Run Culture S24 Vol 12

Currently on a much-needed holiday with the family for the next two weeks, so this newsletter might be a little shorter than usual, but I’ve still packed it with some cool content for you.

A couple of weeks ago, I had the chance to sit down for a coffee with one of the founders of Pace Athletic. We initially planned to chat about their collaborative shoe with Saucony, but we ended up talking about all things running culture. I’m really excited about what’s to come from those guys.

I’ve also organised a special discount code (not an affiliate link) for all Straight At It and Zato Athletic Club subscribers. You can get 10% off with the code SAI_24 (excluding sale items, new releases for 2 weeks, and watches). I don’t make any money off this—I just wanted to provide value to you and showcase a cool local brand making strides in the running apparel industry.

In this issue, we’ve got a highlight on Ciele after last week’s feature on Fractel, an update on Floberg Runs’ attempt at a 2:32 marathon in Chicago, and—surprise, surprise—more chat about lactate threshold training, but this time in relation to your warmup.

This will be our final Monday drop, as we’re moving to a Sunday night release with the Paper Route to avoid cluttering your inbox on Monday nights. It aligns better with the other newsletter I write, Straight At It, which will continue to drop on Mondays to stay in sync with meet schedules and deliver the freshest updates. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this change!

Let’s jump into it!

The Shop Front

Pace Athletic x Saucony Endorphin Speed 4

Shoe collaborations are starting to sneak into the running world, following the massive success of collabs in the sneaker game. You know running is becoming mainstream when these collabs start popping up.

When I saw that a local-ish running store was dropping a collab with Saucony, I was pretty excited. To top it off, it features artwork from a local Indigenous artist, with a colourway that really pops and, honestly, looks even better in person.

I reached out to Will, one of the founders of Pace Athletic, because I was curious about how this collab came about and the meaning behind the artwork. You can read more about it here.

Ciele Athletics

You can’t think of running caps without thinking of Ciele. If you ask runners to name the first brand that comes to mind for hats, I reckon 9 out of 10 would say Ciele. Why? Well, it’s plain and simple—they just look good and are instantly recognisable. Maybe the fact that they’re comfortable and breathable plays a role, but I stand by their looks being the primary factor.

Similar to Fractel, Ciele has recently ventured into the world of performance apparel to complement their headwear range. Surprisingly, unlike their hats, which are on the colourful side, the clothing range features very minimal branding, creating a clean, sleek silhouette. I haven’t had the chance to try it out or know anyone who has, but if their commitment to quality is the same for their apparel as it is for their hats, these could be the move.

The Cafe

Floberg Runs Chicago 2:32 Series

When it comes to running YouTubers, you usually have to pick between two qualities: high-quality footage or fast running. Floberg is one of the few—maybe the only one—who ticks both boxes.

His earlier series focused on breaking 3 hours in the marathon, something relatable to a lot of us hobby joggers. Now, he’s aiming for a sub-2:32 at Chicago, which is treading into sub-elite territory. That’s a time that could win local races in my hometown!

Floberg also has a background in filmmaking, so the quality of his footage is second to none. I’m not sure about the program he’s trying to sell—his training seems to pull a lot from Pfitzingers Advanced Marathoning or being coached by Jeff Cunningham—but for those looking for some inspiration and motivation to hit their marathon training block, these videos are a must-watch.

The Gym

Lactate Threshold in the Warmup

You thought I was done talking about threshold training, didn’t you? Well, too bad! Is double threshold training on the decline now that Jakob came 4th in the 1500m? Not likely. But he was still an aerobic monster, dragging everyone to the line. For most of us, improving our 5km to marathon times is the goal, not necessarily needing that extra speed burst to outkick our competitors.

What caught my interest was Matt Hanson reposting a podcast featuring Dan Nash, where they discussed integrating threshold work into the warmup—something that has historically been reserved for easy paces.

Dan Nash is a super smart guy. The first time I heard of him was on an Inside Running Podcast interview, and in this podcast, the hosts really deep dive into the benefits of ‘priming’ or running threshold paces and ‘quality’ work within the warmup.

They even cite scientific papers that back up this warmup methodology. This isn’t just some “run slow to run fast” Instagram advice—it’s backed by exercise physiologists. I won’t even try to explain the process, but I highly recommend giving the podcast a listen.

Here’s an example of a Dan Nash warmup before races:

• Easy Jog

• 4-6 minutes @ threshold (time depends on the distance of the race)

• Strides

Interestingly, they mentioned that they don’t do drills because they don’t see the benefit given the time required to complete them.

Podcast link below:

Some studies have shown that incorporating ‘priming’ as part of your warmup can lead to a significant performance boost—up to a 3-second improvement in 800m races! That might not sound like much, but in an 800m run, 3 seconds is massive. One of the podcast hosts even discussed this in detail in a Twitter thread, which I highly recommend checking out.

Interestingly, they also mentioned that these benefits might be even more pronounced for slower runners. With that in mind, I’m definitely planning to implement priming in my warmups as I gear up for my 5-10km training block, which includes regular parkruns and races.

The Clubhouse

This week in the Discord server has been one of the most enjoyable yet! A huge shoutout to everyone who got involved and made watching track and field at the Olympics even more fun. Here are some highlights:

• Live Watch Parties: We gathered for both marathon events, and we were all in awe as Sifan Hassan took Gold, capping off her incredible triple-medal Olympics.

• City2Surf: Book hit up City2Surf and, despite being disappointed with his time, managed a performance most of us can only dream of!

• The Great Debate: We delved into the all-important question—should you wear underwear beneath lined shorts? My vote is no! What’s yours?

• Sub-Elite Marathon Times: We discussed what qualifies as a sub-elite marathon time—somewhere between 2:20 and 2:30?

If you’re passionate about running (or anything related), jump into the Discord and join the conversation!

That’s it for another week! The next big events on the running calendar for us down under are the Sydney and Melbourne marathons. Zato Athletic Club will be looking at ways to support runners on their individual journeys.