Science Of Ultra

I sat down with Spring co-founder Rafal Nazarewicz, PhD to talk about using real foods in ultras.

Is overtraining common among ultra runners? Are you running too much? Can adherence to the mantra of consistency open a gateway to overtraining?

How much do your training runs need to look like the race or event to maximize your performance? That's the basic question behind the term 'specificity'. Our four coaches address these ideas in today's Coaches' Corner.

What is the 'long run'; can it be too short; can it be too long? Today we simplify and demystify this enigmatic workout.

How valid are the most commonly held beliefs in exercise training that assume a reliable and specific adaptation to a specific workout? In this episode, I explain why we now view these ideas as too simplistic. We dig into how the basic principles that underly the majority of exercise training plans owe their origins to a theory of pathological stress-response patterns, which may not be reliable across the spectrum of sports. Then we take a four-step approach to getting it right, or at least better.

Technology gives runners the opportunity to run according to readouts and feedback from devices. To what extent should you use them?

In recent episodes we’ve explored how you can train your mind and body. The third area for training is craft. Everything from pacing, to hydration strategy, to gear choices, to foot care are part of your craft. Today, the part of craft we’re going to explore is downhill running. Downhill running is a skill. It requires deliberate practice and can not be mastered just by training the body or running downhill a lot without putting at least some thought into it.

Is there a general formula you can apply to taper properly for an event? Find out how our coaches approach tapering with their athletes.

You can train our mind, body, and craft. In recent episodes on training your body, we skimmed the surface of training endurance and economy. If you run a lot of miles, often on race-like terrain and run all out for short bursts a few times per week, you’re doing the majority of the work that will improve your body’s capacities. To further extend stamina, you may want to run comfortably hard intervals, the topic of today's episode.

This episode was recorded days after the 2019 Western States 100. My guest coaches each had some great insights and experience at the event, and we talk about their experiences and how training may differ among athletes for the same event. Watch on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/scienceofultra Connect with the Coaches: Krissy Moehl http://KrissyMoehl.comDavid Roche https://SWAPRunning.comIan Sharman https://SharmanUltra.comShawn Bearden https://ScienceOfUltra.com/coaching

Today, we take a closer look at focus, which is the first of our core features of a high performance mindset. From focus with mindfulness, you can develop the other features of a high performance mindset: calm, confidence, optimism, and trust.

If you’re going to do something that’s difficult, like running ultra-marathons, it’s important to have a strategy. Inside of that strategy you have to develop and refine skills through deliberate practice. Train your mind, just like you train your body. In this installment, we create an overview of training the mind.

The average pace for an ultra-marathon isn't very fast. In races of 100 miles, for example, the average pace can be slower than easy training runs. How do successful ultra-marathon runners pace themselves? How do you pace yourself? Is it true that you should start races, especially longer ones, like a stroll in the park?

Do older athletes need to train differently compared to their younger selves? Coaches Ian Sharman, David Roche, Krissy Moehl, and Shawn Bearden discuss training as we age in today's Coaches' Corner. Watch the discussion on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/loH878kbRbQ Each coach can be reached through their respective websites: Krissy Moehl http://KrissyMoehl.com David Roche https://SWAPRunning.com Ian Sharman https://SharmanUltra.com Shawn Bearden https://ScienceOfUltra.com

Running economy is one of the three key features in performance, along with endurance and stamina. You can develop your running economy through heavy resistance training, sprints, and volume. This episode is a crash course in how do it right.