Sunday Long Run: The New Age

The New Age of Running

There are two things new runners are blind to: 1) Shoe selection & 2) Aerobic Capacity. 

This misunderstanding of these simple points led to a “psyop” against running as a whole, casting it as a sport for those who want weak knees and walking issues later in life.  From 2000-2020 running was campaigned against as being “bad for your joints” and generally unhealthy.  At the same time, aesthetic based weightlifting, crossfit, and other forms of fitness skyrocketed in popularity.

But the tides are turning.  New-age influencers and physicians, such as Peter Attia, are paving the way for why endurance based training is proven to maximize longevity and therefore metabolic health.  Running has risen to the top as being the most efficient input of time for output of health.

This influx of new runners has led to problems that furthers the false claims and general myths about running. I’ve heard it all.  “My knees hurt when I run”, “My heart rate is too high”, “I wasn’t built to run”, “I don’t enjoy it, it’s not fun”, “I don’t want to lose muscle”, “I keep getting shin splints”...the list goes on. 

This is why I have made it my mission to educate runners on 1) Proper shoe selection and 2) Understanding pace/effort. Simply checking off the box on one of these will make you a better runner almost instantly.

A big part of the problem is most new runners were once athletes of some caliber.  They have a preconceived notion of what a fast mile is, mostly from their youth and athletic days.  When the fact is simple: People don’t like running because they don’t have the aerobic engine needed to sustain the paces they once could.

A common theme is a 30 year old benchmarking what they think is a fast mile based on their 8th grade gym class physical test!  I see it constantly–I even get messages describing this very scene. “I ran a mile for the first time in over 5 years, my heart rate was sky high and my legs are sore”.  Good thing for you, the fix is simple.

So where do you start?

Buy actual running shoes.  The shoes you wore in high school gym class are not the shoes we have access to today.  It has never been easier to run using the technology we currently have at the tips of our toes. 

Basically from 1970 to the early 2010s, running shoe technology did not change much.  The standard for shoes was to have a simple, hard packed and firm EVA foam.  Now, we have access to many different styles and blends of foams that make it easier to run faster for longer with less stress on your body.

Some examples of newer age foams would be:

• Peba/Pebax

• Supercritical EVA

• Supercritical Pebax

• TPU

• EVA/TPU Blend

• EVA/BCO Blend

Almost all daily trainers in 2024 will feature at least some kind of EVA blended with a pebax or supercritical foam, or simply be a supercritical foam standalone.  It is rare now to find a shoe with only an EVA midsole–and this is for the better!  FYI when I mention “daily trainer”, I am referring to a running shoe in the $130-$160 price range, which is generally considered a daily trainer. 

Anything below this price will always be a lower end shoe, with older shoe technology (stiff EVA midsole).  Anything above this price range will at least have pebax foam blended in and possibly a carbon/nylon plate.

If the last time you ran was before 2017, simply running in a new-school EVA blend of TPU foam (I will provide examples) will amaze you at how different it feels from your old shoes.  For example, in one study when comparing new foams to older EVA midsoles, Adidas Boost foam (TPU) delivered a 75.9% energy return and Nike ZoomX foam delivered an 87% energy return rate.

Examples of daily trainers and their foams:

• Nike Pegasus 41 (ReactX Foam, TPU + EVA blend)

• Saucony Triumph 22 (PWRRUN PB, PEBAX)

• Brooks Ghost 16 (DNA Loft v3, Supercritical EVA)

• New Balance Rebel v4 (Fuelcell, Pebax)

• Asics Gel-Kayano 31 (FF Blast, TPU + EVA blend)

Anyone of these, and a few that are unnamed but will surely come across in your research, will benefit you greatly.  You only get one pair of feet, treat them as such!  This price range ($140-160) may seem steep at first, but you will get hundreds, possibly thousands, of miles out of one pair along with greatly reduced stress on your body.  The old pair of running shoes in the back of your closet with a hole where your big toe goes can be thrown away.

Pace and Effort

Now that you have a proper pair of shoes, it’s time to learn how to run correctly.  Chiefly, this will require an ego swallowing.  Your old preconceived notion of what a fast minute per mile needs to be thrown out the door.  For most of you reading, this means well above a 10 minute per mile pace!  But do not worry, pace is not what we are worried about right now, let’s focus on effort.

When it comes to determining effort for any given run, the fitness world generally buckets them into five different zones, 1 through 5.  The problem that arises is actually finding out what your heart rate equates to every zone.  Different age brackets, athletic backgrounds, and current fitness will have varying heart rate zones.

Before we dive into the zones, it’s worth mentioning that many people have varying opinions on the term “zone 2” and where that lands for individuals.  In the context of running, “zone 2” generally means below our first blood lactate threshold.  This general term, which we will see shortly, actually ecompasses zone 1 and 2.  The importance of this is being able to get to a place where you are running below blood lactate threshold (LT1), which is the first step for many.  This requires patience, an ego swallowing, and volume commitment.

So now we need to find out what zone 2 (and lower) means for you, if this means running yet!  To start off, I want to note that without an actual lactate monitor we will never truly know the exact value and point of where you cross the first blood lactate threshold.  Don’t worry, I have the solution for you.  The problem is that it requires a few field tests and reliable data of your current state.

What we need: 

1. Your known Max Heart Rate

   1. The easiest way to get this value is to find a hill and sprint up it as many times as possible.  Review the data your watch or chest monitor gives you afterwards.  Max effort is key, puke should be held back.

2. Your current Resting Heart Rate

   1. The best way to get a reading on this is right when you wake up while lying in bed.

Now for the calculation, I will write it out along with giving you an online calculator, but understanding how the math works can show you how your current fitness level plays a role!  For all of our values, we are trying to find what % of our Heart Rate Reserve we want to target per every zone.  Zone 1 = 50%-60%, Zone 2 = 60%-70%, Zone 3 = 70%-80%, Zone 4 = 80%-90%, Zone 5 = 90%-100%.  Calculation shown below:

Target Heart Rate # = ((max HR − resting HR) × Intensity %) + resting HR

For an individual with a max HR of 190, and a RHR of 50, their zone 2 would be:

Heart Rate Reserve Zone 2 = ((190 − 50) × 60%) + 50

Heart Rate Reserve Zone 2 = 134-148 BPM

Displayed below using an online calculator (find at topendsports.com under Karvoven calculator)

Being successful as a runner comes down to trust.  If you come from the old-school, you probably have little trust in running shoes offering support or avoiding the shin splints monster.  I promise you with every fiber in my being that the shoe technology we have today is truly on the cutting edge.  It has never been easier to pick up running, especially at a time when so much of our lives are sedentary.

Next is trusting that you are training in the right zones for what you need.  Most new runners simply new a lot of time below LT1, in zone 1 & 2 of their heart rate reserve calculations.  Always remember that it is hard and impossible to run too slow when you are starting out.  Trust in your training and trust that the volume you are accumulating in these lower zones will pay off in the months to come, patience is needed!

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To get started, try my 2-hour half marathon or 4-hour marathon plan:

2-Hour Half Marathon Plan

4-hour Marathon Training Plan

-BTR