🔖 Race Report of New Delhi Marathon, Camille Herron Shatters Ultra Running Records, Towel Curls, Armed Forces Dominate the Snow Marathon and much more!
#WhatsUpThisWeek?
Our friend Kartik's training regimen involved high mileage, strategic planning, and a strong finish in 3:16:42. More on this in his race report at #GeeksonFeet
Ever trouble with plantar fasciitis and shin splints, here is how to prevent them through our #WoW
Camille Herron Shatters Multiple Ultra Running Records & Sifan Hassan to make World Cross Country Championship debut in Belgrade, this and more this week #RunSHORTS
Happy reading!
#GeeksPoll
One common hurdle to a strong race finish is cramping. How often do you find yourself grappling with cramps during your runs? #geekspoll
#WoW - Towel Curls or Scrunches
Towel curls or Scrunchies target the intrinsic muscles often neglected. Strengthening these muscles can improve overall foot strength & stability and helps prevent common running injuries such as plantar fasciitis and shin splints. It also helps improve balance and proprioception and promotes foot flexibility.
How to do it?
Begin by sitting comfortably on a chair or bench with your feet flat on the ground.
Place a towel flat on the ground in front of you, within easy reach of your feet.
Place one foot on the towel, ensuring that your heels are resting on the towel's edge and toes on the towel as shown in picture A
Curl the Towel with your Toes as shown in the picture B:
Keep your heels planted firmly on the ground.
Use your toes to grip and scrunch the towel towards you, pulling it closer to your heels.
Focus on using only your toes and the muscles in the arches of your feet to perform the movement.
Continue scrunching the towel until it is fully gathered under your feet.
Relax your toes and allow the towel to return to its original flat position on the ground.
Repeat this 10 to 15 times on one foot before moving to the other foot
When to do it?
Include this as part of your mobility and strength training.
@GeeksonFeet
Race Report: Apollo Tyres New Delhi Marathon 2024 by Kartik
Here is Kartik's race report at the Apollo Tyres New Delhi Marathon 2024. Despite the hurdles, including a short recovery period after the Mumbai Marathon and a twisted ankle, Despite setbacks with tune-up races, Kartik's training regimen, involving high mileage and a blend of tempo and progression runs is something to emulate. Strategic planning with some tactical pacing adjustments, Kartik finished with 3:16:42. Dive deeper into Kartik's race report here.
#RunSHORTS
Camille Herron Shatters Multiple Ultra Running Records at 2024 Lululemon Further
U.S. ultrarunner Camille Herron set a new women's 6-day running world record (March 6 and 12) by covering an impressive 560.33 miles (901.76 kilometers) at the 2024 lululemon FURTHER event in La Quinta, California. This historic achievement eclipses the previous record by over 11 miles. Herron, maintaining an average pace of 15:22 per mile (9:45 min/km), also set interim records along the way, including a 48-hour USATF American road record of 247.738 miles, and milestones at 300 miles, 500 kilometers, and up to 900 kilometers, culminating in the 6-day IAU world best performance. The event was held on a 2.55-mile loop around Lake Cahuilla. Read more here
Meta Study reveals Running Mechanics can improve 4-12% of Running Economy
A recent meta-analysis examining the relationship between running biomechanics and running economy (RE) looked into 51 studies with 1,115 participants and explored various biomechanical aspects and the effect on running.
Higher cadence (step frequency) is weakly associated with better Running Economy, indicating a small but significant improvement in oxygen/energy cost efficiency.
Most spatiotemporal variables (like contact time, flight time, and stride length) have non-significant associations with RE.
Lower vertical oscillation (how much a runner 'bounces' vertically with each step) and higher vertical and leg stiffness are moderately associated with better RE.
Joint angles and their ranges of motion, and muscle activation levels were generally not significantly related to RE, although some trends were suggesting potential relevance for certain outcomes.
The review concludes that running biomechanics can account for 4–12% of the variation in Running Economy among individuals when considered in isolation, and this percentage could increase when combining different biomechanical variables. Read the full paper here.
Runners from the Armed Forces Dominate the Snow Marathon
Over 200 athletes, including international runners from the USA, Russia, and Ethiopia, faced the harsh conditions of the third annual Snow Marathon in Himachal Pradesh's Kullu. Due to avalanches, the event was relocated from Sissu to the challenging Jana Waterfalls trail in Manali. The Indian Armed Forces, known for their formidable training in extreme weather, led the charge, with Shabir Hussain of the Ladakh Scouts winning the men's full marathon in 03:58:21, and Tenzin Dolma clinching her third consecutive women's title in 04:35:13. Read more here.
Sifan Hassan to make World Cross Country Championship debut in Belgrade
Sifan Hassan, known for her prowess on the track and in the marathon will now add cross-country to her resume, starting with her debut in the 2024 World Cross Country Championships. The meeting is taking place on March 30 in Belgrade, Serbia. While Hassan has yet to compete at the world championship level in cross-country, she’ll revisit the course where she won European Cross Country Championship gold in the U23 event in 2013. She last competed in cross-country in 2015 in Hyères, France, where she took gold in the senior women’s race. The World Cross Country Championships is a one-day event that features five championship races, a senior men’s and senior women’s 10K, U20 men’s 8K, U20 women’s 6K, and an 8K mixed relay. Read more here
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TipOfTheWeek - VDOT to personalize your training pace
The VDOT formula is a concept from Jack Daniels' "Daniels' Running Formula", a cornerstone of his training methodology. VDOT stands for "V-dot-O2max," which is a shorthand way of expressing an individual's current aerobic fitness level. The higher your VDOT score, the more efficiently your body can use oxygen while running, and thus, the faster and longer you can run.
A practical tip derived from his principles would be: "Train at the right pace for the right purpose." Daniels categorizes runs into different intensities—Easy, Threshold, Interval, and Repetition—each serving a specific purpose in your training plan. For instance, Easy runs build aerobic base and recovery, Threshold runs improve endurance, Interval workouts increase VO2 max, and Repetition runs enhance speed and economy.
The brilliance of the VDOT formula lies in its ability to provide tailored training paces across different types of workouts—easy, tempo, interval, and long runs—based on your current race performance or a time trial.
Personalization: By using the VDOT formula you can derive personalized training paces. This ensures you train at correct intensities that are just right for your current fitness level, which can significantly improve training effectiveness and reduce the risk of injury from overtraining.
#RaceCalendar
This Month:
OotyUltra: March 31, 2024
Next 6 Months:
Boston Marathon - April 15, 2024
TCS London Marathon - April 21, 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:
Beer and Taco Bell Diet
Camille Herron's approach to nutrition during ultra-marathons is as distinctive as her running style. Instead of a planned and scientifically backed nutrition strategy, Herron follows quite an unconventional diet.
The Beer and Taco Bell Diet: During some of her longest and most grueling races, Herron has been known to fuel her body with beer and Taco Bell. Yes, you read that right. Herron has occasionally reached for a cold beer and fast food to keep her going. She claims the beer helps settle her stomach and relax her mind, providing a much-needed mental break from the intense competition. Meanwhile, Taco Bell offers a high-calorie, satisfying meal that keeps her energy levels up for the long haul.
Ultrarunning is sure not for the ordinary!!
Contributors to this edition: Aditi Pandya, Karthik Nadar, and Aravind Yarra