I reached out to Tim because if there’s one person in this world that I know for certain knows running shoes better than me, it’s him. He works with them every day, fitting runners of all skill levels, and has a deep understanding of how a good running shoe rotation can help make you a better runner.

The below is written by Tim, I will come back at the end for my take on this topic.

Shoe rotations seem like a marketing scam from Big Shoe.

You can only run in one shoe at the time, so why need multiple?

But there is more to shoe rotations than meet the eye.

Before we dive in, I want to kindly thank BTR for having me on today. My name is Tim, I’m an obsessed runner with a degree in Human Motion Technology and have 3+ years of running retail under my belt.

Today I’m going to talk to you about shoe rotations and what benefits we can gain from having a solid rotation at our feet.

A solid shoe rotation serves four key purposes.

1. Reducing injury risk

2. Optimize training stimulus

3. Maximize life span of training shoes

4. Reduce emotional fatigue

It’s also a great way to empty your bank account for people suffering from shiny object syndrome, but that’s not the sole purpose.

Let’s explore these purposes in a bit more detail.

1. Reducing injury risk

Every runner knows how important cross training is to stay healthy and strong. A good shoe rotation is basically cross training for your lower leg.

Every running shoe has a difference in:

• Geometry

• Foam material

• Torsion stiffness

Which makes your foot, ankle and lower leg work slightly different per shoe.

This slight adjustment in loading, creates a stronger and more durable running foundation to keep stacking the miles without over using small stabilizing muscles.

1. Optimize training stimulus

Having different shoes for different training intensities will help you perform better.

It would be hard to run fast intervals in a Gel Nimbus or Triumph. But it would also be uncomfortable to run your easy runs in an Endorphin Speed or Adizero Boston.

So using a high stack, cushioned shoe for easy run helps absorb impact and keeps your legs fresh to go after it again the next day.

In similar fashion, a lightweight reactive training shoe will help you run your intervals just a bit quicker and improves your mechanics.

To optimize race results, having a carbon plated racing shoe is going to work wonders. The high energy returning properties of the foam together with the carbon plate in a super light package will skyrocket your performance on race day by reducing metabolic cost of running. This means you can go faster at a similar intensity compared to your training shoes.

1. Maximize life span of training shoes

Having multiple shoes allows to rotate allows each shoe to fully rest after each run. This sounds a bit dumb but your shoes need recovery too.

It takes about 24-48 hours for a shoe to fully ‘recover’ to it’s original properties.

Giving the foam enough time to fully recover help maximize it’s life span. With a shoe rotation you can easily cross this 24+ hour gap with another pair of shoes.

1. Reduce emotional fatigue

Okay, this is a little bit less science-y and more from my own experience.

Having a single pair of shoes becomes boring. Boring runs lead to skipping runs. So keeping the fun and vibes high, is crucial for consistency.

Sometimes the little spark of dopamine of putting on a exciting shoe, can be enough to get you out the door.

The more you run, the more logical this argument becomes. You will burn trough multiple pairs per year anyway. Why not use them all in conjunction.

So now we understand the reasoning behind a shoe rotation. But how many shoes should you actually own. In my opinion, 3 is the sweet spot. You could add a 4th shoe for specific events like trail running or cross country races.

A 3-shoe rotation would look like this:

• A comfortable all-round trainer (New Balance 1080v14, Nike Vomero 18, Asics Novablast 5)

• A speedy lightweight trainer (Adidas Evo SL, Hoka Mach X3, Brooks Hyperion Max 3)

• A dedicated race day shoe (Nike Alphafly 3, Adidas Adios Pro 4, On Cloudboom Strike)

Don’t marry yourself to a single brand!

The fact that you like a particular shoe from a single brand, just means that. You don’t like the brand, you like that model. Different brand have outliers in different categories of running shoe.

If you are currently running in a single pair of shoes, I made a solid roadmap to use:

If you are struggling to find the right running shoe right now or want to expand your shoe rotation but don’t know where to start, I can help you with that.

I provide personalized shoe recommendations based on your goals, running mechanics and shoe history. You can find more info here timroozendaal.carrd.co.

I also write a weekly newsletters on shoes, training tips and gait mechanics in my newsletter ‘Smart Stride’. You can subscribe for similar content like this here:

https://smartstride.beehiiv.com/

Thanks again to BTR for this opportunity 🤝

*BTR Enters Stage Right*

Thank you Tim for that great write up, please go follow him on X and his newsletter.

My thoughts on the ideal shoe rotation are similar, it’s about having tools at your disposal for how you feel on that given day, along with what the objective is for that day.

For example, if you have an easy run scheduled today, but you’re just feeling slightly tired or not in the mood to train, simply grabbing an up-tempo shoe (endorphin speed, EVO SL, etc) will help bridge the gap from you not feeling great pre-run to what you need to do that day.

But there’s other benefits to the shoe rotation Tim mentioned which I want to expand upon which is that it elongates the shoe’s lifespan and therefore keeps money in your wallet long term. A big reason for this is the midsole of the shoe constantly being compressed then re-expanding back to it’s full height (from a running stride). The more consistent strides a shoe has, the more the foam will pack-in and compress together.

The easiest way I know how to explain this is by drawing analogies to every day life. This bring us to the crumple zone…

The closest analogy to a running midsole foam is the crumple zone in a car. Both are designed for safety and impact absorption.

While a very well designed crumple zone will appear to the untrained eye as if a brutal crash occurred, the opposite is true. The highest safety rated cars have massive crumple zones, from the hood to the dashboard, which saves countless lives each year. The physics behind the crumpling is that if the impact can be delayed and absorbed, then less impact is transferred to the passengers in the car.

The same goes for running shoes! The more ground impact that is absorbed by the midsole compound, the less impact is transferred to your body. Both are applying simple physics to keep your body more well intact for when it meets impact.

But unlike a car, the midsole in a shoe rebounds and expands back to its original state. The problem is that you can only do this contraction and expansion so many times in a row before the range narrows. It becomes a classic energy return and efficiency problem. This is mainly due to your running stride and the fact that the foam does not have enough time to fully rebound—especially in training where your stride is slightly shorter than your race day stride (at any distance).

Simply put, if at the start of your run the midsole foam is at 100% of it’s expansion, then it will slowly degrade down from that full expansion. While running, the foam gets squished due to your body putting pressure through your legs/feet into the ground. This causes the foam to squish down to ~40% of total expansion, and as your foot leaves the ground, it expands back up to 99%+.

Note that it never *fully* goes back to full expansion from where it started the previous foot-strike. So if this picture continued for the duration of a run, it would slowly lower down the 98%, then 97%, etc., etc. Note that the degradation of foam is not linear and often happens slower than the 1% per stride the above graphic shows.

This process is known as “packing in” of the foam in the running-shoe-tech world is. Because well, it packs in. Creases slowly start to show up in the midsole and the stack height actually slightly decreases into its “packed in” state. This means over the course of a shoe’s lifetime, the midsole stack height will actually decrease (pack in) a few millimeters, leading to less impact absorption (crumple zone) and more fatigue on your legs. So if when you put the shoe on for the first time, the midsole was at 100% expansion, in 200 miles, the shoe will be lowered to <90% at the start of a run.

Q: If this cannot be stopped, then why is it worth worrying over?

A: Because you can slow this process down by rotating your shoes.

Understanding that simply using your running shoes packs the foam in and doesn’t allow a full rebound/expansion of the midsole is the first step in this process. Next, you need to realize that the foam in your running shoe is around 85% recovered when you take it off after a run.

What this means is that it takes time for the foam to re-expand as they sit in your closet. This is why I make it imperative for all of my clients to not wear their shoes outside of running—no walking, gym, or errands to be done in them! The foam needs as much time as possible to expand to its greatest possible size.

Unfortunately for us, the time needed gets longer the more miles we rack up on our shoes. Anything over 100 miles will be undoubtedly “packed in” and will, for better or worse depending on your preference, be a different shoe all together. A big reason for this feeling is that it starts to take much longer for the midsole foam to expand back out post-run after the 100-mile mark.

To combat this we add more shoes into our rotation! This immediately does two things for us:

1. Increases the lifespan of our shoes.

2. Shoes feel more fresh, or closer to as they did when you first bought them.

Just by giving your shoes more time decompress!

What this does for us in the long term is:

1. Keep you injury and “niggle” free.

2. Helps protect your wallet.

If you want to read more about this, see my article on shoe rotations here:

That’s it for now folks. If you made it this far, you’re definitely a running shoe junkie like us.

Comment below your favorite shoes in each "category” of your rotation!

-BTR & Tim

Low stack trainers have been virtually abandoned in the US market, and runner’s aren’t really sure who even asked for this. I’m not saying that higher stack heights are bad, I actually have written a lot about the benefits of wearing a more modern and cushioned shoe. But I have also written about the benefits of building a proper shoe rotation, which shoe feature low and high stack heights. Much like the runners from 20 years ago would benefit from a modern high-cushion trainer, runner’s today would benefit from a shoe with at least a smidge of ground feel.

All that being said, we’re in the era of foam skyscrapers. Nearly every major brand now has a max-cushioned daily trainer. If you’re a shoe brand and not selling a few different shoes that have a 40mm stack height, you’re essentially leaving money on the table. But I’m not trying to dissect Nike’s 10-K (no pun intended), I’m just going to talk shoes and data.

Let’s talk about how we got here, what it means, and whether it’s actually helping runners… or just creating a new set of problems.

From Low-Profile to Moon Boots

Ten years ago (2015!), the average road shoe had a heel stack height in the 24–30mm range:

• Nike Pegasus 32: 29mm heel

• ASICS Cumulus 17: 31mm heel

• Brooks Ghost 8: 30mm heel

Fast forward to today (2025) and most shoes are easily above 38mm, with many above 40mm:

• Nike Invincible 3: 40mm

• ASICS Superblast: 45.5mm

• NB SC Trainer v2: 47mm

That’s a 25–50% increase in just a decade.

Just so you don’t think I’m cherry picking (shoes come and go), the brooks ghost, which historically never changes, increased 6.5mm in that same time frame!

Why? Because comfort sells. “First feel” is everything. AKA “how does this shoe feel the second I put it on?” Plus foam is an easy marketing sell. For the layman it’s simply easy to say More = Better. Versus talking about the nuances of foot striking, leg turnover, ground feel, weight, bounce, foam composition, etc. For many consumers, more always equals better. That’s why Hoka and Sketchers did so well in the 2010s.

What You Gain (and What You Don’t)

As I said, I think the 1) new foam technology (impact reduction), and 2) generally more volume of foam is a good thing for many runners, especially new runners. Running was a much less “sticky” sport 20 years ago. People would come into the sport, run a marathon, get injured, and never run again. The main reason for this is that running 26 miles in a flat/low stack shoe when you aren’t super-lightweight is a bad idea. Modern shoe foam is allowing people to extend their running career.

• Softer landings

• Less pounding on long runs

• A floaty feel that makes slow days more enjoyable

But once you get above a certain stack height, you start to lose control. Your foot is farther from the ground. Lateral stability drops. You don’t feel the terrain. And for some runners, the extra bounce actually leads to more muscle fatigue, not less. That’s why I advocate for a lower stack and light weight shoe on days you feel fatigued/recovering. You want less volume on your foot that will slow you down.

There’s also research to back that up:
A 2020 study published in Scientific Reports found that max-cushioned shoes may increase impact forces, especially at the knee, compared to moderate-cushion options. Not exactly what the marketing always says. This is mainly due to when you lift your foot 40mm off the ground and widen the shoe, your weight disperses much differently and your knee turns into a joystick trying to control your foot.

Are We Running on Stilts?

Running 100% of the time in a max cushion shoe is fine if your goal is pure comfort. But if you’re chasing performance, efficiency, and/or running mechanics, a *shoe rotation* that features a lower stack shoe is a very good idea.

A few questions to ask yourself:

• Do I feel stable at faster paces or on uneven surfaces?

• Do I trust my foot placement on downhills?

• Am I working harder in shoes that are supposed to make running easier?

If the answer is “no,” “no,” and “yes,” it might be time to rethink your foam loyalty.

How to Build a Shoe Rotation around Stack Height

There is no one answer as to how to build a rotation, as every runner is different, but what I can do here is offer some general guidelines.

Early in the week:

I am a fan of utilizing a lower stack trainer earlier in the week as people usually rest on Sunday/Monday. This allows you to get back into the swing of training after a day off and keep your leg turnover high. The idea here is 1) Lightweight and 2) lower stack. It doesn’t necessarily have to be “low” like a barefoot running shoe, but just generally lower than your daily trainer. One thing to note is that these sessions can be easy or slightly up-tempo, all the shoe needs to do is feel like it’s not in your way and let your fresh legs do the work (whichever “work” you choose).

Two good shoes in this category:

• Hoka Mach 5 (8.2oz + 29mm stack height)

• Saucony Kinvara 13-16 (7oz + 28-30mm stack height)

Mid week:

Usually in the middle of the week people like to add some sort of intensity or simple interval session. For this I recommend going up slightly in cushion due to the higher intensity nature if you are just running tempo/threshold splits on the road. You don’t need to go crazy and the classics will always work here. The saucony endorphin speed is my favorite for a reason, it has PEBA foam, a nylon plate, 36mm in the heel, and weighs 8.4oz. It invites you to be speedy but doesn’t make you need to run fast like a true super-shoe.

Some solid picks:

• (Both the two shoes from the above section work well here too).

• Saucony endorphin speed

• Topo Cyclone

• Brooks Hyperion Max

• Nike Pegasus Plus

• Nike Zoomfly

• Adidas Evo SL

If you are running a true race-effort training session, or a track workout, feel free to wear any of the shoes above, but your race-day shoes are most likely best for this. Think Vaporfly, Alphafly, Endorphin Elite, etc.

Late Week

For later in the week, I always advocate for a more cushion shoe, especially as your legs accumulate some fatigue heading into your weekend long run. I always say that running, and training specifically, is a problem of trying to front-run recovery while still pushing the envelope. Max cushion shoes allow to do both of those things. When you’re deep into a training block and you have a 15 mile long run on deck with daunting splits you need to hit…are you more comfortable choosing a lower stack shoe or a higher stack? It’s always the latter. There’s no world where you benefit more from a lower stack shoe in this situation.

Max cushion shoes allow us to train slightly higher volume, while still protecting your legs for the following week. It’s a no brainer that every runner should utilize.

Some great picks for this category:

• ASICS novablast/superblast

• Nike Vomero

• Brooks Glycerin Max

• Puma Magmax

Conclusion

The max-cushion boom isn’t all bad, it’s opened the door for more runners to train longer, harder, and with less injury risk. But when every shoe in your closet looks like a platform shoe, you’re probably leaving performance or running economy/mechanics on the table.

You don’t need to ditch your max-stack favorites. Just balance them. Mix in something lower, lighter, and snappier a couple times a week. Your training will feel more fun and different, along with your times looking better.

Running shoes are a tool and they come in different forms. Don’t sit in one camp of old vs new. Use all the tools at your disposal.

This post is sponsored by Intrachew…in stock now. The best Energy-Gel replacement for runners that optimize for performance!

BTR

The main reason for this is simple. It’s boring content. Running medium-level mileage and hitting splits that don’t exactly “wow” the average social media scroller don’t drive clicks. But if you’re reading this, I assume you are of a different breed. You found your way to the paid section of a niche running blog and you're going to get exactly that. Because I don’t think training is boring, and I don’t believe you do either. I will be profiling an athlete of mine that I got the chance to work with for a few months this passed winter.

So let’s jump in.

Meet Bert. He’s 40 years old, family man, was never a “runner”, cycling background, overall good athlete, and just-serious-enough to take notes around his training (like everyone should be).

Read more

Yes, you need to endure the slower paces, higher heart rates, and wiping sweat in places you didn’t know had glands, but come the fall (when many runner’s “A” races are) you will be enjoying the fruits of your heat-labor. Train in the heat, to breakthrough in the cooler weather.

Why

If summer runs feel harder than they should, that’s because they are. When temps rise and humidity soars, your body has to work even harder to cool itself (sweat a lot more). This effect is exacerbated when humidity is combined with the head, something almost every runners in the eastern US states knows about. Essentially with humidity, your sweat cannot evaporate off of your skin (which causes the cooling effect), because there is already so much moisture in the air. So instead of cooling you, the pool of water over and slightly under your epidermis turns into a hot tub, making you sweat more.

Yet despite this somewhat non-ideal scenario, there is hope for a future training breakthrough. In these conditions, you are forcing your body to adapt to the heat & humidity. And thankfully, these adaptations tend to stick around, usually long enough for your big race fall race.

The main driver of this is more efficient thermoregulation and sweating. Being able to easily sweat a lot is a good thing, your body has adapted itself to regulate your body temperature more efficiently. More precisely, you start sweating earlier, before you become too overheated. While this may seem annoying or even bad from a training standpoint (in cool weather most runners readily avoid sweating) this becomes a great thing for fall racing, since in cooler weather overheating is not a problem. Your thermoregulation is now keeping you even throughout your race.

There is also a mental side of training in the heat. I avoid anything too “woo-woo”, but simply putting yourself through summer heat training makes racing in the fall all that easier. Hitting race pace for 15 miles in the heat at peak mileage makes racing the full 26 in weather 30 degrees F cooler that much easier. It’s similar to training at 8,000ft elevation and then coming down to sea level and racing. Speaking of which…

How (yeoman’s altitude?)

Is the heat & humidity the yeoman’s altitude? Not all of us have the ability to bed down in Flagstaff or Boulder for the summer, but fortunately enough you will probably experience a heat wave or two.

How this term came to be is two-fold:

Increased Plasma Volume:

When your body heats up from running (or any exercise), your body needs to cool itself by increasing your sweat rate and a multitude of other process’. To get these process’ done, your body has to increase your heart rate and this reduces the amount of blood available for your muscles and heart. To compensate, your body increases blood plasma volume (the liquid part of your blood) by retaining fluid (not peeing), hormone regulation (helps you hold on to water and sodium), and protein shifting which again helps with water retention. Essentially your body hoards water and makes the liquid part of your blood more abundant. More blood plasma = easier for your heart.

Simply doing this for 2-3 weeks can increase your blood plasma volume by 10-15%, compound this for 3-4 months of summer heat training and you will have yourself a new adaptation and eventual breakthrough.

In the short term, this helps with making you more efficient at cooling yourself, lower heart rate at rest & training, and improved heat resistance. If you were to also race in the heat, then you will be more well suited if you hadn’t been training in the heat.

In the long term, more blood plasma means more stroke volume (more on this soon), which means you get more oxygen to your muscles which means you can run faster at a lower cost. More red blood places are created, which is why people tend to say heat training mimics altitude training, which also increases oxygen delivery and aerobic performance. You will also begin to recover faster, as your body can clear waste quicker and deliver needed nutrients to damaged muscles.

TLDR: Training in heat —> Plasma expansion —> Cardiovascular efficiency —> Cooler weather performance boost

Increased Stroke Volume:

First off, stroke volume is the amount of blood your heart pumps out with each beat. The higher your stroke volume, the less your heart needs to beat (at rest). It’s part of the cardiac output equation where Cardiac Output = Stroke Volume x Heart Rate. The more blood your heart can pump per beat, the more oxygen gets delivered to your muscles. You should note that on prolonged efforts, stroke volume decreases for many athletes, meaning your heart rate has to increase to keep your cardiac output constant. This is known as HR drift.

Since we already know heat training increases blood plasma volume (see above), this now means that your body has more plasma readily available to pump through your body AKA you can have a higher stroke volume. This is great, especially at lower efforts such as zone 1-2 as you can hold a lower HR with the same cardiac output (cardiac output stays constant, stroke volume goes up, heart rate goes down).

More blood per beat = less beats!

But the real adaptations come not only from being able to deliver more blood, but your body adapting and learning how to use the higher stroke volume to it’s advantages. Being able to effectively use the higher stroke volume to run more efficiently is where the gains are made. Muscle recruitment, increasing mitochondrial density, slow-twitch fibers become more fatigue resistant, tendons become more stiff, expanded capillary network, and higher hemoglobin levels. This is just to name some of the higher level ones, but the body’s process’ to make you a more efficient runner are many.

TLDR:" Heat Training —> Expanded Plasma —> Stronger heart —> Increased stroke volume —> better running economy —> more aerobic power

Heat Tips

While I am telling you to actively train in the heat this summer, I am also telling you to avoid it as much as you can. If you can run in the morning at 75F versus 90F in the afternoon, the morning will still give you the needed adaptations while reducing the health risks heat can bring about. You may also have to decide between lower heat + high humidity versus high heat + lower humidity. For example, Texas has cooler mornings with 90%+ humidity. While their afternoons are much hotter, but lower humidity. It’s up to personal preference, but you will find out quickly which the lesser of two evils.

Quick list:

1. Run as light as possible. Find lightweight shirts (I like Patagonia cap cool T), wear a singlet, or run shirtless. I am not a woman so I can’t comment on what females should wear (tank top, sports bra(?) but you get the point.

2. Carry a handheld water bottle. This is especially true for longer efforts (call it over 60 or 90 minutes depending on fitness). Throw some carb/electrolyte mix in there as well.

3. Do not overhydrate. Hyponatremia is real. Drink to thirst and don’t flood your body with fluids.

4. Oversalt your meals & eat fruit! Save yourself some money on the LMNT packets and start adding salt to your food for added sodium, and fruit for potassium, calcium, and other nutrients.

5. Sip, don’t chug after a run. Your body can only handle .8-1L of water an hour. Sip your way back to being hydrated, add salt as needed.

6. Don’t cram water in before a run. Being overhydrated and having to pee during your run + sweat a lot will only lead to electrolyte imbalances.

Year-Round Heat Training?

Can you parlay this newfound fitness from summer heat training into an all year training regimen? Even when the weather cools down, you still want to stay on top of your heat adaptations, namely stroke volume and hemoglobin levels.

An easy win is to train normally, then get in a hot bath or sauna immediately after your run to keep your core temperatures hot, and sweat level high. If you don’t have access to a sauna, a hot bath will work fine. All we are looking to do is trigger a heat response from your body. Since your core will already be warm from your run (even in cooler weather) hopping in the tub/sauna will give you that easy boost. Start with 10 minutes and work your way up to 30. This also can promote and start the recovery process, delaying muscle soreness and keeping your fresh.

Feel free to hydrate (with electrolytes) between the run and the heat exposure, even brining your fluids in the tub/sauna is fine too. Studies have shown that just 3 weeks of post-run heat exposure protocol have improved time-to-exhaustion in endurance athletes (by increasing plasma volume).

Indoor heat sessions. I don’t always recommend this, as it can hamper performance. I’d rather have an athlete do their prescribed workout of the day, then hop in the sauna. But one way to incorporate this is to complete your run, then hop on the indoor trainer/treadmill with a heat suit (layers of clothes if you want) on and get a solid 15-20min in at a zone-3 type medium intensity.

Passive heat acclimation also works well. If you have access to a sauna, using it for 30-40 minutes a day (not after you run or on days you don’t run) also helps you adapt to heated environments.

Whichever heat exposure option you choose, the premise is the same. Increase your body temperature to increase your blood plasma volume, and enjoy the benefits. PS doing this all winter will help you come summer time each year.

Enjoy your summer!

-BTR

Fuel with IntraChew Gummy Bears

It seems to happen gradually, then suddenly; as the old saying goes.

It isn’t just about hitting a PR or suddenly feeling “fast”. It’s more subtle than that. It’s when the work clicks, and all the stress you’ve been stacking over months integrates into your physiology and your mind catches up to what your body has built.

What’s happening is called a training breakthrough. You normal easy pace has shifted, seemingly overnight, to pace you could not imagine a few month’s prior. Although we would love for these things to happen overnight, they tend to occur very slowly, and only get “noticed” when the gap to what you thought you normally ran becomes so large to what you are actually running.

An example below from Matt, a runner I am coaching:

Run #1 from December 2024

A normal easy run, a few bumpy hills but nothing dramatic. Normal zone 2.

Run #2 From January 2025

Here we see a treadmill run but the idea is averaging a few less BPM for a slightly faster pace (which is normal, but still telling of what may be to come in training).

Run #3 From February 2025

Matt went out for what he thought would be a normal easy run like #1.

Except this time we get further confirmation that the flat treadmill run from last month was on to something physiologically. When recovery, consistent training, weather, and health align, we get the perfect storm for a breakthrough!

Notice how he took advantage of it and didn’t back the pace off. Even sending it shortly during the last half mile or so! You have to welcome your body to your new paces.

Sponsored by (me) IntraChew

What To Do Next

Like everything in life, the training breakthrough will have its speedbumps. Much like a chart of the stock market, it will dip slightly, increase some days, take a big hit in some months, and make major gains in other months—but the theme remains the same when you zoom out. Upwards and to the right. The same goes for your training paces when you train consistently. The macro trend should show a slight increase over time. But tomorrow, Matt could run slower than run #3 above. The next day somewhere in the middle. After that, maybe faster.

The easiest way to track this is on a monthly basis, or a 4 week rolling period. As most of your miles *should* be in the easy category, this pace *should* dictate how many miles you can run within the constrains of your time allotted for running. If you can only run 6 hours a week, then you are constrained by the amount of easy miles you can run. If you’re faster at an easy pace, you get to run more miles!

It is also important to make sure your normal “speed” or higher intensity workout is seeing the same thing. If you run 10x400 two weeks ago, are you 2-3 seconds faster on your splits this week? If not, why? It could be something physiological, or even mental (you can run faster but you’re scared to).

This is why the importance of a standardized week is so important. If you can at least control when you do your workouts, on certain days of the week, you can control the factors around them so when you compare workouts week-over-week, you are able to extract meaningful insights.

An example of the opposite of the above would be moving your long run to a Tuesday, when it’s usually Saturday, and your body/mind is not ready for the change, you had a stressful day at work, low on hydration, sat around at your desk all day, etc. Expect a different outcome on Tuesday than you do for your last week’s Saturday run. The more you can control your routine, the more you can accurately compare data.

The one issue arises is that new adaptations are needed. Simply running more consistently won’t cut it past a certain point. New workouts will be needed, new weekly structure, added cross training, strength training, or even something else. Don’t rely on what worked before, especially if it was simply “running more”. You don’t have to be an advanced runner to need a bag of workouts to force adaptations!

Breakthroughs don’t happen when you force them. They come when you trust the process, when you back off just enough to let adaptations settle in. Sometimes they need the perfect storm, sometimes they come at weird times. But when they do come, accept them and train at your new level. Don’t play it scared and go back to the paces you were so comfortable in a few weeks prior. Stay on the edge and keep adapting.

-BTR

“Hey man, I was training for [insert race] and all of a sudden my leg started hurting. Everything was going well and I felt fine, but after my last long run running has been difficult. It stinks because I was really pumped for my first race.”

I feel pain every time I get one of these messages because it’s no one’s fault, not even your own. Running at all levels is such a "learn from your mistakes” sport that these things almost have to happen.

I emphasize “almost” because, well, they don’t. Not if you’re reading me at least!

A simple way to summarize the above paraphrased quote I receive weekly is the need for people to understand Aerobic vs Muscular/Mechanical strain.

How to balance, tame, and grow both at the same time. It’s like holding two dogs on one leash where one is a high drive sporting dog and the other is a young puppy that needs to be nurtured and watched over carefully.

Read more

Personal goals are set, races announced, marketing campaigns are started, new shoes teased, pros start racing, new runners join the sport fresh off a resolution, and so on.

I have a sneaking suspicion that 2025 is going to mark the peak of the running boom in the near term. Why? I’m not sure, it’s just the pulse I’m picking up on currently. One counter-point is that it is the dead of the winter, and the spring races will be a better sign, so we will see. Let me know how registrations are at your local races, I’m curious!

Shoes

Jumping into it, I have to start off with my forte, which is shoes. The Running Expo (TRE) that’s held in Austin, TX every year told us quite a bit about major market trends that are now coming to fruition.

Stack height, stack height, stack height. It’s hard to gauge this trend, as one may have expected this to come ~2 years ago, but we can theorize.

It’s either one or mix of these three things:

1. These brands are forecasting *more* runners to enter the market, and they want to all fight over them by having the best “first feel” when these people go to try on shoes.

   *”First Feel” = How a new shoe feels when you first put it on, while standing.

2. Brands want you training in higher stack heights now, so when they switch all of their midsoles over to low density PEBA blends (like their race day shoes), there won’t be much of a fuss. (And in turn, getting you used to race day shoes “feel”).

3. Related to number one, brands are forecasting more new runners entering the market, and they know this demographic usually only wears one shoe. That one shoe might as well have a massive stack height and be comfy!

…or it could be something more simple

Either way, many brands/shoe featured massive stack heights. The nightmares of 2017-2018 of what people thought were going to happen to shoes is coming true (I actually think it’s a good thing though, but again, balance is key. High stack shoes are a tool, much like low stacks are).

These are just a few I wanted to add, but notice a trend?

Everyone is going to higher stack heights. Only time will tell as to why and how it will play out, but for now it is just interesting to see.

On the back end, in 5-6 years, I am interesting in seeing the pendulum swing and how well it will be embraced. I mean all they’re waiting for is the technology to allow them to make a midsole that doesn’t have to be huge, while still providing protection.

Running Heading to The Extremes

It appears to me that two things are occurring: 1) The running boom is slowing down and 2) Running is heading to the extremes (relatively to people’s ability).

I don’t know how I feel about the first point, whether good or bad. It’s maybe just a thing. Or maybe it’s a cool-off period, who knows. Either way, we will make do and be here for when people come back ‘round again.

As for the second point, there’s something there for all of us.

Running is heading to the extremes. Whether people who picked up running 1 year ago or ran since they were 13, it’s going back to the fringes. I’m seeing more 1 mile indoor races being ran, just as I am seeing more ultra marathons being truly raced (not just completed) by amateurs. It’s exciting and truly a “level up” from the 2021-2022 vibe of 9-5ers signing up for a half-full marathon with the goal of just finishing.

In the end, I think this ends up with all race types becoming more competitive at the amateur level. For example, I expect to see the Boston Qualifying time continue to trend lower in the next 5 years, even if less runners are coming into the sport. The ones here are becoming cracked and driving the sport at an amateur level to new faster times.

Faster AND Longer

One thing that was a hallmark of the 2010s was that you were either a fast runner, or you simply were a “long runner”. The explosion of trail racing in this period also accelerated this split, as slower runners who simply enjoyed trotting along found a home (this is fine btw).

But now the two sides are coming together in a way. A theme online and when talking to people on the ground that being fast is everything right now. People are taking pride in their 400m interval times, always having a gauge on their mile time, and building speed into all of their works with intent.

If you want to be competitive in your age group, gender, friend group, local run club, no longer being consistent will do. Being fast is a must.

100 mile racers running 3:59, and milers running marathons. What a time!

Fueling

In my opinion, this is what’s fueling faster times more than anything in the sport right now. In the 2010s almost every good amateur runner was chronically under fueled and walking around injured.

The trends have changed though, and fueling, especially consuming carbs and when to consume carbs has lead to a renaissance of faster times. The really good runners who struggled for years all of a sudden feel strong and in the best shape of their lives. It’s not the shoes, it’s the flow of information (being told to eat more carbs by anons online).

Almost any high school or college runner before 2020 was probably running a large portion of their training *and* racing under fueled. Common myths like “eating before a race gives you cramps” literally fried the endocrine receptors of many young athletes and eventually drove them away from the sport.

Now there’s so much information about fueling out there that these once high-level runners are coming back to the sport later in life armed with knowledge and therefore pushing the sport to faster times at the amateur level.

I’ve seen amateurs get sweat tests to understand how much sodium they need to intake intra-workout. This was unheard of unless you were an elite on the fringes of science. Similarly, now people are poking themselves with lactate meters, taking in high amounts of carbs per hour, mass eating protein, and many others. The future is bright and healthy for runners!

FYI my favorite non-gel carb source is the one I made: (IntraChew - LINK). I also added an entire “suggested use” guide on my site’s homepage.

Since this is supposed to be informative and not just talk my book, the best gel-type carb source out there is honey stinger:

Trusting Technology

Something I am seeing more of, inclusive of racing as mentioned above, is a push to the fringes in science and training.

Using power as a metric is currently that in the running world right now.

In running, power refers to the rate at which you are doing mechanical work while moving forward (measured in watts). Think of it as how much “force” you’re applying multiplied by how quickly you’re applying it.

In cycling, power has long been used as a key training metric—cyclists use devices like crank-based or hub-based power meters to measure their power output. Runners, however, haven’t traditionally had a common device to measure power directly until recently.

As I am learning, power can be particularly useful because it gives insight into effort in real time, independent of factors like terrain or wind. For example:

• If you run uphill at the same pace as on flat ground, your power output will be higher because you’re working harder against gravity.

• If you run into a strong headwind at the same pace as normal conditions, your power output is higher because you’re working to overcome more air resistance.

By monitoring power, you can gauge your true effort more accurately than by looking at pace alone, making it easier to tailor intensity levels (for instance, “zone-based” training with specific power targets).

This ties back into things like strides and shorter threshold intervals are important. We are maximizing your power, while minimizing the cost.

Power as a metrics is just on example of runners starting to trust technology. Before long, everyone will be wearing biomarker tracking devices 24/7, measuring their sweat rates, hydration levels, glycogen, and more. It’s scary to think about now, but I am optimistic that they won’t be too intrusive, and will only lead to more people running injury free.

What are you excited for?

1. Building a large aerobic foundation

2. Not getting injured

All else is currently pushed to the side.

The focus is now on your “base phase”, growing your aerobic capacity, muscular endurance, and running economy for the real training ahead. This process can take longer than most want it to, and feature less truly high intensity workouts. This doesn’t mean no higher intensity (above easy) running, but that we are simply increasing your ability to remain consistent.

A more fitting name for the “base phase” would be a “running economy” phase, as this is the end goal—to have your heart beat less times per minute while running faster than you were a few months ago. I will explain why.

The goal when building out your base is to become a better runner, not simply be able to run more.

Read more

An allotment of 5 hours should not need *too much* reallocation from other areas of your life, which is the best feature about this approach. It does take medium chunks of time (~60 minutes + recovery), making it not as appealing compared to 30 minute workouts. But here we go against the grain, playing the long game rather than advocate for get-fit-quick schemes.

This method requires you to give up the notion of a short workout. It helps you understand there are no shortcuts when it comes to cardiovascular health. If you run 30 minutes when you were supposed to run 60 minutes, that time, on a weekly basis, must be made up elsewhere. It becomes increasingly easy to fall behind on time this way (as life issues pop up). The real goal is to get your life in a place where there is minimal outside stress, and the only real stress entering your life is training stimulus!

But that’s a conversation one needs to have with a life coach. I am a mere running coach.

Now let’s make 2025 the year you increase your body’s ability to intake oxygen and deliver said oxygen to your muscles under stress! (VO2 Max)

People confuse new runners with what heart rate zones they must be in, when to apply intensity, how many miles to run, or when to add different stimulus.

The bottom line is if you are *not* doing 5 hours of cardio per week yet, then the first goal is to reach this volume baseline consisting of almost all easy work. I say “almost” because things like strides or the odd workout are still helpful, but in the short term they can become a hindrance if overdone.

Training load as it pertains to volume must be adapted to first. Once you get used to 5 hours per week of all easy work, you can slowly start to recruit new adaptations with higher intensity as the weeks/months go on. Soon weeks turn to 4.5 of easy work + 30 minutes of higher intensity. The wider your aerobic base, the more room to absorb higher intensity training.

Regardless of how you will split up your training week, every Monday to Sunday should consist of 300 (5 hours) total of cardiovascular output. For the context of this article, I am defining cardiovascular output as above ~115 BPM and *not* walking.

The Power of a 5 Day Week

Having five days of cardio per week is extremely powerful for two reasons:

1. Increases the average run length/time to hit volume goals.

2. Allows 2 hard rest days for recovery

(Note: Most people can actually get 5 hours done in 4 days, and actually should for efficiency reasons, but if you want to eventually go higher than 5 hours then upping your frequency to 5 is better in the long run.)

Most humans who are non-elite athletes (99.99% of us), really can’t handle more than 5 (6-7) days of cardio per week. The strain on your aerobic system becomes massive. Chronic fatigue arises, immune system takes a hit, along with an imbalance of your hormonal and endocrine systems. It becomes really easy to put yourself behind the 8-ball.

The best part is, once you grow your heart and become an efficient runner, you can actually dial back down to 4 days of cardio per week, and still maintain 5 hours of cardio. Of course, this is only if you want. Most people decide to continue chasing new heights—while others have business, life, family obligations that hold them back for the time. Which is fine and health optimization during a busy life is a perfect goal, aside with performance.

Step 1: Track Everything

Strava gets a lot of heat, but for a free app that plugs in quite easily with Garmin/Coros/Apple, it provides you the most useful charts for tracking your volume. As an mental exercise, this is beneficial psychologically for you to see explicitly laid out how much work you have done in the past.

Every walk (above 100BPM), cycle/bike ride, swim, run, hike, stairmaster, or any other cardiovascular modality…LOG IT.

There will be times when you think you are not doing enough pure running, but when you look back you will be thankful for banking all forms of cardio. It is also a good gauge of “total movement”, especially when tracking walks, this helps you plan your days out and understand how much movement is really needed to stay fit. Think run in the AM, walk in the afternoon and one in the evening. That’s 2 hours of movement, with both walks probably above 100BPM; perfect for active recovery, adding to fat adaptation from glycogen depletion due to morning run, and simple zone 0 stroke volume. Bottom line is to get your heart beating!

Step 2: Understanding Stress

As I just mentioned above, you should 1) log everything and 2) Get your heart beating more often. The problems that arise for many people is when your body is under stress (outside of training) and you do not know it. Newer wearables such as Whoop and Oura are getting better at pointing this out to users, but work, life, relationship, family, and business stress all add to your overall load (inclusive of training). This is where things tend to go south in training, both mentally and physically.

(The goal is for your stress to be low outside of the time you are exercising.)

At least understanding when life stressors are placed on you, if you don’t want to track with a wearable, is necessary. This takes a bit of self-awareness to actually implement. As an example, many people have a crappy day at work and then feel the need to workout as hard as possible to “relieve stress”. This may work in some training scenarios *outside* of running/endurance, but the opposite must be applied. If some factor outside of training stresses you out (increases blood pressure and resting heart rate, declines your HRV), then an easier workout should be on deck. You will now need to recover from the life stress and training stress. The goal is to at least keep one of them low.

This is one factor as to why elite athletes are able to train so much. They have little outside-of-training stress. It’s also an important marker for longevity and overall health. Remove unneeded stress on your life and you will see all facets of your life grow, inclusive of your specific training and performance goals.

Step 3: Crosstrain at Will

This is important (and tied to steps 1 & 2) for essentially everyone, regardless if your goals are performance based or health based.

For every amateur endurance athlete, performance and health are linked to one thing: Quality Hours Under Stress. You can track per week or per year, it doesn’t really matter (best to do both, but start with at least 5 hours per week to stay consistent).

When I say quality hours, I mean do whatever in the moment is the best “bang for your buck” on efficiency and will not set you back.

Weird soreness in the back of your knee from running two days in a row? Hop on the bike in zone 2 today instead of running again. Same goes elliptical, going for a hike, Stairmaster, swimming, etc. The goal is to not be hurt, so you can be consistent.

Obviously the best way to do go about structuring your week is to build in cross training so you rarely need to apply it as a band aid.

Template for a 4-5 day schedule:

Monday: High Intensity Run

Tuesday: Cross train

Thursday: Run

Friday: Run

Saturday: Run/Cross train

Sunday: Rest

If running 4 days a week, keep the last day of the week a “flex” day, to change as needed. and take a rest day on Thursday.

When cross training, use the fact that the impact on your muscles is much lower than when you’re running, so you can ramp up the intensity slightly. Any cross training modality will *feel* harder to get your HR up into zone 2-3. Whereas running it feels natural and smooth, on a bike it is very hard. This sets you up nicely for outputting power though, since in order to increase your HR on any cross training machine, you will need to up your power output significantly.

For example 150BPM while running may feel normal, and a classic zone 2-3 effort, but on the bike that will take a lot of power output to match and your quads will be worked more than usual (this is a good thing).

Also play around with different cross training, a popular version is jogging at an incline on a treadmill. It’s similar premise to riding a bike, you are lower the impact while maintaining a normal heart rate.

Step 4: Hydration and Fueling

Most new runners have an extremely low amount of blood volume (this will increase with time).

Blood volume in the context of running refers to the total amount of blood circulating in a runner's cardiovascular system. This is an important factor for us because blood volume directly impacts the body's ability to deliver oxygen and nutrients to working muscles.

As you run more, your body will adapt and blood volume will increase, as you produce more red blood cells and plasma.

Why this matters? As you become dehydrated, the plasma in your blood also decreases, which increases your heart rate.

Cardiac Output = Heart Rate * Stroke Volume

Where the blue line is SV, green line is HR, and dotted red is CO.

As you run, you begin to get dehydrated. As you get dehydrated, there is less plasma in your blood, and this decreases the amount of blood available to return to the heart (flow). To counteract this, your heart rate increases to maintain the same effort (cardiac output), see above formula.

To front run your bodies response of increasing your HR due to dehydrated and lower plasma in your blood, you can carry water with you while running.

This can be small 8oz, or you can wear some piece of kit (belt/vest/handheld) to carry more. Whatever it is, don’t feel ashamed you need to bring it, water is life! Keep that HR down.

A normal fit/athletic male can sweat 800ml-1L on a hot day, this can wreak havoc on even the fittest of us. Bring enough water to mitigate the damage at times. This can mean a running belt where you stuff a 500ml soft flask inside of if you have to.

Intra run fueling will be different from runner to runner.

Calorically:

Some runners may be *very good* at burning fat and not need a single calorie when running 90+ minutes (do not try this). These are usually advanced marathon runners or experienced ultra runners.

New runners will may not be able to run at an effort inside of the zone where you are burning majority of fat for fuel. This will mean for any run over 60 minutes, an intra-run fuel could be a good idea, and any run that will be 90 minutes or over—calories mid run are needed.

The general rule of thumb is to consume one serving of carbs every ~40 minutes. One “gel” is usually 90-100 calories and 23-24g of carbs.

Another good way of looking at it is if you’re new and running 60 minutes, take one at the half way point (or don’t at all). If running 90 minutes, take one at the half way point (45 minutes).

If running over 2 hours, take one every ~40 minutes for the duration of your run.

Step 5: Stay Consistent and Set Up Races

Signing up for races makes you stay consistent, it’s a solid external motivator but at the same time you have to enjoy it. Enjoying it comes to making your training repeatable (easy), time efficient, and injury proof while making your goals attainable.

A few common goals for new road runners are things like:

• 25 minute 5K

• 4 Hour Marathon

• 2 hour Half Marathon

(See all of my training plans here, inclusive of the above and many others — LINK)

Staying consistent also means that volume is not always the answer. Yes, it is the answer if you are below 5 hours, but for most, much more than that is not necessary. Progressive overload does not work in endurance as it does in lifting (strength training / hypertrophy). If you come from this background, not improving week to week may sound insane to you. Doing the same thing day in and day out without "gains” being seen can infuriated.

Endurance needs to be looked at on a long time frame, years even. The lowest hanging fruit is to look at your paces at “easy”, “tempo”, and “threshold” every 2-3 months (with consistent training in-between) to get a solid picture of how you are progressing early on. Of course, the biggest returns are in the beginning, so expect these to slow down, but the gains should still be there. Celebrate running 3-5 seconds per mile faster than you were 2 weeks ago. Where before 30 seconds difference seemed small and just “depended on the day” these single digit seconds will sound astronomical shortly.

Breakthroughs come from combining consistent training (+ pull back weeks) with breakthroughs via racing.

Set yourself up so you’re always logging a few hours every week, and focus your training (burst/peak) around races. The above shows an athlete of mine working in bursts around races, but generally staying in motion throughout the year to not lose fitness.

-BTR

A lot more to come in 2025!

FYI I offer 1:1 coaching that is $150 per month. Schedules are sent out on a weekly basis with the training week being Monday-Sunday. We will be in constant communication and tailoring your training to your schedule as needed. It is not a “plug and play” but highly custom and ever-changing.

Feel free to email me for more detail at bowtiedrunner@gmail.com

Link to coaching payment.

Having an aerobic base is the foundation of performance, longevity, and overall fitness—but using that base to develop higher oxygen intake (VO2 max) is where leaps in all three categories can be made. Raising your VO2 max is the single most important thing you can do for longevity and overall health. Everything is downstream from it.

Running intervals is two pronged: 1) Running Efficiency & 2) Oxygen Uptake:

As you improve your cardiovascular system’s efficiency, your muscles receive more oxygen which enables you to exercise at higher intensities for longer periods. This translates into greater endurance during activities like running, cycling, or swimming.

Enhanced oxygen uptake also supports better overall metabolic function, contributing to improved heart health and reduced risk of chronic conditions. If you can take in more oxygen, you can do things for longer (like living, not just running). It provides a benchmark of your aerobic fitness level, indicating how well your heart, lungs, and muscles work together to fuel prolonged physical activity.

You don’t need a lab test to know your approximate VO2 value either, you can use an online calculator to plug in some test times (1.5mi or 12 min run) and get a baseline. Seen here:

Read more

This is because most people, before being coached, aren’t training while thinking about the future. They train for the current week or to feel something in the current moment.

Zooming out and understanding when to apply volume vs intensity, and how the training load can remain constant while the two latter mentioned variables can change drastically.

Read more

Snow, rain, wind, hail, etc. Not fun to run in and unfortunately a regular occurrence if you live in an area with a harsh winter. The cold isn’t what negatively affects us. Things like 30mph winds ruin our running economy.

Which is why the treadmill was born.

There will always be the days you need to just get an easy 60 minutes in on the treadmill, which is fine. But if you’re waiting out a snowstorm where sidewalks and roads needs to be plowed, you’ll want a quiver full of workouts.

The main problem with a few of these workouts is that they are *loud*. If you own your own treadmill, you don’t have to worry about this. If you belong to a large gym, you’re probably fine too. The small-medium gym goers are going to get some dirty looks, do your best to ignore.

Workout #1: Constant Grade, Varying Pace

This should be in everyone’s tool-bag at this point. Simply set the treadmill at a constant grade—this part requires some live testing—and find two speed settings you can run on/off for 5 minutes each. The 5 minutes on should be high(er) intensity, around your LT1, nothing crazy. With your 5 minutes off being a light jog or even a power hike (for many the latter is a reality, which is okay!)

Example:

10% grade

5 minutes ON at 4mph

5 minutes OFF at 3mph

This will net you around 4 miles in 60 minutes flat for 2,100ft of vertical gain if you time your speed changes right. A very doable workout for many runners that doesn’t overwork your body. Key is to go slower than you think for the “on” part!

Be careful with the grade to speed ratio, a small amount of grade will change your effort level significantly for my flat road runners out there.

Reminder, use the treadmill elevation calculator if that matters to you (LINK).

Workout #2: Incline Repeats w/ Flat Rest

This one is a favorite because of the hard rest you get between the incline intervals. Where workout #1 is a moderate slog, this one allows you proper rest.

The intervals can be any distance and effort you choose, but as always it’s best to triage them into LT1, LT2, and VO2 max effort. Where ideally you are running a bit longer up to 5-7 on when targeting LT1, resting and letting your HR come back to rest with a flat walk. LT2 intervals in the 4-6 minute range. VO2 max in the 2-3 minute range.

You can also “ladder” your intervals. Start with a few LT1 intervals, go to LT2 (as your HR drifts) and finish with 1-2 VO2 efforts.

Workout #3: Half mile or 1K Repeats

One of my favorite workouts for the simple reasons that it makes the time fly-by and it’s better than doing 1-mile repeats.

It’s really user choice which distance you want to run, half-mile or 1K, with the former being easier to track on a treadmill. 1000m repeats should be saved for the more intermediate-advanced runners who are running fast by any measure, and need the extra distance for some added stimulus (say below 3:45 for 1K).

The reason I like this so much is that it helps you dial in your running economy. Many people are surprised when they hop on a treadmill for distance repeats and realize they are slightly faster than they thought. This comes from the treadmill being such a constant. Flat and steady pace. It’s the main reason why I encourage runners to get on a treadmill in the winter, find your true running economy potential on these flat efforts. Of course, we don’t race indoor on a treadmill, but the potential is nice to know.

Again, you can triage these based on how fast you can finish them. Usually anything in the ~10K pace range is the goal. Aim for repeatable and comfortable!

Workout #4: Short Interval Ladder

This one gets dicey to keep track of and you may need to make note of what reps you have done so far.

Ladder:

4 x 100

4 x 200

4 x 300

4 x 400

Depending on your fitness, how hard you ran then, you can cycle back through the ladder again at half-dose. Meaning instead of doing 4 reps of each, you do 2.

Easiest way to do this is to keep the treadmill rolling at all times and hang out on the side. Unfortunately, this makes it extremely loud and even dangerous.

Workout #5: Mile Repeats

You might be able to tell from my previous writing, that I don’t love mile repeats for the simple reason that they are hard. Well, a treadmill makes them a whole lot easier. The treadmill setting the pace for you and remaining constant is a major help physically, but also mentally.

Much like the half-mile repeats, the mile repeats make the workout fly-by as well, which is a plus.

Reminder that the treadmill is no place for a PR, to pull a muscle, or to overly fatigue yourself. It’s there to supplement a workout and feel strong. Run all intervals around 5 seconds slower than you normally would is my advice. +10-15 seconds from your 5K pace is a good start.

This is just a list of fun workouts that won’t make or break your training, but will simply help you grind through a few treadmill sessions when the weather turns south. Of course, there are the classics you can do, such as 10x400, progression run, etc. But these are some you might not have heard of to help you get through.

Let me know your favorites in the comments!

-BTR

Simply put, it’s the phenomenon of your heart rate rising over time, as your pace (and relative effort at time) stays constant.

A very simply chart displaying this: (I’ve shown this chart before, but I haven’t broken down all the components yet.)

This chart is an exaggeration of what it actually looks like in the real world. But it usually it looks something like this—where you second mile HR is about 20BPM lower than your ending HR at the same pace.:

But how can we make it so your chart looks flat, and less “drifty” towards the back half?

The answer is nuanced in dealing with cardiac drift. Many factors are in play that you might not be aware about, that change day-to-day. There are also different ways to actually measure cardiac drift, with different levers to pull in combatting it.

First you need to understand the physiological process’ that cause cardiac drift. Why does the heart need to pump more over time, to achieve the same pace?

Read more

I thought it would be interesting to share some of the training I had him doing, and how he performed during it. I have all of the training logs and plans, but Matt was kind of enough to provide some screenshots from his Coros & Strava apps, allowing us to see more details than just what I planned-out for him.

For many, the amount he was running, at what paces, and the types of workouts may actually surprise you! Some runs much slower than you think, some of my coaching philosophies, and much more in between. There is something for everyone in here.

Let’s take a look behind the curtain.

Read more

Simply put, assume the number on your watch is always wrong in the worst kind of way—it’s inconsistently wrong. It can overshoot your calories just as well as it can undershoot them.

This is a big reason why many new runners actually don’t lose as much weight as they think they will at first—if any at all.

The caloric burn of running is lower than you think, and the more you run, the more efficient you get at running, and therefore burn less calories.

As an amateur runner, it is really hard to under-eat and lose *too much* weight. Your body would simply break down before you got to the drop off of diminishing returns. The reason you see high-level skinny-runner body types is that they have been running their whole lives. They have the muscular and aerobic systems to be able to push themselves to the edge of not eating enough/eating just enough with less injury consequences (adapted bodies).

Regardless if you start running to get in cardiovascular shape, generally lose weight, or to compete and be a solid amateur runner (qualify for races), you probably won’t run across an issue where you lose too much weight. You will just find yourself eating back into caloric stability, whereas the elite runner’s body allows them to put out efforts so massive that they simply cannot eat the calories back in time until it’s time for the next run—the cycle of glycogen depletion continues.

While you still lose/”shed” excess fat on your running journey, the idea that you’re going to melt away to nothing is largely a myth. You may even feel stronger than before, having more muscular endurance when in the gym. You’ll certainly look the part as well, as the fat loss from running will simply accentuates your muscles (not melt them).

Initial Changes

It may sound weird, but your cardiovascular fitness will outpace your body, by a wide margin. You may look like you did 30 days ago still, but your fitness will have increased significantly.

Any weight changes in the early period of running will mostly be do to water weight. You may even slightly gain weight initially, as your body goes into “defense” against your new running regimen—retaining water from inflammation and glycogen storage. This is only a temporary effect, but it will seem like running is “doing nothing for you” at the moment.

Think of this period as “getting fit—to get fit”.

Carbs vs Fats

Part of the process to get fit…to get fit, is to understand what you’re burning and what you’re intaking, and not just from a caloric standpoint!

This is because new runners aren’t well adapted from an aerobic and fat burning standpoint. When they run, they start burning more carbs the average runner much more early and often. Couple this with cardiac drift occurring early in new runners equals a runner who burns mainly carbs!

As you can see, your pace stays the same, but your HR “drifts” (increases) as the run continues. This phenomenon is known as cardiac drift. The more fit you are, and better runner, the less this affects you.

As your heart rate increases, the more carbs you burn.

Simply put, the less fit you are, the more your HR drifts early on in your run
(picture #1), and the more carbs you burn (picture 2).

As premise, this is fine and will sort itself out as you get more fit and your body adapts, boosting your running economy. But early on in your running journey, understanding that you are burning more carbs than fats is paramount. Even if you’re a natural skinny person, your body isn’t burning majority of fat while running yet.

How this relates to your diet is that many people *think* they’re burning more fats than carbs, and plan their diet accordingly. Either without knowing it, or via specifically tracking your macros and deliberately adding higher fat, new runners see a stagnation in weight loss because of this.

Now this may be a good thing or a bad thing. Some enjoy their current figure, and that’s okay. Many enjoy holding onto their weight for purposes such as weight lifting, manual labor, or generally holding onto size.

Others are in it to lose weight, this is good too. If you are in this camp, I actually propose running a higher carb + protein diet, and limiting fat intake when you can. This may sound backwards, but when are in fat burning low-aerobic zones, it will force your body to burn what’s left of your fat stores. From this, you will find yourself leaning out. Once you drop the extra weight and visceral fat, you can then add back in higher fat intake as your body will be better suited to remain in low-aerobic fat burning zones while running. This is when you can teach your body how to burn fat more efficiently.

Bottom Line

Seeing no decrease in your weight from running can be either a good or bad thing.

If it’s a *good* thing, you successfully beat a psyop that has stopped million of athletes from running! You’ve run more miles than you previously thought was possible, while retaining your strength and general size.

The way forward is tricky though, as if you want to pursue amateur goals as a distance runner, say a Boston Qualifier, a slightly smaller build will aid you in running the marathon distance fast. Simple as. If your goal is general cardiovascular health + lean muscle, you’re in a good spot to remain, I advise this approach as well.

If not losing weight is a *bad* thing, there are some tricky times ahead. Chiefly, dropping your caloric intake at a safe rate for your body to shed the weight as naturally as possible. What we’re trying to avoid with distance running is hormonal imbalances. For women, this is especially a concern. Men should be cautious as well.

This means never running 60 minutes or longer in a fasted state. We want to fuel your workouts still, along with recovery efforts post run, but outside of that is when the caloric intake can be cut. Unlike in a normal diet, where you aren’t very active and a simply cutting calories, running will make you very hungry. It’s a two front battle of diet + exercise to get your weight down, while also trying to remain healthy. A slow approach is always best in these cases, drastic changes inside of a month or two should not occur.

Get your cardiovascular fitness up, then get your muscular system in a place to handle what your physiologically able to output, then lose excess fat, then get in the best running shape possible for yourself.

But one thing that seems to get left out is the important of the “medium run”. Yes, every new runner knows about long slow runs, long run progressions, and everything that deals with running for a long period of time. We even have a reserved day for it each week in our schedules.

You also know well by this point about outputting high quality and high intensity shorter sessions. Same goes for your average 50-60 minute run—your “daily training” mileage.

But what about the in-between sweet spot?

This leads us to the medium run.

Read more

When the opposite should be the case. Shorter races require more thought-out race plans—time becomes very precious! Whereas in the marathon distance, time can be bended and played around with more freely. Adjusting on the fly depending on how you feel occurs a lot in the longer distance races, time is made up much more easily here.

In the example of racing a 5K, if you’re at race pace and it feels “easy” by mile 2, you do not have much time to makeup for, you may have “wasted” and effort. I use the word “wasted” sparingly because it is hard to waste a race, you usually learn something (like planning it out better!).

I’ve even see people lose half marathon PRs just because they went into a race without a plan, hoping to “feel” it out or run with a group. Both of these can leave you on an island and in no man’s land—a sad and desolate place to be.

First off, not finding your race pace for your desired distance before the race actually starts is where people make the first mistake.

The shorter the race is, the harder it is to “feel” out the pace. For anything under a half marathon, you need close to exact splits for every mile/km you run—at least for the early splits. If you crash and burn from your plan, you know you went out too fast. If you have energy to push later into the race, then you might’ve went out too conservatively—although this is not a bad thing and many people are naturally “negative split” runners.

Your race pace should always be derived from your training log with a self-aware point of view. This is why race simulations, tempo runs, and long run workouts are all important as a runner. *Not* just running at one pace for every single run.

Many new runners fall into what I described in my last sentence. They run every single mile at their comfortably moderate pace—say around 10 minutes a mile—then come race day they end up racing right at that pace too! Their body knows nothing else, and they made no adaptation during training to change this, along with having zero data to know if they can run sustainably at a faster pace. This is why 4 hours and 21 minutes (10:00 min/miles) is the average marathon finish time.

Running at race pace should not be something you do very frequently in training, as it should drain your energy levels slightly more than your normal running. But when you do run at your desired race pace, it should feel strong and smooth, not overly stressful. As a guide for the marathon, newer runner’s race paces are usually ~60 seconds faster than their normal easy runs. so if your stacking up a lot of easy volume around 10:30 min/mile, 9:30min/mile is a good place to start when trying to find a marathon race pace.

In lack of having race data at shorter distances, you can use your proposed (or real) marathon pace to estimate your race pace at shorter distances.

This is not perfect by any means, but it is a solid starting place. To actually know your race paces, you will need to sign up for some local 5K and live test it yourself. This will inevitably lead to a few failures which is good and the exact point. The goal is to find new information about your physiology as a runner. Remember, you’re training with the body you have now, not the pace you want to run in the future.

As for the pace you want to run in the future, this is where tempo and threshold training comes into play. Using this chart for the *time* you would like to run in a certain distance, you can derive a pace and therefore a threshold pace to aspire to.

Back to race day.

Now that you generally know how to plan your race pace—any further clarification needed please reach out—it’s time to execute.

Avoiding No Man’s Land

Almost every new runner makes this mistake.

They plan to “feel” their first race out and “go with the flow” throughout the race. This only works if you plan on feeling good (zone 2) the entire time and your goal is to just finish the race.

This idea falls apart when you wade into the deep end of the pool and aim for a specific time goal, and you enter the proverbial pain cave late into a race.

So what’s the difference?

Always have a pacer. This can be a designated pacing group that is provided by the race itself, a friend, or your running watch. As long as you have one of these *and* a plan, you will feel more comfortable-notably your cortisol will be lower (worrying if you’re running at the right pace, when the finish is etc.).

When you don’t have any kind of pacing mechanism, you tend to find the nearest person or group and bunch up with them. Again, this work to a point. You start to run in lock step and match stride + pace with your spur-of-the-moment pacers.

But when those pacers start running faster than you want—or slower—they no longer become viable pacing partners. Eventually, you will find yourself in “no man’s land”, the space between groups of runners. You never want to be in no man’s land without a plan.

You either:

1. Have a pre-planned pace plan (following your watch)

2. Speed up and catch the group in front of you

3. Slow down and run with the group behind you

If you find yourself alone, but feeling good and hitting your desired splits, this is *not* no man’s land—this is your land.

This is especially important in races where there is a "kick” (people start running faster), ie the 5K, 10K. The guy you’ve been running next to since the start of the race might not be there to lean on the next time you look to your right. He might have gapped you and left you for dead in no man’s land.

Bottom line, go into your races with a self-aware plan built off of reliable training data.

Reliable data: Run more short races! You can use these as “training races” which would colloquially be labeled as B and C races. The first goal of many new runners is to run a marathon. This is great, but if you were to race a 5K and 10K inside of your marathon training plan, you would understand your abilities much better and have a more accurate picture of what your race pace will be.

You also get a sense of what racing is like, and to avoid no man’s land when you get to your A race.

Plan: TEST TEST TEST. On your long runs, incorporate running your planned race pace for a few miles deep into your runs.

For example (race pace = marathon pace here):

15 mile long run:

5 Easy

3 Tempo/Race Pace

2 Easy

3 Tempo/Race Pace

2 Easy

These can be played around with, but the point is you are not running the entire long run at race pace, and therefore gassing yourself before race day.

Happy Sunday!

-BTR

As always I offer 1:1 coaching, hit me up if you plan on racing more in 2025.

For those who are used to running all year-round, you’re probably excited about the cooler weather.

With those who only got into running outdoors this calendar year (spring-summer) you may be a bit worried about how to layer properly and what gear to use in the colder weather.

Depending on where you live, you may even need to switch what time of day you run at, and be flexible on when you can/do run (volatile weather season).

But the main issue I see is people not layering properly, wearing gear that hinders their performance, or simply hesitant to run in the cold weather.

Before starting, I want to note that weather change is very much relative. If the temperature drops to 45 degrees in Miami Florida, it will feel relatively extremely cold to the inhabitants there. That same 45 degree weather in Maine would feel like a nice fall day to them.

What I am trying to say is that I don’t want to play the “it’s colder where I live” game, as it doesn’t really matter.

Shoulder Season

Shoulder seasons are roughly defined as March-May and October-November. Times of year where the weather can be unpredictable, your body is still adapting to the new temperature, and times of day vary differently in terms of true feel.

For this section of the post, we are going to be focused on fall-season shoulder.

When it comes to the fall, the main thing you will be worried about is actually not the cold, but accumulating too much sweat.

You are trying to achieve two things:

1. Be comfortable

2. Not overheat/sweat

Many people jump the gun when fall finally hits and go out in moderate weather dressed like it’s early February outside. Do not do this. It’s an easy way to waste a run and overheat. You aren’t trying to cut water to make weight for a boxing match!

Waist-Up

In the fall, long sleeve and breathable material will be your closest ally. Enough covering to keep you warm during the wee hours of the morning. Cool enough to not overheat once the sun rises and you’re 45 minutes into a 90 minute run.

Lightweight Tops

When it’s still early fall and the weather is in a weird spot, polyester actually works well. Although I know many who will never wear lighter weight (polyester) for health reasons, it definitely performs the best in the early shoulder season.

But when it’s 85% humidity, 35 degrees when you start your run, and 50 when you end it, you’ll want something that can keep you warm for during the beginning, but breathable to cool you down towards the end.

My gold-standard for this category is Patagonia Lightweight Capilene Cool

There are a few market comps on Amazon that can be found for much cheaper, but I have not found one as lightweight and breathable yet. Patagonia also makes a T-shirt version as well. As always, I don’t post links to goods that aren’t owned by me, and never have been an affiliate.

Merino Wool

Merino wool is a godsend for runners in northern climates. It’s best to be worn in colder temperatures when the humidity is also low. When the weather is dry, this shirt helps dry your sweat and regulates your body temperature.

Helps cool when you start to sweat, helps keep you warm in the first few miles of a run. Plus it’s all natural!

Another pro is that it’s extremely odor resistant, and can be worn many times before needing a proper wash. Of course, I advise you to wash your clothes, but if you’re just doing some light jogging, it’s worth using twice or on a day with a double.

Tracksmith has an entire line dedicated to merino wool, and they were the pioneers of using this material for running specific activity. But some cheaper market comps have popped up such as Smart Wool.

Headwear

What most people get wrong is that you really don’t need any kind of skullcap or beanie unless the temperature is 20 degrees Fahrenheit or below.

Wearing something like the above will just cause unneeded sweating and you’ll end up carrying it in your hand. As I’ve stated before, running in the cold weather is about toeing the line of being slightly cold to slightly warm/comfortable. It’s much easier to overheat while running than it is to be too cold.

A breathable hat is probably you’re best bet if you *want* to wear a hat. Something from Ciele or a brand that white labels Boco.

What I do recommend in colder temperatures (below freezing)—especially when there are high winds—are earmuffs. Earmuffs traditionally are a bit “geeky” in US culture, but there are some slim ones being made. Also, we’re after utility here, not looks.

The great thing about earmuffs is that the main pain point above your neck in cold weather are the ears. Nothing is more uncomfortable than freezing ears. Just keeping these warm will give the illusion that your entire body is in fact warm, and make the outdoor experience much more enjoyable.

Head Lamp

If you live in places that do not have daylight savings time—like Arizona or Hawaii—then this section may not be for you.

But if you live in other locations, especially northern cities, where it stays very dark until late in the morning, and the sun goes down very early in the evening, then a headlamp is a smart purchase!

Gloves

Much like your top base layer, thin material that “gets the job done” is best. This is because you never want to be in a place where what you’re wearing is causing you to sweat more than you need.

This applies to gloves as well. Smart Wool makes a great pair of Merino Wool lined gloves for a fair price.

I see too many people wear over-insulated winter gloves/mittens and they end up hav to carry them or stuff them in their running belt or shorts. This will hamper your running economy either way. Go lightweight, be a bit chilly to start, and let you body natural heat up around the thin material you’re wearing.

Waist-Down

The waist-down section of your body has much less “pain points” that the cold affects. Exposed skin really isn’t a big deal here until you get into the lower temperatures, but there are still a few items I like to have on deck to stay comfy.

Tights/Leggings

I am really only a fan of leggings when the cold becomes starts affecting my knees and feet. You’ll know you need added leggings in the winter when you come inside after a run with shorts on and your knees are on fire from the extreme temperature change.

IMO, Under Armour is and has been the gold standard for cold weather gear. I would stick with them or find your favorite brand and use theirs. Really not a big deal, they mostly have all the same materials.

Socks

As running shoes become more minimal in the upper in order to be as lightweight as possible, this will lead to them becoming more “drafty”. AKA your feet will get colder more often.

Just as lightweight and breathable socks in the summer help you, a bit thicker socks in the cold will do the same.

My favorite socks I’ve worn are Darn Tough Vermont (shoutout VT, lifetime warranty) socks.

They make a lot Merino Wool socks as well, to help regulate temperature and keep your feet/shoes smelling nice. As I said before, when in the dry cold, Merino Wool wins!

Other good sock companies are Dry Max, Smart wool, and Balega.

Shoes

Like most of these items, the shoes are highly dependent on where you live. Even more so dependent on the terrain you run on, and the amount of rain (ice) and snow you receive.

This may mean that you want a shoe with more insulation, keeping your feet warm. But another feature many don’t think about is outsole tread.

If you’re in the countryside and receive snow, ice, mud, or rain, on your roads, trails, trunk lines, and sidewalks, then a shoe with traction would help you immensely.

Nike Pegasus Trail

This comes in two versions: one with Gore-Tex, another without.

The Gore-Tex adds a layer of waterproofing and warmth, but if in conditions above freezing, you can find yourself overheating from lack of ventilation. Only buy the Gore-Tex if you *need* it.

Other than that, the shoe is the same fit and feel wise. It has great traction, comfortable upper, and some solid responsiveness. Think of it as a road shoe with even traction to keep you safe in harsher conditions.

The North Face Altamesa 300

Very similar to the Pegasus Trail, but with no Gore-Tex option.

This shoe very much has a road-style feeling, and is meant for flowy single track and trunk lines—nothing too technical—which makes it a perfect candidate for winter running.

Also a great road-to-trail shoe if you’re switching up terrain mid run.

Note:

I offer coaching here. We basically will be talking every-other day via email/X/Substack (or however often you’d like), and plans are made on a weekly basis tailored to what your goals are. Like I said, we will be talking often, so this training is highly adaptable and can be changed on a dime if issues arise (or more training is needed!).

-BTR

This isn’t needless hearsay, take any distance road runner on a hill or a trail with vertical gain and they will be gassed extremely early on into the run. In fact many road runners that “transition” to trail running find it aggravating the amount of time it takes to develop the muscles to be able to run uphill.

As I said, there is a high probability you have played a fast twitch sport in your life or have at least been in the gym strength training before. If you havne’t that is fine too, uphill running will still be the best bang for your buck early on.

But the point of you training uphill is that it is currently what you are *best* at in running—without knowing it.

How Hills Help Your Flat Land Speed

For many amateur road runners, training often revolves around flat surfaces, especially if you're preparing for road races from the miler to marathon.

However, incorporating vertical gain—by running hills—can unlock significant benefits that enhance your running economy (stride), ability to output power, and overall fitness. While traditionally associated with trail running, uphill running offers unique advantages for road runners that go beyond simply building leg strength.

The goal by the end of this article to get you thirsting for adding vertical gain as a weekly metric, alongside mileage and hours.

Read more

The trainers you bought in the late spring early summer are probably beat to crap by this point. You need a few fresh trainers and racing shoes to get you across the line come race day this fall and put a bow on your peak training weeks.

Below is a chart of the top grossing shoe brands in the US right now. I go through all of these brands and their offerings, and simply show what shoes are worth getting (or at least taking a look at) in the categories of 1) Daily Training 2) Tempo-Threshold Running and 3) Distance Racing.

You may have heard me talk about a few of these from the big brands already, such as Nike, Hoka, etc…so just skip those. Keep this handy for the next time you go to your local running store to try shoes on.

Nike

Daily Training:

Pegasus

The most durable, firm, and neutral (slightly boring) shoe Nike has to offer. Best for every day running, most people are fine doing all of their training in this shoe.

React foam midsole is paying for what you get. A solid, middle-of-the-road shoe that is durable as anything. React foam will essentially never go dull, the mixed in EVA will, or the outsole will first.

Invincible

Nike’s much softer daily trainer. You will sink into this shoe a lot more than the Pegasus. Some people enjoy that, especially those only into the easy running, and really only run for cardio reasons, who also want to reduce impact as much as possible.

A shoe comfortable going any distance.

Tempo/Threshold:

Pegasus Turbo Plus

Nike’s remake of the Pegasus Turbo 2. This is a lower stack shoe for Nike’s standards, around ~30mm in the heel. You’ll feel the ground a lot more in this shoe.

With that lower stack height comes a lighter shoe featuring Zoomx. This shoe is great from running faster than your easy pace, for any kind of workout. I would be comfortable in this shoe up to the half marathon distance.

Racing:

Alphafly

Nike’s max comfort marathon shoe, made to save your legs while also providing you with as much energy return as possible. A common choice for Nike’s elites.

Vaporfly

Amateurs like this shoe more because it’s a bit more stable, although it’s still a lot more aggressive than the alphafly over shorter distances. Perfect for 10K-Marathon, where the Alphafly is a marathon specialty shoe.

Adidas

Daily Training:

SL2

Adidas hit it out of the park with this shoe. All your easy running can be done in this shoe, along with your tempo/race pace miles. Hell, even long runs are good in this shoe. The addition of Lightstrike Pro (peba) to the midsole is amazing.

Tempo/Threshold:

Takumi Sen 10

This is basically Adidas’ 5K-10K specialty shoe. Featuring a full length Lightstrike Pro and a 28mm stack height, this shoe was built for speed over shorter distances. Wear this for shorter + faster workouts on a track or road. I wouldn’t take this over the 10K distance due to midsole being so minimal.

Racing:

Adizero Adios Pro 3

You may notice a trend with Adidas’ shoes…they like to confuse people with the name and the look. They essentially all look the same, take a second look if purchasing.

This is Adidas’ elite distance racing shoe, and is on par with the Vaporfly. The only problem is that the Vaporfly is found on sale much more often versus this.

ASICS

Daily Training:

Novablast

Asics keeps the nostalgic look and feel while adding in some modern flare—most notably in the midsole. This shoe is low density foam—meaning it will feel very soft—perfect for easy running and long runs. If you want something more firm to pick up the pace with at will, look elsewhere.

Tempo to Threshold:

Magic Speed 4

A great shoe here that rivals the Endorphin Speed and Hoka Mach. Firm, first, and durable. Most people can take this 400 miles, run a few races in, and train all their long runs + tempo miles in it.

Racing:

Meta Speed Sky+

This is a peculiar shoe compared to others in the same category on the market. The heel stack height on this shoe is 33mm, where most other marathon distance racing shoes are 38-39mm. Take note of this in case you are sensitive to impact or want a more max cushion racer.

New Balance

Daily Training:

1080

New Balance fresh foam is the hall mark of walking on pillows. So much that it sometimes comes at the detriment of running economy. If you are exclusively doing easy runs, or have another shoe for faster paces, this is still good.

Tempo-Threshold:

FuelCell SuperComp Trainer

I would recommend buying up to the supercomp trainer over the rebel for the carbon plate and overall more energy return this shoe gives you. A great “Super trainer”

Racing:

FuelCell SuperComp Elite

New Balances taking a page from Adidas’ book here and making their shoes look extremely similar.

This is the elite racing shoe NB has to offer. This is a more cushioned shoe that lacks the aggressiveness the Nike and Adidas racers have, but if your thing is non-aggressive racing, this could be for you.

Brooks

Daily Training:

Ghost

The ghost is the best selling shoe in the US for a reason, it’s comfortable and durable as hell. Great for easy running where you want to not worry about your stride and drive your heel straight into the ground.

Glycerin

Glycerin is another daily training option from Brooks. This differs from the Ghost in that it is slightly lower drop and a bit softer. Many older folks prefer this model.

Like most Brooks shoes, they aren’t show stoppers, but they are reliable and durable.

Tempo-Threshold:

N/A: None to mention.

Racing:

N/A: None to mention.

Hoka

Daily Training:

Clifton

Maybe the most divisive shoe on the internet. Hated by one side, loved by another.

If you’ve run in this shoe before, you probably land someone on the enjoyment side of it, but you still know there’s something better out there. And that’s okay!

This shoe is a great introduction into max cushion and still being lightweight. This shoe is great for all around training, from easy to race day. I have many athletes training in Cliftons and then buying a fresh pair for race day. A solid shoe!

Tempo-Threshold:

Mach

The Hoka Mach took a few iterations to figure out, chiefly because I think they didn’t have a solid blend for their premium midsole compound. But it appears they figured it out. A great super trainer option that can go toe-to-toe with the Endorphin Speed.

Racing:

Cielo

Like I said, I’m just explaining the offerings of these brands without trying to place my bias anywhere. But this Hoka hasn’t really figured out their racing shoe yet. Yes, it’s good and will return a lot of energy, but at this point stick to what we know works (Adidas/Nike/Saucony).

Saucony

Daily Training:

Triumph

One of the best trainers out there currently, and honestly underrated. It now features a blend of Saucony’s premium foam (Pebax), to return even more energy and bounce. This shoe will go as far as you are able to take it in one run.

Tempo-Threshold:

Endorphin Speed

We all knew it was coming, my baby, the Endorphin Speed. Honorary mention for the Endorphin Pro here as well, both are the cream of the crop super trainers.

Insane (for the price) energy return and durability out of these shoes. Saucony continues to dominate this niche of shoes.

Racing:

Saucony is quickly catching up in the elite racing department is a close second behind Nike (I would say currently tied with Adidas also), their midsole compounds are essentially the same, it just comes down to geometry and on-foot feeling.

Puma

Daily Training:

Deviate Nitro

A sneaky shoe that is really only talked about in the back rooms of online shoe forums and subreddits. I think of this shoe like the Saucony triumph, but a bit lighter and more aggressive. This shoe can cover easy-tempo training.

Tempo-Threshold:

Use above for tempo-threshold, Puma still lacks a true “threshold” shoe, although the Deviate Nitro can handle tempo just fine.

Racing:

I barely want to look at this shoe because it’s highly unaesthetic, but pros are qualifying for the Olympics wearing it. While it is highly unstable, I wouldn’t advise the average amateur to use this, it’s at least worth trying on to understand what the geometry of the midsole is doing.

ON

Daily Training:

Cloudmonster

Don’t be fooled by ON. Yes their midsole have holes in them and look insanely weird, but they make a well-engineered shoe.

The one problem is that these shoes run exceptionally narrow and tight in the uppers.

Tempo-Threshold:

Cloudstratus

A lower stack shoe that provides solid ground feel and responsiveness. I wouldn’t wear this on a track, as it doesn’t turn well, but it still is good for the roads.

Racing:

Cloudboom Strike

An interesting shoe that pops up at world majors and even has won the Boston Marathon the last 2 years (and I think Berlin). I would want to see more amateurs wear this shoe first before purchasing myself. For now, I stick with what I know (at this price point at least).

Mizuno

Daily Training:

Wave Rider

Mizuno dials their more modern looking shoes back here and resembles a more classic “ASICS” look. This is a decent shoe for daily training, and if you have some affinity to Mizuno, you won’t be disappointed in buying this. There just might be other (better) shoes out there.

Tempo-Threshold:

Buyer beware: the heel “scoop” or rocker will cause you pain if you start to heel strike in this shoe. It will cause an over stride and your hamstring will be at risk.

Racing:

Buyer be even more aware: This shoe will tear your Achilles if you heel strike in it.

Fun shoes though.

Okay that’s it. A quick Fall 2024 Shoe Buying guide.

On Deck:

• “Uphill Runner”

Get Trained:

• Paid subs ask me any questions via DMs, either about your training or training plans on my SS.

• Coaching. I offer coaching for $150 per month. If you need help scheduling your training week to week, getting faster, training for different distances, this is for you. We essentially will be talking daily.

-BTR