Racing Flats: How light is light enough?
Last month I wrote about how much of a difference light shoes make. In summary, the study I referenced showed losing 100g/shoe will result in just under a 1% improvement in running economy (RE) as long as all other features remain equal. At Health & Performance, this article generated a lot of good questions. The […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Just how useful is cross training?
Running is a funny thing. Often times our desire to lace-up is inversely correlated with how much running we are actually able to do. When we’re feeling great, sometimes finding the motivation to train can be difficult. On the other hand, when we’re injured, often ALL we want to do is run. When I see injured […]
Strap on a weighted vest to boost your running economy
Are you striving to become a faster runner? Maybe you should try strapping on a weighted vest when you warm up! Some new research is showing that by warming up with a weighted vest (similar to how a baseball player will swing a bat with a weighted doughnut before they step up to the plate), […]
