The Unconventional Running Coach

The Brain Runs on Fat: Revisiting the Preferred Fuel of Human Evolution For decades, we've been told that glucose is the primary—and preferred—fuel for the human brain. But what if that story is incomplete? Emerging research and a deeper look at our evolutionary biology suggest that ketones—not glucose—may be the brain’s true super fuel , especially in states of fasting, endurance, or low carbohydrate availability. 🦴 A Look Back: Human Evolution and Energy Our ancestors didn’t eat every 3 hours. Instead, they evolved to thrive in environments where food availability was unpredictable , and long stretches without carbohydrate were common. During those times, the body would enter nutritional ketosis , converting fat into ketone bodies like beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) —which are not just an alternative fuel, but in many ways a superior one . Persistence hunting (chasing prey for hours): fueled by fat, not carbs. Rapid brain growth in Homo erectus : likely supported by nu...

I am covering January a little early because we have just had the last parkrun of January so it is a good time to asses my progress against my time based goals, even if the progress goals could be better judged at the end of the month. parkrun times are all I have to go with regards to outcome goals and I have progressed my post illness PB from 17:35 to 17:21. I should also note that the 17:21 was run with the start as my 1k and then 1 mile PBs and just hanging on... yeah not great to do the first km in 16 minute flat pace according to Strava. There has also been much more consistency with my parkrun times, they are trending downwards with my times getting consistently quicker. I really feel I have a big PB in my legs and just need the competition, weather and pacing to be right.  The above times set me up nicely for my target Half Marathon and mean my predicted finish time, in comparable conditions, would be sub 80.... something for me to wrap my head around as my current PB (on a...

I was hoping to do vlogs but it appears I am not very good at that, also it is usually good to have some exciting content to post... and well with me it is mostly the same each week. I ate meat, I ran slowly (except for parkrun) and I was building on being consistent.  And really being consistent is my goal for this year. I ideally would like to stay happy and healthy whilst getting some personal bests along the way, I don't know if I will do it but if I love the process it doesn't really matter.  So what are my goals, both outcome and process?  Run 3000 miles - ideally run, but if I get ill or injured then cross training might have to count.  Consistently strength train  Consistently work on my mental health and training.  Stick to a carnivore diet Continue to learn  Break my 5k PB (17:08)  and ideally run 16:43. The latter because parkrun stopwatch bingo says I only haven't finished in a time with 43 on the end!  Run a half marathon PB (1:2...

I have recently finished this audiobook and it was a good listen. I won't go into my usual level of detail as I didn't learn much from this to share on a running coaching site. Was it a good listen? Yes, Was it about running? Mostly. Was there any coaching tips? Not really. Advice from it? Have a good time, listen to your body and preserver. 

My Score 8/10 Topics Covered: East African Running, Motivation, Barefoot, Training  Adharanand Finn is an accomplished writer, journalist, and passionate runner. Here are some key points about him: Authorship : He penned the critically acclaimed book “Running with the Kenyans,” which has garnered widespread acclaim and accolades. Awards and Recognition : His book was named the Sunday Times Sports Book of the Year . It also won the Best New Writer award at the British Sports Book Awards . Additionally, it was shortlisted for the prestigious William Hill Sports Book Award . Journalistic Background : Finn serves as an editor at The Guardian , a renowned British newspaper. His journalistic expertise and passion for running intersect beautifully in his writing. Running Enthusiast : As a former junior cross-country runner, Finn has a deep-rooted connection to the sport. Currently, he competes for Torbay AC in Devon, where he resides with his family. Inquisitive Spirit : In “Running w...