🏃 RunLetters #17

Hellooooo runner, happy Friday!! 👋

This week’s RunLetters is stacked. We won’t chat about UTMB (which is happening this week) yet; we’ll save that for edition 18. Instead, we have a guy who just ran Leadville in jeans (!), Phily Bowden, a spring half-marathon, and a brand-new running watch to geek out over. And a good podcast episode.

It’s going to be wild, hectic, and fun. Let’s get started ⤵️

📹 Watchlist: The Guy That Runs In Jeans

“Have you ever heard of that guy who runs in jeans?”

Maybe you have, maybe you haven’t. I sure was in the last camp until Lydia told me about Truett, and YouTube decided to serve me this video:

So here I am today to tell you about Truett Hanes. He’s known as the guy who runs in jeans. And nope, not just 10ks… He just took on the Leadville 100 in jeans (!), with his dad, and documented the whole wild ride. Sincere, humble, and funny are the three words that come to my mind after watching it.

Turns out that Truett is not “just” the guy who runs in jeans. He’s not just a “buff guy who wants to show you he can run”. He’s real. He doesn’t wear fancy brands, nor does he talk big about himself. The way he has his phone just in the back pocket of his jeans, with his wired headphones plugged in, cracks me up.

And when Truett says, at the final aid station, “I never want it to end”… Well, that’s when you know how crazy he is.

Quite the contrast to the rest of the runners. Yeah, Truett may just have become one of my favourite running influencers.

I won’t spoil in what place he ended. You’ll have to watch the video!

📲 Social Spotlight: “Redemption doesn’t wait around.” — Phily Bowden

Phily Bowden is a pro marathoner and, together with her husband Daniel, one of running YouTube’s best storytellers. 

Expect honest training talk and a peek behind the scenes of her running life, including the ups and the downs.

In her latest video, she finally reveals the marathon she is targeting this autumn (I won’t spoil it…) and the why behind it. It is classic Phily: reflective, motivating, and beautifully put together. If you are building toward your own fall race, I’m sure you’ll find some inspiration in this.

The video below is a perfect example of her style, so just give it a damn watch.

And if YouTube isn’t your thing… then follow Phily on Instagram. She’s hilarious.

🗓 Events & Races: Movistar Madrid Half Marathon

Ever been to Madrid? A city with a lot of culture, great food, and sunshine. And… a half-marathon for your bucket list!

The Madrid Half is a big-energy 21K through the heart of Spain’s capital. It’s not part of the super halfs, and hence it doesn’t sell out as quickly (which is great). The race entry also doesn’t break the bank. It started off at €28. The first two waves of ticket sales have already passed though so right now, up until the end of September, the price is €43.

🎽 Gear & Gadgets: Another New Running Watch 👀

In the market for a new running watch? The Suunto Race 2 might be one to check out.

It is Suunto’s newest release, and based on early reviews it looks like a real leap forward. The watch comes with a brighter 1.5" AMOLED display, faster internals, and an improved optical heart-rate sensor. Reviewers say it feels sleek and light on the wrist. It also offers full offline maps and strong battery life. If you have been Suunto-curious or are still on an older model, the Race 2 looks like a solid contender.

Below are two review videos if you want to take a closer look. The watch is fairly large at 49mm, which often works fine for men but can feel a bit big for women. Price-wise it is not the cheapest at $500/€500, especially when you consider that the Coros Pace Pro, which offers many similar features, comes in at $349/€400.

✨ Wild Card: Stop Comparing Yourself to Other Runners

We all do it. We compare ourselves to others.

Even when we feel super confident and good about ourselves, it’s an easy trap to fall in.

So this week’s Wild Card is an evergreen podcast episode: a re-run of an older episode from The Running Explained Podcast.

🏁 The Finish Line

That’s it for another edition of RunLetters ✅ 

Vote to see what others think!

Until next time, keep running your own run, have a great weekend, and see you in the next edition ✨

Caroline