{"id":1101,"date":"2025-02-07T19:56:54","date_gmt":"2025-02-07T19:56:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sixminutemile.com\/?p=1101"},"modified":"2025-02-07T19:56:55","modified_gmt":"2025-02-07T19:56:55","slug":"our-most-popular-stories-from-january-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sixminutemile.com\/post\/our-most-popular-stories-from-january-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Our Most Popular Stories from January 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"

Minute 1: Expecting sore muscles? These techniques can help<\/strong><\/h1>

There\u2019s a kernel of truth in the 1990s adage \u201cno pain, no gain,\u201d but please don\u2019t conflate that with an endorsement of unsafe exercise practices. Yes, a hard workout will always cause discomfort, but you\u2019ll probably see better results by working just as hard on your recovery. That\u2019s why we\u2019re learning \u201cHow to get rid of sore muscles overnight: Top tips to alleviate workout discomfort<\/a>.\u201d A good night\u2019s rest is where much of your muscle-building will take place, and the good news is, there are tons of simple behaviors to help that process along. For instance, a warm epsom salt bath before bed has been shown to expand blood vessels, improve circulation, and deliver more essential nutrients to your damaged muscles. Additionally, adopting a bedtime stretching routine can alleviate pain and relax you for a healthier, more restorative sleep. That\u2019s why you should consider performing these \u201c8 Stretches to Do Before Bed<\/a>.\u201d Moves like the kneeling lat stretch and child’s pose are particularly effective for athletes, as they target common problem areas while promoting relaxation.<\/p>

#SoreWinner<\/p>

Minute 2: Keep your hands warm through the winter<\/strong><\/h1>

As snow storms and frigid temps moved across the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic this week, we got a sobering reminder that spring weather is still many months away. For anybody who struggles with keeping their extremities warm, it certainly isn\u2019t the most wonderful time of the year. Whether you\u2019ve got poor circulation, Raynaud\u2019s phenomenon, or a general aversion to cold weather, you may want to take advantage of the advice found in \u201cRaynaud’s: the winter frozen-hand crisis among runners<\/a>.\u201d If you need a reminder, Raynaud\u2019s is a condition that restricts blood flow to extremities, and it\u2019s commonly triggered by cold or stress. Wearing gloves or mittens while you run can make a big difference, and some experts even recommend having a second pair on hand in case your first set becomes damp from sweat. It can also help to find gloves of the right material, and natural moisture-wicking fibers like Merino wool are a top choice, according to \u201cThe 8 Best Running Gloves For Logging Cold-Weather Miles<\/a>.\u201d If those gloves still aren\u2019t enough, you can really turn up the heat by using: \u201cThe 8 Best Hand Warmers, Tested<\/a>.\u201d This list includes both reusable and disposable options, so there\u2019s something to fit every runner\u2019s needs.<\/p>

#ColdBlooded<\/p>

Minute 3: Fitness after 40: How to peak at any age<\/strong><\/h1>

About 51 minutes into our recent SMM podcast interview with author David Knapp<\/a>, he reminded us that once Roger Bannister broke the 4-minute mile barrier, a wave of other runners did the same thing shortly after. He predicts a similar phenomenon once the 2-hour barrier in the marathon is broken. David says it demonstrates a larger point: once we see something is possible, our mental barriers are eliminated, and our bodies are empowered to reach new heights. Well, we\u2019re seeing a similar phenomenon occur among masters athletes, and you can read about it in: \u201cHow to Hit Peak Fitness After 40<\/a>.\u201d The article points to athletes like skier Lindsey Vonn, 40, and climber Chris Sharma, 43, who\u2019ve turned in some of the best performances of their career later in life. Our friend Coach Trax didn\u2019t run her first sub-3:00 marathon until age 43. (Her excellent race recap<\/a> chronicles the splits, the happy tears and the cake her friends gave her that read \u201cF@ck Yeah!\u201d) It\u2019s stories like those that inspire runners of all ages to strive for peak performances later in their careers. By putting additional effort into things like aerobic base building and active recovery, older runners can keep pace with, or even out-perform their younger selves. Another effective strategy to keep the good times rolling is to rethink the way you set goals. As our bodies age and grow, it can be helpful to target different kinds of challenges to keep running satisfying, so take a look at: \u201cRunning and Aging: Setting Ambitious and Realistic Goals<\/a>.\u201d One option is to focus on endurance over speed, aiming to see how far you can run at once, rather than chasing a PR over a fixed distance. That\u2019s an element of running for which older, more experienced runners often have an advantage.<\/p>

#TheMasters<\/p>

Minute 4: Why do we train, really?<\/strong><\/h1>

At the risk of sounding like navel-gazing philosophers, we\u2019re challenging ourselves to get deep today and answer the question: \u201cWhat is training?<\/a>\u201d There\u2019s an obvious response, but after reading this insightful piece from Polar, we\u2019re inspired to think a little outside the box. The idea is this: Training is more than just a series of workouts, split times, and sessions. Instead, consider it as a journey of self mastery. To that end, they suggest incorporating five pillars of success to meet your goals. Goal-oriented training, strategic structure, progressive overload, systematic monitoring, and recovery. We got some advice on that in our recent conversation with Brett Lato from Polar<\/a>. However, any journey of self-discovery requires you to consider your weaknesses too, and that\u2019s why we\u2019re taking advice from our partners over at McMillan Running: \u201cBattling Your Negative Tendencies: How to Overcome What’s Holding You Back<\/a>.\u201d Coach Greg says the first step in finding the right approach to training is to identify what sort of personality you exhibit. There are type A folks, who are prone to overwork, hypercompetitiveness, and lack of satisfaction. Type B runners often struggle with procrastination, lack of intensity, or incomplete preparation. The solution? On a split piece of paper, make a list of your negative habits that impact your training, as well as an action to address each habit. Then, tear the paper in half, throw away the bad habits, and post the actions somewhere you\u2019ll see often to serve as a reminder for your growth.<\/p>

#DroppingTimesLikeABadHabit<\/p>

Minute 5: Try this common sense approach to marathon training<\/strong><\/h1>

Running a marathon is hard enough without worrying about things that don\u2019t really matter, like stressing over exact split times or microscopic form adjustments. Oftentimes, we find that common sense is a pretty darn good guide to informing your training, and if you need a reminder to get back to basics, you should learn these: \u201c5 Things Marathon Runners Shouldn’t Worry About<\/a>.\u201d The first bit of advice is to recognize there\u2019s no silver bullet when it comes to marathon diets. Carbo-loading, fueling on the go, and hydration strategies will all vary in efficacy depending on the individual, so use your intuition and plan your diet in a way that makes you feel good. The article also notes that while we can learn a lot from the pros, it doesn\u2019t make sense for many of us to copy their insane workouts and volume. That\u2019s where our training plan partner Greg McMillan\u2019s advice comes in: \u201cPicking the Right Plan<\/a>\u201d. Greg reminds us that most runners aren\u2019t elite athletes logging 100-mile weeks, so why train like one? He advises choosing a plan that fits your lifestyle, experience, and goals rather than blindly copying what works for someone else. A big part of that is identifying a training plan that has your desired amount of flexibility baked in<\/a>, which is why beginner and intermediate plans shouldn\u2019t be overlooked, even if you\u2019re experienced.<\/p>

#CommonSensei<\/p>

Minute 6: Daily Inspiration<\/strong><\/h1>

Despite sky-high expectations, Jakob Ingebrigsten didn\u2019t achieve every result he wanted at the Paris Olympics. He was a fairly heavy favorite in many of his events, and to understand why, all you need to do is look at his race strategy and execution. We came across one video shared by @europeanathletics<\/a> that really demonstrates just how much confidence he has in himself. At the start of this 1500M race, Jakob was happy to let the top runners pull away with the lead. It almost looked like he was down and out, until he unleashes a blazing fast final lap and sprint through the finish line to secure the win. It’s a good reminder for all us runners to spend time developing our speed. At the very least, it can help you turn some heads with a strong finish, and that\u2019s the exact attitude we want to end 2024 with. Happy New Year to all our readers!<\/p>

https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/DEYIomdv4Zn<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Minute 1: Expecting sore muscles? These techniques can help There\u2019s a kernel of truth in the 1990s adage \u201cno pain, no gain,\u201d but please don\u2019t conflate that with an endorsement of unsafe exercise practices. Yes, a hard workout will always cause discomfort, but you\u2019ll probably see better results by working just as hard on your […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":878,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_breakdance_hide_in_design_set":false,"_breakdance_tags":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[67],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1101","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest-miles"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sixminutemile.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1101","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sixminutemile.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sixminutemile.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sixminutemile.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sixminutemile.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1101"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/sixminutemile.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1101\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1103,"href":"https:\/\/sixminutemile.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1101\/revisions\/1103"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sixminutemile.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/878"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sixminutemile.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1101"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sixminutemile.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1101"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sixminutemile.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1101"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}