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Endurance Planet episodes

December 02, 2022ATC 347: Ways To Increase Cycling Cadence, Branding Yourself on Social Media (And Overcoming Insecurities), and More
Sponsor:

Fullscript is an online supplement dispensary with professional, high quality top-brand supplements from a verified distributor. When you sign up for Fullscript through EP you can get an exclusive discount off thousands of choice of top-level supplements.
Fullscript even carries PerfectAmino essential amino acids by BodyHealth—including the tablet form and powder form. Some other good finds on Fullscript include Vital Protein Collagen Peptides, Thorne products, Nordic Naturals fish oils, and other great, trusted brands such as Pure Encapsulations and Designs For Health. Fullscript has you covered on every aspect of health and wellness. Head over to Fullscript now by clicking the link, and get set up with your own personal account for an exclusive discount off your supplements. When you buy supplements from a trusted source you ensure higher efficacy and proper storage and handling. So check out Fullscript, your go-to online dispensary with a discount..

Sponsor:
Thorne supplements help athletes meet their unique needs. And many of Thorne’s supplements are NSF certified. So let’s make sure you’re not running yourself into any deficits—this list is a good place to start:
Magnesium Bisglycinate
Stress B Complex
Vitamin D/K2 drops
Multivitamin Elite
Prenatal
Meriva
L-Glutamine
BioGeset
Go ahead, click on each supplement if you’re curious to learn more about how these supplements may serve you. Maybe one of these or one of Thorne’s targeted bundles for sleep, stress, or performance, will complement your needs and round out your diet this season.
Thorne is always available to you on our Shop page, and like we say about all supplements: when you buy from the source you ensure higher efficacy and proper handling of your supplements plus you support the podcast!

Announcements
Endurance Planet is making a return to Ragnar SoCal in April 2023 and we had one spot open up, are you the runner who needs to be on our team?! f you’re interested in joining the Endurance Planet Ragnar Team, and hanging out with Lucho, Tawnee, Julie and the rest of the crew you can email us at [email protected].
Send your questions to Tawnee, Lucho and the gang to [email protected].
Jeff asks:
Chronically low cadence
Hey guys! Besides the obvious of “pedal faster” what’s the best way to increase one’s cadence while mountain biking (and on the trainer)? I always seem to fall into a 55-65 rpm range, and it seems like the better place to be is about 75-85 rpms, but when I work on this my heart rate is more like tempo in the beginning and steadily creeps up if I continue to hold that cadence range. This is the case both on the MTB and the trainer, but heart rate even higher on the MTB.
Is it ok to be a slow cadence guy or is this something I really should try to improve? What drills will help? How long until I see drills pay off by sustaining those rpms at a more Z2 effort? A little about me: I’m 39 and mainly mountain bike plus I use the indoor trainer as supplementary training, mostly when I can’t be outside or tight on time. Riding about 3-6 hours a week. Race when it interests me but not a main focus; I mostly train and do all this for the personal enjoyment, time in nature and health benefits… Also, is there any strength training that can help with this?
Hanna asks:
Next steps in running career + social media monetization
I am wondering on how to take the next step with my running career. I consider myself with limited talent (I started after 6 years of soccer relatively late with 16 years) and did not break 5:20 in the mile (1500m: 5:00) and 18:30min in a track 5 k until I was over 18 years. However, through really awesome coaches and personal development (overcoming orthorexia, learning to live an athlete’s lifestyle, competing for Grand Valley State University, a top Division II program in the US from 2017-start of Corona Pandemic), I was able to improve steadily and quite a lot until now, this all while studying/working in quite advanced programs (Biomedicine B.sc., Master’s degree and now PhD). I am now placing in the Top 10 and even earning medals at German Championships and would be one of the top 5 distance runners in Switzerland if I was Swiss (I am training with the 2 best (and professional) Swiss runners right now in my group, Chiara Scherrer and Fabienne Schlumpf). I have just moved up to running about 60 miles a week (+ 2-4h of crosstraining on the bike/ swimming, plus core/strength work) and even with some frustrating injuries, I dropped my PBs in the last 4 years to 9:36 min (3000m), 16:25 (5000m), 34:33min (10k), 1:14,26h ( half- marathon and 3rdplace at German championships 2021) and have been selected for the German mountain running team to represent them for the first time in a major world championship. I am a quite versatile athlete I think and love everything from cross country, roads, mountains and usually, the longer the better I also have a multisports background and am decent at cycling, swimming, climbing, surfing, skiing (downhill, XC), gymnastics…). However, running is by far my favorite.
Now to my question: I am now faster/ performing better especially at championship races than some sponsored athletes here. However, I just got Instagram, I am unfortunately not super pretty, I don’t have a twin sister or am in any way “social media”-conducive. I dream of running marathons/ longer trail races and reducing my work to 50-60% after my PhD is done (probably 2-3 more years), because I really want to finally do what I am passionate about, which is competitive running and especially long- distances. I also think I have a lot more potential there as the “shorter” stuff is always harder for me than the long- intervals and long runs. I like research and work, but it is not my passion. But right now, I do not earn anything with sports, and my salary as a PhD student is also not high so I cannot save much.
Any advice? How can I make/ contribute to making a living with running.
The post ATC 347: Ways To Increase Cycling Cadence, Branding Yourself on Social Media (And Overcoming Insecurities), and More first appeared on Endurance Planet.
1 hr 15 min
November 18, 2022ATC 346: Catching Up With Tawnee and Lucho – Baby News, Race Plans and More
Sponsor:
Thorne supplements help athletes meet their unique needs and we have everything Thorne offers available to you over at our shop page, endurance planet dot com slash shop or link through the show notes. When you shop through us you support the podcast, a win win. Thorne products are shipped around the world and they ensure quality control year-round.
Whether you’re looking to heal from issues like gut dysbiosis, hormonal imbalances like low sex hormones or imbalanced stress hormones, or just looking to improve performance, maintain a strong immune system and get that extra edge, Thorne has so many formulas to fit you needs or bundles to cover even more bases. And many of Thorne’s supplements are NSF certified. If you’re curious on what supplements might be a good fit for you, just ask us! Send us an email to questions at endurance planet dot com telling us about yrouself and where you think you might need to fill in some gaps. Thorne now even offers health testing such as a convenient budget-friendly gut health tests!
So starting shopping with the best there is with Thorne—also over on our Shop page—and like we say about all supplements: when you buy from the source you ensure higher efficacy and proper handling of your supplements plus you support the podcast!

Sponsor:
Be sure to open Amazon via enduranceplanet.com—it’s just one extra click to link to Amazon through the ads on the sidebar banner or the Amazon search bar (to the right of the page); or click the Amazon links in the show notes. Thanks for supporting the show!

Announcements
Endurance Planet is making a return to Ragnar SoCal in April 2023 and we had one spot open up, are you the runner who needs to be on our team?! f you’re interested in joining the Endurance Planet Ragnar Team, and hanging out with Lucho, Tawnee, Julie and the rest of the crew you can email us at [email protected].
Send your questions to Tawnee, Lucho and the gang to [email protected].
On This Episode:
Tawnee and Lucho record for the first time since Tawnee gave birth to their daughter, Emoree Sol, on Oct. 8, 2022. Listen in for a fun, friendly chat featuring the story of Tawnee’s birth experience, Lucho’s latest training updates, 2023 training/racing plans, and more!
Mentioned on this show:
Thorne Take 5 on sleep deprivation
The post ATC 346: Catching Up With Tawnee and Lucho – Baby News, Race Plans and More first appeared on Endurance Planet.
42 min
November 04, 2022Sock Doc 18: Destress Now, Be Healthy Later — Guide To The Vagus Nerve and More On Mastering Your Stress And Boosting Health Outcomes
Sponsor:
Fullscript is an online supplement dispensary with professional, high quality top-brand supplements from a verified distributor. When you sign up for Fullscript through EP you can get an exclusive discount off thousands of choice of top-level supplements.
Fullscript even carries PerfectAmino essential amino acids by BodyHealth—including the tablet form and powder form. Some other good finds on Fullscript include Vital Protein Collagen Peptides, Thorne products, Nordic Naturals fish oils, and other great, trusted brands such as Pure Encapsulations and Designs For Health. Fullscript has you covered on every aspect of health and wellness. Head over to Fullscript now by clicking the link, and get set up with your own personal account for an exclusive discount off your supplements. When you buy supplements from a trusted source you ensure higher efficacy and proper storage and handling. So check out Fullscript, your go-to online dispensary with a discount..

Sponsor:
Be sure to open Amazon via enduranceplanet.com—it’s just one extra click to link to Amazon through the sidebar banner (to the right) or click the Amazon links in the show notes. Thanks for supporting the show.

Dr. Steve Gangemi, The Sock Doc, is a natural health care doctor who founded and practices at Systems Health Care, an integrative wellness center in Chapel Hill, NC. Steve is also a longtime endurance athlete and is a wealth of knowledge for athletes looking to optimize wellness.
Vagus Nerve 101
What is the vagus nerve? What purpose does it serve?
Longest cranial nerve in body, 10th.
Parasympathetic activation; rest and digest.
Helps to balance us from a nervous system perspective.
We use this to look at someone’s overall parasympathetic tone
Vagus in latin = wandering, goes to many parts of body:
Pancreas, liver, gallbladder, spleen, heart, gut, etc.
Where doesn’t if affect?
Connects organs below neck to the brain.
Transmit system.
80% afferent – gives brain signals back from organs.
15% efferent – brain responding back down to organs (crosstalk).
5% – 3-4% to vocal chords (exercises like gargling to stimulate); 1% a little bit of the outer skin part of ear (devices that can stimulate)
When and how do we correlate a health issue we’re having (eg gut health) with a vagus nerve dysfunction?
Stress and Vagal Tone
Chronic or acute stress can affect vagal tone.
How vagal tone affects HRV.
Breath in vs breath out to discern parasympathetic tone.
Improve with breathing exercises.
Mindful practices we can do to help vagal tone:
Gratitude, appreciation and memorable events
These three things and the thoughts and feelings we get form them, and feel in the heart, can positively influence HRV / vagal tone
When we work on vagal stimulation, we influence diaphragm, affect stomach function (e.g. hydrochloric acid function and improved digestion), etc.
Gut transit time can be an indirect measure of vagal tone—the longer it is, the worse our vagal tone.
Chicken or the egg?
Look at it as a system dysfunction (breathing, gut, cardio) sends feedback to vagus nerve and can cause diminished vagal tone
We can’t hum or gargle our way through the day and expect that to work magic if we have a poor diet, poor breathing and other dysfunctional issues taking place (poor breathing), etc…
Vagus nerve releases acetylcholine (which lowers HR).
Poor focus, poor concentration, reading comprehension, trouble following directions, neuromuscular fatigue—all signs of low acetylcholine.
Overtraining/chronic cardio uses up a lot of acetylcholine.
Acetylcholine is the main neurotransmitter of the vagus nerve. If low diminishing function of vagus nerve, but if vagus nerve is always overstimulated then you can use up acetylcholine levels.
Acetylcholine is made from choline, which we get from diet, mostly animal-based foods (pasture raised egg yolks, grassfed meats); hard to get from vegan diets (nuts?).
Choline can cross blood brain barrier.
Higher protein/fat diet helps us get and maintain sufficient levels of choline for improved vagal nerve functioning.
If acetylcholine levels low, can contribute to uncontrolled inflammation.
Enteric nervous system tie in.
Inflammation
Chronic uncontrolled inflammation, dependent on a healthy functioning vagus nerve
That 15% coming back down helps put the brakes on the inflammatory storm (the brain needs to tell the body to calm down the inflammation response, strong vagal tone needed for this to occur)
If we then are inputting excess stress whether diet, over-exercise, life stress, etc… things can spiral.
What about exercise? how do we monitor the level of exercise we’re doing to make sure we’re in a sweet spot for healthy vagal tone:
Does inflammatory response of exercise (repeatedly) hinder vagus nerve function? Or, can chronic inflammation block the vagus nerve from doing its job?
No special formula here. If you’re training too hard you’ll influence everything we just discussed above; never in isolation. Eventually that 15% that the vagus nerve does to send info back down from the brain, begins to struggle.
Benefits and Examples of Vagal Tone Exercises
Are more people starting to see and feel the beneficial effects of vagal tone work? Lots more talk about it these days.
Stress reduction techniques for vagal tone—how effective are they?
If you just need a little vagal stimulation small things will work, but many people are more globally suffering from other systems gone awry; e.g. overtraining, over-stressed, etc—gargling won’t solve that.
But a sound training plan, with plenty of time and healthy techniques won’t diminish vagal tone or cause vagus nerve issues as much, so in this scenario using the vagal tone exercises may help a lot more.
If vagus nerve is already not working well, gargling or humming alone won’t fix digestive problems or something bigger happening.
However, these vagal tone exercises are a gentle way into easing someone into a better, healthier internal environment with improved vagal tone and health—start small and feel the difference.
And we DO recommend these vagal tone exercises such as cadence breathing, humming, gargling, etc.
Look at it the other way: maybe you can’t handle the stress because you aren’t breathing well.
Tie in with HPA axis and symptoms of being overstressed… the point is, you can incorporate enough of these tools to help but also in many cases looking at things holistically is what will lead to real change and healing.
Visual indicator of your vagus nerve: check your palate!
Your left and right side of your palate should be equal.
If it’s imbalanced this is a good indicator of potentially other issues within the body.
The lower palate side is the diminished vagal side.
Check before/after exercise, hard workouts or when doing your vagal tone exercises like gargling or humming.
If it’s worse after a hard workout, this could be an indicator of that you pushed yourself a bit too hard.
Vocal cords and less range in your voice correlates with poorer vagal tone.
Monotone voice as a symptom
Ties in with that 3-4% as discussed—techniques that focus on the throat area can help here
Tie in with disordered eating and learning to relax with food and meals and not be in a sympathetic revved up state when eating.
Other Related Topics
Intermittent fasting—is it really right for the so many people who are doing it these days?
More often than not it worsens people’s health—hurts metabolism, hormones, stuck in a sympathetic fight or flight starvation mode…
Who SHOULD intermittent fast, a profile:
Healthy person who’s ready to adapt to a different/next level of metabolic efficiency/flexibility; must be in a state of health that can sustain and tolerate the bit of stress that IF introduces.
Not someone who’s just skipping meals for other reasons (like being busy, getting nauseous from food), etc.
IF is usually counterintuitive to vagus nerve health.
Eating 3-4 hours or 5-6 hours? Different schools of thought:
Traditionally adrenal fatigue recovery protocols often recommend eating every 3-4 hours but does this contribute to dysglycemia?
Chronic hormonal war by eating too often.
Ideally, be able to comfortably go 5-6 hours between feedings.
Blood sugar, continuous glucose monitors (CGM), and technology driven devices.
When they make sense; when they’re overboard
Another measurement that can be great but how much do we need to be technology driven? (at the cost of learning to be more intuitive).
And also sleep apps: What we get from these types of things can go both ways, i.e. it’s not always a good thing but sometimes it can be.
How accurate is it all?
How much technology do you want in your bedroom?
Blood sugar monitors don’t show how much is getting into tissues, and there’s not really a way we can measure that.
Blood glucometer gives us just another reading, take into context with the whole person.
CGM will show the patterns but not how blood sugar is being utilized.
Having hypoglycemic episodes at night and upon waking?
Stop keto and IF if you are, which is causing a chronic stress problem
Metformin—not all it’s cracked up to be
Take-Homes on Vagal Tone Exercises
Breathing*
Gargling*
Humming*
*These increases nitric oxide, decreases carbon dioxide sensitivity, increases oxygen, increases GABA to naturally calm down and naturally improves vagal tone
Cold immersion with controlled breath
Or cold water splash on the face if not one who should do cold water total body immersion
The “dose” with vagal tone exercises, breathing exercises—to really improve health issue often you need to do A LOT of work here.
Lots of little bits can go a long way toward change, consistently… because often the destress work is often severely lacking.
Build off that…
Supplements?
Choline – great adrenal nutrient, can help fatigue, of course diet focus first
Pantethine (B5) – used to make ATP
Can’t out-supplement a bad diet or overtraining
However, more people needing supplements due to stress issues and so on…
The post Sock Doc 18: Destress Now, Be Healthy Later — Guide To The Vagus Nerve and More On Mastering Your Stress And Boosting Health Outcomes first appeared on Endurance Planet.
1 hr 13 min
October 21, 2022HPN 34: Holistic Winter Prep — Light Therapy, Protein Goals, Hydration Needs and More, Plus: Julie’s Rut 50k Race Reflections
Sponsor:
Thorne supplements help athletes meet their unique needs and we have everything Thorne offers available to you over at our shop page, endurance planet dot com slash shop or link through the show notes. When you shop through us you support the podcast, a win win. Thorne products are shipped around the world and they ensure quality control year-round.
Whether you’re looking to heal from issues like gut dysbiosis, hormonal imbalances like low sex hormones or imbalanced stress hormones, or just looking to improve performance, maintain a strong immune system and get that extra edge, Thorne has so many formulas to fit you needs or bundles to cover even more bases. And many of Thorne’s supplements are NSF certified. If you’re curious on what supplements might be a good fit for you, just ask us! Send us an email to questions at endurance planet dot com telling us about yrouself and where you think you might need to fill in some gaps. Thorne now even offers health testing such as a convenient budget-friendly gut health tests!
So starting shopping with the best there is with Thorne—also over on our Shop page—and like we say about all supplements: when you buy from the source you ensure higher efficacy and proper handling of your supplements plus you support the podcast!

Sponsor:
This episode is brought to you by the UCAN Company, the fat-burning fuel of choice for metabolically efficient endurance athletes and health enthusiasts.
UCAN products are powered by SuperStarch, a unique, low glycemic complex carbohydrate that delivers long-lasting energy with no spikes and no crash, keeping your blood sugar steady. It’s the perfect complement for the healthy metabolically efficient athlete. Whether you’re racing fast short-course events or grueling Ironmans and ultra runs, UCAN products have grown so much over the years, as well, to fit your needs, with everything from drink mixes to their popular EDGE gels.
Athletes from all types of sports and levels are using UCAN these days, with top-level and pro triathletes, runners and even Crossfit athletes are using UCAN to fuel their best performances. But, UCAN is also a fantastic product for non-athletes and/or outside of training too.
Many UCAN products are offered in both plant-based and whey protein options, all with SuperStarch, including plant-based bar flavors cherry berry almond, salted peanut butter and chocolate almond butter, as well as a variety of energy + protein powders—great for those of you athletes looking to gain or maintain strength.
Best of all: EP fans get 15% off everything UCAN offers, click to activate your discount and shop now. You can also use the code ENDURANCEPLANET2021 if you’re shopping at ucan.co for that same 15% discount.

Intro Banter
Tawnee shares about how dancing has been therapeutic for her during this season of pregnancy, and also really helpful for her body from a movement perspective, opening up hips, etc.
Julie’s Rut 50k Race Reflections
After a great summer, the air quality (AQI) was really bad the day of The Rut 50k, adding another difficult element to outdoor endurance events.
The day before–Julie was supporting her partner in her race the day before her own and the toll that took on Julie, as she shares, but why she wouldn’t change a thing.
Motivation: On not being excited when she signed up for this race back in January. Her motivation was to learn from past mistakes and improve on her execution and results… but she learned that was not meaningful enough to keep her excited all year for the training.
Even so, she stuck with it and had a really strong race, ran faster, climbed the rankings and had an overall much better experience (fitness-wise etc) than last year.
In particular she was very strong in the second half of the race, which was new for her. This had her questioning whether she went hard enough and if she left anything out there? Perhaps this is just a sign maturing as an athlete and not going out there to just wreck herself.
The biggest post-race struggle for Julie was not soreness or fatigue, but a mental hangup: She was more proud of herself last year than this year. We dissect that.
On nasal breathing while racing and the benefits.
Drinking coke and healing the disordered eating mindset: This year she was much less stressed about the food/drinks she was wiling to have on course, in particular being more open to coke and drinking it this year whereas last year she wouldn’t even allow herself to drink it.
Holistic Winter Prep
Light Therapy and Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
Different types of light can influence immune function, inflammatory response (can benefit), mood/depression and circadian rhythm. In winter, those up north especially but in general we lose a lot of natural light exposure and this affects us to varying degrees.
Different wavelengths have different benefits.
Sunlight exposure = helps serotonin production.
More traditional SAD light boxes have blue light and/or full-spectrum light… but what about red light over white light in winter?
SAD lamps can provide that extra light we lack in winter, but they are a big dose of blue light so running these all day may not be the best for your circadian rhythm, especially running them in evening.
Meanwhile, white light from some light boxes is the full spectrum and may just be too much/overstimulate the eyes, is this actually unnecessary or even harmful?
Maybe use SAD lamps more strategically like in AM to mimic early morning sun? but not all the time nor later in the day.
Research showing us that red lights still provide the same kind of needed natural light w/o blue light issues.
Red light = wavelengths that you would get from the sun, but without UV rays, and can help with things like SAD:
“In tandem with psychotherapy and/or hypnosis, using red and NIR light therapy appears to catapult patients out of an acute depressive state faster than any other modality I’ve used,” says Dr. Marc Schoen, UCLA.
More on SAD lamps vs red lamps, a comparison.
Red light benefits beyond SAD
Increase cellular energy: Mitochondrial health; when mito exposed to red led increased ATP – great for athletes!
Healing
Skin health (collagen, beauty, etc)
Arthritis and other health conditions
Helps eye health
Gut health/microbiome restoration??
Red Light Dosage?
Doesn’t take much! Once a day, 3-5 days a week, or daily, for up to 20 min. That’s it and what the bulk of research indicates at this point.
However, probably no negative effects if you did more. (Any day outside at the beach gives a much higher dose of full spectrum light (joules)).
Can also work your way up; start with 5-10min and build.
What about a combo of both lamps—both a SAD light box and red lamp??
Start with the bright light early on in the morning/day then switch to a red light in the later hours as to not negatively affect circadian rhythm.
Cortisol awakening response – getting bright light/sunlight first thing in the morning to help circadian rhythm, aids in adrenal fatigue recovery.
Tawnee and Julie’s (limited) experience with red light therapy.
Sauna can help with detox, retraining muscle mass in downtime—combine with red light?
Study: Transcranial Photobiomodulation for the Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder. The ELATED-2 Pilot Trial
Photobiomodulation (PBM), a natural, non-invasive therapy that delivers beneficial wavelengths of light to your skin and cells.
Transcranial photobiomodulation (t-PBM) consists of delivering near infrared radiation (NIR)—or red light—to the scalp of the patient, which penetrates the skull and modulates function of the adjacent cortical areas of the brain. PBM with red light and/or NIR appears to increase brain metabolism (by activating the cytochrome C oxidase in the mitochondria), to increase neuroplasticity, and to modulate endogenous opioids, while decreasing inflammation and oxidative stress.20–26 t-PBM penetrates deeply into the cerebral cortex,27–29 modulates cortical excitability,30,31 and improves cerebral perfusion32–34 and oxygenation.35 Studies have suggested that it can significantly improve cognition in healthy subjects,36–38 and in subjects with traumatic brain injury (TBI).
What they did:
Small sample size: 21 total in control and experimental groups, but several were lost along the way.
8 week intervention, 16 sessions, between 20-30 min each session (increased as study went on), applied lights to heads (lights literally wrapped around their head)
The device used for this study emitted NIR at a wavelength of 823 nm
The exposure time was designed to allow a fluence of 60 Joule per cm, despite relatively low power density (irradiance) of 33.2 milliwatt per cm.
Lights exhibited anti-depressant properties in those with major depression; fairly well tolerated with none of the adverse events causing study discontinuation
The beneficial effect of t-PBM (NIR) on brain metabolism is the primary putative mechanism for its antidepressant effect.
Takeaway:
There’s never just one thing that is going to change and fix all your problems, but red light therapy use is promising for many applications
Next level: Vitamin D Lamps
Another winter option for those who may benefit–these do have UVB rays not naturally generate vitamin D in the body, but may be overkill for most–are we actually depleting that much Vitamin D over the winter?
Most of us probably don’t need a Vitamin D lamp, but there are situations when it may make sense for someone.
Tawnee did a self-experiment on her own D levels last winter: measured in October and then again in March and D levels remained stable with some supplementation and no D from the sun for a long duration.
Hydration in Winter
Thirst mechanism changes in winter.
Lose water through respiration when outdoors.
Baseline of hydration (before accounting for exercise): Drink 1/2 your bodyweight in ounces per day.
Might not be drenched in sweat but you still need water and electrolytes! We lose water through respiration, urination and sweating. The dry, cold air causes our body’s fluids to evaporate faster.
Indicators you are not getting enough water: dry skin, dry or chapped lips, dark urine, constipation, feeling faint or tired, low blood pressure, and decreased appetite.
“As the temperature drops, we lose more water and heat through our lungs to humidify and heat the air we breathe. Specifically, depending upon the humidity, at 0˚C (32˚F), we can lose anywhere from 20-30% more water through our lungs compared to 20˚C (68˚F), and from 40-50% more water compared to when the temperature is at 30˚C (86˚F).” – Skratch Labs Article
Lots of great electrolyte options on the market these days or make your own:
Around 1/8th tsp salt* with 1 tsp maple syrup** in 16-20 ounces of water.
(Equates to ~250mg sodium, ~5g carb and some potassium).
*Himalayan pink salt, Celtic Sea Salt
**Maple is lower fructose; can use honey if no fructose issues
Can even throw in some coconut water.
Supplement with magnesium at night as needed.
If you’re not keeping up with your hydration in winter, try setting a timer to remind you when training or working out.
Protein Needs in Winter
First off, it depends on what kind of winter/offseason you’re planning.
Will you still be training for an early-season race in 2023? Are you focusing on a strength training program as you pause the endurance and looking to build lean muscle mass and/or lose fat? Or are you planning a full-blown offseason with minimal everything/maintenance?
Even if you are planning a “sedentary” winter that doesn’t mean to follow RDA bare minimums for protein, as this is not necessarily what is optimal for health and athletes.
Muscle protein balance
The body requires 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram bodyweight per day.
Athletes, older people up to about 1.6 grams per kilogram bodyweight daily.
Meanwhile the RDA is only about 0.8 g/kg/bw.
RDA may prevent deficiency but it is not geared toward optimization.
ISSN position stand: ”For building muscle mass and for maintaining muscle mass through a positive muscle protein balance, an overall daily protein intake in the range of 1.4-2.0 g protein/kg body weight/day (g/kg/d) is sufficient for most exercising individuals;” or about 20-40g per meal.
Tracking?
Our big “beef” with these guidelines/ranges is our disdain for food logging and/or measuring food. So how do we find a happy medium to ensure you’re getting enough protein without it being mentally detrimental?
Food logging for 1-3 days may work some people, when they’re at a place of being more objective about it with a mindset of nourishing one’s self as needed (not seeing it as a means to restrict or cut)
If you can food log for purely educational purposes and not be emotionally and subjectively wrapped up in the numbers that could work.
Food photos can work when you’re working with a nutritionist or coach. It’s not “hard data” but gives a really good idea when you need the feedback.
But there are times when someone is looking to heal, e.g. break up with their food log, and should not even be measuring protein in winter, for example… maybe it’s best to focus on the process of letting go of the food log, then down the line you can fine tune things like protein intake.
LEUCINE & Essential Amino acids
BCAAs as a whole may be a bit pointless, the more we learn, but not leucine, which is shown in research to be effective and “acute protein doses should strive to contain 700-3,000 mg of leucine and/or a higher relative leucine content while training;” or 2-4 g in offseason/general diet.
However, Leucine likely won’t help preserve your muscle if inactive…
Overall maintain balanced EAAs and you’re likely to be getting enough so you don’t need to measure these things.
Add Vitamin D?
Not only a lack in winter from lack of sun exposure, but D may help aid in MPS. Get levels checked to decide proper dosage needs. Thorne D3/K2 or Biotics Research D3 or D3/K2.
“Vitamin D inadequacy or deficiency is associated with muscle fibre atrophy, increased risk of chronic musculoskeletal pain, sarcopenia and associated falls, and may also decrease RMR.”
Add omega-3?
Compared to Leucine, another study showed: Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation attenuates skeletal muscle disuse atrophy during two weeks of unilateral leg immobilization in healthy young women.
Starting 4 wk prior to immobilization, participants consumed either 5 g/d of n-3 fatty acid or an isoenergetic quantity of sunflower oil (control).
Following immobilization, the decline in muscle volume was greater in the control group compared to the n-3 fatty acid group (14 vs. 8%, P < 0.05).
MyoPS was higher in the n-3 group compared with the control group at all times ( P < 0.05). We conclude that n-3 fatty acid supplementation attenuates skeletal muscle disuse atrophy in young women, which may be mediated by higher rates of MyoPS.
Lastly, protein is so grounding and therefore benefits mental health in winter… little things like sipping bone broth this time of year is a great option.
This winter check out Fullscript to help your supplement needs (and receive an exclusive discount when you sign up through EP):
Nordic Naturals
Thorne Vitamin D3/K2 drops
PerfectAmino
Electrolytes
The post HPN 34: Holistic Winter Prep — Light Therapy, Protein Goals, Hydration Needs and More, Plus: Julie’s Rut 50k Race Reflections first appeared on Endurance Planet.
1 hr 11 min
October 07, 2022ATC 345: Is It Overtraining? Steps To Recovering From Overdoing It, Strength Build After ‘Chronic Cardio,’ Carbon-Plated Shoes for Marathons and More
Sponsor:

Fullscript is an online supplement dispensary with professional, high quality top-brand supplements from a verified distributor. When you sign up for Fullscript through EP you can get an exclusive discount off thousands of choice of top-level supplements.
Fullscript even carries PerfectAmino essential amino acids by BodyHealth—including the tablet form and powder form. Some other good finds on Fullscript include Vital Protein Collagen Peptides, Thorne products, Nordic Naturals fish oils, and other great, trusted brands such as Pure Encapsulations and Designs For Health. Fullscript has you covered on every aspect of health and wellness. Head over to Fullscript now by clicking the link, and get set up with your own personal account for an exclusive discount off your supplements. When you buy supplements from a trusted source you ensure higher efficacy and proper storage and handling. So check out Fullscript, your go-to online dispensary with a discount..

Sponsor:
This episode is brought to you by the UCAN Company, the fat-burning fuel of choice for metabolically efficient endurance athletes and health enthusiasts.
UCAN products are powered by SuperStarch, a unique, low glycemic complex carbohydrate that delivers long-lasting energy with no spikes and no crash, keeping your blood sugar steady. It’s the perfect complement for the healthy metabolically efficient athlete. Whether you’re racing fast short-course events or grueling Ironmans and ultra runs, UCAN products have grown so much over the years, as well, to fit your needs, with everything from drink mixes to their popular EDGE gels.
Athletes from all types of sports and levels are using UCAN these days, with top-level and pro triathletes, runners and even Crossfit athletes are using UCAN to fuel their best performances. But, UCAN is also a fantastic product for non-athletes and/or outside of training too.
Many UCAN products are offered in both plant-based and whey protein options, all with SuperStarch, including plant-based bar flavors cherry berry almond, salted peanut butter and chocolate almond butter, as well as a variety of energy + protein powders—great for those of you athletes looking to gain or maintain strength.
Best of all: EP fans get 15% off everything UCAN offers, click to activate your discount and shop now. You can also use the code ENDURANCEPLANET2021 if you’re shopping at ucan.co for that same 15% discount.

On this episode of Ask the Coaches with Lucho:
Nathan asks:
Overcoming Overtraining – Steps To Get Back To It
Hi Endurance Planet team,
Long-time listener but my first question. I have a question about getting over overtraining and how best to learn about this. I am recently coming off of a trail running cycle that I knew was time limited (training for a peak race in September really started in earnest in July because I was traveling all of June).
After my tune up races in July / early August I had classic overtraining symptoms (wired and tired at night, generally on edge, workouts always feeling okay but not great), and tried to reset it by taking a few days off cardio and moving my easy runs towards zone 1 rather than zone 2.
My last race was the Pike’s Peak Ascent a couple days ago, and I could tell I didn’t really have good legs. I had spend almost two weeks at altitude to “adjust” and “taper”, but I feel like that may have backfired given my recovery. I also had COVID in late August so it was a bit of a mess.
The questions I was wondering about are:
1. What do you recommend for resetting overtraining mid training cycle? How do you know when you’re past it?
2. How does this compare to recovering when you don’t have a race coming soon?
What the coaches say:
Check out ATC 345 with an in-depth convo on overtraining syndrome (OTS) and looking at current research.
Very subjective, is it really overtraining syndrome (OTS)? Or just overreaching? (Plus with covid recovery combined…)
how long had this been building? If it was just a month or so might just be a period of overreaching and taking it too far with too much stress.
True OTS can take months to years to recover from.
Also, true OTS is actually hard to achieve–innate safety mechanism that can be protective.
There are also usually other symptoms associated; e.g. he got COVID and maybe that was the sign to put on the brakes before it went too far.
Either way you can treat it as OTS, and what works for recovery?
Sleep! Focus on sleep hygiene.
Integrate more rest. Yes, from training but also resting more from life in general.
Stress management.
Eat more. Eat smart.
Avoid low carb–this can cause a surge or excess stress; meanwhile avoid junk food and excess carbs… finding a sweet spot e.g 100-200g/cho day?
No diets.
Nourish don’t deplete.
Monitor HR data
If you see resting HR 5-10 bpm higher than normal is a negative sign.
Measure HRV regularly.
Track training HR–it could be abnormally his or low, can go either way.
If hormonal disruption suspected and in true OTS it likely will be, get testing e.g. DUTCH to check cortisol/adrenals and Sex hormones; implement healing protocol as needed from there.
A good go-to while recovering from OTS/overreaching is sub MAF/MAF.
Use 180 Formula; subtract beats while still recovering.
Monitor progress via MAF tests and just generally how you’re feeling pre/during/post workout–it all matters as far as how you’re bouncing back!
But it doesn’t just have to be about an improvement in MAF pace–if you start feeling better than you did before that’s an improvement.
Consider limiting volume e.g. nothing over 1hr (this could be more important than limiting intensity–it depends).
On intensity–don’t do too much, let it come intuitively (not forced) and strict rest day/off day after any slightly more intense workout.
Training approach: maintenance, not building.
Don’t convince yourself you feel better than you do; to improve, back off.
Consider your reliance on coffee… try going without!
Practice parasympathetic activity to balance nervous system (avoiding sympathetic overdrive).
Cultivate intuitive approach… lots of lessons learned, adjust to them!
C. asks:
Carbon-plated shoes for a marathon?
I am planning on running the London Marathon this October and just bought a pair of carbon-plated shoes (Nike Vaporfly) to try out. I know the conventional thinking is to not do anything you don’t do during training. The question I have is given the limited shelf live of these shoes, what is the latest thinking of how much you should run in them before race day so you maintain the benefit of the shoes, while not subjecting yourself to a disaster for not having run in them enough before race day?
Thanks to both of you – I have been listening to your show for several years and really like you guys – great for long runs! Looking forward to hearing any wisdom you have on carbon-plated shoes.
What the coaches say:
Carbon plate is non-factor, it’s there to provide stability.
With super shoes, it’s all about the resiliency and nature of the foam itself, e.g. Nike Vaporfly and Alphafly.
The heavier you are, the faster you will wear through them.
Someone light could theoretically get 600+ miles out of them.
Lucho says he can feel that foam give out after about 400 miles or so.
Nike would likely say 300 miles per pair of Vaporfly; whereas Alphaflys are more like 100 miles.
Foot plant: propulsive force.
Do a couple 20 mile runs in them before you wear them in your race, that should be enough.
Notice how your body reacts–they can be a stress on calves, quads, knees (cramping?).
Worth every penny, Lucho says.
Gary asks:
Shifting Gears
I am 45 and wanting to transition away from “chronic cardio” aka LSD endurance training for Ironman distances and ultras, and get more into speed/power/strength work. Also, right now I want to put aside the swim/run and focus on strength training/bike (then eventually bring back swim/run).
My question is, for an average weekly training schedule with these goals in mind, what is the right amount of strength training + hard bike workouts + rest days? I plan to take 1-3 full rest days per week, which is more than I’m used to doing when training for long races. I’m thinking 3-4x a week strength training and 3-4x a week bike workouts…. but how do I fit this all in and still get the full rest days? Do I stack workouts for double days? Or are all those full rest days even necessary on a regular basis? I’m trying to mimic strength programs that give muscle groups a full day or two to recover between sessions…
My long-term goals include getting into more intense bike races from Zwift to cyclocross, and maybe eventually some short-course multisport races, like 5ks or sprint tris, but right now I want to focus on the bike stuff and packing on more muscle, a lot of which I felt I lost in years of chronic cardio. Thanks for any guidance!
What the coaches say:
Periodize a plan to begin with a strength phase 12 up to 20(?) weeks while keeping the bike “light” then transition to strength maintenance while ramping up the bike training.
Don’t launch into heavy strength and hard biking right away. Especially don’t stack hard workouts on the same day in the beginning (eventually may be ok).
Rest day = growth day.
Take your rest days seriously even if it feels like “nothing” it’s something.
Hormonal system, nervous system, immune function all benefit.
Still eat to gain on rest days–with the right metabolic health/profile this will only benefit (significant fat loss may require special circumstances with diet work, otherwise don’t cut calories or macros).
Reserve two full rest days per week, so that means double days with bike.
Do the priority workout first, so in the first phase that means strength train first and wait at least 3 hours (preferably more) before doing a bike.
Type of strength–specificity for sport, not necessarily a bodybuilder program that lacks functionality.
Crossfit program?
Check out cycling-specific strength programs.
If you need to make mass gains, that’s fine but ultimately, make sure there’s an athletic component to your strength program–transference.
Start with basics, like single-leg exercises and see how you hold up.
3-4 days a week of strength training is enough.
Example weekly schedule:
Mon: off
Tue: bike/strength
Wed: bike (or rest)
Thu: strength – go hard
Fri: off
Sat: strength – go hard
Sun: bike/strength
Redfine intensity and speed/power/strength–as a long-course guy this is different than short-course/sprint kinda guy.
Too much fatigue is your energy with these kinds of goals.
Eat a bunch, even on rest days.
Exceptions would be if fat loss is a goal, in such case work with a professional.
Protein: 1.5-2.0g/kg/bw PRO a day up to 3g/day.
Nothing “low.”
The post ATC 345: Is It Overtraining? Steps To Recovering From Overdoing It, Strength Build After ‘Chronic Cardio,’ Carbon-Plated Shoes for Marathons and More first appeared on Endurance Planet.
1 hr 13 min
September 23, 2022Greg Wingo and The Great Alabama 650 — The World’s Longest Paddle Race
Sponsor:
Thorne supplements help athletes meet their unique needs and we have everything Thorne offers available to you over at our shop page, endurance planet dot com slash shop or link through the show notes. When you shop through us you support the podcast, a win win. Thorne products are shipped around the world and they ensure quality control year-round.
Whether you’re looking to heal from issues like gut dysbiosis, hormonal imbalances like low sex hormones or imbalanced stress hormones, or just looking to improve performance, maintain a strong immune system and get that extra edge, Thorne has so many formulas to fit you needs or bundles to cover even more bases. And many of Thorne’s supplements are NSF certified. If you’re curious on what supplements might be a good fit for you, just ask us! Send us an email to questions at endurance planet dot com telling us about yrouself and where you think you might need to fill in some gaps. Thorne now even offers health testing such as a convenient budget-friendly gut health tests!
So starting shopping with the best there is with Thorne—also over on our Shop page—and like we say about all supplements: when you buy from the source you ensure higher efficacy and proper handling of your supplements plus you support the podcast!

Sponsor:
This episode is brought to you by the UCAN Company, the fat-burning fuel of choice for metabolically efficient endurance athletes and health enthusiasts.
UCAN products are powered by SuperStarch, a unique, low glycemic complex carbohydrate that delivers long-lasting energy with no spikes and no crash, keeping your blood sugar steady. It’s the perfect complement for the healthy metabolically efficient athlete. Whether you’re racing fast short-course events or grueling Ironmans and ultra runs, UCAN products have grown so much over the years, as well, to fit your needs, with everything from drink mixes to their popular EDGE gels.
Athletes from all types of sports and levels are using UCAN these days, with top-level and pro triathletes, runners and even Crossfit athletes are using UCAN to fuel their best performances. But, UCAN is also a fantastic product for non-athletes and/or outside of training too.
Many UCAN products are offered in both plant-based and whey protein options, all with SuperStarch, including plant-based bar flavors cherry berry almond, salted peanut butter and chocolate almond butter, as well as a variety of energy + protein powders—great for those of you athletes looking to gain or maintain strength.
Best of all: EP fans get 15% off everything UCAN offers, click to activate your discount and shop now. You can also use the code ENDURANCEPLANET2021 if you’re shopping at ucan.co for that same 15% discount.

On this episode we welcome Greg Wingo, race director of the Great Alabama 650, the longest annual paddle race in the world. This year’s event takes place Oct 1-11, 2022. This epic endurance event takes participants 650 miles down the Alabama Scenic River Trail, the longest river trail in a single state. In this episode we dive into the details of this paddle race, and much more. See below for links to live tracking and social media accounts to view more and follow along this October:
www.AL650.com
Live tracking
Instagram
Facebook
Greg Wingo, race director of the Great Alabama 650, and ultrarunner
What we cover:
The basics of the event:
Participants have 10 days to complete 650 miles down the Alabama Scenic River Trail Route. Fastest completed is in ~4 days.
Mainly canoes, kayaks… does anyone actually do this on a SUP!?
Greg’s ultra background.
The history of this race and how it came to be.
About the participants in this race—their experience, their abilities/what times are they doing (eg 100+ mile days), etc…
Qualification criteria.
What the full course is like, the race experience, and why it can get so intense (and also epically fun).
A small race with epic race crew support and more.
The dynamics of the river and how the scenery and vibe change so dramatically over the 650 miles.
Finish line location is at the beach, Fort Morgan in Mobile Bay.
Alligators? Water Moccasins? And other “obstacles.”
The post Greg Wingo and The Great Alabama 650 — The World’s Longest Paddle Race first appeared on Endurance Planet.
37 min
September 09, 2022ATC 344: Dissecting Key Long Run Workouts For Marathon Training, HR vs. Pace For Training Runs, Tips On Planning Your 2023 Race Season, and More
Sponsor:

Fullscript is an online supplement dispensary with professional, high quality top-brand supplements from a verified distributor. When you sign up for Fullscript through EP you can get an exclusive discount off thousands of choice of top-level supplements.
Fullscript even carries PerfectAmino essential amino acids by BodyHealth—including the tablet form and powder form. Some other good finds on Fullscript include Vital Protein Collagen Peptides, Thorne products, Nordic Naturals fish oils, and other great, trusted brands such as Pure Encapsulations and Designs For Health. Fullscript has you covered on every aspect of health and wellness. Head over to Fullscript now by clicking the link, and get set up with your own personal account for an exclusive discount off your supplements. When you buy supplements from a trusted source you ensure higher efficacy and proper storage and handling. So check out Fullscript, your go-to online dispensary with a discount..

Sponsor:
This episode is brought to you by the UCAN Company, the fat-burning fuel of choice for metabolically efficient endurance athletes and health enthusiasts.
UCAN products are powered by SuperStarch, a unique, low glycemic complex carbohydrate that delivers long-lasting energy with no spikes and no crash, keeping your blood sugar steady. It’s the perfect complement for the healthy metabolically efficient athlete. Whether you’re racing fast short-course events or grueling Ironmans and ultra runs, UCAN products have grown so much over the years, as well, to fit your needs, with everything from drink mixes to their popular EDGE gels.
Athletes from all types of sports and levels are using UCAN these days, with top-level and pro triathletes, runners and even Crossfit athletes are using UCAN to fuel their best performances. But, UCAN is also a fantastic product for non-athletes and/or outside of training too.
Many UCAN products are offered in both plant-based and whey protein options, all with SuperStarch, including plant-based bar flavors cherry berry almond, salted peanut butter and chocolate almond butter, as well as a variety of energy + protein powders—great for those of you athletes looking to gain or maintain strength.
Best of all: EP fans get 15% off everything UCAN offers, click to activate your discount and shop now. You can also use the code ENDURANCEPLANET2021 if you’re shopping at ucan.co for that same 15% discount.

On this episode of Ask the Coaches with Lucho:
Questions:
Planning Your 2023 Season
What variables and factors should one consider in their training/fitness journey to decide on the # of races to do in any given calendar year? Or as your athlete asked, with triathlon being a lifestyle and training going on basically everyday, how much racing can benefit and enhance fitness v. detracting from overall goals.
What the coaches say:
Things to consider in race planning:
Race distance matters
e.g. Doing Ironman Kona or something big/epic/championship? No more than 2-3 IMs a year, one in early summer + later season A race. This is for when you’re focused on a high-end pointy performance at end of the year.
On the other hand, just having fun? Can race more…. but you always run the risk of racing too much.
Cost of race
Know: what’s your budget? Can you afford it? Family considerations, etc.
Proximity of race to where you live
Expectations
Think you can race 10 times and win/perform perfectly? Chances are that’s a no.
Have realistic expectations especially when you race more often.
A, B, C priority races come into play here. Can’t race them all in top condition.
The more often you race, the more often you race tired
Every race requires some degree or rest/taper going in and some rest/recovery coming out, which can detract from training consistency for other, bigger key events.
Racing twice a month? Not for everyone.
What about athletes like in ITU? They are full-time athletes, fully funded. And even they have “off” days.
Jamie asks:
Marathon Key Long Runs
Lucho has said multiple times he loves it when an athlete can get to 20 x 20 mile long runs before a key race, which is incredible and a lofty goal to consider. On the other hand, what are some of your guys’ top long run workouts you’d like an athlete to check the box on in a training cycle for a marathon… and/or I’d love to hear a discussion on some of the key runs that some of the best coaches have proven successful for athletes (Daniels, Lydiard, Pfizer, MAF, etc).
Additionally, how do you know you’re ready to add various types of speed, pace work, tempo, etc to your long run vs. just sticking to LSD/get the miles in aerobically?
What the coaches say:
Clarifying the 20×20 concept by Lucho. It’s definitely not for everyone (e.g. most athletes), it’s an outlier, and more arbitrary and not something he gives out often. Physically it’s not necessary. No magic to it.
If you do do it, start it ~40 weeks out at least.
3 hours is enough for one’s long run for marathon training, regardless or miles or pace. (Unless you’re super durable.)
Something to watch out for is a lot of information being presented online, in books, etc, is formatted toward more elite athletes who can cover many miles in 2 hours.
Consider: how many miles a week are you running (weekly volume) and how often are you running (frequency)?
Daniels says: Limit L run to 30% of weekly mileage for runners totaling <40 mph, for more than 40 mph L runs the less of 25% weekly mileage or 150 minutes, whichever comes first.
Keep in mind this is for the general public not a custom plan taking into individuality.
Some variables to consider when debating a “30% rule” type approach.
Most of us simply need to focus on long run efficiency at a steady pace/effort without major fluctuations in heart rate–start there! Be capable of this to where it doesn’t wreck you… then graduate to more.
At some point, tempo and hills can be mixed in (Lydiard was a big fan of hilly long runs that organically adds some intensity).
HR control! Can you add intensity in the middle miles of a long run, but then finish easy with HR back at Z2/MAF?
Prescribing long runs at pace per mile vs heart rate.
Flat: pace is ok
Hillier: focus more on HR/effort
Pfitzinger says marathon pace (MP) is 79-88% Max HR
Some beef we have: A lot of run efforts are prescribed by % of VO2max and % of Max HR, but how accurate, really, are your data points for VO2max and HR max?? We are skeptical of the accuracy of all this.
Working with a coach allows you to more organically figure out heart rate ranges that fit you as an individual, just by building the data.
Or something like the V-Dot calculator helps you better to find correct paces (however if you’re a strong 5k runner but weak marathoner this presents an issue with using V-Dot).
Example of a Daniels long run with intensity: 13-14mi MP in a 20mi long run, or alternating M pace with T pace.
e.g. 4E + 8M +1T+ 6M +1T + 1E — for athletes that can’t do that in under 2.5hr best to modify.
***Give the athlete an out*** e.g. offer a 1-2min easy recovery in between harder efforts in a long run.
Minimal effective dose is good enough.
Canova says: within 3% of goal pace was specific enough, or anything within 15 seconds. Point is, you don’t have to be on point with an exact pace. You’re still driving the physiological adaptation.
Canova workouts that are gnarly:
Warmup, 3mi MP, rest, 5 x 1min Vo2 on 1min easy, rest, 6mi MP, rest, 6mi MP…. VERY DIFFICULT!
Double run as: 1st run- 6mi E, 6mi MP…. 2nd run- 6mi E, 6mi MP
Lydiard was more about steady tempo rather than weaving in things like fartlek… steady state: build & hold it.
If you’re pushing yourself really hard in a long run it may not be necessary so consider stopping that. You can really hurt yourself and cross past the point of diminishing returns.
Don’t do too much or drain the tank too close to your goal race.
Make sure you have time to recover if you dig yourself too deep… don’t wait till the race is super close.
Have your longest run ~6-8 weeks out; biggest volume week 9-12 weeks out. This allows more time to recover and adapt, or deal with any issues/niggles that come up.
The last 8 weeks should be reduced volume with increased rest and intensity. (Canova)
E.g. 2 days after hard run are short and easy.
Daniels breaks a marathon plan down into 6 week blocks that are periodization. Look at the type of intensity he recommends in each block–that’s the periodization you want to follow even if you modify it to your needs; make your own workouts.
E.g. see what block he includes repetition workouts and apply them in that time range, not elsewhere.
Maffetone says marathon pace is 10-15 seconds faster than your current MAF test pace. He doesn’t include a lot of outlined periodization in his plans, he leaves that to you and mostly making sure your HR can handle your goals.
It’s ok to blend programs (e.g. Daniels and MAF).
Type 3 neuro-type responds well to MAF training.
Type 1 or 2, do Daniels with R runs early on.
The post ATC 344: Dissecting Key Long Run Workouts For Marathon Training, HR vs. Pace For Training Runs, Tips On Planning Your 2023 Race Season, and More first appeared on Endurance Planet.
1 hr 16 min
August 26, 2022Lindsay Tuttle, NP: Redefining Wellness — From Eating Disorder And Declining Health To Thriving, Entrepreneurial Mama
Sponsor:
Thorne supplements help athletes meet their unique needs and we have everything Thorne offers available to you over at our shop page, endurance planet dot com slash shop or link through the show notes. When you shop through us you support the podcast, a win win. Thorne products are shipped around the world and they ensure quality control year-round.
Whether you’re looking to heal from issues like gut dysbiosis, hormonal imbalances like low sex hormones or imbalanced stress hormones, or just looking to improve performance, maintain a strong immune system and get that extra edge, Thorne has so many formulas to fit you needs or bundles to cover even more bases. And many of Thorne’s supplements are NSF certified. If you’re curious on what supplements might be a good fit for you, just ask us! Send us an email to questions at endurance planet dot com telling us about yrouself and where you think you might need to fill in some gaps. Thorne now even offers health testing such as a convenient budget-friendly gut health tests!
So starting shopping with the best there is with Thorne—also over on our Shop page—and like we say about all supplements: when you buy from the source you ensure higher efficacy and proper handling of your supplements plus you support the podcast!

Sponsor:
This episode is brought to you by the UCAN Company, the fat-burning fuel of choice for metabolically efficient endurance athletes and health enthusiasts.
UCAN products are powered by SuperStarch, a unique, low glycemic complex carbohydrate that delivers long-lasting energy with no spikes and no crash, keeping your blood sugar steady. It’s the perfect complement for the healthy metabolically efficient athlete. Whether you’re racing fast short-course events or grueling Ironmans and ultra runs, UCAN products have grown so much over the years, as well, to fit your needs, with everything from drink mixes to their popular EDGE gels.
Athletes from all types of sports and levels are using UCAN these days, with top-level and pro triathletes, runners and even Crossfit athletes are using UCAN to fuel their best performances. But, UCAN is also a fantastic product for non-athletes and/or outside of training too.
Many UCAN products are offered in both plant-based and whey protein options, all with SuperStarch, including plant-based bar flavors cherry berry almond, salted peanut butter and chocolate almond butter, as well as a variety of energy + protein powders—great for those of you athletes looking to gain or maintain strength.
Best of all: EP fans get 15% off everything UCAN offers, click to activate your discount and shop now. You can also use the code ENDURANCEPLANET2021 if you’re shopping at ucan.co for that same 15% discount.

On this episode we welcome Lindsay Tuttle. Lindsay is a mom to three boys, family nurse practitioner, homesteader, and holistic living advocate residing in northern Idaho. She spent many years of her life as an avid runner and battled a decades-long eating disorder, as well as other health ailments which she candidly shares on this episode. But she went on to heal and redefine her approach to life–her self-healing journey is truly an inspiration! In this episode we discuss her need to run followed by a need to step away from it, how she overcame her ED, illnesses from Lyme and mold, finding a new pace of life, limbic system retaining, motherhood, postpartum health and so much more.
You can find out more about Lindsey, her business, what she offers as well as her life and wellness blog at www.lindsaytuttlenp.com. Lindsay also runs a business with Young Living in which she combined her medical background, holistic living and more to help her clients. She is also very active on social media: check out her page, @lindseytuttlenp, on IG and give her a follow for holistic living tips, health resources and so much more.
On this show:
Developing an easting disorder at the tender age of 9.
In and out of hospitals for an ED.
Introduction to running in college and what that did for her mental health.
Control issues with exercise–in addition to running and racing, lots of cardio and an obsession with the gym, food and body image.
Amenorrhea and birth control.
Getting married and getting off the pill.
Regaining a period.
Vitex i.e. chaste tree berry for hormonal support (available on fullscript for an exclusive discount).
Conditioning from our western culture around menstruation, etc.
Nursing school and pushing herself to extremes in school, exercise, etc.
TDAP shot and an adverse reaction.
Pain, insomnia, lost period again, immune health severely compromised.
Mold exposure and illness, as well as Lyme disease.
Likely correlated with vaccine reaction; Lyme reactivated? Hard to say for sure.
A miracle: getting pregnant for the first time amidst a tough time in her health journey.
Postpartum: back to a “toxic lifestyle” until ultimately changing her ways and approach to life and wellness…
On developing healthier habits.
A second and third pregnancy and a healthy, slower, more nourishing approach to life.
Limbic system retraining as an essential tool to Lindsay’s healing journey.
Pregnancy and postpartum tips.
And more!
The post Lindsay Tuttle, NP: Redefining Wellness — From Eating Disorder And Declining Health To Thriving, Entrepreneurial Mama first appeared on Endurance Planet.
1 hr 7 min
August 12, 2022ATC 343: Mindset Cues — Embracing The Swim, Returning After Injury, Hard Running and More
Sponsor:
This episode is brought to you by the UCAN Company, the fat-burning fuel of choice for metabolically efficient endurance athletes and health enthusiasts.
UCAN products are powered by SuperStarch, a unique, low glycemic complex carbohydrate that delivers long-lasting energy with no spikes and no crash, keeping your blood sugar steady. It’s the perfect complement for the healthy metabolically efficient athlete. Whether you’re racing fast short-course events or grueling Ironmans and ultra runs, UCAN products have grown so much over the years, as well, to fit your needs, with everything from drink mixes to their popular EDGE gels.
Athletes from all types of sports and levels are using UCAN these days, with top-level and pro triathletes, runners and even Crossfit athletes are using UCAN to fuel their best performances. But, UCAN is also a fantastic product for non-athletes and/or outside of training too.
Many UCAN products are offered in both plant-based and whey protein options, all with SuperStarch, including plant-based bar flavors cherry berry almond, salted peanut butter and chocolate almond butter, as well as a variety of energy + protein powders—great for those of you athletes looking to gain or maintain strength.
Best of all: EP fans get 15% off everything UCAN offers, click to activate your discount and shop now. You can also use the code ENDURANCEPLANET2021 if you’re shopping at ucan.co for that same 15% discount.

Sponsor:

Fullscript is an online supplement dispensary with professional, high quality top-brand supplements from a verified distributor. When you sign up for Fullscript through EP you can get an exclusive discount off thousands off your supplements.
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On this episode of Ask The Coaches with Lucho and Tawnee:
Intro:
Endurance Planet is making a return to Ragnar SoCal in April 2023!!! Our first team is full and a second ultra team has one spot open but we are happy to convert that to second regular 12 person team if there is interest. If you’re interested in joining the Endurance Planet Ragnar Team, and hanging out with Lucho, Tawnee, Julie and the rest of the crew you can email us at [email protected].

Denay asks:
Embracing a Swimming Mindset (as a once non-swimmer)
Help with a swimming mindset….most specifically when a triathlete has no significant adolescent swim background. Swimming is hard and progress can be slow or non-linear or perhaps even out of focus for the athlete. Some ideas on how to put your current progress into perspective to keep showing up to the pool with a smile
What the Coaches say:
Pay attention to your thoughts, don’t just blindly “follow” and allow them. You are not your thoughts.
Self-talk: There’s often a lot of negative surrounding the pool and swimming, observe this, are you feeding yourself the negativity?
Consider how you’re dealing with anxiety and how you process that.
If feeling anxious often this shows a fixed mindset, e.g. putting too much pressure on yourself to perform and losing sight of development, growth and evolution. Don’t fight against yourself or try to “defend” your image (e.g. silly words we feed ourselves that don’t serve us such as “I do triathlon therefore I need to be a good swimmer or I’m a fraud.”)
Know your “why” and stay true to your goals; if you set a big goal that’s currently out of reach that’s fine but don’t get frustrated if the timeline isn’t as speedy as you wish.
Realistic expectations–most of us aren’t elite swimmers and don’t train as such.
Swimming is a great skill and even if you’re not super fast it’s a great thing to work on and to be able to revisit with ease, reflect on fondly in the triathlon journey.
Act like a swimmer–don’t talk down in yourself and lack of experience.
Appreciate your work toward being a well-rounded athlete and not just choosing to o single sport /focus on your strength.
It’s ok that you’re not a natural or have adolescent experience—focus on your work ethic now and a growth mindset.
Avoid a fixed mindset e.g. “I didn’t swim when I was young so I’ll never be as good” / don’t view your talent (at any level) as static—this hold true for very talented athletes too who are so focused on performing that they lose sight in continual development.
You’re not constantly being evaluated by everyone and if you’re doing that to yourself every time you swim then learn to observe those thoughts, let them go and begin a new narrative “what went well today, I had fun, water felt great, I feel energized).
It’s cliche to say, but struggle builds character.
Feeling defeated only builds negative self-talk, poor self-image and hinders progress.
Success isn’t just winning or being “great” at something, it’s learning, improving and getting the best from yourself.
More is not always better. If you push too hard you may not see improvement. Learning more about you as an individual and what makes you thrive is a really special journey. Challenges of sports and balancing/managing it all are so healthy for the growth mindset… whereas getting greedy and just trying to do more relentlessly and in frustration won’t get you far in the long run.
Also, don’t forget: nobody cares. Sure those who perform well are often praised but really it’s about who you are not your stats. So just enjoy the process and the journey.
Brian asks:
Mindset Cues When Returning to Ironman After a Difficult Injury
After a lengthy (years) and complicated injury, what would be some mindset cues to help an athlete get back into tri consistently and safely in a way that lends to positive progress. 15 years in IM 140.6 events and interested in getting back to competing at that distance….reasonable expectations and approaches? (…. I think this can also tie in to a tangent of being mindful/patient about giving yourself the appropriate-to-you timeline for a big race like IM and not rushing it.)
What the Coaches say:
Practice patience.
Take your time to build back, good aerobic endurance takes 3-5 years depending on who you talk to and how far removed you are from it.
Don’t force a timeline to be ready for a race. Respect your individual timeline and don’t let others influence what you need.
Too often we give into a “no pain no gain” to our own detriment.
Longevity perspective.
Train lower frequency, e.g. just 4 days a week with 3 days off.
Avoid setbacks.
Motivation, while great, could be a risk factor that leads you to do too much too soon, be cautious!
Pay attention to how you’re moving. Monitor movement patterns not only in training but in daily living, especially having suffered an injury–make sure you’re moving your body well, e.g. good posture, healthy hips and spine, not sitting too much, or any quarks unique to your body.
D asks:
Why You Don’t Have To Feel Good To Run Well…
Help on a solid running mindset….specifically, that you don’t need to feel good to run pretty good. I use that nugget so often (again today), it’s one of my favorite mindset cues for hard workouts.
What the Coaches say:
How terrible do you feel? There’s a difference between feeling like crap on a day when you just need to rest vs. feeling good to go for a workout but then feeling that “pain” that comes with a good, hard run–and embracing that!
Look at metrics: abnormal HR (high or low), excessive fatigue (eg hurts just to walk down stairs), etc. These are signs to take the day off or go easy.
Not feeling good can be a good thing! That’s how we get better!
You have to break your body down to then rebuild and build greater fitness.
It’s also great practice for what happens in racing: most of us feel terrible at some point in our races. Learn how to embrace this and get used to being uncomfortable.
Type of run matters. Tempo, speed sessions, MAF, long runs, etc.
The post ATC 343: Mindset Cues — Embracing The Swim, Returning After Injury, Hard Running and More first appeared on Endurance Planet.
1 hr 17 min
July 29, 2022HPN 33: Beetroot vs. Tart Cherry Juice For Recovery, Latest Research on Carb Periodization (And Is It Worth It To ‘Go Low’ Sometimes?), Plus More
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On this episode:
Intro
Hormonal balance Julie’s seeing while up’ing her training for endurance (50k trail race)
Cycle length more normal.
Cramps have been less severe and mood more balanced.
Revised supplement protocol:
Thorne B6 complex 1x/day
B6 is important for neurotransmitter regulation, and that’s a big gut thing
Could also consider Thorne’s “regular” B complex with added P5P for a more bioavailable form of B6.
Magnesium Bisglycinate 1x/day
Omegas with COQ10 2x/day
Chaste Tree Berry 1x day
Shatavari 1x day
Diet: even more flexibility and allowances
Study Discussions
Beetroot juice: a well-known performance enhancer BUT does it help the recovery process (after marathons)? And how does this compare with tart cherry juice?
Research articles mentioned:
Beetroot juice — a suitable post-marathon metabolic recovery supplement?
Minimal muscle damage after a marathon and no influence of beetroot juice on inflammation and recovery
Influence of tart cherry juice on indices of recovery following marathon running
Effect of Tart Cherry Concentrate on Endurance Exercise Performance: A Meta-analysis
Tart Cherry Juice in Athletes: A Literature Review and Commentary
“Precovery” versus recovery: Understanding the role of cherry juice in exercise recovery
Effects of Beetroot Juice Supplementation on Cardiorespiratory Endurance in Athletes. A Systematic Review – PMC
CHO periodization: can you make performance gains by restricting carbs for certain training sessions only (vs chronic low carb)?
Research articles mentioned:
Performance effects of periodized carbohydrate restriction in endurance trained athletes – a systematic review and meta-analysis
The post HPN 33: Beetroot vs. Tart Cherry Juice For Recovery, Latest Research on Carb Periodization (And Is It Worth It To ‘Go Low’ Sometimes?), Plus More first appeared on Endurance Planet.
1 hr 2 min