Lactate threshold has become one of the most discussed concepts in endurance training, often presented as a key determinant of performance. While it is sometimes treated as a complex or technical metric, the underlying principle is relatively straightforward. Lactate threshold represents the intensity at which the body begins to accumulate
Running is often viewed as a modern activity, structured around training plans, race distances, and performance metrics. Yet from an evolutionary perspective, running is not something humans learned. It is something humans are.Long before organised sport, structured training, or even agriculture, humans relied on movement as a primary survival
Running performance is often associated with aerobic capacity, particularly metrics such as VO2 max. While this provides an indication of how much oxygen the body can utilise, it does not fully explain why two runners with similar fitness levels can perform very differently. One of the key factors that separates
Training is often seen as the main source of running improvement, but exercise science shows it is only part of the picture. Training provides the stimulus for change, but actual improvement occurs during recovery. Without adequate recovery, the body cannot adapt regardless of training quality.Adaptation is the result of
Fuelling is one of the most influential factors in running performance, yet it is often approached with uncertainty. Many runners understand that nutrition matters, but lack clarity on what to consume, when to consume it, and how it interacts with training and racing.From an exercise science perspective, fueling is
The long run is one of the most established components of endurance training, yet it is also one of the most misunderstood. Many runners treat it as a simple extension of distance, a weekly effort to run further than before. While this is partially true, it overlooks the underlying purpose
Modern running is defined by data.GPS watches, heart rate monitors, performance dashboards, and training platforms provide more information than ever before. Pace, heart rate, VO2 max estimates, heart rate variability, cadence, power, and more are all readily available, often in real time.The challenge is no longer access to
Pacing is one of the most important and most misunderstood elements of running performance. While many runners focus on training sessions, mileage, or gear, pacing is the mechanism that determines how effectively that fitness is expressed. Two runners with identical fitness can produce vastly different outcomes simply based on how
If you spend enough time running in circles, you will quickly notice a recurring pattern. Every few months, a new training method rises to prominence, often positioned as the answer to better performance, fewer injuries, or faster race outcomes. The Norwegian Method, Zone 2, polarised training, high mileage approaches, and
Chafing is one of those problems runners do not talk about enough.Until it happens.Then it becomes the only thing you can think about.It starts as a mild irritation. A slight rubbing sensation that feels manageable. Easy to ignore. Something you assume will settle.But it does not.
Blisters are one of the most frustrating problems in running.Not because they are serious, but because they are preventable. And yet, they still show up at the worst possible time. Long runs. Race day. Deep into a trail where stopping is not really an option.They start small. A
Poles are one of the most misunderstood pieces of gear in running. Some runners swear by them. Others think they are unnecessary, awkward, or only for hiking. And then there are those who carry them but never quite use them properly.The reality sits somewhere in the middle.Poles are
Hydration is one of those things runners think they understand until it goes wrong.They either carry too much, not enough, or something that bounces, rubs, overheats, or simply gets in the way. By the time they realise it, they are already deep into a long run, a race, or
Most runners obsess over shoes.They’ll spend hours researching foam compounds, stack height, and carbon plates… and then throw on whatever socks they find in the drawer.Cotton. Old gym socks. Mismatched pairs that have survived since 2012.And then they wonder why they get blisters.This is where
Walk into any running store, and you’ll see a wall of shoes that all look similar.Different colours. Different brands. Slightly different shapes.But under the surface, every running shoe is a carefully engineered system designed for a very specific type of runner, terrain, and purpose. If you don’
Within endurance running, there are distances that challenge speed, distances that challenge stamina, and then there are events that challenge an athlete’s ability to sustain effort for multiple consecutive days. Multi-day ultramarathons and stage races represent one of the most complex and demanding formats in endurance sport. Unlike traditional
In endurance sport most distances gradually extend longer as athletes progress through their running journey. The Vertical Kilometre is different. Despite being relatively short in total distance, it represents one of the most intense and physically demanding race formats in mountain running. The Vertical Kilometre, often referred to as a
Among modern endurance events, few race formats are as deceptively simple and brutally effective as the Backyard Ultra. At first glance, the rules appear straightforward. Runners must complete a loop of approximately 6.7 kilometres every hour. When the hour begins again, runners start the next lap. The race continues
Within the world of endurance running, few distances carry the same reputation as the 100-mile ultramarathon. Covering approximately 160 kilometres, these events represent one of the most demanding challenges in the sport. Finishing a 100-mile race often requires twenty-four hours or more of continuous movement through varied terrain, changing weather