around a 4 percent improvement in run-
ning economy—or the energy needed to
run at a given pace—in several lab tests.
An analysis done in 2018 by The New York
Times of half a million marathon and
half-marathon times uploaded to Strava
(along with the shoes the runners were
wearing) confirmed the 4 percent claim
and found that runners of the same caliber
were more likely to hit a PR wearing the
Vaporf ly than other shoes.
Are the shoes magic? In an interview
with Runner’s World in February, Wouter
Hoogkamer, who has been one of the lead
researchers of the shoes’ performance,
said it’s the integration of a curved carbon-
fiber plate that runs through the midsole
from heel to toe and the bouncy foam itself
(Nike calls it ZoomX) that makes it work
so great. The new Vaporf ly Next% boasts
even more foam in the midsole.
The Vaporf ly’s success has started a
product race with brands trying to outduel
one another. Hoka One One released the
Carbon X ($180) earlier this year, with
Jim Walmsley setting a 50-mile record
in the carbon-fiber shoe. New Balance
focused on speed with its new FuelCell
5280 ($200). Designed for a mile race, it
also boasts a carbon-fiber plate in its super
light and spongy midsole.
But as much as I love new technology,
the thought of using a special shoe for my
marathon felt as pure as Bryce Harper
using an aluminum bat to crush home
runs. Thankfully, I did it on my own.
It’s Not About the Shoes
A few weeks after I first broke 3 hours in
the marathon (wearing the New Balance
1500v5), I spoke with my coaches about
how I was able to take 6 minutes off my
last Pittsburgh Marathon time—nearly a
4 percent change.
“The thing that moved the needle the
most was you followed a plan and it pro-
vided the right amount of variable stress,”
says Tom McGlynn, founder of Runcoach
and three-time Olympic Marathon Trials
qualifier. Several new training elements
were key—not just one.
Here’s what helped me (and likelywould for all runners) more than any pair
of shoes can.
Training Volume / In prior marathon
training, my weekly mileage hovered in
the 40-mile range. The new plan called for
two longer speed/tempo workouts (8 to 13
miles) per week, and weekend long runs
(minimum 16 miles until tapering). That
brought me up to 60-mile weeks regularly.
It’s simple, but finding ways to run more
without getting injured helps increase
your overall running economy. “Those
extra miles are additional time of aerobic
training,” says McGlynn. “If you pile that
on week after week, it’s that much more
capillary density you’re building and
more red blood cells to carry oxygen to
your muscles.” I can’t do 100-plus mile
weeks like Olympians, but I did add 25 to
50 percent more mileage. That was huge.
Changing Paces / More “sandwich
workouts”—like my key workout that
mixed mile pace and marathon pace—
forced me to deal with glycogen depletion
(that dead-legged feeling near the end
of long runs) on the tail end of shorter
workouts.
Training at these varied—and faster—
paces not only increases aerobic capacity
but also “is the best way to clean up bad
form,” McGlynn says. I’d like to think that
was true when I picked up the pace in the
final stretch of my marathon.
Actually Recovering / Thank goodness
for one rest day a week. Plus, McGlynn
thinks I also benefited from something
pros do regularly: using a sports massage
therapist ($75 per session). Each appoint-
ment (three times during the final five
weeks before the race) put me more in
touch with my body and my weak spots
so I was ready for the next hard effort.
“Increased bloodf low helps muscles
work more efficiently, recover better,
and respond better to exercise,” JoEllen
Sefton, Ph.D., a professor of kinesiology at
Auburn University, told me. She also cites
research that shows how massage has
an added benefit of calming your stress,
reducing your heart rate, and helping you
sleep better. All of this is useful when
you’re an anxiety-filled mess most of the
time leading up to a goal race.A FREE
WAY TO
GET BETTER?
REST MOREW. Christopher
Winter, M.D.,
author of The
Sleep Solution,
said late-night
workouts or
early morning
runs can mess
up your sleep
schedule. But if
you can log an
extra hour of
shuteye during
training, your
mood will
improve, you’ll
be less likely to
skip workouts,
and your per-
ception of
niggling aches
will lessen.
Seven to nine
hours should be
your baseline,
and the sweet
spot for naps is
around 30 min-
utes, according
to research.30 RUNNERSWORLD.COM