🔖 Not 1 but 3 race reports, updates from Valencia Half Marathon, Workout for Knee Stability and much more...
#WhatsUpThisWeek?
Renowned for its flat, fast terrain & iconic cityscape views, #ChiMarathon made headlines this year with a world record. Our friend, Kartik ran his personal best, check out his race report @GeeksonFeet
More race reports from VDHM and pacing experiences from the same race by our contributors and long-time friends Sanchit and Vijay respectively
Want to stabilize those knees while running, do some Spanish Squats. Know more in the #WoW
Kibiwott Kandie, clocked 57:40 at the Valencia Half Marathon is the fastest in 2023 and the fourth fastest time in history, this and more at #RunSHORTS
Happy reading!
#GeeksPoll
"Race Prediction" is a cool feature in many running watches and apps. It uses your training data to estimate how fast you might run a future race, from 5Ks to marathons! 🏁
How often do you rely on this prediction? #geekspoll
#WoW - Spanish Squats
The Spanish Squat is a squat variation that primarily targets the quadriceps while emphasizing the VMO (vastus medialis oblique), a teardrop-shaped muscle on the inner part of the thigh near the knee.
Quadriceps play an important role in stabilizing the knees. Runners with weak quads and unstable knees often tend to have knee injuries. The VMO plays a significant role in stabilizing the patella (kneecap). Strong VMO can help in preventing patellar tracking issues, which is a common problem among runners and often the cause of Runner’s Knee.
Spanish squat is an isometric exercise, it helps in strengthening the tendon without causing it to lengthen or shorten significantly, hence a suitable workout during rehab for ‘Runner’s Knee’
How to do it?
Take a long high resistance band and tie one of its ends around a pole or a rig
Place the other end of the resistance band just behind your knees (upper calf) as shown in figure A
Position away from the pole, such that there is a natural tension felt around your legs and the band
Keep your core engaged, both feet firmly grounded on the floor
Slowly bend your knees, pushing your hips back to start squatting like you are sitting in a chair as shown in figure B. The final position is like how you do a wall sit.
There should be a 90-degree angle at your knees and hips while holding the position.
Repeat this movement for the desired number of repetitions
When to do it?
As part of your strength training, start with 2 sets of 10 - 12 repetitions. You can hold a weighted plate once you get more comfortable.
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@GeeksonFeet - Race Report: Bank of America Chicago Marathon 2023
Renowned for its flat, fast terrain & iconic cityscape views, ChiMarathon made headlines this year with a world record. Kartik Iyer ran his personal best of 3h:13m. Dive into his race report for a detailed look at training and precise race execution. Here is the link to the detail race report
Race Report: Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon 2023
Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon probably is the fastest half-marathon course in India and is a World Athletics Gold label race. Our long-time reader Sanchit, trained and ran the race targeting 1:24. Though it was ambitious, he not only achieved the goal, but with a huge margin, a surprising finish of 1:21:40. In this post he has written about his training, and how he paced the race. Read more here.
Leading 1:30 Bus: Experience of a pacer at Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon
Running a 1:30 half-marathon is not so common, particularly in India. A pacing bus for 1:30 is even rarer. Vijay, a sub-3-hour marathoner, recently led the 1:30 bus at the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon, and he successfully ensured its finish. Drawing from his experience, Vijay has shared insights into how he managed the bus, from meticulous preparation to collaborating with the runners accompanying him. His account offers invaluable guidance for future pacers aspiring to lead fast buses. Please read his detailed account here.
#RunSHORTS
VALENCIA HALF MARATHON UPDATE: Kibiwott Kandie, who clocked 57:40 at the Valencia Half marathon is the fastest in 2023 and the fourth fastest time in history
The Valencia Half Marathon Trinidad Alfonso Zurich is the fastest of 2023 with four men contesting for the win, with all running sub-58. In the end, Kibiwott Kandie crossed the finish line in 57:40 and was crowned champion, as in 2020 and 2022. Kibiwott Kandie was followed by Yomif Kejelcha and Hagost Gebrhiwet both at 57:41. Margaret Chelimo won the women's race with a time of 1:04:46. Apart from that two Spanish records were broken: Carlos Mayo set a new half marathon record at 59:39, surpassing a 22-year-old record, and Laura Luengo set a record with 1:09:41. Read more here
There have been 10 sub-58:00 half marathons, all run within the last three years. Eight of the 10 have come at the Valencia Half Marathon.
Team GeeksonFeet also had first-hand presence at Valencia via contributor & community member Karthik Nadar, who ran his half-marathon personal best.
The dangers of a controlling, obsessive coaching approach
A sad update coming out from Norway on the Ingebrigtsen family. Superstar Jakob and his brothers Henrik and Filip - accomplished, world-class runners in their own right - said that their father and ex-coach (all 3 brothers publicly split up with their father as their coach, some time ago) was “violent and controlling” towards them, and that they lived with “discomfort, fear and violence” while growing up.
While it’s not appropriate to comment on family matters, the story does throw up an important issue - the critical role of balance in the relationship between coach and athlete. The line between a relentless push for excellence “at all costs'' and causing possible lifelong mental-health issues is very thin. This episode, and the earlier Alberto Salazar saga, highlight the dangers of the former approach. There are enough examples to show that a healthy approach produces winners too. As author and running coach Steve Magness says, “You can be the best in the world with sane normal people in your corner. In fact, it helps.”
Focus on ‘Hemoglobin mass’ for enhanced endurance
A recent study on “a positive association between absolute VO2 max and hemoglobin levels” prompted this long, but useful read on why athletes should be thinking about hemoglobin mass to enhance endurance performance. While the piece cautions on not going overboard to extract every conceivable advantage (read PEDs), it also lists useful ways to achieve hemoglobin efficiency, viz: Iron supplementation, Altitude training, heat training, Managing stress, and Proper fueling.
#RaceCalendar
This Month
Kolkata Full Marathon: October 29, 2023
Next 6 Months
Niveus Mangalore Marathon: November 5, 2023
Hubballi Half Marathon: November 19
Kaveri Trail Marathon: November 19, 2023
WNC Navy Half Marathon: November 19, 2023
Chennai Half Marathon: November 26, 2023
Adani Ahmedabad Marathon: November 26, 2023
Kaziranga Ultra Run: December 3, 2023
SRT Ultra: December 9, 2023
SKF Goa River Marathon: December 10, 2023
Vasai Virar Marathon: December 10, 2023
Bengaluru Midnight Marathon: December 16, 2023
Vizag Marathon: December 17, 2023
Tata Steel Kolkata 25k: December 17, 2023
Vagamon Ultrail: January 6, 2023
Freshworks Chennai Marathon: January 7, 2024
MG Vadodara Marathon: January 7, 2024
Tata Mumbai Marathon: January 21, 2024
Apollo Tyres New Delhi Marathon: February 25, 2024
International
TCS New York City Marathon: Nov 5, 2023
Valencia Marathon: Dec 3, 2023
Search and find races using our Race Finder at geeksonfeet.com/races
#TipOfTheWeek: Embrace Negative Splits during Marathon Training
As you embark on your marathon training, try the art of the negative split during your long runs. Start the first half slower than your target pace, then gradually pick up the speed in the second half. This technique trains your body to push when fatigue sets in. It’s a mental boost too: finishing strong gives a surge of confidence that carries into the next run. Turn the tables on your training and finish faster than you started!
#TriviaOfTheWeek: Grete Waitz broke records, and won the NYC marathon an unprecedented 9 times in total
The NYC Marathon is around the corner, who better to remember than Grete Waltz. After winning her first NYC Marathon in 1978, Norwegian runner Grete Waitz became the first woman in history to complete a major marathon in under 2h:30m in 1979. This was the same year that saw over 10,000 people finish the race. Grete beat her own record again in 1980, making her nine minutes faster than any other woman to complete the race. Grete Waitz set four world records in the marathon. She won 12 World Marathon Majors, more than any other runner, earning her a place in the Guinness World Records.
(pic courtesy: AP)
She won her ninth and final victory in 1988 before retiring from competitive running. In 1992, however, she ran the marathon for the last time alongside Fred Lebow, the co-president of the NYRR and co-founder of the NYC Marathon. She ended up becoming chair of the NYRR Foundation and was an accomplished coach and advocate before her passing in 2011.
Contributors to this edition: Aditi Pandya, Aravind Yarra, & Satish Sangameswaran