Just in case you didn’t read every one of the newsletters we sent in October, we are once again bringing you the most-clicked stories from the last four weeks. It’s our way of making sure that you don’t miss any of the content that your fellow runners/readers loved the most. Friends don’t let friends miss important running advice. Cheers!
Fall arrived on September 22, bringing color to the hills and an evening chill to the valleys. While it’s our favorite time of the year, research shows the nip in the air is a perfect breeding ground for viruses like the common cold. If you eventually succumb to the sniffles, the NYT helps you answer an important question for runners: “Is It Safe to Exercise When You’re Sick?” The easiest way to know if you’re good to run through a sickness is by performing a neck check. Look at your symptoms, and if they’re mostly occurring above the neck, like a sore throat or runny nose, then your immune system probably isn’t working that hard. If you’ve got body aches, a fever, or elevated heart rate, it’s a more serious ailment. That means it could be time to rest your way to recovery. Of course, prevention is the best medicine, which is why you should read this good piece from Healthline: “The Secrets to Never Getting Sick.” As the weather gets colder, we spend less time in the sun, lowering our production of vitamin D. That can weaken the immune system, so make an effort to catch some rays or increase vitamin D intake via your diet. Speaking of eating more vitamins, we’ve often said that eating seasonally is a smart way to up the nutritional value of your food, and you can follow this “Seasonal Produce Guide” to see what’s ready for harvest.
#FallingSick
When genetic testing services like Ancestry or 23andMe first hit the scene, they were marketed as a fun way to learn a little family history. Beyond providing interesting anecdotes for holiday gatherings (or even the occasional “Wait, dad’s not my dad?!?!” moment) there wasn’t a whole lot to these services. Until, that is, athletes discovered that understanding their DNA could boost their speed: “Can a DNA analysis help improve your fitness?.” Experts agree that genetics play an important role in athletic performance, but to what degree is still up for debate. For more on that, check out: “Is There A Running Gene?” In theory, identifying your genetic makeup could help athletes determine the sports and events they would excel in, but it’s not easy to do. The way genes combine and interact to determine our strengths is quite complicated, so it’s hard to draw conclusions from the mere appearance of certain genes. Still, some folks have found success, like Devin Maier, a trainer who partnered with a company called FitnessGenes to help his clients grow stronger. In one case, the testing indicated a client would respond better to higher volume strength training, and sure enough, they saw improved growth after making the switch. All this data analysis comes at a cost, however, because some companies aren’t making your privacy a priority. 23andMe, for instance, is exploring a potential buyout or sale of user data to third parties, which is why you should know “How to Delete Your 23andme Data.”
#DNATestiness
How do you decide on a stretching routine? If you’re like most runners, you probably try to identify the muscles and tendons that feel sore and get into positions that address those spots directly. Well, alleviating running pain is a bit like pulling weeds – you’ve got to do it from the root, or else it will come back with a vengeance. That’s why we’re incorporating these “Two On-The-Go Sciatic Nerve Stretches” into our mobility work. If you didn’t know, soreness often stems from irritated nerves that spread all throughout the body. The sciatic nerve, for instance, is a common source of trouble for runners. It runs all the way from the lower spine to the foot, and that’s why a compressed nerve at the site of your pelvis can manifest as pain all throughout the lower body. How do you know it’s a nerve issue, not a muscle? Well, common signs are pain even at rest and a feeling of heaviness in the affected areas. If you’ve got those symptoms, you’ll want to employ the two stretches the author demonstrates in this video. In addition to stretching, foam rolling can be a nerve’s best friend. Check out “How to Foam Roll for Sciatica Pain Relief” for a step by step guide on which moves can help. You’ll want a foam roller of medium to hard density to reach the depth needed to address nerve pain, but remember that with foam rolling, less is more. Going too long or applying excessive pressure can end up doing more harm than good.
#StrikingANerve
YouTube is turning 20, which hits harder than realizing our favorite songs from high school are now considered “classic rock.” Luckily, the best YouTubers offer a lot more quality fitness content than an MTV VJ. Yes, there’s a lot of junk science on YouTube, but there are also some excellent channels bringing youth and energy to running, HIIT, yoga, and other workouts. For help in finding the hits among the flops, check out: “The 6 Best YouTube Channels for Wellness & Fitness.” For running specific content, Göran Winblad takes the top spot on the list. His videos range from entertaining and motivating challenges to guides on building speed. If interactive content is more your speed, then you may want to check out Heather Robertson. She makes a ton of HIIT workout videos you can follow along with right from your living room. After that, you may want to wind down with some yoga and meditation, courtesy of Yoga With Adriene and The Honest Guys. While we’re on the topic of social media standouts, we should mention a few of our favorite Instagram creators as well. We’ve featured many of them in Minute 6 of prior issues, but if you haven’t given them a follow yet, we’d highly recommend checking out @lauramcgreen, @courtneydauwalter, @tommy_rivs, and @karagoucher.
#HappyBirthdayToYou(Tube)
Non-runners often struggle to understand why we do it. It’s hard to grasp what it means to “hurt so good” in a race without first hand experience. They may look at us like we’re crazy, but according to new research, you’d be crazy not to run — our bodies truly do thrive when they’re exposed to moderate levels of discomfort, according to “The Surprising Health Benefits of Pain.” Pain leads to hormesis, or the process of our cells adapting to stress in healthy ways. There are all sorts of ways to bring it about, from cardio, weightlifting, extreme temperature exposure, intermittent fasting, eating spicy peppers, and even holding your breath. How does it happen? Essentially, when our cells have to work extra hard, they create toxic byproducts. By exposing ourselves to small amounts of stress, we can train our bodies to remove cellular waste efficiently. That way, we’re more able to take on major stressors when they arise. Pain is one way to get stronger cells, but it can help to supplement with compounds like Urolithin A: “Mitopure User Guide: Elevate Your Urolithin A Experience” Urolithin A is a substance that’s believed to improve our mitochondria, muscles, and skin. It works by promoting something called mitophagy — the process by which dysfunctional mitochondria are removed or recycled. It may take a few weeks to months to see the full effects, but the early research looks promising, as you can see from a study titled the “Effect of Urolithin A Supplementation on Muscle Endurance and Mitochondrial Health in Older Adults.”
#CellMates
If you think you are pretty good at plyometric work in the gym to improve your running, prepare to be inspired and humbled by Femke Bol, the 400M hurdling sensation. She just might be the gold standard we should all aim for. In a recent clip, @fred_duncan broke down some of her techniques, and it’s clear she embodies the idea that if you want to get faster, you’ve got to train faster. In addition to strength and plyo circuits, she makes use of max velocity sprint workouts and a highly polarized approach – plenty of high intensity speed work, but also a lot of low intensity jogging. If you want to move like one of the fastest 400 meter hurdles runners of all time, follow along with the video below.
