I’m still in full summer-mode, but believe it or not, fall marathon season is right around the corner. Need some motivation and tips for working back into specific training for an upcoming 26.2? Maybe your summer’s been spent playing around in the dirt, Marathon Training: Balancing Trail and Road promises you can still use trails to your advantage while putting in the work for a road marathon. No matter what your experience is, you might reconsider a run-walk program to help avoid injury, build speed (on those run intervals!) and “promote mindfulness” during your training. And, keep these tried and true marathon training practices in mind when structuring your workouts - most important on that list is to be sure to make it fun!
A New Theory Explains Why Exercise Makes Us Tired
Sure, we all get tired running, cycling, or swimming, no surprise there. But this latest piece from Alan Hutchison suggests some interesting insight into how our brain, rather than muscle, may be more responsible for feelings of fatigue. When our brain isn’t quite sure what to expect next, as in a prolonged state of hard physical effort, fatigue may be “indicative of the brain’s diminishing confidence in its own ability to exert control over the body.”
Lately we’ve been watching these recaps of the Golden Trail Series. The 20K-ish events look like so much fun - uhh, if you like super techy and steep runs in mountains, with iffy weather and variable conditions guaranteeing slip n’ slide in mud or stumbles through rocks. But really, the videos are done quite well and are fun to watch, if nothing else than for the diverse and stunning landscapes. I challenge you to watch and NOT want to hop on a plane for one of these next year.
Why Foot Strength Matters and How to Train It
Do you ever take for granted your feet and the critical role their 26 bones play in everyday life, not to mention endurance sport? We tend to neglect caring for, strengthening, and stretching those two very important appendages but if their muscles or joints are malfunctioning it can cause serious issues up your kinetic chain. It’s not just the dreaded plantar fasciitis… lack of foot and toe strength or mobility can lead to achilles or even bone stress issues. These easy practices to strengthen those tiny muscles “help(s) you move with more power and confidence” and thus avoid injury, while improving power and performance. In addition to the exercises included in this article, try rolling your arch with a lacrosse or tennis ball once a day for a DIY foot massage and mobility aid.
On Cloudultra Pro Review by iRunFar
The Best GPS Running Watches via Wirecutter
