The highlights include: goal race pace time, a prediction of other race times, and recommendations for training paces.

For example, in our 45 minute 10k time example, your proper training paces should be between 8:03 and 9:03 per mile for easy runs, 7:13-7:31 for tempo runs, and the calculator lists the specific times you should run for track intervals.
Runners should check on the McMillan Running Calculator’s training pace recommendations every time they have tangible proof of improved fitness (i.e. best time set in race, time trial, fast workout, etc.).

These training pace suggestions are really valuable information that enables you to properly plan and target your training. Adhering to the pace recommendations will help prevent over training and will also ensure that you are running fast enough to achieve your goals.

I think the McMillan Running Calculator is one of the best training tools out there. I hope you give it a look.

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For the next 24 hours, buy the book on Amazon and Steve will give you a number of freebies, including a 40+ page training cheat sheet to help you plan the best workouts.

Buy the book on Amazon, and fill out the form on Steve’s blog to get the freebies.

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A recent study has found that ingesting alcohol after exercise may hinder muscle recovery. Specifically, alcohol appears to inhibit rates of myofibrillar protein synthesis (MPS) – an important component in post-run recovery.

So although a post-run beer is fine now and then, it is best to choose a different recovery drink most of the time.

Plosone.org

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Some runners mistakenly believe that the body needs food within 30 minutes after a run, but as explained in an article by KMW Training Centers, the 30 minute rule may not be all it’s cracked up to be.

While everyone raves about needing to eat in the magical window 30 minutes post-exercise, be advised that your body is ill equipped to handle food during that time. Digestion requires proper circulation to organs like the stomach, intestines, liver, gallbladder, and pancreas.

But during and for a short time after exercise, those organs are only receiving 2-3% of total blood flow. Eating under these conditions can cause digestive issues like gas, bloating, nausea, and constipation.

Instead of looking for food immediately after your workout, allow your heart rate to settle down a little and your digestion system to come back online. Instead of the 30 minute rule for eating, the one hour rule might be smarter and more beneficial.

[KMW Training Centers]

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‘We identified two hormones that are stimulated by cold – irisin and FGF21- released from shivering muscle and brown fat respectively,’ said study leader Dr Paul Lee, from Sydney’s Garvan Institute of Medical Research.

‘These hormones fired up the energy-burning rate of human brown fat cells in the laboratory, and the treated fat cells began to emit heat, a hallmark of brown fat function.’

Around 10 to 15 minutes of shivering produced as big a rise in irisin as an hour of moderate exercise, the scientists found.

If simply shivering burns calories, think how many calories a runner burns when running in cold weather. Not only do you benefit from the usual calorie burning effects of running, but your shivering muscles “fire up” fat burning hormones.

So if you ever find yourself not wanting to run on a cold day, think about this study and how many calories you’ll burn if you can get out the door.

[Daily Mail]

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One of the most difficult obstacles in maintaining the motivation to run is the tendency to compare yourself with other runners. It can be difficult to accept when someone you know is able to run faster than you with less training.

In order to overcome the frustration of not running as fast as others, it is really important to understand how genetics helps determine running performance. The Florida Times has a good article on this exact issue.

The most important factor affecting endurance is the amount of oxygen the human body uses when put into motion. Aerobic capacity, or VO2 max, is the maximum amount of oxygen your body converts into energy.

Aerobic capacity is the best measure of fitness. The lungs take in oxygen, which is absorbed into the blood and pumped around your body, replenishing the muscles. The more oxygen used by the muscles, the better one’s endurance.

There are certainly things you can do to improve your aerobic capacity (training runs, speed workouts, etc.), but there’s no question that some people start with a higher capacity than others, and have an innate ability to increase their capacity at a higher rate.

The article has interesting estimation of the number of people who have won the genetic running lottery.

When you put natural fitness and trainability together, 5-10 percent of the population start with high aerobic capacity and 2-10 percent are high aerobic responders.

The odds of having a high aerobic baseline and a rapid training response — put another way, starting fast and getting faster — are exceedingly slim, between 1 in 100 to 1 in 1,000.

While seeing 1 in 1000 odds can be demoralizing, I would rather view it as a great explanation of why some runners are faster than others despite similar training.

Perhaps the most important lesson is that, in order to get the most out of running, compete against yourself instead of focusing so much on other runners. This is the best way to enjoy long term satisfaction with running.

[Florida Times]

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A recent study shows just how important altitude is to running times in marathons.

On average, each increase of 1000 meters above sea level augmented marathon race time by 10.8±0.6% in men and 12.3±0.7% in women.

Compared to race times in the Rotterdam marathon (held at 0 meters above sea level), the time taken to complete the marathon was significantly higher in competitions held at an altitude of over 700 meters.

In conclusion, the time taken to complete a marathon strongly depends on the altitude of the city in which the marathon is held. Selecting marathon competitions close to 0 m above sea level is a good strategy to maximize marathon performance.

Most runners realize that it is more difficult to run at altitude, but it is interesting to see specific time data to back this up. By choosing marathons that have an altitude close to sea level, a runner could be shaving ten seconds or more off his or her finish time with no extra effort.

Most marathons have a detailed course map on their websites with altitude figures. Make sure to check these out before making the decision to run a race.

[Libertpub.com]

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According to principal investigator Professor David Nieman at the ASU HPL the results showed that cycling allows the body to exercise for longer because it causes less damage than its impact-heavy counterpart.

He said: “Runners just can’t put in the same volume of exercise as cyclists without experiencing more inflammation, soreness and muscle damage.

I don’t think that there is any question that cycling is, on the whole, easier on the body.  It is one of the reasons why injured runners are often encouraged to cross train by riding a bike.

However, if you live in a big city, you know that riding a bike in a busy street carries its own risks. While runners can avoid bad drivers by staying on the sidewalk, cyclists are forced to be ready for anything.

Therefore, unless a cyclist is able to find a paved trail or a deserted road, I still think running carries its own safety benefits over cycling. What do you think?

[Road.cc]

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However, people who can convince themselves to go on a daily run set themselves up for great benefits down the road. As the article points out in one of the five benefits, running can be a great natural high.

Though some questions remain, the mystery was recently solved: the runners had not been lying. A high is experienced when the endocannabinoid system is activated by the neurotransmitter anandamide. Anandamide bypasses the blood-brain barrier easily, provides pain relief, feelings of relaxation, exultation, and dilates blood vessels to make oxygen flow more easily around the body (it’s even found in chocolate).

“Running is like eating chocolate” – now that’s a great motivator. Even better, the excuse that running hurts your knees is not only untrue, but, as the article states, research suggests that running can help strengthen the knees.

Therefore, instead of searching for reasons not to run, take time to understand the true benefits of running to motivate yourself to get out the door.

[The Guardian]

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According to an article in the Boston Globe, the key may lie in a small molecule abbreviated BAIBA.

The researchers are still far from creating exercise in a capsule, but the early work published Tuesday in the journal Cell Metabolism has produced an intriguing clue. The small molecule, generated by muscles during exercise, helps convert normal energy-storing white fat to become energy-burning brown fat and increased blood sugar control in mice.

By generating this molecule, the body is able break down fat and gain better blood sugar control – two of the principal benefits of exercise.

I think this research is pretty cool because it offers proof that exercise not only helps you feel better mentally – it also causes physical changes in your body that promote better heath.

[Boston Globe]

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