Stuart Terrill鈥檚 life forever changed in a blink of an eye during a competitive mountain running race this past summer.

On July 13, the 22-year-old from Crozet, Virginia, summited 11,000-foot Hidden Peak at Snowbird ski resort above Salt Lake City. He was an hour into the 8.7-mile serving double duty as the 2024 USA Track and Field Mountain Running Championships.

Terrill had just graduated from the University of Richmond, where he ran cross country and track and double-majored in leadership and communication. But he was no stranger to the trails. He won the in Fairfax, Virginia, in May, besting the competition by nearly a minute over the 10K course to earn his second straight collegiate trail running championship title.

As he crested Hidden Peak and started bombing down the other side, Terrill passed a competitor and lost control, sending him careening towards a cliff. Photographer Matt Johnson watched in horror, pivoting to try to catch Terrill before he fell. But he was too late. Terrill toppled over the edge and tumbled more than 200 feet down the jagged unforgiving terrain below.

鈥淗e swung wide to pass a runner. His momentum sent him barreling down towards me and I dropped my camera to try and grab him,鈥� Johnson recalled in the resort鈥檚 incident report. 鈥淚 heard his terrified screams as he went out of sight down the rocky gully. At this point I screamed for a medic and life flight because I wasn鈥檛 sure if he was going to even survive. It was rough. It was one of the most horrifying things I鈥檝e ever witnessed.

Terrill suffered numerous broken bones鈥攅ight vertebrae, four ribs, his right collarbone, left wrist, right kneecap, and several bones in each of his feet鈥攁nd was lucky to be alive. As his mangled body was taken away in a medical helicopter, all those on the scene could do was wonder: how did such a perilous accident happen?

In its safety advisories on its website and in emails to participants, the event warns that 鈥渋t is imperative, for your safety, you follow precise path of flagging.鈥� Terrill鈥檚 fall was not the result of a course-marking issue. He simply made a risky passing move at an unfortunate spot on the course.

鈥淲e are very familiar with the exact spot of his accident,鈥� said Julian Carr, the race director of the Cirque Series. 鈥淲e will place people as backstop in that exact corner to ensure no one ever has a fall in that spot ever again.鈥�

Mountain Running: A Contact Sport?

While many may be initially attracted to running (on the track and roads) precisely because of its relatively low-risk profile鈥攏o contact that could lead to a concussion, no explosive movements that could result in an acute injury鈥攖rail running, and in particular mountain running, is another matter. In fact, mountain running, a fast, explosive trail running discipline that usually involves running over rocky, uneven terrain and climbing and descending peaks, comes with considerable risk.

Many mountain running races take competitors along high cliffs and ridgelines with exposure, and down steep, off-trail descents through technical terrain. Minor falls are common, and sprained ankles, broken collarbones, and skin-devouring trail rash are among the most typical injuries.

Injuries are common enough that some races, including the Pikes Peak Marathon in Manitou Springs, Colorado, give out an award for the bloodiest runner. , a short mountain race in Seward Alaska, reports several minor injuries in a typical year. In 2012, it suffered its first presumed death when 66-year-old Michael LeMaitre, fell on a steep section of the course and, inexplicably, was never found.

Although it wasn鈥檛 a super-fast shorter-distance mountain running race, American runner survived one of the worst known trail running accidents in 2017 at the 57K Hamperokken Skyrace in the mountains outside of Tromso, Norway, after she tripped and ragdolled 150 feet down a ridge and broke both arms, two vertebrae, several ribs, and numerous bones in her feet. Like Terrill, she was lucky to have survived.

鈥淲e acknowledge the inherent dangers of producing races in the high alpine, injuries are rare, but do happen unfortunately,鈥� Carr says. 鈥淭his is, by far, the most serious injury at a Cirque race since we started our races in 2015. We take safety of our runners as first priority.鈥�

Mountain running races bring on increased danger for highly competitive athletes, especially because the terrain is often extremely technical, varies so greatly, and is often raced sight-unseen. In addition, elite runners are often willing to take risks on high-consequence terrain that is the difference between performing well and getting left in the dust of those who do.

Is this risk taking an allure or a consequence of the sport? And what level of responsibility do race organizers play in keeping competitors safe?

Carr says the event鈥檚 emergency response plan is an integral part of planning and preparing for the event and it begins well in advance of race day.

鈥淲e put a lot of thought into our safety maps,鈥� Carr says. 鈥淲hen we mark the course, I chat with our safety director about optimal EMT, patrol, and volunteer placements throughout the day. Once we finish marking course, we have a meeting to determine all safety personnel placements for the race. Then we generate the safety map. We provide digital copies and printed copies to all safety personnel for race day.鈥�

Brendan Madigan, who operates the Broken Arrow Skyrace at Palisades Tahoe ski resort every June, says having multi-layer medical and risk teams is essential. Broken Arrow Skyrace, like the Cirque Series, goes to great lengths to organize emergency response teams with certified medical personnel and mountain rescue experts in key locations.

鈥淲e come from a much more dangerous world of ski mountaineering and climbing, so trail running might seem pretty vanilla compared to that, but you have to be organized and prepared,鈥� Madigan says. 鈥淵ou鈥檝e got to make sure you鈥檙e protecting everyone and have a consistent level of safety.鈥�

Not All Trails Are Created Equally

Terrill isn鈥檛 new to trail running. In fact, he ran his first trail race in middle school鈥攁 mile and a half course with 100 feet of elevation gain in central Virginia. While running cross country and track at the University of Richmond, he also went on to win the Collegiate Trail Running National Championships in both 2023 and 2024.

As a junior in 2023, he took the national title at the Thunderbunny 11K trail race in Athens, Ohio, in 41:27, setting the course record by a minute and a half. That鈥檚 when he knew he had a thing for off-road running. Then this past May he repeated as national champ by winning the Fountainhead 10K++ Trail Run in Virginia, obliterating the course record by six and a half minutes in 44:55.

鈥淚鈥檝e always trained in hilly locations, and my stride worked well on trails,鈥� Terrill says.

Those trail races were set on rolling singletrack courses through the forest. They didn鈥檛 have the exposure and steep profile of the race in Utah. Still, Terrill was eager to give it a try.

After graduating this spring, he was at a crossroads. He had one more season of cross country eligibility, which he intended on using as a graduate student at the University of Richmond. But he was also drawn to the idea of going all-in on trail running and trying to make the U.S. team for the final of the 2024 World Mountain Running Association World Cup in Italy this October. That required finishing first or second among a talented field of runners at the Snowbird race.

鈥淚 wanted to make the U.S. team. In the back of your mind, you don鈥檛 know how good everyone is before you compete,鈥� Terrill says. 鈥淵ou have to try. Making a U.S. team, whether that鈥檚 on the trails or the track, representing the U.S.A. is my ultimate goal in the sport.鈥�

If nothing else, he figured he鈥檇 get in some quality post-collegiate running experience while he figured out his next steps in running and life, as well as a fun trip out west.

In Over His Head

After driving out to Utah and previewing the start of the Snowbird course, Terrill felt on edge. The steep, exposed terrain looked nothing like the Virginia trails to which he was accustomed. He couldn鈥檛 decide if he wanted to treat the race as a training run and save himself for the cross country season, or alter his training to meet the specificity needed to do well on a high-alpine peak at altitude. He settled on aiming for the win in the collegiate division of the Utah race.

鈥淭he day before, I was checking out the course and got excited,鈥� Terrill says. 鈥溾�業t鈥檚 time to race.鈥� I wanted to race for the win. Workouts were going well.鈥�

Those ambitions went out the window with the starting gun. Turns out, on rugged terrain is quite a bit different than x collegiate trail running on more mellow courses..

鈥淭hese guys are built differently,鈥� Terrill says of the competitive field, which included 2023 Speedgoat 50K champion Christian Allen and two-time Pikes Peak Marathon winner Seth Demoor. 鈥淚t isn鈥檛 a track race.鈥�

Right away, the lofty altitude and rugged terrain took their toll on Terrill. Hoofing it up the climb well behind race-leader Allen, he negotiated with himself. His goal became to finish without walking. Just make it up the hill and it will be a good 4-mile workout, he thought.

鈥淚 was further back [place-wise] in the race than I wanted to be,鈥� Terrill says. 鈥淎ll I knew about the course is that it was technical in areas.鈥�

Upon cresting the summit he got hit with a huge wave of energy. He started bombing down the technical terrain, which included loose dirt, rocks, and small boulders that grew steeper by the step.

鈥淚t鈥檚 super rocky and I was going too fast. All you can think about is putting one foot in front of the other. Stay upright,鈥� Terrill recalls. 鈥淩eaching out towards the photographer鈥檚 arm, I thought, 鈥業鈥檓 going to die here. I won鈥檛 get to say goodbye to my girlfriend, my parents. Those close to me are going to get a phone call, I鈥檓 dead.鈥欌��

A Selfless Act

, a professional trail runner from Boulder, Colorado, was racing ahead of Terrill when he witnessed the horrifying fall.

鈥淚 happened to look back right as it occurred and saw Terrill mid-air, completely out of control, before he landed on a boulder about 180 feet down,鈥� Daniels remembers. 鈥淗e then bounced off the boulder and continued to tumble down the mountain at incredible speed, still without any control, finally landing on the service road at the bottom, about 200-plus feet from where the fall started. It was the most gruesome fall I have ever witnessed.鈥�

Daniels quickly took action and sacrificed his own race to help.

鈥淚 immediately ran off the course down to where he had landed to see if he was alive,鈥� Daniels says. 鈥淎t that moment, I thought there was no way he could have survived what I just witnessed.鈥�

Terrill was conscious, but bleeding in several places and in obvious pain. Daniels couldn鈥檛 do much, but tried to provide a comforting voice.

鈥淚 was the first to arrive and was immediately taken aback by his condition and afraid to move him,鈥� Daniels says. 鈥淎nother woman [Megan Ross, an EMT] arrived shortly after, and we managed to prop his head up slightly as he regained consciousness and started working on stopping the bleeding.鈥�

Within five minutes, members of Snowbird ski patrol assigned to the race and trained medical staff took over, applying first aid, checking vitals, and supporting Terrill with a spine board and cervical collar. Within about 30 minutes, he was airlifted by helicopter to the University of Utah Hospital in Salt Lake City.

鈥淟ife really does flash before your eyes,鈥� Terrill says. 鈥淭he next thing I remember was waking up in the hospital.鈥�

The Safety Dance

While race organizers obviously can鈥檛 prevent accidents from happening, there are concrete steps they can (and generally do) take to mitigate risk, including trail maintenance, adding guardrails and safety officials at cruxes, and having open communication lines and an emergency response team at the ready. In fact, such measures are often required to get race permitting in the first place, although safety requirements and protocols vary from state to state. But an effective emergency response plan can be the difference between life and death.

Indeed, Carr and his team鈥檚 detailed planning most likely saved Terrill鈥檚 life.

鈥淲e printed safety maps and provided them to all EMTs, volunteers, and Snowbird ski patrol,鈥� Carr said. 鈥淧rior to the race, our Safety Director, Wilderness Medicine lead, and Snowbird ski patrol met to discuss radio and injury protocol. We placed EMTs and volunteers in positions to efficiently locate injured runners. Ski patrol was on standby for any major medical occurrences.鈥�

Carr said he is proud of the quick response of his emergency and medical teams. EMT staff located in key positions along with Snowbird ski patrol positioned at Hidden Peak, were able to quickly get Terrill the emergency care he needed.

鈥淚 pride Cirque Series in being very prepared for major and minor medical injuries,鈥� Carr says. 鈥淥ur EMTs and Snowbird patrol arrived to Stuart in very efficient time, just like we train.鈥�

A New Outlook

Anyone who has run in a trail race knows the trail running community is special. Even though it鈥檚 growing, it still feels small and tight-knit. Race winner Allen, a Salt Lake City local, came to visit Terrill in the hospital, even though the two had never met.

鈥淭here is something special about runners,鈥� Terrill said. 鈥淚n eighth grade I passed a guy in a cross country race. After the race he thanked me for pushing him. In what other sport do you get that? The trail community is like that times two.鈥�

Terrill badly smashed and cut his face during the fall and needed several staples help secure cuts on his head, but doctors determined that he didn鈥檛 suffer a concussion or brain damage. He spent two weeks in the hospital before going back home to Virginia.

He wasn鈥檛 able to walk on his own for a month. Instead, he had to endure two full knee immobilizers for four weeks, then a singular knee brace for eight weeks, and a back brace for six weeks. He focused on doctor-prescribed rehab;running miles were replaced by slow walking.

鈥淚t took me 40 minutes to do one mile. I felt so proud. It gave me a new respect for movement,鈥� he says. 鈥淚鈥檓 grateful to be alive.鈥�

And grateful is a good word to express Terrill鈥檚 unwavering optimism post-fall. When asked why he thinks he fell, he reflects candidly. 鈥淏ecause I鈥檓 a rookie,鈥� he admits. 鈥淏ut, maybe there is a reason. It gave me a different outlook on life. It gave me a new appreciation for being outside, being able to walk.鈥�

鈥淚 sprained my right wrist two months before this happened. I complained so much,鈥� Terrill jokes. 鈥淭hat seemed harder than all this.鈥�

Terrill returned to the University of Richmond in the fall and served as a graduate assistant coach for the Spiders cross country program. Amid continued rehab, he ran his first steps 11 weeks post-accident at the beginning of October, in the controlled setting of an Alter-G anti-gravity treadmill. In January he鈥檒l be enrolling at Wake Forest, where he鈥檒l pursue graduate studies and begin a long, slow progression into his final year of collegiate cross country in the fall.

Carr and his team kept in touch with Terrill鈥檚 coach about his recovery after he returned to Virginia, and they also shipped him a get-well-soon package.

鈥淲e wish him an ongoing speedy recovery. We鈥檙e so glad he鈥檚 expected to make a full recovery,鈥� Carr says. 鈥淲e hope to see him a future Cirque Series race.鈥�

After he uses up his NCAA eligibility at the end of the 2026 track season, Terrill says he鈥檒l definitely continue running, whether competitively or just for fun. He might even return to trail racing, at least the kind with tamer, less technical terrain.

But as he builds back into the sport, he鈥檚 confronted with the obvious question: is the risk and reward of mountain running worth it, given what he鈥檚 gone through?

For Terrill, the answer is easy. 鈥淚鈥檒l stay on flat ground,鈥� he says. 鈥淓ven seeing pictures of people running on cliffs freaks me out.鈥�

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The post He Fell 200 Feet During a Trail Running Race鈥擜nd Lived to Tell the Tale appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

The course has won the 2025 Barkley Marathons.

Or really, we should say the winner is race founder . For the first time since 2022, there are no finishers at the Barkley Marathons. Three-time finisher John Kelly completed loop three in 39 hours, 50 minutes, and 27 seconds in the wee hours of Thursday morning, Barkley Marathons Chief Resident Tweeter (or should we now say, Xer?) .

In doing so, Kelly dipped under the cut-off by 10 minutes to earn a 鈥渇un run鈥� before tapping himself out. The course, which some believe included a new nasty 45-minute section to this year, was just too hard. Only two other runners made it onto loop three, Tomokazu Ihara (Japan) and S茅bastien Raichon (France.) Raichon returned to camp five minutes later without completing the loop. Two hours later Ihara returned, well beyond the cut-off.

The 2025 Barkley Marathons is over. There are no finishers.

鈥� Keith (@keithdunn)

While we鈥檙e disappointed that we鈥檙e robbed from 20 more hours of entertainment, really, we can all breathe a sigh of relief:

The Barkley Marathons can rightfully maintain it鈥檚 moniker as 鈥渢he world鈥檚 hardest race.鈥�

It鈥檚 the 25th time in 40 years that the Barkley Marathons has no finishers. Only 20 people total have ever done it. The 40th edition is the least 鈥渟uccessful鈥� (or should we say most successful?) since 2018, when similarly just one runner, Gary Robbins, completed a 鈥渇un run.鈥�

Kelly, who鈥檚 on a quest to tie Jared Campbell鈥檚 record of four finishes, will just have to come back again next year, armed with even more experience and grit.

Wondering what the Barkley Marathons is all about? Head over to our to learn about everything the rules, the course, the history and lore, and why an event that sounds an awful lot like orienteering actually isn鈥檛 orienteering at all.

Welcome to the 2025 Barkley Marathons

For those in the nichest of niche ultrarunning circles, Christmas came early. At 11:37 A.M. Eastern on Tuesday, March 18, the 2025 Barkley Marathons began.

The start date and time of this race that鈥檚 as fabled as it is mysterious change every year. But the third week of March is historically early. Perhaps race founder and his successor, Carl Laniak, were hopeful that pushing the event into the middle of March would bring colder, wetter, windier, and all-around grosser weather. After all, . And, ostensibly, they simply can鈥檛 let that happen again.

But if they were looking for miserable weather, the weather gods had their own tricks up their sleeves. A cold but clear Monday night gave way to a sunny Tuesday morning with temperatures projected to reach into the high 60s or even the low 70s, according to . That鈥檚 pretty damn perfect, for the runners anyway.

Of course, Laz and Laniak have other curve balls they can throw in the runners鈥� way. The biggest one, of course, is simply to make the course even harder. While the race is always five 20- to 26-mile loops and runners always have 13 hours and 20 minutes to complete each loop and 60 hours to complete the whole event, the course itself changes every year. But you can always expect a lot of nasty hills, prickly briars, and off-trail shwacking for a total of 120-130 miles and 60,000 feet of gain. No course markings, and no GPS devices allowed. Runners claimed last year鈥檚 edition was bramblier than ever, and yet more runners than ever rose to the challenge.

Here are our live updates from the 2025 Barkley Marathons, in reverse chronological order:

40 Hours Elapsed: The Course Wins

Kelly tapped himself out after earning a 鈥渇un run.鈥� Raichon returned to camp five minutes later in 39:55, but did not complete loop three, . Ihara made it back to camp two hours later.

Why did Kelly quit? With just 20 hours and 10 minutes left to run the final two loops after finishing loop three, time鈥�and any modicum of sanity鈥�was not on his side. When Kelly successfully finished the Barkley Marathons last year his splits on the final two loops were 14:10 and 13:30, respectively. We have 40 years of data showing the compounding effects of sleep deprivation, exhaustion, and delirium magnify exponentially over the final two loops at this race.

While in past years finishers have had some time to recoup in camp between loops, if they so chose, this year鈥檚 particularly brutal course forced runners fast enough to complete a loop in time to essentially head straight back out. Kelly spent less than 10 minutes in camp between loops two and three.

For the first time since 2022 and for the 25th time in 40 years, the Barkley Marathons has no finishers. The course (and let鈥檚 be honest, Laz) has won.

39:50 Elapsed: John Kelly Completes a 鈥淔un Run鈥�

Kelly was the first to return to camp. He arrived through the swirling wind and darkness at 3:28 A.M. on Thursday, . That鈥檚 just 10 minutes under the cut-off for earning a 鈥渇un run鈥� (completing three loops in under 40 hours).

Who鈥檚 Left in the 2025 Barkley Marathons:

• Tomokazu Ihara (Japan)鈥�on loop three. This is his sixth attempt. Ihara, 47, has run numerous ultras and is a coach and race director. In 2023 he won the 鈥淕rand Slam of Ultrarunning,鈥� meaning he had the fastest cumulative time at five 100-milers in one summer: the Old Dominion 100, Western States 100, Vermont 100, Leadville 100, and Wasatch 100.
• John Kelly (U.S.)鈥�on loop three. This is his eighth attempt. Kelly, 40, is a three-time Barkley Marathons finisher, making him the second-most finisher behind four-time finisher Jared Campbell. He also has a Ph.D. in electrical learning and machine learning and is the Chief Technology Officer at Envelop Risk and has set several high-profile fastest known times, including on the Pennine Way and the Long Trail.
• S茅bastien Raichon (France)鈥�on loop three. This is his second attempt. Raichon, 52, 聽has finished Tor des Geants (2019) and set the GR20 FKT last year.

27 Hours Elapsed: Maxime Gauduin Quits

The Frenchman called it quits on loop three with no pages in tow, at 2:56 P.M. Eastern. And then there were three.

25:29 Elapsed: 4 Runners Total Have Finished Loop 2

Frenchmen S茅bastien Raichon and Maxime Gauduin finished loop two together in 25:29, with an hour and 11 minutes to spare, .

Meanwhile, after just 10-ish minutes in camp John Kelly (U.S) began loop three about 90 minutes before the cutoff. Raichon and Gauduin followed suit about 30 minutes later. There are now four runners on loop three, with Tomokazu Ihara (Japan) in the lead.

Beginning Loop 3.

鈥� Keith (@keithdunn)

25 Hours Elapsed: We Have 2 Loop 2 Finishers (Phew)

Tomokazu Ihara (Japan) finished loop 2 in 24:32, and the collective Barkley community took a sigh of relief. He began loop three just 15 or so minutes later, . Three-time Barkley finisher John Kelly (U.S.) finished loop two on 25 hours on the dot (and 40 seconds, but who鈥檚 counting). That鈥檚 five and a half hours slower than Kelly鈥檚 overall split through loop two last year, when he went all the way.

Both Ihara and Kelly split over two hours slower for loop two than loop one, which is pretty in line with the discrepancy between loops one and two in previous years. However, their loop two splits of roughly 12:35 and 13 hours, respectively, are about two hours slower than Kelly鈥檚 loop two split last year.

They have until 40 hours elapsed to make it back to the gate in time for a 鈥渇un run鈥� (three loops). That means they need to run faster than 14 hours for the third lap. Last year Kelly completed loop three in 12 hours, with the company of Ihor Verys and Damian Hall.

24 Hours In and No One Has Completed Loop 2

With the latest drop (Julien Chable from France), only six runners remain, . They have until 26:40 elapsed to return to the yellow gate and head back out on their merry (or should we say weary) way if they want to have any chance of completing a 鈥渇un run鈥� (three loops), much less the whole thing (five loops).

For context, 12 runners completed loop two in under 24 hours last year. The one runner to complete loop two in longer than that (Guillaume Calmettes, France, 26:25) made it to a fun run before tapping out. All five of last year鈥檚 finishers finished loop two in under 20 hours. And that includes Jasmin Paris, who finished the whole race with less than two minutes to spare.

Will the runners be able to pick up the pace now that they (theoretically) know the new course? Or will the alternating of loop directions, shifting from daylight to darkness, and compounding effects of sleep deprivation, fatigue, and frustration get the best of them?

We鈥檙e hoping for the former, but expecting the latter.

(And side note: the last time no one completed a 鈥渇un run鈥� was in 2006!)

21:00 Elapsed: 7 Runners Remain on Loop 2

Chris Fisher (U.S.) and Thomas Calmettes (France) both dropped from loop two at Bald Knob this morning, , noting, 鈥淭hough seemingly about a hundred yards apart, they did not see each other.鈥� This means at most 7 runners will successfully finish loop two within the time limit and move onto loop 3. That鈥檚 down from 13 who finished and 12 who moved onto loop three last year.

13:20 Elapsed: 10 Runners Complete Loop 1 Within Limit

That includes a final runner who finished the loop with under two minutes to spare, . They were able to do one of Barkley鈥檚 fastest-ever camp stops and turned it around in time to start loop two before the 13-hour-and-2o-minute cut-off.

Of those 10 runners, nine went on to loop 2, . Fourteen runners returned to camp, and a 16 remain out on the course. When they returned they will also receive a DNF and be ceremoniously dismissed from the race with the playing of 鈥淭aps鈥� on the bugle.

This means that there was just a 25 percent loop-one finish rate within the cutoff this year. That鈥檚 exactly half of what it was last year, when 20 of the 40 entrants finished loop one in time. What鈥檚 going on this year?

Some runners may have adopted the old 鈥渇ollow a veteran runner鈥� strategy, , maintaining that Laz was 鈥渘ot impressed鈥� by this game plan. We鈥檙e also hearing grumblings that Laz added a 鈥渧ery tough section鈥� that could add a whopping 45 minutes to each loop this year.

We鈥檙e also receiving reports that there are 16 books that runners must reach on every loop this year. If true, that鈥檚 at least one more than the typical 10 to 15.

11:00 Elapsed: Will It Be a Short Barkley This Year?

A third runner finished loop one in 10:20 elapsed, according to Dunn. Laz that 鈥渆very loop is easier than the loop before鈥� as he set out for loop two, which per tradition will be run in the opposite direction and also in the pitch black, about 20 minutes later. Ah, Laz, we鈥檝e missed your sense of humor!

snuck in under the 11-hour mark in 10:57:32 and 10:57:50, which means only five runners have finished loop one with one hour remaining before all runners left in the race must start loop two. The odds (and what seems to be an especially tough course, given the bluebird conditions today) do not appear to be in the runners鈥� favor this year.

Dunn that 鈥淭omo,鈥� otherwise known as Tomokazu Ihara (Japan), is one of the successful handful onto loop two.

9:45 Elapsed: Two Runners Complete Loop 1

They finished the loop in 9:44:55 and 9:44:57, . For reference, nine athletes completed loop one in well under nine hours last year. Given that we know of at least one (and we think more) Barkley finisher who was in that group of nine last year, signs are pointing to a very, very hard course this year.

Buckle up.

6:00 Elapsed: The DNFs Start Rolling In

Less than six hours into the 60-hour race and the 2025 Barkley Marathons already has its first drop. The first runner to quit the race returned back to camp on 鈥渜uitter鈥檚 road鈥� in the early evening, at 5:21 P.M. Eastern on Tuesday. They faced a rendition of 鈥淭aps鈥� played on the bugle horn, and with that their race ended. They made it about five miles in those six hours, Dunn said.

The second DNF followed just over an hour later. They made it about seven miles in seven hours, . An hour later and the DNF rate had doubled.

鈥淭he thing is, they are coming back to camp from all directions and in some cases cannot describe where they were,鈥� . 鈥淭his is old school Barkley.鈥�

鈥淔or as bad as you guys make it sound, it is worse.鈥� 鈥� a runner

鈥� Keith (@keithdunn)

For the first time, runners must return their race-issued analog watch when their race ends, .

11:37 A.M.: The 2025 Barkley Marathons Have Begun

After the classic 鈥渂rief memorial鈥� in which he cautioned runners to 鈥渕ake your peace with God,鈥� Laz lit the cigarette marking the start of the 2025 Barkley Marathons. Runners have 13 hours and 20 minutes to complete the loop and make it back to the yellow gate marking the entrance to Frozen Head State Park. That means we better see them all back there by 11:37 P.M. so they can begin their first night loop.

Who鈥檚 racing? We鈥檒l have to wait to find out until runners finish a loop鈥r two鈥r three, otherwise known as a 鈥渇un run.鈥� But Dunn outed three-time finisher John Kelly when the conch (eventually) was blown:

鈥淔inally,鈥� Kelly . 鈥淲e could have done a loop by now.鈥�

If Kelly, who was one of the five to finish last year, prevails again he will join the exceedingly rarified air of becoming just the second person ever along with Jared Campbell to finish the Barkley Marathons four times.

10:38: A.M.: The Conch Has Been Blown (Finally)

Technology鈥�namely online campsite reservation systems鈥�is making it increasingly challenging for Barkley custodians to keep the start date of this mystical event a secret. And sure enough, online grumblings came to fruition on Tuesday morning. At 10:38 A.M. Eastern after 鈥渕any failed attempts,鈥� Carl Laniak blew the conch marking one hour until the start of the 2025 Barkley Marathons.

After multiple failed attempts, the conch was blown at 10:37. The 2025 Barkley Marathons begins in one hour. .

鈥� Keith (@keithdunn)

Why didn鈥檛 race founder Gary 鈥淟azarus Lake鈥� Cantrell blow the conch?

鈥淏ecause he鈥檚 even worse than Carl at blowing it,鈥� Dunn (鈥渪鈥�-别诲?).

There鈥檚 probably at least some truth to that statement. For those who haven鈥檛 had the pleasure of trying, cajoling sound out of a big shell isn鈥檛 easy. But fans of this cult classic event are also wondering if it鈥檚 a sign of changing times. Laz, 69, has slated 聽Laniak as his successor to overseeing the Barkley Marathons.

We鈥檒l have the next 60 hours to find out. One hour until the race begins.

The post There Are No Finishers at the 2025 Barkley Marathons appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Before every race of her historic 18-year career, Des Linden has followed the same ritual. She hand-grinds her favorite beans and makes herself a pour-over, enjoying a cup of coffee an hour before the gun goes off.

鈥淭here鈥檚 not much I鈥檓 particular about, other than the coffee,鈥� said Linden, a two-time U.S. Olympian and 2018 Boston Marathon champion, who first tried the stimulating drink as a teenager and has grown into a bean aficionado, starting her own in 2020. 鈥淭raveling the world for running, I went to a lot of coffee shops, trying to stay off my feet before races. So, I read a lot of books and drank a lot of good coffee, and then got curious about the best beans.鈥�

Linden is a firm believer in caffeine consumption mid- and late-race, too. 鈥淭he mind will tell you that you鈥檙e out of fuel, but there鈥檚 still a ton left in your muscles. Caffeine helps you find it.鈥�

What works for pros, however, doesn鈥檛 always translate to the rest of us. To find out if everyone should drink coffee before racing and if we all should be slurping down caffeinated gels during them, I asked an expert.

Magda Boulet has a master鈥檚 degree in exercise physiology, is an Olympic marathoner and ultra-trail running champion, and currently is the president of GU Energy Labs, one of the leading sports nutrition companies in the world. Before her current role, Boulet was the senior vice president of R&D at the lab, overseeing the development of new products for the better part of a decade. In short, she knows a thing or two about training, racing, and optimal nutrition.

鈥淵es, coffee is a big performance enhancer,鈥� says Boulet, with a grin on her face and a coffee mug visible on our Zoom call. This is true across the board, she says. Caffeine can have a positive performance impact whether you鈥檙e male or female, young or old, and if you鈥檙e competing in activities ranging from a half hour to a half day or more. Specifically, research shows that caffeine from coffee, gels, and other forms provides an over placebo.

RELATED: Caffeine Can Kickstart Your Workout but Beware Its GI Impact

Numerous Possible Benefits

The benefits of caffeine while exercising include thinking clearly, a lower perceived effort, and less fatigue, thanks to its impact on our central nervous system. Continuing to take caffeine throughout a run鈥攑erhaps via caffeinated gels or a cup of flat soda at a trail running aid station鈥攌eeps you more alert, which can help you avoid tripping and falling, and to make better decisions, especially on long endurance efforts.

Boulet says that even a low dose (1 to 3 milligrams per kilogram of body weight, or .5 to 1.5 mg per pound) will have a positive effect. In layman鈥檚 terms, this means drinking 1-2 cups of coffee (which average 80 to 100 mg per cup) before a distance race. A higher dose of caffeine can help with a finishing kick or a short and intense workout, as long as you don鈥檛 overdo it. Excess caffeine鈥攖he tipping point differs for each individual鈥攃an cause headaches, anxiety, and elevated blood pressure, among other issues.

Besides the amount of caffeine, Boulet says, 鈥淭he timing is critical, too.鈥� Caffeine takes about an hour to absorb into our bloodstream and has its largest impact during the first four hours. Therefore, Boulet recommends a cup of coffee an hour before a race, followed by steady and smaller doses throughout longer efforts.

During the race is where caffeinated gels, chews, and drinks come in handy, fitting easily in your pocket and designed to be used repeatedly during exercise, with carbs, sodium, and electrolytes baked in. For new runners, Boulet suggests, after starting with 3 mg/kg (1.5 mg/lb) before a run, adding 1-3 mg/kg (.5鈥�1.5 mg/lb) per hour on longer efforts, which translates to one or two typical gels per hour for most runners.

These suggestions, however, will vary for every individual and the length of a workout or race.

鈥淐ertain genetic makeups will change how fast you metabolize caffeine, so an hour is just a starting spot,鈥� says Boulet. 鈥淵ou鈥檒l need to test for yourself. Some people will metabolize caffeine faster than others.鈥� That said, the form of caffeine you choose to ingest鈥攃offee, other drinks, gels, or chews鈥攚ill not have a significant difference on how long it takes to kick in, Boulet says.

RELATED:

Choose What You Use Wisely

To make sure athletes are able to get enough caffeine for optimal performance, Boulet and her team developed the , which has 70 mg, or double what some other gels have but still less than the average cup of coffee. Made with green tea extract, it is less bitter than anhydrous caffeine, a synthetic version that most brands use for gels and chews. When Boulet won ultramarathons鈥攊ncluding Western States 100 and Leadville 100鈥� she would aim to take a couple Roctane caffeinated gels per hour, especially in the latter half of the race.

The amount of caffeine in gels and energy shots commonly used by runners varies significantly, from 30mg to 200mg. Knowing how much caffeine you鈥檙e ingesting before a run will help you optimize the positive impacts and reduce any drawbacks.

Of course, there are downsides to before or during a workout, too. Common side effects from large doses include dizziness, nausea, and stomach issues, especially on longer and harder efforts, where your body is already drained and trying to manage fatigue, heat, and stress.

Boulet says there is no silver bullet, because caffeine鈥檚 impact varies with each individual鈥攕ome may feel jittery with the same dosage that has little effect on another person. So, just like figuring out how your body handles fueling during a race (either by solid foods or liquid fuels), it鈥檚 important to test for yourself by experimenting during training. Like training, shoes, fuel鈥攅verything鈥攊t takes trial and error to figure out what works best for you.

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The post Should You Drink Coffee Before Your Race? We Asked a Legend and an Expert About Caffeine鈥檚 Impact on Running. appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

For the past 10 years, Spring Energy has provided endurance athletes with , and more recently drink mixes, made from 鈥渞eal鈥� foods. Athletes looking for wholesome alternatives to more traditional sugar-based gels made in a lab have flocked to Spring鈥檚 smoothie-like gels made with fruit and basmati rice.

While Spring products are more expensive than many gels, many athletes have found the tradeoff for high-quality, real food fuel that goes down easily on the run to be worth it. Until now.

After skepticism about the actual contents of Spring鈥檚 gels began brewing late last year, it turned into a full-blown controversy this week.

In January 2021, Spring Energy released a game-changing gel, Awesome Sauce. In collaboration with coaches and runners Megan and David Roche (who taste-tested and named the flavor), the applesauce, basmati rice, and sweet potato-based gel was designed to provide endurance athletes with a whopping 180 calories per 54 gram packet.

This high-carb alternative became especially enticing when was published in April 2022 reporting that ultrarunners should consume 240 to 360 calories (60-90 grams of carbohydrates) per hour. It鈥檚 no surprise that Awesome Sauce (sold at $5 a gel), with its small but surprisingly mighty nutritional content, initially flew off the shelves. It seemed too good to be true.

After several third-party lab tests, that appears to be the case.

Not-So Awesome Sauce?聽

In late 2023, runners took to Reddit to discuss their doubts in Awesome Sauce鈥檚 nutritional facts, which were printed on the packaging and stated on Spring Energy鈥檚 website. Though it鈥檚 unclear who first performed a concrete test on the gel, two months ago, Liza Ershova, a Reddit user who uses the username 鈥渟riirachamayo鈥�, posted in a thread called Ershova allegedly performed a test 鈥渋n an environmental chemistry lab鈥� and found that the dry weight of Awesome Sauce is 16g instead of the stated 45. She hypothesized that, 鈥淚f all of those grams are carbs, that corresponds to about 60 calories, not 180.鈥�

On May 17, German endurance sport speciality shop Sports Hunger stating that they, too, had Awesome Sauce gels tested by a third party, and allegedly found that each packet contains 16g of carbs instead of the 45g that Spring Energy claimed.

鈥淭he maker of Spring Energy assures us that they will rework their manufacturing process to ensure that they will again reliably achieve their high numbers that they declare to have,鈥� a Sports Hunger representative says in the video. 鈥淲e hope that this is really going to happen because we believe that natural food for many of our customers is a great alternative to the regular gels.鈥�

On May 28, ultrarunning coach Jason Koop, who coaches elite athletes sponsored by Spring Energy, posted an Instagram Reel saying that he鈥檇 paid for Spring Energy Awesome Sauce to be tested by a third party, RL Food Laboratory Testing in Ferndale, Washington. The results showed that the gels tested contained 76 calories and 18g of carbs. The lab results can be found on . Koop declined to be interviewed for this article.

Other runners have also come forward after attempting to replicate the gels with varying degrees of Awesome Sauce鈥檚 ingredients: organic basmati rice, organic apple sauce, apple juice, yams, maple syrup, lemon juice, vanilla, sea salt, and cinnamon鈥攁nd could not achieve the gel鈥檚 original volume of 54g. Their experiments suggest that it鈥檚 impossible to fit all of those ingredients into the small Awesome Sauce package while achieving the stated nutritional content.

Claiming Responsibility聽

On May 22, the Ershova shared Spring Energy鈥檚 response to their experiment on Reddit: 鈥淥ur analysis supports the accuracy of our product labeling. However, we will reevaluate to make sure our data is accurate. Although we hoped your experience with our products would have been wholly satisfactory, we recognize that individual needs can vary. Given the wide variety of options available across different brands, we are confident you will find the right product that suits your specific requirements.鈥�

Four days later, on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, Spring Energy sent out an email to newsletter subscribers stating:

鈥淚n early May we submitted Awesome Sauce for third-party caloric and biomolecular analysis. Although the results indicated that on average our products deliver the designed nutrition value, we have recognized weaknesses in our processes and ingredients which can introduce unwanted variations in some batches.To mitigate those variations in our small batch production, we decided to modify some of the formulations, revise and innovate processes, and re-evaluate ingredient sources. These changes will bring higher quality and more consistency to our products. Enhancements of our products aimed to stabilize their nutrition values are on the horizon, and within the next few weeks, you鈥檒l see the results of our efforts. A new and improved version of Awesome Sauce will soon be available.鈥�

The internet outrage ballooned swiftly.

鈥溾�極n average鈥� 鈥� if someone has a beat on where I can grab packets of Awesome Sauce at 75g of carb per pack to allow for the average of their product to be 45g overall, hit my inbox,鈥� @aidstationfireball . 鈥淓xcited to taste the new, re-formulated, $7 gels they鈥檒l replace these with.鈥�

David and Megan Roche, the Boulder, Colorado-based running coach couple who collaborated with Spring Energy on Awesome Sauce, discussed the backlash on their podcast. They weren鈥檛 involved in the chemical composition and makeup of the gel, they claimed. Rather, they simply proposed the concept of a high-carb gel to their friend Rafal Nazarewicz, the founder and CEO of Spring Energy. They stated they understand the public鈥檚 outrage, and Megan added that they 鈥渄idn鈥檛 really use it鈥� during their runs because she didn鈥檛 feel that her body was responding to the energy it was supposed to provide.

In addition, the Roches stated on their podcast that they have quietly harbored concerns about Awesome Sauce for years, and while they did not explicitly tell their athletes not to use it, they made a point of promoting other gels instead. (The Roches currently have a financial partnership with The Feed, the online warehouse that sells a wide variety of sports fuel, including Spring Energy.)

David elaborated in a lengthy on May 29: 鈥淚t鈥檚 sad and infuriating that the nutrition was wrong, and we are thankful to the really smart people who figured it out on Reddit (including an athlete we coach who started the initial thread). When we described concerns to Spring, we were assured that the nutrition was correct and they followed all FDA regulations. We left the Spring sponsorship years ago, and we never received compensation for proposing the name/doing taste testing (outside of the $200 per month that we both received during the sponsorship). Since then, we have publicly directed athletes to other options for high-carb fueling, while hoping to be a source of love and support in the community. Our podcast covered our concerns as soon as the German lab testing indicated that we wouldn鈥檛 be risking making defamatory statements about a business without substantial evidence.鈥�

Who Can We Trust?

While concerns around Awesome Sauce instigated this investigation, it鈥檚 not the only flavor under scrutiny. Koop sent additional Spring Energy gels, Canaberry (named after professional ultrarunner Sage Canaday) and Hill Aid, to the lab for testing. The results indicated that both of these flavors also contain fewer calories than stated on their nutrition labels.

The lab results showed that the batch of Canaberry that was tested contains 10g of carbs (versus the stated 17g), and the Hill Aid sample contains 10g of carbs (versus the stated 20g).

Koop also paid for Gu Chocolate Outrage to be tested. The results were consistent with the nutrition facts. All three of these reports can also be found on .

These vast discrepancies between Spring Energy鈥檚 reported nutrition facts and the lab results raise the question: which gels can be trusted?

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Association (FDA), most running gels fall under the category of 鈥渄ietary supplements鈥�, which don鈥檛 have to be approved before being sold. However, the FDA requires that all dietary supplements have nutrition information clearly marked on a product鈥檚 packaging (including serving size, number of servings, and ingredients) and periodically inspects manufacturing facilities to confirm that products meet the labeling requirements. The FDA also reviews product labels for accuracy.

鈥淒ietary supplements are regulated by the FDA, but much of our role begins after products enter the marketplace. In fact, in many cases, companies can produce and sell dietary supplements without even notifying the FDA,鈥� the FDA states on their website.

The FDA allows nutrition labels to have an inaccuracy margin of up to 20 percent鈥攆or reference, based on multiple lab results, Awesome Sauce鈥檚 caloric content is about 57 percent less than what the label says.

Sports psychologist and ultrarunning coach works with some of the top endurance athletes in the world, and is best known for training Meb Keflezighi to聽 his 2009 New York City Marathon win. She recommends several products out on the market to her ultrarunner athletes, as well as suggestions that might work with a person鈥檚 individual plan. Typically, she suggests that athletes rotate gel flavors to avoid flavor fatigue, which can impact an athlete mentally and derail performance. So if a certain brand is proven to work well for an athlete, she says, use a variety of flavors.

鈥淚 usually use high molecular weight carbohydrates, but the thing is, they鈥檙e not as sweet as other sports nutrition products out there,鈥� says Austin, who owns a consulting business providing sport performance services to Olympic and professional athletes as well as military and industry personnel. 鈥淪o what we鈥檒l do is we might throw in another gel like the Awesome Sauce to help give them that sweet component. It鈥檚 just in their arsenal.鈥�

She says, in general, her athletes who have consumed Awesome Sauce have had positive experiences, but that because these gels were just one part of the fuel plan, that muddies the waters a bit. In addition, the potential lower calorie count of this gel may make it easier to digest. However, Austin recalls that one of her clients was taking in one Spring Energy gel (multiple flavors) every hour in her ultra, but found herself so hungry that she needed to eat a lot of the food provided at aid stations on the course, too.

鈥淪he was a smaller ultrarunner, and I thought it was interesting that she was taking in all these calories,鈥� Austin says. 鈥淪he was using Spring Energy gels, and I now I鈥檓 thinking, 鈥楳aybe this is why she needed all the additional food on the course, too, because she wasn鈥檛 getting what we thought she was.鈥欌��

Ultramarathon dietician is surprised and disappointed in the news about Awesome Sauce. 鈥淢y clients and myself bank on the efficiency of the gel being easy and light to carry,鈥� she says. 鈥淯nderfueling within a long run can create acute symptoms like low energy, nausea, or brain fog. Ultrarunners find themselves in dangerous situations on long runs and races, and are often in remote areas, so unintentionally underfueling could have negative consequences.鈥�

Austin says runners can still rely on information they鈥檙e receiving about endurance fuel, but that it鈥檚 always possible there are, as Spring Energy suggests, bad batches. She鈥檚 leaning toward this being the reason for the nutritional inaccuracies (keeping an open mind that more information can come out) because she鈥檚 had experiences with bad batches of gels in the past, where the product tasted off and she brought it to the attention of the brand, who confirmed it was an error on their part.

By May 30, Spring Energy had removed Awesome Sauce from its website, although it can still be purchased in the All Inclusive and Vegan Spring sampler packs. There, Awesome Sauce is described as, 鈥渙ur best-seller, has been created for all carb lovers who want to fuel in a healthy way, with wholesome products free of added sugars!鈥�

owner Lee Wilson has made the decision to take Awesome Sauce, 聽Canaberry, and Hill Aid off store shelves. 鈥淚t came down to the integrity of it,鈥� Wilson says. 鈥淎fter the other flavors came out with the test results, we decided we can鈥檛 sell it.鈥�

Nashville Running Company crew member Eric May added that this whole ordeal is disappointing, especially because the gel was so popular in the community.

鈥淲e used to have people come in when we got shipments and walk out with boxes of them,鈥� May says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a bummer.鈥�

He adds that a few customers have remarked that they still really enjoy Awesome Sauce and will keep using it.

鈥淗ow a company reacts to the issue tells you a lot about them, and the fact that they鈥檝e taken down their product, it means they鈥檙e probably doing their homework to see what鈥檚 going on,鈥� Austin says. 鈥淚 would say, give them a chance to rectify the situation.鈥�

Sabrina Stanley, a pro ultrarunner from Silverton, Colorado, has used Awesome Sauce frequently in the past, but says she stopped eating it when she felt she was taking in three times what she should be consuming to keep hunger at bay. She adds that though it鈥檚 a huge disappointment that athletes thought they were buying a gel under the impression it was a different product, the company is the only party at fault.

鈥淧rofessional athletes aren鈥檛 responsible for making sure the nutrition label is correct,鈥� Stanley says. 鈥淭hey are often sub-contracted to give opinions and help promote a product in hopes of making a few extra dollar to continue doing what they love. They aren鈥檛 in the lab developing the product and writing the nutrition label, like the consumers, they are trusting the hired them to do their due diligence.鈥�

On May 29, Spring Energy , with Nazarewicz saying they鈥檝e identified weaknesses in the manufacturing process, and that only some batches were accidentally made with varying nutritional values. Nazarewicz apologized and stated Spring Energy is introducing changes to its process and hopes to continue its mission toward making real food performance products.

鈥淪pring Energy has admitted to inconsistencies in their product and also said in a recent IG post this was not intentional or malicious,鈥� Shobe says. 鈥淗owever, to be this far off from your stated nutrition label deserves some major inspection. The whole thing made me question not only the integrity of their products but the nutritional labels of other products. Why, as a dietician, didn鈥檛 I become more suspicious of Awesome Sauce in the first place?鈥�

The post How Many Carbs Are in Spring Energy, Really? appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

If you follow master鈥檚 track and field, it鈥檚 hard to miss聽鈥檚 astonishing accomplishments this season, including eight world records in the 60-64 women鈥檚 age group鈥攕even ratified, one pending.

Having recently snatched world records in the indoor 800 meters (2:25.72) and indoor 1,500 meters (5:08.88), McDonald was unstoppable chasing outdoors records, too: 400 meter (62.34), 800 meter (2:22.52), 1,500 meter (5:04.27), mile (5:28.02), and 300 meter (48.89)聽at several Southern California track meets and the聽聽in July.

To add to her dazzling record collection, on August 13th at Mount SAC College in Walnut, California, McDonald聽finished the heptathlon with a world record point total of 6,269, improving on the previous world record of 5,815. (If you鈥檙e dying to know, here is how you聽.)

鈥淚鈥檓 Not Surprised I鈥檓 Getting Faster in My 60s鈥�

聽is a masters runner, mom, and coach. 鈥淏efore the event this past weekend, I had not competed in the heptathlon for 27 years!鈥� McDonald laughed. 鈥淚 was able to get in one javelin and shot practice session before the competition with Dan Lange, former USC throws coach for 32 years and my college teammate. I also went into the long jump cold, which I don鈥檛 recommend.鈥�

Terry Howell of聽聽is McDonald鈥檚 coach, and he鈥檚 inspired by her ambition. 鈥淪ue has a lot of fun competing, which is why she has such incredible longevity in track and field. She has this kid-like joy for as long as I鈥檝e known her.鈥�

You can clearly see this joy in her fierce, smooth strides going over hurdles at the 300-meter hurdles event at the masters outdoor nationals in Greensboro, North Carolina. After crossing the finish line in 48.89 seconds, McDonald smiled in her calm manner. 鈥淚 watched her every race on the livestream and thought, we鈥檙e just getting started!鈥� said Coach Howell.

With eight world records in one season, Sue McDonald felt she could do more.

鈥淚t does seem like the opposite of normal, but I鈥檓 not surprised I鈥檓 getting faster in my 60s,鈥� said McDonald. 鈥淚 spent a few years running marathons and triathlons. I was a high jumper in college. I did a lot of things, and I鈥檓 just doing different events than what I did in the past.鈥�

McDonald and Coach Howell recently appeared on聽听飞颈迟丑听. 鈥淪omeone recently asked me: 鈥榳hen do people slow down.鈥� My answer was: I don鈥檛 know. I guess it happens when it happens,鈥� said coach Howell.

Be Multidimensional

What is the secret to Sue McDonald鈥檚 illustrious track and field career that spans over 40 years?

Sue McDonald first started running in the Parks and Rec league during elementary school. Since her high school didn鈥檛 have a track, she practiced at Los Angeles Junior College, which led her to be recruited to run there. She placed second in the high jump at the Junior College State Championships two years in a row.

By the time she graduated from California State University, Northridge, McDonald nearly qualified for the Olympic trials in high jump. She also competed in the heptathlon, with her strengths in sprints and jumps. After chasing the Olympic Trial qualifier in the high jump in 1988, McDonald retired鈥攆or the first time鈥攁nd eventually moved onto triathlons and road races. She joined a local cycling team in Santa Barbara to challenge herself in a different way and made great friends.

鈥淎fter three pregnancies, I didn鈥檛 have any plans to go back to track and field, until one day, after I turned 50, I looked up to see what the American and World Records were in the high jump for my age group. It was over five feet. And I thought, I used to warm up at 5鈥� 6鈥�! Seeing that record was what pulled me back into track and field. I started training for high jump again. Eventually, I did get the American record [for Women鈥檚 50], but missed the world record.鈥� said McDonald.

鈥淪ue is not a one-dimensional athlete,鈥� said Howell. 鈥淪he has been extremely dedicated, but also having so much fun with these different events鈥攖he high jump, pole vault, shot put, and javelin forces her to move her body in a multitude of ways, making her strong.鈥�

Strength has been a key component of Sue McDonald鈥檚 training consistently. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 lift heavy weights, but I do physical therapy types of exercises every day, and I lift two to three times a week for 30 minutes each time.鈥�

McDonald acknowledged that she had never been a high mileage person, only averaging under 30 miles a week. 鈥淢y definition of an endurance run for an athlete like me is three to four miles with strides at the end. I also do some longer intervals on Wednesdays, and shorter workouts on Saturdays. I also ride my NordicTrack bike at home and aqua-jog at a public swimming pool. When people age, they tend to lose their balance and stability, so I do a lot of single-legged exercises like single-leg Romanian deadlift and single-leg squats.鈥�

鈥淪ue looks for new challenges and never backs away from them. She simply loves what she does,鈥� said Mark Covert, McDonald鈥檚 junior college coach, who was the first athlete to ever cross a finish line wearing the famous Nike Waffles at the 1972 Olympic Trials marathon and has run at least one mile a day for 45 years.

New challenges and a variety of events are what make McDonald鈥檚 athletic career fun. 鈥淚鈥檓 looking forward to having fun with these combined events. That鈥檚 why I do it,鈥� said McDonald. Even after such breakthrough performances, McDonald still does everything for fun.

Up Your Mental Game

David Epstein writes in his book,聽The Sports Gene: Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic聽Performance, 鈥淚t was a strong clue that one key difference between expert and novice athletes was in the way they had learned to perceive the game, rather than the raw ability to react quickly.鈥�

Sue proves to be a great example of perceiving a game before it happens. Since 2015, she has been revisiting a program called聽聽by Dr. Patrick Cohn. Before major competitions, McDonald would review her sports psychology program and also visualize how the competition might shake out, how she might respond to a tactical race at the championships, and how she might hang on if it鈥檚 a fast or slow tactical race with mixed age groups.

鈥淚鈥檓 a lot less nervous on the start line than five years ago,鈥� said McDonald. 鈥淭his is because of my mental training. I take a few deep breaths to try to calm myself down when I feel anxiety coming on. Fifty percent of my preparation is my mental game. It is easy to brush off because it is time-consuming. I definitely think more people should up their mental game if they have big goals.鈥�

As a fitness coach herself, McDonald also helps other athletes with their mental games.听, Professor of Mathematics at Western Washington University, mom of three and current Women鈥檚 60 (W60) American record holder in the decathlon, credits McDonald for helping her with her strong psychological state during her decathlon competition.

鈥淎t the most recent meet at Mt. Sac, the pole vault I ordered did not arrive on time. I was then handed an incorrect substitute pole. It was all very stressful, but Sue was there and she helped me reframe my situation. Eventually, I was able to achieve a personal record because of her help,鈥� she said.

鈥淲hat makes multiple events like decathlon very challenging is all the changes. Between events, you have 30 minutes to change clothes and shoes, hydrate, and get ready for the next one. Your adrenaline goes up, and it goes down. Your body鈥檚 chemistry shifts very quickly. You also put your body through different motions. That鈥檚 a lot of transition in a very short time. As a heptathlete, Sue understands all the challenges herself and is capable of helping other combined event athletes like me very well.鈥�

Optimize Recovery and Nutrition

To prepare for the聽, Sue McDonald dialed up her nutrition by doing two seemingly contradictory things: she gave up alcohol, and she went back to eating meat.

鈥淚 really like wine but gave it up because it interferes with my sleep. Now I only allow myself to have two to three of what I call聽Sue Sips聽from my husband鈥檚 glass,鈥� McDonald said. 鈥淚 wanted to go into Worlds with no regrets and do everything I possibly could, legally, to boost my performance.鈥� Without wine, McDonald is getting seven to eight hours of sleep each night, which has significantly improved her recovery, especially during multi-day events.

Nutrition has been a big part of her performance improvement. 鈥淚n January, I started to work with a metabolic practitioner,聽, who is the world champion in the 400 meter, a mom, and author. 鈥淚 was largely plant-based before with some seafood for a long time, until I decided to work with Cynthia. Reintroducing meat and poultry into my diet was one of the conditions Cynthia had proposed to me for our partnership.鈥� said McDonald. 鈥淚 felt I wasn鈥檛 getting enough protein in the past anyway. After reincorporating meat and poultry, my recovery has improved.鈥�

McDonald鈥檚 strategy is in line with聽鈥檚 recommendation in her book,聽Roar: How to Match Your Food and Fitness to Your Female Physiology for Optimum Performance, Great Health, and a Strong, Lean Body for Life: peri- and post-menopausal women should aim to stay at the higher end of the recommended range of protein intake (2.2 鈥� 2.4g per kg of bodyweight).

Be in Community

Besides coaching her own athletes and training with younger athletes from Blue Collar Running, Sue McDonald started a USATF track club named the Pursuit of Excellence Track Club (POETs), under the urge of Melissa Chiti, the 2022 W55 National Steeplechase Champion, a mom and librarian.

鈥淲hen we started POETs, we just wanted to have a group of masters athletes to support each other. We all compete in different events, from pentathlon to middle-distance and long-distance. We all strive to set a good example of how you can age with great health and enjoyment,鈥� said Chiti.

Since the founding of POETs, the聽club placed 11th out of 67 women鈥檚 teams and 15th out of 135 combined teams with only six athletes, at the USATF Masters Outdoor Championship in Greensboro, North Carolina, this past July. 鈥淪ue is always supportive of all the athletes in our club, and ready to share any and all expertise,鈥� said Chiti.

鈥淚 hope Sue sends this message to the track and field world: there is an event for everybody; whether you love to run, jump, throw, there is something for you. For elite runners, she inspires them to stay in the sport for a long time. For adult athletes and everyone else, she proves that age is just a number,鈥� said Coach Howell with conviction.

Looking toward 2024, Sue McDonald is excited to start training for the聽聽in Gothenburg, Sweden. 鈥淢aybe I can lower my own 400-meter world record, possibly break 62 seconds,鈥� McDonald said. With the support of her coach and her teammates, she feels nothing but confident.

This article was originally published on .

The post The Fastest 60-Year-Old Woman on Earth Is Only Getting Faster appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

American athletes have long dominated the 100-meter dash ever since the inaugural World Championships in 1983, amassing , the most of any nation. But for this year鈥檚 World Championships that kick off this Saturday鈥攖he most prestigious senior track competition outside of the Olympic Games鈥擝ritish record holder Zharnel Hughes wants to change the tally.听

He enters the field with the fastest 100-meter time in 2023 (9.83 seconds), which he achieved in June at the USATF New York Grand Prix. The mark ranks Hughes as the 15th fastest of all time in the event, 0.25 seconds behind the world record held by eight-time Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt.听

Hughes, who has competed at three World Championships throughout his career, has twice-earned a silver medal in the 4 x 100-meter relay. And though he has come close鈥�he was second in the 100-meter dash at the previous world champs鈥擧ughes has never won an individual gold medal. If he is successful at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, August 19-27, Hughes will become the second man ever representing Great Britain to win the men鈥檚 100-meter title, the marquee event of track and field.听

Here are 10 things to know about the fastest man in the world in 2023:

1. He Has Multiple Passports

Zharnel Hughes, 28, was born and raised on the island of Anguilla, a British territory in the Eastern Caribbean that is a mere 16 miles long and three-and-a-half miles wide. He holds dual citizenship for Great Britain and Jamaica. During his youth, Hughes competed for Anguilla, which is not recognized by the International Olympic Committee. In 2015, he opted to transfer his allegiance to represent Great Britain at international competitions.

2. He Was a Multi-Event Athlete by Age 10聽

Hughes hails from a family of runners on his father鈥檚 side, and his two younger brothers ran until high school. He got into the sport at age ten, often running against (and beating) peers. He competed in various track events, including the high jump, long jump, 400 meters, and 1500 meters.听

鈥淭here was an annual sports day [at school], my first competition. At the end of it, I got seven medals鈥攆ive gold, two silver. I got a trophy for being the most outstanding athlete of the day,鈥� Hughes said. It gave him an early and strong impression of what else he might be capable of on the track.

3. He Trained with Usain Bolt

Growing up, Hughes often watched YouTube videos of elite Jamaican sprinters, like world record holder Usain Bolt, as well as Yohan Blake, the third-fastest man in history. As fate would have it, Hughes would train alongside both of them when he moved to Jamaica as a teen to join the Racers Track Club, led by legendary coach Glen Mills.听

Hughes describes his first in-person encounter with Bolt in 2012 as surreal. 鈥淚 was striding on the grass field. I saw Usain on my left. He looked like a giant. He was striding as well. I just started mimicking everything he was doing. I don鈥檛 know why. I was young, 16. I was looking at Usain all in shock,鈥� Hughes recalled. 鈥淗ere鈥檚 the world鈥檚 fastest man. I鈥檓 right next to him!鈥�

4. He Trains with Younger Sprinters

Hughes modified his training schedule to gym work in the morning and a two-hour sprint session in the afternoon and can be seen sprinting alongside 鈥渢he youths鈥� on the Racers Track Club, he says, adding, 鈥渢hey鈥檙e fast, they push me, and I like a challenge.鈥�

5. He Almost Beat the Olympic Champion聽

Hughes points to nearly outrunning Usain Bolt in the 200-meter race in 2015 at his debut Diamond League meet鈥攖he Adidas Grand Prix in New York City鈥攁s one of his most memorable races. 鈥�Just before coming off the turn, I realized I was right there with Usain. I started running for my life,鈥� Hughes said. 鈥淚 was getting close to the line, and I was still there with him. I tried to lean forward, but his stride was longer than mine. The entire stadium thought that I won. Everybody was like, 鈥楴oooo!鈥欌�� The race made headlines in Anguilla, and Hughes remembers motorcades and banners went up with his name on them.

6. He Is the Current British Record Holder

The morning of June 24, 2023, prior to heading to the starting line of the New York City Grand Prix, Hughes the time he predicted he鈥檇 run: 9.83 seconds. He achieved exactly that, and it was a victory that shaved 0.04 seconds off the British record, previously set by Jamaican-born British Olympic champion at the 1993 World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany.

7. He Missed His Chance at Earning an Olympic Medal. Twice.

Hughes tore a ligament in his right knee after and consequently was absent from the Rio Summer Olympics. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, he qualified for the 100-meter final, but he couldn鈥檛 contend for a medal after a false start. Hughes later said while in his set position in the starting blocks.

8. He Is (Mostly) Food Conscious聽

Hughes started investing in his nutrition at age 18. To this day, his diet is very conservative, partly the influence of a close friend, who is a bodybuilder. His morning routine includes a fruit smoothie, preferring bananas, pineapples, watermelon, and cantaloupe. He鈥檒l sometimes blend spinach and oats. Boiled eggs, omelets, fish, and chicken are his protein staples. He likes to hydrate with coconut water every day, and he never leaves home without a snack, typically a Nature Valley granola bar. 鈥淣utrition helps a lot, trust me,鈥� Hughes said. 鈥淚t helps keep injury away. Because your body is always being fed, it doesn鈥檛 feed on itself.鈥澛�

While he had to wean himself away from his vice, chocolate cake, he maintains a nightly ritual of a bowl of corn flakes, which he says helps him sleep. On a rare occasion he splurges on a Burger King cheeseburger.

9. He Likes to Stretch Mid-Flight

During a flight, Hughes will go to the back of the aircraft to stretch. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 care if anyone is looking at me,鈥� he said. As soon as he lands, he tries to do a shakeout run, sprinting 50 meters on a hotel walkway for up to 15 minutes, or else he鈥檒l put on compression boots and later have his physio flush out his legs.

10. He Can Fly a Plane

When he was 11, Hughes flew with a pilot from Anguilla to the British Virgin Islands. He remembers sitting in the cockpit, tempted to play with the instruments inside the aircraft. Only after the plane landed and was switched off did he have the opportunity to grab the control wheel. The experience encouraged his dream of becoming a pilot. He fulfilled his childhood goal of earning a pilot鈥檚 license in 2018, seven months after studying at the Caribbean Aviation Training Center in Jamaica.

So as not to interfere with track, he鈥檇 often arrive at the aviation center as early as 5 A.M.听 鈥�I had to make a lot of sacrifices to make it happen,鈥� he said, noting that on a couple of occasions he reconsidered pursuing the license. Flying is now one way he spends time before mid-afternoon track sessions. At times he has flown a Cessna 172, a single-engine prop plane, up to four days a week for an hour and as far away as Montego Bay in Jamaica.听

Catch Hughes in action when he takes the starting line on August 19, day one of competition, for the first round of heats for the men鈥檚 100-meter dash.

The post 10 Things to Know About the World鈥檚 Fastest Man appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

It鈥檚 Saturday evening, July 29, and 25-year-old Alicia Monson is getting ready for her second run of the day in the cold rain.

Life doesn鈥檛 slow down on weekends when you鈥檙e one of the most promising distance runners in America. In fact, it only gets faster.

She is layered in a long-sleeved black jacket and matching pants, white crew socks, and her size-nine feet are tucked into an unreleased pair of purple On running shoes. Her curly blonde hair is braided and mostly hidden behind a black cap. This is not her usual summer look, but it鈥檚 54 degrees Fahrenheit here in St. Moritz, in southeastern Switzerland, and she prefers to keep her sweat rate up.

This is the second consecutive year that Monson has come to the Engadin Valley. St. Moritz鈥攖he world鈥檚 oldest ski station and also the official Swiss Olympic High Altitude Training Base鈥攈as twice hosted the Winter Games (1928 and 1948). Monson uses the town as a high-altitude base in Europe during the summer, as she competes in Diamond League races around the continent.

Monson arrived a week ago with her On Athletics Club (OAC)聽after racing the 5,000 meters at the on July 23. Much to her surprise, she broke her third American record this year. She clocked 14:19.45 to finish fifth against a stacked field of women that have run among the in history: Ethiopian-born Dutch Olympic champion Sifan Hassan, Olympic bronze medalist Gudaf Tsegay of Ethiopia, and Beatrice Chebet of Kenya.

After her race, Monson contemplated for several days whether she should run both the 5,000-meters and 10,000-meters at the World Athletics Championships, taking place August 19 to 27 in Budapest, Hungary. Initially, she had planned to compete in just the 10,000 meters, scheduled on the opening day of competition, but she couldn鈥檛 resist the challenge. 鈥淓ven if it is a little intimidating,鈥� Monson says, 鈥淚 want to put the U.S. at the top of the world list. The distance events tend to struggle compared to shorter running events and jump and field events. It鈥檚 a goal to help my U.S. teammates.鈥�

Gunning for the Podium

Monson needs no motivation as she clicks a watch on her right wrist and takes off running three miles alone around Lake St. Moritz at 7:12-minute pace, part of the 80 miles she鈥檒l tally this week. Next week, she鈥檒l bump up to 85. In the thick of her training, Monson tops out at 95 miles.

The route is distractingly beautiful鈥攕till waters illuminate a panoramic reflection of the Swiss Alps. Though the path is flat, training at nearly 6,000 feet doesn鈥檛 make it feel simple, especially when Monson鈥檚 body needs a break.

鈥淪ometimes easy days are the most difficult because I鈥檓 so tired,鈥� she says while eating a margherita pizza. Monson notices the difference of being 800 vertical feet higher than her training base in Niwot, Colorado, on the outskirts of Boulder.

It toughens her mentally and physically as she counts down to August 19, when she鈥檒l toe the starting line for the 10K at the World Championships. As she aims to prove that the U.S. can keep up, she isn鈥檛 afraid of what it will take to get there. Monson, from Amery, Wisconsin, has been running since age 12, and she will run herself into the ground, even at risk of becoming unconscious.

That nearly happened at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in 2021, in Eugene, Oregon. Her legs started buckling and her vision began to blur during the final lap of the women鈥檚 10,000 meters. After she crossed the finish line in third, earning a spot on the Olympic Team, she experienced near-syncope and was hospitalized for heat exhaustion.

鈥淚 was so committed to making the team,鈥� says Monson. She doesn鈥檛 remember much from the race, but her motivation was more than clear.

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It wasn鈥檛 the first time she has pushed her body into uncomfortable zones. It鈥檚 a necessary normal while Monson strives to maximize her budding talent and represent a country that has yet to produce a world champion in the 10,000 meters, male or female. (Only two in history have: Kara Goucher earned a silver medal in 2007 in Osaka; and Emily Infeld won bronze at the 2015 World Championships in Beijing). Both the 5,000 and 10,000 meters have historically been dominated by Kenyan and Ethiopian athletes.

From the Midwest to the Olympic Trials

Monson turned pro in 2020, following a decorated cross-country and track collegiate career at the University of Wisconsin, during which she became a 聽and Big Ten record holder. That year, she signed with Total Sports, a management firm that also represents marathoner and Olympic bronze medalist Molly Seidel.

Monson would join OAC, a training group of 11 professional distance runners in Boulder, Colorado, founded in 2020 and sponsored by On, the Swiss athletic shoe and performance sportswear company. The OAC, which includes Boston Marathon champion Hellen Obiri, is led by three-time Olympian and former American record holder Dathan Ritzenhein.

Monson moved to Colorado in fall 2020, which was her introduction into altitude training for extended periods. She had visited national parks during summers as a college student and ran along Wyoming’s Grand Tetons and Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, but it was more running as part of weeklong camping trips. Training in Colorado was a blank slate. It helped that she had a built-in support system through OAC, which she says is all about team culture, a running co-op.

鈥淲e鈥檙e all trying to make each other better,鈥� says Monson. 鈥淲e have an international team, so we bring a lot of different perspectives. We try to build each other up.鈥�

Monson says her transition from college to pro was natural. 鈥淏eing Midwesterners, Dathan and I understand each other. There wasn鈥檛 much of a cultural shift.鈥�

Ritzenhein, who grew up in Rockford, Michigan, was a national champion runner as a teen, then went on to compete for the University of Colorado and made his first Olympic team while he was still a student-athlete. The four-time All-American began racing professionally for Nike in 2004 and later, in 2009, as part of the now disbanded Nike Oregon Project.

Ritzenhein retired in May 2020, at age 37, with a resume that included appearances in multiple world championship finals, the Olympics, and a marathon best of 2:07:47. After exiting his pro career, he opted to coach full-time.

Ritzenhein鈥檚 enthusiasm and loyalty to the sport as an elite athlete hasn鈥檛 left him. Monson describes him as 鈥渋ntense.鈥� But so is she. 鈥淵ou have to be at this level,鈥� she says, especially in a race like 10,000 meters, which she and Ritzenhein both say is a race of attrition. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e not that far off of 5K pace for twice the distance,鈥� Monson adds.

RELATED: Olympian Faith Kipyegon Just Broke Three World Records. She鈥檚 Not Slowing Down.

Running at home in Colorado鈥攐ften twice a day at 5,100 feet above sea level, along with strength work multiple times a week鈥攈as no doubt pushed her athleticism to new heights since she joined OAC.

鈥淓very week it just gets harder,鈥� Monson says, laughing. Some workouts have been so challenging that she has felt as though she wouldn鈥檛 finish, like running four one-mile repeats at 5:05 pace with 400-meter sprints at 67 seconds between each rep.

Challenging workouts like that one are an opportunity for her to visualize race scenarios. 鈥淚 picture being on a train of people, and I have to stick on the train,鈥� Monson says. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e going to feel bad during a race so you have to purposefully be intentional about when you feel bad during a workout and how you鈥檙e going to overcome that.鈥�

Sights Set on Worlds

The morning after Monson鈥檚 easy three-miler, she upgraded to 10 miles, running half of the workout alongside OAC teammate Sage Hurta-Klecker, who is one a dozen On-sponsored athletes here in St. Moritz to train. They run, stride-for-stride, on a dirt path adjacent to Lake Silvaplana with the backdrop of the mountains. The clean air washes their lungs, and only the sound of their shoes stamping the ground cuts the silence.

As Monson builds herself into a potential international medal contender, she hopes her three-week stopover in Switzerland will bring her a step closer as she prepares for her second world championship appearance.

Still, Monson has a bit of catching up to do. Her 10K personal best鈥�30:03.82 achieved in March when she shaved 10 seconds off the previous national record set in 2016 by Molly Huddle鈥攃urrently ranks in the world in 2023. It is 34 seconds behind Ethiopian world record holder Letesenbet Gidey, the 2022 world champion and Olympic bronze medalist.

Monson, who finished 13th at both the 2020 as well as at last year鈥檚 in Eugene, is aiming for a different outcome this time around鈥攁nd she feels ready for it. Her coach is confident in her, too.

鈥淚f you look at it on paper right now, she should be fifth or sixth in either event,鈥� Ritzenhein says, referring to Monson鈥檚 double attempt at the World Championships. 鈥淚f you look at the times, the competition she鈥檚 run against, it鈥檚 hopeful. I think she can medal in the right kind of situation, but that鈥檚 not going to be the barometer for success for her right now.鈥�

The plan for Monson initially was projected to make an impact in the U.S. pro distance scene closer to 2028. But, as Ritzenhein says, 鈥渁 lot has happened in three years.鈥�

Since last summer, Monson has become a faster, more mature version of herself. She is stronger than ever, too, thanks to an upgraded strength program overseen by Dr. Jason Ross, D.C., the OAC strength coach. That continues to help her 鈥渉ang on,鈥� as she puts it, to 17 miles of a fast long run. With Ritzenhein鈥檚 direction, she continues to answer the call for reaching to the top of the sport. After all, Monson set the American record for the 10,000-meters, a mere three weeks after breaking the 3,000-meter American indoor record.

鈥淚鈥檓 surprised I was able to pull off [three] American records this year,鈥� Monson says. 鈥淚t takes a lot to break one American record. I鈥檓 grateful.鈥�

Ritzenhein emphasizes that Monson still has room to grow. 鈥淪he鈥檚 already the fastest [in the U.S.], and she鈥檚 not even in the events I think she鈥檚 going to be the best at one day,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 think she鈥檚 going to be an incredible marathoner.鈥�

But until Monson makes that transition, at least a few years from now, she will continue doing聽 her part to lay the foundation.

鈥淲e鈥檙e just seeing how good I can get on the track before I start moving toward the roads,鈥� Monson says. Come August 19, the world will find out just how good that is.

The post How U.S. Record Holder Alicia Monson Prepares for a World Title Run appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

For me, salads have always been the culinary equivalent of a sad trombone. I鈥檓 active. I want something warm and hearty after a hard effort, not the stuff you give the class gerbil in elementary school. This, I know, is a wildly outdated characterization of salads, if not a surprising one coming from a vegetarian.听

But I live in Germany, where there are a lot of rules, and a lot of exceptions to those rules. My exception for salads is the Israeli salad, usually defined as a chopped salad with diced tomatoes, onions, and cucumbers topped with a light, lemon-based vinaigrette. Simple, right? A recent trip to Israel coupled with a chat with none other than Olympian runner helped me change my perspective.

Israeli Salads, Twice a Day

Tiyouri is a wildly accomplished Israeli Olympic long-distance runner. Over the course of her career, she鈥檚 held the national record in the 5,000-meter run and is a three-time national champion. So it鈥檚 fair to wonder: what鈥檚 fueling these impressive performances?

Although she doesn鈥檛 credit one dish to her success, she鈥檚 quick to mention the Israeli salad. Tiyouri describes it as a staple of her diet; something she eats twice a day. But that wasn鈥檛 always the case.听

Tiyouri admits that she slacked off on the salads. Then her nutritionist, Tamar Ashlagi, told her in plain medical terms: 鈥淵ou鈥檙e Israeli! You have to eat salad every day. Where are your Israeli roots?鈥� Ashlagi is the nutritionist for the Israeli Olympic windsurfing, sailing, and long-distance running teams. She encourages everyone to eat salads, which she says are an important component of the Israeli and Mediterranean diet.

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鈥淚n Israel, there is a large, readily available variety of vegetables, and they are relatively cheap. There are a lot of possibilities for preparing a salad using seasonal vegetables,鈥� she explained. 鈥淭he salads can be simple and don鈥檛 require too much time to prepare, making them readily available even for tired or busy individuals.鈥�

Of course, it鈥檚 not just about their simplicity. Salads are fundamentally good fuel for long-distance runners. 鈥淭he high fiber content is beneficial for the gut microbiome and digestion,鈥� she said.听

Introducing more salads into Tiyorui鈥檚 diet wasn鈥檛 just about honoring her Israeli roots. A veggie-rich, nutrient-dense salad full of fiber like the Israeli salad is a welcome addition to any runner鈥檚 diet.

鈥淚sraeli salads contain multiple types of vegetables and are usually seasoned lightly with olive oil, which is beneficial for the cardiovascular system,鈥� Ashlagi explained. 鈥淚t is common knowledge that every vegetable has different nutritional values. Therefore, the more colorful the salad is, the more nutritious it is.鈥�

A colorful salad usually means more vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, which are known to be anti-inflammatory. In other words, Israeli salads can play a nutritional role in an endurance athlete鈥檚 recovery and combating free radicals, not to mention the high fiber content helps regulate blood sugar.

That said, this doesn鈥檛 mean you should start stuffing your face with salads every chance you get. 鈥淎thletes should be aware that eating a salad close to training or competition is not a good idea because of the high fiber content that can cause gut discomfort due to slow digestion,鈥� Ashlagi explains.听

For Tiyouri, Israeli salads come with a bonus benefit. It鈥檚 a taste of home for the 32-year-old, now based in Boulder, Colorado.

鈥淲hen I miss home, I want to make it,鈥� she says. Now it鈥檚 part of her morning routine. She鈥檒l cut up some tomatoes, cucumbers, and top it with olive oil, lemon, salt, and pepper. 鈥淚 usually do that in the morning, after a workout and with dinner,鈥� she says.

Tiyouri isn鈥檛 rigid with her Israeli salads. As long as it has tomatoes and cucumber, she welcomes some greens (spinach, arugula) and additional veggies (radishes, red bell pepper), even Israeli feta cheese if she can get her hands on some. It all depends on what she has available in her fridge, what鈥檚 in season, and frankly, what she needs to eat before it spoils. 鈥淪ometimes I just want to throw everything in there,鈥� she says.

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Recipe: Israeli Endurance Greens

This just might be the easiest dish to make . At minimum, all you need is a cucumber, some grape tomatoes, olive oil, lemon, salt, and a knife to make it all happen.

But we鈥檙e not about doing the bare minimum. For this recipe, we鈥檙e adding some color鈥攃hopped red bell pepper and a carrot along with some of Tiyouri鈥檚 favorite bonus regional ingredients, feta cheese and cilantro.

This recipe also adds chopped dates. Why dates? Because they come up time and time again when you ask Israeli athletes about some of their favorite endurance snacks. They grow well in Israel where the temperatures can crawl above 100 degrees Fahrenheit and can be eaten directly from the tree.

Nutritionally speaking, Ashlagi notes that dates are a good source of carbohydrates, glucose, and fructose鈥攎aking them a quick and optimal source of quick energy for exercise.

鈥淒ates can serve as a replacement for around two energy gels,鈥� she explained. 鈥淚t鈥檚 also a great snack if you desire something sweet, if consumed moderately.鈥�

Within the Israeli salad, dates offer a sweetness to balance out the saltiness of the feta.

You can adjust the quantities in this recipe as you like. And like Tiyouri, feel free to add an extra veggie or swap some out for your favorite vegetables. Not only will she throw in a radish from time to time, she might cut up some avocado or toss in some corn. Put in whatever ingredients are going to make you excited about having this salad. Below is a recipe to get you started.

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Ingredients

Serves: 2 people

• 1 small cucumber, diced
• 150 grams grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 small red onion, minced
• 1 small carrot, chopped
• 陆 red bell pepper, chopped
• 50g dried dates (about six dates), chopped
• 15 grams fresh cilantro, chopped
• 30ml or 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• Lemon juice from 1 lemon
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, more to taste
• 85g (about 1/2 cup) Israeli feta cheese, crumbled

Instructions

1) Halve your cucumber and slice each half lengthwise into four slices. Hold the slices together like a bouquet and chop them into small pieces. Add them to a medium-sized mixing bowl.

2) Halve the tomatoes and add them to the bowl along with the red bell pepper, carrot, dried dates, and finely chopped cilantro.

3) Soak minced red onion in lemon juice and set aside.

4) Cube the feta cheese or crumble it directly into the bowl with your hands. Add the kosher salt, black pepper, olive oil, and lemon juice with onions. Mix thoroughly until the salad is well coated and serve.

The post This Olympian Runner鈥檚 Go-To Endurance Salad Couldn鈥檛 Be Easier appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Molly Seidel is a top-rated American distance runner with a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics and the American record at the New York City Marathon. While competing at the highest levels of the sport, Seidel has also been candid about her mental health struggles.

Seidel has been diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD), and eating disorders. After a career-defining run at the Tokyo Olympics that catapulted her to new levels of prominence in the running world, she dealt with relapse and was forced to confront the pressures that came with fame and a platform. Since then, Seidel has used her journey to de-stigmatize mental health for other athletes and demonstrate that struggle isn鈥檛 the opposite of healing鈥攊t鈥檚 an integral part of it.

Earlier this month, the 28-year-old Puma-sponsored pro led a New York Road Runners group run called 鈥淥pen Run for an Open Mind,鈥� to share her story and connect with the running community. One of her primary messages was admitting that, while the past year has been challenging, she鈥檚 eager to embrace her role as an imperfect advocate for mental health in the running community if it helps others on their journeys.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been interesting to be seen as an advocate for mental health in sport, especially because a lot of it is stuff I鈥檓 actively going through,鈥� says Seidel. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been balancing being able to share the journey while also living it.鈥�

Seidel has only raced once this year鈥攕he placed eighth at the Cowtown Half Marathon (1:13:08) in Fort Worth, Texas, in February鈥攂ut is considered to be one of the top contenders at next February鈥檚 U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon, and earn the chance to run in the 2024 Paris Olympics. She hasn鈥檛 entered a marathon since 2022, which she dropped out of at mile 16 with a hip injury.

鈥淲hen an athlete embraces perfection, they can let go of what they are 鈥榮upposed鈥� to be and accept things as they are. They can recognize their flaws as a natural part of being human, not as something wrong with them as an individual which can reduce negative self-talk and improve self-belief,鈥� says Sarah Strong, . 鈥淭hey can be more open to celebrating small successes and notice progress along the way to big goals and roll with setbacks when they happen.鈥�

When she first started speaking up about mental health, Seidel encountered negative feedback and harsh comments online, telling her to stay in her lane as an athlete or to stop complaining. While the pushback still hurts, she鈥檚 made peace that anyone who challenges the status quo of athletes being portrayed as emotionless automatons is likely to get criticism.

鈥淭here are some things that I need to keep in my inner circle,鈥� she admits. 鈥淪haring the nitty-gritty details about things invites a high level of scrutiny and backlash, and I realized that OK, the world is not where I鈥檇 hoped it would be with being able to talk about mental health. Not everyone is going to be supportive and understanding, and that鈥檚 OK.鈥�

Progress, Not Perfection

Mental health is a slippery thing, and working through diagnoses like OCD, ADHD, or an ED are rarely a neat and linear process. Recovery rarely follows the perfect narrative arc that social media and culture crave.

Seidel says things really came to a head after the Tokyo Olympics, and that while she went on a publicity tour of sorts after the race, privately she was struggling with a major eating disorder relapse and considering going back into treatment.

鈥淚t was hard for me to admit, even to myself, that I was struggling,鈥� says Seidel. 鈥淏ecause so much of the messaging around mental health is 鈥榦h she went through this once and now everything is fixed and everything is OK. I felt like I had to portray this image that everything is OK, even when it very much is not. And that made everything I was going through 10,000 times worse.鈥�

Strong says that cultural expectations that mental health and recovery are linear journeys with definitive destinations can set people back or even prevent athletes from getting help they need in the first place.

鈥淯nmet expectations can lead to negative self-talk and an unhelpful narrative that the athlete themselves is to blame which can exacerbate symptoms,鈥� says Strong. 鈥淎 sense of pressure or an effort to avoid that disappointment may lead an athlete to force themselves to return to activity or intensity earlier than they should which can jeopardize recovery.鈥�

While there aren鈥檛 any definitive studies about the prevalence of relapse in eating disorders鈥攚hich is difficult to study as many relapses are unreported鈥攖here is no definitive consensus about what constitutes a relapse either, which makes gathering data about relapses difficult. Some studies point to an approximate 33 percent rate of relapse. That means about a third of people who seek treatment for an eating disorder will experience a relapse at some point.

鈥淭he most important thing related to this question is to normalize that eating disorder recovery is not linear and many people experience 鈥榣apses鈥� or 鈥榬elapses鈥� as they go through their journey of recovery,鈥� says Kara Bazzi, co-founder and Exercise and Sport Program Director of in Seattle, Washington. 鈥淚t鈥檚 important to educate both those who are struggling with eating disorders and loved ones, in order to have realistic expectations for recovery and reduce stigma and shame around the recovery process. Understanding the nature of recovery also helps people be more prepared and equipped to resource themselves with the support they need.鈥�

Bazzi says that relapses are normal and a part of many athlete鈥檚 recovery process, and that normalizing and de-stigmatizing them can help many athletes in recovery.

鈥淭hey are to be expected and help give the person data that there is more recovery work to be done. Often, these increases in thoughts and behaviors come with stressors in someone鈥檚 life, both positive or challenging (moving, going off to school, weddings, losing a job, etc.). It is also common to see increases in behaviors when someone is doing some of the deeper work of their recovery, such as addressing childhood trauma,鈥� says Bazzi. 鈥淚n early recovery, it can be challenging to not lean into the eating disorder to cope with life鈥檚 challenges or difficult emotions.鈥�

RELATED: Running and the Mind

Cultural changes, like de-stigmatizing fat and body diversity would also create better space for many athletes鈥� healing.

鈥淕iven the weight stigma in our country, and the constant messaging that 鈥榝at is bad,鈥� presents a challenging backdrop towards maintaining daily recovery choices,鈥� says Bazzi.

In her experience, Bazzi says the biggest challenge athletes often face is returning to life, sport, and competition.

鈥淎thlete-identified clients are typically highly motivated and approach treatment with gusto. However, with this 鈥渃an-do鈥� attitude, they often feel compelled to cut their treatment process short, as they are highly motivated to return to life and sport,鈥� says Bazzi. 鈥淎s a provider, I try to offer a big-picture perspective on how much more time they have to participate and excel in sport, and to give themselves the gift of really devoting this time to recovery. If they allow themselves the time to make more transformational changes (not simply behavioral), their future life in sport will be so much more satisfying. I especially think it鈥檚 important to have a period of time that is solid in recovery before returning to competition as that poses an additional stressor of performance outcomes.鈥�

Setting Boundaries and Embracing Humor

One reason Seidel has been able to share more of her story is because of the boundaries she鈥檚 been able to put around herself. When she first opened up about her mental health challenges, her DM鈥檚 were also flooded with messages from athletes facing similar struggles. While Seidel wanted to help everyone who reached out, the onslaught was overwhelming. She felt cornered between her own struggles and the pressure to appear like a perfect role model for athletes.

She鈥檚 since set more robust boundaries around what she shares on social media, and how much she absorbs from the platforms themselves. A Midwesterner at heart, Seidel says that maintaining a good sense of humor has been key in her recovery, and has been able to use social media as a place for levity while navigating tough issues.

鈥淪o many people deal with mental health, and I think it helps my approach of seeing this as not always some dark and horrible thing because it鈥檚 something I live with every day,鈥� says Seidel, who grew up in Brookfield, Wisconsin. 鈥淚鈥檝e lived with it my entire life, and being able to laugh at it, and laugh at myself makes it more approachable, and not quite as horrible and scary.鈥�

Seidel and her sister Isabell started a humorous meme account on Instagram, with the tongue-in-cheek tagline to 鈥渘ormalize being a lil emotionally unwell.鈥� Memes about depression and dealing with injury adorn jaunty images of intentionally sloppily photoshopped raccoons with slogans like 鈥減ain is temporary, a silly finisher鈥檚 medal is forever鈥� and 鈥渃rying is part of my strength routine.鈥�

 

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Seidel says the biggest thing she鈥檚 learned in the process is to really listen to her body, and acknowledge how she鈥檚 feeling mentally and emotionally, even if imperfectly.

鈥淚鈥檝e found that being able to give a voice to that pain, acknowledge it, and make peace with it. When I鈥檓 running a marathon, I鈥檓 not blocking out the pain. You鈥檙e definitely feeling it, you鈥檙e accepting it and you say, I feel this and I鈥檓 going to keep going anyway,鈥� says Seidel. 鈥淚 think the same thing happens with mental health. It鈥檚 like you can be not OK and you can acknowledge that, and you can keep going while giving that healing the space it deserves. You can be struggling and present and enjoying life all at the same time. It鈥檚 complicated, but that鈥檚 life.鈥�

The post Molly Seidel鈥檚 Journey to Embracing Imperfect Mental Health Advocacy appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

In April, Kelvin Kiptum clocked the third-fastest marathon in the history of the sport at the London Marathon. He鈥檚 from Kenya. Hellen Obiri won the 127th Boston Marathon in one of the most exciting women鈥檚 races in history. She鈥檚 from Kenya. And Eliud Kipchoge, considered the best marathoner of all time, missed a water station and hiccuped his Boston marathon performance, but remains the greatest runner of our time. Yes, he鈥檚 from Kenya.

It鈥檚 widely understood that Kenya has produced, is developing, and will continue to develop many of the world鈥檚 fastest and most formidable runners on Earth. But why? This question has been prodded and churned by many professionals, along many disciplines, and the answer is complicated and multivalent. But if there is one common denominator, in one specific location in Kenya, where champions are made, it鈥檚 in the Rift Valley of Kenya. And, for many champions? It鈥檚 the coach Patrick Sang.

In (Pegasus Books, 2023), sportswriter Sarah Gearhart takes a headlong, behind-the-scenes look into the world of the Kenyan super-elite as she investigates less the physiology or Vo2 max advantages that erupt from this corner of the world, less about the comparative analyses of workout and training architecture, and more about the social ecology found at the Global Sports Communication training camp, in Kaptagat, Kenya, a small rural town at the western edge of the country, inland about 200 miles from Nairobi and an hour鈥檚 drive south from Iten.

Here, Gearhart seeks to understand the collective weave that reinforces greatness, the mentorship and coach dynamics that create the best marathoners the world has ever seen, and she does this by traveling nearly 8,000 feet above sea level to the Rift Valley to meet the legendary Patrick Sang, famous for being Eliud Kipchoge鈥檚 coach, as well as many other elite champions, including Geoffrey Kamworor, twice a winner of the New York City Marathon.

If the name Kipchoge sounds familiar to you, bravo. But I鈥檒l bet most, like me, won’t know much of anything about Sang. That鈥檚 partially because the 59-year-old coach is private, as this book illustrates, but also because his coaching philosophy is not exclusively geared only for individual success. Rather, it鈥檚 about elevating together, something admittedly hard for much of the Western world to understand fully.

It鈥檚 about the athletes, yes. It鈥檚 about their success, yes. But most importantly, Gearhart suggests, Sang鈥檚 goal is to cultivate the whole human athlete, to identify their Why as rocket fuel.

An Elite Athlete and Coach

Near the beginning, Gearhart paraphrases Sang, saying that coaching a good athlete to become a great athlete comes by 鈥渟haping a person to have the ability to critically engage with the world with honest intention and undauntedly navigate whatever life presents.鈥�

Patrick Sang himself was one of Kenya鈥檚 finest athletes, and it鈥檚 around him that We Share the Sun sets the table. Sang ran at the University of Texas, becoming a three-time All-American, and proceeded to become a two-time Olympian, running the steeplechase for Kenya at the 1992 Summer Games in Barcelona. In addition to his silver medal in those Olympics, he also brought home silver from the 1991 and 1993 world championships, helping him earn his nickname of 鈥淪ilver Sang.鈥� (He also dabbled in the marathon in the late 1990s, running a personal best of 2:14:03 in 1999.)

Here, Gearhart clearly establishes the street cred of Sang as Athlete, followed shortly by Sang as Coach, establishing his tone of authority from both sides. What unfolds from here is a thoroughly reported tapestry of athletic achievement that stems from his early success and his philosophy of sport, Sang鈥檚 primary terms for life: 鈥淵ou are given an opportunity. Work hard.鈥�

Sang鈥檚 Greatest Athlete: Eliud Kipchoge

Many will know Kipchoge from the Breaking-2 Project, the INEOS 1:59 Challenge, or as the G.O.A.T. with near-flawless running form. But early Eluid was also earnest and relentless. Sang first met Kipchoge as a teen in 2001. Kipchoge was a fatherless boy with big dreams and an even bigger appetite for guidance and training plans. Sang delivered structure for young Kipchoge to grow into the disciplined athlete he is today.

鈥淒o your best. There鈥檚 nothing else,鈥� is Kipchoge鈥檚 primary credo, and that鈥檚 a direct import from Patrick 鈥淪ilver鈥� Sang.

RELATED: Why We Have No Choice But to Root for Eliud Kipchoge, the Marathon King

Throughout the book鈥檚 30 chapters, Gearhart establishes heft in the front end with longer portraits connecting Sang and Kipchoge, and then, right around midway, the book鈥檚 pace starts to pick up. The chapters get punchier. Shorter. More lyrical. It鈥檚 almost as if the book was mirroring a progression run鈥攁 staple workout in East Africa where the runner will start off slow and build to a whipping cadence by the end.

In flittering snapshots, Gearhart takes you through a brief history of how Sang established the running camp in 2002. She finds some of her most evocative language to describe the landscape, the roads, and the intimacy between Sang and the more than 50 athletes he coaches. 鈥淒aylight begins to surface just shy of 6:15 A.M., revealing a blanket of fog kissing the top of cypress trees,鈥� writes Gearhart. 鈥淚f you arrive at the end of April or beginning of May, stripes of lilacs on both sides of the road offer a mark of direction toward Sang and his world-class associates at Global Sports Communication training camp.鈥�

As the book drills into the common themes of Kenya鈥檚 success in elite long-distance running, a clearing begins to form. Gearhart鈥檚 punchy chapters and scene-setting help the reader become immersed in the place, as well as the self-affirming atmosphere created in Kaptagat by Sang.

Occasionally, we pan out and fold back to offer needed context for those of us鈥攊ncluding myself鈥攚ho haven鈥檛 yet committed to memory the complex history of colonial Africa and the origins of the Kenyan elite running at global events, which really took off in the 1980s. But generally, the book steers clear of geopolitics and stays with portraits of the athletes, the camaraderie, and the collective task of making elite running a career, depicting the training camp a workplace, not a hobby.

Here, Sang鈥檚 coaching approach proves less a hyper-individual focus and more about the collective, a way of building the greatest runners in the world, not by lionizing one athlete but by building in a culture of mutual flourishing. Much of this is shown through time spent in Kaptagat, and through Sang鈥檚 relationship with his athletes.

At times, I was hoping Gearhart would look squarely at this, offering more contrast of coaching techniques and cultural differences between Kenya and running programs in the West, to better understand the consequences of a more hyper-individual hype-machine of social media that readily invites athletes in the West to double down on self-as-brand and lose focus on the business of winning.

Developing the Why

There鈥檚 a constant refrain of Sang鈥檚 importance of developing the Why in his athlete鈥檚 training regimen. 鈥淭hose who are here understand their Why, just like Sang understood his Why when he was a competitive elite athlete and trained alone,鈥� writes Gearhart. 鈥淭he Why is crucial. The Why pushes one to be better everyday.鈥�

Thus, Sang鈥檚 recipe becomes apparent: collective elevation through hard training together; aiming for a higher purpose, a reason for being there. 鈥淕rab a higher branch鈥� is an analogy both Sang and Kipchoge use to stay optimistic and driven to succeed, despite setbacks.

Though a higher proportion of the book focuses on male athletes under Sang鈥檚 leadership鈥攊n large part because the ratio of men-to-women at the camp is significantly disproportionate鈥擪enyan female athletes are certainly part of the book, including Faith Kipyegon, a two-time Olympic champion and two-time world champion in the 1500 meters. She joined Sang鈥檚 group in 2019, who helped train her back to excellence after maternity leave. 鈥淗e knows everything,鈥� said Kipyegon. 鈥淗e reads your mind.鈥�

鈥淭he people around you determine what you become, what you think,鈥� Sang says, which I find one of the clearest lessons of the book, one that the author continues to illustrate throughout the work. Excellence is never wholly individual; it鈥檚 always dependent on others. The best marathoners in the world are indeed talented individuals full of drive and discipline, but they are also almost always part of a group, a team that reminds them of the ultimate project: mutual flourishing.

We Share the Sun is an engaging book for those who want to explore the structural, social, and relational foundations of Kenyan elite marathoners. Both compelling and accessible, I wouldn鈥檛 see this book resonating as much with those having zero knowledge of elite road marathoners, as it does get into the weeds in its traversing of races, results, and athletes. That said, I came to road running from a trail and mountain background and found Gearhart鈥檚 guidance through this world captivating.

If you鈥檝e ever asked: Why are Kenyan marathoners consistently so damn good? What is the subtle edge that cultivates such deep distance running talent? Though this book doesn鈥檛 fully answer these questions鈥攎ainly because these questions are complex and involve many factors鈥擥earhart effectively delivers the message that success comes best when shared, best when you believe in your inherent greatness and potential, and best when reinforced constantly by your community and peers. This, combined with Sang鈥檚 approach to building whole athletes, athletes who are connected to their Why, is a time-tested recipe for greatness.

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