#157 - Running On Primal Endurance (Book Review)
Episode #157 - In this week's blog/podcast, I will break down some of my brief takeaways from the book Primal Endurance by Mark Sisson and Brad Kearns. I’m a huge fan of their Two Meals Per Day book. I figured I would digest this book and see how it could help my running. I was blown away by some of the takeaways such as; Slow down in order to become faster. Only do 5 reps of heavy weights during strength training, and to schedule a strategic off season.
This week’s blog is just some short notes. To hear my full thoughts on my Primal Endurance experience, press play on this week’s podcast. If you like what you hear be sure to pick up a copy of Primal Endurance or listen to it on Audible.
My 6 Biggest Takeaways
1. Slow Down
Learn to run at a lower intensity. This will help you avoid injuries, stay in a fat-burning zone and not add stress to the body. Monitor your heart rate with your smartwatch running app or buy a heart rate monitor that straps to your chest. To calculate what heart rate you should be jogging at, take 180 minus your age. Be patient and don’t focus on how fast you are going. The point is to slow down, remember that.
2. Primal Eating Strategy
Eat as humans used to in the early 1900’s. Meat, vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds. Avoid the harmful industrialized seed oils, grains, and sugar.
3. Strength Training
We don’t have to hit the weights for hours at a time. Just because we run, doesn’t mean we have good muscle tone either. We need weight training.
4. Sprinting
Add some sprints to your routine throughout the week. Do a thorough warm-up and follow that up with a few 100-meter sprints. 5 x 100’s are great.
5. Complementary Movement and Lifestyle Practices
Oftentimes after a person runs, bicycle, or swims in the morning, they tend to relax for the rest of the day. Let’s focus on maintaining movements throughout the day. Park further away from the building, to get your extra steps. Do calisthenics throughout the day to continue to build strength.
6. Tips To Optimize Recovery
When it comes to our recovery here is the list to speed up your recovery;
Cold Therapy - Cold showers and baths help the body calm down from the hard work.
Compression - The compression sleeves or socks act like a pump to keep pushing blood back to the heart.
Hydration - Make sure to rehydrate right after your workout. We don’t need the colorful marketed beverages. Plain water or a splash of unflavored electrolytes would do the trick.
Increased Movement - People who workout normally may find it strange to be told this. The facts are that after intense workouts, many vegetate for the rest of the day and ignore this important recovery tip. After an intense workout or race, it is wise to take frequent walking sessions throughout the day. This will keep you from getting stiff and feeling like you need ibuprofen to get the day. I enjoy coming home from a half marathon and taking my dog for a walk. I appreciate an after-dinner walk around a park on the day of my events. I find this very helpful in preventing soreness the next day. I went to the Magic Kingdom the day after my full marathon. That is a big contrast from stories of people running their first marathon and not being able to walk for a week.
Refueling w/ Good Nutrition - The ultimate post-recovery meal is a big salad with protein. Beer and soft pretzel sounds so much better to the mouth, but how do you want to feel the next day?
Self Myofascial Release - IT bands, and Achilles’ tendon tightness is due to inflammation in your surrounding muscles including but not limited to; thighs and hamstrings. Use balls, foam rollers, and my favorite……
Sleep - To perform to the best of your ability, you cannot burn both ends of the candle. Set a goal to start getting 7-8 hours of sleep per day.
Release Your Attachment To The Outcome - Stop stressing about race time or age placements and start focusing on the joy of your running practice. Let things happen naturally and you will find more joy!
Coach Tadris Final Thoughts:
I absolutely love this book! This book will not only change the way I run, but will keep my members running a long healthy life.
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