Heya and welcome back to Five Things Running!
I like those summer runs when the salty crust on your hat is like a badge of achievement. It’s so awesome to run in the summer and as we turn into the last (partial) week of school here in Hamburg, I’m looking forward to many more runs in the sun.
I have only seen the Zugspitze from afar and it was impressive even then, but every year many runners run up and down and around the tallest German mountain for the Zugspitz Ultra Trail. Watch this documentary to see what the race is all about!
Here’s this week’s Five Things Running!
Why Trail Running Nutrition Costs $4 Per Serving (And Why It Might Be Worth It)
Athletes are more carb-focused than ever, training their stomachs as if they are just another muscle group. In addition, companies are racing to pack more carbs into smaller, more digestible formats. Gels and drink mixes are no longer glorified sugar packets, they’re lab-optimized endurance engines.
And they’re getting more expensive.
so much for running is an inexpensive sport…
The benefits of boring: Why running the same training route is the secret to a stronger race
While it may be tempting to turn every run into a new challenge, a personal best, a Strava attempt or a sexy interval set on a new trail, boring training is where you make the mental and physical gains. Strava and social media may make it seem like everyone is doing super-cool runs in amazing places or hitting fantastic speeds most of the time. However, the reality is that most of the top professionals are boring as hell.
Repeating the same route over and over is where my brain can wander, problem-solve, work through awkward email phrasing and just plain daydream. It lets me lean into the ‘let’s just get it done’ mentality. It keeps me honest about my paces and how I’m feeling on any given day.
I find my boring runs really boring, but on these runs I see my progress. Or lack thereof.
Here’s Exactly What It Takes to Run—And Then Recover From—100 Miles
The study, which appears in the International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, dissects the performance of two participants in the Wasatch Front Endurance Run, a 100-miler in Utah with a cumulative total of almost 25,000 feet of climbing and descending and a highest point above 10,000 feet. The subjects were both men, 45 and 31 years old, and both had previously completed several 100-milers. A research team led by Andrew Creer of Utah Valley University fed the subjects “doubly labeled” water, which contains isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen that scientists can use to figure out exactly how many calories you’re burning and how much water your body is using.
If you ever wanted to burn 16,000 calories in one push, a 100 miler is just right for you!
Beyond the Athlete: The Hidden Blame in Running’s Drug Crisis
Running’s PED era continues at pace, and nobody seems to really give a hoot. Not until large-scale financial interests are put in jeopardy will the scourge of drug use ever be brought to heal.
All said, the sad but true bottom line is the sport of running is such a minor player in the larger sporting and societal landscape, despite the economic impact and charitable fund raising generated by the sport, that the harm caused by PED use in running doesn’t jeopardize the power-elite enough to kick-start any of the above rehabilitating actions.
And so it goes. Until the pain of inaction outweighs the convenience of denial, the sport will remain what it has become: a spectacle clouded in doubt, watched with indifference.
Ruth Chepngetich was tested positive - what will this mean for marathon races?
Embracing the chaos- how to keep running through the summer holidays
An approach I suggest for planning your weekly runs during periods of total chaos is to think about what runs are non-negotiable, what run would be a bonus run if you get a window of opportunity and what can you still do even if everything implodes.
For example, if you’re training for an Autumn marathon, your non-negotiable run could be your long run, a bonus run could be a 30 min run, and if everything implodes a walk with the kids on their bikes/scooter or a 20 min yoga session in front of the TV is absolutely good enough.
I’m looking forward to sleeping in a bit longer and then going for a run this summer. But I know that non-negotiable runs are a concept my family doesn’t show any interest in.
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Now, go running!
— Nico
🏃🏻♂️
Thanks for the film feature! Hollywood hasn’t called me yet, though. That’s maybe because David Rott is a real actor and i’m just pretending…