Last updated: 14-Mar-19
By Elsa Trujillo
If you have ever DNFed a race and felt guilty or ashamed afterwards, this week we bring one related article that will interest you and one mini documentary that will move you, about a runner who did not (technically) finish the Western States 100 race. We also have a variety of articles to improve your running and RunUltra’s free training plan to run up (and down) mountains.
The dreaded DNF
There is no shame in DNF-ing. The outcome of multiple factors, runners just have to get on with it and learn a lesson for the next race. In this article, Bryon Powell, runs down the checklist you need to go through to make sure this doesn’t happen to you, or, alternatively, to gauge whether you should run at all. Read the article.
Wally Did Finish
Meet Wally. He’s 72. And this year he crossed the line of the Western States 100 two minutes after the cut-off time. We’ll let you decide if he finished or not. Watch the short documentary with some tissues handy.
Improving your long run
The long run has many physiological benefits. Read this article to expand on three tips on how to improve your long run: don’t run too long, eat less and finish faster. Read the whole article.
Watch your step
A great article that breaks down the different surfaces on which we run and how this affects our upper body posture, our cadence and our foot techniques. Read the article.
The gap between men and women is shrinking
Or is it? Following past claims that women would eventually outrun men, this article delves into the differences between fat burning speeds, why women seem to be better pacers and some data from the world of ultra swimming and ultra running. Read the article.
Free training plan
If you’re thinking of heading up the mountain, you should know it’s not just your legs you should be training. Follow this training plan by coach Andy Mouncey to help you on your way.
