Every summer, it happens.
A runner heads out the door feeling fit, motivated, and ready to crush a workout. The pace that felt comfortable in April suddenly feels impossible. Heart rate climbs. Breathing becomes labored. Frustration follows.
The immediate reaction is often, "I've lost fitness." But in most cases, that's not true at all. 
The reality is that heat and humidity place additional stress on the body, making the same pace require more effort. Understanding how to adjust your training during the summer months can help you train more effectively, recover better, and avoid the mental trap of chasing paces that no longer match the conditions.
The Weather Impacts Your Pace
A pace that feels comfortable on a 55-degree morning may feel significantly harder on an 80-degree afternoon. Add humidity, sunlight, and little wind, and the difference becomes even more noticeable.
Your body is working overtime to keep itself cool while also powering your run. That extra workload often means your pace naturally slows down. This doesn't mean you're getting slower. It means you're running in more challenging conditions.
Adjust Your Pace, Not Your Expectations
At Runcoach, we believe pace is one of the most valuable training tools available. Pace helps provide structure to workouts and ensures you're training in the appropriate effort for your goals.
However, pace should always be viewed within the context of the conditions. Think of your training paces as targets, not rigid requirements.
When temperatures climb, experienced runners adjust their expectations rather than forcing splits that no longer match the environment. The goal is still to complete the intended workout. Sometimes that requires making small adjustments to the pace displayed on your watch.
How Much Should You Adjust?
There is no perfect formula because every runner responds differently to heat. Factors such as humidity, sun exposure, fitness level, and heat acclimation all play a role.
As a general guideline:
The key is recognizing that these changes are normal. If you're consistently running slower in July than you were in April, that doesn't automatically mean your fitness has declined.
Don't Chase the Watch
One of the quickest ways to turn a productive run into a miserable one is to force a pace that doesn't match the conditions.
Many runners become so focused on hitting a specific number that they ignore what the weather is asking of them. A better approach is to use your pace target as a guide while allowing for reasonable adjustments when conditions are difficult.
Some days you'll hit every split perfectly. Other days, the smartest decision is backing off slightly and completing the workout successfully.
Consistency beats forcing one workout and needing extra recovery afterward.
Expect an Adjustment Period
The good news is that the body adapts. Heat acclimation typically begins within the first week of consistent exposure and continues to improve over roughly two weeks.
As adaptation occurs, several positive changes take place:
Many runners notice that workouts begin feeling easier after 10 to 14 days of training in the heat. The key is patience. The first few hot runs of the season are often the most difficult.
Summer Fitness Pays Off Later
Here's the part many runners forget. The work you're doing now is still building fitness.
Even if your watch shows slower paces, your body is adapting to the demands of training in tougher conditions. When cooler temperatures return in the fall, many runners are surprised to see their pace improve almost immediately.
The fitness was there all along. The weather was just hiding it!
This is one reason so many marathoners and half marathoners complete the bulk of their training during the hottest months of the year. The miles you log in June, July, and August often show up as stronger performances in September, October, and November.
A Few Summer Running Tips
To make summer training more manageable:
The Bottom Line
If your pace is slower this summer, don't panic. Heat and humidity affect every runner, from beginners to elite athletes. Adjusting your pace for the conditions isn't a sign of weakness, it's a sign of smart training.
Stay consistent, trust the process, and remember that the goal isn't to win a workout in July. The goal is to build the fitness that will help you perform your best when race day arrives.
And when those cool fall mornings finally return, you'll be glad you kept showing up.
If you run with a modern sports watch, you’ve probably noticed that we are living in the golden age of running data. After a solid long run, your Garmin Connect app serves up a buffet of advanced scientific metrics. But what do all those numbers actually mean for your daily training?
I’ve started to consider what this data might have meant in my faster days (late ‘90s and early ‘00s). At the time, there were limited metrics available aside from a handful of high-end biomechanics labs. The data presently at our finger tips, coming from our wrist, on a daily basis is both pervasive and awesome (in the fear inspiring sense).
For years you’ve heard me and our other coaches stress the importance of pace recognition, Rate of Perceived Exertion which we use as Rate of Perceived Effort (RPE), progressive pacing with some input from heart rate as a % of maximum heart rate.
I’m super excited about all the new data available and believe that proper pacing with recognition along with forms of progressive pacing are still the most important for race and training outcomes.
But. . . the available data can no longer be ignored so let’s start to interpret some of it.
Today, we’re going to look at three of my favorite advanced running dynamics:
Stride Length
Vertical Oscillation
Vertical Ratio
I’ll explain what they are, why they matter, and how we can tweak your form/effort to become a smoother, more efficient, and injury-free runner.
Note: Definitions from Garmin Human Performance Lab are publicly available and included below.
This is simply the distance you cover with each stride. Of course, we don’t want long lopey strides or potential over striding to interfere with our focus. In fact a shorter stride length can be beneficial especially in the early parts of a race. One practical consideration I have with stride length is to consider your drive at the end of races. Often we observe max stride length at 75-85% of race distance. One way to improve the stride length is a concomitant effort to swing your arms with strong force near the end. If you watch World Class Marathon/10K/5K/1500m etc. runners at the finish their arm swing is almost always exaggerated compared to the start of the race. When you swing your arms with force, your legs follow suit.
In simple terms, Vertical Oscillation is your "bounce." It measures the amount of vertical movement in your torso with each step, measured in centimeters.
Ideally, as runners, we want our energy propelling us forward, not upward. However, we frequently see a point of frustration for taller runners here. Because taller runners have longer legs and naturally longer strides, their absolute vertical oscillation numbers are almost always slightly higher than shorter runners simply due to biomechanics. A tall runner might naturally sit around 7.5 to 8.6 cm, which can look high on paper but is perfectly normal for their height.
In my opinion, raw Vertical Oscillation metrics should not be over emphasized. Stride length (especially at the end of a good effort) + Vertical Ratio are better indicators of proper form.
If you’re a taller runner looking at your Garmin data and feeling discouraged by your bounce, don't worry. This is where Vertical Ratio comes to the rescue.
Vertical Ratio takes your Vertical Oscillation and divides it by your Stride Length, expressing the result as a percentage. This metric essentially levels the playing field, factoring in your height and stride to give you a true picture of your running efficiency.
Instead of obsessing over raw centimeters, look at your Vertical Ratio percentage. Here is how the benchmarks break down:
Excellent (Elite): Less than 6.5%
Great: 6.5% – 8.3%
Good (Average): 8.4% – 10.0%
Needs Improvement: Greater than 10.0%
(Note: Many runners find they naturally bump up against "Excellent" or "Great" ratios during fast interval sessions, as faster running promotes better form! This is one of the reasons that here at Runcoach we always suggest one or two quality sessions with intervals at faster paces each week.)
Whether you're a middle-aged marathoner or an infrequent 5K racer, keeping your Vertical Ratio in check provides two massive benefits:
1. Energy Conservation
Think of it this way: over the course of 26.2 miles, bouncing an extra inch per step equates to climbing hundreds of extra feet of elevation. By keeping your bounce down, you are saving precious glycogen stores for the later miles when you really need them.
2. Injury Prevention
What goes up must come down. A higher vertical oscillation means a heavier landing. Reducing your bounce significantly decreases the ground reaction forces on your knees, hips, and lower back. If you want to stay healthy and injury-free through long, grueling training blocks, smoothing out your ride is key.
If your watch is consistently showing a high Vertical Ratio, you don't need to completely overhaul your stride. Usually, corrections only need to be made in millimeters. Here are 5 practical, coach-approved ways to smooth out your ride:
Run "Quietly": We love this mental cue. Next time you run, focus on making less noise when your feet hit the pavement. This naturally encourages a softer, lower-impact, and more forward-driving stride.
Slight Forward Lean: Ensure you are running with a slight, natural lean from your ankles—not bending at the waist. This helps direct your momentum forward rather than upward.
Consider a Low Ceiling as your Guide: Pretend you’re running indoors and the ceiling is only a few inches/centimeters above your head. Try to avoid hitting your head with each stride. (Note: Take this recommendation with a grain of salt because the faster we run, the more bounce we will get from power. The “don’t hit your head on the ceiling” practice is most ideal for long and easy runs not quality sessions).
Increase Your Cadence: The quickest and most effective way to reduce vertical oscillation is to increase your step rate (cadence) by 5% to 10%. Taking quicker, slightly shorter steps naturally flattens out your trajectory and prevents overstriding. (Aiming closer to 180 steps per minute is a great goal, though taller runners may naturally sit a bit lower).
Try a Running Economy Microcycle: Because faster running promotes quicker cadence and better form, mixing in shorter, faster intervals (like 200m repeats) is a great way to set a baseline of strong mechanics. Your body remembers that efficient form, which eventually bleeds into your easy runs. Many of you have heard this suggestion from me in between Marathons and other goal races. If you’re interested in a running economy cycle, please reach out to your coach.
At Runcoach, we believe data is only as good as the human insight behind it. The next time you finish a run, take a peek at your Vertical Ratio in Garmin Connect. If the number is a bit high, try running "quietly" with a slightly quicker step on your next outing. Check out your Vertical Ratio on the intervals of your quality sessions and you will see a big difference.
Want a coach to look at your smart watch and help you build a plan to improve your running economy? Our 1:1 human coaching team is always here to help you make sense of the metrics and achieve your next personal best.
Vertical Oscillation, Vertical Ratio, Stride Length Chart (Note: this table was created with help from Gemini AI and reviewed by the coaches at Runcoach):
|
Metric & Tier |
6' 2" Runner(1.88 m / 188 cm) |
5' 9" Runner(1.75 m / 175 cm) |
5' 6" Runner(1.68 m / 168 cm) |
|
Vertical Oscillation (cm) |
|||
|
* Moderate |
10.0 – 11.5 cm |
9.5 – 11.0 cm |
9.0 – 10.5 cm |
|
* Good |
8.5 – 9.9 cm |
8.0 – 9.4 cm |
7.5 – 8.9 cm |
|
* Elite |
7.0 – 8.4 cm |
6.5 – 7.9 cm |
6.0 – 7.4 cm |
|
Vertical Ratio (%) |
|||
|
* Moderate |
8.6% – 10.0% |
8.6% – 10.0% |
8.6% – 10.0% |
|
* Good |
6.6% – 8.5% |
6.6% – 8.5% |
6.6% – 8.5% |
|
* Elite |
Under 6.5% |
Under 6.5% |
Under 6.5% |
|
Stride Length (meters) |
|||
|
* Moderate |
1.10 – 1.20 m |
1.00 – 1.10 m |
0.90 – 1.00 m |
|
* Good |
1.21 – 1.35 m |
1.11 – 1.25 m |
1.01 – 1.15 m |
|
* Elite |
1.36 – 1.50+ m |
1.26 – 1.40+ m |
1.16 – 1.30+ m |
Available from Garmin publicly accessible information https://www.garmin.com/en-US/garmin-technology/running-science:
Something shifted this spring - and it wasn’t just the weather.
At the Boston Marathon, we saw fast times across the board. Some pointed to ideal conditions - and that’s always part of the story. But then came the London Marathon. No tailwind. No excuses. Just historic performances.
Sebastian Sawe ran 1:59:30.
Tigst Assefa ran 2:15:41, setting a women’s-only world record.
So what connects Boston and London? It’s not just talent. It’s not just shoes. It’s fueling.
The Carb Revolution Is No Longer a Theory
For years, endurance athletes were told to limit carbohydrate intake or “train low.”
That thinking has flipped - completely.
At the elite level, the focus now is maximizing carbohydrate availability in both training and racing. Here’s what we’re seeing:
This isn’t marginal gains anymore. This is a fundamental shift in how endurance performance is built.
Fueling Is Driving the Training
The real breakthrough isn’t just what’s happening on race day - it’s what’s happening in training. Higher carbohydrate intake allows athletes to:
Instead of digging a hole with every hard session, runners are actually supporting the work required to improve. That’s a big shift. Fitness is no longer limited by how much discomfort you can tolerate - it’s supported by how well you fuel.
Why This Changes Everything
This isn’t just about elites running faster times. It’s about why they’re running faster. When fueling improves, everything downstream improves:
We’re seeing it across the board - marathoners, triathletes, cyclists. Better fueling leads to better training. Better training leads to better performance.
What This Means for You
No, you don’t need to jump straight to 120-150g of carbs per hour. But the direction is clear:
The key is doing it correctly for your body and your training.
The Bottom Line
We’re entering a new era of endurance performance.
Records that once felt untouchable are starting to fall - not because athletes suddenly got more talented, but because they’re finally fueling in a way that supports their potential.
High carbohydrate fueling is leading that shift. And for the first time in a long time, performance gains are coming from something that also supports better training consistency and long-term development.
That’s a change worth paying attention to.
In an era where the integrity of marathon world records is scrutinized more than ever, Kenyan distance star Sebastian Sawe is rewriting the playbook—not just on the pavement, but in the laboratory. At The London Marathon Sawe obliterated the previous marathon world record running 1:59:30 . What was different? He took the unprecedented step of voluntarily requesting independent drug testing.
This move marks a significant shift in how elite athletes approach the shadow of doping that has loomed over the sport. By choosing transparency over the minimum requirements, Sawe built a foundation of trust before the starting gun even fired.
Sebastian Sawe, has seen the skepticism that follows meteoric rises in marathon times. With recent world records shattering previous benchmarks, the global athletics community has demanded more rigorous oversight. Sawe’s decision to opt-in for additional testing serves as a preemptive strike against doubt.
"Transparency is the only way forward for our sport," Sawe noted in recent discussions regarding his training protocol. "If we want our records to stand the test of time, they must first pass the test of absolute integrity."
Kenya has faced intense pressure from the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) and World Athletics due to a series of high-profile suspensions. Sawe’s proactive stance is being viewed as a beacon for other Kenyan athletes. His camp believes that by voluntarily entering into high-frequency testing pools, he can prove that world-record-shattering performances can be achieved through talent, training, and clean competition. Sawe was tested 25 times prior to his World Record!
The logistical commitment required for such a request is substantial. It involves coordinating with anti-doping agencies to ensure a biological passport that is beyond reproach. For Sawe, the goal was clear: when he crossed the finish line, the discussion was to be about his splits and his stamina, not his supplements.
Sawe's journey toward the marathon world record was not just a quest for speed—it was a mission to restore the purity of the long-distance run. By opting for testing, he ensured that breaking the world record was a milestone the entire world could celebrate without hesitation.
As a runner, chances are at some point or another you’ve experienced pain in your hamstrings, knees, or lower back that just won’t seem to let up no matter how much you stretch. 
Interestingly enough, this pain may actually be stemming from inactive glute muscles.
Luckily, performing a few simple activation exercises pre-run can stop this pain in its tracks, allowing you to run powerful, strong, and injury free.
“So why aren’t my glutes firing?” you may ask.
The most common reason is that most people sit for long periods of time. The glute muscles tend to stop firing due to a lack of oxygen and tightened hip flexors. This, in return, puts more strain on the lower back, hamstrings, and knees, that imbalanced and stiff feeling when you head out for a run.
Even if you don’t have pain you can benefit greatly from these exercises. Waking the body up before you run is a game changer.
Add these simple exercises to your warm up routine and get those glutes firing.
Here are 4 of my favorite exercises to warm up before your run.
Aiming for 1 round of 30-40 seconds can take you from feeling flat to feeling like you are firing on all cylinders.
StarsGPS watches have become a staple for runners and endurance athletes. They give us instant feedback on pace, distance, heart rate, and more—helping us train with structure and precision. I use mine daily and love the extra data.
The data is endless and here is how you can pair data with expert coaching feedback to make the most out of your training; Sleep score is one metric measured by a watch. Garmin categorises sleep as light, deep, and REM. It measures how much time you spent in each zone and then uses an algorithm to rate your rest. This can be useful if you have a big workout coming up. Perhaps it is worthwhile to push a day to when you are more rested. Checking in with your coach to discuss options can be a great pairing.
Likewise, resting heart rate can be a valuable tool measured by your smart watch. If your HR is 3-4 beats higher, you’re probably just a little fatigued and need an easier day. However, if it is 8-12 beats higher you may be coming down with an illness and a discussion with your caoch can help you to decide if you need a rest day to nip it in the bud before you are forced to take time off.
I’ve learned the hard way that effort is a skill. Tuning into your breathing, energy levels, and muscle fatigue helps you understand how hard you’re actually working—regardless of what your watch says. Over time, this builds intuition, allowing you to adjust in real time and train more sustainably.
Learning to listen to your body is so important and data can help to inform your decisions. As runners we can be our own worst enemies and push through when we should ease off.
The goal is to use your watch and intuition in harmony.
Let data guide your workouts and track your progress, but don’t let it override what your body is telling you. Some days, slowing down is the smartest move you can make—even if the numbers suggest otherwise.
The best athletes combine both: data and feel. We call it a smart watch for a reason.
Every March, runners everywhere lace up for St. Patrick’s Day races and start thinking about luck. Maybe it’s the hope for perfect weather, a fast course, or a great race day where everything clicks.
But if you talk to experienced runners, or look closely at your own best performances, you’ll notice something interesting: the runners who improve year after year usually aren’t the lucky ones.
They’re the consistent ones!
Talent Is Overrated
It’s easy to assume that the fastest runners are just naturally gifted. While talent can play a role, it’s rarely the deciding factor in long-term improvement.
Most runners who achieve personal bests didn’t get there because they had the perfect week of training. They got there because they stacked together months of steady effort.
In other words, they built fitness the reliable way.
Consistency Creates Progress
Running fitness develops over time. Each run builds on the last, gradually strengthening your aerobic system, muscles, and durability.
Miss a week here or there and it’s not a disaster, but progress comes much faster when training becomes routine rather than occasional. That’s why the most successful runners focus less on individual workouts and more on consistency across weeks and months.
A single hard workout won’t transform your running, but 30-40 solid runs over several months will.
Small Habits, Big Results
Consistency doesn’t mean every run needs to be long or fast. In fact, some of the most powerful improvements come from small habits that are easy to maintain. A few examples:
These habits may seem simple, but over time they compound. The difference between runners who improve and runners who plateau often comes down to who sticks with these basics.
The Value of a Coach
Another reason consistency can feel elusive is that many runners aren’t sure what they should be doing each day. Without structure, it’s easy to either push too hard or skip runs altogether.
That’s where following a coach makes a big difference.
A good coach takes the guesswork out of training and can balance easy runs, workouts, and recovery so that you’re building fitness without burning out. More importantly, a coach can provide a clear path forward, one run at a time.
There’s No Luck Required
The truth is that most running breakthroughs aren’t sudden or mysterious. They’re the result of steady effort that compounds over time.
If you keep showing up, keep building your routine, and keep following a smart plan, progress tends to take care of itself.
So this March, instead of relying on luck, focus on the habits that move the needle. Because in running, as in most things, consistency beats talent every time.
It feels counterintuitive to slow down when you want to get faster. Many runners link improvement to harder efforts, faster paces, or total exhaustion after workouts. When a training plan prescribes easy runs, you might wonder: Does this really help, or do I just waste time?
The short answer: yes, slow miles make you faster! But the "Why" matters.
The Purpose of Easy Running
Easy runs serve as the foundation of endurance training, not filler. When we run at a truly easy effort, our bodies adapt in ways impossible when every run feels hard. We teach our bodies efficiency, improve oxygen use in muscles, and build durability. These adaptations allow us to handle harder workouts later and sustain faster paces on race day! We may not feel the work, but important changes occur beneath the surface.
Why Hard All the Time Doesn't Work
A common mistake involves too much time in the middle ground. Not truly easy, but not a quality workout either. This "gray zone" effort feels productive but often leads to fatigue or injury. When every run feels moderately hard, your body never fully recovers. Without recovery, adaptation stops. We end up tired and frustrated that your pace stalls despite the effort. Slow down on easy days to unlock speed on hard days.
Easy Pace is Personal
Runners often resist a slower pace because it feels uncomfortably slow, especially when we focus on pace alone. But easy effort requires ignoring the watch number. Focus on how your body feels.
To ensure you stay in the right zone, target these metrics:
A true easy run allows for conversation. We finish with energy to spare, not a need to lie down. On days with stress, fatigue, or bad weather, the pace might drop more than expected. This signals that we respect our bodies’ needs, not a loss of fitness. As fitness improves, our easy pace speeds up naturally. Don't force it; let it happen.
Trust the Process
Trust remains the hardest part when progress seems invisible. Fitness builds gradually. The payoff often arrives weeks or months later. A pace that once felt difficult becomes manageable, or we finish a race stronger than ever before.
When we feel stuck, constantly fatigued, or frustrated by a lack of progress, a slower pace might provide the exact solution needed.
Moral of the Story
Slow runs are not a step backward. They represent a strategic choice for long-term improvement, consistency, and health. Give your body space to adapt, recover, and grow stronger to set yourself up for speed when it counts. If your training plan calls for an easy day, embrace it. Those slow miles likely do more for your performance than you realize. Sometimes, the fastest way forward is to slow down! :)
Need help calculating your HR zones?
If you aren't sure what your Max Heart Rate is, please reach out to your coach and we’ll help establish some targets.
Every January starts the same way - fresh calendars, big goals, new gear, and a wave of motivation that makes anything feel possible. This is the year. This is the reset. This is when everything finally clicks. 
And then February shows up.
Life gets busy. Work gets heavy. Weather gets ugly. Motivation fades. Not because you failed, but because motivation was never meant to carry you all year.
That’s what routines are for. Motivation gets you started. Routine keeps you going.
Why Motivation Is Not Enough
Motivation is emotional. It depends on how you feel, how you slept, what your day looked like, and whether it’s cold, dark, or raining outside. Some days you wake up ready to conquer the world. Other days, tying your shoes feels like a negotiation.
Routines remove the daily debate.
When something is part of your normal schedule, like brushing your teeth or making coffee, you don’t wait to feel inspired. You just do it. Training works the same way. When it becomes “what you do,” not “what you try to do,” consistency follows.
Start Smaller Than You Think You Should
One of the biggest mistakes people make in January is going too big, too fast. Big goals are exciting, but big changes all at once are hard to sustain.
Instead of asking, “What would be impressive?” ask, “What is realistic even on my hardest weeks?”
Consistency beats intensity. A small habit done every week will always outperform a big plan done once.
Build Around Your Real Life
The best routine is one that fits your actual life, not your ideal one.
Look at your week honestly:
Then build your routine around those answers. If you only truly have 30 minutes on weekdays, that’s not a limitation - that’s your structure. Train within it.
A routine that works in your life will always beat a perfect plan that doesn’t.
Attach Habits to What You Already Do
One of the easiest ways to build consistency is to attach your new habit to something that already happens.
You’re not creating a whole new schedule, you’re adding one small piece to the one you already live.
Expect Imperfect Weeks
Real consistency doesn’t look perfect.
You’ll miss workouts. You’ll have low-energy days. You’ll have weeks where life completely takes over. None of that means you failed.
Routines aren’t fragile. They bend, they pause, and then they restart.
Make It Easier To StartMost of the battle is just beginning.
Lay your clothes out the night before. Keep your shoes by the door. Save your workout on your watch. Reduce the number of decisions you have to make when it’s time to go.
When starting is easy, consistency gets easier too.
Track What Actually Matters
You don’t need perfection. You need patterns.
Notice:
Progress is built from repetition, not heroic days.
Let Routine Do the Heavy Lifting
Motivation is exciting. Routine is powerful. Motivation fades. Routine stays. Motivation feels good. Routine gets results.
Your job this year isn’t to stay inspired every day. It’s to build habits that carry you when inspiration is gone.
Start small. Stay realistic. Be patient.
Turn your resolutions into routines, and let those routines change your year.
Lean On Your Coach
While routines carry us when motivation fades, having a coach can make building those routines easier and more effective. Runcoach coaches structure your training, help you set realistic goals, and provide the encouragement that keeps you moving forward, even on days when it’s hard to lace up your shoes. Having Coaches Alice, Cally, Rosie, Alex, and Tom watching your progress, offering feedback, and cheering you on adds an extra layer of commitment.
Join the team!
