There are a lot of metrics available to runners these days - pace, distance, time, V02 max, recovery advisor, performance condition, and on and on… The 3 key metrics you want to pay attention to as a runner are: VO2 max, lactate threshold, and running economy. I’ll explain what each of these is, how they affect you as an endurance athlete, and what you can do to improve them.

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When it comes to losing weight, there are many, many approaches you can take - some of them will work while others definitely will not. Runners especially need to be mindful of their approach to weight loss because certain methods might help you lose weight but will impair your running performance in big ways. In this episode of the podcast, I go over 5 dieting disasters runners need to avoid if you want to lose weight without completely destroying your running performance.

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A LOT of people are addicted to, or have a troublesome relationship with, sugar. The problem is that most people don’t know how to break their sugar addiction and never get to a place where they can enjoy sugar in moderation. In this episode, I explain why sugar has such a powerful grip on us as humans and how you can take back control and break your addiction to sugar once and for all.

The post 192. How Do I Break My Addiction to Sugar? appeared first on Running Lean with Patrick McGilvray.

Lots of runners look pretty healthy on the outside. They exercise a lot, maintain a decent weight, have low body fat percentage, low BMI, and generally look fit. But inside there could be a lot more going on that no one really sees. I came across a study recently that looked at low-carbohydrate diets versus high-carbohydrate diets and their effects on athletic performance. The results are pretty interesting from a performance standpoint and also kind of surprising from a health perspective. Today, I look at what it means to be fit but unhealthy and what you can do to make sure you are both!

The post 191. Fit but Unhealthy? appeared first on Running Lean with Patrick McGilvray.

There’s a lot of confusion out there these days around carbs, especially in the endurance athlete community. Are carbs good? Are they bad? Do they have a place in our diet or should we avoid them altogether? In this episode I’ll explain why carbs are not the enemy, but also why it might be a good idea to keep your carbs low most of the time.

The post 190. Carbs Are Not the Enemy appeared first on Running Lean with Patrick McGilvray.

If you are having a hard time sticking with a health and fitness routine, then you might want to have a look at your locus of control. Locus of control refers to where you believe your control lies - either outside of you or within you. Today I’ll explain what locus of control is and how you can begin shifting your locus of control so you can get better results and live a healthier life.

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Most people tend to be pretty motivated when they start something. But then, over time, that motivation begins to fade. This is the reason why gyms are full in January and empty again in March. So today, I’m taking a look at why that motivation fades and what you can do to keep it going so you CAN actually crush your health and fitness goals.

The post 188. The Cycle of Unstoppable Motivation appeared first on Running Lean with Patrick McGilvray.

I think we all know that eating too much sugar is not good for you. Excess sugar consumption has been linked to all sorts of metabolic dysfunction like high blood pressure, excess weight gain, insulin resistance, and diabetes just to name a few. So the solution is pretty simple - just moderate your sugar intake. But why is this so much easier in theory than in practice? Why is moderating sugar so difficult? Today I take a deep dive into why moderating sugar is so difficult and offer some practical tips to help you take control of your sugar cravings.

The post 187. Why Moderating Sugar is so Difficult appeared first on Running Lean with Patrick McGilvray.

I’ve been doing a lot of research lately on human metabolism and I’ve noticed a lot of inconsistencies in the data available. There seem to be a lot of misconceptions about metabolism, especially when it comes to losing weight. Today I want to focus on demystifying metabolism so you can separate fact from fiction and make better choices to improve your overall health and fitness.

The post 186. Demystifying Metabolism appeared first on Running Lean with Patrick McGilvray.

I work with a lot of runners who are awesome at sticking with their running plans. But when it comes to sticking to their diet so they can lose weight…it all seems to fall apart. Why is this? Why is it so easy for runners to stick to a difficult marathon training plan and so had to stick to a healthy eating plan? In this episode, I will explain why it’s so hard to stick to your food plan and offer up some sound advice for changing this.

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