Reader here we go... it's Friday.

Finding the best running and rehab content each week so you don't have to.

The science behind how strength training improves endurance performance, amazing insight with one of the most extraordinary athletes of our time Sifan Hassan, and are you ready to give up Strava?

💭What I'm thinking:

I. World Mental Health Awareness Day, Friday, 10 October 2025 Help raise awareness through the gift of physical activity.

II. First time marathoners !!! Remember that day you decided that you wanted to run a marathon. That day you signed up. Well that was the day you decided today is the day I start my journey to redefine my impossible. It's coming, you are days out. When you stand on that start line before that gun goes off, remind yourself… today is the day. I REDEFINE MY IMPOSSIBLE !!!

III. It’s race week for some of you, Chicago is this week, others Cape Town next week. Some of you don’t feel ready. The reality is, being ready is not a feeling, it’s a decision. It’s a decision we make based on our training. Did you hit 85% of your plan? Did you do the work? Because if you did, you trusted the process. Get out of your feelings, trust the process and make the decision that your race day is going to be everything you earned.

IV. The silent dialogue of an athlete: I'm tired, but i'm not here for comfort. I made a promise to myself, even when my body feels heavy, I will get through it because thats what I do, thats what I choose, always keeps working.

V. What you take for granted, someone else is praying for.

📖What I'm reading:
Strength Training Improves Running Economy Durability and Fatigued High-Intensity Performance in Well-Trained Male Runners: A Randomized Control Trial.

"Strength training improves running economy (RE) in a nonfatigued state and performance after prolonged exercise at moderate intensity. However, it is unknown if strength training improves RE durability at marathon race intensity, or high-intensity performance akin to the final stages of a competitive race. This study quantified the effect of a supplementary 10-wk strength training program on RE throughout 90 min of running in the heavy-intensity domain, and subsequent fatigued performance in runners."

DOI: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000003685

(ZANINI, MICHELE1; FOLLAND, JONATHAN P.1,2; WU, HAN1; BLAGROVE, RICHARD C.1. Strength Training Improves Running Economy Durability and Fatigued High-Intensity Performance in Well-Trained Male Runners: A Randomized Control Trial. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 57(7):p 1546-1558, July 2025. | DOI: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000003685)

Click here to read full article

🤍 What I'm liking:

THE MAN FROM ANOTHER PLANET ‼️‼️

Maxime Chaumeton flies to a new South African 10km record in Brasov this past Sunday, 5 October 2025

26:55 (2:42min/km pace)and first sub-27 by a South African on the road ✅

Wow Maxi 🥵🔥🔥

🎧 What I'm listening to:

The Feel Better Live More Podcast: How to Build Inner Strength, Stay Grounded and Keep Going though Life's Challenges with Sifan Hassan

1h24mins - The Feel Better Live More Podcast with Dr Ragan Chatterjee

It’s easy to be inspired by success, but the real lessons often lie in what it took to get there. After all, true strength isn’t just physical; it’s found in how we face change, challenge and the unknown.

In this episode of my Feel Better, Live More podcast, I sit down with one of the most extraordinary athletes of our time, Sifan Hassan. Sifan is a Dutch middle- and long-distance runner, celebrated for her versatility and achievements in athletics.

Born in Ethiopia and raised in the Netherlands as a refugee, she is known for competing at the highest level in a wide range of distances, including the 1500m, 5000m, 10,000m, and the marathon. She is a two-time World Champion, an Olympic medallist, and holds multiple European Championship titles.

Her journey from refugee to Olympic and World Champion has captivated the world, not just for what she’s achieved, but for how she approaches life. Sifan’s story is one of courage, faith, and relentless curiosity.

In this wonderful conversation, we explore:

How growing up in Ethiopia and later seeking asylum in the Netherlands shaped Sifan’s inner strength, perspective and deep appreciation for opportunity
The role running played in navigating life in a new country, and how it offered focus, purpose and belonging
Why failure, fear and self-doubt have been central to her journey, and how she’s learned to embrace them as essential parts of growth and performance
How Sifan continues to find joy in running, despite the pressures of elite sport, and why staying curious matters more to her than winning
What her training now looks like behind the scenes - including the shifts she’s made to prioritise recovery, longevity and mental balance
Why she sees rest, sleep and routine as forms of discipline, and how simplicity keeps her grounded
What she’s come to understand about identity, letting go of perfection, and finding peace with who she is, beyond the medals

You don’t need to be an athlete to connect with Sifan’s story; it speaks to something deeply human in all of us. In a world that often celebrates outcomes, this conversation invites us to embrace the process of becoming, adapting, and learning.

Sifan’s perspective is a beautiful example of what it means to stay rooted in who we are, even when life takes us far from where we began.

I hope you enjoy listening.