Friends: This week, I want to let you know that I’ll be voluntarily retiring from “Run Long, Run Healthy” in February. It’s time for me to move on to the next stage of my running-writing-editing career, whatever that might be. (Maybe a running memoir.) I’m happy to announce that you’ll continue to receive RLRH every week, and I’m sure the content will only get better.
The new writer-editor is Brady Holmer, who was my first choice for the position. Brady has a master’s degree in exercise science, recently ran a 2:26 marathon, and is already producing the hugely popular Physiologically Speaking newsletter. He’s committed to maintaining and improving RLRH.
I’m proud of the authoritative, specialized running newsletter that I began in the early Covid days, and I have been gratified by your support and readership. Thanks so much. Stick around to continue receiving the best and most evidence-based news about running stronger, faster, and healthier.
I won’t be too far away. I plan to contribute articles to the Marathon Handbook on a regular basis. You’ll be alerted to these and lots of helpful running content if you subscribe here to the free MH newsletter.
Stay well. Amby
4 Best Ways To Establish New Fitness Habits (And Break Bad Ones)
We’re nearing the end of January when maintaining those New Year’s Resolutions becomes more difficult. Particularly with the cold weather now settling over large swaths of the U.S.
Here, health-exercise expert Peter Attia, MD, discusses how you can use James Clears’s “Atomic Habits” approach to succeed at your Resolutions, i.e., your new habits. Attia reviews Clears’s four key strategies while providing a simple example of each.
1. Make it obvious. For example, arrange your shoes and clothing the night before to guarantee you get that morning workout done.
2. Make it attractive. Get a friend involved in an activity you both want to do more often.
3. Make it easy. Bring a lightweight resistance rope or stretch bands with you when traveling and wanting to continue your strength training.
4. Make it satisfying. Reward yourself every week (or month, etc.) when you continue your new habit. Make your reward consistent with your goal. That is, buy new fitness tools–not more ice cream.
For the full article, including the equally important “4 Rules To Break Bad Habits,” go to Peter Attia MD.
RELATED ARTICLE: Consistency: The Essential Pillar to Long-Term Running Success
How To Slash 10 Minutes From Your Marathon PR
Here’s the best news about Brady Holmer’s recent 10-minute marathon PR, which took him down to an impressive 2:26–he only ran 4 days a week.
Here’s what else you figured must be coming: He worked really hard on some of those days and also pursued additional strategies aimed at a faster performance.
Holmer, the new writer-editor of RLRH (starting in February), did a fair amount of training at marathon pace, and some even faster. I’m sure this helped him on marathon race day, even though it probably pushed his training beyond the frequently quoted 80/20 ratio of easy miles/harder miles.
He also “simulated” marathon race day on several of his long runs. He practiced his planned nutrition strategy while doing substantial miles at goal marathon race pace.
These might have been risky strategies, but Holmer paid ample attention to recovery. “I never ran more than two days consecutively, ensuring my body had time to absorb the training stress and rebuild stronger,” he says.
On his non-running days, Holmer rode an indoor bicycle, and some of these efforts were moderately hard. He did everything he could from a nutritional standpoint, including the consumption of more carbs while running and even occasional use of creatine and ketone esters.
Holmer says he succeeded because he “trained with grit.” This is true, and it’s essential. But he also trained with “grism,” a word I just invented. It means “grit + smarts” and should be a goal for all.
For a highly informative, complete summary of Brady Holmer’s recent and highly successful marathon training, you’ll find more at Physiologically Speaking.
RELATED ARTICLE: The Ultimate Guide To Cross Training For Runners
Marathon Paradox: Unraveling The Coronary Plaque Puzzle In Runners
Runners have been wondering for some time now: What’s going on with coronary artery calcium (CAC)? In general, runners live longer and healthier than non-athletes.
However, a few runners, particularly some who train long and hard, also have high levels of CAC. The important word here is calcium. Calcium makes the artery deposits hard and stable. So CAC isn’t as dangerous as the softer artery plaques that dislodge and then cause heart attacks. But who wants any amount or kind of arteriosclerosis?
Because as a new paper notes: “While endurance athletes are less likely to die from cardiovascular disease than the general population, CAC scores still predict cardiovascular events among athletes.”
A Dutch research team is obtaining some answers with its MARC-2 study. The research follows nearly 300 middle-aged male endurance athletes with a particular emphasis on their CAC scores and subsequent heart health. Those answers are both predictable in some cases and highly unexpected in others.
First, here’s what’s predictable: An athlete’s CAC score goes up at older ages and is higher in those with elevated blood pressure. Smoking also is linked with higher CAC. Finally, genetics is a major cause. Try to pick parents with a low history of coronary artery disease. (Good luck with that one.)
However, the following associations were unexpected: High CAC scores are correlated with blood phosphate levels, lower energy intakes, and lower intakes of fat. Normally, we would think that low calorie and fat consumption would lead to low artery deposits. But not in this case.
Advice from the Dutch researchers: “Aging athletes with high atherosclerotic burden are also likely to benefit from lipid-lowering therapy, appropriate blood pressure-lowering therapy, and regular assessment of HbA1c to screen for diabetes mellitus.” More at Cardiovascular Imaging.
RELATED ARTICLE: Does Running Help You Live Longer? The Life-Extending Benefits of Running
SHORT STUFF You Don’t Want To Miss
• When the military tries HIT training: Australian Army researchers wanted to see if they could improve performance and lower injuries among infantry trainees with less training but more high-intensity sessions. Result: no differences. (But all trainees were sleeping too little.)
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.
• How did Courtney Dauwalter get so damned good? Great question. The answers are even better.
• New insights on a super effective training plan.
• Yes, you can be fat but fit. And also live a long life, thanks to the power of fitness.
• Carb wars: Can low-carb diets sustain “strenuous” exercise?
• Stand up, then MOVE: Sure, too much sitting causes many health problems. But standing alone is not the answer.
• Run away from low-back pain: Many will be dubious. However, research says a simple run-walk program can reduce back pain.
• Dream big and focus on “infinite hope.”
That’s all for now. Thanks for reading. See you again next week. Amby
