Innehållsförteckning för January/February 2018 från Runner's World

LET’S PRETEND THAT YOU’RE A SORE RUNNER training for one of the world’s first marathons in ancient Greece. You visit a practitioner to heal your weak-feeling muscles. He places a plank of wood on your sore spot and, using your body as a stabilizer, begins sawing away. The hope: that the resulting vibrations reach your muscles and help alleviate pain. That was the beginning of vibration therapy, and while it sounds a little horrifying, the intention was scientifically sound. We now know that the technique helps build strength and speed, improve flexibility, and loosen stiff muscles, says Matthew N. Berenc, director of the Equinox Fitness Training Institute. And, until recently, this was largely done through bulky platforms found in gyms (rather than tools with dangerously sharp edges—phew). If athletes wanted…

Quad + Piriformis Walk TARGETS: Quads, glutes, piriformis Grab one foot behind you, pulling toward your butt. release and step forward; switch legs. after 30 seconds, cradle right leg at ankle and knee, pulling up to chest. release and step forward; switch legs. repeat for 30 seconds. Hip Opener TARGETS: Deep hip external rotators From standing, bend left knee and lift leg to hip level, then rotate out to 90 degrees. (Place left hand under knee to stabilize and guide if needed.) bring leg back to front; lower foot and switch sides. repeat for 30 seconds. Arm Circles TARGETS: Chest, deltoids, upper back Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and lift arms out to shoulder height, palms down. Make small circles; after 30 seconds, switch direction. Continue for another 30 seconds.…

AS MANY HEALTH conscious Americans seek greener, cow-less pastures and turn to plant-based milks, the dairy milk market has plunged $1 billion from 2011 through 2015. But there are still plenty of reasons to tap dairy to fuel your fitness. With its fast-acting whey content, it’s the top choice of protein among athletes, says Melissa Majumdar, R.D., and personal trainer. Whey, which constitutes 20 percent of all milk protein, also contains all nine essential amino acids, making it a complete protein your body can use for muscle repair. The other 80 percent is slow-burning casein, which means milk is an effective recovery late-night snack. In fact, a 2017 study published in The Journal of Nutrition found that when older men ingested casein protein before bed, they had higher rates of…

NINE YEARS AGO, Sepideh Saremi barely recognized herself. As the primary caregiver for a family member battling cancer, she was dealing with depression and anxiety. In search of healing, Los Angeles–based Saremi started therapy and running. Session by session and mile by mile, she built herself back up. Together these were cata- lysts for a big change: Saremi quit her content development job at a startup to go back to school to be a therapist. At the University of California, Los Angeles, she studied links between exercise and mental health, and had an epiphany: Why not combine therapy and running to amplify their benefits? After joining a private practice in 2014, Saremi tested her “running therapy” theory. She held al-fresco, onthe- go sessions that allowed patients to get outside and…

BIRTHDAY CAKE “Hand-cut, buttermilk cake doughnut topped with vanilla buttercream and rainbow sprinkles.” MAPLE BACON “Brioche doughnut with bourbon maple glaze and crisp bacon strips.” NUTELLA “Brioche doughnut stuffed with nutella and dredged in toasted hazelnut flour.” GLAZED “My favorite! a classic brioche doughnut with vanilla bean glaze.” APPLE CIDER “Brioche made with local apple cider dough, fermented overnight and infused with cinnamon.”…

When your daily run becomes a chase toward a bigger, broader goal—a full-on pursuit for something more than checking off a workout or hitting a weekly total—suddenly every mile has intention, and every step gets you closer to reaching your full potential. you’re not just running. you’re running with purpose. Ready to start? Choose from these six expert-backed gain plans, and you can become the runner you’ve always wanted to be—faster, stronger, tougher, more confident—and all in 30 days. Commit to a goal now, and you’ll reap the rewards all year (check out the real runners’ success stories for proof). You’ve got nothing to lose—and everything to gain.…

HOW WELL AND EASY YOU RUN IS DIRECTLY related to your core, explains rachel Cosgrove, certified strength and conditioning coach and owner of results fitness in new hall, California. “If our core isn’t strong, we use more energy because we’re not able to stabilize our body while we take that next step,” she says. That energy drain can slow you down and make training feel harder. and because a weak core can force unnatural movement compensations, it may also be the cause of recurring injuries. The fix: do exercises that, like running, require you to stabilize your core while moving your limbs. Perform this five-minute prerun routine, and you’ll strengthen your core from every angle. YOUR 4 CORE ESSENTIALS Plank With Arm/Leg Raise Start in a high plank position, wrists…

“MINDFULNESS IS THE QUALITY OF being in the present moment, free from distraction,” explains andy Puddicombe, cofounder of Headspace and the voice of the app’s guided-meditation tracks. But between playlists, audiobooks, podcasts, and our own churning brains, runners have essentially mastered the art of distraction. Train in mindfulness, though, and you’ll automatically put yourself ahead of the pack. Puddicombe often sees this advantage among elite athletes. “The difference on race day is their mind-set,” he says. “some people might even be better than others, but they just don’t bring the right mind-set on that day, so they don’t perform as well.” Outside of competition, mindfulness affords runners increased body awareness, which encourages better posture and technique. Postrun, it can even enhance recovery, lead to better sleep, or keep your head in…

I joined the Marine Corps when I was 19 years old, and running three miles was part of our required fitness test. That’s when I started taking running seriously, because it was literally a job requirement. Once I was a Marine, running was part of daily life on base. I hated it at first because of the pain, but after a while it started to become what I looked forward to most; it was the only time I got to be in my own head. I had a commanding officer who liked to take us on runs without telling us how long they were going to be. Sometimes it was five miles. Sometimes it was 10. It was a mind screw, but the truth is when you jump out of…

THE START OF A NEW YEAR INEVITABLY brings many “new you” resolutions: Shed those last five pounds (okay, fine, maybe 10), quit your late-night relationship with Ben & Jerry’s, stop hitting the snooze button every morning. But rather than use this motivating season to completely remodel yourself into someone new—which sends the demotivating message that there was something wrong with you to begin with—why not invest your energy into maximizing all the great assets you already have? I, for one, plan on making 2018 a year of adding more richness to my life rather than focusing on things I must subtract. That means more time spent planning and pursuing new adventures with friends, whether it’s a never-tried racecourse (London Marathon, I’m looking at you!) or a cross-training class (boxing always…

YOU ALREADY KNOW that lower-body strength-training can make you faster, but damn if time in the squat rack doesn’t trash your legs for tomorrow’s run. If you’ve ever rationalized skipping it to prep for the next day’s mileage, you may have a point. According to a recent review of 132 studies, it takes a full day or two more to recover from resistance training than it does a high-intensity run. That doesn’t mean bail on strength work—just game it. Research shows that properly scheduling resistance training can lop seconds—even minutes—off your PR. To get it right, you need to understand how your body reacts to moving heavy stuff. Picture pushing a hand truck 50 feet. Pretty easy. That’s running, and your body is the hand truck—it moves its own weight…

Get techy Leave the ’buds, but bring your phone: Having the bSafe app handy means a simple button push can alert friends of your location and that you’re in trouble if things go awry. Stick to known trails The dangers of unexpected turns or a technical route outweigh the benefits of being one with nature. Save adventuring on new trails for well-lit weekend outings. Light the night Now’s not the time for black zip-ups and matching tights. Layer on bright items with reflective hits, like a BSeen LeD Slap band ($10).…

FOR BARRY GOLDMEIER, a marathon is a 26.2-mile stage. His act: joggling. After working the juggling festival circuit, the 53-year-old spent nearly 30 years running and juggling bean bags during road races. By 2010, he’d grown restless with the routine. He needed to do something else—be someone else. So, for the past seven years, Goldmeier has taken on a persona—movie character, sports figure, or one of his own design—and dazzled race crowds by keeping the accompanying props airborne, from hockey sticks to Ping-Pong balls to deflated footballs. The Maryland native does some 20 marathons a year nationwide and isn’t focused on speed or competing. He lines up in the back of corrals for space and to not bother other runners. Mostly, he appreciates the smiles and the laughs. “The whole…

THERE’S GOOD REASON Patrick Kenger looks put-together: It’s his job. The 27-year-old founded Pivot Image Consulting in Scottsdale, Arizona, with the mission to turn “great guys into attractive gentlemen.” Sound superficial? Not in Kenger’s book. “There’s a lot of self-exploration in finding personal style,” he says. When clients invest time to put their best foot forward, it can boost confidence, Kenger says, which leads to success in personal and professional relationships. Kenger gave himself a makeover four years ago, when he realized his weight was an issue. He started running, dropped 20 pounds, and is currently training for the Rock ’n’ Roll Arizona Half Marathon in January, his first go at 13.1. When it comes to his own look, one thing is certain: You’ll never see him in Day-Glo. “Athletic…

I EYED THE BORDER NERVOUSLY. I tugged on my singlet, adjusted my shorts, and crossed the street. The first guy I met narrowed his eyes. “Some kind of marathon going on?” he said. “Sort of,” I said. “A 5K.” The man seemed surprised. So was I. I was three blocks from home, and this was new to both of us. For the past 20 years, I have lived in Oak Park, Illinois, a suburb just west of Chicago. More than a hundred years ago, the adjoining neighborhood immediately to the east, Austin, was a quaint village of leafy streets lined with Victorian houses. But in 1899, Austin was annexed by Chicago, and the fortunes of the two com munities diverged, first a bit, and then, with redlining and white f…

MOST RUNNERS DON’T ENTIRELY UNDERSTAND the concept of endurance, says Chris Hinshaw, endurance coach at norCal Crossfit in the san francisco Bay area. athletes of all levels come to him wondering why they haven’t improved their 5k time or why they are still struggling through the last couple miles of a half marathon, despite increasing their mileage. We all have an entire spectrum of muscle fibers available for work, from the fastest of the fast-twitch fibers to the slowest of the slow, Hinshaw explains. runners, he says, have a tendency to train in one “gear.” either they don’t like distance running, so they stick to short sprints, or they’re more comfortable at a steady pace, so they never run fast. as a result, one type of muscle fiber often remains…

1 Before you run, sit for one minute. Close your eyes and allow your mind and body to settle. think about why you’re running and what you intend to accomplish. 2 Ease into your run slowly. give your body time to adjust to the movement. Feel the ground under your feet. notice other sensations like the breeze on your skin. 3 As you pick up the pace, keep a relaxed focus on your technique. you’re not thinking about making your legs move; imagine your body just knows how to run. 4 Don’t worry about “clearing the mind.” When you get distracted, bring your attention back to the feeling of your feet hitting the ground. 5 To end your run, pause for one minute of stillness. Focus on recovery. Close your…

MIND Runners have a higher concentration and greater volume of gray matter, which means better memory, quicker recall, and generally feeling sharper and a lot freaking smarter. Run through complex environments— a busy city or a rocky trail—and you also strengthen the brain in ways that positively affect planning, multitasking, self-awareness, and motor control. IMMUNE SYSTEM Ever notice you don’t get colds and flu as often as nonrunner friends? Not a coincidence. Regular running is linked to a stronger immune system, and it may even prevent agerelated deterioration. WELL-BEING Running, whether it’s via a run crew or at a local race, can help you create essential social connections. That’s more important than ever. Last year, former United States Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, M.D., called loneliness “an epidemic” for adults today.…

That’s the million-dollar question, and the one researchers say they get the most often. Everyone wants to know the minimum they can get away with and still reap the benefits—the optimal dose, if you will. While there is nuance to that answer (for example, the type and amount of running you need to improve vascular health is different than what you need to increase VO2 max), the overwhelming consensus is “not that much.” “I think what people don’t realize is you get a huge fraction of the benefits from relatively modest amounts of running per day—just a few miles,” says Michael Joyner, M.D., a physician and researcher at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and one of the world’s leading experts on human performance and age. In their broad 2017…

The Snark We provide running advice every day on Twitter (@runnersworld). Sometimes readers share their own wisdom in response. The Shameless Promotion Do you enjoy running in the cold? Neither do we. So bundle up this winter with our warm and cozy “I Running” beanie to keep your run streak (and your style) alive. Get it now at ShopRunnersWorld.com. The Poll The Question What race are you looking forward to in 2018? The Antarctica Marathon with Marathon Tours and Travel! @sharonpetrik1 My first ever marathon at 45 years young #London marathon. @jhgf1976 Wicked Half Marathon in Wamego, KS. @Chrisboie The one that I won’t pass out in. @seterah_d The Advice I run with a water bottle but heard that’s not good for your form. Is there anything else I can…

WANT TO KNOW ONE OF THE TOP reasons runners end up hurt? Look at your backside. Underutilized gluteal muscles are to blame for a large percentage of injuries, says Nirav Pandya, M.D., assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at the University of California San Francisco Medical Center. And it’s a weakness that often occurs because runners are hyperfocused on building strong quads and hamstrings. That’s a problem because the work can’t stop at your legs. Your glutes help center your pelvis so that your center of gravity is in line with your ankles, knees, and hips. That puts your body in a more powerful position to generate speed. Unfortunately, glute weakness often becomes exacerbated when we sit all day; those muscles don’t activate while seated. “Plus, sitting decreases bloodflow, further deconditioning…

IT’S HARD ENOUGH TO overcome the lure of a cozy bed for an early a.m. run or to squeeze in a fourmiler after work. But on top of it, runners constantly hear that they should tack on a 20- minute warmup too. That’s not happening: A recent poll of Runner’s World Instagram followers confirmed that most—er, 75 percent—forgo a proper prerun routine. So does doing one actually benefit your run that much? Sure looks that way, according to a study published in the Journal of Human Kinetics. Researchers split a group of 36 athletes into three groups: those who did a 20-minute bicycling warmup before performing weighted lunges, those who only did a cooldown, and those who did neither. Everyone was given a pain threshold test on the two days…

Salmon-Coconut Curry MAKES 4 SERVINGS 1 Tbsp. coconut oil6 cups mixed veggies, chopped (onions, carrots, celery, mushrooms, asparagus, broccoli, sugar snap peas, etc.)1 can (13.5 oz.) coconut milk3 tbsp. thai green or red curry paste½ tsp. salt4 salmon fillets (about 1 lb. total)salt and pepper to taste2 cups short-grain brown rice or buckwheat noodles, cooked In a large pan or wok, heat coconut oil. add veggies and sauté over high heat until browning begins. transfer veggies to a bowl. turn down heat and add coconut milk. stir in curry paste and salt. once simmering, add salmon fillets, skin-side facing up. simmer until cooked through, 8 minutes. add veggies back and toss until reheated. add salt and pepper to taste. serve over rice or noodles. Quinoa Hot cereal MAKES 1 SERVING…

WALKING AWAY FROM A problem has never been Ken Nwadike’s m.o. The 36-year-old grew up in homeless shelters in Los Angeles and San Diego, and turned to track-and-field at his public high school to earn a scholarship to California State University San Marcos. His success led him to join the elite Nike Farm Team, where he laid down a 4:00 mile. “I beat the odds,” he says. “I didn’t become a statistic, solely because of being a track athlete.” Fast-forward a couple decades to 2013. Nwadike was working as race director for the Hollywood Half Marathon, which supports the homeless shelters that helped him, when he watched the Boston Marathon bombing on TV. He made a decision right then. “I had to be there the next year,” he says. But…

WHEN RACHEL CRAMPSEY bought the Montclair Bread Company in Montclair, New Jersey, in 2012, gluten-free and vegan treats lined the shelves. To keep the established customer base happy, Crampsey carried out the previous owners’ legacy, stocking her kitchen with soy milk, rice flour, and agave to replicate their recipes. Until one day, “I cracked,” she says. Crampsey’s specialty had always been French pastries and European-style artisan breads made from butter, milk, and sugar. She started baking what she loved—buttery, flaky croissants and crusty-white French bread—and watched as new faces started coming in the door. And lining up down the block. Sunday evolved into doughnut day, and her warm, cinnamon- and-sugared circular creations became instantly popular. Especially, she noticed, among those in tech gear and running shoes. “I found it a…

WHAT SEPARATES THE RUNNERS WHO TRAIN WHen they don’t feel like it from those who find excuses? The same thing that drives a racer to cross the finish line long after he’s hit the wall: grit—a combination of perseverance, resilience, and determination. and according to Jonathan fader, Ph.d., sports psychologist at sportstrata, it isn’t an innate quality that some athletes have and others don’t. With a little mental conditioning and consistent practice, anyone can gain guts. THE GAIN PLAN “I DID IT!” “I take myself more seriously as a runner when I address my mental game,” says Pam Moore, 39. The six-time marathoner and two-time Ironman finisher prefers 5Ks and 10Ks these days, but still uses visualization in her prerace routine. “I close my eyes and imagine exactly how I…

WINTER TRAINING RUNS BUILD THE foundation for summer Prs. but that also means you’re bound to find yourself facing a few frigid miles. While some runners’ motivation understandably dips with the thermostat, others will tell you they simply cannot train in cold temperatures. that’s avoiding opportunity, according to brian Mackenzie, founder of Power speed endurance (Pse), an online programming and coaching plat form for athletes. “It’s just an adverse sympathetic reaction,” Mackenzie says of the typical cold- weather freak-out marked by a racing heart, short breaths, and clenched muscles. if you’re mentally and physically unprepared for the cold, your nervous system will tell you to flee for more comfortable conditions. Follow this at-home version of Mackenzie’s training program, and you’ll gradually expose yourself to cold temps and learn to control…

WHEN NONRUNNERS ASK HOW LONG I’ve been running and I say 10 years, I get an expression of amazement, followed by, “You must really love it!” I smile and nod because I really do, except for the days when I really don’t. “It’s complicated,” I tell them. Like every relationship, a running relationship goes through phases. When I first began, running was all I could think about. A year later, I loved running kind of like I loved my right arm; it was simply a part of me. By year five, I took running for granted. I recklessly increased mileage, got injured, and hated it for that. I considered quitting, looked into other forms of exercise, disliked those, and imagined returning to a sedentary life where I would grow old,…

Your body doesn’t distinguish one type of aerobic activity from another— your heart, for example, doesn’t know the difference between a bike ride that gets your pulse up to 150 and a run that does the same. Still, there are reasons why running is the top form of exercise to keep the muscles and mind young. And they’re best illustrated in this massive 2017 international study: Researchers examined more than 55,000 men and women between the ages of 18 and 100 and determined that regardless of how old you are, whether you’re male or female, how much booze you drink, or whether you’ve ever exercised before, if you start running just one to two hours per week, you can slash your risk of cardiovascularrelated death by 45 to 70 percent…