Solid evidence
Go slower than you think
The number one mistake beginners make isn't training too little: it's running too fast every day.
Learn
What's proven, and what just gets repeated
Every article cites its sources and carries a label saying how much backing it has. Including the things everyone repeats that have none.
Reasonable
Why you get a stitch and what to do when it comes
That stab in your side has a name, two out of three runners get it, and some things do work.
Solid evidence
The first weeks are the most dangerous
Beginners get injured at more than twice the rate of people who've been at it a while. And the rule everyone repeats to avoid it doesn't work.
Unsupported belief
Stretching before you run doesn't prevent injuries
We've been doing it forever. Systematic reviews have been saying for years that it doesn't do what we think.
Unsupported belief
Your first running shoes
They're going to run a gait analysis and recommend shoes based on how you pronate. The evidence that this prevents injuries is far weaker than it looks.
Solid evidence
Two strength days a week
It's the single biggest thing you can do to reduce injury risk. And almost nobody taking up running does it.
Solid evidence
Cadence: the one technique tweak with backing
Forget about how your foot lands. If you're going to change one thing about your technique, make it shorter, more frequent steps.
Reasonable
Sleeping badly injures you more than training too much
It's the part of training you don't train, and the only one you can fix tonight.
Unsupported belief
Stretching doesn't cure soreness
It's been measured many times and the effect is too small to feel. What does help is something else.
Unsupported belief
Running fasted doesn't burn more fat overall
You burn more fat during that hour. By the end of the week, the scale hasn't noticed.
Solid evidence
Coming back after time off
You lose less than you think and get it back sooner than you fear. What doesn't forgive is picking up where you left off.
Solid evidence
Running in the heat: drink when you're thirsty
The “drink before you're thirsty” rule has put people in hospital. Thirst works.
Unsupported belief
Asphalt isn't what will injure you
Dirt does cushion more. But when you count actual injuries, the surface doesn't show up.
Reasonable
The pain traffic light: when to stop and when to carry on
“If it hurts, stop” rules out half of rehab. There's a better rule, and it comes from a trial.
Reasonable
Rollers, ice and compression: what each one actually does
Almost everything sold as recovery improves how you feel. Whether it recovers you faster is a different question.
Solid evidence
Runner's knee: it hurts at the front, it gets fixed higher up
It's the most common injury when starting out, and what works best isn't done at the knee.
Unsupported belief
Nose breathing doesn't make you run better
Breathe however the air comes in. As soon as it gets hard, the mouth wins, and that's fine.
Solid evidence
Music is the only free trick that works
A little, but measured: you perform slightly better and it costs slightly less. With one condition.
Solid evidence
How long it actually takes to notice you're improving
In the first weeks you improve and can't see it. Knowing when it shows up stops you quitting just before.
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