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Every individual needs a downtime, a time to hibernate, relax and reinvent. Time to not think about work or in our case “running”. The reason for my writing is we (me/I) get so worked up and involved in the sport, that we forget why we started.

A rest week from running and doing something else, makes me calculate how it is going to affect the weekly, monthly and yearly mileage.

We have proof of runners coming back, from rest and downtime to go up and win podiums. Lets stop treating life as an emergency. Start having a week or two, in our calendar as “hibernating days”. Till then stay safe and happy reading.

Note: Our guest for this month’s podcast is Brian Metzler, he is the author of the book - kicksology: The Hype, Science, Culture & Cool of Running Shoes. Do share your questions with us, which you would like to ask him and we will read out your questions during our podcast. You can share your questions at connect@geeksonfeet.com

Please share your questions by 20th August, 2021. 5pm IST

- Aditi Pandya

Shoe of the Week

As most runners now are trying to get back to structured training and preparing for the races in the fall/winter, this is a good time to focus on running form. We are bringing a series of workouts/drills to improve running form in association with Run Mechanics (runmechanics.in).

Workout of the week - Elbow Jab

Elbow Jab is basic but is a very effective drill to improve your upper body form. Elbow movement is an integral part of our gait cycle, and they counter the movement of legs as we run. Movement of elbows influence the way we run significantly. For example:

• Excessive sideward movement can lead to crossover gait

• Excessive forward movement of elbows can result in runners leaning back as opposed to leaning forward.

• Excessive forward movement often indicates weak glute engagement

Elbow Jab drill teaches how to keep the elbow movement compact, and improve the running economy.

How to do it?

• Stand in a neutral position facing a wall, about 5 inches away from the wall.

• Keep the elbows at about 90 degree angle.

• Swing your arms, as you swing the wall will restrict the forward motion of your elbows.

• Jab your elbow back to initiate the swing. Focus on swinging your arms farther backward.

• You can also bring speed of the elbow movement as an additional variable as a way to work on cadence.

Please see the picture below (courtesy: Run Mechanics)

When to do it?

Elbow jab is a form drill. So it is ideal to incorporate in the early part of your training cycles when you can focus on form.

Highlights from the World of Running

Why is Eliud Kipchoge So Much Better Than Everyone Else?

There’s no longer any question that Eliud Kipchoge is the ‘Greatest Of All Time’ (GOAT) at the marathon distance. But have you ever wondered why he is so much better than everyone else? The truth is, no one can fully explicate why Kipchoge is the GOAT and there’s no simple answer or single ingredient contributing to his performance. It is rather a combination of multiple aspects playing together, from VO2 max to muscle fibers to biomechanics. His weekly mileage of 120 miles coupled with ample recovery, excellent high-carbohydrate diet, and a strong mindset, as he likes to say “No human is limited”, are among the factors that make him great in the league. Read more here.

Kenenisa Bekele will run in the 2021 BMW Berlin Marathon

Ever since Kenenisa Bekele’s confirmation on racing the Berlin Marathon, scheduled on 26 September, all eyes are back on the official world record. Bekele, at 39, could give his one last shot at the marathon world record before looking to end his career. Arguably though, his performance at the last Berlin Marathon (2019) with a time of 2:01:41, makes him the second-fastest marathon runner in history, where he narrowly missed the world record by 2 seconds. Since then, he has missed London Olympics and Ethiopian Olympic Trials because of injuries. Read more here

Upcoming Races

• 28 August - Dawn to Dusk Stadium Run (Hyderabad)

• 28/29 August - Mumbai Stadium Run

• 29 August - Apla Pune Marathon*

* First road race since the pandemic. RT-PCR is mandatory for all participants regardless of vaccination status.