Breakthrough performance at UTMB, master glycogen sparing; strengthen gluteus medius & much more!
#WhatsUpThisWeek?
Ever hit the wall in a marathon? Glycogen depletion is one of the biggest challenges. There is a way to avoid the wall, by mastering glycogen sparing. Read the full article #GeeksonFeet
Clamshell exercise strengthens the gluteus medius & improves hip stability more on this at #WoW
Katie Schide wins UTMB with a new course record, this and more at #RunSHORTS
Happy reading!
#GeeksPoll
The vagus nerve, a key component of the parasympathetic nervous system, plays an important role in regulating heart rate and HRV, hence recovery from training. 🧠🧘
Which of the following have you tried to boost your vagal tone and find it most effective for recovery? #geekspoll
#WoW - Clamshell (with Side Plank)
Clamshell exercise strengthens the gluteus medius, improving hip stability and preventing knee and lower back pain. It enhances athletic performance and posture.
How to do it?
Wrap the resistance band just above the knees
Lie on one side with legs stacked up and bent from the knees at 45°
Keep the core and glutes engaged
While keeping the foot on the other, slowly raise the upper knee to the maximum resistance and hold it for 1-2 seconds
Then bring it back to the resting state slowly.
When raising the leg, ensure the glutes are engaged and the hip does not tilt backward
Repeat this on both legs for 10 to 12 time
@Geeksonfeet - Glycogen Sparing
Ever hit the wall in a marathon? You’re not alone. Glycogen depletion is one of the biggest challenges marathon runners face. But there’s a way to avoid the wall —by mastering glycogen sparing.
What is Glycogen Sparing? Glycogen sparing allows your body to rely more on fat as a fuel source, conserving glycogen for when you need it most—during those critical final miles of a marathon.
Check out the full article to understand how you can train for Glycogen sparing.
Training Plans
In our interactions with runners across channels, we’ve realized most runners are self-trained. We get many requests for personalized training plans tailored to help runners achieve their running goals.
We are happy to announce the first beta of our training plans. Whether you're training for your first 5K or aiming for a marathon PR, we have a plan for you. We have an exciting roadmap, and we truly need your help to make this a great product. Please give it a try & share your feedback with us at connect@geeksonfeet.com
#RunSHORTS
Puma launches Puma Fast RB, the most illegal shoe ever
Last week, Puma, the German running brand, unveiled its latest shoe targeting the high-speed runners - the Puma Fast RB. The shoe is designed to be as fast as possible, regardless of the rules. Rules? The shoe breaks multiple aspects of the race-day shoe regulations framed by the World Athletics (WA). First, with an astounding 58mm midsole height, the shoe breaks the set maximum height of 41mm by a whopping 18mm. Puma didn't stop here. The shoe features not one, not two, but three carbon plates, again breaching the limit of one set by the WA. These features render the shoe illegal for official races, which is fitting since "RB" stands for Rule Breaker. The shoe additionally equips a decoupled midsole with the heel not even touching the ground and a laceless mesh upper.
Katie Schide wins UTMB with a new course record
Katie Schide has made history. On Saturday, the 32-year-old American shattered the women’s course record at the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB), covering the grueling 109-mile course in 22 hours, 9 minutes, and 31 seconds—an impressive 21 minutes faster than Courtney Dauwalter’s 2021 record. This year, Schide has been unstoppable, clinching victories at both the Canyons 100K and the Western States 100 before her UTMB triumph.
Her victory in Chamonix also places her among an elite group: she’s now the third woman ever to win both the Western States 100 and UTMB in the same year, joining the ranks of Courtney Dauwalter and Nikki Kimball. Read more here.
Full-time Hoka Engineer Vincent Bouillard Surprises with Stunning UTMB Win
Vincent Bouillard, a 31-year-old senior product engineer at Hoka, shocked the ultrarunning world on Saturday by winning the 2024 Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) in 19 hours, 54 minutes, and 23 seconds. The unsponsored Frenchman, who helped design the shoes he wore during the race, beat out top competitors to take the victory.
Known more for his role at Hoka than his racing, this is Bouillard’s first time running UTMB. Despite battling through heat and tough climbs, he surged to the front after 48 miles and never looked back. His time is the third fastest in the race’s 21-year history. Read more here.
Race Calendar
We have revamped our race calendar with everything you need to know about the race, route, experience, and much more. We have added information about major races and we need the help of the community to make it further robust. Thus we invite runners to share their experiences related to race routes and other information that will benefit runners.
This Week:
Next 6 Months:
BMW Berlin Marathon: September 29, 2024
Wipro Bengaluru Marathon: October 6, 2024
TCS Amsterdam Marathon - October 20, 2024
Niveus Mangalore Marathon - November 10, 2024
WNC Navy Half Marathon - November 17, 2024
Ahmedabad Marathon - November 24, 2024
Search and find races using our Race Finder at geeksonfeet.com/races.
#TipOfTheWeek - “Sipping” Your Carbs
Ever find yourself unable to stomach gels later in a race? Gel aversion is a common problem among runners when the body starts to reject heavy doses of sugary fuel. Here’s a little-known tip to help: instead of consuming an entire gel at once, try “sipping” it over several minutes to avoid overwhelming your system.
Rather than downing the whole gel in one go, take small portions every 5-10 minutes. Once you take the portion, roll it down the top to close and store it.
This gradual intake keeps your energy levels steady without the sudden sugar overload that can lead to nausea or discomfort. Practicing this in training will help you to handle this well and allow your body to adjust to this strategy.
Marathon in Paralympics
Did you know that the marathon was first included in the Paralympic Games in 1984? The event features various classifications based on the type of impairment. These include wheelchair users (T51–T54), athletes with lower limb impairments (T61–T64), athletes with upper limb impairments (T45–T46), and visually impaired athletes (T11–T13). The Paris Paralympics, scheduled for this Sunday, September 8th, will feature the Men's Marathon - T54, Women's Marathon - T54, Women's Marathon - T12, and Men's Marathon - T12 events. The races are set to begin at 11:30 AM IST.
Contributors to this edition: Aditi Pandya, Karthik Nadar, and Aravind Yarra