How much faster do lighter shoes make us?
When race day comes around, it’s always nice to have little things that you can do to run faster without actually having to be more fit. I think for most of us, it’s logical that if our shoes are substantially lighter, we’re going to require less oxygen to run at a given pace. However, what […]
Is festive sugar-loading a bad thing pre-run?
The holiday season is upon us, which means the sugar content in our diets will be on the rise. No complaints here; sugar is delicious! Plus, as runners, we can get away with eating a lot more than our non-running friends. When we run, as most runners know, glycogen (chains of carbs stored in our […]
Running in the cold might make you faster
Well, it’s November. That means that we have some cold days of running ahead of us. Before you spiral into a pit of despair, there may be some good news when it comes to your performance! In the past, I’ve written about how running in the heat can enhance performance even while racing in cool […]
Look around and boost your running economy!
When you are months out from race day, there are numerous things you can do to get faster. For instance, (surprise) you could run more! However, when you’re within days of your important race, the physiology you have laid down for yourself is already set. The money is in the bank, the hay is in […]
The gender gap in running, revisited
Last year I wrote an article about the gender gap in running. In the article, I talked about how the SRY gene is responsible for men getting a massive dose of testosterone, which leads to the 11-12% gender gap we see across all distances. Check out my full article here. The one area where there […]
Staying Cool (for ENDURrun.com)
This month, I have written a special post for ENDURrun.com on staying cool. Cooling down before, during and after exercise is important for all athletes, especially in severe heat, and especially for 160 KM over seven Stages. Tonight, ENDURrunners tackle Wilmot Line in a hilly 10 Miler as the humidex reaches the upper 30s. » Read the […]
Maybe You Shouldn’t Change Your Stride (Part 3)
Throughout the last few months, my articles have been focused on how we ought (or ought not to) alter our stride to enhance running economy. Last month, for instance, I looked at stride length, and how deviating from a naturally selected length will likely make you slower. This month, I will address one aspect that I have […]
Maybe you shouldn’t change your stride (Part 2)
Last month I gave an introduction into gait analysis, and a general idea of when one should change their stride. The take home message was that generally speaking, there are times when extreme form flaw can be identified and should be corrected. However, it is also apparent that there is a wide range of what is acceptable, a […]
Maybe you shouldn’t change your stride (Part 1)
Something I get asked a lot about is how to improve running form to enhance performance. I figured the best way too approach this very complicated issue is to do a series of posts over the next 2-3 months. This first post will simply be an introduction into the concept of what exactly a “perfect […]
Running vs. videogames: Which makes us smarter?
Whenever I get back from a run, I typically feel as though I can think with more clarity and work more efficiently. Not only that, I have sometimes gotten the impression that if I go for a run, my retention of newly learned information skyrockets. That’s why during my days as a nerdy chiro student, […]
