🏃♂️ The Best Running Shoe?
Good morning!
This week: Four types of running shoes, muscles cramps, and 5k.
If you missed last week’s edition, you can read it here.
Let us know; what’s your go-to running shoe.
Happy running, 😁
RUNNING SHOES
Our Running Shoe Lineup
With so many brands and options of running shoes, the truth is that there is no one perfect running shoe. We all have different necessities and preferences.
But we can learn from other runners.
With that in mind, we asked our Editor in Chief, Diego Alcubierre, to share with us what shoes he has on his rotation (image above).
Note: Diego has a 2:58 marathon PR, a 16:55 5k, has a Guinness World Record, and is a Running and Ironman Certified Coach.
The floor is yours, Diego.
#1. Easy Runs. I usually have a cheap pair for my easy runs. This way, I can change them regularly and test new brands. Right now, I have this Saucony Freedom 3. I bought them for less than $99. I’ve been using Saucony for over eight years, so I know that they will do the trick for my easy runs, no matter the model.
#2. Long Runs. I like to have more support and stability for my long runs. This way, my Achilles doesn’t suffer that much, and my legs recover faster. Right now, I’m super happy with this Hoka One Clifton 7 that I also found on a sale (the 8 was just released).
#3. Speed Workouts. I bought this Saucony Endorphin Pro to test Saucony’s carbon plate technology. You can really feel the difference, but they are not as fast as the Nikes (see below). So, they became the perfect fast shoe to do speed workouts.
#4. Mile to 10k Races. The Nike ZoomX Vaporfly Next% were the first commercial shoes to have a carbon plate. They are super light, and you can feel the bounciness the second you put them on. I have only used them like 6 times, only to break them and then race.
#5. Half Marathon and Marathon Races. The Nike Air Zoom Alphafly NEXT% are the shoes that Eliud Kipchogue used to break the 2 hours on the Marathon. They are not as light as the Vaporfly, but they have the extra pockets of air that I believe really help on mile 20 of a marathon.
Important: You don’t need to have all these shoes for training. For years I used the Saucony Kinvaras for everything. But after years of running, you can see the benefit of having different shoes for different purposes.
At the end of the day, use what you are comfortable with. But if you are on the lookout for a new pair, I hope my experience helps.
OLYMPIC 5,000m
There is a New Kid in Town
Can you guess what country has the most 5,000m Olympic medals?
Not Ethiopia, not Kenya, or Morocco…
It’s Finland, with six golds and 12 total medals. Interesting right?
And now, another Scandinavian runner, Norwegian 20-year old Jakob Ingebrigtsen, is threatening the African dominance in the discipline of the last almost 30 years. Of course, we know Mo Farah races for Great Britain, but he was born in Somalia.
Last Thursday, in Florence, Italy, Jakob ran an impressive 12:48.45 (watch the video here), 14 seconds faster than his personal best to win the race. For reference, this year’s Olympic qualifying time is 13:13.50.
What makes this time and race more impressive is that he did it in a field full of stars.
He beat the current 5,000m world record holder, Joshua Cheptegei, and the 2016 bronze medalist, Hagos Gebrhiwet. This demonstrates not only speed but metal toughness to perform when the stakes are high.
Now people are starting to wonder if he can pull off the 1500/5000 double gold in less than two months.
We already have the popcorn ready!
TRAINING
How to Avoid Muscle Cramps
Every year, muscle cramps affect 70% of runners. I would know; I’ve been a victim of them mid-marathon.
Why do muscle cramps occur?
“There’s a couple of opposing theories; nobody really knows which one is accurate,” says Shawn Kane, M.D., editor-in-chief of Current Sports Medicine Reports.
The two theories are:
- Cramps are related to the loss of water and salt via sweat.
- When you’re fatigued, a short-circuit occurs on your spinal cord.
And sadly, today, there is no definite answer as to why muscle cramps occur and how to prevent them.
Many researchers now recognize that multiple factors can cause cramping:
- Over-or undertraining
- Sleep quality
- Nutrition & fluid imbalances
- Hot or cold weather
- Limited range of motion
- Weak muscles
With this in mind, if you regularly suffer from muscle cramps, there are 4 things you can do to avoid them in the future:
- Drink a sports beverage. Some researchers strongly believe that electrolyte imbalances cause cramps.
- Journal. Keep a record of when cramps happen, then create a list of suspects, including heat and humidity, exercise type and intensity, liquid and food intake, mental state, and sleep.
- Strength Training. The best way to fix weak muscles and to minimize your chances of a muscle cramp.
- Stretch. If you cramp, the science is unequivocal: “The fastest, safest way to relieve a cramp is to stretch it until it goes away.”
OTHER FAST NEWS
It turns out that it’s not about how much oxygen you can consume (measured by VO2 Max), but how effectively you use that oxygen.
A 4-year ban from running from eating a pork burrito.
Book of the Week – Born to Run – An epic adventure that began with one simple question: Why does my foot hurt? Caution: you will want to run barefoot.
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