Just in case you didn’t catch every one of our newsletters, we are once again bringing you the most-loved stories from the last month. It’s our way of making sure that you don’t miss any of our best content. Friends don’t let friends skip important running advice. Cheers!
If running leaves you gasping for oxygen more urgently than a fish out of water, the fix may lie in how you’re using (or not using) your upper body and your breath. According to “Surprising ways runners can boost form and breathing,” posture, breathing, and upper-body control play a bigger role in efficiency than most runners realize. Targeting four key areas can improve your overall running economy: spinal extension, scapular retraction, diaphragmatic breathing, and hip flexion and extension. We’d suggest trying exercises like supermans, rows, and hip thrusts, which can help reinforce posture and keep the chest open, allowing for deeper breathing. The shape and position of your rib cage is directly influenced by your spine and pelvis, so weak or tight hip flexors can actually affect how well you breathe. Once you’ve built that foundation, you can refine your technique mid-run with guidance from this Adidas story: “How to Breathe While Running.” Try belly breathing by inhaling deep through your diaphragm rather than just your chest, control your breathing cadence by matching inhales and exhales to your stride (like two steps in, two steps out), or experiment with nasal breathing to activate your parasympathetic nervous system and keep your heart rate steady. When it’s time to sprint, use power breathing by inhaling through your nose and forcefully exhaling through your mouth with a hissing sound to expel more carbon dioxide and boost oxygen absorption.
#AirBud
Every run happens one leg at a time, and according to some experts, maybe your exercises should too. Single-leg exercises could help runners sprint faster, balance better, and correct those pesky left-right imbalances that mess with your form, according to “Want to sprint faster and balance better? Science says train one leg at a time.” In a study published in Frontiers in Physiology, researchers compared unilateral (single-leg) and bilateral (both-leg) training effects on 20 male college basketball athletes over eight weeks. While bilateral training proved superior for building maximum strength and improving vertical jump height, the unilateral group saw better improvements in the 20m sprint test, performed better on the hop test (especially on their weaker leg), and showed much bigger gains in balance and agility testing. The study was small, so these findings aren’t conclusive, but they suggest single-leg work might deserve more attention in your training plan. If you’re ready to try it, “The Best 5 Single Leg Exercises for Runners” recommends several moves to add to your rotation, including single-leg glute bridges and Romanian deadlifts. They note that these isolation exercises improve coordination and stability in your stride. You can also check out Ashley Arnold’s article: “The 6 Best Glute Exercises to Improve Your Running Form and Prevent Injury.” She points out that sitting all day can atrophy glute muscles, so waking them up with targeted work helps prevent injury.
#OneLegUp
As much as we wish we could have a robot-like consistency in our pacing, we’re only human. Sometimes your body simply doesn’t have the specific output requested by a spreadsheet, and forcing the issue often leads to injury. We found a great alternative solution in the “Workout of the Week: Perceived Effort Ladder.” Author Jenny Spangler adapted this session specifically for busy adults who might spiral into injury if they chase arbitrary numbers on bad days. The session involves 90 seconds of recovery between intervals and starts with two 400-meter repeats at a hard effort. You then settle into two 600s and two 800s at a sustainable 10K effort before emptying the tank on a final 1200-meter rep at 5K effort. This structure helps you practice running fast while fatigued, a crucial skill for race day. If counting laps feels a bit too much like math class, you can strip the structure back even further with the approach detailed in “Swedish Speed Play: Get Faster Using Fartlek Training.” Fartlek is Swedish for speed play, and this method allows you to forgo the track entirely by alternating fast and slow segments based purely on feel. You might sprint to a specific tree or intersection, then jog until you feel recovered enough to go again. This engages your fast-twitch fibers and acts as a gateway to more structured speed work, all while keeping the stakes low and the fun high.
#OffTheRecord
We’ve all felt that moment late in a race when the wheels start to fall off and our running form looks like a baby giraffe learning to walk. That breakdown was the primary obstacle for Olympic triathlon champion Alex Yee, who recently clocked a massive PR. According to “How Alex Yee unlocked his 2:06 marathon breakthrough,” data from Yee’s London debut showed that fatigue caused his stride length to drop from 189 cm to 173 cm in the final stages. However, after a training block focused on maintaining length under pressure, he reversed that trend in Valencia, increasing his stride to 192 cm during the final 10K. While you might be tempted to obsessively monitor your feet, the Training Peaks article: “Improve Your Stride Without Trying” suggests that efficiency develops unconsciously through specific strength work, rather than trying to force it mid run. To stimulate these gains, they recommend incorporating drills like giant walking lunges, steep hill sprints, and single-leg running. Beyond strength moves, you can also improve your neuromuscular ability to produce force by performing strides. As explained in: “Running Strides Can Help You Become a Better, Faster Runner—Here’s How to Do Them,” the goal is a controlled acceleration to an 8 or 9 out of 10 effort for 10 to 30 seconds. By practicing good form at speed – especially post-run on tired legs – you teach your body to maintain turnover when fatigue is dragging you down.
#StrideAndSeek
They say if you want to go fast, go alone, and if you want to go far, go together. For runners, both solo and group training has its pros and cons, so which do you prefer: “Pack Mentality or Lone Wolf? How to Determine Which Marathon Training Style Is Right for You.” Group training offers powerful mental health benefits, especially when people are feeling lonely or disconnected. Running with others can provide motivation, hope, and a reminder of why you started running in the first place. Plus, if you’re training with competitive friends, they can push you to run faster than you might go on your own. On the flip side, “Benefits of Running Solo Versus in a Group” points out that solo running allows you to focus on your own goals without worrying about matching schedules or accommodating different paces. You can set your own route, train at the intensity you need, and build mental resilience by relying entirely on your own motivation. Interestingly, group runs can actually slow you down in a good way – if you’re keeping things at a conversational pace while chatting with friends, you’re more likely to stay in a sustainable zone. The best approach? Consider mixing both styles depending on your training phase, mental state, and whether you need accountability or autonomy on any given day.
#SquadGoals
The sweetest victories come from the hardest battles, and we bet @born_molly knows that well after her recent triumph in the California International Marathon. Molly was well on her way to a first place finish in her debut marathon, but near the final stretch, her legs gave out and she fell to the ground. Despite her relative inexperience, Molly showed all the heart and character of a veteran champion when she pulled herself back up and continued across the line. Check out the clip from @drjacobgoodin if you need a little extra motivation to pull yourself up and keep moving this week.
