Minute 1: CBD for athletes
The explosive growth of the cannabis industry is captivating more than just slackers and Deadheads. Endurance athletes, coaches and trainers are now exploring whether cannabis products can be safely and fairly used by competitors. Boulder’s iKOR just signed up former Ironman champion Craig Alexander who claims that using their CBD products has helped him with training and recovery. WADA recently changed its drug testing rules to allow the use of certain hemp products, but continued its prohibition on marijuana. Apparently with a straight face, iKOR reports that “Sales reached a new high last month…” Earlier this year, Outside Magazine did a good job explaining how CBD may benefit athletes without the buzz of its sister compound, THC. Former Tour de France champion Floyd Landis has launched his own line of CBD retail stores that even sponsors a cycling team. (Insert doping joke here.)
Minute 2: Celebrity running sightings
Autumn is bringing out more than brightly colored leaves this year, as a long list of bold-faced names signed up for fall marathons and road races. Not only are they better dressed than the rest of us, but they also generate a whole lot more Likes when they post their race photos. They also bring out some pretty interesting back stories. Kevin Hart was on pace to break 4 hours at Chicago last Sunday, but a combination of leg cramps and the sight of two women pooping in their pants slowed him down. No really. It’s all in his Instagram video. We can’t resist a little (porta) potty humor, but in fairness to Kevin, he also raised a bunch of cash for college scholarships.
Jared and Ivanka took time out from the West Wing to run the Army 10-Miler in D.C. They finished together at a 10:43/mile pace and uploaded some pictures of greeting their kids along the course to their social media channels. As you might expect, online reaction was swift and polarized. (#politicalbarbie competed with “You guys are too cute!”)
Sports Illustrated swimsuit model Chase Carter is planning to run the NYC Marathon next month. Carter apparently has an athletic background, but forgive us a little snarkiness after checking out her training video on Instagram below. It doesn’t appear to be inducing any perspiration. But hey, she’s running New York and we’re not.
Minute 3: Kinda kooky, kinda amazing fall marathon news
Among everyday athletes, three more fall marathon stories caught our eye this week. First, 15-year-old Tierney Wolfgram just ran 2:40 to finish 6th among all women at the Twin Cities Marathon. She was actually leading the race at the 10K mark. The 10th grader posted one of the fastest times for any 15-year-old in history. Her description of her race tactics sounded like a happy teenager just goofing around with no clear plan. Believe it or not, some running commentators criticized her for doing the race in the midst of her high school cross country season. Lighten up, boys.
Second, it was strange enough that pooping women slowed down Kevin Hart, but when was the last time that a deer attack cost a runner 10 minutes in a half marathon? Christina Sanchez was wiped out by a buck that dashed across the course at mile 10 and knocked her to the ground. After a brief check by medical personnel, she hoofed it to the finish line with a tale for the ages.
Finally, runners in a Portland, Oregon, marathon were stopped in their tracks when a freight train unexpectedly crossed the race course. Several runners who were on pace to qualify for Boston were steaming mad. The delay cost some runners more than 20 minutes.
Minute 4: How to lose weight while chowing down Mexican food
As big fans of Mexican cantinas, street food and tequila, we are grateful to LIVESTRONG for publishing a guide to indulging a little while sticking to your training and weight loss goals. Hint: the taco salad is not your friend with as many as 800 calories and 50 grams of fat. Here is their list of the 10 healthiest things to order at your next Taco Tuesday fiesta.
Minute 5: Jackets for fall
For anyone fighting off the depressing change of wardrobe from shorts and t-shirts to tights and winter hats, this might cheer you up. Runner’s World just compiled their list of the 10 best new lightweight jackets for fall training. We like this list since there really isn’t an ugly entry on the board.
Minute 6: Daily Inspiration
So you think you’re pretty special because you can crank the incline up to 8 and still hit 10 MPH on your treadmill? No offense, but Devon Levesque could probably do that in a side shuffle with a weighted vest. The fitness instructor just posted this insane treadmill work-out on his Instagram account. Don’t try this at home. Literally.
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