New Explore plan Vert.run x Ryan Sandes
We’re very happy to announce a brand new training plan on Vert.run with a Pro Athlete–and this time, it’s the South African Ultra runner: Ryan Sandes.
Beyond having been a part of our sport for more than 10 years, having achieved amazing results in races like Western States 100, Transgrancanaria and Leadville 100, Ryan has massive experience planning and executing “expedition” type of Ultra projects and FKTs.
We know this year we probably won’t have many Ultras on the calendar, so that’s why Ryan designed this plan to guide and prepare for your own 100k+ adventure close to home.
If you’ve been dreaming about doing an epic route this year, now is the perfect time to start planning and training with Ryan 12-week plan.
WHAT INSPIRED US THIS WEEK
What to read:
It might seem strange that we’re including an article about a Mixed Martial Artist in this week’s newsletter, but hear us out. This article, about MMA fighter John Howard, gives a great look into the mindset, thought- and training processes of athletes with Autism. In this piece from ESPN, John talks about how his diagnosis with Autism in his early 30’s helped him understand which training structure worked best for him, and to see his different ability as a superpower.
You can read the article here.
What to read:
A big part of what we do at Vert.run is giving existing Ultra runners the tools to train smarter and more consistently. But it’s all too common that Ultra runners forget that we/they were all beginners once–and it’s important to “demystify” the Ultrarunning world. We believe that trail running should be about showing everyone the joy of adventure. So we’ve very happy to see that trail runner Kriste Peoples has a new column called “Running Starts” with Trail Runner Magazine, in which she’ll be covering tips and topics about how to get started in the world of trail running–and helping runners expand their idea of adventure.
You can check out Kriste’s column here. (And if you’re new to trail running and would like a training plan, here’s our new “First Trail Experience” training plan. It’s free!)
What to listen to:
Finally we leave you with this podcast with mountain runner Dakota Jones. Dakota made a name for himself pretty early on in his career after having an amazing debut at Hardrock 100 and then winning Transvulcania (finishing before Kilian Jornet.) The last couple of years, Dakota has kept running (dealing with some injuries along the way) but has also gotten very involved in fighting climate change and working to find how our community can be more active in protecting outdoor spaces.
You can listen to the interview here.
During the month of July, we’re challenging everyone (including ourselves) to donate to Black Girls Run. How? By pledging based on how many miles you run this month! Want in? Just hit “reply” and say, “I want to donate!”
