This episode is for runners who have tried everything to free themselves from chronic joint pain, such as shin splints or arthritic pain. If that describes you, the solution may be a strength training technique known as end range loading.

When you have the benefit of full range mobility, you have free and full control of your capabilities through the joint's full range of motion. When this full range is compromised, chronic but mild pain is the primary symptom.

Understanding the cause of this will help you better implement the solution.

The challenge with regaining strength and mobility through a joint's full range of motion is not age, but a mechanism that safeguards us from overreaching. It's known as the muscle spindle reflex, and one of its signals is tension and mild pain that resists your efforts to regain the mobility you once enjoyed.

End-range loading means applying controlled weight or load at the outer limit of your current range of motion — such as the deepest portion of your squat. This is often accomplished using gradual and supported loading for safety.

When you load tissue in this way:

1. You build trust – You retrain the nervous system to recognize the full range of mobility as safe, reducing the inhibitory muscle-spindle reflex.

2. You build strength – You are weakest at any point of resistance or pain. So, it's essential to gradually extend beyond that point (of flexion or dorsiflexion) to achieve lasting, full-range results.

3. You erase pain – By increasing passive range of motion and converting it into active range of motion strength, you establish new, pain-free range of motion limits.

Check out this episode to learn how this works in practice.

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Be safe out there and enjoy your next run!

This episode is for runners who want to optimize their training. Recovery is an essential aspect of training. A simple way to optimize it is to plan it with the same care you give to training.

Training plans are a guide, and there are many to choose from. The best ones will have sufficient detail to execute a variety of workouts, keeping your training balanced for every training cycle, which is typically 3 weeks long.

The benefit of planning in terms of training cycles is that they provide a focus that extends beyond the calendar. This keeps your training fresh and personalized to your needs.

These are the typical workouts:

• Long runs
• Tempo runs
• Speed intervals or hill runs
• Easy runs.
• Strength and mobility workouts

Long runs build your aerobic base, tempo runs teach pacing, speed intervals develop speed, and hill work develops strength and power, while easy runs serve as a form of recovery that promotes measurable gains.

In addition to running, most experienced runners also rely on strength or cross-training to activate muscles and supporting tissues for the rigors of running.

You should record relevant data from your workouts for analysis and future reference. Your subjective feelings are significant because you know your body better than anyone else, including your coach if you have one.

How To Execute Every Workout

1. Honor Its Purpose

The most common training mistake is running workouts too fast. We all love to run fast, but to gain the benefits, you must respect the workout's purpose.

2. Adjust For Conditions

If you live in a hot, humid environment, you will need to make adjustments from time to time. If you are older, you may need to extend the warmup on occasion

3. Trust Your Experience

A challenging workout is a good workout. It tests your limits, and you grow. The trick is knowing when you are pushing the boundaries too far.

4. Maximize Recovery

We all recover differently, so work with the variables to find what works for you.

Check out Ep 30 of this podcast for a detailed breakdown on HRV (heart rate variability).

5. Respect The Cycle

A running plan is not complete without an interpretation of each workout type and how they work together. That understanding allows for adaptations that respect the training cycle's purpose.

If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing to my email newsletter for twice-monthly updates. You can do that by going to runninglongevitylab.com and scrolling down to the subscribe box on the right side of the home page.
Be safe out there and enjoy your next run!

This episode is for runners who want to experience the joys and benefits of running. It's your guide to starting strong, staying motivated, and discovering what running means to you—right now.

If you're in your 30s, 40s, 50s, or beyond and wondering if now's the right time to get serious about running, the answer is yes. But this time, as compared to the jogging boom we experienced in the 70s, it's different.

The science of longevity now suggests that running may be one of the best practices for enhancing metabolic and cognitive health. Most important is that an early to mid-life running practice contributes to those benefits when we need them most, and that's later life.

New runners experience mixed emotions that don't always make sense. My advice is to get started and design a plan to keep going, because if you do, you'll discover how it works for you.

Start where you are, set one goal to keep motivated, track your progress as you gain experience, and build a flexible routine that will adapt to your lifestyle and responsibilities.

1. Know Your Purpose and Goals
2. Track Your Progress and Experience
3. Create a Flexible Daily Routine

As you get into your running practice, remember that nobody shows up 100% every day, but we often finish feeling great about our accomplishments. Thus, one of running's greatest lessons is patience, which builds resilience.

Resources:

Ep 3: Warm Up To Prevent Injuries And Maximize Performance

Ep 29: 5 Steps To Optimize Your Training

Ep 30: Heart Rate Variability: How To Use HRV To Optimize Training and Recovery

If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing to my email newsletter for twice-monthly updates. You can do that by going to runninglongevitylab.com and scrolling down to the subscribe box on the right side of the home page.
Be safe out there and enjoy your next run!