Knowledge Base
Explore our latest articles, insights, and expert advice on Science, Injury Prevention, and the Source.
What is running load? Which data points are used to calculate load?
In sports science, that question comes down to one concept: *running load.* Understanding running load is one of the most powerful ways to reduce injury risk, improve performance, and train smarter long term. At LODE, this concept is the foundation of everything we do. Let’s break it down in a simple, practical way.
Vanessa
CEO and Founder
Coming Back from a Break Done Right
You've had time away. Here's what's changed inside your body - and why the next 6 runs matter more than any you've done before.
Vanessa Robitaille
What Is EWMA and What Is ACWR?
If you've spent time in the world of structured training or performance monitoring, you've likely encountered two acronyms: ACWR (Acute:Chronic Workload Ratio) and EWMA (Exponentially Weighted Moving Average). These are two interconnected concepts that together form the backbone of modern training load monitoring. Understanding them can transform how you approach your training.
Vanessa
CEO and Founder
What Is the Training Sweet Spot, and How Can I Consistently Train In It?
In training load science, the "sweet spot" is not a motivational metaphor it is a personal, moving target where your recent training load is proportional to what your body has been progressively prepared for. Rather than a fixed number to hit, it is better understood as a direction of travel: are you building load at a rate your body can absorb and adapt to? Staying in that zone consistently is the central challenge of intelligent running programming.
Vanessa
CEO and Founder
Which Training Phase Should I Be In? What About Deload Weeks?
If you run regularly - whether you’re building back from a break, chasing a PB, or stacking mileage for a marathon - your legs do a lot of repetitive work. A good massage gun (also called a percussion massager) can be a practical recovery tool: it helps you relax tight-feeling muscles, reduce that “heavy legs” sensation after harder sessions, and make it easier to move well between runs. It’s not magic, and it won’t “flush lactic acid” (that’s not really how soreness works), but used well it can be a genuinely useful part of your post-run routine.
Vanessa
CEO and Founder
What Affects Injury Risk?
Running is one of the most accessible forms of exercise in the world and one of the most injury-prone. Studies report that up to 85% of all categories of runners sustain a running-related injury (RRI) in a given year, with the knee, foot/ankle, and lower leg being the most frequently affected sites. But what actually drives this injury burden? The answer is multifactorial, and understanding each contributing domain is the first step toward meaningful prevention.
Vanessa
CEO and Founder
What Are Common Overload Training Injuries?
Overuse injuries account for the vast majority of running-related injuries. Unlike traumatic injuries caused by a single event (a sprained ankle from stepping on a rock), overuse injuries develop gradually through repetitive stress that exceeds the tissue's capacity to repair and adapt. Knowing the most common presentations, their mechanisms, symptoms, and key differences, helps runners and coaches detect them early.
Vanessa
CEO and Founder
Why Is My Running Load Different From One Day to the Next?
You lace up, head out on your usual 5 km loop, and halfway through you feel heavier than expected. Yesterday felt effortless. Same route, same pace, so why does today feel so different? The answer lies in understanding that your running load is never truly fixed. It fluctuates day-to-day in response to a complex web of physiological, psychological, and environmental factors.
Vanessa
CEO and Founder
How Do I Know If I Should See a Physiotherapist?
Many runners default to either extreme: seeking professional assessment at the first sign of discomfort, or avoiding it entirely until an injury has become serious. Neither approach is optimal. Knowing when to self-manage and when to seek expert input can save months of frustrating injury time.
Vanessa
CEO and Founder