Swing-leg Retraction

From this paper:

“It is commonly observed that running animals retract their limbs just prior to ground contact, moving each foot rearward towards the ground.”

I used to think when the foot cycled through in running, you could wait for it to naturally fall. I no longer believe this is true. What you see in overstriding is the lower leg gets far in front of the body and never retracts.

I’ve been focusing more on swing-leg retraction this week in my running.

It’s explained here by Olympian Chari Hawkins.

The Pump

I subscribe to The Pump newsletter by Arnold Schwarzenegger. There is also a paid app which I do not subscribe to.

As far as a free newsletter, it delivers some pretty good information. It stays away from extreme diets and focuses on building sustainable routines.

I recommend it.

53

I turned 53 last week. I am still holding up pretty good physically, knock on wood. I am still doing distance running, sprinting, playing ultimate frisbee, and playing competitive soccer.

I had plantar fasciitis for a few months last year (which really sucked), but I’m back to full capabilities.

I really enjoy all the physical activity and hope to continue for many more years.

Simple Sleep Hack

There have been a number of studies that show it’s important to keep cool when you sleep. The evolutionary logic here is pretty. If you slept outside at night, as humans did for millions of years, you would notice the temperature naturally drops during the nighttime hours.

There are many new products that can help recreate this, like cooling beds, etc. The easiest approach is simply to lower the thermostat at night a few degrees. Most people have programmable thermostats, and so this can be set very easily.

Ultra-Processed People

From the new book:

“Discovering the truth in any area of science is like assembling a jigsaw. In the case of obesity, the completed jigsaw will show that inactivity is not a significant contributor, and that the primary cause is ultra-processed food and drink.”

I agree.