Welcome to the second edition of The Weekly Stride, a new FREE weekly newsletter from Running Explained! Each week, I’ll be sharing actionable tips, the latest in running science, news, and motivation to help you run smarter, stronger, and more confidently. Whether you're gearing up for a race or simply looking to stay consistent, this is your go-to guide for making steady progress on your running journey. 

 

This week, I answer a question about knowing when you should drop out of a race, celebrate the two records broken at the London Marathon, share a new Research Rundown post on Low Energy Availability in male runners, talk about treadmill vs outside running, and more!

 

Ready to take your stride to the next level? Let’s dive in!

 

Founder, Running Explained

Oof, this one hits me right in the feels. I’ve been there myself, and I know it’s not an easy decision to make. Let me share a quick story: A few years ago, I was running a marathon, and my back started seizing up. A few weeks before that, I'd done something (stepped off a curb wrong???) to my back during an easy run and it was so uncomfortable, I actually called an Uber to take me back to my car because I couldn't run there.

So, fast forward a few weeks: it's race day, it's feeling better (after panic-visiting a PT) and I decide, “screw it, I'm gonna go out with my original goal and see what happens”. Reader, I made it about 8 miles before I started taking walk breaks as my back started to get tweaky again.

 

Was I really going to run (slash walk/hobble) another 18 miles, just to say I never gave up? Oh hellllllll no! There’s a difference between discomfort from effort and pain that tells you, “hey, uh, something is not okay here.”

Luckily, the course was two loops of the half marathon course, so when we hit the halfway point, I turned into the chute for the half marathoners and called it a day. And yes, I did burst into tears when I crossed the finish line; it's OK to be upset that you had to make that decision in the first place!

 

In a race, you have to ask yourself some questions and answer them HONESTLY: Can I continue without doing permanent damage? Am I still mentally able to finish the race in a way that feels good? Is the toll that this will take on my body an acceptable risk, or am I pushing my body into a dangerous place?

No race is EVER worth your health. 

 

Here’s the takeaway: If you’re in pain, it’s okay to stop. If you're sick, it's okay to stop. In fact, you probably should stop. Your health and well-being should always come first. Listen to your body, ask yourself if the race is still serving your bigger goals (sometimes it’s about recovery, not the finish line), and remember—sometimes the smartest decision is in stepping back. You'll live to race another day!

TWO world records were broken at the London Marathon last weekend!!

 

Tigst Assefa ran a 2:15:50 to set a new women's-only marathon World Record, taking 26 seconds off the previous record (set in London just last year.) How is a women's-only record different from the Women's Marathon World Record of 2:09:56 set by Ruth Chepng'etich in Chicago last fall? In a designated women's-only race, male pacers aren't allowed, meaning that if you're gonna break a record, you'll have to do it alone. The use of male pacers for women's marathon record attempts is common, because (as we all know) it sure helps to have someone who can run your goal paces more comfortably than you can to help pull you through! In London, the women's Elite field sets off 30 minutes before the men's field, making the use of pacers impossible. 

 

A world record 56,640 runners finished London, the most number of finishers in a marathon ever (and a full 1,000 more runners than the previous record-holder, the 2024 New York City Marathon). Congratulations!!

PS: If you're looking for a fall race… join our Philadelphia program to train for the Philly Half or Full with coaching support, personalized Philly-specific training plans, strength training, nutritional support, and more!

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In this episode, I sit down with Alex Parker and Meredith Root, co-owners of Tactic Nutrition—two amazing athletes and coaches who are runners AND... compete in CrossFit, strength training, cycling, and more. They’re here to talk about how embracing your identity as a multi-sport athlete can not only help prevent burnout but also make you a better overall athlete!

 

But it’s not just about doing different sports for the sake of variety. We also talk about WHY we tend to pigeonhole ourselves into a single spoint, struggle with burnout when we try to do it all at the same time, and dive into fueling properly for all these activities!

Sports science has recognized for decades that inadequate fueling is dangerous, but for a long time the spotlight was mostly on women. The classic Female Athlete Triad – defined as the interrelated problems of energy deficiency, menstrual dysfunction, and low bone density – was identified in female athletes and became a focus of research and education starting in the 1980s.

 

Men, however, were largely left out of the discussion. Men don’t have a menstrual cycle to serve as a clear warning sign of energy shortfall, and there was a lingering misconception that male athletes were immune to these issues.

 

In this week's Research Rundown post, we talk about Low Energy Availability in Male Endurance Athletes through the lens of the recently published paper Hungry runners – low energy availability in male endurance athletes and its impact on performance and testosterone: mini-review.

 

Join me in November with Rogue Expeditions as we run Morocco! From mountains to desert to the ocean, Morocco is one of my favorite places on earth, and I'm so excited to be able to run it with you! Learn more here - I hope to see you there!

Whether you’re training for your first race, working on your next PR, or coming back from a break, we’ve got the tools and support to help you along the way.

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