Endurance Planet

Sponsor: Head to the EP Shop page where you can find products and services we’ve tested and come to love, and when you shop through us you not only support the show but you can have the peace of mind that we’ve done the work to find the best of the best out there for health-minded high-performing athletes. Like Sound Probiotics – EP fans save 10% and get free shipping. Sound Probiotics is the first pure probiotic plus prebiotic formulated specifically to improve the gut health and immunity of the competitive athlete. You simply can’t afford to be sidelined by illness or GI issues, and Sounds Probiotics has your back. 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. Meagan says: Motivation Thoughts First of all, big fan of the podcast. I was listening to a couple of the recent episodes and the topic of motivation came up. I have been thinking about this a lot recently because one of my friends made a resolution to run a half marathon in May and has asked me for a lot of tips because I’ve been running (mostly for fun but a few marathons) for a long time. The main thing she struggles with, as far as I can tell, is motivation. At this point, she’s about 50/50 for completing her long run for the week. Not because she thinks the distances are too long for her current level of fitness, but because she has trouble motivating herself to get out of the door. As you can imagine, as your typical type A runner, I find this to be extremely frustrating and hard to understand, as I’ve never experienced this problem myself. Why would set yourself this goal when it seems like you don’t really like running?? Then I came across a book written by Gretchen Rubin called The Four Tendencies. In it she explains there are 2 types of expectations: internal (the ones you put on yourself) and external (the ones other people put on you). There are 4 combinations of ways you can meet or not meet those 2 types of expectations. Upholders have no problem meeting both internal and external expectations. If someone tells them to wake up and run 18 miles one day, they do it just as consistently as if they just decided to do that themselves. Questioners meet internal expectations but only meet external expectations if they’re consistent with internal expectations. Obligers can’t meet internal expectations but they do meet external expectations. And rebels have trouble meeting either type of expectation. My friend is a classic obliger. And after I finished reading about what motivates an obliger, I recognized similarities between her and my aunt, who is an Ironman triathlete. Obligers do best when they have some sort of training group (external expectation) that keeps them accountable to their goals. My aunt has ALWAYS trained as part of a group (whereas I’m more of a solo runner), and it has worked really well for her. I suggested to my friend that she join a running group at least for her long runs and she has been much more consistent with them since then. Of course, a tendency doesn’t explain away plain laziness (that, I absolutely have no sympathy for), but I think understanding someone’s tendency makes understanding how they’ll react to something like a goal or a resolution or even a training plan much easier. Anyway, I found reading about all of this stuff really interesting and thought as coaches you might find it valuable. Gretchen Rubin has a (free) quiz that you can take to find out your tendency if you’re interested. She has also been on a number of podcasts (the one I found most helpful was probably Rich Roll’s interview) https://quiz.gretchenrubin.com/ Mark asks: MAF Regression Hello again – I thought I’d follow up on this question I asked last year because it’s not going well and I can’t put my finger on it. So I scrapped my HM training plan in late July of last year and started doing all my runs below my MAF HR of 144.  At the beginning, my average easy run paces were in the 10 min/mi range, but Sept/Oct they were around 11, then by Nov/Dec around 12, and now I’m into January and it’s almost around 13 min/mi because I’m having to do a lot of run/walk.  I’m running a lot fewer miles each week then I was in the summer for several reasons, but mainly because it’s such a bummer to slog around that slow. What I can’t understand is that during this time, not really much of my life situations have changed – other than now it’s winter and I live in Fargo (so it’s really cold and snowy).  Otherwise, my nutrition, sleep, stress, family, work and other factors are nearly unchanged. But despite all of this, it seems like I’m losing fitness instead of gaining it.  I’m trying to figure out if maybe my paces just keep slowing down because I was just overtrained and had “false” fitness, and now that I’m only doing MAF I’m just regressing back to where my actual aerobic fitness really is?  I mean, just 8 months ago I did manage to run a 4-hour marathon. Not great, I admit, but still would think that puts my fitness better than slogging around at 13 minutes/mile. So I thought I would see what your thoughts were because I’m getting really close to scrapping the HR monitor and just getting after it.  I’m tired of jogging around and clearly, something is not going right. The coaches say… You are NOT losing fitness! Don’t equate pace per mile with fitness/health. Lucho suspects you are way fitter and healthier now than a year ago. Tawnee points out that your body has been under a tremendous amount of stress over the past 2 years losing 50lb through keto and IF, plus a 4-hour marathon, plus life. All of these factors are likely catching up with you right now. Beware of dropping the hammer on yourself because you’re not where you want to be. Don’t apply unnecessary discipline in training or any other aspect of life. Be gentle with yourself. Find a medical professional to do your bloodwork or use a service like InsideTracker to get a better sense of what’s going on on the inside. Beware of pushing keto too hard if your adrenals are shot. Keep the HR monitor and learn to adjust your RPE scale. Stick with it until you see your MAF pace come back down. It will!!! Perhaps consider running on the treadmill during the winter. Winters are HARD. Chad asks: Quad-numdrum I look forward to this show and typically devour it immediately. I’ve been listening since 2012 and love it. Thanks for keeping it going! I get to laugh and be inspired for 90 minutes every two weeks. I’m 50, been running on and off for the last 8 years. My body has been broken much of that time from overuse, or too much too soon. I tend to jump in and do whether or not I should. I’ve been working on building strength and endurance.  I am capable of and have jumped into ultras, R2R2R, some random adventures or whatever else seems like fun at the time. Now I want to go into an event properly trained and not half-ass it. I excel at half-assing. But even undertrained and broken, I still do “okay”. But I want more. I want to do well. I signed up for the San Francisco 50/50 Endurance Run on May 18th. 50 miles and 9,890 ft of gain and equal loss. I don’t fear the distance or the elevation, though I know it would be a grind and simply a “just to finish” situation if I did it in my current state.  I have a history of calf issues which I’m addressing. I used to not feel the downhills in my quads because I absorbed everything with my calves, but that was crippling. Now that I have been correcting this, my quads are taking the brunt of the downhill which to me is a sign that things are shifting to normal, though they are not conditioned as much as I’d like. I know if I want to be good at hills, I need to run more hills.  So, I am. But to train my quads for endurance, do I need to pound downhills? Should I build quads of steel with gym time? Should I do one legged box jumps until I can no longer stand? We don’t need to talk about leg extensions because, well, obvi… At my disposal, I have a 40lbs weight vest, dumbbells, TRX, access to treadmill and trails. If it matters, all my work is done in Altras. I have 4 kids ages 1 to 15, the typical day job, a loving wife and not a ton of time. I squeeze in what I can. I have 7 to 8 hours to run per week and can slip in 3 or 4 x 30 to 60-minute strength sessions if I do them at home. On a side note, I want to get a bike trainer or an exercise bike to help in building my aerobic base but I don’t have much to spend. Can I get cheap and still get something decent? We’re talking less than $200. The coaches say… Look at Craigslist or thrift stores for a bike trainer. An exercise bike would be ideal for your situation working out at home. Eliminate the weight vest for downhill running. It’s not worth it; there’s just too much stress on your knees and joints. It also alters your gait in weird ways. Avoid stressful eccentric exercises like depth drops. Lunges and squat jumps without weight are good. Another workout to consider, which combines aerobic fitness with strength, would be to bike (on the trainer) for 10 min in zone 1/2 then hop off and do wall sits to failure or Bulgarian split squats with dumbbells, then hop back on the bike for 10 min in zone 3. Repeat. You don’t need more than 3 strength sessions a week (that’ll help you with time as well); only 1 heavy leg session a week. Continue to push the downhills on your runs. You will continue adapting! Use hill repeats on a short hill if you don’t have access to a long hill. Use quad soreness as your guide. Don’t do a long downhill run if you have quad DOMS. Try getting some barefoot running in on your shorter runs. From a mechanical standpoint, this might benefit your stabilizing muscles and proprioception. Bob asks: Half Marathon to Prep for 2:40:00 Full Marathon PR? A HUGE THANK YOU for helping me achieve my PR goal this past November. Sorry, this is a few months late, but I did want to let you know that you provided the confidence I needed to get me past my mental block to achieve a level I didn’t know I was prepared for, or, capable of. You answered my questions back on episode 254…I had recently targeted a 2:50:00 Marathon goal/PR, but imploded on miles 21-26.  You imparted your wisdom by addressing key workouts, nutrition, and most importantly, the mental side of things. I read the book “Endure,” by Alex Hutchinson, and listened to Lucho say that I was a “2:50 guy, I guarantee it” on repeat…until, well, I believed it. My prior marathon PR was 2:58:53 (aforementioned total implosion race November 2017)…and with your help, I crushed this November’s Marathon…2:47:01.  And I didn’t implode or have to crawl across the finish…I just grabbed a banana and headed back to my car so I could catch my daughter’s XC meet. It was a surreal experience…which leads me to believe, I could have given more. I’d love to get your thoughts on preparing for a November 2019, 2:40:00 goal. I followed JD’s 2Q 60m/week template for last years race and it did the job.  At 18 weeks long, that puts me starting in July. Just kicking off the new year, I have time to be more creative and specific in my training. Would I benefit from preparing for a half marathon the first weekend of May?  That gives me roughly 16 weeks to prep for the half, and then 9 weeks to build back my mileage before starting the 18-week marathon plan.  I’m thinking that a half marathon plan would get me some more strength and speed to aid in my marathon goal, but not sure if I need to bother? If you would recommend I take on a half marathon, would you follow JD’s half marathon template?  Should I target a specific time, a 1:15:00 – 1:18:00…What Vdot should I utilize…the target for the half or a more ambitious marathon Vdot…60-61?  OR, if you would not recommend I target a half-marathon, what type of periodization should I utilize to prepare me for the November 9, 2019 marathon goal of 2:40:00? The coaches say… Lucho prefers 24-30 week marathon plan over 18 weeks. Your VDOT is YOUR VDOT In that 16 week period you might consider focusing on a 5K instead of 1/2 marathon. 13.1 can put you in the dangerous “grey zone.” Lucho recommends a creative half marathon training plan… finish with a half marathon but train with a 5K flair Most important, in that 16 week period focus on what you’re weakest at. Reference your VDOT. Refer to your old training logs and look for red flags. Those are things you have to improve. The post ATC 279: Winter Motivation, 5k Focus For A Marathon Boost, A Quad-numdrum, and More first appeared on Endurance Planet.

Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by BodyHealth, the makers of PerfectAmino, 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 our athletic careers. We are joined by Brad Kearns, host of the Get Over Yourself podcast, professional speedgolfer, co-author to the Primal Endurance and Keto Reset Diet with Mark Sisson, and a dude with a great sense of humor! Brad’s 2016 appearance on Endurance Planet, talking about his days as a pro triathlete and lessons learned. Behind Brad’s new podcast titled “Get Over Yourself” and why he chose this name and the theme. Misdirected competitive intensity. Mindset: What gets you going each morning? Kona dreams that didn’t happen. Speedgolf – Brad explains how it works, its similarities with biathlon, how it takes you out of your head, the creativity of it, and the anaerobic nature of the game. Keeping it fun and keeping yourself from getting too wrapped up in outcomes and results, especially after you’ve had a taste of victory and winning performances. Brad’s philosophy of maintaining a competitive intensity throughout life as a component of longevity. Our potential to get unhealthfully obsessed with data and results in their racing and how to redirect that intensity. Brad gives advice on how to keep yourself from letting this be an unhealthy obsession, and how to keep it real & fun instead. Leave your race on the course. When it’s done, file it away somewhere “not so important.” Brad’s DQ in Tahoe – a victory that was taken away, and moving past that. The experience was still rich! Tawnee’s IM Tahoe DNF but how the memories are still rich. Brad’s tendency to be overly positive at the price of not facing struggles head on. You don’t always have to be a positive spin, and too much of that can be unhealthy for you too! Deepak Chorpa said that being overly positive is a form of stress in itself. Tawnee talks more on meditation and the ability to see your thoughts and feelings without attaching to them. Book: Way of the Peaceful Warrior Tawnee on the “myth” of letting go, and what is truly meant by letting go. By meditating we teach ourselves not to react as intensely or attach ourselves to what comes to mind, be it thoughts or emotions. Reading in between the lines on what we record in our training logs. Do you make excuses? What do you share, and what that means? The problem with our “no pain no gain” society. Brad’s MAF training for speedgolf, which is an anaerobic sport. High stress training – we do it too frequently, check yourself before you burn out! Using races as speed workouts, which Maffetone promotes. The genetic component – you still have to push yourself every once in a while, not just in racing. But be patient and make recovery a priority. Don’t feel bad if you’re not “fast” yet aerobically (e.g. MAF pace), it just means you haven’t properly conditioned that component of your fitness; however, don’t make the mistake of trying to “hack it” by pushing more intensity. That isn’t the answer. Brad is in his early 50s, and used 142-145 HR for his MAF at first but that was too high and he noticed it was overtraining territory to keep that up so he switched to 130 or so. A lot of development happens at lower heart rates, even below MAF. Walking!! Going on a walk has value, and can contribute to your bigger fitness goals in making you a faster, healthier athlete. Brad’s testosterone (T) was tanked in his younger triathlon days (200-300 or so), but now as a master’s athlete with appropriate training stress and healthy diet/lifestyle, his testosterone has rebounded and is up to 1,000 serum levels. And of course, he’s adamant about keeping it ALL natural, he won’t even take Ibuprofen or caffeine. Free testosterone vs. Serum testosterone, and why you always want to measure Free T along with SHBG (which can bind to T). Brad’s blog on boosting T levels by minimizing workout stress. Reference to our friend, Matt Bach and his hormonal & healthy journey – listen to his story here. Is it that Brad might have that genetic gift that helped him to respond well to MAF, or is it just basic science that any of us can and will respond well to healthy training and lifestyle? Healthy hormones AND hitting key workouts – a conundrum. Joel Jamieson and his Recovery based training. Mindfulness incorporated into your athletic training. Brad’s love for cold therapy, but why Tawnee advises some warnings for certain populations (like women with amenorrhea). Rhonda Patrick cited a study that says: 20 seconds exposure to 40 degree F water can boost norepinephrine by 200-300% for 2-3 hours. Brad loves the contrast therapy – rotating between hot and cold. And it’s also his meditation practice, focus on breath. Ray Cronise says if end on cold water when doing this therapy (especially brown fat activation), but doesn’t have to be a black or white process. It is good to warm naturally though. Stay tuned for Part 2 of the conversation that will air in several weeks!The post Brad Kearns Pt 1: Competitive Intensity for Longevity, Boost Testosterone By Minimizing Workout Stress, and Why You Need to Just Get Over Yourself first appeared on Endurance Planet.

Sponsor: Inside Tracker is an awesome service to use for convenient and informative blood testing geared toward athletes. You can get up to 30 biomarkers tested and more on your journey to bettering performance. Use code “enduranceplanet” for a 10% discount. In the episode of Ask the Coaches with Brock and Lucho, we answer listener questions about: is it bad to train in zone 3, how to prepare for racing at altitude, what type of strength training is good for triathletes, and more! In the intro: We continue are discussion on motivation and New Year’s resolutions from last week with reference to the article “Motivation Over Discipline” and Joe De Sena’s book The Spartan Way. Kate asks: My normal winter involves xc skiing and ski touring or Skimo racing, both of which end up with me spending most of my training time in zn 3. This year we are so far, having a low snow season, so I’m still running and have more choice about intensity. Bikers seem to obsess about not training in the ‘grey’ zone and runners don’t seem to be as bothered. I’ve reduced my training volume to around 10cardio hrs p. wk from a period of 15hrs a wk in an 8wk build up to an ultra in December. Back then I focused on strength rather than speed and tired legs forced more zn 2 time which seemed perfect for ultra training in a short block of time with next to no running base. But now I’m wondering with only 10hrs per week how important polarised training is? If i devise and follow any schedules they are loose ones with mostly training according to how I feel and what I fancy doing, the terrain often dictating intensity more than anything else. But it would be a shame to waste my nice base I’ll likely do a 2hr snowy running race towards the end of this month and a 3hr triathlon (run, MTB with skis and ski www.velopodole.ch) at the end of March, last time I placed 3rd despite my advancing years (50). I have one weaker hamstring which needs careful management and have adopted more strength into my routine along with regular yoga. My only other goal is to be able to run all of my local hill (450 vertical metres with 3 sections of ‘too steep to run’). So I’m thinking – continue running as i feel like because i’m still getting faster with doing what i’m doing. Carry on with my ad hoc intervals fartlek style and up the strength side (currently been doing pre-run activation and a bit of finishing the legs off afterwards). Thinking about adding some plyometric and harder post run stuff. Todays run was quite typical 5% zn 1, 37% zn 2 (running down the hill), 44% zn3, 12% zn 4 Please see the attached picture which gives a glimpse of my insane calves for your amusement and to get your attention. You are right by the way, small calves are faster. Only ice climbers need ones this big but i’m stuck with them and at least they psyche out the opposition. When’s endurance planet coming to the alps? The coaches say: Zone 3 (tempo) is not the enemy, it has value. Zone 3 is only a problem when you ONLY run in zone 3. More worried about the 12% of training in Zone 4… that’s A LOT! Don’t do the same run every day with the same intensity, unless you’re building your aerobic base in zone 2. Some people do better with periodization but not everyone. You can try it out but if what you are doing is working, that is great! It’s important that you continue to improve. As a super fit person, it’s harder for you to “mess up” your training. Gravitate towards what you enjoy and don’t be afraid to experiment with new protocols. Listen to your body and make sure you are getting enough recovery. Be careful doing plyometrics post-run. These can be very violent and break you down.  Focus on good form and don’t push through fatigue. Amy asks: My spouse and I will both be doing the Leadville 100 MTB race this spring. We need help with our training strategy. We live in an area with lots of climbs and hilly terrain, but we are at 200 feet above sea level, on the Eastern Seaboard. We can get to 2500-3000 feet driving, but there is no altitude anywhere around here. We’ve only briefly been at altitude and both did okay with it. Short of an altitude tent (expensive), what can we do to prepare? Here are some ideas we’ve had: 1. Eat iron-rich foods. 2. Train in the heat (we heard this produces a similar effect/feeling on the body as altitude). 3. Train with ankle weights and/or a weight vest to make it suck more. 4. Get a fat bike so it’s heavy and hard to ride. 5. Lose weight. We are staying in downtown Leadville and arriving 8 days ahead of time. The coaches say: Interesting study on Iron and Altitude Eating iron-rich foods won’t help unless you have a deficiency; check your hematocrit to see. No need to avoid iron-rich foods, but they won’t really help with altitude. Similarly, beets, cruciferous veg, and echinacea will help boost blood oxygen carrying capacity, but these aren’t going to make a huge difference in your training and racing either. Study: The Use of Echinacea to Improve Oxygen Transport Capacity Heat training will be huge for you! Consider layering up and getting very uncomfortably hot while training, and also spend considerable time in a  sauna.  Getting used to feeling overheated will help you deal with feeling the effects of altitude (it all comes down to the Central Governor). What is Heat Acclimatization and How Can We Use It in Training? Similarly, try some hypoxic workouts Altitude training mask (or just a bandana over your mouth) Ankle weights are just messing with mechanics. Focus on upper back, shoulders and neck. Rows and push-ups are solid go-tos. Farmer carries will help with grip strength. Avail yourself of the hills around you rather than relying on an artificial challenges like a fat bike. You might consider getting heavier training wheels. Once you’re at altitude, switch to higher carb diet and stay hydrated. Kris asks: Short intro: I’ve been doing some short course triathlon for 2 years. Background in Olympic Weightlifting and Crossfit. Started swimming to rehab back and used to cycle everywhere I went in my 20’s (now 32, but do not consider myself old or even starting to get old). While I know that I probably overdo the endurance portion of training a bit considering I’m still a beginner (I have a nagging case of plantar fasciitis 6 months +), my main question is about the incorporation of strength training. So I understand periodization and have a degree in Exercise Science but most of my experience is strength oriented. I’m still incorporating 2 lifting days per week (I put on muscle easy so more would be counterproductive) and it seems like the weight I have to lift to produce a stimulus is far heavier than most and then my runs suffer a little or I have DOMS. If I lift less than it’s just easy and seems like time that can be better well spent. This season I’ve started with 3 weeks (hypertrophy 8-10 reps at 70-75%) then moving to strength with 4 weeks at 80% and 6-8 reps 4 main exercises and a lifting tempo of 40X1 for the main lifts. So far it hasn’t been too bad but I feel like the lifting is affecting the endurance training (not so much swimming) more than the endurance affecting the lifting. The coaches say: Check out Brock’s Get-Fit Guy post about PF Alternative Protocols: Trying dropping the weight and lifting slower. Lighter weights higher reps. Switch up your lifts; dial back on 4 main heavy lifts and shift focus to strength training stabilizing muscles for endurance sports. Stop lifting entirely while you focus on sport-specific fitness. Once you get endurance sports up to par then you can bring in the heavier lifts if you’re missing it. If your priority is to get stronger in triathlon then cut strength training entirely; you’re strong enough. Weight training doesn’t make you fast. So choose your priority and sacrifice accordingly. It might be satisfying your craving to kill yourself if you focus on PRing in the 5K and FTP. Other Resources Brian MacKenzie’s CrossFit Endurance book (if you can find it). This article from Ben Greenfield This article about tempo lifting. The post ATC 278: How Bad is Zone 3, Preparing for Altitude, Strength Training for Triathletes, and more! 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. Welcome to episode 3 of Holistic Performance Nutrition (HPN) with Julie McCloskey, registered holistic nutrition coach, and Tawnee, a certified sports nutritionist and holistic endurance coach. Rosalie asks: In the event this is within the scope of your show, here is my question: Hello, my name is Rosalie Davis. I am 50 years old, I have been running for 20 years, mostly casually, completed 3 marathons and lots of shorter races, 5k, 10k and half marathons. The last two years were my most focused training / running and I had a blast. Unfortunately, I recently tore my meniscus and am having arthroscopic surgery to repair it. Here’s my question, what should my diet look like prior to surgery and afterwards? Close to surgery date so more concerned about diet after surgery. Looking for ideas to promote recovery and healing. Thank you for your time, great to have you back Tawnee and I enjoy the show. The coaches say: Varying animal products for solid amino acid profiles Organ meats, sardines w/bones, nose to tail goodness Bone broth with additional gelatin and collagen added Lots of pure water, no carbonated bevvies, caffeine, and alcohol Avoid high intakes of phosphorus Increase minerals, especially calcium & silicon Calcium: Kelp, sesame, almonds, figs, dark greens, alfalfa, most legumes Silica: potatoes, alfalfa, peppers, beets, onions, dandelion, asparagus, hemp, nettle Soak and sprout to destabilize phytates and oxalates they’ll be bound to Easy to digest foods: good protein powder, soups, broths Antioxidant rich herbs and spices PerfectAmino – Essential amino acid supplement with greater than 99% utilized by the body for body protein synthesis. Bone broth – homemade is better or from a reputable source. Meriva – bioactive curcumin supplement by Thorne can be as effective as NSAIDs as an anti-inflammatory without the side effects. Don’t take curcumin if you’re on a blood thinner though. Organic CBD oil for pain – not addictive, no risk of OD, helps with sleep. Dosages range from 10 mg to 100+mg – start low and build. Try Thorne hemp oil. Acupuncture – up to 2-3x a week initially as long as that’s not cost prohibitive. Scott asks: I am a 37 year old male runner in the UK about to train for my 4th marathon in Spring 2019. I start running about 5-6 years ago purely to lose weight and dropped from 35lbs within a couple of years and then ran my first marathon in Paris with a 3:29.  I managed to get down to about 160lbs for this marathon which, at 5’8” still left some work to be done on my weight (I appreciate it’s not just about numbers when it comes to optimum race-weight but I was carrying visible excess fat that needed to be shifted, especially around the gut). I improved in Spring of 2017 with a 3:10 and again this Spring with a 3:01 and I am now shooting for 2:50 in Spring next year. My problem is not my confidence or my physical training. My current big problem is my sweet tooth and the inability to drop the final stone that I think will bring me on leaps and bounds with my running. I am a vegetarian and my diet really sucks right now but not because of this. We have biscuits, chocolates etc in our office on display all the time and I just cannot keep away. I feel like it’s becoming a real big problem as I am really overloading on high sugar junk food even though I am a firm believe in a low carb (not quite as low as keto but just not a high reliance on carb) diet. I am really struggling to find a method or approach that will see me go through a day without eating far too much cake and biscuits as our office is always full of them – I just keep telling myself that tomorrow will be a better day, the day I start eating healthy and getting rid of the extra bulk!  The coaches say: Sugar Addiction, is it real?  Mind/Emotions – don’t restrict, go from “bad” to “better”, pay attention to how those foods make you feel and think about if you want to feel that way next time they are offered. The choice is always yours to make Physical – high stress and not enough sleep will cause sugar cravings and hold weight centrally — a veg diet is gonna be high carb (most likely) in which case will beget more sugar, not enough protein will increase sugar cravings, not enough magnesium will increase sugar cravings. Also at risk for nutritional deficiencies because we never “get away” with eating refined foods at a biochemical level, our body will look for ways to make that biscuit “whole” and leach nutrients from our bones in order to do so. Supplements – Chromium, magnesium, b-complex, and a fish oil are my favorites for blood sugar control. I’ll look for some studies on these babes Be prepared with high protein safety snacks. If you eat all of your own snacks and STILL are craving the biscuit, do some deep breaths, take a 10 minute walk outside, and then go for half the biscuit if you still want it. Just a couple bites might do the trick and you’ll decrease your consumption in half without much effort Mix your macronutrients to slow down absorption, add ceylon cinnamon (1 tsp. daily) to increase cellular uptake of glucose, eat a varied diet to feed good bacteria and calm down the bad ones, more omega-3s, more dark leafy greens. The social pressure to indulge at work with co-workers, and learning to say no to unhealthy foods in social settings. Food logging on MyFitnessPal or another platform to make sure you’re meeting calorie and protein needs for energy expenditure. Cravings often come when we’re underfueling. Todd asks: What nutrition advice do you have to support bladder health? Overactive bladder was plaguing my running and life overall. I have improved the situation through exercises (kegels and stretching/strengthening bladder supporting muscles) and drastically cutting back on obvious irritants (down to one cup of coffee per day and completely eliminated sodas). But I believe there is the potential for more progress to be made.  What other nutrition changes would help. I am mainly a marathoner, and working with a PT.  Doing squats with a band and other exercises to relieve pressure on adductors and increase utilization of glutes. Overuse of adductors probably increasing stress on bladder and hurting running efficiency generally. The coaches say: Identify and avoid foods you might be sensitive to – decrease toxic load Food allergies can increase bladder irritability by increasing smooth muscle contraction Decrease dairy – calcium is hard on the kidneys, also a top allergen. Magnesium def? Increase kidney harmonizing foods Alfalafa, blueberry, cardamom, cilantro, cranberry, pomegranate, asparagus Drink unsweetened cranberry or blueberry juice Will help acidify the urine and prevent bacteria from adhering to the bladder wall Increase antioxidants Vit. C helps acidify the urine and kill off pathogens No artificial sweeteners Retrain bladder, e.g. delay urination for a short period and try to stick to a schedule Traditional Chinese medicine – in this study, acupuncture 1x a week for 1o weeks showed improvements.  The post HPN 3: Curbing Sugar Cravings, Bladder Health, Nutrition For Surgery Recovery first appeared on Endurance Planet.

Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by BodyHealth, the makers of PerfectAmino, 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 our athletic careers. 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! In this episode of Ask the Coaches, Brock and Lucho tackle listener questions about: Beginner Strength Training, Back-to-Back Racing, Core Strength for Endurance, Flipping the Triathlon, and more! In the intro banter, Brock and Lucho discuss different kinds of motivation and whether New Year’s resolutions are BS or worthwhile. Then, on to the questions… Houston asks: I’m a 33-year-old male, runner, and cyclist. I don’t train a tonne, about 4-6 hours/week cycling and 2-3 hours running. My goals are to more or less maintain my running and cycling but I want to be a more functional human and gain a little muscle (currently 5’11” and 145 pounds). I have time to increase my weekly training time by adding strength training but I’m clueless in the gym and I do not know where to start. Is there a resource you could point me to teach me some basics (eg. a blog, YouTube, book, etc.). Brock, are there any trainers in the Vancouver area you would recommend to show me around the gym. If it changes anything, I’ve had plantar fasciitis but I think that’s behind me now. Monthly massages and regular stretching seem to have kept that in check. The coaches say: You don’t need to gain muscle to be functional but you can if you want to, and putting on muscle mass is an admirable goal. When it comes to gaining muscle, diet matters as much — if not more than — the strength workouts. That is, no matter how heavy you’re lifting, if you’re in a caloric deficit then you won’t put on muscle mass. Functional Movement Screening (use to check for imbalances) – https://youtu.be/LpjoZWcUpFI You can hire Brock at BrockArmstrong.com Brock’s blog – Turn your fitness weakness into a strength Steven asks: Do you have any advice for training for and executing triathlon races on back to back days? This is not about multi-day races, like Ultraman. I have signed up for “Wildflower Squared” which is a long course triathlon on Saturday followed by an Olympic triathlon on Sunday. I have a fair amount of triathlon experience having completed about twenty races over the last ten years including three Ironman triathlons so the fundamentals are no problem. My main concern is being able to effectively recover well enough to be able to finish on the second day. If you have any advice on how to train to prepare for these races, how to recover after the first day, or how to approach either race it would be greatly appreciated. The coaches say: It’s all about recovering as much and as fast as possible. This means consuming ample carbs after the first race, and laying back with your legs up (after doing some mobility). Don’t over-do it on the protein after the first race. Remember that you’re eating a pre-race meal as much as a post-race one. Recovery tools will help (i.e. foam roller/massage stick). Biohacking techniques probably won’t be your friend here… they’re really expensive and might disrupt your system if you’re not used to them. If you’re camping at Wildflower, trying standing waist deep in the lake the night after the 70.3. The cold plus hydrostatic pressure will do you good. If, by chance, you’re staying in town then choose a  hotel with a pool and hot tub so you can do contrast bathing. It’s up to you what effort you want to put into each race, depending on your goals. The only way to know how much you really have in you is to give 100% to each race and see where that takes you! But, if one of those races is more of a priority than the other, then pace yourself accordingly. Michael asks: I attempted my first 100 miler. I had to medically withdraw at mile 78 due to severe back spasms. I was walking, listing 45 degrees to the left, for the final few miles. I also train for Ironmans. I would admit I don’t do any strength/gym/core/weight training. I’m not sure if this was a core strength issue but I’ve gotta think the 100 milers involve a lot of core strength. A couple of questions: Would a typical hour run be better to do 30min run and 30min core strengthening a better way to do things? Would doing core, etc. help to complete a 100miler in the future? If I have minimal time to add this to my workout schedule, what would be your basic/minimum/go to workout that would be the best bang for my buck? i.e. Give me 4-5 of your best workouts/exercises… kettlebells, etc. (I struggle with motivation for these so I believe I could add a few. Give me your best.) The coaches say: This may not be a core strength issue. Could be hams and quads. Don’t split a 1-hour run into a 30 min strength and 30 min run… the 30 min run won’t do anything for you if you’re training for ultras. Instead, dedicate that entire hour to strength and do it circuit style to keep the heart rate elevated and maintain endurance. Brock and Lucho discuss a wide variety of exercises in the episode; tune in for details. You can’t go wrong with lunges (forward, backward, and lateral) and four-way hip exercises. Check out the Drop Sets article at Brock’s Get-Fit Guy blog Moss asks: Go down one of your rabbit holes with this one: How would flipping the order of a tri affect (effect?? hate that word) the results? If you ran first then swam then biked would that result in faster times? Would it change as you went from a sprint to full? What about the other way; what would result in the slowest finishes? Bike, then run then swim? The coaches say: Check out Superleague for some evidence of how this works. Switching the order of events probably wouldn’t impact elite athletes too much, but it would drastically alter the race for 15-16 hour finishers (at 140.7 distance)… imagine swimming 2.4 miles after being out there for 14 hours already! Swim last would lead to the slowest finishes. Athletes benefit when the last event is their strength. The post ATC 277: Beginner Strength Training, Back to Back Racing, Core Strength for Endurance, Flipping the Triathlon, and more! first appeared on Endurance Planet.

Sponsor: Inside Tracker is an awesome service to use for convenient and informative blood testing geared toward athletes. You can get up to 30 biomarkers tested and more on your journey to bettering performance. Use code “enduranceplanet” for a 10% discount. Sponsor: If you haven’t already, check out Thrive Market, which is basically Costco meets Whole Foods meets Amazon. Sign up for an annual membership now to start saving on healthy food, personal care products and clean products for the home. Shop conveniently from your home computer or your smartphone. Gary Dudney, of Monterey, Calif., has been publishing articles on running, trail running, and ultrarunning for the past 20 years. His is the author of two books, The Tao of Running and The Mindful Runner, both of which you can buy on amazon by clicking the links. Gary was inspired to write these books from his own running adventures over the past 30+ years. At 66 years old, he’s competed in about 250 ultras and marathons, and nearly 70 100-milers and has learned a lot along the way, including how to elevate his running by focusing on his mental state. In this interview we talk about Gary’s transition into “mindful running” and how it took his ultra career to the next leve with fewer DNFs and more satisfaction that carried over into his daily life. You’ll learn tips on how to incorporate mindfulness into your own running and training, and also how to identify the thoughts that take you further away from a mindful state.   On this interview Gary’s story and how he noticed that once he transitioned to more mindful running he clearly noticed he that had fewer DNFs in races, and deeper more meaningful experiences while running. Being present while running – what are ways that we’re NOT being present while running? Efficiency strategies for dealing with pain and suffering via the mind. The harms of negative self talk – how these thoughts can lead to quitting, slowing down, etc. But positive thoughts can save you and make the experience more enjoyable. When you start feeling fatigue and pain treat it as a positive – it’s natural and indication that you’re running to potential! Why Gary chose a focus on Taoism as compared to other Chinese religions/philosophies such as Buddhism and Confucianism. Story of the three vinegar tasters and takeaways that we can learn from in present day. In that story, the taoist starts thinking “this is the true essence of vinegar” which can be carried over to how we view running even the painful parts. Robert Wright’s book Why Buddhism is True An interview with Wright on Econ Talk, which you can listen to here. The meaning of mindful running. How running breeds the act of mindfulness. If running is already like mindfulness how can we more intentionally practice mindfulness while running or deepen the process? acceptance and letting things go. don’t attach yourself to thoughts and feelings. What to do when thoughts of other things arise. How to still be in tune with your training needs while running mindfully. Stop worrying about finishing times and training more intuitively. Just finishing is the reward and that contributes to longevity in sport. If you’re Type A – stay with how you’re feeling in the moment! Don’t worry so much about what’s down the line today or in the future race. The benefit of focusing on the breath – just as it is. Gary’s relaxation technique – head to toe focus for relaxation to let go of fear and panic. How to use mantras in training and racing; Gary’s go-to mantra: “Infinite patience; steely determination.” Utilize your peers and talk to other runners to bring yourself back to the present. Sense of connection, oneness and the disappearance of self, In his book, Robert Wright describes how the mind is ruled by different modules and there’s no central module. Thus, there is no self; nothing that says “this is me.” There is no self, no separation between you and everything else in the world. It’s all a continuum. How Gary experienced that in a race and what this means in the context of Taoism and Buddhism. The post Gary Dudney: How Mindfulness Can Elevate Your Training, Racing and Life – Fewer DNFs, More Satisfaction and Stress-Free Workouts first appeared on Endurance Planet.

Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by BodyHealth, the makers of PerfectAmino, 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 our athletic careers. In this episode of Ask the Coaches, coach Brock, Lucho and guest coach Tawnee answer the following questions about Incorporating Walking into Training, Improving Acceleration & Top Speed, and more! In the intro section: Tawnee fills us in on how to be healthy while living in a van #vanLife: Where to sleep (Walmart and Cracker Barrel!) Where to get good food (Whole Foods and co-ops) How to get movement in and not get too sedentary (solution: dogs). Allison asks: Hi Tawnee, When Dr. Phil was coaching you for a marathon he had you doing walking as part of the training. Would the walking be done as part of a 20 or 15-mile long run?  So 2 mile AM walk then run two fewer miles? Also, what was your heart rate goal?  Was it a stroll or a more intentional walk? Would running benefit from a quicker pace? Or is there any benefit from a super slow jog/shuffle. I usually do a couple of 1-mile walks per day.  I may test both and see what my heart rate is. The coaches say: Phil doesn’t write “training plans” per se. More consultations every week. Phil feels that walking can add to your aerobic base. Phil and Dr. Daniels believe that running more than 90-120 minutes is not necessary or helpful. 2 hours may be plenty for health, but Tawnee doesn’t necessarily think all athletes should be restricted to it. There are psychological gains in those long runs. When Tawnee followed this training protocol, her longest run was 2.5 hours with walking 15-20 min pre/post depending on feel. Her walking pace was nothing fast (15-20 min pace), which she found super enjoyable and a good active recovery. See ATC 275 for more info on Walk/Run training and racing. Keep your biomechanics in mind. Fast walking may be better than slow jogging from an alignment and mechanics standpoint. Keep those arms involved for efficiency. Where the 10,000 steps per day idea came from Erik asks: I’m a 40-year-old male that started playing soccer again after a 22-year break. The last 20 years or so I have trained for mostly endurance sports. Some marathons, sprint tris, Ragnar, and a spartan sprint. Right now I want to improve my acceleration and top speed on the field. I am currently doing a Starting Strength workout routine (squats, deadlifts, bench, OHP) 3 days per week, and hill workouts 1-2 days a week, in addition to a game day and a practice day. As I enter the off-season what would you suggest I do if I have 1 hour to train six days a week? The coaches say: He also asked Lucho on Twitter about maintaining endurance during this training. Sprinting short distances is important but stick to 20 to 30-metre sprints. Good drills: Shuttle sprint: sprint 10M, stop as quickly as possible, jog backward to start. Lay face down on the ground then jump up and sprint. Allow your body to find its own way. Practice de-acceleration and re-orienting to new direction. You’re going to have to change your mindset on what “tempo” means given your endurance history. Walking lunges, RDLs, Sideways Step-ups, Good Mornings… maybe Nordic Curls. Do speed drills (especially those short sprints), uphill sprints, weighted sled drills (or plate push, but don’t overload yourself), lift weights quickly (lower slowly), stair drills, plyometrics are your friend (box jumps and broad jumps, high knee skips). Lose weight (body fat), if you can spare some. Use 3 periods of training: Early preseason: build endurance through shuttle runs and diagonals (running corner to corner on the field with some kind of exercise on the end lines) capped at 20 min, strength training should be major focus to complement acceleration, also actually playing soccer is good for building your endurance. Late preseason (6-8 weeks before the soccer season begins): start working on speed, interval training 60-80M comes into play. Season: enjoy playing soccer! Check out the https://simplifaster.com/ website. The post ATC 276: Van Life, Incorporating Walk Training, Improving Acceleration & Top Speed, and more! 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 centred 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. On episode 2 of Holistic Performance Nutrition (HPN) with Julie McCloskey, registered holistic nutrition coach, and Tawnee, we take a deep dive into your gut health and the use of probiotics from why you need then to what brands and how to take them: Gut dysbiosis & Leaky gut What is dysbiosis: an imbalance in the gut microbiome, specifically a decrease in gut microbial diversity. What is leaky gut: increase intestinal permeability and contents of gut leak into the bloodstream (probiotics help prevent this). How/why do things go wrong in the gut? Diet that’s high in processed food, sugar and starch. Not enough of the right fiber and prebiotics. Too many drugs (like antibiotics, acid blockers for reflux, anti-inflammatories, hormones, etc). Stressors (toxins, hard exercise, overtraining, chronic stress, etc) Study: High intensity running increases gut permeability. Gut is a garden More than 500 species make up gut flora….equating to 5-8lbs worth! Different types of bacteria: Essential/beneficial (good) Opportunistic (bad) Transitional (from environ that we take in; can damage in absence of good guys) People with IBD have less gut diversity by up to 25%. Aim to just pick the weeds from the garden, and not wipe out the whole thing with aggressive treatments. Disease/illness Gut health affects your overall health and risk for many diseases. Gut bacteria are out of balance → you increase risk of getting sick. 70% of immune system in gut; when out of balance susceptibility to illness increases including URTI and common colds. Athletes hate being sick. State of gut health can influence depression, weight, skin conditions, etc. Probiotic basics Help to populate your gut with good bacteria for normal functioning and lower inflammation. Beneficial strains that help our native good guys, control the bad guys and protect us from invaders. Protective barrier for your gut (key for athletes). Manufacture vitamins B3, B5, B6, B12, biotin, folate, Vit.K – crucial for energy and metabolism. Not all probiotics will be right for you. Study showing the benefits of probiotics for athletes.   Good strains for athletes Lactobacillus (genus) — So many benefits: estrogen metabolism, liver function, fights H pylori infections, immune function, leaky gut repair, repopulate the small intestine with good guys, digestion, reduces inflammation, increases GABA, helps with bloating, can reduce diarrhea, etc. Certain strains are good and safe for SIBO. Most popular strain: lacto acidophilus Bifidobacterium — Produces the short-chain fatty acid butyrate, which supplies energy to your colon cells to keep them functioning optimally. Good for IBS/IBD. Can ease constipation. Help intestinal barrier function. Can decrease carcinogenic enzymes in large intestine. Without adequate SCFA and butyrate, we increase risk of colonic disorders. Butyrate is an energy substrate i.e. fuel for colonocytes. Can also get in diet via fiber and resistant starches. Saccharomyces boulardii — Protects the gut lining from the effects of antibiotic-induced dysbiosis leading to leaky gut syndrome. S. boulardii can also outcompete other unfriendly yeast. Actually is a healthy yeast not bacteria. Prebiotics — Non-digestible and goes through small intestine where it’s fermented, which feeds beneficial bacteria. basically a boost to your good guys but if there’s bad overgrowth these might need to be saved for later. In probiotics they’ll be things like FOS and GOS on label. Brands SOUND — Formula based on research with strains that will benefit athletes. VSL #3 — Very high potency, 450 bill live species. KlaireLabs — Their “Lactoprime Plus” is safe for SIBO w/o inulin and prebiotics; and their “Ther-Biotic Complete” is a great all-around probiotic. Garden of Life Primal Defense — Contains soil based probiotics. Equilibrium — 115 strains including strains not found in other products. Ortho Biotic by Ortho Molecular — Contains S. boulardii. Genestra HMF Forte Thorne Flora Sport More on your probiotic A multistrain probiotic is ideal, including strains from the genera listed above. DOSAGE: Taken either 30 minutes before food or with the meal itself, the fat content of food tends to help it along. Sometimes probiotics can irritate symptoms of other gut issues like SIBO or candida. In those cases a special kind of prob is recommended or holding off on probiotic for a while depending on the case. I wouldn’t avoid probiotics forever though, and they’ve been shown to be beneficial in treating SIBO. Read more on this by Chris Kresser.  You can combine different probiotics. Tawnee says she always has Sound in the mix even when not training, and also loves Equilibrium. Even if they don’t colonize they will still have a beneficial effect. They still have significant changes in gene expression in the gut, aid digestion, and probably above all else, enhance our immune systems. Gut testing Testing can help you determine deficiencies and strengths in your gut microbiome, leading to learning what you may need to supplement with and what probiotic to choose. Two tests that Tawnee recommends: GI effects—great snapshot of microbiome, shows us the relative concentration of 20+ different species. Includes, also, markers of digestion and intestinal inflammation.  GI Map—the “Microbial Assay Plus” to take a deep dive into microbiome including the state of your good guys, all kinds of pathogens, parasites, bacteria, fungi, and other cool things like gluten sensitivity markers, autoimmunity markers, markers that can indirectly indicate SIBO, markers that can indicate leaky gut and other forms of dysbiosis. More info on what the GI MAP includes and tests for here. Fermented foods Sauerkraut Kimchi Kombucha PrEbiotics—non digestible carbs e.g. artichokes, onions, garlic, green bananas, leeks, asparagus, dandelion greens, apples, seaweed, etc. Study: “Beneficial effects on host energy metabolism of short-chain fatty acids and vitamins produced by commensal and probiotic bacteria.” Eating a varied plant heavy diet is a great way to increase your diversity. Reoccurring SIBO – How to Heal? Kathryn says: “I’ve tried Low FODMAP and LOW GI, while also being Gluten free, dairy-free, soy-free, alcohol free, and yeast free. Have tried supplements, and two rounds of antibiotics. Working out 6 days a week. Was training for a tri. Changed to Orangetheory 2x week, barre 3x week and one long run, since I am time-strapped and in a busy season for work.”   Troubleshooting Have you eased up on the protocol that you found relief with? Perhaps you eased up too soon? Could take months (60-90+ days). SIBO recurrence after antibiotic therapy Further gut testing and hiring a qualified functional practitioner. Need to find out: what the underlying cause is and address that. Some triggers include: Low gastric acid production and taking PPIs. Modern SAD .  Damage to the nerves or muscle cells in the gut. Scar tissue from surgeries, crohn’s, endometriosis. Ileocecal valve malfunction. Autoimmune disease, IBS, or recurrent antibiotic use. Poor Motility → During periods of fasting, a migrating motor complex (MMC) develops approximately every 90–120 minutes to sweep residual debris through the GI tract. Several studies have demonstrated that abnormalities in the MMC may predispose to the development of SIBO.19-21 Taking the wrong probiotic could “fuel the fire” (and certain foods and other supplements may contain the following as well): Watch for inulin, dairy/lactose, soy, starches, FOS, GOS, chicory root in probiotics, supplements and foods. Start taking prebiotics after initial round of treatment and symptoms improve. Treatment considerations Biofilm disruptors (antimicrobials) – such as: Klaire Labs Interfase Plus. Smaller meals, rest the gut. Herbal therapy. Make sure you’re confident it’s actually SIBO and not just GI flare-ups or another gut issue (testing with GI MAP or GI Effects helps with this). Prescript-Assist Study. Soil-based Probiotic Supplement Recs from Dr. Ruscio. If you have slow motility, try Bifobacterium Lactis. Add in a prokinetic agent to help with stronger motility if that’s part of the cause Supplement suggestion for this is: Iberogast Vagus nerve stimulation for motility (thus addressing stress levels and managing that is key). Supported in research: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3665597/   https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4017164/  The post Holistic Performance Nutrition 2: Complete Guide To Probiotics, Essential Strains for Athletes, and Healing Reoccurring SIBO first appeared on Endurance Planet.

Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking to burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. 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. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out the UCAN bars with peach and also another flavor with coffee beans for an added kick! In this episode of Ask the Coaches, Brock and Lucho answer listener’s questions about How Run/Walk Training Works, How Different Types of Bikes Affect Training, Using Heat vs Cold for Fitness, How to Train for the Mile, and more! Michael asks: I’m training for my first true ultra, a 55-hour event on December 30th in Houston, called the Snowdrop55. It’s done on a 0.7-mile loop and it’s done to raise money for children’s cancer research. My main goal is to get to 100 miles in the least time possible (hoping for 24 hours). My secondary goal is to tack on at least 50 more miles before the end of the event to get to 150 total miles. Here’s my question, I’ve been building up by not only running long but by doing a ton of walking. I completed a trail marathon (with 5,000 feet of climbing) about 6 weeks ago, did a downhill half marathon (2,000 feet of descent) two weeks ago. Have had my biggest volume week ever (54 miles running plus 32 miles of walking) a few weeks ago. Despite a “niggle” in my right glute/hamstring attachment, I’ve completed a four day stretch of over 70 miles of running and walking. So here’s my question. I run/walked for three hours this morning using a 2’ run/2’ walk protocol (but reset at the end of each mile), which ended up having me complete 16 miles at 11:05 pace. I then walked 4 more miles and had a massage (which helped the glute/hamstring but also flushed out my legs), whereupon my legs actually felt great. I’m going to continue to put on the miles the next two days and see where it leaves me. Here’s my question, I’ve listened (actually geeked out), on your physiological analysis of training for sprints (<9 sec, 20-30 sec, etc.), and wonder if there’s a corollary for ultra running. Obviously, this can apply to training, but it also will apply on race day. It strikes me that the 2-minute run/walk intervals allow the muscles to recover in a way that I’ve never really felt before. It seems to me that my legs are more stressed after 2 hours of non-stop running than they are after 4 hours of the run/walk protocol. Are you familiar with any science behind this? Are there ideal intervals? I’m planning to do a 40-50 mile day in the next couple of weeks to both prepare and to test out this method. One thing is for sure, the walking volume has to be helpful, since it’s something I’ve never done before, and I’ll be doing a ton of walking in the event. My present plan is to maintain the 2’ run/2’ walk protocol until I can’t:), while hoping that I can maintain it until the 10-12 hour mark. This goal has mental and physical significance to me as it relates to Ironman but would also put me in position to walk the remaining hours to achieve my goal. The coaches say: Some reasons why the Run/Walk method works: Continuous use of a muscle will result in quicker fatigue The longer the run segment, the more fatigue It’s a form of interval training Conservation of resources (Fat metabolism) Quicker recovery Less stress on the weaker muscles and ligaments Ability to enjoy endorphins Reduce core body temperature You can use the Jeff Galloway “magic mile” calculator to approximate your run to walk ratio. Check out this study called “Ground reaction forces at different speeds of human walking and running.” As far as determining ideal ratios, there’s no “perfect” ratio. Think about what you want to do and what you feel comfortable doing. Go with the flow during the race. If you do have a time goal (which it doesn’t seem like you do for this) you might consider checking out Jeff Galloway’s calculator for pacing and use that to determine the run/walk time. Vince asks: I am training for my third Ironman in March 2019 (Ironman New Zealand) and have been doing a lot of my commuting to work, as well as bike training on my mountain bike. Can you please let me know if this is detrimental to my bike performance as I am racing on a Cannondale Slice Time Trial Bike. I will usually ride my bike to work once or twice a week and do a ride with my girlfriend on the weekend, so I am riding about 3 to 4 hours on my mountain bike and the rest of my training is about a further 4 hours either on my spin bike or time trial bike. I can tell that my heart rate is pretty high when I am riding my mountain bike, but am worried I am utilizing different muscles compared to riding the time trial bike which may be reversing any gains I am making? The coaches say: You are working harder on the mountain bike so make sure you recover enough. There are some geometry differences between the two bikes but not enough to reverse gains. As long as you spend enough time on the bike you are racing on, you will be fine. You will run into problems if you don’t spend enough time building up muscles for aero position (lower back, psoas, shoulders, and respiratory muscles). Tight muscles will negatively impact your run. Solution: more time on TT bike! Greg asks: I’m a 53-year old male mountain biker in Phoenix, AZ. I will frequently over-dress for a mountain bike workout because I feel like there are a host of benefits from getting a good sweat flowing during a workout. I also have an unheated pool in the backyard, and with nighttime temperatures dipping into the low 40’s, a plunge in the pool gives me a big cold shock. I try to stay in the water between 3 and 5 minutes, but never long enough to start shivering since I’ve heard that is an indicator that you’ve gone too far into developing a stress response. I separate my hot workouts from the cold plunge by several hours, typically a sweaty morning ride and an evening cold plunge; but I still wonder if I’m working at cross purposes. Am I negating any potential benefits of either strategy by doing both? Or should I pursue a more cyclical strategy where maybe one or two weeks is heat adaptation and then move into a cycle of cold adaptation. I would love to hear your thoughts. The coaches say: Check out Brock’s “Get-Fit Guy” episodes about Heat and Cold. Brock would suggest using heat as a recovery method and cold as a therapy. Separate them with a few hours since cold has been shown to blunt the results of a hard workout. Don’t be afraid of shivering in the pool. This is good! Shivering signals that your internal body temp has dropped low enough to convert white adipose tissue into brown (aka fat burning). Sarah asks: I have the goal on 2019 of running a sub 5 min mile! I am a former: Collegiate track athlete and ran a PR 400 of 56 and 400 hurdles in 60 and Professional long course triathlete. My last and only known mile time is 5:13, which I ran this past spring just after duathlon nationals (where I placed 2nd OA – 1st AG). For the past few months, I have been mostly biking and focusing on strength, only running 1-2 x a week. This coming year I turn 40 and before it’s too late, I want to try and run a sub-5 min mile, but I don’t know where to start!!!  How much run volume should I have per week (hours)? Do you have an idea of some key workouts I could incorporate into my training? The coaches say: You have a huge run base so volume is not important for you. You can probably get by with 30 miles a week. Train short to long (speed first, then distance). Begin with 100m speed. Not PR level but close. Move on to intervals close to VO2 max; 1000M max. Then move on to threshold mile repeats with 1-2min rest. The goal is to train your body to function well with high amounts of lactate present. 8-10 weeks out: drop threshold and go back to interval. Stay away from 800s because the numbers start to mess with your head. Keep max velocity work (30-40 meters; 6 reps with 4 min rest) in all year. Don’t bother going out and running 6 miles easy. Running on the track isn’t necessary. Train where you can. Soccer fields work well for max velocity training. Strides downhill can be helpful too (2-3% grade ideal). The post ATC 275: How Run/Walk Protocol Works, Different Styles of Bikes, Heat vs Cold for Fitness, Training for the Mile, and more! first appeared on Endurance Planet.

Sponsor: PerfectAmino 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, smoothie, or pre- and post-workout fuel! PerfectAmino, whether powder or pill-form, is an athlete’s secret weapon featuring all the essential amino acids in the exact ratios needed to ensure proper protein synthesis in the body. BodyHealth, the makers of Perfect Amino, also offers well-formulated natural vitamins and supplements to meet your other needs including their Body Detox, Healthy Sleep Ultra, Intestinal Cleanse, weight loss aids, and more.   On this episode with the Sock Doc we take a dive into what it means to embody a “less is more” lifestyle. Tawnee recently stayed with the Sock Doc and his family during her vanlife travels and saw first hand how they operate without shoes, in nature and by keeping it all simple. Topics covered: Benefits of being barefoot beyond running. Special cases for going barefoot–what about hazards or cold feet (e.g. Raynaud’s)? Using nature as your gym, and keeping it loose. Always look to diet and whole foods before supplementing. What supplements do you really need, if at all? Are we overdoing Vitamin D? Our past in-depth podcast on Vitamin D with the Sock Doc. Muscle testing vs. blood testing – debating blood test needs. The difficulty of finding nutrient-dense whole foods for some of us (and knowing where to look!). Why the Sock Doc and Tawnee agree that some sugar in your diet (e.g. organic ice cream) is ok, but why we still avoid processed junk foods with HFCS, coloring, bad fats, etc. Butter as its own food group. Clean and toxic-free household cleaning products and personal care products we like: Acure Organics Thieves all-purpose cleaner White vinegar and water (lemon optional) Whole Foods cleaners and laundry detergents Bronners Mrs. Meyers Why Sock Doc’s family uses some bleach The post Sock Doc 8: Less Is More – Natural Movement, No-Diet Wholesome Eating, and Toxin-Free Home and Personal Care first appeared on Endurance Planet.