Holmer: if you're watching heart rate, you're not racing
Brady Holmer says heart rate is the thing runners obsess over that matters least, and a sub-2:30 masters marathoner backed him. Nike, meanwhile, put a carbon-plated racer at $145.
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Shoes and fuel
Nike's new racer, the Swooshfly, lands at $145 in Spring 2027
Nike announced a three-shoe race day lineup: the Swooshfly, the Alphafly 4 and a top-tier model called Nike Apex, launching between October 2026 and Spring 2027. Believe in the Run says the Swooshfly debuts a supercritical SkyX foam, a beaded TPU compound paired with a carbon fiber plate, for up to 16% more energy return than the Vaporfly 4. It also gets a slightly wider toe box and a $145 price.
the Swooshfly is racing speed for every day
How they train
Holmer names heart rate the most overrated thing in running
Asked what runners obsess over that matters less than they think, Brady Holmer answered with two words: heart rate. He allowed one exception, "*Maybe* during the first half of a marathon."
If you’re looking at heart rate, you’re not “racing.
Holmer puts carbs second and bicarb a distant fourth
Brady Holmer ranked what actually makes you run a faster marathon: super shoes first, then fueling with 60 or more grams of carbs per hour plus hydration, then a negative split.
4. Bicarb, Nomio, [name your supplement du jour]