Like all great villains, lactic acid has been misunderstood. We鈥檝e been blaming it for the pain we suffer during intense exercise for more than two centuries. There鈥檚 nothing worse, we say, than the 鈥渓actic burn鈥� that locks our failing muscles into immobility. More recent tellings of the story have tried to rehabilitate lactic acid鈥檚 reputation, insisting that it鈥檚 actually trying to fuel our muscles rather than shut them down. But that version doesn鈥檛 capture the full complexity, either.

Into this confusion steps , from veteran physiologists Simeon Cairns and Michael Lindinger. It鈥檚 a dense 35-page doorstop titled 鈥淟actic Acidosis: Implications for Human Exercise Performance,鈥� and the clearest conclusion we can draw from it is that the precise causes of muscle fatigue during intense exercise are still a topic of active research and vigorous debate among scientists. But the sudden popularity of baking soda as an acid-buffering performance aid has renewed conversations about how, exactly, lactic acid works in the body鈥攁nd how we might counteract it. Here are some highlights from the latest research.

The Lactic Backstory

The first scientist to draw the connection between exercise and lactic acid was J枚ns Jacob Berzelius, the Swedish chemist who devised the modern system of chemical notation (H2O and so on). Sometime around 1807, he noticed that the chopped-up muscles of dead deer contained lactic acid, a substance that had only recently been discovered in soured milk. Crucially, the muscles of stags that had been hunted to death contained higher levels of lactic acid, while deer from a slaughterhouse who had their limbs immobilized in a splint before their death had lower levels, suggesting that the acid was generated by physical exertion.

A century later, physiologists at the University of Cambridge used electric stimulation to make frogs鈥� legs twitch until they reached exhaustion, and high lactic acid levels. The levels were even higher if they performed the experiment in a chamber without oxygen, and lower if they provided extra oxygen. That finding helped establish the prevailing twentieth-century view: your muscles need oxygen to generate energy aerobically; if they can鈥檛 get enough oxygen, they switch to generating energy anaerobically, which produces lactic acid as a toxic byproduct that eventually shuts your muscles down.

There are two small problems鈥攁nd one big one鈥攚ith this picture. The first detail is that, while lactic acid can be measured in the muscles of dead deer and frogs, it doesn鈥檛 actually exist in living humans. In the chemical milieu of the body, what would be lactic acid is split into two components: lactate and hydrogen ions. That鈥檚 not just being persnickety about terminology: lactate and hydrogen ions behave differently than lactic acid would. In fact, they can have separate and sometimes even opposing effects.

The second detail is that lactate (and hydrogen ions) aren鈥檛 really produced because your muscles are 鈥渞unning out of oxygen.鈥� The chemical reactions that use oxygen to turn food into muscle fuel are efficient but slow, great for powering relatively easy and sustained exercise. But they can鈥檛 provide energy fast enough to supply an all-out sprint. For that, you鈥檒l eventually need to rely on lactate-producing anaerobic reactions, even if you鈥檙e huffing pure oxygen from a can.

The big problem with the old view of lactic acid is the idea that it’s a metabolic villain. It turns out that, far from being an inert byproduct, lactate can be recycled into fuel for your muscles. In fact, one of the key superpowers that well-trained athletes develop is the ability to reuse lactate more quickly. This rehabilitation of lactate鈥檚 reputation has been going on for now (though it still has ), but athletes are still left with an unanswered question: if lactate isn鈥檛 what causes muscle fatigue, what is?

What the New Review Reveals

The first thing that Cairns and Lindinger establish is that, yes, levels of lactate and hydrogen ions increase during intense exercise. This is most obvious during intense exercise lasting between about one and twenty minutes. Longer bouts of exercise are less intense, so they can be mostly fueled by non-lactate-producing aerobic energy, and bouts of exertion shorter than one minute simply don鈥檛 have time to produce much lactate.

The evidence is now clear that lactate itself doesn鈥檛 interfere in any significant way with muscle function. But lactate and hydrogen ions are produced simultaneously in exactly the same quantities during anaerobic exercise, which complicates the 鈥渓actic acid is a good guy after all鈥� narrative. Lactate may be great, but it comes with an equivalent helping of hydrogen ions鈥攁nd that may be a problem.

When you increase the concentration of hydrogen ions in a solution, you鈥檙e increasing its acidity. That鈥檚 how the pH scale is defined: it鈥檚 a measure of hydrogen ion concentration. During intense exercise, the pH in your fast-twitch muscle fibers (which seem to be particularly susceptible to hydrogen ion buildup) can drop from around 7.0 to 6.0. That change represents a ten-fold increase in the concentration of hydrogen ions鈥攁 situation that can wreak havoc on muscle contraction.

The idea that hydrogen ions are what cause muscle fatigue isn鈥檛 entirely straightforward either, though. When you start hard exercise, the concentration of hydrogen ions actually decreases for about 15 seconds while you use up another source of fast-acting muscle energy called phosphocreatine. And yet your muscles are already getting fatigued during this initial burst, losing some of their maximal force, while hydrogen ion levels are still lower than normal.

There鈥檚 also a disconnect when you stop exercising, or take a break between hard intervals. Hydrogen ion (and lactate) levels keep climbing for a few minutes, which is why the highest lactate levels are generally recorded several minutes after hard exercise. But you don鈥檛 get weaker after you stop exercising; you get stronger as you recover, despite the rising concentration of hydrogen ions. So hydrogen ions may play a role in muscle fatigue, but they can鈥檛 be the whole story.

Another possibility is that hydrogen ions may interact with other molecules to disrupt muscle contraction. The most prominent candidates are potassium and phosphate, both of which increase during exercise and are associated in some studies with muscle fatigue. What these and other candidates have in common is that there are a ton of conflicting results: they have different effects on muscle fibers depending on the level of acidity, the muscle temperature, and the test protocol. This suggests鈥攏ot surprisingly鈥攖hat there isn鈥檛 a single molecule that causes your muscles to lose their power. Instead, it鈥檚 the whole cocktail of things going on inside your muscles during hard exercise that matters.

What About the Burn?

Most of the research that Cairns and Lindinger describe deals with muscle properties: how quickly are your fibers losing their twitch force, and why? It鈥檚 true that, as a middle-distance runner, I鈥檝e sometimes staggered down the finishing straight of a race with the sense that my legs were literally ceasing to function. It鈥檚 an awful feeling to experience, but satisfying to look back on: you know you left nothing out there.

Far more common, though, is a softer limit. You feel a red-hot burn and spreading numbness in your legs, and you choose to back off a bit. This feeling that we used to describe as 鈥済oing lactic鈥� is significant in its own right. In interviews with athletes who鈥檝e begun using baking soda, a common theme is that they鈥檙e able to push harder for longer before feeling that burn in their legs, which in turn enables them to race faster.

One theory about the feeling of going lactic is that you鈥檙e literally starving your brain of oxygen. If you push hard enough, it鈥檚 not just your muscles that go more acidic; your whole bloodstream follows. Thanks to a phenomenon called the Bohr effect, rising acidity reduces the ability of your red blood cells to ferry oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body, including your brain. In one study, all-out rowing caused oxygen saturation to drop from 97.5 to 89.0 percent, which is a big drop鈥攂ig enough, perhaps, to slow you down and contribute to the out-of-body feeling at the end of hard races.

We also have nerve sensors that keep the brain informed about the metabolic status of the muscles. These group III/IV afferents, as they鈥檙e known, keep tabs on the real-time levels of molecules like lactate and hydrogen ions. If you block these nerves with spinal injections of fentanyl, exercise feels great鈥攖oo great, in fact, because you鈥檒l lose all sense of pacing, go out too hard, then hit the wall.

The most telling finding about the lactic burn, in my view, was where they injected various molecules into the thumbs of volunteers in an attempt to reproduce that familiar feeling. Injecting lactate didn鈥檛 do it. Neither did injecting hydrogen ions, or ATP, a fuel molecule whose levels are also elevated during hard exercise. Injecting them in pairs didn鈥檛 do it either. But injecting all three at the levels you鈥檇 experience during moderate exercise produced a sensation of fatigue in their thumbs, even though they weren鈥檛 moving them. And injecting higher levels turned fatigue into pain.

That鈥檚 a distinction I try to keep in mind in the late stages of hard workouts, and at the crux of races. That burning feeling is real, and it鈥檚 associated with lactate and acidity and muscular fuel levels. But it鈥檚 just a feeling. The lactate and ATP are actually helping me. The hydrogen ions, in combination with various other metabolites accumulating in my muscles, not so much. They鈥檒l eventually stop me. But until they do, I can keep pushing.

***

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The post New Study: Lactic Acid Doesn’t Actually Cause That Burning Feeling. Here’s What Does. appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Hydration vests have become the preferred method of carrying fluids for most runners, and you can find over 25 different options on the market this season. We tested them all. Vests carry liquids and supplies comfortably by distributing the weight evenly across your chest and upper back; the best ones become part of your body, fitting close to your torso and sloshing minimally. After months of testing, these picks stood out for their comfort and performance.

Update, April 2025: We replaced five vests with new highly-rated models from The North Face, Nathan Sports, Osprey, Patagonia, and REI Co-op.

At a Glance

• Best for Ultramarathons:
• Best for Hot Weather:
• Best of Hut Trips and Multi-day 国产吃瓜黑料s:
• Best for Short Runs:
• Best Pack with a Bladder: /
• Best for Mountain Runs:
• Best Value:
• How to Choose a Hydration Vest
• How We Test
• Meet Our Lead Tester

Best for Ultramarathons

Salomon ADV Skin 12

Weight: 11.3 oz (with two included 500 ml flasks)
Sizing: XS-XL
Capacity: 12L

Pros and Cons
鈯� Well-thought-out gear organizing pockets
鈯� Customizable fit
鈯� Lacks a dedicated outlet for a hydration hose to thread smoothly to the front side

This vest is a perennial favorite due to its adaptable fit, carrying capacity, organization, and comfort over the long run. This season, it received some welcome updates that optimize fit and minimize bounce, including new shoulder straps and a new Y-shaped construction made with a mix of stretchy and supportive materials. Plus, it comes with new conical-shaped hydration flasks that slide easily in and out of the sleeves on the front shoulder straps.

One tester wore the ADV Skin 12 for 42 hours during a 100-mile race in the Swiss Alps on what she says was 鈥渧ery technical鈥� terrain (we鈥檙e betting that鈥檚 an understatement), and reported that, 鈥淭he pack held up fantastically.鈥� She raved about the back storage that holds plenty of layers for the long haul and how well the front pockets carry water bottle flasks. 鈥淭his pack is so lightweight and doesn鈥檛 jostle at all,鈥� she said.

The other front pockets are plentiful enough to keep a phone, food, and miscellaneous items separate and organized. Paired with Salomon鈥檚 Custom Quiver Pole Sleeve ($30), which carries collapsible poles like Robin Hood鈥檚 arrows, this pack is ready for battle.

The ADV Skin 12 can fit everything you need for a triple-digit run, yet one tester also noted that the vest 鈥渨asn鈥檛 cumbersome for a six-mile run where I wasn鈥檛 carrying much.鈥�

Best for Hot Weather

The North Face Summit Series Run Vest 5

Weight: 8.6 oz (with two included 500 ml flasks)
Sizing: XS-XL
Capacity: 5L

Pros and Cons
鈯�Extremely lightweight
鈯�Very breathable
鈯� Flasks can be tricky to access while moving

When it鈥檚 so hot that the last thing you want to do is put on a pack, that鈥檚 when you know you really need one. But you can ease the discomfort by wearing one that is ultra-light, airy, and doesn鈥檛 hold sweat. The North Face Summit Series Run Vest 5 weighs just 8.6 ounces with the two included 500 ml (17-ounce) soft flasks it carries in the chest pockets. The pack is made out of nylon/elastane mesh that doesn鈥檛 retain moisture and vents air like a screen door. One tester called the back panel 鈥渆xceptionally breathable,鈥� despite shedding copious amounts of sweat.

We liked that this pack鈥檚 tension cords are simple and easy to adjust for a fit that is so dialed-in, one tester exclaimed, 鈥淚t’s easy to forget you’ve got this on at times.鈥� Until, of course, she needed to access her fluids or phone, and then remembered the vest and was grateful to have it.

The hydration flasks, which come with the pack, are easy to fill and clean thanks to their wide openings. We could drink from the flasks easily without taking them out of their pockets. We found, however, that getting them in and out of the pocket on the fly requires a little extra effort, especially while carrying a phone in the zippered pocket, as the flasks tend to sink low in the compartments despite the tension cords.

Overall, we liked the pocketing and feel of this lightweight pack that, one tester said, carries 鈥減retty much all you could need for most shorter trail adventures.鈥�

Best for Multi-day 国产吃瓜黑料s

Black Diamond Distance 15L Pack

Weight: 12.5 oz
Sizing: S-L (men鈥檚); S-L (women鈥檚)
Capacity: 15L

Pros and Cons
鈯� Carries a ton of gear comfortably
鈯� Comes in men鈥檚- and women鈥檚-specific fits
鈯� Doesn鈥檛 come with soft flasks or bladder

Thanks to its roomy capacity in the main compartment plus ample pocketing, the Black Diamond 15L carries a decent amount of gear comfortably and with minimal sloshing, making it a great pack for adventures of all sorts. Thoughtfully-designed storage鈥攁 cinch-pull main compartment, seven exterior pockets and one of them zippered, an interior zippered pocket, and dedicated loops for trekking poles and ice axes鈥攎akes this an extremely livable pack.

We love the cinch cords that trim the sides and reduce or expand the pack volume to secure whatever amount we鈥檙e carrying in the most compact bag possible. We also love the materials: soft, breathable mesh back paneling and shoulder straps, stretchy mesh pocketing, and durable ripstop nylon on the body of the bag.

Female testers also raved at how the pack fit their bodies, calling out the stretchy lower sternum strap, adjustable placement of both sternum straps, and shape and placement of the shoulder straps. 鈥淚t’s really easy to fit the pack to the contours of your body using its harness system,鈥� said one.

While it doesn鈥檛 come with a bladder or flasks, the bag can hold either鈥攐r both鈥攃omfortably, making it a great choice when your adventure calls for ample fluids.

Best for Short Runs

Nathan Sports Pinnacle Featherlite 1.5 Liter Hydration Vest

Weight: 5.5 oz (with included soft flask)
Sizing: XXS/XS-XXL
Capacity: 1.5L

Pros and Cons
鈯� Simple and comfortable for short runs
鈯� Extremely lightweight
鈯� Short zipper to back pocket makes using pocket difficult
鈯� Adjustment sliders on the front of the pack can cause some discomfort

Due to its simple, lightweight structure and ability to comfortably carry a flask or two, a phone, and other necessities without weighing you down, this is a good pack to leave in the car or by the front door, ready to grab whenever you just need a way to carry small items while running. We grabbed it often for short jaunts and liked its small, unobtrusive size.

The one 14-ounce flask that comes with the vest sits comfortably in one of four pockets on the shoulder straps (they can accommodate bottles and flasks up to 20 ounces). We used the other pockets for a phone, car key, dog poop bag, and dog leash. The back pocket, which offers 1.5L of storage, is large enough for a lightweight shell, or gloves and a hat, but the short (4 inches) zippered opening makes using the pocket a slight hassle.

Still, this is an efficient, breathable pack made of comfortable, stretchy mesh that secures to the body with two easy-to-use chest straps. 鈥淚 love the way it hugs your body and does not move,鈥� said a tester.

Best Pack With a Bladder

Osprey Dyna 1.5/Duro 1.5

Weight: 12.4鈥�14.8 oz depending on size and gender
Sizing: S-L (women鈥檚 Dyna); S-L (men鈥檚 Duro)
Capacity: 1.5L

Pros and Cons
鈯� Insulated hose
鈯� Made with 100 percent recycled materials
鈯� Materials feel somewhat scratchy

This pack comes with a quality 1.5L hydration bladder and an insulated hose that keeps water cool in hot weather and prevents water from freezing in the cold. It is smartly routed from the bladder pocket to the front, which testers appreciated enough to call it out as the best bladder system in the test group.

We were also impressed with the fit of these gender-specific packs. 鈥淚t’s easy to adjust and get fitted to the shape/contours of your body,鈥� said a female tester. 鈥淚t was lightweight and felt like part of my shirt,鈥� said another.

The breathability of the back paneling also stood out even when we were sweating heavily. We found, however, that the all-recycled materials felt a bit stiff and scratchy, but we will take the trade off in favor of Mother Earth.

One knock: The upper shoulder strap pockets are unusually high, making it somewhat tricky to access them on the run.

Best for Mountain Running

Patagonia Slope Runner Vest

Weight: 6.9 oz
Sizing: XS-L
Capacity: 4听尝

Pros and Cons
鈯� Two flasks included
鈯� Great pass-through pocket
鈯� Lack of large main compartment can limit carrying capacity

The Slope Runner Vest was our go-to choice for mountain running, mostly because it is constructed out of breathable, lightweight materials with a Durable Water Repellent (DWR) finish that repels precipitation that comes with higher altitudes. We also love that it breathes Patagonia ethos: it鈥檚 Fair Trade-Certified and made without PFAS/man-made chemicals).

The pack also carries flasks and/or a hydration bladder鈥攕ecurely and conveniently. The two included 500 milliliter flasks sit comfortably in deep mesh chest pockets, and a simple clip effectively holds a hydration bladder, when added. Six stretchy mesh pockets on the chest and waist straps are easy to access mid-run. The pass-through pocket on the backside proved a great place for a layer to be shoved through and accessed via either side. And the small zippered pocket at the top of the backside fits essentials like First Aid items (but nothing that big or bulky, like larger winter traction devices).

With a tester-approved, lightweight, simple corded system that secures the pack to the body, this is an overall comfortable pack, ready for adventure.

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Ultimate Direction Xodus Hydration Vesta

For all-day mountain runs and race efforts where every detail matters, the Ultimate Direction Xodus Vesta delivers streamlined support, bounce-free storage, and dialed-in comfort. Its 6.5-liter capacity fits hydration, nutrition, and backup layers, while seven front pockets provide fast access to fuel and essentials. Customize your fit with a full-length zip closure and adjustable chest cinch system, plus stash away poles with the trekking pole loops and stay visible with reflective details.

Best Value

REI Co-op Swiftland 5 Hydration Vest

Weight: 9 oz
Sizing: XS-2X-3X
Capacity: 5L

Pros and Cons
鈯� 1.5L bladder included at bargain price
鈯� Good routing system for hydration hose
鈯� Fit isn鈥檛 as streamlined as some packs

A hundred-dollar hydration pack that comes with a reservoir is a great value. The REI Swiftland 5鈥檚 1.5-liter HydraPak Elite reservoir fits easily and seamlessly into the main compartment of the pack and stays put with a simple clip. The hose then routes, on either the right or left side, through a loop and two-clip system that keeps it secure, and your liquids easily accessible.

Chest pockets hold soft flasks (not included), should that be your hydration preference or if you need additional liquids. A zippered pocket securely holds a phone while a second mesh pocket on the front and a large one on the back add storage options.

The bulk of this pack sits in the center of the back, making the fit not as streamlined and close-to-body as some other packs. And the materials, while breathable, aren鈥檛 as soft as some (though we applaud the use of bluesign-approved recycled nylon). But as the least expensive option with easy adjustment straps and crossover capability to other activities like mountain biking and hiking, the REI Swiftland 5 Hydration Vest is a great choice.

How to Choose a Hydration Vest

Fit

The best way to shop for a pack is to read our reviews and then try on some options, making sure your final choice is comfortable and fits your specific body. If you can shop in person, assess how the chest straps sit on your body, and if there are any points of irritation. See if you can adjust all the straps to get the pack nice and snug to your body, and jog around to make sure the pack doesn鈥檛 move too much.

Size

Since sizes vary between brands, start by checking the brand鈥檚 measurement guide on their website, and then measure yourself. The vest should feel snug, but not restrictive. If it鈥檚 hard to take a full breath without battling the straps, it鈥檚 too small. If there are gaps in the fabric around the shoulders and the pack moves too much on your back when you run, it鈥檚 likely too big. If you are maxing out the straps in either direction鈥攃inched all the way in, or fully expanded鈥攃onsider shifting sizes.

After all of these steps, if you鈥檙e still having trouble finding packs that fit properly, try a different style. If men鈥檚 packs aren鈥檛 fitting right, try a unisex or women鈥檚-specific model and see if that helps. Women鈥檚 packs typically have more room around the bust, are narrower in the shoulders, and are shorter overall. For the final test, load up the pack (at the very least with a full flask) and see how it feels with a little bit of weight.

Preferences and Intended Use

The final consideration comes down to personal preferences and how you plan to use the vest. Some people, for example, demand a zippered front pocket, or pole storage, or large pockets capable of holding many easy-to-access snacks. Make sure the pack meets your specific needs: You鈥檒l likely need a different pack for short runs around the neighborhood than for full-day (or multi-day) adventures.

How We Test

• Number of testers: 6
• Number of products tested: 26
• Gnarliest test conditions: A 100-mile ultramarathon through the Swiss Alps
• Most common testing grounds: Trails along the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains

Most of our testing took place in Boulder, Colorado, and on trails deeper into the Rocky Mountains. Our test team included six women, each of whom tested mostly apples-to-apples packs: small volume, medium volume, or large volume, while one tester put every pack through the paces.

Meet Our Lead Tester

Lisa Jhung has been running in hydration packs for roughly 25 years, since she traipsed through the wilds of places like Morocco and Switzerland as part of multi-day adventure racing teams. In more tame periods of her life, like now, she regularly throws on a pack to hit the trails of Boulder, Colorado, and the high-alpine routes in the Indian Peaks of the Rocky Mountains with girlfriends or sometimes, her dog Lulu. Lisa is also the lead tester and writer of our women鈥檚 running apparel and sports bra categories, and co-leads our running shoe tests.

The post The Best Running Hydration Vests for Every Type of Run appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Winter in Toronto has a way of stripping the excitement out of life. The days are short, the conditions are frigid, and oftentimes I lack motivation to step outside to go shopping, let alone go for a jog.

But, when I heard that the e running event was headed to Toronto this past January, my motivation to get outdoors spiked. I got my running shoes out. I was prepared to suffer.

For anyone unfamiliar with the Chipotle City Challenge, it’s a somewhat ridiculous but tempting ordeal for runners. The Mexican eatery gifts the runner who records the most laps around a specific Chipotle restaurant in a months time free burritos for a year.

You read that right. Free food for a year. For any runner, this is like having an unlimited supply of gels at mile 20 of a marathon鈥揺xcept dressed in foil with extra guac.

Chipotle Helped me Kickstart my Spring Marathon Training

I couldn鈥檛 resist the prospect of free food. It seemed like the perfect antidote to winter blues鈥攁nd, of course, a fun way to kickstart my spring marathon training.

At first, I approached the challenge with casual intention. I participated in Chipotle’s kickoff event on January 2 where I ran a few laps around the location at the heart of the challenge, asking other runners how many laps they thought they could run during the month. During the first few days, I ran between six to ten laps a day to keep things chill, and scout out the segment and my competition.

It was sometime around Day 5 of the challenge that my burrito campaign really kicked into overdrive. Running around听Chipotle was no longer a joke. I mentally decided to absolutely shred the challenge into beef barbacoa.

A Legend is Born (So I Thought)

I quickly claimed the title of “Local Legend” on Strava鈥攁 designation given to the man or woman who completes the most recorded workouts on a stretch of road or trail. By mid-January, I was averaging 40-50 miles each week around the restaurant.

Let me tell you, this was not an easy athletic feat. The Chipotle in question is located in the heart of Toronto, near the city’s main train station. The sidewalks are slammed with pedestrian traffic at all hours of the day. The lap itself is a tight 1,000-foot city block. Every lap felt like a mind-numbing carousel ride through car exhaust and past bewildered pedestrians, while inhaling burrito-scented air. I started my day with听a morning run between 7 and 8 a.m. I’d return each evening to complete more laps between 5-7 p.m.

By the final week of January I had logged around 400 laps around Chipotle, which equated to 150 miles. According to the data on Strava, I was comfortably in first place. In fact, I had a 150-lap lead on the second-place runner heading into Jan. 31. Victory seemed inevitable at this point. My girlfriend and I went to the Chipotle on the final day to snap some celebratory photos. I even made a homemade crown.

An Undercover Victory

But then, as the final hours ticked off, my victory fell apart. As it turns out, I was undone by cunning Strava trickery. Another runner, who I will title Mr. Tricky Tactics, outwitted me.

Back on Jan. 21, this runner wrote on his Strava account that he was withdrawing from the Chipotle x Strava challenge due to a hip injury. He posted the news alongside a photo of him receiving acupuncture on his hip. At that point there were four serious contenders鈥攎yself included鈥攚ho were vying for the title. We all thought the guy was done for. But he wasn’t.

In the final days of the challenge, he returned to the Chiptole and ran hundreds of laps, undercover. He waited to upload the data from those runs to Strava. So, those of us who were following the leaderboard didn’t know he was secretly amassing amazing mileage. He ran 110 miles in the final ten days, even sprinting a personal best 15-kilometer split just a few hours after he announced his injury.

We all learned about his impressive running feats when he uploaded his mileage from those ten days to Strava in the final hours before the deadline. I was blindsided! I wondered how the heck he’d run so far.

Considering I spent the last three days of the challenge running around that Chipotle, I couldn鈥檛 fathom how I’d been outsmarted. During those last ten days, I ran between 8-10 miles each day. I was out there at dawn running through snow and ice. I never saw the guy.

The Hard Lesson I Learned

I protested the result to Chipotle. Their response was diplomatic but logical: 鈥淗e employed unique tactics.鈥� Technically legal? Sure. Morally sound? Up for debate. But their decision was final. My foe had 鈥渆mployed unique tactics鈥� and, of course, ran more laps than I had. The free burritos weren’t mine鈥攖hey belonged to him.

The hardest part was that I was so confident in my strategy: rack up a huge lead early in the month and do anything to defend it. If I鈥檇 known my nemesis was still running, I believe I could have run big miles on the final few day to win. I would have gladly endured 24 hours of running if it meant scoring free burritos for a year.

But hindsight is 20/20. Instead of earning a year鈥檚 worth of guac, I instead learned a lesson in听trust. Don’t trust everything you read online, and always be prepared for soul-crushing tactics when you’re chasing a Strava challenge.

Marley Dickinson has been a staff writer for for five years. He has covered events ranging from Jamaica’s Reggae Marathon to the Paris Olympic Games. Beyond running, Marley is a diehard Toronto Blue Jays fan and shares his love for baseball on his website .

The post I Thought I鈥檇 Run Far Enough to Win Free Burritos for a Year. I Was Wrong. appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

There are a dizzying array of drinks and powders on the market that promise to keep you hydrated and boost energy levels during your runs. But you need more than just water and sugary calories for optimal performance.

Every bead of sweat that drips from your face contains a mixture of electrolytes鈥攊n layman鈥檚 terms, 鈥減ositively or negatively charged ions that conduct electrical activity,鈥� says Jonathan Toker, Ph.D., an organic chemist and elite trail runner who founded the hydration-products company SaltStick. 鈥淭hey are necessary to help maintain proper fluid balance, [and] perform functions involved in muscle contraction and relaxation.鈥�

When electrolyte levels drop too low, performance can suffer. Signs of this include muscular fatigue leading to the dreaded 鈥渂onk,鈥� cramping, poor thermoregulation that makes heat less tolerable and feelings of disorientation. In extreme cases, consuming a large volume of water without sufficient electrolytes can lead to dangerously low levels of sodium in the blood, a potentially life-threatening condition known as hyponatremia.

鈥淭he electrolytes lost in the highest concentrations through sweat are sodium and chloride,鈥� says Maria Dalzot, a sports dietitian and competitive mountain runner based in Bellingham, Washington. 鈥淭hese electrolytes must be tightly regulated for the body to function properly.鈥� Potassium, magnesium and calcium are also lost in sweat, though 鈥渋n such small amounts that they are not of concern while exercising and can be easily replaced in your everyday diet.鈥�

Some (though not all) experts say that replenishing those lesser electrolytes becomes vital during sustained, multi-hour efforts. Says Toker, 鈥淲ith a finite amount available in the body for easy access, cumulative losses over time for an athlete running four, six or 17 hours will affect calcium and magnesium levels in the blood and inhibit performance.鈥�

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Stay Balanced

The power of electrolytes to help you kick up dirt at a faster clip was illustrated by a 2015听Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports听double-blind study, which found that athletes who supplemented with sodium chloride鈥攖able salt鈥攁nd other electrolytes in addition to a sports drink before and during a half-Ironman improved their race times by an average of eight percent. They also experienced less of a drop in body weight compared to those who took a placebo. The scientists additionally reported that salt supplementation worked to stimulate thirst, which encouraged subjects to drink more and, in turn, maintain better hydration.

A recent study in the journal听Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise听found that taking electrolytes before your run can also enhance fluid retention, thereby improving rehydration.

Watch the Clock

If you鈥檙e out for a leisurely run lasting less than an hour, your electrolyte stores should be adequate without supplementation. 鈥淩eplacing salt losses becomes more of a concern when you push past the 60-minute mark, particularly if you鈥檙e sweating greatly,鈥� says Toker.

Crunch the Numbers

Sweat production, and therefore electrolyte loss, is influenced by a number of factors, including run duration and intensity, genetics, clothing and environmental conditions like humidity.

鈥淎 less fit runner will lose more electrolytes compared to an avid runner who is more efficient at maintaining electrolyte homeostasis,鈥� says Dalzot. What鈥檚 more, some people鈥檚 sweat is naturally saltier.

The most precise way to calculate your electrolyte needs is through a sports lab that offers custom sweat tests. The white coats will measure your electrolyte loss during exercise, and use that data to create a personalized hydration and electrolyte plan. Alternatively, online companies, such as Levelen and Infinit, provide DIY kits that let you gather up your own salty sweat and send it in for analysis.

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Or just go by trial and error. According to Toker, the sweet spot for most athletes is to replenish between 50 and 80 percent of electrolytes lost during exercise. 鈥淗igher replacement usually causes stomach issues, and lower replacement usually causes performance deterioration,鈥� he says.

As a starting point, consult the numbers below (provided by Toker), which indicates the average concentration of electrolytes in sweat, and experiment to determine what works for you.

Average Electrolytes Lost in 315 mL Sweat:

Sodium (mg): 听220

Potassium (mg): 听63

Calcium (mg): 听 18

Magnesium (mg): 8

Think Beyond Sports Drinks

Most of those neon-colored drinks contain no more than 200 milligrams of sodium, and so don鈥檛 come close to matching what endurance athletes lose through their sweat glands. If you鈥檙e serious about maintaining a healthy electrolyte balance, look to other sources, including salt capsules, electrolyte tablets and dissolvable powders and enhanced gels and chews (see sidebar).

Don鈥檛 forget that 鈥渞eal鈥� food can be a good source of sodium as well. If you just finished sweating buckets on a multi-hour epic, it鈥檚 O.K. to reach for those salty, crunchy snacks you are craving: pretzels, nuts, potato chips, even a cold slice of pepperoni pizza.

Cramping Your Style

Before you go stuffing your pack full of bananas, understand that potassium鈥檚 role in staving off cramps has largely been overblown. 鈥淐ramps are most likely caused by overstressed muscles,鈥� says Dalzot. Significant dehydration, poor fitness and electrolyte imbalance, particularly excessive salt loss, can play a role as well.

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Runners can also go overboard on electrolytes during taxing runs. 鈥淚f you do choose to take salt tablets, be sure to drink a sufficient amount of water,鈥� warns Dalzot.

鈥淎 large intake of sodium without water can cause bloating as water moves from the bloodstream to dilute the sodium concentration. Sodium also triggers thirst and drinking more than necessary can cause unpleasant stomach sloshing.鈥�

Salt Lick: Five electrolyte products to electrify your runs

$7.49 for 10 tablets

300 mg sodium / 150 mg potassium / 25 mg magnesium / 13 mg calcium

Drop one of these flavored, effervescent tablets into your water bottle for a balance of electrolytes along with a hint of caffeine.

$22 for 100 capsules

215 mg sodium /听63 mg potassium / 11 mg magnesium / 22 mg calcium

The electrolyte profile in these tasteless capsules corresponds to the ratio typically lost through sweating.

$22.99 for 120 capsules

80 mg sodium / 50 mg potassium / 50 mg magnesium / 100 mg calcium

Available as capsules or drink-mix powder, Endurolytes have a low concentration of sodium for maintaining electrolyte balance if you鈥檝e been hitting the salty snacks.

$23.95 for 100 capsules

341 mg sodium /听21 mg potassium

Designed to match the electrolyte profile of blood plasma, S! Caps contain molecules that aid the energy-production cycle as well as sodium and potassium.

$27 for 48 tablets

320 mg sodium /听55 mg potassium

Dissolve one of these tablets in 16 ounces of water for a low-cal, fruit-flavored sports drink with the electrolytes you need.

This article originally appeared in our July 2015 issue.

The post The Runner鈥檚 Complete Guide to Electrolytes appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

The clock had not yet struck 2 p.m. in Harlem, and my daily step count was higher than it鈥檇 been in months. My eyelids were heavy, my hips were creaking in protest, and my legs were no longer useful. And there were still ten听miles to go.

Just a few hours ago, I was giddy at the prospect of walking the entire 32-mile perimeter of Manhattan in one day via route. (Shorewalkers, a local non-profit, hosts the Saunter on the first Saturday of May each year to raise money for promoting and preserving the city鈥檚 waterfront.)

Though I鈥檇 missed the registration deadline, the opportunity to spend the entire day outside exploring new parts of my city was too tempting to pass up. So, I decided to follow the route on my own schedule and rope a friend into doing it with me. We chose a mutually convenient place to meet up鈥攁 Starbucks near the southern tip of the island鈥攁nd took our first steps into the dewy spring morning.

We were both feeling confident about our fitness levels heading into the walkabout. My friend was fresh off thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail, and I鈥檇 been running about 30 miles a week in preparation for the New York City Marathon in the fall. Equipped with coffee and a can-do attitude, I figured, I run all the time鈥攈ow hard can a long walk be?

Cue the narrator of my life: Harder than she thinks.

What It鈥檚 Like to Walk the Perimeter of Manhattan in a Day

I (perhaps naively) let my walking buddy set the pace for the morning, and we started our journey up the West Side Highway walking path at roughly 18 minutes per mile. It was fast enough to feel challenging, and my hip flexors and glutes started to fire up within the first hour.

When I connected with run coach after my walk, she wasn鈥檛 surprised to hear about this early burn. 鈥淲alking works generally the same muscle groups as running,鈥� Dorset, a 21-time marathoner and the first woman from Trinidad to complete all six major world marathons, tells me. When you walk, she explains, 鈥測ou鈥檙e priming those muscles to get ready for longer distances and added speed.鈥�

Rather than dwelling on the pain or the number of miles still to go, I tried to set my sights on our surroundings. I noticed features of the greenway I鈥檇 usually whiz right by: the daffodils reaching towards the sun, the trumpet-shaped bluebells in a fleeting symphony, the Eastern Redbud trees reawakening after a long winter. The more I focused my attention outward, the less anxiety I carried within.

As I later learned from , the assistant professor of epidemiology at Boston University School of Public Health, this wasn鈥檛 a coincidence. Jimenez explains that walks in parks (even urban ones) have been shown to have a on heart rate, sympathetic nerve activity, and other stress biomarkers. She is currently researching whether certain types of landscaping (shrubs, flowers, trees, etc.) seem to be more restorative than others. But for now, it鈥檚 safe to say that reveling in any green environment reduces stress levels.

And revel I did. Buoyed by a sampling of NYC鈥檚 and , I made it past the Little Red Lighthouse under the George Washington Bridge, through the shelter of the nearly 100-year-old Inspiration Point rest stop, and between the canopy of Inwood Hill Park to reach the tippy top of Manhattan鈥攁ll in about four hours.

Next, it was over to Harlem, where my legs really started to speak to me with some level of profanity. Again, I focused on putting one foot in front of the other and tuning into the sights of the neighborhood. The cultural melting pot was bursting with street vendors, musicians, and seemingly all the energy in the world. I greedily soaked it up.

By the time my walking buddy and I made our way back downtown via the East River path, the end of the trek was in sight, and the worst of the self-doubt had passed. A few friends joined to keep us company, and we spent the afternoon chatting, slowing our pace, and sneaking inland for a beer break or two.

Somewhere along the way, I realized the many facets of longer-distance walking. It can be both challenging and restorative, social and solitary. Clearly, the act was more versatile than I鈥檇 given it credit for. I wondered how it might help me have a more joyful, injury-free, and productive training cycle for the NYC marathon.

By 9 p.m., we had circled back to the unassuming Starbucks from which we started.

After 12 hours, 42 minutes, and 32.89 miles, our ultra-distance urban hike was complete. That night, I waddled home sore, exhausted, and eager to walk my way to a more successful marathon.

How Walking Can Make You a Better Runner

I figured that walking 30-plus miles in a day wasn鈥檛 something I could (or should) keep up with during the height of marathon season. But what distance would complement my training? And how would I know when to walk and when to run?

I brought these questions to Dorset, who affirmed that longer walks are a valuable training and recovery tool for runners鈥攁nd not just for the obvious reasons.

Beyond activating your muscles and improving , walking holds a distinctly mental appeal. As any runner knows, there are days when running is the last thing you want to do. When those happen, walking can be a more achievable way to get miles in and stay accountable to your goals.

鈥淔or whatever reason, going on your run can feel too intimidating sometimes,鈥� Dorset says, noting that she often feels this way during particularly long or difficult workweeks. 鈥淏ut people are more used to walking, especially in cities like New York. It鈥檚 not as overwhelming.鈥�

While walking can feel easier and more achievable than running鈥攅specially during periods of heightened stress鈥攊t鈥檚 still valuable exercise. 鈥淚t will still be physical motion, and it will still be time on your feet,鈥� Dorset says.

Active recovery techniques like walking can also help and (DOMS) following a tough workout. Plus, it may help prevent injuries as you build up mileage.

鈥淪ometimes if you do a long run one day and sit a lot the next day, things really tighten up,鈥� Dorset says. 鈥淚f you go for a nice walk instead, that helps get things loose again. You鈥檙e going to have a lower chance of incurring injury if your muscles are less tight and stiff.鈥�

In practice, this may look like swapping a 40-minute recovery run with a walk that takes roughly double the time (80 minutes). While individual needs vary, Dorset advises that most people shouldn鈥檛 walk for more than three-and-a-half hours at a time during training鈥攁 guideline similar to the limit for running before a marathon.

Pro Tips for Your Next Long Walk

If you鈥檙e looking to incorporate more long walks into your routine, Dorset has some additional tips:

• Warm up your feet and ankles beforehand: try rotating your ankles to make circles and/or the letters of the alphabet to ward off stiffness once you get moving.
• Bring plenty of fuel: this means water! Plus, Dorset likes to use walks as low-stakes opportunities to test out new hydration and energy gels she may use during races.
• Pack light: avoid bags or backpacks that will throw off your mechanics.
• Invest in a comfortable pair of sneakers: my feet were miraculously blister-free after 62,804 steps around Manhattan in my cushy .
• Stay engaged: keep your arms pumping and your core online during training walks. Seek out hills, steps, or bridges to add some more intensity.

Slowing Down to Speed Up

During previous training cycles, I used recovery days to go on short runs, lift weights, or hop on a bike. This go-round, I prioritized walking, seeking out paths that brought me to new neighborhoods, hilly landscapes, and good friends. When I couldn鈥檛 decide where to go, I鈥檇 look at a map and choose a green space to visit, designing my route around calming canopies.

I鈥檓 pleased to report that I made it through training injury-free and finished the NYC Marathon with a 19-minute personal record. While I can鈥檛 say that this all comes down to my walking routine, I do think it helped me better manage the physical and mental strain of training.

Looking back, I see that my circumnavigating Manhattan left me with a valuable gift that went well beyond getting the fodder for a great story to tell anyone who would listen. The experience taught me that slowing down doesn鈥檛 mean falling behind.

鈥淭here is no shame in walking,鈥� says Dorset. 鈥淎nd using walking as a tool doesn鈥檛 make you any less of a runner.鈥�

The post How a 32-Mile Walk Around Manhattan Made Me a Better Runner appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

The first training runs I ever did were bare-wristed.

I was in sixth grade, at my middle school鈥檚 cross-country practice. Our coach told us to run a lap around the school, maybe three-quarters of a mile. I sauntered around with my friends, unencumbered by any pressure to perform, as our coach smoked a cigarette in the parking lot. Eventually, we tacked on laps, running two, three, four times around the school grounds. I began to feel the drive to improve: I wanted to run more, to run faster, to keep up with the older kids.

My high school coach was the first to introduce the concept of timing our runs. He told us to go to Target and buy a simple stopwatch鈥攏o bells and whistles, no GPS, no heart-rate variability tracker鈥攋ust time. We used the Timex watches to track our training as we ran fartleks and interval workouts on local gravel trails. I was hooked by the improvement I saw in my race results, so I dedicated myself to running, tracking my progress, and aiming for a continuous upward trajectory.

A Runner鈥檚 Life, By the Watch

As I grew up, tracking progress became a more and more integral part of running culture. Watches became more advanced, and apps like Strava made data social. But still, the advice of my high school coach stuck with me: Don鈥檛 overcomplicate it. I continued to log my training in notebooks, writing out the routes, paces, and mileages manually. And despite having bought a Coros smartwatch in 2021, I often still ran with my blue 鈥渄umb鈥� Timex stopwatch.

My Timex battery finally died late last year. I had just set a big PR with a 2:26:42 marathon in Indianapolis, and I wasn鈥檛 too pressed about continuing an intense training block through the bitter cold of winter. So, when I got home after spending the holidays with my family, I decided to forgo the watch鈥攁ny watch鈥攅ntirely. It was time to get back to my roots.

Running Without a Watch

The first watchless run was an adjustment. Stepping out my door, I instinctively reached for my wrist, only to realize there was no button to push. So, I walked down the front steps, turned to my route, and got going. At stoplights, I looked down for a nonexistent activity to pause. Without it, I just kind of鈥� stood there.

As the days went by, I began to realize what a simple, even childlike, activity running is. Take away the ritualistic data collecting, the expensive gear, the constant tracking, and all you鈥檙e doing is moving your body through the world. It became a freeing feeling to walk outside and just go, no need to wait for the beep of satellite acquisition to tell me when to start. I could go as fast or as slow as I wanted, simply listening to my body to determine my pace on any given run. When I was done, the only things I had to show for it were some sweaty clothes and the rush of endorphins.

On my local bike path, running hard on a familiar stretch of road became a chance to release emotions I鈥檇 been holding. I channeled my frustration, my stress, and my pain into speed, pushing my body and savoring the challenge. I have no idea how fast I went, but I know I felt powerful.

Falling in Love With Running Again

Running is full of extrapolated life lessons: Consistency is key; everything in balance and moderation; pain is a part of growth. At the end of the month, I found all of these lessons reinforced, but a new one shone through: Trust your intuition.

The delicate balance between listening to and ignoring your body is a skill honed over years of running, but intuition goes beyond that. Intuition tells us why and how we run. It tells us to speed up when the world is overwhelming and infuriating and to slow down when the sunset turns the sky into a vibrant pastel painting. It reminds us that running is a natural part of who we are that connects us to ourselves and something greater.

Ditching the data and simplifying my runs for a month allowed me to tap back into the reasons I love running in the first place: The feelings of strength, of gratitude, of awe, the connection with my body and the world around me, the ability to challenge myself and push my limits.

As the seasons change and I begin training in earnest for races, I鈥檒l once again rely on a watch to inform my work. I鈥檒l keep track of my pace on my long runs, I鈥檒l time out my intervals, I鈥檒l aim to hit my splits. But regardless of the stats, I know my intuition will always be there to guide me.

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The post I Ran Without a Watch for a Month. It Completely Changed My Running. appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Consider this age-old dilemma: you鈥檙e at the bottom of a hill, and you want to get to the top. Should you head straight up the steepest slope or switchback back and forth at a gentler incline? The answer depends on the context. If you鈥檙e on a marked trail, for example, you should definitely stick to the prescribed switchbacks. But a more general answer involves digging into the physics.

That鈥檚 the goal of , from a research team led by David Looney and Adam Potter of the U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine. Previous researchers have found that 鈥渟teeper is cheaper鈥� for runners, meaning that it takes less energy to ascend directly up steeper slopes. But it wasn鈥檛 clear whether the same is true for walkers and backpackers, or whether the answers change depending on how hot or cold it is.

The Best Slope for Trail Runners

For starters, it鈥檚 worth looking back at the trail-running data. In 2016, researchers at the University of Colorado decided to the increasingly popular world of . The total elevation gain in these races is set at 1,000 meters, or 3,281 feet, but every course is different. A steep slope will have a shorter course distance but be harder to run up. A gentle slope will be easier to run up but cover a longer total distance. For a given finishing time, what鈥檚 the sweet spot?

The Colorado researchers built the world鈥檚 steepest treadmill (video ), capable of reaching a slope of 45 degrees鈥攁 100-percent grade, in other words. To put that into perspective, a black diamond ski run is typically about 25 degrees, and gym treadmills rarely go more than 9 degrees. They had to line the treadmill belt with sandpaper for grip, and even then runners couldn鈥檛 stay balanced beyond 40 degrees.

They tested runners at a variety of slopes, with the treadmill speed adjusted so that they were always gaining elevation at the same rate, equivalent to a vertical kilometer in a very respectable time of 48 minutes (the world record is just under 30 minutes). Here鈥檚 what the results looked like for walking (black circles) and running (white circles), with metabolic rate (basically how quickly they were burning calories) on the vertical axis:

At gentle slopes like 10 degrees, it takes a lot of energy to climb, because the treadmill is moving really fast to gain the required elevation. At steeper slopes, the calorie burn decreases: steeper is indeed cheaper, at least up to a point. Beyond about 30 degrees, calorie burn starts increasing again, presumably because the incline is now so steep that it鈥檚 hard climb efficiently. The sweet spot, then, is between 20 and 30 degrees鈥攚hich, as it turns out, corresponds to the average slopes of the courses where the fast vertical kilometers are held.

(You might also notice that walking burns less energy than running for most of the steeper slopes. That鈥檚 a truth that most mountain and trail runners eventually discover for themselves. However, it doesn鈥檛 necessarily mean that you should only walk up hills, as I explored in this article on the walk/run dilemma in trail running.)

The Best Slope for Hikers

Climbing a kilometer in 48 minutes is really fast, the aerobic equivalent of running as hard as you can for 10 kilometers, so it鈥檚 not clear that the Colorado results have much relevance for backpackers or military personnel. Looney and his colleagues decided to run similar experiments at a range of much slower climbing speeds. The Colorado study had a climbing rate of 21 vertical meters per minute; Looney鈥檚 study looks at four different climbing rates of between 1.9 and 7.8 meters per minute, a much more realistic range for hikers.

The overall results are similar to the running results: steeper was once again cheaper. For each climbing rate, choosing a steeper slope corresponded to burning fewer calories. As with the running data, there鈥檚 probably a point where getting too steep becomes counterproductive. But the steepest slope in Looney鈥檚 study was only about 13 degrees, and in that range steeper was always better.

There was an additional wrinkle in Looney鈥檚 protocol: the military is on Arctic operations, so they ran the same protocol at three different temperatures: 32, 50, and 68 degrees Fahrenheit. The two warmer temperatures were basically the same, but the data at 32 degrees was slightly different.

At slower vertical climbing rates, calorie burn rates were higher than normal at 32 degrees, because the subjects were spending extra energy keeping themselves warm by shivering and activating their . At higher vertical climbing rates, calorie burn rates were roughly the same regardless of temperature, presumably because they were working hard enough to stay warm even at 32 degrees. In cold temperatures, in other words, pushing harder can sometimes be more efficient because it saves you the energetic cost of keeping yourself warm. (Conversely, you might imagine that the steepest slopes would cause problems in really hot conditions because you鈥檙e more likely to overheat.)

The Takeaway

The most important caveat to keep in mind when interpreting these results is that the comparisons are based on a fixed climbing rate. If you鈥檙e at the bottom of a hill and want to get to the top in a given amount of time, then choosing a steeper route will generally save you energy. If you鈥檝e got all the time in the world and don鈥檛 care how long it takes you to reach the summit, then you might well choose to take a gentler route that will feel easier as you climb.

Most of us, though, live in a world where time is scarce. Even if we鈥檙e not racing vertical kilometers, we鈥檙e hoping to make it to the summit and back, or to the next campsite, before dark. In that situation, if you鈥檙e choosing between two routes, remember this: If one route is twice as steep as the other, you鈥檇 have to walk twice as fast up the gentler route to reach the top in the same time. Counterintuitive though it may sound, that data shows that under most circumstances, twice as steep is easier than twice as fast.

For more Sweat Science, join me on and , sign up for the , and check out my forthcoming book .

The post Why Steeper Is Cheaper for Climbing Hills appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

It’s no secret that our editors love to ski. With below-freezing temps and plenty of snow in the past month, we have tested more winter gear on the slopes than ever this year. From new ski boots to the perfect shades to heated gloves, below you’ll find eleven items that our editors couldn’t live without this winter.

When you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission. This supports our mission to get more people active and outside.听Learn more.

Away Carry-On Boot Bag 55L

I was taught at a very young age to never check your ski boots, no matter how tedious it might be to carry them onboard. While this practice is heavily rewarded with never having to use rental boots, it’s also downright annoying to carry clunky ski boots through airport terminals. I’m always in search of a comfortable solution, and my new go-to is Away’s ski boot bag.

The bag itself is so spacious that I can fit just about every piece of gear I’ll need for a ski trip, minus the skis (think several pairs of gloves, neck warmers, goggles, a helmet, a few sets of base layers, ski pants, socks, jackets, and of course boots). The bag also has a luggage sleeve, so it pairs nicely with a roller bag. I prefer to wear the bag on my back, but it can be carried as a duffle as well. There are also several clip-closure systems on the bag to help compress it for air travel. The bag itself is on the larger side for boot bags at 55 liters, so when fully stuffed, it may not fit under your seat. That said, I haven鈥檛 had any problems fitting the bag overhead. 鈥擩amie Aranoff, digital editor

Quinn Snacks, Peanut Butter Filled Pretzel Nuggets

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I just returned from a weeklong backcountry trip, and one of my main food groups was peanut butter-filled pretzels. I’m gluten-free which means I can’t always eat the same snacks as the rest of my team, but these pretzel nuggets from Quinn were so popular that my entire group, including the gluten-tolerant, were snacking. The pretzels are the perfect food for backcountry skiing thanks to the combination of carbs from the pretzel and protein from the peanut (or almond) butter. They’re also perfectly salty with just the slightest touch of sweetness. Now that I’m back in the front country I’ll be looking to try out all the different varieties. 鈥擩.A.

Loon’r Hi Flyer Boot

Two years ago, Mammoth Lakes, the sleepy mountain town I call home, received a whopping 73 feet of snow. I spent the majority of that winter shoveling more than skiing. One of my greatest grievances about shoveling was how wet my feet got each day. But no more.

These new knee-high EVA boots bring a smile to my face every time I pull them on. They’re super warm (my feet will go from cold to toasty within a minute of donning a pair) and fully waterproof. The tread on the bottom is sufficient for all but the slickest black ice, and the color is just delightful. Mine are Palisade Peach, a kind of neon orange that looks hilarious as I trade them for my also-bright-orange ski boots. Even though town has been snow-free for a month, I continue to wear them because they grip so well on the icy sidewalks. 鈥擩ake Stern, digital editor, 国产吃瓜黑料

Stellar Equipment Stellar Shell 2.0 and Stellar Pant 2.0

This kit feels like real-deal big mountain body armor. I tend to prefer my waterproof ski layers more on the breathable end of the waterproof/breathable spectrum because I love to hike, sidestep, and boot for stashes, but this new kit from Stellar shifts that paradigm for me.

The Stellar Shell and Pant feel incredibly premium鈥攖hick 3-layer material, a secure powder skirt, and excellent pocket placements (including a pass pocket, which should be mandatory on every ski shell in my opinion) all make for the perfect storm-day protection. All waterproof zippers and huge mesh-backed vents really round out what I like about this kit. If you have a sensitive chin, the top of the zipper may bother you until it breaks in a bit, but that’s no problem if you wear a buff. Once it finally snows again, I’ll be wearing this kit while storm skiing bell to bell. 鈥擩.S.

On Movement Tight

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A few years ago, sick of constantly having to hike my leggings up during workouts, I decided to forgo them entirely. This past fall and winter, though, I found myself wanting a pair for yoga classes and the gym. I was nervous to reenter the world of elastane and lycra, but the On Studio Tights put all my fears to rest. The seamless front is secure and camel toe-free, the drop-in side pocket on the right leg conveniently stores my phone, and the elastane and recycled polyester-blend fabric are wicking and breathable even in 95-degree Fahrenheit yoga classes. Most importantly of all: they stay put. I鈥檓 fully a legging convert鈥攁t least for this specific pair. 鈥擬iyo McGinn, assistant editor, 国产吃瓜黑料

Tecnica Mach1 LV 120 ski boots

Life’s too short to ski in pain, but if I’m honest, I’ve endured far more days of agony on the slopes than ones without. This unfortunate fact is due to my long, narrow, low-volume feet. Most extra-large models are far too wide in the toe box, and too roomy in the arch. My feet swim around, forcing me to either stuff the boot liners with footbeds and padding or to ratchet down the buckles to choke my foot into place. Neither method is particularly comfy.

That recently changed after I purchased a pair of Tecnica’s Mach 1 LV 120 boots. My coworker, digital editor Jake Stern, recommended them after I complained to him about my footwear plight. Prior to joining 国产吃瓜黑料, Jake was a professional boot-fitter, and he’s the smartest guy on ski gear that I know. I tried them on, along with several other LV models from different brands, and they fit the best. The “LV” stands for “low volume”鈥攜ep, boots designed for wonky feet like mine. And after eight days on the slopes thus far, I can say without hesitation that they are the most comfortable pair I’ve ever skied in. I’ve bid adieu to my pre-ski-day Advil, and even my post-ski-day complaints. Thanks, Jake! 鈥擣red Dreier, articles editor, 国产吃瓜黑料

The North Face Summit Series Breithorn Hoodie

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It鈥檚 been an unusually cold and snowy winter here in the Southern Appalachians, which means I鈥檝e spent a lot of time in this over-engineered, incredibly warm puffy. The Breithorn is stuffed with water-resistant 800-fill synthetic down, so I don鈥檛 have to worry when the snow shower turns into a wet 鈥渨intery mix.鈥� This is the puffy many TNF athletes use in bitter cold, high alpine environments, and you could argue that it鈥檚 overkill for me, considering my mountains top out at 6,000 feet. But I鈥檇 argue that you can never be too warm when you鈥檙e drinking whiskey in the ski hill parking lot after a night skiing session. Also of note鈥攖his thick puffy is actually really packable, squishing down to the perfect airplane pillow size. 鈥擥raham Averill, travel and gear columnist

Filson Lined Mackinaw Wool Packer Coat

When the Bidens invited my wife and me to swing by their place for the White House Christmas party, my first thought was panic. What on earth does an outdoors writer who lives in rural Montana wear to meet the president? Over a wool suit and a vintage tie, Filson鈥檚 flagship jacket was the answer. It kept me warm while waiting in the security line in 30-degree temperatures, and the sheepskin collar added just the right amount of flare for the holidays. I know this not due to my own very limited fashion sense but because the stylist who did Dr. Jill鈥檚 Vogue cover told me so. The coat鈥檚 since worked just as well on a particularly chilly visit to the Dallas Country Club, and while dining out with family in Park City. 鈥擶es Siler, contributing editor

Ibex Men’s Woolies Pro Tech Bottom

The new year found me staying in a cabin near Estes Park, Colorado,, and venturing out for hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park. The first thing I put on every day were these lightweight wool leggings from Ibex. The merino/nylon Nuyarn blend was exceptionally soft and warm against the skin, but so thin and stretchy that I didn’t notice they were there. Whatever my level of effort or the weather鈥攔anging from calm, sunny days with temps in the 30s to a howling blizzard with the thermometer barely reaching the teens鈥攖he Ibex bottoms insulated and breathed admirably under wind- and water-proof outer layers, keeping my leg temperature comfortably regulated. They didn’t even feel stifling sitting in a cafe eating lunch after a morning hike.

The tights are too thin and airy to ever wear alone outside, but they were snuggly as jammies for chilly evenings and nights in the cabin. 鈥擩onathan Beverly, senior running editor, Gear

Ciele VLV Halfzip Running Midlayer

It鈥檚 damn hard to design a good midlayer for runners. You need something warm because runners love to head out at 6 a.m. when it鈥檚 cold and windy. But you also need something that breathes well because running is such a high-output sport. Ciele offers several smart solutions with the VLV. First, they lined the inside with a diamond grid fleece where the center of each diamond is hollow so that lots of air can escape. On first wear it feels like the VLV lets through more air than you would like, but after five minutes it鈥檚 perfectly regulated for running in temps anywhere from 10 to 40 degrees. The half zip also comes with a two-way zipper so you can open the bottom for ventilation but not have the collar flapping around in your face. I particularly love the purple colorway because there鈥檚 not a lot of good purple running gear on the market. 鈥擩akob Schiller,听国产吃瓜黑料听correspondent

Flint and Tinder Flannel-Lined Hooded Waxed Jacket

Waxed jackets are having a style moment thanks to shows like Yellowstone. And while it looks cool when cowboys flip up the collar on their jackets, I鈥檓 here to tell you it adds almost no warmth. The wind will find its way around your neck and you鈥檒l still be cold, even if you look tough. That鈥檚 why I鈥檓 a much bigger fan of this hooded waxed jacket. I still get the tough-as-nails exterior that develops a beautiful patina over time as well as a flannel-lined hood with a buttery-soft interior that keeps my head, ears, and neck warm when it鈥檚 bitter outside. The jacket gives off more of an urban vibe instead of making me look like I rode in on a horse, but I鈥檓 okay with that. 鈥擩.S.

The post The Gear Our Editors Are Loving This Winter appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Within the last few weeks, I would bet my last that someone has asked you, 鈥淒o you watch Severance?鈥� And if you said no or blinked back in confusion, I鈥檓 sure I鈥檓 not the first one to tell you that it鈥檚 incredible.

For the un-aquainted, , which first aired in 2022, is set in a futuristic era where a company called Lumon Industries has developed the biotechnology that allows its employees to 鈥榮ever鈥� their brains into two personalities: your working self and your personal self. Severed people undergo a medical procedure that implants a device in their brain, which causes employees to forget everything about the outside world once they step foot into their work building. Likewise, once they leave, all the memories of what happened during the workday or gone. So in theory, there are 鈥渢wo鈥� versions of yourself, one who works, and one who doesn鈥檛.

After years of anticipation, season two episode one premiered on January 17. And in truth, it鈥檚 all I鈥檝e been thinking about lately.

The brilliance of the show is that it touches on themes of work-life balance, workplace culture, political expression, and the meaning of memory and community. It makes you think about what life would be like if you had the option to be severed. You鈥檇 never have to feel the stress or exhaustion of work ever again, and focus solely on your personal life. On the other hand, you technically create this whole other 鈥測ou鈥� that knows nothing about yourself or the outside world鈥攋ust the four walls of your cubicle. As I watch season two as a new episode is released week by week, I start to wonder how being severed would apply to other areas of my life鈥攍ike running.

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Would You Sever Your Running Self?

What if, as soon as I slipped on my running shoes, my severed self stepped in and took on all the grunt work? Say one day I鈥檓 not looking forward to a tough workout in the cold. If I had a severed running side, I wouldn鈥檛 have to feel the bitter chill, climb tortuous hill repeats, or endure huffing through race pace miles. I鈥檇 step outside in my shoes, and in the blink of an eye, be done and back inside for a post-run snack. I鈥檇 reap the rewards of building my endurance and athleticism for fun races and routes without needing to suffer through the not-so-fun parts of a training block.

The fictional scenario sounds tempting. 鈥淏ut running is supposed to be fun!鈥� You might say. 鈥淚f you don鈥檛 love it, don鈥檛 do it!鈥� Yeah, yeah, yeah. I agree. But if you鈥檝e ever trained for a race, you know there are days when you wish you鈥檇 picked an easier hobby. Here are some instances in which I wish I was severed:

1. When my alarm goes off at 5 A.M. for my early run and I鈥檓 snuggled in bed, sleeping on the cool side of the pillow.
2. When I鈥檓 running through pouring-down rain so heavy I鈥檓 open-mouth breathing like a carp.
3. When I have to run up a hill that forces me into near slow-motion pace.
4. When I run out of water during a blistering hot run.
5. When the run is so sticky and muggy that I have to peel off the gnats that got stuck to my face one by one.

Turns out the reason why people endure tough, less-than-enjoyable things can be explained by the a theory conceptualized by psychologist Michael Inzlicht from the University of Toronto. The paradox suggests that effort can be both costly and valuable, that, although our genetic makeup pushes us to choose survival above all else (which often does not require climbing high mountains or running long distances), humans have evolved to sometimes choose difficulty over ease.

I asked Inzlicht what the repercussions would be of severing yourself for say, marathon training.

鈥淲hile it might seem appealing to skip the grueling training and just enjoy being race-ready, our research suggests this would likely diminish the overall experience,鈥� Inzlicht says. 鈥淲e鈥檝e found that effort, despite being aversive in the moment, serves as a crucial source of meaning and satisfaction.鈥�

He says that behavioral studies show that people value achievements more when they require significant effort. That rush of emotion you get after a race might not feel as powerful if you didn鈥檛 spend months of a training block working for it.

鈥淏y removing the experience of effort, we might be removing what makes achievements feel truly significant,鈥� Inzlicht says. 鈥淭he struggle itself becomes part of the story and identity. 鈥�

It reminds me of the famous , a study conducted by a psychologist named Walter Mischel in 1970. Mischel would place a marshmallow in front of a child (of preschool age) and tell them that if they waited to eat it, they would be rewarded with a second marshmallow later. The results found that more children were willing to wait longer (the more difficult option) in order to reap the higher reward. Similarly, runners are willing to experience the lows of training because the feeling of crossing the finish line is so powerful.

The study also found that the children who resisted the marshmallow were more likely to be patient in the future and better prepared for 鈥渄ifficult鈥� aspects of life. The same could be said for enduring those tough parts of running. shows that runners, (especially ultramarathoners) have higher levels of self-efficacy compared to those who don鈥檛 run, which significantly impacts motivation, commitment, and self-control. also report that, because these kinds of runners have strong mental fortitude, they have more efficient emotion regulation strategies, stress-coping mechanisms, and experience less anxiety.

To me, the most glaring part of this research is that most of the time, runners aren鈥檛 born with this extra mental fortitude, but it鈥檚 developed through the constant repeated action of enduring hard things like waking up at the crack of dawn, running through the sleet and snow, and tackling scary steep hills.

So if I severed myself, I might not have the same mental toughness that I have today. The same mindset that has helped me tackle problems outside of running, helped me navigate the daily stressors of life, and grow confident enough to seek bigger goals and challenges. In fact, counterintuitively, not suffering through those days when I hate running may ultimately make me love running less.

Of course, the whole scenario is fictional, and so coming to this conclusion might seem sort of inconsequential. But this thought exercise reminds me that it鈥檚 important to understand why we invest so much time and energy into this silly hobby of ours. It helps us appreciate running even on those crappy days, and it鈥檚 what gets us through the inevitable lows that come during that race that we train for all year.

Plus, who knows how far biotechnology advancements will go? Maybe severing will one day be a real option. At least now, I鈥檝e made my decision far in advance.

RELATED: Versatile Running Gear You Can Wear All Day, Anywhere

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My favored route to the top of Mount Sanitas, in Boulder, Colorado, gains some 1,200 feet in just over a mile. It starts on the aptly named Goat Trail and then climbs the East Ridge Trail to the 6,800-foot summit. There are much better trails for running in Boulder鈥攍ess rocky, less steep鈥攂ut I prefer this route up Sanitas because it has a great view, it鈥檚 near my home, and, if nothing else, it鈥檚 very efficient.

I鈥檓 not a particularly good runner, definitely not fast, but I am consistent. Over the last 15 years, I鈥檝e chugged up Sanitas more than 2,000 times. Occasionally I鈥檒l mix it up with one of those other Boulder trails, where the grade is more running-friendly and my dog can chase new smells, but we always come back to Sanitas. Which is to say, I know the route to the top really, really well. I know where wildflowers appear in yellow and purple bunches in late spring and where ice persists long after winter storms. I know where water pools after summer rain and which pine trees smell like butterscotch.

And I certainly know my pace. The ascent takes me about 30 minutes, depending on how many times I have to pick up my dog鈥檚 poop. (I once made it to the top in 22 minutes, without the dog, which isn鈥檛 bad for a middle-aged desk jockey, but for context, Kilian Jornet ran the nearly identical in 14 minutes and 12 seconds, according to).

Even at my slowest, though, I鈥檓 at least maintaining a steady jog. So I knew something was different when I suddenly stopped running halfway up. Weird, I thought, as I slowed to a walk with no conscious decision to downshift. It was a bright April day, perfect conditions, and I was glad to be back on Sanitas after a couple of weeks out of town. I had been put-putting along like normal, on a section of trail that steepens considerably after a couple of long switchbacks, and then suddenly I was walking. It felt like running underwater: I was telling my legs to run, but they just wouldn’t go any faster.

I felt fine in every other way鈥攏o pain, nothing. I was breathing hard but that鈥檚 normal on a trail that ascends more than 1,000 feet per mile. This must be what serious athletes mean by hitting the wall, I thought. But why was I bonking on a trail I know so well? I continued to swim-walk, considering possibilities. Did I need to re-acclimatize to the altitude after being at sea level for two weeks? Did I have a virus that was sapping my energy? Were the effects of aging unfolding the same way Earnest Hemingway, in the Sun Also Rises, described the process of going bankrupt: gradually, then suddenly?

More than a decade ago, surprising research sparked sensational headlines suggesting that endurance training might be bad, not good, for your heart. Articles like 鈥溾�� captured the spirit of the moment. The counterintuitive results of these studies turned out to be flawed, but they did jumpstart a series of investigations into the relationship between endurance training and cardio health.

Alex Hutchinson, 国产吃瓜黑料鈥檚 Sweat Science columnist, has written extensively about the subject. Most recently he dug into the latest news in 鈥�Two Promising Updates on Heart Health in Endurance Athletes.鈥� The upshot? It鈥檚 clear that endurance training affects the heart, but it鈥檚 difficult to say exactly what the changes mean. For example, one study found that masters endurance athletes have elevated scores compared to non-athletes, which on the surface is not good. Higher levels of arterial calcium are associated with a higher risk of serious and potentially fatal heart problems in the general population. That鈥檚 because calcium deposits are a sign of possible plaque buildup on the artery walls, and when plaque breaks off it can create a blockage, reducing or stopping the flow of blood.

But the new research goes deeper, examining the difference in plaque between endurance athletes and non-athletes. It turns out that while CAC scores do increase in athletes over time, the athletes鈥� plaque tends to be smooth and hard, and unlikely to rupture compared to the softer plaque found in non-athletes. Crucially, one study found that subjects with higher CAC scores caused by exercise did not have a higher risk of cardiac events.

Endurance training can affect the heart in other ways. It鈥檚 a muscle, after all, and it responds to a workout. Researchers have documented micro-scarring in athletes鈥� hearts, for example. But the studies are so far inconclusive when it comes to proving if specific changes are good or bad or neutral on the one thing it鈥檚 safe to say we all care about: longevity.

Fortunately, a 2022 published in the journal Circulation speaks directly to that issue. It followed 116,221 adults over the course of 30 years. Researchers asked subjects to report on their exercise habits every two years, which provided a much more complete picture of their athleticism over time than previous studies. The takeaway? As Hutchinson sums it up in his reporting, 鈥淭he headline result is that those doing 150 to 300 minutes a week of vigorous exercise such as running (or, somewhat equivalently, 300 to 600 minutes a week of moderate exercise such as walking) were about half as likely to die during the study.鈥�

That鈥檚 good news for runners who have been confused by the mixed messages on heart health. Five hours of running a week鈥攁bout exactly how much time I spend going up and down Sanitas鈥攊s as good for your body as it is for your soul. (Logging more than 300 minutes of vigorous exercise per week yielded about the same benefits.)

Of course, large epidemiological studies can鈥檛 say anything about an individual鈥檚 experience. Which is why endurance athletes should take comfort in the latest research, but pay very, very close attention to what their own bodies are telling them.

Halfway up Sanitas, I should have stopped and paid a little more attention to my sudden inability to run. But mostly I felt confused, not worried. And embarrassed. I encountered an acquaintance who was going down the trail, and as she passed, my main goal was to jog a few steps so she didn鈥檛 see me walking. I barely managed it. Then I started thinking about how late I would be getting to the top, where I was meeting a friend. Would he get impatient and leave?

I kept slogging away, and though my legs felt the same鈥�deadweights鈥擨 actually started to feel better about the situation. Just a fluke, I figured, I probably just need a good night鈥檚 sleep.

By the time I reached the rocky summit, I felt victorious, like I鈥檇 really achieved something. My friend Aaron didn鈥檛 see it that way.

鈥淵ou look like shit,鈥� he said when I arrived on top.

鈥淛ust need to catch my breath,鈥� I gasped, like I鈥檇 just finished a marathon. I sank gratefully onto a boulder. It took a few minutes longer than expected, but I did catch my breath, and also fended off Aaron鈥檚 efforts to ask if there were any doctors among the summit crowd. I felt vindicated鈥攁nd mostly back to normal鈥攐n the descent.

Two hours later, after eating and drinking and showering, I was ready to write off the whole episode and try Sanitas again the next day. But two things changed my mind. My resting heart rate was still high, over 80, when it normally hovers in the 50s, and when I called my wife, she encouraged me to get checked.

If continuing up Sanitas that day was my first mistake, identifying my second is pretty easy: riding a bike to the urgent care a half mile away. But at this point I was feeling fine. Going to the doctor? Just an abundance of caution. So when the folks at urgent care said they lacked the required diagnostic tools, and I needed to go to the Emergency Room at a hospital across town, I was mostly annoyed. I had to ride home and drive there (mistake number three: driving).

Things only coalesced for me when I was in the ER, hooked up to an EKG machine, and heard an announcement over the intercom: 鈥淐ardiac alert room 9.鈥�

Room 9? That was my room.

An hour later, I was in the operating room getting a stent inserted in my left anterior descending artery. According to the cardiologist, the artery had been partially blocked by an event I鈥檇 experienced while running. A piece of plaque, he said, had 鈥渆xploded鈥� and formed a clot. He couldn鈥檛 say what had caused it, but he reassured me that the rest of my arteries were fine, and now this one was too.

In my particular case, it鈥檚 impossible to say if running had any role in the heart attack鈥攅ither as a contributing or mitigating factor. Could exercise have led to an increase in plaque? Or could some level of cardio fitness have protected my heart from damage while the blood flow was diminished? And did I have soft plaque despite running, or did I have hard plaque that ruptured anyway? Was it due to genetics? (My dad, 82, has three stents.)

Regardless, the cardiologist saw no reason for me to change my running habits. Just take it easy for a month, he said, and then I could resume exercising with no limitations. And that鈥檚 exactly what I did, first on Sanitas, and then farther afield. In the following months, I rafted the Grand Canyon, trekked in Nepal, and topped 17,000 feet. I drove a moped around northern Vietnam, a stress test if there ever was one.

If that sounds like a post-heart attack bucket list agenda, it鈥檚 just a coincidence鈥攖he trips were already planned. So this is not the part where I reflect on my close call and embrace a newfound fervor to live for today. I like to think that we all have the capacity to appreciate how precious and fleeting life is without having a near-death experience.

But here鈥檚 something I have been thinking about on recent runs up Sanitas: Could endurance athletes, even very average ones like me, be their own worst enemies when it comes to recognizing serious medical events? After all, the ability to push through discomfort is literally the definition of endurance. We practice training our minds to overrule our bodies.

That doesn鈥檛 mean we should start walking instead of running. Heck, plenty of sedentary guys have ignored heart attack warning signs. There鈥檚 no reason to miss out on the well-documented physical and mental benefits of endurance sports.

So rather than backing off鈥攁nd to be clear this is my evidence-free opinion鈥擨 think we need to push a little harder. Most everyday athletes, even very accomplished ones, don鈥檛 redline their bodies. Elite athletes may know what hitting the wall actually feels like, but most of us ease up well short of collapse.

What if that鈥檚 a mistake? What if knowing the full range of your potential鈥攚hat it feels like at the outer edges of what you鈥檙e capable of鈥攊s exactly what you need? Will you be more likely to notice, and act, when you enter unfamiliar territory?

Before experiencing a heart attack, I thought I knew the, chest pain chief among them. But of course, it鈥檚 not so clear cut. On Sanitas, shortness of breath and fatigue were my only complaints, and they were exactly what I expected to experience, to varying degrees, when running up a very, very steep hill.

So go ahead, run hard. Or bike hard or hike hard. But take it from me: if you experience serious changes, take them seriously.

Lewon says he isn鈥檛 sure if he has good luck or bad, but this was actually his second close call in the backcountry. To hear about his first, listen to of the Out Alive podcast.

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