Friday Thrive

Happy Friday! Each week, Friday Thrive rounds up some of my favorite things from the week. I have been reading several articles recently that have provided both information and inspiration – here are my five picks for this week! 

For Once and For All, Carbs are Not Evil

This article has been circulating for several weeks already, but if you haven’t read “The Last Conversation You’ll Ever Need to Have About Eating Right” by Mark Bittman and David L. Katz, please do. Their discussion is cemented in logic and facts, poking holes in many of diet trends and misconceptions. Bittman and Katz fill this article with touches of humor and quotable snippets – such as this gem on why just because a diet makes you lose weight, doesn’t mean it is healthy:

“Not everything that causes weight loss or apparent metabolic improvement in the short term is a good idea. Cholera, for instance, causes weight, blood sugar, and blood lipids to come down — that doesn’t mean you want it!” 

Good Athletes Embrace Pain

Racing hurts, whether it’s a lung-searing 5K or a marathon. Brad Stulberg examines the difference between pain and suffering in the context of racing in this article for Outside, “How to Make Friends with Pain.” Stulberg discusses how the athletes who race well are not those who ignore pain – they are those who acknowledge pain, embrace it, and then refocus. 

The Next Big Female Elite? A Former Triathlete

We should all be watching Gwen Jorgensen right now – the new mom and Olympic gold medalist in the triathlon just won the Stanford Invite 10K with a PR of 31:55. This Runner’s World article examines Jorgensen’s recent success after she transition from the triathlon to long distance running. Jorgensen has recently started training with Shalane Flanagan and the Bowerman Track Club and has her eyes on the 2020 US Olympic Marathon team. Jorgensen gave birth to her son seven months ago and credits her quick comeback to seven weeks off postpartum and pelvic floor therapy. “‘I think that’s really important to get your body back and break up the scar tissue and make sure all those muscles are firing,’ she said. ‘If you can do that, you can get your body back to where it was, if not better.'”

Lift Weights, Improve Your Form

The research and practices of coaches are reaching a consensus: you really should lift weights in order to run faster and optimize your form. Jason Fitzgerald, author of the blog Strength Running and coach, details how lifting weights is a worthwhile time investment for runners, from the difference it makes in form to how power and speed can help even marathoners.

The best nugget of advice in this article: check your ego when you start lifting. When I started focusing more on lifting, a 10-pound kettlebell felt heavy and a pull-up was darn near impossible – so that’s where I started. Now, I use a 26-lb kettlebell and am able to knock out multiple jumping pull-ups (and soon, hopefully, proper pull-ups!). 

Taper Right

It’s taper time for many spring races, including the Boston Marathon! Tapering (or as I like to think of it, sharpening) for a race can be more confusing than training. Should you strength train? What workouts should you do? How should you eat? Laura of Mommy Run Fast wrote a thorough guide to all of these questions surrounding the taper – 5 Marathon Taper Tips is worth your read if you are soon racing a marathon or half marathon! 

How do you react to pain during a race?
How do you taper for a big race?
What did you think of the diet article?