​Hi all,

Last weekend I was at the Go Beyond Racing Bristow 24/12/6 hour races getting loopy with athletes on a one-mile lap. One mile, as many times as you can in the time you have allotted yourself. If it sounds boring, check out these photos and then rethink it. The event is not only a celebration of running, but a great way to see what is possible and so many athletes were out there aiming for time and distance PRs or were supporting friends to their own PR. Women won every time category outright and by more than 10 miles with distances of125, 69 and 43 miles. "Katherine Switzer, the first woman to officially run the Boston Marathon in 1967, recalls in her memoir how her high school’s basketball coach—a woman—told her that women would never play the men’s version of basketball because the “excessive number of jump balls could displace the uterus.” (Outside Magazine, The Myth of The Falling Uterus) Nice job to the women for showing us that an excessive number of jumps can look joyous and for the record, nothing was displaced. 

The race also had more than one nonbinary racer in each division, the most I have seen at any race thanks to the celebration that is Pride at Bristow. And thanks to Go Beyond Racing, they enjoyed equal podiums. Joy. Joy. Non-binary joy!!! 

We are in an absolute boom time for running right now. There are shoes for most every foot, races for most every pace and there is no reason you shouldn't be a part of it. And even better, I offer free Strength Training for Runners on Wednesday nights, so you get a strong core, and you get a strong core and everyone gets a strong core! 

APPLE WATCH ACCURACY
The title says your Apple Watch may not be as accurate as you think, but I think for runners the news is good. "Heart rate had a percentage error of 4.43%, while step count had an error of 8.17%. Anything below 10% is considered excellent, so you should feel pretty confident in what your Apple Watch says your heart rate and step count are for the day." On the other hand, the calories burned was off by 27.96% but do people trust that anyway?? Not sure if it is measuring high or low, but either way, ignore that very inaccurate part of your data set. 

RUNNING BAND
There is a good alternative to the running vest for shorter outings. Also, as temps rise, wearing a vest on a shorter run or a run with consistent resupply points can be HOT. If you have been running a long time and tried a waist belt like this or these, you know the load can bounce and be super annoying. If you haven't tried a running band, it may be worth some new gear. Companies like Naked or Ultraspire have created snug fitting bands that use compression to stay on and hold your gear. They hold a soft flask so as you drink there is no sloshing like using a hard sided water bottle. 

I WILL LEAVE YOU WITH THIS
Love this take on should women wear underwear. 

Happy trails,
Dana

​I have been tracking my workouts for a long time. I don't always look at the data but I like having it and I always name runs and bike rides, usually after the person I am with, the place I went and a hint to if it was fun or not. Looking at my runs from the last two weeks they have names like, "Why does this feel so hard?" "Waddling around with the dog" and "Maston trails until I died". Meanwhile the bike rides are "Good fun with Denise," "Awesome new trail" and "Hurricane Trail pure joy".  

I knew the runs were not bringing the joy, but looking at the contrast in how I have been talking about runs vs bikes is prompting me to change up the training mix and clarifies where I want to focus this summer. There is good reason to track training, even if you aren't a data nerd. Sometimes you need a reminder of where you started, the places you have discovered and if you are feeling the joy.  

ANKLE PAIN
I have recommended a modality for ankle pain twice this week so I thought it may be worth sharing since it is basically free and you can do it at home in just a few minutes (not in 30 sec as the linked video promises) You just need a butter knife. Watch this video detailing how to break up adhesions for better ankle movement and pain reduction. It isn't always super comfortable but you can do it yourself and control how much pressure you use. 

SAUNA AND HYDRATION
If you use a sauna as part of your training or plan to use a sauna as part of preparation for a race listen up here. Podcast includes when to use the sauna hydrated and when to hydrate slowly after and best ways of hydrating with the sauna use. 

FASTEST KNOWN TIME

• John Kelly, of Barkley Marathon fame is on the Appalachian Trail right now attempting to run a Fastest Known Time on the trail. You can track it here. I think that tracking someone for a 40-day record is probably not up everyone's alley, BUT the website for tracking is awesome with links to his fundraising, a video about the attempt and links to socials. The current fastest overall time is 40 days and 18 hours held by Tara Dower. 
• This guy was attempting to run up Everest with no supplemental oxygen in an outfit that looked like he would freeze to death. He made three attempts in a very short period, one just three days after the one before. “I ran out of gas, I was totally fried up there,” he admits. Takes running at altitude to a whole new level. 

THINGS THAT SEEM LIKE A JOKE BUT AREN'T

• FINDING A PACER I thought this was a joke even after I clicked on the link it seems so improbable. Apparently Killian Jornet, one of the fastest mountain runners on the planet, is looking for a pacer for the last 20 miles of Western States. You need to upload your Strava and show results from two races, so hopefully the person selected isn't left in the dust at No Hands Bridge. Could it be you? Apply here. 1,000 people have thrown their hat in the ring so far. If you are wondering how he is training, nerd video here. 

• HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO RIDE YOUR BIKE 358 MILES? On gravel! This weekend was the Unbound, a gravel ride which has the marquee distance of 200 miles and an XL version of 358 miles. This year, triathlete turned trail runner, mega rad Heather Jackson won the XL in 20 hours and 57 minutes.That is 17 miles per hour and not a typo. I truly can't fathom that or her coming back and racing the Western States 100 mile run in just under 4 weeks. 

STRONG
If you are attempting to be Killian's pacer, climb Everest or take your local trails by storm, you should be strength training. Free Wednesday night class live to your screen. Find out more about Strength Training for Runners here.