💤 🎧 Decoding Sleep for Runners, Straight Leg Bounds, New Delhi Marathon Results and more!
#WhatsUpThisWeek?
In this month’s podcast episode, we discuss how sleep impacts our bodies and minds, and how to optimize our sleep habits for better health and performance. More on this @GeeksonFeet
Straight leg bounds is a running form drill to help improve cadence, power generation, and lower body strength, know how to do it right with #WoW
Shivam Rai shares his race report from running a Half Marathon at the Coal India Marathon 2024, despite a tight schedule, Read the entire report at #GeeksonFeet
College Prodigy Kiyoto Hirabayashi Shatters Records at Osaka Marathon, this and more at #RunSHORTS
Happy reading!
#GeeksPoll
How supportive are your family members of your running training and participation in races?
#WoW - Straight leg bounds
Straight leg bounds is a running form drill (and plyometric drill) to help improve cadence, power generation lower body strength, proprioception, and coordination.
How to do it?
Stand upright with your feet hip-width apart. Keep your arms relaxed at your sides.
Initiate the bound by taking a short stride forward with one leg.
Push off from the ground with the back leg, and extend it fully so that your leg remains straight throughout the movement.
Simultaneously, swing your arms forward and upward to generate upward momentum as shown in Figure B. Use the power generated from your leg and arm movements to leap forward.
Maintain Straight Legs throughout
Land softly on your forefoot
As you land, switch the action to the other leg. Continue bounding forward, alternating between legs with each stride.
When to do it?
Include it as part of form drills (before your run), as a dynamic warm-up, or as part of the strength training.
@GeeksonFeet
Ep 38: Decoding Sleep for Runners
Are you getting enough sleep? Sleep is essential for our health, mood, and performance. Sleep is so important that it affects our ability to run! In this episode of the “World of Running” podcast, Aditi discussed the fascinating world of sleep and its impact on life, health, and running performance with Dr. Sudhir Kumar, a neurologist with over 30 years of experience in medical practice. Dr. Sudhir shared his insights on how sleep impacts our bodies and minds, and how we can optimize our sleep habits for better health and performance. So whether you’re a runner or not, this is a must-listen episode for anyone who wants to understand the importance of sleep. Listen here.
Here is the YouTube edition
Race Report: Coal India Marathon 2024
Shivam Rai shares his account of running the half-marathon event in the Coal India Marathon 2024, despite a tight schedule following the Tata Steel Meramandali marathon. Shivam focused on recovery and preparation, with nutrition strategies aiming for a sub-2-hour finish but achieving a time of 2:06:03. Read the full race report here.
#RunSHORTS
Thonakal Gopi Triumphs at New Delhi Marathon 2024; Ashwini Madan Jadhav Clinches Women’s Title
India’s Thonakal Gopi and Ashwini Madan Jadhav won the men’s and women’s races, respectively, at the New Delhi Marathon 2024 on Sunday. Gopi T clocked 2:14:40 to win the gold medal in the men’s event, piping Srinu Bugatha, who clocked a new personal best of 2:14:41 to finish second. Akshay Saini finished his run in 2:15:27 for third place. The men’s race concluded on an enthralling note with Gopi T, the 2017 Asian marathon champion, sprinting past Srinu Bugatha in the final stages to eke out a narrow win. Interestingly, Bugatha had beaten Gopi to the gold in the Indian men’s elite race at the Mumbai Marathon earlier this year. The women’s race, meanwhile, saw a one-sided affair with Ashwini Madan Jadhav (2:52:25) finishing ahead of Thakor Nirmaben Bharatjee (2:55:47) and Divyanka Chaudhary (2:57:06).
None of the Indian marathoners, however, came close to achieving the qualifying standards for the Paris 2024 Olympics marathon events. The qualifying time for the Paris 2024 Olympics men’s marathon is 2:08:10 while the mark stands at 2:26:50 for women. Apart from the elite races, the Apollo Tyres New Delhi Marathon 2024 in its ninth edition saw participation of over 7500 runners in the amateur category with a little over 1500 runners in the marathon, 3300 runners in the half marathon, and over 2600 runners in the 10K category. Read more here.
New Study Reveals Impact of "Super-Shoes" on Female Runners' Performance
Researchers have unveiled findings on the effects of advanced running shoes, often termed "super-shoes," on the performance of competitive female runners. The study assessed the metabolic cost and joint mechanics in athletes wearing Nike Vaporfly Next% versus traditional running shoes like the Nike Pegasus 38.
While the metabolic improvement in women was 4.2% (approximately 3.2% when adjusting for shoe mass) was less than that previously observed in men. Interestingly, the study found no correlation between an athlete's foot strike pattern and the performance benefits offered by these advanced shoes. Read more here.
College Prodigy Kiyoto Hirabayashi Shatters Records at Osaka Marathon
At the Osaka Marathon 2024, Kiyoto Hirabayashi, a 21-year-old student from Kokugakuin University, not only emerged victorious but also set a new benchmark for first-time marathoners in Japan, finishing in 2 hours 6 minutes 18 seconds. This remarkable feat placed him tantalizingly close to the Paris Olympics qualifying time, missing the mark by a mere 28 seconds. The Japan Association of Athletics Federations' has set a standard of 2:05:50 for Olympic qualification.
Hirabayashi's time would have been a standout achievement in India, surpassing the country's Olympic qualifying benchmarks. In India, where the national record for the men's marathon stands at 2:12:00 since 1978, Hirabayashi's performance would have not only qualified for the Olympics but set a new national record. Read more here.
State funeral for Kelvin Kiptum
Kenya's world marathon record holder Kelvin Kiptum was given a state funeral Friday, 23 February, following his death in a car crash earlier this month, as many Kenyans urged the government to do more to protect the country's famous athletes. Hundreds of dignitaries from Kenyan President William Ruto to Sebastian Coe, head of World Athletics joined family, friends, and fans of Kiptum in paying their last respects as he was interred in Naiberi, about 6 kilometers (4 miles) from his hometown of Chepkorio in western Kenya. Kiptum was one of the most exciting prospects to emerge in road running in years, having broken the world record in what was only his third appearance in an elite marathon. His record of 2 hours and 35 seconds, set last October at the Chicago Marathon, was ratified by the international track federation World Athletics just days before he died. Read more here
TipOfTheWeek - Reactive Power Training (RPT)
Instead of traditional weight training focused on maximal strength, reactive power training emphasizes explosive movements with lighter weights and higher velocities. This method leverages the natural elastic properties of muscle and tendon tissues, improving an athlete's ability to generate force quickly with minimal energy expenditure aims to mimic the demands of running, where muscles need to respond quickly and generate power with each stride.
Reactive power training exercises involve rapid movements:
Plyometric Exercises: Incorporate plyometric drills that focus on quick, explosive movements such as jump squats, bounding, and box jumps. The key is to minimize ground contact time to simulate the reactive force needed for efficient running.
Downhill Bounding: Perform bounding exercises on a gentle decline. The slight slope increases the reactive forces your muscles and tendons must counteract, enhancing your reactive power.
Skipping Drills: Advanced skipping drills, focusing on height and minimal ground contact time, can also improve reactive strength by forcing the body to adapt to rapid force generation and absorption.
Depth Jumps: Starting from a raised platform (e.g., a box), step off, land with both feet and immediately jump vertically as high as possible. The rapid transition from landing to jumping improves stretch-shortening cycle (SSC) efficiency.
#RaceCalendar
Next Month
OotyUltra: March 31, 2024
Next 6 Months:
Boston Marathon - April 15, 2024
TCS World 10K: April 28, 2024
Rotary Rain Run: July 28, 2024
Ladakh Marathon: September 5th - 8th , 2024
Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon: October 20, 2024 (Yet to be published on the website)
TCS Amsterdam Marathon - October 20, 2024
TCS New York City Marathon - November 3, 2024
Search and find races using our Race Finder at geeksonfeet.com/races
#TriviaOfTheWeek:
The Tokyo Marathon is one of the 6 World Marathon Majors and will be held this year on Mar 03, 2024. This race is organized by the Tokyo Marathon Foundation, which was founded in 2010 to improve public health and enhance the city of Tokyo by spreading the joy of running.
One of the unique things happening in this year's Tokyo marathon is students from the Tokyo University of Arts will paint a croquis of the runners as they start the race on canvas. Croquis means "rapid drawing" and refers to quickly drawing objects in motion.
Contributors to this edition: Aditi Pandya, Karthik Nadar, RameshBabu PV and Aravind Yarra