Sodium – do we need it?
The ability to measure our sodium losses in sweat during exercise has led some to thinking that we need to replace at least some of what we lose in sweat to ensure our blood sodium levels don’t fall to levels that effect performance or health. The thinking goes that somewhere between 230-1700mg of sodium can […]
Training for the Big Red Run (and other multi stage desert races)
The Big Red Run is the next race on my race calendar so I thought I would share how I plan to go about training for this multi stage desert race. It is a similar format to most of the multi stage desert races around the world, with 4 shorter days of 30-42km, and then […]
Blood, sweat and lava dust on Mt Rinjani
One day after Catherine and I had decided to spend a month or two in Bali between relocating within Australia Catherine stumbled upon a photo on Instagram that mentioned the Mt Rinjani Ultra. A check of dates confirmed we would be in Bali when the race was on and I quickly decided that if there […]
Heel Strike – all you need to know
There is a lot of discussion in the media and running circles about running technique, and specifically heel strike vs forefoot and the pros and cons of each. Unfortunately almost all the discussions have over simplified the topic and miss a few key points. Before I go into more explanation let me summarise by saying: […]
Hoka One One – marketing hype or running shoe revolution?
Ever since Hoka One One was launched a few years ago it has divided runners opinions – depending on who you speak to its either a revolutionary shoe or a fad that will disappear with time. Since they were launched right at the height of the minimalist shoe trend they stood out amongst the zero […]
Beginners Guide to Barefoot Running
So you’ve read Born to Run , devoured every magazine article on barefoot running you can find, trawled the Internet for advice on running barefoot and decided you want to give it a go. Before you throw away your shoes you might want to read this . I’m not against running barefoot and believe it […]
3D Dynamic Vertical Core Training for Runners
In the last blog I discussed the top 6 core training mistakes in developing a stronger core for running. This week I’d like to show you three far more effective exercises. The main difference between these exercises and traditional core exercises are they are three dimensional, are performed in a vertical position rather than lying […]
Core Training – the top 6 training mistakes
There is a lot of focus on core training at the moment with athletes from all kinds of sports proclaiming its benefits. The Internet is full of videos and articles from various “experts” showing you a number of different exercises to strengthen your core. Unfortunately not everything you read is correct. In fact there are […]
Strengthening your Gluteus Medius
A while ago I posted a blog on the the relative ineffectiveness of typical glute strengthening exercises such as the clam and side lying leg raises and recommended some more effective exercises. I have had a few requests for a video of these to show more clearly how to perform them so here you go. […]
Why less flexible runners are more economical
Studies have shown that less flexible runners have greater running economy. With so much focus on the importance of stretching you may be wondering how this makes sense. Why stretch if it decreases running economy and why is running economy improved if you are less flexible? Is stretching making us slower runners?