Copy

Weekly Cadence by Geeks on Feet

Somehow I always get time to do my favorite things, be it reading, learn a new technology or go for a run. Over the last few years I have adjusted schedules, changed habits and most importantly cut cords with a few people.

Living in nostalgia has never been my sweet spot. Once in a while I do reflect on my early life, smile and come back to the present. Leaving home has been my single focused dream since I realised there is a world beyond the boundaries of home. To be honest, I never had any difficulty in an unknown environment, moving cities, or the likes. Single factor being, all I need is my independence. There have been numerous “ups and downs” at times getting out of the abyss was unimaginable.

During all this time I continued with my routine, to wake up early and go for a run/swim/squash or just read.

I'm writing this, as all of us have changed something and that pain of change is still with us. People we thought were our near and dear ones may not be on our phone list. It's okay. Look at what we bartered it for.

A good old friend once told me “We are all shades of grey, only the degree varies”.

Take care, stay safe and happy reading.

- Aditi Pandya

@ShoeGeeks

Shoe of the Week - Nike Pegasus 38

The 38th edition of the Pegasus is testament to longevity of its iconic lineage. It continues to evolve to keep up with modern shoe technology. While Pegasus 37 is a pale shadow of its predecessors, Pegasus 38 brings back some of its lost glory. It features react foam with Zoom air bags, and is built on the same Last as Pegasus 36. Pegasus 38 has plenty of cushion, and is a very good option for those considering a daily neutral trainer and a comfortable long distance shoe. While it can still be used, its weight can be a deal breaker for speed training. With deals raining out there, it could be a good training shoe for your upcoming marathon season. Check it out at shoegeeks.in.

Continuing our series of workouts/drills to improve running form, our next workout helps better our hip mechanics (courtesy: runmechanics.in).

Workout of the week - Single Leg Balancing

Runners focus on strength, endurance, and mobility, but balance is often ignored. Running is a single leg activity and ability to balance on a single leg is an important indicator of efficiency. 80% of the runners that we see at RunMechanics often lack the single leg balance, and is correlated directly to higher ground contact times.

Here is what Eliud Kipchoge has to say about balancing.

Single Leg Balance drills are an effective way to improve the proprioceptors at the muscle and nerve endings. Training the proprioceptors is even more important as we age, for better running efficiency and to prevent injuries.

Here are a couple of variations of Single Leg balancing drills.

How to do it?

  1. Start by standing on a single leg with eyes open.

  2. Ensure the leg which is in the air is flexed at the hip (and knee is up)

  3. Ensure you are fully stable and balanced while the eyes are open

Variation A - Resisted Flexion:

  1. Use the hand on the same side as the flexed hip to press it down hard, while you resist it. This ensures your core is engaged

  2. Finally, close your eyes, and maintain this position for 20s-30s.

Variation B - Folded Arms:

  1. Fold your arms at chest to ensure you are not using arms to create balance

  2. Finally, close your eyes, and maintain this position for 20s-30s

If you are not able to maintain balance while closing eyes, practice the same drill with eyes open, before you progress to closing the eyes.

Practice these drills as part of your mobility regime for 3-4 repeats.

Highlights from Around the World

Sisay Lemma and Joyciline Jepkosgei win 2021 London Marathon

We have two new champions in London, as the men’s and women’s Virgin Money London Marathon 2021 race went down to the wire. Joyciline Jepkosgei came across the line in 2:17:44, followed by Degitu Azimeraw of Ethiopia, who just dipped under the 2:18 mark in only her third marathon. Ashete Bekere was third in 2:18:18 – personal bests for all three women. In the men’s race, Sisay Lemma waited until 40 km to make his move on the rest of the men, taking his first major marathon victory in 2:04:01. Kenya’s Vincent Kipchumba defended his second-place finish from last year, crossing the line in 2:04:28. Mosinet Geremew of Ethiopia rounded out the all East-African podium for third (2:04:41).

Click on the image to see full resolution graphic

Expensive victory wave for Lemma?

Sisay Lemma, no doubt will be taking a big cheque, however had a shocking realisation immediately on finishing the race. The final two seconds had cost him $25,000 (£18,500) in extra time bonuses he would have earned for going under 2hr 4min. It was only natural for the 30‑year‑old Ethiopian to ease up in the final few strides to bask in the crowd’s applause and give a regal wave in appreciation. Lemma will take home $55,000 first prize and another $50,000 for running under 2hr 5min. But surely not getting the $75,000 on offer instead of $50,000 for a sub‑2:04 marathon – due to that wave – will surely continue to sting. Read more here

Bahrain’s Kalkidan Gezahegne breaks the 10K world record

Kalkidan Gezahegne made history by breaking the world record in the 10K, winning The Giants Geneva 10K in 29:38 on October 3. She beat the previous world record of 29:43, set by Joyciline Jepkosgei in 2017, by 5 seconds. The Ethiopian-born runner won the silver medal in the 10,000 meters at the Tokyo Olympics behind Sifan Hassan. Gezahegne led the race right from the beginning, splitting 14:46 and 14:51 for the 5Ks. The record came on the same day when Jepkosgei, the previous record holder, went on to win the London Marathon. Read more here

Upcoming races:

  • Bank of America Chicago Marathon: October 10, 2021

  • Boston Marathon: October 11, 2021

  • AFLI Bangalore 10K Challenge: October 24, 2021

  • TCS New York City Marathon: November 7, 2021

  • AFLI Mumbai Half Marathon: December 19, 2021

@geeksonfeet

The World of Running Podcast

Twelfth episode of our podcast is out and with this we complete the first year of “The World of Running”. In this episode we are bringing to you a curated compilation of the snippets from previous episodes, starting from our first one in October 2020.

London Marathon: History, Course and the Field

While the race is over, there are a lot of interesting things about the course, field and history worth knowing. Check out our race preview of the London marathon 2021.

Recent Articles

The Boston Marathon is scheduled on 11 October 2021, and is the oldest city marathon. The marathon event, already in its 125th edition, has only been cancelled once.

Can you guess the year in which the Boston Marathon was cancelled?

The answer to last week’s quiz is 1981. The first edition of the London Marathon was held on 29 March 1981. The race received more than 20,000 registrations, out of which a little over 7000 were accepted.

Congratulations to

Manish Agarwal @agarwal.manish.india; Madhusudhan Rao @mad.grm; Shalu Bajaj @fitnesswithshalu; DennisNicholas @dennis_nicholas12; Srinidhi Shetty@_srinidhisays

@adriankatts on Twitter

for correct answer to last week’s quiz

Compiled by Team GeeksOnFeet - Karthik, Aravind and Aditi

You want to write on running?! connect with us

Facebook iconInstagram iconTwitter iconWebsite icon
GeeksonFeet

Copyright (C) 2021 Geeksonfeet. All rights reserved.


Our mailing address is:


Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe

Email Marketing Powered by Mailchimp