Good morning 🙋♂️
What a weekend of marathoning we got last week. Eliud Kipchoge, the GOAT, was dethroned–for now. But my oh my, Boston delivered. And Rotterdam was a spectacle too. If you were on the start line, I hope you had a great day out there on the roads. And now we’ve got London calling on Sunday.
Whether you’re going well and out there crushing it, or struggling a bit like I am right now, I hope you’re being inspired these days. The internet is full of stories about regular people doing incredible things with their running right now. My goal for this newsletter is to share some of that with you.
So for this week, I’ll do something a bit different. Don’t worry, you’ll get all the regular content. But in this intro, I’ll share links to some of my favourite marathon race reports from this last weekend. You knew sharing race reports was a thing, right? I’m a sucker for them. There’s just something about vicarious racing experiences that give
So before scrolling down to the regular content–or after, if you’re so inclined–consider checking out some of these race reports from recent marathons by regular runners like you and me:
- Boston Marathon at 18.5 weeks pregnant
- Rotterdam Marathon – a painful but successful first experience
- Big marathon PB and an unexpected age-group win
- Manchester Marathon (Lessons learned after a baby break)
- Boston Marathon – 2:39:28, negative split and 12 minute PR
Now, let’s proceed with your regularly scheduled programming.
⚖️ Understanding Ground Contact Time Imbalance While Running
“GCT imbalances can be caused by muscle imbalances, injuries, or poor running form. They may increase the risk of injury., which in turn interrupts consistency and progress. More than that, research suggests that imbalance can result in less efficient running form.”
After running with a ground contact time imbalance for some years, I set out to research the subject extensively. The result is this article that I published earlier in the week. It contains more information than you’ll ever need to know about ground contact time imbalance.
But if you’re a running nerd, like me, chances are you’ll find it interesting. And if you’re struggling with injuries, it’s worth researching if ground contact time imbalance might be a contributing factor.
>> Learn about ground contact time imbalance
👟 Sponsored by SportsShoes.com
If you’re looking for the best prices and the most extensive selection of running shoes, look no further than SportsShoes.com. You’ll find the models worth running in from the brand worth talking about at SportsShoes.com.
Their spring sale is coming to an end, but if you hurry up you can still use the code “EASTERSALE” for 25% off on the running shoes you’ve been thinking about getting!
Not sure what to go for? Here’s a few recommendation based on my personal experiences:
- Nike Vaporfly 3: My newest race day shoe (full review coming soon!)
- Asics Gel-Cumulus 25: Perfect for easy and long days (full review coming soon!)
- Brooks Catamount 2: The first edition is my go to for trail runs, and I can’t wait to try out this one as well
💥 Thomas Eller made a huge noise for the deaf community in Tokyo
“(…) his job as a teacher in a deaf school and his passion for the marathon put him in a position to inspire the children he taught. He wanted to show them that any barriers they perceived as standing in the way between them and a fulfilling life could be overcome.”
I’ve said it before, but the best part of marathon season isn’t actually the races. It’s all the amazing stories that emerge before and after the races. The inspiring story of how Thomas Eller became the first deaf runner to complete all six marathon majors is a great example. But that was last year’s feat. In 2023, he plans to run them all in a single year!
After completing Tokyo in 3:04 in March, and now Boston in 2:54 on Monday, he’s almost halfway there. I’ll be sure to update you on how he does in London in next week’s newsletter.
>> Read the inspiring story of the deaf Six Star finisher
😓 The 9 Toughest Ultramarathons
“Fortunately for runners with a hankering for the extreme, there’s a class of ultramarathon that’s a step above the rest. They’re extra long, incredibly tough, and take the type of commitment and logistics once needed for climbing a Himalayan peak, all brought to bear in some of the world’s most dazzling landscapes.”
For some people–I’m not saying they are crazy, you can be the judge of that–the marathon just isn’t long enough. Toying with the idea of giving yourself a different challenge and joining the ranks of the truly insane? This golden oldie from Outside lists some of the hardest and most prestigious longer than long races in the world.
And the fact that all nine are still going strong as we’re counting ten years and one global pandemic since the article was originally written tells you everything you need to know about the standing of these races.
>> Check out the toughest ultramarathons
😂 Just for Laughs
And that’s it for this 74th edition of the newsletter. I hope you liked it. Do you enjoy the newsletter? Please help me spread the word. You can forward this email to your friends, or share the following on your social profiles or in your running group chats:
https://run161.com/weekly-newsletter-about-running/
Talk to you again in a week!
Lars-Christian
Did you enjoy this edition of the newsletter?
Let me know by sending me an email at lc@run161.com.