Here’s your free but abridged version of this week’s “Run Long, Run Healthy” newsletter. Subscribe below to receive the complete, full-text edition with the newest and most authoritative scientific articles on training, nutrition, shoes, injury prevention, and motivation.
What To Believe—And NOT—About Running Form
The New York Times recently published a great article on running form—what’s good, what’s bad, and what you don’t need to worry about. The story succeeds because it comes from a knowledgeable writer, Christine Yu (author of Up to Speed: The Groundbreaking Science of Women Athletes), who manages to score interviews with several global experts.
Several of these authorities—Matt Fitzgerald, Bas van Hooren, Isabel Moore, and Heather Vincent—will be familiar to longtime RLRH readers, as their names and research have appeared frequently here.
What does Yu learn from them? That “running technique does matter to some extent, but certainly not as much as many people try to make you believe,” according to Van Hooren.
For example, runners are often told to aim for 180 strides per minute. That’s largely true for Olympians but not realistic for many of us. Van Hooren suggests that staying above 160/minute is a more practical guide. Listen to fast-tempo music to reach this goal.
Isabel Moore notes that many runners overthink their stride rate, foot placement, knee lift, and more. Her studies indicate that we find our best stride almost automatically if we continue running for several months. “Just keep running,” she says. “Let your body do its thing without thinking about it.”
Heather Vincent takes the cake with a great running tip I had never heard before. It’s simple, memorable, and practical. She likes runners to maintain a slight degree of tension through the abdomen “like you’re blowing out a candle.”
This will help with your core alignment on the run. More at NY Times.
RELATED ARTICLE: How To Improve Running Form: 29 Ways To Run More Efficiently
The Bean Counters Guide To Optimal Nutrition
A group of top nutritionists working together as the 2025 US Dietary Advisory Committee has proposed that Americans should consume less meat for protein and more beans, peas, and lentils.
Why? Because the beans contain less saturated fat and substantially more fiber. This makes the health results “more compelling,” says Stanford’s committee member Christopher Gardner.
Legumes are also healthier for the planet, says another Yale committee member, David Katz. They consume much less water than beef farming.
The more different kinds of beans you eat, the better. Each has individual strengths in addition to protein and fiber. For example, Fava beans are packed with lutein, an antioxidant; black and red kidney beans rank high for potassium; and chickpeas contain high amounts of magnesium.
The committee was charged primarily with helping Americans reduce the country’s high rate of obesity, which is linked to other chronic illnesses like heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Here’s some exact language from the Committee’s summary:
“What is the question? What is the relationship between dietary patterns consumed and growth, body composition, and risk of obesity?”
“What is the answer to the question? Dietary patterns consumed by adults and older adults that are characterized by higher intakes of vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, whole grains, fish/seafood, and lower intakes of meats (including red and processed meats), refined grains, and sugar-sweetened foods and beverages are associated with lower adiposity (body fat, body weight, BMI, and/or waist circumference) and lower risk of obesity. These dietary patterns also included higher intakes of unsaturated fats and lower intakes of saturated fats and sodium.”
More can be found on CNN and on the federal government’s Dietary Guidelines webpage.
RELATED ARTICLE: Fuel Your Running On a Plant-Based Diet For Athletes + 3-Day Meal Plan
5 Things You MUST Know About Running Injuries
This article comes from a website for physical therapists and heavily promotes a video behind a paywall. However, the basic information is helpful for runners aiming to avoid injury. In other words, every one of us.
After all, there are many times when we have to be our own diagnostician and physician, at least with minor aches and pains.
I particularly appreciated the simple explanation about why aging runners must be more aware of injury risks and how to avoid them. This leads directly to key point # 4: “Calf is king.” Because: “The soleus is particularly important, generating forces up to 6-8x bodyweight during running.”
Therefore, runners need to “include high-load strength and plyometric training such as skipping and hopping for the calf and Achilles, to prepare them adequately to perform their critical function in running.” More at Physio Network.
RELATED ARTICLE: 17 Benefits Of Plyometrics + 20 Great Exercises To Get Started
SHORT STUFF You Don’t Want To Miss
HERE’S WHAT ELSE YOU WOULD HAVE RECEIVED this week if you were a subscriber to the complete, full-text edition of “Run Long, Run Healthy.” SUBSCRIBE HERE.
• Does swearing help you run faster? (Yes!)
• Science Explains: The best way to bounce back from injury or layoff
• Find the midsole that’s optimal for your next pair of running shoes
• Do you know–or need to know–your blood lactate?
• Good news about Vitamin D and running
• How to tell if you’re over-striding. (And what to do about it.)
• Don’t follow cut-and-paste training plans. Here’s how to customize yours.
• Bill Bowerman’s advice on testing “the limits of the human heart.”
That’s all for now. Thanks for reading. RLRH is taking a 2-week break for the holidays. See you again the week of January 6, 2025. Oh, my, we’re almost 25% through the new century. Happy New Year to all. Stay safe and healthy. Amby
