1. Saucony Kinvara 12 Performance Review:
What You Need To Know
Weighs 7.5 oz. (213 g) for a US M9.0 / 6.5 oz. (184 g) for a US W7.0
Slightly lighter, with a more streamlined look/feel
Give us some more of that sweet tongue action
With the smash hit of the Endorphin line, where the f*#& does the Kinvara fit in?
ADRIENNE: Let’s cut to the chase: I’ve always liked Saucony, and the Kinvara is no exception. Versatile, simple, lightweight, and usually looks pretty good. What’s not to like? Anyhow, I was excited to receive the latest version, the Kinvara 12 and immediately started putting the miles on it-or at least as best I could as I received them right at the beginning of a taper week! Right out of the box my Black Mutant colorway screamed to be put through paces from easy to flyin’ (relatively speaking!). So how did it do? Let’s break it down, but first, some specifics:
The K-Shoe has appeared to gradually acquire some of the new midsole tech while staying true(ish) to its minimalist roots. In many ways, this one looks a little less “kinvara-ish” and more like a lower-profile member of the Endorphin family. The last version of this shoe that I racked up miles on was the K10 with the EverRun topsole. With the Kinvara 12, we’ve moved onto a PWWRUN+ topsole, though it still shares the same PWRRUN midsole foam (EVA/TPU blend) as version 11. We’ll get to the other changes below.
More...from Believe in the Run.
2. Event Specific or Event Progressive:
Olympic legends Lorraine Moller and Rod Dixon are front runners in the debate around whether an athlete should retain an event specific focus or progress throughout one’s career. Matt Long and Andy Brooks investigate.
Together they are veterans of no less than six Olympics. Lorraine Moller competed at Los Angeles (1984), Seoul (1988), Barcelona (1992) and Atlanta (1996). Her compatriot Rod Dixon competed in Munich (1972) and Montreal (1986).
Both Flying Kiwis treasure an Olympic bronze medal (Moller in the marathon in 1992 and Dixon 20 years previously at Munich over 1500m). What is significant is that both moved up in distance throughout their careers. Now some of you may think that this is natural in that as our speed endurance wanes, our aerobic endurance capacity can be maintained or even improved as the biological clock keeps ticking.
More...from Fast Running
3. What Does It Take to Run a 2-Hour Marathon?
Researchers examined some of the world’s fastest runners to understand the physiological demands of that elite pace.
New research published in the Journal of Applied Physiology aimed to understand what physiological demands are needed to run a two-hour marathon.
Elite runners can take in oxygen twice as fast at marathon pace as a “normal” runner could while sprinting at their max effort.
These physiological advantages are likely to have been optimized by genetic predisposition and long-term training.
The good news for everyday runners is that these physiological factors—like running economy and lactate threshold—are very malleable with consistent training.
We all remember Nike’s Breaking2 project, when Eliud Kipchoge came within 25 seconds of breaking the elusive two-hour mark in the marathon. And that’s not to mention, Kipchoge’s subsequent marathon times which have hovered around two hours—and his 1:59.40 marathon in the INEOS 1:59 challenge. But what exactly is needed from your body to run 26.2 miles in this amount of time?
More...from Runner's World.
4. Why athletes suffer with muscle cramp:
When a debate doesn't have a simple answer, there can be a tendency to throw our weight behind one argument and close our ears to anything that might contradict our way of thinking.
But rather than viewing the two main theories of muscle cramp - Electrolyte Theory and Neuromuscular Theory - as two competing arguments, it's possible that both have merits and actionable advice that can benefit athletes...
Watch the video on Precision Hydration.
5. Why High-Intensity Training is Vital for Athletes:
High-intensity workouts should be a staple of your training plan. They can boost performance and free up more time.
Utter the acronym ‘LSD’ and ears will prick up. For the running and triathlon community, it refers to Long, Slow Distance—a type of workout popularised during the running boom of the 1970s. The long run remains the cornerstone training session for many endurance athletes. It elicits numerous stamina-friendly physiological adaptations including increasing your ability to burn fat and preserve precious glycogen stores.
LSD isn’t in isolation. For many recreational athletes, the idea that “more is more” applies to all aspects of training. It is not unusual for age group triathletes to rack-up 20 hours per week of training while balancing family and a full-time job. It can lead to strong results on the race circuit but inevitably squeezes other facets of life.
This is why new research into high-intensity training is fascinating—the idea being that you can significantly cut your training volume without letting your performance standards drop.
For example, forty-one elite swimmers were studied over a 12-week period during their competitive mid-season with each arbitrarily assigned to one of two groups:
More...from Training Peaks.
6. Post-Pandemic Dreaming:
Dear Readers,
Earlier this week, I got some disappointing news. A Dec. 19 ultramarathon I’d signed up for, one that seemed likely to be allowed to go on, one that I would feel comfortable running since it was small and held on paved asphalt versus a possibly tricky trail, was canceled. I knew this was a possibility, but I’d hitched some hope to completing this one personal goal in this very dark month, at the end of a long, dark year. I ate some cheese, drank a beer and sulked on my couch.
This is, of course, a small thing, especially considering that I’m safe and healthy when that’s not the case for so many. So I can’t spend my Saturday seeing how many times I can run a 3.75-mile loop in eight hours. Boohoo, Jen? There are much bigger problems in the world.
Of course I know that, but I’m allowed to be disappointed — and you are too — when these things happen because it’s disruption on top of a year of setbacks, bad news, frustration and grief. Races have been a big part of my life for more than 10 years, and I miss them. I miss pre-race jitters. I miss trying to pass anyone who seems vaguely annoying to me that day. I especially miss post-race waffles — with strawberry topping and lots of whipped cream. I even miss the port-a-potty lines — because I’d usually bump into someone I know while waiting to use one.
To cope, I spent some time on that couch dreaming about what I’ll do in the After — after I’m vaccinated (with both shots, plus a few weeks to make sure the immunity has set), and a lot of other people are too. I want to hug my friends with gusto, and sit with them in a crowded bar and not worry that the virus is wafting along with the smell of onion rings. I want someone other than my dog to sit on that couch with me. And I want to get in my Jeep and drive to California without a fixed date on when I’m coming back — and when I do, I want to be stuffed into a corral with people similarly dressed in too bright running shoes and shirts and tights and set off toward a fixed finish line, hoping that maybe I might run a little faster that day — and that I’ll be cheered at the end whether I meet that goal or not.
I don’t know when “normal” will happen again (epidemiologists aren’t sure either — and I follow their lead). But thinking about the possibility of life after the pandemic makes me a little less sad when I’m sitting on that couch with my dog, staring at a Christmas tree that no one else can enjoy.
What are you most hoping to do when it’s safe to be out among people again? We want to hear about it. Your answers can be about running or other aspects of life — we’re asking readers of other New York Times newsletters, too.
Run Well!
Jen A. Miller
Author, “Running: A Love Story”
NYTimes.com.
7. adidas Adizero Adios Pro Multi Tester Review: A Novel Super Marathon Shoe with a Springy, Spunky and Dynamic Personality:
Introduction
Sam: It was 2013 when adidas introduced Boost, a TPU bead based midsole foam which was truly one of the most significant innovations in running in a long time. The Energy Boost trainer and adios Boost 1 racers were fantastic and are still among my all time favorites. Then another seven years of more and more Boost in very successful lifestyle shoes and heavier and quite frankly less appealing performance running shoes.
A new Lightstrike foam came on the scene more recently. Fairly light, highly responsive and firm, so sort of out of synch with the trend to softer bouncier and more dynamic newer midsole foams.
A mere couple of months ago the carbon plated, Boost heel, Lightstrike and Boost forefoot adizero Pro arrived. For me it was an updated race flat and not really a new age super shoe.
The adios Pro made a very limited run appearance at about the same time but beyond the marketing and a few reviews the picture was unclear as to where it fit in the super marathon shoe race. Hints of what it was and could do surfaced as we received our test pairs in the new pink colorway with a new women’s world record for a women’s only half in Prague by Peres Jepchirchir and more information about its front EnergyRods, a non “plated” approach to propulsion.
More...from RoadTrailRun.
8. Should Runners Add a Vitamin D Supplement to Their Diet in Winter?
Plus, what all those studies linking COVID-19 and vitamin D really mean.
In the summer, getting enough daily vitamin D, or the “sunshine vitamin,” can be easy when you’re consistently heading out for runs in the sun. But when the winter comes around, bringing with it early sunsets and gloomy winter runs, do you need to add supplements or foods with vitamin D to your diet?
And as we are all trying to stay healthy amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, you might’ve heard about research on COVID-19 survival rates and vitamin D intake. You might be wondering if you should up yours.
Additionally, with cases rising across the U.S., we’re spending more time than ever indoors, giving us fewer chances to get that necessary sunshine. (It’s important to keep in mind that there is currently no cure for COVID-19, and many treatment options are still in trial phases.)
More...from Runner's World.
9. Is intermittent fasting as good as it sounds?
Intermittent fasting is said to deliver many health advantages, including lowering body weight, improving blood sugar, lowering blood pressure and cholesterol and reducing inflammation.
Decades worth of rodent studies support these claims. Mice who fast between meals are slimmer, healthier and live longer, regardless of the content of their diet.
Studies in people, though, are fewer in number, and most have been conducted for a short duration in small numbers of participants. Still, findings suggest that intermittent fasting has benefits.
Not all studies concur. Recent research has also hinted that the diet regimen may have unwanted consequences.
What is intermittent fasting?
It’s a pattern of eating that switches back and forth between eating and fasting. There are several variations.
More...from the Globe and Mail.
10. Bikes projected to outsell cars in Europe two-to-one by 2030:
Three cycling associations this week announced a new forecast for the cycling sector, which showed that Europeans are expected to buy an extra 10 million bikes per year by 2030, a whopping 47% more than in 2019. The new 30 million per year total will take bike sales to more than twice the number of passenger cars currently registered per year in the EU.
The trio of associations – Cycling Industries Europe (CIE), CONEBI (the Confederation of the European Bicycle Industry), and the European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF) – developed new forecasting methods which analysed the impact the Covid-19 pandemic, current sales trends, and future government investment will have on new bike sales. Its findings suggest an increase of 47% for combined bike and e-bike sales when compared to 2019 figures.
More...from Cycling Tips
11. The Athlete's Guide to Menopause:
Much more than fertility changes when menopause hits. Here's how to train through it.
Menopause, like menstruation, is often talked about in whispers. We don’t shout about reaching the period of life when we’re no longer fertile, perhaps because many of the symptoms of menopause are intensely personal: Hot flashes. Night sweats. Weight gain. Mood swings. Painful sex. Insomnia.
It can also wreak havoc on physiological assets we’ve spent a lifetime cultivating, like lean muscle, strong bones, and the ability to bounce back from a challenging workout with eight hours of restorative, protein-synthesizing sleep. Until recently, many of these symptoms were written off as a natural part of aging, as inescapable as graying hair and wrinkles. But recently, researchers discovered something interesting: it’s a lack of estrogen—not advancing age—that’s behind much of the bone deterioration, fat gain, and lean-muscle loss associated with menopause. And that’s good news for aging athletes, since hormonal changes are easier to fight than the inexorable march of time.
More...from Outside Online.
12. To Lose Weight With Exercise, Aim for 300 Minutes a Week:
Overweight men and women who exercised six days a week lost weight; those who worked out twice a week did not.
Can exercise help us shed pounds? An interesting new study involving overweight men and women found that working out can help us lose weight, in part by remodeling appetite hormones. But to benefit, the study suggests, we most likely have to exercise a lot — burning at least 3,000 calories a week. In the study, that meant working out six days a week for up to an hour, or around 300 minutes a week.
The relationship between working out and our waistlines is famously snarled. The process seems as if it should straightforward: We exercise, expend calories and, if life and metabolisms were just, develop an energy deficit. At that point, we would start to use stored fat to fuel our bodies’ continuing operations, leaving us leaner.
More...from the NY Times.
13. Exercise Blocks Pain, But Only For Believers:
A new study explores the links between exercise and pain perception, and how easily they can be manipulated.
Exercise is a powerful analgesic, dulling the sensation of whatever pain you may be experiencing. I believe that, and therefore it’s true for me. But would it remain true even if I didn’t believe it?
That’s the question at the heart of a recent study from researchers at the University of Southern Denmark, published last month in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. The study explores a phenomenon called exercise-induced analgesia, which is simply the reduction in pain sensation commonly observed following exercise. There are various theories for why this happens, including the release of pain-blocking brain chemicals such as endorphins. Or it may simply be that the discomfort of exercise desensitizes us to subsequent discomfort.
More...from Sweat Science on Outside Online.
14. Voice in Sport:
Our mission is to bring more visibility to female athletes and elevate their voice.
We are the Voice of female athletes.
VIS Holdings Inc. is a Sports x Advocacy Company fueled by the voice of female athletes. All sports x all levels. We are located in New York, New York and launched the company in 2019.
VIS, Voice in Sport is an Advocacy Platform that connects and inspires female athletes through a member-only website that provides access to original content fueled by the VIS Creators™, an Advisory Podcast, an Action Toolkit and a digital mentorship program fueled by the VIS League™.
Visit the website at: VoiceinSport.com.
15. How to Safely Exercise in the Dark:
Exercising outdoors in the winter often means exercising in the dark, whether you’re getting up before dawn or lacing up after work as the sun is going down. That’s no problem, as long as you know how to stay safe.
It will be cold
Nights are colder than days, so don’t expect your pre-dawn runs to be as warm as your midday ones. Check the hourly weather forecast with an app like DarkSky (make sure to look at the “feels like” temperature, too). Then take our advice on dressing to stay warm while you run.
If you’re cycling, you have to deal with the wind as well. Glasses or goggles can keep wind out of your eyes, and don’t forget to layer up on gloves, too. Consider glove liners or windproof gloves.
More...from LifeHacker.
FEATURED EVENTS:
*Please verify event dates with the event websites available from our FrontPage.
Upcoming Races, Marathons, Races, and Triathlons
December 20, 2020:
The Marathon Project - Chandler, Arizona
For more complete race listings check out our Upcoming Races, and Calendars.
Have a good week of training and/or racing.
Ken
Email: webmaster@runnersweb.com
|
Know someone else who's interested in running and triathlon?
