Friday Thoughts 128
Greetings. Welcome to this week’s edition of Friday Thoughts, where I share what’s been on my mind. Enjoy!
Big A 50k
The Big A 50k is tomorrow!
The first Saturday in May really sneaks up on you.
I’ve had a pretty meh few weeks of training. I was sick, better, sick again and missed two full weeks.
I have no expectations for the run. I would love to do the full 50k - but only if it doesn’t feel too expensive for my body.
Since I’ve been out of a training groove, and kind of have a lot going on in life, I don’t want to beat my legs up too bad and take another week of rest and recovery and further slip away from a good routine. That’s a priority for me over the race.
All that to say, I’m leaning towards two laps, or 20-miles tomorrow.
Evolution?
Last weekend two people during the London Marathon went sub-2 hours, which is obviously insane.
WHat’s interesting to me is the new shoe science, and how these shoes are actually making people so much faster. In the second post below it mentions that the line up on the podium were all wearing shoes that were recently developed. This shoe tech is new and it’s really changing running. The problem it creates, and performance enhancing drugs do the same thing, is it makes us wonder; could they have done that without this technology?
Is anyone going to break the 2-hour marathon in a pair of shoes from 1968? Or have we already squeezed all the performance out of those as possible? And there’s a certain marathon threshold that cannot be broken without the aid of super shoes?
By the way, the shoes worn to break the two hour marathon in London are available HERE (they’re only $500)
I am Impressed Though
I don’t mean to be a hater on the new marathon record. Quite the contrary actually, I’m pumped about. Obviously these runners are putting in the time and effort—and I don’t want the shoes to overshadow that. However, if it’s making such a difference, it will always raise that question: can we do this without super shoes?
HOW DARE THE QUEEN
Last year when we ran the fast mile program, leaning the following was my greatest inspiration.
You’ve probably heard the tale of the greek solider who inspired the first marathon.
Pheidippides, a Greek solider, ran from Marathon to Athens to announce victory over the Persians only to collapse and die from exhaustion.
That distance is 40km or just under 25 miles. That was the distance of the first marathon. It wasn’t until 1908, when the Queen wanted the race to start and end from the Windsor Castle and the Royal viewing box.
And so now, instead of a 40,000 meter marathon, we have a 42,195 meter marathon.
So keep in mind; if Queen Alexandria didn’t change the marathon distance in 1908—we would have broken the two hour marathon without the need of super shoes and maybe elite runners would have to look so silly with those things on their feet.
Thanks for reading, see you in the gym!
—Justin Miner