Endurance Planet

Sponsor: Head to the EP Shop page where you can find products and services we’ve tested and come to love, and when you shop through us you not only support the show but you can have the peace of mind that we’ve done the work to find the best of the best out there for health-minded high-performing athletes. Like Sound Probiotics – EP fans save 10% and get free shipping. Sound Probiotics is the first pure probiotic plus prebiotic formulated specifically to improve the gut health and immunity of the competitive athlete. You simply can’t afford to be sidelined by illness or GI issues, and Sounds Probiotics has your back. Also on our shop page are the gold-standard supplements by Thorne Research. Whether for performance, improving or enhancing health, or all of the above, Thorne Research will have a formula that fits your needs and it’ll be backed by clinical research and 100% quality. For athletes we like everything ranging from Glutamine and Mervia, a powerful all natural anti-inflammatory, to multivitamins, B vitamins and digestive enzymes. Meagan says: Motivation Thoughts First of all, big fan of the podcast. I was listening to a couple of the recent episodes and the topic of motivation came up. I have been thinking about this a lot recently because one of my friends made a resolution to run a half marathon in May and has asked me for a lot of tips because I’ve been running (mostly for fun but a few marathons) for a long time. The main thing she struggles with, as far as I can tell, is motivation. At this point, she’s about 50/50 for completing her long run for the week. Not because she thinks the distances are too long for her current level of fitness, but because she has trouble motivating herself to get out of the door. As you can imagine, as your typical type A runner, I find this to be extremely frustrating and hard to understand, as I’ve never experienced this problem myself. Why would set yourself this goal when it seems like you don’t really like running?? Then I came across a book written by Gretchen Rubin called The Four Tendencies. In it she explains there are 2 types of expectations: internal (the ones you put on yourself) and external (the ones other people put on you). There are 4 combinations of ways you can meet or not meet those 2 types of expectations. Upholders have no problem meeting both internal and external expectations. If someone tells them to wake up and run 18 miles one day, they do it just as consistently as if they just decided to do that themselves. Questioners meet internal expectations but only meet external expectations if they’re consistent with internal expectations. Obligers can’t meet internal expectations but they do meet external expectations. And rebels have trouble meeting either type of expectation. My friend is a classic obliger. And after I finished reading about what motivates an obliger, I recognized similarities between her and my aunt, who is an Ironman triathlete. Obligers do best when they have some sort of training group (external expectation) that keeps them accountable to their goals. My aunt has ALWAYS trained as part of a group (whereas I’m more of a solo runner), and it has worked really well for her. I suggested to my friend that she join a running group at least for her long runs and she has been much more consistent with them since then. Of course, a tendency doesn’t explain away plain laziness (that, I absolutely have no sympathy for), but I think understanding someone’s tendency makes understanding how they’ll react to something like a goal or a resolution or even a training plan much easier. Anyway, I found reading about all of this stuff really interesting and thought as coaches you might find it valuable. Gretchen Rubin has a (free) quiz that you can take to find out your tendency if you’re interested. She has also been on a number of podcasts (the one I found most helpful was probably Rich Roll’s interview) https://quiz.gretchenrubin.com/ Mark asks: MAF Regression Hello again – I thought I’d follow up on this question I asked last year because it’s not going well and I can’t put my finger on it. So I scrapped my HM training plan in late July of last year and started doing all my runs below my MAF HR of 144. At the beginning, my average easy run paces were in the 10 min/mi range, but Sept/Oct they were around 11, then by Nov/Dec around 12, and now I’m into January and it’s almost around 13 min/mi because I’m having to do a lot of run/walk. I’m running a lot fewer miles each week then I was in the summer for several reasons, but mainly because it’s such a bummer to slog around that slow. What I can’t understand is that during this time, not really much of my life situations have changed – other than now it’s winter and I live in Fargo (so it’s really cold and snowy). Otherwise, my nutrit

Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by BodyHealth, the makers of PerfectAmino, an athlete’s secret weapon featuring eight essential amino acids in the exact ratios needed to ensure proper protein synthesis in the body. PerfectAmino has been tested and approved for in-competition athletes and professional sports; and all of us over at EP have used in our athletic careers. We are joined by Brad Kearns, host of the Get Over Yourself podcast, professional speedgolfer, co-author to the Primal Endurance and Keto Reset Diet with Mark Sisson, and a dude with a great sense of humor! Brad’s 2016 appearance on Endurance Planet, talking about his days as a pro triathlete and lessons learned. Behind Brad’s new podcast titled “Get Over Yourself” and why he chose this name and the theme. Misdirected competitive intensity. Mindset: What gets you going each morning? Kona dreams that didn’t happen. Speedgolf – Brad explains how it works, its similarities with biathlon, how it takes you out of your head, the creativity of it, and the anaerobic nature of the game. Keeping it fun and keeping yourself from getting too wrapped up in outcomes and results, especially after you’ve had a taste of victory and winning performances. Brad’s philosophy of maintaining a competitive intensity throughout life as a component of longevity. Our potential to get unhealthfully obsessed with data and results in their racing and how to redirect that intensity. Brad gives advice on how to keep yourself from letting this be an unhealthy obsession, and how to keep it real & fun instead. Leave your race on the course. When it’s done, file it away somewhere “not so important.” Brad’s DQ in Tahoe – a victory that was taken away, and moving past that. The experience was still rich! Tawnee’s IM Tahoe DNF but how the memories are still rich. Brad’s tendency to be overly positive at the price of not facing struggles head on. You don’t always have to be a positive spin, and too much of that can be unhealthy for you too! Deepak Chorpa said that being overly positive is a form of stress in itself. Tawnee talks more on meditation and the ability to see your thoughts and feelings without attaching to them. Book: Way of the Peaceful Warrior Tawnee on the “myth” of letting go, and what is truly meant by letting go. By meditating we teach ourselves not to react as intensely or attach ourselves to what comes to mind, be it thoughts or emotions. Reading in between the lines on what we record in our training logs. Do you make excuses? What do you share, and what that means? The problem with our “no pain no gain” society. Brad’s MAF training for speedgolf, which is an anaerobic sport. High stress training – we do it too frequently, check yourself before you burn out! Using races as speed workouts, which Maffetone promotes. The genetic component – you still have to push yourself every once in a while, not just in racing. But be patient and make recovery a priority. Don’t feel bad if you’re not “fast” yet aerobically (e.g. MAF pace), it just means you haven’t properly conditioned that component of your fitness; however, don’t make the mistake of trying to “hack it” by pushing more intensity. That isn’t the answer. Brad is in his early 50s, and used 142-145 HR for his MAF at first but that was too high and he noticed it was overtraining territory to keep that up so he switched to 130 or so. A lot of development happens at lower heart rates, even below MAF. Walking!! Going on a walk has value, and can contribute to your bigger fitness goals in making you a faster, healthier athlete. Brad’s testosterone (T) was tanked in his younger triathlon days (200-300 or so), but now as a master’s athlete with appropriate training stress and healthy diet/lifestyle, his testosterone has rebounded and is up to 1,000 serum levels. And of course, he’s adamant about keeping it ALL natural, he won’t even take Ibuprofen or caffeine. Free testosterone vs. Serum testosterone, and why you always want to measure Free T along with SHBG (which can bind to T). Brad’s blog on boosting T levels by minimizing workout stress. Reference to our friend, Matt Bach and his hormonal & healthy journey – listen to his story here. Is it that Brad might have that genetic gift that helped him to respond well to MAF, or is it just basic science that any of us can and will respond well to healthy training and lifestyle? Healthy hormones AND hitting key workouts – a conundrum. Joel Jamieson and his Recovery based training. Mindfulness incorporated into your athletic training. Brad’s love for cold therapy, but why Tawnee advises some warnings for certain populations (like women with amenorrhea). Rhonda Patrick cited a study that says: 20 seconds exposure to 40 degree F wa

Sponsor: Inside Tracker is an awesome service to use for convenient and informative blood testing geared toward athletes. You can get up to 30 biomarkers tested and more on your journey to bettering performance. Use code “enduranceplanet” for a 10% discount. In the episode of Ask the Coaches with Brock and Lucho, we answer listener questions about: is it bad to train in zone 3, how to prepare for racing at altitude, what type of strength training is good for triathletes, and more! In the intro: We continue are discussion on motivation and New Year’s resolutions from last week with reference to the article “Motivation Over Discipline” and Joe De Sena’s book The Spartan Way. Kate asks: My normal winter involves xc skiing and ski touring or Skimo racing, both of which end up with me spending most of my training time in zn 3. This year we are so far, having a low snow season, so I’m still running and have more choice about intensity. Bikers seem to obsess about not training in the ‘grey’ zone and runners don’t seem to be as bothered. I’ve reduced my training volume to around 10cardio hrs p. wk from a period of 15hrs a wk in an 8wk build up to an ultra in December. Back then I focused on strength rather than speed and tired legs forced more zn 2 time which seemed perfect for ultra training in a short block of time with next to no running base. But now I’m wondering with only 10hrs per week how important polarised training is? If i devise and follow any schedules they are loose ones with mostly training according to how I feel and what I fancy doing, the terrain often dictating intensity more than anything else. But it would be a shame to waste my nice base I’ll likely do a 2hr snowy running race towards the end of this month and a 3hr triathlon (run, MTB with skis and ski www.velopodole.ch) at the end of March, last time I placed 3rd despite my advancing years (50). I have one weaker hamstring which needs careful management and have adopted more strength into my routine along with regular yoga. My only other goal is to be able to run all of my local hill (450 vertical metres with 3 sections of ‘too steep to run’). So I’m thinking – continue running as i feel like because i’m still getting faster with doing what i’m doing. Carry on with my ad hoc intervals fartlek style and up the strength side (currently been doing pre-run activation and a bit of finishing the legs off afterwards). Thinking about adding some plyometric and harder post run stuff. Todays run was quite typical 5% zn 1, 37% zn 2 (running down the hill), 44% zn3, 12% zn 4 Please see the attached picture which gives a glimpse of my insane calves for your amusement and to get your attention. You are right by the way, small calves are faster. Only ice climbers need ones this big but i’m stuck with them and at least they psyche out the opposition. When’s endurance planet coming to the alps? The coaches say: Zone 3 (tempo) is not the enemy, it has value. Zone 3 is only a problem when you ONLY run in zone 3. More worried about the 12% of training in Zone 4… that’s A LOT! Don’t do the same run every day with the same intensity, unless you’re building your aerobic base in zone 2. Some people do better with periodization but not everyone. You can try it out but if what you are doing is working, that is great! It’s important that you continue to improve. As a super fit person, it’s harder for you to “mess up” your training. Gravitate towards what you enjoy and don’t be afraid to experiment with new protocols. Listen to your body and make sure you are getting enough recovery. Be careful doing plyometrics post-run. These can be very violent and break you down. Focus on good form and don’t push through fatigue. Amy asks: My spouse and I will both be doing the Leadville 100 MTB race this spring. We need help with our training strategy. We live in an area with lots of climbs and hilly terrain, but we are at 200 feet above sea level, on the Eastern Seaboard. We can get to 2500-3000 feet driving, but there is no altitude anywhere around here. We’ve only briefly been at altitude and both did okay with it. Short of an altitude tent (expensive), what can we do to prepare? Here are some ideas we’ve had: 1. Eat iron-rich foods. 2. Train in the heat (we heard this produces a similar effect/feeling on the body as altitude). 3. Train with ankle weights and/or a weight vest to make it suck more. 4. Get a fat bike so it’s heavy and hard to ride. 5. Lose weight. We are staying in downtown Leadville and arriving 8 days ahead of time. The coaches say: Interesting study on Iron and Altitude Eating iron-rich foods won’t help unless you have a deficiency; check your hematocrit to see. No need to avoid iron-rich foods, but they won’t really help with altitude. Similarly, beets, cruciferous veg, and echinacea will help boost blood oxygen carrying capacity, but these aren’t going to make a huge difference in your training and racing

Sponsor: Head to enduranceplanet.com/shop for a bunch of cool products and services we’ve come to love, use and endorse. Everything we offer is centered around helping you achieve the ultimate in health and performance. Also when you shop through endurance planet you directly help support the podcast so we can continue to provide you with great content always for free… Get started now on the path to optimizing your health and performance! Check out Sound Probiotics, the first pure probiotic plus prebiotic formulated specifically to improve the gut health and immunity of the competitive athlete, for those who train and race simply can’t afford to be sidelined by illness or GI issues, and EP fans save 10% and get free shipping on Sound Probiotics. Welcome to episode 3 of Holistic Performance Nutrition (HPN) with Julie McCloskey, registered holistic nutrition coach, and Tawnee, a certified sports nutritionist and holistic endurance coach. Rosalie asks: In the event this is within the scope of your show, here is my question: Hello, my name is Rosalie Davis. I am 50 years old, I have been running for 20 years, mostly casually, completed 3 marathons and lots of shorter races, 5k, 10k and half marathons. The last two years were my most focused training / running and I had a blast. Unfortunately, I recently tore my meniscus and am having arthroscopic surgery to repair it. Here’s my question, what should my diet look like prior to surgery and afterwards? Close to surgery date so more concerned about diet after surgery. Looking for ideas to promote recovery and healing. Thank you for your time, great to have you back Tawnee and I enjoy the show. The coaches say: Varying animal products for solid amino acid profiles Organ meats, sardines w/bones, nose to tail goodness Bone broth with additional gelatin and collagen added Lots of pure water, no carbonated bevvies, caffeine, and alcohol Avoid high intakes of phosphorus Increase minerals, especially calcium & silicon Calcium: Kelp, sesame, almonds, figs, dark greens, alfalfa, most legumes Silica: potatoes, alfalfa, peppers, beets, onions, dandelion, asparagus, hemp, nettle Soak and sprout to destabilize phytates and oxalates they’ll be bound to Easy to digest foods: good protein powder, soups, broths Antioxidant rich herbs and spices PerfectAmino – Essential amino acid supplement with greater than 99% utilized by the body for body protein synthesis. Bone broth – homemade is better or from a reputable source. Meriva – bioactive curcumin supplement by Thorne can be as effective as NSAIDs as an anti-inflammatory without the side effects. Don’t take curcumin if you’re on a blood thinner though. Organic CBD oil for pain – not addictive, no risk of OD, helps with sleep. Dosages range from 10 mg to 100+mg – start low and build. Try Thorne hemp oil. Acupuncture – up to 2-3x a week initially as long as that’s not cost prohibitive. Scott asks: I am a 37 year old male runner in the UK about to train for my 4th marathon in Spring 2019. I start running about 5-6 years ago purely to lose weight and dropped from 35lbs within a couple of years and then ran my first marathon in Paris with a 3:29. I managed to get down to about 160lbs for this marathon which, at 5’8” still left some work to be done on my weight (I appreciate it’s not just about numbers when it comes to optimum race-weight but I was carrying visible excess fat that needed to be shifted, especially around the gut). I improved in Spring of 2017 with a 3:10 and again this Spring with a 3:01 and I am now shooting for 2:50 in Spring next year. My problem is not my confidence or my physical training. My current big problem is my sweet tooth and the inability to drop the final stone that I think will bring me on leaps and bounds with my running. I am a vegetarian and my diet really sucks right now but not because of this. We have biscuits, chocolates etc in our office on display all the time and I just cannot keep away. I feel like it’s becoming a real big problem as I am really overloading on high sugar junk food even though I am a firm believe in a low carb (not quite as low as keto but just not a high reliance on carb) diet. I am really struggling to find a method or approach that will see me go through a day without eating far too much cake and biscuits as our office is always full of them – I just keep telling myself that tomorrow will be a better day, the day I start eating healthy and getting rid of the extra bulk! The coaches say: Sugar Addiction, is it real? Mind/Emotions – don’t restrict, go from “bad” to “better”, pay attention to how those foods make you feel and think about if you want to feel that way next time they are offered. The choice is always yours to make Physical – high stress and not enough sleep will cause sugar cravings and hold weight centrally — a veg diet is gonna be high carb (most likely) in which case will beget more sugar, not e

Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by BodyHealth, the makers of PerfectAmino, an athlete’s secret weapon featuring eight essential amino acids in the exact ratios needed to ensure proper protein synthesis in the body. PerfectAmino has been tested and approved for in-competition athletes and professional sports, and all of us over at EP have used in our athletic careers. PerfectAmino now comes in a sugar-free powder form that’s great for those who don’t like pills and/or want something tasty to mix in your workout drink! In this episode of Ask the Coaches, Brock and Lucho tackle listener questions about: Beginner Strength Training, Back-to-Back Racing, Core Strength for Endurance, Flipping the Triathlon, and more! In the intro banter, Brock and Lucho discuss different kinds of motivation and whether New Year’s resolutions are BS or worthwhile. Then, on to the questions… Houston asks: I’m a 33-year-old male, runner, and cyclist. I don’t train a tonne, about 4-6 hours/week cycling and 2-3 hours running. My goals are to more or less maintain my running and cycling but I want to be a more functional human and gain a little muscle (currently 5’11” and 145 pounds). I have time to increase my weekly training time by adding strength training but I’m clueless in the gym and I do not know where to start. Is there a resource you could point me to teach me some basics (eg. a blog, YouTube, book, etc.). Brock, are there any trainers in the Vancouver area you would recommend to show me around the gym. If it changes anything, I’ve had plantar fasciitis but I think that’s behind me now. Monthly massages and regular stretching seem to have kept that in check. The coaches say: You don’t need to gain muscle to be functional but you can if you want to, and putting on muscle mass is an admirable goal. When it comes to gaining muscle, diet matters as much — if not more than — the strength workouts. That is, no matter how heavy you’re lifting, if you’re in a caloric deficit then you won’t put on muscle mass. Functional Movement Screening (use to check for imbalances) – https://youtu.be/LpjoZWcUpFI You can hire Brock at BrockArmstrong.com Brock’s blog – Turn your fitness weakness into a strength Steven asks: Do you have any advice for training for and executing triathlon races on back to back days? This is not about multi-day races, like Ultraman. I have signed up for “Wildflower Squared” which is a long course triathlon on Saturday followed by an Olympic triathlon on Sunday. I have a fair amount of triathlon experience having completed about twenty races over the last ten years including three Ironman triathlons so the fundamentals are no problem. My main concern is being able to effectively recover well enough to be able to finish on the second day. If you have any advice on how to train to prepare for these races, how to recover after the first day, or how to approach either race it would be greatly appreciated. The coaches say: It’s all about recovering as much and as fast as possible. This means consuming ample carbs after the first race, and laying back with your legs up (after doing some mobility). Don’t over-do it on the protein after the first race. Remember that you’re eating a pre-race meal as much as a post-race one. Recovery tools will help (i.e. foam roller/massage stick). Biohacking techniques probably won’t be your friend here… they’re really expensive and might disrupt your system if you’re not used to them. If you’re camping at Wildflower, trying standing waist deep in the lake the night after the 70.3. The cold plus hydrostatic pressure will do you good. If, by chance, you’re staying in town then choose a hotel with a pool and hot tub so you can do contrast bathing. It’s up to you what effort you want to put into each race, depending on your goals. The only way to know how much you really have in you is to give 100% to each race and see where that takes you! But, if one of those races is more of a priority than the other, then pace yourself accordingly. Michael asks: I attempted my first 100 miler. I had to medically withdraw at mile 78 due to severe back spasms. I was walking, listing 45 degrees to the left, for the final few miles. I also train for Ironmans. I would admit I don’t do any strength/gym/core/weight training. I’m not sure if this was a core strength issue but I’ve gotta think the 100 milers involve a lot of core strength. A couple of questions: Would a typical hour run be better to do 30min run and 30min core strengthening a better way to do things? Would doing core, etc. help to complete a 100miler in the future? If I have minimal time to add this to my workout schedule, what would be your basic/minimum/go to workout that would be the best bang for my buck? i.e. Give me 4-5 of your best workouts/exercises… kettlebells, etc. (I struggle with motivation for these so

Sponsor: Inside Tracker is an awesome service to use for convenient and informative blood testing geared toward athletes. You can get up to 30 biomarkers tested and more on your journey to bettering performance. Use code “enduranceplanet” for a 10% discount. Sponsor: If you haven’t already, check out Thrive Market, which is basically Costco meets Whole Foods meets Amazon. Sign up for an annual membership now to start saving on healthy food, personal care products and clean products for the home. Shop conveniently from your home computer or your smartphone. Gary Dudney, of Monterey, Calif., has been publishing articles on running, trail running, and ultrarunning for the past 20 years. His is the author of two books, The Tao of Running and The Mindful Runner, both of which you can buy on amazon by clicking the links. Gary was inspired to write these books from his own running adventures over the past 30+ years. At 66 years old, he’s competed in about 250 ultras and marathons, and nearly 70 100-milers and has learned a lot along the way, including how to elevate his running by focusing on his mental state. In this interview we talk about Gary’s transition into “mindful running” and how it took his ultra career to the next leve with fewer DNFs and more satisfaction that carried over into his daily life. You’ll learn tips on how to incorporate mindfulness into your own running and training, and also how to identify the thoughts that take you further away from a mindful state.   On this interview Gary’s story and how he noticed that once he transitioned to more mindful running he clearly noticed he that had fewer DNFs in races, and deeper more meaningful experiences while running. Being present while running – what are ways that we’re NOT being present while running? Efficiency strategies for dealing with pain and suffering via the mind. The harms of negative self talk – how these thoughts can lead to quitting, slowing down, etc. But positive thoughts can save you and make the experience more enjoyable. When you start feeling fatigue and pain treat it as a positive – it’s natural and indication that you’re running to potential! Why Gary chose a focus on Taoism as compared to other Chinese religions/philosophies such as Buddhism and Confucianism. Story of the three vinegar tasters and takeaways that we can learn from in present day. In that story, the taoist starts thinking “this is the true essence of vinegar” which can be carried over to how we view running even the painful parts. Robert Wright’s book Why Buddhism is True An interview with Wright on Econ Talk, which you can listen to here. The meaning of mindful running. How running breeds the act of mindfulness. If running is already like mindfulness how can we more intentionally practice mindfulness while running or deepen the process? acceptance and letting things go. don’t attach yourself to thoughts and feelings. What to do when thoughts of other things arise. How to still be in tune with your training needs while running mindfully. Stop worrying about finishing times and training more intuitively. Just finishing is the reward and that contributes to longevity in sport. If you’re Type A – stay with how you’re feeling in the moment! Don’t worry so much about what’s down the line today or in the future race. The benefit of focusing on the breath – just as it is. Gary’s relaxation technique – head to toe focus for relaxation to let go of fear and panic. How to use mantras in training and racing; Gary’s go-to mantra: “Infinite patience; steely determination.” Utilize your peers and talk to other runners to bring yourself back to the present. Sense of connection, oneness and the disappearance of self, In his book, Robert Wright describes how the mind is ruled by different modules and there’s no central module. Thus, there is no self; nothing that says “this is me.” There is no self, no separation between you and everything else in the world. It’s all a continuum. How Gary experienced that in a race and what this means in the context of Taoism and Buddhism. The post Gary Dudney: How Mindfulness Can Elevate Your Training, Racing and Life – Fewer DNFs, More Satisfaction and Stress-Free Workouts first appeared on Endurance Planet.

Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by BodyHealth, the makers of PerfectAmino, an athlete’s secret weapon featuring eight essential amino acids in the exact ratios needed to ensure proper protein synthesis in the body. PerfectAmino has been tested and approved for in-competition athletes and professional sports, and all of us over at EP have used in our athletic careers. In this episode of Ask the Coaches, coach Brock, Lucho and guest coach Tawnee answer the following questions about Incorporating Walking into Training, Improving Acceleration & Top Speed, and more! In the intro section: Tawnee fills us in on how to be healthy while living in a van #vanLife: Where to sleep (Walmart and Cracker Barrel!) Where to get good food (Whole Foods and co-ops) How to get movement in and not get too sedentary (solution: dogs). Allison asks: Hi Tawnee, When Dr. Phil was coaching you for a marathon he had you doing walking as part of the training. Would the walking be done as part of a 20 or 15-mile long run? So 2 mile AM walk then run two fewer miles? Also, what was your heart rate goal? Was it a stroll or a more intentional walk? Would running benefit from a quicker pace? Or is there any benefit from a super slow jog/shuffle. I usually do a couple of 1-mile walks per day. I may test both and see what my heart rate is. The coaches say: Phil doesn’t write “training plans” per se. More consultations every week. Phil feels that walking can add to your aerobic base. Phil and Dr. Daniels believe that running more than 90-120 minutes is not necessary or helpful. 2 hours may be plenty for health, but Tawnee doesn’t necessarily think all athletes should be restricted to it. There are psychological gains in those long runs. When Tawnee followed this training protocol, her longest run was 2.5 hours with walking 15-20 min pre/post depending on feel. Her walking pace was nothing fast (15-20 min pace), which she found super enjoyable and a good active recovery. See ATC 275 for more info on Walk/Run training and racing. Keep your biomechanics in mind. Fast walking may be better than slow jogging from an alignment and mechanics standpoint. Keep those arms involved for efficiency. Where the 10,000 steps per day idea came from Erik asks: I’m a 40-year-old male that started playing soccer again after a 22-year break. The last 20 years or so I have trained for mostly endurance sports. Some marathons, sprint tris, Ragnar, and a spartan sprint. Right now I want to improve my acceleration and top speed on the field. I am currently doing a Starting Strength workout routine (squats, deadlifts, bench, OHP) 3 days per week, and hill workouts 1-2 days a week, in addition to a game day and a practice day. As I enter the off-season what would you suggest I do if I have 1 hour to train six days a week? The coaches say: He also asked Lucho on Twitter about maintaining endurance during this training. Sprinting short distances is important but stick to 20 to 30-metre sprints. Good drills: Shuttle sprint: sprint 10M, stop as quickly as possible, jog backward to start. Lay face down on the ground then jump up and sprint. Allow your body to find its own way. Practice de-acceleration and re-orienting to new direction. You’re going to have to change your mindset on what “tempo” means given your endurance history. Walking lunges, RDLs, Sideways Step-ups, Good Mornings… maybe Nordic Curls. Do speed drills (especially those short sprints), uphill sprints, weighted sled drills (or plate push, but don’t overload yourself), lift weights quickly (lower slowly), stair drills, plyometrics are your friend (box jumps and broad jumps, high knee skips). Lose weight (body fat), if you can spare some. Use 3 periods of training: Early preseason: build endurance through shuttle runs and diagonals (running corner to corner on the field with some kind of exercise on the end lines) capped at 20 min, strength training should be major focus to complement acceleration, also actually playing soccer is good for building your endurance. Late preseason (6-8 weeks before the soccer season begins): start working on speed, interval training 60-80M comes into play. Season: enjoy playing soccer! Check out the https://simplifaster.com/ website. The post ATC 276: Van Life, Incorporating Walk Training, Improving Acceleration & Top Speed, and more! first appeared on Endurance Planet.

Sponsor: Head to enduranceplanet.com/shop for a bunch of cool products and services we’ve come to love, use and endorse. Everything we offer is centred around helping you achieve the ultimate in health and performance. Also when you shop through endurance planet you directly help support the podcast so we can continue to provide you with great content always for free… Get started now on the path to optimizing your health and performance! Check out Sound Probiotics, the first pure probiotic plus prebiotic formulated specifically to improve the gut health and immunity of the competitive athlete, for those who train and race simply can’t afford to be sidelined by illness or GI issues, and EP fans save 10% and get free shipping on Sound Probiotics. On episode 2 of Holistic Performance Nutrition (HPN) with Julie McCloskey, registered holistic nutrition coach, and Tawnee, we take a deep dive into your gut health and the use of probiotics from why you need then to what brands and how to take them: Gut dysbiosis & Leaky gut What is dysbiosis: an imbalance in the gut microbiome, specifically a decrease in gut microbial diversity. What is leaky gut: increase intestinal permeability and contents of gut leak into the bloodstream (probiotics help prevent this). How/why do things go wrong in the gut? Diet that’s high in processed food, sugar and starch. Not enough of the right fiber and prebiotics. Too many drugs (like antibiotics, acid blockers for reflux, anti-inflammatories, hormones, etc). Stressors (toxins, hard exercise, overtraining, chronic stress, etc) Study: High intensity running increases gut permeability. Gut is a garden More than 500 species make up gut flora….equating to 5-8lbs worth! Different types of bacteria: Essential/beneficial (good) Opportunistic (bad) Transitional (from environ that we take in; can damage in absence of good guys) People with IBD have less gut diversity by up to 25%. Aim to just pick the weeds from the garden, and not wipe out the whole thing with aggressive treatments. Disease/illness Gut health affects your overall health and risk for many diseases. Gut bacteria are out of balance → you increase risk of getting sick. 70% of immune system in gut; when out of balance susceptibility to illness increases including URTI and common colds. Athletes hate being sick. State of gut health can influence depression, weight, skin conditions, etc. Probiotic basics Help to populate your gut with good bacteria for normal functioning and lower inflammation. Beneficial strains that help our native good guys, control the bad guys and protect us from invaders. Protective barrier for your gut (key for athletes). Manufacture vitamins B3, B5, B6, B12, biotin, folate, Vit.K – crucial for energy and metabolism. Not all probiotics will be right for you. Study showing the benefits of probiotics for athletes.   Good strains for athletes Lactobacillus (genus) — So many benefits: estrogen metabolism, liver function, fights H pylori infections, immune function, leaky gut repair, repopulate the small intestine with good guys, digestion, reduces inflammation, increases GABA, helps with bloating, can reduce diarrhea, etc. Certain strains are good and safe for SIBO. Most popular strain: lacto acidophilus Bifidobacterium — Produces the short-chain fatty acid butyrate, which supplies energy to your colon cells to keep them functioning optimally. Good for IBS/IBD. Can ease constipation. Help intestinal barrier function. Can decrease carcinogenic enzymes in large intestine. Without adequate SCFA and butyrate, we increase risk of colonic disorders. Butyrate is an energy substrate i.e. fuel for colonocytes. Can also get in diet via fiber and resistant starches. Saccharomyces boulardii — Protects the gut lining from the effects of antibiotic-induced dysbiosis leading to leaky gut syndrome. S. boulardii can also outcompete other unfriendly yeast. Actually is a healthy yeast not bacteria. Prebiotics — Non-digestible and goes through small intestine where it’s fermented, which feeds beneficial bacteria. basically a boost to your good guys but if there’s bad overgrowth these might need to be saved for later. In probiotics they’ll be things like FOS and GOS on label. Brands SOUND — Formula based on research with strains that will benefit athletes. VSL #3 — Very high potency, 450 bill live species. KlaireLabs — Their “Lactoprime Plus” is safe for SIBO w/o inulin and prebiotics; and their “Ther-Biotic Complete” is a great all-around probiotic. Garden of Life Primal Defense — Contains soil based probiotics. Equilibrium — 115 strains including strains not found in other products. Ortho Biotic by Ortho Molecular — Contains S. boulardii. Genestra HMF Forte Thorne Flora Sport More on your probiotic A multistrain probiotic is ideal, including strains from the genera listed above. DOSAGE: Taken either 30 minutes before food or with the meal itself, the fat content of food tends to help

Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking to burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code “enduranceplanet” if you’re shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out the UCAN bars with peach and also another flavor with coffee beans for an added kick! In this episode of Ask the Coaches, Brock and Lucho answer listener’s questions about How Run/Walk Training Works, How Different Types of Bikes Affect Training, Using Heat vs Cold for Fitness, How to Train for the Mile, and more! Michael asks: I’m training for my first true ultra, a 55-hour event on December 30th in Houston, called the Snowdrop55. It’s done on a 0.7-mile loop and it’s done to raise money for children’s cancer research. My main goal is to get to 100 miles in the least time possible (hoping for 24 hours). My secondary goal is to tack on at least 50 more miles before the end of the event to get to 150 total miles. Here’s my question, I’ve been building up by not only running long but by doing a ton of walking. I completed a trail marathon (with 5,000 feet of climbing) about 6 weeks ago, did a downhill half marathon (2,000 feet of descent) two weeks ago. Have had my biggest volume week ever (54 miles running plus 32 miles of walking) a few weeks ago. Despite a “niggle” in my right glute/hamstring attachment, I’ve completed a four day stretch of over 70 miles of running and walking. So here’s my question. I run/walked for three hours this morning using a 2’ run/2’ walk protocol (but reset at the end of each mile), which ended up having me complete 16 miles at 11:05 pace. I then walked 4 more miles and had a massage (which helped the glute/hamstring but also flushed out my legs), whereupon my legs actually felt great. I’m going to continue to put on the miles the next two days and see where it leaves me. Here’s my question, I’ve listened (actually geeked out), on your physiological analysis of training for sprints (<9 sec, 20-30 sec, etc.), and wonder if there’s a corollary for ultra running. Obviously, this can apply to training, but it also will apply on race day. It strikes me that the 2-minute run/walk intervals allow the muscles to recover in a way that I’ve never really felt before. It seems to me that my legs are more stressed after 2 hours of non-stop running than they are after 4 hours of the run/walk protocol. Are you familiar with any science behind this? Are there ideal intervals? I’m planning to do a 40-50 mile day in the next couple of weeks to both prepare and to test out this method. One thing is for sure, the walking volume has to be helpful, since it’s something I’ve never done before, and I’ll be doing a ton of walking in the event. My present plan is to maintain the 2’ run/2’ walk protocol until I can’t:), while hoping that I can maintain it until the 10-12 hour mark. This goal has mental and physical significance to me as it relates to Ironman but would also put me in position to walk the remaining hours to achieve my goal. The coaches say: Some reasons why the Run/Walk method works: Continuous use of a muscle will result in quicker fatigue The longer the run segment, the more fatigue It’s a form of interval training Conservation of resources (Fat metabolism) Quicker recovery Less stress on the weaker muscles and ligaments Ability to enjoy endorphins Reduce core body temperature You can use the Jeff Galloway “magic mile” calculator to approximate your run to walk ratio. Check out this study called “Ground reaction forces at different speeds of human walking and running.” As far as determining ideal ratios, there’s no “perfect” ratio. Think about what you want to do and what you feel comfortable doing. Go with the flow during the race. If you do have a time goal (which it doesn’t seem like you do for this) you might consider checking out Jeff Galloway’s calculator for pacing and use that to determine the run/walk time. Vince asks: I am training for my third Ironman in March 2019 (Ironman New Zealand) and have been doing a lot of my commuting to work, as well as bike training on my mountain bike. Can you please let me know if this is detrimental to my bike performance as I am racing on a Cannondale Slice Time Trial Bike. I will usually ride my bike to work once or twice a week and do a ride with my girlfriend on the weekend, so I am riding about 3 to 4 hours on my mountain bike and the rest of my training is about a further 4 hours either on my spin bike or time trial bike. I can tell that my heart rate is pretty high when I am riding my mountain bike, but am worried I am utilizing different muscles compared to riding the time trial bike which may be rever

Sponsor: PerfectAmino comes in a sugar-free powder form that’s great for those who don’t like pills and/or want something tasty to mix in your workout drink, smoothie, or pre- and post-workout fuel! PerfectAmino, whether powder or pill-form, is an athlete’s secret weapon featuring all the essential amino acids in the exact ratios needed to ensure proper protein synthesis in the body. BodyHealth, the makers of Perfect Amino, also offers well-formulated natural vitamins and supplements to meet your other needs including their Body Detox, Healthy Sleep Ultra, Intestinal Cleanse, weight loss aids, and more.   On this episode with the Sock Doc we take a dive into what it means to embody a “less is more” lifestyle. Tawnee recently stayed with the Sock Doc and his family during her vanlife travels and saw first hand how they operate without shoes, in nature and by keeping it all simple. Topics covered: Benefits of being barefoot beyond running. Special cases for going barefoot–what about hazards or cold feet (e.g. Raynaud’s)? Using nature as your gym, and keeping it loose. Always look to diet and whole foods before supplementing. What supplements do you really need, if at all? Are we overdoing Vitamin D? Our past in-depth podcast on Vitamin D with the Sock Doc. Muscle testing vs. blood testing – debating blood test needs. The difficulty of finding nutrient-dense whole foods for some of us (and knowing where to look!). Why the Sock Doc and Tawnee agree that some sugar in your diet (e.g. organic ice cream) is ok, but why we still avoid processed junk foods with HFCS, coloring, bad fats, etc. Butter as its own food group. Clean and toxic-free household cleaning products and personal care products we like: Acure Organics Thieves all-purpose cleaner White vinegar and water (lemon optional) Whole Foods cleaners and laundry detergents Bronners Mrs. Meyers Why Sock Doc’s family uses some bleach The post Sock Doc 8: Less Is More – Natural Movement, No-Diet Wholesome Eating, and Toxin-Free Home and Personal Care first appeared on Endurance Planet.

Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking to burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code “enduranceplanet” if you’re shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out the UCAN bars with peach and also another flavor with coffee beans for an added kick! In this episode of Ask the Coaches, Brock and Lucho answer listener’s questions about knowing your potential as an athlete, what is the way to run downhill, how to not rely on your GPS so much, and the best way to return from a sacral fracture. But first, the intro banter, updates, and random wisdom… Lucho’s doing MURPH workouts with a 20lb weight vest, but, because that’s not enough, he also shovels his driveway after a snowstorm with the weight vest on. (It’s a military plate vest so he can control where the weight is distributed, and also freak out the neighbors with his getup). Our bodies are hyper-adaptable, and that’s not always a good thing (heeled shoes cause tightening of the Achilles and calf muscles). Isometric exercises are ideal for establishing correct neurological pathways. Michael Asks: My question today is how do we know what our potential is as an athlete? I’m 25 years old and feel as though I am a decent athlete but in the back of my mind, I wonder if I could be elite. In high school, I ran a 5:00 minute 1600m PR but was hardly committed to the sport. I cared more about socializing and would often go play basketball at the local church when we were supposed to be doing our long runs. I would then sprint back to the coach to make it look like I was winded from running. ? When I got out of high school I ran some 10 milers (PR of 1 hr 3 min) and a couple marathons (PR 3 hr 2 min) running about 30 to 40 miles a week. I was also very lax about my workouts and skipped a bunch throughout the cycle. In my first and only triathlon (Olympic distance) I finished with a time of 2 hrs 27 minutes (placed 20th overall) but the bike was a loaner and I only trained on it for a few weeks. Now I want to get serious about triathlon and I have been obsessing about the possibility of being elite or going professional. I truly believe that I can be great at the sport but how does one know what their max potential is? Other than a commitment to training and being a glutton for punishment. What is the next step to put me over the edge to be great? Obviously, I lacked the elite level commitment until this point but I never wanted to be elite until now. The coaches say: Garmin and other devices have race predictors, but the coaches don’t put much stock in these. You can’t “know” your potential passively; you have to work hard, give it your all, and see where you end up. Even genetic tests don’t tell your potential, they only inform your training. VDot can give you some insights into your current potential, but this isn’t your ultimate potential. Lucho thinks you missed the boat to be elite at the Olympic distance. Elites have been doing incredible amounts of training since their teens. With good genetics, though, you might be able to make it in Ironman. The facts: elite Ironman athletes are consistently doing a 2:50 marathon, sub-4:30 on the bike, and 50 min swim. This requires an immense amount of training time. You need to swim 6 days a week totalling 40K, and 300 miles on the bike per week, not to mention running. Can you train 30 hours a week? Motivation and genetics might not matter if lifestyle doesn’t allow you to do this. Try a 6-month hard block and see how much you can improve. If you really want to see how you measure up, sign up for an Olympic with a deep field. How do you compare? Alternatively, do an Ironman as an age grouper and see how you do. Long course might be the way to go. Tracy asks: Simple simple question. No eloquent backstory, like other listener inquiries. And, maybe I have missed this answer over the years. What is the best or most efficient technique to run fast downhill in a road race? Net-net… explain how. Let’s say it is a road race with rolling hills. Now the short story: When I run races I easily pass others on the uphill runs, you may say effortlessly. But I get passed each. and. every. time. on the downhill. Is it technique or fitness or training method? The coaches say: This is the outcome you are looking for: Keep your gaze 10 to 15 meters in front of you and your posture upright. Engage your core and lean forward slightly from the ankles, aligning your upper body over your lower body or even slightly ahead of it. Battling your natural tendency to lean backward and slow down. — But you can’t just “do that.” Don’ts: ov

Sponsor: Inside Tracker is an awesome service to use for convenient and informative blood testing geared toward athletes. You can get up to 30 biomarkers tested and more on your journey to bettering performance. Use code “enduranceplanet” for a 10% discount. We’re back with Tawnee interviewing our good friend, Dr. Phil Maffetone. On this show we discuss ways that you can ADD beats to your MAF heart rate and also new additions to the 180 Formula on when you should subtract beats from your MAF. Click here for Phil’s full article on the 180-Formula Review and adding beats to MAF. Revisiting the 180 Formula MAF is not a one-size-fits-all system. If you have to walk, that’s the status of your aerobic system. The basics of the 180 Formula and figuring out your MAF HR can be found in this article by Phil. Past podcasts with Phil: Master Your Unique MAF Method, the Benefits or Testing Regularly and How To Progress The Eight Steps to Mastering MAF, Healthy Body Fat Ranges and How Athletes Can Decrease Health Risks Browse more headlines from our shows with Phil here to find what you need to know! ‘Adjusting Your 180’ The goal is to “graduate” and progress from the category you’re in. If you’ve subtracted 10 bpm due to an illness or taking medication, once you’re recovered you can add back those 10 bpm. Recommendations from Phil on how to safely get of medications through working with your doctor. High blood pressure? Try the two-week test. Anecdotal evidence hows this change in dietary habits can drop BP. Getting Older? You don’t always have to subtract a beat off you MAF heart rate every birthday if you’re getting physiologically younger (assess via MAF test, health markers, etc.). Our friends at Inside Tracker have a cool “InnerAge” feature on their blood testing packages. A better way to adjust heart rate for longterm MAF athletes is: Every 5 years reduce MAF by 2-3 bpm if healthy and fit. Use the MAF test as your gauge – if improving, do whatever for training. Why Phil went with the number 180 instead of the old method of 220 minus age for target HR? Hint: The 200 Formula adds more risk to overtraining occurring. Changes to the 180 Formula Subtract 5 beats from your MAF if you’re overfat. The best gauge to determine if you’re overfat or not is the “waist to height ratio” and your waist should be less than half your height. More podcasts here: Heart Health For Athletes, Identifying Risks, Weeding Out Hype and Why Exercise is Still Your Best Medicine The Eight Steps to Mastering MAF, Healthy Body Fat Ranges and How Athletes Can Decrease Health Risks Subtract 10 beats from your MAF if you’ve experienced chronic overtraining. Chronic overtraining is considered an illness. How do you know when you’re recovered from chronic overtraining state? Answer: MAF improves, hormones improve, along with other health markers, energy, etc. In non-functional overreaching, MAF test plateaus or goes down; this is a red flag. How our modern world contributes to stress that can feed overtraining. If you’re not eating well, subtract 20 beats from your MAF. If diet is poor, your fat burning not that different than 5-10 bpm higher. When health and fitness is missing in almost all cases it is the diet that’s causing problems. Ending thoughts: Veganism and vegetarianism for endurance athletes–what does Phil have to say about these diets? The post Dr. Phil Maffetone 23: How to Add Beats to Your MAF Heart Rate, and Adjustments to the 180 Formula first appeared on Endurance Planet.

Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking to burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code “enduranceplanet” if you’re shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out the UCAN bars with peach and also another flavor with coffee beans for an added kick! In this episode of Ask the Coaches, Lucho and Brock tackle listener questions about achieving a BQ if you are a noob, losing weight with keto, what to do when MAF stops working, and how to prepare for a cold 3k swimming race. But first, in their intro banter, they talk about: “Shake the meat off the bone approach” to acute muscle cramping. In other words, don’t immediately start stretching it. Shake/massage the area instead. Brock’s experimenting with the stripping approach to weight lifting: continuing an exercise at a lower weight once muscle failure has been achieved at a higher weight. Favorite strength exercises for the coaches this week: Complex overhead squat Cross-body dumbbell snatch Excitement over the crossover between vertical jumps and sprinting (check out Brock’s Get Fit Guy article) Amanda asks: I recently started listening to endurance planet and I’m in love. I just finished my 2nd full marathon and I want to keep building off of it. My goal is to run the Boston and I want to learn what are the best resources to use in order to achieve this? For example, what are some of the best training schedules, best ways to learn proper nutrition for me, what strength workouts to incorporate into training, Garmin vs Apple Watch? I’m also excited to purchase a heart rate monitor. I’m 23 years old and turning 24 & I love Neil Young. I really want to keep learning and building my knowledge. I also want to be able to afford it. The coaches say: Garmin for Sport, Apple for Productivity and general fitness. Wrist HR monitors in the watch are more comfortable, but the accuracy of a chest strap is way superior. We both agree Daniels is a good place to start for training. Small critique of Daniels’ program: it’s a little harsh. Check out Brad Hudson’s book for a more gentle progression and more running by feel. Proper nutrition is a big “depends” type of question. Don’t overthink it. Basically, eat more leafy greens and veggies, don’t feel the need to “carb up,” and eat real food. Keep it simple and sustainable. James Dunne at Kinetic Revolution for strength exercises. Kelly Starrett’s book Ready to Run, and Jill Miller’s The Roll Model for mobility. Keep up that enthusiasm and enjoy the process, because it’s a long one! Be patient. Don’t fixated on the destination (Boston). Enjoy the day-to-day grind. Scott asks: I am 53. I am a lifelong runner and have been a triathlete since 2000. I ran a 3:02 Marathon when I was 18 but didn’t run another until I was 41. I have whittled my time down from 4:01 to 3:09. Since turning 50, I haven’t been able to run any faster than 3:16. I ran across one of your podcasts and started to wonder if I use the MAF Method and learn how to follow a ketogenic diet, can I reverse things and enjoy a few more years in the sub 3:16 range? More info: 2011 – 3:11, 2012 – 3:09, 2013 – 3:14, 2014 – 3:21, 2015 – 3:16. I have really struggled with my weight since turning 50 so wonder if I start the ketogenic diet, can I get down to a proper race weight. I am 5’8″ and feel that my best racing was done at the 155-160 pound range. I am signed up for the Modesto Marathon which takes place on 3/31/19. I would like to use this to establish a base Marathon time for Ironman Arizona 2019. Should I start MAF now prior to starting my train up on 1/1/19? The coaches say: There are many more ways to lose weight than Keto. Keto is a great trick to jumpstart weight loss and strengthen metabolic efficiency, but it’s not sustainable in the long term. Nutrition Diva podcast about low carb and high carb. If you have been struggling with your weight for a while now, doing something restrictive (like keto) isn’t going to help you with your relationship with food. Assess your current diet and see where things are going wrong right now. Focus on breaking bad habits and reinforcing good habits. Carb timing is important (best to refuel after an intense workout). It’s important to maintain lean muscle mass, especially at your age, by lifting and eating protein. Don’t sacrifice this muscle for weight loss. Start MAF as soon as possible to build your base. Timothy asks: This is my third and most dedicated Low HR block in the past 4 years. I am 6 months into a strict MAF training block at a HR of 138 to

Sponsor: Head to enduranceplanet.com/shop for a bunch of cool products and services we’ve come to love, use and endorse. Everything we offer is centered around helping you achieve the ultimate in health and performance. Also when you shop through endurance planet you directly help support the podcast so we can continue to provide you with great content always for free… Get started now on the path to optimizing your health and performance! Check out Sound Probiotics, the first pure probiotic plus prebiotic formulated specifically to improve the gut health and immunity of the competitive athlete, for those who train and race simply can’t afford to be sidelined by illness or GI issues, and EP fans save 10% and get free shipping on Sound Probiotics. We are starting a new show on Endurance Planet called Holistic Performance Nutrition (HPN) and in this show, Episode 1, we introduce Tawnee’s co-host Julie McCloskey, who shares her story. Follow Julie on Instagram. Julie’s bio: Registered Holistic Nutrition Coach (RHN) based out of Missoula, MT. After living in upstate New York through college, she moved out West and fell in love with the mountain life. She studied Holistic Nutrition in Vancouver, BC and now runs her own Nutrition Coaching Business, Wild and Well. Specializing in gut health, inflammation, and hormones, Julie’s passion is helping people regain balance, increase energy, and optimize daily performance through nutrition and lifestyle strategies. An athlete and competitor since an early age, Julie was ‘that girl’ on the all-boys teams. She played basketball and ran cross-country and track, but soccer was always her love. At the collegiate level, she played soccer and ran winter and spring track while obtaining her BS in Marketing. After college, Julie began to run longer distances, thus inspiring a curiosity for performance nutrition and recovery tactics. She moved to Jackson Hole where she fell in love with trail running and road biking. Julie races every so often, always drawn to the dirt paths that go straight up, but is 100% intrinsically motivated by the connection with nature and passion to push limits. Over a few years, and with the guidance of many podcasts and books, she slowly moved from junk food to real food, and her interest in nutrition became so deep that she packed up her stuff and moved to Vancouver to study Holistic Nutrition full-time. Julie’s greatest endurance feat was thru-hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in 2016. After 5 months of hiking 25-35 miles a day, she learned a thing or twenty about what it takes to keep a stable mind and functioning body for a feat of extreme endurance. Crediting a positive mindset, a sense of humor, a mixed bag of collagen and nutritional yeast, avocados, and nightly handfuls of quality mineral salt, she successfully hiked the 2,650 mile trail from Mexico to Canada (with only 1 hobble to the ER). Julie has been on a health journey towards rebalance ever since. With HPA axis dysfunction, amenorrhea, extremely cold hands and feet, blue toes, sympathetic dominance, kidney trouble, and a host of deficiencies, she has simultaneously been her most loyal and most stubborn client to date. So yes, she’d do it again.  The post Holistic Performance Nutrition Ep. 1: Introducing RHN Julie McCloskey – From Junk Food to Real Food, Hiking the PCT, and More first appeared on Endurance Planet.

Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code “enduranceplanet” if you’re shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out the UCAN bars with peach and also another flavor with coffee beans for an added kick! In this 272nd episode of Ask the Coaches, Brock and Lucho answer questions about Titanium versus Carbon Fibre Bikes, Should you Race by Pace or HR, Taking Time Off to Get Balanced, Training Short races and Long at The Same Time, and more! Scott asks: If you were to return to 70.3 or IM racing next year, what do you think would be the performance difference between an old school titanium TT bike (e.g. Litespeed Saber) and a more modern carbon bike. Which one would you pick? Let’s assume you can have the same drivetrain, wheels and aerobar setup. Also, for the carbon bike, pick a middle of the road like a Cervelo P3 or equivalent–nothing in the “down payment for a house” category. The coaches say: If you already have the old school bike, your money is probably better spent upgrading components on that rather than buying a new carbon bike. The front end of the bike is going to matter the most. Wind tunnel test info is not all that helpful… unless you ride 30 mph. Comfort on the bike is going to be more important than the bike’s weight. Coming out of aero because you’re uncomfortable will negate any of the speed benefits from a lighter frame. The weight difference is probably not a huge issue in general. You’re looking at about a five minute difference between bikes, which you can easily make up at some point in the other two events and transitions. You may miss out on some modern conveniences (fuel bladders, disk breaks, bottle mounts) by going with the older bike. But we all agree that the old school Saber looks cooler Carla asks: This question may be coming in too late for me to hear the answer on your show before my marathon. If so, it’s all good, it may always help someone else in a similar situation. I am running the Columbus Marathon on Sunday, October 21st. Since we last “spoke”, I’ve incorporated some speed workouts, changed training plans (from purely MAF to a more traditional plan, although I still make sure easy runs and recovery runs are truly so by looking at my HR). Cleaned up my nutrition with the help of a nutritionist, and incorporated strength training 2-3 times a week. My plan was to qualify for Boston, which I’ve been training for since June, but with it now changing from 3:40 to 3:35 for my age group, I am no longer so sure I can run a BQ in two weeks. Is this all in my head? Did I cap myself by fixating on a number? Most of my easy runs are now in the high 110’s/low 120’s bpm, and I’m between 8:05-8:10 min/mi pace in the low 140’s. Since I’m 37, this should still be a fairly easy zone for me, right? (Max HR 176 bpm). During training, I felt good and in control with a race pace of 8:10 min/mi, but my HR tends to go up by 10 to 15 bpm on race day, and this throws me off, because in my mind I feel like it’s not sustainable for 3 + hours. I successfully ran 3x 20 miles during training, with only a few niggles showing up at mile 18, so I’m sure I can go the distance, not so sure I can keep the pace required for a BQ if my HR goes into the 155-160 range. Questions: 1 – What are the things that I can do to not let race day nerves bring my HR up so much? 2- Should I hide my HR on race day? Or maybe even put tape on my watch? The coaches say: Leave HR monitor at home; it’s stressing you out more than anything! Monitoring you HR is for training, not so much for racing… you don’t get a medal for completing the race at a certain HR, after all. The coaches agree that physically you’re in fine shape to BQ. If you trained to run a 3:40 then you can run a 3:35. Lofty goals are a good thing! Go for it. If it’s really worth it to you, then run the risk of blowing up and failing. When you are going for a high goal, failure is always an option. But it’s better than not trying! Tips for race day: Don’t let nerves make you start too fast. Start just behind the 3:30 pace group, or at the front of the 3:35. Jon asks: I am 48 years old and have been competing in long course endurance races for more than 20 years, first marathons then eventually long course triathlon. Last year I had a bad season due to a weird injury early in the year that continued to nag at me the rest of the season. No self-diagnosis here – I worked with a sports medicine doctor and took time away from training as prescribed. By

Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code “enduranceplanet” if you’re shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out the UCAN bars with peach and also another flavor with coffee beans for an added kick! In this 271st episode of Ask the Coaches, Brock Armstrong and Lucho answer these listener questions and chat about their own training and racing. Lucho shares his enthusiasm for the Murph Crossfit workout (1 mile run, 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 squats, and 1 mile run). Both Brock and Lucho agree that strength training and track workouts offer a lot of benefits to endurance athletes by developing more well-rounded fitness, improving technique, and mixing training up. Lisa asks: I was hoping you could give me some fuelling advice. In particular, in between two races on the same day. First I have a Championship 5k at 9 am and then a (less important) 10k at 11:15 am. So, I don’t have long at all really. I will finish my 5k, grab my checked bag and order an Uber to the next race. I’m going to bring a bottle of water with Nuun and an endurance tap gel… But should I bring some protein? Some kind of gluten-free bread sandwich? The last thing I want is to feel starving during the 10k or get a cramp. But I know I should have something in between. Before the 5k I would have a piece of gluten-free bread with peanut butter and banana. I’ll sip on water with Nuun on my way there. Then I’m lost! The coaches say: What it will come down to is simply not feeling hungry. Nothing you eat in between is going to “fuel you” for the race. Fitness trumps nutrition! Neither distance is going to even put a dent in your glycogen stores, so, physiologically, you won’t need to eat anything, but psychologically you will want something. Protein is optional but I would keep it to the minimum (fat too) since it takes the longest to digest and convert into energy. Best food choice: 1/2 a banana and a carby Nuun (most of their products have no carbs, so check to make sure the one you choose does). As always, stick with foods you know, and practice your fueling plan before race day (which in this case is pretty easy to simulate). Don’t worry about electrolytes either, maybe after the 10k but not between. No way you will deplete those in a 5k. Not even if it is 90ºF It’s been largely debunked that cramping results from depleted electrolytes. Cramping is most often caused by pushing harder than you’ve trained to go. Scott asks: I am training for a 17-mile race with 5,000 feet of climbing, and am having trouble finding a training plan specific for races with this much climbing. Race times appear to be similar to that of a marathon, so I have been adapting an intermediate marathon training program and substituting longer runs for shorter runs on steeper terrain. I live at high altitude at 7,000 with surrounding mountains hitting above 12,000, so there are plenty of options for training runs. Should I still focus on staying in zone 1 and 2 on longer runs even when I struggle to stay in my zone on steeper hills? How many hill workouts should I include? Every week? Every other week? What about mid-week speed work or hill repeats? The coaches say: Check out Brock’s “Get-Fit Guy” article about Hill Training. Use a variety of lengths and grades of hills. Choose hilly courses for your long runs as long as you’re not feeling depleted. If you’re sore, do the long run on a flat course. Do all of the “quality” workouts in the plan as hills. This means at least 2x a week training on hills. Run recovery days in the plan on flats. Get used to climbing 5,000 fasl during 17-20 mile run. Use your Garmin or Strava to help you find a good course nearby to match the race’s elevation profile. Beware: descending will break you more than uphills. Practice running downhill fast and with good form. Loaded Bulgarian split squats and step-ups with depth jump after will help you. Brian asks: At what age should kids start using a heart rate monitor for training. (MAF)? My daughter is a Freshman in High School running Cross Country. She is a dual athlete and plays soccer during and during soccer tournaments I’ve let her try a gu-gel during the half. Any recommended age for creatine, glutamine? I’m not big on supplements for kids other than protein. The coaches say: We are also not a fan of supplements for kids – including protein. Encourage them to eat their nutrition (no need to drink a protein shake; just make eggs for breakfast!) During puberty, athletes grow and become stronger and their performance often improves very

Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by BodyHealth, the makers of PerfectAmino, an athlete’s secret weapon featuring eight essential amino acids in the exact ratios needed to ensure proper protein synthesis in the body. PerfectAmino has been tested and approved for in-competition athletes and professional sports, and all of us over at EP have used in our athletic careers. And did you know that BodyHealth also offers well-formulated natural vitamins and supplements to meet your other needs including their Body Detox, Healthy Sleep Ultra, Intestinal Cleanse, weight loss aids, and more. Plus, PerfectAmino now comes in a sugar-free powder form that’s great for those who don’t like pills and/or want something tasty to mix in your workout drink! While re-introducing our much-missed show host, Brock and Tawnee discussed… The idea of “post traumatic stress change”: how trauma isn’t a “disorder,” but can actually be turned into something positive. Studies suggest that walking, moderate aerobic exercise, and simply connecting with nature all correlate with better mental health. These results are not conclusive, but certainly promising (and make intuitive sense). Tawnee and her husband John’s decision to embark on Van Life. Follow their journey on Instagram here. Tawnee’s List of “Waking Up” Strategies for moving through difficult times… Letting go of trivial stuff “There will come a day when you’ll be sick, or someone close to you will die, and you will look back on all the trivial things that captured your attention and you’ll think, ‘What was I doing?’ You know this day is coming. Why not act on that knowledge now?” – Sam Harris Diving deep into a mindfulness meditation practice Tawnee talks about attending a weeklong meditation retreat in Colorado and the massive benefits and healing it provided. If you’re thinking of doing one, find a way to make it happen. Stop making excuses. The retreat was at the Shambahala Mountain Center in Red Feather Lakes, CO. Shambhala is a branch of Buddhism. Learning to let go of “always wishing for another now.” Be present. It’s all we have. Get comfortable with what is. This one can be hard. How many of us have been here, wishing for things to be different than what they are, or wishing for time to speed up because, “It’ll be better when xyz happens?” No matter the circumstance, it’s in our best interest to accept our reality, and that will lead us into more peace and balance. Focusing on self-love and self-care on another level than any time before in my life. Invest in yourself, and if something is going on don’t try to bottle it up and “be tough.” Take time off or away to just be. True self-care is still something so many of us neglect. We’re too worried about so many other things other than our own wellbeing. But our own wellbeing is always the No. 1 priority. Understanding that “fixation is the root of suffering.” Obsessive thoughts, attachment, fixations—when we get stuck here it’s simple: we suffer. The post Tawnee Returns: Lessons in Healing, Mindfulness and Personal Growth first appeared on Endurance Planet.

Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code “enduranceplanet” if you’re shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out the UCAN bars with peach and also another flavor with coffee beans for an added kick! Sponsor: Inside Tracker is an awesome service to use for convenient and informative blood testing geared toward athletes. You can get up to 30 biomarkers tested and more on your journey to bettering performance. Use code “enduranceplanet” for a 10% discount. In this episode of Ask the Coaches, Brock Armstrong and Lucho answer these listener questions and talk about: Lucho’s 400m race and the concept of “special (specific) endurance” Brock’s 10k and plans for a Half Marathon Kipchoge’s 2:01:39 Marathon World Record in Berlin! Vittoria Bussi and the world one-hour cycling record… using a ketone drink. Jessica asks: I have a question about my long runs and increasing their distance. I’m a 24-year-old female and I’ve been running for about 9 years focusing primarily on the half-marathon. I have been doing triathlon my whole life, and am planning on my first full IM in Sept 2019. I PRd my 70.3 this July, but kind of blew up on the run, but have maintained my run fitness and am planning on doing a 21.1 in October. I’ve never done over-distance training for any of my previous halfs or 70.3s, but am thinking that might help improve my run fitness. However, I’m finding that nearing the end, or just after finishing my long runs my glutes (near the sides by my hips) are quite sore, and I wonder if this will be a limiting factor as I try to increase my run distance. I’m assuming this is a weakness in my glutes (my knees collapse in on heavy squats and when I run I find dirt marks on my lower calves from kicking myself). I already strength train and incorporate exercises attempting to address this issue, but after about a year of trying to improve this, I’m not noticing much difference. At the gym, I do adductor and abductor stuff with the cables (attached to my ankle, not sure what to call this), and use a band to walk sideways and do fire hydrants and clam shells etc as well as RDLs and lunges. Any thoughts on what else I should be doing? Or how often I should be doing it? (Currently doing strength 2x/week). I’m not sure if this is actually slowing me down, but I am concerned about how it might impact me when I try to train for the Ironman next year. The coaches say: Regarding what you’re already doing: Try attaching cord to forefoot on abductors and adductor exercises. Also, “monster walks” and fire hydrants are activators not strengtheners unless you do them isometrically to failure or with added weight. Consider adding back plank (that’s an isometric thing) or donkey kicks (a machine at the gym) for glute strength. Be careful of not doing glute exercises too close to long runs. Two days out is best. But, at the end of the day, the coaches are not convinced this is a glute issue. Could be piriformis or glute med. Other strength exercises to consider: lateral lunges, deadlifts bulgarian split squats (the best!) Could be an alignment or mobility issue, not just strength. Brock guesses that because of calf dirt marks you need to get your feet more parallel. Run like you’re on a tightrope, one foot in front of the other (this increases efficiency and might help resolve a run mechanics issue). Pay attention to alignment. Use kicks as a reminder to focus on stride. Most likely, you’re just adjusting to distance. Everyone has niggles at the end of a long run. As long as you’re making sure to recover after long runs it shouldn’t be a problem. It’ll take longer and longer to feel that pain as you adapt to longer and longer distances. Stop doing heavy squats if knees are collapsing! There’s a debate on whether or not you need them, and Lucho says nay. Studies have shown it increases efficiency in running but it’s not the only way! Form and skill is very important if you choose to keep doing them. Replace with leg press 3/4 squats, deadlifts, or Bulgarian split squats (What Lucho likes to do for these is get into position and hold dumbbells to failure. Or, when you come out of squat, make sure you’re pulling with hamstring not pushing up) Throw in hip hikes before and after the run. Consider doing mobility in the middle of a long run if necessary. Don’t push through pain that causes you to alter your mechanics. R McGinness asks: I will keep this brief but let Lucho Run wild with talking track. I am a super slow-twitch athlete pretty fast… 73:15 half marathon, 25:30 8k. I have never trained

Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code “enduranceplanet” if you’re shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out the UCAN bars with peach and also another flavor with coffee beans for an added kick! Sponsor: Sound Probiotics is the first pure probiotic plus prebiotic formulated specifically to improve the gut health and immunity of the competitive athlete, for those who train and race simply can’t afford to be sidelined by illness or GI issues, and EP fans save 10% and get free shipping on Sound Probiotics (or head to enduranceplanet.com/probiotc). In this episode of Ask the Coaches with coach Brock and Lucho, we dive into the following audience questions: – Shout out to Marko who placed in his age group at the Vancouver Triathlon and said hi to Brock at the finish. – Brock’s fitness was good for his recent race but his confidence was poor. Relied on confidence from a few years ago… not a great strategy. – Lucho’s hip is acting up. Taking a break is better than sacrificing being a runner for the rest of his life. In Lucho’s words, “Take off 5 days rather than 5 weeks!” – Should you exercise when you’re sick? Brock has a lot to say about that here. Lucho says, “Go for it! So long as you’re listening to your body and sticking to MAF.” – Avoiding sickness after a race: Lucho recommends taking the next day off, while Brock recommends vitamin C Paul asks: Hi, I am the coach of a small high school track in the spring as well as cross country in the fall and am just wondering how you would structure a 100/200 and if I sell it well a 400-meter sprinters training plan with only say 12 weeks to do it in? Some come in right off of a soccer season and have some good fitness and some did nothing all winter. Also what would be some examples of key workouts in the beginning, mid, and towards the end of the season that you think would be beneficial to the athletes? Basically how to get them faster in such a short amount of time without injuring them. Some have great talent it is just they only show up during the season to run. Not much if at all offseason training. The second part of the question is, I have a fast girl 100-meter runner that also does cross country in the fall and soccer in winter that has an overall goal to beat the school record in the 100m. As of her sophomore year, she is .19 of a second off. She basically is trying to get just under 13 seconds. She is not too concerned about her cross country times although is great at it, but is just doing it to keep in shape for soccer and track. How do you think I can alter her cross country plan to benefit her for her spring track season without sabotaging too badly her cross country races? And if there is time how would you structure a high school XC plan with only 12 weeks? I am currently using a Daniels method but with a lot more Base stuff at the beginning and in the summer if they can, then jumping in to a lower mileage version of a 5k plan but starting at Phase 3 out of base and really monitor their recovery. What do you think? They are such short seasons to build if they do not do much work on the offseason. Anyway thanks for all the great advice I am loving the sprint talk. The coaches say: – 12 weeks is obviously a short amount of time. – Some of the athletes will be fine (the active ones) others won’t be. – Weight room work is key. Work on eccentric and isometric hamstring exercises to prevent injuries. Some good ones include RDLs, nordic curls, Bulgarian split squats, and deadlifts if you have access to a hex or trapbar – Hill work is important too. – Periodization is important – from less specific to more. – Build lactate threshold. – Don’t coach the distance, coach the runner. Let neurotyping be your guide. – Don’t over-cue athletes. Let them “run ugly,” which is almost always most efficient for them. – Enforce daily attendance of practice to foster team support, BUT if an athlete is too tired to do quality speedwork then don’t have them do the key workout after warmup and drills. – Prioritize a dynamic warmup that includes jumping, drills, and strides. – Plyometrics are a skill like weight lifting; no need to do anything fancy or too technical. Be careful, as any runners with compromised soft tissue issues will likely suffer. Mark asks: I was very active growing up and played basketball, football, baseball and ran track (sprinter) in high school. I’m currently 5’9″ an

Sponsor: Check out the new highly anticipated HealthFit University and how you can join this aerobic revolution. Health Fit U is led by health and fitness experts Dr. Mark Cucuzzella, Dr. Phil Maffetone, Ian Adamson, Jeff Vernon, Robin Desjardins and EP’s own Tawnee Gibson. Whether you’re a healthcare professional, fitness coach, trainer, or recreational or competitive athlete, HealthFit U is open to you with educational seminars and online resources that aim to help you and your clients build balanced, fat-burning, energized bodies for optimal performance. The next Health Fit U seminar is September 29-30, in Ranson, West Virginia. Book before Sept. 1 and save $50. Some other benefits of HealthFit U that you will love: – Certifies coaches specializing in endurance, strength, health and corporate. – Certifies health practitioners and offers CMEs and other continuing education credits. – Will post coaches and practitioners for referrals. Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code “enduranceplanet” if you’re shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out the UCAN bars with peach and also another flavor with coffee beans for an added kick! In this episode of Ask the Coaches, coaches Brock and Lucho answer Endurance Planet listener’s questions about Mentally Preparing to Race, How Much is Too Much DOMs, Inconsistent Pacing, 50 Days of Ironman, and more. But first, Brock and Lucho had some interesting experiences and thoughts to share… – Brock cured his plantar problems by using a massage stick on his shin and calf every day, plus a morning mobility routine including calf raises, ankle circles, hip circles, hip hikes (basically working the whole kinetic chain, à la Katy Bowman protocol). Lucho’s warmup is a variation of 7 way hips. – “Endurance” needs redefining. The term is relative… Going from a 200m to 300m race requires “endurance.” Lucho says that the cutoff for “endurance” is technically only 60m. Anything longer than that requires endurance! – An acetylcholine response (putting you in fight or flight mode) is necessary to do well in a short race, sometimes referred to as “running with pure hate.” – Dopamine is the hormone released for track events, while serotonin is associated with ultra endurance events. – Neurotyping probably makes a difference in what types of exercise you’re attracted to and naturally succeed at. – Studies have shown links between anxiety and muscular cramping. Dennis asks: Hi, guys, I’m Dennis, 31y from Germany. I train for the 200m/400m and I’m a pretty calm guy. Which is a problem during workouts; getting in the proper mental state is pretty important after all. I’ve been actively working on this issue for the past few weeks, usually trying self-talk. When I lift heavy I don’t have that issue, because the weight itself gets the juices flowing. But on the track, it is much harder. I guess exploring the option of mixing some kind of physical activity like jumping with some sort of visualization or something is what I’m gonna try next. Do you guys have any advice/thoughts for me? The coaches say: – Proper warm-up is key. – Mantras and visualization are helpful. – Do you think being calm is holding you back? – Swimmers listen to music before they start a short race. Nina asks: Up until last year, I had severe anemia that I managed to cure through iron supplements. At my worst I could barely run 400m at a 10-minute mile pace. Since my recovery, my running improved enormously, allowing me to run 10k in 48 minutes 2 months after I could barely run at all. However, my physical strength hasn’t changed much and my legs are still weak from 2 years of incredibly slow and sluggish running. Since my one year of faster, iron-fuelled running, I have had 5 bad injuries that stopped me from running at all for 2 weeks or more. I know this is due to my muscular weakness. Now, I know that everyone says that strength training is the panacea but literally every time I try to do a strength workout (squats, lunges, wall sits, single leg stuff) I am so incredibly sore for 4-5 days after and feel like I’ve torn myself apart! This is despite not pushing myself too hard doing the strength exercises (I do mostly bodyweight, sometimes with very light dumbbells). However, I successfully adapted to using the stairmill in a few weeks and naively hope that it can give me strength for injury prevention and faster running without the absolute agony of squat DOMs. How can I g

Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code “enduranceplanet” if you’re shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out the UCAN bars with peach and also another flavor with coffee beans for an added kick! Sponsor: Check out the new highly anticipated HealthFit University and how you can join this aerobic revolution. Health Fit U is led by health and fitness experts Dr. Mark Cucuzzella, Dr. Phil Maffetone, Ian Adamson, Jeff Vernon, Robin Desjardins and EP’s own Tawnee Gibson. Whether you’re a healthcare professional, fitness coach, trainer, or recreational or competitive athlete, HealthFit U is open to you with educational seminars and online resources that aim to help you and your clients build balanced, fat-burning, energized bodies for optimal performance. The next Health Fit U seminar is September 29-30, in Ranson, West Virginia. Book before Sept. 1 and save $50. Some other benefits of HealthFit U that you will love: • Certifies coaches specializing in endurance, strength, health and corporate. • Certifies health practitioners and offers CMEs and other continuing education credits. • Will post coaches and practitioners for referrals. Coach Lucho and Coach Brock began this episode of “Ask The Coaches” by discussing: – “Enclothed cognition“: how what you’re wearing has a significant impact on psychological processes (like, if Lucho is wearing cowboy boots, he won’t be tempted to over-exercise) – How your brain uses significant energy, and why cognitive tasks can be just as fatiguing as physical workouts (see research by Dr. Samuele Marcora) – Social media notifications can stimulate a dopamine response similar to sex (this scientific article defines “pleasure-only” activities—social media and meaningless sex among them—and explains why they harm our biopsychological health) Then they answered the following questions: Kev asks: My question is – I’ve noticed it a lot over the years – that during my short/superhard runs & races, my heart rate climbs normally along with the effect and then drops quite rapidly, then after a minute it slowly climbs back up. This effect has been repeated a few times with 2 different watches and 3 different heart rates. I always seem to be breathing hard while racing and always feel my legs will last longer than the lungs. I’m 44, been running for 9 years, resting HR around 55-65 and max 207 https://www.strava.com/activities/1696142939/overview Is this anything to worry about? It’s never an issue on the longer ultra paced events. The coaches say… – Could be bradycardia or vasovagal syncope. – Blood pooling in the lower extremities could also cause it. – If you find your heart rate is dropping on a regular basis during exercise, you should check with your doctor to determine if you have a heart arrhythmia. Kenneth asks: I am interested in finding information on using rate of perceived of effort (RPE) along with the MAF method rather than a heart rate monitor. Can you point me in the right direction? The coaches say… – Brock has a Get-Fit Guy article about that. – This study has some insight on RPE accuracy: The researchers had 2,560 Caucasian men and women between 17 and 44 years old completed incremental exercise tests on treadmills or stationary bikes. Their heart rate, blood lactate concentration, and Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) were all simultaneously measured. Rating of perceived exertion was strongly correlated with heart rate and blood lactate. They concluded that “Borg’s RPE seems to be an affordable, practical and valid tool for monitoring and prescribing exercise intensity, independent of gender, age, exercise modality, physical activity level and Coronary Artery Disease status.” Tim asks: Yesterday at 48 years old, I won a mountainous 1/2 marathon with about 170 participants. I use many of the primal blueprint principles such as aerobic base periods (late winter and spring), heat and cold exposure, fasting, and weight training. I started with a 50 mile ultra with 13,000 of vert in June. During my race season (late June-September) I am much busier. During this time I do quite of a bit of weight training (I’ve been doing weights for 30 years), more sprinting, full body circuit training and MSP workouts. Midsummer my run volume is lower with more intensity, and every 7-10 days I do a long run. Essentially I reserve my intense training for my early race season. I will now add more overall volume (I will have more time) but reduce intensity focusing on my September races.

Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code “enduranceplanet” if you’re shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out the UCAN bars with peach and also another flavor with coffee beans for an added kick! Sponsor: Check out the new highly anticipated HealthFit University and how you can join this aerobic revolution. Health Fit U is led by health and fitness experts Dr. Mark Cucuzzella, Dr. Phil Maffetone, Ian Adamson, Jeff Vernon, Robin Desjardins and EP’s own Tawnee Gibson. Whether you’re a healthcare professional, fitness coach, trainer, or recreational or competitive athlete, HealthFit U is open to you with educational seminars and online resources that aim to help you and your clients build balanced, fat-burning, energized bodies for optimal performance. The next Health Fit U seminar is September 29-30, in Ranson, West Virginia. Book before Sept. 1 and save $50. Some other benefits of HealthFit U that you will love: • Certifies coaches specializing in endurance, strength, health and corporate. • Certifies health practitioners and offers CMEs and other continuing education credits. • Will post coaches and practitioners for referrals. In this 266th episode of “Ask The Coaches,” Coach Lucho and Coach Brock answer the following questions: Amar asks: Hi, I went to a new gym recently and they had these new treadmills. They were curved and had no motors! I did a little googling and didn’t find anything concrete on the effectiveness of these treadmills for endurance training. What are your thoughts? Here is a link of the ones at my gym – woodway.com/products/curve The coaches say… – The physiological and perceptual demands of running on a curved non-motorised treadmill: Implications for self-paced training – Researchers found that runners work about 30 percent harder on the curved, non-motorized treadmills. – Instead of making a conscious decision to speed up or slow down and then pressing buttons, the curved treadmill allows runners to self-regulate with every footfall, just as they would outdoors. David asks: I looking for some advice regarding bilateral breathing. I’ve been toying with the idea of trying a tri; I’m usually a runner but the diversity of exercise from a tri is really appealing. I’ve gotten my swim together ok, nothing fast, but I feel I got the technical aspect down… except for bilateral breathing. I’m really comfortable breathing out of one side, but I can’t seem to even turn enough to the other side to get a breath in. I’m ready to quit on the concept but I keep hearing/reading that it’s such an essential part of swimming. Do you guys have any tips, drills, ideas to help that I can do on my own… I know masters or a coach would also help me a lot. Thanks! The coaches say: – Practice box breathing – especially holding a breath on the exhale. – Side swimming drills – especially on your non-dominant side. – Practice your body rotation. – Use fins for the first little while. – Check out www.swimsmooth.com Rob asks: I have a complicated shoe question for you all that no shoe company, friend or my chiropractor can answer. I am throwing it to you all. Every shoe I wear (Altra lone peaks and Kings, Saucony Peregrines and Xodus, Montrails, Brooks) all blow out on either the medial or lateral sides of my shoes at the bony prominence behind the large knuckle of the big toe or around the base of the little toe. I have sized up (10.5-11) and have run the same at 10.5. I thought 11 would work because in one of my everyday shoes, I wear a size 44 or size 10.5 or 11 depending on the manufacturer. I have been doing a lot of squats this season, and have noticed some weaknesses in my abductors and adductors, it’s have been especially bad, but this does not account for the last several seasons of blowouts. I know how to fix the leg issues, I don’t think this is the source of the shoe blowouts. Do you guys have any ideas? One idea that was floated was that the terrain here in the East is especially brutal and rotational forces on the ball of the foot cause the fabric to blow out. I am a forefoot striker, with what is considered a chi running style. Anyway, I tend to float on the balls of my feet for my footfalls and takeoffs. The coaches say: – Forefoot runners can also put on the “brakes” when their foot plants which can cause it to slide on the inside of the shoe. – Sounds like a foot shape issue not a footfall or body weakness. Scott asks: I am a 36-year-old runner (37 on 17th July) of 4-5 years who is on a journey to break 2:

Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code “enduranceplanet” if you’re shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out the UCAN bars with peach and also another flavor with coffee beans for an added kick! Sponsor: Get your hands on the athlete’s secret weapon, PerfectAmino, which comes in powder or pill-form, and features all the essential amino acids in the exact ratios needed to ensure proper protein synthesis in the body. BodyHealth, the makers of Perfect Amino, also offers well-formulated natural vitamins and supplements to meet your other needs including their Body Detox, Healthy Sleep Ultra, Intestinal Cleanse, weight loss aids, and more. In this episode of Ask the Coaches with Brock Armstrong and Lucho, we answer these audience questions: Michael asks: Hello, I’m from the midwest and have been an endurance athlete for 10 years. I’ve been racing Xterra (off-road triathlons) for the last three years. For 2018, I qualified for the Xterra World Championships in Maui. After reviewing the course online, there are some unique terrain challenges that will be difficult to simulate in the midwest. The race is at the end of October. I will prepare for about 14-weeks. I usually spend around 15-hours per week training, including weight training days. So a couple questions: Ocean swim… I’m comfortable in the ocean and waves, but I’ve never “raced” in the ocean. Any tips on how to prepare for an ocean swim while only having access to a pool and occasional open water lake swim? Tricks for spotting or breathing with waves? Bike… Maui features almost 3,000 feet of climbing with long continuous climbs that will take more than 30-minutes. In the Midwest, our longest climbs are 200-300 feet that take 3-5 minutes. I’m currently planning for at least 4 rides per week with 3 on a road bike and 1 longer mountain bike. How can I prepare for so much climbing when I only have access to small hills? Should I ride more volume, hill repeats, intervals, all of the above? Run… Similar to the bike, Maui has 1,200 feet of run climbing. Training recommendations? Power-to-Weight… I’m pretty lean 5’8″ and 155-lbs. I’d like to shave off 3-5 lbs right before the race. I already eat very healthily. How do elite racers (especially cyclists) shave off weight while still putting in large training volumes that require thousands of calories per day? The coaches say: – Get into big groups of swimmers and get used to it. – Dive under waves on the way out and ride waves on the way in. – Use that hill as much as possible on the bike and run. – Push big gears before the hill and on the hill to make it “longer” – Train for running the downhill more than the uphill. – Don’t lose the weight too close to the race (if at all). Jared asks: I’m a soon to be a 38-year-old male, with competitive triathlon aspirations. My goal is to snag a Kona spot as I move up into the 40-44 age group. I recently raced Ironman Boulder and had a reality check when I hit the run. My projected 8:45 pace turned into a 10:00 something pace. My swim was was slightly faster than projected and I was about 15 minutes slower on the bike, which I attribute to some heavy wind. But I just blew up on the run, it was a hot day 95° and I also left my nutrition behind so I had to improvise on the course. 18th in AG finishing at 11:12:50. (10:13:00 was my goal) I’ve been working a lot on my run, and have even been PRing on some early season 5k and 10k races. I also and an incredible run at 70.3 St. George running my fastest half ever even with the hills! However, I feel that I’m lacking the structure to gain the speed and endurance I need. I would love to hear your thought on what I can do to improve. My run volume leading up to Ironman was 30-40 miles a week (hitting 50 one week) but I tend to default to a MAF style run especially for the long runs. I did a reverse periodization type plan this year with strides with most of the “speed work” in the winter. I also have Ironman Arizona scheduled for November this year but am considering deferring till next year so I can focus more of next season on that race. But wanted feedback to see if maybe another race this year might be beneficial. Would love to hear what you guys think. Other info if it’s helpful 5’9” 150 5k 21 10k 43 1/2 1:43 Marathon 3:48 (Open couple years ago) 70.3 4:53 IM 11:12 The coaches say: – Don’t defer to next year – you need the practice. – Get some structure in your run training. You need to be faste

Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code “enduranceplanet” if you’re shopping at generationucan.comfor that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out the UCAN bars with peach and also another flavor with coffee beans for an added kick! In this 264th episode of “Ask The Coaches,” Lucho and Brock answer the following questions: Fabian asks: Hi there, I’m experimenting with nose breathing. I generally try to nose breathe for as long as possible into a workout. What’s your take on that? Do professionals nose breathe during competition? Thanks a lot. (goal 2018: sub 2:50 Marathon in Frankfurt at the end of October) The coaches say: – The book Running on Air – Rhythmic breathing coordinates footstrike with inhalation and exhalation in an odd/even pattern so that you will land alternately on your right and left foot at the beginning of every exhalation. This way, the impact stress of running will be shared equally across both sides of your body. – Inhale to the count of 3 and exhale to the count of 2. You might count it this way: “in-2-3,” “out-2,” “in-2-3,” “out-2,” – Then switch to a 3-count, or 2:1, rhythmic breathing pattern: Inhale for two steps, exhale one, inhale two steps, exhale one. – Remember the importance of getting enough oxygen by any means necessary! – It can lower lactate. – Studies showed lower white blood cells. – It’s a fun tool/trick – but don’t overthink it. Paola asks: (1) sleeping before a night race (2) training between 2 races 4 weeks apart I have a 45km trail race (2820 metres / 9252 feet of elevation gain) coming up on October 1st. The race starts at midnight. I cannot figure out how to change my sleeping patterns in the few days before the race: should I try to go to bed earlier and wake up earlier? Or the opposite, try to sleep at a later time? Or maybe I should just keep my current schedule (12am to 7:00am) and take a nap in the afternoon before the race? On October 27 I have another trail race of 70km (+3400 / 11,155 feet elevation gain, some long runnable sections towards the end); what is the best strategy in the 4 weeks before: a couple of weeks recovery, and maybe a few easy runs just before the second race, or should I bring back some more structured training, like long runs, hills, and race pace runs? I am an older runner (52), not particularly gifted or competitive. I don’t have an A and B race, my goal for both is to finish by the cutoff times, but of course, the 70k one is more demanding and has stricter cutoff times. I was even thinking of going into the 45k race after a shorter taper (not completely rested), treat it as the last long run before the 70k, and then do a long taper until October 27. The coaches say: – Stockpile sleep so you don’t have to worry about the night before. – Use caffeine strategically. – Breathing exercises can help with sleep but avoid supplements and sleep aids. – 4 weeks isn’t so bad but stress recovery immediately after the first race. – Get in the water, no running (until soreness peaks), good diet (healthy fat). – 4 days of nothing, then short run, then slowly build up to 50% of usual volume. – Tempo, Hills, nothing that beats you up or breaks you down. Mike asks: Stiffness chasing my kids. I am a 39 y/o male with several 26.2s and was averaging 40-50 miles per week running before my recent downtime postrace. My kids like to run around and play and have me chase them all over the place in games similar to “tag.” It usually starts spontaneously and so there is no mobility or dynamic warmup. For the first couple minutes, I am awkward, stiff and so slow I have trouble even catching my 2 y/o. Sounds silly but how is it I can run over 50 miles some weeks and 26.2 at one go but have trouble at the beginning chasing after the kids? Is it normal? Any thoughts on how I can avoid or at least minimize that beginning stiffness? (Sorry, my time machine is broken so no making me chronologically younger.) The coaches say: – Warming up for life, not just exercise. – Perhaps you are stiff because you run so much? – Look at your diet for inflammatory causes of stiffness and places you can lessen that. – Age plays a role – but don’t let that be an excuse. – Dynamic Aging book by Katy BowmanThe post ATC 264: Nasal Breathing, Sleeping Before a Race, Staying Limber, and Much More! first appeared on Endurance Planet.

Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code “enduranceplanet” if you’re shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out the UCAN bars with peach and also another flavor with coffee beans for an added kick! On this episode of Ask The Coaches, with Lucho and guest coach/host Brock Armstrong we answer the following listener questions: – The study that Lucho was talking about: Sprint and endurance power and ageing: an analysis of master athletic world records Nina asks: I am training for a hilly 10k in 1 month and have been using the stairmill machine for cross training once or twice a week. My goal is sub 46 minutes. For the first few months, I was just doing a 40 to 60-minute progression workout gradually and going from 96 steps per minute to 117 steps per minute. I ran a 5k recently on the course that I will be racing on and I completed it in 22:49 which was an all-out effort (I collapsed at the end). Since that, I switched to doing intervals on the stairmill (8 x 1 minute at 160spm with 1-minute recoveries at 80 spm). I am hoping this will help my vo2 max. I find this shorter workout significantly more mentally and physically challenging so am hoping it will translate to better fitness for those hills. However, I read online that it is bad for your joints and that it’s cheating to run on the stairmill. At 160 spm I feel like I have to run up the steps rather than fast walk. Is this ok or am I negating the benefits of the stairmill by running rather than speed walking up? Also is this interval-based approach more effective for building fitness than doing a long and steady progression? Thank you for reading my long question! The coaches say: – Stairs are definitely less efficient than running so you use more energy. – Studies into whether they were as effective as treadmill or track workouts showed that they were. – Mixing it up is always a good idea but you need sport specific workouts too. – If you have weaknesses or instability in ankle, knee or hip, stairs are going to exacerbate that. – Lucho likes stairmaster rather than stairmill. – Getting out on a hill would be best! Amy asks: Hi Guys. I’m a running and triathlon coach, helping one of my customers train for the Vermont 100 in late July. He is 56 years old, has been using the MAF method since December, and we’ve seen big gains with his aerobic fitness. He’s now up to 3 and 5 hour long runs on Saturdays and Sundays and setting himself up for an awesome 100 miler. Here is our question: During these long runs, and on race day, what is the appropriate time or distance to stop paying attention to heart rate and start running by feel? The coaches say: – What you are describing is known as Cardiac Creep or Cardiac Drift. – Role of the HR monitor is as an external governor to keep you under control. – Running by RPE is generally best for racing – after the point the athlete is out of the “window of risk” of going too hard. – Use heart rate to prevent a mistake. Wendal asks: How does one estimate current marathon capability and set a realistic goal from data gathered from a recent VO2Max run test? Metabolic Turn Points: – 1st Vent Threshold, Nose Breathing Unsustainable, HR 141, Speed 7.5 mph – Aerobic Threshold, Metabolic XOver 50/50 Fat/Glucose, Lactate 1.5 mmho/l, HR 153, Speed 8.5 MPH, VO2 46 – Anaerobic Threshold, Lactate 2.5, HR 156, 9.5 MPH, VO2 57 – Max, Lactate 2.9, HR 158, Speed 10 MPH, VO2 Max 61 Test conducted on a treadmill at 1% grade. Started at 6.5 MPH increasing .5 mph every 2 minutes. Pooped out at 15 Minutes could only sustain 10 MPH for 1 minute. Test was preceded by thorough 15-minute warm-up and 5-minute recovery before test. Other Data: – Age 61, Weight 145, Height 5’7”, Resting HR 50-55 10 years ago my VO2Max was measured at essentially the same level, but I could run much faster then. In the last 10 Years, my 5K Times have slowed by 15%. I’ve been an active athlete for 45 years – Skiing at international level in teenage years to mid 20’s. Then local age group runner from 30s to present 61 years old. The Exercise Physio Conducting the Test said my neuro-muscular system way underperforms my energy system as I had trouble running at the higher speeds. They advised that this particular test probably underestimated my Max HR and VO2Max. Using a more standard protocol of holding the speed steady and increasing the incline would probably recruit more muscle fibers and result in higher Max HR, VO2max and much higher Lactate Levels. They suggested I

Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code “enduranceplanet” if you’re shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out the UCAN bars with peach and also another flavor with coffee beans for an added kick! On this episode of Ask The Coaches, with Coach Lucho and guest coach/host Brock Armstrong, we answer the following listener questions: The “reset your relationship with food” program that Brock talks about in the intro can be found at Weighless.Life. Allison Asks: I am doing my first (and only) Ironman distance triathlon in Hudson valley NY My goal is to complete it not race it. My question is about fueling for the bike portion. I have run over 170 marathons (4:10 average) and one 50-mile and one 48-hour, so I set plan on what I eat and drink for a marathon. Oatmeal, flaxseed, cherries, and coffee 2 hours before. 1/3 of a Clif Bar at 3, 6, 9, 12-miles. Gu at 15,18 and 24 miles. 1-liter of Scratch and water as needed. This gives me constant energy and a little something to do every 3 miles. The Gu has caffeine for a boost at the end. Total calories is 730 (over 4 hours but the same if it is 5 hours) so 180 calories per hour/ 90 calories every 30 minutes. I want to keep my nutrition the same for the run part of the race to make myself think it is just another marathon. The fall back will be Coke and pretzels. For the bike, I want something different. Ideally, should I try to eat twice as many calories per hour on the bike? So 180 calories every 30 minutes? I did a 54-mile ride at race pace on the course and ate 630 calories in 3:30 hours (Alan Lim rice cakes and Scratch = 180 calories per hour). I was not hungry. At the end of the ride, a had a banana and 16 oz of Scratch (185 calories) and then ran 3-miles and it was fine. Typically, I do shorter bike rides and don’t eat while riding so eating on the bike is something I need to work on. Do you think I should try and eat more than 180 calories per hour while riding? My Garmin said I burned 2700 calories during a marathon and 1640 during the 54-mile ride. So does that mean I need less on the bike and 180 calories per hour is good for both the bike and run? Thanks for any guidance. It is always great to hear you talk through different ways to look issues. Of course, it all depends. The Coaches say: – Brock is concerned about the amount of fibre you are eating pre and during the race. – Don’t trust your Garmin – Check out Brock’s Get-Fit guy episode about smart watched. – Always go with tried and true whether the math makes sense or not. We are not cars, even though the analogy is good. – 1 gram carbs per minute is a good place to start. – Push yourself to the point that you make a mistake. Chris asks: Hi, I recently discovered your show and am absolutely hooked! Great information! Background: I’m 43 years old and I’ve been in the Military for 22 years so I’m no stranger to doing things I don’t want to do out of necessity. Winning battles against the central governor is required training. Anyway, that’s all over now…I started running in my late 30s and have continued more or less consistently for the past 6 years (I’m 43 now). While stationed in DC for a year I ran six 50Ks, two 50 mile races, the Army Ten Miler, and a 20-mile race (all in ten months). Returned home in may of 2014 and then ran the MN Voyageur 50 mile that summer. Lately, I’ve been battling some injuries (Plantar Fasciitis, calf problems), and have had to reduce volume. Just ran a 3:40 Marathon on May 19th. My training now is anywhere from 25 to 50 miles a week, long runs 12-18 miles (this will increase significantly very soon as I’m training to run the Lean Horse 100). With a goal of sub 24hrs. 50k PR = 4:45 (2013) 50 Mile PR = 8:50 (2013 JFK) 5k PR = 18 ish 10k PR = 41:00 (2018) Marathon PR = 3:40 (2018) Question: This happened at the 2013 Mesquite Canyon 50 miler (my 2nd ultra and first 50-miler) There has been one instance where I believe I won the central governor battle but I have no clue as to how or why. To be clear I didn’t just deal with it and push through the pain and suffering…the pain and suffering and the urge to just lay down on the trail completely went away. I was at about mile 43 of the 2013 mesquite canyon 50 mile when it happened. Prior to this at mile 38 aid station I had been completely trashed, and severely dehydrated. I was at the point of a DNF but I sat at the aid station for 20 minutes and ate M&Ms and gummy worms and drank Gatorade until I felt like I could continue (very slowly). So I barely made it back up the mountain and felt like I w

Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code “enduranceplanet” if you’re shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out the UCAN bars with peach and also another flavor with coffee beans for an added kick! On this episode of Ask The Coaches, with Lucho and guest coach/host Brock Armstrong we answer the following listener questions: — Lucho’s Twitter feed including pictures. David asks: Hello – Haven’t heard Lucho nerd out on bike stuff in a while. So, here’s one for him – what do you think of the 650B all-road bike phenomenon? Are the days of skinny road tires on their way out? Curious on if anyone in the endurance planet family has considered/participated in a gravel race, such as Rebecca’s private Idaho, or Dirty Kanza? Thanks! The coaches say: – With fatter tires on smaller wheels, the 650B standard gives the same rolling size as regular 700C wheels with more cushion and grip. – I would use it for daily rides but not for racing (unless on gravel) – If you have the money, why not? – Would worry about where the breaks would hit the rim. Kind of need disc breaks. Hilary asks: I am a 48-year-old female age group trail runner who has been running various distance events including marathons and 50Ks during the last 5 years (prior to that I most ran road HMs). I’ve been plagued by nagging tendonitis issues (hip flexors, piriformis, peroneal tendon, and plantar fasciitis on the right side) on and off for the last few years. It culminated in a rough spring in 2017 where I couldn’t run, but last summer I lost about 25 pounds, reduced my inflammation with a low carb paleo-ish diet, and along with a lot of PT managed to get back slowly, first to walking and then running, and finally building back up to training for distance events. As I ramped up the mileage in preparation for a hilly 50K in March though, I was a bit less strict about diet and the injuries started coming back again with the increased mileage (the biggest week was 48 miles). The 50K itself was rough–cold, wet (rain, sleet, snow, wind), super muddy conditions that led to my feet being numb for the whole VERY LONG 8.5 h and cold and swelling induced nerve damage (no feeling in some of my toes for about a month). I took a couple of weeks off (except for one 15K race) and have decided to go back to more strict paleo eating and am committing to MAF training for a while to try to deal with the chronic inflammation. So far the MAF training has been humbling (I can run most days but there are some days when it takes me 2 miles of mostly walking to get my heart rate into a range where I can run). My question is can I still race every 2-4 weeks and still get the benefits of the MAF training, or am I basically shooting myself in the foot by doing any racing? There are a couple of race series I am participating in this year and I’d like to keep earning points! If so, is it better to race longer races at lower heart rate or shorter distances at higher heart rates? As an example, my heart rate during the hilly 15K race I did two weeks ago (after only one week of MAF training) was about 22 bpm over MAF on average whereas the crazy muddy, windy, rainy, sleety 50K (prior to any MAF training) was about 10 bpm over MAF on average. My ultimate goal is to try to get to a 50 miler before I turn 50! Thanks for your help! The coaches say: – You have to enjoy your training and your racing. We can’t tell you which is more fun for you. – What is a “short race” in your opinion? 5K would be ok. – Sounds like an anti-inflammatory diet is best for you. Check out this site for some info outside of paleo http://inflammationfactor.com/look-up-if-ratings/ Suzanne asks: Hi Brock and Lucho, Love the podcast and although I miss Tawnee (please give her my best wishes), you guys are doing a great job and are fun to listen to. It’s also cool to hear from a fellow western Canadian! I’m hoping you can give me some guidance. Quick background: 38yr old female; have been consistently exercising for 5-7hrs/week for 20 yrs- mostly running with a running group and doing weights a couple times/week. I’ve done several half marathons ranging from 1:50-2hrs finish time. I have an auto-immune disease and made the connection that the training I was doing was overstressing my body. Over the past 2 yrs, I’ve gotten away from training with a running club and have been focussing on the MAF approach. For the past 6 mo’s, I’ve been only doing MAF, hoping to build an aerobic base to build upon. The good: I have

Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code “enduranceplanet” if you’re shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out the UCAN bars with peach and also another flavor with coffee beans for an added kick! In this episode of Ask the Coaches, guest host Brock Armstrong joins Lucho to answer these questions. Craig asks: Hey gentlemen, after listening to ATC #259 I started to think about myself and how I coach myself. I’ve been coaching for 15+ years and have read almost every book on training philosophy by every coach possible. Because my athletes seem to do so well, I trained myself too. In the past I seemed to do pretty well too, but recently it appears that I am not performing as well as I like or should. After really looking deep into it, I think I am now “quitting” on myself far too frequently during workouts than in the past. So my question is when should a coach get a coach? There are good and bad sides to being self-coached and I am curious as to your takes. On one side I know my body better than anyone so if I know my body isn’t feeling great I shouldn’t do that day’s hard work out and move it. However, that same knowledge can be a detriment as maybe I am not giving my body a chance that day after an extra warm up. Also, Lucho I’ve heard you discuss you “reverse taper” in the past and would like to try it for my next marathon. Say mine is the 1st weekend in November, how would it look? Thanks again for all you do for us regular athletes. The coaches say: – Can you actually find a coach that you trust enough? – Being too easy or too hard on yourself is a sign you need assistance. – You still need to make a plan and write it out. Don’t just wing it from day to day. – Overreaching is uncomfortable and supercompensation requires that you don’t always feel fresh and ready. – Reverse Tape: after rest block performance can be poor. Do your taper start 4-5 weeks out, take 5-7 day rest block (reduce 80% of load), 2-4 weeks out bring training load up to 80% and then start to reduce. Kris asks: Dear Brock and Lucho: First please pass along my best wishes to Tawnee. I’m a long time listener and my heart goes out to her and John. My goal is to break 3 hours in the marathon. I come from a rugby and hockey background (living in Canada) and so even though I’ve been participating in endurance sports for 8 years I still carry a lot of muscle. I’m 5’5″ and weigh 152 lbs with about 8% body fat. I’ve done pretty well in my endurance racing, here are some relevant results: 2011 Boston marathon 3:01 2012 Mont Tremblant Ironman 11:07 2015 Mont Tremblant 70.3 4:53 2016 Boston marathon 3:02 I’ve run a 1:26 open half marathon and a 18:26 5k. I followed the Hanson Advanced Marathon program to run 3:02 in 2016 and loosely followed the Jack Daniels Blue plan for the 3:01 in Boston in 2011. I’m currently 44 years old. I have a busy life running a law firm, working about 50-60 hours a week and have two young kids. I have about 8-10 hours a week to train maximum. My MAF pace is 7:12 per mile. I have a low max heart rate. I have had a few field tests and never got above 165 max heart rate. I find running at my MAF pace to be moderately difficult. My run all day pace is at 8 min/mile with a heart rate of 125 bpm. With this background what would you recommend to get ready for my attempt to break 3 hours at the Scotiabank Toronto Marathon on October 21st? I’m doing a 70.3 in Muskoka on July 8th but don’t have any other races planned before the marathon in October. Should I follow Hanson’s model, Jack Daniels or another plan? Thanks for your time and keep up the great work. Love the show. Shout out to Brock from Canada. Keep well eh. The coaches say: – That race is flat and cool (often rainy with some breeze from the lake) which bodes well. Lot’s or Canadian records get set there. – Muskoka 70.3 is a gorgeous race but the last part of the bike is a beast. Be ready for that. – The muscle doesn’t seem to be holding you back but the key to getting those last couple minutes of your race time might be easier if you dropped some small muscle weight. Craig asks: Hey everyone. After 4 months off due to sacral fracture, I have been base building with slow, easy miles all on dirt and grass for 1.5 months. I want to get my Mona Lisa-esque stride back (Its a stride that’s a work of art but the beauty is in the eye of the runner, not for everyone). Should I use grass strides or short dirt hills strides (both roughly 200m) once a week to start g

Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code “enduranceplanet” if you’re shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out the UCAN bars with peach and also another flavor with coffee beans for an added kick! On this episode of Ask The Coaches, with Lucho and guest coach/host Brock Armstrong: Sol asks: Background. I am 39, been running for 4 years mostly MAF-paced, but with a weekly tempo run of 8-10 miles. And for the main part, injury free. Until the last half year. After running a big PR trail 5k last summer, which included a very steep downhill section, I received ITBS (cause & effect?), which stayed with me for months. During that time, I couldn’t really run much and I kinda lost motivation. One fine day, inspiration returned, I signed up for a marathon, started training but my fitness was gone! With 19 weeks to go, I began upping the mileage again and slowly rebuilding. I reached 60 miles for the week (which I had been at prior to the ITB injury) and a 20-mile long run 4 weeks out when disaster struck in the form of a minor soleus injury… (I should mention, my training plan was approved by the physio). Those marathon aspirations were over. I realized that 19 weeks for marathon training wasn’t ideal, but in order to jump-start training again, I needed to jump into it. Now, I want to do it again and do it properly. I have entered next year’s marathon, which is April 9, 2019. Right now, I’ve started running again, currently at 25 mpw over 3 runs and building up slowly. How would you structure and periodize the coming year? How long for base, how long for long tempo work, how long for speedwork and what kind? How many long runs and what length; when and how often? How much volume and when? What kind of races would you include and when? Oh, and here’s another question. Lucho has mentioned often that the long run is the key. Which of course it is. In context, it seemed that overall weekly mileage was not so important. However, my (prior) understanding was that long runs should not exceed a third of the weekly volume. Can you please clarify that. What is the function of high weekly mileage outside of the long run and how does the long run fit within it? Or, now that I’m rebuilding again, the “10% rule?” I’ve often heard Lucho say, ‘listen to your body.’ Yet those injuries occurred out of the blue… What do you say? I’m listening… The coaches say: – Get the book Ready to Run – We forget that we have lost the “born to run” ability after years of sitting in chairs and wearing crazy shoes. – 10% is a rule of thumb that doesn’t necessarily apply – you have to be an experiment of one. – Prehab prehab prehab. – Long run mileage depends on how long each daily run is. – Run a 10k in the fall. – Get-Fit Guy episode about placebo Aman asks: In the last 5km of a 70.3 and in the last 10-15km of an Ironman, I feel I need to shorten my run stride due to cramps or the feel cramps are coming. I am getting crazy cramps in the top part of my hamstring (I suspect it is my semitendinosus), When I cramp, it feels like I have a ball of muscle just pop out and it stops me dead mid-stride and I carry on like a pork chop for half a minute trying to stretch it out and massage it back to normal. While I can handle the pain, I can’t handle the feeling of needing to slow down from 5min km pace to 5:30 km pace just to keep cramps at bay. I never get these cramps in training, I run 30-32km long runs every two weeks and the following week my weekly long run is somewhere around 20-22km Average training weeks are between 15-20 hours a week. During these races, I am taking a gel every 30min or so and a salt tablet every 30min or so. If I miss a gel, it is because I am drinking coke or good old fashion RedBull (yet to give me wings)…. Any help would be great. The Coaches say: – This happens a lot. – The fitness is not sufficient from riding to run. – Get some massage and ART on the glute and ham. – Check your feet and how they are contacting the ground. It all starts with the feet! Bob asks: Coaches, I have enjoyed Endurance Plant for several years and incorporated MAF training into my 2-man Race Across America (RAAM) in 2014. I credit the MAF method for a strong performance in that race. I am a 55 yr old male, 5’9” and weigh 158lbs. I come from a road background and have participated in team RAAM six times. I recently purchased a mountain bike and ended up with a 2018 Leadville MTB 100 slot after

Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code “enduranceplanet” if you’re shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out the UCAN bars with peach and also another flavor with coffee beans for an added kick! On this episode of Ask The Coaches, with guest coach/host Brock Armstrong: Chris asks: I am 34 years old and only got into endurance sports over the last 3 years. I’ve always been overweight, even as a D1 athlete in college (soccer). I’ve done several 13.1’s, a few 70.3’s and am running my first 26.2 in a few weeks, followed by IMLP next summer. So here’s my question – Does MAF discriminate when it comes to weight? I have respectable times, despite being 240lbs at 6’0” tall. I’m a sub 2 hour 13.1 and sub 6 hour 70.3. The problem is that I generally am running at much higher HRs than anyone else I know or train with. I can run at 170-175bpm relatively easily for extended periods of time. No, my HRM is not broken – this is over several iterations. To the contrary, when I try to run my MAF pace of 147, I am stuck walking the majority of the time. I can’t in good conscience train for races by mostly walking. At the same time, I would like to be a much better fat burner. I do think that my fat burning must be better than my MAF efforts entail, as I have little problem completing a 15-18 mi run on very minimal calories. My 18 mi run this past week for example at an average HR of 159 only required around 150 calories during the run. So – should I use a different measurement to determine “easy” pace, or should I legitimately be walking? Obviously losing weight should be a focus, and it is, I am mostly LCHF and spend a good amount of time in the gym lifting, doing Lucho’s favorite, Olympic lifts, in an effort to improve my body comp. It’s so hard to find good endurance information for those of us who do not fit the standard athletic body type. So many principals are built on an assumption of body composition. Please help! The coaches say: – Everyone walks when they first start MAF. Well… nearly everyone. – Brock’s article called “Can Losing Weight Make You Run Faster?” and “Is BMI an Accurate Way to Measure Body Fat?” – A study called “Kinematic, Cardiopulmonary, and Metabolic Responses of Overweight Runners While Running at Self-Selected and Standardized Speeds” – Maybe your slow pace is close enough? 156hr would be very acceptable. Sabrina asks: I am a long course athlete. I love just being out there in a race and enjoying the experience no matter how long it takes me. I train primarily in Zone 1-2 (swimming 2 days per week, walks/hikes 2-3 days per week (3-4 miles), a longish run (7-9 miles), a longish bike (15-20 miles), a long bike (25-30 miles) and a long run (12-15 miles). I love the pre-dawn hours and watching the world wake up during a run/bike. My daughters, on the other hand, are into obstacle races (I was the one who ran to a family obstacle race last fall – and yes I completed it). On our way to their first Spartan Kids event, I quickly agreed to do a full event once my oldest meets the minimum age requirement. Then we arrived and the gravity of my quick decision hit me. I do not want to hold my daughter back on the obstacles…..she has a hardcore game face during the Spartan Kids events and finishes well!!!! I have no measurable upper body strength!!! This is no joke……I have spent years disregarding your advice to do offseason weight training. It is not a love of mine so it is easy to choose a different workout. I will definitely need a lot to avoid the dreaded burpee zone if I cannot complete an obstacle. The upside is I have 1.5 years to fix this issue. So where to start? And still be able to complete my races next year? Also, due to my kids, my husband has built Monkey Bars, a mini Salmon Ladder, and a rope climb in the backyard. Next 1.5 years race plan: March 2018 Local Half Marathon (registered) May 2018 IM 70.3 Chattanooga (registered – A race – going with my tri club) Nov 2018 Local Marathon I do every year Spring 2019 IM 140.6….One of those I am turning 40 things The coaches say: – Study on high reps/ low weight or low reps / high weight were best. – Start conservatively and build to the point where muscle failure happens at 12-15 Reps. That is your starting weight for each exercise. – Two days a week on non-swimming days. Bike days would be good. – Al Kavadlo bodyweight exercises Ben asks: I am a long time listener of the podcast and appreciate all of the ATC episodes that you and Lucho do, as you both provide unique and great persp

Sponsor: This episode is brought to you byGeneration UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code “enduranceplanet” if you’re shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out the UCAN bars with peach and also another flavor with coffee beans for an added kick! Sponsor: Join the Endurance Planet crew for a race experience of a lifetime! This year we’re hosting three Ragnar teams: an ultra team and regular-distance team at Ragnar SoCal on April 6-7 (THIS WEEKEND), and a regular team at Ragnar Cape Cod on May 11-12. Lucho, Tawnee and some awesome athletes will all be together for an unforgettable weekend. To get the details and join the team email [email protected]. Need more convincing? Listen to some of our Ragnar podcasts here and watch a video of the experience here. On this episode of Ask The Coaches (with the special guest coach, Brock Armstrong): John C Besides long runs, what type of training builds muscle and connective tissue durability and toughness? What training will help muscles and connective tissue develop resistance to the pain and stiffness from tissue damage that occurs during the later stages of a marathon? With just 3 Training sessions spaced out over a week consisting of Hill Repeats, VO2 Max Intervals, and a 25 Minute Tempo Run (totaling 2 to 3 hours of running a week), I can maintain a very high level of fitness. With this minimal training, I can perform to my abilities up to Half Marathon Distance (1:30 duration). In races beyond a half marathon, stiffness, pain and general lack of spring sets in and slows me down. I am savvy with regards hydration, fueling, minerals, amino acids, managing overheating, preventing neurotransmitter depletion and warding off fatigue. I would like to build durability without having to slog it out doing long multi-hour training runs. From experience, I know first-hand longs runs help build durability but have the negative side effect of taking up a lot of time and causing stiffness and tissue damage. To counteract these negatives requires adding additional training measures such as flexibility, massage, and plyometric training. I want to keep things simple and not have to devote more than a few hours a week to running, but still want to run a quality marathon up to my potential. Is it possible? Look after your joints: Inflammation Factor website and book, fish oil, collagen. Pre-fatigue exercises before running. Active lifestyle outside of workouts (standing desks and Dean Karnazes). Prioritize Recovery. Weights, box jumps, deadlifts, and so on for strength. Allison Just listened to ATC 250 – specifically the segment about the 30-year-old female whose MAF heart rate puts her at an exertion beyond what she can hold-the opposite of what usually happens for new MAF-ers. I’m so glad you addressed this question and hope you address it further. I have the exact same issue. I am a 34-year-old female-my MAF is 146 and I have a really hard time going this fast. Dr. Phil Maffetone did begin to address this in ATC November 29, 2017, but did not go into details. He says something like – “people get too fast, but there are ways to handle this….” but that’s it. I would love to hear more on this. Previous question from ATC 250: “MAF HR for 30-year-old female is very close to her apparent max HR of 165 (feels like she will collapse and pass out); used to running “aerobic” runs at 115-125 bpm.” Run a 5k all out and use that to build zones from. Switch to a pace based plan. Dr. Daniels. Modifying MAF to still get aerobic gains. Glenn I’m a long distance runner and have a constant upper hamstring niggle that I’m aware of but it doesn’t impact performance. It’s flared up after some back to back days of beach sports. I can lightly run on it but mentally don’t want to fully extended/push myself so I’m not training efficiently. I’ve got about 10 more weeks of base building before marathon training ramps up so looking to eliminate the problem. Could you please ask Lucho what his program for his situation looks like and forward if willing, please. Any advice would be welcomed. High Hamstring Tendinopathy? These are the signs: – Pain deep in the buttocks, upper thighs, or back of the hips that starts gradually. – Pain or discomfort when sitting down, especially if it gets worse after sitting for a long time. – Pain that is triggered or worsened by an activity that involves repetitive leg motion, particularly running or biking. The pain may even begin at the same point in the workout. – Pain when bending fully at the waist, for example, to pick something up off the ground. – Pain that gets worse when accel

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

Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by Precision Hydration, the sweat experts who provide personalized hydration strategies and drink mixes to athletes of all levels. Not sure about your sweat and sodium loss? You can start by taking Precision Hydration’s free entry-level Online Sweat Test and get a recommendation for a formula that fits your needs, or go the next step with their exercise-free Advanced Sweat Test. Then use the code “ENDURANCE15” to get 15% off your first order. 1/15/18 Calesse Trouble sleeping and waking up at night hungry My question is related to sleep and was sparked by your episode several months ago about chronotypes (fascinating!) I took the quiz and determined I’m a dolphin, which makes a lot of sense to me given my tendency to have difficulty falling asleep, awaken multiple times thoughout the night, and sleep most soundly in the wee hours of the morning right before my 5 am wake alarm so I can go run before heading off to teach. Do you have any strategies I might implement in order to minimize mid-night awakenings? I also often find that I often wake up ravenous in the middle of the night (usually between 12 and 2 am), despite feeling that I’ve eaten enough throughout the day. I’ve been working with a nutritionist to include more healthy fats and increase the protein in my diet and make sure I’m eating enough to account for my activity level (I mostly train for half and full marathons and typically run about 50-70 mpw, marathon PR: 3:10, half: 1:27). We’ve been particularly focusing on moving towards more intuitive eating and listening to my body more. (I’m a 26 year old female, about 117 lb., 5 ft. 3). Have been doing long-distance running since middle school. Ran competitively in high school, college NCAA D1, and now do road races. I also often have difficulty sleeping well on the night after I’ve done a long run or hard race, even when I run in the morning (evening races make it extra difficult to wind down, so I try to avoid them). Some strategies I’ve tried so far with minimal to no success: Listening to relaxing music at bedtime/ when I awaken/ reading a book Taking melatonin 30 min. prior to bed (now also incorporating L-theanine and Magnesium as well). Having a bedtime snack (cereal, milk, some Peanut butter, or a scoop of Generation UCan or sweet potato w/nut butter) Limiting screen time in the 1-hr. before bed. 5.Getting natural light during the day whenever possible. Going to bed/ waking up at regular schedule (usually in bed 9-9:30 pm, up 5- 5:30 am on weekdays, this shifts a tad later on weekends). Ensuring my room is cool and dark, and quiet. This has been going on for several years, and I’m sure has a negative impact on my training and recovery in particular. I’m also getting married in 2 months, so I want to ensure that my poor sleeping doesn’t negatively impact my soon-to-be husband. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again for your great work!   1/5/18 Mark T. I have a simple question, and hopefully not a stupid question: How do I know I’m eating enough as my training ramps up? I tend to eat clean and lower carb so I’m not hangry, but I also want to make sure I’m not undergoing it. I think I heard Tawnee say that fat adapted athletes still need to eat and sometimes this can be harder with hunger cues.   1/14/18 Frank I have been nursing a calf injury since September and have taken off running for quite some time, this Thursday January 18 will actually be 9 weeks to be exact. I’ve been on my trainer and do strength training, but zero running. Since I started endurance training/racing over 17 years ago, its the longest I’ve ever taken off of running. I am signed up for two Ironman races this year….IMLP (July) and IM Maryland (Sept). Do you guys have any advice on how to bring running back into my training? I feel that I can start running again, but not sure how much volume or intensity to include. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! https://enduranceplanet.com/the-sock-doc-ditch-the-orthotics-and-fix-your-body-plus-finding-flexibility-without-static-stretching/   12/26/17 Filipe dos Reis Big big fan here, have been listening for a year now, and I finally think I have a question that has not been asked before. Background: Ex military, since leaving the Air Force, went from my ideal weight of 96kg to 142kg. Started training again after 8 years of neglect due to work (averaged 90hrs a week for a few years) and now I have the lifestyle that allowed me to go back to training. After a few months training on carbs (mtb/cycling background) with very very poor results and no increase in fitness, went looking and found Phil Maffetone and Tim Noakes. Started on the 1st of May 2017 LCHF and went from 132kg to 116kg before the 1st of October, training only on the bike (too much weight feels uncomfortable running, or so I told myself) and I’m now running again.

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

Sponsor: Be sure to open Amazon via enduranceplanet.com—it’s just one extra click to link to Amazon through the sidebar banner (to the right of the page) or click theAmazon links in the show notes. Thanks for supporting the show. Our friend Brock Armstrong is back on Endurance Planet (and also back doing EP’s audio editing) and he shares the experiences he’s had using some of the most sophisticated, advanced biohacks in existence. He runs through a handful of machines, supplements and more to tell us what they are, how they work, his experience, the science and his n=1 conclusions on their effectiveness. At the end, he gives us his biggest takeaways on utilizing biohacks vs. good old fashioned exercise and diet. Brock is a busy guy these days: he is the host of the Get Fit Podcast and Workplace Hero Podcast, launching the Weightless Project, coaching athletes and much more. The biohacks discussed on this episode with references mentioned in the show: Qualia Nootropic (not a smart drug) Helps brain function and cognition Could it be the placebo effect? Dr. Daniel Stickler of the Neurohacker Collective Human Charger Blasts blue light into ears like light therapy (just 12 minute sessions) Can help circadian rhythm, jet lag, SAD, etc. Summary of published, peer-reviewed findings SARMS Not legal for athletes to take in sanctioned competition Why Brock was a bit freaked out by these Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators (SARMs) as Function Promoting Therapies Selective Androgen Receptor Modulator Treatment Improves Muscle Strength and Body Composition and Prevents Bone Loss in Orchidectomized Rats Vasper Similar to a recumbent bike Takes you through 20min of HIIT Occlusion therapy (blood flow restriction) Recruits more muscle fibers Enhanced muscle protein synthesis Cold therapy: Also includes a cooling device directly on body Ask The Muscle Prof: What’s The Deal With Occlusion Training? ARX Fit Motorized resistance training Utilizes a wench and puts you through extreme loads Weights vs. ARX (video) LiveO2 Form of hypoxic training on an exercise machine Levels of oxygen are adjusted Hypoxic environment leads to desired adaptations for endurance exercise, e.g. increased RBCs, EPO response, and other desirable adaptations Combined intermittent hypoxia and surface muscle electrostimulation as a method to increase peripheral blood progenitor cell concentration CVAC Machine (pod) that you sit in and it goes through varying pressures, i.e. a hypobaric hypoxia chamber May boost mitochondria and aerobic gains Cyclic Hypobaric Hypoxia Improves Markers of Glucose Metabolism in Middle-Aged Men Pilot study: rapidly cycling hypobaric pressure improves pain after 5 days in adiposis dolorosa Cryotherapy A form of “extreme” cold therapy for enhanced recovery how this compares to cold water immersion Recovery From Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage: Cold-Water Immersion Versus Whole-Body Cryotherapy. Recovery following a marathon: a comparison of cold water immersion, whole body cryotherapy and a placebo control. The Effectiveness of Whole Body Cryotherapy Compared to Cold Water Immersion: Implications for Sport and Exercise Recovery Brock’s takeaways from utilizing biohacks… The post Brock Armstrong: Testing Today’s Top Biohacks – What Are They, The Science, Potential Benefits, and Are They Worthwhile? first appeared on Endurance Planet.

Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code “enduranceplanet” if you’re shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out the UCAN bars with peach and also another flavor with coffee beans for an added kick! Sponsor: Join the Endurance Planet crew for a race experience of a lifetime! This year we’re hosting three Ragnar teams: an ultra team and regular-distance team at Ragnar SoCal on April 6-7, and a regular team at Ragnar Cape Cod on May 11-12. Lucho, Tawnee and some awesome athletes will all be together for an unforgettable weekend. To get the details and join the team email [email protected]. Need more convincing? Listen to some of our Ragnar podcasts here and watch a video of the experience here. On this episode of Ask The Coaches: BQ or bust! With a history of a 3:15 marathon, followed by a couple injury-laden years, how to get back on track for a BQ and/or sub-3 marathon? Is MAF training for the marathon the safest route to avoid re-injury? What kind of timeline for an aggressive marathon goal if MAF pace is in the 9:00s? Don’t do too much lifting if the goal is fast marathoning. Last-minute 50k training tips Coming off a marathon PR, what are the most important things to focus on for a hilly 50k that’s in 7 weeks? Hyponatremia issues? Triathlete suffering immensely in the heat and even wound up in the hospital after an Ironman with severely low sodium, swelling and feeling disoriented. What was this? Would taking more sodium be the solution or does it go deeper than that? Perhaps it’s an underlying health issue (usually subclinical) causing an imbalance (e.g. HPA axis dysfunction). What Phil Maffetone and Tim Noakes had to say on the matter in an EP episode Root cause could be hormonal imbalances or changes that affect the adrenal glands. The adrenals normally produce hormones that help maintain your body’s balance of electrolytes (including sodium, potassium and water). Too high levels of ADH (kidneys). Even small amounts causes water retention—brain dysfunction is symptom. Response to dehydration? Much more to secretion than we understand. Research: Exercise-Associated Hyponatremia “Other studies also have shown that the consumption of a carbohydrate/electrolyte-containing sports drink does not protect against the development of hyponatremia (35–38).” Women more at risk NSAIDs increase risk The development of hyponatremia reflects either defects in hormonal and renal control mechanisms or water ingestion that overwhelms them. “Currently, there is insufficient evidence to support the suggestion that ingestion of sodium prevents or decreases the risk for EAH; neither is there any evidence that consumption of sports drinks (electrolyte-containing hypotonic fluids) can prevent the development of EAH (1,35–38,42,100,101).” Recently retired from triathlon and am moving into ultrarunning and fastpacking, but finding it hard to train in an area that doesn’t get a lot of daylight hours for half the year (Atlin, British Columbia). Getting creative with training: figuring out routes that work, treadmill, involving the community to start a gym, etc. Close to marathon goal of 2:50 but not quite (got a 2:58). Debriefing and trying to figure out what happened to learn for the next one. How running your long runs too hard and too close together can destroy your race day performance. How to schedule long runs at an intensity that won’t hinder race day performance. Taking in UCAN and Precision Hydration as choice of fuel – probably an awesome choice! Looking ahead: How to plan training and races differently to get closer to the A goal – go back to a MAF base period first before adding speed and marathon pace work? The post ATC 254: Tips To Avoid Going Into The Marathon Over-Cooked, Hyponatremia Symptoms and Risks, Setting Sights on a BQ, and More first appeared on Endurance Planet.

Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by Precision Hydration, the sweat experts who provide personalized hydration strategies and drink mixes to athletes of all levels. Not sure about your sweat and sodium loss? You can start by taking Precision Hydration’s free entry-level Online Sweat Test and get a recommendation for a formula that fits your needs, or go the next step with their exercise-free Advanced Sweat Test. Then use the code “ENDURANCE15” to get 15% off your first order. Jae Gruenke, GCFP, a Feldenkrais practitioner and founder of The Balanced Runner. For the past 14 years she has helped runners from beginner to Olympian learn to run pain-free, efficiently, and fast. She specializes in helping those whose problems have not resolved with medical treatment and those transitioning to natural running form, minimalist footwear, and barefoot running. She teaches in the US, the UK, and Germany and also offers online programs at www.balancedrunner.com. You can also join Jae’s Mind Your Running challenge from anywhere worldwide. We’re excited to announce that Jae will be a new regular guest on Endurance Planet, coming on to answer your questions on running mechanics, injury prevention/healing, and more in the world of biomechanics and movement efficiency. Send your questions for Jae to [email protected]. On this show: Knees are buckling in and feet splaying out at the end of a longer race, e.g. a half marathon and marathon. What weakness up the kinetic chain is happening here? What specific exercises can be done to fix? Internal rotators are being overly used in these situations Anterior tib and peroneals are also over-used and overly active Not letting the pelvis tilt enough Peroneals can be causing knee to swing in Our left leg tends to the the stability leg Our right side tends to be the dominant side The fix: Support your ability to side shift weight Exercises: Hip drops – glutes and obliques, gets pelvis to tilt, do your “easy” side first Free Your Feet Relax shins and tops of feet The “American Ankle” syndrome Premature dorsiflexion Caused by too soft of shoes Fires hip flexors more, so hip extension will be lacking Why Jae doesn’t like bands around the knees for run-specific strength exercises Bilateral exercises aren’t the answer for runners Squats are NOT run specific (Jae’s recommendations vs. Tawnee’s thoughts on this) High hamstring pain and problems: What is the cause and fix for a dull ache in the upper hamstring? How did you get rid of this particular problem? Usually it’s the tucking of the pelvis (posterior tilt) and fighting a natural anterior tilt Differentiation of thigh from pelvis Hip hinges Why we need and want the right amount of healthy anterior pelvic tilt (vs. excessive anterior tilt issues caused by overly tight hip flexors) Pelvic tilt’s relationship with the head – straight? Help for a pretty bad externally rotated right hip, and coincidently, an hamstring on the same side. Is this something commonly seen in runners, and how would you recommend in dealing with it? Any advice to prevent this hamstring from flaring up again? The post Jae Gruenke: Fix Common Running Issues – Knees Caving In, High Hamstring Pain, Feet Splaying Out, and More! first appeared on Endurance Planet.

Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code “enduranceplanet” if you’re shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out the UCAN bars with peach and also another flavor with coffee beans for an added kick! Sponsor: Join the Endurance Planet crew for a race experience of a lifetime! This year we’re hosting three Ragnar teams: an ultra team and regular-distance team at Ragnar SoCal on April 6-7, and a regular team at Ragnar Cape Cod on May 11-12. Lucho, Tawnee and some awesome athletes will all be together for an unforgettable weekend. To get the details and join the team email [email protected]. Need more convincing? Listen to some of our Ragnar podcasts here and watch a video of the experience here. On this episode of Ask The Coaches: No more KPR (points system) for the Ironman World Championships and 70.3 World Championships, after the 2018 races. It is going back to a slot allocation system for pros! Our thoughts, and why we think this is a great thing. Zone 2 and Ironman: Is Z2 the right effort for Ironman? What happens when Z2 ends up being painfully slow on both the bike and run – despite training 10-15 hours a week at 80% Z2? If you’re walking the IM marathon does this mean you’re not aerobically fit? Or is it cardiac drift? Or more training needed? Or what? The importance of the long workouts for Ironman training. How to prep if you know you’ll be close to the cutoff times in an IM. Regaining mental toughness: When you lose the desire to push it – why and how to get it back? Will 20 x 20 milers help? In particular if a BQ is a goal. How to get back the ability to enjoy a little suffering, and why a little suffering is good stuff for all of us. How to overcome the desire to give up and slow down. What is the best way to incorporate hills into speed training? Track and hills: Is there a way to get the best of both worlds in one workout? Or best to do hills on one day speed on another? The benefits of running the downhills on your hill repeats to build fitness. Differences between short hill repeats (less than 1/2 mile) to long hill repeats (up to a few miles) and how to pace each – short = VO2max; long = tempo. Fat malabsorption issues What if you want to go low carb or Paleo but suffer from fat malabsorption? Figure out gut issues that are causing the issues digesting and absorbing fat! Usually FM related to: liver congestion (bile production). gallbladder insufficiency (bile release), or pancreas insufficiency (enzymes in pancreas help digest fat). Tests: GI Effects, GP OAT, and a good functional practitioner to guide you. Podcast with BG on how much fat we can absorb in a given feeding. Does your lactate threshold HR change with increased fitness? Or does LTHR stay fairly constant? And how does this apply to setting marathon HR targets? LTHR will change with increased fitness due to the ability to better handle and clear lactate. But for a marathon, there’s more to setting goal HR and pace than LTHR. Zone 2 & 3 training can benefit LTHR, as can training at LT. The post ATC 253: Benefits to Boosting Lactate Threshold, Hills v. Speedwork, Zone 2 and Ironman, Fat Malabsorption Issues, and More first appeared on Endurance Planet.

Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by Precision Hydration, the sweat experts who provide personalized hydration strategies and drink mixes to athletes of all levels. Not sure about your sweat and sodium loss? You can start by taking Precision Hydration’s free entry-level Online Sweat Test and get a recommendation for a formula that fits your needs, or go the next step with their exercise-free Advanced Sweat Test. Then use the code “ENDURANCE15” to get 15% off your first order. On this episode, we welcome back sports journalist Alex Hutchinson, who’s written a fascinating new book titled Endure: Mind, Body and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance. Pre-order your copy here (ships out out in February). Endure is a must-read for all endurance athletes! In addition to authoring books, Alex is Outside Magazine’s Sweat Science columnist and a long-time elite runner. He was on Endurance Planet back in 2015, listen here. On today’s show we dive into concepts presented in Endure. Topics covered: The division in the science world on defining limiters of human performance: Those who take the the human machine view (basic pays) vs. it’s all in your head view (the brain). Alex spent years researching for this book and also has a lot of personal interest tied up into the book, as he tried to better understand his own running performances. Alex’s story of ultimately nailing a sub-4 mile and how it very likely happened because he was being misled on his split times. What seems to matter arguably more than anything is how the brain interprets what is going on and how the brain can limit or enhance our performance. Central governor (CG). Alex’s time with Tim Noakes observing him and learning more about CG from the source. The most convincing argument in favor of CG: We slow down in a race, yet have the ability to speed up at the end? Why is this and why does it matter for CG? Alex explains the science of how we pace ourselves in a predictable way. Pain vs. effort – in order to understand your limits, you have to understand the difference between the two! When you’re racing a marathon for example, there’s a difference between pain vs. effort slowing you down. The importance of effort, the borg scale and RPE Other areas of research regarding the brain and performance The work of Samuele Marcoca on mental fatigue and brain training to boost performance. (Did it work for Alex?) The idea that training in a mentally fatigued state can be beneficial – considering so many of us have to train after a long day of work when we’re feeling flat. Transcranial direct current stumulation (tDCS) and the experiments done in this area. The recent Red Bull “brain zapping” experiments. A “neuropriming” device called the Halo. What does this thing do, does it work, and is it worth the $750 price tag? Brain doping – are we entering a scary new world where athletes can manipulate their brains to boost performance? The research is fascinating, but what about the real-world application to boosting brain power? Will it work? Does it go too far? Does it tarnish sport? What it comes down to… BELIEF “You can do all this shit, but it comes down to two guys on a bike trying to beat each other.” – Jesse Thomas, quoted in Alex’s book. The extreme value of the placebo effect – it works, as does believing in yourself, to enhance performance. The same cycling and caffeine study Tawnee mentioned in ATC 248 talking about CG is mentioned in Alex’s book in regards to the placebo effect and belief. What are the take-home messages in Alex’s book. What did he learn from researching and writing this book? What is our biggest limiter – or is it a combo of factors? The post Alex Hutchinson: How Much Can We Endure? Exploring the Brain, Performance Limiters and How To Push Harder and Farther first appeared on Endurance Planet.

Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code “enduranceplanet” if you’re shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out the UCAN bars with peach and also another flavor with coffee beans for an added kick! On this episode of Ask The Coaches: Article discussion: Stress fracture risk in collegiate cross country runners. New study in the JOSC shows astoundingly high stress fracture numbers in runners under 25. 42 cross country D1 runners, between 18-24 years old. 40% of females and 35% of males had history of stress fracture. None of these subjects met the recommended daily energy intake (i.e. energy deficit), calcium or vitamin D. 31% had osteopenia, 4.8% osteoporosis. British runner Bobby Clay talks about her osteoporosis at age 20. Glute activation exercises we like: Fire hydrants Donkey kicks Lateral monster walks – with or without resistance band Bridges Birddogs What is your opinion on the stepmill machine as cross training for endurance runners? Would it help to substitute some easy runs for the stepmill to reduce injury risk/ build strength or is this time better used running? Could the stepmill (which is like a giant moving escalator) be better or more or less valuable than the elliptical or cycling? Beet juice supplementation – for a fat-adapted athlete, would taking beet juice shots pre-exercise have a negative effect on fat burning? Beet It shots – 70ml with 20g sugar per shot, and the equivalent of 300ml beet juice Why take beet juice? The nitrite is converted to nitric oxide, which is shown to enhance blood flow, low BP, etc. Translates to longer time to exhaustion and reduction in race times. When to take? Effects peak 2-3 hours after ingestion. Don’t brush teach, use mouthwash or use gum after – ruins effects. How much? Usually 500ml regular beet juice is the sweet spot to get the effects, with slightly more being better, but this would be hard to chug down race morning! So see what the shots contain compared to this. The Beet It you link to is only 70ml but contain 300 ml worth of what you’d get in regular juice, thus 2 shots might be more effective – maybe one pre race 2-3hr and one during? Another protocol does 500ml daily, 3 days pre race then 250 ml day of. Don’t brush teeth, use mouthwash or chew gum after taking beet juice – ruins the effects. As far as fat adaptation, you have to weigh pros and cons. Does the shot spike blood sugar and have a negative effect on how you start off racing? Or not… and does the beet juice shot have a positive effect? Keep in mind, you can also load with other foods pre race rich in nitrates: arugula, cabbage, spinach, radish, celery. Study on beetroot juice’s effects for athletes. Alex Hutchinson article on beet juice protocols. Responding really well to MAF and run pace is getting faster: Stay the course with MAF or transition to speedwork and more intensity before the Boston marathon? How to set a marathon time goal for Boston – and when is it an appropriate time in the training cycle to start setting race goals (i.e. wait until the final weeks). Lucho’s advice on marathon goal setting Maffetone discusses how to use y our MAF test pace to set a marathon time goal. After an offseason, how should one approach the “rebuild” back to peak performance? What is the best way to get back to where you were after a long period of low activity? Risks of jumping back into too much too soon. What are “rust busting sessions” and why are they risky? Is a long slow MAF type build up the safest and smartest option? How your athletic history plays into how you should get back to it, and also how certain aspects of your past don’t matter. The length of the offseason or time off really matters on how you approach the comeback to training. The post ATC 252: How To Approach the Offseason Comeback, Stress Fracture Risk In Collegiate Runners, Beet Juice For Fat-Adapted Athletes, Glute Activation Exercises, and More first appeared on Endurance Planet.

Sponsor: Head to enduranceplanet.com/shop for a bunch of cool products and services we’ve come to love, use and endorse. Everything we offer is centered around helping you achieve the ultimate in health and performance. Also when you shop through endurance planet you directly help support the podcast so we can continue to provide you with great content always for free… Get started now on the path to optimizing your health and performance! Be sure to check out PerfectAmino, whether powder or pill-form, is an athlete’s secret weapon featuring all the essential amino acids in the exact ratios needed to ensure proper protein synthesis in the body. Sponsor: Be sure to open Amazon via enduranceplanet.com—it’s just one extra click to link to Amazon through the sidebar banner (to the right of the page) or click the Amazon links in the show notes. Thanks for supporting the show. The Sock Doc, Steve Gangemi, is back to tackle the topic of genetic testing and whether finding out your DNA via testing is worthwhile or not, as well as answer your other questions! DNA, epigenetics & on getting your genes tested: DNA is the long-term information storage. Via transcription, RNA is formed, and this is how the gene expresses itself = epigenetics. Circadian rhythms turn ~50% of genes on and off each day. Environmental factors are important here. Be careful of correlation vs. causation with genetic tests. Pros and cons of genetic tests. They may give data but not necessarily information that we can use. Even with tests, there are few things we can predict – it’s too complex. Timing is what’s important – what does that mean and why. Using genetic tests to make individualized nutritional recommendations, aka the emerging field of nutrigenomics. If your genetic test says you’re can metabolism a substance well or not (i.e. caffeine, alcohol) is that the be all end all? maybe not. health status matters. The athletes you see do better on a certain diet may likely have that encoded in their genes, due to ancestry and/or childhood rearing, and, thus, their gene expressions (performance) respond optimally when they re-align with their genetic predisposition – but this is not yet verified in the literature. Steve thoughts? Associations with diet improvement based on genetics (e.g. will some do better on low-carb, like those with FTO?), but we’re not there with genetic-based interventions. Take homes: clinical application and applying these tests to your own needs. Other health tests that may be more worth your buck and why. Injury and biomechanical questions: Help for patellar tendonitis. Ramping up intensity and/or volume too quick is often the fast track to injury, take the time to heal and utilize a practitioner who will provide hands on help. Should someone with a leg length discrepancy use orthotics? Or should you first identify if it’s a true leg length discrepancy or some other underlying issue that can be fixed? True leg length discrepancies are rare. The post Sock Doc 7: Why Genetic Tests May Fall Short and The Pros and Cons To Discovering Your DNA, Plus: Truths of Leg-Length Discrepancies and More first appeared on Endurance Planet.

Sponsor: Head to the EP Shop page where you can find products and services we’ve tested and come to love, and when you shop through us you not only support the show but you can have the peace of mind that we’ve done the work to find the best of the best out there for health-minded high-performing athletes. Like Sound Probiotics – EP fans save 10% and get free shipping. Sound Probiotics is the first pure probiotic plus prebiotic formulated specifically to improve the gut health and immunity of the competitive athlete. You simply can’t afford to be sidelined by illness or GI issues, and Sounds Probiotics has your back. Also on our shop page are the gold-standard supplements by Thorne Research. Whether for performance, improving or enhancing health, or all of the above, Thorne Research will have a formula that fits your needs and it’ll be backed by clinical research and 100% quality. For athletes we like everything ranging from Glutamine and Mervia, a powerful all natural anti-inflammatory, to multivitamins, B vitamins and digestive enzymes. On this episode of Ask The Coaches: Making a comeback to sport after cancer – where does one start? Endurance vs. strength training needs after your body has gone through severe illness. Mentions: Podcast: 8 Steps to Mastering MAF The 5×5 strength training program 10 exercises that keep you athletic as you age Metabolic efficiency test results vs. MAF 180 Formula for heart rate zones. How does MAF correlate with the crossover point on ME tests. Defining Fatmax vs. crossover point. Crossover point (switching from mainly fat burning to majority carb burning) compared with LT – correlated. If MAF is <145 HR but crossover point is >165 HR, what is a “safe” aerobic zone to train in? The tradeoff between burning more fat and getting faster – fat burning is great, to an extent. Mentions: Podcast with Phil Maffetone and Alan Couzens on metabolic testing and MAF HRV issues (seen on SweetBeat app) Should a young 20-something female athlete expect to see a chronically low HRV? What could be causing this? Troubleshooting HRV: check the hardware (HRM strap, etc), what you’re doing when you’re testing, etc. How HRV figures out your personalized “norm” to assess readiness to train. When low HRV is a red flag that something else might be wrong and it’s time to get health checked, as well as stress levels. Training goals: go with “if it’s not broke don’t fix it” or give MAF a try? When and why you should stay the course with your training vs. switch things up, e.g. try out MAF. MAF vs. nasal breathing If you can breath through your nose at a heart rate higher than your MAF, does this mean you should bump up your MAF/aerobic heart rate? Is this an example of MAF not fitting right for master’s athletes (i.e. MAF HR at 50+ is too easy).  The post ATC 251: Setting Heart Rate Zones using Metabolic Efficiency vs. MAF 180 Formula, Strength Training After Illness, HRV Troubleshooting, Nasal Breathing, and More first appeared on Endurance Planet.

Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code “enduranceplanet” if you’re shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out the UCAN bars with peach and also another flavor with coffee beans for an added kick! On this episode of Sports Nutrition with Ben Greenfield: Pregnancy mentions The Mama Natural Week by Week Guide to Pregnancy & Childbirth Our thoughts on the new Maurten sports drink. Said to be the world’s most carbohydrate-rich sports drink & big in the marathon and running world. Can you make a drink similar to this at home? The difference in Maurten is that this sports drink is that it’s built on hydrogel technology, which according to their website means that it “converts to hydrogel in the acidity of the stomach. The hydrogel enables a smooth transportation of the drink through the stomach to the intestine where the water, salt and carbohydrates are absorbed.” GI distress and abdominal cramping during the 2017 World Multisport Championships – standard distance duathlon. It never happens in training, only racing and only on the run. Working with a new pre-race and race nutrition protocol. How does a slight cold, barely sleeping and high nerves factor in? For women how does being in the late luteal phase of your cycle factor into race performance? Would it help to start implementing more liquid nutrition to avoid Gi issues from constantly happening? Thinking outside the box: For GI issues consider Paul Chek’s abdominal tension method as well as the “gut smash” coined by Jill Miller. Tawnee recommends some supplements for women to consider taking in the days pre-race if they’ll be in the luteal phase on race day or starting their period. Ben once mentioned pH and using bi-carb to get the system back to an alkaline – could he clarify? is this looking to change blood or GI pH? Lactic acids buffers Discussing more on beta alanine The post Sports Nutrition 238: What’s Up With Maurten, Relieving GI Distress With Breath And Core Work, Luteal Phase Supplements, And More first appeared on Endurance Planet.

Sponsor: Head to enduranceplanet.com/shop for a bunch of cool products and services we’ve come to love, use and endorse. Everything we offer is centered around helping you achieve the ultimate in health and performance. Also when you shop through endurance planet you directly help support the podcast so we can continue to provide you with great content always for free… Get started now on the path to optimizing your health and performance! On this episode of Ask the Coaches: Adding kettlebells to your home gym: What are some recommend sizes? KBs for a relatively fit woman Upper body vs. lower body Tawnee has 8kg, 12kg, 16kg and 24kg purchased from kettlebellsusa.com. Another alternative is a weight-adjustable kettlebell. Planning your first 100 mile trail run next season: How to train before starting a volume build for the 100 miler? Keeping your pre-training fresh and diverse with: Speed, short-distance races, functional mobility & flexibility, strength training, and/or slowly building volume. Working your weakness(es). First-time pregnancy questions from a female runner: Having a hard time sticking to a clean diet – cravings and aversions are crazy; wanting more carbs and no veggies or meat. Tawnee’s way to still get in clean fuel: powerhouse smoothies! Eat more? Even if that’s much more carbs? Not sure how much to still run – is 40 mpw too much? Cut back? Feeling super tired. Eating disorder past and feeling out of control of her body and not being able to eat normally. The post-exercise fueling window: What does the science say on the so-called “golden window”, i.e. ~30 minutes post-exercise supposedly provides a unique opportunity to refuel muscle glycogen with consumed glucose and/or dampen catabolic processes with consumed protein or BCAAs. Could this process behave differently in fat-adapted athletes? If you ate something before working out, and you didn’t have an insane workout (insane as in a 5hr ride or long tempo), and just aren’t hungry at all after, don’t worry about it. Here’s the thing with the research that shows benefit to post-exercise fueling: subjects are usually fasted or in semi-starves state before exercise, thus why the post-exercise window benefits are so great. Some studies support the idea that amino acids pre exercise are more important than post exercise. (BCAAs we recommend: Perfect Amino, pill or powder form.) Protein synthesis post workout can last 24-48 hours. 1-3 hours post workout is still effective. Have some more protein before bed, and adding casein helps. Fat-adapted athletes may not burn through glycogen as quickly but you also don’t want to fall into a trap of a hypocaloric state when in training, so you still need to eat when it makes sense. If you have another workout that same day, it’s a good idea to eat after the first workout. When MAF HR is hard to hold – stick with MAF or modify MAF? MAF HR for 30 year-old female is very close to her apparent max HR of 165; used to running “aerobic” runs at 115-125 bpm. Modifying MAF to still get aerobic gains. The post ATC 250: Post-Workout Fueling Myths (and What You Should Do), Pre-Training For a 100-Miler, Buying Kettlebells For Home, and More! first appeared on Endurance Planet.

Sponsor: Be sure to open Amazon via enduranceplanet.com—it’s just one extra click to link to Amazon through the sidebar banner (to the right) or click the Amazon links in the show notes. Thanks for supporting the show. Sponsor: This holiday season give the gift of health, wellness and elevated performance–whether to yourself or to a loved one. Just head to enduranceplanet.com/shop for a bunch of cool products and services we’ve come to love, use and endorse. Everything we offer is centered around helping you achieve the ultimate in health and performance. Also when you shop through endurance planet you directly help support the podcast so we can continue to provide you with great content always for free… The new year and new season is coming, why not give the gift of health and performance optimization! On this show we’re joined by coach and human potential specialist Brian Mackenzie and Emmy-nominated writer Phil White, who are both co-authors of the book Unplugged, which teaches athletes to think more critically about technology use and the tools to upgrade your fitness, performance and consciousness. Intros Brian was the Crossfit Endurance guy for a long time – how has that training method evolved and has Brian shifted away from the Crossfit mentality? Phil’s background and how he got into this project. Just how much is the wearable industry blowing up? (The stats on our phone addiction are quite scary.) Unplugged addresses the notion that wearables and data tracking can go too far this day in age. We have to be careful of relying too much on tech at the cost of listening to our bodies. We can literally fall into an addiction with our wearables, and add stress or go through withdrawals when we’re without them. How wearables can contribute to anxiety (e.g. “Oh no I’m not going to get perfect sleep tonight!”) Brian’s thoughts on basic heart rate monitors for helping one’s fitness progression. The important role of breathing in this equation of fitness. How nasal breathing may keep you in a better aerobic zone than relying on a HR monitor. Tips and routine to de-stress and activate parasympathetic after workouts that don’t involve wearables. What are good gadgets to have, what are the ones to ditch? Issues with data inaccuracy. Study that found some wrist HRMs aren’t as accurate. The best way to utilize wearables: Use it to learn then ditch it. (i.e. Technology as a cue, then leave it). Rather than using GPS nonstop, rely on your own directional instincts, which is shown to improve the hippocampus in our brain. Thoughts on biohacking as it relates to wearables. And more! The post Brian Mackenzie & Phil White: When Wearables Go Too Far, How To Unplug and Get Back In Tune With Yourself first appeared on Endurance Planet.

Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code “enduranceplanet” if you’re shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out the UCAN bars with peach and also another flavor with coffee beans for an added kick! Sponsor: Be sure to open Amazon via enduranceplanet.com—it’s just one extra click to link to Amazon through the sidebar banner (to the right) or click the Amazon links in the show notes. Thanks for supporting the show. On this episode of Ask the Coaches: Article discussion: Weight machines vs. free weights It’s not an either or – they work synergistically. It depends: What are your goals? Machines may be safer for some (especially those new to weights). How to keep winter training motivation high when it’s lonely and cold? Cross country ski season is here – while everyone else seems to be in offseason. Find inspiring documentaries or idols to watch and follow. Tawnee always love the film, What It Takes. On intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation. The fear of failure vs. willing to go for it even if failing is a risk. For more mental tips check out our Brave Athlete podcast. Training for long course/ultra when you have a physically demanding job as well. Training/racing resulted in an injury: piriformis syndrome. Did the combo of physical labor at work combined with 50k training lead to overtraining? How to factor in physically demanding jobs with your training schedule – usually the physical work won’t substitute training sessions, but the physical work does need to be factored into the schedule. Piriformis injuries – what are the usual causes: Increasing training mileage too quickly Running mechanics Weakness of hip abductors/glute med – if hips aren’t strong enough, then more strain is placed on the piriformis, which can lead to overuse, muscle tension and injury. Sitting (commuting) for a relatively long time How to plan your heavier weight sessions with your endurance training. Ultrarunners who need weight lifting legs, but finding that it’s causing the legs to be pretty wiped out for up to 2-3 days preventing any quality runs from happening. How much strength training do you really need based on your priorities? Periodizing strength and endurance training. When it’s ok to run even if your legs are trashed from weight lifting. Nursing mama wants to know how to approach training for the 2018 season, with plans to do an ultra. Focus on intensity or volume? Keeping a close watch on your body, and in this case breastmilk supply, to make sure your providing enough for your baby – if the goal is to breastfeed. When is it ok to get back to training soon after giving birth? It depends. Largely on what your fitness was pre-pregnancy, during pregnancy and how fast you heal from the birth. Tawnee says: Don’t worry, we don’t all have to be super moms – go at your own pace and don’t feel guilty if some moms can achieve more prenatal and postnatal. Dr. Tamsin Lewis speaks on breastfeeding for athlete moms. How do you decide training interval duration? Interval duration depends on intensity you’re looking to achieve. How to properly execute VO2max intervals – what’s too much, what’s too little and what is the sweet sport for interval duration. Recovery intervals play a huge role too. Using field tests to determine HR zones that will get you to the intensities you want. Keeping intervals appropriate to your needs and race goals. How much is too much? The post ATC 249: Free Weights v. Machines, Keeping Motivation High During Winter, Mastering VO2Max Intervals and More first appeared on Endurance Planet.

Sponsor: This holiday season give the gift of health, wellness and elevated performance–whether to yourself or to a loved one. Just head to enduranceplanet.com/shop for a bunch of cool products and services we’ve come to love, use and endorse. Everything we offer is centered around helping you achieve the ultimate in health and performance. Also when you shop through endurance planet you directly help support the podcast so we can continue to provide you with great content always for free… The new year and new season is coming, why not give the gift of health and performance optimization! Sponsor: Be sure to open Amazon via enduranceplanet.com—it’s just one extra click to link to Amazon through the sidebar banner (to the right) or click the Amazon links in the show notes. Thanks for supporting the show. Dr. Phil Maffetone is back for an instant classic on how you can maximize your fitness gains and longterm health simultaneously: MAF Method refresher: It’s not just about the 180 Formula when you pursue MAF, it’s a holistic method for overall improved health, wellness and fitness. There are 8 steps to mastering MAF, which we discuss in detail: Carb intolerance Inflammation Vitamin D Folate Build the Aerobic System Manage Stress Build a Better Brain Healthy Aging More: https://philmaffetone.com/method/   Study: Physically active white men at high risk for plaque buildup in arteries A recent study showed that white men who exercise are at a higher risk for plaque buildup in the arteries, and news has spread. View the article here. We get Phil’s take and what is missing: Calcification is clearly a dangerous sign, but a downstream problem. Two common causes are: Increased fat (especially pericardial) Low vitamin D Pericardial fat risks: When abdomen gets fat, the fat around heart also probably excessive – affects cardiac output, stroke volume and the athlete’s training and racing HR goes up, having a negative effect on performance and health. The importance of your waist-to-height ratio. Your waist should be no more than 1/2 your height. Study mention: American runners have never been slower   Phil’s new study on the overfat population (click link for full text!), and what they found: An increase prevalence of exercise among adults (up to 52%) But also a paralleled increase of overfat people (91% of American adults, and 69% of kids in the US). WHY is there this trend (i.e. more exercise but getting fatter)? How was being “overfat” assessed? Conclusion: you can’t outrun a bad diet.   What is a healthy body fat range to be in according to research and Phil? Normal ranges of body fat percentages–abnormally low, healthy, abnormally high: BF ranges Dangerously low <14% women (but even ~17% +/- could pose risks) <8% men Dangerously high >31.6% women >17.6% men Source: Lohman and Colleagues Phil says don’t exceed these following ranges; it’s where things start to go wrong: 29.8% for women 15.3% for men The post Dr. Phil Maffetone 22: The Eight Steps To Mastering MAF, Healthy Body Fat Ranges, and How Athletes Can Decrease Health Risks first appeared on Endurance Planet.

Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code “enduranceplanet” if you’re shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out the UCAN bars with peach and also another flavor with coffee beans for an added kick! Sponsor: This holiday season give the gift of health, wellness and elevated performance–whether to yourself or to a loved one. Just head to enduranceplanet.com/shop for a bunch of cool products and services we’ve come to love, use and endorse. Everything we offer is centered around helping you achieve the ultimate in health and performance. Also when you shop through endurance planet you directly help support the podcast so we can continue to provide you with great content always for free… The new year and new season is coming, why not give the gift of health and performance optimization! On this episode of Ask the Coaches: Reasons for seemingly getting slower (or not progressing) despite several years of training? Taking into account immunity (how often are you getting sick?), stress levels and mindset in gauging your fitness progress or lack thereof. Defining speedwork and aerobic sessions – make sure you’re not training too hard on your aerobic sessions or too easy on speedwork! When MAF seems like a great idea but it results in a walking pace that doesn’t improve. Is it true that ketosis should only be sustained for a limited amount of time? But what is the goal of MAF is to switch your whole body to burning fat instead of sugar? Cycling ketosis and low carb. There are more risks for female athletes undertaking ketosis (Tamsin Lewis explains here). However, some athletes thrive on ketosis and low-carb, hear pro triathletes Amanda Stevens and Pete Jacobs on their experiences. Dealing with serious gut issues for years, and it’s time to get answers: How do you ultimately determine if you have candida and/or something else, and what steps do you take to eliminate the symptoms? Test don’t guess! Gut tests recommended: GI MAP and GI Effects. In times of gut healing that is necessary, it’s best to put racing on the back burner until you’re better to allow for more effective and faster recovery. Tips on how to “beat” the central governor (CG), which during races wants to protect your from hurting yourself. A little CG history – The central governor is a proposed process in the brain that regulates exercise in regard to a neurally calculated safe exertion by the body. More here. Lucho and Tawnee’s give their take on the importance and validity of CG, with examples of how to train to overcome it. Tie in’s with the placebo effect – the mind is a powerful thing! Study mention by tawnee: Placebo Effects of Caffeine on Cycling Performance. Paraphrased quotes from Tim Noakes’ appearance on EP in 2013: Training – vigorous hard training, convinces the brain that you can do what you didn’t believe possible. Whether conscious or unconscious. Noakes speaks to the comrades marathon – training hard and training with people who were faster, built belief. You have to convince the brain you can do this. We all get to the point where brain says it’s time to stop; at ~65% of race, “you’ve done enough now you can quit.” You have to override that. Mark Allen is good example – failed 5 times at Kona, won 6th, then kept winning. He solved his mental problems. We each have to solve our metal problems. Every time you fail and quit, it makes it harder. Signs that CG coming into play? How can we override… Judge the first 400m of a workout or race – you can tell it’s going to be a good day or bad day. Brain will tell you what it’s going to be like going forward. Any indicator that tells you something is wrong, is indicator that you’re going to have a bad day. Only when your body tells you things are ok – that’s the day to go for it. First-time ironman and went faster than expected, with a 10min marathon PB. Average HR lower than MAF during Ironman marathon, what does that mean? Cardiovascular fitness base vs. muscular endurance – we need both to have a faster marathon. How do you train to be able to push harder on the run (relative to HR) in an Ironman? The post ATC 248: Mastering Your Central Governor, Diagnosing Gut Woes, How To Push Harder on the Ironman Marathon and More first appeared on Endurance Planet.

Sponsor: This holiday season give the gift of health, wellness and elevated performance–whether to yourself or to a loved one. Just head to enduranceplanet.com/shop for a bunch of cool products and services we’ve come to love, use and endorse. Everything we offer is centered around helping you achieve the ultimate in health and performance. Also when you shop through endurance planet you directly help support the podcast so we can continue to provide you with great content always for free… The new year and new season is coming, why not give the gift of health and performance optimization! Sponsor: Be sure to open Amazon via enduranceplanet.com—it’s just one extra click to link to Amazon through the sidebar banner (to the right) or click the Amazon links in the show notes. Thanks for supporting the show. Anna Vocino is an actress, standup comedian and co-host on America’s Angriest Trainer Podcast with Vinnie Tortorich. She has a fabulous cookbook called Eat Happy, with gluten-free, grain-free and low-carb recipes, which was largely inspired by the diet changes she made after being diagnosed with Celiac Disease. On this show we discuss: Anna’s story of finding out she had celiac disease and how it changed her life and how she ate. Taking a more functional approach to her condition and making diet changes to get her health back. Transitioning to gluten-free. Making gluten-free healthy not just another processed-food junk diet. It’s not just gluten, but dairy that is a big offender in athletes and those with autoimmune conditions. Dairy-free cheese options. Vinnie’s Fitness Confidential book. When Anna hooked up with Vinnie on the podcast she was inspired to go a step further and adopt a “no sugar no grains” (NSNG) diet, and discusses how this helped her further, especially in managing autoimmune flareups. Making healthy, clean eating enjoyable for the whole family. The recipes in Eat Happy are a great resource for athletes looking to clean up their diets or those who have gut issues like you. The inspiration to write a cookbook and why it’s no easy feat. Including desserts with low amounts of natural sugars – moderation! Real sugars vs sugar substitutes. And much more! The post Anna Vocino: Managing Celiac With Diet, Healthy Gluten-Free Living, and The ‘Eat Happy’ Cookbook first appeared on Endurance Planet.

Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by Generation UCAN Superstarch, the incredible fuel of choice for endurance athletes and health enthusiasts looking for burn more fat for fuel, optimize sports performance and keep blood sugar in check. EP fans get 15% of UCAN, shop now. You can also use the code “enduranceplanet” if you’re shopping at generationucan.com for that 15% discount. Join the revolution. You can burn more fat for fuel. Oh, and be sure to check out the UCAN bars with peach and also another flavor with coffee beans for a n added kick! Sponsor: Be sure to open Amazon via enduranceplanet.com—it’s just one extra click to link to Amazon through the sidebar banner (to the right) or click the Amazon links in the show notes. Thanks for supporting the show. On this episode of Ask The Coaches: We’ve recently had many general questions on what to do in offseason; here are links to shows where we’re talked about offseason structure, please start there. If you have a more specific offseason question that we didn’t address yet, then send it to us! ATC 244: Offseason Planning ATC 199: Base Training Pros and Cons in the Offseason And More shows on the offseason here In the meantime, today, Tawnee and Lucho share their top offseason strength training goals and exercises that we’re assigning to you for this year’s offseason… your homework: Tawnee’s: Strength Squats – overhead, air, single leg, banded, bulgarian Deadlifts – single leg, regular, SL with row Upper body row variations pull-ups TGUs – learn a skilled movement military press – half kneeling press KB swings – regular and single arm Split squats – weighted or TRX Functional yoga stability exercises – single leg crawls – bear, superman, crab full locust standing bow pose birddog Lucho’s: Nordic curl Split squats Lateral movements Hill bounding Questions: How to structure a training program that includes all the non-sport crosstraining and non-sport body work for injury prevention and more? Such as yoga, strength training, mobility sessions, relaxation, etc. it just seems like there’s too much today and a full-time job! Pressing the reset button and starting MAF at 52 years young. But at that age, MAF heart rate leads to painfully slow training (mostly walking) and it’s taking the fun out of training, so what to do? Health is a priority and goal is to train for half-marathon in 12 weeks and triathlon nationals next season. Our thoughts on the newest study citing the number of deaths in triathlon; read the article we reference here. If there is “risk of death” in partaking in triathlon, should we be concerned and potentially avoid it? Why we think – no way! How to make sure you’re low-risk and healthy for triathlon. The post ATC 247: Top Strength Exercises To Do This Offseason, Balancing ‘Body Maintenance’ With Training, How To Be a Low-Risk Triathlete, and More first appeared on Endurance Planet.