I’ve coached many runners and want to key on one individual who has agreed to share his training data. I’ve actually coached this runner personally for the last 20 years and he had some pretty terrific coaches previously with some strong results.
The athlete has logged 20,000+ miles and approaches his 54th year on this great earth. Injuries have plagued him for the last decade, but he continues to gain fitness quickly (when not injured which is infrequent). Similar to Coach Cally’s post What’s Slowing You Down, this athlete always struggles with peer comparison and past performance as unrealistic measuring sticks.
That’s the background and here are my observations about the athlete who is dealing with a glute injury that shortens his stride.
The runner intends to keep volume relatively high (~35 mpw), while he flosses, rolls and stretches his glutes. On a Wednesday session, I suggested cutting the 9M @ 7:19/M pace to ~ 6M at 7:30/M pace and running progressively to RPE (rate of perceived effort/exertion) = 5-6.
Here’s a graph of how that run transpired:
Notice the athlete did have a nice progressive run shaping up until 5M.
Now let me overlay HR against pace so I can show you where the problem arose:
Notice the gentle cardiac drift initially, which is exactly what we want. Then around 2.5M there’s a steeper inflection with a final mile that looks like a cool down (it was not). Instead the runner over heated and drove RPE + HR too high. In reality it was a hot day in the SF Bay Area. When I say “hot day in the SF Bay Area”, we are talking relative to the typical area conditions. For those of you in the midwest, southeast and Atlantic coast, you are dealing with much worse conditions.
Here’s the synopsis given by the athlete post-run: After 5M I felt hot, heavy and my glutes were tight. I had intended to run a gradual progression, but got ahead of myself in M3 and was tired by the slow last mile.
It easy to see this from the splits:
If we look deeper we see a decline in cadence and a subsequent increase in vertical ratio for M6 (both clear signs of fatigue):
Lastly, we see the athlete spent way too much time in Zone 4, for what was supposed to be an easy run effort.
Ok I’m being pretty critical of this athlete so full disclosure, the athlete referenced = ME.
After my failed attempt at <5:00/M on July 2, I recommitted to making my goal.
The problem is that I’m partially injured and instead of listening to the Angel (coach in me) and slowing down with emphasis on rehab, I let the Ego (athlete in me) take control.
The point is that after coaching thousands of runners and spending myriad time on a track, I still fall victim to the same self-sabotage thoughts that derail us. I ignore the weather and my aches & pains. However, I continue to strive to be better.
So now I need to go into a Do as I say, Not as I do recommendations list:-)
We want a gradual cardiac drift → that’s a good thing and for the most part it should crescendo to the last steps run or final interval (disregard the cool down after workouts).
We want easy runs to start in Zone 2 and gradually move up through Zone 3. Ideally we don’t hit Zone 4 on these efforts.
We should see key metrics like cadence (increasing) and vertical ratio (decreasing) on our easy runs.
We need to consider the heat index and adjust accordingly.
The summer heat has been a challenge for most of the world (Europe included), so let’s consider heat index:
It is calculated in the shade; most estimates increase direct sunshine at +15%
Anything over 80 = Caution → in my opinion this is where performance drops especially if you’re borderline hyperthermic like me
The Rule of 150 = Air Temp (℉) + Relative humidity (%); anything over this undoubtedly affects performance and >180 is dangerous
As I (the athlete) reflected on that Wednesday run I realized the Heat Index was ~ 90. That’s high for the Bay Area and definitely affected my performance. I could’ve stayed at ~ 8:00/M pace and kept HR comfortably in Zone 3, but gee that Ego is powerful and I wanted to run the assigned pace.
So let’s keep easy = easy, adjust to the elements, pay attention to cardiac drift, vertical ratio and cadence (late in our runs), listen to our bodies when we have challenges, and keep that stress/recovery ratio where it should be.
Most runners have one! The workout that makes you hesitate when you see it on the schedule.
Maybe it's speed work. Maybe it's hills. Maybe it's the long run that feels intimidating before you even start. Whatever it is, most runners have a session they would rather skip, shorten, or push to another day. However, the run you keep avoiding might be the one that helps you grow the most.
Why We Avoid Certain Workouts
Usually, it’s not because we’re lazy or unmotivated. We avoid the runs that challenge us. 
Speed workouts can feel intimidating because they force us to run at uncomfortable paces. Intervals require us to push beyond our comfort zone. Long runs demand patience and commitment. Hills test our strength and remind us that running doesn't always get easier.
These workouts expose our weaknesses. And that’s exactly why they are valuable. The areas where we feel the most uncomfortable often reveal the biggest opportunities for improvement.
Find The Run You Avoid
Ask yourself:
Do you dread seeing mile repeats?
Do you suddenly have a scheduling conflict when hills are on the calendar?
Do long runs feel like something you have to survive instead of something you get to experience?
Your answer can tell you a lot about where you have room to grow. Avoidance is a clue. It points directly toward the strength or confidence you need to develop.
Turn Weakness Into Strength
The goal isn’t to force yourself through every difficult workout and make training miserable. The goal is to approach those challenging sessions with a different mindset.
If you avoid speed, try to remember that speed workouts aren't about proving how fast you are. They’re about teaching your body efficiency, improving your running economy, and becoming more comfortable running at faster paces.
If you avoid hills, remind yourself that they build strength and confidence. They improve your ability to handle changes in terrain and teach you how to maintain effort when pace naturally slows. A hill isn't a sign that you're running poorly. It's an opportunity to become a stronger runner.
If you avoid the long run, remember it isn’t just about distance. It teaches patience, fueling, pacing, and mental toughness. It builds the confidence that you can handle challenges when they show up on race day. The long run is where many runners discover they are capable of more than they thought.
Don’t Let Fear Make Your Training Decisions
It's normal to feel nervous before a hard workout. Even experienced runners have days where they look at the schedule and think, "Do I really have to do this today?" The difference is that they don't let that feeling decide for them.
Confidence doesn't come from avoiding hard things. It comes from doing hard things and realizing you can handle them. Every challenging workout you complete gives you evidence that you are becoming a stronger runner.
Start Small
If you've been avoiding a certain type of workout, you don't need to suddenly make it the hardest session of your training cycle. Start by changing your approach.
Add a few short hills after an easy run.
Try shorter intervals before longer ones.
Break a long run into smaller milestones.
Build confidence through small wins.
The goal isn't to eliminate discomfort. The goal is to become more comfortable being uncomfortable.
The Workout You Avoid Might Be Your Advantage
Your hardest workout is your greatest opportunity. The thing you keep avoiding may be the exact thing that helps you become a more complete runner.
So the next time you see that workout on your schedule, the one you hope gets changed, shortened, or canceled, pay attention. It might not be the workout standing in your way.
It might be the workout that helps you move forward!
If you've been running for any length of time, you've probably asked yourself some version of this question:
"Why am I not getting faster?"
Most runners immediately look for physical reasons. Maybe they need more speed work. Maybe they're not running enough miles. Maybe it's nutrition, sleep, strength training, or the summer heat. Those factors of course matter.
But after coaching runners of all abilities, I've learned that the biggest thing slowing people down often isn't physical at all. It's what they're comparing themselves to. Every runner compares themselves to something: a training partner, a runner they follow online, a recent race result, or perhaps most commonly, the version of themselves from years ago.
The problem isn't comparison itself, it's allowing those comparisons to shape your confidence, your decisions, and even your enjoyment of the sport.
The Comparison Trap 
Running is unique because it's so easy to compare. Every run produces data. Pace, distance, heart rate, cadence, elevation, splits. Add social media into the mix, and suddenly you're surrounded by runners posting race medals, workout screenshots, and personal records.
Before long, it's easy to wonder why your progress doesn't look like theirs. Maybe your training partner seems to improve every month. Maybe someone in your local running club just qualified for Boston. Maybe a friend who started running after you is now faster.
It's natural to notice those things. The problem comes when they begin to shape how you feel about your own training. Comparison has a way of making strong, consistent work feel like it isn't enough.
Chasing a Different Version of Yourself
Not all comparisons involve other runners. Some of the toughest ones happen in your own head.
Many runners spend years trying to match a pace they ran years ago. Every workout becomes a comparison to a race result, a season of training, or a version of themselves that felt unstoppable.
But here's the thing: you're not the same runner you were then, and that's not a bad thing.
Maybe you're balancing a demanding career. Maybe you're raising kids, caring for family members, or juggling more responsibilities than you were a decade ago. Maybe you're sleeping less, traveling more, or fitting runs into the margins of a busy schedule.
Those circumstances matter. Comparing today's training to a time in your life when you had different routines, different stress levels, or more time to recover isn't an apples-to-apples comparison.
That doesn't mean you can't run just as fast, or even faster. Plenty of runners set personal bests later in life because they're training smarter, fueling better, or simply bringing years of experience and consistency to the sport.
When you shift your focus from recreating the past to maximizing the present, your training becomes far more productive, and way more enjoyable.
When Your Training Partners Become Your Competition
Training with others is one of the great perks of running. Long runs feel shorter, difficult workouts become more manageable, and accountability is built into every meeting. However, group runs only help if you're still running your plan.
One of the most common mistakes I see is runners turning every easy run into an unofficial race. Your schedule calls for an easy effort, but your friends naturally run a minute per mile faster. Rather than backing off, you match them because you don't want to fall behind.
The run feels manageable that day. The problem shows up later. Your legs stay tired longer. Recovery slows. Workout days become harder than they should be. Eventually, fitness stalls, not because you're training too little, but because you're training too hard on the days that were supposed to help you recover.
Sometimes the smartest runner in the group is the one willing to let everyone else disappear down the road.
Don't Let One Bad Run Tell the Whole Story
Every runner has those days. Your legs feel flat. Your watch shows paces that seem slower than normal. Nothing clicks. It's tempting to assume you've lost fitness overnight. In reality, running doesn't work that way.
Heat and humidity slow pace. Poor sleep affects recovery. Travel, work stress, and accumulated fatigue all influence how your body responds on any given day. One difficult run rarely tells you much about your overall fitness.
Improvement happens over weeks and months, not from one workout to the next. The runners who continue improving aren't the ones who never have bad days. They're the ones who don't let a bad day define the entire training cycle.
Focus on What You Can Control
There are countless things you can't control, but what you can control is really simple!
Did you complete today's run? Did you keep your easy run easy? Did you fuel well before your long run? Did you prioritize recovery? Will you come back tomorrow?
Those small decisions rarely feel exciting in the moment, but they add up over months of training. Fitness isn't built through big breakthroughs. It's built through consistency.
Success Looks Different in Every Season
Not every training block ends with a personal best. Sometimes success means making it through an entire cycle without getting injured. Sometimes it means rebuilding after illness.
Sometimes it's finding a routine that fits around work, family, and everything else life demands. Those seasons matter just as much.
Progress isn't always measured by the clock. Sometimes it's measured by showing up when motivation is low, finishing healthy, or enjoying the process a little more than you did last season.
Run Your Own Race
If comparison is slowing you down, don’t forget, no one else has your story. No one else has your schedule, your responsibilities, your strengths, or your challenges. Your training doesn't need to look like anyone else's to be successful.
Every summer, it happens.
A runner heads out the door feeling fit, motivated, and ready to crush a workout. The pace that felt comfortable in April suddenly feels impossible. Heart rate climbs. Breathing becomes labored. Frustration follows.
The immediate reaction is often, "I've lost fitness." But in most cases, that's not true at all. 
The reality is that heat and humidity place additional stress on the body, making the same pace require more effort. Understanding how to adjust your training during the summer months can help you train more effectively, recover better, and avoid the mental trap of chasing paces that no longer match the conditions.
The Weather Impacts Your Pace
A pace that feels comfortable on a 55-degree morning may feel significantly harder on an 80-degree afternoon. Add humidity, sunlight, and little wind, and the difference becomes even more noticeable.
Your body is working overtime to keep itself cool while also powering your run. That extra workload often means your pace naturally slows down. This doesn't mean you're getting slower. It means you're running in more challenging conditions.
Adjust Your Pace, Not Your Expectations
At Runcoach, we believe pace is one of the most valuable training tools available. Pace helps provide structure to workouts and ensures you're training in the appropriate effort for your goals.
However, pace should always be viewed within the context of the conditions. Think of your training paces as targets, not rigid requirements.
When temperatures climb, experienced runners adjust their expectations rather than forcing splits that no longer match the environment. The goal is still to complete the intended workout. Sometimes that requires making small adjustments to the pace displayed on your watch.
How Much Should You Adjust?
There is no perfect formula because every runner responds differently to heat. Factors such as humidity, sun exposure, fitness level, and heat acclimation all play a role.
As a general guideline:
The key is recognizing that these changes are normal. If you're consistently running slower in July than you were in April, that doesn't automatically mean your fitness has declined.
Don't Chase the Watch
One of the quickest ways to turn a productive run into a miserable one is to force a pace that doesn't match the conditions.
Many runners become so focused on hitting a specific number that they ignore what the weather is asking of them. A better approach is to use your pace target as a guide while allowing for reasonable adjustments when conditions are difficult.
Some days you'll hit every split perfectly. Other days, the smartest decision is backing off slightly and completing the workout successfully.
Consistency beats forcing one workout and needing extra recovery afterward.
Expect an Adjustment Period
The good news is that the body adapts. Heat acclimation typically begins within the first week of consistent exposure and continues to improve over roughly two weeks.
As adaptation occurs, several positive changes take place:
Many runners notice that workouts begin feeling easier after 10 to 14 days of training in the heat. The key is patience. The first few hot runs of the season are often the most difficult.
Summer Fitness Pays Off Later
Here's the part many runners forget. The work you're doing now is still building fitness.
Even if your watch shows slower paces, your body is adapting to the demands of training in tougher conditions. When cooler temperatures return in the fall, many runners are surprised to see their pace improve almost immediately.
The fitness was there all along. The weather was just hiding it!
This is one reason so many marathoners and half marathoners complete the bulk of their training during the hottest months of the year. The miles you log in June, July, and August often show up as stronger performances in September, October, and November.
A Few Summer Running Tips
To make summer training more manageable:
The Bottom Line
If your pace is slower this summer, don't panic. Heat and humidity affect every runner, from beginners to elite athletes. Adjusting your pace for the conditions isn't a sign of weakness, it's a sign of smart training.
Stay consistent, trust the process, and remember that the goal isn't to win a workout in July. The goal is to build the fitness that will help you perform your best when race day arrives.
And when those cool fall mornings finally return, you'll be glad you kept showing up.
If you run with a modern sports watch, you’ve probably noticed that we are living in the golden age of running data. After a solid long run, your Garmin Connect app serves up a buffet of advanced scientific metrics. But what do all those numbers actually mean for your daily training?
I’ve started to consider what this data might have meant in my faster days (late ‘90s and early ‘00s). At the time, there were limited metrics available aside from a handful of high-end biomechanics labs. The data presently at our finger tips, coming from our wrist, on a daily basis is both pervasive and awesome (in the fear inspiring sense).
For years you’ve heard me and our other coaches stress the importance of pace recognition, Rate of Perceived Exertion which we use as Rate of Perceived Effort (RPE), progressive pacing with some input from heart rate as a % of maximum heart rate.
I’m super excited about all the new data available and believe that proper pacing with recognition along with forms of progressive pacing are still the most important for race and training outcomes.
But. . . the available data can no longer be ignored so let’s start to interpret some of it.
Today, we’re going to look at three of my favorite advanced running dynamics:
Stride Length
Vertical Oscillation
Vertical Ratio
I’ll explain what they are, why they matter, and how we can tweak your form/effort to become a smoother, more efficient, and injury-free runner.
Note: Definitions from Garmin Human Performance Lab are publicly available and included below.
This is simply the distance you cover with each stride. Of course, we don’t want long lopey strides or potential over striding to interfere with our focus. In fact a shorter stride length can be beneficial especially in the early parts of a race. One practical consideration I have with stride length is to consider your drive at the end of races. Often we observe max stride length at 75-85% of race distance. One way to improve the stride length is a concomitant effort to swing your arms with strong force near the end. If you watch World Class Marathon/10K/5K/1500m etc. runners at the finish their arm swing is almost always exaggerated compared to the start of the race. When you swing your arms with force, your legs follow suit.
In simple terms, Vertical Oscillation is your "bounce." It measures the amount of vertical movement in your torso with each step, measured in centimeters.
Ideally, as runners, we want our energy propelling us forward, not upward. However, we frequently see a point of frustration for taller runners here. Because taller runners have longer legs and naturally longer strides, their absolute vertical oscillation numbers are almost always slightly higher than shorter runners simply due to biomechanics. A tall runner might naturally sit around 7.5 to 8.6 cm, which can look high on paper but is perfectly normal for their height.
In my opinion, raw Vertical Oscillation metrics should not be over emphasized. Stride length (especially at the end of a good effort) + Vertical Ratio are better indicators of proper form.
If you’re a taller runner looking at your Garmin data and feeling discouraged by your bounce, don't worry. This is where Vertical Ratio comes to the rescue.
Vertical Ratio takes your Vertical Oscillation and divides it by your Stride Length, expressing the result as a percentage. This metric essentially levels the playing field, factoring in your height and stride to give you a true picture of your running efficiency.
Instead of obsessing over raw centimeters, look at your Vertical Ratio percentage. Here is how the benchmarks break down:
Excellent (Elite): Less than 6.5%
Great: 6.5% – 8.3%
Good (Average): 8.4% – 10.0%
Needs Improvement: Greater than 10.0%
(Note: Many runners find they naturally bump up against "Excellent" or "Great" ratios during fast interval sessions, as faster running promotes better form! This is one of the reasons that here at Runcoach we always suggest one or two quality sessions with intervals at faster paces each week.)
Whether you're a middle-aged marathoner or an infrequent 5K racer, keeping your Vertical Ratio in check provides two massive benefits:
1. Energy Conservation
Think of it this way: over the course of 26.2 miles, bouncing an extra inch per step equates to climbing hundreds of extra feet of elevation. By keeping your bounce down, you are saving precious glycogen stores for the later miles when you really need them.
2. Injury Prevention
What goes up must come down. A higher vertical oscillation means a heavier landing. Reducing your bounce significantly decreases the ground reaction forces on your knees, hips, and lower back. If you want to stay healthy and injury-free through long, grueling training blocks, smoothing out your ride is key.
If your watch is consistently showing a high Vertical Ratio, you don't need to completely overhaul your stride. Usually, corrections only need to be made in millimeters. Here are 5 practical, coach-approved ways to smooth out your ride:
Run "Quietly": We love this mental cue. Next time you run, focus on making less noise when your feet hit the pavement. This naturally encourages a softer, lower-impact, and more forward-driving stride.
Slight Forward Lean: Ensure you are running with a slight, natural lean from your ankles—not bending at the waist. This helps direct your momentum forward rather than upward.
Consider a Low Ceiling as your Guide: Pretend you’re running indoors and the ceiling is only a few inches/centimeters above your head. Try to avoid hitting your head with each stride. (Note: Take this recommendation with a grain of salt because the faster we run, the more bounce we will get from power. The “don’t hit your head on the ceiling” practice is most ideal for long and easy runs not quality sessions).
Increase Your Cadence: The quickest and most effective way to reduce vertical oscillation is to increase your step rate (cadence) by 5% to 10%. Taking quicker, slightly shorter steps naturally flattens out your trajectory and prevents overstriding. (Aiming closer to 180 steps per minute is a great goal, though taller runners may naturally sit a bit lower).
Try a Running Economy Microcycle: Because faster running promotes quicker cadence and better form, mixing in shorter, faster intervals (like 200m repeats) is a great way to set a baseline of strong mechanics. Your body remembers that efficient form, which eventually bleeds into your easy runs. Many of you have heard this suggestion from me in between Marathons and other goal races. If you’re interested in a running economy cycle, please reach out to your coach.
At Runcoach, we believe data is only as good as the human insight behind it. The next time you finish a run, take a peek at your Vertical Ratio in Garmin Connect. If the number is a bit high, try running "quietly" with a slightly quicker step on your next outing. Check out your Vertical Ratio on the intervals of your quality sessions and you will see a big difference.
Want a coach to look at your smart watch and help you build a plan to improve your running economy? Our 1:1 human coaching team is always here to help you make sense of the metrics and achieve your next personal best.
Vertical Oscillation, Vertical Ratio, Stride Length Chart (Note: this table was created with help from Gemini AI and reviewed by the coaches at Runcoach):
|
Metric & Tier |
6' 2" Runner(1.88 m / 188 cm) |
5' 9" Runner(1.75 m / 175 cm) |
5' 6" Runner(1.68 m / 168 cm) |
|
Vertical Oscillation (cm) |
|||
|
* Moderate |
10.0 – 11.5 cm |
9.5 – 11.0 cm |
9.0 – 10.5 cm |
|
* Good |
8.5 – 9.9 cm |
8.0 – 9.4 cm |
7.5 – 8.9 cm |
|
* Elite |
7.0 – 8.4 cm |
6.5 – 7.9 cm |
6.0 – 7.4 cm |
|
Vertical Ratio (%) |
|||
|
* Moderate |
8.6% – 10.0% |
8.6% – 10.0% |
8.6% – 10.0% |
|
* Good |
6.6% – 8.5% |
6.6% – 8.5% |
6.6% – 8.5% |
|
* Elite |
Under 6.5% |
Under 6.5% |
Under 6.5% |
|
Stride Length (meters) |
|||
|
* Moderate |
1.10 – 1.20 m |
1.00 – 1.10 m |
0.90 – 1.00 m |
|
* Good |
1.21 – 1.35 m |
1.11 – 1.25 m |
1.01 – 1.15 m |
|
* Elite |
1.36 – 1.50+ m |
1.26 – 1.40+ m |
1.16 – 1.30+ m |
Available from Garmin publicly accessible information https://www.garmin.com/en-US/garmin-technology/running-science:
Something shifted this spring - and it wasn’t just the weather.
At the Boston Marathon, we saw fast times across the board. Some pointed to ideal conditions - and that’s always part of the story. But then came the London Marathon. No tailwind. No excuses. Just historic performances.
Sebastian Sawe ran 1:59:30.
Tigst Assefa ran 2:15:41, setting a women’s-only world record.
So what connects Boston and London? It’s not just talent. It’s not just shoes. It’s fueling.
The Carb Revolution Is No Longer a Theory
For years, endurance athletes were told to limit carbohydrate intake or “train low.”
That thinking has flipped - completely.
At the elite level, the focus now is maximizing carbohydrate availability in both training and racing. Here’s what we’re seeing:
This isn’t marginal gains anymore. This is a fundamental shift in how endurance performance is built.
Fueling Is Driving the Training
The real breakthrough isn’t just what’s happening on race day - it’s what’s happening in training. Higher carbohydrate intake allows athletes to:
Instead of digging a hole with every hard session, runners are actually supporting the work required to improve. That’s a big shift. Fitness is no longer limited by how much discomfort you can tolerate - it’s supported by how well you fuel.
Why This Changes Everything
This isn’t just about elites running faster times. It’s about why they’re running faster. When fueling improves, everything downstream improves:
We’re seeing it across the board - marathoners, triathletes, cyclists. Better fueling leads to better training. Better training leads to better performance.
What This Means for You
No, you don’t need to jump straight to 120-150g of carbs per hour. But the direction is clear:
The key is doing it correctly for your body and your training.
The Bottom Line
We’re entering a new era of endurance performance.
Records that once felt untouchable are starting to fall - not because athletes suddenly got more talented, but because they’re finally fueling in a way that supports their potential.
High carbohydrate fueling is leading that shift. And for the first time in a long time, performance gains are coming from something that also supports better training consistency and long-term development.
That’s a change worth paying attention to.
In an era where the integrity of marathon world records is scrutinized more than ever, Kenyan distance star Sebastian Sawe is rewriting the playbook—not just on the pavement, but in the laboratory. At The London Marathon Sawe obliterated the previous marathon world record running 1:59:30 . What was different? He took the unprecedented step of voluntarily requesting independent drug testing.
This move marks a significant shift in how elite athletes approach the shadow of doping that has loomed over the sport. By choosing transparency over the minimum requirements, Sawe built a foundation of trust before the starting gun even fired.
Sebastian Sawe, has seen the skepticism that follows meteoric rises in marathon times. With recent world records shattering previous benchmarks, the global athletics community has demanded more rigorous oversight. Sawe’s decision to opt-in for additional testing serves as a preemptive strike against doubt.
"Transparency is the only way forward for our sport," Sawe noted in recent discussions regarding his training protocol. "If we want our records to stand the test of time, they must first pass the test of absolute integrity."
Kenya has faced intense pressure from the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) and World Athletics due to a series of high-profile suspensions. Sawe’s proactive stance is being viewed as a beacon for other Kenyan athletes. His camp believes that by voluntarily entering into high-frequency testing pools, he can prove that world-record-shattering performances can be achieved through talent, training, and clean competition. Sawe was tested 25 times prior to his World Record!
The logistical commitment required for such a request is substantial. It involves coordinating with anti-doping agencies to ensure a biological passport that is beyond reproach. For Sawe, the goal was clear: when he crossed the finish line, the discussion was to be about his splits and his stamina, not his supplements.
Sawe's journey toward the marathon world record was not just a quest for speed—it was a mission to restore the purity of the long-distance run. By opting for testing, he ensured that breaking the world record was a milestone the entire world could celebrate without hesitation.
As a runner, chances are at some point or another you’ve experienced pain in your hamstrings, knees, or lower back that just won’t seem to let up no matter how much you stretch. 
Interestingly enough, this pain may actually be stemming from inactive glute muscles.
Luckily, performing a few simple activation exercises pre-run can stop this pain in its tracks, allowing you to run powerful, strong, and injury free.
“So why aren’t my glutes firing?” you may ask.
The most common reason is that most people sit for long periods of time. The glute muscles tend to stop firing due to a lack of oxygen and tightened hip flexors. This, in return, puts more strain on the lower back, hamstrings, and knees, that imbalanced and stiff feeling when you head out for a run.
Even if you don’t have pain you can benefit greatly from these exercises. Waking the body up before you run is a game changer.
Add these simple exercises to your warm up routine and get those glutes firing.
Here are 4 of my favorite exercises to warm up before your run.
Aiming for 1 round of 30-40 seconds can take you from feeling flat to feeling like you are firing on all cylinders.
StarsGPS watches have become a staple for runners and endurance athletes. They give us instant feedback on pace, distance, heart rate, and more—helping us train with structure and precision. I use mine daily and love the extra data.
The data is endless and here is how you can pair data with expert coaching feedback to make the most out of your training; Sleep score is one metric measured by a watch. Garmin categorises sleep as light, deep, and REM. It measures how much time you spent in each zone and then uses an algorithm to rate your rest. This can be useful if you have a big workout coming up. Perhaps it is worthwhile to push a day to when you are more rested. Checking in with your coach to discuss options can be a great pairing.
Likewise, resting heart rate can be a valuable tool measured by your smart watch. If your HR is 3-4 beats higher, you’re probably just a little fatigued and need an easier day. However, if it is 8-12 beats higher you may be coming down with an illness and a discussion with your caoch can help you to decide if you need a rest day to nip it in the bud before you are forced to take time off.
I’ve learned the hard way that effort is a skill. Tuning into your breathing, energy levels, and muscle fatigue helps you understand how hard you’re actually working—regardless of what your watch says. Over time, this builds intuition, allowing you to adjust in real time and train more sustainably.
Learning to listen to your body is so important and data can help to inform your decisions. As runners we can be our own worst enemies and push through when we should ease off.
The goal is to use your watch and intuition in harmony.
Let data guide your workouts and track your progress, but don’t let it override what your body is telling you. Some days, slowing down is the smartest move you can make—even if the numbers suggest otherwise.
The best athletes combine both: data and feel. We call it a smart watch for a reason.
