In this episode of the Art and Science of Running Podcast, we speak with elite ultramarathoner, artist & scientist, Geoffrey Burns, about his research at the University of Michigan in kinesiology & biomechanics, specifically with regard to foot strike, cadence, and running form. In addition to discussions about Geoff’s research, we spoke with him about his proposal to regulate running footwear innovation and his rationales behind his proposals. This led us to discussions about his role as a professional athlete and a scientist navigating the sometimes conflicting realms of sponsorship, authenticity, objectivity, and professionalism.



Athletic Resume



Geoff grew up running in Southern California before walking-on to the cross country and track teams at the University of Michigan where he ran for the legendary Coach Ron Warhurst. Geoff is passionate about the sport of running and has competed at the highest levels winning national ultrarunning championships and placing as high as 5th at the world 100K championships. But Geoff is more than a great runner. He takes his writing and science seriously.



Academic and Professional Background



Geoff studied biomedical engineering at the University of Michigan and received bachelor’s and master’s degrees before working professionally as an engineer in medical devices and orthopedic surgery research. After some time in the professional sector, Geoff returned to the University of Michigan to pursue a PhD in kinesiology and biomechanics. At the time of the recording, Geoff was months away from defending his thesis.



Cadence and Changing Foot Strike Patterns



One of the many topics we discussed with Geoff is the trend toward trying to change one’s foot strike or cadence. Regarding cadence and step rate, Geoff explained,



“It’s a barometer and not a governor. There’s no magical number that’s dogmatically right for everybody.” Geoff Burns reflecting on the commonly held belief that there is a “magic” number of steps per minute



Read these articles for additional insight on foot strike and cadence.



What are the Benefits and Risks Associated with Changing Foot Strike Pattern During Running? A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Injury, Running Economy, and Biomechanics



The Perfect Stride: Can Alberto Salazar straighten out American dist...

In this episode of the Art and Science of Running Podcast we speak with runner, scientist, and journalist, Alex Hutchinson about the role the mind plays in endurance and performance. Alex blends his passions for science and writing in the Sweat Science column of Outside Magazine. Prior to writing for Outside, Alex studied physics at the University of Cambridge while competing and representing Canada as a long-distance runner. 



After earning a PhD in physics and working on some post-doctoral research, Alex pivoted to journalism where he earned a National Magazine Award for his work with Popular Mechanics, covered adventure travel for The New York Times, and wrote a training column for Runner’s World. 



Books



His latest book, ENDURE: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance, is not simply about about physics or physiology, but dedicates significant portions to the workings of the mind. Endure comes highly recommended by other experts in the realms of sport and science most notably David Epstein, Amby Burfoot, Tim Noakes, and Malcolm Gladwell.



Alex’s first book, Which Comes First, Cardio or Weights? Fitness Myths, Training Truths, and Other Surprising Discoveries from the Science of Exercise exemplifies the breadth of his writing about running.



PhD in Physics to Journalism



In our interview, Malc who was also formally trained as a physicist in the UK, asked Alex how he decided to transition from a career in physics to a career in journalism. In response, Alex shared some insight into why he chose to study physics in the first place based on the advice of a mentor:



“If you don’t know what you want to do, do something hard and it will train your mind. The problem solving skills will be transferrable to other domains. If you show that you can do something hard and challenge yourself it’s easier to do that than study basket weaving for four years and then decide to be a physicist.”



After four years of studying physics, Alex still didn’t know what to do so I went to grad school. After grad school he still didn’t know what to do so did a post doc. Then he had an “awakening moment.” After working in a lab for 14 hours a day a colleague came back and asked if I had read an article in the latest journal. He was reading physics for fun after working in physics all day for work. Alex was doing physics because it was hard, but it wasn’t what he wanted to do at the end of a long day working in the lab. He had other interests and felt that journalism might allow him to continue to learn and explore other aspects of life outside of the lab.



Alex did a one year master’s degree in journalism to show that he was serious, rather than simply jumping into an internship and assuming it would just come to him. While writing for the Ottawa Citizen, Alex learned that he does his best work when he writes about things that he really cares about. 



Journalism gave Alex something to work towards – a column dedicated to running – whereas in the field of physics the only thing that came after studying physics was more physics. Journalism has a lot of career switchers and is open to those from othe...

In this episode of the Art and Science of Running podcast, Jacob Puzey and Malc Kent explain how to periodize and prioritize training, racing, and recovery to avoid injury.



Periodization



There are essentially two approaches to training and racing – linear and non-linear periodization.



Linear Periodization



The most common approach to training and racing among elites is a linear periodization focusing on one or two goal races per year. While this practice may be followed by amateur athletes, the vast majority of recreational runners simply train from race to race.



The purpose of this discussion is not to say whether one approach is right or wrong, but rather to identify the pros and cons of each approach, determining which approach will work best for you, and what considerations to take into account when designing a training and racing schedule.



Periodization can simply be defined as breaking up a training cycle for a specific purpose by starting from a target and reverse engineering to the start / current place and time.. 



The essential questions of periodization are:



How do you get from where you are today to where you want to be?



What do you need to do between now and the target date / race to prepare for the demands of the challenge?



Jacob has written about the pros and cons and ways to design training based on both models in the following articles:



RACE STRATEGICALLY



RUNNING AND EGGS



WIN THE RACE OF PREPARATION



However, prior to commencing formal, specific training make sure that your body is functioning optimally. The off-season (or a break between goal races) is the best time to identify and work on weaknesses. For many, winter is a natural off-season from race specific training. Once you get started on a training block it is much harder to start correcting things.



Start with the End in Mind



Periodization changes depending on what your goal is. To a pure classical strength coach that might look different than a pure running coach or a gait analyst, but regardless of the role or goal of a coach or athlete, we can all agree that it is important to reset at the end of each season.



Malc suggests that you start out with foundation work early on. Start with a gait analysis to determine what inefficiencies, deficiencies, or asymmetries you may have and begin to work on addressing them before getting to far into race specific run training.



Malc described a flow chart from left to right.



First thing in the flow of actions is Gait Analysis. 



Measure some numbers and see where you’re at. Then see if / how you are improving. 



Corrective training – Look at data and then work on qualities that you want to develop.



Strength endurance and then speed strength and then power.



Initial analysis / data collection -> Foundation / correction -> Develop strength, power, speed



It’s All About the Base