Strava Challenges: How To Create Strava Group Challenges and Strava Club Challenges

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strava challenges 1

Photography: Pro Image Events Sports Photography 

Strava Challenges: How To Create Strava Challenges For Your Strava Club or a group

In this article I’ll discuss how to create:

  • Strava Group Challenges (The June 2021 Strava Mobile-App Update)

  • Strava Sponsored Challenges

  • Strava Club Challenges

The Strava Update in June 2021 means that users can now use the Strava mobile app to create Strava Group Challenges or Strava Challenges for free. I was recently asked to expand on the process of creating a Strava Club Challenge by a few running companies, individuals, and groups, who have a goal of providing their members with virtual races during the shift to an increasingly virtual world amidst the global pandemic. It inspired me to write a walk-through post dedicated to creating Strava Club Challenges and now, Strava Group Challenges after the Strava Challenge Update. 

What is to note, however, is this isn’t specifically an update to be able to create Strava club challenges, this is for creating Strava group challenges, which means you don’t have to have a club to create a Strava Challenge.

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Strava Group Challenges: How to Create Strava Group Challenge

Create a Strava Group Challenge. I will walk you through how to create a Strava group challenge, entirely free on the mobile app (only, hopefully, they update this to the main website also shortly). Please note, this is different from a Strava Club Challenge, which are Challenges for Strava Clubs. However, I will walk through how we can use the Strava Group Challenge method to create a club challenge further on!

For this article, I created a Strava Group Challenge, called test challenge 1.

On your Strava app, click the ‘Groups’ icon on the bottom right of the app, which will take you to the page in the screenshot below.

Strava group challenges

Next, hit the + create a group challenge, which will take you to a screen where you can choose whether to base your challenge off who can complete the most activity, who can complete an activity in the fastest time possible, or who can go the distance – see screenshot below.

 

strava group challenges 1

 

You’ll then be taken on a step-by-step process to decide on the specifics of your challenge. You’ll be asked about time frame specifics, which is a great new addition, and you can then choose which athletes to invite.

I decided to click ‘Challenge settings’ (the 3 orange dots in the far right top hand corner) to see what else Strava Club Challenges offer users.

It turns out users can allow other invitees (or people you invited to the challenge), to invite others to the challenge if you click the toggle to on, which I have done. See the screenshot below.

 

strava club challenges 3

 

Great! Now you’ve created a Strava Group Challenge. You could try this with your local run or cycling club, your workplace, friend groups – you name it.

Just remember to have your activity set to Everyone, not Followers Only, so it counts towards the Strava Group Challenge you’ve created.

Still need help? I’d be happy to walk you through personally – Contact me here. 

What are Strava Sponsored Challenges, How do I create a Strava Sponsored Challenge?

Strava Sponsored Challenges are a tier of Strava Business. The reality is, Strava Sponsored Challenges are expensive and therefore not within the budget of many Small Businesses operating a Strava Club, let alone virtual running clubs that use Strava as their base/platform to operate. The Strava Business platform explains that the Sponsored Challenges start at USD 15,000, with the maximum investment being -200k. These challenges “scale based on duration, targeting, and promotion.” This means that you have the benefit of choosing whether your sponsored challenge is:

  • Distance-based (Eg. Run your fastest 10k)
  • Time-based (Eg. Complete 10 hours of running this fortnight)
  • Duration based (Eg. Run 100km this month, or 30 minutes 5x a week)
  • Elevation-based (Eg. How far can you climb in a month!)

 

Users would also receive a custom brand-designed badge for their Strava Badge cabinet. These small components help boost the impressions of your brand on Strava, likely generating new followers, club members, and fans of your brand on Strava.

If you see an official Strava virtual race advertised, this is an official Strava Sponsored Challenge. If you’re interested in investing in a Strava Sponsored Challenge, you can get in touch with Strava through the FAQ page.

To enquire about a sponsored challenge, follow this link and hit the ‘Get In Touch’ orange bar at the top right corner of the page. See the screenshot below for an example.

 

strava sponsored challenges

For now, let’s walk through how we set up Strava Group Challenges and Strava Club Challenges, now completely free. 

How to create Strava Club Challenges for free?

Strava Challenges 3

Credit: @thewolfferine – Tempo Journal

Previously we had only 2 options when it comes to setting up a Strava Challenge for your club, free of cost. 

  1. A Strava Segment Challenge
  2. Utilizing the Strava Monthly Run Challenges created by Strava, and filtering the leaderboard to view your ‘Club’ member attempts only. 
  3. The new 3rd option, creating a Strava Group Challenge.

 

I’ll walk you through each option below…

 

1. Strava Segment Challenges: How to utilize Strava Segments to Create a Club Challenge. 

Strava Segments are lots of fun, there are those athletes who are familiar with the term ‘segment hunting’ (I myself don’t participate in this), providing consistent mini ‘race like’ efforts to users who seek to achieve the best effort (time) on a particular GPS plotted map course (segment). If you’re a Strava Premium user, you can draw your own segments and publish them for your own personal use, or, as we are about to discuss, as your course for a Strava Club Challenge. 

Strava Segments work via GPS Sports watch connection to the Strava app, the GPS route will then be recognized by Strava as a ‘route’ with particular segments that have been run. It will then upload the athlete’s effort for that particular route to Strava. 

See my screenshot below of a past Virtual Run I completed hosted by the Strava Club – ‘Pace Athletic’. Pace Athletic used the Spit to Manly Strava Segment as their Strava Segment Challenge course. 

 

strava segment

When the athlete has finished their effort on the Strava segment, Strava will place the effort onto the segment leaderboard. This is accessible via the segment homepage. In this case, the ‘Spit to Manly’ segment. In the screenshot displayed below, there is a grey box down on the bottom right of the screen. See ‘View Overall Leaderboard’? Click on that! 

 

Strava Segment 1

 

The Pace Athletic Strava Run Club will determine their segment challenge winner by filtering out the leaderboard to just ‘Club’ member efforts. You can select your club on the dashboard to the far left by hitting the name of your club, under ‘My Clubs’. See the screenshot below for an example.

 

Strava challenge 4

 

This is a great example of a local running business establishing a Strava Club, and then using a popular Strava Segment to set up a club challenge. It will promote their brand, services, and spread camaraderie associated with the brand. I personally completed this challenge and won’t forget it for a while – it is great real-time marketing, connecting dedicated and motivated athletes directly with the business or brand. 

The great thing about a segment challenge and filtering out a leaderboard for club-specific results is, it is entirely free! 

Need more help? Contact me here.

2. Strava Run Challenges: How to utilize the Strava Monthly Run Challenges as a Club Challenge.  

Option number 2.

First, click on the Challenge tab at the top of the Strava Page Dashboard. It’s underlined in orange at the top of the page in the screenshot below. Here’s a link to Strava to get you going.

Strava challenge 5

 

You’ll notice all the Strava Challenges appear on the page. See the screenshot below – As an example, let’s click into the ‘October 5k’ on the bottom row, one to the right. Here’s a quick link to the page: Strava October 5k Run Challenge

strava challenge 6

 

Next, you’ll be directed through to the October Strava 5K homepage, as shown in the screenshot below:

Strava challenge 7

 

Displayed in the screenshot above, see the tabs running horizontally above the bolded word ‘Leaderboard’? Two tabs across hit ‘ My Clubs’. This will filter out the results just to include the members of your club who have joined the Strava Run Challenge and completed 5k in that particular month, so in this case, October. Here’s a link to the challenge page if you’re interested: Strava October 5k

This is how we determine our ‘winners’ if it is a prize incentive-based challenge. At the end of the month, be sure to check the leaderboard and take note of your winners. 

Still, need help? Contact me here.

3. Strava Group Challenges: How to utilize the Strava Update Feature to create a Club Challenge

Option number 3. The June 2021 Strava mobile app update, Strava Group Challenges.

I walked through earlier in this article how to create a Strava Group Challenge. It requires two things:

  • The Strava Mobile App
  • Being a Strava Premium Subscriber.

This option is really only best for small sized clubs right now, because you have to individually invite each member, and you personally have to be following them on your individual athlete account. I hope Strava will update this in the future to be a club feature also. We will see!

The method is pretty basic for this one.

  1. Create the Group Challenge on the mobile app with the few easy steps we walked through early in this article, and then invite your club members individually.
  2.  Create a post on your club, and maybe update the club description to remind your club members to complete the challenge. See my screenshot below for what I mean when I say ‘update your club description’. It’s the textbox below your club name. See how I have the link to a segment challenge (Option 1 from this article), that I created for this club?

strava club challenges 4

 

Unfortunately you can’t generate a link to your Strava Group Challenge on the mobile app, but maybe in the future it will be possible. I will keep you posted!

Promoting Your Strava Challenge

You have a few options here.

On-Strava promotion

The best ways to promote your challenge on Strava is:

  • On your Club Page as a post – don’t rely on 1 single post, post about it consistently, create a space for discussion
  • On your personal Strava athlete profile connected to the Club as a ‘post’
  • On your Club Homepage under the heading, within your ‘Club Descriptor’ text.

 

Off-Strava Promotion

  • Run Facebook Video Ads targeted at individuals with an interest in Strava (Via Facebook Business Ad Manager – do not do a boosted post off your personal Facebook page. Contact me if you need to know why…)
  • Instagram ‘My Story’ promotion and actual posts, every day or at least every second day, for the duration of your challenge. Facilitate and create engagement with your athlete community.
  • Post it on your Facebook Business Page each day
  • Post it as a physical event on Facebook, link directly to the Strava event info on Strava.com, and invite all your Facebook users to the Facebook Event.

 

Strava Hidden Challenges

Strava challenge 8

Photography: Pro Image Events Sports Photography

After researching Strava Challenges for a few months now, I often would come across the term, ‘Strava Hidden Challenges’. I was interested and found that Strava users were experiencing difficulty finding challenges to suit their abilities and sport each month, hence the term ‘Strava Hidden Challenges’ –  Challenges that Strava doesn’t advertise on a large scale. 

Enter Komm Club. According to their website, this is a platform that lists all the upcoming, currently active, and past Strava Challenges for Strava users to reference. The platform even allows you to link up Komm club with Strava so you don’t miss out on challenges and would like to be notified as such. 

Here’s the link to find out more: https://www.kom.club/#challenges

Still need help creating a Strava Club, or a Challenge for your Strava Club? Contact me here.

Running Motivation: Why We Run

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running motivation: why we run

Pro Image Event Photography (Sports)

Running Motivation: Why We Run

 

Do you ever find yourself thinking out on a run, “why am I doing this?” Why do we put our body through pain, wake up ridiculously early, sometimes when we don’t want to, and still hit the pavement or trails? 

I contemplate this question often, and what I found for me and others I have asked is that the role running plays in our life changes frequently. For example, I run as it brings me joy, to challenge myself and test my limits on occasion, to learn to be a good team-mate, to be a better decision-maker under pressure (think quick decisions in racing) to better my mental and physical health, to escape traumatic events and situations (as an outlet), and sometimes, quite honestly, running is a coping mechanism for me, especially in times of emotional challenge. 

I was inspired to write this post as I think it’s important to explore this question as a runner. The answer to this question at certain points in your life can reveal the place you are in from a mental health standpoint. Tuning in to this is an immensely powerful tool. I personally have utilized it frequently over this tumultuous world context at present, particularly when I notice I am using running to cope with stress or other life issues. There’s no problem with this when it is ‘your why’ on occasion, however, it is important to recognize if there is a trend and address it. 

 

Why do runners like to run?

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My lovely team-mate Olivia and I, out for a run and laugh.

Photo Credit: Pro Image Event Photography 

Interestingly, a lot of my team-mates began running because they weren’t so good at other sports. I can definitely say I am in this boat.orning can often provoke some philosophical thinking (at least for myself!). Sometimes I find it quite meditative, especially on early morning sunrise trail runs. I feel like I am awake before the ‘world’ wakes up in a sense, and very at peace with myself in nature.  

But this isn’t always the story. As soon as I recognized that I tended to place running as a sort of stress coping mechanism tool I asked myself, what is the goal I am trying to achieve by placing running as this form of “tool” in my life? I couldn’t come up with a good answer. I recognized this trend in the early stages of COVID quarantine, back in March and April of this year (2020). I came to the conclusion that running can definitely play this role for me at times in my life, but it is dangerous if it becomes the sole reason for running when races and practices are nowhere to be found. 

Recognizing the trend was my first step in truly understanding my motivation to run, and the role running plays in my life. It actually took COVID, when races are canceled and running is purely self-motivated, to realize these things. It is an important self-discovery as an athlete and has skyrocketed me for further growth. 

It’s important to discern that the role running plays to us personally, and our motivation to run are both interconnected and different. Let me explain.

Definitions: 

Role: The function assumed or part played by a person or thing in a particular situation.

So, running as it fits in our life – what function does it have for you? Because it makes you happy? You like the challenge and testing your limits? Physically and mentally bettering yourself? A coping mechanism? A stress-relief tool? 

running motivation: why we run 4

Photo Credit: Pro Image Event Photography 

These will obviously change depending on the situation and context, as the definition states. The role running plays to us personally underlying motivators to a goal/goals we are trying to achieve. Like goals, our ‘why we run’ should evolve over time as you evolve as both an athlete and a person.

I asked a teammate on a recent run why she runs, looking for a variety of answers for this post. She said because it makes her happy. Surprisingly, I hadn’t thought of this first thing, but as an athlete who dedicates so many hours to running, it should be the number one reason. At the end of the day, when competitions and formal practices are canceled, we run to have fun and because we love it.  better ourselves as people and athletes and become a stronger team player.

 

“Running is my meditation, mind flush, cosmic telephone, mood elevator, and spiritual communion”

 – Lorraine Moller, Olympic Bronze Medalist

 

Motivation: The general desire or willingness of someone to do something or the reason or reasons one has for acting or behaving in a particular way.

This often changes, different to the role of running. Often races are our motivation, but with no racing, that has had to change. My motivations each day change from a desire to explore a new trail, to feel like I have achieved something first thing in the morning, to catch up with teammates, to maintain fitness for when races do roll back around, to get to the lovely brunch + mimosas waiting on the other side of a long run… 

Motivation to run and role running has in our life can be the same at that very moment. For example, if I am highly stressed, and looking for some outside time, to make myself a little tired and get a hit of endorphins, I am running for mental health and stress relief. 

Strength through adversity

 

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Credit: Pro Image Event Photography (Sports)

When running becomes a coping mechanism to deal with stress, adverse life situations, trauma, and other mental health challenges, it can honestly be a savior. It is great we have a tool like running to help us through these tough times. 

The danger is, what happens if we get injured or sick, and we can’t run for a while?

It’s important to have other things you enjoy and can throw yourself into when you can’t run. Running playing the main role in your life as a coping mechanism is risky, as I mentioned earlier. If you think that you might fall into this boat here and there, or full-time, I challenge you to learn an instrument, find an art form you’re passionate about, learn a skill, like Indian Curry cooking and the purpose of different spices (I learned how to make a variety of curries from scratch over COVID, it was super rewarding and I now have a new life skill). 

Interestingly, at my lowest point this year I had very little energy or motivation to give to running at all. Even if I wanted to, mentally I was drained, which meant physically I had nothing to give. I got myself out of this rut, and I’m much better for it, as a person and athlete. 

Stress is stress to the body, I was always told growing up by the influential sports people in my life. The body can’t tell the difference between stress caused emotionally, to stress accumulated from physical fatigue. I keep this in the back of my mind and provide myself with forgiveness, patience, and love when needed in regards to training if things are on the tougher side. It’s just life! Besides, put things in perspective – for those younger runners out there, missing a session will not impact you in the long term. Distance running is a long term game, reliant on consistency, intuition, self-awareness, and mental + physical health.

Remember the cups analogy (credit to my BSU coach!) from my Smart Running Training post? Here’s a reminder below…..

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Credit: Pro Image Event Photography (Sports)

 Imagine your life is balanced between different cups, that are each half-filled with water. Considering this analogy, most of us have cups for:

  • Work
  • School/College 
  • Social life
  • Family 
  • Sports/Exercise/Training
  • Recovery/downtime/me-time
  • Hobbies 

 

All these cups need to be balanced with certain amounts of water, not overflowing. This is optimal to reduce stress and anxiety in our life. Before you think, “that’s impossible” – hear me out. 

If 1 cup is overflowing with water, for example – a heavy load at work, something else has to give.  Some of that water needs to go somewhere else to balance the extra work stress out. 

If multiple cups begin to overflow, we start to spread ourselves thin. Don’t panic if this is you, especially at this time in the world at present. We just have to reevaluate priorities and potentially make a few shifts or changes to better suit our needs. 

So, next time you want to push your limits or step outside your comfort zone in training, for example, make sure your cups allow for this. Same for any other endeavor. You’ll recover better, perform better, and develop smart habits for the future. It’s establishing foundations for long-term success in running or whatever it is you want to do. 

 

Running motivation quotes to get you fired up!

I have a few favorite quotes.

 

“Fortune favors the daring”

 – Virgil, The Aeneid

“I always keep in mind that it’s better to be undertrained and healthy rather than incredibly fit but injured” 

– Ashton Eaton, two-time Olympic gold medalist & world record holder

 

“Excellence is not a singular act but a habit. You are what you do repeatedly.” 

– Shaquille O’Neil (15x all-star, won 4 NBA Championships)

 

Remember, we are all just trying to do our best as people. Running is a reflection of life in this sense – hurdles, barriers, obstacles, tough days, great days, proud moments. Feel through them all, one step at a time.

Running Nutrition: A Guide to Fueling for Performance

 

Running Nutrition: A Guide to Fueling for Performance

Pro Image Event Photography

Running Nutrition: A Guide to Fueling for Performance 

Fueling to perform at your physical and mental best is a very different cup of tea than simply fueling to be a healthy individual. Running nutrition is one crucial piece of being a good runner, and we are constantly learning new things in the area from both scientific research and from tuning in with our own body. 

A couple of things inspired me to write this post. The first was my teammate Bella (@bella_brickner), who wanted some ideas on what to eat before running (we often run in the mornings together), and asked me what my personal race nutrition strategies were. The second was experiencing some altitude effects on a recent ascent and descent of Mt Superior in Utah I completed. To be the complete athlete, you can’t skimp on nutrition. It’s fuel. There are a lot of diets out there (not the kind that involves needs based on food allergies or intolerance purposes) – keto, paleo, gluten-free etc, however, whilst these may work for the occasional athlete and ones we hear promoting their nutritional choices on social media, more often than not, a well-balanced and diverse diet will suit best. A good friend said if you’re driving yourself crazy planning and overthinking food, you’ll often make worse choices in the long term because it’s not sustainable to be in that mindset. I’ve learned this the hard way as a younger athlete, but lessons are there to be learned. The earlier, the better. 

 

What to eat before running?

Nutrition can improve an athlete’s performance immensely. For example, maintaining optimal fluid balance levels, and providing the body with more fuel (carbohydrate) to perform better and help with “lactate accumulation from anaerobic efforts”. Anaerobic meaning the high-end, very high-intensity efforts. 

I always eat before I run, normally a bowl of cereal or toast. It tides me over to breakfast, I don’t get distracted mid-run by sudden onset hunger, and I feel more energized. After all, if it is a morning run, you’ve fasted all night, so your body will thank you when you give it a little boost. Thus, I tend to get up a bit earlier to have some digestion time and sip my coffee or tea. 

It’s recommended that you eat before you run if the session falls into any of the following:

  • Over 60 minutes in length
  • High-intensity work
  • A long run of some sort
  • Training at higher altitudes
  • You have multiple sessions or events across the day

Note: This list is not limited to the following, just a quick guide. 

 

I typically eat any of the following before a run…

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Pro Image Event Photography

45 – 60 minutes before:

  • Dry oat, quinoa, or wheat-based cereal. My favorite is pumpkin and flaxseed granola (you can often get this in the bulk food section or Nature’s Path brand in a box, which you can get at Winco, Wholefoods, Albertsons, Trader Joe’s etc). I eat it dry because the extra liquid or dairy can sometimes cause stomach upset). You could even make your own. 

 

  • Cornflakes or oats with almond or another type of non-dairy based milk. In my overall eating habits, I normally have a mix of dairy milk for some things, and non-dairy based for others just to ensure my calcium levels remain in check. Before a run, I go for a non-dairy based option. I don’t need to explain why! 

 

 

  • Whole-wheat or white toast (Sourdough is the better option here) with jam/jelly or peanut/almond butter. Here you get a little bit of protein and healthy fats mixed in with the necessary carbohydrates to top up the muscle glycogen stores pre-run. Being very easy to make, it’s a no-fuss option. 

 

 

  • Rice cakes with nut butter, jam/jelly, or honey and butter. If you’re celiac, gluten-free, or don’t typically pick a bread-based option pre-run, rice cakes can be a good alternative. 

 

2+ hours before: 

You can generally eat a more substantial meal if you have more time before you head out for a run. Some of my favourite options are:

 

  • Oatmeal with banana, peanut butter and cinnamon. This is my pre-race go to meal, as I can replicate it at home, and it is always at the event hotel buffets. I’ll generally do 1-2 cups of oatmeal, a scoop of almond or PB, slice the banana on top, and dash with cinnamon/maple syrup. It’s delicious, and it ticks the boxes in terms of endurance training based nutritional needs.

 

  • Scrambled eggs on toast (maybe with some sneaky sides like avocado, mushrooms, salsa, arugula or spinach)

 

  • Bagel with cream cheese/nut butter/avocado etc – Bagels are a great source of quick carbohydrates and with the amount of bagel flavor varieties on market, there’s something for everyone. 

 

Want to know some handy tips and tricks for your next grocery shop? Check out my post on Grocery Shopping For Runners – Click here. 

What to eat the night before a run?

Deciding what to eat the night before a run will be dependent on what type of running session you have the next day. If it is a more endurance-based session, make the ratio of carbohydrates to other components on the plate slightly higher. 

For a shorter, intensity-based session, you can keep it a bit more balanced.

My all-time favorite dinner time meal if I have to run early the next morning is homemade pizza with a side salad such as Caesar Salad, see photo below. Yes, there is a glass of pinot grigio to accompany because we all need a bit of fun and indulgence- Barefoot does an affordable, decently tasting option. This hits my CHO, Protein, Fats, and taste requirements on all levels. 

running nutrition 3

Home-made Pizza Night + the works!

The great thing about the meal a night before a run is that you don’t have to stress as much about pre-planning it, due to the digestion time you’ll have. The morning is slightly different. 

However, if we are discussing a pre-race dinner meal, I follow the KISS method (Keep it simple stupid). What works best for me personally is:

  • Rice  (white, long-grain) – I want a source of carbohydrates that doesn’t upset my stomach but gives me a good bang for my buck. I was told by my sports dieticians in Australia many times that Rice has more bang for your buck than pasta. I stick true to this. 
  • Shredded chicken with light seasoning, or canned lemon tuna in oil. I like to keep my proteins on the lighter side of things. 
  • A mix of roast vegetables. I chop up a bunch of broccoli, beans, a variety of purple, white and sweet potatoes and mushrooms, drizzle with a bit of olive oil, salt, and bbq seasoning, and chuck it in the oven. 

I throw all these ingredients together, and sometimes have a side of Italian season, sweet chili sauce, soy sauce (it just depends on the mood I’m in).

Remember to practice your meals prior to race day, as this is the best way to avoid stomach upset. You can afford to have a few uncomfortable sessions here and there, to learn what works for you, rather than make a mistake on the important event day.

 

What to eat after a long run, and what to eat during a long run?

running nutrition 4

Pro Image Event Photography

What to eat during a run

A long run can be the most energy-draining session of the week, especially if you’re running beyond the 80-90 minute mark, where the body’s glycogen stores are depleted. It is recommended that the athlete intake some form of carbohydrate and fluid to rehydrate if running longer than this. SDA states that generally, you won’t need fuel (CHO) “during exercise sessions lasting less than 60 minutes.”

So why do we need to top up our carbohydrate stores after the 80-90 minute mark? 

 

  • Keep blood glucose levels on track as this “fuels your muscles and brain during exercise”
  • “Get the most out of your training session by sustaining intensity for longer” 

 

  • Curb simple sugar cravings later in the day, as the metabolism is likely to be high for the rest of the day post long run

Many runners don’t top up their carb stores, but establishing a common practice or habit could benefit you in the long term, and create a more tolerant stomach. Food for thought. This reigns especially true if you are training for a half marathon distance or further, where taking on fuel whilst on the run is essential. 

running nutrition 6

Hiking up Mt Superior, Snowbird, Utah

Some quick carbohydrate top up food ideas that I have tried and tested:

  • CLIF Shot Bloks – There’s no crap in these, no preservatives or additives, which is a must for me. They come in lots of flavors and you can get caffeinated bloks too. My favourites are the ginger ale, citrus flavor, or orange flavor with caffeine. There are 33 calories per blok, and I tend to pop 3 bloks before I run, and 3 at the 80-90 minute mark, and I’m right to go. 

 

  • Chopped up CLIF Bars – I also enjoy CLIF Bars because there are no preservatives or added artificial ingredients. These bars pack a punch in terms of energy provision and can be hard on the gut if digested all at once, without water. That’s why I chop them up into around 6 smaller pieces. I used this nutrition method on a half-marathon XC Ski race, and a 22km hilly trail race, and never had a stomach upset or issue. My favourites are the Cool Mint Caffeinated bar or the White Choc Macadamia flavor (non-caffeinated). 

 

 

  • Tailwind Nutrition Endurance fuel – I love putting this in my water, no preservatives or nasty added ingredients. My favourite is the lemon flavor. Not only does it hydrate and replace necessary electrolytes, but there is 25g of Carbohydrates per scoop. Tailwind recommends: “For endurance workouts, mix 2-3 scoops per 24 oz of water per hour.”

 

 

  • Banana Chips – you can get these at pretty much any good supermarket. Think Trader Joe’s, Winco, Albertsons, Wholefoods, Safeway etc. I’ve included the link to Bare Snacks simply Banana Chips if you want to bulk order them online. 

 

What to eat after a long run

Every runner I know looks forward to the post long run refuel. Many of us finish this final session of the week on the hangrier side of things. I have a few key go-to’s which really hit the spot. I’ll generally choose one over another based on what time of day it is. For example, if it’s closer to brunch/lunch, I’ll make a savory option, whilst if it’s in the morning a sweeter option works better for me. 

 

  • Oatmeal with the works. 

 

    • Mixed in egg whites x2 (yes, it does work, it doesn’t taste bad, and you’re gonna get some extra protein for your fatigued muscles)
    • If you’re not into trying what I just mentioned above, you could always stir in a scoop of protein powder. Just watch that it is in accordance with WADA (World Anti-Doping Guidelines) in your sport. You can check your substances on GlobalDro. Just be aware, that sometimes substances can be contaminated. 
    • Peanut butter or almond butter stirred in.
    • Fruit: Chopped banana and berries on top – I like to always keep frozen berries and bananas in the house 
    • Finished off with a dash of cinnamon, honey, brown rice syrup or maple syrup.

 

  • Omelet with the works + toast or roast potatoes 

 

    • I normally do a 3 egg omelet, which I make by combining it with a dash of milk and TJ’s “nothing but the elote” seasoning + Chilli Lime seasoning, and a handful of Mexican cheese blend or mozzarella. I’ll then stir it with a whisk, then pour the mixture into a small preheated skillet with oil. Put it on medium-high, and keep an eye on it. 
    • In a separate pan, I’ll be roasting/frying up the veg to put inside the omelet. Bell peppers, corn, a green de-seeded jalapeno, mushrooms, onion, tomatoes, and spinach are my normal go-to’s. 

running nutrition 5

Seasoned veg in the skillet

    • Once the omelet is looking well cooked on the outside and starting to cook nicely in the middle, pop the veggies from one pan into the omelet pan, on top of one side of the omelet, and fold the omelet over. Top with more cheese or whatever you like.

 

  • Lamb/Beef/Chicken Gryo

 

    • I honestly never make these myself, I always buy them, but they’re delicious and really hit the spot. If you haven’t tried a Gyro, you haven’t truly lived.

 

  • Smashed Avo on toast with feta, tomatoes and poached eggs, with a drizzle of sweet balsamic and olive oil. Exactly what it says, no need for further explanation.

 

These are just a few of my favourites. All provide a good balance of carbohydrates, protein, healthy fats, and good flavour for optimal post-long run recovery. Timing-wise, I tend to have a snack 3:1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein within 30 minutes of running, and a meal from above within the hour. I’ll probably be hungry again in 2-3 hrs time and have another meal. Listen to your body here. 

Want to know some handy tips and tricks for your next grocery shop? Check out my post on Grocery Shopping Tips For Runners (especially good if you’re budgeting too!) – Click here. 

Coffee For Runners

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Coffee for runners, caffiene for runners, coffee good for runners?

Image: Pro Image Photography, Idaho

Coffee For Runners: The Benefits of Caffeine for Athletes

If you participate in sports competitions regularly, it’s likely you would’ve heard athletes discuss the use of caffeine for performance-enhancing benefits. Just walk down a busy street with coffee shops near popular running or biking trails on a weekend morning, and you’ll often find cycling or run groups having a brew. Coming from Australia, coffee is a big deal. In Melbourne and Sydney in particular, Coffee is an art. You could spend a whole day exploring different coffee roasters and the varied eclectic atmosphere they create for you to sit and enjoy your brew. I’ve enjoyed exploring coffee shops in my new city, Boise.

Caffeine For Runners: Is Caffeine good for runners?

Caffeine is often recommended for runners as it can have a slight performance-enhancing effect if the individual times their ingestion correctly to their race/event start time and correctly for the duration or distance of the race. The AIS (Australian Institute of Sport..hello home country!) released the AIS Sports Supplement Framework (Click here to read), grouping supplements into ABCD based on the capacity they are allowed in during and out-of-competition usage, which can be nothing at all. Caffeine is in Group A under performance supplements, please refer to the source below, attained from the AIS website:

coffee for runners, caffeine for runners, running coffee intakew
Group A Supplements for athletes – AIS – https://www.ais.gov.au/nutrition/supplements/group_a

 

Caffeine intake will stimulate an increase in HR/heart-rate (it itself is a stimulant), to put it simply. This is because adrenaline circulating in the body is elevated, which is the hormone associated with fight, flight, or fright response and a factor stimulating the sympathetic nervous system. This in turn will increase the athletes’ ability to perform demanding tasks, such as a hard race.

Caffeine can also cause an upset stomach, better known as G.I distress for runners if the athlete is not used to coffee when training.  However, if the individual is able to take on board coffee, their awareness, alertness, the focus can increase and their perception of effort may be decreased. What’s not to love about that? I’m personally a big fan of coffee before racing.

Here’s an even niftier trick you can consider which I came up with whilst out on a  long run one Sunday morning. I practice this regularly to get the optimum race-day advantage. As a regular coffee drinker, many would agree that we become slightly immune to the effects of coffee over time. Considering this, I only drink decaffeinated coffee and tea, or no coffee at all, up to 5 days before a race. Whether it is a placebo effect or not, I can’t be sure, but I know I definitely feel the effects of the caffeine when I drink coffee on race day after no coffee for a few days (a temporary coffee fast, you could call it). On the day of the race, if it is an early start time, I take on board 2 shots, and if it is in the evening, up to 3. I’m buzzing and ready to go!

The only drawbacks of using caffeine are the risk of GI distress, the need to urinate, and potential jitters. Getting the jitters isn’t such a big issue for distance runners, as our sport doesn’t require us to be still to execute a good performance (unlike an archer, or 100m sprinter on the start blocks, for instance). To avoid GI distress, we train the stomach in practice to be able to handle varying amounts of caffeine, well before race day.

Should I drink Coffee before a run? Is too much Caffeine bad before a run? 

Coffee for runners, caffiene for runners, coffee good for runners? 1

For many runners in particular, including myself, coffee is a big part of my morning routine before training or races. One study evidently highlighted that more than two-thirds of Olympians use caffeine as a pre-workout supplement.  In the hotter months, particularly when temperatures can hit 45 degrees C or 100+ Fahrenheit here in Boise, I’ll reach for the cold brew pre-run. In winter when it is significantly cooler, it’s a double shot latte or Americano. Investing in a coffee machine is your best bet for convenience and finances, especially if you’re a student or student-athlete.

 

Coffee for runners, caffiene for runners, coffee good for runners?

Image: Pro Image Photography, Idaho

I love how my morning cup of coffee increases my alertness and awareness. Most of the time I find myself running in the mornings within 30-1hr after hopping out of bed (especially in the summer). I’ll pair my coffee with a small snack to help with the digestion of the coffee and satiate my hunger during the training session. A pre-run snack that pairs well with coffee is normally a bowl of cereal with non-dairy milk or toast with jam/honey or nut butter.


Is too much caffeine bad before a run?

If you’re an individual who believes they can’t eat before or close to a run, I urge you to train yourself to be able to take on board something, including a coffee. Training is time to practice for race day – you can survive a few uncomfortable running sessions in the short term, to invest in optimal long-term nutrition.

 

Does Drinking Coffee make you run faster?

There’s evidence to support the benefits of caffeine in endurance-based sports. Most caffeine supplements are 2-3 shots dense (80-120 milligrams), as this is believed to be the best amount to consume to improve performance. Many online sources discuss using 5mg of caffeine per kilogram of body weight. With 1 cup of coffee containing around 95-120 mg of caffeine, you may have to have a double shot or two cups to get the full effects. 

Coffee works to improve your performance in a few ways. Most notably, it can reduce your perceived levels of exertion during difficult endurance activities, including running.

When should I drink coffee before a race?

Coffee for runners, caffiene for runners, coffee good for runners?, coffee intake for runners, coffee pre-race running

Image: Pro Image Photography, Idaho

Caffeine has a pretty short-acting effect, so from personal experience, I like to have 1 shot an hour out from the race, and another shot 30 minutes before. I take these in caffeine strips such as Revvies (https://www.revviesenergy.com/) in which each strip is equivalent to one shot of coffee. This reduces any chance of stomach upset which might be experienced if a coffee, particularly one with dairy milk, is ingested too close to the gun time. I’ll have 1 strip 30 minutes before the race, and 1 just before I line up for the race if I’m using Revvies. 

The stomach can also be trained to take caffeine on board close to a race. I can have a black coffee with a dash of milk up to 45 minutes before an event, as long as I ensure I get to the bathroom before the start, this is no issue for me. I’m firing and ready to run fast!

The best way to practice caffeine intake and experiment with supplements is during training phases/periods. You can afford to make mistakes during these times – this is why it is called practice! Mastering your nutrition needs as an athlete doesn’t happen without trial and error. 

Best Caffeine Supplements for Runners

Coffee for runners, caffiene for runners, coffee good for runners?, coffee intake for runners, coffee pre-race running

For a great, convenient pre-race option (especially for Aussie-based athletes, as this brand is AUS based), I use Revvies Energy Strips. They are super simple to take, simply place a strip on your tongue and allow it to dissolve. It can be taken during a run, and right up until the start of a race. Talk about convenience! If you’re sensitive to caffeine, 1 strip is generally enough, however, if you’re a regular drinker, 2 strips are better. Revvies don’t recommend consuming more than 5 strips a day. They have 2 flavors – Arctic Charge and Tropical Hit. I personally like Arctic Charge best as it reminds me of a piece of mint gum. 

Run Gum is a popular worldwide caffeine supplement used by athletes. Unlike Revvies, Run Gum is exactly what it says it is…a gum. You chew it for 5-10 minutes to effectively absorb the caffeine, b-vitamins, and taurine ingredients in the gum. Run Gum states that this immediately boosts alertness and energy, without causing stomach upset. 

In terms of general caffeine supplements, I really like Tailwind. They pride themselves on natural, organic supplements that are anti-doping approved (remember to always check your supplements on GlobalDro – this is the responsibility of the athlete).  For a recovery-based option containing caffeine, I have used their ‘Caffeinated Coffee Rebuild’. This is great for post-session when you need a kick-start to your day. It helps to replenish depleted glycogen stores, rebuild muscles, and restore electrolytes to your body. I like to blend my sachets into a smoothie to go on my way to work, class, or morning errands. This sachet is made with organic rice protein, healthy fats from coconut milk, and a few carbohydrates added for recovery purposes (3:1 ratio of protein to carbohydrates within 30 minutes of exercise is the optimal timing for recovery according to Accredited Sports Dieticians). Get yours here. 

Caffeine Gels For Running

 

Coffee for runners, caffiene for runners, coffee good for runners?, coffee intake for runners, coffee pre-race running

Image: Pro Image Photography, Idaho

Gels containing caffeine are a great way to consume more caffeine on top of your normal cuppa pre-run or top up your caffeine stores whilst you’re out running, biking, swimming, etc. 

From personal experience, I would practice in training and sessions using different brands of caffeinated running gels to ensure you don’t have a stomach upset on race day, and train the body to digest it effectively. This is because the rate of caffeine absorption and its effects vary from person to person. Maurten, a reputable sports nutrition company state that this varies based on weight and how used to caffeine the individual is. 

Maurten is an extremely popular brand, with Eluid Kipchoge to thank for a large amount of promotion when he used the brand to fuel his victory in the 2018 Berlin Marathon. They recently released a gel known as GEL100 CAF, containing 100mg of caffeine per serving, and 25g of carbohydrates for some extra fuel whilst you’re on the run. The great thing about this caffeinated hydrogel is it is preservative, artificial flavor and colorant free. All these nasty additives can cause stomach upsets which are unwelcome come race day.  Get a box of 100 servings here. 

 

Strava Premium Review: A Guide to Strava Premium

 

Strava premium review

Strava Premium Review: A Guide to Strava Premium

 

Strava recently made some changes to Strava Premium, which is known as Strava Summit. Some of the most well-loved features are now for subscription-only members. In this post, I’ll review Strava Premium, and consolidate at the end whether it is worth the small cost. You’ll have probably made your decision by then, anyway. 

I want to deviate for a bit and mention how I recently listened to an interview with Noah Kagan and Mark Gainey, one of the co-founders of Strava. Gainey discussed the early growth and scaling strategies of Strava – give it a listen here. What caught my attention most is how Strava was established with the “inch wide, mile deep” customer focus strategy. Gainey and Horvath value the user experience on Strava more than anything, and this is a testament as to why most Strava features were previously free. 

Gainey explained that their dedicated user base loves not only the Strava platform but the company of Strava itself, and what it represents. They decided to make most of Strava’s previously free features behind the paywall. This is because, for $5 a month (the price of a coffee!), this dedicated user base is very likely to become a premium user. The analytical features, such as route planner, Strava segment creation, and leaderboards are worth it. When I recently read Strava’s Brand Playbook, a quote stood out to me:

“Strava is a community of people devoted to putting effort into their activities. For them, being active is not a chore. It’s part of who they are. They’re people who balance their commitment with real-life” – Strava Brand Playbook

I also listened to Fitt Insider podcast with John Vennare, where he also interviewed Mark Gainey. This is also worth a listen, just click here. 

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What do you get with Strava Summit?

Strava premium review 2

 

The new structure of Strava Summit unlocks all of Strava’s features, some of which were previously free. They’ve recently integrated some new features too, such as the new “Training” tab in the mobile application which allows you to track and analyze activities on a week-to-week basis. 

Here’s a quick breakdown of Strava Premium v Strava Free, which I pulled from the Strava Website:

 

strava premium review 3

 

What does Strava Summit do?

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The free version of Strava no longer includes popular features such as route building, segment leaderboards, and advanced performance metrics. Free users will no longer be able to see entire segment leaderboards including specific metric rankings (such as age, gender, weight etc). Free users will receive access to view the top 10 athletes’ rankings on segment leaderboards. 

To break it down (as per the Strava website as a guideline) – if you choose to subscribe to the paid service, you’ll get access to:

Compete in Strava Segments: Compete on mapped out segments (snippets of road/path/trail plotted out as a route on Strava) and compare/keep track of past efforts on these segments. 

 

Strava Segments Premium review

Access to a Training Dashboard/ Training Log: This feature allows you to track your fitness progression, and see what phase of training you’re in. Below is a screenshot of what a training log on Strava looks like with the paid service. You’lll see it plots the longer workouts as bigger circles, and different coloured circles for different activity types (run, swim, hike, bike etc). The total distance is tracked off to the side, and you can see all the previous years of training since you’ve been on Strava. A great digital training diary and backlog!

Strava Training Log

 

To set personal goals: You can set time, distance and performance goals, and track your progress across each. See a screenshot below of what happens when I navigate under the “Dashboard” dropdown menu and hit “My Goals”.

Strava Set A Goal

 

Analyze your training comprehensively: Through access to power data and HR data, Strava allows you to identify patterns in training and performance. Strava includes a Fitness & Freshness graph, under “Training” drop-down menu. For cyclists, there’s a Best Effort’s power curve graph which can be generated, under the same menu. Here’s a screenshot of my “Fitness & Freshness” Graph. Strava states that they measure this through a combination of relative effort and power-based training load.

 

Strava Fitness & Freshness

 

Plan and discover new routes: Strava can suggest routes for runs and rides (you can filter it to road/path/trail only on the map feature), based on GPS activity in that geographical area from other Strava athletes. To create a route, you hit the “Explore” drop-down menu and then hit ‘Create a Route’. See a screenshot of the Strava Route Builder Screen below:

strava route builder

 

Safety Beacon: You can share your real-time location with friends and family via the app. This is a nifty extra feature to help you feel safe and supported on runs and rides. 

Access to a personal heat-map: This is an interactive visual map of all your runs and rides that you’ve completed around the world. I personally love this feature, all the highlighted coloured lines show where I’ve run, and the darker means I’ve run those areas more often. Take a look below for a screenshot as an example:

 

Strava Heat Map

Access to Training Plans: Strava provides access to fitness apps (from acclaimed apps to start-ups) which provide training plans of all sorts – from ultra-running to road cycling. Click here to learn more, and gain access to a database of varied training plans. 

Strava has their own training plans for runners, available here, and for cyclists, here. Alternatively, you can access “Training Plans” via the drop-down menu on the Strava website. 

 

Strava Training Plans for Runners

Strava released a statement in regards to this change and explaining the shift over of most of the popular free features to a subscription service:

“Dedicating Strava to the community is also a commitment to longevity. We are not yet a profitable company and need to become one in order to serve you better. And we have to go about it the right way—honest, transparent, and respectful to our athletes.” 

How much does Strava Premium Cost?

Strava Premium Review

 

Strava have decided to consolidate their package model previously into a single subscription package. Now Strava charges $5.00/month for an annual subscription, with the first 2 months free if users commit to an entire year. Click here to subscribe to Strava Premium if you’re interested. Previously, Strava separated it’s subscription services into packages (incl. Cost break down) such as:

  • Training – (1 yr, $23.99)
  • Safety – (1 yr, $23.99)
  • Analysis – (1 yr, $23.99)

 

You could do combinations of these packs, or subscribe to all three for a year, totaling $59.99. 

Is Strava Summit Worth it?

Well, since all of the features discussed above are, according to seasoned Strava users, the most beloved features, I definitely think it is worth sacrificing the cost of a cup of coffee a month for Strava Premium/Summit. If you enjoyed these features and engaged with them before they were placed behind a paywall, then it is little harm done to subscribe. Plus, there are some perks you could cash in on as a subscriber. See my screenshot below:

 

Strava Perks

I reached the Strava Perks landing page (screen above) through hitting the “Explore” drop-down menu, and then ‘Subscriber Perks’. If you scroll down, there are even more!