Run News for April 11 2024

Why Women Beat Men in Endurance Events

Women have always crushed endurance events. A recent example is Super Mom Michelle Vesterby’s dominating win in the Ultraman Arizona. Michelle crossed the finish line more than two hours before the first man finished. The longer the race, the better women get. Why are women so darn good and what is the physiology behind women kicking ass at ultra races?

Science tells us that when trained to equal fitness, a biological male will always beat a biological female. Males tend to have bigger airways and larger hearts providing a greater ability to get blood through body. Men have about a 10% greater maximal oxygen consumption, which translates to 10% greater time for male world records than women’s (men marathon: 2:00:35 and women marathon: 2:11:53) to the iron-distance (men marathon: 7:21:12 and women marathon: 8:08:21).

Despite the athletic advantages of the male body, women have two physical advantages over men:

1. Biological females have more fatigue-resistant muscle fibers

   • Women tend to have more fatigue-resistant muscle fibers (‘slow fibers’) than men. This isn’t a silver bullet for women’s success in ultra-races but likely contributes to their ability to endure long distances.

2. Biological females burn more fat and less carbohydrates during aerobic exercise

   • Biological women tend to be efficient fat burners, meaning they can go longer with fewer carbohydrates. Men are generally less efficient fat burners so run out of fuel more easily if carbohydrate needs are misjudged during long races.

Running Across Africa

Russ Cook endured robbery, kidnapping, and pain as he ran across Africa. The 27-year-old encountered numerous obstacles while running the full length of Africa in 352 days. More than 16,000 kilometers and 16 countries after beginning his journey last April 22nd 2023, Russ crossed the finish line in Tunisia as debatably the first human to run the entire length of Africa.

Why Not to Run

It all starts with recovery. Many sports—football, soccer, hockey—have an offseason built in, but running is so simple that it doesn’t need to. Taking a break can allow the body to more fully recover from intense periods of training. It also provides a chance for the mind and emotions to catch up to the effort that has been put in. Instead of fighting to run during periods of post race depression, consider taking a break to recover mentally in addition to physically.

Here is why Pat Heine recommends committing to a refreshing break from training.

Destination Cold Plunges

For many cultures around the world, especially hardy Nordic people, cold water plunges aren’t a trend, but a popular and time-honored past-time. Travel to dip in chilly waters with beautiful backdrops at destinations around the world.

The Nordic Morning Routine (click image to watch)

Your Daily Dose Of Usain⚡️

An Inspirational 102 Year Old

@lashayslade

He Is 102 😯 #fyp #viral #man #oldman #running #omg #tikto #he #is #amazing #xyzbca #lashayslade12

Words To Run By 🏃‍♀️🏃🏽‍♂️

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