Minute 1: Is Fitbit feeding us bad calorie data?
Why should I go for a walk if I don’t have my Fitbit on? Our healthy/not healthy addiction to step tracking will likely grow to $70 billion annually by 2022. Many athletes rely on all types of fitness trackers to shed a few pounds by moving a little more and eating a little less. A major new study, however, shows that calorie count measurements are often way off the mark. You can read about the most accurate and least accurate devices here. Before you go back to your old school Timex in frustration, take heart in this: the study shows that most devices give you too little credit for the calories you burn while exercising. That means if your calories burned and calories consumed are equal according to your device, you’ll actually be losing weight. BTW, because so many folks are addicted to their fitness trackers, hundreds of hilarious memes have emerged.
#walkitoff
Minute 2: Saying “I Do” in the middle of a marathon
Getting engaged at the finish line of races has been a thing for decades. Just after winning this year’s Ironman World Championships, for example, Patrick Lange proposed to his girlfriend. (The video of him proposing and collapsing in happiness is priceless.) Two runners in Sunday’s Detroit Marathon, however, are actually tying the knot during the race itself. The avid runners from Michigan will pause for 5-7 minutes at the halfway point of the marathon to say their vows and will finish the race with a little extra hardware on their left hands. The back story is just as remarkable as their choice of altars. The groom has been on a fitness journey that helped him lose 130 pounds. The bride was told she would never walk again after a car accident 14 years ago, but is now poised to finish her first marathon.The “awwwww factor” is pretty darn high in the video below of the cute couple discussing their plans.
#marathonbliss
Minute 3: “No grazie” to spaghetti dinner training meals
Most amateur competitors believe that carbo-loading is almost as important as logging miles. Pasta dinners before a race are just as obvious as getting a good night’s sleep. Even if we ate like we were filming a Barilla ad, however, many of us bonked the next day anyway. New research is confirming what we feel. Gorging on pasta, rice and bagels leaves us feeling bloated, lethargic and a little chubbier. Well + Good just published a story describing how to eat more protein and healthy fat to fuel for endurance training and races. Don’t skip the pasta aisle entirely, but filling your cart with protein and veggies will help train your body to burn fat and run more consistently.
#BibLettucePickup
Minute 4: Laughing your way to success
Everyone loves the warm inner glow of crossing the finish line, hitting a fitness goal or getting a promotion at work. All of those peaks, however, are only reached after months of slogging uphill with a backpack loaded with monotony and grunt work. The difference between who gets the fist bump and who throws a pity party is usually mental. That’s why we love this new article about how to put yourself in the right mental state for winning the tiny daily battles. Check out 7 Tiny Habits to Find Daily Happiness. Most of the guidance is tailored to our professional lives, but every habit also applies to our personal fitness goals, like 30-day challenges, laughter and daily gratitude rituals highlighting what went well.
#happier=faster
Minute 5: Quick takes
- A new device for runners is helping improve performance and times by 8%. The exoskeleton was designed by Iranian scientists and was just reviewed favorably by the New York Times. We’ve written before about the New Nike running shoes have been shown to improve times by 4%. Technology is finally having a big impact on running. Tech is also blurring the line between seeking an edge and seeking to cheat.
- As nerdy trail running humor goes, this stuff is pretty funny. You don’t need black toenails and triple-digit weekly miles to appreciate this Instagram account of running memes.
- Sometimes when you work out all week, you deserve a little something more than grilled veggies and lean protein at night. If your guilty pleasures include burgers, check out how your favorites stack up in new health rankings based on the amount of dangerous antibiotics used in their beef patties. We were happy to see that our favorite, Shake Shack, scored well.
Minute 6: Daily Inspiration
“I didn’t come this far to only come this far.” -Tom Brady
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