đââď¸ Run faster with Brilliant's Intervals
Good morning!
Happy Canada Day to our Canadian friends and 4th of July to our American friends.
Running a 5k in the morning is the best way to eat more at the BBQ later in the day without feeling guilty. đ
Happy running, đ
ULTRARUNNING
Interesting Facts About WESR
The Western Estates Endurance Race is a 100-mile endurance race that attracts the cream of the crop of ultra runners. This documentary about it is fantastic.
Here are a few interesting facts about this year’s race.
- Three women place in the Top 10 Overall for the first time ever.
- 32,000 pounds of ice were provided at aid stationsâor about five pounds per runner per station
- Temperatures reached 101 degrees Fahrenheit (38.3 C).
- Â Only seven days in race history had been as hot as this year.
- Beth Pascall, a pediatrician from the UK, won the women’s race in 17:10 (that’s 17 hours).
- Jim Walmsley won the men’s race in 14:47.
- The race record is 14:09 by Jim Walmsley in 2019. That’s 8:29/mile for 100 miles. (5:17/km)
- Runners ascend a cumulative total of 18,090 feet (5500 m).
- If you finish the race in under 24 hours, you get the coveted hand-made silver Western States Endurance Run belt buckle.
If you are starting to think, how can I register? You can find all the info here.
NUTRITION
5 Ways to Eat More Vegetables
We all know the benefits of eating our veggies.Â
They are full of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients (nourishing plant chemicals, many of which function as antioxidants) that benefit our health in all kinds of ways.
Researchers just found one more important reason runners should focus on greens: It boosts muscle function.
They found it was especially true for the muscles in the lower limbs, which were on average 11 percent stronger in people who consumed more nitrates. They also recorded up to four percent faster walking speeds among those individuals.
So, here are 5 Ways to Eat More Vegetables
1. Turn vegetables into noodles.
Flip pasta night on its head and make noodles out of vegetables. Use sweet potatoes, carrots, zucchini, turnips, or beets to replace pasta, and you’ll be getting loads of nutrients for way fewer calories.
2. Make wraps with lettuce.
Cut down on calories and carbs by using lettuce to make a wrap.
3. Turn your vegetables into chips.
Make eating vegetables fun and whip up homemade chips with beets, sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, or kale.
4. Eat vegetables for breakfast.
Lots of breakfast dishes are better with vegetables. Think of omelets, frittatas, even toast with kale and an egg.
5. Get a veggie shake.
If you just hate eating veggies (like us), get some green superfood powder, and you will get most of your needs in one simple scoop. There are hundreds of options on Amazon.
STATS
5000m World Record Progression
Before we start to dive into the numbers, it’s important to explain the difference between 5k and 5000m.
A 5k is a road race, like the one you can run on Sunday, and 5000m are run in a 400-meter track, 12.5 laps around the track.
5k records are slower than 5000m; for example, the 5000m world record is 2.1% faster than the 5k record. Moving forward, we will be talking about the 5000m
Men’s World Records
Joshua Cheptegei holds the official world record with 12:35.36. He achieved the feat in August 2020 in Monaco.
The first world record was recognized by World Athletics (formerly called the International Association of Athletics Federations, or IAAF) in 1912 in 14:36.6 by Sweden runner Hannes Kolehmainen.
That means that in more than 100 years, the record has improved a little over 2 minutes or 13.8%.
The first half of the history of the record was dominated by European runners, and in the last 30 years, African runners have dominated the distance.
Women’s World Records
Letesenbet Gidey holds the official world record with 14:06.62. She achieved the feat in October 2020 in Spain.
The first world record was recognized by World Athletics in 1981 (69 years after the men’s) in 15:14.31 by Norwegian runner Paula Fudge.
As with the men, European runners dominated the sport at the beginning and African runners in the past 20 years.
Want to Improve your 5k Time?
You need to try the Billant’s Intervals. Matt Fitgerald explained them here beautifully.
OTHER FAST NEWS
“I’m an Olympian” or “I’m going to the Olympics”? Check out the discussion on Twitter.
This has nothing (or everything) to do with running. But we just re-watched this speech from Arnold Schwarzenegger and have to share it with you.
Book of the Week – Stronger Than the Dark – It offers a powerful new approach in the battle against depression: the willingness to embrace suffering.
See you next week!
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