The UTMB World Series will bring the world’s top runners to Chamonix, France By Brian Metzler The world of competitive trail running will be getting a lot more sophisticated next year. And probably a heck of a lot more competitive, not to mention a bit disruptive. The Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB), one of the world’s premier trail running races since its inception in 2003, announced on May 6 that it is creating a new global championship series that will conclude with the UTMB World Series Final in Chamonix, France. And to pull it off, the French UTMB organization is partnering with the U.S.-based Ironman Group that operates a similar international series for triathlon that culminates in a global championship in Kona, Hawaii, every year. Ironman was sold last summer by Wanda Sports for $730 million and the company is now backed by some very deep-pocketed U.S. investors. The original UTMB race, a 170 km competition around the Mont-Blanc massif through parts of France, Italy and Switzerland, grew quickly into one of the world’s premier trail running races. Through the years, additional race distances were added to create a weeklong trail running festival that drew as many as 7,500 runners and thousands of spectators in each of the 10 mountain villages on the course. But all of the races became increasingly hard to enter as global demand surged for trail running in general. Starting in 2022, the new UTMB World Series will bring together many of the world’s top trail running events that will serve as qualifiers for new championships in three key distances — 50 km (31 miles), 100 km (62.1 miles) and 100 miles (160.1 km). Those distances will align with the UTMB’s heralded OCC 50km, CCC 100 km and UTMB 100-mile races that culminate in Chamonix every August. (The other events in the UTMB festival of trail running races — the 42 km MCC, the 119 km TDS and the 300 km PTL — will remain unchanged outside of the UTMB World Series.) Entry to the UTMB World Series Finals in Chamonix can only be achieved by participating in a UTMB World Series qualifier event or one of the new UTMB World Series Majors, a series of three yet-to-be-unveiled continental championships in the Americas, Europe and in Asia/Oceania. The top 10 male and top 10 female runners in each of the 50K, 100K and 100M categories at the UTMB World Series Majors will win a place for the next edition of the UTMB World Series Finals race of the same category in Chamonix, along with the top three men and women in each of those race categories at the global series of UTMB World Series qualifiers. (The previous Ultra-Trail World Tour, which the UTMB organization had assembled over the past six years as a points series with dozens of international races, will be terminated after 2021.) Elite international trail running athletes expect to benefit by way of additional exposure, prestige and structured competition the series is expected to bring. While prize money has not been included in most big trail running races around the world, there is likely to be a prize purse in the new UTMB World Series Finals. But the new UTMB World Series could cause a global disruption among existing ultra-distance trail running races — which have generally existed as small, independently operated organizations — depending on whether or not they’re included in the circuit. (Trail Runner Nation launched a podcast on the subject with key U.S. athletes, race directors and journalists and Trail Runner Magazine posted a story about it, too.) “I view it as a healthy step forward as our sport moves into a prosperous future,” says U.S. trail runner Dylan Bowman. “UTMB has always been the gold standard in event production and the UTMB World Series will bring an elevated race experience to trail runners around the world. Quite simply, trail running changes lives. I view this is an opportunity to bring that gift to more people, while staying true to the spirit and culture that makes the sport so special." The new UTMB World Series will be based on respect and inclusivity for people, protection of the environment and a solidarity of the trail running community, says Catherine Poletti, President of UTMB Group and co-founder of the UTMB race along with her husband, Michel Poletti. "After 18 years of history that has seen UTMB become known around the world, it has become a brand that not only carries the sporting values of trail running but also fundamental human values,” she says. “More than ever, we want to share this with as many people as possible and allow everyone to participate in an event organized in the same spirit — and with the same quality standards — as the UTMB Mont-Blanc.” The full calendar of 2022 UTMB World Series races will be announced later this year, but it will include hundreds of races. So far, the confirmed events include Val d'Aran Pyrenees (Spain) Thailand by UTMB (Thailand), Panda Trail (China), Gaoligong (China) Tarawera Ultramarathon (New Zealand) Ultra-Trail Australia (Australia) and Mozart 100 (Austria). Notably, no U.S. races were announced as part of the press release, but Michel Poletti said they are talking with “many other races in the world, including the United States.” “Trail running was born in the USA… [but] it’s not easy for a French company to develop something [there],” he says, admitting that the UTMB organization will rely on the Ironman Group to help build and grow the UTMB World Series, especially in North America. In addition to triathlons, the Ironman Group also owns and operates numerous trail running races, mountain bike races and road running races. “I think a big part of the power of what we're trying to do is, is to take advantage of the unique capabilities that both organizations have,” says Andrew Messick, President and Chief Executive Officer for The Ironman Group. “I think that what we're looking to do is to, while working with the Polettis to define the standard of what constitutes an amazing transformative life-altering trail running experience, is to use our capabilities to either create or find races that we think have the ability to capture that ineffable trail running experience.”

Minute 1: Athletes need these essential nutrients At the micro level, nutrition advice gets a little complicated. Someone could throw darts at a periodic table and suggest we eat whatever they landed on. It would all sound the same to me. Luckily, Podium Runner dug through the research for us and broke down the essential “7 Nutrients Athletes Might Be Missing.” Athletes can be especially susceptible to nutrient deficiency, since training burns through your body’s storage fast. Pay attention to your diet and use these tips to restore what you’ve lost. First, those who exercise 6 hours or more per week should watch out for iron deficiency. Iron needs vary depending on age and gender, so there’s no 1 size fits all recommendation, but having some beef in your diet is a good place to start. Next comes magnesium, which is a key for many biochemical operations. Muscle cramps are a common indicator of magnesium deficiency, but any of these magnesium rich foods will get you balanced back out. The other common cause of muscle cramping is potassium deficiency. Bananas are a quick and easy source, but WebMD outlines other “Potassium Rich Foods” that are options as well. Got Milk? Good, because calcium is vital for athletes, especially women. Calcium can be lost through sweat, making athletes susceptible to bone fractures and conditions like osteoporosis down the line. Dairy is probably the best source of calcium, but there are other options, like almonds, beans and lentils, which are among the “Top 15 Calcium-Rich Foods,” according to Healthline. Endurance athletes should pack salty snacks on long outings, as sodium deficiency becomes common during extended periods of exercise. One study found that 27% of Ironman participants required medical attention for low sodium levels. Athletes undergo lots of oxidative stress, so selenium intake should be consistent due to its role in antioxidant function in the body. Brazil nuts are an easy source, but supplements are a good option too. Last, just like sodium, endurance athletes lose zinc quickly as they exercise over time. As a necessary part of our immune system function, having enough zinc is more important than ever as we enter the process of reopening the world. #RenewingEnergy Minute 2: Spring back into action with these training tips To those who managed to stay fully active all winter, you’ve earned our respect. Here in Boston, with no marathon in April -- or any other spring races for that matter -- motivation to trudge through the snow, slush and ice was a little lacking. If you stayed inside to wait out the winter, springtime can be a challenge. It's your opportunity to get back out there and move, but you should be sure to check out “10 Spring Training Fitness Tips for Athletes” to smooth the transition out of hibernation. Avoid the dreaded DOMS by easing into your workouts over a period of several days; don't shock your system by going all out the first weekend you get the chance. Come up with a plan to increase training intensity gradually -- no more than 10% per week. Even if you did stick to an exercise routine all winter, but want to switch things up, spring can be a great time to dive into a new sport. Finding a partner or team helps you stay consistently motivated, and even though it’s not an individual sport, runners can benefit from the comradery of a team by joining a running group. Check out: “Everything You Need to Know About Group Running.” A little healthy competition can really draw you back into a routine, and by planning runs together, groups can hold each other accountable to show up and put in the miles. With the end of the pandemic in sight and road races opening up again, it's a good time to connect with other vaccinated runners and work together toward a summer or fall race. #SpringForward Minute 3: Foods to make your vaccine experience easy More than 100 million Americans are now fully vaccinated, and Covid cases are dropping sharply, according to the CDC. That's surely cause for celebration, but you’ve probably heard about some annoying side effects the vaccine may cause. For anyone in the process of vaccination, check out “6 Foods to Eat (And 2 to Avoid) After the COVID Shot, According to A Doctor.” Just as you mom told you 100 times in your childhood kitchen, the first thing you should do is stock up on fruits and veggies. They contain vitamin C, which aids in white blood cell production, and antioxidants, which help reduce your vulnerability to disease in general. Help yourself to some sushi; fatty fish contain omega-3s which decrease inflammation to reduce any aches you experience. For those who experience fatigue after their shot, nothing will nurse you back to health quite like chicken soup. As if you needed another reason to cut out heavily processed foods, Dr. Sonpal tells LIVESTRONG that “Highly processed foods can cause spikes in sugar, which in turn cause the immune system to falter... And when the immune system doesn't work at its full capacity, it's far easier for viruses or other harmful pathogens to enter the body.” Lastly, be sure to eat on the day of your shot to avoid an awkward encounter like the one this Reddit poster shared. #ShotAndACheer Minute 4: Free yourself of hip pain with these mobility exercises A wise woman once said, hips don’t lie. That’s especially true for runners, who generate most of their power from the waist down. The benefits of developing hip strength are significant, but we need a balance of strength and mobility to achieve optimal results. Developing hip mobility is a central part of maintaining good running form and utilizing your full range of motion. Men's Health just came out with some essential tips in “This New Program Can Help You Solve Your Tight Hips.” They give a rundown of Dan Giordano’s daily mobility program, which uses stretches and yoga positions to develop your flexibility. Many believe yoga and running go hand in hand, so Dan includes classics like the figure 4 stretch, and some new options, like Pigeon pose. Be sure to hold the positions only until you feel a decrease in tension; you shouldn't push beyond that to the point of experiencing pain. To check out his program’s full videos, visit his page on All Out Studio. You may also enjoy this advice from Fleet Feet: “7 Yoga Moves Every Runner Needs to Know” or CorePower Yoga’s list of “9 Yoga Poses for Runners.” #StretchLikeAColombian Minute 5: Quick Intervals We were saddened to learn Atlanta running legend Jeff Galloway recently suffered a heart attack and we wish him a speedy recovery. It’s another stark reminder that even super fit athletes need to heed their body’s warning signs. Fortunately, Jeff did just that. We had the pleasure of speaking with him on the Six Minute Mile Podcast recently, where he shared his experiences as an Olympian, lifelong runner, and trainer. Jeff used his own trial and error, as well as research into human evolutionary history to develop training methods for endurance athletes, and he’s shared his insights over the span of several books. Listen in to find out if his signature Run-Walk-Run method is right for you. Need some inspiration to craft the perfect running playlist? You’re in luck because this “Spotify data reveals the best workout songs.” A UK-based gym sifted through user’s workout playlists and tallied the artists and songs that appeared most frequently. There is some evidence that suggests certain songs are better to run to, given the amount of musical information they contain. Researchers found more was better, meaning that you should select a full band recording over a solo acoustic track for the best results. Additionally, take the BPM into consideration to help settle into proper running cadence. In the past, we’ve advocated for high intensity interval training as a quick and efficient way to get in shape. While it is effective, it can be easy to go overboard if done without caution. CNET set out to assess the risks and ask “Is HIIT bad for you? The downsides of high intensity workouts.” They caution that too much intensity can increase cortisol, the stress hormone, to levels higher than what's healthy. Additionally, the workouts can potentially disrupt sleep and metabolism patterns. For a deeper dive, check out this blog post from the popular workout app Sworkit: “LISS vs. HIIT Cardio — Which Should You Be Doing to Achieve Your Fitness Goals.” We were very pleased to see our friends at the Abbott World Marathon Majors host a successful virtual event on the first weekend of May. Although most races in the series were cancelled last year, AbbottWMM is bouncing back this year, starting with this virtual marathon that attracted runners from more than 75 countries who ran the inaugural AbbottWMM Global Marathon. Athletes aged 20 to 87 from Singapore to Switzerland, the Philippines to Peru, Hong Kong to Honduras donned their race bib, laced up their shoes and completed their 26.2 miles. For more info on earning the prestigious 6 star medal by finishing Boston, London, Berlin, Tokyo, New York and Chicago, check out details here. Minute 6: Daily Inspiration Two years ago, Kenyan long distance star Eluid Kipchoge won the London Marathon in record time. His victory was one of many in a long list of accomplishments, including the world record in the marathon, multiple Olympic medals, and podium finishes at the world championship level. If you’re looking for some inspiration as you set your sights on your own competition, watch his sensational finish in London in the short Instagram video below.

Minute 1: The science of the runner’s high A true runner’s high has been described as euphoria, a sense of pure bliss and joy. It’s an addictive enough drug that some fitness instructors and coaches have taken to wearing t-shirts that advertise themselves as “Endorphin Dealers.” Endorphins and dopamine are produced by our bodies not only during exercise, but also when we are falling in love. The stuff is that powerful. New research, however, surmises that the real trigger for runner’s high is cannabinoids. Yep, the same thing that gets you high from marijuana. Details are in these 2 recent stories: “What's behind the runner's high?” and “Runner’s High Depends on Endocannabinoids (Not Endorphins).” When runners were given opioid blockers -- effectively shutting off endorphins -- they still experienced euphoria and reduced stress levels, which led researchers to the thesis that another chemical may be responsible. After testing the runners’ blood, they discovered elevated endocannabinoid levels. If you’re in search of the high that’s legal all over the world, check out: “How to achieve the ultimate runner’s high” or “When will I feel a runner’s high?” #HighTimes Minute 2: Is your core the core to being a better runner? We love a highly focused workout and cross training regimen when it’s designed and geared specifically for runners. You could say that runner-centric training is at the very core of what we do. The 6 minute mile and 6-pack abs are natural allies. Who doesn’t sit up with excitement about running?! OK, enough abs puns. Let’s talk about why we like new advice from Formula Running Center coach, Alison Staples: “This 10-Minute Ab Workout Will Help You Build Stability and Speed on the Run.” Coach Staples targets your obliques with equal attention, boosting strength and stability during your runs. We also like this workout from Ashley Arnold of Fleet Feet, winner of the 2013 Leadville 100 trail race: “10-Minute Core Routine for Runners” or if you can spare an extra 5 minutes, check out the “15 Minute Runner's Core Workout.” If you’re wondering why you should worry about abs in a sport that’s performed with your legs, the answer is here: “Why You Need a Strong Core for Running.” The basic answer is that your core provides the link between upper and lower body, and if it gets soft and sloppy during a run, your lower body mechanics and efficiency are thrown out of whack. #Core-poralPunishment Minute 3: No, too much cardio does not equal too little muscle Speaking of getting stronger, what impact does cardio have on your body’s ability to build muscle mass? Don’t listen to the bulky gym bros who tell you that cardio “kills your gains.” A new story from Insider this week provides some evidence: “I want to build muscle, but I enjoy cardio and don't want to gain weight. Will running and HIIT hinder my gains?” In fact, anaerobic and aerobic are like two buddies who go hand-in-hand like, well, a hand and a dumbbell. The rap against heavy cardio for years has been that it consumes lots of the calories and protein necessary for muscle recovery and growth in the weight room. But even publications like Bodybuilding.com say that there is a Goldilocks blend of not too much and not too little cardio. In fact, for athletes looking to bulk up in the gym, ignoring cardio can have a negative effect on muscle mass gains. The two systems need to function symbiotically for success. We’ll let Men’s Health have the last word on this topic: “How Long, Slow Runs Help You Build Muscle.” #WWRyanHallD Minute 4: Ramadan and running The world is currently in the midst of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar observed by Muslims worldwide. One of the major facets of Ramadan is fasting between about 4:30 am and sundown. Fasting during Ramadan means refraining not only from food, but also from water. Naturally, those restrictions can create some challenges to maintaining fitness during the fasting portion of the day. British runner, Haroon Mota, explains his approach to training during Ramadan in this new story: “How to work out safely and effectively during Ramadan.” Mota describes how he heavily consumes water after sundown, upwards of 3 to 4 liters, during the small window of replenishing. He also focuses on nutrition and supplementing electrolyte loss. Mota times his workouts to lead directly, or very closely, into sundown so he can immediately replenish after a run. Other challenges of Ramadan include rest, which is planned around prayer, so timing that can be complicated as well. This overlap between Ramadan and sport is not a new one, in fact during the 2018 World Cup, Muslim players balanced fasting and training, as described in this Bleacher Report story: “How Do Muslim Players Cope with Fasting Ahead of the World Cup?” Players worked with teammates, coaches and trainers to meet the unique restrictions that don’t always align with an athlete’s needs. There are many more examples of elite athletes like NFL players in this story “Here’s How 15 Hardcore Athletes Train During Ramadan.” #FastAthletes Minute 5: Quick Intervals Thanks again to all of you who have signed up for our new Six Minute Mile Pro newsletter. The response has been bigger and better than we’d hoped. Probably the most frequent feedback we’ve received is that even athletes who don’t work fulltime in an endurance sports job have really enjoyed the content. We are giving early looks at shoes, upcoming events, new specialty run shops and stocks to follow if you want to invest in your passion. We have been offering longer original stories by Brian Metzler every week that have unearthed trends and news not covered by traditional sports publications. If you’d like to try it out for a month, it’s only $6. What do you have to lose? (OK, $6, wise guy, but other than that…) We were never asked to sit at the popular kids table in the school cafeteria, but our SMM Pro readers are actually super cool, so we feel as if we are rubbing elbows with the A Listers finally. Check out more at Six Minute Mile Professional Edition. Admit it, you choose your running gear not just because it’s functional, but also because it looks awesome. And as Billy Crystal taught us years ago, it’s not how you feel, it’s how you look. Gear companies understand that too. Fitbit recently launched their Luxe which is made to look classy. The Apple Watch is extremely popular on wrists across the world, but it misses the mark on some mandatory fitness needs. So this article, “I shouldn’t care that my running watch isn’t pretty… but I kinda do,” hits upon the dilemma of choosing a running watch that actually looks good, too. University of Delaware sophomore runner, Jessica Stratton, wrote an open letter to coaches of female distance runners last week. In it, she detailed the extremes her body went through during her intense training in high school and into her first years at Delaware - injuries, weight issues, and the loss of period for nearly 3 years. Her experience to excel at the detriment of her health isn’t something new. In fact, it aligns in many ways to the challenges that Mary Cain, former Nike Oregon Project runner, famously faced. Jessica’s letter is an important reminder that female runners tend to disproportionately feel the burden of body expectations, and even though Mary’s story has made changes to the Nike atmosphere, changes to approaches of training for women still have a ways to go. Minute 6: Daily Inspiration What’s going on with bear videos this month. Last week we shared some wild video of a bear chasing a mountain biker. This week we bring you another hair-raising (bear-raising???) story. Evan Matthews was out for a run in Grand Teton National Park recently, and noticed that a bear was following him. Instinct for most may be to turn and hoof it back to your car, but that’s never a good idea as you may accidentally suggest that you’re prey - which you’re not. In the video, Matthews smartly shows his bear spray, which he didn’t need to use, but was ready to. In an interview, Matthews explains his knowledge of wilderness running and survival. Don’t run from a bear, don’t play dead. Be human and be loud. Also, be prepared. Or prebeared? Sorry, that’s the last pun for this newsletter. Any more would be a real bear. (That’s an idiom).

Minute 1: Cool it with the ice baths, they could be slowing recovery For anyone who has endured submerging into an ice bath to aid recovery, we offer our condolences. All that cold may have frozen your recovery process in its tracks. According to this new story in Canadian Running: “Study: icing injuries doesn’t work,” the long-accepted practice of icing injuries or muscle strains is misguided. The study cited analyzed muscle recovery in mice and found that ice slowed down the natural recovery tools most mammals are gifted at birth. Researchers stimulated muscle contraction in 40 mice, simulating exercise. When a muscle is worked hard or strained, inflammation and swelling naturally occur. Icing muscles slows this anti-inflammatory response, and as a result, lengthens the overall recovery time. While icing can provide a short term reduction in pain and inflammation, it interrupts your body’s natural healing process. Modern science has uncovered that inflammation functions to remove cellular debris and promote future cell growth in the injured area. How did we end up so far off the mark? Men's Health reveals the history in “The Cold Hard Truth About Icing Your Injuries.” It turns out that the icing myth became popular among doctors not due to research, but rather as a positive feedback loop of anecdotes and recommendations. It was used successfully in one procedure, and grew in popularity from there without critical analysis. Even Dr. Gabe Mirkin, who created the term R.I.C.E. has changed his mind. His mea culpa came in this blogpost: “Why Ice Delays Recovery.” This is good news for those of us who will instead use the ice in our freezers for its intended purposes -- keeping summer beers and margaritas frosty. #RICEmanGoeth Minute 2: Step outside your gym for natural strength Netflix has a bizarre philosophy when it comes to software development. They intentionally break their code all the time so their employees gain experience solving problems and the platform has a pre-made solution for potential bugs. They call it chaos engineering. What if you took the same approach to your exercise routine? That's essentially what trainer Daniel Murakami did when he realized “You Can Build Major Muscle With Anything Outdoors.” After working with traditional methods and equipment for years, Murakami switched out his dumbbells for rocks, tree limbs, or any other heavy natural object he could get his hands on. His goal? Seek out unbalanced loads and uneven terrain to challenge your mind and muscles with unfamiliarity. The awkwardness of the movement forces you to use often-neglected muscles and develop what he calls “strength IQ.” Every stone is “a complex riddle that requires a different solution... The weight is a mystery. The right grip must be found and the weight distribution adjusted for in real time. Every rock is an opportunity.” Murakami’s training methods are perfect for athletes looking to combine workouts with their love of the outdoors. For more inspiration, take a look at “The Best Outdoor Workouts, According to Military Vets.” The article offers some ideas of lifts to perform with a weighted rucksack or other heavy object. Embrace the chaos of nature and you’ll see functional strength gains in no time. #RockHard Minute 3: For the breakfast of champions, cook your eggs like this The perfect breakfast … or a calorie rich indulgence? Eggs are a great way to hatch your day, but depending on your preparation method, they can do more harm than good. Fitandwell.com laid out the options, and found that “This is the healthiest way to eat eggs, according to science.” Let’s get one thing out of the way first. Cooked eggs offer more digestible protein than raw eggs, so Rocky’s breakfast of champions won’t pack on muscle after all. Now, what's the best way to cook them? If you’re watching their heart health, you should ditch the frying pan. First, the high heat can cause cholesterol in the egg to oxidize. Oxidized cholesterol has been linked to heart disease. Additionally, the added oil or butter used increases calories, making weight gain more likely. That leaves 2 preferred options; boiled or poached eggs. Both can be done at a low temperature, and neither require added oil, so they’re exactly what you’re looking for. There’s an ongoing debate about how many eggs you can consume daily without raising your cholesterol. Some research suggests that eating eggs only causes HDL, or “good cholesterol” to increase, so there may be no need to worry. Healthline.com provides some of the details in “Eggs and Cholesterol - How Many Eggs Can You Safely Eat?” Essentially, your body can reduce its cholesterol production when you consume extra in your diet. To support this claim, they cite a study where participants ate 1 to 3 eggs a day, showing little to no increase in LDL cholesterol compared to a control group. Coincidentally, we recently did a little field research on this subject. Realizing that our breakfast had become too dependent on sugars -- OJ, fruit yogurt, “healthy” cereal -- we moved to more of a Keto/Atkins approach for the first meal of the day. That meant 2-3 eggs daily cooked with veggies, olive oil and occasionally bacon. Coincidentally we had our annual physical this week and the blood work showed a 7.3% reduction in LDL after only 3 weeks of this routine. The eggs may not have helped, but they certainly didn’t hurt. #TriedEgg Minute 4: Turn up the intensity, it could help you later in life Researchers over at the University of California are sounding a bit like drill sergeants, calling for double time after a study demonstrated the WHO exercise guidelines aren’t cutting it. Take a look at this article: “We should DOUBLE the minimum exercise guidelines for adults, says new research.” The study examined more than 5,000 subjects, recording their exercise habits and monitoring various health parameters over time. They found that going beyond the minimum exercise guidelines could result in fewer blood pressure abnormalities. Individuals experienced about 18% lower likelihood of hypertension if they exercised twice the recommended amount of time per week. The study also reported a general reduction in activity over time, but found this decline could be slowed by maintaining a particularly high activity level in your teens and twenties. Building strong exercise habits early on could be the key to health as you age. This all sounds like a tall order, but if you’re pressed for time, turning up the workout intensity can be just as beneficial as increasing the time. In fact, the WHO says 75 minutes of vigorous exercise is just as good as 150 minutes at a moderate pace. Check out the video at the bottom of the article for an 8-minute rapid fire drill. #DialItUp Minute 5: Quick Intervals A couple of weeks back, we highlighted an emerging player in the recovery tech market, Speed Hound. We’re still using the trial pair of Pro-Performance recovery boots they sent us a couple of months ago. Feeling generous, the Speed Hound folks will now give away a pair of the Pro-Performance compression boots to one of our lucky readers. That’s a very cool offer because these things are well-engineered and they ain’t cheap. To enter, just head over to our Instagram account for details. The winner will be announced next week. If you don’t want to leave anything to chance and need a pair right now, they’re offering our readers $45 off per system with the code “SMM6” on the Speed Hound site. The physical benefits of exercise are obvious. Mental benefits, though, are often overlooked. Part of the reason exercise is so great is the way it makes you feel, and that's largely due to the changes made in your brain -- the release of certain neurotransmitters, and even new pathways that form among neurons. Neurogenesis is complicated, but Dr. John Ratey helps us understand on the Six Minute Mile Podcast. If you want some supplemental reading to go with that, check out the article from Polar.com that uncovers “How Exercise Affects The Brain: Does Your Workout Make You Smarter? Grilling season is upon us, but if you’re getting ready for a backyard BBQ, you might want to think twice about the way you’re cooking your meat. This article from fitandwell.com addresses some concerns you might have. Should you use an open flame, or electric grill? How about lean vs fatty meat, does it make a difference? It's all explained in “What’s the healthiest way to grill chicken, pork, and steak?.” It seems like every day, an article comes out that disproves conventional wisdom of the past. This time, we’re questioning whether or not running is actually bad for your knees. One study found that competitive runners actually had a reduced risk of osteoarthritis. Where did this idea come from, that running will leave you limping around later in life? It could be that running itself is okay, as long as you avoid certain flaws in your technique. Check out this new article from CNET.com that dives into the data, gives some tips on what to avoid, and ultimately answers the question: “Is running really bad for your knees?” Minute 6: Daily Inspiration The Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc takes place high in the Alps and is considered by many to be the ne plus ultra of running events. The course features an elevation gain of over 10,000 meters, earning a reputation as one of the most difficult foot races in the world. The average participant will spend 2 days and nights trying to complete the course. Elite runners manage to finish in under 24 hours, but nobody has ever crossed the line in under 20 hours. Paul Capell wanted to change that. After winning the race in 2019, and hearing of its cancellation in 2020 due to the pandemic, he decided to run solo in an attempt to chase this record. His remarkable journey amidst spectacular scenery was documented in the short video below.

Runner’s Edge opens a stunning second store in a legendary Long Island location By Brian Metzler If you think the running specialty business isn’t vibrant and exciting, you should check out the new Runner’s Edge store in Huntington, New York. The stunningly-designed store opened on April 17 in a 2,200-square-foot space formerly occupied by Super Runners Shop. That Long Island location was the last store operated by New York City running retail legend Gary Muhrcke, who closed the business and retired last fall after turning 80. Muhrcke won the original New York City Marathon and once owned several stores across the city before selling most of those to Surefoot in 2012. Longtime friend and fellow Long Island running retailer Bob Cook saw Muhrcke’s retirement as an ideal opportunity to open a second Runner’s Edge store in that space. Cook, who started his retail career working for Muhrcke in 1975 by driving the Super Runners mobile running store truck, opened the original Runner’s Edge in Farmingdale with his wife, Sue, in 1985. Cook became a noteworthy figure himself, not because of the many marathons, duathlons and Ironman triathlons he completed, but because the Farmingdale community appreciated the service, coaching and genuine care he and his family fostered. Now 75, he has a pacemaker and no longer runs, but he rides daily — road bikes, mountain bikes and Peloton workouts — and says he pedaled a combined 8,000 miles last year. Like many stores, Runner’s Edge had to close down for several months last year because of the Covid-19 pandemic, but it survived during its partial re-opening with hand-delivered orders and online sales on its revamped website thanks to help from Fitted retail technology, Cook said. “The business has been great. We made it through the worst part of Covid and we saw this as a good opportunity,” says Cook, who still works every day in the family business, along with Sue and their daughter, Allie. (Their other daughter, Bridget, lives in North Carolina but helps out whenever she’s back in town.) “What’s kinda funny is that this store gave me a bit of new life. It really psyched me up.” A good part of his re-energized vibe comes from the new store’s vibrant, modern design. It’s the handiwork of Tracy Ann Roeser, who also has quite a history with Runner’s Edge. When she was a young runner in the nearby town of Merrick, her parents took her to the Farmingdale store to get fitted for her first pair of running shoes. After success as a middle-distance runner in high school, Roeser (nee Tracy Ann Koch) ran on the cross country team at Savannah College of Art and Design. When she graduated with a BFA in Interior Design and double minor in Graphic Design and Architecture, she started her career at a Long Island interior design firm. After eight months, she found that it wasn’t all that it was cracked up to be, so she quit and took a job at Runner’s Edge and it changed her life. Aside from helping customers, she also helped the store with branding, window displays, social media and content. “They really took me under their wing,” the 31-year-old Roeser said. “Bob is such a nice guy and really gives back to the community and is very humble. He and his staff set the tone, and I think that’s why Runner’s Edge has been around for almost 40 years. People really want to be around that environment.” She later became a Saucony tech rep and serviced both the Runner’s Edge Farmingdale store and the Super Runners shop in Huntington. She eventually found her way to Colorado, where she now lives with her husband, Kurt, a 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon qualifier, and works full-time as the brand marketing manager for Roll Recovery in Boulder. (Last year, she helped reinvent part of the Roll Recovery office into a workout space for the On Athletic Club.) When the Cooks decided to take over the Huntington retail space vacated by Super Runners last fall, they immediately called Roeser to ask for her help in redesigning it. Roeser, who two years ago designed the Leadville Race Series shop in Leadville, Colorado, jumped at the chance. She came up with an overall concept and began designing the new shop remotely from Boulder. Often working early in the morning, late at night and on weekends, she designed the shop remotely with constant interaction with the Runner’s Edge team via Zoom calls, emails and text messages. The end result is a store with a classy, modern interior highlighted by a bright white and matte black color motif and natural wood shelving, benches and features. It’s a blend of Roeser’s background as a runner, her experience working in running stores and her talent as a designer. Photos of the remarkable space are on Roeser’s Instagram page. “I always try to design something based off of the notion if it was my own, or if I was branding a space for me, what would I want? But so much of that is tied to running,” Roeser said. “I come up with a lot of my design ideas on my morning runs.” Some of the store’s design features include: A “framed shoelaces” front window display that was designed by Roeser and custom built by her dad, Bill Koch; A matte black shoe wall background with simple shoe shelves that really allow the colorful shoes to have visual “pop” and create a vibrant interior aesthetic; An update of the former Super Runners cash wrap with a custom wood countertop, matte black base and custom Runner’s Edge wood logo sign that Roeser sourced on Etsy; Refurbishment and repainting of the existing mannequins left behind by Super Runner Shop; Five custom shoe try-on benches that were designed and built by Allie’s husband, Kevin; Framed newspaper clippings and photos of Runner’s Edge moments through the years; and A variety of new apparel and accessories fixtures that were built and installed by Roeser, her dad and her sister, Wendy, in the week prior to opening. “Tracy did a heck of a job designing the store for us,” Cook said. “I think, now, if you want to compete in retail, you have to have a nicely-designed store. And that’s especially true in Huntington, which is an upscale town. We wanted the store to represent that area. That’s what we were really shooting for. We gave Tracy total creativity and what she came up with is amazing.”

Minute 1: A word or two or more about running cadence At the 2018 Chicago Marathon expo, amateur runners tried to replicate the world record pace of Eliud Kipchoge on a treadmill for just a minute or two. The results produced some epic fails and a viral video that has been watched more than 16,000,000 times. (If you’d like to try this at home, you basically just have to set your treadmill to 13 MPH.) While it’s a bad idea to imitate Kipchoge’s pace, it is much wiser to match his cadence of 180 strides per minute. Elite runners moving along at the appropriate cadence look almost like they’re floating on a cloud of air with their feet barely tapping the ground. Ideal cadence numbers depend on several factors, although a generally accepted number is 180, with a plus or minus factor of 10. Many GPS watches will measure your cadence for you, but a simple way to measure it is by setting a timer to 60 seconds and counting how many times your left foot hits the ground then double that number. Runners in the 140-160 range are more likely to increase braking forces at the point of foot strike and to increase the heel striking angle, according to research at the Running Clinic, which provides this helpful: “Questions and Answers about running cadence.” In a piece entitled “The optimal cadence and stride length for runners,” the Running Coach suggests there is not only one perfect running rate because of the difference in body measurements, especially height. Those working to increase cadence should go at it slowly. Running coach and biomechanist Adam St. Pierre says the 180 steps per minute number is a good target for some runners but argues that appropriate running cadence relates to speed. At 5 miles per hour, he reasons, a range of 160-170 is a better target: “Run Faster With Less Effort With These Four Adjustments.” #DoA180 Minute 2: Pressed for time? Short workouts can provide significant benefits Even with the time we’ve saved on commuting this year, plenty of other distractions and responsibilities seem to Tonya Harding our workout plans. Zoom calls, home schooling, nesting chores and plain old procrastination can be rougher on our goals than Jeff Gillooly. Scheduling a time and place for prolonged workouts is often a challenge. The good news is that a quickie workout can stress the core and upper and lower body and allows you to work up a sweat in limited minutes. Experts have shown that short, brisk workouts can have numerous benefits. Adidas has a good blog post on this issue: “Do Short Workouts Really Make a Difference?” The short answer is that if you make an 8-10 minute workout really intense (think sprints, not jogs) you can see real value. The Journal of Obesity reported that high-intensity intermittent exercise may be more effective at reducing body fat, and other studies have shown that short workouts show fitness improvements: “8 Mini Workouts That Work Your Whole Body.” Men’s Journal offers a list of “no-frills” training tips that will make your attempts to build strength much simpler: “10 Strength Training Strategies That Will Never Die.” Bodyweight workouts (which can be done without equipment or going to the gym), and lifting weights both build muscle, but using your own body -- versus weights -- has some advantages: “Strength Training: Bodyweight Exercises versus Weight Training.” #SpeedWork Minute 3: Building a stronger back Anyone who has experienced the joy of a herniated disk or chronic back pain may have opted for elective root canal if they’d been given the choice. It’s not just long haul truckers and desk jockeys who experience back issues. Elite endurance athletes are not immune from back ailments. There are many exercises designed for back health. Most veterans of the gym know that the first line of back defense is the dumbbell row. Learn more about this exercise that enhances back muscles and contributes to posture stability: “The 8 Best Dumbbell Row Variations To Build A Stronger Back.” You may also want to investigate “10 Back Exercises That Develop Strength.” If the whole weight scene isn’t your thing, check out “The 10 Best Yoga Poses for Back Pain.” If you hang around athletes who devote themselves to development of the entire body, you may have heard the term “posterior chain.” Work on the back provides structural support for the entire body, particularly because exercises targeted for other areas -- for example, deadlifts and squats -- depend on a strong back. Workouts targeting the abs and the back have something in common -- results can be slow to be seen. It isn’t obvious that some of the smaller muscles in the back are responding to targeted exercises, but, done properly, there will be growth over time. It’s also important to fit in some compound back exercises to address the full spread of the area: “The 12 Best Compound Back Exercises for a Full Back Workout.” #BasicBack Minute 4: Food for the sole -- don’t go running on empty Endurance trail running comes with a must list. In addition to stamina, awareness of conditions/terrain, and proper pacing, there is the matter of food. Except on race day, there are no buffets or vending machines out there on the rocky mountain sides, so many runners carry their own chow. Of course gels and energy bars are popular solutions, but those make us feel as if we’re consuming something developed in a laboratory rather than a kitchen. That’s why we were happy to come across this piece from Outbound: “8 Trail Running Snack Hacks.” Women’s Running weighs in on the subject with “How to Fuel Long Runs with Real Food.” We also like many of the options on this list: “Top 10 Trail Running Superfoods.” Many of these suggestions apply to long runs on the road, of course, but the generally slower pace through the hills allows the digestive system to process foods with less bodily stress. Generally speaking, the simpler the better for faster-paced long runs on asphalt. #TrailMix Minute 5: Quick Intervals We love logging miles on Strava and appreciate some of the privacy features the company has added over the years, like concealing your home location by blocking out the exact point of your run/ride starts and finishes. A new research report, however, points out that “Running apps still lag behind on privacy and security,” including Strava. Part of the problem is that many apps still allow athletes to use passwords like “1234” or “password.” None of the most popular apps allow 2-factor authentication, although Runtastic generally received the best marks on security and privacy. Not to get too personal, but have you smelled your armpits lately? That … distinct .. aroma is related to bacteria, and it might have the smell of onions. Where does underarm odor come from, anyway? Sweat is the bad guy here. It mingles with the bacteria on the skin to produce an odor. One study involved swabbing the underarms (sounds fun, right?) of 24 men and women, and among the findings was that people who did not use antiperspirants had 50X more bacteria than those who did. Some of the fun odors labeled were “sulfury-cat urine,” “acid-spicy” and “fresh onion.” On your way to the drugstore deodorant aisle, check out this story from LIVESTRONG: “This Is Why Your Armpits Smell Like Onions.” Hunger is a nearly constant companion for many long-distance runners, particularly those who have recently increased their training. The additional miles -- training for a half marathon instead of a 5K, for example -- may produce faster times, but can also induce “runger.” Dr. Beth Mansfield, a certified exercise physiologist and sports nutrition specialist, said hunger after running arises differently depending on who you are and the type of run you’re completing. Hunger levels will vary depending on the duration and intensity of the run and the timing of your last meal before the run. Typically, she says it’s important to eat a snack or a meal within the recovery window after running: “Solving the mystery of ‘runger’.” Minute 6: Daily Inspiration How do you stay motivated during your run or ride? Some people crank up the jams, others repeat a mantra to themselves and a select few fly down a mountainside trying to outrun a large black bear that’s chasing you. Our daily inspirational video, first posted on the Montana Knife Company’s account, comes from the town of Whitefish, Montana. As we approach warmer weather, this video serves as a good reminder that when you step out into the wilderness be sure to pay close attention and respect your surroundings. Based on the clip, it's unclear if the bear was actually charging the rider or just running scared itself, but thankfully the cyclist (and bear) escaped unscathed. Due to rising black bear populations and humans expanding more into their natural habitats, these types of interactions have become more common. The Humane Society has some good advice on “What to do about black bears.” They can be easily scared away by standing your ground and making yourself look and sound as big as possible (this procedure differs for their much larger and bolder counterpart, the grizzly bear). If you are planning to hit the trails this summer, Trail Runner magazine offers a good overview of what to do and what not to do amidst bears, mountain lions and rattlesnakes in “Wildlife Safety for Runners.”

Can a small start-up running shoe brand change the running industry? By Brian Metzler Amid the excitement about the soon-to-be-released ZoomX Vaporfly NEXT% 2 and new ASICS Metaspeed Sky and Metaspeed Edge racing shoes, another intriguing new high-tech racing shoe quietly debuted last week. The Artist, from the fledgling Austin, Texas, start-up brand Atreyu Running, finally arrived in the hands of customers who pre-ordered the shoe last summer. Thickly cushioned with supercritical, nitrogen-infused EVA foam and enhanced by a carbon-fiber plate, The Artist has similar components and design ethos as some of the other “super shoes” on the market, but at half the price or less. While those new Nike and ASICS shoes carry $250 price tags — the same as the Brooks Hyperion Elite 2, among others — The Artist costs only $100. A hundred bucks? Yes, and that’s half the price of the widely acclaimed Saucony Endorphin Pro and the Adidas Adios Pro. It was sold during a limited pre-sale last summer and the entire production run sold out. (A secondary pre-sale of The Artist will be offered soon and produced this summer, according to the company.) Entrepreneur Michael Krajicek launched Atreyu in early 2020 with the intent of building simple and lightweight, but well-made shoes as low as $55 on a subscription basis. Atreyu shoes aren’t sold at retail outlets, but the company does offer its Base Model shoe for $75 as a one-off, online purchase from its website in a wide variety of color motifs. Part of Krajicek’s goal was also to shake up the status quo by creating special makeup models (including a racing model and a trail running model) for the audience of committed runners he’s quickly built, but without being inhibited by huge marketing campaigns or traditional design concepts. Can a small start-up brand produce an elite racing shoe on par with huge billion-dollar brands? It would certainly be a disruptive force if it did. Proof might be in the performance, but so far, The Artist is getting rave reviews on social media by some of the runners who bought a pair. In several wear-test runs over the past week, I found that the midsole foam feels semi-dense and more compliant than the Nike Pebax foam —so a more stable ride that’s not as bouncy — and that makes it ideal for both moderate and fast-paced running. It weighs about 8 oz. and has a 6mm heel-toe offset (30mm at the heel, 24mm at the forefoot) with a snug fit in the heel and midfoot and a little bit more wiggle room in the toe box. Did I mention it has $100 price tag? There aren’t many good running shoes found at that price anymore. Even if it doesn’t produce fast marathon times anytime soon, The Artist has already proved itself a worthy purchase for that price. “We believe that is an honest price for the current iteration of that shoe,” Krajicek said. “We’re not trying to do it just to be a low-price brand. We find the proper margin that works for us and we price accordingly. As far as The Artist goes, it’s a two-piece molded insole with a one-piece mold on the carbon plate with the same upper we use on our Base Model. We didn't want to overprice it. We wanted to adequately price it.” But again, the company is focusing on high quality over low price. Krajicek said the second edition of the Base Model is going to have more expensive materials and production costs, so that will be reflected in a price that’s higher than the $55/$75 pricing structure of the original version. Atreyu doesn’t yet have plans to sell at retail, sponsor races, or buy advertising like most of its competitors do, although it does have a sponsorship relationship with 2016 Olympic runner and emerging pop culture star Alexi Pappas. Could Atreyu become the next Altra, Newton, HOKA or On? Or better yet, is it already becoming the next Allbirds? We never seem to think that new brands can make an impact in the established running industry, but the industry changed a long time ago and continues to evolve toward digital-first when it comes to running shoe sales, so don’t be surprised if the brand continues to grow and innovate as a small but significant disruptor.

Minute 1: As your age goes up, does your top speed have to go down? Athletes in their 20s typically feel invincible. They work out hard and say things like “I’ll rest when I’m dead.” They love the gas pedal and loathe the brake. When they reach age 30 and beyond, however, we start seeing guys with torn Achilles tendons from pickup hoops and women in walking boots from overtraining-induced stress fractures. They’ve learned the hard way that pain isn’t just weakness leaving the body. Sometimes pain is telling you to slow down. With the right approach, however, many middle-aged athletes figure out “How to Hold onto Your Sprint Speed as You Age.” Researchers looked at why older sprinters become slower, finding that they take shorter steps and spend more time in contact with the ground. Essentially, they lack the explosiveness used by younger runners to propel themselves forward. The culprit may not be your muscles themselves, but rather the nervous system’s messaging pathways. As you age, neurons lose functionality. The brain struggles to communicate with muscles, reducing the amount of muscle fibers that activate during exertion. The good news is that if you continue to exercise, “neurons from other motor units will sprout new connections to add the orphaned muscle fibers to their existing bundle.” So how do you combat this degradation? The most successful remedy might be resistance training. Not only will your strength improve and add some explosivity back, but it has also been shown to be a great way to develop “Exercise-Induced Neuroplasticity.” Incorporating exercises requiring balance -- such as 1-legged movements -- help to stimulate the sensory motor system. For ideas, check out “The 5 Balance Exercises All Runners Need to Be Doing.” #FastTwitchFun Lead a healthier lifesyle with Noom. Sponsored Post Too many of us have tried what we call "fast results" diets. The ones that are quick to knock off a few lbs by telling us what we can't eat, setting us up for failure the minute our diet ends. It's time to build healthier habits. Noom combines the power of technology with the empathy of real human coaches to deliver successful behavior change and sustainable weight loss results. Learn More Minute 2: If running gives you a headache, try these prevention tips Keeping up with an exercise routine can be a real headache. Literally. Up to 30% of runners have asked themselves: “Why do I get a headache after I run?” In a study with more than 2,000 respondents, about 600 reported they experienced what’s known as an “exertional headache.” What can you do about it? A post run headache may be your body’s way of telling you you’re dehydrated. Increase your fluid intake, and if that doesn’t solve the problem, try a sports drink to combat any electrolyte imbalance. Next, pay attention to your form. Improper form adds tension in the body, keeping you rigid. If your head and neck is being jostled around, it's no surprise a headache will follow. Use these “5 Fixes for Better Running Form” to keep things smooth and easy. It's also been suggested that “fluctuations in your glucose level affect your brain more than any other organ,” so a headache may be a warning sign of low blood sugar. Consider eating a serving of fruit before or after your workout as a healthy way to get sugar in your diet. Lastly, understanding “The importance of the warmup and cooldown” is key to preventing headaches. Without a proper warmup, your body has to work overtime to provide enough blood circulation. #HeadGames Minute 3: Does your running schedule match your fitness goals? For a sport that is so beautifully simple, many runners have a tendency to overcomplicate things. It’s easy to get wrapped up in calculations about pace, workouts, hills, shoes, nutrition, sleep and heart rate data. That stuff’s all important, but we sometimes lose sight of the simple question of “How often and how far should I run?” If you haven’t thought about your running schedule in a while, this new article may help simplify things:“How Many Miles a Week Should I Run?” If you’re training for a specific event, of course you’ll want to set weekly mileage goals tailored to that distance. Many of our running buddies -- particularly over the past year -- aren’t interested in competition, however. If you run primarily for overall health benefits, maybe you should focus less on your mileage and more on the amount of time you spend with your heart rate above resting level. Research has indicated that running just 5 to 10 minutes a day reduces your risk of heart attacks, strokes, cardiovascular disease, and other health concerns. Running further and faster could bring greater health improvements, but the key is to find a balance. At a certain point, you receive diminishing returns, with the risk of injury outweighing the potential health benefits. If you want to set personal records and push yourself, you can take on as many miles a week as you like. For those who just want to live longer and happier, consider reducing your distance or frequency by scheduling ample rest days as you train. #YourMileageMayVary Minute 4: Burn up fat with this unexpected weight loss food If you’ve ever felt guilty about the number of Chipotle burritos you’ve eaten, don’t worry, we’ve found the loophole for you: just add hot salsa. New research has come out explaining “Why chilli peppers are a secret weight loss superfood needed in every healthy diet.” A study found that by giving subjects a supplement of capsaicin, the chemical that makes chilis and other peppers spicy, bodyweight was reduced by about 2 lbs over 12 weeks. The study authors went on to conclude “the consumption of foods containing capsaicin was associated with a lower prevalence of obesity.” How does the capsaicin work? When you eat spicy food, you raise your body temperature. You begin to sweat and intake more oxygen to cool down. Essentially, your resting metabolic rate increases. Low RMR has been linked to increased likelihood in weight gain, so raising it can be a great tool in your arsenal for keeping the pounds down. We went searching for low-cal spicy meals, and here are a few of our favorites: Buffalo Cauliflower Bites are a nice option for a vegetarian-friendly party appetizer. Spicy Butternut Squash Soup will add some color to your dinner plans. Spicy Tunisian Grilled Chicken is a 1-2 punch of weight loss and muscle building protein. Bon Appetit! #FireInTheBelly Minute 5: Quick Intervals You snooze you... win? There’s been an increasingly common association between high performance athletes and sleep. Scientific literature shows the benefits of a good night’s rest on performance. You may have even heard that getting more sleep will prevent injury. Alex Huchinson examines “The Complicated Link Between Sleep and Injury,” questioning some of the conclusions that have been drawn from relevant studies. He warns that there has likely been a conflation between correlation / causation as authors and journalists have attempted to simplify and disseminate the information. Take a look at his article to bring some nuance back into the discussion. If you’re celebrating this 4/20 with the traditional festivities, your afternoon jog might feel a little sluggish. You’re not alone; “Working out with Weed” has grown in popularity, and 70% of cannabis users report it makes exercise more enjoyable, according to 1 survey. Enjoyment isn’t always the goal of exercise, though. Can weed help with motivation, performance, or recovery? Casey Johnston tells her experience trying to answer these questions in “I Got High to See if Weed Would Help Me Work Out.” Smart gym equipment has taken off, especially during the pandemic. With 9 in 10 Americans preferring to continue working out at home, there’s demand for a product that creates the motivational environment of a gym. Attending spin class virtually seems to get the job done, but Peloton’s formula has been expanded on with a growing variety of machines and online options. CNET puts them to the test in “The best smart home gym workouts of 2021. Minute 6: Daily Inspiration We were trying to put our own advice from Minute 1 into action today by injecting more speed into our daily run. We were feeling a little sluggish until somehow a scene from Talladega Nights popped into our very small brain. We’ve always loved the advice from Ricky Bobby’s girlfriend that “You need to grab a hold of that line between speed and chaos and you need to wrestle it to the ground like a demon cobra.” If that’s not enough to motivate you, the scene even includes a reference to Tawny Kitaen for those of you raised on ‘80s rock and MTV. For the full 2 minutes of motivation that would put Herb Brooks to shame, check out the clip below.

Minute 1: Runners and yoga Like flossing and writing thank you notes, yoga is something runners know they should practice, but don’t do often enough. Integrating just 1 weekly yoga session into your training regimen can help, as explained in this story: “Is It Worth Doing Yoga Once a Week?” Of course more weekly sessions are even better, but there’s not much excuse to avoid yoga, with videos like this readily available: “7-Minute Yoga for Runners.” Yoga and running, it turns out, go together like peas and carrots. Yoga can promote recovery and running efficiency while reducing the risk of injuries. “Yoga for runners: 7 stretches to release hips, glutes, quads and hamstrings” demonstrates yoga poses that benefit our lower halves. Standards like Downward Dog and Pyramid lengthen our spine and hamstrings. Revolved Chair stretches out your calf muscles. Pigeon can open up your hip joints and glutes, getting those important areas strong and flexible. Others, like Chair Pose, can help stretch your Achilles and shins. Of course you don’t need to do a full session to take advantage of these poses. You could work them into any post-run stretch like Butterfly and Half-Pigeon. Many standard stretches we already do are so similar to yoga poses that the combination of them with these suggested poses will only help. Namaste. #LegWork Minute 2: What happens to a runner when they donate blood A few numbers for you. Someone in the US needs blood every 2 seconds. 38% of the American population is eligible to donate healthy blood but only 2% actually donate blood. During the pandemic are badly needed and donations have helped in some unexpected ways. The Red Cross tests all donations for COVID-19 antibodies, and blood that tests positive for the coronavirus is actually welcomed by the Red Cross. It can be given to current coronavirus patients to help their recovery through convalescent plasma transfusions. So, that’s the good stuff about donating blood, but many athletes wonder what effect it will have on their performance. Fleet Feet answers that question in this new story: “Donating Blood as a Runner: What You Need to Know.” The story breaks down some of the basic things to know about how your body works to make red blood cells – 2.4 trillion of them in a single pint. When you take that single pint of blood away from a runner, it can cause a big decrease in peak aerobic power for 2 to 3 weeks after donation. Your body adapts quickly and begins plasma production to recover the lost blood volume, however that dilutes red blood cell concentration causing the feeling of fatigue and weakness in your body. If you’re a runner, there are things to take into consideration before donating, like recovery time, how you felt if you’ve donated previously and your health. Talk to a doctor before donating and consider donating in your offseason so as to reduce the effect a donation may have on your training. If you do donate, plan for a likely impact to your training and don’t go crazy as you recover the few weeks after. For more perspective, check out what Training Peaks has to say: “Donating blood is one of the single most important things you can do to help doctors. Here’s how you may need to adjust your training to do it.” The National Academy of Sports Medicine offers this analysis: “Donating Blood and Exercise: What Athletes Should Know.” #BloodWorkOut Minute 3: Ways to measure improvement other than time Runners obsess with time the way teenagers obsess with social media likes. They’re kinda missing the point sometimes. Of course races are ranked by finish time, not by running form or the underlying goodness of the competitors. Thanks to an explosion of GPS training devices and tracking apps, even our training runs are judged largely by speed. (Raise your hand if you’ve ever hesitated to upload a really slow training run to Strava?) We tend to gauge our improvement by relying upon whether our pace or total time has gotten faster. There are so many other ways to measure improvement, but sometimes we all need a reminder of what’s important. That’s why we liked this new story that encourages runners to listen for and respond to a range of physiological signals: “12 Ways to Tell You’re Getting Better at Running That Aren’t All About Your Time.” Non-speed-based metrics include increased mileage as we emerge from winter, increased strength on hill and easier recovery. Ever review the metrics your smartwatch is tracking? One of the biggest indicators of improvement and recovery is your heart rate. Heart rate training has been a popular approach given the access to modern technology. Staying in dedicated heart rate zones (and seeing if your pace has changed – can’t avoid that time metric entirely!) across your recovery runs is an interesting experiment and a great way to add more fuel to your personal training journey. #LetTimeStandStill Minute 4: Earth Day Earth Day is next week on April 22nd and the theme is “Restore the Earth” so it seems like an appropriate time to consider how running can positively impact the environment. Running and sustainability has been gaining a lot of traction in the past few years, hence new articles like this: “Best Eco-Friendly Fitness Products.” The list includes products like a shirt made with recycled fabrics, carbon neutral running shoes from Allbirds, yoga mats made from biodegradable naturally harvested tree rubber and even a massage roller that is made from natural cork. Allbirds isn’t the only shoe brand in the sustainability lane. Adidas, HOKA and Newton all made this list of “12 Best Sustainable Running Shoe Brands for 2021.” You can research your favorite brands for their sustainability practices (Patagonia is one of the most transparent), and you can make strides to turn your entire running practice into a mindful and sustainable approach. For more ideas on being a good steward of the trails, check out “The 10 Commandments of Trail Preservation” from Trail Runner. #ReduceReuseRecycleRerun Minute 5: Quick Intervals As we mentioned on Tuesday, we’re getting excited about the prospects of rejoining in-person races really soon. Minnesota is home to 2 large and well-regarded marathons, the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon and Grandma’s Marathon. In the land of 10,000 lakes, organizers across the state worked together for the last year to figure out the complexities of how to relaunch live races. It involved working with the biggest races and many of the smallest organized races, learning from one another and cooperation with the state to make the future real. Grandma’s and Medtronic will both have live runners this year. After you’ve tried some of the techniques to measure your improvements without a watch, you’ll still need that watch for other tactics. Learning how to pace yourself is one of the biggest individual challenges a runner faces. There’s an interesting debate that was the focus of a new article this week: “Pace on treadmill vs. outside: Which is better?” The story explores whether learning your pacing is better on a treadmill or on the roads, and the pros and cons of each. The surging stock price of Peloton means the company is now worth $35 billion. Not bad for a stationary bike company, you say. That’s true, but it’s also true that Peloton has become much more than a fitness equipment company with a huge digital content library and software infrastructure. They have attracted the attention of more than just 401k investors, and some think tech behemoth Apple is now trying to catch up with Peloton. This new story: “Fitness App Face-Off: Apple Fitness+ vs. Peloton” is a well-researched piece from Consumer Reports. Surprisingly, Apple gets higher rankings for quality of instructors while Peloton gets the nod for music engagement. Minute 6: Daily Inspiration During the depths of the pandemic last April in England, an unlikely hero emerged to inspire the country -- 100-year-old Captain Tom Moore. He was a WWII officer and had enjoyed an adventurous life that included racing motorcycles and running a successful business. To celebrate his 100th birthday, Captain Tom decided to raise money for frontline healthcare workers by walking 100 laps around his garden over 10 days. He reckoned that if things went well, he would raise £1,000 for the National Health Service. The plucky former tank instructor showed the younger generations how to really command social media attention, and by the time his birthday arrived, he had raised more than £30,000,000 for the NHS. Although Captain Tom passed away earlier this year, his family is hoping to inspire future generations by making the Captain Tom 100 an annual affair. Tom chose to walk around his garden 100 times, but many runners are planning to take part thanks to sponsorship by the London Marathon. Participation can be in any form you’d like as long as it’s based on the number 100 -- run for 100 minutes, run up 100 stairs, score 100 goals or bake 100 cookies. The fun engagement will run from April 30 - May 3. More info is here and the excellent video below featuring British stars ranging from Julie Andrews to David Beckham gives further motivation. As Tom liked to say: “Tomorrow will be a good day.”

By: Brian Metzler OK, so the running retail business has been a tough grind over the past year, but it’s also been flourishing from an online perspective. The collection of Charm City Run stores in Maryland built by Josh and Kara Levinson are one of the success stories of the past two decades among specialty run shops. They opened their first community-based shop in Timonium north of Baltimore in 2002 and saw it thrive based on good customer service and a friendly local vibe. They replicated that experience and opened new shops around the state with great success, earning national recognition as the Running Store of the Year in 2016. Amid the changes in the running industry prior last spring’s arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic, business was good but not without challenges. Charm City Run had recently closed one of its downtown Baltimore locations, but it was still doing well based on its other six thriving locations, an adjacent events business, and a tiny amount of online sales. When Covid-19 arrived last March, all of the stores had to close for more than two months. While the Levinsons were concerned, they did their best to adapt. Realizing they had to up their online game, they invested time, effort and resources into boosting sales from their own website. “Before you had to have an online site to represent the brand, but it wasn’t a real business,” Josh Levinson said this week. “We had been selling online for a while, but it wasn’t very good. The site didn’t look good and the interface wasn’t great. The pictures of shoes weren't the same size and we were only offering about 10 to 20 percent of our catalog. We were essentially doing zero business for a long time before we improved it.” Levinson said the convergence of the pandemic, better integration with sales software and new e-commerce tools all came together at the right moment. Offering more shoes, apparel and accessories via an “endless aisle” with a better user interface and Fitted technology has already shown marked success borne out in sales analytics. Before the stores re-opened late last spring, Charm City Run was able to publicize its updated online sales and an offer of home delivery within a 10-mile radius through social media and email newsletters. Even after partial re-opening with limited occupancy and Covid-19 health and safety precautions, it was already seeing an increase in business, Levinson said. The noticeable increase in recreational running was apparent, but so was the notion that the store was successfully getting its existing customers and other local consumers to shop online via Charm City Run. And that’s a testament to the community connections the stores and its staff had worked so hard to build for years. “There was a huge uptick,” Levinson said. “It was partly that we were offering more to our customers, but I think people really doubled down on local. Nobody wants to see a lot of local business go away, but it’s not easy to survive. Local stores aren’t just going to stay around. They need to be supported. I am proud of our employees and that we have persevered.” By the time the holidays rolled around, Charm City Run was so busy fulfilling online orders that it started to impact the ability to perform its daily business in the store. Levinson said there were many late nights in which he and his staff were fulfilling orders to make sure they could get shoes delivered (or shipped) the next day. “When we delivered a pair of shoes, we included a Charm City bumper sticker and a hand-written thank note to thank our customers for choosing to shop with us, Levinson said. “There was no ‘woe is me’ from us and no guilt trip about having to come shop at our stores. We knew everyone was suffering and challenged by Covid. All we did is say, ‘Thank you.’” By the end of the year, Charm City Run was still down about 14 percent overall — a rough year, for sure, considering the growth it had experienced in prior years — but it would have been down more than 20 percent without the boost in online sales, Levinson said. Overall, online business grew from 1 percent of Charm City’s revenue to about 8 percent, a dramatic boost that has continued to surge into 2021 even as the stores have finally fully reopened. Levinson estimates that business is up about 6 percent overall so far this year after a bleak, weather-impacted February and a very robust March. “Considering what we were thinking last March, we’re pretty happy to be where we are right now,” Levinson said. “I think Covid kind of forced a lot of things to happen, both in our business and among runners. We have a lot of people telling us, ‘I used to walk, I used to run, and now I’m finally back running.’ I am thrilled to see so many people out walking and running, kids, families, people walking dogs. It’s good to see the customer again and know people are out running.”

By: Brian Metzler It’s a hard time to make it in the running specialty retail world right now, especially when it comes to one-off, community-based brick-and-mortar stores. And, yes, even in a running hotbed like Boulder, Colorado. The Covid-19 pandemic has not only wreaked havoc on in-store operations and selling for the past year, but it also sped up consumers buying shoes and gear online. And let’s face it, running retail has been a tough game for several years with the proliferation of running gear sold on Amazon and every brand upping their direct-to-consumer operations. Amid some of those factors, Go Far, the small, upstart trail running and outdoor lifestyle shop started in 2017 by Kate King and Ken Sung, announced on April 13 it will be closing permanently on April 25. The beautifully designed 2,200-square-foot store situated a few blocks east of Boulder’s Pearl Street pedestrian mall has sold numerous brands of running shoes, a wide range of Smartwool products, and other apparel and accessories. It was one of the first dozen shops in the country to have a FitStation Powered by HP digital foot-scanning service to generate shoe recommendations and custom 3D printed insoles by Superfeet. More notably, King, who managed the store from the start, established it as a community-based shop with speaker nights, group runs, collaborations with Boulder-area artists and athletes, a coffee bar, a smartly curated collection of goods and a friendly local vibe. But, sadly, that still wasn’t enough to survive in today’s challenging retail landscape. “We at Go Far are endlessly grateful for this amazing community we have built and been a part of for these last three and a half perfect years,” King said in an email to customers on April 13. “We could not have done any of this without YOU. But for us, this chapter has unfortunately come to a close, and it's on to the next adventure. Thank you for the beautiful memories. May the adventure continue, and as always - GO FAR.” Like a lot of retail stores forced to close for several months last March because of the Covid-19 pandemic, Go Far lost a large amount of spring and summer revenue that it typically attracted from the uptick of Boulder tourism that was delayed because of the shutdown. The store reopened with occupancy restrictions, but it remained a vibrant retail store amid a tougher retail climate. When it had to close down last spring, it launched a “Be Boulder, Go Farther” virtual speaker series that featured mostly Boulder-based athletes, coaches, authors and health practitioners. While that popular series helped boost the store’s online sales, it also generated much-needed community vibe and raised money for Boulder’s Downtown Relief Fund to help displaced local workers. King and Sung met while working at the successful Gazelle Sports running stores in Michigan, where Sung had been a partner since the late 1980s and King had worked in several roles during and after college before moving to Boulder in 2013. They stayed in touch and eventually came up with the idea for Go Far. Boulder has gone through numerous running retail store changes since 2013, including the sale of Boulder Running Company to JackRabbit, the closure of Fleet Feet Boulder, the Newton Running retail shop Flatirons Running (now a Runner’s Roost store), and the opening of InMotion Running. “Anyone who owns a specialty store knows that this business is all about the community it creates and fosters,” King said last April in a news story about the virtual speaker series. “That’s what we believe has made this store special since we originally opened. This is a unique and challenging time for everyone, but we’ve always believed in our connection to the community.”

Minute 1: Rest or run the day before the race With every Pfizer and Moderna shot going into an arm, the likelihood of real in-person fall marathons and half marathons increases. As we begin to plot strategy and tactics in preparation for those races, an age old question has arisen once again: Is it better to rest completely on the eve of a race or get in a short training run? This new story explores the issue and offers some advice: “Should I Exercise the Day Before Running a Race?” Choosing to run the day before a race can help build confidence and sticking to your usual routine is a reminder of the preparation you’ve done. Your final training session is the time to feel the progress you’ve made. The article mentions the importance of keeping your muscles loose, and this can be accomplished by running at a relaxed pace for about 20 minutes the day before competition. An article from Podium Runner makes a strong case for the pre-race run in this piece: Debunking Three Popular Pre-Race Myths, noting that a pre-race warmup run will stimulate the central nervous system, enhancing race day performance. Getting even more granular, one study done in the UK looked at how pre-competition workouts for cyclists varied by time of day. The study measured the effects of a 30-minute workout the day before competition, performed at either 7am or 12pm. When a time trial was held the following morning at 7am, the cyclists who exercised at 7am the previous day finished quicker. The study offered 3 potential explanations: exercising earlier provided greater recovery time, early exposure to light influenced circadian rhythm and body temperature to better suit competition, and exercising at the same time as competition provided familiarization. #RunOrRest Minute 2: Easy additions to make meals healthier Restaurant visits for our family are down about 80% over the past year. That means lots of healthy home cooking, but also lots of routine. While an extra large bottle of Cholula on the counter can relieve most of our culinary boredom, we sometimes wonder if we are serving up the most nutritious meals to the adults and kids in our kitchen. Right on cue, Canadian Running just published “8 Ways Runners Can Make Their Meals Healthier.” We like their approach of taking everyday foods and upgrading them with some healthy additions. They suggest adding flaxseed to a bowl of oatmeal for a dose of omega-3s, which can help reduce inflammation according to some studies. Throw some berries into a cup of yogurt to ensure you’re getting plenty of antioxidants. Excessive exercise can be a precursor to oxidative stress, so it's important for runners to keep antioxidant rich foods in their diet. Fill your sandwich with arugula or other bitter leafy greens as a source of nitrates, which have been shown to improve running performance. While you’re at it, consider pairing your meals with a performance-oriented beer like Coors Pure, a new organic brew that is taking on Mich Ultra to become the choice of endurance athletes. Right now, the Colorado brewer has a special promotion going that will give runners a free 12-pack if you track your run and submit a screenshot of your course in the shape of a beer can. No, really. Details are here. #HealthyEating(AndDrinking) Minute 3: Get in the zone with mindful running When you’re miles deep into a run, hurting, nowhere near a flow state, and desperate to ignore your discomfort, you might welcome any random thought to distract from your current scene. Losing focus on your current task, however, can have a negative impact on your performance, compounding your problems. What’s the solution? Many experts say it’s mindfulness. Being present in the moment. This new piece, “How to Practice Mindfulness While Running,” lists some major improvements that can follow. Everything from making running more enjoyable, to improving performance, and even preventing injury. Mindfulness starts with the body -- turn your attention to the feeling of your feet striking the ground, or the air moving through your lungs. Immediately, you will be in a good position to make corrections in your running form and pace. Perhaps there’s a pain in your foot you’ve previously been ignoring. Being mindful can help you catch the early warning signs and determine if you’re putting yourself at risk. Turning your attention to the breath gives instant feedback on whether your effort is too high, low, or just right. Mindfulness can help escort you out of the pain locker and into the flow state. In one experiment, runners were tested before and after attending a mindfulness program, and researchers concluded that their study “showed benefits of practicing mindfulness on subjective (flow) and objective parameters (oxygen consumption) improving running performance.” #FlowingFreely Minute 4: How strides can bring you up to speed for race day An old school marathon training program of building an aerobic base for several weeks, then adding speed work for a few weeks and then “peaking,” is yesterday’s news according to coach Jay Johnson. He argues the best plans incorporate all of these elements simultaneously and recommends using lots of strides, explaining why you should “Do These Strides to Prepare for Your Next Marathon PR.” For years we were too embarrassed to ask our hard-core running friends how or why we should be doing strides. We wish we’d had Coach Johnson’s explanation or this video from coach Greg McMillan showing how it’s done. A stride is a type of workout in which you focus on perfect form while engaging your full range of motion and acclimating your body to higher speeds. The goal is to run for about 20 seconds per stride (about 100 meters), and you should be near your 5k race pace or even mile race pace toward the final seconds of each repetition. It’s often used as either a warmup, if you’re preparing to run at a fast pace, or a cooldown, if you’ve already done your main run for the day. If you’re worried that higher speed training early on could cause injury, Coach Johnson assures us that if done properly, strides are normally quite safe. By incorporating strides into your routine, you allow your body to adjust to the mechanics of faster movement. #StrideRight Minute 5: Quick Intervals Coffee helps us power through the workday, but new research shows there’s more to the ancient beverage than just its role as wakey juice. A new study gave participants caffeine powder 30 minutes prior to a workout, and found that they burned up to 29% more fat during exercise, compared to a control group. The researchers suggest caffeine promotes lipolysis, the process by which the body breaks fat down to be used as energy. Other explanations include an increased ability of muscle fiber engagement, or a reduction in perceived effort required when working out. Check out “Caffeine Before Exercise Could Lead to Increased Fat Burning” from Trail Running for more details. It has been an unpredictable year to say the least. If your running schedule suffered for it, you’re not alone. Lindsay Crouse documents her struggles as runner during the pandemic, where she went from setting PRs at age 35, to falling into a rut as the world shut down around her. To combat her downward momentum, Lindsay researched the science of motivation. She says that understanding the pitfalls of inactivity helped her discover “Why I Stopped Running During the Pandemic (and How I Started Again).” We don't want any beef with vegan athletes, as much as they don't want any beef, period. Luckily, we've got a new story that explains the viability of muscle growth on a vegan diet. A study provided 2 groups of athletes with a protein supplement: soy-based for the vegan group and whey-based for the omnivores. The participants completed a resistance training program twice a week, and at the end of the study, both groups showed similar levels of muscle growth. Provided you’re getting a sufficient amount of protein, plant based sources might be just fine for muscle development after all. In other words, “Yes, You Can Make Muscle With Plant Protein.” Whether you are a committed vegan or just interested in eating healthier, you may want to check out: “The 17 Best Protein Sources for Vegans and Vegetarians.” Minute 6: Daily Inspiration When you hear the words “action hero,” Bob Odenkirk probably doesn’t come to mind. The 58-year-old actor is mostly known for comedic roles, like the morally questionable lawyer Saul Goodman from Breaking Bad. When he stepped out of his comfort zone as the lead role in Nobody, he had to take on a serious training regimen in preparation. He begins his workouts with cardio, like cycling uphill for short but intense bursts. The core of his training is based around bodyweight exercise and circuits: 2 things that can be done wherever you are. He also practices screen fighting drills, somewhere between an exercise and choreography, so if you want to unlock your inner action hero, follow along with him. As you might imagine, it is a funny take on the subject, but Odenkirk also provides some practical advice for his audience.

Minute 1: Mobility, stability exercises are keys to improving running consistency Running is about pushing forward, always forward. If you happen upon somebody running backward, you’re probably at the wrong event. (Unless, of course, you are trying to set the world record for running a mile backwards like our SMM podcast guest, Aaron Yoder.) Running optimally, however, requires more than the simple act of putting one foot in front of the other. There is preparation and bodywork to be done. Mobility and stability are keys to performing well in long-distance running, and exercises linked to those specific areas can produce significant advances on the road, as described in this piece: “5 Hip Mobility Exercises for Your Post-Run Cooldown.” USA Track and Field certified coach Mackenzie Lobby stresses the difference between mobility and flexibility and why there are exercise variations to work on each. Improving hip mobility, according to research, is a positive for running economy and force production. The 8 examples in “Hip Strengthening and Mobility Exercises for Runners” will loosen hip flexors and add strength to the stabilizing muscles in that area. These moves are also important in avoiding injuries. Numerous studies, including one by the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, indicate that for pre-workout warm up, dynamic stretching -- moving joints and muscles through a full range of movement -- is superior to static stretching in which one muscle is elongated and held for several seconds. For more info on this, check out “The Benefits of Dynamic Stretching and How to Get Started.” #HipCheck Minute 2: Could intermittent fasting be right for you? Discipline, positive mood, and overall health are keys to success as an endurance athlete. Studies have shown that intermittent fasting (IF) can develop all 3. According to a new article from LIVESTRONG, controlling your food intake through IF, in addition to eating probiotics, could improve mental health. Other benefits include a reduction in inflammation, lower blood pressure, and a decrease in sugar cravings. How does one practice intermittent fasting? There are a variety of methods, so experiment with a few to find out what works for you. The core principle is that you partition the day (or week) into 2 windows; time when you can eat, and time when you cannot. A popular option is the 16:8 pattern, meaning you fast for 16 hours of the day, and eat during the remaining 8. Intermittent fasting can improve your health, but can it improve running performance? Nutrition expert Stacy Sims suggests a moderate approach for athletes in this piece: “Should Runners Be Intermittent Fasting?” She cautions that fasted state training can work well, but only if you provide your body with enough energy to support it. The danger comes when “you don’t have enough calories to support your resting metabolic rate, and you don’t have enough calories to support your immune system, your endocrine system.” Spartan Race has developed some good research and content over the past 5 years, and they caution endurance athletes on the limitations of IF in: “Top 10 Things Athletes Should Know About Intermittent Fasting.” #IWannaGoFast Minute 3: Are you a morning person? Don’t yawn. Don’t complain about the weather. Don’t repeatedly hit “snooze” on that cellphone. Get up and go. That’s not just your dad or your conscience talking, most of the world class runners and coaches we have interviewed for our Six Minute Mile podcast tell us that they are morning runners. While that is largely a personal preference, there is lots of scientific research suggesting that early a.m. workouts generate the best physical and emotional benefits. For insight on the subject, check out “The Benefits of Running in the Morning” or “Is It Better to Go Running in the Morning?” There are a couple of reasons why sunrise is the best time to lace up and hit the road. They include a jolt of energy that carries forward into your work day, training your body to burn fat not carbs, and curing a hangover. Getting your workout in first thing also means that the demands of work and family won’t interfere with your plans for a lunch or evening run. And here’s a big plus related to sleep -- studies show that individuals working out at 7 a.m. spend more time in deep sleep at night than those who work out in the afternoon or evening. Deep sleep, as we all know, is one of the top 2 bedroom activities recommended for endurance athletes. If you’re “just not a morning person,” remember that on average it takes about 2 months for a new routine to become a habit. It may take some time to convert. Now to flip the script -- some people truly despise mornings. We get that. To help assuage your guilt, remember that there are advantages to evening runs. Studies say your body is ready for harder work at a later hour, and the 9-to-5 workday makes it easier to organize group runs. #AlarmingNews Minute 4: Double your fun If you’re having fun running or biking or hiking, could you double your fun if you talk your partner into joining the party? That could either double the strength of your relationship or cut it in half. Before you and your significant other start throwing running shoes at each other, tag along for the ride with someone with experience: Hayley Helms. Check out her take on why “My Partner Won’t Run With Me: Learn From My Mistakes.” That story got us musing about some famous running couples, like Sara & Ryan Hall, Kara & Adam Goucher, and Jenny & Scott Jurek. Ryan is retired from running competition and can now deadlift more than 500 pounds as he focuses on weight training. He is also lifting the career of his wife, Sara, by serving as her coach. “You want your coach to know everything about you. How you sleep, how you eat, what makes you tick,” Sara told Runner’s World in an excellent new story on the fast couple. #CouplesTherapy Minute 5: Quick Intervals Mad about Covid? Mad about spring arriving late? Mad about life? It’s time to kick some butt. But make it your own posterior, not that guy who cut you off in traffic. Our suggestion is to try the butt-kick exercise (sometimes known as donkey kicks). Exercise experts say the exercise serves as a great warmup to running and also works as a cardio boost. And it builds endurance and strengthens glutes and hamstrings. And it can release some frustration. Kick it. Here’s some guidance. Running, working out and miscellaneous other physical pursuits often rock along more smoothly when accompanied by music. To each his or her own in that department, although logging a couple of miles with Lawrence Welk in the earbuds might be stretching the concept. Better choices might be Beyonce, Lorde, Carly Rae Jepsen and Eminem – all represented in Men’s Health’s ranking of the best workout songs. And, of course, “Eye of the Tiger” is in there. There’s even a Spotify list. It’s not a source we normally turn to for running gear advice, but we have to say that we agree with many of the picks on Newsweek’s new list of “The Best Running Gear of 2021 so Far.” You may want to pair that story with Fleet Feet’s “Best Running Clothes 2021” or Outside’s “Ask A Gear Guru: What Should I Wear For Spring Running?” For those who haven’t had a chance to subscribe to Six Minute Mile Professional, we’ve got good news. No more FOMO. New subscribers will have full access to all of the SMM Pro content we’ve published since launch. That's a MENSA-sized boost in endurance sports IQ from our Brian Metzler features, M&A analysis, venture capital insights and stock market breakdown of fitness-related companies. You will also find recently-listed dream jobs for major outdoor brands, and much more. Don’t be the last athlete on your block (or your company) to sign up for Six Minute Mile Pro! Minute 6: Daily Inspiration Accurate recording of the mile run began in 1850, during the advent of precisely measured racing tracks. During that period, the best male runners in the world posted times around 4:30, with a steady decline every couple years. It wasn’t until about a century later that the fabled 4 minute barrier was broken for the first time by Roger Bannister of the United Kingdom, leading the way for other athletes to follow in his footsteps. Fast forward another 50 years to 1999, when the current world record holder, Hicham El Guerrouj of Morocco, set a time of 3:43.13. His legendary race is one of the greatest achievements in middle distance running history. El Guerrouj wasted no time, jostling to front of the pack within the first lap and chasing down the pacemakers. Noah Ngeny of Kenya was the only other competitor to pull away from the pack and run alongside El Guerroouj for most of the race. The event commentators noted the significance of what occured: World record attempts usually feature the lead runner pulling far ahead of all others. Instead, this race was competitive to the very end, as Ngeny chased Guerrouj down until the last few meters of the race. Had it not been for Guerrouj, Ngeny would have broken the world record himself that day, but Guerrouj held his lead and crossed the line first. His record remains unbroken almost 22 years later. Watch history get made in the short video below.

Events morphing to innovative, in-person races at multiple locations over multiple days By: Brian Metzler The Bolder Boulder 10K has long been one of America’s iconic road races with a sense of inclusivity for elite runners, weekend warriors, joggers and walkers. For years, more than 50,000 people flocked to Boulder to run the Memorial Day race known for its stadium finish at the University of Colorado. This year, because of the lingering concerns about Covid-19, it hopes to offer the same kind of running buzz as an in-person race at six remote locations in Front Range communities north and south of Denver from May 29-31. Last year, the Bolder Boulder postponed its annual Memorial Day 10K and later hoped to combine it with its Fortitude 10K in Fort Collins on Labor Day Weekend, only to postpone that race, too. It did manage to gain a few thousand participants for its virtual races and converted its Colder Boulder 5K into a fun 12 Days of Colder Boulder virtual event in December. But as Bolder Boulder race director Cliff Bosley says, this business is all about the sense of community of showing up at an event and running together. After organizing another small virtual event with a Valentine’s Day theme in February, Bosley and his team started pursuing the idea of hosting this year’s Bolder Boulder as an in-person event at numerous venues. With a tip of the cap to the organizers of the Richmond Marathon and Monument Avenue 10K in Virginia, the innovative “Bolder on the Run” concept was born. “We were one foot in and one foot out and didn’t know if we were going to be able to run in-person in May or not,” Bosley said. “So ‘Bolder on the Run’ was an idea that suddenly made sense. If people couldn’t come to Boulder, we could bring the Bolder Boulder to them. It’s interesting to think a lot differently, but we’re glad to be here still and still involved in encouraging runners.” Bosley is quick to credit the concept and efforts of Megan Silva Schultz and Meghan Keogh of the Virginia-based Sports Backers, a non-profit sports commission that organizes numerous running and cycling events. The Sports Backers held the Covid-postponed Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10K last September at four locations over three days. The event wasn’t timed, but it drew 3,500 runners and validated its hybrid in-person racing concept. That led to the VCU Richmond Marathon, Half Marathon and 8K being held as Covid-modified in-person races on marked, measured and timed courses over 16 days between Nov. 7-22. About 2,750 runners participated — well short of the 19,000 or so those races normally attract — but Keogh says providing an opportunity for runners to train for an event was part of the motive for the hybrid races. “Last summer, we were trying to figure out ways to do things, as opposed to just going virtual,” says Keogh, director of events for Sports Backers. “Our most important thing is the safety of our community and our people and our participants. But we wanted to find ways for people to get out. We know how important physical activity is for people’s mental health, even more so than their physical health, during these trying times.” Everyone in the running industry is hoping that running returns to normal by the fall, but so far it’s still mostly at a standstill. The Gate River Run successfully held its 15K and 5K events with about 7,000 runners on March 20 in Jacksonville, Fla., but that’s been the only sizable running race in the U.S. since the LA Marathon drew 20,000-plus in March 2021. With other big spring races like the Lilac Bloomsday 12K and Bay to Breakers going virtual and the Cherry Blossom 10-miler, Carlsbad 5000, and the LA Marathon pushed later on the calendar, the Bolder Boulder 10K has the potential to be the next big race that takes place as an in-person event — even though it will likely happen with far fewer than the 50,000-plus it has averaged for the past 15 years and it doesn’t yet have a title sponsor. Each of the Bolder Boulder venues will offer marked, measured and timed courses that will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. When runners register at bolderboulder.com, they have to choose their preferred location and a two-hour time slot for their run. The race entry fee is $49 and includes a cotton T-shirt and bandana but both can be donated to support one of the Bolder Boulder’s overseas military base runs. Bosley doesn’t yet have any indication of how many runners will sign up for the Bolder on the Run, but he said having six venues over three days and seven two-hour time blocks will give plenty of flexibility. The race has put participant caps on their event that is equal to 50 percent of the Covid precautionary guidelines for each venue, he said. “I’m excited about it. It’s kind of a transition year, like a walk before you get to run kind of year,” Bosley says. “For us, it’s really all about just wanting to get back to the fun and community of in-person running. That’s what this business is all about.” In a similar format, the Kentucky Derby Festival will hold its marathon on April 24 and its half marathon on April 22-25 as in-person races in Louisville, Kent., for about 6,500 total runners on timed courses with self-serve water stations via 25-runner starting groups between 6:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. each day. Meanwhile, the 2021 Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10K, which is typically held in late March, will be held as an in-person race on two chip-timed courses in Richmond over four days between June 3-6. Adult registration fees will range from $30 to $50 on a sliding scale based on the date of registration. “We’re very hopeful that once we can get back out there we’ll see an increase in participation,” Keogh said. “But I think it’s also given us an opportunity to rethink how we do things. We were kind of forced to change things and now we’ve implemented some new ways of doing things that might stay even if we do go back to in-person racing experiences.”

Minute 1: Steel yourself for success With a naive sense of optimism, we drove over to Harvard Stadium last Wednesday at 6:00 am for a November Project workout that includes running up and down 37 sections of stairs. Unfortunately, the website hadn’t been updated in a while, so when we arrived, the gates were locked. As with most pandemic disappointments, we improvised and followed a couple of athletes who were running up and down an outdoor flight of stairs on an adjoining building. We returned home tired and happy, only to discover a new article explaining how we could have gotten more out of our workout. Writing for GearJunkie, running coach Cory Smith details how “This ‘Legs of Steel’ Workout Will Make You a Faster Downhill Runner.” His main point is that most of us consider the upward part of a hill workout to be the meat and potatoes, with the downhill portion used to cleanse our palate and catch our breath. Smith suggests that we flip that routine and run easy uphill and hard downhill. Done safely, this should strengthen your legs without damaging your knees. Having completed a shortened version of this workout recently, we can report that you'll feel impact on the balls of your feet, your quads, and your calves as you power down the hill. Don't fear the speed as gravity pulls you down at the same time you intentionally sprint hard. After some practice, while everyone else is pulling back on the downhill, you'll be using gravity and your newfound skills to pass the competition. This advice arrives in plenty of time for your Boston training. Veterans understand that course creates just as much heartbreak on the downhills as on the famous uphills through Newton. #RunsOfSteel Minute 2: What is the future of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon series? The Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon series played a major role in the running boom of the 2000s. They took an event length known for stoic suffering and injected live music, colorful graphics and a flair for media. Since its heyday, the Rock ‘n’ Roll series has been through a few twists and turns, but is offering a robust calendar. Last week, Brian Metzler provided an in-depth update on the series in our Six Minute Mile Professional Edition. Against our CFO’s advice, we are sharing his full article gratis as a way to showcase some of the additional content you’ll find at SMM Pro. Rock ‘n’ Roll Series rebrands, retools with 17 events beginning in September By: Brian Metzler In case you missed it, Rock ‘n’ Roll show is heading back to the main stage of an international tour. In an announcement on March 25, Elizabeth O’Brien, Managing Director of North America for The Ironman Group, unveiled the new look, locations and vibe of the freshly renamed Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series. The series that has been known for lavish finisher medals and infusing live music and entertainment into recreational running races since 1998 will be decidedly different going forward. Story Continues. Minute 3: Running with our best friends One of the very best parts of being home for the past year has been getting to spend more time with furry family members. Maybe it's a pet curled up at your feet while you're working, a cat perched above your keyboard, or those behind-the-ear scratches you dole out in the middle of the day. During the past year, pet adoption numbers have skyrocketed, with shelters and rescue shelters trying to meet the demand of placing pets in new homes. It's a beautiful problem that so many families want to welcome new forever friends to their home. Many of us are lucky enough to have a dog that's a loyal running buddy, which some have taken to calling "canicross." Whether you're a seasoned pro, or one of the new pet owners, there are good and bad ways to run with our friends as outlined in this new story: “Here are some tips and tricks for canicross.” Some of the tips included in this piece are making sure your dog is at least a year old, using a chest harness instead of a collar, and protecting paws by selecting safe running surfaces. Training is an important part of the process, so make the efforts to help your dog understand how to run instead of drag you down the sidewalk at a full sprint. Best of all, enjoy the wonderful happy sight of a dog with its tongue hanging out and tail wagging. #PetProjects Minute 4: Should you skip the post-run brunch? Spring has arrived, restaurants are re-opening, and you may have switched out that post-run banana for an all-you-can eat buffet. Don’t feel guilty -- research has shown that brunches and active lifestyles can co-exist. In one study, runners were split into 3 categories: those who ate a large breakfast without exercise, those who ate breakfast and then ran, and those who ran and then ate. The “breakfast-after-exercise group had almost no increase in weight despite eating a daily diet that was both high in calories and fat.” So if you put in the work with an early run, go ahead and reward yourself with brunch. If you’re searching for inspiration, check out “The definitive ranking of post-run brunch items” from Canadian Running. Bacon, eggs, and hashbrowns, they write, just might be the perfect trio, given their balance of macronutrients. Plenty of protein to help build muscle, but enough carbs and fat to fuel you for the rest of the day, and tomorrow’s run as well. As for recovery fluids at brunch, instead of OJ, consider “Reasons to Drink Tomato Juice After Physical Activity.” Does that mean a Bloody Mary is good for you? Asking for a friend. #OneOfEach Minute 5: Quick Intervals One of the most popular links we’ve shared over the past few months has been to this lifespan calculator provided by a major insurance company. By answering a few targeted questions, they can tell you how long you are likely to live. Go ahead and take the test, and then read this new article from LIVESTRONG to add a few years to your predicted life span: “4 Habits This Octogenarian Aging Expert Does Every Day for Longevity” We like his approach that emphasizes happiness over measuring foods gram by gram. Our guess is that large running events may return a little more slowly in New York, Michigan, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. That’s because they were among the 5 states that have accounted for nearly half of all new Coronavirus infections according to Johns Hopkins University. The 5th state, Florida, is already open for business (for better or worse) so racing is likely to return there in earnest more quickly. Meanwhile, overall Covid deaths have declined to dramatically lower levels according to the CDC, while the number of new infections remains largely unchanged, reflecting vaccine effectiveness among older Americans and younger folks avoiding serious illness (typically) even if infected. A provocative new study has concluded that most of us shouldn’t imitate elite athletes, since our training goals are likely to be so different. In this new piece, “Why You Shouldn't Train Like a Pro,” a Dutch study is cited that shows remarkable improvement can be made in strength training on just 20 minutes per week. As you might imagine, your progress will plateau with this approach, but the principle underscores the idea that your training should match your overall goals. Unless you’re trying to become the next Kipchoge, you probably shouldn’t follow his plan. Minute 6: Daily Inspiration Jason Cohen stepped on a scale 10 years ago and watched the number climb to 297 lbs; just 3 lbs shy of its max range. He decided to make a lifestyle change and began his weight loss journey with modest bike rides around his neighborhood. After a few years of cycling and a plant-based diet, Cohen began a light jogging routine. Early into his progress, however, he set his sights on the Leadville race series, which hosts events ranging from 10Ks all the way up to the iconic Leadville 100 ultramarathon. As Jason lost pounds, he upped the miles, eventually competing in the Leadville half marathon. Crossing that finish line opened his mind to the possibilities of how far he could go with running, so he surrounded himself with a team of supporters and began training for the Leadville 100. Trail Runner provides an excellent overview of Cohen’s story and the film “Heavy as Lead” chronicles Jason’s path to completing the full Leadville 100. If you need a little “quitting is not an option” inspiration today, check out the film at the link below.