In this week’s episode of the A to Z Running Podcast, we continue the conversation about how to get the most out of our running. Today we have professional runner Sam Chelanga on the show to discuss his running philosophies and the experience of running.

INTRO

• Follow and Subscribe (on YouTube or your favorite podcast platform)
• Listener comment from AnnMarie Kirkpatrick: 
  • She says she does the single leg squats to really wake up her glutes! We totally agree this is an excellent bread and butter exercise for runners. 
  • We have this in a  few routines we have posted online, but we will create a reel this week specifically showing you a single leg squat. 
  • We love that AnnMarie suggests doing these pre-run as it reminds the body pre-run about proper firing (the entire purpose of functional movement exercise!), which helps avoid what runners call “dumb butt” when the glutes are not firing causing strain on the hips, back, hamstrings, etc. 
  • Thanks for suggesting AnneMarie!
• XOSKIN is running and exercise apparel made with intelligent materials with the endurance athlete in mind.
  • XOSKIN has two new products that give you features in a seamless short that previously weren’t available.
  • XOUNDERWEAR is a super lightweight liner short featuring the new 2-way stretch XO WAISTBAND, a first for seamless apparel FYI (no other brand has ever put a 2-way stretch waistband on a seamless short, until now seamless shorts have a 4-way stretch waistband created by the knitting machine).
  • XOUNDERWEAR are available in sizes small/medium through 2X.
  • The 2-way stretch waistband won’t roll, bunch, or pinch. 
  • The underwear are listed under the Men’s section of the website, but according to the folks at XOSKIN, Women have been trying this product as well and absolutely love it.
  • They’re also launching a new Mid Compression line of shorts for Men and Women with the same 2-way stretch waistband. 
  • These shorts will be available in three different lengths and feature the same knit pattern as the XOUNDERWEAR.
  • This product will go on sale in the next couple days and will be announced on their social pages @xoskinusa and check out xoskin.us
  • Use the code AtoZ at checkout for 20% off

World of Running

May 9th, Mt. Sac, Walnut, California. (Some info found at Let’s Run, official results, and World Athletics)

• Part of the 2021 USATF Golden Games
• Men’s 800m
  • Bryce Hoppel won in 1:44.94
    • 2019 NCAA champ
  • US 800m record holder and 2019 World Champion, Braizer pulled out due to ankle injury which his coach says is getting better.
• Women’s 800m
  • Final 1- Taken by the brits, Jemma Reekie & Laura Muir 
    • Jemma Reekie ran an outdoor 800m PR, taking the win and fastest time for the day in 1:58.27
    • Laura was closely behind in 1:58.46
  • Final 2- Taken by previous guest Kate Grace in a season best and sub 2 of 1:59.72 in a close finish with American Brenda Martinez who ran a season best time of 1:59.87.
  • The two of them along with Raevyn Rodgers, Heather Maclean, and Sinclaire Johnson make 5 women at the 1:59 mark at the event.
  • Don’t forget that two of the favorites were not at the event, Ajee Wilson and Athing Mu
• Men’s 1500m
  • Oliver Hoare (On Athletics Club) of Australia won in a time of 3:33.19 (previous podcast guest).
  • Justyn Knight of Canada on his heels in 3:33.41
  • Over 3sec gap after these men
• Women’s 1500m
  • Elle Purrier won in a sub 4 min performance posting a time of 3:58.36
    • sixth-fastest American woman of all time
    • 9th under the 4:00 barrier
    • She won over Canada’s Gabriela DEBUES-STAFFORD who was 6th at World’s in 2019. Elle pulled away in the last 100m beating Gabriela by two seconds. 
  • Remember the American Record is held by Shelby Houlihan in 3:54.99
  • Elle is current US indoor mile in 4:16.85
  • Interesting take: Purrier has a great performance list right now, but it’s worth noting that clearly has a preferred race as well → run from the front and lead wire to wire; the question deserves asking whether things go as smoothly if she’s dealt a different hand
• Women’s 3k Steeplechase (next two sources from Let’s Run)
  • American record holder Courtney Frerichs ran her first steeple since taking 6th at the 2019 World Championships and won in 9:27.70
  •  Leah Falland (2nd, 9:28.72)
    • fastest time since May 2016
    • Continues her progress chopping time off her steeple
  • &  Marisa Howard (3rd, 9:29.65) under the Olympic standard.
• Men’s 3k Steeplechase
  • Sean McGorty ran 8:20, under the 8:22.00 Olympic standard, becoming the sixth American to achieve the mark during this Olympic cycle 
  • (Dan Michalski quickly joined him as the seventh), won the race, and even beat Evan Jager’s debut time from 2012 (8:26.14).
  • Big talk is that Evan Jager has not gotten his qualifier yet and he only paced the race instead of going for it this weekend.
• Women’s 5k 
  • Exciting race. Let’s Run called it “the best race of the day.”
  • Winner was Julie-Anne Staehli in 15:02.34, a huge improvement on her 15:24.66 pb, set just last week at the Kansas City Qualifier.
  • She took victory after being passed, coming back, and outracing 2nd place Mexico’s Laura Galvan Rodriguez
  • Rodriguez ran 15:02.48 took nine seconds off her previous pb of 15:11.35 — also set in Kansas City last weekend — and also broke Adriana Fernandez Miranda’s Mexican record of 15:04.32 set in 2003. 

May 8th, Gold Gala Ribeiro 

• Gudaf Tsegay runs 29:39.42 in her 10,000m debut
  • #5 all-time
  • She had a pacer for just under 1400m of the race, and she ran the rest solo, in a mostly-empty stadium. Less than 5 minutes into the race she was alone.
  • Current world ranking in the 1500m is #1. Holds the indoor 1500m WR 3:53.09
  • Her 10k on the roads is 32:18
• YouTube of the entire event, (10k starts around 2:06 in the YouTube vid)

Friday, May 7th in West Chester, PA – Henderson Invitational (MileSplit)

• According to MileSplit PA: New Pennsylvania state HS 3200m record
• Robert DiDonato of Germantown Academy ran 8:44.98 (almost 5 seconds off previous record set in 2007)