It’s very rarely ONE thing that leads to running injury. It’s usually a combination of an increase in training stress (volume, intensity, frequency, terrain etc) AND a decrease in recovery/capacity (less sleep, more work/life stress, fewer calories, travel, inconsistent training etc) 1/

If you’re a runner who gravitates toward the 1500, 5k, 10k, or half marathon, please don’t feel the need to switch to the marathon because of external pressures. The marathon gets all the love, but there are many great distances to race. 1/

Another Shamrock Shuffle 8k in the books 🍀 Very happy with this one, haven’t run this fast for 8k since I was a college runner 10 years ago 😳 I’ve been doing a lot of sub-threshold work this winter, and it seems to be paying off. Always a fun event, congrats to everyone else who ran today 👍

Initial onset of a running injury is a tough realization. But it’s important to realize that you can’t go back in time. You need to accept the situation and address it quickly. Ignoring it can turn a minor issue into a larger problem that derails an entire season. 1/

Runner math: “I’m 24 mins from home. I want to run 70 mins. That means I have 46 mins left. 46/2=23. 23+24 is 47, so that’s when I turn around” And unfortunately, you’ll almost always mess it up and run way longer/shorter than you planned.

If you’re running a fall marathon, your base mileage should be building! At this point, you should be able to run consistently for a few days a week. By spring, I like to have my clients running at least an hour for 1-2 key weekday runs, and the long run progressing anywhere from 8-12 miles. 1/

Most running injuries don’t need complete rest from running. A relative decrease in intensity and volume during rehab is usually the best approach so we can avoid the injury. This includes slower and easier runs at a pace that doesn’t increase pain from baseline. 1/

When running injury risk factors are studied, training volume/intensity consistently outweigh everything else. We can’t strength train, foam roll, or stretch our way out of injury risk IF training load exceeds what we can sustain. Optimize training load first, then focus on everything else.

Replaced my old Saucony Endorphin elites w/ the Endorphin Elite 2. These shoes are unlike any shoe I’ve ever worn. They feel GREAT at faster speeds, but they feel unstable/wobbly below at easy pace or around corners. 1/

Another one of my favorite workouts for a half marathon cycle: 5x2km repeats. Pace today was ~threshold (LT2) with 2 min standing/walking rest. This workout helps improve endurance and build volume around LT2 pace, which drives significant aerobic and musculoskeletal adaptations. 1/

When rehabbing a running injury, function and workload often improves before pain. For example: Week 1: Runs are 5km, and pain is 2-3/10 after running. Week 4: Runs are 10km, and pain is 2-3/10 after running. Significant progress has been made, but it can be hard to “feel” sometimes.

Training specificity is important to prepare for the demands of competition. If your race is hilly, train some hills. If your race is on rugged terrain, do some rugged trail runs. If your race shoe has 8mm drop, include an 8mm drop shoe in training. 1/

I’ve been running with a Stryd pod for about 6 weeks now, and it’s a great piece of technology. But I think it’s important to calibrate it for each pair of shoes. I have a measured 1000m loop I use for calibration. With the stock settings, I got the following readings from Stryd👇

The start of daylight savings time is tough for morning runners. Back to the darkness for a while 🌙

I think that a sneaky challenging part of the marathon is 10k to halfway. It’s not exhausing yet, but mentally it’s a grind when you’ve been running for 6-8 miles, and you know you still have 18-20 to go. 18-26 miles still hurts the most, and is mentally grueling if you’re hitting the wall.

If you got in to the New York Marathon, congrats! If you haven’t been running, it’s time to start increasing that mileage! The marathon is a big event that demands consistency for many months. 👇

One of the hardest parts of consistent running is just getting out the door.

There are 2 different types of shin splints: Medial and lateral. Both are common runners, but the causes differ and so does treatment 👇🧵

Forefoot striking is not “better” than heel striking, it’s just different. Here’s an interesting paper in line with previous work about footstrike and injuries 👇 In this cohort, forefoot strikers had a higher rate of achilles and medial shin injuries. 1/ pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40012007/

One issue you might find w/ running “fitness” algorithms, is they struggle to measure fitness after it’s been realized. For example, 2 identical workouts a few months apart: Workout 1: 10.2 miles, Avg HR 156bpm, Avg pace 7:09/mile Workout 2: 10.5 miles, Avg HR 140bpm, Avg pace 6:51/ mile. 1/

The riskiest part of returning from a running injury is right when it starts to feel “normal” again. After taking a break from higher intensity running, we’re generally eager to hop right back in to our interval workouts.

Raced a 4 miler today and my HR got up to 191…I’ve still got it (sometimes) 💪🏃 The “Norwegian singles approach” has been working well for me so far this year. PR’d in this particular race, and training is feeling good. Here’s a sample week that I’ve adapted for my schedule 👇

When returning to interval running after an injury, we don’t just jump right in. Typically we’d try Z3 or threshold segments first. Here’s an example progression after getting back to easy running 👇 1/

Finding running pace “zones” is an ongoing process. Initially, a zone that feels easy may result in a heart rate higher than we’d typically recommend. This is okay, and it HR will come down in this “zone” with consistent running. 1/

Days like today will put your love for winter training to the test. Wind chills down to -14F/-25C 🥶 But I’ll stand by it, I’ll take this over peak summer heat. Just need the right gear, and winter running is no problem.

Interesting new paper on running biomechanics and injury: In this cohort of 674 military cadets, there was no association between biomechanical variables measured by a footpod and injury rate. 1/ pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39944772/

After sliding around on the snow the last few runs, I decided to try something out. I made a manual snowplow I can drag around the neighborhood. With some modification I think I could drag it behind a bike and cover a longer route. Took about $10 in materials to make, would recommend 👇

What should a threshold/LT2 workout feel like? Not too hard—at first. It’s similar to racing a half marathon or 10K. The first 1–2 miles of a half or 10K shouldn’t feel too hard since you have a long way to go. By the end, it should feel like the middle third of a race—tough but not all-out. 1/

It’s common to feel off during a running taper. Aches, pains, and stiffness are all common during the “taper flu.” I’ve had many talks with runners who considered abandoning their race goals because of how they felt—but then they PR a few days later. Stay calm and trust your training!

One of my favorite running workouts: Unlimited Threshold Repeats: It starts with 2k repeats at ~LT2 w/ 1 min rest until the efforts feel more strenuous or HR goes above usual LT2 HR. Then, we shift to 1k repeats. When those become strenuous, you can drop to 400-800m. 1/

I often get asked, ‘I’m running more, but how do I make my easy runs faster?’ The answer: patience and consistency. You’ll usually handle more volume before your pace gets faster. Easy pace improves gradually, so try to track progress quarterly or biannually rather than weekly.

"As to methods, there may be a million and then some, but principles are few." — Harrington Emerson While new running training methods emerge every year, the core principles remain constant. Each new method typically shares the same ingredients, just with altered proportions or a new name. 🧐

Picked up a pair of Adidas Adizero Evo SL last night to see what the hype was about. My initial impressions: This is a very versatile shoe. The foam is bouncy/responsive like you’d see on a plated shoe, but there is no carbon plate. 1/

A tricky issue for athletes/parents who are new to cross-country is the consistency required to perform well. In some sports, you can take a few months off and get back fairly quickly with a few weeks to “knock off the rust”. Usually lack of conditioning is the biggest barrier initially. 1/

I’ve seen this described in swimming, but I think it applies to running too. 95% effort will often be just as fast or faster than 100% effort on sprints. Sometimes when trying to go all-out we don’t run as loose/free, focusing more on leg turnover instead of velocity. 1/

Whether you are training for the 800m or a 50 mile ultra, hill repeats are a great workout for running performance. They can be used for: - Speed/power - Strength/mechanical efficiency - Lactate buffering/“Speed” endurance - Aerobic development 👇

Perhaps the worst type of running weather 👇 It’s definitely my least favorite😔

Variability in running is a practice I try to implement with new runners to keep them more adaptable: - Variability in running surfaces - Variablity in running shoes - Variability in running pace - Variability in elevation

If you are a runner with young kids and feel like you’re constantly battling illness, you’re not alone. I work with runners in many different life stages, and a group that gets hit especially hard with illness and schedule disruption are parents with young children.

A rough stomach bug took me out for a few days this week. I don’t recommend jumping right back into full running training after time off due to illness. Heres how I’ll start back up after a few days off 👇

When racing a distance event, the shorter the race, the longer your steady state warm up should be. A marathon requires less than a 5k.

I’m still pretty new to this app, looking to connect with #runners running coaches, and medical professionals to treat runners. If that’s you, let me know so I can follow 👍

When getting into running, play the long game. It can feel discouraging at first. “Easy” runs feel hard when you’re just getting into it. Using methods like walk/run, and adding some easy cycling can help.

Running on a hard vs. soft surface isn’t as simple as soft=good and hard=bad A 🧵👇

Running involves many risk/reward decisions 👇 - Today it’s -1F with -17 wind chills - I have a mild case of turf toe at the moment - If I run outside it likely won’t be a quality run - If I run inside it might be good, but might make the toe worse All signs point to the bike for a day or 2 🚴

My winter of experimenting with sub-threshold continues. I’ve been completing 3 workouts per week with threshold or sub-threshold intervals vs. 1-2 workouts of higher intensity.

Weightlifting for runners can vary depending on their goals. Runners who want more all-around fitness will benefit from a more comprehensive program that requires a larger time commitment. This program is typically more well rounded and less running-specific.

Increasing training volume doesn’t necessarily mean increasing peak mileage. It often means increasing the volume of your shortest weeks, or “raising your floor”. Filling in these gaps increases overall volume over a season vs. only increasing peak mileage

Your body is not a machine where parts like your knees simply “wear out” You are a living organism, with tissues that have the capability to adapt and respond the stresses placed on them.

I wouldn’t label carbon plated shoes as “bad” or “good” overall. They decrease force required from the plantarflexors and foot muscles, and they also change running biomechanics. Racing in modern supershoes is way easier on the feet than racing shoes from the early 2000s.