One idea at a time
Running, explained.
Written for someone a few weeks into running who keeps hearing words nobody defines. No jargon that isn't explained, and nothing you need to buy.
Why most of your running should feel too easy
The single biggest mistake beginners make is running their easy days too hard.
Read →Base training, and why the first months are boring
Before you can train hard, you need months of unremarkable running. That's the base.
Read →Heart rate tells the truth. Pace doesn't.
Why the same easy effort is 5:30/km one night and 6:30/km the next, and which number to trust.
Read →Cadence, and why 180 is not a magic number
How many steps you take per minute, why it matters, and how to change it without thinking about it.
Read →Stride length: the one thing not to lengthen
Reaching further in front of you feels like running faster. It's the opposite.
Read →Adding distance without breaking yourself
How fast you can safely build up, and why the answer is slower than you'd like.
Read →Intervals, and when you've earned them
What the hard sessions are for, and why they come after months rather than first.
Read →Recovery runs, which are meant to feel silly
The slow, short run the day after a hard one — and why it beats doing nothing.
Read →Rest is when you actually get fitter
Training breaks you down. The improvement happens afterwards, if you let it.
Read →Cooling down, and what it does and doesn't do
Five minutes of jogging and walking at the end — plus the honest truth about stretching.
Read →Strength work, which is mostly about hips
Twenty minutes twice a week, no gym required, and why it's the best injury insurance there is.
Read →Running form, and the three things worth changing
Most form advice is noise. A short list of what's actually worth your attention.
Read →Eating and drinking around running
What to eat before, during and after — kept to what actually matters for runs under two hours.
Read →Runner's luxuries
The best parts of running are the ones nobody can sell you.
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