I was a relatively normal person before I started running, but now, I accost my friends with topics like my VO2 max and “Jeffing”.

I can’t help it. Every runner I know wants to run a little faster and a little longer than their current PB.

So, we thought we’d share some science-backed ways to boost your pace:

The Swedish “speed play” method is a kind of interval training. It involves running at a slower pace for a set period, then sprinting for another preset interval.

There are no set rules as to what those intervals are.

“Fartlek and other types of tempo runs are a great way of getting your body used to small and frequent changes in pace, whether that be during hilly terrain or because you’re struggling during a particular section of the race,” Nuffield Health’s personal training lead, Nuffield Health, previously said.

One paper found that six sessions of sprint interval training improved the pace of seasoned athletes.

This doesn’t strictly have to be Fartlek training; it can be something like “Jeffing”, or the “run-walk-run” method, too.

According to Angela Ruskin University, “elite runners spend around 80% of their time training at what’s termed zone 2 running – a running pace which raises your heart rate, but is still slow enough that you can hold a conversation”.

Only about 20% of the time is spent at race pace, they added.

Zone 2 training happens below the lactate threshold, which means your muscles don’t get as tired after long distances.

That means you can build up a better aerobic base, which can really help you run faster for longer.

One paper, which looked at 119,452 marathon runners in the 16 weeks preceding their races, found that “The fastest runners in this dataset featured large training volumes”.

In other words, the more kilometres under your belt, the faster you’ll probably run.

And among the fastest runners, a “pyramidal” running programme was more common.

That is another form of interval training which sees you ramp up from shorter, faster intervals to longer, slower parts, and then returning to smaller, speedier runs again at the end.

A meta-analysis of 31 studies found that “strength training with high loads, plyometric training, and a combination of strength training methods may improve running economy in middle- and long-distance runners”.

And the better your running economy, the faster and longer you’ll be able to go.

But in this research, high-load strength training – working with heavy weights – might be especially helpful for those with a high VO2 max and faster running speeds.

Plyometrics, or exercises which lengthen, then rapidly shorten, your muscles, have been linked to improved explosive power.

One paper found that three plyometric sessions a week can reduce the “cost of running” (or energy used running) in athletes by about 6%. And another found that it increases stride length, too; both of which can improve your pace.

Baby boomers and Gen-Xers, we know younger generations are giving you a hard time these days. Your millennial and Gen Z relatives don’t always understand where you’re coming from or what you’ve experienced, and their stereotypes about your generation may seem undeserved.

If you’re craving deeper relationships with your younger relatives, one powerful way to bridge the gap is to ask thoughtful questions to get to know what matters to them and how you can best show up for them. Questions like these can open up a more fulfilling way of relating to each other.

We asked three experts on family dynamics to suggest meaningful questions to ask younger relatives, which they’ll deeply appreciate. And they may lead to you learning some important things about your loved ones. Win-win.

It may seem obvious, but asking this question in a way that shows you truly care about the answer can help your loved one open up.

“Family members tend to assume they know everything about one another,” Everett Uhl, a licensed marriage and family therapist, told HuffPost. “Asking open-ended questions encourages detailed responses rather than a yes/no or simple (good, fine) answer.”

Engaged listening will make all the difference in how the conversation goes. “If one continues to listen, stays curious and makes neutral statements (‘I support your position here; I totally agree with you; you are making total sense’), there is opportunity for continued dialogue with depth,” Uhl said.

“This benefits both parent and child as there will be deeper understanding between generations and each will understand the other’s inner world more.”

Your younger relatives are in a different phase of their lives, which means that their days are very different, as are their goals for the short and long term. So asking about their hopes for the future can really help you understand where they’re coming from and figure out how you can support them no matter what stage they’re at.

“This question allows you as the parent to really see and be with your child in their life stage and understand what is important to them,” Uhl said. “This can lead to a back and forth about the life stage the adult child is in and if they are interested in moving to the next one, or if they are happy staying where they are a little longer.”

This question can replace more intrusive ones, such as “When are you getting married?” or “When are you having kids?” with empathy and curiosity. “This open-ended question lets the adult child share their wants, hopes and dreams about the future without the burden of pressure to be in a life stage by a certain age,” Uhl said.

All three experts suggested you ask your younger relatives some version of this question – it’s that important for a thriving intergenerational relationship.

“This question does something quietly radical: It assumes that support is wanted and that the older relative is willing to provide it in whatever form is actually useful, not just the one they’re most comfortable with,” Saba Harouni Lurie, marriage and family therapist and founder of Take Root Therapy, told HuffPost.

“By asking rather than assuming, the older relative opens the door for the younger relative to be explicit, which is itself a form of respect. And for younger generations who have often felt like their needs were either invisible or inconvenient, simply being asked can be meaningful before a word of the answer is even spoken,” she continued.

Whatever the answer is – whether it be financial or emotional support or something else entirely – try your best to be open to it and to find ways to provide that support in a way that works for both of you.

This is a winning question because it invites your child or younger relative to share what has perhaps felt difficult in your relationship or simply what’s important to them in life right now, and it demonstrates that you’re willing to look at your “blind spots” (because we all have them), said Harouni Lurie.

“The conversation that follows might surface moments the younger relative felt misunderstood or hurt and never knew how to bring up,” she added. “Or, it might open into bigger territory: the political climate, evolving values, the ways the world has changed in ways that aren’t always visible from the outside.”

Your family member will be grateful for your curiosity and open-mindedness.

We all grow up in families that have specific expectations of us in one way or another, whether these are explicit or implicit. Depending on our individual personalities and trajectories, though, some of these expectations can start to feel heavy – even if it’s totally unintentional.

“Expectations are the dirty word in parenting adult children,” said Catherine Hickem, a licensed clinical social worker. “They ruin relationships, damage trust, hurt a child’s self-worth, and place a burden on them that is not theirs to carry. They can put a child in the position of choosing between keeping peace with their parents or fulfilling their own needs, dreams, and desires.”

Knowing this, you likely want to help free your relative from any inadvertent expectations they may be living with, which is where this question comes in. When you ask, try your best to avoid getting defensive and listen with an open heart.

We are all shaped by our family histories in big ways, and chances are your younger relatives have many questions about the values, events and traumas that have made up the generations before them.

“Younger relatives are often deeply curious about, and are being shaped by, family history that they were shielded from or handed down in incomplete or distorted form,” Harouni Lurie said. “Asking this question signals something important: that the older relative is willing to be honest, even about the hard things.”

Where previous generations might have preferred to leave the past in the past, younger generations are often highly introspective and want to better understand their family history.

“And with this question, the older relative becomes someone who wants to reckon with the past rather than guard a particular version of it,” Harouni Lurie added.

You love your children (or nephews or nieces, etc.). For you, that’s a given. But for them, they may need more hard proof than you think.

“Listen carefully to how your child responds to this question. Do you notice hesitancy? Defensiveness? Nervous laughter?” Hickem said. “Whatever their response, reinforce that nothing could change your love for them. But let me caution you on this: Do not say this if you are not certain you mean it. It is better to leave this question alone than to offer words you cannot stand behind.”

Loving your child or younger relative is one thing, but liking them for who they are is another.

“This may sound elementary, but when people are asked what their parents like about them, there is often a puzzled look or a joking response like, ‘I was the kid who didn’t keep them awake at night,’” Hickem said.

When asking this question, “parents should have a list ready in both their head and their heart of what they genuinely like about their child,” Hickem said. “Even if you have to reach back into childhood or adolescence to remember qualities you may not see clearly right now, look for the unique features that make them who they are.”

Asking this question and engaging in the conversation that ensues can help your loved one feel seen and valued, which in turn will naturally deepen your relationship.

The socio-political climate today creates a huge rift between older and younger generations, something that has a significant effect on families. “We no longer know how to disagree without taking it personally or making the other person wrong or bad,” Hickem said.

Asking whether these differences between you and your younger relative cause them any fear gives “a parent the opportunity to clarify the difference between disagreeing about social issues, political concerns, or personal values and loving their child for who they are,” according to Hickem. “The relationship always matters more than the issue.”

Disagreeing on particular issues can feel really difficult, but it doesn’t mean you can’t have a healthy relationship that also includes disagreement. “Respect, compassion, sincere curiosity, and love can bridge differences,” Hickem said. “Parents may need to say, ‘I may not understand how you landed where you did, but I know you, I respect you, and I trust that you take these things seriously.’”

Many people end up dreading family gatherings because of their complex relational dynamics, but it doesn’t have to be that way. In fact, why have family gatherings at all if the guests don’t enjoy them? This question can encourage some beautiful dialogue about how to make family get-togethers occasions everyone looks forward to.

“We might not be able to take a family trip to Disney World anymore, but creating quality time and fun memories matters,” Uhl said. “This could allow for flexibility around who hosts during the holidays, roles that members play and/or contributions that family members provide. Sharing what would improve the overall experience or motivate family members to have more quality time together can strengthen the connection between generations.”

President Donald Trump did little to reassure Americans that war with Iran will end anytime soon, saying it will end only “when I feel it in my bones.”

It’s another stunning admission that Trump and his administration have no real timeline for ending the conflict in Iran started by the US and Israel just two weeks ago. Speaking to Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade on Friday, Trump said the economy “will bounce right back” when the war ends.

“We had the greatest economy in history, and we still do,” Trump said. “Oh, this will bounce right back. When it’s over ― and I don’t think it’s going to be long ― when it’s over, this is going to bounce right back, so fast.”

“When are you going to know when it’s over?” Kilmeade asked about the ongoing war.

“When I feel it,” Trump said. “When I feel it in my bones.”

Trump has repeatedly said the war will soon end, despite giving no substantial updates on how that goal will be achieved. At the start of March, Trump claimed the war could end as soon as “four weeks.”

“It’s always been a four-week process,” Trump told The Daily Mail at the time. “We figured it will be four weeks or so. It’s always been about a four-week process so — as strong as it is, it’s a big country, it’ll take four weeks — or less.”

On Monday, Trump boasted that war with Iran was “very complete, pretty much.”

The next day, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth wouldn’t say the same.

“So it’s not for me to posit whether it’s the beginning, the middle or the end,” Hegseth told reporters about when the war might end. “That’s his, and he’ll continue to communicate that.”

Then on Wednesday, Trump took things a step further when he claimed that Iran was “about to surrender” in a call with G7 leaders. Just one small problem:

“Nobody knows who is the leader, so there is no one that can announce surrender,” Trump added.

Since starting war with Iran, 13 US service members have died. Trump attended the dignified transfer of six service members killed in action while wearing a white baseball cap with “USA” written on it. And despite Trump’s attempts to deflect blame, mounting evidence suggests it was the US that bombed a school in Iran, killing more than 170 people.

Adding to Trump’s troubles has been Iran’s ability to block the Strait of Hormuz, a key artery in the transport of the world’s oil supply. Trump said he’ll order an emergency release of strategic oil reserves to soften the blow of rising oil prices after Iran struck two oil tankers in Iraq on Thursday.

Hegseth promised Friday to carry out the highest volume of strikes yet against Iran.

For all his bluster about how soon the escalating war will end, Trump seemed to drop the veil when speaking to a crowd of supporters in Kentucky on Thursday.

Donald Trump has called on allies including the UK to send ships to the strait of Hormuz amid Iran’s attempts to effectively close the major shipping lane.

The waterway, which sits at the south of Iran, transports a fifth of the world’s oil supply.

Tehran has been targeting any ships which use Hormuz as its war against the US and Israel escalates, meaning the price of oil has started to skyrocket and the global economy is showing signs of strain.

Initially Trump said the hike in the price of oil was a “small price to pay”.

But in a new post on TruthSocial, he wrote: “Hopefully China, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK and others that are affected by this artificial constraint, will send Ships to the area so that the Hormuz Strait will no longer be a threat by a Nation that has been totally decapitated.”

According to the UK Maritime Trade Operations, 16 British ships have been operating around Hormuz, the Arabia Gulf and the Gulf of Oman since the war began a fortnight ago.

Despite claiming the US has destroyed “100% of Iran’s military capability” in his post, Trump also suggested Tehran could easily still “send a drone or two, drop a mine, or deliver a close range missile”.

But Iran’s new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei promised to continue obstructing the strait on Thursday and Israel claims to it have detected new attacks from Iran over the weekend.

The president’s request for help follows a turbulent period in relations with the UK.

Just six days ago, Trump accused Keir Starmer of seeking to “join wars after we’ve already won”.

He also claimed the US did not need Britain to send two aircraft carriers to the Middle East, after alleging that Downing Street was considering it.

The White House has been fuming over Starmer’s refusal to allow the US to use British military bases to initiate pre-emptive attacks against Iran.

Starmer has since allowed Trump to use UK military sites for “limited and defensive” strikes, but the president publicly criticised Downing Street for not granting his first request.

Trump’s full post reads:

Many Countries, especially those who are affected by Iran’s attempted closure of the Hormuz Strait, will be sending War Ships, in conjunction with the United States of America, to keep the Strait open and safe. We have already destroyed 100% of Iran’s Military capability, but it’s easy for them to send a drone or two, drop a mine, or deliver a close range missile somewhere along, or in, this Waterway, no matter how badly defeated they are. Hopefully China, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK, and others, that are affected by this artificial constraint, will send Ships to the area so that the Hormuz Strait will no longer be a threat by a Nation that has been totally decapitated. In the meantime, the United States will be bombing the hell out of the shoreline, and continually shooting Iranian Boats and Ships out of the water. One way or the other, we will soon get the Hormuz Strait OPEN, SAFE, and FREE! President DONALD J. TRUMP

On Sunday, March 29, the clocks are set to go forward in the UK.

It’s been that way since 1916, though we’ve experimented with sticking to “British Summer Time” (BST) for the whole year and following “double summer time” since.

Some experts, though, say we should stop making people’s clocks jump fprward an hour in spring. For instance, the European Parliament has backed a proposal to get rid of daylight saving time (DST).

Here are some of the arguments for and against BST, sometimes also called “DST”:

One study found that heart attacks rise by 24% the first working day after BST or DST (in the UK, BST always starts on the last Sunday of March).

Yet another paper noted an 8% increase in ischemic stroke in the two days following the clock change.

And a New York paper found that hospital admissions for atrial fibrillation rise in the Monday to Thursday following DST, but not during the clock change in autumn.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents have called for the UK government to adopt BST year-round.

The charity previously told parliament, “more people are killed and injured on the road because of darker evenings in autumn and winter than would be if we adopted British Summer Time all year round… In 2017, the number of pedestrian deaths rose from 37 in September to 46 in October, 63 in November, and 50 in December”.

A University of Surrey paper found that car acccident go down by about 15-20% in the days leading up to BST, as drivers have more light in the evenings. And when we leave BST in winter, accidents rise by 13%.

You lose an hour of sleep during BST, and your body doesn’t really care that the clock says seven o’clock; that first day you wake up, it’ll feel like rising at six.

Some sleep experts from the British Sleep Society have called for both BST and the winter clock changes to be abolished, because they mess with our body clock so much.

These disruptions to our sleep lead to a dip in “performance, productivity and safety for both paediatric and adult populations,” the researchers added.

Some people want us to adopt BST year-round because they say it’ll keep our working hours close to those in many EU countries and save us money on heating and lighting later on in the year. Others say those on the continent don’t actually have uniform working hours, and the energy savings are contested.

Even more confusingly, others, like Lib Dem MP Alex Meyer, have called to “double summer time” or “Churchill time,” which we followed in WWII. This meant the clocks sprang forward two hours in spring, and stayed at what is now BST in winter.

This was done to increase productivity in daylight and save electricity costs, Meyer called this “a low-cost, high-impact proposal” to “help meet climate goals, reduce energy bills, and boost our High Streets by making better use of the daylight hours we already have”.

But some research suggests that the energy we save by having brighter evenings is more than offset by “increased energy consumption in the warmer lighter evenings”.

President Donald Trump made sweeping claims on Friday about the United States’ weapons capabilities, only for users on social media to quickly point out how those claims drastically differ from comments he made days earlier.

“Look, nobody has the technology or the weapons that we have, and the Patriots are an example of it,” Trump told Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade in discussing the missiles at the US military’s disposal. “We have the Tomahawks, we have the Patriots, we have stuff that nobody’s ever been able to produce, and they can’t produce it like us.”

This counters Trump’s suggestion earlier this week that Iran had somehow obtained the American-made Tomahawk missiles and was possibly responsible for the Tomahawk strike on an Iranian girls’ school during the first days of the war. The strike killed at least 175 people, most of them young girls.

“I will say that the Tomahawk, which is one of the most powerful weapons around, is used by, you know, is sold and used by other countries,” Trump said on Monday.

“Whether it’s Iran, who also has some Tomahawks, they wish they had more, but whether it’s Iran or somebody else, the fact that a Tomahawk is very generic. It’s sold to other countries, but that’s being investigated right now,” he continued.

Trump had pinned the destruction of the girls’ school on Iran earlier in the month.

“In my opinion, based on what I’ve seen, that was done by Iran,” Trump said on March 7 when asked about the strike. “We think it was done by Iran, because they are very inaccurate, as you know, with their munitions. They have no accuracy whatsoever. It was done by Iran.”

There is no evidence supporting Trump’s claim that Iran had obtained a Tomahawk missile or carried out the strike on the girls’ school.

Users on X jumped on the inconsistencies.

“I’m old enough to remember when Trump claimed that the Iranians had Tomahawks in an attempt to blame the Iranians for the girls’ school he bombed,” user Polly Sigh wrote on X.

“But when he was asked about the bombing of the girls’ school, he said Iran had tomahawks,” MeidasTouch Editor-in-Chief Ron Filipkowski wrote.

The New York Times reported on Wednesday that a preliminary military investigation found the US was responsible for the strike on the girls’ school. When asked on Wednesday about the report and whether the US would take responsibility for the strike, Trump responded: “I don’t know about it.”