The Blog

As female runners and athletes, we have all worried about getting our periods at less than ideal times, like right before an upcoming workout session or during a race. But does being on your period actually affect your running? Can or should you even bother running or racing when you're on your period? All of the scientific literature agrees: you can and should continue to run on your period. There is no reason not to run on...

There are several key components to any runner's weekly training plan: a long run, easy runs, and quality runs. One kind of quality run that you may encounter is called a tempo run. But what is a tempo run, exactly and why are they important? Tempo runs are a quality session performed at a steady, comfortably hard pace (or the race pace you could hold for about an hour) typically for a duration of 10 - 30 minutes. Faster...

Heart rate training is a popular tool for many runners. But what exactly is it, and how do you get started using it? Heart rate training is when you use your heart rate to inform your running, using key data points such as your maximum heart rate and heart rate zones of intensity. By regularly monitoring your heart rate during runs, heart rate training can help you train smarter, avoid injury, and improve your aerobic...

Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) is the measure of how much effort a person feels it takes to perform a physical activity. The Borg Scale utilizes a scale of 1- 20, but it's also common to use a scale of 1 to 10. Using RPE is a helpful way for runners to determine if they are performing in the right intensity zones to reach their goals. It's often used in conjunction with heart rate training. The chart below provides...

Have you ever seen runners wearing arm sleeves (also called compression arm sleeves, athletic arm sleeves or arm warmers) while running? Do you wonder what the heck they are for? I know I did and started to wonder, so I decided to find out. Turns out that runners typically wear arm sleeves for a variety of reasons including to improve circulation, aid in recovery, keep arms warm during cool runs or keep arms protected from...

Runners are some of the most driven, self-motivated, and goal-oriented athletes out there. But what exactly is the best way to go about setting running goals (and achieving them)? Keep reading, because we have 7 simple steps that will help you determine your next running goal, and find success in achieving that goal. Why is it important to set goals for your running? Setting goals for your running is important because by...