I went to Tambach track overlooking the Great Rift Valley in Kenya to do VO₂max intervals at 6,400 feet. Since the Kenyan athletes don’t typically do intervals on Mondays, it was nice to have the track all to myself. The defining characteristic of altitude is a lower barometric pressure, which keeps decreasing the higher up …
Speed-type distance runners, who have a generous amount of fast-twitch A muscle fibers, may benefit more from a high volume of interval training to improve endurance compared to endurance-type runners. Running many weekly miles at a low intensity doesn’t do as much for speed-type runners. Endurance-type distance runners, on the other hand, get a lot …
Today marks 9 weeks of living in Kenya. Here’s what I know for sure: 1. When you hang dry cotton T-shirts and underwear after washing them, they dry stiff, as if they have been starched. I miss fabric softener. 2. There is a lack of scientific and individualized training in Kenya, which makes the …
9 Things I Know After Living in Kenya for 9 Weeks Read More »
Running technique has a lot to do with the angles at which the runner’s legs and feet strike and push off the ground. When your foot lands on and pushes off the ground, it applies a force to the ground. As Isaac Newton taught you in high school physics class, for every action there is …
If you run with a dog or watch a horse race, you’ll notice that animals don’t stretch before or after they run. Most runners think or are told they should stretch before or after running to prevent injuries, improve performance, and alleviate soreness after a workout. Humans are animals, just like dogs and horses. Our …
Have you heard that 80% of your running should be easy and 20% should be hard? Don’t listen to that. The often quoted 80/20% intensity distribution is based on descriptive research on elite athletes who train 10-14 times (10-25 hours) per week. Elite runners do a lot of high-intensity training, but they do such a …
Inscribed on the off-white parchment of my PhD diploma is the vague term, “Human Performance.” When people ask me about the degree, I tell them it is in exercise physiology, since that was the specific subject I studied. Saying that I did a PhD in human performance would likely cause some confused looks, which would …
1) BAREFOOT RUNNING Kenyan runners don’t run barefoot, nor do they want to run barefoot, nor do they think running barefoot makes them faster runners. They run in used, hand-me-down shoes from visiting runners from other countries. They desperately want running shoes. When I took them shopping for shoes, they chose the most cushioned ones. …
I once coached a college runner who ran a 19-minute 5K who said she wanted to be trained like a 17:30 5K runner. So I told her to run a 17:30 5K and then I’ll train her like a 17:30 5K runner. It seems logical that if you want to run faster, you should practice …
Now that I’m living and coaching at 7,900 feet altitude in Kenya, altitude is always on my mind. I work with it every day with the athletes here. I have been interested in altitude training for a long time, and have published several articles and a book chapter on the subject. When you run at …