You may have noticed, times are getting faster. Records that have stood for some time are falling and by no small margin. Track & Field News says they are no longer recording every American who breaks 4 minutes in the mile because so many are now doing it. Races are setting records for number of runners under various time standards.
Two questions come to mind: is this really true or do perception and reality not match up? And, if perception and reality match up, what is driving the improvements?
Well, Alex Hutchinson has some thoughts. In short, the answer to the first question is that improvements are real but maybe not as dramatic as we think. The answer to the second: no surprise, super shoes play a role. However, there are other likely factors. From better training to better pacing and likely other factors. As is typical, many variables go into any real world result.
The first rule of getting in shape: I feel like people are getting sick of me talking about consistency, sustainable training and staying healthy. However, here I go again. If you take a person who wants to start a workout routine, what is the greatest determinant of fitness gains? Their likelihood of sticking to it.
Consistency really matters. If you stick to something, you will get results. If you don’t, you won’t.
How do you get consistency? First, by being sustainable. Don’t get yourself hurt. Second, by finding something that fits in your life and you can find some level of enjoyment in.
Dealing with bad air quality: It seems like we’re all facing two big challenges right now: bad air quality (wildfire smoke) and heat. I’ll get to heat in a moment but first, some thoughts on dealing with bad air quality. These are lessons elite runners have learned and have been kind enough to share.
Dealing with the heat: The second thing we’ve been facing: heat. Yep, it’s also rough. As with the above on bad air quality, here are some thoughts on dealing with the heat.
Until next month: stay safe, stay healthy and stay fast.