The Coaches' Corner by Threshold Athletic RSS
Running Economy and Related Metrics
Article by Ryan Drummond, Threshold Athletic Coaching As we log those winter challenge miles (it’s now week 6!) we are gaining fitness: our hearts and running muscles are getting stronger. Our improved fitness, if measured by VO2max, should mean improved potential to run faster, and/or go for longer . But our training can also improve our Running Economy (RE). RE is like a golf score, lower is better. RE quantifies the rate of oxygen consumption for a given speed of running. If VO2max is the size of your car’s engine, RE is the fuel efficiency. A big engine is great...
Using "Decoupling" to Monitor Your Fitness
Can Running in the Cold Hurt Your Lungs?
by Ryan Drummond of Threshold Athletic Coaching Here in the northeastern U.S, winter has arrived, and with it lower temperatures for running outdoors. Many of us are anecdotally aware that running in the cold can be “hard on your lungs.” But what does that actually mean, and how cold does it have to be to be concerned about the effects?The effect of cold weather running is measured with spirometry tests performed pre- and post- exercise in temperature controlled environments. Theses tests measure the volume of exhaled air and the rate of airflow at specific points of exhalation. Runners are tested in temperature ranges from...
Treadmill Time
Threshold Athletic Coaches Corner -- Cold Weather Running!
Cold Weather Running We're about to be force-fed frozen jello-shots of the cold weather season, so this tip is about cold weather running. Much like hot weather running, running in extremes of cold can impact your performance. The effect of the cold on your body as you run depends on "how cold" the environment is and how well you address it. Some tips related to keeping your running even keel and enjoyable are: 1. "There is no bad weather, only bad clothing." You've heard it before but it bears repeating: layers -- thin, wicking material close to the skin, the...