And just like that, fall marathon season is upon us. If you’ve got 26.2 miles lined up, or any other endurance event on the calendar, be sure to plan for your nutrition along with workouts and race-day pacing. Yep, carbo-loading is still a thing, but with some updated protocols to the simple old school, night-before, pasta feeds. Read more about why collecting muscle glycogen is so important, how to determine your own unique needs, and what types of carbs are recommended in those final days.
“Research has shown that carb loading effectively can prolong exercise capacity by up to 20%, and has improved time trial performance by 2-3% when taking part in high intensity events >60mins.”
How to carb load before your next race
Play the Long Game
Footnotes, a Substack collection of writings by Sam Robinson, explores how running meshes with life, or in his own words, is a “cultural-literary project about human movement with feet-on-the-ground thinking about endurance, cities, capitalism, and time.” In his recent post, Play the Long Game, Sam explores the discipline it takes “not to go all out.” Rather, in running or any practice we commit to, “Excellence is not a matter of intensity but of repeated moderation” and, “Whatever it is. You’ve got to love it.” Good reminders to take with us on and off the trails.
The Men’s Ironman World Championships are back in Nice, France on September 14th, and favorite American, Sam Laidlaw, is focusing equal attention between physical and mental prep this season. His current mental training “blends confidence, gratitude, and perspective,” using mantras and positive affirmations to stay focussed on the process during race day. You’ll be able to follow Laidlaw and his competitors live at Ironman Proseries.
Sam Laidlow putting equal weight on mental and physical strength ahead of IM World Championship Nice Title Defense
Arguably the most competitive and dazzling trail running event of the year, UTMB (Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc) and its accompanying shorter events, provided days of drool-worthy views and livestream action. The main event, a 174 KM loop around Mont Blanc, was extra challenging this year with cold, stormy weather for runners to contend with. Tom Evans and Ruth Croft toughed it out and came away with wins, “overcoming some of the wettest and coldest conditions the race has seen since it began more than two decades ago.”
Suunto Race 2 In-Depth Review: New Features Worth The Upgrade?
