Minute 1: Woman pedals to a new land speed cycling record at 184 MPH
Drafting behind a hot rod pace car driven by her friend, a 45-year-old mom hit speeds on a bike this week that not even Lance could dream of topping. The pace car towed her up to speed, but then Denise Mueller-Korenek was able to pedal inside the wind tunnel created by the pace car for a surprisingly long stretch. (Check it out in the video below.) Even if the gearing on the bike helped her crank up the pace, it took gallons of guts to have nothing but a helmet and thin crash suit between her and the hard pack of the Bonneville Salt Flats at 184 MPH. The prior cycling speed record stood for more than 20 years.
#breakingaway
Minute 2: The water bottle guy is now famous
Eliud Kipchoge and his new 2:01:39 marathon world record set last weekend in Berlin continue to garner praise and fame. The humble and respected Kenyan shared the social media spotlight with an unintentional hero, Claus-Henning Schulke, a 52-year-old amateur triathlete who was manning a water station for Kipchoge. Perhaps sensing history or high on electrolyte drinks, Schulke got very pumped up when he handed Kipchoge his water bottle. The video now has more than 100,000 views online. Kipchoge even signed a bib for Schulke after the race. By the way, we dug up a classic Atlantic Monthly article explaining how a nation with .06% of the world’s population can still produce a majority of distance running titles. The thesis is that Kenyans owe their success to a powerful combination of good genes and a strong devotion to their craft.
#1:59:59
Minute 3: Is it safe to lose weight by dramatically cutting carbs?
You can thank your low-carb diet for the shrinking numbers on your bathroom scale, but trimmer abs may be coming with an unintended consequence. Two new studies reviewed by the Washington Post have shown that human mortality shrinks when we say “no thanks” to bread, pasta, and sugar. A 50-year-old whose calories are less than 30% carbs should live to age 79.1. The same age group eating more than 65% carbs will live on average to 82 years. Before you rush back to the spaghetti aisle at Wegman’s, however, there is an important side note. The main reason that sand slips through the hourglass more quickly is that we tend to eat a lot more red and processed meats when we cut back on carbs. If you switch out the carbs for lean meats and veggies, you should outlive your high-carb friends. A 2:37 female marathoner shares her formula for a healthy, low-carb plan here.
#eatmorchikin
Minute 4: Top six new running shoes of the fall
Competitor just released its list of its top three road shoes and top three trail shoes. We were happy to see that one of our new favorites, the Reebok Floatride, as well as the New Balance FuelCell Impulse, topped the list. (Yes, we will admit to a little Boston bias toward these hometown cobblers.)
We’ll also admit that we’re shivering at the thought that the crisp fall air of our morning runs is about to turn into frigid winter air. In the vein of “no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing,” we were warmed by discovering Runner’s World’s new list of nine best winter running shoes this week.
#runlikeareindeer
Minute 5: Quick Takes
- As we mentioned on August 7, Tough Mudder continues to expand beyond mud and into clean, well-lit places. Founder Will Dean is making an aggressive push into the gym business, announcing a deal this week to open five new locations in Philadelphia. Dean is trying to capture the same energy that encourages his Mudders to help lift a stranger over an obstacle and carry it into a team-based workout. Tough Mudder Bootcamps are already open in cities like Boston, Vegas, and Denver.
- American woman Jordan Hasay, a favorite in next month’s Chicago Marathon, just announced that she is withdrawing from the race. Her intense 100-mile running weeks and gym sessions (she can deadlift twice her body weight) caught up with her. In 2017, she set the American women’s record for Chicago, the second fastest American female marathon ever, coming in at 2:20:57.
- A triathlete was banned for life last week. Not for EPO or HGH, but for sushi. A Japanese restaurant named “Running Sushi” (ironically) declared Jaroslav Bobrowski persona non grata because he was crushing their all-you-can-eat buffet. Apparently Bobrowski follows a diet and training regime that involves fasting for 20 hours and then stuffing himself. His sushi gorging involved downing more than 100 plates.
Minute 6: Today’s words of wisdom
“There are two mistakes one can make along the road to truth – not going all the way and not starting.” – Buddha
