Workout tracking, house plants, and breathing drills.
Finding the best running and rehab content on the internet each week so you don’t have to.
What I’m Thinking
I.
I remember when I first started running.
I kept losing my breath.
I thought I needed to practice my breathing.
Turns out I just needed to get in better shape.
II.
A high school runner said something beautiful to me last week:
“I’ve been eating more for lunch lately and my times are actually improving.”
If you wanna compete, you gotta eat.
What I’m Reading
📖 Strength training not a panacea for preventing running injuries:
“We can’t say for sure, at this point, whether strength training or other forms of exercise lower your risk of getting injured while running. The logic is sound, and the circumstantial evidence from other sports is suggestive. Maybe more importantly, there’s also solid evidence that various forms of strength training improve running economy and boost your long-term health. It would be nice to get some injury prevention as a bonus, but the package is already pretty enticing.”
📖 The data on qualifying for the Boston Marathon:
“[California International Marathon] runners started with a 30 [miles per week] base and progressed to a 50-mile peak week and 21-mile long run. BQ runners at CIM started with a 43-mile peak week (the highest of any marathon analyzed). When we just look at athletes who hit the BQ standard to equalize the field, CIM runners have a higher baseline and peak week.
While many newer distance runners tend to focus on flashy long runs, the distance of the longest run was not strongly correlated with a BQ. Comparing BQ runners and all other athletes, the distance of the longest run was 20 to 22 miles across each marathon. But, the base mileage was higher for BQ runners, bearing in mind that base volume matters more than the distance of any long run. BQ runners at CIM averaged 65 miles during their peak week, while the rest of the field averaged 50 mpw. Similarly, Chicago BQers averaged 57 miles during peak week, compared to the rest of the field’s 41 mpw peak week.”
“In this study, we examined the stress-reducing effects of interaction with indoor foliage plants by measuring physiological and psychological responses. The results of HRV analysis indicate that indoor plants have positive physiological effects on the autonomic nervous system by suppressing sympathetic activity, which often increases when a subject is exposed to a stressor.”
What I’m Liking
My super-complex workout scorecard:
Apple Notes.
Every Sunday I review my schedule for the week ahead and plan my training.
The simplicity is great.
And the dopamine hit from checking all the boxes at the end of the week is even better.
So far in 2024, I’ve only missed two scheduled workouts.
Planning is a big reason why.
This is great! So much gold here. “If you wanna compete, you gotta eat.” And the simple workout tracking is always worth the upfront effort of planning.