London Marathon Runner's Roundtable, Suitcase Deadlifts, updates from Track Fest 2024 and much more..
#WhatsUpThisWeek?
Suitcase Deadlift is a unilateral strength workout to build stability and minimize imbalances. Know more at #WoW
The London Marathon has consistently been the most popular event for runners worldwide. We got chatting with 3 accomplished runners on their marathon training, and pre and post-race experience, more on this at #GeeksonFeet
Deeksha Conquers 1500m in Los Angeles, Sable finishes second in 5000m & more updates from the Track Fest 2024 and more from at #RunSHORTS
Know all about vertical run in #TriviaOfTheWeek
Happy reading!
This newsletter edition is supported by Ruggd Indian. Please check out their ultra-breathable ‘Active Mileage Tee’. A big thank you to Ruggd Indian for their support.
#GeeksPoll
❓ Do you EVER run WITHOUT a watch? #geekspoll
#WoW - Suitcase Deadlifts
Suitcase Deadlift is a unilateral strength workout to build stability and minimize imbalances.
Start with manageable weight of 8kg to 10kg. Get in a neutral position, with both feet hip-width apart. Feet should be neutral and toes pointing straight
Keep the weight adjacent to the foot on the lateral side.
Now push the hips back to bend down to hold the kettlebell. The deadlift is not a squat, so ensure your hip is not going below a quarter squat position.
Lift the kettlebell from the ground & stand up fully. While standing up ensure the weight is on your heels and drive from the ground up. Once you stand up fully squeeze your glutes.
Keep the core and glutes engaged. The back should be straight. The head position is neutral and the gaze is to look forward.
Follow the same path back and repeat the movement
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@Geeksonfeet - London Marathon Roundtable
The London Marathon has consistently been the most popular event for runners worldwide, and the 44th edition was no exception, setting new records with over 804,318 applications. In this discussion on the “London Marathon Runners Round Table,” three accomplished women runners — Gitanjali Lenka, Vandana Arora, and Tamali—shared their experiences and insights.
Watch it on YouTube:
#RunSHORTS
New National Record! Deeksha Conquers 1500m in Los Angeles, Sable finishes second in 5000m & more updates from the Track Fest 2024
K.M. Deeksha made history at the Sound Running Track Fest in Los Angeles, smashing the Indian national record for the women's 1500m with a time of 4:04.78. This performance surpasses the previous record of 4:05.39, held by Harmilan Bains. Deeksha, who already made a name for herself by winning gold at the Inter-State National Championship last year, solidifies her position as a rising star in Indian mid-distance running.
Avinash Sable, India’s national half marathon record holder, clocked 13:20.37 for second place in the men’s 5000m while Asian Games bronze medallist Gulveer Singh came fifth in the same race in 13:31.65. Sable set India’s national record of 13:19.30 in the men’s 5000m at the same competition last year. The qualifying time for the Paris 2024 Olympics is 13:05.00. In the men’s 5000m section 2 race, Abhishek Pal clocked his career’s second-best timing of 13:49.42 to take the top spot.
In the women’s 5000m, Parul Chaudhary missed out on resetting her national record by 0.34 seconds. She came fifth with a timing of 15:10.69 while Ankita, with a new personal best of 15:28.08, came 10th. The entry standard for Paris 2024 is 14:52.00. Reigning Olympic champion Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands won the race in 14:58.83.
Kartik Kumar, a silver medallist at the 2023 Asian Games, came second in the 10,000m event. He finished the race in 28:07.66, behind USA’s Casey Clinger, who clocked 27:57.90. The entry standard for the Olympics is 27:00.00.
Read more here
Kipchoge reveals the impact of online abuse after Kiptum death
Two-time Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge has revealed the impact that online abuse has had on his career and mental health following the death of fellow Kenyan marathon runner Kelvin Kiptum. Kiptum, who holds the marathon world record, died in a car crash aged 24 in February, and in an interview with BBC Sport Africa, Kipchoge said he feared for his family members' lives after social media users' speculation linked him to his compatriot's death. Kipchoge added that he lost the majority of his friends over the abuse, including athletes he trained with. "When I was in Tokyo I had three days which I did not sleep," he said. The 39-year-old said the downturn in form he has suffered since Kiptum's death has been in part due to the abuse. Kipchoge finished 10th at the Tokyo Marathon in March -- the worst result of his career since his debut in 2013. Read more here
#RaceCalendar
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.
Next 6 Months:
Bengaluru 10K Challenge - July 7, 2024
Rotary Rain Run: July 28, 2024
Satara Hill Half Marathon - September 1, 2024
BMW Berlin Marathon: September 29, 2024
Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon: October 20, 2024 (Yet to be published on the website)
TCS Amsterdam Marathon - October 20, 2024
Search and find races using our Race Finder at geeksonfeet.com/races.
#TipOfTheWeek - Swap heavy training shoes for lighter flats during hard workouts
Swap heavy training shoes for lighter flats during your hard workouts. Many runners believe that training in heavier shoes makes their legs stronger, leading to an advantage when racing in lighter shoes. However, coach Pete Magill, in the book "Fast 5K" dispels this myth, emphasizing that training in heavy shoes hardwires us to a less efficient stride for lighter footwear.
By using lighter flats for your tempo runs, hill repeats, drills, and repetitions, your nervous system adapts to a more efficient stride specific to racing conditions. This translates to improved running economy and a faster race pace comes race day.
Think of it this way: you wouldn't practice hitting sixes in cricket with a heavier bat, expecting it to improve your timing and power with a regulation bat. The same principle applies to footwear and running efficiency.
#TriviaOfTheWeek
Shanghai Tower Women's vertical marathon, the world's highest vertical running competition, will have a "women's category". The run is planned to happen on June 23, 2-24. The 500 female participants will climb 40 floors, over 250 meters in height, at Shanghai Tower.
What is Vertical running? Also known as tower running. The participants run up the stairs of tall structures. The participants can sign up for vertical running races in iconic towers across the world for ex: the Empire State Building, the Eiffel Tower, Taipei 101, and Shanghai Tower.
Vertical World Circuit Rules define “STAIRCLIMBING – Vertical races with an incline over 45% on stairs indoors or outdoors. The minimum vertical climb is 100m.”
Details of Vertical running can be found in 1) Tower Running Association and 2) Vertical World Circuit.
In 2015 the first world championships for Vertical running was held in Doha, Qatar. The popularity of this event has been growing since then. Studies done on vertical running have proved that vertical running boosted the VO2 max of the runners. Maybe runners can think of incorporating vertical runs as part of their training as it boosts VO2 max and also builds strength in the lower body.
Contributors to this edition: Aditi Pandya, Karthik Nadar, Rameshbabu PV and Aravind Yarra