Here's the free-but-abridged version of the RLRH newsletter for this week. I hope you enjoy it, and learn something new. Please consider upgrading to the complete, full-text edition at one of the below links.
Try this training secret used by Jakob Ingebrigtsen & Eliud Kipchoge
Moments after he ran an astonishing, fastest-ever 2 mile last week (7:54.10, or back to back miles in 3:57 each), Olympic 1500-meter gold medalist Jakob Ingebrigtsen explained an essential element of his training. It’s something he avoids, but has seen many other runners do.
Here’s the key nugget. “One of the biggest mistakes a lot of people make is that they go too hard in training, because they don’t believe in themselves and need to build up confidence. That’s the wrong mindset. I’m never running faster in training than in competition, because I want the competition to be number one.” More at You Tube.
If this sounds familiar, maybe it’s because marathon world record holder and double Olympic gold medalist Eliud Kipchoge has said something quite similar. “I try not to run 100 percent. I perform 80 percent on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday and then at 50 percent Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday.” More at Outside Online.
Fifty years ago we used to say, “Train, don’t strain.” I don’t know why that powerful guideline has largely disappeared from the training lexicon. But it deserves a strong comeback. Think about it on your next hard run. You still have to go hard at times. But when you do, maybe scale back just a little bit. Aim for relaxed, controlled “hard” vs intense, gritty hard.
Can taurine improve both your health AND your longevity?
The amino acid taurine broke into global headlines last week based on a study of mice and monkeys, but not humans. In the two animal groups, taurine supplementation increased lifespan and/or healthspan. Who wouldn’t want both?
“Mechanistically, taurine reduced cellular senescence, protected against telomerase deficiency, suppressed mitochondrial dysfunction, decreased DNA damage, and attenuated inflammaging.” More at Science with free full text.
In the NYTimes, one aging expert said, “There’s something here, and if it works in humans, it’s going to be a terrific thing.” However, he and others said human trials were needed. More at NY Times.
Taurine, which comes primarily from meats, shellfish and dairy products, is considered a non-essential amino acid. A Harvard nutrition expert told CNN that “This doesn’t seem like a story ready for prime time.” He noted that many human nutrition studies link high-meat consumption to poor health-longevity outcomes. More at CNN.
Testing, testing: How “illegal” super shoes perform in training workouts
Three years ago, running shoes beyond a certain outsole + midsole height (40mm, or about 1.57 inches) were ruled ineligible for competition by World Athletics, the world organization that controls regulations for the Olympics and other big races. The rationale--that thicker shoes might provide too much “energy return,” though I’m not aware that this has been confirmed in scientific testing.
At any rate, there’s nothing to stop you from wearing whatever you want in training--go barefoot, wear Army boots, or tinker with your shoes as you please. Several shoe companies now market shoes thicker than 40 mm for those who want them.
A product tester at Triathlete recently tried a pair of New Balance shoes that are 47mm thick. The good news: He enjoyed the extra cushioning and found them quite stable. Bad: Despite being super supers, if you will, he found them not very “springy” for uptempo training days. More at Triathlete.
SHORT STUFF you don’t want to miss
That’s all for now. Thanks for reading. See you again next week. Amby
NOTE: If you were a subscriber to the complete, full-text version of RLRH for $4/month, you would also have received new articles about:
# The 30 best running tips of all time
# 4 short videos that reduce mental fatigue and improve performance
# A specific warmup routine proven to make you faster in your next 5K
# The ultimate exercises to build stronger legs and hips for better running
# Sexercises: One for women, one for men
# How to adjust your training on days with high air pollution
# An important anatomical difference between Kenyans vs Japanese & French
# A great marathon motivation quote from Meb Keflezighi