. Benefits of having a coach who’s using MAF “The fact is we all need some health.”–Phil “A coach helps you have a better experience in sport.”–Mark Often trying to be your own coach backfires. The problem of “no pain no gain.” Mark & Phil give their opinions on group workouts and the camaraderie? Training volume and choosing race distances–coaches will help you set the pace to get to your goals. Using total time vs. mileage for workouts. MAF for longevity: Mark used MAF 13 out of 15 of his years as a professional triathlete, he’s a testament to the MAF Method working for health & wellness into later years in life. He doesn’t have any chronic injuries as he ages unlike many of his peers. Mark has intuitively adjusted his MAF over the years even now at age 61? Generally, he sticks to the formula and makes minor adjustments as needed and based on feel/results. His MAF pace has slowed down a lot (according to him). Be willing to make adjustments to your MAF heart rate as the years go by and then measure results. If you spend many years pushing things your health might be similar to someone who’s unhealthy and overweight and it may take longer to get results–so have patience and trust! The post Mark Allen & Phil Maffetone: The Benefits of Having a Coach and MAF for Athletic Longevity first appeared on Endurance Planet.

Sponsor: You hear us talk about UCAN all the time. Many of our athletes and listeners swear by it. How about you? Maybe you’re ready to try UCAN but don’t know where to start? We have the perfect solution: Click here to get 50% off your UCAN Tri Starter pack. The Tri Starter Pack includes a sample of all the best UCAN products for just $17.50, normally $35. This deal is exclusive to our EP audience and not offered to the general public. It won’t last forever so take advantage while it’s here! Note: Tawnee and Lucho differ slightly from strict MAF in some ways. What they present in this podcast is based on their years of experience coaching athletes and seeing how these protocols play out in the real world. You can read Dr. Maffetone’s book to get the pure MAF details. MAF Basics: MAF = max aerobic function; it’s not an abbreviation of Phil Maffetone’s name, and it’s not m-a-t-h. Training philosophy developed by Phil over decades of practice (since the early 1980s). MAF is a metabolic approach to heart rate training (not cardiovascular) that is aimed at putting you in a maximum fat-burning zone. Benefits to overall health; avoid being fit but unhealthy. Examples: better manage stress, avoid overtraining, decrease inflammation, burn fat for fuel (even when not exercising), injury prevention, enhanced endurance, etc. Requires attention to overall health, wellbeing, clean diet, etc., in order to get max benefits (e.g. it’s not just about running!). Show mention: 8 Steps to mastering MAF MAF Application: Why you would choose to do a MAF program vs all the other training programs out there? People who thrive on intensity will not enjoy or even benefit from MAF. Type 3 neurotypes who love order and dislike risk will likely love MAF. What are your goals? If you’re interested in true health benefits, then MAF is for you. But if you care about shorter, faster races then MAF won’t necessarily help you get there. Even if it doesn’t jive with your personality, MAF might be right for you if you need to make lifestyle/mental shifts to regain balance. Finding your MAF heart rate with 180 Formula and why it’s ok to be a bit loose with the exact MAF HR number. Your MAF HR is a range of plus or minus 5 beats. You don’t need to be obsessive compulsive on staying exactly on the beat. If you do a metabolic test in a lab you can adjust your MAF HR according to those findings (e.g. very good fat burners may see that they have a higher MAF HR than when using 180 formula). Show mention: more on metabolic testing Listen to our shows with Dina Griffin (this is about maximizing your nutrition for run performance). If you’re a great fat burner, you might be able to continue burning fat even if you’re running at a high HR. In that case, don’t use your crossover HR to guide your MAF runs. Switch to running by feel. A MAF run should feel easy. How much volume is needed on a MAF program to get results (this is a big one). Is there a general minimum people should look to hit, e.g. 10 mpw? 20 mpw? 30 mpw? Or is this idea bogus? The amount of volume you need depends on where you’re starting from. Look at what you’ve been doing for the past 4-6 weeks. If you haven’t been running, then start with just 6 miles a week. It’s important to slowly build your confidence. Let’s say you’ve been running 20 mpw for the past 4-6 weeks, and you’re feeling good but not necessarily seeing improvements in your pace. It’s time to increase your volume appropriately. Don’t just double your long run! Think about the workout you’ll have the next day… and the next. Play the long game. To find your own optimal volume when doing MAF, consider two variables: how much time do you have and how durable are you? Cut the run short if you ever start to feel shaky or weak. How to do a MAF test: Eat the same thing (at the same time) before every test. Ideally, you would be eating a more high-fat meal beforehand, rather than high-carb. Don’t radically change your diet before your first test. Go to a track (it formalizes and standardizes the test). Do a sub-MAF warm up for 10-20 minutes, and slowly build up to MAF HR. Run 3-7 miles at your MAF HR (really stick to it), using your watch to record the average pace per mile. Depending on your level of fitness, you will see your MAF pace increase as you fatigue. If you’re not feeling well after the first mile, scrap the test! Something is off, and you don’t need to let the test results bother you. Carry on with the run, but don’t use the results. Re-test later when you’re rested and conditions are optimal (extreme heat and cold will definitely impact the test). Adding intensity vs volume – when your MAF test plateaus and/or you’re ready to increase training load, how do you know whether to add more MAF volume or start adding intensity? When your MAF test plateaus then you’re likely able to handle some intensity. It’s less optimal to just add intensity because you have a race coming up and you want to aggressively push your goals. Lucho’s favorite way to add intensity is through long tempo runs, hill repeats, or 3-6x 1000s. What to do if you’re just not responding to MAF or you’re not getting faster when doing MAF (this is another big one we get). There’s no such thing as a “non-responder.” There’s always a variable you can tweak: Show mention: Myth of non-responders The biggest limiting factor is time. If you simply don’t have enough time to get better through MAF, then you might benefit from some intensity. If you’re not responding to MAF, it might be because you’re not doing MAF correctly. Make sure you’re sticking to +/-5 your MAF HR and not going dramatically over. Another limiting factor might be running economy. Consider doing strides or other running drills to improve cadence. Lastly, diet might be the issue if your MAF isn’t improving. What to do when your MAF pace is fast or too hard, and applying sub-MAF training for certain athletes especially ultrarunners. Get away from MAF. MAF should be zone 2 effort. You can also do more interval work to increase speed. The post ATC 294: MAF Method Guide – The Coaches Outline Everything You Need To Know For MAF Training first appeared on Endurance Planet.

Sponsor: You can support Endurance Planet when you shop on Amazon! It’s super easy: Just be sure to open Amazon via enduranceplanet.com—it’s just one extra click to link to Amazon through the sidebar banner (to the right of the page) or click the Amazon links in the show notes. Thanks for supporting the show. Welcome to episode 9 of Holistic Performance Nutrition featuring Coach Tawnee and Julie McCloskey, a certified holistic nutrition coach who you can find over at wildandwell.fit. Intro Banter Tawnee’s vanlife adventures take them up the California coast, but they are putting full-time vanlife on hold for now. Julie just got finished hiking the Wonderland Trail and you can read her blog about it here.   Study mention: Quercetin phytosome® in triathlon athletes: a pilot registry study.   Why Do Vegans Get Looked at As Unhealthy? Angela asks: I really enjoy your podcast. I do wonder though how it’s always assumed that vegans are more likely to require supplements than omnivorous people. As a vegan it’s tiresome. So if there are stats I’m not aware of I would be open to hearing about it. I follow so many plant-based athletes and nutrition gurus that it’s jarring to hear vegans referred to as deficient in vitamins or minerals due to diet.  What the coaches say: Whatever diet you adopt, understand WHY you are eating that way. Meat is one of the most nutrient-dense food sources on the planet. Vegan diets, in many cases, may only temporarily make you feel better, and there’s nothing wrong with eating more plants, but at one point you may find yourself craving meats and animal-based foods – honor those cravings because they are there for a reason. Bioavailability – in many cases animal-based sources are much better than plant-based foods in terms of bioavailability. Bioavailability means the portion of a nutrient that is absorbed in the digestive tract. Conversion – many plant foods do not easily convert into nutrients found in animal-based foods.  ALA conversion is poor in humans: 5-10% for EPA and 2-5% for DHA.  Chris Kresser says, “On average, less than 0.5% of ALA gets converted into the long-chain EPA & DHA, and that number is even worse in people that are chronically ill or have nutrient deficiencies (common in vegans and vegetarians).” Are plant proteins as bioavailable as plant-based protein sources? Beta carotene found in plant foods, which is inefficient at converting to vitamin A. Nutrients at risk on all plant-based diet: Vitamin A Vitamin B12 Vitamin D – high levels in seafood, dairy, eggs, organ; not much in plant based foods (the sun may not be enough for many of us) Calcium Iron Zinc Iodine Choline Selenium Creatine Taurine Methionine Glycine Omegas-3s, EPA and DHA Testing nutrient levels is tricky. So look to symptoms, listen to your body! If you feel off, irritated, fatigued, sad, etc., those are all signs. Even supplements aren’t a perfect solution. Bioavailability is limited in many supplements. Vegan Diets: practical advice for athletes and exercisers B12 – “The body appears to have a limited capacity to absorb vitamin B12 supplements orally [88, 89], which is limited by the presence of intrinsic factor, a glycoprotein secreted by the stomach that combines with B12 prior to absorption in the small intestine [89]. For an ingested 500 mcg oral supplement, only an approximated 10 mcg might be absorbed [89]. Because of this poor bioavailability, sublingual drops, lozenges and transdermal products have been developed and marketed under the pretence that they offer better absorption, however research supporting these claims could not be found when writing this article.” B12 is needed for nervous system function, red blood cell formation, etc, and you can’t get from plants. Food prep matters: Phytates and lectins found in plant foods may further inhibit absorption rates of nutrients (e.g. iron and other essential minerals). Soak and sprout grains, nuts, seeds, etc. for optimal nutrition. EAT diet, which is high in plant-based foods and very low in animal proteins, is deficient in the following nutrients according to work by Zoe Harcombe: B12 Retinol – the form of vitamin A we need since we can’t rely on carotene to be converted. Vitamin D Vitamin K – 71% in this diet was K1 in broccoli, but K2 from animals is better absorbed Sodium Calcium Potassium Iron – 94% in the EAT-Lancet diet is from plant-based forms of iron. But heme iron from animal products is more bioavailable than most plant forms of iron. Environmental concerns of eating meat. We can still consume meat and feel good about how we are treating planet, by consciously choosing where we get our meat – grassfed, wild, organic, small local farms, etc. Listen to this show with Chris Kresser and Diana Rogers to understand more! Shop at farmers markets, visit farms. One more thing on B12: This study showed: 92 percent of vegans and 77 percent of vegetarians were deficient, compared to just 11 percent of omnivores. Vegan subjects and, to a lesser degree, subjects in the LV-LOV group had metabolic features indicating vitamin B-12 deficiency that led to a substantial increase in total homocysteine concentrations. Vitamin B-12 status should be monitored in vegetarians. Health aspects of vegetarianism should be considered in the light of possible damaging effects arising from vitamin B-12 deficiency and hyperhomocysteinemia. Nutritional epidemiology Context matters! Correlation does not equal causation. SO when we hear “meat is bad” studies that is NOT telling the whole story because often it’s about context. The people eating meat in these studies Correlation does not mean causation. Here’s a good website that will make you see this: Spurious Correlations Diana Rogers’ upcoming documentary Sacred Cow. Real deal with canola oil and navigating our fat and oil intake? Mary asks: Hi EP Team! It’s Mary from Carbondale, CO – I’ve been enjoying listening to Lucho on ATC and liking the new HPN podcasts too! I have a topic that I’d love to hear about on HPN at some point down the road – fats and oils! I know we’ve pretty much covered it before, and I’m a fan of healthy fats for sure. I use ghee or avocado oil for high-heat cooking, and coconut oil (“organic unrefined cold-pressed virgin”, kind of hilarious) or EVOO or grass-fed butter for stuff under about 350 degrees. I see canola oil and sunflower oil in just about everything, especially dressings and even some of the nut milks that I thought would be good for coffee (I don’t seem to do cup-full amounts of dairy very well). I was liking this oat milk for coffee that foamed nicely because, latte snobbery, but it says it has “rapeseed oil” in it – is that like canola? I think the upshot is that anything processed, stay away from or have less of. Is canola oil really that bad? If there’s any science about fat and oil consumption we should know (like, is there a “worst” time to have them as it relates to exercise), or any other reminders for the audience or stuff I mentioned above that’s not quite right, I’d love to hear it! What the coaches say: Canola oil Neither of us use canola oil.  Canola oil was created through plant-breeding in order to get rid of 2 undesirable components of rapeseed – glucosinolates and erucic acid The new plant was named Canola, a mix of Canadian and Oil (ola) But they belong to the same family (mustard/cabbage) Canola as heart healthy? Nope. It consists of PUFA which are highly reactive to heat. In the refining process there are many steps exposing canola to heat which damages and destroys any of the “good” omega 3s. Resulting molecules cause inflammation and damage. “If we could somehow get canola oil out of the seed without exposing it to heat, it would be good for us. But nobody can.” – Cate Shanahan Trans Fat – Vegetable oils like canola contain mostly heat-sensitive PUFAs and when heated these fragile fats turn into toxic compounds including trans fat, which can multiply in your body. Oils can be reused in restaurants for up to a week, getting more and more toxic with every use. Fried foods are especially dangerous. Contributor to disease? Links with: osteoarthritis, inflammation, IBS IBD, heart disease, diabetes and obesity, autoimmune, asthma. Why have these oils been marked as heart healthy? Read Big Fat Surprise or anything about Ancel Keys and all that to get the backstory. What’s the balance? Is any and all exposure to these heats bad, or is a little ok in small quantities? What is the ratio we should strive for when it comes to good vs. bad fat & oil consumption? How to best approach and not become “orthorexic” about it. Control what you can control – hands down choose good healthy oils at home! When you are out in the world, don’t worry too much about every component of your food, including the oils and fats used. However, if and when you can still control it, that is a good idea. e.g. salad dressing on the side, request olive oil instead, don’t be afraid to ask food servers about fats and oils that are being used and request alternatives if that’s possible, and so on. The stress over fearing what’s in food may be more dangerous to you health than the occasional canola oil consumption. The post HPN 9: Do Plant-Based Diets Risk Nutrient Deficiencies? Plus: Quercetin Benefits, and the Real Deal With Canola Oil first appeared on Endurance Planet.

Sponsor: You hear us talk about UCAN all the time. Many of our athletes and listeners swear by it. How about you? Maybe you’re ready to try UCAN but don’t know where to start? We have the perfect solution: Click here to get 50% off your UCAN Tri Starter pack. The Tri Starter Pack includes a sample of all the best UCAN products for just $17.50, normally $35. This deal is exclusive to our EP audience and not offered to the general public. It won’t last forever so take advantage while it’s here! Announcements We have a bunch of new EP gear for men, women, kids and babies over at enduranceplanet.com/gear. Get your hands on some and send us a pic of you sporting the logo! Wanna run Ragnar SoCal with the EP team? It’s April 3-4, 2020 and our team is almost full (but we can always do a second team). To find out more, email us at events@enduranceplanet.com. We’re also bringing back our EP newsletter so if you want exclusive content you can sign up for that in the box right above this post in the header, and we promise not to spam you; it’ll just be once a month. Also do you have a cool race story to share? You can submit your race report to admin@enduranceplanet.com, for a chance to be featured in our EP newsletter. We ask that any race reports be limited to ~500 words. Looking forward to hearing more from you guys and all the cool things you’re doing out there! Intro Tawnee did her first MAF test averaging 10:40 pace and felt great afterwards (which is how you should feel after a MAF test). No pressure to advance right away; priority number one is health and family. Tawnee’s favorite workout these days is 3-4 miles at MAF and finishing the final mile 1-min on/1-min off ALL OUT. Lucho is still sporadically hitting the track and hasn’t lost anything, even though he’s not training intensely anymore. Clint asks: Training and top 5 exercises for an explosive mile Hey Lucho and Tawnee! I have been listening to Endurance Planet from the beginning and I am still stoked and educated by every podcast. Awesome work. I am a 40 year old ultra-endurance-running-junkie living on a small island in the Caribbean. I have been running for 20 years and have done everything from 5k’s to hundred mile runs,  but I have mostly been ultra-centric. I always spend a part of my year, about three months, focused on speed, and then move into training for ultras for the rest of the year. I often follow a Jack Daniels Plan for speed and then one of his marathon plans for ultras. I have done loads of MAF effort training. I like to run between 40-60 miles a week. Peaking around 80-mile weeks. I do lots of strength work-4 days a week(because I love it). All my strength work is body weight or done with a weighted back pack. No machines and no dumbbells. (Except for leg extensions.) I do a push day, pull day, legs twice a week and a core day. I also add in some skill practice-handstands, dragon flags, l-sits and human flags. So, since turning 40 I have set the goal to run faster and stronger in my forties and try for personal records in all distances. 100 mile, 50 mile, marathon, half-marathon, 10K, 5K and one mile. This weekend I will try for a PR at the 50 mile distance at the Ice Age Trail 50 mile. Need to go under 8:00 hours. Next, I want to train to PR at the 1- mile distance. The goal is below 5 minutes. Here’s the questions: How should I structure a week, month, block to run my fastest mile? What would be your top five leg exercises to get faster, stronger for a mile? Thanks for years of motivation and education. What the Coaches Say: As far as structuring the training, Lucho recommends Daniels’ plan (although Lucho critiques it for going to fast too soon, but this shouldn’t be a problem for you because of your strength work). Periodization in 4 blocks, 6 weeks each (but Lucho thinks stretching it out to 8-10 weeks is better for the first 2 blocks). Lucho thinks a 30-week program would be better. Genetics do play a part here: do you have the durability to train to run a fast mile? To avoid overtraining, stop a track workout if you’re not hitting your splits. Remember, you’re not a robot. Just because you program your training a certain way doesn’t mean your body is going to respond as expected. Be aware of psychological and physiological nuance during your training and adjust accordingly. Any time you have a race distance with a specific time goal, you have to shift your thinking toward specific percentages of effort level and speed. Lucho’s top five leg exercises Hip extension – power and durability Hamstring eccentric Nordic hamstring Jump rope Hills Tawnee’s top five leg exercises Elevated reverse lunge with hop (trx) Plyo- Box jumps, lateral bounds, squat jumps SL RDL Pistol squats or modified version Push press Other good exercises Squat/DLs Bosu ball squat and lunges Trx knee drives with jump Half kneeling press Power cleans Planks w/ knee drive, try having hands on bosu ball or medicine ball OH walking lunges Vicky asks: At An Athletic Crossroads – What’s Next? I’m 60 years old and have been doing triathlons and marathons since my early 20s.  The past 5 years I’ve been on a racing team, and competing mostly in road races ranging in 5k to marathon distance.  I’ve also added in a few ultras along the way and most of them went very well. I completed an Ironman 10 years ago, and have stuck to Spring and Olympic distance since then.  I’m always on the podium when I do them, and last summer managed to get the Masters Award for a series (the only tri’s I did). I’m also a running coach and have coached quite a few swimmers over the years – fitness is a huge part of my life. Currently I find myself at a crossroads and I’m simply looking for some ideas, and I know you guys have a lot of them!  I finally accomplished a goal I’ve been chasing for years this past June, which was to finish 1st place in my age group in the local Grand Prix in Jacksonville, FL,  which is a year long series of races of every distance. I worked very hard for it, and after chasing it for so long, I find myself at a bit of a loss. Knowing I was probably going to accomplish my long term goal this year, I decided to do something for myself, which may sound strange, but I finally scheduled and got an abdominoplasty. This basically tightened the ab muscles which had separated due to pregnancy, and got rid of the excess skin than no amount of ab work could fix.  The down side is a very long recovery before I can get back to my normal Type A self. I’ve already pushed the envelope a bit when it comes to recovery, but I’m trying very hard to take it easy.  I have a husband who constantly reminds me to do so, and doesn’t expect much of anything from me till I heal.  I had the surgery June 24th, and I’m currently walking around 3 miles a day at about an 18 minute mile pace. This has been harder than I expected as my stomach is still extremely tight, and I try not to use my abs for much of anything. So…., I haven’t even thought much about when I can run again, but I’m wondering about my approach when I do.  I truly believe in taking my slow runs slow, and then doing speed, tempo, etc, on other days. (Most of the people I run with are always running faster than me, but then I beat them when we race.)  I’m toying with the idea of doing the MAF method when I start back to running, although I have some difficulty with the heart rates. My resting heart rate is high 40s, and even in a 5K when I’m pushing hard, it rarely goes above 155. The other thing is I have no goals for the future which feels very odd.  I haven’t done much tri training the last few years simply because I got bored with it.  I’ve considered getting back into it and trying to make it to Nationals (I could have gone this year if not for the surgery.)  I’ve also considered doing something really different and focusing on very short distances “a la Lucho” just because I’m terrible at them.  I also do some kayak racing occasionally (not very accomplished in it since I only do it occasionally), so that’s another thought. Just looking for ideas here! If you have any thoughts, I’d love to hear them.  I’m retired now, so I have lots of time to train and a husband who will do most things with me. (He doesn’t do speed work, but he’s a good runner and kayaker, which we always do together.) What the Coaches Say: Lucho can relate because when he wanted to make a change he was searching for something that was totally out of his wheelhouse and would benefit him while aging: track hit the target for him. What drives you? What haven’t you done before? Tawnee encourages you to shift away from the number focus. Have you thought about adventure racing or orienteering? You might start to find out more about yourself as an athlete and person if you’re doing one of these athletic feats that are self-supported. Other water sports to consider: Paddle boarding SCUBA diving The next thing will come to you if you open yourself up to the possibilities. Ally asks: Achilles Bursitis and Ironman I was recently diagnosed with Achilles bursitis and given some PT exercises and prescribed rest. The injury occurred after I raced Chattanooga Ironman 70.3. My shoe got wet and I think it rubbed the bursa to an inflamed status. I am registered for my first full this year at Ironman Florida. The race is on Nov. 2 and I’m afraid I won’t heal in time. My PT said I should be fine but I feel impending doom!  I can swim and bike without pain but running does irritate the bursa. Should I look to transfer my race to a 70.3 and just accept the facts? I don’t want to wait too long and have all of the decent races fill up and be out a big chunk of money. What the Coaches Say: Why is this happening? This kind of injury doesn’t happen out of the blue. Beware of signs in the future: Weak feet, overuse, inflammation, stress, overtraining. If the run foundation is already there, you’ll be fine for the race. But if running isn’t your strength, then transferring the race might be a good call. You also need to analyze your expectations. Do you want to qualify for Kona or just compete? The answer will direct your race decision. At the end of the day, though, you don’t want to sacrifice your long-term health. Tendons require some stimulation in order to heal, but this takes the form of mild isometric holds (not Ironman training). Tawnee follows people like the Sock Doc for treating these kinds of things, so going along those lines: No stretching Rest in the very acute phase Don’t aggravate achilles area, focus on area behind your legs (directly up from A) FOCUS ON CALVES Scraping – go down the belly of a muscle and try to line those fibers up. And that’s now proven that lining those fibers up and approximating these fibers helps to heal injuries. trigger point therapy Calf massage all the way up into rear knee area massage stick When ready, strengthen foot – don’t over rest No orthotics “The more foot can stay closer to the ground, the more you can walk barefoot, the more you can use minimalist shoes, and very little support or cushion, the more you’ll strengthen your feet and get over injury quicker and prevent other injuries.” Sock Doc, but keep in mind that this is also something that comes with time, don’t jump in if still inflamed and in pain. Eat well, anti-inflammatory foods Manage overall stress The post ATC 293: Top 5 Exercises For An Explosive Mile, Achilles Bursitis, and Facing An Athletic Crossroads first appeared on Endurance Planet.

Sponsor: You hear us talk about UCAN all the time. Many of our athletes and listeners swear by it. How about you? Maybe you’re ready to try UCAN but don’t know where to start? We have the perfect solution: Click here to get 50% off your UCAN Tri Starter pack. The Tri Starter Pack includes a sample of all the best UCAN products for just $17.50, normally $35. This deal is exclusive to our EP audience and not offered to the general public. It won’t last forever so take advantage while it’s here! Announcements We have even more new EP gear (including baby onesies and kids t-shirts) over at enduranceplanet.com/gear. Our team for Ragnar SoCal on April 3-4, 2020 is quickly forming and we’re almost full (we can always do a second team). To get in email us at events@enduranceplanet.com. We’re also bringing back our EP newsletter so if you want exclusive content you can sign up for that on our website and we promise not to spam you; it’ll just be once a month. Also do you have a cool race story to share? You can submit your race report to admin@enduranceplanet.com, for a chance to be featured in our EP newsletter. We ask that any race reports be limited to 500 words. Looking forward to hearing more from you guys and all the cool things you’re doing out there! Study Discussion Step Frequency Training Improves Running Economy in Well-Trained Female Runners The purpose of this study was to determine whether a short training program to increase step frequency to approximately 180 s·min in well-trained female runners who had step frequencies likely to be suboptimal (176 s·min) would elicit improvements in RE. An additional aim of the study was to see whether a short training program could be effective in learning to run with a higher step frequency. Variables that affect RE: hip joint angle, knee angle, step length, and step frequency. Tartaruga et al. (43) found that 28% of the variability in RE could be explained by step frequency. It seems that an optimal (i.e., most economical) step frequency of approximately 180 s·min21 is observed in elite distance runners. de Ruiter et al. (38) found that both novice and trained runners self-selected stride frequencies that were, respectively, 9% and 3% lower than optimal. Numerous studies have noted that spatiotemporal gait parameters affect RE. What they did: 22 Female runners who had (a) a 5-km personal record time between 17 and 22 minutes within the last year; (b) been running regularly for at least 5 years; and (c) a current step frequency ,176 s·min21 were recruited for this study. Experimental and control groups ran on a treadmill for 15 minutes for 10 consecutive days. The experimental group received step frequency training while the control group received no step training and ran at their preferred step rate. Before and after the 10-day training program, RE was measured at 2 velocities (3.4 and 3.8 m·s), and the groups were compared. Before running, the foot switch was attached, and the metronome was set to 180 b·min and used to help subjects run at this step frequency. The foot switch equipped data acquisition system provided real-time step frequencies, and the subjects were cued if they needed to increase or decrease step frequency. Subjects were encouraged to remember each training session and try to replicate the 180 s·min during daily training runs that took place after the treadmill training session. 3.4 m·s is 7:53 mile pace (4:54 km) and 3.8 m·s is 7:04 pace (4:23 km). Results: Increased their step frequency by 8.2% at 3.4 m·s and by 5.7% at 3.8 m·s. Increased their step frequency from ~165 to ~179 at 3.4 m·s and from ~170 to ~180 at 3.8 m·s. Significant changes in step length were observed at both running velocities as step frequency increased. 14.1% and 8.7% lower oxygen consumption values at 3.4 and 3.8 m·s, respectively, compared with the control group. Post-training oxygen consumption was 8.6%  and 3.2% lower than pre-training at the two velocities. HR was 4.8% and 5.4% lower in experimental vs. control at the two velocities, and this was achieved at a higher step frequency and lower oxygen consumption. Optimizing RE involves a complex combination of biomechanical, physiological, and neuromuscular components (2), and in this study, we sought to alter only one variable and, thus, simplify what a runner needed to concentrate on. After training and after running at a higher step frequency, a lower energy demand was most likely developed, whether it be through alterations in movement pattern that minimized wasted energy or through improved elastic energy storage and recoil. As a result of the lower energy requirements, the heart would not have to pump as fast to meet the oxygen demands of the working muscle. This method proved to be more effective than the POSE running technique at making runners more effective. POSE is considered the holy grail of running, but it involves a lot of variables. Changing too much too quickly leads to injury. Sand Running Conner Sanders I am a 28 year old male and have been a triathlete for 5 years. I grew up a swimmer, then packed on weight (good and bad) to play football in college. I’ve since lost the weight and am in good fitness overall. I specialize at the swim and bike as a result of my years of swimming and weight training, but my run is definitely my weak link. I swam from about 5-17 years old and did very few sports that involved running before high school, leading me to think that maybe I’ve just not developed my CNS enough for my running to reach the same level as my swim and bike. I happen to live next to a beautiful and long beach and plenty of cross country trails. Do you think that it would be worth the time to do a run every other week on the sand or trails to try and stimulate my brain to muscle connection more? Or would I be better off using that time for a quality session at the track? Typically I do a long run on the weekend, 1 recovery run, 1 track workout and 1 aerobic run per week. Maybe I swap my recovery run with an easy beach or trail run? I don’t swim often, and my bike structure roughly mimics the run. Also, if I’m training purely for sprints and Olympic do I even need a “long” bike and run? I tend to keep those long efforts at 2-3 hours at most during sprint/olympic training seasons. The coaches say: What’s your injury history? Swimmers tend to have muscular-skeletal issues. Sand would definitely exacerbate any problems there. Sand running will not help you become a more economical runner, because it has a huge ground contact time. It would be better for you to follow the protocol discussed previously to increase your cadence. Sand could cause achilles heel overstretching, which is no good. Trails would be great, but they won’t solve your problems. You don’t need technical running experience. Hill intervals could be helpful to build leg strength. The best thing you could do would be a quality workout on the track. Lucho would start you with 40s and 50s or strides (20-40 seconds). Take a 20m buildup then sprint for 30-40m on a soft running surface. This works on a pure nervous system level. The key here is to NOT GO TOO LONG (less than 8 seconds at max effort; maybe less than 6 seconds). Do 1 or 2 reps on your first time. You want minimal effective dose. Don’t do anything you can’t handle. This is violent exercise! Tawnee warns about running in the hard sand at the shoreline where there could be a slope. This would cause muscular imbalances over time. If you have no injury history, Lucho and Tawnee recommend tempo intervals during your aerobic run at a little faster than 5K pace for 4-5x 30 seconds. It should feel fun, like you’re a little kid rearing to go. This shouldn’t have any recovery implications. Alternatively you can end an aerobic run with a fast finish. For Olympic distance, you don’t need to do more than 90 minutes on the run. A 2-3 hour bike is ok. Running Together Brennan Fox I have been struggling to find a good method to run with my partner when there is a significant speed difference between us (6:30 min/mi vs 10 min/mile).  I am curious if you guys have any suggestions for ways to run together where we can both get a good workout in. I bit more important info. My partner has a tough time running alone due to anxiety and although I regularly encourage her to train with others, she has not found any friends that she is comfortable running with since we have lived together. The coaches say: Lucho thinks you should be a good partner and run with your girlfriend, but supplement that with extra running before or after. You’re going to be compromising yourself by altering your gait to run slower, but so be it. Be cautious, but at the end of the day, it’s important to be a good partner. Alternately, you could go to the track together and run at different paces but still be within .25 miles of each other. If there’s a flat, barren road where your girlfriend feels safe, you can run at different speeds but still be in sight of each other while doing out-and-backs. Consider getting a dog as a running buddy for protection. Breathing Techniques  Keith Mason I saw a youtube video recommending a two nose in two mouth out belly breathing while running. Any thoughts? I do 3 miles technical trail on Tues, either 6 200m sprint intervals or 6 100m hill repeats on Wed, 4-5 miles on Friday and 8to -10 miles on Sunday.( working up 13 )  Had angioplasty April 25 to clean out the artery in my right leg and am running much better. I mow 3 lawns a day Mon- Fri.I do 30 min mobility on Mon, Thurs and Sat. I’m trying to work in two days of strength work but not sure when, as I don’t like to lift the night before I run. I’ve tried to lift Sunday after my long run, but It’s tough. I’m 82. Thanks, Kieth Mason, Georgetown, TX The coaches say: Lucho’s never been a huge fan of this breathing technique. Why were they recommending it? If you need to breathe, then breathe. Especially on hill repeats and any kind of hypoxic training. You might consider playing around with this technique on easy 3 mile aerobic runs. It’s worth a try to see if it helps you. If it does, great. If it doesn’t then don’t do it. If you’re thinking so much about your breathing that you start messing up other things, then you’ll run into problems. If you really want to focus on breathing, try focusing on your breath during meditation or in regular life (even when you’re mowing lawns!) How you breathe outside of running will impact how you breathe during the run. Lucho recommends this kind of breathing when you’re done with a hard workout to help get back into parasympathetic mode. Belly breathing is very helpful to calm your system down. The post ATC 292: Is Your Stride Rate Helping or Hurting Your Run Economy? Plus: Boosting Neuromuscular Fitness, Safety in Numbers, and More first appeared on Endurance Planet.

Sponsor: Our shop page includes the gold-standard supplements by Thorne Research that athletes trust. Whether for performance, improving wellbeing or enhancing health (or all of the above) Thorne Research will have a formula that fits your needs and it’ll be backed by clinical research and 100% quality. Some of our favorites by Thorne include Multivitamin Elite, Vitamin D/K2 drops, Basic Prenatal, Cal-Mag Citrate, Creatine, Meriva 500-SF, Bio-Gest (digestive enzyme), L-Glutamine Powder, Iron Bisglycinate, Beta-Alanine, Basic B Complex, and Thorne’s Sleep Bundle for Athletes.   Intro Banter Julie shares about her sciatica, and despite the setback focusing on what she can do. Wonderland trail around Mt. Rainer. Can’t get down about injuries, there are lessons to be learned! Today’s topic on pregnancy: Pregnancy is a sensitive and emotionally-charged topic. The goal of this show is to help you decide what is best for you, know the right questions to ask, and help you do your best. Pregnancy is mysterious in many ways, and so much of it is out of our control.   Casey Asks Trying To Conceive I am a longtime listener and have learned a lot from you guys throughout my ultra-endurance career. This question has nothing to do with any of that. I listen to all the usual health and fitness podcasts but have had a difficult time getting any real information. My wife and I have been trying to get pregnant for about 8 months unsuccessfully. Its crazy how much we have learned about the reproductive system over that time and I am somewhat embarrassed to admit I was (am) completely clueless how to have a baby. There is so much more to it than the obvious. My question for you ladies is what type of diet/supplements/vitamins or other protocols should we be eating/doing to put our bodies in the most fertile, primed for reproduction, state? Our diets are not bad, not perfect but generally we eat a lot of veggies and meats from a local farm. I am an endurance athlete, my wife not so much. Actually I’m concerned that my training is partially to blame. I have run multiple ultramarathons and tons of marathons and Spartan races over the past few years. I do feel as though my testosterone had taken a hit due to all the miles on the road. I’ve actually taken the past year off and recently feel like it’s starting to rebound. I bought a Peloton (spin bike) and started to run a little again lately as I’ve committed to an ultra Ragnar (32 miles over a day and a half, race is not until October) so my plan is to maintain fitness without compromising my health.  What the Coaches Say: Truths: Getting pregnant is often harder than many of us expect it will be. Sex cannot be a chore! Keep it fun! Sex can be destroyed when it’s all about ovulation and pregnancy. Timing your ovulation to conceive can mess with your head and it’s important to not get overly obsessed with data. Don’t just point fingers at the woman, a man’s health needs to be checked too. Get male sperm tested Volume Count Motility Form Male infertility causes and signs Dietary deficiency, environmental toxicity, and so on. Considered if there is low sperm count, high abnormal sperm levels, or low sperm motility due to testicular causes such as chromosomal abnormalities or testosterone deficiency. Stemming from the HPG or more localized (most common) resulting from testicular inflammation. Note your stress response and HPA axis function. Up your antioxidants Vitamins A,B,C,E Zinc Selenium Sperm more vulnerable than eggs so keep them safe! Avoid fried food, too much alcohol, etc. Tips 72 days for sperm to mature 90 days for egg to mature Avoid extreme training during this time (i.e. do a mellow 10k instead of ultra) Avoid high heat exposure, such as no sauna or spas Bring exercise down to normal people standards If not active enough, get in more exercise to increase circulation and Tawnee switched from heavy running to more mellow activities such as SUP, taking her intensity down a notch There is no magic pill to get pregnant, you have to look at your lifestyle. Bond together as a couple and keep the romance alive. Supplements (for both guy & gal other than prenatal) For woman: Prenatal (Thorne Research’s Basic Prenatal) For man: Mutli (Thorne Research’s Multivitamin Elite) For both: CoQ10 (Designs For Health Q-Evail) Both male and female fertility; egg health, increased fertilization L-carnitine (Designs For Health Carniclear) Improves sperm health and overall female fertility Several studies found that both LC and ALC supplementation improves disorders such as polycystic ovary syndrome [12], endometriosis [19] and amenorrhea [17]. Carnitines are reported to increase gonadotropins and sex hormone levels as well as improve oocyte health [17]. Fish oil high in DHA (Nordic Naturals ProOmega) High dose Liposomal Vitamin C (Empirical labs) NAC or Liposomal Glutathione (Empirical labs) Vitamin D 2,000-8,000 IU depending on status (Thorne Research) Diet Stabilize blood sugar Low glycemic foods High antioxidants to boost egg & sperm health Whole food plant-based diet + high quality meats, poultry, fish protein Don’t oversupplement Nothing will replace a quality whole food diet so don’t just rely on supplements Health testing DUTCH test – cycle mapping option for females Know the state of your adrenal and endocrine system Morning cocktail – high quality salt with lemon and water in the AM to help adrenals, increasing circulation, staying hydrated Mental side There are beautiful lessons to be learned from even the hardest of times. If you’re a Type A try to loosen the reigns a bit. Don’t overanalyze every little thing. Don’t ever say to a couple trying to get pregnant “just relax!” You can learn a lot about yourself in your fertility and pregnancy journey.   Calesse Prenatals When You Have MTHFR Quick question, do you have any recommendations as to what type/ brand of prenatal vitamins I can take as my husband and I look towards beginning to start a family? I have the MTHFR defect so I don’t process folate well (especially the non methylated kind). I want to protect my future child from neural tube defects despite this mutation I have. Much appreciated. What the Coaches Say: Try not to go down the Dr. Google rabbit hole of fear. Work with your doctor! Basics Folate is water-soluble natural form (B9); folic acid is synthetic form. Both folic acid and folate are converted to active form 5-MTHF in the intestines and liver, but with folic acid the ability for the liver to convert this is limited. If eating foods fortified with folic acid, you may be getting excess amount which is linked to health risks (see below). There are no risks for eating fresh foods with naturally occurring folate. Need to be careful of eating processed foods fortified with folic acid (e.g. cereals, breads, etc.), this is not a good solution. Instead, look to natural foods with naturally occurring folate (list below of top foods). Organic foods will not be fortified with synthetic vitamins. What about blood testing to check levels? Blood levels may be normal but this doesn’t mean you’re ok, blood levels may reflect unmetabolized folic acid in the bloodstream, and there could be deficiency because body not converting the supplement form to the active form, 5-MTHF. Serum levels do not reflect total body saturation levels. No prospective studies have evaluated whether routinely monitoring folate/folic acid levels during pregnancy improves outcomes. Pregnancy Folate and folic acid can help prevent birth defects like neural tube defects. Also, folate aids the complete development of red blood cells, reduces levels of homocysteine in the blood, and supports nervous system function. MTHFR An important enzyme in the metabolism of folic acid and dietary folate, to turn it into active form of l-methylfolate for body to use. Crucial for methylation and reproductive function. 23 and me data – extract raw data and find out if you have a MTHFR polymorphism When an MTHFR mutation is present, the external supply of synthetic folic acid is unable to be fully processed, so it accumulates and can potentially cause complications for fetal health and otherwise. MTHFR polymorphisms In the United States: Approximately 30% of the population is heterozygous (C677T) Approximately 10% is homozygous, TT or CC alleles Other numbers have shown that 3 out of 5 Americans have some form of MTHFR Heterozygous for MTHFR-CT – about a 30% reduction in activity over the “normal” state. Homozygous (TT or CC) – about a 70% reduction in activity over the normal state. The TT genotype is associated with elevated plasma homocysteine levels more than CC genotype, in conjunction with low serum folate levels. At any given level of folate intake, TT homozygotes have lower plasma folate levels than non-homozygotes. MTHFR in pregnancy Lowers ability to convert and use active form of folate. Folate needed for fetal development and health, prevention of neural tube defects and other aspects of fetal health. Just because you have MTHFR does not mean your baby is at risk!!! Especially if you’re heterozygous. Eg: this study showed no association between MTHFR and repeated pregnancy loss. This 2006 meta-analysis of 26 studies of 2120 women with unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss and 2949 controls did not find that the MTHFR C677T genotype was a risk factor for this outcome, except in a Chinese population. That said, folic acid supplementation has been recommended for decades now, and over time we have seen that this has helped lower the rate of neural tube defects. Food started getting fortified with folic acid in 1998. More and more people showing up with MTHFR mutation. What’s that about? A link to the current state of today’s food, environment, etc.? Tawnee mentions a study that recommended women be cautious of low carb and organic because those diets do not have foods fortified in folic acid, yet it did not recommend the obvious: eating natural whole foods rich in folate. Whole foods naturally high in folate may lose folate content once cooked, thus why many doctors will recommend eating fortified food. Dr. Ben Lynch says to stay away from folic acid because it can block receptors and cause a deficiency or malabsorption. Even if you’re eating foods with folate, if having too much synthetic folic acid this will block receptors and could be problematic. Foods to eat: Raw & Partially cooked greens Liver Lentils, beans Prenatals: Don’t freak out if you’re taking one with folic acid, just consider switching to one with folate. MTHFR deficits can be overcome with a healthy lifestyle. MTHFR aids in methylation, which is is helpful for regeneration and regulation of cells, imprinting genes, epigenetics, processing amino acids for neurotransmitters, detoxification of compounds like Homocysteine (Hcy), and DNA repair. How much folic acid is safe? Many resources say that up to 1mg/day range (plus dietary folate) is safe. But still, why not just take folate given the data we have on this topic. Folic acid becomes unsafe at levels of 4-5mg/day. Some OBs may recommend a high dose of folic acid for women in first trimester if they are high risk for NTD and DO NOT have MTHFR. (But why not take folate instead to be safe?) Even folate should not be over-supplemented, more is not better. There is no consensus about what blood concentrations of unmetabolized folic acid might cause harm (this form is due to the inability of the body to convert synthetic folic acid to a natural form). According to research, the upper limit of safety appears to be around 59 nmol/L. Why is it better to supplements with folate (5-MTHF) especially if you have an MTHFR mutation Thorne basic prenatal has 1,000 mcg of 5-MTHF(1.7mgDFE) Other brands: Designs for Health Prenatal Pro, Pure Encapsulations Prenatal Nutrients, Seeking Health Optimal Prenatal By supplementing with the active form of folate that is ready to use by cells, aka 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF), the mutated MTHFR is bypassed and cells can still get the active enzymes needed for crucial biological processes. Also by eating naturally active folate through leafy greens, etc., it will not build up and cause clots in the blood responsible for miscarriages and stillbirths. Studies show at least 600-800 mcg of active 5-MTHF has beneficial results, especially in women with previous infertility or pregnancy loss. Chris Kresser recommends 800-1200 mcg folate for preconception and 600-800 mcg during pregnancy. The conventional use of large doses of folic acid (5 mg/day) has become obsolete. Regular doses of folic acid (100-200 mcg) can be tolerated in the general population but should be abandoned in the presence of MTHFR mutations, as the biochemical/genetic background of the patient precludes a correct supply of 5-MTHF, the active compound. A physiological dose of 5-MTHF (800 mcg) bypasses the MTHFR block and is suggested to be an effective treatment for these couples.  Best dietary folate sources & MTHFR foods: If having nausea, make the most of smoothies and soups to get in foods that otherwise taste gross. Avocado, spinach, asparagus, beets, romaine lettuce, lentils, brussels sprouts, broccoli, green peas, turnip greens, mustard greens, parsley, collard greens, cauliflower, beef liver and chicken liver, turkey, papaya. Eden organics—brand of beans that are already soaked and sprouted! Foods high in K2, along with supplementing—Thorne Vitamin D3/K2 drops have you covered if you’re not getting K2 in prenatal or foods. Drink your spinach or broccoli water! Also a diet abundant in antioxidant-rich foods helps with an MTHFR mutation. Phil Maffetone recommends apples with the skin, for example. Also high quality omega 3 fish oil, B complex and magnesium for MTHFR (Bs and Mg in prenatal are ok). Choline is crucial for MTHFR too. Helps to lower Homocysteine. Get from egg yolks. Foods with B vitamins, B complex supplement if needed. Get your homocysteine level checked too! With MTHFR mutations, there may also be a build up of homocysteine, which not only has the ability to damage blood vessels via accelerated atherosclerosis, but creates a hypercoaguable state that can form clots leading to early fetal loss and repeated first trimester miscarriages. In normal pregnancy, homocysteine concentrations fall. Disturbance of maternal and fetal homocysteine metabolism has been associated with fetal neural tube defects, with various conditions characterized by placental vasculopathy, such as pre-eclampsia and abruption, and with recurrent pregnancy loss. Some hope if you have had pregnancy problems & MTHFR: “In our Georgia centre, 22 patients with recurrent miscarriages, failed IUI and/or IVF attempts were noted and tested for MTHFR mutations. They tested positive, either homozygous or heterozygous for the MTHFR mutations, and were started on 800mcg QD of 5-methyl THF. Upon follow up, 100% of these patients conceived successfully, many within only 2-3 months of starting the supplement. Another study out of France looked at 30 couples with infertility lasting 3-5 years, where at least one member was a carrier of one main isoforms (C677T and A1298C), who were treated with 500-800mcg QD of 5-methyl THF for 2-4 months. Of this group, 12 conceived spontaneously and 15 others with the help of assisted reproductive therapy, with the remaining still under treatment [8].” Signs of folate deficiency Paleness Sore, red tongue Bleeding gums, although this can happen during pregnancy with increased blood volume Diarrhea Irritability Insomnia Fatigue        The post HPN 8: Mindful Fertility, TTC, and Managing MTHFR and Folate Intake first appeared on Endurance Planet.

Sponsor: You hear us talk about UCAN all the time. Many of our athletes and listeners swear by it. How about you? Maybe you’re ready to try UCAN but don’t know where to start? We have the perfect solution: Click here to get 50% off your UCAN Tri Starter pack. The Tri Starter Pack includes a sample of all the best UCAN products for just $17.50, normally $35. This deal is exclusive to our EP audience and not offered to the general public. It won’t last forever so take advantage while it’s here! Intro Check out new EP gear here! Email us a picture of you in the new gear EP is beginning to gauge interest for Ragnar SoCal 2020 (either the first or second weekend of April). Please email at admin@enduranceplanet.com to let us know if you’re interested. Other Updates: Tawnee has a beautiful, healthy baby girl: Coralee Mar! Tawnee wanted to let people out there know that traumatic events have a physiological effect. After losing Whitney, Tawnee had a very hard time running at MAF; her heart rate skyrocketed uncontrollably. Now, as she slowly eases back into running postpartum with Cora, Tawnee is having a much easier time controlling her heart rate. She attributes this to her happier mental state and less physiological stressors (Cora is sleeping like a champ). The takeaway is that emotional trauma is physiologically disruptive, so if you notice that in your own MAF journey, be gentle with yourself and recognize that it’s normal! Lucho’s taking a break from track competition to support his kids at their baseball games and give himself a break from the type-A, hyper-focus on racing , which was beginning to impede his overall health/strength goals. Gut Microbiome and A Connection To Elite Running? Mike Capka 6/29/19 There was a recent study that looked at the gut microbiome by looking at poo of successful athletes.  I was wondering if you think this is legit despite the conflicts of interest. With all we are finding out about the gut microbiome, I guess we shouldn’t be surprised that some species may aid performance if the results are to be believed. I was initially going to ask other questions but the answers were just going to supposition. Recent articles on this: https://www.outsideonline.com/2399074/performance-enhancing-microbe-harvard-study https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/elite-athletes-rsquo-gut-bacteria-give-rodent-runners-a-boost/ https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/25/health/microbiome-athletes-study/index.html  The coaches say: Tawnee doesn’t see this as a game changer for boosting performance. Most runners have to think about the gut in much broader terms, especially dealing with conditions like leaky gut. It’s more important to take efforts to have a healthy gut, rather than focus on having one special strain of bacteria. Tawnee promotes SoundProbiotics because this company has actually done research to develop a blend of probiotics that promotes overall gut health for athletes that will aid immunity, not just boost performance. The fact is, your GI tract is so severely blunted during exercise that it’s unlikely that your microbes could reduce overall lactic acid. The major difference between professional and amateur athletes is training, not a gut microbiome. A lot more research is necessary before we should invest heavily in this probiotic. Also,  for the record, lactic acid is not the bad guy when it comes to performance. 20×20 Mile Marathon training Emily Babay 6/30/19 Hi and thanks for the great the podcast! My question is about the 20 long runs of 20 miles prior to a marathon that Lucho’s mentioned on a few previous episodes. I am working to hit 20×20 miles while training for a November marathon, and am having a blast. I look forward to planning my route each week, and enjoy having a process goal as the focus of my training block. So I was wondering if you had any guidance for the actual execution of this? I have been doing a mix of easy miles, progression runs, workouts within the long run, etc, to keep things fresh. But is there any recommended intensity? Also, is it necessary/desirable to do runs of more than 20 miles (in previous marathon buildups, I’ve done several 21-24 mile runs)? Thanks for the training inspiration and any recommendations! The coaches say: The type of intensity you’re doing is more contingent on where this 20×20 appears in your training. If you’re doing this now for a November marathon, you probably shouldn’t do any intensity above tempo. Then, closer to the race, you can reduce your long runs to 16-18 miles with more speed intervals (even getting to VO2 max). 20×20 is an arbitrary number. You can continue the 20-milers if you have time in your training and your body isn’t breaking down. You could also run a little more than 20-miles if your body is feeling good. Watch for steady decreases in your pace in the final miles. This is a sign of too much stress and you should bail! Lucho’s primary rationale for doing this 20×20 is mental. It creates a fearlessness around running 20 miles, which makes 26.2 much less daunting. Also, the ability to run 20×20 increases durability. The 20×20 is a very advanced approach. If you’re a 10-min/mile marathoner, this protocol isn’t for you. Lucho sees it as fitting for a 2:40 marathoner who wants to PR. Even if you’re not an advanced runner, Lucho still sees the value of running as many 20-milers as you can in training (while staying healthy and injury-free). It’s all about the long run, not speedwork! Hydration Needs While Training Robert Young 6/4/19 This is Robert Young. We worked together back in the days of Mud & Obstacle magazine. I still edit the other magazine (Black Belt) that I did back then, but now I live in Sedona. First, congrats on the birth of your baby! You must be so happy. Now, my question for the podcast: I used to live at 1,200 feet in Southern California, where I would trail-run and mountain-bike even when it was in the low 90s. Not surprisingly, I drank a lot of water on the trails. Now I live at 4,500 feet in Arizona, which means it’s about 10 degrees cooler. Here, I find myself going without water on the trails. I usually go 2-3 hours on foot or on the bike, and I don’t really get thirsty. Is it a bad idea to do this? In other words, is there any potentially beneficial adaptation that takes place, or is it just stupid to dehydrate the body? Thanks! The coaches say: You can’t adapt to dehydration, but you can train yourself not to suffer as much from the effects of dehydration. 4500’ is not considered altitude. You only have to take elevation seriously about 6500’. Robert is dealing with dry air, which parallels effects of altitude. 2-3 hours without water also isn’t excessive if you’re fit and hydrated going into the activity. If you’re not feeling terrible, you’re not dehydrated. If you want to be conservative, take in 400-800ml of water per hour and see how you feel/perform. You can also weigh yourself before and after exercise to see how much weight you loose and determine dehydration from that data. Overheating During a Marathon (But It Wasn’t Hot Outside) Kev Burton 6/11/19 Love the podcast! always great company for my long runs I managed a good PB at the marathon distance at the weekend, but at around miles 20-24 i felt like i was overheating, with my skin being bright red and had to whip off the vest and dose myself with plenty of water on my front and back. it was a cloudy day with no wind and about 13 degrees C (55F) i did have caffeine bullets (100mg each) (https://www.caffeinebullet.com/) at mile 14 and 18, with fueling throughout from tailwind & Clif Bloks (no caffeine in the tailwind or Bloks). From the start the pace felt good, had to keep slowing myself down and breathing was not labored at all i’m 45, 5ft9″ and around 172lbs. do you think the overheating was from the caffeine, the faster pace or am i just too heavy for the pace please? The coaches say: The caffeine probably didn’t cause you to overheat. More likely, you got tired (totally natural after 20 miles) so your body stopped shunting blood to the surface of your skin and redirected it to your muscles. Result: you got hot! Very normal. How do you overcome this? More training will make your body more efficient at dissipating heat at this intensity. Tawnee also looked at your Strava and it looks like you had a lot of hills in the final 6 miles, which would definitely have increased your body temperature. At the end of the day, you PR-ed… amazing!   The post ATC 291: Digging Into Poop of Elite Runners, Are You Ready For the 20 x 20 Miler, Heat and Hydration, and More! first appeared on Endurance Planet.

Intro: Fitness, by Brock’s account, is broken into three categories: Movement: general motion plus mobility (think squatting to pick things up and reaching up to grab things from higher places, like what our ancestors did with foraging) Exercise: invented to fill the holes in our movement patterns Training: what we do in order to reach specific fitness goals, such as running a marathon or deadlifting your body weight. This is above and beyond basic health, maybe even taking away from your health in the long term but it brings you joy and is worth it. Nathan asks: I have had heel pain since the end of January. At first, I thought it was a Plantar issue which technically I probably have a slight case of but I had someone look at it and he said I for sure have Infacalcaneal Bursitis. The fellow who examined me said: “If you do have P.F., it’s an atypical type (inflamed only near the attachment at the calcaneus). You definitely have infracalcaneal bursitis. Your short calf and hip external rotator muscles can cause calf pain, though (through a sort of mis/overuse of the intrinsic muscles of the foot).” And then prescribed ice, calf raises, heel drops, and glute stretches. The only change I can think of is the beginning of January I was charging some hills at night with a headlamp for 3 weeks straight with some trail running friends and I typically stand most of the day at work also. I remember Brock you saying you have been dealing with plantar and I feel like mine is not getting better. So I was wondering if either of you has suggestions. I have tried to stay off of it as much as possible. The past 2 months I forced myself to take a break. I am getting antsy but want to get healthy. I have been mashing my calves, doing heel drops and calf raises. I am mainly a runner. Marathon distance. Greg White and I wanted to do CIM this December but I haven’t really done anything all year because I haven’t wanted to make it worse. I also trail run typically. I walk in Vivo Barefoot and run in Altra and have been for a while. So I have just been hiking and keeping things mellow for now. The coaches say: This injury is caused by impact; it’s a form of bruising and inflammation. Brock suggests getting an ultrasound done to see if there’s a bursa there. If it is, you can get it drained and that will drastically speed up the healing process. The diagnosis your practitioner gave you is very contradictory. Get a second opinion. Walking in the minimalist shoes isn’t helping you right now. Get a shoe with arch support and heel drop for extra cushioning white you heal. Lucho used the Superfeet green orthotic when he was healing his plantar fasciitis. Take a look at this video Brock’s friend Brad Kearns made https://youtu.be/RRDC8erSNqw which explains why you need to hold the stretches longer than you think. Also, watch this one from Brock https://youtu.be/sNKR-8kiPRM that shows some of the techniques I used to help my heel pain. Lucho notes that dynamic stretching is important before a workout, whereas static stretching should not be done before a workout, but it does help in the long term. Michael asks: On the last episode, you had a question from a triathlete on strength training who’d mentioned that neither Pftzinger nor Maffetone offers much advice on strength training. I’ve been using Daniels for my marathon training for years, and the chapter on supplemental training in the Daniels’ Running Formula book is pretty sparse, as well. You referred him to Dave Scott, Joe Friel, or Mark Allen as good sources for triathlon training. This has me wondering – in your opinion, who has the book on strength training for the marathon? Still loving the show after all these years, thank you so much for what you do. The coaches say: Strength training is very personal. It’s hard to give a one size fits all. There’s no such thing a strength training protocol that’s “for” the marathon. A squat is just as good for a runner as it is for a football player. You could say that a marathoner doesn’t need to do bench press. But that’s obvious. Anything for hamstring, calf, quad, hips, lower abdominal is helpful for you. Going outside your range of motion for running movement might not be helpful. Consider doing a half squat rather than a full squat. Still, doing full ROM strengthens your whole system and makes you a more resilient athlete. Lucho suggests a lot of plyometrics, hopping drills, and hills, not using barbells. You can never go wrong strengthening your hips. Seven Way Hips is excellent. Hamstring eccentric motions are also important. Don’t forget your feet! Brock’s article on how to take your weaknesses and make them strong. Check out Kelly Starrett’s book Ready to Run. Find a general strength training routine that’s not too severe or advanced, especially if you don’t have a background in lifting. These more technical movements are not necessarily better! Bill asks: As a follow up to the MAF question at the end of Ask the Coaches episode 280. I am 58 years old and in great shape. I try to keep my heart rate at around 120 on easy days (MAF) (trail runner so some variance on hills, etc.) After listening to your answers on the show I think maybe I am one of those that need to train with a lower MAF heart rate. I went back and looked thru my data on quite a few 5K races were sprinting at the end of the 5K my max heart rate ever is 162 with most of the races being mid 150’s. My average heart rate for the 5K would rarely be more than 145. My resting heart rate is 46. Is 120 too high for a MAF type of scenario? This could possibly explain the lack of improvement at times? I was just chalking it up to being an old guy (LOL). If you don’t want to answer another MAF question on the show just an email answer would be great. (I know those MAF questions can be repetitive) The coaches say: 25 beats under your 5k HR isn’t bad. Is it right? We don’t know. Heart rate isn’t the only measure of fitness or progression. If you are racing 5k, you also need to work on the top end, not just aerobic base (MAF). You need to practice redlining more to really know how hard you can go. The post ATC 290: A Pain in the Heel, Books on Strength Training, Raising Your Heart Rate, Vegetarian MAF, and more! first appeared on Endurance Planet.