Our third monthly recap is here

Once again, we’re bringing a new edition of Six Minute Mile to you, free of charge. We’ve compiled the most-clicked stories from the last four weeks for your convenience. It’s our way of making sure that you don't miss any of the content that your fellow runners/readers loved the most. We hope you enjoy this roundup of our best stories from May. Cheers!

Minute 1: Cycling offers unique benefits for endurance athletes

The responses to our reader survey last year reminded us of a scene from the Blues Brothers movie, when Dan Ackroyd’s character asked: “What kind of music to you usually have here?” The woman with a cotton candy hairdo tending bar answered earnestly: “Oh, we got both kinds. We got country and western.” In our reader survey, y’all listed running as your favorite activity (no surprise) and hiking/walking as your second favorite form of exercise. If you are looking to expand your genres a little, cycling can be a welcome distraction from the daily grind and can also boost your running, according to: “These 8 Benefits of Cycling Will Convince You To Hop on a Bike ASAP.” One of cycling’s greatest strengths is its versatility. For starters, it can be done inside or out. That means you don’t need nice weather to take a ride. You can even use a stationary bike converter to train on a road bike from the comfort of home. Cycling is also a low-impact activity, unlike running, which makes it useful for active recovery. Slow rides are key for flushing out lactic acid and stimulating blood flow, according to this recent piece from MarathonHandbook: “The Benefits Of Cycling For Runners: How To Use Cycling To Improve Performance.” Many athletes also find it easier to keep their heart rate low while cycling compared to running. If you’ve tried to engage in zone 2 training as a runner but can’t seem to maintain your target BPM, an easy bike ride could be just the thing. Cycling can be an excellent tool for runners, but if you’d like to switch your focus and make it your main activity, you’ll want to read: “From runner to cyclist.”

#PedalToTheMedal

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Minute 2: These tips can help stave off a sweet tooth

Do you need saving from your craving? Our bodies are hard-wired to seek sugar as a rapid source of energy, but that evolutionary preference doesn’t always work in our favor. Early on in human history, a sugar craving would drive us to forage for fruits and berries, but now that we’ve got easy access to processed foods and added sugars, it can help to employ a few techniques to moderate your consumption. That’s why you may want to try “The 7 Best Drinks To Stop Sugar Cravings.” Our bodies aren’t perfect when it comes to signaling what we want, and sometimes, we misinterpret thirst for hunger. The next time you’ve got a sugar craving, try grabbing a glass of water first to see if it satisfies your urge. If it's the flavor you’re after, infused water may be the solution. Infused water is made by immersing fruits, veggies, or herbs in your water to enhance the taste. As an added bonus, you’ll even get a few additional vitamins and minerals in your cup. Diet isn’t the only way to control sugar cravings, according to: “A Simple 3-Step Plan to Stop Sugar Cravings.” Some experts think that when we experience a sugar craving, our minds are really after a “feel good” chemical. Exercising or going on a brisk walk can release endorphins, boosting our mood without relying on a potentially unhealthy consumption habit. Finally, you might be able to reduce sugar cravings by using less artificial sweeteners, because “Artificial Sweeteners Make You Crave More Sweets: 8 Nonnutritive Sweeteners To Avoid If Possible.”

#SweetNothings

Minute 3: Here are the best fitness tests of the week

One of the best parts about running a race is that it provides immediate feedback. You learn if you’ve gotten faster and you learn if your training is working. While racing is a good way to see how your running is developing, there are other elements of fitness that deserve your attention. If you want an assessment beyond the time on your watch, you should “Test Your Core Strength With This 10-Minute Hard Ab Workout.” This list of exercises go well beyond crunches and planks, starting with leg raises to engage your quads and hamstrings in conjunction with your abs. That’s especially useful for runners, since your core and lower body muscles need to work together to maintain proper form. Speaking of tests, we also found “Six Tests Every Runner Should Take” to get a better gauge on their overall wellness. A good way to check if your legs are healthy and strong is the single-leg hop test. Start by hopping up and down on one leg 12 times, then forward and backwards 6-12 times, and finally left and right 6-12 times. If your pain rises above a 3 out of 10 at any point, it could be a sign you need to rest. Runners should also try the “shoe test,” which can be done after 300 miles of running in a single pair of shoes. Once you’ve hit that benchmark, examine the wear and tear on the soles, both inside and out, to determine if you’re experiencing over or underpronation. If you discover any issues, you can use these “Top 8 Overpronation Exercises” to take a step in the right direction.

#TestPrep

Minute 4: What happens if you only train at low intensity?

These days, we hear so much positive news about Zone 2 training that it makes us wonder if we should even bother with other heart rate targets. Intuitively, it might seem like you’ve got to train at a high intensity to improve Zone 4 or 5 performance, but one endurance athlete set out to test that theory in: “Zone 2 for six weeks: How much fitness did Manon Lloyd gain?” If you need a refresher, Zone 2 training is a low intensity level you can sustain for a long time, and it’s crucial for developing your endurance. Even though the training is slow, it can still improve your race pace. That’s because Zone 2 training develops your slow twitch muscle fibers, improving your ability to clear lactic acid during high-intensity exertion. That all sounds well and good, but what do the numbers say? Well, you can see Manon’s results in this YouTube explanation: “How Fit Did I Get Doing Zone 2?” As you might expect, her power output while running below her lactate threshold (LT) increased by 20 watts. That means she could run faster while maintaining a low intensity level. On the flip side, her Power at VO2 Peak also increased by about 32 watts, meaning she performed better at high intensity levels too. Of course, Manon only trained for 6 weeks, and these results would likely plateau fairly soon without adding in higher zone training. If all this talk of zones and numbers has you confused, you may want to read: “Training methodologies made simple.” In that article, you can find a chart that translates the 3-zone model, 5-zone model, Heart Rate Percentages, RPE Scales, and more.

#ItTakesZone2ToTango

Minute 5: Why does Japan have such a low obesity rate?

Trying to eat healthy in the modern world is hard. There’s a fast food joint on every corner and grocery aisles are packed with ultra-processed snacks. As a result, America’s obesity rate has climbed to 43%, and many other wealthy nations aren’t far behind. It's no wonder that new weight loss drugs like Ozempic are selling out all across the globe, but not every country is trending this way. One journalist traveled to Japan on a quest to discover why, and you can read his findings in: “The Land That Doesn’t Need Ozempic.” Japan’s national obesity rate is a mere 4.5%, and Johann Hari says it could be because of their practices around cooking and eating, starting with food preparation. In Western cuisine, it’s all about adding flavor; a butter baste here and a pinch of salt there. Japanese cuisine, on the other hand, attempts to draw out the inherent flavor of ingredients using as few additives as possible. Then, there’s the concept of “Hara hachi bu,” which encourages people to stop eating when they feel about 80% full. That gives your brain time to catch up to your stomach and prevent overeating. These behaviors are part of the reason why pockets of Japan are considered “blue zones,” or areas with abnormally long life expectancy. How you eat matters, but so does what you eat, and that’s why you should familiarize yourself with: “The Okinawa Diet: Eating and Living to 100.” According to research, a traditional Okinawan diet is 96% plant-based, and it’s believed the high ratio of nutrients per calorie found in vegetables is key to their longevity-boosting properties.

#LessIsMore

Minute 6: Daily Inspiration

On the first day back at work after a marathon, runners have earned the right to wear their finisher medal and collect pats on the back. All those athletes would never have made it to the finish line, however, without the thousands of volunteers required to produce the race. They rarely get the fist bumps in the office, but sometimes they make heroic contributions beyond just handing out water cups. @caitlynmiller_fit shared a powerful story about how she hit the wall during the very warm conditions at this year’s Boston Marathon, and just after she crossed the line, she began staggering and looked as if she was about to faceplant. Not on the BAA medical team’s watch! To see one doctor’s remarkable catch, check out Caitlyn’s video below, along with a brief recap of her struggles.