Endurance Planet

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We’re joined by Brie Wieselman, a functional medicine practitioner from Santa Cruz, CA, who runs a successful online clinic with other clinicians serving patients all over the world. Brie specializes in gut health, hormones, and female health. Today she is taking a dive into the topic of endometriosis and adenomyosis, with tools on how to functionally approach healing and relief from these conditions. For more about Brie’s services and inquiring about hiring her, click here. And, as mentioned in the introduction, if you’re curious about Brie’s experience with gestational diabetes, you can read more on her blog here. Brie joined us on EP back in 2016, on a show you can listen to titled, Foundations of Functional Medicine and Applications to Reach Optimization. Allison asks: I am an avid listener to EP and I would love to hear Coach Tawnee and her co-host talk about Endometriosis and it’s lesser known, but similar affliction, Adenomyosis (I have both!!! Ahhh!!). For those of us in training, this can mean extreme pain from the time of ovulation through the actual week of our periods. I have to schedule races around my period because I bleed so much and am in so much pain the first few days, Racing during this time would be out of the question. Constipation and bloating during non-period weeks are also symptoms of Endometriosis and can really impact training. The only treatment my healthcare/traditional OBGYN has suggested are synthetic hormones, which do NOT work for me, an IUD (no way!), and surgery. What research I’ve done on my own points to using food limitations -I don’t eat dairy or soy to avoid excess estrogen – or other natural remedies such as castor oil and heat or ACV to help balance estrogen and improve motility in the gut. What other ideas do you have for us women who are in training to help with Endometriosis and Adenomyosis? It feels like a full time job trying to manage it and train at the same time. Notes from Tawnee and Brie’s Conversation: Endometriosis 101: tissue grows outside the uterus and causes pain, especially during a woman’s period, but also possibly during ovulation and sex. 1/10 women likely have endometriosis, but not everyone has symptoms. Severity of symptoms doesn’t necessarily correspond to severity of overgrowth of tissues. Having more than four drinks a week can increase your risk for endometriosis. This condition be caused by HPA axis dysfunction, genetics, and environmental toxins that act as endocrine disruptors (eat organic, filter your water, and avoid BPAs in containers). Over-training can definitely put you at risk! Adenomyosis 101: tissue invades the wall of the uterus. More common to show up in women in their 40s and 50s. Besides causing pain and heavy periods, it might also cause trouble with urination. Conventional treatment Using hormones to stop reproductive cycle as a means of stopping the pain cause by endometriosis. Laparoscopic surgery can be helpful for progressed endometriosis, especially in reversing infertility. Hysterectomy is the most extreme surgery to remove the uterus entirely. Functional medicine’s approach Endometriosis corresponds with autoimmune diseases (often caused by estrogen dominance and low progesterone) and inflammation. Huge tie-in with gut microbiome and vaginal microbiome The gut microbiome plays a big role in regulation female hormones (“estrobiome”). Dysbiosis can cause higher estrogen levels, which then cause autoimmunity. Most women who have endometriosis also have SIBO. Bri’s Protocol First involves clearing out the bad stuff (microbes and parasites) and then boosting the good stuff in your gut. The goal is for you to be pooping regularly and being able to handle fiber. Regulating blood sugar Losing body fat, if appropriate. Finding the appropriate diet: high vegetable keto or paleo. Check out Ketotarian Note: low carb works better in postmenopausal women; if you have HPA axis dysfunction it might be better to get those things under control first before going very low carb. Eliminating dairy and soy can be helpful Potentially helpful supplements (Brie is not giving doses on the podcast; you should definitely consult with a functional medicine practitioner and see if these are right for you) Melatonin Progesterone cream Probiotics (Jarrow’s Fem Dophilus) Cal-D-Glucarate N-Acetyl Cysteine (Pure Encapsylation or Thorne brand) Brie sees major improvements in her clients in about 3 months. It’s very possible for women to be symptom-free or at least totally manage their symptoms! The post Brie Wieselman: Functional Healing For Endometriosis – The Role of Diet, Hormones, Gut Health and More first appeared on Endurance Planet.

Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the fat-burning fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts. Have you seen UCAN’s brand-new look? Their new packaging is sleek and sophisticated, still with the same great SuperStarch you’ve come to know and love for steady, long-lasting energy with no spikes and no crash. EP fans get 15% off UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code “enduranceplanet19” if you’re shopping at generationucan.com for that same 15% discount.   “Danny” asks: 1. So I wanna do a full Ironman in 2020.I’ve done 47 marathons so running endurance isn’t an issue. It’s the other two disciplines I can swim all day with a swim bouy, but the second I get rid of it in attempt to kick, my legs fall in the water as if I am bent at a 90 degree angle. So I need to work on kicking. I can only get in the pool twice a week. Should I spend  most 2019 doing kicking drills on both days or drills one day and swim with the bouy the other? 2. Next I HATE road riding. Bores the Eff out of me. I do like mountain biking. Can I get away with doing most of my miles on a MTB and ride long every 3-4 weeks in 2019 to get ready for 2020?  Once again I can only ride twice a week and maybe a 3rd day every couple of weeks if lucky. How would you schedule MTB rides twice a week to help get to the needed miles to adequately train for an Ironman? Thanks guys. Keep up the great work! The coaches say: Do both kicking and drills, both days. It’s never either/or with these. Normal protocol: warm up/swim full set/kick set/swim full set/cool down. Aim for 100-200m kicking in warmup, 300m kicking drills during main swim, and at least another 100-200m kicking in cool down. Two main drills: Kick on side progression (body balance drill) Kick face down (hands at side or in front of you) Feet should be splashing Kick on one side Incorporate switches Vertical kicking (flutter kick; knees locked; small and fast) Using some type of light buoyancy thing can help Kick to deep end (50m); vertical kick for 1 minute; kick back to wall (50m) Many runners struggle with kicking on the swim; it’s a prevalent problem, but super important to correct, because kicking balances your energy on the swim. You can’t burn out in the first leg of the race because of a deficient kick! Worst case scenario: a wet suite is like a a full body pool buoy… You want to fix your kick, but you can always rely on the wet suite assistance. 2K of drills is harder than 4K of regular swimming. Drills will kick your butt and get you feet! Lucho does the majority of his riding on a road bike on dirt (set up your bike accordingly). If you hate road riding, then just mountain bike! It’s worth it to sacrifice training log numbers for your happiness. Are there ways you can amp yourself up to road ride? Focus on what you like about it. One benefit of the road: you can be very precise on your intervals because there aren’t a lot of variables (whereas on the mountain bike you let the terrain dictate your intensity). It’s not necessarily bad for you to do a 4-hour mountain bike, but you’re going to have to get used to aero position on TT bike Your run fitness will definitely benefit you on the bike (biking doesn’t help you for running) Scott Beatty asks: I really enjoy the podcast.  You guys are doing a great job. I have a question about training specificity for a trail race.  I recently completed my first 50k trail race and it was an epic disaster, but I was bitten by the bug and can’t wait to do my next.  I did the first 20 miles in 3:35, and the last 10 in 2:42. I did alot of training before the race for going up hills, but neglected to train enough on the downhills… which destroyed my legs.  You covered exactly how I need to train for the down hills in ATC 271, so I feel like I know what I have to do to improve in that area. My question is related to the amount of time I need to spend on actual trails. Here is my situation.  I am a 40 year old foster parent of a 3 and 2 year old, and recently we added their sibling to our family, a 6 week old.Before we had the baby, it was hard enough to get out for longs runs, now it’s even harder.  I’m a road runner, always have been because of where I have lived. The closest decent trail to me for training is a 20 min drive away and doesn’t open until 8am, so training on it before work isn’t an option. I manage to squeeze in a run before work, climbing out of bed at 3:55, and when I need to build the mileage will squeeze in another after the kids go down in the evening.  Most Saturdays, I’ll “sleep in” until 4:30 to get my long runs in before the house gets too crazy. Needless to say, finding times on the weekend to do a long trail run isn’t easy, and I noticed in the 50k that my ability to technically navigate the trails was lacking. There is a lot of lateral movement on the trails navigating obstacles that isn’t there on my street running. So, knowing that I don’t have the option to step out my back door and hit trails anytime I wish, how often should I attempt to train on actual trails leading up to the race?  Can I get away with once a month, bumping it up to twice a month leading up to the race?  Do I need to get out there every weekend? Is there any cross training I can do to help strengthen the muscles needed for all the lateral movement?  I cross train, mainly body weight training and plyometric work 3 times a week, which has helped me remain injury free through my running career. The coaches say: Is the timing right? If it’s not, don’t worry! There will be other races. Use what you got and make the best of it, the timing might not be right and that’s okay. Every weekend, trail time is important for more than just building strength in your feet. Being a parent is a strength, it has trained you to adapt quickly when shit hits the fan. If you don’t get as much time on the trail as you would have liked, focus on what you can control. Nutrition and hydration Pacing Keeping a positive outlook under rough conditions If you’re happy, you’re not suffering. Desire, bring it back to why you signed up for this. Lucho regrets how much energy he sacrificed to attain his racing goals over spending quality time with his boys when they were young. Parenting requires a lot more than just being physically present. After a 15-mile run, you’re not always mentally there. Lucho says forget the trails! 90% of his running was just on dirt roads. Julie recommends single leg stance for 3 minutes to strengthen lateral stability. You can throw in variables like closing your eyes and adding a dumbbell in one hand to make it more challenging. Also try walking lunges with eyes closed. Jump rope will also help mimic impact from running. If the rope throws you off then just hop, holding your ankle in static position and heel never touching the ground. Make sure you minimize ground contact time. Put on your socks and shoes while standing on one leg (Sally McRae recommends this. It’s a silly, daily thing that you can optimize to help strengthen those ankles for trailing running). Any type of eccentric loading on quad will be useful. Is there a 3-mile downhill you could do repeats on? TRX Bulgarian split squat is also great for lower leg stability Box jumps off box (or depth jumps) will also help.  The post ATC 289: Sinking Legs During The Swim, Training For An Ironman On A Mountain Bike, Training For A 50K When You Don’t Have Trail Access Or Time and More! first appeared on Endurance Planet.

Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the fat-burning fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts. Have you seen UCAN’s brand-new look? Their new packaging is sleek and sophisticated, still with the same great SuperStarch you’ve come to know and love for steady, long-lasting energy with no spikes and no crash. EP fans get 15% off UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code “enduranceplanet19” if you’re shopping at generationucan.com for that same 15% discount. Intro Brock’s been working on his Weighless program, which targets the mindset behind diet and lifestyles shifts. Fitness Genes identifies a lot of other genes than 23andme, such as the gene that makes you not get hungry. Lucho’s training for the 800m and is back to long runs at MAF (6-7 miles). Dane Asks: What’s up guys, “Blue Collar Baller” here! I’m a UPS Driver and I still get 25-35k farmer walk steps and stair climbing in a day, I won USAT Cross Triathlon Nationals in 2017. We had a baby boy in 2018, and I only raced 1 Olympic with Elites, it wasn’t pretty! I tried to keep some fitness ready to hit 2019 hard. My training was going great until a month ago on a long run I had a “Calf Heart Attack.” It is pretty much a deep strain in the Gastroc calf muscle. I can run short 3-4 miles easy with no pain, but I don’t trust it to do any speed. I have been working on a faster cadence for less ground contact and less impact, (I have long legs that like to stride!). So, with Cross Tri Nationals 9 weeks out, should I mainly focus on hard training for the bike/swim and easy running until full recovery? I will say my swim is fair, I can average 1:25s in Olympic distance swim whether I train 3 days a week or 1 day. I’m a powerhouse on the bike, like to hammer and I am very technically good. I am a decent runner, my volume is low, but I can block the internal governor on race day and suffer as needed. The coaches say: Fun fact: the calf is sometimes called the “second heart” because of the gastroc (gastrocnemius) pump muscle. You should not go to the track and do a block start 100m (duh). So build up from there… see what’s reasonable and increase the intensity to threshold slowly. The fact that you can run 3 miles easy is a sign that there’s not a tear. You might just have a cramp (which can last a week and cause enough damage to have lasting repercussions in the form of DOMS). Start with deep tissue muscle massage to find the problem area. Use heat not ice on the area to help recovery. Also don’t stretch it! Intervals and speed work are not necessary if you can build up to threshold on a 4 miler. You’re going to have hypersensitivity to the area because your brain is trying to protect it. If your calf is feeling tweaky then definitely focus on your other disciplines. This is the best part of triathlon! Adelle asks: Greetings from Massachusetts! I’m a big fan of the show and have learned so much since I started listening to your podcast last year. I am a 48-year-old triathlete (competing in sprint, Olympic and 70.3). I took up cyclocross 3 years ago and I am in love with this sport, it’s such a fun yet challenging sport with a great community. Triathlon remains my priority, I see cyclocross as more of a fun way to mix things up in the offseason, however that doesn’t mean I don’t want to improve at it. I have seen a big improvement in the last 3 years in my technical riding skills but the part of cyclocross that absolutely crushes me are the sprint starts and the fast flat power sections. My question is how can I train for these fast sections while still focusing primarily on triathlon training. My A-Race is a 70.3 in mid-September and my cyclocross season typically runs from late September through mid-December. Any suggestions you can give me would be very much appreciated. The coaches say: The solution to your cyclocross problem will be complementary to your triathlon cycling. Doing max efforts on the trainer are best so you can totally focus on power and brute force over skill. For fast flat power sections, start with 10-15 seconds maximal effort then work up to 5-7 minutes for pointy end threshold. This will certainly help your 70.3 effort. You can do these at any time because it’s not as jarring as running. Make sure you take adequate recovery between intervals so you can hit the max efforts . 10×1’ on 1’ easy recovery is one of Lucho’s favorite. These intervals will also train you to stay relaxed and deal with suffering. 20’ in zone 4 broken up however you can is another one of Lucho’s favorite workouts, which is effective for cyclocross and 70.3 Brock has used a system called TrainerRoad that aligns with these interval principles. Practice sprint starts for 10-20” going all out on the trainer. In 70.3 buildup, do sprint efforts no more than twice a week and on easier days. These should not fatigue you and negatively impact next day’s workouts. Only do threshold stuff once a week. Lee asks: New listener to your podcast (really interesting stuff!) and just about to embark on my MAF journey. I have a couple of questions about starting MAF training. I bought the “Big Book of Endurance Training” several years ago, but never committed to the approach for various reasons (mostly because I like running “fast”, and enjoy what might be called “junk miles”), whereas now I think it might help me reach my goals and prevent injury. My background: Male, 43 yo, 195lbs. I took up running quite late in life, for fitness & enjoyment, with my best years to date being 2014 / 2015 (19:34 5k, 3:40 trail marathon were my highlights (although I bonked hard on the last 3 miles of the marathon)). I also competed in a number of triathlons that year. Since then I suffered badly with plantar fasciitis and IT band injuries, which knocked me out of any kind of training for near on 2 years. I started training again in late 2018, and now in 2019 needed to set a focused goal. I plan to train toward an Ironman distance event in 2021, with a half-ironman toward the end of 2020. I’d really like to have a structured training approach for these endurance events and so I dusted off the big yellow book and re-read the details. My question is as follows: My heart rate is very low (it’s not a medical issue, just naturally low). It is normally 38 – 40 when I wake up in the morning and sits between 40 – 45 when sitting at my desk. I am by no means an elite athlete! Should I still apply the 180-age formula to determine my MAF threshold? I’m keen to ensure I focus on the right training effort. The coaches say: First, a tangent on “junk miles.” Luchos’ definition: Junk miles are miles that don’t allow you to do the quality workouts. Brock also has a naturally low heart rate. And high blood pressure. Coincidence? Lucho is more interested in your max heart rate because that has more implication for what 180 minus your age means for your training effort. If your max heart rate is also low, then the formula will likely put your MAF too high. Doing a lactate threshold test can also be a more effective marker. (You don’t have to do it at a lab either; there are gentle ways you can test yourself). MAF should be frustratingly easy. If you find yourself having to push to get to the low end of MAF then you need to re-evaluate. You and your results are the only things that can really tell you if you are training correctly. All the formulas are just a guide. Beware of a tight soleus or anything in your lower leg. If you wake up and it feels off, then take 2 days off! You don’t want to knock yourself out of the game for 2 years again. At your age, it’s important to stay on top of preventative care for your body. The post ATC 288: Calf Pains, Cyclocross Sprinting, Low Resting Heart Rate, and more! first appeared on Endurance Planet.

Sponsor: 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. Sponsor: Also, 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. On this episode we’re joined by Ryan Hall, the American Record holder for the half marathon (59:43) and holder of the fastest marathon time ever run by an American, a 2:04:58 at Boston. Also a two-time Olympian who grew up in Big Bear Lake, CA, Ryan is now a coach, speaker and author who lives in Flagstaff, AZ, with his wife Sara and their four adopted daughters. Check out Ryan’s new book that recently came out, Run the Mile You’re In: Finding God In Every Step. It’s a great read that all you athletes are sure to enjoy! Ryan’s Career Timeline: 2007 HM American record 59:43 2007 debut marathon London 2:08 2007 Olympic trials marathon win 2:09 2008 Olympics Beijing 2:12 10th 2011 Boston marathon 2:04:58 (unofficial fastest American record) 2012 Olympic Trials 2nd 2012 Olympics London DNF 2014 Boston 20th 2015 LA DNF 2016 Retires age 33 2017 World marathon challenge- average 3:39 (7 marathons 7 continents 7 days) Wisdom from Ryan: Small decisions you make (especially as a kid) can change the trajectory of your life. Ryan shares his epic childhood story of running 15 miles around Big Bear Lake when he had no running experience and actually hated running back then! Let love not fear guide you. Ryan sees this attitude as informing his running career as well as his and Sara’s decision to adopt 4 daughters from Ethiopia. If you want to see how far you can go and compete with the very best, you have to dip into the unhealthy range and go all in. Good health and elite performance are mutually exclusive. In retirement, Ryan’s goals are to feel good and that means gaining muscle weight (which increases testosterone). He retired at 5’10” and 127 lbs, which he says was “his worst.” He raced best at 138 lbs. Lower weight isn’t necessarily better for performance or health. John Ball, DC in Tempe, Arizona helped him solve plantar fasciitis. Process of shifting gears in retirement: Went straight into the gym, so it wasn’t such a dramatic lifestyle shift. He was still able to challenge himself and see growth in his new sport. When he quit running, he quit entirely besides a handful of easy 30-minute runs with his wife. Continued eating clean, healthy foods, but ate a lot more. Your body can’t build muscle when it’s not in a caloric surplus. Became a much more intuitive eater. Competing in the World Marathon Challenge His longest run before the challenge was 7 miles. His average weekly volume was less than 20 miles. Ended up getting a stress fracture in his hip in Morocco on day 5, but gutted it out to complete the challenge. He was deadlifting the day after he got back home, because there was no impact. The lack of injury in weightlifting has been his favorite aspect of the sport. Coaching Has his athletes do 4 sets of half squats, hex bar deadlift (best movement a runner can do), toe raises, and step-ups with weights (total time: 30 minutes). Strength training is definitely helpful for runners, but hill sprints are a way around it. We are all an experiment of one, so give strength training a fair try and see if it benefits you. Red Flag Symptoms and Tips for Current Runners Low hormones. If you take 2 weeks off and feel so much better, then monitor your return to sport closely. You might need more rest. Pay attention to your emotions and motivation. If you don’t feel like exercising, take that as a serious sign that your body might be having some issues (rather than you’re “just lazy”). Check the trend of your workouts. In the long term, they should always be trending up. Don’t starve yourself. Surround your intense workouts with carbs. The post Ryan Hall: On Rebuilding Health, How To Be A Wiser and More Intuitive Athlete, His Top 4 Strength Exercises For Runners, and Much More first appeared on Endurance Planet.

Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the fat-burning fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts. Have you seen UCAN’s brand-new look? Their new packaging is sleek and sophisticated, still with the same great SuperStarch you’ve come to know and love for steady, long-lasting energy with no spikes and no crash. EP fans get 15% off UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code “enduranceplanet19” if you’re shopping at generationucan.com for that same 15% discount. Intro Congratulations to the Gibson family on their healthy baby girl, Coralee! Welcome to Julie McCloskey—a Registered Holistic Nutrition Coach (RHN) based out of Missoula, MT—for filling in for Tawnee while she’s on maternity leave. (She’ll be back this summer!) Craig Moss Inflammation: Good or Bad? Hello my fitness family — Can you explain inflammation to me? Is it good or bad?  I know you need it to help the healing process but then why take anti-inflammatory things like CBD or eat an anti-inflammatory diet?   Is some good but too much bad?  If so then how do things like CBD play a role? Do you need to know how much natural inflammation you have from foods and stress to accurately take any anti-inflammatory drugs/supplements? What the Coaches Say: Inflammation is the immune system’s response to an irritant – the body’s response to any damage (a repair process) Releases inflammatory mediators including the hormones bradykinin, histamine, and IGF-1. They cause small blood vessels in tissue to become wider allowing for more blood to reach the injured tissue (turn red, feel hot). This increased blood flow allows more immune system cells and proteins to be carried to the injury in order to support the healing process. And also these hormones irritate nerves and cause pain signals to the brain as a protective mechanism. You cause damage if you reduce inflammation at the onset. You inhibit all the bodies innate changes. Dr. Mirkin retracts his coined RICE method How long has the inflammation been there? Acute good, chronic bad. At what point is inflammation bad? Not sure. Look for visible signs of inflammation, listen to your breathing, energy levels. CRP blood test, <1mg Your approach to inflammation should be based on what’s causing the inflammation in the first place. Inflammatory foods require a different approach than a sprained ankle, for instance. Stay away from all anti-inflammatory products after a hard workout, including curcumin, boswellia, and NSAIDs (well, stay away from these always!) CBD: Our bodies all have something called an endocannabinoid system that works to balance our hormones, which in turn regulates our endorphins, thyroid, adrenal function, and immunity among other things. CBD is a cannabinoid, and as such, it “switches on” the receptors of the endocannabinoid system, improving its performance which is why people have such a wide range of benefits from taking CBD – it normalizes so many processes in our bodies and brings them back into alignment. That said, you don’t just want to take this concentrated formula right after a hard workout or a sprained ankle. Let your body respond to these acute instances on its own. Best to use CBD if you have low grade general inflammation and need some relief as you work to figure out the root cause. In general, stay away from inflammatory foods including sugar, processed cheese, factory farmer meat, and even caffeine. Be especially careful to eat an anti inflammatory diet in the off-season after you finish a high volume block of training and/or a race.   S.S. (wishes to remain anonymous) Time for a paradigm shift? Before I start, let me say this: your podcast is my favorite – I look forward to it every week!  And congrats to Tawnee – I’m sooooo happy for you and wish you all the best!! So here we go. I’m a 39yr old female with goals of staying healthy, active and strong for the long term.  My ‘favorite’ form of exercise is outdoor running  (I’m totally middle-of-the-pack, 55ish min 10K, 2ish hr half to give you an idea) but I also like the feeling I get from doing some weights too.  I eat a whole foods paleo-ish diet, have no weight problems (130-135 lbs for years) and have Hashimoto’s (controlled) and Raynauds. For the past few years, my exercise routine has been to get in about 5 or 6 runs/week, 30-60 min, trying to keep my heart rate under 140 most of the time.  I would run fasted in the morning thinking that this would overtime improve my fat burning and help me to improve my pace at low heart rate.  My other reason for the way I was training was to try to keep my exercise-stress low as I’m a bit of high sympathetic-type of person.  I would also do a bit of strength work (push-ups and squats, mostly body weight).  This was convenient and worked well with my work/family life and I enjoyed getting out in the mornings.  I had no injuries for years.  However, I was not getting any faster and was not feeling very strong.  THEN THIS HAPPENED: I got a stress fracture on the top of my foot – I think it happened partly because I had been wearing minimal shoes which were getting old and partly because I had been doing a some harder workouts (more weights and runs where my heart rate was higher) over the weeks leading up to the injury.   So now I’m just wearing a very stylish air cast and dragging myself to the gym to go on the stationary bike.  Boring! I’m also doing some upper body strength stuff using machines. I had been feeling like I was in a bit of a rut and this injury is forcing me to think whether maybe it’s time to change things up  – I’m someone who likes to follow a ‘plan.’ Is it possible that the MAF-style training I had been doing was just a little too hard?  My true MAF (b/c I take synthroid) would be under heart rate of 131.  Once i get back to training, should I try my morning runs/walks with that in mind?  Or would that be a waste of my time? Could it be time to scrap that plan and focus on less days of running, perhaps running by feel rather than heart rate and introducing more days of weight training?  I can devote about an hour/day to exercise and making trips to the gym more than a couple times/week would not be ideal. I’d love some guidance/specifics – I guess I’m looking for what might be a better strategy going forward to keep running in my life and also becoming stronger and I know you guys are the experts.  I’d like to do some 10k’s again in the future but am not into doing any half marathons any time soon because found the long runs too hard on me. By the way – my physio has switched me to Hoka’s – so there’s one big gear shift right there! What the Coaches Say: Lucho thinks your switch-up plan would actually be a bigger stressor. Synthroid increases your HR regardless of your exertion, so Lucho doesn’t think you’re currently running too hard. If you run too slowly then you can increase the vertical force on your feet and run more on the mid-foot, which can increase stress. Running by feel and doing what’s natural is the least stressful. Synthroid is a known bone density reducer so that might be the root of the stress fracture problem rather than your running routine. Your intensity was appropriate for a healthy athlete of your caliber. Minimalist shoes maybe factored in to the problem. Consider rotating your shoes and running minimalist every other run. But Hokas for your comeback are great! You don’t want to over-stress that bone as it heals. When you come back (the first 6-8 weeks) start with only two runs and increase strength training, which will help your bone density. Home workouts could be great for you: kettlebell, pull-up bar, and TRX are all relatively inexpensive and can kick your butt! Once you build back to your pre-injury volume and pace you can start toying with changing up your routine. Julie warns you to be careful about fasted morning workouts if you’re a sympathetic dominant person. Fasted exercise will only exacerbate this system! Eat a little bit before those AM runs. Make sure you’re getting sufficient sleep (7-9 hours) too to help keep your sympathetic system in check. Roy H. Hamstring Turned Glute Pain For over a year I’ve been running with a hamstring niggle that matches almost exactly Lucho’s description of High Hamstring Tedinopathy in ATC 257 (April 6 2018 – Building Durability and Toughness, Too Fast For MAF, Hamstring Niggles, When Resistant Starch Backfires, Ground Contact Time, and More! During the episode Lucho said (@ 55:20)  “What you gonna feel is a dull ache, possibly a tightness, if it spreads up into your glute – glute medius then you might be in trouble….” Well, that is the particular thing I’m writing about – since my dull aching hamstring tightness has indeed migrated up into my glute. Can Lucho offer any advice about what to do in this situation please? What the Coaches Say: Glute max isn’t a big concern, but the glute med and psoas are more problematic. Do 7-way hips, psoas exercises, hanging leg raises, and especially 45° hyper extension (commonly called back extensions). Glute Ham Developer machine (if you can find one at the gym) would also be great. Make sure glute med and glute max aren’t compensating while you fix the hamstring. Overstriding and heel striking tend to be the culprits that cause this problem. You should start doing isometrics for the hamstrings; i.e. back plank. Also try concentric exercises to strengthen the head of the hamstring. If you don’t fix your mechanics, it could take years to fix this injury. The good news is that the risk of avulsion of that tendon is pretty small, so you can keep training (technically). The post ATC 287: Are We Overdoing It With Anti-Inflammatories? The Bright and Dark Side of Inflammation, Bone Density and Stress Fractures, and What to Do For High Hamstring Tendinopathy first appeared on Endurance Planet.

Sponsor: Head to enduranceplanet.com/shop for a bunch of cool products and services we’ve come to love, use and endorse. Everything we offer is centered around helping you achieve the ultimate in health and performance. Also when you shop through endurance planet you directly help support the podcast so we can continue to provide you with great content always for free… Get started now on the path to optimizing your health and performance! Check out Sound Probiotics, the first pure probiotic plus prebiotic formulated specifically to improve the gut health and immunity of the competitive athlete, for those who train and race simply can’t afford to be sidelined by illness or GI issues, and EP fans save 10% and get free shipping on Sound Probiotics. Also on our shop page are the gold-standard supplements by Thorne Research. Whether for performance, improving 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. For athletes we like everything ranging from Glutamine and Mervia, a powerful all natural anti-inflammatory, to multivitamins, B vitamins and digestive enzymes. Intro Banter Tawnee shares a little blood sugar story and the need to test how you individually react to certain foods — in this case, gluten free replacements weren’t necessarily the healthier option for her! List of food products and brands that were found to contain glyphosate. Avril Fueling for a 5-Day Running Race Thank you for all your time that you and your team put into your fantastic podcast. You all have been keeping me company on my runs the past few years! I’m hoping you can give some advice on nutrition to aid mid-race recovery. I’m completing a 5 day, 315 km (15,000 m gain) mountain race this May in Wales, UK. The race goes from the north of the country to the south taking in some amazing mountains along the way. Each day has a set distance and we stay in tents overnight. Each day will likely be 12 to 15 hours running out on the hills so recovery time will be limited. This race will be all about finishing for me, the drop out rate is high and its a big leap forward compared to previous races so I won’t be pushing for a fast time. I have completed multiple 3 and 2 day races and recovered well between days but usually these are 6-10 hour running days so there is considerably more time to eat and recover each night. The individual daily distance are achievable for me  (i.e. I have raced them several times) but getting up and repeating the same distance on little recovery will be a challenge. What the Coaches Say: Create a spreadsheet to estimate calories you’ll be burning each day, and how many calories you estimate you can realistically replace through food. Take PerfectAmino! Pack a quality non-vegan protein source: bagged wild salmon, sardines, clams, oysters, grass-fed jerky, collagen, bee pollen, protein powder drink mix. Paleo Steve’s PaleoKrunch Granola Packables: Trail nut butters, dark chocolate, trail mix w/ coconut flakes, seaweed snacks, honey, turmeric ginger granola, energy bites Real food mini meals – pb&js, smoked salmon wrap, pizza Magnesium Bisglycinate – best absorbed, used to overcome def. Citrate – bowels, sleep, balance Oxide – constipation, acid reflux Malate – fatigue Taurate – muscle spasms, brain health Jenny Help Repairing My Relationship With Food Hi! My name is Jenny. I am a fan of the Endurance Planet podcast and just finished listening to your episode on how someone can get their period back. This email is mainly intended for Tawnee and Julie. After listening to the episode I was inspired to reach out and get your insight/advice on something that I’m having trouble figuring out. I realize it’s kind of a loaded question, but I’m pretty desperate to understand this more, so if you have any insight that would be so appreciated. I am a competitive Spartan racer and, after years of playing soccer (a goalkeeper), became an endurance athlete about a year and a half ago. Before I started running a lot and training more, I weighed 155 (I’m 5’11”) and was probably consuming about 3000 calories per day. After building up my training volume, I lost weight and ended up getting down to 142 while eating around 2750 calories per day. Upon the advice of a nutritionist (after getting metabolic testing, which told me that my RMR is 1760 calories), I bumped my calories back up to 3000 calories per day to support my training. 3000 calories should still have technically been a deficit, but I gained a few pounds and hovered around 145-146 for a while. I wanted to get back down to 142-143ish, so around June of this year I dropped back down to 2750 per day. However, my weight never dropped. I’m actually 150 now, despite eating in what I believe to be a deficit. I usually have a meal where I treat myself about once per week, but with my activity level I have a hard time thinking that I am simply eating too much! It’s not necessarily the higher number on the scale that bothers me, but the fact that I seem to be gaining weight out of nowhere! Another piece of background information: I am 22 years old and have struggled with hypothalamic amenorrhea for 7 years (it started even before I lost a significant amount of weight or my body fat got too low and has never ended despite weight fluctuations and even spending quite a bit of time eating 4000 calories per day). I have been in close contact with my OBGYN throughout this time, and she was not too concerned because my hormone levels (at least FSH and estrogen) have been on the lower end, but still in the normal range. Plus, my bone density is still in the upper normal range. Besides my activity level/training and low body fat, there is also the possibility that my life-long struggle with anxiety (and the anxiety medication I have been taking for years) could be a factor. My OBGYN recently suggested a low-dose hormonal birth control, but the idea of taking artificial hormones and screwing with my system in that way really scares me. I’m really not sure what to do and didn’t know if, somehow, nutrition could maybe be the fix. My current coach has actually been working with me to improve my relationship with food and exercise, and so he’s been trying to decrease any unnecessary volume that I was tempted to add in and has encouraged me to try and stop tracking calories/macros and listen to my body more. I like this idea, but like many other women, I am kind of scared to gain weight. I also don’t know if just not tracking calories is the best way to go about things or not, since I’m almost tempted to eat less when my workouts are shorter than what I have been used to for so long. I was wondering if you had any suggestions for me regarding my situation. I would really appreciate any guidance you have for me. Sorry for the novel, and thank you so much for your time and help! What the Coaches Say: Weight loss is so much more than calories in calories out. We are far to complex for it to be that simple Thyroid? Getting a comprehensive thyroid panel done would be beneficial, especially having anxiety for so long and being on medication. T3, T4, free T3, Free T4, thyroid antibodies.  Research suggests people with mild (10-15% of the population) to moderate hypothyroidism (2-3%) may experience a metabolic slow down of 140 to 360 calories a day. Weight gain has been gradual, and could be muscle. I feel like her body is at a happy spot right now at 150, and that’s why it’s not budging A plateau is when the body stops to think “am I in danger?” It doesn’t want to lose weight Balance the blood sugar, work on gut health – Eating breakfast before morning workout Increasing the quality of diet…the protein powder is junky, and lots of added chemicals in the whipped cream, syrup, dressings, and sauces Not eating so many desserts before bed Breaking routine – our bodies adapt so we need to keep switching things up Managing stress – nature, deep breathing, journaling, yoga, meditation, hugs More nutrient dense foods Reducing caffeine and inflammatory oils and food (processed dairy, gluten, artificial flavors) Accepting your body for how it is and what it can still do Supplements – b-complex, EFA’s, probiotic, magnesium, D Shawn Whole 30 & Long Distance Trail Running I have a question in regards to fueling for both short and long distance trail running.  I have a full schedule this year, with a 5k trail series and a few trail half marathons and if all goes well, I may end the year with a full or 50k trail race or both. My concern is in regards to fueling. I feel I may need to move into a more paleo or whole 30 style diet as my primary diet. One reason is because since July I have dealt with itchy skin and a rash on my neck, under arms and chest. I thought it was a heat rash because I was doing many of my runs in 90 degree weather. However, when winter came the issue remained. I then tried the whole 30 diet (which lasted about 16 days). Interestingly enough, during that time I didn’t have the itch or rash. I also didn’t struggle with constant itching eyes and sneezing. At least not nearly as much. I’m not sure if it’s the grains or dairy that is causing my issue but I’m real close to just giving them both up. ( Maybe only allowing myself to cheat if I’m inviting over somewhere for dinner or something. I’ll eat what they are serving). But as a general rule, I want to just avoid those foods so that I feel good. My concern then is fueling my long runs and races. Can I get what I need from Meat, fruit, veggies and eggs? For both long runs and intense runs such as a 5k? My training is mostly easy running. I like to use the 5k as my speed work and I will do the occasional tempo or moderate effort run. I don’t follow MAF but my HR is usually right in that range anyways because I do nearly all my runs at that low HR easy pace. During the 2 weeks I was on whole 30, I was using Lara date bars as my pre run fuel. I could probably use those and maybe the organic cliff shots for my long runs and races? What the Coaches Say: Moving to a more whole foods, less processed diet is always a good call Maybe start by only eliminating dairy. To give them both up completely seems to be too much at once (whole 30 only lasted 16 days) Pre-race bfast could be a fruit/chocolate smoothie bowl, sweet potato hash, overnight chia pudding Pre-run fuel isn’t super necessary for the distances you’re doing. A spoonful of coconut butter before a run works great. Then come back and have your full meal Gluten-free non-gmo grains (and sprouted) could be beneficial if not reactive: amaranth, buckwheat, millet, wild rice, quinoa This diet will definitely work as long as you’re eating a variety within each of these food groups A gel here or there during a 50K is fine, but don’t make it the foundation of your training/racing plan. Check out Phil Maffetone’s bars and UCAN The post HPN 7: Fueling For A Multi-Day Stage Race, Fixing Food Fears, and Cutting Dairy and Gluten While Training first appeared on Endurance Planet.

Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the fat-burning fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts. Have you seen UCAN’s brand-new look? Their new packaging is sleek and sophisticated, still with the same great SuperStarch you’ve come to know and love for steady, long-lasting energy with no spikes and no crash. EP fans get 15% off UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code “enduranceplanet19” if you’re shopping at generationucan.com for that same 15% discount. Intro: Lucho’s new man crush is the climber, Alex Honnold. Check out the documentary Free Solo! Key takeaway: repetition is essential in conquering fear. Sean: Re-Building a 50 y/o To Be Fit-For-Life I’m a nearly 49 year old endurance athlete with a history of multi-day adventure races, paddling events, rogaines (orienteering), and ultra running.  (Lucho coached me through Leadville and other events including a few 24 hour runs.) The past 6-8 months have been a bit rough, 1st with sacrum / groin issues which the MRI showed as a stress reaction in the pubic bone, and now with a torn ulna collateral ligament (thumb) which required surgery to re-attach it.  The former has meant no running since November 2018, though I was able to walk a lot, hike some, swim, spin, and do strength training. (Mtn biking tended to inflame the sacrum.) Now, with the thumb situation, upper body strength work is for the most part out (I may be able to get away with some core work), and can probably do some leg work.  (LEG EXTENSIONS HERE I COME!) Any kind of serious cardio is out for at least 4 weeks due to the sweat factor making the cast a bit nasty. So I’m leaning towards taking a decent break there, hoping the groin/sacrum issues finally have a chance to heal anyway. All that said, as an endurance athlete fast approaching 50, how would you rebuild me into a true grandmaster badass?   Goals these days are less about traditional ultra runs (though I won’t count them out), but more like solo long adventures (famous runs like SCAR, a 72 mile self supported run on the Appalachian Trail), “strange format” races such as last man standing, off road ironman (hey, I said I’d do an ironman when I was 12, and have yet to do it!), Rogaines (24 hours of orienteering), etc.  I can’t rule out doing some multi-day paddling and biking events, too. And I still want to thru-hike the AT, and I do get out for a couple of multi-day backpacking trips every year. So in general, a wide swath of endurance pursuits lay ahead of me in my 50s, 60’s, and 70s.  I’m now viewing this extended time off from running and now a shorter window of no cardio as a break — a break in hindsight I should have taken long before.  And when I come back, I want to be stronger and more fit than ever! What would that journey look like if you are starting from near ground zero? (I know my nearly 30 years of endurance pursuits means I have a lifetime base that has not gone away.) The coaches say: Look into getting a removable, workout-friendly cast. Look at this as an opportunity; you’ve learned what your limits are, so in the future you’ll be more paranoid and not get injured again. These kind of injuries don’t just suddenly appear. There are warning signs that you need to pay attention to and deal with before a full blown injury happens. You need to look at what you’re doing outside of endurance activity to build up your body. Diet and adequate recovery are crucial. Honor what your body can realistically do. Consider going from Ironman to Olympic distance and/or letting go of time goals. Invest in a sturdy and significant strength training program. The worst thing you can do for a tendon injury is to rest it. You need to safely rehab that modality (find a good PT to help you do that). Consider investing in a rowing machine. Perhaps reconsider your speed goals on through hikes/runs. Going slower allows you to absorb the beauty of the trails and landscape. Craig: Over 40 & Suddenly Getting Injured More Hello my endurance friends. I started running at age 18.  I made it to age 40 without any major injury and rarely stretched or did any mobility/strength work (other than the beach muscles).  Then I got a sacral stress fracture. The PT’s told me I was very, very stiff (usually they said I was the stiffest person they’d ever met- yay me! First Place!!!!)  So I diligently did mobility work, stretched and did specific leg strength work for years. Now it has been 6 years of that type of work and I get injured ALL THE TIME!  I haven’t ramped up my mileage or thrown in speed work too soon, in fact I haven’t even attempted speed work since I seem to get a soft tissue injury every 3-5 weeks.  ANd I don’t rush back to training when I do get these injuries. I take all the time needed until I don’t feel anything in that area to start running again. So I guess my question is; how come? I go back to not doing all that work since it doesn’t seem to help (answer is no)? Am I doing it wrong (answer is, it depends- love that one)? Or should I keep doing what I am doing as I am actually doing things right, I would have probably gotten injured way, way worse had I continued to not do any of that work and kept running.  The cumulative miles have actually caught up to me and I need to do so much work to reverse the poor training habits of the past. Side note- 2 of my older friends never do any of the strength/mobility/stretching and they are never injured.  I know each person is different and it may catch up to them, but it doesn’t seem right (sorry that was more of a vent than a question) The coaches say: This is a mechanical issue: look at feet and hips first. Consult a kinesthesiologist to check your run form. You might need ART to help with stiffness. The weight training you’re doing might not be right for your specific needs. Two exercises might be useful for you: Heel drops Single-leg decline eccentric squats As with the previous question, beware of resting tendons. These require intentional stimulation to learn how to recover. Stiffness is often a precursor to injury. It’s especially obvious in the posterior chain, which makes it difficult to get in the right position for a fluid swim/bike/run. Dynamic stretching is key to fixing this, NOT static stretching! Lifestyle outside of your training is a huge culprit here. Be wary of sitting all day for work. Ultimately, it doesn’t sound like the mobility you were doing was working. Time to reconsider. Mix up the mobility work! An anti-inflammatory diet will be key. Also, incorporate collagen. Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides Great Lakes Collagen powder Take a step back from endurance and really focus on a strength program that will build you back up. See Dan John’s Even Easier Strength program Research Notes: Musculoskeletal injury in the masters runners. Surveyed 2,886 runners doing Hood to Coast running relay, of which 34% were masters runners. The injury rate for the entire population was 46%. Significantly more masters runners were injured than younger runners (P<0.05). More masters runners suffered multiple injuries than younger runners (P<0.001). Significantly more masters runners were male, had 7 or more years of running experience, run more than 30 miles/wk, 6 or more times/week and wear orthotics than younger runners (P<0.001). The knee and foot were the most common locations of injury for both groups. The prevalence of soft-tissue-type injuries to the calf, achilles, and hamstrings was greater in masters runners than their younger counterparts (P<0.001). Younger runners suffered more knee and leg injuries than masters runners (P<0.005). Running more times/wk increased the risk of injury for both groups. Impact of age, performance and athletic event on injury rates in master athletics – First results from an ongoing prospective study Assess incidence and types of injuries during the 2012 European Veteran Athletics Championships as a function of age, performance and athletic discipline. 3,154 athletes surveyed, average age 53. Results suggest that the rate of injuries in master athletes is rather low and not higher than that reported for younger athletes. However, larger studies in the future will be needed to corroborate this first study in the field. The hypothesis that the incidence of injuries is a function of age and age-graded performance cannot be supported while the hypothesis that the incidence of injuries depends on the athletic discipline can be supported. Acute and overuse injuries correlated to hours of training in master running athletes. 291 elite runners (average age 42 +/- 9 years) who ran an average of 20 mpw +/- 17 miles. Achilles tendinopathy was the predominant injury followed by anterior knee pain and shin splints. At some time, 56.6% of the athletes had an Achilles tendon overuse injury, 46.4% anterior knee pain, 35.7% shin splints, and 12.7% had plantar fasciitis. The Prevalence and Risks of Injury for Masters Athletes: Current Findings Collectively, the result of this review clearly show that there is not enough evidence to support a notion that overall injury risk increases with advancing age.  The origin of the aging increases athletes injury risk may stem from a “weekend warrior” subset of the Master’s population who are, in fact, at a high risk of injury, but have inappropriately blamed their aliments on an easy scapegoat. The weekend warrior is an amateur athlete that devotes a limited proportion of their time to exercise training, but who expect to perform at higher levels than are likely capable. Due to multiple competing responsibilities (family life, work, household upkeep, pets, multiple hobbies, etc….) these individuals are not able to devote enough time to training. When high performance exercise stresses are imposed during, for example: an irregularly heavy training day or competition day, injuries are sustained. The underlying deficits in strength, flexibility and/or aerobic fitness that are the actually the root cause of sustained sports injuries, not the Masters athlete’s age. The Mature Athlete: Aging Tendon and Ligament With increasing age, these tissues are subject to vascular and compositional changes that alter their mechanotransduction, biology, healing capacity, and biomechanical function. A trend toward decreased blood flow with increasing patient age. Ligaments and tendons degenerate with age. Based on the theory that excessive loading of tendons during vigorous physical activity is the main stimulation for degeneration of the extracellular tendon matrix, several studies have looked at in vitro analyses of strain patterns and extrinsic factors that induce tendinopathy. Overstimulation in vitro of tendon cells increases inflammatory cytokines and degenerative enzymes. Effect of strength training on human patella tendon mechanical properties of older individuals. Strength training (two series of 10 repetitions at 80 % of five-repetition maximum) was performed three times per week for 14 weeks using leg extension and leg press exercises. This study shows for the first time that strength training in old age increases the stiffness and Young’s modulus of human tendons. This may reduce the risk of tendon injury in old age and has implications for contractile force production and the rapid execution of motor tasks. Physical activity-related injuries in older adults: a scoping review. The population of interest was adults (both males and females) over the age of 65 years, participating in exercise, leisure-time, or sport-type physical activities; 43 articles included.  The current literature does not suggest that older adults are at an increased risk of injury from participation in physical activities. The post ATC 286: Do Older Athletes Get Injured More? How To Stay Resilient As You Age first appeared on Endurance Planet.

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This episode we have runner and coach David Roche. David started the Some Work, All Play (SWAP) team in 2013 and is a coach to some of the top trail runners in the world. He is a two-time national champion runner, a three-time member of Team USA, and the 2014 USATF Men’s Sub-Ultra Trail Runner of the Year. He is also a contributing editor for Trail Runner Magazine and co-author of the book, The Happy Runner. David’s married to Megan Roche, who is also an accomplished runner, fellow SWAP coach, and co-author their book. She recently obtained her medical degree from Stanford. On this show we talk with David all about the keys to happy running and more: Living in Colorado and driving Outbacks or Sprinter vans. Having a fridge in your car (and other modes of transportation) is pretty amazing. Dog people David and Megan have a dog named Addie, who they refer to a lot in the book. Sometimes she runs with them, but more so she’s a snuggler. DNA testing for dogs — finding out what your mutt/mix is with the Wisdom Panel. On writing The Happy Runner and not passing up the opportunity when it fell into their lap, and sticking to their gut of including a section on happiness (and not just training). Allowing their voice to come through in the book. What David has learned from Lucho, who’s a good friend of his. Why the focus on happiness? We’re all dealing with issues in our head. We’re all staring into an abyss and how we can get comfortable with what’s uncomfortable, our demons, etc. They teach us to learn the right approach to your goals and not get overly number obsessed. Addressing performance anxiety, depression, going to therapy, etc. The stigma around seeing a therapist and how it’s not something to hide or be ashamed of. David and Megan invite us to let down our guard and share our vulnerabilities. Research on how athletes respond differently to different stimulus and stressors based on their mental state. Self-loathing athletes may not adapt as well or as quickly as those with more resilience. In other words, our physiological adaptations are tied into our mental state. Athletes who “hide” don’t allow themselves to reach their potential. We all have issues, let’s see them as “friends” that we cope with. “An unexamined running life often becomes an unhappy running life.” Ability to be present and zoom in on the process. The goal is to find the joy in the moment — both good and bad moments. On failure, and why it’s so important to experience this! Optimize what you can do in the context of your life. Transactional nature of athletics. How to have a healthy relationship with results, and risks we run of caring too much about results. Celebrate every achievement. Remove self-evaluation from the equation. Whether first or last, not let that lead to judgment or assign self-value based on those results. With pros, they teach them to celebrate whatever happens once the start gun goes off. At the end of the day, athletics can just be funny. Don’t take yourself too seriously. David’s story: A former football player. His time in law school at Duke and meeting Megan, where they got into running together. Put too much focus on running and results at the price of having a balanced life outside running (selfishness). When he “saw the light” and totally changed his approach. Working as an environmental lawyer for a while and realizing his calling was elsewhere. Making the leap to coaching, with Megan’s encouragement. Megan graduating from Stanford as an MD and is now making some decisions on her next steps; currently doing more research. Getting ok with uncertainty is important — take the leap! Give that itching urge you have a chance even if it’s scary. David’s big takeaway: NO MATTER WHAT YOUR DEAL IS, YOU ARE ENOUGH! Mister Rogers — let’s all channel more of his positivity vibe. What’s most important is how you feel about yourself. The “insecurity monster” and self-loathing may not be as obvious as you think, but David invites you to discover these things and discover it for your loved ones. David’s challenge for you: Be an enthusiastic force in the lives of your loved ones, starting with your family and the simplest things like complimenting a good dinner, etc. There are always reasons and excuses on why we can feel bad about ourselves, so if we can move that narrative into something more positive that’s the ultimate path to growth and self-love. Find enjoyment even in the bad stuff: Use your injuries and bad days, bad races, as chances to grow. With such demanding schedules, how Megan and David like to unwind: they love to cook quality meals and watch or listen to comedy. The post David Roche: You Are Amazing, and Here’s How You Can Be A Happy Runner first appeared on Endurance Planet.

Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the fat-burning fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code “enduranceplanet” if you’re shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Have you seen UCAN’s brand-new look? Their packaging is looking sleek and sophisticated, still with the same great SuperStarch you’ve come to know and love for steady, long-lasting energy with no spikes and no crash. Intro Lucho’s started using the SweetBeat HRV app. Easy aerobic exercise can increase HRV based on research and Lucho’s experience. HRV scores are individual! Your number is an n=1 (don’t compare yourself to Lucho). We can’t just rely on technology to guide our training. So be mindful whether or not you decide to comply with your device. Sometimes it’s ok to do the workout, even if your tech says you “shouldn’t.” Vladamir Cycling Cadence in Triathlon Brett Sutton has been posting about his views on cycling cadence in triathlon (for example, here: https://team.homeoftriathlon.ch/en/teams/home-of-triathlon/blog/do-you-want-to-ride-faster).  In a nutshell, he says that everybody other than professional cyclists should pedal with a lower cadence than 90 rpm, because it’s too difficult for those who did not grow up racing bikes to pedal at 90 rpm and because it’s somehow less efficient.  In the linked post, he “backs it up” with a more developed piece by one of his coaches and a one-time pro cyclist, Cameron Watt (http://blog.trisutto.com/the-great-cadence-debate/), who attempts to put physics behind that idea, essentially saying the higher the watts you are pushing, the higher your cadence. Frankly, none of that makes any sense to me.  For one, I don’t recall ever having trouble pedaling at 90 rpm and in fact tend to go higher during focused efforts. In Watt’s article, he at one point talks about track sprinters who are pushing massive watts and cadence and says, see their cadence is high because their watts are.  That makes no sense. The reason track cyclists have a very high cadence is because they are riding a fixed gear bike and increasing cadence is the only means of accelerating.  Sprinters have to strike a balance between selecting a massive gear for the final kick and having a reasonable ratio so that they can get up to speed reasonably quickly at the start. Further, to take Sutton/Watt’s argument to its logical conclusion, shouldn’t we also run with a lower cadence too? What the Coaches Say: A cadence of 72-80 (as Sutton recommends) is reasonable for an amateur IM athlete. At the end of the day, your cadence is individual. If you’re between 75-90 then you’re probably fine! If your run is suffering, then look at the cadence. Too low of a cadence and you won’t be able to run after the bike, because your muscles are fatigued. Variety in training is crucial. If you can’t do over 100 RPM, then you need to work on that. Likewise, if you’re dying at 60 RPM, work on that. Don’t worry about cadence on race day. It should be “preferential gearing” AKA let the athlete do what’s natural to them. This low cadence approach is definitely not applicable to the run! No research suggests that a low run cadence is advantageous. And, as with cycling, your natural inclination is the best. BONUS: Tawnee dug up a number of research articles on the topic: 1. The Effect of Pedaling Cadence on Skeletal Muscle Oxygenation During Cycling at Moderate Exercise Intensity. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/02/190212120114.htm  https://www.cyclingweekly.com/fitness/why-amateurs-shouldnt-try-to-pedal-like-chris-froome-191779 New study (Feb 2019) on 9 recreational cyclists, found over 90 rpm less efficient. But these were not trained athletes. They exercised at a power output equal to Tvent, pedaling at cadences of 40, 50, 60, 70, 80 and 90 rpm, each for 4 min. Tissue saturation index (TSI), a measure of vastus lateralis oxygenation, decreased from rest to exercise; the magnitude of this TSI reduction was significantly greater when pedaling at 90 rpm (−14±4%), compared to pedaling at 40 (−12±3%) and 50 (−12±3%) rpm (P=0.027 and 0.017, respectively). Albeit small, the significant decrease in TSI at increased cadence recorded in this study suggests that skeletal muscle oxygenation is relatively more affected by high cadence when exercise intensity is close to Tvent. 2. The effect of cadence on cycling efficiency and local tissue oxygenation. Study on 14 Trained triathletes/cyclists. They tested 60, 80, 100 rpm tested in 8 min trials and found that they had higher efficiency and economy at lower cadences.  It was concluded that:  (a) Trained cyclists and triathletes are more efficient and economical when cycling at 60 rpm than 80 or 100 rpm; (b) Local tissue oxygen saturation levels are higher at 80 rpm than 60 and 100 rpm;  (c) Heart rate and blood lactate levels are higher with cadences of 80 and 100 than 60 rpm;  (d) Local and global RPE is lower when cycling at 80 rpm than at 60 rpm and 100 rpm.  A practical application of these findings is that a cadence of 60 rpm may be advantageous for performance in moderately trained athletes in contrast to higher cadences currently popular among elite cyclists. 3. The association between cycling experience and preferred and most economical cadences. Compared experienced cyclists and non-cyclists, finding: Both groups displayed lower VO2 values at lower cadences. Mean preferred pedaling cadence surprisingly was somewhat higher for NC than C, but not statistically significant.  The most economical cadence was significantly lower for C (56.1 +/- 6.9 rpm) than NC (62.9 +/- 4.7 rpm). Take-home: grinding reduces oxygen cost but can lead to more muscular fatigue. 4. Cadence Matters This article cites studies that show: Muscles have better neural efficiency when spinning, but this increases oxygen cost. To what extent these can be further trained is not clear, Grinding lower cadences may be a lower oxygen cost, but the neural system gets tired sooner. For the same power output (200Watts as used by Gotshal, 1996) higher cadences make for better muscle blood flow, and in-line with reduced muscle strain data, it makes for better endurance. 5. Optimal pedaling rate estimated from neuromuscular fatigue for cyclists. Six college-aged cyclists each performed six sessions of heavy pedaling exercise at individually selected work rates based on their aerobic capacity. The optimal pedaling rate was evaluated on the basis of minimal neuromuscular fatigue. Lower neuromuscular fatigue at 80-90 rpm, but lower VO2 (O2 uptake) at 60-70 rpm. Optimal pedaling rate estimated from neuromuscular fatigue in working muscles is not coincident with the pedaling rate at which the smallest VO2 was obtained, but with the preferred pedaling rate of the subjects, and seems like cyclists prefer to go with cadence that allows for lower neuromuscular fatigue Dennis Clydesdale Aiming For Olympic Tri PR Hi Lucho and Tawnee, First time, long time as they say on all the best radio shows. Your podcasts have helped me get through many grueling workouts and I believe because I use predominantly MAF in my runs, I am rarely injured these days (touch wood). I’m 48 with a decent athletic background. I’ve run a few marathons and completed 5 Ironman races in my early 40s. I took a step back from the sport as I went through a divorce and wanted to focus more on my kids and work. I’m aiming for an Olympic Triathlon PR of 2:30 (best was 2:37 5 years ago). It is in late June on a reasonably flat course. Currently weight 250 lbs, aiming for a race weight of 240 lbs. I’ve got a decent base from the winter, now I’m aiming to get in great race shape. I think I’ve got my swim covered as I do 3 Masters classes per week. I do 4-6 hours of hilly biking per week, as my schedule permits. I do around 4 hours per week running, 75% of it at MAF, one tempo run and a track workout. My current MAF time is 10:45, I’m aiming to get this down to 9:45 at the the of the race. I’m doing a sprint a month before the race, and I also work out with a trainer for strength work once per week. Any advice for me and for any other bigger guys/gals who love the sport of triathlon? What the Coaches Say: This is a solid plan. You’re putting in a lot of work and staying healthy. Bravo! One thing to consider is taking 2 weeks or so to adjust the ratios, so you are focusing on your weakest leg. Consider periodizing the intensity of your cycling (don’t just do MAF). Losing 10lbs in that amount of time is aggressive. Usually, you don’t want to lose weight while peaking for training because food is fuel! Don’t starve yourself before or after intense workouts. Don’t sacrifice all your hard won fitness gains for weight loss. Why are you fixated on that weight? What was your weight during your last PR? That should guide you more than an arbitrary number. Don’t try to gain mass with your strength training; especially beware of  upper body muscle mass. Consider cutting strength training altogether (if you’re strong enough already) to focus on lower leg mobility. Throw in some longer open water swims at tempo, which are more specific to Olympic racing. Consider having a run-heavy plan (even though your 4 hours is already really good). Do testing to check your status. High intensity track workout can be detrimental to MAF. Consider replacing that track work with a 6-mile MAF run or hill intervals. Sol Making Sense of Marathon HR & Pace Data My name is Sol. Yes, the same (male!) Sol whose question Lucho answered a year ago regarding periodising training for a marathon over the course of an entire year. I’ll happily report that the training went perfectly (with no niggles) and the debut race more perfectly with a 2.59 finish. I felt strong and comfortable throughout and paced it very evenly with the fastest and slowest splits within 10 seconds of the mean.  I have to say here too that Dr Maf’s and Tawnee’s idea of using honey as fuel worked a treat! Question 1. During training my long MP tempo efforts equalled 160bpm. During the race, however, for the most part (between mile 3 and mile 19, after which it began the upward creep), my heart rate hovered around 154 bpm. Does that mean that I was running easier than I was capable and could have sped up to 160 intensity? Also, what might be the explanation of the first three miles’ HR being more elevated at 160 before dropping to 154? (Could it be the lack of a proper warm up? I ran 1.6 miles as a WU). This has happened before at other races. As an aside, I have heard Dr Maffetone saying on the podcast that a marathon can be raced 10-15 seconds faster than MAF pace. The thing is, my MAF (130-140bpm) pace is only 7.50 ish, yet I raced a minute per mile faster!  How was that possible? Or are there caveats to the Dr’s rule? * My training included, besides for the weekly long runs, increasingly longer tempo runs first at 145bpm, then 150, 155, until reaching 13 miles at 160 + WU and WD. What the Coaches Say: MAF training is super risk averse, but you weren’t afraid to push beyond that and see what you were capable of. 6-beat differential is nothing remarkable. That could be a temperature difference. If you want to experiment with pushing your HR up then do it gradually. You have good data now with your experience. This was a textbook perfect race, so you should feel confident pushing harder next time. But only slightly HR spike at the start was probably adrenaline for your first marathon. 1.6 mile warmup is a little long. Lucho thinks 1/2 a mile is adequate. Tawnee recommends drill work (that you’ve done before). Temperature is the important thing here. You want your muscles to be warm so they’re functional. Tempo talk (for experienced runners only) Tempo is zone 3 (in other words, MAF + 5-10bpm) A lot of this is RPE; there’s no magic formula. True tempo is marathon pace. Tempo has an assumed duration based on your race distance. Tempo for a marathon runner is 3, 6, 10, or 13 miles at marathon effort. Short tempo runs are mildly stimulating Long tempo runs build immense mental toughness Threshold is zone 4 (15-20bpm over MAF) The post ATC 285: Is There An Optimal Cycling Cadence? Plus: Finding Your Tempo Pace, Marathon Debrief and Olympic Tri PR Tips first appeared on Endurance Planet.

Sponsor: 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. Sponsor: Also, 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. We are back with Holistic Performance Nutrition episode 6. On this show, coaches Tawnee and Julie share six of their favorite nutrient-dense foods for athletes. We breakdown what makes these foods so good for athletes (including plant-based athletes!), and give our buying tips, favorite brands, cooking methods, nutrient profiles, and more. Quick links mentioned on this show: Dr.Sara Gottfried on eating 20-30 plant species per week! Thrive market Vital Choice PaleoValley Organ complex Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon Common deficiencies in athletes: Iron – crucial for athletes, especially female athletes who are more prone to anemia. Magnesium – ATP production from fatty acid oxidation, muscle relaxation, bone remineralization. Vitamin D – aids in the absorption of calcium. Calcium – excreted in high sweat sports. Vitamin B12 – formation of red blood cells and DNA regulation. Zinc – Post-exertion tissue repair, immune boosting, fights infection. Selenium – aids in immune function and cell repair. Vitamin E – aerobic athletes need more because our cells undergo more oxidative damage; E is a well-known free radical scavenger. Protein – endurance athletes need it for maintaining aerobic metabolism; aids in recovery and wound healing. Adequate nutrients can mean quicker recovery time, lower infection rates, less fatigue, and ultimately, can help athletes reach their desired performance levels. Eat to Compete – breakdown of athletes’ needs and what foods to find them in.   1. Liver Contains more nutrients, gram for gram, than any other food. Meat from pasture-raised animals are 2-4 times higher in omega-3’s than meat from commercially raised. Also benefits communities, the environment, the farmer. Nature’s most concentrated source of vitamin A. All the B vitamins in abundance, particularly vitamin B12 (50x more than steak). Best source of folate. A highly usable form of iron. Trace elements such as copper, zinc and chromium; liver is our best source of copper. An unidentified anti-fatigue factor. CoQ10, a nutrient that is especially important for cardiovascular function. A good source of purines, nitrogen-containing compounds that serve as precursors for DNA and RNA. there because they help the body get rid of toxins Myths: The liver is full of toxins? The liver neutralizes toxins, but doesn’t store them. Toxins are stored in our fat tissue and nervous system. It does store: Vitamins A, D, E, K, B12, Folate, copper and iron. All of which are an excellent source of high-quality protein. Too much Vitamin A? Buying & cooking: The best choice is liver from animals that spend their lives outdoors and on pasture. 100-gram serving of beef, lamb, bison or duck liver (about 4 ounces) 1-2x a week, providing about 50,000 IU vitamin A per serving. Chicken liver, which is lower in vitamin A, may be consumed more frequently. Marinate overnight in lemon juice or ACV with garlic and herbs to neutralize the flavor. Pat it dry and fry medium heat in butter until really brown on the outside and rose on the inside. Add tamari sauce. Julie’s favorite cooked liver recipe is to slice the liver thin (no more than 1/4th inch) then dredge it in a mixture of almond flour, salt and lots of pepper. (Almond flour is just a replacement for those who don’t eat grains.). Fry on both sides in ghee or lard. I usually cook up the whole liver at one time then either heat up the leftovers during the week, or snack on it cold. It’s a great substitute for a power bar or other on-the-go meal. Summary: Not all liver is the same. Incredible sources of B12, A, Iron, Protein, and trace minerals. Great for stress and energy. Supplement Form: Ancestral Supplements, PaleoValley, Vital Proteins Sam’s Liver Pate recipe: Ingredients: 1lb liver ¾ cup cashews 1 white sweet onion 1 apple 4 sprigs thyme ¼ tsp pepper 2 tsp salt ¼ tsp nutmeg ½ tsp lemon juice 6 tbsp coconut oil Directions: Pour boiling water over cashews and soak during prep and cooking. Heat 2 Tbsp of coconut oil in skillet over medium heat Sauté onions for about 5 minutes, until soft and slightly translucent. Add apples and spices, and cook for another 10-15 minutes, until the apples are very tender. When skillet ingredients are almost done, rinse and drain cashews then put in food processor with 3/4 cup warm water and lemon juice. Process for 1 minute, until a cashew butter/paste is formed. Add sauté ingredients to food processor and blend until incorporated and smooth. Add more coconut oil to skillet if necessary then sauté livers for about 3-4 minutes per side. Do not overcook! The middle should be pinkish/purple. Place cooked liver in food processor, and make sure to scrape all the goodness from the bottom of the skillet in there too. These bits are packed full of flavor. If you’re feeling fancy and have extra white wine on hand, you can deglaze the pan and add to food processor. Not a necessary step though. Turn food processor on and slowly add 4 Tbsp of coconut oil (or substitute with Kerry Gold butter). You should get a thick, creamy pâté that’s delicious warm (if you can’t wait to eat it) or chilled in the fridge (where it’ll keep for four days).   2. Seaweed / Sea Vegetables 1 tbsp offers ½ to 35 mg bioavailable iron w/ vitamin c to increase bioavailability. We lose a considerable amount of iodine in sweat per hour of aerobic exercise, especially when hot and humid. 1 tbsp contains: 500% daily recommended iodine 16% vitamin C 13% manganese 11% B12 3% iron 3% zinc Among other vitamins and minerals, sea vegetables are similar profiles to minerals found in blood. Multiple studies show anti-inflammatory benefits from consumption of the sulfated polysaccharides in sea vegetables. Wakame, a specific type of seaweed, has high iodine. Helpful for hypothyroid: Iodine helps with conversion of T4 to T3 But excess iodine is not better! Can cause problems and even the opposite intended effect on thyroid Chris Kresser article on iodine, selenium and low thyroid function (hypothyroid, Hashimotos) Take caution in supplementing iodine; get from food sources when possible. Brands: Vitalchoice.com has awesome pre-made seaweed salad that you can buy frozen if you can’t find any good quality sources near you. This is where Tawnee shops and also gets salmon roe (high in DHA) and wild Alaskan salmon. Sea Tangle Noodle Company Kelp noodles – 54 mcg iodine per serving; available on Amazon, in stores and on Thrive market. Emerald Cove products – their wakame is good. Nori sheets are tasty, convenient snack BUT read ingredient labels and watch out for those made with harmful vegetable oils (canola, soy, sunflower, safflower, etc).   3. Sardines Bone Health – calcium, D, phosphorus, B12, protein Nutrient breakdown: B12 – 338% Selenium – 87% Omega-3 – 61% Protein – 45% Vit. D – 44% Calcium – 35% Iodine – 24% Iron – 10% With health of the sea declining, what fish are safe to eat? Look for small, saltwater, oily-rich, silvery, soft-boned fish. Sardines fit this description – bottom of the aquatic food chain, feed on plankton, and are not going to be a big source of heavy metals like mercury or other contaminants. When buying canned make sure you get those in olive oil and avoid those packed in bad vegetable oils like soybean oil, etc. Can also get packed in water and add your own fats. Eat the bones, always!!! Great calcium source. How to eat: Grilled, sandwich, on toast, salad topper Straight from can Nutritional yeast, turmeric, dill, cayenne Sprinkle sardines with lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil Combine sardines with chopped onion, olives, or fennel Top sardines with chopped tomatoes and basil, oregano, or rosemary. Balsamic vinegar gives sardines a nice zing Make a sauce with extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, pressed garlic, Dijon mustard, and salt and pepper Brands: Wild Planet Thrive market   4. Chia seeds Runner up: flax seed, hemp seeds High in omega-3 fatty acids, great for plant-based diets. 1 oz contains: 10g fiber 12g carbs 8.6 g fat 4 g protein Chia is not high in carbs but still getting in that valuable fiber, great for LCHF or keto diets. Gut health booster: It’s also considered an insoluble fiber and prebiotic food, meaning that chia seeds are non-digestible fibers that feed good gut bacteria and are fermentable in the gut, creating short-chain fatty acids, good for gut! Benefits: Anti-inflammatory Healthy skin Mental function Heart healthy Aids digestive system Bone health Normalizing blood sugar Brands Nutiva is the brand Tawnee buys, but many good quality organic products out there, check your health market or online shops like Thrive market. Get whole seed form rather than pre-ground form.   5. Chocolate (cacao) 2.5 tbsp cacao powder contains: Magnesium 25% Iron 10% Potassium 6% Protein 4g Improves nitric oxide levels in the blood, dilates blood vessels, increase serotonin, cognition and cardiovascular health. What’s the difference between cacao and cocoa?! Julie explains. Dark Chocolate Intake reduced exercised-induced muscular injury  biomarkers in football players An association of cocoa consumption with improved physical fitness … Cocoa, blood pressure, and vascular function   6. Sauerkraut (or kimchi & other fermented foods) In addition to taking a probiotic supplement with set ingredients, it’s good to eat some wild strains of probiotics from food sources too. It’s not a one size fits all as far as understanding exactly what grows in cultured foods, but research does show a complex ecology of beneficial bacteria present in sauerkraut fermentations. Bacteriophage Ecology in Commercial Sauerkraut Fermentations Dog health too! Tawnee gives her dogs sauerkraut per vet recommendation, which is helpful for allergies by balancing and boosting gut microbiota (side note: keto for dogs is a thing!). You don’t need much for the benefit, about a tablespoon or so several times a week. Benefits: Can improve or mitigate digestive issues like leaky gut Can help with food sensitivities and allergies Immune function Reduce inflammation Increase nutrient absorption The microorganisms in sauerkraut feed the good bacteria in gut. However, if you’re already dealing with a gut dysbiosis (overgrowth, infection, etc.), talk to your practitioner on whether sauerkraut is a good idea or not. In some cases it is, some cases not. Can keep bowel movements regular or improve quality. If you’re sensitive to histamine or knowingly histamine intolerant, then usually best to avoid fermented foods (along with some other foods on this list). Preparation and where to buy: Make your own – recipe in Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon If you’re in Orange County, CA go to Fermentation Farm And if shopping locally, look for anything raw, unpasteurized and refrigerated with “live and active cultures” from a trusted health market our source. (Farmers markets may have as well.) The post HPN 6: Our Top 6 Nutrient-Dense Foods To Add To Your Diet Now, and Why first appeared on Endurance Planet.