Endurance Planet

Sponsor: This episode is brought to you byGeneration 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: Join the Endurance Planet crew for a race experience of a lifetime! This year we’re hosting three Ragnar teams: an ultra team and regular-distance team at Ragnar SoCal on April 6-7 (THIS WEEKEND), and a regular team at Ragnar Cape Cod on May 11-12. Lucho, Tawnee and some awesome athletes will all be together for an unforgettable weekend. To get the details and join the team email events@enduranceplanet.com. Need more convincing? Listen to some of our Ragnar podcasts here and watch a video of the experience here. On this episode of Ask The Coaches (with the special guest coach, Brock Armstrong): John C Besides long runs, what type of training builds muscle and connective tissue durability and toughness? What training will help muscles and connective tissue develop resistance to the pain and stiffness from tissue damage that occurs during the later stages of a marathon? With just 3 Training sessions spaced out over a week consisting of Hill Repeats, VO2 Max Intervals, and a 25 Minute Tempo Run (totaling 2 to 3 hours of running a week), I can maintain a very high level of fitness. With this minimal training, I can perform to my abilities up to Half Marathon Distance (1:30 duration). In races beyond a half marathon, stiffness, pain and general lack of spring sets in and slows me down. I am savvy with regards hydration, fueling, minerals, amino acids, managing overheating, preventing neurotransmitter depletion and warding off fatigue. I would like to build durability without having to slog it out doing long multi-hour training runs. From experience, I know first-hand longs runs help build durability but have the negative side effect of taking up a lot of time and causing stiffness and tissue damage. To counteract these negatives requires adding additional training measures such as flexibility, massage, and plyometric training. I want to keep things simple and not have to devote more than a few hours a week to running, but still want to run a quality marathon up to my potential. Is it possible? Look after your joints: Inflammation Factor website and book, fish oil, collagen. Pre-fatigue exercises before running. Active lifestyle outside of workouts (standing desks and Dean Karnazes). Prioritize Recovery. Weights, box jumps, deadlifts, and so on for strength. Allison Just listened to ATC 250 – specifically the segment about the 30-year-old female whose MAF heart rate puts her at an exertion beyond what she can hold-the opposite of what usually happens for new MAF-ers. I’m so glad you addressed this question and hope you address it further. I have the exact same issue. I am a 34-year-old female-my MAF is 146 and I have a really hard time going this fast. Dr. Phil Maffetone did begin to address this in ATC November 29, 2017, but did not go into details. He says something like – “people get too fast, but there are ways to handle this….” but that’s it. I would love to hear more on this. Previous question from ATC 250: “MAF HR for 30-year-old female is very close to her apparent max HR of 165 (feels like she will collapse and pass out); used to running “aerobic” runs at 115-125 bpm.” Run a 5k all out and use that to build zones from. Switch to a pace based plan. Dr. Daniels. Modifying MAF to still get aerobic gains. Glenn I’m a long distance runner and have a constant upper hamstring niggle that I’m aware of but it doesn’t impact performance. It’s flared up after some back to back days of beach sports. I can lightly run on it but mentally don’t want to fully extended/push myself so I’m not training efficiently. I’ve got about 10 more weeks of base building before marathon training ramps up so looking to eliminate the problem. Could you please ask Lucho what his program for his situation looks like and forward if willing, please. Any advice would be welcomed. High Hamstring Tendinopathy? These are the signs: – Pain deep in the buttocks, upper thighs, or back of the hips that starts gradually. – Pain or discomfort when sitting down, especially if it gets worse after sitting for a long time. – Pain that is triggered or worsened by an activity that involves repetitive leg motion, particularly running or biking. The pain may even begin at the same point in the workout. – Pain when bending fully at the waist, for example, to pick something up off the ground. – Pain that gets worse when accelerating or sprinting. Anti-inflammatory cream, massage, ART, PRP Ham issues can often be traced to foot inflexibility and/or glute mobility and strength. Look at those. Strength training to prevent this. Eccentric hamstring contraction. If you sign a waver – you might be able to ignore this. Nordic Hamstrong curls! Hip thruster, glute bridge, RDLs. Katy Bowman book Whole Body Barefoot Jessica Love the show and all of the great advice and crazy things y’all talk about. I had a question about marathon and 50k fueling. I working on becoming more fat adapted. The last marathon I ran, I took UCAN at the start and then one gel at 14 miles and another at 18. I did pretty well with that, no bonking or anything. The problem, though, is that I have finally narrowed down that UCAN is making me sick for nearly 3 days after I use it. Every time I use it I get severe stomach cramps, heartburn and I am nauseous.This lasts for 2-3 days. I’ve figured this out through some pretty detailed food journaling and workout log records. I’m 90% sure I have nailed it down to the UCAN. So what kind of fueling strategy would you recommend for someone running marathons (in about 3:30) and 50ks in about 5-6 hours? Gut health? Microbiota could be off. Or lacking. Try some probiotics. It’s ok to have some carb based fuel, just not every day. Nike 2:00 fuel is www.maurten.com Jay In a recent ATC episode, you mentioned using a Stryd foot pod to measure ground contact time. So, of course, I went out and bought one of these devices. At my 8:20 MAF pace my GCT is 255 milliseconds at a 173 cadence. I really have no idea if this is good, bad, or ugly. But, I have started jumping rope anyway. What sort of ground contact time should I be aiming for? Am I correct to assume it will vary with pace and cadence? I guess I should add that I am a 47-year-old male, 4-5 runs/week, 20-40 miles a week, recently ran the Lake Tahoe Marathon in 3:56, planning on running a couple of trail 50Ks next year. Also, if you want to talk about it, what is your opinion of using power meters for running? Fad or future? My wattage seems to be about 200 for what it is worth. I’m going to contact Stryd to get their response to this question. Normal is between 160 — 300 milliseconds. Elite runners are under 200-milliseconds (Kenyans have the shortest – a factor in their speed?) GCT is linked directly to cadence. Increase cadence and you will lower GCT. Glute med strengthening – hip hikes, fire hydrants, glute bridge. Box drops, hill bounding. Get-Fit Guy jump rope. Foot plant is key. Move to the mid-front of your foot. The post ATC 257: Building Durability and Toughness, Too Fast For MAF, Hamstring Niggles, When Resistant Starch Backfires, Ground Contact Time, and More! first appeared on Endurance Planet.

Your host Tawnee and her husband John give you a brief update on Endurance Planet and the news of their baby girl Whitney, who passed away at birth. You can read more on Tawnee’s new blog: Life After Whitney. Tawnee will be taking some time off as she heals, and in the meantime Lucho and guest host Brock will be recording new episodes of Ask the Coaches.The post An Update From Tawnee and Her Husband John first appeared on Endurance Planet.

Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by Precision Hydration, the sweat experts who provide personalized hydration strategies and drink mixes to athletes of all levels. Not sure about your sweat and sodium loss? You can start by taking Precision Hydration’s free entry-level Online Sweat Test and get a recommendation for a formula that fits your needs, or go the next step with their exercise-free Advanced Sweat Test. Then use the code “ENDURANCE15” to get 15% off your first order. 1/15/18 Calesse Trouble sleeping and waking up at night hungry My question is related to sleep and was sparked by your episode several months ago about chronotypes (fascinating!) I took the quiz and determined I’m a dolphin, which makes a lot of sense to me given my tendency to have difficulty falling asleep, awaken multiple times thoughout the night, and sleep most soundly in the wee hours of the morning right before my 5 am wake alarm so I can go run before heading off to teach. Do you have any strategies I might implement in order to minimize mid-night awakenings? I also often find that I often wake up ravenous in the middle of the night (usually between 12 and 2 am), despite feeling that I’ve eaten enough throughout the day. I’ve been working with a nutritionist to include more healthy fats and increase the protein in my diet and make sure I’m eating enough to account for my activity level (I mostly train for half and full marathons and typically run about 50-70 mpw, marathon PR: 3:10, half: 1:27). We’ve been particularly focusing on moving towards more intuitive eating and listening to my body more. (I’m a 26 year old female, about 117 lb., 5 ft. 3). Have been doing long-distance running since middle school. Ran competitively in high school, college NCAA D1, and now do road races.  I also often have difficulty sleeping well on the night after I’ve done a long run or hard race, even when I run in the morning (evening races make it extra difficult to wind down, so I try to avoid them).  Some strategies I’ve tried so far with minimal to no success: Listening to relaxing music at bedtime/ when I awaken/ reading a book Taking melatonin 30 min. prior to bed (now also incorporating L-theanine and Magnesium as well). Having a bedtime snack (cereal, milk, some Peanut butter, or a scoop of Generation UCan or sweet potato w/nut butter) Limiting screen time in the 1-hr. before bed. 5.Getting natural light during the day whenever possible. Going to bed/ waking up at regular schedule (usually in bed 9-9:30 pm, up 5- 5:30 am on weekdays, this shifts a tad later on weekends). Ensuring my room is cool and dark, and quiet. This has been going on for several years, and I’m sure has a negative impact on my training and recovery in particular. I’m also getting married in 2 months, so I want to ensure that my poor sleeping doesn’t negatively impact my soon-to-be husband. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again for your great work!   1/5/18 Mark T. I have a simple question, and hopefully not a stupid question: How do I know I’m eating enough as my training ramps up? I tend to eat clean and lower carb so I’m not hangry, but I also want to make sure I’m not undergoing it. I think I heard Tawnee say that fat adapted athletes still need to eat and sometimes this can be harder with hunger cues.   1/14/18 Frank I have been nursing a calf injury since September and have taken off running for quite some time, this Thursday January 18 will actually be 9 weeks to be exact.  I’ve been on my trainer and do strength training, but zero running.  Since I started endurance training/racing over 17 years ago, its the longest I’ve ever taken off of running.  I am signed up for two Ironman races this year….IMLP (July) and IM Maryland (Sept). Do you guys have any advice on how to bring running back into my training?  I feel that I can start running again, but not sure how much volume or intensity to include.  Any advice would be greatly appreciated! https://enduranceplanet.com/the-sock-doc-ditch-the-orthotics-and-fix-your-body-plus-finding-flexibility-without-static-stretching/   12/26/17 Filipe dos Reis Big big fan here, have been listening for a year now, and I finally think I have a question that has not been asked before. Background: Ex military, since leaving the Air Force, went from my ideal weight of 96kg to 142kg. Started training again after 8 years of neglect due to work (averaged 90hrs a week for a few years) and now I have the lifestyle that allowed me to go back to training. After a few months training on carbs (mtb/cycling background) with very very poor results and no increase in fitness, went looking and found Phil Maffetone and Tim Noakes. Started on the 1st of May 2017 LCHF and went from 132kg to 116kg before the 1st of October, training only on the bike (too much weight feels uncomfortable running, or so I told myself) and I’m now running again. I have now free time for consistent training and I’m loving the improvement on my health from real food, real training. I have no A races, all my races are C races, as in, when I have a weekend off, check online what’s happening, register if possible and wing it! I’m in it for the finisher medals, the camaraderie, and nice pictures. Theses races can be anything from a park run, to a mtb marathon, to a 100k road granfondo, I have absolutely no preference apart from cost versus availability! I have 2 questions: My MAF HR using the MAF app, is 149, but I cannot maintain it for the life of me! If I walk briskly, cannot go above 130/132… If I change for a run, as slow as possible, I go into 154/155! True MAF is like a black hole, a no man’s land! But On the bike I can pick point exact HR’s and stay there but on the run… Not even close! Can I make my fitness meet my MAF HR and then make my MAF HR improve my fitness, as in, keep the pace a few more months, so at my minimum speed my HR decreases from 155 to 149 or below, and then, keep the HR and increase the pace??? I listened to Lucho talk about his 20×20 miles and saw it as a challenge for my base training, starting from zero. 20x5k, then 20x10k, then 20×10 miles, then 20×15 miles and finally 20×20 miles. Is this as bad idea as it sounds…? :SmileyFace: 11/19/17 Mat H. Mat from France/Switzerland. I am a 60y old female who has been racing and training up to the half marathon for 3 years now.  I am running about 30 km/week on average (3-4 runs), I am very injury prone, especially with my Achilles that I first hurt back in the 70s. I can do only little, if any, speedwork (even though I just love sprinting and really envy Lucho for his 400m racing), so I am very slow – but in my age group it’s easy to podium anyway. My running is mainly at MAF (about 7 minutes/km at 120, not subtracting the 10 for my Hashimoto – with the T4 replacement that drove up my heartrate it would be double “punishment” and my maximum HR is over 178). I am eating low carb since I jumped on the Atkins bandwagon in the 70s (but adding at least 1kg of organic vegetables per day), I suppose I am quite fat adapted – at least I have no problem to go out fasted for 1-2 hour runs in the morning, even without having had dinner. This year, I am going back to school in Paris for a week once a month to learn UX Design, have moved houses to train on the job for my new trade in Switzerland (competing with 20-something digital native nerds ;-), On top of that I have a 4 hour commute every day – boat, metro, bus – whereas before I could ride my bike to work (never owned a car) … in short, 60 hours weeks and lots of travelling. Unfortunately it also makes me miss out also on the gym and my customary daily 1 hour bike ride. To get through this, I decided to take a “performance pause” in 2018: no more racing, just as much running and  strength training as needed to stay healthy, not lose muscle, not put on fat, sleep well, and be able to come back in 2019. What do you recommend for this athletic sabbatical? – How many hours of running per week is a “healthy”, stress friendly minimum? (Also to replace my once daily 1h bike ride) – (What) strength training is necessary? – Should I stop running fasted and/or having breakfast as late as 2 1/2 hours after getting out of bed? – Is going out for runs at 5AM a supplementary stress, should I rather try to run at lunch? – Are there diet tweaks to better cope with stress? I have experienced that some carbs in the evening help me sleep better .. (but I am carb sensitive and put on weight quickly …  however anything that might lead to weight loss seems to trouble my sleep. Actually BMI 20-21) The post ATC 256: Waking Up Hungry At Night, Cortisol Rhythms, Ways To Know You’re Eating Enough, Athletic ‘Sabbaticals,’ and Why We Don’t Like Running Streaks first appeared on Endurance Planet.

Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by Precision Hydration, the sweat experts who provide personalized hydration strategies and drink mixes to athletes of all levels. Not sure about your sweat and sodium loss? You can start by taking Precision Hydration’s free entry-level Online Sweat Test and get a recommendation for a formula that fits your needs, or go the next step with their exercise-free Advanced Sweat Test. Then use the code “ENDURANCE15” to get 15% off your first order. On this episode of Ask The Coaches: Ways to boost FTP for lean triathletes Don’t just focus on training at FTP – you need a solid foundation/base (Z1/Z2/MAF) and also the ability to work your high end (e.g. VO2max). Sweet spot training (just below FTP) to help FTP. Sessions to do at FTP (3 x 10min, 2 x 20min, etc). How weight training fits into FTP gains if at all. Start FTP focus 18 weeks before A race. Don’t just do hills for FTP training, make sure you can hold FTP on flats. Specificity! Ironman run training plan Add intensity further out (~18 weeks) and as race nears get closer to race specificity (Z2, low Z3) Fartleks for IM training? Is it a brick if there’s a 15min gap between bike and run? When there’s nowhere safe to run, would short hill repeats be an ok sub for a flatter run? Is it ok to do extra training when the stars align knowing that the following week(s) you may miss some? MAF training for a 50k Spartan Ultra Beast MAF can be hugely beneficial, but it’s also very necessary to get over MAF to best prepare for the intensity of the obstacles Training grip strength. Not sure if intensity is helping or hurting your base? Just be sure to do your MAF tests to make sure aerobic fitness is staying where you want it to! Training for endurance and strength that’s needed in an obstacle race. VO2max for masters athletes into their 80s It’s “depressing” to see charts showing the decline in VO2 MAX with age, so how can an 80 year old can improve VO2 Max? Take it from Ironman legend Lew Hollander who raced Kona into his 80s: Get your heart rate up every day and get anaerobic. How to Be 80 Year Old and Have a VO2max of a 35 Year Old “He has a lifelong history of endurance and strength-exercise training. Born and raised on a small farm in a roadless mountain region, his childhood was dominated by the vigorous manual labor of farm work, fishing, hunting, and berry harvesting (Figures 1(c) and 1(d)), as well as exercise training. He has continued this lifestyle as an adult. He currently self-reports ~30 minutes of structured endurance and strength training 3 times/week (Figure 1(e)), ~20 minutes of endurance training, including short durations with moderate-to-lactate threshold intensity, and ~ 10 minutes of strength training three times per week, mainly on the upper body and core with 10–12 repetitions per set. Each year, he takes a 7-day ski trip in the mountains and has competed in ultraendurance ski races. His current objectively measured daily activity level is high at 10,843 steps·day−1. His total energy expenditure (TEE) was 2,476 Kcal·day−1, out of which 877 Kcal·day−1 was due to active energy expenditure (AEE). Daily active time (≥3 METs) was 2:51 hr·day−1, with 2:31 hr·day−1 of moderate activity (3–6 METs) and 0:21 hr·day−1 of vigorous activity (6–9 METs), while no time of >9 METs was logged.” The post ATC 255: Top Ways to Boost Functional Threshold Power (FTP), VO2Max for Masters Athletes, MAF Training For Spartan Races, Fartleks for Ironman, and More first appeared on Endurance Planet.

Sponsor: Be sure to open Amazon via enduranceplanet.com—it’s just one extra click to link to Amazon through the sidebar banner (to the right of the page) or click theAmazon links in the show notes. Thanks for supporting the show. Our friend Brock Armstrong is back on Endurance Planet (and also back doing EP’s audio editing) and he shares the experiences he’s had using some of the most sophisticated, advanced biohacks in existence. He runs through a handful of machines, supplements and more to tell us what they are, how they work, his experience, the science and his n=1 conclusions on their effectiveness. At the end, he gives us his biggest takeaways on utilizing biohacks vs. good old fashioned exercise and diet. Brock is a busy guy these days: he is the host of the Get Fit Podcast and Workplace Hero Podcast, launching the Weightless Project, coaching athletes and much more. The biohacks discussed on this episode with references mentioned in the show: Qualia Nootropic (not a smart drug) Helps brain function and cognition Could it be the placebo effect? Dr. Daniel Stickler of the Neurohacker Collective Human Charger Blasts blue light into ears like light therapy (just 12 minute sessions) Can help circadian rhythm, jet lag, SAD, etc. Summary of published, peer-reviewed findings SARMS Not legal for athletes to take in sanctioned competition Why Brock was a bit freaked out by these Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators (SARMs) as Function Promoting Therapies Selective Androgen Receptor Modulator Treatment Improves Muscle Strength and Body Composition and Prevents Bone Loss in Orchidectomized Rats Vasper Similar to a recumbent bike Takes you through 20min of HIIT Occlusion therapy (blood flow restriction) Recruits more muscle fibers Enhanced muscle protein synthesis Cold therapy: Also includes a cooling device directly on body Ask The Muscle Prof: What’s The Deal With Occlusion Training? ARX Fit Motorized resistance training Utilizes a wench and puts you through extreme loads Weights vs. ARX (video) LiveO2 Form of hypoxic training on an exercise machine Levels of oxygen are adjusted Hypoxic environment leads to desired adaptations for endurance exercise, e.g. increased RBCs, EPO response, and other desirable adaptations Combined intermittent hypoxia and surface muscle electrostimulation as a method to increase peripheral blood progenitor cell concentration CVAC Machine (pod) that you sit in and it goes through varying pressures, i.e. a hypobaric hypoxia chamber May boost mitochondria and aerobic gains Cyclic Hypobaric Hypoxia Improves Markers of Glucose Metabolism in Middle-Aged Men Pilot study: rapidly cycling hypobaric pressure improves pain after 5 days in adiposis dolorosa Cryotherapy A form of “extreme” cold therapy for enhanced recovery how this compares to cold water immersion Recovery From Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage: Cold-Water Immersion Versus Whole-Body Cryotherapy. Recovery following a marathon: a comparison of cold water immersion, whole body cryotherapy and a placebo control. The Effectiveness of Whole Body Cryotherapy Compared to Cold Water Immersion: Implications for Sport and Exercise Recovery Brock’s takeaways from utilizing biohacks… The post Brock Armstrong: Testing Today’s Top Biohacks – What Are They, The Science, Potential Benefits, and Are They Worthwhile? 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: Join the Endurance Planet crew for a race experience of a lifetime! This year we’re hosting three Ragnar teams: an ultra team and regular-distance team at Ragnar SoCal on April 6-7, and a regular team at Ragnar Cape Cod on May 11-12. Lucho, Tawnee and some awesome athletes will all be together for an unforgettable weekend. To get the details and join the team email events@enduranceplanet.com. Need more convincing? Listen to some of our Ragnar podcasts here and watch a video of the experience here. On this episode of Ask The Coaches: BQ or bust! With a history of a 3:15 marathon, followed by a couple injury-laden years, how to get back on track for a BQ and/or sub-3 marathon? Is MAF training for the marathon the safest route to avoid re-injury? What kind of timeline for an aggressive marathon goal if MAF pace is in the 9:00s?  Don’t do too much lifting if the goal is fast marathoning. Last-minute 50k training tips Coming off a marathon PR, what are the most important things to focus on for a hilly 50k that’s in 7 weeks? Hyponatremia issues? Triathlete suffering immensely in the heat and even wound up in the hospital after an Ironman with severely low sodium, swelling and feeling disoriented. What was this? Would taking more sodium be the solution or does it go deeper than that? Perhaps it’s an underlying health issue (usually subclinical) causing an imbalance (e.g. HPA axis dysfunction). What Phil Maffetone and Tim Noakes had to say on the matter in an EP episode Root cause could be hormonal imbalances or changes that affect the adrenal glands. The adrenals normally produce hormones that help maintain your body’s balance of electrolytes (including sodium, potassium and water). Too high levels of ADH (kidneys). Even small amounts causes water retention—brain dysfunction is symptom. Response to dehydration? Much more to secretion than we understand. Research: Exercise-Associated Hyponatremia “Other studies also have shown that the consumption of a carbohydrate/electrolyte-containing sports drink does not protect against the development of hyponatremia (35–38).” Women more at risk NSAIDs increase risk The development of hyponatremia reflects either defects in hormonal and renal control mechanisms or water ingestion that overwhelms them. “Currently, there is insufficient evidence to support the suggestion that ingestion of sodium prevents or decreases the risk for EAH; neither is there any evidence that consumption of sports drinks (electrolyte-containing hypotonic fluids) can prevent the development of EAH (1,35–38,42,100,101).” Recently retired from triathlon and am moving into ultrarunning and fastpacking, but finding it hard to train in an area that doesn’t get a lot of daylight hours for half the year (Atlin, British Columbia). Getting creative with training: figuring out routes that work, treadmill, involving the community to start a gym, etc. Close to marathon goal of 2:50 but not quite (got a 2:58). Debriefing and trying to figure out what happened to learn for the next one. How running your long runs too hard and too close together can destroy your race day performance. How to schedule long runs at an intensity that won’t hinder race day performance. Taking in UCAN and Precision Hydration as choice of fuel – probably an awesome choice! Looking ahead: How to plan training and races differently to get closer to the A goal – go back to a MAF base period first before adding speed and marathon pace work? The post ATC 254: Tips To Avoid Going Into The Marathon Over-Cooked, Hyponatremia Symptoms and Risks, Setting Sights on a BQ, and More first appeared on Endurance Planet.

Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by Precision Hydration, the sweat experts who provide personalized hydration strategies and drink mixes to athletes of all levels. Not sure about your sweat and sodium loss? You can start by taking Precision Hydration’s free entry-level Online Sweat Test and get a recommendation for a formula that fits your needs, or go the next step with their exercise-free Advanced Sweat Test. Then use the code “ENDURANCE15” to get 15% off your first order. Jae Gruenke, GCFP, a Feldenkrais practitioner and founder of The Balanced Runner. For the past 14 years she has helped runners from beginner to Olympian learn to run pain-free, efficiently, and fast. She specializes in helping those whose problems have not resolved with medical treatment and those transitioning to natural running form, minimalist footwear, and barefoot running. She teaches in the US, the UK, and Germany and also offers online programs at www.balancedrunner.com. You can also join Jae’s Mind Your Running challenge from anywhere worldwide.  We’re excited to announce that Jae will be a new regular guest on Endurance Planet, coming on to answer your questions on running mechanics, injury prevention/healing, and more in the world of biomechanics and movement efficiency. Send your questions for Jae to questions@enduranceplanet.com. On this show: Knees are buckling in and feet splaying out at the end of a longer race, e.g. a half marathon and marathon.  What weakness up the kinetic chain is happening here? What specific exercises can be done to fix? Internal rotators are being overly used in these situations Anterior tib and peroneals are also over-used and overly active Not letting the pelvis tilt enough Peroneals can be causing knee to swing in Our left leg tends to the the stability leg Our right side tends to be the dominant side The fix: Support your ability to side shift weight Exercises: Hip drops – glutes and obliques, gets pelvis to tilt, do your “easy” side first Free Your Feet Relax shins and tops of feet The “American Ankle” syndrome Premature dorsiflexion Caused by too soft of shoes Fires hip flexors more, so hip extension will be lacking Why Jae doesn’t like bands around the knees for run-specific strength exercises Bilateral exercises aren’t the answer for runners Squats are NOT run specific (Jae’s recommendations vs. Tawnee’s thoughts on this) High hamstring pain and problems: What is the cause and fix for a dull ache in the upper hamstring? How did you get rid of this particular problem? Usually it’s the tucking of the pelvis (posterior tilt) and fighting a natural anterior tilt Differentiation of thigh from pelvis Hip hinges Why we need and want the right amount of healthy anterior pelvic tilt (vs. excessive anterior tilt issues caused by overly tight hip flexors) Pelvic tilt’s relationship with the head – straight? Help for a pretty bad externally rotated right hip, and coincidently, an hamstring on the same side. Is this something commonly seen in runners, and how would you recommend in dealing with it? Any advice to prevent this hamstring from flaring up again? The post Jae Gruenke: Fix Common Running Issues – Knees Caving In, High Hamstring Pain, Feet Splaying Out, 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: Join the Endurance Planet crew for a race experience of a lifetime! This year we’re hosting three Ragnar teams: an ultra team and regular-distance team at Ragnar SoCal on April 6-7, and a regular team at Ragnar Cape Cod on May 11-12. Lucho, Tawnee and some awesome athletes will all be together for an unforgettable weekend. To get the details and join the team email events@enduranceplanet.com. Need more convincing? Listen to some of our Ragnar podcasts here and watch a video of the experience here. On this episode of Ask The Coaches: No more KPR (points system) for the Ironman World Championships and 70.3 World Championships, after the 2018 races. It is going back to a slot allocation system for pros! Our thoughts, and why we think this is a great thing. Zone 2 and Ironman: Is Z2 the right effort for Ironman? What happens when Z2 ends up being painfully slow on both the bike and run – despite training 10-15 hours a week at 80% Z2? If you’re walking the IM marathon does this mean you’re not aerobically fit? Or is it cardiac drift? Or more training needed? Or what? The importance of the long workouts for Ironman training. How to prep if you know you’ll be close to the cutoff times in an IM. Regaining mental toughness: When you lose the desire to push it – why and how to get it back? Will 20 x 20 milers help? In particular if a BQ is a goal. How to get back the ability to enjoy a little suffering, and why a little suffering is good stuff for all of us. How to overcome the desire to give up and slow down. What is the best way to incorporate hills into speed training? Track and hills: Is there a way to get the best of both worlds in one workout? Or best to do hills on one day speed on another? The benefits of running the downhills on your hill repeats to build fitness. Differences between short hill repeats (less than 1/2 mile) to long hill repeats (up to a few miles) and how to pace each – short = VO2max; long = tempo. Fat malabsorption issues What if you want to go low carb or Paleo but suffer from fat malabsorption? Figure out gut issues that are causing the issues digesting and absorbing fat! Usually FM related to: liver congestion (bile production). gallbladder insufficiency (bile release), or pancreas insufficiency (enzymes in pancreas help digest fat). Tests: GI Effects, GP OAT, and a good functional practitioner to guide you. Podcast with BG on how much fat we can absorb in a given feeding. Does your lactate threshold HR change with increased fitness? Or does LTHR stay fairly constant? And how does this apply to setting marathon HR targets? LTHR will change with increased fitness due to the ability to better handle and clear lactate. But for a marathon, there’s more to setting goal HR and pace than LTHR. Zone 2 & 3 training can benefit LTHR, as can training at LT. The post ATC 253: Benefits to Boosting Lactate Threshold, Hills v. Speedwork, Zone 2 and Ironman, Fat Malabsorption Issues, and More first appeared on Endurance Planet.

Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by Precision Hydration, the sweat experts who provide personalized hydration strategies and drink mixes to athletes of all levels. Not sure about your sweat and sodium loss? You can start by taking Precision Hydration’s free entry-level Online Sweat Test and get a recommendation for a formula that fits your needs, or go the next step with their exercise-free Advanced Sweat Test. Then use the code “ENDURANCE15” to get 15% off your first order. On this episode, we welcome back sports journalist Alex Hutchinson, who’s written a fascinating new book titled Endure: Mind, Body and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance. Pre-order your copy here (ships out out in February). Endure is a must-read for all endurance athletes! In addition to authoring books, Alex is Outside Magazine’s Sweat Science columnist and a long-time elite runner. He was on Endurance Planet back in 2015, listen here. On today’s show we dive into concepts presented in Endure. Topics covered: The division in the science world on defining limiters of human performance: Those who take the the human machine view (basic pays) vs. it’s all in your head view (the brain). Alex spent years researching for this book and also has a lot of personal interest tied up into the book, as he tried to better understand his own running performances. Alex’s story of ultimately nailing a sub-4 mile and how it very likely happened because he was being misled on his split times. What seems to matter arguably more than anything is how the brain interprets what is going on and how the brain can limit or enhance our performance. Central governor (CG). Alex’s time with Tim Noakes observing him and learning more about CG from the source. The most convincing argument in favor of CG: We slow down in a race, yet have the ability to speed up at the end? Why is this and why does it matter for CG? Alex explains the science of how we pace ourselves in a predictable way. Pain vs. effort – in order to understand your limits, you have to understand the difference between the two! When you’re racing a marathon for example, there’s a difference between pain vs. effort slowing you down. The importance of effort, the borg scale and RPE Other areas  of research regarding the brain and performance The work of Samuele Marcoca on mental fatigue and brain training to boost performance. (Did it work for Alex?) The idea that training in a mentally fatigued state can be beneficial – considering so many of us have to train after a long day of work when we’re feeling flat. Transcranial direct current stumulation (tDCS) and the experiments done in this area. The recent Red Bull “brain zapping” experiments. A “neuropriming” device called the Halo. What does this thing do, does it work, and is it worth the $750 price tag? Brain doping – are we entering a scary new world where athletes can manipulate their brains to boost performance? The research is fascinating, but what about the real-world application to boosting brain power? Will it work? Does it go too far? Does it tarnish sport? What it comes down to… BELIEF “You can do all this shit, but it comes down to two guys on a bike trying to beat each other.” – Jesse Thomas, quoted in Alex’s book. The extreme value of the placebo effect – it works, as does believing in yourself, to enhance performance. The same cycling and caffeine study Tawnee mentioned in ATC 248 talking about CG is mentioned in Alex’s book in regards to the placebo effect and belief. What are the take-home messages in Alex’s book. What did he learn from researching and writing this book? What is our biggest limiter – or is it a combo of factors? The post Alex Hutchinson: How Much Can We Endure? Exploring the Brain, Performance Limiters and How To Push Harder and Farther 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: Article discussion: Stress fracture risk in collegiate cross country runners. New study in the JOSC shows astoundingly high stress fracture numbers in runners under 25. 42 cross country D1 runners, between 18-24 years old. 40% of females and 35% of males had history of stress fracture. None of these subjects met the recommended daily energy intake (i.e. energy deficit), calcium or vitamin D. 31% had osteopenia, 4.8% osteoporosis. British runner Bobby Clay talks about her osteoporosis at age 20. Glute activation exercises we like: Fire hydrants Donkey kicks Lateral monster walks – with or without resistance band Bridges Birddogs What is your opinion on the stepmill machine as cross training for endurance runners? Would it help to substitute some easy runs for the stepmill to reduce injury risk/ build strength or is this time better used running? Could the stepmill (which is like a giant moving escalator) be better or more or less valuable than the elliptical or cycling? Beet juice supplementation – for a fat-adapted athlete, would taking beet juice shots pre-exercise have a negative effect on fat burning? Beet It shots – 70ml with 20g sugar per shot, and the equivalent of 300ml beet juice Why take beet juice? The nitrite is converted to nitric oxide, which is shown to enhance blood flow, low BP, etc. Translates to longer time to exhaustion and reduction in race times. When to take? Effects peak 2-3 hours after ingestion. Don’t brush teach, use mouthwash or use gum after – ruins effects. How much? Usually 500ml regular beet juice is the sweet spot to get the effects, with slightly more being better, but this would be hard to chug down race morning! So see what the shots contain compared to this. The Beet It you link to is only 70ml but contain 300 ml worth of what you’d get in regular juice, thus 2 shots might be more effective – maybe one pre race 2-3hr and one during? Another protocol does 500ml daily, 3 days pre race then 250 ml day of. Don’t brush teeth, use mouthwash or chew gum after taking beet juice – ruins the effects. As far as fat adaptation, you have to weigh pros and cons. Does the shot spike blood sugar and have a negative effect on how you start off racing? Or not… and does the beet juice shot have a positive effect? Keep in mind, you can also load with other foods pre race rich in nitrates: arugula, cabbage, spinach, radish, celery. Study on beetroot juice’s effects for athletes. Alex Hutchinson article on beet juice protocols. Responding really well to MAF and run pace is getting faster: Stay the course with MAF or transition to speedwork and more intensity before the Boston marathon? How to set a marathon time goal for Boston – and when is it an appropriate time in the training cycle to start setting race goals (i.e. wait until the final weeks). Lucho’s advice on marathon goal setting Maffetone discusses how to use y our MAF test pace to set a marathon time goal. After an offseason, how should one approach the “rebuild” back to peak performance? What is the best way to get back to where you were after a long period of low activity? Risks of jumping back into too much too soon. What are “rust busting sessions” and why are they risky? Is a long slow MAF type build up the safest and smartest option? How your athletic history plays into how you should get back to it, and also how certain aspects of  your past don’t matter. The length of the offseason or time off really matters on how you approach the comeback to training. The post ATC 252: How To Approach the Offseason Comeback, Stress Fracture Risk In Collegiate Runners, Beet Juice For Fat-Adapted Athletes, Glute Activation Exercises, and More first appeared on Endurance Planet.