Run Club Tourism and MRC Reno + Marathon Training Begins, Faith Kipyegon’s Post-Run Interview, Strength Training

How Mikkeller Running Club promotes run club tourism, week one of marathon training, “If it’s not me, it’ll be somebody else,” top strength-training exercises, and more.

Jul 04, 2025

Happy 4th of July for those of you in the United States! I considered moving this newsletter date, but figured it might provide a nice read while you’re out by the pool or a break from the family picnic.

It doesn’t feel much like a holiday weekend here since my husband is working (thanks, Air Force — the irony!). But we do have our second bRUNch Run on Sunday. (If you’re in Colorado Springs, join us!)

Recently, I watched a Reel by a runner about an opinion piece published in The New York Times, by writer David Brooks. I’m late to the game, so you might have read it back in March. If not, it’s well worth the time if you have a subscription.

Brooks writes about Haruki Murakami’s memoir, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running. Murakami shares the agony experienced during races, and Brooks says he began to wonder why people choose voluntary pain and discomfort.

He writes about his research into this question, and concludes that a life involving voluntary pain or discomfort is the best life to live. It means we’re growing. We’re overcoming obstacles. We’re figuring things out and pushing our boundaries.

“Happiness is usually not getting what you want or living with ease; it is living, from one hour to the next, at a level of just manageable difficulty,” Brooks writes. “The greatest achievement is the person you become via the ardor of the journey.”

I think this is why I love running, and I’m sure many of you reading this would say the same. It’s why we sign up for longer race distances and push ourselves to see what we’re capable of achieving. I wrote about a similar idea in a previous Substack post, but this article hit a different level of self-awareness.

It’s also a great segue into a new section of this newsletter: First-Timer’s Marathon Training Update.

In the last newsletter, I wrote that I was considering sharing insights into my first marathon training experience. A few of you expressed interest, so you’ll find a new section dedicated to those updates below.

While I can’t predict what’s to come, there are likely to be some ups and downs, training lessons, and stories that motivate or provide a laugh. If you’re not interested, I won’t be offended! Scroll past that section to the parts of the newsletter you enjoy.

But if you’re interested in sharing your own stories and summer training journeys with me and other runners, I’d love to hear from you in the comments or the Substack Chat!

- Kimberly, founder & editor

How Mikkeller Running Club Promotes Run Club Tourism

Joining your local run club opens the doors to a new community, new training friends, and even new routes to run — all rooted in the city where the run club is based. Maybe a few members road-trip together to a destination race. But travel outside of that is often independent, and visiting other cities means finding new run clubs to join.

At Mikkeller Running Club (MRC), however, runners have a local club to run with — and enjoy a post-run beer with — in dozens of locations worldwide. Meeting fellow MRC members on the road creates unique travel experiences and more reason to plan that next trip.

Nick and Camille Malmquist began running with MRC Paris a decade ago. After relocating to Reno, Nevada, they decided to start their own chapter. Over the years, MRC Reno members have joined MRC chapters in various cities, Camille and Nick ran with MRC Tokyo while on vacation, and teams from the Reno and Phoenix chapters met up while running Ragnar Arizona.

This past May, Nick and Camille traveled with a group from MRC Reno to Denmark, where Mikkeller Running Club was founded. They attended Mikkeller Beer Celebration Copenhagen and ran with fellow MRC members from around the world.

Below, Camille shares about the MRC tourism experience.

MRC Reno at the Rio Del Lago 50K (Photo courtesy of MRC Reno)

It had been something of a pipe dream for a few years now. Every so often, someone would bring up the possibility of a trip to Denmark to run with the mothership MRC chapter.
Something clicked this year, and 13 of us ended up making the trip across the Atlantic for MBCC, the Mikkeller Beer Celebration Copenhagen. Officially, it’s a two-day beer festival with over 100 breweries pouring at least two different beers at each of four sessions.
In addition, there are several MRC events around and during the festival: a couple of group fun runs; a beer mile; a double-decker bus parked just outside the festival with games, beer, a private seating area, and MRC merch; and the Mikkellerthon, a 7-mile run with Mikkel himself, stopping at all 10 Mikkeller locations in Copenhagen, including the one in the famous Tivoli Gardens!
We have been fortunate enough to have run with several U.S.-based and international chapters already, but it was a delight to show so many of our friends from Reno how MRC tourism works firsthand. All of us had a great time meeting and running with new friends from MRC chapters around the world. There were folks representing Sweden, Finland, England, Brazil, and Hong Kong, to name a few.
The best part is seeing how the details may differ from chapter to chapter, but at the end of the day, the vibes are the same — we’re all a bunch of people who like running and drinking beer!
Everyone is already excited about the next trip, whether that’s to Boise, the Faroe Islands, or the MRC Baltic Cruise. We’re also excited to host any MRCers who happen to pass through Reno. Maybe our 4th annual McCarrathon in January will attract some MRC tourism of its own! — Camille Malmquist, Co-Founder of MRC Reno

Read the Q&A with MRC Reno’s co-founders on Running Lifestyle for more on…

🌎 The background of the Copenhagen-born running club⁠
🏃‍♂️ Camille and Nick’s experiences running with MRC Paris
🍺 MRC Reno’s annual brewery run ⁠

New on Running Lifestyle

If you’ve visited Chicago, chances are, you’ve gone for a run on the Lakefront Trail. But have you explored other running routes, such as The 606 or Humboldt Park? This Chicago City Guide, developed in collaboration with Fleet Feet Chicago, is packed with recommendations for your next trip, including weekly group runs, destination races, and the best donut spots for a post-run treat.

First-Timer’s Marathon Training Update: Week 1

I thought I’d start this new section by sharing my motivations behind running a marathon and how I’m approaching my training.

Why a marathon and why now? I think I needed a new challenge in life — something I could prove to myself that I could accomplish. Since 2011, I’ve run more than a dozen half marathons, and my days of running new PRs at that distance are likely over. Last year, I was inspired by a couple of my group runners who trained and ran their first marathon at the Every Woman’s Marathon in Savannah, Georgia. This year, the race is in Scottsdale, Arizona (near where I grew up!), on November 19. The timing felt right.

What’s the goal? To finish. Simple as that. One reason I haven’t trained for a marathon yet is that I don’t want to resent running. Running has always been my outlet, and I don’t want the pressure of hitting certain times in my workouts and on race day to take away from the experience. I don’t care if I walk. I don’t care if I’m slow. I want to enjoy both the training process and race day.

What’s my training plan and approach? When I signed up for this race, my schedule was pretty clear. It seemed like the right time to prioritize this journey. But then, a few new commitments landed on my calendar, including several trips during key training months, leading a monthly group run, and a contract gig as the marketing and volunteer coordinator for a local race. Funny how that happens, isn’t it?

I chose not to work with a coach. Working with a running coach is highly valuable, but since my goal is to finish and I know I need scheduling flexibility, I made the decision that felt right for me. I wrote a 20-week training plan, which includes a few drop-back weeks around the weekend of the race I’m working and other commitments.

(To note: I don’t recommend this to all runners. I’m an RRCA-certified running coach and have written my own training plans in the past.)

Instead of planning a strict schedule, I have my key workouts for each week and flexibility in which days I do them:

Easy 3-4 miles
5-mile workout (hills or speed)
Easy 6-7 miles
Long run (maxing out at 20 miles)
Two strength workouts (arms, legs)
Yoga as it fits in (with flexibility, not strength, as the focus)

One unusual decision I made is to do my long runs on Friday mornings. I can accommodate this long run day in my schedule, and it allows me to stay on track around weekend events and trips. When this newsletter lands in your inbox, I’ll be a mile or two into my first long run of 8 miles! 🏃🏼‍♀️

I’d love to know: What training adjustments have you made to work with your schedule? And what are your goals for your upcoming race?

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What I’m Listening to, Reading, and Watching

The hosts of the “Doctors of Running Podcast” episode on strength and conditioning share some specific advice on strength exercises to incorporate into your training (hear their tips in the last 18 minutes).

In a previous edition of this newsletter, I linked to an op-ed published in The Guardian about the third “running boom.”

Mario Fraioli

shared his insights and additions in his newsletter, “The Morning Shakeout.”

Martin Realey was known for running half marathons with a washing machine strapped to his back to raise money for an organization that supports sick newborns. Martin passed away in March. Read how 26 runners decided to honor his memory. (BBC)

Running coach Greg Rasp recently shared with me his wife Sutinee’s race recap after finishing the Mozart Ultra in Austria. Greg and Sutinee share specific training areas that, at 50 years old, helped her prepare for the 57-mile race. (Top of the Trail)

University researchers found that narrowing our visual attention to the finish line or a specific distance ahead of us, rather than paying attention to our surroundings, improves race performance. (NYU)

Are Peloton’s Pace Target runs helping more people enjoy running? (Lifehacker)

A recap of Western States 100’s top finishers’ races. (iRunFar.com) And, interestingly, what shoes those top runners were wearing. (RUN)

Keenan Baker wrote a great piece on what preceded Faith Kipyegon’s sub-4-minute mile attempt, Nike’s gear innovations and pacing technology, the best performance a female miler has ever given, and what it means for women in sport. (Citius Mag)

Over on Instagram…

There are many ways to measure your race success:

stephrunspa