The Stride Guide - November 18th, 2024

👀 This week’s Running Hot Take

• Running USA releases new Industry Insights report: The report covers the largest standalone races and multi-event weekends for the first half of 2024, showing impressive double-digit growth percentages in many events. The surge is attributed to increased interest from Millennials and Gen Zs.

  Full mid-year update here

• On another Running topic, There's a notable trend towards more accessible short-distance trail and mountain running events, providing an entry point for runners who may be intimidated by ultra-distance races.

• The Nix Biosensor, a wearable device that adheres to the upper arm, analyzes sweat rate and electrolyte concentration in real time during runs. This innovative technology provides runners with personalized hydration data, potentially improving performance and safety.

• Elite runners Kilian Jornet and Zach Miller attempted to organize an elite-athlete boycott of the UTMB World Series Finals, citing concerns about business tactics and prize money. This sparked significant discussion in the trail-running community.

📚 Pace Pointers

What are running Metrics and how to use them?

Training for a race in the modern world can be overwhelming, especially when training watches and apps show so many metrics. Even though it may seem like so much in the beginning, metrics actually matter and they can transform your running journey.

To help you train smarter and reach your race goals, let’s break down essential metrics so you can chase that new PR.

Running Metrics

• Pace: is simply how fast you are running, measured in minutes per mile or kilometer. Understanding pace and your target pace are key when workouts call for an easy pace or hard pace.

• Distance: The total distance covered during your training. It might seem so basic and obvious, but it is important in helping you build endurance, especially when running marathons. Think of training distance as your running foundation; you need to build it gradually and consistently.

• Time: The duration of your activity. While similar to distance training, time-based training is beneficial when base training or training for beginners. It often helps you focus more on the proper pace.

• Cadence: Think of cadence as your running rhythm. It is the number of steps you take per minute, measured in SPM (steps per minute). Proper cadence helps for efficient running and pushes for proper form. Try to land between 160 to 180 SPM, A higher cadence means less bounce and less impact on the joints.

• Running Power: This one is the new metric on the block. Power measures the effort you’re putting in running regardless of pace. It is especially useful on hills or winding conditions when the pace doesn’t tell the whole story.

Heart Rate Metrics

• Heart Rate: Knowing your heart rate is incredibly powerful information. It all starts with understanding your max heart rate, you can calculate it the old-school way (220 minus your age). Luckily with the introduction of heart rate monitors in smartwatches, regular runner now has access to a more accurate value. Hold on to this value, it will be very important in the next section.

• Heart Rate Zones: Remember, heart rate is different for everyone, what’s important is how you use your heart rate data. The purpose of knowing your heart rate is to help you gauge if you are working too hard on easy days or not hard enough during tough workouts.
  
  So let’s use the max heart rate value to understand the heart rate zone.

  • Zone 1 (50-60% of max) is your recovery pace, perfect for warm-ups and cool-downs.

  • Zone 2 (60-70%) is your base training pace, great for building endurance. 80% of your weekly mileage should be in this zone.

  • Zone 3 (70-80%) is where tempo runs happen. Training this zone is key for increasing the lactate threshold.

  • Zones 4 and 5 (80-100%) are your high-intensity zones for speed work. That can be interval training, hill sprints, etc.

• Heart Rate Variability (HRV): This might be my favorite metric because it tells you when to push hard and when to take it easy. HRV measures the varying time between your heartbeats - higher variability usually means your body is well-recovered and ready for a challenge, while lower variability suggests you might need more rest.

Fitness Metrics

• VO2 Max: VO2 max is very simple, It is the volume (V) of oxygen (O2) your body uses during hard exercise. In other words, how well your body consumes the oxygen you breathe. The higher the number, the more efficient your body is at utilizing the oxygen you breathe. Thankfully, most modern running watches estimate this for you, and your goal is to always improve it.

• Lactate Threshold: This is the intensity at which your lactate begins to accumulate in the blood faster than it can metabolize. It usually happens at 80 - 85% of a person’s maximum heart rate at a sustained period or within an hour of a hard run. The goal is also to improve this threshold so that you run faster and longer.

Use these metrics as guides. They are powerful tools but they don’t tell the entire story. The best runners know how to balance the data with how they feel.

🏃‍♂️💨 Race Ready

Here is our curated list of upcoming races you can join:

1. Harpeth Hills Flying Monkey Marathon

   • Date: November 24, 2024

   • Location: Nashville, TN

2. Philadelphia Marathon

   • Date: November 24, 2024

   • Location: Philadelphia, PA

3. California International Marathon

   • Date: December 1, 2024

   • Location: Sacramento, California

4. Tucson Marathon

   • Date: December 7, 2024

   • Location: Tucson, Arizona

5. Rehoboth Beach Seashore Marathon

   • Date: December 7, 2024

   • Location: Rehoboth Beach, Delaware

6. Hoover Dam Marathon

   • Date: December 7, 2024

   • Location: Boulder City, NV

7. Honolulu Marathon

   • Date: December 8, 2024

   • Location: Honolulu, Hawaii

8. Palm Beaches Marathon

   • Date: December 15, 2024

   • Location: West Palm Beach, Florida

9. Dallas Marathon

   • Date: December 15, 2024

   • Location: Dallas, TX

10. Last Chance Marathon

    • Date: December 31, 2024

    • Location: Bellingham, WA