It’s spring AKA marathon season 🌿

Hello 🙏

Spring marathon season is here! The big races are coming thick and fast in the next few weeks. The 2023 “Marathon Major” season officially kicks off with Boston on Monday.

Meanwhile, Europeans are lacing up their racing shoes en masse to run the Rotterdam Marathon on Sunday. I know several newsletter readers will be running one of these races this weekend.

Good luck to all of you!

Get out there and enjoy the occasion. To make it to the start line of a marathon is a victory in itself. Cherish the opportunity to discover your current limits. And when the going gets tough, give it all you’ve got.

Now, let’s move on to this week’s recommended reads.


🐐 The Babe Ruth of Marathons Is Running Boston This Year — Don’t Miss It

“The finish line on Boylston Street has been the site of glory, farce, and tragedy. But through its first 126 editions, the world’s oldest annual marathon is still missing one thing. None of those races have featured the great Eliud Kipchoge.”

Very few road races can rival the excitement generally on show at the Boston Marathon. No paces, unpredictable conditions, and a generally strong lineup of runners always seem to be a successful recipe for a great watch. This year’s Boston has got all of that, and Eliud Kipchoge. Read Letsrun’s excellent race preview to understand why you absolutely need to tune in and watch the spectacle on Monday.

>> Check out the Boston Marathon race preview


🤑 Sponsored by the Spring Sale at SportsShoes.com

Treat yourself this springtime, with excellent deals on Run, Hike and Gym shoes from SportsShoes.com


💔 The Endurance Race Called Life

“And to that point, life is no longer about enduring hardcore endurance events for Mace, but instead it’s about simply getting outdoors on a regular basis to move his body, take in the views, and soak up deep breaths of fresh air in the company of family and friends.”

Life is but a memory. How do we cope with losing our memories? For a father and son united by a love for running and endurance sports, the answer was one more physical challenge. That’s the backdrop for how Travis and his father Mark Macy ended up running the “world’s toughest race” while Mark was battling the effects of early onset dementia.

The story became a memoir; A Mile at a Time. And this article should be all you need to be convinced that you need to read the book. I’ve already added it to my “to read” list.

>> Read about this inspiring father-son story


👟 Effects of temperature on running shoes

“Cold temperatures, especially the ones below freezing, harden up the foam, and demand more “work” from the shoe on every stride. Thus, softness and durability are compromised.”

Every good running newsletter has to feature a bit of running shoe geekery. And this one from my fellow shoe geek Carlos (good luck in Boston on Monday!) certainly hits the mark. How do cold temperatures impact the performance of your shoes? Well, that depends. If you’re routinely running in temperatures near freezing, this is something you should consider when picking shoes for your runs.

>> Understand how temperature impacts shoe performance


😂 Just for Laughs

Yeah, about that break we talked about… (Source is yaboyscottjurek which you seriously need to check out. It’s a gem of razor sharp running satire.)

And that’s a wrap for this week. If you enjoy this newsletter, be sure to share it with your running friends. Forward this email, or share the following link wherever you like to chat about running https://run161.com/weekly-newsletter-about-running/

See you next week!

Lars-Christian

Did you enjoy this edition of the newsletter?

Let me know by sending me an email at lc@run161.com.


Updated

August 1, 2023

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