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BlogPower output during exercise
17 January 2010
One of the best measures of athletic performance is power output during exercise. Measured in watts, it’s exactly equivalent to the power that lights a bulb or moves a car. Tour de France cyclists run at about 500 watts for hours on end, and can hit output of 1500 watts in short bursts. How does this compare to the power generated during exercise of you and I?
Barefoot running to make you faster and stronger
12 December 2009
At the 1960 Olympics in Rome Ethiopian Abebe Bikila set a world-record 2:15:17 marathon – running barefoot. Now, a growing movement suggests that running barefoot – or at least with minimum cushioning and protection – has massive benefits.
Treadmill vs outdoor running
28 November 2009
A constant source of debate for runners involves treadmill vs outdoor running. Some people who run outdoors swear they will never run indoors on a treadmill; some who run on a treadmill couldn’t imagine running outside. Treadmill vs outdoor running: which is easier? And why? Let’s find out shall we.
Running faster and facing breakthroughs and plateaus
12 October 2009
One of the best things about running is making progress and gradually running faster. Whatever level of ability you have you can always get better.
Often, running faster does not happen linearly: your progress varies from a little bit one week, to a whole lot the next week. If you look closely at the progression of world records in running events over time, you will see a very similar pattern.
Cardio or weight training for fat loss?
22 September 2009
Which is the fastest way to lose body fat: doing cardio training or weight training? This article shows that both cardio and weight training contribute to fat loss. The question about cardio or weight training then becomes: what is best for your goals?
VO2 max of athletes and animals
3 September 2009
Eavesdrop on the conversations of endurance athletes and the discussion will be all about VO2 max. What is VO2 max? And how can you increase your VO2 max?
Phil runs with Lisa Tamati
11 August 2009
This week I went for a run with NZ’s no.1 ultra-distance runner Lisa Tamati. It was a short run for her, but it was long-distance for me. The best part was I got to ask Lisa questions along the way; I really wanted to know what it was like to run for days on end through scorching desert conditions, and why anyone would choose to devote their life to doing this.
Running uphill: why I was slow in Melbourne
15 July 2009
We all know it's harder running uphill than on the flat. Obviously, running uphill you have to lift your body mass - even just a little bit - during each stride. This certainly requires extra energy. But how much? Can we measure the difference in energy required running uphill compared to running on the flat?
1km run records from around the world
7 June 2009
It seems I’m not the only one who has become interested in the 1km run. A couple of readers have actually sent me Google maps of their 1km run routes, which I think is cool. Check it out.
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