• OURA RING REVIEW

    I got an Oura ring in June 2022, after several months of debate. What finally pushed me to buy one was getting COVID on  a vacation to Hawaii, which ruined the trip. I knew Oura was being used by  the NBA to provide early COVID-19 detection, and wondered if it could have alerted me to impending sickness. I was also drawn to the amount of biomarkers that it tracks, and its super small (and stylish) form factor. Now 7 months into using my Oura ring, I wanted to share a review. TLDR; the Oura Ring is my favorite wearable, having measurably improved my sleep and performance. Get one now!

    THE HYPE

    Firstly, much of the hype IS worth it! The amount of data available from a small and nonintrusive wearable is impressive. The ring comes in multiple sizes, but it could take a little trial and error to find the right fit. I ended up buying the smallest size Oura ring because I knew it would fit more fingers and give me more options. Still, I moved the ring around the first couple months and finally settled on the middle finger of my right hand. You may find your finger gets waterlogged where the ring is; Oura recommends to slide the ring up and down your finger after hand washing, to dry off the whole finger, and this helps!

    SLEEP SCORE

    Sleep was one of the features I was most excited about. Oura does not disappoint, providing both a Sleep Score and a Readiness Score each morning. The Sleep Score takes into account your total sleep, efficiency (percentage of time you’re in bed and asleep), restfulness (amount of movement during sleep), REM and Deep sleep, latency (how long it takes you to fall asleep), and timing (when you went to sleep). It provides breakdowns of when you had light/REM/deep sleep, and when you woke up or moved during the night. It tracks average oxygen saturation with SPO2, as well as heart rate and heart rate variability.

    Before getting the Oura Ring, I had difficulty sleeping, and thought I might have a sleep disorder. Instead of seeing a sleep neurologist, I now have months of data with Oura to analyze. Using Oura, I learned that I was having objectively great sleep, yet I was still feeling tired,  leading me to question whether I was getting sick, or not. Why am I still tired? What can I do about it? The Readiness Score has answers.

    READINESS SCORE

    Oura’s Readiness Score uses multiple factors to assess your overall “readiness” and suggest an amount of activity for that day. This helps me decide what type and intensity of workout to apply. The score accounts for resting heart rate, HRV balance, body temperature, recovery index, sleep, sleep balance, previous day activity, and activity balance. Through this score and component breakdown, I learned that I had no “easy” days for several weeks, even if I didn’t run at all. My daily activity outside of actual workouts was too high. As I looked closer, I realized where I was overdoing it, and made small changes, from how I walk my Golden Retriever, to which days I do chores, to giving myself more time to just relax. Simple, yet effective! 

    TIMING IS EVERYTHING

    Still, I felt tired in the morning.  I learned that I can’t make up for going to bed “late” by sleeping longer. My middle school teacher once said that the hours of sleep before midnight are the best, and she was on to something. In fact, Oura measures “recovery index” as how long it takes for your resting heart rate to stabilize during the night. Oura says that, ideally, this should happen in the first half of the night, at least 6 hours before you wake up the next day. For most people, this probably places the target several hours before midnight. So, I’ve started going to bed a little earlier each night, and am now going to bed a full hour earlier than before. When I go to bed earlier, it also takes me LESS time to fall asleep! Win-win. 

    WOMEN’S FEATURES

    A few months after my Oura purchase, they partnered with Natural Cycles. Natural Cycles is a natural, hormone-free, FDA-cleared fertility and birth control app which uses basal body temperature to track your cycle. This was a homerun for me, and something I was hoping Oura would add since before I bought it. Before the partnership, Natural Cycles required you to take your temperature first thing in the morning, within a specific time frame, and enter it into the app. Now, Oura syncs this data seamlessly with Natural Cycles. It’s simply amazing. I’ve been using Natural Cycles for 3 years now, and wish I had switched off hormonal birth control sooner. The Oura ring also uses your temperature fluctuations to predict your period start. I was already using Natural Cycles for this, so now I cross-check several apps to triangulate my start date. I guess that’s my engineer showing.

    ILLNESS

    When I bought the Oura ring, I was super hopeful it would help me answer whether some malaise is due to sickness, stress, over-training, my period, or Mercury Retrograde. However, Oura did not pick up on the fact that I was sick this year (not COVID, just a bad cold). I tagged my illness in the Oura app, so maybe it will pick up on future illness earlier. I’m hopeful that future Oura upgrades will be able to detect mild illness without a fever. That said, the Readiness Score provides a good barometer for when to have a hard workout, a moderate or easy workout, or a rest day, to prevent exhaustion and susceptibility to illness.

    WORKOUT FEATURES

    While Oura has added workout heart rate features, it cannot replace a running watch, so I’m keeping my Garmin.  Obviously the Garmin has a wrist-mounted display while the Oura doesn’t, and has greater GPS capability, so Oura will always take a backseat to realtime workout monitoring with a Garmin. But, Oura can now track workout heart rate and pick up when it thinks you’re doing a workout without you having to enter it into the app, which is great! It’s not accurate enough to really train against, but since it has your heart rate and just about every other metric, I think it would be good to pair workout training on your Garmin with Readiness on the Oura.

    WHAT’S NEXT

    Sleep-wise, I’m really interested in how Oura could be used for sleep disorder diagnosis and/or management. Already, Oura analyzes your SPO2 and notes any breathing irregularities–a good measurement to watch as a possible indicator of sleep apnea.  I’d love to see Oura integrated with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBTI) methods. For example, could Oura use your sleep data to inform your CBTI protocol, telling you when to go to sleep or wake up accordingly when adjusting your sleep cycle. 

    I’d also  love to see more insights related to the menstrual cycle. Oura already provides insights regarding elevated temperature and resting heart rate during the second half of the menstrual cycle, and timing harder workouts at the front end of the menstrual cycle. But how much weight should this carry when making a training plan? I can’t wait to see Oura’s next software (and hardware!) evolutions!

    SUMMARY

    The Oura is a fantastic wearable that’s small, stylish, and accurate. No other wearable provides insight into as many biomarkers and data with the accuracy that Oura does. It’s not a replacement for a running watch, but it is a nice complement that can help you track your body’s readiness and help you get to the next level of performance. If you’ve ever struggled with sleep, getting the Oura is a no-brainer. 

    Health and longevity are areas of my budget where there’s practically no limit. More and more I realize that I can either spend now on something preventative and more “fun,” or spend later, in a not-so-fun way. $350 for an Oura Ring and better sleep? You’d be hard pressed to pay just that in one visit to a sleep neurologist. Do yourself a favor and buy the Oura Ring now. Then let me know your thoughts in the comments!

    Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I earn a small commission if you make a purchase. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This income goes to supporting this website. As always, ideas and opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own.

  • 2022 Running Gift Guide

    It’s still sunny in Southern California, but winter is around the corner, and the holidays are almost here. Whether you’re gearing up for a Turkey Trot, training for an early 2023 race, or just excited for Black Friday, I’ve rounded up the best running gifts for every runner on your list, including yourself!

       

    WINTER RUN-DERLAND

    The temperatures are dropping, but that doesn’t stop runners from getting outside and getting those miles. Stay cozy in any weather with these cold weather running gifts.

     

    OUTERWEAR

    This headband from Brooks is my absolute favorite. It’s soft and the perfect weight for chilly evening runs. It’s unisex and comes in black, navy, and light blue. Some headbands gap around the ears or slip down; this one stays in place and fits like a glove! 

    Speaking of gloves…mine are so old that they aren’t for sale anymore. They’re Nike and still going strong! The link below is for an updated version of the gloves. These are lightweight, so they’re perfect for a mild California winter run.

     

    PEAK PERFORMANCE

    These gifts are for the runner that’s looking to push their performance. From my favorite clean protein powder, to wearables that track more than your mileage, to injury prevention tools, you’ll find it here.

    PROTEIN POWDER

    This is the cleanest protein powder I’ve found. It’s from pasture-raised, grass-fed cows, and free of fillers and additives. It’s cold microfiltered and ultrafiltration processed. Best of all, it’s Labdoor certified for label accuracy and purity. Many supplements and especially proteins contain heavy metals–some have levels high enough to require the CA Prop 65 Warning on them! That’s why I review my supplements to make sure they’re third party tested for label accuracy and purity of ingredients. This one checks all the boxes.
    I get the Unflavored variety and mix it with some cinnamon and vanilla extract, or add it to a smoothie. The Chocolate version is also good, containing cocoa and Stevia Reb A. 


    OURA RING

    If you’re a fan of biohacking, several wearables can track your sleep stages, sleep quality, and other biometrics to analyze your recovery and ability to perform. I’m using the Oura Ring and it’s really helped me understand how I’m sleeping, and what impacts my sleep and overall performance readiness, so I can adjust accordingly. After more than 6 months of using mine, I can say it lives up to the hype and the cost is well worth it! 

     

    GARMIN FORERUNNER

    The Forerunner series is my favorite, and Garmin just released the Forerunner 955 which includes the “Body Battery” readiness indicator. This is something I can’t wait to purchase, and I’m hoping for a Black Friday discount!

     

    INJURY PREVENTION

    Having the right tools can make all the difference. Add these to your toolkit for running injury prevention.
     

    CALF SLEEVES

    Calf sleeves have saved me during long runs, high mileage weeks, endurance races, or tweaking a muscle while walking (being pulled by) my Golden Retriever. They’re also a great remedy for shin splints! I’m a Zensah ambassador, and their compression products are my go-to for just about any minor running issue. Their sleeves are unisex and come in both traditional colors, and some pretty fun prints.

     


     

    FOAM ROLLERS

    A foam roller should be in every runner’s toolkit. For more on foam rolling, check out this blog post on Preventing Running Injuries.
     I like this foam roller by Trigger Point for a deeper massage.
     

     For a lighter, daily massage, I prefer a smooth foam roller, and it becomes softer with use, which has been great for helping me recover from Piriformis Syndrome (more on that in a future blog post). This cork one is a sustainable alternative to traditional foam. 

    This handheld roller by Pro-Tec Athletics is one of my favorites. Its small size makes it great for on-the-go and targeting any problem spots. It’s helped me target my piriformis muscle gently as I recover from Piriformis Syndrome!

     

    STOCKING STUFFERS

    Stocking stuffer, but make it running. These smaller items are a great way to fill your runner’s stocking.

    SNACKS

    Healthy, portable, and tasty, these Honey Stingers will fuel your runner before, during, and after their next run.


    Gu Energy Gels will fuel your runner on those longer runs. The sun may be setting alarmingly early these days, but their energy levels will stay high with these gels.

    Skratch is my favorite hydration drink. Clean and simple, it’s perfect after a long, hard run. This sampler pack comes with different flavors in portable packets–perfect for a stocking stuffer.

     

    Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I earn a small commission if you make a purchase. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This income goes to supporting this website. As always, ideas and opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own.

  • 5 Quick Tips for Preventing Running Injuries

    RUNNING UP THAT HILL

    Unfortunately, running injuries are all too common. They can range from minor annoyances that resolve quickly to critical, run-stopping injuries. Today’s blog post covers 5 quick tips you can use for preventing running injuries
     
    WARNING: Always consult your doctor before beginning this or any other exercise program. Not all exercise is suitable for everyone, and this or any exercise program could result in injury. The content of this program is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. 
     

    1. WEAR THE RIGHT SHOES

    THE RIGHT PAIR OF RUNNING SHOES IS CRITICAL FOR RUNNING INJURY PREVENTION. ANY TIME I’VE HAD MINOR ISSUES SUCH AS SHIN SPLINTS, MINOR KNEE PAIN, OR SORE TOES, CHANGING SHOES HAS RESOLVED IT, OFTEN PRETTY QUICKLY. GOOD RUNNING SHOES SHOULD OFFER THE RIGHT LEVEL OF SUPPORT, CUSHIONING, AND STABILITY FOR YOU, AND ENOUGH ROOM FOR YOUR TOES TO SPREAD OUT. YOU SHOULDN’T FEEL CRAMPED, AND MOST RUNNING SHOES SHOULD NOT NEED TO BE “BROKEN IN” VERY MUCH. WITH SO MANY OPTIONS ON THE MARKET, I RECOMMEND HEADING TO YOUR LOCAL RUNNING STORE. THE EMPLOYEES ARE OFTEN LONG DISTANCE RUNNERS THEMSELVES, AND CAN FIT YOU FOR A SHOE TO MATCH YOUR FOOT AND STABILITY NEEDS. SOME STORES EVEN OFFER 3D SCANNING TO BETTER ASSESS YOUR STRIDE. SOME SHOE BRANDS OFFER ONLINE QUIZZES TO ASSESS YOUR NEEDS AND SUGGEST A SHOE, BUT THERE’S NOTHING LIKE ACTUALLY RUNNING IN A SHOE. TWO OF MY FAVORITE RUNNING SHOE BRANDS ARE BROOKS AND HOKA, AND THEY BOTH OFFER ONLINE QUIZZES TO GET YOU STARTED.

    BROOKS SHOE FINDER HOKA SHOE FINDER 

    MY FAVORITE RUNNING SHOES RIGHT NOW ARE THE HOKA CLIFTON. IT’S A NEUTRAL, CUSHIONY SHOE WITH A 5MM HEEL-TOE DROP.
    women’s
    men’s

    2. CROSS-TRAIN

    IT MAY SEEM COUNTER-INTUITIVE, BUT TO BE A STRONG RUNNER, YOU NEED TO DO OTHER WORKOUTS BESIDES RUNNING. CROSS-TRAINING IS THE TERM FOR PERFORMING A SPORT THAT IS COMPLEMENTARY TO YOUR PRIMARY SPORT. IT HAS THE DUAL BENEFIT OF GIVING YOUR PRIMARY MUSCLES A BREAK, AND USING THEM IN A DIFFERENT PLANE, HELPING TO PREVENT RUNNING INJURIES BY STRENGTHENING THE ENTIRE SYSTEM. RUNNING OCCURS PRIMARILY IN THE SAGITTAL AND TRANSVERSE PLANES, SO IT’S A GOOD IDEA TO CROSS-TRAIN IN THE FRONTAL PLANE. CROSS-TRAINING CAN LEAD TO INCREASED STRENGTH AND CARDIOVASCULAR FITNESS, AND ALSO GIVE YOU A MENTAL BREAK FROM RUNNING. FOR RUNNERS, SOME COMMON CROSS-TRAINING SPORTS ARE SWIMMING AND CYCLING, BUT YOU COULD ALSO DO YOGA, PILATES, OR LIFT WEIGHTS. WHATEVER YOU CHOOSE, AIM FOR CROSS-TRAINING ON NON-RUN DAYS, 2-3 TIMES PER WEEK DEPENDING ON YOUR TRAINING SCHEDULE. MAKE SURE YOU CAN PERFORM THE NEW WORKOUT SAFELY, AND WITHOUT EXPENDING SO MUCH ENERGY THAT YOU’RE ACTUALLY LESS ENERGIZED ON YOUR RUN DAYS. I LIKE YOGA FOR BALANCE, STRENGTH, FLEXIBILITY, AND STABILITY, AND CYCLING FOR LOW-IMPACT CARDIO.
     

    3. FOAM ROLL

    Fascia is the name for the web-like connective tissue surrounding your muscles, and using a foam roller for self-massage can loosen the fascia and reduce muscle soreness and tightness. This is called myofascial release. Keeping your muscles loose is a good running injury prevention strategy. The most important thing to remember when foam rolling is to go gently. Sometimes it may feel uncomfortable, but always stop short of the point where it hurts. The goal of foam rolling is to massage your muscles and connective tissue to reduce tightness, so stick to light to medium pressure; you shouldn’t be in pain!
    I use different kinds of foam rollers depending on what area I want to target.  For a lighter, daily massage, I prefer a soft, smooth roller. when my traditional foam one fell apart, i looked for a more sustainable alternative and bought one made from sustainably-harvested cork! so far, i love it! it’s 4″ diameter and super soft, smooth, and easy to roll without harsh chemicals or any off-gassing smell. I bought mine from Earth hero, but here’s a similar one from amazon.
     
    NATURAL CORK ROLLER:
     
    This foam roller by Trigger Point is great for getting a deeper massage, but if you’re new to foam rolling, start with something softer. When using this, avoid any tender areas, as you don’t want to aggravate the area and cause more inflammation. Proper foam rolling should reduce inflammation!
    Trigger Point Foam Roller:
    This handheld roller by Pro-Tec Athletics is one of my favorites. Its small size makes it great for on-the-go and targeting any problem spots. It’s helped me target my piriformis muscle–gently!
    roller massager:
    It’s not foam, but I love using this spiky ball to massage my feet. It can feel pretty aggressive, so try it while wearing socks to soften the massage. This is great for arch soreness or plantar fasciitis (although if you really have a foot issue, make sure you’re seeing a medical professional for diagnosis and treatment). Next time i need one, i’m going to try out a cork massage ball instead! Both types linked below.
    spiky massage ball:
    cork massage ball:

    4. WARM UP WITH PROPER STRETCHING

    PROPERLY WARMING UP IS A GREAT WAY TO PREVENT RUNNING INJURIES. THIS COULD BE LIGHTLY JOGGING, WALKING, OR DOING SOME DYNAMIC STRETCHES. I AVOID STATIC STRETCHES PRIOR TO RUNNING. SOME STUDIES SHOW THAT STATIC STRETCHING PRIOR TO RUNNING CAN LEAD TO A DECREASE IN FORCE PRODUCTION. STATIC STRETCHES BEFORE YOUR MUSCLES ARE WARM COULD ALSO LEAD TO OVER-STRETCHING. FOR THESE REASONS, I USE STATIC STRETCHES ONLY AFTER A RUN.  A PROPER WARM UP PROTOCOL BEFORE A RACE MAY INVOLVE PLYOMETRICS, STRIDES, OR JOGGING AT A CERTAIN PACE. A RUNNING COACH CAN HELP YOU INTEGRATE THIS INTO YOUR PROGRAM!

    5. REST

    Rest is what your body needs to repair itself and recharge, but many of us find it hard to prioritize. If you’re serious about performance, preventing injury, or just feeling better overall, you can’t neglect rest.  That means prioritizing sleep and recovery days. A good training program should include enough rest days and active rest days to give your body time to recover in between more strenuous workouts.
    If you’re a fan of biohacking, several wearables can track your sleep stages, sleep quality, and other biometrics to analyze your recovery and ability to perform. I’m using the Oura Ring and it’s really helped me understand how I’m sleeping, and what impacts my sleep and overall performance readiness, so I can adjust accordingly. (I plan to cover biohacking and how I use my Oura ring in future blog posts, and will update this page with those links when they’re ready). 
     
     6. TRAIN SMARTER
    Bonus tip #6: take the guesswork out of training and work with a running coach!
    Many running injuries are caused by poor running mechanics, muscle imbalances, and increasing volume/intensity before your body is ready. Every runner is unique, with their own body mechanics, experience level, current cardiovascular fitness, goals, and timeline. To train smarter, improve performance, and better prevent running injuries, you need a training plan–one that’s tailored to you. If you’re interested in personalized, virtual running coaching for your next half or full marathon, click the contact link above to request a consultation with me. 

    Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I earn a small commission if you make a purchase. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This income goes to supporting this website. As always, ideas and opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own.

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