Running Edition: Courtesy of Coach Ryan Warrenburg
Supplements
Underrated. The reason supplements are getting an underrated designation is due to the grossly underrated impact of Vitamin D and Iron. These 2 supplements alone can make a massive difference in your running performance, and even injury risk. I believe most runners fail to grasp just how big of an impact these 2 supplements can have on their running. Obviously, this is only true if you are deficient. But if you’re deficient in either of these the impacts on performance can be profound.
The other long, long list of supplements are likely overrated. It’s not to say there isn’t value, especially on an individual level. But no other supplement (outside of rare circumstances) can have the type of impact iron or vitamin D can have for someone who is deficient. You can read more here about Vitamin D supplementation and here about Iron supplementation, including the difference between deficiency for an endurance athlete vs. a non-endurance athlete.
Super Shoes
Overrated. Super shoes have captured headlines over the past 6 years and are now ubiquitous at any road race across the world. And for good reason – they make you run faster, and for many runners they leave your legs less beat up than previous generations of racing shoes. So how am I labeling this overrated?
The hype train has gone off the rails a little bit with the usage of super shoes. From a performance standpoint they are not overrated, if anything they are underrated. No professional athlete would dream of racing a marathon in a non-super shoe because it would be an insurmountable disadvantage. However, the potential negative side effects of super shoes don’t get discussed at all in the public conversation. This has led many people to wear them daily for runs.
I dove into some of the risks associated with super shoes here, and anyone racing with time goals should absolutely be racing in them. But regular usage can weaken lower leg muscles, increasing injury risk and reducing overall running economy. I am definitely not anti-super shoe, I just think it’s important to take a more balanced look at how we utilize them.
One of the ways we have attempted to strike the balance with our team is to workout in non-plated racing flats more often. These types of shoes have the same kind cushion that help keep the legs fresh and enhance recovery, but the lack of a carbon-fiber plate helps reduce some of the potential negative effects.
Double Threshold
Overrated. I had originally designated this as “Accurately Rated,” but as I was going through my rationale I realized I actually think it’s overrated. So, here we go.
Double threshold workouts have soared to popularity among the world’s best runners, thanks in large part to Norwegian phenom Jakob Ingebrigtsen and his Olympian brothers Henrik and Filip. The Norwegian approach had been used prior to the Ingebrigtsen’s, perhaps most notably by Marius Bakken, who offers up a fantastic explanation here if you’re interested in learning a bit more.
In short, the double threshold approach has taken the elite distance running world by storm. The application is just as it sounds, doing a threshold workout both in the morning and in the afternoon. We have implemented these sessions regularly with the ZAP team and believe in the benefits.
That being said, the hype in the elite world on double threshold workouts has become deafening. It is a valuable tool and one that we have utilized with tremendous success. However, I suspect the real magic of the Norwegian model is the emphasis on improving and developing the anaerobic threshold and forcing athletes to properly control their workout intensity. The late, great Arthur Lydiard preached this back in the 1960’s. There are some key differences, most notably being able to dramatically increase the workout volume by doing 2 workouts in 1 day. And the combination of super cushioned shoes and the unique tempo-interval approach of the Norweigan model have made this a very effective advancement in training.
However, I would caution most runners on implementing these workouts. I think this is a type of training that is better suited to elite athletes, or at the very least athletes that are able to handle large volumes of training and dedicate time to recovering properly. The principles of not running your workouts too hard and gradually increasing your training volume are valuable and should be the key takeaways for most runners, not trying to do 2 workouts in 1 day.
Zone 2 Training
Underrated. Zone 2 as a term: overrated. Lots of credit here goes to Pete Attia, whose book Outlive is one of my most recommend books of the last few years (and whose podcast on dietary protein with Dr. Don Layman is my most recommended podcast episode of the last few years.) He has popularized this idea of Zone 2 training and how it should comprise about 80% of your cardiovascular workout volume. If that sounds familiar, it’s because that has been the foundation of distance running training for the last 60 years. Most of your training should be done at a pace where you could hold a casual conversation. This type of running is the essential building block of success in distance running.
I am admittedly not a huge fan of zone training. Not because it doesn’t work or doesn’t make sense. I think it can get in the way of developing our intuition around running and perceived effort. When it comes to racing and performance, no metric is going to guide you better than your instincts. And your running instincts are developed over time and by listening to and paying attention to your body, not your zone. And if you can run while having a conversation, you’re likely right in that zone 2 range.
As a tool I think efforts zones can be wonderful and be a good starting point along the path of becoming a better, more intuitive runner. But when we become over reliant on it I think it can get in the way of optimal performance. I’m also willing to admit some of my feelings may be rooted in my own romantic vision of the simplicity of running where the only technology you need is a pair of shoes.