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 for 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! Sponsor: Check out the new highly anticipated HealthFit University and how you can join this aerobic revolution. Health Fit U is led by health and fitness experts Dr. Mark Cucuzzella, Dr. Phil Maffetone, Ian Adamson, Jeff Vernon, Robin Desjardins and EP’s own Tawnee Gibson. Whether you’re a healthcare professional, fitness coach, trainer, or recreational or competitive athlete, HealthFit U is open to you with educational seminars and online resources that aim to help you and your clients build balanced, fat-burning, energized bodies for optimal performance. The next Health Fit U seminar is September 29-30, in Ranson, West Virginia. Book before Sept. 1 and save $50. Some other benefits of HealthFit U that you will love: • Certifies coaches specializing in endurance, strength, health and corporate. • Certifies health practitioners and offers CMEs and other continuing education credits. • Will post coaches and practitioners for referrals. Coach Lucho and Coach Brock began this episode of “Ask The Coaches” by discussing: – “Enclothed cognition“: how what you’re wearing has a significant impact on psychological processes (like, if Lucho is wearing cowboy boots, he won’t be tempted to over-exercise) – How your brain uses significant energy, and why cognitive tasks can be just as fatiguing as physical workouts (see research by Dr. Samuele Marcora) – Social media notifications can stimulate a dopamine response similar to sex (this scientific article defines “pleasure-only” activities—social media and meaningless sex among them—and explains why they harm our biopsychological health) Then they answered the following questions: Kev asks: My question is – I’ve noticed it a lot over the years – that during my short/superhard runs & races, my heart rate climbs normally along with the effect and then drops quite rapidly, then after a minute it slowly climbs back up. This effect has been repeated a few times with 2 different watches and 3 different heart rates. I always seem to be breathing hard while racing and always feel my legs will last longer than the lungs. I’m 44, been running for 9 years, resting HR around 55-65 and max 207 https://www.strava.com/activities/1696142939/overview Is this anything to worry about? It’s never an issue on the longer ultra paced events. The coaches say… – Could be bradycardia or vasovagal syncope. – Blood pooling in the lower extremities could also cause it. – If you find your heart rate is dropping on a regular basis during exercise, you should check with your doctor to determine if you have a heart arrhythmia. Kenneth asks: I am interested in finding information on using rate of perceived of effort (RPE) along with the MAF method rather than a heart rate monitor. Can you point me in the right direction? The coaches say… – Brock has a Get-Fit Guy article about that. – This study has some insight on RPE accuracy: The researchers had 2,560 Caucasian men and women between 17 and 44 years old completed incremental exercise tests on treadmills or stationary bikes. Their heart rate, blood lactate concentration, and Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) were all simultaneously measured. Rating of perceived exertion was strongly correlated with heart rate and blood lactate. They concluded that “Borg’s RPE seems to be an affordable, practical and valid tool for monitoring and prescribing exercise intensity, independent of gender, age, exercise modality, physical activity level and Coronary Artery Disease status.” Tim asks: Yesterday at 48 years old, I won a mountainous 1/2 marathon with about 170 participants. I use many of the primal blueprint principles such as aerobic base periods (late winter and spring), heat and cold exposure, fasting, and weight training. I started with a 50 mile ultra with 13,000 of vert in June. During my race season (late June-September) I am much busier. During this time I do quite of a bit of weight training (I’ve been doing weights for 30 years), more sprinting, full body circuit training and MSP workouts. Midsummer my run volume is lower with more intensity, and every 7-10 days I do a long run. Essentially I reserve my intense training for my early race season. I will now add more overall volume (I will have more time) but reduce intensity focusing on my September races. I am training for 3 mountainous races. A 16.5 miler, a 65 miler, and a 20 miler all separated by only a week. The 16.5 and 20 are for a series win, with the 65 miler (not a priority) in between. I’m very fat adapted, muscular and lean. I use hrv and take rest when needed and have an average hrv in the 130’s (very high). I’m wondering how to approach the time between now and my 3 September races. Should I just rebuild aerobic base? Keep sprinting and weight training? I could skip the 65 miler and go for the win in the series, or just go for all 3 races. I could try to push hard at the 16.5, cruise the 65, and do what I can at the closing 20. It has been the best and healthiest I’ve ever felt and I’m afraid to change too much. Ps. I feel the best when I wt train year-round, backing off on heavy legs near race and high volume weeks. The coaches say… – Lucho thinks you should ditch the 65 miler because you would have to change your training. – Brock thinks you should do them all if you feel like that is the real goal. – Don’t fix what isn’t broken – and you are not broken! – Your HRV is showing that you aren’t having nervous system issues. Anonymous asks: I am a 21-year-old female and my question is in regards to the transition from running to triathlon. I am relatively new to running. I started aged 18, in 2014, when I started University in Scotland. I came from playing competitive soccer my whole life. I played for our national team up until under 19 age group. I changed to running after being inspired by Chrissie Wellington’s book, ‘Without Limits’ and upon watching the Common Wealth Games, which were hosted by Scotland. After running for a year and a half, mostly doing road and XC, I transferred to a school on track and XC scholarship, that is top in the This school is top in the nation for its distance programme. I am now in Colorado completing my masters. I have 2 or 3 years left of eligibility to run track and XC. Since starting running, I have been very injury prone. I have done more cross training than running in my time as a XC and track athlete. I have fallen in love with cycling. I am very interested in making my transition into olympic distance triathlon. I am wondering how the structure of a running training programme differs from a triathlon specific training programme? I have to run for the next couple of years in college to fund my education, however, I am interested in incorporating a triathlon based training programme, so that I make the transition once I am done in college. I figured that incorporating a triathlon based approach may help in reducing the number of running injuries I have. I would have to incorporate it around my team’s practice. Our major workouts are… – Tuesday: short reps on track – Thursday: fartlek – Saturday: Tempo – Sunday: Long run Within this structure, how can I start including triathlon training and begin my transition? What is the basis for triathlon training? Do you still have a long run? How do you split it up into the three components? How many high intensity “workouts” do you do in a week? The coaches say… – Be careful while you are in school to not mess up your scholarship. – Don’t do a workout that could hurt your team run workouts. – Wait on high intensity training. Focus on zone 2 base work. – Start by adding in a swim component so you aren’t learning that at the last minute. – Easy spinning on the bike after/between run workouts can help with recovery. – Long runs are relative, for Oly distance, long is pretty short by comparison to what you are doing now. – Splitting up the components is dependent on the athlete and their strengths and weaknesses. Since you are a good runner, you can let that slide (after you are out of school). – For triathlon training plans, check out Joe Friel’s Triathlon Training Bible. Finally, in their concluding banter, Lucho mentioned this study on the correlation between physical exercise and mental health (duh, we know, but it’s nice to see the science).The post ATC 267: Sudden Drops in Heart Rate, RPE and MAF, Back to Back Racing, Transitioning to Triathlon, and more! 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 for 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! Sponsor: Check out the new highly anticipated HealthFit University and how you can join this aerobic revolution. Health Fit U is led by health and fitness experts Dr. Mark Cucuzzella, Dr. Phil Maffetone, Ian Adamson, Jeff Vernon, Robin Desjardins and EP’s own Tawnee Gibson. Whether you’re a healthcare professional, fitness coach, trainer, or recreational or competitive athlete, HealthFit U is open to you with educational seminars and online resources that aim to help you and your clients build balanced, fat-burning, energized bodies for optimal performance. The next Health Fit U seminar is September 29-30, in Ranson, West Virginia. Book before Sept. 1 and save $50. Some other benefits of HealthFit U that you will love: • Certifies coaches specializing in endurance, strength, health and corporate. • Certifies health practitioners and offers CMEs and other continuing education credits. • Will post coaches and practitioners for referrals. In this 266th episode of “Ask The Coaches,” Coach Lucho and Coach Brock answer the following questions: Amar asks: Hi, I went to a new gym recently and they had these new treadmills. They were curved and had no motors! I did a little googling and didn’t find anything concrete on the effectiveness of these treadmills for endurance training. What are your thoughts? Here is a link of the ones at my gym – woodway.com/products/curve The coaches say… – The physiological and perceptual demands of running on a curved non-motorised treadmill: Implications for self-paced training – Researchers found that runners work about 30 percent harder on the curved, non-motorized treadmills. – Instead of making a conscious decision to speed up or slow down and then pressing buttons, the curved treadmill allows runners to self-regulate with every footfall, just as they would outdoors. David asks: I looking for some advice regarding bilateral breathing. I’ve been toying with the idea of trying a tri; I’m usually a runner but the diversity of exercise from a tri is really appealing. I’ve gotten my swim together ok, nothing fast, but I feel I got the technical aspect down… except for bilateral breathing. I’m really comfortable breathing out of one side, but I can’t seem to even turn enough to the other side to get a breath in. I’m ready to quit on the concept but I keep hearing/reading that it’s such an essential part of swimming. Do you guys have any tips, drills, ideas to help that I can do on my own… I know masters or a coach would also help me a lot. Thanks! The coaches say: – Practice box breathing – especially holding a breath on the exhale. – Side swimming drills – especially on your non-dominant side. – Practice your body rotation. – Use fins for the first little while. – Check out www.swimsmooth.com Rob asks: I have a complicated shoe question for you all that no shoe company, friend or my chiropractor can answer. I am throwing it to you all. Every shoe I wear (Altra lone peaks and Kings, Saucony Peregrines and Xodus, Montrails, Brooks) all blow out on either the medial or lateral sides of my shoes at the bony prominence behind the large knuckle of the big toe or around the base of the little toe. I have sized up (10.5-11) and have run the same at 10.5. I thought 11 would work because in one of my everyday shoes, I wear a size 44 or size 10.5 or 11 depending on the manufacturer. I have been doing a lot of squats this season, and have noticed some weaknesses in my abductors and adductors, it’s have been especially bad, but this does not account for the last several seasons of blowouts. I know how to fix the leg issues, I don’t think this is the source of the shoe blowouts. Do you guys have any ideas? One idea that was floated was that the terrain here in the East is especially brutal and rotational forces on the ball of the foot cause the fabric to blow out. I am a forefoot striker, with what is considered a chi running style. Anyway, I tend to float on the balls of my feet for my footfalls and takeoffs. The coaches say: – Forefoot runners can also put on the “brakes” when their foot plants which can cause it to slide on the inside of the shoe. – Sounds like a foot shape issue not a footfall or body weakness. Scott asks: I am a 36-year-old runner (37 on 17th July) of 4-5 years who is on a journey to break 2:45 for the marathon. I ran 3:29 in my first marathon in Spring 2016, 3:10 in Spring 2017 and 3:01 this year so I am relatively inexperienced in marathoning but I’ve learned a lot from the first 3 marathons and most of all I am making progress so I am confident that I can at least give this target a good go. I am 5ft 8 tall and weighed over 200lbs when I started running and have dropped down to around 155lbs through exercise and healthier eating. I have no real problems knowing what to do in terms of training to get where I need to be and my goal is intentionally scary and questionable in order to motivate and inspire me. I’ve also made it public to some of my running friends in order to put it out there! I am running 6-7 times a week and including 1 speed session, 1 medium run and 1 long run every week with easy runs in between. However, I feel like I could make big leaps forward if I could just nail my diet. My current weight of about 155lbs has been the same, give or take a few lbs, since my first marathon in 2016 but I am still carrying a bit of timber around the middle in my hips and belly. I feel like I could easily drop another 7-10lbs safely and healthily but I am struggling to avoid bad food and drink. I generally eat healthy in between but my office has a constant supply of sweets, cakes, biscuits, coke cola all out on display for visitors and I have a very sweet tooth. I tell myself that today is the day I abstain and despite a healthy smoothie for breakfast, I walk by and I’ll think “1 little choc cake won’t derail my day” and then the slippery slope begins. I hate the thought of Coke too, in that there is nothing beneficial in it whatsoever, its like smoking! But I find it quite refreshing so I’ll take a can or two a day and it will really affect my stomach during running, especially if I’m racing. But I just don’t get how I can be so mentally strong with my attitude towards running, by going out and getting it done, rain or shine, sticking to my plan etc and then fall apart when it comes to simply not eating something that is terribly bad for me! It’s worth noting that I’m a vegetarian and I limit my dairy to a degree but I’m not totally vegan. I also want to reduce carbs and increase fats and I do this to a degree in the main meals that I eat but I completely ruin it by snacking on high sugar sweets and chocolate. I have the willpower and I have the motivation and I’ve proved this in other aspects of my running and when I initially started running and dieting I was able to cut processed foods with reasonable success but I feel like maybe there is maybe an addiction here that perhaps I need to recognise and tackle in a different way? In fact, I honestly feel that the problem is mainly because in my current job where I have been for 3 years, these foods and drinks are on display and available for me to just snack on and if there were no sweets and fizzy drinks I would be much more successful in avoiding the bad stuff during the day and it then I’d be in a good position to tackle my evening meal in a positive mood. The coaches say: – Try packing healthy snacks to eat at work so you aren’t as tempted by the goodies. That is if you are truly in need of food. – Take responsibility. You don’t have to eat it just because it is there. – Sounds like you only believe half of the equation – the workout, not the diet. – Very often, there is a conflict between our immediate desires and our long-term goals: What we want right now in this moment is at odds with our big picture desires and priorities. Welcome to adulthood. – When you find yourself confronted with a desire to eat that is in conflict with your desire to weigh less, take a moment to think about why you want what you want. – Consider how you would feel after eating whatever it is you want to eat. Will you feel satisfied? Happier? Less lonely? – TinyHabits.comThe post ATC 266: The Best Treadmills, Bilateral Breathing Tips, Shoe Blowouts, How To Resist Snacking At Work, and more! 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 for 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! Sponsor: Get your hands on the athlete’s secret weapon, PerfectAmino, which comes in powder or pill-form, and features 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. In this episode of Ask the Coaches with Brock Armstrong and Lucho, we answer these audience questions: Michael asks: Hello, I’m from the midwest and have been an endurance athlete for 10 years. I’ve been racing Xterra (off-road triathlons) for the last three years. For 2018, I qualified for the Xterra World Championships in Maui. After reviewing the course online, there are some unique terrain challenges that will be difficult to simulate in the midwest. The race is at the end of October. I will prepare for about 14-weeks. I usually spend around 15-hours per week training, including weight training days. So a couple questions: Ocean swim… I’m comfortable in the ocean and waves, but I’ve never “raced” in the ocean. Any tips on how to prepare for an ocean swim while only having access to a pool and occasional open water lake swim? Tricks for spotting or breathing with waves? Bike… Maui features almost 3,000 feet of climbing with long continuous climbs that will take more than 30-minutes. In the Midwest, our longest climbs are 200-300 feet that take 3-5 minutes. I’m currently planning for at least 4 rides per week with 3 on a road bike and 1 longer mountain bike. How can I prepare for so much climbing when I only have access to small hills? Should I ride more volume, hill repeats, intervals, all of the above? Run… Similar to the bike, Maui has 1,200 feet of run climbing. Training recommendations? Power-to-Weight… I’m pretty lean 5’8″ and 155-lbs. I’d like to shave off 3-5 lbs right before the race. I already eat very healthily. How do elite racers (especially cyclists) shave off weight while still putting in large training volumes that require thousands of calories per day? The coaches say: – Get into big groups of swimmers and get used to it. – Dive under waves on the way out and ride waves on the way in. – Use that hill as much as possible on the bike and run. – Push big gears before the hill and on the hill to make it “longer” – Train for running the downhill more than the uphill. – Don’t lose the weight too close to the race (if at all). Jared asks: I’m a soon to be a 38-year-old male, with competitive triathlon aspirations. My goal is to snag a Kona spot as I move up into the 40-44 age group. I recently raced Ironman Boulder and had a reality check when I hit the run. My projected 8:45 pace turned into a 10:00 something pace. My swim was was slightly faster than projected and I was about 15 minutes slower on the bike, which I attribute to some heavy wind. But I just blew up on the run, it was a hot day 95° and I also left my nutrition behind so I had to improvise on the course. 18th in AG finishing at 11:12:50. (10:13:00 was my goal) I’ve been working a lot on my run, and have even been PRing on some early season 5k and 10k races. I also and an incredible run at 70.3 St. George running my fastest half ever even with the hills! However, I feel that I’m lacking the structure to gain the speed and endurance I need. I would love to hear your thought on what I can do to improve. My run volume leading up to Ironman was 30-40 miles a week (hitting 50 one week) but I tend to default to a MAF style run especially for the long runs. I did a reverse periodization type plan this year with strides with most of the “speed work” in the winter. I also have Ironman Arizona scheduled for November this year but am considering deferring till next year so I can focus more of next season on that race. But wanted feedback to see if maybe another race this year might be beneficial. Would love to hear what you guys think. Other info if it’s helpful 5’9” 150 5k 21 10k 43 1/2 1:43 Marathon 3:48 (Open couple years ago) 70.3 4:53 IM 11:12 The coaches say: – Don’t defer to next year – you need the practice. – Get some structure in your run training. You need to be faster. – You probably cooked yourself on the bike in Boulder – you need to learn to adjust effort based on the day. – It takes about 5 years to get good at triathlon. Vicky asks: Hi! I’m a 59-year-old female athlete. I’ve been doing triathlons for about 35 years now, although these days I concentrate mostly on running except for during the summer when I do more biking and swimming so I can compete in Olympic triathlons. Several times now I’ve had an experience during a race that when I get off the bike I can’t bend over to put on my shoes. I get severe cramps in both my quads and abdomen. I found that if I force it then it takes some time for the cramps to go away. Once I get my shoes on and get moving for the run, I’m fine. At the race on June 16th, I wasted almost an extra minute in transition, since once I finally got the shoes on (it was very difficult bending over), I had to stand there another 30 seconds till the cramps let go. This happened recently in the first race of a series I’m doing this summer. I’m a decent swimmer and biker and average runner. The bike was 25 miles on rolling terrain. I averaged 20.6 mph which was pushing fairly hard for me, but not anything I’m not used to doing. I probably passed about 50 people on the bike, and only had about 5 or 6 people pass me. (I was first of my age group on the swim, second on the bike. I finished 2nd overall in my age group.) The day of the triathlon it was pretty hot (upper 80’s – this was in Jacksonville, FL), but I was most definitely well hydrated (I had to pee three times before the race started). I had my usual peanut butter and jelly on whole wheat with coffee to drink for breakfast with 3 hours to digest it. About 30 minutes prior to the race I ate a small homemade energy ball (nuts, oats, fruit, salt, etc). During the bike I drink watered down Gatorade. I try to do a brick at least once a week, running about 1 to 2 miles after a 25-mile bike ride. I should probably do longer rides, but I don’t have the time. I compensate by making the rides fairly hard, throwing in sprints here and there. I never have the cramping during training though – it’s only happened when I race hard. Any ideas? The coaches say: – Likely a Psoas issue. – Need to do some longer harder efforts to prepare rather than throwing in hard efforts occasionally. – Strengthen psoas and abs. – Not likely an issue with fuel or hydration.The post ATC 265: Preparing for Xterra, Building Multi-Sport Run Speed, Cramping Off The Bike, and more! 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 for 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.comfor 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 264th episode of “Ask The Coaches,” Lucho and Brock answer the following questions: Fabian asks: Hi there, I’m experimenting with nose breathing. I generally try to nose breathe for as long as possible into a workout. What’s your take on that? Do professionals nose breathe during competition? Thanks a lot. (goal 2018: sub 2:50 Marathon in Frankfurt at the end of October) The coaches say: – The book Running on Air – Rhythmic breathing coordinates footstrike with inhalation and exhalation in an odd/even pattern so that you will land alternately on your right and left foot at the beginning of every exhalation. This way, the impact stress of running will be shared equally across both sides of your body. – Inhale to the count of 3 and exhale to the count of 2. You might count it this way: “in-2-3,” “out-2,” “in-2-3,” “out-2,” – Then switch to a 3-count, or 2:1, rhythmic breathing pattern: Inhale for two steps, exhale one, inhale two steps, exhale one. – Remember the importance of getting enough oxygen by any means necessary! – It can lower lactate. – Studies showed lower white blood cells. – It’s a fun tool/trick – but don’t overthink it. Paola asks: (1) sleeping before a night race (2) training between 2 races 4 weeks apart I have a 45km trail race (2820 metres / 9252 feet of elevation gain) coming up on October 1st. The race starts at midnight. I cannot figure out how to change my sleeping patterns in the few days before the race: should I try to go to bed earlier and wake up earlier? Or the opposite, try to sleep at a later time? Or maybe I should just keep my current schedule (12am to 7:00am) and take a nap in the afternoon before the race? On October 27 I have another trail race of 70km (+3400 / 11,155 feet elevation gain, some long runnable sections towards the end); what is the best strategy in the 4 weeks before: a couple of weeks recovery, and maybe a few easy runs just before the second race, or should I bring back some more structured training, like long runs, hills, and race pace runs? I am an older runner (52), not particularly gifted or competitive. I don’t have an A and B race, my goal for both is to finish by the cutoff times, but of course, the 70k one is more demanding and has stricter cutoff times. I was even thinking of going into the 45k race after a shorter taper (not completely rested), treat it as the last long run before the 70k, and then do a long taper until October 27. The coaches say: – Stockpile sleep so you don’t have to worry about the night before. – Use caffeine strategically. – Breathing exercises can help with sleep but avoid supplements and sleep aids. – 4 weeks isn’t so bad but stress recovery immediately after the first race. – Get in the water, no running (until soreness peaks), good diet (healthy fat). – 4 days of nothing, then short run, then slowly build up to 50% of usual volume. – Tempo, Hills, nothing that beats you up or breaks you down. Mike asks: Stiffness chasing my kids. I am a 39 y/o male with several 26.2s and was averaging 40-50 miles per week running before my recent downtime postrace. My kids like to run around and play and have me chase them all over the place in games similar to “tag.” It usually starts spontaneously and so there is no mobility or dynamic warmup. For the first couple minutes, I am awkward, stiff and so slow I have trouble even catching my 2 y/o. Sounds silly but how is it I can run over 50 miles some weeks and 26.2 at one go but have trouble at the beginning chasing after the kids? Is it normal? Any thoughts on how I can avoid or at least minimize that beginning stiffness? (Sorry, my time machine is broken so no making me chronologically younger.) The coaches say: – Warming up for life, not just exercise. – Perhaps you are stiff because you run so much? – Look at your diet for inflammatory causes of stiffness and places you can lessen that. – Age plays a role – but don’t let that be an excuse. – Dynamic Aging book by Katy BowmanThe post ATC 264: Nasal Breathing, Sleeping Before a Race, Staying Limber, and Much More! 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 for 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! On this episode of Ask The Coaches, with Lucho and guest coach/host Brock Armstrong we answer the following listener questions: – The study that Lucho was talking about: Sprint and endurance power and ageing: an analysis of master athletic world records Nina asks: I am training for a hilly 10k in 1 month and have been using the stairmill machine for cross training once or twice a week. My goal is sub 46 minutes. For the first few months, I was just doing a 40 to 60-minute progression workout gradually and going from 96 steps per minute to 117 steps per minute. I ran a 5k recently on the course that I will be racing on and I completed it in 22:49 which was an all-out effort (I collapsed at the end). Since that, I switched to doing intervals on the stairmill (8 x 1 minute at 160spm with 1-minute recoveries at 80 spm). I am hoping this will help my vo2 max. I find this shorter workout significantly more mentally and physically challenging so am hoping it will translate to better fitness for those hills. However, I read online that it is bad for your joints and that it’s cheating to run on the stairmill. At 160 spm I feel like I have to run up the steps rather than fast walk. Is this ok or am I negating the benefits of the stairmill by running rather than speed walking up? Also is this interval-based approach more effective for building fitness than doing a long and steady progression? Thank you for reading my long question! The coaches say: – Stairs are definitely less efficient than running so you use more energy. – Studies into whether they were as effective as treadmill or track workouts showed that they were. – Mixing it up is always a good idea but you need sport specific workouts too. – If you have weaknesses or instability in ankle, knee or hip, stairs are going to exacerbate that. – Lucho likes stairmaster rather than stairmill. – Getting out on a hill would be best! Amy asks: Hi Guys. I’m a running and triathlon coach, helping one of my customers train for the Vermont 100 in late July. He is 56 years old, has been using the MAF method since December, and we’ve seen big gains with his aerobic fitness. He’s now up to 3 and 5 hour long runs on Saturdays and Sundays and setting himself up for an awesome 100 miler. Here is our question: During these long runs, and on race day, what is the appropriate time or distance to stop paying attention to heart rate and start running by feel? The coaches say: – What you are describing is known as Cardiac Creep or Cardiac Drift. – Role of the HR monitor is as an external governor to keep you under control. – Running by RPE is generally best for racing – after the point the athlete is out of the “window of risk” of going too hard. – Use heart rate to prevent a mistake. Wendal asks: How does one estimate current marathon capability and set a realistic goal from data gathered from a recent VO2Max run test? Metabolic Turn Points: – 1st Vent Threshold, Nose Breathing Unsustainable, HR 141, Speed 7.5 mph – Aerobic Threshold, Metabolic XOver 50/50 Fat/Glucose, Lactate 1.5 mmho/l, HR 153, Speed 8.5 MPH, VO2 46 – Anaerobic Threshold, Lactate 2.5, HR 156, 9.5 MPH, VO2 57 – Max, Lactate 2.9, HR 158, Speed 10 MPH, VO2 Max 61 Test conducted on a treadmill at 1% grade. Started at 6.5 MPH increasing .5 mph every 2 minutes. Pooped out at 15 Minutes could only sustain 10 MPH for 1 minute. Test was preceded by thorough 15-minute warm-up and 5-minute recovery before test. Other Data: – Age 61, Weight 145, Height 5’7”, Resting HR 50-55 10 years ago my VO2Max was measured at essentially the same level, but I could run much faster then. In the last 10 Years, my 5K Times have slowed by 15%. I’ve been an active athlete for 45 years – Skiing at international level in teenage years to mid 20’s. Then local age group runner from 30s to present 61 years old. The Exercise Physio Conducting the Test said my neuro-muscular system way underperforms my energy system as I had trouble running at the higher speeds. They advised that this particular test probably underestimated my Max HR and VO2Max. Using a more standard protocol of holding the speed steady and increasing the incline would probably recruit more muscle fibers and result in higher Max HR, VO2max and much higher Lactate Levels. They suggested I compete at cycling instead of running as biking has less dynamic requirements compared to running. Probably due to ageing I have lost a lot of dynamic elasticity (spring) in connective tissues. Thanks for the informative show. The coaches say: – Check out this article about the VO2 Max myth – http://www.time-to-run.com/theabc/vo2.htm – 6 to 9 seconds on max efforts. – Run for 30 meters and then sprint for 20 meters. – Overspeed training. – Threshold work. Build that lactate up and bask in it! – Your marathon time correlates to aerobic threshold = 3:10 marathon. Daniel asks: Love your podcast and can’t get enough of it. Lots of talk about different type of nutrition helping athletes to fuel better, but I think a big problem for some people is the rate glycogen store replenishment. I have a theory that my body is not able to replenish the glycogen I used up and not able to maintain the pace after 3 to 4 hours into the events. I came across this topic and hope you can include it into one of the next shows, I.e https://youtu.be/eYb6_w5nusc Background: 11x DCs, 1x 70.3 & 3x marathons. The coaches say: – You can’t replace it all but you can minimize the deficit. – Fuel early and fuel often. – Being at least a little fat adapted can help with this. – Nutritional Response Testing does not seem useful but it is good for a giggle.The post ATC 263: Training for a Hilly 10k, When to Ignore Cardiac Drift, Interpreting VO2 Max Tests, Glycogen Replenishing, and more! 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 for 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! On this episode of Ask The Coaches, with Coach Lucho and guest coach/host Brock Armstrong, we answer the following listener questions: The “reset your relationship with food” program that Brock talks about in the intro can be found at Weighless.Life. Allison Asks: I am doing my first (and only) Ironman distance triathlon in Hudson valley NY My goal is to complete it not race it. My question is about fueling for the bike portion. I have run over 170 marathons (4:10 average) and one 50-mile and one 48-hour, so I set plan on what I eat and drink for a marathon. Oatmeal, flaxseed, cherries, and coffee 2 hours before. 1/3 of a Clif Bar at 3, 6, 9, 12-miles. Gu at 15,18 and 24 miles. 1-liter of Scratch and water as needed. This gives me constant energy and a little something to do every 3 miles. The Gu has caffeine for a boost at the end. Total calories is 730 (over 4 hours but the same if it is 5 hours) so 180 calories per hour/ 90 calories every 30 minutes. I want to keep my nutrition the same for the run part of the race to make myself think it is just another marathon. The fall back will be Coke and pretzels. For the bike, I want something different. Ideally, should I try to eat twice as many calories per hour on the bike? So 180 calories every 30 minutes? I did a 54-mile ride at race pace on the course and ate 630 calories in 3:30 hours (Alan Lim rice cakes and Scratch = 180 calories per hour). I was not hungry. At the end of the ride, a had a banana and 16 oz of Scratch (185 calories) and then ran 3-miles and it was fine. Typically, I do shorter bike rides and don’t eat while riding so eating on the bike is something I need to work on. Do you think I should try and eat more than 180 calories per hour while riding? My Garmin said I burned 2700 calories during a marathon and 1640 during the 54-mile ride. So does that mean I need less on the bike and 180 calories per hour is good for both the bike and run? Thanks for any guidance. It is always great to hear you talk through different ways to look issues. Of course, it all depends. The Coaches say: – Brock is concerned about the amount of fibre you are eating pre and during the race. – Don’t trust your Garmin – Check out Brock’s Get-Fit guy episode about smart watched. – Always go with tried and true whether the math makes sense or not. We are not cars, even though the analogy is good. – 1 gram carbs per minute is a good place to start. – Push yourself to the point that you make a mistake. Chris asks: Hi, I recently discovered your show and am absolutely hooked! Great information! Background: I’m 43 years old and I’ve been in the Military for 22 years so I’m no stranger to doing things I don’t want to do out of necessity. Winning battles against the central governor is required training. Anyway, that’s all over now…I started running in my late 30s and have continued more or less consistently for the past 6 years (I’m 43 now). While stationed in DC for a year I ran six 50Ks, two 50 mile races, the Army Ten Miler, and a 20-mile race (all in ten months). Returned home in may of 2014 and then ran the MN Voyageur 50 mile that summer. Lately, I’ve been battling some injuries (Plantar Fasciitis, calf problems), and have had to reduce volume. Just ran a 3:40 Marathon on May 19th. My training now is anywhere from 25 to 50 miles a week, long runs 12-18 miles (this will increase significantly very soon as I’m training to run the Lean Horse 100). With a goal of sub 24hrs. 50k PR = 4:45 (2013) 50 Mile PR = 8:50 (2013 JFK) 5k PR = 18 ish 10k PR = 41:00 (2018) Marathon PR = 3:40 (2018) Question: This happened at the 2013 Mesquite Canyon 50 miler (my 2nd ultra and first 50-miler) There has been one instance where I believe I won the central governor battle but I have no clue as to how or why. To be clear I didn’t just deal with it and push through the pain and suffering…the pain and suffering and the urge to just lay down on the trail completely went away. I was at about mile 43 of the 2013 mesquite canyon 50 mile when it happened. Prior to this at mile 38 aid station I had been completely trashed, and severely dehydrated. I was at the point of a DNF but I sat at the aid station for 20 minutes and ate M&Ms and gummy worms and drank Gatorade until I felt like I could continue (very slowly). So I barely made it back up the mountain and felt like I was going to die the entire way…but at about mile 43 something changed in the way everything felt. I suddenly felt a spring in my step and the pain went away. I soon was bounding down the trail like a dang mountain goat! I ran strong the last 7 miles and finished feeling ok. Although when I got in my car to drive to the hotel I felt horrible and I felt terrible for the rest of the night. But those last 7 miles on the trail were unreal! What was it? And how do I do it again? How do my muscles and entire body just “recover” in a few minutes like that. To me it seems like it has to me mental and not physical…it’s like my brain just told the “central governor” to give it up, he’s not stopping and flooded my system with endorphins or adrenaline. Any experience like this from either of you? Or have you ever heard of this before? The Coaches say: – Sounds like a bonk rather than complete fatigue. – It’s amazing what some mainline glucose/fructose can do for energy levels. – Don’t mistake bonking for lack of fitness. Bonking happens to even the most badass athletes. – Central Governor doesn’t necessarily stop it is just managed. Kristin asks: Hi Lucho and Brock, first off, please give my love to Tawnee. Thank you for the valuable resource to athletes you all provide through this Podcast! My priority race this summer is the San Francisco Marathon. My goal is to run a 3:30-3:35, which puts me right around an 8 min pace. My long runs have ranged from 14-20 miles, and while I feel pretty good running them, I can’t seem to go much faster than a 9 min pace. My tempo runs and interval work suggests I am in the 3:35 neighborhood, but I just can’t get the speed I am looking for during the long run days. I guess my question is what should my target pace for the long run be? I know I can’t expect to run them at race pace, but 9 min pace seems too slow. One thing to note is that I am running at altitude (6,500 fasl) and the marathon will be at sea level. A little background: This will be my 7th or 8th marathon, my PR is a 3:33, but this is my first marathon back from having a baby 13 months ago. I would like to qualify for Boston but am beginning to wonder if I need to readjust my goals. Thank you so much! The Coaches say: – Check out Dr. Daniel’s VDOT calculator for some pacing suggestions. – VDOT calculations show that your easy run should be 08:53 – 09:25 – This also means you need to do runs at different paces to work on the systems. – Closer to race day, incorporate more and more time at race pace. Kirsten F asks: I hope you’re well! I am a 21-year-old girl, from Cape Town South Africa. I just have a few questions to ask, or would just like some of your advice I have been doing sport for most of my life, mostly lifesaving competitively, and marathon paddling/canoeing, both I in which I have represented my country a couple of times. I run a lot, and swim a lot too, for training. Last year, June 2017, I did my first half ironman with picking up cycling about 2 months before that. So I did a lot of emergency training for the bike, along with my swimming and running – however, I didn’t have a coach and so was not doing a lot at all, or at least not nearly as much as most triathletes I know would normally do. After the Ironman, I began to get a sore (left) knee. It got progressively worse, until August when I actually had to stop running. I haven’t run since. It has been diagnosed as patellar femoral pain syndrome, which is very broad and it does not seem to be getting much better at all. I am so frustrated, and almost always feeling down and upset, mostly in fear of never being able to run again. Being active is part of who I am, it makes me happy, and not being able to do anything really, really sucks. I have also spent so much money on physio/doc appointments over the last year. I know it is worth it, but it is not normal for it to take this long. I have seen 2 physios, a biokineticist, 2 surgeons… I have been doing rehab exercises, mostly strengthening glutes, for months and months. There has been the slightest improvement, but walking up and down stairs is still quite sore, and any weight bearing movement on a slightly bent knee is painful. Another thing I have to mention is I have amenorrhoea. For well over a year now. I feel like I have upped my energy intake and of course, lowered my energy expenditure due to my injury. I currently swim 2/3 times a week and gym upper body once or twice a week. Just to keep me sane. I know you will have some advice to give to me on this. I am struggling to get my period back, and I am not sure what I am doing wrong. I am really losing hope. I’d really appreciate it if you have any advice for me, even if it is just a few tips on how to get over having such a long-term injury mentally. Thanks so much and I hope you have a super day. The Coaches say: – The article that Lucho talked about at jtsstrength.com – BMJ talk medicine – Is education more important than exercise in treating patellofemoral pain? Episode #322 – Some really great info about your knee pain at Kinetic Revolution. – Glute strength is important but so is watching how you move. – Leg press, lateral lunges, leg lifts, glute bridges. – Watch for hyperextension, overstriding, collapse of the knee in or out on impact. – Check out the podcast Tawnee did with Dr. Nicola Rinaldi called No Period, Now What?The post ATC 262: Counting Calories on the Bike, Recovering During a Race, Pacing Your Long Runs, Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome, and more! 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 for 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! On this episode of Ask The Coaches, with Lucho and guest coach/host Brock Armstrong we answer the following listener questions: — Lucho’s Twitter feed including pictures. David asks: Hello – Haven’t heard Lucho nerd out on bike stuff in a while. So, here’s one for him – what do you think of the 650B all-road bike phenomenon? Are the days of skinny road tires on their way out? Curious on if anyone in the endurance planet family has considered/participated in a gravel race, such as Rebecca’s private Idaho, or Dirty Kanza? Thanks! The coaches say: – With fatter tires on smaller wheels, the 650B standard gives the same rolling size as regular 700C wheels with more cushion and grip. – I would use it for daily rides but not for racing (unless on gravel) – If you have the money, why not? – Would worry about where the breaks would hit the rim. Kind of need disc breaks. Hilary asks: I am a 48-year-old female age group trail runner who has been running various distance events including marathons and 50Ks during the last 5 years (prior to that I most ran road HMs). I’ve been plagued by nagging tendonitis issues (hip flexors, piriformis, peroneal tendon, and plantar fasciitis on the right side) on and off for the last few years. It culminated in a rough spring in 2017 where I couldn’t run, but last summer I lost about 25 pounds, reduced my inflammation with a low carb paleo-ish diet, and along with a lot of PT managed to get back slowly, first to walking and then running, and finally building back up to training for distance events. As I ramped up the mileage in preparation for a hilly 50K in March though, I was a bit less strict about diet and the injuries started coming back again with the increased mileage (the biggest week was 48 miles). The 50K itself was rough–cold, wet (rain, sleet, snow, wind), super muddy conditions that led to my feet being numb for the whole VERY LONG 8.5 h and cold and swelling induced nerve damage (no feeling in some of my toes for about a month). I took a couple of weeks off (except for one 15K race) and have decided to go back to more strict paleo eating and am committing to MAF training for a while to try to deal with the chronic inflammation. So far the MAF training has been humbling (I can run most days but there are some days when it takes me 2 miles of mostly walking to get my heart rate into a range where I can run). My question is can I still race every 2-4 weeks and still get the benefits of the MAF training, or am I basically shooting myself in the foot by doing any racing? There are a couple of race series I am participating in this year and I’d like to keep earning points! If so, is it better to race longer races at lower heart rate or shorter distances at higher heart rates? As an example, my heart rate during the hilly 15K race I did two weeks ago (after only one week of MAF training) was about 22 bpm over MAF on average whereas the crazy muddy, windy, rainy, sleety 50K (prior to any MAF training) was about 10 bpm over MAF on average. My ultimate goal is to try to get to a 50 miler before I turn 50! Thanks for your help! The coaches say: – You have to enjoy your training and your racing. We can’t tell you which is more fun for you. – What is a “short race” in your opinion? 5K would be ok. – Sounds like an anti-inflammatory diet is best for you. Check out this site for some info outside of paleo http://inflammationfactor.com/look-up-if-ratings/ Suzanne asks: Hi Brock and Lucho, Love the podcast and although I miss Tawnee (please give her my best wishes), you guys are doing a great job and are fun to listen to. It’s also cool to hear from a fellow western Canadian! I’m hoping you can give me some guidance. Quick background: 38yr old female; have been consistently exercising for 5-7hrs/week for 20 yrs- mostly running with a running group and doing weights a couple times/week. I’ve done several half marathons ranging from 1:50-2hrs finish time. I have an auto-immune disease and made the connection that the training I was doing was overstressing my body. Over the past 2 yrs, I’ve gotten away from training with a running club and have been focussing on the MAF approach. For the past 6 mo’s, I’ve been only doing MAF, hoping to build an aerobic base to build upon. The good: I haven’t had any injuries, I am sleeping well and don’t feel exhausted after these slow jogs the way I did after some of my previous training runs. My MAF pace is super slow and barely improving (13-14min/mile pace) but I take a few fewer walk breaks and can breathe through my nose better than I could when I started. The bad: I feel weak and scrawny and am not sure whether I should continue to devote this much time to MAF. I’m having to avoid all kinds of cool trails and beaches with hills nearby just because I know I won’t be able to keep my heart rate low. I miss running with friends. I miss the strong feeling I got from doing things like hills and weights. My goals: To be fit and healthy without overstressing my body. To be able to compete in a 10-15k race a few times a year and not totally suck. To run with friends once every week or two (which doesn’t work when trying to control heart rate). To build back some muscle that I feel I’ve lost over the past couple years. side note – osteoporosis runs in the family and I’m trending towards becoming more skinny with age… So I guess my big question for you whether you have some advice on how I might restructure my training to achieve my goals. The coaches say: – You have to enjoy yourself or what is the point? If you miss running in a group, there is your answer. – There are other ways to build your aerobic base, not just MAF. – Deviating from MAF does not equate to overstressing your body. You can train hard and smart. – Being strong is going to be protective beyond anything a MAF run can give you. – Get-Fit Guy episode about supercompensation. Dane asks: My name is Dane and I am 31 years old. I’ve been racing triathlon for 7 years with the main focus on off-road/ Xterra. I have had great results over the years. My best race was winning the USAT Cross triathlon National championship 2017. I have been self-coached from day one and most of my workouts come from a Friel book. I generally get in 3-4 runs a week (20ish miles) with at least 1 MAF run (6:20-6:40 pace) and 3-4 rides (80-110 miles) a week. I am a UPS Driver and get plenty of wind sprints and weighted 3rd-floor stair climbing in when delivering averaging 25k-30k steps a day. I rarely get “recovery” workouts due to the demand of my job. My training volume is much lower than other top amateurs in the sport, however, I do feel like I’m still getting faster. Should I be getting more active recovery workouts in or is my job doing the trick? Would upping my mileage/volume be beneficial for a “blue collar baller” like me? The coaches say: – Totally stealing that expression! Blue Collar Baller is awesome! – Where is your weakness? Concentrate on that. – Your job sounds ideal for someone who wants to keep their training volume low. – What is your swim training like? – Active Recovery or Recovery, in general, is a sliding scale. It is different for everybody and especially every fitness level.The post ATC 261: Is Fat the New Tire Size, Does Racing Hurt MAF, Can MAF Make You Scrawny, How to Train as a Blue Collar Baller, and more! 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 for 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, guest host Brock Armstrong joins Lucho to answer these questions. Craig asks: Hey gentlemen, after listening to ATC #259 I started to think about myself and how I coach myself. I’ve been coaching for 15+ years and have read almost every book on training philosophy by every coach possible. Because my athletes seem to do so well, I trained myself too. In the past I seemed to do pretty well too, but recently it appears that I am not performing as well as I like or should. After really looking deep into it, I think I am now “quitting” on myself far too frequently during workouts than in the past. So my question is when should a coach get a coach? There are good and bad sides to being self-coached and I am curious as to your takes. On one side I know my body better than anyone so if I know my body isn’t feeling great I shouldn’t do that day’s hard work out and move it. However, that same knowledge can be a detriment as maybe I am not giving my body a chance that day after an extra warm up. Also, Lucho I’ve heard you discuss you “reverse taper” in the past and would like to try it for my next marathon. Say mine is the 1st weekend in November, how would it look? Thanks again for all you do for us regular athletes. The coaches say: – Can you actually find a coach that you trust enough? – Being too easy or too hard on yourself is a sign you need assistance. – You still need to make a plan and write it out. Don’t just wing it from day to day. – Overreaching is uncomfortable and supercompensation requires that you don’t always feel fresh and ready. – Reverse Tape: after rest block performance can be poor. Do your taper start 4-5 weeks out, take 5-7 day rest block (reduce 80% of load), 2-4 weeks out bring training load up to 80% and then start to reduce. Kris asks: Dear Brock and Lucho: First please pass along my best wishes to Tawnee. I’m a long time listener and my heart goes out to her and John. My goal is to break 3 hours in the marathon. I come from a rugby and hockey background (living in Canada) and so even though I’ve been participating in endurance sports for 8 years I still carry a lot of muscle. I’m 5’5″ and weigh 152 lbs with about 8% body fat. I’ve done pretty well in my endurance racing, here are some relevant results: 2011 Boston marathon 3:01 2012 Mont Tremblant Ironman 11:07 2015 Mont Tremblant 70.3 4:53 2016 Boston marathon 3:02 I’ve run a 1:26 open half marathon and a 18:26 5k. I followed the Hanson Advanced Marathon program to run 3:02 in 2016 and loosely followed the Jack Daniels Blue plan for the 3:01 in Boston in 2011. I’m currently 44 years old. I have a busy life running a law firm, working about 50-60 hours a week and have two young kids. I have about 8-10 hours a week to train maximum. My MAF pace is 7:12 per mile. I have a low max heart rate. I have had a few field tests and never got above 165 max heart rate. I find running at my MAF pace to be moderately difficult. My run all day pace is at 8 min/mile with a heart rate of 125 bpm. With this background what would you recommend to get ready for my attempt to break 3 hours at the Scotiabank Toronto Marathon on October 21st? I’m doing a 70.3 in Muskoka on July 8th but don’t have any other races planned before the marathon in October. Should I follow Hanson’s model, Jack Daniels or another plan? Thanks for your time and keep up the great work. Love the show. Shout out to Brock from Canada. Keep well eh. The coaches say: – That race is flat and cool (often rainy with some breeze from the lake) which bodes well. Lot’s or Canadian records get set there. – Muskoka 70.3 is a gorgeous race but the last part of the bike is a beast. Be ready for that. – The muscle doesn’t seem to be holding you back but the key to getting those last couple minutes of your race time might be easier if you dropped some small muscle weight. Craig asks: Hey everyone. After 4 months off due to sacral fracture, I have been base building with slow, easy miles all on dirt and grass for 1.5 months. I want to get my Mona Lisa-esque stride back (Its a stride that’s a work of art but the beauty is in the eye of the runner, not for everyone). Should I use grass strides or short dirt hills strides (both roughly 200m) once a week to start getting my stride back? Is there a benefit to one over the other like less impact going up a hill but requires greater push off? And how long post-recovery should I test my MAF to see where it’s at so I can get back into training? 2 months of recovery running before MAF test? 3 months? Thanks for every piece of information and more importantly, the comic relief you provide and the… The coaches say: – If they haven’t checked bone density already, get that checked. Scarum is the first place we often see osteopenia show up. – Strides on grass is a great exercise to get your stride back. – Hill running is your go to. – Maybe some water jog as well. You could look into Physiclo pants…??? – No need to wait to test MAF. Get a baseline ASAP. Megan asks: HI there! I’m struggling with a training dilemma.  I simultaneously want to increase my speed while doubling my distance. Specifically, I want to train for & race a marathon. The longest distance I’ve gone is the half-marathon. My time was 2:21. I’d like to complete a sub-4 marathon. Is this crazy talk? Most info I’ve come across says to focus on one or the other in order to avoid injury. Thanks for your guidance! The coaches say: – Being ambitious is good but you still have to allow your body to progress as fast as it is able to. – Focussing on both in a training season is ok but periodize when you concentrate on each one. – Use the half marathon training and racing as a base. – Listening to your body is key.The post ATC 260: How to Coach a Coach, Break the 3-hour Marathon, Return from a Sacral Fracture, Increasing Distance and Speed, and more! 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 for 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! On this episode of Ask The Coaches, with Lucho and guest coach/host Brock Armstrong: Sol asks: Background. I am 39, been running for 4 years mostly MAF-paced, but with a weekly tempo run of 8-10 miles. And for the main part, injury free. Until the last half year. After running a big PR trail 5k last summer, which included a very steep downhill section, I received ITBS (cause & effect?), which stayed with me for months. During that time, I couldn’t really run much and I kinda lost motivation. One fine day, inspiration returned, I signed up for a marathon, started training but my fitness was gone! With 19 weeks to go, I began upping the mileage again and slowly rebuilding. I reached 60 miles for the week (which I had been at prior to the ITB injury) and a 20-mile long run 4 weeks out when disaster struck in the form of a minor soleus injury… (I should mention, my training plan was approved by the physio). Those marathon aspirations were over. I realized that 19 weeks for marathon training wasn’t ideal, but in order to jump-start training again, I needed to jump into it. Now, I want to do it again and do it properly. I have entered next year’s marathon, which is April 9, 2019. Right now, I’ve started running again, currently at 25 mpw over 3 runs and building up slowly. How would you structure and periodize the coming year? How long for base, how long for long tempo work, how long for speedwork and what kind? How many long runs and what length; when and how often? How much volume and when? What kind of races would you include and when? Oh, and here’s another question. Lucho has mentioned often that the long run is the key. Which of course it is. In context, it seemed that overall weekly mileage was not so important. However, my (prior) understanding was that long runs should not exceed a third of the weekly volume. Can you please clarify that. What is the function of high weekly mileage outside of the long run and how does the long run fit within it? Or, now that I’m rebuilding again, the “10% rule?” I’ve often heard Lucho say, ‘listen to your body.’ Yet those injuries occurred out of the blue… What do you say? I’m listening… The coaches say: – Get the book Ready to Run – We forget that we have lost the “born to run” ability after years of sitting in chairs and wearing crazy shoes. – 10% is a rule of thumb that doesn’t necessarily apply –  you have to be an experiment of one. – Prehab prehab prehab. – Long run mileage depends on how long each daily run is. – Run a 10k in the fall. – Get-Fit Guy episode about placebo Aman asks: In the last 5km of a 70.3 and in the last 10-15km of an Ironman, I feel I need to shorten my run stride due to cramps or the feel cramps are coming. I am getting crazy cramps in the top part of my hamstring (I suspect it is my semitendinosus), When I cramp, it feels like I have a ball of muscle just pop out and it stops me dead mid-stride and I carry on like a pork chop for half a minute trying to stretch it out and massage it back to normal. While I can handle the pain, I can’t handle the feeling of needing to slow down from 5min km pace to 5:30 km pace just to keep cramps at bay. I never get these cramps in training, I run 30-32km long runs every two weeks and the following week my weekly long run is somewhere around 20-22km Average training weeks are between 15-20 hours a week. During these races, I am taking a gel every 30min or so and a salt tablet every 30min or so. If I miss a gel, it is because I am drinking coke or good old fashion RedBull (yet to give me wings)…. Any help would be great. The Coaches say: – This happens a lot. – The fitness is not sufficient from riding to run. – Get some massage and ART on the glute and ham. – Check your feet and how they are contacting the ground. It all starts with the feet! Bob asks: Coaches, I have enjoyed Endurance Plant for several years and incorporated MAF training into my 2-man Race Across America (RAAM) in 2014. I credit the MAF method for a strong performance in that race. I am a 55 yr old male, 5’9” and weigh 158lbs. I come from a road background and have participated in team RAAM six times. I recently purchased a mountain bike and ended up with a 2018 Leadville MTB 100 slot after finishing my first 100 mile Leadville qualifier and being selected in the post-race lottery. I am looking for some advice regarding my prep for that race. My thought is to focus on MAF with my road bike for several months and in June start to incorporate multi-hour (6-8) tempo rides with intervals mixed in. Most of that training will be on my road bike with one or two training rides each week on my MTB bike. With the exception of riding the MTB bike, that plan seemed to work for my 2014 RAAM. Do you think that the Leadville different enough from team RAAM that I need a different training plan? I live in the Phoenix AZ area and my access to altitude and climbs is limited. I plan on arriving in Leadville about a week before the race to help with acclimatization. My goal is to finish Leadville strong and earn the Leadville Buckle! Any advice would be appreciated. The Coaches say: – Be ready for the downhill – Get on to the hill as soon as you can to get used to working at altitude. – Training at intensity is important, MAF is not enough. – The elevation is between 9,200 to 12,600 so you will need to be ready for that. – Get-Fit Guy Heat Acclimation article. MJB asks: I’d love for Lucho and Tawnee to compare/contrast/discuss how self-coached athletes can and should choose which approach to follow of the generally available like Daniels, McMillan, Hudson, MAF, etc. The Coaches say: – Choose the one that is the most fun. – Best possible scenario since you can change the plan depending on the day. – You are an experiment of one. – A good guide will be what worked for you in the past. Choose something similar or the next level from that.The post ATC 259: Why Do I keep Getting Injured, How Long is a Long Run, Cramping Off the Bike, Training for a Mountain Race, How to Self-Coach, and more! 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 for 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! On this episode of Ask The Coaches, with guest coach/host Brock Armstrong: Chris asks: I am 34 years old and only got into endurance sports over the last 3 years. I’ve always been overweight, even as a D1 athlete in college (soccer). I’ve done several 13.1’s, a few 70.3’s and am running my first 26.2 in a few weeks, followed by IMLP next summer. So here’s my question – Does MAF discriminate when it comes to weight? I have respectable times, despite being 240lbs at 6’0” tall. I’m a sub 2 hour 13.1 and sub 6 hour 70.3. The problem is that I generally am running at much higher HRs than anyone else I know or train with. I can run at 170-175bpm relatively easily for extended periods of time. No, my HRM is not broken – this is over several iterations. To the contrary, when I try to run my MAF pace of 147, I am stuck walking the majority of the time. I can’t in good conscience train for races by mostly walking. At the same time, I would like to be a much better fat burner. I do think that my fat burning must be better than my MAF efforts entail, as I have little problem completing a 15-18 mi run on very minimal calories. My 18 mi run this past week for example at an average HR of 159 only required around 150 calories during the run. So – should I use a different measurement to determine “easy” pace, or should I legitimately be walking? Obviously losing weight should be a focus, and it is, I am mostly LCHF and spend a good amount of time in the gym lifting, doing Lucho’s favorite, Olympic lifts, in an effort to improve my body comp. It’s so hard to find good endurance information for those of us who do not fit the standard athletic body type. So many principals are built on an assumption of body composition. Please help! The coaches say: – Everyone walks when they first start MAF. Well… nearly everyone. – Brock’s article called “Can Losing Weight Make You Run Faster?” and “Is BMI an Accurate Way to Measure Body Fat?” – A study called “Kinematic, Cardiopulmonary, and Metabolic Responses of Overweight Runners While Running at Self-Selected and Standardized Speeds” – Maybe your slow pace is close enough? 156hr would be very acceptable. Sabrina asks: I am a long course athlete. I love just being out there in a race and enjoying the experience no matter how long it takes me. I train primarily in Zone 1-2 (swimming 2 days per week, walks/hikes 2-3 days per week (3-4 miles), a longish run (7-9 miles), a longish bike (15-20 miles), a long bike (25-30 miles) and a long run (12-15 miles). I love the pre-dawn hours and watching the world wake up during a run/bike. My daughters, on the other hand, are into obstacle races (I was the one who ran to a family obstacle race last fall – and yes I completed it). On our way to their first Spartan Kids event, I quickly agreed to do a full event once my oldest meets the minimum age requirement. Then we arrived and the gravity of my quick decision hit me. I do not want to hold my daughter back on the obstacles…..she has a hardcore game face during the Spartan Kids events and finishes well!!!! I have no measurable upper body strength!!! This is no joke……I have spent years disregarding your advice to do offseason weight training. It is not a love of mine so it is easy to choose a different workout. I will definitely need a lot to avoid the dreaded burpee zone if I cannot complete an obstacle. The upside is I have 1.5 years to fix this issue. So where to start? And still be able to complete my races next year? Also, due to my kids, my husband has built Monkey Bars, a mini Salmon Ladder, and a rope climb in the backyard. Next 1.5 years race plan: March 2018 Local Half Marathon (registered) May 2018 IM 70.3 Chattanooga (registered – A race – going with my tri club) Nov 2018 Local Marathon I do every year Spring 2019 IM 140.6….One of those I am turning 40 things The coaches say: – Study on high reps/ low weight or low reps / high weight were best. – Start conservatively and build to the point where muscle failure happens at 12-15 Reps. That is your starting weight for each exercise. – Two days a week on non-swimming days. Bike days would be good. – Al Kavadlo bodyweight exercises Ben asks: I am a long time listener of the podcast and appreciate all of the ATC episodes that you and Lucho do, as you both provide unique and great perspectives. I am a 40-year-old male, 6’, 170 lbs. I started endurance racing 12 years ago, and have since completed 70+ endurance events. PR’s: OLY – 2:09 HIM – 4:54 ½ Marathon – 1:38 Marathon – 3:33 2x qualifier for Duathlon Worlds I took a few years off with low training volume (~2 hours wk) due to work, family, and other obligations. In late 2014 I decided to get back into the swing of things, and subsequently posted my Marathon PR in the fall of 2015, but came out injured w/ severe plantar fasciitis. After months of rehab, multiple cortisone shots, and other attempts at curing it, I opted for surgery in May of 2016. Under the direction of my doctor, I started biking a few weeks after surgery, and on the 3rd ride I was hit by a car. Luckily enough, there were no broken bones, but there was a lot of body trauma and a severe concussion that eliminated any resemblance of working out for 3+ months. Once I was able to return to working out, I noticed that my surgically repaired foot still did not feel “fixed”, so in talking with my Dr, we opted for a 2nd surgery in November of 2016. I am happy to say that I have been on a solid road to getting back to decent training volume. While on a group ride in August I was buzzed pretty close by a vehicle, and realized that I wasn’t fully recovered mentally from my car/bike accident, and sold the road bike that I had built from scratch. So, I did the only thing any self-respecting (read: crazy) endurance athlete would do, I spent too much money on a mountain bike, and have dedicated my training/racing to off-road triathlons and mountain biking J Because after all self-inflicted injuries > car inflicted injuries J I will be racing my first off-road triathlon in July at the XTERRA Mountain Championships at Beaver Creek, and while I am not expecting to qualify for XTERRA worlds, I would be lying if I said it wasn’t at least in the back of my mind. The predicament that I am in is that I live at 900 ft and will be racing at 7500 ft, with the bike course having 3000 ft of climbing (with almost 2000 in the first 5 miles) and the run course having 1300 ft of elevation gain. I will be flying in the day before the race, but have a couple of work-related trips that will afford me at least a little bit of elevation training a few weeks before the race – – 4 wks out – 3 days of riding/running between 5,000 and 6,000 ft – 2 wks out – 2-3 days of riding/running between 6,500 and 7,500 ft Outside of what I am already planning on, what recommendations do you have to help bridge the 7,000 vertical foot gap/lack of oxygen that I am faced with so that I can perform to my full potential in July? Looking forward to hearing back from you. The coaches say: – Beet Root and Echinacea to improve oxygen transport capacity. – A supplement like BioTropics Chlorella – HIIT to help develop oxygen carrying capacity. – Practice that first ascent but don’t forget about speedy descent as well. – Breathing exercises that strengthen the diaphragm. – Those practice sessions will only be good mentally, they’re not going to help physically. – Nutrition is key at altitude. Especially hydration. Max asks: Been listening to your podcast for a few months and really enjoy it. Lots of useful advice! I am wondering how to incorporate strength training into my training program. Some background: I am just getting into trail running and have never run regularly in my life. I am 23 and have a background in swimming and water polo competitively and hiking/backpacking or skiing recreationally. I am running a race in mid-August (6.8 miles 2,200ft of vertical) and may run a trail half marathon 3,400ft of vert) in early September depending on how my training goes over the next several months. I live in Denver so I can get to the mountains on the weekend but generally not during the week. Through my research and listening to your podcast I have settled on doing 3 months of only MAF HR training building up volume and consistency over the three months. Then the next 3.5 months leading to the races will be mostly MAF training incorporating strides and trying to pack in as much vert as safely as possible (to avoid injury) on the weekends. During the second part of this training cycle, I am considering adding some strength training a couple days a week after easy runs. I imagine doing strength exercise using Dumbbells or body weight nothing extreme. My goal with the strength training is to build durability to avoid injury and strength to tackle hills as I can’t always run on hills during the week. Also, I always take one rest day per week. My long-term goals involve moving up to longer distance over the next several years and would like to enjoy this sport for a long time. How should integrate strength training into my training? Should I focus on running volume now and incorporate strength training in the winter? Thanks for all the great advice and for putting on this podcast. Keep up the great work! The coaches say: – Areas that all runners need to strengthen: Core (form and efficiency), Upper body (fatigue resistance), Legs (extra power), and Stabilizers in the ankles, knees, and hips. – Single leg work. – Plyometrics – Barefoot work to running efficiency, agility, and strengthen your feet and lower legs.The post ATC 258: When to Lose Weight, How to Build Upper Body Strength, Elevation Training, Best Strength Training for Runners, and more! first appeared on Endurance Planet.