Javelina Jundred, Corporate Squabbles and a Champion's Playlist

Endurance racing - whether that’s cycling, trail racing or road racing, were not founded by massive corporations. It was founded with the ultra-obsessed trail runner, the president of a run club or the couple that wanted to save their town and a dream that could bring together athletes in a beautiful location for an unforgettable experience.

Whether you agree or disagree with how the corporations fit into the ecosystem of racing, the economics of racing (both hosting and participating in) is HUGE. Hosting a race is no small feat; both operationally and financially. It’s a major financial risk to host an event; a risk that often times, individual or smaller race production companies cannot sustain and either cancel or discontinue these events.

If you’re actively in the racing scene - you know that “The Big Guys” can often be touted as “The Bad Guys” when it comes to which corp owns which race, and the negative narratives about how they ran “The Little Guys” out of town. The latest news, when UTMB announced their 40th race to the series - Whistler, has seen an industry divided. Who’s right, who’s wrong?

In this week’s email:

  • History Lesson: Read up on the NYC Marathon - one of the best.

  • RAAM: What’s RAAM? The cycling route of all cycling routes.

  • Heather Jackson: The Endurance Queen wins Javelina Jundred.

  • Obligatory Amazon Find: Now that we’re getting, like, only 20 minutes of direct sunlight a day, stock up on Vitamin D and keep that smile on your face.

👇Listen to a Cadence-recommended Spotify Playlist: Reigning IM World Champ - Lucy Charles-Barclay has an epic playlist. Download to feel like a badass on your next ride.

LetsRun.com Message Boards STRIKE Again; have you read Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s new book?

Race Results of the Week

Tidbits

New York, New York (City Marathon): The New York City Marathon is by far, one of the most storied and renowned running events on Earth. With more than 45,000 runners toeing the start line, and tens of thousands more that simply didn’t make the cut, it’s a massive 26.2 mile party. With the NYC Marathon coming up next weekend, read up on the Race’s history and impress your run club buds.

Measure Twice: When it comes to course measurements, it’s no joke. There’s certifications, special equipment and training in order to be able to declare a race distance ‘official.’ So imagine the disappointment when someone strips you of your world record - not because of doping, but because - err - it wasn’t the right distance.

Real Food vs. Sports Fuel: Endurance fueling is a necessary part of the game; but are you #TeamRealSnacks or not? Of course; the over-engineered science experiments like Huel and Maurten seem like the solid choice when it comes to fueling, but is it? Harsh chemicals, unfamiliar flavors/textures and high caffeine content can be hard on the stomach when racing. If you’re an O.G, you’re probably tucking an Uncrustable into your jersey pocket and squirreling flat Cokes and pretzel sticks at the aid stations instead of chancing it on “science.”

Wintery Mix is in the Forecast: If you’re one of our readers that has been graced (or cursed) with early snow this year - you know backcountry skiing is very firmly on the horizon. Make sure you have the best-in-class gear for the season, so you can stay out of cell service longer.

Perfecting Protein: Carbo loading is a right of passage and a perk of being an endurance athlete. Alas, there are other nutrition areas that need attention and careful consideration aside from just stuffing your face with Olive Garden. Read up on protein intake and why every athlete needs to focus on it.

🏃Bucket List Recs

Big training week behind ya and want to add something to your bucket list? Need something to kick your butt into high gear? Check out our endurance bucket list recs below and sign up for something you’ll probably regret when you’re doing a 20 mile training run in August in the Midwest.

  • Ride Across America (RAAM): Get on your bike and ride 3000+ miles across 12 states, from Oceanside CA to Annapolis MD. Supported or not - it’s still hard as f*ck but does give you strange (niche) bragging rights.

  • Javelina Jundred: Add to the delirium of running 100 miles through the desert and run one where Halloween costumes are encouraged and aid stations resemble raves and not a mid-race pit stop.

  • Christ of the Abyss: This doesn’t require a ton of endurance, but it does require the ability to swim/tread water in the ocean, so it made the list. Key Largo is home to the Christ of the Abyss - a HUGE underwater statue of man himself - Jesus. Don’t ask us why.

Performance Of The Week(end):

Heather Jackson FTW in Javelina Jundred. HJ can do it all - 4x Top 5 Finisher at IM World Champs, turned Pro Gravel Racer and Pro Trail Runner. Ultra Domination (pun intended).

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