πΒ Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber, Mike Isaac [A gripping account of the rise and fall of Uber, one of the most influential and controversial companies in the modern tech industry. The book delves into the tumultuous journey of Uber, exploring its early days as a startup disrupting the transportation industry, its meteoric rise to become a global giant, and the various scandals and controversies that ultimately led to its downfall. Through extensive research and interviews, Mike Isaac provides readers with an inside look into the power struggles, cutthroat tactics, and corporate culture that shaped Uber's trajectory. This book offers valuable insights into the disruptive nature of Silicon Valley startups and the challenges they face in maintaining their success.]
Endurance Research is a weekly newsletter that aims to simplify complex research papers and make complex topics understandable for everyone. The newsletter provides a comprehensive and insightful overview of a research paper, distilling its key findings and insights into simple words. Whether you are an athlete, a researcher, or just someone who is interested in learning more about endurance exercise, Endurance Research is a perfect place to start. You can sign up here.
It took me a while to write about my experience at the Frankfurt Marathon. Both my wife and baby have been sick, and since the Chicago Marathon, I haven't had a moment to catch my breath. When I returned from the US, I was pleased with how the American expedition had gone. I took a week to recover from a minor injury and stuck to cycling. Surprisingly, riding for two hours and keeping my heart rate at a certain average level felt like a good workout, and I didn't feel like I was missing out by not running outside.
This led me to an experiment. What if I had a mixed training week? One where I cycled for three days with one high-intensity session and ran for the remaining days with another high-intensity session. Could this increase my fitness and durability at the same time? It was difficult to come to a conclusion with just two full weeks between marathons, but I gave it a try. Surprisingly, on race day, I didn't feel worse, if anything, I felt slightly rejuvenated.
The Frankfurt Marathon took place on Sunday, October 29th. On Saturday, my wife, baby boy, and I went to the marathon expo to collect my number and explore the various stands. Getting to the expo was very easy, just a short walk from our house. In fact, it was basically just one road crossing away from the baby's nursery. Bib pickup was flawless and smooth. We entered the building, climbed to the second floor, and followed the signs on the floor. After getting my bib, I picked up my bag for the gear check the following day, along with a 0% Krombacher lemon-flavored beer (which was quite nice!). Instead of receiving a commemorative t-shirt, the organization gifted the runners with a commemorative towel, which was actually a good idea and has already been put to good use for the baby's bath! The rest of the expo left us a bit uninspired, except for the Hoka stand, the official sponsor of the race, which had some interesting items. Not much else happened on Saturday, which wasn't a bad thing the day before a marathon.
The race plan for Sunday was simple: enjoy a nice long run together with the running community, push a little bit for the first 30km, and then relax until the end. And for the most part, that's exactly what happened.
I woke up on Sunday morning, and the weather was terrible. It had been raining all night, and I doubted for a moment if I still wanted to run the race. But eventually, I thought about the convenience of running my home race. The start and finish were within walking distance from my home, and there was no need for air travel or hotels. It was not something to overlook. So, I packed my things, prepared everything the day before, and headed out. It was drizzling, but not raining heavily. The temperature, however, was great. Once I arrived at the start line, the bag drop was on the first floor of the expo building. I sat on the floor, changed into my running outfit, and gave my bag to a very kind lady. All was well-organized. I then made my way to my corral in the rain, wearing a fleece that felt a bit too small for some strange reason, so I decided to donate it to charity at the start.
At 10am sharp, we were unleashed, and once again, I found myself among a group of people chasing the 42.2k dream. The first few kilometers were quite crowded, with a few bottlenecks, but it wasn't a major issue. At kilometer 5, my wife and baby boy were at the end of the street, cheering along with one of our neighbors. It was a sweet moment. The next 5 kilometers took us through the city center, with some annoying cobblestones. It was interesting to realize that kilometer 7 was also kilometer 40...on cobblestones! Fortunately, Frankfurt is not Rome, so the pain was limited to those few kilometers.
Overall, everything went well until kilometer 18. I felt good, the crowd had dispersed, so there were no bottlenecks. The rain didn't get worse, it just stayed as a drizzle, and the wind wasn't too bad. But the worst was yet to come. From kilometer 18 to kilometer 32, it felt like no man's land. The marathon route took us south of the river and all the way west, in the middle of nowhere. We crossed residential areas, commercial and industrial real estate, and stretches of highway with very little cheering. Although I never ran alone, the contrast to Chicago was stark. At kilometer 32, we reentered the city, and a few people started to reappear on the sidelines. However, at that point, the rain intensified, and the wind picked up. It became a battle against the elements.
The last 7 kilometers were basically the same as the initial 7 kilometers. It was nice to go through the city center once again, despite the cobblestones. The wind and rain weren't enjoyable, but they made for an interesting finale and a good mental workout. The race ended indoors, and a massive red carpet led to the finish line, which was very cool. After crossing the finish line, I made my way to the exit, including a flight of stairs where kind volunteers helped people descend. I collected a poncho, my medal, a banana, and a salted pretzel. Then, I went to collect my bag, which was easy and smooth. I found a spot on the floor, changed into dry clothing, and headed back home. Of course, on my way back home (a 10-minute walk), I got soaked to the bone once again.
Overall, it was a well-organized event. However, it confirmed that Frankfurt is a small town that couldn't accommodate the full marathon distance of 42.2 kilometers, so a detour was necessary. The race was flat, and there were plenty of hydration options along the route, including water, coke, and electrolytes. Although the rain doesn't count as available hydration, the temperature was great, but the overall weather was a bit rubbish. Would I recommend traveling to Frankfurt for the marathon? Hmm, maybe not. But if it's your local race, I would definitely recommend participating.
Recovering from the race itself didn't take much. My legs felt decent throughout, and by adhering to my race strategy, I didn't push myself too hard. I'm still experimenting with bike/run training to see where it leads me. I guess I'll find out in Valencia.
Km: 5, Checkpoint: Bockenheimer LandstraΓe, Chip Time: 0:22:06
Km: 10, Checkpoint: Bremer StraΓe, Chip Time: 0:44:22
Km: 15, Checkpoint: Kennedyallee, Chip Time: 1:06:45
Km: 20, Checkpoint: Zur Frankenfurt, Chip Time: 1:29:38
HM: Zur Frankenfurt, Chip Time: 1:34:51
Km: 25, Checkpoint: Nieder Kirchweg, Chip Time: 1:54:10
Km: 30, Checkpoint: Mainzer LandstraΓe, Chip Time: 2:19:43
Km: 35, Checkpoint: Europaallee, Chip Time: 2:46:36
Km: 40, Checkpoint: "Fressgass", Chip Time: 3:12:20
Km: 42.195, Checkpoint: Festhalle, Chip Time: 3:23:28