In this week's episode, we answer some of the questions posed to us by our listeners. Tune in to hear the answers!

Highlights of the Episode

Tips for new runners

How to choose the right running shoe for you

What’s a good running shoe

How to avoid IT band pain

Fueling on longer runs

How to stretch hamstrings

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Don't forget:...

Most of us have experienced it: that debilitating, instantly crippling pain underneath the rib cage that can bring your run — or race — to a screeching, disappointing halt.

Side stitches are common, affecting around 70 percent of runners each year, but the shared experience of a side stitch probably doesn’t make you hate them any less.

Generally described as a stabbing, localized pain on either the right or left side of the abdomen, side stitches can happen to anyone, but they tend to mostly affect beginning runners or those stepping up their pace or distance.

That makes sense when you think about what a side stitch actually is — a spasming of the diaphragm, which is the large muscle below the lungs that helps the lungs expand so you can breathe. Although there isn’t definitive evidence as to what causes side stitches, there are plenty of theories.

5 possible reasons side stitches occur

1) Eating or drinking too close...

For a distance runner, food is a source of energy before a workout.  It is vital nutrition during the long run.  It is a critical aspect of recovery following hard workouts.  On the other hand, food is so much more than macromolecules.  As much as food feeds our bodies, a meal can feed our mind and soul.  There is something about getting together over coffee, drinks, or a meal that draws people close.  When bonding over food, how important is the food?  Because food is more than just fuel. 

Highlights of the Episode

How to eat for endurance and stamina?

Is fasted training better?

Food connects people

Food as the focal point of family gatherings

How does eating together work in a year we are not supposed to gather?

What to do in the face of food temptation?

How does “mindful eating” work?

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To download our FREE strength guide for...

In this BONUS episode, we had a great conversation with Danielle Taylor, Executive Director of the Girls Gotta Run Foundation. She discussed the origins of GGRF and the accomplishments that transformed and developed young girls in the community. GGRF is the first and only organization investing in girl changemakers through running and education in Ethiopia.

Highlights of the episode

The origin and roles of GGRF in the development and empowerment of women and girls

The importance of GGRF in the global community

How does the foundation work to promote equality? 

Why is it significant for us as runners to support this foundation? 

How are the girls chosen to participate in the GGRF programs? 

Programs that GGRF provides

Thanks for Listening!!

To join the RLR Training Team, click here. 

To download our FREE strength guide for runners, click here.  

To join the RLR Tribe, click here.

If you have a topic you would like us to...

Prior to a decade ago, the widely held belief among running researchers and armchair quarterbacks of the sport was that long-term and long-distance running harm the knees. Specifically, the entrenched conviction was that running accelerated the natural wear and tear on the knee joints, leading to arthritis.

It makes sense logically, of course: Running is a high-impact activity that puts continuous stress on the body’s joints — particularly, the knee joints.

Yet the evidence in the past several years has largely overturned the association between running and arthritis, including a 2013 study of close to 75,000 runners that found “no evidence that running increases the risk of osteoarthritis, including participation in marathons.” (The runners in the study actually had a lower risk of developing arthritis than people who weren’t as active.)

Running isn’t a risk, but a protective activity for the knees

Osteoarthritis is...

I’m sick, now how am I supposed to run?  I was hurt, so how do I get back on a schedule.  Sickness and injury can derail the best of training intentions and plans.  So how do we adjust?  When is it ok to continue to push, and when do we pull back?  Once we have decided to pull back, how do we get back into running and working out?

Highlights of the episode

Coping with sickness or injury

Should I run when sick?

Learning to take a break as a runner

How can you adjust from sickness or injury?

Should a complete break occur or is adjusting even an option?

When and how to come back?

Thanks for Listening!!

To join the RLR Training Team, click here. 

To download our FREE strength guide for runners, click here.  

To join the RLR Tribe, click here.

If you have a topic you would like us to talk about, please send us an email at [email protected]   

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The seasons they are a-changin’ — at least in most parts of the world — and that means shorter days and dropping temperatures for many of us. But don’t think that just because the weather may be getting colder where you live, you’re resigned to the treadmill for the next few months. In fact, when you’re dressing for a run, it’s a good rule of thumb to actually plan for a temperature that’s 10 to 20 degrees warmer than what’s forecast.

That said, make sure you’re looking at the “feels like” temperature, which takes into account wind chill on blustery winter days. You should also factor in whether you’re going on a short run, an easy run, a long run, or heading out on a hard workout.

Layer, layer, layer

The most important thing to remember when dressing to run in winter weather is layers. You should aim for two to three layers on your upper body depending on how cold it is. (Thankfully,...

Your run is cruising along nicely until you feel a twinge in your side.  It’s subtle at first but quickly builds to a sharp pain just below the ribs.  You walk for a bit, but as soon as you start running, it pops right back up.  The dreaded side stitch.  Most runners have experienced this painfully annoying nemesis.  It can show up on any type of run and just takes the fun out of the workout.  In this episode, we will cover some causes, some fixes, and some big picture perspective.  

Highlights of the episode

What does a side stitch mean when running?

Why does side stitch keep happening and how do I prevent this?

Can eating or running habits cause side stitches?

What causes side stitch under ribs?

What do I do when it happens?

Thanks for Listening!!

To join the RLR Training Team, click here. 

To download our FREE strength guide for runners, click here.  

To join the RLR Tribe, click here.

If...

If you’ve been running for more than 20 years, you probably remember a time when you couldn’t tell by simply glancing down at your wrist what pace you were running or how far you’d come — let alone your heart rate or other more in-the-weeds data points. Today, though, it’s common practice to see every statistic you could possibly imagine staring back at you the instant you stop a workout.

Those statistics include, of course, the VO2 max, a quantifiable measure of aerobic fitness once only used by elite athletes and researchers and now a popular buzzword among weekend warriors due to the introduction of smart devices like GPS watches and Fitbits.

What is the VO2 max, anyway?

The VO2 max is the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use during exercise. Or, put another way, the amount of oxygen you take in when you’re running your hardest. It’s affected by factors like how many red blood cells you have, how much blood your...

When it comes to running, we all want to be strong and injury-resistant.  The last thing we want is to be sidelined with pain or injury.  We want to be able to run faster and longer and not feel limited.  One way to do this is by building a strong running foundation, and we’re not talking about mileage.  Today, we are focusing on one of the most important joints that runners need to focus on: the hips.  We cover what hip stability and mobility means and why we need both, what muscles and movements we need to have strong AND mobile hips, and what we can do on a daily or weekly basis to improve our running foundation to get stronger and prevent injury.

Highlights of the Episode

The difference between stability and mobility, and why we need each one

Importance of fluid movement in all directions and strength in all directions

Pain: The cause or the effect?

Strong muscles that can stabilize our bodies and keep us upright when we run

Most...