Week 13: BIG Moves with Barkley Marathons & Distance Tris

March 26, 2024

The Barkley Marathons is the ULTRA ultramarathon. A race with no set course, no online registration, or fancy race shirts - in fact, a race so incredibly difficult that in the first 25 years, there’s only been 10 finishers. Total. Until this past Sunday; there’s also been no female finishers.

The race director, Lazarus Lake, vehemently believed that it was impossible for women to finish his race, and has stated multiple times, “the race is too hard for women.” Side note: Lazarus is NOT a runner, but IS a chain smoker (you’ve got a bring a pack of cigs as part of your entry fee), so he’s not really one to say who could and could not finish.

Jasmin Paris has entered the chat.

This past Sunday, with just 90 seconds to spare, earned her spot in niche ultrarunning history by becoming the first woman EVER to finish the Barkley Marathons. Truly a f*cking badass.

In this week’s email:

👇Listen to a Cadence-recommended Pod: Stop eating Chipotle and think you’re doing yourself a favor. Being a busy runner AND busy adult/parent/spouse can be a detriment to your diet; but it doesn’t HAVE to be.

Post of the Week: Diplo’s an animal: on stage & off.

Race Results of the Week

Tidbits

✅Nike Returns: From the heyday of women’s-only events, you’ll likely remember the SF Nike Half Marathon where, in lieu of, a overseas-produced finisher medal, each female finisher received a Nike-branded Tiffany & Co. necklace. Now - in 2025, the famous race series returns, but will the fine jewelry?

✅Marginal Gainz: In a long-distance triathlon, reducing drag by 9% can contribute to much more than marginal gains; and now, that’s being cut off. The use of chest fairings to reduce drag is a relatively new concept; making it’s debut in 2022, and will now see it’s curtain call (at least at IM). Find out what the hell a chest fairing is, and why it’s not…welp, fair.

✅Train for 26.2 without being a d*ck: Training for a marathon is a HUGE commitment and accomplishment. So much so, that it kind of becomes part of your personality. If all your friends & family are endurance athletes; it’s cool. If all your friends & family would rather brunch on a Sunday than long run…you become insufferable to talk to.

✅The New (apparel) Kid: Janji is still a relatively new active apparel brand. Their style is less monochrome and cheesy running says, and more…runway(?) They just launched a new collection ahead of the Boston Marathon - and we must say, take our money. We’ll have one of each.

🏃Recs: Jobs & Bucket List Trips

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.

BUCKET LIST TRIPS

  • Gravel Riding in Sweden:  We aren’t sure what else Sweden is known for aside from IKEA and being cold…but gravel riding seems to be climbing the ladder of notoriety for the Swedes. Take a chill spin through Sweden and play tourist in every tiny town you stop in.

  • Bikepacking UK: For just $95, you can join a supported bikepacking tour in the UK Yorkshire; perusing National Parks and historical monuments in the countryside. S’cute.

JOB OPPS

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Performance Of The Week(end): Jasmin Paris.

The Brits are crushing it lately in endurance sports. Learn more about the woman, the myth, the legend: Jasmin Paris.

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