the morning shakeout | issue 507
Introducing the Fall Marathon Workshop Series, looking at truths that get clearer with age, what we can learn from cheetahs, and a lot more.
Good morning! I’m excited to share a little something I’ve been working on with my friend and athlete Peter Bromka: the Fall Marathon Workshop Series. This virtual series of six in-depth sessions led by myself and Peter, with additional support from subject matter experts in nutrition, strength training, and sports psychology, will help you put the big building blocks of marathon training into place so that you’re as prepared as ever when you step to the start line this fall. Whether you’re racing in Berlin, Chicago, or New York, chasing a PR in Sacramento or Valencia, or lining up at Twin Cities, Indy, or elsewhere, these workshops will ensure that you show up ready to roll. It’s ideal for self-coached athletes looking for guidance and support, but it’s also great for athletes who are already working with a coach and seeking additional resources to complement their training plan. The live weekly workshops will kick off on Friday, August 15 and run through September 19. In addition to the workshops and a private WhatsApp community, participants will receive a pair of racing shoes from New Balance and $50 USD toward Precision Fuel and Hydration product (and a 20% discount on additional orders). It’s priced at $449 and I guarantee you it will deliver at least double that in value. More details can be found here. We’re capping the group at 25 athletes to keep the experience intimate and engaging, so be sure to reserve your spot soon.
OK, I’ve got some good stuff to share with you this week. Let’s get right to it.
Quick Splits
— My good friend Brad Stulberg recently celebrated a birthday and he shared a short collection of truths that have gotten clearer to him with age. The one that resonates most with me is #20, which is something I try to remind myself of every day (often multiple times): “Excellence. Intimacy. Love. All the things we long for require attention. The quality of your attention shapes the quality of your life. Protect it.” We live in a world that’s literally wired for distraction and like everyone else, I find myself constantly getting pulled in a dozen different directions. Bringing myself back to center and prioritizing being fully present, whether it’s spending time with people I care about, coaching an athlete, or working on a project, improves the quality of that experience, full stop. What’s a truth you’ve learned over time that serves as a “life guidepost” for you? Here are 43 of mine. Share yours by replying to this email or leaving it in the comments below this post.
+ Seth Godin’s 65 notes to himself is pretty good too.
— A few readers wrote to me in the past couple of weeks to tell me about Ben Ratliff’s new book, Run the Song, as well as share this interview he did about it with Noticing’s Rob Walker. Ratliff’s name rang a bell, and it turns out I’ve read some of his music-related work for The New York Times, but I had no idea that running was such a big part of his life. From what he revealed in the interview, Ratliff, a professional music critic by trade, has developed a deeper relationship with music by listening to it while running, saying that, “music is more than [a tool], much more; it's a way of learning how to be alive, and a way of coming to grips with that which is not material. So if music is deeper than a hammer, or even a very nice drill set, then we can always try the reverse: make running the tool. Use running to make you a better listener. (By better I simply mean more curious, more open, more attentive to detail. I don't mean ‘better’ by any means that data could measure.)” I never run with music myself, as it tends to take me out of the moment and makes me less aware of my environment, but I can appreciate how it might reshape one’s connection to the music. I’m curious to dive deeper into Ratliff’s perspective, however, and have added his book to my queue.
— As a follow-up to my remembrance of Coach Joe Vigil from last week’s issue, Deena Kastor, who was coached by Vigil for a good chunk of her professional career, spent the better part of an hour sharing stories and reflecting on his legacy, impact, and the lessons he taught her with Weldon Johnson of letsrun.com and it’s a great listen. “And you could see him in McDonald's having his coffee and you would sit down and he'd give you any information that you were willing to ask or listen to,” she recalled. “He was just so generous with everything and really taught me that what good is having knowledge or money or food or just anything for that matter—the acquisition of what we have means nothing if we're not sharing it with people. We become more valuable to society when we can share what we know. And I think that he lived that every single day and lived with absolutely no regrets. He just really lived his daily life to the fullest. And I would bet two weeks ago if you asked him if he had any regrets or anything else he wanted to do in his life, the answer would be no.”
— How do we know what works in training? Many people might snap, “Science, stupid!” Steve Magness, however, reminds us not to forget the importance of knowing your history, and he makes a strong argument for it in this manifesto. “What I hope you notice is that there’s a natural evolution to training,” he writes. “We can see how the pendulum swings, how we try new things, and even build off what’s come before. It’s not perfect. Sometimes we take some wrong turns and have to go the other way. Other times, something that worked pretty well isn’t continued exactly because it’s too hard to teach and pass along to the masses (i.e. Igloi). But what we can see are some major trends and understanding for why we do what we do.” Or, to share a line that I’ve borrowed from Alex Hutchinson: “The wheel is being continually reinvented, but it’s still a wheel.”
— A little over two years ago I shared a live set from Lewis Capaldi after the Scottish musician announced that he was ending his tour early and taking an indefinite break from being on the road to work on his physical and mental health. Well, Capaldi made his return to the stage recently, singing “Someone You Love” live in Glastonbury, and it was a raw, moving moment that clearly meant a lot to everyone on and around the stage. He’s wearing the emotion on his face at various parts of the performance and the support of the crowd throughout is pretty special.
— From the archives (Issue 455, 1 year ago this week): When I first saw the headline for this article about “what Olympic runners can learn from cheetahs” I rolled my eyes and almost didn’t read it. But, I gave it a shot and, to my surprise, it actually had some useful takeaways for runners at all levels—the most important, I think, being this one: “For those keen to start running, [Alan Wilson, a professor of locomotor biomechanics at the Royal Veterinary College, and a runner himself] recommends thinking about it as an acquired skill, and building up strength with high-intensity exercises such as sprinting short distances, then walking, then sprinting again, and adding more distance over time,” Sophie Hardach writes for the BBC. “‘Small duration, high-intensity exercise is what the body responds to’ in terms of developing bone strength, muscle strength and joint strength, says Wilson, and it is less likely to result in injuries than focusing primarily on endurance without building strength first.” This is a good insight. Too many runners, and coaches, I’m afraid, don’t think of running as a skill to learn and develop over time. In almost any other sport, whether you’re learning how to swing a baseball bat, dribble a basketball, or even swim across the pool, you often perform various drills that are a regular part of a practice session. This is actually quite rare in running—more often than not we just start running, and then run some more, and oftentimes it leads to injury. I’m a believer that you should learn how to move well before you allow yourself to move often. In recent years, I’ve rethought my own philosophy on “base” training, where, instead of just running a lot of miles, we do drills, fast strides, and short hills on the regular. Why? Quite simply, these things do everything Wilson says above: strengthen muscles, ligaments, tendons, and bones, making you a more resilient athlete, and they help you hone your running skills, which influence how you move at a wide range of speeds.
— My partners at Precision Fuel and Hydration also help support Caleb Olson, who recently won the Western States Endurance Run in 14:11:25, the second fastest time in race history. Here’s a cool case study breaking down his fueling and hydration strategy/intake during the race (holy carbs, Batman!), and this video provides a behind-the-scenes look at what it took for him to take home the win. Informative AND inspiring stuff from the best of the best with plenty of applicable takeaways for us mere mortals—in short: have a plan, practice the plan, execute the plan. (And if you’re interested in trying any PF&H products for yourself—they’re what I’ve used to keep myself fueled and hydrated for nearly 8 years now—check out this link and save 15% off your first order.)
Looking for a fast non-carbon plated shoe to rip around in this summer? Take a peek at the New Balance FuelCell Rebel v5. I’ve run in every iteration of this shoe and it’s my go-to for faster workouts on both the track and the roads. This latest version is no exception. As fast and fun as carbon-plated shoes can be, it’s important not to be overly reliant on them for all your track sessions, fartleks, hills, and tempo runs. The Rebel allows your feet to do what they want to do while providing plenty of protection underfoot when you’re putting a lot of extra force into the ground. The new blend of PEBA and EVA foams in the midsole provides a snappy ride underfoot, helping make the miles go by quickly. The FuelCell Rebel v5 is available on newbalance.com (men’s sizes here, women’s sizes here) and at your favorite local run specialty retail store.
Workout of the Week: The In-n-Out Tempo Run
Let’s face it: Training for a marathon or half-marathon can get monotonous. Both programs involve lots of sustained running at or around goal race pace. This is part of the deal, of course, and an important component for developing fitness, dialing in pacing, practicing fueling, and more. That said, it gets repetitive, if not boring, and a lot of people tend to lock in to a set pace and then zone out until it’s time to stop. Racing, however, requires you to pay attention, listen to your body, and make adjustments on the fly, which is why I love to assign the In-n-Out Tempo Run from time to time. Not to mention, it’s much more interesting than its classically constructed cousin! Here are the details.
The bottom line.
“Fill your bowl to the brim and it will spill. Keep sharpening your knife and it will blunt. Chase after money and security and your heart will never unclench. Care about people’s approval and you will be their prisoner. Do your work, then step back. The only path to serenity.”
— Laozi in Chapter 9 of the Tao Te Ching
That’s it for Issue 507. Enjoying the shakeout? Please do me a solid and pass it along to someone else who might also appreciate it. (And if you’re seeing this newsletter for the first time and want to receive it for yourself every Tuesday, you can subscribe right here.)
Thanks for reading,
Mario
I think the link to the In and Out Tempo workout needs fixing; it goes to an earlier issue of the Morning Shakeout, not the workout details.