Mike Finch

3 weeks ago | runnersworld.co.za | Claire Trageser |Mike Finch

“That’s always a tricky thing,” Bates tells Runner’s World. “My go-to to get myself to sleep is one to two glasses of wine the night before a race.”Sacrilege, right? But Bates says the wine chills her out and helps her fall asleep faster. “Now, falling asleep is one thing and staying asleep is another,” Bates says. She suffers from the same tick that afflicts many runners who are worried about missing their alarms: She wakes up every half an hour to check the time and make sure she hasn’t overslept.

4 weeks ago | runnersworld.co.za | Heather Mayer Irvine |Mike Finch

Nutrition, much like recovery, is an oft-overlooked part of marathon or ultra training. In the short and long terms, that can be detrimental to achieving performance goals and, in some cases, can negatively affect overall health. Understanding the ins and outs of a marathon training diet is a huge missing piece of the training puzzle, says sports dietitian Roxana Ehsani. “Runners are so focused on their training mileage each week, they often overlook fueling,” she says.

1 month ago | runnersworld.co.za | Monique Lebrun |Mike Finch

Figuring out what to eat during a long run is probably more complicated than what to eat before or after running. For starters, you need to make sure whatever option you choose provides you with enough energy for your workout, without causing any distress to your gut. You also need to like how it tastes, so you’re motivated to eat it on the go. And it also has to be easy to open so you’re not fumbling with wrappers while you’re trying to maintain your stride.

1 month ago | runnersworld.co.za | Elizabeth Millard |Mike Finch

New research shows the importance of resistance training in perimenopause through postmenopause for maintaining muscle mass and strength. Experts point out the benefits of lower-body strength training in particular, as well as finding a workout you can do consistently.

1 month ago | runnersworld.co.za | Elizabeth Millard |Mike Finch

Similar to what you should eat before and after a run, or what type of recovery strategies can improve performance, stretching can fall into a grey area — the kind filled with contradictory advice and plenty of opinions. Is stretching optional or mandatory for runners, for example? Can it really offer up injury prevention? Is stretching ever a bad idea? Here’s a look at common misconceptions, along with research- and expert-backed facts so you can use stretching to your performance advantage.