Importance of Strength Work, Key to Longevity, and New Training Plans

We hope everyone has recovered from the hour lost to Daylight Savings earlier this month! A new season is upon us, and while you’re spring cleaning the house, consider refreshing your weekly running or cycling routine with some new or revisited practices. Celebrate the equinox and Easter with a fun, family-friendly 5K to get some spring back in your step or prep for a summer half-marathon.
March 21 Owyhee Off-Road Challenge Adrian, OR
March 28 Tualatin River Run 5K Portland, OR
April 4 YMCA Easter Run Boise, ID
April 4 Hippity Hop Half Marathon Tucson Tucson, AZ
April 11 Corvallis Half Marathon & 5K Corvallis, OR
The rate at which competitive race times are dropping continues to astound me. Another record went down last week in Lisbon, where Jacob Kiplimo of Uganda ran a 57:20 half-marathon for a new world best by 10 seconds. The women’s race was won by Ethiopian athlete, Tsigie Gebreselama, in 1:04:48.
Kiplimo breaks world half marathon record with 57:20 on Lisbon return
In case you needed it, here’s one more reason to keep training consistently. As athletes interested in exercise physiology, we are familiar with our tiny but mighty mitochondria, the “powerhouse of the cell,” and an important player in endurance performance. Studies suggest that the health of these mitochondria is also significant for broader wellbeing, such as immune function and longevity, and that “both endurance and resistance training were effective, but doing the two in combination offered the biggest benefit.”
The Key to Longevity May Be Found Inside Our Cells
You’ve heard it, you’ve dismissed it, you’ve promised to get started, you’ve let it slide.... strength training is no longer a debated component of endurance training. Lifting heavy things throughout the year can help break fitness plateaus and “teach your muscles to work together,” improving running and cycling economy.
Why All Endurance Athletes Should Go to the Gym The Ultimate Strength Training Guide
Like it or not, running is entering a new era of trendy, run-club commercialization with plenty of non-traditional brands entering the gear space. Even Rolling Stone recognizes the “coolest” new faces in athletic apparel, offering some inspiration to spring-clean your closet for a running-refresh.
RUNNING CLOTHES ARE SO COOL RIGHT NOW. THESE 9 BRANDS ARE LEADING THE PACK
Speaking of making running cool, pop-star (yeah, I had to look him up) and sub-3 hour marathoner Harry Styles talks with legendary writer-runner Haruki Murakami “on the sublime simplicity of running—and how it nourishes the creative life.” The singer credits Murakami’s beloved “What I Talk About When I Talk About Running” as a source of inspiration.
Etcetera
Boston Marathon West Coast Alternatives
Nike Will Pay You to Move to Beaverton and Run Yourself Into the Ground Nike is recruiting ultra-distance runners for a 15-week paid residency.
Choosing the right COROS watch for running, trails, and adventure A simple guide to the COROS watch that fits how you actually train, whether that’s road miles, mountain days, or off-grid exploring.
