Training

The midlife transition of menopause can bring muscle loss, lousy sleep, mood swings, and more. With the right strategy it doesn’t have to slow you down as an athlete.

You might need to rethink your training. Use these five factors to find out how to improve performance in a smart, sustainable way.

Wrist-based heart rate monitors are notoriously inaccurate...except when they're not? Here's how to keep the conflicting data in perspective.

The December 2021 study shows large amounts of individual variation across different phases of the menstrual cycle.

Integrating strength work into your training can be confusing. Here's an 8-week, full-body program that removes all the guesswork.

Some athletes swear by compression socks, shorts and sleeves. But are there real pros and cons to compression?

Running your first trail half marathon can be easy and fun with the right preparation.

Hiking doesn't feel as glamorous as prancing along ridgelines or bombing down hills, but it can make you a faster and more efficient runner.

Stop, put your hands on your knees, and take some deep breaths after an exhausting year. You earned it, and according to a 2019 study, it works.

In running, there's often a perception of what the "ideal" body type looks like. We want to break that stigma for all runners.

There could be a number of reasons you're feeling a rapid beat. Here's when to worry about it.

The holidays are idealized as a happy, peaceful time of year. But it's okay if it doesn't feel that way, around the holidays or anytime.

Resolve to get fit, build speed and tackle 2022 with this intermediate training plan for trail runners. 

Barre, the strength training regimen derived from ballet, could be your key to improved stability and injury prevention on the trail.

You can wear whatever you want when you run, but letting your body get too cold may increase injury risk and reduce performance, in addition to being way less cozy.

Gut microbes play a big role in athletics, and the microbiome could be positively impacted by behavior changes and supplements. Let’s dive into some smelly science.

Here's how to be proactive about your bone health before a break sidelines you.

For a quality workout, at what temperature should you run on a treadmill or brave the cold?

A heavy emphasis on long runs could have lower reward and higher risk for athletes that are not within a training block for longer races.

Beneficial health outcomes are associated with physical activity at every weight level; weight loss—not so much.

Here are some mental tips and low-key workouts for making easy treadmill miles less "blah" and more "woohoo!"

Do we burn more or less energy running in the cold versus running in the heat, and should there be any relative change to our calorie intake?

These gifts are 11 research-backed options for an athlete looking to push their performance limits.

Here it is — the ultimate bodyweight workout — with nary a squat, lunge or plyometric in sight!

Here’s how to build hill-running strength even when real hills aren’t accessible.

Insecurities are real. Doubts happen. But that doesn't mean you should be afraid to go after lofty ambitions.

This workout will help you zero in on relaxed speed and build muscular endurance.

Check out David Roche's author page.

Morning soreness is part of being an athlete, and it’s usually not a cause for alarm.

A lot can go wrong in trail racing. But a lot can go right, too. Here's a long list of things to keep in mind for your next race.

Take your health, fitness, and performance to the next level in 2022 with our comprehensive four-week plans.

It can be difficult to figure out how to work cross-training into your running schedule. These tips will help.

Try this quick workout to keep your stabilizer muscles strong through the winter and ready for spring and summer mountains.

A November 2021 study uses a fascinating research design to test different types of periodization over a 16-week training cycle.

There's a time and place for pushing to your very limits, but lower-intensity, consistent training might be more effective in the long run.

Toeing the line for the first time since the pandemic may take you back to your first race ever.

Starting at 5 hours a week, this 10-week program will help you build endurance and jump-start your training this winter.

The track can present an opportunity to build speed, or it can be an injury waiting to happen. Let’s use four questions to dive into the training theory behind track workouts.

Aerobic capacity, not speed, is usually the limiting factor in how fast you can race, even for a distance as short as 5K.

We asked an endurance-running coach exactly how to recover from our workouts.

Use these five shorter workouts to build the physiological adaptations for the bigger efforts to come later.

How to incorporate meditation into your training and recovery process.

It's okay for the first mile of your run to be the slowest. In fact, physiology says that might be the best way to begin.

Tough workouts to help you get race-day ready.

According to a new study, overtraining and underfueling share pathways, symptoms, and diagnostic complexities. Those connections have important implications for long-term adaptation and health.

As runners, should we really be stretching? And if so, how much, what kind, and when?

While fitness seems like a protective factor, doctors urge everyone to remain vigilant against getting sick.

Winter running can be dreary, with a pause in racing and abundance of inclement weather. But there are ways to make the most of those cold months.

Easy, silly ways to make your next run more fun.

Yes, we love running. That doesn't mean every run is perfect. Here's how to embrace the suck.

The aging process brings up some difficult questions for all athletes. Talking openly about the age-performance curve can be healthy for everyone.

A new review of studies finds that common injury-prevention rules don't hold up.

Check out David Roche's author page.

Three types of training that will improve your speed, stride, and stamina, but won't burn you out.

A recent report in The Oregonian details allegations that the University of Oregon program adjusted training based on body composition readings in repeated DEXA scans. If true, that practice is medically dubious and physiologically wrong.

Tips for staying open-minded, and making space for responses.

When it comes to yoga for runners, the right poses can prep you for a great run and help you recover even better.

Check out David Roche's author page.

I know that the goal for easy running is to maintain a conversational pace, but I live in a pretty hilly area. The only way to get my heart rate down is to take walk breaks, but I don't want to do that every time. What do you recommend?

Check out David Roche's author page.

If you are a new runner, here is how to know you're running at the right pace.

In The Performance Corner, our expert strength running coach Jason Fitzgerald explores what type of weight training you should and should not do, to improve your stride and make you a faster runner.

For athletes that are stagnating or regressing, these 6 training interventions can spur adaptation to a new level of fitness.

How HR training works, and when it's useful.

The off-season is an opportunity. Capture it.

Plus, a look at the accuracy of heart rate monitors.

Legs are the main propulsion you have in the mountains, and their large muscle mass requires special attention.

Chances are pretty good that you've experienced at least one of these "injuries." Yes, you can run through them.

Doubles are an element in most pro-athlete training plans that can help athletes of all levels get faster.

If a claim is too good to be true, it probably is. Here’s how to analyze bold promises like an expert.

Check out David Roche's author page.

Check out David Roche's author page.

How Courtney Dauwalter uses adaptability to stay cool, calm and collected when the going gets tough.

Avoiding running burnout requires paying attention to how you spend your energy.

A new analysis of numerous studies sheds light on how, contrary to popular belief, running may actually build stronger cartilage. Here's what that means for training on arthritic joints.

Cross-country skiers train lots, but often very easily, with minimal changes in aerobic principles based on distance raced in endurance events. What does it mean for runners?

Learning to spot the difference between tiredness and burnout can help you rest at the right time.

Is there a special quality shared by top athletes who triumph over great challenges? And can anyone acquire it?

Check out David Roche's author page.