Good morning everyone,

We're into proper spring now, which means that I'm getting well into running and you get to enjoy the traditional springtime Fem Fri that is all about women who are really good at running!

Let's start with Kathrine Switzer, who was the first woman to run the Boston Marathon. She had a set-to with an official as well who wanted it to be a men only activity. Well, obviously that didn't work out well for him because women run marathons and are great at them:

women are ideally suited for any endurance activity – endurance and stamina are the things that women excel at, along with stability and balance.” For the longest time, she explains, sport has been about traditionally 'male' physical capabilities like speed, power and strength, but now, it’s edging towards being about endurance and flexibility.

https://www.refinery29.com/en-gb/kathrine-switzer-interview

I'm also consistently fascinated by ultrarunning. I asked someone what the appeal was once and they said, aaaah you know how it is when you're running a marathon and you know you won't get a personal best? Well, ultra running removes that problem. If you have this problem (I do not) maybe this is going to be your sport. Here's an interview with Helene Diamantides Whitaker who won an ultra so brutal they cancelled it for 20 years after she won its first instance:

If you can run 6 miles, you can run 60. The only difference is wanting to. Therefore the preparation is as much mental as physical. Ultra races are tiring. You have to anticipate this and know how to keep going physically and mentally when tired. You learn this by training, having confidence in knowing what preparation you have done is right for you. Read books and listen to others, but at the end of the day, you have to do what you need to do to get to the finish line.

https://advendure.com/index.php/english/item/1015-helene-diamantides-whitaker-interview-to-advendurecom

I hope you are enjoying this time in a way that makes sense for you. Fast or slow.

Love,

Alex.