The University of Kansas marching band learned the Algerian National Anthem and played it for the team as they came to train at the university women's soccer facility. 

According to The Guardian, "Local organizers wanted to make sure that the country felt welcome in their city... So much so, they’ve commissioned artwork, and signs appear on the lampposts with the phrase “1,2,3, Viva l’Algérie!” Even McDonald’s drive-thru windows have signs welcoming Algeria and soccer fans to Lawrence." 

All of this is because of a University of Kansas student, hoping to bring her college town and her local Algerian diaspora together.  She made an Instagram plea and now, this is just one of the many stories that remind us that people are good and sports are great ways to showcase it. I couldn't care less about the World Cup but I do care that Bostonians and the Scottish are having a huge party creating a beer shortage. I care very much that the Europeans discovered that we aren't all Trump supporters and more importantly, we have ranch dressing. Lucky for us we can access this kind of sports joy in running, spectating racing and pacing our friends. Hope you are finding some sports joy right now. 

YOU ARE INVITED TO MOBILITY
Every Monday at 7am Pacific, I teach a class called Rise and Shine. It used to be behind a paywall but now everyone is invited. We spend 30 minutes foam rolling and doing mobility. This is NOT strength training. It is designed as a way to help recover from a rad weekend of training and racing. Hope to see you there! 

STRENGTH
Just two hours of strength training per week can help you live longer? How about I help you get 30 minutes of that time!
You can watch the FINAL Strength Training for Runners class from this link.  Next week I will share a link to the archives so you can dig into a 30-minute strength session anytime. 

WESTERN STATES WRAP UP
In case you missed the hype around the Western States Endurance Run this past weekend, here are some highlights from the 100-mile race in Auburn, CA:

• Jennifer Lichter won, set a course record and oh yeah, it was her first 100 miler ever. More about her here. 
• On the men's side, the course record was broken not just by the winner but by everyone through fourth place. 
• "In the women’s race, Fu-Zhao Xiang’s seventh-place time was good enough for the 10th fastest time in women’s race history by more than 11 minutes." (full results article)
• "The tenth-place finisher would have won every edition from 2007 to 2022." More stats on how the women's race has changed and become MUCH FASTER here. 

A MARATHON IN IKEA
There is a marathon happening inside an IKEA in Croydon, England. Only 80 spots and likely it is already sold out, but you can start dreaming about it for 2027 if that is your jam. 

TOMORROW IS THE LAST LIVE WEDNESDAY NIGHT CLASS 

You are invited to the VERY LAST Strength Training for Runners this Wednesday, live to your screen. The final hurrah! After years on offer, it is time for this class to be retired. Be a part of the final day! (but also don't worry, next week I will start sending videos you can strength train at any time.)

FIRE SEASON 
An UltraU community member came across a forest fire last weekend on the Pacific Crest Trail. Sadly, for all of us in the Pacific Northwest, it is fire season. If you see a forest fire, mark the location with your GPS (can use Google Maps), call 911 as soon as you have service and warn others coming down the trail. It is unlikely you can put out a fire with the water you are carrying so best to stay hydrated and get yourself to safety. 
Keep informed. When planning your routes, check smoke and fire conditions on the Watch Duty app. If Air Quality Index, AQI, is over 150, run elsewhere or put off your run, and if you are sensitive to smoke, stay in when AQI is over 100. 

STRAVA CATS
Strava has a huge data set from real world runners and often releases interesting insights. That said, I did not expect this one on cougar behavior. Researchers looked at 36 cougars fit with GPS collars over 6 years most of which were in the Santa Cruz mountains of California. Researchers then compared the cats' movements to those of runners and cyclists, recording their activities on Strava. They found that the animals were “clearly tuned in to long-term recreation use trends.” 

RUNNING SHORTS

• Kenya has running clubs that aren't just for fasties. This one has 80-year-olds out running 5ks! 
• Japanese run stations sound like a dream for travelers who run (and locals alike). 
• “There is no women’s record because no woman has run it. I want to change that, not to beat anyone, but to make sure women are on the map. To put a mark down that says, ‘We were here, we did this, and we did it while being very much not quiet’. Stephanie Case on running the 100-mile Antartcic Ultramarathon.
• Get the pop-corn. Heather Jackson just released a 45-minute video of her experience at the Cocodona 250. 

​After a decade of teaching on Wednesday nights, it is time for me to retire Strength Training for Runners. I am ready to come up with new offerings and look forward to those great ideas popping into my head any minute now. The last class will be on June 24, the last Wednesday of June. The good news is that I will share the archives with you in July so you can relive past favorites. 

The even better news is that I will be opening up my Monday morning 7:00am mobility class to one and all in hopes that some of you may be able to join. Rise and Shine is 30 minutes of mobility live to your screen for after a hard weekend of workouts. Class consists of foam rolling and moves for keeping and increasing mobility. No sweating, all fun and deep breaths. 
Information to come once the new class opens in July. 

JOIN FOR STRENGTH, JUST TWO MORE CLASSES TO GO
You are invited this Wednesday night and next Wednesday, June 24 for the FINAL TWO EDITIONS of Strength Training for Runners, live to your screen. Free and open to all. Hope to see you there!

COOLING FOR HOT RACES
Ultrarunning Magazine published an article, Running Cool at Western States and whether you are running States or another hot race this summer, READ UP. The article concisely states what cooling strategies you should prioritize at your next hot race and if you want the super short version: get soaked when you can, have big ice in your hydration pack, ice in sleeves and cold-water immersion if you can do it.  

SIX WOMEN ATE 40G of PROTEIN
A just received a newsletter that said female masters athletes may benefit from increasing protein intake post workout from the formerly indicated 20g to 40g post exercise. I have been recommending 30g as researchers looking at women have started changing their knowledge and opinions on amount of protein that can be utilized at once. But I have yet to see 40g as the recommendation. Well, this study is recommending it based on a study with SIX women. I love that this is a study looking at older women and recovery from sport, as it is much understudied. Likely the goal of the researchers was to check for effect before starting a larger study, so before you make yourself crazy with protein standards that feel tough to meet, know this study is limited and that you should test what works for you and if you are a steady 20g of protein post exercise person and want to try more to see if it makes a change, DO IT. 

RACE TRAVEL
Here is an important article for anyone who will be traveling over time zones for a race anytime soon. It will scare you into terror by highlighting drops in blood plasma levels after a long flight and how going east makes things worse. BUT it also offers mitigation strategies like supplementation with magnesium and meal timing. 

SWEAT 
Did you know you sweat more as you get more fit?? "Put simply, as you get fitter, you can work harder and produce more heat, so the body responds to this by ‘ramping up’ its sweating response and by starting to sweat earlier in order to reduce the risk of overheating." More here. 

FASHION
I mentioned just two weeks ago that high fashion is on its way to trail running and never mind, it is here. I just learned that a non-GPS watch is sponsoring elite trail runners, including Courtney Dauwalter. Trail running is main stream? 

"Elite athletes typically don’t wear mechanical watches, but that’s not the point. The point is to celebrate the win. To memorialize the finish. To commemorate the achievement. That’s the point." 

Happy trails (that's the point!)

Last weekend I witnessed runners do a 1.05 mile loop at the Bristow Loop Race for 12-24 hours. An 80-year old ran 64 miles. A guy who had previously only ever run a 10k ran with a buddy to "help him run a 50k" and ended up going 40 miles.  And of course, lots of people trained hard, ran to their potential and did loops for a long time in the woods. My coached athletes hit 50 miles, a first 50k and a huge distance PR going 75 miles. 

What drives people to these massive undertakings? I know it is different for everyone but one thing I know for sure is being fueled by curiosity is an awesome way to go. How long CAN I do this, how far IS possible, can I go THIS far at this age? When setting goals, we often want certainty, making goals we likely can make. BUT finding out what is possible, no way to miss that mark and you get all the chances you want to hit it. 

SMALL SNACKS

• Should you count calories? The team at Your Diet Sucks Podcast takes this one on and I think it is worth a listen. It covers the history of using the calorie for measuring consumption, how 2,000 calories became standard (hint, menopause and round numbers!) and how accurate it really is. 
• I love when people change their mind. Here is a good post about a fitness professional changing their mind on things like eating fruit and gluten and if you are scared of either of those things, give this one a click. 

WARM UPS FOR YOUR BRAIN
Warm up your brain and get a boost on your 5k time? This research seems to think so. But do too much and the cognitive fatigue will sabotage that same 5k time. "Studies show that mentally fatigued half-marathon runners finished approximately four minutes slower than control groups, with heart rates three percent lower throughout, they ran at lower physical intensities while feeling equally exhausted."

SUPER SHOES FOR TRAIL?
A study titled, "Effects of Advanced Footwear Technology in Trail Running Shoes on Running Economy" is out (basically looking at the effects of supershoes on trail) . The research concludes a 1% boost in running economy which over a long race isn't nothing. That said, I think this is going to start a long line of articles and advertisements pushing supershoes for trail.  The abstract ends by saying, "the running economy benefits of advanced footwear technology should result in meaningful performance improvements in trail races." BUT PLEASE keep in mind this is a study with just EIGHT subject and over a 1,500m time trial. Supershoes may be great and may be great for you, but you are not being left behind if you don't have your own set of $270 shoes. 

BIKING AROUND THE WORLD
Lael Wilcox is riding her bike around the world (map) to break the record which currently stands at 18,125 miles in 108 days, 12 hours and 12 minutes. Not the women's record, but the record overall. She already holds the women's record which means SHE HAS DONE THIS ALREADY. Imagine 108 days of riding with plans to ride 231 miles per day.  To kick things off, on day one she rode 282 miles. And one more thing about Lael Wilcox because I am obsessed. Her outlook is amazing, here is an article about a cold, rainy ride with her where she keeps on saying, "I think it's getting better," and we all need some of that optimism. 

STRENGTH
You are invited EVERY Wednesday night for Strength Training for Runners, live to your screen. Always free, open to all. JOIN US and let's get stronger together!

Hi all,

No idea why I am seeing tennis content in my life feeds right now but I am so glad to have seen pictures of Naomi Osaka and her walk on outfits for her major tournaments including the latest at the French Open. Her quote, "I tell people I don’t talk a lot, so that way I can talk through my clothes,” and she is telling me that her confidence is on point. If you show up to a tennis match in THIS, that is some serious confidence. As if her tennis wasn't enough. As if being the highest paid female athlete for years wasn't enough. 

I think we are going to see this in trail running. We are getting close already. People are already dipping into run meets fun with glitter on their faces. And we are in the era of the moth tech, which honestly is a start down a rabbit insect hole where fashion meets sport. Imagine awesome podium outfits instead of ripped jean shorts or your muddy trail clothes. Watch out wallets, it is coming. 
 
SPORKFUL
I always approach non-running media's treatment of ultrarunning with one eye open nervous for how the story will sound. Often it is like, "these crazy people..." and while the Sporkful podcast did come at the subject of the Taco Bell 50k with a skeptic eye, I think they did a good job on the subject. Listen here. If you are interested in a Taco Bell ultra in Portland, here is a link to a route of a mere 40 miles, two states and so many Chalupas. 

SHORT SHORTS

• A new running vest for women designed by women is coming from Rab. It sounds like it is still a ways out. 
• Fun profile of Heather Jackson, Ironman athlete turned trail runner and gravel bike racer aiming for an insane 2026 which has already included Cocodona 250 and has some LONG rides upcoming. 
• What your jaw muscles reveal about aging? A study asked, "do you lose muscle because you stop using it, or do you get less active because your muscles no longer work like they used to?" Quick answer, a little of both.  
• International Olympic Committee president Kirsty Coventry reportedly earns an annual salary of $350K, plus a housing allowance and has just gone on record saying, "I don’t believe in paying athletes.” It has always bothered me that the Olympic industrial complex makes so much money and yet most athletes are mortgaging their homes to get to a games. Guessing athletes will have something to say about this one. 

STRENGTH
You are invited EVERY Wednesday night for Strength Training for Runners, live to your screen. Always free, open to all. JOIN US and let's get stronger together!

BRISTOW LOOPS
Are you going to be at the Go Beyond Bristow Loop Race this weekend outside of Eugene? I will be there, so if you are joining or going as crew, LET ME KNOW and please come say hello!