# RunReady - Complete Documentation > This file contains all documentation for RunReady, compiled for AI consumption. > Last updated: 2026-10-08 For more information, visit: https://www.runready.co --- ## Source: about URL: https://www.runready.co/about API: https://www.runready.co/api/content/about # RunReady - About Us ## About RunReady We're building a system that helps runners move better, avoid injury, and train with purpose through personalized assessments and evidence-based programming. ## Our Story RunReady is the running health brand built on clinical precision, product expertise, and smart technology to help runners move better, improve performance, and avoid injury. ### Who We Are - It was created to reinvent how people run, not just by selling better footwear or offering traditional physiotherapy, but by addressing the real gaps holding runners back. - Too many runners were sidelined by pain, stuck in the wrong shoes, or unsure how to move better for running. - So our founders came together with firsthand experience from every angle: a physio who helped thousands through advanced running assessments and movement expertise, a lifelong runner who built a top-tier run specialty shop grounded in education and product, and a tech founder who knew how to connect it all through smart technology. - Together, they built a new kind of running brand designed to help every runner go longer, faster, and stay in control. Our goal is simple: keep runners running. Smarter, stronger, and injury-free. ## The RunReady System RunReady combines three essential elements: 1. **Clinical Precision** - Movement assessments led by licensed physiotherapists 2. **Product Expertise** - Footwear matching based on biomechanical analysis 3. **Smart Technology** - Integrated platform connecting assessment, footwear, and training ## Our Approach We believe running should be accessible, supported, and evidence-based. Every runner deserves to understand how their body moves, what equipment supports them best, and how to train safely and effectively. --- ## Source: home URL: https://www.runready.co/home API: https://www.runready.co/api/content/home # RunReady - All things running healthy ## The Most Complete Physio-Led System Built For Runners The RunReady Assessment tests and scores how your body moves, giving you insights on what shoes you need, how to train, and a plan to run better — starting from your first session. ## Your Path to Running Healthy RunReady provides a complete system to help you: - Spot injury risk before it becomes a problem - Understand your runs through your personalized score - Find your perfect footwear based on how you move - Access targeted exercises designed for your body - Improve your stride and running form ## Your RunReady Score ### Absorb, Bounce, and Stability. Scored from 0 to 100. So you know how ready you are to run. Absorb measures how well you handle impact. Bounce tracks how strong you push off the ground. Stability shows how well you control your movement. These 3 numbers form your Performance Score and unlock a clear path to your goal. Want to run FAST? You'll need high Bounce. Want to run LONG? You'll need Absorb and Stability. Your plan starts here. ### Close Your Gaps What's holding you back might not be what you think. The RunReady Score doesn't just confirm what you're good at, it reveals where you're underperforming and why it matters. A strong runner might still leak energy from poor foot control. A fast runner might burn out early from low stability. Your gaps are what limit your pace, distance, or recovery, and fixing them is how you improve without breaking down. Each score is connected to a performance goal: - Want to run longer? You'll need high Absorb and Stability. - Want to run fast? You'll need high Bounce. - Want to handle technical terrain? You'll need a balance of all three. We give you the target. We give you the plan. All you need to do is train for it. ### Understanding Absorb **How We Calculate Absorb** Absorb is measured by how well your body handles downward force in every direction: forward, side to side, and through rotation. A low Absorb score often shows up as tightness, soreness, or stiffness after long distance runs, especially through your knees, hips, or back. **How We Match You With Footwear** If your Absorb score is low, we match you with shoes that fill that performance gap. Each pair is graded for Absorb, and your score helps determine the best match for how you move and what you need. That might mean more cushioning, a softer landing zone, or support that helps you recover faster and go longer with less fatigue. **How We Improve Your Score** We build custom exercise sets to improve your flexibility, strength, mobility, and control. These movements help your body handle impact better, recover faster, and run longer without breaking down late in your run. **Why It Matters** If you don't handle impact well, your muscles and joints take more of the hit. That can lead to fatigue, discomfort, or injury. Improving your Absorb score helps you land softer, recover better, and run longer with less wear and tear. ### Understanding Bounce **How We Calculate Bounce** Bounce is measured by how well your body pushes off the ground and moves you forward. We look at how quickly and efficiently you load your legs and launch into your next stride. A low Bounce score often shows up as flat turnover, heavy steps, or struggling to change pace. **How We Match You With Footwear** If your Bounce score is low, we match you with shoes that fill that performance gap. Each pair is graded for Bounce, and your score helps determine the best match for how you move and what you need. That might mean more rebound, a firmer base, or a design that helps you push off with less effort. **How We Improve Your Score** We use custom exercise sets focused on strength, speed, and coordination that target how you push off the ground. These movements help you build elastic strength, improve timing, and reduce wasted energy with every stride. **Why It Matters** Bounce powers your ability to move forward. If it's low, you'll need more effort to hit or hold your pace. Improving your Bounce score helps you feel lighter, respond faster to pace changes, and stay efficient during workouts, pickups, and races. ### Understanding Stability **How We Calculate Stability** We measure how stable you are during key single-leg movements: forward and back, side to side, and through rotation. A low Stability score often shows up as wobbling on uneven terrain, struggling to stay aligned, or one side working harder than the other. **How We Match You With Footwear** If your Stability score is low, we match you with shoes that fill that performance gap. Each pair is graded for Stability, and your score helps determine what's right for how you move. That might mean added support through the midfoot, a wider base, or a design that helps you stay balanced on any terrain. **How We Improve Your Score** We use custom exercise sets focused on strength, balance, and coordination that target both sides of your body to stay in sync. These movements help you move more efficiently, stay in control on various terrains, and avoid wearing down one side of your body faster than the other. **Why It Matters** If your Stability is inefficient, you'll use more energy to maintain control. Improving your Stability score helps you move more efficiently, stay in control on various terrains, and avoid wearing down one side of your body faster than the other. ## Tested by Athletes. Delivered by Expert Physiotherapists. RunReady is powered by physiotherapists who specialize in performance and running health. Every session is 1-on-1. Every plan is customized to your body. Our team has helped thousands of runners improve how they move and how they feel, with measurable results. ## Find Your Perfect Plan Find your perfect plan designed to optimize your running performance. The RunReady Performance Program combines: - Movement assessment to understand how your body moves - Performance scoring across Absorb, Bounce, and Stability - Footwear matching based on your movement patterns - Custom exercise programs tailored to your goals - Ongoing support from expert physiotherapists --- ## Source: inside-run-ready URL: https://www.runready.co/inside-run-ready API: https://www.runready.co/api/content/inside-run-ready # RunReady - Inside RunReady ## Introducing Inside RunReady Whether you're a new physiotherapist or building on your skills, this in-person event is your chance to see how we assess movement, match footwear, and build exercise programs for runners. Try the full platform live. Meet the team. ## The RunReady System RunReady is the most advanced way for physiotherapists to assess runners. It measures how the body handles impact, pushes off, and stays stable. Those insights become: ### Performance Score Measure how well a runner Absorbs, Bounces, and maintains Stability, turning movement into a clear number you can track. ### Matched Footwear Match runners with graded shoes from Nike, adidas, and ASICS, all informed by the Performance Score. ### Custom Exercise Programs Access thousands of physio-led exercises designed to improve flexibility, build strength, and enhance stability for better running. The RunReady Performance Program is how it all comes together: Assess, Match, and Prescribe, giving runners a clear plan to get better and stay healthy. ## What to Expect An inside look at how the RunReady System works for physiotherapists. ### Learn How the Performance Score Works See how we turn a movement assessment into a clear score that helps guide treatment, track progress, and support clinical decisions. ### See the Full Platform in Action Watch how the system flows from movement assessment to matched footwear to tailored exercise programs, all tied to running goals. ### Try the Tools Yourself Use the same interactive tools our team uses and see how they fit into a clinical workflow. ### Meet the Team and Explore What's Next Connect with RunReady physiotherapists, hear how they use the platform in practice, and learn about our plans to help physiotherapists and runners everywhere. ## Make More Informed Decisions For Every Runner Running is a key part of physiotherapy, but it's hard to track real progress. Inside RunReady shows how clear data leads to better decisions, stronger outcomes, and more confidence in how you support runners. ## Who Should Attend - New physiotherapists interested in running health - Experienced physiotherapists looking to expand their skills - Clinicians wanting to integrate movement assessment into their practice - Anyone interested in the future of running health and performance ## Event Details Inside RunReady events are held periodically throughout the year. These in-person sessions provide hands-on experience with the RunReady platform and direct access to our team of experts. For upcoming event dates and registration information, visit our events page or contact the RunReady team. --- ## Source: our-team URL: https://www.runready.co/our-team API: https://www.runready.co/api/content/our-team # RunReady - Our Team ## Meet Our Team Our team of expert physiotherapists, biomechanists, and movement specialists are dedicated to helping every runner achieve their best performance. ## Founders ### The system started here RunReady was created by three people with experience across physiotherapy, footwear, and technology. They built the system to help runners move better, avoid injury, and train with purpose. #### Nick Lo **Co-Founder, Chief Product Officer, Physiotherapist** Nick created the clinical system at the core of RunReady and leads the team that continues to evolve it. He's been a physiotherapist since 2011 and still treats runners in-studio. He was previously Chief Operating Officer at Myodetox. #### Rob Smith **Co-Founder, Footwear Specialist, Run Coach** Rob is a lifelong runner and Boston Marathon finisher with decades of coaching experience. He designed the running workouts for Race Prep 2026 and leads the team of coaches delivering them. His sessions focus on pacing, form, and race-day strategy. #### Larry Lau **Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer** Larry leads the technology side of RunReady, connecting assessments, footwear grading, and training into a single platform experience. ## RunReady Studio Team ### Our team who delivers the Performance Program Our team of physiotherapists delivers the RunReady Performance Program at RunReady studio. They also contribute to ongoing development and internal education. Our team members are licensed physiotherapists with specialized training in running biomechanics, movement assessment, and performance optimization. They work together to ensure every runner receives personalized, evidence-based care. ## Our Commitment We're committed to helping runners: - Understand how their body moves - Reduce injury risk through movement assessment - Optimize performance with personalized training - Access expert guidance from experienced professionals - Stay healthy and running for the long term ## Join Our Team We're always looking for talented physiotherapists and movement specialists who share our passion for helping runners. Visit our careers page to learn more about opportunities with RunReady. --- ## Source: path-to-play URL: https://www.runready.co/path-to-play API: https://www.runready.co/api/content/path-to-play # RunReady - Path to Play ## Path to Play x RunReady Scholarship Mentorship, personalized training, and gear designed to turn your off-season into a launchpad for your strongest trail season yet. Supported by Nike Running. ## Scholarship Program The Path to Play x RunReady Scholarship Program exists to empower trail runners through education, access to health professionals, and community support—helping them build strength, skill, and confidence throughout the off-season. From 1 on 1 mentorship with the Path to Play team to personalized programs and training with RunReady physiotherapists, our goal is to make trail running as accessible and diverse as the community we serve. Each participant also receives an exclusive Nike Trail kit, provided with support from Nike Running. ## Program Duration ### How long is the program? The Path to Play x RunReady Scholarship Program is a six-month scholarship, running from November 2025 to April 2026. It's designed to keep growth and development alive through structured support during the off-season. ## What Does the Program Include? ### A complete off-season support system The scholarship provides comprehensive support including: - **1-on-1 Mentorship** - Direct mentorship with the Path to Play team throughout the program - **RunReady Performance Program** - Full access to RunReady assessments and personalized training programs - **Trail Running Education** - Workshops and educational sessions focused on trail running skills and safety - **Nike Trail Kit** - Exclusive gear provided with support from Nike Running - **Community Support** - Connect with a community of trail runners and scholarship recipients ## Program Goals The scholarship program aims to: - Empower trail runners through education and access - Build strength, skill, and confidence during the off-season - Make trail running more accessible and diverse - Support runners in reaching their potential - Build a stronger, more inclusive trail running community ## Application Information The Path to Play x RunReady Scholarship Program accepts applications from trail runners looking to take their training to the next level. Applications are reviewed based on commitment to trail running, goals for improvement, and alignment with program values. Applications are typically open in the fall for the following season. Check the Path to Play website or RunReady social media for application deadlines and requirements. --- ## Source: performance-score URL: https://www.runready.co/performance-score API: https://www.runready.co/api/content/performance-score # RunReady - Performance Score ## Your Score, Your Strategy ### Tested by physiotherapists. Calculated by movement science. The RunReady Score is powered by physio-led testing. It's built around three physical systems: - Absorb: how well your body absorbs impact - Bounce: how much energy you return - Stability: how well you control your movement Each one is scored from 0–100. Together, they show how ready your body is to perform — and what to work on to improve. Your total score maps to specific footwear and training recommendations, all tied to your running goals. ## Close Your Gaps ### What's holding you back might not be what you think The RunReady Score doesn't just confirm what you're good at, it reveals where you're underperforming and why it matters. A strong runner might still leak energy from poor foot control. A fast runner might burn out early from low stability. Your gaps are what limit your pace, distance, or recovery, and fixing them is how you improve without breaking down. - Want to run longer? You'll need high Absorb and Stability. - Want to run fast? You'll need high Bounce. - Want to handle technical terrain? You'll need a balance of all three. We give you the target. We give you the plan. All you need to do is train for it. ## From Data to Action ### Match your movement. Train with purpose. Once we know your score, we use it to guide three things: #### Footwear Matching We grade running shoes based on their impact absorption, energy return, and control, and match you to pairs that reinforce your needs. #### Blueprint Plan You'll get a personalized training plan targeting your gaps, tied directly to your performance goal. #### Progress Tracking Your baseline score becomes your benchmark. Every session, you'll know what's improving and why. We don't stop at the score. We build around it, so everything you wear and do works together. ## Not Just a Number ### What makes the RunReady Score different? Unlike wearables, we don't guess. Unlike general physio, we don't treat you the same as everyone else. The RunReady Score is built from direct testing, clear scoring, and personalized insight, the kind you can actually use. - Scored by human experts - Based on movement, not symptoms - Backed by biomechanics - Integrated with your shoes and your goals It's not just your body. It's your system. Let's make it work better. --- ## Source: race-prep URL: https://www.runready.co/race-prep API: https://www.runready.co/api/content/race-prep # Race Prep by RunReady ## Train for Your Next Race with Race Prep by RunReady 8 weeks of structured group training with licensed physiotherapists and run coaches. Prepare for the Vancouver Marathon, Seawheeze Half Marathon, and Toronto Waterfront Marathon. ## Overview Race Prep by RunReady is a comprehensive 8-week training program designed to help runners build durability, lower injury risk, and prepare for their next race. The program combines structured group training with expert guidance from licensed physiotherapists and run coaches. ## Program Details ### Training Structure - **8 weeks** of structured group training - **Physiotherapist-led** sessions focused on movement quality and injury prevention - **Run coach-led** sessions focused on pacing, form, and race-day strategy - **Personalized** training plans based on your RunReady Performance Score ### Who It's For Race Prep is ideal for runners preparing for: - Vancouver Marathon - Seawheeze Half Marathon - Toronto Waterfront Marathon - Other major races in the season ### What You'll Get - Structured group training sessions - Expert guidance from licensed physiotherapists - Run coaching focused on race preparation - Personalized training plans - Access to RunReady Performance Program assessments - Community support from fellow runners ## Training Philosophy The Race Prep program is built on the RunReady system: 1. **Assess** - Understand your movement patterns and performance capabilities 2. **Match** - Get footwear recommendations that support your training 3. **Prescribe** - Follow a personalized training plan designed for your goals ## Program Benefits - Build durability and strength before race day - Lower injury risk through movement-focused training - Improve pacing and race strategy - Connect with a community of dedicated runners - Access expert guidance throughout your training cycle ## How to Get Started Sign up for Race Prep to secure your spot in the program. Spaces are limited, and the program fills up quickly. For questions or more information, contact the RunReady team or visit our services page. --- ## Source: run-assessments URL: https://www.runready.co/run-assessments API: https://www.runready.co/api/content/run-assessments # RunReady - Run Assessments ## RunReady Movement Assessment ### Start Here In your first session, we look at how you Absorb impact, Bounce forward, and maintain Stability. In your first session, we look at how you Absorb impact, Bounce forward, and maintain Stability — the three essentials that shape how well you run. - You'll go through a full-body movement test to get your RunReady Score across Absorb, Bounce, and Stability, plus a footwear Match based on how you move. - You'll leave with a personalized plan and exercise program that shows what to fix, what to wear, and how to train. - Your Score gives you a clear path to your goal, whether that's running longer, running faster, handling technical terrain with more control, or running pain-free and more consistently. **This session is ideal for any runner looking to build a stronger foundation or understand how ready they are to take on specific runs or training challenges.** ## RunReady Treadmill Assessment ### Advanced Testing Includes everything in the Movement Assessment, plus treadmill analysis for deeper insight and a Symmetry Score that shows how balanced your stride is. - You'll get everything included in the standard Movement Assessment: a full-body movement test, your RunReady Score across Absorb, Bounce, and Stability, and a footwear Match based on how you move. - On top of that, you'll complete a treadmill video analysis and receive your Symmetry Score, revealing imbalances that help refine your footwear match and exercise program with greater precision. - You'll get a clearer understanding of how each side loads and pushes, giving us insight into asymmetries that may lead to inefficiencies or compensations. **This session is best for runners preparing for a race, working toward a personal best, or looking to train with more precision while reducing injury risk.** --- ## Source: understanding-abs URL: https://www.runready.co/understanding-abs API: https://www.runready.co/api/content/understanding-abs # Understanding ABS - Absorb, Bounce, Stability ## Overview Every runner has strengths and gaps. We test for both. Your Performance Score shows how your body handles impact (Absorb), returns energy (Bounce), and stays stable through movement (Stability). We assess this through controlled strength and movement tests, treadmill footage, and force analysis. ## Let's Start With the Body ### Every runner has strengths and gaps. We test for both. Your Performance Score shows how your body handles impact (Absorb), returns energy (Bounce), and stays stable through movement (Stability). We assess this through controlled strength and movement tests, treadmill footage, and force analysis. #### 1. Absorb How well your joints and muscles reduce impact. If you lack shock absorption, you're more likely to feel soreness after long runs or struggle to recover quickly. #### 2. Bounce How much force your body can create and transfer forward. If your bounce score is low, you might feel sluggish or unable to pick up speed when needed. #### 3. Stability How well you control your movement and stay aligned. Weakness here often shows up as fatigue late in a run, or tightness in the hips, knees, or ankles. ## Footwear That Fills the Gaps ### Every shoe supports one of the three systems. We show you how. Each shoe carried at RunAsYouAre is graded by how much it helps with shock absorption, energy return, or control. That means we only match you with shoes based on what your body actually needs, not just what feels good at the moment. #### Shoes that absorb Soft foams, wider platforms, and rocker geometry help reduce impact over time. If your body lacks absorption, these shoes support long runs and recovery days. #### Shoes that bounce High rebound foams and stiff carbon plates return more energy with each step. If you're trying to run faster or build turnover, you need more bounce. #### Shoes that stabilize Tuned midsole geometry, wider bases, and secure heel counters reduce unwanted motion and help your stride stay consistent. This matters most for trail runs, technical routes, or runners with fatigue-related form breakdown. ## Run Goals Mapped to Your Mix ### You don't need all three maxed out. Just the right blend. Most runners aren't balanced across all three systems. That's normal. We show you which ones matter most for your goal, then help you close the gap. #### Run Long **Endurance and efficiency** You'll need strong Absorb and Stability scores. Long runs expose weakness in impact reduction and form control. #### Run Fast **Speed and power** Bounce is the focus here. Power and speed demand better energy return and forward propulsion. #### Run Technical **Balance and control** Stability becomes critical. Trails and uneven terrain reveal control gaps fast — especially when fatigued. ## Everything Works Together ### Body. Score. Shoes. Plan. We test your movement, score your capabilities, and use that data to match footwear and build your plan. It's not a guess, it's all connected. And it changes as you improve. Your Performance Score reveals your gaps. Your footwear match fills them in. Your program builds them up. Your goals stay front and center. --- ## Source: what-to-expect URL: https://www.runready.co/what-to-expect API: https://www.runready.co/api/content/what-to-expect # RunReady - What To Expect ## First time? Here's What to Expect ### Step 1: Checking In RunReady is located inside RunAsYouAre, at the back of the shop. If you're unsure where to go, ask any team member to call a RunReady Guest Experience Coordinator and we'll come meet you. ### Step 2: What to Wear and Bring Wear your usual running gear or activewear, shorts, leggings, light shirts, tank top, or sports bra. Avoid loose clothing so we can clearly assess how your body moves. You may be asked to remove your shirt for part of the assessment to better observe movement. Lockers are available for your belongings. ### Step 3: Your Assessment This is a movement assessment, not a workout. Your RunReady physiotherapist will assess how you handle impact, generate energy, and stay stable using a series of strength and movement tests. Based on this, you'll receive your RunReady Score and plan. ### Step 4: Treadmill Analysis If you booked the 90-minute version, your assessment includes a treadmill analysis. This adds a deeper breakdown of your running mechanics and gives you a Symmetry Score to show how balanced your stride is. ### Step 5: Your Footwear Match After you receive your Performance Score, you'll get your Match—your footwear recommendation based on how you move today. The right shoe helps balance your movement, reduce strain, and support your running goals. ### Step 6: Your Plan Your plan includes: - Your Score across Absorb, Bounce, Stability (and Symmetry if treadmill was included) - Your graded footwear Match - A targeted training plan focused on improving how your body handles running This is your starting point, a clear, data-driven way to improve movement quality, reduce injury risk, and support your goals. ### Step 7: Your Exercise Program Your RunReady Plan includes a custom set of exercises designed to improve mobility, strength, and adaptability based on your Score and goals. We'll set up your account so you can access your results, footwear Match, and exercises anytime, everything you need to follow your plan and make progress between sessions. ### Step 8: Checking Out and Booking Your Next Session To get the best results, stay on top of your exercises and complete your recommended follow-ups. Most runners need multiple sessions to improve their Score and reach their goals. After your session, your RunReady Experience Coordinator will check you out, help you book your next appointment, and provide a receipt for insurance reimbursement under physiotherapy coverage. ### Step 9: Your Footwear Fitting After your session, you'll meet with a RunAsYouAre Run Specialist for a proper fitting and try-on. This part is separate from your assessment and takes additional time. If you want to complete everything during your first visit, make sure to leave time for your fitting after your session. ## Still Have Questions? Check out our FAQ page for more information about the RunReady assessment process. --- # RunReady Resources (Contentful) > Published articles from https://www.runready.co/resources --- ## Source: resources/how-to-know-when-your-body-is-ready-to-pick-up-the-pace URL: https://www.runready.co/resources/how-to-know-when-your-body-is-ready-to-pick-up-the-pace API: https://www.runready.co/api/content/how-to-know-when-your-body-is-ready-to-pick-up-the-pace Title: How to Know When Your Body Is Ready to Pick Up the Pace Date: 2026-09-08T00:00-04:00 Read time: 4 Excerpt: Running faster can seem pretty straightforward: run the same route, just faster. Running faster can seem pretty straightforward: run the same route, just faster. But your body doesn't experience a faster run the same way it experiences an easy one. You might be able to run faster for a few kilometres but struggle to hold that speed. Or your watch might still show that you're maintaining it while your calves, hips or the way you run starts to change. That's why getting faster isn't only about how fast you can run. Understanding how your body responds can tell you a lot about what you're ready for and what may need more work. What Changes When You Run Faster Running faster isn't just about pushing harder with all your muscles and joints. How you run changes, and so does what your body uses to run faster. As you speed up, your step length, or the distance you cover with each step, increases. Your step frequency also increases, the amount of time your foot spends on the ground decreases, and your foot strike shifts more towards the forefoot or toes. The muscles and joints contributing to that faster running change too. At slow to moderate speeds, the ankles and calves are the most dominant propulsive force, helping your body move forward by increasing step length. As you run faster, the contribution from your ankles and calves begins to plateau while the contribution from your hips and glutes increases. [1][2] At sprinting speeds, your hips and glutes become the most dominant propulsive force, helping to increase step frequency as step length begins to plateau. [1] Why You Can Run Faster but Struggle to Hold It One reason is muscle endurance. Running at higher speeds places greater demands on different muscles, and those muscles may not yet have the endurance to keep working that way for a longer period of time. There's also a skill component. Because faster running requires different mechanics than slower running, it is, in its own way, a separate skill. Like learning any new skill, practice is required to become more efficient and consistent. Think about shooting a basketball. No one expects to be perfect right away without practice. Maintaining faster running isn't all that different. What Can Change Before You Slow Down You don't necessarily have to slow down for your body to start showing signs that maintaining that speed is becoming more difficult. You may start feeling more work, pain or strain in the muscles involved in faster running. This primarily includes the muscles along the backside of your legs, often called the posterior chain: your glutes, hamstrings and calves. Signs of fatigue can also begin to appear, such as an increase in heart rate or heavier breathing. And the way you run may start shifting back towards how you move at slower speeds. Your cadence, or the number of steps you take per minute, may decrease, for example, or your step length may begin to shorten. Where you start struggling can tell you something too. If your calves feel like they're giving out during faster running, it could mean you're not engaging your hips and glutes very well because of a poor mind-muscle connection with that area. If your glutes are giving out, they may need more strengthening to tolerate the speeds you're running at. If you notice a big jump in your heart rate and breathing rate, it could suggest that your cardiovascular system isn't quite ready for that amount of speed yet. Breaking the run into smaller intervals or slowing down may help. If your running mechanics start breaking down, muscle fatigue may be involved, but it can also suggest that you need more practice maintaining the technique required for faster running. How Do You Know When You're Ready for More? At RunReady, one thing we look at is whether you have sufficient strength and mobility in Bounce, which is how your body produces and returns force to help move you forward. A strong heel raise and hip extension are two ways this can be demonstrated. Having a good foundation of slower running matters too. Faster running is more challenging, so it's important to have practised the basics of running before taking on a type of running that requires new technique. And sometimes you don't know until you try. You may attempt a certain speed or duration and find that you can't maintain it yet. The important thing is to reflect on what happened and adjust your target speed or duration as needed. A thorough movement assessment can help identify your capacity to Bounce and help determine whether you're ready to increase your speed. Strengthening the muscles that are particularly important during faster running—including your glutes, hamstrings and calves—can also help prepare your body for those demands. Your targets can change during training too. If signs of fatigue start appearing, reducing your target speed or shortening your intervals can help mitigate the risk of injury. Footwear can also play a role. Shoes with more Bounce can assist your body when training at faster speeds, especially through fatigue. They're a tool you can use to your advantage, but they don't completely replace the need to strengthen and improve your technique. The Checkpoint Your watch can tell you how fast you ran. It can't tell you the whole story of how your body got you there. What changes when you pick up the pace, what starts working harder, and what happens as you try to hold that speed can all give you useful information. Understanding those changes gives you more than another split to chase. It can help you understand what your body already does well, what may be limiting you, and what to work on as you get faster. References [1] Schache, A. G., et al. “Modulation of work and power by the human lower-limb joints with increasing steady-state locomotion speed.” Journal of Experimental Biology, vol. 218, 2015, pp. 2472–2485. [2] Willer, J., Allen, S. J., Burden, R. J., & Folland, J. P. “How Humans Run Faster: The Neuromechanical Contributions of Functional Muscle Groups to Running at Different Speeds.” Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, vol. 34, no. 8, 2024, e14690. --- ## Source: resources/why-your-body-starts-responding-differently-once-training-increases URL: https://www.runready.co/resources/why-your-body-starts-responding-differently-once-training-increases API: https://www.runready.co/api/content/why-your-body-starts-responding-differently-once-training-increases Title: Why Your Body Starts Responding Differently Once Training Increases Date: 2026-08-31T00:00-04:00 Read time: 4 Excerpt: If you’re training for a fall race, there’s a good chance your training looks different now than it did a few weeks ago. If you’re training for a fall race, there’s a good chance your training looks different now than it did a few weeks ago. You may be running more often, going longer, adding harder sessions, or fitting strength and mobility work around your runs. At first, your body may handle the increase well. But as the weeks build, you might notice that Thursday doesn’t feel quite like Monday. Your legs feel heavier, one hip feels tighter, or a recovery run takes more out of you than expected. It’s easy to put all of that down to being tired. But changes in how you land, push off, or control movement can give you a more specific picture of how your body is responding to the increase in training. Recognizing those patterns can help you understand what your body is ready to handle as you continue working toward your goal. What You May Feel Some of these changes can be easy to dismiss. The same warm-up might not give you the same result, one side may consistently feel tighter, or a recovery run may take more out of you than expected. You might notice changes outside of running too, like not feeling restored after a night’s sleep or feeling restless when you’re trying to fall asleep. Most runners notice these changes without necessarily connecting them. They assume it’s fatigue, that consistency will sort it out, or that this is simply what training is supposed to feel like. Sometimes it is normal fatigue. But when the same changes keep showing up, they can also tell you something about how your body is handling the increase in training. What's Actually Happening When training frequency increases, your body doesn't just get tired. It can start responding differently to load. Early in the week, or early in a run, your neuromuscular system coordinates how your body lands, controls the impact, and pushes off again. Your foot, ankle, knee, and hip all have to work together at the right time, while your Achilles stores some of the energy from landing and releases it during push-off to help move you forward. Later in the week, or later in a long run, the repeated impact of running can affect that coordination. Your cadence may change, meaning you start taking more or fewer steps per minute, and the timing between your hip, knee, and ankle can change. That’s why the same run can start to feel different as training adds up. Even if the pace or distance hasn’t changed, your body may not manage the impact and push-off in quite the same way. You may notice some of these changes in how your body absorbs the impact of landing. We call this Absorb. As training accumulates, you may notice heavier foot strikes, differences in how much load each side takes, or more side-to-side movement at the hip. You may also notice a change in how you push off and move forward, which we call Bounce. As training accumulates, your Achilles may return less of that stored energy, reducing your push-off and making the same pace feel harder. What To Pay Attention To As your training increases, pay attention to how your body handles it across the week. How does Thursday compare with Monday? Does the same leg keep feeling tighter? Does a pace that felt manageable earlier in the week start requiring more from you? The goal isn't to monitor every part of your running. It's to notice when the same patterns keep showing up. Training isn't the only thing affecting how much your body can handle. Stressful work weeks, poor sleep, and changes to your normal routine can all add to your day-to-day load and reduce what you have available for training and recovery. Big jumps in running volume matter too. Moving from 25 km to 40 km is roughly a 60% increase. Most runners do better with smaller, planned increases of around 5–10%, adjusted for their training history and recovery. If the same patterns keep appearing, consider holding your progression before adding more intensity or distance. Look at your recovery and lifestyle factors alongside the changes you're noticing rather than assuming you simply need to push through. These patterns don't automatically mean something is wrong. They give you an early checkpoint for understanding whether your body is keeping up with what you're asking it to do. The Checkpoint Completing your workouts doesn't always tell you how well your body is adapting to the increase in training. How your body responds across those workouts can tell you more. The signal to watch isn't soreness or fatigue alone. It's whether your body handles the same work differently later in the week than it did earlier. A movement assessment can help identify differences in how your body moves that may be difficult to recognize on your own. The goal is still to progress. The more you understand about how your body is responding to your training, the better informed you can be about what to ask of it next. --- ## Source: resources/5-things-your-body-struggles-to-handle-on-trails-and-why URL: https://www.runready.co/resources/5-things-your-body-struggles-to-handle-on-trails-and-why API: https://www.runready.co/api/content/5-things-your-body-struggles-to-handle-on-trails-and-why Title: 5 Things Your Body Struggles to Handle on Trails (And Why) Date: 2026-07-29T00:00-04:00 Read time: 6 Excerpt: Most runners think trail running is harder because of the terrain. While that's true, it's only part of the story. Most runners think trail running is harder because of the terrain. While that's true, it's only part of the story. What makes trails different is that every step asks your body to solve a slightly different movement problem. You have to control movement, stay balanced, manage load, and quickly adapt to changing terrain. When your body struggles to do those things, you spend more energy reacting to the trail instead of moving through it. That's often why trail running feels harder than the pace suggests. Here are five things your body is constantly working to handle on the trail, and why they matter. Controlling Movement When The Ground Changes One of the biggest differences between road and trail running is that the ground is rarely the same from one step to the next. Your foot might land on packed dirt, loose gravel, a rock, or a tree root, each requiring your body to react differently. Runners who struggle here often become more cautious with their foot placement. Instead of moving naturally through the trail, they spend more time reacting to it. They slow down, hesitate before landing, or constantly look for the "perfect" place to put their foot. Those adjustments may seem small, but repeated over the course of a run, they require a surprising amount of extra effort. This usually comes back to Absorb. Absorb is your body's ability to take in and manage force. On trails, that doesn't just mean handling impact straight up and down. It also means managing force from different angles and directions as the terrain changes. When your body can't do that efficiently, it often stiffens to protect itself or collapses to find movement. Neither approach is particularly efficient, and both make the trail feel more demanding than it needs to. Runners who handle this well don't need perfect footing every time. Their body is better prepared to accept small variations in the terrain while staying in control. Staying In Position Instead Of Drifting Once your body has taken in force, it also needs to stay in position over it. On trails, that becomes much harder because the ground is constantly changing underneath you. As your body adjusts to different surfaces and foot placements, the hips, knees, and torso all need to stay aligned to keep movement controlled. When that doesn't happen, runners often begin drifting out of position. The hips may shift, the knees may move inward, or the torso may move farther away from the body's centre of mass. These changes are usually subtle at first, but over the course of a run they create extra work because the body has to keep correcting itself to stay balanced. This is largely a Stability challenge. Stability helps your body stay controlled even though the ground underneath you keeps changing. Instead of spending energy recovering from every landing, runners with good Stability can stay more balanced and continue moving with confidence. Moving Through Uneven Positions Trail running also places your body in positions that road running rarely does. The ankle may need to move further inward or outward depending on the terrain, while the hip often needs to rotate more or stabilize through less familiar ranges of motion. When runners don't have access to those positions, or can't control them under load, movement becomes more cautious and less efficient. This is where Absorb and Stability begin working together. Absorb helps your body manage force even when every landing is different, while Stability helps control those positions so you can keep moving without unnecessary compensation. When either of those systems is limited, runners often slow down through technical sections, hesitate before landing, or compensate somewhere else in the body. Runners who move well through uneven positions don't necessarily have perfect footing. Their body is simply better prepared to adapt to the constant variation that trails demand. Supporting The Body Under Load Every step on the trail places load through your body, but how that load is shared makes a big difference over the course of a run. When your body isn't sharing that load well, one area often begins carrying more of the work than it should. The calves may start working overtime, the knees may absorb more impact, or the hips may struggle to keep up with the constant changes in terrain. This usually isn't because one muscle is weak. More often, it's because your body isn't distributing force effectively. When Absorb is limited or poorly timed, force becomes concentrated instead of shared. Rather than spreading the workload across multiple joints and muscles, the same areas repeatedly take on more stress than they should. Over time, that extra work leads to earlier fatigue and makes maintaining pace feel much harder. Runners who share load well spread force more evenly throughout the body, allowing them to sustain their effort without one area breaking down long before the others. Handling Repeated Changes Over Time Trail running doesn't challenge these movement demands once or twice. It repeats them thousands of times over the course of a run. Even small inefficiencies that seem insignificant early on can become much more noticeable as the distance builds. Runners who struggle often feel comfortable at the beginning of a run, but gradually notice themselves slowing down, making larger adjustments, and working harder just to stay in control. This becomes even more noticeable during longer trail runs or ultra-distance events, where those small inefficiencies are repeated for hours. This is where Absorb, Bounce, and Stability all need to work together. If one part of the system contributes less, the others have to make up for it, making movement progressively less efficient. Runners who maintain their movement quality deeper into a run often aren't working harder. They're simply spending less energy compensating for the constant changes in terrain. How A RunReady Assessment Help Runners Handle Trails Better At RunReady, we start by looking at how a runner takes in and redistributes force. The first focus is usually Absorb. Can the foot, ankle, hip, and pelvis move in different directions with enough strength and control to handle changing terrain? From there, we look at Stability. Can those positions be controlled as the ground, slope, and foot placement constantly change? Once those pieces are working well together, we look at Bounce. How efficiently can the body transition from landing into push-off without losing energy? The goal isn't to make trail running easier by avoiding technical terrain. It's to help runners build a body that's better prepared to adapt to it. --- ## Source: resources/why-trail-running-feels-harder-than-it-should-for-some-runners URL: https://www.runready.co/resources/why-trail-running-feels-harder-than-it-should-for-some-runners API: https://www.runready.co/api/content/why-trail-running-feels-harder-than-it-should-for-some-runners Title: Why Trail Running Feels Harder Than It Should for Some Runners Date: 2026-07-27T00:00-04:00 Read time: 4 Excerpt: For some runners, trail running feels difficult almost immediately. For some runners, trail running feels difficult almost immediately. It’s not just that the terrain is uneven. It’s that nothing feels fully under control. Each step takes more thought than expected. Instead of moving through the trail naturally, runners find themselves reacting to it. They slow down more than they think they should, especially on descents or technical sections. Even when they’re well prepared, the work can feel much higher than the pace reflects. There’s often a hesitation in the stride. Foot placement becomes more cautious. Confidence drops when the ground changes quickly between rocks, roots, loose dirt, and uneven surfaces. Instead of trusting each step, runners start second-guessing where and how they land. Over time, that becomes mentally and physically draining. The run feels longer than it is, and what should feel dynamic and engaging starts to feel unpredictable. The Body Has To Adjust With Every Step On trails, the ground is constantly changing. That means the body has to adjust in real time to different surfaces, slopes, angles, and directions. Every step asks the body to do three things well: take in force through Absorb, stay controlled through Stability, and move into the next step through Bounce. Absorb describes how the body takes in force when the foot contacts the ground. On trails, that force does not always travel straight up through the body. It can move side to side, forward, backward, or through rotation depending on the surface and where the foot lands. When Absorb is limited, the foot, ankle, hip, and pelvis may not work together efficiently to manage that force. The body may land more stiffly, or the force may move upward too quickly before the runner has time to adjust. This can show up as the ankle feeling pinched, the knee moving beyond a comfortable position, or the runner struggling to adapt to the angle of the ground. From there, Stability becomes harder to maintain. The body has to stay balanced while every step lands on a different surface. When coordination is limited, the runner may wobble, shift position, or spend more time trying to regain balance after each step. Instead of moving through the trail, they are repeatedly trying to recover from it. Energy Gets Lost Between Landing And Push-Off Bounce also plays an important role, even at slower trail-running speeds. Bounce is the body’s ability to move from landing into the next step. When Absorb and Stability are not working well together, that transition becomes less efficient. Rather than moving directly into push-off, there can be a delay while the body tries to regain control. That delay costs energy. The runner may have to work harder to push forward, or the spring they normally feel in each step may disappear. The result is more work without the same forward movement. When Absorb, Stability, and Bounce are not working together, the runner’s effort and pace start to fall out of sync. They use more energy trying to stay balanced and in control, leaving less available to move forward or sustain the run. That’s often where the mismatch shows up. Heart rate climbs, the legs fatigue, and pace drops even though the runner feels like they are working hard. Why Rhythm Becomes Harder To Maintain Trail running asks the body to solve a slightly different movement problem with every step. Because the ground is unpredictable, each landing demands a new response. The runner has to manage force, control their position, and move into the next step without relying on the same foot placement or joint position each time. When that process is inefficient, rhythm becomes harder to maintain. Each step feels slightly different from the last, which makes it difficult to settle into a consistent stride. Over longer runs or more technical terrain, those small interruptions add up. Fatigue may also appear earlier than expected, not because the runner lacks endurance, but because the body is spending more energy adjusting to the changing ground. Each adjustment may feel minor on its own, but repeated across the run, the total cost can become significant. What Runners Usually Get Wrong A lot of runners assume the answer is simply to run more trails. They think they need more distance, more experience, or more time on technical terrain. Increased exposure can help, but it does not fully address the issue if the body is still struggling to manage force and control movement. Others blame the trail itself. They assume the route is too steep, too technical, or too unpredictable, so they either push harder or avoid those sections altogether. Sometimes the terrain is genuinely more demanding. But a runner with stronger Absorb, Stability, and Bounce can usually handle that same terrain with more control and less wasted energy. The issue is often less about endurance and more about how the body handles each step. If Absorb is inefficient, Stability is inconsistent, and Bounce is delayed, simply adding more running will not fully solve the problem. Without addressing those areas, runners often become better at working around the issue rather than improving what is happening underneath. What We Typically Work On At RunReady, we start by looking at how the runner takes in and redistributes force. The first focus is often Absorb. Can the foot, ankle, hip, and pelvis move in different directions with enough strength and control to manage the terrain? From there, we look at Stability. Can the runner control those positions as the ground and foot placement change? That includes movement up and down, forward and backward, side to side, and through rotation. Once those pieces are working more effectively, we look at Bounce. How efficiently can the runner move from landing into push-off without losing energy? In practice, this means helping runners recognize where control is being lost and improving their ability to handle more variation. The goal is not to make trail running easier by avoiding complexity. It is to give the body more ways to respond to it. The Checkpoint Trail running can feel harder than expected when the body spends too much energy managing force, balance, and position. Uneven terrain places greater demands on Absorb, Stability, and Bounce. When those elements are not working together, runners may hesitate, lose rhythm, fatigue earlier, and work harder than their pace suggests. More trail running can help, but exposure alone may not solve the issue. Improving how the body takes in force, stays controlled, and moves into push-off can help runners handle changing terrain with more confidence and less wasted energy. --- ## Source: resources/why-speed-gets-harder-to-hold-later-in-runs URL: https://www.runready.co/resources/why-speed-gets-harder-to-hold-later-in-runs API: https://www.runready.co/api/content/why-speed-gets-harder-to-hold-later-in-runs Title: Why Speed Gets Harder To Hold Later In Runs Date: 2026-06-08T00:00-04:00 Read time: 4 Excerpt: Many runners are hungry to chase down a time goal, whether it’s a qualifying time or simply finishing their first race. Many runners are hungry to chase down a time goal, whether it’s a qualifying time or simply finishing their first race. When training with a finishing time in mind, runners will often incorporate an element of speed into their training. This may take the form of tempo runs, speedwork, or interval training. While running fast is exciting, jumping into faster and more challenging workouts without first building a solid foundation and understanding the demands of speed can be a recipe for disaster. It doesn’t take long during a fast run to feel how difficult it is to maintain quick turnover, how much harder certain muscles need to work, and how much impact the body experiences with each stride. Let’s break down what actually happens when we pick up the pace and what we need to do to minimize our risk of injury during faster runs. What Changes When You Pick Up the Pace Our running mechanics shift as pace increases. Contrary to what happens over the course of a long run, cadence increases¹² and ground contact time decreases². These changes are intuitive. In order to run faster, we need to cycle our legs quicker and spend less time on the ground. Maximal joint angles in hip extension, hip flexion, and knee flexion increase¹. This reflects how we need to move our bodies more dynamically at higher speeds, particularly during the takeoff and swing phases when we extend through our hips and lift our legs to prepare for the next step. Hip extensor, knee extensor, and ankle extensor torque also increases¹. These are the same motions involved in "triple extension", a necessary component of an effective push-off. Triple extension is the coordinated straightening of the hip, knee, and ankle joints. To push off harder from the ground, these joints need to produce more force. Stride length and ground reaction forces also increase at higher speeds¹². Because we exert more force through our joints and strike the ground harder, we end up covering more ground with each stride. How Speed Shows Up Runners may notice that maintaining cadence and quickness in their steps is more challenging during faster runs. As discussed in previous articles, when fatigue accumulates during longer runs, cadence tends to decrease and ground contact time tends to increase. This directly opposes the demands that speed places on those factors. Runners may notice that restrictions in mobility limit their ability to run faster. Maximal joint angles are greater at faster paces, meaning more of a runner’s available range of motion is challenged during a fast run. Runners may notice more fatigue in their glutes, quads, and calves. These muscles are responsible for hip extension, knee extension, and ankle plantarflexion, all of which need to generate more force at higher speeds. Runners may also notice that running faster feels harder and more impactful on the legs. Greater ground reaction forces mean we are hitting the ground harder with each step than we typically would. What to Focus on During Faster Runs Runners should clearly define the objective of their runs and be flexible when adapting workouts if needed. The demands of speed go directly against the body's adaptation to fatigue. Fatigue causes speed to decrease, and forcefully pushing through it can increase the risk of injury. If the objective of the session is to work at a certain speed, do not be afraid to adjust the duration or distance of the workout so you can maintain high-quality running without overdoing it. Runners should also build a strong foundation through mobility and strength training before tackling faster runs. Running fast places greater mobility and strength demands on the body, particularly with Bounce-related movements. Spending time outside of running to improve hip mobility and posterior chain strength can help set runners up for safer and higher-quality speedwork. The Check Point - Running fast can be challenging without a solid foundation. Understanding what happens as pace increases is important for injury prevention. - Our running mechanics change as speed picks up. We need to cycle our legs quicker, spend less time on the ground, and produce more force through Bounce. - Be flexible when adapting the duration or distance of faster runs if needed. If the goal is to maintain a certain speed, it is safer to prioritize quality over quantity. - Improving strength and mobility outside of running, especially Bounce-related movements, can improve the quality of faster runs and help reduce injury risk. --- ## Source: resources/5-cues-to-remember-during-your-long-runs URL: https://www.runready.co/resources/5-cues-to-remember-during-your-long-runs API: https://www.runready.co/api/content/5-cues-to-remember-during-your-long-runs Title: 5 Cues to Remember During Your Long Runs Date: 2026-06-03T00:00-04:00 Read time: 4 Excerpt: Long runs are a core part of training for long-distance races like the half or full marathon. Long runs are a core part of training for long-distance races like the half or full marathon. As the season progresses, runners gradually increase the distance of their long runs. Our running and joint mechanics change over the course of a long run due to fatigue. Some changes include a decrease in cadence, increase in ground contact time, increase in stride length, and decreases in knee flexion and hip extension angles. These changes affect running efficiency, and compensations could lead to increased injury risk. Here are five cues to use during your next long run to help you run efficiently and reduce injury risk. Stay Light As a runner’s stride rate or cadence decreases and ground contact time increases, they may start feeling heavy in their legs. Fatigue makes it harder to cycle the legs as quickly, and each step can start to feel like you’re hitting the ground harder. “Stay light” is a simple cue that aims to reverse these sensations. Imagine skipping across a surface of water and needing to be weightless with each step to prevent breaking the surface tension. This can help you maintain a more upbeat tempo and spend less time on the ground with each step. Pick Up Your Feet A decreased cadence and increased ground contact time may also lead runners to adopt more of a “shuffle” during the swing phase of their running gait. The “shuffle” refers to when the feet stay relatively close to the ground as they swing towards each next step. “Pick up your feet” prompts you to think about how you use your knees and ankles after you push off the ground. They need to be an active component in finishing the take-off and resetting for the next step Strike Underneath Yourself An increase in stride length occurs as a result of a slower cadence and increased ground contact time. We reach further with each step to try and make up for the slower steps that we are taking. Overstriding works against our own forward momentum and causes a braking force. To overcome this issue, try thinking of “striking underneath yourself.” Aim to replace the position of where your feet already are, rather than grabbing ahead of you with your heel. Remember that running requires propulsion instead of pulling. Get Tall Our ability to Absorb is challenged as fatigue accumulates in longer runs. It becomes harder to maintain control in joints that require more active stability, like the hip and ankle. This leads to the knee having to bear more weight. Try to “get tall” the next time you notice your foundation is collapsing. Imagine a string attached to the top of your head that’s pulling you up. This cues your body to use every segment as an active participant in supporting your own weight during each landing. Push From The Hips The most underrated driver of running gait is the hip extensors, like the glutes. To propel forward and Bounce, we need to achieve triple extension, which means straightening at the hips, knees, and ankles. Hip extension decreases later in long runs as runners default to primarily using their knees and ankles. “Push from the hips” aims to help you engage your hip extensors during each take-off. Imagine that the force of each push-off is coming from propulsion in the back pockets. This can help support commonly overused structures like the calf muscles and Achilles tendon. Before Your Next Long Run Just because long runs are generally longer and slower does not mean they need to be sloppy. Consider how many repetitions of the running cycle are completed during a single long run, and how much of our weekly mileage the long run makes up. The majority of steps we take in training happen during these long runs, so we should take advantage of every stride to practice good habits. --- ## Source: resources/what-longer-runs-tend-to-expose-over-time URL: https://www.runready.co/resources/what-longer-runs-tend-to-expose-over-time API: https://www.runready.co/api/content/what-longer-runs-tend-to-expose-over-time Title: What Longer Runs Tend To Expose Over Time Date: 2026-06-01T00:00-04:00 Read time: 4 Excerpt: As summer training picks up, many runners begin increasing their weekly volume. As summer training picks up, many runners begin increasing their weekly volume. Long runs are one of the most important parts of preparing for races like the half marathon and marathon because they help build endurance and aerobic capacity. But longer runs come with their own challenges. As fatigue builds, pace can become harder to maintain. Effort starts feeling higher. Cadence begins to drop. Each stride feels a little heavier than the last. Most runners expect their breathing and cardiovascular system to be challenged during a long run. What many don't realize is that long runs also challenge your ability to maintain force, control, and running technique as fatigue builds. The longer the run goes, the harder the body has to work to maintain the movement patterns that felt natural during the opening kilometres. ## Each Step Starts Taking Longer As runs get longer, runners often start spending more time on the ground with each step while taking fewer steps per minute. Researchers consistently see decreases in cadence alongside increases in ground contact time during longer runs. As cadence drops, runners often begin reaching farther with each stride to maintain speed. This is where runners may begin noticing things like: - heavier foot strikes - increased side-to-side movement - overstriding - a more prominent heel strike - greater difficulty maintaining cadence For runners who track cadence on their watch, it may become increasingly difficult to hold the same number they started the run with. These changes often happen gradually enough that runners don't notice them right away. They usually become more obvious later in the run as the kilometres add up. ## Absorb And Bounce Start Working Differently Later in longer runs, the body can begin landing with less knee bend and producing less hip extension during each stride. These changes directly affect the body's ability to Absorb and Bounce. Knee flexion plays an important role in Absorb, helping the body manage impact when the foot first contacts the ground. When runners begin landing with less knee bend later in a run, more force can travel through the ankle, knee, and hip joints. Runners may notice they are hitting the ground harder with each step. Muscles involved in Absorb, such as the calves, quadriceps, and tibialis anterior, may also start feeling more fatigued. At the same time, hip extension is an important part of Bounce and forward propulsion. Effective Bounce relies on triple extension through the hip, knee, and ankle working together to generate force and move the body forward. Once one of those joints contributes less, the others often have to work harder to compensate. A decrease in hip extension suggests the hip extensors, particularly the glutes, are contributing less as the run progresses. Runners may notice their calves or hamstrings starting to work harder than usual. Maintaining pace often feels more demanding, and continuing to move forward requires noticeably more effort. ## What Runners Should Pay Attention To Long runs provide thousands of opportunities to reinforce running habits, both good and bad. When runners notice cadence beginning to drop or ground contact time increasing, whether through a watch or simply through how the run feels, a cue like "pick up my feet" can help maintain a more upbeat stride rate. A higher stride rate can help reduce excessive up-and-down motion while improving how force is managed through the legs. It's also important to watch for overstriding later in runs. When runners begin reaching too far in front of their body, each step can create a braking effect that works against forward momentum. A cue like "step underneath myself" can help keep each step closer to the body's centre of mass. Because Absorb demands increase throughout a long run, runners should also make sure they are building strength outside of running. Working with a coach, physiotherapist, or specialist can help identify which areas need additional support. Finally, pay attention to Bounce later in runs. A cue like "propelling from the hips" can help maintain hip extension and reduce the tendency to rely excessively on the knees and ankles later in the run. Every stride is an opportunity to reinforce better movement patterns. The habits developed during long runs often become the habits that show up on race day. ## The Checkpoint Long runs do more than challenge endurance. They also challenge your ability to maintain force, control, and running technique throughout the run. As runs get longer, cadence often decreases, ground contact time increases, and runners may begin taking longer strides to compensate. Changes in knee and hip positions can also affect the body's ability to Absorb and Bounce, making it harder to maintain pace and control later in runs. Technical cues like "pick up my feet," "step underneath myself," and "propelling from the hips" can help runners maintain better habits as fatigue builds and race day gets closer. --- ## Source: resources/3-things-runners-get-wrong-after-races URL: https://www.runready.co/resources/3-things-runners-get-wrong-after-races API: https://www.runready.co/api/content/3-things-runners-get-wrong-after-races Title: 3 Things Runners Get Wrong After Races Date: 2026-05-12T00:00-04:00 Read time: 4 Excerpt: The finish line might be where the race is over, but that isn’t where the whole story ends. The finish line might be where the race is over, but that isn’t where the whole story ends. The finish line might be where the race is over but that isn’t where the whole story ends. What happens in the days and weeks following race day are often an afterthought for runners. Taking the right steps to reset before rebuilding is critical for setting yourself up for bigger and better races ahead. ### Here are three common mistakes runners make after race day and suggestions on what to try instead. 1. Jumping Back Into Training Too Soon Many runners are raring to get back on the grind as soon as the race is over. Some are eager to build on their recent success and push into new boundaries while others may be looking to redeem themselves. Something to be careful of is getting back into too much running too quickly. After a long period of training, a lot of fatigue will have accumulated and the body needs time to recover. Without proper rest, you are putting yourself at risk of injury by doing lower quality runs that can exacerbate imbalances and compensations. What to try instead: - Prioritize recovery in your runs following race day; this means easier and shorter runs - Space out your runs with rest days to let your body recover in between runs - Avoid high intensity tempo work right after race day 2. Avoiding Strength and Mobility Sessions It can be difficult balancing strength and mobility training with running, especially when we are ramping up closer to race day and the weekly volume is at its peak. Runners tend to fall out of the habit of maintaining their strength and mobility sessions leading up to race day and never end up getting back into it after the race is over. The period of time after a race and before the next ramp up is actually the perfect opportunity to focus on these exercises. While the mileage is still relatively low, you can shift your focus on addressing your deficits in strength and flexibility to prepare your body for the rest of the season. What to try instead: - Ease into these sessions by starting with bodyweight strengthening and flexibility exercises; no need to jump straight into super heavy sessions - Work with a professional to identify what areas of improvement you may need to work on before you ramp up for your next big race 3. Ignoring Signs of Fatigue Runners are no strangers to aches and pains by the end of a race. Although we may grow accustomed to these aches and pains throughout the process of training, it’s important not to brush them aside, especially in the weeks following race day. With fatigue accumulation at its highest, we are very vulnerable to injury at this time. During your first few runs back you might notice certain muscles feeling tighter, your legs feeling heavier, and you might even start breathing harder in shorter distances. These are all signs of fatigue that you should treat with caution. Now’s the time to let your body breathe a bit, so make sure to adjust the parameters of your training accordingly (i.e., changing the pace, distance, intensity etc.). What to try instead - Listen to your body; scale down the intensity and durations of your workouts as needed depending on what your body is telling you - Prioritize good sleep and nutrition; treat the body as an entire system - without the right maintenance and fuel, it won’t be able to run well Rather than thinking of rest and recovery as time away from training, think of it as a productive component of training. Knowing when to push the limit and when to exercise restraint is an invaluable skill to have as a runner. Start out easy and slow, focus on rebuilding the foundation with strength training, and be extra attentive to what your body is telling you. A bit of patience can go a long way for wrapping up a race season and preparing you for stronger and healthier running in the future. --- ## Source: resources/what-actually-changes-after-a-race URL: https://www.runready.co/resources/what-actually-changes-after-a-race API: https://www.runready.co/api/content/what-actually-changes-after-a-race Title: What Actually Changes After A Race Date: 2026-03-24T00:00-04:00 Read time: 5 Excerpt: Crossing the finish line doesn’t mean the body has fully recovered. Crossing the finish line doesn’t mean the body has fully recovered. The hard training days, balancing life and training, that one hill you had to fight through late in the race, and everything else that came with getting there. After crossing the finish line, there’s usually a sense of relief and accomplishment. Many runners ride that momentum into the next few weeks, eager to get back training, chase the next personal best, or start thinking about the next goal. But oftentimes those first few runs back feel noticeably harder on the body. Your legs feel heavier. Your breathing feels harder at slower paces. One side may even start feeling like it’s working harder than the other. Sure, some of this can be explained by normal post-race soreness. But there’s also more happening underneath mechanically and physically that affects how the body handles running during those first couple weeks back. ## There’s More Happening Than Soreness Alone Beyond soreness, the body’s ability to generate force and maintain control is temporarily compromised after a race. Research has shown that runners experience temporary decreases in ankle strength and postural balance after racing (NCBI (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33251988/) 2021, NCBI (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30952107/) 2019). In simpler terms, certain muscles involved in running are not able to generate as much force as they normally can when the body is fresh. This affects Bounce, or the body’s ability to push upward and propel forward while running. When calf and lower leg strength decrease, push-off can start feeling slower, heavier, and more effortful during early runs back. This is often why runners describe feeling less “bouncy” or more sluggish after a race. At the same time, decreases in balance and coordination can affect Stability. Runners may notice more side-to-side shifting, less control through the hips and ankles, or one side beginning to compensate more than the other during landing and push-off. These changes are often subtle early in a run, then become more noticeable as fatigue builds. ### This is why runners may start noticing things like: - Legs feeling heavier or more sluggish - Cadence slows slightly - Legs feel heavier earlier - One calf starts tightening sooner - Stride feels less smooth late in the run - Effort feels higher even when pace hasn’t changed much That shift usually doesn’t feel dramatic at first. It often shows up subtly before runners fully recognize what’s changing. The body’s ability to Absorb force gets challenged more as fatigue builds As runners fatigue, the body has to work harder to handle impact during landing, especially through the knees and ankles later in runs. It becomes harder to efficiently transfer force from landing into push-off As stiffness and coordination start changing, runners spend longer on the ground and lose some efficiency moving into the next stride. ## Why Early Runs Back Can Feel Harder One of the more frustrating parts of post-race running is that the run often starts feeling fine. Then halfway through the run, the legs start feeling heavier, push-off feels less efficient, and certain muscles or joints start working harder to maintain control. The body starts compensating. As strength, balance, and coordination decrease post-race, runners usually start shifting load somewhere else to maintain movement efficiency. Less control at the hip can change how force moves through the knee and ankle. Reduced push-off strength can also keep runners on the ground longer with every step. Over time, those smaller compensations get repeated thousands of times throughout a run and across the week. That’s why something that initially feels minor can suddenly become much more noticeable a few runs later. ## Are Recovery Runs Actually Helping? A lot of runners respond to this by immediately trying to run more to “get the legs back.” But running more doesn’t necessarily speed up physical recovery. Research suggests that returning to running shortly after a marathon doesn’t necessarily improve physical recovery, even if it doesn’t negatively affect it either (NCBI (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33251988/) 2021, NCBI (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30412626/) 2018). In other words, running a few days after a race does not appear to significantly improve physical recovery, even if some runners find it mentally rejuvenating. That doesn’t mean runners shouldn’t run after a race. It just means more running is not automatically the thing that fixes what the body is still recovering from. It may also take roughly a week post-race for the body’s physiological capacity to recover. (Link citation 5 here) ### What Runners Should Pay Attention To The first week or two after a race is usually not the time to aggressively ramp training back up. The body is still recovering physiologically, even if motivation and energy are high mentally. That’s why it helps to pay attention to what actually changes once fatigue starts building again. Things like: - one side taking more load - reduced control later in runs - changes in landing or push-off - muscle tightness showing up earlier - side-to-side shifting - stride changes later in runs - effort feeling higher than expected These are often more important signals than simply whether soreness is present or not. Because Bounce and Stability are temporarily compromised post-race, it’s usually safer to avoid workouts that heavily challenge those qualities early on, like speed sessions, hard tempo work, or highly technical terrain. Slower and easier runs are often enough to get the legs moving again while giving the body room to recover. ### The Checkpoint So what actually changes after a race? - Post-race fatigue can temporarily reduce strength, balance, and coordination. This affects Bounce and Stability, making runners feel heavier, less responsive, or less controlled during early runs back. - Running more immediately after a race does not necessarily improve physical recovery or help the body recover faster. - Because Bounce and Stability are temporarily compromised post-race, it’s safer to avoid high-intensity training too early. Slower and easier runs are often enough while the body continues recovering. Understanding how fatigue affects movement after a race can help runners make better decisions during those first few weeks back. --- ## Source: resources/you-signed-up-for-a-race-now-what URL: https://www.runready.co/resources/you-signed-up-for-a-race-now-what API: https://www.runready.co/api/content/you-signed-up-for-a-race-now-what Title: You Signed Up for a Race. Now What? Date: 2026-03-24T00:00-04:00 Read time: 5 Excerpt: If you signed up for a race recently, you’ve probably already started thinking about what to do next. If you signed up for a race recently, you’ve probably already started thinking about what to do next. Maybe you’ve added a few runs, maybe you’ve looked up a plan, maybe you’ve told yourself this is the time you’re finally going to stay consistent. That’s usually how it starts. And to be fair, it works for a bit. The first few runs feel fine. You feel fresh, motivated, and ready to train. Shorter runs feel manageable, your legs feel decent, and it’s easy to assume your body is ready for more. Then something starts to shift. A bit of tightness shows up in one calf. Your breathing feels heavier earlier than expected. Your legs feel more sluggish halfway through a run that normally wouldn’t feel that difficult. One side starts doing a little more work than the other, even if you can’t fully explain it yet. It’s usually not pain. It just feels... off. Most runners assume they just need to keep training, so they keep going. The issue is that what’s changing isn’t just conditioning. ## Where your stride starts to change (even when you feel fine) Before adding more running, it helps to understand what fatigue actually changes once runs start getting longer. While running mechanics can get complicated quickly, most of what happens during a run can generally be understood through “Absorb” and “Bounce.” Absorb describes the phase where the body accepts force during landing. Bounce describes the phase where the body releases that force to help propel us into the next step. During landing and push-off, different parts of the body take on different jobs. During absorb, the hips, knees, and ankles bend to help handle impact. During bounce, those same joints extend to help push the body forward. Through coordination and timing, the body repeats this cycle from one leg to the other over and over again throughout a run. ### This is why runners may start noticing things like: - Legs feeling heavier or more sluggish - Cadence slows slightly - Legs feel heavier earlier - One calf starts tightening sooner - Stride feels less smooth late in the run - Effort feels higher even when pace hasn’t changed much That shift usually doesn’t feel dramatic at first. It often shows up subtly before runners fully recognize what’s changing. The body’s ability to Absorb force gets challenged more as fatigue builds As runners fatigue, the body has to work harder to handle impact during landing, especially through the knees and ankles later in runs. It becomes harder to efficiently transfer force from landing into push-off As stiffness and coordination start changing, runners spend longer on the ground and lose some efficiency moving into the next stride. ## How small imbalances turn into real load Early in the season, it’s common for runners to get overexcited and increase training too quickly. The shorter runs feel manageable, energy is high, and it’s easy to assume the body is ready for more. The problem is that fatigue often starts accumulating before runners fully notice how much their mechanics are changing underneath. As fatigue builds, the body has to work harder to absorb force while also maintaining coordination and timing from one step to the next. Once that starts breaking down, the body compensates by shifting work somewhere else. A slight change in landing mechanics can become extra load through the calf. Less control at the hip can change how force moves through the knee and ankle. A slower push-off can keep runners on the ground longer with every step. Over time, those smaller changes get repeated thousands of times. That’s why something that feels minor on Monday can suddenly show up in every run by the end of the week. Running usually doesn’t create these patterns out of nowhere. It tends to expose and repeat what’s already happening underneath. ## What To Check Before You Add More Distance Now that we know what fatigue changes during running, what should runners actually do about it? Early in race training, it’s common to increase running too quickly because the shorter runs still feel manageable. The problem is that fatigue usually starts affecting movement before runners fully recognize it. Before increasing training too aggressively, it helps to focus on more than just running itself. ### Improve your ability to Absorb and return force outside of just running Strength and flexibility work can help improve how the body handles impact and maintains movement quality as fatigue builds. The specific exercises that help most will depend on what each runner needs individually. Pay attention to technique changes earlier in runs Small shifts in cadence, landing, push-off, or side-to-side loading are often early signs that fatigue is starting to change mechanics. Early runs are often the best time to refine running technique before fatigue becomes more noticeable later on. Develop better body awareness while you run The sooner runners recognize compensation patterns and movement changes, the easier it becomes to adjust before those patterns become more consistent. Paying attention to things like muscle tension, weight shifting, or changes in footstrike can help runners notice problems earlier. It’s also worth paying attention to how footwear feels throughout a run, not just during the first few kilometres. The same shoe can feel stable early and unpredictable later depending on how the body is responding to fatigue that day. That’s also why simply adding more running isn’t always the answer, especially early in race training when fatigue starts exposing movement changes runners usually don’t notice at the start of runs. [Image: Race Prep Ad — https://images.ctfassets.net/djx9ockjzapz/39J9SlYOnB1erlmmUXzqWA/427e8ce7b67e88a6afafb8607b1fdbb8/Don%C3%A2__t_let_fatigue_derail_your_summer_race._Race_Prep_combines_physiotherapists_and_run_coaches_to_help_you_stay_consistent.png] Many runners assume they need a completely different training plan once things start feeling harder. Most of the time, that’s not actually the issue. The bigger problem is usually that fatigue starts changing movement before runners fully recognize it. One side starts taking more load, certain muscles start working harder, or mechanics begin shifting later in runs as the body tries to compensate. That’s why things like strength work, running technique, footwear, and body awareness can matter just as much as the training itself, especially once distance and fatigue start increasing week after week. The goal isn’t just to complete runs. It’s to understand how your body responds as training gets longer, more repetitive, and more physically demanding. ## The Checkpoint So you signed up for a race. What should your next steps actually look like? Pay attention to what changes once runs get longer. Heavy legs, slower cadence, muscle tension, or one side working harder than the other are often early signs that fatigue is starting to affect mechanics. As fatigue builds, the body has to work harder to absorb impact and efficiently move from landing into push-off. That’s why things like strength work, running technique, footwear, and body awareness can matter just as much as the running itself, especially as training gets longer and more repetitive. The sooner runners recognize movement changes, the easier it becomes to adjust before those patterns become more consistent. ---