Speaking of inspirational Russians… It is said that the COVID-19 pandemic created a third “running boom.” Whether it was because they were deprived of gym access and needed to find ways to keep fit on their own or they gained lockdown weight and took up running as a way to get rid of it, thousands of men and women all over the world became runners during the crisis. For Ruslan Mulyokov, though, the timing was coincidental. A longtime outdoor enthusiast, Ruslan, 40, let himself go a bit after moving to Kazan, Russia, with his wife and two sons and starting a new job as an IT sales support team leader shortly before the pandemic struck.

“I weighed almost 90 km and was unable to run 3 km without stopping,” Ruslan recalls of those dark days. He tried various training plans in an effort to work his way back into shape, but each one left him exhausted and frustrated. Things began to turn around after Ruslan read 80/20 Running, of which he says, “It changed my life.” Before the year was out, Ruslan had completed his first 10K and his first half marathon. He has since completed a marathon and lowered his half-marathon PB to 1:33:45, and he’s just getting started.

“At the moment I am on the Level 2 Marathon Plan complemented by Strength and Mobility Plans for the Moscow Marathon on 26 September,” he says. “I see constant improvements on my form and am aiming to improve my PB.” Follow Ruslan on Instagram (@mulk.ru) and Strava (mulkru) to give him encouragement and follow his progress.